Chapter 717: PAID

TL Notes: Hi everyone. I've started smoothly adapting the characters to fit the fandom of the story. Really wish I had done this earlier. Of course, there's a lot of things I can't fix now that we're past 700 chapters, but I can still make minor changes and it shouldn't be confusing. At the moment it's about Paejon. Previously I used Bi Eui-jin, and according to the official character page /wiki/Bijuu) the correct translation is Bi Eejin! I don't think this should cause a problem. Of course, implementing the Dragon Warrior nickname instead of Twin Dragon is not possible now. Things like this will be changed during a full chapters revision after the story ends.

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Two hours had passed since the third round of the main tournament began.

The time felt even longer while sitting idle.

But—

“Waaaah—!!”

The heat of excitement still filled the air.

Boom—! Boom, boom—!

“Haaah!”

It was a fierce spectacle, like a raging storm.

Shouts and the sounds of weapons clashing echoed everywhere.

Even as the sky slowly began to darken, the energy remained unbroken.

“The Windstorm Fist… I’ve only heard rumors, but what a powerful martial artist.”

“…I’d like to face them someday.”

“With a sword like that, the Quickdraw Blade must be burning with envy.”

Martial artists watched the matches in awe, analyzing and discussing techniques.

Since most of the audience consisted of participants who had made it this far, their ability to observe and assess was remarkable.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Making it to the third round of the main tournament already marked someone as a formidable opponent.

Even watching the matches could bring enlightenment.

That was why the martial artists remained focused and energized despite the long hours.

And it was also why the crowd’s enthusiasm never waned—they were witnessing masters in action.

Of course—

‘This is boring.’

For me, it was nothing more than a tedious schedule.

Why?

‘The matchups are horribly unbalanced.’

The skill gaps between opponents were glaring.

Over two hours, I’d seen several Hwagyeong-level martial artists, but their opponents were noticeably weaker.

Perhaps because of that gap, the fights lacked any real sense of desperation.

Instead, the weaker fighters seemed to treat it as an opportunity to learn from stronger opponents.

‘What is this? A training session?’

It wasn’t exciting at all.

There was no killing intent, no desperation, no intensity.

It was a match, so maybe this was normal—but—

‘It’s so dull.’

Watching it made me want to yawn.

‘…Maybe I really am crazy.’

Finding peaceful matches boring—did that mean I’d only enjoy it if they fought to the death?

‘Yeah, probably.’

When I imagined it, it did seem far more entertaining.

The Sword King (劍王) of the Namgung Clan.

The Blade King (刀王) of the Peng Clan.

The Poison King (毒王) of the Tang Clan.

The Sword Queen (劍后) of Mount Hua.

The Flame King (炎王), unaffiliated.

The Bright Queen (明后) of the Western Desert.