Chapter 27 – The Test

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 27 – The Test

The swordsman didn't even have time to reflect on what had happened to him before drawing his sword.

Thwack!

A graceful leap carrying him over the platform in a rush, his sword point extending like an arrow.

The series of movements showed no excess – it was truly the sword-drawing stance of a mature sword master.

Claaaang-!

A piercing metallic sound echoed through the cave.

In that brief gap, Cheol Ryu-heun had raised the Gan Jiang to block the opponent's thrusting sword form.

The metallic sound rang out again.

Kahaang-!

More power was loaded into the swordsman's attack.

One could tell just from seeing Cheol Ryu-heun's upper body sway back after deflecting the same thrusting sword form.

The swordsman, not wanting to miss the opportunity, approached the opponent's face repeatedly and executed his third sword form.

A trajectory slashing diagonally upward from lower right to upper left.

Shwakaaak!

A diagonal sword stance possessing both simplicity and ferocity.

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun leaned back and dodged by a hair's breadth, the fire starter in his left hand was cut in half.

It was the aftereffect of the sword force.

Among the scattering sparks.

Shwakaaak!

The swordsman's blade struck down from upper left to lower right.

Crash- Crack!

The blade, imbued with true energy, cut only air before striking the ground hard, sending rocks flying.

Cheol Ryu-heun, who had somehow retreated beyond the sword's reach, spun his body and said.

"Well, that's dusty."

Along with his curt words, he used footwork to rapidly shoot toward the exit on the other side.

The swordsman also used lightness technique powered by internal energy to chase after him.

'As if I'll let you escape!'

The small light visible far ahead rapidly expanded before suddenly bursting out to fill his entire field of vision.

He had come out of the cave, where the evening glow burned red.

Crash-crash-crash, crash-crash-crash…

Amid the sound of the waterfall striking his ears, a bland voice flowed in.

"What, did you think I was running away?"

It was Cheol Ryu-heun's voice from about twenty paces ahead.

Stop!

The swordsman halted his movement, held his sword upright, and glared holes through his opponent's face.

Flutter-

As his clothes lightly fluttered, the space where he stood began to distort transparently.

He had circulated a large amount of true energy to finish as quickly as possible.

But then.

'Hm?'

The swordsman's gaze wavered.

It was because he noticed that along with the expansion of his internal energy channels, his internal energy level had risen.

'What's this? Did I gain some enlightenment without knowing?'

Only now did he suddenly have a realization.

It was the meditation process.

After passing out from eating the mushrooms, he had regained consciousness today, sensed that unidentified energy, and entered a state of selfless absorption – he had lost track of time and when he opened his eyes again, he had somehow already escaped the underground space.

He hadn't had time to think because anger had surged upon seeing his opponent earlier, but this mysterious phenomenon had most likely exerted some kind of influence.

'This is truly a blessing in disguise!'

The swordsman relished this unexpected advancement and raised his internal energy even higher.

Whoooosh-

A shimmer of true energy spread out in a circle with his body at the center.

It was a threatening intangible aura.

As if covered with blades from head to toe…

Having confirmed once again that his internal energy level now had considerable leeway compared to before, the swordsman directed cold, piercing eyes toward the front.

His gaze was sharp enough to chill any observer's liver.

However, Cheol Ryu-heun still showed an expressionless reaction.

"Don't rush. I'm not going anywhere. I just came out to test your martial prowess in a more spacious place."

At that, one corner of the swordsman's mouth twitched upward.

"Arrogant…"

Who was testing whom?

He hadn't even shown his true skills yet.

Moreover, his internal energy level was even higher than before being trapped – what could this person know to be running his mouth?

Wiping away his sneer, the swordsman warned in a stern posture.

"I have many things to ask. I'll subdue you first and then we'll have a Q&A session."

"That's what I should be saying."

"Bastard!"

Having barked, the swordsman immediately charged forward.

Hoowoong!

Closing the gap in one breath, his sword pierced toward the opponent's left shoulder, loaded with true energy.

It was an offensive similar in form to the single-sword charge Cheol Ryu-heun had executed previously.

Just before the sword point touched.

Twaaaaaat-

Cheol Ryu-heun's body slid back about ten paces as if gliding across the ground.

It was truly exquisite movement.

The swordsman couldn't help but momentarily admire that swift and smooth motion.

'Not bad!'

Simultaneously, he exploded internal energy from the yongcheon points on both soles of his feet.

Boom!

And changed direction.

Not straight movement but movement curving to the right.

Though the attack was faster than before, it again failed to reach the opponent's body.

Twaaaaaat-

Cheol Ryu-heun withdrew about ten paces just as before and opened his mouth indifferently.

"Is that your best?"

"What?"

At the swordsman's indignant response, Cheol Ryu-heun provoked his fighting spirit with a bored expression and voice.

"At this rate, you couldn't even cut my clothing."

"You and your loose lips…!"

Enraged, the swordsman immediately raised his internal energy up another level.

Rummmble…

Suddenly, the air around where he stood vibrated.

It was over seventy percent of his power.

As proof, blue energy currents reminiscent of blue waves rose from his body.

The swordsman was certain.

This time, at least, he wouldn't be able to slip away like an eel.

Meanwhile, something like a faint smile appeared at the corner of Cheol Ryu-heun's mouth before quickly disappearing.

'The blue true energy unique to the Azure Dragon Mental Cultivation Method… I knew it. Just as I expected, he's a descendant who inherited the sword techniques of the Dragon Martial Gate. Wasn't their lineage severed over twenty years ago?'

The opponent's identity had been ascertained.

In truth, he had roughly guessed it from the moment the man broke out of the underground space on his own.

The swordsman, wrapped in blue energy currents, showed a fierce light in his eyes.

"Insolent brat, I'll just rough you up enough not to kill you."

"Stop flapping your lips and use your hands."

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun finished speaking, the swordsman kicked off the ground with a will to finish quickly and charged.

Hoowooowoong-!

A single-sword charge that released a heavy wind sound.

The speed of that straight movement was truly remarkable, incomparable to the few sword forms before.

The momentum was like a small azure dragon surging through a sea of clouds.

But then.

Clang- BOOM!

Metallic and explosive sounds burst out simultaneously, and the swordsman's body was flung back.

Screech, screeech…

The swordsman scraped the ground with both feet and barely steadied his balance and stopped.

Hummm… hummm… hummm…

The sound of the blade trembling finely.

It was the aftereffect of the head-on collision with Cheol Ryu-heun's defensive sword strike.

'Guk, to this extent!'

It was powerful repelling force.

So much that even his hand gripping the sword hilt was tingling.

Before he knew it, Cheol Ryu-heun had approached him and swung his sword.

Shwang-!

The swordsman reflexively twisted his upper body to evade the sword and swung the sword in his right hand.

Shwa-shwang!

An afterimage of the sword crossing through the air.

The gap was too narrow to possibly dodge.

But.

Kang!

He couldn't cut.

Cheol Ryu-heun had instantly pulled back his sword and blocked by a hair's breadth.

Inwardly impressed by that skill, the swordsman executed vertical and horizontal sword forms even faster.

Shuk, shuk- shu-shuk, shuk-!

Blade trajectories moving up, down, left, and right confused his vision.

Yet Cheol Ryu-heun evaded all the sword moves before retreating far away with lightness footwork.

The swordsman quietly steadied his breath and clenched his teeth.

'Hmph, he's stronger than expected!'

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun brushed back his hair and said briefly.

"Good."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that combination of sword forms just now wasn't bad."

The expressionless face matched the indifferent-feeling voice, making it confusing whether it was praise or mockery.

Of course, from the swordsman's perspective, those words only sounded offensive.

'This guy, just because he has some strength he's getting cocky… Fine, I'll treat you as a worthy opponent now and display my maximum power!'

In that instant, the blue energy currents enveloping his body explosively surged, warning of its power.

Cheol Ryu-heun said quietly.

"This is the last time."

That meant this was the final chance to take him down, so clash with everything he had.

The swordsman said nothing in reply, only glaring fiercely.

'The arrogance…!'

He then concentrated true energy into both legs and charged fiercely forward.

Papapapapa-

A form compressing distance with zigzag movement.

Like an azure dragon swimming through the vast seas while undulating its long body, it was a charge possessing both flamboyance and speed.

In contrast, Cheol Ryu-heun's response was extremely simple.

He just thrust the sword straight out.

It was an action that seemed to lack even minimal effort.

Crack-aang!

Following the metallic sound.

BOOM-!

Blue shimmer spread in a circle as the surrounding air and ground vibrated noisily.

Right after, the swordsman flew back to the other side as if struck by a large cannonball.

"Cough!"

His back slammed against a boulder and he coughed up blood.

Unable to withstand the power loaded in his opponent's simple sword strike, his internal energy channels had become tangled.

'Guk! How can this be…'

It had seemed like an ordinary sword strike, but the power was overwhelmingly tremendous.

"That'll hurt quite a bit. I put some strength into that one."

Hearing Cheol Ryu-heun's words, the swordsman's expression darkened.

A complete defeat.

There was no room for excuses.

He had used his most confident technique among all the sword arts he had mastered and added maximum power on top – yet ultimately he was pushed back in one blow.

At that moment, unexpected words reached his ears.

"You still have a long way to go. Separate from improving your internal energy, your study of the Azure Dragon Mental Cultivation Method is lacking."

In that instant, transparent ripples arose in the swordsman's pupils.

'…!'

How did this man confidently pinpoint the name of the mental cultivation method?

Surely he hadn't figured it out just from the energy sense…? No, that couldn't be.

It was impossible to see through an internal energy attribute at once without some kind of experience.

Moreover, it had been a long time since this Azure Dragon Mental Cultivation Method's lineage was severed…

While he was confused due to this great question.

"The superficially learned Four Dragon Sword Forms won't work on me."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's voice heard again, the swordsman showed a blank look of disbelief.

Suddenly.

Flick-

Cheol Ryu-heun's form disappeared, then in the blink of an eye closed in to the front of his opponent.

'Urk!'

The swordsman, suffering from internal injury pain, ducked his upper body almost reflexively to dodge.

Crash-!

The blade that had deeply pierced the boulder by a hair's breadth.

It was a terrifying single-sword charge that could be compared to a flash of light.

If the swordsman hadn't reacted on instinct, he would have been stabbed by the sword and gone down.

Crack… crack, crack-crack…

Fractures began to form radiating from where the Gan Jiang had penetrated.

Crun-crack-crack, crun-crack-crack-crack-!

The boulder that had been pierced through shot up into the air.

Beneath the falling large and small rock fragments mixed with dusty haze.

Step.

Cheol Ryu-heun rested the Gan Jiang on his right shoulder and quietly looked down at his opponent.

The swordsman also cast his gaze with a half-dazed face.

"That sword form just now… was definitely Four Dragon Sword Forms…"

Speed, power – it was a perfect sword form in every way.

It felt like he was experiencing the complete form of the Advancement Form within the Four Dragon Sword Forms that he had been picturing in his mind all this time.

Sure enough, Cheol Ryu-heun answered with a nod.

"The dignity of the Four Dragon Sword Forms should be at least this level to brag about somewhere, don't you think?"

"Wh… Who on earth are you…?"

"Let's just say I'm someone with a deep connection to your founder, Ascending Heaven Sword Dragon."

The swordsman, eyes widening greatly, was too astonished to continue speaking.

Cheol Ryu-heun paid no mind and continued speaking.

"Anyway, from today, you're our sect's Guest Retainer Number One. The right to refuse? None. Instead, I'll personally educate you so you can achieve mastery of the Four Dragon Sword Forms."