Chapter 606: The Most Important Thing

The stands erupted at the sheer one-sidedness of it.

“...How imposing.”

Chwi So’ok, the Heavenly Martial Academy’s Student Council Vice President frowned as he watched the Azure Dragon Academy students fall into formation. He was a prodigy talented enough to be named a Dragon at last year’s Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, and a disciple of the Wudang Sect Leader. In other words, he was guaranteed a brilliant future.

The Sword Sage’s recent decision to mentor Yeon Soha of the Vermilion Phoenix Academy changed nothing. Chwi So’ok had never doubted that he would one day become the Wudang Sect Leader.

The Sword Sage is such an eccentric man that it’s only natural he’d take a liking to a child with a similar personality.

His gaze shifted toward Yeon Soha, who was sitting in the Vermilion Phoenix Academy waiting area. After a while, he returned his gaze to the Azure Dragon Academy’s formation.

Honestly, their formation was crude. Such an arrangement might suffice in a tavern brawl, but this was an open, spacious arena. No one here could break off table legs to use as clubs or throw liquor bottles and plates of food as weapons. There were no terrain variables to exploit, either.

Dokgo Jun, Hyonwon Kang, and Wiji Cheon aren’t participating. Well, considering how much they rampaged last night, there’s no way they’re in any condition to fight today.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Martial Academy had lost none of its strength, except for Ilgak, who the Supreme Buddha had ordered to spend the day in wall-gazing meditation.

“Those ruffians from the Azure Dragon Academy...”

Although Chwi So’ok had been present last night, he did not lower himself into that vulgar brawl. Fools like Ok Jin were exceptions. A sect leader’s disciples should never act recklessly, because their every word and deed reflected on their sects’ honor. For this reason, the Nine Great Sects’ finest had mostly avoided fighting.

However, today was different. After gauging the strength of the four rival academies, he addressed his fellow students, “You’ve all heard enough lectures from your sect elders, so I won’t bother stressing that we have to win.”

Every Heavenly Martial Academy student entering the Mock War nodded, their faces grave.

When the rumors about the Azure Dragon Academy first reached them, they barely registered anything beyond mild curiosity. Upon actually facing them and watching Ilseong of Shaolin and Cho Il fall one after the other in the External Arts Competition, though, that curiosity had quickly turned into bewilderment. After Ok Jin of Kunlun was defeated and humiliated in the Individual Race, they finally became uneasy.

Now, they had no choice but to admit that the Azure Dragon Academy was strong—strong enough to threaten the Heavenly Martial Academy’s dominance.

“The Principal will be watching today’s match closely. I trust none of you need me to spell out what that means.”

The students’ faces drained of color at the mention of the principal. A few of them shivered.

That morning, the Heavenly Martial Principal Jin Ryang had gathered all the students participating in the Mock War and addressed them in his usual gentle voice, “You are all proud students of the Heavenly Martial Academy, and to be a student here means that you are the most outstanding prodigies in the world. You hail from noble families and sects, and have been trained in the finest martial arts. You are the most special children in the murim.”

At first, they had interpreted his words as encouragement. Shoulders straightened, heads nodded, and pride swelled.

Until suddenly, the Heavenly Martial Principal’s tone froze over like a winter chill. “Of course you have to be special. You have been trained by the greatest masters your sects could offer, and you have been fed every elixir and miracle herb imaginable. You are not here because of paltry talent and a stroke of luck. You are here through the painstaking efforts of countless people. I’m sure of it.”

Jin Ryang surveyed the students with contempt, as one might a lazy herd of livestock, yet no student dared muster a rebuttal.

“Do you truly believe the Azure Dragon Academy students grew strong overnight through some miraculous encounter? Have you forgotten that your ordinary daily life until now is a greater miraculous encounter than anything they’ve experienced? And yet, if these disappointing results continue...”

The Heavenly Martial Principal released no aura, but his stinging words and mocking smile were more than enough to terrify the students.

“I wonder... After this pathetic display, can you continue to enjoy the privileges you have enjoyed so far?”

For prodigies who had been privileged their whole lives, those words instilled genuine fear and transformed their mentality. The look in their eyes changed instantly, hardening into a resolve to beat their opponents by any means necessary. They displayed a tenacity no less intense than that of the Azure Dragon Academy.

And now, the man who had rewritten their mindset within minutes rose from his seat.

“Before we begin the Mock War, I will briefly explain the rules. Thirty students from each of the Five Great Academies will participate in a four-way Mock War. Any student whose back touches the ground is disqualified immediately. Additionally, if the Commander’s headband is stolen or knocked loose, their entire academy is considered defeated. You must protect your own Commander while hunting everyone else’s.”

After laying out the rules through omnidirectional telepathy, the Heavenly Martial Principal surveyed the crowd.

“With no way of knowing when the Blood Cult will strike, I cannot overstate the importance of mastering group combat. Forthis reason, unlike last year, all five academies will participate in this Mock War concurrently, and the victor will be determined in a single match.”

The announcement that over a hundred students would clash simultaneously sent a stir rolling through the stands.

“All five of the Great Academies at the same time?”

“Whew! That makes the outcome even harder to predict...”

Having five academies fight at once rather than one-on-one meant a chaotic, unpredictable free-for-all. The Heavenly Martial Academy was poised to suffer the greatest loss, as their superior strength would make them a target from all sides.

However, Jin Ryang looked at his students with nothing but anticipation. “Prodigies, take particular care to avoid injury. I hope you approach this seriously, as though it were a real war.”

““Yes, Principal!”” The Heavenly Martial Academy students answered with vigor, the aura rising off their bodies fiercer than anything they had shown before.

Chwi So’ok of Wudang led the formation, with Mount Hua and Zhongnan supporting him from behind.

Namgung Su frowned disapprovingly. “This event already produces plenty of injuries...”

With thirty students per academy, a total of one hundred and fifty people was set to collide at once.

Predicting variables on that scale was virtually impossible, especially after last night’s incident. The rivalry between the Heavenly Martial Academy and the Azure Dragon Academy was on the brink of detonation... and the Heavenly Martial Academy principal had just poured oil onto a blazing fire.

Namgung Su was hardly alone in thinking so. Instructors up and down the stands looked over their students anxiously.

“He wants to see if these prodigies will blossom in martial arts amid a frenzied battle reminiscent of a real war. This bastard...he’s just doing this for the thrill of it, isn’t he?”

Baek Suryong folded his arms and observed the Heavenly Martial Principal. Having gone through a similar experience as an instructor in his previous life, he understood exactly how the man felt.

Ironically, that was precisely why he despised people like that more than anyone else.

Just then, the Heavenly Martial Principal glanced over, and their eyes met.

Baek Suryong smiled, mouthing the words, ‘You selfish, perverted asshole.’

The Heavenly Martial Principal smiled gently, as though he hadn’t caught on at all.

“Hurry up and start!”

The expectant crowd cheered impatiently, eager to witness the epic clash of the Five Great Academies. Each academy had already formed its ranks and stood waiting.

The instructors around Baek Suryong stared at him, worry evident on their faces.

However, Baek Suryong merely looked at his students, who were incomparably stronger than they had been a year ago, with pride plastered all over his face. “What’s there to worry about? Group fights is the Azure Dragon Academy’s specialty, right?”

“That’s true...”

“That’s not what I’m worried about...”

“The real problem is how many students from the other academies are going to get hurt.”

Not one instructor denied Baek Suryong’s statement. All of them simply nodded along, each praying the injury count would stay low.

Amid the worries and expectations of many, the Five Great Academies’ Grand Mock War began.