Chapter 581

The martial arts of Azure Moon Sect revolved around the sword and the moon.

A family renowned for its swordsmanship. The greatest martial sect under heaven.

It had produced countless men who held the title of greatest under heaven throughout its history, including the previous holder of that title, who was also regarded as the greatest martial artist of all time.

In the present age, Azure Moon Sect was held in far higher esteem than even the Nine Great Sects.

The most prestigious of prestigious sects.

Azure Moon Sect deserved that reputation, and its martial arts were certainly worthy of being called Divine Arts.

Even so.

Even among those exceptional martial arts, the Azure Moon Sword Dance refined by Yoo Cheongil could be considered an art of an entirely higher order.

I could say that with confidence, having practiced it myself and experienced both versions firsthand.

This is a Divine Art among Divine Arts.

I didn't know much about the period when Yoo Cheongil was active, but I doubted people had called him a monster simply because he was strong.

If I had to guess why he had earned that reputation...

It must have been his overwhelming understanding and mastery of martial arts.

He had taken a Divine Art whose foundations had been established and refined over generations, improved it, and elevated it to an entirely new level.

I hadn't understood that when I first learned it.

But now that my cultivation had advanced and my eye for martial arts had improved, I could see it clearly.

Yoo Cheongil was a monster.

The martial arts he had refined were proof enough. I knew just how extraordinary an accomplishment it was to improve an established martial art in the first place.

Radiant Moon Flash Aura and the Moon Immortal sword path.

Moonbolt and Great Moon.

These arts went far beyond sword techniques. They affected the martial artist's body itself.

The Moon Eye, which embodied the very identity of Azure Moon Sect, was possible because its heart art influenced the practitioner's physical body.

And Yoo Cheongil's martial arts had taken that Moon Eye and evolved it even further.

The elders and the Sect Leader knew that Yoo Cheongil's martial arts belonged to a fundamentally different level from those currently practiced within Azure Moon Sect.

That was why they treated me differently.

And yet, with all that in mind...

"What the hell is that?"

[Hahahahahaha!]

I couldn't help voicing my confusion.

The Heavenly Demon burst into laughter.

[How fascinating. Truly fascinating.]

His crazed laughter seemed almost murderous.

I couldn't tell whether he was genuinely amused or furious.

[To think there exists a human capable of such a thing.]

What exactly is that?

No matter how closely I looked, I couldn't understand it.

What I was seeing was Radiant Moon Flash Aura formed from demonic qi.

What was Radiant Moon Flash Aura?

Yoo Cheongil's Sword Aura.

It was the name given to the brilliant Sword Aura he had achieved.

Unlike the blue Sword Aura of other Azure Moon Sect practitioners, his shone with a dazzling white light.

Its very nature was different.

So was its power.

Moonbolt. Great Moon.

Every other martial art in that system depended on the manifestation of this fundamental Sword Aura.

But...

How the hell is that bastard using it?

Heavenly Sword.

That bastard was manifesting Radiant Moon Flash Aura right before my eyes.

It shone despite being black, and even the shimmering, flame-like haze rising from it was identical.

There was only one difference.

It's demonic qi.

That Radiant Moon Flash Aura had been manifested through demonic qi.

That was the greatest difference, but apart from that, the two were almost identical.

Which was precisely why it was so astonishing.

That sword.

How could that bastard possibly manifest something like that?

Unless...

Did he imitate my Sword Aura?

I wondered whether he'd somehow copied Radiant Moon Flash Aura.

But it didn't feel that way.

It was pure.

There was nothing about it that suggested imitation.

He wasn't using his eyes and mind that way.

I knew because I was me.

There were things I understood precisely because I was the one looking at them.

"...What is that? What did you do?"

Peng Dojin, who had been looking so confident moments earlier, spoke after seeing Heavenly Sword's blade.

Judging by the puzzlement in his eyes, he'd noticed something unusual as well.

Heavenly Sword gave his sword a slight shake in response.

"It's a sword art I've never shown anyone before. You could call it a finishing move I've been saving for a special occasion."

"That?"

"Indeed. This is my ultimate technique."

"...Your ultimate technique."

Whoosh.

An ink-black sheen began spreading across Peng Dojin's blade.

The black clouds were gathering around it once again.

"Frightening. And exciting."

He sounded completely sincere.

He was actually looking forward to it.

No matter how I looked at him, that bastard was definitely insane.

And yet...

...I can't exactly disagree.

The moment I saw that Sword Aura, goose bumps rose across my skin.

A chill climbed my spine, nearly throwing my breathing out of rhythm.

There was something about Heavenly Sword's blade that stirred the instincts of a martial artist.

Right. This feeling...

If I had to explain it, it was the instinctive response of a martial artist encountering a superior martial art.

Those who spent their lives pursuing greater heights could recognize such things without needing an explanation.

It was greed.

Desire.

The urge to observe that martial art, understand it, and make it one's own sprang from those instincts.

In other words...

That martial art is extraordinary.

Its value was immense.

It was an absolute Divine Art comparable to the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts and the martial arts of Yoo Cheongil himself.

My grip tightened.

I fixed my gaze on the sparring platform.

"You'd better show me something interesting. I'm looking forward to this."

Peng Dojin spoke.

"Then you needn't worry."

Heavenly Sword answered with a smile.

"I intend to exceed your expectations."

The moment those words left his mouth, Peng Dojin charged again.

Gripping his greatblade, he summoned the black clouds around it.

He rushed forward as though painting the air with ink.

The sheer weight of his advance was even greater than before.

Something had changed.

I could see that much.

But what exactly was different?

Had he increased the amount of inner qi flowing into his blade?

I narrowed my eyes, unable to judge the difference.

[It seems the ultimate technique he used earlier is responsible.]

The Heavenly Demon supplied the answer.

His ultimate technique?

The martial art Peng Dojin had used, the one left behind by the Blade God.

He had said that it, too, was created by refining the martial arts of his family.

And that technique was responsible for this change?

[His muscles expanded immediately after he used it. His acupoints were likely affected as well. I imagine it maximizes the flow of his inner qi. The effect won't be permanent, of course... And its duration doesn't seem particularly long.]

"..."

He could tell all that just by looking?

According to the Heavenly Demon, using that martial art temporarily enhanced the practitioner's body.

I wasn't even sure such a thing was possible.

But if the Heavenly Demon said so, he was probably right.

Even from that explanation alone, it sounded like an overwhelmingly powerful Divine Art.

"Haaa..."

My attention shifted to Heavenly Sword.

He remained completely unshaken by Peng Dojin's charge.

Even with something as imposing as Mount Tai bearing down on him, his expression didn't change.

His mind was utterly still, free of distracting thoughts.

Looking into his eyes, I realized something.

...A state of selflessness.

He had entered a state of complete selflessness.

And at the same time...

Body-and-sword unity—

He had achieved body-and-sword unity while wielding that Sword Aura.

My eyes widened.

The atmosphere changed abruptly.

No.

To be precise, the atmosphere vanished.

I couldn't sense the slightest trace of his presence.

Dangerous.

I felt it without needing any further explanation.

Just then—

"...!"

Peng Dojin flinched and abruptly widened the distance between them.

He retreated a considerable distance before steadying his breathing.

"...Haa..."

His widened eyes and tense movements were unmistakable.

Rumble.

He adjusted his stance, sweeping his greatblade through the air.

[His instincts are certainly sharp.]

The Heavenly Demon praised Peng Dojin's reaction.

[To think he knew to retreat from that.]

I'd expected him to charge straight in.

Apparently, creating distance had been the correct decision.

I agreed.

There had been something vicious about that instant.

What would have happened if Peng Dojin had continued his charge?

...I don't know, but it would have been dangerous.

I couldn't say exactly what would have happened.

But I was certain Peng Dojin would have been in danger.

There was something profoundly unnatural about Heavenly Sword's current state.

The fact that I couldn't sense anything from him or predict what he would do only made that clearer.

He was dangerous.

Heavenly Sword, as he stood now, was incredibly dangerous.

I looked down at my hand.

My palm was drenched in sweat.

[Focus.]

The Heavenly Demon spoke when he noticed.

[Don't miss a moment. This is quite a spectacle.]

"..."

He sounded thoroughly intrigued.

I widened my eyes and concentrated.

I wasn't the only one.

Every martial artist around the platform was watching the two of them.

"Are you not coming?"

Heavenly Sword asked, giving his sword a small shake.

Peng Dojin shook his head.

"No, I'm coming. Just wait a moment."

"...Asking your opponent to wait in the middle of a spar? You certainly have some nerve."

Heavenly Sword laughed in disbelief.

But he didn't move.

Apparently, he intended to oblige him.

Peng Dojin closed his eyes.

Now he was closing his eyes in the middle of a spar?

What the hell was I supposed to do with this lunatic?

I stared at him in disbelief.

Then a wind began to blow.

Whoooosh.

...What's this?

The wind was coming from Peng Dojin.

As he stood with his eyes closed, the force emanating from him grew calm.

The black clouds gathered around his blade softened.

Even his previously ragged breathing settled.

And then—

Wooooong.

Hah.

[He's reached it.]

I let out a disbelieving breath as I watched Peng Dojin.

I'd been wondering what the bastard was planning.

And now...

Body-and-sword unity...

He had reached body-and-sword unity.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

So any random bastard can achieve it now, huh?

I'd gone through all kinds of hell just to experience it once.

I'd lent my body to the Heavenly Demon, gotten beaten senseless by Yoo Cheongil throughout an entire night, and endured all manner of other bullshit.

But these damned geniuses?

Apparently, all they needed was to see someone else do it.

Yu Yeon was the same.

So was Peng Dojin.

Every last one of them pissed me off.

[And now you're indulging in such ugly jealousy.]

Am I not even allowed to be a little jealous?

[Heh, heh...]

That was the only response I got.

I'd only said it because I was irritated anyway.

"...Well, this is unfortunate. I shouldn't have waited."

Heavenly Sword seemed to have recognized what Peng Dojin had accomplished.

He voiced his regret at the change.

But his expression suggested nothing of the sort.

Tap.

Peng Dojin moved.

The man who had been talking so much earlier no longer said a word.

He simply walked.

He walked toward Heavenly Sword, intending to deliver the single blade stroke he'd prepared.

His pace appeared neither particularly fast nor particularly slow.

Yet by the time I realized what was happening, Peng Dojin was already standing directly in front of Heavenly Sword.

The black clouds descended.

They surged toward Heavenly Sword.

But—

Crack—

Heavenly Sword gave his blade a casual swing.

BOOOOOOM!

The black clouds were crushed, and Peng Dojin's attack was driven back.

The resulting explosion was tremendous.

It was enough to show just how much inner qi Peng Dojin had poured into his weapon.

And Heavenly Sword had repelled it that easily?

...He's strong.

Heavenly Sword was strong.

There was no denying it.

With that martial art unleashed, he was nothing like the man I'd fought before.

It was as though he had become an entirely different person.

Yes.

That was the only way to describe it.

"Here I come."

The moment an opening appeared, Heavenly Sword moved.

And at that instant—

"..."

His eyes turned toward me.

I wondered why he was looking in my direction.

Then—

A chill ran through me.

My body trembled as I realized what he intended.

The murderous intent gathering in his blade became unmistakable.

Fast.

That bastard was fast.

And he intended to cut Peng Dojin clean through.

He had looked at me deliberately, making sure I understood.

That bastard...!

I moved the moment I recognized his intent.

I drove myself into the opening and swung my sword.

CLANG!

Before Heavenly Sword's blade could reach Peng Dojin's neck, my sword intercepted it.

Fwoooosh!

I brought Radiant Moon Flash Aura blazing to life to block the strike.

Heavenly Sword's hard aura coiled around it.

And then—

WOOOOOOONG!

"Haha. Just as I thought—"

"..."

The two auras intertwined and began to resonate.

Which meant only one thing.

They're the same martial art.

Their foundations were identical.

And the resonance between them had just proven it.