Chapter 80
The wind brushed coldly across the cliff.
Jaseong activated his Samadhi Eyes, focusing his inner energy in both eyes to sharpen his vision.
From atop the cliff, he observed the situation below.
'Just as planned, the fight has broken out.'
The air currents beneath the cliff churned violently.
Hundreds of martial artists glared at each other, exuding murderous intent.
Hundreds of tangled intentions rocked the earth and forest.
Cha-cha-cha-chaeng!!
The first to move were the Plum Blossom Swordsmen of the Mount Hua sect.
Dazzlingly displaying the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art, plum petals bloomed at the tip of every sword.
Chuak! Chuaaak!
On the opposite side, the unorthodox masters, led by Yin Tianhou and Cho Yunbaek, began to rampage.
Cho Yunbaek, with a bluish tattoo on his face, swung his blade like lightning, continuing a merciless carnage.
True to his nickname, "Venomous Palm Ghost Throat", Yin Tianhou exuded noxious poison from his fingertips, threatening all nearby.
"It's the Mount Hua bastards! They attacked first!"
"You hypocritical orthodox scum!"
"Damned unorthodox bastards, how dare you swagger here!"
"Hwangbo Family! Why are you attacking a fellow orthodox sect?!"
"The Seven-Star Cloud Blade belongs to us!"
The scene below the cliff grew ever more hellish.
Hundreds of martial artists tangled together, swords swinging, blood and screams splitting the air.
Their eyes were filled only with greed—there was no distinction between orthodox and unorthodox factions.
They were simply demons drenched in greed, nothing more or less.
—Those crazed with greed fall into temptation, traps, and countless foolish, harmful desires... Soon, they plummet into ruin and destruction.
Watching the asura-hell below the cliff, Jaseong recalled the words of an ancient sage.
To get a closer look, he again focused inner energy into his eyes, sharpening his vision even more.
At that moment—
"?!"
Jaseong's eyes flashed.
Amidst the intense battle, the black clothes of some orthodox martial artists were torn, revealing the martial robes underneath.
What caught Jaseong's attention were certain martial robes adorned with a droplet pattern.
Those patterns and robes were definitely from Zhongnan.
Unconsciously, Jaseong's fists clenched hard.
'Zhongnan...'
He didn't even feel the pain of his nails digging into his palms.
Just hearing that name brought back the moment his eldest brother collapsed, coughing up blood, and the sight of his sister-in-law clutching her belly with a scream.
'... The day my brother and sister-in-law were lost to that bloodbath.
On that day, the Zhongnan sect leader, the first disciple Yun-hyeon, and the top disciple Yun-hak were at Ansun's Red Light District.
Using a fight with the Evil Cult as an excuse, they mercilessly slaughtered the innocent civilians in the district...'
And now, two of those enemies were right here—Zhongnan's first disciple Yun-hyeon and top disciple Yun-hak.
Jaseong recognized their faces at once.
Yun-hyeon, still dignified, displayed the Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords Art, while Yun-hak rampaged at his side, overwhelming the unorthodox masters.
'I expected as much... But the real bastards are here.'
Jaseong's heart pounded violently upon confirming his enemies.
It was inevitable.
Until now, Jaseong had walked the road of vengeance, defeating the likes of Murong Dangcheon and Evil Cult leader Sa Mihyang.
But this was the first time he faced, in person, the very enemies who had struck down his brother and sister-in-law.
Thus, in the very next instant,
Ssss—
A chilling smile appeared on Jaseong's lips.
Now he could fulfill his sixth Heaven's Mandate, 'Cause a Rift in the Martial World', and take his revenge at the same time.
Of course, true to their status as the first and top disciples of a Nine Great Sects, Yun-hyeon and Yun-hak's might was immense.
The surrounding unorthodox experts could barely keep up.
'According to the information Hyang-I gathered, Zhongnan's first disciple Yun-hyeon won at the last Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. That means he possesses the strongest martial arts among the next generation of the Nine Great Sects... But no matter. I'll just cut them all down.'
If Yun-hyeon won at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Jaseong had triumphed in the Evil Path Association's tournament, the Dark Path Duel Banquet.
And since then, he had grown far stronger.
At this moment, Jaseong even wished for more enemies to appear.
Soon enough, his wish was granted.
'That's the insignia of the Murong Clan.'
Focusing his enhanced vision below, Jaseong's eyes caught yet another martial robe—this one bearing a double-phoenix crest.
Murong Clan's young lord, Murong Hwang.
Along with his attendants, they now appeared in the fray.
'The grandson of the previous head of the Murong Clan, so-called "Sword King of Liaoning". He's here too.'
The very moment he spotted Murong Hwang, Jaseong's smile deepened.
Like Yun-hyeon and Yun-hak from Zhongnan, Murong Hwang too had been at Ansun's Red Light District that day.
Goooo—
A poisonous chill grew in Jaseong's eyes.
The blaze of vengeance in his chest flared even fiercer.
And those flames gave rise to a new scheme.
'Of Zhongnan and the Murong Clan, I'll take down the Murong Clan first... Then I'll steal one of their robes, disguise myself as a Murong clansman, and slaughter the Zhongnan bastards. That way, a natural fight will break out between the two factions...'
The sixth Heaven's Mandate: "Cause a Rift in the Martial World", combined with his revenge.
A plan that seized both at once.
However, just as Jaseong silently muttered this—
Goooo—
He felt a tremendous aura behind him.
Someone had arrived on the cliff where he stood.
Jaseong swiftly turned his head to confirm who it was.
About a dozen yards to the rear.
A handsome man with bushy eyebrows was approaching.
'... Who is he? And when did he climb all the way up here?'
Around the man's waist hung a sword marked with a blue dragon.
It was the emblem of the Namgung clan.
The instant he saw it, Jaseong vaguely realized the man's identity.
The Namgung clan's young lord, Namgung Ak.
Touted as the greatest genius in Central Plains martial history, he had, despite his youth, already reached the pinnacle realm of Three Blossoms Gathering at the Crown.
"Hand over the Seven-Star Cloud Blade. Then I'll spare your life."
Namgung Ak spoke in a chilling voice.
At just one sentence, the atmosphere around them turned razor-sharp and cold.
But Jaseong only let out a short laugh.
"So if I hand over the Seven-Star Cloud Blade, you'll spare my life..."
"?"
"An unorthodox bastard said exactly the same thing a moment ago."
"... What?"
"Whether orthodox or unorthodox, they all say and do the same in the end."
Jaseong smoothly drew the sword at his waist.
Seeing this, Namgung Ak's face turned even colder.
"You compare the Namgung clan's grandson, next in line to lead the alliance, to the unorthodox? You've got nerves of steel indeed."
Suddenly, Namgung Ak's movement poured toward Jaseong like lightning.
Kaaaaang!!!!!
Jaseong instantly raised his sword to parry Namgung Ak's strike.
At the clash of swords, a tremendous force jolted up Jaseong's arm.
The rock under his feet split like a spiderweb, and his body was pushed back with a scraping sound!
'... Incredible power.'
It was on a different level from the third son of the Namgung clan, Namgung Jin, whom Jaseong had once fought at the Alliance.
It was inner strength worthy of the young lord.
Jaseong immediately activated his unique ability, the Samadhi Eyes.
Saaah—
Time slowed, revealing Namgung Ak's intention.
Astonishingly, his intentions spread out like a web, enshrouding the entire area.
It was as if a predator lay in wait for its prey—thorough, inescapable.
'So... They weren't exaggerating when they called him the heir to the Alliance.'
Just as Jaseong mouthed this to himself—
"Imperial Sword Form."
Namgung Ak murmured softly.
Kwoooooom!!!!
A tremendous sword aura, like a colossal mountain range, crashed down above Jaseong's head.
Immediately, Jaseong unleashed a defensive technique from the Heaven Evading Flash Sword, channeling all his energy.
'Heaven Evading Flash Sword, eighth move: Heaven Evading Counterstroke.'
With a flash, he extended his sword, cutting off the incoming attack in advance—the defensive move, Heaven Evading Counterstroke.
Kwa-kwaaaaang!!!!!!!!
Yet even as he enacted the move, Jaseong was thrown back with even greater violence.
This time, he almost coughed up blood internally.
Namgung Ak's power was simply monstrous.
'A sword filled with overwhelming tyranny and density. So this is the Namgung clan's supreme secret technique, the Imperial Sword Form...'
The Imperial Sword Form, passed down only to heirs apparent of the Namgung clan, was the greatest secret sword art of the clan.
It could bear down with sheer force, then sever its opponent with overwhelming technique—the mightiest sword technique of the Central Plains.
Many swordsmen in the region considered surviving it a life's great challenge.
Since the Imperial Sword Form was this overwhelming, Jaseong had no choice but to use his own secret art: the immortal Celestial Gate Opening Art.
'... I'll open the Eight Gates in a single breath.'
Thanks to recent mastery, Jaseong could now open all Eight Gates in an instant.
Even mid-battle, by slowing time with the Samadhi Eyes, he could open one after another rapidly.
But if he used the Celestial Gate Opening Art, he had to finish Namgung Ak off.
'Someone with Namgung Ak's talent would survive and then surely find a way to counter the art upon returning to the Namgung clan.'
But as Jaseong, eyes in Samadhi, was about to open his gates—
Shuaaak! Cha-cha-cha-chaeng!!!!
Someone leapt in front of Jaseong.
They spun their twin swords dazzlingly, pelting Namgung Ak with attacks.
'Gu Janghu...?'
A black-clad, masked man—Gu Janghu himself.
He wasn't alone.
Whoosh!!
Suddenly, an intense chill swept over, and a snowstorm surged behind Namgung Ak.
Lee Rin of the North Sea Ice Palace was unleashing the Ice Lord Asura Sword Art.
Ka-ka-ka-ka-kang!!
Surprised by the sudden two-pronged assault, Namgung Ak stepped back with footwork, slightly flustered.
'Where did more experts like this come from?'
Even among their generation, Lee Rin and Gu Janghu were renowned for having almost no equals.
Recently, after consuming elixirs, their might had increased further.
Facing both at once, it was little wonder Namgung Ak felt unsettled.
In contrast, a broad smile spread on Jaseong's lips.
'... I told them to stay at home, but looks like they heard the commotion and came after me.'
Thanks to Lee Rin and Gu Janghu's support, Jaseong's situation became highly favorable.
He no longer needed to resort to the Celestial Gate Opening Art to bring Namgung Ak down.
But just as he prepared to charge, Lee Rin transmitted a sound to him.
[Great hero. You'd better get out of here quickly.]
[?]
[The Namgung clan's swordsmen are incoming.]
[... Namgung clan's swordsmen?]
[They're this man's guards. For now, our North Sea guardians are blocking them. But if there's a full-scale battle, both we and the Namgung clan will take heavy losses. And if we're injured and those martial artists below surge up here, then it's over.]
Jaseong nodded silently at Lee Rin's message.
'It's a shame, but it ends here today.'
But really, his objective had already been achieved.
As planned, he'd set the sects at each other's throats here in Yinyang County.
He'd also confirmed the faces of his enemies.
There was no need to risk everything to kill the Namgung heir at this moment.
[Leader. I'll set off the smoke bomb.]
Gu Janghu spoke.
At Jaseong's nod,
Pop!
Gu Janghu hurled a smoke bomb, filling the area with thick, dark clouds.
Shuak! Shuak! Shuak!!
Immediately, Lee Rin, Jaseong, and Gu Janghu withdrew together.
Thanks to their mastery of the Shadowless Body Technique, their retreat was blindingly fast.
Namgung Ak, his sight lost in the smoke, could not pursue them.
"... They're no ordinary people. Among the next generation, only a handful could boast such skill... Just who are they?"
Sword lowered, Namgung Ak stared intently in the direction the trio had vanished.
Only darkness lingered there now.