CHAPTER 370: WHO WILL WIN?

TL: FoodieMonster007

After the unexpectedly intense mock battle between Groups Four and Five wrapped up, Baek Suryong gave the students a fifteen-minute break. Those who had watched the fight were more hyped up than he had expected, so it was necessary to let them cool down a bit.

"What on earth did you teach Hyonwon Kang, Hyung-nim?" Ak Yeonho asked incredulously, sidling up to Baek Suryong.

The other instructors gathered around as well, their expressions just as astonished as the students, and it wasn't solely because of the blade technique that Hyonwon Kang had displayed was powerful.

"…The blade technique that Hyonwon Kang just used is way too dangerous," Myeong Il'oh remarked.

"His killing intent was overwhelming. It was like…" Jaegal Soyeong trailed off.

Still, the gathered instructors could guess her unspoken words, since they were all thinking the same thing.

It was like an unorthodox martial art.

In fact, as soon as Hyonwon Kang began executing the Asura Blood Heaven Blade, the instructors had sprung into action, but only Baek Suryong had reacted swiftly enough to stop the attack.

"If Mr. Baek hadn't intervened, several students would have been seriously injured," Kwak Duyong muttered, his face pale.

The other instructors nodded in agreement. It was terrifying to imagine what would have happened if Baek Suryong also reacted late.

Baek Suryong nodded, acknowledging his colleagues' concerns. "I taught him that martial art, but it was a mistake to let him use it before he completed it… I will strictly warn him against using it recklessly in the future."

Despite his words, though, he too was shocked by what Hyonwon Kang had done.

That punk Wonkang is learning the Asura Blood Heaven Blade much faster than I expected.

Martial arts embodied the spirit and will of the martial artists who created them. Even a simple technique like a sword thrust differed greatly depending on the master's instructions.

For instance, one master might say, "Thrust as if you are piercing a rock," while another said, "Thrust as if you are penetrating a falling raindrop." The result would be two completely different sword techniques.

Baek Suryong recalled the illusion of the sky turning red. That was a reflection of the will contained in the Asura Blood Heaven Blade, created by the Crazy Demon Hyonwon Hu.

To think Wonkang can already reproduce that.

As it was a martial art imbued with the spirit and will of the peerless Crazy Demon, he expected it would take Hyonwon Kang a few more years to reach that level.

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Of course, Hyonwon Kang hadn't executed the technique perfectly. If he had, not even Baek Suryong would have gotten away with just a grazed palm. However, the demonstration just now showed that Hyonwon Kang had grown far beyond his expectations.

He looked down at the scraped skin on his palm.

Someday, he might even surpass Master Crazy Demon… but for now, he shouldn't use it carelessly.

The Asura Blood Heaven Blade was an extremely difficult martial art to control until one reached a certain level, because it required one to fuse their killing intent into the blade. If Hyonwon Kang wasn't careful, he could lose control and end up walking a similar path to his ancestor, who became a public enemy of the murim in the process of completing the Asura Blood Heaven Blade.

Not that I'll let that happen.

Even now, many students were eyeing Hyonwon Kang with a mixture of wariness, competitiveness, and fear. Spotting the student who seemed most excited, Baek Suryong smirked faintly.

As expected, that kid is fired up.

Even though Wiji Cheon was talking with his group members, he surreptitiously glanced at Hyonwon Kang from time to time with a gaze quite different from usual. Rather than admiration or surprise, he appeared to be assessing a potential rival.

Furthermore, his fingers constantly fiddled with his sword, as if he were unconsciously measuring the distance between himself and his opponent.

Baek Suryong could understand how Wiji Cheon felt.

He's finally starting to realize that Wonkang is a threat.

He looked around. The students of the White Dragon Manor, along with Dokgo Jun, Tang Soso, Yoo Yiran, and others, all seemed to harbor a determined fire in their eyes. Hyonwon Kang's exceptional martial arts prowess had undoubtedly stimulated them as well.

Baek Suryong turned back to the instructors. "What do you think about this atmosphere?"

"…It's incredibly heated.

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"I hope the mock battles don't escalate too much…"

Baek Suryong nodded. "Our job is to stop them before that happens."

After the short break ended, the students gathered again in the center of the grand training ground. Unlike before, the students, especially the group leaders, had a different air about them.

Baek Suryong smirked faintly. The first mock battle had stoked the students' competitive spirit, and most groups had held strategy meetings during the break. Now, the way they looked at the groups they would soon face was completely different.

This is much better.

"I know you're all anxious to get started, but as you saw in the first match, overexcitement can be dangerous," he warned sternly. "From now on, using a lethal technique will result in a point deduction on the first offense and disqualification on the second. Do not let your desire to win blind you and compel you to use martial arts you cannot control."

""Yes!"

The students answered energetically, while Hyonwon Kang bowed his head in shame.

"Then we will resume the mock battles." Baek Suryong looked at two groups that had been warming up for a while. "Groups Seven and Nine, step forward!"

Geo Sangwoong was the leader of Group Seven. Their strategy was to form a formation centered around him, the largest student at the Azure Dragon Academy, and charge at the opposing group as soon as the mock battle began.

"Hyaaah!"

Overwhelmed by the opponent's sheer ferocity, Group Nine struggled to mount an effective defense despite having anticipated the simple tactic. The reality was nothing like what they had imagined. Geo Sangwoong's mere presence evoked the image of a huge boulder hurtling down a mountain.

"D-Dodge!" The leader of Group Nine, who was supposed to block Geo Sangwoong with two teammates according to the plan, unconsciously dived to the side under the crushing pressure.

The group members standing behind him turned deathly pale, suddenly exposed to Geo Sangwoong's advance.

"Coward!"

"Group Leader, you son of a bitch!"

KWAAAAAANG!

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Their formation scattered, and Group Nine quickly fell to Geo Sangwoong's charge. Two students were sent flying, and within five minutes, Group Seven had completely decimated the confused Group Nine.

The mock battle ended so quickly that it was almost boring.

"Hey, Group Leader! We lost because of you!"

"Why didn't you block him?!"

The instructors shook their heads as they watched the members of Group Nine fight among themselves after being defeated.

"The matchup wasn't good. The open space was too advantageous for Group Seven."

"Would the result have been different in a forest guerrilla battle?"

"Geo Sangwoong is big, so moving quietly would be impossible for him. His complexion is also unusually pale for a man…"

"He's unbelievably fast on his feet, though."

The instructors exchanged opinions as they closely observed the mock battle between the two groups. For the rest of the semester, the students would fight in numerous environments and situations, and today's mock battle was just the beginning.

Of course, victory was always sweet.

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"Uooooooh!" Geo Sangwoong roared, raising his gauntleted fists to the sky like a bear rearing its front paws.

Baek Suryong clicked his tongue. "What the hell is with his body? His endurance has already surpassed what should be possible for a student."

Although Geo Sangwoong's body was a moderate combination of muscle and fat, making him look slow, he was surprisingly flexible and fast. Furthermore, in terms of defense and sheer toughness, he surpassed Ya Suhyeok.

Most importantly, he was much more intelligent than his appearance suggested.

"I wasn't quite expecting him to continuously send telepathic messages during the battle, commanding the fight calmly even as he fought in the thick of it."

"Yeah, despite his looks, he's not one to get easily worked up and act rashly."

"Once again, we need to remind ourselves never to judge a person by their appearance…"

"U-Um, Instructors? We can hear you…"

Overall, the instructors considered Group Seven to be a top contender. There were no other particularly outstanding students besides Geo Sangwoong, but his team was balanced overall, with a good mix of offense- and defense-oriented fighters.

"Next, Groups Two and Three, come forward," Baek Suryong announced.

The third mock battle was a confrontation between Group Two, led by Ya Suhyeok, and Group Three, led by a student named Gun Sojin.

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"Group Two is all men?"

"Well, the male-to-female ratio at the academy is skewed to begin with, but…"

"Still, what bad luck."

The watching students gazed at Group Two with pity, but the boys in Group Two seemed unconcerned… or at least they pretended to be.

"CHAAAARGE!"

""UWOAAAAH!""

The beefy muscleheads of Group Two rushed into battle, brandishing all kinds of big, scary weapons.

Baek Suryong sighed. Ya Suhyeok was accustomed to fighting alongside his 'family, ' but…

"…Anyone can see they're a bunch of bandits,"

Although the sophomore twins of the Student Council, Yoo Geon and Yoo Gon, were also in Group Two, Ya Suhyeok, a freshman, had won over the Azure Dragon Academy boys with his charisma. Moreover, the twins didn't seem resentful at all, instead firmly supported Ya Suhyeok's left and right flanks.

Group Three fought valiantly, but eventually, they succumbed to Group Two's sheer ferocity.

Of course, the most significant contributor to the victory was Ya Suhyeok, who displayed outstanding skill in the chaotic melee.

He's not the son of the current Viridian Forest Bandit King for nothing.

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While Geo Sangwoong was a leader who stood firm and controlled the situation like a sturdy pillar, Ya Suhyeok was a fierce general who boosted his allies' morale by swiftly decapitating the enemy leader.

"Their offense is even better than Group Seven with Geo Sangwoong."

"A match between Group Two and Group Seven would be fascinating to watch."

"You could call it a battle of spear versus shield."

The instructors also rated Group Two as a top contender.

Baek Suryong nodded with satisfaction. Ya Suhyeok and Geo Sangwoong, the two students who inherited Master Maeng's martial arts, displayed both considerable individual prowess and exceptional leadership ability. He was certain the Bandit King of old would have been proud of them.

It wasn't just Wonkang. These two exceeded my expectations too.

He called the next groups, "Groups One and Six, are you ready?"

""Yes!""

The fourth pair to clash was Group One, led by Dokgo Jun, and Group Six, led by a student named Mok Hyungwoo.

The two groups stepped forward simultaneously, but most eyes were focused on Dokgo Jun.

Someone muttered, "If this were a duel, the Student Council President would be the strongest contender for champion."

No one denied it. Before the Five Young Azure Dragons arrived on the scene, Dokgo Jun was the Azure Dragon Academy's greatest prodigy, both in name and in reality. Whether it was martial arts, personality, or his outstanding reputation among instructors and students, the Sword Dragon Dokgo Jun was a unique existence at the academy.

Even now, after the Five Young Azure Dragons rose to fame due to their teacher, Dokgo Jun was still considered the academy's best.

SHING!

Dokgo Jun drew his sword, holding it at the ready and pointing it at the opposing group leader. "Senior. A match, please."

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The Group Six leader, Mok Hyungwoo, nodded. He was an extremely ordinary-looking student with a few small scars on his stubbled chin. If he had one unique characteristic, it was that he looked quite a bit older than the other students.

"Mok Hyungwoo?"

Baek Suryong pulled out the student registration records and searched for Mok Hyungwoo's personal details.

As it turned out, Mok Hyungwoo had served in the Imperial Army for ten years, from age sixteen to twenty-six. After retiring from the army, he immediately took and passed the Azure Dragon Academy entrance exam. Since he was now in his fourth year, that made him thirty years old, even older than the gathered instructors.

"I should be the one asking for your guidance," Mok Hyungwoo said, smiling faintly as he pointed his spear at Dokgo Jun.

Dokgo Jun responded by darting forward at lightning speed.

Mok Hyungwoo's eyes widened in shock, but he immediately shouted, "I'll hold him off for now, so follow the plan… Keuk!"

CLANG!

Mok Hyungwoo gritted his teeth. He had barely blocked Dokgo Jun's first slash!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The fight between the leaders was overwhelmingly one-sided. Each time Mok Hyungwoo blocked Dokgo Jun's sword, his spear shaft bent as if it would break, yet blocking was all he could do. He couldn't even dream of counterattacking.

Ak Yeonho's eyes welled with pity. As a fellow spear user, he had been keeping an eye on Mok Hyungwoo for a while.

"Student Mok Hyungwoo is actually a really hardworking student," he mumbled.

"I can tell. Moreover, his spear technique is simple and practical, perhaps because he learned it in the military," Baek Suryong replied, carefully observing Mok Hyungwoo's movements.

He's more interesting than I thought.

Mok Hyungwoo's fundamentals were very solid, to the point where he could be compared with the students of the White Dragon Manor.

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Still, it's a pity.

He had trained in martial arts for at least ten years longer than the other students, yet besides his fundamentals, he didn't stand out in any particular way.

Simply put, he lacked talent.

It was unfortunate, but Dokgo Jun was too formidable an opponent for him.

CLAAAAANG!

Eventually, Mok Hyungwoo's spear shaft snapped in two. His palm was torn, and blood splattered across the ground.

Everyone thought the fight was over, but to their astonishment, Mok Hyungwoo didn't stop. Instead, he closed the distance with his broken spear, aiming to catch his opponent off guard.

"YAAAH!"

Dokgo Jun was startled by the unexpected attack, but he quickly recovered and easily evaded it, knocking the remaining half of the spear flying in the process.

"It's over," he whispered.

Mok Hyungwoo stared at the sword pressed against his neck, dumbfounded. "…Well, I'll be," he laughed dryly, raising his bloodied hands in surrender.

The subsequent battle ended uneventfully. Group Six had prepared a strategy as well, but beacuse Dokgo Jun had swiftly eliminated Mok Hyungwoo and joined the fray, the match was decided before they could use it.

"Mok Hyungwoo is amazing for fighting like that despite his injuries and broken weapon.

"He's a tough one even among the fourth-years… Suryong-hyung? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Baek Suryong studied Mok Hyungwoo for a moment before turning his attention to the last two groups. "The last mock battle is between those two, huh? Group Eight and Group Ten, step forward!"

All eyes turned to the final two groups, their eyes sparkling with as much anticipation as when Groups Four and Five had clashed.

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"Now this is an interesting matchup!"

"I wonder who will win…"

On one side, leading Group Ten, was the prodigious swordsman Wiji Cheon.

On the other side, at the head of Group Eight, stood the warrior maidens Yoo Yiran and Yeo Min.

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Translator's Note: I can't believe it took 370 chapters to find out the twins' names!