The Short Yet Long-Lasting Yongbong Gathering: The Final Duel
The Head Monk of Shaolin, Deokseong, delivered a brief speech to honor the two prodigies who had advanced to the finals.
The arena was more crowded than ever before.
Standing on the training grounds, Chun-bong’s clear eyes sparkled.
“I’m not going to lose, unni.”
“Mm. I won’t go down easily, either.”
Namgung Sua smiled faintly as she drew her greatsword.
“Begin!”
Even after the referee’s declaration echoed, neither martial artist moved hastily.
Both were well aware of each other’s skills, and even Namgung Sua, who held a slight advantage, understood that one mistake could lead to an unexpected defeat.
A suffocating silence filled the air.
In a single fleeting moment, as if carried by the faint breeze...
Saaa—
A subtle wind blew. In that instant, the delicate balance was disrupted. Chun-bong dashed forward.
Clang!
Propelling herself forward, she etched Seo-jun’s advice into her heart.
No doubts remained. When it came to this, her brother was never wrong.
Chun-bong, running as though she were flying, unleashed her blade.
Azure Dragon Splits the Clouds.
Her sword, embodying the essence of speed, blurred as it delivered a dozen or more strikes in an instant, enveloping Namgung Sua.
Shhh-shhhhik!
Namgung Sua smiled as she faced the sword filling her vision.
“You’ve grown this much already...”
The strikes were far sharper than the sword she had faced just days ago.
Zap!
Electricity surged through Namgung Sua’s entire body.
Rumble!
Her massive greatsword tore through the air ahead, scattering Chun-bong’s sword strikes with raw power.
Namgung Sua immediately stepped forward. Empowered by the upward force of her greatsword, she spun gracefully.
In a seamless flow, she executed the next form—Sky-Piercing Infinite Sword Art.
Crackle-crack!
The sweeping horizontal slash of the greatsword met Chun-bong’s blade, gripped tightly in both hands, as she swung with all her might.
Azure Dragon Shatters the Sky.
BOOOOM!
The clash of their swords was evenly matched in power. However, Chun-bong, wielding a lighter weapon, had the edge in speed.
Stabilizing her body as it was about to be flung back, Chun-bong immediately transitioned into her next technique.
Azure Dragon Emerges.
Her sword extended into nine distinct paths, aiming for Namgung Sua’s entire body.
“Chun-bong Divine Art?”
Namgung Sua furrowed her brow. Even after focusing carefully, she couldn’t discern the movements. That was the terror of the Chun-bong Divine Art.
Namgung Sua gripped her greatsword tightly.
The Chun-bong Divine Art was a martial technique created by Seo-jun. Trying to sense it with qi perception at Namgung Sua’s current level was a fatal mistake.
Her only options were her five senses and her understanding of the Golden Hawk’s psychology.
“If it’s the Golden Hawk I know...”
Here, Chun-bong would unleash the Divine Art.
Zap! The energy emanating from Namgung Sua’s greatsword transformed into lightning. Speed over power. She swiftly cleared away feints and seamlessly connected her moves into an attack.
Rumble!
Namgung Sua’s greatsword moved at an almost unbelievable speed, despite its size.
Lightning-clad, the greatsword clashed with Chun-bong’s blade.
BOOM!
The impact sent Chun-bong flying.
“Urgh...!”
It wasn’t a feint! The Azure Dragon Emerges enveloped Namgung Sua entirely.
In desperation, Namgung Sua twisted her body to evade, then pulled back her flung greatsword to shield her body.
Clang!
Slash! Blood splattered. One of the nine strikes grazed Namgung Sua’s side, bypassing her defense.
Gritting her teeth, Namgung Sua spun her body in the direction of the grazing sword to minimize the damage, then extended her leg to kick at Chun-bong’s chest.
Thud! Chun-bong blocked with her arm but was pushed back several steps.
“Hehe.”
Chun-bong smiled, mirroring Seo-jun’s grin, as she shook off her tingling arm and pointed her sword forward.
“This is just the beginning!”
+++++
The Clash That Shook the Arena
The impact of swords meeting resonated through the training ground, making it tremble.
Chun-bong moved swiftly and lightly, aiming for Namgung Sua’s openings, while Namgung Sua blocked Chun-bong’s strikes with smooth precision, counterattacking in turn.
As time passed, Namgung Sua’s body bore more and more wounds.
Though Namgung Sua was superior in skill, she was consistently outmatched in psychological warfare.
For Namgung Sua, caution against the Chun-bong Divine Art was unavoidable. This doubled the factors she needed to be wary of compared to Chun-bong, which tipped the scales against her.
“Haah… Haah…”
Namgung Sua, panting heavily, stared at Chun-bong.
In today’s duel, Chun-bong hadn’t used the Chun-bong Divine Art even once.
Every feint Sua assumed was an illusion turned out to be a real strike, and each mistaken assumption cost her dearly.
As Chun-bong caught her breath and watched Namgung Sua, she spoke with a pout.
“Unni, don’t go easy on me.”
Go easy on you? At first glance, it seemed like a provocation meant to unsettle Namgung Sua, but Sua responded with a wry smile.
“Does it look like I’m going easy?”
“Yeah. There’s no way you’d be this overwhelmed otherwise.”
“Is that so?”
In truth, the Chun-bong Divine Art wasn’t without its weaknesses.
Ultimately, the technique was rooted in illusion and lacked physical substance.
For unavoidable strikes, the only solution was to counter them with the Azure Cloud Divine Sword techniques.
Chun-bong, remaining vigilant, spoke again.
“I want to win, of course… but I don’t want to win in a way that feels wrong.”
“…I see.”
“I’ll proudly elevate the name of the Geum family.”
Taking advice from Seo-jun was fair in her eyes.
“His skills are my skills.”
The bond between Geum Chun-bong and Lee Seo-jun was inseparable, an almost unified entity.
But the idea of Namgung Sua not giving her all was unacceptable. It hurt her pride.
Though perhaps an arbitrary standard, Chun-bong believed this to be true.
What’s wrong with being a little stubborn?
Chun-bong smirked.
“Here I come!”
She shouted as she charged forward. Namgung Sua watched her intently.
The Golden Hawk. A girl who felt like an adorable younger sister.
Her face was flushed with excitement, and a bright smile adorned her features.
Perhaps it was because she knew how much Chun-bong wanted to win.
Without realizing it, Namgung Sua felt a faint hesitation settle within her—a hesitation Chun-bong immediately recognized.
She didn’t want to ruin that joyful expression.
Resolving herself, Namgung Sua reached beyond her limits.
Rumble—!
Lightning descended. The Sovereign Sword Form unfolded, surrounding the arena with thunder and lightning.
Standing at the center of the storm, Namgung Sua’s eyes glowed a vivid blue as she looked at Chun-bong.
“Fine.”
Gripping her greatsword with both hands, she stepped forward.
“I won’t lose.”
Lightning burst from Namgung Sua’s glaring eyes. Her entire body radiated streaks of blue electricity as she swung her greatsword with all her might.
Szzzzt!
Chun-bong ducked under the blue trajectory, charging forward. Namgung Sua stomped her foot.
Flash! A burst of lightning exploded right before Chun-bong’s eyes. She twisted her body and leapt into the air.
All the lightning, which had been scattering outward, suddenly froze.
Namgung Sua raised her greatsword high. All the lightning gathered into her blade, and a deep blue sword aura stretched toward the heavens.
The audience shivered as dark clouds suddenly enveloped the sky. No one dared to speak.
Rumble—!
The master of lightning brought her greatsword crashing down. Still midair, it seemed impossible for Chun-bong to avoid the strike.
It appeared as though the Chun-bong Divine Art had been rendered useless.
But Namgung Sua knew Chun-bong well. She was Seo-jun’s sister in every way. No matter the situation, she would find a way to turn the tables.
“This time, for sure.”
She was certain Chun-bong would resort to the Divine Art.
But Namgung Sua remained cautious. She didn’t stake everything on a single possibility.
Rumble—!
A fraction of a second faster, she swung her greatsword, executing a feint before spinning on her front foot to unleash a full-power lightning strike.
The strike was a countermeasure against both the Azure Cloud Divine Sword and the Chun-bong Divine Art.
Watching the surging lightning, Chun-bong smiled.
“As expected of my brother.”
Not once had she doubted him.
His advice had been simple: Don’t use the Chun-bong Divine Art. No matter the situation.
A careful thinker like Namgung Sua would inevitably fixate on guarding against the Divine Art, defaulting to a secondary strategy rather than her best.
Though Namgung Sua was one step ahead, if Chun-bong could execute her best move while Sua was stuck on her second-best, Chun-bong still had a chance at victory.
“But…”
She was stronger than expected.
The lightning before her eyes was no less potent than her own best effort. The duel had pushed both of them to grow further.
If things continued, the match wouldn’t reach a decisive end. And the longer it dragged on, the more likely Chun-bong’s strategy would be deciphered.
“Huup…!”
Chun-bong steeled herself. She resolved to end it with this next strike. To do so, she had to surpass her own limits.
Seo-jun’s advice had carried her this far, but now it was time for her to push forward on her own.
She saw the path ahead—many branching routes with no clear end in sight. But she didn’t hesitate. She had already chosen her path.
She set aside the image of Seo-jun in her mind and awakened the dragon coiled within her heart.
A platinum dragon stirred from its slumber, roaring toward the heavens.
Time slowed to a crawl.
Facing the lightning that filled her vision, Chun-bong whispered.
“Azure Dragon Awakens, Roars Across Heaven and Earth (靑龍覺夢哮天地).”
Her eyes glimmered with a soft platinum light. The cloak draped over her fluttered, and the dragon embroidered upon it seemed to come alive.
Through the raging storm of lightning, Chun-bong’s sword moved with calm precision, slicing through the chaotic energy.
The dragon weaving through the storm carved a path through the thunderclouds.
The lightning, cleaved apart, yielded before her sword.
Wuuuung—
Her blade roared like a dragon.
“…”
A heavy silence fell over the arena. No one dared to utter a sound.
Namgung Sua smiled bitterly.
“Congratulations, Golden Hawk.”
Chun-bong’s sword was poised at Namgung Sua’s neck.
“The winner! From the Geum family of the Divine Sword… Geum Hui…!”
The referee’s triumphant declaration echoed across the arena.
Breathing heavily, Chun-bong raised her sword high.
Her chest heaved with exhilaration, and a bittersweet sense of realization began to settle in her heart.
Wuuuung—
Once more, her sword let out a resounding cry.
“Aah…!”
As the emotions overwhelmed her, her mind went blank with elation.
Smiling brightly, Chun-bong felt the presence of the dragon within her heart. Overcome with joy, she let out a heartfelt cry.
“Father! Mother! Grandfather! I… Hui…! I’ve elevated the name of the Geum family…!”
Before she could even finish her words, tears streamed down her face.
A deafening cheer erupted, shaking the heavens and earth.
Waaaahhhh—!
It was as if everyone present was celebrating the rebirth of the Geum family.
Crying her heart out, Chun-bong sniffled and thought to herself:
“…I’m so glad.”
This time, she hadn’t fumbled her name.
+++++
“Geum Hui of the Divine Sword Family, step forward!”