Chapter 168: Verification (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: Verification (2)
“I am Nok Gwi-bo, an elder of the Diancang Sect. I specialize in the Diancang’s Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords.”
As the crowd retreated, clearing a space of about thirty meters, Nok Gwi-bo spoke with a thin veneer of formality. Regardless of his true intentions, this remained an official duel until the final blow was struck.
“I am Seok Myeong, a First Generation Disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. Though I am lacking, I currently serve as the Master of the Azure Cloud Pavilion. I hope we can both learn from our respective shortcomings through this match,” Seok Myeong replied with even greater politeness.
To Nok Gwi-bo, the boy’s humble words sounded like he was begging for his life, and a predatory smirk played on his lips.
“Well, there are many ways to learn. Given the circumstances, my hand may be quite fierce. Be warned.”
At the very least, I’ll take an arm.
If the opportunity arose, he intended to drive his sword into the boy’s Sea of Qi Acupoint or his heart. Whatever fit Qingcheng threw afterward was a problem for later. He relied on Ji Jung’s connections, but now that Shaolin had acknowledged the boy’s inner qi as orthodox, there was a risk of the prize being snatched away right before his eyes.
‘It’s a shame it’ll be so brief, but I’ll have my revenge for you, Goma.’
Ching!
The Diancang elder’s sword was drawn, radiating a chilling murderous intent.
Ssssh.
In contrast, Seok Myeong raised his sword in a clean, steady motion. His posture was respectful, and his movements were leisurely. At a glance, he looked like a model disciple of a prestigious sect showing proper etiquette to an elder of another school.
“Please, relax. There are many eyes watching… You wouldn’t want to return home in disgrace after suffering a needless humiliation, would you?”
“……You brat!”
But the boy’s eyes—and his tongue—were as venomous as any in Qingcheng. While he feigned respect on the surface, he too was brimming with killing intent.
Grit!
“Taat!”
Nok Gwi-bo ground his teeth and lunged first.
Swish, swish, swish!
The Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords. True to its name, which implied splitting a flash of light into twenty-eight fragments, the technique was fast and dazzling. As the Diancang elder’s signature art poured out like a rain of needles, everyone present sharpened their focus on the duel.
Kang! Ka-ra-ra-rang!
Blades collided, and in an instant, the air filled with the overlapping ring of steel.
Whoosh!
The sword forms changed direction like a winding snake amidst rapid thrusts. Diancang’s Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords was not merely a Fast Sword Style; it was also a Phantom Sword technique that simultaneously created reflections of light and numerous sword shadows.
Saaak!
In response, Seok Myeong’s swordplay was fast yet simple. His forms were so plain they almost looked humble. He defended with his sword held at shoulder height, followed by a single, short counterattack.
“Hut?!”
Nok Gwi-bo hastily pivoted. He hadn't expected the boy to suddenly drop his stance and aim for his lower body.
Swaaaak!
Seok Myeong did not miss that split second. He moved in the direction the elder retreated, and the moment Nok Gwi-bo twisted his body, Seok Myeong thrust his sword upward as if he had been waiting for that exact movement.
Shriek! Cheng!
“Kh!”
However, Nok Gwi-bo was no easy target. Even with his body nearly suspended in the air, he utilized the Thousand-Pound Press to erupt his internal strength.
Jjeoooong—!
Two powerful energies collided. When they both landed and stood apart once more—
Flutter.
A piece of Nok Gwi-bo’s sleeve, embroidered with a dragon pattern, fell to the ground.
“You…!”
Grit!
Nok Gwi-bo ground his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
A draw? No, it was a defeat. His sleeve had been severed in that final exchange. Both speed and internal strength were superior to his own.
‘He’s supposed to be a First Generation Disciple…’
Through his shock, he caught a glimpse of Seok Myeong’s relaxed face.
“Are you not coming again?”
“……”
“As I said before.”
Sreng.
When Nok Gwi-bo didn't answer, Seok Myeong nodded as if he had expected it and raised his sword.
“Do your best. Unless you wish to be humiliated.”
Swish!
In the next moment, a viciously fast sword strike lunged forward.
*
‘It’s the Pine Wind Sword!’
Seok Mun could not hide his astonishment. The martial art Seok Myeong was currently displaying was Qingcheng’s Pine Wind Sword, executed through all twelve forms. It was the very sword technique Seok Mun had complained to his Eldest Disciple about just a few days ago.
‘The speed is incredible…’
Back then, his Eldest Disciple had told him his problem lay in his lower body. Now, he was witnessing firsthand just how terrifyingly fast the sword could be when the lower body properly supported the upper.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Between the sword forms flashing like a gale, he saw the Diancang elder leaping and dodging frantically. And for a fleeting moment—whether by coincidence or not—he saw his Eldest Disciple look toward him and flash a grin.
“El… Eldest Disciple…!”
Clench!
Seok Mun unconsciously balled his hands into fists. He felt like a fool for ever doubting. Whether the opponent was a First Generation Disciple or an Elder didn't matter; he was filled with absolute certainty.
His Eldest Disciple would never lose.
To Seok Mun, Seok Myeong now looked as immense as a great mountain. The composure he maintained while facing an elder of another sect was exactly the image Seok Mun had only ever seen in his dreams.
“Is that not Elder Song Heo’s specialty?” one of the Qingcheng elders watching the duel remarked.
Elder Song Heo, who had been named, nodded. He was Seok Mun’s master.
“It is. Hoho. This is quite embarrassing. When I was the age of the Azure Cloud Pavilion Master, I could not perform it with such mastery.”
As if stunned, Song Heo shook his head and added, “I thought the Azure Cloud Pavilion Master studied the martial arts of other sects more than our own, but it seems that wasn't the case at all.”
“Indeed.”
Not just Song Heo, but the other elders were also smiling warmly as they watched Seok Myeong.
‘Hut!’
But then, their brows furrowed.
Step.
Nok Gwi-bo set his sword at a strange diagonal angle. The Diancang elder, grinding his teeth in fury, finally began to load his sword tip with inner qi. A thick, shimmering haze of energy was visible even from a distance.
“Sword Aura…”
“It’s Sword Aura!”
As the cold, white energy rippled, the First Generation Disciples began to whisper.
“Th-this… doesn't this look like a life-and-death duel now?”
“W-wasn't this supposed to be a spar for verification?”
An elder of a sect was using Sword Aura against a mere First Generation Disciple. Technical skill aside, the murderous intent pouring from his entire body was extraordinary. Naturally, the expressions of the Qingcheng elders hardened.
“Sect Leader!”
First Elder Song Ji urgently called out to Song Jeong. Nok Gwi-bo’s Sword Aura was on a different level from what the average Qingcheng swordsman could produce. Not only was the energy powerful, but it also carried a sense of immense experience and mastery.
Nok Gwi-bo was a swordsman well-known not just in the Diancang Sect, but throughout Yunnan. Just as it was in Qingcheng, the dragon pattern on the sleeve and the Eight Trigrams symbol on the chest meant he was ranked within the top twenty of the Diancang Sect.
“Do not worry. The Azure Cloud Pavilion Master is far stronger than we think.”
However, unlike the worried Song Ji, Sect Leader Song Jeong smiled faintly. He remained calm even as the fight grew more intense, watching the duel—no, the life-and-death struggle—where killing intent ran rampant.
He slowly muttered to himself.
‘Seok Myeong took down Goma of the Diancang Sect single-handedly. And that was quite some time ago.’
*
“Listen, you Qingcheng brat.”
Nok Gwi-bo, standing shrouded in Sword Aura, finally spoke. He never imagined he would be pushed to this point by a mere First Generation Disciple. The humiliation was beyond words. He hadn't been able to strike down this fledgling, whom he had considered a mere pup, even after dozens of exchanges. Far from gaining the upper hand, his sleeve had been cut, and even the proud dragon emblem on his robe had been sliced away.
He no longer cared about saving face.
“Speak.”
“First, I apologize. I underestimated you because you were a First Generation Disciple. From this moment on…”
Zzzzzing—
Raising his sword, which was now imbued with a terrifying energy, Nok Gwi-bo made his declaration.
“I will use my full strength to kill you.”
Ssssh.
At the blatant threat of death, Seok Myeong lowered his sword slightly and spoke calmly.
“That is why I told you to do your best from the very beginning.”
“Kuh!”
Grit!
Once again, Nok Gwi-bo ground his teeth. The boy’s attitude was polite, and his expression and voice were calm. But the provocation hidden within was agonizing.
‘This bastard…’
He was beginning to feel it more and more. He was being looked down upon. He was being explicitly ignored. A mere First Generation Disciple was daring to look down on an elder of a sect.
“Diancang’s Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords… I have heard of it. A Fast Sword Style so rapid it splits light into twenty-eight pieces. I’ve even heard that the sound cannot keep up with the speed, causing a faint whistle to linger.”
“Then I suppose you haven't heard this part.”
“……?”
Inhale.
Facing the puzzled Seok Myeong, Nok Gwi-bo spoke while suppressing his rage.
“Our sect’s sword only truly begins once Sword Aura is utilized. The speed and power increase several times over. That is how the forms were designed from the start.”
At those words, Seok Myeong’s eyebrows twitched in response.
“Now that sounds interesting.”
“You still have room for leisure. You’ll only come to your senses once you experience just how ‘interesting’ it is.”
“But you see…”
“……?”
“Do you think Qingcheng doesn't have something like that?”
Nok Gwi-bo’s confident face froze instantly.
“……What?”
“A sword technique with power more unpredictable and overbearing than the Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords. Our Qingcheng Sect follows the principle of ‘No Sword No Person.’ If there is no sword, there is no person. In our sect as well…”
Sizzle.
As he spoke, a subtle haze of energy rose from Seok Myeong’s sword as well.
“From start to finish, we have sword techniques forged through the fires of actual combat.”
“You…!”
Nok Gwi-bo’s expression contorted. The boy wouldn't back down an inch. And that look of disdain remained unchanged.
Ssssh.
Seok Myeong hid his sword behind his shoulder. Then, he raised his free hand and beckoned.
Curl.
He gestured with his finger as if calling a dog.
“Come, great Elder of Diancang.”
“YOU BRAT!”
Nok Gwi-bo felt as if his blood were flowing backward. He lunged forward with a primal roar.
“I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart right now!”
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
The Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords revealed its true form now that it was imbued with Sword Aura. Simultaneously, the look in Seok Myeong’s eyes changed rapidly.
Left. Left. Right.
He focused on Nok Gwi-bo’s stride, and the moment the elder reached him, Seok Myeong leaped into the air.
“The Illusory Lost Track Step again?!”
Papat.
Nok Gwi-bo’s feet moved busily across the ground as he kept his eyes on the air. Even with his internal strength fully raised, he didn't immediately fire his Sword Aura. No matter how great a master, there is always a brief opening after emitting Sword Aura while the internal strength is gathered again.
‘This brat is tricky.’
Therefore, he was waiting for a single point—a single opportunity.
Whir. Whir.
Just as Seok Myeong, who had been rapidly changing directions by stepping through the air, was about to land on the ground—
“Hat!”
Nok Gwi-bo immediately unleashed his condensed Sword Aura. Just as Seok Myeong had grown accustomed to the Light Splitting Twenty-Eight Swords, Nok Gwi-bo was sick and tired of the Illusory Lost Track Step.
Shweeeeeak!
The unleashed Sword Aura flew precisely toward Seok Myeong the moment his feet touched the ground, like an explosion.
“……!”
Jjeoooong!
In that instant, accompanied by a powerful shockwave, a scene that made everyone doubt their eyes unfolded.
Kwang!
Nok Gwi-bo’s Sword Aura—the energy he had fired in a straight line—was deflected upward, following the direction of Seok Myeong’s parry.
“Did you see that just now?”
“Heavens… what a truly remarkable thing.”
The watching elders could not hide their shock. Even Abbot Hye Seon of Shaolin was so stunned he blinked repeatedly.
He had deflected Sword Aura—fired right in front of his face—with his own sword. Such a thing was supposed to be impossible. It was a feat as difficult as threading a needle with a grain of millet dropped from the sky.
It would be one thing if the roles were reversed. But for a First Generation Disciple to parry and redirect the Sword Aura of an elder-level master…
Sss-sss-sssh.
While the crowd was reeling in shock, Seok Myeong moved with rapid footwork, darting left and right while delivering thrusts.
“Kh!”
Nok Gwi-bo, who had momentarily lost his focus due to the unbelievable sight, hurriedly gathered himself and retreated. However, the momentum had already shifted to Seok Myeong.
Papat.
Seok Myeong circled around, preventing his opponent from retreating further. When the elder moved to the side, Seok Myeong followed and attacked. When the elder lunged, Seok Myeong stepped aside and countered.
Kang! Kang! Kang!
“Kh!”
For a moment, Nok Gwi-bo staggered under the incredibly rapid offensive. In that instant, Seok Myeong, who looked as if he were about to thrust straight in, took a step to the left and half-bent the wrist holding his sword.
“Wh-what is this?”
It was the Qi Gathering Stance he had shown at the very beginning. When the relentless, life-and-death pressure suddenly ceased, Nok Gwi-bo shouted in confusion.
Drip!
Thick beads of sweat rolled down his forehead—a testament to how close he had just been to disaster.
“It’s a pity, but this is as much as I know.”
“……What?”
“The name of this sword technique is Qingcheng’s Nine Currents Sword. This is as far as I’ve learned. However…”
Ignoring the bewildered Nok Gwi-bo, Seok Myeong turned his head toward one person. It was Seok Jin.
“It seems that even this incomplete level is enough to handle Diancang.”