Reincarnation of the Cloud Dragon - Chapter 93

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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Chapter 93.
“This martial tournament shall be conducted in single elimination. The victor advances, the defeated withdraws. There are no restrictions on weapons, but lethal strikes are forbidden. That is all.”
Brief and cold rules.
Immediately after the family head’s declaration, the Butler ascended the Elevated Platform once more.
In his hands lay a scroll—a ledger inscribed with the pre-arranged matchups.
“The martial tournament shall commence at once. Those called upon shall immediately ascend the Combat Platform.”
A brief murmur rippled through the Spectator Seating.
No one would know their opponent until the Butler called their name.
“…So this is where the real tournament begins.”
“I received a deferral as well… perhaps I’ll have my chance.”
Gulp—.
The sound of swallowing echoed from various corners of the hall.
….
Even combining all the pre-selected successors and those who had received tokens, empty slots remained. Those slots would be filled by the most exceptional among those who had received deferrals.
Simply securing a place in the Guangfeng Yalü Family’s martial tournament was an extraordinary honor. It would carry more credibility than the unofficial Feng Yun Ranking itself.
Over that silence, the scroll slowly unfurled.
The Butler read the first name.
“The first match shall feature Ul Ji Geuk of the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family!”
The air in the Spectator Seating trembled subtly.
Ul Ji Geuk’s first official match as a successor of the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family.
Ul Ji Geuk rose slowly from his seat.
The Butler then announced his opponent.
“Against Seok Jung Ho of the Hwang Won Seok Family!”
Seok Jung Ho was a martial artist who had made a name for himself at the Stone Family Training Ground, but the moment his name was placed beside the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family, the difference in caliber became palpable.
Seok Jung Ho wasted no time ascending the Combat Platform.
A thick outer robe draped over his deep ochre martial robes swayed grandly. His shoulders were broad and imposing, and in his hands he wielded a hefty iron staff—a signature heavy weapon of the Hwang Won Seok Family.
As Seok Jung Ho took his place at the center of the Combat Platform, he deliberately struck the end of his staff against the ground with a resounding thud.
A weighty reverberation.
Several in the Spectator Seating nodded in acknowledgment.
It was the bearing of a martial artist of some renown.
Yet the moment Ul Ji Geuk ascended the Combat Platform, that bearing mysteriously dimmed.
Ul Ji Geuk then leisurely climbed onto the platform.
His hand resting upon the long sword scabbard at his waist.
The lightning insignia unique to the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family gleamed as it caught the light.
“Begin the match.”
“Hmm… fortune does not favor me. I shall learn from you.”
Seok Jung Ho bowed with humility, but Ul Ji Geuk merely nodded without response.
Seok Jung Ho moved first.
The iron staff swept through the air and descended.
Whoosh—.
The power was tremendous. The wind itself seemed to tear apart with a shrieking sound. A single blow that would shatter bones if it connected head-on.
Yet Ul Ji Geuk did not evade.
The moment he stepped forward, he raised his saber to meet the iron staff.
Crash—!
The collision between the heavy iron staff and saber produced a deafening boom that shook the entire Training Ground.
Seok Jung Ho’s eyes widened.
It was blocked.
No—he was pushed back.
Ul Ji Geuk’s shoulders and waist twisted in unison, driving the iron staff aside as his saber drove straight through the opening.
A movement that met the frontal assault head-on, then wedged inward with half a step.
So brief, so perfectly linear, there was no chance to evade.
Thud—!
The saber’s tip pierced Seok Jung Ho’s solar plexus.
“Kugh…!”
Seok Jung Ho’s massive frame was instantly lifted backward.
His enormous body was hurled beyond the Combat Platform, tumbling across the ground.
He didn’t release his grip on the iron staff, but remained on one knee, unable to rise for some time.
Silence.
The victor needed no lengthy deliberation.
Ul Ji Geuk had never even drawn his blade.
“The victor: Ul Ji Geuk!”
The Butler’s voice rang out belatedly.
“How tedious… another wait until the next match.”
Ul Ji Geuk descended from the Combat Platform with an expression of boredom.
The Spectator Seating stirred with low murmurs.
“He didn’t even draw it…?”
“A masterful saber technique! Worthy of the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family!”
“…Indeed, there was no need to demonstrate martial prowess at all!”
Though Ul Ji Geuk had ascended the Combat Platform without any martial demonstration, he had thoroughly dispelled all doubts about his qualifications with a single exchange.
The Butler continued without pause, announcing the next name.
“Second match of the Sixteen Strongest. Bong Chu Un of the Chang San Bong Family versus….”
Before he could finish, someone let out a cry of joy.
“Excellent!”
It was Bong Chu Un.
He had demonstrated his martial arts before the Guang Feng Yalü Family Lord earlier, but the evaluation had been lukewarm.
The result had been left pending. He had no certainty of ascending the Combat Platform, so hearing his name called was cause for celebration.
But the Butler had not yet announced his opponent.
“Kang Hui of the Black Dragon Gang’s Blood Claw.”
The moment the opponent was announced, Bong Chu Un’s joyful expression twisted.
Bong Chu Un. In his very first match on this stage, he would face Kang Hui.
Yalü Hee let out a brief remark from beside me.
“…They say enemies meet on a single-log bridge. That fellow’s luck is truly abysmal.”
Kang Hui chuckled and grinned wickedly.
“Well, it seems fate has decreed we clash once more. This time, there’s nowhere to flee.”
Bong Chu Un ground his teeth.
“Hmph, who said anything about fleeing? I’ll flatten that arrogant nose of yours.”
“Didn’t you already tuck tail and run at the Inn?”
“You bastard…! I’ll repay the humiliation from that day.”
The exchange of barbs between Kang Hui and Bong Chu Un sparked genuine interest among the spectators.
A duel between those who harbored grudges against each other.
It promised far more entertainment than an ordinary match.
“Begin the combat.”
The Butler lowered his hand.
In that same instant, Bong Chu Un kicked off and drew his blade.
Clang—!
The Chang San Bong Family’s sword was faster than expected.
A textbook thrust that shook the opponent’s vision before piercing straight through the shoulder.
Dazzling the eyes, followed by the unconventional blade patterns yet to unfold.
Yet to my eyes, every movement read with perfect clarity.
‘…There’s no need to even compare him to The Physician. He’s inferior to Han Seo Baek.’
Since arriving at the Black Dragon Gang, I had faced Chui Geom Yi Mok’s sword—twice as swift and far more enigmatic—countless times each day.
The fastest path for a street vagrant relying on instinct alone to become a true warrior.
That path was learning through the body itself.
I retreated precisely as far as Bong Chu Un’s lunge extended.
The blade’s edge sliced through empty air, barely grazing my garment.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Bong Chu Un’s brow twisted in frustration.
‘It won’t connect?’
Every moment he thought he had me, my body shifted away by the smallest margin.
I didn’t dodge broadly. Rather, I stood exactly where he expected, only twisting my body at the final inch.
That composure inverted his composure entirely.
“What, can’t land a hit?”
I smiled mockingly, my tone dripping with derision.
Bong Chu Un’s eyes flared wide.
“Shut your mouth!”
His blade grew cruder. Abandoning his original technique, he poured raw power into successive slashes driven by emotion. His speed increased, but so did the gaps in his form.
I had been waiting for this, and my smile vanished.
Another evasion. Simultaneously, my upper body seemed to collapse and disappear.
‘…That bastard! Where?!’
Yi Mok always told Kang Hui this.
[I pursue the extraordinary. A sword that is unpredictable and unconventional. Yet all human bodies are identical, and swords are common weapons—how can one transcend prediction?]
[…I suppose you rely on instinct?]
[Wrong. The key is your opponent’s expectation. Make them predict my sword path, then exceed that prediction.]
[What do you mean by that…?]
[If you don’t understand, learn through your body.]
With those words, Yi Mok raised his fist as if to drive it straight through Kang Hui’s head.
Naturally, the moment Kang Hui lifted his arms to shield himself.
Yi Mok’s thigh shot upward, striking his abdomen with devastating force.
[Kugh—! You old bastard!]
[Still don’t understand? You just predicted my fist was coming at your head. I shattered that prediction.]
“…!”
From that day forward, Kang Hui sparred with Yi Mok without fail.
Until now, Kang Hui had demonstrated claw techniques and hook techniques.
All martial arts that utilized the upper body.
But now, Kang Hui swept across the ground in a posture so low he seemed to merge with the earth itself.
Whiiish—. Crack—!
“Ugh—!”
Kang Hui’s leg technique lashed out like a whip, striking Bong Chu Un’s shin with a surprise attack.
With that blow, Bong Chu Un’s vision inverted.
Bong Chu Un crashed to the ground, the world spinning, and lost consciousness immediately.
“…That’s enough!”
The Butler’s voice rang out.
“Winner: Kang Hui!”
The moment the victor was decided, The Physician climbed onto the Combat Platform to examine him.
There was no danger to his life, though it appeared his head had struck the platform floor hard.
The unconscious Bong Chu Un was carried away.
The matches continued immediately.
The Butler’s voice rang out again.
“Sixteen Strongest, third match. Cham Wol Dok Go Family’s Dok Go Un versus Cheolryeong Han Family’s Han Seo Baek.”
“…Han Seo Baek? Wasn’t he on the reserve list?”
“Since Bong Chu Un advanced, there’s no way Han Seo Baek would be excluded.”
However, his opponent was Dok Go Un of the Cham Wol Dok Go Family, one of the Twelve Orthodox Families.
The matchup was unfavorable.
“I’ll give you the first move.”
Dok Go Un granted Han Seo Baek the opportunity.
“I won’t decline….”
Han Seo Baek, who had deeply internalized yesterday’s humiliation, drew his sword with bitter determination.
However, Dok Go Un effortlessly received the three exchanges Han Seo Baek unleashed with full force, and on the fourth exchange, knocked Han Seo Baek’s blade into the sand.
“…I lost.”
Han Seo Baek conceded defeat tersely.
“…Dok Go Un wins.”
Yun Cheon nodded briefly.
“Fourth match. Black Dragon Gang Master Yun Cheon!”
Yun Cheon rose slowly from his seat.
“Against No Ja Gyeom of the Yeon Ryeung No Family!”
Another name entangled with Yun Cheon at the Inn and Outer Hall.
No Ja Gyeom from the waiting area took considerably longer to stand.
His face was ashen.
It had been mere moments since Bong Chu Un was carried out unconscious.
To make matters worse, he now faced an opponent at least on par with Kang Hui—his expression could hardly be favorable.
‘Compose yourself.’
No Ja Gyeom slowly brushed his sleeves as he made his way to the Combat Platform. Though he appeared outwardly calm, the tight line of his lips and the subtle tremor in his jaw betrayed everything beneath.
He repeated to himself inwardly:
‘Bong Chu Un led with emotion. That’s why he made such a fool of himself. In any case, I possess the skill to stand on the true stage of the tournament!’
The fact that Yun Cheon had received approval while he himself had been held in reserve before barely making it through had already blurred in his mind.
When he steadied himself and looked up, Yun Cheon was already standing in the center of the Combat Platform.
Yun Cheon’s expression was unchanged from usual.
No haste, no contempt, no thirst for vengeance.
That indifferent demeanor twisted No Ja Gyeom’s insides all the more.
No Ja Gyeom gripped his sword hilt.
“This time will be different.”
His voice came low and strained.
“…Indeed.”
At Yun Cheon’s brief, detached reply, veins bulged across No Ja Gyeom’s forehead.
“Begin the match!”
No Ja Gyeom drew his sword.
Or rather, attempted to.
Shing—!
But Yun Cheon was faster.
Crack—!
Closing the distance in an instant, Yun Cheon struck No Ja Gyeom’s jaw as he tried to unsheathe his blade.
Without even managing to draw, No Ja Gyeom’s head snapped backward.
“Winner: Yun Cheon!”
The Butler’s voice rang out clearly.
The moment those words fell, murmurs rippled through the Spectator Seating.
“The skill gap is far too wide….”
“Is the difference between reserve and approval really this vast?”
“…The elders’ discernment was indeed precise.”
“…How did fellows like Bong Chu Un and No Ja Gyeom even pass the preliminary rounds?”
The subsequent matches yielded the same result.
Those who had received a pass or advanced to the Combat Platform without even a demonstration—their dominance was absolute.
Only then did the spectators realize that receiving a “provisional” rating was never sufficient to ascend the Combat Platform in the first place.
“…The victor: Nak Wol!”
The Butler announced the final winner’s name.
With that, eight matches came to an end.
Of the sixteen who began, only eight remained.
“…They sent three into the semifinals?”
“The Black Dragon Gang’s strength is formidable…!”
“I thought they were merely a minor faction in Qinghai….”
The Butler revealed the roster of the eight survivors.
Three of them belonged to the Black Dragon Gang.
Kang Hui, Yun Cheon, Yalü Hee.
Yeop Cheong A of the Cheongrim Yeop Family, who had received a pass, also claimed victory and advanced to the semifinals.
“They’ve performed admirably thus far, but the road ahead will be far more treacherous.”
“Indeed. Look at the roster of those remaining.”
Yalü Hyeon of the Guang Feng Yalü Family.
Dok Go Un of the Cham Wol Dok Go Family.
Ul Ji Geuk of the Pae Roe Ul Ji Family.
Nak Wol of the Nak Wol Bi Yeong Sect.
“The opposition consists of either the Twelve Orthodox Families or the Ten Demon Sects… The Cheongrim Yeop Family and Black Dragon Gang have reached their limit.”
Most nodded at someone’s decisive assessment.
Yet a few shook their heads.
‘…I wonder. Is that truly the case?’
One of those who shook her head was none other than Nak Wol, the Young Sect Master of the Nak Wol Bi Yeong Sect.
‘…That man. I want him. How can I make him mine?’
Behind the veil, her dark eyes gleamed with intensity.

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This chapter is translated by Falnar Novels Team.
Support us by reading on our official site: https://falnarnovels.com
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