Chapter 58
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Sword Dragon's Display
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Seol Hwa-un's group naturally joined Song Guk-il's group. Even Yi Ji-gwang, who had acted so abrasively earlier, apologized once more, admitting his words had been excessive.
He had an arrogant personality, but his character wasn't inherently bad. He even showed boundless affection toward those he acknowledged.
Yi Ji-gwang sat beside Eom Mu-hwi, chatting happily. Dong Ho-won, feeling jealous for no reason, squeezed in, and the three began bickering playfully.
Before long, the other later-generation experts had mingled in, conversing naturally.
'They get along quite well.'
The later-generation disciples from the Nine Great Sects already present seemed oblivious to the fact that the North Sea Ice Palace group were Outer Realm folk.
'It's a good sight. This kind of scene...'
As Seol Hwa-un thought that, he suddenly froze. For a moment, he recalled the time he had set out as Martial Alliance Leader to subjugate the Outer Realm Evil Forces.
'At that time, I...'
It would be a lie to say he had no prejudices against the Outer Realm.
He had viewed them as enemies threatening the Central Plains and believed punishing them was the way to safeguard the Central Plains' peace.
'If I had tried harder to understand them... would the situation have been different?'
Seol Hwa-un chuckled wryly at the thought, then shook his head. It wasn't a problem that could be summed up so simply.
In fact, he would likely have reached the same conclusion.
'I have no regrets. I'll just do my best from my current position.'
Song Guk-il called out to him cautiously.
"Young Palace Lord."
"Speak."
"I heard you attended the Grand Assembly."
"Yes."
Song Guk-il's eyes sparkled.
"Did you happen to see the Heavenly Dragon there?"
"Heavenly Dragon? Ah, you mean the Namgung Family's young lord?"
"Yes."
A strange fervor rose in his eyes.
'I see. So they're rivals.'
Seol Hwa-un candidly shared the story.
"I met him. He challenged me to a spar, so we crossed blades."
Song Guk-il was startled.
"You and the Heavenly Dragon?"
His voice was loud enough to draw everyone's attention. Whispers soon followed.
"Did he just say the Heavenly Dragon and North Heavenly Dragon sparred?"
"Wow! Then why hasn't it spread?"
Gulping, Song Guk-il asked,
"So, what was the outcome?"
Seol Hwa-un considered telling the truth but decided against it. It had been a private match, after all.
There was no need to deny the spar itself, but revealing the result without his opponent's permission would be discourteous.
"Ask the Heavenly Dragon himself."
"......!"
A flicker of disappointment crossed Song Guk-il's face. The others began speculating wildly since Seol Hwa-un hadn't mentioned the winner.
"I'm curious. Who won?"
"Maybe he's sparing the Heavenly Dragon's face?"
"Or perhaps he's too ashamed of his loss to say."
"No......"
Dong Ho-won bristled at the comments, but Eom Mu-hwi covered his mouth.
"Mmph!"
[Please stay quiet for once. If the Young Palace Lord deliberately didn't say, what does it make you if you butt in?]
Only then did Dong Ho-won calm down at the transmission.
[I see. Good thing you stopped me.]
[Think before you act, please.]
[But why didn't the Young Palace Lord mention the result? Isn't it something to boast about?]
[It was a private spar. You can't just reveal it without the opponent's consent.]
Song Guk-il's expression grew complicated. He simply couldn't predict the outcome.
'From what I've heard, the Young Palace Lord is no pushover by any means. But imagining the Heavenly Dragon losing is hard too......'
Judging by Seol Hwa-un's face, pressing further wouldn't yield an answer.
'In that case.'
Song Guk-il asked again.
"Did you gauge the Heavenly Dragon's level?"
"I'd say so."
With an expectant look, he said,
"Then, how does he compare to me?"
Seol Hwa-un smiled faintly.
"Pure internal energy aside, they're similar. But gauging true level by energy alone has its limits."
"......"
"In that vein, care to show me a move that reflects your own level?"
Song Guk-il nodded confidently.
"Fine."
He sprang up from his seat and picked up an empty teacup. All eyes naturally focused on him.
"Watch closely."
Song Guk-il tossed the teacup into the air. By then, his hand was already on his sword hilt.
As the teacup reached eye level, something flashed.
Flash!
A glint appeared in Seol Hwa-un's eyes.
'Ho.'
"Oh!"
Song Guk-il's sword tip now held the teacup. Those with keen inner strength sensed that his blade had sliced it multiple times.
Yet, miraculously, the teacup remained intact.
He slowly lowered his sword onto the table. Even then, no marks marred the teacup.
Seol Hwa-un smiled gently and tapped the table lightly.
Tap.
Rustle.
The vibration shook the teacup slightly, causing it to topple. Astonishingly, the entire cup had been sliced horizontally into razor-thin layers.
It looked as if paper cut into a teacup shape had collapsed.
"Woooow!"
"How many times did he slice it?"
Yi Ji-gwang shook his head in dismay.
"Ha! I thought the gap had narrowed... but now his quicksword matches mine?"
The sword users, in particular, were amazed.
'It's not just the speed—perfect control of strength!'
'If the blade's power had been even a bit stronger, the cup would've shattered. Such precision. As expected of the Sword Dragon!'
Seol Hwa-un nodded.
'To wield such swordsmanship at that age. Better than I thought.'
Song Guk-il asked in a subdued tone.
"What do you think?"
"Their swordsmanship paths differ, so it's not precise, but in my view, you're nearly on par with the Heavenly Dragon. A direct clash would be too close to call, hinging on condition that day."
"I-is that so?"
Song Guk-il looked slightly deflated.
'I still haven't surpassed him?'
After narrowly losing to the Heavenly Dragon, Song Guk-il had honed his swordsmanship with all his might. He'd achieved results he could be satisfied with.
'I thought this would be enough to surpass Namgung Hyo......'
On second thought, the Heavenly Dragon's master was the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable himself. With innate talent and such tutelage, it made sense.
Seol Hwa-un added,
"Oh, by the way, after our match, the Heavenly Dragon seemed to gain enlightenment and immediately went into secluded training. He'll likely be even stronger when he emerges."
Seol Hwa-un omitted mentioning his own advice.
"......!"
Song Guk-il was briefly surprised, then hardened his resolve.
'I'll ask Master to expedite teaching me the Azure Cloud Crimson霞 Sword when I return.'
The Azure Cloud Crimson霞 Sword was one of Qingcheng Sect's signature sword arts, comparable to Wudang's Taiji Beneficent Sword or Huashan's Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.
'I'll go into secluded training too!'
Seeing his expression, Seol Hwa-un guessed his thoughts.
'Good mindset. Rivals provide the stimulus to improve, after all.'
He gazed at Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won.
'You two, keep pushing each other endlessly. When you stand tall, this palace will be higher than ever.'
They were already among the top later-generation experts, but they paled next to the Sword Dragon or Heavenly Dragon.
Still, this was Seol Hwa-un's ambition too. Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won were prodigies, but comparing them to rare geniuses across the entire Central Plains was unfair.
Those rivals were handpicked elites, backed fully by their sects.
In a way, it was natural that Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi fell short.
But Seol Hwa-un thought differently.
'I'm right here with them. No reason they can't surpass those guys.'
He hadn't voiced it to anyone yet, but Seol Hwa-un harbored the ambition to elevate the North Sea Ice Palace beyond the Three Venerables of the Outer Realm to become the world's foremost power.
Others might scoff, but he was certain.
'I'll make the North Sea Ice Palace the greatest.'
Of course, there was a wall they had to overcome for that.
'The Nine Heavenly Martial Emperors.'
Though the Heavenly Outer Sword Venerable was counted among the world's top experts, no one could easily rank these nine.
They were simply deemed on par with the Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor, the top expert from two centuries ago.
For the prideful Seol Hwa-un, it was hard to accept.
'I'll know if I meet one. ...Even if it's true, I'll surpass them.'
* * *
After parting with Song Guk-il's group, Seol Hwa-un's party headed for Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital. That was where the Sichuan Tang Family's stronghold, the Tang Family Bastion, lay.
But before they even reached Chengdu, they encountered a group of warriors.
"......!"
Each one exuded sharp auras, no less formidable than the North Wind Brigade.
As the North Wind Brigade tensed, one dashed forward ahead of all.
"Uncle Seung-yeon!"
It was Dang So-gyo. The middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader smiled and scooped her up.
"My, my So-gyo. You've grown so much since I last saw you?"
"Hehehe!"
As the others looked baffled, Dang Cheong stepped forward.
"Uncle. No, Three Yang Brigade Leader."
The man called Three Yang Brigade Leader set Dang So-gyo down and cupped his fists.
"Young Family Head, safe travels?"
"Yes, but what brings you here......"
A faint smile crossed the Three Yang Brigade Leader's face.
"What do you mean? We came to welcome the Young Family Head back home."
The Three Yang Brigade was one of the Tang Family's premier combat units. Though fewer in number than typical forces, their firepower was unmatched.
"You didn't have to go that far."
"The Poison King Hall Leader was quite worried. How could you travel alone like this?"
"I was with the North Sea Ice Palace folks, so there was no danger at all. It was a smooth journey."
The Three Yang Brigade Leader gave a meaningful smile.
"Is that so? That differs from what I heard."
"But first, let's make introductions."
Changing the subject, Dang Cheong hurriedly introduced them, and the Three Yang Brigade Leader exchanged greetings with Seol Hwa-un's group.
Feeling the man's aura, Seol Hwa-un nodded.
'As expected of a Tang Family brigade leader.'
Once greetings concluded, the Three Yang Brigade Leader said with a friendly smile,
"Hahaha, it's an honor to meet such esteemed guests. Come, we'll escort you to the main house."
And so, Seol Hwa-un's group followed the Three Yang Brigade. Dong Ho-won muttered lowly,
"Three Yang Brigade Leader, huh. Unlike a Tang Family member, he has a really good vibe."
Eom Mu-hwi frowned.
"What? How do you even see the Sichuan Tang Family?"
"Well, they use poison and hidden weapons, so they seem sinister, ruthless...... you know, that vibe? They say the Tang Family never forgets an enemy."
"Would you forget your enemy?"
"No."
"Tang Family members are warriors just like us. It's just the prejudice from their poison and hidden weapons."
"Thank you for the kind view."
Startled, they turned to find Dang Cheong nearby. Dong Ho-won looked sheepish.
"Ah. My apologies."
"Hahaha, no harm done. The world's perception of the main house is indeed that."
"......"
"But reconsider your view of Uncle—no, Three Yang Brigade Leader. Looks can deceive; he's the most terrifying toward enemies."
"......!"
Three Yang Brigade Leader Dang Seung-yeon. His moniker was "Blood Hand Ruthless."