Chapter 702
Crash…
The gentle sound of flowing water tickled my ears.
In front of the river, the Sword Demon and Miyamoto Musashi sat in silence, recovering their energies, channeling their internal techniques to enhance their healing prowess. Meanwhile, the landscape around them was undeniably beautiful and serene.
How long had the silence lasted? Just as the sunset dipped below the horizon, Musashi finally spoke up.
“How was the fight with the Joule?”
The Sword Demon, still gazing at the riverbank, replied, “He was practically invincible.”
“So you realized the essence of the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.”
“Indeed, you already knew that.”
“How could I not? I accepted the ridiculous title of Master of the Twelve Joules because I wanted to break that very thing.”
The Sword Demon cast a fleeting glance at Musashi. “I’ve been wondering—when did you become so fluent in the Central Plains language? I heard you lived for decades in Dongyoung?”
The Sword Demon’s question wasn’t unfounded. Musashi was once awkward with the Central Plains language, but now, during Baek Woong’s rebirth, he was speaking it fluently without a hitch. The Sword Demon had to find out why this change occurred.
“I asked the Joule to help me learn the language quickly, and he assisted me in picking it up.”
“Did you get a language instructor or something?”
“No, it was thanks to this.”
Whoosh
Musashi tossed a small pair of objects to the Sword Demon. The moment he caught them, they appeared to be metal objects meant to be worn in the ears. As the Sword Demon stared at the bizarre items, Musashi explained, “The Joule called this a Communication Device.”
“A Communication Device… How’s that supposed to help me learn?”
“Just put it in your ear.”
The Sword Demon inserted the device into his ear. Sure enough, it fit snugly despite a slight resistance. Suddenly, Musashi began speaking rapidly in Dongyoung.
“%^^&^*@&[email protected]&%^Hey… can you hear me now? Are you getting the story about the Kisara family and the drinks?”
The Sword Demon realized he could understand and speak Dongyoung naturally. The language flowed from his lips effortlessly. “I can hear you well.”
“Just like that, you can converse in Dongyoung directly.”
“……”
The Sword Demon removed the Communication Device with a puzzled gaze. The moment he wore it, Dongyoung seemed to resonate in his mind like his mother tongue. Although there was a slight delay, compared to the usual difficulty and time taken to learn a language, it was negligible.
“If you wear it long enough, you’ll eventually understand the language even without it.”
“Unbelievable. How did the Joule create something so mysterious?”
“I don’t know. I heard it doesn’t need charging, but I have no clue what that means.”
The Sword Demon felt a twinge of suspicion. Was this another device of the Demonic Path?
But he had an even more pressing question, so he turned his eyes back to Musashi. “This device is impressive, but I’m more curious about your motives. You seemed only to care about the martial way; why bother learning the Central Plains language?”
“… Hmph.”
Musashi looked skyward and replied, “Because all of you were on the cusp of reaching the Absolute Realm.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was guiding you, I sensed that most of your group was witnessing the peak of the Peak Expert stage, and it was only a matter of time before you reached the Absolute Realm. I thought it would be interesting if I could lead you all.”
“… I see.”
The Sword Demon understood Musashi’s heart. ‘This guy wanted competitors for the Absolute Realm.’
Musashi likely believed he needed equally skilled opponents to craft his own abilities. His martial arts were so superior that finding opponents of the Absolute Realm level who could spar with him was nearly impossible. In this situation, the Twelve Joules only used organizational management as an excuse to avoid confrontation, and it was hard to find high-level experts in the Central Plains, leaving Musashi in a bind.
But upon encountering Baek Woong’s group, he sensed their potential for the Absolute Realm and hatched a plan to cultivate competitors. As they honed their skills and gained experience, it would eventually benefit Musashi himself.
At that moment, he could see clearly what kind of person Musashi was. This guy is definitely not a mere hunting dog for the Twelve Joules.
A pure-hearted seeker of martial arts!
He didn’t care about the balance of power or the ideals of saving humanity.
Then the Sword Demon said, “The reason you wanted more experts in the Absolute Realm was indeed because of the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.”
“Exactly. You who directly experienced it will understand why I made that choice, why I taught you my insights on the Fast Sword.”
“I understand.”
The Sword Demon continued gravely, “… The only way to possibly win against him is to grow strong through unusual methods.”
It wasn’t a matter of strength or weakness. It came closer to a matter of matchups. The issue was that the Heavenly Unrestrained Technique was such a bizarre principle that unless he could figure out how to counter it, he wouldn’t even have a chance to strike.
Musashi declared, “If I can defeat the Twelve Joules with my sword, I can confidently claim I’m the strongest in the world. That guy is the strongest in the East, and probably the strongest in the world.”
“That could be true.”
Yet, the Sword Demon thought otherwise. ‘Who the strongest human is hasn’t been determined yet. If the Master of the White Lotus were still intact, he would have been a worthy opponent for the Twelve Joules.’
Though Master of the White Lotus seemed to have lower martial enlightenment than the Twelve Joules, in reality, it wasn’t so straightforward. The Sword Demon understood why the Twelve Joules tended to avoid conflicts with him; it felt akin to a game of rock-paper-scissors.
Musashi swung his sword lightly.
Slash!
The next moment, the river split in half and stood frozen, and Musashi deftly plucked several carp from the severed waters, tossing them to the Sword Demon. “Eat something.”
“Thank you.”
Despite Musashi’s bizarre display of cutting the river as if it were cake, the Sword Demon was unfazed. After all, the Absolute Realm could shake the world with will and martial prowess. Perhaps even the Sword Demon could achieve such feats if he set his mind to it.
As they roasted the carp together, the Sword Demon and Musashi focused silently on healing, entering a meditative state by the riverside. When dawn broke the next morning, they rose from their resting place.
In the stillness of the dawn, Musashi spoke, “Up until now, I haven’t received a messenger from the Twelve Joules. He’s likely dead.”
“……”
“I’m no longer a special envoy of the Twelve Joules.”
“So?”
Musashi’s eyes gleamed with determination. “After I defeat you, I will head for the Central Plains. I plan to wipe out the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families, and the leaders of the Eight Demons of the Demon Path, taking my Two Heavens One Style to dominate the Central Plains martial world.”
Those were chilling words. If Miyamoto Musashi were to rampage in the Central Plains, there would be nobody capable of stopping him. There were no visible experts in the martial realm to counter an Absolute Realm master like him. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Central Plains fell to ruin due to Musashi alone. The terrifying image of thousands of orthodox experts being annihilated by a single Supreme Slash flashed through the Sword Demon’s mind.
However, as he heard those words, the Sword Demon felt no fear. Instead, what came from his lips next was an expression of disappointment. “Pathetic.”
“… What did you say?”
Musashi frowned as the Sword Demon spoke calmly, “I said pathetic. Is that it for you, after reaching such a level?”
“Pathetic? Are you saying that breaking the Central Plains is a small feat?”
“Yes. That’s a small feat.”
Instead of getting angry, Musashi tilted his head in confusion. “Then what do you consider a great feat?”
“Getting rid of the gods that ruin this world.”
“……”
“Don’t underestimate me. Isn’t that what your true goal is?”
Musashi chuckled lightly. “Correct. Destroying the Central Plains is just the warm-up routine. However, I’m currently not powerful enough to kill a god, so I’m starting with smaller objectives.”
“… You plan to build up hatred through massacres, feeding off that hatred to hope a new Absolute Master emerges in the Central Plains?”
Musashi nodded at the Sword Demon’s words. “You’re sharp. That’s why I’m going to kill the people of the Central Plains. By breaking the skulls of those who are complacent in their peace, some strong ones will certainly emerge among them, and among them, one will be worth my time. Then…”
“If you have a life-and-death struggle with that opponent, your own Absolute Realm will also grow stronger.”
“Exactly.”
As the Sword Demon contemplated his words, he felt his mind turn hazy. Of course, given his extensive experience in the Demon Path, he understood very well now where Musashi was coming from. In the muddied waters of the Black Dao, strenuous life-and-death battles would often bring forth prodigious talents, much like finding a pearl.
But who would have thought that someone like Miyamoto Musashi, an Absolute Master, would have such a low, random notion? It was hard to believe he intended to spark a bloodstorm in the Central Plains, a place he had no strong grievances against.
“What on earth is your reasoning? I can’t accept that baseless confidence that an ultimate master will be born amidst the bloodshed.”
“I never expect to be understood. I’m just going to put my theory into practice. The martial community of Dongyoung developed that way, after all.”
“Hmm.”
The Sword Demon let out a low murmur. “You’re insane.”
And in that moment, he confirmed that Miyamoto Musashi was indeed truly insane about martial arts. This guy was a remarkable genius, but that genius led him beyond the scope of common human comprehension. That he wouldn’t care about the hundreds or thousands who might die in his quest for self-improvement was something that was impossible to fathom.
“The Eight Parts of the Divine and the Imperial Palace will be moving soon. Aren’t you worried about clashing with them?”
“Why would I?”
“You’ll end up clashing with them while pursuing your goals.”
“Of course, I considered that too. But I won’t be fighting them.”
“……?”
“I have no reason to hold them back. And they’ll likely want to form an alliance with me if I tell them I’ll get rid of those annoying martial artists. I’m confident I can do as I please.”
“……”
“And once my power grows even stronger, I can then strike the Imperial Palace and bring it down. After that, I’ll eliminate the Eight Parts of the Divine one by one.”
The Sword Demon’s expression turned stern. At that moment, he could finally see Musashi’s true thoughts taking shape. ‘In this guy’s mind… there’s no regard or acknowledgment for the weak… No sense of justice at all!’
He wasn’t inherently evil, but his selfishness meant he’d disregard everything and everyone just to accomplish his goals. His arrogance as a genius was palpable.
As he felt the full weight of Musashi’s mindset, the Sword Demon felt an unsettling tightness in his chest.
Swish
The Sword Demon drew his sword and aimed it at Miyamoto Musashi. “Miyamoto Musashi.”
“Have you made your decision?”
The Sword Demon raised his killing intent earnestly. The debt of gratitude he owed Musashi for teaching him martial arts had vanished completely.
“I will kill you.”
Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong steeled himself, doing his utmost to behead Musashi.
This couldn’t end in just a sparring match.
With the absence of the Twelve Joules, Musashi was merely a wild stallion with no reins.
‘Martial arts without chivalry is just violence.’
The Sword Demon instinctively knew he had to eliminate Miyamoto Musashi to clear the path for Baek Woong in this life. An attitude like Musashi’s would only empower the worst kind of thugs.
The battle-crazed Musashi grinned widely.
Finally, he could fight someone who was serious! He was exhilarated.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!”
Thus, the duel between the peerless swordsmen began on the nameless riverbank.
