Chapter 185: Swordsman (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Swordsman (8)
Jeong Yeon-shin’s thoughts flashed like lightning. Despite the thick, grown-out hair cascading down his back, the crown of his head felt distinctly cool.
His wide-open Baihui point allowed an endless stream of thoughts to flow freely.
Intuition struck him like a physical blow. If he dragged out this exchange, he would inevitably lose. The acute sensory perception of his upper Dantian warned him of this absolute truth.
The atmosphere among the crowd surrounding the grand martial stage mirrored his thoughts. He had caught a glimpse of their faces when he first stepped up.
The expressions of the influential figures from the noble families and the renowned elders of the martial world were surprisingly calm.
It was as if, after watching twenty-three prior duels, they had already passed judgment on Flash Art, the Commander of the Demonlight Wing.
'I know better.'
His opponent was a swordsman counted among the absolute best, even within the Mount Hua Sect—the very place where the immortals of the sword resided.
He hadn't aimed for a swift, two-exchange victory because he held the upper hand. He aimed for it because he was at a severe disadvantage.
The forms of combat were as numerous as the martial arts scattered across the world. "Diverse and manifold" was the only way to describe them.
While single-strike showdowns existed, grueling struggles lasting hundreds of exchanges were not uncommon. He had heard of cases where masters—equipped with both formidable external martial arts and immense accumulated Qi—fought straight through the night.
'The number of sword moves the Hwasan Sword Excellence has mastered must be immense. He must have trained in all of them as deeply as the years he has lived.'
He was said to be on par with Ma Jin before the Naraka Reaper lost his arm. He was simply not an opponent a newly promoted Black Rank expert could fight in a protracted battle.
The sheer number of years he had spent refining the peerless sword techniques of the Mount Hua Sect put him on an entirely different level.
As one's martial prowess rose, the world they inhabited expanded. The round table where the Desolate Fortress unit commanders sat, along with the Wish-for-Peace One Sword Hall, had made him realize this truth.
The realm of the Black Rank was vaster than anything he had ever experienced. Just looking at the Hwasan Sword Excellence, Perfected Heavenly Pillar, proved it beyond a doubt.
"Hmm."
The figure of the middle-aged swordsman rapidly grew larger as he raised his eyes.
The young Commander of the Demonlight Wing firmly gripped his raised sword hilt. Using the Wind God movement technique, he closed the distance with a single, explosive leap.
Whoosh!
A fierce gale swept violently across his face. His brief moment suspended in the air felt exceptionally long.
Even before his feet touched the ground, Jeong Yeon-shin slashed his sword downward from midair. A brilliant flash of light trailed long behind the blade.
It was the nameless first form, a sword style of pure, rapid offense. He had refined it by cutting down over a hundred warriors of the Deep Martial Alliance.
No matter where he aimed, the technique bolstered his sword force, allowing him to strike any vital spot before his opponent could react.
A crushing pressure resembling the Imperial Sword Form surged forward, accompanying the downward slash.
Clang!
Fierce sparks flew. A violent vibration surged into his grip, and for a split second, he almost lost his hold on the hilt.
Even though the fast sword of extreme speed had been unleashed with total freedom, Perfected Heavenly Pillar seamlessly raised his sword horizontally to block it.
The moment he realized his Plum Blossom Sword Art offensive would be a half-step too late, he had instantly transitioned into a flawless defensive stance.
Between the clashing swords, materialized, colorless flower petals scattered into pieces. It was a display of incredibly experienced swordplay.
It instantly became a contest of raw sword force. Planting his feet, Jeong Yeon-shin channeled explosive strength into the hand gripping his hilt.
The energy flowing in streams from the halo inside his heart pushed against the ground through the Yongquan points on the soles of his feet.
The surface of the stage beneath his feet began to crumble bit by bit under the immense pressure.
It was then.
Slide.
Perfected Heavenly Pillar slightly shifted his foot. It was a subtle lateral footwork, finely sweeping the dirt beneath his white silk shoes.
Faint dust rose like steam as a wave of internal power spread subtly outward.
The Thousand Flash Plum Blossom Step.
The clashing swords twisted. With a minute movement of his feet, the Taoist deflected Jeong Yeon-shin's sword force. The way he spun his body in place was as gorgeous as scattering petals.
The swords of the Taoist and the boy each drew elegant circles. Sunlight shimmered over the blades as they brushed dangerously past each other's collars.
It was a harmonious dance of lofty swordsmen, so natural it seemed as though they had rehearsed it.
At the same time, a wave of Qi sprouted at Perfected Heavenly Pillar's feet.
Rising straight up, it resembled the branch of a plum blossom tree. The Qi wave from his footwork wrapped around his trouser cuffs and climbed higher, firmly anchoring strength into his lower body.
It was instantaneous. Before his young opponent could deploy his next move, Perfected Heavenly Pillar's sword vibrated rapidly.
The blade rushed forward at an absurd speed. Perfected Heavenly Pillar's slash swept horizontally, perfectly synchronized with the internal power rising from his feet.
Swoosh!
The form of the Plum Blossom Butterfly Dance whipped up a freezing wind. Jeong Yeon-shin threw his body backward, bending so low he was nearly lying down.
The Iron Plate Bridge. His vision was entirely filled with the flat of the blade as it swept past his nose, momentarily blotting out the sun.
A few strands of the boy's black hair, which hadn't fallen back in time, were instantly severed and scattered into the wind. The intangible True Qi enveloping the blade was as sharp as a divine sword.
'His flank is open.'
Perfected Heavenly Pillar's side was dangerously close. The eyes of the boy, still bent backward, flashed. He channeled his halo Qi into the Yishe point near his spine.
The muscles along his back tightened with a surge of powerful internal energy. Executing the movement of a true supreme master, he instantly snapped his upper body back upright.
Simultaneously, he channeled the mnemonic into his left fist. Along with the wind brushing past his ears, the third form of the Infinite Flower of Time Hand sprouted: Fist Flower.
Whoosh!
An intangible wave of True Qi blossomed from his fist. It rose in dense clusters, like flowers blooming in rapid succession.
Force struck force, generating yet another violent wave of Qi as it surged forward. It was a devastating close-quarters strike.
Rumble!
The fist collided with Perfected Heavenly Pillar's left hand. The Taoist's wide-open palm twisted and descended in a mesmerizing floral pattern.
A shockwave whipped up their sleeves, carrying a vibration that rattled their very bones. It was the Mount Hua Sect's Falling Petal Palm Technique. It systematically and flawlessly neutralized each wave of the Fist Flower's force.
The power-delivery speed granted by the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit allowed the Taoist to strike half a beat faster than the boy. The afterimages of Jeong Yeon-shin's fist were completely crushed.
The boy's extended wrist throbbed with intense pain. This was on a completely different level from the Falling Petal Palm Technique he had seen from Yu-hyeon back when he was still a White Rank.
The orthodox martial arts accumulated over a supreme master's lifetime were incredibly, terrifyingly solid.
"I remember that fist technique. It resembles my sect's martial lineage," Perfected Heavenly Pillar said, putting his full weight into the palm strike.
Thud!
The final strike rang out with a thunderous boom. Forced back by the colliding blows, the boy's figure slid backward across the stage.
His pitch-black hair and clothes fluttered wildly from the sheer recoil.
Distance was reestablished between the two supreme masters. The fine dust rising gently at their feet brushed against the heavy silence.
Soon, the crowd reacted. Whispers and gasps erupted from the people filling the watchtowers and spectator seats.
"...The shockwaves reached all the way out here and stung my face. And I couldn't even track their movements!"
"Are they truly human?"
"They are supreme masters of the Nine Sects and the Desolate Fortress. They have already shed their mortal shells...!"
The crowd, witnessing a clash in such a high-level realm, could not hide their utter astonishment.
It was a fight one would be hard-pressed to witness even if they spent their entire life traveling the length and breadth of the Central Plains. However, the young Commander of the Demonlight Wing's eyes only sank coldly.
With this, it had been four exchanges.
For the first time.
The boy had failed to secure a quick victory. The Hwasan Sword Excellence was a fully realized martial artist.
The wall of the Nine Sects, when faced head-on, was as insurmountable as their righteous spirit. It was said that they bound martial arts and the Tao together, calling it the true Martial Way.
It was a martial art of an entirely different depth and texture compared to the techniques of the noble families.
Jeong Yeon-shin had felt it from the moment he stepped onto the stage. Looking at Perfected Heavenly Pillar's posture as he held his sword, he had sensed the dense, ceaseless waves of his internal power.
His overall martial prowess was not yet comparable to a swordsman counted among the absolute best of the Nine Sects. At least, not yet.
It was not surprising. Such was the status of the leader of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen—a prestige recognized generation after generation for hundreds of years.
As the face of the Mount Hua Sect, he carried himself as a majestic swordsman to all in the martial world. In the current Jianghu, he was a worthy rival to the Naraka Reaper, Ma Jin.
A transcendent swordsman who had reached the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak.
There was a massive difference in their ages to begin with. Unlike the boy, the Taoist had achieved the Unity of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
It was a state where the physical body, internal energy, and the spirituality of the upper Dantian were harmonized and bound as one. It was said to be a realm where True Qi moved simultaneously with one's very thoughts.
It was a stage reached by most of the Desolate Fortress's Black Rank experts. It was different for Jeong Yeon-shin, whose upper Dantian's power was uniquely bloated and overdeveloped.
The boy, who wore the black robe solely by virtue of his Law-Transcending Halo Qi, was simply an anomaly.
When the opponent was the Sword Excellence of the great Mount Hua Sect, it was only natural for there to be a disparity in their martial arts.
The leadership of the Alliance clearly disliked the Nine Sects. Yet, they fully acknowledged their martial might.
This was evident from how they had placed them at the rear to stop the Commander of the Demonlight Wing during the Sect Founding Ceremony.
Even the common gamblers gathered in Hanzhong knew that the power of an orthodox martial lineage, accumulated over hundreds of years, was terrifyingly robust.
Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a nagging sense of doubt. Normally, he should have been pushed back much further.
If Perfected Heavenly Pillar truly possessed the martial prowess he appeared to have, he should be an opponent far too difficult to handle at present.
Yet, the Falling Petal Palm Technique had failed to pierce through the Infinite Flower of Time Hand powered by his halo Qi. Even though there was no sign of the Taoist holding back, their clash had felt roughly equal.
'He was suffering from an internal injury from the very beginning.'
The boy thought. No other explanation made sense. He had realized a fact that no one else had noticed.
Naturally, a question arose. When, and what kind of opponent had he faced to end up in such a state?
Did he notice the boy's realization? Perfected Heavenly Pillar spoke up.
"I am equal to you. Our conditions are the same. Only the pure clash of our arts remains."
"..."
These were words that only the Commander of the Demonlight Wing, who had directly clashed with him as a fellow supreme master, could truly understand.
In the realm of the Black Rank.
Jeong Yeon-shin's accumulated years were shallow, while Perfected Heavenly Pillar was injured.
Therefore, they were equal. That was exactly what Perfected Heavenly Pillar meant.
The way he firmly gripped his sword hilt showed he truly believed so. The temperament of the Nine Sects was remarkably, almost stubbornly, upright.
The people surrounding the stage watched the confrontation between the two supreme masters with bated breath.
Those with broad knowledge and those with narrow; martial artists who had trained to the realm of masters, and commoners who did not know a single move or stance—all were completely captivated.
To anyone, it was a sight they would hardly see again in their lifetime. Among them, only the influential figures of the noble families watched with deep, calculating eyes.
The Jegal Clan Leader, watching the stage with flashing eyes, spoke.
"The Commander of the Demonlight Wing's internal power is stronger than I thought. I did not expect him to stand on equal footing against Perfected Heavenly Pillar's internal energy. Even without learning the Purple Mist Divine Art reserved for the direct lineage of the Sect Leader, the Perfected One is a master of extraordinary sword force."
"It is fine. The Hwasan Sword Excellence's sword technique is truly worthy of its reputation. The Commander of the Demonlight Wing won't be able to hold out for long."
The Moyong Clan Head replied, a sharp light gleaming in his eyes. Neither of them looked at the other as they spoke.
The Jegal Clan Leader, who was actively using a secret eye technique alongside the Moyong Clan Head, continued.
"The Commander of the Demonlight Wing's first sword form was lofty enough to surprise even this Clan Leader. It swiftly bridged the distance of the sword. It is a move outside my knowledge. However, the fact that he did not maintain the flow and transitioned his second move into a palm strike..."
"It means he does not possess many sword moves of that caliber," the Moyong Clan Head finished. "That boy's swordplay is very shallow. It cannot match the depth of a prestigious sect's sword forms. A supreme sword art that can respond to any variable and even encompass close-quarters combat is something accumulated over time. If that child does not avoid the clash and collides head-on, he will be defeated within five exchanges. If he avoids it, he will lose his honor."
Confidence weighed heavily in the Moyong Clan Head's thick voice. The Jegal Clan Leader nodded in agreement.
"It is time for him to fall. The turn won't even reach the Eon Family's Number One Fist. In any case, having displayed such martial prowess to the entire world at that age, the Desolate Fortress must be seen as having achieved its desired results. It is already a loss for our Alliance."
"At least the Great Restoration Pill won't fall into the hands of the Imperial Court's watchdogs."
"Cheong-a, you may stop your work," the Jegal Clan Leader commanded.
Jegal Cheong-a, who was sitting behind him, held her breath.
Her fingers, which had been anxiously stroking her long, black hair, also froze. The tips of her neatly combed hair trembled slightly.
"My disappointment does not fade. To think you discovered nothing with your level of eye technique achievement. If the duel had not progressed like this, you would have been severely punished. Foolish girl."
"...I apologize," the girl replied in a small, meek voice.
Miss Ye, seated to one side, did not even spare them a glance. Her red eyes, hidden behind a white blindfold, remained solely focused on the stage.
She stroked her cheek with pale fingers, sending a telepathic transmission to the Ye Clan Leader sitting beside her.
—How much would it cost to ruin that?
—I believe it is not a matter of money.
—My Grand Preceptor was creating a new sword form. This tedious event is nothing compared to that. I'm so excited, so what does any of this matter? Have you bribed that Eon Family trash?
—We are making contact under the table. However, they are barely responding, so it may require a budget beyond our limits. It is something we should avoid. If we draw any more funds, the relationship between our Cult and the Ye Family...
—Forget it. Just prepare a thick cloth. I will be by the Grand Preceptor's side from now on.
While the crowd exchanged their various remarks, the conversation between Jeong Yeon-shin and Perfected Heavenly Pillar continued.
Keeping their swords lowered, they spoke while carefully measuring the distance between them. The two were drawing a large circle with quiet, measured steps.
"You said Ma Jin would be fine. Having clashed swords with you, I now understand. You harbor a deep resentment. You have hidden it deep within your grip. Yet, it is regrettable that I cannot yield."
"..."
"It would not do for all the Nine Sects to withdraw from the Alliance. Actions carried out under the name of the righteous martial world must not be done recklessly. Thus, the Sect Leader sent me down."
To keep the noble families in check.
Perfected Heavenly Pillar carried a grand cause on his shoulders.
If the formation of the Martial World Alliance was inevitable, he wished to guide the direction of its power correctly.
This was only possible if the Nine Sects secured a victory in a place watched by all.
"I shall show you the utmost respect and not let my guard down."
His clear voice rang out, belying his middle-aged years. It meant his internal energy was incredibly pure.
Slide.
Perfected Heavenly Pillar held his longsword upright in a reverse grip. His footsteps stopped.
Along the long blade, a shower of intangible Qi waves gathered like blooming flower buds. It was a terrifying momentum, as if his sharply honed internal energy was being unleashed boundlessly.
The prelude to his swordplay was stunningly beautiful. It was so lofty that it almost felt like sorcery.
"Floating Fragrance!"
The cry was clearly mixed with deep admiration. It came from the leadership of the Alliance; someone had unconsciously blurted out the name of the form.
It meant it was a legendary, well-known sword technique. Jeong Yeon-shin also recalled hearing about it—a single strike that penetrated all the subtle truths of the Plum Blossom Sword Art in one flawless line.
It was said that after frequently discussing swordplay with the neighboring Zhongnan Sect, each sect had come to possess their own peerless sword forms.
The boy silently watched Perfected Heavenly Pillar, who had taken his starting stance. The Hwasan Sword Excellence's manipulation of internal energy was incredibly fast.
The opportunity to interrupt the execution passed in an instant. It was as if the sword form was completed the very moment his momentum rose.
"Come. This is a duel of the righteous faction," Perfected Heavenly Pillar spoke quietly.
The world was never easy. The youngest Black Rank expert felt this truth deeply in his bones.
Everyone had their own clear stance. This was a place where righteous causes clashed.
Unlike Shaolin and Wudang, the Mount Hua Sect actively intervened in the secular world. They did not pursue material greed, seeking only to aid in the stability of the common people's lives.
They did so even while possessing a strength ranked among the absolute highest of the Nine Sects. They were worthy of respect. No one could criticize them.
However, the exact same applied to the boy who simply wished to care for his maternal grandfather's failing body.
The heart of a grandson who had never known the warmth of blood relatives was just as pure as their grand cause.
'I just want to live happily.'
Facing the Sword Excellence, Jeong Yeon-shin felt the weight of the world. The upper Dantian in his mind communed with the vastness of great nature.
A single thread of indifferent providence struck the crown of his head, making him look back anew at the dusty, unforgiving martial world.
That very sky.
After stealing his lifespan, it had thrown him talent as if tossing alms to a beggar.
When he tried to reclaim his life, it took his uncle's arm. It tried to take his grandfather's life as well. Such was the cruel reality of the martial world.
Even a figure of the Nine Sects, wielding his sword for pure righteousness, stood in his way. It was simply because the interests of the martial world were so hopelessly entangled.
The boy, in his turbulent youth, hated his unfair life. There were times when the world he clashed against just to survive felt overwhelmingly heavy.
That was why he had named his heart cultivation art "Law-Transcending." It was a desperate wish to live a little more easily, and a little longer.
Hum.
The intent gathering in his hands was singular, a forged line of pure will.
His single-minded focus became a mantra, echoing through the finest meridians of his body.
Even if the immutable laws of creation bind me, I will transcend them at will.
The boy muttered this inwardly, a declaration to the heavens made with the arrogance of one who had never known a limit in creating martial arts.
—Do not stop me.
He whispered in his heart, picturing his grandfather wreathed in blue flames.
That whisper blossomed into a brilliant light in his mind—a flower bud woven from pure radiance.
Just as the Sword Excellence had glimpsed Jeong Yeon-shin’s mental landscape, the boy now felt the harsh storms of life raging within the Sword Excellence's Plum Blossom Sword. Beyond it, he could see the shimmering blue flames his grandfather had burned his very life to unleash.
Slide.
He gripped the Northern Light Sword with both hands, holding it before his eyes. A long, white breath condensed in the cold air, misting over the length of the blade. Faintly, the light of his Law-Transcending Halo Qi leaked from his breath.
The boy parted his lips. May my steps in the martial world never stop.
It was the moment the young Grandmaster poured his will into a single sword strike.
Hum!
A flower of light bloomed in his mind. A trajectory of pure brilliance appeared in his upper Dantian.
Extreme intent was bound to transform into something divine—a quality known as spirituality.
Something that could turn a soft iron bar into an unbreakable divine sword flowed from his mind, down through the meridians of his arms, and into the Laogong points in his palms. A sublime spirituality overlaid the flow of his True Qi.
"Hmm...!" Perfected Heavenly Pillar, who had been waiting for the boy, groaned. The sheer pressure of the sword’s momentum was dazzling. The waves of Qi brushing against his senses heralded the birth of a sword form that had never before existed.
A mystery of the martial world—the exclusive domain of a Grandmaster who had parted the heavens.
It was the moment a starting stance, one that held a divine art, began to bloom. Feeling the momentum reach its peak, Perfected Heavenly Pillar struck.
It was a horizontal slash, accompanied by the body protection scripture of the Dark Fragrance Drift.
A shockwave of True Qi erupted silently from the Yongquan points on the soles of his feet. His white Taoist robe billowed forward, scattering like a faint fragrance.
Rumble!
The trajectory of Perfected Heavenly Pillar's sword tore the wind apart. A translucent shockwave of sword force rose like a cloud. The buds of True Qi clustered on his blade bloomed with a colorless light. The Mount Hua Sect's Plum Blossom Sword: Floating Fragrance.
The essence of the Plum Blossom Sword Art unfolded into dozens of cold glints of light. A sword strike that had clearly entered the realm of a master rushed toward Jeong Yeon-shin.
Crash!
The aftermath of the force instantly swallowed his upper body. Gasps erupted from the spectator seats.
Miss Ye shook off the Ye Clan Leader's hand and shot to her feet, her eyes fixed on the stage.
At that moment, the boy was transferring the sword path from his mind to his hands. It was a two-handed sword style.
The Northern Light Sword, which had turned a deep blue before anyone noticed, moved.
An illusion of overlapping, pitch-black sleeves arose. A transparent internal power lingered around the arm extending with the sword.
It was the nameless swordplay's third form.
A single, continuous line of brilliance carved its way into the Floating Fragrance, slicing straight through it.
Clang-clang-clang!
The vibration that surged into his hands was immense, feeling as if it would tear his grip apart. The ringing of the swords deafened him with its monstrous volume.
Unbothered, the boy thrust his sword hilt forward, swinging cleanly yet powerfully.
He deflected the sword force, crushed the blooming shockwaves, and ground down the flurry of incoming strikes. The trajectory of the Northern Light Sword advanced, distorting into a single line.
In an instant, the sigh of the Hwasan Sword Excellence reached the tip of his blade.
A dull sensation traveled up the steel. He immediately released the strength in his hands. The shockwaves of the sword form enveloping his arms scattered upward like leaves.
Soon, the plum blossom cloud of the Floating Fragrance slowly settled.
"Ah!"
Someone outside the stage let out a choked gasp.
The fight was over.
The front of Jeong Yeon-shin's clothes was slashed wide open, hanging down to his waist. His black robe and inner shirt were almost completely stripped away. Two sword wounds were carved into his firm chest. The cuts were so fine they would likely heal quickly, but blood trickled down his well-defined abdominal muscles. The cuffs of his black martial uniform trousers were stained an even darker shade.
Perfected Heavenly Pillar's Taoist robe, as he held his sword pointed down, was pristine. Only his white collar was split and tattered.
However, just above that spot, the boy's sword was leveled at his neck. It was the posture of one who had subdued a master's strike, a testament to the form's exquisite nature.
After staring silently at the boy for a moment, Perfected Heavenly Pillar spoke, his eyes as deep as an abyss. "There was an unfamiliar air to your sublime movements. I know you created that sword form right here on this stage. With this one strike, I finally understand Ma Jin's decision."
"..."
"What is the name of this form? If, perhaps, it does not have one yet..."
"Azure Flame First Form."
The young Commander of the Demonlight Wing parted his lips as he sheathed his sword.
"There is nothing else."
"..."
A wind blew through the silent arena. The young commander closed his eyes, his upper body exposed. His hair, brushing against the bare skin of his shoulders, fluttered in the breeze.