The people who had come all this way for the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering were thrilled by each match. They were cheering and applauding both winners and losers in honor of their past hard work.
However, no matter how one strives for fairness, there are bound to be differences in expectations.
It was clear that simply entering the Jeongmu Academy meant these individuals would become the future pillars of the martial arts world. Yet, what the audience truly wanted to see was the rising sun among these promising talents.
Now, the one closest to that sun ascended the martial arts stage and he kept moving nimbly with the use of his swift Movement Techniques.
“Waaaah!”
“Namgong Soo! Namgong Soo!”
As the crowd shouted his name until their voices grew hoarse, Namgong Soo waved back at them.
A thrilling sensation swept through his entire body.
Yes, this is it.
He recalled the moment when he first learned martial arts from his father, the head of the Namgong clan.
Back then, he had merely swung the sword as instructed, yet his father and the entire clan were rejoicing and calling him a prodigy among prodigies; even his peers in the collateral branches had looked up to him with admiration.
The memory of that moment, when all eyes from the First Sword Clan of a Thousand Autumns and the great Namgong Clan were focused solely on him. That memory remained an unforgettable one for Namgong Soo.
Cheer louder, more!
The joy he felt knowing that countless martial artists and key figures, including the leader of the Moorim Alliance himself, were all watching him was overwhelming. He struggled to suppress the smile that kept creeping up uncontrollably.
An unfortunate student who had barely managed to reach the main competition and was now set to face Namgong Soo in the round of 64 stepped onto the stage with weary steps. It was as if he had already sensed his impending defeat; his head drooped weakly as he tried to keep it from falling. This sight only heightened Namgong Soo’s sense of pleasure.
The defeated student lowered his head in frustration and despair, like a puppy wagging its tail. He knew that all his emotions stemmed from Namgong Soo. This realization brought Namgong Soo a dark satisfaction, one that was different from the thrill of hearing the crowd chant his name.
“Begin the match!”
The announcement, which must have sounded like a death sentence to his opponent, was made. And Namgong Soo raised his sword and shouted at his opponent.
“Come at me first! I’ll grant you three moves.”
In a duel, offering three moves was usually a gesture of generosity made by a senior to a junior when there was a clear difference in skill. But in a match like this, where both were on equal terms, offering three moves was no different from openly belittling your opponent.
If someone from an ordinary clan had said such a thing, it wouldn’t have been surprising if harsh words erupted from the audience.
However, Namgong did not come from an ordinary clan.
“As expected of the Namgong clan! Such remarkable confidence!”
“Of course, if he’s the future head of one of the Five Great Clans, he should have that level of boldness!”
Even arrogant and boastful remarks were accepted without question when they came from the Namgong clan. This was a clear example of the unrivaled status held by the Namgong clan, the foremost among the Five Great Clans in the martial world.
“Damn it…!”
The opponent, who had been psychologically driven to the edge by all the noise, glared at Namgong Soo with eyes full of resentment for making him feel so humiliated.
They say even a cornered rat will bite a cat, and humans are no different.
He forgot his sense of defeat and helplessness in his anger towards Namgong Soo and started to rush in like an angry boar.
“Uwaaaah!”
He unleashed the fury boiling within him and swung his weapon wildly.
A sword, or any weapon held by a human, is closely connected to the wielder’s inner state.
The more serene the inner state, the more the weapon follows the optimal path forged through countless swings. But the more one’s emotions erode their composure, the more the attack loses its direction and begins to falter.
This was exactly what his attack reflected. As if to mirror his unsettled mind, the sword strikes aimed at Namgong Soo wavered in countless directions.
Namgong Soo who had been smiling all along while deflecting his opponent’s wild attacks suddenly let his face turn cold as if it had never held a smile.
“Let’s end this now.”
He had no intention of dragging out the fight at this mere round of 64. What lingered in the minds of the audience would ultimately be those brief, intense moments. For this, Namgong Soo had prepared a single move.
Watch closely; I won’t let any of you forget this!
The Namgong clan had dozens of sword techniques passed down through generations. Each of them was powerful enough to be considered among the finest in the martial arts world, and they earned the clan the title of the First Sword Clan of a Thousand Autumns.
Members of the Namgong bloodline and their warriors would focus their training on the technique that suited them best.
Among these sword techniques, there were two that even members of the Namgong bloodline could not learn at will.
One was the Limitless Sky Vessel Sword Technique, which only the direct descendants of the Namgong clan were permitted to master.
This technique contained the profound essence of weight and flow and it unleashed successive strikes that swept in all directions like the vast sky. Each strike carried the depth of a heavy sword, making it nearly impossible to block or evade. It was considered one of the most formidable and complex top-tier martial arts in the world.
And then, there was one more. The ultimate technique of the Namgong clan that was reserved only for the head of the clan and the future heir.
The Emperor Sword Form.
A sword technique that perfectly encapsulated the majesty and overwhelming presence of an emperor who commands the world.
Before swinging his prepared sword, Namgong Soo whispered in a voice barely audible to his opponent.
“Consider it an honor to be defeated by this sword technique.”
The moment his words ended, the sword that was swung with overwhelming force appeared deceptively ordinary. Yet, the opponent before him couldn’t make a single move; he just stood frozen in place until the blade reached his throat.
“Namgong Soo wins!”
A stunned silence filled the air. One of the spectators, who had been lost in a trance, suddenly spoke out.
“It’s the Emperor Sword Form…”
Though it was just a single strike, the fact that they had witnessed the Namgong clan’s ultimate technique—one that an ordinary martial artist might never see in a lifetime—drove the crowd into a frenzy.
“Waaaaah!”
“It’s the Emperor Sword Form! I can’t believe I saw it with my own eyes!”
“They say he’s the greatest talent of the Namgong clan, and to think he’s already mastered the Emperor Sword Form!”
The cheers, spreading like wildfire, only began to die down long after Namgong Soo had left the martial stage.
And when Namgong Soo who had instilled the utmost despair in his opponent descended from the stage amidst the applause and cheers, he noticed Baek Woo Jin watching him from not far away.
He approached him with a faint smile and asked,
“Did you enjoy the match?”
This is my skill, how is it? When Baek Woo Jin was met with a question that was practically thrown in his face like that, he responded with a dismissive expression on his face.
“Nothing special, really.”
“Wh-What did you say …!”
The Emperor Sword Form, on its own, was undeniably an impressive technique. However, the way Namgong Soo executed it was riddled with flaws.
His mastery was severely lacking. He had barely managed to grasp the form, but there was nothing of substance within it. These two issues alone were fatal, and a closer examination revealed even more faults.
As Namgong Su’s face flushed with anger, Baek Woojin did not want to waste another word on him brushed past and delivered his final remark.
“If you’re smart, don’t use the Emperor Sword Form against me.”
You’ll regret it.
With that one phrase that was carried to his ear like a gentle breeze, Namgong Soo’s face twisted into something more terrifying than a demon.
…
The round of 64 had finally concluded.
Those who were expected to advance did so. Namgong Soo, Han Baek, and Myeong Jin, of course, and Yoo Hwa Yeon also claimed an easy victory over her opponent.
For the first time in a while, Baek Woo Jin found himself alone. Jegal Yeon Ji had left with a regretful look on her face; she said that she needed to see her family after a long time, and Shin Ye Hwa, for reasons unknown, turned her head sharply and vanished the moment their eyes met. Baek Moo Hyeok had sent her off to comfort her.
“Well, I suppose it’s a good time to grab a drink… Oh, but I don’t have any money.”
Feeling good, he thought it was a perfect time to enjoy a drink with some decent snacks, but his empty pockets held him back. It was all because he had gambled away every last coin, down to the very last penny.
“Tch.”
Yeah, snacks are a luxury when you’re drinking anyway.
He tried to console himself like that as he turned to head back to the dormitory but at that moment,
“Baek Woo Jin?”
A voice dripping with charm and overflowing with allure called out to him from behind, stopping him in his tracks.
He turned around and saw an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Her jet-black hair seemed to absorb all the light, and her slightly narrow eyes exuded a seductive and decadent charm that could steal the soul of anyone who looked at her. The unique outfit she wore, which subtly revealed her curvaceous figure, radiated a magnetic allure that forcibly drew in the gaze of any man.
The moment Baek Woo Jin laid eyes on her, he felt a dizzying and dangerous sensation at the same time. This heightened his sense of danger.
“Who are you?”
In the fantasy world, there was one thing that troubled Baek Woo Jin almost as much as the death of a comrade, and that was temptation.
Among them, those who were not born with the ability to charm people like succubi but rather cultivated their charm to charm others tormented Baek Woo Jin greatly.
There were countless people who sought to use the power he wielded to save the world for their own purposes, and what they commonly sent his way were women who had been trained to the extreme.
If unconscious charm felt like it could grab hold of someone and shake them around, then the calculated charm and atmosphere she created felt like it could squeeze the life out of them.
The woman before him now exuded the same seductive aura as those women from before. Despite knowing full well how dangerous it was, there was an allure that made him want to give in.
And Baek Woo Jin began to realize who the woman in front of him might be.
Her red seductive lips parted slightly.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Tang Seon Yeong.”
Tang Seon Yeong, the Poisonous Phoenix.
Like Baek Moo Hyeok, she was one of the phoenixes leading the third-year students. However, among the male students, she was more commonly known by another nickname than the Poisonous Phoenix.
The Poisonous Widow.
Men who were bewitched by her coquettish voice and gestures and approached her would inevitably meet a bad end, although there was only a slight difference in degree. From that point on, she became known as the Poisonous Spider and rose to the top of the list of people male students wanted to avoid.
…That’s what was written in the novel.
Indeed.
She was one of the heroines that appeared in the novel.
And at the same time, she was also the main culprit who made Baek Woo Jin read the novel without even confirming the author’s name before he got dragged into this martial arts world.
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