Chapter 134
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: The Sky-Splitting Lord's Arrival
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Surprisingly, a massive crater had formed in the center of the sparring ground.
The spectators couldn't see what had happened clearly due to the thick dust cloud from the explosion.
“Ugh! What just happened?”
“Has the result been decided?!”
Whoosh.
A timely gust of wind swept away the dust. And the two figures came into view.
“Ah!”
Covered head to toe in dust, their training robes torn in places, the two men faced each other.
“…….”
The Parasol Blood Rod hovered right in front of Peng Ga-ho’s chest, while Peng Ga-ho’s blade rested at Hong Guang’s throat.
They exchanged a silent glance, and then Peng Ga-ho slowly spoke.
“Indeed, the Shaolin’s foundation is formidable.”
“Amitabha. Division Leader Peng’s swordsmanship was equally astonishing.”
As if by prior agreement, they both withdrew their weapons simultaneously.
“It was a fine match.”
“Next time, it won’t end like this.”
Hong Guang gave a faint smile at Peng Ga-ho’s words.
“If Division Leader Peng perfects ‘that’ sword art, it just might.”
He was referring not to the “Five Tigers Gate-Severing Blade” Peng Ga-ho had used at the end, but the “Royal Executioner Blade” from before.
“…….”
Peng Ga-ho nodded to Seol Hwa-un and left the arena.
It seemed he was dissatisfied at not overwhelming Hong Guang.
“Heh, well. I wanted to chat a bit with the Young Palace Lord, but things turned out this way. We’ll take our leave now.”
Jegal Hyeon, Ha Su-hyeon, and Namgung Hye-yeon followed behind Peng Ga-ho.
Namgung Hye-yeon in particular kept looking back repeatedly, as if full of regret.
Dong Ho-won tilted his head.
“Hmm? Peng young hero leaving makes sense, but why are they all following?”
Eom Mu-hwi gave a subtle smile.
“They’re probably picking sides. The center will be the Blade Dragon.”
“Huh?”
“Forgot who’s being inaugurated as Alliance Leader this time?”
“Oh.”
Blade King Peng Yeom.
After numerous twists and turns, he was the one taking the helm of the Orthodox Alliance.
“Hmm. So that’s why the Peng Family is rising so fast?”
Dang Cheong gave a wry smile.
“It’s not quite that simple.”
Originally, the Orthodox Alliance had always been centered around the Namgung and Jegal Families, no matter what anyone said.
But other families, wary of those two holding too much power, rallied around the Peng Family of North of the River, leading to the Blade King becoming Alliance Leader.
In that process, Jegal Hyeon’s actions stood out.
‘Jegal Family’s young head wandering with the Blade Dragon, huh.’
Seol Hwa-un thought there might be more to it than met the eye.
“…….”
He soon recalled the duel that had just taken place.
‘The power of the Five Tigers Gate-Severing Blade was as expected. The interesting part was…’
How Hong Guang had neutralized it. In that desperate moment, Hong Guang thrust out his rod with terrifying speed.
‘It was a rod technique that embodied pure destructive force.’
Intense enough to dispel all the energy wave created by the Five Tigers Gate-Severing Blade.
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile.
‘It must be the Blood Forest arts.’
Though only a glimpse, he had unintentionally witnessed a Shaolin secret technique.
‘Far more practical and ferocious than before.’
Shaolin was Shaolin, after all.
“You’ve worked hard, Monk Hong Guang.”
Dong Ho-won greeted Hong Guang with a smile as he returned to the group.
“Amitabha.”
“Truly befitting the Shaolin Rod Dragon. You’ve broadened my horizons greatly.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Hong Guang smiled but couldn’t help glancing at Seol Hwa-un.
‘Did he notice?’
He didn’t care about anyone else. The only one who could recognize that fleeting technique was Seol Hwa-un.
“…….”
Meeting Hong Guang’s eyes, Seol Hwa-un smiled gently. Hong Guang flinched involuntarily.
‘What? Did he see it? No, maybe not?’
As he fidgeted anxiously, Seol Hwa-un spoke.
“Let’s head inside. Somehow, we never got to properly share that tea.”
Dang Cheong laughed.
“Hahaha, indeed.”
* * *
The next day arrived.
After breakfast, Seol Hwa-un quietly circulated his energy in his guest room.
‘Hmm.’
He had been feeling his Ice White Divine Art progressing steeply lately.
‘The bout with the Blood Light Sword Lord helped, but purging the Demon Charm Art brought the biggest gains.’
It had given him a chance to reassess his internal energy once more.
‘The path is starting to take shape.’
Lately, Seol Hwa-un had been organizing and integrating his martial arts.
One result of that was the “White Thunder Cannon” he had demonstrated in the spar with Hong Guang.
‘Perhaps it could be the key to properly mastering the Harmony Origin Sect arts I couldn’t fully unlock even in my past life.’
The Harmony Origin Sect arts were vast and profound, making their one-on-one transmission seem inadequate.
Even during his days as the world’s top master and Martial Alliance Leader, there were a few he hadn’t completed.
‘Especially the ultimate art called Heaven-Earth Wind Thunder Martial Arts—I couldn’t even begin it.’
Partly due to insufficient realm, but mainly because the Heaven-Earth Wind Thunder Martial Arts itself was unfinished.
‘It’s called a martial art, but… the concepts are so vague.’
Full of abstract principles, like grasping at clouds. His master had only passed it down without explaining how to cultivate it.
He hadn’t understood why at first, but later realized naturally.
‘Master didn’t know either.’
Once his disciple surpassed him, his master had left with a plea to complete the Harmony Origin Sect arts.
That was the mission he had failed in his past life. He had half-given up while learning North Sea Ice Palace techniques.
But relearning the Pure Yang Infinite Art and harmonizing it with the Ice White Divine Art had naturally elevated his Harmony Origin Sect realm.
‘At this rate, I’ll soon reclaim my past life’s level.’
He hadn’t yet reached the Transformation Realm, dubbed the Heavenly Martial Realm, but considering his age, it was absurd progress.
‘It won’t take much longer.’
If he surpassed his past self, the path to Heaven-Earth Wind Thunder Martial Arts would open.
Just then, someone knocked.
Knock knock.
“Young Palace Lord, it’s Eom Mu-hwi.”
His voice carried an unmistakable tension.
“……?”
Seol Hwa-un stopped circulating and asked.
“What is it?”
“Well… you should come out and see for yourself.”
Only then sensing something, Seol Hwa-un’s face hardened.
“Understood.”
Descending to the first floor, Seol Hwa-un spotted Dong Ho-won facing off against someone, drenched in cold sweat.
“…….”
There were three opponents, and Dong Ho-won was tense, ready to spring at the slightest touch.
Hong Guang watched them with a grim expression nearby.
Seol Hwa-un gave a wry smile.
‘I didn’t notice them approaching this close.’
He must have been too immersed in his meditation.
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un tapped Dong Ho-won’s shoulder.
Tap.
Swish!
Dong Ho-won spun around, hand shooting out.
Crack!
Seol Hwa-un casually caught it and said.
“A guy with mediocre hand techniques—think you can take them with that?”
“……Ah!”
Realizing it was the Young Palace Lord, Dong Ho-won flushed in embarrassment.
“Young Palace Lord…”
“Good work. Fall back now.”
“……Yes.”
As Dong Ho-won retreated, Seol Hwa-un stepped forward.
One of the three was a stunning beauty in her early twenties, eyes wide with astonishment. Another was a familiar middle-aged man.
The moment he saw him, Seol Hwa-un guessed their identities.
‘So, the face-to-face finally happens.’
But truthfully, those two barely registered to him.
The cold-faced middle-aged man at the front exuded an overwhelming presence with his heavy aura.
“…….”
Just meeting his eyes sent a sharp tingle. Seol Hwa-un understood why Dong Ho-won was sweating so profusely.
Yet he spoke calmly, unfazed.
“You must be the Sky-Splitting Lord.”
A chill smile curled the middle-aged man’s lips.
“So you’re the famed North Heaven Dragon.”
Sky-Splitting Lord Gu Ji-hwang.
One of the Four Evil Lords, master of the Bright King Sect, had finally appeared before Seol Hwa-un.
“What brings you here?”
“Arrogant as expected. They say you even speak bluntly to family heads.”
“As a North Sea man, do I need to bind myself to Central Plains etiquette?”
“Then why set up a branch in Shanxi Province if you have no intent to assimilate into the Central Plains?”
“We’ll worry about settling in properly later. State your business.”
The Sky-Splitting Lord sneered.
“No need to tense up. I’m not here to do anything to you right now. The North Sea Ice Palace and my sect are in a truce, aren’t we?”
“That’s what I’d say. Don’t worry—no attacks from us here.”
“What? Hahaha!”
The Sky-Splitting Lord burst into booming laughter.
Rumble!
His internal energy was so potent the entire inn building shook.
The staff inside and most watching warriors from afar clutched their ears and rolled on the ground.
Even Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won grimaced in pain.
“Hahaha!”
Amid it all, Seol Hwa-un said calmly.
“How long will you keep showing off your pointless voice projection?”
Silence.
His laughter cut off abruptly.
“…….”
His eyes narrowed.
‘He didn’t even flinch under a focused sonic assault.’
It wasn’t mere laughter infused with energy. It was the exquisite Radiant Nether Roar.
‘Well, he’s taken down two of the Four Evil Lords—no wonder he shrugs this off.’
The Sky-Splitting Lord’s eyes gleamed.
“Worthy of the North Heaven Dragon title.”
“So you came to test me?”
The Sky-Splitting Lord bared his white teeth.
“Curiosity.”
“…….”
“Wondered what kind of man could smash Iron-Faced Tiger’s—the strategist of my sect—plans head-on.”
“An honor. Even among the Four Evil Lords, the one with the greatest presence graces me personally.”
The Sky-Splitting Lord was known as Bright King Sect master, but more famed for his own prowess.
The eight top evil masters were the “Four Demons and Four Lords.”
The front four Demons called “Evil Path Four Demons,” the latter four Lords “Evil Path Four Lords.”
Generally, the Four Demons outranked the Four Lords, but the Sky-Splitting Lord was the exception.
Many believed him the strongest among them.
The Sky-Splitting Lord’s face hardened coldly.
“Definitely an arrogant bastard.”
Boom!
A tyrannical aura incomparable to before surged toward Seol Hwa-un.