Who... Who Won?
Cho Heun’s face was a mask of uncontained fury. To him, the matter was simple: Bukjin had taken first place in all three segments of the competition, making him the undisputed overall winner. He could not stomach Baek Hae-geum’s blatant attempt to invalidate Bukjin’s achievements and push his own disciple forward under the flimsy pretext of "inflicting intentional injury."
Cho Heun opened his mouth to launch another protest, but Im Gun-hyeon caught his eye and gave a subtle, warning shake of his head. Realizing the weight of the silent command, Cho Heun bit back his words and fell silent. Baek Geum-un, finally snapping out of her daze, looked at Cho Heun with newfound respect. She was genuinely impressed to see him defy the legendary Sword Saint, Baek Hae-geum, all for the sake of Im Bukjin.
"Baek Hae-geum. This is the Night of the Sword Trial. If you have something to say, say it with your blade."
Jeong Sam-seok’s voice drifted down from atop the building. He stood at the highest point, his long hair fluttering in the wind. His hand, emerging from the billowing sleeves of his robe, gripped his sword with unshakable resolve. Bathed in the silver glow of the moon as he looked down upon his opponent, he looked like a figure stepped straight out of a masterpiece painting.
"We shall duel. If you win, you may have your way. If I win, I shall have mine. What say you?"
Jeong Sam-seok’s voice echoed through the night sky. Baek Hae-geum looked momentarily taken aback before erupting into a boisterous laugh.
"Hahaha! I never dreamed that the frail Senior Brother Jeong would ever become so bold! Is this truly the same pathetic wreck I used to know?"
Baek Hae-geum’s form blurred, vanishing from his spot. In the next heartbeat, he was standing on the roof beside Jeong Sam-seok. Perched upon the eaves, a colossal pressure began to radiate from his body. He flashed a cold, mocking smile.
"Very well. Since it seems even a coward like you has found some courage after six years, I shall give you a chance to prove yourself. As you wish, we shall let the sword decide everything."
As he spoke, a powerful aura began to ripple outward from Baek Hae-geum. Mystic Energy of the water attribute, surging like a massive tidal wave, painted the dark sky in shades of deep blue. His energy was so vast it seemed to dye half the heavens, creating the illusion of a great ocean suspended in the air, causing even the moon to lose its luster.
The spectators below felt the air grow heavy and humid. From somewhere, the distant, phantom roar of rushing water reached their ears.
"Let us settle this in a single strike," Jeong Sam-seok said, raising his Sword of Virtue.
"A single strike?" A look of pure contempt crossed Baek Hae-geum’s eyes. "Is your cultivation so meager now that you can no longer perform the White Cloud Triple Link Sword that once overwhelmed us all? Is that why you want to gamble everything on one desperate blow? How truly pathetic..."
Jeong Sam-seok remained expressionless. "You will find out soon enough."
Baek Hae-geum laughed even louder. "Hahaha! I suppose bluster is all that remains for a piece of trash like you. Even if I must face the Sect Leader's wrath later, I will thoroughly dispose of the man who brings shame to our White Cloud City today. I’ll make sure you never dare mention your status as a discarded disciple again!"
"Then draw your sword," Jeong Sam-seok replied calmly.
He brought the sword in his right hand up to his chest. Immediately, an invisible sword intent began to radiate from him in all directions. The emitted energy rippled like flowing water, exuding a formidable pressure. A low, resonant hum—the cry of a blade—vibrated from where Jeong Sam-seok stood.
Seeing this, Baek Hae-geum’s expression finally turned somber. He was one of the Three Great Swordsmen of White Cloud City. He had walked the path of the sword his entire life, and his insight was profound. Though he looked down on his opponent in his heart, he was a man who settled into a state of absolute calm and focus when it came time for a true confrontation. A true predator gave its all even when hunting a rabbit. To a true master of the sword, losing a target due to carelessness was an unthinkable sin.
Baek Hae-geum made a casual, sweeping motion with his hand. Suddenly, a portion of the blue Mystic Energy surrounding him tore away as if it were a solid object, condensing in his palm into a glowing blue longsword.
Bukjin’s heart hammered against his ribs as he watched the display.
A Great Master! To manifest a weapon by condensing Mystic Energy outside the body!
Such an incredible feat was a divine technique that could only be performed by a powerhouse who had reached the Great Master Realm. Baek Hae-geum was a Great Master of the sword! To the people gathered to watch the trial, the Great Master Realm was a mystical, lofty height, akin to looking upon an immortal deity.
Can Master Jeong actually win? Bukjin worried. He felt a pang of regret for having already used his Music app’s buff on himself. If he hadn't, he could have played a song for Jeong Sam-seok to increase his chances of victory.
The young swordsmen and swordswomen, including Song Gyeol-il and Myeong Nak-cheon, looked up at Baek Hae-geum’s divine display with eyes full of envy and reverence. The realm he displayed was the very pinnacle they dreamed of reaching one day.
As expected of one of the Three Great Swordsmen from White Cloud City, the holy land of swordsmanship that shakes the Empire!
He truly earns the title of Sword Saint!
Baek Geum-un unconsciously clasped her hands together, her breath hitching. To any observer, Jeong Sam-seok appeared outmatched. While his aura was strong, the energy he emitted seemed vastly inferior to the Sword Saint’s. It was like comparing the light of a single star to the brilliance of the moon.
"The outcome is already decided," Myeong Won-san remarked flatly.
Atop the government building...
"Jeong Noe, you should accept the fate of a failure. You should give up any hope of ever escaping that deep abyss... Heavenly Sea One Sword!"
Baek Hae-geum finally swung his blade. The blue Mystic Energy filling the sky churned, gathering and compressing at the tip of his sword. The resulting brilliant flash of sword light tore through the air and the moonlight, descending upon Jeong Sam-seok with terrifying speed.
Baek Hae-geum’s strike was a blow that had reached the true Path of the Sword. It was so fast that most of the spectators couldn't even react. It looked as though Jeong Sam-seok would be cut down the very instant the light appeared.
Bukjin’s heart raced. He was on the verge of leaping forward to save his master when it happened.
Something miraculous occurred.
The entire world stopped. It was as if he were looking at a frozen frame of film. To Bukjin’s eyes, Baek Hae-geum’s slash had been too fast to follow. But in that inexplicable moment, a profound silence fell over the world, and every movement before him seemed to grind to a halt.
And then, Jeong Sam-seok moved.
Jeong Sam-seok, who had been holding his sword vertically before his chest, gave the incoming sword light a fleeting glance before executing a lightning-fast thrust. In that instant, a brilliant Mystic Energy unlike anything Bukjin had ever seen began to flow. There were no mysterious or flashy changes in technique. It was a simple, straightforward thrust. A movement so concise and clean it was breathtaking.
Yet, Jeong Sam-seok’s flawless posture was so elegant it felt like watching the movements of a celestial being.
In this very moment, Jeong Sam-seok—the man who had lived in seclusion in the small city of Unmong for over a decade, the man whose reputation had been eroded by the storms of time—was once again radiating a majesty worthy of the name Sword Immortal.
Watching the scene, Bukjin’s heart thundered so loudly he could hear it in his ears.
Why is everything else frozen while Master Jeong is moving normally? The question flashed through Bukjin’s mind.
Then, everything changed in a flash. The frozen world returned to normal. The silver sword light erupting from Jeong Sam-seok’s blade was like the moonlight pouring from a full moon. That brilliant radiance split Baek Hae-geum’s blue sword light clean in half. Carrying its momentum, it flew straight toward Baek Hae-geum.
"W-What?" Baek Hae-geum’s face paled. He sensed instinctively that something had gone horribly wrong. In a desperate panic, blue lights began to flicker across his body. The water-attribute Mystic Energy he released immediately condensed, forming a translucent suit of armor made of pure energy.
The surface of this blue armor rippled with energy, creating profound and intricate patterns. It looked as beautiful and sturdy as armor forged from actual metal. The armor glowed faintly, protecting Baek Hae-geum’s vital points. A Great Master’s cultivation allowed them to create not just weapons, but armor from their energy. This, too, was an essence of martial arts—a combat technique that utilized the subtle applications of Mystic Energy just like swordsmanship.
However, manifesting such a technique required an immense density of energy. Only those who had reached the rank of Great Master could pull it off. As a master of Unmong City, Baek Hae-geum had access to abundant resources, and he had naturally mastered this divine technique. It was a trump card that could preserve one's life in a critical moment.
But his armor was only half-formed when the moonlight-like sword light from Jeong Sam-seok’s blade tore through him.
Baek Hae-geum’s body doubled over like a bent bow. Even the space behind him seemed to be cleaved in two by the silver radiance. The power of Jeong Sam-seok’s single strike pierced through Baek Hae-geum and continued for nearly a thousand feet, carving a path through the night sky before finally scattering and vanishing.
A long, silver scar remained in the sky that had been dyed blue by Baek Hae-geum’s energy. It was a beautiful, haunting sight, as if a lunar deity had descended to the mortal realm and swept across the heavens.
The world was silent. It felt as if everything between heaven and earth had come to a standstill.
And then...
Clink!
The metallic ring of a sword being returned to its scabbard echoed through the air. That sound awakened the frozen world. The Sword of Virtue was back in its sheath. Jeong Sam-seok stood tall, holding his weapon. Only then did the crowd snap out of their daze, as if waking from a dream.
"What... What just happened?"
"That sword light... what was that?"
"Who... Who won?"
The elder swordsmen regained their senses, looking around at each other with expressions of utter shock.
"Huh?" Bukjin found the situation hard to grasp.
What’s going on? Didn't I just see Master Jeong win quite clearly? Why do those old swordsmen look so confused? Did they... did they not actually see the fight?