Chapter 320

Chapter 320

Who is the Number One Under Heaven of the current era?

That topic, which has never stopped since the martial world ecosystem was formed, often becomes a subject of discussion but rarely reaches a conclusion.

Thinking about it, this might be natural. After all, the Number One Under Heaven is one who stands at the pinnacle of all martial artists and naturally possesses overwhelming martial power, so if there’s even a slight rival, the title of Number One Under Heaven cannot be established.

Even if one truly possesses martial power close to Number One Under Heaven, proving it by fighting other masters is nearly impossible.

Therefore, enthusiasts didn’t hesitate to determine Number One Under Heaven based on the prestige and martial power each displayed.

“Who do you fellows think will become Number One Under Heaven?”

Just like right now.

“What are you suddenly talking about out of the blue?”

Uichang. An inn bustling with martial artists gathered after the first day of the main tournament ended.

At the words of a man drinking until his nose turned red, a martial artist who had been sitting alone sipping liquor nearby twitched his eyebrows. However, the man continued speaking, unconcerned by that attitude.

“Isn’t this a good opportunity? Who are the people gathered here right now?”

“…….”

“Martial artists of the White Path and Black Path, wandering warriors, and the Demonic Path. People who normally wouldn’t gather in one place. Moreover, people who don’t have good feelings toward each other.”

“I know that…… but so what? Don’t you know that fighting is strictly prohibited near this Uichang due to the announcement of the Three Great Forces?”

“I know. That’s why I’m saying this. Since we can’t fight, let’s compete with our judgment at least. It’s the perfect situation to test our judgment.”

Ting!

When the man who appeared to be from the Black Path flicked a gold coin on his finger and spoke, those nearby concentrated their gazes on him with changed eyes. The eyes of martial artists instantly filled with greed.

“You’re thinking of wagering that whole gold coin?”

“Shouldn’t it be at least this much as the starting pot for a bet determining Number One Under Heaven?”

“Good. First, let me hear who Hyeongjang thinks is Number One Under Heaven. You’re not going to say you don’t know yet, are you?”

“In my opinion, Number One Under Heaven is the Sword Saint.”

“……Ha. You look like you’re from the Black Path, but you’re not choosing Taeak?”

“I’m a swordsman before being from the Black Path.”

The Black Path man, who had already ordered several bottles of Geumjoncheongi and uncorked one to take a gulp, grimaced and continued.

“If a self-proclaimed swordsman sees the Sword Saint’s divine authority in that first match and feels nothing, that guy is one of two things. Either a fool who can’t recognize the martial path the Sword Saint has built up, or a sage who has built martial arts so vastly high that even the Sword Saint is beneath his eyes. Unfortunately, I’m neither.”

“It certainly was overwhelming……”

“You seem completely unconvinced. Then who do you think it is?”

“……Daehwalbul.”

“Oh? Not Sipcheon, not Chilryun, but you brought up Samgong. Unexpected. Why do you think so?”

“Because it’s none other than Buddhist martial arts.”

Daehwalbul.

The Black Path man, recalling the absolute ruler of Western Tibet who had overwhelmingly pressed down his opponent similarly to the three absolute rulers before, wore a thick smile. It was an unusual perspective, but it didn’t seem impossible.

“Buddhist martial arts originally center on compassion. If you look at Shaolin’s martial arts, while they may be strong in interpersonal combat focused on suppression, they tend to be somewhat lacking compared to other martial arts in Yosal. Isn’t that so?”

“That may be so, but didn’t Hyeongjang think Daehwalbul would be Number One Under Heaven? I’m curious about your argument mentioning Buddhist martial arts’ weakness.”

“I didn’t mention Buddhist martial arts’ weakness. I mentioned Shaolin martial arts’ weakness.”

“Hm?”

“Potala Palace, where Daehwalbul serves as head, is a place swarming with far more yokai than this Central Plains.”

Buddhist precepts don’t distinguish between humans and beasts.

It’s a Buddhist precept to avoid killing even mosquitoes that suck one’s blood due to the precept against killing. Though Central Plains Buddhism and Western Tibet Buddhism show some differences, their core doctrines should be the same.

“The martial arts of Potala Palace pursue compassion even against yokai. And conversely speaking, that means they’re that proficient regarding non-human things.”

“……Because they catch yokai better than anyone, they’re Number One Under Heaven?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I just felt that once you reach a realm worthy of discussing Number One Under Heaven, it’s a domain that can’t simply be organized by worldly martial arts.”

Destroying mountains with one strike, splitting seas with one sword.

Even if there’s some exaggeration mixed in, much of the prestige shown by martial artists of absolute realm can never be seen as human. Can you really call human martial arts the ability to produce fire from your hands or cause someone’s death just by looking at them?

“Those who have reached the absolute realm are people who have shed human limits. And if they’ve shed human limits together, wouldn’t martial arts specialized in dealing with non-humans from the foundation be more advantageous? That’s what I think.”

“It seems that’s not just your only thought.”

“How could it not be? I can’t forget the scene Daehwalbul showed in the match.”

“……That was a spectacle.”

The appearance of Daehwalbul, who proved himself in a different way from the Sword Saint, Taeak, and Ilryun.

The Black Path man nodded, recalling how he didn’t respond to any attacks at all and simply pushed his opponent outside the arena by just walking forward. However, someone else immediately interrupted.

“Ha! This is absurd. If martial arts for dealing with yokai are advantageous in absolute realm fights, you can’t leave out Ilryun Elder!”

“……Who are you?”

“A martial artist affiliated with the Divine Cult. I’m Sauryeon. You seem to call me Hyeollangbu.”

“……Hyeollangbu. A demon head who killed so many disciples of our sect! Where do you think this is, showing your face so shamelessly!”

“Ha, judging by your martial robe, Kunlun? Ridiculous. I lost my real younger sibling to you people. It’s natural for you to kill our cult’s martial artists during missions, but it’s unjust for our cult’s martial artists to kill you?”

“Of course that’s……!”

“Whoa there.”

The Black Path man forcibly pressed down the Kunlun martial artist who had risen from his seat, flushed at Hyeollangbu’s mocking appearance, shook his head and turned his gaze around.

“Calm down. I understand you have grudges with each other, but the times are what they are, aren’t they? It’s best not to think about having a life-and-death duel here. Unless you want to become a skewer right away.”

“……Keuk.”

At the Black Path man’s glance, the Kunlun martial artist, confirming the martial artists of the Three Great Forces watching this place from a corner of the inn, let out a groan and sat back down. And watching that Kunlun martial artist, Hyeollangbu shrugged and continued speaking.

“May I continue the story? You’re not going to prevent Divine Cult people from joining the bet, are you?”

“Haha. If I beat a Demonic Cult member, it means my judgment is higher than a Demonic Cult member’s, so there’s no reason to block participation. Right. You think Ilryun is the strongest?”

“Need I say it? Ilryun Elder is a monster.”

“You speak as if you’ve seen directly. What she showed this time…… catching all the Mancheonhwau with her hands? Of course it was an amazing feat, but it didn’t look that outstanding compared to others.”

“You’d think so if you don’t know well about Elder. Do you know what Elder’s ultimate technique is?”

“Isn’t it fist and leg techniques?”

“It’s Ganggi Arts.”

“……That’s surprising.”

Cultivation that focuses on wielding strong energy. Ganggi Arts.

Naturally, since wielding strong energy is premised, it’s certainly high-level martial arts, but it’s not prejudice but fact that those who specialize in Ganggi Arts have inferior weapon techniques or fist and leg techniques compared to others. If they’re not people who fight by moving their bodies directly, need it be said?

“Elder is someone who can show that level of divine authority even in areas that aren’t her domain. Needless to say. If you had also seen the scene where Elder single-handedly went out and annihilated a yokai horde that invaded our cult, there would be no need for controversy about who Number One Under Heaven is.”

“Ha, ridiculous. By that logic, Taeak also single-handedly destroyed an entire Demon Realm. In terms of achievements, Taeak doesn’t fall behind anywhere, so by that logic, isn’t Number One Under Heaven Taeak!”

“What is that even…….”

“No, so…….”

Rising voices. And gradually heated debate.

From the Sword Saint to Taeak, Ilryun, Daehwalbul, even the Sado Alliance Leader and Geomje, other Sipcheon members.

Anyone with even the slightest possibility of being Number One Under Heaven was mentioned on people’s lips. As if the one decided as orthodox opinion here would truly become Number One Under Heaven, the heat didn’t cool and continued for several shichen. And in the midst of that, someone brings up a name.

“What about…… Uicheon?”

“……Hm? Uicheon, you say?”

Watching the Black Path man ask back as if wondering if he heard correctly at the unexpected name, the newly intruding man awkwardly scratched his head.

“No, I know that person is still lacking compared to others.”

“……Don’t you know what the topic of discussion is? It’s about who is Number One Under Heaven of the current era.”

“I know. I’m aware. But ultimately, won’t the one who wins this tournament become the current era’s Number One Under Heaven?”

“Well…… that’s true.”

“Even knowing he’s inferior to Talgakja, I strangely have a premonition that person will win. Well, I have no particular basis.”

“Mmm.”

A story without logic or basis.

“Uicheon, Uicheon is it…….”

However, those who couldn’t quite deny the man’s words let out contemplative sounds. That’s because they somewhat empathized with the man’s words.

“……Uicheon defeated the Sword King.”

“He didn’t properly defeat him, did he? The Sword King descended on his own.”

“Is there anyone here who would forfeit a match determining Number One Under Heaven?”

“…….”

“The Sword King descended knowing he’d lose if he kept fighting. Just that proves Uicheon’s capability to some degree. Moreover…….”

“Moreover?”

“I have no basis, but I also somewhat empathize. Uicheon’s martial arts departed from convention.”

That martial art that shattered the Sword King’s techniques to pieces and drove the Sword King into defense. Martial arts that absolutely cannot be connected with existing martial arts systems, difficult to even view as Ganggi Arts.

Whether that’s even truly ‘martial arts’ in the first place is unknown. A sense of dominating ‘territory’ beyond simply handling internal energy.

“I don’t know about the current Number One Under Heaven, but one thing is certain.”

“What?”

“That person will surely become a founder of an era. Perhaps opening a new horizon of martial arts.”

Perhaps he already has. In this place where all the world’s martial artists have gathered, how could it be easy to display martial principles no one has ever seen even once?

“The conclusion won’t come, so let’s wrap up. I’ve recorded all the money wagered along with aliases.”

“……Good. It’s late too.”

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s matches.

The Black Path man, who let out a chuckle while scanning the roster written on paper, wore a broad smile imagining the scene that would unfold the next day.

‘Perhaps…… tomorrow I might see something even more precious.’

Anticipating that the man called Uicheon would show activity surpassing the divine authority shown this time.

***

Second day of the main tournament.

“Sect Master, are you okay?”

“……No, I’m dying.”

“Should I apply medicine?”

“Should I forfeit…….”

“…….”

I was half-dead.

This damned thing.