Chapter 36 : Jaseung, Improves His Secret Technique

Chapter 36: Jaseung, Improves His Secret Technique

Ma Young-gi’s spear aimed for Lee Jaseung’s waist, and from the opposite side, Mujin’s sword flew in targeting Lee Jaseung’s thigh.

Swaaaash!

The slicing sound created by their weapons could make even a top-tier master wet their pants.

Lee Jaseung’s body spun. The sword and spear narrowly grazed past him.

This time, their weapons aimed for his chest and abdomen, and once again, Lee Jaseung dodged them with ease.

The two had never trained in coordinated attacks, yet they moved in sync as if they had practiced every day.

Chang-chang-chang-chang!

Lee Jaseung’s dagger deflected both the spear and sword.

The moment the dagger clashed with the spear, Ma Young-gi’s wrist throbbed, and he nearly dropped his weapon.

Despite that, a joyful smile spread across Ma Young-gi’s face.

This intense feeling was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Since the end of the seven year war, Ma Young-gi hadn’t had many chances to unleash his full skills in battle. Just when his body had been itching for a fight, this opportunity came.

Clenching his grip with both hands, Ma Young-gi thrust his spear with all his might.

Swaaaash!

But he couldn’t even graze Lee Jaseung’s clothes.

This move was one that few could dodge. But watching Lee Jaseung avoid it so effortlessly filled Ma Young-gi with elation.

There were two types of martial artists in the world of Jianghu. Those who feared strong opponents, and those who rejoiced in meeting them. Ma Young-gi was the latter.

Mujin took on the role of supporting Ma Young-gi’s attacks.

When two people fought together, if one chose to strike aggressively, the other had to provide support. Mujin willingly played that role.

In an instant, over fifty exchanges passed. Lee Jaseung, who had only been defending, now began to attack.

Swish! Shweeeek! Swoosh!

He slashed and stabbed. Lee Jaseung’s dagger cut through the air with menace.

He fought using only the second and third form of his techniques.

The goal of this duel wasn’t to defeat the two of them. It was to push himself to the limit using the second and third forms of the Yama’s Dagger Art.

The two of them, already at the peak of their abilities and rich in real combat experience, were the perfect opponents for that purpose.

Shwik-shwik-shwik-shwik-shwik!

When the stabbing of the Great Circle and the slashing of the Dancing Peacock techniques were combined, they produced terrifying power.

Of course, that didn’t mean he struck hard enough to kill them. If Lee Jaseung had truly meant to kill, the two would have already been lying dead.

He was unleashing his skills to the extreme, but within the bounds of not injuring them.

To push himself to the limit while keeping two peak-level opponents unharmed was harder than trying to kill them.

The speed at which they exchanged offense and defense kept increasing.

Mujin and Ma Young-gi were deeply immersed in the fight. Without total focus, they couldn’t withstand even a single move. At this point, there was no longer a distinction between attacker and support.

They were pouring everything they had into the battle. By now, it was no longer a duel but a life-and-death struggle.

Watching from hiding, Mook Young wanted to jump in. He was frustrated by his role as a bodyguard, which prevented him from acting freely.

Mook Young genuinely admired Lee Jaseung’s fighting.

Though the official second rank of the Black Way Alliance was Mujin, the gap between first and second felt as vast as heaven and earth.

No matter how many hidden techniques Mujin had kept in reserve, the result would be the same. If it was the Lee Jaseung he knew and if his opponent had hidden one move, Lee Jaseung would have hidden two or three.

Lee Jaseung was gradually falling into a state of no-self.

But this wasn’t the ordinary state of no-self that people spoke of. Even though his body and mind were wholly absorbed in battle, there was another part of his mind calmly observing himself.

Despite all his experience, this was the first time Lee Jaseung had encountered such a state.

It felt like standing still at the eye of a typhoon, watching the storm rage in all directions. Or like an out-of-body soul watching the fight from outside.

This phenomenon had arisen from the clash between two instincts. The instinct to fall into no-self, and the instinct to protect his subordinates from harm. This was a level beyond the usual state of no-self.

He could now observe his martial arts with a completely different perspective from anything he had ever imagined during training. He was witnessing and executing techniques at their absolute peak.

He began to sense flaws in moves he had thought perfect. He naturally saw how those gaps could be filled.

Right at that moment!

The separate forms of his techniques came together into one.

It was like a great wall that had blocked his path was suddenly crumbling down.

As the movements unified in his mind, the Lee Jaseung immersed in no-self unleashed that new technique.

Kiiiiiiiing!

A piercing sound like a beast’s wail tore through the air.

As Lee Jaseung’s technique suddenly became impossibly sharper and more precise, Mujin and Ma Young-gi gritted their teeth. It was a situation where even the slightest lapse in focus would mean death.

They had no way of knowing.

That this new technique was not even displaying a third of its original power. Lee Jaseung was intentionally holding back for their sake.

Had he unleashed even half its full strength, the two of them would already have become corpses. That’s how powerful this new technique was.

Once a single new technique had formed, the rest followed in quick succession.

Forms from the second and third techniques merged with each other. Some combined within their own sets.

At that moment, to Lee Jaseung, it didn’t matter whether a form came from the second or third technique.

Each time a new movement emerged, it manifested from his hands instantly. And because he maintained an objective eye, none of these struck fatal blows to Mujin or Ma Young-gi. Sometimes with a tenth of its power, sometimes with a third.

Each time, he applied just the right force to execute these newly created forms.

To develop new techniques beyond even the likes of the Yama’s Dagger Art during a spar was a feat that would go down in Jianghu’s history.

It was possible only because Mujin and Ma Young-gi were fighting him to their absolute limits, receiving all of his forms.

Then, at the moment the final form was completed,

Clang! Clang!

Mujin’s sword and Ma Young-gi’s spear were flung from their hands and hit the ground.

Only then did Mujin and Ma Young-gi come to their senses.

“Huff! Huff! Huff!”

Panting hard, they collapsed on the spot. Ma Young-gi even sprawled flat on his back.

A flood of emotions surged through them. This had been harder and more grueling than any life-or-death fight they had experienced. They had poured every last ounce of will and strength into it.

And through this single battle, both of them realized that their martial arts had advanced greatly. Even Mook Young, who had only watched, gained significant insight.

But of course, the one who gained the most was Lee Jaseung.

The wall that had blocked him had collapsed, and he had invented new techniques. There were five in total.

The Dagger of the Great Circle and Dancing Peacock had been reorganized into one and his techniques completed as five new forms.

Originally six forms of his Dagger Arts, were now changed to five.

The Dagger of Unshakable Stillness, a ranged attack to kill opponents.

The Dagger of the Great Circle and Dancing Peacock, a thrusting and slashing attack were combined into one new powerful technique.

The Dagger of the Night Demon that used powerful Qi in its attacks.

The Dagger of the Enlightened One that was used as a self-defense mechanism only used in absolute dire situations.

And finally, the Dagger of the Radiant King, a technique that was never used once yet.

With this, the original six forms of his techniques were reorganized to five.

Another advancement has been made. If he didn’t have care for his subordinates, Lee Jaseung wouldn’t have been able to experience the unique state of no-self, nor would he have been able to make this improvement.

“I told you, didn’t I? He really tried to kill us.”

While listening to Mujin’s complaint from the back, Lee Jaseung looked up at the sky and laughed loudly.

“Hahahahahaha.”

Lee Jaseung was very happy. He too was a martial artist after all, one who dreamed to unify the whole world.

Today, he grew once again.

* * *

The next day, Dan Woobin came to find Lee Jaseung.

“There’s been word from the ant nest.”

The investigation into Yang Sebang had been handled by the Golden Ants, and they had brought new information.

“This is a list of Yang Sebang’s hidden assets.”

As expected, the Golden Ant’s intelligence network was shockingly impressive. They had uncovered secret properties that Yang Sebang had kept deeply hidden.

Even for an Elder of the Northern Sky Clan, it was hard to believe that one man had amassed such wealth. It likely amounted to at least ten million silver coins in value.

“When we eliminate Yang Sebang, make sure we absorb everything.”

“Of course.”

Had these been public assets, they would have gone to Yang Sebang’s family or reverted to the sect. But these were secret holdings.

“But take a look at this. The Seochang gold mine is now under his ownership.”

“And?”

“Do you know who originally owned the Seochang gold mine?”

Dan Woobin added with a meaningful look.

“They put up an outsider as the front, but the real ownership belongs to the Guanghai Blade Sect.”

At the unexpected name, Lee Jaseung’s eyes gleamed.

“Guanghai Blade Sect, huh...”

Dan Woobin nodded.

“It seems Yang Sebang has sided with the Guanghai Blade Sect.”

Now it made sense.

They had long sought to surpass the Northern Sky Clan and become the greatest in Jianghu.

While the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan had opened gambling halls to earn money, Guanghai Blade Sect and Yang Sebang were scheming to produce the tournament winner. With the Northern Sky Clan between them, each family was hiding their plots.

The Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan chose immediate profits.

Guanghai Blade Sect recruited Yang Sebang.

From what was visible on the surface, Guanghai Blade Sect was one step ahead.

A strange smile formed on Lee Jaseung’s lips.

Of the three families meant to uphold the Murim Alliance, two of them were this corrupt.

The more they rotted, the better. It would help his great cause later.

Lee Jaseung spoke with certainty.

“They’ve got real leverage on him now.”

If Yang Sebang seized power within the Northern Sky Clan, he was likely to betray Guanghai Blade Sect.

After all, why share such immense power and wealth?

That was why Guanghai Blade Sect must have secured a weakness they could exploit. Perhaps poison.

It was likely the same with Jin Yang, the Greatest Sword of Central Plains. With his sterling reputation, there was no reason he should’ve been caught up in this either.

Whatever the case, through Yang Sebang’s example, they could see how Guanghai Blade Sect maintained its control.

“Anyway, since public opinion isn’t too bad, I don’t think there’s any need to kill Jin Yang in the finals.”

“Got it.”

Dan Woobin carefully added.

“You must be careful.”

He had been considered a strong candidate to win ever since news of his participation got out. If he also had a trump card, even Lee Jaseung couldn’t afford to take him lightly.

“I’ll figure that out on my own.”

“Understood. Then I’ll be going now.”

Right as Dan Woobin was about to leave the room, Lee Jaseung asked from the back.

“Bin.”

“Yes?”

Dan Woobin turned around and saw Lee Jaseung standing by the window, gazing outside. While looking outside, Lee Jaseung spoke.

“It’ll be hard, but hang in there.”

Dan Woobin realized that Lee Jaseung was about to say something else but changed his mind.

But he pretended not to notice and replied with a bright smile.

“Thank you.”

* * *

The next day, Lee Jaseung took a solitary walk by the lake.

It was the day before the final match, and he was calming his mind.

Whenever he had the time, he would walk around Heaven's Gate. Of all places, this lake was the most beautiful.

Strolling along the moonlit waters, he felt all the tension and fatigue of the past few days melt away.

Lee Jaseung paused his steps. It was the exact spot where he had met Baek Seolyoung that one day.

He smirked as her drunken face came to mind.

When was the last time he was grabbed by the collar before?

Now that he thought about it, it might’ve been the first time in his life. Everyone who had tried had ended up dead.

He thought of her face.

He was reminded of a beautiful face, and the way she tried to act proud while hiding her desperation.

In truth, thinking of her made his heart feel complicated.

If he won the final tomorrow, he would have to marry her. He never dreamed he’d end up in a marriage like this. Honestly, he hadn’t even expected to get married at all.

And the real issue would begin after the marriage.

What kind of life would unfold?

That was what he had wanted to ask Dan Woobin yesterday.

“Is marrying her really the right decision?”

But he hadn’t said it, worried it would make him seem uncertain right before the final match.

A breeze blew, rustling his robes.

Just as he was about to resume walking, Lee Jaseung’s gaze sharpened.

Chchchchchchch.

A strange energy circled around him, forming a transparent barrier.

Demonic Qi!

Lee Jaseung sensed a powerful Demonic Qi from the barrier.

This wasn’t ordinary demonic energy. It was sharp and refined, something one would only find in the highest-level dark arts.

“You might as well come out now.”

Someone appeared at Lee Jaseung’s words, so naturally it felt as though she had been standing there all along. Her concealment technique was exquisite.

Red lips. A sensual figure.

She was Yoma, one of the eighteen Elders of the Asura Demon Sect.

She had come on orders from the Great Demon to carry out the second phase of their plan. And now, she stood before Lee Jaseung.

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