Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Black Dragon (6)
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With its vital gate exposed by the Omniscient One's formation, the Black Dragon was seized by a sense of bewilderment.
But that moment was brief.
It was the first time in its long life that it had faced death, yet it steeled itself to confront the moment with composure.
Better to die with dignity than to be slain by the will of the heavens.
The Black Dragon had always lived by that creed.
*‘To die on my feet, not live on my knees.’*
Though it had lost its true form and sorcerous power, it had no intention of clinging to old ways and blaming the heavens.
This was merely a human who had watched it for hundreds of years, now struggling desperately.
The Black Dragon recognized the profundity of the formation and inwardly acknowledged the Omniscient One.
"Clever. You've played your trick well."
Muttering this, the Black Dragon watched the approaching Ouyang Jue.
The existence of Ouyang Jue itself was not frightening. The only concern was that the power contained within that sword was sufficient to destroy it.
The Black Dragon’s fists twitched.
From them, an ink-black energy erupted like lightning.
It was reminiscent of the Black Dragon’s own pride and fury.
"However… you are insolent!"
The Black Dragon swung its powerful arm, and the ink-black energy drew a sharp wave through the air.
It was like a spear made of lightning, worthy of being called a Lightning Spear.
It was accompanied by such a tremendous roar that it put Ouyang Jue’s Thunderclap Palm to shame.
*Crack, crackle!*
As the two bolts of lightning collided, the Black Dragon's eyes narrowed.
*‘Just as I thought. The Omniscient One must be doing something outside.’*
Normally, it would have crushed such a pathetic bolt of lightning with ease. But it could not.
Fifty percent of its usual power was gone.
Feeling a sense of displeasure, the Black Dragon identified the power that bound its entire body.
*‘A formation that borrows the power of the Four Guardian Deities and the Four Dragon Kings.’*
In such a short time, using the unfamiliar arts of the Unorthodox Path, he had woven a new formation in accordance with the earth veins of Mount Mao to seal it away.
It was a feat impossible for anyone but a sorcerer of the Omniscient One’s caliber.
But that was all.
The moment it beat Ouyang Jue to death and stepped outside the formation, the Omniscient One was finished.
Of course, with its own vital gate exposed, it could not afford to sustain even the slightest wound.
The loss of half its power was a significant blow.
Nevertheless, the Black Dragon regained its composure. Its eyes, as they looked upon Ouyang Jue, revealed an arrogance and a pride born of self-belief.
"Come!"
*CRASH!*
As the Black Dragon stomped its left foot, Ouyang Jue, wary of the dust and sand, pulled Severing Manifestation back.
He had managed to block the previous attack by pushing the Path Towards the Extreme of Light to its limit, but that was merely a temporary measure.
If he tried it again, the delicate balance of his martial arts might shatter.
The moment Ouyang Jue, concerned about this, evaded with the Moon-Stepping Shadowless Steps.
The Black Dragon's eyes flashed. A triumphant smile briefly touched its lips.
"…!"
Ouyang Jue immediately assumed a defensive stance and bent his knees. He was making his posture as stable as possible to block the Black Dragon's characteristically heavy attacks, no matter what.
But it was too late, and the Black Dragon's attack came in an unexpected form.
*FWOOSH!*
*‘…Palm wind?’*
A gust of wind, propelled by overwhelming force, flew toward him in the shape of a giant mace. Within it, lightning forged from ink-black energy flashed.
Even if he blocked it, the lightning would seep in and cause internal injuries.
*‘And even if I dodge, the Black Dragon won’t just be waiting idly behind it.’*
Ouyang Jue gritted his teeth.
From the Path Towards the Extreme of Light, the Thunderclap Palm, and the Flashing Thunder Eye.
To the Plum Blossom Sword Arts he first learned at the Mount Hua Sect, the countless sword techniques he had begged to learn in his past life, and the peerless Heavenly Escape Sword Arts.
Ouyang Jue had learned much. He had grown up receiving far more grace than his natural disposition deserved.
That was why there were still so many things he had to resolve.
*‘I cannot be defeated by some creature I've never even heard of, one of the Eight Evils or whatever it is.’*
Ouyang Jue poured all the Purple Mist True Qi he had been conserving for his other techniques into Severing Manifestation.
At that moment, the wind pressure from the Black Dragon's strike slammed into Ouyang Jue’s entire body.
"Gah…!"
It felt like being hit by a solid rock. His already broken, cracked, and scarred ribs seemed to shatter completely.
But he was not pushed back. It was the result of his desperate effort to hold his ground using the Thousand-Pound Drop technique.
If he were blown away by mere wind pressure, he would have to fight outside the formation, just as the Black Dragon wished. If that happened, the Omniscient One's efforts would be for naught.
*Swish.*
Wiping the blood from his lips, Ouyang Jue forcibly pushed away the inner demon that had subtly crept into his mind.
He killed his fear. He killed the hatred that blamed his own arrogance.
Instead, he glared at the Black Dragon with venomous eyes.
Seeing this, the Black Dragon spoke.
"Quite a useful pair of eyes you have."
But as if that was all, the Black Dragon revealed a look of deep weariness.
"In my era, there were many like you. From riffraff to self-proclaimed righteous swordsmen, even my final enemy, Lü Dongbin… They all came at me with their blades, determined to kill me."
The Black Dragon showed its open palms.
This was not arrogance. It was an action born of simple composure.
"They, from that era, and you seem no different. Even against me, with half my power gone."
The Black Dragon laughed.
"I will admit that a swordsman of your caliber still exists in this age. But that is all. You cannot defeat me."
"…"
"Three days. That's how long you've stayed on Mount Mao. Are you planning to throw your life away for a mere three days?"
—*So, you can run away now.*
The Black Dragon whispered a sliver of hope to Ouyang Jue. It carefully controlled its energy so that the Omniscient One outside could not hear.
For Ouyang Jue, who was already half-conscious, there was no way to distinguish between a spoken voice and a telepathic message.
Indeed, the sword aura coalesced on Severing Manifestation had grown as faint as a firefly at dawn.
It was dark.
As if his eyes were completely shattered, even the senses throughout his body grew dim.
He had become like a puppet, swept away by the overwhelming power and violence wielded by the Black Dragon.
Ouyang Jue swayed back and forth in the wind pressure. His constricted lungs screamed.
He was struggling to breathe.
Yet, Ouyang Jue's will did not cool. If anything, it burned hotter.
*Don't give up.*
*Cling on to the very end, and get back up.*
Ouyang Jue's hand forced itself to grip Severing Manifestation, and as naturally as breathing, he unfolded the Plum Blossom Sword Arts.
*CLANG!*
Red sparks flew as the Black Dragon's fist and Severing Manifestation collided. Ouyang Jue's vision also flashed red as capillaries burst in his eyes.
A shock so great he could no longer endure it washed over his entire body.
*‘Not yet, not yet.’*
Ouyang Jue repeated the mantra to himself.
But his limit had already been reached, and the hand gripping Severing Manifestation trembled intermittently.
The talisman the Omniscient One had placed on him also seemed to be losing its effect. The charm meant to suppress his fractures and bleeding lost its clear color and turned to ash.
*WHOOSH!*
The fist swung by the Black Dragon tore through the air, changing the direction of the mountain wind.
It was not a set form; it was simply immensely powerful and fast.
Truly a monstrous power, the strength of the Black Dragon was an irresistible terror.
Ouyang Jue seized his fading consciousness and pushed back the wind pressure with the Purple Mist True Qi gathered in his dantian.
*POW!*
He struck the Black Dragon's right hand with the Immortal Crane Palm and, with a leg that barely moved, kicked its abdomen with all his might.
He didn't know if it had any effect. But with the brief opening he created, he straightened his bent back. He steadied his trembling wrist and raised Severing Manifestation upright.
*KAAANG! KRRRRK…!*
The Black Dragon and Ouyang Jue once again clashed, fist against sword.
"Keuk!"
The Black Dragon silently prepared its next attack, while Ouyang Jue retreated a good distance and spat out blood.
In that interval, the Omniscient One must have drawn another talisman, for a Protection Talisman appeared on Ouyang Jue's back.
—*Are you all right?*
—…
Ouyang Jue could not answer the Omniscient One's telepathic message.
His mind was completely empty.
He didn't have the luxury of recalling and executing the secrets of the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts one by one.
But he knew better than anyone that if he couldn't use the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts, which suppressed demons and evil, he would die.
*‘Damn it, this is bad.’*
Even in this overwhelming situation, Ouyang Jue did not lose his smile.
Though he himself was covered in blood and staggering, he did not give up. He did not cry out from the immense pain.
He did not believe he could defeat a being like the Black Dragon by whining.
Parrying the Black Dragon's attacks by reflex, Ouyang Jue's lips moved.
—*Omniscient One, if you can escape, go.*
—*What?*
—*If you can, stay with the Mount Hua Sect. It'll be easier to find you that way.*
With that last telepathic message, Ouyang Jue took a step toward the Black Dragon.
The stride was small, but in terms of spirit, it was no different from a full-blown charge.
"Hoh."
Seeing this, the Black Dragon gave a satisfied smile.
It had always considered humans to be inferior creatures, easily subdued with physical strength alone, but for a swordsman of this caliber, it was worth the effort.
*Crrrack.*
The Black Dragon's muscles pulsed.
The shadow cast by its swinging arm was like its own wing, darkening Ouyang Jue’s entire field of vision.
One of the masks who had witnessed this form had once said:
—*The Arrival of the Black Heavens. It is enough to easily subdue three masters.*
As the masked one who had said this was a man once called the greatest sword in the martial world, the Black Dragon did not doubt its power.
The Black Dragon's voice resonated with gravity.
"It's time for you to fall."
In the face of the Black Dragon's gaze, which seemed to say, *'You've fought well for someone of your level,'* Ouyang Jue put more strength into his arms.
The sole goal of killing the Black Dragon erased all other emotions. Even the pain vanished, if only for a moment.
In a moment of pure selflessness, Ouyang Jue deconstructed the memorized principles of the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts.
The Heavenly Escape Sword Arts, which contained no set forms or fixed sword paths, was torn into thousands of pieces.
Those deconstructed principles were then absorbed into the countless sword arts he had practiced until now.
***
The narrow path on a cliff's edge.
It was a phrase used to describe the process of reaching the pinnacle of martial arts.
But no one knew its ultimate meaning. The definition simply differed depending on the end that each martial artist pursued.
For example, Gwak Un-pae pursued a swiftness that shattered even principles, creating the Preemptive Severing Light Sword based on the Plum Blossom Sword.
In the distant future, Jo Hun would pioneer a state called the Distant View Sword and read the origin of all attacks. If only he had had time to master it, he might have won his fight against Ouyang Jue.
But the Ouyang Jue of his past life had no such thing.
He had learned the martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect but did not understand their profound meaning, and he never had the time to master the arts he learned after leaving the mountain.
Moreover, the master he met through the Omniscient One was always unkind. He was close to the Omniscient One, but a stranger to Ouyang Jue, so it couldn't be helped.
The Ouyang Jue who had grown stronger in this way never found the ultimate meaning of the arts he learned, nor did he dare to combine and mix them.
Each art he learned was a masterpiece of its era, so there was no need to.
He could simply use a different one when needed.
Thanks to this, Ouyang Jue always had the upper hand in his bloody battles with other masters. They found it difficult to respond because another unorthodox technique would always emerge.
He had earned the title of Purple Mist Sword God because of it, but in truth, Ouyang Jue could never fully accept that title.
It was because he believed that he, who did not even know the ultimate meaning of Mount Hua's arts, was not qualified to bear that title.
But what about now?
"...Ha."
Ouyang Jue barely deflected the Black Dragon's attack and smiled unknowingly.
He had returned to the age before he left the mountain, rebuilt his foundation for half a year, and trained both his body and internal energy through various incidents.
At the core of it all was only the Plum Blossom Sword. He had restrained himself from using the martial arts he learned in his past life as much as possible.
Of course, this had not been his intention.
It was simply to avoid suspicion and to live, this time, as a true Daoist of the Mount Hua Sect.
That had filled what Ouyang Jue lacked and brought about an opportunity for transcendence.
Ouyang Jue spoke in a weak voice.
"…Now, I can finally see the narrow path."
*SHLICK!*
Severing Manifestation sliced through the black curtain.
The Arrival of the Black Heavens, which the Black Dragon was confident no one could block, was torn apart and scattered like dust.
Beyond the torn veil, the Omniscient One lay collapsed, completely exhausted.
It was because he had gathered the power of the Four Guardian Deities, the Four Dragon Kings, and additionally, all the essence of Mount Mao to restrain the Black Dragon's movements.
Ouyang Jue's eyes flashed. Gripping Severing Manifestation with both hands, he thrust it through the torn Arrival of the Black Heavens and towards the vital gate.
*STAB!*
Pierced in its vital gate, the Black Dragon took a step back.
The arrogance, the fighting spirit, and the joy of being able to escape Mount Mao that it had held until now were completely washed away.
It felt as if the venomous energy that filled its body had drained out.
The Black Dragon stood blankly and asked with an expressionless face.
"What did you say your name was?"
"Ouyang Jue. It's Ouyang Jue."
"…Right, Ouyang Jue."
*A swordsman by that name killed me.*
As if the feeling were still new, the Black Dragon let out a short laugh.
"For hundreds of years, I was bound by the long chains of futility…"
The Black Dragon raised its fist to the sky.
"Finally, I can go and demand an answer."
With its fist still raised, the Black Dragon's body gradually turned to ash and faded away.
And at last, light began to dawn on the peak of Mount Mao, where the Black Dragon had lived.