TL: FoodieMonster007

"Who do you think will win?"

"Isn't it obviously Senior Hyonwon Kang?"

"But Tang Soso is no pushover either. She's from the Sichuan Tang Clan and was first in her class at admission. Even if she seems a bit mad…"

"…Hey!"

The thoughtless student quickly shut his mouth at the warning glares from his teammates, then nervously glanced to the side.

Dokgo Jun, the Group Leader of Group One, stood with his arms crossed, watching the mock battle. Briefly turning to the student who had misspoken, he warned, " It's no secret that Soso has a quirky personality. She is, however, the Vice President of the Student Council and a junior I care about, so I don't like it when others talk about her behind her back."

"I'm sorry…"

Dokgo Jun gave the apologetic junior a reprimanding look, but just as the group's atmosphere was about to become awkward, he smiled gently and patted the junior on the shoulder. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Just be more mindful of what you say in the future."

"Y-Yes!"

Dokgo Jun looked around at his other teammates. "From now on, let's watch the two groups closely. They're our rivals for the semester, so analyzing them now will give us an advantage when we face them eventually. Now, what is our goal this semester?"

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""First Place!""

Dokgo Jun nodded in satisfaction. As the Student Council President, he was adept at navigating student relationships. That was why Group One had rallied around him and chosen their leader more quickly than any other group.

"Senior Dokgo, who do you think will win?" one of the Group One students asked.

"In a one-on-one duel, Hyonwon Kang will win. Soso definitely knows that too," Dokgo Jun replied immediately, as if the answer was obvious.

He turned to look at the two students battling furiously in the middle of the grand training ground.

SWISH!

A blade sliced through the air, grazing Tang Soso's side. At the same time, black arcs surged towards her from every direction in a dizzying display of straight and curved, thin and thick trails, all created by Hyonwon Kang's Black Dao.

Tang Soso's movements as she dodged the attacks were precarious. It was all she could do to avoid the barrage of blows, let alone counterattack.

Dokgo Jun unconsciously clenched his fists. Hyonwon Kang. You just keep getting stronger, surpassing my expectations every time.

Even watching from afar, he could feel a threatening presence, like that of a starving beast.

Hyonwon Kang attacked with enough ferocity to finish off Tang Soso in twenty moves, just as he had warned. None of the poison she scattered or the hidden weapons she fired could touch him.

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"To think Tang Soso would be pushed back this much…"

"Hyonwon Kang is overwhelming her one-sidedly."

The students murmured among themselves, surprised by the large disparity in strength.

Dokgo Jun, however, did not think the fight would end so simply. Smiling enigmatically, he remarked, "But you know… this is a team battle, not a one-on-one duel."

CLANG!

Hyonwon Kang frowned deeply as he deflected a hidden weapon flying from behind him without even looking. Tang Soso had used his momentary distraction to leap backward and create distance between them.

"Hey! Keep them in check properly!" he shouted at his teammates before lunging at Tang Soso again.

STOMP!

Leaving a distinct footprint on the ground, he shot forward like lightning.

However, the members of Group Five did not leave Hyonwon Kang alone. They had clearly divided their roles, with six of them keeping the Group Four students in check while three continuously threw hidden weapons at Hyonwon Kang.

"Damn it! Stop pestering me!" Hyonwon Kang roared angrily, dodging yet another projectile. The weapons flying from behind were constantly restricting his movements and interfering with his attacks.

Tang Soso grinned triumphantly. Before the mock battle began, she had given her teammates hidden weapons and taught them how to use them. This alone greatly increased their overall combat effectiveness.

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"Your strategy was to defeat me as quickly as possible and then take care of the rest, right, Senior?" Tang Soso mocked as she continued to evade Hyonwon Kang's blade. "My strategy was the exact opposite. While I keep you occupied, my group will subdue yours."

"Ha! Don't make me laugh." Hyonwon Kang snorted. "Three of your teammates have been throwing hidden weapons at me since the start. Do you think you can take on nine people with only six?

"Six united souls are stronger than nine unmotivated individuals."

"What nonsense is that? Why would we have no motivation?"

Tang Soso grinned and gestured toward the members of Groups Four and Five with her chin. "They were merely told to buy time while you handle everything. How seriously will they fight?"

"What?"

Suddenly, the Group Five students, who had been consistently on the defensive, shifted to the offensive.

BOOM!

It all began with a poison grenade. As black smoke rose, the Group Four students stumbled back in confusion.

"Poison!"

"Hold your breath!"

"Cough! Cough! It stings!"

Group Four quickly fell into pandemonium after inhaling the pungent poison smoke. Their movements were disorganized and lacked any sort of coordination.

Meanwhile, Group Five seized the moment and counterattacked all at once.

"Focus on combination attacks and take them down one by one!"

The tide of battle turned in an instant, and the confused Group Four members were subdued in succession.

"Uwaaah!"

"I-I surrender!"

The onlookers clicked their tongues in disapproval at the pathetic display.

Only Dokgo Jun smirked, as if he had known this would happen. "Soso is levelheaded and sees the big picture. She knows how to utilize all the cards she holds."

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Tang Soso, the Cold-Blooded Poisoner and strategist of the Student Council, hailed from the Sichuan Tang Clan, reputed to be the world's foremost experts in poison and hidden weapons. Furthermore, she was undoubtedly the most cunning tactician in the Azure Dragon Academy.

"When it comes to team battles, Tang Soso's group might be the strongest here. She is one of our biggest competitors," Dokgo Jun pointed out to his teammates.

All the students began to look at Tang Soso with wary eyes.

"You guys! Just hold on a little longer! I'm coming!" Hyonwon Kang yelled, becoming increasingly flustered as the Group Four students continued to fall helplessly. He tried to help his teammates, but Tang Soso kept getting in his way.

"Shouldn't you be worried about yourself, Senior?" Tang Soso giggled. Her movements with her dual daggers were much fiercer and more agile than before, as if pretending to be overwhelmed was part of her plan all along.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

"Fuck…!" Hyonwon Kang swore, his concentration wavering as he watched his teammates crumble. To make matters worse, the three Group Five students were still throwing hidden weapons at him.

"He's dodging almost all the hidden weapons even in that situation."

"It's like he's moving purely on instinct…"

"Tang Soso is amazing too. To think she'd turn the battle around like this."

As they watched the match, the students admired both Tang Soso's strategy and Hyonwon Kang's martial prowess.

Nevertheless, the outcome of the battle was already set in stone.

Hyonwon Kang's instincts, honed by endless beatings from his teacher, were indeed incredible. Currently, even Baek Suryong had to get a little serious to knock him out in one hit with the Black Dragon Pointer.

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Unfortunately, no matter how outstanding his individual skill was, this was a team fight.

"…This is a defeat brought on by Group Leader Hyonwon Kang's arrogance," Dokgo Jun evaluated coldly. "He may have judged he could decide the match alone, but his opponent was by no means a pushover."

His teammates, students from other groups, and even the instructors listening from afar nodded.

Most of the students who applied for this class were the Azure Dragon Academy's elite. No matter how much Hyonwon Kang had trained over the summer, it was impossible for him to face ten people all by himself, especially since that ten included Tang Soso. If that were possible, he would no longer be a student.

Suddenly, Dokgo Jun glanced at Wiji Cheon. The pint-sized boy was observing Hyonwon Kang's fight unblinkingly, as if he were envisioning how he would fight in his place.

If it were Wiji Cheon there instead of Hyonwon Kang though…

At this moment, that innocent expression could not have been more spine chilling.

"…I'll know when we fight," Dokgo Jun muttered, unconsciously placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. He had no intention of yielding the title of Sword Dragon to his junior yet.

Soon, the battle between Group Four and Group Five neared its end. Everyone in Group Four except Hyonwon Kang was either knocked out or had surrendered.

"Huff… huff…" Hyonwon Kang panted heavily. He was surrounded by all the Group Five members.

Tang Soso smiled sweetly. "You said you'd finish me off in twenty exchanges. I think it's been well over a hundred by now."

"……" Hyonwon Kang didn't answer. He was painfully aware that his misjudgment had cost him the victory.

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He had no intention of giving up like this, though.

"It's not over yet!" he snarled, reigniting his fighting spirit and changing his grip on his blade.

Huh? Baek Suryong narrowed his eyes slightly. It's a very subtle shift, but isn't that grip only used for that particular technique? Don't tell me that kid…

"Let's end this!" Tang Soso screamed, giving the order to attack.

The students surrounding Hyonwon Kang rushed in all at once. Swords, daos, spears, and hidden weapons rained down upon him like a turbulent storm, making Hyonwon Kang's martial arts uniform flutter madly.

Hyonwon Kang lowered his body, then spun like a top and swung his Black Dao. Generating a suction force with his blade, he pulled the weapons in like a magnet and then flung them away.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Tang Soso glared at Hyonwon Kang in frustration. She had thrown twenty hidden weapons, but only three of them had torn his collar. "You dodged that?" she mumbled.

Still, that wasn't the end of it. For a fleeting moment, all emotion disappeared from Hyonwon Kang's eyes.

FWOOSH!

The sky was dyed red from the aura Hyonwon Kang released.

The students, who were about to approach him again, froze like moths caught in a spider's web.

Hyonwon Kang grit his teeth. I'll show you the results of my vacation training!

Underneath the red sky, Hyonwon Kang unleashed the Asura Blood Heaven Blade.

SWOOSH!

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The weapons of the students closest to him were cut in half.

""…!!"" At that moment, the students caught in the Black Dao's trajectory foresaw their own deaths.

Hyonwon Kang gazed at them with emotionless eyes.

BOOOM!

A shockwave exploded in all directions, sending all the students close to Hyonwon Kang flying backward.

When the dust settled, Baek Suryong's tall figure came into view. Fortunately, he had grabbed Hyonwon Kang's wrist before the attack could hurt anyone. "HYONWON KANG!" he bellowed sternly.

"Ah…" Dazed, Hyonwon Kang blinked a few times, and emotion returned to his eyes.

Baek Suryong sighed softly, "I know you want to win, but don't use a technique you can't control yet."

"!!" Hyonwon Kang's face drained of color. "…I-I'm sorry. Guys, I'm really sorry. I got too excited…"

THUD!

Some of the students who had been pushed back collapsed to the floor. Their legs had given out.

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The other groups watching the mock battle were just as shaken. In fact, because they were observing from a distance, their shock was greater.

"What in the world…"

"W-What the hell was that just now?"

"Crazy…"

Hyonwon Kang's final blade technique was nothing short of extraordinary. Even the Five Young Azure Dragons, who trained with him daily at White Dragon Manor, were speechless.

Dokgo Jun muttered with a face as pale as if he had seen a ghost, "…So it wasn't just Wiji Cheon I had to worry about."

CLAP!

Baek Suryong clapped his hands to get the students' attention. "This mock battle is Group Five's victory!" he announced.

He called both groups over and evaluated their performance, highlighting what they did well and what they could improve on.

"Tang Soso demonstrated how to effectively combat enemies who depend heavily on one exceptional master. Other groups should learn from this."

"Thank you!" Tang Soso exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Though Hyonwon Kang's last-ditch attack was unnerving, her group ultimately won today.

"Hyonwon Kang. You were a selfish leader who relied only on your own martial arts skills. Even if you had won, you would have been the only one left alive. It is your group's defeat."

"…I will do better next time," Hyonwon Kang mumbled sullenly, bowing his head.

Baek Suryong didn't rebuke him further and nodded. "Now clean up and return to your places!"

Hyonwon Kang shuffled off drearily to tidy up the mess.

Baek Suryong silently watched the teenager walk away, lost in thought.

When did he learn the Asura Blood Heaven Blade?

He looked at the hand he had used to block Hyonwon Kang's strike. His palm was slightly grazed.

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Translator's Note: This is the last Baek chapter for the week. I'm working on Absolute Warrior next…