The Sacred Artifact Of The Wudang Sect. (1)

Yu Seol’s gaze was not on the strange man in front of her, but on what loomed above him.

A single sword half-embedded in the cliff.

At a glance it was clearly no ordinary sword.

Its radiant glow was irresistibly beautiful.

The Dragon Flower Spear strapped to her back trembled as if it too felt the sword’s aura.

“…Pretty.”

She stood in a daze for a moment, and then.

“Child, don’t get distracted!”

Yu Seol snapped back to attention at her grandfather’s shout.

It was because of the white-haired old man standing right before her.

He was drooling and making strange noises.

“Grrr…”

The stranger’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Was he possessed by some demonic spirit? One thing was certain: he was an incredibly skilled master whose limits couldn’t be guessed.

After glaring at Yu Seol for a moment, he suddenly lunged.

Swoosh!

The speed was lightning-quick—impossible to follow with the naked eye.

In an instant he reached right before Yu Seol and swung his right hand, curled like a claw.

The red qi gathered in his grip felt strong enough to crush steel.

It was a terrifying blow she couldn’t even think to dodge.

Watching, Yu Jinsan gripped his hands in sweat, but it was needless worry—this stranger’s opponent was none other than the strongest man in the current martial arts world, the Yin Monster.

Wham-!!

Where the red aura swept through, nothing remained.

The stranger looked flustered, as if he couldn’t believe his empty swing.

“…?”

Yu Seol had already moved behind the stranger.

They had swapped places in the blink of an eye.

It was the higher-level repositioning stepping method lightning footwork, superior to the shifting technique she had learned from the Sword Empress.

Yu Seol’s palm shot toward the stranger’s back at the speed of light.

But his reaction was unbelievably fast as well.

Bang-!!

Their hands collided and the two slid past each other in opposite directions.

In the meantime, Yu Seol shouted urgently.

“Please, Grandpa!”

Yu Jinsan grabbed his Dragon Slaying Spear with a look of disbelief.

Because, of all things, the stranger was sliding in the direction where he stood.

“Ah, child!!”

Yu Seol was already hanging from the cliff, likely trying to pull out the sword that emitted that radiant light.

To shove such a terrifying fellow off onto him.

Was her grandfather being considerate so he could get real combat experience? Or had his eyes been blinded by treasure?

She strongly suspected it was probably both.

Whatever the truth, it was equally absurd.

But what could be done?

With a heavy heart, Yu Jinsan hurled his spear.

Whoooosh-!!

Just as the spear tip, imbued with red qi, was about to pierce the stranger’s back.

The man’s waist twisted at a strange angle and he deflected the attack.

Clang-!

He was not, after all, an easy opponent.

Yu Jinsan quickly created distance and retrieved his spear.

He tried to continue with the next attack immediately, but no opportunity was given.

The stranger’s movements, sticking to him like a magnet, defied common sense.

At the same time, his right hand approached in a circular motion, leaving no time to dodge.

Yu Jinsan hurriedly rotated the spear shaft to block the attack.

Kraaaang-!!

“Ugh!”

The heavy impact forced Yu Jinsan to step backward.

He had thought no one could surpass him in internal skill, but the white-haired stranger was no pushover.

Truly, the surprises never ended.

‘Who on earth is this old man?’

No matter how he looked, he couldn’t recall the figure.

How could such a powerful figure be unknown to the world? He was curious about the background, but there was no time for trivial thoughts.

The Dragon Slaying Spear, mouth filled with a spear-surface qi, struck the ground and shot upward.

It was the old form of the Yu Family Wind Slaying Spear technique, the Fierce Dragon Ascends to Heaven.

The spear blade carried an edge said to cut even steel, but the stranger paid it no mind.

Rather than avoiding it, he twirled his hands and wrapped around the spear blade.

Whirrr-!!

Amazingly, the spear tip went out of control like a fish caught in rapids.

‘He would let my force slip away like this?’

Something utterly unbelievable was unfolding before his eyes.

Boing-!!

It was the sound of the spear tip being knocked up by the stranger’s power.

Yu Jinsan hastily retreated, but the stranger’s approach grew even faster.

Before he knew it, the man’s right hand had moved in front of his chest.

With no choice, Yu Jinsan extended his left hand to defend against the strike.

Screech-!!

At the moment of collision, another strange thing happened.

The internal qi carried in his right hand vanished as it ran along the opponent’s shoulder.

The surprises didn’t end there.

The stranger’s right hand coiled around Yu Jinsan’s arm like a snake and lunged like lightning.

Whirl-!!

It immediately struck his upper chest with a full force.

Boom-!!

“Grrk!”

After taking the blow, Yu Jinsan skidded back three paces from the recoil.

Thanks to the Vajra Indestructible Divine Arts he avoided a fatal wound, but the problem began now.

The stranger planted his feet shoulder-width apart, swung both arms, and traced a Taiji pattern.

Then his hands seemed to multiply into dozens.

‘So it was Taiji Fist.’

It was said to be the Wudang Sect’s greatest boxing art, created by Jang Sam-bong.

Yu Jinsan had only heard rumors and had never faced it directly.

But he was not the type to shrink back at this.

Clenching his teeth, he kept his distance and swung his spear like a madman.

When the Dragon Slaying Spear met his hands, thunderous sounds erupted incessantly.

Crash-! Bang-bang-bang-!!

On the surface it looked evenly matched, but in truth it wasn’t—none of Yu Jinsan’s techniques worked on the stranger.

The Taiji being displayed exhibited extreme softness outside and hardness within.

It seemed to cut the wind and pierce the water.

For now, merely holding on was his limit.

‘I don’t necessarily have to win. I just need to stall until Seol returns.’

That was Yu Jinsan’s plan.

But had his thoughts been read? Suddenly the stranger’s movement froze.

He contorted his face like a yaksha, as if furious.

“Grrrr!”

Red pupils full of killing intent. He bared his teeth like a wolf.

He looked as if he was desperate that he couldn’t kill Yu Jinsan.

While steadying his breath, Yu Jinsan attempted to provoke the opponent, trying to lure out a weakness.

“Tsk tsk. My friend, how did you get so senile? You look like you’re smeared in filth on the Wind Wall of Master Sam-bong—aren’t you ashamed before your disciples?”

Could the provocation have worked? The stranger’s shoulders began to tremble.

The man who had glared as if to kill him then spread his right hand wide.

Then an ownerless sword rolling on the ground shot up with a ‘whoom’ and approached.

Thrust-!

The moment he seized the sword, Yu Jinsan broke out in a cold sweat—his momentum had completely changed, as if everything up to now had been mere warm-up.

‘This is, I won’t hold out long.’

Yu Jinsan realized the opponent’s realm had reached the Profound Realm.

He urgently checked his granddaughter’s location first.

Fortunately, she was hanging like a bat from a cliff not far away.

She was there, grunting as she clutched the sword’s hilt with both hands.

How firmly was the sword lodged? It was strange that it wouldn’t budge even when his granddaughter put her back into it.

But that wasn’t the important thing now.

Her grandfather was fighting for his life, and she was busy digging for treasure?

Yu Jinsan shouted forcefully in an indignant tone.

“Child, come quickly!!”

Yu Seol, hanging from the cliff, groaned and called back.

“Almost done, I’ll be there soon!”

And then. The stranger slowly pointed the sword’s tip at Yu Jinsan.

It was a simple movement, but facing it made Yu Jinsan feel breathless.

‘What on earth is this oppressive pressure?’

There was no time to ponder at length.

Steeling himself, Yu Jinsan readjusted his grip on the spear with both hands.

Meanwhile, some watched the situation at the Wind Wall from a distance.

On a huge rock some thirty paces away.

Three white-haired, white-bearded elders were the Wudang Sect’s seniors: Gwang Hye, Gwang Cheon, and Gwang Hyeon.

And a step away from them, the sect leader Mu-gwang had his hands clasped.

He cautiously addressed the elders.

“It seems the Yin Monster was aiming for that very thing.”

One of the elders snorted in reply.

“Master’s Heaven-Piercing Sword? If it could be pulled out like that, it would have already been out in the world.”

The Heaven-Piercing Sword.

A long time ago it was the absolute weapon of Jang Sam-bong that shook the martial world, counted among the finest swords in the martial arts.

This legendary blade was said to have the power to pierce the heavens.

But after Jang Sam-bong’s death, it never reappeared in the world.

For some reason, before entering nirvana he had driven it into the Wind Wall, and since then no one could pull it out.

The Wudang Sect had tried every method over the years, but the Wind Wall’s hardness, harder than diamond, resisted all secret tricks.

“It appears the Yin Monster is determined to pull it out.”

“Do not worry. Such a thing will never happen.”

The other elders each uttered comments as if in agreement.

“That sword cannot be pulled out by force.”

“Not a chance. Even if everyone clung to it, it wouldn’t budge.”

But the sect leader couldn’t hide his unease as he watched the Yin Monster hanging from the cliff.

His feet were fixed on the wall, and he trembled as he gripped the scabbard with both hands. His will to pull it out seemed unshakeable.

“B-but if he really pulls it out, what happens?”

“You know the prophecy the Master left. The one who pulls the Heaven-Piercing Sword will save the world.”

“I know that too, but if by any chance he does pull it…”

Cheon Gong, the highest-ranked elder, interrupted Mu-gwang and scolded him.

“As the sect leader, how can you speak so horrifically? You know well that the Wudang’s adepts are destined to follow the owner of the Heaven-Piercing Sword!? Such a thing will not happen, so do not even imagine it.”

“Yes, elder. I acted rashly out of needless anxiety.”

The elders dismissed it as unworthy of reply.

Their gaze was fixed solely on the Yang Monster and the stranger.

“It seems Gwang Neung hyung is finally about to unleash the Taiji Heart Sword.”

“If only he’d regained his senses, he would have been the world’s greatest…”

“In any case, this place will surely become the tomb of the Yin Yang Twin Monster.”

While the elders were absorbed in the fight between Gwang Neung elder and the Yang Monster.

The sect Leader called to them once more.

“…Elders, p-please look over there!”

At Mu-gwang’s flustered voice, the elders’ eyes turned to that spot.

Their wrinkled eyes now opened wide, as if about to tear.

Because cracks had begun appearing in the Wind Wall, known to be harder than diamond.

The Yin Monster’s arms, gripping the Heaven-Piercing Sword, trembled.

A moment later.

“Kyaaaaah!!!”

A fierce roar erupted from the Yin Monster’s mouth, shaking Wudang Mountain and echoing.

Rumble-!!!

Yu Jinsan and the stranger who had been about to attack both froze and stared in that direction.

The elders and sect leader could not close their mouths—the Wind Wall had begun to split left and right.

Crackle-!!!

The sect leader watched and muttered as if driven mad.

“Um, the Yin Monster has pulled out the Heaven-Piercing Sword.”

The elders, thrown into confusion, blinked and babbled.

“This, this cannot be.”

“H-how could he get that out by force?”

“How could that evil demon head steal the Master’s sword…”

Mu-gwang, the sect leader, seemed utterly shocked and at a loss.

“W-we are ruined now.”

The elders were equally unable to collect themselves.

The Yin Monster, having retrieved the Heaven-Piercing Sword, paid no heed to their feelings and shoved his right arm shoulder-deep into the split crevice of the cliff, stirring it about.

Could there possibly be another treasure hidden inside?

Then the Yin Monster’s laughter tickled everyone’s ears.

“Hehehe. Hehehehe.”