The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 73

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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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73
Woo Geom-san Competes for Supremacy
“…….”
Woo Geom-san, who was climbing Cheonbaeksan with the village youths, suddenly raised his head and looked toward Houyi Peak.
At his abrupt action, Nam Mu-rin, who was beside him, showed a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong, brother?”
“I need to go ahead first.”
“What?”
“You protect the older brothers and come up to the Village.”
Woo Geom-san’s expression was frozen hard as stone.
His heart ached as if it had been pierced by a dagger.
This kind of experience was a first for him.
But he knew.
The fact that a result without a cause could not exist.
Something had stimulated his soul and senses.
There was only one person in the entire Cheonbaeksan area who could affect him to this extent.
‘Grandfather!’
Something had definitely happened to Baek Ho-yang.
Something had been strange ever since his grandfather forced him down to Guangu County.
He should have noticed it from the moment the old man exuded an unusual atmosphere.
‘How foolish of me…….’
He bit his lip.
Looking back, the village youths and Cha Hyeong-o’s bride were looking at him with puzzled expressions just like Nam Mu-rin.
There was no time to explain the situation to them.
“I’ll go first. See you later.”
Flash!
Woo Geom-san left the people behind and leaped forward.
Nam Mu-rin and the youths stared blankly as his body instantly became a dot and vanished from sight.
Woo Geom-san dashed up the mountain path at a terrifying speed and reached the Plank Road in an instant.
Normally, he would have walked leisurely while enjoying the scenery around the Plank Road, but now he had no such luxury.
Deploying the Shunliu, he sprinted across the Plank Road.
As if riding the wind, Woo Geom-san’s figure slid forward dozens of Zhang at a time.
It was when Woo Geom-san reached the middle of the Plank Road.
Swish!
A streak of flash flew toward him.
Yeon So-myeong had launched a surprise attack.
Yeon So-myeong, who remained on the Plank Road, recognized Woo Geom-san, who was coming up at a terrifying speed, as a dangerous entity.
Although he didn’t know Woo Geom-san’s identity or name, he instinctively judged that he had to stop him here.
His sword strike reached Woo Geom-san’s neck in an instant.
Right before his neck was severed without even knowing why, Woo Geom-san drew his sword and swung it.
Clang!
With a clear metallic ring, the sword of the attacking Yeon So-myeong was deflected away.
Yeon So-myeong spun once in the air, landed on the Plank Road, and glared at Woo Geom-san.
Tingle!
A stinging pain was felt in the hand holding his sword.
The opponent’s sword carried such a powerful Force that he, who had struck first, was the one shocked instead.
Yeon So-myeong’s gaze, hidden beneath his Bangrip, sank heavily.
He was a member of the Eight Divine Generals of Cheonmyeong, the strongest Experts of the Cheonmyeong Association.
Yeon So-myeong, the Shadowless One, he was the world’s greatest assassin.
There was no opponent he decided to kill and failed to do so, and not a single person among his targets had ever survived.
Furthermore, he was an old Expert who had served the previous Association Chief, Zha Mu-wol.
Originally, he should have died when the headquarters of the Cheonmyeong Association was destroyed by the Nine Great Sects, but he had wretchedly survived to assist the young Association Chief, Zha Shanha. However, his assassination skills were still the absolute best.
Even though such a man had launched a surprise attack, he failed to kill the opponent and suffered a disadvantage instead.
Something he had never once imagined had occurred.
Woo Geom-san glared at Yeon So-myeong with a chilly gaze.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Yeon So-myeong. Who are you?”
“Did you launch a surprise attack without even knowing who I am?”
“My liege is at the summit of that mountain. I attacked simply because I cannot allow anyone other than my liege to go up that mountain.”
“By any chance, is your liege’s name Zha Shanha?”
“How do you know that?”
At Woo Geom-san’s unexpected question, Yeon So-myeong’s pupils trembled.
Seeing his reaction, Woo Geom-san let out a soft sigh.
On the day he met Zha Shanha, the man had said.
That the wind of destiny had guided him here.
The ominous presentiment he felt back then had become reality.
‘I should have looked into it a bit more…….’
Woo Geom-san blamed his own complacency as he looked at Yeon So-myeong.
A dense killing intent was flowing from Yeon So-myeong’s entire body.
The determination to absolutely never let Woo Geom-san pass was embedded within that killing intent.
Woo Geom-san leveled his Refined Steel Sword and spoke.
“I am Woo Geom-san, the grandson of the great warrior Baek Ho-yang, whom you all are targeting.”
“The grandson? Then, you must have inherited that old man’s true teachings?”
Yeon So-myeong’s killing intent grew denser.
When Baek Ho-yang killed Zha Mu-wol, the first Association Chief of the Cheonmyeong Association, he had fled to another place along with Zha Shanha.
In his heart, he wanted to die together with Zha Mu-wol, but because he had the duty to keep Zha Shanha alive and help his Gongfu, he had forced himself to leave the place.
He hated the existence known as Baek Ho-yang so much that he wanted to tear him into a thousand, ten thousand pieces.
He could absolutely never leave the grandson of such a Baek Ho-yang alive.
Flash!
Without warning, his sword flew aiming for Woo Geom-san’s neck.
His essence was that of an assassin.
He was far removed from flashy sword forms or fighting fair and square.
Taking the opponent’s life through surprise attacks or ambushes was his way.
That was why he launched a surprise attack the moment he heard Woo Geom-san’s name.
Clang!
However, his surprise attack ended up in Wuwei this time as well.
It was because Woo Geom-san swung his Refined Steel Sword to block his attack.
Yeon So-myeong’s sword trembled violently.
‘Setting aside that he is Baek Ho-yang’s grandson, he is a bastard who must absolutely not be left alive.’
An Expert could know the opponent’s level just by exchanging hands a couple of times.
The Force loaded into Woo Geom-san’s simple single sword strike was incredibly heavy, just like a great mountain.
It was the worst compatibility for Yeon So-myeong, who used nimbleness as his primary weapon.
Containing his desperate conviction, he deployed the ultimate Form of the Zhutian Sword Technique.
Blood Soul Single Death Strike.
It was a killing form dense with murderous aura that must surely see blood once deployed.
Before the sword could even arrive, a thick scent of blood assailed Woo Geom-san first.
At the same time, a crimson energy flared up, encroaching upon the area like a fog of blood.
The whole world was dyed crimson like blood.
The blood fog shook Woo Geom-san’s senses at will.
However, it could not shake the human named Woo Geom-san himself.
Woo Geom-san had deeply mastered the Gongfu of the Quanzhen Sect, the greatest sect of Taoism.
Particularly, the Choyeon Simgyeol he mastered could be considered the ultimate counter to heterodox external strength.
It allowed him to grasp the opponent’s essence under any circumstances and maintained his own composure.
To such a Woo Geom-san, this kind of delusion did not work.
“Whew!”
Woo Geom-san took a deep breath.
Suddenly, the memory of killing the Bandits who had sneaked into Cheonbaeksan in the past came to mind.
Although it was an unavoidable situation, he had killed as many as twenty people.
Due to the shock at the time, Woo Geom-san no longer participated in the Trading Journey and secluded himself only on Cheonbaeksan for a whopping ten years.
During the span of ten years, Woo Geom-san had tempered himself severely, and as a result, he came to possess a firm mind that would not shake under any circumstances.
He had no intention of going easy on an opponent who was trying to kill him with a desperate resolve.
Above all, he had no desire to bicker with Yeon So-myeong for long.
Swoosh!
Cutting through the blood fog, Yeon So-myeong’s sword secretly aimed for his life.
If it were an ordinary Martial Artist, they would have died without even knowing how they were struck, but Woo Geom-san was different.
In his senses, the sword approaching without sound or presence was vividly felt.
Swish!
At that moment, Woo Geom-san swiftly thrust his sword forward.
He had deployed the Cheongryugyeol, the first Stance of the Choyen Sword Technique.
The blue energy wrapped around his sword cut through the red mist and blocked Yeon So-myeong’s sword path.
Thud!
Blocked by Woo Geom-san’s sword, Yeon So-myeong’s sword path was distorted and pierced the empty air.
The problem was Woo Geom-san’s sword.
Even after deflecting Yeon So-myeong’s sword, energy remained, and it advanced straight ahead.
“Urgh!”
Yeon So-myeong tried to evade, unable to hide his bewildered expression.
At that moment, Woo Geom-san’s sword caused a bizarre transformation.
He had switched from Cheongryugyeol to Heart-Shattering Resolution.
Yeon So-myeong’s mind was heavily convulsed.
As if hearing the sound of a tolling bell inside a giant temple bell, his mind and spirit were shaken. Therefore, he could not avoid Woo Geom-san’s sword.
Woo Geom-san’s sword pierced straight through below his collarbone.
Squelch!
Along with a gruesome sound, an excruciating pain was transmitted to Yeon So-myeong’s brain.
No matter how steel-tempered his body was, it was inevitable that his body would freeze momentarily before such pain.
Woo Geom-san did not miss that gap and kicked Yeon So-myeong’s abdomen.
Thump!
Along with the sound of a leather drum bursting, Yeon So-myeong’s body was sent flying backward.
Woo Geom-san didn’t even cast a glance at Yeon So-myeong, who crashed into the wall, and deployed the Flowing Void Steps.
Yeon So-myeong’s life or death was of no importance to him whatsoever.
His heart was directed toward Baek Ho-yang at the summit of Houyi Peak.
Swoosh!
His body shot forward like a ray of light.
Utilizing the Shunliu, he rode upon the wind.
The appearance of Woo Geom-san soaring on the wind was reminiscent of an immortal.
It felt as if he could catch the clouds if he reached out his hand, and when looking down, the world lay beneath his feet.
However, Woo Geom-san’s gaze was directed upward, not downward.
As he broke through the clouds and ascended, the summit of Houyi Peak finally came into view.
“Roar!”
Woo Geom-san unwittingly burst forth with the Roar of the Azure Dragon.
While fully prepared to strike at any moment, Woo Geom-san stepped onto the summit of Houyi Peak.
However, Zha Shanha’s figure could not be found anywhere on the summit of Houyi Peak.
He had already left Houyi Peak. It was just that their paths crossed because the route going down was different.
Instead of Zha Shanha, Baek Ho-yang, who was sitting on a rock, greeted him.
“That brat, you come quite noisily.”
“Grandfather! Are you alright?”
Woo Geom-san hurriedly discarded his sword and ran to Baek Ho-yang.
“Don’t make a fuss and sit beside me.”
“Grandfather?”
“Hurry!”
“Yes!”
As Baek Ho-yang raised his voice, Woo Geom-san reluctantly sat beside him.
Baek Ho-yang stroked Woo Geom-san’s head and said.
“When did you grow this big? You seem to be a whole head taller than this old man.”
“What old times are you talking about? I was much taller than you even ten years ago.”
“Is that so? Time is fast. To think it has already been fifteen years since I met you.”
“Why are you talking like that?”
“Weren’t you also aware of it? That this old man’s life doesn’t have much left.”
Drip!
In an instant, black blood seeped out through Baek Ho-yang’s lips.
He looked fine on the outside, but his internal organs were crushed to the point that their shapes could not even be recognized.
Woo Geom-san’s face turned deathly pale as he recognized Baek Ho-yang’s bodily condition.
“……Did Zha Shanha make you like this, grandfather?”
“Do not be angry. I was already dying. He merely brought my death forward a little bit.”
“Grandfather?”
“Instead, I took five years of time from the Cheonmyeong Association Chief, so it is a profitable deal.”
Baek Ho-yang smiled.
Zha Shanha’s achievement was so grand that it made even him fearful.
Woo Geom-san’s talent was so great that it seemed heaven-sent, but Zha Shanha’s talent was also not inferior to it.
However, there was a big difference between the two.
It was precisely the time they spent mastering Martial Arts.
Zha Shanha had trained bitterly for easily over twenty years more than Woo Geom-san.
The twenty-year gap was larger than expected, so it was by no means something that could be narrowed in a short period.
If Woo Geom-san were to fight Zha Shanha right now, a certain defeat was guaranteed.
He had to buy time for Woo Geom-san and take away Zha Shanha’s time. That was why he faced Zha Shanha in battle here alone.
Even while knowing that the end would be his own death.
Trading a lifespan with only a few months left to take five years from an absolute Martial Artist like Zha Shanha was a winning bargain.
If Zha Shanha had crushed Baek Ho-yang’s internal organs, Baek Ho-yang had left a massive scar on Zha Shanha’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Heart Meridian.
To heal properly, even five years would be tight.
Woo Geom-san gained five years, and Zha Shanha lost five years.
As a result, it amounted to gaining ten years.
Woo Geom-san’s talent would fill the remaining gap.
Baek Ho-yang stroked Woo Geom-san’s head again.
“Five years will be enough to perfect you.”
“……Grandfather!”
Woo Geom-san shed tears.
Baek Ho-yang had not avoided the decisive battle with Zha Shanha in order to buy time for Woo Geom-san.
To the point of discarding even his own short remaining lifespan without regret, Baek Ho-yang cared for Woo Geom-san.
At his ultimate love, Woo Geom-san’s heart was torn to pieces.
“Sob! Sobbing!”
Woo Geom-san clutched his chest and wept uncontrollably.
Baek Ho-yang stroked Woo Geom-san’s head and said.
“Do not cry, Geom-san! Thanks to you, I lived more happily than anyone else for the past fifteen years. I beg of you, please grieve for me for just three days. After that, live for yourself. Can you promise me that?”
“I’ll…… promise.”
“Then that’s enough.”
“I couldn’t even give you the books I brought to give you, grandfather…….”
“You read them instead of me. Thanks to you, I read books to my heart’s content, so I’m tired of them now.”
“I understand.”
“It’s…… beautiful.”
Baek Ho-yang leaned his head on Woo Geom-san’s shoulder and looked down the mountain.
The endlessly stretched ridge of Cheonbaeksan and the horizon entered his sight. The small worlds spread within it.
Baek Ho-yang smiled as he took all of it into his eyes.
“Grandfather?”
“…….”
“Are you sleeping?”
“…….”
“You are sleeping. Sleep…… peacefully.”
For a long time, Woo Geom-san sat on the rock with Baek Ho-yang and looked at the world.

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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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