Chapter 99: The Youngest Alliance Leader Candidate (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: The Youngest Alliance Leader Candidate (6)
It was pure, unadulterated shock.
No one had anticipated this outcome.
“...This is impossible.”
“To think the Lesser Sword Immortal’s martial prowess was at such a level...”
While they had heard of the Lesser Sword Immortal So Woon-hwi’s reputation, many had remained skeptical. His growth had been too explosive for a young swordsman who had barely passed the age of twenty.
It was because of these inner doubts that they hadn't stopped the Vice Alliance Leader, Ardent King Hegemon Jin Gyun.
Though Jin Gyun was often said to be inferior to the Peerless Hegemon Saber, he was still a superhuman who had held a seat among the Eight Great Masters for a long time. In terms of years and experience, he should have overwhelmed So Woon-hwi with ease.
But now that the moment of truth had arrived, the result was nothing short of staggering.
To think it only took one move...
Second Strategist Sama Jung-hyeon couldn't believe his eyes even as he watched.
He had personally witnessed the duel at the inn seven months ago. While it had ended in a graceful draw, the reality was that So Woon-hwi had been inferior to the Ardent King Hegemon in terms of internal power.
Was he hiding his power back then?
Even with spirit medicine or a miraculous encounter, one’s capacity couldn't possibly increase this drastically in such a short time.
Sama Jung-hyeon wasn't the only one left speechless by So Woon-hwi’s overwhelming prowess; Jo Cheong-un, the First Sword of Hengshan, was equally stunned.
...This growth is nonsensical.
He, too, had crossed blades with So Woon-hwi—back at the Yikyang So Family. At that time, So Woon-hwi was certainly talented enough to be counted among the best of the younger generation, but he wasn't like this.
Now, the gap between them had widened to the point where they were in entirely different leagues—like heaven and earth.
Great Hero Hojongdae. Just what kind of monster did you raise?
This wasn't a case of the student merely surpassing the master. This was a monster in human form.
While Jo Cheong-un reeled, Gwak Hyeong-jik, the Bukyeong Doseong, was just as amazed, despite having been curious about the boy's progress.
...Ha.
He was simply flabbergasted.
The last time he had seen So Woon-hwi was when the boy had gone berserk under the influence of the Blood Demon Sword. He had wondered what his strength would be without the help of that demon sword, but this exceeded all his expectations.
...I made the right choice.
He had agonized over So Woon-hwi’s proposal—whether following him was truly the right path. But after witnessing this monstrous capability, he was certain his choice was correct.
Gwak Hyeong-jik glanced at the other elders. Their expressions varied, but none could take their eyes off So Woon-hwi.
Now, no one would dare doubt So Woon-hwi’s martial prowess.
To Gwak Hyeong-jik, who knew the boy's true identity, it was almost ironic, but the others would now see So Woon-hwi as the most fit to face the Blood Demon.
The youngest Alliance Leader in the history of the Martial Alliance might actually be born.
Provided he could defeat the former Alliance Leader, the First Sword of Wuhan, Baek Hyang-muk.
Meanwhile, So Woon-hwi, who had just smashed his opponent through the floor to the level below, was staring intently at the hole.
Could it be that the man was still fine after taking such a devastating blow?
Right then.
—Rumble!
“What?!”
“The building is shaking!”
The main headquarters building shook as if an earthquake had struck. The tremors grew stronger until a thunderous roar erupted from below.
In that instant, the floor split open, and a sharp killing intent, wreathed in blazing red flames, surged upward.
—Whoosh!
I used my footwork to dodge the surging flames of killing intent.
The Ardent King Hegemon, Jin Gyun, seemed sturdy enough, but I hadn't expected him to withstand a strike backed by Seven Stars internal power.
The flame-shrouded killing intent tore through the ceiling of the headquarters and shot toward the sky. Those nearby must have seen it.
Then, I felt a wave of intense heat from below.
—Flash!
Jin Gyun leaped up from the hole, wielding his Rending Saber, which was now glowing with flickering flames. His lute-shaped saber was heated to a bright red.
“The Blazing Flame Divine Art!”
“It’s the Ardent King Hegemon’s unique divine art!”
Several elders shouted as they recognized the technique.
To pull out his trump card this quickly... he must be incredibly furious. One look at Jin Gyun’s distorted face confirmed it.
—Looks like he’s learned to use his left hand too.
It seemed so, considering he was holding the saber in his left hand instead of his right.
In truth, he must have realized the gap between our internal powers after that first exchange. The only reason he came charging back up like this was his pride.
I wondered who he took after, but he’s just like his grandson.
Jin Yong was the spitting image of his grandfather. The way Jin Gyun burned with an intense will to fight regardless of his opponent's strength allowed me to glimpse what he must have been like in his youth. He likely reached his current heights by constantly pushing himself like this.
I offered him a fist-and-palm salute and spoke.
“Senior, do you intend to continue?”
At my question, Jin Gyun roared, his voice laced with fury.
“The duel is not over yet!”
“Then let us take this outside. If you hold that burning saber in here, the entire headquarters might burn down.”
The heat had already ignited the wooden floorboards. If we really went at it here, the whole building would be reduced to ashes in no time.
—Grit!
“Worry about yourself first!”
Grinding his teeth at my words, Jin Gyun lunged. With his unique weapon, the Rending Saber, and his trump card, the Blazing Flame Divine Art, his internal power had surged to nearly double its previous level. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was on the verge of breaking through the wall of a superhuman.
—Roar!
As Jin Gyun unleashed his saber technique, the flames surrounding the Rending Saber took the shape of a massive tiger, opening its maw wide to swallow me whole. He clearly didn't care if the building burned down.
Well, I suppose he realized he had no chance of winning unless he went all out.
First, I needed to redirect this heat upward.
—Shring!
I drew the Namcheon Iron Sword from my waist.
Stepping firmly into a true awakening, I thrust my sword toward the massive, descending flames.
Sixth Form: True Chasing Return Sword.
I adjusted the angle precisely. As I thrust the sword and twisted the trajectory upward, the wind pressure generated by the rotation instantly created a localized cyclone.
“What?!”
—Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cyclone from the Chasing Return Sword instantly swallowed Jin Gyun’s fierce flames and tore away half of the headquarters' ceiling.
“How can this be...”
“That was a sword technique?”
The expressions on the elders' faces were a sight to behold. Jin Gyun’s technique using the Blazing Flame Divine Art had been spectacular, but the fact that I had neutralized it so easily—and with a sword technique of such destructive power—was enough to leave them reeling.
—You said he shouldn't burn the building, but you're allowed to do this?
Fair point. I wasn't exactly in a position to talk.
But his ultimate move was dangerous enough that I couldn't afford to hold back too much.
Soon, Jin Gyun’s figure, caught in the cyclone, fell back down along with the debris from the shattered ceiling.
—Thud!
He managed to catch his balance and land, but he was in a wretched state. His body was covered in bloody gashes from the sharp wind of the Chasing Return Sword.
Is he going to keep going?
I slowly approached him. Jin Gyun staggered as he forced himself upright.
Then, he spoke to me.
“...I have faced countless masters in my life, but I have never seen anyone grow as rapidly as you, Lesser Sword Immortal.”
The fury was gone from his voice. That last exchange must have made him realize with certainty that he had no chance of winning. His voice sounded hollow, perhaps from the shock of it.
Seeing that he no longer had the will to fight, I sheathed my sword and gave him a fist-and-palm salute.
“You flatter me. I still have much to learn.”
He stared at me, his lips trembling, before finally forcing the words out.
“...I have been bested in both character and martial arts.”
“Senior?”
“I, the old man, have lost.”
The Ardent King Hegemon, Jin Gyun, finally made a clean admission of defeat.
“Ah...”
“The Vice Alliance Leader...”
Lamentations broke out among the elders of the Vice Alliance Leader’s faction. His declaration of defeat was essentially a withdrawal from the candidacy for Alliance Leader.
However, no one raised an objection. Who could, after witnessing such overwhelming martial prowess with their own eyes?
“They say the back waves of the Yangtze push the front waves forward; I finally understand the meaning of those words. I was blinded by vain ambition.”
Jin Gyun’s voice sounded much more at peace. Until he admitted defeat, he had been hesitating because of his pride. But once he let go of what he was clutching, his expression cleared significantly.
The voice of the Namcheon Iron Sword echoed in my mind.
—I remember what my previous master said. Even a butcher becomes a Buddha the moment he puts down his knife.
The brat had a point. Having let go of his lust for power and his obsession with winning, Jin Gyun’s face now resembled how he must have looked when he first started his journey.
I smiled faintly and said, “Please do not say such things. You are still very much in your prime, Senior.”
Jin Gyun snorted at my words. “Who said I was retiring?”
“Pardon?”
“I am not the type who can live with a loss. Now that I have a new goal, I shall hone my saber even further. Be prepared.”
“...Then I shall have to stay on my toes.”
It seemed he hadn't quite let go of his competitive spirit. Still, this was better than him being blinded by a thirst for power.
Jin Gyun turned toward the elders and shouted.
“As of this moment, I, the Vice Alliance Leader, withdraw my candidacy for Alliance Leader. Furthermore, I shall support the Lesser Sword Immortal as the new candidate. If anyone has an objection, speak now!”
The elders of the Vice Alliance Leader’s faction remained silent. Even if their leader had given up, they had spent so much time belittling me that they couldn't bring themselves to acknowledge me so easily. They might even think the former Alliance Leader was a better option now.
However, not everyone felt that way.
Someone offered me a fist-and-palm salute and spoke.
“The Hengshan Sect will support the Lesser Sword Immortal as a candidate for Alliance Leader.”
It was Matron Yang Myeong of the Hengshan Sect.
At her words, Matron Jeonghyang of the Emei Sect showed her displeasure.
“Matron Yang Myeong!”
“Is there a problem, Matron Jeonghyang?”
“No matter how great his martial prowess, a young leader lacking experience might be led astray by his youthful vigor. Who will take responsibility for the aftermath if—”
Someone cut her off.
“If he lacks experience, we elders can help fill the gaps. That is precisely why the Elder Council and the Strategist’s Hall exist.”
“Elder Namgung!”
It was Namgung Mujin of the Namgung Family.
Ignoring her, Namgung Mujin offered me a fist-and-palm salute.
“Our Namgung Family will support you, Lesser Sword Immortal, as a candidate for Alliance Leader.”
As soon as he finished, other elders began to step forward one by one.
“The Jinju Eon Family also supports you as a candidate.”
“The Sichuan Tang Family supports the Lesser Sword Immortal as well.”
With every person who stepped forward, the expressions of the elders who had opposed me grew grimmer. Yet, the support didn't stop.
“The Hengshan Sect also supports the Lesser Sword Immortal.”
“If our Sect Leader were here, he would have supported Great Hero So. Therefore, our Quanzhen Sect also supports Great Hero So as a candidate.”
“The Huashan Sect wishes for the former Alliance Leader’s return, but we acknowledge that the Lesser Sword Immortal is more than qualified to be a candidate.”
The final touches were added by Bukyeong Doseong and Jo Seong-won, the Chamber Leader of the Beggar’s Sect. Since they were my people to begin with, they hadn't felt the need to be loud, but they used this momentum to formally declare their support.
With this, more than half of the elders had acknowledged me as a candidate.
“Ugh.”
“How could this...”
Even if the remaining elders tried to raise an objection, they no longer had any justification to stop me.
Vice Alliance Leader Jin Gyun looked at his strategist, Second Strategist Sama Jung-hyeon. Sama Jung-hyeon sighed but nodded, accepting the result.
“...I assume the Chief Strategist agrees as well?”
“Need you even ask?”
There was no way Chief Strategist Bang Deok-hyeon would object. He was moving according to my will, after all.
Thus, Vice Alliance Leader Jin Gyun made the official announcement.
“Then it is decided. As of now, So Woon-hwi, the Lesser Sword Immortal, is officially a candidate for the upcoming Alliance Leader election, alongside the First Sword of Wuhan, Baek Hyang-muk.”
“We follow the decision!”
The elders who had declared their support answered in unison. It didn't matter whether the others answered or not.
Just as I thought things were wrapping up smoothly, a secret sound transmission suddenly rang in my ear.
[Ahem. Lesser Sword Immortal.]
It was none other than Namgung Mujin of the Namgung Family.
I looked at him, puzzled. He cleared his throat, hesitating for a moment before asking tentatively.
[Hmph, hmph. I don't have any ulterior motives, but... by any chance, has your family already arranged a marriage for you?]
‘!?’