Divine Sword Squad (1)
When Namgung Sejin of the Azure Qilin received a strike from Jeong Yeonshin's palm technique.
At the moment when the Namgung family showed intense movement, the Divine Sword Squad of Ip Hwang City also stepped forward.
The masters of the Namgung family did not stop at the shout of the Azure Qilin.
The opponent they faced was the direct martial force of the Divine Sword Leader.
Divine Sword Squad.
It was the first of the seventeen martial forces under the Divine Sword Leader.
Both its founding time and martial power were like that.
It was reputed as the strongest in Ip Hwang City.
"Winning at that distance."
"Measuring the distance is very intuitive, isn't it? They play freely in the sword domain. That's innate."
"Does anyone know what that palm technique is? I heard that friend from Seomye only uses unique martial arts."
"Unless one possesses considerable protective energy, they would die instantly upon impact. Would it be like condensing the Shaolin Hundred Steps Divine Fist into a close-range strike?"
"It seems to take a long time to prepare. It's not very precise either. The recoil is immense. It's a martial art that relies entirely on the caster's senses."
"Even if you belittle it, the power is enough to call it a divine skill. It's definitely rare."
The composition of the twenty members was diverse.
There were men and women, young and old.
Middle-aged and young people, as well as a boy and a girl, were present.
That was their outward appearance.
A girl wearing a jet-black long robe and carrying a spear on her back spoke with a smirk.
"Look at those guys. They're flinching and retreating."
"Granny Ak's aura is strong, isn't it? It's probably not because of us. After all, it's Namgung."
A handsome middle-aged man called the girl granny and even used a youthful tone.
No one found it strange.
Eccentric and extraordinary martial artists.
There is a saying that there are as many unique and extraordinary martial artists in the martial world as there are grains of sand.
The masters of the Divine Sword Squad were particularly famous.
"Please restrain yourselves. There are many eyes watching."
"Leave it be. Since when did our squad care about formality?"
The atmosphere was very light.
All sorts of weighty words and actions blended naturally.
It's because they roamed the martial world together almost all year round.
They constantly carried out missions in Ip Hwang City.
They were temperamentally close to being wanderers.
However, their martial prowess was different.
Besides the black-clad supreme master who was the deputy leader, all members were blue-clad masters.
Moreover, the leader, who was both the Divine Sword Leader and the squad leader, was an absolute being in purple, so they were united by camaraderie and didn't care about the crowd's gaze.
"By the way... the young master's power seems less than rumored. Was there some incident before the duel?"
"What does it matter? In the end, it ends like this."
Namgung Sejin of the Azure Qilin slowly falls.
At that moment, even among the masters of the Divine Sword Squad, silence flowed.
The death of an outstanding talent always called for silence.
Moreover, the Azure Qilin remained dignified until the end.
A comet of the martial world, possessing martial arts, spirit, and chivalry, faded away.
A new era in the martial world failed to sprout and withered.
"... He is someone to mourn."
"What a pity. Truly a pity."
"More than that, it seems that friend from Seomye will continue?"
A youthful young man gestured towards Jeong Yeonshin.
The boy's appearance was like that.
Holding the Ip Hwang Sword, he did not sheath it.
He was blankly watching as the masters of the Namgung family collected Namgung Sejin's body.
The girl in the black long robe clicked her tongue.
"It's not showing fighting spirit, just thoughtlessness. Unable to think. It seems he's quite melancholic after defeating his opponent. It's common at that age."
"Granny Ak, why don't you bring him over? If he's truly in a state of selflessness, even a blue-clad master would find it hard to handle him clumsily."
The young man called Soha looked at Seomye with a troubled face.
"Soha, you're right."
The girl smiled broadly and brought her hands to her lips.
After a moment of exaggerated hand movements, an enormous aura burst forth.
[Child! Come here―!]
It was a sound no less than the Shihwa Muguk Su's echoing roar.
It was a noisy scene due to the crowd dispersing in all directions.
The roar once again resonated strongly through the canyon, even shaking the atmosphere.
Jeong Yeonshin suddenly lifted his head.
The girl in the black long robe, with an annoying smile, shouted with her voice.
"You should be aware of your position! Aren't you now the one who defeated the young master of Namgung? Look at those Namgung guys over there! With their eyes wide open, they look like they might start swinging their swords at any moment!"
"Why not just bring him over, instead of attracting attention and provoking...?"
The young man called Soha shook his head.
"Ah..."
Jeong Yeonshin, who was standing far away, slightly opened his lips.
While the masters of the Divine Sword Squad were showing a comical appearance like a play, the boy finally came to his senses.
Moreover, he was surprised.
The Divine Sword Squad was a group among the clouds even within the Divine Sword Leader.
Their fame pierced the sky.
'That person is.'
He guessed the identity of the girl who called him.
Ip Hwang Divine Spear Ak Surim.
An old master who had reached the realm of returning to youth through special inner power, reversing the years of the body.
Returning to youth means reaching the pinnacle of skill.
It meant being outstanding even among the black-clad of Ip Hwang City.
Martial artists are not free from hierarchy.
They had their own world.
Martial arts, sects, character, and honor were their status.
Appearance was also like that.
The nicknames of the later-stage masters, like dragons and phoenixes, were proof of that.
Returning to youth.
It's a realm that reverses the time of the body.
It's not something that can be achieved with high martial arts alone.
Enlightenment, fortuitous encounters, and the special inner power learned must all be exceptional.
Ak Surim was someone who possessed everything.
She was as well-known as the Divine Sword Leader.
The deputy leader of the Divine Sword Squad, who had rejuvenated through martial arts, personally called Jeong Yeonshin.
It meant that Seomye had at least the minimum dignity.
However, the boy was not particularly moved.
'It's bothersome.'
He thought inadvertently.
He wanted to savor the enlightenment bestowed by Namgung Sejin.
How should one live as a martial artist? Even if he prioritized his lifespan, was it truly right to walk the path of martial arts with just that?
He was the last opponent of the Azure Qilin.
Step.
Jeong Yeonshin turned his back on the masters of the Divine Sword Squad.
"Next..."
He slowly opened his lips.
"Next. Please come out."
He spoke while looking at the Namgung family side.
It was a formation that seemed to be filled with murderous intent, regardless of the middle-aged masters or the later-stage masters.
They were looking at him as if they would kill him at any moment, and the gathered aura approached like a giant evil spirit.
Jeong Yeonshin didn't care.
He had already guessed Namgung Mi's petty trick, which was considering surrender.
Relying on the difference in distribution to protect life and honor? He didn't want to follow it.
It was a strategy of the dead.
The boy stood upright in his place.
It was a decision made by Namgung Sejin's death.
The power contained in the corpse would not have completely dissipated yet.
He didn't want to show a shameful appearance.
"Whether it's spirit or recklessness..."
Ak Surim muttered blankly.
"Good! I gladly accept the challenge of an outstanding junior!"
With a loud shout, a middle-aged man in blue martial attire leaped.
Boom!
In an instant, he reached right in front of Jeong Yeonshin.
The boy slightly furrowed his brows.
The sand and aura that bounced violently and hit his face were truly fierce.
'The leader of the Namgung family’s Celestial Sword Heaven Group.'
A man with eyes that rose like blades.
Facing him, the aura was immense.
The flow of energy surging from his entire body was overwhelming.
'They said the lord cut down the deputy leader.'
The deputy leader of the Celestial Sword Heaven Group was also said to be one of the top swordsmen in Namjikrye.
However, he became a ghost at the hands of the lord of Ip Hwang City.
It was said that Hyeonwonchang witnessed it directly.
It was a single strike.
Perhaps because of the deaths of the direct descendants added to that incident.
The aura emanating from the leader of the Celestial Sword Heaven Group gradually gathered like a sword blade.
It was a sharp momentum that was difficult for Jeong Yeonshin to handle.
He didn't show it.
He couldn't disgrace Namgung Sejin.
'If I insert the Shihwa Muguk Su.'
He recalled the ultimate move of the Shihwa Muguk Su that he had named.
The power was proven.
If he could somehow hit it, it would be enough to inflict a fatal wound even on a black-clad supreme master.
At that moment.
"Stop there."
A clear voice rang out.
The reaction of the leader of the Celestial Sword Heaven Group was faster than Jeong Yeonshin's.
The middle-aged man's eyes immediately widened.
"Divine Sword Leader...!"
It was a name that struck the mind the moment it was heard.
It was behind Jeong Yeonshin.
A presence so vivid that it chilled his senses emerged.
There was a momentum that rose overwhelmingly like a tidal wave.
The boy turned his head even with the enemy in front of him.
A tall man.
He had the impression of a scholar.
His attire was also like that.
Only the robe in the style of a literary scholar was purple.
The aura was different.
It was completely different from when he had fully gathered his power.
The impression that Jeong Yeonshin had not engraved in his mind because he was dazed became terrifyingly clear.
It approached transcendently.
The Divine Sword Leader slowly opened his mouth.
"Sword Heaven Leader. That's enough."
"What? How can you be so shameless...!"
"The one who doesn't know shame is you. What do you intend to do with a mere boy?"
He concluded with a smile.
His words and actions were unconventional.
Step.
He walked slowly, and no one could stop him.
From afar, the head of the Namgung family was silently glaring.
He seemed ready to step forward at any moment, stroking his sword wave, but he had only taken a few steps so far.
The Divine Sword Leader approached with light steps.
He seemed free from the gaze of all the people in the world.
He stopped just a step in front of Jeong Yeonshin and quietly gazed at the boy.
"You're called Seomye, right?"
"I greet the leader."
Jeong Yeonshin calmly raised his fist in salute.
The Divine Sword Leader's lips curled up.
"I thought you were blind. You treated your leader as if he didn't exist until you got here. It was an unfamiliar experience. I didn't expect the boy's state of selflessness to be so deep."
"... I apologize."
"It's a silly joke. Anyway, I want you to step back now. You've fought two life-and-death battles, and your distribution is much lower. You have enough justification. But..."
The Divine Sword Leader spoke with a small smile.
"You seem determined. It won't be easy with just words."
"I..."
"I heard from the chief officer. He said I should pass on a piece of my martial arts to you. Let me add one more thing. I'll help you build connections in the martial world that will be your strength."
Jeong Yeonshin closed his mouth for a moment.
The connections personally mentioned by the Divine Sword Leader would not be ordinary relationships.
However, it was a decision difficult to trade.
How could he in front of Namgung Sejin?
At that moment, the Divine Sword Leader furrowed his brows slightly.
He made a distressed expression.
"You've already done more than enough to save face. Now it's time to consider your superior."
Jeong Yeonshin thought silently.
He didn't know his leader was an eccentric.
The Divine Sword Squad.
A group difficult to understand.
"I'll take it as your agreement. I'm very grateful."
The Divine Sword Leader smiled broadly and gently pushed Jeong Yeonshin's shoulder as he stepped forward.
At that moment, the momentum of the leader of the Celestial Sword Heaven Group disappeared as if swept away by a current.
It vanished without a trace.
"From now on."
The Divine Sword Leader opened his lips.
"In all duels with Namgung, I will step forward."
"That's absurd!"
An elder from the Namgung family side shouted from the back.
The Divine Sword Leader's head tilted slightly.
"Wasn't it supposed to be the younger ones first? I believe it was your proposal. Our former leader and the head of the elders are elderly gentlemen."
"The White Qilin..."
At that moment, Ip Hwang Divine Spear Ak Surim suddenly approached Namgung Hwashin's side.
It was a very swift movement technique.
It was before he could fully make a puzzled expression.
Ak Surim's left hand turned into a faintly blurred sword.
It was a speed in another realm.
Thud!
A dull sound rang out.
As soon as she struck the back of Namgung Hwashin's neck with a lightning-fast hand, his balance crumbled.
It seemed he lost consciousness immediately.
The Divine Sword Leader smiled as if she had done well.
"Let's finish quickly and go. There's a lot to teach Seomye."
"..."
It was indeed an unconventional act, but none of the masters of the Divine Sword Squad seemed surprised.
They all calmly watched Jeong Yeonshin and the Divine Sword Leader.
"The White Qilin Namgung Hwashin is not in a state to participate in the duel. Let's say we lost this time."
The Divine Sword Leader's lips curled smoothly.
"Next, it's me."