Chapter 284: The Manifestation of Sword Emperor
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Chapter 284 – The Manifestation of the Sword Emperor
The soundless shock brought by that brief low exclamation.
‘…!’
At that sound, the Murong Family members held their breath.
A deep silence arrived.
GULP.
To the point where even the sound of people swallowing dry saliva could be heard loudly.
The person who had mentioned Sword Steel was Family Head Murong Kang.
At that moment, a woman standing beside him quickly whispered a question.
“Heavens, is it really Sword Steel?”
A female swordsman of marriageable age with features mysteriously resembling Murong Seol and black hair cascading down to her lower back.
She was twenty years old this year, the second daughter of Murong Kang and younger sister of Murong Seol, Embroidery-Piercing Sword Lady Murong Song.
She was a swordsmanship prodigy of the family called that epithet because her sword skills, which she wielded as if embroidering to pierce her opponents, were superb.
Murong Kang, having received the question, sent a silent nod instead of an answer.
Most likely, it was Sword Steel.
That’s what it meant.
Murong Song immediately understood and inwardly admired.
‘How amazing!’
The reactions of the Murong Family elite martial artists, including elder sister Murong Seol, were the same.
Who was he?
Murong Kang was an ultra-pinnacle swordsman competing for the top position among the Five Elegants of Jiangxi.
Since such a tremendous strongman was certain it was Sword Steel, there should be no room for doubt.
Indeed, the energy Cheol Ryu-heun had released was different from ordinary sword energy types.
Didn’t it look like the countless stars of the sky were gathered and flowing along the blade?
Just looking at that told everything.
That it was a bizarre, peerless sword essence surpassing the wondrous function of sword energy.
Was it only the outward appearance that was so?
KYUNG… KYUKYUNG…
The sounds made by the thin strands of light jutting out strand by strand were something he had never heard before either.
Cheol Ryu-heun had said earlier.
That it was the strongest supreme art that only the Sword Emperor had used in martial history.
That’s right.
It was surely Sword Steel.
At that moment, the Grand General of Eastern Heaven Division murmured meaningfully.
“Cheol Ryu-heun… hm, a good test subject has been arranged. Let’s verify. Whether it’s real Sword Steel.”
He had already identified him as Cheol Ryu-heun.
Even without overhearing the conversation, it was easily recognizable from the horse he had brought and his attire.
The white mountain pattern embroidered on black cloth.
That was the unique attire symbolizing the White Peak Sword Sect Leader.
He had already received information about external features and exploits related to him.
However, he had not yet received word from the Central Heaven Tower about the outcome of the Mount Zhongnan great battle.
Therefore.
He intended to verify the opponent’s strength.
“Attack.”
At the Grand General’s command, the subordinate personnel charged fiercely while constructing a crescent-shaped formation.
KKWANG-!
Cheol Ryu-heun charged even faster than that.
It was movement like a flash of light.
Thus he attacked the dead center of the crescent formation.
The starlight mass crossing the front along the blade generated an energy sound.
KWIHYUUUNG-!
Following that, a truly spine-chilling sound burst out.
KKWAJAJAJAJAK- CHYUAAAAAAK-!
Iron swords broke like rotten wood and bodies were sliced like meat.
Ten caped figures were instantly slaughtered and died.
Massive bloodstains drenched the ground.
They all had the terrible appearance of having their waists cleanly severed.
When Cheol Ryu-heun’s Gan jiang Sword again crossed sideways.
KYUYUYUYUYUNG-!
The starlight mass again fiercely struck the caped figure group.
KKWAJAJAJAK, KKWAJAJAJAJAK- PUAAAAAK, PUAAAAAAAK-!
The terrifying sound of bisecting over twenty people at once.
It wasn’t just a matter of blocking the starlight mass.
Every single thin strand of light leaking from it also possessed tremendous power.
Along with stinging metallic sounds.
TTADANG- TTADADANG-!
The personnel who had been precariously positioned at the boundary of the sword technique’s range all retreated in unison.
When the thread-like strands of light spread, they had all raised their blades to block, but were immediately pushed back by that brutal force.
Among them, some had even developed clear cracks.
Just from blocking a single strand of light.
Moreover, over ten even had penetration wounds resembling small holes on their upper or lower bodies.
The Murong Family party trembled in awe upon seeing that.
Murong Kang clenched his fist tightly and was repeatedly convinced.
‘The Realm of Sword Steel!’
The supreme sword path supreme art symbolizing the peak of Sword Emperor Buk Ga-shin, who had created it while mastering the operation of the divine power latent in the Divine Martial Sword.
It was energy also called the ultimate power a sword master could exert with a sword.
History tells it thus.
The starlight of destruction that Buk Ga-shin’s sword scattered at the time – that is, Sword Steel – was martial arts in the realm of the divine.
The heaven-shaking sword learning that all ten thousand people of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic acknowledged and revered had been recreated after the long span of eight hundred years.
Through the new Sect Leader of White Peak Sword Sect, Cheol Ryu-heun, who was called the First Martial God of Hunan in the present day.
KWIHYUUUNG- KYUHYUUNG- KWIKYUNG-!
The starlight mass and strands of light – Sword Steel – stirred chaos in all directions while crying out.
And before it, the mute caped figure group fell like straw bundles.
PUHAK, PUHAAK, PUHAK…!
The momentum and power of Sword Steel, the sword energy at a new level unified with the real divine power of the Divine Martial Sword, was at a level that transcended imagination.
Coordinated attacks with formations, defense with internal power operation – all were meaningless.
Everything that blocked it was cut, broken, severed, and destroyed.
Attack-only simple sword techniques.
Yet they possessed the wondrous function of instant kills.
It was terrifying swordwork impossible to parry.
It was a divine art that transcended the world of man, where offense itself became defense.
It was truly an invincible spear and shield.
Then, was the Realm of Sword Steel truly complete and flawless martial arts?
That was also not the case.
Weaknesses exist in everything.
In the case of Sword Steel, it was the execution time.
The reason was simple.
Because in exchange for displaying invincible might in a short time, the full-body energy including mental power and internal power was rapidly depleted.
Why?
Because it was not operated with pure internal power alone, but required the essential element of divine power operation.
Overuse was forbidden.
That would bring about death.
Moreover, the divine power of the Divine Martial Sword was different in nature from internal power.
It couldn’t be filled back up quickly at will.
Recovery required a fixed amount of time, and currently, his divine power level was not complete.
He could still only operate it at less than half.
If he overused it, there was the possibility of suddenly losing consciousness like last time, so using it appropriately would be safer.
Therefore, continuous execution of Sword Steel was close to impossible.
Even so.
The Realm of Sword Steel was so powerful that it offset its sole weakness.
It was particularly a peerless sword essence optimized for taking down enemies in a short time.
That was precisely what Cheol Ryu-heun was vividly demonstrating.
KWIHYUYUNG, KYUNG, KYUYUYUNG-!
With that sound as the last, all the mute caped figures met their deaths.
Literally something that happened in an instant.
Before he knew it, the Grand General of Eastern Heaven Division’s expression had hardened.
‘This can’t be!’
He finally clearly realized.
What Cheol Ryu-heun had used was definitely Sword Steel.
It was an incomprehensible situation.
Using Sword Steel without the Divine Martial Sword? Was that possible?
While he held that brief question.
KYUYUYUYUYUNG-!
The Sword Steel gathered on the Gan jiang Sword aimed at the next targets.
CHYUAHAK, CHYUAAK, CHYUAAK…!
Five Young Generals were ruthlessly slaughtered.
In an instant, the gu poison within each of their bodies fiercely exploded.
KKWAGWAGWAGWANG, KKWAGWAGWAGWANG, KKWAGWAGWAGWANG- HWAAAAAK, HWAAAAAK, HWAAAAAK-!
A roar as if shaking the earth’s axis echoed fiercely.
‘UUT!’
The Murong Family party, startled out of their wits, retreated in unison.
At that moment.
SHYUHAAAAT-!
Cheol Ryu-heun’s form emerged, piercing through the massive green flames.
His appearance was covered in starlight from head to toe.
He had armored and protected his entire body with Sword Steel.
It was a wondrous sight.
As if Sword Emperor Buk Ga-shin had been resurrected in this world.
Cheol Ryu-heun aimed at the three people ahead and swung his sword across.
The targets were the Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Middle Generals of the Eastern Heaven Division.
Simultaneously with compressing the gap, the Ganjiang Sword spat out an energy sound.
KWIIIIIIIING-!
By the supreme sword technique harmonized with ultra-speed movement, the three Middle Generals’ bodies were severed, spurting fresh blood.
PUAAAAAAK, PUAAAAAAAAK…
The gu poison explosion that followed immediately spewed green flames wildly.
However,
Cheol Ryu-heun, clad in Sword Steel, was unaffected in any way.
At that moment.
JURUREUK.
Blood flowed from Cheol Ryu-heun’s nose as he stood amid the flames.
It was the effect of drawing on too much divine power.
It was a signal telling him not to overdo it like last time.
Although it was only a small amount of nosebleed.
Since Sword Steel in particular required and consumed a large amount of divine power, stopping appropriately at this point would be the wise choice.
Anyway, he had killed them all in a short time.
That was enough.
Now only one remained.
Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun sheathed his Sword Steel and simultaneously released his aura.
Intangible wind immediately transformed into a large whirlwind that sucked up all the green flames upward and extinguished them.
Immediately after.
PAPAPAPA-
A dark figure rushed into Cheol Ryu-heun’s field of vision.
He was the Grand General of the Eastern Heaven Division.
Having closed in head-on like a flash, he executed a vertical sword strike.
SHYUKAAAK!
It was a swift sword technique accompanied by heavy wind pressure and energy.
JJEOEOEONG- PEOPEONG!
Amid a massive haze rippling like waves.
JJEONG, JJEOJEONG, JJEONG- KANG, KAKANG-!
The Grand General consecutively scattered sword moves, and Cheol Ryu-heun also countered with his sword.
A brief offensive and defensive battle.
Then.
KWAKKWANG!
A heavy explosion sounded.
JIIIK, JIIIIIIK-
The Grand General of the Eastern Heaven Division’s form slid back about ten paces across the training ground floor.
“EUM!”
Having stopped quickly, he let out a short sound.
Slight bewilderment.
He had been blocked too easily.
He had gone in aiming for an opening.
It was a continuous assault loaded with extreme-level energy.
Yet Cheol Ryu-heun had parried it all.
Only then did extreme tension finally encroach upon the Grand General’s heart.
“Did you think my strength was drained?”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s indifferent voice, the Grand General operated his internal power to the maximum.
KUKUKU, KUKUKUKUKU…
It seemed as if heaven and earth were shaking.
That was how solemnly the intangible aura swept through the venue.
‘It’s a crossroads of choice.’
Having spoken thus inwardly, the Grand General soon steeled his resolve.
‘First, I’ll withdraw to report. Today’s events.’
He had come here to test the martial power of his members, but the variable Cheol Ryu-heun had appeared.
The test had failed as a result.
There was nothing gained.
Because the martial achievement of his subordinate personnel had become meaningless, with all dying to the unexpected Sword Steel.
Yes.
Clashing was just a waste of time.
Still, if he had to count any gains, at least he had confirmed Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial prowess to some extent.
He thought it best to be satisfied with learning that and withdraw.
First, he would secure distance with a single extreme-level energy sword strike, then retreat.
The moment he made that judgment, Cheol Ryu-heun vanished.
PIT.
And he appeared abruptly behind the Grand General without a sound.
KKAAAANG- PEOHEOONG!
The Grand General barely turned his body and defended against the sword technique, then was bounced backward.
‘KEUK…!’
The blood flow throughout his body went wild.
From the shock of countering the sword force.
It was tremendous.
To think such energy was still being displayed.
Was it inexhaustible?
Cheol Ryu-heun’s internal power.
However, there was no time to be surprised.
Cheol Ryu-heun, having already moved like a beam of light, had approached head-on.
SHYUKAAAK!
A blade falling straight down.
Not a flashy move, but an honest single sword.
Yet it was heavy.
No.
It was power for which such an expression was insufficient.
It was a crushing slash so heavy it felt like asphyxiation from the wind pressure.
The instant the Grand General, aghast, laid his sword flat above his head in defense.
JJEOEOEOEOEOEONG- KWAAAAAAAANG- KKWADEUDEUDEUDEUK!
With a loud sound, the Grand General broke through the training ground floor and went in.
The stone floor caved in large and round, and he was shoved up to below his waist.
‘KEO… HEO!’
The Grand General’s distorted face.
That was speaking for the pain of internal injury.
That’s how tremendous the pressure loaded in the sword Cheol Ryu-heun had unleashed was.
It was so fearsome that his consciousness had even briefly cut out.
Blocking it with his sword was a miracle.
‘KKEU… Collapsing Sword…!’
It was definitely Collapsing Sword – swordsmanship study that overwhelmed opponents with pure energy alone.
However, it was different from an ordinary Collapsing Sword.
The straightforward energy had transformed at the moment of impact as if spreading horizontally, pressing down on his entire body.
Because of that, the shock dealt by the sword force was greater than expected.
In martial history, only one person had used such a Collapsing Sword technique.
The one and only emperor of the unorthodox martial world.
Evil Emperor Yul-Cheon.
An absolute being who had mastered sword learning that disregarded the fundamentals of basic swordsmanship.
Strength wouldn’t enter his body.
He needed a bit of time to settle his internal injury.
‘Damn it, then there’s no choice but…!’
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun asked with an emotionless expression.
“I used a bit more power than when I fought the Sun Moon Demon Cult leader bastard. Did you raid the Namgung Family the same way in the past?”
“…!”
“You don’t have to answer. I’ll just find out directly.”
As Cheol Ryu-heun spoke, red radiance gathered in his two eyes.
CHYUCHYUCHYU, CHYUCHYUCHYUCHYU…
However, at that moment.
The Grand General’s internal power level suddenly began to amplify rapidly.
“IT’S NOT OVER!”