The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 140

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 140. The Stronger One

 

 

“A final between Wudang and Zhongnan. I’m looking forward to seeing how this turns out.”

Gongsun Mu-oe said as he watched Ju U-myeong and Baek Ri-pyeong, who were sitting cross-legged, immersed in meditation and energy circulation.

Then he looked at Ha Mu-baek.

“I’ve watched many martial tournaments, but this is a first. Participants who continue to grow while competing in duels. Honestly, I have no idea about the final either. In the previous semifinals, both Baek Ri-pyeong and Ju U-myeong seem to have achieved another level of breakthrough. Just how did you teach them?”

His eyes held admiration.

Ha Mu-baek quietly gazed at the three children.

“Well, it’s those kids’ ability.”

At that calm answer, Gongsun Mu-oe made an expression of disbelief.

Because he didn’t know how Ha Mu-baek had taught them.

 

Half a shichen had passed.

Now there was another half shichen remaining.

As the sun tilted westward, it was getting colder and colder.

Even so, hardly any spectators left their seats.

Because of their anticipation for the upcoming final.

Murmuring began to rise here and there as people shared their opinions.

Because it was a match between Wudang and Zhongnan.

Among the Nine Sects and One Gang, except for Shaolin and the Beggar’s Sect, all primarily focused on swords.

Wudang, Mount Hua Sect, Kunlun, Qingcheng, Emei, Diancang, Zhongnan, Kongtong.

All eight sects had sword techniques as their representative ultimate techniques.

Among them, the ones considered the best were Wudang and Mount Hua Sect.

That’s why the quarterfinal between Ju U-myeong and Yeong Ho-jun had drawn the spectators’ attention.

Zhongnan was one of the Nine Sects and One Gang, but it was evaluated as the weakest among them.

Yet today it had reached the final.

And with a Maengryong Corps cadet at that.

What kind of performance would Zhongnan’s disciple show against Wudang’s disciple?

That was what excited the spectators.

“Can Baek Ri-pyeong win?”

“It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? His opponent is Ju U-myeong from Wudang.”

“Hey, but we saw that incredible performance in the semifinals.”

“What about Ju U-myeong’s terrifying display just now?”

Arguments and counterarguments.

The spectators were busy sharing their own opinions.

In contrast, the atmosphere on the platform was calm.

Whether it was because of the anger Peng Do-yul had exploded with right after the match between Ju U-myeong and Dan Mok Un-rae, or because of the deflated bracket, the platform was quiet.

Peng Do-yul also just maintained his silence, only watching the three people beside the martial arts arena.

 

‘You were a bit dangerous this time.’

‘Fighting spirit.’

In his meditation, Ju U-myeong recalled the words he had heard from Ha Mu-baek at the end of the duel.

The words about being dangerous were heard after awakening from the state of no-self, and fighting spirit was heard at the very end of the state of no-self.

Right after awakening from the state of no-self, no thoughts had come to mind, but as his memory returned, a fragment of enlightenment came with it.

He grasped that fragment and fell into meditation.

The topic was fighting spirit.

Ju U-myeong reviewed his own swordplay that he had displayed in the state of no-self, continuously repeating the words “fighting spirit.”

And why he had been in danger.

Why his Master had opposed his journey to Maengryong Corps.

‘Ah, aah…’

The reason he was gradually coming to understand.

Fighting spirit is the mind that wants to fight with others.

A different mind from the desire for improvement that seeks one’s own growth.

The mind that wants to fight, the desire to win.

That had come to him as a heart demon.

Fighting spirit beyond proper limits becomes a heart demon.

He had awakened from the state of no-self just before that point.

By Ha Mu-baek.

The Taiji Wisdom Sword shouldn’t be a sword wielded with fighting spirit.

He had been consumed by fighting spirit and nearly lost himself. He had almost entered the path of heart demons.

‘Then should I abandon fighting spirit?’

The topic continued in that direction.

However, he couldn’t find an answer to that.

He realized it was time to awaken from meditation.

The tournament wasn’t over yet.

Ju U-myeong slowly opened his eyes.

Around that time, Dan Mok Un-rae was also opening his eyes.

Baek Ri-pyeong was already standing up from his seat.

Ju U-myeong’s gaze met Han Seol-bing.

She stood quietly with her arms crossed.

The moment he saw that sight, Ju U-myeong could realize.

That she had been standing guard over them.

“Thank you, Instructor.”

Han Seol-bing smiled slightly.

“So, what were the results?”

“I’m not sure.”

At Ju U-myeong’s answer, Han Seol-bing nodded lightly.

“Yeah, that’s good enough. Then do well in the final duel.”

After confirming that all three people had stood up, Han Seol-bing lightly leaped up.

To the rooftop where Ha Mu-baek was positioned.

“Oh my? There was such a prime spot here?”

At Han Seol-bing’s playful remark, Ha Mu-baek just chuckled.

“Hehe, welcome, Instructor Han.”

Gongsun Mu-oe smiled and welcomed Han Seol-bing.

It was almost time for the final to begin.

Ju U-myeong and Dan Mok Un-rae’s meditation had taken nearly a full shichen.

Dan Mok Un-hye waved her hand toward her older brother.

Dan Mok Un-rae, who had already confirmed where his younger sibling was, also looked toward the rooftop.

Dan Mok Un-rae immediately pushed through the crowd and approached the building where Ha Mu-baek’s group was.

“Don’t you need to bring him over?”

Han Seol-bing asked Ha Mu-baek.

“He’ll come on his own. Well, you could bring him over.”

At Ha Mu-baek’s answer, Han Seol-bing shook her head. What had she expected from this person?

Even so, Han Seol-bing didn’t move either.

Because she knew that with Dan Mok Un-rae’s current level, coming here wouldn’t be difficult.

“Who do you think will win?”

Han Seol-bing asked.

“The stronger one.”

A short answer came back.

“Not something so obvious.”

“To be precise, the one who wins is the stronger one. Being strong doesn’t just mean having strong martial arts. You can win even if your martial arts are weaker than your opponent’s. Then that person is stronger. You should know this, right?”

Han Seol-bing closed her mouth.

Because she understood the meaning of those words well.

She had experienced it many times in the last war.

In countless battles, it wasn’t the strong who won. Those who survived and achieved victory were the strong ones.

Even Han Seol-bing herself had ultimately survived and won when facing stronger opponents.

“But this isn’t combat, it’s a martial duel.”

“The only difference is that there are rules. The fundamentals are ultimately the same.”

The answer that came to her small protest.

Han Seol-bing pouted her lips.

“Hehe. Instructor Han, who do you think will win?”

“U-myeong.”

“Are you favoring your own side?”

“No. It seems like he gained something from meditation. His qi aura has changed somewhat.”

At Han Seol-bing’s words, Gongsun Mu-oe’s gaze turned toward Ha Mu-baek.

“You said you wouldn’t give any advice since it was a martial duel. Hehehe.”

“It was a mistake.”

Ha Mu-baek said, slightly averting his gaze.

“What? What do you mean?”

Han Seol-bing, who didn’t know the circumstances, asked.

“It seems he said something when he went up to the martial arts arena to stop the sword.”

“Ah!”

Han Seol-bing let out a small exclamation.

A single word from Ha Mu-baek.

For the current Ju U-myeong, that would be more than enough to serve as a catalyst for enlightenment.

 

The day with the shortest daylight hours of the year.

The winter solstice.

That day was yesterday.

Today was the day with the second shortest daylight hours of the year.

The western sky was already painted with sunset colors.

At that moment.

Baek Ri-pyeong and Ju U-myeong climbed onto the martial arts arena for the final martial duel of the Eastern Tournament.

“Waaaaaaah!!!”

“Waaaaah!!”

“Anyone can win!!”

“Ju U-myeong will be the champion!!”

“Baek Ri-pyeong, win!!”

As the two people stepped onto the martial arts arena, cheers erupted from all directions.

Shouts loud enough to hurt the ears.

The judge briefly observed the two men’s appearance and then nodded.

“Begin!”

With the judge’s shout, Baek Ri-pyeong and Ju U-myeong drew their swords.

Sword blades emitting sharp light toward each other.

The first to move was Baek Ri-pyeong.

He traversed every corner of the martial arts arena with Zhongnan’s Taiyi Steps, gradually approaching Ju U-myeong.

Ju U-myeong didn’t remain still either.

His feet began to move slowly.

He responded by stepping the directional steps of Wudang’s Seven Star Steps.

Taiyi Steps and Seven Star Steps.

The footwork techniques of Zhongnan and Wudang unfolded chaotically on the martial arts arena.

Of course, they didn’t just display footwork techniques.

Sword light flashed as swords flew toward each other.

Zhongnan’s Four Phases Sword Technique and Wudang’s Taecheong Sword Technique clashed.

Clang! Clang!

It felt more like a probing battle than a full-scale offense and defense.

People swallowed their dry saliva while watching the two’s martial duel.

Eventually, the first to take the offensive was Baek Ri-pyeong.

The Heavenly Star Sword Technique unfolded from his hands.

Countless sword stars flew toward Ju U-myeong.

The stars created by Baek Ri-pyeong sparkled even more brilliantly against the sunset sky.

Ju U-myeong’s sword technique changed to the Taiji Wisdom Sword.

The Heavenly Star Sword Technique that Baek Ri-pyeong was currently displaying was too burdensome to follow with the Taecheong Sword Technique.

It was natural.

This was a Heavenly Star Sword Technique twice as fast as the ordinary version.

After finishing the semifinals, it seemed Baek Ri-pyeong had also felt something during the energy circulation and breathing process, as the variations had also doubled to match the doubled speed of his sword technique.

It was a different appearance from the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Baek Ri-pyeong had grown remarkably stronger with each match.

Was this what they called daily renewal?

It wasn’t just a matter of becoming new each day.

He was becoming new with each martial duel.

However, the same was true for Ju U-myeong.

Ju U-myeong’s Taiji Wisdom Sword was destroying all the countless stars.

 

“At that level, it’s not the Heavenly Star Sword Technique anymore, is it?”

Han Seol-bing said with amazement.

“It might be much better than a clumsy Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique.”

The Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique, Zhongnan Sect’s supreme sword technique.

Ha Mu-baek was saying that the Heavenly Star Sword Technique Baek Ri-pyeong was currently displaying might surpass it.

“Still, to that extent…”…

“The sword technique isn’t what’s important. The person wielding it is what matters. You know this, right?”

At Ha Mu-baek’s question, Han Seol-bing nodded. Nevertheless, the Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique in her memory was such a magnificent and enchanting sword technique that she couldn’t easily accept it.

She had only seen the Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique once, back then.

“Don’t tell me you’re comparing it to the Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique from that time?”

At Ha Mu-baek’s question, Han Seol-bing nodded slightly.

“Galaxy Sword Master Baek Ri-dan. That person’s Heavenly Star Galaxy Sword Technique was truly an ultimate technique among ultimate techniques that had reached perfection. There’s probably no one in Zhongnan who can wield such a sword now.”

Baek Ri-dan, Zhongnan’s former sect leader who had died in the last war.

Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing had experience fighting alongside him on the battlefield.

“You should have seen Han Pyeong’s Heaven-Severing Demon-Slaying Blade.”

“What?”

“It was truly a terrifying Heaven-Severing Demon-Slaying Blade.”

Ha Mu-baek slightly frowned as he recalled the terrifying blade technique he had seen last spring.

[Are you listening carefully?]

Gongsun Mu-oe asked Gongsun Bi-yeon through sound transmission.

[Yes?]

Gongsun Bi-yeon’s question.

[Even within that conversation lies the principles of martial arts, so do not let it pass by carelessly. Even if the place where you set your heart is not martial arts, you too are a person of Murim, a person of Gangho.]

At Grandfather’s advice, Gongsun Bi-yeon nodded slightly.

 

Clang! Clang clang clang!

A sword that creates a thousand stars.

This is the meaning contained in the name of the Heavenly Star Sword Technique.

Right now, Baek Ri-pyeong was creating not a thousand, but two thousand stars.

And Ju U-myeong was blocking all of those two thousand stars.

Even so, Baek Ri-pyeong’s offensive did not stop.

When ten stars disappeared, he created ten more stars again.

A sword that moved without rest.

Both Ju U-myeong and Baek Ri-pyeong were giving their all.

The more fierce the offensive became, the more Ju U-myeong felt the exhilaration rising in his body.

That sensation he had briefly felt in the martial duel with Yeong Ho-jun, then properly experienced in the martial duel with Dan Mok Un-rae, even entering the State of No-Self.

Ju U-myeong once again felt his thirst being quenched, but this time it was a little different.

He did not merely indulge in quenching his thirst.

While accepting the exhilaration, he moved his sword while coldly contemplating his own state.

Bodies gradually heating up from the fierce exchanges directed at each other.

In the semifinals, even his head had heated up, but now Ju U-myeong’s head remained coldly cooled.

This was what he had gained from meditation.

Because of this, Ju U-myeong’s Taiji Wisdom Sword was hot yet calm.

He was not intoxicated by excitement either.

He simply faced the Heavenly Star Sword Technique as the Taiji Wisdom Sword in its true form.

Clang!

Clang clang! Clang clang clang!

With clamorous sword cries ringing out, the exchange between the two became increasingly fierce.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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