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0247 ———————————————-

Celestial Realm

I suddenly realized as I faced Lee Kwang at a distance of three Zhang.

‘Lee Kwang’s intent is so stable.’

We weren’t just standing across from each other as experts; it felt like we were entangled in a barrier. Those who realized their intent had surpassed that stage, able to twist and manipulate even the barriers. Lee Kwang was trying hard to hide any vulnerabilities, not giving away even a slight opening.

In the past, I would have never noticed this. But now, after training my intent for a long time and receiving teachings from the Sword Demon, I could grasp the interactions of true peak experts. It was close to an obsession, a blind madness trying to invert his world with my own.

Suuuu…

As I slowly lifted my sword, I felt beads of sweat forming on my brow. We hadn’t even fought for a second yet, but my spirit was depleting as I contested the distance with Lee Kwang. Still, I maintained my center and combat posture, not getting swept up by him.

Then, Lee Kwang, who had been gazing at me blankly, spoke.

“You’re pretty decent for your age. You’re observing the false and real well.”

“I’ll be going first.”

Paan!

Ignoring Lee Kwang’s compliment, I charged forward with the sound of air bursting. My first technique was the Lightning Shadow Sword Technique, the most basic form from the Thunder God Lineage. Lee Kwang’s eyebrows twitched as he saw my swordplay.

Crash!

With a loud noise, fierce waves erupted as if breaking glass. Through those waves, I caught a glimpse of Lee Kwang’s fierce expression. He swung his spear hard, shaking me off, and I endured the pressure steadily, stepping back.

Lee Kwang shouted with a Lion’s Roar.

[Is it true that the Thunder God Lineage’s successor has become a disciple of another sect!!]

He seemed confused right until the moment our martial arts collided. For Lee Kwang, it was inconceivable that the successor of the Thunder God Lineage became a disciple of another sect. Then the Sword Demon, spectating from the side, crossed his arms and said.

“What’s the problem? Is that something to disturb our duel?”

Lee Kwang quickly turned to glare at the Sword Demon and said.

“What are you thinking? You know about the Thunder God Lineage, yet you accepted our sect’s successor as your disciple…?”

“Don’t get all worked up alone. You’ve never even asked if Baek Ho-buk is of the Thunder God Lineage.”

The Sword Demon shrugged and continued.

“And unless there’s a law saying successors can’t join other sects, your sect seems too shattered to worry about that. Shouldn’t you rather praise a disciple striving to improve their martial arts?”

“There’s no law against it. But it’s something that shouldn’t happen morally.”

“Such things should be discussed after the duel. There’s nothing uglier than grumbling about external matters during a fight.”

Squeak.

I could hear Lee Kwang gritting his teeth audibly. The Sword Demon had a firm grip on Lee Kwang’s weaknesses, and Lee Kwang couldn’t act forcefully against him as he was no match. Instead, he glared at me with fierce eyes and said.

“If you’re a successor, that’s a different story. As a Grandmaster of the Thunder God Lineage, I must hear about your achievements.”

I chuckled and replied.

“Grandmaster? Who recognizes that? The previous Dharma Guardian is dead, the experts have scattered, and even the Thunderbolt Three Saints are missing. Can you, Lee Kwang, claim to be a Grandmaster all alone?”

“……”

Lee Kwang, and even Jin So-cheong, who was spectating beside him, were taken aback. It was because I, not like an immature successor, knew very well about the state of the Thunder God Lineage. I had already heard stories of the Thunderbolt Three Saints, and I knew Lee Kwang had no right to claim the title of Grandmaster.

A moment later, Lee Kwang growled back.

“I don’t know who your Thunder God Lineage master is, but he’s a bad and nasty guy. And surely, he’s a damn fool of the world.”

I perked up at his words and agreed.

“Absolutely! That guy is the world’s scummiest bastard! You know him very well!”

“……?!”

“That guy should be slapped across the face, rolling in the market like a dog, pissing his pants. Thank you for your bluntness!”

As I heartily agreed, Lee Kwang couldn’t hide his astonishment. Even though Lee Kwang had a ruthless and cruel personality, he was a person of dignity and grace, so he couldn’t help but be flustered by such unexpected behavior. After all, who could have thought someone would openly insult their master?

But Lee Kwang’s present actions were akin to shooting himself in the foot. I felt quite pleased.

So, with a grin, I said.

“Enough of the chatter. Show me the skills you claim to have as a Grandmaster. I’ve always wanted to see it.”

“… Alright. Don’t regret it.”

With a hint of anger, Lee Kwang adjusted his spear. Until now, he had the impression of just knocking around a clueless rookie, but it was clear he was now aiming to show me the gap in our abilities for real.

Even without a word, I could tell. After all, I had been entangled with this guy for decades.

Piying!

With a ripping sound in the air, my Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique burst forth. Each aspect of the technique was imbued with sword flames, maximizing power and speed. As the flow of swordlight changed drastically, the shadows of my sword began to sweep over Lee Kwang’s upper body like clouds.

Lee Kwang, bending his body like he was casting Iron Plate Bridge, dexterously dodged my strikes while swinging his spear, knocking back more than half of my sword paths. I used my overwhelming internal power to withstand that pressure and then accelerated to launch a fast sword attack.

Saa…

That was the moment. Lee Kwang’s body blurred and suddenly vanished! I was momentarily taken aback when I realized my target had disappeared, but I quickly sensed something was flying toward me at an enormous speed, and I hastily avoided it.

The back of my head exploded. When I touched the wound on my back, I found Lee Kwang standing right there. I initially thought Lee Kwang had used teleportation, but quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

‘Thunder Shadow Step, Heavenly Gathering Kill!’

A hidden technique specialized for real combat from the Thunder Shadow lineage! Even back when I was inexperienced, mastering Heavenly Gathering Kill made even the most peak experts fear it, but with Lee Kwang deploying it, it turned into an elite technique capable of freely maneuvering in and out of combat. There was a vast gulf between my achievement and his.

I knew I couldn’t fall for Lee Kwang’s clone. My combat experience had taught me this truth. I calmly brushed aside Lee Kwang’s visible attacks while sharpening my senses, and soon realized a powerful spear attack was rushing from behind.

I immediately used the Soul Removal Technique and jumped forward at the same speed as the spear attack, simultaneously changing direction to strike with my Sword Strength toward where Lee Kwang was located.

Kaboom!!

With a thunderous bang, dust swirled around. The forest swayed as the fierce wind swept through the hall. This was the result of my Sword Strength colliding with Lee Kwang’s strong Qi. Lee Kwang spoke, surprised after brushing off my attack.

“How did you anticipate the Thunder Shadow Annihilation would come?”

“I won’t fall for a clone.”

“You weren’t this cautious before. You shouldn’t have been able to evade without knowing I possess the Thunder Shadow Annihilation technique.”

Lee Kwang muttered softly.

‘Of course.’

I had dueled Lee Kwang countless times at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. And one of the main reasons I suffered devastating defeats against him was due to that Thunder Shadow Annihilation technique. It was nearly impossible for anyone with a normal level to block that technique, which came at the opponent like a surprise with dazzling techniques. But I had experienced it countless times, so I had a rough idea of how Lee Kwang cast it and approximately when it would come flying at me.

I shot a glance at the Sword Demon and sent him a secret transmission.

[May I use it?]

The Sword Demon sent a reply back.

[Lee Kwang cannot inflict serious injury on you. Use this moment to seize the upper hand with your strongest technique.]

[Understood.]

With the go-ahead given, I planned to utilize the Bowing Sky Slash and Heavenly Contraction Sword techniques.

“Hah!”

Crackle!

I began to gather my Qi slowly and amplify it, while Lee Kwang, not staying idle, attacked me.

“Take this!”

The Thunder Cloud Palm shot toward me. It was an unstoppable force that spread out in a straight line without warning, carrying a deadly aura. Until now, I had never seen anyone besides the Dharma Guardian-level experts survive the Thunder Cloud Palm intact.

‘For years, I’ve been dreaming about how to counter it!’

I clenched my teeth. The reason I had intentionally made a gap in my defenses was to lure out that Thunder Cloud Palm. To gain the upper hand in a short battle with Lee Kwang, I had to make him attack first so I could counterattack.

The Qi began to swell.

The Thunder Cloud Palm, being an Intent Control Technique, cannot be defended against or avoided with ordinary forms. Thus, I had no choice but to counter it with another Intent Technique. I kept my senses sharply tuned to the lightning-fast Thunder Cloud Palm and heightened my reflexes to the extreme. I then released the Qi concentrated in the Eight Gates, simultaneously employing Baek Woong’s Formation and the Split Heart Technique.

“Huff – “

Air drew into my chest. At the same time, my body evaded perfectly into the Thunder Cloud Palm’s blind spot. With the speed of the Soul Removal Technique, it was possible to escape the range of the Thunder Cloud Palm. But true to Lee Kwang’s nature, he quickly adjusted the Thunder Cloud Palm’s trajectory and relentlessly continued to attack me. The blazing light of the attack surged forward with a power that seemed capable of piercing through even thousands of troops.

“Ha!”

I exhaled sharply.

With that, I slashed through the space in a diagonal line. The Intent Control Technique slashed through the very fabric of space, creating a long black line, which twisted as it was cut.

Intent Control Technique!

Bowing Sky Slash!

“……!!”

Lee Kwang seemed astonished as my Bowing Sky Slash warped the attack path of the Thunder Cloud Palm and suddenly, a sword strike came from an unexpected angle. He firmly planted one foot into the ground and unleashed a series of 32 spear thrusts, each one infused with strong Qi.

Kaboom!!

‘A continuous Intent Control Technique?’

I murmured softly amid the deafening noise. I had just used the Intent Control Technique Bowing Sky Slash, but due to the intense consumption of spirit and Qi, I was unable to continue using it effectively. However, Lee Kwang had managed to apply even the unknown Transformation Techniques using Intent Control after the Thunder Cloud Palm. This meant his understanding of the Intent Control Technique was vastly superior to mine.

As Lee Kwang leapt into the air through the smoke, he unleashed another spear barrage.

Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear!

Cycling Thunder!

Dudududung!

“Ugh…”

The Absolute Slash of the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear poured out like a downpour, spinning continuously. Each rotating spearhead held terrifying power, and I struggled just to grasp its changes. When I realized this was also an Intent Control Technique, I was taken aback inside.

‘What is going on? He shouldn’t have that much internal power, but how is he executing Intent Control Techniques continuously like this?’

But there was no time to dwell on my curiosity. I clenched my teeth and used the Heavenly Contraction Sword’s technique to repel the fierce assault of the Cycling Thunder while gathering my massive internal power, unleashing my sword light. Lee Kwang had no choice but to step back in the face of that.

Kakang!

Kakakang!!

I engaged in chaotic exchanges with Lee Kwang for nearly two hundred seventy seconds. I wanted to overwhelm him using my internal power, but Lee Kwang wasn’t giving in easily; instead, he was pushing me back using his Intent Control Techniques. Each time, I tried to avoid damage with my Bowing Sky Slash and Heavenly Contraction Sword.

Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. I gritted my teeth as I swung my sword, thinking.

‘Should I use Thunderclap?’

Using Thunderclap felt like it might give me the advantage. I could probably deal a severe strike to Lee Kwang’s belly. Considering the current battle situation, it seemed almost guaranteed.

But was it instinct? The experience I had amassed as a peak expert screamed that it wasn’t the right choice. Even though there was no definitive reason for me to think like that, my gut told me to avoid casting Thunderclap in this situation.

Kang!

Before long, I noticed Lee Kwang was visibly exhausted, beads of sweat appearing all over him. Given that he was significantly behind in internal power, every clash with him would weigh on him. Seeing that, my indecision intensified.

‘Just one strike… just let me stab once!’

What should I do?

I was engulfed in a fierce internal conflict. I felt capable of handling Lee Kwang’s attack power now and believed I could dodge any retaliation I might face. But a feeling of unknown anxiety was holding me back. I felt like I couldn’t bear the contradiction felt solely by an expert.

“……”

Endure.

It’s a release of a hundred years of resentment.

I just needed to hang on a little longer.

I clenched my teeth and threw myself back into the battle. If I recklessly tackled this, getting counterattacked by Lee Kwang would undoubtedly turn into a tragedy of a hundred years of resentment. My feeling of potential victory also contributed to that thought.

And then, moments later, when Lee Kwang had shared a light several hundred techniques, he showed a transformation.

“How about this!”

Kiiing –

Lee Kwang’s entire body seemed engulfed in light. I initially wondered if it was an illusion, but it was undoubtedly light. Then I sensed familiar currents of Qi flowing from Lee Kwang as he exhaled into it.

“……!!”

Just before Lee Kwang released his next breath, I urgently exhaled.

Thunderclap!

Puff!

In the next moment, my body was hit with immense force and flew several meters back. As I crashed into a tree and flew backward, I caught sight of Lee Kwang flying toward me at a speed faster than my own.

Swoosh!

Kak!

When Lee Kwang thrust forward again, I countered with my Bowing Sky Slash. The sound of weapons clashing echoed as I felt my hand numb, but I confirmed that I had managed to block his lethal attack without injury.

Moments later, we both landed on the ground at the same time.

Lee Kwang stared at me with disbelief.

“… How could you use Thunderclap…?”

“You’re not the only one who learned Thunderclap, you know?”

“……”

Indeed.

Just a moment ago, Lee Kwang had used Thunderclap to attempt to end the fight in one blow, while I had executed my Thunderclap a fraction of a second later just in time to barely defend against it. Had I been just a moment late, my belly would have been full of holes.

Lee Kwang looked staggered, expending vast amounts of stamina and spirit, then glared at me with fiery eyes and said.

“You’re not someone to underestimate. I’m going all out now.”

At that moment.

“That’s enough!”

Other spectators started moving closer to us. Jin So-cheong supported Lee Kwang with a worried expression, and the Sword Demon walked over to my side. Yeon Jeong-hong was observing the hall with a subtle look. The Sword Demon glanced at Lee Kwang and said.

“I believe a friendly duel should suffice at this level.”

“What…? You think you can end the duel as you please?”

“Then do you have the confidence to suppress Baek Ho-buk without killing him?”

“……”

Lee Kwang didn’t respond.

In that moment, my spine chilled.

‘Ugh…’

When Lee Kwang said, “I’m going all out,” it meant he intended to face me with genuine lethal moves from now on. The Sword Demon and the peak experts in the hall must have thought that this was where the real battle would begin, which was why they came to stop us.

The Sword Demon smiled slyly.

“Anyway, thank you for your courtesy. Baek Ho-buk has surely realized a lot from this experience.”

Lee Kwang made a face like he had eaten something sour and replied bluntly.

“Do we have any further business with each other?”

“Now we don’t, but I imagine you will have business with me.”

As the Sword Demon retorted, his lips quirked, and he sent a secret transmission to Lee Kwang. As Lee Kwang’s eyes cooled down upon receiving the transmission, it appeared the Sword Demon was making yet another irresistible proposal. The Sword Demon smiled and said.

“I’ll be cheering for you. Do your best.”

“……”

Paat!

The duel concluded, and the Sword Demon and I exited the Zhongnan Sect. Once we left the sect completely, we used the Golden Eagle technique to return to the Shadowless Gate.

When the Sword Demon reached the separate room, he said to me.

“You did well.”

“… I couldn’t land a decisive blow.”

I expressed my disappointment. It was entirely understandable because I hadn’t been able to convincingly hit Lee Kwang even once. I had spent most of the time on the defense, even when I eventually used Thunderclap. The Sword Demon chuckled and replied.

“You’re being greedy! You already landed several blows.”

“What?”

“Though you didn’t use lethal moves, Lee Kwang tried his hardest, and still, he couldn’t suppress you for over two hundred techniques. On top of that, even in the end, when he used the Decisive Enlightenment of Thunderclap, he couldn’t even inflict a serious injury on you. How do you think such a proud man like Lee Kwang will take that?”

“……!!”

“Furthermore, both Jin So-cheong and Yeon Jeong-hong were there to witness it. His dignity must have been utterly shattered.”

I had never thought of it that way. My legs felt weak, and I collapsed into my chair. As I eased, the Sword Demon said.

“You did well.”

“Thank you.”

I replied with a tired body, a small smile creeping on my face.

I still hadn’t achieved my goal.

I still hadn’t been able to land a proper ‘strike’ on Lee Kwang.

The resentment of a hundred years still lingered.

‘But next time…’

I will definitely surpass Lee Kwang.

That had become a completely achievable goal.

—————————= Author’s Note —————————=

Sorry for being a little late. I had family matters to attend to ㅠㅠ No worries, I’ll make sure the serialization doesn’t get affected!

Please leave a recommendation in the comments~

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