Chapter 87 Ace Decisive Battle (2)

Chapter 87: Ace Decisive Battle (2)

Jeonmuk.

As the second son of the Hwaryongdang leader, he was born an exceptionally robust child, astonishing the midwife.

The young Hwaryongdang leader rejoiced greatly, believing a warrior destined to greatly expand Hwaryongdang had been born.

But that joy did not last long.

By the age of seven, Jeon Mook couldn’t even communicate properly, let alone read or write.

It was simply that his intelligence was somewhat lacking.

So, those around him coined the nickname “Prince Adu,” modeled after the childhood name of Liu Shan, the foolish emperor who ruined the Shu Han dynasty, and secretly mocked him.

But this mockery also didn’t last long.

Because by the age of ten, when Jeon Mook finally became able to communicate, he began mastering things at a terrifying speed.

Moreover, the martial arts of the Huilong Sect, which prioritized physical strength over the Five Elements, were perfectly suited to Jeon Mok.

This continued for over a decade.

Jeon Mok of the Huilong Sect was bestowed the nickname “Huilong Sword” and became a young master of the highest caliber, renowned throughout Sichuan Province.

‘You got beaten like a dog by me.’

Now, he regards me as his elder brother.

The man facing such a Jeon Mook was the Taoist of Huashan.

“Hmm…”

He was so famous that every member of the Four Gods knew him. No, they had to know him.

“A white face within the walls… The Plum Blossom Sword Ghost.”

He was practically the only Caucasian active in the martial arts world.

Jin Ming, hailed alongside Jin Gong as Huashan’s prodigy.

Perhaps due to his Caucasian heritage, his build was no less imposing than Jeon Mook’s.

One wondered if he could truly unleash Huashan’s sharp, piercing sword techniques to their fullest.

But my curiosity was soon satisfied.

The moment the two clashed, Jin Ming’s sword poured forth at a breathtaking speed.

It was truly swift enough to make one exclaim “a sword of swiftness!”

Moreover, the sword technique contained within wasn’t merely about speed.

It also encompassed ever-changing transformations.

Because of this, Jeon Mok’s sword had no choice but to focus on defense for a while.

Grit.

Jin Mok gritted his teeth and swung his sword.

Whoosh.

A strike that felt incredibly powerful, even without much sword energy behind it.

It seemed to demonstrate what true counter-force might be.

However, his opponent, Jin Ming, did not meet it head-on.

Using the ultimate footwork technique where not even sound could propagate, he unfolded the Amhyang Pyo and instantly evaded.

In that instant, Dan Yun heightened his concentration.

Naturally.

The Amhyang Pyo of the Blue Dragon Sect and that of Huashan were not sister products, but identical items.

He was likely preoccupied with finding differences from the original.

Ah, for reference, three hundred years ago, the Blue Dragon Sect obtained the secret manual for the Dark Fragrance Mark by chance and copied it.

Because of this, conflicts between the sects became extremely severe, nearly leading to war.

It’s said that during negotiations led by the then-leader of the Justice Alliance, the matter was settled on the condition that the Fire Mountain Sect, lacking effective countermeasures, would hand over the ‘Heart of the Deep’.

It must have been chaotic back then, but in the end, each side filled their gaps, so it was probably a decent deal.

Recalling this knowledge, he fixed his gaze on the duel stage. Soon, Danun’s exclamation reached his ears.

“Indeed, it’s Huashan.”

“Is that alright?”

“The Dark Fragrance Blade’s mastery is nearing perfection. Likely, the Returning Dragon Sword won’t be able to capture the Sword Demon.”

If Danun says it, it’s almost certainly true.

Sure enough.

Before long, the fight between the two began to take on a one-sided appearance.

Jinming, wielding the Amhyang Pyo’s speed and the swift sword technique of the Twenty-Four Water Plum Blossom Sword Method, pounded away at Jeonmuk, who was focused on defense.

Waaah-!

Then, the shouts of Jeong Do-myeong’s side erupted.

Three consecutive victories.

This meant the Zhengdemao faction was overwhelmingly defeating the Nine Dragons Fortress.

But.

‘Show me one good hit, you bastard.’

I saw a chance for Jeon Mok to win.

If this were a wide open plain, it might be different, but in this confined space, he’d get one opportunity.

Besides, in terms of sheer toughness, he was the strongest among the young warriors of Guryongseong.

If he could hold back and land just one proper blow, there was a real possibility.

Swish.

“Guh.”

Jin-myeong’s sword energy pierced Jeon-muk’s defense and sliced his shoulder.

Blood spattered as Jeon-muk’s groan echoed.

Wobble.

Jeonmuk staggered, his blood pooling beneath him.

“Hmph.”

Countless plum blossoms, blooming from Jinmyeong’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique, shot toward Jeonmuk.

It seemed he intended to finish him off.

At that very moment, I shouted toward Jeonmuk.

“Now!”

An enemy’s opportunity is also my opportunity.

In other words, it was all about timing.

And it seemed Jeonmuk caught it too.

“Guh!”

He let out a groan, his arm muscles bulging.

Whoosh.

His aura filled with a grayish hue.

The Heavenly Pillar Sword Technique.

The peerless sword technique that had propelled the once-minor Heavenly Dao Sect into a major power erupted.

“Hmph!”

Boom.

As the aura, brimming with internal energy, swung out, plum blossom petals scattered in all directions.

“!”

Jin Ming, startled, tried to quickly unfold the Dark Fragrance Mark.

Boom!

But facing the incoming sword strike came first.

It was too late to dodge.

Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his sword energy.

Crack.

The Plum Blossom Sword shattered helplessly.

“……”

The Jeongdo Myeong warriors were speechless at the unexpected sight.

“It was a fine contest.”

Jin-myeong straightened his disheveled martial robe and bowed in response to Jeon-muk’s greeting.

“I was lacking. Should we cross swords again in the future, I shall properly demonstrate the sword techniques of Hwasan.”

“I look forward to it.”

Waaah!

Despite the defeat, everyone from the Zhengdemaeng cheered and clapped.

The leadership seemed pleased too, smiling and nodding repeatedly.

And the same was true for the Six Heavenly Kings sitting beside me.

While the outcome mattered, they were genuinely impressed by the two men who had shown the true spirit of warriors.

Jeon Mok, his face flushed, rushed over to me.

“Brother! I won!”

His shoulder was split open, and his entire body was drenched in sweat.

It was definitely a tough fight; our styles clashed badly.

That’s why I told Jeon Mok as he ran up to me.

“Ugh! Get lost, you stink of sweat. “

Jeonmuk, rebuffed, immediately looked dejected, but what could I do?

Nothing is as unbearable as the smell of testosterone-laden sweat.

”I’m off.”

Jeokil left the dejected Jeonmuk behind and stepped onto the dueling platform.

As he drew two short swords, a thick, murderous aura enveloped the area.

‘Dual blades…’

Despite wielding the symbol of defeat, he looked surprisingly formidable.

To face such a Jik-il, the solid-looking Moo-seung stepped forward.

“Do you know who he is?”

“No.”

With Jik-il gone, he asked Dan-un for TMI, but got nothing.

Then, Wi Ji-pung answered instead.

“It’s the Great Master Hong-o.”

“…Master? At that age?”

“He’s a monk who mastered considerable martial arts despite his status. A truly admirable figure.”

“Is he stronger than Brother Jik?”

What does martial arts mastery matter?

The key is how powerful his fists are.

“There’s no such thing as absolute power in the martial world, but objectively speaking, he’s likely on par with the Red Dragon Sword.”

“…How do you know his level, Brother Weizhi?”

“He and I have been close friends since our days at the Ascension Pavilion.”

A Taoist and a demonic cultivator combined.

He was an enemy who constantly plunged observers into chaotic confusion.

“I see.”

“I suppose so.”

The rule forbidding killing the opponent.

A confined space, too small to utilize the space-expanding killing arts.

A combat stage with nowhere to hide.

Even the Shaolin martial arts, reputed to be the most formidable under heaven.

Nothing favored Jik-il.

As expected.

“I lost.”

“It was a good fight. Alms.”

“Likewise.”

As expected, the match ended with the enemy’s defeat.

But it wasn’t as one-sided as anticipated.

In fact, several times, he pressed the attack with terrifying ferocity.

Seeing such a display in such a disadvantageous situation stirred unease in a corner of his heart.

‘Perhaps… I should just quietly become his brother-in-law…’

Even if my current skill level surpasses his, who knows what the future holds.

Moreover.

‘If he enters while I sleep, there’s no way to stop him.’

Despite watching intently, the power of his blade, which left no trace of its approach, made my body tremble involuntarily.

‘They say the Heavenly Slaughter Sword of the Red Dragon Sect is the finest blade in the land.’

There was no choice.

I had to make peace.

“Oh my, look at the sweat. Here, use this to wipe it off.”

I ran up to Jik-il, who was coming up after the duel, and handed him a handkerchief.

Jik-il, with whom I’d been on bad terms since the Jik Hwa-ran incident, took the handkerchief with a questioning look.

“…Thanks.”

“Still, if it hadn’t been the duel stage, ‘Brother’ would have won. It’s truly a shame.”

“A loss is a loss.”

“But in a real fight, it would have been different.”

“Hmm…”

At the well-timed flattery, Jik-il’s eyes lit up.

“You have better eyes than I expected.”

“Oh, that goes without saying. I guarantee you, no one would survive facing the Thousand-Year Ox Blade in the dark. Come now, it’s hot out here. Why not go up and sit down? I’ve prepared some cool water.”

Jik-il gave a faint smile and nodded.

‘Guess I won’t get stabbed in my sleep.’

That was a relief.

***

As Jik-il’s sparring match ended, the servants and attendants rushed over with rice balls, dumplings, and water.

Everyone seemed ravenous, devouring the food frantically.

While eating, he glanced around and noticed the ace fighters of Guryongseong looking somewhat gloomy.

No wonder—they were losing with a devastating score of one win and three losses.

Even if it was a friendly match, countless people were watching.

If they returned like this, rumors would spread throughout the martial world, and they could face all kinds of ridicule.

Seeming to make up his mind, Dan Yun picked up the Black River Divine Sword.

“I’ll go.”

The true ace’s sortie.

Then.

‘Will Jin Gong come out?’

The same must be true for the other side.

It was time for Jin-gong, the ace of aces – the disciple of the Head of the Huashan Sect, who broke through the peak barrier at twenty and reached the pinnacle at thirty – to make his move… or so they thought.

But instead, a completely unfamiliar figure stepped forward.

“Hmm, the Xianhuo Dojang of Wudang.”

“Do you know who that is?”

I asked my enemy, whose relationship had been restored, and he kindly explained in detail.

“He’s a rising master from Wudang who made a name for himself five years ago. I hear he received the Taiji Sword Technique directly from the Wudang Sect Leader.”

“Huh.”

The longer a sect’s history, the more it values orthodoxy.

Therefore, there were martial arts only the sect leader could master.

Shaolin’s Yigengjing, Huashan’s Zhashen Gong, and Wudang’s Taiji Sword Technique were such arts.

Which meant…

“He won’t be easy to handle.”

“Well, being Wudang’s next sect leader, he won’t be a pushover. “

Meaning he’s no easy opponent.

Still.

”Still, he won’t stand a chance against Brother Dan.“

”?“

”You’ll see.”

Unless Jin Gong stepped in, no one could match Dan Yun’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

And so the duel began.

Wudang’s Xian Hu unleashed his profound yet fluid Taiji Sword Technique.

Qingcheng’s Qingfeng Sword Technique countered Xian Hu’s blade.

A clash of hard sword and soft sword.

It should have been a battle of deflection versus penetration.

Crack!

Hyunho’s soft sword couldn’t deflect Danun’s hard sword.

“Ha!”

Finally, cornered, he unleashed his sword energy and deployed the Taegeuk Hye Sword.

It seemed an attempt to turn the tide.

But.

Kwa-wa-wang!

Dan-un’s Blue Cloud Descending Sword pierced through that Taegeuk Hye Sword’s sword energy with alarming ease.

A strike as intense as its name, “River of Blood Formed by Blue Sword Energy.”

Though it was a friendly sparring match, and neither fought at full strength, Hyun-ho couldn’t block Dan-un’s sword.

The match was decided in less than five minutes.

Though no aura was released, it was enough to gauge Danun’s realm.

“…Supreme.”

Jikil murmured.

“Impressive!”

“They say he’s the future of Guryongseong, and indeed.”

The leaders of Jeongdomang couldn’t contain their admiration.

It was the moment Blue Dragon Sword Danun revealed his realm to the world.