Chapter 107 : Chapter 107
Chapter 107. The Sword Dragon Has Returned (2)
Dam Jeok-san followed Mu-yeong into the Heavenly Martial Hall.
Perhaps because this was a formal visit, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle did not use any crude method such as dragging him up to the rooftop.
“It has been a long time since I last crossed this threshold.”
Dam Jeok-san murmured as he looked at the doors of the Heavenly Martial Hall, which carried restrained splendor and the dignity of deep years.
Is this the first time since I lost my Dantian?
Before losing his Dantian, he had crossed this threshold several times to report the results of missions or to seek instruction. After that, however, he had never once stepped inside the Heavenly Martial Hall.
Even just before departing for the north, he had not crossed the threshold, receiving instruction instead atop the hall’s roof.
I was abandoned. That was what he thought at the time. In truth, that thought had not changed much even now.
Had he headed north without a Dantian, he would have died at Woo Seo-gwang’s hands before ever reaching the Northern Branch.
What had changed was not his Master, but Dam Jeok-san himself.
He had recovered his Dantian, reclaimed the sobriquet Sword Dragon, and surpassed the martial might of that era. That was why he had been given another chance to cross this threshold.
“This place is no different from a den of demons.”
Dam Jeok-san muttered as he ascended the steps of the Heavenly Martial Hall. His sharpened senses detected not just one or two martial presences.
Most belonged to the Hidden Heaven Guard under Mu-yeong, opponents Dam Jeok-san could deal with without difficulty.
Yet from time to time, presences of unknown affiliation jabbed sharply at his senses.
They were unmistakably Ultra-Peak experts. Worse still, even if he fought them, he could not be confident of victory. And yet he had never heard of their names or identities.
As expected.
The hidden depth of the Martial Sovereign Castle was endless. Such people must have been lurking within the Heavenly Martial Hall even before. He had simply been too weak to sense them.
“You continue to astonish me without pause, Young Master.”
Mu-yeong said to Dam Jeok-san, narrowing his brow.
Each of the Ultra-Peak experts hidden here was a master of concealment arts. Unless one had reached the Entering Transformation Realm, they could easily deceive even an Ultra-Peak expert’s perception.
And yet Dam Jeok-san had noticed them with but a single glance. The reserves he concealed might run far deeper than Mu-yeong had perceived.
After some time—
The two climbed the lofty stairs of the Heavenly Martial Hall and finally reached its uppermost level.
The entire top floor served as the residence of the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
Man Su-geuk sat upon the Taishi Chair in the deepest part of that level.
A straightened back, indifferent eyes, and a face no different from any Zhang San or Li Si one might see in the marketplace.
And yet, there was also an aura so faint it seemed ready to vanish, and at the same time so vast it felt capable of covering the entire world.
It felt close enough to grasp, yet impossibly distant to comprehend. That unfathomable nature was precisely why Man Su-geuk was called the absolute existence of the era.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
Mu-yeong bowed deeply toward the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle, then vanished from the hall.
Now, only Man Su-geuk and Dam Jeok-san remained—Master and disciple.
Man Su-geuk remained seated on the Taishi Chair, maintaining his silence, as though leaving the choice to Dam Jeok-san.
“It truly has been a long time since we met here, Master.”
Dam Jeok-san spoke with a faint smile.
At the same time, he took a large step toward the Taishi Chair.
BOOM!
An unprecedented pressure descended upon his entire body.
Though it felt as if his whole body were being crushed, Dam Jeok-san continued forward.
The pressure bearing down on him contained no will at all.
That meant the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle harbored no intent to suppress him. This pressure arose merely from revealing his presence.
Dam Jeok-san forcibly suppressed a hollow laugh.
If the Entering Transformation experts he had encountered so far were Mount Tai, then his Master was the sky.
He already understood that fact intellectually.
But experiencing it directly was different.
Without any killing intent, merely by existing, he could likely kill even Peak experts like insects. Truly, Heaven beyond Heaven.
Dam Jeok-san pierced through that suffocating presence, advancing step by step.
Yet the closer he drew to the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle, the denser that presence became. Even as an Ultra-Peak expert himself, he felt that enduring it any further would be impossible.
Still, he advanced. Forward, and forward again. When the presence constricted his body, he sharpened a blade within his heart and slashed at it.
He had not reached the realm of the Heart Blade, so it was no more than imitation, yet it was not entirely without effect. He was able to advance somewhat more easily.
Now the Taishi Chair was right before him. Dam Jeok-san straightened his bent back and calmly settled the pain-filled gaze in his eyes.
He was preparing to face the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
But before he could do so, his intent was crushed.
In the presence that had held no will, a color suddenly appeared.
That color was too faint to be called hostility, killing intent, or battle intent.
It was merely the slightest trace of interest or curiosity. And with that alone, Dam Jeok-san—
BOOM!
Suffered a shock as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. This could not be endured. Such an instinct struck him at once.
Without hesitation, he drew both swords.
KRAAAGAGAGAGA!!
Crimson and white Sword Flame surged from Sky Thunder and the Red Cloud Sword.
Dam Jeok-san did not hesitate. He smashed the blazing Sword Flame into the floor.
It was a crude slash, unworthy of being called Red White Extreme Smoke Slash. Yet the esoteric principle within it was unmistakable.
His slash cleaved through the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle’s presence and surged forward—
Tap.
With a light flick of his finger, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle crushed it into nothingness. A simple motion, like brushing away dust.
After the crude Red White Extreme Smoke Slash vanished—
“An excellent judgment.”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle spoke.
“If you had not drawn your sword, you would have died.”
The words were spoken in a flat tone, yet they were chilling.
“…That is why I drew it.”
Dam Jeok-san replied through clenched teeth.
If he did not draw it, he would die. Driven by that irrational certainty, he had drawn his sword despite knowing this was the Heavenly Martial Hall.
“This Seat finds that kind of audacity quite pleasing.”
Drawing a sword within the Heavenly Martial Hall without the slightest hesitation, trusting only one’s instincts—this was something even Man Su-geuk had not been able to do during his own days as an heir.
“I can only be grateful for Your favor.”
Dam Jeok-san replied, still holding both swords lowered at his sides.
“You said you needed instruction?”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle asked as he slowly rose from the Taishi Chair.
The terrifying presence he had been emitting vanished as though it had never existed. It was mastery beyond belief.
“Your technique is close to completion. At your current realm, there is nothing that needs to be reworked.”
To change something, one must become stronger.
“If I were to give a single piece of advice, it would be this: refine your footwork. Compared to your sword, your body movement art is lacking.”
“I have felt the same.”
Since recovering his Dantian, Dam Jeok-san’s swordsmanship had evolved again and again, in both completeness and power.
But his footwork, his body movement art, was not much different from before he lost his Dantian.
It was difficult to receive instruction in body movement arts. Dam Jeok-san had already begun to form his own school through the sword.
“The key is ascent. Your footwork must strengthen your sword, and your sword must make your footwork nimble.”
As he spoke, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle extended his index and middle fingers, forming a sword finger.
WHOOSH!
Though he merely extended his fingers, a cutting sharpness rose that seemed capable of flaying skin. Yet Dam Jeok-san did not even blink.
He was resolved to engrave every movement of his Master into his eyes.
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle swept the sword finger downward and lightly stamped his foot.
The movement contained no internal energy at all.
RUMBLE!
Yet the resulting force was terrifying.
The rebound from stamping his foot strengthened the downward sweep of the sword finger.
Again.
The rebound from the downward sweep strengthened the stamping of the foot.
“This is the foundation. Remember only that.”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle did not convey much more.
He is a child with the talent of a grandmaster.
He would gain far more from sensing and realizing things himself.
Thinking so, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle slowly lowered his hand—
“Ah.”
As if possessed, Dam Jeok-san stamped his foot and swung both swords.
RUMBLE!!
Though clumsy, it was clear he had grasped something of the principle of ascent.
“Hm. It seems I underestimated you.”
He had thought it would take days of contemplation to approach the answer.
“Since it has come to this, I shall lend you a hand.”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle spoke again, extending his sword finger.
On his face appeared a rare, utterly pure smile.
“…Pardon?”
Facing that smile, Dam Jeok-san felt an inexplicable chill.
But he was given no chance to question it.
THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM THOOM!!
A streak of slashing force surged forth from the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle’s sword finger.
“Madman…!”
Seeing the slash, Dam Jeok-san cursed without realizing it.
It was faster than his fastest sword, Grievance-Extinguishing One Slash. And yet it was merely a careless slash released while holding a sword finger.
Feeling absurdity even as he did, Dam Jeok-san twisted his body and swung his sword.
He had to both evade and block. The strike was too lethal to choose only one.
CLANG!
When he had blocked some of it and evaded the rest—
“Haha! Your posture is shaping up nicely.”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle laughed heartily, clearly enjoying himself, and once again swept his sword finger.
Even faster and more powerful slashes burst from his fingertips.
Dam Jeok-san strained to block them. No—he evaded them. In truth, even he could not easily distinguish whether he was blocking or evading.
“Damn it…!”
After several such exchanges, Dam Jeok-san cursed as he caught his breath.
“Excellent. Do not worry too much. It seems you need only endure about a thousand more times.”
With those casual words, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle scattered slashes once more.
He had not summoned Dam Jeok-san merely to teach outdated footwork.
In truth, given enough time, that was a skill Dam Jeok-san could have completed on his own.
He had called him for something a little more fundamental—
But such matters could be discussed after the footwork was complete.
Thinking so, the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle sent another slash toward Dam Jeok-san, who was now rolling across the floor.
Thus ten, twenty, thirty slashes erupted.
Dam Jeok-san evaded, blocked, and deflected every one of them.
“Three hundred and twenty-five.”
The Martial Sovereign murmured as he counted. Just as when he had released the first slash, he remained perfectly composed.
And Dam Jeok-san—
“Huff, huff…”
Was breathing raggedly, his body in tatters. Yet within his eyes burned a sharp light unseen before.
Something had changed. He could feel his body movements supporting his sword, and his sword supporting his body movements.
He could not yet execute it as naturally as breathing, but he understood the principle at least.
It was thanks to the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle’s guidance.
Even so, Dam Jeok-san did not wish to follow that guidance passively. It might be called needless contrariness, but he knew something.
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle liked this kind of audacity in him.
WOOOOONG!!
Qi waves began to condense around Dam Jeok-san’s sword. With slashes pouring down unceasingly, he could not gather much genuine qi.
Even a little more.
Seeking a chance to turn the tables in a single strike, Dam Jeok-san stared at the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
“How impudent.”
The Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle easily saw through his disciple’s scheme.
A slash shot forth like a ray of light. And Dam Jeok-san, like a madman, leapt straight toward the point where it would descend.