The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 434

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 434. Your Opponent Is Me

 

 

Ung-cheol swallowed his dry saliva as he looked at the man before him.

Namgung Hu.

Surely the eldest son of the Namgung Family, Namgung Ji-hu, who had changed his name to Namgung Hu at some point.

No one knew the reason why.

What did it matter if his name was Ji-hu or Hu?

Just because his name had changed didn’t mean the man himself had changed.

Last year.

When he entered Gyoryong Hall, he was undoubtedly evaluated as the strongest among the cadets at that time.

Though that evaluation had changed somewhat now.

The Eastern Tournament a year ago.

Back then.

There had been an incident that turned everyone’s evaluations upside down.

Even so.

The opponent before Ung-cheol’s eyes was too strong for him to face.

However.

‘I’ve fought against an even greater monster.’

Ha Mu-baek.

Their chief instructor who had tormented them to death just three days ago.

Hadn’t he fought one-on-one against him too?

Surely that Namgung Hu couldn’t be stronger than that monster-like instructor.

‘I’ll go full power from the start.’

Ung-cheol drew up all his internal energy and pushed it into the great sword in his right hand.

He hadn’t used sword energy throughout the Eastern Tournament so far.

There hadn’t been any opponents who could withstand Ung-cheol’s physical strength without him needing to use sword energy.

The Round of 16 had been the same.

He had won by swinging his sword at full power without manifesting sword energy.

But now was different.

The internal energy that circulated through Ung-cheol’s entire body began to fill his great sword and emit that aura.

Sword energy began to rise from the great sword, surging forth.

“Wo, wow!!!”

Cheers erupted from all directions.

It was natural.

A regular cadet from Maengryong Corps, not from the Seventh or Twentieth Groups, was using sword energy.

Even in Jamryong Corps and Waryong Corps, there weren’t many cadets who had reached the realm of sword energy.

Yet a cadet whose name they hadn’t even known just a few days ago was using it.

They couldn’t help but be amazed.

Only Namgung Hu watched the scene with a calm expression.

Hadn’t he already observed Maengryong Corps’ training?

Though he had only watched their training with jiangshi.

The final training.

In that training where the Maengryong Corps cadets had sliced through Poison Jiangshi and Blood Jiangshi, Namgung Hu had clearly seen the skills of the Maengryong Corps cadets.

He had naturally seen Ung-cheol’s abilities too.

‘One whose innate physical strength transcends human limits.’

Sword energy began to flow from Namgung Hu’s sword as well.

However, its density was different.

Namgung Hu’s sword energy seemed to be fully saturated and on the verge of advancing to the next stage.

Both men’s sword energy and blade energy were blue in color.

The difference was that Namgung Hu’s was a deep blue like the high and profound sky.

While Ung-cheol’s was a gentle sky blue that had just begun to take on a blue tint.

“Begin!”

With the judge’s shout.

The two men charged toward each other.

Though they hadn’t discussed it beforehand, just from the process so far, both knew what their first strike would be like.

A full-power slash!

The two men swinging sword and blade toward each other.

The gentle blue blade and the deep, profound blue sword clashed at the very center of the martial arts arena.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!!!

A tremendous explosion rang out.

Shockwaves spread in all directions as a storm whirled around them.

“Ugh.”

“Ah.”

“Wh, what?”

Clothes and hair fluttering in the wind.

People were startled by the sudden situation.

Even the martial arts arena shook violently.

Peng Do-yul watched this scene and asked Gi Yu-chan who was standing beside him.

“Is the martial arts arena sturdy?”

“It was built assuming two peak masters fighting at full power.”

At Gi Yu-chan’s answer, Peng Do-yul nodded.

If it was made to withstand peak-level combat.

Though it would shake violently, it wouldn’t collapse.

The vibrations gradually subsided.

Since it was a clash on the martial arts arena, there was no dust or dirt.

From the moment of collision, the two had been fighting while pushing their respective weapons against each other.

Ung-cheol gritted his teeth.

His entire body’s muscles, contracted and swollen, looked ready to burst at any moment.

In contrast, there was no change in Namgung Hu’s complexion.

Instead.

His clothes fluttered roughly due to the internal energy swirling throughout his body.

‘What kind of physical strength is this strong…’

Namgung Hu was shocked by Ung-cheol’s strength, which far exceeded his expectations.

Ung-cheol, who was clearly inferior in internal energy, was compensating for that part with his innate physical strength.

Ung-cheol’s full-power blade strike had once made even Ha Mu-baek deploy his sword energy.

“Uaaaah!”

Ung-cheol let out a fierce battle cry.

Crack.

Namgung Hu’s expression changed.

He gritted his teeth with a distorted expression.

Tendons bulged from his hand gripping the sword hilt.

‘Ugh. What kind of strength… I never thought I’d have to go this far.’

To overcome Ung-cheol’s strength, Namgung Hu decided to reveal the realm beyond sword energy.

“Huh? Huh?”

“Wh, what is it?”

Commotion arose among the spectators watching this scene.

A change began to occur in Namgung Hu’s sword.

The sword qi that had been emitting a deep blue light seemed to grow increasingly dense.

Eventually, it transformed into a single deep and clear materialized stream of energy.

A thin stream of energy that wrapped around the sword as it descended.

“Th-th-sword thread?”

Someone muttered in a trembling voice.

It was understandable.

Sword aura, the next stage after sword qi.

Just before entering that supreme realm that was proof of reaching the peak.

The stage one must pass through to go from sword qi to sword aura was precisely the realm of sword thread that Namgung Hu was now displaying.

This meant that Namgung Hu had sword aura within his grasp.

“Uwaaaaaaaa!!!”

“Waaaaaaaa!!!”

Rough, excited cheers erupted from all directions.

They were the Jamryong Corps cadets.

It was inevitable.

They had been under considerable pressure, knowingly or unknowingly, due to the suddenly advancing Maengryong Corps.

Though it wasn’t they themselves.

Namgung Hu, who was from the same Jamryong Corps as them, had displayed the realm of sword thread.

This relieved the pressure that the Jamryong Corps cadets had been experiencing.

It was truly a cheer filled with joy and pent-up frustration.

“Ugh, urgh…”

Ung-cheol staggered backward.

He didn’t know about the realm of sword thread.

However.

He was feeling it with his entire body.

The moment that brilliant thread appeared and wrapped around Namgung Hu’s sword.

Tremendous power was emanating from Namgung Hu’s sword.

That despite using his full strength, he couldn’t handle it.

Thus.

Ung-cheol, who had been gradually pushed back, eventually.

“Eeek.”

He tried one last desperate struggle, summoning even the strength from when he was nursing.

His heel touched the edge of the martial arts arena.

If he was pushed back any further, he would fall.

That would mean defeat.

But he couldn’t hold out here any longer either.

He had to acknowledge it.

“I-I lost.”

The moment he closed his eyes tightly and said those words.

The energy that had been pressing against Ung-cheol’s entire body disappeared as if it were a lie.

“Whew.”

Sweat beaded on the face of Namgung Hu as he exhaled.

“Winner! Namgung Hu!”

The judge’s declaration fell.

“The best!!!”

“Jamryong Corps is the strongest!”

“Uwaaaaaaaa!”

Once again, cheers erupted from all directions.

“Hehe. Sword thread, you say. Impressive indeed, Corps Leader Neung.”

Peng Do-yul chuckled heartily while praising Neung U-dam.

However, Neung U-dam also had a confused expression on his face.

That was because he too was seeing Namgung Hu’s sword thread for the first time here today.

 

Baek Ri-pyeong’s gaze turned toward Namgung Hu as he climbed onto the martial arts arena for the next duel.

‘Sword thread…’

He couldn’t help but be amazed.

In fact, recently Baek Ri-pyeong had also gained a small clue to reaching that place.

But Namgung Hu had already reached there.

A year had passed for everyone since the last Eastern Tournament.

But that time hadn’t been the same year for everyone.

Last year.

Wasn’t it Baek Ri-pyeong himself who had defeated Namgung Hu in the round of eight?

If he defeated his current opponent, this year he would have to face him again in the semifinals.

‘Can I win?’

As he stood on the martial arts arena lost in such thoughts.

“Hey. Your opponent is me. Not Namgung Hu over there.”

An displeased voice flowed from his opponent across from him.

Only then did Baek Ri-pyeong raise his head.

His opponent whose eyes were blazing with fighting spirit.

It was Beom Il-so.

“I was rude. I’m sorry.”

Baek Ri-pyeong sincerely cupped his fists and apologized.

Paying attention to someone else while facing the opponent before him was clearly disrespectful and wrong.

Last year, the man who had lost to Dan Mok Un-rae in the round of eight.

However, he remembered him being quite strong.

Moreover.

His sword technique’s characteristics were also similar to his own.

Cheongeom Sect’s Heavenly Illusion Thousand Paths Sword Technique.

Wasn’t it a sword technique that created countless sword shadows, just like Zhongnan’s Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique?

“Begin!”

With the judge’s declaration.

Beom Il-so unleashed his sword with full power.

He had no intention of looking down on his opponent.

Even if his opponent was ignoring him.

Baek Ri-pyeong.

That guy had already proven himself in the last Eastern Tournament.

And he was the one who had given him the clue to reach his current realm.

White sword qi bloomed from Beom Il-so’s sword.

Along with it, the sword split into countless pieces.

Heavenly Illusion Thousand Paths Sword!

A sword technique that reached the extreme of illusion, where a thousand swords flew along a thousand paths.

His sword instantly divided into two hundred and fifty-eight pieces.

This was the realm he had shown last year.

Though he couldn’t emit sword qi back then.

Baek Ri-pyeong responded by blooming white sword qi and wielding his sword.

At that moment.

The two hundred and fifty-eight sword paths instantly became one thousand and twenty-four.

They transformed into a thousand sword paths.

A thousand swords pierced through Baek Ri-pyeong’s entire body, each taking a different path.

‘If I haven’t grasped the ultimate of change… then I just need to move faster to create change.’

The Heavenly Star Sword Technique that Beom Il-so had witnessed Baek Ri-pyeong use at last year’s Eastern Tournament.

It was clearly a sword technique that created a thousand stars.

But at that time, Baek Ri-pyeong had created two thousand stars.

After watching for a long time and pondering, he realized that Baek Ri-pyeong had moved his sword twice as fast, momentarily creating two thousand.

Beom Il-so had gained the key insight that would transform his entire being.

The result was what he had now.

Though it was the phantom sword Thousand Illusions Thousand Paths Sword, by adding the principle of speed and forcibly creating change.

He could feel the mystery of that change with his body, and at some moment, he was able to comprehend it.

The Thousand Illusions Thousand Paths Sword that had reached the path of ultimate achievement was fully revealing its own transformation.

The Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique unfolded from Baek Ri-pyeong’s hands.

A thousand stars flew out and struck down the thousand swords moving along their different paths.

After that.

The number of stars increased.

Two thousand.

It was due to the sword movements that had become twice as fast.

‘I knew it would be like this!’

Beom Il-so gritted his teeth and moved his sword even faster.

The Thousand Illusions Thousand Paths Sword.

Surpassing its limits, it created two thousand and forty-eight paths.

Ecstasy filled Beom Il-so’s eyes.

It was the first time.

Even during training, he had only managed to create close to two thousand.

This was the first time he had succeeded so perfectly.

He had finally succeeded in actual combat.

An achievement made possible by his heightened concentration in a situation with an enemy before his eyes.

Mok Cheong-san, watching from the spectator stands, gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.

That fellow disciple whom he had always dismissed for being lazy and indolent.

Not only had that bastard surpassed him, but to think he could display such a level of Thousand Illusions Thousand Paths Sword.

Rage surged within him.

The moment two thousand stars and two thousand swords collided.

People were mesmerized by that fantastic sight.

Crash crash crash crash boom!!!

The fierce roar of sword clashing against sword echoed out.

The result was one-sided.

Not a single one of the swords Beom Il-so had unleashed could withstand Baek Ri-pyeong’s swords.

Though he gritted his teeth and moved his sword with full power.

One by one, the swords disappeared.

In the end.

All that remained were the stars created by Baek Ri-pyeong.

Stars that filled the martial arts arena in numbers too difficult to count.

“This, this can’t be…”

Beom Il-so looked at that scene with an expression of disbelief.

The moment all the stars in midair disappeared.

The tip of Baek Ri-pyeong’s sword was stopped in front of Beom Il-so’s chest.

“I’ve… lost…”

Beom Il-so muttered in a dejected voice.

Baek Ri-pyeong sheathed his sword and performed a cupped fist salute.

“It was a good match. If you don’t become too obsessed with speed alone, I think you’ll develop an even more excellent sword technique.”

With those words, Baek Ri-pyeong turned around, leaving Beom Il-so behind.

“Winner! Baek Ri-pyeong!!”

The judge’s cry rang out.

Beom Il-so descended from the martial arts arena with powerless steps.

‘Don’t become obsessed with speed alone?’

To think the very person who had awakened him to speed would say such a thing.

Yet Baek Ri-pyeong himself had created stars numbering beyond two thousand, reaching three thousand or even four thousand.

Though he couldn’t overcome even a single one of those stars.

The moment that thought occurred to him.

Beom Il-so stopped walking abruptly.

‘Speed… illusion…’

The phantom sword Thousand Illusions Thousand Paths Sword.

The path Beom Il-so had chosen to bring that change to its ultimate peak was speed, but.

‘It was weak.’

Focusing only on speed and change, his sword lacked power.

‘Strength.’

But Baek Ri-pyeong’s sword was strong as well.

That’s why he couldn’t catch even a single star.

‘Speed, illusion, strength. In the end, it’s about harmony…’

Lost in thought in a daze, Beom Il-so left the Great Training Ground where the martial arts arena was set up.

And when he arrived at their training ground, he sat cross-legged and entered meditation.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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