A showdown between Jin Gyun and I.
Despite being part of the same Eight Great Warriors who had surpassed all boundaries, it was widely believed that Jin Gyun would emerge victorious.
However, things turned out differently than expected. Instead of being overpowered by his decades of internal qi training, I was the one pushing back.
Pssssss!
Jin Gyun’s feet, planted firmly on the ground, were forced three steps backward.
This caused a collective gasp of astonishment from everyone present.
I was confident I wouldn’t be pushed back too much since I had absorbed Revolting Mother’s internal qi and crossed the wall. However, I didn’t expect such overwhelming dominance either.
– If you keep it up, victory will come easily.
Short Sword said,
She made this comment because the fight wasn’t solely about internal qi.
Chachachang!
The tip of Jin Gyun’s blade flew through the air and collided with Iron Sword, falling momentarily. Perhaps he was so surprised by my push that his concentration wavered momentarily.
However, the blade quickly flew up toward Iron Sword.
“… truly wonderful.”
Jin Gyun blurted out with a flushed face.
The fact that there was no disturbance when he spoke after raising his internal qi meant that he hadn’t fully exerted it yet.
– You haven’t either.
Right.
He was one of the Eight Great Warriors, that’s for sure.
Moreover, the capacity differed since only the lower end of our qi was being utilized.
If it was going to be a long-term duel, Jin Gyun would likely face a significant disadvantage.
Jin Gyun spoke up.
“Honestly, it’s quite a bit.”
I was planning to respond casually, but it was better to maintain a tough appearance. This wasn’t a matter of life and death; it was just about preserving our fame and avoiding looking foolish here, relying solely on maintaining our reputation.
“That is… an exaggeration…”
I spoke as if I were taking heavy breaths and deliberately having a hard time. I also furrowed my brow. Seeing me like that, his eyes showed relief.
-Isn’t that just hope before torture?
What if I won here?
-Then you want to try and lose?
Who was going to lose?
I was just trying to finish it with a nice limit.
-How are you going to end it?
I should strain my face a bit and then end it; even though he was a senior, he wouldn’t be able to comment about it.
-His eyes refuse to lose.
As Short Sword said, the fighting spirit was alive in Jin Gyun’s eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted.
“It’s been a while. My blood is boiling after a long time.”
He wanted to see the end. In response, I secretly sent a message to Jin Gyun.
[… senior. With so many people watching, should we end it here? Please spare this junior’s dignity.]
[I had originally intended to, but how often do we get the chance to have an equal fight like this?]
‘Originally intended?’
What else did he mean?
I wondered briefly, but Jin Gyun’s internal energy surged even more. I had assumed that he would be using nine or ten-star internal energy, but he appeared to still have some reserves. After all, he had earned his reputation as one of the Eight Great Warriors for a reason.
Pssss.
With the increase of his internal qi, the sand around our feet rose up, indicating a high level of internal qi control.
Observing the veins on his face that extended to the forehead, it was evident that his internal qi had been completely maximized.
Chachachachang!
Iron Sword’s blade clashed with his opponent’s in mid-air, resulting in a resounding clash of iron meeting iron.
Everyone watched in awe, holding their breath. The spectacle was truly astonishing.
I knew he was around 70 years old, but even at this age, he possessed an impressive level of concentration. Unlike my sword, which moved freely with its own finesse, he relied on internal qi to combat me.
Just like a true warrior, he fought head-on.
-But he won’t last much longer.
It was evident that he was depleting his internal qi rapidly. His mind seemed scattered while his internal qi surged. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Drip!
Beads of sweat dripped down Jin Gyun’s face. He became aware of his perspiration and turned to me with trembling eyes.
‘…!?’
Ah… I couldn’t do that here.
Aside from breathing and wearing a strained expression, I couldn’t control the sweat in my body.
-Got caught.
He realized I wasn’t giving it my all.
Perhaps that was why I could see anger in his eyes. It must have felt like he was being betrayed.
And he said,
“Are you mocking me now?”
“… I’m not.”
[Regardless of the reason, give it your all if you’ve chosen to compete. This clumsy display against me is an insult.]
Although I felt sincerely sorry for making him say that.
But I had pushed myself to the limit, utilizing my internal qi to the fullest since I wouldn’t be able to utilize the Blood Demon Arts here.
[Give it your all. I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve too.]
Tricks up his sleeve?
What did he mean? Was he not pushing his internal qi to its peak?
Either way, I should give it my all.
I attempted to preserve his dignity, but if he insisted on feeling ashamed, I might as well proceed.
[I was not thinking clearly, senior.]
I gradually released my internal energy.
Go!
At that moment, Jin Gyun was forcefully pushed backward. His internal energy had peaked, causing sand particles to shower onto the ground.
“The Flame Emperor Great Blade is being forced to retreat!”
“Are you saying that the internal energy of the Little Immortal Swordsman is superior?”
The whispers grew louder from the crowd around us, but Jin Gyun seemed oblivious to them. Instead, he stared directly at me.
[Is this the best we can do?]
Jin Gyun struggled to ask the question, clearly finding it difficult. Unfortunately, that was a negative.
I shook my head, indicating that it was not.
‘…?!’
He seemed taken aback by my response.
At this point, I am nearly on par with the warriors who have surpassed the wall.
Jin Gyun then said to me.
[Give it your all.]
[It could end up being dangerous.]
I meant it in a good way. If I pushed any harder, Jin Gyun would have ended up with serious injuries. I wasn’t sure if the balance was right, he might not have gotten hurt, but the after-effects would have been too much.
[I told you to give it your all!]
He seemed stubborn. Well, it didn’t matter to me. I had no choice but to raise my internal qi.
[Senior… if you’re not vigilant, things could get dangerous.]
“What?”
Jin Gyun questioned me with a fierce demeanor upon hearing my warning. I paid no mind and focused on regulating my breathing, summoning my inner qi to its utmost potential.
Kwakwakwa!
In an instant, a gale of tremendous force whipped up around him, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack.
The intensity of my qi made it challenging to contain it completely within, resulting in slight leakage.
“Huk! What sorcery is this?”
“Back off!”
In the aftermath of this, all the onlookers immediately retreated. Those with weak internal qi coughed up blood, unable to handle the intensity.
“Is the Little Immortal Swordsman this strong?”
“Look over there!”
Drrrr!
Jin Gyun, who barely endured the attack, continued to get pushed back. At this rate, the spar will be over soon.
[I also have a hidden card.]
“A hidden card?”
And then it happened.
“My palms are getting hot.”
I felt intense heat emanating from Jin Gyun’s palms as we faced each other. The temperature was so high that it resembled the power of fire qi.
As our qi rapidly melded together, his energy surged. The haze that enveloped his entire body was a result of this intense heat.
“The air feels scorching hot.”
“Ah! It’s the Infernal Flame Divine Arts!”
I’ve heard about it before.
This was his exclusive martial arts technique.
It was said that his exceptional talent and mastery made flames even ignite on the sword he wielded.
However, I didn’t know that even just qi could make the air hot.
In addition, it was only temporary, but our internal qi felt similar in terms of intensity.
Chiiiik!
My palms were so hot that it felt like I was getting burned.
Now I knew why he said he had a hidden card.
“Do you think you will get pushed?”
“No, not to that extent.”
Even if his skills improved temporarily, I still had the upper hand. If he pushed now, he would end up exhausted. He wanted to end it now.
“Why?”
If one pushed this much heat, they would get burned too.
I could endure that with my recovery skills, but if that happened, I would end up displaying my strength in front of so many people. So, I just accepted it.
“Kuak!”
Pat!
I removed the palm that had collided, and in the aftermath of this, my body had been pushed back.
Chrrrrr!
I was able to stop only after being pushed for 5 feet.
At the most opportune moment, I bit my tongue, allowing the blood to flow down. White haze rose from his palms as if he was trying to save face.
“Haa… haa…”
Jin Gyun exhaled and stared at me.
A smile appeared on his lips.
Ultimately, he seemed pleased with using his secret move against me. The crowd erupted with cheers, believing that the victor had been determined.
“Wowwww!”
“The Flame Emperor Great Blade is victorious!”
“He is undoubtedly superior!”
“As expected, one cannot triumph over time.”
Everyone was certain.
“As expected, he is my grandfather!”
Wearing a proud smile, Jin Young made everyone think that victory belonged to him. However, someone’s voice interrupted.
“Is this the victory of the Flame Emperor Great Blade?”
Jang Mun-ryang was present, observing the scene.
“What do you mean?”
“If this isn’t his triumph, then what…”
People stared at him in shock as Jang Mun-ryang raised his hand in the air. Naturally, everyone turned to look in that direction and were filled with awe.
‘…!!’
The reason for their reaction was that Iron Sword was still suspended in the air. At the same time, Jin Gyun’s blade had fallen instantly onto the roof of the warehouse.
They had missed this turn of events because they were too focused on what was happening below.
“The blade has disappeared!”
“The sword of the Little Immortal Swordsman is still flying!”
“Hold on then….”
All eyes turned toward the two of us.
They were all confident in his victory, so what was next?
“A tie!”
“Ah!”
“The fight ended this way.”
Everyone was shocked. Now there were two winners.
The competition between internal qi and Air Sword happened at the same time.
Jin Gyun was so fixated on me that his concentration was disrupted.
“Ahh…”
Even Jin Gyun momentarily forgot about it and turned to the Iron Sword floating in the air.
‘This way, we maintain our dignity.’
It appeared to be a satisfactory match. As it ended in a draw, I no longer needed to defend myself.
When considering it from this perspective, it appeared that my ability to manipulate the sword on its own was much more deceitful than anticipated.
‘Come back, Iron Sword.’
I extended my arm and summoned it.
Then, I respectfully bowed to him.
“Thank you, senior.”
To which he gazed at me and burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaah!”
Jin Gyun, who had been chuckling for some time, shook his head.
“It is as the ancestors say. Not even ten years have passed, and I have already learned a lesson from you.”
Chak!
And with a bow, he showed his respect.
I was concerned that his pride may have been wounded, but I was relieved when he accepted me without hesitation. However, he suddenly spoke silently.
[Can you spare some time for me?]
‘Huh?’
Curious about his request, I followed him into an empty room.
I expected it to be a private conversation, but one of the individuals seated at the second-floor table decided to join us.
As soon as I closed the door, Jin Gyun waved his hand, causing qi to envelop us, ensuring no sound would escape.
“Please have a seat.”
Jin Gyun gestured towards a chair, and I followed suit after he had seated himself.
Suddenly, I found myself wondering what he could possibly want to discuss.
“Senior, may I ask why you requested a private meeting like this?”
“Before we delve into that, I must apologize.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”
“Actually, I initially intended to end it by simply acknowledging your skills. However, my greed took over, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to engage in a friendly spar.”
Ah…
So, that was what occurred.
But why the need to understand my skills? If it was solely about my martial arts progression, he would be capable of gauging it to a certain extent.
“If my actions have offended you, I am willing to make amends.”
“No, there’s no reason for me to be offended.”
“Nothing has changed since I last saw you. Just like your skills, your personality has grown properly. Clearly, your master taught you well.”
I bowed, expressing my gratitude.
“That is too kind.”
These words of courtesy seemed to be going on longer than necessary. Why was he dragging this out?
Jin Gyun glanced at the middle-aged man sitting at the table, nodded, and then turned his attention back to me.
“I will speak now.”
“Please proceed.”
“We require your assistance.”
“Huh? My assistance?”
“Yes.”
“What is this even about?”
In response to that, Jin Gyun said,
“I need your support to become the Murim Alliance’s leader.”
‘…?!’
What now?
I thought I heard something wrong for a second, but then something even more shocking came.
“It hasn’t been announced officially yet, but the current leader, Baek Hyang-muk of Wuhan, has been impeached at the meeting of elders.”
‘…!!’
