Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 353 – Spiritual Sword Sanctuary (4)

Jeong Myeong Sa-tae of the Hangshan Sect looked around with a surprised face.

‘Where am I?’

Everything around was pitch black, and nothing could be seen.

She was sure she had been looking at something just a moment ago, but what was happening?

As she was finding this strange:

-Seureung!

The sound of a sword being drawn was heard from somewhere.

She turned her head towards the source of the sound.

There stood an elderly man with a calm demeanor, dark skin, and burn marks visible here and there on his face, holding a sword.

Seeing this, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae’s eyes widened.

‘Amitabha. Could it be Master Ou…… Ah?’

No voice came out.

It felt like her thoughts were echoing in her head.

Soon, rather than questioning this, she had to focus on the elderly man before her.

This was because this old man was undoubtedly him.

It was Ou Cheonmu, the master of Spiritual Sword Sanctuary and one of the Six Heavens, called the pinnacle of the current martial world.

‘How?’

She was sure he hadn’t left his workshop yet.

So why was he in front of her eyes?

As she was wondering about this:

-Pat!

Suddenly, Ou Cheonmu swung his sword towards her.

This was just a light sword strike.

But the moment she saw the sword thrusting towards her, her mind became complex.

‘How can this be?’

Because in this single, simple move, she saw countless sword techniques.

For her, a swordswoman, this single strike was incredibly shocking.

However, her surprise was brief, and with the thought that she must block this sword aiming at her, she drew the sword at her waist.

-Seureung!

And to block this profound sword, she unleashed the fourth move of the Hangshan Sect’s Wall Origin Seven Sword Techniques, the Remaining Wish Stops Smoothly.

-Chwachwachwachwachwak!

Her sword gracefully traced an arc as it tried to block the incoming strike.

But,

-Chaeng!

Her five-move sword technique couldn’t withstand even this single strike and was deflected, and suddenly Ou Cheonmu’s sword thrust into the center of her chest.

-Puk!

“Kkeup!”

At that moment, she clutched her chest and staggered.

“Jeong Myeong Sa-tae!”

Someone supported her.

It was none other than Moyong Hak, the eldest son of the Moyong family.

“Pa-Patron Moyong?”

“Sa-tae. Are you alright?”

“What in the world……”

Her eyes widened.

Suddenly, the surroundings had brightened, and Ou Cheonmu, who had stabbed her, had disappeared from in front of her.

As she was wondering what had happened,

-Wukssin!

Her chest ached, and an incredibly profound sword intent dominated her mind.

At that moment, she could realize.

What she had seen wasn’t reality.

Jeong Myeong Sa-tae’s gaze turned to the large stone tablet in front of the cliff’s edge.

“Sa-tae?”

“Ahhh. Indeed…… Indeed……”

She kept exclaiming in admiration.

At her reaction, Moyong Hak asked with an expression of incomprehension:

“Sa-tae, what’s going on?”

The one who answered this question wasn’t her.

Ou Woong-seong, the second son of Master Ou, answered with a face that seemed somewhat proud:

“She took the master’s test. Should I say that those who experience this receive his teachings in their mind’s eye?”

“Did you say mind’s eye?”

“Yes.”

Isn’t the mind’s eye literally the world of the mind that one enters when reaching a state of no-self?

Then, did Jeong Myeong Sa-tae enter the mind’s eye after seeing the inscription on that stone tablet?

At this, Moyong Hak stared intently at the words “Sword Way Sword Extreme” (劍道劍極) engraved on the stone tablet.

He felt a refreshing sensation in his chest as the majestic spirit emanating from the calligraphy was transmitted.

But that was all.

‘Why?’

Jeong Myeong Sa-tae said she had fallen into the mind’s eye after seeing that, so why was nothing happening to him?

As he was wondering, Ou Woong-seong smiled and said:

“Huhuhu. It doesn’t work just by staring at it intently.”

“What?”

“The master said that to receive the sword intent engraved on the tablet, one must have at least the minimum qualifications.”

“Minimum qualifications?”

“Yes, it’s difficult for me to express in words as my understanding is shallow, but it seems that to read the sword intent, one must have a high level of understanding of the sword as a swordsman.”

“……”

-Euddeuk!

At these words from Ou Woong-seong, Moyong Hak gritted his teeth.

He was one of the Six Dragons, hailed as the best of the younger generation in the Righteous Alliance.

He couldn’t help but feel his pride hurt at the implication that his understanding, which he prided himself on being unmatched among his peers, was not even enough to read the sword intent left on the tablet.

‘Not even qualified?’

As a blood descendant of a martial family that vied for supremacy in swordsmanship along with the Namgoong family among the Seven Great Families, he felt ashamed.

Seeing his reaction, Ou Woong-seong inwardly sneered.

In fact, despite talking about qualifications and such, Moyong Hak shouldn’t feel ashamed.

To reach a level where one could fall into the mind’s eye just by looking at those characters inscribed by his father, one needed to have reached a considerable realm in swordsmanship.

Although Moyong Hak was said to possess remarkable martial prowess worthy of being called one of the Six Dragons, it was impossible for him to have reached the realm of Jeong Myeong Sa-tae, who had attained the position of an elder in a sect.

‘Don’t feel inferior. Even among those sitting here, not many have reached the mind’s eye.’

It’s probably less than half.

They too, like Moyong Hak, were sitting here with their pride shattered, hoping to gain even a fragment of insight.

Of course, only a very few would gain even that small hint of insight.

At that moment, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae spoke:

“Amitabha. Indeed, the reputation is well-deserved. I now truly understand why it’s said that Master Ou’s knowledge of swords is close to being the best in the world.”

“We are grateful for your words.”

“This humble monk has reached a realm I dare not approach.”

Jeong Myeong Sa-tae expressed her honest feelings.

Although she had enthusiasm for martial arts, as a Buddhist, she had no greed and thus no desire to challenge the sword intent, but through this, she had gained various insights.

Therefore, she could understand why so many people were clinging to that stone tablet.

‘What a pity. If that sword had been completed, it would have formed a sword intent equal to or greater than Master Ou’s.’

But that didn’t seem easy.

The fact that it stopped at just one stroke in the last character meant that there was still a gap.

-Jurureuk!

Blood trickled down the corner of Ji-oe’s mouth.

He thrust the sword he was holding into the ground as if frustrated.

-Puk!

“Damn it!”

As he spat out these rough words, Gok-o said:

“Brother Ji. You’re too hasty.”

“What do you mean by hasty?”

“How can you so rashly challenge Master Ou with an incomplete sword intent?”

“Ahem.”

At this rebuke, Ji-oe coughed awkwardly.

He had nothing to say because Ji-oe had such an impatient temperament that he couldn’t resist issuing a challenge whenever he gained even a small hint of insight.

“It won’t be long. By the time I complete my Ten Swords, I will surpass that sword intent.”

“Sigh. Isn’t it too careless to name them First Sword, Second Sword, Third Sword every time you complete a move?”

“What’s careless about it? The important thing is the sword intent. There’s no meaning in giving grand names to the moves.”

“But that way, the sword intent becomes monotonous.”

“Didn’t I say that complexity doesn’t mean it’s good?”

Before they knew it, the two were arguing about their respective sword philosophies.

The surrounding swordsmen seemed used to this, as they turned back to look at the tablet, trying to enter the mind’s eye again.

Ou Woong-seong shrugged and said:

“This happens often. The two of them have been here for so long that they’re quite close.”

“Amitabha. It seems so. In any case, although it’s regrettable to the two seniors, we’ll have to interrupt to get their help.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Young master Moyong, please go……”

-Flinch!

At that moment, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae furrowed her brow mid-sentence.

Puzzled by her attitude, Moyong Hak called out:

“Jeong Myeong Sa-tae?”

At his call, Jeong Myeong Sa-tae held out her hand, signaling him to wait, and then asked Ou Woong-seong:

“Patron Ou…… I apologize, but who is that person?”

“That person?”

Puzzled by her question, Ou Woong-seong turned his gaze in the direction she was looking.

She was looking at the area where the stone tablet was.

Ji-oe and Gok-o were loudly debating in front of it, but somehow, a stranger had approached their side.

‘Huh?’

Because of the back view, he couldn’t see the face, but the reason Ou Woong-seong found it strange was simple.

It was because the stranger was carrying a blade at his waist.

‘A blade?’

In other places, having a blade wouldn’t be strange.

But this was Sword Valley.

It was a place called the holy land of swords.

Only authorized swordsmen were allowed to enter here.

‘What? How did he get in?’

As he was wondering, Ji-oe and Gok-o, who had been arguing, stopped and naturally turned their heads to the side.

Their expressions became strange as they turned their heads.

‘No way?’

‘Who is this person?’

The reason for their expressions was that no one had noticed this person approaching.

Ji-oe and Gok-o were formidable swordsmen who prided themselves on being unmatched by anyone in Spiritual Sword Sanctuary except for the master.

From their perspective, it was naturally surprising.

Then, the unidentified person spoke:

“How dare mere swords discuss the extreme?”

At this incredibly arrogant tone, Ji-oe was dumbfounded.

Setting aside the fact that he approached without presence, who was this guy to spout such insolent words?

‘Huh? A blade?’

Then he noticed the blade at the stranger’s waist.

Who on earth is this guy?

How did he get in here with a blade?

Just as he was about to ask these questions:

“Hey……”

-Flinch!

At that moment, Ji-oe and Gok-o simultaneously leaped backward, sensing a chillingly sharp killing intent.

Simultaneously,

-Chwak!

The sound of something being cut was heard.

The two swordsmen who had avoided the sharp energy turned their heads to the side.

Their eyes shook wildly.

-Jjeojeojeok! Kung!

Before their eyes, the stone tablet inscribed with “Sword Way Sword Extreme”, symbolizing the holy land of swords, was splitting in half and crumbling.

At this sight, all the swordsmen sitting in meditation in front of the tablet stood up, unable to hide their shock.

Their eyes, which were initially filled with shock, soon turned to anger.

This was the same for Ji-oe and Gok-o.

Gok-o, with a voice filled with anger, drew his sword and pointed it at him, saying:

-Shiing!

“Who are you? How dare you enter this place and commit such an act that will incur everyone’s wrath?”

“To call it everyone’s wrath for cutting a tablet inscribed with sword intent of just this level…… It’s laughable.”

“What?”

-Chaeng!

Before Gok-o could finish speaking.

With a flash of light, his sword was split in half and fell to the ground.

-Chaenggeulang!

Gok-o’s eyes shook wildly at this incredible single blade strike.

‘……This can’t be.’

He hadn’t even seen the blade being swung.

Looking at him, a man with thick eyebrows and a strong appearance sneered and said:

“Only the blade can discuss the extreme.”

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