Chapter 215: The Sky Where Flowers Do Not Bloom (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 215: The Sky Where Flowers Do Not Bloom (2)
"Damn it. Damn it... Damn it...!"
Hyeok Mun-yak, the Giryeon Sect Leader, spat out a constant stream of curses.
He couldn't understand it. Everything had been perfectly prepared. So why? Where did it all go wrong?
"Just die already, you bastard...!"
The Giryeon Sect Leader’s fingers moved frantically. Weaving countless hand seals, he commanded the elements of the world, manifesting them through his sorcery.
Fwaaaash!
It was meaningless. With a single movement of Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword, all that sorcery was reduced to nothing.
How on earth...!
The man had taken two direct hits from Je Cheon-hyeok’s fists. A massive chunk had been gouged out of his side, and his chest was caved in.
No matter how powerful a Transcendent Realm martial artist he was, no one should be able to remain standing after taking hits like that.
Je Cheon-hyeok’s strikes were no mere punches. Heaven-Breaking. True to its vicious name, the power contained within those fists was horrifying.
His strikes erased existence itself. Against a mediocre martial artist, a mere graze would spell instant death.
Even for Namgung Jin-cheon, there was no way he could be fine after taking two clean hits...!
"Bipolar Extinction...!"
The Giryeon Sect Leader squeezed out every last drop of his power to unleash the sorcery once more. It was the exact same spell that had managed to inflict significant damage on Namgung Jin-cheon earlier.
It wasn’t a difficult spell to dodge, but Namgung Jin-cheon could never do so. If he evaded it, Namgung Yeon would die.
Creeeeeak!
Space distorted, sucking in everything in the vicinity like a black star contracting into a single point.
Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyes swept over it indifferently.
Slash—
His Qi Sword Control swept through the center of the black point. Pop! The sorcery dissipated helplessly.
"Fuck..."
The only reason they had been able to strike him before was because Geom-yul had drawn his attention.
Now, with only Je Cheon-hyeok and the Giryeon Sect Leader remaining, the sect leader’s sorcery was no longer a major threat.
"Just what is..."
Was it possible they weren’t the ones doing the hunting? Why was he the one feeling cornered? Why was Namgung Jin-cheon so calm?
"Je Cheon-hyeok."
"...What is it?"
Though he had barely moved, Je Cheon-hyeok’s entire body was drenched in sweat.
Simply standing there and keeping Namgung Jin-cheon in check was an immense drain on his mental energy.
Without him, the Giryeon Sect Leader would have been dead already. Knowing this, the sect leader ground his teeth.
"We’re ending this now. I’m deactivating the formation."
"...Can you do it?"
Ending it now? It was easier said than done—nearly impossible, in fact.
"Whether I can or not doesn’t matter. If I don’t, I’m dead."
The Giryeon Sect Leader immediately formed a hand seal. He extended the index finger of his left hand and joined it with the thumb of his right. Simultaneously, he wrapped his remaining fingers around the index finger, completing the Wisdom Fist Seal.
"Aum."
Flutter—!
Yellow talismans scattered into the air. As the formation vanished, the isolated space was revealed to the world, and the Super Peak experts outside who had been supporting it began to writhe in agony.
"Argh...!"
"Th-this is...!"
The horrified martial artists tried to flee, but it was already too late.
"A—"
Opening the mouth to let out a sound is the beginning.
"—um."
Closing the mouth to cut it off is the end.
By containing the beginning and the end within those two syllables, all life in the vicinity was bound to the Giryeon Sect Leader’s soul.
Aum.
"Aaaaaargh...!!"
"N-no...! Not like this...!"
It was a technique he had prepared just in case. He had thought there might be an external variable... but what external variable?
They hadn’t even been able to take down Namgung Jin-cheon alone.
There were four Transcendent Realm masters here who ranked among the top of the Black Lotus Union.
Not to mention Je Cheon-hyeok; Geom-yul, Neung Pyeong-ho, and the Giryeon Sect Leader himself were all martial artists above the heavens, placed in the upper tiers even among those in the Transcendent Realm.
And yet, for it to end like this.
Sama Hyeon was a mere commoner who hadn’t even reached the Super Peak Realm, so he might not have predicted this.
What did it matter how smart he was? In the end, he was just a human who knew nothing of martial arts.
Human schemes might set the stage, but ultimately, it was the few masters who decided everything upon it.
All of this had happened because Namgung Jin-cheon was unnaturally strong.
Now that things had come to this, there was no turning back. If he didn't kill Namgung Jin-cheon here, he wouldn't survive.
Even if he did survive, he would have to spend the rest of his life hiding in the shadows, holding his breath to avoid Namgung Jin-cheon’s gaze.
"Whew..."
The screaming Super Peak martial artists crumbled into ash. The Giryeon Sect Leader absorbed all their energy into himself.
"Let’s begin."
A strange light flickered in the Giryeon Sect Leader’s eyes.
Rumble!
The earth and sky intertwined, reaching out for him. Space bent. Standing within it, Namgung Jin-cheon tapped the air.
Sky of Unopened Flowers. His domain violently pushed back the Giryeon Sect Leader’s sorcery.
Je Cheon-hyeok did not just watch. He finally took a heavy step forward.
Folding space with his movement, he pulled his fist back deep.
"Namgung Jin-cheon, I pay my respects to the martial arts you have built."
He was sincere. No human in the Central Plains could achieve such a feat.
Unless they were a half-god who had stepped into the Profound Realm, no one could produce such a result against four martial artists near the peak of the Transcendent Realm.
Only a single step had remained until the success of their plan, yet Namgung Jin-cheon had rendered all that effort futile.
"......."
Instead of replying, Namgung Jin-cheon formed a sword seal with his right hand and thrust it forward.
Zip—! The sword seal moved first, tearing through space.
Whoosh—!
Je Cheon-hyeok’s fist shot out instantly.
The clash between those at the very pinnacle of the Murim was silent. Even as space tore, the weather changed, and the terrain twisted, not a single sound emerged between the two men.
All that immense power was directed solely at each other.
Rumble—!
Rain poured from the torn sky. Namgung Jin-cheon struck away Je Cheon-hyeok’s wrist and thrust his crushed left hand forward.
Je Cheon-hyeok dodged by stepping diagonally. At the same time, he threw his other fist.
Swish—!
Namgung Jin-cheon’s Qi Sword Control collided with Je Cheon-hyeok’s fist.
Slash—!
Blood erupted from Je Cheon-hyeok’s hand.
The Giryeon Sect Leader moved to support him.
The desert sand became thousands of spears, and the rain clouds in the sky became countless daggers.
Every single grain of sand carried by the howling wind aimed for Namgung Jin-cheon’s life.
Drip—
A trail of blood leaked from the corner of Namgung Jin-cheon’s mouth. Yet, he did not retreat a single step.
He stood firmly before Namgung Yeon, blocking every attack and silently enduring the onslaught.
Then, in an instant, his eyes flashed.
"Ugh...!"
The Giryeon Sect Leader faltered under the pouring pressure.
Emperor Sword Form. Je Cheon-hyeok’s brow furrowed.
Even with me right in front of him...
He threw his fist with all his might. Namgung Jin-cheon did not dodge.
Thwack—!
He twisted his body, willingly giving up his left shoulder.
This was enough. The sword that had soared into the sky plunged down onto the Giryeon Sect Leader’s head, faster than light.
Sliiiice—
Without even a sound, the world was severed.
Space slid apart along the cross-section, projecting the pitch-black void of the universe.
The Giryeon Sect Leader’s mouth, sliced cleanly in half, hung wide open.
"N-no..."
The corpse, split in two, was buried in the desert sand. Namgung Jin-cheon narrowed his eyes.
Is it sorcery?
He wasn't completely dead. Just as Namgung Jin-cheon was about to finish him off, Je Cheon-hyeok lunged in deep.
"Hup...!"
His fist burned a brilliant white. Namgung Jin-cheon quickly recalled his sword. The Qi Sword Control blocked the path between them.
However, his injuries were simply too severe.
Cough...
A clump of blood burst from Namgung Jin-cheon’s mouth. His sword faltered. Je Cheon-hyeok did not miss the opening.
Craaaaack—
The lunging fist drove the broken sword straight through his chest. Blood poured from the gaping wound.
Gush—
Vomiting blood, Namgung Jin-cheon’s eyes trembled. Only then did Je Cheon-hyeok smile.
"It seems even you fear death."
Instead of replying, Namgung Jin-cheon turned his head with great effort. His sword was broken in half.
My lady...
A flickering memory showed his wife’s face.
"My lord, you have far too much affection. What will you do without me...?"
That bright smile. That voice. His own reflection in her eyes.
It was a memory of the past that he could never reach again, no matter how much he longed for it.
"Haa..."
Namgung Jin-cheon took in Je Cheon-hyeok’s form through his blurring vision. He had already dealt a massive blow to the Black Lotus Union, but it would be troublesome if Je Cheon-hyeok survived.
It was still too early for his son-in-law to face Je Cheon-hyeok.
Namgung Jin-cheon grabbed Je Cheon-hyeok’s arm, which was still impaling his chest.
The memory of his wife—more vivid than the gaping wound in his chest—hurt even more.
As Namgung Jin-cheon struggled to breathe, a clear memory flashed before his eyes.
"Um... Mister Warrior?"
The battle was not yet over.
But he couldn't stop it. Like a burst dam, memories of the past flooded in.
It had all started by chance.
*
A sudden, impulsive journey into the Murim.
Namgung Jin-cheon, hailed as an unprecedented genius, could no longer find a rival among his peers.
In fact, not just his peers—most martial artists in the Central Plains were no match for him.
At a young age, not even twenty, his martial arts were already nearing completion.
"The herbs that grow in spring have such a lovely scent. Would you like to try some?"
He had been born indifferent to the world and had little interest in the very martial arts he had built.
While wandering the Central Plains as if searching for a reason to live, he miraculously encountered a woman.
She was plain. Far from being a child of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, she was the daughter of a farmer who lived by tilling the fields in the countryside.
Namgung Jin-cheon didn't care. Whether she was a farmer’s daughter or a child of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans, he was uninterested in any of them anyway.
"No."
"Don’t be like that, just try some."
"I said no."
"No, I’m telling you to try it!"
She was a strange woman.
To be precise, his impression at the time was that it was truly amazing she hadn't been killed by a sword yet.
The bitterness of the herbs she had forced into his mouth still seemed to linger on his tongue.
A soft smile played on Namgung Jin-cheon’s lips.
"I am sorry for being such a pathetic husband..."
He had lost her, and in the end, he had even lost her sword.
Tears fell from the eyes of the smiling Namgung Jin-cheon.
Je Cheon-hyeok grimaced and yanked his arm out of Namgung Jin-cheon’s chest. Namgung Jin-cheon couldn't hold on.
Splurt—!
The erupting blood stained the desert sand red.
Namgung Jin-cheon staggered but did not fall. He was still listening to his wife’s voice.
"How long are you going to stay here?"
A bit of annoyance and a faint curiosity. It was reason enough for Namgung Jin-cheon to observe the woman.
The martial artist, who was bound by nothing, contemplated why this woman hadn't been struck down by a blade yet.
"Are you this reckless with everyone?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Of course not."
"Then why with me?"
"Because I felt like I could."
She was a woman who walked the line incredibly well. Whether she had an innate sense for it or was just lucky, he didn't know.
Namgung Jin-cheon asked the woman, who was currently forcing spring potatoes into his mouth.
"That is..."
"Talk after you finish eating."
"...Do you enjoy feeding others?"
"No?"
"Then why me?"
"Because you’re handsome."
Gush—!
Blood poured from the corner of Namgung Jin-cheon’s faintly smiling mouth. He raised a trembling hand and grasped the empty air.
The empty sky stretched into a long shape, manifesting as Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword.
"You asked if I fear death...?"
Je Cheon-hyeok’s brow furrowed. How could he still be standing? Those were injuries that should have killed him several times over.
Namgung Jin-cheon leveled his sword.
"I fear failing to protect my own far more than that..."
Loss.
Because he had already lost once, he didn't want to lose anymore.
Losing something precious was more terrifying than anything else in the world.
His hands trembled like a frightened child, overwhelmed by a fear he couldn't endure just by thinking about it.
"But to be able to die while protecting my family—what could be more joyful than that...?"
In fact, it was exactly what he had hoped for.
Namgung Jin-cheon smiled purely.