Dragon-Phoenix Preliminaries: The Sword Princess's Gambit
“It’s been a while, Lady Namgung. I trust you’ve been well?”
“I’ve been fine. And you, Young Hero Paeng?”
Namgung Suryeon offered a polite smile as Paeng Ho-jun approached her before the match. In truth, her memories of him were far from pleasant. He was the sort who bullied the weak with his strength yet bowed before the strong—a classic sycophant. Still, his skill had been passable once.
One day Paeng Ho-jun had picked a fight with her and dragged her onto the dueling stage. Enraged, Namgung Suryeon had broken his left wrist and taught him a harsh lesson. Because her grandfather Namgung Yeong was the Alliance Leader at the time, the incident had not escalated further. Since then, Paeng Ho-jun’s reckless temperament was said to have improved somewhat.
“It will be different this time. I have trained with blood and sweat to rise again!”
“Yes. Do your best.”
She had no interest. Even if he tried his hardest, she doubted he would reach the main tournament. The one Namgung Suryeon truly watched was Mi Yo-jin of the Jeomchang Sect. Even at a glance, the woman’s skill clearly surpassed Paeng Ho-jun’s. He seemed convinced that both he and Namgung Suryeon would advance. That was never going to happen.
In any case, Namgung Suryeon paid Paeng Ho-jun no further attention. She had to look after herself first; there was no need to waste words on others. Even if she believed she could reach the main stage, she could not afford to grow complacent. It was better to remain vigilant than to be humbled by arrogance.
After the brief exchange in the waiting area, Namgung Suryeon stepped onto the stage. Beneath the gaze of countless spectators, she drew her sword and faced the three young talents who would be her opponents. At the same moment, her eyes met Baekri Hyeong’s in the stands. His gaze held absolute certainty that she would win.
I have to advance too.
Defeat did not matter. She simply wanted to cross blades with him even once. To do that, she first had to overcome this obstacle.
“Begin!!”
“Waaaaah!”
As the match started, the four young talents circled one another warily, none willing to strike first. Anyone who moved rashly risked the other three forming an alliance and eliminating them. So they watched each other, waiting for an opening.
[My lady, how about we join forces?]
[…]
[My lady?]
Paeng Ho-jun was the first to send a sound transmission, proposing an alliance. Namgung Suryeon ignored him completely. She knew that if she pretended not to hear, he would eventually turn elsewhere. As expected, he soon abandoned the attempt and began transmitting to Mi Yo-jin instead. This time, the conversation seemed to progress. Mi Yo-jin naturally drifted closer to Paeng Ho-jun. Gwang Gun-jo, noticing their exchange, glanced at them before leveling his spear at Namgung Suryeon and joining their side.
“Haha. So this is how it ends.”
“My apologies, my lady. I wished to advance together, but it cannot be helped.”
“No. I should be the one apologizing. There was no need to hide my strength in a preliminary match.”
“..!”
Kuuuuum!
The moment Namgung Suryeon stamped her foot, the aura of the Imperial Sword Form seized the entire stage. The three young talents paled. The pressure binding their bodies was far beyond what any late-stage genius should possess.
“Ghh…!”
“Three of you allied? Fine. I’ll overcome this trial alone!”
“Dodge!!”
Kwaaaang!
Namgung Suryeon accelerated in an instant and slammed into the frozen Gwang Gun-jo. He was hurled off the stage without the slightest resistance. A single strike—using her body rather than her sword—had eliminated one opponent.
Paeng Ho-jun and Mi Yo-jin exchanged glances.
“Haaah!”
Paeng Ho-jun drew the Paeng Clan’s secret art, the Five Tiger Severing Blade, and charged like a wild beast. Yet Namgung Suryeon, wielding the Imperial Sword Form, moved with fluid grace rather than heaviness.
“..!”
“Too slow.”
She evaded Paeng Ho-jun’s charge in a flash and swung her sword toward the back of his head, but Mi Yo-jin had already closed in from behind and struck with a fist. Namgung Suryeon twisted, deflecting the blow with sword qi. At the same time, Paeng Ho-jun recovered from the recoil of his technique and brought his blade down with tremendous force. She met it with her own sword qi.
Chaeaeeng!
She was being overpowered. The Paeng Clan valued raw strength above all else; their techniques and even their bodies were built around it. Even though Namgung Suryeon had long since broken through to the Peak Realm, facing two First-Class masters in coordinated assault was no easy task. The Imperial Sword Form restrained their movements, yet its weight felt mismatched with her agile style.
“My lady, why not surrender now?”
“That’s what I was about to ask you. If the person beside you launches a surprise attack, how will you respond, Young Hero Paeng? The same question applies to you, Miss Mi.”
“...”
“Can you truly trust the person next to you?”
Namgung Suryeon sowed discord. Though both were from the righteous faction and had formed an alliance, Mi Yo-jin hailed from the demonic path where the strong ruled, and Paeng Ho-jun knew it. Until moments ago they had fought together, but the small stone Namgung Suryeon cast now threatened the fragile bond between them.
“Well, that’s for the two of you to decide. I can’t afford to lose either.”
Pajijijik.
Namgung Suryeon withdrew the inner energy of the Imperial Sword Form and drew forth the Thirteen Thunderbolt Swords. For the past year, the technique she had trained most diligently was not the Imperial Sword Form but the Thirteen Thunderbolt Swords. The Azure Sky Great Flame Divine Art blazed within her, and faint sparks of lightning crackled across her fingertips.
“As always, I’ll go first.”
“Lead the way.”
“Haaah!”
Recognizing the threat of her lightning, Paeng Ho-jun immediately switched to the Mixed Origin Thunderclap Blade. Though it lacked lightning, its raw power was overwhelming.
Kwaaaang!!
Charging forward while shattering the stage floor, he resembled a wild boar more than a tiger. Namgung Suryeon watched him and recalled her unique ability—the power to read an opponent’s sword path and sever it before it formed. Yet against Paeng Ho-jun it was useless. His technique was simply too crude and forceful; there were no elegant flourishes to cut.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t stop him.
She poured lightning into her legs and moved at a speed far beyond human limits, rushing straight toward the charging Paeng Ho-jun.
She’s courting death. If she charges so recklessly…!
Paeng Ho-jun was certain Mi Yo-jin would exploit the opening and strike. Victory was theirs—or so he thought.
…What? Why isn’t she moving?
He saw Mi Yo-jin standing in the corner, lips curled in a faint smile as she watched the clash. Realization struck him. Ah. He had been played.
The moment he understood Mi Yo-jin’s betrayal, a bitter laugh almost escaped him. But betrayal hardly mattered now. In a contest of pure strength, he would win.
“If that’s what you’re thinking, you’re about to be taught a lesson.”
“What?”
“Imperial Sword Form.”
Kugugung!
The instant their weapons were about to clash, Namgung Suryeon released all her lightning and activated the Imperial Sword Form. Paeng Ho-jun’s blade lost its power and dropped. In that split second—
Kwaaaang!
Her sword, now wreathed in lightning, shattered the Mixed Origin Thunderclap Blade and sent Paeng Ho-jun flying off the stage.
“Match over. The winners of the first preliminary round are Namgung Suryeon and Mi Yo-jin.”
“Waaaaah!”
“Namgung Suryeon! Namgung Suryeon! Namgung Suryeon!”
The outcome was decided in an instant. By harmonizing the Thirteen Thunderbolt Swords with the Imperial Sword Form, Namgung Suryeon had defeated both Gwang Gun-jo and Paeng Ho-jun. The first preliminary match ended with victory for her and Mi Yo-jin. The only point of controversy was Mi Yo-jin’s mid-match betrayal of the alliance, but since it was a competition, it caused no real uproar.
The spectators, believing the first round had concluded as expected, turned their attention to the next match with growing anticipation. When Mun Ho-sik stepped onto the stage for the second round, the air above the dueling platform turned ice-cold.