The Reincarnated Assassin is a Genius Swordsman - Chapter 948

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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 948

Clang!

I clashed blades with Karun, my knees bending slightly as I adopted a stance that allowed me to move in any direction at any moment, my eyes narrowing with focus.

‘As expected, his swordsmanship is troublesome to contend with.’

Karun’s swordsmanship possessed an elegant yet grand quality, like watching an orchestra perform.

Though it lacked practical combat effectiveness, resembling the ceremonial sword dances that nobles learned for etiquette, Karun’s ascension to transcendence had transformed that very weakness into an advantage.

Screech!

Within the gracefully flowing blade path, like unraveling ancient silk, a razor-sharp sword aura burst forth that seemed to constrict my heart. It was so keen that I feared the Heavenly Sword itself might be severed.

Clang!

I deflected Karun’s descending blade, wreathed in a chilling aura, my lips pressing into a thin line.

‘The recent war didn’t only strengthen me.’

Karun had grown through endless combat, now wielding swordsmanship on an entirely different level than before.

I had believed I understood the full extent of his power—a grave miscalculation.

Unlike myself, his physical abilities and aura hadn’t grown overtly stronger, yet Karun had also achieved tremendous growth in both spirit and martial technique.

‘This is exhilarating.’

I smirked briefly and raised the Heavenly Sword like dragon scales, the blade glowing red-hot as an enormous tree, mirroring the World Tree, surged upward from its edge.

Manhwagong Heavenly Flame.
Flame Spirit.

Thousands of petals imbued with crimson fire bloomed above the tree, engulfing Karun in a tempestuous inferno.

‘I need to push deeper here.’

If it were Karun, he could easily cut through Hwa Yeong’s flames and escape, so I needed to drive a more intense sword technique forward to resolve this sparring match smoothly.

Boom!

I stepped into True Form and wielded Glacial to its extreme. A silver sphere bloomed above the frigid sword edge.

Raon Zigheart School sword technique.
Second Form: Chilling Sphere.

The moment the frost-condensed sphere was about to unleash a tremendous explosion, Karun casually pressed down the tempest he’d summoned with Hwa Yeong and walked forward.

‘He’s breaking through the Hwa Yeong I unleashed at full power this easily?’

I naturally knew Karun would escape the Hwa Yeong, but I hadn’t expected him to shatter it so quickly. Tearing through the flames themselves—it was a sword strike of absurd sharpness.

‘I still have to keep going.’

Tremendous aura had already condensed on the Heavenly Sword’s edge. Even if Karun could block it, the Chilling Sphere had to detonate.

Crash!

Just as I was about to detonate the Chilling Sphere, Karun’s blade drew a deep blue line. The energy of the Chilling Sphere that touched that line split diagonally.

Boom!

The Chilling Sphere exploded not in front of Karun, but in empty air, sending a massive tremor through the Training Ground.

‘He’s cutting through even the Chilling Sphere this easily?’

The silver sphere that composed the Chilling Sphere contained enough cold to freeze an entire village. A hollow laugh escaped me at Karun, who had split apart such tremendous energy in a single stroke.

“I challenged you to this sparring match for two reasons.”

Karun stood still and counted on his fingers.

“First, to understand you. And second, to demonstrate my strength.”

He waved his hand as if to say he shouldn’t be underestimated.

“Just as you advance, I too am growing.”

Karun flicked the hand holding his sword, signaling me to come at him with full power.

“There’s no need to drag this out when we both know everything about each other.”

I curled my lips upward and drove the Heavenly Sword and Soul Reaper Sword into the fractured Training Ground.

Sword Realm Manifestation, Divine Demon Harmony.

A golden sun overlapped the sun illuminating the Training Ground, and beside it, a silver moon rose majestically.

A resonant hum filled the air.

I grasped the divine and demonic blades carved from the sun and moon, lifting my chin with resolve.

“I’ll come at you with full power as you wish.”

*

*

*

A deafening clash erupted.

Karun furrowed his brow as he blocked the divine blade wreathed in flames.

‘It’s different. No, it’s not just different—it’s as if he’s become a completely different person.’

My sword strikes, which I thought I could sufficiently parry, pierced through his defense and pressed forward without hesitation.

It felt as though he were facing not me, but a transcendent being of a higher tier than himself.

‘I must admit it. In strength, speed, perception, and aura quantity—Raon surpasses me.’

Raon’s body was so powerful and agile that even I, who had undergone a complete transformation, could not keep pace.
If we fought using only physical ability and aura, I would have no chance of victory.

‘But that’s not all there is to it.’

If Raon’s swordsmanship merely added strength and speed, I could overcome it sufficiently, but his blade now contained a layer of profound subtlety far beyond that.

It seemed this was Raon Zigheart’s true swordsmanship.

‘Yes. That’s how it should be.’

I had requested this sparring match because I wanted to experience Raon’s true martial power. If it were anything less, I would have been disappointed.

Clang!

I pulled my aura to its peak and simultaneously blocked Raon’s divine and demonic swords as they fell like a rushing torrent.

Boom!

Flames that incinerated all things collided with sword strikes that severed all things, unleashing a terrifying shockwave. The Training Ground cracked in a spider-web pattern, dark fissures spreading across its surface.

Crackle!

Neither Raon nor I retreated even as the Training Ground crumbled, thrusting our blades toward each other’s throats.

Clang!

The azure sword strike extinguishes the raging flames, and the silver frost pushes back the azure sword strike once more.

The clash of blades continued endlessly in a battle of give and take. It was a fight that could have been called evenly matched.

“That’s certainly tricky.”

Karun frowned as he watched Raon’s sword path change abruptly.

“That thing called Mangeom…”

Raon’s swordsmanship changed its color endlessly, like an unfathomable sea.

Sometimes swift, sometimes slow; sometimes light, sometimes heavy. When I wove all these subtleties into a single blade, it felt as though I faced dozens of swordsmen simultaneously.

‘Yet….’

Not every technique had reached perfection.

The Myriad Swords Path—a sword way that encompassed every sword technique in existence. Naturally, not all the techniques I had mastered were flawless.

‘I must exploit those weaknesses.’

Karun released the pressure from the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword through footwork, tightening his grip on his blade.

Crack-crack-crack!

My blade, falling with extreme speed, erupted in crimson lightning as it sought to pierce his defense—a lightning technique capable of temporarily paralyzing an opponent’s body.

‘Now!’

My lightning technique was certainly formidable, yet it lacked the refinement of my other methods. There was ample room to exploit.

Boom!

Karun advanced, destroying the Battlefield. He suddenly leaped into Raon’s arms and thrust a sharply raised sword into him.

Whoooosh!

Using the ultimate technique of the Thousand Severing Sword Art—which cuts through all things—I parted his lightning technique and drove my blade toward his chest.

“As expected, you came.”

I curled my lips and nodded slightly.

“Straight for my weakness.”

Unlike the elegant swordplay he displayed, Karun possessed the keen instincts of a wild beast.

To draw out such a predator, I could not rely on clumsy traps—only by revealing genuine flaws in my technique could I succeed.

‘Was it a trap?’

Karun furrowed his brow as he pressed forward. He knew I had laid a trap, but his body was already committed. At this point, advancing was his only option.

Whoooooosh!

A tremendous wave of energy and brilliant lightning surged above my Divine Sword as it ricocheted to the left. The White Shadow of the Heavenly Spear Thunder—a martial technique Glen Zigheart had taught me now unfurled its wings anew.

Boom!

Karun’s spear-sword technique and my Heavenly Spear Thunder collided, sending azure brilliance and crimson lightning streaking across the arena in all directions.

Screech!

Karun couldn’t withstand the tremendous force of the Heavenly Spear Thunder and was driven backward. He lifted his face, his brow creasing with displeasure.

“Were you counting on this?”
“No. I simply believed that Junmujeonju would come in.”

I laughed, saying that I had faith in Karun.

“If that’s how you’re going to be about it, I have no choice.”

Karun nodded, wearing a smile similar to mine.

“Don’t blame me if you can’t enter the Chamber of Self!”

He declared he would crush me thoroughly and charged forward.

Boom!

Azure flashes and crimson flames collided in succession, sending tremendous tremors through the Training Ground.

No—not just the Training Ground. The entire Zigheart was shaking.

*

*

*

“I can barely see what’s happening….”

Valdemar let out a hollow laugh as he watched the Training Ground, where light, flames, and frigid energy clashed in chaotic brilliance.

“He only recently transcended, yet this is the result? That can’t be right.”

He furrowed his brow, troubled by the sudden and overwhelming gap in power.

“It’s not normal.”

Aris Zigheart shook her head, insisting that the situation was anything but ordinary.

“Karun’s strength comes from the explosion of accumulated experience after reaching the pinnacle of Grand Master. And Raon—well, you know his talent operates on an entirely different level.”

She laughed, noting that these two were simply exceptional cases.

“I knew Raon’s growth was rapid, but I didn’t expect it to be this dramatic….”

Aris clicked her tongue, lamenting how far she had fallen behind during her time bedridden.

“Father, what do you think? Who do you believe will win?”

She approached Glen Zigheart, whose gaze remained fixed on the Training Ground.

“Well….”

Glen wiped the sweat from his palm and narrowed his eyes.

“Before the war with the Black Tower, Karun was undoubtedly superior. But now, it would be no exaggeration to say they stand on equal footing.”

He smacked his lips, acknowledging that Raon and Karun had reached comparable heights.

“On top of that, those two are growing through this match with Rion. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange no matter who wins.”

Karun and Raon were reading each other’s rhythm, elevating their martial mastery with every exchange.

When Raon advanced slightly, Karun kept pace. When Karun’s blade grew sharper, Raon’s sword stood firm in defense. They were truly evenly matched.

“Brother hasn’t used the Sword Realm yet. If he activates it, he’d likely win.”

Valdemar smacked his lips as he predicted victory for Karun, who wielded the Sword Realm.

“Raon didn’t even use the Heavenly Sword. Besides, that Sword Realm isn’t something you can use just once.”

Aris shook her head, noting that Raon still possessed an important weapon.

‘That’s not all.’

Glen Zigheart lowered his chin slightly as he listened to Valdemar and Aris’s words.

‘Raon hasn’t unleashed all his power yet.’

Within Raon’s soul lay a special power that only he could wield, dormant and waiting.

If he drew upon that force, he could certainly overwhelm Karun, but it seemed he intended to win this match through his martial prowess alone.

‘How admirable.’

Glen Zigheart watched Raon and Karun exchange fierce sword strikes, a subtle smile gracing his lips.

‘I never thought I’d witness this.’

His son and grandson engaged in a sparring match that benefited them both—a sight he had believed impossible for one who had failed at raising his children. Yet here it unfolded before him.

‘It’s all because of you.’

Glen Zigheart gazed at Raon with eyes as warm as sunlight.

‘Thank you, Raon.’

*

*

*

The blades sang out in brilliant collision!

Raon pressed Karun back with his divine sword, a faint smile playing across his face.

‘Now I can see it.’

Through the prolonged sparring match, I had learned Karun’s swordsmanship with both eyes and body. Now I could create a flowing defense that would not be cut by his sharp blade techniques.

“Huff…”

Karun was pushed back forcefully, exhaling a heavy sigh.

“Your growth rate is certainly impossible to match. Being overwhelmed in strength and speed is just the icing on the cake.”

He ground his teeth, acknowledging his disadvantageous position.

“You still have plenty of reserves, though.”

I chuckled lightly and waved my hand.

“You haven’t even used the Demon Sword yet.”

Karun nodded, acknowledging that he knew all this.

“By that logic, Junmujeonju has even more. You haven’t opened the Sword Realm yet.”

I told him to stop making excuses and pointed the Divine Sword at Karun.

“Huff…”

Karun slowly raised his sword, closing his eyes before opening them again.

“It’s been quite an enjoyable time, but now it’s time to see the end.”

He raised his gaze with a chilling light, suggesting they settle this here.

“I agree.”

I positioned the Divine Sword behind my shoulder, angled the Demon Sword behind my waist, and floated the Neck Wheel Sword as the Demon Sword, preparing myself completely.

“Don’t die.”

Karun drew down his sword held in both hands. It appeared to be a simple vertical slash, but his blade carried an enormous aura that seemed capable of shattering this entire Continent.

“Sword Realm Manifestation, Emperor’s Blade.”

Karun’s serene voice became the axis upon which the world pivoted, and his descending sword cleaved the horizon itself, unleashing a magnificent wave of power.

‘The blade appears to be growing larger?’

Or was it truly expanding?

Karun’s slender blade swelled progressively, until it had become so colossal that it filled the entire Sparring Arena.

My body—no, my very soul felt crushed beneath Karun’s blade.

‘He called it Emperor’s Blade, didn’t he.’

My spirit, flesh, and swordsmanship all seemed to bend beneath its weight. It was power befitting the name of an emperor.

‘My heart feels as though it will burst….’

But I cannot retreat here.

I pressed my lips firmly together and advanced toward Karun, releasing every ounce of power remaining in the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword against the colossal Emperor’s Blade that blanketed the sky.

Raon Zigheart School swordsmanship.

Sixth Form Divine-Demonic Harmony Convergence Linked Technique, Azure-Crimson Undefeated Blade.

The Divine and Demonic Swords erupted with brilliant light as though they might shatter, drawing two streaks of radiance that intercepted the colossal blade.

‘One more here!’

I channeled the lightning of Heavenly Thunder Palace and the winds of Garunua into my Neck Wheel Sword. The two forces harmonized like watercolors bleeding into one another, igniting a crimson tempest. It was the Ultimate Technique of Heavenly Dome Thunder Lightning, Absolute Emperor’s Conclusion.

Whoooooosh!

Upon the pillar raised by the Divine and Demonic Swords, a blade infused with lightning and wind was unleashed. The ten-thousand-attribute blade containing four essences collided with the Emperor’s Blade that shattered heaven and earth.

Catastrophic Boom!

Tremendous forces clashed as the ground crumbled and the Training Ground itself began to collapse. Even the azure sky, as if in shock, turned pitch black.

Zzzzzzzzzt!

I bit my lip as I watched Karun’s Emperor Sword push back against my Cerulean Crimson Invincible even with the Thousand Emperor Seal applied.

‘I’m not pushing him back—I’m being pushed back instead.’

True to its name, Karun’s Emperor Sword possessed both an unyielding firmness and a magnificent, overwhelming power.

‘Now I understand why it’s so formidable.’

Karun’s goal was singular: to become the Head of House Zigheart. The conviction of an emperor he had dreamed of since childhood was manifesting through his Sword Realm into this world.

The duration over which he had accumulated that conviction and the desperation behind it differed from mine, which was why his Sword Realm appeared stronger than my Cerulean Crimson Invincible.

‘But…’

I cannot break here.

No flawless swordsmanship exists in this world. As I observed Karun’s Sword Realm growing heavier and more potent with each passing moment, I tightened my wavering grip.

‘If he presses down, then this time I will cut him down.’

I poured the ultimate essence of my swordsmanship into the Cerulean Crimson Invincible and the Thousand Emperor Seal, unleashing it toward Karun’s Emperor Sword just as he had done to me.

Zzzzzzzzzt!

As Karun’s ever-strengthening Emperor Sword and my blade wreathed in essence sharp enough to cleave space itself collided, the very colors of the world transformed.

The Training Ground, once radiant with vibrant hues, drained into monochrome as an immense force capable of erasing everything began to condense.

Kuguguguguguuu!

As Karun and I continued to draw our blades through that eerie space, a crimson bolt of lightning descended from the fractured sky above.

Kuwaaaaaaaang!

The colossal lightning, as if a divine dragon itself were descending, consumed the aura we had created.

Pzzzzzzzt!

The lightning dissipated, leaving only a lingering crimson aura spreading like an echo.

“That’s enough.”

Glen Zigheart stepped forward between Karun and me, the Heavenly Sword still raised in his hand.

“Had you continued fighting, neither of you would have walked away unscathed. This Training Ground would have been completely destroyed as well.”

He sheathed the Heavenly Sword, remarking that since we had both gained what we needed, it was best to stop here.

“…Understood.”

Karun clicked his tongue with reluctance but nodded, lowering his blade.

“Yes…”

I exhaled a short breath and sheathed the Heavenly Sword, Soul Reaper Sword, and Mok Ryun Sword.

‘It’s not easy after all.’
-If you had used the True Demon King’s 【Wrath】 together, you could have won?

Wrath narrowed his eyes as if I had forgotten about 【Wrath】.

‘I wanted to fight with only my own strength.’

Had I wielded the Demon Lords’ powers as Wrath suggested, I could have overwhelmed Karun from the start.

But since this was a duel between Zigheart swordsmen, I wanted to win with my own power alone.

‘It’s a bit regrettable.’

If I had used Gaebyek instead of the fading Cheonghoong Mujeok Sword at the end, I might have been able to cut through the Emperor’s Sword that Karun had brought down—I regretted not testing that possibility.

‘In any case, I’ve finally reached him.’

Before the war, I thought Karun was far away, but now it seemed like I might be able to win without even using the Demon Lords’ power.

After visiting the Chamber of Self, she couldn’t wait to see how much she would change.

“You’ve worked hard.”

I bowed my head to Karun first.

“We’ll have to settle our match again after you emerge from the Chamber of Self.”

Karun said he’d see me later and left the Training Ground without hesitation.

“Playing it cool, are you! You were definitely surprised!”

Valdemar raised his thumb approvingly.

“You’ve really changed so much. This is quite something….”

Aris Zigheart let out a hollow laugh, asking how I’d managed to reach that point.

“I was fortunate.”

I shook my head, saying I’d simply had many good opportunities.

“Raon.”

Glen Zigheart brushed off his hands and approached me.

“I’ve opened the Chamber of Self as you wished.”

He nodded as if all preparations were now complete.

“Rest for a while, then come on the promised day.”
“Yes.”

I nodded with anticipation gleaming in my eyes.

‘So I’m finally going.’
-So it’s finally come to this….

Wrath clutched his head, his eyes reddening.

-Damn that Nadine!

*

*

*

“I’ll be going then.”

I waved to Sylvia, Edgar, Sia, Olga, and the attendants gathered in the Garden.

“Be careful. Don’t be too greedy.”

Sylvia nodded, urging me to take things at a reasonable pace.

“A warrior must have ambition!”

Edgar, by contrast, clenched his fist, encouraging me to gain as much as possible.

“Come back safe!”

Sia waved without complaint, perhaps because I had played with her for several days. She was certainly maturing steadily.

“Hey. Come back quickly. It’s hard being alone.”

Olga rolled her eyes, finding it strange to be alone in the Annex Building.

“It probably won’t take that long. Since time flows differently there.”

I patted Olga’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Then!”

I bade everyone farewell once more and left the Annex Building. My body felt remarkably light, perhaps because this was the day I had been anticipating—finally entering the Chamber of Self.

—Damn it….

Wrath, meanwhile, had been grinding his teeth since morning at the thought of having to eat plain bread for a while.

I dragged the whimpering Wrath along like a reluctant puppy being taken for a walk, and we entered the Patriarch’s Hall.

“I greet you, Head of House.”

I stood at the center of the Audience Chamber and bowed to Glen Zigheart.

“You’ve arrived earlier than expected. Couldn’t contain yourself?”

Glen Zigheart offered a thin smile, as though he understood what was on my mind.

“Yes. Ever since before I ascended to transcendence, I’ve wanted to enter this place. I couldn’t even sleep properly.”

I scratched the back of my head, admitting that my heart was still racing.

“Then we should enter at once.”

Glen Zigheart rose from the Jade Throne, saying there was no need to waste time.

“Yes. Then….”

As I turned to leave the Audience Chamber, Glen Zigheart raised his hand.

“There’s no need to leave.”

Glen Zigheart shook his head and pointed with his finger to the floor of the Audience Chamber.

“The Chamber of Self is right here.”

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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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