Chapter 1862 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1862. Yeah. Go Ahead, Try to Kill Me. (2) ❀ ❀ ❀

Blue flames surged and came roaring in.

The entirety of that undulating blaze was a condensed mass of deadly energy. No human body, made of mere flesh and bone, could possibly withstand it.

His hair stood on end, and his muscles screamed in agony.

This was undeniably ‘fear’. No matter how many times one had crossed the boundary between life and death—even having once returned after stepping into death itself—instinctive fear could never be completely erased.

Fear that had dulled and been buried deep in his chest was revived, thrashing and roaring violently.

But Cheong Myeong was not consumed by it.

The truest way to overcome fear is to face it with unwavering resolve. Cheong Myeong knew this better than anyone.

Fwoosh.

Cheong Myeong raised his sword high, as if to pierce the sky.

The instincts he had honed on the battlefield sent sharp warnings. With his current body, it was impossible to break through the oncoming attack that filled his vision.

Yet Cheong Myeong ignored this logic and poured his inner energy into his sword.

“Ooooooh!”

Crimson energy spiraled around the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword.

The union of Essence [정(精], Qi [기(氣)], and Spirit [신(神)]. A soul boiling like molten lava had been instilled into a cold metal blade that could never be a mere extension of flesh.

In a fleeting moment, Cheong Myeong’s sword slashed down in a single, straight arc.

Fwoooosh!

The blue river of flames pouring down like a great ocean split in an instant.

It was a sight that could not be explained by the laws of nature or martial arts. Rather than a martial technique, it was something closer to a supernatural phenomenon.

Before the flames, momentarily parted, could surge back in like a tidal wave, Cheong Myeong charged forward without even glancing back.

“Jang Ilsoooo!”

Cheong Myeong’s sword swept across like a lightning bolt.

Kaaaaang!

Sword met fist head-on. The resulting shockwave exploded out like a storm.

KANG! KANG! KANG!

Cheong Myeong continued to slash at Jang Ilso. He struck down from above, stabbed in like a lightning bolt, and slashed upward like a rising serpent.

KANG! KANG!

The relentless flurry of attacks, like a violent storm, caused Jang Ilso’s face to contort. Just keeping up with the sword strikes left his limbs spinning.

“Guh!”

It was insane how he kept pulling this off.

No matter how fast you swing it, a sword is still a sword. It can’t be faster than a hand. That’s just how things work. Unless Cheong Myeong’s martial skill utterly overwhelmed Jang Ilso’s, this was an undeniable truth.

Yet, in this very moment, Jang Il-so’s common sense was shattered miserably.

A strike that should’ve been blocked grazed dangerously across his shoulder. Since the trajectory disrupted, it should’ve been a deadly sword strike.

But in that instant, Cheong Myeong’s waist twisted mid-air like a snake, and his sword slashed across Jang Ilso’s shoulder in a flash.

Slash!

A long cut split his shoulder, and red blood sprayed out. The chilling pain that surged from the wound twisted Jang Ilso’s face into that of a demon.

“Ha ha ha ha hah!”

And then, even with his enemy before him, he burst into wild laughter. At the same time, both his hands began to glow blue. Blue flames formed long tails and slashed wildly through the air with his gestures.

Lines of blue, clearer than the sea, traced across the sky. It was an impossibly beautiful and deadly sight.

A flash of shock crossed Cheong Myeong’s eyes as he swung his sword. Blue flame lines had already blocked every path his sword could take, just a step ahead of him.

CLANG!

The sword, deprived of its path, clashed with Jang Ilso’s flame-forged steel. The rebound was so strong, the sword bounced back faster than it had been swung.

‘This bastard….’

The faint remnants of flame-forged steel energy that Jang Ilso had drawn like a spider’s web in midair—if met with a powerful, inner energy-infused sword strike, they would’ve been insignificant and easily torn through.

But because Cheong Myeong had minimized the inner energy in his sword to maximize speed, breaking through them now was impossible. They were effectively an impenetrable shield.

Cheong Myeong felt a chill run down his spine.

In that brief moment when sword and fist clashed, Jang Ilso had instantly grasped Cheong Myeong’s limits and devised a countermeasure on the spot? Even for Cheong Myeong, who had fought countless battles, this was a level of adaptability he had never encountered before.

Between the vividly drawn blue flame lines that seemed to split Cheong Myeong’s world from Jang Ilso’s, the latter’s serene, pale eyes came into view.

And in that moment—

Chaaaang!

As if stitching the two sundered worlds back together, Jang Ilso’s palm tore through the blue lines of flame like paper and came crashing toward Cheong Myeong’s chest.

Faced with an attack that made every hair on his body stand on end, Cheong Myeong immediately pulled his rebounding sword back to guard his torso. Sensing that this alone wouldn’t be enough, he suported the blade with his left hand.

“Haaap!”

A sharp shout burst forth. At the same time, Cheong Myeong’s drew over a dozen hand shadows, like a crimson flower blooming. [suyeong, 수영(手影)]

Kwaaaaang!

The flat surface of the Dark Fragrance Plum Blossom Sword met Jang Ilso’s fist. Cheong Myeong staggered, coughing up blood. His legs, stretched to their limit to keep balance, screamed in protest.

If he hadn't supported himself with Plum Blossom Scattered Hands, the deflected blade would’ve pierced straight through his chest. [maehwa sansu, 매화산수 (梅花散手)]

Even now, the deeply bent sword tip hovered in front of his chest like a serpent’s tongue, threatening to burrow into his flesh at any moment.

Crack. Crrrack.

Cheong Myeong’s hands, straining against the force, twisted as though they might snap.

Thud!

Stomping down hard, Cheong Myeong heaved Jang Ilso’s attack to the side. The overwhelming force that had threatened to snap the sword now swept past his flank along with the deflected blade.

Using that recoil as a launchpad, Cheong Myeong spun like a top, slashing horizontally in a lightning-quick motion.

The sword flew straight toward Jang Ilso’s neck. Alarmed by the force behind the strike, Jang Ilso instinctively pulled back. But...

Rrrrrr!

The sword, which had seemed to be swung at full power, suddenly halted in midair and began to shudder violently. At that very moment, from its white-tinted tip, crimson plum blossoms began to bloom in full force, tinged with blood.

‘What?!’

A flicker of dismay crossed Jang Ilso’s face. He thrust out his hand urgently.

Cheong Myeong’s earlier movement had been a gamble with his life on the line. Had his aim been off by even a hair’s breadth, he would have taken Jang Ilso’s full force head-on with his bare body.

And now, the sword he had thrust forward at such cost... turned out to be a feint?

Who could have expected this? But regret and disbelief wouldn’t recover the opportunity Jang Ilso had just lost.

Before he could fully react, the crimson blossoms bloomed and filled his field of vision. At such close range, deploying this sword technique should’ve been impossible—but Cheong Myeong had forcibly created the space to do so.

Fwoooosh!

Jang Ilso’s Blue Flame Crushing Technique collided too late with the blooming plum blossom sword aura. But the sword aura had already dominated the space where his energy could have extended, cutting the force of his technique in half before it could even manifest fully. [cheong-yeomsalgang, 청염살강(靑炎殺罡)]

Wherever the blue flames had yet to reach, countless plum petals scattered like a dream and stormed toward Jang Ilso.

Shhk!

The flower petals, carrying lethal edges, embedded themselves in Jang Ilso’s body.

Shhk! Shhk!

It even pierced through the body-protecting qi he had drawn up with all his strength. The delicate, wavering sword aura carved red lines across his body in every direction. [hosin gang-gi, 호신 강기 (護身 強氣): This refers to a defensive aura of internal energy (qi) used to shield the body from physical or energetic attacks]

But Jang Ilso didn’t spare a single glance at the wounds rapidly forming across him. Instead, he yanked his left arm back with all his might.

Crack!

With a bone-crushing grip, he clenched his fist, and intense blue energy surged around it.

“Haap!”

With a short shout, Jang Ilso thrust his fist forward. The blue flame-forged steel energy exploded out with it, merging with the lingering force to form a violent vortex of fire.

Kwaaaaang!

Blue flames and red sword energy clashed and detonated, sending Cheong Myeong’s body flying backward like a launched arrow.

CRASH!

Of course, Jang Ilso wasn’t satisfied with just that. He kicked off the ground and, in a flash, closed the distance to the rebounding Cheong Myeong with inhuman speed.

“Ha ha ha ha hah!!”

Even as the wind, sliced by sword energy, left his face bleeding profusely, Jang Ilso burst into uncontainable laughter. A gleam of ecstasy flickered in his wide, bloodshot eyes.

In that moment, Cheong Myeong—half-conscious as he was hurled through the air—suddenly snapped his eyes open. He immediately pulled his sword back, coiling it tight.

“Uaaaaaaahp!”

At last, Cheong Myeong’s sword shot straight forward.

Twhump!

Using the recoil from his swing to redirect his movement, Cheong Myeong confronted the charging Jang Ilso head-on. Surprised by the unexpected counterattack, Jang Ilso momentarily halted the punch he was about to throw.

Fwoosh!

In an instant, Cheong Myeong drew over a dozen sword shadows. All of them targeted Jang Ilso’s vital points. Since Jang Ilso’s feet weren’t on the ground, he had little room to respond.

Flash!

But of course, Jang Ilso wouldn’t just take it lying down. As he thrust both hands forward, the bracelets on his wrists slipped free as if they had minds of their own. They flew into the air, intercepting the incoming sword shadows.

Kagagagakang!

Sparks flew endlessly in the air.

Fwoosh!

Cheong Myeong swept his sword horizontally and blew away the bracelets that had been guarding Jang Ilso like loyal sentinels in one swift motion.

Crack!

Jang Ilso didn’t miss the opening. He reached out and grabbed the extended sword blade before it could be pulled back. A glint of triumph appeared in his eyes—

Kwaang!

—only for Cheong Myeong to smash his forehead into Jang Ilso’s face. Jang Ilso’s head violently snapped backward.

Thud!

It was the perfect moment to launch a follow-up attack. But Cheong Myeong couldn’t continue.

At the exact moment he struck with his head, two rings on Jang Ilso’s outstretched fingers fired off and embedded themselves in Cheong Myeong’s abdomen. The speed was so blinding that only faint blue streaks could be seen.

A fleeting silence passed.

Then both men clenched their teeth at the same time.

“Ooooooh!”

“Hwaaaahhhp!”

Cheong Myeong violently thrust the sword he had drawn back with all his strength. As Jang Ilso’s body twisted from the earlier blow, his tightly clenched fist also shot forward.

Kwaaaaang!

Sword and fist collided midair. Cheong Myeong was slammed into the ground, only to rebound back into the air.

“Keuk!”

This time, the impact was so fierce that even Cheong Myeong couldn’t suppress the groan that escaped his lips.

Thud!

He crashed down hard after flying over five zhangs. [note: around 15 meters]

“Haa... haa...”

Breathing raggedly as he watched, Jang Ilso slowly looked down at his own hand.

The back of his right hand had been split open, revealing bone, and was soaked in blood. He brought the injured hand to his mouth.

“My, my... Looks like you underestimated me.”

He slowly licked the blood trickling down. His eyes softened into a graceful curve, and his pale irises flashed with a glint of light.

“Hmm? Mount Hua Chivalrous Sword.”

Still lying on the ground, Cheong Myeong opened his closed eyes.

The dark clouds slowly parted, revealing the faint outline of a hazy moon behind them. It was just like ‘that night’. Even the moon, as if mocking the world from above, looked the same.

“Heh...”

A sound that was neither a laugh nor a cough escaped Cheong Myeong’s mouth. Supporting himself with one hand on the ground, he slowly rose and licked the blood dripping from his burst lips.

“Strange.... I should be feeling like crap right now.”

As he muttered to himself, a flicker of curiosity flashed in Jang Ilso’s eyes. Cheong Myeong reached down, pulled out the ring embedded in his abdomen, and tossed it aside with a chilling smile.

“...But oddly enough, I don’t.”

Jang Ilso mirrored that eerie smile.

“I feel the same way.”

With identical expressions on their faces, the two men grinned at each other.

Raging hostility blazed between them.

Next Chapter

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