Novel Martial Artist Lee Gwak - chapter 446
We lost all our site content, but I will work on re-uploading it manually, you can support us from here: https://ko-fi.com/novelgate
Episode 446
The Blade of Sura Aims for the Heavens (2)
Nam Woo-gyeong’s eyes were bloodshot.
His red pupils brimmed with deep fury, as if blood might drip at any moment.
He stared straight at Lee Gwak, eyes wide with madness.
Lee Gwak returned his gaze.
No words passed between the two.
Nam Woo-gyeong did not ask Lee Gwak for revenge, and Lee Gwak did not ask about his well-being.
For Lee Gwak, the fact that Nam Woo-gyeong was still alive was what mattered.
For Nam Woo-gyeong, the fact that Lee Gwak had come for him was what mattered.
Once Lee Gwak confirmed Nam Woo-gyeong’s survival, he shifted his gaze to Ja Hong-cheon.
Ja Hong-cheon watched Lee Gwak with an intrigued expression.
It was the first time he had shown any emotion, when killing Shim-wol and tormenting Nam Woo-gyeong, he had seemed completely indifferent.
“Kneel!”
“How dare you raise your head so high before the Lord of the Alliance!”
The martial artists of the Heavenly Martial Squad seethed with rage at Lee Gwak’s bold stance before Ja Hong-cheon.
Though some bore discontent toward Ja Hong-cheon’s actions, he was still the leader of the Alliance.
He deserved reverence.
Moreover, Lee Gwak was nothing more than a branch from the great tree that was the Jade Heaven Alliance. Yet here he was, showing no respect to his former superior. It was an insult to the entire alliance.
The martial artists looked ready to leap at him, but even as a storm of killing intent erupted from their bodies, Lee Gwak didn’t blink.
All of his senses were fully open and focused solely on Ja Hong-cheon.
At Ja Hong-cheon’s gesture, the Heavenly Martial Squad martial artists withdrew their fierce aura, although their faces remained displeased.
Ja Hong-cheon was the first to speak.
“It’s been a while, Lee Gwak.”
“Junior Lee Gwak greets the Lord of the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
Lee Gwak gave a respectful martial bow. But Ja Hong-cheon gave no reply and continued speaking.
“Have you found peace?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
A smirk curled at the corner of Ja Hong-cheon’s lips.
Long ago, he had extended his hand to Lee Gwak, who had refused under the pretense of seeking peace.
“What do you think?”
“About what?”
“My offer still stands.”
“My answer remains the same.”
“You are a tree nurtured by the Jade Heaven Alliance. Do not deny your roots.”
“But I have already taken root too far from the Jade Heaven Alliance.”
“What does distance matter? What’s important is that we share the same origin.”
Ja Hong-cheon emphasized the word origin repeatedly.
Had Lee Gwak been an ordinary martial artist, Ja Hong-cheon would not have spoken this way. But Lee Gwak was special.
The Mad Martial Sect, where Lee Gwak was the sect leader, was not yet a significant threat—just a gathering of misfits.
But with Lee Gwak at its core, the Mad Martial Sect became something more.
His presence alone gave it a competitive edge that rivaled established sects.
Lee Gwak was that extraordinary.
In the Jianghu that had stagnated after the Great Heavenly Blood War, his emergence was a shock in itself.
Ja Hong-cheon studied Lee Gwak carefully.
Even before him, Lee Gwak showed no signs of intimidation.
He was humble yet unyielding and respectful yet unshaken.
Ja Hong-cheon felt a pang of regret.
If Lee Gwak had remained in the Jade Heaven Alliance, Ja Hong-cheon wouldn’t have needed to go to such lengths.
With Lee Gwak as his blade, he could have cut down all obstacles standing in the way of unifying the Jianghu.
Ja Hong-cheon cut to the chase.
“Return to the Jade Heaven Alliance. I will grant you a position second only to me.”
“……”
“I have not named a successor. When I die, the Jade Heaven Alliance will be yours.”
“What about Lady Dan-ri?”
“That girl is not fit to be a Supreme. She is merely a useful tool.”
“Neither am I fit to be a Supreme.”
“But you are vast and solid. The vessel is already complete, it only needs to be filled.”
That was how much Ja Hong-cheon acknowledged Lee Gwak.
A once third-rate martial artist who had grown this powerful on his own. No one had made such a meteoric rise in a hundred years.
Even Ja Hong-cheon had started from nothing but was quickly recognized and given support within the Jade Heaven Alliance. Lee Gwak had none of that.
At least based on Ja Hong-cheon’s investigation.
And so he coveted him.
He wanted to possess the sword that was Lee Gwak. To wield him freely. If it meant sacrificing a little pride, so be it.
A greedy gleam shone in Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes.
It was unmistakably desire.
The intense craving to make Lee Gwak his.
Ja Hong-cheon made no effort to conceal it.
Lee Gwak frowned slightly.
He could feel the sticky breath of Ja Hong-cheon’s hunger.
He never expected the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance to be so transparent about his intentions.
Ja Hong-cheon was forcing a choice upon him.
Back in the Jade Heaven Alliance, Ja Hong-cheon had been an untouchable figure, a being from another world.
Lee Gwak had thought that some special, noble essence filled Ja Hongcheon.
Even after leaving the Alliance, that belief stayed.
Perhaps because of what Ja Hong-cheon called “roots.”
Even as a sect leader now, Lee Gwak still subconsciously saw the Alliance as his origin.
Thus, he had always regarded Ja Hong-cheon as someone far above.
But now, meeting him eye-to-eye, the reverence had completely vanished.
All he could see in Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes was greed.
There were no ideals, no aspirations.
He was simply a monster who, having obtained everything, now craved what others had.
That’s how Lee Gwak saw him now.
And so, he refused.
“I must decline.”
“You dare refuse me again?”
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer will remain the same.”
Lee Gwak’s voice was firm.
A twitch flickered across Ja Hong-cheon’s brow.
He hadn’t expected his offer to be dismissed so utterly.
“Heh!”
Ja Hong-cheon let out a hollow laugh, but his expression soon hardened.
A terrifying killing aura radiated from his sharp eyes.
But Lee Gwak felt no fear.
It wasn’t because he underestimated him, but because Lee Gwak had grown.
All of his nerves were tense, like a drawn bowstring.
Such tension meant he was completely alert.
Ja Hong-cheon’s overwhelming presence dominated the surroundings.
His aura was so intense that the wind stopped and the insects fell silent.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the martial artists of the Heavenly Martial Squad retreated, taking Nam Woo-gyeong with them.
Lee Gwak felt as if a thousand swords were all aimed at him.
Ja Hong-cheon’s title was the Limitless Sword Emperor.
A swordsman said to have reached the highest point one could attain with the sword.
But Lee Gwak did not yield an inch.
Though younger and with fewer years of training, Lee Gwak was already among the highest masters of the Jianghu.
The foes he had faced before were not inferior to Ja Hong-cheon.
Of course, he could not fully gauge Ja Hong-cheon’s strength without clashing directly.
But if he let fear take hold, he would never fight at his full potential.
Lee Gwak and Ja Hong-cheon locked eyes.
Krrrk—!
The very air trembled under their confrontation.
“Ghk!”
“Is this the level of the Sura Blade?”
Even the seasoned martial artists of the Heavenly Martial Squad were taken aback by Lee Gwak’s unfaltering presence against the mighty Ja Hong-cheon.
Then—
“Gwak will win.”
Nam Woo-gyeong, barely able to stand, spoke.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“The Sura Blade will defeat the Lord? Are you mad?”
They glared at him, ready to tear him apart. But Nam Woo-gyeong held firm.
“Just watch. Gwak will win…”
“You little—”
“Heh…”
Nam Woo-gyeong laughed.
His bloodied smile gave them an eerie chill.
No way…
The Lord, lose? Ridiculous.
They dismissed Nam Woo-gyeong’s claim.
Ja Hong-cheon was invincible.
No other master could compare to him.
He hadn’t earned the title Limitless Sword Emperor for nothing.
No one in the past century surpassed him in strength.
Even if Lee Gwak was a rising star, he could never compare.
Then—
Shhhk—!
Lee Gwak and Ja Hong-cheon moved simultaneously.
They didn’t use any special techniques.
They simply swung their blades with overwhelming force.
CLANG—!
Sword and blade collided midair.
A shockwave exploded outward like thunder, tearing through the surroundings.
“Kuh—!”
“Fall back!”
The martial artists of the Heavenly Martial Squad staggered away from the crushing pressure.
CLASH—!
Lee Gwak and Ja Hong-cheon clashed relentlessly.
Each impact sparked flares and shockwaves.
In the span of a single breath, they exchanged dozens of strikes.
Their movements were so fast that even the Heavenly Martial Squad martial artists struggled to follow.
They moved faster than the wind.
Ja Hong-cheon was like a raging volcano.
Though he used no special sword techniques, each swing carried the power to overturn the world.
Lee Gwak, in contrast, was like a flowing breeze.
Smooth, unhindered, his movements were breathtakingly free.
CLANG—!
He did not yield an inch.
‘Magnificent.’
Ja Hong-cheon’s face showed a flicker of admiration as he swung his sword.
He had yet to use his true techniques, but so had Lee Gwak.
Ja Hong-cheon embodied the essence of the sword—thrusting, slashing—simple motions combined into unstoppable force.
Lee Gwak did the same with his blade.
Cutting, cleaving, sweeping, pushing, and thrusting—he maximized the blade’s potential.
And with that alone, he matched Ja Hong-cheon’s overwhelming might.
CLASH—!
Sparks flew and the land was torn apart.
Their battle surpassed human limits, shaking the very air.
“Hmm…”
“Was Lee Gwak really this powerful?”
The Heavenly Squad Martial Artists stared in disbelief.
His lightness was like wind, his blade’s weight like a mountain.
His technique captured both extremes, just like a true grandmaster.
Ja Hong-cheon realized ordinary swordplay would not be enough.
Boom!
After a powerful exchange, he leapt back.
Even without using techniques, Ja Hong-cheon’s strikes had massive force, and Lee Gwak had taken a toll.
Little shocks had built up into something substantial.
“Whew…”
As Lee Gwak exhaled quietly, Ja Hong-cheon spoke.
“In the end, you force me to use the Heaven-Annhilating Sword. No one else has brought it out of me in recent years. Be proud.”
Ja Hong-cheon’s eyes glinted with a chilling light.
His killing intent raised goosebumps on Lee Gwak’s skin.
Until now, it had only been a preliminary exchange.
Rather than techniques, it was a clash of pure strength to probe each other’s depth.
Both still had much left in reserve.
The Heaven-Annhilating Sword was Ja Hong-cheon’s personal creation.
Built upon Jade Heavn Alliancee’s techniques and refined through his own enlightenment.
As the name implied—it held the intent to destroy even the heavens.
When he first joined the Alliance, he had made a vow:
To bring the very heavens beneath his feet.
The Heaven-Annhilating Sword was the proof of that vow.
Oooooong—!
Ja Hong-cheon’s sword released a chilling hum, as if the very air itself screamed in protest.
There was no limit to his blade.
That was why he bore the title Limitless Sword Emperor.
Facing the Sword Emperor, Lee Gwak silently raised his blade.
Only one thing had changed—the killing intent.
Heaven-Killing Blade.
The Sura’s Blade had now set its sights on Ja Hong-cheon
