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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Dugu Bin observed the man before her through her obsidian lenses.
Hwa Yeok-pil had forbidden the use of True Qi.
That restriction wasn’t placed for the sake of his opponent.
Judging by his reaction, this man had also reached the realm of True Qi manipulation.
‘At least my equal.’
She calmly assessed the situation.
Herself. Her opponent. The surroundings.
Only one unknown remained.
‘Confirmation first.’
A cold glint flashed in her eyes.
The Dugu Family’s swordsmanship was a counter-attacking style.
The moment her opponent moved, the flow would shift in her favor.
Thud—
A heavy step. A forceful advance.
A powerful footwork technique that offered no openings.
A fierce power emanated from his every step, stronger than any footwork she had ever seen.
But strength alone would only lead to a broken blade.
The moment she moved, executing her own footwork, Namgung-Woo’s sword path wavered slightly.
Her movement had perfectly exploited a weakness in his stance.
Namgung-Woo skillfully adjusted his sword path, preventing a counterattack, but the force behind his attack was halved.
Her single step had effectively neutralized his initial strike.
[Infinite Steps]
Movement solely for oneself.
The Dugu Family’s secret technique, disrupting the opponent’s flow and seamlessly creating an advantageous situation, unfolded with each of her steps.
Exploiting the opening she had created, her blade darted forward.
-Clang!
‘Heavy.’
Hwa Yeok-pil had said her opponent was also a Transcendent Realm expert.
Indeed, he was.
The reverberating force that traveled up her arm was substantial, a testament to his superior True Qi density.
‘A direct confrontation would be difficult.’
She pushed aside her surprise at his strength and calmly formulated a strategy.
The strategy she chose was the Dugu Family’s specialty.
It didn’t matter how her opponent approached.
‘Infinite Steps’ was designed to counter all forms of footwork.
Whether he charged, darted, or flowed, it all fell within the scope of ‘Infinite Steps’.
And that wasn’t all.
The Dugu Family’s ultimate sword technique, the ‘Heaven and Earth Unbound Sword Art’, transcended the limitations of conventional forms, embracing improvisation.
While this meant each strike lacked the focused power of techniques with predetermined True Qi pathways, that weakness could be overcome with sufficient True Qi cultivation.
Even if her opponent’s True Qi cultivation was superior, the combination with ‘Infinite Steps’ would compensate for that disadvantage.
The Greatest Sword Family Under Heaven.
The Dugu Family earned their reputation by defeating all other sword families.
No swordsman could stand against the Dugu Family.
It always had been that way, and it always would be.
But…
‘Why can’t I reach him?’
Neither the neutralizing steps of ‘Infinite Steps’ nor the boundless variations of the ‘Heaven and Earth Unbound Sword Art’ could connect.
He was like a mirage in the desert, seemingly within reach yet perpetually out of grasp, existing in a different world.
The moment she realized this, the feeling of control over the flow shattered like a bubble.
And what remained was a stark reality.
Her sword stopped.
She ceased her movements, yet no counterattack came.
That was the final blow.
“You… you were toying with me.”
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When Dugu Bin abruptly stopped, Namgung-Woo also straightened.
He hadn’t let his guard down.
He had maintained his True Qi circulation and muscle tension, ready to respond to any sudden attack.
He had anticipated an attack, but not those words.
Taken aback by her frustrated outburst, he tried to hide his surprise.
‘She’s a Transcendent Realm expert too. It must have become obvious when our swords clashed.’
He had barely managed to parry her initial attack.
He had been momentarily disoriented by her unfamiliar martial arts and the unexpected situation.
However, he had experienced something similar, something even more refined, during his encounter with the Five Venom Disciples.
Compared to that overwhelming defeat, Dugu Bin’s techniques were manageable, thanks to his Ever-Clear Vision.
From then on, he had allowed her to freely display her skills.
The Dugu Family might become his greatest enemy.
Observing their techniques firsthand would be invaluable.
But he hadn’t thought about what to say if she realized what he was doing.
His silence was as good as an admission, and Dugu Bin, her face impassive, removed her glasses.
“Then, I’ll make you use your full strength.”
With that chilling declaration, the second round began.
She charged again.
Different this time.
Unlike before, when she had waited for him to attack first to exploit the principles of counter-attacking, she now aggressively used ‘Infinite Steps’, disrupting his flow and pressing the attack.
-Clang!
Their swords clashed.
The force behind her attack was significantly greater than before.
Had she been holding back?
He realized that his usual combination of the Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques and the Sky Vault Great Evolution Divine Art wouldn’t be enough.
Suppressing the instinctive urge to use Single Branch Lightning, he mentally drew a different sword.
‘If that’s the true essence of the Dugu Family’s swordsmanship… then I’ll respond in kind.’
He had no personal connection to the Namgung Family of this world.
They shared a surname, nothing more.
The Dugu Family’s annihilation of them wasn’t his personal vendetta.
But the more he immersed himself in martial arts, the deeper his love for the sword grew, the more he became aware of the Dugu Family, the family that had crushed the Namgung Family and claimed the title of Greatest Sword Family Under Heaven.
So, he would also fight with his full strength.
While the Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques were formidable, this was the true swordsmanship of the Namgung Family.
The ‘Azure Sky Limitless Sword Art’.
The ultimate sword technique of his family, which he had refrained from using out of respect for their memory, now flowed through him.
The first stance.
Heaven’s End, World’s Beginning [Yucheonmujeol].
Its azure Sword Qi shattered Dugu Bin’s ‘Heaven and Earth Unbound Sword Art’.
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The duel ended.
The outcome was clear.
Dugu Bin tossed aside her broken sword and replaced her glasses.
Her head throbbed.
She hadn’t exerted her eyes like this since ‘that’ day.
And just like that day, she had been utterly defeated.
Hwa Yeok-pil, who had been watching with bated breath, finally exhaled and descended into the now-disheveled courtyard.
His initial assessment of a 60/40 advantage for Namgung-Woo, which had shifted to 70/30 after Wi Ji-ryang’s offer of the Dragon Eye Orb, had now settled at a decisive 90/10.
“I trust Miss Dugu understands my decision.”
“Do as you please. The choice is yours.”
The Four Seasons Gathering no longer mattered to her.
There would be other opportunities, and her family possessed several divine weapons.
Acquiring a sword perfectly suited to her could wait.
Her thoughts were consumed by the man who had defeated her, Namgung-Woo.
Ignoring Hwa Yeok-pil, she turned to Namgung-Woo.
“…You asked if I remembered the Namgung Family.”
“I did.”
“I don’t know what answer you were expecting, but I have nothing to tell you. The Namgung Family was already on the path to ruin when I was born.”
She was young.
She had been born too late to witness the downfall of the Namgung Family, which had begun rapidly after their Family Head’s defeat in a duel against the Dugu Family Head twenty years ago.
But she had heard stories.
“My father, the Family Head, said that the Dugu Family became the Greatest Sword Family Under Heaven after defeating the Namgung Family. And that we must ensure they never rise again to threaten us. That’s all I know.”
Her expression seemed to ask if that was the answer he sought.
Namgung-Woo nodded.
He hadn’t expected any specific answer.
He had simply been curious.
Curious about what the Namgung Family, the family they had annihilated and placed a bounty on, represented to the Dugu Family.
Her answer had satisfied most of his curiosity.
Mortal enemies.
That was a fitting description of their relationship.
“But why did you ask about the Namgung Family?”
Had she seen a glimpse of the Namgung Family in him?
He tried to decipher the meaning behind her question.
But her expression, barely perceptible behind her obsidian glasses, revealed nothing.
Even the inflection of her voice was almost nonexistent.
Giving up on deciphering her intent, he mirrored her earlier words.
“If you want an answer, defeat me and ask.”
“Defeat me and ask…”
She didn’t seem to realize he was echoing her own words.
She touched her chin and murmured thoughtfully.
Then, having processed the meaning, she asked,
“Are you telling me to follow you?”
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LMAO
what lol
?? What kinda crazy interpretation is that?