Ice Dragon of Namgung - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 108
Namgung Geom hoped that Seomun Hak would advance to the Semi-Finals.
Since the Seomun Clan was his maternal family in his past life, his heart naturally inclined toward them.
Namgung Chang required no particular concern.
With his skill, defeating Jegal Un would present no difficulty.
The Jegal Clan ranked relatively lower in martial prowess among the Five Great Clans.
Their expertise lay not in martial arts but in formation techniques.
And they used those formation techniques to compensate for their martial deficiencies.
A single member of the Jegal Clan might be weak, but when several gathered to deploy a Sword Formation, it became formidable.
Of course, “weak” was only relative when measured against the Five Great Clans.
For the martial artists of the Twelve Major Families or Thirty-Six Families below them, it was an entirely different world.
In any case, Namgung Chang would not lose to Jegal Un.
Not if he remained alert.
Seomun Hak, by contrast, objectively lacked the skill of Baili Hong.
If they fought as things stood, his chances of defeat were high.
He could not simply elevate Seomun Hak’s strength on the spot.
But against the same opponent, victory or defeat could shift entirely depending on how one approached the strategy.
Of course, if the gap in skill was too great, strategy would fail—but the difference between Seomun Hak and Baili Hong was not vast.
Namgung Geom observed the Martial Combat carefully, scrutinizing every competitor’s martial technique in detail.
And naturally, he discerned their weaknesses.
Baili Hong was no exception.
If one targeted those weaknesses intensively, Seomun Hak could certainly win.
But if he interfered, could it truly be called an honest victory?
It might undermine the fairness of the Martial Tournament itself.
And if it became known that Seomun Hak had won by his counsel, the Baili Clan’s resentment would be unavoidable.
His relations with the Baili Clan could deteriorate.
If that caused the harmony of the Jeongcheon Alliance to fracture, it would be a foolish trade—gaining little while losing much.
Within his heart, his private affection for his maternal family and the public righteousness he must uphold as a martial artist collided.
After deliberation, Namgung Geom resolved to help Seomun Hak.
The Seomun Clan was his maternal family in his past life, yes—but they had also contributed greatly to the formation of the Jeongcheon Alliance this time.
They had persuaded the Twelve Major Families to enable the Alliance’s establishment.
Thanks to them, the Jeongcheon Assembly convened, and the Jeongcheon Alliance’s formation was secured.
Considering that merit, he believed offering this aid was fitting repayment.
Namgung Geom watched Seomun Hak sitting tense-faced in the waiting area of the combat platform.
Seomun Hak was the fourth match of the Third Round.
He waited for his turn, coiled tight with anxiety.
One more victory, and he would reach the Semi-Finals.
And reaching the Semi-Finals meant obtaining the Five Great Clans’ secret Spirit Elixir.
No matter what, he had to reach the Semi-Finals.
But Baili Hong was no easy opponent.
Objectively, his chances of defeat were high.
Then a low, clear voice cut into his ears.
A mental message from Namgung Geom.
“Seomun. Don’t be startled, but listen.”
Seomun Hak rolled his eyes slightly, glancing at Namgung Geom seated in the front row of the viewing stands.
Namgung Geom gave a barely perceptible nod and continued the mental transmission.
“Baili has a tendency to shift his center of gravity to the right when executing his techniques. This creates a gap in the lower left during technique transitions—target that opening.”
Seomun Hak was startled upon hearing Namgung Geom’s mental message.
“Avoid direct confrontation. Wait for his center to collapse when he unleashes his sword momentum, then concentrate exclusively on exploiting that lower-left gap.”
Seomun Hak’s eyes gleamed as the mental message reached him.
He trusted Namgung Geom’s guidance.
Where anxious tension had filled his heart, fierce determination to victory now took root.
Namgung Geom saw the shift in Seomun Hak’s gaze and nodded slightly.
This was sufficient.
After the rest and preparation period elapsed, the Third Round began.
The first match was between Namgung Chang and Jegal Un.
The result deviated not at all from expectation.
Namgung Chang pressed Jegal Un relentlessly throughout and claimed victory.
The second and third matches produced no upsets.
Peng Daozhou and Tang Baiho won and advanced to the Semi-Finals.
And so the fourth and final match began.
Seomun Hak and Baili Hong stepped onto the martial stage.
“Seomun Hak! Win!”
“Baili Hong! Win!”
The warriors of the Seomun Clan and Baili Clan in the spectator stands cheered, calling out their names in unison.
The two took their positions across from each other on the stage and signaled that they were ready.
“Begin!”
The referee of the Martial Tournament immediately called the start.
Baili Hong moved first.
He rushed toward Seomun Hak, extending his blade.
The sword light erupting from his weapon rolled forward like a wave.
His fierce sword momentum was quite threatening.
Seomun Hak remained calm and used his movement technique to evade Baili Hong’s assault.
But Baili Hong’s blade followed swiftly.
Seomun Hak flicked away Baili Hong’s blade and slipped to the side.
He focused entirely on defense, avoiding any direct clash with Baili Hong’s weapon.
Baili Hong pursued relentlessly, pressing his attack without mercy.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew each time the curved blade and straight blade collided, and Seomun Hak was pushed backward several steps with each strike.
On the surface, Baili Hong had seized momentum and was driving Seomun Hak into a corner.
An arrogant smile played at Baili Hong’s lips.
‘Just a few more seconds of this pressure and it’s over!’
Baili Hong drew upon his inner power to decide the match.
His blade channeled even more fierce and formidable force.
The wave of sword light surged forward as if to devour Seomun Hak entirely.
Seomun Hak gritted his teeth and parried Baili Hong’s blade.
All the while, he kept his eyes fixed on Baili Hong’s lower body.
Baili Hong poured still more power into his strikes to end the match.
As a result, the blade’s force grew stronger, but the recoil caused his balance to falter, shifting his center of gravity to the right.
In that precise moment, a gap opened in his lower left flank.
Just as Namgung Geom had described.
‘Now!’
Seomun Hak dropped his form low, pressing himself to the ground, and reversed the backward movement technique he had been using, instead bursting forward.
Slipping past Baili Hong’s sword momentum by a hair’s breadth, Seomun Hak’s blade drove through to his left and aimed at his ankle.
Baili Hong cried out in alarm and leaped upward, evading Seomun Hak’s blade.
But the jump only threw his balance further into disarray.
Seomun Hak seized the opening and pressed his attack.
Baili Hong desperately blocked Seomun Hak’s blade.
But with his balance destroyed, his defense lacked force.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Seomun Hak’s blade hammered against Baili Hong’s weapon again and again.
Baili Hong was driven backward in confusion.
And with Seomun Hak’s final strike, he lost all balance and crashed to the ground.
Baili Hong tried to get back up, but Seomun Hak’s blade, now close upon him, pressed against his throat.
Baili Hong spoke with an expression of resignation.
“I’ve lost.”
Victory belonged to Seomun Hak.
‘Not bad at all.’
Namgung Geom smiled.
He had pointed out Baili Hong’s weakness, but whether Seomun Hak could exploit it depended entirely on his own ability.
Yet Seomun Hak had executed the exploit flawlessly.
It was proof that his talent and skill were considerable.
If Seomun Hak used the Spirit Elixir of the Five Great Clans to elevate his inner power and realm further, he could rise to the upper ranks among the young martial artists.
And with him, the future of the Seomun Clan would brighten considerably.
One might have dismissed him as merely a single warrior.
But if he reached the level of a master in the True Martial Realm, there would be few powers who could freely threaten the Seomun Clan.
Thus the Third Round ended, and all Semi-Finals contestants had been determined.
Namgung Chang of the Namgung Clan.
Peng Daozhou of the Hebei Peng Clan.
Tang Baiho of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Seomun Hak of the Seomun Clan.
With Seomun Hak’s elimination, everyone who was expected to advance had done so.
Now all eyes turned to a single question: who would emerge as the Martial Tournament champion?
This made the Semi-Finals bracket crucial.
In the Semi-Finals, one pairing would inevitably pit two young martial artists from the Five Great Clans against each other.
The Semi-Finals draw was conducted by the clan patriarchs of the Five Great Clans, excluding the Namgung faction.
The result: the first match was set as Namgung Chang versus Seomun Hak.
Naturally, the remaining two—Peng Daozhou and Tang Baiho—filled the two slots of the second pairing.
‘His luck holds.’
Namgung Geom smiled at Namgung Chang’s favorable draw.
There was virtually no chance Seomun Hak would defeat Namgung Chang.
Even if Namgung Geom revealed Namgung Chang’s weaknesses, the outcome would not change.
The gap in their skill was simply too vast.
Knowing a weakness meant nothing if one lacked the ability to exploit it.
Even against the other two competitors, Seomun Hak’s defeat would have been inevitable.
Regardless of the opponent, Seomun Hak’s elimination was a foregone conclusion.
Yet Seomun Hak would find ample satisfaction in reaching the Semi-Finals alone.
For Namgung Chang, meeting Seomun Hak in the bracket was extraordinary fortune.
While the other two would exhaust themselves and risk injury in a grueling battle, Namgung Chang could advance to the finals with considerably less strain.
When skill is comparable, stamina and physical condition ultimately decide victory.
In that respect, he already possessed a significant advantage.
After rest and preparation, the Semi-Finals commenced.
The first match ended, as expected, in Namgung Chang’s victory.
Seomun Hak fought with all his heart until the end, but could not overcome the disparity in strength.
Yet Seomun Hak showed no despondency.
Having reached the Semi-Finals itself, he had already achieved his goal—there was no reason for disappointment.
Then came the second match.
Peng Daozhou and Tang Baiho engaged in a fierce duel, each fighting for honor.
Peng Daozhou emerged victorious.
Without access to the Secret Concealed Weapon Technique, Tang Baiho could not overcome Peng Daozhou.
Still, Tang Baiho’s Concealed Weapon Technique harried Peng Daozhou throughout, even inflicting minor wounds.
In consequence, Peng Daozhou’s stamina was severely depleted.
‘His Divine Technique is certainly weaker than his Blade Technique.’
Peng Daozhou’s Divine Technique lagged noticeably behind his Blade Technique.
This was why he had struggled against Tang Baiho.
Unable to match Tang Baiho’s speed of movement, even his formidable Blade Technique could not fully manifest its power.
Though he ultimately overpowered Tang Baiho with his superior Blade Technique, the weakness was now glaringly apparent.
If Namgung Chang exploited his superior Divine Technique, he would have excellent chances of victory.
Namgung Geom offered no counsel to Namgung Chang.
He had faith in him.
Namgung Chang would have already perceived it himself.
And at last, the long-awaited final championship match began.
Namgung Chang and Peng Dohyuk, living up to their status as favorites, waged an intense battle.
From Peng Dohyuk’s blade came the fury of a raging tiger, while Namgung Chang’s sword unleashed torrents of Celestial Wind.
Their clash—neither yielding an inch—was like watching a dragon and tiger locked in combat.
The spectators in the arena roared with excitement at this thrilling final worthy of the Martial Tournament.
Overall, Peng Dohyuk pressed the attack.
Yet Namgung Chang, though forced back by sheer force, deftly parried Peng Dohyuk’s blade.
No matter how powerful Peng Dohyuk’s strikes, they were nothing compared to Namgung Geom’s.
Accustomed to Namgung Geom’s ferocious assaults, Namgung Chang found Peng Dohyuk’s attacks posed no true threat.
Peng Dohyuk, by contrast, grew increasingly frustrated as the duel prolonged.
He clearly held the advantage.
Yet Namgung Chang, despite being driven back, somehow continued to deflect every attack.
No matter what approach he tried, the result remained the same.
Still, if this continued, victory seemed his to claim.
But in that moment, everything shifted.
Namgung Chang began to actively employ his Divine Technique.
Using the Celestial Wind Movement Art, Namgung Chang expanded his defensive breadth, disrupting Peng Dohyuk’s offensive momentum.
As his assault fractured, Namgung Chang transitioned from defense to offense.
From that point, the tables turned.
Peng Dohyuk reeled under the onslaught of Namgung Chang’s Shin-bop, absorbing strike after relentless strike.
At first, he managed to parry the attacks by leveraging the raw power of his Blade Technique.
But as the Celestial Wind’s assault drove in from all directions, his defense began to crumble.
In the viewing stand, Namgung Geom smiled as he watched the duel unfold.
“It’s over.”
Author
Baek Wol-geom
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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