Chapter 319

Chapter 319

Even after the Sword Saint descended, the Talgakja’s extraordinary acts continued.

Kwadeudeudeuк!

“……Ha.”

Gwangryulgeom, looking at his beloved weapon that had been helplessly crushed, let out a deflating sound at the sight of Taeak calmly observing him with folded arms. An absurd spectacle.

“What the…….”

As soon as the match started, Taeak had seized Gwangryulgeom’s sword.

Up to there would be understandable. The technique of Gongsuipbaegin used by masters of fist and leg techniques is needless to say a technique that can display exalted power. However.

How should one react to gripping the sword without any particular technique and crushing it in one’s grip just like that?

“I’ve lost…….”

At the sight of Gwangryulgeom trudging down from the arena stage holding only the sword hilt, the next match participant Doksimsusa Dang Cheol wiped his sweat-beaded palm on his sleeve. And the Sword Saint, watching that scene from afar, let out a chuckle.

“It seems the Tang Family Head is nervous. Hehe.”

“That’s not strange. The Tang Family Head’s skill isn’t much different from the previous two.”

“Even so, I’d think the Tang Family Head is better than those two.”

“It’s like comparing the heights of acorns.”

“Hehe.”

At Ilryun’s nonchalant answer, the Sword Saint smiled bitterly and fell into thought watching Ilryun rise from her seat. The match that would unfold after this had results as obvious as seeing fire without looking.

‘Things have been going well so far.’

The level of those gathered is higher than expected.

When the Sword Saint saw the faces of those gathered on the first day, he truly thought so. Even excluding Jeokyeo, whose participation he hadn’t expected at all, many high-level people had participated.

He nodded satisfactorily when he confirmed Geomgwi’s level after a long time, and even let out admiration when he saw Daehwalbul maintaining the Muhyeongse characteristic of Talgakja. Even though the Samgong are said to be comparable to Sipcheon or Chilryun of Saeoe, he hadn’t thought a Talgakja would emerge from among them.

Overall, the level of participating martial artists is higher than expected. But even in that process, the biggest variable is still one thing.

‘That person called Uicheon.’

Someone who displays Muhyeongse characteristic of Talgakja while spreading a strangely peculiar aura and uses martial arts of a form never seen before.

‘Hmm. Both Ilryun and Taeak seemed to know something about that person.’

Neither Taeak nor Ilryun are talkative people. Even less so people with whom to share private conversations.

If those two are sharing some story, there’s a high probability it’s related to an incident they experienced together while excluding himself. And thinking about it, there’s only one such incident.

‘The great battle in Xinjiang, it must be related to that.’

The name is also coincidentally fitting. Uicheon. Isn’t he using the sect name of the deceased Baek Riyun as his name?

‘Has the dead returned to life, or is it someone related to him?’

There’s no need to think deeply. Anyway, all sixty-four matches of the main tournament will be held by today.

Watching the martial arts used, one can guess the connection. Especially since what Baek Riyun used was swordsmanship, that character will surely show through.

‘I’ll know then.’

The Sword Saint smiled bitterly watching Ilryun catch all of Doksimsusa’s hidden weapons mid-air and put them back in his sleeve before Doksimsusa could even notice. Doksimsusa Dang Cheol, narrowing his eyes as if feeling something strange about his hidden weapons not decreasing no matter how much he poured them out, then turning pale.

“This is absurd…….”

“What? What just happened?”

“Why did the Tang Family Head surrender?”

As soon as Dang Cheol raised the white flag, Ilryun loosely pulled out a pipe from her sleeve, tapped it in the air, descended from the arena stage and sat down. And finally, excluding the Talgakja, the main tournament began in earnest.

“……Your sword energy is still not rusty. I’ve lost.”

“It was a good match.”

—Geomje. Victory!

The head of the Baek Ri Family, Sword Emperor Baek Rigang breaks down Jeokha Jinin, the sect leader of Hwasan Sect, with refined sword energy.

Kwa-a-a-ang—!!!

“Keu-heu-euk……!”

“Amitabha. You should be grateful this is atop an arena stage. Temple monk.”

—Bulgoe victory!

Bulgoe slams the head of Yeomwangjeon, a major sect of the Black Path, into the ground. Simultaneously, victories begin being decided one by one.

Victories and defeats are decided quickly.

Since they were arranged considering the level to some degree, there aren’t many matches that drag on. At the sight of matches ending in lightning-quick decisions—short ones in several exchanges, long ones within dozens of exchanges—the spectators held their breath and watched the feast of splendid martial arts. And.

Finally, around when the seventeenth match was about to begin.

“Match Seventeen! Geomwang and Uicheon, come up!”

“Now I can finally see…… Hm?”

The moment Uicheon’s turn arrived, the Sword Saint, confirming Uicheon’s appearance ascending to the arena stage, burst out in bewilderment. And for good reason.

“A sword……?”

In the ascending Uicheon’s hands, nothing was held.

***

The Sword King I met after a long time was emanating a blade-like momentum unlike before.

“I am Namgung Hyeok.”

“Uicheon.”

“Mm. Is that your name?”

“An alias.”

“Mmm.”

At my brief answer, the Sword King, perhaps sensing something strange, slightly tilted his head and looked directly at me as if trying to see through my identity. And then the Sword King’s question that immediately followed.

“I watched the preliminary match well.”

“…….”

“You wore a sword then but aren’t wearing one now. I thought you were a swordsman, but weren’t you?”

“A swordsman.”

“……Then what’s the reason you came without a sword? Don’t tell me it’s a display of confidence that you can defeat me even without a sword?”

“It’s not for that reason.”

“Then?”

“I have something to test.”

I smiled bitterly at the Sword King’s displeased appearance and waved my hand. Literally, the reason I left my sword behind was because of that.

‘I need to adapt to my body.’

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles.

That saying, which is both my favorite and my motto, starts with first ‘knowing myself.’ That’s because knowing myself is easier than knowing the opponent, isn’t it?

Knowing what I can do and up to where I can go is an extremely important matter for a martial artist.

Then what I must do now, having shed my human body and donned a yokai’s body, is extremely simple. Up to where this yokai body can endure, and what I can do with this changed body.

‘I’m confident.’

There’s something I realized while pushing myself halfway into the realm of Talgak. What I’m good at, what I should truly pursue.

That lies in the ability to utilize and combine what I have to the extreme. Both the cultivation of internal energy and the skills I’ve honed are ultimately just means to me.

“It seems you’re not looking down on me.”

“How could I look down on the Sword King?”

“Mm.”

At my serious response, the Sword King, who had been showing slight anger, sighed and gave his gaze to behind me.

“If you think it won’t work, you may bring your sword. I permit it.”

“I’m grateful for your consideration. But that won’t happen. I plan to use only my two hands and two feet in this match.”

“……Gaining the experience of defeat is also a good thing. Fine. No need for long words.”

I’ll strike you down and send you away.

With that intent, I smiled faintly at the Sword King taking his ready stance by extending his sword blade and spread my feet shoulder-width apart. Senses awakening the moment I sense a fight.

‘Is this a yokai’s vision?’

Strangely vivid senses.

The opponent’s breathing seems visible to my eyes, and what he’s thinking is vaguely transmitted. Light tension, non-existent fear, boiling competitive spirit. And small anger.

‘It’ll take some time to adapt. But……’

Once I adapt, needless to say I’ll become stronger.

No matter what anyone says, a yokai’s body was superior to a human’s body.

“Begin!”

Indigo spills into the void.

Simultaneously with the start signal, sword energy that spreads like paint dissolved in water coloring the entire water spreads omnidirectionally, occupying all directions and aiming for my neck. Though it would be greeting-level for the Sword King, it’s a technique that can never be taken lightly.

‘If it were before……’

I would have pierced through forward creating an opening and thrust a sword strike between it to offset it. Inducing and designing the battlefield according to my tendencies to seize victory—that was my way.

But not now. My senses are shouting so.

That this body shouldn’t be used that way.

Cheoljung Jaengpae

Byeokpa

Kwadeudeudeuк!

My forward step transforms into a storm.

Confirming the crumpled sword energy shattering to pieces, the Sword King swings his sword to prepare his next technique. An attack that predicts my next action through precise calculation and encroaches upon the four directions.

Changgung Muae Sword

Changgung Muhan

Indigo pervades. Sword energy that strikes, cuts, stabs, and curves inward.

While confirming that the shattered sword energies heavily press down on the void as if even that was intended, I open my clenched fist and curl my fingers into a bird claw shape. A storm of sword energy that can neither be blocked nor avoided.

Overwhelming internal energy. The solution is simple. Pierce through one point. But that’s not the method I want.

The method to take now is one.

Blow it away.

Against overwhelming power, smash everything with even more overwhelming power.

Mumyeong Yogong

Three streaks of blood lines cross the void.

Something that couldn’t even take any fixed form, literally having only the framework of a martial art, transformed from my hand into a technique of tremendous power, tearing the void and warping space. And at that sight, the Sword King lets out a shout filled with competitive spirit.

“Excellent! Then how about this!”

Jewang Geomhyeong

Ilboangbok

A technique I saw before.

However, with a pressure vastly more evolved than then, it strikes down from above to below as if to split my head. The tyrant’s sword that limits the range of movement, pursues an extreme single point, and smashes everything that blocks it.

My senses ring alarm bells. The senses that human Baek Riyun possessed cry out that I must escape this place now. However,

I, at this moment, am not swayed by such alarm bells of sensation.

Because I knew this was just the beginning.

“Seu-eup.”

A slowly approaching sword strike.

In the long time that stretched a moment like taffy, I regulated my breathing and extended my fingers. Fingers about to be crushed by the pressure bearing down on my entire body even though the sword strike hadn’t arrived.

However,

—Yokai’s fighting method is different from humans.

There were precedents.

—You must adapt to your new limits. Un-ah.

Gwonryeong’s Goesinmu that raised destructive power to the extreme while smashing his own body. Heukya’s nameless style that pressed down on opponents with overwhelming yokai power.

I put all the preceding paths into my head and fit in the last piece. As if it had been waiting for me to come, one piece that fits perfectly.

Hwaleuleuk!

It blooms.

“Huu-uu.”

I move the flames that rose from my toes and spread them throughout my body. What I want is Dokseon. The power to reorganize all laws centered on myself.

There’s a precedent. Then what must be done is one thing.

Cheonma Singong

I raised my finger.

Cheongwan

The next moment, the Sword King’s technique shattered to pieces.