Chapter 94: The Art of Instant Death (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: The Art of Instant Death (6)
Namgung Mi had once spoken of surrender and reconciliation.
This duel was unique. The difference in seniority was extreme; aside from four individuals, everyone else was a mid-tier expert. Every single one of them held a status high enough to mentor the rising stars of the next generation. A bloodbath under such circumstances would be an unseemly affair.
This meant that for a rising star who had already fought a life-and-death duel here, conceding would not be considered a disgrace.
That was the very angle the Changryeong Hwaju, Namgung Mi, had been aiming for.
However.
At this very moment.
The head of his younger sister, the one who had spun such petty schemes, had fallen.
The entire world seemed to slow to a crawl.
The flash of the sword grazing Namgung Mi's body, the pristine white of her neck where blood had yet to well up, her form instantly losing its balance and collapsing… The gruesome sight burned itself slowly into his mind.
Though the ones engaged in combat had been the Flash Art and his sister, the Azure Qilin, Namgung Se-jin, the Young Master of the Namgung Clan, thought, It was always possible it would end like this.
He hadn't stopped her before the duel. It wasn't something he could have done, anyway. Two of the most prominent martial clans in the Jianghu had agreed to a life-and-death duel.
In a match where there was no extreme disparity in seniority, honor was prioritized over life.
A fight against either the Flash Art or the White Qilin.
For Namgung Mi, it was all or nothing.
She was the one who had proposed this consecutive-victory, life-and-death duel, starting with the youngest.
If she failed to slay the Flash Art and the White Qilin, she would die. She must have known this, even if she had never entertained the possibility of her own defeat.
So that is how she goes.
The cold, harsh judgment of the Jianghu had been delivered. The Changryeong Hwaju could not withstand the Flash Art's sword. And so, she was dead.
It was the outcome of a life-and-death duel. The crowds packed tightly along the mountain ridges must have come knowing this was a battle to the death.
Yet, the Changryeong Hwaju, Namgung Mi, was one of the Nine Phoenixes of the Martial World and a direct descendant of the great Namgung Clan. No one could have anticipated her head would roll from a single strike.
It was only natural that the countless martial artists gathered here fell into a stunned silence.
"..."
The Young Master, too, had prepared himself for this.
This was the Jianghu. The Grim Reaper visited without warning. It was not uncommon for a stray blade to bring death.
But was it because he had been a poor older brother? Or was it simply too painful to look at his sister's corpse any longer?
The Young Master suddenly turned his gaze to his father standing beside him.
The master of the Namgung Clan.
He was the majestic, cold-blooded head of the clan, a man no one in the family dared to approach. When Namgung Hwa-shin had sought to leave the main family, this man had ordered the assassins of the Sword Night to kill his own concubine-born son.
His face now was exactly as it had been then. His expression had merely stiffened by a fraction.
"Young Master," the Namgung Clan Head said. "Prepare yourself."
"...Yes."
His father's words, as always, were brief.
He was a cunning hero who, upon seeing the Flash Art's capabilities, had stood by and watched the actions of the Blood Flame Cult. He used everything—his conscience, his own children's lives—as stepping stones for the clan.
The Young Master's entire life had been treated the same way. He had never been able to stray from the path defined by his father's will.
Helping Namgung Hwa-shin escape the family was perhaps the only thing the Young Master could truly claim as his own.
"This unworthy son shall go now," the Young Master said.
The Clan Head did not reply. He merely gave a slight nod.
After the Changryeong Hwaju came the Young Master. He felt his inhuman father's calm gaze burning into his back.
The Young Master slowly took a step forward. Toward the boy, the Flash Art, who stood there with his breathing utterly undisturbed.
Jeong Yeon-shin, the Flash Art, stood calmly with two swords sheathed at his waist.
His robe, similar in color to the indigo martial uniform of the Namgung Clan, fluttered in the wind, carrying a faint scent of blood.
How bold, the Young Master thought.
He envied Jeong Yeon-shin, who stood with his head slightly tilted. He had once told this boy that he, like the Lazy Flame Dragon of the Hwangbo Clan, desired freedom.
The Flash Art already possessed it. The martial bearing he exuded at such a young age was dazzling, more radiant than anything else in the world.
The Young Master stepped forward to pit his martial arts against the boy's.
Step.
Only then did the members of the Namgung Clan begin to find their voices. Commentary on the duel finally broke the silence.
Though some maintained a heavy silence, there were many who constantly watched for opportunities within the clan—which was a miniature Jianghu in its own right.
"The Changryeong Hwaju..."
"How could this happen? She executed the Unimpeded Clear Stream Step perfectly."
"His footwork is bizarre. And that sword form was incredibly destructive."
Some of the clan members whispered with bewildered faces. They were mostly youths from the collateral branches.
The collateral branches were overwhelmingly superior in number compared to the direct line, which was limited to the immediate family of the current clan head.
The Namgung Clan was massive. There were far more people who remained indifferent to Namgung Mi's death. Restraining their words just because the direct line was present? That wasn't going to happen.
The shock delivered by the Desolate Fortress's Flash Art was simply too immense. To the retainers of the Namgung Clan, Namgung Mi had been like royalty.
"I never expected her to perish so easily."
"Easily? Your eyes must be failing you. That was the culmination of a lifetime of sword forms. The cultivation the Flash Art has accumulated is far more profound than the young lady's ever was."
"He is truly strong. Worthy of representing the Desolate Fortress."
"But can he match the Young Master's sword? How many at that age have mastered the Imperial Sword Form to such a degree?"
Their conversation reached Jeong Yeon-shin's ears. It was because he had pushed his Jeong Family Dynamic Art to its absolute limit. His heightened senses did not fade easily. It felt incredibly good. This was exactly how it should be.
He is strong.
It was because of the Young Master, who was now walking toward him with a ramrod-straight posture.
His aura, which had been dispersed like mist, seemed to instantly converge and extend like the blade of a sword. The momentum was tangible. For a moment, goosebumps rose on his skin, as if it were being sliced open.
It was hard to believe this was the same person who had traveled the Jianghu with him for a brief time. He was not just the destined master of a noble family.
He was a swordsman who had honed his skills to the absolute peak. Right now, it was more accurate to call him a worthy rival.
The two stood facing each other, ten paces apart.
"I will not," the Young Master began, "bother speaking of my younger sister, Ah-mi. That foolish girl met a rather splendid end for a martial artist... That is enough."
"..."
"You and I... one of us, or perhaps both, might die. We are standing at the edge of life. I do not view this fight as a clash between Namgung and the Desolate Fortress. It is a life-and-death duel. If I am to return to the heavens, I do not wish to close my eyes as a mere chess piece."
Soon, a hearty smile spread across the handsome face of the gentle-looking man.
"I have lived my entire life peacefully under the shadow of Namgung. It might sound like a luxury, but it was a shackle."
"It truly was," Jeong Yeon-shin replied succinctly.
His smile deepened.
"Even so, I wanted to break free, at least once. They say one can feel freedom in the gap between life and death. I wonder if that is true. I would particularly like to experience it now. Can the Desolate Fortress's Flash Art make that possible?"
It was a provocative question.
Jeong Yeon-shin did not answer. He had to draw his sword again. Once more, he gripped the hilt of his Desolate Fortress Sword. It was always like this before a major battle. Although the Northern Light was a masterpiece, it was not as familiar to his hand as the Desolate Fortress Sword.
"..."
The clash between the Desolate Fortress and Namgung. Perhaps because the weight of a life-and-death duel between great sects had hit home with Namgung Mi's death, the crowds surrounding Clear Night Valley remained silent. Only the fierce canyon wind blew between them.
Amidst this, the aura of the two men grew dense.
The Young Master erased the smile from his lips.
"Let us begin."
"Yes."
There was no referee. This was the world of experts.
Shring.
The two drew their swords simultaneously.
A dry wind toyed with their hair before passing. Jeong Yeon-shin suddenly felt it.
The combat range... he has expanded the domain of his sword.
It was a sensation like a gentle breeze brushing against his skin, manifesting the very moment the ornate sword left the Young Master's scabbard.
The momentum was incredibly sharp. It was chilling, as if an invisible forest of blades had suddenly sprung up around him.
The Imperial Sword Form. He was using his ultimate technique right from the start.
The intuition born from his Upper Dantian screamed a warning in his mind. Jeong Yeon-shin knew instantly: if the Young Master struck now, there would be no way to evade it.
His body grew heavy in an instant, making it difficult to even stand. It felt as if the very air around him had turned into a thousand-pound weight.
Will it work again?
He recalled the Radiant Wing Second Step. It was a footwork technique that drove away externalized energy, and it had successfully sealed Namgung Mi's Body Protection Scripture.
Could it also dismantle the Imperial Sword Form? He had pondered this before the duel but had found no other answer.
Even as he deliberated, the Young Master was stepping closer. It seemed he could not use movement techniques while maintaining the Imperial Sword Form.
I'll clash with him head-on.
Jeong Yeon-shin changed his mind. Schemes? They didn't suit the nature of his martial arts. The Flash Art was a warrior who relied on instinct above all else. He had survived every battle through insights that came faster than thought. He decided to meet him head-on.
Slide.
Taking even a small step required him to use every muscle in his body. Had his body not been tempered by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, he wouldn't have been able to budge.
Thud!
Dust plumed with that single step. At the same time, the pressure crushing his body eased significantly. The implication was clear.
He would have to execute every movement in this fight using the footwork of the Radiant Wing Second Step.
Swish!
Just how sensitive was the Young Master's sense of Qi?
He was not surprised. With an indifferent face, as if he had expected it, he swung his sword down. Was he coordinating the Imperial Sword Form as naturally as breathing? As Jeong Yeon-shin grew faster, the Young Master's strike became equally swift.
Clang!
Jeong Yeon-shin almost frowned. He immediately activated the True Qi overlapping of the Scripture of Initial Overcoming in his right arm.
The sword force, which had threatened to slide down and cleave him in two, came to a halt. The immense vibration shook the very blood vessels in his palms. It was a sword force unlike any he had ever experienced.
So this is his level.
Jeong Yeon-shin calculated within the realm of his senses. If a single strike was this heavy, how should he apply the True Qi overlapping? In which direction should he step with the Radiant Wing Second Step? And how should he counter?
From then on, he entered a state of selflessness. It began abruptly.
Two paths of the sword tangled like a chaotic ball of twine. Every movement of their blades was heavy. It was a battle of heavy swords, fought in a weighty domain.
Boom! Clang! Cl-clang!
Sparks flew and shockwaves erupted in every direction like fireworks. Jeong Yeon-shin's Radiant Brilliance Sword Style was a spectacular sight. It was a sword form that constantly scattered hazy streaks of light, disrupting the opponent's vision.
He used the Will Chamber point supporting his spine as the foundation for his Scripture of Initial Overcoming, compensating for his relative lack of internal power with a fluid application of True Qi overlapping.
Boom!
He made up for the lacking weight by stomping down hard.
The moment the Young Master's sword grazed his cheek, Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward once more to close the distance. Holding his Desolate Fortress Sword beside his face with both arms raised, he charged in relentlessly. Sword ground against sword.
A harsh grinding sound echoed right next to his cheek as sparks flew.
Now.
The moment Jeong Yeon-shin released his left hand, power surged into the Young Master's sword.
Pushing Jeong Yeon-shin and his blade back, the Young Master spun half a turn. A high-level Body Protection Scripture was infused into his every motion, the martial principles embedded within them profound.
Again.
This was the nature of the fight.
The Young Master maintained his distance strictly, never closing in more than necessary. Whenever he sensed the boy gathering energy, he immediately thrust his sword to keep him at bay. He seemed wary of the incomplete palm technique Jeong Yeon-shin had intentionally shown before.
The boy suddenly spoke.
"Is that why you talk about freedom?"
"Hmm?"
"Your style of fighting. It's frustrating. You're completely bound by your methods."
"You are quite good at provoking," the Young Master chuckled. He did not look like he had suddenly realized something new.
However, his sword force changed.
Whoosh!
The widely spread domain of the Imperial Sword Form narrowed into a tempest.
The compressed wave of energy centered around the Young Master's sword was incredibly heavy. It was as if an area-of-effect art had been condensed into a technique designed for a single, fatal blow.
Commanding momentum.
Ordering the sword.
Though he was not of the imperial Ju family from the Forbidden City, his sword exuded the majestic dignity of a sovereign. The sword form extended relentlessly.
Crash!
The impact was on a different level. It violently jolted his right hand, which gripped the sword hilt. As even the blade of the Desolate Fortress Sword vibrated as if it might snap, Jeong Yeon-shin was pushed back helplessly.
And then he realized: the time to turn the tide had finally come.
He prepared his left hand, activating the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand and the Mara Blood-Roaring Art simultaneously.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt the waves of energy expanding indiscriminately from his body. There was no way the Young Master would fail to sense it.
Thump!
Indeed. With a heavy stomp, the Young Master shot forward in a straight line. He loomed large in an instant, his precious sword enveloped in a constant gale of energy.
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped firmly with the Radiant Wing Second Step toward the incoming blade. The Young Master also knew the utility of this footwork. He seemed to try and preserve his sword force as the trajectory of his sword twisted.
It was at that split second.
Jeong Yeon-shin slipped through the gap. He passed to the outside. It was the Radiant Wing First Step, a stride that broke open the combat interval.
He raised his left hand, the energies of his Blood Art and Dharma Power churning within. Even gathering them into a sorcery formation was a challenge; drawing them out into a single, complete palm technique took time.
It doesn't matter.
He extended his hand anyway. He made a small hand gesture over the Young Master's blade as it passed by, a movement that seemed to mock the Imperial Sword Form.
But the reality was different. The Upper Dantian in Jeong Yeon-shin's mind was burning. He constantly adjusted the angle of his left hand. The energies of his Blood Art and Dharma Power were refined by the imperial internal power. It was instantaneous. He tuned his palm technique using the Young Master's monstrous energy wave.
Swoosh!
Right after riding the momentum of the Imperial Sword Form in reverse, a destructive force swirled from the center of Jeong Yeon-shin's palm. It converged to its peak with incredible speed. In an instant, he had skipped a step in the casting process.
"Hup!"
The Young Master turned around immediately. His astonishingly swift movement accelerated the collision.
In the spinning follow-up strike, Jeong Yeon-shin's Desolate Fortress Sword was sent flying. The vibration ringing in his palm was immense.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn't care and pressed forward, reaching his hand toward the Young Master's flank.
He unleashed the palm technique just like that.
KABOOM!
It exploded at a distance of two paces. For a moment, Clear Night Valley seemed to shake. Unable to withstand the colossal roar, it produced a long, lingering echo.
His ears rang. Jeong Yeon-shin retreated, feeling the severe recoil.
Would it feel like this if a Thunderbolt Bomb exploded in his left hand? He had consumed top-grade spirit medicine and trained alongside the Seventh Apostle. The power was on a completely different level compared to when he had competed against Namgung Hwa-shin.
At that moment, a scream erupted from the Namgung Clan's side. Jeong Yeon-shin, who had just picked up his sword, had his back to them.
It wasn't just one or two. They seemed to be mid-tier experts whose eyes were sharper than the boy's.
Soon, Jeong Yeon-shin could see it too.
"..."
He closed his mouth. He had to.
The Young Master's entire side was gone. Not a single drop of blood fell from the wound.
It was a fatal injury. The fact that he was still standing was a miracle.
Was the divine energy of the Emperor Divine Art protecting his body? For a moment, Jeong Yeon-shin forgot his own martial arts. The Young Master's divine might and willpower were wondrous. Unless he had reached a different realm in that very moment, such a thing would have been impossible.
It was then.
"Stop!" the Young Master shouted. A light shone in his exceptionally clear eyes.
His gaze swept over the Namgung Clan experts who were rushing toward Jeong Yeon-shin. His authority was different from Namgung Mi's. Many were ready to disregard the duel's agreement and kill Jeong Yeon-shin on the spot.
The Azure Qilin, Namgung Se-jin, spoke again.
"Though I was constrained by the title of Young Master," he said, taking a long breath, "the end of Namgung Se-jin, the martial artist... will be decided by me alone."
"..."
Namgung Se-jin exuded a truly godlike spirit. Amidst the silence of everyone present, he slowly continued.
"Do not defile my death."
Then, he slowly turned his gaze. His eyes, radiating a brilliant light, fixed upon the final opponent of his life.
"What is the name of that technique?"
Jeong Yeon-shin understood his question. He immediately parted his lips.
"It does not have one."
"How fortunate," the Azure Qilin murmured, his voice faint but remarkably steady. "A fitting name for that technique has just come to my mind."
"Please, tell me what it is," Jeong Yeon-shin replied.
"Would you call it the Brilliant River? It feels as though the dark waters of the Sanzu River have unfolded right before my eyes, yet they are burning so brightly, illuminating the dark. Perhaps they look that way because my heart is finally glad. The character Hwan (奐), meaning to shine brilliantly, seems perfectly fitting for such a sight."
"..."
"It is a martial art that will one day be revered and discussed as the absolute greatest in all the Jianghu. That is my final premonition. Will you use the name I have given it?"
"Infinite Flower of Time Hand: Brilliant River. If anyone asks, that is exactly what I shall call it," Jeong Yeon-shin replied, his voice calm and resolute.
"Splendid..."
"You seem to wish for it to be widely known across the world, and I, too, must roam the entirety of the Jianghu. That is my innate nature. I have no choice but to do so."
The boy's words grew unusually long. Did his clumsy attempt at consolation reach the dying man's heart? Namgung Se-jin smiled faintly, a serene expression settling over his pale features.
"Yes... do so," he whispered. "Live very freely..."
Jeong Yeon-shin watched him, a solemn thought crossing his mind. There is simply no way to know what agonizing trials the Azure Qilin went through in his heart while living burdened as the Namgung Young Master.
Now, at the very end of his life, reaching the absolute limit of his mortal coil, he did not look back at the people of his clan.
Instead, he chose to die as one who truly walked the path of martial arts. He used his final moments to fully capture the image of the warrior who had defeated him, the Flash Art, etching the victor into his fading eyes.
His thread-like breath gradually grew thinner and thinner, until it vanished entirely into the cold air.
Slowly. Ever so slowly.
He stopped breathing, though his eyes remained open. Even in death, those eyes still gleamed with the powerful remnants of the internal energy he had cultivated over a lifetime.
"..."
Namgung Se-jin's dignified death left a deep, echoing resonance within Jeong Yeon-shin's soul as well. What else should he pursue in this world besides extending his own fleeting lifespan? Was his mere survival the only banner he held high as a man walking the bloody paths of the Jianghu?
The Azure Qilin, who had stood so firmly with both feet planted heavily on the earth just moments before, finally gave way and slowly collapsed.
Thud!
"He's... dead?"
"The Young Master... the Young Master is..."
"Quickly... quickly!"
"Move! It's urgent! Extremely urgent!"
In an instant, absolute chaos erupted across the battlefield. A thunderous roar of panic and disbelief echoed through the air. An immense, surging crowd began to pour out from the confines of Clear Night Valley, rushing forward in an uncontrollable frenzy.
Messenger pigeons of all kinds frantically fluttered their wings, taking flight from every conceivable direction to spread the shocking news. The political weight of the Changryeong Hwaju and the Namgung Young Master were vastly, fundamentally different. The fall of the Azure Qilin was a cataclysmic event that would violently shift the entire political and martial landscape of the Jianghu.
This duel had been a place where the watchful eyes of the entire Jianghu were keenly focused, and the outcome was beyond anyone's expectations.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who silently regretted not being able to step forward and catch Namgung Se-jin's falling body in time, stood alone amidst the pandemonium as the undisputed victor.
As the wind violently raged, born from the feast of residual energy waves exploding in all directions, the young boy silently faced the howling gale, holding his sword low by his side.
The golden character for Desolate (荒) embroidered upon his shoulder shimmered brilliantly in the harsh sunlight, catching the eyes of all who dared to look upon him.
The howling canyon wind repeatedly whipped the hem of his blue robe, snapping the fabric like a war banner in the storm.
This was the exact moment the fearsome title of the Flash Art was permanently engraved upon the vast expanse of the Nine Provinces.
Fame.
Its true beginning was no longer a distant dream, but a crushing reality that was not far off. In fact, Jeong Yeon-shin had to feel the heavy, suffocating weight of it immediately, the very moment he suddenly turned his head to face the roaring crowd.