Chapter 12: Public Duel (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 12: Public Duel (2)
"A White Rank challenged a Blue Rank?"
"Technically, they're calling it an instructional spar."
"No, that's not it. I heard the real story."
Whispers buzzed throughout the Desolate Fortress, a rare occurrence.
Word had spread that a fresh recruit and a Blue-ranked warrior of the Azure Sky Unit were dueling for the honor of the 17th Unit.
The Desolate Fortress’s 'White-Blue-Black-Purple' uniform hierarchy represented a far vaster gap in strength than it appeared. Because of this, no one was actually interested in who would win.
"How many moves can he last?"
"Ten moves at most, either way."
"Agreed. A newly initiated White Rank lasting more than ten moves against a Blue Rank? I can't even picture it."
"Isn't it like an ordinary disciple of the Mount Hua Sect challenging a Plum Blossom Swordsman?"
On the day of the duel, the rumors had spread so far across the Desolate Fortress that spectators from other units of the 17th, and even the Chief Steward's Office, had come to watch.
The venue was the Azure Sky Unit's training ground.
Jeong Yeon-shin, already present and drawing curious gazes from all sides, looked around.
Swords. Nothing but swords.
Seeing the sheer variety of blades resting on the weapon racks, he realized anew why the Azure Sky Unit was renowned as a premier sword unit even in the wider Jianghu.
So they train with nothing but swords here until they become Blue-ranked warriors?
The standard Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam recruited White-ranked warriors, but there were reportedly several other avenues of entry.
The most common method mirrored that of the orthodox great sects. They took in children as disciples before their acupoints were blocked by turbid qi, dressed them in plain clothes, and gradually nurtured them to advance to the white robes, and eventually the blue.
In truth, this path was considered the more orthodox and promising one.
Jeong Yeon-shin hadn't forgotten the talented, lively children he had met at the Demonlight Wing's pavilion. Even now, they had followed him here to cheer him on.
"You have to last at least five moves! I bet my sweetmeats against the Azure Sky kids! Hyung! Look over here! Over here!"
"Brother! You mustn't smear the name of the Demonlight Wing!"
"Junior Brother! Fight on!"
Junior Brother, indeed.
Jeong Yeon-shin chuckled.
Unlike other sects, attire dictated absolute status within the Desolate Fortress. In this aspect, it closely resembled the military.
Because of this, the children sometimes playfully referred to him and Heonwon Chang as their junior brothers. To Yeon-shin, who had never felt any affection from his own family, this cheekiness was both refreshing and endearing.
He waved to the dozen or so children, eliciting a loud cheer. They were truly innocent kids.
Come to think of it, there are also disciples around my age.
There were, of course, disciples in the Demonlight Wing older than these children.
He had heard that earning recognition for one's martial arts and donning the white robes of a formal warrior by the age of twenty was considered early.
He was just abnormally fast.
Naturally, there were disciples older than Jeong Yeon-shin, but unlike the cheering children, they were still awkward around him.
Time will solve that.
Putting his thoughts aside, he looked forward.
The martial artists belonging to the Azure Sky Unit wore grim expressions. They were clearly displeased that a greenhorn fresh out of the Desolate Fortress Entrance Exam had dared to challenge one of their own.
Off to one side, two peak experts clad in pitch-black martial robes were locked in a silent battle of wills. It was Ma Jin and the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit.
The Commander of the Azure Sky Unit was a renowned swordsman, famous as one of the Ten Great Swordsmen of Huguang. He was gaunt but tall, with long arms and an impressively intense gaze.
"Let's wager a spirit elixir from our respective units on whether he lasts ten moves. Of course, I'm betting that the greenhorn won't last ten moves," the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit said.
An incredulous look crossed Ma Jin's face.
"A spirit elixir? Isn't that a bit excessive?"
"Are you scared? Do you think you'll lose?"
"What a childish provocation. A spirit elixir of the Desolate Fortress is no trivial matter."
"The honor of the Demonlight Wing and the Azure Sky Unit is on the line. Is that a trivial matter?"
Seeing Ma Jin hesitate, the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit pressed harder, like a predator seizing the upper hand in a clash of beasts.
"Ma Jin, you look weaker than ever. Did you really cause such a ruckus at the Commanders' meeting just to bring in a kid like that?"
"You seem to harbor quite a grudge."
"Don't change the subject. Are you backing out?"
"Ha... Fine. I accept."
"Exactly. The leader of any group must know how to trust his subordinates."
The Commander of the Azure Sky Unit smirked and turned his head. Consequently, he completely missed the sly grin spreading across Ma Jin's face.
* * *
"Did you say your name was Jeong Yeon-shin? White Rank of the Demonlight Wing."
"Jeong Yeon-shin of the Demonlight Wing."
He politely clasped his hands in a martial salute. It hadn't been long since he introduced himself as Jeong Yeon-shin of Xinye, but the title of 'Demonlight Wing' felt much more fitting now.
From the Blood Massacre of the Jeong Family Manor, through Nanyang in Henan, and all the way to Xiangyang in Huguang.
Regardless of how others viewed it, standing here to duel as the representative of an entire faction felt both unfamiliar and precious.
The warrior who had asked his name stood indifferently ten paces away.
Clad in the blue martial robes that symbolized the core fighting force of the Desolate Fortress, he exuded a razor-sharp aura and possessed fierce, piercing eyes.
"I have trained in the Clear Sky Sword Art for twenty years. They say swords have no eyes, but the sword of a master who has reached the peak does. Even so, I will not hold back. You would do well to keep that in mind."
"Yes."
At Yeon-shin's brief reply, the warrior's brow twitched.
Without another word, the warrior placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Instantly, a frost-like aura surged outward in waves.
What kind of sword style is it?
Jeong Yeon-shin’s short answer had carried no intent to provoke. He was simply already circulating the Demonlight Formula, reading his opponent through his true qi.
From what he had heard from his seniors, the Clear Sky Sword Art possessed highly diverse forms. Depending on the practitioner, it could manifest as a blindingly fast sword or unleash the crushing power of a heavy sword.
They say that by the time one becomes a Blue-ranked warrior, they have mastered all its variations, even if they favor a specific specialty.
In that case, Jeong Yeon-shin only needed to unleash his own martial arts.
Scripture of Initial Overcoming.
A unique martial art he had created himself, designed to compensate for his shallow reserves and low density of true qi.
As he focused his mind, his internal energy began to overlap and circulate through his highly elastic acupoints. This method of true qi manipulation was only possible because he had achieved great completion in the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, completely opening all the acupoints throughout his body, including the twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians.
The Scripture of Initial Overcoming was evolving alongside his fast sword. He had reached a realm where he could circulate his true qi while instinctively identifying the precise areas of his body that needed to support weight and exert force.
"Come," the Blue-ranked warrior said, naturally yielding the first move.
Jeong Yeon-shin decided he would turn that indifferent face into one of shock.
Hup.
The moment he held his breath, he stomped his foot and drew his blade.
The heavy thud of his qi-infused step echoed across the training ground. The mnemonic of the fast sword imbued itself into his Desolate Fortress Sword, the blade shimmering under the clear sunlight. The kinetic force rising from beneath his feet gathered at extreme speed, flowing into his blade as it traced the sword path of the Demonlight Formula.
Clang!
He smiled at the vibration that traveled up his palm, accompanied by the sharp ringing of steel.
It was a perfect strike.
Though he hadn't managed to cut his opponent, the warrior's shattered composure, sudden panic, and faltering center of gravity were vividly apparent.
When a sword becomes faster, its power naturally increases. This was the essence of sword force.
Using the very foot he had stomped with, he explosively pushed off the ground.
The Scripture of Initial Overcoming, which he estimated to be at twenty percent completion, yielded twice the efficiency of ordinary true qi when properly utilized.
The scenery blurred as the warrior's figure rapidly loomed larger.
The Demonlight Formula guided his forms. Now that he held a weapon, those forms became a sword path.
The warrior's claim that he wouldn't hold back had nothing to do with this current carelessness. His broken balance was laid bare—just like everyone else who had been caught off guard by the boy's unassuming appearance and defeated in an instant.
Now.
If I don't win now, I never will.
In the middle of the vast training ground, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, Jeong Yeon-shin focused solely on victory.
Clash!
He could feel his rapidly improving sword force. The vibration transmitted to his hand was immense.
The warrior's eyes instantly turned serious. However, Yeon-shin's relentless onslaught—even with his martial prowess still far below the standard of a Blue-ranked warrior—prevented his opponent from assuming a proper stance.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Ma Jin gathering the children to lecture them on the importance of striking first. How incredibly nonchalant.
Clang! Clang! Cl-clang!
The sword paths of the Demonlight Formula filled his vision, drawing white streaks through the air. He was pushing the utility of his fast sword to its absolute limit.
Because Yeon-shin relentlessly seized upon that single moment of disrupted breathing and balance, his opponent's face gradually twisted into sheer exasperation.
Jeong Yeon-shin lost track of how many moves they had exchanged. He entered a state of complete selflessness, fully absorbing the essence of the Demonlight Formula.
Upon the physical foundation forged by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art, the principles of martial arts began to stack.
The more the sword path tilts, the more the back muscles are engaged. When taking a diagonal step, twisting the stomp generates rotational force along with the true qi. This is none other than Silk-Reeling Power, the specific type of Fa Jin that Cheong-myeong used!
Vwoom!
Swirling true qi infused his sword strikes.
Clang!
The warrior took a step back. Jeong Yeon-shin immediately slashed upward and spun his body.
A powerful, razor-sharp wind scattered in all directions. It was the force of Fa Jin—the fragments of raw martial power.
With a thrill of accomplishment rushing down his spine, he named yet another technique.
Accumulating Grinding Power!
The uncontrollable kinetic force naturally guided his body, spinning him around once more. In that moment, he instinctively realized that the Accumulating Grinding Power could be used as a chain attack.
It was a martial art that grew more powerful with each successive move. Following the first strike of the Accumulating Grinding Power, the second strike unleashed itself from the tip of his sword.
Boom!
It happened before the Blue-ranked warrior could even finish spinning to create distance.
The warrior's Desolate Fortress Sword was sent flying. The immense sword force of the Accumulating Grinding Power shook his entire upper body, forcing his arms high above his head.
"Ugh!"
He barely managed to steady himself from collapsing, only to find a blade resting right beneath his chin.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood there, pointing his Desolate Fortress Sword, wearing a peculiar expression.
Considering how many times the warrior had parried Jeong Yeon-shin's sword, his blue martial robes were remarkably clean, bearing only a few creases.
Yet, the White Rank had won. Even if it was due to carelessness, there was no excusing the result.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-shin stared at him quietly.
It was luck.
He had won only because a timely flash of inspiration had lent explosive power to his relentless momentum. If they fought again, the outcome would certainly not be the same.
They said a Blue-ranked warrior of the Desolate Fortress would not back down even against a Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect. The sheer depth of the Desolate Fortress's power was evident in how vast the gap of a single rank truly was.
With such martial prowess, it would be difficult to find a rival in the vast Jianghu. Yeon-shin felt as though he had found his first real goal.
Jeong Yeon-shin sheathed his Desolate Fortress Sword. The fist-and-palm salute he offered next was filled with genuine sincerity.
For helping him acquire the Accumulating Grinding Power, and for giving him a goal.
"Thank you for granting me the opportunity to experience your profound sword art."
"...Your sword paths and Silk-Reeling Power were astonishing. It is a level of martial prowess that transcends your age."
After staring at him intently for a moment, the Blue-ranked warrior stood up. The corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly; he didn't seem to be in a bad mood.
Jeong Yeon-shin thought to himself that there was a certain charm in how a martial artist's pride could soften so easily after a single polite salute, even after losing face.
He turned his head. The onlookers wore various expressions, but the majority were visibly shocked, while a few showed genuine admiration.
"Just now... how many moves was that? A White Rank actually won."
"It looked like they exchanged at least twenty moves."
"Exchanged? No, that's not it. He is a truly monstrous sword genius. Did they say his name is Jeong Yeon-shin, the Flash Art? To have such an incomprehensible level of strength at such a shocking age..."
"The Demonlight Wing has acquired a true treasure. I'm incredibly jealous."
The dazed expressions on the faces of the usually cheeky Demonlight Wing children were amusing.
After offering a polite salute to the Commander of the Azure Sky Unit, who was currently biting his lower lip, Jeong Yeon-shin walked toward the children.
Though he had moved violently, his body—tempered by the Jeong Family Dynamic Art—was already dispersing the shock accumulated from the clash of true qi. He didn't feel much fatigue at all.
"Demonlight Wing. I didn't smear our name, did I? Make sure to collect your sweetmeats," Jeong Yeon-shin said, squatting down to meet the children's eyes.
He didn't know how many moves they had exchanged, but he had certainly shattered the expectation that he would only last ten moves. After all, hadn't he won?
The children, who had been nodding blankly, gradually regained the spark in their eyes. Soon, their gazes began to shine with an almost overwhelming intensity.
"Yeah! We'll enjoy the sweetmeats!"
"Brother, you're so strong! A White Rank is indeed a White Rank!"
"Wow..."
The boy who had called him 'junior brother' earlier could only let out a dazed exclamation, completely spellbound.
Amidst the noisy chatter of the children, Ma Jin strode over.
A fragrant scent wafted from his outstretched hand. Resting on his calloused palm was a perfectly round pill. Jeong Yeon-shin could feel the dense flow of energy radiating from it.
"It's yours," Ma Jin said, the scar beneath his lip curving upward.