#131. The Black Flame Dragon Proves Himself
“Hoo……”
The man looked at Jegal Somyeong with inwardly surprised eyes, but Jegal Somyeong just silently shook his head.
“Is that right? From the Alliance Lord's palace?”
“Can you tell me why you think that?”
A quick sword seemed like the most efficient movement, but in truth, it possessed the exact opposite qualities. To cover the shortest distance at the highest speed, it required using a great number of muscles, and to unleash explosive power, the motions naturally grew larger. It sacrificed efficiency for speed.
But the man's movements were the opposite—compact and free of any excess. That was why they felt faster than expected, even without being a quick sword.
It wasn't just his swordsmanship that had those traits. His footsteps barely made a sound on the ground, yet he closed distances in an instant.
There were only two types of people in the martial world with such characteristics.
‘Assassins, or shadow warriors.’
Jegal Somyeong wouldn't have brought an assassin, so that naturally left shadow warrior.
Moreover, though it wasn't obvious, his sword style of unknown origin resembled the movements of the White Water Divine Sword Hyeok Mu-gang.
The conclusion: a shadow warrior from the Alliance Lord's palace.
“You haven't answered me yet, so I can't just give away my side.”
The man nodded at my response.
“Fair enough. Shall we continue, then?”
“Wait a moment……”
I'd tried to buy time before thinking up a counter, but the man seemed offended by my pride and resumed the spar without pause.
Perhaps deciding there was no need to hide his identity anymore, his movements grew larger and bolder, becoming even more threatening.
Shua shua shua.
In the instant he unleashed three forms, I retreated eight steps, small scratches already forming on both arms—despite desperately defending with the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
“You're merciless to a cute junior.”
“He's too tall to be cute. And his hands are sharp.”
The man chuckled, adjusting his disheveled collar.
“Not going to fight seriously?”
“Can't you see I'm fighting desperately?”
“I mean besides all the scheming. A true martial artist proves himself with the power he possesses.”
By now, my own temper was starting to rise.
It wasn't resentment at sparring without knowing the reason. It was the competitive spirit every warrior held toward the strong.
Thinking back on how I'd crushed opponents with the Crushing Form so far, I realized I'd never truly tested my own limits.
‘Maybe I should see this as a good opportunity.’
Besides, my opponent was in a far higher realm, a shadow warrior whose sword style was of unknown origin. The perfect opponent to measure myself against.
“Then let's go at it for real.”
“Hearing that annoys me again. Like you were holding back until now.”
“Disrupting your opponent's calm is basic tactics in a duel, isn't it?”
I circulated the Tae-eul Divine Scripture and scattered the Great Heaven Sword Method in all directions. The space between the man—a zhang away—and me filled with sword shadows from the Black Dragon Sword.
“You think illusions like this work on someone of my level?”
“It's the sword art of the legendary Tae-eul Sword Emperor. Comparing it to others is an insult.”
Then, I layered the Socheon Sword Technique over the shadows of the Great Heaven Sword Method. Not merging them into the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion, but using each separately to plunge him into deeper confusion.
“!”
For the first time, the man's expression changed as he fanned out his sword like a palm leaf.
Chaeng chaeng chaeng.
As the overlaid Socheon Sword Technique on the Great Heaven Sword Method was fully blocked, I thrust out the Cartoon Invincible Fist with my left hand. Fist shadows, enhanced by the Flying Dragon Claw, bloomed in numbers rivaling the sword shadows, aiming for his vital points.
Whirrlik.
Dissolving the Socheon Sword Technique, the man spun twice, using a ghostly evasion to dispel all the fist shadows.
This was within my expectations, so I immediately unleashed the Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps to catch up.
As if predicting my approach, he thrust out a punch—another motion exploiting efficiency to the extreme, without waste.
Tak.
“Hm?”
I grabbed his extending hand and slammed him toward the ground using the principles of the lotus flower.
But just before his back hit, he slipped free with an iron plank bridge technique and swung his sword again.
Chaeng chaeng chaeng.
To evade the fierce thrusts targeting my vitals, I used the Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps, widening the gap back to a zhang.
“……”
The man stared at his fist, replaying the technique I'd just used on him.
“You use some interesting arts. Is this another secret of the Tae-eul Sword Emperor?”
“Picked them up here and there.”
“Is that so? Getting more interesting by the minute.”
The man twirled his sword casually.
I stared at it, speechless.
“……”
“What's wrong?”
“Isn't that sword aura on your blade right now?”
“It is. So what?”
“So what? This isn't a life-or-death battle—why use sword aura?”
“Wanted to see how far you could go.”
Before his words finished, he shot out three strands of sword aura. Each only palm-sized compared to normal, but the energy within was extraordinary.
Moreover, targeting three vitals at once, I couldn't even properly respond.
Puk, puk, puk.
The marble floor of the training hall cratered, black soil spraying everywhere.
“Is it okay to wreck Murim Alliance property like this?”
“Hoo, still got some left in you?”
Provoked instead, he unleashed a barrage of sword aura.
I pushed the Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps to its limit, trying to confuse him with afterimages, but he predicted even that, spraying aura where I'd flee.
Pupu pu pu puk!
The not-small training hall filled with sword aura, no place left to dodge. Thinking that, I wrapped aura around the Black Dragon Sword and unleashed the Socheon Sword Technique.
Kwang, kwang, kwa kwa kwang.
Palm-sized aura clashed with full-body impacts each time. The sheer power in each one was immense.
Without borrowing the Azure Dragon Ring's power, dragging this out further was pointless.
Tak.
I unleashed the Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps to the extreme. Too many afterimages would reveal the fakes, so I closed the gap maximally to draw in the aura.
“Hoo……”
Unlike his admiring sound, he scattered menacing aura to find real from fake. I slipped through finger-width gaps, charging forward.
The moment the zhang gap narrowed to sword's reach.
I swung the aura-clad Black Dragon Sword, pouring out the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
Shweeeeak.
The man's face hardened noticeably as he eyed the illusions. Aura made distinguishing real from fake harder.
Closing distance denied him thinking time.
Peng, peng, kwa kwang, kwang.
As expected, he blasted several illusions, but realizing fakes, the real sword struck his body.
Shak.
Twisting desperately, he avoided major injury but couldn't block the gash across his chest.
Moreover, ten illusions and three hidden reals remained in his sight.
Confident of victory, I poured out the rest of the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
Chwaruruk.
At that instant, thin iron plates rattled, blocking the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion one by one.
Peng, peng, pu pu pu pu peng.
The rebound through the Black Dragon Sword made me groan, retreating two steps.
Considering the three jia of internal energy from peak Tae-eul Divine Scripture, being pushed meant he was a real monster.
Steadying my shaking insides, I looked up. A new sword gleamed in his left hand.
No guard or tip—just blade and body fused seamlessly. A strange sword.
I frowned deeply.
“Isn't using a chain sword cheating?”
His waist sash gone, it seemed he wore it coiled like a belt normally, deploying as sword in emergencies.
I'd heard guards used such methods, but first time seeing a shadow warrior of his caliber do it.
“Hey, I'm not your master or arts teacher. Strictly speaking, right now we're enemies.”
“Fine. Then I'll treat you like one.”
I extended my left, firing the Flying Dragon Claw.
He deflected it with reverse-grip chain sword; it flew harmlessly behind him.
“This is just……”
Before he finished, the claw gripped the largest marble chunk from the ruined floor and hurled it at him.
Puk.
Simultaneously, I threw three flying swords, then maxed the Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps to surround him, fanning out the Great Heaven Sword Method.
Chwarururuk.
“What the……”
Kwa kwa kwang, kwang! Kwang!
Whirling his sword frantically to find my real body, he stabbed everywhere—but I blocked with the Socheon Sword Technique's swift principles, using the rebound as footing to retreat two steps, then unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Sword auras clashed like thunderclaps, the air booming dung-dung. Flying dirt and sand turned the hall to fog, visibility zero.
Without pause, I circulated Tae-eul Divine Scripture, slashing into the dust-hidden foe with the Black Dragon Sword.
Puk, puk, puk, pu pu pu puk.
He somehow found the real among illusions in the dust, but that was it. Toward the defense-strapped man, I unleashed the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion's essence as finisher.
Essence: Twin Heavens Shake the World
Before dust settled, illusions filled the hall, twenty aura-clad reals hidden among, targeting his life.
Kwa kwa kwang! Kwa kwa kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Auras exploded in deafening thunder, ears ringing—then anomaly struck.
-------!
------------!
An explosion dwarfing all before swept the dust away as the man emerged.
“Haa, haa, haa, haa.”
Panting, I frowned deeply at him.
His sword tip extended forearm-length in blade aura.
“Haha……”
Sword aura—sword aura……
Even Namgung San, robbed of his brother's chance, hadn't stooped that low.
Did my father or sect seniors have some deep grudge against him? Otherwise, sword aura in a friendly spar?
“Fuck……”
“Cursing a senior of the martial world? Naughty junior.”
“Aren't you an enemy now, not a senior?”
The Tae-eul Divine Scripture had no sword aura to begin with. No one in Tae-eul Gate knew it either—so this was like witnessing my limits firsthand.
Forcing aura might mimic it superficially, but it couldn't match true sword aura.
Biting my cheek to focus, I kicked off the ground.
“Still going?”
“Can't have the Murim Academy rep flee from an enemy!”
“Charging the same way doesn't look smart.”
I poured internal energy into scattering the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion, but dozens of shadows vanished like dust from one swing.
Chwarururuk.
I used Tae-eul Eight Myriad Divine Steps for eight afterimages, circling to scatter flying swords laden with aura. They blanketed overhead, but his sword halved them midair, dropping to floor.
“This won't……”
Lounging till then, his eyes widened like a rabbit's.
Did masters like him instinctively sense preparations?
Standing still flaunting sword aura, he bent knees and shot forward like an arrow.
Toward his face, I unleashed the Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth.
“This……”
Five Black Dragon Swords materialized in air. Yongbongjihoe might not know the difference from Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion, but he frowned instantly, grasping it.
“……”
The five swords unleashed Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion midair—dozens of illusions, twenty-plus reals swinging.
Pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu peng.
Explosions popped like New Year's fireworks; illusions and myriad swords vanished instantly.
But five myriad swords still targeted him.
His sword aura lengthened to man-height.
If this couldn't touch him, nothing else could.
With desperate resolve, I fired the last Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth.
“Die!”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang.
Floor shattered entirely, dirt waves spraying dust everywhere. Shocked birds fled nearby woods; roof tiles clattered from dorms.
“Huu, huu, huu, huu.”
Full power drained my three jia of energy; dantian felt empty.
Panting, staring into dust.
“……Haa, fuck.”
A gust cleared the dust; the man walked out, sword aura intact.
“They called you the Black Path Underworld's rising star, and your mouth lives up to it.”
Normally I'd retort sharply, but no energy left to respond.
“I lost.”
Flopping to the ground, I said it. He gazed at me briefly.
“……I had quite the fun too.”
With that, he sank into the earth, vanishing.
I thought I'd held my own well, but maybe it barely registered for him.
‘The martial world is vast, full of experts indeed.’
Despite living full throttle since my second life, this powerlessness sapped my strength further.
‘Still, this much progress is something.’
Self-consoling amid the wreckage.
Then Jegal Somyeong approached.
Normally I'd spring up like a dog awaiting food and bow, but no desire now.
The chief strategist didn't seem to mind my lack of propriety either.
“Hm……”
Surveying the hall briefly, Jegal Somyeong stared blankly at me.
While I lamented the flying demon-subduing sacred tree, he slowly spoke.
“You.”
“……Yes.”
“Ever thought of going to the Alliance Lord's palace?”
“……”
Another baffling statement. Were all geniuses like this, chopping context?
My fondness from past life was steadily eroding.