Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Sparring Tournament (3)
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Hyah!
Pew-pew-pew-pew!
Crack-crack-crack!
Water arrows sliced through the air as earthen walls erupted from the ground. Flames devoured wooden logs, and roots from somewhere snaked out to wrap around the opponent's ankles.
It was a spectacle of spells.
Truly the prowess of Response Qi 9th Star cultivators.
Every time a spell flew or the components forming it shone, the crowd erupted in cheers.
It was undeniably a feast for the eyes. Even Yi Yuk-gyeong, who had seen all sorts of flashy graphics in his past life, found it enjoyable.
Not that it could compare to the Yeouido fireworks festival, but shooting fireballs and water streams from one's hands was more wondrous than fireworks.
But something was off.
Yi Yuk-gyeong, waiting below the sparring platform for his next match, tilted his head.
'Why is everyone using spells like that?'
Yi Yuk-gyeong was puzzled.
Using spells in such a crude manner meant they'd scatter if the opponent interfered with the spiritual energy flow. They'd suffer spell backlash then—how did they plan to handle that?
That was why Yi Yuk-gyeong, at Response Qi 8th Star, never used spells.
Spells inherently carried risks. If anything went wrong during the process of casting, the user had to bear the backlash themselves. This was called spell backlash.
Yi Yuk-gyeong had pondered spell backlash extensively, but in the Response Qi Realm, there was no way to counter an opponent's spiritual energy interference.
So, he could use spells if he wanted. He could force it. But they weren't practical for real combat at all. That was why he said he couldn't use spells.
Twisting spiritual energy for a spell made the flow so transparent and easy to disrupt. Utterly vulnerable to disruption.
It could only ever be for show.
Yet here at the tournament, everyone was using showy spells in actual combat.
Of course, questions arose.
Wouldn't a little interference shatter them? Then backlash would hit—why do it that way?
Spells aren't used like that.
"This match: Bok Jae-seong versus Yi Yuk-gyeong!"
They were deluded.
Deluded into thinking they controlled the spiritual energy flow.
Yi Yuk-gyeong took his stance on the platform. One arm extended forward, the other raised behind his head.
It was the Foresight Fist's starting form.
Yi Yuk-gyeong planned to settle this with the Foresight Fist, his fist technique.
Bok Jae-seong sneered at the sight. What was this? This guy should use spells—why pose like some martial artist? Was he even a cultivator?
"Heh, what's that stance? A cultivator trying to fight with fists like some backwater martial artist?"
No matter how Bok Jae-seong mocked and jeered, Yi Yuk-gyeong held his form.
He simply swung his arms, steadily moving into the next posture.
Bok Jae-seong grew furious at Yi Yuk-gyeong's lack of reaction. Was this punk looking down on him?
"Will you only stop your pathetic martial artist playtime after tasting my spells?!"
With that shout, Bok Jae-seong began preparing his spell.
It was the Radiant Moon Sect's basic spell: Flame Serpent Art, summoning a snake of fire.
Shaaaah—!
Yi Yuk-gyeong had been waiting for that moment.
The instant that man twisted Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy for his spell!
Twist the twisting of spiritual energy!
To a Single Spiritual Root bearer like Yi Yuk-gyeong, spiritual energy was as clear as if he could touch it! Its flow and manipulation were entirely in his grasp!
Under Yi Yuk-gyeong's divine senses, Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy bent and twisted at will.
His control surpassed any Response Qi Realm cultivator—a tremendous power.
To cast a spell, one had to move spiritual energy. When two vied for it, it followed the stronger. In a clash of power and control between Response Qi cultivators, no one could beat Yi Yuk-gyeong. He might even overpower a weaker Gathering Qi cultivator.
Krunch!
Yi Yuk-gyeong struck the moment Bok Jae-seong twisted the energy, counter-twisting in opposition. Bok Jae-seong's spell fizzled out.
The spiritual energy he'd gathered for the spell poured straight back into his body.
Rumble—!
"Kuhuk!"
Bok Jae-seong vomited blood. The rampant Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy ricocheted wildly inside him, damaging his meridians and bones.
Even Gathering Qi cultivators struggled with spell backlash spiritual energy— what could a Response Qi cultivator like Bok Jae-seong do?
Nothing but spew blood from his mouth and stagger back, knees buckling.
Bok Jae-seong was dazed by the intense backlash. Internally, he was aghast.
'What the hell?! How did he dispel my spell? I'm a Dual Spiritual Root bearer, yet a Dual Spiritual Root spell was broken so easily...!'
'And how can a Response Qi cultivator dismantle another Response Qi cultivator's spell like this...!'
Urk!
"Puhup!"
Unable to calm the raging spiritual energy, Bok Jae-seong spewed more blood and collapsed.
His wretched state looked like death, making Yi Yuk-gyeong uneasy until other disciples checked him.
He wasn't dead, right? Dying from mere spell backlash didn't make sense.
Ignorant of the pain, Yi Yuk-gyeong worried casually about Bok Jae-seong.
Eventually, his survival was confirmed, and the referee declared:
"Match over! Winner: Yi Yuk-gyeong!"
Bok Jae-seong, was it?
Unlike his confident entrance, he exited spewing a fountain of blood, utterly pathetic.
He'd used his spell far too confidently—and transparently.
So transparent Yi Yuk-gyeong couldn't resist meddling with the flow.
Vomiting blood like that—spell backlash must hurt like getting kicked in the balls. His face said as much.
From then on, Yi Yuk-gyeong disrupted opponents' spells, triggering backlash, and claimed easy victories.
Most went out spewing blood, faces twisted like they'd taken a groin shot.
Yi Yuk-gyeong's matches were spell-less and utterly dry.
To the crowd, it looked like whenever an opponent tried a spell, Yi Yuk-gyeong clenched his fist, and they just vomited blood and fell.
So even as he racked up wins, cheers were muted. No one particularly cheered or adored him.
"Boring! Why does the opponent just collapse?!"
"Yi Yuk-gyeong, use spells!"
"A spell-less sparring tournament? Ridiculous!"
Hecklers and jeers like that occasionally rang out.
Meanwhile, off to one side...
"That's the new disciple who joined this time."
One outer disciple whispered, prompting quick questions.
"This time? Response Qi 8th Star already? Did he cultivate before joining?"
"He was a mortal when he entered, apparently. An outer disciple overseer saw it."
Another outer disciple immediately refuted. A mortal reaching Response Qi 8th Star in under a month?
"A mortal hitting Response Qi 8th Star in a month? No way. It's been less than a month—about a week now? Lies."
"Why not? Response Qi Realm is where a prepared body can reach Great Circle."
Another chimed in.
"Right. Even our inner sect's senior brother Un reached Response Qi Great Circle from mortal in a month."
"How dare you compare him to senior brother Un?"
"They say he's a Single Spiritual Root bearer. Single Spiritual Root."
"Single Spiritual Root? Has the sect ever had one join?"
"Yeah, like two hundred years ago?"
Such admiring chatter occasionally drifted over.
And Yi Yuk-gyeong's exquisite technique of counter-twisting spiritual energy disruptions was noted only by occasional Gathering Qi cultivators in the crowd.
One such, inner disciple Yang Mun-gi, watched Yi Yuk-gyeong's match and marveled.
"Hm, that guy's really Response Qi? Showing that level of spiritual energy control in Response Qi..."
"What? Yi Yuk-gyeong? He's boring. No spells, opponent just vomits and drops."
The girl in light training robes beside him pouted, pointing at Yi Yuk-gyeong. Eun Seol-ah, now Response Qi 5th Star, couldn't comprehend his method at all.
To her, Yi Yuk-gyeong just gestured, and enemies fell for no reason. If unaware, she'd suspect foul play.
"That's what's impressive. Disrupting an opponent's spell just by twisting spiritual energy—without spells yourself. A profound skill, one even Gathering Qi cultivators struggle with."
"Pfft, Gathering Qi level? How's a Response Qi cultivator mimicking Gathering Qi? The gap between realms is vast."
How vast was the gap between Response Qi and Gathering Qi?
Response Qi merely circulated Heaven-Earth Spiritual Energy through the body, but Gathering Qi converted it to inner power. The difference was like creating something from nothing.
Gathering Qi inner power overwhelmed Response Qi spiritual energy. Just emitting it reduced Response Qi to mortal level.
As mortals were powerless before Response Qi, so were Response Qi before Gathering Qi.
Yet Yang Mun-gi lectured the newly adult girl.
"Junior sister Eun, the world is wide, and geniuses abound. Always keep that in mind. Don't assume people will look out for you just because you're an elder's daughter. Geniuses like him are often eccentric—they might crash right into you."
"Senior brother! It's not like that! But you mean that Yi Yuk-gyeong kid is a genius?"
"Hahaha, yes. That exceptional control must come from his spiritual root. I heard a Single Spiritual Root bearer joined recently—must be him."
"Ah, that Single Spiritual Root guy?"
Eun Seol-ah nodded knowingly. Her father had mentioned him briefly: a Single Spiritual Root disciple whose fortunes soured right after joining.
The interest from inner disciple Yang Mun-gi and elder's daughter Eun Seol-ah ended there.
They soon turned to other matches.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As matches continued, sharp Response Qi 9th Star disciples caught on to Yi Yuk-gyeong's method and stopped using spells.
But then they fell to his Foresight Fist.
Response Qi disciples tended to disdain close-quarters brawling. It was seen as vulgar martial artist fare, not for refined cultivators.
Why brawl in the dirt when you could cast elegant, flashy spells? That mindset prevailed.
But with spells off-limits now, they had to roll in the dust and trade blows. Without spells, even cultivators resorted to fists.
Yi Yuk-gyeong's opponents were stunned to fight like the very martial artists they scorned.
He won several more matches that way.
Each time, he shattered spells, forcing brawls. His Foresight Fist shone, opponents carted off covered in dirt.
Thus, Yi Yuk-gyeong advanced triumphantly.
Victory after victory!
His undefeated streak drew even the indifferent crowd's attention. They realized his arm waves weren't luck or cheats.
Once or twice might be chance, but repeated? No way. And rigging before elders? Impossible.
The audience focused on his next match.
Finally, a proper opponent.
"Next match: Deung Ja-jin versus Yi Yuk-gyeong!"