Chapter 156 – The Orthodox Alliance (4)

The feast of light spread on the sparring platform was a world of unreachable dreams for the disciples of the Heavenly King Sect watching below the stage.

“Does that even make sense?”

“Senior brother, can you see a bit?”

“I can only vaguely see it too. Is that the fight of super absolute experts?”

“Sword Master is natural, but that man fighting him has skill hard to understand. Could he be an expert who rejuvenated into youth like in legends?”

At his junior brother’s words, Breaking Mountain Sword laughed in dismay.

Though it was strength even he found hard to understand, still, rejuvenating into youth from marketplace novels.

It wasn’t something a disciple of the prestigious Heavenly King Sect should say.

As he thought, the sect leader was frowning, and the martial uncles were clicking their tongues.

Fortunately, only Heavenly King Sect members were nearby, but it was something that could be caught by rather strict sect elders.

Breaking Mountain Sword tried to immediately warn his junior brother, but he couldn’t speak because of the man standing before him.

“I’d like you to spare some time.”

The speaking man was an ordinary Orthodox Alliance warrior, but on his arm was an armband with the Chinese character for “Investigate” (察).

Thanks to that armband, the ordinary alliance warrior immediately changed into the alliance’s fearsome surveillance warrior.

Behind him stood another surveillance warrior wearing the same armband.

“What business does the surveillance warrior have?”

While all the Heavenly King Sect people looked at the surveillance warrior with surprised eyes, the sect leader blocked the front and raised his voice.

Though the alliance’s surveillance team had a high reputation for fair conduct, the surveillance coming itself meant a serious problem had arisen.

“It’s Strategist Zhuge’s order. You just need to spare a moment. You may come with someone else too.”

If even Strategist Zhuge’s name came out, it wasn’t something to easily pass over.

The sect leader looked back at Breaking Mountain Sword with a stiff expression.

As the sect’s first disciple, he not only had skill reaching absolute level but was always an excellent disciple who followed the righteous path.

There was no way he’d be involved in something wrong.

“Something seems wrong. I’ll go with you. Others wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

After the sect leader spoke to other sect members, he soon made a puzzled expression.

Because Breaking Mountain Sword’s expression was different from usual.

Seeing him lost in thought with a serious expression, the sect leader became worried.

“By any chance, is there something going on?”

At the sect leader’s words, Breaking Mountain Sword tapped the sword at his side.

“Something seems to have gone wrong. Regrettably, it seems this is the end.”

He bowed his head toward the sect leader, then shot toward the surveillance member in that position.

At the sudden action, before the surrounding junior brothers and martial uncles could stop him, he instantly swung his sword toward the surveillance member’s neck.

Clang!

The surveillance member seemed to have anticipated it and succeeded in blocking his sword by raising his sword, but…

The sword broke in just one move.

Based on his skill shown recently, two warriors at the beginning of absolute level had come.

However, they were insufficient to face him who became much stronger after taking the drug from the Blood Cult.

True to his epithet Breaking Mountain Sword, he neutralized one person and threw his body at the other behind.

The member standing behind was a frail female warrior, but in the murim, there was no special treatment for women.

This time, he planned to blow away the neck along with the sword.

“What are you doing!”

His surprised master and sect leader’s voice was heard from behind, but he didn’t care and swung his sword.

Clang!

The sound of a sword breaking was heard again.

However, Breaking Mountain Sword stopped in place and checked his sword with a surprised expression.

The broken sword wasn’t the opponent’s sword but his own.

Only then could Breaking Mountain Sword know who the woman before his eyes was.

“Mount Hua’s Sword Flower?”

Nanseol didn’t answer that question and swung her sword.

At her lightning-fast moving sword, Breaking Mountain Sword couldn’t avoid and had his pressure point struck.

After briefly glancing at Breaking Mountain Sword who fainted with blocked pressure points, Nanseol spoke to the surveillance warrior watching with a slightly surprised expression.

“He’s stronger than expected. I’ll leave this place to you. I’ll help others.”

The warrior could only nod at Nanseol’s words.

When Nanseol quickly passed through the people like cutting through rapids, the warrior shook his head.

“The back waves of the Yangtze River push forward the front waves… Is it already time to realize that saying?”

He glanced at the stage where fierce battle was still occurring, then approached the fainted Breaking Mountain Sword.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

When he approached Breaking Mountain Sword, the Heavenly King Sect leader opened his mouth with a darkened expression different from before.

“Let’s go together. Sect Leader should come along too.”

The Heavenly King Sect leader followed the surveillance warrior carrying the fainted Breaking Mountain Sword, and the remaining Heavenly King Sect disciples looked at each other with frightened faces.

***

Commotion like what happened at the Heavenly King Sect unfolded in the crowd and tents spread around.

Though the brainwashed strongly resisted, most were arrested by surveillance members.

However, some brainwashed who became stronger after taking the Blood Cult’s drug fought fiercely with surveillance members.

This commotion made the entire crowd unsettled and stopped the fight on the sparring platform.

The two people who had been fiercely exchanging swords on the platform separated to both sides and stood on the stage as if by promise in one moment.

The old man had a calm expression without signs of fatigue, but Sun-woo’s coat was torn in places and his face was very tired.

“What’s going on?”

Sword Master frowned while looking at the commotion occurring in various places. Because he was interrupted while loosening his body excitedly after a long time.

“There’s a bit of commotion, but it seems to be wrapping up well.”

Sun-woo, who was similarly looking around, steadied his rough breathing while watching the gradually calming commotion.

Fighting a proper super absolute expert with martial arts was definitely too much.

In a situation where he just climbed to super absolute, fighting an expert practically an elder of the murim lacked control of ki and various aspects.

After fighting Sword Master, he realized absolute and super absolute had stark differences in everything.

He needed to quickly abandon habits formed during absolute level.

“Don’t tell me you know what’s going on?”

“Ask Strategist Zhuge. I just came up here as he told me to.”

At Sun-woo’s words, Martial Elder frowned.

Though he seemed a bold young man from the first meeting, he was more so than expected.

However, he wasn’t his direct subordinate, and even his skill was concerning enough to hesitate giving admonishment.

Looking at skill alone, he had clearly just climbed to super absolute.

However, his experience was telling him something was hidden.

“Whoever raised you, I’d like to see your master. To transform proper martial arts into brawling use like this. Both your speech and martial arts are truly rough.”

He definitely had qualifications to be called Sword Master.

He grasped Sun-woo’s sword tendencies through a brief match.

On the other hand, Sun-woo had relieved his irritation to some extent.

Fighting a proper super absolute expert greatly helped him.

The ki utilization of a mature swordsman who climbed to super absolute opened his eyes wide.

However, it was time to slowly wrap up.

Seeing brainwashed people all killed or captured, the mission seemed about to end.

That’s when it happened.

Sword Master opened his mouth with a regretful expression.

“It would be ambiguous to end like this, right? How about we exchange one last move?”

At Sword Master’s words, Sun-woo smiled inwardly. It was what he wanted too.

Sun-woo also had lingering attachment to end like this. When would he fight such an expert again?

When Sun-woo gripped his sword again after Sword Master’s words ended, small sparks flew between Sun-woo and Sword Master.

It was the collision of powerful internal energy taking form.

Controlling swords with internal energy and will meant that person’s internal energy no longer stayed only inside the body but could stay in objects and even space.

Therefore, in fights between super absolute experts, yielding ki territory to the opponent meant letting them thrust their sword before one’s face.

So the fight of internal energy began before entering battle.

At first, Sun-woo was weak in such concepts and it didn’t show because they fought hastily, but in a situation like now deciding the outcome in one clash, suppressing the initiative with internal energy was most important.

“Did you eat some elixir? Not only your martial arts climbing to super absolute at that age, but your internal energy is tremendous.”

Sword Master, who failed to overwhelm with internal energy, clicked his tongue quietly.

He had thought to give a sharp education to an arrogant talent who climbed to great skill at a young age, but it was harder than expected.

‘At this rate, it won’t be easy to end neatly…’

However, since he already spoke, it wasn’t easy to back down either.

Eventually, he decided true to his personality to leave the result to heaven.

“Block or avoid it well.”

Sword Master gripped his sword with both hands and raised the sword before his body.

While he gripped the sword and stared intently at Sun-woo, his sword gradually began shining, and Sword Master’s figure gradually began being hidden by the shining sword.

Shortly after.

The light wrapping the sword gradually gathered to one point, and eventually the light gathered at the sword tip and clumped like a bead.

Sun-woo, who watched that appearance to the end, clicked his tongue quietly.

Though he had no intention of letting the opponent use techniques, he couldn’t move easily because of the opponent’s internal energy restraint.

‘There was a reason why ultimate attacks are just watched in comics and movies.’

Though it was a terrifying-looking technique at a glance, he had no intention of boringly avoiding it.

Sun-woo also drew up his internal energy fully and converted it to mana and mental power.

“Fire (彈)!”

The moment all light seemed converted to the bead, a quiet shout burst from Sword Master’s mouth and the bead shot from the sword.

Sword Orb (劍丸).

A technique making a bead by clumping sword energy that only those among super absolute experts who could handle ki as limbs could make.

The moment the bead shot, the internal energy that had been picking on Sun-woo completely disappeared, but Sun-woo had no capacity to care about such things.

First, only dealing with the shot bead mattered.

The bead was shot faster than bullet speed.

Sun-woo first made a wall with earth spirits.

Boom!

An enormous earth wall instantly shot up piercing through the platform, but the bead penetrated straight through the wall and rushed at Sun-woo.

Dismayed at the appearance like piercing tofu, Sun-woo even cast acceleration magic on his body and maximized light-body technique.

Sun-woo’s figure disappeared momentarily.

It was the transposition movement Sun-woo had been using.

Sun-woo, who had been using ordinary light-body technique compared to other martial arts, could use transposition movement thanks to acceleration magic’s help.

Missing Sun-woo narrowly, the bead passed the spot where Sun-woo had been.

However, the bead didn’t disappear far toward the horizon as is.

As if alive itself, it sharply changed direction and shot toward where Sun-woo moved.

“Was it equipped with guided missile function!”

Feeling the bead shooting at him again, Sun-woo pulled his body up into the air and threw his sword toward Sword Master.

“Tsk tsk, aiming for mutual destruction?”

Seeing the sword flying toward him, Sword Master clicked his tongue.

Though it was sword control, a dream martial art for non-super absolutes, any martial artist who climbed to super absolute could use it.

However, if the sword orb were ordinary sword control, the current method could be sufficiently effective.

But the sword orb wasn’t just concentrated internal energy but ki with spirituality itself.

Once created, it was a technique that chased enemies by itself until killing them without needing concentration.

That meant Sword Master could sufficiently defend against the flying sword.

Watching Sun-woo’s sword flying while scattering light, Sword Master took his stance.

Though little internal energy remained, he could sufficiently endure until the sword orb struck down the opponent.

However, he couldn’t help but turn serious as the flying sword gradually split.

Sun-woo’s shining sword increased in number one by one while flying toward Sword Master, and when it approached Sword Master, it had already increased to dozens of swords.

“What martial art is this?”

It wasn’t an illusion.

All had the same ki and same sense of reality.

Sword Master abandoned his leisurely appearance and began desperately swinging his sword.

When he swung his sword at tremendous speed, a translucent membrane formed around his body, and Sun-woo’s swords increased to dozens poured over it.

Sword Membrane (檢膜).

A super absolute technique making an absolute defensive barrier with swords.

Instead, as a technique consuming tremendous internal energy, Sword Master gathered all his internal energy and used it as a last-resort technique.

Crash!

Bang!

At that moment, a tremendous explosion occurred that swallowed all the explosive sounds of Sun-woo’s swords pounding the membrane.

Like fireworks exploding.

The sword orb finally caught up to Sun-woo who shot up into the sky, and differently from Sun-woo’s expectation, the sword orb exploded in place.

Though the explosion’s range wasn’t large, the damage was great since it was the ki itself exploding.

Space itself rippling seemed like nothing inside that explosion could leave any form.

“Huff, huff.”

Sword Master, who barely blocked the unexpected attack, looked not at the sky where the sword orb exploded but at the opposite side of the platform with a pale face.

Sun-woo stood there in intact appearance.

“I learned well.”

Sword Master, whose hair became disheveled, kept looking with a bewildered expression at Sun-woo cupping his fists with a calm face.