At the Starting Bell
The arena of the Ascension Tournament.
Atop a pavilion that overlooked the stage in a single sweeping view, five Golden Core cultivators were engaged in leisurely conversation.
"I wonder what sort of juniors will appear in this tournament."
"Fellow Daoist Hyeon, I heard your disciple entered as well. Baek Yu-geon, was it?"
"Yes."
"But if there was something he needed, couldn't you have procured it for him yourself? Was there any need to make him enter the tournament?"
One of Sky Island's five Golden Core cultivators, a third-grade formation master named Hyeon Jin-ja, shook his head with a gentle smile.
"It seemed arrogance had begun to sprout in my disciple's heart. I had him participate so he might learn how vast the world truly is."
"A fine idea, but I wonder if there will be anyone capable of defeating your disciple. Seventh layer of Foundation Establishment at sixty-five years old—he's a genius who may not appear even once in a hundred years."
"The daughter of the Sky Island Lord has also entered the tournament, has she not?"
At Hyeon Jin-ja's words, a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties hurriedly waved his hands.
"Sky Island Lord is far too grand a title. It is merely what ignorant people call me. I am only the Lord of Hyowol Fortress."
A man with a genial, generous face chuckled as he tore into a large chunk of meat.
"Oh, come now, you are the Sky Island Lord. You're the only one among us at the Late Golden Core stage, aren't you? To be honest, I sometimes wonder if I ought to call you senior."
"Haha... please, spare me. I prefer things as they are."
"What a strange temperament you have. If it were me, I'd have made all of us speak politely to me long ago. Yet you insist on stopping us."
The simple-looking Sky Island Lord gave no answer. He merely wore a modest smile.
"Hm. In any case, Fellow Daoist Hyeon's formations are indeed peerless beneath the heavens. How much of that has your disciple inherited?"
"Peerless beneath the heavens? There are so many experts in the world that I fear being cursed for such praise."
The Golden Core cultivators were not even looking at the arena. They were fully absorbed in their conversation.
The round of one hundred twenty-eight.
To be blunt, it was little more than a preliminary round. Only after all the riffraff who had bought their beast cores with Spirit Stones were eliminated would the tournament finally become worth watching.
"So how skilled is your disciple? Surely he cannot already set up third-grade formations?"
"Haha. He still has far to—"
The men, who had been laughing and chatting idly, froze where they stood. It was as if someone had stopped time itself.
"Zhang Sanfeng wins!"
Just then, the judge's voice rang out from the arena, and the eyes of the Golden Core cultivators snapped toward the stage.
"...Did you see that?"
"I did."
They gazed in admiration at Zhang Sanfeng—no, Jin Somyeong—standing alone in the suddenly quiet arena.
"It has been some time since a decent swordsman appeared. If he reaches Golden Core, he may become one of humanity's pillars."
"The demon beasts have been behaving strangely of late. I hope he survives to the end."
"Mm."
The genial man, who had been slowly stroking his chin as if pondering something, turned his gaze aside. He addressed the only Golden Core sword cultivator present, a man who had not spoken a single word until now.
"Gwang Myeong. What do you think?"
"...His sword is heavy."
"When it's that fast? Most Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't even be able to react before that blade."
When the man asked again, sounding unconvinced, the Golden Core sword cultivator called Gwang Myeong shook his head.
"That isn't what I mean. Of course, this is by my standards. From that swordsman's realm, it is naturally more than sufficient."
"Oh..."
The genial Golden Core cultivator who had asked the question raised his eyebrows in surprise.
It seemed Gwang Myeong, the sword cultivator, had given him the highest evaluation of all. After all, if Gwang Myeong was judging him by Golden Core standards, that meant Jin Somyeong possessed some quality worthy of such consideration.
"Early Foundation Establishment... What a pity, that realm of his. I wonder how far that man can climb."
After Jin Somyeong entered the Ascension Tournament, he reached the top sixteen with exactly three swings of his sword. Including Cheongmok, his opponent in the round of one hundred twenty-eight, every match had ended in a single cut.
With each bout, the crowd's reaction continued to change.
"What was that?"
"Is it... over?"
At first, they were bewildered.
"Impossible! How can a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator be that strong?"
"He's a sword cultivator."
"Huh. They say sword cultivators are invincible among their peers, and I suppose the reputation is well deserved. Maybe I should learn the sword too."
"Don't. Sword cultivators are madmen who stake their lives on the blade. They're not to be imitated."
At the second swing, they were shocked.
"Insane! Gwiseollang, a master of poison arts, couldn't even withstand one cut!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
And by the third, they were cheering.
Thus, he arrived at the top sixteen.
Standing on the stage, Jin Somyeong narrowed his eyes.
At last, an opponent worth fighting.
From the days of Qi Refining all the way until she reached the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, she had killed a thousand demon beasts. Jin Somyeong's gaze met that of the wandering cultivator known as Thousand Beast Leaf.
At first glance, Thousand Beast Leaf looked like a guileless middle-aged woman, but every part of her body below the face was covered in scars, giving off the unmistakable impression that she was not to be taken lightly.
It was obvious she had lived an exceedingly rough life.
The instant the match began—
Boom!
A fierce shock wave erupted between Jin Somyeong and Thousand Beast Leaf.
She had not merely reacted to the swift sword that none had been able to endure since the tournament began—she had blocked it.
"Hmph!"
Thousand Beast Leaf released the vast spiritual power of a sixth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, knocked Jin Somyeong's sword aside, and formed a hand seal.
Splash!
From a blue gourd that leapt out of her storage pouch, water poured forth without end.
Jin Somyeong frowned as silent droplets seeped in and soaked his magic robe.
Heavy.
It was no ordinary water. It was Suppression Water, said to be inescapable even for a great Foundation Establishment cultivator once submerged.
In less than half a second, the Suppression Water flooded out and covered the entire stage enclosed by the barrier.
"Die!"
Wind and rain surged in from every direction—front, back, left, and right.
Every one of the thousands upon thousands of raindrops was a lethal hidden weapon.
Shiiish!
With the sharp hiss of cutting wind, just as the storm of hidden weapons pouring in from all sides was about to reach him—
Tap.
He extended his sword as if placing a single dot in empty air.
The faint breeze born from that light motion was amplified by his Wind Riding Art, which had reached the pinnacle stage.
Boom!
Every falling raindrop was blasted away. A gale mixed with Sword Qi swept them clean from the air.
Once the violent rainstorm that had obstructed both sight and Divine Sense vanished, he could see clearly—the true killing move flying in stealth.
A needle, transparent as a raindrop, was about to pierce his temple.
Tak!
His left hand moved like lightning and snatched the needle out of the air.
He glanced at the hidden weapon caught between his index and middle fingers.
The needle writhed as though alive. Even now, gripped in his hand, it struggled to kill him.
Looking at the purple liquid dripping from its razor-sharp tip, he said, "Poison?"
"A shame. I could have ended this easily."
"I'm not so sure... Even if it hit me, I think it would just sting a little."
"Hmph. Bluffing just because you're a man. Do you even know what that poison—"
Crack!
Before she could finish speaking, the needle held between his fingers split apart.
He had shattered a second-grade magic artifact with nothing more than the strength of two fingers.
"...Just how strong are you? This is absurd."
As if she had witnessed something unfathomable, even Thousand Beast Leaf's pupils trembled as she lamented.
"I thought I could comfortably place in the top ten at my level... How can my luck be this rotten?"
After letting out a long sigh, she suddenly glared at him.
She even released killing intent as she drew a sickle attached to a chain. Contrary to her words, it seemed she intended to keep going.
Clatter!
The chain danced according to the movement of her hand.
The chain sickle traced a dazzling curve as it flew toward the back of his head, but Jin Somyeong ignored it.
Boom!
He kicked off the solid floor hard enough to crack it.
Faster than the chain sickle accelerated by centrifugal force, he arrived before his opponent and thrust his sword.
Just before the sword tip could split her solar plexus, something like a turtle shell shot out from her storage pouch.
The Black Tortoise Shell Shield?
That shield from the auction appearing here was unexpected, but it made no difference.
He fully controlled his body, now light as a feather thanks to the Wind Riding Art.
Crunch!
Right before impact, he stepped off the ground and changed direction almost vertically.
It was a movement that would have shattered the joints of an ordinary cultivator, yet he executed it without the slightest difficulty.
Fssht!
As he brushed past the shield blocking him head-on...
He swung his sword and cut off her head.
"Waaaaaaah—!"
Along with the thunderous cheers that pierced through the barrier, Thousand Beast Leaf was transferred outside the stage and departed with a bitter smile.
Objective achieved.
Since he had won in the top sixteen, he had advanced to the quarterfinals. That meant he was guaranteed at least eighth place.
Now that he had secured access to the Cleansing Spirit Pond, he could afford to relax a little.
"What an astonishing swift sword! Zhang Sanfeng wins!"
With the judge's somehow excited, vigorous declaration behind him, Jin Somyeong left the stage and returned to the waiting room.
There, instead of cheers hot enough to make his ears burn, silence welcomed him.
"Senior! That was truly incredible! Thousand Beast Leaf is a wandering cultivator famous for her battle prowess, yet she couldn't withstand your sword!"
The attendant's once businesslike gaze had changed. It sparkled almost uncomfortably.
She was acting like a fan who had met a celebrity she admired, leaving Jin Somyeong rather bewildered.
The atmosphere really is different from Damun Kingdom.
If this were Jeokyang Market, no matter how excited someone was, they would never behave this way toward a senior.
"Ah."
Perhaps finally coming to her senses, the attendant smiled awkwardly. With both hands folded before her abdomen, she bowed politely.
"I became far too excited. I sincerely apologize."
After clearing her throat, she returned to a professional manner and said, "Senior, from the quarterfinalists onward, participants may use the Jade Purification Bath. What would you like to do?"
"The Jade Purification Bath? Of course I'm going."
It was exactly what he had hoped for. Before entering the tournament, Jin Somyeong had already investigated what the Jade Purification Bath was.
In simple terms, it was bathwater that healed wounds and restored spiritual power, renowned for its rapid curative effect.
I heard it helps with training too.
He followed the attendant down a long corridor and soon arrived in a spacious enclosed room.
"Senior, this is the Jade Purification Bath. I cannot enter, so I will wait here."
Leaving behind her envious gaze, Jin Somyeong examined the bath.
Its overall shape reminded him of a private hot spring, but it was not warm, and there was no steam.
Clear.
The water was astonishingly transparent. It looked like a pane of spotless glass polished to perfection.
Even when he sharpened his senses, he could not detect a single impurity.
Plash.
He observed the water, which rose to about his thighs, and stepped inside. And indeed...
"Mm...!"
Extremely pure spiritual power seeped through his skin. It spread through his limbs and meridians, restoring the channels fatigued by battle.
When he guided it into his dantian, it accumulated there without requiring any refinement at all.
Amazing. It feels like the moment I absorb it, it simply becomes my spiritual power.
The spiritual power he had expended in battle had long since recovered, but he did not stop.
Splash.
He sat cross-legged outright and circulated his cultivation art. He continuously absorbed the concentrated energy of the Jade Purification Bath and stored it in his dantian.
If I keep cultivating here, reaching the fourth layer won't take long at all.
If he could, he would have moved the entire bath away, but that would have been meaningless.
The Jade Purification Bath contained in this private tub was a consumable of sorts, one of the tournament rewards.
It was essence created through Sky Island's secret method: impurities filtered over and over again from various spirit herbs until only the purest spiritual energy remained, then concentrated into liquid form.
It was a luxurious process a hundred times less efficient than making pills, but for the person using it, it was naturally excellent.
Suuuu...
How much spiritual power had he absorbed in that trance?
The Jade Purification Bath had transformed completely into ordinary water. He had drawn in every last drop of energy contained within it.
Regretful though he was, he evaporated the moisture clinging to his clothes and emerged.
He carefully examined his dantian.
Oh?
The effect of the Jade Purification Bath was truly...
Outstanding.
His realm, which had only just broken through to the third layer, had risen dramatically.
If he immersed himself in the Jade Purification Bath two or three more times, he might even reach the fourth layer.
The thought that he had originally intended to be satisfied with roughly tenth place changed completely.
Every time he won a match and used the Jade Purification Bath, it was no different from saving himself several years of effort.
My next opponent is... Baek Yu-geon, was it?
It would not be easy. Baek Yu-geon was the chief disciple of a Golden Core formation master and was also in the Late Foundation Establishment stage.
Third layer and seventh layer of Foundation Establishment.
In spiritual power alone, there was a difference of seven or eight times. Between Jin Somyeong and Baek Yu-geon lay not one but two minor realms.
Even so, Jin Somyeong silently calculated his odds and called the attendant.
"I would like to watch another match. Is that possible?"
"Of course."
She took a palm-sized mirror from her storage pouch and floated it in the air.
Wuuung!
In an instant, the mirror expanded until it occupied an entire wall, reflecting the arena.
As it happened, the next match was Baek Yu-geon's turn, so Jin Somyeong focused.
"Begin!"
At the judge's shout, the wandering cultivator standing with a rigid face stomped the ground. Then... he unleashed a spear throw like a painting come to life.
Whoosh!
Like a meteor, the spearhead flew in a straight line, aiming for the heart of the young man wearing a scholar's headcloth.
At that moment, Baek Yu-geon lightly flicked his hand, and a crimson wall of flame surged up, blocking the spear.
Could fire stop a spear?
The answer appeared at once.
Just how intense was the heat? The second-grade magic artifact, specialized for penetration, melted before it could even approach.
It was a disastrous result, but the wandering cultivator did not lose heart and charged in—only to falter in confusion.
"Wh-what? When in the world did this happen?"
He began circling in place as though trapped in an illusion.
At some point, he had been caught inside a deployed formation.
Jin Somyeong, watching the match while stroking his sword sheath, narrowed his eyes.
A formation master...
They were beings with clear strengths and weaknesses. Once a formation was laid down, they were powerful, but if he could prevent that one thing, he would have a chance to win.
He tapped the floor lightly with the tip of his foot and lowered his gaze. There he saw the Light Cloud Boots, which he had not used even once since the tournament began.
Perhaps...
He could end it at the starting bell.