Chapter 695: Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival.

“H-how?”

The white-haired old woman asked, as if she couldn’t believe it.

The others were the same.

Those who were preparing to rush out immediately wore expressions of sudden bewilderment.

Bima-pa, perhaps unable to grasp the reality of the situation, wore a disheveled expression, unlike her previously composed demeanor.

“Can I go home now?”

I didn’t pay attention to that.

Isn’t this enough?

At my nonchalant question, Bima-pa barely managed to regain her composure.

Even so, her pupils were trembling cautiously.

“…How… How did you do it?”

“How did I do it?”

How did I do it? What do you mean, how?

“You told me to cross the line and pat my shoulder. So I did.”

I just did as I was told. That’s all.

If you look at the content, it’s quite a simple story, isn’t it?

‘Of course, I did add a few things here and there.’

I glanced to the side.

And then I scanned my surroundings.

There was a formation in the quarters.

That was something I realized the moment I entered through the entrance.

‘The very air felt different.’

The very breath I inhaled and exhaled was different from the outside.

As soon as I entered, the flow of energy was also different from the outside.

Something was twisted and distorted.

I realized this as I felt the flow.

How could such a flow exist in these quarters?

I didn’t even need to activate my Mind’s Eye (心眼) to confirm this.

‘A formation.’

A formation was etched into the space; that must be the reason for the subtle sense of strangeness.

So, why go to the trouble of etching a formation here?

Was it to let me rest within the formation? No way.

Then there’s only one reason.

‘This is the gate.’

An intention to use the formation to do something.

At first, this was just a guess, but seeing Bima-pa confirmed it.

I wondered who had set up such a formation, and it turns out it was that old lady.

I shifted my gaze and examined each element one by one.

‘The wall. The single flower to the west. The only pine tree in the entire grove within the quarters.’

All of these were the links and axes forming the formation.

Bima-pa’s bet was linked to these, completing the formation.

It’s truly detailed and delicate.

So she really is a renowned formation master in the Alliance. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an unwavering formation.

If it were the old me, I probably would have been no different from the people staring at me from the front.

‘But now, I have quite a few other things.’

My Mind’s Eye grasped even Bima-pa’s formation, and my heightened energy sense felt the flow of the formation throughout my entire body.

Being visible meant it was that much easier to dismantle.

And if I could also feel it…

‘Formations are easy.’

If I could see and feel it, there was no reason I couldn’t avoid it.

“Just how…”

A short time, measured in seconds.

The fact that I escaped her formation within that time deepened Bima-pa’s wrinkles.

She seemed quite shocked, but…

“So, am I accepted?”

Regardless of Bima-pa’s reaction, it had nothing to do with me.

To my urging question, Bima-pa looked around without answering.

She seemed to be checking if there was any problem with the formation, but…

Nothing would change even if she did.

‘Because I didn’t touch it.’

I didn’t properly dismantle the formation; I just passed through it.

Honestly, I could have destroyed it if I wanted to, but…

‘Who would I be doing a favor for by breaking it?’

If I broke it, the gate itself would have problems, so even though it was a bit troublesome, I passed through.

Therefore, there should be no problem with the formation.

Perhaps Bima-pa confirmed this too, as the emotions on her face intensified.

“…This… Th-this…”

“It’s fine that you’re surprised. But couldn’t you be surprised after doing what needs to be done?”

Seeing her reaction, I figured this would take a while, so I just spoke up first.

“Am I accepted?”

“…”

Bima-pa hesitated for a moment at the question, but there was only one possible answer anyway.

“…Ac…cepted.”

Bima-pa finally gave the confirmation.

With a smirk, I looked at the warriors.

More precisely, at Dowang, who stood out conspicuously among the warriors.

Our eyes met.

Dowang didn’t seem to be hiding anything, his face completely scrunched up.

‘That guy’s going to have a rough time.’

Dowang wouldn’t be eliminated.

It would be great if he could avoid the formation like me, but…

If not…

‘He can just tear through it with brute force.’

The strength Dowang used on the Ten-Thousand Year Cold Iron would be more than enough to tear through the formation.

However, the problem is…

‘If he does that, the formation will be torn and completely destroyed. It’ll become a race against time.’

They clearly said it was first-come, first-served.

Then, the moment the formation is torn, everyone will rush in.

In that case, could Dowang, who used brute force, really charge in at speed?

While overcoming that massive recoil?

‘It’s going to be a fierce battle of wits.’

Seeing this, Dowang, unless he’s an idiot, won’t easily resort to force.

It won’t just be a battle of wits; it’ll be a serious battle of numbers too.

‘This looks fun?’

Honestly, I wanted to watch.

The sight of them sweating it out while playing mind games with each other.

Just imagining it is amusing, but…

‘Tsk.’

Since I don’t have time to watch things like that, I brushed off my disappointment and spoke to Bima-pa.

“So, can I leave now?”

If it’s over, let’s go. That’s why I asked Bima-pa.

“…You may go…”

For some reason, Bima-pa, looking exhausted, gave me her assent.

As soon as I heard her words, I walked away without looking back.

Meanwhile, I could feel Dowang’s gaze following me.

Should I turn back and give him a little smirk?

A childish hesitation arose, but I held back.

Isn’t it a waste to settle for something so trivial?

‘See you later, mister.’

The time will come soon enough.

Until then, I intended to hold back this much.

******************

As the sunset faded and the moon began to rise.

After all the preliminary gates for today’s Dragon God Martial Arts Festival had concluded, seven warriors gathered in a meeting room set up within the Alliance.

All of them wore robes of different embroidered colors, proof that they were the Alliance Leaders, respectively.

In other words.

Everyone gathered here was an Alliance Leader.

“Let’s begin the meeting.”

The person seated at the head of the table.

Jang Seong-myeong, the Azure Dragon Leader (청룡대주) and wielder of the One Azure Sword (일청검), considered the strongest after the Guardian Leader, Sword Emperor (검제), began to speak.

“First, the First Dragon Leader (일룡대주) was dispatched immediately after the gates closed due to an anomaly reported in Hubei.”

Someone reacted to Jang Seong-myeong’s words.

A man with twin swords at his waist.

Dong Cheon, the Golden Dragon Leader (금룡대주) and wielder of the Twin Illusory Swords (쌍의환검), spoke with apparent confusion.

“Hubei? Suddenly…?”

“That’s right. It was deemed urgent, and the Alliance Master himself approved it. So, someone will need to fill the First Dragon Leader’s vacant seat.”

“I will do it.”

At Jang Seong-myeong’s words, Song Yu, the Vermilion Dragon Leader (적룡대주), raised his hand and spoke.

Seeing that, Jang Seong-myeong nodded.

“Then, it’s confirmed that the Vermilion Dragon Leader will handle the First Dragon Leader’s duties. Now, let’s proceed with the report on the current situation.”

Rustle.

At Jang Seong-myeong’s words, the Leaders each took out a scroll from their robes.

They contained a few lines of text, information regarding the events of this preliminary round.

“First, regarding the Green Gate. Dragon Wing Leader (비룡대주).”

“…Yes.”

“Were there any notable individuals in the first gate?”

“As initially predicted, Muak Sword (무악검) and Cheonghae Spear (청해투검) stood out, but the unexpected highlight was a new expert named Bi Tan Liu Qiang (비탄유창).”

“Bi Tan Liu Qiang… I’ve heard that name before.”

He was a new expert making a name for himself in the Hebei region with just a single spear.

“What was his cultivation level like?”

“He seemed to have reached the Perfected Pinnacle.”

“According to our records, he’s not even close to forty. He has outstanding potential… Can we get more information?”

“I’ll issue an order to contact the Gaibang side.”

“Understood. Next, the Blue Gate…”

Jang Seong-myeong’s brow twitched slightly as he was about to speak.

“…A descendant of the Sword Saint.”

This was because there was something notable regarding the Blue Gate.

“Iron Dragon Leader (철룡대주).”

“Yes.”

At Jang Seong-myeong’s call, the person in charge of the Blue Gate, Eunrang Sword (은랑검), the Iron Dragon Leader (철룡대주), answered in a quiet voice.

“How was it?”

It was a question laden with multiple meanings.

The number one sword under heaven.

Or perhaps…

Sword Saint Wi Hyo-gun.

The previous-previous Alliance Master, and a swordsman considered closest to being number one in the world.

His official descendant had appeared at the Murim Alliance of her own accord.

Because of that, it was already a point of concern, so how did she perform in the gate?

When asked about it, Eunrang Sword hesitated, unable to easily answer for some reason.

“…That is…”

He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, as if there was little he could say.

“Eunrang Sword?”

As Jang Seong-myeong asked again, wondering why, Eunrang Sword finally opened his mouth cautiously.

“The Sword Saint’s descendant… seemed to have reached the level of Divine Sword Union (신검합일).”

“…!”

“What?”

“Divine Sword Union? What preposterous nonsense is that?”

“Eunrang Sword… Is that true?”

Some reacted vehemently.

Most of them were swordsmen.

It couldn’t be helped.

Divine Sword Union was the goal swordsmen had to reach to use the Mind Sword (心劍), the ultimate objective for swordsmen.

Although it was a realm of the mind, unrelated to cultivation level, those who reached it were at least at the Perfected Pinnacle.

However.

“She’s said to have only just passed her twenties. How can that possibly make sense?”

“Eunrang Sword must be very tired. Otherwise, he wouldn’t say something like that.”

“Even if she’s the Sword Saint’s descendant… Divine Sword Union is-“

“Enough.”

Amidst the growing commotion, Jang Seong-myeong murmured softly.

At that moment, his presence spread, ending the situation.

Afterward, with a calmer gaze, Jang Seong-myeong asked him.

“Eunrang Sword, is that certain?”

“Yes, Azure Dragon Leader. I saw it myself. As a swordsman, how could I not know? She was already a martial artist beyond my easy comprehension.”

“Hmph…!”

“How could that be…”

As Eunrang Sword, a master at the Hua Jing (화경) level, stated it firmly, the surroundings began to stir.

Beyond comprehension.

It was utterly bizarre to describe a woman who had only just passed her twenties like that.

“Is another monster being born…”

“They said she was the Sword Saint’s descendant… What has that person created?”

The swordsmen’s attitudes were subtle.

Despite facing brilliant potential, what was visible was an inexplicable jealousy.

It seemed quite twisted for righteous martial artists who had been active in the Central Plains for so long.

‘…Tsk.’

Song Yu, watching this from behind his mask, clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Normally, this situation wouldn’t seem strange.

However, ever since experiencing what happened this morning, this situation felt peculiar.

‘What are they even doing.’

Instead of congratulating a talented junior who had just appeared, they showed such base jealousy.

Song Yu had to forcibly suppress the uncomfortable feeling he had.

“This is not bad information from the Blue Gate… I’ll take note of it.”

Jang Seong-myeong nodded and mentally noted a few lines.

It was likely about the Sword Saint’s descendant.

The difference was that this time, he didn’t relay the information to the Dragon Wing Leader.

“There doesn’t seem to be any other significant information… Now then, Golden Dragon Leader?”

The Golden Dragon Leader was in charge of the Red Gate.

“In the first gate, Maeppa Jeongseol Sword (매파정설검) and Pungnim Witang Fist (풍림위탄권) showed considerable skill.”

“I’ve heard of both those aliases.”

Maeppa Jeongseol Sword, one of the famous experts in Sichuan.

And the other was a fist fighter from the Daoist sect operating in Shaanxi, wasn’t it?

Furthermore.

“Not just those two. Bi Seongdo (비성도) was also there.”

“Bi Seongdo…”

Peng Yujin (팽우진), the son of Dowang Peng Zhou (팽저우) and the previous Dragon God (신룡), was also part of the Red Gate.

“Seeing how he left a mark with a single strike, Bi Seongdo also seemed to have reached a considerable level.”

“That fellow was always like that.”

He’s not just anyone; he’s from the Dragon God lineage.

It’s safe to say that the Dragon God represents the martial artists of that generation.

If not for the ‘monster’ from Shaolin, he probably would have been more prominent.

The Red Gate seems to have fewer surprising elements.

Jang Seong-myeong reacted briefly and looked at the next item.

“Lastly, the White Gate…”

This time, Jang Seong-myeong looked at Song Yu and asked.

“Vermilion Dragon Leader.”

“Yes.”

“How was it? Dowang’s performance?”

“…”

All the Leaders knew that Dowang belonged to the White group.

When asked about it, Song Yu replied in a relaxed tone.

“He seemed stronger than before.”

“Really? It seems he hasn’t neglected his training. We probably don’t need to look further into Dowang… What about other information?”

“Phi Seong-eun Moon Blade (비성은월도) and Seoncheon Mugwang Sword (선천무광검) seem to have reached a higher level than reported.”

“Can you be more specific?”

“Phi Seong-eun Moon Blade seems close to reaching the Perfected Pinnacle soon… and Seoncheon Mugwang Sword is expected to reach Hua Jing within the next ten years.”

“Hoh.”

“Not bad.”

Hua Jing within ten years.

Seeing it so clearly means that’s exactly how much time is left before breaking through the barrier.

Jang Seong-myeong said with a smile.

“I hope they perform well in this martial arts festival.”

It would make it easier to bring them into the Alliance.

Of course, with cultivation at that level, good results are practically guaranteed, so my worries are slightly lessened.

“Ah, speaking of which, Vermilion Dragon Leader.”

“Yes.”

“I heard there was a young master from the Gu family among the White group. Is that correct?”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon (구양천), the Little Yama (소염라).

At the question regarding him, Song Yu flinched involuntarily.

“How did he seem?”

The question brought back the memory of that moment.

The moment he grabbed and crushed the Ten-Thousand Year Cold Iron.

Thus, Song Yu had to report the most crucial piece of information.

Information about the Little Yama (소염라).

However.

“…”

For some reason, his lips, about to speak, wouldn’t part easily.

Why? I should be reporting this?

“Why are you like this?”

Jang Seong-myeong asked again, finding it strange, but…

Despite that, Song Yu couldn’t easily open his lips.

‘What am I doing?’

Why wasn’t he speaking?

Even if he didn’t speak, the truth would be known soon enough.

So many people saw it, and I saw it myself.

Clearly, Song Yu knew that well, yet…

“…It was simply an unexpected level of skill.”

He couldn’t bring himself to give Jang Seong-myeong a proper report.

Unexpected? It was far beyond that.

If so, he should have reported it.

He should have mentioned that perhaps the person had truly reached Hua Jing, but Song Yu couldn’t.

Why?

He couldn’t figure out the reason in the end.

“I see. An unexpected level of skill… Alright.”

Hearing this, Jang Seong-myeong didn’t show much reaction.

“The total number of first-stage qualifiers is 232. It’s a larger number than expected…”

The estimate was between 190 and 200 people.

They should have aimed for around that number on the first day, but…

It was thirty more people than that.

However, it didn’t matter.

They would have been filtered out in the second stage anyway.

Rustle.

Jang Seong-myeong turned the scroll to the next page.

The second test.

It was a scroll detailing the time taken to break through the formation Bima-pa had set up.

‘The fastest for the Green Gate took two hours…’

It matched the number Bima-pa mentioned when setting up the formation.

She had said most people would take about that long.

Just then.

‘Hmm?’

Jang Seong-myeong’s eyebrows twitched as he read the next line.

‘…Fifteen minutes?’

It was written that the first qualifier for the Blue group took merely fifteen minutes.

Who could it be? He checked the name with a surprised expression, but…

“Hmm?”

[Blue Group.]

[Jin Im-seok of the Gwangju Jin Family.]

It was a name he’d never seen before.

‘Gwangju Jin Family.’

He had heard of the family itself, but not the name.

If they passed the second stage, they must be highly skilled, yet Eunrang Sword hadn’t reported anything specific about them.

So, who could it be?

Who could it be that it only took fifteen minutes?

‘Perhaps someone skilled in formations relative to their cultivation level.’

That’s a possibility.

If their martial prowess is low but they excel in this area, it’s possible.

‘Hmm.’

It’s strange, but the report says so, so it can’t be false.

‘I’ll just note it as a special case.’

This should also be mentioned to the Dragon Wing Leader.

Thinking so, I checked the next item.

‘The Red group… took about half an hour.’

This was also fast.

It just seemed relatively short compared to the fifteen minutes for the Blue group.

The first to escape was Bi Seongdo.

‘If it’s that young hero, it makes sense.’

Although his reputation had somewhat faded now, he was once hailed as the genius among geniuses.

There was no room for doubt.

‘All that’s left is Dowang’s group.’

Is there really a need to check?

I figured Dowang would be the fastest anyway.

Confident, Jang Seong-myeong turned the scroll, but…

“…”?

Jang Seong-myeong’s body stiffened as he saw the time for the White group.

[White Group – Second Gate Breakthrough Time.]

[One Second.]

[Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi District.]

Was he misreading it?

Jang Seong-myeong brought his eyes closer to check, but…

“…What is this…”

The text didn’t change.

One second? One second…?

“Bima-pa. How did this happen…”

Jang Seong-myeong, with a deeply furrowed brow, looked at the person who set up the formation, Bima-pa, the Wind Dragon Leader (풍룡대주).

“…What… went wrong? How…? Why…? I definitely set it up correctly? Was there a gap? That’s impossible…”

“…”

Her eyes were filled with deep confusion.