Chapter 435 – One Strike

The air was different. It was profoundly still.

Even though the contests of esteemed masters often broaden the horizons of many skilled warriors, today’s sparring match carried a weight beyond that.

“…….”

In the viewing stands, where hundreds had gathered, only a scant few whispered amongst themselves. As if aligning with the crowd’s silence, even the wind moved sluggishly.

The humid air shimmered like waves under the scorching sun.

Amidst an almost solemn atmosphere, only the voices of the two individuals standing on the sparring platform rang out clearly.

“I knew you would be the one to come out.”

“I didn’t expect you to be the one. Aren’t you the head disciple of Diancang?”

“I started just like the second-generation disciples of today. My training under the sect leader came later. Desolate Fortress’s selection is free from considerations of age, so why should our sect feel compelled to send out a second-generation disciple older than me to face you? If you lack confidence, I’ll step down.”

A young woman, barely past her coming of age, spoke with a gentle smile in her eyes. She wore a dark-hued treasured sword at her waist, secured by a sash.

Her appearance was extraordinary.

Dressed in a crimson silk martial outfit, her jet-black hair cascaded down to her lower back.

Despite her seemingly gentle demeanor, her entire presence was sharpened to a fine edge. She gave the impression of a person transformed into a treasured sword. Her talent with the blade was exceptional.

Little Sword Queen Qu Su-yu.

From the very start, the future of Diancang Sect had stepped forward. This was one of the reasons the crowd held its breath. Desolate Fortress had no chance of winning.

“No. On the contrary, I’m glad.”

Swallowing a breath with a sharp inhale, a young girl clenched her fists.

White Cat Shin So-bin, known as the top disciple of Lotus Nezha, Lightning Genius. The white sleeves fluttering dustlessly in the breeze testified to her noble lineage.

At the same time, Qu Su-yu drew her sword upward. With a srrrng sound, a smooth trajectory was etched in silver across the air.

“Empty-handed combat, I see. No weapons…?”

At her question, Shin So-bin slightly raised both fists to her waist level.

“Eternal Blossom Fist, Fate Defying Scripture, Radiant Wing Step… anything goes.”

“I see. As expected of the true successor of the Lightning Genius Martial Lineage. I’ve been trained in Diancang’s Sun-Piercing Sword Art and Heavenly Radiance Divine Step.”

Her reply was straightforward. Without overreacting, Qu Su-yu courteously acknowledged her opponent’s status before turning her head toward a section of the viewing stands.

The absolute powers of the martial world were looking down on the sparring platform.

Their lineup was awe-inspiring. It included the sect leaders of five of the Nine Great Sects, as well as High Sword of Wudang and the Purple Rank of Desolate Fortress. For the first time, the figures who had initiated the Mount Hua Agreement were gathered in one place.

An invisible pressure permeated their gazes. Even without conscious intent, they exuded the power of supreme divine skills.

From a martial artist’s perspective, none of them seemed human. It was difficult even to lift one’s eyes to meet theirs.

“Embodiments of supreme divine techniques…….”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s presence among them, despite not yet being of age, felt incomprehensible.

Thus, at this moment, the way he silently watched Shin So-bin stood out as peculiar.

His eyelashes casting a shadow under the sunlight, his brow slightly furrowed as if already deeply immersed.

Qu Su-yu had encountered such an atmosphere before, though rarely. It was no different from the look an old master, with little time left in life, gave to their Cloth and Bowl Successor.

The deepest mark of one’s life, the final legacy to be left behind.

It was strange. Wasn’t this an expression too soon for a young Purple Rank to bear?

“Did he form a marriage alliance with the Desolate Shin Family? It didn’t seem like that.”

Qu Su-yu inwardly shook her head.

If she won, how would that face change? Though she wasn’t eager for it, there was no other choice. She, too, bore the honor of her sect.

[Let it begin.]

The Six Harmonies Voice of Shaolin’s Abbot Beomheo resounded. The energy wave carried in his voice bore the weight of a temple bell, imbued with boundless supreme power.

It came after a brief exchange of courteous words.

Turning her head back to her opponent, Qu Su-yu’s eyes widened slightly.

“I’m ready.”

Shin So-bin, having loosened her limbs, assumed a fist technique starting stance.

With a soft swish, she drew a semicircle on the ground with one foot, stepping back, and a wave of dust followed her movement. It was the precursor to Radiant Wing Step.

Watching this scene silently, Qu Su-yu spoke up.

“Why aren’t you a Blue Rank?”

“Isn’t it for a reason similar to why you came out to face a White Rank?”

Shin So-bin tilted her head playfully as she replied.

In truth, as soon as she heard rumors of the Mount Hua Agreement, she postponed her Blue Rank promotion, which was already in progress at the time. It was for the sake of securing victory.

Though her grandfather, an elder council head of Desolate Fortress, and her mother, the head of the Desolate Shin Family, were greatly surprised and tried to dissuade her, to Shin So-bin, their words were mere empty platitudes.

At this moment, further words seemed unnecessary.

The ground beneath her feet shattered.

Boom!

With that, she propelled herself off the sparring platform.

The sound of the air was fierce. It was as if she were crushing the wind with her entire body in a relentless charge. In an instant, the distance between them began to close.

Qu Su-yu, gripping her sword anew, had a glint of curiosity in her eyes rather than intimidation. Such an aggressive momentum. Was she planning to settle it in a single exchange without even probing?

It must have been burdensome to prolong the fight against the thousand-year martial arts of the Nine Great Sects. After all, wasn’t the strength of the Lightning Genius Martial Lineage in short, decisive battles?

“Because it’s me she’s facing.”

The title of Little Sword Queen was not easily earned at her age.

Excluding monsters like the Five Marvels of Resplendent Brilliance, White Qilin, Lazy Flame Dragon, Bewitching Sword Demon, Desolate Divine Hero, Mount Hua Hidden Dragon, Heaven-Conquering Young Sect Leader, Taimo Mountain Young Castle Lord, and Yan Family Fist Dragon, she could be considered the foremost among the rising talents.

This wasn’t an arena where Desolate Fortress’s White Cat could stand toe-to-toe.

Wooong-

Her treasured sword let out a resonant hum.

If she were facing a Shaolin martial monk or a Wudang disciple, she might have fortified her defenses here. They had divine techniques sturdier than the northern barriers.

Diancang Sect was different.

They wielded the most primal methods. Born in Yunnan, amidst monstrous forces, strange transformations, and myriad tribal powers, their sword tips knew no retreat.

And yet, they were counted among the orthodox Nine Great Sects. This spoke to their terrifying depth.

“Short, decisive battle? My sect has spent hundreds of years mastering that.”

She slightly tilted her waist backward.

Swish.

A posture like a drawn bowstring. It was the starting stance of the Bow-Body Shadow-Flickering Technique.

It was at the moment Shin So-bin slammed her foot down with a boom about ten paces ahead. A faint whitish aura spread from Qu Su-yu’s lower back up to her shoulder blades.

As stone fragments scattered in all directions, Qu Su-yu propelled her entire body forward.

Hwaaaaaaa-!

Her form surged ahead as if flying. The instantaneous acceleration was truly staggering, far surpassing Shin So-bin’s.

In midair, Qu Su-yu extended her sword forward. At the same time, a bluish gleam burst like sparks from the tip of her treasured blade. It was the Sun-Piercing Sword Energy.

Blood sprayed from Shin So-bin’s body as she stomped the ground and lowered her stance.

Struck helplessly by the sword energy that restrained movement, she flinched but still loaded her fist at her side.

The vibration from her earlier stomp had already traveled up to her waist.

“Eternal Blossom Fist, Advancing Thunder…!”

Twisting her body, she unleashed her punch. From right to left. In a flash, it was a powerful strike that slammed into the side of the blade now inches from her.

Bang!

A heavy vibration pierced through her fist’s surface. Unfazed, Shin So-bin pressed forward.

Hitting the sword naturally caused her elbow to jut out, and in an instant, she slammed it into Qu Su-yu’s shoulder. It was a pre-prepared explosive strike.

A circular shockwave burst forth in a whitish flash, causing Qu Su-yu’s upper body to lurch sideways with a thud.

Yet Qu Su-yu didn’t even let out a groan. By then, she had already slid her left palm under her right hand, which gripped the sword.

With a swish, her palm touched Shin So-bin’s abdomen. Diancang Sect’s Great Jade Palm Technique instantly unleashed a translucent burst of explosive energy.

Qu Su-yu’s left hand didn’t stop at executing the palm technique.

She seized Shin So-bin’s wrist as it recoiled outward, pulling her back in, while her right hand, now gripping the sword in reverse, slashed toward her neck.

For a head disciple of Diancang, halting a full-force swift strike mid-motion was no challenge. She intended to place the blade at Shin So-bin’s neck to end the sparring match.

“Even in a short, decisive battle, my sect holds the upper hand…….”

Qu Su-yu couldn’t finish her thought.

In that instant, Shin So-bin’s upper body dropped downward sharply. In a flash, she regained her balance, assuming a horse stance. She refused to be pulled.

Her seized arm was forcibly dragged down with a crack sound. Her long braided black hair naturally whipped upward, only to be swish sliced off by Qu Su-yu’s sword.

Strands of hair scattered and fell like dust.

A colorless spark of lightning flashed in Shin So-bin’s eyes. Time seemed to flow at an excruciatingly slow pace. She thought to herself, “Now.”

Her initial curiosity stemmed from the martial arts said to be created by a senior of her age, and later, she was drawn by a formula that felt as though it were fleeing from something.

A childlike notion permeated the martial art as a whole. That inexplicable sense of speed and urgency.

She had always sought to understand the intent embedded in Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial arts.

Her training had been a continuous process of deducing why Jeong Yeon-shin created each form and with what mindset, and that interpretation had long since burrowed deep into her being.

It could be said that her entire body’s meridians were composed of Jeong Yeon-shin.

A voice echoed in her mind.

-Stop chasing me.

You damned time.

A formula that drastically compressed the sparring match settled into Shin So-bin’s heel. It was Radiant Wing Step. Without even lifting the front of her foot, she slammed her heel down once more.

Crackle!

The energy wave of footwork surging from the ground dispelled and scattered the invisible explosive energy and blue sword energy that had enveloped Qu Su-yu’s entire body.

“……!”

The blade of Diancang’s treasured sword impotently struck Shin So-bin’s collarbone.

Qu Su-yu, who had changed her grip with astonishing skill and struck downward while holding the base of the sword body, widened her eyes.

No strength was imbued in the sword strike. At the same time, Shin So-bin unleashed a punch with a hand coiled from behind her waist.

Dozens of small shockwaves trailed her fist, etching themselves into the air in succession.

Jjeeeeeeong-!

The atmosphere trembled. The punch shattered layer after layer of invisible protective energy shields and slammed into Qu Su-yu’s side. A thick cloud of dust erupted from beneath their feet.

Qu Su-yu coughed up blood-mixed spit. By now, the two were practically embracing each other.

A metallic sound rang out from the sparring platform’s floor. Qu Su-yu had dropped her sword.

“What… kind of form was that?”

“Eternal Blossom Fist, Blossoming Fist.It’s the third form.”

As some in the crowd gasped, Shin So-bin let her completely dislocated left arm hang limply.

“I thought I’d win.”

She muttered softly.

Qu Su-yu, who had placed her fingers on the lethal point at Shin So-bin’s nape with the hand that had dropped the sword, let out a small laugh.

“That Eternal Blossom Fist form-it incorporates internal disruption techniques, doesn’t it? If you’d put any more force into it, my dantian might have shattered.”

“Yes, well…….”

“Let’s call it a draw. I’m starting to find it hard to move as well… There’s no need for someone to die, is there?”

The two slowly stepped back from each other.

Both were in a pitiful state. Shin So-bin, who had taken the full brunt of Sun-Piercing Sword Energy and even broken her own arm, was a given.

Qu Su-yu, who had coughed up blood once due to severe internal and external injuries, also bore a clear look of defeat. Especially her right arm, which had held the sword, trembled uncontrollably.

From the stands, the Shaolin Abbot, watching them with a single eye, slowly spoke.

[Following the wise judgment of the benefactors, I declare this a draw.]

A statement concluding the first sparring match between the great factions. Only after the voice of Grand Master Beomheo resonated did the venue fill with cheers.

Accompanied by admiration for the spirit and talent of the two rising talents, and for the supreme divine techniques they had mastered.

Haa.

Shin So-bin let out a deep sigh and raised her head. Her gaze immediately met Jeong Yeon-shin’s, seated in the leadership viewing stands. Her young grandmaster wore quite a striking expression.

While others might see mere composure befitting a Purple Rank of Desolate Fortress in that face, the warriors of Radiant Demon Wing could discern their young leader’s inner thoughts through subtle facial changes.

At this moment, a trace of gravity was evident.

Shin So-bin lightly lifted her now-shortened hair, cut just below her ear.

“Does it suit me a bit?”

“Now it matches close-range combat.”

A short reply.

Taoist High Sword, seated beside Jeong Yeon-shin with crossed legs, gave a faint smile.

Lady Lu Xian’s lips also curved into an arc. They were individuals who had experience nurturing disciples.

Meanwhile, in a somewhat distant seat.

An elderly woman with a sword in hand nodded, acknowledging Qu Su-yu’s efforts. Sword Empress Jin Xuan-chan’s wrinkled face was as serene as a clear lake.

She remained unshaken, even though the anticipated victory had slipped away.

“…….”

In the silence.

The sword immortal of the vast Yunnan Mountain silently awaited her turn.

***

It was now Desolate Fortress’s turn to send out a Blue Rank warrior.

Lazy Flame Dragon stepped forward. His opponent was a first-generation disciple about a decade older than Qu Su-yu, Pure Yang Sword Li Qing, who had once dominated the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering south of the Yangtze River.

He was also known to have mastered all seven forms of the first half of the Sun-Piercing Sword Art.

Lazy Flame Dragon won.

With the “Eternal Blossom Fist” technique known as Flame River, he nearly obliterated both his opponent and the sparring platform. He completely charred the opponent’s sword and clothing.

A wide scorch mark was etched into the sparring platform’s floor. At a glance, it resembled the trace of a carelessly wielded brush.

“If I had inscribed my name here, that would’ve been worth seeing too.”

No, not yet. Lazy Flame Dragon adjusted the shade over his eyes as he descended from the sparring platform.

“Anyway, it’s a pity. This blue hue feels insufficient to contain this gentleman’s prowess.”

“I wish you success in your Black Rank promotion. Young Master Hwangbo, you can do it.”

Namgung Hwa-shin, seated among the Desolate Fortress warriors, encouraged Lazy Flame Dragon with a solemn expression. The opium addict of Radiant Demon Wing glanced at the younger brother of his late sworn friend with a peculiar look.

If it had been Great Tongue Sword speaking, it would surely have been mockery, but Namgung Hwa-shin was far from the type to jest.

Meanwhile, below the sparring platform, Ma Jin faced off against a middle-aged swordsman.

Desolate Fortress’s Harbinger of Death and Diancang’s Moon-Piercing Divine Sword.

Beneath the Purple Rank and the sect leader, they were effectively the highest combat strengths of their respective factions-true supreme masters.

Lazy Flame Dragon cast a sidelong glance at Namgung Hwa-shin.

“I’m in the process of mastering it. He said the time isn’t right yet.”

Namgung Hwa-shin spoke. His face was no longer shadowed.

Even as the experts of the Namgung Family watched him from the opposite viewing stands, it was the same. There was a certain centered air about him.

At that moment, a tremendous roar echoed from the sparring platform. Harbinger of Death and Moon-Piercing Divine Sword had exchanged a single blow.

In an instant, Ma Jin’s dark metallic prosthetic lay discarded on the ground, while Moon-Piercing Divine Sword’s arm, having dropped his blade, hung limply.

The two bowed silently to each other before descending from the sparring platform.

Abbot Beomheo declared a draw.

With that, the heat in the viewing stands reached its peak.

Yet, no further cheers erupted.

Contrary to the atmosphere burning fiercely like the midday sun, the surrounding noise sank endlessly. Eventually, no sound reverberated at all.

“…….”

When had she stepped up?

At some point, a woman stood at the very center of the sparring platform. She held a sword with a blade gleaming with pure white light, letting it hang loosely.

The massive platform, capable of holding hundreds, felt as though it were filled by this single person.

Sword Empress.

She was not in the form of an old woman. Appearing younger even than Little Sword Queen, her beautiful visage gripped the sword’s handle, her long hair flowing like polished ebony behind her.

She had regained her youth in an instant through the profound internal energy of an orthodox sect.

A robust yet transcendent aura emanated from her entire being.

She slowly moved her lips.

“I am Jin Xuan-chan of Diancang.”

“I am Jeong Yeon-shin of Desolate Fortress.”

At some point, the newly appointed Purple Rank stood facing her.

Under the brilliant midday sun, the hem of his robe fluttered with the hues of sunset, as if bringing dusk early.

“…Your demeanor resembles his.”

“Are you speaking of my maternal grandfather?”

At Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, the Sword Empress nodded.

“He was a man who raced through the martial world with an unbridled temperament like yours. I thought we would meet again someday.”

“He’s not quite like me, but he’s still hale and hearty.”

“Some memories are better left as nostalgia. I have no desire to see that old man again.”

The Sword Empress gave a faint shake of her head. Then, she gestured with her chin toward Jeong Yeon-shin.

“Let us begin now.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had been gazing at her silently, parted his lips. He raised his sword with one hand.

“May I strike as I see fit?”

“I am always prepared.”

“…In that case.”

That was the end of the exchange. The sparring match between supreme masters began abruptly. Jeong Yeon-shin’s form vanished from its place as if it had been erased.

And suddenly, as if an illusion.

The vast sparring platform split in a straight line.

In an instant, his charge, transformed into a beam of light, cleaved it in two. It happened before the crowd could even blink.

Flashing like lightning, Jeong Yeon-shin extended the Divine Sword Remaining Thunder, transcending space itself. A single thrusting strike. The sword tip, racing through a different timeline, collided with the opponent’s blade surface.

There was no sound.

“……!”

A crack formed in the blade surface the Sword Empress had raised, but only for a moment. Like a lake struck by a pebble, a transparent ripple spread through the air, forcefully pushing her back.

A tremendous shockwave soared in all directions, and soon the Sword Empress’s form was flung backward like a cannonball.

KWAAAAAA-!

Only then did a deafening roar sweep through the venue. Amidst the fragments of the shattered sparring platform flying everywhere, both the Sword Empress and Jeong Yeon-shin had completely disappeared.

It was a form revealed to the world for the first time.

Heaven’s Cascade.

[TL Note- Cascade means to flow or fall rapidly and in large quantities, like water over a cliff or rock.]

With a single thrust of the sword.

A cascade flows through the night sky.

“That’s…!”

The expressions of Taoist High Sword and the sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects in the viewing stands changed drastically. What had been a calm day suddenly surged into a torrent.

Before they could fully be astonished by Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword form, they sensed someone’s presence.

Abbot Beomheo, already seated in midair in a lotus position with his back turned, along with Taoist High Sword, Lady Lu Xian, Venerable Cypress Flame, and Taoist Two Walls, twisted their bodies in an instant.

-Such wretched antics.

From atop the highest point of the stands.

-Stealing my grandson’s time.

A voice transmission struck their ears as if to shatter them. Immediately after, a deep pink shadow fell across the ground.