Book 24 Chapter 3

Sword of the Wind, God of the Clouds

-Beauty and the Beast

"Die!"

Boom!

With a thunderous crack, the ferocious Kung Feng rushed toward the girl. His fists were as hard as rocks, as if they had been through a lot of training, and they were also fast. Liu Eun Kyung was unable to dodge the punch. The terrifying punch sent her body floating into the air.

"Boom!"

A scream erupted from Yun Mi's mouth as she witnessed the horrific sight. The fierce power in that fist was enough to turn a frail girl into a bloody mess.

"……!"

Na Yerin almost screamed at first. But she quickly swallowed her scream. Although she had barely dodged the mighty king's punch, his fist hadn't even touched her body. Boom, the girl's tiny body floated through the air and landed back on the ground as gracefully as a feather. She was only pushed a little further back than she had been at first, but she seemed fairly unharmed.

"……?"

He alternated between looking at his fist and the girl in disbelief, the light of disbelief on his face palpable.

"Boo, I was definitely right……."

And yet, I didn't feel like I was hitting anything, like my fist was crushing things. It was like hitting a ball of cotton.

"What happened to that?"

When Ryu Eun-kyung, who she thought must have been covered in blood, was surprisingly unharmed, Yoon Mi asked.

"Kick, that's a fun trick."

The sight of the panicked tycoon seemed to amuse him, and he chuckled.

"Is that how you think about Yeonbi? Although I think it would be more accurate to say it's more of a karmic law."

Na Yerin said in a cautious tone. She was busy analyzing the series of sights she now saw.

"Well, it's probably more accurate to call it Unshin, as Lin said, since it doesn't involve moving your feet, but I'll just call it Bo, since it's a type of Unshin. But I can't believe you've been hiding that kind of skill from me…… It's a more interesting sight than I expected."

"It moves in the wind…… like a feather. I've never seen that before."

Na Yerin's own kung fu technique, the "flying snowstep," involves moving the shinigami fast enough to dazzle the opponent. The movements go beyond the opponent's field of vision, creating the illusion of snowflakes. But that one was different. It was a waiting technique. Riding the wind from his opponent's attack. Na Yerin hadn't missed the thin curtain of air that had closed the giant's fist between him and the girl's body a moment ago. The girl had used the force to move her body backwards. It was an extremely economical move, compared to the vast amount of internal energy and stamina that would be required.

"Yay!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Believing that what had just happened might be a fluke, the mighty king swung his fist relentlessly. Countless shadows filled the air in front of her, but no matter how fast and powerful his fists were, they never touched her body. Once again, the girl moved effortlessly, riding the wind generated by the mighty king. Her movements were so light she could barely feel the weight of a penny.

Bam!

"Great, you look like you're standing on a cloud, what's your name?"

It was Yeonbi, who had been watching intently, who clapped in excitement. He spoke quietly, but his voice was so loud that it could be heard even by Ryu Eun-kyung in the middle of the arena. It was possible because she had put a lot of effort into her voice.

"Oh, this martial artist's name is……."

Liu Eun Kyung looked at the distant Yan Bi and opened her mouth. In the middle of a fight, that was a very foolish act. Moreover, Yan Bi was almost sitting on the side.

"How dare you disrespect this body!"

Unable to miss the gaping hole, the mighty king threw a punch that could crush rocks at the girl's face. The wind, as ferocious as a storm, pummeled Liu Yun's entire body.

"Danger……!"

Na Yerin cried out in a desperate voice, but it wasn't necessary. A wall of air blocked the behemoth's fist from invading the girl's body, even as her gaze turned elsewhere.

Once again, the wind sent by her opponent sent her flying slightly backwards, and she landed safely.

"It's called a watery cloud."

* * *

Unable to overcome the grief of not being loved by her biological mother, Ryu Eun-kyung ran away from home and became lost in the mountains, where she encountered a pack of wolves and was in danger of being killed. It was then that she met a stranger, a middle-aged woman in her mid-forties with a gaunt face, who appeared out of nowhere and saved her life when she was surrounded by wolves. The girl still remembered the mysterious sight of the woman, who looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, but despite dozens of wolves charging at her from all directions, the teeth of those cruel beasts could not even graze the hem of the frail woman's dress. The woman introduced herself as Yi Yan Bing, an undefeated swordswoman. Rejected by her family, the girl had been redeemed by a new connection. She had met a true master.

The girl's teacher, the swordswoman Yi Yanbing, was very weak from a young age. Her body was often sickly, and she couldn't be expected to have anything like a mill; her body was much weaker than the bodies of other common women. In fact, she was so weak that she entered the path of nothingness. It was a defiance of fate, a challenge to her own weakness. The path of nothingness was long. But although Yi Yan Bing was weak in body, she was not weak in spirit.

Especially since she was physically weak, she felt the need to develop a technique that worked for her. A technique that was fast enough to be invisible was no match for her frail body, which felt like it could break at any moment. Such a technique would require her muscles and joints to be stretched to their limits, and if she tried to cast it, she would self-destruct before the enemy's attack even landed.

Yi Yak Bing, whose body was weak but whose mind was quick, finally succeeded in developing a mysterious technique called "Shu Yak Dap Lun," which allowed him to evade enemy attacks while standing still. It was a very unusual technique that involved riding the wind generated by the enemy, and it didn't have to be a big wind. Even the slightest breeze was enough.

No martial artist could touch her body, which had been perfected to the highest degree. No matter who she fought, she was undefeated. However, due to her inherent weakness, she lacked the strength to defeat her opponents, so while she was never defeated, she was never victorious either. That's how she got her other nickname, Undefeated.

水躍踏雲!

Certainly, it was the best and most brilliant move on defense.

* * *

"I once heard from my master that there was an illusory technique that allowed him to ride the wind as if he were taunting it, never allowing any attack to reach him. Apparently, the name of the technique was 'Water Pill Rune'. I never thought I'd see it in a place like this……."

Truly, one never knows where or how one's destiny will unfold.

"Hmm, so you're pretty famous, huh?"

He thought he was pretty good, but he had no idea that he was the holder of such a famous martial art, a fact that he didn't really care to acknowledge. What mattered to him was his current skill, not his background or his master. A master doesn't feed you. It was his firm belief that would not change until he died.

"He was quite interested because he's one of the few female swordsmen."

It had long been her master's idea that strong female swordswomen should improve their skills so that foolish men couldn't get away with it.

"I can't believe that child is a disciple of the Swordswoman Yi Yak Bing……."

It was no exaggeration to say that her esteemed master was very picky and rarely praised martial arts. However, one of them, a martial art called the Illusionary Technique, was currently unfolding before her eyes. Na Yerin was one of the swordsmen, and she watched the girl and the giant duel with even greater concentration. Her eyes were filled with a determination to follow the girl's every move.

"So you're saying there's no weakness in that method?"

As I watched Ryu Eun-kyung, who was still dodging dishes like a leaf in the wind or a feather, I asked her about Yeonbi.

"No. There are weaknesses."

Na Yerin answered without the slightest hesitation, as if she already knew. It was something she had heard from her master, Gum Hu.

"Ho-ho? What is that?"

Na Yerin said without taking her eyes off Liu Eun Kyung's movements.

"That Su Yak Dappled Cloud is strong enough to be a match for those martial artists who attack their enemies like a gust of wind, such as that mighty king's kung fu and retreat techniques, but it is very vulnerable to swift sword techniques that cut through the wind."

Even the most powerful fist can't crush a falling leaf or clump of cotton, but a sharp, swift sword that cuts through water and wind can cut through them.

"Of course he doesn't know that, because he's been through something he'll never forget."

"Why is that?"

"It was my master who gave the unknown but undefeated swordsman Yi Yak Bing his first defeat."

Yeonbi left me scratching my head.

"But isn't that weird? If you lose once, aren't you already undefeated? You're undefeated(不勝一敗)!"

"Because, more than anyone, Master himself didn't want it to be known."

"Why is that?"

"The mere fact that there was a female swordsman who could compete with him at least ten to one was enough to satisfy Master, and he didn't want to undermine one of the strongest representatives of the female swordsmen in his own right."

It was an unknown quantity to the powerhouse.

"After being defeated by his master, Swordsman Yi Yak Bing vowed to challenge him again by strengthening the vulnerabilities of the Water Pill Fortune."

"Master must have accepted it as good, right?"

"Well, how do you do that?"

Na Yerin asked, startled.

"I had a feeling it would be."

She shrugged as if Yeonbi was no big deal. I left out the part where she said, "I'm sure she could do it.

"So it worked?"

Na Yerin shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no one knows, because Swordsman Yi Yak Bing hasn't been heard from since."

He must have holed himself up in the depths of a mountain valley or some other obscure location and poured his heart and soul into finding ways to shore up the vulnerability.

"If Yi Yak Bing succeeded in reinforcing it, and the progress was passed on to the child, we might see a new 'illusion'."

I would be very happy if I could witness it. How happy Master would be if it became known. Just thinking about it made Na Yerin smile slightly.

However, no matter how many illusory techniques he used, no matter how lightly he moved his body, like a fluttering cotton ball in the wind, the battle was far from over. Liu Yun's two-handed sword, which he swung at every opportunity, was often blocked by the iron clad body of the mighty king's forearm. The mighty king's tempered power could shatter rocks, bend iron bars, and parry spearheads with his bare hands, but it wasn't strong enough to block sword Qi with his bare hands, so he made up for it with a thick steel tossie.

Boom!

Again, Liu Eun Kyung took advantage of the gap and swung her sword a third time, only to be blocked by his steel forearm. With two log-like forearms thrust out in front of him, it was very difficult for the small Ryu Eun Kyung to get through the gap.

"You're lacking in finishing skills, I bet you can't tie a knot like that……."

At this point, you could only hope that your opponent would tire out by using the least labor-intensive moves.

"The secret sauce."

"Exactly, that's it."

Defending is not the end of the fight. You need a technique that can end the fight. It's very foolish to expect your opponent to suddenly become a pacifist.

"Is there one, or have they just not shown it yet?"

He asked, looking very interested in the Yeonbi.

"I hope it's the latter."

Ryu Eun-kyung was just as frustrated. She was now a master at dodging. Her master had never lied to her, and no attack could hurt her, but now the question was how to take down such an enormous behemoth.

There were a few herbivores that specialized in attacking, but they were unlikely to work against the hard-skinned giant. Most of all, it was difficult to stretch into the gap.

"Is it just 'it' again?!

The technology that I had warned him was unfinished and not to be used lightly could take down the giant, and it didn't matter if he was big or small.

"We can't come this far and then back down!

There was no way back, only forward. The only thing that could pave the way was the hilt of a silver sword, now clutched in his two hands.

Master Yi Yak Bing had taught her that in order to carve out your destiny, you must fight it with your whole body and your whole heart. Just as he himself had fought against the fate of his infirm body, she was destined to fight against the harsh bondage of her gender and the fate of her family. It was not something to be avoided, he told her, and there were only two options: conquer it or be subject to it, with no option in between. In a calm voice, he warned her that there was no such thing as an easily changed fate. If you try to take what you can get, you'll only get what you deserve. Anything you get without paying for it will always demand payment in some form or another. I warned him that the price would be hefty interest, and that was my advice to him as a senior who had battled fate before him, rather than as a master and pupil. The only way to avoid such a grudge was to settle the accounts now.

There is no such thing as a perfectly safe path. If you don't take the risk, you won't get the reward.

"What you need is determination!

Liu Eun Kyung finally made up her mind, and her silver sword glowed pure white and began to emit a gust of wind. At the same time, Liu Eun Kyung's still body began to flutter in the wind, a wind that was caused by the release of the wind fault that protected her.

"How can he be so talented at such a young age……!"

Na Yerin was stunned, this was too much power for such a small girl.

"Either she's already taken the elixir, or…… her master doesn't exist in this world, or she's quite weak, or……."

"Does that mean that you've passed on all of your secrets to your apprentice, and if so, you won't be safe either?"

"Most likely, he can't play anymore, although that girl doesn't seem to realize it. He probably wanted to create a successor while he was still able to teach others, so he looked for a pupil who could pass on his discipline, and that girl just happened to be her, otherwise it doesn't make sense."

It was a much more plausible hypothesis than that I had taken some kind of elixir, such as millennial ginseng or puppet ginseng, in the backcountry, and I hadn't even considered that I might be one of those people.

"It was strange to have such a pronounced physical change at that age, but……."

When you think about it, it made perfect sense.

"If so, it wasn't just her inner gong that was passed over; her wushu may have blossomed with new possibilities when she encountered a new vessel."

Even in her infirmity, Swordswoman Yi Yak Bing has accomplished remarkable feats, unrivaled by anyone but Sword Hu. She had overcome her fate. What kind of power that martial art would unleash in a healthy body could only be known by Liu Eun Kyung himself, who had now inherited all of Yi Yak Bing's qi, skills, and spirit.

"What is this… what is this?!"

The mighty king could barely open his eyes as a gust of wind suddenly blew toward him. He frowned, and the source of the wind was the silver sword the girl was holding.

"What the heck are they trying to do?

It didn't matter what he did, he was confident he could block all of her attacks. Even if he was relatively lacking in chi, he had a hardened body that could fill the gap.

"Are you trying to cool the old man's sweat? That's good of you, but a dozen such breezes won't do anything but cool him down. What a waste!"

But Liu Eun Kyung had no intention of reaping the benefits of the wind. But it wasn't the tough flesh of the mighty king that her sword sought to cut; it was the wind itself. Her sword was about to cut the wind with the wind.

Windblade Arcana.

Righteousness (奧義).

Scimitar.

Her silver sword, the Silver Wind, sliced sideways through the heavens and earth, and the wind from her strike turned into a whirlwind that enveloped the mighty king's body.

The sudden appearance of the wind wall surprised the mighty king. But the wind wall wasn't attacking him directly.

"That's it!"

The mighty king brought both hands to it with the intent to pierce the wind wall.

Papat!

At that moment, a searing pain forced him to pull his hand away. An invisible sword strike had intercepted his fist.

"Profit……!"

The dust-filled walls made it difficult to see in all directions, and when he couldn't tell where or how an attack might come from, he was suddenly afraid. The sword he could see didn't frighten him, but the sword he couldn't see frightened him. It grabbed him by the ankles and blocked his movements.

This time, the thought of where the attack was coming from overrode the thought of how to get out of here. I tried three or four more times, only to be cut off by swordfire from beyond the invisible barrier. Moreover, just when I was concentrating on the front, an unseen attack would come from behind like a whip. But they were not powerful enough to defeat him; even within this wind barrier, his iron armor held its own.

"Will that attack work? It doesn't seem to have much effect for the size of the skill."

Na Yerin said in a regretful tone. The internal force and skill to create such a huge wind wall was amazing, but it was still unable to strike a blow against the opponent.

"But there's still that look of conviction on his face. I wonder if he has an ulterior motive, and whatever it is, we need to see results soon."

A large skill also meant a short duration. There was no way a skill of that size could be activated for that long.

Great technology is a double-edged sword, and if it were to be destroyed now, the girl who expended so much power would have no choice but to become a sacrifice to the Great King. And such a thought could be conceived by even the stupidest of power lords.

"Stupid bitch, you think you can kill people with a wind wall like this, you can't keep this up for long anyway, and when this pesky wind dies down, you'll be able to…… eh?"

At that moment, the tycoon suddenly had a light bulb moment.

"Huh?"

The next moment his knees were on the ground, and his vision began to fade. His thoughts blurred, and he became more and more unconscious.

"How can this…… be… I can't breathe……."

Somehow, I found it difficult to breathe. Like a fish out of water, I tried to open my mouth, but all that came out was empty air.

"What the hell is this……."

Thump!

Finally, the mighty king dropped his head to the ground. And then he passed out. The wall of wind that surrounded him slowly began to fade, which meant that the sword of Lord Liu, which had been swinging relentlessly to create the wall, was also fading.

"Ha! Ha!"

Liu Eun-kyung was exhausted after swinging her sword nonstop to unleash the Windy Sword Realm. If the effect of the sword system had been any slower, it would have been her who had fallen, not the mighty king.

"You can't create a vacuum with a sword wind……."

It didn't take Na Yerin long to realize the technology's logic. No creature could live without breathing. It was their connection to the world and the primary sustaining act that kept them alive. If it is cut off, the immediate result is a headache and shortness of breath, followed by unconsciousness, and if it is worse, death. Before that, the brain could take a hit. The Shenfeng sword system was a technique aimed at cutting off the enemy's breathing, not at dismembering the enemy's body.

"Hmm, that's not bad, but it's a little inefficient. Is it because it's unfinished? I feel like there's another step after that, somehow, but I don't think I'm there yet."

But he should be commended for having the guts to take a risk and try a new technology in such a dangerous situation. Anyone can step back, but only a few will always be able to step forward. The girl took a step forward, and she did it beautifully. That fact alone was enough.

"We're even."

Against all odds, the match ended in Ryu's favor.

"It was a beautiful swordplay."

And Liu Eun Kyung had accomplished the feat of drawing Na Yerin's admiration. It was very rare for her to see and praise another's swordplay like this.

"Gee, Ms. Jin needs to be a little more nervous, what if the palace chief sees her like that now and snaps?"

A menacing glare was directed at Yeonbi.

"It's none of my business!"

Qin Lie shouted, his fiery gaze fixed on Yan Bi.

"Surely, now that she's won a tangible victory, those two guys in the waiting room over there will see her in a different light?"

At the word 'two' men, not only Jinryung, but also the Maharishi next to him, shuddered. Seeing that weak but sure reaction, Yeonbi smiled with satisfaction. The smile made Qinling cringe.

"It has nothing to do with me, and certainly nothing to do with you!"

"Really?"

"You're persistent, really!"

"Hmm, really……. Oops, there's the palace captain and that young lady hugging each other!"

Qin Lie's head spun around at nearly the speed of light. But Liu Eun Kyung hadn't even reached the waiting area yet, let alone hugged the Southern Palace Statue. Liu Eun-kyung was walking towards the waiting area with a straight face, completely oblivious to the cold glares that were being directed at her from afar. This match had been her first meaningful victory. Yan Bi smiled in satisfaction.

"Hmm, so it really didn't matter at all."

The look of amusement on his face made Jinryung even angrier.

"yi……."

Realizing that he had blinked, the spirit gritted his teeth. Then, suddenly, it happened.

When Ryu Eun-kyung returned to the room, Namgung-sang came running out with a beaming face and grabbed her with both hands. Ryu Eun Kyung could be seen blushing deeply in embarrassment. Qin Lie's complexion turned pale as he watched the scene from the sidelines.

Looking at Jinryung, who was shaking with betrayal, Yeonbi scratched his head and muttered quietly to himself.

"Silly palace boy. Shovel because my grave is less deep, shovel."

I decided to ignore the Yeonbi for that foolishness. Fortunately, no one else was listening to this monologue.

The second contestant was Long Tianming. On the side of the three mighty men was a man named Giant Sword. As the name implies, he carried a huge sword that was taller than he was. He was two levels higher in rank than the mighty king who had just fallen.

"Chet, to have to fight such an idiot, the old man's sword weeps, weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps, the 'big man's' sword weeps."

Taking a glance at his opponent, Gedo grumbled in a disgruntled tone. Hearing this, Long Tianming frowned.

"You're so black and white, you don't know how to be polite, and you can't learn."

Long Tianming muttered in a displeased tone; he had always been a stickler for formality, which was rarely observed in this part of the skyscraper.

"Oh, you're a grumpy old man. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, you bastard, kekekeke!"

Long Tianming was quietly furious, then raised his index finger and held it out in front of the second hairy man.

"What's with those fingers, old man? Shall I give you the honor of piercing his ears or his nostrils? Kekeke, that would be a great honor. Very honorable."

Long Tianming replied in a cold tone.

"What bullshit are you talking about, Hairy? This one finger is more than enough to deal with the oversized, useless machete wielded by the likes of you."

Gedo burst into laughter at that.

"Poohahahaha! What are you talking about, you dumbass? Have you lost your mind? You've got the wrong coloring on your face. You're out of your mind."

Gedo clicked his tongue in pity, but Long Tianming's expression didn't change.

"You'll find out soon enough. Do these look like ordinary fingers to you? These are the fingers of a Shaolin master."

The giant smirked once to mock him, and then, with a stern face, stabbed a sword taller than he was in a straight line. The crowd, expecting a swing or a slash, was stunned by this unexpected attack. Perhaps in panic, Long Tianming held up his index finger and didn't move.

It didn't sound that loud. There was only a single, clear, metallic ringing, "Ground! But before long, the distance between Long Tianming and Ge Dao had become nothing. Long Tianming was still standing there, unmoving.

Maharishi's complexion turned blue as he watched. A large saber was jutting out from the Long Tian Ming's back. He was so pale, it was as if he had forgotten to breathe.

"Purr, purr, purr!"

At that moment, a murky, phlegm-boiling sound came from somewhere. The epicenter of the sound was right in the middle, where the Long Tian Ming and the Great Spirit clashed.

Shake!

A man's knees buckled and he hit the ground. It was Ge Do. Before he knew it, he was kneeling in front of Long Tianming. Long Tianming stared down at him, his gaze emotionless.

The giant soon collapsed to the ground, bowing to the Buddha, and only a few adepts could see the circular hole in his neck before he collapsed.

"That's Shaolin's Tanji Xintong!"

Yun Mi couldn't help but sigh. Although he was a disciple of the Hua Shan School, one of the old schools, he hadn't had many opportunities to sample the visions of other schools. Now, here he was, tasting such a feast in such a place, and he couldn't help but shout out in excitement. Then Yanbi said.

"So it's a thirty, because the first one was obviously that tanjisin tong or something, but the second one was a different technique."

"The second one?"

"That herbivore that put a hole in that furry thing's neck over there was a different kind of herbivore, don't you think, Rin?"

"You're right about the Yeonbi, and I think the second one is Shaolin's 金剛指, but I think the one where you deflected the stab of the big knife is definitely Tanji Xintong, and that's when the metallic 'bang!' sounded."

"Is that a hundred points?"

"Even with that, it's still sixty points, because there's one last one."

"Is that a law?"

Yeonbi and Na Yerin shook their heads at the same time. Then they said simultaneously

"No, that's the way to do it."

"You say it's the Bodhisattva Law, but the Dragon Confucius hasn't moved a step?"

"So it's a trick."

Yun Mi couldn't help but be puzzled, but Yan Bi only knew that it was a technique, not its name. In fact, she had never been that interested in the secrets of other schools, so she had never really tried to learn more about them. However, she had a good memory, so she hadn't forgotten what she'd heard during her time at the Heavenly Martial Academy and what she'd been forced to learn in class as a required liberal arts subject.

"How did this happen, Mr. Mubak? That Yong Tianming didn't move a single step, did he? How come it was Ge Dao who fell down?"

Mr. Mubak stroked the stubble on his chin for a moment, pondering, then opened his mouth and exclaimed.

"Immobile!"

"Yes?"

"That's Shaolin's vision of a vision, the 'Unmoving Ming Wangbo'. I never thought I'd see such a festival here! It makes this position worthwhile."

There was a faint note of admiration in his voice.

"Can you elaborate a little more?"

Eugene, a minor, asked, and he too was very curious about what had just happened.

"Earlier, Gedo tried to stab with his giant sword, which wasn't a bad choice. A stab has the advantage of exposing fewer weaknesses and closing the distance between you and your opponent in the shortest amount of time. At that moment, the line between Gedo and Yong Tianming was a straight line, with the tip of Gedo's sword aimed at Yong Tianming's lungs. But Yong Tian-ming's response was even more remarkable: he didn't move when he saw the tip of the blade flying towards him, and he flicked out his outstretched index finger, slightly deflecting the axis of the stab. It was probably the tanji-shin-tong, and the twist was only about a fingernail, but it was enough. If they were in a straight line, this kind of distortion would change the direction of the stab. In fact, Gedo's stab grazed the side of Yong's neck, cutting his collar but leaving his skin unharmed. At that moment, the distance between them was already zero. Yong Tianming had run towards him, and he had pierced his throat with the 'golden bamboo magic finger'. It's not called the 'binding of demons' for nothing. If you hit it right, you'll fall to your knees without realizing it, and you'll have trouble breathing, and you'll fall forward in a bowing motion. It's like a wushu fighting stance."

"Hmm, that's a really scary martial art."

Certainly, the sight of Gudo shuddering and shaking as he faced Yong Tianming was terrifying.

"I've heard that it's a technique that's rarely used in everyday life, even in Shaolin, because of its brutality, so you're lucky to see it here, because, as you know, it's rare to see Shaolin martial arts here."

Mr. Mubak was very pleased.

"By the way, when did you use the floating mysticism? Yong didn't move a step, did he move too fast for my eyes to catch it?"

"He probably didn't move a single. I've heard that the higher up you get, the fewer steps you need to take, because that's the whole point of floating ming wang bo. I've heard it said that if you take more than three steps, you're no longer floating. This is personal speculation, but I'd say it's more of a trick than a technique. It takes a lot of mental strength to not duck when you can feel the tip of a knife stabbing you with keenly trained senses. If Yong had moved even a little bit from that position, Gedo's stab would have sliced through his face or lungs. It was a victory for Yong that he remained immobile until the end, as he assured us."

Long Tianming's bout ended all too soon. No amount of bulging muscles and heavy armaments could stop this Shaolin master.

True to his word, this Shaolin master struck down his opponent with a single finger, without even drawing his sword.

"That's it."

Yeonbi said.

"I see."

Na Yerin replied.

"That was a fun match, although I don't know about those three Sojaes over there."

Qin Lie, Nangong Shanshan, and Maha Lie were speechless. The aftermath of the previous match and the sights they had seen were still fresh in their minds. He expected them to say something, but with all three remaining silent, he quickly lost interest.

"Okay, so we're up next, should we get up now?"

"Good."

Yeonbi, Na Yerin, and Yunmi all stood up from their seats and began to move to prepare for their bouts.

'We're finally fighting those 'white councillors'.'

Yunmi calmed her pounding heart and followed the two, the first being herself.