Chapter 133
Chapter 133. Space Sword (2)
The moment Dam Jeok-san's sword pierced through space.
'I cut it.'
He was certain.
Following the trajectory his sword extended along, he could clearly see the world being divided in two.
It was not as grandiose as the Space Sword he had deployed with the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle's help.
However, its aftermath absolutely did not fall behind that Space Sword.
From the training ground floor all the way to the lofty sky above. The sight of the world splitting exactly in half was majestic as if it had jumped out of a legend.
And that sword strike did not stop but continued extending.
SHING—
First, the sleeve of Un Wol-hyang's robe fluttering in the wind was sliced long, and her pure white skin was revealed just as it was.
And on that skin too, a line of blood formed.
FWOOSH! Along with that sound, red blood surged from her arm.
'I cut her.'
A Sword Venerable of the realm with his own sword. Even while feeling that excitement, Dam Jeok-san did not stop but pushed the Space Sword forward.
"Ahaha……! Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander, are you planning to kill me?"
Un Wol-hyang asked with a delighted laugh.
Before he knew it, the position she used to refer to him had changed from Monster Repelling Squad Leader to Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander, and the stiffness in her tone had also disappeared.
But Dam Jeok-san had no leisure to ponder deeply about that reason.
WHOOOOOOSH!!
Genuine qi surged up from Un Wol-hyang's entire body, and suddenly an Invisible barrier came into being.
Judging by how much Genuine qi was poured into forming that barrier, the Invisible barrier was even distorting Dam Jeok-san's Space Sword.
"Crazy."
Dam Jeok-san glared at Un Wol-hyang with an expression of absurdity.
That was not Body Protection Qi. She had merely created a barrier by ignorantly emitting a massive amount of Genuine qi.
And that barrier became a phenomenon that distorted even space itself.
'Just how much does one need to Compress Genuine qi to use a technique like that?'
At least in the aspect of 'Compression of Genuine qi,' Northern Heaven Sword Venerable's achievement seemed not to fall behind even the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle.
However, if the barrier surrounding Un Wol-hyang's body was a steel suit of armor, then his sword was like a single saw.
It fiercely gnawed through that armor and advanced forward little by little.
If only he had sufficient time, he could surely cut through.
But the time permitted to Dam Jeok-san was not that long.
First, it was difficult to maintain Space Sword for more than a quarter of an hour.
Space Sword was a Supreme Technique that consumed tremendous Will.
It was not even a technique he could freely deploy at his current level.
Only after drawing out direct and indirect experience obtained through Predator's Ability, then overworking his Upper Dantian to embody that experience, could he imitate Space Sword.
Second, Northern Heaven Sword Venerable was not staying still.
Her leg slowly approached Dam Jeok-san's chest. Her toes wrapped in the Invisible barrier were easily going against even the extreme battlefield where space and space clashed.
'Damn it.'
It had been a all-or-nothing gamble. Yet it was blocked far too simply.
The only harvest was leaving a single wound on Northern Heaven Sword Venerable's arm.
'If I get hit by that Leg Technique, I die.'
The method of negating the impact by being pushed back greatly like before would not work.
What was wrapping her foot was not destructive Astral Qi, but Formless Energy that pierced through space. Probably Dam Jeok-san's body would disappear along with space itself.
It was do or die. He moved his sword with the resolve to fight to the death.
With the will that even if his own heart was pierced through along with space, he would not stop.
"Quite impressive."
Un Wol-hyang smiled gently while watching such a Dam Jeok-san.
Not retreating but fighting fire with fire. In this situation, that was the only path to survival.
If there had not been an immense gap in capability between the two, Dam Jeok-san might have been able to win.
However, the gap between them was far too vast to expect such a miracle.
'Well, still, one double hour has already passed by a long time.'
Quite a long time had passed while Dam Jeok-san fell into a state of no-self trying to deploy Space Sword. The test was already over.
And Dam Jeok-san had shown Space Sword, a Super-ascending technique she had not even expected.
'I should repay that.'
Un Wol-hyang drew back the foot that had been extending toward Dam Jeok-san's chest to its original position. At the same time, the Invisible barrier enveloping her entire body began concentrating at the sword tip.
It truly happened in an instant. The Invisible barrier transforming into Colorless Sword qi.
The extremely condensed Colorless Sword qi overwhelmingly dominated Dam Jeok-san's Space Sword one-sidedly.
"A sword without color or trace. I wandered in search of a sword that would not wound anyone."
Un Wol-hyang spoke in a languid voice. A mystical and auspicious sense of rhythm could be felt, as if she were singing.
This was One Sword that wove together her life.
"And I realized it. That even the Killing Intent of the sword ultimately originates from the heart."
[Will-Summoning]
[Path of the Heart Sword]
A sword originating solely from a Mental image and maintained by a Mental image. Such Heart Sword was overlaid on her sword.
Could not be seen. Could not be felt. Could not be smelled or touched by hand. Even in the realm of the Sixth sense beyond the Five senses, or Qi perception, no sign could be felt.
However.
Dam Jeok-san clearly felt his instincts ringing alarm bells wildly.
That One Sword that looked insignificant was more dangerous than the entirety of the Sword Emperor's Sword Heaven combined.
There was no basis whatsoever, but he could feel it instinctively.
But by now it was too late to dodge or block.
Dam Jeok-san simply extended his sword purely. Pouring out the last remaining mental strength. Space opened and the sword advanced forward.
CLAAANG—!
In midair, Northern Heaven Sword Venerable and Dam Jeok-san's swords clashed.
Northern Heaven Sword Venerable's Heart Sword went against the pierced space as if nothing had happened, completely ignored the protective qi and Repelling qi that had been wrapping Dam Jeok-san's body, and then.
THUNK!
It embedded precisely in his heart.
"Keurk—!"
A death cry burst from Dam Jeok-san's mouth. The heart was located in the Middle Dantian, that is, at the center of all Blood and qi.
As the sword embedded in his heart, the flow of qi stopped completely.
However, only Blood and qi stopped.
Not a single drop of blood flowed from Dam Jeok-san's chest.
"If death originates from the heart, might it not also be removed by the heart? The process of finding the answer to that question led me to the Fragment."
"……"
"Martial Nephew should also ask questions. And find answers. In the process of wandering in search of those answers, there will be a path. Leading to Martial Nephew's own Fragment."
Un Wol-hyang spoke in a gentle voice. That was the most valuable teaching she could give as a senior who had reached the Entering Transformation Realm first, to a junior entering this path.
"Thank you."
Dam Jeok-san said so and slowly lost consciousness. From the moment he deployed Space Sword in the first place, his Upper Dantian had been in an overloaded state. On top of that, even his Middle Dantian was paralyzed by the Heart Sword.
No matter how much of an iron man he was, he could not endure any longer.
"Yes, already one double hour and even one tea-time has passed. I congratulate you on becoming Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander."
Un Wol-hyang whispered in his ear while embracing the collapsing Dam Jeok-san.
"Rest well. For a while, you will not have such leisure."
She continued speaking while looking at the unconscious Dam Jeok-san.
It had already been quite some time since the position of Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander became vacant. And during that vacancy period, work had only continued piling up.
She had personally stepped forward to handle truly urgent matters, but…….
'Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander is fundamentally not a position that can be left empty for long.'
Therefore, there truly was work piled up like a mountain. Well, that was something Dam Jeok-san would have to resolve on his own.
Un Wol-hyang thought so and left the training ground while carrying Dam Jeok-san.
And at the place the two had left.
"……"
Only severe silence lingered.
Even among masters who had reached the Entering Transformation Realm, only an extreme minority could summon Will to transform the world.
And that extreme minority of martial artists were extremely reluctant to show their techniques to others. After all, Supreme Techniques were ultimately stronger when hidden.
In that sense, more than eighty percent of the martial artists present in this place were seeing the technique of summoning Will itself for the first time.
However, what was deeply imprinted in their minds was not Un Wol-hyang's Path of the Heart Sword, but Dam Jeok-san's Space Sword.
"Haha, to not give up even in such a situation."
One Squad Leader Under the Northern Wind Sword Corps murmured as if entranced.
So that was why you could return. Even after losing your Dantian once.
"What a monster."
Severing Sword Squad Leader Lee Myeong-gi assessed Dam Jeok-san with a brief phrase.
He had lived as a martial artist for a long time. And Dam Jeok-san was the most dangerous type among the multitude he had seen so far.
"The type who displays capability beyond their own realm in actual combat."
Lee Myeong-gi muttered quietly.
"Such people are truly monsters. Your lord seems to be the same."
He continued speaking while looking at Jang Woo-ryang.
People like Dam Jeok-san would stubbornly return alive no matter what death ground they stepped into.
And even stronger at that.
That meant they possessed everything—tenacity, talent, and even luck. It was harder to say they were not monsters.
"He is now Severing Sword Squad Leader's lord as well."
"Hahaha! Right, if it is Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander…… he is worthy of acknowledgment."
At Jang Woo-ryang's words, Lee Myeong-gi burst into hearty laughter.
Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander Dam Jeok-san. It was not a bad feeling.
* * *
Sword Dragon Dam Jeok-san. The news that the Martial Sovereign's third Disciple had become the new Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander spread throughout the realm in an instant.
Not only the Dark Path and Beggar Sect, but all covert organizations that dealt with information transmitted this news Immediately.
And each faction that received the news began interpreting it however they wanted to interpret it.
Including the Namgung Clan, the few factions that maintained close relationships with Dam Jeok-san praised his accomplishments and achievements.
Those who had almost no relationship with him suspected the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle's intentions.
'Is this not a personnel move to suppress the Eldest Young Master who is rising up?'
'Someone who has barely recovered their Dantian becomes Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander? It is too excessive. Martial Sovereign Castle is creating a fake hero.'
Well, that kind of utterly predictable talk.
However, that was not all.
'He is dangerous.'
'We cannot sit idle at the emergence of a new Calamity……'
'He must be eliminated.'
'But how?'
'……We must use the enemies within.'
The Four Fiends of the Outer Path held their first meeting in decades and kept Dam Jeok-san in check.
'Haha! That fellow became Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander?'
'Yes, I heard Alliance Leader encountered him in the north. What kind of person was he……?'
'I saw him indeed. A real prodigy. Military Strategist Zhuge, do not worry. Dying abroad? That was not his fate. You can set aside your worries. I am simply envious. The Righteous Heaven Alliance should also have such a Prodigy.'
The Sword Emperor, who was the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader, looked forward to Dam Jeok-san's future course like a boy full of dreams.
Thus Dam Jeok-san took the position of Northern Wind Sword Corps Commander, receiving on his single body the worry and expectation, jealousy and envy of countless people.
* * *
Two years passed.