Chapter 21 - 20: Grand Open Tournament
The morning air of the Mugang Martial Pavilion felt heavy—not with humidity, but with tension, excitement, and anticipation that saturated every inch of space around the Grand Arena. Perched atop a sweeping plateau east of the Pavilion, the vast martial coliseum overlooked the sprawling buildings below like a slumbering beast of stone and steel. From the break of dawn, the streets leading to it flooded with thousands of spectators—merchants, martial artists, wandering cultivators, noble clans, and the ever-present disciples of the Five Great Mountain Sects.
This was no ordinary gathering.
It was the day of the Grand Open Tournament—an event that occurred only once every four years, drawing the most promising young talents of the Jeonghwa martial world under one arena. Warriors from the snow-clad halls of Mt. Baekrin, flame-hewn temples of Mt. Hwagyeong, the thunder-soaked caves of Mt. Cheongjin, the dueling ruins of Mt. Mugang, and the mist-wreathed palaces of Mt. Yeonhwa—all had sent their finest.
From atop the highest balcony of the arena, Jinmu stood in silence, his gaze sweeping over the sea of spectators below. The sounds were deafening—cheering voices, clashing cymbals, gongs resounding with every announcement. The vast stone coliseum, large enough to hold over fifty thousand people, buzzed like a hive about to explode.
So this is what a world stage looks like, he thought, slowly exhaling. A place where names are forgotten or immortalized in a single moment.
He tightened the bandages around his wooden practice sword strapped to his back—Yeomhwa remained in its sheath, sealed tightly. He wasn’t allowed to use real blades in the first round, and that suited him just fine.
"Looks like we drew quite a crowd."
Jinmu turned to see Eun Haria step beside him, her white and violet robes fluttering softly under the morning breeze. A thin silk veil still covered the lower half of her face, though her eyes remained clear, calm, and bright. She wore the uniform of the Yeonhwa Lotus Palace proudly now—its sigil of twin blooming petals shining at the center of her chest.
"They’re not here for us," Jinmu replied, folding his arms.
"Not yet."
She gave him a look, one corner of her eye crinkling in amusement.
"Your confidence is growing, Jinmu Yeon."