Chapter 104
Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven (2)
"My name is Jang Muyeon."
The Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven spoke as he walked forward with a relaxed, almost rhythmic sway.
"Shouldn't you at least know who is starring in today's solo performance?"
His amused voice flowed along with the sound of the valley stream.
No one answered.
Jang Muyeon stretched both arms dramatically to either side as he continued walking.
A sword in his left hand.
A saber in his right.
The two weapons only emphasized his striking appearance.
His attire differed somewhat from when Namgung Jun had first met him in Suyeon Village.
The comical mask no longer covered his face.
Instead, it was attached to the brim of his bamboo hat.
Red, blue, yellow, green, and pale pink clouds.
Five-colored cloud patterns were embroidered across a snow-white robe whose hems trailed extravagantly behind him.
The robe was so long that it dragged across the ground.
Its sleeves were so wide as to seem cumbersome.
Various colored fabrics were tied around his waist like the ornaments of a noblewoman.
Whenever Jang Muyeon exhaled, the ornate earrings hanging from both ears and the silver bracelet on his left wrist swayed gently, producing clear metallic chimes and flashes of reflected light.
The curved saber in his right hand bobbed in time with his steps, every bit as flamboyant as the rest of him.
His attire was truly extravagant and chaotic.
Yet the elegant sword in his left hand suited him perfectly.
Unlike the rest of his appearance, it was simple and refined.
Modest.
Noble.
The Sword of Righteous Heaven.
It had been his beloved sword in his previous life.
And in this life, Namgung Jun had long hoped to see it again.
Yet his gaze did not linger on the sword.
Jang Muyeon's overwhelming presence forcibly drew in both sight and senses.
"There seem to be quite a lot of uninvited guests."
Resting one hand on his waist, Jang Muyeon slowly surveyed the cultists.
Then he scratched the back of his head and yawned.
The Fifth Young Master's expression gradually darkened.
He turned to the two Protectors beside him.
"He looks perfectly fine. Was the information about his severe internal injuries accurate?"
The Protectors had already moved to stand before him.
"It is accurate. We heard that he received the Cult Master's palm strike directly to the left side of his chest and that a portion of his internal energy was stolen during their clash. He escaped only after breaking through the Heavenly Net of the Heavenly Snare Formation. The possibility that the Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven remains unharmed is extremely low."
"The Left Protector and I will protect your life with our own. Young Master, proceed according to the plan."
Hearing their certainty, the Fifth Young Master nodded and raised his voice.
"The hour of martyrdom has arrived. Burn your bodies for the coming of the Bright World."
More than one hundred and thirty believers waiting nearby responded as one.
"Sun and Moon Illuminate the World!"
The believers charged toward Jang Muyeon simultaneously.
None showed the slightest trace of fear.
Their footwork contained no hesitation.
If anything, the eyes fixed upon the Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven overflowed with joy and reverence.
"Fanatics."
Namgung Jun frowned.
The cultists he had fought in his previous life had been no different.
They did not even attempt to maintain formation.
They simply rushed forward.
Their bodies were already beginning to swell unnaturally.
The Sun Moon Demonic Cult's method of mutual destruction.
The Bright Sacrifice Demonic Art.
Originally, it had evolved from the Exploding Demon Art, a technique widespread among demonic martial lineages.
With the original technique, piercing the heart or severing the neck could prevent detonation.
The Sun Moon Demonic Cult had eliminated that weakness entirely.
The moment one activated the Bright Sacrifice Demonic Art, the outcome was predetermined.
Explosion.
Even if the practitioner died midway or lost control of their internal energy, an explosion would still occur—only with reduced power.
The only question was how powerful the resulting blast would be.
The instant the Fifth Young Master gave his order, the one hundred and thirty believers became living thunder bombs.
Their yin- and yang-aligned internal energies further amplified the destructive force.
Even after the believers closed to within ten paces, Jang Muyeon showed no reaction.
At this rate...!
Namgung Jun's shoulder twitched as he tightened his grip on his sword.
He did not know the true condition of Jang Muyeon's injuries.
Certainly, even one hundred and thirty self-detonations would struggle to break through a peerless master's protective qi.
But enduring explosions fueled by the lives of more than a hundred people without consequence was another matter entirely.
Given Jang Muyeon's injuries, even a seemingly insignificant external shock could prove fatal.
In fact, perhaps the Fifth Young Master had already achieved his objective merely by forcing Jang Muyeon to emerge from seclusion and fight.
As Namgung Jun prepared to step forward—
Jang Muyeon flicked his sleeve.
The gesture alone stopped him.
"Watch."
A smile appeared on the Sword Lord's face.
"Watch how I play with their flames."
KWAGAGAGANG!
The bodies of the charging believers swelled simultaneously.
Then, in an instant, they transformed into a black-red storm of destruction.
The explosive tempest filled three directions at once and surged forward like a tidal wave.
Jang Muyeon continued walking lightly across the grass.
Then, with effortless ease—
He casually swept the Sword of Righteous Heaven through the air.
At the same time, the earrings hanging from both ears, the bracelet on his left arm, the Sword of Righteous Heaven, and the curved saber all began to vibrate and sing.
Jiiiiing!
The metallic resonance blended perfectly with the roar of countless explosions, creating a bizarre melody that covered the entire valley.
"Hahaha! Listen closely! Hear how the explosions of these fleeting lives are being transformed into a beautiful symphony!"
Explosions erupted endlessly in every direction.
The mountains themselves trembled.
The power is incredible.
Although the believers were merely ordinary cultists using the Bright Sacrifice Demonic Art, there were over a hundred of them.
The shockwaves surging forward were overwhelming.
Yet Jang Muyeon continued his dance leisurely in the very center of the explosions.
KWAAAAAAANG!
The detonations overlapped one another, growing larger and more violent.
But they never reached him.
Instead, they only served to accentuate his brilliance.
Before anyone realized it, the crimson-black storm created by the explosions was writhing around him like a colossal dragon.
What in the world—!
Namgung Jun's eyes widened.
Jang Muyeon had neither cut apart the explosions nor blocked them.
Instead, whenever his sword moved, the surrounding space itself seemed to tilt.
The explosions shifted aside and rolled away.
Like smoke being pushed by an unseen hand.
And that was not all.
The curved saber slipped between the hesitating explosions and swept through the air.
The true dance began.
KWAAAAAANG!
Dozens upon dozens of explosions overlapped.
Yet none could touch Jang Muyeon.
Nor did the blasts simply dissipate harmlessly.
Guided by the trajectories of his sword dance, the explosive storms flowed through the battlefield like drifting mist, sweeping over nearby believers.
He's controlling the storm itself with pure swordsmanship?
The explosions produced by the believers had become nothing more than fireworks enhancing Jang Muyeon's performance.
"Has he accomplished this through nothing but skill with sword and saber?!"
The crimson-black storms writhed in midair as though time itself had frozen.
The Fifth Young Master, the Left Protector, and the Right Protector stared in horror.
Namgung Jun was no different.
Even from his perspective, controlling such destructive forces through swordsmanship alone was nearly inconceivable.
Crimson sparks filled the valley.
It looked as though an endless field of dark-red flowers had bloomed across the landscape.
Then, at last—
All one hundred and thirty believers had burned themselves away.
Every one of them had turned to ash.
Jang Muyeon, who had controlled every storm through his dance, finally turned toward the Fifth Young Master and the two Protectors.
"You are unsightly as you are now!"
His eyes gleamed.
"Become beautiful!"
Spinning once in place, he thrust the Sword of Righteous Heaven and the curved saber along entirely different trajectories.
The instant the two weapons swept toward the trio—
Every storm surrounding him erupted forward at once.
The Protectors' eyes widened.
Both raised their hands to defend.
But the attack was too fast.
Even for supreme experts.
Hidden behind the compressed storm, Jang Muyeon had quietly added sword wind and saber wind, amplifying the attack's momentum.
Perhaps this was what the fiery breath of a flood dragon looked like.
The endless crimson-black torrent swallowed the Fifth Young Master's group whole.
Then it continued onward, tearing through the forest and crashing into the mountain beyond.
The distant explosions echoed through the valleys again and again.
Only after the final echoes faded did Jang Muyeon gracefully sheath both weapons.
"Since this was a special performance, I ought to collect proper payment."
His solo performance ended as abruptly as it had begun.
The battlefield had become a wasteland of ash.
Only scattered embers remained, releasing thin trails of smoke.
Through the drifting haze, Jang Muyeon's silhouette looked like the final scene of a grand performance.
Namgung Jun immediately approached him.
"Are you unharmed?"
"Of course."
Jang Muyeon waved a hand casually.
"I barely used my own strength. Aside from channeling internal energy into my accessories and weapons to create those resonances, and the final sword and saber winds, I merely danced."
Sure enough, he was currently inspecting his clothing for damage.
Namgung Jun stared blankly for a moment before offering a respectful salute.
"Namgung Jun of the Heavenly Sword Hall greets the Sword Lord of Righteous Heaven."
"We belong to the same Changcheon Society. Calling me Sword Lord is enough."
Jang Muyeon casually patted his shoulder.
"And your injuries?"
"Fine. Not fully healed, but nothing today aggravated them."
After looking around the battlefield, Jang Muyeon sat down heavily atop a boulder in the valley.
"If those bastards had reduced Suyeon Village to ashes, I might have fallen into qi deviation."
His expression softened.
"Suyeon Village is my only sanctuary."
"It seems you were not actually cultivating in seclusion somewhere deep in the mountains, but residing in the village itself. Would the Fifth Young Master's plan truly have succeeded?"
"My injuries dulled my perception somewhat. More importantly, I deliberately suppressed my senses to the extreme. I had intentionally isolated myself from the outside world."
Removing his bamboo hat, Jang Muyeon ran a hand through his hair.
"Even today, if not for the thunder you created, responding quickly would have been difficult. Until I heard that sound, I had no idea what was happening outside the village."
"I see."
"In that sense, you successfully protected my secluded cultivation."
He smiled.
"I'll make sure the Ink Fragrance Division records it as an official merit."
Namgung Jun nodded, then recalled what the Left Protector had said.
Carefully, he asked:
"Are you in seclusion because of your battle with the Sun Moon Demonic Cult Leader?"
Even the brief glimpse of Jang Muyeon's sword dance had revealed his terrifying prowess.
If a peerless master ranked among the Five Absolute Masters of the World could be injured this badly, just how powerful was the Cult Leader?
Jang Muyeon laughed softly.
"Strong enough to make me think I might lose my mind while dancing."
His smile turned wry.
"During our fight to the death, he used the Heaven-Absorbing Art almost as though it were a dual cultivation technique. Having my internal energy drained away in the middle of an internal energy contest was certainly a novel experience."
"The Cult Leader is that powerful?"
"He is probably the closest person alive to being the strongest under heaven."
His gaze drifted toward the horizon.
"Or perhaps he already is."
Namgung Jun's expression darkened.
Seeing this, Jang Muyeon smiled reassuringly.
"There's no need to worry so much. It's not as though I simply sat there and took the beating."
Then he changed the subject.
"More importantly."
He clicked his tongue while looking toward Suyeon Village.
"They've finally discovered the village's location. We'll have to move everyone."
His shoulders relaxed.
"My secluded cultivation is over as well."
Then he looked directly at Namgung Jun.
"Namgung Jun. I'll need your help."
"Of course."
"We're taking the villagers back to the main fortress."
"I'll assist."
"It won't be easy."
Jang Muyeon stared at him for a moment before breaking into a grin.
"And while we're traveling..."
His eyes sparkled mischievously.
"I'd like you to help with my secluded cultivation."
"...Pardon?"
"Let's dance with our blades together."
He pointed at Namgung Jun with a smile.
"You'll be sharing the stage with me."