Chapter 193

Chapter 193 

What kind of existence are the Ten Heavens?

They choose the ten strongest people in the current Central Plains gangho and call them so. Ten Heavens. Ten warriors who have approached heaven.

The Sword Sovereign didn’t particularly like that title, but she acknowledged it. That’s because, as one of the Ten Heavens, when she looked at other warriors excluding the Ten Heavens, they appeared so immature they could be called infants.

The Ten Heavens are of a different class.

Even Manwang , called the culmination of talent, only ascended to the Ten Heavens at the age of forty-five. From that perspective, approaching the Ten Heavens in one’s thirties is an impossible story.

Right.

It should certainly be so.

‘Then what on earth is before my eyes……?’

What kind of situation is this?

The Sword Sovereign, who couldn’t suppress her admiration and shock, quietly lowered her sword while looking ahead.

Uicheonmun Lord Baek Riyun and Sword King Namgung Hyeok were fighting at equal strength right before her eyes.

Pajijik—!!!

Scattering thunder.

Kwaaaaang—!!!!!

Baek Riyun, who transformed into a ray of light the moment he was visible, shattered all of Namgung Hyeok’s sword energy and penetrated straight through, transforming into a single ray of light. An attack at swift speed as if he himself had become lightning. However.

Imperial Sword Form

Great Vault Heaven Contemplation

The Sword King doesn’t fall behind either. What suppresses the ray of light digging into gaps of thought is an overwhelming avalanche of energy.

‘It’s like the Thunder God and Sea God fighting.’

The Opening Heaven Sword and the Sky’s Sword. Will the sword that is inherently strong and solid win, or will the sword that suppresses and embraces everything win?

“……When will you help?”

The Sword Sovereign, who had been sweating in her palms, suddenly realized the situation and blinked her eyes. Come to think of it, this wasn’t a one-on-one situation.

“Ah, enough…….”

“Don’t just watch, please help……!”

Baek Riyun, who let out a curt voice for the first time in a while, gritted his teeth and thrust his sword strike at the bundle of sword energy pressing down without giving him time to speak. A sword extending in a straight line and then drawing brief changes.

Heaven-Opening Sword Flow

Seven Star Pursuit

It splits.

“Excellent! Then receive this too!”

Namgung Hyeok, who saw his technique shatter into pieces and be broken through, burst out what sounded like a cheer and immediately spun his sword once while bursting out internal energy. A technique drawn out fluidly along the blade.

Imperial Sword Form

Sword King Comes

A straight line. From top to bottom.

‘I’m caught……!’

The Sword Sovereign’s eyes widened as she felt space warping at the end of the simply extending sword strike. Because she felt unprecedented tremendous force contained in the sword strike, so much that it absolutely couldn’t be disregarded.

“The aftershock!”

“Got it!”

Cutting through might be possible, but blocking would be insufficient with one person alone.

The moment she realized, the Sword Sovereign, who stood protecting the Uicheonmun disciples and Namgung Family members, drew her internal energy long. Soon after, sword energy scattering like ice fragments shining along the air.

Milky Way Thousand Scales Sword Art

Thousand Scales Ice Wall

It shines.

The scattered sword energy simultaneously enlarged and formed a massive wall. Sword energy spreading while containing cold energy cold enough to freeze even time faced the Imperial Sword. And.

At that forefront was Baek Riyun.

Holding the lightning sword, one who faces the world.

Heaven-Opening Sword Flow

Supernova

An instant that could be called a flash.

The sword that swept the surroundings in an instant shredded the Imperial Sword completely and broke through. Lightning energy that bit the Sword King’s energy like a tiger biting the nape twisted its neck and slammed the energy into the ground. Even the small aftershock flowing to the side was dispelled by the Thousand Scales Ice Wall.

“These bastards……!”

“Haa.”

Watching Namgung Hyeok’s eyes gradually redden, Baek Riyun sighed with a weary look and looked at the Sword Sovereign.

“It seems there’s no end like this.”

“……I agree.”

Because we can’t inflict wounds, what we can do is limited. Even against an equal opponent, just blocking would be difficult, let alone when the opponent is the Sword King.

“My martial art places quite a severe burden on the body. I won’t be able to maintain it long.”

If we continue like this, either the Sword King will burst from juhwaipma , or we who can’t endure will collapse—only one of the two will remain. Before that happens, we must do something.

“Do you have a good idea?”

“The best would be cutting off an arm.”

“…….”

Baek Riyun, who glanced at Namgung Yeoncheon making a miserable expression, shook his head.

“I’ll leave that as the last resort. Because it’s not like there aren’t usable methods.”

“A usable method?”

“Can you block one attack for me?”

“…….”

“Just block once. If you can block once without me, I’ll be able to use any method.”

Just once.

“Just once…….”

Watching Baek Riyun speak in a low voice, the Sword Sovereign nodded heavily and drew up her internal energy. While it’s true she’s insufficient in power, if it’s just once, it seemed she could somehow block it.

“Thank you. Then prepare yourself.”

“Prepare for what…….”

“For the attack coming ahead.”

Teok!

“……?”

At Baek Riyun taking a deep breath and assuming a sloppy posture, the Sword Sovereign looked at him with puzzlement. However, Baek Riyun, paying no mind, cracked his fingers and looked at Namgung Hyeok crookedly.

“Old man.”

“……?”

“You keep calling this lord youngster, youngster, but with that degree, where do you think you can kill this lord? Not Sword King but Sword Earthworm, something like that isn’t it?”

“……?????”

At Baek Riyun suddenly calling himself bonjwa , the Sword Sovereign looked at him blankly with puzzlement. However, Baek Riyun’s provocation didn’t end.

“Don’t just do closed-door training, listen to what people in the world are saying too. If this lord, Manwang and Sword King fight, who do you think will win?”

“……Th-this bastard……!”

“Ten out of ten, a hundred out of a hundred, Manwang will win, right? Do you know why?”

Because this lord is the Ten Heavens.

And you’re no longer the Ten Heavens.

“Spry for your age. Does that make you something?”

While acting as Manwang and wearing a crooked sneer, the Sword Sovereign, who hastily looked at Namgung Hyeok, gripped her sweaty palms tightly.

“This wretch—!!!”

Before her eyes.

“Y-you didn’t say you’d provoke him this much……!”

Tremendous killing intent was surging from Namgung Hyeok’s eyes.

***

When is a swordsman weakest?

“I’ll kill you—!!!”

While watching Namgung Hyeok burst out in rage, I calmed my mind. A heart beating violently. However, reason coldly settled.

‘He lost composure.’

Watching the Sword King’s appearance, filled with rage as intended but having lost composure, I gripped my sword firmly. Because it was according to plan.

‘The Sword King isn’t in his right mind right now.’

Swordsmanship ingrained in the body, tremendous internal energy?

Those are all merely secondary issues. Ultimately, a duel is a matter of whose sword touches the opponent’s body first.

From that perspective, it was hard to see the Sword King’s power being fully displayed now. Because for a swordsman, what’s most important is composure maintained coldly above all else.

‘The Sword King will surely come to take my life with his most powerful technique.’

Can the Sword Sovereign block it?

I don’t know. The Sword Sovereign is fundamentally a warrior who digs into the opponent’s gaps, not one who faces them head-on. The compatibility wouldn’t be good for opposing Namgung Family martial arts.

However, it doesn’t matter. An opening will surely appear, and that small opening is sufficient.

I took a breath and looked at the opponent. The Sword King now looking at me with eyes reddened as if he’d become a blood demon.

“Good……!”

“…….”

“If you’re so arrogant, I’ll crush that pride. With this lord’s ultimate technique……!”

A thought he wouldn’t have if his mind were properly set.

However, the Sword King, whose eyes have gone mad with juhwaipma, can’t even properly distinguish who stands before him. Even if he dies, he’ll pour out all his strength to kill me.

That opening is sufficient. I took a deep breath and gripped my sword.

Again.

‘Two legs shoulder-width apart, arms forward.’

Taking a starting stance.

‘Carrying the sky on my head, stepping on earth with my legs. Using myself as a path to connect the Three Powers.’

Opening the body, connecting heaven and earth.

‘Finally, opening the world and unifying it with myself. Containing the Thunder God’s power in my body.’

The human inner self is a microcosm. Drawing and using the Thunder God’s power from there. Summoning and manifesting the Thunder God within me.

“Are you ready……!”

It’s coming.

While hearing Namgung Hyeok’s roar, I breathed deeply and gripped my sword firmly. And Namgung Hyeok’s technique falling over my head.

Imperial Sword Form  Secret Technique

Imperial One Sword

They say all methods return to one . Everything reaches extremes and returns to one.

While capturing in my eyes the extremely monotonous downward strike, I couldn’t help but admire. How many changes are contained in that one downward strike? How powerful must the storm of internal energy raging within be?

It’s a realm that can’t help but be admired as a fellow swordsman. If I received it head-on, I surely couldn’t avoid taking damage. However.

The one receiving it isn’t me.

“……Really, even deceiving allies……!”

Kwaaaaak!

I could hear the sound of the Sword Sovereign taking one step forward and sighing deeply while gripping the sword hilt. Along with the voice.

“Expect to be scolded later. Uicheonmun Lord.”

The Milky Way unfolds.

Milky Way Thousand Scales Sword Art  Secret Technique

Milky Way Flow

Starlight sword energies flowing majestically like stars all shone at once and blocked the Imperial Sword. Two techniques displaying earth-shaking power as if sky and sky were colliding.

Everything being swept up shatters. The duel stage finished with solid blue stone had long since vanished without a trace.

In that gap, finding a thread-like opening, I slowly breathed in and gripped Uicheongeom tightly. A technique I’m using for the first time in actual combat. However, there was no time to hesitate.

‘Sky above, earth below. Humans at the center.’

Three Powers .

‘Yin and Yang always draw circles.’

Great Ultimate .

‘In six directions, everything in the world is scattered.’

Six Harmonies .

‘At the end, everything unifies into one.’

Primordial Unity .

All knowledge I referenced to create the technique flashed through my mind. All methods return to one , all streams return to the source , Great Ultimate Supreme Origin . Heavenly Pillar .

Extracting only what’s needed from knowledge and containing it in the sword. Lower danjeon, yongcheon , gokji , myeongmun , baekho . As if the entire body became one danjeon, internal energy raging without choosing location.

‘Head cold, heart fierce.’

Awakening the body, calming the mind. Entering battle in the best possible state. Because once extended, it can’t be taken back.

And.

When I judged all preparations were complete.

I slowly raised my sword.

Heaven-Opening Sword Flow

The world turned over.

“…….”

In an instant.

Namgung Hyeok, who silently looked at the blade touching his neck, looked at me and closed his eyes. Soon after, an aged voice flowed out.

“You…… aren’t Manwang.”

“Are you regaining your senses a bit, elder?”

“……I committed a mistake. Because Manwang couldn’t thrust such a sword.”

Namgung Hyeok, who looked at me with eyes from which all anger had disappeared, asked quietly.

“Boy. What is the name of this technique?”

“Heaven-Opening Sword Flow. Secret Technique Subjugating Heaven .”

“A sword that subjugates  heaven. Heoheo.”

Truly as the name says.

Namgung Hyeok, who had exhausted all his energy, was about to collapse to the ground like a kite with a broken string, but I caught him and sighed.

Everyone around was looking at me.

With eyes of shock