The Legend of the Northern Blade - Chapter 178: No Matter How Lush the Branches Are, They Can Never Become the Trunk (3)

Chapter 178: No Matter How Lush the Branches Are, They Can Never Become the Trunk (3)

The sword domain created by Yeon Cheon-Hwa collapsed, revealing Jin Mu-Won and Yeon Cheon-Hwa as the translucent curtain of black energy dissipated.

No one knew what had transpired within the black qi, but to their surprise, both men appeared unscathed. Their clothes were not torn, and their complexions had not changed much. Their breathing was as calm and steady as ever.

They did, however, feel an intense, heart-pounding pressure and tension emanating from the two men. Their lips went dry, and sweat trickled from their tightly clenched fists.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa took a moment to steady his breathing and looked around. Countless people were watching his confrontation with Jin Mu-Won. He could feel their raw curiosity.

He bit his lip in chagrin. Even though they’re mere insects…

The spectators could not have imagined the kind of duel that had just occurred within his sword domain.

He looked down. Scattered at his feet were the shattered remains of the daggers he had used to perform the Sword Levitation Technique.

In a shocking turn of events, Jin Mu-Won dismantled the technique, dagger by dagger. Each time Snow Flower sliced through the air, another dagger shattered until he could no longer maintain the sword domain.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa scowled as he licked away a trace of blood on his lips. The Sword Levitation Technique was no mere projectile art. A channel of qi connected him to his blades, so when they shattered, he inevitably suffered damage as well.

Standing across from Yeon Cheon-Hwa, Jin Mu-Won focused on controlling his breathing. Contrary to what the audience thought, he was not unscathed.

Snow Flower’s guard was cracked, and blood dripped from his hand. Each time he shattered one of Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s daggers, he suffered immense recoil. Though he appeared fine on the outside, his organs were in turmoil, and his blood and qi flow were chaotic.

A shiver ran down Jin Mu-Won’s spine. Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s technique was terrifying. If he had been trapped in the sword domain for even a moment longer, he would not still be standing.

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Yeon Cheon-Hwa pulled the greatsword out of the floor where he had plunged it, his grim posture radiating a powerful fighting spirit and fierce resolve.

I give up on capturing him and learning his technique. I will annihilate him right here and now to eliminate this future threat.

He had finally abandoned the idea of stealing Jin Mu-Won’s sword art. The young man was no longer the helpless boy he could defeat while holding back. Now, he was a martial master and a supreme swordsman who posed a threat to him.

He released the full extent of his qi.

Is he going to use his full power?

Jin Mu-Won thought, reciprocating the action. As he did so, however, his gaze grew steadily calmer. Eventually, even Snow Flower calmed down and stopped humming. It was a perfect unification of sword and body, not just a synchronization of qi and flesh, but rather a state where even their spirits had melded into one.

Let’s go, Snow Flower.

Jin Mu-Won kicked off the ground.

In that same instant, Yeon Cheon-Hwa rushed toward him at a terrifying speed.

“Yaaaaaah!” Yeon Cheon-Hwa roared as he brought his greatsword down upon Jin Mu-Won.

This time, he wasn’t using the Sword Levitation Technique or any other fancy techniques, like Sword Flux. However, his attack seemed far more terrifying than before. Like Jin Mu-Won, he had focused all his energy within his blade, wasting no qi at all.

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CLAAAANG!

A sonic boom echoed through the arena from the wind of Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s powerful swing.

In response, Jin Mu-Won unleashed Meteor Soul, a technique from the Shadow Blade of Destruction. With the speed of a meteor, Snow Flower soared through the air to meet his opponent’s blade.

CLANG!

It was merely a clash of two swords, yet a qi storm erupted in all directions.

Without missing a beat, Jin Mu-Won unfurled the Northern Heavenly Wall and the Rain of Destruction. His blade rained down a flurry of strikes, relentlessly hammering away at Yeon Cheon-Hwa.

However, the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique was like an iron fortress.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

With every clash, the atmosphere trembled and the ground shook. The duel stage had long since been obliterated, leaving no trace, and the nearby audience seats had cracked.

Their fight had moved beyond the realm of common sense. Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s martial prowess was impressive enough, but considering that Jin Mu-Won was still in his early twenties, his skills were truly astonishing.

If he’s like this now, how strong will he be in a few more years?

For Jin Mu-Won’s adversaries, the thought alone was chilling. Their instincts screamed at them to intervene and end his life on the spot, but they were trapped. Ha Jin-Wol had already cornered them, and with so many eyes watching, their hands were tied.

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Now, the duel was rapidly approaching its climax.

At some point, the sounds of tearing air and clashing metal stopped. The only remaining sound was the whisper of rustling clothes in the wind. The crowd knew, however, that a far fiercer and more violent battle was taking place, even if they could not hear it.

“Huuuk!” Jin Mu-Won exhaled a ragged breath, and an intense heat radiated from his entire body, instantly evaporating the sweat on his skin. This was the first time he had pushed his body this hard since entering the jianghu.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa was a master who had walked the path of the sword long before him. He was a master close to reaching the pinnacle of the blade. He could only fight Yeon Cheon-Hwa on equal terms because of the Shadow Blade of Destruction and his newfound enlightenment as he confronted the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique.

Meeting strength with strength is foolish.

Jin Mu-Won recalled everything he had learned. When the opponent went on the offensive, one must fall back. This was not a blind retreat, but rather a strategy of conceding ground to gain it back twofold. For this strategy to work, it was necessary to use the retreating motion to build up energy for the subsequent advance.

The moment Snow Flower was knocked back after clashing with the greatsword, Jin Mu-Won rotated his waist like a spinning top, using the force of the impact to accelerate his swing.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa narrowed his eyes. Jin Mu-Won was leveraging his very strength against him, like a sword forged by the fires of battle.

I have to end it here. If he continues growing, there’s no telling how high he will climb.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa poured every last drop of his internal energy into his greatsword, causing the blade to emit an intense, crimson glow. This was the Explosive Light Sword, the ultimate technique of the Infinite Heavens Sword Technique which only he, who had reached its pinnacle, could use.

A torrential downpour of sword flux rained down on Jin Mu-Won, leaving him with nowhere to escape.

Cornered, Jin Mu-Won’s eyes gleamed with a pure white light. He planted his feet on the ground and pushed his body to its absolute limit. His ankles, knees, waist, and shoulders rotated, condensing power until finally, he brought Snow Flower to bear on Yeon Cheon-Hwa like a thunderbolt.

SCREEEECH!

Friction generated by air resistance set the tip of his sword ablaze with an eerie blue glow. A moment later, a brilliant light erupted as Jin Mu-Won unleashed Blood Flash, the fifth form of the Shadow Blade of Destruction.

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BOOOOOM!

The instant the ultimate embodiments of power and speed collided, the crowd squeezed their eyes shut, unable to look at the scattered fragments of light for fear of being blinded.

When they opened their eyes again, all was calm.

Jin Mu-Won and Yeon Cheon-Hwa both stood tall and firm. Both men seemed calm. Outwardly, it was impossible to tell who had won and who had lost.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa sheathed his greatsword. “What sword technique was that?”

“The… Shadow Blade of Destruction,” Jin Mu-Won panted.

“Ha! So that was the trump card your father left behind. Now I feel like a fool for wasting my time collecting worthless swordsmanship manuals while remaining ignorant of the true treasure.”

Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s gaze drifted toward his own chest.

DRIP!

A red line suddenly appeared on his chest, extending down to his stomach. At the same time, blood gushed from Jin Mu-Won’s shoulder and side. Within seconds, both men were drenched in crimson.

Yeon Cheon-Hwa burst out laughing, “Fufu! So no matter how lush the branches are, they can never become the trunk?”

“Uncle.”

“Hahahaha!”

“……” Jin Mu-Won silently watched as the man he once respected laughed tragically.

Finally, as if in slow motion, Yeon Cheon-Hwa’s torso split diagonally from shoulder to hip and slid apart, falling to the ground. Only then did the last echoes of his laughter begin to fade.

The death of the giant who had dominated an era sent chills through everyone present. Yeon Cheon-Hwa, a member of the Four Northern Pillars and founder of the powerful Greatsword Fortress, had been bested.

At that moment, they instinctively knew that a new era had begun, one that would revolve around Jin Mu-Won.

Renowned martial artists, including the Ten Great Elders, eyed Jin Mu-Won with caution and fear. Though many people were gathered, an awkward silence filled the arena.

Jin Mu-Won let out a soft sigh and sheathed Snow Flower. Fresh blood was still trickling from the corner of his mouth. While he appeared fine on the outside, his insides were utterly wrecked. His organs were out of place, and his blood and qi were so tangled that he could not circulate his energy properly. On top of that, the wounds on his shoulder and side threatened to worsen at the slightest movement.

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Under normal circumstances, it would not have been strange for him to collapse on the spot. However, Jin Mu-Won endured the pain and tried to appear calm.

This was enemy territory. For now, his enemies were stunned and overwhelmed by his power, but as soon as he showed any weakness, they would lunge for his throat.

His gaze shifted to the leaders of Heaven’s Summit seated on the balcony.

“Hmph!”

Those who met his gaze grimaced. Some avoided eye contact, while others glared back with hostility. However, not a single one of them dared to step forward recklessly as before, not even Yoo Cheong-Wol and Daeryeok Sim, who had led the call for public condemnation.

Jin Mu-Won asked, “Is the fact that I am the successor of the Northern Army still a problem?

This was not a question directed solely at the leaders of Heaven’s Summit. It was a question for everyone gathered there.

No one answered.

Jin Mu-Won asked again, “Do I still need to cripple my own martial arts?”

“……”

Again, there was no answer.

Only the strong had the right to roar at the world, and in the eyes of the people, Jin Mu-Won was undoubtedly one of the strong. They could not respond to his challenge.

“Then I assume there is no problem with me being at Heaven’s Summit.”

“Grrr!” Daeryeok Sim’s face contorted in frustration. He wanted to retort immediately , but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The tide had already completely turned in Jin Mu-Won’s favor. No matter what he said, the crowd would not accept it. As impulsive and reckless as he was, Daeryeok Sim was not so clueless as to miss that.

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Suddenly, Jin Mu-Won made eye contact with Shim Won-Yi. Gritting his teeth, Shim Won-Yi glared back at Jin Mu-Won , but in the end, he was the one who looked away first.

One hour. Everything had changed in just one hour.

An hour ago, Jin Mu-Won was nothing more than an up-and-coming martial artist. Now, however, he was a powerhouse who had just struck down Yeon Cheon-Hwa, a member of the Four Northern Pillars.

Jin Mu-Won started descending the platform. Blood pooled with every footstep, but he did not stop nor falter.

He was the one who had chosen to walk the Path of Endless Blood, an arduous trek with no end in sight, and he did not regret it.

“Waaaaaah!”

Long after Jin Mu-Won’s figure disappeared, the crowd erupted in a unified cheer, reverberating throughout Heaven’s Summit.