NOVEL NEXT Chapter 985
<Sword Saint Reinhardt 9>
Sword Saint Reinhardt.
He was honestly surprised.
A criminal’s sword could only ever reach an ordinary level, no matter how hard one tried.
A predictable sword.
A boring sword.
A sword with a predetermined ending.
Contemplating the limits of such a sword is akin to exploring a person’s entire life.
In an instant, Reinhardt glimpses someone’s life —
To a point he could never reach in his lifetime.
And he evaluates it.
This potential is trash.
There’s no longer any value in further exploration.
Such “wrong directions” shouldn’t even be ventured upon.
It was, in a way, an act of mercy.
For an ordinary person to pour their life into a useless path is akin to wasting their life.
But now, he was forcibly expending tremendous effort against the ordinary sword of an ordinary person.
Ghost Warlord.
An astonishing event unfolded where the sword of an existence he had already examined reached him.
“It was you. You changed them.”
Reinhardt remembered.
Sword Master Ryu-wan.
The pride that briefly crossed his face in his final moments.
As his head fell and he collapsed, his eyes turned not to the fallen comrades of Ghost Warlord, but to Cooking Oknodie.
Sword Master Ryu-wan.
The final stroke of his life, which was anything but ordinary.
The simultaneous awakening of Ghost Warlord
originated from those people.
“Those who can render the ordinary extraordinary. You are special.”
It was rare for Reinhardt to encounter someone special in his life.
Evil Dragon.
Chairman.
Butler of the Foundation.
Seonhwang.
Okashii-ne.
Even those hailed as the strongest of their time merely enjoyed fame that surpassed their mediocre skills.
The truth was always little more than a handful.
Yet today, a new entity was added to that small handful of truth.
“No need for long words. If you’re a swordsman, fight with your sword!”
“…!”
Reinhardt was astounded by Cooking Oknodie’s boldness.
A smile broke out on his lips.
“I see. A swordsman should converse with their sword.”
Cooking Oknodie took a fighting stance.
Reinhardt mirrored the stance, adopting a posture mimicking the swordsmanship of the deceased Ghost Warlord.
“If you inherited the legacy, then you are also a comrade of Ghost Warlord. Even if you fall to a comrade’s sword, you won’t hold any grudges, will you?”
A terrifyingly condensed power surged forth.
They realized it was a precursor to a charging rush filled with “energy.”
He aims to recreate Ghost Warlord’s will, having merely encountered it once!
There was tension.
But everyone assumed a charging position.
Bam!
As their footsteps stomped the ground, a tremendous cloud of dust erupted as if a great storm were descending.
Amidst the storm of sand and the pits created by the sword strikes, Reinhardt’s speed was even faster.
His might resembled that of a lord of dust.
The furious nature seemed to rise solely for him, creating a majestic spectacle in the process.
From the enemy’s perspective, it was an immense pressure.
However, Sing, Jiang, and Cooking Oknodie remained unfazed.
Sing and Jiang had gathered experience.
They had seen the overwhelming power of the highest level professors many times.
Giant Monster Kraken.
Chairman.
Hyeolbiggaek.
Professor Sadako.
Professor Buzhaar.
The battles of these formidable foes always stirred the heavens and placed nature beneath their feet.
Being among those who could create natural disasters with a mere gesture, facing the ultimate swordsman accompanied by a massive sandstorm was not an extraordinary feat.
“Receive! The sword of those who died for you. You are worthy of their sacrifice!”
<Sword Master Ryu-wan & Cesar>
<Combo Technique - Perfect Explosion Sword>
The swordsmanship containing the essence of two lives was instantaneously realized by him.
For Reinhardt, launching the combo was no difficult feat.
Unlike Ghost Warlord, who had combined techniques with differing bodies, he only needed to simultaneously unleash his own essence.
The difficulty was high, but the fruits and completeness were even greater.
A sword technique that combined the responsiveness of the Perfect Sword and the penetrating force of the Explosion Sword to thwart the potential of the opponent’s sword.
An inept sword falls before the blast of the Perfect Explosion Sword without even being able to extend itself.
<Jiang - Special Zone>
<Assassination Zone>
In contrast, Jiang’s technique, the Assassination Knife, erased even his own presence
The Perfect Explosion Sword brushed past Jiang, vanishing into thin air.
In a moment where the position of the opponent couldn’t be determined, the opponent couldn’t clearly perceive where Jiang was within the Assassination Zone, even though they visually spotted him.
<Cesar & Ejequito>
<Combo Technique - Explosion Wave Sword>
Reinhardt’s follow-up barrage ensued.
He blocked the infiltration route using the heat wave sword enhanced with the power of the wave sword.
In response to Sing’s attempt to reveal his hidden power, surprisingly, it was Jiang again who stood against him.
<Assassination Throwing Knife>
Piercing through the enemy’s assault to trigger the energy imbued in the opponent’s sword, the Explosion Wave Sword was unleashed.
This technique was not solely known to Reinhardt.
Jiang remembered it too, as it was something he had seen.
The memory of an assassin.
It does not allow one to forget the techniques they have witnessed.
Especially techniques of those who died for them.
There’s no way he could forget, nor should he.
“Testing us with Ghost Warlord’s sword? At that point, your abilities are likewise easily read by us!”
The Assassination Throwing Knife triggered an explosion amidst the air from the Explosion Wave Sword.
Despite this, Jiang did not slow his momentum but instead increased it.
To make the world appear as a long line.
In the final charge of her acceleration, the last combo unfolded.
<Ejequito & Zwei Roar>
<Combo Technique - Wave Perfect Sword>
A projection surpassing mere sword strikes — one that neither let any attack pass through nor drift away.
<Assassin's Mimicry Sword Technique>
<Assassination Perfect Sword>
In contrast, the memorized techniques struck at the pulse of Reinhardt’s swordwaves, crumbling the sturdy walls of his force.
Through the newly fractured gaps, Jiang leapt toward Reinhardt.
“This is it. This is the fight I’ve always wanted.”
A member of Ghost Warlord.
The Perfect Sword of the universal swordsman, Zwei Roar.
Reinhardt was not the only one who absorbed that sword.
Jiang, who faced him directly, understood this.
The art of mimicry.
This had enriched the techniques of assassins, something he learned long ago from “Oknodie.”
The pinnacle of the Perfect Sword already existed alongside Jiang.
Hints to reach that sword were gleaned from countless swords of the dead.
As a swordsman, Jiang’s skill already stood shoulder to shoulder with those of sword masters.
The test using Ghost Warlord’s sword was the very reason she felt no fear.
“Don’t kid around. Your sword is nothing like this. Bring it out. Before Sing and Cooking Oknodie block your way, unleash all you have!”
Did Jiang’s gaze peek beyond the Assassination Zone?
Reinhardt’s hand flickered with terrifying speed.
<Super Acceleration>
<Swordsman's Time>
Unbelievable barrages erupt from both arms.
<Combo Technique - Perfect Explosion Sword>
<Combo Technique - Explosion Wave Sword>
<Combo Technique - Wave Perfect Sword>
These barrages, which made distinguishing time intervals meaningless, spoke out.
“Can you also display the talents you’ve taken from Ghost Warlord all on your own?”
It was daunting.
But it had to be done.
Jiang’s sword surged forth at a terrifying speed.
Boom!
The strikes infused with spirit shattered in the air.
White and dark blue sword waves.
Fragments of spirit spread like flowers tossed in the wind on a grave.
Stopping the erupting majesty.
Halting the invading sword spirit.
Checking the rupture’s shockwave.
At this moment, Jiang proved it.
That she had the right to stand against Reinhardt.
Yet, a chill ran down Jiang’s spine.
It wasn’t over yet.
This was merely the “start.”
“I’m still lacking.”
“Show me the beyond.”
Reinhardt’s arms, which had been launching strikes, suddenly halted.
All the power filled in his two hands.
Here it comes.
A great technique.
At the peak of Jiang’s tension, it unfolded.
<Zwei Roar & Cesar & Ejequito>
<Combo Technique - Explosion Wave Destruction Sword>
In this move, the “next stage” that even Ghost Warlord could not unleash had come forth.
A technique born of the swords of three combined, rather than two.
If one believed that a single essence was enough,
If one faced him with such shallow thoughts,
The wall of the next stage that could never be surpassed slammed down hard.
“There’s nothing to fear.”
Jiang’s inner self quietly sank.
Fear is like the water pooled in a bathtub.
Always cold, like the cliffs of Cheonryeong Mountain Range.
Cold water in a stone bathtub.
Draining towards the opened drain, she let everything flow away —
Fear, emotions, distractions.
The bathtub now stood completely empty.
All that remained was her bare body with the essence in both hands.
<Mimicry Sword Technique - Wu-Guk>
<Charging Technique - Black Shadow Crushing>
The shadows containing all the movements Jiang had observed and learned leaped beyond the boundary separating the Assassination Zone and Reinhardt’s domain.
Crash!
With each crossing, the shadows clashed against the walls of the Explosion Wave Destruction Sword, sprawling in every direction.
Death.
Death.
And more death.
The inevitability of defeat constantly erased Jiang’s shadows she hoped to leap over.
“Is it a limitation?”
Jiang recoiled.
Within her inner world, someone’s hand was placed on her shoulders as she huddled in the bathtub.
Looking up, she saw the old swordsman, Zwei Roar, standing resolutely in front.
A smile escaped her lips.
Of course.
If it were you, you wouldn’t give up or falter against such a monstrous foe.
For you are someone who has fought for centuries against such defeat.
The dormant potential of her sword within her now began to blossom anew.
<Jiang & Zwei Roar>
<Combo Technique - Perfect Crushing>
The advancing shadows raise their swords, driving forward.
An offense, not a defense.
A breakthrough, not a movement.
Surpassing the fear of entering a firing line, going beyond the fear of not winning, Jiang’s true power as an assassin was finally unleashed, causing Reinhardt’s triple combos to lose their value in an instant.
Separation.
Infiltration.
Destruction.
All techniques needed to capture the opponent to inflict maximum damage.
However, the moment those techniques were caught up, rather than collapsing under pressure, they actively opposed and broke through.
That minor change allowed a staggering 30% of the previously falling shadows to breach the barrier of the domain.
At this moment, she had surpassed Ghost Warlord’s triple combo.
Jiang’s eyes met Reinhardt’s.
She saw emotions in Reinhardt’s eyes that were not permitted to an assassin — a hot intensity.
“Outstanding. I’m sincerely impressed.”
“At your age, to achieve this level is exceedingly rare.”
So say this.
Reinhardt’s resolve surged like a fierce tide.
“I expect beyond this from you.”
“!!!”
<Final Combo of Ghost Warlord>
<Destruction of Marriage Wall>
A powerful wave of sword energy appears, crushing all possibilities of change.
The insight melded within the combo brought forth a chilling message from Sword Master Ryu-wan.
You lack the power to surpass this.
The choices that were spreading from the shadows that had surpassed it quickly collapsed.
With the collapsing shadows, Jiang’s options converged into a single point.
Single breakthrough.
A strike pouring forth all she had.
This is the man who compels a choice.
The sword of the Sword Saint.
An existence that sheds brilliance like the shining star of the night sky, pouring everything he has to shine brightly.
An existence that can mercilessly cleave through such starlight with a single sword.
It was a level one could not grasp merely by hearsay.
It now stood revealed.
How high the wall of the Sword Saint truly is.
To what extent does she face an opponent.
As the Destruction of Marriage Wall reached Jiang, at the same time, a step that had “tread into the void” burst through the afterimage.
A path to evade.
One that could transcend the unbreakable barrier.
It was the path granted by Oknodie’s aerial leap.
“I did it. I led Reinhardt’s plan and gaze this far.”
Jiang’s body frozen with overwhelming joy.
Surely not, right?
“Ghost Warlord is five. Did she expect not to know her essence just because she did not step into this fight?”
Sword Saint Reinhardt.
His never-ending desire for the “next” and insatiable thirst is still not quenched.
<Final Combo of Ghost Warlord>
<Destruction of Heaven Wall>
Spreading out like a wall one could hardly evade, it feels as if the very sky itself is falling.
The wall crafted of the sword energy of the Destruction of Marriage Wall.
The petals of the rose inscribed in the sky flutter and fall.
As Jiang stared at that massive flowery sword energy, she felt it.
This is impossible.
“It’s not impossible.”
“It’s now our turn!”
With all her strength poured into the breakthrough, Jiang was swiftly bypassed by Sing and Cooking Oknodie.
The “valid attack” showcased by Ghost Warlord.
In her role, Jiang executed the strongest strike towards the enemy.
Thanks to this, both could approach with maximum strikes without any depletion.
<Sing - Origin Sector>
<Area Technique - Sword Wave Island Storm>
Among them, Sing’s sword pierced through the Destruction of Heaven Wall, creating a massive hole.
The dual diffusion of sword energy pierced Roseblim’s heart, paving the way for the quintuple ultimate combo.
At that moment, they had undoubtedly surpassed the limits possessed by the five of Ghost Warlord, transcending even their highest scores.