Chapter 91

## Chapter 91. Protect the Elder!

After the sparring session ended, Gongsonshu and Dugujun, who had come down from the arena, exchanged light pleasantries.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness, I didn't know."

"Hehe. It's fine."

"......"

In Dugujun's gaze as he looked at Gongsonshu, there was even a hint of admiration.

At first, he thought it was just a hobby for a wealthy old man.

But after sparring with him, Dugujun could feel how hard Gongsonshu had worked.

The calluses on those hands were not something that could be formed with a light heart.

Dugujun, who rarely smiled, gave an awkward grin and said,

"......If you pass, you should speak more formally to me from now on, as I am your senior."

Dugujun meant it as a joke.

The student council president's jokes were famously dry, but fortunately, it seemed to work on Gongsonshu.

He burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! I understand. If I get into Qinglong Academy, I'll call you senior regularly."

Though his expression seemed a bit wistful, Dugujun guessed it was just because he was tired.

"Go see the doctor and have your injuries checked. It's not a serious wound, but it's better to treat it quickly."

"And you?"

"I'm fine. I still have more sparring sessions to go."

Compared to Gongsonshu, whose palms were torn and whose clothes were in tatters, Dugujun was in perfect condition.

Not a single piece of his clothing had been cut during the match, and his breathing was hardly labored.

Gongsonshu laughed, a bit embarrassed.

"I was worried for nothing."

"The doctor's office is that way. I need to prepare for the next sparring session...... We'll see each other next time."

"Wait."

After exchanging pleasantries, Gongsonshu called out to Dugujun, who was about to turn away.

"......It might be old man's meddling, but can I give you a piece of advice?"

"Of course."

Dugujun turned back and straightened his posture, ready to listen.

What a well-mannered young man, Gongsonshu thought with a smile.

"I don't know much about martial arts, but I can see that you have outstanding talent."

"......"

"Your talent is exceptional, and you have a great upbringing. You're not someone who slacks off, so you've reached this level at such a young age."

"Thank you for the praise."

Though he didn't understand why Gongsonshu was suddenly saying this, Dugujun bowed his head at the excessive praise.

Dugujun was called the greatest genius in the Dugu Clan in a hundred years.

He grew up with great expectations and received concentrated education from the family.

Moreover, he was diligent, and his achievements in Dugu Nine Swords far surpassed those of his older cousins.

"......I'm sure many people have called you a genius."

Though in different fields, Gongsonshu had seen countless young geniuses. He himself was a genius who passed the imperial examination at a young age.

That's why he was giving this advice.

"Don't despair."

"......Pardon?"

"You'll encounter people with even greater talent as you live. Don't despair in front of them. You don't have to feel small. Life is long."

Dugujun couldn't fully understand why Gongsonshu was saying this.

"......I've already seen many who are more talented than me."

With a somewhat dubious expression, Gongsonshu smiled.

"I guess I was just talking nonsense. It was just out of concern, so don't take it too seriously."

"No, I will take it to heart as encouragement to train harder."

"Hehe. I've taken up too much of your time. I'll go see the doctor now."

The two parted ways.

And not long after, Dugujun understood the true meaning of Gongsonshu's words.

* * *

"Applicant Wei Jitian! Come up!"

Coincidentally, Wei Jitian's sparring partner was also Dugujun.

Wei Jitian, with a tense expression, bowed his head and said,

"Please take care of me."

"Show your full strength."

"Yes!"

With a bright response, Wei Jitian drew his sword and aimed it at Dugujun.

The moment their swords met, Dugujun felt as if all his efforts were betrayed.

"......"

A dizzying sensation.

He already knew Wei Jitian was strong.

But there were aspects that he couldn't understand until their swords clashed.

Seeing it directly, this was...... too much.

'How can someone be this good at his age......'

There were no openings.

Or rather, it was more accurate to say that Dugujun couldn't find any at his level.

Dugujun had met many geniuses of his age.

The best among them were mostly from Tianwu Academy.

Wei Jitian...... reminded him of them.

"Senior, can we start?"

"......Ah."

Wei Jitian's words snapped Dugujun back to his senses.

Grinding his teeth without realizing it, the taste of blood in his mouth gradually cleared his mind.

"......Don't hold back."

"Pardon?"

"Fight with all your strength."

"......Are you sure that's okay?"

"......"

Dugujun gripped his sword firmly.

Could he lose in this sparring session?

'Maybe.'

But Dugujun couldn't afford to lose.

He was the student council president of Qinglong Academy and the best young talent in the academy.

He couldn't give up that title to anyone.

Even if the other person was a genius with far greater talent.

Swoosh.

Dugujun, who had taken his stance, said,

"Come. No, I'll go first."

Dugujun leaped off the ground, closing the distance in an instant.

He didn't hold back this time. There was no need to worry about the opponent dying. He focused his mind and swung his sword with the intention of cutting through in one stroke.

Whoosh!

Dugu Nine Swords, imbued with great power, swung at Wei Jitian with the force to cut him in two. Wei Jitian couldn't take this sword lightly and swung his own sword to meet it.

Clang-!!!

The moment the two swords clashed, a wave of energy burst out from them, silencing all the noise around.

* * *

"Wow......"

Yan Huan watched the two boys' fight with his mouth agape.

Yan Huan wasn't the only one.

Everyone in the audience was looking at the two boys in amazement.

"Wow......"

"What......"

Even the applicants and students who were fighting on other arenas stopped to watch the two.

The judges couldn't say anything about it either.

Their gazes were also fixed on Dugujun and Wei Jitian.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The swords clashed incessantly, sparks flying. The arena floor was already covered with sharp sword marks.

"Huff......"

"Haa......"

The two boys, who had taken a step back to catch their breath, simultaneously shouted and charged at each other.

"Taah!"

"Haah!"

The two boys were showing equal skill.

But the experts could see that their sword techniques were vastly different.

Dugujun's sword was solid and upright.

Through relentless effort, he had perfectly internalized the form of swordsmanship, allowing him to use any technique he desired at any time.

'Dugu Nine Swords is fundamentally a sword technique that overwhelms the opponent.'

In contrast, Wei Jitian's sword was free and flexible.

He followed the flow rather than adhering to set techniques. His responses changed according to the opponent, and he moved without pause.

'Wei Jitian's sword...... harmonizes with the opponent and constantly evolves.'

Yan Huan thought Wei Jitian's sword was beautiful.

But if someone asked whether Wei Jitian's sword was better than Dugujun's, he couldn't easily answer.

They were just pursuing different paths of swordsmanship.

It was impossible to determine who was better.

"Dugujun is quite something."

"......Is that all you can say about this?"

Yan Huan turned his head sharply at the voice from the side.

Bai Shulong, the only person in Qinglong Academy who didn't seem impressed by the match, was looking around with a bored expression.

"Brother, you don't feel anything from this match of geniuses?"

"Geniuses? Dugujun is just a practice freak."

It was a cold evaluation.

Bai Shulong was surprised by Dugujun's skills, but not because of his innate talent.

"......If there are geniuses in effort, then he's a genius too."

He was receiving high praise now, but he would soon hit a wall.

'If he had a bit more innate talent, it would have been better.'

Not everyone could be born with outstanding talent.

Among the countless martial artists in the world, only a handful could be called geniuses, and nurturing that talent was another matter.

"True geniuses are the ones like him."

Bai Shulong knew Wei Jitian's talent better than anyone.

A boy loved by the sword.

His usual shy expression was gone, and his face was filled with joy as he sparred with Dugujun.

'He's unstoppable.'

Wei Jitian was genuinely enjoying the match against a worthy opponent.

In contrast, Dugujun's expression remained tense.

Even though he had a slight edge in the match, he looked anxious and uneasy.

"......Who do you think will win, Brother?"

"Today, Dugujun might win."

But whether Dugujun would win the next time, even Dugujun himself couldn't be sure.

'More importantly...... why aren't the assassins moving?'

Bai Shulong was still paying attention to the assassins while watching Wei Jitian's match.

'I thought they would move during the exam or right after it.'

There was still no significant movement from the assassins.

Gongsonshu was watching Wei Jitian's match, exclaiming in admiration, completely unaware of the situation.

Beside him, Hei Ying was using his stealth skills to guard him.

'They will move soon.'

Bai Shulong was certain of this.

"Yan Huan. Don't let your guard down."

"Ah? Oh, yes."

Bai Shulong also sent a mental message to the other temporary instructors, warning them not to let their guard down.

During this time, the match between Wei Jitian and Dugujun was gradually reaching its climax.

"Huff...... Huff......"

"Haah...... Haah......"

The two, facing each other, were breathing heavily.

Their neatly dressed martial robes were in tatters, and shallow cuts were visible on various parts of their bodies.

"Are you tired?"

"Not yet...... I'm fine!"

Dugujun sighed lightly at Wei Jitian, who was looking at him with bright eyes.

"Let's decide the match before it's too late. How about we use our best techniques?"

"......Okay!"

The two began to gather their inner energy simultaneously.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

After a moment, sword qi began to emanate from both swords.

"Wow, sword qi!"

"Goodness. Both of them at such a young age......"

"Qinglong Academy is really going to make a splash this year!"

The audience, witnessing the sword qi, was almost in chaos.

Even the dignified experts of the righteous sects were coughing in surprise.

However, there was someone who was restless for a different reason.

"Shouldn't we stop them? If something happens......"

At the vice principal's words, Luo Junshang and Nangong Jixue shook their heads simultaneously.

Both wanted to see more of the two boys' swords.

"Let's wait a bit longer."

"I'll step in if it gets dangerous."

"......Yes."

What else could they do?

Guo Tie Wu sighed deeply and nodded.

During this time, the two boys, who had gathered enough sword qi, aimed their swords at each other.

Swallow.

The tension among the audience reached its peak, and Bai Shulong's tension also reached its peak.

'If the assassins move, it will be now.'

This moment, when everyone's attention was on Wei Jitian and Dugujun, was the optimal time for the assassins to act.

[Don't miss the assassins' movements.]

Everyone responded that they understood his mental message.

Bai Shulong's prediction was mostly correct.

Only, the enemies were bolder than he imagined.

Splat!

Blood spurted from the middle of the audience, accompanied by screams.

"Murder!"

"Aaaah!"

It wasn't just one or two places.

Blood spurted from half a dozen spots simultaneously, and screams followed one after another.

The tragedy that unfolded in an instant made the audience scream.

"Aaaaah!"

"R, Run!"

"They're assassins from the evil sects!"

Countless people stood up at the same time. They pushed and fell over each other, causing chaos.

"What's happening!"

"Everyone, please calm down!"

The instructors tried to calm the situation, but it was in vain.

There were too many people, and more than half of them were civilians, not martial artists.

The situation quickly became uncontrollable.

"Wait, just a moment!"

"Everyone! Please calm down and......"

The temporary instructors, who were on guard against the assassins, couldn't help but be distracted by the chaos.

Moreover, the surging crowd limited their movements.

"Protect the elder!"

By the time Bai Shulong shouted, dozens of assassins were already rushing towards Gongsonshu.