Chapter 73

The Byeok Sword Manor's patriarch, Byeok Cheol-Gun couldn’t get rid of his anxiety after the regular meeting. Their current competitor, the Wind Saber Sect, didn’t bother him too much. The problem was the Baek Sword Sect. He was worried about the martial arts their young patriarch, Baek Mu-Gun, demonstrated.

Something seemed different with Baek Cheon-Sang as well, which concerned Cheol-Gun. Even though he didn’t think it was possible, he was worried about the possibility of Cheon-Sang’s martial arts level being higher than his own. If things went south and he lost to Cheon-Sang in the martial arts competition, he could lose over the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader position. In that situation, the Hangzhou Merchant Company could cut off their support.

The Hangzhou Merchant Company spared no effort in investing in the Byeok Sword Manor as they believed that they would become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Their ulterior motive was to expand their business and earn more profits under the Byeok Sword Manor’s protection once they had become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Hence, to avoid losing their financial support, Cheol-Gun had to somehow become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader.

“I’ll have to go meet my in-laws.”

Cheol-Gun immediately made an appointment to meet Jang Hyun-Chul from the Hangzhou Merchant Company.

“Considering you asked to meet me so urgently, you likely have something important to tell me.”

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor?”

“Do you think you can procure another spiritual pill that you got me last time?”

“Do you know how hard it is to source a spiritual pill?”

“I know very well. However, I need it to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader.”

“What do you mean by that? Are you implying that it’s difficult to do so with your current skills?”

“To be honest, there’s this individual on my mind. I can probably win against him, but there’s this uncomfortable feeling bothering me. If, by any chance, I lose in the martial arts competition and do not become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader, wouldn’t you be in huge trouble as well?”

“Are you threatening me?” Hyun-Chul asked unpleasantly.

“I’m just saying that we should make sure we get things done properly,” Cheol-Gun said with a shameless expression.

Hyun-Chul barely managed to hold himself back from cursing at Cheol-Gun’s shameless demeanor.

For now, as Cheol-Gun said, they had to ensure he became the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader.

“Phew, I understand. I’ll do my best. However, it’s difficult for me to guarantee I’ll be able to get it. As I mentioned just now, procuring spiritual pills is no easy task.”

“I have my faith in you.”

Cheol-Gun asked for a favor, which was basically an order, and headed back.

“For someone who can’t get anything right, all he has is endless greed.”

Hyun-Chul cursed Cheol-Gun out when he was left alone. Hyun-Chul didn’t see any courtesy toward him from Cheol-Gun’s demeanor despite being in-laws. Hyun-Chul became in-laws with Cheol-Gun solely for the benefit of the Hangzhou Merchant Company. However, neither Cheol-Gun nor the Byeok Sword Manor could do anything properly, not even during the Myth Vault incident last time. Cheol-Gun could not even guarantee that he could become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Hyun-Chul became worried that he would end up gaining nothing in return for investing in the Byeok Sword Manor.

Be that as it may, it was currently impossible to take it all back. Whether he liked it or not, he had to make sure that Cheol-Gun could become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Hence, he had to procure the spiritual pill that Cheol-Gun demanded. Fortunately, Hyun-Chul had a reserve spiritual pill, which he bought just in case.

He didn’t tell Cheol-Gun about it to make it seem as if the Hangzhou Merchant Company had to go through all forms of difficulties to procure the spiritual pill and ultimately make the latter as indebted to them as possible. Considering Cheol-Gun’s attitude, however, he likely wouldn’t be grateful for the Hangzhou Merchant Company’s efforts. He would just think it was only natural for them to give it to him. That attitude made Hyun-Chul not want to give Cheol-Gun the spiritual pill.

Be that as it may, for the benefit of the Hangzhou Merchant Company, Cheol-Gun had to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader. Hence, Hyun-Chul decided to give the spiritual pill to Cheol-Gun in due course.

***

In preparation for the martial arts tournament, Baek Cheon-Sang entrusted Baek Mu-Gun and Baek Cheon-Gi with matters pertaining to the Baek Sword Sect, then focused on his martial arts training. Cheon-Sang was in the Absolute Realm. According to the last regular meeting, Byeok Cheol-Gun and Tae Gong-Pyo were in the Upper Peak Realm and had the highest level of martial arts. Cheon-Sang was likely to win the martial arts competition if it were based on martial arts alone. However, he couldn’t rest easily.

Nobody could predict what would happen during the time before the tournament. Cheol-Gun or Gong-Pyo could even receive a miracle and reach the Absolute Realm. It was certainly unlikely to happen, but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. After all, it was still possible.

Cheon-Sang put off the training on the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art for now and focused on training in the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art. As the Baek Sword Sect's patriarch, he wanted to win the martial arts tournament with his sect’s martial arts. To be honest, the chemistry between the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art, a technique based on destructive power, and the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art, a sword art based on variation and change, wasn’t great. It was difficult to perfectly manifest the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art’s changes and variations using the Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation.

However, in return, it could increase the Celestial Moonlight Sword’s otherwise lacking destructive power. Hence, although its advantages were reduced, its disadvantages were remedied. It could become an ambiguous technique without any special characteristics if done incorrectly, but it was better to have increased destructive power in exchange for a reduced variation in technique. After all, that gave a more powerful aspect to the sword art.

Immediately after returning from the regular meeting, Cheon-Sang focused on his personal training for a month in an attempt to harmonize the Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation and the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art. With only a month left until the martial arts tournament, Cheon-Sang concentrated on accumulating actual combat experience by sparring with none other than Mu-Gun. Mu-Gun was the only person in the Baek Sword Sect who could spar with Cheon-Sang, who was an Absolute Realm master. Today, too, Mu-Gun headed to the training hall to spar with Cheon-Sang.

“Come on in.”

“Shall we start?”

“Let’s go.”

Instead of idle talk, Mu-Gun and Cheon-Sang immediately equipped themselves with swords and faced each other.

“Will you use a different sword art today too?” Cheon-Sang asked.

“Yes. I’ll try to imitate the Byeok Sword Manor’s martial arts.”

“My God, your ability to create a new sword art by applying the principles of a martial art you’ve seen once always amazes me.”

Mu-Gun used various martial arts that were similar to those of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang as he sparred with Cheon-Sang. To avoid making Cheon-Sang suspicious, Mu-Gun didn’t just say that he could remember any martial arts he saw once but also that he could mimic and create a new one based on them. He didn’t really have that sort of ability, however. He just used martial arts he learned in his previous life and were similar to those of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang.

Without any way of knowing that, Cheon-Sang couldn’t help but believe Mu-Gun upon witnessing the latter demonstrate a new martial art one after another, almost as if he was a bottomless treasure chest. As a result, Cheon-Sang gained experience combating various martial arts thanks to Mu-Gun. From there, he realized how to react and which martial techniques to use according to the nature of the different martial arts he faced off against.

Since ancient times, the more martial arts a martial artist fought against, the better they would become. In that respect, Mu-Gun was basically the best training partner for Cheon-Sang. Mu-Gun raised his sword. The Byeok Sword Manor’s swordsmanship relied on broadswords since it focused on breaking through their opponents’ defenses by maximizing its destructive power with a relatively heavy sword and physical strength.

One of murim’s renowned broadsword-based sword arts was the Great Namgung Family’s Invincible Emperor Sword Art. The sword that fit most with the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art, Mu-Gun’s internal energy cultivation method, was also the broadsword. Mu-Gun chose the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art, a broadsword-based sword art, for this sparring session.

The Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art was the famed ultimate martial art of the Sky-Shattering Sword Demon, Heo Wook, who was a notorious figure in murim hundreds of years ago. Believing in his own power, he performed wicked acts all over the world. Mu-Gun obtained Heo Wook’s martial arts as spoils of war after defeating him.

Unlike Heo Wook, a person walking the demonic sect's ways, as could be seen from his title, the Sky-Shattering Demon Sword, the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art was not a demonic martial art. It was the ultimate sword art of the Sky-Shattering Sword Sect. Heo Wook simply happened to learn it by accident and named it his famed ultimate skill.

The Sky-Shattering Sword Sect was a righteous sect that respected martial arts. Hence, their martial art was naturally far from being a demonic martial art. The Byeok Sword Manor’s martial art had a fairly similar form to it. However, the latter’s level far exceeded the Byeok Sword Manor’s martial arts. The ultimate version of the Byeok Sword Manor’s martial arts was basically the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art.

Mu-Gun unleashed the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art using the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art as the foundation. As if it wasn’t his first time using it, Mu-Gun skilfully displayed its techniques as he attacked Cheon-Sang.

Mu-Gun swung his sword vertically, sending huge pressure toward Cheon-Sang’s head. The Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art’s fearsome aspect was its enormous pressure known as the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi. Those crushed under it found it difficult to even execute their movements, not to mention their techniques. Of course, that naturally didn’t apply to everyone. There were many cases where an opponent had overcome the pressure it unleashed.

Cheon-Sang was one such case. He easily overcame the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi, then swung his sword in retaliation. The moonlight sword qi pouring out from his sword aimed for Mu-Gun. In response, Mu-Gun swept past the space in front of him by twisting the trajectory of his sword.

The Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi that emerged from his sword destroyed the moonlight sword qi in one strike. A violent explosion then resonated. After eliminating the moonlight sword qi, Mu-Gun extended his sword again. The Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi that soared from the ground flushed toward Cheon-Sang, seemingly trying to split him in half.

Cheon-Sang stepped back and swung his sword without a break. The moonlight sword qi he unleashed from his sword piled up on top of each other, blocking the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi’s advances. Cheon-Sang was pushed back as another loud sonic boom resonated, unable to overcome the fierce pressure of the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi. Cheon-Sang realized that it would be difficult to overpower the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art due to the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art’s nature. If so, then he had to exploit the variations existing within it. Nevertheless, as previously mentioned, it was difficult to manifest those due to the nature of the Heavenly Sea Goliath Cultivation.

‘I’ll make up for it with my movement art!’

Cheon-Sang decided to make up for the lack of change caused by his internal energy cultivation method by including the variability of the Heavenly Sea Convection Step, the secret movement art of the Heavenly Sea God Sect, to the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art’s variability. The Heavenly Sea Convection Step was a movement art modeled after the circular movement of the ocean current. It was created to compensate for the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art’s characteristics, which lacked the element of surprise.

When the variability of the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art and the Heavenly Sea Convection Step were combined, another irregular change could be commanded from the former’s inherent variability. Sure enough, the combined Celestial Moonlight Sword Art and the Heavenly Sea Convection Step resulted in unpredictable variables. Facing such techniques would’ve been difficult for someone with no knowledge about the Celestial Moonlight Sword Art and the Heavenly Sea Convection Step. However, Mu-Gun knew both.

Hence, Mu-Gun perfectly coped with the new irregularity. He predicted Cheon-Sang’s movement in advance, then blocked his attack and pushed him back with the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi. Mu-Gun had no intention to lose on purpose just because Cheon-Sang was his father, and Cheon-Sang didn’t wish for Mu-Gun to lose on purpose either. There was nothing to be ashamed of about being defeated. All Cheon-Sang had to do was figure out where he was lacking from that loss and try harder the next time.

On the other hand, if Mu-Gun lost on purpose, Cheon-Sang would not be able to properly determine his shortcomings and wouldn’t be able to make improvements. It was much better to compete without making any kind of concession for the sake of his growth. As such, Mu-Gun continued to drive him to a corner. Mu-Gun was becoming more and more powerful with the martial arts he was using as well. Even though he had learned the Heavenly Sea Convection Step, this was the first time he had personally executed it.

Unfamiliar with it, the first time he executed its steps resulted in unnatural movements. However, as the battle progressed, he began to adapt to it. Not long after, he was naturally unleashing its techniques. As such, the power resulting from the technique became increasingly stronger. Cheon-Sang was forced to go on the defensive due to Mu-Gun’s increasingly powerful attacks. In the end, he admitted defeat before even a hundred seconds had passed.

“Stop! I lost.”

When Cheon-Sang admitted defeat and stepped down, Mu-Gun immediately lowered his sword.

“Well done.”

“What do you mean well done? This is an experience that money can’t buy. By the way, the sword art you showed me today was terrifying. Did you really create that by observing the Byeok Sword Manor’s martial arts?”

Cheon-Sang questioned the power of the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art, which was very much different from the Byeok Sword Manor’s martial arts.

“I incorporated the martial arts principle of the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art with the Byeok Sword Manor’s sword art as the base. I think it produced great results.”

“You incorporated the martial arts principle of the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art?”

“I applied the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art’s Thousand Waves Qi to the technique.”

Upon mastering the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art to a certain level, the practitioner would be able to emit the Thousand Waves Qi, which was the aura of a huge wave. Perhaps because both the Heavenly Sea Waves Saber Art and the Ten Thousand Sky-Shattering Pressure Sword Art were based on the martial principle of the broadsword, the Thousand Waves Qi and the Sky-Shattering Destructive Qi had pretty similar traits and power. Hence, Cheon-Sang was easily convinced.

“It sounds similar to the Thousand Waves Qi. Not putting the martial arts you created based on the Ten Clans of Zhejiang’s martial arts to good use would be a waste.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. If Father becomes the Zhejiang Martial Alliance leader and commands the Ten Clans of Zhejiang, I will pass down those martial arts to them just as I did with the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect.”

“I understand doing that for the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect since they’re our friends, but I’m not sure if it would be wise to pass down those martial arts to the other clans.”

“You don’t have to worry about the Ten Clans of Zhejiang threatening the Baek Sword Sect’s authority just because they become stronger. It will be no issue if the Baek Sword Sect becomes much stronger than them. Rather, increasing the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s strength as much as possible would benefit the Baek Sword Sect.”

“Alright, I understand. These are martial arts that you have created anyway, so it is up to you to decide how to use them.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Let’s call it a day. You did a great job today too.”

“No, spending time with you like this is a pleasure, Father.”

“You’re getting better at flattering.”

“I’m not flattering you. I really mean it from the bottom of my heart.”

“Okay, I get it already, so go and rest up.”

“I'll be leaving now, then.”

Mu-Gun smiled at the sight of Cheon-Sang speaking shyly. He then left the training hall.