The Sword Emperor's Way of Establishing the Namgung Clan

Chapter 8 - The Placement Test (2)

The method for conducting the test for the placement of the new Clouds had been decided.

This time, the method was a martial arts tournament.

Typically, there were many cases where multiple test subjects were used and the evaluation was done by totaling the scores.

However, this batch had a considerable number of new Clouds, so a martial arts tournament was held.

While it was for the purpose of evaluating the abilities of the new Clouds, there was also the intention of boosting the morale of the other Clouds remaining at the main fortress.

This was because it was rare for the Azure Sky Society to hold such a large event.

On the Grand Training Ground of the Azure Sky Society’s main fortress, a dueling stage for the martial arts tournament had been built.

“Is it about to start?”

“There’s an empty seat here.”

The spectator seats, situated in the four directions around the dueling stage, were packed full with the righteous warriors of the Azure Sky Society. They were there to see for themselves the faces and skills of the new Clouds.

“I heard this batch has quite a large number for the first time in a while.”

“So much so that they’re holding a separate martial arts tournament. I’m curious to see how many useful ones there are.”

“But the number of new Clouds continues to dwindle as time goes on, so it’s a great concern.”

The Azure Sky Society was a place where those who fought against the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult while performing righteous deeds gathered.

Naturally, the process of accepting new members was bound to be stricter than that of an ordinary sect.

Furthermore, as the dominance of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult continued, the number of martial artists wishing to enlist their names in the Azure Sky Society was also on a downward trend.

For that reason, the new Clouds were a truly precious existence.

“Was her name Dan So-hye? I heard she handles a sword quite well. That if she’s properly nurtured, she has the talent to aim for the rank of a Hall Master in the future.”

“Still, wouldn't she fall short compared to Baek Ri-cheong? I mean, he was already a famous member of the younger generation in Shanxi Province even before joining the Azure Sky Society.”

“Ho ho, this batch has many prospects to covet.”

The Clouds of the Azure Sky Society mentioned the promising newcomers they knew, but among them, the name Namgung Jun was never heard even once.

While there was the fact that the Ink Lord, Yun Gyeong-jong, had kept the events of the entrance exam and the Martial Repository of Self-Reflection a secret, there was also the reason that Namgung Jun himself had not particularly stood out at the One-Cloud lodging.

Despite this, Namgung Jun paid it no mind.

He simply and quietly stepped onto the dueling stage for his first match.

“Is Dan So-hye up from the very first match? Nice.”

“Hmm, her opponent is a fellow I’ve never seen before. He looks a bit frail, I wonder how he’ll be.”

“Well, looking at their auras, it seems Dan So-hye will win without much trouble.”

Namgung Jun’s first opponent in the duel was one of the promising newcomers who was gathering attention.

‘Was her name Dan So-hye?’

She was a woman with her hair cut short in a bob, and she looked to have just turned twenty years old.

Her enthusiasm for the duel seemed immense, as she was already fiddling with her scabbard. In contrast, Namgung Jun stood comfortably with his arms hanging down.

As if annoyed by his relaxed posture, Dan So-hye warned him in a slightly low voice.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re young, so be prepared.”

“Young?”

Namgung Jun asked back, then became aware of his own age. This body was, after all, merely seventeen years old.

“Hmm.”

Letting out a low hum, Namgung Jun slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. At a glance, it was a defenseless and lax starting stance.

That appearance properly scratched Dan So-hye’s pride. She glared with furious anger.

“You, it seems you need to be taught a lesson to come to your senses.”

The provoked Dan So-hye rushed forward, drawing her sword at the same time.

Namgung Jun’s pupils, capturing her swift movements, flickered sharply.

In that moment, the sword drawn from Namgung Jun’s hand soared high into the sky. There were no unnecessary movements in the series of actions.

To Dan So-hye’s eyes, it seemed as if the process of Namgung Jun drawing his sword had been skipped entirely.

She had not let her guard down in the slightest.

Rather, despite being fully focused because of her bruised pride, she had been unable to properly read his movements.

‘Huh?’

The moment Dan So-hye felt something was strange and her lips parted slightly.

The vertically plunging sword strike was accompanied by a heavy sound of tearing air.

KREEEAANG!

With a sharp metallic sound, Dan So-hye’s sword, broken in half, flew into the air. She had lost her grip on the sword due to a sword power that was far heavier than expected.

Namgung Jun, having sent Dan So-hye’s sword flying with a single strike, was already sheathing his own sword.

The motion was so natural that a momentary silence fell over the spectator seats as well.

It was the same for Dan So-hye, the one involved. She was simply staring with a blank face at her own sword, which had flown far away.

“...…”

Losing her sword was one thing, but the fact that the body of the sword had broken in a single blow was unbelievable, no matter how she looked at it.

“What is this? For Dan So-hye to be defeated so futilely?”

“An opponent of a single move?”

The Clouds who were watching also shot up from their seats at the unexpected result. It was not a sword strike that a newcomer with only a single cloud should have been able to display.

Those who were surprised included the Hall Masters, who were watching the duel from the highest section of the spectator seats.

“Hmm? That sword strike just now… it was not ordinary.”

“Does anyone know who that boy is?”

“To use a Heavy Sword style of this level with such a slender body? Judging by the aura he gives off, his internal energy isn't even deep.”

While the Hall Masters were expressing their bewilderment, Lee Se-ha alone clenched her fist and rejoiced in secret.

The Sword Demon also let out a smirk and muttered something under his breath.

– Brat. It’s become more refined than that time.

Namgung Jun, who had understood what the Sword Demon was saying by the shape of his lips, gave a very slight nod.

And so, amidst the stir that Namgung Jun had caused, the first duel of the martial arts tournament concluded.

ִ ﾒִ ﾒִ ﾒ

Though Namgung Jun had crushed his opponent and was an opponent of a single move, the interest was fleeting. As a tall and handsome man climbed onto the dueling stage, everyone’s attention shifted to him.

“He’s finally here.”

“Is that fellow the one from the rumors?”

“The Great Young Master of the annihilated First Family of Shanxi.”

Namgung Jun also watched the man who had ascended the dueling stage from a corner.

‘Was his name Baek Ri-cheong?’

The First Family of Shanxi.

It was another term that referred to the Baek Ri Clan.

The Baek Ri Clan was a great family that had commanded Shanxi Province even during the time when Namcheon Palace was still standing. Even at that time, the family’s history must have been three hundred years long.

He felt strange, hearing that a family with a longer history than Namcheon Palace had been annihilated just one year ago.

Swoosh!

As soon as the referee’s cry to begin the duel fell, Baek Ri-cheong’s body shot forward.

It was a swift movement, as if he had wings. Baek Ri-cheong, who had closed the combat distance in an instant, swung his sword fiercely in a horizontal slash.

“Huh?”

Baek Ri-cheong’s opponent could not even react properly and could only stare at the blade held before his neck.

“Winner! Baek Ri-cheong!”

The duel was over in a single moment.

An opponent of a single move.

Like Namgung Jun, he had subdued his opponent with a single strike.

As the referee’s judgment fell, Baek Ri-cheong withdrew the sword he had aimed at his opponent’s neck with a stylish pose.

As he did, his gaze briefly shifted toward the outer edge. Namgung Jun did not miss that look.

‘Amusing.’

It was clear.

Though it was only for a flash, Baek Ri-cheong’s gaze was definitely directed at him. Because it was a gaze filled with such a strong will, there was no way he could have mistaken it.

‘Did he do that with me in mind?’

He could feel a youthful bravado, a desperation.

He must be thirsty for the tournament victory.

“Sorry, but I can’t let you have the victory.”

Letting out a smile, Namgung Jun headed for the dueling stage.

At some point, it had become his turn.

His opponent this time was a man of sturdy build. At a glance, the difference in their physique was significant.

The man’s muscles were so bulked up that they looked as if they were about to burst through his clothes, whereas in contrast, Namgung Jun’s forearms, visible between the hems of his sleeves, were so skinny his bones were visible.

Perhaps because of that, the contrast between the two was all the more clear.

“That boy finished off Dan So-hye in a single strike?”

“I hear he wields a formidable Heavy Sword style, I’m curious to see how he does.”

“I think this opponent will be difficult for him.”

The man, as if conscious of Namgung Jun’s Heavy Sword style, carefully lifted the greatsword he wore on his back.

“Begin the duel!”

The duel started.

The one who took the first move was the man with the greatsword.

‘I won’t even let him display the Heavy Sword style that defeated Dan So-hye.’

The man freely wielded the large greatsword with one hand. In the face of the rushing, heavy sword wind, the hem of Namgung Jun’s robes was violently whipped up.

‘He properly utilizes his innate physical strength.’

The man’s level was quite high.

He knew how to cleverly use his innate talent. With his use of a heavy and large greatsword on top of that, his power was sure to be doubled.

‘But it’s still unrefined.’

In Namgung Jun’s eyes, it was clearly visible.

The weakness of the sword path the man was unfolding.

Namgung Jun’s left hand moved to the hilt of his sword.

Namgung Jun, now gripping the sword with both hands, took a steadfast step forward.

The aura of the Infinite Steps Footwork burst out diagonally from both sides and wrapped around his ankles.

Thus, the power wrung out from the rotation that connected his ankles, waist, and shoulders was wholly loaded onto the body of the sword.

‘Now!’

The sword strike, which rushed diagonally from the upper left, intersected directly with the man’s greatsword.

Namgung Jun went beyond simply cutting off the opponent's sword path and used the force against him. He used a portion of the sword power pouring from the greatsword and made it his own.

KREEEAAANG!

A suppressed metallic screech burst out with immense force, and the man and Namgung Jun were each pushed back.

Though they had both retreated three steps, their expressions were completely different.

Namgung Jun’s expression was serene, but the man’s face was completely distorted.

Crack!

A fine crack etched into the greatsword gradually grew larger, then the sword snapped cleanly in half.

He had destroyed his opponent’s weapon with a single sword strike.

And he had broken a greatsword, a weapon twice as thick and heavy as a normal sword at that. It was a very difficult feat.

In contrast, Namgung Jun’s sword was perfectly fine. Not even a single nick had been made on the blade.

An opponent of a single move, again.

At the sword strike Namgung Jun had displayed, the crowd was wrapped in silence.

The only ones who opened their mouths were the Hall Masters.

“The Silk-Reeling Power through his entire body, and the astonishingly forged swordplay were suffused with the subtlety of using four taels to deflect a thousand catties. It is a terrifying Heavy Sword style.”

“That is the sword strike of a mere One-Cloud member?”

“So the monster was someone else entirely.”

The promising prospects of the martial arts tournament were falling one after another to the unknown boy named Namgung Jun.

Naturally, the Hall Masters’ eyes could not help but be drawn to Namgung Jun.

Amidst the Hall Masters who were endlessly expressing their admiration, only Lee Se-ha feigned composure.

‘This is so hard to hold back my laughter.’

The master, rejoicing in her disciple’s good showing, was gradually finding it difficult to manage her expression.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Even though no one was looking, Lee Se-ha needlessly gave a dry cough all by herself and focused on schooling her features.

ִ ﾒִ ﾒִ ﾒ

The final day of the martial arts tournament.

The final match-up was decided.

“I expected Baek Ri-cheong to make it to the finals, of course, but...”

“Namgung Jun? Never heard of him. Does anyone know his origins?”

The curiosity of the Clouds observing the martial arts tournament was split exactly in half.

Baek Ri-cheong, who had the glamorous old background of being from the First Family of Shanxi.

Namgung Jun, who, without revealing his origin, family, or martial arts, had ended all of his duels with a single move.

For the final match of the tournament, all the Hall Masters currently remaining at the main fortress were in attendance to observe.

Excluding the Sword Lord, the head of the Sword Scent Division, the Hall Masters were of the highest rank.

To catch the eye of one of those Hall Masters was also the goal of the new Clouds participating in the tournament.

Perhaps because it was the final match.

The referee for the final was, unlike before, one of the Hall Masters himself.

The middle-aged man, dressed in a sleeveless martial arts uniform, had both his arm muscles bulging.

“I am the Iron Pagoda Hall Master, Dan Jung-se. Conduct a duel you will not be ashamed of.”

As Namgung Jun and Baek Ri-cheong nodded, Dan Jung-se had, at some point, already retreated ten steps back.

At the same time, his sturdy voice pierced them in an instant, like a very fast fist.

“Begin.”

It was the start of the final duel.