Chapter 228: It’s Not a Feast Without Us (3)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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There was something I felt when I truly opened my heart to the Wudang Sect.

It was that every sect possessed a core value that aligned with or penetrated their martial arts.

The Wudang Sect could have created swift swords and arts thick with killing intent to secure their disciples’ victories. Yet, Wudang’s sword was always leisurely and empty.

At first, I thought that was merely custom or stubbornness. But what truly made martial artists strong was none other than the unified value system that ran through their martial arts.

Even if the Wudang Sect had created lethal swords to guarantee their disciples’ life-saving moves, and even if the disciples survived a few times because of it, the Wudang Sect would eventually decline. It would be winning the battle but losing the war.

In that sense, I had to look back. Did I truly understand the values of the Heavenly King Sect?

Reviving the Great Ming was merely a goal. What was the central value of the nation known as the Great Ming? I had never discussed that with the uncle.

Since life is like this, one should naturally enjoy oneself;

As life is already enjoyable enough,

Why must one be constrained and bound by others?

Why must one inevitably be shackled by the reins of another?

In the end, the clue lay in the mnemonic. This was all that remained to me.

The mnemonic of the Heavenly Demon Heart Art. Rather than a martial art formula, it was a sentence closer to someone’s personal sentiments.

“Tell me when you are ready.”

The Southern Sea Divine Sword stood with his hands loosely at his sides. At first glance, it seemed as though he was dismissing me, but that was not the case.

Normally, a person’s intent is bound to point toward a single direction. However, the Southern Sea Divine Sword’s intent filled the entire surroundings. This meant he had seized control of all the space around him.

Though he appeared defenseless, he was anything but. That alone allowed me to feel how profound his cultivation was.

“Here I come.”

I decided to stop thinking. Pitting one’s martial arts against another was, in essence, drawing out and revealing one’s soul.

Displaying a soul trapped within the frame of thought was a deception toward the opponent. I had to show a soul that unfurled as naturally as possible within unconsciousness.

At the same moment the thought of entering battle arose, my upper dantian began to glow white-hot. My mind grew hazy, as if I were suffering from a high fever.

* * *

The sword seemed to cut in slowly, only to unfurl like a peacock before Do Bul-gwang’s eyes. It was an extreme Illusion Sword.

It was a stance of the Heavenly King Sword Art, which Do Bul-gwang also knew well.

“Show me more!”

Even without Do Bul-gwang shouting, Muk Hui-yeong was already executing smooth chain-link combinations. His skill in deploying continuous stances was clearly not something practiced in just a day or two.

“Ah!”

The Hainan martial artists who were watching gasped. For a moment, it looked as though a domineering wave of sword force from Muk Hui-yeong’s blade was sweeping over Do Bul-gwang.

“Naïve!”

A colossal wave of energy erupted from Do Bul-gwang’s sword. In a single blow, it shattered the domineering momentum that threatened to blanket the entire training ground.

While the others were astonished to see such momentum shattered instantly, Muk Hui-yeong, the one who had deployed it, continued into the next stance as if he had fully expected it.

‘This fellow is a monster.’

Do Bul-gwang clicked his tongue inwardly.

Currently, Muk Hui-yeong was in a state of selflessness. It was not a state of qi deviation where one lost their mind. Rather, he had infused his very soul into the tip of his sword.

The Southern Sea Divine Sword had also experienced and knew that state well. It was the realm of the Unity of Body and Sword.

For now, he seemed naturally possessed by the sword, but once he reclaimed the initiative himself, he would be able to deploy the Unity of Body and Sword at will. To be precise, he wasn’t perfectly executing it at this very moment.

Yet, since when was the realm of the Unity of Body and Sword granted to a youth who had barely passed twenty? It was an achievement typically seen only in elder-level masters or above.

Do Bul-gwang, as Ju Mun-hwan’s friend, knew that the Heavenly King Divine Art was an ultimate technique, but even so, it shouldn’t have been capable of producing such an aberrant monster. The young man’s talent was simply monstrous.

“…!”

Gray smoke billowed from the transparent sword.

It was the Turbid Qi unique to the Heavenly King Sword Art. With that alone, Muk Hui-yeong had already proven himself to be the legitimate successor of the Heavenly King Sect.

However, Do Bul-gwang had no intention of ending it here. He wanted to witness the absolute limit of this young genius.

“Everyone, draw your swords and defend against the shockwaves!”

Do Bul-gwang bellowed. Concurrently, Do Bul-gwang’s and Muk Hui-yeong’s swords clashed, and the shattered fragments of force carved deep gouges into the surrounding ground.

“More, more! Faster!”

Do Bul-gwang guided his blade so that he could deploy his sword paths freely. It was truly the pinnacle of instructional sparring, a feat only peak masters could achieve.

Although Muk Hui-yeong did not seem to hear Do Bul-gwang’s voice, he moved faster along the paths Do Bul-gwang laid out. He instinctively knew that he had to move faster on this specific sword path.

Currently, Muk Hui-yeong’s physical condition was likely in shambles. His muscles and tendons would be tightly strained and torn from exerting force beyond his capacity, and his Eight Extraordinary Meridians would be scarred and battered from violently circulating his internal energy.

Yet, that was ultimately the fundamental path of a martial artist’s growth. To suffer wounds and heal from them.

As the two traded sword strikes, scars accumulated across the training ground.

The Heavenly King Divine Art aimed for a domineering sword that forced all to kneel. Conversely, Hainan’s sword was naturally free-spirited and sharp. A sword that sought to dominate and a sword that refused to be conquered. Since it was a clash of opposites, it was bound to be exceptionally fierce.

“Hmm?”

Do Bul-gwang narrowed his eyes. In truth, Do Bul-gwang had intended to gradually wind down the spar. He could see that Muk Hui-yeong was overexerting himself. It was only natural to push past one’s limits in a state of selflessness.

Yet, Muk Hui-yeong was now adopting a starting stance he had never seen before. He dropped his shoulders and raised his sword slightly off the ground, holding it perfectly horizontal.

‘Was there such a starting stance in the Heavenly King Sword Art?’

In truth, Do Bul-gwang had sparred with Ju Mun-hwan numerous times. Yet, he had never once witnessed such a starting stance.

In the brief instant he harbored that thought, Muk Hui-yeong’s figure shot forward. There was no movement of drawing his body back like the Bow-Bowing Phantom Shadow. He simply propelled himself forward solely with the true qi from his Yongquan Acupoints. Two massive craters formed where Muk Hui-yeong had just stood.

Seeing Muk Hui-yeong draw his sword to his waist and thrust it forward, Do Bul-gwang let out a furious roar.

“Where did you learn such a sinister sword art!”

Do Bul-gwang instantly recognized the foundation of that sword art. What Muk Hui-yeong was currently deploying was the Nine Nether Asura Sword.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the Nine Nether Asura Sword either. Only the starting stance was taken from it; gradually, the characteristics of the three sword arts Muk Hui-yeong had trained in—the Heavenly Demon Sword Art, the Flowing Cloud Sword Art, and the Nine Nether Asura Sword—merged in a bizarrely harmonious blend.

‘Is he creating a martial art right now?’

Do Bul-gwang diffused the destructive momentum of the Nine Nether Asura Sword by stepping back slightly.

As the distance widened, Muk Hui-yeong’s sword paths became clearer. Muk Hui-yeong was currently doing something completely absurd: synthesizing a brand-new martial art in the middle of a duel.

Anyone could crudely mix two sword styles. However, containing a shared profound truth within them and forging a meaningful sword path was the domain of a Grandmaster.

This was made possible by the proficiency of the martial arts Muk Hui-yeong had learned so far and the internal energy blazing actively within his brain’s upper dantian.

Do Bul-gwang realized that Muk Hui-yeong was currently crossing a wall. Do Bul-gwang clashed against Muk Hui-yeong’s sword paths, helping him complete the martial art. For stances that involved overly broad slashes, he closed the distance and blocked the blade.

The Hainan disciples watched that moment in a daze. They, too, were those who stood in the realm of masters. Even if they couldn’t grasp what was happening as clearly as Do Bul-gwang, they could still perceive it faintly.

“…What on earth is this.”

“Quiet.”

When someone murmured, Gok Pyeong-un immediately hushed them in a low voice.

It was the moment a martial artist bloomed. Orthodox martial artists had an obligation to control and protect such a sensitive environment for the advancement of the martial world and the growth of a young warrior.

“Ah.”

Thus, at the end of a feast of unprecedented sword dances and sword paths, focus returned to Muk Hui-yeong’s eyes.

Feeling as if he had just awakened from a trance, Muk Hui-yeong stared blankly around the training ground. The surroundings were naturally in ruins due to stray waves of force and heavy footwork.

“…Um. Did I do this?”

At Muk Hui-yeong’s question, everyone wore dumbfounded expressions. Except for one.

Do Bul-gwang still maintained a solemn face.

“There must be another sword style engraved upon your body now.”

“It felt like a sword path I dreamed of.”

“That memory will never fade. Congratulations. You have created a martial art unique to yourself.”

With Do Bul-gwang sheathing his sword, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief as if by prior agreement. Lest even their breathing disrupt him, the Hainan elders had all been holding their breath slightly.

“Thank you, everyone.”

Muk Hui-yeong offered a martial salute to the crowd. He, too, knew what the Hainan people had protected for him.

* * *

“Have you decided on a name for the sword art?”

“No, not yet.”

“Since you created it in Hainan, could you perhaps include ‘Southern Sea’ in it?”

“I’d rather not.”

Do Bul-gwang’s expression turned sullen. While I wanted to grant his request if possible, the imagery felt from this sword art was far from the rough waves associated with the ‘Southern Sea’.

The feeling of floating quietly in a dark sea with neither starlight nor moonlight, devoid of ripples or waves. That was the sensation I received while wielding the blade.

“I shall call it the Chaos Void Hui Sword.”

“Not a bad name. Though ‘Southern Sea Chaos Void Hui Sword’ sounds decent as well.”

“No.”

Do Bul-gwang smacked his lips. Even if I couldn’t grant him the name, it was true that Do Bul-gwang had been of immense help in forging this sword art.

“Thank you once again, Great Hero. I will surely find a way to repay you.”

“Hmph, forget it. In any case, I have clearly seen that you are the successor of the Heavenly King Sect.”

“Then what happens now?”

“Hainan does not persecute a friend. Just as you said, the incident in the Zhushan Archipelago indeed holds many suspicious points. I shall believe your words.”

“Thank you.”

I subtly scanned the surroundings to see if there were any Hainan members who disagreed in their hearts. However, the Hainan people all seemed to assent to Do Bul-gwang’s words.

Do Bul-gwang’s standing was one thing, but they also seemed to pay respect to the sword art I had just displayed.

Though I felt apologetic, we left the clean-up of the training ground to the Hainan disciples and returned to the tent.

“Now that I think about it, you mentioned there was some important news regarding the Sea-Purifying Unit.”

“Indeed.”

Do Bul-gwang cleared his throat. It was finally time to get down to business. In truth, my entire body was screaming in pain from fighting Do Bul-gwang in a state of selflessness, but since it seemed like an important matter, I decided to remain seated.

“As you all have likely heard, the Namwon Gang, the Sea Beast Forest, and the Shinyuan Association have united.”

This was the first I had heard of it. However, the Hainan elders nodded gravely as if they were already aware, likely having learned of it from Hainan’s Pavilion of Secrets.

“I didn’t know why they united, but now I think I have a general idea.”

Do Bul-gwang glanced at me. Did they unite because of me? Since I was unaware of the facts, I kept my mouth shut.

“Therefore, we also intend to enter a state of maximum emergency alert.”

Do Bul-gwang unfurled a map of Hainan and explained the deployment and operations of the Sea-Purifying Unit. It involved drastically increasing patrol personnel and reinforcing each outpost. Since they were outnumbered, it was a natural strategy.

However, the issue lay in the fact that the Hainan Sect’s personnel were finite. While rotating shifts like that might be fine for about five days, fatigue would eventually accumulate and lead to a collapse.

“I know this is a difficult operation. But we must endure through sheer mental strength. Hainan’s martial artists do not yield to physical exhaustion.”

Hearing him speak, it was clear that Do Bul-gwang was also aware of the issue. Yet, this was the best they could do.

“Hold on a moment.”

Having heard it all, I raised my hand to speak. Although my shoulder and arm muscles screamed in agonizing pain as I raised my hand, I did not show it.

“What is it?”

“The unorthodox factions are uniting among themselves, so why can’t the orthodox do the same?”

“The Geonjeong Unit?”

Do Bul-gwang’s expression turned complicated.

“I know they are orthodox, but at their core, they are wanted fugitives of the Imperial Court and the Martial Alliance. They are different from you, whom everyone believes is dead. If we are caught cooperating with them, we will also face trouble.”

So they had already considered that. However, there was something they did not know about the Geonjeong Unit.

“Isn’t it fine as long as we don’t get caught?”

“Hmm?”

The Disguise Art and the Bone-Shrinking Art that the Geonjeong Unit members were practicing. It seemed the time to demonstrate them had arrived sooner than expected.