The Black Cloud Pavilion training grounds were filled with an unusual tension. Heavy footsteps echoed across the open space as Cho Chil-Do arrived, his presence radiating madness and raw power. In his grip, he wielded the Soul-Heaven Sabre, a weapon exuding a strange fusion of black and crimson energy, pulsating as though alive. His wild grin reflected his ever-present insanity, and the very air around him seemed to tremble under the weight of his presence.
The training disciples murmured in apprehension. None dared to challenge him—his mere aura was overwhelming. But one man stood unfazed: Cheong Un-Jin. With a calm demeanor, he stepped forward, meeting Cho Chil-Do's intense gaze.
"What trouble are you stirring up this time?" Un-Jin asked, his voice steady yet firm. His keen eyes observed every slight movement from his opponent.
"Hahaha!" Cho Chil-Do burst into laughter. "Un-Jin, that last fight still lingers in my mind. But this time, I'll win. Now that I wield the Soul-Heaven Sabre, you're no match for me!"
Without another word, Cho Chil-Do lunged forward, his sabre tracing a scarlet arc through the air. The moment he swung, flames erupted from the blade, engulfing the space between them.
"Flame Cannon (火焰砲)!" he roared, sending a surge of fire crashing toward Un-Jin.
Un-Jin calmly gathered his qi, his blade glowing with a deep blue radiance. With a single horizontal slash, he split the incoming flames, dispersing them effortlessly.
"Azure Wind Barrier (靑風壁)!" his voice echoed as the wind's energy neutralized the raging fire.
Each time their blades clashed, shockwaves rippled through the air, and the sheer force of their duel shook the pavilion grounds. Cho Chil-Do's attacks carried an unpredictable, frenzied intensity, while Un-Jin countered with precise, methodical defense.
Realizing brute force alone wouldn't break Un-Jin's defense, Cho Chil-Do unleashed a new technique. His blade crackled with energy, and with a swift motion, lightning surged forth from the edge of his sabre.
"Heavenly Thunder Slash (天雷閃)!"
Un-Jin barely dodged, the crackling lightning grazing past him. He retaliated immediately, gathering his qi to launch a powerful descending strike from above.
"Cloud Dragon Strike (雲龍斬)!"
The air split as Un-Jin's sword descended, but Cho Chil-Do instinctively raised his sabre, deflecting the blow. Their weapons collided with a resounding BOOM, sending dust and debris flying.
But as their fight raged on, Cho Chil-Do's aura grew even more unstable. The Soul-Heaven Sabre was beginning to consume him, its power amplifying his madness.
Un-Jin, sensing the shift, furrowed his brows. "This is dangerous…"
Just as the fight escalated to a breaking point, two figures stepped forward. Bai Yuehui and Han So-Yeon entered the battlefield.
"Cho Chil-Do, no matter how powerful you've become, running wild alone isn't a wise decision." Bai Yuehui smirked.
"Hmph, you think you can stop me?" Cho Chil-Do sneered, lifting his blade once more.
But together, Bai Yuehui's fluid movements disrupted his rhythm, while Han So-Yeon's precise strikes targeted his weaknesses. The tide of battle shifted.
Still, the power of the Soul-Heaven Sabre was overwhelming. Even the two of them began to struggle under Cho Chil-Do's relentless onslaught.
Just then, Lee Do-Hyun stepped forward.
With Igo's Sword in hand, he exuded an aura just as strong as Cho Chil-Do's. The energy from his blade danced between hues of crimson and azure, as if resonating with the battle itself.
"Cho Chil-Do, your fight is with me now." Do-Hyun's voice was steady and unwavering.
Cho Chil-Do narrowed his eyes. "I can sense something from your sword… Interesting. But do you truly believe you can defeat my Soul-Heaven Sabre?"
Without responding, Do-Hyun simply raised his blade. As he did, Igo's Sword began to hum, glowing brighter than ever before.
The battlefield was set—blade against blade, madness against discipline, the past against the future.
And the true clash was about to begin.
******
A Duel of Swords and Wills
The Soul-Heaven Sabre wielded by Cho Chil-Do and Igo's Sword held by Lee Do-Hyun pulsed with energy, as if sentient beings themselves, radiating an intense pressure throughout the Black Cloud Pavilion training grounds. The battle before them was no longer just a test of martial prowess—it was a contest of life, will, and identity.
Cho Chil-Do raised his sabre high, his laughter laced with madness. His eyes gleamed with manic intensity, and the cursed energy of the Soul-Heaven Sabre had seeped into his very being.
"This sabre is a part of me! With it, I can split the heavens! Do you really think you can stop me?" he roared, as his sabre exuded a fiery crimson glow.
With a powerful step, he launched himself toward Do-Hyun. The ground warped beneath his feet, as if being trampled by a beast of raw destruction. Flames erupted from the Soul-Heaven Sabre, consuming his entire form as he charged.
Do-Hyun, however, remained calm and composed. He took a slow breath and raised Igo's Sword, its azure energy swirling like flowing water, encircling him protectively. Unlike Cho Chil-Do, who sought to dominate his weapon, Do-Hyun aimed for harmony with his sword.
"His sabre is strong, but it's wild and uncontrolled. My path is different—I must move as one with my blade."
The surrounding disciples watched in awed silence, feeling both fear and reverence.
"That's no ordinary battle," one murmured.
"This… this is what it means for a sword to have a will of its own."
Memories of the past flashed through Cho Chil-Do's mind. He recalled the moment he first took hold of the Soul-Heaven Sabre—standing amidst a bloodstained battlefield, gripping the weapon of a fallen sword master. The overwhelming energy had surged into him, not as a blessing, but as a curse. It gnawed at his mind, pushing him to the brink of insanity. He had once believed himself its master, but with each passing day, it claimed more of him.
"I will conquer this blade!" he had sworn countless times, yet here he was, consumed by it.
With a powerful downward swing, Cho Chil-Do unleashed hellfire and lightning, sending a storm of destruction toward Do-Hyun.
"Flame Cannon (火焰砲)!"
Do-Hyun responded by planting his stance and channeling his internal energy into his sword. The blade shone with a blue radiance, clashing against the roaring inferno.
"Flame Shield (火炎盾)!" he called out.
A surge of azure fire erupted from Igo's Sword, colliding with Cho Chil-Do's flames. The two elements clashed mid-air, igniting a massive explosion that shook the entire training grounds.
But Cho Chil-Do was relentless. In an instant, he switched to lightning-infused attacks, raising his sword high before bringing it down in a flash of thunder.
"Heavenly Thunder Slash (天雷閃)!"
The air crackled with electricity, and a blinding bolt raced toward Do-Hyun.
At that moment, Do-Hyun closed his eyes and listened.
Deep within his mind, Igo's Sword whispered to him.
"You and I are one. Use my power to prove your resolve."
The sword's energy pulsed, synchronizing with his own qi. A new force awakened within him, one that did not seek to suppress the sword's will but to work alongside it.
Do-Hyun opened his eyes, raising Igo's Sword, which now crackled with its own electric energy.
"Lightning Barrier (雷壁)!"
A wall of pure energy erupted, absorbing and neutralizing Cho Chil-Do's attack. The flames and thunder dissipated, and Do-Hyun stepped forward, his presence now completely overwhelming.
It was time for the final strike.
Cho Chil-Do poured every last ounce of his strength into the Soul-Heaven Sabre, his mind completely overtaken by the blade's influence.
"I will cut you down!" he howled, lunging forward.
Do-Hyun, in contrast, remained poised, allowing his sword to guide him. He stepped forward, his blade shimmering with both blue and white light.
"A sword is but a tool. If you let it control you, you are no master at all." Do-Hyun whispered.
Their blades met in one final, decisive clash.
With a deafening BOOM, crimson flames and blue lightning exploded outward, shaking the very foundations of the training grounds.
Then, silence.
A crack formed along the edge of the Soul-Heaven Sabre. The cursed energy that once controlled it began to dissipate, and in the next instant, the blade shattered.
Cho Chil-Do staggered backward, dropping to one knee, his face blank with shock. The madness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by confusion.
"What… have I been fighting for…?" he murmured, staring at the fragments of his broken sabre.
Do-Hyun slowly lowered his blade and looked at him.
"A sword is just a weapon. If you let it control you, then you were never its master."
Cho Chil-Do remained silent, the weight of his loss settling in.
The duel was over.
Yet, even as the battle ended, Do-Hyun knew—this was only the beginning.