Chapter 126: Transmission (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: Transmission (2)
With the method for his Fourth Cloud promotion exam decided, Namgung Jun first returned to the Heavenly Sword Hall. He had only just arrived today, and there was still some time before Jang Mu-yeon was scheduled to depart from the main castle.
“Hmm.”
Lee Se-ha hummed softly, walking with her arms crossed. Her eyes were cast slightly downward, and she seemed lost in deep, serious thought.
Walking beside her, Namgung Jun watched her profile and asked cautiously, “Master, what is on your mind?”
“I am worried about you going on a mission with the Sword Lord.”
“Is it that concerning?”
Lee Se-ha bit her lower lip slightly. Her tense expression betrayed her deep concern.
“Every mission the Sword Lord personally undertakes is exceptionally difficult and dangerous. Even more so if your destination is Fierce Battle Valley.”
“Have you clashed with those from Fierce Battle Valley before?”
“The place is filled with crazed fighters. You'll be speechless when you see them for yourself.”
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Se-ha turned her head to look at her disciple. Her eyes were resolute, as if she had made a decision.
“We must devote the remaining time to training.”
“Do you have a specific training in mind?”
“There are two martial arts I recently created. I will pass them down to you.”
At those unexpected words, Namgung Jun’s eyes gleamed. Until now, the martial arts Lee Se-ha had taught him were from either the Azure Heaven Association or the Supreme Vista Lee Family. Naturally, his curiosity was piqued at the prospect of learning techniques she had created herself.
I didn't know Master spent time creating her own martial arts.
Even he, her disciple, had been unaware she was developing new techniques. What kind of martial arts could they be?
Knowing Lee Se-ha’s personality, she must have absolute confidence in them to even consider passing them on. If they were half-baked or unstable, she wouldn't have even mentioned them.
“This is the first time I’ll be learning a martial art you created yourself, Master. I look forward to it.”
“Heh. I am quite confident in them myself. I put a lot of effort into them.”
Upon arriving at the Heavenly Sword Hall, Lee Se-ha took Namgung Jun to the private training ground reserved only for the Hall Master.
“Are you sure you want to start the transmission right away? You haven’t rested.”
“Of course. I rested plenty on the way back. I especially ate well.”
On their way back, the members of the Heavenly Sword Hall had visited all the famous inns in Hubei Province, enjoying all kinds of delicacies. This, too, had been at Lee Se-ha’s initiative.
Smiling warmly, Lee Se-ha nodded. “Since you are so clever, Jun, I am sure you will master them in no time. We should have plenty of time.”
Master and disciple stood facing each other. The master slowly drew her sword, settling into a mid-level guard. Seeing this, the disciple also placed his hand on his hilt.
“The first martial art I will pass down is a sword technique.”
Lee Se-ha immediately closed the distance and struck. As she unleashed the attack, her eyes grew cold and calm.
“Be careful, Jun.”
Her voice, carried on the edge of her sword strike, was unusually low and cold.
Clang!
Deflecting a slash aimed at his collarbone, master and disciple began to clash swords fiercely. The momentum of her sword was completely different from anything he had seen from her before. It was incredibly rough and fierce, dripping with a thick killing intent. He could feel a deep, unyielding resolve to seize victory, even if it meant taking injuries herself.
Namgung Jun’s eyes narrowed as he parried five consecutive forms aimed blatantly at his vitals and pressure points.
She isn't holding back. This is a sword technique that puts one's own life on the line.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Eternal Righteous Sword vibrated faintly as it deflected a horizontal slash. The shockwave that surged down the blade was unusual. Its power escalated endlessly, as if she were pouring every ounce of her being into this single, brief moment. It was like watching a raging wildfire swell uncontrollably.
Boom!
Her threatening sword momentum pressed in, one step closer. It grew even more daring and relentless, as if she were facing a mortal enemy rather than her disciple.
Crash!
A violent shockwave erupted with a loud boom, centered on their two clashing swords. Using the Heaven-Pillar Resolute Advance Movement Art, Namgung Jun met the shockwave head-on, his gaze locked onto Lee Se-ha.
Instead of dispersing, the energy from the impact shimmered faintly like a cloud, accumulating across her entire body.
The subtle principle of the Distant-Cloud Layered-Wall Stance!
With every exchange, Lee Se-ha’s strikes grew stronger and faster. Each time their swords clashed, a fierce pressure bore down on his entire body. Yet, Lee Se-ha did not stop, as if even this were not enough.
Curious about her intentions, Namgung Jun did not dodge or retreat. Channeling even more power into his sword, he met her head-on, matching her blow for blow. As the clash of blades continued, the shockwaves gathered around Lee Se-ha’s body gradually thickened.
Watching his master, the worry in the disciple’s eyes grew deeper.
She's forcibly trapping the shock and recoil within her body—forces that should be redirected or dispersed? This will inevitably damage her!
Thud!
Stamping his foot heavily, Namgung Jun brought the now-heavier Eternal Righteous Sword down fiercely on Lee Se-ha's blade.
Rumble!
Just as the shockwaves gathered around her body reached their peak, Lee Se-ha executed an Earth-Trembling Stomp.
KABOOM!
A massive horizontal slash swept out from her mid-level guard. The accumulated shockwaves from their entire exchange layered themselves over the writhing Thunder Qi. The power of the strike alone was astonishing, but the accumulated energy added to it like a surging tidal wave.
“Mmh!”
A low groan escaped Namgung Jun’s lips as he brought his own sword into a mid-level guard. It was impossible to counter this with a half-hearted technique. He needed an ultimate technique worthy of facing such a terrifying strike.
Namgung Jun’s sword momentum, which had been parrying with the Great Derivation Sword Technique, shifted abruptly.
Whoosh!
Wisps of Sword Qi unraveled like mist from the tip of the Eternal Righteous Sword. Shrouded in what looked like indigo silk, the Eternal Righteous Sword swept horizontally.
Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique.
Azure Torrent.
A straight line of overflowing blue Sword Light slashed out.
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, Namgung Jun’s leather boots slid relentlessly backward. Even after meeting the shockwave head-on with the Heaven-Pillar Resolute Advance Movement Art, he was still pushed back this far.
Incredible.
It was one of the few times he had ever been pushed back, getting the worse end of a direct clash of strength. That was how powerful the form Lee Se-ha had just unleashed was.
…!
As he steadied his stance, Namgung Jun’s intuition flared violently. A massive alarm bell rang through his entire body. It was the first time his innate instincts had triggered such a severe warning.
At the same time, an immense killing intent flooded from beyond the dust cloud obscuring his vision.
Here she comes!
Only then did Namgung Jun realize. The twenty-odd exchanges they had just shared were nothing more than a stepping stone for this very moment.
The instant he raised his sword to a mid-level guard, the dust cloud was torn open. Thick bolts of lightning twisted violently.
Lee Se-ha charged, becoming one with her sword. She flew forward in a straight line, her sword thrust out before her. It was as if she had discarded all emotion to transform into a single blade. He could feel an incredibly powerful intent to slay—no, to completely obliterate her opponent without leaving a trace. It was as if she had no regrets even if her own body shattered and collapsed in the process.
Her eyes were beyond emotionless; they were dry and dark. This was likely because she was pouring her entire mind and body into the execution of this sword technique.
And for that, the disciple could only feel sorrow.
Master.
He realized the mindset with which his master had created this sword technique. He could not bring himself to counter his master’s final, ultimate technique head-on.
Swish!
With a faint Air-Splitting Sound, Namgung Jun’s sword momentum shifted. He infused a portion of the Taiji Taoyuan Technique’s principles into the original form of the Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique.
Vast Sky Boundless Sword Technique.
Subterranean Embrace.
The Eternal Righteous Sword drew a massive, curved arc. A deep, heavy sword path sank down like a stream of water flowing beneath the earth.
Whoosh!
The moment their two blades made exquisite contact, the stone floor of the training ground flipped over in its entirety. A shockwave, erupting like a massive waterspout, scattered in all directions.
If I had taken that head-on, it would have been disastrous.
Namgung Jun extended his arm back lightly, dispersing the recoil that had loaded into his sword. With a single light swing of his blade, the surrounding air tore apart.
The training ground revealed in its wake was a devastating sight. The entire area had been completely destroyed. He could feel a commotion rising from the Heavenly Sword Hall in the distance. Had they not announced beforehand that they would be holding a duel, the swordsmen of the Heavenly Sword Hall would have rushed over in droves.
“Master.”
Namgung Jun looked at Lee Se-ha, who was breathing heavily. He could see her struggling to steady her breath, trying to suppress the recoil of unleashing her final ultimate technique. The Qi Wave emanating from her body was unstable, and her face was flushed red. It was clear that this sword technique took a heavy toll.
Without asking for permission, Namgung Jun grabbed Lee Se-ha’s wrist, taking her pulse. He injected the Thunder Qi of his Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula, helping to soothe her turbulent internal state.
Sighing, Namgung Jun asked, “What is the name of the ultimate technique you just unleashed?”
“It is the final form of the Lone Soul Sun-Gazing Sword, the Lone Soul Single Sword.”
Lone Soul Sun-Gazing Sword.
Lone Soul Single Sword.
Hearing the names of the sword technique and its final form, Namgung Jun let out another sigh.
“This is a sword technique created for revenge.”
“Yes.”
“A lone soul…”
The disciple looked at his master. Though she always maintained a bright demeanor, it must have been difficult for her to accept being the sole survivor of her annihilated clan. When she barely survived with her uncle's help, she must have felt as though she had been left entirely alone in the world. Even after joining the Azure Heaven Association and finding new companions, the shadow of the exterminated Supreme Vista Lee Family must have loomed incredibly dark.
That was why she called herself a lone soul.
Have I, as her disciple, failed to support my master properly?
Lee Se-ha approached Namgung Jun, who had grown somber.
“Is your mindset now still the same as when you first created this sword technique, Master?”
Lee Se-ha stared intently at Namgung Jun, then let out a faint smile. “I will let the transmission of the second martial art serve as my answer.”
Lee Se-ha extended both hands. Namgung Jun stared blankly for a moment, but when she gestured again, he realized her intent and clasped them. A vivid warmth traveled through their hands.
Her smile deepening, Lee Se-ha slowly closed her eyes. Namgung Jun’s eyelids also gradually lowered. As he closed his eyes, he felt Lee Se-ha shift her grip, interlocking their fingers so their palms pressed flat against each other.
Hum!
The energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Formula flowed between their touching palms. Then, Lee Se-ha’s Voice Transmission echoed softly as the mnemonic formula began.
Lightning bursts with brilliant light in an instant, only to vanish in a flash. Clouds cover the entire sky in a moment, yet disperse at any time. Lightning and clouds are indeed magnificent yet fleeting, as void and substance constantly shift.
The mnemonic formula and Lee Se-ha’s Internal Energy swept through Namgung Jun’s entire body. Along with it, a blue light enveloped master and disciple.
What of a master? Though endlessly joyful at a disciple's growth, a master cannot help but worry over the vastness and ruthlessness of the Jianghu. A master's concern is as intense as lightning, yet her affection wraps around as warmly as clouds.
The vivid blue light gradually deepened, unraveling like silk. Soon, the color enveloping his body looked no different from woven fabric.
A master's worry shall become lightning to cleave the sky, and a master's faith shall become clouds to embrace her disciple.
Sensing that the mnemonic formula had ended, Namgung Jun opened his eyes. When he did, his vision was incredibly bright. He realized he was wearing a garment woven from pure Thunder Qi.
“What is this?”
“It is a fabric your master personally wove for her disciple.”
The second martial art the master was passing down to her disciple was none other than Protective Astral Qi.