Chapter 91: Two Geniuses
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With swords pressed together, Ximen Yue was suddenly seized by a peculiar feeling.
You’re an interesting fellow.
The words Cheol Ryu-heun had casually uttered somehow felt like they contained deep meaning.
Could it be that he had detected the other energy inside his body?
CRACK, CRA-CRACK…!
Great fissures appeared in the ground where Cheol Ryu-heun and Ximen Yue stood.
Because transparent energy waves continuously spread from the two blades touching each other, heavily pressing down on that spot.
DRDRDRDRDR-!
The trembling grew even greater.
And.
BOOM!
A round waveform spread transparently into the air.
Thus, a heavy force shook the entire garden.
FLUTTER-FLUTTER, FLUTTER-FLUTTER.
The robes of Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and Mun Bin fluttered fiercely.
A sudden squall swept through the arena before quickly vanishing.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s sword and Ximen Yue’s sword were still pressed together.
That shockwave just now was the effect of an explosive release achieved with blades touching.
Simply put, both had simultaneously burst out massive cultivation while maintaining a crossed-blades stance.
As if explosively radiating heavy sword energy at each other.
It was a very crude and simple contest.
However, it was also a method of confrontation difficult to recklessly attempt if one’s internal cultivation wasn’t fundamentally profound.
In truth, Ximen Yue had intended to prove the difference in class by releasing powerful vital energy from the crossed-blades stance to bounce the opponent far away.
A ploy for preemptive dominance.
But.
Cheol Ryu-heun had just displayed equal power and held on.
From Ximen Yue’s perspective, it was a puzzling situation.
How did he…?
Following up on the sword strike by even countering the release while still pressed together – did he still have considerable energy remaining in his body?
‘Let’s see!’
Led by curiosity, he once again explosively radiated massive cultivation through the blade.
Simultaneously, Cheol Ryu-heun’s Ganjiang Sword also emitted powerful vital energy at full force.
BOOM!
A circular energy wave spreading into the air and a squall sweeping through the garden.
Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and Mun Bin rapidly drew up vital energy to resist that pressure.
Soon, the third contest of release occurred.
KA-BOOM-!
Followed by the fourth, fifth collisions…
KABOOOOM- KABOOOOOM-!
The two blades touching showed no wavering.
In contrast, the surroundings heaved.
CRA-CRA-CRA-CRA-CRACK- DRDRDRDRDRK-!
The floor shattered and burst wildly, crying out.
Then.
KA-CRASH!
Each other’s energy exploded, ringing a tremendous thunder, and in the midst of debris-like haze spreading in a circle, both bodies slid backward.
It was a retreat caused by repelling force.
Some kind of peculiar light quickly passed through the eyes of Ximen Yue, who had hurriedly caught his balance and stood.
Was it admiration?
Just then.
FWAP!
A figure passing by Cheol Ryu-heun’s side rushed straight toward Ximen Yue’s right, thrusting out a sword tip.
Dark Sword Fragrance Mun Bin.
No sooner had Jeo Gyeom died than an uninvited guest appeared, and without even time to settle the lingering emotions, he had rolled up his sleeves to assist Cheol Ryu-heun.
Ximen Yue’s reaction speed was even faster.
CLANG!
Simultaneously with the metallic sound of the sword tip being blocked.
KA-BOOM!
A stinging cutting sound burst out, and Mun Bin’s figure was strongly bounced flying far back.
‘Urk!’
Mun Bin, having scrunched his face, put strength in both legs and barely landed, then coughed up blood.
It was the effect of powerful sword power permeating his body and shaking his blood and energy the moment he exchanged blows with Ximen Yue.
Because of that, even the internal injury he had suffered from Jeo Gyeom worsened, and a dizzying vertigo struck.
FWAP, FWA-FWAP!
At some point, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk had kicked off the ground and pressed close to both sides of Ximen Yue, left and right.
A slash targeting the upper body, and a thrust targeting the lower body.
SHU-SHUK- SHU-SHU-SHUK-!
An offense that had dug into the gap of an instant.
However.
KA-BOOM!
The blades of Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were blocked by some kind of barrier, bursting a crisp explosion.
The figures of the two, retreating far while scraping the ground.
SCREEEEECH, SCREEEEEECH…
Having hurriedly gathered vital energy in both legs and stopped, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk wore expressions full of shock.
It couldn’t be helped.
Because both had nearly had their energy meridians greatly shaken.
Ximen Yue had neutralized the surprise combined attack at once with only an intangible energy membrane, not his sword.
It was a scene that made them feel the gap in martial prowess levels.
Immediately after.
FLICK.
Cheol Ryu-heun approached the opponent’s front in the blink of an eye and extended the Ganjiang Sword straight out.
The connection of motions was so swift it was incomprehensible.
But.
CLANG-!
Ximen Yue was also not to be trifled with.
He had perfectly defended against the one-sword charge that had unfolded at rapid speed.
The tip of the blade extending following Cheol Ryu-heun’s arm movement had touched the blade laid horizontal before Ximen Yue’s chest.
SQUEAK, SQUEE-EAK…
The two swords contesting strength again spat out friction sounds.
CRA-CRACK, CRACK, CRA-CRACK-!
The ground underfoot also let out agonized sounds once more.
Soon, haze spread intensely blazing from where the two blades met.
KA-CRASH!
As if declaring it hard to determine superiority, it exploded broadly just like that.
Cheol Ryu-heun and Ximen Yue thus moved apart in opposite directions and stopped standing at about one jang distance.
Evenly matched.
The moment Yeop Hwon, Hyeop Mu-geuk, and Mun Bin were about to move again, Cheol Ryu-heun stopped them with a light hand gesture.
Meanwhile, Ximen Yue was inwardly praising his opponent.
‘The more I see, the more amazing he is. I can’t readily grasp what level of talent he possesses.’
Just then, Cheol Ryu-heun posed a meaningful question.
“Why are you holding back that power?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Stop playing dumb.”
“…”
Ximen Yue finally realized.
That his intuition earlier had been accurate.
He had noticed.
The other energy dwelling inside his body right now.
Whether he had figured out that it was demonic energy was unknown, but… the meaningful tone of voice was concerning.
Cheol Ryu-heun indicated the rear with a chin gesture as he spoke.
“You must have seen the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique disappear… Did you perhaps come targeting that horse?”
It was a question asking if he had appeared in a “pheasant instead of chicken” mindset.
Ximen Yue let out a PFFT of involuntary laughter.
As if it was absurd how easily he had pierced the mark.
He was quite an impressive fellow.
His predictive ability, judgment, intuition, and such that penetrated the series of situations were at a truly outstanding level.
He’s similar.
To me.
This was like looking in a mirror.
“Still haven’t given up your attachment to the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique? Well, it’s not like there’s no way at all.”
Cheol Ryu-heun lightly tapped his own forehead with a finger along with those words.
Ximen Yue, having seen that, immediately understood the meaning.
‘The key phrases are in his head…?’
Sure enough, Cheol Ryu-heun’s voice continued.
“All the essences of the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique are in here. If you want it, go ahead and try to subdue me.”
A provocative statement.
Ximen Yue thought while looking at that expressionless face.
Indeed.
That was real.
Though emotions were hard to read, he was absolutely not the type of person who would attempt shallow tricks like using empty words to shake an opponent’s spirit.
It was an interesting fact.
To think he had all the key phrases of the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique memorized…
However, that was now a matter outside his interest.
He was no longer curious.
It was natural.
Because an order to halt the mission had suddenly come down from the person who had told him to find and obtain the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique.
There was only one reason he had come here again.
Securing justification.
In truth, from the beginning, he hadn’t been keen on that mission.
Setting aside the annoyance of roaming outside the Ximen Family, he couldn’t guarantee how long it would take until it was concluded.
As the third son of the household, he wasn’t in a situation where he could leave for a long excursion, so it was unsatisfactory.
So after pouring concentrated effort and manpower in a short period, he had secured the decisive clue to find out the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique’s final whereabouts, and after that had been leisurely and somewhat negligent in proceeding with the work.
But today an unexpected variable had occurred.
Due to Cheol Ryu-heun’s sudden appearance, the target Ghost Shadow Sword Technique had been ruthlessly torn and destroyed.
At first, his plan was to kill Cheol Ryu-heun and the others and take the spirit creature, to minimize censure for failing to secure the booklet.
He needed an excuse for the mission’s failure.
The Ghost Shadow Sword Technique was damaged because of White Peak Sword Sect’s intervention – if he explained that part well and offered the spirit creature, he thought they would evaluate that he had also tried his best.
But now the situation had changed.
Since the mission had suddenly been halted, the existence of the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique was no longer important.
However, since he didn’t know from when the woman who had come to relay the order had been tailing him, he had acted as originally planned.
Recently, if they pointed out the part where he had somewhat complacently performed the mission, he wanted to situationally prove that he had been making efforts like this until the very end to compensate for that.
Later, regardless of mission success or failure, they could take issue with his attitude itself, so it was right to prepare somehow.
The problem was… The situation had changed again here.
Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial prowess was the cause.
He had thought he could kill him quickly, but once they actually exchanged blows, that body’s condition was completely different from expected.
It seemed he could deal with him at once if he brought out his hidden power.
But he couldn’t.
Because he had already received a warning from the woman earlier.
Just then, a thread of transmitted voice tapped Ximen Yue’s ears.
<Young Master Ximen, you’re wasting time needlessly.>
It was that woman.
‘She’s fast.’
The moment Ximen Yue twitched one eyebrow, Cheol Ryu-heun’s figure FLICK! vanished from sight.
Immediately after.
KRA-CHA-HA-AANG!
A noisy metallic sound burst forth.
It was the metallic sound of Cheol Ryu-heun’s sword, which had at some point compressed the gap, colliding with Ximen Yue’s sword.
An instant of contest.
Both seemed to slide backward about a dozen paces when.
FWAP- FWA-FWAP-!
They exchanged heavy sword strikes at an even faster speed.
Horizontal slash and vertical slash collided.
CLAAAANG-!
Cutting sounds interjected amid the metallic sound bursting forth repeatedly.
KRA-CRASH!
A wave-like current created by the boulder-like heavy collision of cultivation spread greatly in all directions.
Suddenly.
WHING, WI-WHING- WI-I-WHING-!
Cheol Ryu-heun’s Ganjiang Sword created dizzying afterimages while consecutively releasing sharp energy winds.
It was a form like a giant windmill made of sword shadows fiercely rotating as it advanced.
Not to be outdone, when Ximen Yue rapidly thrust the sword in his hand, a vast sword wind shot from the sword tip like a terrifying whirlwind.
KA-KA-KA-KA-KA-BOOM-!
While the atmosphere and ground vibrated, both, pushed by repelling force, retreated to stand at over one jang distance apart.
In an instant, Ximen Yue’s expression slightly changed.
‘This is…’
Because what Cheol Ryu-heun had just displayed was quite similar to the characteristics of one sword form within the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique.
Ghost Whirling Wind Wheel.
It was a profound use that corresponded with what the Heaven’s Death Sword Ghost Eum Ryun in his lifetime was said to have most favored executing.
Of course, he had never seen Ghost Whirling Wind Wheel directly, but it was such a famous sword form that he guessed immediately.
That he didn’t just know the essences of the Ghost Shadow Sword Technique key phrases but could even personally execute them – this was somewhat shocking.
While Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk also reacted with surprise, Mun Bin’s expression was one of having lost his soul entirely.
‘Good heavens!’
He thought the modifier ‘martial arts genius’ that people commonly spoke of must exist for Cheol Ryu-heun.
He felt not just awe but even reverence.
Furthermore.
The identity was unknown, but the martial prowess of that masked person, estimated to be in his twenties, also delivered a sense of wonder.
He was newly embarrassed.
His own martial prowess, called Dark Sword Fragrance and receiving praise as the sword path prodigy of the unorthodox faction…
Cheol Ryu-heun lightly brushed back the hair that had flowed down before his forehead and opened his mouth.
“Shall I see that hidden power of yours too?”
He was provoking with an indifferent attitude no different from the start.
Ximen Yue smiled soundlessly.
Bloodlust flowing within the thin smile beneath the mask.
‘Heh, you’re a fellow well worth killing using that martial art. Cheol Ryu-heun…’