Chapter 40
Chapter 40
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Those Taking the Fourth Test (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Do Gwang had once told me himself that he had lived with a saber in his hand since childhood.
To him, the saber was not a mere weapon, but his only friend and family.
Until a man who took an interest in him took him in, he was closer to a saber than a person.
Of course, after being taken in by that man, he learned to read and write and began to socialize with others.
Though after that man’s death, the closest thing to him once again became the saber, not a person.
In any case, was that the reason?
His saber techniques were different from other, more formalized styles.
Watching him wield the saber, it was as if he and the blade had become one.
Of course, he had not reached a high state like the Unity of Sword and Self.
It was just that his raw style was remarkably natural.
A natural rawness had many advantages. The unpredictable movement of the saber was the greatest example.
But conversely, it also had many drawbacks.
He had wasteful movements and poor control over his strength.
So while he had his own unique quality, his limits were clear.
It was difficult to overcome formalized saber techniques that had been refined over decades.
But now, in this grand plaza, with so many people watching, he had surpassed his own limits.
His opponent was Do Sa-cho, the second-strongest martial artist in the Demonic Cult who used a formalized saber style.
Yet, he didn't seem to be at a disadvantage against him at all.
It was all thanks to the new internal art he had learned from Maeng Ak.
When his naturally raw saber style met that internal art, its weaknesses vanished, and its strengths were maximized.
As a result, every spectator in the grand plaza thought the same thing as they watched Do Gwang.
‘The second-best saber user in the Cult is no longer Do Sa-cho, but Do Gwang…!’
Everyone felt it.
Even Do Sa-cho himself, who was facing him.
He became certain of it when the fourth technique he had just unleashed was easily blocked.
‘The time has come for me to step down from the second seat.’
Just then, Do Gwang's attack, which would put an end to his certainty, flew toward him.
*CRACK!*
A saber had clearly clashed with a saber, yet it sounded as if an explosive had detonated.
A cloud of dust rose from the center of the training ground where the two saber masters had collided.
The view was obscured.
But everyone watching already knew the outcome of the match.
A broken blade was stuck upside down in the corner of the training ground.
The three characters for Do Sa-cho were engraved on it.
*Fwoosh!*
Just in time, the sound of a saber slicing through the air came from within the dust cloud, and the wind it generated blew the dust away.
Naturally, the scene revealed on the training ground was just as everyone had expected.
Do Sa-cho was on one knee, his broken saber driven into the ground.
And standing before him was Do Gwang, not looking at the defeated man, but gazing at a single point elsewhere.
Cheers erupted.
“Woooooah!”
The meaning behind the cheers varied.
Congratulations for a cadet who had successfully completed the fourth test.
Anticipation for a rising star who had brought a new wind to the Cult.
Admiration for a cadet who was not part of the Five Heavenly Pillar Gates or the Cult Leader's Palace achieving such a feat.
Well, whatever it was, it wasn't very important to Do Gwang himself.
The man standing at the end of his gaze.
His acknowledgment was hundreds of times more important to him than such cheers.
‘My Lord… thanks to you, I was able to surpass my limits once again. But the question of whether I can still be of help to you remains unanswered.’
A sense of longing could be felt in his eyes as he looked at Maeng Ak.
But for now, all he could do was offer a respectful fist-and-palm salute.
*Swoop.*
To avoid drawing the crowd's attention to his lord, he gave a short and swift salute before descending from the stage.
Maeng Ak, who had been watching him, murmured with a pleased smile.
“The kid’s grown in more than just martial arts.”
He felt that the boy, who had once been a hot-headed youth overflowing with fighting spirit like Jo Gwang-uk, had now become a respectable young man.
With that pleasant thought, he checked the next turn.
“Oh, is it So-so?”
The cadet taking the fourth test after Do Gwang would likely feel immense pressure.
But if it was So-so, there was no need to worry.
She wasn't foolish enough to let pressure hinder her from displaying her true skills.
“That aside, why are they so late?”
Maeng Ak thought of the Great Guardian and Elder No, whom he had left to handle the cleanup.
The Cult Leader and the Great Elder, both masters of the Transcendent Realm, were not easy opponents, but it wouldn't be strange for those two to have finished and returned by now.
“Hmm, should I go check?”
Life never goes as planned.
He didn't want to miss So-so's test, but if those two were delayed any longer, it surely meant something had happened, and he needed to check.
Just as he was about to turn his back.
He felt a presence approaching from a distance.
“Took them long enough. Tsk.”
It seemed the Cult Leader and the Great Elder had put up a more stubborn fight than expected.
It made sense; their greed was nauseating.
‘Their attachment to life would have been greater, not less.’
He tried to be understanding in his own way.
Just then, the Great Guardian and Elder No arrived.
The two, understanding Maeng Ak's intention of hiding among the crowd, approached with their presences concealed and offered a simplified salute as they spoke.
“We have returned after carrying out the Heavenly Demon’s command.”
“Is that so? Well done.”
“……!”
It was just a simple phrase, "well done," uttered casually while making eye contact.
But that single phrase moved the two masters, who could be called absolute experts, to their core.
‘How can he be so merciful…!’
In truth, when the Great Guardian and Elder No had witnessed the legendary Heavenly Demon's Royal Descent firsthand, they had seen in Maeng Ak the image of the ruthless Heavenly Demon described by the Orthodox Martial World.
After all, he had killed nearly a hundred martial artists in an instant without a shred of hesitation.
But they were wrong.
Hearing the words "well done," they reconsidered, and he seemed more like a virtuous ruler.
He had forgiven and embraced them, who could have been considered his enemies, in one fell swoop, and he believed their words that they had carried out his command without a hint of suspicion.
‘What immense magnanimity.’
It was as if he were saying that even if they harbored thoughts of betrayal, they couldn't possibly harm him.
And on top of that, "well done."
He was a figure unheard of in the Demonic Cult, a den of demonic individuals.
The strength to annihilate a hundred lives, and the grace to embrace and acknowledge those who were once his enemies.
He was truly worthy of being called the Heavenly Demon.
As they were so moved, building loyalty in their hearts, Maeng Ak thought of his next command.
‘There’s still a lot of time before the fourth test ends. It’s too early to reveal them and seize control. In that case…’
I took a step closer to the Great Guardian and Elder No and spoke quietly.
“Until the fourth test is over, you two will investigate the Windless Killing Curtain that has taken root in our Cult.”
“……!”
The two men’s eyes widened at the mention of the Windless Killing Curtain from Maeng Ak’s lips.
But they did not question him.
Before they left, Maeng Ak offered a piece of advice.
“It will be faster if you first find a fat, middle-aged man who walks around with something like red seasoning on his mouth.”
“As you command!”
With those words, the two vanished again.
Thanks to them, I could now focus on So-so’s fourth test, which was just beginning.
As seen in the dueling arena, So-so’s martial arts had improved by leaps and bounds since meeting Maeng Ak.
So he was curious to see how powerful her current skills were, now that the Divine Tiger Arts had been incorporated.
‘How far can she go with archery, which has clear limitations?’
The reason archery had clear limitations compared to other weapons?
It was simple.
As a martial artist’s realm deepens, their senses become sharper, and they can increase the hardness of their body.
This meant the advantages of a bow gradually diminish, while its disadvantages remain.
That was why renowned archers usually poured their efforts into light-foot techniques to maintain distance.
But So-so, who had learned the Divine Tiger Arts, had no need for that.
Closing the distance was no longer a disadvantageous situation for her.
Of course, the only ones who knew this were Maeng Ak and those who had trained with her: Do Gwang, Jo Gwang-uk, Ha Gyeong, and Chang On.
So when she chose a pugilist as her opponent, jeers erupted from the audience.
“Tch, she calls herself an archer, yet she picks a pugilist, for whom distance is the biggest disadvantage.”
“She must be desperate, so it can't be helped.”
Although there were some remarks that seemed to understand her situation, in the cold light of day, it was nothing but pity, which was of no help to a martial artist.
‘If she can overcome this public opinion in this fourth test, she will earn the right to become one of the few renowned archers.’
It was a test that promised to be as exciting and fun as the ones before it.
But So-so's opponent didn't seem to think so.
***
‘How dare she pick me? I’ll make her regret it to her bones!’
From his perspective, it felt like the delicate female cadet was looking down on him simply because he was a pugilist.
As an archer, she could gain an overwhelming advantage in distance against him.
But he had no intention of being an easy target.
Closing the distance was something he, as a pugilist, had been doing as a matter of course.
The time to prove it had finally arrived.
*BOOM!*
With the signal that started the test, he kicked off the ground with force.
His plan was to close the distance instantly at the start, giving her no chance at all.
But what was this?
In the brief moment he was airborne, five arrows flew at him.
‘Rapid fire!’
And they were arrows imbued with aura.
He almost died right then and there, turning into a porcupine in mid-air.
He barely managed to dig one foot into the ground, change direction, and unleash his fist aura.
*Bang, bang, bang, bang!*
The swiftly flying fist aura met the aura-infused arrows in mid-air, and they exploded.
He tried to use this opportunity to close the distance again.
But his opponent employed a completely unexpected tactic.
“Hyaaaap!”
Despite being an archer, she was closing the distance on him.
“You fool!”
He was infuriated.
He showed no mercy, extending his fist aura toward her core.
He had no doubt that once this moment passed, victory would be his.
But the result was the opposite.
“Kuaaargh!”
She had flown towards him, pulled an arrow from her quiver, and used it as a weapon to pierce my shoulder.
Her speed was so fast that his eyes couldn't follow it.
Moreover, that arrow was imbued with aura.
The speed of her energy circulation was unbelievable.
Think about it. She had fired five aura-infused arrows in rapid succession, then stomped forward to close the distance, and then attacked again with an aura-infused arrow.
It was a combination that even he, a close-combat specialist, would be hesitant to perform unless he had practiced it as a formal technique.
Yet, an archer had displayed such a move.
“I have lost…”
Her skill was undeniable.
“Woooooah!”
Just like in the previous tests, cheers erupted from the audience once again.
This time, too, they were for the challenger.
“Keuk.”
It was humiliating.
He didn't care about the cheers.
What was humiliating was the attitude of the woman who had achieved such a splendid victory against him.
‘Where is she looking…?’
As soon as the test was over, she turned her eyes to a corner of the stands.
She hadn't been paying attention to her opponent from the start.
Then, he heard her small murmur.
“My Lord, did you see?”