Chapter 253

Whoosh!

There was no opening stance or anything of the sort. The instant the flag signaling the start of the duel rose, the two combatants charged at each other.

And the moment the distance of more than ten zhang vanished in an instant, a dazzling beam of light surged up from the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s waist.

Sword Energy from the very start?

Everything had its advantages and disadvantages.

Sword Energy wielded tremendous power, but it consumed an extreme amount of internal energy.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon had chosen to finish this duel quickly rather than fight a battle of attrition.

Whoosh!

Blue energy spilled from his Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword and slashed down toward Cheongpung’s shoulder.

It was a clean strike without any unnecessary movement. It was probably a trajectory he had swung countless times since the day he first picked up a sword.

But…

If I can see it, then Cheongpung can see it too.

Boom!

Cheongpung had dodged it by exactly half a step. The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword, wrapped in blue Sword Energy, crashed into the dueling platform.

But the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon was a Peak master with extensive experience. As though he had anticipated this, he twisted his sword and swept it toward Cheongpung’s ankle.

“Oops!”

Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

With a playful cry, Cheongpung evaded the sword and twisted his body.

The Sword Energy raked and split the air in every direction like the claws of a wild beast. The loose hem of his robe caught in its path was shredded into tatters and scattered through the air.

Screams and gasps rose from the crowd.

“Eek!”

“Gasp!”

But I could see it clearly. Cheongpung’s body had not suffered so much as a scratch, and a smile hung around his lips.

He was enjoying himself. Moving lightly as though dancing, Cheongpung escaped the sword strikes, then broke into a wide grin and clapped.

“Wow! That was the Great Clarity Sword Technique, right?”

“Y-Yes.”

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon answered reflexively, his face blank with bewilderment.

And who could blame him? Anyone would have reacted the same way. What was that? How did that bastard dodge just now? His head was surely filled with thoughts like that.

“The sword path is really interesting. Have you perhaps not learned the Taiji Wisdom Sword?”

“Why would you ask that…?”

“I’ve always wanted to see the Taiji Wisdom Sword. My grandfa—no, someone I know praised it a few times. He said it was an excellent martial art.”

The Taiji Wisdom Sword was Wudang’s greatest secret art, famous enough that even I had heard of it a few times.

Cheongpung had spoken with pure intentions, but to anyone unfamiliar with his personality, his words were unbearably rude.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon standing before him was no exception.

“Our sect’s martial arts do not exist to be evaluated, nor do they exist to entertain you.”

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon spoke with a stiff expression and raised his Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword to point it at Cheongpung.

“But if you desire it so badly, I will show it to you. Then you will understand how fearsome this martial art is.”

A gentle yet powerful aura rose and pressed down on everything around them. At the same time, the tip of his sword moved slowly, drawing a circle.

Taiji—the essence of Wudang’s martial arts—was about to unfold through his hands.

“The Taiji Wisdom Sword! It’s the Taiji Wisdom Sword!”

“Give it everything you have. Otherwise, you will regret it.”

Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s figure vanished like an illusion.

The next moment, blue Sword Energy rippled through the air and aimed at Cheongpung’s upper body.

That was when Cheongpung’s sword, which had not been drawn even once since the duel began, finally appeared.

Screeeeeech—boom!

Sword Energy collided with Sword Energy. It was only a single clash, but who held the advantage was obvious.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon slid back a full zhang and opened his eyes wide. Blood flowed from his torn palm.

“W-What is this?”

“Can I go this time?”

With those words, Cheongpung’s figure scattered like an illusion.

The Dark Fragrance Drift of Huashan. It was the exact movement I had grown sick of watching during my duels with him in the past.

A year had passed, and his Dark Fragrance Drift had become even more secretive and faster.

Whoosh!

A faint violet aura clung to the tip of the sword as it swept toward the crown of the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s head.

He avoided attacks as much as possible, and only used Sword Energy at the exact moment of striking.

It was proof that he was reducing unnecessary expenditure of internal energy while controlling his own power perfectly.

“Gah!”

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon, startled, hurriedly knocked his sword upward. But this time, things were different from before. The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword slid along Cheongpung’s blade and changed direction.

Softness overcoming hardness.

That was the foundation of Wudang’s martial arts and the principle contained within the Taiji Wisdom Sword.

But…

“Oh, I know how to do something similar, too.”

Sshk.

As he spoke innocently, Cheongpung’s wrist rotated fluidly.

The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword had clung stubbornly to Cheongpung’s blade, pressing down on it. But it was knocked away helplessly in a single motion.

For an instant, the Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword wavered in midair, and Cheongpung’s sword ensnared it.

“Got it. This is how you do it, right?”

“……!”

“Or not? Wait, I think it’ll work better if I do this. Ah, this is it.”

Cheongpung suddenly withdrew his sword and fell into deep thought. Then he smiled brightly.

In contrast, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon stared at him in utter shock.

The martial artists watching the duel were no different.

“Gah!”

“H-He used the Taiji Wisdom Sword!”

Strength was overcome by greater strength. Softness was overcome by even greater softness.

The shock was immense. Cheongpung had defeated the Taiji Wisdom Sword—the greatest supreme technique of Wudang, whose martial arts were founded on the principle of softness overcoming hardness—with that very same principle.

Cheongpung is one move ahead of the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon. No, at least two moves ahead.

There was no way the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon, who was facing him directly, had failed to realize that.

“H-How did you do that?”

“Hmm. You just have to think of embracing your opponent. Then your body reacts on its own, and you know where and how to move. It’s easy, right?”

“……”

Easy, my ass. You crazy bastard.

No, more importantly, could someone really do that?

This is the guy who supposedly spent a whole year eating nothing but dumplings.

As I stared at Cheongpung in disbelief, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s eyelids trembled from the shock.

Then he suddenly charged at Cheongpung.

Tzzzz!

Blue Sword Energy blazed more brightly than ever before. There was no doubt he had gathered all his internal energy into that one strike.

The blade approached as though it would split Cheongpung’s chest open at any moment. Just as the spectators began screaming at the sight of Cheongpung standing there blankly—

Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!

Vivid violet light-flames filled the dueling arena. The sword in Cheongpung’s hand drew a beautiful arc.

From that single movement, I knew exactly what martial art Cheongpung was using.

The Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swords.

It was impossibly fast and smooth.

For a moment, it seemed as though the scent of plum blossoms brushed the tip of my nose. The violet Sword Energy of the Zaha Divine Technique burst like flower buds and bloomed into thirty-six plum blossoms.

And then, the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword stopped dead in front of Cheongpung’s chest.

Crack.

The Sword Energy that had poured forth in torrents only moments ago was nowhere to be seen. Hairline cracks spread across the straight, snow-white blade like a spiderweb.

A powerless voice escaped the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s lips as he stared at his beloved sword.

“Plum blossoms… I see. You are a disciple of Huashan.”

Cheongpung jumped in surprise and stammered.

“Ah, I’m not.”

“Well, I suppose that hardly matters.”

Resignation, followed by understanding.

The Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon’s arm slowly lowered toward the ground. The Pine-Pattern Ancient Sword shattered into hundreds of fragments and tumbled across the dueling platform.

“I concede.”

Only then did the silence finally break.

The judge came to his senses and lowered the flag. Like a dam bursting after being blocked, the tremendous roar of the crowd swept through the arena from every direction.

“How was I? I did well, right?”

I came back to myself at the sound of the innocent voice. Cheongpung had thrust his face right in front of mine, his eyes sparkling like a child’s.

“Whoa, you scared me. Let’s try to stop doing things like that.”

“Benefactor, I asked how I did.”

Was this really the same person who had just fought?

The Invincible Divine Sword had crushed the Willow-Cloud Divine Dragon—one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes and the future of Wudang—in the most literal sense.

And watching this duel had made me realize once again that Cheongpung had long since surpassed the realm of young prodigies.

Was he always this strong?

Once you climbed to a high vantage point, you could see more of the landscape. The same was true of the mountain called Cheongpung. This was a view I had been unable to see a year ago.

He’s incredible. It’s hard to believe all of that comes purely from natural talent.

His martial prowess was astonishing, but his talent was even more so.

Watching him, one could almost suspect that Cheongpung was a System user.

“Benefactor. Why aren’t you answering?”

“Are you a child? Do I have to praise you for even something like that?”

Cheongpung muttered with a slightly downcast expression.

“Grandfather always told me I did well…”

“That’s your problem.”

It was then that I deliberately answered him curtly.

“Hey, I watched your duel. Great job, friend!”

At the sudden voice that seemed to leap out of nowhere, Cheongpung turned around with a brightened expression.

“Jongni Chu!”

“Oh! You remember me, friend!”

“Of course I remember you. Of course I do—uh, yeah, of course!”

“……”

What a pair of idiots.

I quietly watched Jongni Chu and Cheongpung embrace and laugh together. Then a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I opened my mouth.

“Wait. You two.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Why?”

“Aren’t you two each other’s next opponents?”

The two of them stared blankly at each other, then both gasped.

“T-That’s right!”

“I-I see. You’re my next opponent, Kang Pung.”

I could already hear the sound of their friendship cracking.

I clicked my tongue as the two of them awkwardly pulled away from one another.

Well, the result is more or less obvious anyway.

As with everything else, luck played a part in the Star-Array Grand Banquet. In that regard, Jongni Chu was a man born under an extraordinarily lucky star.

For some reason, he had kept facing middling opponents and climbed all the way to the semifinals.

Of course, the opponents he had defeated so far only seemed middling to me. They were comparable to Jongni Chu, or even stronger.

And apparently, he even received a bye yesterday.

From what I had heard, Jongni Chu’s quarterfinal opponent had suffered a severe injury and withdrawn.

If nothing else, the bastard had luck to spare.

Still, making it to the semifinals is no small feat.

Cheongpung was not an opponent anyone could defeat through luck. Perhaps they knew that themselves, because they exchanged a few words with troubled expressions.

“Sorry. I’ll go easy on you. No, wait—sorry, pal. I’ll go easy on you.”

“If you would do that, I would be grateful. I truly ask it of you.”

One of them openly promised to go easy, while the other thanked him without even a shred of pride. Neither of them was in his right mind.

I shook my head at the sight of them and spoke.

“You two childhood friends can resolve that matter yourselves. I’m leaving now. I have a prior engagement.”

“A prior engagement? But Benefactor, you don’t have any friends.”

“What? Did you have any friends besides me?”

“……”

It was sadder that I could not deny it.

Just as I was at a loss for words, the judge’s shout, amplified by internal energy, rang throughout the arena.

“Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi, Jin Taekyung! Come up to the dueling platform!”

“Yes. I’m coming.”

Cheongpung and I each had one more step to climb before we could face each other in the finals.

I stepped onto the dueling platform with light footsteps and looked at my opponent.

“You’re lucky too. I never expected you to make it this far.”

My opponent in the semifinal muttered in a gloomy voice.

“Our sect’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms is one of the five greatest palm techniques under heaven.”

“But you’ve only learned five stages.”

“That is correct.”

“Then you can concede.”

“If I did, my Master would beat me like a dog on the hottest day of summer.”

“Then?”

“There’s only one path left.”

Gung Gibang, the Successor Beggar of the Beggars’ Sect, spat out a thick wad of phlegm. He pointed a well-worn bamboo staff at me and continued.

“Our sect’s Dog-Beating Staff Technique is the greatest under heaven. I’ll beat you senseless like a dog in a back alley.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

And exactly fifteen minutes later, Gung Gibang, his eyes swollen and puffy, clung to my calf and shouted,

“I’ve only learned five stages of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique!”

“……”

This bastard has stopped at five stages in everything.

As I tossed away the bamboo staff split in two, the judge lowered the flag.

“Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi, Jin Taekyung advances to the finals!”