Chapter 247: Chapter 247

Celestial Realm

As I faced Lee Kwang with a distance of about three yards between us, an epiphany struck me.

‘Lee Kwang’s Intent is quite stable, after all.’

It wasn’t just a simple standoff between masters; it felt as if we were entangled in a barrier-like bond. Those who have grasped the Intent have transcended to a level where they can twist and turn even through barriers. And Lee Kwang was doing his utmost to hide any weaknesses, leaving no room for gaps.

In the past, I could never have understood this. However, having trained in Intent for a long time and received teachings from the Sword Master, I could now gauge the connection between true peak experts. It was an obsession bordering on delusion, with a blind fanaticism to override the opponent’s world with one’s own.

Suuu…

I slowly raised my sword, feeling the sweat bead at the tip of my nose. Even without engaging in a proper battle yet, the tension with Lee Kwang was exhausting my energy. Still, I maintained my ground and combat posture without letting myself be easily drawn in by Lee Kwang.

Then, Lee Kwang, who had been staring at me, spoke.

“Not bad for your age. You have a keen eye for the false and the real.”

“I’ll make the first move.”

Paaang!

Ignoring Lee Kwang’s praise, I surged forward, accompanied by a sound of bursting air. My initial technique was the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique’s Thunder Shadow Slash, a fundamental move among the Thunder God Lineage’s sword arts. Lee Kwang’s eyebrows twitched as he witnessed my swordplay.

Kkaang!

With a loud clang, a fierce wave resonated as if breaking iron. And through the chaos, I caught a glimpse of Lee Kwang’s fierce expression. He swung his spear forcefully to shake me off, and I calmly endured the pressure, stepping back.

Lee Kwang shouted with a Lion’s Roar,

[So the inheritor of the Thunder God Lineage has entered another sect as a disciple?]

It seemed he was skeptical right up to the moment we clashed. For him, it was unfathomable for the inheritor of the Thunder God Lineage to join another sect. At that moment, the Sword Master, who had been watching from the side, crossed his arms and chimed in.

“What’s the problem? Is that something that should impede a duel?”

Lee Kwang turned sharply, glaring at the Sword Master as he replied,

“What are you thinking? You know about the Thunder God Lineage; how could you allow our inheritor to take in a disciple from another sect?”

“Don’t get worked up for nothing. You never asked if your White Tiger Virtue is part of the Thunder God Lineage.”

The Sword Master shrugged before continuing,

“And if there’s a law against inheritors joining other sects, that’s one thing. But your sect is in such disarray that I don’t think that should be a concern. Instead, you should be praising your disciple for striving to improve his martial skills.”

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

“Let’s talk about morals after the duel, shall we? There’s nothing more annoying than growling about external matters during a fight.”

Grrr…

I heard the sound of Lee Kwang gritting his teeth openly. The Sword Master had a firm grip on Lee Kwang’s weaknesses and knew he couldn’t force any action, nor would it bear fruit if he did. Instead, Lee Kwang glared at me with a fierce gaze as he said,

“If you are an inheritor, that changes things. As a master of the Thunder God Lineage, I need to see what you can achieve.”

I smirked and replied,

“A master, you say? Who recognized you as one? The last Law Protector is dead, the main experts are scattered, and even the Thunderbolt Three Saints are untraceable. Can you really claim to be a master on your own, Lee Kwang?”

“……”

Both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong, who had been watching, were taken aback. It was because I, unlike a typical young inheritor, was well aware of the Thunder God Lineage’s situation. I knew perfectly well that Lee Kwang didn’t have the qualifications of a master, so when he was met with a valid rebuttal, he seemed momentarily flustered.

After a brief pause, Lee Kwang growled in response,

“Whoever your Thunder God Lineage teacher is, he seems to be a scoundrel. And undoubtedly a world-class rascal at that.”

I echoed his sentiment in delight.

“Absolutely! That person is a despicable bastard indeed. You know it well!”

“……?!”

“He deserves a slap across the face that would leave him rolling in the marketplace like a dog! Thank you for your clear remarks!”

Seeing me wholeheartedly agree had Lee Kwang visibly perplexed. Although he had a fierce and cruel demeanor, he was a person of dignity and grace; thus, this unexpected turn of events had him confounded. Surely, he never imagined someone would openly insult his teacher in front of him.

But Lee Kwang’s situation was akin to spitting while lying down. I felt immensely good about it.

So I grinned and said,

“Now enough of the banter; how about showing me the skills of someone who claims to be a master? I’ve been wanting to see it for quite some time.”

“… Fine. Don’t regret it.”

With a slightly angry expression, Lee Kwang readied his spear. Until now, he had seemed like he was just toying with a somewhat clueless brat; now, he was surely intent on making me realize the gap between us with a certain level of seriousness.

I didn’t need any words to understand this. After all, I had been caught up in a tumultuous relationship with this guy for over several decades.

Piiing!

As air ripped apart, my sword unleashed the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique. Each of the techniques was laced with sword flames, packed with both power and speed. Particularly, as the flow of my sword changed tenfold, it formed a sweeping sword shadow over Lee Kwang’s upper body.

Then, Lee Kwang, like he was enacting iron armor, lowered his torso gracefully to dodge, while simultaneously swinging his spear broadly, swatting away more than half of my trajectory. I restrained the overwhelming pressure with my inner power, accelerating to launch a sharp strike.

Sayaah!

At that moment, Lee Kwang’s body swayed, and suddenly he vanished. I was momentarily startled as my target disappeared, but quickly realized something was darting toward me with incredible speed, prompting me to dodge quickly.

My hair barely evaded a split. As I glanced back, I saw Lee Kwang standing there. I initially thought he had teleported, but quickly understood that was not the case.

‘Thunder Shadow Palm!’

The mystical technique of the Thunder Shadow Step, adapted for practical use! Even in my earlier, less skilled state, adopting the Thunder Shadow Palm alone made me fearless against peak experts. Yet, with Lee Kwang employing it, it became a transcendent technique enabling effortless movement through space. My mastery of the Thunder Shadow Palm could barely compare.

I knew better than to fall for Lee Kwang’s clone trickery. That was a truth my years of battle experience had taught me. I calmly deflected the visible attack from Lee Kwang while sharpening my senses, soon realizing a fierce spear strike was approaching from behind.

In a flash, I used Myeon Hone, leaping forward to match the speed of the striking spear, simultaneously shifting direction to aim for where Lee Kwang would be.

Bang!!!

With a violent explosion, a cloud of dust erupted. The forest trembled as a gust swept through the arena. This whirlwind occurred because my sword light clashed with Lee Kwang’s vigorous energy. He stepped back with an expression of surprise.

“How did you anticipate the Thunder Shadow Skirmish?”

“I’m not fooled by clones.”

“Such caution wasn’t in your nature. I didn’t think you’d be able to escape like that without knowing I possessed the Thunder Shadow Skirmish.”

Lee Kwang murmured quietly.

‘Of course.’

I had fought Lee Kwang countless times during my training at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. Among the reasons I had faced such miserable defeats was due to that Thunder Shadow Skirmish itself. It was nearly impossible for an ordinary foe to defend against an opponent dazzling them with the Thunder Shadow Palm’s nimble techniques only to strike at their vitals. However, I had endured countless instances of this because I gradually learned Lee Kwang’s habits and when exactly the attacks would come.

I flicked a glance at the Sword Master, sending him a secret transmission.

[Can I use it?]

The Sword Master responded with a counter transmission.

[Lee Kwang cannot inflict serious harm on you. Use this opportunity to gain the upper hand with your best technique.]

[Understood.]

Permission granted.

From this point on, I was going to summon Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword as well.

“Haah!”

Pzzztt!

I began to slowly raise my energy and amplify it, and Lee Kwang wouldn’t sit idly by, launching an attack at me.

“Catch this!”

A thunderous attack of Thunder Palm flew toward me. Without warning, the Thunder Palm, akin to a deathly specter, threatened to overpower me. Until this moment, I’d never seen anyone successfully defend against that Thunder Palm aside from the previous Law Protectors.

‘For years, I’ve pondered how to withstand that Thunder Palm!

I gritted my teeth. The reason I deliberately gathered energy, creating an opening, was to draw out that Thunder Palm. To gain the upper hand in close quarters with Lee Kwang, I needed to force him to make the first move and then counterattack.

Energy gathers.

The Thunder Palm, being an essence of the intent technique, could not be avoided conventionally. Thus, I had no choice but to counter with my own intent technique. I kept my focus entirely on the rapidly approaching Thunder Palm, raising my reflexes to their utmost, and simultaneously deploying the White Tiger Virtue and Heart Dividing Palm together.

Suuuuu

With my breath drawn deep into my chest, my body, following the principles of Myeon Hone, evaded precisely into the blind spot of the Thunder Palm. At the speed provided by Myeon Hone, evading the reach of the Thunder Palm was possible. But as expected, Lee Kwang swiftly altered the trajectory of the Thunder Palm, continuing the attack in my direction. The violent stream of light felt as if it could pierce even a thousand cavalry.

“Pek!”

I exhaled sharply.

At that moment, the trajectory of my sword sliced through the air diagonally, cleaving space itself. The intent technique that sliced through nothingness began to carve a long black line, twisting as it drew a divide.

Mind Control Technique!

Spatial Manipulation Sword!

“……!!”

Lee Kwang was taken aback as the Spatial Manipulation Sword distorted the attack path of the Thunder Palm, and an unexpected strike cut through from an unforeseen angle. He quickly anchored himself with one foot, firmly planting it into the ground to unleash 32 successive spear strikes, each filled with vigorous energy.

Kkwakkang!!!

‘Is this a continuous Mind Control Technique?’

I sighed inwardly amidst the explosive sounds. Although I had just executed the Mind Control Technique, exerting my mental strength and energy drained me significantly, leaving me unable to follow up swiftly. Yet, Lee Kwang had transitioned from the Thunder Palm into an entirely mysterious Unknown Origin Technique utilizing intent techniques! This indicated a far superior understanding of the Mind Control Technique compared to mine.

Soaring through the smoke, Lee Kwang launched another barrage of spear strikes.

Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear!

Revolving Thunder!

Du-du-du-duuuun!

“Ugh…”

The slashing Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear erupted like a torrential rainstorm, endlessly spinning. Each whirling spear was packed with formidable force; I struggled just to comprehend the shifts. Realizing this was yet another Mind Control Technique shocked me.

‘What? How does he possess such mastery over the Mind Control Technique despite not having substantial inner power…?’

But there wasn’t time to ponder. I gritted my teeth and utilized the secrets of the Heavenly Contraction Sword, deflecting the fierce onslaught of Revolving Thunder with a repelling force. Simultaneously, charging forth with colossal inner power, I unleashed a powerful streak of sword light, prompting Lee Kwang to retreat.

Kkaang!

Kkakakang!

In less than two hundred and seventy exchanges, I went head-to-head with Lee Kwang in a reckless manner. I wished to suppress him with my inner power, yet he made it challenging as he constantly pushed me back, wielding the Mind Control Technique seamlessly. I repeatedly sought to find openings with the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword.

Beads of sweat dripped from my forehead. I gritted my teeth, swinging my sword while contemplating,

‘Should I use Thunderclap?’

Using Thunderclap would somehow grant me an edge. It seemed apparent I could land a significant blow to Lee Kwang’s midsection. Given the battle circumstances, that almost felt assured.

But was it intuition? Perhaps it was a sixth sense honed over years of experience as a peak expert. It told me this was not the right choice. There was no reason to alter my thoughts, yet my instinct vehemently rejected casting Thunderclap. In this context, it felt entirely incorrect.

Kaang!

Before I knew it, Lee Kwang looked quite tired, beads of sweat dappling him. With a mysterious feeling of superiority, I knew he struggled to keep up after our exchanges, forcing weariness upon him each time we attacked. Seeing him in such a state intensified my inner conflict.

‘Just one hit… just once… let me pierce you!’

What to do?

I was engulfed in fierce inner turmoil. Although now, I felt capable of withstanding his attacks, now that I could handle the onslaught, I could likely evade even if he counterattacked. Yet, the sense of inexplicable anxiety prevented me. It was a contradiction only a master could feel, and I feared it was too much to bear.

“……”

Endure.

This was about releasing a hundred years of resentment.

I needed to hold on a little longer.

I silently gritted my teeth and dove back into the ferocity of battle. If I rashly made an opening, and he countered, it would undoubtedly lead to a hundred years of regret. My prevailing thought was that this was all a gamble, not a guarantee of victory.

Then, after about three hundred exchanges, Lee Kwang exhibited a shift.

“How about this?”

Kiiiiing—

Lee Kwang’s entire figure seemed to engulf in light. At first, I thought it was an illusion, but it was undeniably radiant. And from Lee Kwang, a breath emerged, feeling a familiar flow of energy rushing through.

“……!!”

Just before his next breath escaped, I hastily exhaled.

Thunderclap!

Burberk!

In the next moment, I endured tremendous impact, sent flying ten feet away. Crashing against a tree, it splintered behind me, sending me reeling. In that brief instance, I could see Lee Kwang soaring toward me faster than I could fly.

Sweeaaaeck!

Kkkaang!

As he delivered another thrust, I responded with Spatial Manipulation Sword. When our weapons clashed in midair, I felt the sting in my hands but confirmed I’d blocked his lethal attack without injury.

A moment later, we landed simultaneously on our feet.

Lee Kwang gazed at me with disbelief.

“… How did you wield Thunderclap?”

“You do realize I’m not the only one who received teachings on Thunderclap, right?”

“……”

Indeed.

Just a moment earlier, Lee Kwang had sought to finish things swiftly with a decisive Thunderclap of his own, and I had barely managed to counter with my own version just a beat slow. Had I been any later, I likely would have had several holes punctured through my abdomen.

Lee Kwang appeared to be staggering, the toll on his strength and energy evident. Yet a frightening glare indicated he was focused on me.

“You aren’t as easy to underestimate as I thought. I’m coming at you for real now.”

And that’s when it happened.

“Enough of this!”

Spectators began to converge near us. Jin So-cheong was worriedly assisting Lee Kwang, while the Sword Master approached me. Yeon Jeong-hong scanned the arena with a peculiar look. The Sword Master glanced at Lee Kwang and said,

“I think this is sufficient for a friendly spar.”

“What… You can’t just decide to end the duel!”

“Then do you think you can subdue him without killing the White Tiger Virtue?”

“……”

Lee Kwang fell silent.

In that moment, the taste of the atmosphere changed profoundly.

‘Ugh…’

Lee Kwang’s statement of “I’ll come at you for real” suggested he intended to use genuine lethal moves from that point onward. The Sword Master, and even the peak experts present in the arena, believed the real battle had only just begun, which is why they came to intervene.

The Sword Master wore a sly grin and said,

“Either way, thank you for your tolerance so far. I’m sure Lee Kwang learned a lot from this encounter.”

Lee Kwang wore a totally aghast expression, replying brusquely,

“Do you have any business with us?”

“Not anymore, but you surely have business with me.”

With that retort, the Sword Master whispered something to Lee Kwang. His countenance gradually cooled, hinting at the Sword Master presenting yet another irresistible proposal. The Sword Master smiled,

“I shall root for you. Give it your all.”

“……”

Fwaaat!

The moment I and the Sword Master finished our duel, we departed from the Zhongnan Sect. Once far enough away, we used the Golden Fog to return to the Unseen Gate.

In the secluded chamber, the Sword Master turned to me and said,

“Well done.”

“… I didn’t manage to land a solid blow.”

I expressed my disappointment. Understandably so; I had not effectively landed that significant hit on Lee Kwang. In fact, even until casting Thunderclap, I had merely been fending off his advances. The Sword Master chuckled heartily,

“Your greed is excessive! You’ve already landed several hits.”

“Eh?”

“Although you didn’t use lethal moves, Lee Kwang, with all his strength, couldn’t even suppress you beyond two hundred exchanges. Besides, at the end, he used Thunderclap and still couldn’t inflict a plausible injury. Do you think that would sit well with that proud Lee Kwang?”

“……!!”

“Moreover, you were being observed by Jin So-cheong and Yeon Jeong-hong. His pride must be utterly shattered by this point.”

I had never considered it from that angle. Feeling utterly drained, I collapsed into a chair. As I relented, the Sword Master said,

“Well done.”

“Thank you.”

I replied with a tired yet subtle smile.

I hadn’t achieved my goal yet.

I still hadn’t properly given Lee Kwang that significant strike.

A hundred years of resentment remained festering within.

‘But next time…’

I would surpass Lee Kwang.

It became something within reach.

I apologize for the delay. I had some family affairs to attend to. ㅠㅠ There shouldn’t be any disruption in future updates, so don’t worry!

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