Chapter 197: Chapter 197
“S-Sword flower!”
“Plum blossoms have bloomed!”
The crowd’s eyes shone.
As Cheon-hwi’s sword was slowly raised, flower buds formed at the tip of his sword.
One blossom, another blossom.
The flower buds continued to repeatedly form and bloom, adding to their numbers.
“Is that the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Art?”
“Bizarre, how bizarre. To think that a sword art that blooms plum blossoms actually exists.”
The crowd clicked their tongues in amazement.
The sight of plum blossoms blooming profusely in the empty air was so marvelous that it was difficult to express the feeling in words.
Whoosh…
At that moment, a balmy wind blew.
As if welcoming spring only now, the balmy wind that gently blew into the martial arts arena carrying the essence of spring led the plum blossoms away.
Was it because of that?
The plum blossoms blooming everywhere began to leisurely swim along the balmy wind.
“How can it be this beautiful…”
Everyone was captivated.
The plum blossoms were an illusion.
However, even though they knew it was an illusion, their hearts were stolen by the magnificent sight of the plum blossom petals embroidering the sky like a wave.
By the endless wave of plum blossoms.
“It is a truly beautiful plum blossom.”
The Sect Leader also looked up at the martial arts arena.
His beard twitched, and an endlessly gentle smile formed on his lips.
The plum blossoms beautifully bloomed in full.
As if spring had come only now.
And at the root that brought forth that spring and bloomed the plum blossoms, Cheon-hwi existed.
Firmer than any great tree in the world.
With an appearance that seemed as though it would not collapse under any natural disaster or storm.
“Show them.”
The Sect Leader quietly muttered.
“Your true worth to the world.”
The moment those words ended, the sword Cheon-hwi swung drew a perfect semicircle.
‘This is the Plum Blossom Sword Art…?’
Cho-ryeon’s soul was captivated by that sword path.
It was a sword path she had never seen in her entire life, but she too was a master who had reached a high realm.
Even though she was not a swordsman, she knew at least that the sword path drawn before her eyes was fundamentally different from ordinary sword arts.
‘It is not an ordinary plum blossom.’
It was a beautiful and fragrant plum blossom.
However, her lips, which faced it head-on, slowly distorted.
It was because it contained an internal energy that made her skin sting just by facing it.
‘Was it to this extent!’
She had heard so much about the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Art that her ears hurt.
As a martial art to be wary of in the Righteous Faction.
But after facing it herself, it was far more dangerous than she had heard.
‘Even if I die, that bastard…’
Cho-ryeon bit her lip hard.
The more they competed, the certainty that she could kill him faded, and the possibility was faintly dwindling.
However, she did not give up.
Thud!
Cho-ryeon stomped her foot firmly.
As if to show how much strong power she loaded into the sole of her foot, the previously broken floor of the martial arts arena flipped over, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
And at that moment.
Craaack…
Pure white cold energy sank downwards, and starting from where the sole of her stepped foot touched, it slowly began to freeze.
And not long after, the thickly laid cold energy blended with the ice beneath her feet, covering the martial arts arena in pure white.
Following that, she reached her hands upwards.
As if trying to grasp all the plum blossoms pouring down from the sky in those hands.
Geopcheon Ice Demon Hand.
The final ultimate technique of the White Hand Demonic Art exuded a cold and chilling frost, revealing its appearance in the Central Plains beyond the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Craaash!
The air froze, and a bitter cold swept in.
The cold wind, which had instantly changed the martial arts stage that was spring just moments ago into winter, froze the pouring plum blossoms one by one.
Before long.
Craaash!
A storm of intense bitter cold raged.
At some point, thin ice formed on the tip of Cheon-hwi’s sword and his sleeves, freezing solidly.
At this rate, it seemed as if all the plum blossoms would shatter and swallow Cheon-hwi.
However, Cheon-hwi remained the same even amidst the intense bitter cold storm of the Geopcheon Ice Demon Hand.
A smile still lingered on his lips, and he did not lose his composure.
As if he didn’t care at all about the Geopcheon Ice Demon Hand invading.
‘So this is the martial art you created to defeat me?’
The Rakshasa Ice Demon flashed through his mind.
She, who had been full of competitiveness behind an expressionless face as cold as a sheet of ice.
And it must be the technique currently deployed by Cho-ryeon that inherited that will.
Cheon-hwi’s gaze stared at Cho-ryeon.
Having her hair dyed in cold energy and turned pure white, she was extending a pair of pure white hands like a Snow Woman.
Just as the Rakshasa Ice Demon had confidently declared, the technique Cho-ryeon was currently using fell in no way short of being called the greatest in the world.
Both the situation and the martial art were fine.
However, there was just one thing.
It was truly regrettable that the one unleashing the White Hand Demonic Art right now was not the Rakshasa Ice Demon, but Cho-ryeon.
“Tsk, still, this is better than nothing. Just facing the martial art you created firsthand is something I should be immensely grateful for.”
Swallowing his regret, Cheon-hwi smiled faintly and slowly raised his internal energy.
Right now, this was a challenge from the Rakshasa Ice Demon, her, to him.
Leaping across the span of three hundred years.
“Isn’t that right?”
The smiling Cheon-hwi raised his sword.
At that moment, the thin ice on the tip of the sword melted down, and plum blossoms bloomed once more.
And with that as the start.
Craaack…
The ice that had spread centering on Cho-ryeon shattered, and the plum blossoms bloomed fully again.
As if winter was passing and spring was arriving, plum blossoms bloomed where the ice had melted, spreading a thick scent of plum blossoms.
‘For the Geopcheon Ice Demon Hand to be so vainly…’
Cho-ryeon’s pupils shook fiercely.
The plum blossoms were an illusion.
But they did not disappear.
Rather, they pierced through the Geopcheon Ice Demon Hand and bloomed again, falling downwards.
Endlessly vibrant and splendidly.
At that moment.
Swoosh…
The sword slowly fell downwards.
Drawing from top to bottom.
It was a very simple sword path.
However, Cho-ryeon, who faced the end of that sword path, couldn’t help but turn pale in shock.
Plum blossoms were falling.
The sight of red plum blossoms that overturned the entire martial arts arena falling like rain was magnificent.
Seven Absolutes Plum Blossom Sword’s Fifth Move.
Falling Plum Heavenly Rain Flower.
The plum blossoms that completely filled the sky poured down towards Cho-ryeon like a rainstorm.
Cho-ryeon’s heart beat loudly.
The sudden downpour of flower rain covered the entire sky, rendering it unavoidable.
No, far from evading, there was not even a single gap.
At this rate, it felt as though she would be encroached upon by that flower rain and vanish in an instant.
“I cannot end it like this here!”
Yelling out, she squeezed out all of her remaining internal energy.
A thick cold energy enveloped her.
It was a terrible coldness that seemed to turn anything into ice completely the moment it touched.
However.
Rustle…
The plum blossoms pushed away the cold energy she gave off and gradually dug inwards.
And the scent of plum blossoms tickled the tip of her nose.
A very deep and fragrant plum blossom scent.
Then, eventually.
Thump…
A single plum blossom petal that was falling very slowly quietly touched the crown of her head.
* * *
The plum blossoms and the storm of bitter cold that had greatly swept the martial arts arena vanished as if washed away.
As if nothing had happened.
The crowd stared blankly at the martial arts arena, unable to escape from its lingering imagery yet.
On the broken martial arts arena, Cheon-hwi and Cho-ryeon stood face to face, looking at each other.
Everyone who saw the two held their breath.
‘Who won?’
‘Has the conclusion been made? Or not yet?’
The majority of the watching crowd could not understand what had happened to the duel.
They had merely witnessed that beautiful plum blossoms bloomed and a storm of bitter cold rose up to oppose it, only that.
But at that moment.
“Huh?!”
Cho-ryeon’s body staggered.
Then, at the moment her body was about to fall backward powerlessly.
Swoosh…
A man suddenly appeared above the martial arts arena and quickly supported her.
And while gently holding Cho-ryeon with both hands, he bowed his head deeply to Cheon-hwi.
“I will admit defeat.”
Cheon-hwi stared at that man for a moment, then,
“…Right?”
Speaking casually, he waved his hand dismissively as if telling him to go away.
“Then hurry up and take her away.”
When the man carefully backed away.
“M-Mount Hua’s victory!”
“Waaaaah!”
Explosive cheers erupted.
It was because, unlike the previous duels, the duel between these two was so spectacular that even those ignorant of martial arts could feel their skills.
As the sound of the shouting grew even louder.
“Then.”
Cheon-hwi turned his body.
Exactly, it was towards the camp of the Four Supreme Hegemons of Shenzhou seen below the broken martial arts arena.
“The next one is coming out, right?”
When those who received Cheon-hwi’s gaze startled and hurriedly avoided his eyes.
“Pavilion Lord.”
At that time, a man moved among those who were busy avoiding the gaze.
He was a young man with a smile covering his entire face.
The young man, who showed a calm demeanor even in the current situation, approached the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord closely and politely cupped his fists in a salute.
“I apologize. I will forfeit this duel.”
“W-What do you mean all of a sudden…?”
At the declaration that was like a bolt out of the blue, the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord looked at the man in bewilderment.
However, the man smiled as if such a gaze was nothing and spoke.
“It might be different against the other ones before, but against that young Daoist, it is beyond my capabilities.”
The man shrugged his shoulders.
“Since I will be defeated anyway, there is no need to exhaust my strength pointlessly.”
“B-But this is a matter upon which the fate of Shaanxi rests! How could you forfeit!”
“The fate of Shaanxi, you say…”
The man slightly opened his eyes and dragged out his words.
When the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord shrank his neck after witnessing the chilling pupils reflecting through the narrow squint, the man continued speaking.
“If it is that important, why don’t you step forward yourself?”
The Geumhwi Pavilion Lord’s eyebrows shot up.
“Are you thinking of breaking the promise now?”
“A promise, that sounds good.”
“What do you…”
The Geumhwi Pavilion Lord stopped speaking midway.
He suddenly recalled what he had forgotten for a moment. The fact that the promise with them was to absorb the remnants of the White Ghost Castle, not to obtain Shaanxi.
“Then are you thinking of giving up on Shaanxi?”
“What would I gain from holding onto a fight where there is no chance of winning? I must cut off what needs to be cut, and take what needs to be taken.”
By the time the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord bit his lip hard at the man’s calm words.
“What are you doing? Is the next one not coming out?”
An urging voice came from above. Glancing at Cheon-hwi who wore a bored expression, he tightly closed his eyes.
Then, eventually, he parted his lips with difficulty.
“…We will forfeit.”
When the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord declared forfeiture, bewildered voices emerged from all directions.
“F-Forfeit?”
“Why, without even fighting?”
“Do you not know that! It is because they cannot beat the Little Immortal of the Mount Hua Sect right now!”
“Even so, to forfeit…”
Commotion arose here and there.
It was understandable since the fate of each sect was on the line in this duel.
Therefore, when they declared forfeiture without even fighting at a time when risking their lives wouldn’t be enough, it was natural for the crowd to be flustered.
“To forfeit without even dueling?”
“What are they thinking…?”
As the camps of Mount Hua and Zhongnan were also looking on with faces that had not yet comprehended the sudden forfeiture.
Tap.
Cheon-hwi sheathed the sword he was holding as if declaring the end, and tilted his head.
‘I do want to see what kind of martial arts he learned… I guess I’ll see it later.’
Cheon-hwi looked at the man smiling coldly next to the Geumhwi Pavilion Lord, and then took a step.
When he leaped down lightly from the martial arts arena immediately.
“The Mount Hua Sect’s victory!”
“Mount Hua and Zhongnan won!”
Someone started shouting, and the crowd that came back to their senses let out cheers.
And that sound instantly turned Cheongyapyeong upside down, spreading very far away.
“It’s too noisy.”
When Cheon-hwi, who frowned at the cheers pounding his ears, arrived at the camp.
Swoosh…
Everyone’s gazes gathered on him.
‘Tsk, this is going to get annoying.’
The elders of the Mount Hua Sect who came together this time could not hide their pride, and the disciples sent gazes full of awe.
Also, what about the Zhongnan Sect?
Those who seemed to have seniority looked astonished while simultaneously seeming to sense a crisis, and the young disciples showed awe and jealousy.
“Are you here?”
At that time, the Sect Leader smiled and approached.
“You worked hard.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
The Sect Leader’s smile deepened further.
How could this not be a big deal?
However, he did not say those words aloud.
Instead, he merely stared at him blankly.
“Ah, right! I need to go collect the money I won this time. You don’t need me for the aftermath, right?”
“…”
The Sect Leader, whose head slightly ached, tightly closed his eyes without realizing it.
He had momentarily forgotten Cheon-hwi’s arbitrary personality that had been obscured by his confidence.
“Haa.”
Opening his eyes with a faint sigh a moment later, the Sect Leader looked at Cheon-hwi and said.
“Right, go and come back quickly.”
“Then I’ll return to Mount Hua.”
“Mount Hua…? What does that mean…”
Flustered by the words that he would return to Mount Hua instead of coming right back, the Sect Leader tried to say something, but.
Whoosh…
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