Chapter 85

Namgungse, the greatest swordsman of all time.
And among all of them, there is only one sword that is worthy of the name Namgungse, that stands tall, protects the majesty, and maintains the dignity of the name.
It is.
The Emperor Sword Form.
In my previous life, and even in this life, I’ve never seen or been given the opportunity to see a sword called the Emperor Sword Form. I’ve only seen it in the name of the Southern Palace.
As such, there were times when I wondered how to proceed on the vague path of emperor. The Southern Palace had always shown me the way, but I had to realize this for myself.
“Grand Duke.”
“Yes.”
“You seem stuck.”
“……Yes. Master. I’m afraid that this time I’ll walk down a vague path and find myself lost in the fog.”
“Of course, that could happen.”
Nangong Yue gripped the sword, and the tip of it touched the dirt. With the tip of his sword, he began to draw something in the dirt like calligraphy.
“First, the heavens.”
The tip of the sword seemed to be animated with energy, as if it were alive. It’s like a dragon’s head, full of life, punching you in the face and raising its head.
“Of the six stories of the Southern Palace, Chang Tian is the first. That’s why the sword of the patriarch always bears the name of Chang Tian.”
I nodded in agreement. It was the first time I had ever seen the aura of Chang’e Tian displayed by the Southern Palace, and I was overwhelmed with admiration.
“The second is the spear.”
The tip of the sword was crystal clear. The sweeping aura seemed to embrace all things, unlike the Chang Tian. I felt goosebumps on my skin. It was not the same as the spear I had unfolded and realized.
“The spear can contain everything, and it can express everything, which is why even if you master the same spear, you will express different things.”
The Southern Spear was telling me to draw a new scale now, to clear the way a little.
“The third is thunder. This must be the path of thunder that the Grand Duke unfolds.”
The tip of the sword trembled and scraped across the dirt. I flinched as soon as I sensed its power. It’s clearly a sword.
“If we’re talking about the Southern Palace’s swords, the Thunderbolt is definitely the best. That’s why when the Grand Duke is defending someone and discussing the way of the Emperor, he prefers the Thunderbolt even after he has obtained the way of the Spear Palace.”
I felt ashamed for a moment, as if my undisclosed feelings had been revealed. I was embarrassed that I had been enlightened to discuss the six stories, and yet I was still using only the Thunderbolt that I felt was the most powerful.
“I understand. No matter how you look at it, the Thunderbolt is overwhelmingly powerful. Even among all the martial artists of the Southern Palace Family, there is no sword more powerful than the Thunderbolt, Hana.”
The next character that Nangong Yueyul drew was Mu’er.
“Though fleeting and seemingly only a tiny bit of energy at the tip of the blade, the transparent and intelligent sword adds power to the swords of the Southern Palace.”
Then, in the name of Mu Ai, he laid out the path of the Spear Bow.
“To the sword of the Spear Bow, I add the Way of Wu’er.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. That was the method of the Spear Sword of Muay Thai demonstrated by Nan Gong Yue. It was as if her aura wasn’t all that mattered, and her strength wasn’t all that mattered.
A clear, crystal-clear aura was concentrated and contained in the tip of her sword. On the surface, it might seem like an ordinary sword, perhaps even less than a thunderbolt, but I could feel it. I sensed a future where my thunder power would be shattered before that sword.
“And then there is Daiyun.”
The path to the great sword was actually vague. For me, it was all about mastering the great sword.
But as if that wasn’t enough.
“It’s a waterfall. It’s a waterfall, and like a waterfall, it’s a splashing stream, like a splashing drop of water, it’s a way of making it impossible to go against the force.”
He said, “Do not forget the path in your body that you have created. Always think about why it is the most fundamental method of the Southern Palace.
“The path that Dae-yeon has created is the foundation of the Southern Palace, and only by not forgetting that path over time can we find our roots.”
I swallowed hard at the first glimpse of Namgung Yeowol’s eyes. I had overlooked something. When was the last time I’d looked back at the Great Duke.
From my previous life, from the moment I mastered the Thunder King Divine Technique, I had forgotten all about the Great Duke, who had given me all the strength and energy I had gained and realized as I fought across the battlefield.
I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for the veins and veins of my entire body, all of which were created by Hana.
“Don’t lose your initial focus, and…….”
The words that Nan Gongyue drew while discussing the end of the year were.
“Tianfeng.”
“Yes, it’s Tianfeng.”
“But, Master, I am far from the Heavenly Wind.”
I don’t know if it’s him, or if it’s me, that’s not the way of the Heavenly Wind.
My sword has no aura of the Heavenly Wind.
At my words, Nangong Yue smiled.
“You’re being impatient.”
“What?”
“How can a man who walks the path of the Southern Palace say that he cannot see the path of the Heavenly Winds? You are simply impatient.”
“Is that…….”
“You’re just impatient to learn the six stories I told you and move on.”
That’s right. In fact, I was impatient, hoping that I could stand in front of the emperor’s path faster than anyone else. I wanted to be able to wield the emperor’s sword faster than anyone else, as fast as I was improving day by day.
But the more I clung to it, the farther I fell.
Greed will never bring you closer.
“Look around calmly, Nan Gung-hyuk, and Nan Gung-gal. The swords that you two have mastered are heavenly.”
“……I don’t know.”
He wondered why he was the only one going in a different direction, but not for long. It was Namgung Yeol who gave him a clear answer.
“The Grand Duke has skipped the middle path. In fact, the Heavenly Wind is the closest path to the Southern Palace’s path, and it’s not far from it. Only the Grand Duke jumped over all of them.”
“He did.”
I must be something unusual.
A mutation or something.
But Nangong Yue smiled, as if I had nothing to worry about.
“I was like him, too, thinking the Way of the Heavenly Winds was beyond my reach.”
“Did your master say so?”
“That’s right.”
The transparent black pupils beneath Namgung Yeoul’s drooping eyes filled mine.
“Do not doubt it. Do not be impatient to produce the six stories. Isn’t it said that the more urgent the better?”
I felt like I was finally getting some clarity. I felt a little bit of the pressure lift. I thought it was because everyone said it was extraordinary, but I thought it was just a road to nowhere.
I felt like I was going through a thorny path alone because no one was teaching me or showing me exactly what to do. But I was.
“Even if the path is vague, like walking through a fog, there are always signposts.”
I nodded in agreement.
Finding my way back to the beginning,
“Or you can stop, turn around, and go another way, because there is no right answer.”
Namgung Yeol calmed my anxiety.
Every moment was a revelation, every moment a realization. I will take the six stories to heart once again.
One day, I must make the path of the emperor my own.
* * *
I had only been here a few days.
Before my eyes, I had temporarily forgotten the six stories.
Woosh!
Out of dozens, hundreds, and thousands of sword scabbards, only one sword is worthy of a king.
Here and now, I will manifest it with the dignity of an emperor.
A path of swords carved out of thin air.
The sword slowly grew in size as it sprawled between them.
I gazed at it in wonder. A sword is meant to harm others, isn’t it?
But why was the majesty I felt from the sword so great? The intimidating feeling from Bai Guo’s light disappeared in an instant. It gave me the illusion that the world could be cut in two by the tip of the sword.
“Look at it properly, Ban’er. See it right, and use it as a signpost on the path to emperor that you will one day chart.”
I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t hear the sudden call of my name, or the signposts on my path.
It was still and silent here.
My heart beat as fast as the King’s sword in the Southern Palace.
Where my gaze was diverted, Bai Guo was staring at Nangong Mu Baek with an annoyed expression.
“……Hey, stop it.”
“You look ridiculous.”
“Yai. Don’t you realize that your bastard crossed the line before me?”
“It’s just that I fell for the same kind of provocation.”
“Ha, that bastard Abi, that bastard’s bastard.”
Bai Guang frowned and looked around. At a glance, the situation here seemed unfavorable. Had he delayed too long?
However, there was something more important to him than his life.
“If this is what you really want, then I’ll do my best today.”
It was pride. Seeing the Emperor Sword Formation in front of him, Bai Guang stopped his two hesitant steps and stood upright, his aura filled with life.
The pressure that had been weighing on him earlier began to lift.
Goooooooooo.
The particles and molecules in the air formed the shape of a great sword.
A single sword that will cut the world in two.
At the same time, a burst of red energy erupted from White Light’s entire body, piercing the sky above him. The energy he had generated was concentrated, and it emitted a red radiance that could match the Emperor’s sword.
It was a close call.
If the two energies clashed here.
I had a hunch.
This place was going to be hell. I watched this place turn into a monstrosity,
“……!”
I heard someone call out, and I turned to look.
In the distance, Cheng Wong, Zhao Wong, and Black Wong were backing away, looking terrified.
“……Two Kings!”
“You’re calling uselessly, do you want to die?”
Green Forest King Bai Guang’s bloodshot gaze landed on Qing Shui, and he pointed to a spot with a trembling hand.
There, he saw a flag with a symbol that only Green Forest could recognize.
“……ha.”
Green Forest, Yangtze River, Great Wall.
A flag that no one who stands in opposition to the rust eaters of the country could fail to recognize.
It was the flag of the Guan Army, and the flag of the Aggies.
“Ban Ao! I’m here! Where are you!”
Familiar.
A single voice that could send anyone to hell, but to me, at least, was more reassuring than any other.
It was Huang Tianhou.