Chapter 163
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Moon Yi-cheon's Qualification
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Moon Yi-cheon felt like his chest was about to burst.
‘Calm down. I can’t get nervous.’
The fierce match unfolding on the sparring platform barely registered in his eyes.
“…….”
At this rate, it would be more comfortable just to challenge the preliminaries right away, win or lose, and get it over with.
After agonizing for a long while, he made up his mind.
‘Alright, let’s do this!’
“Uwaaak!”
Just then, one of the later-generation disciples in the match tumbled off the sparring platform.
“Jin Song-gyeong of the Battle Spear Sect wins!”
“Wow!”
“Impressive. As expected of the Battle Spear Sect.”
“One more win and he’s in the main tournament!”
“With that level of skill, it’s a sure thing. Might not even get another challenger.”
Whether fortunate or not, Moon Yi-cheon, tense as he was, couldn’t hear the surrounding chatter.
Meanwhile, Jin Song-gyeong, who had just claimed victory, wore a satisfied smile.
‘Got it! The main tournament is next!’
The Battle Spear Sect was a faction founded by a martial family expert who had turned to the ways of the jianghu, renowned for its highly practical spear techniques.
Jin Song-gyeong was the third son of that expert and a recognized talent in the Battle Spear Sect.
“Hm?”
He spotted Moon Yi-cheon hesitantly climbing onto the sparring platform.
‘No way that guy’s my final opponent?’
The unripe body looked frail, and the wooden sword at his waist marked him as no more than a novice trainee, not a proper martial artist.
Moon Yi-cheon cupped his fists toward Jin Song-gyeong, who towered over him by what seemed like two heads.
“Pleased to meet you! I’m Moon Yi-cheon, disciple of the Wooden Sword Sect!”
The spectators buzzed.
“Wooden Sword Sect?”
“First time hearing it.”
“Must be some small rural faction.”
“But why challenge the Battle Spear Sect of all people?”
“Green in the jianghu, doesn’t know any better, right?”
“…….”
After a moment’s thought, Jin Song-gyeong sought the referee’s permission.
“Pardon me, but may I have a brief word with this fellow?”
The referee nodded at his polite request.
“Permitted. But no more than the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
“Thank you.”
Jin Song-gyeong smiled at Moon Yi-cheon.
“Pleased to meet you, little brother. If it’s not rude, may I ask your age?”
Moon Yi-cheon tilted his head.
“My age?”
“I’m twenty-seven this year. You don’t look like you’ve hit thirty yet, right?”
“……That’s right.”
“Haha, just as I thought.”
“What are you getting at?”
“I first gripped a spear at five. A much smaller and shorter one than now, of course.”
“……?”
“What I mean is, I’ve been training in martial arts since before you were born. Seems like you charged into the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament on youthful vigor alone—why not step back?”
“What?”
“My spear style is awfully brutal. I’m saying this because you could get seriously hurt.”
Wrinkle formed between Moon Yi-cheon’s brows.
“So you’re saying I’m no match for you?”
“Hahaha, don’t take it badly. It’s for your sake…….”
Moon Yi-cheon’s eyes turned fierce.
“I’ll make you regret judging me by appearances without even crossing hands.”
He drew his wooden sword. In that instant, sharp sword intent poured from his body.
“Get ready.”
Feeling Moon Yi-cheon’s aura, Jin Song-gyeong realized his mistake.
“……I see. So you’re already a true martial artist, little brother.”
He gave a slight bow toward Moon Yi-cheon.
“Forgive my overreach. I’ll face you in earnest.”
Jin Song-gyeong nodded to the referee.
“Begin!”
At the referee’s signal, Jin Song-gyeong raised his thick spear high.
“Come at me, little brother.”
“…….”
Angered, Moon Yi-cheon found his tension vanishing, replaced by sharpened focus.
“Huuu.”
With his long exhale, the tip of his sword began to move slowly.
Watching Moon Yi-cheon, a glint appeared in Jin Song-gyeong’s eyes.
‘It’s moving slowly…… but there’s profound energy within.’
Then, in an instant, Moon Yi-cheon’s wooden sword shot out like lightning.
Swaaaek!
“……!”
The sudden assault startled Jin Song-gyeong.
‘Fast!’
But he was a seasoned fighter, tempered by battles beyond his years. He swiftly raised his spear tip to defend.
‘Blocked…….’
Yet just as the wooden sword neared the spear shaft, its path shifted.
Whirlik!
Sidestepping the shaft, the wooden sword sharply targeted Jin Song-gyeong’s chest.
‘The trajectory changes at that speed?!’
He urgently retreated, spinning his spear like a windmill.
Bwoooong!
He aimed to swat the wooden sword away, but Moon Yi-cheon swiftly withdrew it.
‘Can’t clash.’
His body hadn’t fully matured yet; he couldn’t withstand the power in Jin Song-gyeong’s spear.
‘Win with speed and variation.’
He judged with astonishing冷静.
Thanks to that, Jin Song-gyeong, now at a distance, wildly swung his spear.
Shushuk!
Moon Yi-cheon nimbly dodged every spear strike. It was agile movement suited to his small frame.
‘He dodges really well.’
By now, Jin Song-gyeong realized Moon Yi-cheon was avoiding clashes with the wooden sword.
‘Then how about this.’
“Haaap!”
Letting out a kiai for the first time, he thrust his spear with blinding speed—far faster than before.
Paaang!
The piercing thrust was too sharp to evade easily.
“……!”
Moon Yi-cheon’s eyes deepened. He seemed to finally meet the spear thrust with his wooden sword.
Seeing this, Jin Song-gyeong inwardly cheered.
‘Got him!’
No one would think blocking his heavy spear with a wooden sword would be easy.
“……!”
Finally, spear and wooden sword met.
But.
The wooden sword didn’t block squarely; it glanced off at an angle, deflecting the spear tip.
Kagagak!
The scraping sound of wood on metal rang out. The spear’s path deviated, allowing Moon Yi-cheon to slip past more easily.
‘No way! He precisely deflected my spear strike?’
But Jin Song-gyeong had no time to be shocked. Moon Yi-cheon was closing the distance rapidly.
“……!”
Swaaaek!
The wooden sword flew toward his waist at terrifying speed—a strike too fast to react to.
Pueok!
“Ugh!”
Jin Song-gyeong groaned and staggered.
He’d twisted at the last moment to avoid a direct hit, but the blow to his right side packed a heavy impact.
If it had been a real sword, he’d have suffered a grievous wound.
Gritting his teeth, Jin Song-gyeong endured the pain.
‘I won’t go down to this!’
He retreated swiftly and swung his spear with full power.
Papapapapa!
Countless spear shadows rained down on Moon Yi-cheon. The spear tip gleamed bluish—faint spear qi infused within.
“Oooo!”
“Awesome!”
The spectators gasped in admiration at Jin Song-gyeong’s flashy spearplay. Few believed Moon Yi-cheon could withstand it.
But Moon Yi-cheon didn’t waver.
‘……I can do this.’
Far from frightened, he plunged straight into the spear shadows.
Shushushushu!
With dazzling footwork, he evaded the assault.
Some strikes nearly grazed him, but each time, Moon Yi-cheon aptly swung his wooden sword to deflect them.
“Waaah!”
It was a divine skill that drew involuntary cheers even from eyewitnesses—it beggared belief.
Of course, Jin Song-gyeong was the most stunned.
‘He dodged and deflected all of them?’
Moon Yi-cheon, now right before him, swung his wooden sword.
Shuuk!
Ppak!
Struck squarely on the jaw by the wooden sword, Jin Song-gyeong’s legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees.
“Guh…….”
Moon Yi-cheon raised his wooden sword, pointing it at him.
“I win.”
“Moon Yi-cheon of the Wooden Sword Sect wins!”
The referee’s declaration unleashed a massive roar of cheers.
“Wowaaah!”
“Amazing!”
“How did he dodge all that?”
“An incredible swordsman has emerged!”
Seol Hwa-un watched with a faint smile.
‘The first button is sewn well.’
As long as Moon Yi-cheon stayed calm, his skill was more than enough for preliminaries.
But the later-generation disciples, even after witnessing the match, dismissed it as luck for the unknown, still underestimating him.
A new challenger promptly climbed onto the platform.
Seol Hwa-un clicked his tongue.
‘Tch, they’re all still kids after all. Can’t properly gauge their opponent.’
Moon Yi-cheon easily felled his second foe. Only then did the later-generation disciples realize he was no pushover.
Afterward, several skilled later-generation disciples challenged him.
They displayed superior prowess compared to his prior opponents, but they were no match for the composed Moon Yi-cheon.
In the end, he successfully defeated five in total.
Moon Yi-cheon wore a dazed expression.
‘I really didn’t expect this…….’
His initial goal had been just one win in the preliminaries. Yet before he knew it, he’d racked up five victories.
The daze was brief.
“Moon Yi-cheon of the Wooden Sword Sect advances to the main tournament!”
At the referee’s declaration, Moon Yi-cheon snapped to reality and let out a triumphant shout.
“I did it!”
Seol Hwa-un nodded.
‘As expected, he’s advanced to the main tournament, Moon Yi-cheon.’
What truly bewildered him was something else.
‘Moon Jeong-ho, you rascal…….’
The footwork Moon Yi-cheon displayed against Jin Song-gyeong. Others might not notice, but Seol Hwa-un recognized it instantly.
‘Daring to copy my Universe Shadowless Steps?’
Moon Yi-cheon’s footwork shared the core principles and subtleties of the Universe Shadowless Steps.
Of course, it wasn’t fully realized—just blended into his existing steps.
‘Refused to become a disciple of the Primordial Sect, yet stole the technique anyway?’
The Heavenly Collapse Fist Emperor had never taught him directly; Moon Jeong-ho must have observed it on the battlefield and adapted it.
‘You’re in for a scolding when we meet.’
Yet even as he thought that, Seol Hwa-un felt no displeasure. If anything, the burden regarding Moon Jeong-ho lightened a bit.
‘That kid’s impressive too.’
Even partially borrowed, the Universe Shadowless Steps had been devilishly hard for Seol Hwa-un himself to master.
‘To grasp it to that degree at his age.’
Admittedly simplified compared to the original, but far more advanced than ordinary footwork.
‘He might really make something of himself.’
* * *
At the hour of the dog, the preliminaries halted, bringing the first day of the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament preliminaries to a close.
Preliminaries continued without a set end date until sixteen main tournament entrants were decided, but they usually wrapped in four or five days.
This tournament, however, produced many qualifiers on day one—eight already, including Ma Seong-gyun, Jin Pyo, and Moon Yi-cheon.
Half the main tournament slots filled in a single day.
Naturally, fewer spots remained, ensuring the second day’s preliminaries would be far more intense.