Chapter 26 — Showing It
The insolent Hyun-kwon, who didn’t know how to respect his elders, walked past me and took his position in the center of the training ground.
In his hand was a long spear with a sharp blade.
It was a simple weapon without any flashy decorations.
Unlike the keen edge of the spearhead, the shaft was covered in countless tiny handprints.
I immediately understood what those worn marks meant.
They were traces of endless days spent gripping the spear and sweating through training.
‘Hmm. He’s surprisingly diligent.’
The well-worn shaft contrasted with the still razor-sharp tip. It silently proved just how grueling the owner’s training had been.
Hyun-kwon raised his spear upright, took a short breath, and bowed respectfully to the Sect Leader and the Elders.
“Disciple Hyun-kwon will now demonstrate the Decree Spear Art.”
Instantly, anticipation and curiosity filled the faces of the spectators.
[Decree Spear Art]
A secret martial art passed down only to those destined to become masters of the Hall of Martial Law.
It was a high-level technique praised for perfectly embodying the spirit of the Hall of Martial Law, which enforced Kunlun’s laws.
Because it was a special art taught only to a select few, everyone’s interest was naturally heightened.
All eyes in the spectator seats focused on the tip of Hyun-kwon’s spear.
A moment later, the spearhead finally moved.
His first movement was a thrust.
The sharp tip stabbed through the air in rapid succession.
Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!
With every piercing sound, silver dots appeared in the air where the spear had struck.
Of course, they weren’t real dots.
They were afterimages left behind by the sheer speed of his thrusts.
The silver dots were arranged in neat, evenly spaced intervals in the air.
It was a perfectly measured formation, as if drawn with a ruler.
Hyun-kwon immediately followed with his second movement.
Booooong—!
The spearhead swept horizontally through the air.
The trajectory precisely connected the dots he had created earlier.
In that instant, the scattered dots linked together into a single straight line.
A clean silver line.
It flowed as smoothly as a well-inked brush gliding across paper — flawless and without a single tremor.
Spear techniques were originally meant to overwhelm with power and momentum, often lacking in precision.
Yet the line Hyun-kwon drew showed no such limitation.
It was a level of spear art that transcended raw power and speed, achieving true precision.
“…!”
Anyone could tell.
The silver line left in the air was not a simple trajectory, but the result of thorough, refined training.
It was a high realm that overcame the inherent weaknesses of the spear.
However, Hyun-kwon did not stop there.
He adjusted his stance slightly and gripped the middle of the spear shaft firmly with both hands.
Suddenly, his arms and shoulders tensed as he spun the spear rapidly around its center.
Whiiiing! Whiiiing!
The straight spear shaft spun at high speed.
It created the illusion of a steel disc unfolding before their eyes.
As the speed increased, dust and small stones from the training ground floor were swept up into the wind.
The wind was no longer a simple current — it gathered and stacked along a circular path, forming a clear vortex.
The concentric circles engraved in the air and the whirlwind rising from the ground combined, creating what looked like a complete circular barrier in the eyes of the spectators.
The afterimages that had only existed as traces now manifested clearly with real wind and dust.
“Impressive. To have already reached such a level…”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such balanced Decree Spear Art.”
Suppressed gasps of admiration came from the spectator seats.
The sight of dust swirling in perfect concentric circles made viewers instinctively think of an unbreakable fence of law and order.
If Yu Seol-ah’s Snowflower Sword Art had been like sharp, cold snowflakes, then Hyun-kwon’s Decree Spear Art was like a powerful regulation that suppressed and dominated everything.
A short while later, Hyun-kwon stopped spinning the spear and held it upright in a proper stance.
His breathing was steady and his expression calm.
He cupped his fists and raised his voice toward the Sect Leader and the Elders.
“Disciple Hyun-kwon has shown everything he learned from Master Gwang-heon.”
A brief silence fell over the training ground.
Soon, Sect Leader Cheon Gwang-cheon, seated at the head position, slowly nodded and spoke.
“Hyun-kwon, you have proven today why you hold the position of Junior Hall Master of the Hall of Martial Law. Well done.”
It was a simple statement, but it was unmistakably high praise.
Hyun-kwon’s gaze briefly shifted toward his master.
The insolent Hyun-kwon, who didn’t know how to respect his elders, walked past me and took his position in the center of the training ground.
Iron Lion Gwang-heon watched his disciple without the slightest movement.
His cold face showed no change in expression, but his eyes shone with unusual depth.
His gaze contained silent conviction and pride in his youngest disciple.
The spectator seats were also buzzing.
“Yu Seol-ah’s Snowflower Sword Art was sharp like frost… but Hyun-kwon’s Decree Spear Art has a solid foundation that goes beyond sharpness.”
“Yu Seol-ah may have had stronger momentum, but in terms of depth, Hyun-kwon is clearly one step ahead.”
Nods and evaluations continued from various places.
Satisfaction was evident on everyone’s faces.
It was as if they no longer expected anything more.
“Final proxy, First Generation Elder Jin Gwang-ung’s direct disciple, Han Mujin, step forward.”
Sect Leader Cheon Gwang-cheon’s voice rang out, but the spectator seats showed almost no reaction.
Instead, indifferent glances and disinterested attitudes spread throughout.
“I heard he’s from the Affairs Hall.”
“They say he only trained for a few weeks?”
“Elder Gwang-ung must have been in quite a hurry. Picking an Affairs Hall member as his proxy.”
I rose from my seat with a calm expression.
The sharp gazes of the crowd scanned me from head to toe.
Paying them no mind, I walked silently toward the center of the training ground.
It was then—
“Krahahaha! Go ahead and show them what you’ve got, you brat! Hehehe!”
Jin Gwang-ung’s booming laughter filled the entire training ground.
I glanced up at the head seats.
At some point, he had stood up.
One hand rested on his waist, while the other held a liquor bottle — no one knew where he had pulled it from.
His face was flushed red, his eyes glistened as if soaked in alcohol, and his gestures were as large as ever.
The other Elders seated nearby merely frowned and did nothing to stop him.
‘Ha, this guy really is something. Bringing a liquor bottle to a place like this.’
I shook my head inwardly and let out a small chuckle.
Thanks to my eccentric master’s wild encouragement, the tension that had been tightly wound inside me loosened appropriately.
‘Yeah. Let’s put on a proper show.’
I stopped in the center of the training ground.
Then, I cupped my fists toward those seated in the spectator area.
“Kunlun disciple Han Mujin will now demonstrate everything I have learned.”
The Sect Leader nodded in acknowledgment.
I took a deep breath and drew the sword that had been slung across my back.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring echoed as the silver blade flashed with light.
The crowd’s gazes subtly shifted.
“He’s using a sword?”
“Elder Gwang-ung is more known for palm techniques than the sword, isn’t he?”
Murmurs rose from the spectator seats.
Even the Sect Leader’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
He had probably received reports from the Hall of Martial Law stating that I only knew palm techniques.
I smiled inwardly.
‘Just watch. I’ll show you what I can do today.’
Taking my first step forward, I extended the sword straight ahead.
Chwaak!
The sword tip drew a straight line through the air.
A silver trajectory appeared briefly before vanishing.
“Hmm… Is that all?”
“What did you expect? He’s just an Affairs Hall member holding a sword.”
I ignored their sneers and immediately moved into the next motion.
‘Now it begins.’
I naturally twisted my waist and drew the sword diagonally downward. The tip left a smooth, curved trajectory.
By subtly adjusting the angle of my wrist without breaking the flow, what should have been a straight line naturally connected into a gentle curve.
Chwaaaaak!
The sword tip carved through the air, leaving a curve like snowflakes drifting in the wind.
The line looked as though it would scatter, but it seamlessly connected with the previous trajectory, completing a single flowing movement.
Small murmurs escaped from the spectator seats.
“…The flow didn’t break.”
“How can he connect curves and straight lines so naturally?”
I didn’t stop. I raised the sword upward and brought it down diagonally.
Saaaaak!
The sword tip engraved another trajectory in the air.
What had started as simple traces began overlapping with the previous curves and straight lines, forming a new shape.
I continued the breathing rhythm of the sword.
Shiiiik! Saaaaak! Shiiiik! Saaaaak!
As I alternated between thrusts and slashes, countless lines intersected in the air.
The silver trajectories intertwined and overlapped, resembling silver threads woven across the empty space.
“…What is that?”
“Has Kunlun ever had a sword art like this?”
The murmurs from the crowd grew louder.
The corners of my mouth rose slightly.
‘They’re finally starting to take interest.’
I increased my speed even further.
With every movement of my sword, more silver lines were drawn in the air.
What had begun as thin silver threads gradually formed a curtain as they layered upon one another.
Like fabric woven from countless fine strands, a pattern created by the sword was taking shape in the empty space.
The murmurs in the spectator seats grew even stronger.
“The flow continues without breaking…”
“Connecting sword lines without any interruption…”
I paused for a moment and smiled inwardly.
‘Time to show them one proper move.’
I took a deep breath deep into my lungs and circulated the Kunlun Azure Soul Scripture.
The decades’ worth of inner energy gained from the Frigid Ice Snow Lotus responded to the scripture and rapidly circulated throughout my body.
‘There’s no need to reveal my full power here.’
I channeled only about a quarter of the inner energy stored within me into the sword.
The sword tip moved once again, this time even faster than before.
Shweeeeeeek!
As the sword passed, the dust floating in the air was drawn along the trajectory as if being sucked in.
The dust merged with the silver sword lines, creating a clear pattern in the empty space.
Every time I swung the sword, a short gust of wind caused the air to tremble faintly.
The faces of the Elders seated in the spectator area showed clear surprise.
“The sword path still hasn’t broken…”
“The sword lines are forming a pattern.”
“What kind of sword art is that? The energy definitely belongs to Kunlun, yet…”
Now it was time for the finishing touch.
“Haaap!”
I leapt into the air and swung my sword with great force.
I channeled the power I had gathered in my dantian thinly along my arm.
The sword tip sliced cleanly through the air.
Chwaaaaaak!
As the final surge of power overlapped with the flow I had maintained so far, the sword path trembled for a brief moment before solidifying into one complete form.
The dust scattered along the sword’s path gathered lightly, adding clarity to the pattern.
The faint silver pattern left in the air lingered for a moment without scattering.
It was as beautiful and clear as a silver flower petal drawn in the empty space.
“…!”
“Kunlun has a sword art like this…?”
All eyes were fixed on the scene.
It wasn’t a grand or overwhelmingly powerful display.
Yet the fact that the final movement had not scattered and remained as a completed pattern left a profound impression on everyone watching.
“Huu…”
I steadied my breathing and slowly sheathed my sword.
The pattern left in the air soon scattered with the wind, but its impression remained deeply etched in the minds of the spectators.
Maintaining a calm expression, I cupped my fists toward the spectator seats.
“Kunlun disciple Han Mujin has demonstrated everything I have learned.”
For a moment, the training ground fell into complete silence.
As if stunned, no one could speak.
After a brief pause, Sect Leader Cheon Gwang-cheon, seated at the head position, finally spoke.
“The martial art you just displayed… what is its name?”
I answered in a calm voice.
“It is the Flowing Flower Sword.”
“Flowing Flower Sword…? Could it be!?”
A subtle light flashed across the Sect Leader’s face.
His eyes were filled with strong bewilderment.
I looked straight into the Sect Leader’s eyes and answered once more.
“Yes. It is a martial art of the Abandoned Martial Hall.”