Chapter 317: Song of Swords (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 317: Song of Swords (2)
Even without words...
...one's true feelings are conveyed.
The Dark Emperor did not pry any further.
Instead, he accepted the proposal by clasping his hands in a martial salute.
"I am the Right Dharma Protector of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the Dark Emperor."
The one who assisted the Heavenly Demon at his right hand.
For the sake of Murim.
To help the Heavenly Demon recover his lost internal energy.
For the first and last time, a sparring match—not a duel to the death—was held between the Murim Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Boom!
The Dark Emperor slammed his fists together.
The energy of the 'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art' exploded in an instant, dyeing the entire surroundings pitch black.
Shhh.
Soul-Chasing Shadow also stepped forward, her right hand gripping her sword, which was enveloped in a sharp sword aura.
Tap.
Step.
Footsteps so light they seemed entirely out of place in this situation.
In an atmosphere as heavy as the deep sea, the two closed the distance between them.
One step.
This is the distance where third-rate martial artists gauge their spacing.
Not knowing their own reach, they merely watch each other warily from as far away as possible.
Step.
The distance closes.
Two steps.
This is the distance of first-rate martial artists.
A distance where a single swing of a sword can wound the opponent's body.
Thus, even those of the first-rate do not recklessly close the distance beyond this point.
Step.
Once again, the distance closes.
Neither the Dark Emperor nor Soul-Chasing Shadow made a move, their eyes merely gleaming like those of wild beasts.
They simply continued to walk forward.
Three steps.
The distance of peak-level masters.
A distance that only those who have perfectly mastered their own reach can dare to enter.
It wouldn't be strange for sword and fist to clash at any second.
Yet, neither swung a sword nor threw a punch.
The final fourth step.
The distance had closed enough for their breaths to touch.
A distance no martial artist in their right mind would ever allow an opponent to enter.
Yet, the two masters representing Murim stepped into each other's range without a shred of hesitation.
In that instant.
Whoosh...
A dazzling radiance erupted.
[Soul-Chasing Shadow activates 'Soul-Chasing Sword Dance'!]
The sword sings.
Different from the Soul-Chasing Sword used by Cheon Yu-seong.
Different from the Soul-Chasing Sword used by Jinhyuk.
The sword dance of the creator of the Soul-Chasing Sword itself cut through the air in a dizzying blur.
Flowers made of sword-light bloomed in profusion, and white snow fell across the night sky.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Predicting the trajectory of the sword was utterly meaningless.
For every stance gave birth to a new one.
"Hup!"
The Dark Emperor took a deep breath.
Clang! Clang! Clash!
He deflected the sword strikes flying at him with invisible speed using his fists, biding his time.
To begin with, the Dark Emperor's specialty was not speed, but destructive power.
Therefore, the single, decisive blow that would settle the match was everything.
Slash! Slice!
Cuts opened all over his body.
Red lines were drawn across a body harder than steel.
Each cut was astonishingly sharp, to the point where simply enduring them was a struggle.
However, the Dark Emperor protected his vital points, waiting for the precise moment when Soul-Chasing Shadow's breathing and the flow of her sword fell slightly out of sync.
Right...
...now!
The opening that inevitably exists in all martial techniques.
He lunged into the split-second gap between her sword strikes.
Soul-Chasing Shadow also realized her own opening, but the window was far too brief to mount a major defense.
Thud, thud, thud!
Taking five sword strikes directly with his bare body, the Dark Emperor pulled his fist far back.
A terrifying energy condensed into a single point.
Vnnnnn!
Even if it was just a sparring match... when two people who had reached this level of mastery fought, the scale of the battle was entirely different.
"This is my martial art. Try and block this!"
KABOOM!
The sword barrier deployed by Soul-Chasing Shadow and the Dark Emperor's single punch collided head-on.
The atmosphere reverberated with a deafening roar.
"Ugh!"
The sword barrier, reinforced with her protective aura, shook violently.
It was because she couldn't absorb all of the impact.
[A massive amount of Ether is released!]
Rumble!
The power of their two energies was beyond imagination, completely sweeping away the dense bamboo forest.
The terrain and landscape were reshaped.
This place, which had been a forest just moments ago, now resembled a desolate battlefield.
'Just as I expected.'
Jinhyuk looked up at the black and white spheres floating in the air.
The energies of Yin and Yang.
The two leaked energies drifted around the area, and then...
Sssss...
Unable to penetrate the barrier, they descended back to the ground.
More precisely, they began to be absorbed into the Heavenly Demon's body.
[Internal energy is being restored.]
[Internal energy is being restored.]
Through 'Gluttony's Eye', Jinhyuk could see the Heavenly Demon recovering at a rapid pace.
However,
'This is a bit problematic...'
Jinhyuk frowned.
Yin and Yang.
To fill the massive vessel that was the Heavenly Demon, a sparring match between just these two was not enough.
It wasn't simply a matter of quantity... but of diversity.
Even within Yin and Yang energies, there were dozens of different sub-categories.
This meant that even if they used the same type of martial art, completely different energies would be produced depending on the practitioner.
Indeed, once the Heavenly Demon's recovery reached a certain level, it stalled.
"..."
"..."
The Dark Emperor and Soul-Chasing Shadow also felt the anomaly.
They saw the black and white spheres floating in the air, unable to be absorbed further.
"It seems our fight alone won't be enough."
"Indeed, you are right. At this rate, there's no point in us continuing to trade blows. Our energies are already more than overflowing."
In that case...
The eyes of the two turned in different directions.
* * *
Soul-Chasing Shadow's hand caressed Cheon Yu-seong's cheek.
Her pale hand looked exceptionally white under the moonlight.
"On the Murim Alliance's side, I will have my disciple step forward. Our Young Master Cheon's Soul-Chasing Sword should be able to produce an energy that is similar yet distinct from mine."
"Master...? Me?"
Cheon Yu-seong asked back, looking startled.
"Oh my, don't tell me you lack confidence? If you lose to the Dark Emperor's disciple... all my effort in teaching you the Soul-Chasing Sword would be in vain."
A fight with Jinhyuk, not the Dark Emperor.
Realizing who his opponent would be, a strange gleam flashed in Cheon Yu-seong's eyes.
"That is... exactly what I wanted."
A sparring match with Jinhyuk was something he had been eagerly anticipating, even without Soul-Chasing Shadow pushing him into it.
Shring!
Cheon Yu-seong drew his sword.
The 'Flower-Dance Plum-Blossom Sword' he had received from Jinhyuk drew a smooth curve in the air.
"Today, I will defeat him and prove that my sword is the greatest."
"Hmm. That brat over there says he's going to crush you."
The Dark Emperor also tapped Jinhyuk on the shoulder.
"Well, he's always like that. Challenging me, getting beaten... crying and whining. I'm used to it by now."
"Bwahaha! Excellent spirit! Yes, our match ended in a draw, but you must absolutely crush that woman's disciple. Make sure he never even dreams of mentioning a sparring match with the Heavenly Demon Cult again."
Since the Dark Emperor and Soul-Chasing Shadow were so evenly matched, they couldn't settle the score within the constraints of a mere sparring match.
If they truly wanted to win, the only option left would be to use lethal techniques.
"That's my plan as well."
Jinhyuk drew his Fang from beyond the distorted space.
Under the moonlight, two swords cast their shadows.
Cheon Yu-seong regulated his breathing.
[Unique Ability 'Song of the Sword' is activated!]
"I've waited for this day, Kang Jinhyuk."
A dazzling Yang energy surged.
Rumble!
A wind generated by his sword pressure completely enveloped Cheon Yu-seong.
At the same time.
[Unique Ability 'Grave of Swords' is activated!]
"You really have nothing better to look forward to, do you?"
A cold Yin energy infused Jinhyuk's Fang.
The Dark Emperor and Soul-Chasing Shadow looked at their respective disciples.
As if looking at two pillars that would lead this world in the future.
And so.
Dash!
Dash!
Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong lunged at each other.
* * *
Hearts pounded.
Crossing swords.
A bone-chilling cold.
Their techniques merged into one.
Jinhyuk slashed horizontally.
Clang!
Cheon Yu-seong slightly deflected the trajectory of the Fang and immediately launched a counterattack.
Fierce strikes aiming for his arms and legs raged like a storm.
Clash, clash, clash!
Jinhyuk spun his Fang counterclockwise.
'He's definitely... gotten stronger.'
Before, he was just an annoying leech...
But now, Jinhyuk could physically feel how unrecognizably his rival had grown.
He had undoubtedly undergone brutal training under Soul-Chasing Shadow.
Cheon Yu-seong lowered his stance and immediately prepared his next attack.
Whoosh!
Sword aura spread along the tip of his blade.
And with it, a new form of the Soul-Chasing Sword unfolded.
At the same time, Jinhyuk also unleashed a new technique in the air.
Soul-Chasing Sword Dance.
Demonic Soul Sword Dance.
Two different sword dances.
Yet, the end goal pursued by both swords was the same.
The Fifth Form.
The Fifth Form.
The forms were merely steps toward that ultimate end.
Soul-Chasing Heaven Annihilation!
Demonic Shadow Single Thrust!
Soul-Chasing Sword and Demonic Soul Sword.
KABOOM!
The two ultimate techniques canceled out each other's energy.
[A new type of Ether is generated!]
Yellow sparks crackled between the black and white spheres.
With this, a new path had opened.
Just a little more, and... a significant portion of the Heavenly Demon's internal energy would be restored.
Even if it didn't reach his prime, recovering at least seventy percent was well within reach.
Right then.
"How is it?"
Cheon Yu-seong's sword stopped for the first time.
"Huh? What is?"
"I'm asking how my sword is. Is there anything different from before? If so, tell me exactly how much I've improved."
Honestly, this guy is such a kid.
Eagerly waiting for praise, he looked like a cat presenting its prey to its owner.
'You are an opponent against whom I can use my full power without holding back.'
He thought about saying something like that, but...
Seeing his rival look so proud of himself rubbed him the wrong way.
'Over my dead body.'
Above all, if Cheon Yu-seong became satisfied and hid his claws now, it would disrupt the plan to restore the Heavenly Demon's internal energy.
What was needed right now was not a carrot, but a whip.
"It's not bad... but surely this isn't all you've got? No way. It doesn't seem much different from before... Even if you slacked off during training, is this really the only card you prepared?"
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"W-What did you say?"
"I'm saying Wolyeong is actually better than you."
"..."
Grit!
Cheon Yu-seong clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
"...Fine. Then I'll show you something that will wipe that smirk right off your face."
Cheon Yu-seong gripped his sword with both hands.
Though it wasn't perfect yet, the profound essence of the Soul-Chasing Sword resided within his blade.
'Right... this guy was a ranker destined to receive the title of Sword Saint.'
He had always teased him, so he tended to forget.
But now, it was finally sinking in.
Cheon Yu-seong was also one of the few geniuses capable of climbing to the upper floors of the Tower.
Vnnnnn!
Leaving afterimages, the swords multiplied in number.
It was as if hundreds of blades were materializing.
In a moment, all of those deadly weapons would rain down in this direction.
"It will be impossible to dodge all of this."
Indeed...
This was a bit dangerous.
Jinhyuk pointed his Fang forward.
"You're right, dodging all of it would be tough."
In that case...
"I'll just crush them all head-on."
Crackle!
The materialized energy began to curve into a half-moon shape.
Black Moon Night.
A black crescent moon cast over the dagger.
It was the very skill that had forced Cheon Yu-seong to taste the bitter cup of defeat multiple times.