Chapter 4




Chapter 4

At that moment, the stage was filled with a cold wave.
Survive.
After all, isn’t it just one person out of so many?
“What kind of law is this?”
The drunken girl in the middle shouted in a shrill voice.
“We’re all martial artists here, are we supposed to get along with each other?”
“Fight or kill, it’s their own business. You just have to emerge the victor and survive.”
“Isn’t that what you’re saying?”
“If you don’t like it, leave.”
Liu Lianyung said bluntly.
“I won’t force you. It’s free to quit or join.”
-If you don’t like it, leave.
The drunken girl, who had nothing to say, shut up.
When no one else protested, the nodding Hyuk Lian Ning spoke in a low voice.
“Then, begin.”
Zi Ying.
The gong on the stage struck again.
At that moment,
“Ack!”
A scream erupted from the middle of the stage.
A boy had drawn a dagger like lightning and attacked the person standing next to him.
“Red Dragon. I’ll finally be able to kill you today.”
“Yue Yuncheng, you…….”
Yu Yuncheng and the Red Dragon.
The two of them were rivals of the Iron Heavenly Clan, with a grudge against each other. Yu Yuncheng had finally gotten his revenge by attacking the Red Dragon.
-Wow!
Dozens of participants screamed as the Red Dragon collapsed in a pool of blood.
Looking at the scene, Lian Ning nodded in satisfaction.
“Those who want to leave, leave now. Once the fight starts, you won’t have a chance to escape.”
But no one moved.
If he was selected as a Ten Horse Warrior and mastered the cultivation techniques, it was not out of the question that he could become a master swordsman in the future.
How could they miss such a chance at genius?
Thrrrr. Cha-ang. Bang!
Some of the people on the stage drew their weapons and began to fight.
However, most of the contestants were still standing around, looking helpless.
Even though they said that they were trying to find the most outstanding person, they hadn’t expected such a cruel plan.
-I didn’t get the waiver to scare you!
Realizing the weight of the waiver, some of the contestants turned and ran out of the room.
But most of them were still waving their weapons around frantically.
”Fools.”
Bu Eunseol stood at the edge of the training ground with a cold expression.
He wore striking robes and even carried a bamboo basket, but no one attacked him.
“Fear of death has made you lose your senses.
All the men on the training ground were blind, attacking only those closest to them.
Fear of death has paralyzed their reason.
-Fight and survive.
That didn’t necessarily mean kill the participants here.
It meant to fight to the end, to hang in there, to hold on, to survive.
“If we had listened to them calmly, none of this would have happened.
Unfortunately, most of the participants were young people who had just completed their martial arts training.
Bu Eun-sul, on the other hand, had spent a year examining corpses every single day.
He had no fear or dread of death, as he had been immersed in the meaning of the word day in and day out.
“Argh!”
“Crunch!”
“Argh!”
Gradually, piercing screams echoed from all directions.
At first, some of the contestants were empty-handed, while others were cheering each other on. Soon enough, they drew their weapons and began to spread the herbs.
“It’s not just the idiots.
In the distance, a boy with a dull sword on his back and a hero gun on his forehead stood on the outskirts of the training grounds, watching the fight like a fool.
“Ha!”
At that moment, a boy who had been wielding a meteor weapon like lightning, knocking down contestants left and right, locked eyes with Bu Eunseol.
“……?”
The boy flinched slightly when he realized he was wearing a faded robe and carrying a bamboo box.
But when he saw Bu Eun-sul standing there, he snorted.
“You’re a lousy one!”
Regardless of how they stand, martial artists keep their lower bodies firmly planted on the ground.
The boy’s bloodied feet dangled helplessly, and he knew immediately that Bu Eunseol hadn’t practiced martial arts.
“Take it!”
With a shout, a silver meteor struck Feng Shui’s face like a bolt of lightning.
Feng Feixue ducked in surprise,
Whirr.
The meteor spun in a semicircle in midair and struck Feng Shui on the back of his head.
Woosh!
The bamboo box shattered and fell to the ground.
He hurriedly picked up the box, but the meteor spun around in midair and headed for it again.
Kwajik!
Inside the smashed box was a pair of tattered clothes.
It was the robe that Bu Zhanliang had worn when he was alive and at his funeral.
“Are you a robe maker?”
The boy spinning the meteor sneered, but Bu Eun-sul’s eyes never wavered.
“You will die.”
“Hahaha. Funny, you’re going to kill me with that sword.”
The boy sneered,
Poof.
With a dull thud, the sharp tip of the spear jutted out in the middle of the boy’s chest.
“Ugh.”
Turning around, the boy holding the dagger was pushing the tip in with all his might.
It was Yue Yuncheng, the one who had swooped down and killed the Red Dragon earlier.
“You…….”
Just as the boy with the meteor spear was about to move, Yue Yuncheng quickly twisted the spear and pulled it out.
Wack.
The boy was pierced right in the middle of his chest, blood spewed out of his mouth, and he instantly died.
Thud.
Looking down at the fallen boy, Bu Eunseol muttered in a low voice.
“That man with the spear has been waiting for an opportunity to attack you since before.”
Bu Eun-sul found the boy frantically swinging the meteor spear, and Yue Yun-cheng lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
In the end, she cowered in front of the boy wielding the meteor and helped Yue Yuncheng.
“Hmph.”
Wei Yuncheng must have realized it too, because he snorted at Bu Eunseol.
“Why did you help me?”
“I thought we’d eventually run into him.”
“Apparently, you haven’t learned martial arts.”
Yu Yuncheng sneered.
“I can always kill a trash like you.”
Wei Yuncheng was having fun with his sneak attack.
He traveled around the training grounds, assassinating the strong.
He could always kill a weakling like Bu Eun-sul, so he turned his back on her.
But Wei Yuncheng didn’t know that. He didn’t realize that she had predicted his every move.
And it was a great mistake.
* * *
“There’s still no one in sight.”
Lian Ning, who was watching from the podium, frowned.
In fact, it was he who had suggested this time.
As a practicing martial artist, he disagreed with the idea of selecting a ten-horse warrior based solely on muscles.
-It’s true that muscular strength is the first priority in mastering ascension martial arts, but we can’t judge a martial artist who can reach the pinnacle of martial arts simply by their muscular strength.
In the end, the Supreme Leader respected his opinion and decided to create the J-Gate to select another candidate for the Ten Demon Warriors.
“After eliminating those with good bones, there are so few of them?”
Ting!
A clear metallic sound rang out from the stage.
A boy with a hero gun on his head pulled out a bokudo from his waistband.
“A saber?”
Lian Ning narrowed his eyes.
What the boy in the hero’s robe was pulling out was a saber, a mourning sword that was once called the first sword of the romantics.
Regarded as one of the greatest swords in the world, it had been missing since Mukhon’s death.
But that boy in the hero’s robes is holding that sword?
“Mukhon’s disciple.”
A clean-cut middle-aged man stood behind him.
Bai Zhenchuan, the leader of the Wanbao Party, approached.
“My name is Liu Yunkang. He said he found Meng Hon’s secret weapon and sword in the Simsan Valley.”
The Manbak Party is a gathering of talented martial artists, the brains of the warriors.
Before the tournament began, Bai Zhenchuan had memorized the names of the many contestants in the guest book.
“In any case, since he’s made progress in Mukhon, he must be one of his disciples.”
“In that case, he’ll be the last one standing.”
“But he’s a second-rate practitioner, so his technique isn’t as smooth.”
Bai Zhenchuan pointed to Wei Yuncheng, one of the fiercely fighting contestants.
“From what I can see, he’s definitely the best.”
Wei Yuncheng was quick to recognize the martial arts levels of the contestants on the training ground, and he was not afraid to use lethal force.
His temperament was well suited to learning martial arts.
“That guy won’t last long.”
“What?”
“Even if we’re not on the same side, even if we have to kill each other, if we go around sneaking around, we’re bound to be noticed.”
Leng Ning shook his head.
“If you don’t have the skill to take on all the enemies in the smoke screen at once, you shouldn’t do that, because you’ll end up on everyone’s radar.”
As if to prove his point, Yue Yuncheng’s sneak attack gradually began to fail.
Not only that, but the participants around him began to attack Yu Yuncheng in unison.
“He’s about to die.
Bai Zhen Tian said as he stuck his tongue out at Yue Yuncheng’s sharp sword.
“But why do you need to be so brutal with your recruits? Even if you don’t fight like this, there are some skills that will quickly improve after teaching martial arts.”
“In the first place, the Elders’ War said that we only need to select cultivators with good musculature, so why do you think Nobu planned for Jayguan?”
“Hmm…… Isn’t it to find materials that have a little bit of muscle, but are strong in combat?”
“You’re welcome.”
Liu Lianyung laughed lowly.
“To reach the pinnacle of martial arts, one must not only have muscles, but also a natural sense and a life that can shake the heavens.”
Looking at the boy in the heroic armor, Leng Ning spoke with conviction.
“And that can only be seen in extreme combat. Just like that kid.”
“You mean Lingyun River……?”
“Yes. He has the senses and flesh of an animal, so he’ll probably be the last one standing.”
Bai Zhenchuan smiled wryly at Liu Lianyung’s exaggeration.
“Perhaps the Patriarch is right, after all, he’s been battling with others all his life.”
But Liu was only half right.
When the fight finally came to an end, there were only two people left on the stage.
* * *
Most of the contestants had either died or were dying of mortal wounds.
No matter how accomplished their martial arts skills, the participants were young boys and girls, no older than eighteen years old.
It was impossible for them to survive in such a fierce battle with enemies all around them at such a young age, when the concept of death was unfamiliar.
Even Wei Yuncheng, who had been swirling his sword in the air and picking out the strongest, had ended up as a cold sword.
Chuak.
At that moment, Yue Yunkang, who was still standing on the stage, wiped off the blood on his saber.
“Unexpected.”
Liu Yunkang smiled as he looked at Bu Eunseol, who stood tall across from him.
“I didn’t expect you to be the last one standing.”
Liu Yunkang already knew.
He knew that the man standing in front of him was the weakest and most insignificant of all the people in the hall.
“Now, if I can kill you, …… I’ll be a candidate for the Ten Demon Warriors.”
In the face of Ling Yunkang’s provocation, Bu Eunseol only glared at him wordlessly.
“Hmph.”
Letting out a low chuckle, Meng Yunkang pointed a finger at Bu Eunseol.
“Come on.”
Thud, thud, thud.
Bu Eunseol, who had been avoiding a battle of strength until now, slowly walked towards Ling Yunkang.
This battle was unavoidable.
He couldn’t become a candidate for the Ten Demon Warriors without defeating Lingyun Kang.
Ding, ding, ding.
Putting down the broken bamboo box, Bu Eunseol took out the dangling sword and held it.
Ning Yunkang, who was watching, bared his fangs and laughed.
“You’re crazy.”
Bu Eunseol didn’t respond to the insult, instead concentrating on her training.
As she stealthily circled around the training ground, she had already guessed that Yun Che would be the last one standing.
“He’s the strongest.
Although it seemed like he was just swinging his sword around, there was a mysterious reasoning behind each slash.
He was struggling to defeat his enemies, but his skill was gradually increasing.
Bu Eun-sul realized that out of all the contestants in the training center, Liu Yun-kang was the strongest.
He observed the wounds of the contestants he had defeated over and over again.
“I’m sure I can win.
Bu Eun-sul had already found a loophole in Yun-kang’s defense.
Besides, she was underestimating him.
In a real fight, a little carelessness can mean the difference between life and death.
Especially if he realizes that he hasn’t mastered his martial arts properly, he’ll be more likely to take it easy and try to kill himself.
“What a dream.”
Yun Che sneered as he saw the determination in Feng Shui’s eyes.
“You really think you can defeat me.”
A flash!
The black saber flashed a brilliant light from thin air.
Thud.
With the sound of cracking flesh, a stream of red blood oozed from Bu Eunseol’s shoulder and right thigh.
“You have guts, but that’s not enough.”
Meng Yunkang had originally expected Bu Eunseol to jump and dodge, so he had deployed his first strike.
However, Bu Eun-sul only glared at him, and didn’t even flinch like a statue.
“No, it was unavoidable, huh huh huh.”
Laughing lowly, Ling Yunkang swung his saber again.
Pow.
This time, the flesh near Bu Eunseol’s shoulder flew off.
He could have killed her by slashing or stabbing her, but instead, he chose to make her suffer.
Tsk. Tsk.
Red blood was dripping from where the flesh had been blown away.
But Bu Eun-sul just stood there, as if she didn’t feel any pain at all.
“Hahaha, you’re too scared to move!”
Like a cat and mouse game, every time Liu Yunkang swung his sword, Bu Eunseol’s robes turned bright red.
“Hmph.
Even though she wore a simple robe, red blood soaked into the fabric.
He looked like a snowman painted with black and red paint.
“A lousy sword.”
“It’s a lousy knife,” said Frostbite in a low voice, blood staining everything but her eyes.
“I see you’re only slicing through the flesh.”
“What?”
Suddenly, a piercing light flashed from Ling Yun’s eyes.
“You want me to kill him quickly.”
The dark flesh in Liu Yunkang’s eyes glowed as he held the saber.
He had decided to use the most brutal and sharpest of herbivores to kill Bu Eunsun.
“Coming!
Feng Yunkang twisted the saber, and Feng Yunsheng raised it to the ground.
“You only have one chance!
Bu Eunseol had been studying the wounds of those who had fallen to Liu Yunkang.
He had discovered a fatal flaw in the killing blow that Liu Yunkang often used.
“Below the knee.
The moment you extend your katana, you seem to surround your opponent, but the only part of your body you actually attack is above the knee.
“I guess that means no martial artist ducks to avoid an attack.
“Dead!”
At that moment, Ning Yunkang, who had just unfolded the Divine Law, rushed forward.
Flash!
A brilliant light poured out, and without even a moment to think, Bu Eunsul was struck down like a bolt of lightning.
Whirligig.
A sharp herb sliced through the air above her head, cutting off her scattered hair.
“Now!
Rising up like a freshly caught carp, Bu Yunxue stabbed at the Heavenly Stone Blood of the Lingyun River with her sword.
-“The Heavenly Stone Blood is a difficult place to cultivate, even for experts from the big families.
-Isn’t that where the lowly street martial artists use their swords?
-Hahaha. That’s because they bring the knife slowly to the neck. Even a child can stun an adult with a sword strike.
Billion.
A muffled groan echoed along with the dull sound.
“Ugh.”
With his mouth open, Yun Che squinted his eyes.
He opened his eyes and realized that the old sword was now embedded in his throat, beneath the hollow of his neck.
“Off, off…….”
Even if it was a sword made to chase ghosts, the blade was still upright.
Jurrrrr.
Meng Yunkang let out a stifled groan as the red blood flowed from the sword that was stuck under his uvula,
Kuung.
He was instantly killed.
At the same time, a loud gong sounded.
It was the end of the ji guan.
“…….”
But the unexpected result was met with deathly silence on the podium.
“It’s over.”
Bu Eunsul looked up at Lian Ning and Bai Zhen Tian standing on the platform.
“Or are there more gateways?”
Soaked in blood and with her eyes wide open, Bu Eunseol looked like a moth that had ascended through hell.