Chapter 153: Friendly Martial Arts Tournament. (6)

Thud-thud-thud!

Along with the scorching heat, debris fragments swirled in all directions.

The smoke that had surged with the flames was swept away by the following wind.

As the state of the martial arts stage was finally revealed, the mouths of the onlookers snapped shut.

The martial arts stage had become a complete mess, as if a storm had just passed through.

Unlike its original height, it was covered in massive gouges, as if a beast had torn away flesh.

Unextinguished embers still burned hotly within them.

Nine-Flame Fanged Wolf (俱炎態牙狼).

It’s a single-strike technique that gathers the body’s internal energy to a single point and unleashes it.

It was a secret technique of the Gu family, usable only upon reaching this level.

The flames shot from the fist bit into the enemy like a beast.

‘The firepower isn’t bad.’

This much is reasonably satisfactory.

What was important wasn’t how perfect it was, but that it could be used right now.

How much it could be compressed, how much the intensity could be raised, were subsequent issues.

And, I could confirm that this level was decent enough for actual combat.

‘My internal energy is also fine.’

I’d consumed so much up until now that using it once wouldn’t deplete it entirely.

Finally, as the smoke cleared from the martial arts stage.

Right beside where the heat had swept through, Namgung Cheonjun stood with an expression of shock.

“Brother-in-law.”

When I called out to him, I saw his eyes tremble for a moment.

“I told you last time, didn’t I?”

There was indeed something I’d mentioned last time.

“‘Nothing is more disgraceful for a martial artist than complacency.'”

It seemed like something I said in Sichuan; even though I gave him a realization born of blood and sweat, he didn’t seem to take it in.

That’s why he’s in this state.

“Are you feeling a bit more lucid now?”

“How… how is this possible.”

“Everyone else says something similar to you. Shall I tell you why that’s bad? It means you failed to properly assess your opponent. If this were real combat, you’d be dead already.”

I could understand.

How many martial artists would not let their guard down upon seeing me?

How could they feel threatened by such a young body?

Still.

It shouldn’t have been that way.

If one is a martial artist living in the present, that is.

The distance to Namgung Cheonjun was about seven jang, but at higher levels, it wasn’t that far.

At my current level, it’s about one or two steps.

So I approached.

As I suddenly appeared right in front of him, Namgung Cheonjun hastily moved his body, but such unprepared movements stood no chance.

The internal energy contained within was threatening, but useless if it couldn’t connect.

I slightly tilted my head and dodged the sword.

Simultaneously, with a single kick from me, Namgung Cheonjun’s knee buckled.

His stance collapsed.

A collapsing body inevitably reveals openings that weren’t there before.

There were at least five vital points visible that could end it with a single strike.

However, what I chose was somewhere else.

Slaap!

With a piercing sound, Namgung Cheonjun’s head snapped to the side.

A perfectly landed slap.

Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes, unable to comprehend what had just happened, trembled as if from an earthquake, mirroring his rapidly reddening cheek.

---

‘What just happened?’

Could this be a dream? Namgung Cheonjun thought.

Wouldn’t it be?

If not, how could that bastard do this?

More than his burning cheek.

The martial arts stage, shattered beside him, bothered him far more.

Even just looking at the stage, it was something that couldn’t be easily broken.

It seemed to be made of a material so sturdy that perhaps only he, channeling his full internal energy, could barely scratch it.

‘…And he did that to it.’

Just a single movement.

The seemingly effortless gesture of throwing a punch had brought forth disaster.

That was a disaster.

To him, it was a disaster incarnate, incomparable to anything else.

“How dare you…!”

Now, the burning sensation on his cheek felt real.

As was his own disgraceful state.

A descendant of the great Namgung family had been slapped in front of the surrounding audience.

This was an unacceptable event.

He immediately raised his internal energy.

As if intending to unleash all his controlled internal energy.

Namgung Cheonjun tried to swing his sword, channeling the fiercely surging internal energy towards Gu Yangcheon, but.

Gu Yangcheon’s hand was faster.

Slaap!

Namgung Cheonjun’s head snapped to the side once more, forcefully.

Then came the fierce voice.

“Not only could you not create distance, but you draw your sword when we’re this close? What a lunatic.”

Perhaps the impact was stronger this time, as his head shook.

Gu Yangcheon immediately grabbed Namgung Cheonjun by the collar and threw him backward.

Gu Yangcheon, who was a head shorter than Namgung Cheonjun, threw him with such ease.

His staggering body rolled on the ground without even managing a proper landing technique.

“What am I even looking at?”

“…Are you saying the Thunder Dragon is being defeated by that little boy?”

“No, man, shouldn’t we be looking at the shattered stage first!”

“Who is this young hero…? Did they say he was from Sanxi Gu?”

The crowd, which had been quiet when the massive flames erupted, became noisy as time passed.

Especially since the Sword Peak and Sword Dragon weren’t present, nor even the Hidden Dragon, for this banquet.

How could they not be surprised to see the Thunder Dragon, a strong contender for the championship, rolling on the ground like that?

Moreover, his opponent was a young boy whose name was unknown.

And this was a significant matter not only for the audience but also for those watching quietly.

“Boss, shouldn’t we contact the room…?”

A disheveled young man, clad in rags and having rolled around on the dirt floor quite a bit, spoke to a middle-aged man beside him.

These were the Kai Pang Do-won, known as the eyes and ears of the orthodox sects.

“Wait a moment longer.”

“If we’re late now, they’ll yell at us for the information being delayed, you know?”

“Just wait, you punk…”

The sudden turn of events.

The Kai Pang Do had to manage the unexpected situation.

They had already been preparing to gather information on Gu Yangcheon, expecting him to be a promising new talent, as he had ended all previous martial arts bouts with a single strike, but.

They hadn’t realized he was capable of reducing the Thunder Dragon to such a state.

‘Has he crossed the wall?’

Kai Pang Do Choo-ong had to swallow his trembling as he watched the strike Gu Yangcheon unleashed.

Crossing the wall signifies reaching the peak.

The peak was a turning point for a martial artist, the beginning of becoming a superhuman.

Even those of the bloodline who received immense help from prestigious families would be lucky to reach it well past their twentieth year, yet.

Could this young boy truly have reached the peak?

If not.

There was no way to explain the strike just now, nor the aura that was only now beginning to be felt.

Kai Pang Do Choo-ong, adept at information and having collected data on many martial artists, could tell enough from the recent fight.

Just how monstrous that boy was.

‘Should I even call that a fight?’

In Choo-ong’s view, it was closer to one-sided bullying.

Because the difference was too stark to call it a match.

The match continued, but the situation didn’t change drastically.

The Namgung family’s sword cut through the air.

The sword path was precise. A noble movement unbecoming of the Namgung family’s name, but.

The Gu family’s boy was faster. He hadn’t even unleashed the flames shown earlier.

He was simply toying with the Thunder Dragon using basic movements alone.

No flashy moves either. Just sticking to the basics, hitting and retreating.

Thwack-!

“Gack…!”

A small fist struck the Thunder Dragon’s abdomen directly. Though the fist looked frail, the impact suggested otherwise, causing the Thunder Dragon’s back to heave.

Without pause, Gu Yangcheon spoke to Namgung Cheonjun.

“Your legs are just for show, and you only fight with your upper body? Is that how they teach you in your family?”

At Gu Yangcheon’s taunt, Namgung Cheonjun gritted his teeth and unleashed his martial arts again, but nothing changed.

The pure internal energy of the prestigious family was commendable, but.

The opponent simply moved as if unconcerned by it.

While Choo-ong was admiring him inwardly, another Kai Pang Do member beside him spoke as if realizing something.

“Boss, that fellow seems to use fire techniques, but seeing as he’s not using them now, perhaps he used them all up earlier and can’t anymore.”

Hearing this, Choo-ong wore an expression of pity.

“That’s why your eyes are like that, you can’t even beg properly and starve, you stupid beggar!”

“…Why speak like that to a fellow beggar? Besides, Boss, you yourself last time…”

“Shut up and watch. Do you think he can’t use them? He’s just choosing not to.”

Choo-ong had also seen the massive flames that swept the surroundings. It was an unbelievably absurd level of secret technique for a boy who hadn’t even lived half his life.

If he himself tried to use something similar, his internal energy would run out halfway, and he’d collapse clutching his stomach.

But that boy was different.

Despite his fierce expression, his contained composure showed it.

He moved knowing where the Thunder Dragon would strike. He cut off the sword’s flow before it could build momentum.

He arrived at the destination first and delivered a blow.

This alone was enough.

That was a monster.

‘…This makes no sense.’

The current generation was arguably the highest level in history. Even the Thunder Dragon rolling around on the stage was not someone to be easily dismissed.

Among them, the Sword Peak and Sword Dragon were said to be in a league of their own.

Choo-ong, who visited the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Arts Gathering’s Friendly Martial Arts Tournament every year to consistently gather information, knew this even better.

Therefore, he wasn’t sure if he could dare call that a genius.

It surpassed the level that could be described by such words.

Neither the Sword Peak nor the Sword Dragon, let alone Peng Yujin, who was called the Divine Dragon before them, were like that.

Especially at such a young age.

“This is problematic.”

“What is?”

“…There’s word from the room, and I’m not sure if I should adhere to it.”

“Yes? Suddenly?”

There was an order to gather and spread information about Jang Seon-yeon, the son of the Fallen Sword, during this tournament.

The fact that the boy had easily defeated the Poisonous Staff was already known. Some rumors had already been fabricated about his subsequent matches.

Under the name of a new star, a boy destined to become a celestial.

‘Problematic.’

Choo-ong frowned, feeling the grime sliding down his cheek.

Although Kai Pang Do’s objective of spreading rumors seemed achievable,

it was uncertain whether the name ‘celestial’ would actually go to the sect leader’s son.

‘Uncertain? Ridiculous. I already know the answer.’

The middle-aged beggar of Kai Pang Do, having experienced everything, could tell long ago.

The answer was already decided the moment many people witnessed that match.

KUUUNG!

While he was thinking, the Thunder Dragon rolled across the stage once more.

He quickly got up, using his sword as a cane, but.

TUDUDUK.

It seemed he couldn’t stop the blood flowing down his nose.

“You’ve become quite unsightly, brother-in-law.”

The noble young master who was full of grace at first was no longer here.

“You… bastard…!”

“Is it okay to say that? There are many eyes watching.”

At Gu Yangcheon’s taunting words, Namgung Cheonjun took a breath.

Because, as the guy said, there were many eyes watching.

Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon let out a hollow laugh.

It was quite amusing that he tried to maintain his pretentious facade even after ending up like this.

Perhaps sensing he was being mocked, Namgung Cheonjun shouted.

“Don’t get cocky…!”

“When exactly was I cocky?”

“Did you think you’d won just because you hid one move?”

He’s the one who’s been ranting and raving, so why is he ranting again?

“Did you eat my words from earlier with your butt? You’re so weak, there’s no need to hide anything, so why are you so clueless about your place?”

“What do you know… you punk!”

“I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care, bastard. Whatever you were hiding.”

Namgung Cheonjun channeled sword energy and swung again, but as the sword cut halfway through the air, he was sent flying backward with a shock.

Gu Yangcheon, who had approached unnoticed, kicked Namgung Cheonjun in the chest.

‘Why in the world… this punk.’

Before he could even recover from the shock, Namgung Cheonjun had no choice but to get up.

Because Gu Yangcheon reached out as if he had no intention of holding back.

The problem was that he couldn’t dodge.

“Ggguh…!”

He couldn’t understand.

Why?

Why was he being subjected to this by that guy?

Not anyone else, but himself.

‘This is impossible…!’

He was a genius. His father acknowledged it, and even the Heavenly Venerate acknowledged it. There had been no problems until now.

In time, he would inherit his father’s position.

He would showcase his talent and become the new Sword King.

Sword Dragon? He was ahead for now.

He believed the day would surely come when he would block that guy’s path. That’s what he thought.

But.

That punk started ruining it all.

Sichuan, yes, that’s where the problem began.

Things started not going his way. His beloved sister started changing. It all began when he met that guy there.

Everything became twisted.

That’s why he came here to set everything right. But why?

-You are a fine vessel.

Surely, those from the previous day said so. That he possessed great talent.

-Through the baptism, energy will settle within you, but refrain from using it for the time being. It will take a long time for it to fully take root.

They clearly said a different world would unfold. Knowing that, he acted behind his father’s back.

It doesn’t matter anyway, does it? He would become the head of the family in the future.

“Ggguruk…”

Why was he, like this, being treated like this by that punk right now?

His vision was no longer clear.

Namgung Cheonjun knew. That bastard was playing with him.

He could tell just by looking at the martial arts the guy displayed initially.

That the guy was much stronger than he thought.

How did it happen?

Surely, the guy he saw in Sichuan was more insignificant than him.

The difference in level was clearly visible.

Although he suffered a defeat, or rather not a defeat, back then, if he could have used his internal energy, it wouldn’t have been such a losing fight.

But now?

“…Shit…”

Namgung Cheonjun spat out a curse without realizing it. He couldn’t endure it otherwise.

It hasn’t even been a year.

Namgung Cheonjun wildly swung his sword, following the shadow of the Sword Dragon, who stood like a wall before him in the past.

The day he first faced the Sword Dragon was a day of hell for him.

He could tell just from exchanging one move. How far ahead that Sword Dragon guy was.

What ‘heaven-bestowed talent’ truly meant.

That day, he became the Thunder Dragon.

The name Sword Dragon became a future goal. He would trample him and rise someday.

With that mindset, he had honed his skills while wielding his sword, yet.

‘Just… just to this punk!’

Hadn’t he tried? No, he had tried.

Sword paths he’d drawn countless times, losing count.

The calluses formed from his hands repeatedly tearing and healing were proof.

And the internal energy he could now unleash without issue was proof.

‘But why!’

Does it mean it doesn’t reach that guy?

The sword, which had been scattering light, stopped once again before Gu Yangcheon’s fist. How could he possibly cut off every sword path?

Could this difference merely be attributed to talent? If so, he should curse the gods.

He could no longer hear the audience’s voices. All that remained were their shock and the contemptuous gazes directed at him.

His downfall must be their entertainment. As a descendant of a prestigious family, he was all too familiar with the bitter reality.

‘I… am falling?’

And to him?

“Haa… haa.”

His exhausted body now felt like his lungs were being squeezed just by breathing.

It was the backlash from having his intended sword paths interrupted multiple times.

Namgung Cheonjun’s gaze shifted towards a certain spot.

Across the stage, it was Tang Soyeol, cheerfully shouting at Gu Yangcheon.

Was she cheering him on? It was utterly ridiculous.

Since there had once been talk of an engagement with the Tang family, they knew each other to some extent. But that was all.

Namgung Cheonjun recalled a woman on his side.

Snow Phoenix Moyong Hi-ah.

She showed interest as if she were on his side, as if she felt favorably towards him, but Namgung Cheonjun knew.

That there was no favor towards him in her eyes.

His surroundings consisted only of people like this.

His father too. The family members too. The members of the alliance as well.

‘…Sister.’

Namgung Cheonjun thought of his sister inwardly. At least his sister didn’t expect anything from him.

Her sword dance was beautiful.

Her demeanor, free of empty words, was full of grace.

Although she did get flustered easily when lost.

It was the same now.

Sister was merely lost. Lost and wandering, so he had to show her the way.

As always, he would.

Then, someday, sister would recognize his feelings.

-Young Master-nim!

Beyond Namgung Cheonjun’s blurred vision, someone’s voice could be heard.

It was Tang Soyeol, who had been cheering for Gu Yangcheon since earlier.

“…”

And standing next to her was Namgung Bi-ah.

His sister was beautiful, as always.

Especially her hair, representative of the Namgung family, shone even more beautifully in the moonlight.

Namgung Cheonjun felt the urge to run to her immediately, but.

He couldn’t move.

Because he could clearly see where his sister’s gaze was directed.

Gu Yangcheon.

His sister’s eyes were fixed on that bastard.

Why? Why, in the world?

He couldn’t understand.

An engagement tied between families, that could happen.

Because he thought it was an engagement his sister wouldn’t have wanted.

If his position expanded later. If he caught the Heavenly Venerate’s eye and secured something definite.

The first thing he would do was break off the engagement with the Gu family so his sister wouldn’t suffer.

Everything was for his sister.

But what was that gaze?

Didn’t it seem like affection for that guy?

‘It can’t be.’

His noble sister couldn’t possibly harbor such feelings for that punk.

If that were the case, then that guy must have done something to his sister.

Did he use drugs?

Yes, since the Tang family’s daughter seems friendly with him, he must have used drugs.

“How dare… how dare you.”

Sister is noble.

She is a woman like a blank white sheet of paper.

She is not someone a punk like you can defile.

Only me. Only I…

-Sssrr.

Energy stirs along his dantian.

Different from internal energy. It was something infinitely cold, resembling winter.

This was definitely the energy he obtained last time.

Something he was told not to use, no matter what, for a while.

Namgung Cheonjun’s forearm trembled.

More precisely, the bracelet wrapped around his arm was vibrating.

As if resonating with the energy.

The item given by the Heavenly Venerate was resonating with the energy.

Perhaps thanks to that, strength surged through his body. It felt as if he could do anything…

“You bastard.”

“Kuhuk!”

Namgung Cheonjun’s body, which had been slowly channeling energy, collapsed onto the ground with a THUD!

Because Gu Yangcheon grabbed Namgung Cheonjun by the neck and slammed him onto the ground.

KUUNG-!

With a loud noise, internal energy burst outwards.

Namgung Cheonjun hadn’t sensed Gu Yangcheon’s presence until the moment he approached.

“Shit, where did you get that.”

“Ggguruk…”

Hwa-reureu-reuk!

Along with rough curses, flames erupted from Gu Yangcheon’s back.

With terrifying heat, the flames enveloped the surroundings, forming a sphere.

It was like a prison, impossible to peer into from the outside.

Gradually, the hand gripping his neck tightened.

It felt like his neck bones would snap any second.

“Answer me. Where did you get that coiled up in your body?”

His contorted face and the killing intent pressing down on his entire body.

His black hair now had a reddish hue.

Gu Yangcheon’s eyes were also glowing a deep crimson.

Crushed by the killing intent radiating from his entire body, he felt like he would faint any moment.

The two streams of flame erupting from Gu Yangcheon’s back resembled wings.

‘A… demon.’

That’s how Gu Yangcheon appeared in Namgung Cheonjun’s eyes now.

As a grotesque being who seemed capable of burning the entire world.

The energy he was trying to channel dissipated helplessly.

As if frightened by the fighting spirit Gu Yangcheon was emitting.

“Not answering? Then I’ll burn your arm… huh?”

Gu Yangcheon, radiating fighting spirit, shifted his gaze towards Namgung Cheonjun’s lower body upon sensing something strange.

“…”

The faint warmth he felt wasn’t his own heat.

A faint salty smell tickled his nose, causing Gu Yangcheon to slightly loosen his grip.

It was because Namgung Cheonjun had wet himself.