Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Various events took place over the several days of the Martial Arts Tournament.

Countless martial artists who had come to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament spent their time enjoying the various events, but every one of them was waiting for the final event.

The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

It was a very special opportunity to personally witness the abilities of the pillars who would lead the martial world in the future, and for the rising stars themselves, an opportunity to prove their worth.

And today, after all the preliminary rounds of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering that had continued for several days had ended.

The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering everyone had been waiting for began.

***

Unlike Wei Jinhak, the former Leader of the Martial Alliance, the predecessor of the Zhengmu League, who had only appeared for the finals, Mujin came to watch the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering from the very first day.

“Hmm.”

After sitting in the special seats prepared to one side of the sparring stage and watching several sparring matches, Mujin made a peculiar sound.

“Is there something troubling you?”

Zhuge Muhuan, who was watching the sparring matches beside him, asked while covering his mouth with his fan.

In truth, there was no need for Zhuge Muhuan to watch the sparring matches from the first day as well.

He had merely followed along so that he could rest while the League Leader was resting.

Rather than rolling around with sweaty strategists, it was more enjoyable to play at being an immortal here while watching the youngsters perform their little tricks.

Mujin knew what Zhuge Muhuan was thinking, but did not bother stopping him.

If he did not let him relax like this from time to time, there was a genuine risk that Zhuge Muhuan might run away.

In any case, Mujin answered Zhuge Muhuan’s question.

“There are many participants from small and medium-sized sects and families in the main competition of this Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.”

At Mujin’s words, Zhuge Muhuan nodded.

The gap between the enormous powers commonly called the Nine Great Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Families and the other small and medium-sized sects was considerable.

Among the rising stars who succeeded in reaching the main competition of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, which consisted of thirty-two participants, the majority had always been disciples of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang or children of the Five Great Families.

Even in the previous Dragon and Phoenix Gathering in which Mujin had participated, at most only four people, including Dao Yuechen, had come from small and medium-sized sects.

Yet this time, no fewer than eleven, slightly more than one-third, came from small and medium-sized sects.

“First of all, would it not be because the aftermath of the war against Shincheon has yet to fade?”

At Zhuge Muhuan’s words, Mujin nodded.

During the orthodox faction’s civil war before the war against Shincheon, Mount Hua, Emei, Qingcheng, and Diancang had closed their gates.

On top of that, the Kunlun Sect had been destroyed by the invasion of the Central Plains led by the Demon Cult’s renegade Left and Right Guardian Dharma Lions.

They were called the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, but now the situation was little different from the Five Great Sects and One Gang.

In addition, the Zhuge Family, the Sichuan Tang Clan, and the Zhongnan Sect had merely avoided closing their gates or being destroyed. They had still suffered losses amounting to more than half of their strength.

Because they had remained with Shaolin and the Zhengmu League, the victors of the war, from beginning to end, they had at least avoided being pushed out of the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and had recently begun reclaiming their original positions.

In other words, among the fifteen factions of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families, five had undergone gate closure or destruction, while three had lost nearly half their strength, leaving them in no position to send proper rising stars to the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

“They say there are sects that have recently been growing rapidly while filling the vacancies they left behind, so the composition of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang may change considerably before long.”

“Would those who achieve results in this tournament not eventually bear some sort of fruit?”

“That is also true. But that is precisely why I am even more concerned.”

“......Because they are all former members of the Flying Dragon Unit?”

“That is correct.”

The two looked toward the sparring match taking place on the stage with peculiar expressions.

Just as Mujin had said, of the eleven rising stars from small and medium-sized sects who had reached the main competition, all ten except one were former members of the Flying Dragon Unit.

“No matter how I look at them, every one of them carries far too much killing intent.”

That was exactly what concerned Mujin.

Perhaps because the martial artists from the Flying Dragon Unit had spent several years roaming battlefields, every one of them performed practical martial arts.

Each and every technique they used was imbued with killing intent, and they showed no hesitation in executing killing moves.

Of course, Mujin was also a practical fighter. Rather than martial arts that merely looked impressive, he valued techniques that were useful and could actually be used in real combat.

The only problem was.

“It would be one thing in a life-and-death battle. But if they act like that even during this sort of sparring match, it means they cannot control themselves, and that concerns me.”

He worried whether sects established by people like that could truly be worthy of the name ‘orthodox faction.’

Mujin believed there was no need to concern oneself with methods when beating down evil bastards, but if they went that far even in a friendly sparring match like this, he feared those killing moves might also be directed at ordinary civilians.

At that moment, the outcome of the sparring match on the stage was decided.

“Ugh.......”

The victor was a young martial artist named Nam Seokcheon, a former member of the Flying Dragon Unit.

But the victorious Nam Seokcheon was covered in wounds all over his body.

Rather, the third-generation disciple of the Zhongnan Sect who had fallen in defeat had fewer injuries.

But although he had fewer wounds on his body, the Zhongnan rising star was looking up at Nam Seokcheon with a sickened expression.

The endless succession of killing moves. On top of that, the sight of Nam Seokcheon pressing forward without the slightest hesitation or fear even while being wounded by the Zhongnan rising star’s martial arts had left him horrified.

Watching that scene, Mujin sighed only inwardly.

'Their hardships on the battlefield must be acknowledged, but it would be dangerous if that kind of martial art became popular among the orthodox factions.'

Perhaps because he had anticipated Mujin’s concern.

Zhuge Muhuan pointed somewhere with his fan and spoke.

“Do not worry. Since that child is here, he will be able to show the rising stars that practical combat and killing moves are not always the best choice.”

Following Zhuge Muhuan’s fan with his gaze, Mujin saw a young warrior monk climbing onto the sparring stage for the next match.

It was Gonghwan, considered one of the leading candidates to win this Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.

***

The sparring match between Gonghwan and a former Flying Dragon Unit martial artist named Jang Geunsu ended after a little more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

“I concede defeat.”

With most of his clothes burned and blood even trickling from the corner of his mouth, perhaps because of internal injuries, Jang Geunsu offered Gonghwan a cupped-fist salute with a complicated expression.

And Mujin, who had watched the sparring match, had to work hard to hide his satisfied expression.

If he showed delight that someone from the same sect as himself had won, it could give rise to pointless misunderstandings.

'That was a sparring match worthy of the name.'

That was the overall assessment Mujin wanted to give.

Just like Nam Seokcheon before him, Jang Geunsu had performed martial arts brimming with killing intent and charged courageously toward Gonghwan.

But Gonghwan had not been flustered at all by those killing moves or that terrifying momentum.

'Rather, his immovable heart felt sturdier than Mugung’s at the same age.'

He merely remained in place and steadily pushed his opponent back using the Tathagata Divine Palm.

Even when an unexpected attack came, he used the Vajra Immovable Step to evade with the minimum possible movement, then resumed pushing his opponent back.

Using the distinctive heaviness of the Tathagata Divine Palm and the immense yang energy produced by his inborn Solar Body, he continued driving his opponent back dozens of times.

Even without using any particular killing move, Jang Geunsu had exhausted himself and collapsed.

“Amitabha. This was a valuable experience, Benefactor Jang.”

“I was the one who learned how vast the world is, Monk Gonghwan.”

And then the two rising stars who had fought the sparring match each paid their respects, one with a cupped-fist salute and the other with a half-palm salute.

It was an ending truly befitting a ‘sparring match.’

'It seems Mugung at least taught him properly before descending the mountain.'

The thought naturally occurred to Mujin.

'Judging them at the same age, he is actually several steps above Mugung. Considering that he was born with the Solar Body, is that only natural?'

As Mujin recalled the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering in which he had participated, someone naturally came to mind.

'Right. Judging him by that time, he seems to be about Nangong Jincheon’s level.'

The way he used overwhelming internal energy to crush his opponent with the minimum possible movement was exactly like Nangong Jincheon.

Well, their personalities seemed completely different.

***

Even after the sparring match between Gonghwan and Jang Geunsu, the matches continued steadily.

After several more rounds in which some enjoyed the joy of victory and others tasted the bitterness of defeat, winners and losers were decided.

Among the victors were rising stars from great sects and families, as well as several veteran martial artists from the Flying Dragon Unit.

Among them was also Daoist Yunbaek, a swordsman still young enough that it was difficult even to call him a rising star, and a disciple of Cheongsu.

The mere fact that he was the disciple of Cheongsu, who was called the Sword Star, was enough for him to be considered a candidate for victory. However, because he was especially young among the participants, many looked down on him, but he erased those doubtful gazes by winning his first match in the main competition.

And after several more sparring matches followed.

“Hmm. Mukyeong’s disciple.”

Watching Gongun climb onto the sparring stage, Mujin tilted his head.

'I did tell him {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to raise a disciple, but it seems he took in a rather strange fellow.'

The sight of a fellow dressed in Buddhist robes swaggering onto the sparring stage was bizarre beyond description.

How should he put it? It felt as though a neighborhood thug had stolen a monk’s clothes and put them on.

And after watching the sparring match begin, Mujin soon let out a hollow laugh.

“I cannot tell which one of them is from the Flying Dragon Unit.”

A complete dogfight was unfolding on the sparring stage.

One was clearly a veteran martial artist and the other was a monk, yet both performed martial arts with such fierce killing intent that it seemed as though they were trying to kill each other.

“Well, look at that. He even grabbed his hair?”

The one who had grabbed the other’s hair was Gongun, the monk.

Naturally so. Gongun’s own hair was far too short for anyone to grab.

'Had they fought on the street instead of the sparring stage, he would probably have thrown sand as well.'

After grabbing the former Flying Dragon Unit martial artist by the hair and beating him several times.

The enraged Flying Dragon Unit veteran wildly swung his elbow into Gongun’s face, and a vicious sound rang out.

But why was that?

Grin.

Even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth after the blow, Gongun was smiling instead.

“Damn it. Compared to the beatings I took from Master, this does not even register.”

Gongun had muttered to himself, but Mujin, who had reached an exalted realm, heard him clearly.

“......And that is supposed to be a monk.”

Mujin pressed a hand to his forehead as his head naturally began to ache.

'Mukyeong, you mad bastard. Just how did you raise your disciple?'

As Mujin shook his head from side to side, a strange sight entered his eyes.

Zhuge Muhuan was watching the sparring match with a broad smile.

“What is so amusing?”

“Hahaha. Does that fellow Gongun not resemble you, League Leader?”

“......What are you talking about?”

At Mujin’s question, asked as though he could not understand, Zhuge Muhuan covered the corner of his mouth with his fan and spoke.

“Though he comes from Shaolin, which is represented by its vast and profound Buddhist internal arts, he places greater importance on external cultivation than internal energy. And above all, those practical movements rather than rigidly structured techniques are similar.”

“.......”

Mujin was momentarily left speechless.

Now that he thought about it, it was true.

Judging from the way he fought, Gongun was someone who had focused more heavily on external cultivation than internal energy.

Of course, compared to Mujin’s muscles, there were flaws, but although he was not large, his body boasted sturdy, muscular development.

If Mujin’s muscles were boulders, that fellow felt more like a small but solid piece of quartz.

And considering that even after being struck by his opponent’s sword during the sparring match, he had suffered nothing more than a light abrasion, Gongun also seemed to have learned the Iron Shirt.

No, perhaps he had even learned the Jade Vajra Art Mujin had left behind at Shaolin.

But Mujin did not want to acknowledge that reality, so he opened his mouth.

“Even so, I do not believe I fought like that.”

“Hahaha. That was true during the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. But according to the reports I read when I served as Chief Strategist of the Martial Alliance, you stopped at nothing during the battles you fought while traveling around the martial world, did you not? I heard that you once sprayed blood from your arm into an opponent’s eyes before attacking.”

“.......”

“Hmm. That does not mean he is exactly the same as you, League Leader. First of all, compared to you during the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering, he certainly seems several steps inferior. To put it into words, how should I say it? He feels like an inferior version of you.”

“.......”

Mujin deliberately avoided Zhuge Muhuan’s gaze and looked toward the sparring stage.

“Hyaaah!!”

And on the sparring stage, Gongun, covered from head to toe in wounds, was shouting as he reveled in his victory.

But this time, Mujin could not bring himself to curse Mukyeong.

That was because he had realized whom Mukyeong had used as the model when raising his disciple.

The moment he cursed Gongun or Mukyeong, he would merely be cursing himself.