Chapter 169. Time (1)

The guy who locked me in this cave revealed himself.

It was a strange feeling.

If it were usual, I would have rushed at the guy without measuring front and back.

Anger would have soared, and I wouldn’t have been able to restrain myself.

But now, I could just look at the Fighting Venerable indifferently.

No.

Deep inside, hellfire was soaring madly.

It was shouting to rush out right now and kill that guy.

But that anger did not encroach on reason.

It just boiled inside me.

It seemed the training so far wasn’t completely in vain.

I asked the Fighting Venerable.

“Has five years passed already?”

In this cave, I couldn’t know the flow of each day.

Because being cut off from the outside, I couldn’t properly distinguish day and night.

But I could roughly grasp the flow of a year.

Because of the change of seasons.

I didn’t know about other things, but at least I could distinguish summer and winter.

Because there was a period when the cave interior felt particularly cold, and conversely a period when it felt particularly hot.

And the time I was kidnapped by the Fighting Venerable was around the transition from autumn to winter.

At least as I remembered, three winters had passed since then.

So I calculated that roughly a few months more than three years had passed.

I thought more than a year was left, but that old man deserving to be torn to death suddenly visited.

Did summer and winter pass without me knowing while I was fighting mental demons and living crazily?

It was a question thrown to solve such doubt, but the crazy old man just spilled a sneer.

“Shouldn’t you ask what you are curious about after surviving first? Hehehe.”

Saying so, the Fighting Venerable moved his steps with the cave entrance open.

I willingly chased that guy and left the cave.

Coming out of the cave, a wide field filled my vision.

Under the warm sunlight. The senile crazy old man was grinning looking at me.

I don’t know if it was just a feeling, but something was different.

Originally, the Fighting Venerable was an old man, but he felt exceptionally older.

Five years, short if short and long if long.

Did he age more in the meantime?

Or did I unknowingly remember that guy as younger because of the Fighting Venerable’s absurd martial prowess?

It wasn’t particularly important.

“Hehehe. Let’s see how outstanding the martial arts of that Sun Moon Divine Sword said to have ascended are!”

The Fighting Venerable, shouting with a wrinkled face, swung his blade in the air, and fierce energy flew in.

As I threw my body unfolding Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps to the extreme, crescent-shaped enhanced qi devastated the place where I originally stood.

I dodged the first blow, but it wasn’t a relaxed situation.

Pah!

The Fighting Venerable, unfolding amazing movement arts that could be called transposition, had arrived right in front of my nose before I knew it.

Swoosh!

As expected, the Fighting Venerable’s blade wrapped in enhanced qi flies towards my face.

I also unfolded Flower Moon Finger and swung the Master’s Blade to counter.

I had been prepared since leaving the cave following that damn old man.

Because internal energy was circulating through the whole body’s acupoints from long ago, I could unfold Flower Moon Finger without a shred of delay.

Explosion bursts out as the two weapons clash.

Boom!!

Shock as if muscles would be crushed covers the whole body.

But there was no leisure to be buried in pain.

The absurdly huge energy formed on the Fighting Venerable’s body rages towards my four limbs and hundred bones.

At the same time, several trajectories were embroidered in the air.

The combo attacks of the Fighting Venerable who retrieved the blade instantly continue.

I barely dodged by unfolding Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps melted with the principle of Life and Death Blood Steps, and when a way to dodge wasn’t visible, I also unfolded Moonlight Coiling Sword.

Thanks to learning all the first forms and melting all the enlightenment of the first forms, the sword screen of Moonlight Coiling Sword also became thicker than in the past.

But even so, against the Fighting Venerable, it was a level changed from a sheet of paper to a wooden board.

Slice!

Using the moment the sword screen, torn without lasting long, endured, I barely threw my body.

Boom!!

Sand dust scatters as the ground explodes, and torn grass leaves fill the vision.

Beyond that vision, a new trajectory was embroidered again.

Whether it was because my skills increased, or because the Fighting Venerable was controlling his power.

When I first encountered him, even responding was impossible, but now I could barely react.

Boom!!

After barely dodging by taking one step and striking away the second blow by swinging the Master’s Blade to counter. I also secretly shot a strand of sword qi with the method of Azure Heaven’s Hidden Smile.

Swoosh.

Utilizing the principle of Illusionary Sun Myriad Changes, I also tried unfolding feints with multiple strands of sword qi.

Clang!

After exchanging moves a few times like that. Again, the two weapons clash.

Boom!

While locking weapons with each other. A minute noise dug into my ears.

“Huff. Huff.”

It was heavy breathing.

But it wasn’t a sound coming from my mouth.

With swords locked, I examined the Fighting Venerable’s face.

The crazy old man’s face was distorted.

A wrinkled forehead. Wrinkles tangled with each other and created even bigger wrinkles.

It looked like sword silk mingling together to become enhanced qi.

Why was the Fighting Venerable’s breathing disturbed and his face crumpled?

It didn’t seem to be because of internal injury.

Because terrifying energy was still flowing very naturally in the old man’s body.

An appearance contrasting with the overflowing internal energy.

Suddenly a certain scene brushed through my mind.

Clang!

I threw my body backward riding the rebound force.

“Where. Huff. Are you going!”

The Fighting Venerable rushes in with rough breathing.

Glaring at him, I opened my mouth.

“So did you take me out early?”

The steps of the Fighting Venerable who was rushing paused.

Certainty arose due to the Fighting Venerable’s reaction.

“You took me out to decide the victor before dying of old age. Isn’t that right?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel it because I was crazy.

Five years really hadn’t passed.

At this, the Fighting Venerable who hesitated snorted and rushed again.

“Humph. What does that matter!”

I barely dodged a blow by unfolding Eight Trigrams Flying Stream Steps to the extreme.

I blocked the second strike by unfolding Flower Moon Finger, and while throwing my body again, I examined the Fighting Venerable’s movements.

Breathing becoming rough little by little. Limbs shaking minutely, unsuitable for the high realm.

It was a familiar sight.

In the past, Qingliang Xueshang, the Elder of Unwol Sect, was like that.

Of course, a huge gap existed between Qingliang Xueshang and the Fighting Venerable.

The realm reached was completely different, and unlike Qingliang Xueshang who became weak by neglecting external art training, that crazy old man must have trained consistently.

But no matter how much one repeats training, one cannot beat time.

The reason I could react to the Fighting Venerable’s movements.

It wasn’t because my realm rose steeply, nor because that old man was going easy on me.

It was just that he became frail.

But dealing with the old man who was frail as could be wasn’t entirely easy either.

Unlike the frail body, immense internal energy was flowing in the old man’s body.

Swoosh.

Because every time the old man swung his blade once, tremendous energy flew in targeting my vital points.

Clang!

Right after barely striking away the energy shot by the Fighting Venerable. A voice filled with annoyance and fatigue dug into my ears.

“Haa. What in the world did you do for over three years!! How could you not even ascend to the Heavenly Ladder Realm yet!!!”

Is it because I locked anger deep inside?

I could watch the Fighting Venerable’s fit with indifferent eyes like watching a senile old man’s disturbance.

“Your achievement was a level that could not be reached at that age. Do you think it makes sense that such a genius grew only this much over three years!”

A hollow laugh seemed about to flow out.

Genius. It was a word completely unrelated to me.

Growing this much while trapped in a cave was also because a few fortunes followed.

Experience fighting experts superior to me. And special two eyes that could review the methods they used.

Furthermore, even the teaching of the secret manual called Sun Moon Infinite Sword.

If it were me in my past life without special eyes or the Sun Moon Infinite Sword secret manual, the possibility of just marking time was high.

No. Rather, I might have wandered looking for the wrong path and my skills might have regressed.

But that crazy old man was scolding me saying even that was slow.

Even though he was a guy who kidnapped and confined a person who didn’t even want it at his whim.

But instead of refuting something, I quietly watched the Fighting Venerable’s fit.

The body of the Fighting Venerable who shouted heaves.

As if shouting long sentences was burdensome, he was inhaling and exhaling very roughly.

If I watched that crazy fit just a little more, it seemed he would collapse on his own.

If that happens, taking revenge for the comrades wouldn’t be difficult.

While listening to the senile old man’s shouts with such a mindset for a while. The Fighting Venerable spat out unexpected words.

“Haa. Damn it. To think I even piled up lies to stimulate a guy like this, this seat’s face is in ruins.”

“Lies? What does that mean?”

At my question, the Fighting Venerable answered with a face full of annoyance.

“Your comrades didn’t die. No. At least this seat didn’t kill them.”

Momentarily, I was speechless.

“…….”

It felt like the fire demon soaring endlessly deep inside was extinguished with a whoosh.

But, I couldn’t believe that crazy old man’s words literally.

“Why did you tell me such a lie?”

“Only then wouldn’t you, trapped in a cave, do your best for revenge? But what in the world did you do in the cave all this time! Did you have no intention of avenging your comrades!”

The Fighting Venerable was scolding me conversely.

I wasn’t angry. Rather, a sigh of relief leaked out.

Judging by that crazy old man’s nature, the words he just spat out seemed to be the truth.

In relief, I looked at the crazy old man and asked.

“Why did you go that far? Is dealing with Master Sun Moon Divine Sword’s martial arts such an important matter? To the point of spitting out such lies and locking me, whom you’ve never met, in such a cave for over three years?”

The Fighting Venerable looked at me as if I were a strange guy and answered.

“I dedicated my whole life to the turbulent Gangho. Then shouldn’t I prove that this seat’s martial arts are the best under heaven, furthermore, the best of all time?”

Words spat out as if too obvious.

Now I felt I knew.

That old man was a martial artist who devoted his whole life only to martial arts.

A madman who lived for only one conviction of becoming the best under heaven, furthermore, the best martial artist of all time.

But ridiculously, now he was nothing more than an old man facing the day of death.

Perhaps that old man was also aware of that fact.

Before his life ended. While going on the last journey in Gangho for self-proof, I wondered if he discovered me by chance.

From my perspective, it was damn unlucky, but.

“No. Should I say I was lucky.”

Thinking about it, it was so.

If the comrades didn’t die by that old man, me and my comrades were in a position owing our lives to that crazy old man.

If that old man hadn’t intervened, we would have all lost our lives at Mount Pyeongwan that day.

I looked at the old man who saved us.

The man’s eyes that would have shone brilliantly had lost their luster long ago, and were just cloudy.

“Haa.”

Letting out a light sigh, I re-gripped the Master’s Blade with both hands.

And said to the Fighting Venerable.

“Then I will show you. The martial art left by Master Sun Moon Divine Sword. The latter first form of Sun Moon Infinite Sword.”

The latter first form of Sun Moon Infinite Sword could not be used in actual combat yet.

Even after gathering all the martial arts I saw, experienced, and learned, and learning all the teachings of the first forms of Sun Moon Infinite Sword, I couldn’t ascend to the Heavenly Ladder Realm.

The one last remaining wall.

To break through this wall, I read the latter part of Sun Moon Infinite Sword repeatedly.

Thanks to that, I had already perfectly memorized the essential points.

Furthermore, I had experience attempting it a few times.

But I never unfolded it properly even once, and quite a long time was needed just to prepare.

Still, I felt I should give at least minimum repayment to the benefactor who saved my life.

“Try comparing directly. Which is superior between the martial arts you built up all your life and the martial arts of an expert from five hundred years ago.”

Saying so, I closed my mouth and focused on the energy flowing through my acupoints.

“Sssip. Huu.”

While steadying my mind with deep breaths, I continuously sent energy towards the Master’s Blade.

Energies running through the whole body’s acupoints pile up layer by layer on the Master’s Blade.

Before I knew it, brilliant enhanced qi was swirling on the Master’s Blade.

Perhaps feeling something as well, the Fighting Venerable grinned and was lifting his blade again.

Between those cloudy eyes of before, a bright light twinkled faintly.

“Hehehe.”

It was the eyes of a child who discovered something interesting.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep