Chapter 105: The Best Rising Star (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105: The Best Rising Star (3)
“What do you think you’re doing, Seok Jun!”
The moment the Sword Aura flared, Seok Myeong’s anger erupted.
To manifest Sword Aura so recklessly—and of all places, here at the training ground, under the watchful eyes of the elders and the children of Qingcheng.
“I’ve received such kind and detailed instruction, I felt I couldn’t just let it pass,” Seok Jun replied, his voice dripping with defiance.
Seok Myeong rebuked him even more sharply. “Is this duel merely a stage to prop up your pride? Withdraw your qi at once.”
“Ha! Are you avoiding me? Or is it that you find it difficult to manifest Sword Aura yourself?”
“What?”
Seok Myeong’s eyes narrowed. Just as his genuine wrath was about to boil over, Seok Jun bit his lip and shouted back.
“What I need isn’t some vague, empty theory of the sword! I need the manifestation of qi! A higher realm of mastery! Do you have any idea, Sahyung, how hard I have practiced and struggled?!”
“……”
Seok Myeong paused. Seok Jun’s eyes were bloodshot as he gnashed his teeth.
Extreme obsession. It was a common sight among those who failed to overcome the wall before them. Right now, it was mere hot-bloodedness, but if that state accelerated, it would eventually become a Heart Demon and consume him.
“This Sword Aura... this is everything I have.”
“…Seok Jun.”
“You said you wanted to help? Were you sincere? Then show me the power to overcome this energy. That…” Seok Jun paused for a moment, his eyes burning as he glared at Seok Myeong. “That is what real help looks like! Not some vague sword art where I recite incomprehensible formulas and swing a blade ten thousand times without ever understanding its meaning!”
“……”
Seok Myeong looked deep into Seok Jun’s eyes. There, he saw the heart of a young man whose pride had been wounded. But beneath that, he also saw a martial artist craving something more.
You are trapped by your own prejudices.
The sight reminded him of his past self.
He had always treated his juniors with a smile. He would take the time to grant almost any request. He knew that to them, it had looked like a foolish grin or a lack of competence. However…
“Power, then. Indeed, the fact that you’ve come at me like this isn’t entirely your fault.”
Seok Myeong understood. This wasn’t solely Seok Jun’s mistake.
He was the Eldest Disciple, yet he hadn’t even been a proper Qingcheng swordsman. He had promised to take the exam and then practically fled the sect; he was a disloyal disciple who hadn’t sent a single letter during his travels in the Jianghu.
If he were in Seok Jun’s shoes, he too would find it hard to graciously accept difficult words from such an Eldest Disciple.
“It’s more my problem than yours. I haven’t shown you what a proper Sahyung looks like until now.”
If this were before he had experienced Hong Jun-gyeong’s branch… it certainly would have been so.
Whoosh!
Seok Myeong held his sword vertically, his gaze fixed on Seok Jun.
“Then I shall show you. I will show you what it means to be a Sahyung. I will teach you through your own body how to operate qi manifestation within swordsmanship—and how one becomes truly strong when changes occur that aren't merely biased toward speed and power.”
Crazy bastard.
Despite Seok Myeong’s sincere declaration, Seok Jun scoffed inwardly. There was no way the words of Seok Myeong—who had never produced a single shred of Sword Aura in his life—would reach him.
But the arrogant smile on Seok Jun’s face began to stiffen.
Shhhhhhh!
To his shock, an energy identical in form to his own began to radiate from Seok Myeong’s sword.
A brilliant white radiance. Within it, qigong laced with a subtle black light surged along the blade.
Interestingly, Seok Jun’s and Seok Myeong’s Sword Auras were not identical. Unlike Seok Jun’s pure, flawless white energy, Seok Myeong’s was permeated with a hint of deep black.
“Come. Test everything you are capable of.”
“…Ugh!”
When Seok Myeong beckoned him, Seok Jun’s anger flared. He was seeing the Sword Aura with his own eyes, but it didn't feel real. He had never once considered Seok Myeong a rival. And yet, the man had reached the same realm as him.
Rumble!
His anger was quickly turning into killing intent. He wanted to strike him down. No, they were fellow disciples, so he couldn’t go that far—but he wanted to inflict a critical injury.
If that happens, then Yeon-hui will also…
“Haap!”
Slash!
Seok Jun didn’t run straight at Seok Myeong; instead, he leaped into the air. It was the signature movement technique of Qingcheng, the Illusory Lost Track Step. He intended to showcase his greatest ultimate technique to everyone.
“He disappeared!”
“Huh? Where did he go?”
The moment Seok Jun’s form vanished mid-leap, the children began to buzz. The First Generation Disciples were all looking at Seok Myeong with dark expressions. They wondered how long Seok Myeong could hold out against Seok Jun, who was using both the Illusory Lost Track Step and Sword Aura.
“I-Is this going to be okay?”
“Even if it’s Seok Jun-sahyung, doing that to the Eldest Disciple is…”
Unlike the elders, who felt the tide was shifting, the disciples still expected Seok Jun’s victory. Even if Seok Myeong had become incomparably stronger than before, Seok Jun had been called the best among the First Generation Disciples for a long time. They thought he would win easily.
After a moment…
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Two phantoms began to rise around Seok Myeong’s body. Then, in a split second, the phantom on the right grew distinct, and Seok Jun revealed himself.
Seok Myeong, who had been keeping his gaze lowered, didn’t miss the opening. He moved swiftly and swung his sword.
Sword Aura clashed against Sword Aura.
Clang!
The qigong collided and exploded in mid-air. Several bluestones on the ground cracked, testifying to the power of the impact. A strong wind rose, capturing the eyes of the watching children.
A resonance of high-purity qi. To those seeing it for the first time, it offered more than just surprise—it was awe-inspiring.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
While their attention was briefly diverted by the powerful air-breaking sounds, Seok Myeong and Seok Jun exchanged several more blows.
Against Seok Jun’s sword striking up from below, Seok Myeong used the Azure Research Master Sword Technique, targeting the upper body.
Unlike the Azure Cloud Red Mist Sword or the Heaven and Earth Sword, the Azure Research Master Sword was not well known within Qingcheng. This style was created by the Azure Cloud Taoist, who had researched Qingcheng’s swordsmanship in the past. It was devised to be a balanced style that could be used in any situation.
The foundation of its forms was based on the energies of the earth, heaven, and wind, divided into high, middle, and low sections. It ensured stable movement of the hands and feet, allowing for smooth transitions regardless of the opponent's style.
Seok Myeong used this technique to respond to every unconventional attack Seok Jun threw.
Dammit, why is he blocking so easily?
Seok Jun gnashed his teeth. His ten consecutive attacks were a combination of the Azure Center Sword Technique, the Azure Wind Sword Technique, and the Divine Crane Sword he had learned from Song Hak. Furthermore, he had integrated his recent enlightenments into his sword paths.
And yet, Seok Myeong was evading them all too easily, as if he were reading the palm of his own hand.
Why!
Even when their Sword Auras clashed, he wasn’t being pushed back in terms of internal energy. Because Seok Myeong responded to his forms so effortlessly, Seok Jun began to feel the weight of the struggle.
As he circled his sword, looking for an opportunity, Seok Jun noticed Seok Myeong had drawn close.
An opening!
Seok Jun was advancing with his right foot, while Seok Myeong was retreating with his left foot forward. Seok Jun knew this situation well. His father, Song Hak, had emphasized this scenario so many times he could never forget it.
When the opponent is focused more on defense than offense, and you are in an attacking state, taking a step forward is key. In this situation, if you fire Sword Aura toward the opponent’s legs and then leap, the opponent is forced to fire Sword Aura while in a retreating posture.
If that happens, their balance breaks instantly. Their upper body leans back, and they lose the ability to respond to an attack pouring down from above. Ultimately, they fall into a state where neither offense nor defense is possible for a brief moment.
That was the opportunity.
Of course, he’ll respond with Sword Aura!
That was also part of his calculation. After neutralizing Seok Myeong’s Sword Aura, he would rush him at maximum speed.
Vroooom.
Once the plan was set, Seok Jun immediately fired his Sword Aura. A blinding flash poured toward Seok Myeong’s legs in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
The two flashes vanished instantly as Seok Myeong hurriedly fired his own Sword Aura to counter. The powerful resonance turned the bluestones covering the floor into powder.
Along with the wind generated by the exploding Sword Aura, Seok Myeong was pushed back two steps. He looked forward, then raised his head.
Swoosh!
Seok Jun, already in the air, had generated a second Sword Aura. He was falling as fluidly as water.
“Flying Stream Step?”
Seok Myeong instantly sensed the intent. He intuited the move to break his posture by swinging Sword Aura while falling, utilizing the weight of the Thousand Pound Press.
Whish.
Seok Myeong abandoned his passive stance and switched to an aggressive one. Simultaneously, Sword Aura surged at the tip of his blade.
Shhhk!
Though these were actions taken after much thought by both parties, to the onlookers, it was merely a blur—a second clash between the air and the ground following the first collision on the floor.
“Great Dragon Strong Sword!”
“Vertical and Horizontal Cutting Sword!”
As the names of the techniques rang out, their Sword Auras collided.
Chiiiiing! Kaboom!
The space between them shimmered like a heat haze before the Sword Aura exploded. Both Seok Jun and Seok Myeong had expected this, preparing their next moves without panic.
“……!”
It was the moment Seok Jun was about to rush in. His eyes widened as if he had seen the impossible, and he hurriedly twisted his body, throwing himself in the opposite direction.
Zip!
In an instant, another Sword Aura grazed the spot where Seok Jun had just been standing.
“…Gasp!”
It was by a hair’s breadth.
The moment the two Sword Auras had collided and neutralized each other, another Sword Aura had suddenly surged forth.
The hidden form of the Heaven and Earth Sword: the Vertical and Horizontal Cutting Sword.
It was the moment another Sword Aura, hidden behind the first, revealed its majesty for the first time in the heart of the Qingcheng Sect.