Chapter 260

신룡, that’s about putting an end to the long life of the serpent and rising as a new dragon. Or it could refer to the champion of the Jangryong Martial Arts Tournament, a luminous tribute to the divine.

The problem is, it’s been ages, and no woman has ever won the title. So naturally, the arguments kick off from here.

Originally, a dragon refers to a man, and a woman would be spoken of as a phoenix. That’s why the late disciples of mainstream martial arts are called dragon-phoenixes, right?

So shouldn’t the title for a disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect be phoenix instead of dragon?

That’s when someone interjects.

Or, being in their own clique, they say, “Well, phoenix makes sense, huh?” After a dramatic consensus at one table, remarks fly in from the next table.

Still, phoenix sounds kinda lame, don’t you think? There’s never been a title called phoenix in martial history.

Then opinions split again.

The female equivalent of dragon should rightly be a young phoenix, or a phoenix chick, as they say.

To a warrior, what’s the difference between men and women? According to long-standing tradition, calling her dragon makes more sense.

And so, in every corner of Gaebong City, you can’t find a single spot without a brawl breaking out.

However, everyone does agree on one thing: the disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect will win.

I mean, didn’t she climb up by defeating Shaolin?

The prowess of Gongson Yo-ye, the skilled female martial artist who competed with Oki-rin, is indeed impressive.

But Qing, she’s a swordsman who defeated that Shaolin with her skill.

After all, wielding a weapon is significantly stronger than not wielding one; even a newborn understands this basic truth as soon as they emerge from the womb.

Yet, the fact that she bested the world’s finest martial art known as Shaolin signifies greater achievement with a sword, right?

So everyone was in a frenzy trying to come up with a cool nickname.

You might roll your eyes and think what’s the point of nicknames, but if a worthwhile word that everyone can agree on gets created, it could become a widely used unofficial title.

There are hardly any martial artists who don’t have a bunch of nicknames.

If a nickname you crafted becomes widely recognized, it turns into a legacy to pass down from generation to generation, and the pride-filled guys in the Central Plains wouldn’t miss out on that opportunity.

So, what about the beautiful lady, Seossi? How about the Seossi Sword? Ugh, so outdated. Then how about the Seossi Divine Sword? Do we really have to attach Seossi? I think the Tri-Headed Divine Dragon is better. It has three heads? Oh, right. It does have three heads. Then it should be Tri-Headed Phoenix. How can we even use dragon? I get it, but a three-headed dragon or phoenix is still a monster, right?

Isn’t she a new beauty who should be called the Six Harmonies of Martial Arts? Then it should be Dragon Sword Blossom. But that’ll make two Blossoms. So, Dragon Divine Blossom? Hmm. Maybe you’d do better just sitting quietly and listening instead of tossing out ideas for nicknames.

However, if Seomun Sulin heard these discussions about nicknames, it would undoubtedly make her furious.

With no praise for the divine, just comments about beauty or breast size, it reveals a nasty underlying bias that says women can be strong, but what good is that?

Then on the day of the final match, countless cheers erupted for Qing as she gracefully floated down.

The volume of applause was far more than when the Shaolin disciple appeared, creating an atmosphere that felt like the very earth shook.

With her extraordinary hearing, Qing picked up on a few murmurs, and she thought, “What’s this?”

“Tri-Headed Beauty?” Hmm. I need to keep an eye on this one.

“Boobzilla?” Now that’s downright ridiculous.

“Pig Girl?” Yeah, that’s getting close.

“Baba” means the top wave, referring to a well-endowed woman, something Qing heard quite a bit during her beggar days.

In the Central Plains, having larger breasts wasn’t a compliment and almost equated to calling someone a pig.

Actually, it wasn’t long before they started calling well-endowed women “milk cows” back in Qing’s hometown.

In both East and West, the derogatory term for a large-breasted woman is “pig”, it’s rooted in that.

And since large-breasted women are looked down upon in the Central Plains, they get called “pig year girls”.

But the term “flower pig” is different.

It’s the most affectionate way the people of the Central Plains call their lovers, an expression of the utmost cheesy affection.

Though they might have big breasts, there’s a willingness to love, and “flower pig” is filled with the humor of the people from the Central Plains.

Oh, what a ridiculous humor!

Of course, they weren’t just singing about breasts all the time.

“Unleashing the mountains and flipping the earth!”

Huang Wu, now that’s a curious combination, isn’t it? Is it normal for a fairy to be attached to the name of Huang Wu?

Maybe it was impressive how she whipped the Shaolin monk’s wrist with great strength.

“World’s Most Beautiful Woman?” Now that’s pushing it. How many beautiful people are there in the world to claim that title?

“Blade Beauty?” We’re already hearing this.

The applause just meant for her, giving her a delightful tickle inside. Well, maybe this isn’t so bad.

Still, calm down a little, folks.

Qing raised her hand to calm the crowd.

Gongson Yo-ye, who appeared next, didn’t receive quite the same cheer, which was just painfully awkward.

Still, it seemed she had acquired a magnificent title, Heavenly Fair Maiden, huh? What a fitting title!

“Seomun Sulin, you haven’t forgotten my request, have you?”

“Uh, I’m not sure, but I am sincere.”

I’ve been pondering hard all day, and honestly, I’m still not sure.

Is it only by trying to kill that it becomes sincere?

“Well then.”

Gongson Yo-ye lightly inclines her head and raises her firmly gripped longsword high.

At that moment, a massive shadow of the sword looms over Qing, crossing her face twice with its thick outline. The enormous sword aura splits the sky and stretches expansively upward.

Filled with immense energy, Qing gritted her teeth.

This is indeed the true Heavenly Blade consuming the source of power.

As if responding to that, the highest-output sword aura erupted from Qing’s sword. Her sword energy, more inflated than any broadsword, defied the odds.

The longsword of Gongson Yo-ye, now elongated to a foot high, clashed loudly with Qing’s spread sword aura.

A strong pressure like a mountain bearing down, something I’d never felt before.

The pulsating aura of respect.

A life force fueling a powerful might.

“Oh man, I really messed up.”

Honestly, I had underestimated Gongson Yo-ye, thinking I’d win regardless, and now here I am, pushed to the edge in just one move.

But wait, isn’t this a bit unfair?

What sword grows longer? How on earth does that affect the range of strikes?

If the sword is longer, the distance it strikes from increases.

Additionally, the speed created by the swing’s arc from a standing position moves with incredible velocity, like a beam of light cutting through space.

This must be how a martial artist battling against a swordsman feels. I need to close the distance, but how can I do that?

One move, and it’s apparent the distant strikes are just marking my territory.

The formless sword aura doesn’t bounce back when blocked but simply pushes back steadily, applying pressure.

Gongson Yo-ye’s sword aura is colored a royal hue, dyed in a rare shade between red and purple.

Qing pushed through and stepped back, blocking her linear sword aura. A strange sound echoed as their sword auras collided, sparking flames that flicker toward Gongson Yo-ye in a straight line.

Then, suddenly, the pressure against her sword vanished. The sword aura from Gongson Yo-ye shrank, and with the clash disengaged, Qing’s sword swung wildly through the air. She stumbled slightly.

Gongson Yo-ye’s sword transitioned from a straight line to a pinpoint.

It was directly aimed at Qing.

You might consider calling the sword aura just a linear extension, but…

Qing panicked.

“Cheat? No way, it could turn downwards!”

With the distance still considerable, Gongson Yo-ye’s sword remained entirely unfettered. Just a solid thrust could’ve led to a lethal blow cutting through Qing vertically.

With a leap akin to diving into water, Qing launched herself.

Rolling on the ground twice, she sprang back to her feet just as her sword aura chased after her.

A fierce qi surged from her Yongchun point. Yongchun is the vital energy center between the bones on the front of your foot.

Thud, thud, thud, Qing’s strides quickly lengthened, forming a grand circle, her focus unwavering on Gongson Yo-ye.

Qing spun and increasingly narrowed the space between herself and Gongson Yo-ye.

The sword aura that had been circling behind Qing slowly faded.

With a gentle tap of the sword tip on the ground like a cane, she settled herself while calling Qing towards her.

Qing obliged.

The swift art of swift movement, a technique almost all of Shintu’s skills, expanded Gongson Yo-ye’s whole body in Qing’s view for just a moment.

Just as Qing was about to unleash the techniques of the Divine Maiden Sword—

Suddenly, an unusual atmospheric current felt by her face and skin flowed through her.

Qing stomped down on the dueling ground, *BOOM!* shattering the wood and sending splinters flying in a brutish display. Qing’s body straightened and was blasted backward.

Up high, she spotted a loose net engulfing Gongson Yo-ye. The sword aura was encompassing the area, unfurling the shape of a net around her.

Wow. Awakening Skill. It’s got some punch.

But what on earth is that?

When you reach a certain level in martial arts, there’s a point where it meets ideology. It’s about wielding your own defined swordsmanship—fast, slow, strong, soft—and putting your soul into the world.

Gongson Yo-ye’s technique, though Qing didn’t know its name, could be described as a swift and chaotic flailing.

Yet every single strike, perfected at its peak strength, bore a massive force that enveloped everything around.

In one instant, the immense web of sword aura blossomed like a rose before fading out of existence.

With a gentle smile, Gongson Yo-ye spoke.

“Seomun Sulin. You won’t be able to bully your way through this like last time with Monk Wolbong. Honestly, that wasn’t real martial arts, was it? You just used brute strength and instinct. So, how about instead you show me your true heart?”

“I’m kind of clueless about this true heart thing. Everything I’ve learned is all about killing and destruction. Do I need to wield death’s blade to show sincerity?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know. You must have your own martial knowledge, don’t you?”

“My martial knowledge, huh?”

A sword is simply a tool for cutting.

When you break down human history, wasn’t it like that? Or perhaps it’s a ceremonial tool? Or a symbol of power?

Is there any depth to it that could be called learning?

“Alright then, let me take the lead.”

*CRUNCH!* The sound of her feet pounding the ground was sharp.

Gongson Yo-ye’s speed was anything but ordinary.

Different from what she had seen in the duel, it was definitely the result of innate vital energy being released.

The longer it goes on, the more her reserves will deplete. Guess I’d rather use the life-force blade to finish this quickly.

Qing’s energy shifted.

With a gentle, flowing motion from her left hand, she sent out a sound like a tolling sacred bell. But the outcome was brutal—the sturdy wooden floor of the arena was marked by a massive imprint of her hand.

In an instant, the observing Shaolin monks jumped up and cheered the Buddha’s Physical Body.

However, as if she had predicted it, Gongson Yo-ye had already dove under Qing.

Could I have gone faster?

Qing’s blade shot out towards Gongson Yo-ye’s neck. But her palm struck against Qing’s blade.

Qing twisted the sword, aiming to slice the hand daring to make contact.

However, a sacred glow erupted, and with a *bang*, Qing’s sword was forced away.

Gongson Yo-ye kept the blade angled and swung it like a hammer towards Qing’s temple.

In that moment, Qing’s eyes lit up.

*BOOM!* The sound of thunder crashing echoed as the sunset-hued energy from Zhu Yang’s Mindfulness Sutra erupted forth. *BAM!* A heavy thud struck as Gongson Yo-ye’s shoulder was sent reeling.

It’s one of the Ten Great Demonic Arts—The Master of Thunder Arts!

Ah, looks like it’s working.

Thanks to the sharpness lent by the capabilities of Awakening Skill, her senses were heightened. With even the slightest air movement felt on her skin, she became confident she could manage the Master of Thunder Arts.

Even if she couldn’t manage it, she would have hit somewhere else, but hitting her shoulder felt good.

But can I really just unleash it like this?

Who knows? It’s about the heart, right?

Master said, if you insist, it’s good enough.

Not purple but sunset-colored, shouldn’t I just insist it’s the entirety of Zhu Yang’s technique?

Qing smirked wickedly.

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