Chapter: 695
“Uh, how?”
The white-haired old woman asked in disbelief.
It was the same for the others.
Those who were prepared to dash out at any moment suddenly looked dumbfounded.
Bimapa seemed dazed, his earlier cool demeanor replaced by a disheveled expression.
“Can I go home now?”
I didn’t care about that sort of thing.
Wouldn’t this work?
Bimapa barely managed to regain his composure at my nonchalant question.
Even so, his pupils were cautiously trembling.
“… How… How did you do that?”
“How do you mean?”
What do you mean, how?
“I was told to step over the line and tap him on the shoulder. So I did.”
I just did as instructed. That’s all.
If you think about it, isn’t it a pretty straightforward story?
‘Of course, I wrote this and that, but still.’
I glanced sideways.
And scanned the surroundings.
There’s a formation in this place.
That was something I noticed the moment I stepped through the door.
‘The very air is different.’
The breathing—itself—was different from what I was used to outside.
The moment I stepped in, the flow of energy differed from the outside world.
Something was distorted and twisted.
I realized it while feeling the current.
How could such a current flow in this place?
I didn’t even need to open my mind’s eye to confirm it.
‘Formation.’
There’s a formation engraved in the space, and the subtle sense of incongruity surely stems from that.
But why would they set a formation here?
Is it for taking a break inside the formation or something? No way.
That can only mean one thing.
‘This is the gateway.’
An intention to create something with the formation.
Initially, that was my guess, but seeing Bimapa made me certain.
I wondered who devised this formation, and it turned out to be that old lady.
I shifted my gaze and inspected the surroundings piece by piece.
‘The wall. A flower in the west. The only pine tree within the entire forest of this dwelling.’
All of these are the links and axes that make up the formation.
Bimapa’s wager hung on this line, solidifying the formation.
It’s so meticulous and delicate.
As expected, he’s reputedly a master of formations. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a steadfast formation.
If it were the old me, I’d probably be no different from the onlookers staring at me.
‘But now, I’ve got a lot more.’
My mind’s eye can even grasp Bimapa’s formation, and the energy coursing through me can sense the flow of the formation entirely.
If it’s visible, that just means it’s easy to dismantle.
And if I can feel it too,
‘Dismantling the formation is a piece of cake.’
With being able to both see and feel it, there’s no reason I couldn’t dodge it.
“How on earth….”
Within mere seconds.
The wrinkles on Bimapa’s face deepened at the realization that I had escaped his formation.
It seemed quite shocking to him.
“So, did I pass?”
Anyway, Bimapa’s reaction doesn’t concern me.
When I pressed on with the question, Bimapa looked around without responding.
It seemed like he was trying to check if anything was wrong with the formation.
Even if he checked, it wouldn’t make a difference.
‘Because I didn’t touch it.’
I didn’t dismantle the formation; I merely passed through it.
Honestly, I could’ve broken it if I wanted to.
‘Who would want to break it?’
That would cause issues with the gateway itself, so I passed through it instead, even if it was a bit annoying.
Thus, there shouldn’t be any problems with the formation.
Bimapa seemed to have confirmed this too. His expression was intensifying.
“… This… this….”
“It’s fine to be surprised. But can you not surprise me after you’ve done your part?”
Seeing his prolonged reaction, I decided to speak up first.
“Did I pass?”
“…”
Bimapa hesitated for a moment at my question, but ultimately, there was only one answer he could give.
“… You passed.”
Finally, Bimapa affixed his answer.
With that, I smirked and glanced over at the crowd.
To be precise, I was looking at the Do-wang, who stood out among them.
Our eyes met.
The Tao King had a face full of expression, as if he had no intention of hiding it.
‘That old man might pull some stunts.’
The Tao King would definitely not be eliminated.
If he could dodge the formation like me, it would be great. But if not,
‘He could tear it apart with sheer force.’
The kind of power the Tao King had used over his ten thousand years must be more than sufficient to tear apart the formation.
However, the problem is.
‘If that happens, the formation will be torn apart and completely ruined. It would turn into a race of speed.’
It was clearly stated to be first come, first served.
In that case, when the formation gets torn, everyone would dash in at once.
Could the Tao King, who relied on brute strength, keep pace?
Could he withstand that tremendous backlash?
‘The battle of wits will be fierce.’
From this perspective, unless the King is a complete fool, he wouldn’t easily use his strength.
The contest of wits and the battle of numbers will become outrageous.
‘That sounds interesting, though.’
Honestly, I wanted to watch it.
Seeing them struggling with their nerves, sweating profusely.
It would be a delightful sight to just imagine it.
‘Tsk.’
However, since I didn’t have time to indulge in such things, I sighed and turned to Bimapa.
“So, can I go back now?”
If we’re done, let’s head back. I asked Bimapa for that.
“… Do as you wish…”
For some reason, the exhausted-looking Bimapa gestured affirmatively.
As soon as I heard this, I started walking without looking back.
In the meantime, I felt the gaze of the Tao King following me.
Should I turn around and smirk a little?
I felt an immature hesitation creeping up, but I held it back.
Such trivialities didn’t deserve my time.
‘I’ll see you later, sir.’
The moment will come soon enough.
For now, I planned to endure this much.
At the moment when the sunset cloaked the land and the moon rose.
After all the preliminary rounds for today’s Shinryong Martial Arts Festival concluded, seven martial artists gathered in the conference room set up inside the Alliance.
Everyone wore a robe of different colors, proving their status as leaders of various sects.
In other words,
It meant that everyone present was a leader of the Alliance.
“I will now begin the meeting.”
The one seated at the head table.
The strongest among the Blue Dragon Lords, aside from the Sword Emperor—Jang Seong-myeong, the One Blue Sword—spoke.
“First, the Ilryongdaeju has been dispatched to Hubei since something unusual happened right after the checkpoint was completed.”
Someone reacted to Jang Seong-myeong’s words.
A man carrying dual swords at his waist.
Dongcheon, the Twin Illusionary Swords of the Golden Dragon, seemed puzzled as he spoke.
“Are you talking about Hubei? Suddenly…?”
“Yes. Given the urgency of the situation and that the leader allowed it, we need someone to fill in for the Ilryongdaeju.”
“I volunteer.”
At Jin Seong-myeong’s words, Song Yu, the Red Dragon Lord, raised his hand to respond.
Seeing this, Jang Seong-myeong nodded.
“Then, we confirm that the Red Dragon Lord will take over Ilryongdaeju’s duties. Now, let’s proceed with the current situation report.”
Sarak.
At Jang Seong-myeong’s words, all the lords pulled letters out from their bosoms one by one.
There were a few lines written within, pertaining to the events that occurred during the preliminary round.
“First, let’s discuss the green gate. Biryongdaeju.”
“… Yes.”
“Did anyone stand out at the first checkpoint?”
“As expected, Muak Sword and Cheonghae Tougeom stood tall, but the unexpected player was the newcomer, Bitan Yuchang.”
“Bitan Yuchang… I’ve heard that name before.”
He was a fresh master making waves with his spear in the northern region.
“How did he seem in terms of skill?”
“He appeared to have reached a mature peak.”
“I heard he is not yet forty. His potential is impressive… Can you gather more information?”
“I’ll give the order to contact the relevant parties.”
“Understood. Next is blue…”
Just as Jang Seong-myeong was about to speak, his eyebrows twitched slightly.
“… the descendant of the Sword Master.”
There was a noticeable aspect among the blue gate’s participants.
“Iron Dragon Lord.”
“Yes.”
The Blue Gate officer responded calmly to Jin Seong-myeong’s call.
Eunranggeom, the Iron Dragon Lord, spoke in a low tone.
“How did it go?”
It was a question filled with nuances.
The best swordsman in the world.
Or.
The Sword Lord, Wi Hyogun.
The former leader of the martial arts community, closest to being the best in the world.
His official successor appeared here in the Murim Alliance.
That was why I was nervous, wondering what kind of performance they’d exhibit at the gate.
When I inquired of Eunranggeom, he hesitated to respond for some reason.
“… That…”
It was as if he found it tough to articulate.
“Silver Wolf Sword?”
When Jin Seong-myeong pressed him again, Eunranggeom finally spoke carefully.
“The Sword Lord’s descendant appears to have climbed to the level of the New Sword Master.”
“…!”
“What?”
The surrounding individuals reacted strongly to Eunranggeom’s statement.
“Unification of the divine sword? What sort of nonsense is that?”
“Eunranggeom… is that true?”
A few reacted harshly.
Most of them were swordsmen.
Naturally, they would react that way.
The concept of Unification of the Divine Sword was a goal every swordsman aspired to, the ultimate target to practice the Heart Technique.
While this goal lay beyond the realm of skill, those who reached it should have achieved at least a mature peak.
Yet.
“She is still young, having only recently passed the threshold. Do you actually believe that?”
“It seems Eunranggeom was quite fatigued; otherwise, he wouldn’t be making such claims.”
“No matter how prestigious a descendant of the Sword Master is… achieving unification of the divine sword—.”
“Enough!”
In the growing chaos, Jang Seong-myeong spoke with a low voice.
At that instant, a hush fell over the gathering.
Afterward, Jang Seong-myeong asked Eunranggeom with softened eyes,
“Eunranggeom, are you absolutely sure about this?”
“Yes, Blue Dragon Lord. I witnessed it myself. As a fellow swordsman, how could I not tell? She’s someone I could hardly grasp.”
“Her…!”
“That can’t be….”
As Eunranggeom, a master of the Hwagyeong realm, spoke earnestly, the atmosphere around burgeoned with commotion.
It was astonishing that he could say such things about someone merely crossing the threshold.
“Is this the birth of another monster…?”
“They claim she is the Sword Lord’s descendant… What could she possibly accomplish?”
The inspectors’ attitudes shifted subtly.
Even before them lay dazzling possibilities, yet what shone through was an inexplicable sense of jealousy.
For martial artists who had spent extensive time in the Central Plains, it felt remarkably twisted.
‘… Tsk.’
Song Yu, observing from behind a mask, clicked his tongue in frustration.
Under normal circumstances, this would not have seemed strange.
But ever since the earlier events of the day, this unfolding felt oddly off.
‘What are you all doing?’
How could you harbor jealousy instead of celebrating a newly great junior?
Song Yu struggled to repress the inconvenient sensation swelling within.
“Good information for blue… I’ll take note.”
Jang Seong-myeong nodded and jotted down a few words.
It likely pertained to the Sword Lord’s descendant.
The only difference this time was that he did not relay it to the Dragon Lord.
“Other than that, it doesn’t seem like there’s much noteworthy information… then, Golden Dragon Lord?”
The one who passed the red gate was the Golden Dragon Lord.
“At the first checkpoint, both Maepajeongseolgeom and Pungrimwitankwon showcased impressive levels of skill.”
“Both names are familiar.”
Maepajeongseolgeom, renowned in Sichuan,
And the other was said to hail from the Taoist community active in Shaanxi.
Moreover.
“Not only those two, but also Biseongdo was present.”
“Biseongdo…”
Peng Wujin, son of King Peng Zhou and a previous divine dragon, was also part of the Red Gate.
“From the damage caused in a single strike, it seems Biseongdo has also reached a considerable level.”
“That friend has always been capable.”
It wasn’t surprising; after all, he comes from the Shinryong clan.
Looking at the current scene in any manner just reflected the high caliber of Shinryong.
If not for the monsters of Shaolin, he probably would have shone even more.
Red appeared to have less astonishing developments in his report.
Jang Seong-yeon briefly acknowledged this before consulting the next item.
“Finally, on to white…”
Jang Seong-myeong now looked toward Song Yu and asked,
“Red Dragon Lord.”
“Yes.”
“How was it? How did the Tao King fare in his performance?”
“…”
Everyone present knew the Tao King belonged to the White Tide.
When I inquired, Song Yu responded leisurely.
“He seemed stronger than before.”
“Really? It sounds like he hasn’t been slacking on his training. There’s no need to scrutinize the Tao King further… What other details do you have?”
“It appears Biseongwoldo and the Innate Heavenly Sword have reached higher levels than previously reported.”
“Can you provide more detail?”
“It seems that Biseongwoldo will soon attain its peak of maturity… and the Seoncheonmugwanggeom is expected to reach Hwagyeong in about ten years.”
“Her…”
Jang Seong-myeong marveled at Song Yu’s insights.
“That’s not bad.”
Reaching Hwagyeong in a decade?
Seeing it that clearly indicates only a short distance remains to break through the barriers.
Jang Seong-myeong smiled.
“I wish for excellent results in this martial arts competition.”
This would make it easier to bring them to the Alliance.
Of course, someone of that level would naturally produce excellent results, so there was little need to worry.
“Oh by the way, Red Dragon Lord.”
“Yes.”
“I heard the Gu family’s young prince participated in the White Tide. Is that true?”
“…”
Soyeomra Guyangcheon.
At the question, Song Yu instinctively flinched.
“How did he perform?”
The scene of that moment flashed in his mind.
That was the instant when the eternal iron was crushed.
So, Song Yu had to convey the most crucial information.
Information regarding Soyeomra.
However.
“…”
For some reason, his lips, which were poised to speak, wouldn’t budge.
Why? I have to report it.
“Jin-gung, what’s with your hesitation?”
Jang Seong-myeong inquired again, sensing something’s off.
Still, Song Yu couldn’t easily part with his lips.
‘What am I doing?’
Why can’t I say it?
Even if I keep silent, the truth will reveal itself soon.
So many eyes have seen it, and I myself witnessed it.
Surely, Song Yu knew this perfectly well.
“… It was just beyond my expectations.”
He couldn’t bring himself to give Jang Seong-myeong a proper report.
Beyond expectations? That wasn’t merely the case.
If it was, he should file a report.
It’s possible he genuinely reached Hwagyeong. He should have mentioned it, but Song Yu couldn’t.
Why?
In the end, he couldn’t ascertain the reason.
“I understand. So it’s beyond expectations… I see.”
Jang Seong-myeong exhibited no particular reaction upon hearing this.
“In total, two hundred and thirty-two individuals passed the first round. It was a larger number than anticipated…”
The expectation was between one hundred and ninety to two hundred people.
On the first day, the numbers should have been around there.
Thirty more than anticipated.
Yet, it was of little concern.
After all, they would filter through in the second round anyway.
Sarak.
Jang Seong-myeong switched to the next document.
The second test.
It was a document noting the time it took to bypass the formation established by Bimapa.
‘For green, the fastest was two hours…’
Just the same number Bimapa mentioned when setting up the formation.
Everyone thought it would take about that long.
At that point.
‘Hmm?’
Jang Seong-myeong’s eyebrows fluttered as he read the next line.
‘… A moment?’
It stated that the first successful candidate for the blue gate took merely a moment.
Who could that be? His face expressed surprise as he scanned the name.
“Hm?”
[Blue Gate.]
[Gwangju Jin Ga Jin Im Seok]
It was a name he had never seen before.
‘Gwangju Jin-ga.’
He had heard of the family name, but not the individual.
If he passed the second round, he must be a high-skilled individual, but Eunranggeom had provided no separate report.
So then, who could he be?
Who could pass in just a moment?
‘A person skilled in strategy over their level?’
That could be possible.
If they were lesser in skill yet proficient in this area, it might work.
‘Hmm.’
It was strange, but if the reports were as they were, they couldn’t be false.
‘Let’s just chalk it up as a peculiar occurrence.’
This too could be reported to the Dragon Lord.
With that thought, he checked the next item.
‘The red gate… took about half an hour.’
This was also quick. It merely seemed lesser because it followed a moment.
The first to escape was Biseongdo.
‘That fits.’
Even now, he was once recognized as the greatest genius of his generation.
There was no room for doubt.
‘Now it’s just the King’s side left.’
Was there a need to focus on that?
After all, it felt like the King would be the swiftest.
With that confidence, Jang Seong-myeong proceeded to pass on the document.
“…?”
After witnessing the time noted for the white gate, Jang Seong-myeong’s body stiffened.
[White Gate Second Checkpoint Breakthrough Time.]
[One second.]
[Sanseo-gu’s Guyangcheon.]
Could he be misreading?
Jang Seong-myeong leaned closer to verify.
“… What is this….”
The text remained unchanged.
One second? One second…?
“Bimapa, what on earth is going on….”
Jang Seong-myeong wore an expression of deep concern as he stared at the one who established the formation, Bimapa.
“… Bimapa?”
Seeing the wrinkled woman, Jang Seong-myeong momentarily lost his words.
Bimapa of the Wind Dragon.
Supposedly the foremost formation expert in Hanam.
“… What… went awry? How… why…? It was set up correctly, wasn’t it? Was there a flaw? That can’t be…”
“…”
Her eyes glistened with tears.
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