The Last Transcendent of the Black Lotus Union: Sonam
Sonam, the last remaining transcendent warrior of the Black Lotus Union, realized the gravity of the situation.
At some point, communication with the other two transcendents had been severed. Their lives were likely extinguished as well.
Though he had anticipated reinforcements from the righteous sects, their timing was far swifter than expected.
“It must be the Namgung Clan.”
Before coming to Hangzhou, he had heard that the Namgung Clan didn’t have many masters remaining.
He never imagined that those few would respond so quickly, nor that his comrades would fall in such a short time.
How could they be taken down so effortlessly, without even realizing it?
“I have to gamble.”
The ship they arrived on had either been destroyed or commandeered. The sea route was no longer an option.
Crossing through the territory of the righteous sects to return to the Black Lotus Union was nearly impossible. Though not entirely unfeasible, the odds of escaping safely were abysmal.
“Using hostages is the only viable option.”
Yeo Woon-jeok of the Sea Wall Sect would likely hesitate due to the reinforcements. Those reinforcements were almost certainly from the Namgung Clan.
Judging by their tendencies, if he took civilians as hostages, they wouldn’t attack recklessly.
“They’re fools obsessed with appearances.”
The answer was clear: take hostages and demand a ship.
A transcendent wreaking havoc in the middle of the city would cause catastrophic damage, so there was a decent chance they’d let him go.
Sonam immediately put his plan into action.
"Prepare a ship immediately! If you let us leave peacefully, I promise not to harm them!"
Sonam anxiously watched the situation unfold. What would their response be? His eyes darted around, and then he noticed the encirclement parting.
A figure strode through the newly opened path, unhurried and indifferent.
The man, with a blunt expression, walked toward Sonam and stared at him. Then, as if annoyed, he scratched the back of his head.
“Wait... are you an idiot?”
“...What did you just say?”
“Who are they?”
Sonam’s eyes wavered. This response was entirely unexpected.
The murmuring of the crowd mirrored his confusion.
“C-Can’t you see these innocent civilians!?”
“You’re the one holding them hostage. Why are you yelling at me?”
The man smirked, irritation evident on his face. It was clear he didn’t care about the hostages at all.
Sonam grew desperate.
“Do you have no heart!?”
The man didn’t even respond. He simply drew his sword.
Shiiing—
The chilling sound made the surrounding warriors tense. Even Yeo Woon-jeok tried to intervene.
“W-Wait! Let’s talk this through—”
“Gotcha.”
Gotcha? What did he mean?
CRACK!
The sound of wet flesh being pierced echoed sharply.
Sonam’s body was flung into the air, instinctively clutching his groin as a sharp pain shot through his knees.
“Grrk...!”
He barely managed to block the attack.
Suspended in midair, Sonam glanced downward. His subordinates had been impaled from their legs to their heads by something.
“A stone pillar...?”
As realization dawned, the man appeared in front of him. Sonam desperately tried to shield himself with the hostages, but they were already gone.
“Huh?”
The tables had turned. The man’s hand now gripped Sonam’s throat.
“I was going to use you as a training dummy tomorrow, but you’re just too annoying.”
“W-Wait...!”
CRACK!
Sonam’s neck snapped, and his lifeless body crashed to the ground.
Standing above the illuminated torches, Seo-jun clicked his tongue.
“Well, that’s the end of it, right?”
Yeo Woon-jeok, tense, nodded cautiously.
“...Yes, it’s over.”
“Good. I’ve got one training dummy left for tomorrow, so we’ll leave the day after.”
“...Understood.”
Satisfied with the answer, Seo-jun casually walked away, heading back to the Sea Wall Sect.
From behind, Yeo Woon-jeok called out.
“Were you serious?”
“About what?”
“Those words... about not caring what happens to the civilians.”
Seo-jun turned his head, his expression unreadable. His gaze, devoid of emotion, met Yeo Woon-jeok’s, causing him to swallow nervously.
Seo-jun smirked.
“Of course not. It was all an act.”
And with that, Seo-jun vanished into the night.
Yeo Woon-jeok stood frozen, replaying Seo-jun’s last words in his mind.
“An act, huh....”
Was it true?
He couldn’t say for sure. Shaking his head, he shouted to the others.
“Disperse! Gather the injured in one place and treat the seriously wounded first!”
And so, the long night ended.
Training with the Final Dummy
The last surviving martial artist, known simply as “Tomorrow’s Dummy,” gave it his all.
As if gaining enlightenment mid-battle, he managed to endure an impressive 34 rounds.
Although Chun-bong and Namgung Sua had taken turns sparring with him, they were no less exhausted.
Their skills had improved noticeably. By now, they could wield Qi with significant proficiency.
Their rapid progress was astonishing.
It was likely due to consuming Green Bamboo Elixirs, which had drastically increased their internal energy reserves.
The surplus Qi allowed them to practice longer, accelerating their growth.
The next day, after an invigorating training session with the dummy, the group left the Sea Wall Sect.
During their stay, Chun-bong had indulged in an endless feast of fish and was in high spirits.
“Isn’t Sword Mark Sea somewhere between Fujian and Zhejiang?”
She hummed a cheerful tune as they traveled using light-footwork techniques.
“You’ll be amazed when you see it! I was a kid back then, so I don’t remember much, but it’s really... just incredible!”
Seeing Chun-bong so excited, Seo-jun chuckled.
The sword marks left by the Sword God...
Even Seo-jun felt a twinge of anticipation.
Though some accounts had been exaggerated, the Sword God’s legendary feat of slicing the sun was undoubtedly real.
What kind of marks would the Sword God have left before ascending? Would seeing them spark any revelations?
Seo-jun pondered for a moment, but then decided to let it go and simply enjoy playing with Chun-bong.
The group leisurely traveled for three days, taking in the sights along the way.
They finally arrived at a city. Surprisingly, the entire prefecture, including the city, was named after the Sword Marks.
“Since martial artists visit often, it’s become a bit of a tourist attraction. The nearby cities have grown quite a bit too,” Namgung Sua explained.
She had visited the Sword Mark Sea once before, during a time when she had wandered the martial world out of curiosity.
“Hey, no spoilers!” Seo-jun interrupted.
“Spoilers?”
“If you tell me beforehand, it won’t be as fun.”
Grinning, Seo-jun strode toward the Sword Mark Sea.
As they neared, the crowd thickened. Though not a massive throng, there were enough people to make maneuvering through them a challenge.
“Hmm.”
After a moment of deliberation, Seo-jun wrapped his arms around Chun-bong and Namgung Sua’s waists.
“Oh my!”
Namgung Sua widened her eyes slightly but leaned against him. Chun-bong simply dangled like a rag doll.
Seo-jun pushed off the ground.
Thump!
Leaping across the heads of the crowd, he drew stares from onlookers.
“A master...!”
“Who is that? Do you know him?”
Ignoring the murmurs, Seo-jun vaulted up the steep cliff. The higher they climbed, the fewer people there were.
Finally, landing on the cliff’s edge, Seo-jun set down his companions and stretched.
“Mmm... Smells like the sea.”
The Salty Breeze and the Infinite Horizon
Carried by the wind, the scent of the sea mingled with the sight of an endless horizon.
Seo-jun looked around as he took in the high sun, large clouds, and gently rolling waves.
“So, where’s this sword mark you were talking about?”
If someone left a mark with a sword, it was likely on one of the nearby cliffs. As Seo-jun examined the cliffs, Chun-bong let out a mischievous laugh.
“Hehe, you idiot.”
“What now?”
“Look over there.”
Chun-bong pointed toward the sea. Naturally, it was just the vast, blue ocean.
“I’m looking. What’s your point?”
Seo-jun wore a blank expression, prompting Chun-bong to scratch her head.
“Can’t you see it?”
Looking closer, Seo-jun noticed something peculiar. The horizon wasn’t just one continuous line—it was two. Puzzled, he thought for a moment before realization struck.
“Wait... what?”
Startled, Seo-jun kicked off the ground. Thud! He soared into the sky and looked down. From above, it became clear.
“What in the world...?”
There were indeed two horizons. A long horizontal slash cut through the sea itself.
Seo-jun returned to the cliff, scooped up Chun-bong and Namgung Sua, and leaped toward the mark.
BOOOOOM────────!!
The sea rushed beneath their feet as Seo-jun moved quickly. Only after traversing a significant distance did they finally arrive directly above the sword mark.
“This is... insane.”
In the middle of the sea was an empty chasm, a canyon made of seawater.
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Lowering his altitude, Seo-jun carefully observed the space between the water walls. There was no lingering energy—nothing that would harm him if he approached.
“This...”
As they descended into the chasm, the towering walls of seawater came into view. It looked like the water had been held back by glass, yet...
Splash
When Seo-jun reached out to touch it, his hand passed through. The seawater was tangible.
“So, this is how it works.”
This was different from when he had used Soul Fusion Sun-Moon Art to create walls. That method relied on actively maintaining energy, collapsing as soon as the energy was withdrawn.
“When was this created?”
Namgung Sua answered, “Roughly two hundred years ago, from what I’ve heard.”
Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh and exited the chasm.
Standing atop the seawater cliff, he could see that the ocean didn’t spill over. The mark and the sea existed in perfect harmony, as if this defied the natural laws of the world.
“Just like when he cut the sun.”
This time, Seo-jun understood more clearly. The mark had severed the very concept of the sea.
It was a type of Mind Blade (Simgeom), a weapon forged not of steel but of willpower and understanding.
Seo-jun shuddered at the thought. He didn’t know why transcendent martial artists like this recluse stayed hidden, but it was probably for the best.
If such beings roamed freely in Zhongyuan, the continent would have been shattered long ago.
Shiiing—
On impulse, Seo-jun drew his sword.
As his mind dipped lightly into his Qi Flow, a rush of omnipotence surged through him.
“Cut the sea?”
He followed the path of the Golden Cloud Divine Sword and swung his blade horizontally.
SCCCCRRRRRREEEEECH────────!!
The distant horizon split in two. For a moment, the ocean floor was exposed.
Without interference, the divided sea naturally rejoined.
CRASH────────!!
A tidal wave erupted from the collision, rising high enough to scrape the sky. Standing before the towering wave, Seo-jun felt his thoughts tingle.
“A Mind Blade is still far beyond me....”
Reaching out his hand, Seo-jun lightly touched the massive wave, now casting a shadow that momentarily turned day into night.
“Stop.”
The wave froze in place, as though time itself had halted. Not a single drop moved.
Seo-jun smiled as he looked at his handiwork.
“Traveling really is great.”
Moments of insight like these accumulated into higher levels of understanding.
If enlightenment came simply from enjoying the journey, what wasn’t there to love?
To gain understanding from the flow of life itself—that was the essence of the righteous path of martial arts.
Meanwhile, at the Military Command
“From the east, through the central region, to the west?”
Grand Commander Jegal Tong studied the map intently.
“And they’re leading with a transcendent warrior....”
It was an incredibly bold strategy, one that risked total collapse if executed poorly.
With the North Sea Ice Palace already withdrawing from their alliance, what could they possibly hope to achieve with such reckless maneuvers?
“Is there anything special about their route?”
A subordinate responded, “Nothing discernible so far. However, since most forces were concentrated in the west, the martial artists defending the eastern regions suffered significant losses.”
“And among the key figures?”
“From what we’ve gathered: Qingryo of Mount Hua, Bojung of Emei, Heobaek and Heoryang of Wudang, Peng Juhyeon of the Peng Clan, and Namgung Yeon of the Namgung Clan.”
“Are they all dead?”
“Not confirmed, but they’ve all gone missing.”