Chapter 40

Chapter 40
## Chapter 16: Martial Tournament (1)

“What… what just happened?”

He had retreated out of sheer survival reflex, yet Yeonghogyeol remained paralyzed by confusion over the preceding seconds.

‘But how?’

He hadn’t been negligent for even a heartbeat.

On the contrary, he had committed his entire being to the assault, intending to conclude the duel with one decisive blow.

His self-assurance had been absolute. Yet, the moment his adversary’s focus shifted toward his sternum, his entire strategy disintegrated.

The instant their gazes locked, a terrifying mental image seized him—a solitary beam of brilliance boring a hole through his heart.

His logic screamed that it was a mere trick of the mind, a groundless fear, but his physical form—forged through years of relentless discipline—responded with autonomous terror.

By the time the derisive laughter of the spectators pulled him back to the present, he had already abandoned his offensive and fled to the far side of the ring.

“Impressive instincts.”

Sima Geon spoke the words under his breath as he drifted toward Yeonghogyeol.

He found the desperation of the outmatched quite tolerable.

The stadium erupted, the audience voicing their loud approval of Sima Geon’s dominance.

The roar of the crowd intensified as he began to execute the Thread Finger Technique, the very same move he had previously used to dismantle Old Man Su.

Yeonghogyeol watched, transfixed by the slow, deliberate unfolding of the Thread Finger Technique.

In the eyes of the public, his elder sibling, Yeong Ho-ki, the firstborn, was heralded as the premier prodigy of the Yeongho Clan.

‘What a joke.’

Yeong Ho-ki had grown soft on the nectar of empty flattery and had long since ceased to evolve; he was no rival.

Perhaps there was a slight gap for now, but Yeonghogyeol was certain he would soon eclipse him entirely—not just in the whispers of the streets, but within the hierarchy of the family itself.

And now, this stranger had the audacity to use the basic Thread Finger Technique against him!

Burning with indignation, Yeonghogyeol unsheathed his blade of vengeance.

As he surged with his maximum internal reserves, his aura underwent a violent transformation.

Violent gusts of wind spiraled outward with him as the epicenter, and a razor-sharp murderous intent lunged toward Sima Geon like a barrage of knives.

“Perish!”

Yeonghogyeol’s absolute strongest strike tore through the air toward Sima Geon.

It was a lethal execution of skill that caused several of the presiding judges to bolt upright.

“That strike is too perilous. We must halt the match.”

“Such bloodlust! He is attempting to commit murder in a sanctioned tournament!”

The judges, sensing the destructive potential of the move before anyone else, prepared to step in—but they were stopped.

“Leave them be.”

Ha Hu-gok extended an arm to restrain his colleagues.

Ignoring their doubtful expressions, he gestured toward Sima Geon, who remained unnervingly composed despite the arrival of a killing blow that offered no path of escape.

“Nothing ill will occur. All of you, resume your seats.”

“What are you saying?!”

“A life is hanging by a thread. We are obligated to interfere.”

Mocking their anxiety, Ha Hu-gok pointed toward the center of the ring.

“Whose life? From where I sit, it doesn’t look dangerous at all.”

It required very little time for the judges to comprehend the truth behind Ha Hu-gok’s observation.

The massive assault, which had seemed to cast a suffocating web over the world to grind Sima Geon into dust, was effortlessly pierced by the straight, unwavering path of the Thread Finger Technique.

“Curse it!”

Yeonghogyeol contorted his frame in a frantic attempt to avoid the finger technique that was carving right through the center of his power as it drew near.

“What sort of…?”

“This… this cannot be!”

It defied logic, even as they bore witness to it.

The judges, who fully understood the terrifying energy Yeonghogyeol had poured into his strike, were left speechless.

However, their shock was nothing compared to the horror Yeonghogyeol felt.

His most powerful, final technique had been neutralized with insulting ease.

He desperately wanted to strike back, but no gap appeared.

His adversary continued to apply pressure using nothing but the Thread Finger Technique.

At least, that was how it looked to the observers. In reality, it was far more than a simple finger art.

The intent of the eyes arrived before the strike.

Wherever Sima Geon’s eyes rested, the technique seemed ready to manifest and kill at any second.

He pushed the Yeongho Clan’s renowned movement techniques to their absolute limit to flee that piercing stare, but he could not break the connection for even a moment.

‘I have to act. I must break his line of sight to survive.’

His throat was parched.

A freezing sensation of impending doom made his limbs tremble uncontrollably.

Yet, there was no tactical escape.

He could do nothing but expend his last drops of energy dodging that cold, emotionless gaze and the strike that mirrored it.

The cheers for the underdog had long since evaporated.

The spectators, who had initially been thrilled by Yeonghogyeol’s flashy movements, were now united in jeering his frantic, cowardly retreat.

After about fifteen minutes, even the mocking faded, replaced by an eerie, total silence from the crowd.

When the stillness reached its zenith, the overdrawn struggle finally reached its conclusion.

Without even realizing it, Yeonghogyeol had been herded to the very edge of the platform, where his foot slipped and he tumbled pathetically onto the dirt below.

Collapsing on the ground, he didn’t even have the strength to consider standing, his lungs burning as he fought for air.

His complexion had turned a ghostly, sickly blue; the heavy perspiration that had soaked him had dried into crusts of white salt upon his skin.

Only after a long while, when he had somewhat steadied his breath, did Yeonghogyeol manage to stand.

The judgmental stares of the crowd didn’t even register in his mind.

Turning slowly, he looked up at the now-empty stage.

His opponent had already departed.

Finding the platform vacant, Yeonghogyeol let his head fall in total defeat.

Yeonghogyeol’s failure sent ripples through the assembly. While he wasn’t the top seed, he was widely respected as a formidable contender.

While the commoners were merely confused, those with actual martial depth were horrified.

They understood exactly how taxing it was to utterly break a talent of Yeonghogyeol’s caliber in such a lopsided fashion.

As the judges traded shocked whispers, Ha Hu-gok was the only one who remained unruffled.

“Quite extraordinary. He appeared unusual from his first bout, but I never anticipated he would dismantle Yeonghogyeol—a boy the Yeongho Clan has polished with such focus.”

“The world holds many more masters than the public realizes.”

Ha Hu-gok’s remark earned a firm nod of concurrence from Hwal In-gae.

“Indeed, Senior No. It is still hard to process. And he has achieved this using only that one Thread Finger Technique? We haven’t even seen the beginning of his true capability.”

Hwal In-gae tracked Sima Geon as he returned to his place, his expression clouded with bewilderment.

“We shall find out soon. The remaining participants possess significant talent as well.”

“I have my doubts. Had we not witnessed that, perhaps—but we saw it with our own eyes. It doesn’t look like he can be beaten. If anyone stands a chance, it might be that boy.”

Hwal In-gae noted, signaling toward Namgung Hak as he stepped onto the platform.

“The youngest child of the Sword Saint. They say he has already exceeded his father’s level at that age?”

Ha Hu-gok’s musing caused Hwal In-gae to jump slightly in surprise.

“You were aware of that?”

“You think too little of the main branch. We are not entirely blind to the world’s affairs, even if we aren’t the Five Great Clans.”

Feeling the underlying edge in Ha Hu-gok’s voice, Hwal In-gae scrambled to his feet and gave a deep bow.

“Please forgive me. I meant no offense.”

“Tsk. Sit down, there’s no need for such dramatics. I know how that old terror treats your group. Regardless, enough talk—let us focus on the matches. This next one should be quite compelling in its own way.”

Clicking his tongue, Ha Hu-gok redirected his focus to the ring. Hwal In-gae, drenched in a cold sweat from the awkward interaction, slumped back into his chair.

Despite Ha Hu-gok’s prediction of it being “compelling,” the second duel concluded in a total sweep by Namgung Hak.

Perhaps motivated by the intensity of the previous fight, Namgung Hak launched a relentless offensive from the opening bell, claiming a perfect win without giving his rival a single chance to breathe.

His opponent was Yi Jwa-seung, one of the eight finalists alongside Sima Geon, who had been viewed as the weakest link.

However, Yi Jwa-seung was a primary student of the prestigious White Tiger Sect and had shown great prowess to get this far. The audience cheered for Namgung Hak’s overwhelming power, seeing it as proof of the Namgung Clan’s legacy.

In contrast to the first two lopsided encounters, the following matches were filled with chaotic uncertainty.

The battle between Dang Chul-yeong and Ak I-do was particularly gripping and lived up to the massive expectations.

Dang Chul-yeong manipulated a dozen flying blades with fluid mastery, his projectile arts so rapid and dazzling that they were almost impossible to follow as he searched for a weakness. Ak I-do deflected them flawlessly, launching fierce counter-attacks with spear techniques that were truly the peak of martial excellence.

The duel lasted for nearly an hour before Dang Chul-yeong secured the win, relying on his superior experience and deeper internal energy pools.

As their fight ended, the crowd—who had been sitting on the edge of their seats—erupted in a deafening ovation for both the winner and the loser, the noise vibrating through the arena.

As the excitement hit its peak, Ha Hu-yeon, the tournament’s most anticipated figure, walked onto the stage.

Many had been skeptical when Ha Hu-yeon was chosen to represent the Ha Hu Clan.

To be the champion for so many rising stars, one usually required a reputation—but Ha Hu-yeon was a complete unknown.

There had been significant internal strife within the clan regarding the choice.

Considering the clan leader’s 70th birthday and the suspicious movements of the Five Great Clans, many felt that sending the marginalized Ha Hu-yeon was a mistake.

However, the clan leader, Ha Hu-on, had ignored all protests and selected him anyway. True to that faith, Ha Hu-yeon had decimated his earlier rivals with staggering ability, sailing through the preliminaries and justifying the decision.

Ha Hu-yeon’s adversary was Pang Ha-gyun of the Habuk Pang Clan.

Pang Ha-gyun was famous for wielding a massive greatsword nearly as large as himself; on his path to the finals, he had simply crushed every opponent’s weapon with raw power.

Ha Hu-yeon versus Pang Ha-gyun.

This battle, with the prestige of their families on the line, was called the true climax of the event.

Every arc of Pang Ha-gyun’s heavy blade released the Habuk Pang Clan’s iconic Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber forms. In response, Ha Hu-yeon’s sword moved like a living thing, showcasing the Yeongho Clan’s legendary Nine Dragons Swordsmanship in its most refined state.

It was a clash of titans; nobody could guess who would fall. Even Ha Hu-gok watched with bated breath.

Then, after about thirty minutes of combat.

Ha Hu-yeon, who had seemed to be buckling under Pang Ha-gyun’s hurricane-like pressure, suddenly unleashed the Nine Dragons Slash. The momentum shifted instantly.

Pang Ha-gyun was unable to withstand the nine-layered wave of sword energy that crashed over him and was hurled out of the ring, collapsing.

He recovered immediately and jumped back onto the platform, but the judges stepped in to prevent a tragedy.

As they declared Ha Hu-yeon the winner, Pang Ha-gyun shouted in protest. However, Ha Hu-yeon had stopped his blade the moment Pang touched the ground outside the ring. Had he followed through, the boy would have perished. Seeing this, the Pang family elder calmed the enraged Pang Ha-gyun and formally accepted the loss.

With Ha Hu-yeon’s triumph, the final four champions were set.

Ha Hu-yeon of the Ha Hu Clan, Dang Chul-yeong of the Sacheon Dang Clan, Namgung Hak of the Namgung Clan, and the mysterious outlier, Sima Geon, competing as Black Wolf.

‘The Dang Clan, then?’

Sima Geon cast a brief look at Dang Chul-yeong, his next opponent, before slowly turning away.

A one-hour break was announced before the start of the semi-finals.