Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Super Peak Breakthrough
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One month ago, right after receiving a letter from the Advance Teaching Gang and convening a meeting of the clan's elders.
Baek Yang-hui and Baek Mu-ryang entered seclusion together.
"Hui-ya. I'm not sure if this will really work. Whether I can reach the Super Peak realm by secluding myself with you for a month is anyone's guess."
From Baek Mu-ryang's standpoint, it was a fair point.
Frankly speaking, ascending to the Super Peak realm just two or three months after becoming a first-rate expert was absurd.
'It's not even a suboptimal plan—more like the lesser of two evils. But we have no other options.'
Besides, it wasn't impossible.
If anything, the odds were actually in their favor.
Yang-hui gazed at Baek Mu-ryang for a moment before speaking up.
"Father. You were the one who first ordered me to master the Harmonious Heaven Principle Origin Art and the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords."
"Indeed. Your martial talent is arguably the best under heaven."
Thanks to Baek Mu-ryang's decree, Yang-hui had been able to pass those two arts to him and his siblings with ease.
"Though my own skill may fall short of yours, Father, I daresay I understand their intricacies better."
There were such things as martial scholars—people who weren't warriors themselves but knew martial theory better than anyone.
"Hui, are you saying you'll be my martial scholar?"
"Something like that. At this point, it might be our best approach."
"Mm. You're right. If there's no other way, we might as well give it our all."
"Then shall we start with a light spar?"
"Good. Come to think of it, this will be our first time sparring."
Baek Mu-ryang drew his sword with a delighted expression.
Before he was the clan head, he was a swordsman.
For him, discussing the sword was always a joy.
Ching! Cha-ching!
Sword clashed against sword, parting and meeting again.
After exchanging a few passes like that.
"Let's get serious from now on."
As he channeled his qi, his sword began to hum like a bee's wings.
Baek Mu-ryang did the same, emitting the same bee-wing resonance.
Bzzz!
Bzzz!
Kakakang!
It was just a single exchange, yet it produced three or four metallic clashes.
'Sparring with someone at the Bee Wing realm—this is a first for me too. In my previous life, I was the only one who mastered the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.'
It was exhilarating. Joyful. Yang-hui was a born warrior.
Without that innate love for martial arts, he never would have reached the Super Peak realm in his past life.
Bzzz!
Bzzz!
Kakakang!
That first day.
Yang-hui exchanged thousands of passes with Baek Mu-ryang.
And in doing so, he gained certainty.
'It's possible. In one month. Father will reach the Super Peak realm.'
Baek Mu-ryang possessed the talent for it.
As a true heir of the Baek Clan, his innate physique and temperament seemed perfectly suited to the Heaven-Covering Sword.
"Father. The sword of the heavens must be steadfast yet swift. It is heavier than any other precisely because it is faster than any other."
When he'd taught his siblings before, he'd emphasized building weight before speed.
But Baek Mu-ryang was the opposite. He had already surpassed that stage.
"Very well, Hui-ya. Again."
The first seven-day cycle passed.
"Harmonious Heaven Qi embraces the energies of all things. More precisely, it seeks to unify them into one."
A hawk's wings spread wide to envelop everything.
The drooping wings steadfastly embrace all.
"And that is what gives rise to it: wings that are steadfast yet slice through the wind with speed."
"Hahaha, it's miraculous. How is your explanation so easy to grasp? It's like you're describing a realm you've already walked."
Yang-hui flinched inwardly.
He deliberately curled his lips into a grin and swung his sword.
"Here I come!"
Kakakang!
The metallic ring echoed as sword met sword.
'The sound has subtly changed. Good. If we keep this up!'
The second seven-day cycle passed.
"To reach the Super Peak realm, one must gain three insights."
"Intent and qi wounding others. And sword qi taking form."
"Exactly. For intent and qi to follow the heart's desire, how should one proceed? By not forcing it consciously, perhaps."
"......"
Baek Mu-ryang fell silent, maneuvering his sword this way and that. His swordplay grew more natural.
Like a child taking its first steps without thought or instruction.
In his sword strikes and qi circulation, distracting thoughts vanished.
"It aligns perfectly with the subtlety you described before. A hawk doesn't consciously fly through the skies."
Thus, the third seven-day cycle passed.
"Harmonious Heaven Qi inherently seeks to unify all things. That's why I believe it's advantageous for manifesting sword qi."
"Releasing sword qi. Condensing qi. Unifying it to make it denser, thicker......"
Baek Mu-ryang delved beyond contemplation into a trance.
Yang-hui swiftly slipped a Spirit Pill into his mouth and sealed the acupoint to make him swallow involuntarily.
"One. Unity. Harmony and fusion. Swift and steadfast, coalescing......"
Baek Mu-ryang muttered in his trance.
Yang-hui watched him fondly.
'The final hurdle. Just one more to cross......!'
He hadn't realized it in his past life.
To the young Yang-hui back then, Baek Mu-ryang had just been a big, amazing figure.
'His talent is no joke. Of course. Father reached the second-rate realm with nothing but our third-rate clan arts.'
He'd overlooked it until now, but without exceptional talent, he never could have broken through to second-rate.
Third-rate arts were like that.
Without talent's aid, one could never surpass their limits.
'Father. This is the last hurdle. You can do it!'
Finally, the day of the life-and-death duel arrived.
"Hahaha, Father! Congratulations on your great accomplishment!"
Bubbubung!
Baek Mu-ryang's sword trembled even more fiercely than before, radiating a brilliant white light.
It was proof of achieving intent-wounding-others: sword qi taking form, the second stage of the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords.
White Bee Wings.
"Huuuuu."
Baek Mu-ryang gazed at Yang-hui with half-lidded eyes.
Soon, he sheathed his sword.
"Let's go, Hui-ya."
"Yes, Father!"
At the moment of the life-and-death duel, everyone in Akan County would be stunned.
A new Super Peak expert had been born.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Just as planned.'
Yang-hui smirked, curling his lips.
At the life-and-death duel site, in the open clearing, everyone gathered was genuinely shocked.
"Sword qi!"
"Impossible! The Baek Clan Head was only second-rate not long ago!"
"It's not just emitting qi! He's definitely achieved sword qi taking form!"
And that wasn't all.
The aura emanating from Baek Mu-ryang's entire body.
The blade-sharp will extending with qi loaded into it.
In other words, intent and qi wounding others.
"Heh, no one can deny it now."
"The Baek Clan Head has reached the Super Peak realm!"
Yang-hui felt someone tap his shoulder and turned.
There was Gu-ak, his face full of shock.
"L-Little brother. What sorcery did you pull off this time?"
"Huhu. Just the synergy between two geniuses."
Gu-ak's eyes burned with intense thirst and desire.
It had been years since he'd reached first-rate, yet the path to Super Peak remained elusive.
"Little brother. Could you... teach me too?"
"Hm. Teaching you wouldn't be hard, but you won't progress as fast as Father. Our arts differ fundamentally."
"I'll take that into account. Please, when you have time later, show me a move or two."
He was the man who'd stepped up for the third slot in this life-and-death duel, staking his life.
Yang-hui was more than happy to help.
"Understood. For now, let's focus on Father."
Yang-hui turned back to Baek Mu-ryang.
Just then, a sword infused with sword qi clashed against a curved blade.
Kakakang!
Both blades carried ample true qi, but the one flung back belonged to the Blood Night Wanderer's curved sword.
Yang-hui sharpened his qi sense to observe the two.
'Father's internal energy is around fifty years' worth. The Blood Night Wanderer has over a hundred.'
The Blood Night Wanderer had superior internal energy.
Yet Father's sword had repelled the curved blade.
'That's the power of White Bee Wings.'
When executing the early forms of the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords in a single breath, the sword emits a bee-wing hum.
The next stage was White Bee Wings.
Resonance between sword and sword qi.
Even stronger vibrations, doubling the power.
It was a technique Yang-hui had devised during his ronin days to compensate for his lacking internal energy.
"Kuhk! Why...?!"
The flustered Blood Night Wanderer. Baek Mu-ryang answered not with words but another sword swing.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, First Form.
Shoot Feather Pierce Rock, Seventh Variation.
Kakang! Kakang! Kakang! Kakang! Kakang! Kakang!
Six thrusts in rapid succession, spaced three inches apart.
The Blood Night Wanderer's hands and feet grew frantic blocking them.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, Second Form.
Both Wings Fold Slash.
One sword traced two sword shadows, as if splitting.
From left to right, right to left, closing in.
'Father's grasped it perfectly.'
As a ronin, the Blood Night Wanderer lacked solid fundamentals.
His blade work was decent enough, but his footwork and movement for evasion were lacking.
Meanwhile, Baek Mu-ryang had learned Sky Stride Steps during seclusion.
"Kraaak!"
The Blood Night Wanderer couldn't retreat as far as Baek Mu-ryang advanced with Sky Stride Steps.
Blood rapidly stained the front of his robes where the sword tip had grazed.
"Damn it!"
The Blood Night Wanderer swung his curved blade, infused with ten years' worth of power, forcing Baek Mu-ryang back. He caught his breath and reset his stance.
'Not an empty shell after all. He's a fully mature Super Peak expert.'
Between the Blood Night Wanderer and Father, the higher realm was clearly the Wanderer's.
He also had more internal energy, giving him the edge in power per strike.
But.
A warrior's duel wasn't decided by realm and internal energy alone.
'Our swordplay subtlety is a complete victory.'
The Blood Night Wanderer's saber style was the rough, battle-honed kind typical of ronin.
Efficient and murderous, but lacking in profundity as a trade-off.
If graded, it was Super Peak level at best.
Nothing compared to the Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, refined to Super Peak absolute art status.
'And the difference in footwork is even greater.'
Footwork was as crucial to a warrior as techniques themselves.
It measured distance and tempo, linking advances and retreats freely—a matter of course.
Kakang! Kakakang!
With each exchange of forms, wounds accumulated on the Blood Night Wanderer.
The blood he shed increased steadily.
Baek Mu-ryang had taken hits too, but only minor injuries.
"Blood Night Wanderer."
Baek Mu-ryang leaped back, creating distance, and continued.
"Surrender. If you admit defeat, I won't kill you."
Hearing Baek Mu-ryang's words, Yang-hui pursed his lips slightly.
'Father, really. Sometimes it's better to show mercy as an example.'
But it was Father's decision, so nothing to be done.
He'd expected this from his righteous and compassionate nature.
"Hahk, hahk."
The Blood Night Wanderer panted roughly, deliberating.
As a ronin, he had no real need to risk his life in someone else's fight.
"......I surrender."
As soon as the Blood Night Wanderer spoke, cheers erupted.
"Waaaaah!"
"The Baek Clan Head is victorious!"
"Peerless Righteous Helper! Peerless Righteous Helper!"
"The Baek Clan Head's righteousness isn't his only first-rate trait!"
"Well said! With first-rate righteousness and swordplay, he's beyond reproach!"
"Truly worthy of being called the Dual Peerless Sword Hero! Hahaha!"
"Dual Peerless Sword Hero! Dual Peerless Sword Hero! Dual Peerless Sword Hero!"
In that moment, Baek Mu-ryang's new moniker was set.
From the mocking Peerless Righteous Helper—implying his low skill despite posturing righteousness.
To Dual Peerless Sword Hero, meaning first-rate in both sword and righteousness.
"Blood Night Wanderer. Sparring with you was truly enlightening. My thanks."
Watching Baek Mu-ryang politely cup his fists toward the opponent who'd fought with his life on the line, Yang-hui smiled broadly.
'As expected, Father is flawless as clan head.'
Baek Clan Head, Dual Peerless Sword Hero Baek Mu-ryang.
This was the moment he overcame the clan's crisis as both head and swordmaster.
"With this, our clan has won two out of three. Advance Teaching Gang Leader. Do you concede defeat?"
As Baek Mu-ryang finished speaking, all eyes turned to the Advance Teaching Gang Leader.
"......"
His entire body trembled. Murderous intent so thick it was chilling.
Yang-hui clicked his tongue at the gang leader, who looked ready to suffer qi deviation following his son's lead.
"Oh dear, what a shame. Lost without even drawing your sword?"
"......Kuhk!"
Qi and blood surging in reverse, the Advance Teaching Gang Leader spat blood.