Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Master's Challenge
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Paang!
Having blocked the sudden attack, Baek Yang-hui immediately whipped his head toward one direction.
There was nothing but dense trees and thick underbrush, but his sharp senses had already detected the presence lurking behind them.
"Junior Sister. What was that all of a sudden?"
In place of a reply, a beautiful melody rang out.
Chaarang!
He swung his sword to cancel out the energy carried on the sound waves.
Paang!
"No answer, just attacking?"
Only then did Zhuge Seol-ha emerge from behind the bushes.
"It's been a while, Senior Brother."
Her face was boldly exposed without a veil.
Whether by her expression or her aura, she was utterly transformed from before.
"Yeah, it's been a while. But you come at me swinging right off the bat."
"Master's orders."
Zhuge Seol-ha stuck out her tongue playfully and plucked the pipa she held.
Chaarang!
This time, instead of swinging his sword, he leaped aside to dodge.
Dust billowed up from where he had stood moments ago.
He let out a whistle.
"Not bad for just half a year?"
Striking at a distance through the air was impossible for ordinary realms.
For a typical martial artist, projecting energy outside the body required the enlightenment of unified intent and energy.
Yet Zhuge Seol-ha was infusing qi into the pipa's tones for ranged attacks.
"Because Master is one of the Heavenly Martial Ten Lords, after all. I've only recently reached the realm of Sound Projectiles, though."
Chaarang!
Still, the attack's range wasn't wide yet.
As Baek Yang-hui hopped in place to evade the sound projectile, he was about to speak again.
Chaarang!
"Whoa!"
A second sound projectile flew toward him mid-air.
This time, he had no choice but to swing his sword and block it.
Paang!
"You can fire those in succession?"
Infusing qi into sound was no easy feat.
He had leaped because he figured the gap between strikes couldn't be short, but it was beyond expectations.
"I trained really hard while Senior Brother was away."
The music was impressive, but her talent drew even more admiration.
Sound arts were notorious among various techniques and martial disciplines for their difficult entry.
After all, embedding qi into sound wasn't simple.
Yet she was already displaying this level of prowess.
'Still, it's not enough against me.'
From the implication that she was attacking on orders, it seemed Master wanted to gauge how much she had grown.
Probably to say that she would grow faster under continued guidance.
Sadly, this side had already reached the second-rate realm, Master.
Of all methods, though, a surprise spar.
Master had a mischievous streak.
'Time to live up to expectations and end this quickly, Master.'
"Can't just keep taking hits. My turn now, Junior Sister."
When facing a sound arts user, closing the distance was key.
Since they could strike from afar with sound, they shared traits with hidden weapons or arrows.
Baek Yang-hui stepped with Ghostly Heaven Steps, rapidly narrowing the gap.
Chaaraarang!
A sound projectile came flying at that moment. Its energy intensity was two or three times fiercer than before.
Baek Yang-hui watched Zhuge Seol-ha retreat, widening the distance again.
Her steps were clumsy still, but they clearly contained the mysteries of One Step to Heaven.
'Make me dodge, then pull away during that time, huh.'
Sorry, but he had no intention of yielding control of the spacing.
Baek Yang-hui's sword trembled with the sound of a bee's wings.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, First Stance.
Shoot Feather Pierce Rock.
A thrust piercing the center of the sound projectile.
The vibration interfered with it, shattering the sound wave.
"Ah!"
By the time Zhuge Seol-ha let out a short cry of surprise, Baek Yang-hui was already before her.
He grinned at her startled face and flicked her forehead.
"You've grown a lot, Junior Sister."
"...I didn't think it'd end this easily."
It was the moment her cheeks puffed out.
Whiiiing!
A gust blew, and in the blink of an eye, the Sound Witch appeared.
"Young hero, you're always full of surprises."
"This unworthy disciple greets Master."
The Sound Witch scanned Baek Yang-hui's entire body as he politely cupped his hands in greeting.
He felt energy probing him along her gaze but made no reaction.
"Truly astonishing. I thought Seol-ha now could match you evenly."
And it wasn't unfounded—Zhuge Seol-ha's growth rate was remarkable.
It was natural she'd think so.
Without memories of his past life, he might have lost.
'Well, the Sound Bewitching Witch who sparked the Blood Massacre in her past life should be at least this strong.'
Even more so since that was during a rampage from demonic arts backlash; properly trained under a Heavenly Martial Ten Lord now, she'd be far stronger.
'Of course, I'll stay ahead from here on out.'
"But he's still my senior brother—I can't lose to my junior sister."
The Sound Witch shook her head at Baek Yang-hui's quip with a raised lip corner.
"That's only under the same tutelage."
A line brimming with the pride of a Heavenly Martial Ten Lord.
And undeniable.
"Most intriguing. No separate master, yet growing this fast. Already second-rate realm."
Zhuge Seol-ha's eyes widened.
"Second-rate? Senior Brother's the same age as me... just a year older..."
"Second-rate without my guidance at that age. Your talent alone merits admiration."
"Isn't it the prodigy your Master coveted? This much is expected."
"Your silver tongue remains unchanged. And not just that... Hm?"
The Sound Witch's eyes widened slightly.
Baek Yang-hui felt the qi flowing from her concentrate on his dantian.
"This energy. Young hero. What did you consume?"
'She sensed the spirit pill.'
He'd had the spirit pill in his dantian before, but when they last met, it was small and faint.
So the Sound Witch had only sensed a pure, mysterious quality about him.
'Perfect opportunity. As a Heavenly Martial Ten Lord, she might know something.'
"I encountered a fortunate chance while handling clan affairs."
Baek Yang-hui explained acquiring what he presumed was the Sword Immortal Ye Dong-bin’s legacy.
"That's what happened. Swallowing the spirit pill formed something like an inner core."
"Hmm. The Sword Immortal's legacy..."
Stroking her cheek in thought, the Sound Witch soon spoke.
"From the aura it gives off, it seems plausible. At least, it doesn't feel like it'll harm you."
"Do you know anything about the Sword Immortal, by chance?"
"One of my sect's ancestors had ties to the Sword Immortal."
The Pure Sound Jade Spirit Sect walked the righteous path, so it made sense.
"The Sword Immortal... whether the first, I'm not sure, but they definitely ascended to immortality."
Ascension wasn't mere legend—it was real?
As the surprised Baek Yang-hui asked, the Sound Witch nodded.
"No tree lacks roots, nor do rumors and legends."
"Then the heavenly realm, Jade Emperor—all real too?"
"Not sure about that far. But the world is vast and profound, beyond mortal sight."
Gazing at the sky with wistful eyes for a moment, she continued.
"If it's the Sword Immortal's legacy, anything's possible. You said it gained the power to dispel vile sorcery?"
"Yes, that's right."
Dispelling the Thoughtless Art. Vanquishing the evil spirits under Ghostly White Horse.
Impossible feats in his past life.
"Heaven's will is beyond human measure. Who knows. Even I have far to go."
Her cryptic words were cloudy even to Baek Yang-hui with past-life memories.
But he didn't press.
The atmosphere around her told him not to.
"Anyway, if your words are true, no harm will come. But as your master, I can't just leave it—I'll investigate thoroughly."
"Thank you, Master."
The Sound Witch nodded and lifted Baek Yang-hui and Zhuge Seol-ha.
Baek Yang-hui floated in the air via invisible energy, puzzled.
"Master?"
"To my abode."
"I can walk on my own now, quite fast too..."
"Still a tortoise compared to this master."
The smiling Sound Witch brought a whirlwind, vision blurring—then neat buildings appeared.
"Young hero. Need time to rest from travel?"
"No, Master."
"Good. I'll impart teachings right away."
No time for disciple-master reminiscing, it seemed.
Well, that was the Sound Witch.
"Understood!"
"Come to think, this is my first proper lesson."
True enough.
Last time, he'd stolen One Step to Heaven on his own.
Thanks to her consideration in making it visible.
"I'll ask. What do you wish to learn from me, the Heavenly Martial Ten Lord, Rending Heaven Sound Witch?"
"I'll gratefully accept any guidance."
The Sound Witch shook her head firmly.
At fifteen in appearance, the gesture looked cute.
"You can't inherit our sect's martial arts. Even teaching is restricted. So, I want to teach what you desire."
"..."
Hearing this, Baek Yang-hui closed his eyes, reflecting inward.
Past life: peak transcendent realm, self-taught wandering without a master.
Far from perfect.
He'd created a divine art, but it lacked the breadth and depth of orthodox schools.
More room to elevate it higher.
'Perfect chance to fill the gaps.'
Even get advice on the deficiencies.
His master was a Heavenly Martial Ten Lord, after all.
"Master. May I draw my sword?"
"Of course."
Drawing his sword, Baek Yang-hui slowly moved.
Like linking strikes to sound intervals in the Ear Aperture of the Five Sensory Gates.
He demonstrated Heaven-Covering 108 Swords as one sword dance for the Sound Witch.
"This is the swordsmanship this clumsy disciple has learned. I ask Master to point out flaws and teach how to mend them."
True to a Heavenly Martial Ten Lord, she pierced its mysteries at once.
"Heavy and swift. A sword art containing two hard-to-combine paths at once. Truly worthy of divine art."
"Thank you for the praise."
"Hm? Praising the art, not you."
'Since I created it.'
Unable to say so, he just smiled, savoring inner pride.
Meanwhile, the Sound Witch continued.
"It qualifies as transcendent martial art, an absolute art. But that's the limit."
Praise followed by critique.
Bluntly declaring its ceiling stung a bit.
'Created at transcendent realm, so no higher mysteries—natural.'
"But not impossible to advance further. Intriguing. A sword that issues sound through swift and heavy."
Referring to the phoenix cry resounding when packing early stances into one strike.
"Had no intent to teach sound to a sword pursuer... but this changes things."
Joy spread across the Sound Witch's face.
"Young hero. As your master, I command: Within three days from today, create a single melody."
Baek Yang-hui's face filled with bewilderment.
"Pardon?"
Compose music, suddenly?