Chapter 8: Placement Test (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 8: Placement Test (2)
The method for the new Clouds’ placement test had been decided. This time, the format would be a martial arts tournament.
Normally, evaluations were conducted by combining scores from various test subjects. However, because this cohort of new Clouds was so large, they decided to hold a tournament instead. While its primary purpose was to evaluate the new recruits, it was also intended to boost the morale of the other Clouds stationed at the Main Castle. It was rare for the Azure Heaven Association to host such a grand event.
A large sparring platform had been erected in the Great Training Ground of the Azure Heaven Association's Main Castle specifically for the tournament.
"Is it starting soon?"
"There's an empty seat over here."
The spectator stands surrounding the platform were packed with the chivalrous heroes of the Azure Heaven Association. They had gathered to see the faces and skills of the new Clouds for themselves.
"I heard it's been a while since we've had a cohort this large."
"Enough to hold a separate tournament, that's for sure. I wonder how many capable ones there are."
"Still, it's worrying that the number of new Clouds is dwindling year by year."
The Azure Heaven Association was a gathering place for those who performed chivalrous deeds while opposing the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult. Naturally, their process for accepting new members was far more stringent than that of ordinary sects. Furthermore, as the Sun-Moon Demonic Cult's dominance persisted, the number of martial artists seeking to join the Azure Heaven Association was gradually declining.
Thus, each new Cloud was truly precious.
"Did you say her name is Dan So-hye? I heard she handles a sword quite well. They say if she's nurtured properly, she has the talent to aim for the rank of Hall Master in the future."
"Still, wouldn't she fall short compared to Baekri Cheong? Even before joining the Azure Heaven Association, he was a famous Rising Star in Shanxi Province."
"Haha, there are quite a few coveted youngsters in this cohort."
The Clouds of the Azure Heaven Association mentioned the promising prospects they knew, but the name Namgung Jun was never heard among them. This was partly because Ink Lord Yun Gyeong-jong had kept the events of the entrance exam and the Self-Reflection Martial Repository a secret, but also because Namgung Jun had not particularly stood out in the First Cloud Dormitory.
Nevertheless, Namgung Jun did not care.
He simply stepped onto the sparring platform for his first duel.
"Dan So-hye is fighting in the very first match? This is good."
"Hmm, her opponent is someone I've never seen before. He looks a bit frail. I wonder how he'll do."
"Judging by their auras, it looks like Dan So-hye will win handily."
Namgung Jun's first opponent was one of the most anticipated prospects among the new Clouds.
Is her name Dan So-hye?
She was a woman with short, bobbed hair who appeared to be barely twenty. Brimming with enthusiasm for the duel, she was already fidgeting with her scabbard. In contrast, Namgung Jun stood comfortably with his arms hanging loosely at his sides.
Perhaps irritated by his relaxed posture, Dan So-hye warned him in a low voice, "I won't go easy on you just because you're young, so prepare yourself."
"Young?"
Namgung Jun muttered, only to suddenly realize his own age. The age of this body was a mere seventeen.
"Hmm."
Letting out a low sigh, Namgung Jun slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. At a glance, it was a defenseless and careless opening stance.
That sight thoroughly grated on Dan So-hye's pride. Her eyes flared with anger.
"You need to be taught a lesson to snap out of it."
Incensed, Dan So-hye drew her sword and lunged forward.
Namgung Jun's pupils tracked her swift movements, flickering sharply.
At that moment, the sword drawn from Namgung Jun's hand soared high. There was absolutely no wasted motion in the sequence. To Dan So-hye, it looked as if the process of drawing the sword had been skipped entirely.
She hadn't let her guard down.
In fact, despite focusing with all her might out of wounded pride, she had failed to read his movements.
Huh?
Just as Dan So-hye's lips parted in confusion, a vertical sword strike descended, splitting the air with a heavy sound.
Clang!
With a sharp metallic screech, Dan So-hye's sword snapped in half and flew into the air. She had lost her grip on the weapon, overwhelmed by a Sword Force far heavier than she had anticipated.
Having blown away Dan So-hye's sword in a single strike, Namgung Jun was already sheathing his weapon.
His actions were so incredibly natural that a brief silence fell over the spectator stands.
The same went for Dan So-hye herself. She merely stared blankly at her sword, which had flown far away.
"..."
Losing her grip was one thing, but she couldn't believe her blade had snapped in half from a single strike.
"What in the world? Dan So-hye was defeated that easily?"
"A single-strike defeat?"
The spectating Clouds also shifted restlessly in their seats at the unexpected result. That was not a sword strike a rookie with only a single Cloud rank should be able to produce.
The Hall Masters, watching the duel from the highest point of the spectator stands, were equally astonished.
"Hmm? That sword strike just now... was extraordinary."
"Does anyone know who that boy is?"
"To wield such a Heavy Sword with that slender body? Judging by the aura he exudes, his internal energy isn't even that deep."
While the Hall Masters were bewildered, Lee Se-ha clenched her fist and secretly rejoiced.
The Sword Demon also smirked and muttered under his breath.
"Kid. You've become even more refined than back then."
Reading the Sword Demon's lips, Namgung Jun gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Thus, amidst the commotion caused by Namgung Jun, the first duel of the tournament came to an end.
*
Although Namgung Jun had defeated his opponent in a single strike, the attention on him was short-lived. As a tall, handsome man stepped onto the platform, everyone's focus shifted toward him.
"He's finally up."
"Is that the guy from the rumors?"
"The Eldest Young Master of the destroyed First Family of Shanxi."
Namgung Jun also watched the man who had stepped onto the platform from a corner.
His name is Baekri Cheong?
The First Family of Shanxi. This was another name for the Baekri Clan.
The Baekri Clan was a massive family that had ruled Shanxi Province even when Namcheon Palace was in its prime. Even back then, the family's history must have spanned three hundred years. It felt strange to think that a family with a history longer than Namcheon Palace's had been wiped out just a year ago.
Whoosh!
The moment the referee's shout signaled the start of the duel, Baekri Cheong's body shot forward. His movement was as swift as if he had wings. Instantly closing the distance, Baekri Cheong's sword slashed horizontally with fierce intensity.
"Huh?"
Baekri Cheong's opponent couldn't even react properly and was forced to stare at the blade hovering right before his throat.
"The winner! Baekri Cheong!"
The duel was over in an instant.
A single-strike victory.
Just like Namgung Jun, he had subdued his opponent with a single blow.
As the referee made the call, Baekri Cheong sheathed the sword he had aimed at his opponent's throat with a graceful flourish. As he did so, his gaze briefly shifted toward the outskirts of the crowd.
Namgung Jun did not miss that look.
Interesting.
There was no mistake. Though it lasted only a split second, Baekri Cheong's gaze was definitely directed at him. It was a look filled with such intense resolve that he couldn't possibly have mistaken it.
Did he do that with me in mind?
He could feel the ambition and desperation unique to youth. He must be thirsting for victory in this tournament.
"I'm sorry, but I can't just hand over the championship."
Letting out a chuckle, Namgung Jun headed toward the sparring platform. Before he knew it, his turn had come again.
His opponent this time was a burly, well-built man. Even at a glance, the difference in their physiques was substantial. The man's muscles were so swollen they seemed on the verge of tearing his clothes, whereas Namgung Jun's forearms, visible through his sleeves, were so thin that the bones showed. Because of this, the contrast between the two was even more stark.
"That boy finished Dan So-hye in a single strike?"
"They say he wields a formidable Heavy Sword. I wonder how this will go."
"I think this opponent might be too tough for him."
As if conscious of Namgung Jun's Heavy Sword, the man also carefully raised the greatsword he carried on his back.
"Begin the duel!"
The duel began.
The one who took the initiative was the man with the greatsword.
I won't even give him the chance to use the Heavy Sword that defeated Dan So-hye.
The man freely wielded the massive greatsword with a single hand. The rushing, heavy wind from the blade violently whipped the hem of Namgung Jun's clothes.
He's utilizing his natural physical strength well.
The man's level was quite high. He knew how to cleverly utilize his innate talents. On top of that, wielding a heavy and massive greatsword only amplified its power.
But it's still crude.
It was clearly visible to Namgung Jun: the weakness in the man's sword path.
Namgung Jun's left hand reached for his hilt. Grasping his sword with both hands, he took a steadfast step forward.
The footwork energy of the Infinite Steps burst diagonally to both sides, wrapping around his ankles. The force wrung from the rotation starting from his ankles, passing through his waist, and reaching his shoulders was channeled entirely into the blade.
Now!
A sword strike rushing diagonally from the upper left clashed directly with the man's greatsword. Rather than simply blocking his opponent's attack, Namgung Jun redirected its force. He utilized a portion of the Sword Force pouring from the greatsword, turning it into his own power.
Claaaaang!
A screeching metallic clash erupted violently as Namgung Jun and the man each retreated. Both took exactly three steps back, but their expressions were completely different.
Namgung Jun's expression was serene, while the man's face was completely distorted.
Crack!
A hairline crack running along the greatsword gradually widened before snapping clean in half.
He had destroyed his opponent's weapon in a single strike. Moreover, he had broken a greatsword that was twice as thick and heavy as an ordinary sword—an incredibly difficult feat.
On the other hand, Namgung Jun's sword was perfectly fine. Not even the edge of the blade was chipped.
Once again, a single-strike victory.
The crowd fell into a stunned silence at the sword strike Namgung Jun had displayed. The only ones who spoke were the Hall Masters.
"The Silk-Reeling Energy channeled through his entire body, and his astonishingly honed swordplay... it carried the subtle principles of Four Ounces Deflecting a Thousand Pounds. It is a fearsome Heavy Sword."
"To think that is the sword strike of a mere First Cloud?"
"The real monster was hiding in plain sight."
The promising prospects of the tournament were falling one by one to a nameless boy named Namgung Jun. Naturally, he could not help but catch the eyes of the Hall Masters.
Among the marveling Hall Masters, only Lee Se-ha feigned composure.
It's so hard to hold back my laughter.
The master, rejoicing in her disciple's success, was beginning to find it difficult to control her facial expression.
"Ahem."
Even though no one was looking, Lee Se-ha cleared her throat for no reason and focused on maintaining a straight face.
*
The final day of the tournament arrived.
The matchup for the finals was decided.
"I expected Baekri Cheong to reach the finals, of course."
"Namgung Jun? Never heard of him. Does anyone know his background?"
The curiosity of the spectating Clouds was split exactly down the middle.
There was Baekri Cheong, who possessed the brilliant former background of the First Family of Shanxi.
And there was Namgung Jun, who had revealed neither his background, family, nor martial arts, yet ended every duel in a single strike.
All the Hall Masters currently remaining at the Main Castle attended the finals. Excluding the Sword Lord, who was the head of the Sword Fragrance Department, the Hall Masters held the highest rank. Catching the eye of one of these Hall Masters was the ultimate goal for the new Clouds participating in the tournament.
As expected of the finals, one of the Hall Masters personally stepped in to referee.
The middle-aged man, clad in a sleeveless martial uniform, flexed his arm muscles.
"I am the Iron Tower Hall Master, Dan Jung-se. Fight a duel without shame."
As Namgung Jun and Baekri Cheong nodded, Dan Jung-se had already stepped back ten paces. At the same time, his robust voice pierced through the air like a punch.
"Begin."
It was the start of the final duel.