Chapter 59: The Unchanging One, and the Seeping Unease59장: 변하지 않는 자, 그리고 스며드는 불안
Seung-chan Meets the Unchanging One Again
Seung-chan had walked a long path.And at the end of it—he found him.
Deep in the mountains,beneath a cliff forgotten by time,there he was.
He had been there years ago.And long before that, too.
He had never left.
Even now, he was training.The same movements.The same stance.
Unmoved by time,untouched by the world.He remained the same.
When Seung-chan approached,a strange dissonance surged through him.
"Still repeating the same training… after years? Decades?"
The man held his sword as he always had.Nothing about him had changed.
The Unchanging One.Time passed. The world shifted.But he remained—exactly as he was.
Then, he slowly opened his eyes.And looked directly at Seung-chan.
"So… you've come."
He thought Seung-chan should never return.Yet, what he said contradicted his thoughts.
"I have waited for you."
Seung-chan hesitated.Then finally asked:
"Why?"
The man extended his hand.He gave Seung-chan… something.
A scroll.Old. Familiar.
And in that moment—Seung-chan froze.
'This… I've already received this.'
A Sense of Distortion
The scroll felt… known.Was it swordsmanship?A new martial art?
But it wasn't new.He had seen this before.Long ago.
Perhaps even from this very man.
Back then.And now.
He had handed him the same thing.
Exactly the same.
What did this mean?
Seung-chan looked at the man.He had closed his eyes again, as if to sleep.And whispered:
"The answer you seek… is already within you."
But Seung-chan—didn't know what it meant.
Jin Ha-yeong: The Whisper Within
Meanwhile, Jin Ha-yeong was lost in deep training.He was Murim's apex.He had defeated the Demon Emperor.
He had stood atop the world.
Then why—did he still feel like he hadn't reached it?
He told himself:
"I defeated Blood Heaven. I am the strongest."
Yet a name continued to echo in his mind.
Seung-chan.
The Obsession to Face Him
He picked up his sword again.Continued the training.
His swordsmanship was flawless.His inner strength, unmatched.
And yet—
No matter how often he trained,No matter how perfectly he moved,
He kept asking himself:
"Am I truly the pinnacle of Gangho?"
From somewhere deep within—a voice:
—Unless you defeat him, you will never be complete.
His hand trembled.
He gripped the sword again.
He understood now.
As long as Seung-chan remained,he could never be the "perfect warrior."
And so—
He made his decision:
He must face him.And he must surpass him.
No matter what it takes.
***
Chapter 60: Clash of the Strong, and the Hidden Swordsmanship60장: 강자와 강자의 대결, 그리고 숨겨진 검술
A Quiet Night in Gangho
Gangho's night was silent.But here—where two masters faced each other,even silence lost its meaning.
Jin Ha-yeong and Seung-chan.One stood at the pinnacle of Murim.The other belonged nowhere—and yet stood firm.
Now, two swords pointed at one another.
The Samjae Sword Form Unleashed
Seung-chan moved first.His blade rose—and with it, the Samjae Sword Form.
Heaven (Cheon): A slash that split the sky.
Earth (Ji): A strike that cleaved the land.
Man (In): A thrust that bound the two as one.
Perfect fundamentals.That was the essence of Samjae.
Jin Ha-yeong didn't move.He merely watched the form unfold.
"Do you think that alone can defeat me?"
A faint smile.Then—he raised his sword.
Power vs Power, Skill vs Skill
Seung-chan's Samjae Sword Form came forth.
Fast.Powerful.Flawless.
But—Jin Ha-yeong parried it with ease.
Once.Twice.Thrice.
Strike after strike,Seung-chan's blade carved the air.
But Jin Ha-yeong's swordsmanshipwas far beyond it.
Each of his swingssplit the wind with a deafening tear.
And in that moment—Seung-chan understood.
This was no longer a contest of precision or speed.
This was a battle wherethe stronger martial art reigned.
Then—Samjae alone would not suffice.
The Swordsmanship of the Past
Seung-chan stepped back.Lowered his blade.Breathed.
A memory flickered.
Lee Hyeon-do.The man who once ruled Murim.
He hadn't fought with Samjae alone.He had layered it—refined it—forged a mightier swordplay atop it.
Now,Seung-chan had no choice.
He had to bring it out.
The Clash Intensifies
His gaze changed.He stepped forward—just one step.But it was enough.
Jin Ha-yeong sensed it instantly.
"So… you're finally drawing your real sword."
Seung-chan swung.
The air itself quivered.
Their swords collided.
Boom.A thunderous shockwave erupted.Trees shuddered.The earth cracked.
This was no simple martial bout.This was a duel that shook the very laws of Gangho.
Jin Ha-yeong gripped his sword tighter.He had to win.
Seung-chan's blade danced again.He needed to understand what this fight meant.
And so—The duel of the strongspiraled deeper into chaos.
***
Chapter 61: Collision of Titans, and the Ones Who Arrived61장: 강자들의 충돌, 그리고 그들이 찾아오다
When Blades Collide
Boom.
A deafening impact rippled out.The air was torn asunder, the ground quaked.Each clash of their swordssent shockwaves in every direction.
Seung-chan and Jin Ha-yeong.
This was no mere duel between powerful men.This was a collision of fate itself.
Seung-chan Unleashes His True Swordsmanship
Something had changed in Seung-chan's sword.What he now wielded—was not the familiar Samjae Sword Form.It was the swordsmanship of Lee Hyeon-do,a blade forged in a forgotten era.
Samjae had reached its limit.In a battle of titans,only the stronger martial art could endure.
Seung-chan called upon the sword techniquesof his former self.
Jin Ha-yeong noticed immediately.And he sensed it.
"This… isn't just swordsmanship…"
Every arc of Seung-chan's bladetwisted space unnaturally.
Then—the air of Gangho began to shift.
They Begin to Arrive
Far away.Far beyond the battlefield—they were coming.
Those who had never shown themselves until now.They were not of Murim.Not simply warriors or clansmen.
They were…the Watchers of this world's laws.
The duel between Seung-chan and Jin Ha-yeong.The forbidden art now unleashed—had pulled them in.
The Observers and the Escalating Battle
Neither Seung-chan nor Jin Ha-yeong stopped.But something primal warned them:
"We are being watched.""Something is drawing near."
Still,there was no time to consider it.
Their clash intensified.With every strike,the very air of Gangho trembled.
This was no longer a test of skill.
The laws of Gangho were starting to falter.
Entangled
And then—a sudden burst of energy.
Their blades met again—and the resulting shockwaveexploded outward.
The ones who had come to watch…were now being pulled in.
A Duel Beyond Realms
They had come only to observe.To witness.Not to interfere.
They were guardians of this world's balance.They did not intervene.
But this battle—this collision—was too intense.
Even they—could not stay uninvolved.
A new kind of battle had begun.A fight that would transcend the very laws of Gangho.