Whose Sword is the Fastest? (1)
Once the elders and young warriors of the Demon Sword Sect united their hearts, the forces of the Murim Alliance's Shaanxi branch were utterly annihilated in short order, leaving not a single trace behind.
Not one escaped. It was a complete extermination.
"Was there really such a thing?"
Upon returning to the Demon Sword Sect and receiving the report from Danlibyeok and Gyeon Jong-o, Hyeon Yucheon was astonished.
At the same time, a surge of faith in the Demon Sword Sect welled up within him.
'Even if I let my guard down now, our Demon Sword Sect will never be weak.'
In the past, they had needed help from various Sapa sects or outside forces, but things were different now.
Even with the Flash Demon Sword Unit away on expedition, the elders' formation made them unshakably secure.
"You've all worked hard. From now on, no faction in the jianghu—not even the Murim Alliance—will dare look down on our Demon Sword Sect."
Hyeon Yucheon cried out, his voice brimming with emotion.
'We have achieved martial self-reliance.'
In the past, they had relied on aid from groups like the Blood Dragon Room and the Quick Sword Hall.
But now, with the Flash Demon Sword Unit and the elders' formation as their backbone, bolstered by his two senior brothers and the young experts, the Demon Sword Sect could stand tall without borrowing anyone's hand.
And there was even more good news.
"Sect Leader, I was thinking of taking Little Light Demon Gyeon Jong-o as my direct disciple... Not to teach him the Demon Sword Sect's martial arts, but to pass on my own signature techniques."
It was the news that Danlibyeok and Gyeon Jong-o wished to become master and disciple.
"Oh? What's there to object to?"
Hyeon Yucheon brightened with joy.
In Sapa sects, there was something more important than tradition or history.
Passing on only the strongest martial arts.
Blood Moon Fist Demon Danlibyeok was no longer young, and it was said he had never taken a disciple in his life.
His Blood Moon Unmatched Fighting Advance Fist was far too great an art to let fade into oblivion.
Hyeon Yucheon had inwardly regretted this himself, so hearing that he would teach it to Gyeon Jong-o—the finest talent among the Demon Sword Sect's younger generation—filled him with delight.
"Gyeon Jong-o, step forward."
As sect leader, Hyeon Yucheon gave his permission, then called the Little Light Demon with a solemn expression.
"Yes, sir!"
Gyeon Jong-o advanced respectfully and knelt on one knee.
"Your skeletal structure is exceptional, but your hot-tempered nature and impatience have held back your growth. I had been considering teaching you fist and leg techniques myself, but now that this opportunity has arisen... You must never disappoint Elder Danlibyeok. Understood?"
Hyeon Yucheon had great expectations for him.
For the Demon Sword Sect's future to shine bright, Gyeon Jong-o needed to grow alongside him, still in his prime.
"Understood!"
Gyeon Jong-o bellowed in a resounding voice.
Watching this, Danlibyeok steeled his resolve.
'Jong-o, I'll raise you well so you can contribute to our current sect leader, just as I did for Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang.'
This was the moment the successor to the Blood Moon Fist Demon was born, following in the footsteps of the Demon Sword Ghost Elder's heir.
In stark contrast to the ever-improving atmosphere in the thriving Demon Sword Sect, the Shaanxi region resembled a funeral procession.
- The Murim Alliance Shaanxi branch's elite forces vanished without a trace.
- According to survivors from the Shaanxi branch, Great Power Fist Hwang Bojinung and Cunning Fox Flying Sword Jegalseon died sneaking an attack on the Demon Sword Sect.
Rumors were already rampant throughout the jianghu, pointing to the Demon Sword Sect as the cause of their sudden disappearance.
A meeting of the Five Great Families was hastily convened in response to these credible whispers.
With losses from Hwang Bojinung and Jegalseon's deaths impacting the Hwangbo and Je gal families, retaliation was only natural.
"You've arrived?"
Namgung Family head Crimson Sky Sword King Namgung Ungwang, who had arranged the meeting, spoke first.
The Namgung Family, Hwangbo Family, Je gal Family, Hebei Pang Family, and Sichuan Dang Family—most meetings were chaired by the most prosperous Namgung Family.
At Namgung Ungwang's summons, the family heads gathered.
"First, the heads of the Hwangbo and Je gal Families must be deeply troubled by the loss of such talents."
The conversation turned immediately to the matter at hand, making every brow twitch.
They yearned for revenge against the Demon Sword Sect but dared not dream of it.
They lacked confidence to challenge a sect that had crushed the Beggars' Sect and Huashan Sect, and a one-on-one duel with its leader, Hyeon Yucheon, was out of the question.
"Even so, we must retaliate against the Demon Sword Sect somehow. Otherwise, the jianghu will mock our Five Great Families."
The Sichuan Dang Family head—known for his persistent nature and unmatched thirst for vengeance—raised his voice.
"We want revenge too, but..."
"There's simply no way, is there?"
Those who suffered the losses were quickly countered by another.
He was Hebei Pang Family head Heaven King Axe Pang Cheonhu, who had observed the Demon Sword Sect closest in Hebei Province.
"It's regrettable, but... we must never touch Mugeom Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon."
He shuddered involuntarily at the mere thought of Hyeon Yucheon's face.
'Truth be told, I had no desire to attend this farce of a Five Great Families meeting.'
The Hebei Pang Family was practically allied with the Demon Sword Sect now, so he knew he'd face nothing but glares.
Yet he had come for one reason alone.
"The Demon Sword Sect is a colossal faction beyond our Five Great Families' reach. Only the Murim Alliance and Seok Family can oppose them."
Out of past ties, he intended to dissuade these oblivious family heads.
"Haha, Heaven King Axe, you seem to have grown timid since we last met. Did that young pup Hyeon Yucheon give you a thrashing?"
Pang Cheonhu deftly evaded the Dang Family head's jab.
"I nearly did. No, I nearly died. You lot can bluster because you've never witnessed his true power."
Prestige and face meant nothing to Pang Cheonhu.
'I've seen too many sects plummet chasing such vanities.'
These were the terrifying foes who had erased the Beggars' Sect, Huashan Sect, and even a Murim Alliance branch in an instant.
Pang Cheonhu countered boldly, dominating the mood.
"If you're so eager for revenge, will the Dang Family head step up himself?"
His words pierced reality like a blade.
"Th-that's..."
The atmosphere chilled instantly.
It was simple: Who would bell the cat? They were no better than mice, yet they underestimated Hyeon Yucheon.
Or perhaps, seeing the Dang Family head shrink back, they knew but pretended otherwise.
"Calm down for now, Pang Family head..."
As tensions overheated, meeting chair Namgung Ungwang raised a hand to soothe them.
Among those present, the strongest was none other than this Crimson Sky Sword King.
How mighty was Namgung Ungwang? The jianghu said:
- If naming the Heaven's Five Venerables wasn't enough, Crimson Sky Sword King Namgung Ungwang would surely rank among the Six!
His renown was immense, with rumors of him pushing the Namgung Family's bold, swift swordsmanship to its limits.
And more: He was called the man with the fastest quick sword in the Orthodox factions.
This implied that while Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang—or now Mugeom Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon—held that title in Sapa, in the Orthodox world, Crimson Sky Sword King Namgung Ungwang's blade was the swiftest, rivaling even the Demon Sword Sect.
"If we voice no protest against such savage foes and simply yield, our Five Great Families will become the laughingstock of the jianghu. What action shall we take?"
Namgung Ungwang was right.
Doing nothing versus doing something made all the difference.
It was then.
Suddenly!
Je gal Family head Mind Brain Divine Lord Jegallyong sprang up with a plan befitting his epithet.
"How about this?"
The others knew from experience: When Jegallyong reacted like this, he had devised an ingenious scheme beyond imagination.
"Have Crimson Sky Sword King Namgung Ungwang duel that Mugeom Sword Young Master."
But what was this? An utterly mundane, shabby proposal?
"Pardon?"
"What kind of talk is that?"
Far from brilliant, it left the other heads—and even Namgung Ungwang—dumbfounded.
Frankly, having never seen Hyeon Yucheon in person, he didn't assume total defeat.
But that was one thing; proposing a duel was another entirely.
Namgung Ungwang had too much to lose.
"Now, now, put aside the complaints and hear me out."
Ignoring the uproar, Jegallyong slowly laid out his thoughts.
"Who said anything about a straightforward frontal clash?"
The Mind Brain Divine Lord focused not on a one-on-one duel itself, but its nature—what kind of fight.
"Coincidentally, both our esteemed Namgung hero here and that Hyeon Yucheon are rare wielders of swift swords."
"...No way?"
Namgung Ungwang began to catch on.
"Instead of a match to the death, let's decide victory by whose sword is faster."
Yes.
That was Jegallyong's plan.
He believed a plain spar would end in Namgung Ungwang's loss nine times out of ten.
"Even so... the Formless Flash Quick Sword won't be easy, will it?"
As the mood in the Five Great Families meeting began to shift under Jegallyong's lead, Pang Cheonhu raised a counterpoint.
No matter the matchup, Hyeon Yucheon held overwhelming advantage.
"I know that well. But the Formless Flash Quick Sword has one flaw: its extreme inner power consumption."
Jegallyong was correct.
The Formless Flash Quick Sword seemed flawless because both Hyeon Yucheon and Cheon Baeksang possessed vast inner reserves rare even in their era, masking the weakness.
With Jegallyong's explanation, Namgung Ungwang grasped it instantly.
"I see. We forgo inner power entirely and compete purely on technique forms."
"Exactly."
Jegallyong sighed in relief, as if unburdened.
A technique's completion required infusing forms with inner power.
But excluding inner power and using only forms—known as form spars or pure technique bouts—was common for gauging pure martial art proficiency, regardless of practitioners' gaps.
"I've heard Mugeom Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon takes immense pride in his Formless Flash Quick Sword. What if our Namgung hero challenges him to decide who holds the fastest sword under heaven?"
Oho!
The room heated up.
It sounded plausible.
Deep in Orthodox jianghu minds lay this belief:
- Even in Demon Sword Ghost Elder Cheon Baeksang's era, when judging martial arts purely on excellence, completion, and depth alone, our Orthodox martial arts reign supreme!
The Five Great Families here were no exception.
"A fine plan. Under those terms, I have full confidence in victory."
Excluding inner power meant stripping away killing intent and lethal force.
In other words, it was overwhelmingly disadvantageous for Sapa arts designed to kill.
And more: The Formless Flash Quick Sword, which formed no physical blade, relied on inner power as its edge.
Barring inner power sealed it shut.
Fully aware, Namgung Ungwang—who had shrunk back before—now welcomed it with open arms.
"Very well. We'll send a challenge letter to Hyeon Yucheon at once."
Watching all this unfold, one man inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Tsk tsk. No matter what you try, you lot can't win...'
Naturally, it was Heaven King Axe Pang Cheonhu.