novelraw Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60 : Chapter 60
Chapter 60. The Hunan Righteous-Evil Faction Tournament (3)
“……”
A heavy silence enveloped the tournament stage of the Geumgang Society.
The Righteous Faction side, the Evil Faction side.
Even though nearly two hundred people from both sides were gathered in one place, not a single person opened their mouth at this moment.
One sword.
Lee Byeok’s sword had been swung only once.
And the Azure Sky Jade Dragon, Namgung Hwan, had dropped his sword from his hand.
It was unheard of for a swordsman to drop his sword.
If this had been a real battle, it would have been as good as having his head cut off, and he would have had nothing to say even if defeat was declared at this point.
“…Ha.”
At that moment, Namgung Hwan opened his mouth.
“Haha! Hahaha! Keuhahahaha!”
He began to laugh heartily.
“Well, I’ve been had! Hahaha!”
“……”
“Indeed! The name of the number one prodigy of the Evil Path is not for nothing! My apologies! I was afraid I might overdo it like with the young lady before, but it seems my worries were unnecessary!”
He continued speaking in a booming voice.
It was an exaggerated voice, as if he was conscious of everyone surrounding them, not just the Lee Byeok in front of him.
“Haha! Of course! I must pick it up! I must! It would be a shame for the match to end with a ‘playful mistake’ like this when we’ve finally met a worthy opponent for each other, wouldn't it?!”
Namgung Hwan shrugged and strode across the tournament stage.
He picked up the fallen sword again.
He took a middle stance again, facing Lee Byeok.
“Haha! Now, I’ll go for real this time! You have quite some skill too, but you should still be careful!”
Lee Byeok looked at Namgung Hwan.
Although he was pretending to be hearty and boasting, he couldn't hide his reddened eyes.
Anger, and shame.
He seemed unaccustomed to such emotions. And those emotions would be poured out onto Lee Byeok again through his sword.
Taat!
“Now, here I come! Try to receive the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art of the great Namgung Clan!”
As if he could bear it no longer, Namgung Hwan kicked off the ground.
“First form, Falcon’s Flash!”
A falcon took flight.
The sword, shot diagonally as if gliding towards the vast blue sky, rushed towards Lee Byeok.
Chaeng!
“Hahat, this is just the beginning! Second form, Falcon’s Claw of Death!”
“……”
Indeed, the sword of a prestigious clan.
Lee Byeok took a step back with each block of the ensuing Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art.
Among the countless sword clans in the Jianghu Murim, the Namgung Clan, which held the title of the number one sword clan in the world, was a goal for the Seonwoo Clan in the past.
It was a sword that was not shameful of its reputation.
But. However.
Chang, chaeng!
As he repeatedly blocked the ensuing forms, Lee Byeok thought about his current actions.
‘I could have ended it in an instant.’
But he didn't want to.
He had to break him more, thoroughly.
Eon Mi-hee had asked Lee Byeok to crush Namgung Hwan’s pride. But that wasn't the only reason.
“……”
Lee Byeok realized that he himself was angry. And for some reason, he pondered the reason.
Namgung Hwan had defeated Eum Seo-hui.
Of course, he didn't pity her.
That would be an insult to Eum Seo-hui. She had fought as a martial artist and lost. That was all.
On the contrary, she had not backed down even after clearly feeling the difference in skill, so she would have had nothing to say even if she had lost her life to Namgung Hwan’s sword.
However.
[—And thus, I pass judgment!]
Namgung Hwan had uttered the words 'pass judgment'.
But what exactly was the crime?
Was having strength the right thing?
Of course not. There was no right or wrong in strength, and being strong and being right were by no means the same thing.
Righteousness was not determined by the weight of one’s strength or the martial arts one used.
It was, after all, a matter of the heart.
Righteousness was to be upright with oneself.
Therefore, if one did not constantly doubt and question one's own righteousness in every matter, it could never be called righteous.
But this person, just because he had strength, had defined himself as righteous and had questioned the other's sin.
The Righteous Faction.
Lee Byeok still had the consciousness that he himself belonged to the righteous.
Therefore.
The righteousness that was carelessly invoked to adorn oneself enraged Lee Byeok.
“Sixth form, Under Heaven—!”
“We’re not having a demonstration match, so why do you keep teaching me the names of your forms?”
[ Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art: Full Moon. ]
Lee Byeok’s sword drew a moon.
Namgung Hwan’s sword tip wavered.
At that moment, in the eyes of everyone watching the match, an illusion of a falcon being sucked into the moon flickered past.
“Keuk!”
Namgung Hwan was greatly alarmed.
The next moment, the moon disappeared.
[ Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art: New Moon. ]
Lee Byeok’s sword vanished. And a single ray of moonlight hidden behind the clouds headed for Namgung Hwan’s wrist.
Swaek!
“Ha! Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick twice!!”
Grit. Namgung Hwan ground his teeth.
Namgung Hwan’s sword sharply changed direction.
Taat.The sword, descending deep towards the floor as if flying low over a lake, retreated, narrowly escaping the pursuit.
Indeed, a prodigy was a prodigy.
It seemed he had been mentally prepared for the New Moon form.
Chachachang!
And again, Namgung Hwan's sword shot out. He no longer shouted the names of the forms.
Finally, impatience had set in.
He looked noticeably flustered as he was unable to subdue his opponent at all, even after revealing his true skills.
Amidst the furiously storming falcon's claws and beak, Lee Byeok freely executed the Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art.
Full Moon and New Moon.
The pulling and thrusting repeated. He absorbed the sensations that could only be learned through actual combat.
“Keuk, kraaak!!”
On the other hand, Namgung Hwan was going crazy.
He had never even heard of such a sword.
It was as if the space where his sword and his opponent's clashed was being freely contracted and expanded.
“Hmph! How utterly heretical!! Whether you're the number one of the Evil Faction or whatever, is that all the talent you have?!”
Namgung Hwan roared.
However, its meaning was completely different from what he had said to Eum Seo-hui earlier.
It was more of a struggle to deny the feeling of shrinking back.
And Lee Byeok read that feeling.
Namgung Hwan's sword was now struggling to push Lee Byeok away. Was he thinking of securing some distance to attempt a big move?
“……”
Lee Byeok took a couple of steps back.
Of course, it was an intentional move. But Namgung Hwan no longer had the composure to read such things.
Taat, swaeeeek!
“Take this! Azure Sky Full Bloom!”
Immediately, Namgung Hwan flew up.
And the sword shooting towards Lee Byeok scattered in all directions, beginning to create numerous shadows.
Soon, countless sword shadows like a bird's feathers shot towards Lee Byeok all at once. However.
“……”
In Lee Byeok's view, it was rather Namgung Hwan's mistake. Once in the air, one could not be free.
[ Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art: Full Moon. ]
Lee Byeok drew a circle again.
The falling feathers were all sucked into the circle at once. The spread-out shadows quickly gathered into one.
“Keuk!?”
In the end, by the time Namgung Hwan's sword reached close to Lee Byeok, only one sword remained.
[ Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art: New Moon. ]
Kuk, tangrang!
“……”
And a flash was shot out.
The landed Namgung Hwan stared blankly down at his right hand.
But there was no sword there. Namgung Hwan's sword was once again rolling on the tournament stage.
“Will you pick it up one more time?”
“Keu—”
Namgung Hwan's expression contorted.
“Uwaaaaak!! You lawless bastard!!!”
His crushed pride finally spilled out. Grasp. Namgung Hwan, who had picked up his sword, began to tremble.
He was squeezing out all his strength.
“Keuk, euuuk!!”
Woong.
Internal energy was layered upon the sword blade.
He drew out even the last wisp of internal energy remaining in his Qi Center and poured it into the sword, and poured it again.
The internal energy at the tip of the sword, gathered as if it would explode, soon began to follow a single sword path.
Hwoooong.
“Ha! Try to receive this too!! It's a sword too good for a mere evil path follower like you!!”
Namgung Hwan's sword was drawn horizontally.
It was a large and simple motion, but within it lay a heaviness that seemed capable of splitting even a giant rock.
Lee Byeok sensed it intuitively.
It was neither the Great Spontaneity Sword Art nor the Azure Sky Boundless Sword Art. It was probably... the Namgung Clan's direct secret tradition he had only heard of, the Emperor's Sword Form.
“……”
But something about it was clumsy.
It was more of an imitation than a complete sword form. In the first place, it probably wasn't a sword that could be learned at the first-rate level.
But nevertheless.
The emperor does not waver. The Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art would not be able to shake the weight of this sword.
Perhaps Cho Yeon-seo could, but at the current level of Lee Byeok's Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art, it would be insufficient.
Tat. Lee Byeok took a step back.
Hwoooong!
“Heok, in the end, heok, is running away all you know how to do!! Heup, aren't you ashamed, heok, of the name 'number one of the Evil Faction'!!”
Namgung Hwan shouted at the top of his lungs.
It was a foolish provocation. Because he had poured all his internal energy into the sword, he lacked the strength to even pursue the retreating Lee Byeok.
For Lee Byeok, if he decided to just keep dodging, the match would be as good as over. However.
He had been asked to crush his pride.
Hook.
The Full Moon Unchanging Heart Art subsided.
And the most familiar flow of internal energy began to flow through Lee Byeok's body. It was the Azure River Flowing Leaf Art.
Tat.
Lee Byeok kicked off the ground.
He sheathed his sword as he ran to meet him.
And he took the Sword-Drawing stance.
“Heok, yes, that's right!! Heok! You're unbelievably arrogant, but, heok, this Azure Sky Jade Dragon, heok, will acknowledge your fighting spirit!!”
“…You talk a lot while panting.”
Lee Byeok drew his sword again.
[ Azure River Flowing Leaf Sword Style: Third Form of the Sword-Drawing Style: Strong Sword ]
Kaaang—!!
Strong and strong collided.
He clashed with a sword known to possess the greatest heaviness among the countless swords of the Jianghu Murim. Lee Byeok felt a dull ache in his shoulder.
But that was all.
“Eugeuk.”
“……”
“Eugeuk, eugeugeugeugeuk!”
The clashing swords trembled.
It wasn't Lee Byeok's sword. Namgung Hwan's sword was spasming, and as a result, they were trembling together.
As if literally using all his might, Namgung Hwan's face, with his teeth clenched, turned bright red.
However, if there was something he hadn't considered, it was that the shock from being struck twice by the Eight-Section Nine-Palace Brush Art remained in his wrist.
Udeuk!
“Kkuaaaaa!”
In that moment, Namgung Hwan's wrist broke.
Hwiririk, taeng!
The sword that had slipped from his hand flew off into the distance once again. The tip of Lee Byeok's sword was aimed at the space between Namgung Hwan's eyebrows.
“Will you pick it up one more time?”
“Kuaaaaaak!! Sooon of a biiiitch!!!”
“It seems you're tired now. Rest.”
Ppaak!
Lee Byeok took a step closer.
As he passed by Namgung Hwan, the handle of Lee Byeok's sword struck Namgung Hwan's forehead.
“Keok, kkeureuk!”
Namgung Hwan's eyes rolled back.
His body immediately collapsed.