Chapter 53: The Star Tower's Trial (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: The Star Tower's Trial (2)
"How?"
Jin Yong’s eyes trembled violently.
As the grandson who had inherited the martial arts of the Ardent King Hegemon, his pride must have been in tatters.
I gave him a smirk before turning toward Yoon Ja-seo, the Style Master of the Terrain Fist Style on the first floor.
To my surprise, Lee Jung-gyeom—the joint disciple of the Eight Great Masters—was already standing before him.
The youth was letting out a wide, bored yawn, asking if he could proceed to the upper floors.
'Ha!'
The opponent Lee Jung-gyeom had been assigned was sprawled face-down on the floor.
'What happened?'
In other words, he had also knocked his opponent out in a single move.
It was a display of overwhelming disparity in skill.
I had heard much of his fame before my regression, but his martial talent was clearly extraordinary.
The experts of the Terrain Fist Style were in a stir. Their gazes were split between me and Lee Jung-gyeom.
Perhaps because of that, the experts of the Terrain Fist Style were looking at me with surprise.
Unlike the famous Lee Jung-gyeom, I was a complete nobody who had just taken down one of their style's experts in a single exchange. It was only natural they were curious.
Just then, I felt a gaze on me.
The muscular man who had guided us into the Star Tower was watching me with a peculiar look in his eyes.
His gaze was different from the others. He seemed... intrigued.
When our eyes met, the muscular man gave a faint smile and pointed behind him with his thumb.
There was an entrance there with a visible staircase. It seemed to be the way to the upper floors.
Seeing Lee Jung-gyeom heading that way, I figured I should follow.
'It seems so.'
As I climbed the stairs, I saw Lee Jung-gyeom leaning against the wall halfway up, waiting.
What was this? Was he actually waiting for me?
As I looked at him inquisitively, he spoke.
"That’s the second time."
"...I’m not sure what you mean."
"It’s strange. You clearly seem a level below me, yet I get the feeling that if we actually fought, I couldn't guarantee my victory. Among those our age, you’re only the second person to make me feel that way."
"!?"
This guy had been sizing me up the whole time.
Unlike when he first looked at me, his eyes now burned with a competitive spirit.
What a turn of events. To receive such an evaluation from the rising star who was most acclaimed in the Martial Alliance before my regression.
'......I don't hate it.'
Back then, I was a spy, too busy trying to stay alive to care about such things. During my time in the Martial Alliance, no one had ever shown interest in me. Well, two people did, but they ended up stabbing me in the back.
'Baek Wi-hyang... Moyong Su...'
I will kill those two with my own hands. No, just killing them would be too easy. I’ll pay them back exactly what they gave me.
'True.'
But suddenly, I became curious. Putting myself aside, Lee Jung-gyeom mentioned there was a "first" person among his peers whose victory he couldn't guarantee. A few names came to mind, but I had never heard of Lee Jung-gyeom facing any of them directly.
Regardless, I politely offered a fist-and-palm salute to Lee Jung-gyeom.
"It is truly an honor to be held in such high regard by one of the Twin Heroes."
I was half-sincere.
At my words, Lee Jung-gyeom chuckled and returned the salute.
"I am Lee Jung-gyeom of the Martial Alliance."
He then stared at me intently. Was he asking for my identity?
After a moment's hesitation, I saluted him again.
"I am Ha Un."
It was the alias I had used when entering Peerless Fortress. I simply took the middle character, 'Un' (Cloud), from the Flying Moon Hero Sect.
"Ha Un? What a coincidence. That friend also has 'Un' in his name..."
Just then, the sound of someone rushing up the stairs echoed from below.
It was Jin Yong, the grandson of the Ardent King Hegemon.
His face was flushed red with rage as he spotted me and shouted.
"How dare you hide your martial arts!"
"Oops. This is going to get annoying. I'll head up first."
Lee Jung-gyeom dashed up the stairs.
I looked down. For the grandson of the Ardent King Hegemon, he hadn't taken as long as I expected.
Watching him fume as he climbed was a bother, so I quickly hurried up the stairs as well.
When I reached the second floor, I saw twenty men sitting in meditation. Every single one of them was an expert.
'Hm?'
Behind those meditating, I saw Yoon Ja-seo, the Style Master from the first floor, talking to a bald man.
It seemed there was another set of stairs somewhere.
Stomp, stomp, stomp!
"You bastard! How dare you ignore me while I'm talking and just run up!"
Jin Yong was about to explode, but fortunately, the bald man talking to Yoon Ja-seo stepped forward and spoke in a booming voice.
"I am Yang Do-bang, the one in charge of the Pine Cloud Palm Style on the second floor. I welcome you to the upper level."
The energy felt in his voice was no joke. He was stronger than Yoon Ja-seo.
Lee Jung-gyeom raised his hand and asked him.
"Who do we have to duel?"
"Before that, the format will be changed."
"What?"
Changing the rules?
Yang Do-bang, the Style Master of the Pine Cloud Palm Style, began calling out the names of the meditating experts.
But it wasn't just three people. It was fifteen in total.
"That’s quite a lot."
"What is the meaning of this?"
As we stood there bewildered, Yang Do-bang spoke in his characteristically thunderous voice.
"Since each of you is an expert who has surpassed the limits of the Peak Realm, we are changing the duel to a format befitting your skills."
Now I understood why Yoon Ja-seo from the first floor had come up. It must have been to report the level of martial prowess displayed by the three of us. They likely judged that a single expert would yield the same result as before and decided to change the rules.
'It seems so.'
Jin Yong stepped forward and addressed Yang Do-bang.
"What do you mean by suddenly changing the rules? Is this how the trial is conducted every time?"
Yang Do-bang replied.
"The first trial is to face an expert of each style with roughly equivalent martial prowess. Since your prowess is at a level that a single expert of our styles cannot handle, we are adjusting it accordingly. Do you find something wrong with that?"
"Tch."
Jin Yong fell silent at Yang Do-bang's words. If he continued to complain about unfairness while Lee Jung-gyeom and I remained silent, it would be tantamount to admitting he was the weakest.
"Then how are we to duel?"
At my question, Jin Yong clicked his tongue and spoke.
"Can't you see? He's saying we have to face five people each."
However, Yang Do-bang shook his head.
"No. Young Hero Ha Un and Young Hero Lee Jung-gyeom will each face a combined attack from six experts of our style. And Young Hero Jin Yong will face three."
"!?"
Jin Yong looked utterly dumbfounded. To have me and Lee Jung-gyeom face six experts while he was only given three was a massive blow to his pride.
"Why am I only facing three?"
"You defeated the expert of the Terrain Fist Style on the first floor in ten moves. Whereas the other two..."
Yang Do-bang trailed off, as if trying to spare Jin Yong's feelings. Ultimately, he was saying that facing three experts was the appropriate level for his skill.
Seeing Jin Yong's face turn red and blue, it was clear his pride was wounded beyond repair.
"I will also face six!"
"That would be unfair."
Yang Do-bang coldly rejected his demand.
Jin Yong was huffing and puffing in indignation, but if he actually faced six, he would definitely fail. If that happened, he’d have to live here as a guest for three years.
The Namcheon Iron Sword asked with concern.
Among the six, two were Peak Realm experts, and the other four were first-rate experts. Passing as quickly as I did on the first floor seemed impossible.
Furthermore, because I was hiding my identity, I couldn't use the Life Bright Sword Technique or the Blood Heaven Great Achievement Sword. I had to rely on basic sword forms or the Eight Thunder Short Sword Art that the Sodam Sword had taught me.
I subtly glanced at Jin Yong. He was the grandson of the Ardent King Hegemon. If I carelessly used the Silver Smoke Thread or the Flash Shadow Throwing Dagger Technique in front of him and word reached Ardent King Hegemon Jin Gyun, it would be dangerous.
'......Indeed.'
Without using my signature techniques, I wouldn't even be able to exert half of my true strength. It wasn't that I would lose, but it would certainly take time. I was in for a struggle of my own making.
Yang Do-bang raised his hand and shouted.
"Then, let the trial begin!"
*
In a refined, classical study.
In front of a wall covered with a large sheet of white paper, a man with his upper body bare was carefully dipping a large, arm-length brush into ink.
Behind him stood a muscular middle-aged man.
The man with the brush asked without turning around.
"How interesting. To think two descendants of the Eight Great Masters would covet the succession of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect."
"Who wouldn't be greedy for it?"
"One of them didn't come out of greed, surely."
"......Are you referring to Lee Jung-gyeom, the joint disciple of the Eight Great Masters?"
"Indeed. Even if one craves the martial arts of the Eight Great Masters, does it make sense for a boy who has already inherited the legacies of two of them to want more? It is likely the will of Baek Hyang-muk."
"The Martial Alliance Leader!"
"He likely sent his disciple to become the successor of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect to mend the relationship between this fortress and the Alliance."
"I see. That makes sense."
"In any case, the situation has become quite entertaining. Did you say there was one more participant, a complete unknown besides those two?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"He will surely fail within the second or third floor. The result of which of the other two will reach the top first is already clear as day."
"......."
"Why do you not answer?"
"Well... it seems the prediction has been defied."
The hand dipping the brush into the ink paused for a moment.
"Are you saying the grandson of the Ardent King Hegemon is superior?"
"No, sir."
"Then what has defied expectations?"
"It is that unknown young man."
"......What?"
"I only watched until the fourth floor before coming here, but he was truly remarkable."
"Remarkable?"
The muscular man reported everything he had witnessed, starting from the sudden change in the trial rules. The man holding the brush could not hide his astonishment.
"You are saying that unknown youth is ascending the floors as the second fastest, even while facing the combined attacks of six experts?"
"Yes. It is strange that someone with such extraordinary martial prowess at such a young age has not yet made a name for himself."
"Hmm."
The man with the brush let out a low groan, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he finally lifted the brush and began to strike the large paper on the wall.
His brushwork was incredibly bold, as if he were swinging a sword.
He wrote only a single character.
劍 (Sword).
Though it was merely a character, every stroke contained a sharp killing intent, much like a real blade.
"Ah!"
The muscular man let out an exclamation of awe at the sight.
Ignoring the reaction, the man who had set down the brush turned his head and asked.
"Did you say the boy uses a sword?"
*
Thwack!
"Gah!"
The expert of the Literary Spear Style, struck in the jaw by a backflip kick, collapsed with a short scream.
The other experts of the Literary Spear Style watching from the sidelines let out gasps of surprise.
And for good reason—the man who had just fallen was the final opponent of the eighth floor.
"Huff... huff..."
I was definitely feeling the physical drain. If I were facing only one person, I could have finished it quickly, but facing six people attacking in unison meant it inevitably took time to take them all down.
If I could have used my techniques freely, I would have ascended much faster. Still, I had managed to reach the eighth floor using only basic sword skills.
The Sodam Sword chuckled, sounding pleased.
However, I had been wondering since I arrived—Lee Jung-gyeom was nowhere to be seen.
Since he went up first, that was highly likely. Yet, the eighth floor was perfectly silent.
I looked at the door on the opposite side of the training area. My biological father, Jin Seong-baek, was likely beyond that door, but I couldn't sense any presence with my Qi sense.
He was one of the Eight Great Masters, after all; it wasn't likely he would be easily detected by my senses.
Just then, Seomun Geuk, the Style Master of the Literary Spear Style on the eighth floor, spoke to me.
"I congratulate you on passing the first trial."
"Do I take the second trial immediately?"
"No. To ensure a fair test, the second trial will be held tomorrow. Take this plaque and come to this spot on the eighth floor of the tower by noon."
Ah...
So that was why Lee Jung-gyeom wasn't here.
The round wooden plaque Seomun Geuk handed me was engraved with eight circles, seemingly the emblem of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect. It appeared to be proof of passing.
Seomun Geuk spoke in a heavy voice, as if giving a warning.
"However, if you do not arrive by noon, it will be considered a forfeiture of the trial. Please keep that clearly in mind."
*
"He's out! He's out!"
"What happened?"
As I stepped out of the Star Tower of the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect, the numerous martial artists waiting by the entrance looked at me, curious about the result.
However, I had no desire to brag about passing the first trial, so I simply walked past them.
Perhaps because of my silence, whispers began to rise.
"Tsk tsk, looks like he failed."
"Well, he was taking the trial alongside the descendants of the Eight Great Masters. It couldn't have been easy."
"Shouldn't he just give up for today?"
Judging by their reactions, it seemed not many had passed the first trial. They didn't even know that those who passed were to take the second trial the following day.
'Hm?'
Something was strange. Lee Jung-gyeom should have passed before me, but had he not come out of the tower yet? Based on the crowd's reaction, it seemed I was the only one who had emerged.
As I was pondering this, someone blocked my path through the crowd.
'Who is this?'
It was the muscular middle-aged man who had appeared up to the fourth floor while I was taking the trial in the tower. Why was he blocking my way?
"Is there something you need?"
As I looked at him curiously, the muscular man spoke.
"Could you spare a moment of your time?"
"......"
What was his intention? I had already been bothered by the fact that he had followed and watched me up to the fourth floor inside the tower. Since I couldn't discern his motive, I figured it was best to avoid him.
I gave him a polite fist-and-palm salute and said, "I apologize. I've just finished the trial and I'm exhausted, so I need to rest..."
Before I could even finish my sentence, unexpected words tumbled from the middle-aged man's mouth.
"The Muchen Sword Emperor wishes to see you."
"!?"
Muchen Sword Emperor Tian Wuxing.
He was one of the two Eight Great Masters of Peerless Fortress and the Sect Leader of the Mucheonjeong Sect.