Chapter 49
The Heroes’ Tournament (5)
At once, Kim Ji-seok set three arrows on his bowstring and drew it taut, gathering his inner energy.
The bow, crafted from the horn of a water buffalo, bent nearly to its breaking point.
Twang!
Three arrows were released.
Each flew along a different trajectory, yet all aimed unerringly for Namgung Hyuk—
and so cleverly that it was impossible to block them all at once.
“So, I can’t defend against all of them simultaneously.”
Namgung Hyuk leapt to the side to dodge,
but Kim Ji-seok was already there, having followed his movement to appear directly in front of him.
Whoosh!
An arrow shot from point-blank range.
“Tch!”
Namgung Hyuk jerked his head to the side.
The arrow grazed past his hair—
and a thin line of blood appeared on his earlobe.
“Flying Dragon Stance (飛龍勢)!”
Namgung Hyuk swept his sword horizontally toward Kim Ji-seok.
But Kim Ji-seok spread his legs wide, letting the attack flow harmlessly over his head—
then fired another arrow upward from below.
This time, the arrow came straight for his chin.
Namgung Hyuk had to throw his head back to avoid it.
“Ha! Incredible.”
He found himself admiring his opponent,
forgetting for a moment that his life had been in danger.
Kim Ji-seok’s martial attainment was at best a mature level of the ‘Peak’ stage,
and his inner energy was modest—no sign of having taken any rare elixirs or long cultivation.
“To corner me like this with nothing but archery skill and unpredictable movement…”
Namgung Hyuk now saw Kim Ji-seok in a different light.
But admiration aside, he couldn’t keep being pushed back like this.
“I dislike using brute force… but perhaps this will be a valuable lesson for him.”
Namgung Hyuk’s eyes gleamed.
He drew up massive energy from his dantian, raising his sword.
“What—?”
Kim Ji-seok, sensing danger, hastily fired another arrow.
It shot straight toward Namgung Hyuk,
but suddenly shattered in midair, blocked by something invisible.
Namgung Hyuk’s released energy had formed an unseen wall.
“Heavenly Blunt Pressure (天鈍距壓).”
Namgung Hyuk muttered softly as he brought his sword down.
Along its path, the ground caved in, crushed as if under immense weight.
And Kim Ji-seok—
who happened to stand within that area—was slammed face-first to the ground.
“Ugh—agh!”
Pinned like a squashed frog, Kim Ji-seok couldn’t even breathe properly.
He tried to rise, but the pressure only increased.
If this continued, he’d die.
“I—I surrender!”
The instant he declared defeat, the crushing weight vanished.
Namgung Hyuk sheathed his sword and offered him a hand.
“Are you all right? Perhaps I went too far.”
“Ahaha, not at all. I’m grateful for the experience—it’s broadened my horizons.”
Despite his loss, Kim Ji-seok smiled brightly and clasped his hand without hesitation.
“That was an incredible martial art.”
“You too—your archery truly befits the title of Divine Marksman.”
If Kim Ji-seok had more internal strength,
the duel might have been far more difficult for Namgung Hyuk.
He wasn’t the only one who saw Kim Ji-seok’s potential.
“To think such a master exists even among the Eastern tribes…”
“That kind of archery is rare even in the martial world.”
While the others marveled, one man alone wore a grim expression—
Namgung Hwang.
“That move he just used… it’s slightly different, but unmistakably—!”
* * *
Of the sixteen who had advanced to the main tournament, only four remained:
Jushin-un, the nameless wandering swordsman
Hye-yeon, the divine monk of Shaolin
Baek Ja-un, vice leader of the White Tiger Corps
and Namgung Hyuk
Every one of them was an elite, and the crowd’s excitement reached its peak.
After lunch, the semifinals began.
The first match was between Hye-yeon and Baek Ja-un.
“I will fight with all my strength as the representative of Mount Hua.”
“Amitabha. Hearing that, I too can use my full ability with a clear heart.”
Though spoken politely, Hye-yeon’s words implied condescension.
Baek Ja-un suppressed his irritation.
“So he dares look down on me, even if he’s a Shaolin prodigy?”
Baek Ja-un, too, was a recognized genius of the Mount Hua Sect.
He was determined not to lose—not before facing Namgung Hyuk in the finals.
But…
Thud!
“Kuh—!”
A fist broke through his sword defense, slamming into his solar plexus.
His internal organs twisted from the impact, and he stumbled back.
“Even with my body protected by inner energy… it hurts this much?!”
Hye-yeon’s Hundred-Step Divine Fist (百步神拳) was terrifyingly powerful.
Gritting his teeth, Baek Ja-un unleashed his Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Countless sword auras, like falling petals, rained down around Hye-yeon.
But Hye-yeon didn’t move an inch.
He pressed one palm together, maintaining his stance.
“What—?”
Even within that storm of sword energy, Hye-yeon stood completely unscathed.
His body had already reached the perfection of Diamond Indestructibility (金剛不壞).
“Amitabha.”
He chanted once, then advanced using the Nine Grades Lotus Step.
Keeping one hand folded, he struck with the other—
his palm glowing with golden light.
Boom!
Hye-yeon’s Prajna Diamond Palm (般若金剛掌) sent Baek Ja-un flying out of the arena.
He hit the ground unconscious.
“Hah!”
“So that was the famed Prajna Diamond Palm…”
The audience was in awe—this was the very essence of Shaolin’s martial arts.
Shaolin’s current abbot, Grandmaster Gongyu, was one of the Ten Great Masters,
and now, with such a successor as Hye-yeon, the temple’s future looked bright.
“It seems the Shaolin monk will win this tournament.”
“But that Namgung boy’s talent is also remarkable.”
Members of the Nine Great Sects favored Hye-yeon,
while the Six Great Clans supported Namgung Hyuk.
Their skills were evenly matched—
but each faction naturally rooted for their own.
Meanwhile, the alliance leader Moyong Hwi watched silently.
“Shaolin cannot be underestimated.”
Were it not for their policy of non-intervention,
their influence among the righteous sects would have been unmatched.
Even during the Paechun Fortress crisis in the north,
Shaolin had chosen diplomacy over bloodshed—
Grandmaster Gongyu had sent word through Hye-yeon, asking for peace.
“But this time, we need Shaolin’s strength.”
To that end, Moyong Hwi wanted Hye-yeon to win the tournament.
Given what he’d seen, it was entirely possible—
unless Namgung Hyuk proved to be the wild card.
* * *
After a short break, the second semifinal began.
“To meet you here again, young hero—fate must be at work.”
“Indeed.”
As they exchanged words, Namgung Hyuk carefully studied Jushin-un.
Unlike his previous opponents, this man was completely unknown.
“I wonder what kind of martial arts he uses.”
Excitement stirred in Namgung Hyuk’s chest.
Jushin-un drew his blade—a Yanmao Dao,
a single-edged sword that could also thrust effectively.
Few swordsmen favored such a weapon.
“Then let’s begin.”
“Agreed.”
The energy Jushin-un released was on par with Namgung Hyuk’s.
He charged forward, blade first.
“Strong Dragon Stance (强龍勢)!”
Namgung Hyuk countered with fierce sword strikes—
but Jushin-un slipped deftly between them,
his blade darting toward Hyuk’s shoulder.
“Ha! Not bad!”
Namgung Hyuk twisted away, spun in place,
and aimed for Jushin-un’s back—
—but Jushin-un had already anticipated it.
Whoosh!
His form vanished from sight, reappearing at Namgung Hyuk’s blind spot.
He slashed wide—
Clang!
Sparks flew as sword and blade met.
They both leapt back simultaneously, smiling faintly.
“You’re no ordinary opponent.”
“Nor are you.”
It was clear—they had only just begun.
That earlier exchange was mere warm-up.
Crackle.
“This time, things will be different.”
Namgung Hyuk spread the Heavenly Thunder Qi (天雷氣) through his body.
Jushin-un’s uncovered eye flashed sharply.
Tap!
Namgung Hyuk moved.
His form blurred into afterimages, circling his foe.
Swish—swish—swish!
Countless sword strikes came from every direction,
as if many attackers surrounded Jushin-un at once.
Clang, clang, clang!
But Jushin-un, spinning in place,
parried every single strike with uncanny precision.
Then his sword began to tremble,
and as Namgung Hyuk came within range,
he unleashed a strike filled with Blade Qi.
Rrrrip—crash!
The arena floor split apart—
but the one who should’ve been struck was already gone.
“To think I actually lost sight of him…”
Jushin-un was impressed.
And Namgung Hyuk, in turn, was shocked.
“He channeled his energy with no visible signs… I couldn’t sense it at all.”
To gather and release Qi so fast—
it was almost impossible.
Had it not been for his Heavenly Thunder Qi enhancing his reflexes severalfold,
he would’ve been cut down.
“By now, I should be able to identify his martial art…”
But strangely, no system message appeared.
It only failed like that when the opponent’s martial level exceeded his own.
“No… that can’t be.”
He dismissed the thought—
if that were true, he would have felt it immediately.
Whoosh!
He had no time to think further.
Jushin-un lunged low, stabbing upward.
“Where’s your focus, boy?!”
Jushin-un’s blade blurred, faster and faster—
his attacks alternating between slashes and thrusts, impossible to read.
Even with his lightning-enhanced reflexes,
Namgung Hyuk struggled to keep up.
“Tch—too slow…!”
He clenched his teeth and pushed his Heavenly Thunder Qi even harder,
sending waves of current through his nerves.
Pain flooded his body, sharp and electric—
but it also sharpened his mind.
“Zzt… exhilarating.”
The agony only heightened his focus.
Meanwhile, Jushin-un’s eyes widened in disbelief
as lightning began to crackle visibly across Namgung Hyuk’s body.
But what shocked him next—
was yet to come.
