Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Martial Arts Tournament (4)
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"Next match: Deung Ja-jin versus Yi Yuk-gyeong!"
The referee made the announcement.
From below, a disciple who loved to chatter shouted loudly.
"Alright, alright! A showdown between the Thunder Spirit Young Master Deung Ja-jin and our rising star, the Bare-Handed Fighting Young Master Yi Yuk-gyeong! It's thunder-attribute sorcery mastery, wielding lightning and thunder, against Yi Yuk-gyeong's spell-breaking prowess! The top contender Deung Young Master versus the unexpected dark horse Yi Young Master! What will the outcome of this battle be?!"
The chatty disciple was apparently one raised under Teacher Seolseo from the markets, just like her, fond of spinning tales about everything.
His eloquence was certainly impressive, and the crowd loved listening to him.
Like Teacher Seolseo, he commentated the match, hyping up the atmosphere, showing real talent as an emcee.
'If that guy were born in Korea, he'd make a killer MC. Dude's got a fun way with words. But when did I become the Bare-Handed Fighting Young Master?'
Yuk-gyeong thought this as he climbed onto the sparring platform.
Waaaaah—!
Bare-Handed Fighting Young Master Yi Yuk-gyeong!
Win! Win!
Across from him, Deung Ja-jin made his grand entrance onto the platform, his handsome, serpentine face full of poise.
Deung Young Master, I love you!
Thunder Spirit Young Master will triumph!
Deung Ja-jin! Deung Ja-jin! Deung Ja-jin!
And so the two faced off.
Yuk-gyeong felt a chill run down his spine under Deung Ja-jin's snake-like gaze.
Deung Ja-jin was damn good at sorcery.
It might be tough for Yuk-gyeong to interfere with his spiritual energy flow. Still, Response Qi Realm-level spells would be like a candle in the wind before Yuk-gyeong.
Yuk-gyeong steadied his mind and bolstered his confidence. Lightning spiritual energy was still spiritual energy. No reason it wouldn't heed his control.
Besides, Yuk-gyeong was the owner of a metal spiritual root.
Lightning was naturally drawn to metal! For some reason, he had a hunch he'd interfere even better with thunder spiritual energy spells.
Yuk-gyeong bowed to the referee, then to Deung Ja-jin, and lightly stretched his body.
Once the spells were broken, it'd be bare-handed fighting time. Better to warm up beforehand to fight at his best.
His opponent bowed to the referee as well, then said,
"I forfeit. If I can't use sorcery in front of a junior who's a spell-breaker, I've got nothing. I don't know bare-handed fighting."
Deung Ja-jin said this with a carefree smile and promptly stepped down from the platform.
The spectator stands and platform fell silent.
The Thunder Spirit Young Master Deung Ja-jin forfeiting? Without even fighting? Could it get any more anticlimactic?
The elders watching didn't look pleased either. Giving up without trying wasn't a good look.
But Deung Ja-jin seemed resolute. He'd left the platform entirely, so his defeat was set in stone, tried or not.
The referee hesitated, glancing at the elders, then the crowd, before finally declaring,
"Yi Yuk-gyeong wins! Yi Yuk-gyeong advances to the finals!"
.
.
.
If you're wondering why the finals came so quick, it's because there weren't many Response Qi 8th or 9th Star cultivators participating in the tournament to begin with.
The Radiant Moon Sect had plenty at Response Qi 8th or 9th Star, but most were in secluded cultivation for Gathering Qi or out wandering for enlightenment.
So, few Response Qi 8th or 9th Stars entered the tournament. Those who did were either brimming with confidence that they could reach Gathering Qi even after participating, or lazy slackers neglecting their training—one or the other.
Yuk-gyeong's finals opponent, Geum Muk, was the former: someone confident enough to join a tournament like this and still ascend to Gathering Qi.
Swordsmanship genius, bearer of Sword Sage qualities, one who hears the sword's voice, communes with the blade, and so on...
'He better not be a sword-fucker. Hearing voices and communing... does it go all the way?'
Yuk-gyeong entertained such idle thoughts as he faced Geum Muk's rugged features.
His firmly shut lips and clenched teeth spoke of unyielding stubbornness, while his prominent cheekbones and forehead sharpened his face like a honed blade.
Geum Muk! Geum Muk! Geum Muk!
Sword Sage Geum Muk! Win!
Geum Muk is the best! Champion Geum Muk!
The arena overflowed with those predicting Geum Muk's victory.
Yuk-gyeong was definitely the dark horse, a hidden powerhouse. A rising star who broke spells and boasted bare-handed prowess—but Geum Muk was a sword master with Sword Sage talent.
No matter how good Yuk-gyeong was at empty-hand fighting, how could he match someone wielding a blade?
Proven skill and talent, plus the glaring weapon gap between them.
Objectively, Geum Muk was the favorite, Yuk-gyeong the underdog.
"Finals! Yi Yuk-gyeong versus Geum Muk! Keep it from getting too heated, and remember you're fellow Radiant Moon Sect disciples. Begin!"
Chaeng!
A flash of light shot from Geum Muk's waist. No, it was a sword. Just drawn so fast it looked like a beam.
Geum Muk arrogantly flicked the blade's tip toward Yuk-gyeong, speaking as if in consideration.
"Junior brother, I'm using a sword, so if you have a weapon, draw it."
"I don't use weapons, senior brother. I mainly fight with fists and feet, so no need to worry."
"If that's your preference, go ahead. Don't think your senior brother is being too harsh. Matches are ruthless, aren't they?"
"Don't blame this junior either, senior brother. I can't exactly go easy on you."
"Hah, cheeky."
Geum Muk ground his teeth subtly.
He hadn't even known a disciple named Yi Yuk-gyeong existed. Not knowing of him meant he was a nobody.
For an unknown junior to mouth off to him, Geum Muk?
Geum Muk couldn't help but get heated.
He'd always been pampered and revered. Born into one of Ten Lakes' wealthiest families, raised by servants in the secular world, then entering the Radiant Moon Sect and worshipped for his Sword Sage talent during training.
For such a man, this insolent junior was a fresh shock.
So Geum Muk feigned quiet fury.
Feigned—purely acted.
He wasn't actually angry, just mildly surprised. But pretending to be pissed was psychological warfare.
If he acted mad, the opponent would think, 'Geum Muk's lost his cool in rage,' gaining a mental edge—or so they'd believe. It was a high-level reversal play.
'Spell-breaker, huh? Let's test that.'
"Here I come! Don't get hurt!"
Hah!
Geum Muk held his sword in one hand, formed a sword seal with the other, and chanted a spell.
Geum Muk's signature sorcery: Dry Yang Golden Sword Spell!
Golden blades rose around Geum Muk, infused with sharp metal energy. Their keen aura seemed ready to slice anything.
"Go!"
With Geum Muk's gesture, the golden blades surged toward Yuk-gyeong!
At that moment, Yuk-gyeong extended his hand, aiming at the blades.
He could feel the spiritual energy flow.
The twist of heaven-earth spiritual energy forming the blades was captured perfectly by his senses. It lay transparently beneath his hand, nakedly tempting him like a stripped woman.
Yeah, this Yi Yuk-gyeong couldn't just leave a naked lady (spiritual energy) alone.
Kwaduduk!
Under Yuk-gyeong's hand, the heaven-earth spiritual energy twisted violently, shattering Geum Muk's golden blades.
And in the instant he disrupted and broke the spell, Yuk-gyeong realized something.
His opponent, Geum Muk, was at the peak of Response Qi Realm! Right at the end of 9th Star.
The flow of his spiritual energy was impressively solid; no lesser level could wield such sorcery.
'Half a step to Gathering Qi. Just a half-step from the Gathering Qi Realm. A disciple with one foot in Gathering Qi... fitting finals opponent.'
Half-step or not, in Yuk-gyeong's eyes, Response Qi was Response Qi.
The moment a spell was cast, he'd break it on the spot.
"Kuh..."
A thin trickle of blood lined Geum Muk's lips.
Due to the minor backlash from Yuk-gyeong's spell disruption.
Even a simple spell stung when backlashed.
Knowing Yuk-gyeong would break it, Geum Muk had used a weakened version on purpose. He could have projected the golden blades more vividly but held back.
'As the elders said, without reaching Gathering Qi and forming an internal spell appendix, you're stuck with half-baked sorcery. If a mere Response Qi disciple can shatter it, it's nothing but half-assed.'
As a half-step Gathering Qi, Geum Muk had heard plenty.
He knew Response Qi-level sorcery was half-baked, shatterable by a single breath from higher-realm seniors.
But what puzzled him was how Yuk-gyeong—a non-Response Qi superior or Gathering Qi senior—could break Response Qi spells.
Normally, among Response Qi cultivators, this half-baked weakness barely mattered in spell duels, since neither could overpower the other's sorcery.
Doesn't matter. Win the match first.
Sreung!
His sword rang out with a clear tone. The blade, brimming with metallic spiritual energy, trembled faintly.
"Swords have no eyes, so don't resent your senior brother's ruthlessness!"
Shuwaak!
As Geum Muk swung down, the air whistled menacingly. Yuk-gyeong narrowly dodged the blade's path and thrust a fist toward Geum Muk.
Pang!
Geum Muk twisted away from the attack, but Yuk-gyeong's fist pursued relentlessly.
As if it knew exactly where he'd move next.
The punches were fierce. But!
Jingjing!
The sword suddenly wailed! This wasn't Geum Muk's intent.
Geum Muk didn't know, but Yuk-gyeong's metal spiritual root was resonating with the metallic spiritual energy. While stimulating his root to manipulate the metal spiritual energy, Yuk-gyeong pressed the attack.
Geum Muk leaped back entirely. His breath grew ragged from using power, but escaping was priority one.
'The sword... it's not listening...!'