Martial Arts Ain't That Big of a Deal-Chapter 228: Black Sword (4)

Seo-jun infiltrated the Sword Sect’s domain in complete secrecy.

His mastery of stealth had long transcended mere technique—it was an art. When it came to erasing his presence, no one in the Central Plains could rival him.

In other words, slipping into any faction’s territory was a simple matter for him.

‘But the Sword Sect operates on an elite, small-force system.’

To infiltrate not just the outer grounds but deep into their inner sanctum, he would typically need to take on the identity of a sect disciple.

It wouldn’t be difficult, but...

‘No need for that.’

Stealth wasn’t the goal. All of this was to annihilate the Sword Sect.

As he loitered near the sect’s perimeter, Seo-jun calmly finalized his plan.

‘One thing matters—speed. Swift and decisive.’

Cut down anyone he encountered. When Geom Hyeon appeared, kill him too. After that, eliminate the rest and leave before reinforcements arrived.

No need to overcomplicate it.

And if reinforcements from other sects arrived afterward—he could use that to his advantage.

‘Might as well pay my respects to the Great Black Mountain Sect while I’m at it.’

Ryeo-won, one of their former masters, was also responsible for his father-in-law’s death.

In truth, the entire Black Lotus Union was a threat. So long as they posed any danger to Namgung, there was no reason to leave them standing.

Seo-jun’s thoughts settled, and he kicked off from the ground.

The formation barrier imbued into the Sword Sect’s walls tried to block his intrusion—

Hwaak—!

—but with a mere flick of Seo-jun’s hand, the formation lost its power. It dissipated as if it had never existed, allowing his entry without a sound.

‘It would be nice to slip into a few more sects and clean house...’

But that would be too dangerous. His confidence in this mission came from his certainty that he could kill Geom Hyeon quickly.

“Who’s th—”

Crack—!

Before the guard could finish his question, Seo-jun’s crimson eyes flashed, and his hand pierced through the man’s chest.

Saaah—

Using the North Sea Absorption Art, he drained the man’s life force. The body collapsed into scattered remains, unable to retain its shape.

‘Quickly.’

Seo-jun unsheathed his sword and surged forward. His movements made no sound, as though he floated above the ground.

Sweeping his senses outward, he pinpointed the largest cluster of life forces.

‘Four.’

The source was inside a building.

With a soft creak, he pushed open the door.

Four pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him.

“Who—ugh!”

Seo-jun closed the distance and slashed.

The first man, cut from head to groin, split cleanly in two.

Chaang—!

The remaining three scrambled to draw their swords—one didn’t even get that far.

Seo-jun pressed down on the man’s wrist, pinning his hand to the hilt, and drove his blade through his throat.

Ghhk...!

The body crumpled as the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) second fell.

One of the survivors bellowed, his voice imbued with internal energy:

“INTRUD—!”

But the sound never carried.

“No.”

Seo-jun’s domain sealed the air, smothering the shout before it could escape.

And then he was already moving forward.

The remaining two—both peak-level masters—had likely been discussing swordsmanship moments ago.

‘Pathetic.’

If they loved their blades so much, they should’ve stayed in a mountain to swing them. The moment their swords turned toward Namgung, they became enemies.

Swish—

Seo-jun glided forward, and one of the men lashed out with his blade.

Crimson eyes tracked the trajectory down to the finest detail.

Shhkk—!

The blade carved through empty air. Seo-jun’s hand shot out.

The swordsman’s eyes widened in horror.

“Sword wall—!”

A female warrior reacted instantly, slashing from the side.

Crack—!

Seo-jun’s hand speared through the man’s chest, ending him instantly.

The woman’s sword raced for Seo-jun’s throat.

Wuuung—

But his Flying Sword Technique diverted her strike, redirecting the blow harmlessly aside—a technique known as White River Ghost Mirage.

“Hh—!”

Tang—!

She vibrated her blade to shake off his control, breaking the flow of White River Ghost Mirage.

Not bad.

Among peak-level masters, she was competent.

Clang!

Seo-jun snatched a sword from mid-air, the demonic blade humming with glee in his grasp.

Reversal Sun and Moon Qi.

Shhkk—!

Her eyes flared wide—some primal instinct screamed at her.

She twisted her torso, desperately shoving her sword into the path of his attack.

Slaash—

Her blade was severed, cleaved through by Reversal Sun and Moon Qi.

The deadly wave of energy passed so close to her face that it nicked the tip of her nose.

Gritting her teeth, she slammed a foot into the ground, springing backward with a wild spin.

Swish—! Her robes flared as she whipped into a kick, pouring all her momentum into a brutal counterattack.

Seo-jun’s crimson eyes tracked her with cold clarity.

Tiny dots manifested in the air—points of certain death.

Reversal Sun and Moon Barrage.

She tried to dodge—too late.

Retracting her extended leg to evade took a fraction too long.

Puh-puh-puh—!

Her body was perforated, pierced through by countless invisible strikes.

Shaking, she forced her head up, blood trailing from her lips.

“...The Sect Master... will...”

Shwack—!

Seo-jun’s sword ended her life, severing her head from her shoulders.

Without pause, he exited the building.

His domain, spread thinly but precisely, scoured the sect grounds for more life signatures.

Nine more disciples fell as he carved his path, each slain without hesitation.

Following the trail of presences, he soon discovered a hidden underground chamber.

‘Trying to forge a demonic blade?’

Seo-jun’s gaze fell on the dozen or so swords skewering several corpses like grotesque stakes. Some peculiar power shimmered along the blades, evidence of a technique at work.

But he wasn’t interested.

He was here because he sensed a formidable presence deeper within.

“Who are you?”

A man emerged from the shadows, four swords hanging from his waist.

‘Peak of the Supreme Realm.’

Seo-jun launched forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet.

“Hup...!”

Startled, the man drew his blade in an instant. Chaang—! His sword clashed against Seo-jun’s, and for a fleeting moment, their weapons locked.

Seo-jun’s crimson eyes flicked over the opponent’s blade.

‘Interesting.’

The man had managed to block a strike imbued with Reversal Sun and Moon Qi. Credit partly to his skill—but the quality of his sword was also a factor.

But it wouldn’t last.

Chzzzt—! Cracks began to spiderweb along the blade. The man’s eyes widened in alarm.

Seo-jun withdrew his sword, then struck again.

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Jjaeng—!

The man’s blade shattered into pieces.

“No...!”

With a cry of desperation, he drew two more blades—dual swords this time.

Seo-jun, unfazed, gathered the natural energy of the heavens and earth into his palm, forming four swords of pure qi—each blazing with Reversal Sun and Moon Qi.

Swish—!

The spectral blades shot out, converging from every direction.

“HRAAAAAH—!!”

The man roared, and from his dual swords, murky, powerful sword energy surged forth.

Kwa-kwa-kwaang—!

He swung wildly, fending off the assault with both blades. The sound of clashing energy shook the chamber—but it was clear he was struggling.

“Kh...!”

Desperation flashing in his eyes, the man suddenly drove his blade upward toward the ceiling.

KWAAANG—!

The rocky ceiling collapsed with a deafening crash, and sunlight poured in through the opening.

Bursting out into the open air, the man flung one of his swords with all his might.

Shwaak—!

The blade streaked toward Seo-jun, carrying a crimson aura—a power imbued directly into the weapon itself.

KUUUUUUUNG—!!

The thrown blade detonated on impact, unleashing a cataclysmic blast. A tide of crimson energy ripped through the area, pulverizing everything within its reach.

In the aftermath, the blade, tossed away by the explosion, spun back into the man’s outstretched hand with a whirr.

But his teeth clenched the moment he saw the figure charging through the dissipating dust—completely unharmed.

Seo-jun’s eyes, glowing deep red, narrowed coldly.

‘That commotion... Geom Hyeon must’ve sensed it by now.’

He had observed long enough. There was no reason to hold back anymore.

CRACKLE—!!

From Seo-jun’s blade, a torrent of jet-black demonic energy erupted, painting the air with malevolent power.

The man’s eyes flared wide in disbelief.

“...Demonic Cult!?”

Seo-jun's body twisted, his strike carving through the air—yet within that blade lay something more profound.

The unity of Heaven, Earth, and Man—

A clarity attained through his bond with Namgung Sua.

Heavenly Demon Divine Sword: Sweeping Across the Thousand Armies.

ZZZZZZZZZT—!!

The horizontal slash did not merely tear through space—it cleaved the very landscape itself.

The world seemed to slide apart, the ground splitting and tilting from the strike.

KUUUUUM—!

As the dust billowed, the man stumbled backward.

“Kh...!”

His dual blades—both shattered, reduced to jagged remnants. Desperately, he reached for the last sword at his waist.

But Seo-jun was already before him.

CRACK—!!

Seo-jun’s hand seized the man’s head and crushed it with a sickening crunch.

Blood, bone, and viscera splattered across the ground as Seo-jun flicked his hand clean, casting the remains aside.

A voice, cold and mocking, reached his ears through the thinning haze of dust.

“...Still as flamboyant as ever.”

The clouds of earth and debris parted, revealing a lone figure—Geom Hyeon.

Suspended mid-air, he gazed down at Seo-jun with icy contempt.

Displeasure flickered in his eyes.

“How insolent.”

Seo-jun’s fingers spread wide.

Inverse Ideal World .

The faintly present domain around him suddenly solidified, expanding with frightening speed.

Unlike before, he hadn’t conjured it from scratch—his domain had been present all along, merely veiled, and now it manifested fully.

My Sword is One .

Chiii-ring—!

Geom Hyeon responded, layering his domain over the Thousand Blossom Sword—the floating, myriad-blade weapon that circled him protectively.

Seo-jun’s finger twitched.

Mount Tai Crushing Strike.

KUUUUUUUUUNG—!!

The sky collapsed.

It was a technique from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, but its root lay in the Imperial Sword Form.

Recognizing it instantly, Geom Hyeon unleashed a thousand blades.

Taak—!

Seo-jun launched from the ground, soaring skyward, straight into the barrage of blades—closing the distance toward Geom Hyeon.

‘Trying to separate me from my Flying Sword Technique?’

Realizing Seo-jun's intent, Geom Hyeon slashed with the sword in his hand.

Kwaang—!

Their swords clashed, and Geom Hyeon's body rocketed skyward from the impact.

Above, the thousand blades ripped through the heavens—then converged with Geom Hyeon, merging into one.

Now wielding one blade that contained the power of a thousand, he leveled it at Seo-jun.

“Such a shallow trick won’t work.”

A thousand blades streaked toward Seo-jun. But Geom Hyeon wasn’t simply reacting—he had a plan.

A prolonged fight was not an option. Prolonged battles within the enemy’s domain meant certain defeat. The key was to cut down Seo-jun’s true body—fast.

Taak—!

Behind the storm of blades, Geom Hyeon charged, aiming to end it quickly.

‘Won’t work?’

Seo-jun’s lips curled into a cold grin.

"Think again."

His left hand—empty, without a blade—suddenly clenched.

Kwaak—!

A massive wave of force erupted from his palm, sweeping through the domain.

Swordbreaker.

A technique crafted solely to destroy Geom Hyeon's Flying Sword Technique.

Wuuuuuung──────────

The devastating pulse crashed into the thousand blades—

—and stopped them cold.

The blades froze in place, hanging motionless mid-air.

Geom Hyeon's eyes widened in disbelief, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

"What... impossible...!"

Someone had stopped his Flying Sword Technique—within his own domain.

A feat beyond reason. Beyond logic.

Even if only for a split second—

But in a battle between masters of the Harmonious Realm, a split second was eternity.

Seo-jun shot through the gap between the halted blades.

Geom Hyeon thrust his sword, his mind racing through the next move.

‘As long as it doesn’t happen twice.’

Without hesitation, he reinforced his domain. Never again would his Flying Sword Technique be disrupted.

If he survived this instant—he would turn the tables.

Puuuk—!

“Huh?”

Geom Hyeon's blade pierced Seo-jun’s chest—effortlessly, without resistance.

Shock flickered in his eyes.

‘A clone?’

It couldn’t be the real body. It shouldn't be the real body.

Yet—

Puuuk—!

Seo-jun’s sword plunged into Geom Hyeon’s chest.

‘The... real body...?’

Blood welled up Geom Hyeon’s throat as he stared down at the blade impaling his heart.

“Planning... to die together?”

Sssht—!

Geom Hyeon twisted his blade inside Seo-jun’s chest.

The edge carved through his torso, slicing upward through vital organs—heart, lungs, arteries—before bursting out through his skull.

Puhwaak—!

A crimson spray erupted from Seo-jun’s mangled form.

His chest, his head—torn open. A mortal wound. Death, beyond certainty.

Then—

Chrrrrrk—

Blood droplets, suspended mid-air, reversed their flow—returning to Seo-jun’s broken body.

Muscle, bone, flesh—knit back together.

The gory ruin of his chest and skull sealed shut.

In an instant—Seo-jun was whole again.

His face, now inches from Geom Hyeon’s.

A faint, blood-red line still traced where his skull had been split—like a scar, a reminder.

“I don’t die from something like this.”

Crimson eyes.

An abyss that swallowed all light.

Geom Hyeon’s pupils dilated in raw, primal terror.

A terror that gripped the soul and crushed the heart—

“You’re the only one dying here.”

Seo-jun’s lips twisted into a savage grin.

His blade—

—

—

Reversed Tenfold Yin-Yang Reversal.

PABABABABAK—!

A burst of blinding light—

Geom Hyeon’s body detonated.

His torso, limbs—obliterated.

His severed head, flung into the air—

Seo-jun caught it, his fingers digging into the scalp.

CRACK—!!

The skull caved in his grasp—

Shattered bone and flesh scattered like rain across the ruins of the Sword Sect.

A crimson downpour—

The ground painted with Geom Hyeon's remnants.

Seo-jun, hovering in the air, gazed down at what was left.

‘No guarantees. He might still be clinging to life.’

Without hesitation, he drove his sword through the scattered remains—repeatedly—until nothing could survive.

Only then did his gaze rise, scanning the surroundings.

“Hm...”

No other Harmonious Realm masters had arrived—yet.

‘Enough time... to erase this place completely.’

A vortex of power gathered in Seo-jun’s palm.

The Sword Sect—

Would cease to exist.