Participating in the Black Heaven Assembly (2)
“Hahaha!”
“To think the leader of a sect is so young and refined. The Demon Sword Sect folks must be thrilled.”
The Quick Sword Hall warriors were blatantly provocative.
Weren't they mocking Hyeon Yucheon with utter disdain?
They were cunning about it.
Not openly picking a fight, but subtly needling him.
But there was something the Quick Sword Hall members didn't know about Hyeon Yucheon.
That beneath his gentle, handsome exterior, he was a true Sapa martial artist.
“My, what a load of girlish chatter.”
Already in a foul mood from letting the Blood Dragon Hall members slip away, he held nothing back.
“W-what did you say?”
The Quick Sword Hall's swift swordsmen all panicked, exchanging glances.
They never dreamed a much younger peer would say something like that.
“What's so fun about beating around the bush? Let's speak plainly.”
Hyeon Yucheon finally rose to his feet.
Smooth!
“You just want to pick a fight with me, a Demon Sword Sect disciple, right?”
Hyeon Yucheon's words hit the mark.
The Quick Sword Hall members had long harbored deep inferiority toward the Demon Sword Sect, and now they relished the reversal of fortunes.
Despite boasting similar swift sword arts, they could never catch up, fueling their resentment of the sect's inferior roots—yet now the tables had turned, bringing smug satisfaction.
That's why they always needled Demon Sword Sect disciples.
“You're awfully rude for someone so young.”
In response, Ok Jangcheon—the promising talent of Quick Sword Hall and participant in this Black Heaven Assembly, known as the Latent Dragon Swift Sword—spoke up.
He was the Quick Sword Hall master's only son and heir, famed in the current Sapa world as the fastest swordsman.
“We're only three or four years apart at most, and you call me young?”
Pfft!
Hyeon Yucheon let out a hollow laugh, flashing his teeth.
And so began the tense standoff between Hyeon Yucheon and the Latent Dragon Swift Sword, Ok Jangcheon!
Rumble!
The surroundings fell silent, the inn frozen in a hair-trigger tension.
“Fine. Since we'll meet at the Black Heaven Assembly anyway, how about we skip a full fight? We each use a chopstick, and the one who breaks the other's wins.”
Fighting duels or causing incidents before the Black Heaven Assembly was taboo.
If the organizers found out, disqualification was possible—not to mention the risk of injury right before the big event.
“Fitting for swift swordsmen like us, don't you think?”
Thus, Ok Jangcheon had his subordinate fetch two chopsticks.
In truth, breaking chopsticks is my specialty.
Ok Jangcheon brimmed with confidence.
And for good reason—this chopstick-breaking trick was his signature move, and he'd never lost a bet with it.
As Ok Jangcheon extended a chopstick to Hyeon Yucheon, certain of his victory—
Smirk!
What was this?
Instead of taking it, Hyeon Yucheon was sneering?
“Hm? Don't want to do chopsticks?”
“Do you really crave blood that badly?”
His arrogant demeanor irked not just Ok Jangcheon, but even the Quick Sword Hall elders and executives watching silently—
Flutter!
Suddenly, the ribbon tying Ok Jangcheon's hair in a heroic topknot sliced clean off and fluttered away.
That was why Hyeon Yucheon was smiling.
Break chopsticks? What a joke.
It was laughable that they dared propose a bet when they hadn't even detected his covert Formless Sword Qi.
“Gasp!”
Ok Jangcheon belatedly clutched his severed ribbon, finally realizing the truth.
Shock and fear trembled through him.
“W-when did you strike...?”
Unlike the flustered, astonished Quick Sword Hall crew, Hyeon Yucheon spoke with utter calm.
“When you reached for the chopsticks.”
“...!!”
Ok Jangcheon flushed with humiliation at the blunt revelation.
What if Hyeon Yucheon's hand had targeted his throat instead of the ribbon?
Shiver!
The thought left him unable to press the chopstick bet any further.
Even if they did, it would've been his certain defeat.
Ooooh!
The crowd gathered at the inn that day could only gasp in awe at Hyeon Yucheon's overwhelming skill and dominance.
Most were martial artists themselves, well aware of how extraordinary and swift his feat had been.
“Save your childish chopstick games for yourself.”
There was no need for further talk with Ok Jangcheon.
No sword exchange was needed; winner and loser were crystal clear.
“If you have nothing more to say, I'm going to eat now.”
Hyeon Yucheon outright issued an eviction notice.
Meaning: stay and fight if you must, but otherwise stop interrupting my meal.
The Quick Sword Hall group had been eating elsewhere anyway, with no excuse to linger.
“Grr. Let's go.”
Ok Jangcheon fled the inn like a whipped dog.
* * *
“Damn it all!”
Boom!
The Latent Dragon Swift Sword, Ok Jangcheon, returned to his room and unleashed rare fury.
Quick Sword Hall pursued martial arts born of extreme calm—swift strikes from icy composure.
Thus, Ok Jangcheon rarely showed anger or emotion.
But not today.
Crunch!
He gripped the neatly severed ribbon, replaying the humiliation.
I didn't see it. Didn't feel it at all.
Even in retrospect, it was chilling.
Hyeon Yucheon's sword was blindingly fast, stealthy—like a ghost's blade.
This was a first for him.
After reaching the Peak realm faster than any peer, rivals had been scarce.
Indeed, he was tipped as a semifinal contender at the Black Heaven Assembly.
Seated with his humiliated Quick Sword Hall comrades, a sudden thought struck Ok Jangcheon.
“Wait! Invisible sword qi, blisteringly fast... Could it be?!”
He reached a conclusion.
The Demon Sword Ghost Lord's lost art, Formless Flash Quick Sword?
Ok Jangcheon wavered.
He'd never witnessed the Demon Sword Ghost Lord's arts firsthand, so his knowledge was limited.
“No way.”
“Impossible.”
“We looked into it—that Hyeon Yucheon kid joined after the Demon Sword Ghost Lord vanished.”
His subordinates, equally shocked, chimed in unison.
They'd hastily investigated Hyeon Yucheon and the Demon Sword Sect—results far from conclusive.
“...Is that so?”
Ok Jangcheon sighed in relief, but his sharp instincts screamed warning.
The Demon Sword Sect leader Hyeon Yucheon was extremely dangerous.
“We'll see, Hyeon Yucheon. Quick Sword Hall's blades will never yield to the Demon Sword Sect!”
Burning with rivalry toward Hyeon Yucheon and the Demon Sword Sect, he awaited only the Black Heaven Assembly.
Hyeon Yucheon would surely breeze through preliminaries to the main tournament.
Ok Jangcheon figured he'd reach the upper brackets, confident they'd meet again soon.
And a few days later.
The Black Heaven Assembly revived in the secluded Great Dark Valley.
Would Ok Jangcheon achieve his goal?
Could Hyeon Yucheon and the Demon Sword Sect soar?
All would be decided at the Black Heaven Assembly.
* * *
“Before the Black Heaven Assembly main tournament, preliminaries will commence!”
A Great Dark Valley executive bellowed, his face dripping with annoyance.
Truth be told, preliminaries served one purpose: weeding out the riffraff.
The Sapa Five Great Sects' entrants—and promising later-generation talents—were already main-tournament locks via invitations.
But we can't deny general entrants a shot entirely.
Thus, the desperate measure:
“This first preliminary is simple. Strike the Great Dark Bell here in Great Dark Valley barehanded, infusing your inner power to make it ring loudly.”
Ringing the massive Great Dark Bell.
This ancient iron behemoth at the valley's heart rivaled a one-story building in size—immense.
Petty skill wouldn't budge it; the striker's hand would shatter instead.
“Proceed in called order to the bell.”
At the executive's word, the bizarre preliminary began—and sure enough?
Thud!
“Argh! My hand!”
Entrants struck, but the bell stayed mute; half a shichen in, no passers, only injuries.
“Is this even possible?”
“Yeah, it's gotta be a specially designed bell with no internal clapper!”
Some even spun conspiracy theories, looking pathetic.
As Great Dark Valley masters debated demonstrating—
“Next entrant: Demon Sword Sect's... Mugeom Sword Young Master Hyeon Yucheon!”
At "Demon Sword Sect," every eye in Great Dark Valley locked on him.
Entrants, spectators—all stared solely at Hyeon Yucheon.
Buzz buzz!
His presence—or rather, the Demon Sword Sect's participation—drew inevitable Sapa interest.
Once an untouchable powerhouse, now barely scraping into preliminaries; curiosity reigned.
Even those griping about the bell's legitimacy fell silent, watching his back.
“Boring.”
One might buckle under such scrutiny, but not Hyeon Yucheon.
Why?
He'd long surpassed later-generation levels, matching Sapa's Ten Masters.
True experts feared nothing.
Hyeon Yucheon embodied that now.
“Just strike the bell?”
Great Dark Bell overseer Dark Fist Bong Ilwol eyed him curiously.
What can this young Demon Sword Sect disciple show?
Frankly, avoiding disgrace would be a win.
That's how far the Demon Sword Sect had fallen in Sapa eyes.
“That's right.”
As all dismissed him, Hyeon Yucheon began his reversal.
Smooth!
He adjusted his stance briefly.
-Formless Myriad Things Heart Method!
Circulating the Demon Sword Ghost Lord's unique heart method.
Key fact: Hyeon Yucheon's inner power rivaled the world's best.
Having absorbed the supreme master's full cultivation, he yielded to none in raw power.
Kaboom!
He slammed his palm into the bell's face like slapping a thug—infused with inner power.
The result stunned all.
The Great Dark Bell no one could ring.
Dooooong!
A deafening roar shattered eardrums, the toll echoing across Great Dark Valley.