Chapter 318: The Song of Swords (3)

Boooom!

Jinhyuk launched his Dark Moon Strike.

The black moon spun at high speed, hurtling towards the blades created by Cheon Yuseong.

Fast.

It had penetrated the enemy’s formation in the blink of an eye, before even their afterimages could fade.

But just before the Dark Moon Strike shattered the swords…

“I… did you really think I would keep running in place forever?”

[Cheon Yuseong has activated Lv17 ‘Sword-Body Unity’!]

[All stats related to swordsmanship increase by 50%!]

Suddenly, the swords that had been still in the air moved at strange angles.

The Dark Moon Strike slipped through empty space, disappearing far into the sky.

A technique that allows one to freely control the sword in mid-air using ki.

“This is the new skill I’ve learned, ‘Flying Sword of Eternity’.”

Cheon Yuseong swung his sword horizontally.

Accompanying that motion, dozens of swords moved in different trajectories.

Rather than just firing in straight lines, it now seemed right to consider that all these numerous swords each had their own will.

“Woah, the Sword Saint sure is something! You could really make some money performing with that in a circus.”

“Damn it! You should be tense! With this sight before you, you still have the leisure to clap?”

“Hmm? Clapping’s not okay?”

“Damn. Put away those damn glow sticks before I turn this place into a beehive.”

“You’re being too harsh. I was genuinely impressed, you know.”

Honestly, Jinhyuk hadn’t expected Cheon Yuseong to bring out the Flying Sword of Eternity at his current level.

He must have trained with bone-deep dedication, much more than anticipated…

Certainly, with this skill mastered, there weren’t many left who could beat Cheon Yuseong.

There was nothing left to say but to admire his exceptional talent and the efforts that even surpassed it.

Only…

If there was one unfortunate thing for him…

It was that he chose the wrong opponent.

I will show you.

What a real Flying Sword of Eternity is.

Woowoowooong!

Space warped, and a translucent sword revealed itself.

“Could it be…?”

“How…?”

“Ah…”

“You…”

The pupils of everyone watching quivered.

Who could remain ignorant?

If the pinnacle of swordsmanship was moving a sword through the sky,

Then creating an intangible sword would indeed be the ultimate in discussion of martial prowess.

Heavenly Demon Arts.

‘Heart Sword.’

As seen in the memories of the Heavenly Demon.

The ultimate technique that even wounded Shub Niggurath.

“This is the Flying Sword of Eternity that I possess.”

There are clear limits to imitation.

However, even a forged copy retains its original essence.

Jinhyuk too made a horizontal slash.

In response, as if answering his call…

The Heart Sword disappeared.

“Huh?”

Cheon Yuseong’s pupils rapidly dilated.

Crack!

A sword he created was bisected by the unseen Heart Sword.

But before he could even express surprise…

Kwakwakwakwa!

Dozens of Cheon Yuseong’s swords disintegrated, turning into thousands of shattered blade fragments.

“Ah…”

A short, all too brief sigh escaped.

＊＊＊

Since the Tower of Trials appeared, many things had happened.

To some, it was despair.

To others like Cheon Yuseong, it represented days filled with hope.

If he could start over…

This time he could seek out the finest opportunities and grow from the very beginning.

Therefore, he trained as if his life depended on it.

Despite repeated failures, he never gave up and pushed forward.

Consequently…

He met the Ghost Legionnaire and entered a realm he had not reached in his past life.

The supreme state that everyone dreamt of.

At this rate, even “that guy” would surely be taken aback.

There were less than dozens among both Players and Residents who knew how to wield the Flying Sword of Eternity.

However…

Always, always.

His opponent was ahead.

Far beyond the reach of his courage to chase.

‘My master… looks surprised too, so there’s no way that I can be a match.’

Cheon Yuseong blankly watched his blades turn to dust.

Even the Heavenly Demon was astonished, so what could he possibly do?

He had only ever dreamt of a single victory in this changed world.

He had endured just for that one single-minded wish.

How was he supposed to beat such a monster?

“I’ve lost…”

Cheon Yuseong calmly let go of his Hwamumaehwageom, his floral-patterned sword.

Thud!

It drove into the ground.

[The Heavenly Demon’s inner qi recovers astonishingly well!]

[The harmony of yin and yang reaches its climax!]

Countless status windows appeared.

Golden mist swirled around as numerous orbs were absorbed into the body of the Heavenly Demon.

Now he had achieved his goal.

Save for one person.

The Ghost Legionnaire approached Cheon Yuseong, who struggled to lift his head.

“Cheon Young Master has done well. However…”

That’s right, however, he just chose the wrong opponent.

The Ghost Legionnaire patted Cheon Yuseong’s back.

“Master… I…”

“You don’t have to say anything. Isn’t your master right here? Next time, reach an even higher realm and challenge once more.”

“Once more… you say. To get even stronger from here… just how much…”

The Ghost Legionnaire’s consolation did little to uplift Cheon Yuseong, who still couldn’t raise his head.

Words failed to comfort.

Repeated failures and frustrations would crumble even those with the strongest will.

Then…

“Pretty soon, I’ll be going to a ruins on the 19th floor. I’ll need at least three people of the same caliber.”

Jinhyuk approached.

“What?”

“You remember, right? Back at the masquerade ball, there was someone from the Third Force.”

A representative of the Third Force who appeared in the shape of a Dryad.

Uasis.

There was a ruins that she and he needed to conquer together.

And the condition for entering that ruins required at least three Players.

Of course, there wasn’t a condition that those Players had to be of equal skill,

‘I’ve achieved my purpose… now it’s time to throw a carrot.’

He didn’t particularly want to see a bruised and gloomy Cheon Yuseong.

“Finding someone who can fight alongside me without holding me back isn’t easy. You were the first to come to mind.”

“…Are you certain the system requires players of the same level?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah, probably. Must be because it’s dangerous, so only that strong of people are allowed in, right?”

“Same level…”

He pondered over the words slowly.

“That’s right. If you think about it, I was only slightly behind. In fact, it was no big deal. If I had distributed my magic power a bit better, I could’ve easily. Before you used the Heart Sword, I should’ve broken through first.”

“Uhm. Well, that could’ve been the case?”

“Missed by a paper-thin margin. Indeed, it’s a pity.”

Cheon Yuseong nodded as if he had realized something.

His somber face gradually relaxed, as if he had never been troubled.

After all…

This guy, it’s hard to grasp whether he’s pessimistic or optimistic.

With such an ironclad face, that’s probably why he used to follow around wielding a sword, challenging to duels day and night.

“So, will you join me or not?”

“Tch. I’m not keen on it, but since you’re asking, I might consider going along. As long as the compensation is fairly divided.”

And with that, he had hooked another fool.

＊＊＊

Once Cheon Yuseong somewhat recovered his mental state, the Heavenly Demon and the Dark Emperor approached.

“Impressive. I never thought I’d see the Heart Sword here in this place. I’ve heard the phrase ‘like father, like son’ many times, but this is the first time I’ve witnessed such a prodigy actualize it.”

“Heh, Your Excellency, what are you saying? No matter what, I’m still…”

The Dark Emperor glanced at Jinhyuk, checking his reaction.

“Ahem! I’m still stronger.”

“Yes, for now, that may be true. Enjoy your brief glory. To me, it doesn’t seem too long away.”

The Heavenly Demon smiled gently.

They bickered back and forth, but Jinhyuk paid no attention to them.

He was fully occupied with holding back the surge of elation.

He couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

[Your understanding of the Heavenly Demon has greatly improved, and the copied ability has been upgraded.]

[You have mastered the ’10-Star’ level of the Heavenly Demon Arts.]

[Heavenly Demon Arts (天魔神功)]

Acquisition difficulty: SSS

Description: Consisting of 12 forms, this divine art boasts destructive power that can even threaten the deities when mastered.

[The copied ability is stored in ‘Memories of the World’.]

He had finally acquired it.

One of the two martial arts he had to copy in the martial world.

And to reach such a degree at the 10-Star accomplishment level.

‘Jackpot would be an understatement to describe this achievement.’

He had anticipated a high level, but the reward far exceeded his expectations.

The effects of monopolization and the depth of his understanding of the Heavenly Demon exceeded imagination.

‘Remaining task… I’ll have to copy it when I come back to the martial world after some time has passed.’

Jinhyuk quietly plotted his plan in his mind.

What he needed to do next, what he needed to gather for that purpose. Everything.

And just then…

Paztztztz!

Blue light flashed through the sky.

‘That’s?’

Jinhyuk’s eyes sharpened.

It wasn’t an ordinary lightning…

“Get down!”

The roar of the thunder was faster than the warning call.

Kwakwang!

A blinding blue lightning bolt struck the bamboo forest’s temple, blowing it to bits.

Kukukuku!

Massive flames erupted.

Within the huge blue flame that devoured the wooden structure,

Something far more overwhelming than the fire itself revealed itself.

Tingling sensation!

The skin… it throbs.

That feeling.

The sensation.

Even the magic emanating from within the smoke indicated the magnitude of the entity present.

Never expected it to come out here.

“Koooooooooh!”

The heavens reverberated with a mighty roar.

The Azure Dragon.

The divine beast of the East that commands rain and clouds.

“Contractor!”

Elis promptly appeared in front of Jinhyuk to protect him.

[Elis has activated her unique ability ‘Blood Lord’!]

To shield everyone from the Dragon’s Fury.

A shield made of blood unfurled.

As the smoke cleared entirely, a voice echoed.

“Vermin, all gathered here, huh?”

The voice came from atop the Azure Dragon’s head.

Of course, the dragon did not wake up on its own.

The Left Law Protector “Sama Zha”.

The orchestrator of everything was none other than that man.

“Sama… Zha.”

“Would that vile creature dare to show his face here, after what he’s done to the soles of our feet!”

Both the Heavenly Demon and the Dark Emperor erupted in anger.

Seeing the one responsible right before their eyes, it was only natural to be enraged.

Jinhyuk felt equally annoyed.

“The mood was so cozy until you had to barge in and spoil it all. So, you’re storming in here relying on that one lizard? Seems quite a meager show of force.”

Sama Zha had lost more than half of his prime Jiangshi troops.

And with time, the frontline that had been strengthened was too much for the remaining Jiangshi to break through.

But…

“Did you think that all those Jiangshi were defeated because you’re so clever? Have you never thought that maybe I deliberately led them to do that? Have you never once considered that?”

“…What?”

The enigmatic statement caused all prior incidents to flash through like a rapid slideshow.

Connecting clues and clues together.

The routes the Jiangshi took.

Upon closer inspection, Sama Zha had abandoned optimum attacks at some point, unnecessarily tangling the Jiangshi’s lines.

As if he was marching to paint a gigantic picture on the map.

Only then did Jinhyuk’s mouth slowly open.

“You drew a formation, didn’t you.”

“Formation? What are you talking about?”

Elis asked, still confused.

“The Jiangshi moved to draw a pattern… The entire martial world acted as his massive canvas, using the blood flowing from the Jiangshi to activate a blood-bound curse.”

“Oho, not completely foolish.”

Sama Zha wore a disdainful smile.

And at that moment…

Woowoowoong!

Dark clouds swarmed in the sky.

Soon after, numerous red characters began to emerge through the clouds.

“Today, Luoyang will fall.”

“Kekeke!”

“Kukukuku!”

As the characters opened up, corresponding numbers of Jiangshi howled.

“And all of you shall die today.”

At the gesture of Sama Zha, the Azura Dragon opened its gaping mouth wide.