Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Eagle's Roar Realm
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The vast expanse of sky filled his entire field of vision.
Even craning his neck as far as it would go, all he could see was the endless blue heavens.
Baek Yang-hui gazed up into the distant, lofty firmament.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Return and Fulfill Wish (行願), Return to Correct Flow (順流). A majestic voice that shook the heavens resounded once more.
Act upon your desires, and make the flow align with the natural order.
'The voice I heard at the moment of my death in my previous life said something similar.'
Back then, it had declared:
Heaven-Defying Life Swap, Return to Correct Flow, Return and Fulfill Wish.
The reversal of heaven's flow had altered your fated destiny. Return now, act upon your desires, correct the errant currents, and uphold the natural way.
'As expected, my regression... was clearly the intervention of some existence.'
It wasn't anything new. He'd vaguely sensed it ever since that sudden surge of celestial energy in his dantian.
But that wasn't the pressing matter right now.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Correcting what is errant makes it the natural order, and yielding to that order is adherence to reason. Thus, all things under heaven follow a single path—the root, the true flow that rights all wrongs. I now pass to my descendants the method of riding the natural order and wielding power in harmony with its current! It was a wondrous sensation.
Like a newborn calf learning to walk in less than half a shichen.
The feeling of finally realizing something innate from birth.
In other words, a state of selflessness.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Heavenly Escape Sword Art (天遁劍法), First Form. Heaven Press (天押). The Heavenly Escape Sword Art. The legendary sword technique said to have been taught to the Sword Immortal Yeo Dong-bin by his master, the immortal Hwaryong Zhenren.
Its first form was now etched into his mind.
'I see.'
The Heavenly Escape Sword Art was not of the mortal world.
It had to be that way.
Celestial energy was a power wielded only by those who transcended the mortal realm.
It was a sword art founded upon a force utterly righteous, perfectly aligned with natural order and reason.
'Celestial energy... is a power humans aren't meant to possess. Then why me?'
Why had it been granted to an ordinary human like him?
Well, he wasn't entirely ordinary anymore, having turned back time.
Even so, there had to be a reason for bestowing a power forbidden to the mortal world.
'Blood-Eye called me the Archfoe. That alone doesn't make sense.'
He understood being labeled the Archfoe for possessing celestial energy.
Did that mean there had been humans with celestial energy before?
The Sword King, perhaps?
There were still too few clues.
'Whatever. It's none of my business. It told me to live as I desire, so I'll do just that.'
He had no interest in fate or grand designs.
What he truly desired right now was...
'Blood-Eye, you bastard, you're dead.'
As his thoughts faded, the selfless state returned.
The endless sky stretched out, and Baek Yang-hui's heart began to dance an ethereal sword dance.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heavenly Escape Sword Art, First Form: Heaven Press Not of the mortal world, so no mortal analogy quite fit, but if one had to be made, Heaven Press evoked a downward strike.
One might say it embodied the profound heaviness of heaven bearing down on all things.
The sword dance continued.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, First Form: Shooting Feather Piercing Rock ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, Sixth Form: Wind Swift Eagle Return The sword in his hand infused with the essence of Heaven-Covering.
From the first form, Shooting Feather Piercing Rock, to the eighth form, Wind Swift Eagle Return.
All forms linked seamlessly into a single sword dance.
The reinterpreted Heaven-Covering 108 Swords—from beginning to end—was now imprinted anew in his mind and body.
'That's it. Despite my past life's experiences, the reason I hadn't yet reached the Peak Realm was this.'
To ascend to the Peak Realm, one needed to embody the enlightenment of mind-born seed energy and intent-born superior energy into sword-born superior energy.
Another prerequisite for condensing intangible energy into tangible form was the unity of mind, technique, and body.
Here, mind referred to the heart of the cultivation method—inner energy itself.
Technique was the insight into the martial arts ingrained in the body.
And finally, body was the flesh that encompassed both—the self, the ego.
'I thought the problem was that turning back time had changed too much, preventing unity of mind, technique, and body. But no.'
No, that was partly right.
But at the same time, it was wrong.
'Celestial energy. The issue was that I'd unconsciously excluded it.'
Celestial energy was too alien to be called inner energy proper.
Though it could be wielded like inner energy if forced, it remained distilled natural essence, not true inner power.
For unity of mind, technique, and body, the mind and technique had to be aligned within the self.
The foreign element of celestial energy had prevented that harmony until now.
'Then all I need to do is accept celestial energy as part of me.'
The enlightenment at the end of true awakening.
Much had changed.
Mind. The celestial core in his dantian had vanished.
Harmonious Heaven Energy and celestial energy had truly become one.
Technique. He had mastered the Sword Immortal's Heavenly Escape Sword.
Having learned to wield celestial energy, his technique had evolved anew.
Body. His flesh, tempered from childhood by celestial energy's power.
Now, at just fifteen, his body had become the perfect vessel.
"Ah."
The sky faded, and the sense of floating receded.
There was Blood-Eye wildly flailing his hands, and A-du, drenched in blood yet clinging desperately to Blood-Eye.
Kwabang! Kwabang! Kwabang!
"No...! Don't, go...!"
"You're tougher than steel wire! Just break already!"
A-du was little more than a ragged corpse.
Yet for Baek Yang-hui's request, he had thrown himself into the fray, shattering piece by piece.
His neck, embedded with claws, was half-severed already.
Had he not cultivated the Reverse Muscle Eternal Youth Scripture as a Shaolin monk, he would have died long ago.
"A-du. Fall back."
"Yang-hui..."
A-du couldn't retreat. Realizing his role was fulfilled, his strength gave out, and he collapsed.
Fortunately, Blood-Eye didn't finish him off and strode toward Baek Yang-hui instead.
"Archfoe. It is time to end this."
Those arrogant words made Baek Yang-hui's lips curl into a smirk.
"You think you can kill me and claim your sacred relic?"
"Indeed."
"Think you can?"
Blood-Eye's face twisted, as if wondering if Baek Yang-hui had snapped from terror.
"Archfoe. I had hoped you'd struggle to the end, but if madness has taken you, I shall personally exorcise it with the Blood Soul Extraction Technique."
"No worries. My mind is perfectly clear."
Before he knew it, eight iron orbs filled Baek Yang-hui's hands.
"You're right. Beating you alone is impossible. Not with my current power, anyway."
"Ho. So your wits have returned."
He tossed the iron orbs into the air and caught them.
His original plan had been to devour all the spirit pills inside, then shatter the barrier to the Peak Realm through sheer inner power surge.
It would only slightly improve his odds, but it was the only path.
Until he could claim the contingencies left in the Sword King's cache.
Chakak! Chakak! Chakak! Chakak!
Chakak! Chakak! Chakak! Chakak!
Eight rice-grain-sized spirit pills from within the orbs.
Compared to the ones he'd eaten years ago, they were far smaller and held scant celestial energy.
'Must be from being sealed in the Blood Sect's relic for so long, draining its power.'
Even so, eight pills were eight pills.
He popped them all into his mouth and swallowed.
"One question. What did you see in the Absolute Array?"
"Countless fools begged me for their lives."
"Did you spare them?"
"No reason to. I killed them all."
A chuckle escaped him.
That was the Blood Sect mindset in a nutshell.
Utterly divorced from ordinary human thinking.
"Spare them, and you could've passed without wasting energy."
"How could a body blessed with glory yield to the remnants of the ignorant and deluded?"
"Sure. Keep thinking that."
That arrogance would cost him his head.
Even now, when an enemy swallows something suspicious, you strike immediately.
Chatting casually?
'You deserve to die.'
Instead of his own sword—lodged in Blood-Eye and unrecoverable—Baek Yang-hui gripped the Blood Sect's sealed relic.
'Hm? Definitely demonic enough to warrant sealing.'
He summoned ample celestial energy, wrapping his hand like a gauntlet.
"You filth! What do you dare touch?!"
"Some lunatic's sacred relic."
"Release it now!"
Mad bloodlight erupted from Blood-Eye's eyes.
His form shot toward Baek Yang-hui faster than an arrow.
But.
Baek Yang-hui faced the ten claw energies slashing at his entire body without flinching, lips still curled.
Bwooooong!
Kakagang! Kakagang! Kakagang! Kakagang!
It was different now.
No longer deflected by the force as before—though celestial energy had prevented severing—Baek Yang-hui stood firm, blocking and parrying every assault.
"Wretch! What trick did you pull?!"
"Thanks to you giving me time, kid."
Baek Yang-hui's sword rang out even more shrilly and fiercely.
Bwooooong!
The beginning was Bee Wing Hum.
The Bee Wing Realm proved the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords had reached the third stage—resonating only when all forms could be executed in a single breath, the symbol of speed.
"Blood-Eye."
"Hm? How do you know my moniker, wretch."
"I've mastered mind reading."
Blood-Eye scowled in refutation.
"Don't spout nonsense. Tell the truth. Where'd you hear it?"
"Truth is, I turned back time. Heard it while ripping your throat out in my past life."
"Enough. Just die. I'll find out myself."
Not believing the truth this time, huh.
"Anyway, listen up, punk."
"Shut your mouth."
No intention of listening, apparently.
Fine, he'd just talk to himself.
Kakagagang!
He parried the claw energies again and continued.
"Master the speed to unleash nine forms of the Six Harmonies in a single breath, and you'll hear the buzzing of bee wings."
Thus, it's called the Bee Wing Realm.
Bwooooong!
The sword continued to ring.
The sword cry began to change subtly.
At the same time, sword energy—whiter than anything—rose from the tip.
That was the moment.
"Now, imagine reaching the Peak Realm and manifesting sword-born superior energy. What happens when sword and energy resonate together?"
The sword answered for him.
Kiaaaa!
Fifty-four forms in half a breath.
One stance, one sword stroke holding all 108 forms.
Vibrant speed. A sword cry evoking an eagle's screech.
"Sounds like an eagle crying, right?"
Until moments ago, Baek Yang-hui's Heaven-Covering 108 Swords had stalled at the eighth stage.
But now.
His sword unleashed the Open Eagle Roar, hallmark of the Eagle Roar Realm—proof of great accomplishment in the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.
Infuse it with the resonance principle too.
Kiaaaaaa—!
"Kuhuk!"
Blood-Eye instinctively clutched his ears.
The energy wave riding the sound, laced with celestial energy, battered his spirit.
"Whew. I was about to die from frustration watching you strut like you could lop my head off anytime after I hit Peak. Thought I'd burst an artery."
"You dare speak of this body that way?"
"Who else is here but you, punk? You gonna say that to collapsed A-du over there?"
Moments ago, he was merely a first-rate master.
But now.
Baek Yang-hui was confident he could stand against any Peak Realm expert, no matter who.
Even a century-old Blood Sect monster.
'Still just a mortal who never hit Super Peak despite his age.'
Well, in his past life, it had been Super Peak.
Not anymore, though?
"An insignificant mortal overstepping his station—time to pay with your life, eh?"
Grinning, Baek Yang-hui launched himself amid surging sword energy and the echoing eagle cries resounding everywhere.
"Die, you old bastard!"