Chapter 335: Xi'an (6)
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Ro Hwa-un and Gyeong Dae-gang did not even entertain the thought of defeat.
Muk Hui-yeong’s sobriquet of Eastern Emperor came from his righteous deeds, not his martial prowess. Of course, his martial arts were also said to be beyond the level of a rising star, but the experience born from age was impossible to bridge.
Thus, with the shallow experience gained at Muk Hui-yeong’s age, there were bound to be limits to his martial arts.
So they thought.
“Let’s do this.”
Having spoken thus, Muk Hui-yeong whipped his sword diagonally and vanished without a trace.
Startled, Ro Hwa-un and Gyeong Dae-gang unfolded their protective qi. Having lost sight of his form, their only choice right now was to defend in all directions.
Ro Hwa-un swung his body around to block Muk Hui-yeong’s sword. With a screeching sound, Ro Hwa-un’s wrist trembled violently as he was pushed back. Even though he had hastily met the blade without setting his stance, the very fact that he was pushed back in pure strength was a shock.
Muk Hui-yeong swiftly swung his sword. An overwhelming gray energy flowed out from the blade. It was energy possessing a profound quality that could not be clearly classified as either orthodox or unorthodox internal energy.
“As expected, facing an elder of the Mount Hua Sect isn’t easy.”
Muk Hui-yeong uttered an arrogant remark as he landed away. He did not even seem to think he was being arrogant.
Infuriated, Ro Hwa-un lunged forward immediately. A dense fragrance of plum blossoms spread from his sword. The plum blossom fragrance that began to emerge upon achieving minor accomplishment in the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Forms. The plum blossom fragrance emanating from Ro Hwa-un’s sword was beyond dense, to the point of being intense.
The streets of Xi’an filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms. Where the plum fragrance spread was the exact reach of his cultivation. Muk Hui-yeong immediately unleashed a sword wind to sweep away the plum fragrance.
A thick mist filled the space on one side, while the fragrance of plum blossoms filled the other. Both Muk Hui-yeong and Ro Hwa-un held their swords in a mid-level stance without making a single movement, yet the clash of energies and the back-and-forth struggle were fierce.
The one who took the initiative first was Ro Hwa-un. The plum blossom fragrance filling the street was drawn into his sword. Heavily imbued with energy, the blade glowed with a violet mist hue.
“Junior Brother. Step back for a moment.”
Ro Hwa-un said to Gyeong Dae-gang. Just as each sect had sword arts suited for joint attacks, there were also sword arts that shone when used alone. Usually, techniques with powerful individual destructive power were meant to be used independently. Because if a sword was swung carelessly, the likelihood of entangling an ally increased.
“Single-point strikes happen to be my specialty.”
Muk Hui-yeong smiled and altered his stance. It was a natural stance with the sword tip lowered toward the ground.
Ro Hwa-un’s eyebrows twitched. For an instant, he thought it was an act of disrespect toward him, but he could find no opening. An aura that felt as though it could counter any incoming attack was felt from Muk Hui-yeong’s natural stance.
“They said you had achieved an absurd level of accomplishment for your age, and it was truly so.”
“Did you think it was an empty lie I spread around?”
“It simply did not make sense according to my common sense. I suppose I should thank you for opening my eyes.”
Ro Hwa-un lowered his voice heavily. Muk Hui-yeong bowed his head and offered a martial salute.
“It seems this is also my first time witnessing a proper Mount Hua Sect sword art. My horizons have broadened like this.”
“The junior possesses proper manners after all. Even putting gold on this old man’s face.”
“Aren’t we fellow orthodox members?”
“That is true. That is why we are at least having a conversation like this, is it not? Had you been a demonic practitioner, there would have been no need for conversation.”
“Mmm, is that so?”
“Do you see it differently?”
“I shall refrain from answering.”
Ro Hwa-un narrowed his eyes.
“That alone is quite enough of an answer. Do you affirm the Demonic Cult?”
“Honestly, hailing from a merchant background, I have suffered far more losses from orthodox people than from demonic practitioners. Isn’t the essence of a martial artist simply fighting with a blade in hand anyway? Is dividing good and evil within that truly so important?”
“For someone who is supposedly the head of a major orthodox organization to hold such views is deeply concerning. There is righteousness in the orthodox faction.”
“There is probably righteousness according to each martial artist. Enough of that. I have no intention of persuading you, nor do I intend to be persuaded.”
“I suppose so.”
Ro Hwa-un nodded his head and pushed off the ground. Along with a powerful shock step, soil rose high from the trampled earth.
Ro Hwa-un’s sword, densely laden with violet mist sword qi, struck down at Muk Hui-yeong. Muk Hui-yeong met it with his sword, but the ground where he stood sank downward.
Even so, Muk Hui-yeong’s complexion did not change in the slightest. With a cracking sound, the ground split open. That meant he had dispersed most of the force Ro Hwa-un struck down with into the ground.
Ro Hwa-un had not expected Muk Hui-yeong to suffer hardship from this single move either. Striking down with such force was to impart even greater power to the subsequent forms of the Violet Mist Sword he would unfold.
From Ro Hwa-un’s sword, streams of violet mist sword qi stretched out. The sword qi connecting to the ground appeared as though lightning was being discharged from the sword tip.
The third form of the Violet Mist Sword, Violet Mist Opens Creation, was unleashed. The continuously flowing trajectory of the sword appeared as though a blacksmith had hammered a sword wide, making the blade itself spread out like a folding fan. The fan-shaped sword unleashed sword qi across every trajectory. Muk Hui-yeong laid Bright Elegance horizontally, then gathered the sword qi and sent it soaring into the sky. It was a defense aimed at raising his sword to transition into an offensive immediately.
That defense was accomplished far too easily. Of course, it was difficult to say that Ro Hwa-un had poured in his lifetime cultivation, but one could not start with such overwhelming force from the very first form. Ro Hwa-un had exerted his cultivation with sufficient seriousness, yet Muk Hui-yeong had swept it aside with utter ease.
“Impressive! Try taking this one as well!”
Ro Hwa-un roared in anger and swung his sword.
Ro Hwa-un’s sword vibrated, producing a low sound. It was the cry of the sword. The sword was not truly weeping; the vibrating hum produced when imbued with powerful internal energy was referred to as the cry of the sword. Muk Hui-yeong also hardened his expression and prepared his defense. Setting his left foot one step back and leaning his waist slightly backward, he prepared to counter.
Rosy Clouds Unfold, Mist Gathers. The unfolding rosy glow and curling clouds. An soaring, mysterious atmosphere unique to the Mount Hua Sect began to tremble forth from the sword.
Though it emitted a dangerous aura, quite apart from that, Muk Hui-yeong was filled with admiration. Being able to paint an atmosphere with a sword was something possible only in the realm of high masters. An atmosphere was a personal sentiment, meaning one could unfurl their own personal world.
Muk Hui-yeong felt the Mount Hua that Ro Hwa-un envisioned through all five senses.
In truth, there were no plum blossoms on Mount Hua. Rather, it was a rugged mountain filled with bare rock. While the rugged and sturdy nature of the original Mount Hua was shown in the Six Harmonies Sword, the foundation of Mount Hua’s martial arts, from the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Forms onward lay the stage of ideals.
A gathering of dreamers who sought to make plum blossoms bloom on a desolate mountain of rock—that was the Mount Hua Sect.
While earlier the sword had unfolded in a horizontal fan shape, this time it spread in a vertical circle. It was like looking at a fully opened umbrella.
An enormous surge of energy undulated and engulfed Muk Hui-yeong. When surrounded by the sword qi for an instant, Muk Hui-yeong felt as though he had arrived in an earthly paradise. Even though sword qi surrounded him on all sides in a crisis, the atmosphere of Mount Hua displayed by Ro Hwa-un was truly worthy of being called an immortal realm.
Among sword qi, there was sword qi like lines and sword qi like cloth. Ro Hwa-un’s sword qi was unbroken, seamless as heavenly garments without a flaw that could be called a seam. It was all the more dangerous because it was beautiful.
Rotating his body, Muk Hui-yeong deflected the sword. Continuous, unbroken flow was something Muk Hui-yeong’s sword was also capable of displaying. Was not Wudang’s sword the prime representative of such sword arts?
Fullness was unleashed. As he rotated and unleashed Fullness, there was no gap around Muk Hui-yeong. Ro Hwa-un’s violet mist sword qi could no longer constrict Muk Hui-yeong, shattering in all directions with a searing sound. It was the breaking of the technique. Using the momentum of the rotation, Muk Hui-yeong smoothly advanced his footwork.
Watching Muk Hui-yeong’s footwork draw curves as he approached, Ro Hwa-un also stared with his mouth agape. He had witnessed Wudang’s Flowing Cloud Steps several times, but Muk Hui-yeong’s Flowing Cloud Steps fell short in no way even when compared to the elders of the Cheong generation. In fact, it possessed an overbearing strength within softness, displaying a unique trajectory. It was the influence of the Heavenly Demon Lightness Art.
Though they were in a situation where they admired each other’s martial arts, the intensity was slightly different. If Muk Hui-yeong’s was an exclamation upon witnessing beauty, what Ro Hwa-un felt was awe blossoming before overwhelming talent.
Muk Hui-yeong grazed past Ro Hwa-un’s flank and unleashed a sword strike. Unleashed at close quarters, New Moon flew aiming for Ro Hwa-un’s forearm. It was truly a sword strike that occurred in the blink of an eye.
Ro Hwa-un had clearly lost track of Muk Hui-yeong’s movements. Securing such close distance was proof of that.
The moment an arm should have been severed. Ro Hwa-un had no doubt that his arm would fly off. However, the sword that had bitten halfway into his shoulder stopped before severing the bone.
Gyeong Dae-gang, who had been watching from behind, had conversely thrust his sword toward Ro Hwa-un’s shoulder in advance, blocking Muk Hui-yeong’s sword path.
Gyeong Dae-gang had not moved after seeing Muk Hui-yeong’s figure either. When Muk Hui-yeong kicked off the ground, he had kicked off and charged as well. The intuition that Muk Hui-yeong was about to inflict a fatal injury on Ro Hwa-un had spurred him into motion.
In the fraction of a moment Gyeong Dae-gang bought him, Ro Hwa-un twisted his shoulder away and swiftly sealed the blood vessels. Though the bone had not been severed, the sinews were cut, so he would not be able to use his left arm for the time being. That alone was a tremendous achievement for Muk Hui-yeong.
Gyeong Dae-gang lifted Muk Hui-yeong’s sword. With Ro Hwa-un already out of range, there was no need for Muk Hui-yeong to engage in further contest of strength. Because Ro Hwa-un immediately charged back in with sword in single hand.
The joint attack of the two Mount Hua elders began at once. Muk Hui-yeong’s previously relaxed expression turned solemn. The joint attack of two Mount Hua elders, who were masters of the transcendent peak, was not merely an arithmetic sum of their combat strength. Because they were people trained to form sword formations that exerted more than twice the pressure.
As Muk Hui-yeong stepped backward, the offensive of the Mount Hua elders grew fiercer.
‘It’s not easy.’
Muk Hui-yeong judged immediately. Of course, because Ro Hwa-un was not in normal physical condition, openings were faintly visible, but Gyeong Dae-gang swiftly filled them, making it difficult to pierce through with his current speed and power.
“Hup.”
He could step back no longer. Applying the Adhesion Art to his feet, Muk Hui-yeong anchored himself to the ground as if taking root. Slightly bending his knees, he unleashed Fullness, repelling the two.
Though it was a distance created for only a fraction of a moment, it was sufficient to regain his ragged breath. His vision, which had been forcibly trapped within striking range, expanded as if looking down from a bird’s-eye view.
The Wind God dwelling within his body informed him of just how far their energy encroached. Muk Hui-yeong’s mind raced at rapid speed.
A grade-3 talent held boundless possibilities. The fact that the names grew increasingly abstract meant that it demanded that much individual capability.
Until now, he had fought relying on talent, but for Muk Hui-yeong, who had reached the level of a transcendent master, a higher degree of interpreting talent was required.
Talent was powerful in and of itself, but what caused it to blossom was effort. Realizing that, another martial art began to take on a new system within Muk Hui-yeong’s talent-filled mind.
A profound principle that could not be properly expressed through the three forms of the Primordial Boundless Sword Art. In the past, he had thought single-point destructive power was the entirety of martial arts, but the battles of transcendent masters relied on endurance more than expected.
Because as things progressed, it became a battle of enlightenment, and it was not easy for one person’s enlightenment to be superior to another’s.
Releasing the Adhesion Art, Muk Hui-yeong lifted his feet from the ground and took his stance once more. Ro Hwa-un and Gyeong Dae-gang narrowed their eyes at the same time.
“A clumsy stance. It doesn’t seem like a time for you to act so leisurely.”
“It has no choice but to be clumsy. Since I am unveiling it for the very first time.”
“……What an absurd provocation tactic.”
Ro Hwa-un dismissed it as a lie at once, yet his pupils were trembling.
“If you can’t believe it, it can’t be helped.”
Grasping the sword hilt with both hands, Muk Hui-yeong began to channel his energy differently.
As their energies had been clashing until now, the two could sense it acutely.
The wavelength of energy Muk Hui-yeong radiated had changed.
Sensing that, the eyes of Ro Hwa-un and Gyeong Dae-gang trembled uncontrollably.
Denial born of common sense and the intuitively felt wavelength were colliding with each other.