ISS-Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The morning of the finals dawned.

“How’s your physical condition?”

To So Yeohwang’s question asking if he could perform at his full ability, Jingwang answered calmly.

“Perfect. I don’t even think I’ll lose.”

“Good. You must not lose. If you lose, Baekgeommun will become a laughingstock.”

So Yeohwang, who had surveyed the gathered spectators with calm eyes, closed and opened his eyes before continuing.

“You must win.”

“That’s only natural.”

“No, it’s not natural. You can lose to that disciple of Uicheonmun.”

“……Woogyeom Sajae and I are different, Munjunim.”

“Can’t you accept it? I can’t either. If I had only seen that girl, I too would have thought you’d win ten out of ten fights. But understand that’s not the problem.”

So Yeohwang looked at Baek Riyun, who was laughing and talking with his disciple in the distance, and continued in a low voice.

“I don’t know what tricks he’ll bring. The enemy will definitely strike at your weak point. The Uicheonmun Sect Master is not someone to be taken lightly.”

“……Then.”

“Don’t show any disgrace. Understand?”

At So Yeohwang’s confirmation, Jingwang, who had briefly turned his gaze away, looked at Baek Riyun, clenched his fist tightly, and nodded. Around that time, a voice was heard.

—Both competitors, step forward!

At the cry of the Baekgeommun disciple serving as referee, Jingwang gripped his sword hilt tightly.

“I understand. I’ll tie it up conclusively so there’s no room for controversy.”

“You must.”

Watching So Yeohwang slowly return to Baekgeommun’s seat, Jingwang relaxed his posture and walked toward the competition stage, then stopped.

“What are you doing there, Sahyeong?”

To the side of the path, Wangpal was looking at him with an expression that was hard to describe.

“Sajae……”

“If you have something to say, say it after it’s over. It’s before an important match.”

“Sajae!”

“…….”

At Wangpal calling out to stop him, Jingwang’s eyebrows twitched as he turned his head. And at that sight of Jingwang, Wangpal clenched his fist while spitting out one remark.

“……Don’t underestimate the opponent, don’t underestimate Uicheonmun. That’s the only advice I can give you as Sajae.”

“Ha, what nonsense. I’m not Sahyeong. I have no intention of losing, and I won’t be careless either.”

Jingwang, who burst into a sneer, pointed toward Baekgeommun with the tip of his wooden sword.

“Wait there. Prepare to celebrate my victory.”

“……I.”

“I’ll accomplish what Sahyeong couldn’t, so don’t worry needlessly and stay there.”

Watching Jingwang climb onto the competition stage with those words, Wangpal with complicated eyes trudged his way to Baekgeommun’s seat. And.

When Wangpal’s footsteps reached where Baekgeommun was.

On the competition stage, Seohwa and Jingwang faced each other.

—State your names!

“Baekgeommun Ilgeom Mundo, Jingwang.”

“Uicheonmun disciple, Seohwa.”

After exchanging bows with Seohwa, Jingwang slowly assumed his starting position and spoke.

“Congratulations.”

“……Pardon?”

“I mean Uicheonmun. To have raised a disciple with the skill to reach the finals of the Baekgeom Bimuje in just one month—after this, disciples wanting to join will line up.”

“Ah, thank yo……”

“But I can’t let you rise any higher. Whatever you’ve prepared won’t work on me.”

“…….”

He wasn’t being careless. Even after receiving that much warning, Jingwang wasn’t foolish enough to be careless. But this much should be okay, shouldn’t it?

Looking at Jingwang speaking arrogantly, Seohwa frowned.

“Don’t we have to compare to know who’s long and who’s short?”

“If it’s slightly long or short, we’d have to compare, but if the difference is too great…… there’s no need to compare.”

“You hear you’re insufferable a lot, don’t you?”

“Isn’t it the truth? All your tricks have already been exposed.”

At Jingwang tilting his head, Seohwa let out a deep sigh and assumed her starting position. A brief silence before the referee’s start, before the beginning.

—Ready!

Within that, Jingwang observed Seohwa and continued his thoughts.

‘She’ll probably try to avoid a direct confrontation.’

Jingwang had trained in martial arts for five years. Compared to that, Seohwa had only one month.

Even if their ages were similar, the time they’d trained was different. And Jingwang knew he had to be unconditionally superior to Seohwa.

‘Internal energy.’

It’s difficult to even properly form a dantian within one month. Even if you feed them spirit pills, it would flow away without settling properly.

The opponent must have less internal energy than himself. So she would take a strategy that strikes at weak points using that small amount of internal energy.

He was thinking that.

—Begin—!

Swaeeaeaek—!!!

“……!”

Until the wooden sword touched his throat the moment it began.

Jingwang instinctively twisted his body, avoided the wooden sword by a hair’s breadth, and swung his sword upward. However, despite that, his sword cut through empty air.

When the sword fell upon his collapsed posture from the hastily executed evasion, only then could Jingwang realize.

‘This woman, her internal energy……!’

That something was wrong.

***

Before coming to Baekgeommun.

Baek Riyun, who had seated Seohwa in front of him, stroked his sword hilt and opened his mouth.

—The opponent will think you have little internal energy.

—Why?

—Because it’s natural not to have any.

—……?

Looking at Seohwa tilting her head, Baek Riyun explained why that would be.

—No matter how excellent your enlightenment, there’s a limit to how fast internal energy increases. Even if you take spirit pills, it’s the same. Spirit pills are actually poison for an unripened dantian. Understand?

—Ah…… So that’s why you said it’s natural not to have internal energy.

—That’s right.

Baek Riyun, who nodded, continued the explanation.

—But that’s a misjudgment. Didn’t I tell you about your constitution?

—Yes. You said I have the Extreme Yin Body.

—Right. The Extreme Yin Body is a constitution where energy accumulates in the body. In other words, you’re innately accumulating internal energy. Of course, using all of it as internal energy wouldn’t be easy but…….

—But?

—Accumulating seven or eight years’ worth of internal energy isn’t even difficult. I’ll teach you that method.

***

Swaeeaeaeaek!

Looking at the sword falling onto Jingwang’s body with a sound cutting through the wind, Seohwa’s eyes flashed.

‘One chance.’

She had already anticipated he would evade the first attack. Although Seohwa had more internal energy than the opponent expected, that didn’t mean it exceeded the opponent’s level.

One attack won’t succeed. The opponent will probably evade. Then what should be done?

It’s simple.

‘Prepare the second and third!’

“Keuuk!”

Kagagagagak—!!!

With a groan, Jingwang, who received the wooden sword with an unstable posture, staggered and lost his balance. From that state, Seohwa pressed in directly.

‘The center is…… left!’

One more time.

The continued attack struck Jingwang’s weak point and burrowed into his embrace. A collapsed posture and a sword he couldn’t retrieve. A situation anyone could call a life-or-death crisis.

If she didn’t finish it here, there would be no more opportunities for her. Judging that, Seohwa infused the remaining internal energy into her sword.

And was hit in the side by Jingwang’s hand that had burrowed in seizing the moment.

Peoeoeoek—!!!

“Kauk!”

Struck hard in the side, Seohwa groaned and staggered backward. And watching that, Jingwang hastily straightened his posture and exhaled.

“……Damn it.”

It wasn’t a one-sided counterattack. The moment he counterattacked, Seohwa’s wooden sword also struck into Jingwang’s left shoulder. At minimum, torn muscles. If it had been a real sword, an injury that would have severed the shoulder.

However, Seohwa’s sword was wooden, and there was a limit to the damage a wooden sword could inflict. It would hinder sword use, but so what.

If similar damage was dealt, the advantage lay with Jingwang, who had superior skill.

“……I’ll acknowledge it. That you had one trick. But that’s over now.”

Looking at his left arm that wouldn’t move well, Jingwang frowned while Seohwa smiled awkwardly.

“Heu…… Only one trick?”

“You couldn’t have prepared anything more than that. That alone was enough.”

Just a bit more.

If Seohwa had a bit more experience or technique, the one defeated might have been Jingwang. In fact, Jingwang almost lost his composure at the sharpness of the initial strike.

However, the continued combo was clumsy. Up to the second was fine, but in the continuing third combo, Seohwa showed impatience, and this was the result.

The opportunity failed to become decisive and crumbled.

“I don’t know how you could accumulate that much internal energy in such a short time but…… it doesn’t matter. From what I see, there doesn’t seem to be much difference from mine either.”

Jingwang, who gripped his sword with only his right hand, extended his sword strike toward Seohwa. And.

“I’ll finish you within ten seconds.”

The moment Jingwang’s declaration continued.

“That’s my line!”

Seohwa leaped forward.

Kagagagagak!

‘Weaker than I thought. But…….’

Confirming the force in the clashing wooden sword, Seohwa gritted her teeth. The opponent couldn’t use one hand.

Despite that, she couldn’t push through. It was a contest between one hand and two hands, but there wasn’t much difference in strength. Naturally so, since the difference in physique and muscle mass was overwhelmingly different.

However, even so.

Kkadeuk!

‘I can’t lose……!’

She’s a disciple of Uicheonmun. And.

Uicheonmun doesn’t lose to something like Baekgeommun.

Kkagagagak—!!!

Seohwa’s sword, which had touched Jingwang’s sword, instantly traced along the blade in a semicircle. In an instant, Seohwa burrowed into Jingwang’s embrace.

Close combat. Her foundation in hand and foot techniques was low. Even so, there were things that could be used, weren’t there?

“Use——less——.”

The world slowed down as if seeing a revolving lantern.

She could see Jingwang’s face full of ridicule. He knew. That Seohwa had almost no internal energy remaining.

All remaining internal energy was used for the initial strike. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have even reached here. With Seohwa’s strength, landing an effective hit was impossible. Even striking with fists would be meaningless.

——Is that really so?

[Temperaments Responsibility and Diligence are awakening. Calculating awakening nutrients and situation…….]

[Diligence and Adversity confirmed. Three temperaments merge centered on Responsibility.]

Text strings that shouldn’t be visible. The evolution of an unknown ability.

Such things weren’t important to Seohwa. What mattered now was contemplating whether there was a possibility of winning or not.

One second felt like a hundred seconds. Seohwa’s consciousness, accelerated in an instant, examined all possibilities. And…….

‘No.’

The moment Seohwa’s eyes contemplated her inner self.

[Unique Trait ‘Mirror-Like Mind’ manifests!]

[In extreme situations, enlightenment and judgment are greatly enhanced.]

‘I won.’

The conclusion was reached.

***

Peoeoeoeng—!!!

“Keuheoeoek!”

The moment Seohwa’s palm strike hit Jingwang’s solar plexus, with a sound like a drum bursting, Jingwang rolled away a full jang. And watching that sight, the spectators fell into silence.

In that silence where even the sound of dust settling could be heard, the first to part his lips was Iryang.

“……Did, did you teach her that too?”

“……How could that be?”

At Iryang’s question, he shook his head and widened his eyes. Jingwang, who was knocked away without even knowing what hit him, trembling.

Certainly, Jingwang being knocked away was surprising. Not only Jingwang but the spectators also thought Seohwa’s internal energy had run out. However, what was truly important wasn’t that.

Basic Azure Art 3rd Form

One Point

The sword form he had taught manifested as a palm technique he had never taught. Even up to there would be surprising. But could anything be more surprising than the scene unfolding before his eyes?

“Yin Cold Energy……”

At someone’s murmur, he let out an empty laugh. The thin ice that had settled on Seohwa’s palm at some point.

One month of learning martial arts. Just one month.

“I-It’s cold……!”

Seohwa had mastered an elemental technique.