Entering the Boarding Tournament
The day of the Boarding Tournament dawned.
Jin Somyeong had set out for the arena before sunrise, and as he walked, he reviewed the gains he had made over the past month.
He had aimed for exactly three things.
First, to train the Cloud-Force Sword Art to the orthodox stage.
Second, to use the lightning summoned by the Thunderbolt Talisman to perform the Lightning Evasion Technique.
Third, to begin the Water-Fire Harmonization chapter of the Ojangbaekryeongyeol.
He had spent thirty days attempting all three, but unfortunately, two of them had yielded no result. The Cloud-Force Sword Art still had one point of proficiency remaining before it could reach the orthodox stage, and his attempt to use the Thunderbolt Talisman for the Lightning Evasion Technique had also failed.
At his current stage in the Cheonroedochegyeol, he could only control lightning he had summoned himself.
If I’d been able to ride lightning called down by a talisman… that would have meant I could manipulate other people’s lightning too.
It seemed he would have to try again once his proficiency in the Cheonroedochegyeol reached the orthodox stage.
It was a little disappointing, but acceptable. His body-tempering method, at least, had shown proper results.
He had successfully fused the original Ojangbaekryeongyeol with the Water-Fire Harmonization chapter. In truth, it had not even been that difficult. The two arts had fit together so naturally that it was obvious they had once been a single whole.
That’s a good thing.
The effect gained from the newly reborn Ojangbaekryeongyeol was simple and clear: strengthened meridians.
With the channels through which spiritual power flowed becoming far sturdier, many things changed. He could now draw out a greater amount of lightning at once—a power he had always needed to handle carefully because of its violent nature. In other words, his instantaneous output had increased.
The burden placed on his meridians by the spiritual power flowing in from the Mental Pocket Realm had also sharply decreased. Judging by their current state, he could likely raise the mine to second-tier mid-grade without issue.
He swept his gaze over the pocket dimension and saw roughly eight hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones.
It would not be long before he reached a thousand. Soon, his daily production would increase to twenty. After imagining that future for a moment, he dismissed the status window.
For now, focus on the tournament.
He had been walking for quite some time, and before long he arrived at the place where the Boarding Tournament would be held.
His impression upon seeing the colosseum-like arena could be summed up in one word.
Huge.
He would have believed it if someone told him it was the capital fortress of some king. It was more majestic than any building he had ever seen on Earth.
After staring up at the circular arena, so tall that its summit was hard to see, he headed for the entrance.
From Qi Refining cultivators to Foundation Establishment experts, all sorts of people were mixed together, talking with flushed faces and excited voices.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Why even ask? Obviously the daughter of the lord of Sky Island.”
“Heh. She may be a genius who reached late Foundation Establishment at a young age, but hasn’t she been raised too delicately? Has she ever even fought with her life on the line?”
“That’s…”
“I think Young Master Baek Yu-geon is the strongest candidate.”
“Baek Yu-geon? You mean the disciple of Senior Hyeon Jin-ja, the formation master?”
“That’s right.”
“True enough. A formation that has reached that level is terrifying. If you fail to stop a formation that unfolds in an instant, it’s over then and there.”
“And then there’s also Mountain Beast, who became famous for slaughtering a thousand demon beasts…”
It was a festival in the truest sense.
Jin Somyeong looked away from the endless line. There was another entrance that was relatively quiet; that was clearly the gate reserved for tournament participants.
“Welcome. Are you here to enter?”
“Yes.”
The Foundation Establishment clerk looked Jin Somyeong up and down, then tilted his head.
“I’ve lived on Sky Island for thirty years, but I’ve never seen you before. What is your name?”
“…Jang Sambong.”
After a brief hesitation, Jin Somyeong gave the first name that came to mind. It was habit now, using an alias.
“Very well. You know the rules, I assume. To participate in the main event, you must submit the inner cores of second-tier demon beasts.”
It was exactly as his investigation had indicated, so there was no need to ask again.
From the storage pouch he wore for appearances, Jin Somyeong took out a mid-grade inner core and placed it on the reception desk.
“…A mid-grade inner core?”
The clerk stiffened, then his brow furrowed deeply. He clicked his tongue outright, his gaze filling with contempt.
“Shameless, aren’t you? You’re not even trying to hide it. Why are there so many people with no sense of shame…? Don’t you understand it won’t mean anything anyway?”
The openly sarcastic tone grated on Jin Somyeong’s nerves.
Was he trying to pick a fight?
No matter how old the Foundation Establishment cultivator might be, Jin Somyeong had no intention of being polite to a rude man.
“Hey. Is there a problem?”
“Hah! Forget it. If I ask, you’ll just say you hunted the demon beast yourself. Even if you bought it with Spirit Stones, it isn’t against the rules, so what can I do?”
Once Jin Somyeong realized what the clerk had misunderstood, he was left speechless.
The man thought he had bought a mid-grade demon beast inner core with Spirit Stones in order to pass the preliminary screening.
He considered explaining, but it quickly became bothersome, so he simply let it be. It did not matter what the clerk thought. Was he supposed to convince the man that he had hunted a second-tier mid-grade demon beast with only early Foundation Establishment strength?
Even if he had bought the inner core with Spirit Stones, that would have been fine. It was not exactly an honorable act, but by the rules, it was not a problem.
The reason such a loophole had not been properly forbidden was simple. From Sky Island’s perspective, reducing the number of demon beasts mattered more than anything else. And if someone lacked strength, passing the preliminary screening would not mean much anyway. In fact, they were more likely to lose the Spirit Stones they had spent on the inner core.
“So is the registration finished? Where should I go for the main event?”
“Tsk. There is still one matter remaining. Do you see that building over there? Go wait there, and you should be able to participate in the additional preliminary round.”
The clerk pointed to a three-story pavilion. It was small enough that anyone could tell at a glance it was not the venue for the main matches.
“Additional preliminary round? I heard that if you collected enough demon beast inner cores, you advanced straight to the main event.”
For a moment he wondered if the clerk was being petty, but that was not the case.
“Competition is unusually fierce this time. We need to select one hundred and twenty-eight participants, but including you, one hundred and thirty-three have gathered.”
“…Hm?”
“So those who collected eleven or more demon beast inner cores advance immediately. Those who collected ten will duel one another.”
“You’re saying the people who fight in the additional preliminary round will begin the tournament after already having fought once?”
“That’s right. It will put you at a disadvantage, but don’t think it unfair. Well… normally, the additional preliminary round would have been held among those who brought in around eight cores, but what can anyone do?”
The clerk gestured for him to hurry along.
Jin Somyeong stared at him for a moment, then clicked his tongue. Fortunately, he had kept one extra inner core just in case.
Thud.
He tossed the bloodstained inner core onto the reception desk.
“Will this do?”
Demonic blood seeped along the surface of the inner core and dripped onto the desk. It had not been long since the demon beast was killed, so the blood had not even properly clotted. The clerk flinched, and his pupils trembled faintly.
“…It seems you did manage to hunt one yourself.”
“Enough. So I pass the preliminaries, correct?”
Jin Somyeong asked calmly, paying no attention to whatever the man said. The clerk’s eyebrow twitched.
For a long while he silently looked back and forth between the bloody inner core and Jin Somyeong, then exhaled as if he had realized something.
“My apologies. It seems I misjudged you.”
“Hm?”
“Now that I look at it, it seems you obtained the mid-grade inner core yourself as well… In that case, fellow daoist, you must truly be strong. What rank do you think you will achieve in the tournament?”
Seeing the man apologize with a smile, Jin Somyeong unfolded his arms.
It was not a major matter. There was no need to keep acting prickly.
“Who knows. At least top ten, I’d say.”
“T-top ten? …Ahahahaha! That is some magnificent confidence! Very well! I’ll trust you, fellow daoist, and bet my entire half-year salary on you. I hope you really do make it into the top ten.”
From the sound of it, there was gambling over the match results.
Still, a half-year salary…
“What a shame.”
“Pardon?”
“If you’d bet your entire fortune, you could have multiplied it several times over.”
Sky Island, Hyowol City.
In one alleyway, a young man and woman sprinted with all their might, even using spells to hasten themselves.
Of the two Qi Refining cultivators who looked like siblings, the younger girl suddenly shouted in frustration.
“Aaaah! This is all your fault, Brother! I told you we should hurry!”
“S-sorry. But the match probably hasn’t started yet.”
“Are you really that stupid? The whole point of the Boarding Tournament is watching from a good seat!”
They ran until they were drenched in sweat, and soon arrived at the circular arena… only to be overwhelmed by its sheer scale.
Even the angry girl forgot everything and stood there with her mouth hanging open.
“Wow… it’s enormous! Back on Beaconfire Island, there wasn’t even enough land for a building like this!”
“Y-yeah.”
“I’m glad we came to Sky Island.”
The pair staring with their mouths agape were none other than the Seo siblings, who had been saved by Jin Somyeong several years earlier while being chased by demon beasts.
After standing still and staring up at the arena, they suddenly came back to themselves.
As if by mutual understanding, they ran toward the entrance and joined the end of the long line.
“Phew.”
The girl wiped the sweat from her forehead, then paused. A fierce debate had broken out among the people waiting in line.
“No, do you not know who installed the third-tier formation in this arena? It was Senior Hyeon Jin-ja! Naturally, his disciple Baek Yu-geon will win!”
“You have a point, but in the end, realm is everything in this world. Ha Yulhui, the daughter of the lord of Sky Island, is already at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment.”
“…Tch. In any case, those two will meet in the finals. I wonder who will win.”
As the crowd fell briefly silent, lost in thought, the girl poked out her lips in dissatisfaction and cut in.
“What about the Thunderclap Swordsman? Why are you only talking about those two?”
“Hm? Ah… that sword cultivator who supposedly handles lightning?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm. The Thunderclap Swordsman… Could he be participating in the tournament as well?”
“I-I’m not sure.”
“But what is his realm?”
The girl, who had stepped forward so confidently, avoided his gaze. In truth, she knew nothing.
At that moment, a cultivator stroking his chin spoke up.
“He’s probably at early Foundation Establishment.”
“Oh? Why do you think so? As far as I know, he has never revealed his identity.”
“The sword and lightning arts are both too difficult. If he cultivates both at the same time, then no matter how much of a genius he is, it would be hard for him to reach the middle stage before eighty.”
“Indeed! Then winning will be difficult. No matter how strong a sword cultivator is, early stage won’t be enough.”
“That’s not—!”
The girl furrowed her brow and was about to shout something back, but the young man beside her caught her sleeve and stopped her. He was telling her to let it go.
After hesitating, the girl let out a deep sigh and whispered.
“Brother. Do you think the Thunderclap Swordsman will really appear in the Boarding Tournament?”
“I don’t know. Considering he stayed quiet even after the rumors spread, he may be someone who dislikes revealing himself.”
The young girl looked flustered.
“Then did we make a mistake? We only spread the rumor because we wanted to raise his fame.”
“Maybe.”
“Ugh. If we meet him again, I guess we should apologize.”
“Let’s do that, if we have the chance.”
The girl looked dejected for a moment, then shook her head hard. She smiled brightly and shouted.
“For now, let’s enjoy the tournament! We paid an expensive entrance fee to get in, so we have to learn at least one thing.”
“Haha. Right.”
Meanwhile, in a quiet private waiting room, Jin Somyeong opened his eyes from meditation.
So it’s finally starting.
Sure enough, before long, a female Qi Refining cultivator approached and spoke politely.
“Senior, your match will begin shortly. Are you prepared?”
“I am.”
He followed the guide, whose attitude was respectful but businesslike.
How long had they walked down the silent corridor, where even their footsteps echoed?
Waaaaaaaah—!
His view opened all at once, and with it came the roar of tens of thousands of spectators.
It was hot. The atmosphere was so feverish that the air itself seemed to tremble with a humming wave of force.
Struck by a strange feeling he had never experienced before, Jin Somyeong even stopped walking and looked around the stands.
Qi Refining cultivators waved stick-like objects and shouted something at the top of their lungs, while elderly Foundation Establishment cultivators sat with dignity, gazing down as if appraising the contestants. Countless eyes stabbed toward him.
Step… step…
As he walked toward the square stage laid with marble-like stone, a middle-aged late Foundation Establishment cultivator who appeared to be the referee spoke expressionlessly.
“There is only one rule you must follow during combat: do not receive help from others. If it is your own power, you may use whatever means you like.”
“Understood.”
“A third-tier formation has been installed in the arena. If you receive an attack that threatens your life, you will automatically be transported outside the stage, so fight without concern.”
Jin Somyeong nodded and stepped into the entrance.
Flash!
All the noise cut off at once.
He had been moved onto the barrier-covered stage through a short-distance teleportation formation.
Even the thunderous cheers that had battered his eardrums grew faint. They were now so quiet that he could only hear them if he focused with spiritual power.
“Oh? You are…”
The moment he was transported, he heard a familiar voice.
The first opponent he encountered in the main event was, unexpectedly, someone he had met before: the middle-aged man named Cheongmok, whom he had met half a year earlier at the Mountain Beast gathering.
“Jang Sambong? Didn’t you say your surname was Jin?”
“Using an alias is common enough, isn’t it?”
“That’s true. Still, I didn’t expect to meet you here. I’m sorry, but I can’t yield. Do you know how hard it was for me to make it this far? It cost me three thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Cheongmok’s face had flushed red, perhaps from excitement. Jin Somyeong gazed at him and nodded.
“I understand.”
“Well… I suppose your circumstances are similar to mine. You’ll need to win at least the first match to recover the Spirit Stones you invested.”
Perhaps trying to ease his tension, Cheongmok kept licking his dry lips while grumbling.
Then the referee outside the stage shouted, even amplifying his voice with spiritual power.
“Hey! Is buying inner cores with Spirit Stones something to boast about? Hurry up and begin!”
“…Understood. Jang Sambong? Fellow Daoist Jin? I’m not sure what I should call you. In any case, no matter which of us wins, let us hold no resentment toward each other.”
“Very well. That is exactly what I hoped for too.”
“Mm!”
Cheongmok glared at him with cold eyes, clearly intending to go all out, and pulled out a fistful of talismans.
Just as the bundles of talismans in both his hands began to blaze with light—
Clack!
A faint metallic sound, like a blade sliding back into its sheath, rang across the stage.
And on the stage where two men had been facing each other a moment ago, only one remained.
It was Jin Somyeong, calmly sheathing his sword.
“Huh?”
Cheongmok blinked in bewilderment as he stood outside the stage, patting down his own body. He seemed unable to understand why he had suddenly been transported there.
Then—
“…Victory goes to Jang Sambong!”
In the arena, which had grown strangely quiet at some point, Jin Somyeong’s alias rang out like thunder.
The referee, his face stiff, had belatedly made the call.