The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 62

Chapter 62
The blooming plum blossoms vividly brought back the recollections of my past existence.

I recalled the countless days I had spent confined to bed, recovering from wounds every single time one of those floral projections battered my body.

Yet, fresh recollections quickly supplanted the old.

Images of myself executing the Shattering Form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

And past that, the memory of myself channeling the Taeul True Scripture.

I advanced, matching the cadence of the figure emerging from my deep recollections.

The Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps.

This particular Footwork Art, grounded in the mechanics of deception, planted phantoms along the path of locomotion.

The moment I shifted away, the falling plum blossoms struck the exact position where my residual shadow lingered.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK—!

The resilient marble stone beneath smashed apart violently, leaving an unsightly ruin.

Still, the floral constructs descended in an unending torrent.

Bzz. Bzz.

Like an agitated nest of bees driven to madness, the blossoms swarmed together and lunged directly back toward the intruder.

Finding myself cornered without a path to evade, I drove forward using the Shattering Form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK.

As nearly a third of the floral constructs dissolved into nothingness, the expression on Hwa Jeong-san’s face began to turn rigid.

“……You bastard!”

In stark contrast to our fourth exchange, I chose to confront his onslaught using nothing more than the Minor Heaven Sword Art.

Had I paired the Shattering Form with the Great Heaven Sword Art, it would have allowed Hwa Jeong-san the breathing room to collect his thoughts.

The eradicated blossoms immediately sprouted anew.

The floral canopy obscuring the heavens surged downward once more, tracking my lethal vulnerabilities.

Ever since he tapped into the Purple Haze Divine Art, any notion of maintaining a proper Martial Duel had completely vanished from Hwa Jeong-san’s thoughts.

Utilizing the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps once more, I repositioned myself and systematically cleaved through the descending petals.

With every blossom I destroyed, the violet luminescence burning within Hwa Jeong-san’s gaze intensified, causing the aerial swarm of petals to multiply exponentially.

“S-should we not stop this?”

A few onlookers muttered nervously, sensing that the Martial Duel had crossed into dangerous territory.

Yet, within the ranks of the Taeul Sect, not a single soul possessed the capability to intercept this manifestation of the Purple Haze Divine Art.

Furthermore, among the assembly gathered from the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, no one harbored any true desire to call an end to the match.

Welcoming the escalating chaos, I swept my blade forward once again.

The concepts that had previously existed only as mental theories were now translating seamlessly through my flesh, a direct result of the clarity I had obtained during my encounter with Namgung Tae-ha.

Every single sequence I had visualized during those long, regretful years of my past life manifested as effortlessly as a running stream. Combined with the absolute truths unearthed through the Taeul True Scripture, my combat capability reached a devastatingly lethal peak.

It carried the framework of the Minor Heaven Sword Art, yet it transcended the fundamental boundaries of the technique.

“Kh……”

Forced into successive exchanges, Hwa Jeong-san appeared to be tapping into the absolute depths of his internal cultivation.

Now, the violet glow extended beyond his pupils; a tangible violet mist began to drift off his shoulders.

This strange occurrence materialized as the raw essence of the Purple Haze Divine Art spontaneously combusted and flourished externally.

Consequently, the floating particles expanded frommere specs into the distinct, undeniable shapes of authentic plum blossoms.

Observing his eyes, which had now shifted to a fierce, crimson hue, it was evident that Hwa Jeong-san was operating at his absolute threshold.

I unleashed the Great Heaven Sword Art—a technique I had kept hidden until this very moment—spreading the sword patterns wide like the ribs of an opening fan.

Hwa Jeong-san’s eyes went wide as he witnessed the sudden multiplication of weapon trajectories.

The pursuing blossoms immediately redirected their trajectory to intercept the incoming forms, but because the vast majority were mere illusions, the petals passed harmlessly through empty space.

SWISH.

Exploiting the sudden vulnerability amidst the airborne petals, the Minor Heaven Sword Art sliced inward, neatly severing the edge of Hwa Jeong-san’s garments.

“!”

The cord securing his robes snapped and hit the ground, leaving Hwa Jeong-san’s chest fully exposed to reveal a slender, bleeding laceration.

Had the steel penetrated a single chi deeper, the injury would have been severe.

“What is this…….”

Hwa Jeong-san scrambled backward in a panic, his countenance turning incredibly grim.

“This is the true blade of the Taeul Sect.”

The reason the Minor Heaven Sword Art had lacked extreme velocity despite being categorized as a swift style was not due to it being a rudimentary technique.

The reason it had initially failed to blend seamlessly with the Flash Thunder Sword Art was not because the Flash Thunder Sword Art possessed some unreachable depth.

The Minor Heaven Sword Art was fundamentally engineered to achieve completion only when unified with the Great Heaven Sword Art.

The foundational core of the Minor Heaven Sword Art relied on velocity and mass.

The foundational core of the Great Heaven Sword Art relied on deception and fluidity.

Masking raw velocity inside a shroud of deception, and embedding immense mass within fluid transitions.

That was the pinnacle legacy of the Taeul Sect: the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

“……Do you honestly believe I am ignorant of the Taeul Sect’s techniques?”

The plum blossoms erupted into a dense, luxuriant display once more.

Bzzzz.

They ascended toward the heavens like loose petals caught in a gale, before violently condensing into a concentrated swarm that descended upon me.

I countered by fully unleashing the Twin Heaven Sword Formula.

Slicing with blinding speed.

Pressuring with crushing weight.

Befuddling his senses with false manifestations.

Blinding his perception with constant variation.

Slice.

Perpendicular to the initial laceration tracking down Hwa Jeong-san’s torso, a secondary crimson line carved across his chest, forming a perfect cross.

One half of his combat uniform, styled in a stark contrast of black and white, parted from his body and fluttered to the stone floor.

“What is this…….”

At last, the spectators representing the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly began mirroring the shocked, uncomprehending expressions of the Taeul Sect’s disciples.

Faced with an reality he could not comprehend, Hwa Jeong-san allowed his pure rage to boil over completely.

“What sort of foul sorcery is this?!”

“A mere speck of dust lacks the power to brush me aside.”

I intentionally offered words calculated to shatter what remained of his composure.

The more I pricked his ego, the more Hwa Jeong-san, desperate to salvage his reputation, would tether himself exclusively to the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

And that specific style was utterly powerless against the Shattering Form that Jegal Cheon-gi had poured his entire life’s genius into perfecting.

An observer possessed of true tranquility, or someone whose personal cultivation had ascended to the Twelfth Star, would have readily discerned the trap.

But Hwa Jeong-san was far too consumed by malice to see clearly, and his personal cultivation fell short of the Twelfth Star regardless.

Wielding the deceptive fluidity of the Twin Heaven Sword Formula, I thoroughly unraveled his floral constructs, while utilizing the dual principles of velocity and mass to systematically break Hwa Jeong-san’s defense.

SWISH.

I closed the distance with terrifying speed.

CRASH.

I brought the blade down with absolute weight.

“Krgh!”

An involuntary cough escaped Hwa Jeong-san’s lips; his focus had been torn between maintaining the plum blossoms and mounting a proper physical defense.

“Cough!”

CRASH. CRASH. CRASH. CRASH.

channeling the exact methodology of the weighted blade that I had absorbed during my time with the Iron Sword Sect, I struck with escalating ferocity.

With every descending blow, Hwa Jeong-san was forced to yield another step backward.

“Krrgh!”

He frantically tried to summon his internal reserves to manifest a labyrinthine counter-attack, only to be struck by a heavy concussive force that rattled his vital organs.

If a martial artist fails to disperse such an impact as it compounds, it inevitably culminates in severe internal trauma.

“Kahak!”

A spray of crimson burst from Hwa Jeong-san’s lips, mirroring the exact manner in which I had sprayed blood before him in that previous timeline.

“Enough! Halt this instantly!!”

Positioned at the perimeter of the ring, Jong Byeok-gi of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly barked out a fierce command.

Acting as though the shout had never reached me, I pressed my advantage, driving Hwa Jeong-san further into a corner.

Tumbling across the stone tiles in a desperate bid to create distance, Hwa Jeong-san found himself pushed entirely to the absolute boundary of the arena.

He likely remained oblivious to the fact that he was executing a clumsy Lazy Donkey Roll; his mind was entirely consumed by the frantic urge to survive the onslaught.

“Did my command to cease pass completely over your head?!”

Ignoring Jong Byeok-gi entirely, I leveled the tip of my blade directly at the faltering Hwa Jeong-san and stated,

“The Mount Hua Sect has yet to formally concede its inferiority to the Taeul Sect.”

“!”

I deliberately invoked the name of Mount Hua.

While his pride might allow him to swallow a personal failure, he could never bear the ignominy of declaring the entire Mount Hua Sect inferior to the Taeul Sect.

CLANG!

Guided by pure survival instinct, Hwa Jeong-san deflected my weapon and initiated the Hidden Fragrance Step.

In a flash, his physical form dissolved into a blur and vanished from sight, only to remanifest directly above my rear flank, descending with the velocity of a falling star.

The Meteor Chasing the Moon Sword.

This was a legendary Ascendant Sword Art pioneered by the illustrious seventh Sect Leader of Mount Hua.

If the Plum Blossom Sword Art epitomized the pinnacle of fluidity, the Meteor Chasing the Moon Sword represented the absolute zenith of mass.

CRASH.

The sheer destructive momentum of the Meteor Chasing the Moon Sword, amplified by the Purple Haze Divine Art, easily eclipsed the power of the Mountain-Shattering Sword Art utilized by the Iron Sword Sect.

CRASH. CRASH.

Sensing that his celestial trajectory was gaining ground, he redoubled his aggressive momentum.

Rather than redirecting the kinetic force using the defensive properties of Lotus, I met his advance head-on with the Great Heaven Sword Art.

The precise millisecond our steel was set to collide, my weapon evaporated into thin air like a mirage.

From his vantage point below the elevated stage, Jong Byeok-gi bellowed,

“Jeong-san! Check your rear!”

A startled Hwa Jeong-san instinctively whipped his head around, dropping his posture.

In that fleeting second, my Black Dragon Sword swept dangerously close over his crown, shearing away a clump of his hair along with the binding ribbon.

Rustle.

The severed strands drifted down to the stone tiles. Hwa Jeong-san, his remaining hair now completely wild and unkempt, stared blankly between the fallen locks and my silhouette.

“…….”

His mouth twitched as though he wished to form words.

Without granting him a single moment to breathe, I launched another immediate assault.

“Kh!”

Swish, SWISH.

The moment he showed signs of recovering his mental focus, I shattered his composure entirely with a sequence of lightning-fast strikes.

When elements of pure deception were woven into such velocity, even an enlightened immortal who had transcended mortal limitations would find their senses thoroughly overwhelmed.

He tumbled, scrambled, and retrograded.

I then unleashed a crushing, heavy strike precisely where Hwa Jeong-san had no choice but to attempt a direct block.

CRASH.

“Urgh!”

Hwa Jeong-san coughed up a significant spray of crimson.

He disgorged the fluid in the exact fashion the Sect Leader had done during my past life.

Just as it had occurred for the Sect Leader then, Hwa Jeong-san’s internal trauma was now an absolute certainty.

“Damn it all!”

Unable to tolerate the one-sided beating any further, Jong Byeok-gi finally unchained his own weapon.

“Did my words to cease mean absolutely nothing?!”

SWISH!

The Sun-Shooting Sword Art of the Diancang Sect.

This was an incredibly high-velocity style whose sheer speed left the Minor Heaven Sword Art looking sluggish by comparison.

True to the concept of “shooting the sun,” the strike blasted forward with a thrust so blindingly fast that human sight could scarcely track its path.

Yet, much like how the Iron Sword Sect had previously dominated the Taeul Sect, I utterly broke the momentum of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art by applying the fundamental mechanics of the weighted blade.

CRAAASH.

Jong Byeok-gi, who had launched himself forward with the velocity of a lightning bolt, was violently deflected away like an arrow shattering against solid rock.

Having neutralized his interference, I instantly pivoted back to hunt Hwa Jeong-san.

Hwa Jeong-san, desperately trying to draw breath, was reduced to swinging his weapon in wild, uncoordinated arcs.

“Jeong-san! Reclaim your focus!”

I began systematically distributing my offense, raining down blindingly fast sword sequences upon Hwa Jeong-san while reserving heavy, crushing strikes to keep Jong Byeok-gi at bay.

“You absolute degenerate! How dare you presume to do this!”

Jong Byeok-gi executed the Hou Yi Draws the Bow stance of the Sun-Shooting Sword Art, transitioning seamlessly into the Wheeling Horse Draws the Bow maneuver.

As I temporarily shifted my positioning to clear the incoming trajectories, I caught the subtle movement of Jong Byeok-gi’s lips.

Receiving the silent signal, Hwa Jeong-san offered a tight nod and stepped back.

“Forcing your cultivation center to ignite right now will result in irreversible internal damage.”

“…….”

Ignoring my counsel entirely, Hwa Jeong-san merely stared back at me with a gaze burning with homicidal intent.

Instead of backing down, he swiped the residual blood from his lips as an explosion of concentrated True Qi detonated outward from his frame, mirroring his earlier peak.

Simultaneously, Jong Byeok-gi’s martial robes billowed outward aggressively, filled to bursting with gathered energy.

‘Here it comes.’

Both swordsmen were settling into the distinct operational stances required to manifest the absolute ultimate techniques of their respective factions.

“See if you can survive this!”

A violent, localized vortex began to materialize around Jong Byeok-gi’s position.

It was a fierce tempest whipped up entirely by the kinetic force of his sword wind.

Adjacent to him, Hwa Jeong-san launched his body high into the air, positioning himself directly against the sun to manifest nine shimmering crescent moons.

Jong Byeok-gi was unleashing the Returning Wind Flowless Sword.

Hwa Jeong-san was manifesting the Nine Palaces Half-Moon Sword.

In response, I began preparing the ultimate legacy of the Taeul Sword Emperor.

The Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula.

A manifestation of Ten Thousand Swords that encapsulated every single facet of velocity, mass, deception, and fluidity.

Four distinct manifestations of the Ten Thousand Swords—each existing simultaneously as pure illusion and absolute reality—materialized in the space. Concurrently, I utilized the core mechanics of deception to summon an additional twenty phantom blades to directly contest the incoming Returning Wind Flowless Sword.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.

The blades that intercepted the Returning Wind Flowless Sword tore clean through the localized tempest, detonating in a spectacular clash of concentrated sword qi.

“Krgh!”

Having successfully dispelled Jong Byeok-gi’s offensive energy, I re-routed my internal reserves to directly confront the incoming Nine Palaces Half-Moon Sword.

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH.

The individual crescent constructs of the Nine Palaces Half-Moon Sword were legendary for possessing a destructive capability that directly rivaled true Sword Force.

It was an absolute stroke of fortune for me that his personal mastery of the technique remained fundamentally unrefined.

I directed two segments of my Ten Thousand Swords to cleanly neutralize a portion of the incoming projectles, before systematically obliterating four of the remaining crescent moons with my final two constructs.

My internal energy reserves, which had recently attained the threshold of Two Cycles, receded at an alarming rate from my dantians, leaving me with a profound sensation of internal emptiness for the first time in memory.

I then moved to intercept the solitary remaining crescent moon that had bypassed my initial defense, utilizing the basic framework of the Minor Heaven Sword Art to strike it down.

BOOM!

The atmospheric pressure shattered violently, sending a dense curtain of pulverized stone and dust radiating outward in every direction.

From her vantage point below the arena floor, one of the Four Phoenixes gave voice to a stunned whisper.

“This cannot be real…….”

“What are the true limits of that young man’s internal reserves?”

As the swirling debris slowly began to settle across the platform, it unveiled Hwa Jeong-san, who had disgorged a massive amount of blood, alongside Jong Byeok-gi, whose hair stood completely on end as though he had survived a direct lightning strike.

“Do either of you possess any further techniques to display?”

“…….”

“…….”

Without granting them an answer, I initiated the Taeul Eighty-Thousand Divine Steps once more, instantly reappearing directly behind their exposed flanks.

Just as I prepared to split their torsos open with a decisive, singular sweep—

“Cease this immediately!”

Accompanying a profound, resonant baritone, Small Buddha Il-myeong materialized directly in my path, utilizing the defensive parameters of the Immovable Movement Art.

This was the renowned prodigy destined to master all of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts to the legendary Tenth Star before reaching his fourth decade of life.

However, within this current timeline, he had yet to master even half of that vast repertoire.

“This has gone far enough! I implore you to hold your hand, Patron.”

“…….”

He offered the plea with his palms pressed tightly together in a traditional gesture, his facial features taut with immense pressure.

Looking past him, Hwa Jeong-san’s pupils were vibrating erratically, completely overtaken by a sudden, primal terror.

‘To think I would live to witness a sight such as this.’

Savoring the absolute reversal of the moment, I brought my blade down with full intent.

CLANG.

Il-myeong, who moved to catch Jin So-un’s weapon by employing the Counterbalancing Art, felt an immediate jolt of severe, localized agony radiate across his palm.

‘How can he possibly retain this level of raw physical power?’

This was an individual who had just successfully broken both the Nine Palaces Half-Moon Sword and the Returning Wind Flowless Sword simultaneously.

That feat alone defied conventional martial logic, but Il-myeong was thoroughly horrified to discover that the youth’s reserves were nowhere near depleted.

“The contest is already concluded.”

“…….”

The outcome of the battle had been definitively established.

Obliterating his initial arrogance, Hwa Jeong-san had proven utterly incapable of suppressing Jin So-un. Ultimately, even the unauthorized intervention of Jong Byeok-gi had failed to shift the balance, leaving Jin So-un as the uncontested victor of the arena.

Yet, despite the absolute clarity of the situation, Jin So-un exhibited zero inclination toward lowering his weapon.

His posture mirrored that of a man standing before a blood-foe with whom no compromise could ever exist.

“This was meant to be a simple Martial Duel! Patron, I beg of you to desist!”

Standing nearby, Jong Byeok-gi mashed his teeth together in raw fury and barked,

“The lunatic has completely lost his senses. Il-myeong, we must combine our strength to subdue him!”

Perhaps his willingness to abandon all martial decorum stemmed from witnessing his Returning Wind Flowless Sword get dismantled so effortlessly.

Jong Byeok-gi showed zero shame in openly advocating for a combined assault against a practitioner younger than himself.

The truly farcical element was that Hwa Jeong-san, who had spent the last several minutes frantically spraying blood and fleeing for his life, actually began dragging himself back to his feet upon hearing those words.

“What drives you to such extreme measures? Drop your weapon!”

Il-myeong extended his left arm, using the Immortal Palm to physically create separation between himself and Jong Byeok-gi, while simultaneously launching the Flicking Finger Fist with his right hand to intercept Jin So-un’s advance.

The hand he had used to clash directly against the steel of the incoming blade throbbed intensely.

If this chaotic state persisted, trapped as he was between the opposing forces, both Jin So-un and Jong Byeok-gi risked sustaining catastrophic injuries.

“If you refuse to yield to reason, you leave me with no alternative.”

Left with no other recourse, Il-myeong finally triggered the Diamond Indestructible Divine Art.

His flesh gradually took on a brilliant, metallic golden hue, transforming his appearance until he resembled a living, breathing statue of an enlightened deity.

One of the true legendary Ascendant Martial Arts of the Shaolin temple, the Diamond Indestructible Divine Art, stood fully manifested.

The mere sight of this transformation would normally compel the vast majority of martial artists to immediately disengage and retreat. Yet, far from backing away, Jin So-un advanced with an even more terrifying intensity.

Swirling into existence around his form were the exact same deceptive phantom blades that had previously broken Hwa Jeong-san.

SWISH.

Before he could consciously register the action, Il-myeong thrust his arm forward to execute the Diamond Prajna Palm.

A colossal manifestation of a spiritual palm, reminiscent of the divine hand that had pinned down the mythical Great Sage Equal to Heaven beneath the peaks of Mount Huaguo, expanded outward.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.

It was impossible for an outside observer to calculate the precise number of kinetic impacts that traded within that fraction of a second, but the Diamond Prajna Palm was ultimately torn apart and scattered amidst a succession of violent detonations.

Jin So-un’s physical state was clearly beginning to show the strain as well.

A slender thread of dark blood began to leak from the side of his mouth.

‘Does there exist some deep, unspoken blood feud between him and Hwa Jeong-san?’

Just as Il-myeong concluded that the situation was spiraling entirely out of control and prepared to utilize the Diamond Finger—

“Offer your concession.”

A clear voice cutting through the tension drifted over from the ranks of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

It belonged to Murong Seol.

“Simply offer your concession. It appears that is the solitary condition the young master requires to end this.”

“…….”

The moment those words left her lips, Jin So-un’s aggressive momentum instantly froze.

“……Young Master Jin, does she speak the truth?”

Rather than offering a verbal response, Jin So-un kept his gaze locked entirely on Hwa Jeong-san.

“If I speak those words, will you finally sheath your steel?”

“…….”

Jin So-un maintained his absolute silence.

Il-myeong shifted his gaze toward the battered martial artist and urged,

“Brother Hwa, yield the match.”

“…….”

Hwa Jeong-san ground his teeth together, his entire being resisting the absolute humiliation of admitting defeat.

In response to the hesitation, Jin So-un deliberately shifted his fingers along the hilt of his weapon, tightening his grip.

“Utter the words! Do you truly possess a desire to see this platform stained with your life’s blood?”

Spurred by Il-myeong’s sharp exclamation, Hwa Jeong-san finally forced his head up, breaking through his own paralysis.

“……I concede the match.”

The moment those agonizing words were dragged from Hwa Jeong-san’s throat—

“…….”

As though that single sentence was the entire purpose of his actions, Jin So-un smoothly guided his weapon back into its scabbard and walked away.

“……Was this entire display truly executed for nothing more than that single admission?”

Il-myeong stared after Jin So-un’s retreating figure with a gaze filled with absolute incomprehension.

“Phew.”

At long last, the specific words I had set out to extract had been spoken aloud.

Though the victory was undeniably mine, an oppressive, heavy stillness continued to hold the entire training grounds captive.

It was completely logical; not a single representative from the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly could have ever anticipated this specific outcome.

Furthermore, none of the disciples belonging to the Taeul Sect could have dreamed that they would bear witness to such a historical reversal.

Clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap-clap.

Suddenly, a solitary figure shattered the dense quietude, applauding with unbridled enthusiasm.

Murong Jae-hwa, who had materialized by some means and now stood adjacent to Murong Gang, was clapping with an intensity that suggested his own bloodline had just achieved a legendary triumph.

I briefly locked eyes with him, offering a subtle nod of recognition, before marching directly over to stand before our Sect Leader, inclining my head in respect.

“…….”

Hong Mun-gi remained completely mute.

Sensing something unusual in his prolonged silence, I lifted my gaze only to discover tears tracking down his weathered face, looking for all the world like a grieving parent who had miraculously been reunited with a lost child.

Using his emotional release as a catalyst, the surrounding Elders quickly followed suit, followed immediately by the various Hall Masters.

Every single senior figure present was openly weeping.

“Our Senior Brother has emerged victorious!”

Wang So-so began frantically shaking the paralyzed disciples standing around her perimeter.

“……O-Our Eldest Senior Brother won the day!!!”

“Eldest Senior Brother has brought down the Mount Hua Sect!!!”

“No, it transcends that! He has single-handedly broken both Mount Hua and Diancang!”

Only then did the younger disciples break free from their collective stupor, erupting into a synchronized cheer so deafening that it caused the foundational structures of the Taeul Sect to vibrate.

“““Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”””

Rather than remaining on the elevated ring to be swamped by the approaching wave of junior disciples who were preparing to ascend the platform, I began a slow, deliberate descent.

“Hold your steps!!”

A powerful, booming voice instantly cast an icy shroud over the jubilant atmosphere of the Taeul Sect.

“…….”

Turning my head back toward the sound, I observed Jong Byeok-gi, gasping heavily for air as plumes of white condensation escaped his lips.

“That style you just displayed! What is the true identity of that martial art?!”

“Did you not explicitly state your desire to bear witness to the heritage of the Taeul Sword Emperor’s blade?”

“Do you honestly expect anyone to believe that is the genuine heritage of the Taeul Sword Emperor?”

“…….”

Faced with such an absurd assertion, even the individual representatives of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly began exchanging confused glances.

“What are you attempting to imply?”

“I am demanding to know whether that specific martial style has truly been transmitted down through the successive generations of the Taeul Sect!”

“…….”

When I refused to grant him the dignity of an answer, Jong Byeok-gi’s confidence swelled, and a massive, self-satisfied grin spread across his features.

“……You have undoubtedly stumbled upon some hidden Fortuitous Encounter somewhere by absolute happenstance.”

Given that my return to this era did indeed constitute a profound twist of fate, I possessed no genuine ground to dispute the core of his claim.

“…….”

“If my assessment is accurate, then the proprietary rights to that specific legacy belong, by ancient decree, first and foremost to the Murim Alliance. And surely you are well aware that the Murim Alliance retains the absolute mandate to investigate the lineage of any unverified martial arts and restore them to their rightful progenitors!”

Jong Byeok-gi’s expression twisted into a grotesque sneer.

“Therefore, we, representing the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, shall formally confiscate and investigate that martial style under our explicit authority as inspection envoys!”

“…….”

So this was the specific angle he intended to play?

It was a thoroughly transparent and predictable maneuver.

The governing body of the Murim Alliance harbored a deep, historical loathing for unmonitored Fortuitous Encounters.

In particular, they despised the sudden emergence of prodigies who seemed to drop out of the heavens overnight courtesy of some hidden legacy.

In a previous era, a monumental figure known to history as the North Wind Fist Saint had risen to prominence.

The Murim Alliance had systematically persecuted him under the exact same rationale, claiming a need to verify the origins of his combat style, but the warrior steadfastly refused to bend the knee to their authority.

As a direct consequence of that state-sanctioned persecution, the North Wind Fist Saint was thoroughly stripped of everything he owned by the Murim Alliance, mere months after his name had achieved renown across the lands.

“Young Master Jong! Desist this instantly! Such actions fall entirely outside the boundaries of our assigned mandate…….”

Murong Seol made a desperate attempt to rein in Jong Byeok-gi’s actions, but my mind tuned out whatever words followed her opening statement.

“Heh heh…….”

“Y-you find this amusing?”

Five centuries.

For five hundred agonizing years, my loyal follower had systematically rebuilt the Taeul Sect from the ashes, barely preserving its spark of life amidst absolute poverty and degraded combat styles, all while waiting faithfully for his master’s return.

And that very master, who had been unable to break free after falling prey to the treacherous machinations of the individuals he had trusted implicitly, had waited within that concealed vault for five centuries, clinging to the singular hope that his combat legacy would eventually find its way down to his chosen follower.

“……You possess the audacity to drag that immense span of sacred time through your shallow, pathetic mouth?”

“W-what did you say? You dare speak to me…….”

“Are those the final syllables you wish to utter in this life?”

“What are you implying…….”

“My course of action is decided.”

I am going to execute him on this very spot today, regardless of whether it cements my status as an absolute enemy of the Murim Alliance.

The Murim Alliance was destined to dissolve into history eventually anyway, and I harbored zero personal desire to alter that specific outcome.

Admittedly, taking this life might cause numerous interconnected strategies to fall apart completely, and I might ultimately fail to preserve the lives of several key individuals I intended to save.

However, my past existence was far too choked with bitter regrets for me to allow myself to be managed and driven like cattle in this second life.

“The path ahead will be far from effortless…….”

“What in heaven’s name are you…… uttering right now?!”

Small Buddha Il-myeong.

Clear Wind Bright Sword So Je-ho.

Heavy Spear True Man Ak Buk-san.

Soul-Capturing Xi Shi Seo Sa-ryeong.

Jade-Faced Little Smile Hwangbo Yeon.

White-Hand Divine Maiden Dang Seo-hui.

And Smiling Iron Sword Murong Seol.

Every single one of them would inevitably move to construct a barrier between me and my quarry.

It was of zero consequence.

Should they choose to position themselves as obstacles along my path, I would systematically slaughter every single individual present, save for Murong Seol.

I began mobilizing my internal reserves, infusing the energy with raw, concentrated Intent, and to supplement whatever standard cultivation I lacked, I reached deep down to awaken and channel my Innate True Qi.

The Taeul True Scripture was a discipline designed above all else to manifest the absolute, unyielding decree of one’s personal Intent.

Infused with an absolute desire to kill—a sensation so pure and concentrated that even I had never experienced its equal—I unleashed the full, sweeping manifestation of the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula.

“W-what…… is the meaning of this!!”

“…….”

Much like how the Plum Blossom Sword Art had previously held total dominion over the arena, the newly manifested Ten Thousand Swords completely claimed the environment.

Every single individual construct was saturated with an unadulterated intent to end life.

“Young Master Jin! Regain your composure! Your interpretation of his words is entirely mistaken!”

Even Small Buddha Il-myeong let out a horrified shriek, but his frantic words failed to register within my awareness.

The legacy of the Taeul True Scripture paired with the Ten Thousand Seas Heaven-Earth Sword Formula that I had secured would undeniably guarantee a future of boundless evolution for the Taeul Sect.

Even if the consequences of today resulted in the complete destruction of my own martial channels, there remained an abundance of ways I could serve and guide the Taeul Sect forward.

“The hour for negotiation has already passed.”

Just as the collective membership of the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, their complexions completely drained of color, prepared to leap onto the platform to mount a desperate defense against the hovering Ten Thousand Swords—

“Heh heh heh. I hand-selected these youths in the hope of introducing reform to the Murim Alliance, yet it appears they have done nothing but absorb the worst habits of their predecessors, passing their time mimicking the corruption of old men.”

A vibrant, commanding voice struck my ears, sending a physical vibration through my head.

The collective gaze of everyone present instantly snapped toward the open air where the resonance had originated.

There, an elderly figure garbed in the simple attire of a common Herb Gatherer was casually descending toward the earth, stepping firmly upon the empty atmosphere as though navigating a solid flight of stairs.

“Void-Stepping!”

Jong Byeok-gi let out a sharp, terrified gasp.