Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 14

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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 14
Namgung Chang’s opponent was Namgung Hyun-chul, First Commander of the Three Sword Corps.
He was a master who had surpassed the middle tier of First-rate and now stood at its threshold of the late stage.
By contrast, Namgung Chang had only recently reached the middle tier of First-rate.
Judged purely by Realm, Namgung Chang lagged one step behind Namgung Hyun-chul.
Yet a higher Realm alone does not guarantee victory in all circumstances.
Moreover, this was not the gulf between First-rate and Peak—merely a single step within the same First-rate Realm.
Of course, bridging even that single step was no trivial feat.
While higher Realm did not guarantee victory, the truth was that the higher Realm usually prevailed.
Most would have predicted a win for Namgung Hyun-chul.
Indeed, all the senior masters on the Observation Platform expected him to triumph.
But Namgung Chang harbored no thought of defeat.
He possessed confidence that he could best Namgung Hyun-chul.
It was not blind confidence.
Through intensive training with Namgung Geom, he had uncovered the secret technique of the Heavenly Wind Sword Method.
With that, victory was well within reach.
Namgung Chang committed to full strength from the outset.
To trade measured blows with an opponent whose Realm exceeded his own would have been foolish.
He had to overwhelm Namgung Hyun-chul from the start, seizing the advantage before his foe could muster his full power.
The moment the Martial Competition began, Namgung Chang surged forward toward Namgung Hyun-chul and extended his blade.
The Sword Wind erupting from his sword rotated ferociously, drilling toward his opponent.
“Heavenly Wind Spiral!”
Namgung Hyun-chul’s eyes widened as though they might split from his skull.
The Heavenly Wind Spiral.
It was a secret technique of the Heavenly Wind Sword Method—by rotating Sword Wind at extreme speed, it magnified destructive power to its maximum.
The Heavenly Wind Spiral itself amplified the potency of the Heavenly Wind Sword Method severalfold.
Yet acquiring the Heavenly Wind Spiral was far from simple.
It demanded advanced mastery of Internal Energy, and even those who had reached Peak Realm found it formidable.
Namgung Hyun-chul himself had not yet obtained the Heavenly Wind Spiral.
Yet here was Namgung Chang—merely at the middle tier of First-rate—unfurling the technique.
Namgung Hyun-chul’s shock was entirely justified.
The senior masters on the Observation Platform were equally astounded.
That Namgung Chang possessed exceptional talent was common knowledge.
But no one had imagined he would master the Heavenly Wind Spiral at such a young age.
“I knew our second nephew’s talent was uncommon, but I never expected it to be of this caliber.”
Namgung Seong, Master of the Heavenly Wind Sword Manor, spoke with genuine admiration.
“Indeed. At this rate, the second nephew might actually win.”
Namgung Un, Master of the Heavenly Wind Sword Manor, remarked with evident interest.
Namgung Byeok furrowed his brow.
He had not anticipated that Namgung Chang would acquire the Heavenly Wind Spiral.
As a father, the news that his son had mastered it should have been cause for joy.
Yet the prospect of Namgung Chang now holding the advantage did not sit well with him.
He had fully expected Namgung Chang to lose.
And he wished for that loss.
He could not bear to witness Namgung Geom claiming the Sword Rank.
Namgung Byeok believed Namgung Chang must sense his father’s will.
Yet looking at his son now, there was no trace of intention to yield.
Meanwhile, even as Namgung Hyun-chul reeled from the shock, he summoned Sword Wind to block Chang’s assault.
Crash-crash-crash!
The ferociously spinning Sword Wind from Namgung Chang shredded through Namgung Hyun-chul’s Sword Wind in an instant.
Namgung Hyun-chul retreated urgently, unleashing another torrent of Sword Wind.
Dozens of waves erupting from his blade layered upon one another, forming a barrier against the spiral Sword Wind.
Crash-boom-bang!
Namgung Hyun-chul’s layered Sword Wind shattered as the spiral pierced through.
Yet the spiral Sword Wind could not penetrate to its fullest and lost force before completely breaking through the layers.
Namgung Chang did not loosen his grip, immediately summoning the spiral Sword Wind anew.
The spiral Sword Wind bore down on Namgung Hyun-chul with ferocious intensity.
The spiral Sword Wind did not merely possess overwhelming power.
Its speed surged dramatically, and the trajectory shifted unpredictably.
Namgung Hyun-chul’s expression hardened as he layered his Sword Wind once more.
At this point, there was no way to stop the Spiral’s Sword Wind except by pushing through with sheer force.
Crash!
The Spiral’s Sword Wind and the overlapping Sword Wind collided, detonating in a violent boom.
The overlapping Sword Wind shattered as it was pierced by the Spiral’s Sword Wind.
But again it failed to penetrate completely, and the Spiral’s Sword Wind dispersed.
He summoned the Spiral’s Sword Wind several more times, yet the outcome remained unchanged.
The Spiral’s Sword Wind was formidable.
But the defensive power of the overlapping Sword Wind was no trivial matter either.
Namgung Hyun-chul’s higher Realm played its part as well.
Had they been at the same Realm, the overlapping Sword Wind would not have been able to withstand the Spiral’s Sword Wind.
‘The difference in Realm truly cannot be ignored.’
If this offensive and defensive exchange prolonged, it would be Namgung Chang who found himself at a disadvantage.
The Spiral’s Sword Wind consumed Internal Energy and Mental Power in proportion to its might.
Namgung Chang would likely exhaust himself before Namgung Hyun-chul.
So he had to end this before that moment came.
‘Finish it in a single stroke!’
To defeat Namgung Hyun-chul, whose Realm exceeded his own, mere full strength would not suffice.
He had to push beyond his limits, even at cost.
Namgung Chang braced himself for Internal Injury and channeled another Spiral’s Sword Wind.
Crash, crash, crash—
Two Sword Winds erupted from Namgung Chang’s blade simultaneously.
Facing the twin spiraling Sword Winds bearing down from both sides, Namgung Hyun-chul hastily layered his own Sword Wind in response.
The barrier of overlapping Sword Wind held back the Spiral’s Sword Wind.
Crash!
The Spiral’s Sword Wind pierced through the barrier of overlapping Sword Wind without resistance, tearing it asunder.
‘This is absurd!’
Namgung Hyun-chul’s eyes went wide as he watched the barrier of overlapping Sword Wind disintegrate and collapse.
Boom!
The shockwave erupting from the shattering barrier engulfed him.
His body was sent flying helplessly backward, tumbling across the ground.
Namgung Chang, too, had suffered Internal Injury from his reckless assault.
As his Meridians tore with pain, all strength drained from his body.
But the Martial Competition was not yet over.
He gritted his teeth and approached Namgung Hyun-chul.
Then he pressed his blade to the man’s throat.
“I yield.”
Namgung Hyun-chul conceded defeat with a hollow expression.
Namgung Chang had won.
Namgung Chang bowed to Namgung Hyun-chul, then returned to the Waiting Stone.
“Well done.”
“I owe it all to you.”
Namgung Chang redirected the praise to Namgung Geom.
His victory over Namgung Hyun-chul had been possible only because of the Heavenly Wind Spiral.
And he could have obtained the Heavenly Wind Spiral only through Namgung Geom’s aid.
Without Namgung Geom, he would never have grasped the Heavenly Wind Spiral.
Namgung Chang felt deep gratitude toward Namgung Geom, who had imparted the insight of the Heavenly Wind Spiral so generously.
Of course, it was possible that Namgung Geom had transmitted this insight precisely because he needed Namgung Chang’s victory to obtain a new Sword Rank.
Yet even so, the transmission of the secret methods of the Heavenly Wind Sword Method was something to be grateful for.
“So you’ll join us in the new Sword Rank as well?”
“First, go and defeat the Commander of the Three Sword Corps, then we’ll talk.”
Namgung Geom chuckled softly and spoke.
“I’m having some tea. Finish up and come back before it gets cold.”
Namgung Geom walked toward the Martial Arts Arena, leaving Namgung Chang staring after him in exasperation.
The match everyone had been waiting for.
Namgung Geom’s opponent was Namgung Ji-hwan, the Commander of the Three Sword Corps.
Namgung Geom gauged Namgung Ji-hwan’s aura.
‘Early Peak Realm, I’d say.’
Among the commanders of the three major sword schools, he ranked on the lower end.
Even without achieving a Realm Advancement, Namgung Geom would have had more than enough power to defeat him.
Now that he had achieved his Realm Advancement, there was no doubt at all.
Namgung Geom gauged Namgung Ji-hwan’s aura just as Namgung Ji-hwan measured his in return.
Namgung Ji-hwan’s brow furrowed under the oppressive force he felt emanating from Namgung Geom.
It was difficult to gauge Namgung Geom’s Realm precisely.
But he could tell it surpassed his own.
Namgung Geom was scarcely twenty years old.
Moreover, he had only been training martial arts seriously for five years.
Yet his Realm exceeded his own—it was almost impossible to believe what he was sensing.
At first, Namgung Ji-hwan had wondered if Namgung Geom had artificially elevated his Realm using Spirit Elixirs.
But the oppressive force radiating from him told the truth: his Realm was genuine.
‘I could lose this.’
The possibility of his own defeat flashed through Namgung Ji-hwan’s mind.
The Martial Competition standings were currently tied at two victories each.
If he lost here, the Three Sword Corps would face total defeat.
That could not be allowed.
The pride of the Three Sword Corps hung in the balance.
He had to claim victory no matter what.
But it would not be easy.
The only advantage he could hope for was mastery—the depth of martial technique honed through experience.
Even if Namgung Geom’s Realm was high, he had only trained seriously for five years.
His proficiency and mastery in martial arts could be comparatively weaker.
And his experience in duels with masters would certainly be limited.
Namgung Ji-hwan could only place his hopes there.
‘I’ll decide this through technique.’
Namgung Ji-hwan believed Namgung Geom could not match his Heavenly Wind Sword Method.
And so the duel began.
Namgung Ji-hwan unleashed a Spiral Sword Wind from the very first exchange.
He intended to settle the match in the opening moments—before Namgung Geom could fully harness his Realm’s power.
Boom-boom-boom!
The Spiral Sword Wind erupting from his blade bored in from four directions at once.
It was incomparably fiercer than the Spiral Sword Wind that Namgung Chang had deployed.
The Three Sword Corps members watching erupted in cheers.
They believed Namgung Geom could not withstand the Spiral Sword Wind Namgung Ji-hwan had unleashed.
Namgung Ji-hwan shared that conviction.
But when Namgung Geom met that Spiral Sword Wind, his expression was utterly composed.
‘Impossible!’
Seeing that composure, Namgung Ji-hwan felt a chill of foreboding.
Then Namgung Geom’s blade began to move—slowly, deliberately.
Boom-boom-boom!
A Sword Wind erupted from his blade, spinning with violent intensity as it shot forward.
The Heavenly Wind Spiral.
But Namgung Geom’s Heavenly Wind Spiral was unlike Namgung Ji-hwan’s.
Crash!
Namgung Geom’s Heavenly Wind Spiral carried a bitter cold that seemed to freeze the very space around it solid.
It was the Icy White Heavenly Wind Spiral.
Namgung Ji-hwan’s face hardened as he beheld it.
Namgung Geom’s Heavenly Wind Spiral far surpassed the one he had unleashed.
And it was imbued with extremes of cold.
Namgung Ji-hwan sensed his defeat instantly.
Boom-crash!
The two Heavenly Wind Spirals collided, and a deafening roar tore through the air.
The Spiral Sword Wind that followed from Namgung Ji-hwan froze solid in the extreme cold, then shattered.
“Ugh!”
Namgung Ji-hwan gasped in pain, sent hurtling backward.
The Icy White Sword Wind did not relent, pursuing him relentlessly.
Namgung Ji-hwan clenched his teeth and poured out another wave of Sword Wind.
Crash!
Boom-crash!
But each gust froze in the extreme cold the instant it formed, shattering to pieces.
Soon the Icy White Sword Wind carved through the space between them.
“Arrgh!”
Namgung Ji-hwan urgently drew up his Internal Energy to block the cold that penetrated his body, as if it might freeze him entirely.
In that moment, the blade carrying that bitter chill descended toward his throat.
Namgung Geom’s sword, appearing from nowhere, now aimed at his neck.
Feeling his throat begin to freeze, Namgung Ji-hwan’s body went rigid.
Namgung Geom smiled wickedly at him and spoke.
“It seems I have won.”
Namgung Bing-ryong
Author |
Baek Wol-geom
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(주) Samyang C&C
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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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