The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 458

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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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Chapter 458

Airand swept away the blood from his wound with his left hand. The crimson flow trickling from the gash that ran across his chest and down to his waist began to slow, then cease.

I narrowed my eyes as I observed Airand’s wound—the severed flesh had already begun to knit itself back together.

‘As expected, I didn’t cut deep enough.’

I hadn’t felt the sensation of shattering bone or cleaving flesh. The moment the Heavenly Sword made contact, Airand had withdrawn his body, minimizing the damage. His reputation for abundant practical experience was no exaggeration.
Airand pulled his body back the moment the Heavenly Sword touched him, minimizing his wounds. It was clear that the saying about him being full of real combat experience was no exaggeration.

“However…”

Raon smiled faintly as he looked at Airand’s distorted pupils.

“The emotional shock seems to be quite severe.”

I can feel the anger welling up in that bastard’s eyes. It seemed like Airand’s composure, which words alone couldn’t shake, was finally beginning to waver.

“Phew…”

Airand lifted his blood-soaked left hand and exhaled a hot breath.

“I wasn’t careless, but it seems your recklessness exceeded my expectations.”

He wiped his cheek with the blood that stained his hand. His already sharp features looked even more piercing.

“That’s as far as luck will take us. There won’t be any more fortune beyond this point.”

Airand planted his sword upright in the middle. From this moment on, a wave of killing intent, as if the real battle was beginning, came crashing down like a tide.

“Luck? Fortune?”

Raon met Airand’s gaze and let out a scoff.

“That’s not for you to decide!”
“That’s not for you to decide!”

Airand furrowed his brow and kicked off from the Sparring Arena.

Whoooosh!

I held the blazing Heavenly Sword high and wielded the rings of fire with fervent intensity.

‘Airand’s swordsmanship is born from real combat.’

I couldn’t afford a single moment of carelessness.

Before his character had been corrupted, Airand had undertaken more missions than anyone else in Zigheart.
Through countless battles, his blade had developed a practical edge that transcended refined technique. One lapse in focus, and he’d pierce a vital point in an instant.

Whoooosh!

Airand bounced like a billiard ball from center to left, unleashing his blade. The sword, wreathed in blue aura, surged toward my chest.

Clang!

I brought the Heavenly Sword down to parry. Just as I was pushing his blade away, his trajectory shifted abruptly.

‘The change in direction is swift. But…’

It’s within my prediction range.

The blade that had been targeting my chest curved like a whip, bending toward my lower abdomen. He’d been aiming for my core from the start.

Crash!

I stepped back using the Taewhasa footwork, twisting my wrist as I gripped the Heavenly Sword.
The crimson blade, tracing a semicircle, swept away Airand’s sword.

Zzzzzt!

Aura clashing against aura at their peak created violet sparks that engulfed the Sparring Arena.

I cut through the sparks and swung the Heavenly Sword again, while Airand dispersed the sparks with his aura and unleashed a torrent of blade strikes.

Both of us, brimming with combat experience, understood that retreating would only lead to a more dangerous position.

Boom boom boom boom!

A terrifying clash of blades erupted, sending a tremendous resonance through the Sparring Arena—no, the entire Grand Training Grounds.

Crash!

I deflected Airand’s blade as it twisted toward my heart after he’d aimed for my neck, smacking my lips with appreciation.

‘Vicious.’

Airand had woven strength, speed, and the subtleties of change into his swordplay, infusing it with practical combat experience, killing intent, and razor-sharp precision.
With each blade I parried, a bone-chilling numbness burrowed deep into my shoulders.

“Let’s see how much you can actually block!”

Airand’s rough voice erupted from behind the wall of sparks. The moment my senses concentrated on the center, a cyan blade extended from the left.

Whoooosh!

As the blade wrapped in raw force descended toward my right shoulder, I raised the Heavenly Sword like a salmon swimming upstream against the current.

Clang!

The heat from Manhwagong cleaved through the blue force, carving a dragon-like crimson arc across the empty air.

‘An opening.’

Airand had expended considerable spiritual power executing that surprise attack. Now was the moment to target his vital points.

Boom boom boom boom!

I wrapped Glacia’s chill around my shoulder and charged through Spark’s tempest toward Airand.

“Tch.”

Airand’s eyes narrowed. Surprised, yes—but his reflexes were sharp.
He retreated and brought his rising blade down like lightning.

Zing!

This wasn’t a defensive move against the Heavenly Sword. It was a sharp counterattack—the descending blade aimed directly at the wrist holding the sword.
This time, instead of bending fluidly like a whip, the blade fell with angular precision, hard as a steel shield.

“Not a chance.”

I planted my right foot forward, anchoring myself with the Taewhoa Ibo technique. Deep footprints carved into the ground as I surged forward like a crimson flash.

Whiiing!

I neutralized Airand’s sharp offensive and closed the distance with a masterful maneuver.

“You bastard!”

Airand’s eyes widened as he tried to recover his sword, but I had already penetrated his space.

I halted at point-blank range—close enough to strike with just an extension of my arm—and whipped my elbow forward.
The Black Dragon Robe, infused with aura, sharpened into a single dagger.

Whiiing!

Airand swung his left hand, determined not to be caught off guard again.
A palm technique that poured aura from his grip—dense, rounded energy surged like a boulder.

‘Boulders shatter when cut.’

I didn’t retreat. Using the Gwang Aum Sword technique with my elbow, I sliced vertically through Airand’s palm strike.

Crackle!

I burrowed through the splitting blue aura and drove my fist—still gripping the Heavenly Sword—forward.

“Ugh!”

Even in that moment, Airand wielded his aura to form a shield of condensed energy.

‘Just as I anticipated.’

I channeled the aura concentrated in my fist through the Beast Alliance warrior’s technique. Scorching heat blazed like a tempest, piercing through the aura shield and lashing across Airand’s cheek.

Gack!

Airand’s neck snapped back as he tumbled across the floor.

“When exactly is this practical experience supposed to show up?”
“Ugh….”

I tilted my jaw as I watched Airand coughing blood on the ground.

“I’m targeting every vital point there is, yet nothing seems to work.”
“Shut your mouth!”

Airand wiped the blood from his hand and pushed himself up.
Even though I’d thrown my full strength into that punch, the impact seemed less severe than expected.

‘So it wasn’t an illusion after all.’

He’d grown stronger.

The Airand of before would have suffered severe internal injuries from that punch.
Whether he’d consumed some elixir or not, both his exterior and interior seemed far more solid and resilient than before—a difference in quality entirely.

“We haven’t even started yet.”
“That’s true.”

I smiled and nodded.

“Compared to the suffering you’ve inflicted on others, this is nothing worth mentioning.”
“I told you to shut up!”

Airand charged forward, malice blazing in his eyes.
The aura enveloping him deepened, and an eerie energy wave surged skyward.
His speed doubled as he revealed his full power, and the sword energy coalescing on his blade grew sharper.

“What, didn’t I tell you to shut up?”

I sneered at Airand and infused the Heavenly Sword with the incantation of the Light Sword.
The blade trembled as a savage roar erupted—the ferocious cry of a beast stalking its prey.

Clang!

Two blades brimming with aura collided, yet neither wielder gave ground. They began testing their strength, the Training Ground groaning beneath them.

I had woven strength, speed, sharpness, and transformation into my Radiant Sword, yet Airand’s blade remained unbroken. This was a different swordsmanship than before.

‘So he was hiding his martial arts as well.’

I smiled, watching Airand’s eyes gleam between our crossed blades.

‘Show me more.’

I’ll draw out everything you have.

*

*

*

“Hgh….”

Airand deflected my blade as it fell toward his shoulder, exhaling a turbid breath.

‘What kind of monster is this guy!’

Each strike was so vicious it sent chills down my spine. I hadn’t even been touched, yet my body felt as though it were being torn asunder.

‘Damn it….’

I felt embarrassed for mentioning the difference in realm and practical experience to him earlier.
His swordsmanship transcended anything that could be measured by the word “practical.”

‘Even the Responsive Returning Sword doesn’t work against him.’

The Responsive Returning Sword was an ascending sensory blade perfected through real combat.
I never imagined that swordsmanship honed by slaying countless humans and monsters could be stopped by this young upstart.

‘And it’s only getting harder.’

Every time Raon’s eyes flashed with that eerie light, it became harder to block his blade, and my strikes couldn’t find their mark.
Unbelievable as it was, it seemed he was analyzing and understanding my swordsmanship even as we sparred.

“Haaah!”

Airand roared and unleashed the Hundred Hawk Piercing Thrust, the ultimate technique of the Responsive Returning Sword.
Like a hawk diving from the sky with talons extended toward prey, the blade stretched forth with devastating speed.

But the true essence of the Hundred Hawk Piercing Thrust was far more than just swift and overwhelming offense.
The sword force targeting Raon’s heart scattered like sunlight pouring into a lake, splitting into five separate strikes.

Whoooosh!

Not a single feint among them. All five—targeting the heart, right arm, dantian, solar plexus, and throat—were genuine killing strikes. A single mistake would mean instant death.

Just before the five blades made contact, Raon’s eyes flashed. A shield of flames erupted from the path of his descending sword.

‘That won’t be enough!’

I tore through the shield’s perimeter with the Hundred Hawk Piercing Thrust and drove deeper into his space.

As I continued thrusting toward Raon’s vitals, a dragon’s head manifested from the blade he held tilted back.

Roooaaarrr!

Tremendous heat erupted from its gaping maw—a firepower that seemed to rival even a dragon’s breath.

“Ugh!”

Airand gritted his teeth and drew aura from his dantian, but the inferno’s power was too overwhelming to block entirely.

Crash!

The Hundred Hawk Piercing Thrust dissolved completely, the wall of force behind it shattered, and burns seared across my arms and legs.
Had I not reinforced my body with the Cheongryeong Group’s techniques, the duel would have ended right there.

“That one was pretty decent.”

Raon nodded with evident satisfaction.
A thin trickle of blood ran down his shoulder—a stark contrast to the burns that scorched my arms and legs.

Tsk.

Airand bit his lip until it bled.

‘I thought I could crush him effortlessly with my own power.’

Even acknowledging his martial prowess, I believed the Cheongryeong Group’s effects alone would dominate the sword duel without resorting to Baekjammugyeol.

But I was wrong. Unlike at the start, there was no way to stop him as he grew stronger through the duel itself.

‘I have no choice.’

There was only one path forward now. The moment Raon Zigheart let his guard down, I would activate Baekjammugyeol and shatter his skull.

“Sword marks, strikes, burns—such trivial damage won’t satisfy me.”

Raon twisted his lips into a grimace. An aura far more vicious than when he had manifested the Fire Dragon blazed and surged forth.

‘Yes. Come at me.’

Airand straightened his posture and gripped his sword with both hands.

Whoooosh!

With a harsh gust of wind, Raon struck from the right, his blade erupting like a volcano.

Clang!

I repelled the sword strike that extended like a surprise attack, but Raon’s offensive didn’t end there. His sword, bending like lightning, aimed at both my left and right sides simultaneously.

Wow, that’s amazing!

Every time Raon and the sword clashed, his grip felt like it was tearing apart and his insides were shaken. Internal injuries were beginning to surface.

It was a strange situation where Gyeongji was superior in rank, but Raon was higher in swordsmanship.

‘Not yet. I need to wait longer!’

Hundred Flawless Technique was a skill that imposed tremendous strain on the body. I had to wait for the right moment and end it in one decisive strike.

Whoooooosh!

Raon’s blade gathered formidable aura. As the seasonal technique activated, a small opening appeared in his opponent’s swordsmanship flow.

‘Now!’

Airand unleashed Hundred Flawless Technique. His dantian pulsed as if it would explode, and a massive aura tore through his mana circuits and erupted outward.

Whiiiiiing!

The masterwork blade released an agonized cry as a towering sword force blazed forth, seeming to touch the heavens.

With power that rivaled a Grand Master’s sword aura, he brought the blade crashing down upon Raon.

Craaaaaash!

The crimson heat line gathered on Raon’s blade erupted outward as a tremendous shockwave detonated.

The Sparring Arena collapsed inward, and even the mana barrier protecting the Spectator Stands was torn away.

“Huff….”

Airand clutched his chest. His insides churned as if he’d suffered internal injuries, but the sword strike had landed true.

The duel was over. Even that monster couldn’t rise from a blow of such magnitude.

‘I didn’t just cripple his dantian or his arm—I killed him outright… Wait?’

My mouth fell open. From within the surging mana storm, a dark shadow rose.

Whoooooosh!

Raon parted the dissipating mana storm and advanced. Blood trickled from his forehead and right shoulder, yet the wounds didn’t appear critically severe.
Thick blood dripped from his forehead and right shoulder, but it didn’t seem like a serious injury.

“H-how…?”
“Your eyes betrayed you. I saw irritation and anticipation burning in them.”
“What?”
“The frustration of having to use this ability, and the confidence that it would let you win—it was written all over your face. You talk about battle experience, but your eyes can’t lie.”

He swept back his blood-soaked hair with a cold smirk. Those blazing crimson eyes made my chest tighten as if gripped by an invisible hand.

‘This… this is my only chance.’

My internal injuries were worsening. If I delayed, the opportunity would slip away. I had to end this now, while he bore even a minor wound.

“This ends here!”

Airand pushed through the terror creeping down his spine and unleashed both White Perfection and Responsive Returning Sword simultaneously.

This time, he didn’t merely double his aura—he tripled it, bringing his blade down upon Raon with overwhelming force.

Kuwaaaaah!

Raon lifted his gaze calmly. Watching Airand’s overwhelming aura blanket the Training Ground’s sky like a divine blade, I tightened my grip on the Heavenly Sword.

“Do not obscure my sky.”

I planted my right foot firmly and raised the Heavenly Sword.

The blade pointed not at the sky itself, but at the very fabric of this space. The Sparring Arena’s resonance harmonized with Manhwagong’s essence, summoning a colossal current.

Uuuuuung!

Airand’s strike, which had fallen like lightning, slowed to a crawl.
No—it wasn’t slowing. The Heavenly Sword had made it slow.

“Wh-what!”

Airand’s eyes widened in shock. Realizing he couldn’t move his body properly, his lips trembled.

“This is impossible!”

As befitted a Master of the highest caliber, he seemed to grasp what was happening.

“Krraaahhh!”

Blood vessels burst across Airand’s eyes. Bracing himself for severe internal injuries, he drew forth aura three times greater than his usual output, releasing the pressure of the Heavenly Sword.

More than triple the aura he normally wielded. The blade energy alone was so formidable that merely standing before it felt as though one’s bones would shatter.

Uuuuuuung!

I brought the Heavenly Sword down from its raised position with serene precision.

The first technique of the Heavenly Sword—Great Heaven’s Descent. A blade strike imbued with the weight of the heavens collided against Airand’s colossal aura.

Kuwaaaaang!

The oppressive force of the heavens coiled around the blade, unleashing a magnificent wave. A sword path infused with a warrior’s will—transcending mere strength, aura, and technique—shattered the aura that was nothing but raw power.
Before strength, aura, and swordsmanship, a sword path infused with the will of a martial artist shattered the River qi that was filled with nothing but aura.

In the collapsing energy like a sand castle, Airand’s eyes widened in shock.

“I like that you’re prepared. Like I said…”

Raon clenched his teeth.

“W-Wait!”
“Wait, hold on!”

Even at Airand’s scream, he didn’t stop his sword. He crushed him with the weight of the sky, not the blade itself.

Crunch crunch crunch!

With a sound like bones turning to powder, the space where Airand had been standing collapsed into a pitch-black floor.

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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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