Chapter 126: Like a Surprise Attack, Yet Not, Yet Kind of Like One (3)
Chapter 125 – Like a Surprise Attack, Yet Not, Yet Kind of Like One (3)
The Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
It was a sword formation that was as good as the identity of the Azure Eagle Squad, which currently consisted of twenty members.
It was also called the Small Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation, but because its power was so great, the word ‘Small’ was omitted and it was simply called the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
However, there was a separate Great Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation deployed with a larger number of people.
In any case, the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation was the main sword formation used by the Azure Eagle Squad, the direct strike force of the Young Patriarch.
The reason the Azure Eagle Squad of the Namgung Clan was able to gain fame in the Jianghu in the past was also because of this Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
Honestly, looking at the individual abilities of the Azure Eagle Squad members alone, they were not so strong as to make one tongue-tied.
But when they deployed the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation, the story changed.
It was to the extent that it was said that even if several decent peak experts rushed in together, it would be difficult to break the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
However, after the fall of the Namgung Clan, the Azure Eagle Squad had been disbanded, and it had been so long that they could not even remember the last time they deployed the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
Therefore, before coming to Yixian, Namgung Cheon had ordered the Azure Eagle Squad to try deploying the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation once, and had said nothing after finishing his observation.
‘Even though it has been a long time since we coordinated, the Azure Eagle Squad is still the Azure Eagle Squad. I thought he was inwardly admiring us for deploying a fairly solid sword formation…’
That was not it.
On the wall, Namgung Cheon was now moving only back and forth, demonstrating the very basics of the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
The absolute basic of the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation was for the twenty members of the Azure Eagle Squad to move in straight lines from their respective positions.
On the other hand, the movements of the arms naturally mixed cuts and thrusts evenly; the moment they retreated and gathered was focused on thrusts, while the moment they extended outward was focused on cuts.
‘Now, it’s a thrust!’
Son U-gon narrowed his eyes.
As he expected, Namgung Cheon stepped on the wall and quickly retreated while thrusting the Emerald Silk Sword multiple times.
Swish, swish, swish, swish!
Pabababat!
Immediately after, Namgung Cheon, who sprang forward like an arrow, swung his sword blade widely.
Shooo! Shoooo!
Claaang!
Son U-gon gritted his teeth at the roaring sound that felt like it would burst his eardrums.
Son U-gon shouted toward the Azure Eagle Squad standing behind him.
“Watch the Lord closely! Every single breath is a guideline!”
“Yes, Captain!”
The members of the Azure Eagle Squad replied loudly.
Son U-gon admired once again in his heart.
“I thought his fighting style was strange for some reason… Did he have such deep intentions?”
Normally, when using a sword, it was common to thrust while advancing and swing while retreating.
This was because thrusts were mainly used for offense, while swings were suitable for defense.
However, Namgung Cheon fought in the exact opposite way from the beginning.
He cut while advancing and thrust while retreating.
The process was so natural that at first, they could not even consciously perceive it.
But as he looked closely, feeling that something was slightly strange…
‘It was all to show the movements of the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.’
Now, a hollow laugh escaped him.
Just where was the limit of that Divine Dragon named Namgung Cheon?
Was it even possible to reach such a realm at such a young age?
Young Patriarch?
Though he did not know for sure, even if he rose to the position of Clan Head right away, his martial arts alone would be flawless.
It was perfect.
Every single movement!
It was to the point that admiration welled up no matter how much he chewed and digested it.
It was a sword path faithful to the basics without any unnecessary fluff.
Since they were fighting on top of a narrow wall, all offense and defense took place in a straight line.
Where else could there be a clearer demonstration than this?
Son U-gon took a deep breath and closely analyzed all of Namgung Cheon’s movements, as if trying to engrave them into his mind.
High-level martial arts and grasping the subtle principles of a sword formation were different matters.
Namgung Cheon possessed high-level martial arts, but he also understood the subtle principles of the sword formation too perfectly.
He understood it as if he were tracing the flow of all internal energy with his eyes.
‘That movement just now is the offense and defense to be executed in the first row. And… from now on, it’s the second row!’
It was a miraculous thing.
That a single person could awaken the movements of every individual composing the sword formation one by one. It was truly beyond the point of being called great.
Meanwhile, Hye-gwang’s anxiety burned deeper as time passed.
The leisure he had at first had long vanished.
Even his mind felt dazed by the resonance of the iron bell that erupted consecutively.
When he concentrated his internal energy to endure the resonance, he suffered even greater internal injuries instead.
‘Damn it! It’s the same! It’s too similar! He is too similar to that damned Great Killing Star!’
Swung the iron bell mallet, and struck down with the iron bell.
Kwaaang!
Finally, an entire wall exploded as if torn off and blown away.
A space wide enough for a person to freely enter and exit the manor was created.
Across that space, Namgung Cheon slowly took a starting stance on the opposite wall.
Hye-gwang did not even dare to think of leaping to the wall where Namgung Cheon was.
Although it was really hard to accept, he was growing afraid of exchanging blows with Namgung Cheon.
‘Why? Is this the terror of bloodlines? How can he be so identical to his father?’
Originally, a strong person and a terrifying person were distinct entities.
To Hye-gwang, Jin Cheon-rang was a chillingly terrifying person. Yet, his father’s face kept overlapping with that brat’s face.
‘Now… what should I do?’
Dragging out the time a bit more, finishing it as a draw, and then proposing to postpone the match until next time would be the best plan.
But at that moment,
“If you dare mention anything like a draw, I will kill you.”
A chilly voice flowed out of Namgung Cheon’s mouth.
‘He, he…! Dreadfully identical…!’
While Hye-gwang, his spine chilled, gaped in shock, Namgung Cheon flew across the air like a lie.
Pabababat!
“Eeeek!”
Hye-gwang gritted his teeth and struck upward vertically with his iron bell mallet. However, as if Namgung Cheon had even known that in advance, he stepped lightly on the tip of the iron bell mallet and leaped over him, did he not?
Seeing this, Son U-gon spoke in a brief exclamation.
“Position Swapping!”
It was clear.
Although it appeared as though he had no choice but to move by flying through the air due to the collapsed wall, that movement just now was identical to the motion when members on a straight line swapped positions in the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation!
‘If so, the ensuing attack is the Dual-Pole Joint Attack Art!’
At the same time his thoughts ended, Namgung Cheon moved sideways just like that, did he not?
Shushushut!
Instead of running forward, he dashed sideways like a crab!
The speed was so fast that it utterly transcended imagination.
This was due to the recoil force resulting from the Position Swapping Technique used in the Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation.
There were two reasons for dashing sideways instead of running straight ahead.
One was to strike out quickly while simultaneously changing directions, and the other was to ensure that the members who swapped positions in the sword formation would not harm each other while slaughtering the opponent.
Chwachaaak!
Namgung Cheon, who thrust diagonally into Hye-gwang’s belly, returned to the opposite wall while spraying blood.
Yet, that was not the end.
Using the recoil from that spot, Namgung Cheon rushed at Hye-gwang once more!
Chwaaaak!
This time, he slashed Hye-gwang’s chest with a cut.
Chhuaaaa!
As blood erupted like a fountain, Hye-gwang staggered.
If Hye-gwang’s reaction had been even a little slower, his neck would have flown off, rather than just having his chest cut.
“Ah…!”
The Azure Eagle Squad members gaped one by one, unable to contain their admiration.
Namgung Cheon had moved back and forth twice just now, but this was originally a technique that the members forming the sword formation had to show by crossing positions in a single go.
He had demonstrated it alone by deliberately going back and forth.
Showing exactly where and how to target with a thrust for one person and a cut for the other!
Park Chang-su blinked his eyes and shook his head with a dazed expression.
“He is crazy. Seriously…”
No one could deny his words.
They said that when one saw an excessively profound martial art, saying it was great was not enough, and the word “crazy” would come out.
What should they call this?
Rather than because it was profound, was it because it was too perfect?
Even though he only showed straight movements on top of the wall, it was possible to imagine in one’s mind how the entire Boundless Sky Limitless Sword Formation should move and how that appearance would be formed.
Park Chang-su approached Cha Mu-jin and Son U-gon.
“I have made my decision! Even if the two of you do not follow him… I will follow him.”
“And here you were saying you came back because of me.”
Despite Son U-gon’s scolding, Park Chang-su widened his eyes and continued talking while looking at Namgung Cheon.
“That was a mistake.”
“Geez, it’s disappointing yet a relief.”
“I am sorry.”
“No need to be sorry. I decided to follow him before you did.”
“Captain, now it seems the Namgung Clan is truly going to soar.”
“It has never fallen. If there was ever such a time, it was only we ourselves. The Namgung Clan has always been in that place.”
Park Chang-su nodded with a firm expression.
His heart swelled.
Namgung Cheon was still competing in martial arts with Hye-gwang.
To anyone’s eyes, Hye-gwang was being pushed back now.
No, it was close to a one-sided fight.
Park Chang-su tightly clenched his fist and brought it to his chest.
‘That person… is my master!’
Meanwhile, Hye-gwang was now tattered and covered in blood all over his body.
His clothes, cut here and there, had become rags, and his entire body was like a lump of meat soaked in blood.
“Pant, pant, pant…!”
Chwachaaak!
“Kuaaaak!”
Once again, Namgung Cheon’s sword cut through his lower belly as it passed.
Every time the wind blew, Hye-gwang’s chubby body staggered as if it would fall to the ground.
To pass right next to each other so precariously on this narrow wall.
And that too, multiple times.
‘This… is already proof that he is toying with me…!’
He was burning with rage, but there was no way to respond.
Just as he was barely regaining his composure,
Shooooot!
The Emerald Silk Sword flew toward his brow!
“Damn it!”
Spitting out a curse, he quickly struck down with his iron bell mallet.
Ddukaaang!
The Emerald Silk Sword, which bounced and struck the ground directly, smashed the wall.
Kwaaang!
Pabababat!
Hye-gwang stepped on the stones exploding in all directions and soared into the air.
Whiriririk!
Namgung Cheon chased after him like the wind.
Pabababat!
Whiriririk!
The two, who were chasing and being chased in midair, soon landed on the wall again.
Tap!
Tadap!
Without giving him any opening, Namgung Cheon immediately thrust the Emerald Silk Sword forward.
Shiiiiiit!
In that instant, Hye-gwang sensed his own death.
‘It is the end…!’
Standing on top of the wall, there was no way he could block that sword.
Ultimately, Hye-gwang decided to accept defeat. Because he could not die so in vain.
Having made up his mind, Hye-gwang threw himself down from the wall.
But at that moment, Namgung Cheon withdrew his Emerald Silk Sword, then stretched out his left hand and snatched Hye-gwang’s Buddhist robe, did he not?
‘W-what? Is he stopping me from even jumping down?’
Pabababat!
Rrrrip!
As the Buddhist robe was torn long, Hye-gwang’s body spun around like a top.
At that moment, Namgung Cheon recalled another habit from his past life that he had forgotten for a while.
The method he had used when occasionally leaving warning notes for the Martial Alliance bastards who chased him tenaciously.
‘Shall I try it after a long time…?’
In an instant, the Emerald Silk Sword began to dance dazzlingly.
Chwachwachwachwachwachaaak!
While the long-torn Buddhist robe fluttered, Namgung Cheon’s sword blade danced elegantly, reflecting the moonlight.
“Ah…!”
Now, even the commoners watching from outside the manor let out exclamations.
The chubby monk spinning like a top, the long, fluttering Buddhist robe, and the Emerald Silk Sword dancing while reflecting the moonlight!
How could a night spar be so beautiful?
The sword dance continued for quite a while. And finally,
Chwachaaak!
Hye-gwang, whose Buddhist robe was completely torn, fell with a thud, slowly tilting as his back was severely mutilated.
“Kueeek…!”
Hye-gwang, his eyes rolled back showing only the whites, twitched intermittently.
On his prone back, a long sentence carved by Namgung Cheon with his sword was clearly revealed.
A surprise attack, yet not a surprise attack, a grand success of a surprise attack.
“N-Namgung Cheon… won.”
“Wowww! Namgung Cheon won!”
“It was an incredible duel!”
The commoners began to stir like a roar of cheers, and Son U-gon, watching this, felt a deep surge of emotion and cupped his fists.
“Congratulations, Lord!”
“Congratulations, Lord!”
The voices of the Azure Eagle Squad shouting in unison rang loudly throughout the manor of the Shining Monk Association.