Chapter 48
Chapter 48
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Pa-sun vs. Kang-in
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The second duel was much the same. This similarity meant the martial prowess of the participants was just that high.
There were connoisseurs who had attended every Divine Dragon Assembly since its inception, and they all agreed that the level of this year's event far surpassed any before it.
And then came the third duel.
“The next match is Pa-sun of the Heavenly Dance Family versus Kang-in of the Red Demon Pavilion!”
Hearing Gu Yeom’s announcement, Pa-sun strode confidently onto the dueling stage. In contrast, Kang-in’s expression was somewhat stiff.
The tournament bracket was as follows.
Third duel, Pa-sun versus Kang-in.
Sixth duel, Un-pyo versus Wi Gun-seong.
Seventh duel, Baek Mu-heun versus Ak Jin-sam.
It was as if someone had arranged it deliberately, the Heavenly Dance Family versus the Red Demon Pavilion, a structure that seemed to harbor a certain malice.
Pa-sun, who had arrived on the stage via skiff, held the spear he had received from the Blade Leaf Demon. The black shaft was adorned with a white, thorn-like pattern, and at one end, the cold-forged steel spearhead reflected the light.
The image of the servant Jang-bong was gone without a trace. Holding the spear was Pa-sun, a respectable master of the peak realm.
Pa-sun harbored the heart of a warrior, determined to win no matter the opponent, and he tightened his grip on the spear.
‘I’ve sparred countless times with the Azure Dragon Unit’s commanders to prepare for this duel.’
Coincidentally, his opponent was Kang-in of the Red Demon Pavilion. As the two faced off, Gu Yeom asked.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Gu Yeom, the Family Head of the Pagongseong Family who was presiding over the match, did not particularly like the Red Demon Pavilion. No, it was closer to enmity. This was because the Red Demon Pavilion had played a significant role in the decline of the Pagongseong Family.
Despite this, the Red Demon Pavilion was shameless. They demanded that if the family wished to survive, they must offer up their remaining talented individuals. And so, year after year, those who had trained in martial arts within the family were taken away as pawns for the Red Demon Pavilion.
Among them was a nephew who had eagerly wagged his tail and gone over to the Red Demon Pavilion. His name was Gu Cheong.
Not long ago, he had heard news of Gu Cheong’s death.
He had been decapitated in Blade Leaf Valley, his body melted by a poison energy art, making it impossible to even find his corpse.
‘Foolish boy.’
Gu Cheong died because he was a fool.
However, blood was still blood. The way Gu Yeom looked at Pa-sun, Un-pyo, and Mu-heun could not be favorable.
“Let the duel begin!”
But one must distinguish between public and private matters.
For now, his role here was paramount, so he began to focus his mind.
With his shout, the third duel began.
Pa-sun turned his body to the side, lowered his stance, and aimed the tip of his spear at his opponent, ready to thrust it out at any moment.
Kang-in raised his weapon, the Demon-Marking Saber, and imbued it with saber energy. Then, he recalled the words of Won Ju-ryong, the Vice Pavilion Lord of the Red Demon Pavilion.
[ That bastard Pa-sun was originally a servant. It seems he used some unorthodox method to get strong quickly, but he lacks experience.
As long as you don't let your guard down, you should be able to win easily.
Predict his movements and use as many unconventional attacks as possible.
The Pavilion Lord is a cruel man. If you lose in the first round, there's no telling what punishment he will mete out. You must win. ]
Kang-in had heard from Won Ju-ryong that their martial prowess was at the level of the early peak realm.
In that case, he would unleash a powerful frontal assault from the very beginning.
‘I’ll throw an obvious move to bait him into dodging, then predict his next action and finish him.’
“Red Demon Nine Sabers, First Form. Crimson Wave.”
Kang-in swung his saber down, and the red energy imbued in the descending blade soon became a single wave, flying toward Pa-sun.
It was a truly obvious attack.
Pa-sun predicted the course of Kang-in’s attack and could have dodged it. No, any ordinary warrior would have dodged it.
Kang-in, having launched the crimson wave, anticipated this and prepared his next attack. But Pa-sun did not dodge.
The flowing wave was just like that of an opponent he had repeatedly sparred with.
It was the Flowing Water Sword of Ho-ryang, a commander of the Azure Dragon Unit.
The sword of Ho-ryang, which Pa-sun constantly pictured in his mind.
‘Will I follow the gentle wave, or will I defy the natural order and forge my own path?’
The answer was already decided.
Internal energy swirled like a storm in Pa-sun’s hands, condensing, and he compressed all that power into a single point at the tip of his spear.
A sublime, rotating spear thrust that could pierce through waves crashed into the oncoming Crimson Wave.
“Pa-sun Demonic Arts. Wave Piercer.”
The compressed energy erupted into a violent storm in an instant, stretching out and beginning to pulverize the fiercely surging wave.
Like a great tempest piercing through a crimson tide, the fierce storm created by Pa-sun broke through the Crimson Wave and surged toward Kang-in.
“……!”
Kang-in, who had been preparing the next move after Crimson Wave, was caught off guard by Pa-sun’s unexpected attack and quickly switched to a defensive stance.
“Hah, Red Demon Nine Sabers, Fourth Form. Crimson Rock!”
As he had been preparing his next attack, Kang-in couldn't dodge in time and swung his saber, filled with internal energy, straight ahead.
In front of him, a rock, similar to the crimson wave but denser and more solid, rose up.
*CRASH!*
Pa-sun’s fierce spear thrust pierced through the entire crimson wave before striking the Crimson Rock.
Kang-in’s Crimson Rock managed to block the Wave Piercer, but the shockwave from its shattering sent him staggering back a full zhang.
Not missing the opening, Pa-sun used his footwork to close the distance quickly and unleashed a flurry of strikes, imbuing his spear with demonic energy.
*Clang-clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*
A series of strikes created by referencing the Thunderstorm Spear of Jin-guk. Its name was Wave-Piercing Thunderstorm.
Kang-in was defending with his wave-like saber techniques, but the spear’s sharpness surged relentlessly like a chain of lightning strikes, and he seemed to be struggling just to parry the unceasing thrusts.
*Pshk!*
Soon, red blood flowed from Kang-in’s shoulder and side. He judged that if this continued, his whole body would be riddled with holes, and he quickly devised his next move.
“Th… Red Demon Nine Sabers, Ninth Form! Crimson Thread!”
Kang-in unleashed Crimson Thread, the most powerful ultimate technique he possessed.
In an instant, a dozen red lines created by the crimson saber closed in on Pa-sun as if to bind him.
Just then, Pa-sun stomped down with both feet, hard enough to shatter the ground.
*BOOM!*
The force he gained from shattering the dueling stage floor traveled from his legs, through his waist, to his arms, and into the spear. Pa-sun added rotational force to that power.
“Revolving Spear!”
It was a strange spear technique that involved rotating the spear as he thrusted.
This was Pa-sun's own unique technique, created by absorbing the wind of Un-pyo, the flowing water of Ho-ryang, and the lightning of Jin-guk from his sparring partners.
The tip of the spear rotated, slicing through all the lines of red saber energy and piercing through Kang-in’s wave as well.
*CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!*
Then, with incredible speed, it reached Kang-in himself.
*BAM!*
“Cough!”
Kang-in’s thigh and calf were pierced, deep gashes were left on his shoulder and arm, and finally, a blow to the chest sent him flying backward.
Red blood gushed from the fallen Kang-in’s mouth.
Not missing the opportunity, Pa-sun approached Kang-in to deliver the final blow.
“Stop.”
Gu Yeom stepped in between them to mediate and declared Pa-sun’s victory.
“The winner is Pa-sun of the Heavenly Dance Family!”
It had all happened so quickly that a brief silence followed Gu Yeom’s declaration of victory.
But soon, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth.
“Waaaaaah!”
The spectators, delighted by the spectacular duel, raised their voices.
The distinguished guests in the Sun and Moon Hall were also enjoying the duel, but among them, there was one who was not.
It was Hwang Cheol-ung, the Lord of the Red Demon Pavilion.
“These… worthless bastards.”
Kang-in, though coughing up blood, struggled to get up. He knew that if he collapsed here, he had no idea what punishment the Red Demon Pavilion Lord would inflict upon him.
But Gu Yeom stopped him.
“I-I’m not done yet. I can still fight.”
“No, you’ve lost. We don’t have time, get down!”
Gu Yeom spoke firmly, and the third duel ended with Pa-sun’s victory.
As Pa-sun returned to the waiting room, it still didn't feel real. He was astonished by his own progress.
‘I’ve become unbelievably strong.’
He knew very well that it was all because he had followed Baek Mu-heun. Thus, he couldn't help but express his gratitude.
Seeing Mu-heun welcoming him in the waiting room, Pa-sun said.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“Well done. You truly are talented.”
Mu-heun was once again surprised by Pa-sun’s ability to learn.
‘I’ve got myself a good subordinate.’
“It is all thanks to your excellent teaching, my lord. However, I do have one concern.”
“What is it?”
“I was thinking about what position I should take in the future, now that I’m becoming too strong.”
“……”
‘He gets arrogant in an instant. What am I going to do with this guy...’
* * *
And so, the fourth and fifth duels passed, and it was time for the sixth.
Un-pyo boarded the skiff with his great saber, and Pa-sun cheered him on, telling him to do well.
His opponent was Wi Gun-seong, also from the Red Demon Pavilion.
‘How very coincidental.’
It was as if someone was deliberately instigating a fight between the Red Demon Pavilion and the Heavenly Dance Family.
‘A bracket with such a clear intention, but things will not go your way.’
Coming out for the duel and facing Un-pyo, Wi Gun-seong was utterly bewildered.
Everything was so different from what Won Ju-ryong, the Vice Pavilion Lord of the Red Demon Pavilion, had said just before the Divine Dragon Assembly. The man named Pa-sun had been completely different, and he couldn't even imagine what this Un-pyo would be like.
Won Ju-ryong had also warned him that Un-pyo was the strongest of the three and to be careful.
‘At this point, all that information is useless.’
Pa-sun had been a formidable warrior, but the Fourth Young Master, Baek Mu-heun, was far from being a scoundrel; he was a monster whom he couldn't even begin to fathom how to defeat.
And… the man before him, Un-pyo, also looked strong.
‘What should I do….’
Just then, Gu Yeom asked.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then let the duel begin!”
As soon as Gu Yeom announced the start of the duel, the two men kicked off the ground and charged.
*BOOM!*
Un-pyo rushed forward, swinging his massive great saber mercilessly, and Wi Gun-seong countered with the Red Demon Nine Sabers.
At first, their martial prowess seemed evenly matched, but soon, Un-pyo’s powerful great saber, Black Cloud, began to overwhelm Wi Gun-seong’s saber. With his solid internal energy and abundant combat experience, Un-pyo’s great saber made Wi Gun-seong’s saber seem shabby in comparison.
The spectators chattered as they watched Un-pyo’s match.
“L-Look at that! Another warrior from the Heavenly Dance Family is overwhelming one from the Red Demon Pavilion!”
“You’re right. It happened before, and this time it seems even more one-sided.”
“The Heavenly Dance Family is completely different from before, that's for sure.”
“They’ve changed. I guess the Cult Leader had his reasons for taking the Fourth Young Master of the Heavenly Dance Family as his sixth disciple.”
“As expected of the Cult Leader!”
Here and there, the Heavenly Dance Family was being re-evaluated, and though not directly related, the Cult Leader’s insight was praised.
Meanwhile, the Red Demon Pavilion Lord’s expression grew more distorted, and the Mon'o Pavilion Lord swallowed a gloating laugh.
But the one in the worst predicament was Wi Gun-seong. As the exchange continued, Un-pyo’s great saber felt heavier and heavier, and he found it difficult to even block the attacks.
As the battle continued in this vein, Wi Gun-seong sensed a crisis.
‘This… unless it’s someone at Senior Brother Ak Jin-sam’s level, I can’t win.’
Just then, Un-pyo swung his saber down again.
“Saber Wind Cleaves the Earth!”
*CRASH!*
“Keuk!”
‘If I lose this one too, neither Kang-in nor I will survive. I have no choice. This is no time to be picky!’
Wi Gun-seong decided to break the Red Demon Pavilion’s prohibition.
He checked the red powder in his robes.
What he had decided on was,
The Red-Eyed Blood Heavenly Demon Art.
It was a demonic art forbidden outside of wartime, as its side effects were more severe than ordinary demonic arts and could damage one’s mind.