Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Namgung Jin-cheon (3)

Right after the judge’s declaration of the winner.

“When will the next match be possible?”

Cheongsu Dojang, who had declared surrender, asked with sparkling eyes.

“Mm. Let’s arrange it after the Yongbongji Conference ends.”

“Hahaha. I look forward to it, Mu-jin Monk.”

Watching the happily smiling Cheongsu Dojang, Mu-jin struggled to hide his awkward expression.

‘It was a lie.’

He planned to escape after the Yongbongji Conference, so a match with Cheongsu would likely be far in the future.

Of course, there was no reason to explain all that.

After bidding farewell to Cheongsu Dojang, Mu-jin headed towards where the Shaolin disciples were gathered. Meanwhile, from among the Shaolin disciples, Mu-gung was making his way to the arena.

“See you in the finals.”

“...Don’t say such dreadful things.”

Mu-gung, with a horrified expression at the mere thought of a match with Mu-jin, sluggishly stepped onto the arena.

And on the opposite side, Namgung Jin-cheon ascended the stage with his usual indifferent expression.

‘He said he would use the middle sword, didn’t he?’

Facing Namgung Jin-cheon directly, Mu-gung recalled the martial arts Namgung Jin-cheon had displayed in his match against Jegal Jinhee a few days prior.

Meanwhile, Namgung Jin-cheon simply stared at Mu-gung with an expression devoid of any emotion.

“I am Mu-gung of Shaolin.”

“I am Namgung Jin-cheon of the Namgung Family.”

Right after the two men greeted each other with a bow and a fist salute, the judge signaled the start of the match.

At the same time, Namgung Jin-cheon drew his sword and, as always, began to press Mu-gung with the Chang-gung Mu-ae Sword Technique, the signature technique of the Namgung Family.

Mu-gung’s impression of Namgung Jin-cheon’s middle sword was simple.

‘I can’t see any way to evade it.’

Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword wasn’t particularly fast. In fact, in terms of speed, it was slower than many of the other swordsmen who had reached the finals of the Yongbongji Conference.

However, Mu-gung, known for his remarkable perceptiveness, instantly realized it. This sword, though slow, was a technique that could respond to the opponent’s movements.

A slow sword that simultaneously pressured all directions.

And the moment it clashed, it would use the profoundness of the middle sword to pin down the opponent.

But just because there was no way to evade didn’t mean there was no method to counter it.

‘I’m glad I listened to Mu-jin.’

Mu-gung began to employ the Tianxia Thirty-Six Swords technique of the Zhongnan Sect, which he had observed in the second round.

However, among those watching the match, no one recognized it as the Tianxia Thirty-Six Swords.

It was because Mu-gung’s version of the Tianxia Thirty-Six Swords had been altered by blending in the martial arts of Wudang and Shaolin, transforming it into something entirely different.

It was an unimaginable act, one only possible because he was a genius.

However, no matter how outstanding Mu-gyeong’s martial arts were, the gap in internal energy was too great.

Moreover, Namgung Jin-cheon had activated Balmo Se-su, fully mobilizing his qi. The difference in the amount of energy that could be exerted with each technique was extreme.

“Ha!”

Mu-gyeong could barely deflect Namgung Jin-cheon’s Chang-gung Muae Swordsmanship. Naturally, he was forced into a defensive position.

* * *

Most of those watching the sparring on the martial arts stage had the same thought.

Just like in the third match, they believed Mu-gyeong would eventually exhaust himself defending against Namgung Jin-cheon’s relentless attacks and collapse.

Even Jegal Jin-hee had managed to block and deflect Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword dozens of times, only to lose when his strength was depleted.

However, there was a difference between Jegal Jin-hee and Mu-gyeong.

“If Jegal Jin-hee is a prodigy who combines effort with talent, Mu-gyeong is one of those rare geniuses you can count on one hand.”

Only Mu-jin believed that Mu-gyeong could dismantle Namgung Jin-cheon’s swordsmanship.

And when the two martial artists on the stage had exchanged over thirty moves, the flow of the sparring began to shift.

Boom!!

At the moment when the sword imbued with immense Qi and the fist Qi collided, a massive explosion erupted.

With a storm of dust, Mu-gung’s body was propelled through the dust storm, flying out of the martial arts stage.

Thud!

However, instead of taking an out-of-bounds loss, Mu-gyeong used a Qinggong technique to stop at the edge.

Mu-gyeong never thought he could block the Emperor’s Sword Form with the Vajra Exorcising Devil Fist. The difference in their internal energy was too great.

Mu-gyeong merely aimed to disrupt the energy wave of the Emperor’s Sword Form through the collision, and seizing the moment when the energy wave was disturbed, he used the shock to escape the shackles of the Emperor’s Sword Form.

“Cough.”

However, the price of escaping the Emperor’s Sword Form was too high.

His energy pathways were completely shaken, causing blood to seep from his mouth, and his eyes to become bloodshot.

Despite this, his mind constantly analyzed Namgung Jin-cheon’s martial arts to find a way to counter them.

The will to win and the impact of his shaken energy pathways drove Mu-gyeong into Qi Deviation.

Snap!

Barely regaining his balance, Mu-gyeong rushed at Namgung Jin-cheon again, fully exerting the Yeontae Gupum.

Even though his twisted energy pathways caused blood to flow up his throat again, Mu-gyeong didn’t care.

No, he couldn’t even perceive it.

Mu-gyeong’s bloodshot eyes, filled with murderous intent, only targeted Namgung Jin-cheon’s heart.

“Do you wish to die?”

Seeing such blatant killing intent, Namgung Jin-cheon also disregarded the fact that this was the Yongbongji Conference arena and unleashed his killing technique.

Just as the murderous martial arts of the two warriors were about to clash,

Bang!!

A figure suddenly stepped onto the arena and blocked both their techniques.

The man blocked Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword with his right hand and Mu-gyeong’s Vajra Exorcising Devil Fist with his left hand, despite the blood.

“What the?”

Surprised by the sudden intervention, Namgung Jin-cheon frowned and asked, but Mu-jin, who intervened in the fight, paid no attention to Namgung Jin-cheon.

Mu-jin released Namgung Jin-cheon’s sword with his right hand and turned to strike the back of Mu-gyeong’s neck with his left hand.

“Ugh...”

Right after Mu-gyeong collapsed with a groan, the referee, regaining his composure, spoke in a perplexed tone.

“Mu-jin, why did you intervene in the match?”

“Amitabha. It seemed that Mu-gyeong fell into Qi Deviation due to internal injuries, so I moved urgently. I apologize.”

“...Qi Deviation, you say?”

“Yes. It seems urgent treatment is required, so I moved to stop the match first. We of the Shaolin Temple acknowledge Mu-gyeong’s defeat. May we move him for treatment?”

“Hmm. If it’s Qi Deviation, it’s crucial to start treatment quickly.”

As soon as the referee granted permission, Mu-jin picked up the bleeding and collapsed Mu-gyeong.

“Wait.”

However, Namgung Jin-cheon, who had suddenly had his duel interrupted, grabbed Mu-jin.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I already explained the situation. It’s Qi Deviation, so please understand the urgency.”

Mu-jin’s behavior, showing no interest in him from the moment he intervened in the duel, oddly irritated Namgung Jin-cheon.

“That man dared to unleash a killing move on me. Do you think it’s reasonable to take him away like that?”

“The killing move was due to Qi Deviation, and I stepped in before he caused any more trouble.”

Needing to treat Mu-gyeong immediately, Mu-jin’s expression started to show signs of irritation as Namgung Jin-cheon continued to hold him back.

“We’ll likely meet in the finals anyway. If you have complaints, why not resolve them in the duel? In the final match, there won’t be anyone to step in and stop it like today. So don’t worry. I’ll be going now.”

Spitting out his words like rapid fire, Mu-jin used the Fast Ascent Step to swiftly leave the arena.

Namgung Jin-cheon tried to say something in response to the one-sided declaration, but Mu-jin had already exited the arena.