Chapter 31
The reason Jaseong remained composed, even with the Haesa siblings' exquisite combined offensive before him, was simple.
Swaaa―
As soon as Jaseong activated the Samadhi Eyes, the siblings' swords, previously speeding toward him, seemed to slow down.
The trajectories of their swords and even the flow of the ki they exuded—all became perfectly clear in his sight. Thanks to that,
'... I can see it. The fleeting gap.'
The first instant—
The Haesa siblings' swords closed in, right at Jaseong's nose.
In that moment, Jaseong stepped back a single pace.
The second instant—
Their swords brushed lightly over Jaseong's skin.
Not expecting Jaseong to be able to evade their combined technique with just minimal movement, the siblings' pupils dilated in surprise.
The third instant—
Jaseong brought his sword down with force, using the fundamental form of the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique.
"A form that strikes down like Mount Tai descending from the heavens. Heaven Evading—Heaven Pressing Mount Tai."
KAAAAANG!!!
With a harsh metallic clang, the siblings' swords were knocked aside.
The masterful combination attack of a legacy Evil Faction clan was shattered by a single form from Jaseong.
The shock caused both siblings' eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Lucky bastard!"
The buzz-cut boy quickly readjusted his grip on the sword and charged Jaseong again.
However, the next moment, when their swords met, he could no longer call it luck.
Kang! Kang! Kaang!! KAAANG!!!
Amazingly, Jaseong continued to fend off the siblings' synchronized attacks.
He found the path to cut off their offensive at its root—effortlessly simple for him.
With every blow landed in vain, the siblings grew increasingly unsettled.
'He broke our combined assault with a single form...?'
'How is a weakling with such a low number...?!'
Seeing how easily Jaseong handled their barrage, confusion clouded the siblings' faces.
The onlookers perched in the trees doubted their own eyes just the same.
"... He broke the Haesa siblings' offensive in a single strike."
"With such meager internal power, is this even possible?"
"... Not thanks to internal power. It's because of his innate eyesight. That boy can see through the opponent's sword trajectories and openings down to the finest detail."
"He's truly a prodigy... By the way, what sect is he from?"
"They say he's with Hao Sect."
"What...? Hao Sect?!"
Before they knew it, dozens of Evil Faction experts had gathered to witness the fight between Jaseong and the Haesa siblings.
Overhearing their murmurs, Hae Ak-hyeon, who until just now wore a sneer, had his expression sour.
In contrast, Hao Sect's guardian general, Gal Seo-ryeong, was left speechless at the unexpected sight.
'He dismantled the Haesa attack formation like that...? And that boy hasn't even trained for two years?!'
At that point, the rattled Haesa siblings revealed their trump card.
[Cheon-a. Let's use that one.]
The short-haired girl signaled to her younger brother. The buzz-cut boy nodded, reversed his grip, and in the next moment—
'Haesa Wave!'
Like windswept sand at the shore, the siblings' swords scattered chaotically.
When performed by two, its power quadrupled, by four it increased sixteenfold—such was the ultimate form of the Haesa Wave Sword.
Sword after sword afterimage filled Jaseong's vision.
Then, in a split second—
Ssak!
The buzz-cut boy's sword slashed deep into Jaseong's side.
'How's that, brat!'
A triumphant grin formed on the boy's lips.
Unfortunately for him, that grin did not last.
"?!"
The next moment, an utterly unexpected scene unfolded.
Jaseong, though struck at his side, didn't so much as flinch or make a face.
Srrrk―
Suddenly, Jaseong's form split in two.
The truth became clear: what the boy had cut was actually Jaseong's phantom image.
'Wh-what is this...?!'
Thinking they had surely finished him, the siblings' eyes shook with disbelief.
Then something even more astonishing happened.
Srrrk―
Once more, Jaseong unleashed Heaven Evading Phantom Step, merging with his illusion and closing in on the buzz-cut boy.
Unable to discern which was the real Jaseong, the boy couldn't respond properly.
Chuaak!
"Gah?!"
The next moment, blood spurted violently from the boy's right arm.
Burning pain raced through him as he stared wide-eyed at Jaseong.
'H-how can such a lowly number... create a phantom...?!'
The short-haired sister wore the same shocked expression.
But the Haesa siblings' astonishment was not yet at its end.
'I've gauged their level enough... Should I now try out the Celestial Gate Opening Art?'
The secret art of the sword immortal, diligently practiced in the cave for two months—Jaseong didn't truly need to use it now, as Heaven Evading Phantom Step and Samadhi Eyes alone were enough for victory.
Still, he decided to test it.
One must gain true mastery through real combat, and so, to use the Celestial Gate Opening Art properly, he took this chance.
'I'll open up to three gates. And... finish it in a single blow.'
Recalling the days of training in the cave, Jaseong began opening the twelve gates within his body one by one.
'First gate. Opening Gate—open.'
Swaaa―
'Second gate. Resting Gate—open.'
Swaaa―
'Third gate. Life Gate—open.'
Kwaaa...!!
With each gate opened, power roared through Jaseong's body, as if on the verge of exploding.
His energy and speed increased dramatically.
With three gates opened, Jaseong dashed at the short-haired sister and collided swords with her.
In that instant—
KAAAAANG!!!!
"Kyaaah!!!"
Even with just three gates open, the girl screamed and was flung back.
Her sword was knocked away into a tree and her body rolled across the dirt, coughing—coughing up blood with each turn.
'... D-did his power suddenly explode...? What in the world...?!'
Only three of twelve gates open, yet Jaseong overwhelmed the Haesa girl with a single strike.
It was insane power.
But that wasn't all that increased.
Ssak!!
Suddenly, Jaseong vanished from sight.
Moments later, he appeared behind the buzz-cut boy, as though teleporting.
"Ugh!"
Startled, the boy reflexively swung his sword at Jaseong.
But unfortunately—
'... So slow. Dreadfully.'
Wearing a somewhat bored expression, Jaseong slashed his sword sideways, cutting the boy down.
Chuaaak!!
Blood sprayed, flecking Jaseong's face.
Then—
Chulpudeok!
The buzz-cut boy collapsed.
And that was it.
Just two breaths after activating the Celestial Gate Opening Art, Jaseong ended a two-on-one battle.
'... So this is the true power of the forbidden sword immortal technique—the Celestial Gate Opening Art that no past practitioner could master....'
Closing the opened gates in order, Jaseong murmured inwardly.
He truly realized the greatness of the art he had learned.
At this rate, he might soon be able to reach those who had wronged him.
So, the next moment—
Burr―
Jaseong's hand gripping the sword trembled faintly with excitement.
* * *
"Cough...!"
Everything had happened so fast that Haesa Clan's eldest daughter, Hae Cheonlim, had no idea what technique Jaseong used.
As she coughed up blood, only one question filled her mind.
'H-how could this happen...?'
Clearly, when she had been tailing Jasung with her younger sibling, she had never anticipated a situation like this.
After all, their prey had been number eighty-eight—the weakest contender in this tournament.
They simply wanted to take his number token before any higher-ranked contestant could.
Yet how had things turned around so badly?
Why, even after learning the Haesa Clan's advanced martial arts and working together in perfect synch, had they still failed to beat him?!
Pain, confusion, fear, denial—
In this moment, Hae Cheonlim was swept up in turmoil.
Then she reached a conclusion.
"How... did you hide your internal power from the supervisors...?"
Coughing blood, Hae Cheonlim asked.
It seemed she thought Jaseong hadn't used any secret technique, but was just a higher-rank master hiding his true ability.
Since there was no reason to correct this misunderstanding, Jaseong focused on collecting his spoils.
"Hand over your tokens. Then I'll call for the supervisor. Stall any longer, and maybe you'll survive, but your brother will not."
Jaseong gestured at her collapsed brother.
As he said, her brother was coughing up blood relentlessly.
So, with trembling hands, cheonlim had no choice but to pull two tokens from her chest and hand them over.
"Pl-please... tell me..."
"?"
"Where..."
"......."
"What family could produce someone your age so strong...?"
Anyone who could instantly defeat Haesa's direct descendants solo must be the heir of some major household.
But the next moment, Jaseong answered in a completely unexpected way.
"The Red Light District."
"What... did you say...?"
"I'm from the Red Light District."
"......!!"
Hae Cheonlim could hardly believe her ears.
She and her brother had eaten precious medicine since learning to walk, bathed in medicinal waters, and learned martial arts from their clan's top experts.
In short, born with a silver spoon of power.
Yet both of them were defeated by a nobody from the lowliest, day-to-day-surviving Red Light District...?
'Un-believable...'
Staring up blankly at Jaseong, cheonlim saw him calmly clean his bloodied sword.
He showed no sign of exhaustion and, even more, hadn't shed a single drop of his own blood.
The prodigy of the Red Light District. Calamity Sent from Heaven.
He truly suited the renowned name he would later earn.
* * *
Cheonlim wasn't the only one shaken.
So, too, were the Evil Path Association experts stealthily watching atop a treetop.
'... Didn't we hand out tokens in order of internal power? So why is number eighty-eight, the bottom of the pile, unleashing such energy?!'
'That speed and power would be hard even for this elder to handle... What in the world...'
'And he's not even from the Four Great Houses and Seven Sects, but the bottom-of-the-barrel Red Light District... I can barely believe it...!'
A mix of shock and confusion colored the faces of the mid-tier Evil Faction experts.
Most stunned was Hae Ak-hyeon, face twisted in disbelief and anger.
He had never imagined his clan's prized descendants could be so thoroughly crushed.
"... What is that brat? How could some Hao Sect nobody destroy our Haesa heirs...!"
Ak-hyeon's voice strained with rage and incredulity.
His fist crushed a tree branch as he shook.
In contrast, Hao Sect's guardian general, Gal Seo-ryeong, was trembling with awe.
Her eyes lit up as if she had discovered a priceless treasure, and she seemed to have a mountain's worth of questions for Jaseong.
Jaseong's phantom-stepping technique amazed her;
his insight in discerning the perfect sword path did too.
But above all, what shocked her most was the explosive surge of Jaseong's power and speed in that crucial instant.
'When the fight between the Red Light District boy and the Haesa siblings reached its climax, an incredible force erupted from his entire body.
And the fight was over in no more than two breaths...
I don't know what martial art he cultivated... but the Lord of Black Blood Hall saw true potential.
If this boy keeps growing, he'll be a massive asset to Hao Sect.
And perhaps, at last, the Sect Leader's long-held wish will be fulfilled...'
Watching Jaseong from atop the tree, Gal Seo-ryeong silently muttered to herself.
In that moment, a strange and overwhelming thrill continued to course down her spine.