Chapter 235: How
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Chapter 235 – How…?
Suddenly.
KWANG!
From the rear garden beyond the large residence visible on one side of the courtyard, a thunderous sound burst forth.
Simultaneously, a white-light object soaring high into the sky.
It was Divine Wind.
Was it some kind of signal?
The moment Divine Wind’s form disappeared somewhere far off, streaking across the night sky like a shooting star.
-CHAENG, CHAECHAENG, CHAENG… JJEOEONG, JJEOJEOEONG… PEONG, PEOPEONG…
In the tranquil mountains where moonlight and darkness intertwined, sounds of sudden melee suddenly echoed.
Sounds faintly reverberating from all directions surrounding them.
The face of Ximen Yue, hidden beneath his mask, changed completely.
‘THIS CAN’T BE!’
Though the distance was far, he immediately understood what was happening.
Ambush and surprise attack.
That’s right.
Swift Wind Squad’s Third Squad was currently under attack.
He could also easily guess who the opponents were.
The Ximen Family.
Most likely it was the family’s master Squads and subordinate forces, including his father Whirlwind Sword Lord Ximen Jwa.
He finally realized it clearly.
That he had been completely fooled.
Everything he had seen and heard today was a deception.
But since when…?
Ximen Yue felt fury rising along with that question.
KWAK-
He gripped the sword hilt with strength, and thick sinews bulged.
How could this be?
At the moment he thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a crisis had arrived.
But
‘NOT YET!’
Ximen Yue irritably tore off his mask and exploded the fighting spirit in his heart.
Right, it wasn’t over yet.
He could start again.
Rather, he would seize this crisis as an opportunity and move forward.
Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while looking at that face revealed in the moonlight.
“It’s an interesting phenomenon. As if heralding an unprecedented chaotic era, even Light-Dark Harmonizing Secret Meridians appeared.”
“Light-Dark Harmonizing Secret Meridians… What are you babbling about?”
At Ximen Yue’s cold question, Cheol Ryu-heun replied drily.
“As I expected.”
“WHAT?”
“I figured you wouldn’t know. That aside, do you have no thought of running away?”
“Run? HU.”
When Ximen Yue curved his lips and operated his extreme internal power, the entire garden created a great tremor.
DEUDEUDEU, DEUDEUDEUDEU…!
Formless energy that wildly churned the space.
JJEOJEOEOK, JJEOJEOEOEOK, JJEOJEOEOK-
The garden floor instantly cracked like a spider web.
It felt as if invisible flames were sweeping over the grounds.
As if a transparent artillery shell was powerfully exploding.
The majestic fierce spirit unique to a powerful one.
Any ordinary martial artist would probably have suffocated.
Ximen Yue’s martial cultivation had already reached a lofty level transcending his age.
The expression ‘genius’ alone was insufficient.
It was talent that would rank within a few fingers of this entire era.
Standing head and shoulders above all, the awl in the bag, the pillar of the nation, the dragon among men, the iron bell resounding… he was the embodiment of all those epithets.
In just a few years, he had far surpassed not only his eldest brother Ximen Ang but even his father Ximen Jwa.
It was the influence of forming a connection with Sun Moon Demon Saint Aryun-nan that contributed to his rapid growth.
When Ximen Yue raised his sword and infused true energy into the blade.
JIING, JIING…
The sword body vibrated in response to his massive internal power.
The terrifying aura reminiscent of Sword-Body Unity amplified and bestowed an infinite sense of pressure.
GOOO… GOOOO…
In the midst of all that, Ximen Yue’s voice leaked out again.
“Run away? I’ll kill you here and no one will be left to block my path. Anyway, it’s incomprehensible. It seems like you came targeting me from the beginning… How did you find out?”
“Why? Are you dying of curiosity?”
Cheol Ryu-heun’s returning question.
In the instant Ximen Yue’s eyebrows twitched.
“That First Seat brat taught me.”
“……!”
Light of suspicion settled in Ximen Yue’s jet-black eyes.
‘First Seat divulged the secret? That’s impossible…!’
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun tilted the Gan jiang Sword in his right hand.
“Kill, you say? You’ve never actually killed anyone before, have you?”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s words, Ximen Yue’s complexion turned cold.
“WHAT DO YOU…”
“Why do I think so? Well, because it’s obvious.”
“Obvious?”
“Enough with the chatter, let’s see your sword skills. If you beat me, the Divine Martial Sword is yours.”
“Indeed.”
Ximen Yue’s terse answer.
But his form outpaced his words.
PAK-
In the blink of an eye, Ximen Yue compressed the gap and thrust out his right-hand sword while emitting a ray of light.
JJEOEOEOEOOEONG- KKWAAAAAANG!
* * *
If Hunan Province has Five Martial Paragons and Hubei has Six Polar Stars, then Shaanxi has Four Great Martial Fiercest.
Among them.
The status of Ximen Family’s head, Whirlwind Sword Lord Ximen Jwa, was remarkable.
He had high renown as the greatest orthodox master among the Four Great Martial Fiercest.
As befitting a supreme swordsman who had perfectly mastered the family’s transmitted absolute learning, Great Wind Sword Scripture…
Such Ximen Jwa appeared.
Before Swift Wind Squad’s Third Squad Commander Nu-heum and his fleeing party.
The forest held its breath.
It somehow felt that way.
Ximen Jwa’s intangible aura was that majestic and fearsome.
That wasn’t all.
The Ximen Family’s premier elite swordsmen group, Flash Wind Squad, had also mobilized.
However,
“HUUU.”
Having caught his breath, Nu-heum’s eyes flashed as he spoke.
“Family Head… I’m sorry, but I won’t hold back.”
“It seems your martial skills have advanced from the closed-door training.”
“Indeed. Can you feel it?”
When Nu-heum injected a large amount of true energy into his right-hand sword, majestic internal power surged like tidal waves.
It was an admirable display.
A threatening aura as if dozens of blades were contained within it, whirling.
Yet Ximen Jwa remained unmoved.
“Will that be enough?”
Having spoken quietly, he operated his internal power and raised his sword at an angle.
It was a combative stance as if to break the opponent’s momentum.
WUNG-
The fiercely trembling blade.
FLUTTER FLUTTER.
Clothes flapping wildly, and also the ground cracking and bursting.
KKWADEUK, KKWADEUDDEUK, KKWADEUK…
It was a phenomenon demonstrating the vast level of his internal power.
“Come. I’ll give you a lesson.”
When Ximen Jwa slightly moved his chin, Nu-heum didn’t hesitate and charged straight in.
PAAAAAPAT- KUAAAANG-!
* * *
East side of the mountain.
‘DAMN IT!’
Swift Wind Squad’s Third Squad Vice Squad Commander Won Song inwardly cursed while deploying swift lightness technique.
Flee.
There was no other way right now.
The Ximen Family’s elite forces were already appearing from all directions.
Therefore, setting aside his master Ximen Yue’s safety, he first had to secure a retreat path for himself and his subordinates.
Ximen Yue had already instructed before starting the operation.
-If a situation occurs that deviates from our expectations, first flee. Don’t worry about me. Of course, that won’t happen…
‘Let’s go to the gathering point and wait until the Young Master arrives!’
Having inwardly cried out again, Won Song raced through the forest.
Following him, dozens of squad members also moved quickly.
In the blink of an eye.
SSWAESSYOK!
Along with a sharp piercing sound, sword energy flew toward Won Song’s front.
PEOHEOEONG-!
Won Song’s body barely managed to deflect the sword energy and retreated with precarious movements.
At that moment, dozens of swordsmen appeared and surrounded the space.
A massive encirclement.
Won Song suppressed the tingling pain wrapping his wrist and looked ahead.
One young man was positioned there, emanating an extraordinary intangible aura.
‘IN THE END…!’
The one who had just fired the sword energy – it was none other than the household’s eldest son, Gust Sword Knight Ximen Ang.
And
The swordsmen forming the encirclement were Swift Wind Squad’s First Squad under Ximen Ang.
Immediately after.
PAPAPAPA, PAPAPAPA-
Along with a series of wind sounds, numerous swordsmen appeared again.
The large, round formation became even thicker.
The newly added personnel were from Swift Wind Squad’s Second Squad.
There was not a single gap to be found.
Soon, Ximen Yu, the second son of the house who commanded the Swift Wind Squad’s Second Squad, aimed his sword tip.
“Give up and surrender, Won Song. We already knew everything when we came.”
Following that, Ximen Ang spoke with a solemn expression.
“The dream that Yue was dreaming… will end tonight. So all of you, wake from your dream.”
Won Song, having ground his teeth, let out an angry cry.
“Do you think we’ll just give up like this!”
When he waved his left hand, all Third Squad members assumed combat stances and aimed their sword tips back.
Ximen Ang shook his head with a bitter look and asked.
“If Yue gives up, will you follow him?”
Just then, a tremendous explosion burst from far away and greatly shook the mountains.
-KUAAAAAAANG…!
It was the location where the villa was.
At that moment, everyone saw.
Two energies shaped like the sun and moon spreading fiercely and vastly into the night sky where moonlight and starlight intertwined…
That’s right.
It was the demonic energy symbolizing Ximen Yue’s Sun Moon Demon Arrival Technique.
Won Song immediately operated his maximum internal power and wore a smile.
“HUT. Give up? Did you see that? Young Master doesn’t know the meaning of surrender.”
Then Ximen Ang sighed and spoke as if he’d made a decision.
“There’s no choice. Subdue them.”
Simultaneously with the order, both camps tangled together and began playing sounds of piercing wind and clashing metal.
* * *
The true energy contained in the blade pulsed fiercely.
KUAAAAAAANG!
Energy waves spread fiercely.
Ximen Yue’s power was terrifying.
As if demonstrating that, Cheol Ryu-heun, engulfed in pitch-black heat haze, slid far backward.
As heavy energy exploded, the entire villa was destroyed.
All sorts of debris scattered and cluttered the air.
The sword energy that had fully realized the ultimate secret of the Sun Moon Demon Arrival Technique and reached a new realm was truly formidable.
A truly perfect and complete wondrous application of sword speed, sword power, and sword path.
PAK!
A smile formed at the corner of Ximen Yue’s mouth as he stomped his foot.
Moving forward rapidly, he felt it.
His changed self compared to before.
When holding a sword, it felt like he could easily accomplish any difficult thing.
Was this the true domain of a superhuman!
‘This!’
He operated Yang Heart Divine Art.
The black demonic energy vanished and white pure energy was revealed.
White currents enveloped his entire body.
A transformation achieved in an instant.
It was truly supreme internal cultivation.
To change the internal energy of opposing natures instantaneously…
WUNG!
The sword that had closed in on Cheol Ryu-heun’s face roared.
Thus sword energy was fired.
This was the eleventh offensive.
He had poured out all the power in his body, attacking relentlessly without rest.
Seeing Cheol Ryu-heun finally knocked backward, he was certain.
That this was the last.
Heavenly Net One Wind Sword.
The ultimate technique within Heavenly Wind Thirteen Swords, the sword study absolute learning that embodied the status of his alias Celestial Wind Sword Youth.
It was an energy like a typhoon raised by a heavenly titan, sweeping everything in its path.
Naturally, there was no place to dodge, no opening to block – sword power that rushed in blocking all directions brightly illuminated the dark forest like midday sunlight.
In an instant.
KKWARERERERERERUNG!
A thunderous sound like countless lightning bolts striking at once rang out, shaking heaven and earth.
Simultaneously.
“UEK!”
Ximen Yue flew backward with force and let out a groan.
JIIIIIIIIK…
Body barely stopping by scraping the ground with both feet.
At that moment, an indifferent voice struck his ears.
“I watched well.”
It was Cheol Ryu-heun’s voice.
Ximen Yue’s expression instantly stiffened.
‘THIS CAN’T BE…!’
It had been a decisive sword technique pouring out his maximum internal power.
A move aimed at finishing things.
And yet.
On Cheol Ryu-heun’s body, only a very small wound was visible.
The left shoulder.
A pathetic cut that made a mockery of the absolute technique’s majesty.
Were there no aftereffects of internal injury?
Even that was hard to determine.
Because of that indifferent expression.
Soon Cheol Ryu-heun swept back his hair and spoke while casting a glance.
“I’ve healed the internal injury. Just now.”
At those shocking words, Ximen Yue’s gaze wavered.
“……!”
SEUSEUSEUEU…
As crimson light formed in Cheol Ryu-heun’s eyes, the wound on his shoulder healed and disappeared completely.
Ximen Yue, seeing that, felt as if his thinking had paralyzed.
Something absolutely unbelievable had happened.
To heal a wound like that…
It was an unprecedented ability that destroyed martial knowledge.
‘CRAZY… HOW…!’
Ximen Yue unknowingly trembled his hands slightly.
Because for the first time, something called fear had coiled in his heart.
JEOBEOKJEOBEOK…
Cheol Ryu-heun, who hadn’t stopped walking, adjusted his grip on the Gan Jiang and spoke.
“Let me teach you something. After fighting So Cheon-ak, I developed further again. It’s not a power that the likes of you can carelessly predict.”
“……!”
“I’ll go easy on you only up to here. Now it seems it’s my turn. I promise. Today, I’ll make you realize everything you don’t yet know.”