Chapter 706: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (14)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 706: Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Tournament (14)
Unlike the lackluster preliminaries, the main tournament was a true spectacle.
The arena was surrounded by tiers of spectator seating, with two large stages prepared in the center. Two pairs would duel simultaneously, with the winners advancing to the next round—a simple, efficient system.
“Begin.”
The moment the judge’s low voice fell, the heat in the arena surged.
“Hyaaat!”
“Hup!”
Kwoong—!
A wave of energy erupted as Combat Qi clashed against Combat Qi.
Waaaaah—!
The cheers grew louder with every shockwave. It was a battle between martial artists of the Peak Realm, a sight not easily witnessed by the common folk. The spectators watched, mesmerized by the sheer speed and power on display.
“…Intense from the very start.”
“Who did they say he was? That man, Mupungssangdo?”
A giant of a man wielding a flail charged forward ferociously, but the man with the dual blades slipped away with effortless grace. Even to an untrained eye, his movements were clearly relaxed.
“Mupungssangdo? I’ve never heard that title before…”
“He’s an individual who has been slowly gaining fame in Hubei.”
The crowd’s attention gradually shifted toward the dual-wielder.
“Incredible. To think he’s handling Daecheolheuktae so casually.”
The martial artist with the flail, Daecheolheuktae, was a Peak Realm master fairly well-known in the Sichuan area. He was notorious for overwhelming his opponents with raw, brute strength. Yet, far from dominating, he was being toyed with.
The spectators watched the dual-wielder with intrigued expressions. He was an unknown figure, yet he displayed unexpectedly immense strength. This was exactly the kind of dark horse the crowd loved most.
“Mupungssangdo. I’ll have to remember that name.”
“He seems like someone destined for greatness.”
A new name was being etched into the annals of the martial world. Before long, the title of Mupungssangdo would likely be a household name.
Ching—!
A deadly aura seeped into Mupungssangdo’s blades.
“Kuk!”
Seeing this, Daecheolheuktae hastily tried to swing his flail in a wide arc, but…
“Too late.”
Mupungssangdo had already closed the distance, his twin swords flashing.
Tak—! Hwiririk—!
The flail never reached its target. Instead, the cold tip of a sword was already pressed against Daecheolheuktae’s throat.
“…Guh…! Dammit!”
Realizing he had lost, the giant trembled and let his body go limp in surrender. The judge, who had been watching closely, raised a hand.
“Match over. Number Sixteen is the victor.”
“It was a good match.”
“…Thank you for the lesson.”
The duel ended with Mupungssangdo’s victory, and the crowd let out a collective sigh of disappointment that it was over so soon. A fight was still raging in the adjacent arena, but the brilliance of Mupungssangdo’s performance had stolen the show.
“A shame. I wanted to see more.”
“Now that he’s in the main tournament, won’t he show us even more in the next round?”
“That’s right. My nephew is a First-Rate martial artist, so I know a thing or two, and it looks to me like that man hasn’t even shown his full strength yet.”
No one bothered to point out the questionable relevance of his nephew’s rank.
“The Alliance certainly prepared well. I didn’t expect the first day to be this rich in talent.”
“I wasn’t expecting much since it’s only the opening day… but with Mupungssangdo and that Righteous Martial Sword I saw earlier, isn’t this an unexpected harvest?”
“To think there were so many incredible martial artists hidden away.”
The appearance of hidden gems—nothing could excite the people of the Central Plains more. Perhaps they were witnessing the birth of prospects who might one day become the new Ten Masters of the Central Plains. They were watching a new chapter of martial history unfold. Dreaming of such legends, the audience focused their gazes on the stage.
Just then.
“Next! Numbers Seventeen and Eighteen.”
As the previous fighters descended, two new figures took their place. One was a man whose build rivaled Daecheolheuktae’s, while the other was a martial artist with a comparatively smaller, much leaner frame.
Upon seeing the giant, someone in the crowd shouted.
“It’s—it’s the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist!”
“What!?”
“Did you say the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist?”
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist, Myeong Cheongseok. He was a direct disciple of the Noble Clan of Guangdong and a figure currently hailed as a rising master. It was said that before turning forty, he had surpassed the Peak Realm and reached the Perfected Peak Realm, making him an elite talent.
He was a handsome man with tanned skin, standing nearly eight cheok tall with rugged, masculine features. The women in the audience stared at his wild beauty as if entranced.
“I can’t believe the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist is appearing this early…”
“What a windfall!”
Even the men let out gasps at the appearance of the famous master.
“So, who’s his opponent? He looks young.”
“He’s not just young, isn’t he just a boy?”
“His opponent is… ah!”
The opponent was also a somewhat known figure.
“The Lesser King of Hell. That young man is the Lesser King of Hell.”
“The Lesser King of Hell?”
At those words, people turned to look at the youth. He looked to have just passed the age of twenty, possessing fierce, sharp eyes. He was dressed in black from head to toe.
“If he’s the Lesser King of Hell… isn’t he the son of the Tiger Warrior?”
“From the Heavenly Dragon Academy Incident…”
People murmured, vaguely recalling the name, but the noise was nowhere near as loud as it had been for the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist. Even so, this level of recognition was a significant change from before.
“Isn’t the Lesser King of Hell the young man who was said to have fought the Oil Bullet Sword?”
“That’s right. They said he crossed swords with him.”
“…No way. A man barely past twenty crossed swords with the Oil Bullet Sword?”
The Oil Bullet Sword was one of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains. A rumor that he and the Lesser King of Hell had clashed had spread a few days prior.
“Obviously, the Oil Bullet Sword must have gone easy on him.”
Most people concluded that the veteran master had been being considerate, but some saw it differently.
“No matter how easy he went, for a young prodigy to have even exchanged blows with the Oil Bullet Sword proves his skill, does it not?”
“That’s also true. The very fact that he made it to the main tournament proves his worth.”
Although he had received the title of Lesser King of Hell and was no longer just a "young prodigy," he was still only twenty. To most, he was still just a kid.
“Tsk… That’s what makes it more pitiful. He must have gotten here by sheer luck…”
“Of all people, his opponent had to be the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist…”
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist was a master at the Perfected Peak Realm. He was a seasoned martial artist rumored to be on the verge of the Fusion Realm and expected to quickly rise to the ranks of the Hundred Masters. He was a wall far too high for a young man barely past twenty to scale.
“This will be a good experience for the boy.”
“Indeed. They say a duel with a senior is a great opportunity for a junior. This will be a fine lesson for him.”
No one expected the Lesser King of Hell to win. Such was the nature of public perception.
The two men faced each other.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“I’m ready.”
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist spoke as he took his stance. The Lesser King of Hell, Gu Yangcheon, replied with a slight nod. The judge momentarily frowned at the youth's casual attitude, but the duel came first.
“…Then, begin.”
He extended his hand downward.
“Duel!”
As he spoke, the judge swept his hand upward.
“Start!”
The moment the word left the judge's lips—
Kuuuuuuuung—!!!
“…!!”
“Huk!?”
An immense energy erupted from the body of the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist. Combat Qi—heavy, coarse, and overwhelming—took form and dominated the arena.
“Kuk!?”
The other martial artists dueling in the adjacent arena flinched, their movements faltering. Despite the distance between the stages, the pressure reached them. It was a staggering force, a tremendous energy that altered the very flow of the air.
Watching cracks begin to form on the stage around the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist, someone in the audience screamed.
“The—the Fusion Realm…! The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist is a Fusion Realm master!”
That cry sent massive shockwaves through the crowd.
“The Fusion Realm…? I thought he was at the Perfected Peak Realm…?”
“You mean he was hiding his strength all this time!?”
No matter how you looked at it, that was the aura of a Fusion Realm master. Ordinary people might not know the difference, but the martial artists mixed in the crowd recognized it instantly. The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist had been concealing his true level. He had entered the tournament as a dark horse and was now revealing his hand in the very first round.
“N-No way… The birth of a new Fusion Realm martial artist.”
“To think I’d see this with my own eyes…!”
It was the beginning of a new legend. To reach the Fusion Realm before the age of forty meant he was more than qualified to one day join the ranks of the Ten Masters. The value of the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist began to skyrocket in the eyes of everyone present.
Geugeugeugeuk—!
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist settled into his stance, his aura boiling over. He looked at the young man before him and spoke.
“…My apologies.”
“Hm?”
At the giant’s words, Gu Yangcheon tilted his head. “For what?”
“I did not wish to do this, at least not in front of a junior. I apologize that things have turned out this way.”
He had finally revealed the full extent of the power he had been holding back to firmly establish his presence in the Alliance. As a result, every eye in the stadium was now fixed on him.
“Ah.”
Hearing this, Gu Yangcheon chuckled. “It’s fine. You don’t have to apologize for something like that. In fact, I’m grateful.”
“...”
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist gave a low, pitying laugh at Gu Yangcheon’s attitude.
Has he already given up after seeing my power?
A bitter feeling washed over him. He had revealed his power for the sake of fame, but doing so against a junior so much younger than him felt like bullying. A keen sense of embarrassment rose within him, but he pushed it down.
I’m sorry.
He hoped his light would not cast too dark a shadow over the young man’s future. Hoping this defeat wouldn’t break the boy's spirit, he clenched his fist.
At the very least, I must show him my finest strike.
He decided to use the secret art he had obtained upon breaking through his bottleneck. It was a display for the onlookers, but also a way to console the young man by framing the defeat as a high-level lesson.
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist slowly began to compress his energy.
“Hooooo!”
Gugugugung—!
As the energy condensed, a heat haze shimmered around his body.
“T-To have this much energy…”
“Unbelievable…”
At this rate, he truly would join the Ten Masters one day. It was said that if the Three Venerables were the heavens, the Ten Masters ruled the earth. They were absolute beings. Everyone was witnessing the birth of a man who would reach that pinnacle—
“Gak.”
Thud.
Those who were about to erupt in cheers froze mid-breath.
“Huh…?”
“Wha…?”
They had no choice but to stare in shock.
He had knelt.
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist, who had been unleashing such terrifying energy just a second ago, had suddenly dropped to his knees.
That wasn’t all.
Swoosh.
Slowly, the giant’s body began to tilt forward.
Kwoong—!!!
A heavy thud echoed as he hit the floor face-first.
“...”
“…Uh… uhhh? Huh?”
The Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist had collapsed. The noise that had filled the stadium just moments ago vanished into a vacuum of silence.
Only one sound echoed in the void.
Step.
A soft footstep.
The sound of someone walking past the fallen giant could be heard. It was Gu Yangcheon. The young man, who had been standing right beside the giant at some point, slowly walked back to his original starting position.
No one had noticed. No one had seen Gu Yangcheon move, let alone stand next to the Wind Forest Encompassing Bullet Fist as he fell.
Having returned to his spot, Gu Yangcheon performed a formal salute.
“It was a good match.”
He bowed his head toward the unconscious man.
“...”
“...”
Only a deafening, stunned silence flowed from the audience.