chapter 303

The Fallen Dragon Dreams of Soaring Again (3)

Gyeong Un Cheon gazed coldly at the martial artists gathered below the platform.

The sight of the martial artists densely filling the training ground without a single gap brought a smile to his face.

The martial artists assembled here were a testament to the might of the Nine Dragons Clan.

He felt good, as if the power they had steadily accumulated over the past hundred years was finally coming to fruition.

“If we successfully complete the martial arts tournament, we might be able to rival the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

Gyeong Un Cheon was a man of great ambition.

While many men might be similar, his aspirations were particularly high.

The Greatest Under Heaven . And the Greatest Power Under Heaven.

The difference between him and other men was that he had the martial prowess and influence to vie for supremacy.

Gyeong Un Cheon did not say much. He simply ordered the start of the martial arts tournament.

“Let the martial arts tournament begin. I wish for all of you to display your utmost abilities and become the final victor.”

“Uwaaaah!”

A thunderous cheer erupted at that moment.

On the first day, among the Heaven, Earth, and Human rank fights, the tournament for the Human rank was held.

The intention was to create an electrifying atmosphere with the spirited battles of young talents.

They would select four finalists today, and three days later, the finals for the Heaven, Earth, and Human rank tournaments would be held. In other words, the tournament would proceed over the next four days.

The young talents who had applied in advance stepped onto the platform.

From children as young as six or seven—the minimum age for participation—to those up to fifteen—the maximum age—over two hundred participants had come forward.

Some children appeared tense, their faces flushed red, while others wore expressions of great confidence.

Lee Cheong fell into the former category.

Having entered under unforeseen circumstances, Lee Cheong was at the peak of nervousness.

However, there was one boy who sneered at him.

He was Nam Jin-woon, the nephew of the head of the Unsan Escort Agency.

Nam Jin-woon wore an air of arrogance. Among the 200 young talents, he was among the eldest.

With most participants still wet behind the ears, it never occurred to him that he wouldn’t be able to beat them and reach the finals.

“I must make it to the finals and catch the master’s eye. If I’m lucky, I might even learn martial arts directly from him.”

His eyes burned with ambition.

The Human rank tournament began immediately.

Since it was a competition among young talents, there was no need for extensive preparations.

The first match was between a boy who looked about eight years old and another who seemed around twelve.

A four-year age difference might not mean much among adults, but for children who hadn’t finished growing, it was a significant gap.

Firstly, there was the size difference. The twelve-year-old boy already had the chest of an adult, while the eight-year-old didn’t even reach his waist on tiptoes.

Their match resembled a contest between an adult and a child.

In reality, the eight-year-old boy clearly showed signs of nervousness. On the other hand, the boy who had to face him appeared relaxed.

Neither was fully matured, but given the lower proficiency in martial arts, the one with the larger physique had a natural advantage.

Indeed, the outcome reflected that.

The young boy fought hard but ultimately lost to the overwhelming strength of the bigger boy.

“Uwaaaah!”

Unable to hold back, the young boy burst into loud tears.

“Ahaha!”

The spectators laughed at the boy’s display.

“It’s okay! You’re still young.”

“Cheer up.”

Some people tried to console the boy. However, their voices were too soft to reach him effectively.

In the end, the boy stepped down from the platform, tears streaming down his face.

Conversely, the victor strutted confidently into the tent set up behind the platform.

The tournament continued.

Some participants displayed extraordinary skills that defied their age.

Lee Cheong watched the matches from inside the tent behind the platform.

His initially flushed face had long returned to its natural tone.

Although it was still early in the tournament and hard to be definitive, he could roughly gauge the participants’ levels.

There were less than twenty of them who had mastered martial arts strong enough to make Lee Cheong nervous. The rest were merely participating to gain experience.

In any case, he hadn’t entered the tournament to win. He had joined to buy Lee Gwak time to rescue Nam Woo-kyung, so there was no need to feel burdened.

“Phew!”

Lee Cheong exhaled lightly.

He closed his eyes and recalled the Eight Sects Sword Art.

“Just do it like usual. Like when I practiced with Dad.”

Waiting for his turn, Lee Cheong warmed up.

Soon, it was Lee Cheong’s turn.

“Lee Cheong of the Mad Martial Sect and So Hyeon-seol of the So Family Manor, please come up to the platform.”

Lee Cheong walked lightly onto the stage.

Waiting there was a girl who looked to be about his age.

She was So Hyeon-seol from the So Family Manor.

So Hyeon-seol was a strikingly beautiful girl. Her slightly arrogant expression was a minor flaw, but it didn’t significantly detract from her beauty.

“Wow!”

The crowd cheered for So Hyeon-seol.

While some of the support was due to the fame of the So family manor, the larger share of support came from their affection for a future beauty.

“That’s unfair.”

Sensing the atmosphere, Lee Cheong grumbled inwardly. However, he was not foolish enough to let it show on his face.

He looked at So Hyeon-seol with cautious eyes.

So Hyeon-seol looked down at Lee Cheong with a lofty expression. Although they were about the same age, girls tend to grow faster, so she was taller than Lee Cheong.

So Hyeon-seol clasped her hands in salute toward Lee Cheong and spoke.

“I’m So Hyeon-seol from the So Family Manor. Let’s do our best.”

“I’m Lee Cheong from the Mad Martial Sect. I’ll do my best.”

Lee Cheong nodded vigorously.

It seemed that So Hyeon-seol had learned martial arts from a proper master, as she exuded a fairly solid aura.

In fact, she was considered one of the top talents among her peers.

Not only in the So Family Manor but also in the surrounding region, there was no talent who could match her. Consequently, she had become quite arrogant.

So Hyeon-seol was subtly looking down on Lee Cheong.

“I’ve never even heard of the Mad Martial Sect. It must be a third-rate sect.”

Unconsciously, So Hyeon-seol was looking down on Lee Cheong. His somewhat shabby attire and innocent-looking expression seemed laughable to her.

Srrng!

So Hyeon-seol drew the wooden sword she had been given in advance.

Since it was a match between young children, the Nine Dragons Clan had provided wooden swords instead of real ones.

Similarly, Lee Cheong had also been given a wooden blade.

It wasn’t a weapon he was familiar with, so it felt a bit awkward. But after gripping and releasing it a few times, he quickly became accustomed to it.

The martial artist from Nine Dragons Clan who was judging the match spoke, “If you use lethal techniques, you’ll be disqualified immediately. Keep that in mind during the duel.”

“Yes!”

“Understood.”

The two children answered simultaneously.

“Good! Then let the duel begin,” the martial artist declared.

At his announcement, So Hyeon-seol assumed her stance.

Her martial art was the Moon Maiden Sword Technique. It was a martial art she had learned from Lee So-eun, the “Plain Moon Sword,” a renowned female swordsman in northern Jianghu.

The Moon Maiden Sword Technique consisted of moves reminiscent of the moon and was exceedingly beautiful. To someone unaware, it might look like a dance because of its graceful movements.

Because of that, even her stance was dazzlingly beautiful.

“Oh!”

“To have such grace at that age.”

“When she grows up a bit more, many men in Jianghu will cheer for her.”

People couldn’t help but admire her grace. They all hoped she would win.

“Hoo!”

Looking at So Hyeon-seol, Lee Cheong took a deep breath.

A determined light appeared in his eyes.

Up to that moment, So Hyeon-seol was underestimating him.

“I’ve never heard of Mad Martial Sect. It must be a third-rate sect,” she thought.

Because she had great pride in her background and martial arts, she didn’t easily acknowledge others—especially someone like him, whose sect was insignificant.

“I should finish this quickly and prepare for the next duel.”

Pop!

At that moment, Lee Cheong kicked off the ground.

His small body shot forward like an arrow, rushing toward her.

“Huh!”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Before she could even prepare her defense, he had closed the distance.

It was the Whirlwind Step he had learned from Lee Gwak.

Although it wasn’t as perfected as Lee Gwak’s and lacked explosive acceleration, it was enough to overwhelm her.

Unable to react properly, she just raised her sword to block in front of her.

Clash!

The wooden sword and wooden blade collided in midair.

She intended to block his attack first and then counterattack.

Since she was being pushed back, she planned to solidify her defense and look for an opportunity to strike back.

After all, the Moon Maiden Sword Technique she had learned contained the subtlety of “gaining control by acting later.”

She believed that once she got past the immediate danger, she could counterattack and win at any time. But her belief was shattered in the next moment.

Crack!

Her wooden sword was shattered into pieces by his wooden blade.

“Huh!”

Unconsciously, she let out a gasp close to a scream.

At that moment, Lee Cheong’s knee strike landed explosively on her abdomen.

Crash!

“Aah!”

With a sharp scream, So Hyeon-seol was sent flying backward.

She flew nearly three jang and rolled on the ground. Her appearance was utterly miserable.

“Huh?”

Lee Cheong had a blank expression on his face.

He hadn’t expected that So Hyeon-seol wouldn’t even last two attacks. He hadn’t even utilised the Eight Sects Sword Art yet.

“What the heck? That kid! How could he use such a vicious attack?”

“Get down here right now!”

Immediately, a torrent of criticism erupted from the surroundings.

Lee Cheong didn’t know what to do.

At that moment, the martial artist from Nine Dragons Clan shouted in a loud voice, “The winner is Lee Cheong from Mad Martial Sect!”

“Boo!”

Amidst the pouring jeers, Lee Cheong looked bewildered.

‘What did I do?’

They had agreed to do their best, and he had done just that. He couldn’t understand why he was being criticized for it.

Then, So Hyeon-seol, who was lying on the ground, forced herself to stand.

Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Without wiping them away, she glared at Lee Cheong. Under her gaze filled with anger, Lee Cheong didn’t know what to do.

In the end, he avoided her gaze and stepped down from the platform.

“Sigh!”

Lee Cheong sighed at the bottom of the stage.

He felt guilty for winning.

He could still feel So Hyeon-seol’s stare. Having come down from the platform, she continued to glare at him.

It felt as if her gaze might bore a hole in the back of his head.

‘I hope Dad rescues Uncle soon.’

***

“Ho!”

Gyeong Un-cheon showed an expression of interest.

His gaze was fixed on Lee Cheong on the platform.

Lee Cheong still looked lost, almost innocent.

People thought Lee Cheong had won merely by luck. They believed that if he hadn’t launched a surprise attack, So Hyeon-seol would have won.

But Gyeong Un-cheon thought differently.

“Even if that girl hadn’t been careless, the result wouldn’t have changed. His internal energy and technique execution are on a completely different level.”

“Is he that good?”

The chief officer beside Gyeong Un-cheon looked slightly surprised.

He had assumed Lee Cheong won by sheer luck.

In truth, while matches between young talents were excellent for entertainment, they weren’t enough to capture the attention of seasoned martial artists like him. Thus, he hadn’t fully grasped Lee Cheong’s true abilities.

But if Gyeong Un-cheon, the supreme leader of the Nine Dragons Clan, showed interest, it was a different matter.

Until now, none of those who had caught Gyeong Un-cheon’s eye were ordinary.

Gyeong Un-cheon asked the chief officer, “What was that boy’s name?”

“He’s Lee Cheong. His father’s name is Lee Jin-moon, and they’re said to be from the Mad Martial Sect.”

“Lee Jin-moon? A name I’ve never heard before.”

“I had my doubts as well, but Master Nam Woo-chang of Unsan Escort Agency vouched for his identity.”

“Nam Woo-chang vouched for him?”

“Yes! On their way here, they were attacked, and it seems the boy’s father stepped in to provide significant help. Master Nam trusts him greatly.”

“Hmm.”

Gyeong Un-cheon tapped his cheek with his finger.

It was his unique habit whenever he was deep in thought.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, “If that boy makes it into the final ten, try to make contact with his father.”

“Do you intend to bring him into the Nine Dragons Clan?”

“I don’t know how his father taught him, but his foundation is extremely solid. His current achievements might not seem extraordinary, but over time, he’ll develop frighteningly fast.”

A clear look of greed appeared in his eyes as he gazed at Lee Cheong.

Just then, a subordinate approached the chief officer and whispered something before leaving.

With a hardened expression, the chief officer approached Gyeong Un-cheon.

“A guest has arrived, Master!”

“A guest?”

“Yes! The ‘Unrivaled Lone Sword’ Lady Ja has come with her disciple.”

“She has?”

A glint appeared in Gyeong Un-cheon’s eyes.

“They have been escorted to the guest hall for now.”

“If she’s come, I must go see her.”

Gyeong Un-cheon stood up from his seat.

The human-level martial arts tournament where children showcased their talents no longer interested him. Even Lee Cheong, whom he had shown interest in moments before, had vanished from his thoughts.