Book 21 Chapter 14

Isn't this a little awkward?

-Aftermath of the Clash

"It's about time!

The Maharishi turned his gaze away for a moment to see Yong Tianming in the distance, surrounded by followers from the Old School, preparing for a secret dance. Of course, there were followers of the Eight Great Sages gathered around him as well.

But at this moment, it didn't matter where she came from. It didn't matter to her that she was from the old school.

He just wanted to test his skills for the sake of it.

"I'm going to make sure that guy knows who my Mach number is!

I wanted to win, to show her how foolish she was to think she could get away with crushing her heart!

I'm not saying I'm going to dwell on the past forever, but I thought it would be good for my mental health to get back at them for their past disrespect.

The preparations were complete. The two men faced each other, weapons drawn. It was Maharishi who spoke first.

"I finally have a chance to compete, just barely!"

"Yes."

The two had never crossed swords directly. In the Heavenly Martial Academy, there were too many subtle factions to have a duel. No matter who won, it would have turned into a power struggle, and the whole place would have been noisy, but here, in the Heavenly Academy… the mess could be cleaned up later. Maharishi did not want to miss this opportunity.

"Give me your full attention. If you give me a pass because I'm a woman, I'll despise you for life."

I definitely nailed it before I started.

"Sure. I'm well aware that you're not a tough enough opponent to beat."

It was a heartfelt response.

"Good, then, because I'm going to go all out on this one."

"That's expected crap."

Long Tianming drew his sword. It was the Nephrite Jeweled Sword, the secret treasure of a master.

Tsk!

A slender sword was drawn from his belt, glowing white.

"That's the first knife I've ever seen."

The blade was long and slender, but somehow heavy. I hadn't seen a sword like that in all the years I'd known her. She hadn't even worn it on the way to the Temple of Heaven.

"It's a knife that belonged to my great-grandfather, and he prepared it for me."

"도성께서……."

He had witnessed her receiving instruction directly from the city over the past winter. He couldn't forget the look in her eyes, the way they burned with determination.

"Ho-ho, it's an honor to be able to see a method that was handed down directly from Dao Sheng."

It was sincere, without a twist.

"Don't worry. I'm curious to know how much progress you've made in the meantime, Dragon Confucius. Have you gotten over the downturn? You won't let me down, will you?"

It was rumored that he had been in a deep depression since the volcano.

"Luckily, we have a connection, and we're about to see the results."

He realized he hadn't been staring at the wall all this time.

"Hmm, that's interesting."

Maharishi's eyes sparkled. It looked like he was itching to test it.

"Come on!"

Long Tianming raised his sword and asked.

"Sure!"

Sword and sorcery collide.

In a violent clash of souls and spirits, a brilliant flame erupted.

Dragon's breath (龍虎相搏)!

A fiery confrontation. Yong Tianming and Maha Ling were both inexperienced, so it was a close game.

"I see you're both as good as the heads of your respective organizations!"

Na Yerin watched Long Tianming and the Maharishi in awe. Long Tianming's sword was soft and majestic, and the Maharishi's sword was fast and sharp.

"That's certainly a lot, but you say you've barely had a chance to compete, but it sounds like you've competed many times."

It was as if they already knew what their opponent was going to use. It is only when you know each other's numbers, your opponent's herbs, organs, habits, etc. that you can have such a flowing workshop.

Suddenly, Yunbi imagined a bunch of tough guys reunited after a long absence, flexing their muscles and punching each other in the face as a gesture of welcome.

"I guess you could call that a conversation, not a scuffle, a fist-to-fist… well, a man's conversation."

Na Yerin nodded earnestly, as if recalling a similar sight.

"I get it, she's probably trying to hide her embarrassment."

In the midst of a conversation that would make the Mach number blush, the confrontation still drew parallels.

"Hmmm. Sooner or later something new will come along and we won't be able to do this as smoothly as we're doing now, right? We haven't had any gaps yet, but that guy is so frustratingly formulaic."

"It's a sword worthy of the Dragon Confucius."

Na Yerin's assessment of Yeonbi was tongue-in-cheek.

"You want to break the mold… but your body won't let you, so you're going to have a gap."

The Yeonbi was spot on. The shadow of the slump that had plagued him for some time remained. Although he was out of the doldrums, he hadn't yet learned the answers to his questions. He hadn't yet broken through the wall.

He was somewhat self-aware of his problem. It was an overly formalized attack, a wall blocking his path to the next level. It was a weakness that was compounded by the shadow of his desire to carry on the long Shaolin tradition and be a worthy successor. He was so eager to carry on the tradition that he was resistant to changing the old.

I had gotten to where I am today because I've mastered the tricks of the trade, but I couldn't go any further. I knew in my head that I had to go beyond the status quo, but my body, which had been tamed for nearly twenty years, was not cooperating. Call it an instinctive rejection.

Habitual movement in the cloak of tradition, a refusal to change, a sense of bondage. When he met a Buddha, he was supposed to slash a Buddha, and when he met a Dharma, he was supposed to slash a Dharma, but instead of wielding a sword, he could barely look up in awe.

The thirteen Dharma Thirteen Swords rolled like chains, and by the third iteration, a gap had finally appeared. The unchanging speed, unchanging power, and unchanging weaponry had created a fatal loophole.

"Here's your chance!

The Maharajah's timing was perfect, and he stabbed his way through the gap.

"Ha!"

The Drifting Sword of the Drifting Sword Technique requires a great deal of internal strength, so she couldn't use that technique. Instead, she learned a technique that suited her current body.

"I think," said the old man, "that this is the right diet for you."

"This?"

"Yeah. It'll be a blow no one will ever see coming. This old man can guarantee it, and you'll see. What you think is a disadvantage will quickly turn into an advantage!"

Driftless sword method (漂流無常刀法).

Disintegration (崩訣).

一刀轟 太山崩.

Maha Ling held her sword high in both hands. Her single-edged sword handle was much longer than a normal sword. It was designed to be wielded with both hands. She raised it above her head and struck down with all her might.

Boom!

A terrifying, wind-splitting sound pierced Long Tianming's ears. It could have split a mountain.

"This is dangerous!

One was too fast to dodge. I was in no hurry to parry.

Kakang!

"Hmph!"

Long Tianming was stunned by the pressure that threatened to break his wrist. It would not be strange if the Nephrite Spirit Sword, the Heavenly Treasure Sword, split in two. His feet, barely holding onto the Maha Spirit Dao, sank into the ground.

Her workload was extremely heavy.

The aftermath of the clash turned to dust, coloring the surroundings for some time. It was a blow so powerful that it seemed as if the entire performance hall would collapse. The destructive force that emanated from the woman's body was unbelievable. What she carried in her katana was a pure condensation of power without any tricks.

His body was slender due to the maximum compression of his muscles with the Heavenly Axis Yuga Divine Gong, but his mass had not gone anywhere. Even the rarest of divine powers cannot make something that exists into something that doesn't.

The immense mass that had been sleeping in the cracks of compressed space became a destructive force when it encountered speed. The force, amplified many times over, descended upon Long Tianming. The fact that he didn't break his wrist immediately proved his extraordinary strength.

The game was already set.

"Phew……."

Long Tianming sighed, rubbing his throbbing wrist. He'd been trying to dispel the full force of the Maharishi's Ildo, and he'd almost broken his sword in the process. It was fortunate that he hadn't become one of the sinners of the Heavenly Treasures who had split the secret treasure in two.

Hahaha, it was only the Nephrite Sword of Heaven that was able to stop the mighty force. If it were any other ordinary sword, it wouldn't have ended this way.

"Lost……."

Yong Tianming nodded in agreement. The room rumbled. Half the room was in shock, and the other half was cheering.

"How does it feel to be beaten by someone you laughed at?"

Maharishi asked with a smile on his face.

"…Is this what you call karma?"

Soon after, he knelt down on one knee and looked at the Ten Thousand Long Tian Ming, his eyes cold.

"What does that mean?"

Long Tianming tilted his head, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"I don't even remember what you said to me before?"

He sounded indignant.

"金時初文 Oman……."

Yong Tianming replied, puzzled.

"Tsk, tsk, men. I thought Confucius the Dragon would be different, but I'm disappointed. You can drive a stake through a girl's heart and forget about it! You really don't remember calling me fat when we were kids?"

Maharishi's anger boiled over. Why didn't he realize that a word spoken so casually could hurt so deeply? The absence of malice was unacceptable, especially from the victim's point of view.

"That's something you've been keeping in the back of your mind?"

Long Tianming's eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

"Of course not, those scars don't go away after a lifetime!"

It was an even more exasperated cry. Why are men's thoughts so short!

"I am truly sorry that my thoughtless words have hurt your feelings, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

"You should also retract that heartless comment!"

He was still fuming.

"Of course, and I retract all of my rash remarks, for you are more beautiful than anyone else."

Hot!

The last words were a surprise. The Maharajah's face turned bright red at the unexpected attack from the defeated.

"Ji, are you making fun of me, Dragon Confucius?"

The Maharajah exclaimed, "I never expected to hear that from him, given their relationship. It was truly unexpected.

"No way, I'm serious."

He replied in the firm tone of a Shaolin disciple. Maharishi was at a loss for words.

"What's wrong?"

Long Tianming looked puzzled. He had lived in the Shaolin Temple since he was a child, so he hadn't shaved his head, but he was still almost middle-aged. As for the woman's heart, he couldn't even do a basic test.

"I don't know!"

His embarrassment reaching its peak, the Maharishi uncontrollably let out a screech and thrust his long staff toward Long Tianming's chest.

Bam!

"Koo-hoo!"

Perhaps due to the influence of the Drifting Martial Art, the subconsciously unleashed strike was extremely powerful, sending Long Tianming flying three zhangs away in one fell swoop.

Boom!

A terrifying roar erupted. Some people turned their heads away, eyes tightly shut, as if they wanted to turn a blind eye to this horrific disaster.

"Is he dead?"

Na Yerin asked, unable to take her eyes off the devastation.

Push, push, push!

Yun Bi replied, still staring at the thick cloud of dust rising from the wall Yong Tian Ming had hit.

"Maybe."

"Am I the only one left?"

If it were a Dragon Heavenly Spirit or a Maha Spirit, most people would be discouraged. But Nangong Shang was different; he had already been through countless hellish battles with monstrous beings. He had even been defeated by the Amulet Goddess Qin Xiaolong, a member of the Heavenly Five Swords, albeit on favorable terms. Compared to her, he was still a mere child.

He's met Yeomdo, he's met Ice Sword, he's met Qin Xiaoling, and now… he's met the great elder brother, Bi Ryuyeon. Now he knows there's more to the sky. He knows that the Heavenly Martial Academy isn't everything, and that the world he's about to step into is far more expansive, rigorous, relentless, and harsh than this one. Thanks to Mr. Bi Mo, he's been able to taste a bit of the sky outside the sky, and it's terribly bitter and pungent.

As far as he was concerned, the Dragonborn and the Maha Spirit, while excellent, were not awe-inspiring, and as far as he knew, there were more monsters than they could count on ten fingers. He knew for certain now that rankings within the academy were pointless, and that he would be much better off investing his time in more productive self-cultivation than in such futile competition.

That's when Namgungsang thought.

"Oh, well, that's worth a shot, right?

They could do it. They had been great a few years ago, before the nightmare training camp with Amisan, but he wasn't the same person now. He'd even had the chance to fight Long Tianming before, thanks to his big brother. His current skills were much better than then.

It was a draw, but now it was time for the real deal. There was no reason to hesitate.

"What the heck, I'll give it a shot!

It was a fun experience to create one more surprise and to see the people in the audience freaking out. I couldn't be more thrilled to be on the stage at the Kiwangji Temple. I will repay my colleagues' expectations.

'I've changed a lot too…….'

It was Namgungsang, a scrawny young man who finally realized it.

"I'll abstain."

Maharishi said to the Namgung Sangha, who burned with will.

"What?"

In a dumbfounded voice, Namgungsang replied, "How can you be so ready for battle and then suddenly abstain? It's not possible.

"I'll abstain."

Thinking that Namgungsang had been distracted, Maha Ling said the same thing again. In reality, she wasn't in good enough shape to fight another great battle on the same day. She had put everything she had into the confrontation with Long Tianming.

The last one took its toll on her body. The strain on her wrists, in particular, was more than she could have imagined. And yet, somehow, she felt so euphoric that she didn't care who took the title of captain anymore. She felt like she had tied a knot.

"Then I'm……."

Still, the Southern Emperor was puzzled. The Maharishi smiled a rare, unruffled smile.

"Congratulations, you've won, Captain South Palace!"

Namgungsang is unwittingly called the captain.

"Now, wait a minute, all of a sudden you're the boss, isn't that a little awkward?"

He wasn't happy that he'd won; instead, he felt very bad. The thought of being caught in the middle of something like this was not a pleasant one.

"I don't care."

The glamor of the captain's position had worn off for the already distraught Maharajah.

"Where's Yong?"

He urgently asks Yong Chen if he deserves to rot. Fortunately, he's still alive after being hit in the chest by one of those Zhang Zhi.

"I don't care if you like Ma, Ma Sojae."

He replies with a flushed face.

"Since when do you two agree on anything?

I felt worse and worse. Worst of all, it felt ominous,

'It's like…….'

Something like this has happened before, and while it wasn't you, you were there. Yes, it was. This is…….

"He's like a big brother!

That was my biggest pet peeve.

"Then Confucius of the Southern Palace will be on top……."

Just as Baek Mu-young was about to declare that with a trembling expression, Namgung Sang hastily interrupted him.

"Wait!"

"Is there anything you'd like to say, Captain South Palace?"

"You know, the Heavenly Pavilion, as well as the other members of the Heavenly Martial Academy, won't recognize such a result, and in that case, what's the point of having a secret battle?"

"Then do you have any other suggestions? We already have no one to fight the Confucius of the Southern Palace, and we need to choose a captain by tomorrow."

Baek had a point.

"No, there's a way."

Namgungsang replied firmly.

"What is that?"

"It's more that we're trying to do something this important in one day. We need to take more time. If we're going to follow the law of the land, I think it's more appropriate to ask the people of the land."

"What do you mean?"

Baek Moo-young had a vague idea of what Namgung-sang was trying to say.

'"I'm saying, 'Let's ask the most trusted people in the Palace of Heaven to give us their opinion on who's really fit to lead, so the people in the Palace of Heaven can't complain.'

Namgungsang's unconventional idea caused a stir.

"And what about the captain's position that's been vacant in the meantime?"

"I'll take over as interim captain, and you won't mind, will you?"

"Did you say temporary?"

"Yes. Temporarily!"

Namgungsang replied in a firm tone.

"Now, does anyone disagree with that?"

No one objected. On this day, Nangong Shang became the temporary leader of the Heavenly Martial Academy's delegation. In addition, Yong Tianming and Maha Ling became temporary deputy commanders.

'Hmm, that wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I'll take it…….'

Watching from afar, Yeonbi smiled a smile of conversion.

"What are you thinking about, Yeonbi?"

Na Yerin, who was standing next to her, sees Yunbi's smile and asks.

"No, it's nothing, I'm just glad we have a class president."

Yeonbi smiled and replied.