Heir: Jongchil 10
He focused his mind, surrendering his body to the flow of battle. A familiar sensation rose like a heat haze. Heat ignited from his fingertips, spreading through his body.
KHC Jeonggwon (True Fist)
He swung his fist. It wasn't an ordinary punch. Loaded with dense internal energy, it flew like a speeding car. Jeonggwon maximized the destructive power of a straightforward punch technique—hence its name, True Fist.
Whoooosh!
A sharp fist wind pierced straight ahead. Simple and brutal in its linear path, but the power behind it and its speed were anything but simple. Dodging this would require supreme confidence in one's reflexes.
"Fast!"
Ubi-ja's form flickered. Without panic, he executed a backstep. Had he been careless, even his reflexes couldn't have saved him. Ubi-ja showed no complacency against Jongchil, a first-rate outsider.
The fist sliced through empty air. But KHC didn't end there. With his opposite hand, he unleashed another Jeonggwon. Like a shadow, Jongchil followed Ubi-ja's footsteps, closing the distance.
Yet Ubi-ja mirrored his movements exactly. It wasn't ordinary footwork—clearly Jongnam Sect's martial art. Their gap refused to narrow.
"A tiger-like onslaught! But I can't just take this lying down!"
Ubi-ja's footwork shifted. From pure defense, he switched to offense—after parrying over seven of Jongchil's punches.
His body blurred like a ghost, but Jongchil instantly knew his trajectory. Thanks to Darkness Radar.
Darkness Radar 7Lv (C-grade)
Consumes mana to scan a 70m radius. Range doubles in darkness.
In this confined arena, the skill was omnipotent. Unless the opponent could completely mask their presence—which Ubi-ja almost certainly couldn't—Jongchil could pinpoint him effortlessly.
His fist chased Ubi-ja like a guided missile. Momentum built, amplifying destructive force. Dismay flickered across Ubi-ja's face.
"Your senses are exceptional. Piercing the movements of Gakhumu (Awakened Void Step)."
"Gone after enlightenment? Quite the grandiose name for its performance."
"Merely my shallow attainment. It's a fitting name for Jongnam's footwork."
Ubi-ja's speech lacked the arrogance of typical righteous faction disciples. He was clearly on guard against Jongchil.
One of two things. Cautious by nature, or he heard about me from somewhere... or both?
The only one who could have tipped him off was Namgung Hyeok, the Namgung family's young master.
Namgung Hyeok is wary of me.
Namgung Hyeok wasn't an immediate enemy. And he was direct lineage of the Namgung family. Those were the two reasons Jongchil spared him.
The main one was the second. Killing Namgung direct lineage would burden even his current self. Of course, if Namgung Hyeok came at him with a blade, Jongchil wouldn't hesitate to end him.
No matter how wary he is.
Ubi-ja's Gakhumu footwork was indeed profound. Jongchil pursued like a hunter, but the man's free shifts—left to right, right to left—made landing a clean hit difficult.
Time Acceleration.
Accelerating his body. Overwhelming Ubi-ja's fluid movements with sheer speed.
Time Acceleration 4Lv (A-grade)
Consumes stamina and mana to accelerate personal time by 2x for 40 seconds.
2x acceleration.
In an instant, he boosted his output and stuck to Ubi-ja like glue. The man's leisurely distancing turned desperate. His sword slashed at empty air.
Jongnam's art is the Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords. Its hallmark: heavy, powerful greatswords.
Matchup-wise, heavy swords lost to swift blades. The gap between Jongchil and Ubi-ja was clear, and Ubi-ja hadn't mastered Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords enough to overcome it. At best, five-star attainment.
"Is Jongnam's heavy sword as light as cotton? Disappointing!"
KHC - Mutoe (Martial Hammer)
True KHC - Mutoe (Martial Hammer) 4Lv (C-grade)
Consumes internal energy or mana to unleash a condensed power kick.
The moment he closed in, Jongchil retracted his fist and hammered Ubi-ja's side with a kick. The sword's arc targeted only his punch. Switching from fist to kick was far smoother than wielding a weapon. Ubi-ja had overlooked that.
Even if he hadn't, he couldn't have blocked it.
Pure physical disparity. Ubi-ja's body flew through the air, slamming into the opposite arena wall.
Boom!
"M-My god. Jongnam's Young Hero Ubi-ja couldn't even swing properly..."
"Insane speed. I watched that guy's matches all along, and it wasn't this fast. Hiding his power?"
"Obviously, idiot! Holding back thirty percent is martial artist basics!"
"Not sure if that's his full power, but what a monstrous latecomer!"
Admiration and praise poured toward Jongchil. Mostly from ordinary spectators or nameless warriors. They projected themselves onto him, cheering the nobody who toppled a prestigious sect's prodigy.
Conversely, some faces froze like ice—Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families folk. Especially the Jongnam disciples and elders who'd come to cheer.
"Senior Brother U beaten that easily..."
"Ubi-ja, you fool! Down in one hit!? Get up! You're Jongnam's face!"
At the elder's bellow, Ubi-ja dragged himself up from the wall. Mutoe had smashed his ribs—four broken at least.
He spat crimson blood. Internal injuries. Yet his eyes held no surrender.
Of course.
Falling in one hit at the Yongho Contest?
His reputation would plummet. Jongnam always got middling reviews. Losing to a sectless punk? Infamy forever.
For Ubi-ja and Jongnam alike, defeat was honorable death.
"Cough! I haven't given up!"
"Your grit befits a Nine Great Sects prodigy. But as a prestigious sect disciple, you know grit alone doesn't win fights?"
"Think Jongnam's heavy sword will yield to a rootless savage!?"
His tone shifted. Angry. At his own pathetic showing? Or Jongchil's cheeky barbs?
Doesn't matter. Same result.
Jongchil spread his arms wide.
"Then show me that vaunted Jongnam sword."
Breaking it head-on. This match would headline across Hanam.
"You bastard!!!"
Ubi-ja's face flushed—insulted, rightly so. Jongchil had the power to mock.
Sure, if Jongnam ganged up seriously, it'd hurt. But then he'd wage a PR war.
Can't let mid-tier sects like Jongnam—not even staples like Huashan, Wudang, or Namgung—strut over me.
Like other martial artists, Jongchil dismissed Jongnam.
Serious-faced onlookers, arms crossed, chimed in.
"Such composure. But after that display, it makes sense."
"Where'd this monster come from?"
"This is the martial world. Hidden masters are as common as pines on Green Mountain."
"Kihahat! Now this is Yongho Contest!"
Ubi-ja's sword trembled—tiny, sluggish movements. He couldn't properly wield his heavy blade.
Novels describe true heavy sword as feather-light in form, yet tsunami-strong.
A woman's gait, a southern sea's rage.
Had Ubi-ja grasped true heavy sword, even now Jongchil couldn't face him. He'd rank with righteous faction leaders, not as a latecomer.
"This is Thirty-Six Heavenly Swords!"
Ubi-ja drew. Blue sword aura cloaked the blade, vibrating mysteriously. Ripples from it shook the space, dominating all directions—aimed at Jongchil.
The sword aura was slow. Even without Time Acceleration, easy to dodge.
Ideally, unleash it point-blank to hit.
Big flaw here. If the foe outsped you, you'd eat your own attack before finishing.
To stay safe, widen the gap. But then you can't attack. Heavy sword's innate limit.
No—Ubi-ja's limit.
Deep heavy sword mastery lets you match faster foes.
Slowness surpassing speed.
Heavy sword's essence. Ubi-ja hadn't grasped it.
Jongchil knew only from novels, not truly.
Just how it's described.
Anyway, Ubi-ja's attack was dodgeable. But Jongchil chose to shatter it head-on. Only crushing Jongnam sword directly would boost his fame more.
KHC - Gachuk (Foot Kick)
Left foot anchored deep into the ground. Body spun clockwise, loading rotation into his right leg.
Gachuk, used dozens, hundreds of times. Its essence swirled unconsciously in his mind.
He could unleash it fast or slow.
Each had pros. Slow Gachuk: steel-hard, ponderous—like Ubi-ja's heavy sword.
Whirrrrr!
Air gathered around his internal energy-charged right foot. He thrust at the sluggishly approaching sword aura. Slow Gachuk.
BOOM!
Sword aura clashed with foot wind. Heavy on heavy. Ears rang from the deafening blast. Explosive gusts from the center whipped ferocious winds, shredding clothes.
Internal energy users raised their own to shield ears. Others screamed, clutching theirs. Like a bomb blast—naturally agonizing.
"Urk!"
Ubi-ja yielded in power. His body crumpled against the wall again—this time unconscious.
"Bi-ja!"
Jongnam retainers gaped in disbelief. Harsh reality stared back. The verdict: Jongchil's victory.
"Th-the winner is Jongchil!"
The announcer declared. Thunderous cheers erupted.