181
Chapter 181: The Realm of the Heart Sword Is Not Far Away.
The banner of the Martial Alliance fluttered vigorously.
With each gust of wind that blew refreshingly, the righteous sect warriors surged forward relentlessly.
"Waaaah!"
Despite hurling themselves at the swarming demonic warriors, the Martial Alliance forces charged without hesitation.
"We will hold the center of the formation. Stand firm and endure!"
At the vanguard of the Martial Alliance stood the Righteous Heaven Unit Scout.
The Righteous Heaven Unit Scout leader wielded two short rods, swinging his arms like a windmill, shattering the heads of the oncoming demonic warriors.
‘The head. Even if the head is destroyed, they won’t be able to recover!’
The Righteous Heaven Unit Scout leader aimed to kill with a single strike or inflict fatal wounds, wary of the demonic warriors from the Gwangya sect, known for their bizarre regenerative abilities.
The Righteous Heaven Unit Scout leader and his captains held their ground against the demonic warriors' charge, forming a solid position. Around them, the Righteous Heaven Unit Scout gathered in a circular formation.
A turtle-shell-like battle formation unfolded.
While the Righteous Heaven Unit Scout's formation blocked and scattered the demonic warriors' momentum at the center, other martial forces and warriors engaged the demonic warriors pushed to the sides.
"Die!"
A righteous sect warrior's sword split the shoulder of an attacking demonic warrior. The deep cut gushed blood, but instead of retreating, the demonic warrior laughed maniacally and lunged forward.
"Gasp!"
The righteous warrior, expecting the demonic warrior to retreat, was taken aback and stepped back, intending to finish the fight with another move.
The demonic warrior grabbed the warrior's sword with his right hand and struck with his left. Despite his split shoulder, the demonic warrior mustered enough strength to deliver a palm strike.
Crunch!
The sound of bones breaking made the righteous warrior gulp. The palm aimed at his temple stopped just short.
The demonic warrior's head had exploded in an instant.
Dokgo Yul, who had unleashed a sword aura to save the righteous warrior, immediately dashed forward. Behind him, the Dokgo Association followed, their black robes fluttering.
As Dokgo Yul cleared the path with his Ghost Eternal Sword, the Dokgo Association instinctively followed, maintaining their formation without needing orders.
The Dokgo Association were survivors who lived by the sword, enduring countless life-or-death battles daily.
Their breakthrough power tore through even the fearless demonic warriors.
In the large-scale battle with countless warriors entangled, the Dokgo Association stood out with unparalleled might.
Centered around Dokgo Yul's rhythm and movements, the Dokgo Association swept through the battlefield like a single colossal entity.
Splat!
A middle-aged man, even as his waist was split and his insides spilled out, struck the neck of an attacking demonic warrior and shouted to Dokgo Yul.
"Association Leader! Should we secure a position next to the Righteous Heaven Unit Scout?"
"Wait. I feel an odd sense of unease."
Since reaching the Transcendent Realm, his senses had become astonishingly sharp. Dokgo Yul relied entirely on this instinct.
‘There’s something up ahead.’
Boom!
Dokgo Yul stomped the ground and swung his Ghost Eternal Sword wide. The heavy sword aura cleaved through the demonic warriors blocking his path.
As Dokgo Yul cut down over thirty demonic warriors, two massive sword auras flew toward him from behind, slicing through demonic warriors' necks.
Dokgo Yul raised the broad surface of his Ghost Eternal Sword to block the auras and shifted his gaze.
A middle-aged man wielding twin swords smirked at him.
"You’re quite something, young man."
Dokgo Yul scanned the man up and down and asked, "You seem high-ranking. Who are you?"
"I am the Lord of Gwangya."
One of the six lords of the Black Night Palace.
Despite the man's claim, Dokgo Yul's skeptical expression didn't change.
"I was hoping to play with one of the Nine Sect Leaders, but I guess you’ll have to do!"
The Lord of Gwangya leveled his twin swords and charged at Dokgo Yul.
The Dokgo Association warriors instinctively spread out, creating space for their leader to fight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Lord of Gwangya spun like a top, rapidly striking the massive sword of the Ghost Eternal Sword. Though the impacts were significant, Dokgo Yul didn’t budge.
The Lord of Gwangya continued his flamboyant, relentless assault, as if willing to take injuries.
‘He’s relying on demonic techniques.’
Indeed, the Lord of Gwangya pressed Dokgo Yul with fierce attacks, almost as if seeking mutual destruction.
Dokgo Yul responded passively, deflecting strikes appropriately.
The combination of the twin swords' dazzling speed and the lord’s reckless boldness led to over forty exchanges in a brief moment.
‘He’s not the one.’
A cold gleam flashed in Dokgo Yul's eyes as he calmly observed. The broad surface of the Ghost Eternal Sword flipped, revealing its sharp edge.
Whoosh!
The Ghost Eternal Sword swung in earnest.
For the first time, the endlessly advancing Lord of Gwangya stepped back. The heavy strike numbed his wrist, furrowing his brow.
"Bastard!"
Dokgo Yul didn’t reply but stepped forward. Like the lord, he adopted an all-out offensive stance, unleashing the Dokgo Sword Technique.
His feet left unhesitating marks on the ground, his hands swinging fiercely. His eyes precisely read and mirrored the lord’s movements.
These elements merged into the Dokgo Sword Technique, revealing power like a storm.
The Ghost Eternal Sword ruthlessly carved into the Lord of Gwangya.
"Guhk!"
Three wounds appeared on his body in an instant.
Even as he channeled demonic energy to heal, new wounds kept forming.
‘Something’s wrong!’
Crack!
As his sword broke, the lord frowned. He had tried to deflect the strike, but his sword was halved, and his wrist severed.
Though the Gwangya Demonic Technique could regenerate it, the opponent before him seemed unlikely to give him even that moment.
‘Why is he suddenly—!’
As if hiding his strength, Dokgo Yul’s power exploded with each swing.
"You’re definitely not the one."
"What?"
Ignoring the question, Dokgo Yul brought the Ghost Eternal Sword down vertically. The lord hastily raised his remaining sword.
But the Ghost Eternal Sword split the sword effortlessly and cleaved the lord in half.
"Huh?"
"Lord?"
The surrounding Gwangya demonic warriors couldn’t comprehend their leader’s swift death.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yul raised his head, looking beyond the demonic warriors.
A powerful energy wave emanated from afar.
As the Lord of Gwangya died, its source revealed itself.
"It’s you."
Facing the energy wave head-on, Dokgo Yul finally realized who had been stirring his senses on the battlefield.
A middle-aged man leaped from behind, landing before Dokgo Yul in a wide arc.
Thud!
A giant on par with Dokgo Yul. The massive man placed a hand on the great sword on his back and smiled with murderous intent.
"I didn’t expect to step out so soon."
Dokgo Yul noted the man’s appearance and the missing finger on his left hand before pointing the Ghost Eternal Sword forward.
"Left Guardian of Black Night Palace."
"You recognize me yet don’t flee?"
Despite the Left Guardian’s menacing expression, Dokgo Yul slowly twisted his lips.
"I heard the Sword Saint cut off your finger. I’ll take your head."
At the mention of the Sword Saint, the Left Guardian’s eyes reddened.
"You brat dare—!"
The Left Guardian drew his great sword and swung at Dokgo Yul’s neck.
Boom!
The great sword and Ghost Eternal Sword collided with a deafening crash. Despite the full-powered strike, Dokgo Yul didn’t retreat an inch.
The Left Guardian’s eyes narrowed at his indifferent gaze.
"That damn look. You resemble the Sword Saint."
Dokgo Yul smirked.
"You’ve got a good eye."
He spun, channeling power to slash at the Left Guardian’s waist.
The motion was less a cut and more a brutal smash.
Crunch!
The destructive force rattled bones. The Left Guardian blocked with his great sword but was forced back two steps.
"How dare!"
His face burned with humiliation at being pushed back.
As the Left Guardian emitted a ferocious energy wave, Dokgo Yul thrust his sword forward.
***
Dongting Lake was vast enough that its endless blue could be mistaken for the sea.
It was like seeing another sky beneath the heavens. Against this sky-on-earth backdrop, the Sword Immortal and Sword Saint sat side by side, meditating.
"Hoo."
Mu Hwi calmly regulated his breath and opened his eyes.
When he began meditating, the dawn sun had just risen. Now, another sunrise greeted him.
A full day had passed in meditation.
‘It’s been a while since I meditated this calmly and long.’
Mu Hwi had always driven himself relentlessly in training, both in his past and current life. He knew that complacency would weaken his martial arts.
But training with the Sword Immortal was the opposite of his usual approach—yet he felt no unease or discomfort.
‘How strange. Perhaps it’s the Sword Immortal’s influence.’
As Mu Hwi opened his eyes, the Sword Immortal did the same.
"The natural energy of Dongting Lake is truly delightful."
"I understand what you mean."
Side by side, they admired the lake’s waves under the dawn light, savoring its famous Silver Needle tea.
The Sword Immortal took a sip and nodded.
"The clear fragrance fills my mouth. Refreshing."
"Like the lake’s natural energy. No wonder it’s called Junshan Silver Needle."
"Since we’re on the topic, let’s visit Junshan today."
Junshan, the towering island at Dongting’s center.
Normally, one would take a boat, but the Sword Immortal and Mu Hwi had no need. They simply stepped forward.
The Sword Immortal glided across the lake’s surface, creating gentle ripples, with Mu Hwi following.
Though not as skilled, Mu Hwi moved calmly across the water, thanks to the Sword Immortal’s teachings.
‘A bit more training, and I’ll master the Water Treading Technique.’
The Sword Immortal smiled at Mu Hwi’s progress.
‘He learns incredibly fast. At this rate, I’ll run out of things to teach. Truly gifted.’
Initially, Mu Hwi had splashed water everywhere, soaking his shoes and pants. Now, barely a droplet was disturbed, and the ripples were only slightly larger and faster than the Sword Immortal’s.
The gap between them had narrowed from over fifty steps to less than ten.
Remarkable progress.
"Your will isn’t limited to internal energy or the sword. Your body may seem to move as you wish, but are you using its full potential? Reflect. Infuse your entire being with intent to elevate your skill."
The Sword Immortal offered endless guidance, always presenting new challenges.
He taught generously, as his own masters had done in his youth.
‘The Absorbing Demon Technique. There’s no need to fear it. Just as the demonic path has its ways, so does the righteous path.’
If the demonic path grew stronger by stealing lives, the righteous path grew by inheriting the wisdom and will of predecessors.
The Sword Immortal would strengthen Muhwi the righteous way.
"Infuse your internal energy, sword, body, even the wind, earth, and all creation with intense intent. Become one with nature, embracing its truths and phenomena."
Watching Mu Hwi run across the water with closed eyes, the Sword Immortal smiled softly.
How far had they gone?
Nine steps. Five. Three.
The gap between them closed.
Soon, Mu Hwi ran shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sword Immortal, who suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Elder!"
Mu Hwi called out as the scenery shifted. With each step, the sky grew closer.
Void Treading.
Before he knew it, they were at the height of flying birds.
"Mu Hwi, look."
Below, Junshan rose majestically from Dongting’s center, its peaks and valleys forming a harmonious, beautiful landscape.
The lake’s emerald-blue waters encircled the mountain like a jade setting.
"Yao Wang Dong Ting Shan Shui Cui, Bai Yin Bo Li Yi Qing Luo."
The verse described the distant view of Dongting’s green mountains and silver waters, like a green snail on a silver plate.
"Truly a masterpiece."
The Sword Immortal released Mu Hwi’s hand.
"Ah!"
Mu Hwi began falling toward the lake, his robes fluttering wildly.
‘To fully unleash my body’s potential and influence all creation with intent…’
Reciting the Sword Immortal’s teachings, Mu Hwi moved his feet.
He kicked at the air repeatedly, like a child splashing in water.
His flailing slowed, and his descent gradually decelerated.
The Sword Immortal nodded approvingly from above, descending like a leaf.
His effortless grace was that of a true immortal.
"Well done. The realm of the Heart Sword is not far away."
Both stood on the lake’s surface, but differently.
Mu Hwi stood on floating duckweed, while the Sword Immortal hovered above the water.
"Your movements have changed, so your sword must too."
The Sword Immortal lowered his right hand, forming a white-and-black intangible sword. Mu Hwi drew the Sim-myeong Sword.
"I’ll begin."
"Come."
Under the vast Dongting sky, the two masters began their dance.
Sunlight shimmered on the water, dancing around them.