46 - Dragon Phoenix Assembly (19) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

The scent of blood grew stronger. The heartbeat became more distinct. The pressure that had been bearing down on the body until now was transforming into a pleasant tremor. Even though only a single layer had been peeled away, the effect was profound. Mok Riwon felt his heart naturally respond to this indescribably exquisite sensation. Just one more layer. No, even just a little more than that. And so, the desire to indulge further in this sensation emerged. Mok Riwon bit his lip until it bled. ‘...Focus.’ It wasn’t a shell cast off for massacre. It was merely a temporary shedding of skin to determine superiority. What he sought in this duel was to prove his righteousness. To show him that the sword exists not for domination but for harmony. ‘For that purpose.’ Becoming a trial myself. Wielding a sword with murderous intent on the dueling stage was something Mok Riwon could not permit. ‘To the Sword Dragon….’ I'll apologize later. It was necessary to provoke him like this to draw out his killing intent; surely, I must make amends. Mok Riwon looked at Namgung Jincheon. He was no longer swinging his sword indifferently as before. Annoyingly, he had started to be more cautious the moment he noticed the change. ‘There isn’t much time.’ The longer one is exposed to this sensation, the heavier the aftermath. The sensation will linger for a longer time, tormenting me incessantly. Therefore, I had to conclude the duel quickly. “If you won't come, then I shall make the first move.” With those words, Mok Riwon stepped forward. Clash! The swords collided. * It was an incomprehensible change. Not a physical change, but one felt purely through intuition. Thus, for Namgung Jincheon, it was an exceedingly troublesome change. ‘The sword has sharpened.’ It became sharper and more precise. No, rather than that, it would be more accurate to say it became more ferocious. Mok Riwon’s sword was thrust and retracted in an instant. Like during the previous duel, he pressured with strong sword attacks, suddenly switching to swift strikes and then bewildering the eye with deceptive ones. Each consecutive attack was fierce. Of course, that wasn’t the real issue. There was another reason why Namgung Jincheon didn’t launch an offensive. ‘Lacking strength.’ Like someone baiting, Mok Riwon’s series of strikes merely disoriented the mind while subtly revealing gaps. It was wise to be cautious. However, Namgung Jincheon couldn’t afford that. ‘…Me?’ His pride said otherwise. His star, always reigning supreme, refused the act of being scared by the opponent’s bait. Instinct merely told him. To simply thrust at those gaps and shatter the enemy head-on. And thus, prove the overwhelming difference. Namgung Jincheon didn’t resist that voice. ‘Whatever trick is used, I’ll just crush it.’ With that thought, he thrust his sword. …That was a mistake. * In the spectator seats of the dueling arena. Dang Hwa-Seo was blankly staring at the arena. Not just her, but everyone else too. The constantly cheering dueling arena had fallen silent. Faced with an incomprehensible phenomenon, everyone was shaking in shock. “What on earth is that….” That was a murmur from Hyewon, standing beside Dang Hwa-Seo. However, there was no one to answer. No one present could comprehend the techniques Mok Riwon was executing. Clash! Namgung Jincheon’s downward strike was blocked. Blocked by Mok Riwon's ‘once swift’ strong strike. It wasn’t a simple matter of ending one move and starting another. If that were the case, such astonishment wouldn’t arise. “The sword… changed.” While thrusting the sword swiftly, Mok Riwon changed its nature even before the motion was complete. He decreased the speed of the swiftly drawn sword to almost stopping it, then reversed the direction to strike upwards, thereby imparting greater force to it. “…What kind of nonsensical action is that.” Hyewon's pupils shook terribly. It was a maneuver that shouldn’t be possible. The idea of reversing the direction in which the sword was moving and then loading it with greater force was theoretically impossible. Yet, here it was happening before her eyes, leaving her mind in shambles. This was not merely a trick. Hyewon knew because she herself was a prodigy known as Baekbong, and also a future leading sword master. The moment you know that the sword can change even as it swings, the one facing it encounters the most terrifying problem in the world. It was a form of cruel torture for a sword master. Clash. Namgung Jincheon’s sword was deflected powerlessly. This time, it was due to Mok Riwon’s downward heavy strike suddenly changing to a deceptive one. “That’s….” “The Sword Dragon can't stop it.” “…Why?” “Because he doesn’t know.” Dang Hwa-Seo’s brows furrowed. Hyewon, not even sparing Dang Hwa-Seo a glance, continued. “Because he doesn’t know when, at what point, and how the sword will change, the Sword Dragon can’t exert his full strength.” "What does that mean?" "Think about it. If the Sect Leader faced a swordsmaster who employs such techniques. Techniques that bend in unpredictable ways at unpredictable times. Can the Sect Leader still throw a punch knowing the sword might curve? Can he duck if the sword is drawn horizontally? Can he dodge to the side if it’s drawn vertically, not knowing if it will bend at that moment?" Dang Hwa-Seo’s breath caught. Even as she was stunned, Hyewon’s words continued. "That would be easy if it were just that. What he’s doing is even more severe. It’s not just the direction that changes; the speed, the weight, the very nature of it all shifts. And all the while, it gains even more power. How do you thrust your sword into that? If a gap is exposed, you’d be killed instantly. How can you do that?" Hyewon’s voice grew intense. It was laced with the frustration of facing an unfair challenge. No, she truly felt indignant. ‘Something like that….’ It’s insurmountable. No matter the effort, no matter the longing or struggle, it was unreachable. Such a technique could only be achieved through innate intuition and talent. A sense of helplessness and loss of strength pressed down on Hyewon. Her gaze inadvertently shifted to Namgung Jincheon. ‘Just watching it feels like this….’ What must it be like to be on the receiving end? Hyewon couldn’t even begin to imagine how that would feel. * Namgung Jincheon had lived every moment reigning over others. The star of sovereignty that had been with him since birth had made him so. His eyes, as blue as the sky the Namgung aimed to reach, meant that from the moment of his birth, he was the master of the Namgung clan. The martial prowess that descended with him was truly wondrous, and so he had been a victor at every moment of his life. Thus, Namgung Jincheon did not feel grateful for the spiritual elixir bestowed upon him. It was a reward that naturally followed his incredible talent. He never envied those who held positions higher than his. After all, he would surpass them in a few years anyway. The star of dominance showed his path so precisely. Therefore, Namgung Jincheon just walked according to a perfect blueprint. Perhaps that’s why he was so indifferent. Perhaps that’s why he had felt so bored. Perhaps, that’s why Namgung Jincheon was failing to understand this phenomenon. Clash! Again, his sword was deflected without force. Namgung Jincheon faced an emotion he had never encountered in his life. ‘It didn’t work?’ Feeling as if the path forward was invisible. Looking at a landscape that seemed unreachable. The sovereign star, which had always so perfectly shown the path ahead, was cursing him at this moment. Namgung Jincheon couldn’t avoid knowing. That what Mok Riwon was accomplishing was something he could never imitate. Clash! The sound of the swords created a cacophony. The tip of the sword wavered as his mind shook. ‘Defeat?’ The prospect of defeat loomed. At that moment, Namgung Jincheon felt an ineffable sense of despair and a profound sense of dread. His past endeavors, always in search of stimulation, now seemed utterly trivial. His boredom had been a luxury. For the first time, Namgung Jincheon realized he was someone who vehemently rejected the notion of defeat and failure. Clash! Even amidst this realization, his arm moved. It was a desperate struggle. A fierce writhing to not accept defeat. Yet, ultimately, it was a futile effort. Clash! Mok Riwon’s sword was borne out of a practice unimaginable to Namgung Jincheon. Mok Riwon had nothing to learn. It was merely a continuous and infinite loop of basics and exploration. Thus, Mok Riwon was starved for application. This sword was born from the end of that thirst. Mok Riwon dissected the only sword dance he knew. Not by separating the steps, nor by dissecting the movements within those steps, but by breaking down each motion into thousands of pieces. And then reassembling those scattered pieces into countless forms. For over a decade since he began learning the sword, he relentlessly endured this ordeal to create this technique. Clash! The result was terrifying. Mok Riwon’s sword, in the instant it swung down, contained thousands of potential changes, constantly questioning the opponent. Where will this sword go next? Keeping them in eternal inquiry. And so, plunging them into despair. Mok Riwon’s sword was one which forced an endless series of critical choices. Clash! Namgung Jincheon looked into Mok Riwon’s eyes. And he observed his sword. His mind was already flooded to the point where further concentration seemed impossible. His moment stretched almost to infinity, as Mok Riwon's sword seemed nearly still with concentration. Yet, even then, Namgung Jincheon found no answer. ‘A deceptive move? A strong strike? Or will it continue as a swift attack?’ While Mok Riwon’s sword remained still, the possibilities extended infinitely. If he strikes upwards now, that sword will curve and stab the torso. If he brings his sword close to guard, that sword will target the lower body. If he tries a preemptive strike with his energy, that sword will use that force to launch even faster. Within the suspended time, Namgung Jincheon continued his thoughts. An endless series of choices continued. With each ensuing doubt, the sense of center was progressively lost. The more this happened, the conclusion solidified into one. Incomprehensible. Mok Riwon's sword was beyond the realm of understanding. Namgung Jincheon’s eyes rolled toward Mok Riwon. For a moment, it seemed as though Mok Riwon’s eyes were swirling with blood. Chills ran down Namgung Jincheon’s spine. ‘Ah….’ Unknowingly, his grip loosened. Yet, the sword shot forth again, demanding an answer. And this time, the choice Namgung Jincheon made was incorrect. Clash! The sword split in half. The broken sword slowly ascended towards the sky. Sounds faded away. The field of vision narrowed. ‘…I’ve lost.’ That fact alone became clear. There was a frog here. A frog that had confined itself in a well, believing it was the entirety of the world. The frog named Namgung Jincheon had looked up at a shadow cast over the well one day. Without knowing what it was, simply dismissing it as part of its supreme well, it approached the shadow. And this was the result. Such was the pride that it finally realized. Beyond the well it believed was everything, there lurked a snake of unparalleled ferocity. Swoosh- Mok Riwon's sword stopped in front of Namgung Jincheon’s throat. [Mu, Mugeogeoeom!!! Sseueung!!!] Mok Riwon laughed. “I have won.” On a day when he was 22, Namgung Jincheon finally learned defeat at such a belated age.