Luciena Versus the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword
As expected, he possessed two out-of-spec artifacts! Armor artifact and weapon artifact. At first, Marianne had also considered it highly likely that Geum Taeyang was a double-artifact holder. Without that level of power, no one in their right mind would have dared to strike at Cassandra, the chieftain of the Life Water Tribe, let alone win.
That much had already been confirmed. ‘Furthermore…’ Yet her astonishment did not end there. ‘One of them was a legendary artifact??’
The sword Geum Taeyang drew from his weapon inventory radiated the aura of a legendary artifact, not a heroic one. ‘If I have to show a legendary artifact, it has to be Luciena.’
Geum Taeyang currently held three legendary artifacts, making him a triple-legendary-artifact wielder. In terms of overall combat strength, he had already surpassed Sword Empress Marianne, who possessed S+ physical abilities and had mastered the Snow Flower Flying Sword technique. As an S-rank Awakener, even double legendary artifacts would have put him on equal footing with the Sword Empress, but Geum Taeyang had no desire for a stalemate. He wanted to create a situation where he could ask the Sword Empress for guidance. That was why he had shown only one legendary artifact, ultimately revealing Luciena in its legendary form.
‘After all, the only known continental armor legendary artifact is Celendis. Once Celendis is revealed, it will naturally become double legendary artifacts.’
In particular, Sword Empress Marianne already knew a fair amount about Celendis. Geum Taeyang’s decision had taken that into account.
“Truly astonishing. To think you possess a legendary sword. Seeing it, I can finally understand how the tide turned so decisively in the Great Khan’s favor during his duel with Chieftain Cassandra.”
Thud…! Marianne performed a martial-arts-style cupped-fist salute toward Geum Taeyang, showing proper respect to a man who wielded a legendary artifact.
“They say heroic artifacts stem from human desire and opportunity, while legendary artifacts are tied to enlightenment. The Great Khan’s words about the sword returning from one to one were clearly born of genuine realization. I can feel it.”
This philosophy came from her master, Seol Yeon-ah. Seol Yeon-ah had taught her beloved disciple that those who reached enlightenment obtained legendary artifacts. Therefore, she had instructed Marianne to show proper respect to anyone who possessed a legendary artifact, even if they were an enemy.
‘Hmm… I suppose being exceptionally good at sex also counts as a form of enlightenment.’
Yet what flashed through Geum Taeyang’s mind like a panorama were memories of obtaining Luciena by being ridiculously good at the game, and acquiring Celendis and the Life Water Cloak by being ridiculously good at sex.
“While pursuing both the savagery of a barbarian and the humanity of a human, I reached this point at some moment. Still, I consider myself fortunate. It wasn’t because I was particularly outstanding, but simply because a great path opened up before me.”
Of course, Geum Taeyang, with his famously glib tongue, could never remain silent like a man who had eaten honey. He spun an eloquent lie as if reciting poetry.
“Indeed, a noble cause. This encounter with the Great Khan seems to be fostering growth not only in my disciple Josephina but also in this Sword Empress, Marianne Nahoja.”
Whoosh…! Geum Taeyang’s glib tongue had struck a chord in the Sword Empress’s heart. Deeply moved, Marianne Nahoja extended her right hand to the side, eager to cross swords properly with the man she had come to acknowledge.
“Allow me to introduce my companion.”
Shhhhhhh…!!! A blue barrier formed around her right hand. “This is the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword.”
—Shhhhhhh…!!!!
From within it, Marianne drew forth a beautiful sword with a snow-white hilt. ‘The sealed sword, Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword.’
Of course, Geum Taeyang already knew about the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword. ‘It was the sword of Marianne’s master, Seol Yeon-ah, and was originally a legendary sword. However, when it was passed down to her disciple Marianne, it was sealed as a heroic sword.’
In Record of World Conquest, the initial form of the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword was a sealed blade. A legendary sword sealed into a heroic one. The reason was that her master, Seol Yeon-ah, had taken Marianne’s Nine Yin Severed Meridians condition into account. The yang energy of a legendary sword would place too great a burden on Marianne in her current state. In other words, while she could use it, the more she did, the weaker the Snow Flower energy controlling her Nine Yin Severed Meridians would become until it finally collapsed. Seol Yeon-ah had not wanted her disciple to ruin herself by using the legendary sword out of competitive spirit.
‘That’s why, even though its true form is a legendary sword, Luciena’s domination-subjugation doesn’t work on it.’
Thus, Geum Taeyang now faced a duel that could not be won easily. ‘Anyway, the reason she was warned to live in seclusion and maintain her rigid values is the same. If she acts according to her innate competitive spirit and stirs up emotions, the Snow Flower energy suppressing her Nine Yin Severed Meridians won’t hold.’
Mind cultivation was the operation of mana and energy, but maintaining one’s mental state was the core. According to Seol Yeon-ah’s judgment after observing Marianne for roughly nine years, her disciple was emotionally inclined, which was fatal for controlling the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. That was why she had practically brainwashed her into her current personality and outlook on life.
“Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword! Even from here, I can feel the noble, brilliant energy like snowflakes and the pure, sacred aura like scattering lotus petals!”
Geum Taeyang, as if possessed by a real wuxia novel, recited a poem by interpreting the characters of the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword.
“Allow me to speak boldly. The Great Khan’s sword is a sword of legend, while mine is a sword of heroes. However, a swordsman’s blade does not depend solely on the tier of the sword.”
Shhhhh…! Shhhhh…! Shhhhh…!
Having drawn the Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword, Marianne traced a sideways figure-eight with its tip and continued the elegant motion. Shhhhhhh…!!
“Because this Marianne becomes one with the sword.”
Then, a beautiful mana aura enveloped Marianne, who had assumed the Snow Flower Flying Sword stance as loftily as falling snow.
“In that case, this Geum Taeyang,”
Shhhhh…!!!!
Geum Taeyang layered thick golden and purple sword energy along the blade of Luciena in legendary-artifact mode.
“will shatter the sword called Marianne with barbarian ferocity!”
—Flash!!!
Using True Mana Step, he charged forward. —Boom!!!
Closing the distance in an instant, Geum Taeyang raised Luciena high and brought it down toward Marianne’s head. —Clang!!!
Marianne blocked it. It was a reckless move. To attempt blocking a properly executed legendary sword head-on with a heroic sword… ‘Ooooh!’
Yet the one whose face filled with astonishment afterward was not Marianne, but Geum Taeyang, who held the legendary sword. ‘She only blocked up to the point where sword energy met sword energy, then used the force of my downward strike to flow away like water!’
Sword energy was a technique even Marianne, an S-rank swordmaster, could use. She had first received the blow with force, then used a secondary connecting motion to disperse Geum Taeyang’s tremendous power. ‘Snow Flower Flowing Shadow! It absorbs attacks by flowing like snowflakes scattered in the wind! It’s the basic defensive technique of the Snow Flower Flying Sword, fundamentally different from the continent’s usual all-or-nothing defensive methods!’
The Snow Flower Flying Sword was fundamentally a technique of offense and defense as one. However, to realize offense and defense as one as stably as possible, the symbolic mechanism was precisely the basic defensive technique of the Snow Flower Flying Sword: Snow Flower Flowing Shadow. Rather than blocking and striking, or predicting the opponent’s attack in advance for a counter, it began by flowing and twisting during defense to break the opponent’s center and, furthermore, their flow.
‘But Sword Empress, my core physical stats are absurdly high.’
—Thud thud thud! If one did not know about Snow Flower Flowing Shadow and possessed only average core physical abilities, that single defensive move from the Sword Empress might have thrown them off balance and sent them tumbling. But Geum Taeyang was neither. He had brilliantly withstood the Sword Empress’s offense-and-defense-as-one technique.
“That was a splendid defense, Sword Empress Marianne! But this barbarian’s body defies common sense!”
—Boom! —Whoosh!!
He executed a sudden directional change like a drift and unleashed a continuous barrage. —Clang! —Clang!
‘Steel-like, beast-like attacks. He’s clearly adjusting to draw out my abilities, yet they remain overwhelmingly powerful, Great Khan Geum Taeyang.’
As expected, Marianne deflected all of Geum Taeyang’s ferocious attacks with the elegant and flawless defensive technique of Snow Flower Flowing Shadow. However, even her tongue had gone dry. Beyond the physical body created through mana, she could feel Geum Taeyang’s innate, fundamentally different strength—his solid, elastic physique—throughout her entire body.
—Flash flash flash! “Tyrant’s Explosive Sword!”
Geum Taeyang shouted the name of the technique and swung Luciena ferociously. There was no such thing as Tyrant’s Explosive Sword. He had hastily made up the name by removing “fist” from Tyrant’s Explosive Fist.
‘That’s it. At this point, she has to show it.’
Though the name was crude, the power of the sword strikes he unleashed was real. Through those powerful sword attacks, Geum Taeyang obtained what he desired.
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh! ‘Snow Flower Flying Lotus Step! Steps that fly as brilliantly as scattering snowflakes and as noble as blooming lotus flowers! The unique footwork of offense-and-defense-as-one Snow Flower Flying Sword!’
Having judged that the basic footwork and Snow Flower Flowing Shadow alone had limits, Marianne activated her unique footwork as well. As if her body were slightly lifted from the ground, Marianne’s Snow Flower Flying Lotus Step twisted her direction in a scattering motion.
‘The damn thing about Snow Flower Flying Lotus Step is that it’s ridiculously hard to track with mana detection compared to mana footwork.’
Once Snow Flower Flying Lotus Step was activated, Geum Taeyang’s physical continuous attacks kept slicing through empty air. It was because he could not read Marianne’s movements. The reason was simple. Snow Flower Flying Lotus Step did not work by reading the opponent’s movements or mana flow to evade. It was a reactive phenomenon—an immediate, intuitive response. Therefore, Geum Taeyang’s usual methods had reached their limit.
As a result, ‘Oh… the Sword Empress’s sword is coming in?’ Marianne’s attack angle had been secured.
“Snow Flower Flying Sword First Form, Snow Flower Piercing Strike.”
Thus, the Sword Empress’s first form was unleashed, and —Fwoooosh!!!
Marianne’s body and her Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword thrust forward in a smooth yet flawless straight line. ‘Snow Flower Piercing Strike! A sword technique that scatters like snowflakes and pierces the enemy with a sharp tip! The most basic technique, yet it contains the essence and core of the Snow Flower Flying Sword!’
Even though he was the one being attacked, Geum Taeyang felt as though he were receiving instruction from a true peak expert and trembled with excitement. —Shhh!! —Clang!!!
Geum Taeyang drew out the extreme physical limits of True Mana Step, drew a semicircle to evade, then brought his sword down on the Snow Flower Piercing Strike blade that had thrust toward him. —Shhh!! —Spin!!
However, Marianne’s Snow Flower Flying Lotus Sword elegantly rotated in the opposite direction of the downward force, —Fwoosh!!! “Second Form, Snow Flower Slashing Strike.”
It continued into the second form of the Snow Flower Flying Sword, Snow Flower Slashing Strike. —Clang!!! ‘Heh heh heh! I expected this!’
It was no ordinary slash. The angle curved strangely as it came in. Nevertheless, because Geum Taeyang already knew about Snow Flower Slashing Strike, he was not deceived by the strange curve and precisely blocked it with Luciena.
“Oh…!”
She had expected him to step back, yet he had read the angle of Snow Flower Slashing Strike and defended. The Sword Empress Marianne was astonished by Geum Taeyang’s reaction.
“Amazing, Great Khan. Everyone I have faced has ended at the second form. Thanks to the Great Khan who wields a legendary sword, we have reached the point where the third form must be used.”
Shhhhh…!!! She had not earned the title of Sword Empress for nothing. After leaving her master’s side and returning to the public eye, Marianne had never needed to go beyond the second form in an actual duel rather than a technique demonstration. Geum Taeyang had broken that streak. The Sword Empress’s face became filled with excitement as she prepared the third form.
‘That bitch’s lips curling up slightly is insanely erotic. I wonder how mind-blowing her face will look when my cock is buried inside her!’
Geum Taeyang had not had sex for three days. He was filled with pent-up desire. Because he had ended up sparring in that state, his fighting spirit had reached its peak, and he displayed such vulgar and crude inner reactions.
In contrast to Geum Taeyang’s inner thoughts, shhhhhhh…!!!! Sword Empress Marianne emitted a sword aura reminiscent of snowflakes and declared, “Snow Flower Flying Sword Third Form, Snow Flower Flying Lotus Dance.”
Brilliant sword strikes scattering like snowflakes bloomed like lotus flowers in midair, executing the continuous chain of attacks that was the third form of the Snow Flower Flying Sword, Snow Flower Flying Lotus Dance.