Chapter 700
The Martial Alliance's Grand Training Ground.
A towering martial arts stage had been erected for the duel to select the new leader of the Heavenly Martial Brigade.
Opposite the stage, an even higher podium was constructed, allowing a commanding view of the proceedings below.
Given that this was a contest to appoint a brigade leader, all the Alliance's key figures—including Deputy Alliance Leader Bukri Seung—were in attendance.
Beneath the podium, small tents had been set up in all four directions—east, west, south, and north—each housing the candidates participating in today's duels.
Rumble, rumble...
By the Mi Period (13:00-15:00), when the matches were set to begin, countless martial artists had gathered at the Grand Training Ground.
They were all warriors of the Martial Alliance ranked Second-grade Commander or higher.
Since this was a high-level martial contest, only those capable of appreciating the intricacies of the techniques on display had been permitted to attend.
Thud, thud...
Meanwhile, the podium gradually filled with figures.
Deputy Alliance Leader Bukri Seung, along with the heads of the Alliance's Halls, Pavilions, and Forests—the core leadership—had taken their seats.
However, the masters of the Six Great Halls were absent, as this event was being held to select their new leader.
Once all the dignitaries and warriors had assembled, a middle-aged man in ceremonial robes slowly strode to the center of the stage.
This was Paeng Jong-heon, Deputy Pavilion Master of the Silver Forest Pavilion, overseer of the second floor of the Pratyekabuddha Hall, and the appointed referee for today's tournament.
"Let the martial tournament commence!"
His voice, infused with Internal Energy, resonated clearly in the ears of every warrior present.
Without delay, he swept his gaze across the four tents where the candidates waited and announced in a booming voice:
"The first duel shall be between Clear Radiance Hall Master Mu-gyeol and Heavenly Might Hall Master Baek Mu-seong! Both candidates, step onto the stage!"
At his words, two imposing figures—who had been waiting in the eastern and western tents—leapt onto the platform in an instant.
On the left stood a man clad in white robes, exuding an air of rugged nobility.
On the right stood a man in gray robes, a massive greatsword strapped to his back.
These were Mu-gyeol and Baek Mu-seong.
—Since when did Hall Master Baek wield a greatsword?
Many among the spectators tilted their heads in confusion.
Baek Mu-seong's martial lineage traced back to Shaolin, and he was a master of the Fist, Palm, Finger, and Foot Arts, having mastered most of Shaolin's Seventy-Two Supreme Arts.
So why had he suddenly appeared for such a crucial match armed with a greatsword?
—Ah, didn't he say he obtained the Divine Sword Sect's legacy?
The warriors soon recalled this fact and nodded in understanding.
Baek Mu-seong had healed his arm, whose nerves had been severed and had even single-handedly slain the Demonic Path's Guardians' Faction Master, the Golden Arm Blood Eye Hyeokryeon Eung.
He had publicly attributed this feat to obtaining the Legacy Essence of the legendary Divine Sword Sect.
"Begin!"
At Paeng Jong-heon's shout—
"After you."
Mu-gyeol and Baek Mu-seong simultaneously extended a hand, each deferring the first move to the other.
It was a display of courtesy befitting warriors of the Martial Alliance, exemplifying the dignified bearing of the Orthodox Murim's rising grandmasters.
When the mutual deference persisted, Mu-gyeol finally sighed and channeled his Internal Power.
"Then I shall take the initiative."
Whoosh!
As Mu-gyeol thrust forth a single fist, a gentle yet sluggish Fist Energy coiled around Baek Mu-seong's body.
It was the Wudang Sect's Taiji Fist.
Swoosh!
Baek Mu-seong instantly drew the greatsword from his back and cleaved through Mu-gyeol's Fist Energy.
Swish!
Long after the greatsword had sliced through the energy and arced through the air, a deafening Sound of Breaking Air suddenly erupted, as if tearing through eardrums.
The moment he heard it—
Mu-gyeol had no time to think. He twisted his body mid-air and spun violently.
Shwaaak!
A torrential wave of sound crashed forth as a razor-sharp Sword Qi grazed past the side of Mu-gyeol's head.
"Even after executing my opening move, I cannot trace its aftermath..."
Realizing that Baek Mu-seong was a terrifying adversary—one he could not afford to underestimate—Mu-gyeol bared his teeth in a grin.
"This bears no resemblance to the martial arts of the Buddhist School."
His tone carried a hint of mockery.
"Hall Master Baek, it seems you've returned as a Sword Ghost, having honed a monstrous sword art in the interim."
Yet Baek Mu-seong remained impassive as he spoke.
"You must not have heard that I obtained the martial arts of the Divine Sword Sect."
Then, his expression turned icy as he added:
"I shall now unleash the True Void. Do not resent me if my techniques prove too ruthless."
Swish!
No sooner had he spoken than his greatsword flashed like lightning.
Two streaks of Sword Qi shot forth, each slicing toward Mu-gyeol's flank and lower abdomen from different angles and speeds.
"Hup!"
The attack was too sudden, too profound. Mu-gyeol dared not confront it head-on and instead deployed his footwork technique to evade.
Swish! Swish!
As Mu-gyeol dodged, Baek Mu-seong pressed his advantage, unleashing an unrelenting barrage of razor-edged Sword Qi.
The strikes came with such blistering speed that over a dozen were launched in the blink of an eye.
Like a cat toying with a mouse, Baek Mu-seong rained down an endless storm of blows, leaving Mu-gyeol—who fought barehanded—no room to regain his footing.
—"If he keeps using techniques like that, he'll only leave himself open to counterattacks."
Several of the seasoned warriors watching the martial stage shook their heads.
At first glance, Baek Mu-seong seemed to have Mu-gyeol completely cornered.
But in reality, such aggressive tactics drained one's internal power and stamina at an alarming rate.
If he continued to recklessly charge forward like this, swinging his sword techniques without restraint, he would eventually collapse from sheer exhaustion.
Swiish!
A streak of pure white sword qi coiled around Mu-gyeol's evasive movements like a viper striking.
Baek Mu-seong, as if desperate to end the fight as quickly as possible, spared no effort, pouring out his internal power in a frenzied assault.
Yet Mu-gyeol remained unshaken, continuously drawing large circles with his hands, deflecting the razor-sharp sword qi back toward Baek Mu-seong.
If this dragged on...
By the principles of martial arts, there was no way Baek Mu-seong, who was expending energy so recklessly, could defeat Mu-gyeol, who was calmly redirecting each attack.
"Tch."
But then, something strange happened.
The longer the fight went on, the sharper Baek Mu-seong's attacks became—while beads of sweat trickled down Mu-gyeol's forehead.
'Was that the Overwhelming Sword?'
The Overwhelming Sword didn't just unleash a domineering force to crush the opponent—it also left behind an oppressive weight in its wake, as if shackling the enemy's limbs with iron weights.
However, to execute such a technique, one needed overwhelming martial prowess and internal power far beyond the opponent's.
It wasn't meant for fierce, evenly matched battles—it was a technique used to instill despair in those beneath one's level.
'No... this is different.'
Mu-gyeol frowned.
Even though his body now felt unbearably heavy, as if he could no longer maneuver freely—
The sword qi Baek Mu-seong unleashed coiled around him like a living creature, wrapping tighter and tighter, making every movement feel like dragging a thousand-pound weight.
This was no ordinary Overwhelming Sword technique—it was something entirely beyond that scope, a unique and terrifying sword art.
Crash!
Mu-gyeol finally drew the iron fan at his waist and began deflecting the sword qi.
But because he was already overwhelmed by the momentum, his movements lacked stability.
What's more, Baek Mu-seong's greatsword carried a bizarre suction force—no matter what stance Mu-gyeol took, he couldn't fully execute his forms.
'Frightening.'
Mu-gyeol forced a bitter smile.
Despite unleashing such a frenzied assault, Baek Mu-seong's expression remained eerily calm.
But the glimpses of his eyes that flickered through—they were as sharp and ferocious as an evil ghost's.
'He must have undergone some kind of Great Art.'
No matter how deep one's internal power was, sustaining such relentless attacks was impossible under normal circumstances.
Most likely, Baek Mu-seong had either received an artificial inner elixir or undergone some otherworldly ritual.
'Against the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, superiority in internal energy becomes meaningless.'
Huum.
Mu-gyeol's pupils turned white as he invoked the Heavenly Robe Mind Art.
At the same time, he began synchronizing with the terrifying internal power that Baek Mu-seong was exerting, the force that had been pulling at his body like an invisible tide.
'He's using Shaolin's Bodhidharma Bodhi Art.'
Pat!
Finally breaking free from Baek Mu-seong's onslaught, Mu-gyeol retreated 30 feet back.
But Baek Mu-seong didn't pursue him—instead, he rested his greatsword on his shoulder, standing with an air of leisure, as if inviting Mu-gyeol to feel the gap in their martial prowess.
"The Protective Elegance Sword is a long-lost sword art," Mu-gyeol remarked, glancing at Baek Mu-seong's blade.
"Did you perhaps have a fortuitous encounter with the Divine Sword Sect and obtain their techniques?"
The Protective Elegance Sword was a sword study from the Sun Exaltation Sword Sect, which had vanished two hundred years ago—its techniques were considered extinct in the martial world.
But Baek Mu-seong had claimed that upon returning to the Martial Alliance, he had inherited the legacy of the Divine Sword Sect.
Mu-gyeol had seen through his deception—Baek Mu-seong wasn't using Divine Sword Sect techniques at all. He was using the Protective Elegance Sword, and Mu-gyeol's words were a veiled jab at that fact.
Yet Baek Mu-seong responded with something unexpected.
"I recently obtained the Edge-of-the-World Sword Immortal's Wind and Cloud Sword Manual," he said calmly.
"Many of the sword arts recorded within are not of Central Plains origin."
The Edge-of-the-World Sword Immortal had been the Greatest Sword Under Heaven three hundred years ago—by the time he reached his thirties, he had already found no equal in his era.
—If there are no rivals in this age, then let me compare myself to the masters of the past.
He abandoned his dueling travels and instead scoured the martial world, searching for lost sword arts of bygone eras that could challenge his own, painstakingly restoring them.
In the end, he compiled the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual—a record of thirty lost sword arts—before vanishing without a trace.
Those of the martial world believed he had ascended to immortality, riding a crane into the heavens.
The problem was—
The cave where he disappeared contained only the story of the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual.
The manual itself was nowhere to be found.
—If someone took it, then a monstrous Sword Ghost will surely emerge.
But ten years passed. Then twenty.
No one who had mastered the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual ever appeared.
Eventually, it was dismissed as mere rumor—nothing more than a legend.
Yet now, Baek Mu-seong was claiming he had obtained it.
"Was that just a coincidence?"
Mu-gyeol smiled faintly.
"To obtain the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual—something no one else could claim—and then wield such miraculous sword techniques... It certainly makes for a convenient excuse."
Baek Mu-seong responded indifferently.
"If you lack confidence, you may withdraw even now."
Whoosh.
Lowering his greatsword from his shoulder, Baek Mu-seong spoke calmly.
"The sword has no eyes."
"I see. My words were unnecessary."
Shwak.
Mu-gyeol unfurled his iron fan and replied with equal composure.
"Then let us begin again."
"Very well."
Flick!
This time, Mu-gyeol initiated the assault with a flourish of his fan.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As the iron fan clashed against the greatsword, a clear metallic resonance rang out, scattering hundreds of sparks in all directions.
With every sweep of Mu-gyeol's fan, intricate hand techniques manifested as tiny points of light, piercing toward Baek Mu-seong's vital acupoints.
Yet Baek Mu-seong countered by precisely driving the tip of his greatsword into the center of each luminous strike.
"Hahp!"
As the exchange intensified, Mu-gyeol let out a fierce cry and unleashed a chaotic footwork technique.
In an instant, shadows of Mu-gyeol multiplied like clones, surrounding Baek Mu-seong from all directions.
Kwa-oo!
Simultaneously, hundreds of razor-sharp light points rained down like a torrential storm, pressing Baek Mu-seong relentlessly.
In response, the speed of Baek Mu-seong's greatsword accelerated to match.
No matter the angle from which Mu-gyeol unleashed his strikes, the tip of the greatsword intercepted each one with unerring precision.
—Waaah!
The relentless exchange drew gasps and applause from the spectators around the Martial Arts Stage.
Mu-gyeol's iron fan moved with ethereal grace, blooming like millions of flowers unfurling at once—radiant and dazzling.
Meanwhile, Baek Mu-seong, standing firm in his defense, resembled an artist wielding a massive brush to paint an intricate masterpiece.
The iron fan was light and delicate among weapons, while the greatsword stood as one of the heaviest and most formidable.
Thus, one embodied swiftness and unpredictability, while the other embodied stillness and overwhelming force.
Mu-gyeol—movement.
Baek Mu-seong—stillness.
Such an extreme clash of opposites was rare in the martial world, and the contrast of their dazzling techniques had the warriors present enthralled.
Screech!
Then, Baek Mu-seong's body was forced back five steps, greatsword in hand.
In this exchange, it was he who had suffered the loss.
Mu-gyeol, his expression relaxed, flicked open his iron fan and asked:
"Will you no longer use the Protective Elegance Sword?"
"The Sword Manual contains too many techniques—sometimes I can't even recall their names, let alone their forms."
Baek Mu-seong replied flatly.
"I often unleash sword arts of any rank indiscriminately. Hall Leader Mu, you'd best be cautious."
And with that, he thrust his greatsword forward once more.
A brilliant radiance poured toward Mu-gyeol's face, as though the very color of the sky had shifted.
Shwaa-ek!
At the same time, the massive greatsword began spinning like a windmill.
('The excuse of the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual is convenient.')
Most likely, Baek Mu-seong had not actually obtained the manual—but had instead studied under multiple masters, inheriting bizarre and esoteric sword arts.
Yet he used the Wind and Cloud Sword Manual as a pretext to unleash an erratic array of grotesque techniques.
('And he still hasn't used the True Void...')
The truth was, Mu-gyeol's True Void—
Was an extraordinary martial principle that only revealed its true might when he seized the moment his opponent unleashed an overwhelming technique.
Thus, he had to force Baek Mu-seong into a situation where he would resort to his ultimate secret art.
Fwip!
In an instant, Mu-gyeol synchronized his Heavenly Robe Mind Art with Baek Mu-seong's internal energy once more.
Immediately, the momentum of the spinning greatsword faltered, as though the wind had been knocked from its sails.
Shuuk.
At the same time, Mu-gyeol's fan transformed into hundreds of butterflies, swirling around Baek Mu-seong's body.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As their weapons clashed repeatedly, something strange occurred.
The infinitely light iron fan was gradually pushing back the heavy greatsword—was it not?
For a light weapon to overwhelm a heavy one could only mean one thing: a vast disparity in internal power and momentum.
Baek Mu-seong had been suppressing Mu-gyeol with overwhelming force—so why had his energy suddenly vanished?
('Before the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, even the mightiest internal power is useless.')
This phenomenon occurred because Mu-gyeol, through the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, had redirected the energy infused in Baek Mu-seong's sword downward—draining it into the earth.
Flash!
Then, a single point of light rose from Mu-gyeol's chest—
And, like a living creature, shot straight for the space between Baek Mu-seong's brows.
It was the Iron Heart, Stone Entrails technique—a close-range strike capable of subduing an opponent instantly.
Baek Mu-seong's greatsword was already arcing overhead to block Mu-gyeol's previous attack—
Leaving him utterly defenseless against this sudden assault.
Crack!
With a metallic clang, Baek Mu-seong's body was sent flying backward from the iron fan's impact.
Yet he merely brushed off his chest with an unconcerned motion.
He had simultaneously executed Shaolin's Vajra Indestructibility and the Kongtong Sect's Soft Distance, Step Without Trace, defending his body and dispersing the attack's force.
"..."
As Baek Mu-seong retreated once more, a brief lull settled over the battle.
Mu-gyeol observed Baek Mu-seong with a cautious expression.
'He's changed his tactics.'
Until now, Baek Mu-seong had been wildly pouring out attacks, repeating advances and retreats to disorient Mu-gyeol.
But now, his approach had shifted.
Having realized through the Heavenly Robe Mind Art that relentless aggression wouldn't work,
he stood perfectly still, biding his time for the decisive moment.
'Hmm.'
Mu-gyeol's gaze grew faint.
Baek Mu-seong was a disciple of Shaolin's legend, the Buddhist Venerable.
Yet, he had been using an unidentifiable sword style all along.
What if he seized victory with such a sword technique?
Even if he became the Leader, he would eventually have to clarify the origins and foundation of his martial arts.
And yet, he showed no concern at all, recklessly unleashing everything—
'In the end, he intends to reveal Shaolin's martial arts as his final resort.'
If he unveiled Shaolin's techniques at the decisive moment that determined victory or defeat,
no one would pay much attention to—or reprimand him for—the miscellaneous skills he had displayed before.
'I can't afford to drag this out any longer.'
Baek Mu-seong was, from the very beginning, a Grandmaster who had made a name for himself as the Golden Upright Divine Dragon among the new generation.
Moreover, given that he had now joined the Three Realms, it was expected he had gained formidable power.
Without using the True Void, Mu-gyeol stood no chance of winning from the outset.
Oooong—
Mu-gyeol's pupils dilated, and a strange light began to flow from them.
He started channeling all the Internal Power he had kept hidden for this critical moment.
Paaaat!
Simultaneously, countless shards of light scattered like fragments above his head.
In an instant, his pupils turned white, and flames of True Qi erupted across his entire body.
"Haaap!"
With a sharp battle cry, he thrust out his fan—
Pak!
—and a massive point of light bloomed before Baek Mu-seong's eyes.
Then, that colossal light burst outward in all directions, transforming in an instant into a storm of qi that engulfed Baek Mu-seong's body.
Paaahhh!
Amid the raging tempest, thousands of luminous threads scattered, seeking to pierce Baek Mu-seong's pressure points.
—The Shadowless Sword!
One of the Martial Alliance's veterans observing the duel gasped in realization.
They had discerned that the Fan Technique Mu-gyeol wielded was none other than the opening stance of Jeong Cheon-je's secret sword art, the Shadowless Sword.
—So the Clear Radiance Hall's Master was the Alliance Leader's disciple.
Ever since he had suddenly become a candidate for the Martial Heaven Unit's leadership at the Alliance Leader's behest, rumors had circulated that he was the Leader's disciple.
And now, those rumors had been confirmed as fact.
Whoooosh!
Mu-gyeol ceaselessly unleashed sword strokes like a storm.
But Baek Mu-seong, true to his reputation as an outstanding Master representing the new generation, remained unshaken even in crisis.
Crouching low, he continuously moved his greatsword to defend.
'Futile.'
Yet Mu-gyeol, now seizing the momentum, allowed himself a faint smile.
The Shadowless Sword had no fixed forms—apart from its opening move, Shadowless and Endless, which he used every time.
It was a sword art that adapted to the enemy: if the opponent endured a hundred strokes, it would unfold a hundred; if they endured ten thousand, it would become ten thousand.
That was the very Sword Principle of the Shadowless Sword.
'With the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, I am invincible.'
Moreover, with each stroke, Mu-gyeol employed the Heavenly Robe Mind Art to neutralize the Internal Energy Baek Mu-seong had gathered.
Before his eyes, the Shadowless Sword poured forth, shifting with every move of the enemy.
If Baek Mu-seong attempted to counterattack, the Heavenly Robe Mind Art instantly synchronized with his Internal Energy, rendering it useless.
Even in this hopeless situation—
Baek Mu-seong refused to yield, relentlessly swinging his greatsword.
Swish! Swish-swish-swish!
As Baek Mu-seong's swordplay accelerated, so too did Mu-gyeol's assault.
Once caught within the range of the Shadowless Sword's strokes, there was no escape from this storm of Sword Qi—
unless one admitted defeat or dropped their weapon.
Tang!
Then, with a clear metallic sound, Baek Mu-seong's greatsword was knocked from his grip above his head.
Unable to withstand the Shadowless Sword's strokes and the Heavenly Robe Mind Art, he had lost hold of his weapon.
'Now!'
Shhhk—
Mu-gyeol didn't miss the opportunity, immediately pressing his iron fan against Baek Mu-seong's throat.
Gazing at the greatsword soaring overhead, he smirked.
"Any further struggle is pointless—"
Kurung.
But then, the unexpected happened.
Just as Mu-gyeol, believing victory was his, began to smile—
Kwaaauu!
A surge of crimson energy suddenly erupted before his eyes, followed by a Palm Energy so overwhelming it seemed capable of shattering the world.
'The Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm?'
It was the signature technique of the Buddhist Venerable, one of Shaolin's Seventy-Two Supreme Arts—the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.
'Impossible.'
Though bewildered, Mu-gyeol summoned his Internal Power once more to dispel the Palm Energy.
Kuuung.
Yet something bizarre occurred.
By the time he realized Baek Mu-seong was executing a Palm Technique, both palms had already struck his chest.
'This isn't the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm.'
The Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm maintained its Palm Energy without scattering despite its countless variations—
but it lacked this sheer destructive force and lightning speed.
Now, all that remained was for Mu-gyeol's ribs to be crushed.
'Very well.'
In that instant, a brilliant light erupted from Mu-gyeol's pupils.
He was about to unveil the true martial arts of Jeong Cheon-je—the techniques he had kept hidden until now.