Chapter 10
Chapter 10
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Friendly Competition (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The deck of the sailboat-shaped dharma vessel was a cauldron of frenzy.
Spectators were leaning their upper bodies out over the railings, as if they might tumble off at any moment, shouting nonstop.
Cheers for those overcoming obstacles with outstanding ability, encouragement for those who showed unyielding grit but fell short.
Whenever a dramatic moment unfolded in the competition, the onlookers showered them with unrestrained support.
Among the many participants, a few stood out particularly.
Im Susa, who had held the lead from the start.
Ho Susa, who never lost composure no matter the obstacle.
Song Susa, with his confident smile and crisp movements.
They were acknowledged top performers among the Qi Building cultivators, so it was only natural.
And surprisingly, there were loud cheers for Seoran too.
Most participants were in their twenties or older.
In their midst, Seoran's small frame and youthful face stood out sharply.
In fact, Seoran was the youngest contestant in the preliminaries.
Yet even among adults larger in build and more experienced in cultivation, Seoran showed no signs of falling behind.
The sight of an underdog challenging hardships was moving.
It had a magnetic pull that made you cheer without realizing it.
That struggle drew the attention of the young cultivators.
Many hadn't even dared enter the preliminaries due to insufficient cultivation or young age.
The boys and girls couldn't tear their eyes away from the peer bravely tackling what they themselves had given up on preemptively.
Just then, Seoran, climbing the cliff, stopped, unable to find a suitable crevice.
A decent spot was visible far above, but utterly out of reach.
Yet Seoran leaped up without hesitation.
The young cultivators squeezed their eyes shut and screamed at her sudden move.
But her peak focus and physical prowess allowed no failure.
Opening their eyes with desperate hope, they saw Seoran's back safely clinging to the cliff.
The young cultivators plunged into ecstasy, chanting her name with fervent cheers.
By the time Seoran reached the cliff summit and entered the next obstacle course running section, the boys and girls were utterly captivated by her.
Her every move toyed with their emotions.
The young cultivators clenched their fists in worry whenever she faced danger.
And when she overcame it with unbelievable wit, they rejoiced as if it were their own victory, erupting in cheers all at once.
With her light weight and formidable physical abilities, Seoran held a massive advantage in the obstacle course running.
Each leap carried her half again farther than those around her.
Her bounds felt like a raptor's flight, freeing her alone from the earth's impartial grip.
Seoran began charging ahead, fully exploiting her edge.
Her speed built up, and more competitors fell behind.
They strained desperately to shake off the pursuer, but to no avail.
Before long, the log stepping stones—which had seemed endless—came to an end.
Reaching the peak, she saw a wooden bridge far below.
At that point, Seoran's ranking was already within the top twenty.
*****
Competitors reaching the final section were utterly exhausted.
Climbing the cliff had wrecked their upper bodies, and leaping countless gaps between logs had pushed their legs to the limit.
From here, it was purely a battle of willpower.
You couldn't advance without conquering the pain.
The dozen or so vying for the lead plunged into the river without hesitation.
The competition venue was the mightiest river crossing the mountain range.
Countless tributaries converged, making the current fiercer the farther downstream.
The stretch contestants had to swim upstream was the swiftest part.
Seoran poured everything into pushing upstream.
The river surged at tremendous speed.
The unstoppable flow battered her whole body.
Her overworked muscles felt ready to snap.
The cheers that had filled the air moments ago vanished.
Only the roar of the water hammered her eardrums.
Seoran swam alone through the onslaught.
Slow even a little, and it was over.
She'd be swept straight downstream in an instant.
No returning to her position then.
How much farther to go?
What place am I in now?
Am I even moving forward?
With all information cut off, anxiety flooded in endlessly.
Restlessness seeped into her mind like ink spreading on blank paper.
Then a voice asked.
Why push yourself this far?
What glory are you chasing with this frenzy?
Who'd blame you for quitting here?
Even as time passed, the whisper lingered.
Seoran ignored the voice circling her ears as best she could.
And kept moving her limbs.
The sharp current pelted her relentlessly.
Sensation faded from her body bit by bit.
Her waterlogged clothes weighed her down terribly.
Yet even as her mind blurred, she didn't stop struggling.
Then someone pulled Seoran from the water.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator aboard a flying dharma vessel.
He set her down on the nearest riverbank.
Her first emotion was emptiness.
Swept away by the current in the end. Eliminated.
Seoran hung her head.
Then her hearing, numbed by the roar, returned.
“Sister!!! ”
“Congratulations, Ryu Susa!!!”
“Congratulations!!!”
Cheers that stuffed her eardrums.
Startled, Seoran looked up.
The sounds came from the sailboat flying overhead.
Congratulations, whistles, her name, more congratulations, congratulations, congratulations.
Seoran snapped her gaze to the river.
Her eyes followed the flow and finally reached the wooden bridge.
The starting point bridge was far downstream.
Then could it be?
“Surprised that you achieved this yourself?”
It was the question from the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had fished her out.
Seoran's bewildered expression seemed amusing to him.
He handed her a large towel and added.
“Qi Building cultivator Ryu Seoran, sixth place. Congratulations on finishing.”
Right then, Seoran let out a whoop of joy.
*****
After Seoran passed the preliminaries in sixth place, Black Bamboo Sect turned upside down.
The Core Formation cultivators shared their thoughts.
“Hard to believe.”
“Indeed. We heard from Ma Susa about her drive, and wondered, but at that young age...”
The Core Formation cultivators already knew of Seoran's physical prowess.
They were the ones who decided to supply her unlimited pills to foster her growth, after all.
They were simply astonished by her mental fortitude beyond her years.
“Completing a course even adults struggle with, without giving up...”
“Ryu Susa's competitive spirit must be extraordinary.”
“She has qualities as excellent as her spirit root talent.”
They were immensely pleased that their sect's future looked bright.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators were shocked too.
Some had been assigned to the preliminaries for safety precautions.
Thus, many had witnessed Seoran overcoming obstacles up close in real time.
The witnesses exchanged info, speculating on how she'd claimed sixth place.
“First off, both cliff climbing and obstacle running favored the lightweight.”
“Right, her leg strength and light weight produced impressive leaps.”
“Her physical abilities were extraordinary for her age, but considering the pills she's taken, it's understandable. Without more, she couldn't have finished.”
“True, accounting for size limits, many dropouts had better physiques than Ryu Susa.”
“Then mental strength must've played a big role.”
“That analysis makes sense. Wit to overcome obstacles, decisiveness once committed, tenacity to never quit. What else?”
“She paced herself early, then overtook most in the obstacle run where she excelled. Keen sense for victory.”
The conclusion tilted toward intellect being the decisive factor, not just physical ability.
And the Qi Building cultivators were beside themselves.
*****
“I believed! I believed in Senior Brother Song!”
Song Susa, expected by all to pass, collapsed from leg fatigue in the late obstacle run and was eliminated.
A boy who had instantly gone broke wailed.
“Told you?! I said your lower body was weak?!”
The winner who'd bet his all on Elder Ho teased his friend.
The competition brimmed with big and small upsets.
Those assumed to pass flopped with ridiculous mistakes, while unknown or underrated ones slipped through.
The betting pool turned to chaos in a flash.
People sat limp, unable to accept reality.
Others caused a ruckus claiming invalidation and got tossed out.
Everyone reeled from the painful wealth redistribution.
But Yi Agum was the most flustered.
In this human horse race (unofficial name), the biggest upset was undoubtedly Ryu Seoran's miracle.
Seoran wasn't even underrated.
Her outside activities were just meals and group training.
You need feats to evaluate someone.
No one expected a sixteen-year-old girl, initiated just over a year ago, to beat out big names for top ten.
Yi Agum was the only one who'd bet spirit stones on Seoran.
The last wooden plaque issued before preliminaries started was number 512.
Bet amounts varied, but the average was far from small.
Payout distribution was simple.
First, divide the total pot into ten equal shares.
It split neatly into ten large chests.
Then calculate each participant's share based on the pot for their contestant.
Finally, distribute the chests' spirit stones accordingly.
Only Yi Agum bet on Seoran.
Thus, she took a whole massive chest.
Wealth equivalent to about fifty of the 512 bettors went to Yi Agum.
Yi Agum stared dazedly at the chest weighing far more than herself.