The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan

Chapter 67 - Like a Cloud (1)

People began to gather around the dueling stage that had been set up on Junji Peak.

They were the leaders and the rising stars who had participated in the Mount Song meeting. However, not a single one of them was permitted the qualification to step onto the dueling stage.

As everyone raised their heads to look up at the dueling stage, a single boy was guarding the center of the stage alone.

“It seems that child is the Azure Star Sword.”

“His bearing has certainly been sharpened incisively.”

“But it does not seem to be to the extent that he could overwhelm the disciples of Mount Hua and Wudang; I am curious as to what he is hiding.”

The leaders of the great sects did not take their eyes off Namgung Jun.

It was the same for the rising stars in the back seats.

‘There are more than one or two rising stars who have been defeated by that boy.’

‘To think the Azure Sky Society had such a rising new master.’

No one had expected that Namgung Jun would be the one to obtain the most iron tokens.

They had thought that the protagonist of this meeting would be one of either the Three Sects and One Union or the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects.

The Azure Sky Society had been implicitly considered as just filling a spot. No one had considered the Azure Sky Society to be a main character in the meeting.

But Namgung Jun had displayed an exploit in the Iron Token Scramble where he had completely crushed the other rising stars.

In that process, he had defeated in succession the rising stars who represented the Three Sects and One Union and the Five Great Mountain Sword Sects respectively, Sam-gyeong and Yeong-il.

All the martial artists in this place thought of the same word as they looked at Namgung Jun.

The Number One Rising Star of the Righteous Path.

There was no room to deny or doubt that Namgung Jun now stood at the pinnacle of the Orthodox Faction’s rising stars.

It was when the eyes of all were focused on Namgung Jun.

There was an old man who had appeared before Namgung Jun out of nowhere.

He had appeared in the center of the dueling stage as naturally as if a downy cloud had settled. As if he had originally existed in that spot.

“I heard you were looking for this humble one.”

Only after the old man had opened his mouth did the rising stars flinch and turn their gazes.

It was because until then, they had not even perceived his existence.

“Heuk!”

“Since when?”

“The Cloud-Ruling Step of Wudang!”

Despite the appearance of the old man, who had seemed to spring up from the ground, Namgung Jun did not show a single sign of being surprised.

He merely paid his respects by folding his hands with a refined posture. Though he was young in age, a weightiness greater than that of an average mid-level master was suffused in him.

The rising stars all closed their mouths at once. It was because they had keenly felt their own appearances being compared to Namgung Jun’s.

“Greetings to the Wudang Sect Leader.”

“It is a pleasure.”

The Wudang Sect Leader, Jeong Hong.

The First Sword of Wudang of the Southern Honored Wudang. Or, The True Sword, one of the Five Ultimates of the World.

A peerless swordsman, counted among the top five in the Martial World.

‘Perhaps he may even be the strongest among the peerless masters gathered in this place.’

Namgung Jun gazed at the Wudang Sect Leader.

He had no exact basis, as he could not read the bearing of the peerless masters.

However, the intuition that remained with him along with the experience of his past life pointed to Jeong Hong.

‘What a shame.’

A little strength entered Namgung Jun’s fist.

Though it was a golden opportunity to cross swords with a peerless swordsman, he himself had not yet been honed to the extent that he could draw out Jeong Hong’s full power.

His clear and direct cerulean gaze, taking his fighting spirit as its fuel, flickered even more brightly.

The corners of the mouth of Jeong Hong, who was appreciating Namgung Jun’s gaze, wrinkled upwards.

“I have heard that you wished for a duel with this humble one. I am curious as to the reason.”

“As a swordsman, I wish to observe and learn from the sword of the Southern Honored Wudang.”

The Sword That Perceives All Creation Was Established by Wudang.

It was a proverb of the Martial World that evaluated the sword of the Wudang Sect.

Though he had wanted to experience the sword of the Wudang Sect as a swordsman, the opportunity had not come in his past life.

For that reason, he intended to take the stage of this meeting as his opportunity.

If he could experience the sword of the Southern Honored Wudang, it would surely be a more valuable experience than any spiritual medicine or reward.

“I can only be grateful that you hold the sword of our sect in such high esteem.”

Jeong Hong, with his hands clasped behind his back, brought the sword engraved with a pine pattern to a middle stance.

It was the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword of the Wudang Sect.

“Come at any time.”

Namgung Jun’s brow twitched.

Though he had definitely not taken his eyes off Jeong Hong, he had not seen the process of him drawing his sword.

‘As if he had been holding the sword from the very beginning.’

Though his heart wavered for a moment, Namgung Jun regained his composure with a single exhale.

His calmly extended right hand wrapped around and gripped his sword hilt. The cold touch of the hilt stood out clearly.

“Here I come.”

Namgung Jun boldly performed the Infinite Steps Footwork and attempted the first move.

The sword of Namgung Jun, as he closed the distance, drew a stooped sword path.

The sword, which cut through the empty air coolly, continued a series of unbroken arcs.

An aura like a cloud was stacked up in layers, following the extremely slowly flowing sword strike.

Layered Cloud Form.

The Flexible Sword, where the finer points of "the soft can control the hard" and "transforming power" were the main principles.

“Oho.”

As Namgung Jun unfolded the Flexible Sword, a look of interest appeared in Jeong Hong’s eyes.

For the martial studies of the Wudang Sect also contained Taiji and "using softness to overcome hardness" as their will-intent.

The Pine Pattern Ancient Sword of Jeong Hong stirred slowly. A natural sword path that continued as if seeping into the atmosphere.

In that moment, an anomaly occurred.

Not only had the two swords not directly touched, but a considerable space remained between them.

Despite this, the sword of Namgung Jun, which had been drawing a gentle arc, was sharply twisted.

An awkward movement, as if his sword had been caught by an invisible, formless hand and was being dragged away.

Namgung Jun, whose eyes shot wide open, immediately twisted his wrist.

‘This is!’

Namgung Jun, who had retrieved his sword to his chest with a calm hand movement, immediately realized the reason.

The sword path that was spreading from the tip of the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was forcibly compelling his own sword path.

If he had not adapted to the flow that Jeong Hong was leading, he would have lost his grip on his sword.

That being said, he could not be dragged along by Jeong Hong’s sword path as things were.

He had to find a way.

‘It is useless even if I draw up my sword power.’

This was not a problem that could be solved with strength.

‘Is that all there is to it, after all.’

Namgung Jun, who was looking at the sword strike that was slowly creeping up before his eyes, knew instinctively.

That in order to extend his sword as he pleased, he had to properly bring out the finer points of the Layered Cloud Form.

‘My current accomplishment in the Layered Cloud Form is at the Seventh Level.’

The majestic sword form of Jeong Hong was not threatening.

It felt as nonchalant as an old man moving his cane powerlessly as he walked.

But he did not dare to invade that domain. And that domain was gradually widening.

To the extent that if Jeong Hong were to set his mind to it, he could immediately fill not only the dueling stage, but the summit of Junji Peak.

SWOOOSH!

The atmosphere, the trees, the thicket.

Even though the wind was not blowing, all of creation in his surroundings was vibrating minutely in sync with a certain flow.

All the flows of creation were moving, centered on Jeong Hong. Namgung Jun was also in a situation where he was swept up in that vast, hollow flow.

Depending on his own choice and judgment, Namgung Jun could either extend his sword, or lose his grip on it.

‘What will you do?’

It was also a test that Jeong Hong had presented.

If he could overcome this test, he would obtain an enlightenment befitting it.

Thump!

Namgung Jun, who had stomped his foot powerfully, unfolded the Empyrean Aegis to its ultimate extent. So that he could endure as much as possible against the flow that Jeong Hong’s Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was manifesting.

But this was not the best course of action.

It was merely buying time.

‘I will take the sword path longer and more freely.’

The sword of Namgung Jun, which had been held diagonally in a low stance, soared up faintly.

Namgung Jun did not unfold another sword style. He responded solely with the Layered Cloud Form.

He polished and polished the Layered Cloud Form, which had been stopped at the accomplishment of the Seventh Level.

He looked back on the Layered Cloud Form once again with the enlightenment he had gathered up until now.

FWOOSH!

He extended his sword once again, but there was never a time the two swords met or clashed.

The two blades, as if they were about to clash, would in the end fail to touch and would repeatedly pass by, widely separated.

Every time they did, a fierce after-effect like a storm of wind and rain would pass by, clawing at the dueling stage.

As not a single exchange of blades had occurred, it was as if the old and the young were standing face-to-face, performing a sword dance.

The rising stars stared blankly at that sight.

Though they could not know the exact situation, it was possible for them to grasp roughly what was going on.

For that reason, they could only be astonished at Namgung Jun’s splendid performance.

In particular, the eyelids of the Wudang Sect disciple, Sam-gyeong, were trembling.

‘To think he can endure that much!’

Sam-gyeong had received teachings while holding several duels with the Sect Leader.

For that reason, this state of the duel was not unfamiliar.

The most he himself had ever endured until now was fourteen exchanges. Beyond that, his sword would not follow.

The test that the Sect Leader delivered with his sword was such that the more the exchanges increased, the more its flow became majestic and profound, so if one made even a small mistake, they were bound to be completely swept away.

Like a single flower petal falling on a raging torrent.

‘That exchange just now was the twentieth.’

But Namgung Jun had endured that much, even though he had not learned the martial studies of the Wudang Sect.

At some point, Sam-gyeong was focusing not on the Sect Leader’s sword, but on Namgung Jun’s.

‘What on earth is different that Young Hero Namgung, who has not learned the sword of Wudang, can endure this much?’

Even Sam-gyeong, who was not participating in the duel, was gradually drawn into Namgung Jun’s sword.

“Truly incredible.”

“To think he would unfold a Flexible Sword style against the Wudang Sect Leader.”

“I had heard that that child’s main skills were the Swift Sword and the Heavy Sword.”

The leaders of each sect who were watching the duel could not contain their admiration.

Though it was a guidance duel where teaching was the main purpose, who could possibly make the decision to unfold a Flexible Sword style against the Wudang Sect Leader?

It was a choice that, if a mistake were made, would be met with all sorts of shame and humiliation.

But the boy did not seem to care.

On the contrary, it was an appearance of pouring all his power into the duel in order to achieve the goal of diligent practice.

It was clearly visible in Jeong Hong’s eyes as well.

‘His competitive spirit and his desire for self-improvement are lofty.’

In a powerless situation where he could not even properly meet his opponent’s sword, it would not have been strange for his spirit to break at any moment.

But the clear eyes of Namgung Jun were, on the contrary, engulfed in an even more intense blue lightning flash.

FLARE!

The two swords, which crossed without clashing once again.

But it was different from before.

Until just a moment ago, even though the swords had not clashed, a considerable shockwave had arisen and swept through the dueling stage.

But how was it now?

A faint wind, like a spring breeze, erupted, merely tickling the skin.

The space between the two swords, which had seemed as if it would never be narrowed, had also become minutely smaller.

‘This child is following me.’

Jeong Hong could tell right away.

That the finer points of the Flexible Sword laden in Namgung Jun’s sword were becoming deeper.

His accomplishment in the sword deepens with every exchange of blows.

A rare sight, even here, where martial artists who were counted among the best talents in the world were gathered in one place.

Step.

The steps of Namgung Jun, who had been boosting his strength by continuously stomping his feet, now advanced as smoothly as flowing water.

As his foot twisted, his body spun, and the sword strike that rotated along with it drew a large circle.

Namgung Jun, who had let the sword strike that was spreading like the mist of dawn flow past, had an enlightenment.

‘I have risen to the Ninth Level.’

In a short period of time, his accomplishment in the Layered Cloud Form had leaped up.

But Namgung Jun was not satisfied.

His heart was tingling, as if he could see beyond the Layered Cloud Form if he just extended his foot one more step.

The enlightenment he had obtained through his accomplishment in the Layered Cloud Form spread to his Infinite Steps Footwork.

His steps, which had become softer and freer.

Befitting the name Infinite, which meant there were no restrictions and no limits, there was no place that Namgung Jun’s steps could not extend.

[As I shatter the division of direction and speed and walk along the flow.]

A new insight was placed within his steps. And as the advanced secret verses and finer points settled in his two feet to match it.

[Even if it is the infinite sky, there will be no place I cannot reach.]

Namgung Jun had realized.

That his Infinite Steps Footwork had finally transformed to become truly befitting of the name Infinite.

Though it was the same name, the Infinite Steps Footwork had become a completely different footwork style than before.

Step.

The first step of his new Infinite Steps Footwork.

Simultaneously with that step, Namgung Jun’s two eyes were dyed a piercing blue, and his focus blurred.

‘Don’t tell me.’

Jeong Hong did not miss Namgung Jun’s change.

‘The Realm of No-Self!’

No-Self.

A realm where one forgets oneself.

When a momentary enlightenment soaks the entire body, one releases all their shackles and forgets themselves.

A phenomenon that any martial artist who pursues ascent is bound to experience at least once.

‘At such a young age!’

Jeong Hong looked at Namgung Jun with stealthily surprised eyes.

The sword of Namgung Jun, as he performed his extremely free Infinite Steps Footwork, extended toward Jeong Hong just as it was.

It was the moment the two swords were becoming extremely close.