Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Sparring Tournament (2)
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*Thud.*
The machine, resembling a waterwheel, that had been randomly spitting out papers with cadets’ names, came to a halt.
The group assignments were complete.
The Head Instructor, who had just announced the last cadet’s name, closed his mouth.
He slowly scanned the spectator stands, starting from the right of the VIP section.
It was a signal for anyone with complaints or objections to the group assignments to speak now.
By the time his gaze reached the far left of the stands, no one had raised a hand.
Having witnessed the random assignment process firsthand, no one could question its fairness, and no one had any complaints about the strangely balanced results.
Of course, Geom Cheon-ha, who was in the same group as Maeng Ak, and his backers from the Sword Heavenly Pillar Gate looked uncomfortable.
However, to question it now would be to admit they were scared before the test even began, so they kept their feelings hidden.
Thanks to this, the Head Instructor’s next words came immediately.
“Then I will assume there are no objections.”
“Now that the tedious matchups are over, let’s get right into it.”
As he finished speaking, he lightly stamped his foot.
*Thump!*
At that, the cadets of Group 1, who were waiting behind the grand plaza, rushed onto the training grounds.
“Group 1, state your names and take your positions!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the Head Instructor stepped aside and gave the order, the ten cadets of Group 1 answered spiritedly.
They lined up in a single file, perfectly synchronized.
They seemed somewhat frozen.
It was understandable, as they were directly facing the center of the VIP section.
In other words, the Cult Leader, the highest authority in the Divine Cult, was watching them with sharp, wide eyes.
It would be stranger if they weren’t frozen.
Moreover, a slight turn of the head to the right revealed the old monsters of the Council of Elders, and to the left, the pillars of the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates, their eyes gleaming.
For anyone without nerves of steel, even standing in line would be a struggle.
Of course, not all ten of them were like that.
Do Cheon-mu, who had received a great cheer when his name was first called, was different.
He stood at the very front of the line, and while the other cadets were frozen, he was the first to cup his fist and announce his name.
*Cheok.*
“Cadet Do Cheon-mu of the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon greets the seniors. It is a true honor to be able to display my martial arts here today. I will do my best.”
It was the posture of a son from a prestigious family.
His boldness drew small gasps of admiration not only from the spectator stands but also from the VIP section.
“Hoh. He is indeed a talent worthy of the Blade Heavenly Pillar Lord’s pride.”
“His caliber is different from the other nine.”
“The first test will be interesting. I’m looking forward to it.”
Thanks to this, the Blade Heavenly Pillar Lord’s shoulders puffed up slightly.
And when the first group’s test was over, his shoulders were about to ascend to the heavens.
Do Cheon-mu had shown an absolutely overwhelming performance.
In a way, Do Cheon-mu was lucky.
Excluding him, all nine other cadets assigned to the first group were under the banner of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon.
And they were all cadets who held the lowest-ranking positions at that.
Thanks to this, he was able to leave a deep impression not only on the Lord of the Blade Heavenly Pillar Gate but on all the leaders and the numerous spectators.
Whenever his blade drew its unique, domineering arc through the air, at least one cadet would be sent flying.
His blade, overflowing with dense demonic energy, was unquestionably the strongest in Group 1.
Thus, the first group’s sparring match, which could be described as anticlimactic, came to an end.
Naturally, the next group came up to the training grounds, and the test continued.
Hwan Cheon-hwa was in the next group, and she too ended her test in a manner similar to Do Cheon-mu.
There was no upset as the audience had hoped.
Occasionally, there were groups without any of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon, which led to some fierce battles.
However, compared to the overwhelming displays by the members of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon seen earlier, they seemed relatively dull.
The atmosphere had already tilted in favor of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon.
“Indeed… The future of our Divine Cult truly rests on the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon.”
“I expected some difference, but I never thought it would be this much.”
“It’s obvious what will happen with the remaining groups without even watching.”
Besides Do Cheon-mu and Hwan Cheon-hwa who had already competed, Dok Cheon-roe, Eum Cheon-myeong, and So Ryong also displayed overwhelming prowess.
Although Geom Cheon-ha was still left, the general spectators didn’t have high expectations, assuming his group would see the same result.
By the time the 13th of the 25 groups was up, it was even starting to get boring.
Everyone was painting a picture where the winner would either be one of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon or one of their subordinates with an overwhelming victory.
The absolute worst was when none of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon appeared, and only their subordinates were present.
As if they had planned it beforehand, they wouldn’t fight their best, only showing off their specialties before handing the victory to one person.
Because of this, a picture emerged where the subordinates of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon each took a win fairly.
Of course, Hwan Cheon-hwa's and Eum Cheon-myeong’s factions seemed to be letting things flow naturally.
This was due to Hwan Cheon-hwa’s judgment that showing the leadership they were from the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon faction would not be beneficial.
Well, because of that, the sparring tournament flowed on even more tediously…
Just as the general audience and even the leaders were starting to lose interest.
The atmosphere, which had been dominated by the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon, suddenly shifted to an ordinary cadet.
“Wait…! Look at that, isn’t that your daughter, So-so?”
In a section between the spectator stands and the VIP section, reserved only for the minor gates, someone shouted loudly.
He was pointing a finger at the training grounds.
Hearing the shout, the audience and the leaders followed his finger and cast their gazes toward the training grounds.
There stood a child from a minor gate, the only one in the Demonic Cult that used a bow as a weapon.
Her name was Gung So-so.
She was the sole woman in Maeng Ak’s group.
She shattered the predictable expectations of the audience, including the leadership, as if to mock them.
She had defeated Do Pae-yeon, a rising star groomed as Do Cheon-mu’s subordinate from the Blade Heavenly Pillar Gate, in a single move.
Do Pae-yeon was not as skilled as Do Cheon-mu, but he was a talent the Blade Heavenly Pillar Gate had invested considerable effort in raising.
His blade style aimed for swiftness and was remarkably fast.
This meant he was a tricky opponent for an archer like Gung So-so.
And yet, Do Pae-yeon was defeated by a single arrow imbued with internal energy.
Gung So-so’s arrow was so fast that even his swift blade couldn't parry it.
Gung So-so looked down at her right hand, which had just held the arrow, and thought of Maeng Ak.
‘Just as the Master said, by focusing my internal energy not only on the arrow’s shaft but also on its fletching, the arrow’s speed has increased dramatically…!’
She had actually received advice from Maeng Ak, who had arrived just before the sparring tournament began.
And this was the first time she had applied that advice against a tricky opponent who used a swift blade.
The result was truly astonishing.
Her trust in Maeng Ak solidified even further in her heart.
And that returned to Gung So-so herself as confidence.
The confidence that she, a looked-down-upon archer from a minor gate, could do it.
As Gung So-so’s arrows quickened, so did the movement of her bowstring.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!*
“I can’t dodge… Gaaah!”
“What kind of speed is…!!!”
With every arrow that cut through the air, the number of cadets standing on the training grounds dwindled.
Her father, watching the scene from the spectator stands, had his eyes fixed on the training grounds, unaware of the tears streaming from his trembling eyes.
“*Sob*, to think my daughter So-so has become so strong!”
He had been the one who most opposed Gung So-so’s decision to enter the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon.
It was hard for him to support his precious daughter, whom he had cherished like gold, entering a bloody fray of men caught in a power struggle.
Above all, he himself lacked confidence in the archery skills passed down in his own gate.
But the scene unfolding before his eyes was shattering all of that past.
His daughter, whom he had worried so much about, was dominating the atmosphere using only the gate's archery.
Just then, his eyes met his daughter’s.
His daughter, having defeated all her group members, was now standing alone and proud on the training grounds.
The sight of his daughter smiling brightly and waving at him, her father, was purely moving.
He couldn't take his eyes off her until the next group was called and she stepped down from the training grounds.
But what was this?
As soon as she reached the bottom of the stage, his daughter hugged some big brute of a man.
Then, as if realizing her mistake, she quickly pulled away, her face blushing.
He felt an unknown anger boiling up inside him.
He had originally planned to return to his gate after watching his daughter’s test, but now he felt he had to stay and watch that brute’s test as well.
“Let’s see… Number 1390. I’ll remember that clearly.”
Of course, he didn’t forget the cadet number written on the big brute’s chest.
\* \* \*
Whether it’s a spar, a life-and-death duel, or even a simple game of chance.
Momentum is something that can never be ignored.
As if to prove this, the atmosphere of the grand plaza was now being dominated by the cadets of Maeng Ak’s and Ha Gyeong’s groups, following Gung So-so’s performance.
After Gung So-so came Chang On.
He faced three cadets simultaneously with his unique spearmanship, clearly demonstrating its foundation in the techniques of the Imperial Army.
He didn’t falter against multiple opponents; instead, he overwhelmed them and secured victory.
Next was Do Gwang.
He surprised the audience by using a blade style comparable to Do Cheon-mu’s at the very beginning.
While it might have lacked in power, its domineering aura was not inferior in the slightest.
Ha Gyeong’s group also showed a performance that didn’t lose to Maeng Ak’s group.
In particular, the group leader, Ha Gyeong, left an impression equal to or greater than the three mentioned before.
He displayed a sword style that was far from light for one from a minor gate.
As the sparring matches of several groups concluded and the atmosphere in the grand plaza gradually heightened, the long-awaited Group 24 was finally called.
The first to step onto the training grounds was neither Maeng Ak nor Geom Cheon-ha, but Jo Gwang-uk.
He knew how important it was to seize the atmosphere from the start, so he did everything in his power to draw the crowd’s attention.
“Gwahahaha! The rising star of the Divine Hall of the Latent Demon! Cadet Jo Gwang-uk greets the seniors!”
He boomed, cupping his fist with a voice as large as his frame.
Some frowned at his actions, but he succeeded in capturing most people’s attention.
‘Since I’m in the same group as the Master, becoming the last one standing is out of the question. So, before I’m eliminated, I must clearly establish my worth!’
Contrary to his nickname of ‘muscle-head,’ he was a man who knew how to use his brain.
In fact, before seeing the returned Maeng Ak in person, he had thought he might have a chance.
He had been able to grow by two stages through the homework Maeng Ak had left him over the fortnight.
That short fortnight had been like a fateful encounter for him.
However, that confidence was blown away by the wind the moment he saw Maeng Ak after two weeks.
Just a fortnight ago, Maeng Ak had been about his size or slightly larger, but now they were beyond comparison.
Though their height was still similar, his fists, the thickness of his chest and neck, the sturdiness of his lower body—they were on a different level.
Moreover, he could feel that Maeng Ak's internal energy had also grown through his subtly changed aura.
He was a monster before, but now he had become an indescribable existence.
So, he changed his strategy.
He decided to become the second-in-command, not the final winner.
His target was Geom Cheon-ha.
As it happened, the next cadet to step onto the training grounds was Geom Cheon-ha.
Coincidentally, he was staring intently not at Jo Gwang-uk, but at Maeng Ak, who was still waiting below the stage.
At this sight, Jo Gwang-uk clicked his tongue and muttered.
“Tch, does he need his face shoved into the ground to come to his senses? Let’s see how long he keeps looking up at the sky.”
He was more angered by the fact that Geom Cheon-ha dared to look at his Master than by the fact that he wasn't even considered an opponent.
But conversely, that made it doable.
Usually, those who don't know their place and hold their heads high are the ones who trip on a stone and fall flat on their faces.
Regardless of Jo Gwang-uk's resolve, when Geom Cheon-ha appeared on the training grounds, the crowd reacted with fervent cheers.
They hoped that Geom Cheon-ha would reclaim the momentum lost by the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon.
However, that fervent cheering quickly died down.
It was because of the one cadet who came up to the training grounds last.
*Thud.*
The moment Maeng Ak’s foot touched the floor of the training grounds.
An unidentifiable, sinister energy enveloped the entire grand plaza.
That energy was neither demonic nor killing intent; it was Maeng Ak’s own unique aura.
Yes, one could call it a characteristic of the Divine Arts of the Green Forest Tiger, newly born from wielding demonic energy.
Thanks to this, even the supreme masters in the VIP section, who had shown little reaction even during the spars of the Five Phoenixes, One Dragon, widened their eyes.
They had instinctively realized it.
That Maeng Ak was not a mere cadet, but a predator like themselves.
A sudden, brief silence fell over the grand plaza.
The one who broke it was none other than the Head Instructor.
“Now that all the cadets of Group 24 have come up, we will proceed with the 24th sparring match.”
After setting the stage, he descended from the training grounds, his eyes fixed on Maeng Ak’s back.
Only a fortnight had passed, yet the aura he felt was completely different.
His growth rate was now terrifying. But that was also a source of anticipation.
As soon as he stepped down from the training grounds, he sat in a prime viewing spot known only to the Head Instructor and watched the 24th sparring match.
“I wonder what kind of performance he will show…”