His breathing became labored, and his fingers trembled slightly at the rapid heartbeat.

But this wasnt a particularly bad sign. It made no sense for someone about to fight to not be nervous.

At the very least, if one was a swordsman or someone with something to prove, they should take the competition seriously, regardless of what was at stake.

This was the most basic attitude that a sword user should have.

Phew.

Yoon Jong took a short breath and looked at Mu Yeon standing across from him.

He felt like this feeling he was experiencing had to be described as intimidation. It was worth it.

Wudangs first-class disciple.

A member of the Three Swords of Wudang.

None of those were light terms. Considering that Mu Yeon was a tough opponent for Yoon Jong.

But

Has there ever been a time when it wasnt much of a burden?

Just the thought of it felt funny.

The Mount Hua - Southern Edge conference was tough for him. He didnt even want to think about a fight against Wudang. In the fight against the Ten Thousand People clan, he had to risk his life, and in the North Sea, he realized his limitations.

It wasnt a path he chose, but he always had to fight against people who were too much to handle and were thrown into burdensome situations.

If a young bird tries to chase a stork, its legs will be torn.

He knew it. The fact that he wasnt a genius.

Just because he was in the Five Swords didnt mean he was as good as the others. Baek Cheon was a genius who needed no introduction, and Yu Yiseol was sometimes a monster, surpassing even Baek Cheon.

Chung Myung?

Even mentioning him made his mouth hurt.

And Jo Gul outshone him as well.

He didnt know what the others thought, but Yoon Jong knew for certain. His talent could not compare to theirs. He was just a cow running and breathing dust beneath the hawks and eagles in the sky.

If he let his guard down even a little, everyone would overtake him in the blink of an eye. Not just Jo Gul but the other third-class disciples, too.

He knew. He knew himself best.

You seem nervous.

At that time, Mu Yeon spoke softly.

Yoon Jong raised his head and faced him. As he thought about it, this place was just a venue to exchange spars and get to know each others swordsmanship. So, there was no need to conceal his feelings just because his opponent was from Wudang. He nodded.

Actually, quite a bit.

Hmm?

Mu Yeon looked at him with interest.

When the person youre fighting against says something like this, its common to pretend like nothing is wrong, even if its a bluff. But this young Taoist admitted his nervousness openly. Although it wasnt something of much importance, it somehow piqued his interest.

Theres nothing to be nervous about. If you can fully demonstrate your skills, wont the win or loss come naturally?

I certainly think thats right. But

The eyes of Yoon Jong held a shine in them.

I am in a position where I cannot take things that come naturally to me.

Oh?

Wasnt he calm yet bold?

Before this, the atmosphere had been entirely different because Jo Gul had turned all of Wudang into a mess.

Its shocking how different people feel even if they are just a sahyung.

How could all people be the same? Those who lived together for a long time, learned the same martial arts, and went through the same experiences tended to have similar ideologies.

But in the opinion of Mu Yeon, the nature of Mount Huas disciples was innately different.

If you were that worried, you wouldnt have chosen me as your opponent.

What would change if I did?

Hmm?

Mu Yeon opened his mouth as if he found it odd.

You make it sound like theres no difference between you, one of the Three Swords of Wudang, and any other first-class disciples of Wudang.

Yoon Jong shook his head.

I just wanted to tell you that no one will be easy for me.

Mu Yeon stared at him as he drew his sword.

He was quite interested, but this wasnt the time to talk. He showed kindness only after a brief conversation, but this favor would be repaid elsewhere.

Draw your sword.

Yes.

Let me warn you in advance. I am not an easy opponent. Give it your all against me.

Theres no need to tell me.

Srrrng.

The plum blossom sword slid out of Yoon Jongs sheath.

I have never failed to give my best in recent years.

He was always desperate.

To not fall behind, to not be overtaken.

Before their swords clashed in earnest, Yoon Jong turned his gaze toward the Mount Hua disciples.

Not to the Five Swords of Mount Hua, including Baek Cheon, nor the general disciples of Mount Hua, but specifically to where the Baek and third-class disciples were. Seeing their eyes fixed in his direction, Yoon Jong sighed softly.

This is too much for me.

The position of being the eldest of the third-class disciples.

This wasnt a role that Yoon Jong had specifically sought. It was just something that had naturally fallen to him due to his age and early initiation.

Of course, there had been a time when he enjoyed being the respected elder brother of the third-class disciples. But now, that fact weighed on his shoulders from time to time.

Being less talented and surpassed by the younger disciples, facing a monster-like younger disciple felt like a burden to him, who was just an ordinary person.

And yet

Despite this, there was one reason Yoon Jong couldnt comfortably give up.

Lets begin.

Yes.

Mu Yeon assumed his stance and raised Wudangs Sword. Yoon Jong also composed himself, performing the Mount Hua initiation ceremony. A brief moment of tension flared between them as they raised their swords.

Mu Yeon was the one to move first.

Pat!

Mu Yeon, who had briefly stepped off the stage, closed the distance in an instant and appeared right in front of Yoon Jong.

It was an incredibly swift thrust.

Kakang!

Yoon Jong urgently raised his sword and struck Mu Yeons sword down. Although he applied considerable force, Mu Yeons blade deftly absorbed the impact and stabbed at Yoon Jong again.

So fast.

No, it wasnt just the speed.

It was merely a brief exchange, yet it contained countless movements within the upward strike. Withstanding the horizontal force of the long sword was no easy task. But the moment their swords clashed, Mu Yeon skillfully dissipated the power from Yoon Jongs blow and used it to thrust his sword once more.

Grafting Flowers and Trees and Controlling the Strong.

A technique of ascension, which was difficult to execute properly in one go, had been layered.

This is Wudang.

A swordsmanship not found on Mount Hua. Hence, it was challenging to contend with and, as a result, not easily blocked.

However, Yoon Jong swiftly struck the sword, deflected the incoming blade, dodged it, and let it pass.

Lower!

Yoon Jong dropped his stance, evading the relentless sword once more. His firmly planted legs supported the upper bodys agile movements.

Thanks to this, he managed to avoid all the swords that lashed out at him with incredible speed, almost too fast for the eye to track.

In Mu Yeons eyes, Yoon Jongs movements were graceful and youthful.

Not bad.

Swish!

Simultaneously, Mu Yeons sword moved faster, just a bit faster.

Kakang!

Yet, Yoon Jongs sword remained steady. His technique was devoid of any superfluous movements.

It wasnt just about swinging rapidly; speed alone was insufficient if the swords trajectory was incorrect, as it would simply lead to wasted time.

Yoon Jongs sword traced the quickest possible path to meet his opponents blade.

So solid.

Mu Yeons face changed slightly. The sword of Jo Gul, which he had seen earlier, was swift, cheerful, and odd. But Yoon Jongs sword felt solid and faithful.

It feels closer to Wudangs sword.

Though it couldnt be considered a Gentle Sword, the essence wasnt that different. If Jo Guls sword was the wind, Yoon Jong was like a giant tree caught in it.

At this age

To build a solid foundation and lighten the upper body on the strong lower body sounded easy in words.

However, to achieve that, one must endure basic training to the brink of death. It wasnt something that could be completed by merely straining the body.

The key was to practice the same thing repeatedly for countless hours a day without stopping, even when no clear effects were seen.

How much training did it take to achieve such firmness at his age?

Ten thousand swings a day? Any aspiring warrior can do that.

But how many people in the world could sustain those 10,000 swings for 10 days, 100 days, or 1,000 days?

Mu Yeons gaze shifted to Yoon Jongs hand. As expected, his palm, which was just visible, was covered with calluses.

Good!

Mu Yeon felt a surge of excitement as he swung his sword.

Chaccck!

From the tip of his sword, a water-like sword qi flowed out like a river. The clear blue sword qi rushed toward Yoon Jong.

This rapid transition from a quick sword to a sword technique and eventually to a heavy sword should have been shocking, but Yoon Jong didnt seem concerned at all.

Chaaak!

Yoon Jongs sword, which was held at an angle, contained the sword qi and redirected Mu Yeons sword qi to the side.

Chak!

It was a matter of releasing as much force as possible without resisting. But it wasnt possible to let it all go.

Crack!

Yoon Jongs feet dug into the tiles. The hand holding the sword trembled now.

The power of the flowing water broke the rocks and changed the land. Its explosive strength lasted only a moment, but the relentless force that kept coming was not the end.

Kuak!

Yoon Jong gritted his teeth as he pushed the sword away and pulled his body to the side. However, as if Mu Yeon had predicted his move, he rushed forward and hit Yoon Jong with his shoulder.

Thud! Thud!

Yoon Jong was thrown back without a chance to defend, like a drum being struck.

Thud!

Yoon Jong had to bounce off the ground several times, spun around, and drove the sword into the tile before he was bounced back again.

Kakakak!

After being pushed away for a while, he quickly regained his stance, and a trickle of blood flowed down his lip, but his eyes hadnt changed at all.

Wonderful.

Mu Yeon truly admired this.

Wudang was a sect of the Justice faction, a place that pursued the pure and righteous sword.

To the extent that Wudang focused more on the basics than any other sect in the world. Wudang was a place where one didnt act foolishly by ignoring the basics in favor of close enlightenment.

But the foundation of the swordsman called Yoon Jong in front of him didnt feel like that.

I will apologize for looking down on you.

From now on, I will do my best, so try to take the attacks head-on.

Yes!

Here I come!

Tat!

Mu Yeon hit the ground once again and flew towards Yoon Jong with the light movement of a butterfly. His sword drew multiple sword forms, and a white hue flowed out from his left hand, which drew a circle as he rushed at Yoon Jong.

Yoon Jong, who had maintained his form throughout the fight, was wide-eyed at this.

Two martial arts at the same time?

Numerous sword forms and a palm technique made their way to Yoon Jong.