Chapter 169: The Finals (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 169: The Finals (2)
The Yongbong Gathering, a journey that had felt both fleeting and endless, finally reached its ultimate duel.
Abbot Deok-seong of Shaolin concluded a brief speech, commending the two rising stars who had made it to the finals.
An unprecedented crowd had gathered around the martial arts arena, larger than any seen before.
Standing upon the stage, Chun-bong’s clear eyes sparkled.
"I’m not going to lose, Unni."
"Right. I won't make it easy for you, either."
Namgung Su-ah offered a faint smile as she drew her greatsword.
—Begin!
Even as the referee’s declaration rang out, neither martial artist moved hastily.
They knew each other's skills intimately. Even Namgung Su-ah, who held a relative advantage, understood that a single mistake could lead to an absurd defeat.
Then, in a moment of suffocating silence...
Saaaaaa—
A light breeze blew. The instant that delicate balance shifted, Chun-bong dashed forward.
Tap!
As she lunged, she etched Seo-jun’s advice into her heart.
There was no room for doubt. In matters like this, her brother was never wrong.
Sprinting as if she were flying, Chun-bong immediately unleashed her sword.
Azure Dragon Dividing Clouds.
Her blade, imbued with the very essence of speed, blurred as a dozen strikes rained down on Namgung Su-ah in the blink of an eye.
Swish, swish!
Namgung Su-ah smiled as she watched the flashing steel fill her vision.
"You've improved this much already...?"
The sword was far sharper than the one she had witnessed just a few days ago.
Zap!
Suddenly, currents of electricity crackled across Namgung Su-ah’s entire body.
Rumble!
Her long greatsword cleaved through the space in front of her. Chun-bong’s strikes were scattered by the sheer, massive force.
Namgung Su-ah didn't hesitate; she stepped forward. Riding the momentum of her upward swing, she spun her body as she advanced.
She transitioned seamlessly into her second strike, unfolding the Firmament Boundless Sword Technique.
Crackle!
Against the greatsword sweeping horizontally toward her, Chun-bong gripped her own sword with both hands and swung with all her might.
Azure Dragon Breaking Heaven.
BOOOOOM—!!!
The power behind their blades was evenly matched. However, Chun-bong was faster than Namgung Su-ah, who was burdened by her heavy greatsword.
Steadying her body as the shockwave threatened to blow her back, Chun-bong immediately linked into her next form.
Azure Dragon Emerges.
The sword multiplied into nine branching strikes, aiming for every vital point on Namgung Su-ah’s body.
'Chun-bong Divine Art?'
Namgung Su-ah furrowed her brows. Even staring right at it, she couldn't tell real from illusion. That was the true terror of the Chun-bong Divine Art.
Ultimately, Namgung Su-ah tightened her grip on her greatsword.
The Chun-bong Divine Art was a martial art created by Seo-jun. Attempting to see through it with Qi sensing at her current level would be a fatal blunder.
The only things she could rely on were her raw five senses and her understanding of Geum Mae’s psychology.
'If it’s the Geum Mae I know...'
She would definitely use the Chun-bong Divine Art here.
Zap!
The Sword Qi gathered on the greatsword transformed into lightning. Speed over power. She would quickly brush aside the phantom feints and transition straight into a counterattack.
Rumble—!!
Namgung Su-ah’s greatsword swung with a speed that completely belied its massive length.
The blade, now a literal bolt of lightning, collided with Chun-bong’s sword.
CRASH—!!
And then, Su-ah was forced back.
"Ugh...!"
None of them were feints! Azure Dragon Emerges overwhelmed Namgung Su-ah’s entire body.
She twisted desperately to dodge, yanking her deflected greatsword back to shield herself.
Clang!
Slash!
Blood splattered. One of the nine strikes she failed to deflect grazed her side.
Namgung Su-ah gritted her teeth and spun. She rotated in the direction of the cutting blade to minimize the damage, then shot her leg out to kick Chun-bong squarely in the chest.
Thwack!
Chun-bong threw up her arm to block but was still sent skidding backward.
"Hehe."
It was a laugh that eerily resembled Seo-jun’s. Chun-bong shook out her numbed arm and leveled her sword once more.
"It’s just getting started!"
*
The arena quaked from the relentless impact of steel clashing against steel.
Chun-bong aimed for Namgung Su-ah’s openings with fast, feather-light movements, while Namgung Su-ah flowed like water, blocking Chun-bong’s strikes and launching simultaneous counterattacks.
Yet, as time passed, fresh wounds began to litter Namgung Su-ah’s body.
Even though Namgung Su-ah was superior in pure skill, she was losing the psychological war.
From her perspective, she had no choice but to remain constantly on guard against the Chun-bong Divine Art. She was carrying twice the mental burden as Chun-bong, and it was costing her the fight.
"Haa... Haa..."
Namgung Su-ah panted heavily, her eyes locked on Chun-bong.
In today’s duel, Chun-bong hadn't used the Chun-bong Divine Art a single time.
Every strike Su-ah had dismissed as a phantom feint turned out to be deadly real. Trapped in her own paranoid delusions, Namgung Su-ah paid the price in blood every time.
Watching her catch her breath, Chun-bong pouted.
"Unni, don’t take it easy on me."
Take it easy? To anyone else, it would sound like a cheap provocation meant to rattle her opponent, but Namgung Su-ah only offered a bitter smile.
"Does it look that way?"
"Yeah. No matter what, there’s no way you’d be pushed back this much, Unni."
"Is that so?"
In truth, it wasn't as if there was no way to counter the Chun-bong Divine Art.
The Chun-bong Divine Art was, ultimately, a martial art based on illusions. It possessed zero physical force.
The only strikes that actually needed blocking were the ones delivered through the Azure Cloud Divine Sword.
Chun-bong spoke without lowering her guard for a second.
"I want to win, of course... but I don’t want a hollow victory."
"...Right."
"I’m going to bring honor to the Geum family name fair and square."
Receiving advice from Seo-jun was fine.
'His strength is my strength.'
Geum Chun-bong and Lee Seo-jun were inseparable—two halves of a whole.
But Namgung Su-ah holding back was entirely different. It stung her pride.
It might have been a selfish double standard, but that was how Chun-bong felt.
So what if she was being a bit stubborn?
Chun-bong flashed a mischievous grin.
"Here I come...!"
She shouted and lunged forward. Namgung Su-ah watched her approach.
Geum Mae. A girl who was like a cute younger sister to her.
Her face was flushed red with pure excitement, a bright, undeniable smile plastered across it.
Su-ah had told herself she was doing her best—but was she subconsciously holding back because she knew how desperately Geum Mae wanted to win?
It seemed Geum Mae had noticed the hesitation that had crept into Su-ah's blade without her even realizing it.
Su-ah didn't want to ruin that radiant expression.
Steeling her heart, Namgung Su-ah reached for the realm beyond her limits.
Rumble—!!
Lightning struck the arena. As the Emperor Sword Form unfolded, a tempest of electricity enveloped the stage. Standing in the eye of the storm, Namgung Su-ah looked at Chun-bong, her own eyes flashing a brilliant, crackling blue.
"Fine."
Gripping her greatsword with both hands, she took a heavy step forward.
"I won’t lose."
Lightning exploded from Namgung Su-ah’s wide-open eyes. Emitting violent streaks of blue electricity from her entire body, she swung her greatsword with all her might.
Slaaaaash—!!
Chun-bong dove beneath the deadly blue trajectory and charged. In response, Namgung Su-ah stomped her foot.
Flash!
Lightning erupted right in front of Chun-bong’s eyes. She hurriedly twisted her body and leapt high into the air to evade.
In an instant, the spreading web of lightning froze. Namgung Su-ah hoisted her greatsword high above her head. All the lightning in the arena gathered into her blade, forming a deep blue pillar of Sword Qi that seemed to pierce the very heavens.
The spectators shuddered as dark clouds suddenly blotted out the sky. No one dared to breathe, let alone speak.
Krak-boom!
The master of lightning brought down her greatsword. Suspended mid-air, there seemed to be absolutely no way for Chun-bong to avoid the apocalyptic strike.
Her positioning meant the Chun-bong Divine Art had effectively been sealed.
But Namgung Su-ah knew Chun-bong. She was a girl cut from the same cloth as her brother, Seo-jun. She would always find a way to catch her opponent off guard, no matter how dire the situation.
'I’m sure of it this time.'
Somehow, she would definitely unleash the Chun-bong Divine Art.
However, Namgung Su-ah was cautious. She wasn't about to bet all her chips on a single possibility.
Rumble—!!!
She swung the greatsword half a breath early to create a feint, then immediately spun on her lead foot, exploding with lightning at maximum power.
Whether Chun-bong used the Azure Cloud Divine Sword or the Chun-bong Divine Art, this was a secondary, foolproof sequence designed to counter both.
Watching the surging tide of lightning, Chun-bong smiled.
'As expected of my brother.'
She hadn't doubted him for a single moment.
His advice had been incredibly simple: Do not use the Chun-bong Divine Art. No matter the situation.
He knew that the deep-thinking Namgung Su-ah would be overly wary of the illusion art, prompting her to deploy a secondary countermeasure instead of committing entirely to her ultimate strike.
Namgung Su-ah was a step ahead in raw skill, but if she held back with a secondary move while Chun-bong unleashed her absolute best, Chun-bong had a genuine chance at victory.
'But...'
Isn't this a bit too strong?!
The lightning filling her vision was by no means inferior to her own peak strength. Su-ah had evolved yet again in the middle of their duel.
At this rate, the clash would end in a stalemate. And if the fight dragged on any longer, her entire strategy would be exposed.
"Huuup...!"
Chun-bong steeled her resolve. She had to end it with this single strike. To do that, she needed to shatter her own limits.
Her brother’s advice had brought her this far and given her strength; now, it was time for her to forge ahead on her own.
Chun-bong saw the path before her. A path that branched out in countless directions, its true end obscured in mist. But she did not hesitate. Since she had already chosen this path, she would simply walk it to the end.
She took the towering image of Lee Seo-jun in her mind... and gently pushed it aside for a moment, shaking awake the dragon coiled in the very center of her being.
A platinum dragon woke from its ancient slumber and roared toward the heavens.
In reality, only a split second had passed.
Staring down the apocalyptic blue lightning filling her vision, Chun-bong murmured.
"Azure Dragon Awakening Dream Roaring at Heaven and Earth."
Chun-bong’s pupils ignited with a faint platinum light. Her long robes fluttered wildly in the gale, and the eyes of the dragon embroidered on her royal garments seemed to flare to life.
The blue lightning swirled like a maelstrom.
Yet, Chun-bong’s extended sword moved with absolute serenity. It pierced cleanly through the lightning that sought to consume the world. Like a divine dragon commanding the clouds, her blade navigated effortlessly through the thunderstorm.
The severed lightning parted, carving a clear path for her.
Woooooom—
The sword cry vibrating from Chun-bong’s blade roared like a true dragon.
"……"
A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the arena. No one dared to make a sound.
Namgung Su-ah offered a bitter, yet fond smile.
"Congratulations, Geum Mae."
Chun-bong’s straight sword rested gently against Namgung Su-ah’s throat.
—The winner! From the Divine Sword Geum Family...! Geum Hee...!
The referee’s declaration tore through the silence, ringing out like a scream. Chun-bong took a feverish breath and hoisted her sword high into the air.
Her breath, pushed to its absolute limit, burst from her lungs. Her heart fluttered wildly as the surreal realization of her victory finally washed over her.
Woooooooooom—
Once again, her sword let out a resonant cry. Her heart trembled in time with the vibration thrumming through her fingertips.
"Ah...!"
The sudden, overwhelming rush of reality made her mind go completely white.
Chun-bong smiled radiantly, deeply feeling the presence of the dragon now permanently nestled in her heart. Groaning under the weight of surging euphoria, she poured out the long-held sorrow from the very depths of her soul.
"Father! Mother! Grandfather! I, Hee...! Hee... has restored the prestige of the Geum family...!"
Before she could even finish her sentence, hot tears began to pour down her cheeks. A massive, heaven-shaking roar erupted from the crowd, cheering for the ultimate victor.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAA—!!!
It was as if every single person present was celebrating the glorious revival of the Geum family.
Biting her lip hard to stifle her sobs, Chun-bong sniffled and thought to herself.
'...Thank goodness.'
She hadn't gotten her own name mixed up this time.
*
"Geum Hee of the Divine Sword Geum Family, step forward!"