The Grand Battle (3)
From early evening, Cheon So-seon lingered around the League Leader’s Hall.
He hadn’t been told when the plan would unfold, so all he could do was wait anxiously.
“Are they trying to make a fool out of me?”
But that couldn’t be it. There was no need to go to such lengths to humiliate someone who could be killed at any moment. Especially considering the opponent’s martial prowess, it was even less likely.
When the time finally came, Cheon So-seon muttered under his breath.
“This is insane!”
With a deafening roar, the League Leader’s Hall was blown away.
Now he understood why he was told that he would know when the time came. It was a plan that everyone in the Martial Arts Alliance, and even those living nearby, would be aware of.
From the sky, a barrage of sword energy rained down like a meteor shower targeting a single point.
And it wasn’t just any sword energy. Upon impact, it exploded with tremendous force, obliterating everything around it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was a spectacle unlike anything he had ever seen. It was hard to believe that a human could wield such martial arts. It felt as if some massive weapon was installed somewhere in the sky.
As the League Leader’s Hall was reduced to rubble, the Heavenly King Army soared into the sky.
“They’re not human.”
But now was the time for him to act.
Cheon So-seon began descending through the shattered passageway. The massive attack had destroyed the mechanism, revealing the path to the underground.
He wore a mask, and unlike usual, he was in his male form.
Having recently moved around as a woman, even if someone below spotted him, they wouldn’t recognize him.
Time was short. The agreed time was at most a quarter of an hour. He had to destroy the Cheonran and get out within that time.
The underground chamber remained intact. It was built so sturdily that even an attack from above couldn’t collapse it.
He threw daggers at the researchers working on the Cheonran, eliminating them one by one.
He showed no mercy. To survive, he was prepared to kill anyone who stood in his way.
He walked down the corridor towards the room where the Cheonran was kept. The opposite direction led to where the Dark Heavenly Weapons were stored.
Seeing no one in the corridor, it seemed they were quietly staying in their places.
His mission was to destroy the Cheonran. It would be better to destroy the Dark Heavenly Weapons too, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks.
Cheon So-seon slowly opened the door to the room with the Cheonran.
In the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
Inside, ten Dark Heavenly Weapons stood surrounding two Cheonrans. They must have been ordered to protect the Cheonran in case of an emergency.
Their eyes all turned to him, and Cheon So-seon grimaced at the hostility directed at him.
“Damn it.”
The black aura emanating from the Heavenly King Army was unique.
It was similar to a killing intent but distinctly different. Killing intent is a common aura that emerges when someone, whether good or evil, wants to kill their opponent.
But this aura could only be emitted by true villains, not just any villain.
And this black aura made him even stronger. He was faster and more powerful than in the previous fight.
Clang!
My sword clashed with his in mid-air.
It was heavy. It felt like he had poured everything into that first strike.
But it wasn’t. Beyond the slanted swords, the Heavenly King Army’s face showed composure.
I could sense it. To cut him down, I would need to use the Demonic Heart Technique. That’s why I refrained from using it.
The Demonic Heart Technique would be used when I decided to kill him. There was no need to reveal my martial arts prematurely.
I used the Phantom Soul Sword Technique.
Having reached the ninth level of the Demonic Heart Technique, my overall martial arts skills had improved, and the Phantom Soul Sword Technique had become much more powerful.
Considering the previous fight with the Celestial Crane Technique was evenly matched, I expected the Phantom Soul Sword Technique to be similarly matched.
Swish! Swish!
Two swords whistled through the air, narrowly crossing paths.
The Heavenly King Army aimed for my face, while I targeted his neck.
The swords thrust forward, and our bodies twisted in opposite directions.
The speed of the thrusts and evasions was almost identical.
I was the first to seize the initiative for the next attack.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
I thrust my sword in rapid succession, aiming for the heart, stomach, and heart again.
Clang!
The sound of swords clashing rang out only once.
He twisted his body to evade the first attack aimed at his heart, blocked the second with his sword, and leaped back to avoid the final strike.
As he descended!
Chalalalalak.
The first move, Instant Shadow, was unleashed.
Boom!
An explosion erupted in front of the Heavenly King Army. Just before being hit by the Instant Shadow, he released a sword force to neutralize my attack.
He was only pushed back by the explosion’s impact, unscathed.
To block the Instant Shadow without injury? Moreover, this exchange took place in the sky, not on the ground.
“Impressive.”
The Heavenly King Army spoke the words I should have said. Blocking the Instant Shadow wasn’t easy.
“You’re not bad yourself.”
I replied casually, pondering internally. Just how deep was his inner strength?
I intended to hold out for just a quarter of an hour and then retreat. But as the fight progressed, my resolve began to change.
I wanted to defeat him. The source of this desire wasn’t hatred or animosity towards him.
It was the Demonic Heart Technique that had reached the ninth level. The martial arts I had mastered craved this battle.
The yearning of martial arts to achieve greatness. It was an experience I had never encountered before.
I felt that defeating him would allow me to achieve the pinnacle of the Demonic Heart Technique. Even if not, it would be a significant help.
It was a powerful temptation.
I wanted to use the Blood Rain of the Demon Sword on him.
But doing so would result in the deaths of countless martial artists in the Martial Arts Alliance.
Sacrificing the few for the many?
Cheon So-seon’s sword sliced through the air.
Thwack!
The head of the seventh Dark Heavenly Weapon flew off.
In accomplishing this, Cheon So-seon wasn’t unscathed. He was covered in wounds. The Dark Heavenly Weapons were his natural enemies. His most powerful martial art was the Earth Wind, but it wasn’t enough to kill them. The only way to defeat them was to decapitate them.
Throughout the fight, Cheon So-seon trembled with fear.
Despite the unfavorable compatibility of martial arts, his skills were unmatched in the martial world.
Yet, in severing the heads of these seven, he had already sustained numerous injuries. If just ten Dark Heavenly Weapons were this formidable, what if they were mass-produced? Hundreds, thousands of them? It was a thought too dreadful to entertain. No one in the martial world could stop them.
The only fortunate aspect of the current situation was that Cheon So-seon had avoided any fatal injuries.
Swish!
He decapitated another Dark Heavenly Weapon. Now, only two remained.
But there was no time to relax. The promised quarter of an hour was almost up.
Swish. Swish!
He braced himself for injury and engaged the remaining two.
Only after sustaining wounds to his arm and thigh did he manage to decapitate the last two.
After hastily applying pressure to his wounds to stop the bleeding, he quickly approached the Cheonran.
His sword was imbued with sword energy.
He destroyed one of the Cheonrans first. It was a replica based on the original.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
He cut it multiple times to ensure it could never be used again.
Then he approached the original Cheonran.
“Just this one left to destroy.”
With a weary face, he raised his sword, charged with energy, high.
Screech.
At that moment, the lid of the Cheonran slowly opened.
“What!”
Caught off guard, Cheon So-seon instinctively stepped back.
From inside the Cheonran, a person slowly rose and spoke calmly.
“Put down your sword, Cheon So-seon.”
Hearing his name called so precisely, Cheon So-seon’s eyes widened.
Swish.
We charged at each other once more.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
A symphony of speed unfolded as we sought openings. We attacked and defended at a pace too fast for the eye to follow.
Instinctively, we thrust, slashed, and blocked.
Losing focus for even a moment wouldn’t mean death, but at least a limb would be lost.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I was so absorbed that I forgot I was fighting.
A state of no-self.
But it wasn’t an ordinary state of no-self. Entering such a state during a fight is a great fortune and something everyone desires.
In most cases, when you snap out of it, your opponent would be lying defeated before you.
But entering such a state in a fight with the Heavenly King Army was perilous.
When I snapped out of it, I would be the one dying at his feet.
The Heavenly King Army wasn’t human but something perfect. It felt like a complete martial arts system.
The state of no-self is necessary when facing a person.
In contrast, the Heavenly King Army was a perfected entity devoid of emotion.
I needed to calculate, analyze, and make judgments thoroughly.
I had to be fully aware that I was fighting. Another part of my soul had to objectively observe and control the me in the state of no-self.
Only then would this fight turn in my favor.
In a battle of perfection against perfection, I had something he lacked—human emotion.
Slice!
The blade cut through the Heavenly King’s shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air. His sword came at me, slicing through the crimson mist.
I barely twisted my body in time to dodge. It was a close call—another inch and I might have lost an arm.
But the wound on his shoulder healed almost instantly.
Astonishingly, he had the power to regenerate.
The Heavenly King, seemingly shocked by the fact that he had been injured, spoke with a hardened expression.
“So… you’re one of his.”
Who was “he”?
I wondered if it was the man I had seen in my dreams, or perhaps the white aura that had opposed him.
I neither confirmed nor denied his assumption.
Asking him who “he” was would be pointless; he wouldn’t give me a straight answer. There was no need to reveal any more about myself.
“I’m not one for complications.”
I wasn’t in my past life, and I’m not now as a member of the Byukridan.
“So what?”
“Today, I’m going to kill you. If I eliminate each one of you, eventually I’ll find out.”
“Think you can manage that?”
“Let’s find out.”
Whoosh!
We clashed again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of our swords meeting was like hammers striking each other.
If our previous fight was a battle of speed, this one was a contest of strength.
Our swords, infused with energy, crashed against each other with the force to split the earth and topple mountains.
The Heavenly King was stronger than I had anticipated, and he was growing more powerful. With each clash, the dark energy emanating from his sword became more intense and malevolent.
If the second battle was about strength, the third was a frenzy of wild sword energy.
Our sword auras twisted and writhed like two living dragons locked in combat.
While I focused all my energy on killing him, I also maintained a detached, analytical mindset, observing the fight.
I realized I needed to use the Demon Seal before exhausting more of my energy.
My aura shifted. What had been a fiery blaze now turned icy. It wasn’t just cold—it was a chill so extreme it could freeze the heart at a glance.
“I’ve decided to kill you now.”
He smirked, but I met his gaze with a deepened resolve.
“And I’ve found the way to do it.”