Chapter 614: Focus!

None of the Azure Dragon Academy students could bring themselves to approach Namgung Seok as he descended from the duel stage. The resentment on his face was plain to see, and he kept his mouth clamped shut, refusing to let out so much as a groan while his injuries were treated.

Dokgo Jun, his senior on the Student Council, was the one who finally patted his back. “Well done, Seok.”

“...Thank you.”

Namgung Seok was a proud boy, his self-confidence stemming from his Namgung Clan heritage and his belief in his own abilities. Although he was no match for Wiji Cheon, he knew he was more than capable of representing the Azure Dragon Academy in the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament.

“That last technique came in at an angle that nobody could have predicted.”

“His wrist bent in a way that defies normal human biology. .. Did he seriously dislocate his wrist to do that?”

“What a shame. I really thought he could win.”

Some of the students murmured in disappointment. None of them were sharp enough to notice that Jong Yeon of the Diancang Sect had taken elixirs, or that the Heavenly Martial Principal had taught his student a self-destructive technique. Like most of the audience, they believed that Namgung Seok had lost by a hair.

“......”

To everyone’s surprise, Namgung Seok suddenly stood up and walked toward Wiji Cheon.

“Wiji Cheon.”

“Huh?” Wiji Cheon stared at Namgung Seok, utterly confused. He didn’t know whether to console his friend for losing or act as if everything was okay. “D-Do you have something to say to me?”

The students watched with a sense of dread, wondering if the loss would prompt Namgung Seok to pick a fight or lash out because of his inferiority complex. Everyone at the Azure Dragon Academy knew that Namgung Seok was very competitive wherever Wiji Cheon was concerned. Whether they were sparring at the SRS or passing each other in the halls, he was always announcing that he would surpass Wiji Cheon one day.

“Regarding the Diancang Sect’s Sun Shooting Sword Technique... I’ve thought it over, and the first move was a decoy. Jong Yeon baited me into deflecting his sword and used that chance to close the distance. The Sun Shooting Sword Technique’s characteristics are well-known, after all. He turned that fact against me.”

“...Huh?”

“I’m just giving you this information for your reference. I don’t know if you’ll need this advice, but... pay close attention to that guy’s wrist. If it bends like this...”

As it turned out, Namgung Seok was far more levelheaded than his peers and seniors gave him credit for. He was even mature enough to share everything he had learned from his defeat with his rival, whose turn was coming up next.

“So, if you meet Jong Yeon in a later round, make sure you win.”

Wiji Cheon listened to every word attentively, then nodded seriously. “Okay, thanks.”

Hyonwon Kang, who was eavesdropping from the sidelines, swiped a finger under his nose and put on a proud expression. “You kids. So this is what they mean when they say friendship blooms on the battlefield.”

“Senior, don’t say weird things! I’m not friends with this guy.”

“Aww, even your denial is so cute. If you two aren’t friends, then what is friendship?”

“...Then are you also friends with Peng Sahyuk from the Heavenly Martial Academy, Senior?”

“Why the fuck would I be friends with that bastard!!”

Hyonwon Kang punched the air, hollering angrily until Yeo Min smacked him on the back and told him to shut up. Namgung Seok let out a small sigh and returned to his seat.

The opportunity for Wiji Cheon to use his advice came sooner than anyone expected.

“First-year student Wiji Cheon of the Azure Dragon Academy and fourth-year student Jong Jin of the Heavenly Martial Academy, please come up to the duel stage!”

The referee cleared the stage and called the next pair.

The smallest boy in the Azure Dragon Academy rose to his feet.

“Is that kid Wiji Cheon? The one they call the Azure Dragon Academy’s Sword Wonder...?”

“I heard he learned his swordsmanship directly from the Azure Dragon Hero.”

“It’s only a rumor, but they say he played a huge part in the battle against the Blood Cult, too.”

The crowd buzzed as the much-rumored Sword Wonder climbed onto the stage. Of course, that included the masters of the Nine Sects.

Several of the older grandmasters, including the Supreme Buddha and the Sword Sage, narrowed their eyes sharply.

Baek Suryong’s face also darkened, albeit for an entirely different reason.

On the first day of the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, the Heavenly Martial Academy and the Azure Dragon Academy were pitted against each other twice in a row, and both times against the Diancang Sect?

He studied the boy, no, young man standing across from Wiji Cheon. His long limbs moved with crisp discipline, and his body was trained to a standard that impressed anyone watching. He was a swordsman trained since childhood exclusively for agility.

Recognizing him, the crowd erupted in cheers.

“It’s the Diancang Sword Hero!”

“Wasn’t he named a Dragon last year?”

“This might be the most interesting match of the day.”

“They’re both too fast.

Anticipation swelled through the stands. Of all the students entered in the tournament, the Diancang Sword Hero Jong Jin ranked in the top ten based on his reputation alone. He was a fourth-year student about to graduate, and in any other year, he would have stepped aside and ceded the opportunity to his juniors.

Does that Heavenly Martial Principal asshole really expect me to believe all of this is coincidence?

Ever since Baek Suryong grasped what the damned old goat was truly like, he had stopped believing that anything at this festival happened by chance. The tournament bracket was no exception. He was told it was drawn randomly and fairly, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

His gaze met the Heavenly Martial Principal’s, who coincidentally turned his head.

As soon as their eyes met, Baek Suryong noticed that the man’s breathing was slightly labored, and that his brow was knitted as if stressed. “Holy fuck... He really pulls every kind of crazy shit.”

What one earth could cause a peerless master’s breathing to become ragged? He’s picturing the upcoming duel and relishing in it.

The man was so obsessed with martial arts that he had lost all his marbles.

His gaze announced his desire to observe Wiji Cheon’s swordsmanship, and that he had arranged the perfect opponent for that purpose.

“Son of a bitch... Just don’t piss yourself after watching.”