Chapter 59
“`html
Thud thud
Jin So-cheong led the way as I followed closely behind, heading up to the Zhongnan Sect’s building. My older brother in a frenzy was beating up the White-Clad Swordsman, yet there was no hesitation in his demeanor as if he had a rough idea of where the sparring hall was.
“Hyaaaah! Ugh!”
Disciples of the Zhongnan Sect popped out from everywhere, swinging their swords at us, but my brother hardly moved, dispatching them with his moves like a Shadowless Fist. His hands moved so fast it was like he had a secret technique up his sleeve. I definitely couldn’t mimic this esteemed martial skill with my current abilities.
‘Thunder Cloud Fist, Thunder Shadow Palm. Which of the two techniques from the Thunder God Lineage is he using?’ I observed my brother’s prowess, wanting to absorb more of his divine skills, but it was hard to catch.
The techniques taught in the Thunder God Lineage are broadly categorized into Strong Fist and Shadow Palm, yet my brother’s movements transcended that classification. Of course, regardless of the path chosen, everyone had to learn the Thunder Cloud Palm eventually, but his skills flowed with the freedom of a Grandmaster’s.
“You little brat!”
Every now and then, one or two of them would target me with their swords. I glanced at them, ready to give it a try myself.
‘So, like this, with a quick jab…’
I attempted to mimic the swift technique, putting a bit of Qi into the punch.
Bang!
“Aaaah!”
“Mother!”
Suddenly, the thunderous sound erupted along with screams. I had paused my punch, but the force behind it sent three Zhongnan Sect disciples flying through the air. I realized that had I not halted my punch, my internal power would have turned them into minced meat.
“Yikes…”
I was a bit flustered. When did my punches gain such power?
My brother, who had been leading, said this amidst smashing everything out of sheer anger: “You haven’t yet reached the realm of the Thunder God Fist, so take care. If you recklessly use your current immense internal power, someone might end up dead.”
“Thunder God Fist?”
“Indeed. It seems you haven’t heard of it yet, but once you master the Thunder Cloud Fist and Thunder Shadow Palm to a certain level, you’ll enter the realm of the Thunder God Fist. By then, you’ll be able to completely control your internal power and engage in much more refined combat.”
Thunder God Fist! A new martial technique!
“You scoundrels! How dare you invade our headquarters and chat casually?!”
Just then, a figure zipped through the air toward us. He seemed to be an elite disciple of the Zhongnan Sect, likely a considerable martial artist, probably among the upper ranks of First-Class Experts, pushing the boundaries of Peak. As he prepared to unleash the Heavenly Thirty-Six Sword’s technique, it looked dangerously lethal.
Swoosh!
But in that fleeting moment, Jin So-cheong unleashed the ultimate technique of the Thunder Shadow Step, the Heavenly Gathering Kill. In just seven steps, he deftly dodged every bit of that sword aura, then twisted the elite disciple’s arm and brought him to his knees on the floor.
Thud!
“Ugh…”
I was left speechless. This guy’s strength was enough to flaunt his status as a First-Class Expert in the martial world, yet he was easily subdued like that? I figured I could defeat him but wouldn’t handle him as effortlessly and smoothly.
“Of course, to reach that level, one must also learn the ultimate technique of the Thunder Shadow Step. Always working together hand and foot,” my brother continued.
It made sense, I concluded. Hearing his kind explanation clarified what I needed to learn moving forward. Lee Kwang had just pointed me in the direction of the process, but since he rarely explained, this advice felt like pure gold.
“You… you scum! The Elders will surely take revenge!”
At that, Jin So-cheong smirked; his hearty laughter had no trace of fear in it whatsoever.
“Is that so?”
Jin So-cheong tightened his grip. Realizing what Jin So-cheong was about to do, the Zhongnan disciple screamed.
“W-wait, stop!”
With that, he forcibly lifted his twisted arm and threw him toward what looked like the sparring hall. He threw him so hard that the wind howled.
Bang!
His body flew like a human cannonball, smashing through the door and hitting deep inside the building. Watching Jin So-cheong demolish everything left me dumbfounded. His promise of making a “scene” in the Nine Great Sects was no joke.
Thud…
We stepped into the spacious sparring hall. There lay one of the Zhongnan Sect disciples, knocked out in the center, while around ten experts sat calmly, observing us. Despite the racket outside, the high-ranking martial artists were silent, their presence intimidating.
But the moment our eyes met, a chilling killing intent washed over me. I could feel it in my skin.
‘True Peak Experts! They’re strong!’ I thought.
Those who charged at us earlier were strong only in comparison to those barely crossing the threshold of First-Class Experts. However, these middle-aged folks exuded a presence reminiscent of the Elder from the Iron Blood Gate. Each one of them was a genuine master worthy of admiration in the Jianghu Martial world.
Jin So-cheong also seemed to sense this and paused to study them.
The elderly man seated in the center looked up at Jin So-cheong with immense authority. His martial prowess was outstanding, showcasing a prowess light years ahead of the rogue martial artists outside.
“I’ve heard of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. And I know well its fearsome reputation. However, it seems that my underlings recklessly offended you, sorry about that. We intended to treat you courteously…”
Jin So-cheong replied nonchalantly, “Whether you’re making excuses or not, I’m here to take down the nameplate of the Zhongnan Sect today.”
“Heh heh heh… As a disciple of the Azure Dragon, you have the right to speak like this. But we aren’t prepared to risk our lives yet,” the elderly Peak Expert replied slowly as he rose.
“If you push the ten elders of the Zhongnan Sect to attack, we can certainly take your life, but then you’ll incur the Azure Dragon’s wrath. It’s too risky to provoke the Huashan and Huashan Sects before settling that up.”
Ten Elders of the Zhongnan Sect! These were the ten Peak Experts renowned throughout the Jianghu Martial world. With such a powerful lineup, the Zhongnan Sect could proudly assert its status among the Nine Great Sects. I could feel sweat trickling down my back. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d face off against the Ten Elders head-on.
The elder drew his sword and aimed it at Jin So-cheong as he spoke, “Let’s do this: let’s battle formally per your original request, and based on the outcome, we’ll decide whether to hang our nameplate. But if you lose this match, you will accept our terms.”[1]
“……!!”
The atmosphere turned tense. It seemed that the Ten Elders were truly enraged over their fallen disciples. I was bracing myself to face an assault of ten Peak Experts and was certain I’d be dead meat.
Yet, speaking like this, weren’t they conceding quite a bit? Usually, when a sect’s disciples got wrecked and their building demolished, they’d go for the kill. Not to mention, the Zhongnan Sect would normally be all about hitting hard, letting this slide was shocking to me.
‘Something feels off. Is the Zhongnan Sect backing down?’
Jin So-cheong replied, “Alright. What are your demands?”
“If you lose, you must become our disciples, for life.”
“……”
“Why? What’s the problem with that?”
The elder of the Zhongnan Sect seemed relaxed but Jin So-cheong shot back, “You’re trying to humiliate my master by making us take on lower-tier disciples.”
The elder, akin to a sly old raccoon, laughed heartily. “Hahaha… Facing someone directly is burdensome, but there’s not much I can do about the humiliation of losing disciples. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s not a worthy offer. I have nothing to learn from the likes of the Zhongnan Sect.”
Crackle!
Suddenly, the air grew heavier. Did my brother’s words strike a nerve with the elder? Their killing intent surged fiercely around us. If someone below the first-class level were in our presence, they might lose their minds from the tension. But Jin So-cheong stood firm.
“… But I’ll accept. How do you propose the duel will occur?”
“Very simple. Best of three. The first side to win two out of three wins. You can let your little disciple go first or you can enter consecutively yourself.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll need a break, so we’ll start half a moment later. Stay here and wait for us.”
With that, the elder exited, likely to gather the fallen disciples and deal with the chaos. My brother and I were left alone in the sparring hall while a Zhongnan disciple brought us some warm tea. Yet, I paid no attention to the tea and turned to my brother.
“What are your thoughts, Brother? This is madness.”
“What do you mean?”
“A Peak Expert representing the Zhongnan Sect? How could we possibly…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. Given the combatants’ obsession with honor, even the loss of a leader would be seen as shameful. Not to mention, risking the nameplate of the Nine Great Sects in a duel! The representative must undoubtedly be one of the strongest martial artists in the Zhongnan Sect.
My brother grinned, “Just win, that’s how the Jianghu works.”
“Sure, but that’s gonna be really hard.”
“But you don’t seem that afraid. If it were anyone else, they’d be trembling, yet you seem more annoyed than scared.”
“……”
“That’s how I see you.”
Faced with Jin So-cheong’s buoyant demeanor, I found myself short on words. Honestly, I wasn’t terrified, even if those Zhongnan experts came at me in droves, I trusted my internal power to fend them off. What worried me most was that I might have a hard time passing on my martial arts knowledge in this lifetime because of it.
“Since we’re doing a best of three, you should go first.”
“Huh?!”
“Don’t you get it? ”
Jin So-cheong casually leaned against the wall, continuing, “This entire duel was planned to boost your battlefield experience from the get-go. You tend to grow more from hands-on experience than simple training, so you’ll grow much faster facing the martial artists of the Zhongnan Sect.”
Finally, it clicked! This ridiculous challenge to the Nine Great Sects was a scheme designed by my aloof brother, who’d gotten impatient with the slow progress of my training. He realized I thrived in real combat scenarios, thus orchestrating this entire thing so that I’d gain experience while simultaneously passing on the ultimate techniques.
“Though it’s a bit too serious when the nameplate is at stake…”
“That nameplate is coming down. The Zhongnan disciples are getting too cocky.”
“……”
“Don’t worry about it. This isn’t overly difficult by my standard.”
Just what on earth could be “overly difficult”? I was curious but didn’t want to ask. If I stepped up as a representative in this best of three, my opponent would undoubtedly be a Peak Expert who would likely come at me with lethal intent.
I shook my head vigorously. “Haa… We’ve got a long way to go.”
“Don’t fret. You can do it.”
“No, I really don’t want to.”
Jin So-cheong smiled. There was an unspoken pressure behind his gaze.
“But you have to! Hahaha.”
“Hahaha!”
At this point, there was no turning back.
Having resolved myself to die during training, it was better to do my utmost and gain some real battlefield experience, even if it meant complications in this life. I forcibly gathered my nerves as I recalled the moment I lost my head at the Iron Blood Gate, making me hesitant about the unfolding duel.
Then, after half a moment, the Ten Elders of Zhongnan arrived in full force. They formally presented themselves for the duel as if to honor their tradition. Then, in unison, they declared:
“We will fight fair and square, bearing the name of Zhongnan with honor.”
Jin So-cheong stood up to respond accordingly. I, too, out of instinct performed the same.
“We will fight fair and square, bearing the name of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School in mind.”
Fwoosh!
The clash of energy met, neutralizing the force in the air. The elders seemed to think they could overpower my brother with their might, yet my energy interjected, causing a ripple of surprise. Those who saw me as just a little kid couldn’t comprehend the strength radiating from me.
One of the Ten Elders stepped forward. “I am Jin Soo of the Ten Elders of the Zhongnan Sect. I shall take part in the first match.”
He looked strong. With a youthful appearance and a well-honed physique, I could sense the special aura of a Peak Expert emanating from him. He might even match up well against Ghost Shadow Swordsman Jin Pyeong back at the Iron Blood Gate. Although the Iron Blood Gate had once noted that Ghost Shadows were a cut above the Zhongnan elders, it’s hard to gauge how objective that was.
Jin Soo fixed his heavy gaze onto Jin So-cheong and said, “Your skills are remarkable; they surpass your age. However, I will do my best.”
At that, Jin So-cheong shook his head. “You’re not up against me.”
“What do you mean?”
“My disciple will take you on.”
With that, I was unexpectedly pulled up to the sparring area. In the crowd watching were many of the remaining Zhongnan Sect disciples, gazing at me with increasing shock and disbelief.
A murmur spread through the audience. I met Jin Soo’s steadfast eyes as I solidified my fighting stance.
“I am Baek Woong, disciple of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. I am here for the first match.”
“……”
Suddenly, Jin Soo’s face turned red with frustration. It seemed he couldn’t fathom what was happening as he erupted, “Is this a prank?! How could you send a little brat like this to face me?!”
Jin So-cheong said nothing and simply gestured at me. I nodded, quietly drew my sword. Feeling the competitive spirit rising, Jin Soo transitioned quickly into a fighting position while I whispered, “Does this look like a joke to you? Have it your way.”
Rumble! Rumble!
With my sword raised in a mid-stance, I concentrated my internal power. The Thunder Blade wrapped around my sword gleamed as the sparring hall began to quake. My overwhelming internal power influenced the atmosphere, materializing like ghostly mist. Jin Soo raised his sword to counter, only to see his eyes widen as my power grew exponentially.
“Wha…?”
Even he couldn’t hold his ground against the pressure of my power, stumbling back three steps before realizing he couldn’t stand still and bracing himself, confusion and despair painting his features. The sheer overwhelming sensation of my might struck him like lightning.
I swung my sword forward, channeling the Thunder Blade technique.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted as everything before me shattered to pieces. Jin Soo hastily used his sect’s techniques to defend against my strike, but it was a foolish choice. As the technique flowed through me, I had already accounted for any weakness in his defense. The Zhongnan sect’s elder was sadly not equipped to defend against my prowess.
Bam!
A heavy thud resonated in front of Jin Soo, sending him floating into the air as if weightless. While he sailed through the air, I charged forward once more with the Thunder Blade technique. Desperately, he braced himself, unleashing a peak level sabre strike.
Clang! Clang!
“Guh!”
Like a storm, streams of sword flames rained down upon me. I heightened my intensity and slashed down repeatedly with the Thunder Blade to deflect each one. Yet it was clear that he was no ordinary foe, and I could only block so many. Determined, I made up my mind to go toe to toe, launching into the Three Lotus Slash.
Bang!
The sound of roaring explosions filled the air. I threw my sword with all my might as Jin Soo was forced to defend against it, a calculated risk I sought to exploit. Every time he defended himself, the signs of exhaustion were showing as his power waned. With each clash, shockwaves spread throughout the arena, sending the Zhongnan disciples into a panic.
“Aaaaah!”
“No, run!”
The junior disciples realized the building could collapse under my relentless onslaught and began retreating in fear. My overwhelming power was shredding the surroundings as the Thunder Blade tore through the air while Jin Soo fought valiantly to hold his ground.
Fifty seconds ticked by like a whirlwind. Jin Soo attempted counterattacks, using his finesse to toy with me, but compared to what I’d experienced against Lee Kwang, this was child’s play. I pinpointed his weaknesses perfectly, steering him into a situation where he’d have no choice but to defend.
The gap in our internal power was at least twentyfold. Each strike meant he needed to dedicate himself fully to his defense or risk being obliterated.
In a flash, I seized my moment, performing a sweeping turn before bringing the sword crashing down.
Boom!
“Aaaah…”
Ultimately, Jin Soo attempted to dodge my final offensive, only to be caught off balance and sent retreating far away. By the end, he had likely used a technique to protect himself, and although he seemed okay for now, it was clear he was out cold. I approached him to verify, sheathing my sword with a satisfying click.
“One victory.”
And just like that, I could confirm: I was now ready to face off against a Peak Expert!
“`
