Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 159

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 159
Internal Force from the Plum Blossom Divine Art radiating from Cheon Hui’s entire body slowly consumed the space around him.
“Extraordinary.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint let out an exclamation of genuine admiration.
His momentum had shifted dramatically from moments before.
That alone was remarkable—for one so young to possess such vast and majestic Internal Force, and to wield it with such perfect freedom!
How could one not marvel at it?
‘My heart is racing.’
As if aware of the Jongnam Sword Saint’s thoughts,
a resonant hum—Uoooong—
erupted from the Okro Sword, a cry of joy.
‘Ha, there is joy to be found, is there not, old friend?’
The Jongnam Sword Saint, a pleased smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, reached out to caress the Okro Sword.
His debut in Gangho had come late, at seventy, yet in all the years since, he had faced many masters.
But none of them could compare to the young man standing before him—all their brilliance had paled to insignificance.
“Then let us begin.”
He drew forth his Internal Force.
In that instant, the space around him was swallowed by impenetrable darkness, and at the same moment his body began to shimmer like a star.
This was the manifestation of the Eunha Cheongang Divine Art, the most alien and domineering defensive technique among the Jongnam Faction’s divine arts.
He, who radiated such a strange presence as if standing utterly alone in this world, opened his eyes halfway.
“This time, I shall strike first.”
With those words, he kicked off the ground.
Boom!
He gouged the earth a full hand’s breadth with the force of his push, then shot forward like an arrow, his blade slashing toward Cheon Hui.
Cheon Hui met him, raising his sword.
The two blades clashed.
A piercing clang—Shreeeeeng!
The space between them warped, and heaven and earth began to cry out.
Shockwaves rippled outward in all directions.
“Ugh!”
“Are these things human?!”
Tae Geuk Gunja and Cheon I Gae both poured their Internal Force forth in response to the successive shockwaves.
Yet for all their effort, the shockwaves still shook them to their very core—though neither could tear their eyes away.
And why would they?
Two who had reached the Ultimate Realm that all martial artists dream of were clashing before them!
Meanwhile, the Jongnam Sword Saint unleashed his Internal Force continuously, deploying the Tianxia Thirty-Six Sword Techniques.
Tianxia Shui Zhao, Tianxia Ang Shi, Tianxia Dao She, and more.
He manifested every form of the Tianxia Thirty-Six Sword Techniques, occupying all thirty-six directions at once, yet—
A thunderous crash—Kaaaaang!
Cheon Hui was smashing them straight down the middle.
‘…to think it would be this domineering.’
The Jongnam Sword Saint swallowed his shock in silence.
Despite the many techniques he had unleashed, Cheon Hui before him did not retreat one step backward.
Rather, he met each attack head-on, shattering them or snapping them apart entirely.
‘Is the Tianxia Thirty-Six Sword Techniques insufficient?’
The Jongnam Sword Saint channeled his Internal Force into his feet.
A sharp step—Tat!
Deploying the Eunha You Yeong Bi, the Jongnam Sword Saint closed the distance in a single breath.
Swift as wind—Swoosh—
He raised the Okro Sword high.
“Try receiving this.”
Before his voice could even reach Cheon Hui, a sharp flash of blade light came crashing down.
“That, that, that madman!”
“The Youyou Wuji Sword…!”
Cheon I Gae and Tae Geuk Gunja gasped in horror.
They had seen that sword form only once before.
Yet that particular sword stroke had burned itself far deeper into their minds than any other technique in all of Gangho.
For the instant that Youyou Wuji Sword had been unleashed, a martial faction had literally ceased to exist.
“That man is exactly what Gangho needs right now—what is he doing?!”
“Calm yourself.”
“Calm down? You know the power of the Youyou Wuji Sword as well as I do.”
“Don’t you trust the Sword Saint?”
Tae Geuk Gunja swallowed hard.
“I’m just thinking…….”
It was then, as he tried to defend Jongnam Sword Saint.
Whoosh—
The Youyou Wuji Sword unfurled.
“Thinking? There’s no room for that!”
Cheon I Gae cried out sharply.
Once the Youyou Wuji Sword was deployed, the outcome was already decided—as good as written.
Death. That was the only possible result.
Meanwhile, facing the Youyou Wuji Sword, Cheon Hui felt the world moving in slow motion.
Snowflakes that had been falling hung suspended in the air, and the wind that blew seemed to have stopped, leaving everything eerily silent.
But it wasn’t because time was flowing slowly.
The sword being swung before him—
It was so impossibly fast that everything else merely appeared sluggish by comparison.
‘Is this the pinnacle of speed?’
Cheon Hui drew his Okro Sword with measured care.
Steeped in the Eunha Cheongang Divine Art, the Okro Sword bloomed like a plum blossom in a space dark as shadow—as if it were reshaping the very world.
A world where only the Okro Sword existed.
“But in the end, it’s all illusion.”
Cheon Hui poured his inner power into the blade.
In an instant, gossamer-thin threads of energy spread from the sword’s edge into multiple branches, transforming into plum blossoms that bloomed in full splendor.
Whoosh—
Then he lifted the sword.
The plum blossoms that had bloomed around Cheon Hui vanished one by one.
In the end, only a single blossom remained.
Toward that last remaining flower, Cheon Hui drew his sword down slowly, vertically.
The moment that blossom was severed.
Hiss—
The world was swallowed by darkness.
Chiljeol Maehwa Sword.
Sixth form: Amhyang Budong Hwa.
The eyes of Jongnam Sword Saint, who had been deploying the Youyou Wuji Sword, narrowed.
‘He’s vanished.’
Cheon Hui had been right there before him just a moment ago.
But the instant the plum blossom that suddenly appeared was cut by his blade, the world went dark.
And in that darkness, he lost track of Cheon Hui.
No—it wasn’t just Cheon Hui he’d lost.
He’d lost everything.
His momentum, his sense of presence, even his perception.
He felt cast adrift from this world, utterly alone.
And in that moment, he caught it.
The fragrance of a single plum blossom.
Whoosh—
A gentle breeze swept past.
Cheon Hui and Jongnam Sword Saint remained standing, facing each other as they had before.
But their appearance had changed.
Their sect robes were torn in several places, and their disheveled hair whipped violently in the wind.
For a moment, time seemed to hold its breath.
Trickle—
Blood ran down Cheon Hui’s cheek.
“Blood……. It’s been a while.”
After wiping the blood away, Cheon Hui looked ahead.
“So this is what a Sword Saint truly is.”
Barely had those words left his lips when a thin line of blood appeared on Jongnam Sword Saint’s cheek as well.
A single drop of blood, gathering in beads along the cut, traced down his cheek and collected at his chin before falling.
Tap.
The drop spread across the snow blanketing the ground.
“Hmm. This is a first for me.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint let out a hearty laugh.
“There was nothing under heaven that the Youyou Wuji Sword could not cut through…….”
Cheon Hui smiled faintly and replied.
“That’s only because you weren’t facing me.”
At Cheon Hui’s confident words, the Jongnam Sword Saint’s smile deepened.
But only for a moment.
He wiped the smile away and asked.
“Can you tell me what sword form that was?”
“The Amhyang Budong Hwa.”
“Dark Fragrance and Stillness…….”
The Jongnam Sword Saint closed his eyes, then opened them.
A plum blossom blooming in darkness and a wisp of plum fragrance rose in his mind, then faded.
And the sword technique that halted midway…….
‘When swiftness reaches its extreme, it becomes dullness; when dullness reaches its extreme, it becomes stillness,’ he mused.
He nodded and spoke.
“A fitting name.”
“What’s the name of your sword form?”
“The Youyou Wuji Sword.”
“That doesn’t suit it at all.”
“Ha, I think so too.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint burst out laughing.
Who would think of swift swordplay upon hearing the name “Youyou Wuji Sword”?
Around the time the two fell into a brief lull, Cheon I Gae and Tae Geuk Gunja were astonished.
“He, he fought the Youyou Wuji Sword head-on?”
“Just now……. What was that sword form? Did Huashan Sect ever possess such a technique?”
They had no confidence they could survive against the Youyou Wuji Sword.
Yet not only did this young man face it unscathed, he wounded the Jongnam Sword Saint in the process.
“……What do you make of it?”
Cheon I Gae turned to Tae Geuk Gunja.
“Could he be connected to ‘them’?”
“…….”
Tae Geuk Gunja remained silent.
Such martial prowess at such a young age.
It was possible.
But.
“There was no one from Huashan Sect among those connected to them.”
“Then how is this possible?”
Cheon I Gae furrowed his brow.
“Huashan Sect has no masters capable of the Gyeokche Jeon Gong……. Then are you saying a dragon was born from a dried-up stream?”
As Cheon I Gae stared intently at Cheon Hui, trying to discern his true nature.
“Then let’s begin again.”
Just then, Cheon Hui picked up his sword once more.
“But before that, there’s one thing I’d like to propose.”
“What is it?”
“How about we decide the match by a single exchange?”
Cheon Hui stroked his chin.
A single exchange meant…….
He was going to display his ultimate technique, wasn’t he?
Cheon Hui’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“As long as you show me a proper ultimate technique in return, I don’t mind.”
“Ha, don’t worry about that.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint smiled and raised his sword.
“I’ll show you something proper.”
His eyes grew sharp and focused.
Yet contrary to what he had said, there was no aura or presence emanating from him.
He simply held a sword.
But Cheon Hui could feel it.
That very stance was the Jongnam Sword Saint’s sign of perfect readiness.
His intuition proved correct—the Sword Saint’s presence grew fainter and fainter, until even though he stood right before them, no trace of him could be felt.
The Jongnam Sword Saint slowly began to merge and dissolve into the world itself.
His mouth fell open.
“Do you know? These days everyone calls me the Jongnam Sword Saint and sings my praises, but once upon a time I was such a dull talent I couldn’t properly master martial arts, let alone debut in the Gangho.”
The words came out of nowhere.
Yet Cheon Hui sensed immediately that this story was connected to the ultimate technique about to unfold.
“I couldn’t handle Sword Qi properly until I reached forty, if you can believe that.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint smiled faintly.
That smile was so fleeting, so gossamer-thin, it seemed it might vanish at any moment.
“But even a dull talent like me received enlightenment. Thanks to that, I’ve reached this realm despite my late start.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint met Cheon Hui’s eyes.
“And what I’m about to display is my own sword form, one that embodies that enlightenment.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Cheon Hui said with genuine sincerity.
He meant every word.
His own sword form?
His spirit soared.
The Jongnam Sword Saint was the greatest master Cheon Hui had ever encountered in this life.
A sword form created and refined by such a man, infused with enlightenment itself.
Of course one could only anticipate it!
This would be no ordinary technique.
Cheon Hui’s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he raised his sword, wondering what form would unfold.
“The name of this form…”
A quiet voice flowed from the Jongnam Sword Saint’s lips as his blade began to radiate light.
“Late Blooming Gazes Upon All Under Heaven.”
With those words, he drew his sword downward.
It was utterly calm and serene.
As if pleading to be struck, the blade descended defenseless.
Had Cheon Hui swung his sword right then, the Okro Sword would have shattered like glass.
Yet that was merely the surface appearance.
‘Worthy of being called an ultimate technique.’
Cheon Hui watched with eyes half-closed.
The moment that simple downward stroke connected, his body sent urgent warnings, screaming at him to evade.
Then the Jongnam Sword Saint stepped forward.
Just a single step.
But in that instant—
Boom!
A crushing pressure bore down upon Cheon Hui.
Lifting his chin to glimpse the razor edge of the Okro Sword, Cheon Hui raised his blade.
‘Yes. This is what I wanted.’
Laughter escaped between his lips.
From the sword in his grip flowed an indescribable current, and it embraced him and everything around him with the gentlest touch.
As though encompassing all things.
Then his blade shot upward to meet the descending Okro Sword from below.
The seventh form of the Chiljeol Maehwa Sword.
Eternal Heaven Ten-Thousand Li Fragrance.
An enchanting plum blossom perfume swept through the air.
Whiiiii—
Even Cheon I Gae and Tae Geuk Gunja, standing far apart, could catch the scent of plum blossoms.
The fragrance was so intoxicating their eyes momentarily glazed over.
They nearly forgot they were locked in combat.
The Jongnam Sword Saint too felt that plum blossom fragrance.
But that was not all.
As Cheon Hui wielded his blade, the Jongnam Sword Saint witnessed a momentum beyond words.
‘Splendid.’
The Jongnam Sword Saint’s weathered face broke into a smile.
‘Come then, my friend.’
He poured strength into the Okro Sword.
Late Blooming Gazes Upon All Under Heaven met Cheon Hui’s momentum with perfect precision.
Clang!
At the sound of bronze shattering, Cheon I Gae and Tae Geuk Gunja snapped back to awareness.
“W-what was that just now?”
“More importantly, what happened to them?”
The two of them turned their eyes downward.
Before them lay the consequences of the two sword forms colliding.
Drip, drip.
Blood fell to the ground.
Cheon Hui gazed at his left arm, where drops of blood beaded and fell through the torn sleeve, then lifted his head and spoke.
“I’d say that makes it a draw.”
“Heh heh, a draw, you say……”
The Jongnam Sword Saint wiped the blood trickling from his lips and nodded slowly.
After that, he sheathed the Okro Sword.
“Still, it’s a shame.”
His gaze fixed on the other sword hanging at Cheon Hui’s side.
“I would have liked to see you draw that blade, no matter what.”
“Then shall we spar again?”
Cheon Hui raised his sword and made the suggestion.
“No, that will do.”
The Jongnam Sword Saint shook his head in refusal.
“In this state, neither of us could display our true martial arts properly.”
“Well, that’s true enough.”
Cheon Hui swallowed his disappointment and sheathed his blade.
“Then we’ll continue next time.”
“Next time……”
A thin smile crossed the Jongnam Sword Saint’s lips as he heard those familiar words again.
“Then I shall look forward to that day when we meet once more.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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