SWDnovel Chapter 262 : Sword, Grows
Chapter 262 : Sword, Grows
When the surroundings brightened again, the place where Lee Jaseung stood had become a different space.It was a space created by Yao Hong’s demonic art.
Because of that, he had expected a hellish landscape of mountains of corpses and seas of blood to unfold, but the surroundings were quite beautiful.
A single tree stood before his eyes.
When he first saw it, he thought it was a tree made of ice. It was more dazzling than anything as it sparkled in the sunlight.
However, it was not ice, but a tree made of sword blades. Sharp blades branched out in all directions like limbs. Its shape was incredibly mysterious and beautiful.
Slither.
Identical sword trees began to grow in all directions.
Lee Jaseung stepped back a few paces. A sword tree had sprouted right where he had been standing.
From behind, from the sides, and from the front.
When there was only one, it was beyond beautiful, but as they sprouted everywhere, the mere sight of them made his heart turn cold.
They grew from the walls and even from the ceiling. In just a short moment, the space became a forest of blades.
Lee Jaseung walked up to the first sword tree he had seen. He lightly touched his finger to a blade in front of him.
Slice.
His fingertip split open and blood flowed.
Lee Jaseung’s expression became serious. It was not because the blade was as sharp as a treasured sword.
It was because... his protective Qi did not work against these blades at all.
* * *
“It has suddenly become quiet.”
At Mujin’s words, Baek Seolyoung and Ma Young-gi looked toward the place where the manor had been in the distance.
Just as Mujin said, the faintly audible roaring sounds had vanished.
Ma Young-gi looked at the two and asked.
“Has the fight ended?”
It could be so, or they could have entered a new stage of battle. Ma Young-gi likely did not ask because he truly didn't know. The three people waiting for the result of the fight were incredibly anxious.
After disposing of all the Soul Phantom Army members, they had moved to a location far from the manor for the time being. It was due to the worry that they might interfere with Lee Jaseung’s fight.
They were monitoring and blocking other Demonic Humans from approaching from that spot, and fortunately, no other Demonic Humans had come yet.
Baek Seolyoung stared in the direction where Lee Jaseung was fighting. Because they had retreated so far, neither Lee Jaseung nor Yao Hong could be seen.
Baek Seolyoung closed her eyes tightly.
There was only one thing left for her to do.
To believe in him, and pray that such faith would reach the heavens.
She only hoped that Lee Jaseung would walk toward them from that horizon with a bright smile.
* * *
Clang!
Lee Jaseung flicked a sword with his finger. It looked like a light flick, but it was a move imbued with strong inner Qi.
However, the sword did not break.
Claaaang!
This time, he flicked his finger with even stronger inner Qi.
Only then did the blade break and fly away. It meant that significant inner Qi had to be used just to break a single blade.
It was right then.
Ssssss.
A sword grew back in that spot. It was like a living organism performing infinite regeneration. Unless this entire space was destroyed, breaking the swords was meaningless.
Truly, it had become a room of death where his entire body would be torn by blades if he made a single wrong move.
Then, from behind another sword tree far away, Yao Hong revealed himself.
He spoke with a leisurely smile.
“A warrior should fight in a place like this. Don't you agree?”
Yao Hong, who had been surprised by Lee Jaseung’s surprise attack earlier, had regained his composure.
“Right, only then, the battle will be advantageous for you huh?”
When a sneer appeared on Lee Jaseung’s lips, Yao Hong grinned.
“Have you realized it already?”
Yao Hong reached out and grabbed a sword. Then, the sharp blade crumpled and fluttered like paper.
While the blades were as sharp as treasured swords to Lee Jaseung, they were merely paper to him.
This was exactly what was terrifying about demonic arts. One truly never knew what would spring forth.
The demonic art that created this space was one of the highest-ranking techniques within the Northern Sea Demonic Art, and the name of the form was called the Yama’s Sword Forest.
It was an ultimate technique mainly used in one-on-one duels and was one of the demonic arts Yao Hong cherished most. No one from the outside could enter the area he had deployed, and naturally, no one could leave.
“Hahaha. If you feel it is unfair, why don't you try performing some dark arts as well?”
The reason Yao Hong was acting so leisurely was due to the specific relationship between demonic arts and dark arts.
He knew. He knew that no dark art existed that could oppose his demonic art. Originally, dark arts were vulnerable to demonic arts. Furthermore, there could be no dark art capable of breaking the demonic art he had manifested.
Indeed, Lee Jaseung was unable to destroy this space by unfolding dark arts.
If there was a positive aspect, however.
“Does this mean you have no confidence in defeating me unless you resort to such petty tricks?”
Yao Hong accepted Lee Jaseung’s provocation leisurely.
“Could it not be that I simply wish to enjoy killing you painfully?”
“It won't be easy. I happen to be naturally good at enduring pain.”
Lee Jaseung tucked his daggers into both sides of his waist and walked forward slowly.
Yao Hong no longer felt anger or irritation at Lee Jaseung’s reactions. Rather, he even felt that Lee Jaseung was impressive for maintaining such leisure even in this situation.
“I suppose you haven't experienced proper pain yet.”
There was a reason for Yao Hong’s satisfied smile. This space was created for close-quarters combat. Thus, he was merely grateful that Lee Jaseung chose close-quarters combat first.
However, there was one fact that Yao Hong did not know. That the martial art Lee Jaseung was most confident in was not the Yama's Dagger Art using daggers, but the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts performed with bare hands.
Yao Hong strode forward. He brushed against the blades, but they bent like paper and then straightened out.
In contrast, Lee Jaseung had to move cautiously. Even so, he was sliced in two places on his side.
Yao Hong flew through the air and thrust his fist.
There was not even the sound of wind as he flew.
However, when it reached its target, it tore through the air with immense power.
Swoosh!
Fists flew in succession.
Lee Jaseung dodged the fists by retreating.
Slice. Slit.
His body was sliced again by the surrounding blades. Lee Jaseung’s martial robe soon began to be stained with blood.
There was no time to examine the wounds because Yao Hong closed the distance and lunged again.
Lightly dodging a fist flying toward his abdomen, Lee Jaseung struck the man's chest with his shoulder.
Thud!
Yao Hong was pushed back. The surrounding blades bent and then straightened.
Lee Jaseung followed closely behind.
An elbow grazed Yao Hong’s chin. A following attack came. Yao Hong barely dodged it.
Seizing the opportunity, Lee Jaseung displayed the divine might of the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts.
Unable to hold his ground, Yao Hong threw his body backward. After all, this space belonged to him.
Or so he thought.
Thud! Thud! Squelch! Squelch!
In an instant, Yao Hong snapped his eyes wide. He slowly looked behind his back.
Several sword blades were piercing his back. Two of them had inflicted fatal wounds.
Blood pouring from his back flowed down the blades.
Yao Hong was shocked. He swallowed the blood rising up and asked.
“Just how?”
Lee Jaseung grinned and spoke.
“Didn't you tell me to try performing dark arts?”
Lee Jaseung could not dismantle this demonic art.
However, he could at least layer his own dark art upon this demonic art. He made it so that Yao Hong was subject to the same conditions. The realm Lee Jaseung had reached was truly great, and he had overcome more than half of the innate weaknesses of dark arts.
He could have displayed it from the start, but Lee Jaseung waited for the decisive moment. If he had displayed the dark art from the beginning, Yao Hong would have retracted this demonic art and tried to manifest another one.
Lee Jaseung looked around and spoke.
“Look around.”
Yao Hong followed Lee Jaseung’s gaze and looked around.
The blades that had possessed a blue light now held a red glow. These swords no longer belonged to Yao Hong.
“If you are pierced, you will die too.”
Yao Hong’s pupils shook slightly. He realized that if things became like this, the fight would not be easy.
Lee Jaseung returned the words Yao Hong had said earlier.
“A warrior should fight in a place like this. Don't you agree?”
Yao Hong’s expression distorted slightly but soon relaxed.
He walked forward. Blood erupted from the wounds where the swords had been pulled out. Despite them being fatal wounds, Yao Hong did not care at all.
His body glowed faintly, and soon the flowing blood stopped. And surprisingly, the wounds on his back began to heal until not even a faint trace remained.
It was a sight that would naturally draw out curses, but Lee Jaseung did not despair. He had never once thought that the fight with Yao Hong would be easy.
“I'll have to see if your head still stays attached even if I cut it off.”
At Lee Jaseung’s words, sparks flew from Yao Hong’s eyes.
“I'll finish closing your coffin lid for you!”
The two lunged toward each other.
Boom! Thud! Swoosh!
Fists laden with emotion were exchanged rapidly.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Because it was a rough struggle, the arms and bodies of both men were sliced by the blades.
Since they did not fear being sliced by the blades, the wounds continued to increase.
But ultimately, the one at a disadvantage was Lee Jaseung. Even while fighting, the wounds on Yao Hong’s body continued to heal. Just as the swords had grown back when broken earlier, Yao Hong’s body was the same.
It was unknown whether the regeneration ability was limited to this space or if it was another demonic art of Yao Hong. The important thing was that as time went on, the one at a disadvantage was Lee Jaseung.
Lee Jaseung instinctively felt that the moment had come to give up flesh to take bone.
He intended to move in with the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts and break Yao Hong’s neck. He did not mean to simply break it, but to twist the neck a full turn to break it.
Of course, he would undoubtedly be injured in the process. He only hoped to minimize the injuries.
On the other hand, Yao Hong was also preparing a finishing move with another ultimate technique of the Northern Sea Demonic Art. A hidden move to cut Lee Jaseung’s body into four pieces in one go.
The reason the two refrained from using their ultimate techniques despite having such powerful methods was due to the burden if they failed. Because a form with great power always possessed an equally great opening.
Watching for an opportunity, Lee Jaseung lunged with successive fists.
Papapapapang!
Lee Jaseung, who originally intended to aim for the neck and move in, suddenly threw his body backward.
Yao Hong, who looked like he would naturally follow with an attack, stopped his movements.
A silence flowed for a moment.
Lee Jaseung was staring to one side with a shocked face.
Yao Hong’s gaze was also directed toward where Lee Jaseung was looking.
Surprisingly, a man was standing next to a sword tree a short distance from where they were fighting. He was examining the sword tree with his back turned.
When Lee Jaseung first felt his presence, he thought he was one of Yao Hong’s subordinates who had been hiding previously.
But he was not.
Yao Hong was staring at him in complete horror. He wore an expression of disbelief that someone had intruded into this space he had created without permission.
Lee Jaseung could tell that it was not a trick or act.
Because the newly appeared man was someone Lee Jaseung also knew.
The intruder grasped a sword of the tree with his hand. Just as Yao Hong had shown earlier, the blade crumpled like paper. While they were sharp swords to Lee Jaseung and Yao Hong, they were paper to him.
The man turned around with eyes that were pitch black without a single trace of white.
He was none other than Cheon Myeongin.