Chapter 48

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Clan (48)

In the world of martial arts, when it came to sects that specialized in poisons, one could not fail to mention the Sichuan Tangmen and the Wu Du Men. Both were second to none in their mastery of poisons, but their approaches were so different that they were difficult to compare.

While the Sichuan Tangmen sought to create a single, ultimate poison by synthesizing many different toxins to coat their weapons, the Wu Du Men combined various poisons in numerous ways to enhance the effects of the toxins they could imbue in the insects they raised and controlled.

Wu Xing Zhi Du (Invisible Poison) and Qian Du Mie Hun Gang (Thousand Poisons Extinguish Soul Force).

These were realms said to have been lost in ancient times, but it was rumored that even a body impervious to all poisons could not withstand them.

‘Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be at that level… but it can penetrate Tian Du Bu Qin (Thousand Poisons Unyielding). If it takes four seconds for my self-healing ability to counteract it, the bones and muscles inside the body might melt away if it penetrates.’

Already at a disadvantage in terms of internal energy, Leonard sighed deeply at the harsh conditions and loosened his sword.

Kiiiiing.

The black sword aura transformed into a red one.

Xuan Wu Zhi Qi (Black Tortoise Energy) was the best in terms of defense among the Five Elements, but Zhu Que Zhi Qi (Vermilion Bird Energy) was the best at preventing poison from penetrating. It wasn’t for nothing that extreme yang internal energy was considered the natural enemy of poison.

Huo Zhe Shuang Jian (Blazing Twin Swords).

Two red sword auras spread out like the flapping wings of a bird.

"—Tricks!"

Sensing something from the change in the sword aura, the fifth shadow advanced with a rough exhalation.

A deep green sword aura, resembling a giant snake, tore through the night air, overturning the innocent beach sand and seeking an opening. The flow of the sword and sword aura felt off from the start. If he hadn’t seen it when facing the twelfth shadow, it would have been dangerous.

Leonard’s twin swords precisely cut off the flow.

Wu Xiang Liu (Five Elephant Stream) Er Jian (Two Swords)

Zhu Que Yi Shi (Vermilion Bird First Form)

One strike aimed at the snake’s head and another falling from above the shadow that was about to leap out behind it.

The swirling Huo Zhe Jian (Blazing Sword) pushed the enemy back almost simultaneously.

Bao Lie Shuang Bo (Explosive Twin Waves)

The flow of the deep green aura blade was abruptly cut off, and the shadow knight’s body, which had been advancing, came to a halt.

It was due to the storm and shockwave that enveloped the area.

The impact of the energy explosion at close range ended there because he had deployed a protective energy shield, just as before. As long as it wasn’t a direct hit from the sword aura, he could withstand it several times.

The shadow knight, who had deployed a deep green protective barrier, took a large step forward and swung his sword.

Ying She (Shadow of the Snake)

The aura blade, which had extended several meters, detached from the sword and lunged forward like a real snake.

In response, Leonard’s twin swords performed a magnificent flapping motion.

Wu Xiang Liu (Five Elephant Stream) Er Jian (Two Swords)

It was even more complete when wielded with two swords, as if it had been designed to be used that way from the beginning.

One of the top techniques from the Zhu Que 36 Forms was completed.

Zhu Que Er Shi Si Shi (Vermilion Bird Twenty-Fourth Form)

Huo Niao Zha Lie (Flaming Bird Explosion)

A mass of energy, resembling a bird and looking like a phoenix or a phoenix, constructed from red sword aura, soared gracefully into the sky like a real bird.

It grabbed the head of the snake that was trying to envelop its master and tore it apart effortlessly.

The difference in the completion of the energy technique was evident.

"Go."

Huaaaaaa——!

The flaming bird, entering supersonic speed with a shockwave, dove down. The fifth shadow hastily dodged and swung his sword.

The direct hit from the energy mass could not be blocked even by a protective energy shield.

Moreover, the enemy’s full potential had not yet been revealed.

Ying She (Shadow of the Basilisk)

An energy technique that combines self-protection and enemy destruction.

The tail of the deep green lizard lashed out at the flaming bird, which retaliated by tearing at the enemy’s head. Since neither was a living organism, they had no vital points or fatal injuries. They continued to attack until the energy that composed their bodies was completely depleted.

‘Half of my internal energy is already gone…’

While observing the battle, Leonard checked the internal energy remaining in his dantian. The cost of using a sword qi technique without reaching the Transcendent Realm and the massive consumption of a powerful energy technique were taking their toll.

To endure this, he needed to either adopt a more defensive stance or inflict significant damage on the opponent.

‘The former is not an option.’

Zhu Que Zhi Qi was thoroughly specialized for attack.

If he turned it to defense, he wouldn’t be able to exchange blows one by one as he was now. If he used a different energy, the poison that had seeped in due to his internal energy disadvantage would erode his body, and he wouldn’t last long.

He needed to attack.

More powerfully, more fiercely.

‘I will pour 90% of my remaining internal energy into a single attack.’

If not with two swords, then with three, or more if necessary.

Leonard’s eyes sank deeply.

The moment the battle between the deep green lizard and the flaming bird ended, he needed to move until one of them was finished.

Life and death.

The moment he stood in that gap was when he, as a martial artist, could truly shine. The more he approached death, the stronger he became. His nature, that of a demon, tasted the blood and flicked his tongue.

And then.

Kuaaaaaaang!

The energy technique he used this time was quite draining, and his calm expression turned slightly pale.

The fifth shadow glared at him with a blank face.

"I never imagined you could do this much."

"……"

"What did you do to that blood? How many sins have you accumulated to use such a perfected technique at your age, surpassing even a decent Sword Master?"

It wasn’t a question.

He was merely spouting his own thoughts without considering the opponent’s response. Just like the Blood Sect believers who claimed that all living beings were sinners and needed to spill blood to atone.

To this man, the Cardenas were an unforgivable line of sin, and their strength was a malevolence that should not be tolerated.

—You shouldn’t try to understand a fanatic.

So Leonard recalled the words of his old friend.

—Insult him. Don’t logically criticize him; spit on his face like a rogue.

Following Zhuge Ming’s advice, he spat out an insulting remark.

"Well, didn’t you offer your mother as a sacrifice?"

The fifth shadow, momentarily stunned, realized he had experienced an unprecedented insult.

"…I will kill you. You, absolutely!"

"You didn’t seem to think so until now."

Leonard taunted until the end, shaking his opponent, while calmly raising his two swords.

From here on, a single step would cross the line between life and death.

The spirit and courage that burst forth from his resolve made even the shadow knight, whose eyes were about to roll back, tense up for a moment.

"———."

"———."

The moment the two swordsmen’s breaths sank, the beach became a space where no one could breathe.

The tension was so taut that it could be snapped by the sound of a leaf falling.

But humans are living beings who cannot survive without breathing.

When someone unconsciously exhaled the breath they had been holding.

Puuuuueng!

The swordsmen, who had been emitting shockwaves from their backs, clashed their blades at the midpoint. The transcendent beings, who could exceed the speed of sound in one step and enter the supersonic realm in two, engaged in a fierce sword battle.

The visual processing speed couldn’t keep up, and the world appeared to the two as a monochrome, colorless and odorless.

One exchange.

Five exchanges.

Twelve exchanges.

The terrifying speed of their sword strikes and thrusts.

Pit!

Leonard’s ear split from a five-pronged thrust, and the blood, tainted by the poison, spurted out.

In return, he slashed twice and thrust once, stomping on the shadow’s foot and delivering a horizontal slash. It was barely blocked by the protective energy shield, but since it was a direct hit from the sword aura, it couldn’t be completely blocked, and the skin tore open.

A 2-meter radius transformed into a slaughterhouse.

Anything that entered would be cut into pieces and die. Only the two of them were freely swinging their killing intent.

‘I have the upper hand.’

Leonard concluded precisely.

The fifth shadow’s sword skills and combat experience were considerable, but he couldn’t surpass him in the realm of human combat.

If there was no difference in internal energy, he could have cut him down within three hundred exchanges.

He wouldn’t lose in a battle of numbers. In the transcendent realm, a half-step difference could mean dying three times. The balance of the scales, which had been level, began to tip.

"Kuuh!"

The wounds that had been superficial cuts began to deepen, and the muscles began to tear, weakening his grip.

If he was pushed back any further, it would be an irreversible situation.

The shadow knight’s eyes flashed, sensing this.

"[Shock Bound]!"

Leonard, who had been pressing forward like a storm, was suddenly pushed back. The magic inscribed on the Shadow Knights’ armor, ‘Shock Guard,’ could be used in this way.

Once used, it couldn’t be used again for a while, but for the shadow, who was prepared to fight to the death in this battle, it was a good thing.

A snake awakened from the shadow of the collapsing scales.

Ying She (Shadow of the Hydra)

The deep green aura blade expanded to its maximum and split into nine strands, each amplified with a deadly destructive force.

The ultimate technique the fifth shadow had reached.

‘Yes, I read this moment.’

But Leonard also knew about the Shadow Knights’ armor. He had anticipated that if cornered, they would use this method to escape.

The two swords, which had been glowing red like they had been in a furnace, were now blazing.

‘If he had held on for ten more seconds, my complete depletion of internal energy would have led to my defeat… He lacked patience.’

In a war of attrition, he would surely lose, but in a decisive strike, there was a chance. So Leonard had been waiting for this moment, charging all three swords with Zhu Que Zhi Qi.

The pain of squeezing his empty dantian was considerable, but it didn’t show on his face.

It was the moment for a decisive strike.

The nine-headed deep green monster rained down mercilessly,

‘Now!’

Leonard’s three-sword ultimate technique was unleashed.

Wu Xiang Liu (Five Elephant Stream) San Jian (Three Swords)

Zhu Que Fan Wai Shi (Vermilion Bird Extra Form)

San Zu Wu Fei (Three-legged Crow Flies)

In ancient legends, the San Zu Wu, a mythical bird with three legs, symbolized the sun. It was said to be the sons of Emperor Di Ku and the embodiment of the sun itself.

The Si Chang School’s Four Sword Techniques originated from the story of Hou Yi, the archer who shot down nine of the ten San Zu Wu.

To summarize the complex story, the San Zu Wu is synonymous with the sun.

First Sword.

A blazing Huo Zhe Jian rose, shining more brilliantly than ever.

The energy surrounding the sword formed a spherical shape, reminiscent of a Gang Wan (Energy Sphere). However, in front of the nine-headed monster, it appeared weak and faint.

Second Sword.

The second Huo Zhe Jian joined the first, merging into the energy sphere and amplifying its size and power several times.

The light and heat were so intense that only a few, like Bradley, could bear to look directly. Even the strong individuals present, who had broken through to the External Force Realm, could feel the aftereffects of Leonard’s technique burning their protective energy shields.

Third Sword.

The final Huo Zhe Jian, shining even more intensely than the previous ones, further expanded the sphere created by the two swords.

A miniature sun!

The energy sphere, now a small sun, emitted heat and light, resisting the monster that was trying to engulf it. Hundreds of beams of light tore through its body, but the [Shadow of the Hydra] endured the damage and fiercely bit into the sun.

The nine heads simultaneously engulfed the miniature sun, and the body, unable to withstand the heat, began to swell.

Kuaguuuuuuu———!!!

A massive explosion shook heaven and earth.