The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 65

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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 65.
The fifth day of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering dawned.
Though it was the final day, spectators had not thinned in the slightest, and Mudang Mountain overflowed with crowds.
It was only natural.
In the midst of repetitive, endless days, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering—the grandest celebration of the Orthodox Faction—was like rain after a drought.
Above all, the final of the Martial Tournament, the greatest sensation in the Martial World, remained.
“Military Strategist. First, allow me to offer my congratulations.”
At Namkoong Cheon’s mild tone, Jegal Cheonseong regarded him with a suspicious expression.
“What are you speaking of?”
“Why look at me like that? Naturally, I mean that this Dragon Phoenix Gathering—the first to include the Nine Great Sects—is concluding in triumph.”
“…That was possible only because the Alliance Leader proposed it and the Supreme Sage of Tai Chi accepted. I’ve done nothing worthy of remark.”
“Hah, is that so? Then let me dispense with that congratulation and offer another instead.”
“Another? What might that be?”
Jegal Cheonseong looked at Namkoong Cheon with an expression that invited him to speak.
“That your sons have claimed the runner-up position for two consecutive years.”
At Namkoong Cheon’s provocation, which did not disappoint expectations, Jegal Cheonseong let out a knowing smirk.
“The results haven’t even been decided, yet your confidence overflows?”
“Hah. What more need be said? Surely you yourself witnessed the rare talent who awakened the Emperor Sword Form at the Peak stage—a gift found once in a thousand years?”
“You seem not to have witnessed the talent of adapting the subtle mysteries of a renowned lineage to create an entirely new martial art?”
“Is the Emperor Sword Form not the supreme technique of that renowned lineage?”
“Are there not other renowned lineages besides the Namkoong Clan? Are all the esteemed figures gathered here unaware that each represents a distinguished house?”
“Krakakaka! Both of you, enough of this!”
A broad-shouldered man who had been watching the childish quarrel between the two leaders—Peng Fangjian, Head of the Peng Family—burst out in hearty laughter and interjected.
Since he had no son participating in this tournament, he was the most objective of all the house leaders observing the martial competition.
“Whoever wins, both are surely exemplary martial artists! In the previous Dragon Phoenix Gathering where my son claimed victory, there were only two Peak-stage martial artists—the eldest son of the Jegal Family and my own son.”
Peng Fangjian stroked the magnificent beard he had cultivated with the same heartiness as his temperament.
“Yet now that the Nine Great Sects have gathered, have we not seen five Peak-stage martial artists? Among such masters, whichever of these two reaches the final will surely become a pillar of the Orthodox Faction!”
It was sound reasoning and a balanced reconciliation.
“Moreover, both have defeated martial artists from other sects to reach this point. Those defeated fighters too will become exemplary masters, and we who have fallen back can simply watch them with pride. Ahahaha!”
At Peng Fangjian’s words, which carried consideration for the hearts of the losers, Namkoong Cheon and Jegal Cheonseong ceased their argument.
“Ahem. Quite right. We displayed shameful conduct.”
“Your words are correct. Thank you for the mediation.”
The two men, somewhat embarrassed at having raised their voices in what was ultimately a matter concerning their sons, quietly turned their gazes toward the sparring arena.
The victory, after all, belonged to those standing above.
***
With a roar louder than ever before, Mu Heun and Namkoong Seo Ryong ascended the sparring stage simultaneously.
While the majority had wagered on Namkoong Seo Ryong’s victory, the thrill that the word “final” evoked,
mingled with small hope kindled by the skill Mu Heun had displayed against the renowned lineages—all converged into a tremendous cheer.
Mu Heun and Namkoong Seo Ryong faced each other on the sparring stage and smiled.
“Mu Heun, how are you feeling? Did you sleep well last night?”
“I didn’t sleep particularly well, but my condition couldn’t be better. And you?”
“Same here. I was too excited and stayed awake all night, but I’m in good form.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong wore a curious smile as he glanced skyward.
“Truth is, I doubted you a little.”
“Doubted me?”
At the question, as if to ask what he meant, Namkoong Seo Ryong lowered his gaze to Mu Heun.
“We made a promise, and I knew you’d grown stronger, but when I saw the bracket, I thought it would be difficult to keep it. After all, I could only verify it here in the final.”
At those words, Mu Heun’s lips curled upward.
“Then again, you might not have made it here yourself.”
“What? Hahaha!!”
At Mu Heun’s jest, Namkoong Seo Ryong laughed heartily.
“Ha ha… true. That’s right. It might have been that way. But in the end, the promise has held. Thinking on it that way, both you and I are remarkably fortunate. Don’t you agree?”
“A fair point.”
Mu Heun gave a slow nod.
“Such fortune may not come twice.”
Mu Heun spoke not merely of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, though Namkoong Seo Ryong could interpret it no other way.
“Is that so? Well, I suppose it matters little. Why? There’s a saying that luck is also a skill.”
“That rings true as well. After all, fortune never visits those who do not strive.”
“Right, so this place—we’ve made it ourselves. And….”
Shing—
Namkoong Seo Ryong drew his blade with a fluid, effortless motion.
It was so clean, so economical, that the gesture alone hinted at the depth of his cultivation.
“Now, it’s time we settle this ourselves. Are you ready?”
Instead of answering, Mu Heun smiled and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The referee, seeing this, raised his hand.
“Both of you have worked hard to reach the finals. Many thoughts must weigh on your minds, but fight with all your strength to claim victory.”
The two competitors nodded at the referee’s words of encouragement.
“Then, under the solemn rules of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, let us determine a fair victor! Begin!”
As the referee’s hand fell, Namkoong Seo Ryong unleashed the highest mastery technique he possessed.
The Greatest Sword Family Under Heaven—the Namkoong Clan’s Supreme Art.
The Emperor Sword Form.
Boom!
A weight descended upon Mu Heun’s body—the terrible majesty of an emperor who would never accept anything less than submission.
‘So this is the Emperor Sword Form as Seo Ryong wields it now.’
Save for the direct bloodline of the Namkoong Clan, no one knew the Emperor Sword Form better than Mu Heun, yet experiencing it firsthand, he had to admit the arrogant name suited it perfectly.
Namkoong Seo Ryong advanced slowly toward Mu Heun, his brow furrowed, as if expecting no resistance.
“Well?”
At Seo Ryong’s question, Mu Heun forced the corners of his mouth upward.
“Superb.”
“Indeed. After all, it’s the clan’s supreme technique. And I’ve grown far more familiar with it than when I first used it. It’s not merely dominating space anymore—I can sense everything within that space in perfect detail. For instance…”
Namkoong Seo Ryong stopped at a distance where Mu Heun’s blade could not touch him.
“How you’re actually unharmed at this very moment, for one.”
At his words, Mu Heun’s eyes widened slightly, then a laugh escaped him.
“You’ve already seen through it?”
“Well, I do tend to excel at such things.”
“Remarkable.”
Mu Heun clicked his tongue softly and shot forward like an arrow toward Namkoong Seo Ryong.
“A pity.”
The Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword—First Form: Myriad Star · Opening the Path.
Clang!
Mu Heun’s blade sang out swiftly and crashed against Seo Ryong’s steel.
The two locked gazes over their crossing swords, each wearing a smile.
“Did you truly think to end this match so easily?”
“How could I dream of toying with a martial artist of your caliber?”
“I appreciate the praise.”
Whoosh—
Namkoong Seo Ryong twisted his center of gravity and sent Mu Heun flying backward.
Mu Heun steadied himself in mid-air and landed lightly roughly two feet away.
Namkoong Seo Ryong tilted his head, curious.
“The Emperor Sword Form shows no sign of wavering, yet you move as though unaffected. How?”
More than unaffected—the Emperor Sword Form remained in full effect.
Yet Mu Heun moved as he always did.
Of course, he had no intention of revealing his method so readily.
“Well, it happens I’m not the type to kneel easily before any emperor.”
“Not the type to kneel before an emperor…”
But even in so light a remark, Namkoong Seo Ryong found the answer swiftly.
“Ah. The Mental Realm?”
……
“Though I don’t know the precise details, it seems you’ve tempered your Mental Realm overnight to counter the Emperor Sword Form.”
The observation was too accurate for Mu Heun to deny.
To think he could deduce so much from a single quip.
‘I thought I understood Seo Ryong’s talent well enough…’
Clearly he’d been underestimating him still.
“Yes. You’ve read me correctly.”
Last night, Mu Heun had met with Yang Mujin and asked how to manifest the Mental Realm.
Yang Mujin said it was impossible in a single night and called the attempt meaningless, yet he still taught Mu Heun the basics of the technique.
And once again, Mu Heun could only marvel.
‘This is insane. How is this even possible?’
Not yet having reached the Ultimate Peak, Mu Heun could not achieve full manifestation, but he’d succeeded in grasping the form of the Mental Realm and filling his body with it from within.
—They say that the more suffering one endures, the clearer one’s Mental Realm becomes. But….
Yang Mujin had endured suffering just as deeply.
To witness one’s own clan burning with his own eyes—his pain was no less than Mu Heun’s, and perhaps even greater.
Yet even Yang Mujin had achieved his Mental Realm at twenty-eight years old.
He’d succeeded only at the very threshold of the Ultimate Peak.
Simply enduring suffering isn’t what matters.
What matters is crafting the shape of one’s heart, molded after one’s self, grounded in the lived experiences that form a person.
In the end, experience is what matters—suffering is merely the more vivid form of it.
That’s why the established wisdom holds that the older one grows, the easier it becomes to forge a Mental Realm.
—You haven’t even reached your twenties yet. Are you really eighteen?
Mu Heun looked at the astounded Yang Mujin and offered a sheepish smile.
In truth, Mu Heun’s inner self was an old soul who had accumulated far more experience than most of the elders in the Martial World.
Of course, he couldn’t simply say that aloud.
—I suppose I must seem like an old soul trapped in a young body.
Brushing past Yang Mujin’s protests that it made no sense, Mu Heun devoted the night to solidifying his Mental Realm.
“To see through that so quickly. I suppose conversation has run its course.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong nodded at Mu Heun’s words.
“Indeed. Further words would only squander time. After all….”
Blue sword energy shimmered above Seo Ryong’s blade like heat haze.
“We lack even time to converse through steel.”
Mu Heun wrapped white sword energy around his own blade.
The true contest was only now beginning.
Seo Ryong’s sword moved first.
‘There’s no reason to release the Emperor Sword Form.’
If it had no effect on Mu Heun, one might think he’d merely be squandering his inner strength—but Seo Ryong knew better.
‘If he fills his body’s interior with his Mental Realm, then his mental power will be consumed accordingly.’
Therefore, for one without a Mental Realm to gain advantage, maintaining the Emperor Sword Form and forcing a protracted war of inner strength and mental power depletion would actually favor him.
‘In that scenario, I would hold the advantage.’
Fundamentally, Seo Ryong’s inner strength boasted overwhelming reserves even among masters of his stage.
Moreover, the Emperor Sword Form granted him control over the weight of space itself while simultaneously amplifying every technique of the Namkoong Clan.
Combined with Seo Ryong’s own natural genius, the power of each move was formidable enough that even single techniques could be called Perfect Stage abilities.
—Heaven contains no path by nature; the Namkoong sword is itself the Heavenly Way.
—Let the azure expanse stretch ten thousand leagues—nothing can bar the sword’s passage.
—Clouds split asunder; wind scatters without trace; heaven and earth are sundered whole.
—The sword light sweeps forth, and ten thousand phenomena bloom open.
—Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique, Third Form: Ten Thousand League Azure Sky.
Seo Ryong’s savage slash, blazing with violent azure momentum, crashed down upon Mu Heun.
—Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, Second Form: Flowing Cloud.
Whoosh.
Struck by the Flowing Cloud technique, infused with the subtlety of Mudang Mountain, Seo Ryong’s blade curved away from its path.
Mu Heun seized the opening and swept forward with the footwork of the Heaven Path No Emotion, unfurling his next form.
—Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, Third Form: Peony.
A delicate fragrance bloomed; peony petals scattered in the wind as a rapid thrust surged toward Seo Ryong.
Without hesitation, Seo Ryong shifted his center along the deflected trajectory and spun once in the air.
Whoosh—
And so Mu Heun’s blade passed through empty space.
Seo Ryong continued into his next form without pause.
—Beyond what mortals deem the edge of heaven, another Spear Heaven still dwells.
—The moment the body rises skyward, the blade already escapes mortal sight.
—A single shaft of heavenly light plummets like thunder, piercing through the void.
—When you raise your head at last, the heavens have already claimed your neck.
—Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique, Sixth Form.
—Beyond Heaven Flying Immortal.
Remarkably, Seo Ryong’s blade accelerated once more in mid-air, plunging down toward the crown of Mu Heun’s head.
Rather than dodge, Mu Heun rose to meet it head-on.
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Mu Heun grunted and stumbled backward three paces.
Though Mu Heun held the advantage in his Mental Realm, Seo Ryong surpassed him in all else.
With the Emperor Sword Form layered atop that, meeting him in direct confrontation was folly.
‘But it had meaning.’
Now I could gauge exactly how much force Seo Ryong’s strike carried.
It was a blow that defied belief coming from someone at the Peak stage.
‘Seo Ryong must have felt it too. He won’t avoid a direct collision.’
Mu Heun stepped back and raised his sword overhead.
Seeing this, Seo Ryong smiled.
“A technique borrowed from the main family’s principles?”
“That’s right. It’s called Spear Heaven.”
“Spear Heaven. A fine name. But….”
Seo Ryong maintained his smile and adopted the same overhead downward stance as Mu Heun.
“What happens when it truly clashes with the Namkoong Clan’s blade?”
Just as Mu Heun predicted, Seo Ryong chose to meet him rather than evade.
‘Then, what will the result be?’
There was only one way to find out—by colliding.
Without hesitation, Mu Heun unleashed a heavy downward slash as if dragging the heavens themselves.
—Fourth Form of the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword: Spear Heaven.
Seo Ryong responded in kind.
The Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique contained no single-stroke downward technique like Mu Heun’s Spear Heaven, but for Seo Ryong, adapting portions of his techniques to counter was simple work.
—A sword falls and splits the earth before thunder strikes.
—Men have seen lightning, yet none have ever fled the heavens.
—Second Technique of the Cangqiong Boundless Sword Technique.
—Clear Sky Thunderbolt.
Seo Ryong skipped all preliminary stages and brought his blade down with lightning speed.
Rumble—
In that instant, a sound like thunder filled the sparring ground.
And the moment two formidable techniques collided.
Boom-crash-bang!
“Ahhhhhh!”
The spectators had no choice but to cover their ears as a deafening roar erupted, and dust swallowed the sparring ground.
“What—what is it?”
“What happened?”
The spectators couldn’t see what was unfolding inside the dust, but Dokgo Hyeon, hiding among them, could.
‘…Dammit, Mu Heun….’
Yang Mujin, watching the same thing, clicked his tongue.
“He got greedy. Deputy Commander. Too hasty.”
Soon the dust settled, and the spectators could see the result.
“Ugh….”
“As expected, it’s turned out like this.”
Unlike Seo Ryong, who emerged relatively unscathed, Mu Heun’s body bore clear marks where the blow had struck.
“…Cough!”
And whether from internal injuries or not, Mu Heun now spat out blood-tinged sputum for the first time in ages.
Seo Ryong, watching this, asked:
“Can you continue?”
At that question, Mu Heun’s lips curved upward slightly.
“If you’re exhausted, I could let you rest.”
“Hah. That’s the spirit.”
At Mu Heun’s unyielding attitude, Seo Ryong took his stance once more.
But everyone present was certain of Mu Heun’s defeat.
Everyone except Mu Heun himself.
‘Everything is unfolding as planned.’
Mu Heun’s lips curved higher as he launched his body toward Seo Ryong once again.
Feeling the Mental Realm that filled his being gradually shift and move.

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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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