Volcanic Age - Chapter 15

Editor: Summerstood, Imagine

Ju Seo Cheon executed the first stance of the Plum Blossom Sword Art. Nak Seo Wol raised her sword in a hurry and blocked it.

Cheeng!

Tremble.

‘What an amazing internal energy!’

Nak Seo Wol’s thin wrists trembled.

Ju Seo Cheon looked old but he was still a kid.

It wasn’t possible for a kid to have this much pure strength. Then, it meant that he had the power of internal energy.

Nak Seo Wol regretted letting Ju Seo Cheon act first and made her next move. She used some footwork to retreat quickly.

‘Calm down.’

The moment she took a few steps back, Nak Seo Won’s head spun at a fast speed and planned her next move.

‘I don’t know how he managed to accumulate this much internal energy, but that’s not the important thing here.’

Nak Seo Wol was young but her way of thinking was close to that of an adult. She was one of those so called geniuses.

It was hard to see her as a nine year old kid because of her comprehension in martial arts, situation judgement, and knowledge.

Most of all, her strongest point was that she could think of several variables even in the short instant where they exchanged blows.

‘I should think how he will attack after that….’

The Universe Sword Art ,Withered Flower Sword Art, Plum Blossom Brilliant Sword Art, Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword Art and the Fourteen Stances of the Plum Blossom Sword.

Those were the martial arts her opponent of that age could learn.

She didn’t know exactly what he trained on but she was sure he would attack her with one of those sword arts.

Nak Seo Wol knew about these five sword arts and drew a picture on how to react against that.

However…

“…..What?”

All her plans crumbled in that short moment. Nothing fit with what she devised.

He hadn’t used any top ranked martial arts. No, it wasn’t martial arts in the first place.

“Take this!”

Ju Seo Cheon yelled energetically and swung his sword.

He only swung his sword. He didn’t even use the Plum Blossom Sword Art. He simply swung his sword randomly.

It didn’t have any form or shape.

A line was drawn from the top left to the bottom right.

It wasn’t even an art.

“What….!”

She got astounded.

Nak Seo Wol was able to consider several situations in a short instant but that was also her shortcoming.

Putting in badly, she thought too much unnecessarily and she got flustered if something besides her fixed concepts came flying towards her.

When Ju Seo Cheon swung his sword in a way that was embarrassing to call it swordsmanship, Nak Seo Wol barely managed to block it and put a dumbfounded expression.

“Here I go again!”

Ju Seo Cheon yelled. He brought up internal energy from his lower dantian and utilized it.

Pabababat!

His body received the internal energy and moved quickly. His muscles that got well trained due to the cliff climbing exerted strength.

Everytime he swung his sword, a heavy slashing sound rang out. The ground split and he aimed at Nak Seo Wol.

But that also wasn’t swordsmanship. It was only a swing.

Cheeng!

The two swords clashed against each other and fired off sparks.

Nak Seo Wol let out a scream. The shock that was transmitted from her sword to her hand wasn’t small at all.

“Hap!”

Swuuuung!

A heavy sound that followed the yell.

Nak Seo Woll raised her sword and blocked Ju Seo Cheon’s sword.

Chechechecheng!

Attack and defense continued repeatedly.

Ju Seo Cheon pushed her back ignorantly with his internal energy and swung his sword randomly. But Nak Seo Wol blocked all of that.

She got bewildered at first but was somehow able to block it thanks to her genius like talent and reflexes.

His sword was irregular but it didn’t mean that it couldn’t be blocked. It was the opposite. It was easier to do so.

His movements were so simple and didn’t draw a particular sword line so it was warning her beforehand how it will strike.

It was like a kid that didn’t know anything was swinging his sword randomly. It gave that feeling.

“Kyaak!”

The last scream came out from her.

She could clearly see the sword path. It was so obvious it made her yawn and she would be able to dodge it with her eyes closed.

But that was merely when they were speaking in the sword path. The strength and speed behind that sword was incredible.

Even if she was able to expect the path of the sword, that became meaningless if her body wasn’t able to follow it.

That was a really overwhelming and ignorant internal energy!

In the end, the one that raised the white flag in front of that strength was Nak Seo Wol.

“I…lost…”

Nak Seo Wol dropped her sword and she didn’t look bright.

The leisure she showed just a while ago was nowhere to be seen.

“Winner, Ju Seo Cheon!”

The examiner raised the hand of the winner and notified the end of the examination. But their expressions weren’t that good.

“What is that!”

“Where did he come from!”

Booing sounds were heard everywhere. It was towards the winner Ju Seo Cheon, and not the loser Nak Seo Wol.

“You want us to recognize that?”

“He’s worse than a third rank!”

“Are you even a disciple of Mount Hua!”

The Mount Hua Sect. No, the Righteous Faction took more importance in honor rather than death.

In the case of Mount Hua Sect, they were even stricter with situations of the sword.

If they followed that thought and concept, it was obvious that they would curse and jeer at Ju Seo Cheon even though he was the winner.

This place was none other than the Lotus Peak, a place that boasted of its everlasting history.

He had won in a way that was embarrassing to call as martial arts, not to even mention being swordsmanship.

Even if it wasn’t rolling on the floor, throw dirt or using underhanded tactics, it was still insulting enough.

‘Well, I already expected it.’

Ju Seo Cheon let the jeers and curses flow out.

‘Being too strong is also a problem.’

It wasn’t only Nak Seo Wol’s will but also his own will.

It would be hard to defeat a martial artist like Nak Seo Wol with ordinary methods. He had to use the Plum Blossom Sword Art and show his martial prowess.

But if he did that, she would become too strong. No matter how weak he pretended to be, his body that got strengthened with the enhancement gymnastics was the problem.

In addition he also had overwhelming internal energy so he could easily surpass a third rate martial artist with just the basics of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

He could already imagine the examiners reporting this to the Five Leaders and the sect leader with their mouths hanging wide open.

Even if that was the case, he wouldn’t be able to defeat Nak Seo Wol if he lowered his skills too much. That’s why this is the method he came up with after thinking for a long time.

A way to stop the rumors of him being a genius or whatnot would be if he was able to defeat nak Seo Wol dishonorably.

He would win only with his body and internal energy.

If he did that he would be able to hide his skills and win.

“Know that it’s shameless of you!”

But he had to pay the price for something else.

‘If it wasn’t for the age of war, I wouldn’t be able to raise my head because of the shame.’

It was that he was also a member of the Righteous Faction.

Originally he would obviously not allow an act like this and in the first place wouldn’t even think of something like this.

That’s why after the age of war ended, the Righteous Faction’s particular way of thinking had to change a bit.

The situation in Murim wasn’t quite good to stay stubborn on keeping their traditions or customs.

This was also the reason why the Five Elders got to know of top ranked martial arts such as the Purple Haze Arts and the Purple Haze Sword Wave.

The Righteous Faction has changed to be quite progressive saying that it was unavoidable for the continuance of the factions.

The age of war changed countless things in Murim and Ju Seo Cheon was also one of the people that changed in that flow.

‘Even if it was unavoidable, it will deal a blow to my master’s honor so I don’t feel really well.’

Ju Seo Cheon let out a sigh.

The evaluation of the Lotus Peak ended but he couldn’t say that it ended safely.

It wasn’t that there were injured or dead people but because he became the center of a controversy. It was the matter between Ju Seo Cheon and Nak Seo Wol.

“I don’t approve it.”

A woman that was about fifty years old said.

She had a face that looked as cold as ice.

It was one of the Five Elders the Iron Plum Sword called Shim Ok Ryeon.

“Elder Shim. It’s not that I don’t understand you but shouldn’t you listen to us first?”

An old man that fitted a small body and benevolent smile spoke. He was also one of the Five Elders.

The Wise Sword, Hak Song. His rank was higher than Jang Moon In even among the second generation disciples.

“It’s not even worth speaking about elder Hak. How can you let in someone that has insulted the sword of Mount Hua into the Lotus Peak?”

Shim Ok Ryeon spoke in a calm tone and stated the facts. Most of them were related to Ju Seo Cheon’s wrong doings and manners.

Ju Seo Cheon’s actions weren’t see in a good light by the Mount Hua Sect, no even the Righteous Sects as a whole

“It’s just like Elder Shim says.”

A middle aged man that was the tallest of them and was one of the people inside the Shang palace, nodded in agreement to Shim Ok Ryeon’s words.

He was also one of the Five Elders, the master hand Jo Mu Yang.

In addition the Five Elders didn’t use the term fellow brother except for the ones that had the same master.

It was because they prioritized the position of Elder and respected it, even though they were from the same generation.

But in the case of Hak Song, he was one of the people that had the most age among his generation so he was an exception.

“Hohoho, don’t make Elder Hak too troubled. I want to hear the story too.”

Woo il Moon stroke his white beard and turned his gaze away.

“And shouldn’t we also hear the opinion of the other two?”

Hak Song sent a gaze of gratitude at the help.

“Based on a report that I heard, the disciple of the Smiling Gentle Sword consumed a miraculous medicine. Is that true?”

The eyes of the Elixir Maker Young Jin shone.

The movements Ju Seo Cheon showed at the examination grounds. Those movements weren’t something a nine year old kid could make.

His strength and speed came out from his internal energy. If it was that much speed you would need at least twenty years worth of internal energy.

There was no way the examiners and martial artists of Mount Hua wouldn’t know that and they also sent that on the report.

There has also been a thorough inquiry on Ju Seo Cheon. Ju Seo Cheon mixed in some lies about the Water Spirit Fruit.

He had said that in the past he had sneaked while Yu Jong Mok was away at the periodical meeting to enjoy the world and he discovered it coincidentally.

If he entered the Lotus Peak, he would have one instructor stick to him and take care of him.

Taking the pulse was also included in it and if that happened his vast internal energy will unavoidably get discovered.

But in this case it didn’t pose much of a problem.

He had consumed something that didn’t have an owner so it was vague to say that he was in the wrong or not.

It would have been different if he had heard the rumors of the Water Spirit Fruit beforehand and he was ordered not to consume it when discovered.

That’s why they just let the matter with the miraculous medicine slide.

But instead, he did get punished at sneaking out when Yu Jong Mok was absent.

Even if it was called a punishment, it wasn’t a great deal. He merely had to take care of minor matters like cleaning for one month.

“We can’t take out what has already entered his stomach but I still want to know what kind of effects that medicine will show.”

It meant that he wanted to let him in the Lotus Peak and observe him.

You could already see by his nickname but Young Jin was a martial artist and at the same time a medic that made elixirs.

With this there were two in favor and two against.

Everyone naturally turned to look at one person.

The Plum Blossom Sword King Ui Ji Gyeol.

The Five Elders. In Mount Hua there were nicknames that came down from above. Just like the Archer of the Red Sea.

The only one that could move others and his rank itself was a nickname. The Plum Blossom Sword King.

That name was special even among the Five Elders and was also authority internationally was also strong.

“Let him enter.”

“Sword King.”

Shim Ok Ryeon’s eyes trembled.

Ui Ji Gyeol didn’t blink even once and spoke.

“A thirteen year old kid has thirty years worth of internal energy. Regardless of his quality, he will be a plentiful force if we beat up the teachings into him. There will be a lot of words regarding this matter but it’s not to the point we can’t bear it.”

The Five Elders had their own specialties and they were given authorities based on that.

In the elite associations like the Lotus Peak or the Plum Blossom Sword Examiner, the authority of the Plum Blossom Sword King took priority.

Even if there were two in favor and three against, the side the Plum Blossom Sword Examiner sided up with would be above.

Clap!

Woo il Moon clapped his hands and gathered the attention of everyone.

“Then, we will end this meeting here. The members that will be entering the Lotus Peak will be Ju Seo Cheon and Nak Seo Wol.”