Chapter 129

Namgung Sang vs. Maeng Yeon-ho

"Huu!"

Namgung Sang caught his rough breath
and concentrated his mind.
The gazes of those around him,
who were looking at him, felt so hot
that they were stinging.

In the old days, his face would have turned red even at this level of attention, but now the situation had changed, and he had suffered too much to be so naive.

The surroundings were somewhat organized. The people who had been injured more than a certain degree by the fierce clash of both sides had already been carried away. The floor of the special duel stage was also tattered due to the influence of the sword waves. It was a sight that clearly showed how fierce the clash had been.

Now, the match was gradually narrowing down to a match between the leader and the leader.

Namgung Sang looked at the man who had given him defeat several times, the Thousand Hands Dragon, Maeng Yeon-ho.

Perhaps because of his winning record so far, there was still a sense of leisure in Maeng Yeon-ho's eyes. But he did not know that the current Namgung Sang was no exaggeration to say that he was a completely different person from the Namgung Sang of the past.

"For the sake of face, I can't just hand over the victory quietly. If you can, try to take it with your skills."

It was a story that he would surely win, at least for himself. And he was also confident.

"Anytime!"

Namgung Sang did not refuse. He received Maeng Yeon-ho's words with a dignified spirit, without being intimidated at all.

Now, perhaps because such things had become chronic, it was a calm state where he did not even feel his heart pounding.

As soon as Namgung Sang's words ended, Maeng Yeon-ho rushed in. A red sword ki, like plum blossom petals, stretched out from the tip of his sword towards Namgung Sang.

"Plum Blossoms Filling the Sky!"

As befitting the leader of the Azure Dragon Squad and the number one genius of the Mount Hua Sect, Maeng Yeon-ho's sword ki was splendid and sharp. It was also the ultimate form of the Plum Blossom Sword Method, which had given Namgung Sang defeat in a previous duel. Namgung Sang had to admit that his forms had become more precise, perhaps thanks to the teachings of the Ice Sword. But he was also not the Namgung Sang of the past.

"Hundred Thunders Flying Star Arrow!"

The true identity of Namgung Sang's beloved sword, Baekgong, was as if it were a dark cloud, and dozens of streams of thunder strikes stretched out from his sword like lightning.

It was a blow that was incomparably powerful to the past.

Block it if you can! It was Namgung Sang, who was coolly sending out a sword strike filled with that meaning. It was a much more aggressive offensive than before.

The male god of victory (in China, the god of war, Chiyou, is the god of war and victory. Of course, his gender is undoubtedly male) was increasingly showing favor to Namgung Sang.

No matter what unexpected result was derived from reality, one should not have any lingering feelings about that result.

Even if that result was something that one could never, even if one died, even if one's mouth was torn in half and one's stomach was cut in a cross, and even if one could never accept it from the heart, as long as one did not have the ability to change the past, no matter how unsatisfactory the result was, one had to accept it and abandon any lingering feelings about it. If one did not want to become pathetic.

If one could not do so, one would be bound by the shackles of that lingering feeling for the rest of one's life, unable to escape from the karmic field, and would suffer in the swamp of the sea of suffering.

But how could that be as easy as it sounded! Already here, there were those who could not accept the result that was so obvious.

Although they were putting forward various excuses, such as that their physical condition was bad on that day, that they were on the verge of starving to death because they had only eaten half a bowl of rice that morning, that they had suffered from diarrhea three times a day for 15 days, or that they had caught a cold because they had not covered their stomachs with a blanket the previous evening, as long as they could not change the past, it was a ferryboat that had already been missed.

"I... I can't accept it."

Maeng Yeon-ho said with a dazed expression. His voice was trembling severely.

"Even if you don't accept it, the reality that has already been decided will not change. Whether you accept it or not, even if you die, there is no change in the fact that we have defeated you!"

At Namgung Sang's firm words, Maeng Yeon-ho had nothing more to say. His mouth was stuck together as if it had been glued.

His sword was not very pleasant to look at, as its teeth had been chipped here and there from the clashes until just a moment ago. On the other hand, Namgung Sang's sword was fine, without any chipped teeth. There was not a single scratch.

Even if he looked around, he was the only one who was standing properly. The rest had either been defeated by being out of bounds, or had been carried away due to injury.

On the other hand, the Vermilion Bird Squad still had four more people left, including Namgung Sang, Hyeonun, Jin Ryeong, Tang Mun-hye, and Namgung Sansan.

These four were just standing quietly behind Namgung Sang. And the one who was now facing Maeng Yeon-ho head-on was Namgung Sang. Maeng Yeon-ho could well see that his appearance was, in its own way, showing consideration for him.

"Krrrrrrk! I can't believe it. H... how could you have defeated us?"

It was a natural question that an unexpected loser, who had not been scheduled, could have. In Maeng Yeon-ho's life plan, today's event could not have been anything but a very fatal flaw.

"Kukuk!"

Namgung Sang, with a bitter smile, answered the question of the Azure Dragon Squad leader, the Thousand Hands Dragon, Maeng Yeon-ho.

"Have you ever stood at the edge of a ten-thousand-zhang cliff where a strong wind is blowing? You should also stand at the end of a ten-thousand-zhang cliff where a bottomless pit is opening its mouth and giving a welcome greeting! It will feel strange. Then you will be able to do as I do. I guarantee it. But I want to advise you that it is better for your mental health to avoid such an experience as much as possible.

Do you understand? The reason you lost is because your attitude towards the fight was wrong from the beginning. The difference in that resolve has created this result today. In other words, it is by no means a coincidence, so there is no need to go to the trouble of sending resentment to the unfair heavens! Do you understand now?"

"R... resolve?"

Maeng Yeon-ho asked back with a face that still did not seem to understand.

"You still don't understand? We faced this battle with the resolve to die. It was a desperate resolve. On the other hand, how were you? Weren't you just in a complacent mindset of just protecting the fame you had maintained so far?"

"..."

Maeng Yeon-ho's mouth was shut like a clam. Namgung Sang's words, which were like a sharpened dagger, mercilessly dug into his chest. His face turned red with shame. There was not a single thing wrong with Namgung Sang's words.

A desperate resolve? That was not even a consideration from the beginning.

The Vermilion Bird Squad and the Azure Dragon Squad were different in their attitude towards the battle from the beginning. There was no way that the resolve of the Azure Dragon Squad, which had a complacent thought of just protecting their pride, and the resolve of the Vermilion Bird Squad, which was facing the battle with the feeling of a general who had put their life on the line and had set up a last stand, and who would win by any means necessary, would be the same.

The members of the Vermilion Bird Squad had clenched their teeth and had swung their swords with all their might. And as a reward, they had seized victory in their hands.

"We lost."

Finally, Maeng Yeon-ho sincerely admitted their defeat.

The winner might have been decided from the beginning of the match. Such a thought briefly passed through his mind. Maeng Yeon-ho's mouth quietly opened again.

"But I can't end it like this."

Namgung Sang could feel a firm resolve in his words.

"I understand! And we must also decide our winner and loser."

Namgung Sang nodded his head as if he understood.

For Maeng Yeon-ho, the defeat of the Azure Dragon Squad was as good as a fait accompli.

But even so, he could not just retreat quietly like this.

No one would interfere in the fight between the two of them. This was a duel between individuals, Namgung Sang and Maeng Yeon-ho, apart from the Azure Dragon Squad and the Vermilion Bird Squad.

Now, there was no hand anywhere that would stop them. The sword had already been drawn. They had no choice but to decide the winner themselves.

"Certainly, in terms of our attitude towards the battle, it seems to be our defeat. Besides, since the result is also like this, I can't save the face of my friends if I also lose to you."

It was a story that he would surely win, at least for himself.

Namgung Sang did not refuse. He was calm, without even a pounding heart.

"Anytime!"

As soon as Namgung Sang's words ended, Maeng Yeon-ho rushed in. A red sword ki, like plum blossom petals, stretched out from the tip of his sword. It was indeed an excellent sword ki, befitting a famous genius of the Mount Hua Sect.

And it was also a rain of flowers that decorated the end of this duel.

The cooperation and mutual connection of the Vermilion Bird Squad, which had been fully demonstrated in the group battle, had created a movement for them that was reminiscent of the structure and operation of a sword formation. They were already comrades who had gone through life and death together and had shared their pain.

"Did we finally win! It took longer than I thought. How weak... Still far from it, far from it!"

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was watching Maeng Yeon-ho rushing towards Namgung Sang, said as if in a monologue. It was an attitude that there was no need to watch the result of the fight anymore.

"Then how much will the winnings be?"

Bi Ryu-yeon had no intention of deceiving himself that he was more curious about the winnings for his insight, which would be coming back soon, than about the well-being of his disciples.