Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament (6)
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People often say that the martial arts of the Righteous Path are profound, while those of the Unorthodox Path are shallow.
It's a rather plausible statement.
After all, the arts of the Unorthodox Path were often born and developed in real combat, designed to kill the opponent.
The arts of the Righteous Path, on the other hand, began with contemplation of nature, life, and death, evolving through self-cultivation.
As a result, the Unorthodox Path boasted a greater number of first-rate masters skilled with a blade, while the Righteous Path had an overwhelming number of supreme masters. The number of peak masters was similar on both sides.
But there was one thing that was unpredictable: the number of absolute masters.
It was a dead heat.
Before the fall of the Ten Demon Alliance, the number of absolute masters from the Righteous Path was nearly identical to that of the Unorthodox Path, including the Demonic Cult.
Seeing this makes one wonder if the realm of Transformation is a place that can only be reached by natural-born powerhouses, regardless of their martial arts.
Like Im Jeong, the Lord of the Mountain Kings, standing before me.
*CRACK!*
The layered Explosive Death Force struck him perfectly in the side.
“Kuh!”
The searing pain shooting up from my hand made me frown involuntarily.
A grin.
“A fine attack!”
*CRUNCH. CRUNCH.*
His saber swung relentlessly, shattering the floor.
“Hoo.”
I barely dodged, catching my breath as I scanned the area in front of me.
*He didn't miss.*
*He went easy on me.*
If he had been using his full strength, that last attack would have undoubtedly hit me, and he'd be fighting the War Dragon Ki by now.
*Drip.*
A cold sweat trickled down my back without me realizing it.
*...See through him, my ass.*
After exchanging fifteen moves, I realized.
As a descendant of the orthodox Unorthodox Path, the Green Forest, his martial arts weren't profound, but they were as vast as the sea.
No matter what attack I launched, he responded with calm composure.
It felt like I was facing an Asura with eight arms.
“Truly one of the Ten Great Masters...”
Of course, this was more like a guided spar. There was no need to be intimidated. And even less reason to stand still.
*Fwoosh.*
I once again used the Phantom Step to charge toward him, my fist clenched and filled with the power of the Breaking Moon.
***
As if thinking, *if not now, when?*, I truly poured my all into the assault. It was the first time I'd exerted myself this much since facing the Lord of the Ten Demon Alliance.
Perhaps sensing my intent to unleash everything, Im Jeong focused on defense, offering only simple counterattacks despite having several openings. He wasn't using his full power.
Thanks to that, I not only landed the Breaking Moon but also seized a moment when his feet were planted to strike his back with the War King's Thirteen Strikes.
That wasn't all.
I put all my strength into my steps, moved behind him, and immediately unleashed the all-cleaving Flashing Moon.
*FWOOOSH!*
A gravitational force that swallowed everything erupted.
*KABOOOOM!*
An explosion, like a bomb detonating, shattered the tournament grounds in a circular pattern.
*FLASH!*
A sharp wave of force, capable of splitting black iron, shot forward.
Seemingly sensing a threat from this, Im Jeong's perpetually relaxed expression changed in an instant.
And then.
*Fwoosh!*
His great saber, both arms, and both feet moved rapidly.
He first split the large sphere of gravitational force vertically, then used his footwork to escape the blast radius, simultaneously spinning his body to clash with the Flashing Moon.
His movements were like a piece of performance art.
Every one of his motions exuded extreme efficiency.
Watching my attacks, into which I had poured more than half my internal energy, vanish into nothing, I momentarily considered unleashing the Hell Force.
*No.*
I held back, as it could lead to severe internal injuries.
That left only one option.
“I have lost.”
Surrender.
What was the point of fighting when nothing worked?
It would just be a waste of energy.
As I cupped my hands and bowed my head, Im Jeong nodded with a considerably surprised expression.
“I am truly impressed by Gate Master Jin's skill. In ten years, this era will be yours.”
It was the highest of praise.
Whether it was mere lip service or genuine, I couldn't tell, but considering he was the godfather of the Unorthodox Path, the very act of him praising me was unbelievable.
Naturally, the crowd went wild.
"Woooooah-!"
In substance, it was a complete defeat, but to the common folk who didn't know martial arts, it must have looked like an evenly matched duel where I earned his recognition.
“You praise me too highly.”
Even in defeat, there is a certain dignity to maintain.
I gave a brief bow and stepped down from the stage.
*If this had been a battlefield, I would've been helplessly killed.*
All while barely hiding my trembling legs.
***
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner far from the tournament grounds, Bukgung Baek and the Grand Chancellor were watching the match in disguise.
“The breadth of the Great Demon of Ultimate Slaughter's martial arts is as vast as the ocean.”
“Ahem.”
At Bukgung Baek's murmur, the Grand Chancellor groaned inwardly.
He was worried that the tournament's prizes being forgeries would be revealed to the world.
*'Well, I hear the Lord of Nine Dragons offered shoddy fakes as tournament prizes.'*
*'For someone like him to commit fraud... It's the end of days, I tell you. Tsk, tsk.'*
*'Perhaps the entire Nine Dragons Fortress is a den of swindlers.'*
The Grand Chancellor squeezed his eyes shut at the unbearable thought of such a future.
Should he call the whole thing off now?
He pondered this for a moment.
*'Come on, I'm telling you to trust me. Even if that old geezer, the Lord of the Mountain Kings, shows up, he'll never win.'*
Recalling Mujeon's boast, he barely managed to suppress his anxiety.
*'The War Dragon Hall Master made a bold promise...'*
What was done was done; he had no choice but to trust him.
As he was sighing, Bukgung Baek also sighed and spoke.
“Anyway, that Mujeon fellow was completely defeated.”
“Still, didn't he fight well? To my eyes, it looked like a narrow defeat.”
“Narrow defeat, my foot.”
Bukgung Baek shook his head at the Grand Chancellor's words, as if to say it was nonsense.
“That's what you'd call losing without being able to lift a finger.”
“Is the gap that large? From what I know, the War Dragon Hall Master's martial arts are considered among the best within the Nine Dragons Fortress.”
“It's not that Mujeon is weak, but that the Great Demon of Ultimate Slaughter is strong. To be precise, it's more accurate to say their compatibility is poor.”
“Compatibility, you say?”
Bukgung Baek began walking toward the Lord's Pavilion, continuing his explanation, and the Grand Chancellor quickly followed.
“That boy has always compensated for his lack of experience with flashes of wit. However, the Great Demon of Ultimate Slaughter, befitting his status as the godfather of the Unorthodox Path, is a warrior skilled in combat and rich in experience. There's no way the boy's mere cleverness would work on him.”
“I've heard that most warriors of the Righteous Path have less real combat experience than those of the Unorthodox Path. Time will solve that.”
Bukgung Baek scoffed in response.
“If the difference in experience were that absolute, the Righteous Path would have been crushed by the Unorthodox Path and the Demonic Cult long ago. Can you guess, Grand Chancellor, why a young warrior of the Righteous Path can defeat a veteran master of the Unorthodox Path?”
“...I do not know.”
“Fundamentals. They practice a single, powerless form over ten thousand times. Then the next form, also over ten thousand times. The accumulation of such forms is what allows them to overwhelm experience.”
“Is that so?”
“It's the same for that boy. If he had solidified his foundation, he would have had more options, and then, no matter how seasoned the Great Demon of Ultimate Slaughter is, he could have lasted a few more exchanges.”
“Haha, I understand your feelings as his master, but aren't you being too greedy? He must have achieved what he has now through bone-grinding, blood-sweating effort...”
“Grand Chancellor, you don't know that boy well.”
“Pardon? What do you mean...”
“How many hours do you think that boy sleeps a day?”
“Let's see. The warriors of the Lord's Pavilion usually wake before sunrise, so I would guess he sleeps for six to seven hours.”
The Grand Chancellor, sensing the intent of the question, deliberately exaggerated, but Bukgung Baek shook his head.
“He usually lies down for about ten hours.”
“...Taking adequate rest is also a good method. One must have a clear mind to be efficient, wouldn't you agree?”
“If he at least woke up late and devoted himself to training, I wouldn't be saying this.”
“...”
“Except for when he feels like it, he doesn't move his body at all. If I had to put a number on it, he might train for about two hours every ten days.”
“N-No, surely that can't be true. Martial arts are not such an easy study...”
“That's what makes it so maddening. He's overflowing with talent but doesn't put in the effort. As his master, could there be anything more frustrating?”
Hearing the condemnation of a lazy disciple, a cold sweat ran down the back of the Grand Chancellor's neck.
The countless warriors scattered across the world shed beads of sweat, dreaming of a tomorrow where they are stronger than today.
And the Grand Chancellor had witnessed such scenes countless times.
Even the prodigies of the Nine Dragons Fortress, the Blue Dragon Sword and the Black Dragon Sword, were rarely seen without their swords in hand.
And yet, he only trained when he felt like it.
And despite that, he had become a master of that caliber.
If this was true, then the War Dragon Hall Master was an unprecedented genius... No, he was an inhuman being straight out of mythology.
Moreover, he didn't just possess martial strength.
Though he had the strong disposition of a swindler, he was also a man whose mind was sharp enough to devise elaborate schemes.
On top of that, with his master Bukgung Baek becoming the Lord of Nine Dragons, wasn't it like adding wings to a tiger's back?
Suddenly, faith in Mujeon began to bubble up in the Grand Chancellor's heart.
*It seems I did well to attach that boy So-pyeong to him.*
The position of the next Grand Chancellor seemed certain to belong to the Yu family.
*Step, step.*
As he walked, collecting his thoughts, the Grand Chancellor recalled something.
“Um... My Lord?”
“Speak.”
“My Lord, how many hours do you sleep a day?”
“...”
The fact that he had never seen the Lord before him move his body either.
***
Outside the outer walls of the Nine Dragons Fortress lies a lake called Nine Dragons Lake.
It was vast in size with outstanding scenery, so anyone with a bit of money in the Nine Dragons Fortress owned a house near its shores. It was prime real estate, to put it simply.
I was now in my sixth hour of fishing at that very lake.
My heart was in turmoil from the sense of powerlessness I hadn't felt in a long time.
*...I need to refine my martial arts a bit.*
Anyway, why aren't the carp biting?
Wondering if it was just me, I carefully observed the other fishermen nearby.
“A big one!”
“Two at once!”
Hearing the shouts from afar, I almost unleashed a wave of Explosive Death Force without thinking.
*Patience. If I tear them to shreds, it'll be hard to make braised carp.*
In truth, there was no need to be greedy.
Just one, of a decent size.
That's all Myo Hyang would need to make a delicious meal.
Braised carp and a few glasses of wine seemed like the perfect cure for this gloomy mood.
*I hear carp is good for... vitality...*
I'm already looking forward to it.
Ah, dinner, of course.
After mustering my patience and holding my spot for another hour...
A man dressed in stained, gray clothes took a spot near me.
“You're here?”
“Yes.”
It was Yong Ma-san.
“Wearing a wig, huh? See, I told you it would look good on you. Now all you need is a woman, and you could even get married.”
“...”
“So, how are things going?”
“All preparations are complete. We will move as one upon Hall Master Jin's signal.”
His work was so excellent that it made me want to say "as expected," and I nodded.
“Good. Then I'll give you your next task.”
“Next task?”
“Do you know how to fish? Catch me one carp.”
“...”
Yong Ma-san sighed and took the fishing rod.