Chapter 9
Azure Sky Martial Festival (Part 4)
“Let the finals begin!”
The time for the championship had arrived.
The brothers of the Namgung family, only a year apart in age, took positions on opposite sides of the training ground.
On one side was Namgung Jin, the crown prince of the Namgung family, renowned throughout the martial world and destined to lead the family’s future.
On the other side was Namgung Hyuk, a previously unknown figure who had neither recognition in the martial world nor within the family.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on this clash of extremes.
“I didn’t expect to face you here.”
“Is that so? Let me warn you—don’t underestimate me and make a mistake in this match, Your Highness.”
Namgung Jin’s expression stiffened slightly at Namgung Hyuk’s words.
Hyuk’s endless confidence was irritating to him.
“Could it be that you’re putting your faith in the sword style that defeated Harin? Do you really think a sword with unknown origins can beat the Namgung family’s techniques?”
“You seem to misunderstand. My sword style also originates from the Namgung family’s techniques.”
“What did you say?”
“The Shinmu Ten Swords were created by combining the techniques left behind by the family’s previous masters at the Changmungak Pavilion.”
Everyone present was shocked, not just Namgung Jin.
It was hard to believe that someone not even of age had devised a new sword style.
“Where do you dare to lie!”
Naturally, Namgung Jin refused to believe him.
Namgung Hyuk merely shrugged lightly in response.
“Believe it or not, I’m just stating the truth.”
“…If your aim was to disturb my focus to gain an advantage, it partially worked. But I will no longer be swayed by your words.”
Saying this, Namgung Jin coldly glared at Hyuk and gripped his sword.
Hyuk assumed a serious stance in response.
Amid the tense standoff, the invisible clash of power slowly began.
‘Which side will gain the upper hand?’
‘From a glance, their skills seem evenly matched. But…’
‘This is not a fight that can be easily predicted.’
As the audience’s anticipation grew, Namgung Hyuk struck the ground first and surged forward.
“Strong Dragon Stance!”
Hyuk executed a powerful downward slash.
This move, known as the essence of the Iron Sword Ten Forms—previously called the Iron Wind Sword—was formidable.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Namgung Jin shouted as he countered with one of the Namgung family’s sword techniques, Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunders, intercepting the attack.
Their swords clashed violently in midair, sending shockwaves across the training ground.
Soon, both combatants moved frenetically across the arena, exchanging strikes relentlessly.
Then, from the center of the arena, they lunged at each other.
“Ha!”
Namgung Jin aimed a precise thrust at Hyuk’s vital point.
“Broken Dragon Stance!”
Hyuk met the attack with his own sword, the tip infused with condensed spiritual energy.
Bang!
The clash created a deafening roar as their spiritual energies collided.
Both were pushed back by the force of the impact.
‘So this is what true inheritance feels like… to block an attack imbued with my Seven-Star inner energy so easily.’
Hyuk had extraordinary inner energy for his age, thanks to the condensed energy cultivation in the “room.”
Previously, he had only used five-star inner energy in prior matches.
Even with Jin increasing his energy output, it was still hard to gain the upper hand.
‘Even if I’m questioned later about the source of my inner energy, there’s no choice.’
Hyuk resolved to give his all and drew his inner energy to its maximum.
Rumbles shook the ground slightly.
The keen-eyed immediately recognized this as a manifestation of Hyuk’s energy wave.
‘He possesses this much inner power?’
Namgung Jin, surprised at the overwhelming energy, unleashed Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunders with all his might.
“Ten Thousand Sword Thunders!”
Blue sword energy shot toward Hyuk in multiple streaks.
Hyuk, holding his sword above his head, exhaled quietly:
“Flash Dragon Stance.”
The vertical descent of his sword concentrated energy into a single flash, neutralizing the incoming sword barrage and striking toward Namgung Jin.
Despite being able to dodge, Jin blocked the flash with his sword.
Crack!
His feet slid back, barely stopping before exiting the arena.
‘How can a single strike carry such power…!’
Jin gasped, staring at the long sword scar across the arena floor.
The audience fell into stunned silence.
The expected champion, Namgung Jin, appeared at a disadvantage.
Yet the most shocked was Jin himself.
‘I can’t show any more shame in front of Grandfather!’
His gaze shifted to the pavilion.
This was a public event meant to cement his position as the heir of the Namgung family.
‘I won’t let a mere branch family take victory!’
Gritting his teeth, Jin drew upon the Heavenly Thunder Emperor Divine Skill to its full Seven-Star potential.
Simultaneously, he used the family’s renowned Azure Sky Floating Cloud Body Technique, closing in before Hyuk could react.
‘Fast!’
Hyuk barely evaded Jin’s advancing strikes.
But Jin pursued relentlessly, demonstrating threat after threat.
“Strong Dragon Stance!”
Hyuk countered, but his slash only hit Jin’s afterimage.
In an instant, Jin moved behind him and swung his sword.
Fwoosh!
Hyuk failed to fully evade, and his back was grazed.
The wound wasn’t deep, but his movements were hindered.
‘Keeping up with that speed and movement isn’t easy.’
The Azure Sky Floating Cloud Body Technique was far superior in agility.
Even using the full potential of the Shinmu Ten Swords, Hyuk couldn’t fully keep up.
[Understanding of “Azure Sky Floating Cloud Body Technique” increased by 2%.]
[Understanding of “Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunders” increased by 4%.]
Despite this, Hyuk was gradually exploiting Jin’s martial techniques using the “martial skill” trait.
‘But it’s too late.’
He couldn’t endure long enough to fully understand Jin’s moves.
A sharp memory from a previous life flashed in his mind—facing monsters too fast to track with the eyes in a dungeon.
‘How did I survive then?’
He survived countless life-or-death moments as a Hunter, instinctively finding a way out in extreme situations.
‘If I awaken that survival instinct again…!’
Hyuk closed his eyes, trusting his instincts.
‘Closing your eyes mid-duel? What trick is this?’
Jin suspected something as Hyuk shut his eyes, yet didn’t stop attacking.
Hyuk instinctively dodged every strike, reading Jin’s intent without consciously thinking.
‘Impossible!’
Jin refused to believe it, continuing his relentless assault.
But Hyuk’s uncanny dodging wore him down.
Crack!
Hyuk began evading while preparing to counterattack.
‘This guy…!’
Jin, gripped by fear of being overtaken, even used power beyond what should be allowed in a duel.
Wooosh!
The Sky-Shattering Sword Thunders flew toward Hyuk with overwhelming force.
‘Using brute force to crush me?’
Hyuk opened his eyes and faced the incoming sword energy.
He could choose to dodge or block, each with some cost.
‘Fine, let’s do this.’
“Exploding Dragon Stance!”
Hyuk swung his sword, generating a massive whirlwind like a dragon ascending.
Kraaaak!
Yet Jin’s Sky-Shattering Sword Thunders cut through the vortex, striking the target.
“What?!”
“Impossible!”
The audience thought Hyuk must have died.
But astonishingly, Hyuk rode the whirlwind and appeared high in the air.
Jin lifted his head in shock.
“Dragon Striking Stance!”
Hyuk descended from above, swinging his sword down.
Jin raised his sword to block.
“Ugh!”
He grunted as his feet sank an inch into the ground, his knees smashing the floor.
Hyuk’s strike, combined with inner energy, multiplied the force of the blow.
‘Hah, how’s that?’
Hyuk, exhausted from repeated high-energy techniques, smiled.
He wiped the blood from his sleeve—the body still couldn’t fully handle the strain.
In the “room,” the body remains fixed regardless of time, so physical conditioning isn’t possible, only inner energy.
Even with the strain of Shinmu Ten Swords, the body endured but suffered.
‘Level-up stats could fix this, but…’
Hyuk checked the wound—minor—and looked at Jin kneeling in the arena.
Even after exerting significant inner energy, Jin still had reserves.
‘Considering he’s a true heir, trained with every advantage, I’ve held my own pretty well.’
But Hyuk wasn’t satisfied. He centered his energy and adjusted his grip.
Jin rose to his knees, his aura far more ferocious than before.
‘What is this violent energy?’
Hyuk tensed at the sudden change.
