The day of the Round of Sixteen began.
The number of people gathered in the waiting room was noticeably smaller compared to the first day.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
On the final day of the preliminaries, even non-participants had been allowed to come and go briefly, but from the Round of Sixteen onward, that was no longer permitted.
Thanks to that, the waiting room felt much more spacious.
âThe weatherâs nice.â
Looking up at the sky, today felt particularly clear.
Not a single cloud marred the view, making it an especially sunny day.
If one were in the mood, it wouldâve been the perfect weather for a picnic.
While taking in the weather, I subtly shifted my gaze to observe my surroundings.
Contrary to the bright day, the atmosphere in the room was grim and oppressive.
It was all because of the overwhelming aura emitted by the martial artists.
âUgh.â
I let out a quiet sigh.
Despite the clear sky, this place alone felt dark and heavy.
The tension and vigilance mixed into the air transformed the energy into something rough and stifling.
The reason, as already mentioned, was the martial artists.
Though, calling it the martial artists as a group felt somewhat inaccurate.
âThat guyâs a mess.â
The oppressive energy was mostly emanating from one middle-aged man sitting apart from the othersâthe Blade King.
The pressure was so intense that it seemed to weigh down the entire room.
The Blade King was radiating an immense killing intent in every direction.
At first, I thought he was just showing off like before, but...
âThis time, itâs real.â
Unlike the last time, his energy felt entirely different.
This was pure emotionâhis fluctuating aura amplified by his feelings.
The Blade King sat still with his eyes closed.
From him, I could sense a murderous rage.
I wondered why he was so angry, though the reason was obvious.
ââ¦Because the old man beat him up.â
Although the match between me and Yu Yeon had somewhat overshadowed it, the fight between the Twin Dragon and the Blade King remained a hot topic.
The incident where one of the younger generation, the Twin Dragon, had thrashed the Blade King and forced him to forfeit still stirred discussions.
Because of that, the Blade King became the subject of countless rumors.
Claims ranged from him being unworthy of his title to suggestions that he was an incompetent leader hiding behind the clanâs reputation.
Well, the second one wasnât exactly wrong, so I could let that one slide.
Anyway.
âThanks to that, their trade connections started fleeing one by one.â
More than half the support flowing into the Blade Kingâs faction had dried up, and those in Zhongyuan began pointing fingers at him.
Given the circumstances, it was understandable that he had fallen into such a miserable state, but...
âHeâs too old to be throwing tantrums.â
If he was that frustrated, he couldâve just stayed home instead of showing up and posturing like this.
Tsk, tsk.
I clicked my tongue and lightly waved my hand.
Whooshâ!
A wave of Qi dispersed into the air, unraveling the tangled energy in the room.
Whooshâ!