The Sword Empress narrowed her brows as she faced Cheon Mubaeck.

‘Is he truly a descendant of the Sword God?’

The Sword God was skilled at gathering his energy, but he did not forcibly hide his presence.

‘Because he was a truly tyrannical person.’

There was a saying that a martial artist usually hid about thirty percent of his skill.

The longer a master had lived in the martial world, the more outstanding his skills, and the deeper his mind, the stronger that tendency was.

It was common to hide thirty percent in preparation for the unexpected, and to reveal it at a critical moment.

On the other hand, the Azure Sky Sword God did not do that.

Was it because his mind was not deep? Was it because his skills were not outstanding? No.

‘In the first place, there was no reason to hide.’

He did not hide even one percent, let alone thirty percent. There was no reason to hide. Hiding thirty percent was a trump card. To counterattack at a critical moment when the enemy did not expect it.

The problem was that it was almost impossible for a critical moment to come to the Azure Sky Sword God.

It was the same when he had fought the great Heavenly Demon countless times. The Heavenly Demon had just been defeated and had run away, and had not been able to put the Sword God in a crisis.

Even if he revealed everything about himself, it was a truly tyrannical attitude that no one would be a threat.

A natural confidence that could not be criticized as arrogance. No one could even get close, let alone approach.

On the other hand, Cheon Mubaeck was ambiguous.

‘The yin energy in his lower dantian is strong. Ice arts… The Sword God didn’t even learn ice arts.’

Was it because of the immortal energy that had seeped into his spirit? Was it because of the band of immortal energy that had settled in his middle dantian?

Now, even a martial artist of the Sword Empress’s level could not even guess the internal energy that was like a great sea in his upper dantian. So the Sword Empress could only think that Cheon Mubaeck was hiding it.

‘A master who is strong enough to have killed the Poison Demon, and has a deep mind to the extent of hiding thirty percent. At that age?’

Curiosity and a fighting spirit rose at the same time.

A strange excitement arose at the unfamiliar emotion she had felt after a long time.

‘My body is getting hot after decades.’

A calm excitement. An intense fighting spirit that was slowly rising from the bottom.

Although she had shaved her head and had cultivated Buddhism and had taken refuge in the arms of Buddha… before that, the Sword Empress was the Sword Empress. A master of the sword who had reached a realm with the sword.

The Sword Empress slowly calmed down the excitement that had begun to rise.

‘He’s still a child. And he’s a friend who will play a big role in the martial world in the future, rather than an old woman like me…’

The Sword Empress took a low, even breath and said.

“This is not a life-and-death battle, but a friendly match. So it would be better to think of it as sharing each other’s studies, rather than competing for victory, right?”

It was not a life-and-death battle.

It was an obvious fact.

The Sword Empress had mentioned it on purpose. For herself, and for Cheon Mubaeck.

Because if she got drunk on the intense fighting spirit and excitement, the Sword Empress felt that her past infamy would raise its head.

‘If I get drunk on the fight and excitement, this child will get hurt.’

A place to witness each other’s martial arts.

“Let’s end it with just five exchanges. This old woman’s back is so bent that it’s difficult to even swing a sword more than that.”

“I understand.”

Cheon Mubaeck slowly took a ready stance.

The Iron God Ancient Sword, which was still broken in half.

Although it was a sword that was no different from a piece of junk, it was a different story if it was the Iron God Ancient Sword.

Woong! Woong!

A rough sword cry.

The moment Cheon Mubaeck aimed his sword, the Sword Empress felt an intense shock strike her mind.

‘The Sword God…!’

Decades.

As a comrade and a brother-in-arms of the martial world, she had respected and revered him.

As a swordsman who held a sword, she had also been jealous and envious.

And as a woman, she had only looked at him from behind.

The Azure Sky Sword God.

He was standing there.

* * *

Cheon Mubaeck calmly aimed his sword.

‘Has it been forty years?’

He had crossed swords with her several times. Although it was a simple match.

‘Well, I thought I was going to die trying to match that terrible personality.’

Perhaps she did not know.

The infamy of a crazy Guanyin Bodhisattva was not given by the demons, but by the same Orthodox Path, especially by the Azure Sky Sword God first.

‘Even that Gwak Yong guy would click his tongue and hide when the Sword Empress appeared.’

She was a great heroine who was so formidable that even the Fighting Ghost, Gwak Yong, who loved to fight, would run away. A woman who was belligerent and enjoyed fighting fanatically.

Cheon Mubaeck calmed his mind.

It was a good opportunity. A place where he could check the martial arts he had honed.

The Sword Empress’s sword was so excellent that even Cheon Mubaeck had acknowledged it in his previous life.

“In fact, although I said it was an exchange, you will have to endure, Young Master. Although your achievements are great, I will do my best in the five exchanges.”

“…”

“Although it is a place to witness each other’s studies, a person who holds a sword must put his all into it every time he swings his sword. You know that well, right?”

Of course.

Because I said it.

The moment Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head, a red light spread intensely on the Sword Empress’s face. At the same time, the Sword Empress’s small figure rushed forward like a thunderbolt.

Sweeeek!

No, it was a thunderbolt. A swift thunderbolt that split the sky and struck down.

‘Damn it.’

He could see it. The red light spreading beyond her face, the faint smile on her lips.

‘I heard she got a little better after cultivating Buddhism for a long time.’

The moment she entered the fight, her past self came out without fail.

‘Like a crazy Guanyin Bodhisattva!’

Although he thought so, even the great Cheon Mubaeck could not afford to be complacent.

Paaaaang!

An intense thunderbolt swept past as if it would sweep away. The extreme of speed, to the point where it could not even be seen with the eyes.

Jureureuk!

As the powerful wind pressure swept past, Cheon Mubaeck’s forehead was torn. Red blood flowed from the wide-open wound. A powerful move that would have blown his head off if Cheon Mubaeck had not dodged.

But the one who was surprised was not Cheon Mubaeck, but the Sword Empress.

“…!”

Surprise spread in the Sword Empress’s pupils, who had swung her sword with great momentum.

‘He dodged it?’

A sword strike that had been aimed and stabbed at Cheon Mubaeck’s forehead.

The first move, the Thunderbolt Annihilation Strike, was literally a thunderbolt itself.

A terrifying move that would burn a living creature with a single emission.

Of course, she had not thought that Cheon Mubaeck would die from this attack.

If he was a descendant of the Azure Sky Sword God, if he was a divine being who had killed the Poison Demon, she had thought that he would be able to block it.

He had not blocked it. Cheon Mubaeck had dodged the thunderbolt, which was difficult to even follow with the eyes, just by twisting his head.

Blocking and dodging were completely different. With a sword in hand. When a threat approached, it was natural to instinctively raise the sword and block it.

On the other hand, dodging was not easy. One had to watch the opponent’s attack until the end. One could not miss it. It was not something that could be done just by watching. Even if one knew the path, reacting to dodge was an extremely short moment that could not even be called a moment.

To have the body react after a keen judgment in the mind during that moment.

It was not something that could be done just with long training.

‘A terrible sense and judgment! And a body that has been endlessly trained to be able to react at any time!’

The Sword Empress was endlessly impressed.

“Hahahat, indeed, a great talent!”

The Sword Empress burst into laughter. Unlike her calm appearance before, it was a laugh full of joy. An intense fighting spirit and belligerence were felt from the thought that the opponent was not to be trifled with.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes narrowed.

‘This is a big problem. This old hag.’

The red light that was getting darker and darker beyond her face.

She was completely drunk on the excitement.

‘There are four moves left.’

Looking at the Sword Empress’s state, it was clear that if it went beyond that, a truly crazy Guanyin Bodhisattva would come out.

“Now one move is over.”

“It’s a pity. To think that there are only four moves left. If it were up to me, I’d want to fight all day…”

“I am not at that level.”

Cheon Mubaeck knew well why the Sword Empress had proposed five moves.

‘The Five Absolute Soul-Severing Swords.’

The Sword Empress’s unique martial art, the Five Absolute Soul-Severing Swords.

A divine art that was said to sever even the soul with just five swings.

“The only person who had endured all five of my moves was the Sword God. The Sword Saint and the Fighting Ghost, those two guys wouldn’t fight me unless they had to.”

Well, that was a natural thing.

Because if he endured those five moves, she would get excited and it would have to go to a life-and-death battle.

‘Can I endure the five moves now?’

Perhaps it was an absurd question. She was the Sword Empress. One of the Ten Great Masters of the world, an absolute master who was considered one of the top among them.

The fact that she was considered one of the top ten was a matter of forty years ago, so how profound and deep would her martial arts have become now?

On the other hand, Cheon Mubaeck was a new talent who was just making a name for himself.

If there were people watching the fight, a hundred out of a hundred would say it was impossible.

In his previous life, there was no problem because he was the Azure Sky Sword God. Even if she fought like a madwoman, the Azure Sky Sword God’s martial prowess could block it.

No, he could have suppressed her altogether.

Not now.

‘Although she won’t fight thoughtlessly like in her previous life, if that unique belligerence comes out… I’ll die.’

A person could be belligerent. No matter how belligerent, a person of the Sword Empress’s position could control it.

The problem was that it was not an ordinary belligerence.

A fate that might have lived as a great villain of the world if she had not become the Sword Empress.

If that ferocity, which was suppressed endlessly by Buddhism, was displayed as a unique belligerence…

This would not be a simple match, but a dangerous fight.

Cheon Mubaeck’s face was extremely calm.

There was only one answer.

‘Up to the fourth move.’

Before it became the fifth move.

‘I’ll finish it within that.’

He would finish it first.

As he thought so, Cheon Mubaeck’s expression became cold.

“…!”

The moment the tip of the Iron God Ancient Sword was aimed at her, the red ripple on the Sword Empress’s face became even darker.

The Sword Empress trembled at the dizzying feeling that was transmitted from her fingertips.

How many years had it been?

Such an intense fighting spirit.

Although she had cultivated Buddhism for decades, the martial artist’s fighting spirit that was wriggling inside her burned fiercely.

Therefore, she had no intention of holding back. She would do her best.

So that this short five moves would not be a pity, with everything she had.

Kaaaaang!

There was no more conversation.

The Sword Empress’s sword was swung from left to right with an overwhelming speed that was difficult to follow with the eyes.

Kagagagang!

At that moment, Cheon Mubaeck’s Iron God Ancient Sword bent gently. The sword that had been cutting the upper part had its trajectory twisted and soared into the air.

The Sword Empress’s eyes widened.

‘This time, he didn’t just block it, but he completely nullified the attack!’

Not only that.

He had twisted the trajectory of the sword. This meant.

‘A counterattack!’

The Iron God Ancient Sword that shot up from under his chin.

The Sword Empress twisted her body and barely dodged the attack.

But at the same time as she dodged, the Sword Empress’s attack also continued fiercely.

A clean attack that was made as if it were a play that had already been set up, like flowing water.

“Three moves!”

The Sword Empress laughed heartily and swung her sword. A strong impact that struck down from top to bottom.

Cheon Mubaeck’s face contorted slightly. Because he had seen the intensified red light on the Sword Empress’s face.

‘This is it, if it goes on, her true nature will really come out?’

It had already come out halfway. The sword move that contained that hearty laugh was so powerful that it would split the head of any master, although it did not contain any killing intent.

Cheon Mubaeck concentrated.

‘To see a person’s psychology is to see the flow.’

A fight was a psychological battle. Even in a fierce fight where they killed each other, the psychological battle was the basis.

Cheon Mubaeck predicted the path and direction of the Sword Empress’s attack by looking at the light that was getting darker and lighter in various colors.

Because Cheon Mubaeck, who had already completely grasped the Five Absolute Soul-Severing Swords, could immediately judge and apply it to the battle by peeking at her psychology.

Kaaaaaaang!

“Hahahat! Young Master! You blocked this too! Amazing. Amazing! The Sword God has raised another great descendant!”

Her tone became higher. The sight of her bursting into laughter even though her sword strike had been blocked felt strangely mad. Cheon Mubaeck gritted his teeth as he saw her eyes flashing.

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes flashed.

‘The fourth move, I’ll end it here.’

Woong! Woong! Woong! Woong! Woong!

The Iron God Ancient Sword let out a sword cry as if it would tear.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep