Chapter 617

Chapter 617

His breathing became labored, and his fingers trembled slightly at the rapid heartbeat.

But this wasnt a particularly bad sign. It made no sense for someone about to fight to not be nervous.

At the very least, if one was a swordsman or someone with something to prove, they should take the competition seriously, regardless of what was at stake.

This was the most basic attitude that a sword user should have.

Phew.

Yoon Jong took a short breath and looked at Mu Yeon standing across from him.

He felt like this feeling he was experiencing had to be described as intimidation. It was worth it.

Wudangs first-class disciple.

A member of the Three Swords of Wudang.

None of those were light terms. Considering that Mu Yeon was a tough opponent for Yoon Jong.

But

Has there ever been a time when it wasnt much of a burden?

Just the thought of it felt funny.

The Mount Hua - Southern Edge conference was tough for him. He didnt even want to think about a fight against Wudang. In the fight against the Ten Thousand People clan, he had to risk his life, and in the North Sea, he realized his limitations.

It wasnt a path he chose, but he always had to fight against people who were too much to handle and were thrown into burdensome situations.

If a young bird tries to chase a stork, its legs will be torn.

He knew it. The fact that he wasnt a genius.

Just because he was in the Five Swords didnt mean he was as good as the others. Baek Cheon was a genius who needed no introduction, and Yu Yiseol was sometimes a monster, surpassing even Baek Cheon.

Chung Myung?

Even mentioning him made his mouth hurt.

And Jo Gul outshone him as well.

He didnt know what the others thought, but Yoon Jong knew for certain. His talent could not compare to theirs. He was just a cow running and breathing dust beneath the hawks and eagles in the sky.

If he let his guard down even a little, everyone would overtake him in the blink of an eye. Not just Jo Gul but the other third-class disciples, too.

He knew. He knew himself best.

You seem nervous.

At that time, Mu Yeon spoke softly.

Yoon Jong raised his head and faced him. As he thought about it, this place was just a venue to exchange spars and get to know each others swordsmanship. So, there was no need to conceal his feelings just because his opponent was from Wudang. He nodded.

Actually, quite a bit.

Hmm?

Mu Yeon looked at him with interest.

When the person youre fighting against says something like this, its common to pretend like nothing is wrong, even if its a bluff. But this young Taoist admitted his nervousness openly. Although it wasnt something of much importance, it somehow piqued his interest.

Theres nothing to be nervous about. If you can fully demonstrate your skills, wont the win or loss come naturally?

I certainly think thats right. But

The eyes of Yoon Jong held a shine in them.

I am in a position where I cannot take things that come naturally to me.

Oh?

Wasnt he calm yet bold?

Before this, the atmosphere had been entirely different because Jo Gul had turned all of Wudang into a mess.

Its shocking how different people feel even if they are just a sahyung.

How could all people be the same? Those who lived together for a long time, learned the same martial arts, and went through the same experiences tended to have similar ideologies.

But in the opinion of Mu Yeon, the nature of Mount Huas disciples was innately different.

If you were that worried, you wouldnt have chosen me as your opponent.

What would change if I did?

Hmm?

Mu Yeon opened his mouth as if he found it odd.

You make it sound like theres no difference between you, one of the Three Swords of Wudang, and any other first-class disciples of Wudang.

Yoon Jong shook his head.

Yoon Jongs sword traced the quickest possible path to meet his opponents blade.

So solid.

Mu Yeons face changed slightly. The sword of Jo Gul, which he had seen earlier, was swift, cheerful, and odd. But Yoon Jongs sword felt solid and faithful.

It feels closer to Wudangs sword.

Though it couldnt be considered a Gentle Sword, the essence wasnt that different. If Jo Guls sword was the wind, Yoon Jong was like a giant tree caught in it.

At this age

To build a solid foundation and lighten the upper body on the strong lower body sounded easy in words.

However, to achieve that, one must endure basic training to the brink of death. It wasnt something that could be completed by merely straining the body.

The key was to practice the same thing repeatedly for countless hours a day without stopping, even when no clear effects were seen.

How much training did it take to achieve such firmness at his age?

Ten thousand swings a day? Any aspiring warrior can do that.

But how many people in the world could sustain those 10,000 swings for 10 days, 100 days, or 1,000 days?

Mu Yeons gaze shifted to Yoon Jongs hand. As expected, his palm, which was just visible, was covered with calluses.

Good!

Mu Yeon felt a surge of excitement as he swung his sword.

Chaccck!

From the tip of his sword, a water-like sword qi flowed out like a river. The clear blue sword qi rushed toward Yoon Jong.

This rapid transition from a quick sword to a sword technique and eventually to a heavy sword should have been shocking, but Yoon Jong didnt seem concerned at all.

Chaaak!

Yoon Jongs sword, which was held at an angle, contained the sword qi and redirected Mu Yeons sword qi to the side.

Chak!

It was a matter of releasing as much force as possible without resisting. But it wasnt possible to let it all go.

Crack!

Yoon Jongs feet dug into the tiles. The hand holding the sword trembled now.

The power of the flowing water broke the rocks and changed the land. Its explosive strength lasted only a moment, but the relentless force that kept coming was not the end.

Kuak!

Yoon Jong gritted his teeth as he pushed the sword away and pulled his body to the side. However, as if Mu Yeon had predicted his move, he rushed forward and hit Yoon Jong with his shoulder.

Thud! Thud!

Yoon Jong was thrown back without a chance to defend, like a drum being struck.

Thud!

Yoon Jong had to bounce off the ground several times, spun around, and drove the sword into the tile before he was bounced back again.

Kakakak!

After being pushed away for a while, he quickly regained his stance, and a trickle of blood flowed down his lip, but his eyes hadnt changed at all.

Wonderful.

Mu Yeon truly admired this.

Wudang was a sect of the Justice faction, a place that pursued the pure and righteous sword.

To the extent that Wudang focused more on the basics than any other sect in the world. Wudang was a place where one didnt act foolishly by ignoring the basics in favor of close enlightenment.

But the foundation of the swordsman called Yoon Jong in front of him didnt feel like that.

I will apologize for looking down on you.

From now on, I will do my best, so try to take the attacks head-on.

Yes!

Here I come!

Tat!

Mu Yeon hit the ground once again and flew towards Yoon Jong with the light movement of a butterfly. His sword drew multiple sword forms, and a white hue flowed out from his left hand, which drew a circle as he rushed at Yoon Jong.

Yoon Jong, who had maintained his form throughout the fight, was wide-eyed at this.

Two martial arts at the same time?

Numerous sword forms and a palm technique made their way to Yoon Jong.