Shinyonggwan possessed a wide variety of facilities.
That was only natural for a place filled with martial artists.
The first floor of the lodgings had been converted into a training hall.
There was also a dining hall capable of accommodating a large number of people.
And, supposedly, there was even a place for those who might one day enter closed-door cultivation.
Rumor had it that monsters were being raised underground for training purposes.
Ah, for the record, that was not a rumor but the truth.
When I discovered the underground level in my previous life,
it had actually been swarming with monsters.
Behind Shinyonggwan lay a vast plain as well.
It was a place for group training.
Each group consisted of as few as ten people, or a little over twenty at most.
In other words,
the plain was wide enough to accommodate all of them and still have room to spare.
That same plain
was now filled with the inner energy released by the martial artists.
Despite the freezing winter weather,
the heat from their evaporating sweat made the surroundings feel sweltering.
Huff!
Their bodies moved without pause,
and the sound of friction rang out.
More than a dozen people were moving endlessly across the plain without a moment’s rest.
And at the center of it all,
the deputy commander of the Azure Dragon Unit,
the master known as the Righteous Heaven Blue Fist, was facing a large number of opponents at once.
Boom! The ground trembled.
It was the impact created when Cheol Hwan-o stomped on the earth.
Because of it, one of the young martial artists charging at him lost his balance, and his stance collapsed.
Cheol Hwan-o did not miss the opening and swung his hand.
Bang!
“Gah!”
When Cheol Hwan-o’s enormous hand struck the young martial artist,
he was sent flying through the air and crashed into another young martial artist.
The already scant coordination between the young martial artists collapsed entirely.
Even though several of them were fighting a single opponent,
the battlefield was a complete mess.
It might have been because the martial artist known as Cheol Hwan-o was simply that strong.
But judging from the situation, the others were still clumsy in many ways.
And Cheol Hwan-o had known from the beginning that things would turn out this way.
In fact, it was more accurate to say he had proceeded precisely because he knew.
Flowing around the attacks surging in from every direction,
Cheol Hwan-o rolled his eyes.
‘There are four of them who show proper form.’
Amid the countless currents of inner energy,
there were four whose presence felt notably neat and orderly.
That was the number Cheol Hwan-o had identified.
‘But they’re still only at the level of young martial artists.’
Of course.
Even for Cheol Hwan-o,
facing more than a dozen young martial artists ranging from the second-rate to the first-rate at once would be difficult.
However,
fighting people who had never before experienced coordinating with a group was another matter entirely.
Their hands and feet did not move in sync, leaving an unusual number of openings.
All it took was identifying one of those openings and tapping it.
The tower would come crashing down.
A poorly built tower was bound to collapse from even the slightest impact.
Look at them now.
Since their movements did not mesh, they were a complete disaster.
In the midst of it all,
one of the young martial artists broke through an opening and flew in.
He was a large man with black hair.
It was a face Cheol Hwan-o remembered.
‘Pae U-cheol.’
A glint entered Cheol Hwan-o’s eyes.
He was one of the four he had been keeping an eye on.
Amid the chaotic situation,
Pae U-cheol had used the disorder to his advantage and broken through.
He had already reached the space directly before Cheol Hwan-o.
Using his firmly rooted lower body as a fulcrum,
Pae U-cheol’s waist delivered a recoil.
The moment inner energy filled his heavy fist,
Pae U-cheol thrust it forward. The movement was clean, and his skill was considerable.
However.
“That’s a shame.”
This was Pae U-cheol’s mistake.
He had approached an opponent with an overwhelming difference in level head-on,
in a situation where none of his companions could assist him.
His excitement and fighting spirit had gotten the better of him, and he seemed not to have assessed the situation properly.
Crack!
“!”
The inner energy contained in Pae U-cheol’s fist shattered with a single movement of Cheol Hwan-o’s hand.
Before the energy in his fist broke apart and scattered,
Pae U-cheol had not even seen how Cheol Hwan-o moved.
And then, immediately—
Boom!
“Urgh!”
An impact struck Pae U-cheol in the abdomen.
It was Cheol Hwan-o’s blow, and the instant it landed, inner energy erupted and sent a shock wave through him.
Unable to withstand it, Pae U-cheol was sent flying a considerable distance backward and had to roll across the ground.
Not long after the monster hunt began, with the instructor playing the role of the monster and the young martial artists cooperating to bring it down,
half of the young martial artists who had started together were lying on the ground,
while those who had barely managed to regain their stances were drenched in cold sweat.
Their gazes wavered.
They seemed unable to understand how this could have happened.
Watching them, Cheol Hwan-o had to suppress a small laugh.
‘The eyes of fledglings.’
This would be a new experience for them.
They had never truly experienced the Central Plains.
Nor had they ever given much thought to the existence of monsters.
Meanwhile, he saw Pae U-cheol, who had been sent flying a considerable distance,
rising to his feet while clutching his abdomen.
“Ptooey!”
The way he spat roughly onto the ground showed that the fire in his eyes had not yet died.
‘A rough one.’
Not bad.
A martial artist ought to be like that.
But from the instructor’s perspective, the arrogance these young martial artists possessed
was best crushed at the very beginning.
‘The world won’t let you live while acting like that.’
The young martial artists who came to Shinyonggwan
were those who had grown up pampered within their cages.
Most were fledglings who possessed outstanding talent, had received endless support from their clans or sects,
and believed that the entire world belonged to them.
That had to be shattered from the start.
That was Cheol Hwan-o’s way.
Cheol Hwan-o had served as an instructor at Shinyonggwan several times.
He had likely started sometime after turning thirty.
Although he had not acted as an instructor for the past several years,
he had returned when the opportunity arose.
If he was going to do it, he might as well do it properly.
That was Cheol Hwan-o’s resolve.
‘This year’s group is of good quality.’
Feeling the tingling in his fist, Cheol Hwan-o thought.
They were a class with an unusual number of prodigies and geniuses, enough to be called the Generation of Falling Stars.
As if to prove it, the young martial artists under his charge were exceptional as well.
‘…And that one was here too.’
Amid the inner energy filling the surroundings, mingled with the air,
through the gaps in the heat vanishing into the wind,
beyond the exhausted young martial artists groaning in pain,
Cheol Hwan-o sent his gaze toward someone.
Toward the one who had not moved at all throughout the process, standing still as though merely observing.
‘The True Dragon, Gu Yangcheon.’
The last Dragon of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes,
a young martial artist who was watching the situation from afar as though it were interesting.
He was probably among the younger members of this group, perhaps even of all Shinyonggwan.
Even while dealing with the other young martial artists,
Cheol Hwan-o kept his sense of presence trained on Gu Yangcheon.
‘Why?’
The question continued to resurface.
Why was Gu Yangcheon standing there without doing anything?
‘Was the display he showed earlier merely youthful bravado?’
Just before the first training session began,
Cheol Hwan-o recalled what Gu Yangcheon had said to him.
—Can’t I do it alone?
A young martial artist who had arrogantly provoked him.
It had been an obvious provocation,
but perhaps because it had come from someone who had not even lived half as long as he had,
Cheol Hwan-o had nearly lost his reason and answered the challenge.
Still, he had held himself back.
Cheol Hwan-o was an instructor.
He could not allow himself to be baited by such a trivial provocation.
However.
‘I had intended to teach him a lesson.’
Cheol Hwan-o was only human, and he could not simply let it pass.
He had planned to make Gu Yangcheon an example during this training session.
Even a young martial artist of the arrogant Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes
had to be shown that there was nothing he could do against an instructor.
Only then would the other students come to their senses.
And then—
‘The young master said he had been spending time with the True Dragon lately.’
That was the reason Cheol Hwan-o had accepted the position of deputy commander of the Azure Dragon Unit
and returned to the instructor’s post he had left behind.
Cheol Jiseon.
‘What could the young master be thinking?’
He had heard that the young master had passed the third test together with the True Dragon.
The image of his young master saying that he would not accept Cheol Hwan-o’s help flashed through his mind.
Although he had entered as an instructor,
unfortunately, Cheol Hwan-o had been unable to offer that kind of assistance.
Thus, Cheol Jiseon’s passing had been a relief.
‘What is that boy thinking?’
Regardless,
Cheol Hwan-o still had not figured out what kind of person this young martial artist named Gu Yangcheon was.
A genius who had reached the Peak Realm at an age young enough to be recorded in history.
The boy called the greatest star among the falling stars
was merely silently
observing his companions as they fell.
Had he been frightened by an unexpected display of strength?
That could not be it.
From what Cheol Hwan-o had seen, Gu Yangcheon did not give that impression.
‘He was said to be at the Peak Realm.’
When he had first examined the students,
he remembered the moment he had turned his gaze toward Gu Yangcheon.
‘I could not see it.’
In other words, he could not read Gu Yangcheon’s realm.
Even when Cheol Hwan-o’s presence and fighting spirit filled the room,
he remembered how Gu Yangcheon had looked entirely unaffected.
‘Could he truly be at the same realm as me?’
Cheol Hwan-o was a fully mature Peak Realm expert,
a level known as the very end of the Peak Realm.
He stood on the threshold of the Transformation Realm,
and it had been five years since he reached this state.
Not all Peak Realm experts were the same.
Even so—
‘…A fledgling who hasn’t even reached twenty at the same realm as me.’
And on top of that, he had even provoked him by claiming that he could win if he fought alone.
‘It seems I was looked down on quite a bit.’
His fighting spirit began to rise little by little.
Just as the other young martial artists began to shrink back from the pressure,
“Gu Yangcheon.”
Cheol Hwan-o called out to him.
“Yes.”
Gu Yangcheon, who had still been watching with apparent interest,
answered the instructor lightly.
“Why are you merely watching the other students?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
“The purpose of this training is to hunt a monster. Are you just going to watch your companions fall?”
“The monsters I know can’t talk. How strange. You’re doing it so well.”
Crack.
For an instant, his expression nearly crumpled.
‘What appalling manners.’
So he was the Sword Phoenix’s younger brother. He really was her spitting image.
“Are you insulting your instructor, student?”
“No. I was merely being considerate because you called this training.”
“Considerate?”
“Yes.”
Gu Yangcheon smiled as he spoke.
It was a smile so obviously laden with emotion that everyone nearby could tell
it was a mocking smile.
“If I join in, the training will become too easy, won’t it?”
“…Ha.”
Was he still reacting like that?
He was truly arrogant and full of himself.
‘People his age are all like that, but…’
Perhaps it was especially so because he had received so much attention from the world lately.
On top of that, he bore the title of the True Dragon
and was being called the youngest person ever to reach the Peak Realm.
He could hardly help acting that way.
However, he had chosen the wrong opponent.
‘I ought to correct those manners of his right now.’
Cheol Hwan-o would be serving as that boy’s instructor for half a year.
He had no intention of gradually correcting him over that time.
He would end it now. That would make things easier from here on.
“Student.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Do you think the world belongs to you? The way you behave is like that of a frog in a well.”
“Ribbit, ribbit.”
“…”
“That was a bit much, wasn’t it? I apologize.”
It was rare for Gu Yangcheon to apologize, but his words did not reach Cheol Hwan-o.
It was already too late.
“Student Gu Yangcheon.”
“Yes.”
“You claim to be so confident, so let us make a wager between instructor and student.”
“A wager?”
“Yes. A wager.”
“What sort of wager?”
Gu Yangcheon, who had been standing still until now, finally showed interest.
At that, Cheol Hwan-o raised three fingers.
“I will give you three exchanges.”
“Oh?”
“If your attack reaches your instructor within those three exchanges, you win.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
“Why? If you’re afraid now…”
“During that time, will you attack or counterattack as well, Instructor?”
“…?”
What was he talking about?
He had clearly said he would give him three exchanges. What did that question mean?
Seeing Cheol Hwan-o’s expression, Gu Yangcheon spoke as though somewhat relieved.
“Ah, sorry. I’ve had this sort of thing happen to me quite a lot, so I just wanted to make sure.”
“…I see.”
It was a puzzling reaction.
What kind of madman would claim to be giving someone a chance to exchange blows, only to attack them anyway?
‘There’s no way such a madman exists.’
And if there were, he certainly would not be a member of the orthodox sects.
What kind of person bearing the name of the orthodox path would pull such a despicable stunt?
As Cheol Hwan-o was thinking this,
Gu Yangcheon asked him,
“I understand the conditions, but since you called it a wager, what do I get if I succeed?”
“That won’t happen, but is there anything you want?”
“Hmm…”
The way he appeared to be seriously considering it was absurd.
After pondering for a moment, Gu Yangcheon soon found an answer and told Cheol Hwan-o,
“Then please excuse me from morning training.”
“…Ha.”
Cheol Hwan-o could only let out an incredulous, hollow breath at those words.
A martial artist—and not just any martial artist, but a student who had entered the Divine Dragon Hall.
He was asking to be excused from training.
It was an utterly absurd situation.
“For the half year that you’re in charge of this group, could you leave me out of training during that time?”
“…You really must think very little of me.”
“Not particularly. You said this was a wager, didn’t you?”
“Fine. Then, in the event that this instructor wins instead….”
“Do whatever you want. I’ll accept anything.”
Snap.
At Gu Yangcheon’s attitude, as though this were all a bother.
Cheol Hwan-o finally felt something in his reason snap.
His expression crumpled completely.
That was nothing less than treating him, his instructor, with utter contempt.
‘Very well. If you’re so eager to meet your end, then I, your instructor, will teach you about the world.’
Whoooosh!
A heavy battle aura poured from Cheol Hwan-o’s body.
It was entirely different in quality from the aura he had released while gathering the young martial artists and pouring it out before them.
Faced with the battle aura emitted by a martial artist who had reached the mature Pinnacle Realm, the young martial artists who had been exhausted and lying on the ground, as well as those watching from nearby, began to retch.
The killing intent mixed into the battle aura was simply too strong.
If it had been an ordinary young martial artist.
Cheol Hwan-o would not have done this.
He would have exercised some degree of restraint.
But in the face of Gu Yangcheon’s attitude, Cheol Hwan-o simply could not endure it.
He hoped Gu Yangcheon would feel it.
That even if they had both reached the Pinnacle Realm, they were not entirely equal.
That there were other worlds beyond this one.
“Come.”
Cheol Hwan-o spoke with shining eyes.
Yet Gu Yangcheon merely continued to stand where he was.
He gazed at Cheol Hwan-o with an enigmatic expression as he spoke.
“Why are you standing there? Have you lost your nerve, student?”
No matter that he had reached the Pinnacle Realm.
Their levels had to be different.
It was only natural that he could not move like that.
Seeing this, Cheol Hwan-o raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said,
“Even now, if you realize your mistake and apologize, I may be willing to let this pass….”
“This should be enough. It’ll be close.”
“…?”
Gu Yangcheon cut off Cheol Hwan-o, who had been trying to show him mercy.
Just as Cheol Hwan-o was about to ask what he meant.
Gu Yangcheon raised his palm toward the sky and quietly whispered to himself.
“Flame Prison.”
“…!”
It was a stance and a word he had heard before.
During the previous examination, the story had spread widely among the instructors.
The tale of how the area around the examination grounds had been swept up and reduced to chaos by the secret art wielded by the Gu Clan’s True Dragon.
They said its power had been something no one at the Pinnacle Realm should have been able to display.
‘Could it be?’
The instant that thought crossed his mind.
Fwoooosh!
Flames shot out around them in an instant, sweeping across the area and tearing open cracks in the ground.
The battle aura and killing intent Cheol Hwan-o had released in all directions were swallowed by the flames and drawn inward.
Where?
Straight into Gu Yangcheon’s palm.
The sizzling flames swirled violently as they rode the wind, sweeping up even the internal energy of others before gathering it all into one place.
‘This is absurd…!’
The energy was so powerful that merely looking at it made his skin prickle.
Only then did Cheol Hwan-o realize that his assessment had been wrong.
That was not the power of an ordinary Pinnacle Realm expert.
It was not energy that someone at such a level could release.
‘Is he planning to detonate it?’
He had long since forgotten his promise to go easy for three exchanges.
If he really released that thing around them right now—
‘There’s no way I can block it like Sword Empress did.’
At Cheol Hwan-o’s level, he could not protect the young martial artists.
He drew internal energy into his legs.
He had to stop that first.
Bang—!
Dust erupted from the ground, and amid the sound of something splitting the air.
Cheol Hwan-o shot forward.
His speed was astonishing.
Reaching Gu Yangcheon’s vicinity took no more than an instant, yet to Cheol Hwan-o, that time felt like an eternity.
‘Can I stop it?’
How wide would the area of effect be if it exploded?
How powerful would the backlash be if he blocked it head-on?
If he forcibly stopped it right now, how much damage would Gu Yangcheon suffer?
Countless calculations flashed through his mind.
But no conclusion emerged.
If all else failed.
Cheol Hwan-o intended to block it with his own body.
He reached the space directly before Gu Yangcheon and thrust out his hand.
The arm wrapped in astral energy struck out at tremendous speed, reaching the position he wanted in an instant.
But—
Whoosh!
“…What!”
Cheol Hwan-o’s hand swept through empty air.
Gu Yangcheon had moved aside and dodged.
Cheol Hwan-o’s eyes flashed.
He had reacted to that speed?
His surprise lasted only a moment.
There was no time to be surprised now.
This time, it was Cheol Hwan-o whose reaction had been slow.
His hurried movement had caused his posture to break down slightly.
Because of that, he was a little late in twisting his body.
Gu Yangcheon did not miss the opening.
He immediately brought the palm holding the red sphere right before Cheol Hwan-o’s eyes.
Clench!
He simply closed his hand into a tight fist.
The instant he clenched his fist.
A gust of pressure swept out, sending Cheol Hwan-o’s hair fluttering.
“Hup!”
Expecting an explosion, Cheol Hwan-o squeezed his eyes shut and drew up his astral energy, wrapping it around the surrounding area.
He meant to reduce the range of the detonation.
But—
“…?”
Strangely, the energy Cheol Hwan-o had expected did not surge forth.
He had expected scorching heat to engulf his entire body.
Yet around Cheol Hwan-o, only a cool breeze was blowing.
Then.
He felt a small touch against his chest.
Wondering what had happened, he looked down.
Gu Yangcheon had lightly placed the tip of his fist against Cheol Hwan-o’s chest.
At that sight, Cheol Hwan-o’s mouth gradually fell open.
Gu Yangcheon looked at his face and said,
“I caught the monster.”
With that, he smiled in satisfaction.