What Did I Do Wrong?

"There's no time," Wang Hyeong-yeo said. "Let's decide this with a single move."

Bukjin calmed his mind and spoke with a serious expression. "Alright."

Bukjin decided not to hide his true abilities any longer. He activated the Reverse Blood Qi Burst Technique.

Immediately, a faint bloody hue began to swirl within the blue water-attribute Hyeongi that surrounded Bukjin's body.

This was a phenomenon that occurred when Bukjin used Reverse Blood to forcibly vaporize the boiling internal fluids and expel them through his pores, creating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a mist of blood that then mixed with his Hyeongi.

Earlier, during the cauldron-lifting test, Bukjin was limited by the absolute amount of Hyeongi he possessed, only able to trigger the Reverse Blood without fully activating the Qi Burst, yet even that had emitted a faint red glow.

What Bukjin had just unleashed was the complete Reverse Blood Qi Burst Technique, encompassing both the Reverse Blood and Qi Burst processes perfectly.

The blue Hyeongi that enveloped Bukjin's body within a three-meter radius instantly mixed with the crimson mist, creating an alluring and bizarre color. This was one of the reasons why the Reverse Blood Qi Burst Technique was considered a forbidden art. It was truly a technique that consumed one's own blood.

"It feels like the small universe inside me is exploding," Bukjin muttered softly.

Then, Bukjin slowly raised the Deokgeom in his hand and spoke in a clear voice.

"The move I'm about to perform is called Azure Sea Tide Birth, a technique passed down by the Sea Race. Since this is my first time performing it, I cannot gauge its full power. Fellow student Wang, please be careful!"

Wang Hyeong-yeo's beautiful eyes gleamed as she replied.

"Alright. The move I will perform is called Fire on the Prairie. I, too, have never performed it since receiving it from my master. Fellow student Im, be careful!"

"The data! Bring me the data on that girl!" the vice principal of the Imperial Junior Academy, Wang Yeo-ui, said in an urgent voice.

Her adjutant quickly handed her the documents. Wang Yeo-ui glanced at the data, then tore it apart with both hands, saying angrily, "Is this what the Unmong City Education Office calls data? It's as ridiculous as an advertisement flyer rolling on the street! Why did no one tell me Wang Hyeong-yeo possesses two Hyeongi attributes?"

Immediately, the voice of On Dal-im, the vice principal of the 1st Coastal Junior Academy, was heard from beside her.

"That child is mine. I will definitely bring her to our academy. If anyone tries to take that girl from me, I will not stand idly by! Quickly! Contact her family and offer a full scholarship!"

But she was not the only one reacting this way.

"Tell them we'll assign any faculty they want!"

"We must persuade them that we can accept any demands!"

"Go quickly and persuade the Wang family! If you fail, don't even think about coming back!"

The vice principals of the prestigious academies were shouting at their attendants like madmen. The attendants immediately set out to find Wang Hyeong-yeo's parents and the faculty of the 1st Academy, vying to be the first to meet and speak with them, regardless of the cost.

Why were they shouting orders?

It was because the roar of the citizens gathered around was simply too loud. The entire harbor was filled with thunderous cheers, and everyone was gripped by a shock as if a massive tsunami had rolled in. No one could refrain from cheering in the face of such a rare and fierce battle. The citizens couldn't even distinguish what they were shouting.

Wang Hyeong-yeo's single move had been that shocking to everyone.

"Two Hyeongi attributes!"

"This has never happened in Unmong City before!"

Even Dam Gogeum, the First Administrator of Pung-eo-haeng-do, had a surprised expression on his face.

'How can such monstrous talents keep appearing in this small, remote city of Unmong?'

Beside him, Baek Hae-geum's face also showed agitation.

"A monster like that was hidden in Unmong City?"

Baek Hae-geum felt an urge to take Wang Hyeong-yeo as his disciple. Wang Hyeong-yeo's talent was even more powerful than what Jo Pacheon had displayed in the past. If he had known Wang Hyeong-yeo possessed such talent, he would never have taken Jo Pacheon as a disciple.

But that was merely a momentary impulse. The strange expression on Baek Hae-geum's face quickly vanished the next moment. This was because he was convinced in his heart that the winner of this Academic & Martial Arts Competition would be his disciple, Jo Pacheon. All the circumstances had already been arranged.

No matter how monstrous Wang Hyeong-yeo's talent was, even if she defeated Bukjin, she would inevitably lose when she faced Jo Pacheon's Demonic Possession.

In Baek Hae-geum's view, no matter how hard Wang Hyeong-yeo tried in the current situation, she was destined to be nothing more than a stepping stone for Jo Pacheon.

And Im Jinnam, who had been sitting quietly to the side like an ignorant child, showed a hint of surprise and anger on his face. Im Jinnam had judged that Bukjin would be utterly defeated in this match. With Im Jin having voluntarily withdrawn from the Academic & Martial Arts Competition, he believed that if Jo Pacheon defeated Bukjin and won the championship before leaving Unmong City, the most prominent talent in Unmong City would be his son, Im Yeok.

However, looking at the current situation, it seemed that would not happen.

At that moment, *Boom!*

A tremendous shockwave reverberated through the harbor. It was a sound powerful enough to shake the very ground.

On the crystal screen, Bukjin and Wang Hyeong-yeo were shown clashing with their ultimate techniques. Brilliant, five-colored flames erupted in all directions from the deck of the Ryu Chae Gem Merchant Ship. The light was so intense that the crystal screen could barely display the scene properly. After a brief lull, the victor would surely be clear.

The image on the crystal screen returned to normal, and from within the dazzling five-colored light that had soared three meters high, a figure staggered out. It was a figure with a trickle of blood flowing from between their lips, holding two swords in both hands, with drops of blood falling from the twin blades. The owner of that figure was none other than Wang Hyeong-yeo!

'Did I lose?' An expression of disbelief appeared on Wang Hyeong-yeo's beautiful face.

"Captain..."

"Are you alright?" Won Ye and Gu Cheon-gye quickly approached her.

Wang Hyeong-yeo spat out a mouthful of blood, then let out a long sigh. Her expression improved slightly as she slowly said, "I'm fine. Phew..."

Another breath of turbid air, mixed with the smell of blood, escaped her lips. Only then was Wang Hyeong-yeo able to barely control her rampaging, chaotic Hyeongi.

On the opposite side of Wang Hyeong-yeo, Bukjin slowly lowered the Deokgeom he held in both hands towards the ground.

"Since I achieved mastery of my physical body, no peer has pushed me as hard as fellow student Wang. Your skill far exceeded my expectations," Bukjin said with a serious voice.

Although Wang Hyeong-yeo had lost, her eyes were more vibrant than ever.

"Azure Sea Tide Birth. It was a truly magnificent move. But I could feel that an even more terrifying move existed beyond it. I wish to know its name."

After a moment of thought, Bukjin replied, "What I performed was a sword technique called Azure Sea Triple Swords. The first sword is Azure Sea Tide Birth, the second is Turbid Waves of the World, and the third is Hiding Clarity in Turbidity."

"A good sword technique," Wang Hyeong-yeo said, her eyes shining. "Once my injuries heal, I would like to request your guidance, fellow student Im. I've become even more curious about the profound principles contained within the Azure Sea Triple Swords. I hope fellow student Im will be willing to teach me."

Bukjin was speechless. In truth, Bukjin found people with Wang Hyeong-yeo's personality the most difficult to deal with. He had a bad feeling that Wang Hyeong-yeo would continue to cling to him and challenge him.

'Life isn't just about constantly fighting and clashing... Can't we just form a normal friendship?'

"You want to spar? Hmm... Honestly, if fellow student Wang were interested in something other than martial arts, I'd welcome it, but..." Bukjin subtly expressed his refusal. The "something other" Bukjin referred to was, of course, other fields of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠knowledge or intellectual exchange. However, coming from Bukjin's mouth, it conveyed a completely different impression to the listeners.

Upon hearing Bukjin's words, anger flared on the faces of Won Ye, Gu Cheon-gye, and others. Wang Hyeong-yeo's expression was momentarily flustered, then quickly turned cold. She said nothing more.

Bukjin clutched his head, lost in thought. 'What's going on? What did I do wrong?'

At that moment, curses erupted from the audience stands in the harbor.

The spectators were in an uproar. In their eyes, Bukjin was an eccentric among eccentrics. He had the face of an unparalleled handsome man, but they felt he was someone who couldn't maintain a good atmosphere for more than three seconds. It was a stark contrast to how he had just moments ago exuded the aura of an immense powerhouse, earning everyone's admiration.

However, this, in its own way, provided great entertainment for the audience.

The representatives from each prestigious academy in the viewing area grew even more restless.

"Bukjin won!"

"What sword technique did he just perform?!"

"Is this what they mean by breaking everything with sheer power?"

"That Im Bukjin inherited his father's talent! If this were a battlefield, he would surely become an unparalleled fierce general!"

"Special student! He must be selected as a special student!"

"That guy has enough talent to be chosen as a special student, but... his status and background... Ugh, I need to think about this."

The opinions of the representatives from each prestigious academy were divided. Bukjin's outstanding performance in the Academic & Martial Arts Competition so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far made him a top candidate for special admission at any school. However, no school had truly stepped forward to take him on yet.

Why?

First, because of Bukjin's father, Im Geun-nam. And next, because of the life-or-death wager Bukjin had with Jo Pacheon.

Wang Yeo-ui rubbed her brow.

'Im Bukjin... He's an exceptionally talented individual beyond my imagination. To defeat Wang Hyeong-yeo, who has awakened two types of Hyeongi. He's a monster among monsters! But how long can he maintain the combat power he forcibly raised by burning his vital energy? And how long will it take him to recover his stamina after performing a forbidden art? And... how formidable will his combat power be when he faces Jo Pacheon?'

Wang Yeo-ui slowly shook her head. Compared to Bukjin, who had barely achieved victory by forcibly boosting his power by burning his vital energy, it was right to side with Wang Hyeong-yeo. Wang Hyeong-yeo's talent was truly exceptional.