Chapter 65: Mount Song Gathering (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Mount Song Gathering (4)
Baekri Cheong, who had been walking through the Tiger-Forming Forest, stopped in his tracks.
“How long do you intend to follow me?”
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward a tree to his left.
“Baekri Cheong.”
A figure emerged from behind the tree. Embroidered diagonally on the collar of his brown martial uniform were the two characters for North Hengshan.
It was Jin Gyeong of the North Hengshan Sect.
The Baekri Clan and the North Hengshan Sect had maintained a long-standing relationship, as both were powers within the greater Shanxi Province. But that was a thing of the past.
Following the annihilation of the Baekri Clan, all contact between the two had abruptly ceased.
“So you ended up running to the Azure Heaven Association? How pathetic.”
“Pathetic? What do you mean by that?”
Jin Gyeong smirked. “The Azure Heaven Association. It has a grand name, but isn’t it just a gathering of losers who suffered the humiliation of having their clans wiped out?”
Baekri Cheong’s relaxed eyes hardened.
Seeing this, Jin Gyeong’s smirk widened.
“I also hear you all pore over each other’s martial arts under the pretext of wiping out the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. What a shameless bunch. A prestigious righteous sect would never dream of such a thing.”
“Jin Gyeong. Watch your mouth.”
Jin Gyeong shook his head. “My apologies if that struck a nerve. It’s just that watching you fall from the Eldest Young Master of the Baekri Clan to a mere Cloud rank in the Azure Heaven Association is simply too hilarious.”
“There’s nothing more to say.”
Without another word, Baekri Cheong reached for the hilt of his sword.
Swoosh!
The moment he moved, Jin Gyeong drew his own sword and unleashed a sharp, swift strike. Two paths of Sword Qi shot forward with vicious intent, aimed directly at both sides of Baekri Cheong’s chest. It was a calculated attack, timed precisely for the moment Baekri Cheong began to draw his weapon.
‘I’ll end this in the first move.’
Even he had to admit, it was a clean strike. If it didn’t finish Baekri Cheong outright, it would surely deal a devastating blow.
Clang! Clang!
However, Baekri Cheong’s reaction surpassed all expectations. The instant he saw the attack, his draw speed doubled. With a single, fluid sweep, he deflected both thrusts in rapid succession.
“You…!”
“Were you expecting something else? My apologies. I’ve been beaten around by a younger brother whose swift sword is far superior to yours.”
Thud!
Having completely neutralized the attack, Baekri Cheong executed an Earth-Trembling Stomp and lunged forward with explosive momentum. The air warped from the violent Qi Wave radiating from his entire body. Startled by the sheer overwhelming power, Jin Gyeong hastily pulled his sword back to his chest to defend.
‘This isn’t the martial art of the Baekri Clan.’
Jin Gyeong recalled the sturdiest defensive form of the North Hengshan Sect’s High-Cliff Sword Technique. Five layers of sword energy overlapped, rising vertically to form a barrier as steep as a cliff.
‘Following the Flood, Severing Cliff of the High-Cliff Sword Technique.’
Baekri Cheong knew the form Jin Gyeong had unleashed all too well. Not only was the form itself solid, but it also concealed a rigid sharpness, like the edge of a cliff, making it easy to fall for a counterattack if one charged in recklessly. He had been soundly defeated by it during a friendly spar between their sects in his youth; there was no way he wouldn’t recognize it.
‘Normally, keeping my distance would be the best course of action.’
Yet, Baekri Cheong did not stop. Instead, he pushed his Lightness Movement Art even faster.
Whoosh!
The swelling Qi Wave around his body coalesced, concentrating entirely into his sword. Unleashing a terrifying, colossal force, Baekri Cheong’s blade tore through the air.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the defensive barrier of Following the Flood, Severing Cliff was shattered in a single blow.
“Gah!”
With a scream, Jin Gyeong was sent flying backward, still in his defensive posture. He crashed into a tree, staggered, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Barely managing to stay on his feet, Jin Gyeong glared at Baekri Cheong with dazed eyes. “You bastard! What in the world is that martial art?”
“The Martial Conquest Grand Selection Formula.” Baekri Cheong raised his sword and pointed it at Jin Gyeong. “It is the martial art of the Azure Heaven Association, which you judged so carelessly.”
“How could a mere martial art of the Azure Heaven Association… possibly match my sect’s techniques!” Jin Gyeong screamed and lunged forward.
Shifting from defense to offense, the forms of the High-Cliff Sword Technique became incredibly wild and treacherous. Techniques embodying the rugged terrain of North Hengshan unfolded one after another. Jin Gyeong’s sword flowed relentlessly, as if the internal injuries from the previous clash were nothing. The forms were practical and thick with killing intent—uncharacteristic for a righteous sect, but a natural adaptation from fighting martial artists of the northern Jianghu who sometimes descended into northern Shanxi.
‘In the past, I would have found this difficult to handle.’
But not anymore.
It wasn’t just a matter of compatibility between his Baekseon Sword Technique and the Martial Conquest Grand Selection Formula. Since joining the Azure Heaven Association, Baekri Cheong had undeniably grown stronger.
His resolve to rebuild his ruined clan.
His new companions and martial arts.
And his younger brother, who possessed extraordinary talent.
Joining the Azure Heaven Association had tempered Baekri Cheong in many ways. No matter how treacherous and wild the sword of North Hengshan was, the path Baekri Cheong had forged since the ruin of his clan was not one to be underestimated.
Rumble!
Imbued with the overwhelming energy of the Martial Conquest Grand Selection Formula, his sword traced a heavy, thick path through the air.
The Martial Conquest Grand Selection Formula and the Baekseon Sword Technique.
A single strike, subtly blending the movements of both arts, surged forward and instantly shattered the ultimate technique of the High-Cliff Sword Technique.
Crash!
The five layers of his technique were smashed in succession, and Jin Gyeong coughed up blood once more. A thick cloud of dust billowed out, a testament to the sheer power packed into that single strike.
“Ugh… There’s no way I’d lose to the likes of you…”
When the staggering Jin Gyeong showed no signs of backing down, Baekri Cheong frowned. “I knew your pride was as high as Mount Hengshan itself, but I didn’t think you’d be this incapable of accepting defeat.”
Just as Baekri Cheong stepped forward to subdue him, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared behind Jin Gyeong and neutralized him with a clean, experienced move. After striking Jin Gyeong’s acupoints to render him unconscious, the man pulled an iron token from his robes.
“In my capacity as a proctor, I declare that Jin Gyeong, the rising star of the North Hengshan Sect, has been eliminated from the competition.” The middle-aged man tossed Jin Gyeong’s iron token to Baekri Cheong. “Do you intend to rebuild the Baekri Clan someday?”
“I will. Without fail.”
At the firm reply, the middle-aged man stared at Baekri Cheong for a moment. “I pray that you succeed.”
As the man vanished with Jin Gyeong, his voice reached Baekri Cheong’s ears via Voice Transmission.
—Back then, our sect failed to help the Baekri Clan. For that, I am deeply sorry and ashamed.
Baekri Cheong flinched as he caught the iron token. Since the proctor’s identity was concealed by a black martial uniform and a mask, it was impossible to determine which sect he belonged to. However, judging by his words, he was likely from the North Hengshan Sect.
Baekri Cheong stared down at the iron token engraved with the characters for “North Hengshan” for a long time. Letting out a soft sigh, he moved on to find his next opponent.
His steps were filled with renewed strength.
*
Yeong-il, the Head Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, tried to catch his ragged breath. By chance, he had encountered several rising stars in a row. Fortunately, he had managed to defeat them all, but he needed a moment to recover.
‘The Beggars’ Sect’s Dog Beating Staff Technique. It truly is a formidable ultimate art.’
Yeong-il massaged his wrist. The force of that relentless assault had been so intense that his wrist still throbbed.
‘Is that three now?’
Obtaining iron tokens was difficult. Although a formation restricted their range of movement, the Tiger-Forming Forest was still vast. Furthermore, this was closer to a real battle than a structured duel; some would flee to protect their iron tokens if a fight turned against them. He had to decide in a split second, as a chase could easily waste his time and stamina for nothing.
Finding opponents was one thing; taking an iron token from them was even harder.
‘If I can get two more, I should rank among the top three rising stars, right?’
Five tokens would be a quarter of the total, easily securing him a top rank.
As Yeong-il sat on a rock catching his breath, his expression hardened. His expanded senses picked up an approaching presence—one that was far from ordinary.
Yeong-il slowly stood up, gripping his Plum Blossom Sword.
Step.
Distant footsteps grew closer, and the presence his senses had detected became clearer.
Yeong-il let out a dry chuckle.
Whether they belonged to the Three Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, the other rising stars had all been avoiding him. He knew why. Both he and the opponents he had already faced were well aware of the reason.
If one were to rank the rising stars by their martial prowess, Yeong-il would easily place in the top two.
‘The only one who can fight me on equal terms is Daoist Samgyeong.’
Excluding Daoist Samgyeong of the Wudang Sect, he was confident he could defeat anyone.
Yet, the man who appeared before him, far from running away, had openly revealed his presence as he closed the distance.
“Young Hero Namgung.”
“Daoist Yeong-il.”
The two swordsmen faced each other, motionless. Eventually, Yeong-il spoke first.
“How many iron tokens have you gathered? I have three.”
“Seven.”
“Seven?” Yeong-il repeated in disbelief.
In response, Namgung Jun showed him the seven iron tokens in his hand. Yeong-il’s eyes widened. In Namgung Jun’s hand were tokens from members of both the Three Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects.
‘Meeting seven people in such a short time is surprising enough, but he defeated them all?’
Either his stamina and internal energy were far greater than expected, or he had ended every battle instantly with overwhelming martial prowess. Whichever it was, it was extraordinary.
“Truly…”
“A moment ago, I ran into Daoist Samgyeong of the Wudang Sect. He was quite strong.”
“Quite strong?”
Samgyeong wasn’t someone who could be dismissed with such faint praise.
Staring intently at Namgung Jun, Yeong-il burst into laughter. “It seems the true hidden dragon of this gathering was someone else entirely.”
Yeong-il slowly drew his Plum Blossom Sword. “I, Yeong-il, Head Disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, challenge you, Young Hero Namgung.”
“Come.”
Namgung Jun humbly placed his hand on his hilt. He accepted the challenge as if it were a matter of course, yet there was no arrogance in his demeanor. It felt perfectly natural.
What was it about Namgung Jun that created such an atmosphere? Even with the senses Yeong-il had honed his entire life, he could not fathom the boy’s depth. It was like trying to see through high, floating clouds.
‘His aura doesn’t seem particularly special.’
Yet, Yeong-il could faintly sense it. The power Namgung Jun possessed was far greater than what he was showing. Only by clashing swords would he learn the truth.
“At the risk of embarrassment, I shall take the first move.”
Observing Namgung Jun, Yeong-il admitted it to himself. He was the weaker of the two. The boy before him was clearly hiding some kind of power, and his own abilities were insufficient to clearly grasp it.
‘It’s fine even if I cannot win.’
Just witnessing the hidden depths he couldn’t perceive would be enough.
Boom!
With an Earth-Trembling Stomp, Yeong-il’s sword traced a crimson arc. His delicate sword path left dotted red marks in the air. As the crimson paths scattered in all directions to form an elegant flow, an alluring scent wafted through the air alongside sword shadows that drifted like petals.
‘This scent… It’s plum blossoms.’
Before he knew it, the scent of plum blossoms tickled his nose.
But Namgung Jun was not bewitched.
Whoosh!
His blade gleamed with a blue radiance as it began to whip up a fierce wind. The blue-tinted sword wind mercilessly scattered the crimson petals.