The Sword Immortal's Counterattack

The saying that defense is the best offense isn't entirely wrong, but it's also true that attack is the best form of defense. In all the world, there are precious few who can even approach the Sword Immortal once he begins fighting in earnest. His Falling Sun Swordplay has no weaknesses to speak of. Still, this was clearly the path with the highest chance of victory. Better to gamble everything than to clumsily hold out and lose, right?

“Shall we begin?”

“Let's go.”

The moment Geomseon swung his sword, I moved my feet. I'd thought I'd dodged it, but a sharp sting bloomed where my ear had been. So my ear had been sliced. If my judgment had been even a fraction slower, my face would have been split clean in two.

The distance between Geomseon and me was short. At most, it could be closed in a single second. But the problem was that my opponent wasGeomseon. That damn old bastard was a madman who could unleash dozens of sword strikes in that single second. The moment I allowed even one of those blows—too fast for the eye to follow—my body would be chopped into pieces.

Advancing while piercing through his sword strikes was practically impossible. So while the distance between Geomseon and me was narrow, it also felt endlessly far. Of course, I had never intended to close the gap in the first place, but I couldn't let that show. For now, I had to pretend I was desperately resisting.

Geomseon swung his sword again, and dozens of strikes shot forward as if they were a single blow. Just how many pieces did that old man plan to chop me into? Even the worst criminals only get torn limb from limb. What crime had I committed to deserve this?

It was impossible to dodge every single strike. So I didn't even try.

The surrounding bamboo stalks whipped wildly, shedding their leaves. I had successfully canceled out the strike, but the skin on my right fist had been shredded to ribbons. Even though I had wrapped it in internal energy, my flesh had still been cut. It was a terrifying sword technique, but I had no time to admire it. Another strike identical to the last one was already flying toward me.

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could see Geomseon's intention. By refusing to give me the proper range for my fists, he meant to instill a sense of powerlessness in me. He was trying to plant doubt about fist techniques in my mind so he could drag me onto the path of the sword. Was I truly that tempting to him?

What a shame. If you had appeared a few decades earlier, there might have been a chance. But now, far too much time has passed.

Fist and sword collided. My fist was knocked back, and my body was pushed away with it. The short distance gradually widened, but the sword's pursuit never stopped. For someone of Geomseon's level, the reach of a sword was something that could be supplemented by pure skill alone.

I blocked the insane barrage of sword strikes. My skin was already covered in countless wounds, some deep enough to reveal bone. The internal energy I had forcibly raised was slowly running dry. If a judge had been present, they would have declared my defeat right then.

But I did not give up. There was no reason to. When the path to victory lay right before my eyes, how could I possibly surrender?

I blocked another sword strike. The instant fist met blade, I could feel the sword's condition. It was trembling. That was the result of all the impact I had driven into it with every collision. Did he think I had only faced a handful of swordsmen in my life? How many times had I seen fools who believed they could make up for an ordinary sword with their own realm?

In my opinion, that was nothing but arrogance and pride. How could they possibly think their opponent wouldn't find a way to strike at the sword itself by breaking through their realm? I had never liked that attitude, so I had sought a way to shatter swords. And this...

The sword Geomseon had been swinging snapped cleanly in two, creating a gap in his relentless assault. I didn't miss the opening and charged forward.

Even though his sword had broken, Geomseon didn't show the slightest hint of panic. He simply smiled. Of course he did. He must have known his sword would break. He was a man who had become one with the sword. There was no way he wouldn't have known the state of his own blade. The reason he had simply watched it shatter was because whether the sword broke or not made no difference to him. The presence or absence of a sword didn't hinder his martial arts in the slightest.

“Since you showed me something interesting, I shall show you something interesting as well.”

The distance closed. Our breaths mingled. This was the fist range created by Geomseon's own confidence. The moment I arrived before him, he smiled as if to say, Watch this.

I knew. How could I not? In my previous life in Murim, the thing that had driven me into the greatest crisis during our fight was none other than his Heart Sword. And the very thing I had been aiming for all this time was that same Heart Sword.

I know the breed called martial artists very, very well. Since I am one myself, I could never be ignorant of it. Martial artists are the kind of people who, the moment they see a promising junior or a worthy opponent, cannot endure the urge to show off the realm they have achieved. They are lunatics who cannot sleep unless they prove just how incredible they are.

So I had predicted that, at the very last moment, he would show me his Heart Sword.

Did you know? That reaching the end of a realm and interfering with the world through sheer will is not something only you can do.

If Geomseon's will to cut down everything before his eyes was a blade that severed all things, then my will was like the great Mount Tai—something that could never be cut no matter how many times it was struck. Geomseon's will was crushed beneath mine.

The moment his Heart Sword was blocked, genuine bewilderment finally appeared in Geomseon's eyes for the first time. No matter who you are, an unexpected situation will always bring shock. And as you know, among martial artists like us, such a gap is one that decides life and death.

The fist I unleashed by burning my very life force struck Geomseon. The impact sent him flying, carving a long, straight path through the bamboo forest before finally coming to a stop. Seeing the result, I collapsed backward onto the ground. I no longer had the strength to stand.

As I slowly waited for death to approach, I answered Enri's bewildered question.

“What else could I do? He's an opponent I can only face by doing this. Besides, it wasn't mutual destruction.”

“It means that Geomseon is still perfectly alive.”

Look. Isn't that old man walking toward me from over there?

His white robes had been reduced to rags. His already messy white hair and beard were now caked with dirt, making him look like a homeless beggar. He was staggering as if my punch had given him internal injuries, but Geomseon was still very much alive.

“First, because the body I currently possess is lacking.”

No matter how much I supplemented an insufficient body with my realm, what was lacking remained lacking. It hadn't shown against opponents weaker than me, but Geomseon was on an entirely different level from those I had faced before. The deficiency of my physical vessel was bound to be a major issue.

“Second, because that old bastard Geomseon canceled out my final attack.”

Right before my fist connected, Geomseon had turned his hand into a blade and swung a sword strike. It hadn't been perfect due to his unstable posture and the extremely narrow window of time, but with his level of mastery, he had still managed to neutralize my attack.

If his realm had been even slightly lower, or if my body had been even slightly stronger, I could have finished him. But neither was true, so these were nothing but the excuses of a loser.

“I really thought I was going to die, you damn brat.”

Geomseon walked up beside me and plopped down onto the ground with a heavy thud.

“What a shame.”

“What the hell are you? How can someone with a mere second-class body suppress my Heart Sword with nothing but willpower?”

“You think I’m going to tell you?”

“...Haha. Right. Of course not.”

Geomseon chuckled, then rummaged through his robes and pulled out a small water bottle, slipping it into my pocket.

“Once you obtain a body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that matches your realm, come find me again.”

“I will.”

After answering, my vision faded to black. When I regained my sight, the scenery around me had completely changed. I was lying on a dirt path. There was no bamboo forest in sight. So the bamboo forest from earlier had been an illusion after all. I had heard that such things often happened when meeting immortals, but this was my first time experiencing it myself.

In my previous encounters with Shinseon, I had simply destroyed everything, so they never had the chance to vanish like illusions. Wait a moment. Then what about the water bottle Geomseon gave me just now? Was it still here?

I sat up and searched my pocket. A small bottle, about the size of my hand, came out. Since it was something given by Geomseon, it couldn't be ordinary. I shook it gently and realized there was almost nothing inside. What could it be?

Curious, I opened the lid. At the bottom of the bottle, I saw a milky-white liquid.

Aha. It was Stalactite Oil.

It seemed he had thought I was fighting while prepared to become a cripple. That must be why he gave me a means of recovery. In truth, I had only pushed myself so hard because I knew I would get a new body. Still, there was no reason to refuse a gift.

I hadn't been particularly fond of this second-class body anyway. Now I had a way to cultivate it properly. The pure internal energy inside couldn't be absorbed immediately, so I would need to find a suitable location later and refine it.

I put the Stalactite Oil back in my pocket and stood up. Normally, after surviving such a brutal fight, I should have been a wreck, lying crippled in bed. But thanks to dying once and coming back, my body was completely fine.

Modern people really are enviable in many ways. If I had possessed a body like this back in Murim, attaining enlightenment would have been so much faster.

Well, that was that.

“Alright. Let’s settle the accounts. Unfortunately, since I was defeated, those who bet against me will receive their rewards.”

The moment I spoke, Enri operated the system and distributed points to the viewers.

The voices of those who resented me poured out, but I paid them no mind. In the end, they were the ones who made the investment. Whether they profited or lost was entirely their own responsibility.

Looking at the betting ratios, it seemed about ten percent of the viewers had believed I would defeat Geomseon. Hah. I wasn't sure whether to call that faith or a desperate gamble for a single big win. I could only hope they hadn't bet purely on blind worship.

“So, what should I do now?”

Since the tutorial was over, it was time to move on to the main story. But what exactly was I supposed to do?

Following the viewers' requests, I turned on the notification window. Countless messages poured in to welcome me.