Crack--!!
A massive vessel shattered, and the water that poured from within began to engulf Gu Yangcheon.
The endless darkness of the space he was in started to fill with that water.
"…"
Water rising up to his feet.
Standing as if atop a calm lake, Shin Cheol stood firmly on the water’s surface, completely unshaken.
The shattered fragments of the vessel sank to the bottom, and somewhere down there, Gu Yangcheon would be sinking as well.
Sensing this, Shin Cheol lifted his head calmly.
He couldn’t see the sky; all he could see was utter darkness.
This was the inner space of Gu Yangcheon’s mind.
That endless darkness reflected his emotional state, while the water filling up symbolized his regrets and unresolved attachments.
"What a foolish lad," Shin Cheol muttered softly.
Trying to move forward despite not overcoming a single one of his challenges—this space revealed the mind of a young man who simply bore the weight of it all in silence.
Looking at this pathetic, chaotic scene, Shin Cheol let out a hollow laugh.
His gaze turned downwards.
The water continued to rise.
He looked for Gu Yangcheon, who was surely submerged somewhere in its depths.
His eyes scanned here and there, but there was nothing to see.
The boy’s regrets and attachments ran that deep.
Shin Cheol shook his head as he took in the sight.
Though he respected the boy’s choice, he had no idea where it would ultimately lead him.
I don’t know.
Whether that child would ever open his eyes again.
And even if he did, would he still be himself?
And, should Gu Yangcheon awaken as himself—
Would he be able to properly deal with the countless remnants of energy and regret left behind?
Even Shin Cheol couldn’t be certain.
After all, the very idea of becoming something other than oneself was beyond Shin Cheol’s understanding.
As he stood quietly, watching the water—
Kuooo-!
He felt the space shake suddenly.
Then—
Bang--!
Splash—!!
Something massive fell onto the surface of the water, creating an immense wave. As the water cascaded back down, it looked almost like rain.
"…"
Shin Cheol looked at the colossal figure writhing atop the water.
It was truly enormous.
Large enough to fill this entire space, it was black as pitch and dwarfed any creature Shin Cheol had ever seen.
That monstrous being—
Huff… huff…
Lay on the water, its exhausted breaths audible.
"You’ve done well."
Looking at the hunched figure, Shin Cheol offered words of comfort.
He couldn’t fully make out its features; all he could see was its size.
The difference in presence between them was too vast.
Like the perceptual divide between martial artists of vastly different levels, Shin Cheol had initially felt fear toward it.
Now, though, he felt only a faint connection, as they were both toiling for the sake of a pitiful fool who knew nothing.
"To wedge that huge body into such a tiny frame and fight… you must have suffered."
Growl… growl…
The figure trembled and exhaled, almost as if in response.
Shin Cheol gave a small nod as he observed its labored breathing.
"Rest now," he said.
It seemed that what remained was his responsibility.
"Dammit."
Shin Cheol let out a thick curse and then laughed.
Even in death, he couldn’t escape this infernal hardship.
So much for a peaceful death.
With that resigned thought, Shin Cheol began to unleash his plum blossoms.
"You look like you’re just asking to get beaten."
At the playful tone, Heavenly Lord frowned.
What did this creature just say?
"…What did you say?"
"Heh, just like him—you heard it all but need to ask again. Tsk, tsk. Your hearing’s already gone bad, old man?"
"You insolent wretch!"
Despite Heavenly Lord’s fury, the figure simply let out a chuckle.
"Keep your voice down. I see you still have the lungs of a youngster."
"Do you know who I am to be acting so disrespectfully?"
"How could I not? With that arrogant face, there’s only one place in the Central Plains you could be from."
Crrk.
A harsh sound came from Heavenly Lord’s hand as he gripped his sword tighter.
"A moth to a flame. I showed you mercy, and yet you don’t know your place."
The bizarre creature seemed to have regained its senses, but it was apparently half-mad, or else it wouldn’t dare speak to him this way.
Boom—!
As Heavenly Lord took a step forward, lightning once again began to gather around him.
The lightning in the air took shape, transforming into sharp points, each one deadly.
The sky was filled with these bolts, so numerous they were impossible to count.
"…"
It was magnificent—truly a sight to behold.
The figure, or rather, Shin Cheol, watching it all—
"Tsk."
Let out a short click of his tongue, clearly displeased.
"If Myeong saw this, he’d be spitting blood in his grave."
Shin Cheol himself harbored many grudges against the Namgung clan.
Mostly because of what happened to the Moyong family. And because of what happened with the Moyong family. And then, there was the incident with the Moyong family.
However—
Even Shin Cheol acknowledged the Namgung swordsmanship.
More precisely, he acknowledged the swordsmanship of Namgung Myeong, the Thunderclap Sword of Namgung, rather than the Namgung family as a whole.
He examined the lightning energy around him.
Each bolt of lightning held a considerable amount of power and insight, but—
"Foolish people."
It was a disgrace to Namgung’s legacy.
"Losing the meaning wasn’t enough; they even shattered the very form."
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
The ideals Namgung Myeong had once risked his life to protect were nowhere to be found.
Shin Cheol turned his gaze to Heavenly Lord.
"Young one."
"…What?"
Heavenly Lord furrowed his brows as if he’d misheard. Young one? That was an utterly demeaning term for him.
"What do you think the Namgung sword truly is?"
"…Hah."
Heavenly Lord’s face twisted in anger at Shin Cheol’s question.
The Namgung sword? Did this man dare to ask him about the essence of the Namgung sword?
To him, the number one sword of the Namgung clan?
Struggling to keep his expression composed, Heavenly Lord responded.
"If provoking me was your goal, consider it achieved."
Crackle--!
The lightning hovering in the air crackled loudly, as if ready to strike Shin Cheol at any moment.
A heavy pressure settled over the entire forest.
The Sovereign Sword Form.
The pinnacle of the Namgung techniques erupted from Heavenly Lord’s body.
"…"
It was an intimidating sight, enough to instill fear.
Yet, Shin Cheol’s eyes remained calm.
It was only natural.
How crude.
In Shin Cheol’s view, it was—
Far too crude and unrefined to be considered the work of a later generation.
Though he felt discomfort and tension, he was more disappointed than impressed.
This was nothing but a counterfeit.
The true Sovereign Sword Form was not something so crudely constructed.
It was not simply about spreading an oppressive aura to hold one’s enemy in place.
Is this what you fought so hard to preserve?
Remembering his friend who had shed blood to preserve a single blade, his heart grew heavy.
It was true that the display of lightning was dazzling, but—
When it came to the essence of the Namgung sword, it simply wasn’t supposed to be this way.
The Namgung sword isn’t about grandeur.
Namgung Myeong’s martial prowess had never been grandiose.
If anything, it was rigid and unadorned.
"Martial arts devoid of purpose hold no future."
Recalling the words of an old sect leader, Shin Cheol began to walk.
His gaze remained fixed on Heavenly Lord.
"The Namgung sword technique was never about lightning."
With Shin Cheol’s words, Heavenly Lord’s fury grew darker.
"So, you dare teach me about the Namgung sword now?"
Heavenly Lord found the notion absurd. He no longer wanted to have anything to do with this man.
"Your hollow grandeur hides the loss of what should be solid and unbreakable."
In today’s world, lightning was synonymous with the Namgung family.
But Shin Cheol, who had lived through the age of conflict, remembered differently.
Lightning was just a byproduct.
The Thunderclap Sword may have controlled lightning and dominated the heavens—
But Namgung Myeong had never considered lightning to be important.
What he pursued was—
Unyielding.
To remain unbreakable, undefeated.
To wield the fastest sword while maintaining an unbreakable stance.
And with that—
To protect those he cherished.
That was the essence of the Namgung sword and the ideal he sought.
Though Shin Cheol despised his smug face and irritating personality—
That ideal was one he wanted to emulate.
Namgung Myeong’s words weren’t lies; they were conveyed through his blade, one that moved faster than anyone else’s.
But now—
"Your sword lacks that."
An empty shell.
The sword that this so-called Sword Lord wielded and the one wielded by this Heavenly Lord—they were empty shells.
"To be revered as a Lord, you certainly lack the qualifications."
"…You wretch!"
Shin Cheol’s words finally snapped Heavenly Lord’s patience.
With a furious roar, lightning poured from all directions.
From afar, it looked like a rainstorm.
That’s how much lightning there was.
It came crashing down.
The energy and insight Heavenly Lord had poured into his lightning struck swiftly toward Shin Cheol.
If it struck him head-on, his bones would be pulverized.
"I already told you."
Rustle.
As he spoke calmly, a single leaf floated up from beneath Shin Cheol’s feet.
A single, blue leaf.
Though it was a flame, it resembled a petal more than fire.
"Martial arts without meaning are meaningless."
The lone leaf floated upward.
Rustle.
And then split into two.
Rustle… rustle…
Soon, it split again, becoming four.
Just before the lightning struck Shin Cheol, the countless leaves multiplied—
Until they finally obscured the sky.
"…What?"
Heavenly Lord gaped, unable to comprehend the sight before him.
Crack--!
The falling lightning struck the petals.
With each petal it touched, the lightning exploded, bursting in the air.
Pop—!
The sound resounded in the sky as the petals triggered each bolt of lightning to explode.
And the remaining sparks looked like fireworks in the night sky.
Yes, they were exploding.
Heavenly Lord’s accumulated insight—his lightning, unleashed with such might, was being defused by these mere petals.
"…This is impossible."
Heavenly Lord couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
When he fought that creature, he could at least comprehend it.
Its regenerative abilities and relentless attacks—those were things he could attribute to a monster.
But this was different.
It’s as if…
My insight is being devoured.
The insight he had achieved was being undone.
He recalled the sight of his lightning dissipating effortlessly against these shallow petals.
It was only possible because the opponent’s insight was deeper than his own.
"…Impossible."
To trample upon him so easily, not even the Sword Lord could accomplish this.
Perhaps the Heavenly Demon could, but—
He wasn’t facing someone equal to the Heavenly Demon, was he?
It was an inconceivable and unacceptable situation.
Is he really surpassing me?
Heavenly Lord?
Grind—!
He clenched his teeth tightly.
Impossible.
He was the pride of Namgung, its sovereign. He couldn’t lose to an unknown figure like this.
Even if his clan had been destroyed, he was still their last remaining pillar.
It had to be that way.
It had to be.
As Heavenly Lord struggled to hold himself together—
"Blinded by demonic madness, even the once-clear mind darkens," Shin Cheol spoke.
"Even without it…"
The moment his lightning made contact, Shin Cheol understood.
Heavenly Lord wouldn’t have reached his destination, even without the madness.
"Young one, you would have never reached where you were trying to go."
"…You insolent—!"
"If you’re going to curse the ancestors who failed to protect it, then do so. I’d like to have some words with them as well."
Boom--!
As Shin Cheol’s taunt echoed, the heavens opened, and a beam of light began to coalesce.
Shin Cheol instantly recognized it for what it was.
A Heart Sword.
The pinnacle of a swordmaster.
A sword technique accessible only to those who had reached perfect unity between body and blade.
A sword born from one’s mind.
It was said that with the Heart Sword, one could cut anything with pure intent alone, but—
The Heart Sword was not that simple.
While it was certainly possible to perform such feats with it—
The Heart Sword was very much real, and the light in the air was that very sword.
A martial technique that mimicked the swordmaster’s heart.
Seeing it, Shin Cheol nodded.
Despite his hollow, derivative martial arts, Heavenly Lord had reached this level, and Shin Cheol acknowledged his effort.
"Not bad."
The profound insight of a true martial artist was always commendable.
Even if that artist was lost in anger, frustration, and resentment—
The years he had endured were real.
So—
He needed to be shown.
"This body’s already stuffed with so much, there’s no problem in displaying it."
In the past, whenever he borrowed this body, he’d been annoyed by how inadequate it was.
But now, it was different.
The body had been trained, and its internal energy was beyond imagination.
Though the shattered vessel left a sense of emptiness—
It was enough.
Enough to show that young fool another world.
Shin Cheol stretched out his hand, speaking quietly.
"Perhaps this, too, was fate."
Throb.
Something twitched in his left arm.
Feeling that familiar movement, Shin Cheol couldn’t help but smile.
Shin Cheol was a swordmaster.
To fully execute his martial arts, he needed a sword, but right now, he had none.
This body’s original owner was not skilled in swordsmanship, after all.
But then—
Shhh—
The bandage wrapped around his left arm unwrapped itself and shifted into Shin Cheol’s hand.
Its crimson hue had turned to a soft blue, but—
Shin Cheol paid no mind to the change. A shift in color did not change its essence.
He simply looked at the bandage with a faint smile.
With that thought, he spoke its name.
"It’s been a long time, Guijeong."
Rustle, rustle—!
The bandage responded to his call, transforming.
In an instant, it layered upon itself, taking the form of a sword.
Its name was Guijeong.
Originally a treasured artifact of the Hwasan Sect and Shin Cheol’s beloved sword.
That brat thought it was just a bandage… tsk.
He thought of how many times he had cursed about that.
Granted, it was his own fault for failing to explain its significance before he left. But in the end, perhaps it was better that way.
Boom--!
As the light began to descend toward the ground, Shin Cheol tightened his grip on Guijeong.
At that moment—
Flash--!
"…!"
The sky above Shin Cheol opened, revealing countless beams of light.
Seeing it, Heavenly Lord couldn’t hide his shock.
It wasn’t just one sword.
It looked like at least three Heart Swords.
Faced with such overwhelming numbers, Heavenly Lord was speechless.
"Young one."
Then, Shin Cheol’s voice reached Heavenly Lord’s ears.
"In my day—"
There was a faint hint of laughter in that voice.
Though his face was obscured by shadow, Heavenly Lord could tell.
The man was smiling.
Sensing Heavenly Lord’s bewilderment, Shin Cheol spoke again.
"To be called a swordmaster, you needed to summon at least two or three of these with ease."
The era of war.
Such was the time Shin Cheol had lived in.