Chapter 122

The Final Match between Bi Ryu-yeon and Wi Ji-cheon

Finally, the day of the Three Sages Grand Battle final had dawned.
On this special and important day, before the dawn broke, Bi Ryu-yeon
had no connection whatsoever with actions such as waking up, praying to the gods of heaven and earth,
purifying his body with cold, clean water, and changing into new clothes to strengthen his resolve.

On the other hand, Wi Ji-cheon followed this process without leaving anything out. Because it was a very meaningful battle for him.

In the world, unbelievable things sometimes happen, surprising people. In the next moment, people either admire the capriciousness and absurdity of this world or curse it profusely. In that context, for the academy students, Bi Ryu-yeon's advance to the final of the Three Sages Grand Battle was something that should be called a trick of the gods.

Still, quite a lot of people came to watch this final, which was named a trick of the gods of heaven and earth. They had moved their steps not to see Bi Ryu-yeon, but to see the Swift Wind Sword Dragon, Wi Ji-cheon. Even so, it was a level that was incomparably meager compared to the final of the Sword Saint Exhibition. The passion of the Sword Saint Exhibition final had not yet subsided and was still dominating the atmosphere of the academy.

Today, Na Ye-rin, who was in the status of a spectator, had also come to watch and had taken a seat. It was to see Bi Ryu-yeon's match. Why had she come to see such a man's match again? Although she had arrived here and had taken a seat, she could not easily give an answer. It was not because of the letter that had been attached to the leg of the Uroe-mae that had flown in yesterday. She was someone who could ignore such a thing at any time. Hadn't the number of letters that had been disposed of by her hands already been countless?

Na Ye-rin herself, who had lightly dismissed it as 'just curiosity...', was surprised at her own attitude. Had she had any curiosity about others since that day? Absolutely not. She had lived with her heart cut off from her surroundings and human relationships, to the point where those around her were worried. But to have an interest now, it was considered an impossible thing.

As she approached, all the crowds parted to the left and right, making way for her. And then, everyone looked at Na Ye-rin, who was passing in front of them, once. With an ecstatic gaze..., as if they were happy just by looking...

For her, there were times when their gazes were not to her liking, and there were times when they were awkward. There were even more times when they were burdensome. This was especially true when the members of the Ice Phoenix Flower Guard were shamelessly chasing people away in front of her and making way, as they were now.

She could not understand why she was receiving such treatment just because of her beauty. Was beauty the only measure to evaluate a woman? She could not understand the minds of the creatures called men. There was no way the subtle senses of the animal called man would be understood by her. In that respect, she was too clean and pure.

Lee Jin-seol, who had followed her, had an expression of being happy to have easily obtained a good seat, and her senior sister, Dokgo-ryeong, was sticking to her side as if to guard her, with a cold expression as always. In Na Ye-rin's deep eyes, the figures of the two who were just going up on the duel stage were visible.

'I can't lose! I can't lose! I will never lose! I will never lose to such a greenhorn punk whose roots I don't even know. I will win and surely wash away the humiliation of that day.'

Wi Ji-cheon was shouting with a heart that was vomiting blood. He must not lose to such a greenhorn whose roots he did not even know, and moreover, in this situation where his idol and everything, the Ice Soul Phoenix, Na Ye-rin, was watching right in front of him..., he swore and swore that he must win, even if it meant dying.

'She is watching right in front of my eyes. If I lose even so, with what face will I live in this world? I don't have such courage. I will surely, surely win. I will show the results of the Hundred-Day Martial Practice here today! I will show you the power of a prestigious family that you can never imagine even in your dreams, the essence of the Qingcheng Sect of the nine great sects!'

This battle was a one-on-one match where his honor and face, which were more precious than life, were at stake. It was a match that he had to win, regardless of the reason. With a very stiff face, emitting a sharp gaze, and with a determined heart, Wi Ji-cheon held his sword. A pure white sword that shone with a white light...

The final decorators of the Three Sages Martial Festival, Bi Ryu-yeon and the Swift Wind Sword Dragon, Wi Ji-cheon...

As the Swift Wind Sword Dragon, Wi Ji-cheon's advance to the final was confirmed, all the academy students nodded their heads and took a posture as if it were a matter of course. And when they found out that the other one who had reached the final was the much-rumored first-year greenhorn, the Great Fortune, Bi Ryu-yeon, people mercilessly distorted their faces with a very strange expression and drew a question mark. Was that even possible, were they not joking now...

For Wi Ji-cheon, Bi Ryu-yeon's advance to the final was a fortunate thing, and it was also something he had been hoping for. He had been publicly humiliated in front of the woman he had loved with a burning soul, and if he could not make up for it now, how would he endure the shame that would torment him for a thousand years!

Therefore, knowing that Bi Ryu-yeon was participating in the Three Sages Martial Festival, he had abandoned his specialty, the sword, and had participated in this. Wi Ji-cheon seemed to want to claim that what he had suffered on that day, at that time, was clearly a mistake due to a moment of carelessness, and it was natural for Wi Ji-cheon to feel that way (it was still a question whether a careless punk had the energy to even emit a sword aura).

Bi Ryu-yeon looked at Wi Ji-cheon with strangely shining eyes. A rumor had been circulating that he had not been seen for a while, and he looked to see if he had been holed up somewhere and had been training a divine skill. Indeed, the momentum that was flowing from his body was different from that time when he had been slick. It felt like facing a well-honed sword. A joyful smile spread across Bi Ryu-yeon's lips. It was an opponent worth facing after a long time. In that case, should he put away the zither?

Looking at Bi Ryu-yeon, who was pondering this and that, Wi Ji-cheon smiled with satisfaction. It was a smile filled with poisonous energy and resentment. When he had first received the tournament bracket, he had been inwardly disappointed and worried. If that punk Bi Ryu-yeon was in a different field of competition, or if he were to lose in the middle before he could even meet him, he would not be able to meet him even if he reached the final, would he? If they could not meet, a revenge match could not be established. He himself was confident that he would, of course, continue to win and reach the final. It was a natural worry for Wi Ji-cheon, who was still suspicious of Bi Ryu-yeon's skills.

In such a situation, Bi Ryu-yeon had come up on the final stage in a perfectly fine state, as if to dispel his worries. Now was the time to show the results of the seclusion training that had been accompanied by bone-cutting pain.

"Finally, the time to repay the humiliation of that day has come. Be prepared!"

Wi Ji-cheon shouted in a voice full of tragic beauty. How long had he been waiting to shout this one word!

"What?"

But Bi Ryu-yeon, who had heard his voice filled with poisonous energy, asked back indifferently, as if it were water off a duck's back.

Ppudeudeuk!

It was a sound of grinding teeth that was so intense that it could be heard loudly even by Bi Ryu-yeon, who was more than 15 meters away. Wi Ji-cheon's eyes shone with a blue light. It was a fierce gaze that an ordinary person could not face even for a moment.

"I will return the humiliation I received that day to you tenfold today!"

"If you're confident, you should do so."

Even with Wi Ji-cheon in front of him, from whom killing intent and fighting spirit were mixed and were rising up, Bi Ryu-yeon was just leisurely. This leisurely attitude was rather provoking Wi Ji-cheon's double wick. He felt something welling up in his chest.

"How arrogant!"

"It's just reality."

The impulse to smash Bi Ryu-yeon's grinning face with a blow welled up in Wi Ji-cheon's chest.

"I'll make it so you can't say such words again. For her sake, you'll have to disappear."

A blatant killing intent was emitted from Wi Ji-cheon's whole body with great momentum. It was a tremendous killing intent that could not be seen in such a duel competition, and that was hard to consider as a duel competition. As if to sympathize with his killing intent, his sword began to emit a blue sword ki.

"That killing intent is as if he is facing a life-and-death enemy!"

Even the judges and old masters who were watching Wi Ji-cheon's thick killing intent could not help but be worried. In their eyes, the difference in skill between the two looked too great.

"Won't it be dangerous?"

The person who had spoken worriedly was the Iron-Blooded Heartless Sword, Gang Ha-yun, who was also the housemaster of the Sword Soul Hall. Now, Gang Ha-yun was worried about Bi Ryu-yeon's safety. It was an impossible thing for a casualty to occur in the Cheonmu Three Sages Martial Festival, which commemorated the Three Sages of Cheonmu. Such a thing had to be prevented by any means necessary.

"Shouldn't we stop it? Senior Brother!"

He cautiously spoke to the Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, who was the leader of the Heavenly Character Group and a member of the elders' council, the Wudang Sect's Hyeonhak Jin-in. As expected of a master, he had sensed the killing intent and fighting spirit that were being emitted from Wi Ji-cheon's body without restraint. It was natural for him, as the teacher in charge of the Heavenly Character Group, to be worried about the well-being of his disciple, Bi Ryu-yeon, whether he liked him or not.

The Swift Wind Sword Dragon, Wi Ji-cheon, was a genius among geniuses who had been making a name for himself for a long time. He was a child he knew well. It was an unknown whether that troublesome Bi Ryu-yeon could withstand such a genius. In fact, he had inwardly confirmed that it was almost impossible.

"It hasn't even started yet. Stop it? That's ridiculous."

The old master Mun Il-gi, who was watching from the side, said.

"Why would that child emit such a killing intent against a mere first-year student?"

"Well?"

There was no way anyone could give a ready answer. They all began to put their heads together and deliberate.

"Look there!"

Mun Il-gi pointed his finger at the duel stage.

"Oh! Excellent! To have such an achievement at that age!"

A bluish sword aura was rising more than 30 centimeters from Wi Ji-cheon's sword. It was a threatening appearance for anyone to see. All the martial arts masters who were watching forgot their worries for a moment and showed their satisfaction. They even felt proud.

"That child seems to be going all out! It's not too late now, shouldn't we stop it?"

Since Wi Ji-cheon had even shown his sword aura, the match was bound to become more fierce. With a sword aura, it was nothing to send a young life to the heavens in a moment of carelessness.

They might have to stop it before any more danger arose.

"No! The duel must continue! Let's proceed! Just force it!"

The person who had blocked the opinion to stop in a loud voice was none other than Yeomdo.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Yeomdo. It was Yeomdo, who had presented his opinion for the first time in this competition. After sweeping his gaze over the old masters who were looking at him with a puzzled look, Yeomdo spoke again.

"You don't have to worry! We can't just stop it out of fear, can we? Besides, if we stop the match like this, whose victory will it be?"

"Of course, that's..."

Gang Ha-yun, who was about to say 'Wi Ji-cheon!', shut his mouth tightly. It was before they had officially clashed. No matter how clearly they saw Wi Ji-cheon's victory in their eyes, they could not carelessly make a judgment. Besides, it seemed that the other side would not accept it easily. Especially at such a young age...

"Will the child named Bi Ryu-yeon be able to properly receive that Wi Ji-cheon's sword ki?"

Now, Gang Ha-yun was worried about the safety of Bi Ryu-yeon, who was also a student in his dormitory.

Yeomdo let out a chuckle.

"Who are you talking about? That punk named Bi Ryu-yeon? You don't have to worry about that punk. He's the kind of punk who will survive in any extreme situation! Let's just continue the match without worrying."

There was a line that Yeomdo had left out at the end.

'How nice it would be if he could be killed with just that.'

If so, he could have been cut down by his own hands in the past... Why had he made that useless promise and had put a shackle on his own neck... It was Yeomdo, who would jump up even in his sleep just thinking about that day.

'Please lose! Lose!'

In his view, Bi Ryu-yeon was not a punk who would collapse so simply and miserably. He was also a punk who had broken his saber by using a vile method. He could not think that he would lose. If he thought that Bi Ryu-yeon would lose here, wouldn't that mean that he was weaker than Wi Ji-cheon? That was a ridiculous story.

Although he could not say it out loud in front of the head of the academy and the elders, the one Yeomdo was rather worried about was not that Bi Ryu-yeon, but that Wi Ji-cheon, who was emitting killing intent without considering the front or back.

'Well, he wouldn't kill him, would he...?'

Yeomdo had no leisure to pray for his soul for a moment.

"Then let's resume the match!"

Mun Il-gi said.

"Let's do that. Cheon-i won't be without discretion!"

It seemed that Gang Ha-yun had something like a bean pod in his eye... It seemed to be because they were from the same Qingcheng Sect. Yeomdo was a little skeptical of Gang Ha-yun's opinion, but he did not refute it because it was annoying.

"Then, knowing that it has been decided, let's watch the match."

Finally, Hyeonhak Jin-in gave permission to start the match.

"Start the match!"

The decision of the judges' seat was made. And so, the duel stage became the property of only Wi Ji-cheon and Bi Ryu-yeon again.