Chapter 184
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: The Fist Demon's Challenge
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When Seol Hwa-un returned to the guest hall, Yu Gong-seon and the North Dragon Brigade Leader greeted him.
"You've worked hard, Fortress Lord."
"Are you alright?"
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile.
"I'm fine. I told you to go rest, so why are you still waiting?"
Yu Gong-seon burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, how could we rest easy while you were out there suffering?"
"Even so, you went back inside awfully quickly..."
"I'm sorry. The sparring was just too boring at that level... More importantly, I have a question for you, Fortress Lord."
Seol Hwa-un chuckled softly.
"So that's the real reason you were waiting. Go ahead and ask."
"How on earth did you block the Lightning Flash Sword's blade so effortlessly?"
Even to Yu Gong-seon, whose skills were still lacking, Byeok Yeon-san's swift sword had been astonishing.
It didn't look like even a seasoned master could easily parry a single strike.
The North Dragon Brigade Leader wore a curious expression as well.
"Of course, there's a reason I handled it so easily. But telling you wouldn't mean much."
"Pardon?"
"Unless you reach a realm similar to mine, knowing the reason won't let you put it into practice."
"Ah..."
"The same goes for you, North Dragon Brigade Leader."
"......!"
The North Dragon Brigade Leader flinched involuntarily.
"Hmm. The Plum Blossom Sword Lord's blade was indeed sharp. If we clashed head-on, even I couldn't guarantee victory."
"To be honest, in terms of pure martial attainment, the Lightning Flash Sword holds a slight edge. That said, it doesn't mean you'd definitely lose, Brigade Leader. Figure out the reason, and at least you'd have a fighting chance."
"Is that so?"
"You watched my spar with the Lightning Flash Sword closely today. Think it over carefully. Why was I able to block his swift sword so easily?"
"......"
"If you figure it out yourself, it'll help your martial growth as well."
The North Dragon Brigade Leader bowed his head with a serious expression.
"I'll keep that in mind."
After wrapping up the brief conversation, Seol Hwa-un washed his body with warm water prepared in advance by the Mount Hua Sect.
He then had a simple dinner before retiring to his room.
"Hoo."
Even Seol Hwa-un, renowned for his ironclad stamina, felt fatigued today.
To shake off the tiredness, he performed a light session of qi circulation meditation before lying down on the bed.
"......"
The spars from earlier naturally replayed in his mind.
'Lightning Flash Sword...'
His swift sword was indeed remarkable. Having carved out his own unique realm, he was already on par with Seol Hwa-un in that regard.
'His swordsmanship is certainly a notch above mine. But that's not enough.'
Traveling a solitary path meant his techniques lacked some polish.
That allowed Seol Hwa-un to block his sword relatively easily.
Two hundred years of peace.
On the surface, it seemed like an unprecedented golden age for the martial world, but there was one regrettable flaw.
'Lack of real combat experience.'
Ultimately, martial arts are perfected in life-or-death battles. Through countless trials and errors, one fills in the gaps.
Byeok Yeon-san lacked that. It wasn't really his fault.
'It's the era of peace.'
The same went for the Plum Blossom Sword Formation. It was an astonishingly powerful array, but it fell short in adapting to the variables of actual combat.
'Of course, there are exceptions like the Nine Heavens Martial Emperor.'
He couldn't help but wonder how someone could grow that strong.
'Wait for me. I'll surpass you all soon enough.'
That was the pride of the founding Martial Alliance Leader and the world's greatest master from two hundred years ago.
* * *
After that day, no more Mount Hua disciples visited the guest hall. Thanks to that, Seol Hwa-un's group enjoyed some peaceful days.
Time flew by. Seol Hwa-un trained daily with the Mount Hua Five Sages, while Yu Gong-seon and the North Dragon Brigade sweated it out in the guest hall's training ground.
Just like that, a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The final day of Seol Hwa-un's stay.
Woo woo woo!
Baek Hwa-seon was immersed in Floating Air Samadhi, hovering in midair.
Seol Hwa-un, Eung Cheon-ri, and the other three Sages watched her with tense expressions.
"......"
A cold yet gentle yin cold qi endlessly emanated from her body.
Paaaah!
Anyone of average skill would have taken damage just from exposure, but none of the masters present were affected.
How much time passed?
Baek Hwa-seon's eyes slowly opened.
Paaaah!
At the same time, a blindingly white light burst from her body.
"Ah!"
As the light faded, everyone saw Baek Hwa-seon naturally sitting cross-legged on the ground.
Hwa Wol-seon couldn't hide her flushed excitement as she asked.
"Senior Sister! How did it go?"
Baek Hwa-seon gave a faint smile.
"It succeeded."
"Th-then!"
"I've achieved great completion in the Cold Heaven Cold Moon Art."
"Ooooh!"
The Mount Hua Five Sages couldn't contain their joy. Eung Cheon-ri, uncharacteristically for his age, even teared up.
"Ahh! Congratulations, Master!"
Seol Hwa-un smiled as well.
"Congratulations, Baek Hwa-seon."
He could vaguely sense it.
'It's not just the Cold Heaven Cold Moon Art. She's broken through a wall.'
Baek Hwa-seon was already a Martial Unification Realm master like Seol Hwa-un.
She had been close to the wall, and with this great completion in the Cold Heaven Cold Moon Art, she had stepped into the next realm: the Heavenly Martial Realm.
'Impressive.'
Now, Baek Hwa-seon was undoubtedly stronger than the other three Sages.
"Hoo. I thought I'd be leaping for joy after completing it, but instead, I feel even calmer than before. Must be the yin cold qi art's influence."
Seol Hwa-un nodded.
"The martial art you cultivate does affect your emotions, after all."
"This is awkward. Sorry about this? I achieved a breakthrough while you all didn't."
"It's fine. You were on the verge of great completion anyway, weren't you?"
"True. But without that crucial insight, one could linger there forever."
"Well... that's true."
Baek Hwa-seon smiled.
"It's thanks to you, North Heaven Dragon. Truly grateful."
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
"I'm the grateful one. I gained insights that would have taken over a decade in just one month."
These weren't empty words.
Having cultivated the Cold Heaven Cold Moon Art for so long, Baek Hwa-seon's understanding of yin cold qi arts was profound.
Thanks to her, Seol Hwa-un's Ice White Divine Art had advanced to an incomparable level.
The spars with the Mount Hua Five Sages had deepened his other techniques as a bonus.
Hwa Wol-seon spoke up.
"We gained much from experiencing the North Sea Ice Palace arts as well. We all benefited."
Not to Baek Hwa-seon's extent, but the other three Sages had gained significant insights too. As he said, there was no need for thanks on either side.
Seol Hwa-un smiled and said,
"I'll head back to North Heaven Fortress now. Who knows when we'll meet again."
Baek Hwa-seon flashed a confident smile.
"Don't worry. I'll smash that damn Sword Prodigy one day and visit North Heaven Fortress."
Seol Hwa-un nodded.
"With you, it's entirely possible. When you come, I'll treat you to some fine tea."
"I'll hold you to it."
"Wishing you continued martial fortune."
"You too. Safe travels."
After bidding farewell to Eung Cheon-ri and the other three Sages, Seol Hwa-un left Sage Immortal Peak and soon arrived at the guest hall.
"......!"
Yu Gong-seon and the North Dragon Brigade had already finished preparing to depart and were waiting for him. But before them stood an unexpected visitor who had come to see Seol Hwa-un.
"Sect Leader Yu."
Mount Hua Sect Leader Yu Byeong-geon gave a faint smile.
"I hope you've been well."
"Of course."
"Good to hear. I've been so busy... Kept meaning to visit, and here I am at last."
"I was planning to pay my respects before leaving anyway."
"I should be the one doing that. Truly grateful."
"Hm? For what?"
"Thanks to you, our disciples' motivation has skyrocketed. It's not just my orders keeping them away since that day."
After that day, Byeok Yeon-san had realized the flaws in his Meteor Chasing Moon Sword and entered secluded training. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen were refining the Plum Blossom Sword Formation with the elders.
Not only that, but the other disciples, stimulated by Seol Hwa-un's extraordinary prowess, threw themselves into training.
Experiencing it firsthand hit much harder than mere rumors.
"I gained from this too, so no need to thank me."
"I know. And we did our part to accommodate you here."
For instance, the guest hall had been reserved solely for Seol Hwa-un's group; other guests were moved to temporary quarters.
"I appreciate it fully."
"Good. We're grateful for the exchange with the Five Sages too."
Yu Byeong-geon's eyes sparkled.
"We'd like to maintain good relations with your fortress going forward. What do you say?"
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile.
"Do I need to confirm? I already consider Mount Hua a friend in the south."
Yu Byeong-geon let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha."
Once his laughter subsided, he asked as if it had just occurred to him.
"By the way, there's an interesting rumor circulating. Have you heard?"
"Rumor?"
Yu Byeong-geon glanced at Yu Gong-seon and smiled.
"Looks like your subordinates kept it from you to avoid disrupting your training."
"......?"
"No rush anyway. Ask your man for the details."
Seol Hwa-un looked at Yu Gong-seon, who sent a transmission.
[My apologies, Fortress Lord. I'll brief you on the specifics shortly.]
[......Understood.]
Seol Hwa-un's group descended the mountain amid farewells from the Mount Hua disciples.
As soon as they passed the sect gates, Seol Hwa-un asked,
"Now speak, Chief Steward. What is it?"
Yu Gong-seon's expression turned serious for once.
"Actually... a few days ago, word came from the fortress."
"Something happened there?"
Yu Gong-seon shook his head.
"No. But a challenge letter arrived for you, Fortress Lord."
"A challenge letter? Nothing new there."
Since becoming North Heaven Fortress Lord, challengers envious or admiring his fame had occasionally sent defiant letters.
Facing them all would waste time, and refusing might spark rumors.
So North Wind Brigade Leader, Eom Mu-hwi, and Dong Ho-won took turns handling them.
No need to inform Seol Hwa-un at Mount Hua over something routine.
Seol Hwa-un realized this was no ordinary one.
"From someone special, I take it."
"Yes, Fortress Lord."
"Who could it be to cause this fuss?"
"......"
After a brief silence, Yu Gong-seon finally spoke.
"It's the Fist Demon."