CLS-Chapter 216

Chapter 216

“The world really shouldn’t be this unfair.”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue in disapproval.

Holding preliminaries was both reasonable and wise. But when that wise decision started discriminating between people, it became distasteful.

Of course, it was logical.

However, dividing people into those who must take preliminaries and those who don’t based on reputation left a bad taste in one’s mouth, like not wiping properly after relieving oneself.

Of course, the biggest reason for his bad mood was that Wei Yan-ho also had to take the preliminaries.

“What are you grumbling about?”

“Nothing.”

Wei Yan-ho’s lower lip jutted out.

At least the consoling factor was that those taking preliminaries were limited to Wei Yan-ho’s generation. By that standard, Wei San-ho, Jang-il, and Peng Daoji didn’t need to take preliminaries.

And those who remained were…

“…This is no joke.”

Eonhyo was breaking out in cold sweat.

The Mount Hua elder standing before him was definitely from the “Cheong” generation. Those of the same generational rank as the current sect leader had stepped forward as judges.

‘Three seconds.’

If he struck with his sword at full power, he wondered if he could even block for one second. But since this wasn’t actual combat, that elder standing across from him with a hearty laugh wouldn’t strike at full power and split him in half.

Of course they’d control their strength, but that didn’t ease his tension.

Who would feel reassured if a tiger said, “I’ll only bite you halfway”?

Eonhyo didn’t even have the mental capacity to wipe away the cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

‘I won’t fail immediately.’

Most of those who took preliminaries before him failed to pass. You couldn’t say “everyone,” but “almost everyone” was accurate.

The elders seemed to feel burdened by increased meal costs if too many participants made the tournament longer, so they appeared to be minimizing the number who passed preliminaries.

‘Otherwise…’

About thirty people needed to take preliminaries. But among those thirty, fewer than three had passed so far. Considering that over half had already been examined, the pass rate was barely ten percent.

And if Eonhyo failed now, the pass rate would drop even further.

“Your stance is adequate.”

Was that elder called Cheong Gong-ja?

Mount Hua was indeed Mount Hua. It wasn’t a name he’d heard before. Though there were several famous elders in Mount Hua, this Elder Cheong Gong-ja wasn’t in his memory.

Yet he couldn’t gauge the depth of that man’s strength.

The eyes now appraising him held blade-like severity.

“But you’re still unripe.”

Cheong Gong-ja slowly raised his sword and pointed it at him.

A very ordinary Middle Strike.

But in that moment, Eonhyo felt as if Cheong Gong-ja’s sword covered his entire field of vision. As if the whole world was filled with swords.

Swoosh.

Then, one strike.

“Kuk!”

He didn’t know how the attack came. And he didn’t know how he dodged it. Cheong Gong-ja’s sword tried to reach his forehead before he could even register it, and Eonhyo twisted his body to avoid it before he could even think.

“Huh?”

Cheong Gong-ja looked at Eonhyo with slightly surprised eyes.

“You dodged?”

Cheong Gong-ja’s brow furrowed.

In his judgment, this single strike was definitely not at a level Eonhyo could dodge. Yet Eonhyo, though frantically, had somehow managed to evade this strike.

‘Was it a coincidence?’

Sometimes even a cow’s hind leg can catch a mouse. So he had to verify once more.

“Try receiving this too.”

Cheong Gong-ja’s sword tip trembled, then three rays of sword energy like light beams flew toward Eonhyo’s head, chest, and abdomen. Attacks targeting the center line of the human body were always the most difficult to dodge.

“Uaaaah!”

Eonhyo let out an explosive battle cry and twisted his body away.

He desperately dodged the sword that reached right in front of his body before he could even register it with his eyes. He twisted his body so violently that the sound of muscles tearing under sudden pressure could be heard.

Shreeeak!

As the sword grazed right beside his body, his back clothing was sliced. From the sharp sensation he felt momentarily, it seemed he’d been lightly cut.

“My word.”

Cheong Gong-ja frowned and withdrew his sword.

“Strange indeed.”

Then he began clicking his tongue.

If Eonhyo couldn’t dodge, he’d planned to recall the sword energy right before impact. But when Eonhyo seemed likely to somehow evade the sword energy, he didn’t recall it to see the result.

The result was success.

Though slightly wounded, he’d dodged it.

“Hmm.”

Cheong Gong-ja looked at Eonhyo quietly and nodded.

“Pass.”

Eonhyo’s eyes filled with confusion.

Wasn’t he supposed to dodge for three seconds?

“I got a bit excited, it seems. That last attack was an unavoidable strike. It wasn’t a technique that should be used in preliminaries. Yet you dodged it, so you pass.”

“…”

“Your ability to dodge attacks is exceptional compared to your overall skill. Remarkably, only that aspect is outstanding. I can’t say about comprehensive evaluation, but since we decided to determine it this way, you naturally deserve to pass. Go back.”

Eonhyo felt bewitched.

Pass?

Why?

Among those who’d failed so far, there were some with fame and skill he couldn’t dare approach. If such people had to take preliminary examinations, Eonhyo thought it would be better to forfeit to save time and energy.

Yet he passed.

‘Dodging ability?’

He could more than guess why that comment came up.

‘Well…’

Recently, all his training had been focused in that direction.

How to dodge, how to get hit even one less time.

If he’d trained with this intensity since childhood, he’d probably be twice as strong now. Though he claimed to work hard, coldly speaking, he hadn’t worked hard. Eonhyo now realized that doing a little more than others couldn’t be called working hard.

‘Working hard isn’t about doing more than others, but giving your absolute best.’

Thinking that perhaps realizing this fact now might change his life, Eonhyo slowly descended from the examination platform.

“Next! Wei Jeong-han Alliance’s Wei Yan-ho.”

Twitch.

As those three characters “Wei Yan-ho” pierced Eonhyo’s ears while he was organizing his thoughts, his mind that had been settling like a quiet lake began to shake as if struck by an unexpected storm.

‘Finally!’

Even though it wasn’t his own examination, Eonhyo couldn’t help but be nervous.

Why on earth were Wei Jeong-han and Seok Mun-cho letting this situation slide?

Wei Yan-ho taking an examination!

‘He’s probably stronger than the examiner…’

Cheong Gong-ja was strong. Even if there were a hundred of himself, he couldn’t cross swords with Cheong Gong-ja.

But no matter how strong Cheong Gong-ja was, he didn’t seem capable of toying with the Twin Demons of Return like children. If that were possible, Mount Hua would have already conquered the world.

The Wudang sect, which always looked down on Mount Hua, would be carving plum blossom patterns in their Sangcheong Palace and learning Plum Blossom Sword Technique by now.

Eonhyo glanced back.

Cheong Gong-ja, who had seemed confident and dignified until now, suddenly began to look pitiful.

‘That’s life.’

Life was life because sometimes absurd and incomprehensible things happened. Eonhyo closed his eyes and shook his head.

“Wei Jeong-han Alliance’s Wei Yan-ho!”

Cheong Gong-ja raised his voice once more.

But no matter how long he waited, no one came up to the platform.

“…Isn’t he here?”

Did he go to the outhouse or something?

Of course, since the order wasn’t announced in advance, he couldn’t be blamed for briefly stepping away, but normally people would nervously stay put in situations like this, wouldn’t they?

Cheong Gong-ja looked toward where the Wei Jeong-han Alliance members were gathered with slightly displeased eyes.

“Huh?”

But something strange was happening.

Others were all looking at him with peculiar expressions, and Wei Jeong-han, who was leading the Wei Jeong-han Alliance, had turned around with a heated face.

Then after some scuffling sounds, a young man with a large bump on his head was being dragged out by Wei Jeong-han’s hand.

‘What kind of spectacle is this?’

Wei Yan-ho, surnamed Wei…

Then he must be Wei Jeong-han’s son. But why was that young man suddenly being beaten and dragged out?

“Get up there right now! You good-for-nothing!”

“Alright! I’m doing it! I said I’m doing it!”

The conversation between father and son was too strange. Wei Yan-ho, who had rudely snapped back at his father, stuck out his lip and trudged up to the training ground.

“I really can’t stand this!”

He didn’t know what he’d done to already be unable to stand it, but it was clear that this Wei Yan-ho character was no ordinary fellow.

Watching Wei Yan-ho shuffle over and stand opposite him, Cheong Gong-ja felt suddenly dumbfounded.

‘How did such a fellow…’

Of course, his current role was filtering out late-stage disciples who weren’t qualified for the main tournament. But just because he failed them didn’t mean they were inferior as martial artists.

Time was fair to everyone. It was natural that those who had more time would have more opportunities to grow stronger than those with less time.

If people had equal talent, wasn’t it perfectly natural for those who’d trained three to four years longer to possess superior skills?

Those who failed were simply young and hadn’t had enough time to train sufficiently; they were all pillars who could lead the future of the martial world.

They were naturally selected from among the best.

But…

‘I never expected to see such lifeless eyes here.’

Dull, unfocused eyes, tear stains drawn around those eyes, drooping shoulders.

How could this be someone who came to participate in the World Late-Stage Disciples Martial Arts Tournament?

A martial artist of that age should naturally possess spirited eyes—he didn’t even expect that much. But shouldn’t he at least show some semblance of motivation?

Cheong Gong-ja, who almost blurted out “Are you that bothered, young man?” forcefully closed his mouth.

What he needed to examine was the participant’s skill, not their attitude.

‘He must have skill, at least skill.’

He was one of the late-stage disciples carefully selected by the Wei Jeong-han Alliance, one of the world’s greatest powers. Though he was young, had poor posture, and stood there with an expression that made you want to smack him, his skill should be guaranteed.

Though it was hard to think that way, he had to think that way.

“Mmm.”

Finding it bothersome to exchange words, Cheong Gong-ja casually raised his sword and spoke quietly.

“Pass if you dodge or endure for three seconds.”

“Yes.”

“…If you have anything else to ask or say…”

“Nope.”

Clear.

This fellow not only had poor posture but was also rude.

Seeing such an impudent late-stage disciple after so long, Cheong Gong-ja’s eyes began to twitch.

‘Fine!’

From ancient times, there was only one way to teach manners and discipline, wasn’t there?

Cheong Gong-ja, firmly resolved to correct that arrogant attitude today, gripped his sword handle tightly.

“One second!”

In that moment, Cheong Gong-ja’s strike flew toward Wei Yan-ho.