Chapter 244

Chapter 244
# Chapter 244
## Chapter 244: Thunderous Wager

The dueling arena unfolded as a vast square expanse, stretching fifteen zhang in both width and length. In sheer scale, it could easily hold a thousand grown men laid side by side upon the ground. Yet for two young prodigies who had far outstripped their years to ascend to lofty realms of power, the space felt stiflingly small.

Boom! Boom! KABOOM!

*Whew, they’re truly going all out from the very start.*

His expression remained composed, his movements carrying a weight of profound mastery. Yet the sword strikes he unleashed clashed wildly with that calm demeanor.

*He intends to give this everything he has.*

There was no sign of seeking a swift end to the conflict. Instead, he pressed forward relentlessly, seeking to gain an edge with every exchange.

“Young Heir Namgung, if you expend your full strength so early, you will not last until the end.”

Managing one’s stamina was among the most critical factors in securing victory.

“I do not skimp on my training.”

Namgung Cheon-yeong replied with cool indifference and swung his heavy blade once more.

KABOOM!

The signature greatsword of the Great Namgung Clan came down—crushing, domineering, utterly overwhelming.

“But can you endure until my anger has run its course?”

Who would have imagined hearing such words from the refined heir of an illustrious house? Then again, facing the Namgung style meant one rarely met an opponent who could hold their ground for long. It was simply too overpowering.

“What is the sense in talking?”

With that shout, he launched into a flurry of blows.

—Kyaaah!

The piercing cry of a hawk rang out, deflecting Namgung’s sword. The force was so great it drove back the Namgung heir’s renowned, mighty blade, forcing Namgung Cheon-yeong to spring backward and steady his footing.

“As I suspected. You are no ordinary opponent.”

“Do not speak as if you have only just realized this. It stings.”

He spun his sword in a sweeping, showy circle and flashed a broad grin—a lighthearted taunt. Rather than rise to the bait, Namgung Cheon-yeong aligned the tip of his sword precisely with Baek Yang-hwi’s throat. A chilling intent to kill hung in the air, his stance poised to pierce through at any instant.

“I have a question.”

“In the middle of a duel?”

“It seems there may not be another chance.”

“Very well. Best to speak your mind clearly so we may fight without distraction anyway.”

“Baek Yang-hwi, why do you despise the main house… why do you despise me?”

It was an unexpected question, in more ways than one.

“You wonder that now?”

“I had assumed our enmity developed naturally. But lately, through what I have come to understand, a doubt has taken root. I wished to know how it all began.”

He parted his lips slightly and scratched his head with his right hand. At this stage, what did the origin matter? There was nothing he could not say.

“Because in time, you intend to kill me, Young Heir Namgung.”

“…So you will not tell me.”

“There is no point in asking if you will not believe the truth when I speak it.”

He sneered briefly before continuing.

“Think on it yourself. Does what I say sound like a lie? Do you truly believe the Namgung you know would simply leave the Baek Clan in peace?”

Namgung Cheon-yeong considered briefly before answering.

“If events had not turned so. If I had become Clan Head… then yes.”

“Speaking of things that will never happen. Even if your brother had taken the position, would he have suffered the Baek Clan to remain?”

Namgung Cheon-yeong fell silent. He had no rebuttal.

“Young Heir Namgung, you truly looked up to your brother Namgung Cheon-hu, did you not?”

“……”

“So you know full well. Leading forces as unstoppable as a thousand marching troops, Namgung Cheon-hu would never have permitted the Baek Clan to grow without restraint. Nor would your father, Clan Head One Sword Namgung, even in his time.”

The reason was straightforward. The Great Namgung Clan’s ultimate goal was to reclaim its place among the Five Great Clans and the title of World’s Supreme Clan.

“Gangseo Province, where the Baek Clan resides…”

“…lies too close to Anhui.”

“What? You ask questions to which you already know the answers?”

He could not have been unaware. No matter how sheltered an upbringing he had enjoyed, he must have been taught the clan’s strategic stance.

“Indeed. Our paths were never meant to run together.”

It was spoken softly, edged with quiet regret. Hearing it stirred an odd, uneasy feeling.

“Do not speak as though this has only just dawned on you. Even if our ways could have aligned, you never would have chosen to walk beside us.”

Even had their territories lain far apart, he would never have allied with the Namgung. Every last one of those arrogant Namgung brats was insufferable.

—*I am sorry, Best Sword Among Wanderers. Your talent is simply too dangerous.*

Those had been Namgung Cheon-yeong’s final words in his past life.

Too dangerous, so snuffed out before it could flourish? Their paths were never meant to be the same. The Baek Clan and the Namgung pursued entirely different destinies.

“Enough dwelling on what might have been. Do not let hesitation dull your blade—you would spoil the stage we have built together.”

“You speak truly.”

Namgung Cheon-yeong nodded, his gaze resting on Yang-hwi with new depth.

“I have a proposal.”

“Let us hear it.”

“Baek Yang-hwi of the Baek Clan, there remains one bond between us that must be severed.”

He understood exactly what was meant.

“The victor takes all. I propose that the loser of this duel abandons all claim to Young Lady Zhuge.”

It was an absurd, almost ridiculous suggestion.

“Our circumstances are hardly equal, are they not? You are the one who holds a one-sided affection, while Seol-ha and I care for one another. If I step aside, will she do the same?”

Namgung Cheon-yeong met his gaze steadily, offering no outward sign of distress.

Once, he would have scowled and ground his teeth. Growing stronger had taken some of the sport out of teasing him.

“Very well. One question—are you so certain of victory that you dare make such an offer?”

Namgung Cheon-yeong had indeed changed—within his heart, and in his mastery of the martial arts.

“If we speak of probabilities, my chances are no better than fifty percent. But was not Daoist Nyeong-o of Jeomchang proof of that?”

Nyeong-o had slain the leader of his own sect. What odds would anyone have given a peak master against one who had transcended? No more than one in ten, surely.

“Numbers matter not. What matters is whether victory is possible at all.”

Yang-hwi laughed aloud. If he should lose despite holding such overwhelming advantage… he would have to stand aside from Seol-ha, if only out of sheer shame.

“Agreed. It is settled. Should you win, Young Heir Namgung, I shall never see Seol-ha again.”

Their quiet exchange carried far enough for the onlookers to hear.

“Did you hear that?!”

“Hahaha! This contest just became all the more spectacular!”

“A duel fought for the World’s Fairest Beauty!”

Excitement rippled through the crowd. But there was more to come.

“Brother! Who gave you leave to decide my future as though I were a prize?!”

Zhuge Seol-ha’s voice rang out from the sidelines. Even should he win, he might well be in for a scolding.

“Let us continue.”

Their discussion ended. Namgung Cheon-yeong resumed his fighting stance.

*From his posture, he means to unleash the Flashing Lightning Thirteen Thunderbolts.*

The Great Namgung Clan—also known as the Heaven-Cleaving Sword Clan—was famed for the Vault-of-Heaven Unfettered Sword. But what truly defined the Namgung? Though they had lost the title of World’s Supreme Clan, they lacked nothing as the foremost sword clan under heaven. Within their ranks were preserved many arts revered as ultimate secrets throughout the martial world. Among them was the Flashing Lightning Thirteen Thunderbolts.

*Heaven-Cleaving draws its imagery from the skies. Lightning follows naturally.*

True to its name, this sword style was forged in the likeness of thunder. Its essence lay in blinding speed.

Rumble!

It was but a sword held in human hands, yet the sound that filled the arena might have shaken the heavens themselves. Seeming to grasp thunder itself, Namgung Cheon-yeong brought his blade sweeping down from above.

*Just as lightning descends from the clouds.*

Could a mortal frame of flesh and blood truly command the might of heaven and earth? The answer was yes—for he had attained the Dynamic Living Intent, the realm where the impossible becomes reality. When one’s vital energy merges with purpose and takes on life, it becomes a living force shaped by the warrior’s vision. And now, Namgung Cheon-yeong’s vision was lightning. His very energy moved like bolts cast down from the sky.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Thunderous roars echoed without cease across the arena. Namgung Cheon-yeong led the assault, while his opponent stood firm like a reed bending before a storm filled with the very shadow of thunder.

“Worthy of the Namgung line. What divine power.”

“It is as though the Lord of Heaven himself has descended among us.”

“Wielding the power of thunder in a human body.”

Spectators leaned forward in their seats, whispering excitedly to those beside them.

“To see the Heaven-Covering Sword Dragon—who stood at the very heart of the tempest—driven so far back…”

“Unheard of. When the Heaven-Covering Sword Dragon humiliated the Heaven-Cleaving Sword Dragon, none imagined such a turn.”

“Can even the Heaven-Covering Sword Dragon hope to match a direct heir of such an illustrious clan?”

“In truth, it is only to be expected. Were it easy to overcome, they would not be the Namgung.”

From the elevated seats, Dragon King Adept Paeng Beom of the Great Sea watched and smirked, turning to Breaking Heaven Echo Master as the murmurs rose below.

—Echo Master, your disciple appears to be struggling quite desperately.

Though he must have heard the message, Echo Master gave no sign. Undeterred, Dragon King Adept Paeng Beom sent another.

—Yang-hwi ought to have been my disciple from the start. He would have prevailed by now.

Only then did Echo Master reply, his tone edged with clear rebuke.

—Do not speak so lightly when you do not know the whole truth.

—Ho? But is it not so?

—Is it not rather obvious to provoke when the truth is already plain to see?

Dragon King Adept Paeng Beom clicked his tongue in amusement. Echo Master’s words held merit.

“What a pity. I must find some way to make him my disciple…” The thought took root. But to press the matter would earn him a reprimand. If I win the wager for the Supreme Dragon, I might claim him as my pupil… It would be unwise to clash with Echo Master prematurely. Besides, Yang-hwi does not seem the sort to speak one way and act another. So Dragon King Adept Paeng Beom watched and waited, already captivated by what he saw.

“Truly impressive in every respect…” Few others seemed to have grasped it yet, but what a bold and brilliant game he was playing. He knew better than anyone how to turn every moment to his advantage.

—Echo Master… you have two disciples already. Could you not spare one for me?

Echo Master sent no reply—silence was answer enough.

“A shame. What a great pity.”

Below, Baek Yang-hwi parried Namgung Cheon-yeong’s furious assault with his sword held in the left hand. To all appearances, he stood entirely on the defensive. The more he watched, the deeper his regret grew.

“I wonder when the Namgung youth will realize…” When he did, the humiliation would be profound—enough to make their earlier match seem trivial by comparison.

*Ah, now.*

—Kyaaaaah!

KABOOM!

The cry of the hawk merged with a roar that shook the very earth. Drawing back, Baek Yang-hwi grinned fiercely.

“Very well, then. Allow me to show you what I can truly do.”

He shifted his sword from his left hand to his right. A collective gasp rose from every throat.

“The sword…?”

“Can it be… he is right-handed?”

“He has fought this entire time using his less dominant hand?!”

Namgung Cheon-yeong’s face darkened with shock. No warrior could fail to grasp the full meaning of what he had just seen.

“A formidable young man, truly.” Dragon King Adept Paeng Beom stroked the hilt of his treasured sword in genuine admiration. It was but a contest between two youths, yet it stirred the blood more deeply than any he had witnessed.