Book 5 Chapter 18

Galaxy Stream Open Sword

Now, even Moyong Hwi was unable to relax his mind due to the force that Moyong Hwi was also drawing out, a force unknown to him.

Moyong Hwi's stance was unusual.

Brilliant internal energy flickered from the sword blade extended horizontally to the ground, and at the point where the sword tip and finger strike met, they were being gathered as if being sucked in. By creating a collapse with the finger strike, he was concentrating the sword energy emanating from the blade to a single point.

He had to exert all his strength to create the collapse and the meteor force to its extreme and then focus it to a single point. If he made even the slightest mistake, all the energy he had generated could crumble like a sandcastle in an instant.

Galaxy Stream Open Sword!

The core of this martial art was to create an explosion of immense destructive power when different energies concentrated in one place. It was like the primordial universe, where endless energy gathered and compressed to its limits before bursting forth at once.

The reason Moyong Hwi was currently emitting completely different energies from his left and right was to concentrate and compress the energy into a single point. He was using the collapsing force of his finger strike to focus the sword energy that rose along the sword to a single point. If the energy of a great sea gathered at a point smaller than a speck of dust, how much power would it unleash when it was released?

This sword technique was a martial art completed by Sword Saint Moyong Jeongcheon, who, in the blood-soaked era of Heavenly Tribulation Blood Wash, gained insights from the martial arts of the Grand Supreme God of the Pole, Wuxin Hexue, and spent his later years researching and developing it. It was the ultimate secret of his years of refining and honing the Galaxy Meteor Sword Technique.

However, creating opposite energies simultaneously within a single human body was a difficult task. The process was impossible no matter how he tried. But after witnessing the Grand Supreme God of the Pole emit the energies of Flame Spirit and Ice Soul from a single body, he discovered the possibility.

In reality, this sword technique was close to being theoretical. Once created, the theory was perfect, but the human body could not accept this theory. One could guess Moyong Jeongcheon's sighs in his later years without even seeing them.

The essence of this sword technique was to clash two different forces, concentrate them beyond their limits at one point, and explode them momentarily to unleash tremendous power. To do this, one needed a being capable of drawing out two opposing energies from a single body, but there was no such person.

At first, the Sword Saint thought he had to give up. Martial arts that could only be learned by those with peculiar physiques were of little use in the martial world. Moreover, he himself couldn't properly use it. However, there was only one person among his direct descendants who could learn it: Moyong Hwi. Only Moyong Hwi could emit two opposing forces simultaneously. Naturally, the Galaxy Stream Open Sword was passed down to Moyong Hwi.

Therefore, the Sword Saint's love for Moyong Hwi can be said to have begun here. However, Moyong Jeongcheon, convinced that it was not suitable for himself, had to meditate again to create a new sword technique.

Now, the Sword Saint's ultimate technique and the supreme technique of the Wudang Sect were about to be unveiled to the martial world for the first time. The momentum before its activation was already unusual, but no one dared to try and stop it, and they were all drawn into the terrifying yet beautiful world of sword arts.

Bilyeon, who was casually tearing dried meat,'s eyes flashed.

"Wow! That looks really dangerous! That's the real deal!"

Bilyeon, still tearing dried meat, exclaimed. His mouth, having uttered the exclamation, was still engaged in the task of slicing and consuming the dried meat.

"Everyone, cover your ears and generate your internal energy to protect your heart!"

As Yeom Do commanded his disciples loudly, they all quickly generated their internal energy to protect their hearts. How strong were these energies that they needed to protect their hearts with internal energy beforehand?

At that moment… two great energies finally collided at one point.

The Tai Chi formed by the three swords revolving in front of Cheong Heun's body merged into one, and the formless internal energy became a sword and flew out like a beam of light. It seemed like a being with intent. Cheong Heun's fourth sword was a form of manipulating the sword with qi, but unlike other such techniques, it was a terrifying skill that sent formless energy formed by sword energy flying.

It was a skill that deserved to be called manipulating sword energy with qi, rather than manipulating the sword with qi. The power of the formless sword energy formed by the union of Yin and Yang was undoubtedly immense, but it consumed a vast amount of internal energy to cast once, and it was extremely difficult to handle because it was not yet perfectly completed.

Moyong Hwi unleashed all his might, activating his sword qi against the unknown energy that attacked him as if it had a will of its own. The concentrated energy formed in front of Moyong Hwi's body also exploded at the same time, unleashing terrifying energy. It was a fearsome presence that seemed capable of shattering the heavens.

Cheong Heun felt a shock as if darkness was descending before his eyes. A sensation of his existence being swallowed by the pitch-black night sky! It was a novel feeling he had never experienced before. Moyong Hwi also felt as if lightning was piercing him like a storm of divine thunder.

"Rumble! Grrr…"

The roar of the sky shattering and the earth splitting, as if swallowing the world, erupted with dazzling light. It was a fierce momentum that seemed to vibrate the air and tear the sky.

With a roar like the sky and earth exploding, a strong wind lashed against everyone's bodies. For a moment, the spectators thought their eardrums would burst. They all had to circulate their internal energy to prevent their internal organs from being shaken by the immense shock. It was a deafening explosion. It was a clash that was hard to believe was caused by swords striking swords. Some first-year students with lower levels of cultivation even coughed up blood.

"Cough!"

Cheong Heun, who had exchanged positions with the other, coughed up a mouthful of blood first. His complexion was extremely pale. It was a clash that had squeezed out every last drop of internal energy. It would have been abnormal if they were unharmed.

The fighting stage was also devastated by the collision of immense power.

"The, the name is… *cough!*"

Cheong Heun asked with blood oozing from his mouth. He was barely holding back the urge to vomit blood. He had not expected to suffer such a setback.

"Galaxy Stream… Open Sword, final secret… Galaxy Star Beginning, Universe Chaos! *cough*… Senior's sword? *cough!* Cough!"

Moyong Hwi's aura was oppressive, and his complexion was as pale as a corpse. It required immense willpower to utter each word. A pool of blood gathered before his eyes. All of it came from his mouth, the very blood that had been circulating within his body just moments ago. The fact that he could still speak in such a state was a testament to his incredible will.

"Three Truths Tai Chi Sword Wisdom, Limitless Sword True Meaning… Union!"

Cheong Heun finished speaking, barely swallowing the overflowing blood.

A thin, yet satisfied smile formed on both their faces. It was unbelievable for someone who had suffered such severe internal injuries. Mere verbal praise was meaningless to them now. The spiritual communication they shared through clashing swords and feeling with their bodies was enough.

After exchanging the names of their ultimate moves, with a final smile, both their bodies simultaneously collapsed forward. Both of them had no strength left to endure due to their severe internal injuries.

"Draw!"

The referee declared loudly. At the referee's gesture, Heo Juun, the chief physician from the Medical Exhibition who was on standby, jumped up and began emergency treatment with skilled movements. His movements were precise, like lightning, as he felt their bodies. If he made a mistake, the internal injury could spread inwards and damage the bone marrow. Once again, Heo Juun signaled, and emergency personnel jumped onto the fighting stage and carried the treated Cheong Heun and Moyong Hwi away on stretchers.

The venue became boisterous and chaotic. A draw in the Sword Saint Hall… Following the Daoist Master Hall and Sword Empress Hall, the Sword Saint Hall also ended in a draw. This had not happened in decades.

Amidst the commotion, Baek Mu-young's pale face was visible. Even for the usually composed him, it seemed he couldn't help but worry in front of his close friend's injury. His eyes were filled with concern, which was unusual for him. It was a battle that brought an unexpected result for everyone.

Yeom Do noticed it the moment Moyong Hwi's sword clashed with Cheong Heun's sword. Even amidst the roar that seemed to swallow the heavens and earth, Yeom Do's eyes did not miss it.

"Huk!"

Yeom Do's eyes widened as he endured the shockwave generated by the clash of swords, pushing his internal energy to its maximum. Even amidst the chaos caused by the collision of immense qi, he had seen it. He had seen Moyong Hwi's left and right hands emitting different energies!

This was not an ability that anyone could display. He himself had only met one person in his life who could display such an ability. Perhaps, it was the talent he had been searching for so desperately, one in ten thousand.

'Find a talent capable of harmonizing Yin and Yang, a Tai Chi talent!'

The dying wish of his master, which he had tried to forget and given up on for twenty years, suddenly flashed in his mind. His throat suddenly became choked. Such thoughts stirred Yeom Do. However, he soon shook his head.

"What's the use of thinking about it now? It's all futile…"

Besides, the opponent was openly acknowledged as a descendant and successor of the Sword Saint.

"It's not certain yet… and besides…"

Even if it were true, there was no way to do anything about it.

'I wonder if Binggeom saw that too? If he did, what would he be thinking right now?'

Yeom Do was more curious about that.

"Tsk tsk! How ignorant! To actually collide with such enthusiasm… You're just exhausting yourselves! It's a miracle you're alive! *Crunch crunch*"

Yeom Do, whose mind was elsewhere, snapped back to attention at the voice next to him and turned to Bilyeon. Even amidst this commotion, Bilyeon's mouth, which had not detached from the dried meat, was still engaged in vigorous slicing and dicing, which Yeom Do found astonishing. And so, the final match of the Sword Saint Hall of the Cheonmu Academy concluded with a draw, leaving behind a legend.

"As expected, my prediction was correct! Hahaha…! From now on, call me a genius!"

As the chaos subsided and the heat on the fighting stage cooled down, Geum Yeong-ho burst into laughter and praised himself. Namgung Sang did not dispute his words.

"That's right, as you say. Now, all we need is for the senior disciple to win the Samsung Battle. The opponent is the Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji-cheon…! That's not an easy opponent!"

Geum Yeong-ho stopped laughing and nodded cautiously. The Whirlwind Sword Dragon Wi Ji-cheon was also a variable that could not be underestimated. Although he was once criticized for being engrossed in a woman (and it is still the case, for that matter), he was once called one of the Three Pillars along with the Three-Blade Sword Cheong Heun and the One Marvel of Hengshan, Baek Mu-young. Furthermore, there were rumors that he had suddenly locked himself away for several months of intense training for some reason and had recently returned. He was an opponent who could not be taken lightly.

In some of the matches in this Samsung Festival, his divine might was as astonishing as that of the Three-Blade Sword Cheong Heun. He had officially proven that his sword qi had not dulled but had become even sharper.

"Will it be okay?"

Geum Yeong-ho said in a cautious voice. Now, only one step remained to reach the summit. If they faltered now, they could suffer irreparable damage. They could not give up.

"Trust the senior disciple! Anyway, we've eliminated one opponent."

Surprisingly, the results so far were much better than expected. Moyong Hwi's martial prowess far exceeded their expectations. Neither Geum Yeong-ho, Namgung Sang, nor Hyeon-un had expected Moyong Hwi to go this far. Hyeon-un was particularly shocked. His respected senior disciple, and his greatest rival in his heart, Cheong Heun, had drawn with Moyong Hwi, who had only just entered the academy. Even he, who was still conceding a move, had not been able to predict the outcome. Moreover, the martial prowess he displayed today made him think that it might not be just one concession. Therefore, his shock was immense.

In this match, Moyong Hwi proved to himself that he was on par with Cheong Heun.

Regardless, Geum Yeong-ho's prediction came true. At that time, the match between Cheong Heun and Bilyeon was unpredictable. That was why he had agonizingly pondered over it until late at night. However, with a single word from Namgung Sansan, he had a shocking realization. Namgung Sansan had kindly pointed out what Geum Yeong-ho, he himself, had failed to see. That was the existence of Moyong Hwi. With his existence, Geum Yeong-ho had made up his mind. It was no different from a gamble. Of course, he was in the middle of a gamble. After all, betting was a form of gambling!

Geum Yeong-ho's thought was that although Cheong Heun and Bilyeon's match was unpredictable, Cheong Heun, after going through Moyong Hwi, would not be able to contend with Bilyeon. Even though it was only one match and three swords, it was enough to understand the depth of Moyong Hwi's cultivation. Moreover, he was the grandson of the Sword Saint Moyong Jeongcheon. It was worth the risk.

From Geum Yeong-ho's perspective, Moyong Hwi's role was to weaken Cheong Heun's strength. However, Moyong Hwi, as if proving that the offspring of a dragon were indeed dragons and not mere imugi, had drawn with Cheong Heun.

Looking at their condition, it seemed unlikely that either of them could participate in the next match. Moreover, it was a draw. Although rare, there was a rule that those who achieved a draw could not participate in the final match to determine the overall champion.

This was the moment that heralded Bilyeon's championship.

The Daoist Master Hall and the Sword Empress Hall had also unusually ended in draws this year. No one could decide the victor. It was the first time in 48 years that three simultaneous draws had occurred. Now, Bilyeon was only one step away from victory.