Chapter 102
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Holding the Ten in the 10 vs 1 Legend
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If it had been a tournament format, I would have naturally taken the win, but with all sixty competing at once, it was only natural to try dragging down the strong ones first.
That meant the odds of attacks pouring my way from the start were extremely high.
On top of that, only the final victor would claim the Azure Purity Pill. It was purely an individual battle.
If I'd known in advance, I could have prepared some countermeasures, but with everyone losing their minds over the pill, I couldn't expect any favoritism or help from my fellow sect members.
Those focused on "Mount Hua winning" might lend me a hand if they were sharp enough, but those fixated on "claiming the Azure Purity Pill" would try to knock me out early.
And from what I could see, my senior brothers included more dullards than sharp ones.
'Haha, we're screwed.'
Letting out a chuckle, I glanced around at the guys suddenly thrown into this free-for-all. As expected, the ones I'd marked as threats had finished calculating their futures and wore stiff expressions.
To make matters worse, all weapons were standardized wooden swords. They were even robbing my Millennia Cold Iron Snowy Plum Blossom Sword of its chance to shine!
Swinging the issued wooden sword around a few times, I could only smack my lips in regret.
A heavy tension settled over the sparring arena where sixty had gathered. Probing glares flew back and forth in quick flashes.
Piiik—! The signal for the bout to begin rang out, and as eyes flooded toward me, I tightened my grip on my sword and snickered.
"That's why too much popularity is exhausting."
"You seem awfully relaxed, Senior Brother."
Biryung, standing beside me, assumed his stance and shot back dryly.
"...This is the first time I've seen a scarier sight than when you used to charge at us yelling for real combat practice, Senior Brother."
Bihwan, guarding my other side, muttered in a drained voice as he eyed a group charging my way with a rumble.
These two were the sharp ones from Mount Hua, oddly enough.
"Got to at least pretend to be relaxed."
I lightly dodged a thrust aimed at my vital and swung short at the attacker's wrist. One down.
Without even giving him time to ready his sword properly, I followed up with a feint from my martial arts, clashing blades directly. Two down.
"That's how you seize the initiative."
Paak! My toe kicked the wrist clutching the sword that had been clashing with mine. Three down.
In the time it took him to speak two sentences, three were out. Add in the ones Biryung and Bihwan took down, and that made five.
"Sorry, Senior Brother! I'll be taking the Azure Purity Pill!"
"You clueless, tactless bastard!"
Bihwan bellowed at Bihun, who brushed past him to lunge at me.
Someone blocked Bihun's path as he thrust his sword my way. Too busy parrying attacks pouring from all directions to glance away, I couldn't see who.
"Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten."
I could guess the opponent from Bihun's voice boiling with fighting spirit.
"I still owe you for something."
"Was it?"
The calm reply turned my guess to certainty.
"I still can't forget that defeat from eight years ago."
"Don't read too much into it. That spar with you meant nothing to me. It's burdensome when you one-sidedly assign meaning like that."
Baek Geon spat back with a sneer. Bihun bared his teeth at the dry words.
"Ha, you damn bastard... I'll make sure you're out today."
"Too bad. I have my reasons for needing to survive to the end."
Only seeing him put on airs around me, this side felt unfamiliar.
Catching a breather, I looked around to see the next-highest threat after Baek Geon—the Wudang Sect's senior disciple—back-to-back with Baekyun, fending off a Mount Hua group.
I smirked at the pack circling me, probing for openings, roughly eight from Wudang to two from Mount Hua.
"Biyeong, Bidam. That desperate for the Azure Purity Pill?"
"Of course! It's the Azure Purity Pill."
Biyeong replied brightly, while Bidam nodded in agreement beside her.
"Confident?"
"Not in a one-on-one, but in this 10 vs 1 situation? Yeah."
Bidam replied timidly. Even I couldn't break through a 10 vs 1, she seemed to think.
Yeah, she's right. Even I would struggle against 10 vs 1.
Not third-rate scrubs, but second-rate or better who'd gripped swords since childhood, trained in orthodox arts, and older than me to boot.
Biryung and Bihwan were tied up handling their own attackers, unable to aid me.
"Who said it's 10 vs 1?"
I curled my lips up in a grin, and the two who knew what it meant flinched.
I spared a brief glance at Bihun trudging out of the arena, picking up his fallen sword, then proposed to the one approaching my side.
"Temporary alliance, what do you say?"
Baek Geon, smiling with crinkled eyes, shot back slyly.
"Lifelong alliance sounds good too."
"Sorry, but there's only one winner. Our alliance is doomed to break eventually."
Whether you drop first, or we two face off at the end.
"Senior Brother! This is betrayal!"
Baek Geon sneered at the Wudang disciple yelling at him.
"What's the betrayal? There's only one winner anyway."
Quoting what I'd said, he met my glance and winked.
Attacks poured toward me and Baek Geon as we naturally stood back-to-back. Looks like even today, the 10 vs 1 legend won't happen.
Biyeong deployed lightness skill to claim my left flank and thrust straight in.
"According to my keen observation, Senior Brother always has weak left-side defense! You usually cover it with overwhelming attacks that need no guard, but in a situation where you can't go all-out—"
"Oh, really? Thanks for the tip."
So my left defense is weak, huh. Come to think of it, Namgung Seheon had persistently targeted it during our last bout.
Thanks to her, I now know what to fix.
Paak! Using my height advantage, I smashed down hard sideways on Biyeong's wooden sword from above. The impact made her reflexively loosen her grip, and the sword flew from her hand to the ground.
"Hing...."
"You're eighteen, and you're hing-ing?"
"It's hing."
Seeing Biyeong eliminated, Bidam quickly backed away.
"Then I'll go take down the 10 vs 1 legend now!"
She swiftly joined the group targeting the Wudang senior disciple. Were you one of the ten...? But that's 10 vs 2 over there with Baekyun.
After about fifteen minutes of frantic swordplay,
"Oh, it's gotten pretty empty."
Unlike before, when it was so crowded any wild swing hit someone, the arena now stood vacant.
Five remained.
Me, Biryung, the Wudang senior disciple, Baek Geon, Baekyun.
All top contenders who'd drawn heavy aggro, leaving us fairly drained from handling the mobs.
"Want to draw up our own bracket?"
Better than piling on the top favorite like me. I nodded briskly at the Wudang senior disciple's suggestion.
"I'll take on Baekyun."
Biryung spoke first, glaring coldly at Baekyun, who nodded readily. The Wudang senior strode my way, beckoning Baek Geon.
"Then I'll face Biyeon, so you get a bye, Baek Geon."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
On numbers and bracket alone, Wudang had the edge with three left and one advancing by bye.
"Sorry. I'll go all-out. Can't hand the Azure Purity Pill to another sect."
"Yeah, thanks in advance for the Azure Purity Pill."
The Wudang senior disciple, looking quite dumbfounded at my thanks, launched into his forms. His swordplay flowed smoothly like swimming fish, packing surprising power when clashed directly.
Come to think of it, first time facing someone five years older.
Unlike our childhood days, we'd all mastered advanced martial arts now, and the resulting physique gap made it no easy match.
But I'd overcome size differences sparring against huge guys like Bi-gak!
Parrying his relentless barrage, I too deployed the 24 Plum Blossom Sword Techniques. Without sword qi yet, I couldn't fully mimic illusions, but the myriad changes were enough to disrupt his blade.
After several exchanges, the victor emerged.
"Not undeserved as young senior brother. Still, yield the pill."
"N-No thanks."
I stuck out my tongue, and he chuckled, patted my back lightly, picked up his fallen sword, and exited the arena.
Soon, Biryung and Baekyun's bout also ended with a winner and loser.
The tide had turned. One Wudang, two Mount Hua. Or not, seeing Biryung barely standing after forfeiting from exhaustion.
As Biryung left the arena drained from overexertion, only Baek Geon and I remained in the vast space.
"Got a question. What's that 'reason you must survive to the end' you mentioned to Bihwan?"
Forming a sword seal with my left hand, I asked. Baek Geon laughed softly, like he'd heard what he wanted.
"Two reasons. I'll tell you one after this bout ends. The other..."
Whoosh, I twisted my waist to dodge his thrust and slashed upward. My sword tip grazed his chin by a hair.
Still ducking my blade, Baek Geon leaned in and whispered sweetly in my ear.
"I'll tell you if you lose to me."
"Looks like the other one's staying a mystery forever. My life's on the line here, after all."
Lose here, and I'd really have to go back to Mount Hua chanting that I died. Especially with final five being two Mount Hua and three Wudang.