Chapter 55

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 55

Chapter Title: Wudang Demon Sword VS Mount Hua Gale Sword

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Surprisingly, the match ended anticlimactically.

Ruri's Death Beam was pretty threatening, but once I charged in swinging my sword, she couldn't mount any decent counterattack and crumbled right away.

It matched exactly what I'd worried about when creating her character.

There are limits to exaggeration.

With that height and those breasts dialed up to eleven, how could she not feel disconnected from reality?

The sharp thrust that should've pierced me ended up slicing empty air behind my back.

The slash aimed at severing my wrist just clashed arm-to-arm instead of blade-to-flesh.

In a martial artist's duel, nothing's more crucial than distance, and she couldn't even gauge that properly.

Her finger techniques must be near the world's best, letting her rack up 14 easy wins.

Just like how I'd feasted on freebies with my palm strikes.

"Thanks for the points, easy game."

It probably didn't reach her ears, but I figured I'd show some courtesy to my precious vending machine.

"Hm..."

Yeah.

The little one had a bit of competitive fire in her.

I could picture her puffing out her cheeks in frustration, and it made me chuckle involuntarily.

Declining would've been tempting too.

"!"

Suddenly, a massive epiphany struck my mind, and I hit accept like I was possessed.

During the wait time.

I sheathed my sword and set it on the ground, raising both hands above my head to clearly signal no hostility.

The kid from A Dream Like One Spring Night tilted her head curiously.

I pointed at her with my finger, then at myself, mouthing 'copy me'.

True to her sharp eyes, she got it and gave a tiny nod.

I raised my arms again.

Then pressed my elbows to my forearms—together, apart, together, apart.

She tilted her head again.

But soon enough, she started mimicking.

Her smooth arms plunged through her chest polygons and pulled back out.

"Pfft-haha!"

I couldn't hold back the laughter.

Seeing my reaction, her head slowly drooped as she examined her own actions.

And then.

A surge of intense killing intent poured out, and I swiftly snatched my dropped sword to counter.

Dreams are beautiful and sweet precisely because they're just dreams.

Her awkward flailing from the sync issues, combined with her rage-blinded loss of reason—our 55-inch flat-screen terror A Dream Like One Spring Night Yang had no chance against me.

I thrashed her thoroughly, fully venting the grudge from our previous spar.

I, the man Geum Sihyeon.

Forget favors; I never forget grudges.

Imagining the kid with her lips pursed, huffing and puffing right now, brought a huge grin to my face.

Mitsuba—no, Luri.

You're dreaming right now.

Wake up from the dream and face reality.

Mind-Image Sword Debate preliminaries, day three.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As the entire orthodox martial world heated up, the Hundred Flowers Academy was buzzing with excitement too.

Some confident experts even shared their debate footage publicly in the Debate Hall, and the gallery—usually full of pointless drivel—suddenly exploded with Sword Debate hype.

Some who'd given up early after seeing friends join in rolled up their sleeves for personal gain.

Others channeled their Sword Debate humiliation into real-life revenge fantasies.

And there were the hardcore users treating the gallery like a personal diary, ignoring public opinion.

But true masters never reveal themselves.

Among those flaunting skills in the Debate Hall, hardly anyone ranked in the top 50, and with no spectator mode, gallery users were starving for juicy gossip.

To them.

A video dropped like manna from heaven.

The video from the Martial Alliance's official channel instantly drew hordes of viewers.

How epic must it be to earn the 'highlight' label?

Who the hell were Wudang Demon Sword and Mount Hua Gale Sword?

Intrigued by nicknames never heard in the jianghu, people hit play like moths to a flame.

Sword Debate aliases weren't public.

Before the duel even started, viewers speculated who was who.

Finally.

The man on the right—Mount Hua Gale Sword—moved first.

His lightning-fast approach and swing looked more like Jeonchang spearwork than Mount Hua swordplay at first glance.

But the waves of plum blossoms blooming from his razor-sharp tip were unmistakably Mount Hua's Plum Blossom Swordsmanship.

Typically focused on illusions, these petals leaned toward sheer speed over deception.

Under that fierce assault.

The video hid aliases, but.

Geum Sihyeon of the Samsung Family—Wudang Demon Sword—calmly raised his sword, tracing circles.

With each rotation, one circle, two, the shape gained crimson substance, eventually devouring the petals as karmic flames that blanketed the field.

Endless, unbroken inferno.

Among Wudang's heart arts was the Pure Yang Infinite Art, which wielded blazing yang energy—experts gasped in awe and lament.

Awe at wielding it so masterfully.

The lament?

Pure Yang Infinite Art was a cursed eunuch art that sealed one's desires for life.

Of course, that alone didn't confirm Wudang swordsmanship.

But sharp-eyed viewers spotted it.

Separate from his right hand ceaselessly forging flames.

His left hand, moving subtly, was weaving invisible palm force.

One hand for swordplay.

One for palm arts.

Only one technique in the known martial world allowed dual arts simultaneously.

Wudang's signature: Dual Intent Heart Art.

Viewers slapped knees or chests, exclaiming at the profound realm.

But Mount Hua Gale Sword didn't falter.

He grazed the palm force, retreated swiftly, and swung relentlessly.

Unbending petals like blades bloomed to engulf the world.

Even with peak-level qi limits, he hid real strikes in feints, unleashing a floral blizzard on Wudang Demon Sword.

Viewers clenched fists at the peril.

But.

Wudang Demon Sword, who seemed moments from being swept away.

Gripped his sword two-handed and cleaved horizontally in a straight line.

One single strike.

Like a lone wolf.

Like a fiery phoenix.

Like a steadfast pine.

Evoking varied emotions, the stroke shredded the floral storm and swallowed Mount Hua Gale Sword whole.

The video ended there.

Comments exploded instantly.

Speculation on identities.

Orthodox vs unorthodox flame wars.

The usual Tang Cup erupted without fail.

Comments blazed up in an instant.

Of course, Mount Wudang burned hottest.

"Sect Leader! Sect Leader!"

"What is this? Heir to Dual Intent Heart Art?!"

"And Ten Brocades wasn't lost to history?!"

The Wudang Sect Leader, True Void the Immortal—mid-scratch in his chambers, watching '[Candid/HD] Hangzhou's Top Dance Troupe Meiran Guojue – Deng'e Yanglu'—took a thunderbolt hit.

"Haha, Primordial Heavenly Lord. What's the commotion? Dual Intent Heart Art? Ten Brocades? Explain slowly."

"Look, Sect Leader!"

True Light the Immortal, junior brother to True Void, shoved his smartphone into his senior's hand.

As True Void focused on the tiny screen's action, the rowdy Taoists fell silent.

The moment they saw 'Wudang Demon Sword' wielding swordplay right-handed and palm force left.

"Primordial Heavenly Lord, Primordial Heavenly Lord..."

True Void murmured his exclamation unwittingly.

It perfectly matched Dual Intent Heart Art's dual wielding.

And the endless palm force echoed textual descriptions of Ten Brocades.

However.

Dual Intent Heart Art was perilously advanced; countless swordsmen fell to qi deviation attempting it.

Even True Void, lifelong with the sword, hadn't grasped a true clue.

Plus, Ten Brocades had been lost for over a century.

Of course, they couldn't admit that publicly.

Admitting they couldn't learn it due to difficulty, or that the manual was gone? Utter shame.

So True Void was certain.

"Primordial Heavenly Lord... This isn't Wudang arts."

"Really, Sect Leader? Then what is it?"

Fuck, if I knew I'd be a fortune teller, not Sect Leader.

A curse he'd have spat in his prime, but time had mellowed his fire.

Regardless.

The faint ember of martial aspiration, long blocked by a great wall.

Flared anew in True Void's heart.

What if.

Wudang's legacy continued through another path.

Even if not.

Just talking to this swordsman might let him surpass his wall—a strange conviction burned.

Meiran Guojue's dancer, especially Chrysanthemum's hipwork, had long vanished from his mind.

"For now, no official statement in Wudang's name. Gather all who joined the Sword Debate and check if anyone's met this Wudang Demon Sword. Contact the Alliance—no, I'll go myself. They'll give leads for my face."

If he could meet him.

And gain a clue to Dual Intent Heart Art.

Since Righteous Words the Immortal led Wudang as top sword sect, they could usher in another golden age.

The certainty thrilled him unwittingly.

Wudang, great once more.