Chapter 64

Songshan Assembly (3)

"Your token."

Namgung Jun examined the iron token handed to him by the supervisor.

On the front was the inscription Changcheon , while the back bore the character One (一) engraved in relief.

Looking at Baekri Cheong's token, he saw that it was marked Changcheon and Two (二).

It seems each token is engraved with the name of the sect and a number.

It was likely a measure to accurately verify victories and prevent any possible cheating.

"Third group! Move out!"

After stowing the token inside his robes, Namgung Jun glanced around.

Several young martial artists were already entering Seongho Forest under the guidance of supervisors.

"Brother Baekri, it doesn't seem we'll be able to move together."

"Indeed. It appears we'll have to act separately. Even the entry times and locations for Seongho Forest are all different."

The supervisors overseeing the Token Capture Competition strictly forbade members of the same sect—or those with close relationships—from moving together.

The participants had been randomly divided into five groups and sent in through different locations at different times.

"Brother Namgung, I'll be heading in first."

"Please be careful."

Baekri Cheong entered Seongho Forest first.

About one gak—roughly fifteen minutes—passed.

The supervisor glanced at the incense stick, saw that it had burned down to the marked line, and spoke.

"The time has come. The final group will enter through the northwestern entrance."

Namgung Jun and the other members of the fifth group began moving.

"Keep your eyes on the person in front of you and follow closely."

The place the supervisor warned them about was shrouded in thick mist due to the formation.

The fog was dense enough that losing sight of the path for even a moment could result in getting lost.

After walking about ten paces, the mist suddenly dispersed.

The scenery of the forest unfolded before them.

We've passed through the formation.

The supervisor only stopped once they reached a branching path deep within Seongho Forest.

There were five separate routes.

Apparently, each participant was meant to choose one.

"Choose a path. From that point onward, you are free to move as you wish and focus on obtaining tokens."

One of the young martial artists asked,

"Will the path we choose affect the competition?"

The supervisor shook his head.

"The paths exist simply to spread you out. Choose whichever one you like. Of course, if your luck is poor, you may encounter a particularly strong opponent."

After a brief moment of consideration, the participants each selected a path and set off.

Namgung Jun chose the center path and proceeded deeper into the forest.

After some time—

The trail abruptly ended.

Before him lay nothing but grass, boulders, and towering trees.

So it begins.

Namgung Jun looked around at the densely packed trees surrounding him.

Now that he stood alone in the forest, the reality of the Token Capture Competition finally sank in.

I wonder how everyone else plans to approach this.

He recalled the young martial artists he had met during the banquet.

Some would undoubtedly move aggressively from the start, obsessed with gathering tokens.

Others would conserve their strength and wait patiently for the right opportunity.

Unlike a standard tournament, this competition required careful planning and adaptation to numerous variables.

Those who relied solely on the superiority of their martial arts might find themselves eliminated in an instant.

Hmm.

For Namgung Jun, however, there was little reason to hesitate.

His primary objective in this competition was simple:

To witness as many martial arts of the nine great sects as possible.

If he accomplished that, the tokens would naturally come.

He simply needed to find as many opponents as possible—and do so efficiently.

Leaping onto the tallest tree nearby, Namgung Jun surveyed the terrain.

He could not accurately judge the full size of Seongho Forest, but it was undoubtedly vast.

In his previous life, where he had focused solely on the sword, locating numerous opponents constantly moving through such terrain would have been extremely difficult.

The only option would have been to spread his senses as widely and keenly as possible.

But in this life, he had grown as an elite member of one of the Changcheon Society's Ten Halls, mastering many different skills.

Now, he possessed more than enough ability to achieve his goals in this competition.

"Time to start moving."

His pace quickened as he cut through the undergrowth.

A bluish light flickered within his eyes.

He had begun searching for traces of the other young martial artists scattered throughout Seongho Forest.

***

Meanwhile, Dong Gakho raced through the forest using his movement technique.

He sensed several faint presences nearby.

He ignored every one of them.

There was only a single target he intended to hunt during this competition.

Namgung Jun, the Azure Star Sword.

Among all the younger generation participants, Namgung Jun was the youngest.

Yet he was unbearably arrogant.

Watching him swagger about with confidence in his martial arts had irritated Dong Gakho from the beginning.

Arrogant bastard. I'll teach you your place.

His previous humiliation—being unable to draw his sword—had merely been the result of bad luck and a momentary lapse.

This time was different.

After consuming the Sungyeong Pill, he had finally broken through a wall that had held him back for over a year.

Although the pill was an extraordinarily rare spiritual medicine, achieving such astonishing progress in a single day was still an exceptional feat.

Even the brief praise he had received from his sect leader had further strengthened his confidence.

I've consumed the Sungyeong Pill. And if I live up to the Sect Leader's expectations today, the position of future sect leader will be even closer.

The Sungyeong Pill.

His unexpected growth.

The praise of his sect leader.

The future he envisioned for himself.

All these factors combined into an overwhelming certainty that filled his entire being.

Now I just need to find that brat—

His thoughts suddenly stopped.

A sword strike burst through the grass to his left.

The blade flashed with a cold blue light.

Startled, Dong Gakho desperately twisted his ankle and threw his body sideways to evade.

Because he had been moving at full speed with his movement technique, changing direction was far from easy.

In the end, Dong Gakho was forced backward as though he had collided with an invisible wall.

He barely managed to regain his balance after stumbling several steps back, a groan escaping his lips.

"Urgh!"

Quickly widening the distance, Dong Gakho immediately checked his waist.

Beneath the torn edge of his robe, a thin line of blood was slowly spreading.

The blade had only grazed him, but the stinging sensation was unmistakable.

"You move in ways I didn't expect."

Dong Gakho had no time to inspect the wound further.

The voice of the very opponent he had been hoping to encounter reached his ears.

"You!"

The young swordsman stood before him, sword in hand, as calm as ever.

Despite launching a chilling ambush that would make anyone's skin crawl, Namgung Jun appeared no different from usual.

"An ambush? You fight like a common street thug. Is it because you come from such rootless origins?"

"Have you already forgotten the purpose of this competition? This isn't a sparring match. It's meant to resemble real combat."

Dong Gakho couldn't refute him.

Those very words had come from the elders overseeing the event.

Arguing against them would be no different from disgracing the Songshan Sect itself.

Instead of speaking, Dong Gakho reached for his sword.

The beginning had been unpleasant, but this was exactly the situation he had hoped for.

Drawing the treasured sword he had received upon becoming the chief disciple of the Songshan Sect, Dong Gakho pointed it at Namgung Jun.

"It won't be like the banquet, Namgung Jun."

Seeing how confident he appeared, Namgung Jun calmly examined him.

"Your aura has changed. Did you consume some kind of spiritual medicine?"

"A precious treasure your Changcheon Society could never obtain."

Dong Gakho spoke proudly.

Namgung Jun's expression remained indifferent.

It was as though he did not care about Dong Gakho's improvement in the slightest.

"Enough talk. Come."

"We'll see how long you can keep acting arrogant!"

Dong Gakho immediately drew upon every ounce of internal energy stored within his dantian.

He intended to go all out from the very beginning.

The Nine Valley Sword Art.

A sword technique embodying the great ridges and valleys of Mount Song.

His blade shot directly toward Namgung Jun's shoulder.

Sword qi enveloped the blade completely, dramatically increasing the technique's power.

Dong Gakho felt pleased with himself.

The improvement over his former self was obvious even to his own eyes.

At this level, perhaps he could even exchange swords with Yeong Il of Mount Hua.

In an instant, the blade was about to reach Namgung Jun's shoulder.

Whoosh!

A smooth semicircle appeared near Namgung Jun's shoulder.

He had simply brought his sword up as though resting it there and twisted the blade.

The motion was so natural that Dong Gakho almost wondered whether the sword had been there from the start.

Yet the sensation traveling through his wrist was crystal clear.

His powerful strike failed to cut Namgung Jun and was redirected to the side.

KRAAAK!

Dong Gakho's treasured sword did nothing more than carve apart the earth.

"What?!"

He was stunned.

Namgung Jun had barely moved.

Yet he had effortlessly neutralized the attack.

Grinding his teeth, Dong Gakho forcefully pulled his sword back.

"Haaaah!"

Boom!

Stomping heavily, he drew out every bit of strength from his body and immediately unleashed a supreme technique.

Considering the many younger-generation experts he would still need to face after defeating Namgung Jun, it was not a wise choice.

But after only a single exchange, he had realized something.

If he didn't finish this now, Namgung Jun might reveal another incomprehensible sword skill like the one he had just used.

Fear had already begun creeping into his heart.

His sword path curved and twisted endlessly, like the long mountain ridges of Mount Song itself.

The strike poured forward, carrying the majestic momentum of the mountain range.

The Nine Valley Sword Art.

Lofty Dragon Peak.

Perhaps because he had pushed his internal energy to the absolute limit without regard for the consequences.

Even Dong Gakho was astonished by the power of the technique.

I've become this strong!

Ecstasy spread across his face as he clearly felt the improvement granted by the Sungyeong Pill.

Then—

Shhhhhhh!

The sweeping sword strike generated a deep roar through the air.

Yet Namgung Jun's expression remained completely calm.

Beginning at his ankle, his shoulder rotated.

The rotation spread through his entire body before finally reaching his sword.

His blade traced flowing arcs one after another like rippling waves.

Then it collided head-on with Lofty Dragon Peak.

Fool! Facing the supreme technique of the Nine Valley Sword Art directly?!

But contrary to Dong Gakho's expectations, no violent explosion followed.

Like clouds drifting leisurely along a mountain range, Namgung Jun's azure sword swept through and disrupted the entire trajectory of Dong Gakho's attack.

"What?!"

Lofty Dragon Peak rapidly lost its strength, dispersing in every direction like scattered clouds.

Dong Gakho's eyes widened endlessly as he watched.

Shhhh!

After neutralizing the supreme technique head-on, Namgung Jun's sword intent changed completely.

The qi that had drifted like mist suddenly condensed.

A crushing heaviness emerged.

Boom!

Following a powerful stomp, Namgung Jun's sword rose high overhead before falling vertically.

KRAAASH!

The very air overturned beneath the descending blade.

The strike was so swift that Dong Gakho couldn't even react properly.

All he could do was desperately raise his sword in defense.

CLAAANG!

A heavy explosion of force erupted.

Dong Gakho's treasured sword flew upward.

It had been split cleanly in half.

At some point, Namgung Jun had reversed his grip on the hilt.

Using the flat of the blade, he smashed downward onto Dong Gakho's right shoulder.

CRACK!

Though he had struck with the back of the blade, the profound principles of the heavy sword were fully contained within the blow.

"AAAAAAAGH!"

The sound of shattering bone accompanied Dong Gakho's scream.

Clutching his shoulder, he collapsed to one knee.

"You! After doing this to me, do you think you'll leave Mount Song unharmed?!"

"This?"

Namgung Jun looked down at him.

"If this had been a real battle, you would already be dead."

Even Dong Gakho's furious threats failed to move him.

Instead, Namgung Jun openly placed the blade against his neck.

Only then did Dong Gakho finally stop talking.

"If you treat both your sword and your tongue so lightly, one day your life will become just as light."

Thud!

A strike to the chest knocked Dong Gakho unconscious.

Namgung Jun calmly retrieved the iron token from him.

"Hm."

Dong Gakho had clearly drawn his sword with considerable hostility.

Namgung Jun, however, felt no such animosity.

To him, wasting pride and mental energy on petty arguments was simply not worth it.

His eyes were fixed on far greater heights.

"Next."

As he spread his senses throughout the surrounding forest, interest began to appear in his eyes.

He could feel a presence approaching him in a straight line.

"Come to think of it, I've been curious about this one for a while."

A faint smile appeared on Namgung Jun's face.

Without hesitation, he stepped into Infinite Step and moved toward the approaching presence.