"Did the white-clad challenge the blue-clad to a duel?"
"To be precise, it was said to be a guiding duel for insight."
"That's not it. I know the inside story."
For the first time in a while, whispers filled the corners of Yihwang City.
News spread that a rookie had challenged the blue warrior of the Changcheondae for the honor of the seventeen factions.
The distinction of 'white, blue, and black' in Yihwang City was said to be more pronounced than it appeared, so the outcome of the duel itself was not the main concern of the people.
"How long can he hold out?"
"At most, ten seconds, I reckon."
"I agree. A freshly initiated white warrior holding out against a blue one for more than ten seconds? That’s hard to imagine."
"It’s like the Hwasan Sect's leader challenging the Plum Blossom Sword Master."
On the day of the duel, whether the rumors had spread widely in Yihwang City or not, people from other seventeen factions, as well as some from the headquarters, came to watch.
The venue was the training ground of Changcheondae.
Jeong Yeon-sin, who had already arrived and was receiving curious glances, looked around.
Everywhere he looked, it was all swords, swords everywhere.
Seeing the various types of swords hanging on the weapon racks, he was reminded that Changcheondae was indeed famous for its swordsmanship in the martial world.
'So, I will only train with swords until I become a blue warrior here?'
It was commonly known that Yihwang City had trials for white warriors, but there were also several other paths to initiation.
The most well-known was similar to the usual major sects.
Before the blood vessels were blocked by the Qi, children were taken as disciples, dressed in any clothes, and gradually advanced to white and blue.
In fact, this path was more orthodox and promising for the future.
Jeong Yeon-sin could not forget the lively and spirited children he had seen in the Ma Gwang-ik's residence.
They were still cheering him on now.
"Hold out for five seconds! You bet your honor against the Changcheondae kids! Hyung! Look this way! Here!"
"Brother! Don’t tarnish the name of Ma Gwang-ik!"
"Master! Do your best!"
'Master, huh.' Jeong Yeon-sin chuckled.
Unlike other sects, in Yihwang City, the color of one's attire represented their status entirely.
This aspect resembled the military.
Occasionally, the children would jokingly call him and Heon Won-chang 'master,' which felt fresh and cute to Jeong Yeon-sin, who had never formed attachments at home.
He waved at the ten or so children.
Cheers erupted.
They were pure-hearted kids.
'Come to think of it, there were friends of my age too.'
There were also disciples of Ma Gwang-ik who were older than him.
It was said that being recognized for martial arts and officially becoming a warrior in white was considered early even at twenty.
He was unusually fast.
Naturally, there were older disciples than Jeong Yeon-sin, and unlike the kids who came to cheer, they still felt awkward.
'Time will resolve it.'
As he folded his thoughts, he looked ahead.
The expressions of the warriors from Changcheondae were not good.
They felt displeased that a rookie from Yihwang City had challenged them to a duel.
On one side, two high-level masters in black martial attire were engaged in a battle of wills.
It was Ma Jin and the leader of Changcheondae.
The leader of Changcheondae was a renowned swordsman known for his skills in the teenage sword arts on the land of Hogwang.
He was lean but tall, with long arms and a powerful gaze that left an impression.
"Let’s wager one of our faction's honors on whether that rookie can last ten seconds. Of course, I bet he won't."
The leader of Changcheondae said.
Ma Jin's face showed disbelief.
"Honor? Isn’t that a bit excessive?"
"Are you scared? Do you think you’ll lose?"
"Such provocations from a rookie. The honor of Yihwang City is not trivial."
"The honor of Ma Gwang-ik and Changcheondae is at stake. Is that trivial?"
The leader of Changcheondae spoke firmly as Ma Jin seemed to retreat.
It was as if he had gained momentum in a fight between beasts.
"Ma Jin. You look weaker than ever. Did you cause such a ruckus in the leader's meeting just to take in such a kid?"
"You seem to have a lot of grievances."
"Don’t change the subject. Are you going to step back?"
"Ha... Fine. I will comply."
"Good. As the leader of a faction, you must trust your subordinates."
The leader of Changcheondae smirked and turned his head, thus missing Ma Jin's smile beside him.
"Was it Jeong Yeon-sin? Ma Gwang-ik."
"Ma Gwang-ik, Jeong Yeon-sin."
He politely bowed to his opponent.
It hadn’t been long since he introduced himself as the new disciple of Shin Ya, but now, calling himself Ma Gwang-ik felt much more fitting.
From the bloodline of Jeong Gajang, through Hanam Namyang to Hogwang Yangyang.
Regardless of how others viewed him, the time for the duel representing a faction felt strange yet precious.
The warrior who asked for his name stood casually ten steps away.
Dressed in the blue attire symbolizing the main force of Yihwang City, his stance was as sharp as a sword, and his gaze was fierce.
"I have trained in the Cheongcheon Sword Technique for twenty years. They say a sword has no eyes, but a master who has reached a certain level has eyes in his sword. However, I do not leave any leeway in my hands. You must remember this."
"Yes."
At Jeong Yeon-sin's brief reply, the warrior's eyebrows twitched.
Without saying more, he placed his hand on the sword hilt.
At the same time, a chilling aura surged forth.
'What kind of sword is this?'
Jeong Yeon-sin had no intention of provoking with his short response.
He was already unraveling Ma Gwang-gyeol and reading his opponent with his Qi.
He had heard from his seniors that the Cheongcheon Sword Technique had a wide variety of sword styles.
Depending on the practitioner, it could become a swift sword or unleash a powerful heavy sword.
'They say a blue warrior has a main style but has mastered them all.'
In that case, Jeong Yeon-sin would simply unleash his own martial arts.
'Shigeukgyeong.'
The unique martial art he created, with both the density and quantity of Qi being exceptional.
As he raised his mind, his Qi began to circulate along the elastic blood vessels.
This was a method of Qi operation possible because he had mastered Jeong Gadong-gong, completely penetrating the twelve meridians and eight extraordinary vessels throughout his body.
Shigeukgyeong was also developing like the swift sword.
It was a state of checking the areas where he needed to apply force while supporting the weight and circulating his Qi.
"Come."
The blue warrior said, as if it were a matter of course, yielding the first move.
Jeong Yeon-sin decided to see the surprised expression on his face.
"Hup."
The moment he held his breath, he drew his sword with a burst of Qi.
The resonance of his Qi echoed with a thud in the training ground, and the swift sword's principles were inscribed on the blade of the Yihwang Sword, glistening in the transparent sunlight.
The power that surged from beneath his feet was bound to the sword at extreme speed, drawing the path of Ma Gwang-gyeol's sword.
Zheong!
With the sound of the sword, he smiled at the vibration rising from his grip.
He had struck true.
Although he hadn’t cut, the warrior’s surprise and the shaken balance were vividly captured in his eyes.
The faster the sword moved, the stronger the power would naturally become.
This was called sword power.
Stepping on the ground, he pushed off with the same foot that had stepped on the ground.
The Shigeukgyeong, which he defined as a two-fold achievement, could exert twice the effectiveness of normal Qi when properly utilized.
As the scenery rushed by, the warrior's body grew larger.
Ma Gwang-gyeol had taught him the sword path.
Holding the sword now was the sword path.
The warrior's words about not leaving any leeway in his hands seemed to be unrelated to carelessness.
The balance that had crumbled like those who had been overwhelmed by his youthful appearance was clearly visible.
'Now.'
If not now, he could not win.
In the vast training ground, amidst many people, Jeong Yeon-sin thought only of victory.
Kakang!
He felt the enhanced sword power within himself.
The resonance transmitted through his hands was tremendous.
The warrior's eyes quickly became serious, but the onslaught of swords, though far from the blue warrior's level, prevented him from taking a proper stance.
From one side, Ma Jin was seen gathering the children and teaching them the importance of the first move.
Quite composed, he was.
Zeng! Zeng! Zheong!
The sword path of Ma Gwang-gyeol filled his sight with white streaks.
He was maximizing the effectiveness of the swift sword.
With the breath and center he had seized for just a moment, he relentlessly pressed on, causing the opponent's face to gradually show signs of fatigue.
Jeong Yeon-sin lost track of how many exchanges they had.
He had completely entered a state of ecstasy, absorbing Ma Gwang-gyeol's techniques.
On the body refined by Jeong Gadong-gong, the principles of martial arts piled up.
The more the sword path tilted, the more he used his back muscles.
When he stepped diagonally forward, twisting his Qi would generate rotational force along with his Qi.
This was the warrior's technique that Cheongmyeong had used among the various techniques!
Wooong!
The surging Qi was contained in his strike.
Zheong!
The warrior stepped back.
Jeong Yeon-sin spun around, raising his sword.
A powerful and sharp wind scattered in all directions.
The force of the footwork was, in fact, a fragment of the power of the technique.
With the thrill running down his spine, he named another technique.
'Chukma-gyeong!'
The uncontrollable power naturally led his body.
He spun around once more.
In this moment, he realized that he could use Chukma-gyeong in a series of strikes.
The martial art that grew stronger with each successive strike.
The Chukma strike followed by the Chukma separation was unleashed from the tip of his sword.
Bang!
Before the blue warrior could fully turn his body to widen the distance, the Yihwang Sword of the warrior was deflected.
The overwhelming sword power of Chukma-gyeong shook his upper body entirely.
His arm was lifted above his head.
"Kuh!"
Just as he was about to collapse, he barely regained his posture, but the sword was already at his throat.
Jeong Yeon-sin wore a strange expression while aiming his Yihwang Sword at him.
The blue warrior's attire had received Jeong Yeon-sin's sword several times, yet it remained remarkably clean.
Only a few wrinkles were visible.
However, the white warrior had won.
Even if it was due to carelessness, there was no room for excuses in the outcome.
"..."
Jeong Yeon-sin stared at him blankly.
It was luck.
The timely flash of inspiration had added strength to the overwhelming momentum, leading to victory.
If they were to fight again, it would never be the same as now.
The blue warrior of Yihwang City had said he would not back down even against the Plum Blossom Sword Master of the Hwasan Sect.
The difference of just one rank felt like the depth of Yihwang City’s strength.
In the vast martial world, with such martial prowess, it would be practically impossible to find an equal.
It felt like he had found his first goal.
Jeong Yeon-sin sheathed his Yihwang Sword.
Soon after, he clasped his hands together in a bow filled with sincerity.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to witness your refined swordsmanship."
"..."
"The sword path and warrior's technique were astonishing. Such martial prowess surpasses age."
With those words, the blue warrior, who had stared at him for a moment, stood up.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he didn’t feel bad about it.
Jeong Yeon-sin thought.
Even after losing face, to have his expression change so much with just one bow was a kind of charm in itself.
He turned his head.
Each face was different, but many showed expressions of shock, while some looked on in admiration.
"How long... was that? A white warrior won."
"It seemed like at least twenty exchanges were made."
"Exchanges? No, truly an incredible swordsman. Was it Seongyeo Jeong Yeon-sin? Such a remarkable age, and even more astonishing martial strength."
"Ma Gwang-ik has brought forth a treasure. I feel painfully envious."
The dazed faces of the children of Ma Gwang-ik were amusing.
Jeong Yeon-sin, who had bowed to the leader of Changcheondae, walked towards the children.
Though he had moved vigorously, his body, trained by Jeong Gadong-gong, was absorbing the accumulated shock from the clash of Qi.
Thus, he did not feel fatigued.
"Ma Gwang-ik. With this, I didn’t tarnish your name, right? Take good care of the faction."
Jeong Yeon-sin, squatting down to meet the children's eyes, spoke.
He didn’t know how many seconds had passed, but it was certain that he had shattered the expectation of ten seconds.
Didn’t he win? The children, who had been nodding blankly, gradually came to life.
Soon, their eyes began to sparkle to the point of being overwhelming.
"Yes! We will eat well!"
"Brother, you’re so strong! White is indeed white!"
"Wow..."
The child who had called him 'master' could only utter exclamations in awe.
Amidst the noisy children, Ma Jin approached with a fragrant smell emanating from his outstretched hand.
On his strong-looking palm lay a round ball of medicine.
Jeong Yeon-sin felt the flow of concentrated energy.
"It’s yours."
Ma Jin said, lifting the scar beneath his lips with a grin.