Chapter 119. Commencement (1)
***
"Flying Cloud."
"Yes, Martial Founder."
"Is today Awakening of Insects?"
"Yes. It is so."
"Then today is that day."
"Yes. It is so."
The same repeated answers once again informed that 'that day' had come.
The presence of the Martial Founder pierced through the red curtain hanging over the platform and spread coldly throughout the cave hall.
A secret talk between the Martial Founder and Flying Cloud taking place in the Martial Founder's cave hall.
The world does not know it, but it is a great conversation unfolding over the fate of the world.
"What about Gwangun and Shadow Shifter?"
"They are moving as scheduled."
"Gwangun aside, Shadow Shifter is not someone I can trust. Do not loosen the surveillance."
"Yes, I understand."
Flying Cloud, who had been sitting with one knee on the floor beneath the platform, bowed his head again and answered.
No sooner had his head risen again than the Martial Founder's grotesque voice once more echoed through the entire cave hall.
"How many from the main force went to Zhengzhou?"
"Three."
"Then including Gwangun, the participants are four in total."
"Yes. That is so."
"Four, huh... appropriate."
One mad cloud and three shadows.
At the Martial Founder's words that it was appropriate, Flying Cloud could clearly feel the trust placed in Gwangun.
The Martial Founder's questions continued.
"What about the movements of the Nine Sects and Beggars' Sect, the Four Great Families, Heavenly Demon Castle, and the Hall of Gathering Evils?"
"If we exclude Do Heo-ok and Namgung Hye, whom Shadow Shifter separated, all of the Three Stars, Five Phoenixes, and Nine Dragons are participating. In addition, each major sect has also sent one or two special-grade late-generation talents. On the Heavenly Demon Castle side, it seems the eldest young master, as well as the third and fourth disciples, have applied to participate."
"It seems? Does that mean it is not certain?"
"... I beg your pardon. Recently, the Heavenly Demon Castle side sensed something strange and pruned a large number of the outer shadows, so our eyes have been greatly reduced."
"So in Xinjiang, it means we are on the verge of being exposed."
"... Yes, Martial Founder."
"It does not matter. Once the Second Stratagem is started, it was only a matter of time before the Martial Founder's curtain was lifted. It has only been moved up a little. There will be no problem."
"That will be so."
Behind the blood-red drapery, the Martial Founder's dry, genderless voice continued at once.
"The fact that the first, third, and fourth from Heavenly Demon Castle participated seems to be the intention of the Tianshan Divine Demon to decide the successor through this event. Among them, the second must already be eliminated."
"It seems so."
"What about Gong Nachu of the Hall of Gathering Evils?"
"That is... quite strange. From the Hall of Gathering Evils, only the Killing Shadow Squad moved. Not only that, but we have lost contact with all the shadows planted inside the Hall of Gathering Evils."
"Are you saying all the eyes planted there were cut out?"
"I am ashamed, but... yes."
With all eyes plucked out, it was obvious that nothing could be seen.
"The Hall of Gathering Evils filtered out all the shadows that even Heavenly Demon Castle could not completely prune?"
After a brief silence, a heavy energy curtain spread faintly throughout the Martial Founder's cave hall and quietly rippled. It was like a stone being dropped into a lake, creating waves.
"It's the Extreme Yin Heavenly Slaughter Star. I wondered where it was, and it was in Yunnan. Things have become interesting."
"......"
"I do not know how the Hall of Gathering Evils encountered it and is moving, but without even looking... that monster is the representative of the Hall of Gathering Evils."
At the Martial Founder's words, Flying Cloud said nothing and only lowered his head quietly. That was his duty and his role. He merely had to become the arms and legs of the Martial Founder and convey the Founder's will to the world.
"More big shots have gathered than I expected on the board the Martial Alliance Leader laid out. I do not know whether they are foolish or have some other special intentions."
After saying that, the Martial Founder's voice subsided for a moment, and with it his enormous presence and energy curtain also gently sank to the floor of the cave hall. However, that vague movement still remained and continued to swirl throughout the entire cave hall.
Then, at some point.
"Flying Cloud."
"Yes, Martial Founder."
"You will have to move once more with Water Shadow and Ashen Shadow."
"What should I do?"
"It's simple. Just go and take a look."
"......"
Words cut off at both ends and hard to understand.
Flying Cloud did not ask back and simply waited for the Martial Founder's next words.
"The monster."
"......"
"The monster chosen by the Extreme Yin Heavenly Slaughter Star."
"Yes, I will obey your command."
"Flying Cloud."
Just before Flying Cloud exited the cave hall, the Martial Founder called him again.
"Yes, Martial Founder. Please speak."
"If Gwangun happens to lose to that thing, no matter what, do not fight and pull out."
".... Yes, Martial Founder. I will obey your command."
The same answer, a different meaning.
Flying Cloud scattered away as he left the Martial Founder's cave hall.
When he disappeared, the cave hall became empty again. The Martial Founder remained as if present and absent, so it was not completely empty, but....
"Could the one who interfered with my affair during the Anhui Great Slaughter Calamity be that monster..."
Was it a 'comrade'?
But something felt strange to see it that way.
If not....
"Has a non-human monster like the Heavenly Demon descended upon the Central Plains once again?"
The Martial Founder's voice, not knowing to whom it was speaking, wandered around the cave and then disappeared.
***
[All-Under-Heaven Youth Martial Arts Tournament!]
It is that day!
That day has come!
Finally, today is that very day!
It has not been that long since the announcement of the Martial Assembly and the Martial Alliance invitations were sent out.
But the ripple effect spread across the entire world. It even reached far beyond the borders, so even people who were not from the Central Plains gathered in great numbers toward Henan, toward Zhengzhou, to participate in the tournament.
Skyrocketing Fame.
Among young people belonging to the orthodox factions of the martial world, an atmosphere swept across the entire Murim that made it seem only natural to set victory in this tournament as one's goal.
In response, young people of the martial world gathered here in Zhengzhou carrying their overwhelming dreams, and at last, the opening day arrived.
From early dawn, before the sun had fully risen, martial artists dressed neatly and gathered toward Cheongsin Mountain, toward the Martial Alliance.
And then
They all witnessed an incredible sight.
The martial arena.
Should this really be described with such a simple word as 'martial arena'? Could it be?
Probably, in the history of the martial world, there had never been such a huge and magnificent martial arena.
The east–west width reached fifteen jang, and the north–south length was likewise fifteen jang. The height was only half a jang, low by comparison, but considering that the material was blue stone, it was enormous.
More importantly,
There were three such martial arenas installed!
One in the open ground outside Muhwa Gate, the entrance of the Martial Alliance.
One in the middle of the Main Avenue that runs through the Martial Alliance, between the Guest Residence Pavilion and the Anti-Demon Hall.
One right in front of the entrance to the Inner Hall that leads to the core of the Martial Alliance.
Structures that blocked all the key passages leading into the Martial Alliance.
Those were the martial arenas prepared for the All-Under-Heaven Youth Martial Arts Tournament.
" ...! "
"What the!? Isn't this huge?"
"Uwaaa—!!! "
People could not close their gaping mouths when they saw the enormous martial arenas.
The open ground outside Muhwa Gate and the Main Avenue were spaces so vast they were hard to describe in words, but once the martial arenas were placed there, they looked as if they were completely filled.
"But why did they install three martial arenas?"
"Hey—. Can't you tell? There are too many participants, so if they held the preliminaries with just one arena, it would take too long."
It was a conversation between two unknown spectators, but it was the correct answer.
As befits a tournament with 'all-under-heaven' in its name, an enormous number of people had put their names on the list of applicants. That was why they had installed three such large martial arenas.
Even so, it seemed impossible to complete all the matches within the originally scheduled tournament period of seven days and nights, so for smooth tournament management, the host, the Martial Alliance, created additional preliminary rules.
They were these:
One. Applicants from major sects and martial families designated by the Martial Alliance automatically advance to the finals.
One. Anyone may be the first to step onto the martial arena. That person is granted the right of first attack.
One. Anyone who defeats five challengers in a row advances to the finals.
One. If no challenger appears for the duration of one incense stick, a referee rings the bell, and the person remaining on the martial arena immediately advances to the finals.
One. Anyone who kills their opponent is immediately disqualified. They must show restraint.
One. The preliminaries will be held for only five days. In other words, anyone who does not step onto the martial arena within five days is automatically disqualified.
There were these six rules.
The first rule seemed quite unfair, but there were not many complaints from the participants. If someone belonged to a great sect of the martial world and had gone through fierce competition within it to participate in the tournament, one could infer that alone meant they already had the qualifications to advance to the finals.
Time passed quietly, and people gathered more and more toward the Martial Alliance.
The phrase 'people forming mountains and seas' must have been created for this. The current 모습 of the Martial Alliance was exactly that scene itself—people forming mountains and people surging like seawater.
Dong Bong-su was also one of that crowd.
Yesterday, he had returned to the Guest Residence Pavilion after a long time, reflected on the changes of the past few days, and made much of his enlightenment his own.
But....
Was it another result of that enlightenment, or a side effect?
He wanted to fight.
Very, very, very much, he wanted to fight.
It was not that he wanted to hunt.
Fight, fight, and fight again,
He wanted to test the martial arts he had newly learned.
He was not flustered. He simply observed his own changes naturally.
Soon, he even accepted this strange and unfamiliar change as a part of himself.
People often easily say that one should live today as if there is no tomorrow and strive, but they usually fail to practice it.
Today is tomorrow. Tomorrow is today.
It is an abstract statement.
But to Dong Bong-su, today is today, tomorrow is tomorrow, and effort is effort. And wanting to fight is simply wanting to fight.
Effort and practice.
That is just... accepting everything as it is, as it changes, just like that.
That is the kind of existence Dong Bong-su is.
Thus, a gradually evolving non-human.
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