Chapter 325

Chapter 325

The match flowed one-sidedly.

“What’s wrong? That arrogant attitude from just moments ago has completely shrunk.”

“Keuuk!”

Kwaaang!

Ilryun, who had been thoroughly angered and toying with the Binggung Lord like she was playing with her, slammed the cornered Binggung Lord to the ground before pulling out her long pipe from her sleeve and taking a drag. The Binggung Lord could only grit her teeth and do nothing while watching her smoke during the match.

“Will you continue?”

“……Damn it.”

The Binggung Lord, who had tried to stand up but then looked around anxiously after seeing Ilryun’s leisurely appearance, ground her teeth hard. The declaration that followed simultaneously.

“I’ve…… lost.”

“As you should.”

The victor was decided.

Feeling the announcer call her name, Ilryun chuckled and suddenly gave a glance in this direction before descending from the martial stage. And immediately, a voice transmission pierced my ear.

—Uicheonmunju. It seems you’re in the middle of creating martial arts.

—…….

—How was it? Did you see well the martial path I pursue?

Was it worth adding to the martial arts you pursue?

“What is it?”

“Is there still something left……”

After a brief silence, as the audience murmured and turned their heads in this direction where Ilryun’s gaze was directed, Ilryun withdrew her gaze as if it had been a whim and slowly descended below the martial stage. She probably didn’t say it expecting an answer.

‘Did I see well……’

I saw well. Though it was a one-sided fight, it wasn’t as if anyone had been taken down without displaying all their capabilities.

The Binggung Lord, one of the Three Lords, is relatively the weakest among the Three Lords, but that doesn’t mean she’s truly weak.

If we assumed the Binggung Lord faced Geomhu, one of the Sipcheon, in the past, people would usually predict the Binggung Lord’s victory at eight-to-two odds. Despite Geomhu, who uses the same ice techniques, having the advantage of longer reach and thus being slightly more advantageous, people in the world tended to rate the Binggung Lord’s win rate higher. What was the reason for that?

It’s because the Binggung Lord’s martial arts mastery is that high. The extreme yin-cold energy technique that freezes everything, Bingbaeksinjang, is powerful on its own, but needless to say, it’s bound to be a troublesome martial art in that it dominates the battlefield and gradually binds the opponent. In fact, didn’t the Binggung Lord dominate the battlefield this time by freezing the martial stage first?

‘Ice techniques are truly martial arts of design.’

Martial arts that can pressure the opponent even with just defense.

Though they don’t take softness as principle like Wudang, ice techniques have a strong tendency in that direction. If yang techniques tend to blaze up at once and drive enemies like fire, ice techniques are martial arts that slowly encroach upon the opponent. In a way, you could say they’re similar to poison techniques.

Just confirming that extreme was definitely helpful as reference. Then.

What about Ilryun’s martial arts?

‘It’s hard to properly gauge.’

I felt it the moment I saw it. That can’t be clearly defined as any particular martial art.

If Geomseon’s martial arts were incomprehensible because they included too many things, this was closer to being incomprehensible because it’s a domain of martial arts I don’t know. The difference between martial arts that pursue perfection and martial arts that pursue individuality, perhaps.

‘I should consider it fortunate that I could see it.’

When I briefly operated with the Divine Cult, didn’t I hear that Ilryun has no hesitation in bestowing her martial arts?

Though she could have ended it quickly, she deliberately feigned anger and dragged out the match—perhaps it wasn’t simply to provide a spectacle for the audience, but to bestow goodwill so I could use it as reference. Either way, it’s true that I received a favor.

‘I should convey my thanks later.’

Watching Ilryun return to her seat and blow smoke from her long pipe before getting scolded by Geomseon and contorting her expression, I chuckled and turned my gaze to the martial stage. The next turn was also a scene worth watching.

‘Though there was much to see in the round of thirty-two as well, from now on I mustn’t miss a single thing.’

Being in the round of sixteen at the Cheonhajeil Bimu Daehoe.

That means, no matter how good the bracket luck, you’re among the top twenty or so experts in all of the Central Plains. Of course, if the brackets were arranged completely randomly, that might not be the case, but since the organizers arranged the brackets considering fame and the prowess shown thus far, the probability of that is low.

Most are Shinhwa-gyeong, and the minority who haven’t reached Shinhwa-gyeong are those who have at least one foot in Shinhwa-gyeong. There’s no doubt that with each successive match, martial arts of a level difficult to witness even once in a lifetime will burst forth.

‘I must make every single one nourishment without exception.’

What do Cheonroesin and Cheonma Divine Technique have in common?

They’re both self-destructive martial arts.

Cheonma Divine Technique, deployed trusting in one’s own strength due to a monster’s body; Cheonroesin, deployed by controlling lightning energy that can make all the blood vessels in my body burn with just the slightest mistake, due to my own excellent senses.

Either way, it’s no different in that they pursue a high realm by breaking themselves. It’s true they show outstanding power compared to their realm, but the reason they inevitably lack stability is also that.

Is that really so?

‘No.’

I can assert it now that I’ve come this far. The world is unfair.

To make power outstanding compared to one’s realm, one must sacrifice stability. That premise itself is wrong. Martial arts that can show strength anytime, in any situation. Martial arts that can possess both the advantages of martial arts and energy techniques.

Just because such flawless martial arts haven’t existed until now doesn’t mean we can assert they won’t exist in the future. A rational warrior who determines their own limits and says ‘I can’t do more than this’—isn’t that a funny story?

‘I have no intention of determining my own limits.’

My match is the seventh.

Nearly the last order. Just watching the matches that unfold before then will surely yield many gains.

‘Today I’ll surpass another level of the wall.’

While looking at the two warriors ascending onto the martial stage, I quietly caressed the hilt of Uicheongeom hanging at my waist.

Engraving the resolution to complete my martial arts first, before the end comes.

***

If you ask the White Path what the difference is between White Path people and Black Path people, most White Path people will say righteousness and evil.

Looking at their arguments, it goes like this. What the White Path pursues is correctness, and what the Black Path pursues is their own self-interest, so they say the Black Path has no great cause.

If you ask White Path people who view the Black Path more moderately about the difference between White Path and Black Path, they’ll say path and reality. They feel a difference in the perspectives of the White Path, which sees martial arts itself as a type of cultivation, and the Black Path, which sees it as power for practical living.

However,

If you ask the Black Path about the difference between White Path and Black Path, Black Path people will mix in curses and say this. The difference between black and white is ultimately the difference between ‘those who fight with themselves’ and ‘those who fight with the world.’

Fighting with fellow disciples, fighting with masters, fighting with other sects, and ultimately struggling against everything in the world—that is the essence of the Black Path.

That’s what they say.

“Are you confident you can win?”

“Hm?”

After the sixth match ended.

As Sado Ryeonju was preparing to ascend onto the martial stage, Taeag, who had been watching the situation from the side, asked quietly. At that, Sado Ryeonju looked at Taeag with a surprised expression.

“Ha, for Taeag to be worried—I don’t know what to do with myself?”

“I’m not worried. I’m just asking.”

“Well, that would be so. You don’t even look worried. Hmm, am I confident.”

I wonder.

Looking at Uicheon, Baek Riyun, who was inspecting his attire before ascending onto the martial stage, Sado Ryeonju let out an empty laugh. It was to the degree that the phrase ‘the world has changed’ wouldn’t be strange.

‘When I first saw him, he was far below.’

When did I first see him? Three years ago?

When Uicheonmun had just declared its establishment, when I saw Baek Riyun after seeing off Gawol, Baek Riyun wasn’t as strong as that. I thought his talent was very outstanding, but that’s all it was.

Strong for a Muryeokdaeju. He’ll become strong enough to enter Sipcheon in the future. In just ten years, he’ll display outstanding abilities.

That’s how I evaluated him. At that point, the evaluation of Uicheonmunju wasn’t an evaluation of the ‘present’ but an evaluation of the ‘future.’ A future looking ten years or more ahead at that.

However.

What about now?

‘I can’t guarantee victory.’

Surprisingly, that’s right. Baek Riyun has risen to an equal line with me in just three years.

No matter how much help he received from the divine weapon Uicheonjang, it’s a growth rate that doesn’t make sense. Baek Riyun, who showed inferiority even to Myeolakdaeju who belonged to the lower ranks of Sipcheon, let alone Sipcheon itself, is now in a situation where he’s competing with me, who contends for quite a high rank even within Sipcheon, isn’t he?

‘No matter how much warriors grow stronger through actual combat……’

Even if you experience life-and-death situations, people need time to collect that and make it their own. Then what should we call Baek Riyun, whose level shoots up every time he experiences something?

‘He’s truly no different from a monster.’

Sado Ryeonju, who chuckled, stood up from his seat and gave his gaze to Taeag. Then Taeag quietly opened his mouth.

“Will you win?”

“I have no intention of losing.”

“You don’t say you’ll win.”

“I don’t speak of things that aren’t certain. But that’s right.”

No matter what, being caught up to in three years is too much. Shouldn’t I make an effort if only so that many warriors don’t feel deprived?

“I should do my best. It’d be embarrassing to be caught up to by a junior.”

Jeobeoк.

Leaving those words, Sado Ryeonju moved his steps onto the martial stage. And the moment he faced Baek Riyun on the martial stage, Baek Riyun’s voice transmission was heard.

—It’s been a long time.

—It has been a long time. Weren’t you hiding your identity?

—Is there a need to hide it even between us? You’d know anyway.

—That’s true.

When you showed such distinctive martial arts, how could I not know your identity?

Sado Ryeonju, who chuckled, sent a voice transmission while assuming his ready position.

—It seems you received much teaching from your seniors ahead of you.

—Will Ryeonju also give me teachings?

—As if. I’m not arrogant enough for that.

Sado Ryeonju knows. He’s not in a situation where he can give teachings to Baek Riyun.

Giving teachings is an act performed by a superior to an inferior. Sado Ryeonju can’t assert that he’s currently above Baek Riyun. So giving teachings doesn’t make sense.

However.

—Even so, it seems I can give some help to Uicheonmunju’s martial arts.

Martial arts don’t develop only through teachings.

Martial arts are such that you gain much even from battles with worthy opponents. Just tracing the footsteps walked by someone who looks at martial arts from a different perspective than oneself would be of great help.

“Both contestants, assume your ready positions!”

With the announcer’s words, Sado Ryeonju, who assumed his ready position, smiled broadly and continued speaking. And.

—I’ll give my full power.

“Begin!”

The moment the announcer’s declaration fell.

—So grope for it as much as you can if you’re able.

Muryangmumyeonggong

From Sado Ryeonju’s waist.

A sword was drawn.