Chapter 50: Honing (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 50: Honing (2)
Only then did the martial artists of Mokryun Hall finally look at one another and speak.
"He withstood our combined assault that easily?"
"He's a monster. Could he be practicing some kind of demonic art…?"
"Can you really say that after seeing his aura? You idiot."
The eyes of the Mokryun Hall martial artists gleamed. Though their joint attack had failed, their spirits remained unbroken. On the contrary, their fighting spirit and stubborn pride began to boil over.
"That's not the point, you fools. Didn't you see his final sword strike?"
"Its nature was completely different. It was as if he learned it on the spot, right after seeing our joint attack."
"He's a freak of nature."
The Mokryun Hall members muttered amongst themselves, their eyes locked on Namgung Jun. Slowly, they shifted their feet, preparing to retake their positions.
That wasn't all.
Even the Mokryun Hall martial artists who hadn't joined the initial attack were now rising from their seats, their interest thoroughly piqued.
"If we leave things like this, our hall will lose face."
"Since when did we care about face? Aren't you just bitter that you lost?"
Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, the members straightened their backs. They looked ready to charge at Namgung Jun once more.
Step.
Just then, the sound of a single footstep from behind halted the Mokryun Hall martial artists in their tracks. It was followed by the disapproving click of a tongue.
"Pathetic fools. How do you expect to tear the demonic practitioners of the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult to pieces with a performance like that?"
The Mokryun Hall Master, the Sword Demon, had made his appearance.
He walked with a lazy, swaggering gait, his sword slung casually over his right shoulder. His posture was the very definition of arrogance.
Yet, it was impossible to find a single opening in that deceptively loose stance. If an enemy were to appear before him now, he would undoubtedly be cut down in one fluid motion.
Dismissing his awkwardly standing subordinates with a flick of his chin, the Sword Demon swept his gaze up and down Namgung Jun. A persistent, chilling light flickered in his eyes.
"You've changed quite a bit, kid."
"Is that so?"
"Did you come to clash swords?"
"Yes. It was a promise."
The corners of the Sword Demon's eyes narrowed sharply.
A cheeky promise to be his sparring partner.
Even thinking about it now, it was an incredibly audacious statement, but it had also piqued his interest. A boy who had only recently learned martial arts had said something no one in the entire Azure Heaven Association had ever dared to utter.
Recalling his first meeting with Namgung Jun, a reddish-brown Demonic Qi began to seep from the Sword Demon's entire body. As his Qi Wave exploded outward, the very air seemed to grow heavy.
Crackle!
Blue Thunder Qi crackled down Namgung Jun's shoulders, dispersing the crushing pressure. Thanks to this, he was able to stand tall and face the Sword Demon head-on.
"This time, you might actually entertain me a little."
The Sword Demon shook his head as he glanced at the surrounding Mokryun Hall experts.
"I was getting tired of these useless husks."
"I, on the other hand, gained great inspiration."
"From those fools?"
"I will show you."
Seeing Namgung Jun calmly reach for his hilt, the Sword Demon grinned broadly.
"You rascal. You must have heard about the competition and come to hone your sword skills."
"That is correct."
"Impudent brat. You dare use me as a touchstone?"
Seeing that Namgung Jun offered no denial, the Sword Demon took a step forward with his right foot. At the same time, the sword resting on his shoulder was lowered into a natural, low stance.
"Here I come."
Screeech!
The sound of the Sword Demon drawing his sword was exceptionally low and eerie, a grating cry that assaulted Namgung Jun's ears.
The very act of drawing the blade seemed like a form designed to shatter an opponent's composure. A moment later, the Sword Demon tossed his scabbard aside, gripping only the bare blade.
Screeech!
The Sword Demon's sword undulated, gouging deep trenches in the training ground floor. Infused with reddish-brown Demonic Qi, the attack looked like a surging torrent of mud.
Watching the path of the sword, Namgung Jun realized something.
Is he already unleashing his signature technique?
Unlike their first duel, the Sword Demon was now using a superior, peerless art. His face was filled with sheer, unadulterated excitement.
The Evil-Yearning All-Demonic Sword.
Sinister sword strikes surged along absurd trajectories, rushing toward Namgung Jun's feet.
Crackle!
Namgung Jun responded with the Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders.
His sword strikes erupted with sharp, thunderous roars, branching out like countless bolts of lightning and bursting with blue sparks.
Compared to last time, the form was far cleaner and more refined as it cut across the training ground. The very distortion of the air showed that the depth of his technique had reached an entirely different level.
He stripped away the cluttered forms. It's more concise, more intense. Did he refine it through real combat?
The eyelids of the Sword Demon, who had been the first to experience the newly created Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders, twitched.
Having confirmed Namgung Jun's capabilities, the Sword Demon stepped forward again, thrusting his sword repeatedly to apply pressure. Every single strike was a fatal blow aimed at Namgung Jun's vital points. However, Namgung Jun never shrank back.
Clang! Bang!
He deflected a sword aiming to slash his abdomen, then countered repeatedly with the Heavenly Thunder Palm Technique to protect his shoulders and elbows.
One last sword strike lunged for his collarbone, but by then, Namgung Jun's steps were already light and free.
Avoiding the final blow by retreating with the Infinite Steps, Namgung Jun immediately went on the offensive, as if to declare it was now his turn.
Boom!
As the two blades, one imbued with Demonic Qi and the other with Thunder Qi, clashed and sent sparks flying, a gale whipped up across the training ground.
The Sword Demon stepped forward again to press his advantage, but Namgung Jun, his blade held sharp, twisted his body to the left to continue his own assault.
Fierce sword strikes lunged from both sides, yet they never touched the bodies of the two combatants. Instead, only deep scars were left etched into the innocent ground.
"He's clashing with the Hall Master like that?"
"Even if the Hall Master is holding back his strength!"
The Mokryun Hall members watching the duel could not hide their shock.
Their pride had been wounded when their joint attack failed to defeat the newcomer, but they realized now was not the time for such feelings.
This newcomer was, without a doubt, a monster.
Clang!
Deflecting a horizontal slash with his blade held upright, Namgung Jun naturally retreated.
He relaxed his body. He widened the distance on purpose.
The Sword Demon gave him no opening, even though he could see Namgung Jun was preparing something. Who in the Jianghu would give their enemy time to set up an attack?
"You must have seen enough of the Thirteen Lightning Flash Sword Thunders."
With a smile, Namgung Jun's grip and posture changed.
His body, which had always kept its center of gravity low for stability, now leaned forward in a strange, precarious manner.
Seeing this, one of the Mokryun Hall members shouted in recognition.
"It's that sword strike he used at the end!"
"He's showing off a sword technique he just learned, right now?"
Leaving the shocked cries of his subordinates behind, the Sword Demon closed the distance in an instant.
A sword strike shot toward the space between his eyebrows, wriggling in a sinister, serpentine path.
This kid…
It was completely different from the sword momentum he had seen so far. When he twisted his head to avoid it, the blade bent sharply, as if alive, and followed him.
Before he knew it, the strike was rushing toward his temple.
The Sword Demon's grin widened as he lightly flicked his hand to deflect it, but this was only the beginning.
As the two swordsmen took a step forward at the same time, the distance between them vanished. In that tight space, countless fierce sword strikes were exchanged.
"How entertaining!"
The persistent, clinging sword strikes wriggled and twisted, drawing chaotic patterns in the air.
Deflecting Namgung Jun's tenacious blade, the Sword Demon burst into a joyful laugh.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Thirty-four exchanges passed in an instant.
Namgung Jun's martial uniform was torn in various places, with fine lines of blood seeping through the fabric. But the Sword Demon paid it no mind.
On the contrary, as if excited by the sight, his own sword became even more violent. Nineteen strands of sword light rushed in. Yet, there was no hesitation in Namgung Jun's steps as he charged straight into them.
"Shouldn't we stop this? It looks like the Hall Master has lost his mind."
"Did the Demonic Qi get to his head because he's too excited?"
The fierce clash was so intense that even the watching Mokryun Hall members began to shrink back.
"Not yet! More! More! More!"
Bursting into a mad laugh, the Sword Demon looked genuinely happy. A moment later, a palpable killing intent erupted from his sword.
The forms of the Evil-Yearning All-Demonic Sword, now imbued with killing intent, felt twice as powerful. It was as if everything up until now had been mere child's play.
This kind of killing intent… it's been a while.
It was more blatant and dense than any he had experienced in this life.
Just being exposed to it made his skin tingle, and his existing wounds felt as if they were tearing open wider.
Originally, I only intended to hone my sword skills…
Namgung Jun gripped his sword, his face deeply serious.
But this is a chance to bring back my battlefield senses.
It was the precarious feeling of performing acrobatics on the line between life and death. The state where the senses of the entire body were forced into a hyper-aware state in a life-or-death crisis.
Feeling a boiling excitement surge through him, Namgung Jun stepped forward vigorously.
"Here I come again!"
The Sword Demon's shout, infused with internal energy, rang out loudly.
"Come on!"
Boom!
The swords of the two men collided, unleashing a fierce shockwave. The nearby Mokryun Hall experts had to circulate their own internal energy just to withstand the blast.
Swoosh!
Namgung Jun's sword split into countless paths, creating a flurry of Sword Shadows. Dozens of them bent and twisted endlessly, sweeping in like a storm of wind and rain.
The Sword Demon deflected all the strikes pouring down like a heavy downpour, countering with even more sinister forms.
It took only an instant for the reddish-brown sword strikes to swallow the blue ones.
Slash!
Along with a chilling sound of air being split, blood spurted from Namgung Jun's forearm. This was only the beginning.
Splurt!
Namgung Jun's blue martial uniform was gradually stained red. Although the wounds were still shallow, there was no telling when he might suffer a critical injury.
But the clash of the two swords only became stickier and more chaotic.
Not only the Sword Demon, but Namgung Jun, too, refused to back down.
Meanwhile, the Sword Demon's Demonic Qi grew denser. He had been controlling his strength until now, but it seemed he had lost all intention of doing so.
Since such an occurrence was extremely rare, panic began to spread in the eyes of the Mokryun Hall experts.
At this rate, he's really going to kill him!
Sa Dan-hae, who had been watching blankly, finally shouted.
"Stop the Hall Master!"
Led by Sa Dan-hae, the Mokryun Hall experts wedged themselves between the two swordsmen.
Dozens of weapons struck at the Sword Demon from all directions. Even though they were attacking their own Hall Master, they showed not the slightest hesitation.
The Sword Demon's strikes, which had been aimed at Namgung Jun, abruptly pivoted and lunged toward the Mokryun Hall experts.
Boom!
Despite the sudden joint attack, the Sword Demon suffered no damage. He simply stopped in his tracks.
During the brief pause, the Sword Demon, his killing intent now calmed, didn't even spare a glance at the subordinates who had blocked him.
He only stared at Namgung Jun, who was still holding a peculiar posture behind them.
Breaking the brief silence, the Sword Demon suddenly burst into a sharp laugh.
"Impudent brat. You were preparing a new ultimate technique in the midst of all that."
Only then did Namgung Jun calm his internal energy and sheathe his sword.
"There will be an opportunity to show it next time."
"You created another new sword technique?"
"Not yet. I have only obtained a flash of inspiration."
The Sword Demon threw his sword to the ground and turned his back.
"When you come back, make sure you've refined it into a completely new sword technique."
Namgung Jun replied with a fist salute.
Shaking his head at Namgung Jun's undisturbed appearance—exactly the same as when he had first arrived—Sa Dan-hae asked in disbelief.
"Do you know you almost died just now?"
"I wouldn't have died."
"What? The Hall Master was serious back there."
"So was I."
Sa Dan-hae was lost for words.
He didn't know how much of Namgung Jun's claim—that he had fully intended to face the Sword Demon's blade head-on—he should believe.
But then, Sa Dan-hae thought of the new ultimate technique the Sword Demon had mentioned.
Namgung Jun had indeed been preparing something.
What on earth could it have been, that he could calmly sheathe his sword even with the Sword Demon's blade right before his eyes?
He has absolute confidence in his own sword skills and talent.
Sa Dan-hae stared blankly at Namgung Jun's back as he departed from Mokryun Hall.
He realized then that the various prodigies and geniuses he had seen so far were nothing.
The one who truly possessed the qualities to be called a genius was the young man now fading from his sight.