Chapter 214: The Sky Where Flowers Do Not Bloom (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 214: The Sky Where Flowers Do Not Bloom (1)
“First, one…”
Je Cheon-hyeok’s lips trembled violently at those calm words.
Was that opening intentional…?
He had deliberately offered up his flank just to take Neung Pyeong-ho’s life. If that was true, how much more would they have to sacrifice to claim this monster's head?
They had already lost a master of the Transcendent Realm. If they suffered any more casualties, even killing him wouldn't leave the Union with much to show for it.
Gritting his teeth, Je Cheon-hyeok quickly scanned his surroundings.
There isn't a single scratch on the space around him.
Namgung Jin-cheon hadn't moved a single inch from his spot since the battle began.
It was all because of Namgung Yeon.
To think he was this terrifyingly powerful while burdened with protecting someone.
Maintaining the standoff, he shot a glare at the Giryeon Sect Leader. “…Is the formation actually working properly?”
“Fuck. Can’t you tell just by looking?”
The formation served two primary purposes: it suppressed Namgung Jin-cheon in every possible way while amplifying the strength of their allies.
The Giryeon Sect Leader had personally laid this array, sacrificing countless lives to fuel it. There was no way it was ineffective. If the Giryeon Sect Leader himself had been trapped within it, facing an opponent of equal martial prowess, he would have been helplessly overwhelmed.
“This is him suppressed.”
Hearing the Giryeon Sect Leader’s words, Geom-yul let out a breathless exclamation of awe.
“Hah…! Truly the Vast Heaven Sword Lord. Had you belonged to the Sword Sect, you would have witnessed the very end of the sword…”
Every single movement he executed with such casual ease was, quite literally, the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Geom-yul’s domain, the Ten Thousand Sword Domain, was the ultimate realization of the Unity of Man and Sword. Since he and his blade were one, he could instantly swap positions with any of his ten thousand swords at will.
Yet, even his proud domain paled in comparison to this man.
Namgung Jin-cheon stood unyielding, flawlessly maintaining his own domain despite being surrounded and battered by the domains of four Transcendent Realm masters.
He is on an entirely different level than I am.
Geom-yul’s ears flushed red as he raised his blade.
He forgot his purpose for being here, he forgot the aftermath, and he even forgot his own murderous intent. The man standing there was no longer Geom-yul, the leader of the Sword Sect, but simply Geom-yul, a lone seeker of the sword.
“Show me the end of the sword that you have reached!”
Geom-yul charged.
The Giryeon Sect Leader clicked his tongue in disgust. “That bastard finally lost his mind…!”
Twisting Heaven and Overturning Earth. The Giryeon Sect Leader’s domain forcibly claimed the surrounding space as his own.
His ability to manipulate space itself was undeniably formidable, yet it held little meaning against Namgung Jin-cheon. It was a matter of absolute compatibility. Namgung Jin-cheon’s 'Sky' returned even space itself to nothingness. Only a profound void existed around him.
However, he couldn't just stand by and let Geom-yul die. If the swordsman fell, the Giryeon Sect Leader would be next. He didn't give a damn if the Black Lotus Union collapsed. Only one thing mattered: his own survival. Everything else was irrelevant.
“Dual Pole World-Shattering Strike…!”
The Taiji that formed the origin of all things—he violently split and crushed that very source. The resulting destruction mirrored the death of a star.
Right before Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyes, space collapsed inward, everything violently converging into a single, devastating point.
Simultaneously, Geom-yul charged forward, commanding his remaining fifty thousand swords.
Swish—!
Evading was the logical choice. But he could not move. If he dodged, Namgung Yeon would die.
Namgung Jin-cheon reached out with his left hand. With mere flesh and blood, he snatched the collapsing black singularity and crushed it.
CRAAAAAACK────────!!
The violent vibrations of shattered space rippled outward, causing the entire area to warp and fluctuate wildly.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s hand was mangled into a bloody mess. Yet, his piercing gaze never left Je Cheon-hyeok. He could not show a single opening. If he did, he would have to extract a corresponding price in blood.
Geom-yul lunged. His figure flickered, moving erratically from every conceivable direction.
“Hup…!”
Swish, swish, swish!
Swords moving at near light-speed swung incessantly. By the time a blade completed its arc, Geom-yul was already gone. In a span of time carved into mere fractions of an instant, the countless strikes Geom-yul unleashed transformed into a suffocating plane of light that poured down upon Namgung Jin-cheon.
Whir—!
Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword rose to meet the onslaught.
RUMBLE────────!!!
Qi Sword Control at its absolute peak naturally executed movements that no human body could ever perform. Without shifting a single inch, Namgung Jin-cheon parried every single one of Geom-yul’s strikes using only Qi Sword Control.
This is it…!
Geom-yul swung his sword like a madman, tears of pure ecstasy streaming down his face. His downward cleaves were parried, and his desperate thrusts were met perfectly, tip-to-tip.
It was as if an impenetrable, heavenly wall had been erected around Namgung Jin-cheon.
The Giryeon Sect Leader was constantly pouring out destructive sorcery, yet Namgung Jin-cheon casually deflected every spell while simultaneously keeping Je Cheon-hyeok in check.
Geom-yul felt the unbridgeable, despair-inducing chasm between himself and Namgung Jin-cheon. He realized it deep in his bones—his sword would never reach this man.
But…!
He couldn't just give up. If he could pierce through that absolute wall of swords, his own path would take one step further into the divine.
Unity of Man and Sword.
He became the blade itself. Pushing far past his mortal limits, he drew the remaining fifty thousand unbroken swords directly into his own body.
KIIIIIIING─────────!!
With a blinding flash, ten thousand swords were absorbed into Geom-yul’s being. When the radiant light faded, only a single, pure sword remained.
Geom-yul, having fully transformed into a living blade, shot toward Namgung Jin-cheon.
BOOM—!
Namgung Jin-cheon’s Qi Sword Control effortlessly blocked the impact. In that split second, Geom-yul recalled the essence of Softness.
Forgetting all martial arts and rigid forms, he imbued his strike with a single, absolute principle.
Softness (柔).
Screee—
With an eerie metallic screech, Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword slid aside.
Flash!
At that exact moment, Geom-yul swapped positions with one of the remaining forty thousand swords. Following the essence of Softness came Speed (快).
Zip—!
He moved beyond the speed of light. A velocity that utterly defied common sense finally bypassed Namgung Jin-cheon’s defensive blade. Even if only for a fleeting, microscopic moment, he had surpassed the absolute wall of swords Namgung Jin-cheon had constructed.
Geom-yul and Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyes met.
Witness this.
He gathered everything he was—the entire path of the sword he had walked his whole life—into a single, decisive swing.
Hegemony (覇).
Geom-yul’s head felt like it was going to explode from the sheer heat of his exertion. He fused the essences of Speed and Hegemony into one. It was a single swing that infinitely surpassed every sword technique he had ever performed in his life.
Along with a dizzying, intoxicating sense of euphoria, Geom-yul felt a momentary, profound connection with Namgung Jin-cheon’s heart.
How is my sword?
“It is magnificent…”
Namgung Jin-cheon raised his right hand. Had they met under different circumstances, they might have become great friends, happily discussing the Dao of the Sword for days and nights on end.
But that was an impossibility.
The moment they targeted his family, they forfeited any right to walk the same path.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s hand lightly traced the air.
“Ah…”
Geom-yul’s mouth hung open. He didn't even attempt to swap positions with another sword. He knew it would be utterly meaningless.
His blade stopped dead, hovering mere inches from Namgung Jin-cheon’s throat. In the end, Geom-yul could not reach him.
“Heart Sword… So this is… the end of the sword you saw…”
Thud.
Geom-yul’s body collapsed to the ground. There wasn't a single visible wound on him, yet he could no longer move.
Shhhhhh──────
The remaining forty thousand shattered swords dissolved into motes of light and faded away.
“Cough…!”
Namgung Jin-cheon violently coughed up blood. His chest was visibly caved in. It was the opening created while he was finishing off Geom-yul—Je Cheon-hyeok had finally landed a devastating blow.
“Whew…”
Namgung Jin-cheon let out a ragged breath and looked up at the sky. In his mind's eye, he could see a path stretching out into the infinite distance.
The Profound Realm…
He could reach it. No, he could reach even higher than that.
But Namgung Jin-cheon mentally brushed the path away without a single hint of regret. His deep, lingering attachments. His denial. If he could just abandon those memories, he could cut down everything before him and ascend to the divine throne.
However…
How could I ever do that…?
Namgung Jin-cheon remained firmly by Namgung Yeon’s side, listening to the mournful cry of his sword. His wife’s faint, loving voice seemed to gently embrace him.
“Do not be so sad, my love…”
He smiled, his heavy heart suddenly feeling unburdened.
“I am just happy that I can finally follow after you…”
As he gazed into the distance, the blurry, beautiful image of a woman flickered in his eyes.
The Sky of Unopened Flowers. The sky where flowers do not bloom.
Having lost his other half, Namgung Jin-cheon’s domain was fundamentally incomplete. He could have stepped forward into the next realm at any time if he merely erased those lingering traces of her, but Namgung Jin-cheon could never bring himself to do it.
To forget his other half was a terror far worse than death itself.
Wooooom──────……
Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword wailed in profound sorrow. Even so, he refused to take that step forward. He simply kept his cold eyes fixed on Je Cheon-hyeok and parted his lips.
“Now, two…”
At Namgung Jin-cheon’s eerily calm words, the Giryeon Sect Leader’s lips trembled.
“God dammit…”
*
After finishing his sightseeing at the sea, Seo-jun returned to the Namgung Clan.
“My father-in-law did?”
“Yes. He lost contact with my aunt and went there personally.”
Hearing Namgung Myeong’s words, Seo-jun scratched the back of his head.
Well, if my father-in-law went himself…
Namgung Jin-cheon was a man entirely divorced from the concept of 'danger.' Seo-jun couldn't even fathom the idea of him shedding a single drop of blood.
But why…?
His chest ached strangely. He couldn't understand the sudden feeling of unease.
“Oppa.”
He turned his head at Chun-bong’s voice. She gave him a cheeky grin and lightly patted his butt.
“If you’re worried, just go. You can get there fast anyway.”
“…Is that so?”
It wasn't like he had anything pressing to do right now anyway. Seo-jun looked around for a moment. Everyone else looked completely at peace.
Who in their right mind would ever worry about the strongest man in the world, the Vast Heaven Sword Lord Namgung Jin-cheon?
Well, I guess…
It must be a lonely position to be in.
Seo-jun gathered a sphere of the Primordial Unity Sun-Moon Art at his feet.
“Then I’ll be back soon.”
“Yeah. I’ll have some tanghulu frozen for you, so hurry back.”
After giving Chun-bong’s hair an affectionate ruffle, he firmly squeezed Namgung Su-ah’s hand.
“You rest too, Noona.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
“Of course.”
He already knew the exact coordinates his father-in-law had headed to.
BOOOOOOM────────!!
Seo-jun’s figure tore through the sky like a comet.