Myeong Ryu-San wept bitterly as soon as he regained consciousness, but it wasn't because of his wounds. No, he was overco with sorrow at how helpless he had been in his last duel.
Tang Gi-Mun tried to console him, but the young man's heartbroken sobs wouldn't stop.
In contrast, Jin Mu-Won offered no words of comfort. He believed that Myeong Ryu-San needed ti alone more than empty consolation.
anwhile, the tournant proceeded as scheduled. The number of participants, which had exceeded six hundred, had dwindled to about a hundred.
Fifty-six Demon Hunters would be selected in this tournant. One more win, and the participants could secure a spot. For this reason, the young martial artists' eyes shone with more determination than ever before.
Young martial artists from the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, the Azure Dragon Society, as well as the Earthly Quartet, were included among their number. The chaff had been sifted out, leaving only the best of the best, whose goal was not rely to beco Demon Hunters, but to at least beco a captain, or even the commander.
The faces of the martial artists who had made it to the final main tournant reflected the tension they felt.
The final matches were so intriguing that all of Heaven's Summit's leaders, including the Ten Great Elders, ca out to watch.
Of those who advanced to the final round, Shim Won-Yi stood out the most. As befitting a mber of the Seven Young Skies, he overpowered the other competitors with his exceptional skill and presence, to the point where the crowd predicted he would beco the Commander of the Demon Hunters.
Shim Won-Yi looked down haughtily at the people below the duel stage, feeling no need to be wary of any of them. He believed this stage was created for him, and, in reality, the situation was leaning that way.
Suddenly, his expression soured.
Jin Mu-Won.
The person he found most troubleso was sitting in the middle of the audience stands, trying to appear ordinary, but it was clear the nearby martial artists had already recognized him.
He made such a powerful impression that even now, people still haven't forgotten him.
Similarly, the leaders of Heaven's Summit also noticed Jin Mu-Won's presence and exchanged uncomfortable whispers. Not only was he an uninvited guest at their feast, their inability to sanction him made matters worse.
For now, revenge against Jin Mu-Won had to wait. They could only take comfort in watching the Demon Hunters' selection.
Of course, Jin Mu-Won was aware of all the hostile gazes directed at him, but he remained unfazed. After all he had gone through during his childhood, he had developed such ntal fortitude that few external stimuli could shake him.
Instead, he focused on the tournant. For him, these duels were not just a spectacle, but an opportunity to learn and elevate himself.
The majority of martial artists who reached the final round were disciples of prestigious jianghu factions, and they generously unleashed their secret techniques and trump cards, which they usually kept hidden. He could gauge the level of each sect just by observing their disciples.
It wasn't long before Jin Mu-Won started gaining enlightennt from the battles. Although martial arts had branched out into countless streams, they ultimately traced back to one overarching goal: to kill others while protecting oneself.
Martial arts had developed over centuries, even millennia, for this one purpose. Even though techniques may differ greatly, the fundantal principles were largely the sa.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, Snow Flower let out a low hum.
"How is it? Entertaining?" a familiar voice asked softly.
Jin Mu-Won turned to face the speaker. Jo Un-Kyung had made his way through the crowd and was approaching him.
Jo Un-Kyung grinned. "There's no need to be so wary. Just like you, I simply ca to watch today."
"Is it alright for you to be wandering around like this? Shouldn't you be trying to restore order to the Tyrant Fist Sect and the Greatsword Fortress?"
"Everything will be fine even without ," Jo Un-Kyung replied nonchalantly.
Jin Mu-Won narrowed his eyes. Everything will be fine even without him? Is soone else taking care of things for him? As expected, he's not alone.
Suddenly, Jin Mu-Won felt a murderous intent stir within him. The powerful urge to draw his sword and cut Jo Un-Kyung's throat dominated his mind, but he could tell that this wasn't his own desire. It was Snow Flower's.
Sensing danger, Jo Un-Kyung took a step into the nearby crowd, indicating his willingness to use them as a shield if necessary.
It was a gamble. If Jin Mu-Won attacked him now, the people nearby would die. Would he take that risk and strike, or do nothing?
Jin Mu-Won chose the latter, forcefully suppressing Snow Flower's killing intent.
Jo Un-Kyung smiled brightly. "You still haven't answered my question. Is it entertaining?"
"I'm not watching the tournant for fun."
"You're still so rigid. Not an ounce of flexibility. Then again, I suppose that's part of your charm. Your stubbornness never changes once you've made up your mind."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Hehe! Will you not take my hand, Mu-Won?" Jo Un-Kyung held out his hand, the sa hand that had mastered the Demonic Cross of Blood and brutally massacred countless people in Yunnan.
"Have you forgotten already, Hyung-nim? I am the man who killed your father."
"I know."
"And you still want to take your hand?"
"Hey, by that logic, my father killed your father too. Doesn't that make us even?"
Jin Mu-Won frowned at Jo Un-Kyung's sophistry. "Is this your will, Hyung-nim, or did those behind you order you to do it?"
"What are you talking about? Who is behind ?"
"The Two-Faced Asura."
"......" Jo Un-Kyung's face hardened, confirming Jin Mu-Won's suspicions. "You surpass my expectations ti and again."
"So it's true."
"Did you know?"
"Know what?"
"That with this, you have firmly set foot in hell. You should never have uttered those words."
Jin Mu-Won chuckled. "Well, did you know?"
"......"
"Ever since that day ten years ago, I have never once escaped from hell.
Jo Un-Kyung's eyes grew frigid, and the two n regarded each other wordlessly.
"Ugh!"
"Why is it so cold?"
The people around them rubbed their shoulders and stepped back. Their instincts warned them that sothing was not right.
"Tell about the organization that uses the Two-Faced Asura as a symbol."
"If you find out, you'll die. Right here, right now."
"I don't mind. Go ahead and try."
"No, you should care. Not only you, but everyone connected to you will be erased from this world. That includes Ha Jin-Wol, Tang Gi-Mun, Nam Soo-Ryun, and even the White Dragon rchant Association. They will all be annihilated because of you. Do you still not mind?"
"No, not at all. So? Who are they?"
"The world is vast, and your knowledge of it very limited. If you try to reach past your limits, it will only lead to your destruction."
"......"
"Be careful. The reaper's blade will hunt you down now, and I'm only telling you this because I once thought of you as a brother."
Jo Un-Kyung slowly backed away.
Jin Mu-Won stared blankly at his retreating figure. At no point did Jo Un-Kyung stop holding the nearby people hostage.
Soon, he lted into the crowd, and the last thing Jin Mu-Won saw was the haunting smile on his face.
"Did you hear that?" Jin Mu-Won asked.
"Every word," Cheong-In replied. He was currently disguised as a fat, sweaty man in his early twenties.
Jin Mu-Won nodded. He had purposely positioned the spy nearby in preparation for a situation like this. "Please tail him."
"I was about to do just that."
"If you sense danger, retreat imdiately."
"Heheh! Don't worry, I know how to take care of myself." Cheong-In grinned, revealing his gums.
He rose to his feet and quickly blended into the crowd. The pursuit had begun.
Jin Mu-Won turned back toward the duel stage. A fierce battle was unfolding there between the Black Fog Warrior, Jo Wol, and Hyun Gong-Hwi of the Seven Young Skies.
Although Hyun Gong-Hwi was humiliated by Jin Mu-Won, the truth was that few among the Central Plains prodigies could match him. The only opponent he took seriously in the tournant was Shim Won-Yi. He had no intention of bowing to the conniving young man simply because they both belonged to the Azure Dragon Society.
I will definitely beco the Commander of the Demon Hunters and then get my revenge on that bastard, Jin Mu-Won.
He ground his teeth. To beco a mber of the Demon Hunters, he just needed to win this one match. To beco Commander, though, he had to win at least three more tis. Therefore, it was important to win while conserving his stamina.
Hyun Gong-Hwi summoned the full force of his inner qi. "Consider yourself unlucky, you bastard. eting at this mont is the worst thing that could have happened to you."
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Heheh!" Jo Wol laughed sinisterly.
Hyun Gong-Hwi's eyebrow twitched. "How dare you!"
Hyun Gong-Hwi, renowned as the world's most versatile weapons master, pulled a large staff from his back and charged at Jo Wol. Infused with his powerful qi, the humming staff flew like a cot, packing enough force to shatter a boulder the size of a house.
Jo Wol remained motionless until the attack almost touched his nose. At the last mont, he cut the staff cleanly in two with a light swipe of his hand.
Unfazed, Hyun imdiately drew and swung a quarterstaff, but it too disintegrated just before reaching its target.
"How can this be?" Hyun Gong-Hwi cried out, goosebumps rising on his skin. Jo Wol's presence reminded him of a starving wolf he had encountered in his youth with red eyes filled with obsessive madness.
So what? Just like back then, I am the one who will survive!
SWISH!
Determined to survive as he had back then, he simultaneously drew the wolf-fang sword and crescent moon blade from his waist and swung them at Jo Wol's neck.
Jo Wol leaned forward, his black cloak fluttering, and the swords sliced through empty air.
"Damn it!"
Before Hyun Gong-Hwi could reorient himself, Jo Wol was already upon him. From beneath the cloak, a hand as black as the garnt itself shot out and struck Hyun Gong-Hwi's chest.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion echoed through the arena.
Before anyone knew it, Hyun Gong-Hwi had been sent flying backward through the air like a kite with a severed string, eventually crashing onto the ground below the duel stage.
After twitching for a mont, Hyun Gong-Hwi coughed up blood and went limp.
He was dead.
"......"
A suffocating silence descended.
This was the first death to occur during the tournant. Even more shocking was that the deceased was Hyun Gong-Hwi, and that Jo Wol was the one who had taken his life.
With a smile, Jo Wol, the Black Fog Warrior, stood on the duel stage. Suddenly, he and Jin Mu-Won's gazes t.
Jo Wol's smile deepened.
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