The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan

Chapter 66 - The Mount Song Meeting (5)

In a corner of the Tiger’s Grove, the scent of plum blossoms, which did not suit the scenery, was spreading thickly in all directions.

It was partly because the scent of the plum blossoms itself was thick, but it was also because the cerulean sword wind that was sending this scent flying was so strong.

Ch-ch-chak-chak!

Dozens of streaks of an incisive aura were released like flower petals, riding along the two swords that were chaotically entangled.

The eyes of Yeong-il, who was deploying the Plum Blossom Sword Art, narrowed.

Dozens of streaks of lines, reflected in his pupils, were repeatedly tangling and unraveling in real time.

The sword paths, which were extending out in all directions, licked their tongues as if they would constrict and pierce his entire body at any moment.

‘It’s disorienting.’

Perhaps because both swordsmen were unfolding an Illusory Sword style, forms that deceived the eye were vying with each other to pop out.

It was to the extent that the sword-shadows that were densely veiling his vision easily numbered over a few dozen.

The tip of Yeong-il’s sword split into fourteen streaks and aimed intensively for Namgung Jun’s lower body.

It was because Namgung Jun’s free-spirited footwork was cunningly interfering with the footwork of his Five Elements Plum Blossom Steps.

The sword strikes that extended as if to coil around left countless sword marks on the ground. It seemed one would be torn to shreds if they were to place their foot in that spot.

But Namgung Jun did not pull his foot back to evade. On the contrary, he kicked his foot forward, and a steadfast aura like that of a pillar was draped over him.

The aura of the Empyrean Aegis, which had wrapped around Namgung Jun’s entire body, crushed the spewing sword strikes from the front.

Seeing this, Yeong-il’s eyes shot wide open.

Namgung Jun’s Body Movement Technique was truly peculiar.

It seemed to be a martial art that had been created with the goal of a steadfast advance that no one could interfere with, not for the purpose of evasion like a normal Body Movement Technique.

So that he could extend his sword to his heart’s content in any situation.

In fact, Namgung Jun was lightly shaking off Yeong-il’s check and, on the contrary, was taking the counter-offensive.

“Damn!”

At the steadfast and headlong body movements, Yeong-il, on the contrary, widened the combat distance.

The plum blossom sword, which was surging more fluidly, pressed down on both of Namgung Jun’s flanks as if to envelop them.

SWOOOOOSH!

Even though Yeong-il had completely blocked off his change of direction, Namgung Jun did not retreat.

The blade, cloaked in a piercing blue Sword Qi, flickered in succession, raising twenty streaks of sword strikes like a cluster of lightning bolts.

The indigo blue sword-shadows, which were differentiating into countless streaks, clashed in succession with the forms of the Plum Blossom Sword Art, which were splitting like the branches of a tree, and were scattered.

Yeong-il, who had taken a step back, did not close his eyes.

It was partly that he had no time to close his eyes, but he also did not want to miss Namgung Jun’s forms for even a single moment.

‘The forms I am seeing now. They do not look like a single sword style.’

It was as if the Form and Style were being haphazardly listed, like before they had been woven into a single martial art.

As if he were displaying various forms containing the insights of the Illusory Sword and the Shifting Sword according to his taste.

Because of this, Yeong-il could not help but be bewildered.

For it meant that the boy before him was handling the Plum Blossom Sword Art with nothing but miscellaneous forms.

“Daoist Yeong-il. Be careful.”

The sword strike of Namgung Jun, who was giving a warning, transformed once again. More threatening and chaotic.

As if it were taking the plum blossom petals that Yeong-il was scattering with his sword as its nutrients.

A bitter smile was held on the face of Yeong-il as he saw the sword path that was storming about chaotically and disorganized, having broken free from the division of directions.

‘It feels like I am facing a torrential rain that is pouring down with a typhoon.’

Countless sword strikes whose direction of pouring changed here and there, following the sword path and the sword wind.

The sword-shadows, which were spreading in a dense yet spectacular manner, began to slowly drench Yeong-il’s body.

SLIIICE!

Yeong-il, who had urgently taken a backward step and retreated, looked at both his sleeves.

The sleeves, where plum blossoms should have been embroidered, had become tattered.

Ever since he had learned the Plum Blossom Sword Art, there had never been a time when his martial arts uniform had become such a mess.

Even more so if his opponent was a rising star younger than himself.

But Yeong-il had no time to worry about such things as his uniform.

It was because he was feeling the rapidly transforming sword strike of Namgung Jun with his entire body.

“It keeps changing.”

The corners of Namgung Jun’s mouth rose slightly at Yeong-il’s muttering.

‘He doesn’t miss the changes. A considerable talent.’

Yeong-il’s guess was correct.

Namgung Jun had absorbed all the artistry of the Illusory Sword and the Shifting Sword from Yeong-il.

The sword style of the Mount Hua Sect was bewitching and dazzling. When it came to the Illusory Sword and the Shifting Sword, it seemed there was no sect in the Martial World that could follow them.

Namgung Jun had melted the inspiration he had gained from the sword of the Mount Hua Sect and was bearing a new fruit.

It felt as if the countless arts and insights of the Illusory Sword he had gained until now were being brought together into a single stream as he encountered the sword of the Mount Hua Sect.

Going beyond Form, Style, and Technique, to the branch known as Art.

Clang-clang-clang!

The two swords clashed and separated repeatedly, tangling as if they were intertwined.

Dozens of sparks flew in succession, and they were so bright it was difficult to distinguish them from the fragments of Sword Qi.

“Huu.”

Namgung Jun, who had lightly evened out his breathing and circulated the internal energy of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art throughout his entire body, firmed his stance.

Ordinarily, he could have subdued Yeong-il in much shorter exchanges.

The reason he was drawing out the exchanges for so long was for the purpose of observing and learning from the sword that the Mount Hua Sect had built up for so long.

‘Slowly, faintly, Daoist Yeong-il is also watching my sword and unconsciously taking from it.’

The Sword Skill that was flowing down like fragments as they endlessly clashed must have been becoming a nourishment for each other.

How much of a great thing one would obtain from this depended on their respective capabilities.

But Namgung Jun could be certain.

That not only himself, but Yeong-il as well, would find that the fruit obtained from this duel was exceedingly great.

It was a moment where they were both taking many things from each other.

The bodies of the two men spun simultaneously and created the exact same change.

They had had the same thought at the same time.

As if they had learned the same sword style.

Because it was the exact same sword path, the two swords were sent flying from the empty air at the same time.

KAANG!

When they had competed for about fifty exchanges, Yeong-il and Namgung Jun retreated simultaneously.

Yeong-il let out a rough breath as he looked at Namgung Jun, then slowly nodded his head.

“I have lost.”

Yeong-il held out the iron token of the Mount Hua Sect that was in his robes to Namgung Jun.

Even though he had admitted his own defeat, Yeong-il showed a refreshed face.

“Thanks to you, Young Hero Namgung, it seems I have obtained a clue to a new enlightenment.”

“Thanks to you, I was also able to broaden my perspective.”

“I wish you martial luck in the scramble.”

Doo-woong! Doo-woong!

The moment the two swordsmen were performing a fist-and-palm salute, the sound of a drum was heard from somewhere.

At the same time, the fog that had been laid out in a circle along the border of the Tiger’s Grove began to clear.

It was the signal that the Iron Token Scramble had ended.

Namgung Jun left the Tiger’s Grove with a total of eight iron tokens in his hand.

……

Baek Ri-cheong, who had come out of the Tiger’s Grove, looked at the three iron tokens he held in his hand.

‘Three of them.’

Though he had not reached the number he had originally aimed for, Baek Ri-cheong did not mind.

It was because the opponents he had competed against in order to obtain the three iron tokens were, without exception, not easy.

The Shaolin Temple, the Mount Heng Sect, and the Mount Heng Sect.

They were clearly individuals who were counted among the best of the twenty rising stars, and Baek Ri-cheong had gallantly proven his martial arts against them.

Baek Ri-cheong was sufficiently satisfied with the results of the scramble.

‘The number of eliminated participants is larger than I thought?’

Baek Ri-cheong, who had left the Tiger’s Grove under the guidance of an examiner, observed those who were on standby outside.

By the looks of it, there were a fair number of rising stars who had been immediately eliminated without obtaining any of others’ iron tokens.

At the same time, a question arose.

If that was the case, who had taken all of their iron tokens?

Baek Ri-cheong handed his iron tokens to the examiner.

“Including your own, a total of four, is it. You have brought the most iron tokens.”

At the examiner’s muttering, Baek Ri-cheong was surprised and asked.

“How many iron tokens did the others bring?”

“At most two, and at least one. To think the Azure Sky Society had such a talent.”

A sense of leisure was suffused on the corners of Baek Ri-cheong’s mouth as he heard the story.

Gauging the number of personnel who had come out first and the number of their iron tokens, he had a rough grasp of the situation.

Who had eliminated so many of the personnel?

It was then.

The last of the personnel were coming out of the Tiger’s Grove.

It was Yeong-il of the Mount Hua Sect and Namgung Jun of the Azure Sky Society.

“I will submit my iron token.”

The disciples of the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects, who had been eliminated first, looked at Yeong-il with expectant eyes.

Because Yeong-il was the strongest among the disciples of the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects, they had expected that he would have obtained many iron tokens.

The examiner who had confirmed the iron token that Yeong-il had submitted muttered.

“It is three.”

Contrary to their expectations, as Yeong-il’s number of iron tokens was small, they all made puzzled faces.

“Hmm? Only three?”

“Then who has the rest of the iron tokens?”

It was then.

Namgung Jun, who had been standing behind Yeong-il, set down his iron tokens.

“Heuk!”

The examiner was so startled that his eyes shot wide open.

It was because a number of iron tokens that was not small even at a glance had come out from Namgung Jun’s hand.

“Including my own, it is a total of nine.”

“Nine!”

The eyes of everyone in the vicinity widened.

Excluding Namgung Jun, the ones who had acquired the most iron tokens were Yeong-il and Baek Ri-cheong.

But even if one were to combine the numbers of those two, it was less than the number of iron tokens Namgung Jun had obtained.

“The Azure Star Sword got that many?”

“Tremendous. To think he would distinguish himself like this between the Three Sects and One Union and the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects.”

“No way. To think even Daoist Yeong-il was pushed back.”

The rising stars, who had been pricking up their ears, could not contain their astonishment.

No one had expected that the youngest rising star in this meeting, and a member of the Azure Sky Society at that, Namgung Jun, would perform such an exploit.

“How can this be…”

The examiner could not help but be purely in admiration.

“A monster has appeared in the Azure Sky Society.”

Baek Ri-cheong looked at that sight with a proud expression.

“As expected of Younger Brother Namgung.”

The examiner, who had confirmed all the iron tokens that Namgung Jun had brought, nodded his head and opened his mouth.

“You have taken the lead in this scramble. I shall let you know what the good opportunity that the Mount Song Sect Leader mentioned is.”

The examiner handed Namgung Jun a blank piece of paper and a brush.

Namgung Jun, who had heard the details from the examiner, wrote down a single name after a moment of contemplation.

……

The leaders of the great sects who had participated in the meeting gathered in one place.

It was for the purpose of hearing the results of the Iron Token Scramble.

“The results have come out like this.”

A momentary silence flowed at the words of the Mount Song Sect Leader, Guo Yeong.

It was because the result was too unexpected and overwhelming.

A rising star belonging to the Azure Sky Society had obtained the most iron tokens, with nine.

The Azure Star Sword, Namgung Jun.

Though he had been making a name for himself of late, it was not to the extent that it would have reached the ears of the leaders of the great sects.

Naturally, there were few who had taken an interest.

For that reason, it was a result that no one had expected.

Furthermore, among those iron tokens were those of the disciples who could be counted as the best from the Three Sects and One Union and the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects respectively, so the shock was even greater.

‘Are you telling me Sam-gyeong of the Wudang Sect and Yeong-il of the Mount Hua Sect were defeated by a child called the Azure Star Sword?’

‘Astonishing. To think that the two rising stars who were supposed to take the lead in the scramble were defeated by one person.’

‘Namgung Jun. Namgung Jun… To think I did not know there was a talent of this magnitude. I will have to further refine our sect’s intelligence network.’

Furthermore, since the other member from the Azure Sky Society had also achieved a rather excellent result, it was no exaggeration to say that this Iron Token Scramble was a one-sided show for the Azure Sky Society.

“So the Azure Sky Society was hiding such a power.”

“Are the Hall Masters of the Azure Sky Society’s Ten Halls not also quite powerful?”

“The future of the Azure Sky Society is bright.”

At the praises of the leaders that were pouring in from all sides, Ha Huseon merely twitched the scar-covered area around his eyes.

Though he had held great expectations, he had not expected that they would obtain such an overwhelming result.

‘The two children have accomplished a great thing.’

In the meeting between the leaders that would be held tomorrow, the right to speak of the Azure Sky Society would naturally grow stronger.

For the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects, who had now confirmed the underlying strength of the Azure Sky Society, would not be able to move carelessly.

‘The future of our society is bright.’

The meritorious deeds that the two rising stars had accomplished this time were also astonishing.

Ha Huseon was moved by the fact that he had witnessed the underlying strength of the two rising stars who would be responsible for the future of the Azure Sky Society.

“By the way, that child, Namgung Jun, who did he designate?”

At that moment, the conversation naturally turned to Namgung Jun.

“Ah. Come to think of it.”

“It was decided that one of us would hold a guidance duel.”

The rising star who had obtained the most iron tokens is given the opportunity to designate an individual of their choice among the leaders gathered at the Mount Song meeting and have a duel.

Guo Yeong, with a cold expression, looked at the leaders and spoke.

“The Azure Star Sword, that child’s choice is here.”

Guo Yeong held out a neatly folded piece of paper.

The gazes of the leaders were focused on the paper.