The elder of the Kongtong Sect stepped forward, wielding two swords.
Jin Cheon-hee took a deep breath and slowly drew the Ice Clarity Sword.
Schwing.
The blade emitted a clear, resonant cry. It was a sign that the weapon acknowledged the opponent as worthy.
Jin Seong-ja was known as the One Sword of Kongtong, a master reputed to possess greater martial prowess than even the Sect Leader, Jin Ryang-ja. However, as his true skills were rarely displayed within the Gangho, the full extent of his capabilities remained a mystery.
But now, Jin Seong-ja was unveiling that hidden prowess.
“It’s the Sword Control Art!” someone shouted from the crowd.
True to the cry, a single sword floated up from behind the elder’s back, burning with the intense glow of Hardened Qi. That was not all. The sword he had drawn from his waist, held in a starting stance, also began to frost over with Hardened Qi, illuminating the training ground.
Two swords. Two distinct layers of Hardened Qi.
It was a feat so astonishing that the spectators could only watch with widened eyes.
He’s really going for it. Sword Control Art… let’s see.
Jin Cheon-hee’s blue eyes seemed to slice through the moment. His accelerated thoughts observed the surroundings, verified the data, contemplated the possibilities, and retrieved the necessary knowledge.
Transcendental Core Martial Art: Benevolence.
Transcendental Core Martial Art: Wisdom of Life and Death.
Simultaneously, he cross-referenced information regarding the Kongtong Sect’s swordsmanship and the mechanics of the Sword Control Art.
Those who had reached the Peak Realm could barely mimic the Sword Control Art through painstaking effort; to unleash its proper power, one had to strive ceaselessly even after reaching the Transcendent Realm. Ultimately, however, it was inefficient. Controlling an object remotely through mid-air consumed an exorbitant amount of internal energy.
Aha. Is it because of the Six Yang Divine Art?
The secret unraveled before him instantly.
The Kongtong Sect’s secret internal cultivation method, the Six Yang Divine Art, was known to combine six types of Yang energy into one massive force. Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t easily guess its exact principles, but considering the Five-Elemental Divine Art also produced explosive power by generating and overcoming the Five Elements Qi, it likely functioned on a similar premise.
Even so, operating both the Sword Control Art and Hardened Qi simultaneously meant pouring out internal energy like a torrent.
No matter how vast one’s internal reserves, the human limit is said to be five cycles—sixty years per cycle. Even if he consumes elixirs like rice, internal energy doesn’t increase easily after three cycles. He must possess between three and four. At this rate, he’ll exhaust his reserves in half a shichen at most.
Reaching this conclusion via super-speed thought took no longer than a single blink.
Jin Seong-ja rushed in, utilizing the Kongtong Sect’s supreme movement technique, the Moving Clouds and Flowing Water.
Clouds move; water flows.
True to its name, he approached with a soft yet immense pressure, unleashing the Demon Subduing Sword Art.
Jin Cheon-hee raised his Ice Clarity Sword in response, forming Hardened Qi to counter with the Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword.
Clash!
Screeeeech! Crackle!
The Hardened Qi of the Demon Subduing Sword Art, fueled by the pure energy of the Six Yang Divine Art, collided with Jin Cheon-hee’s defense.
Jin Cheon-hee had combined the Five-Elemental Divine Art with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art to create a Hardened Qi that possessed the viscous density of a mud pit. On top of this, he layered his internal true energy and the sharp Hardened Qi of the Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword.
As the two supreme Kangqis clashed, they produced a truly bizarre cacophony—sounds like scraping metal mixed with the hiss of boiling oil. The opposing energies tried to repel one another like oil and water, their remnants splashing in all directions and shredding the surrounding earth.
In that chaotic state, the sword in the air swam of its own accord and flew in.
Simultaneously, Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes flashed a brilliant blue.
Clang!
Ten sword strikes were exchanged in the span of a single breath.
The velocity of the swordsmanship was such that even Jin Seong-ja dared not underestimate it, forcing him to retreat and transition to a different technique within the Demon Subduing Sword Art.
In the interim, the flying sword collided with Jin Cheon-hee’s blade and bounced off. Yet, the spinning weapon stopped abruptly in mid-air and thrust forward again.
“Hap!”
With a shout, Jin Seong-ja’s handheld sword drew a half-moon, unleashing Sword Aura to slash through the empty air and attack.
Even for a peerless master, surviving this duet of Hardened Qi assaults was uncertain.
However, Jin Cheon-hee saw.
And he read the future.
He took one step back and thrust his sword forward. The flat side of the Ice Clarity Sword lightly tapped the flying sword descending from the sky.
Clang!
Ice instantly crusted over the surface of the flying sword as it was knocked aside. Simultaneously, Jin Cheon-hee’s body fell backward rapidly.
But strangely, his head and back did not touch the ground. His knees remained fixed, bending into an L-shape—a posture that seemed to defy gravity.
Above Jin Cheon-hee’s face, the half-moon Sword Aura sheared through the air.
“Exquisite Iron Plate Bridge technique!”
“To dodge Sword Aura like that!?”
Amid the astonished shouts of the spectators, Jin Cheon-hee’s body sprang back up like a coiled spring.
Standing tall, holding his sword, Jin Cheon-hee spoke calmly.
“I understand now. Jin Seong-ja. Your martial arts.”
“What?”
“I declare: From now on, I will only defend.”
At Jin Cheon-hee’s declaration, the crowd at the training ground recoiled in appallment.
“Indeed, the One Light under the Heavens! To say such crazy things…”
“Is that not arrogance?”
“Just what is that…”
However, Jin Cheon-hee was entirely serious. Reading that sincerity, Jin Seong-ja roared like an exploding volcano.
“You bastaaaard! How dare you ignore this Taoist!”
Hissst.
The Sword Aura in the elder’s hand intensified. Then, he turned his head sharply to the side.
There, the flying sword was staggering, crawling pathetically on the ground.
“By applying the Five-Elemental True Qi, I amplified the Ice Clarity Sword’s Cold Ice True Energy and attached it to your sword,” Jin Cheon-hee explained. “To perform the Sword Control Art, you must continuously project true energy from a distance… but I have severed that connection.”
At his words, the murmuring of the crowd grew louder. Neither Jin Cheon-hee nor the Mad Taoist paid any heed to the spectators; the only thing that mattered was the enemy before them.
“Hmph! Do you think this Taoist’s flying sword will collapse from your petty tricks!”
The Qi from Jin Seong-ja’s hand, dense enough to almost materialize, became a mist that stretched out toward the weapon. As the vortex of Qi wrapped around the ice and crushed it, the flying sword finally began to float again.
Even so, Jin Cheon-hee simply stood silent, sword in hand.
“I will present your head as a gift to the Blood Qilin!”
Roaring a murderous threat entirely unbecoming of a Taoist, Jin Seong-ja rushed in again, his flying sword leading the charge.
Jin Cheon-hee remained calm.
The flying sword comes first. If I block it, Jin Seong-ja will strike down with his sword like an iron mace after a slight delay. The ultimate technique of the Demon Subduing Sword Art, the Overwhelming Hammered Sword Demon. Therefore, I walk.
Jin Cheon-hee took two steps forward.
The flying sword shot toward his face. He tilted his head slightly to the side, letting the blade whistle past, and moved further forward.
Jin Seong-ja’s eyes widened significantly. His raised arm was now in a position where he couldn’t effectively strike down. As Jin Cheon-hee’s sword aimed for his abdomen, the elder hurriedly exploded the internal energy in his legs to flip his body backward.
Then came Jin Seong-ja’s follow-up strike. Jin Cheon-hee raised his sword to meet it.
Clang!
In the moment Jin Seong-ja landed, the flying sword rotated again, aiming for Jin Cheon-hee’s unguarded back.
However, Jin Cheon-hee held his sword with one hand and reached back with his empty left hand to snatch the flying sword out of the air with his fingers.
The left arm where the Poison of Profoundness was sealed.
By now, it was no different from an Indestructible Diamond Physique; it wouldn’t suffer a single scratch from mere Sword Qi. If he wrapped it in Hardened Qi, he could neutralize and grab even identical Hardened Qi with his bare hand.
Having been used against the Blood Immortal Cult’s Golden Heaven Army and subsequently evolved, the sealed left hand tightened around the grabbed blade and slammed it straight into the ground beside him.
Thud!
The flying sword embedded itself deep in the earth, and Jin Cheon-hee stomped on it to bury it completely.
Then, he raised that empty hand and extended it forward.
“Old Taoist. Are you truly a Taoist? It’s pathetic.”
As he spoke, he made a gesture with his hand.
Beckon. Beckon.
Come.
There was no martial artist in the Gangho who did not understand what that action meant.
“You bastaaaard!”
Enraged, Jin Seong-ja rushed in like a violent storm.
However, all those attacks proved completely futile.
Why! Why… Why can’t I pierce even a little bit!
Jin Seong-ja’s eyes were dyed with anger and impatience. He attacked, and attacked again. But Jin Cheon-hee blocked every single strike without retreating an inch.
It was truly a wondrous sight—a spectacle sufficient to instill awe in everyone gathered at the training ground.
Eventually.
Gradually.
The Hardened Qi dispersed from Jin Seong-ja’s sword. It faded from Hardened Qi to Sword Qi, and eventually, even the Sword Qi scattered, leaving only the bare steel.
Jin Seong-ja, drenched in sweat as if doused in water, trembled as he extended his sword. But even that movement was becoming sluggish.
“Wh… why… Why… are you…”
All the martial artists of the Gangho witnessed it. Some lamented, some were angry, some were in awe, and some simply admired.
Amidst the swirling emotions, Jin Cheon-hee moved.
As he approached Jin Seong-ja, who was exhausted and possessed almost no energy left to lift his weapon, the Taoist glared and panted through his fatigue.
Jin Cheon-hee sheathed his sword at his waist and raised his hand to Jin Seong-ja’s neck.
Jin Seong-ja fell silent.
And in the silence of shock and horror, Jin Cheon-hee quietly spoke.
“Your Qi is deficient, and heat is rising. It is a precursor to Qi Deviation.”
What?
What did I just hear?
What did One Light just say?
My body has been weak lately; am I hallucinating?
Amid the shock of the assembled martial artists, Jin Seong-ja closed his eyes and collapsed.
Catching and supporting the fainting elder, Jin Cheon-hee declared with the authority of the Jade Emperor.
“He is an emergency patient.”
No one could say a word.
***
The next day, there was no one in the Martial Righteous Alliance who did not know of Jin Cheon-hee’s deed.
“Do you know that One Light completely destroyed Jin Seong-ja?” Scholar Sim asked.
“I heard he got beaten up while flirting with a White Qilin Medical Pavilion physician?” Scholar Jang chimed in as he reached for the Five-Spice Braised Pork with his chopsticks.
“…Even so, I never imagined he would engage in a life-and-death duel against Jin Seong-ja,” Scholar Man added as he poured wine into his cup.
At those words, the other two nodded.
These three, all idlers from well-to-do families, were gathered at their regular inn today as well, tearing, chewing, and tasting the rumors of the Gangho.
Scholar Sim, a traditional fundamentalist of the Gangho, wore an uncomfortable expression, clearly displeased by the nature of the events.
“I heard the Golden Blood Chamber is likely to cut ties completely with the Hwaju Medical Pavilion. They say they’re even putting a bounty on the head of the Hwaju Medical Pavilion’s Young Master, though I don’t know if it’s true. This is aaaaall because of that One Light under the Heavens. The traditions of the Gangho are being shaken!”
“The Mad-Faced Fox must be angry too. Didn’t he leave him in a state where he’s alive but not truly living? I heard he put up an enormous amount of gold.”
Scholar Jang, a neoliberal martial arts pioneer, took up the conversation.
“…Is that possible against someone who is a Young Pavilion Master of an Orthodox faction?”
“The amount isn’t normal. Plus, among assassins blinded by money, who knows if someone might go personally to tear off his face? Then it becomes a perfect crime.”
Hearing this, Scholar Man, perhaps slow on the news, blinked and asked, “He knows how to drive people crazy with money. It seems that physician is involved with the Mad-Faced Fox, but surely…”
“Shh, it’s better not to say any more than that.”
At those words, the three gossipers nodded and looked around nervously.
“Our story didn’t leak out, right?”
“Well, we didn’t insult him, did we?”