Chapter 84: Maximum Cultivation
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Jeo Gyeom’s pupils wavered, creating transparent ripples.
Along with them, the blue energy light like will-o’-wisps gathered in his eyes also wavered greatly.
It was a reaction that plainly revealed his psychological shock.
‘How…’
Before Cheol Ryu-heun’s sudden change in stance, Jeo Gyeom’s thinking was momentarily paralyzed.
Hard to believe.
It made no sense.
Utterly…
Just moments ago, the fellow who had bent his waist and even vomited blood from great internal injury was suddenly emitting a mighty intangible aura.
Had his body recovered just from briefly catching his breath?
No way.
That was absolutely impossible by common sense.
Then had his personal internal energy technique of some sort of mysterious attribute caused a recovery reaction?
The momentum of victory that had been firmly in his grasp suddenly felt like it had scattered like smoke.
The force of the three forms he had consecutively executed at the end was by no means weak.
Indeed.
Nine Springs Soul Shattering Cry, Nine Hells Calamity Fire Sword, Nine Capitals Fork Face Tile – all three ultimate techniques had been unleashed with maximum cultivation.
Moreover, they hadn’t failed.
The three types of sword forms he had deliberately unleashed had undoubtedly successfully hit without question.
One could easily tell just by looking at Cheol Ryu-heun’s appearance.
Setting aside the bloodstains remaining by his mouth, his splendid martial attire symbolizing the White Peak Sword Sect Master was torn and ripped in places, hanging in tatters.
Evidence that he had received those three forms squarely head-on.
Honestly, just standing upright was quite an achievement.
Any ordinary swordsman would have perished without even leaving a corpse before the consecutive onslaught of Nine Springs Soul Shattering Cry, Nine Hells Calamity Fire Sword, and Nine Capitals Fork Face Tile.
Maximum cultivation – meaning the maximum of internal energy technique, power with nothing more that could be added – being alive after receiving such a series of powerful ultimate techniques was a fortunate thing.
Yet.
Cheol Ryu-heun wasn’t content with that, having instantly recovered from the heavy internal injury that brought coughing blood, and was now emanating an aura full of vigor as if he had even replenished his expended internal cultivation…
Indeed.
Regardless of whether it was Jeo Gyeom or anyone else, it was a scene that couldn’t help but daze one’s mind.
Empty bravado?
What do you mean.
That was absurd.
Most likely, it was Cheol Ryu-heun’s true power.
The fierce tremors of ground and atmosphere, and the heavy pressure, were strongly warning that empty bravado was out of the question.
RUMMMBLE… RUMMBLE… DRDRDR… DRDR…
Soon the trembling subsided and quietly disappeared.
SWOOOOSH…
In the rear garden with wind passing through, a heavy atmosphere close to silence once again lingered.
In the midst of that.
-CLANG, CLA-CLANG, CLANG… CLANG, CLA-CLANG…
From over there far away, beyond the collapsed building and from that garden, the distant echo of sounds reached him – Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk busily working their swords and fighting against the enemy’s combined attacks.
Soon.
SWOOSH.
Cheol Ryu-heun, holding the Ganjiang Sword pointed downward, moved his steps.
STEP, STEP, STEP…
Following that leisurely walk, one felt an illusion as if the surrounding space was being drawn along together.
Jeo Gyeom, taking in that sight, put great force into the hand gripping the sword hilt.
SQUEEZE.
As if a new enemy had appeared before him and he was steadying his fighting spirit.
Cheol Ryu-heun, walking while casting a gaze at him, spoke expressionlessly.
“As you can see, I’ve healed my internal injury.”
“…!”
Jeo Gyeom’s eyes wavered once more.
“I’ve also refilled my internal cultivation.”
When Cheol Ryu-heun spoke in his unchanging expression with an indifferent tone, Jeo Gyeom felt that existence become even more threatening.
Meanwhile, the doubts only grew larger.
Healing internal injury and refilling internal cultivation – what kind of secret technique made that possible?
What Cheol Ryu-heun meant was that during that short time when he was bending his waist and spitting blood, he had accomplished both Energy Circulation for Healing Injury and Circulating energy and regulating breathing.
Suddenly, one thought rose in his mind.
‘Innate True Energy…’
The pure energy that everyone possesses from birth – the so-called power that forms the root of life.
In other words, if one operated Innate True Energy resolved to die, managing internal injury and supplementing internal cultivation was not impossible.
However, he soon thought it didn’t make sense situationally.
Setting aside that triggering Innate True Energy was a last resort taken with life on the line, there were no common characteristics that appear when using it.
When using that power that converts the fundamental life energy entirely into internal cultivation, silvery-white aura covers the whole body simultaneously with activation, and the skin also turns very red – the external changes are evident.
Yet Cheol Ryu-heun showed no such phenomenon whatsoever.
What was it?
That bastard.
For now, it was a problem Jeo Gyeom himself couldn’t easily find an answer to.
Just then.
He recalled Cheol Ryu-heun’s boast that he had briefly overlooked.
That his body itself was a divine weapon.
The ability to release massive amounts of energy without any restriction, ignoring the energy meridians and pressure points themselves until now, probably had deep connection.
Of course it was merely vague speculation, but the Ganjiang Sword was at least not a divine weapon and couldn’t display any mysterious divine power, so aside from some bodily secret, there were no conditions that could explain this strange phenomenon.
Whatever the case might be… What was important now was the fact that this match had reached a great turning point.
Currently, the only thing Jeo Gyeom himself could choose was one thing – to subdue through unceasingly striking with ultimate techniques displaying maximum cultivation.
It would be temporary anyway.
His power.
He just had to not allow time leisure like before.
Having judged so, Jeo Gyeom rapidly circulated his dantian and injected massive vital energy into the Hunming Sword.
‘In the next ten seconds… I will decide this unconditionally.’
The single thread of competitive spirit that had sprouted within the thick bloodlust had by now quietly subsided, and in its place two threads of wariness and impatience were squirming and rising.
Defeat would directly lead to death.
Therefore.
From now on, he would treat this fellow’s martial prowess as equal to the Five Supreme Martial Experts of Hunan and press forward with continuous ultimate techniques at maximum internal cultivation level.
The side with winning chances was still himself.
Since the Ghost Skull Divine Armor was still intact without a single scratch, even if they clashed with maximum cultivation against each other, the impact taken by their bodies would be different.
Right, if he was in pain, the fellow would be in more pain.
Eyes flashing with blue light, Jeo Gyeom only then moved his steps again.
STEP, STEP, STEP…
The two gradually getting closer.
At some point.
Without any signal, both figures charged simultaneously.
When the Hunming Sword and Ganjiang Sword collided following the will of their two masters.
KRAWOOOOOOOM-!
A shockwave accompanied by heavy thunder shook the entire rear garden, creating fierce wind pressure and tremors.
White sword energy versus indigo sword energy, ultimate technique versus ultimate technique, maximum cultivation versus maximum cultivation.
From then on, a fierce offensive and defensive battle raised its curtain in earnest.
CRASH, KA-CRASH- KABOOM, KABOOOM- KRA-KRA-KRASH, KRA-KRASH-!
The explosive sounds of the White Peak Sword Scripture’s three ultimate techniques – Peak’s Arrival, Peak’s Spirit, Mountain Road – and the Nine Origins Sword Forms’ three ultimate techniques – Nine Springs Soul Shattering Cry, Nine Hells Calamity Fire Sword, Nine Capitals Fork Face Tile – clashing in succession seemed about to reach the heavens.
The two exchanged eight moves without even blinking once, then immediately proceeded to the ninth.
Indigo sword energy in the shape of a fire pillar rushing straight forward.
SHU-SHU-SHU-SHU-!
It was Nine Hells Calamity Fire Sword.
Not to be outdone, the Ganjiang Sword’s curved sword energy that had crossed space transformed into currents resembling a pointed peak and shot forth fiercely.
Execution of Peak’s Spirit.
Sword energy like fire breathed by a yaksha and sword energy like mist of a mountain peak spirit collided again and exploded.
KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRASH-!
Immediately after, due to the strongly bursting repelling force, Jeo Gyeom slid about a dozen paces backward, and Cheol Ryu-heun slid even more.
In an instant.
SMIRK.
A thin smile settled on Jeo Gyeom’s face.
He had won.
A smile of conviction.
Because he had sensed that Cheol Ryu-heun’s cultivation just now fell short of his own.
Right, heavier impact must have accumulated than on himself, protected by the Ghost Skull Divine Armor.
The last ten seconds – the outcome would be decided by that.
CRASH!
Jeo Gyeom’s figure kicked off the ground and compressed the gap.
Nine Springs Soul Shattering Cry of the Nine Origins Sword Forms, linked with swift movement.
Indigo sword energy released like a large blade thrown fiercely by a yaksha rushed toward Cheol Ryu-heun’s front.
In a flash.
FLICK.
Cheol Ryu-heun shot forth like a single ray of light and thrust out his sword tip wrapped in white energy waves.
KA-KA-KA-KA-BOOM…!
After the cutting sound rang, metallic sound immediately burst.
CLA-CLAAAAANG!
Amazingly, the Ganjiang Sword had somehow closed the distance further and was striking the Ghost Skull Divine Armor.
‘Hup!’
Jeo Gyeom, who had swallowed his breath, was bounced backward FWAK! by the fierce sword power.
Unbelievable.
The opponent’s cultivation, which had clearly weakened before, had suddenly grown intense again.
As if he had just performed Circulating energy and regulating breathing.
Moreover, the offensive that had shattered the Nine Springs Soul Shattering Cry was not a White Peak Sword Scripture ultimate technique but a simple thrusting form.
WHOOSH-
At some point, the flying Ganjiang Sword struck the Ghost Skull Divine Armor again.
CLA-CLANG- KA-CRASH!
Jeo Gyeom, wrapped in pure white haze, was pushed back again.
Having gained superiority, Cheol Ryu-heun consecutively unleashed rapid, powerful, and heavy sword strikes in succession as he charged.
CLANG, CLA-CLANG- CLANG- KABOOM, BOOM, KA-KA-BOOM…!
Jeo Gyeom, stepping backward, felt tingling pain from the opponent’s tremendous cultivation assaulting with the hand holding the Hunming Sword.
‘Urk!’
Thus, the gap in cultivation was completely widening.
While Jeo Gyeom’s own internal cultivation was plummeting after hitting its limit, Cheol Ryu-heun’s internal cultivation was maintaining its initial complete level.
The following five or six exchanges of contention.
Before the fierce momentum of the Ganjiang Sword, the Hunming Sword’s movement, which had shrunk, gradually slowed.
Finally.
SCHWICK!
The tip of the Ganjiang Sword that had squeezed through a small gap left a red cut wound on his left forearm.
“Uugh!”
The moment Jeo Gyeom let out a groan and slightly staggered.
FLICK, FLI-FLICK.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s figure turned at a right angle around the opponent’s left side in the blink of an eye and executed a sword strike containing maximum cultivation.
CLAAAAAANG- KRAWOOOOOM!
The Ganjiang Sword striking the lateral surface of the Ghost Skull Divine Armor.
Simultaneously, Jeo Gyeom’s figure was bounced flying far to the side and THUDDED his back onto the floor.
‘Uugh…!’
The Ghost Skull Divine Armor was still solid.
However, since his cultivation had fallen, the impact permeating into his body was much heavier.
Suddenly.
FLICK-
A figure was rapidly falling from above.
It was Cheol Ryu-heun.
The startled Jeo Gyeom swiftly rolled his lying body to the side, and by a hair’s breadth, the Ganjiang Sword smashed the spot where he had been.
KA-CRASH-!
CRACK-CRACK, CRA-CRA-CRACK…
The moment Jeo Gyeom hastily raised his body and tried to squeeze out cultivation desperately to execute an ultimate technique, Cheol Ryu-heun had at some point pressed right up to his face.
A truly wondrous speed.
CLA-CLAANG!
When the Ganjiang Sword’s heavy sword power struck hard against the left chest area surface of the Ghost Skull Divine Armor.
SWAY.
Jeo Gyeom’s body bent far backward.
In an instant, the Ganjiang Sword laden with sharp white sword energy rushed in consecutively, continuing to fiercely pound the left chest area surface of the Ghost Skull Divine Armor.
CRASH, KRA-KRA-CRASH, KRA-CRASH- KRA-KRA-CRASH, KRA-CRASH, KRA-KRA-CRASH-!
Due to the terrifying cultivation, Jeo Gyeom, having lost his body’s center, was bounced flying far to the back edge and was THUDDED! driven into the wall with his back.
“RETCH…”
Blood dripping to the ground.
Internal injury.
It was the effect of a large crack forming on the left chest area surface of the Ghost Skull Divine Armor and the opponent’s heavy energy invading into his body.
Concentrating maximum cultivation of consistent level on one point and striking continuously without rest, the solid durability had finally failed to hold.
Just then.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s bland voice was transmitted across the distance.
“I could do this all day.”
Soon, the light of disbelief welled up in Jeo Gyeom’s eyes.
All day…?
Cheol Ryu-heun adjusted his grip on the Ganjiang Sword’s hilt and spoke again.
“It’s the result of training so that the circulation of release and the condensation of gathering occur in a single breath.”
Then he leisurely began to move his steps.
“Now it’s time to dispose of the defective product.”