Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 215

215. You’re Just Inexperienced

Gongsun Kang frowned slightly at Moyong Jin’s sudden words.

However, Moyong Jin said with a gentle smile, “If you defeat that man, I will gladly admit defeat.”

Moyong Jin saying this much meant that the man on the martial arts stage was no ordinary person.

Gongsun Kang raised his head and looked at the man on the stage.

The man also looked down at Gongsun Kang.

‘Hmm.’

Gongsun Kang did not unfurl his furrowed brow.

The aura of the man on the martial arts stage was indeed extraordinary.

However, he didn’t feel the unique energy of a master or a sharp killing intent.

“Who is that?”

Gongsun Kang finally asked.

“He is a swordsman named Dokgo Rang,” Moyong Jin replied with a smile.

“And he is also an opponent I have never been able to beat.”

Until he left for Shaolin with Unhyun, Moyong Jin continued to spar with Dokgo Rang.

And Moyong Jin never won even once.

Perhaps it was only natural.

Dokgo Rang was already a master of Sword Energy Manifestation, but Moyong Jin had not yet reached that level.

“Since the winner takes all, if Great Hero Gongsun defeats that man, it will naturally mean I have lost.”

Gongsun Kang couldn’t hide his puzzled expression.

However, Moyong Jin was unlikely to be talking nonsense.

Swish.

Gongsun Kang looked again at the man on the stage, Dokgo Rang.

Dokgo Rang was still standing there, waiting for the next challenger.

People who had grasped the situation were holding their breath, waiting for Gongsun Kang’s decision.

‘Hmm.’

Gongsun Kang made up his mind.

“I see. I understand.”

Although it was different from his original intention, nothing had changed significantly.

He just needed to get rid of that swordsman and call out Moyong Jin.

“But you should prepare to spar with me.”

With those words, Gongsun Kang moved towards the martial arts stage.

“Waaah!”

“The Great Disciple of the Gongsun Family is challenging the Three Battles Invincible!”

“Three Battles Invincible!”

“Gongsun Kang! Gongsun Kang!”

The people who had been watching quietly began to shout all at once.

Amid the cheers that seemed to shake the surroundings, Dokgo Rang’s eyes remained calm.

Thud.

Gongsun Kang stepped onto the martial arts stage.

The surroundings instantly quieted down, and Dokgo Rang and Gongsun Kang’s eyes met.

“I am Gongsun Kang, the Great Disciple of the Gongsun Family.”

“I am Dokgo Rang.”

Gongsun Kang thought he had heard the name somewhere. But he couldn’t recall.

“If you step down from the martial arts stage now……”

“I will not use Sword Energy.”

Dokgo Rang interrupted Gongsun Kang.

‘What?’

Regardless of Gongsun Kang’s bewildered expression, Dokgo Rang continued, “I will not use Internal Energy either. I will only use my own strength and this one sword to engage in the spar.”

“Ooh.”

Admiration flowed from all directions.

Everyone, whether they were hearing it for the first time or had already heard it, was shining with excitement.

“Are you still afraid?”

Gongsun Kang’s eyebrows twitched.

And only then did he remember who his opponent was.

‘Solitary Swordsman Dokgo Rang.’

A rising master in the Jianghu [martial arts world] who had manifested Sword Energy at Iron Peak Mountain.

However, Gongsun Kang’s mood did not improve. No, it became even more unpleasant.

‘……A vagrant like him.’

He, too, had reached the realm of Sword Energy Manifestation.

And Solitary Swordsman Dokgo Rang, from Gongsun Kang’s perspective, was essentially a vagrant.

A wandering vagrant like duckweed, selling his sword here and there without a sect or belonging to a clan.

So, to Gongsun Kang, Dokgo Rang was merely an unpleasant opponent.

A very unpleasant and presumptuous opponent who dared to match himself, the Great Disciple of a prestigious family, with just his swordsmanship.

“The opportunity.”

Swish.

Gongsun Kang said, drawing his sword.

“Has already been given.”

The words that the opponent would not use Sword Energy or Internal Energy had already disappeared from his memory.

No, rather, his cultivation was not so low as to be deceived by such nonsense.

As Gongsun Kang’s sword flashed, the surroundings instantly quieted down.

Dokgo Rang also drew his sword.

And reached out his hand towards Gongsun Kang.

“Come.”

Gongsun Kang was dumbfounded.

But soon he hardened his face and raised his sword.

Buzz.

At the same time as his sword hummed softly, a faint energy lingered on the blade.

“Ooh.”

A soft exclamation spread.

From the beginning, Gongsun Kang had shown Sword Energy.

Although it was only the beginning, the energy rippling on his blade was enough to give a chilling feeling.

Swish.

On the other hand, Dokgo Rang lowered his sword diagonally.

Nothing could be seen on his sword.

“Your arrogance.”

Gongsun Kang said softly.

“May you regret it in hell.”

Thud.

Whoosh.

Gongsun Kang’s sword struck towards Dokgo Rang.

It was a movement so fast that everyone missed it, but not for Dokgo Rang.

Swoosh.

Dokgo Rang’s sword moved lightly, like flowing water.

The blade, which was not imbued with any energy, was flying accurately towards Gongsun Kang’s oncoming sword.

And the moment the two swords met.

Chiiiing.

A sound like grinding metal echoed on the martial arts stage.

Dokgo Rang’s blade was approaching, scratching Gongsun Kang’s sword as if caressing it.

‘Gasp!’

Gongsun Kang was greatly shocked.

At this rate, Dokgo Rang’s sword would surely cut his hand.

“Haa!”

Gongsun Kang immediately drew up his Internal Energy and twisted his sword path.

Clang.

With a sharp metallic sound, the two swords bounced off each other.

Thud.

Gongsun Kang stepped back. And he saw.

Dokgo Rang was still standing there. With a sword that was not imbued with any energy.

Gritting.

Gongsun Kang gritted his teeth.

“……How did you do that?”

To block a sword imbued with Sword Energy with an ordinary iron sword, it was absolutely impossible.

“Is it sorcery?”

Gongsun Kang’s suspicion was, in a way, natural.

“No.”

Dokgo Rang replied calmly.

“It’s just that your sword is inexperienced.”

Twitch.

Gongsun Kang’s eyebrows twitched again.

But Dokgo Rang’s words were not over yet.

“And I, too, am still lacking.”

Dokgo Rang’s eyes, looking down at his sword, were somewhat dissatisfied.

The sound meant that his sword had not yet reached the desired level.

The sword that Unhyun had shown in the Northern Sea did not make even the slightest impact sound.

“Ha!”

Gongsun Kang let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.

But soon Gongsun Kang gritted his teeth.

Crack.

“Don’t try to deceive me with nonsense.”

Sword Energy is absolute power.

An ordinary sword can never stand against Sword Energy, and in front of Sword Energy, all swordsmanship loses its meaning.

That’s what he learned from his master, that’s what he taught his disciples, and he himself was convinced of it.

Therefore, Dokgo Rang’s words now were clearly a trick and deception to confuse and deceive him.

Woo woong woong.

Gongsun Kang’s beloved sword, Biwol, wept.

And an even thicker energy began to ripple from his sword.

“Sword Energy!”

“Sword Energy Manifestation!”

Exclamations erupted from all directions.

The energy rippling from Gongsun Kang’s sword was Sword Energy that no one could deny.

It was a completely different Sword Energy from the faint energy that had lingered until now, which could have raised doubts as to whether it was Sword Energy.

“If, if it’s that level, isn’t it already beyond the initial stage?”

“No, still…….”

People began to murmur.

In fact, no one could say for sure.

The Sword Energy that Hwanwoo Ocheonjon had shown in the past was a clear and overwhelming form, as if burning.

Decades later, the Great Disciple of the Gongsun Family had implemented Sword Energy in his sword.

There were differences in degree and appearance, but it was definitely Sword Energy.

It was only natural that people came up with one question at that moment.

“If the Great Disciple manifests Sword Energy……”

Gongsun Kang is the Great Disciple. Then what realm has the Outer Hall Leader, who is said to be more skilled than him, and the Head of the Gongsun Family reached?

Gulp.

Someone swallowed.

People knew that the true power of the great families was revealed at this moment.

In fact, this is not the first time.

The previous Head of the Namgung Family had already shown tremendous Sword Energy in the Yangtze River.

But he lost and died. And the story of his Sword Energy was buried.

The representatives of the Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance] deliberately concealed the fact, and the disciples of the Namgung Family were reluctant to talk about the Head who had been defeated and died.

But this time it was different.

Gongsun Kang, the Great Disciple of the Gongsun Family, clearly showed that Sword Energy was no longer the exclusive property of Hwanwoo Ocheonjon.

Exclamations and murmurs slowly subsided, and silence fell all around.

Woo woong woong.

The only sound heard was the weeping of Gongsun Kang’s sword, and people could not take their eyes off the shape of the Sword Energy rippling in that sword.

“Your sorcery.”

Woong woong woong.

Gongsun Kang said, holding his sword with perfect Sword Energy.

“I will shatter it.”

His eyes were as eerie as the rippling Sword Energy.

However, Dokgo Rang’s eyes remained calm.

Swish.

“Come.”

Dokgo Rang said with a cold gaze.

“Don’t just stand there and bark.”

“You!”

Gongsun Kang was furious.

And he immediately expressed his anger with his sword.

Whooook.

Gongsun Kang’s sword, no, Sword Energy, struck towards Dokgo Rang.

And Dokgo Rang’s sword moved.

At that moment, Moyong Jin’s eyes widened.

‘That’s!’

The sword path of Dokgo Rang unfolding before his eyes was more elegant and softer than ever.

As if it wasn’t the Dokgo Rang he knew.

Moyong Jin didn’t know, but it was the very sword path that Unhyun had shown in the Northern Sea.

Rustle.

Dokgo Rang’s sword landed on the tip of Gongsun Kang’s sword like a butterfly.

And everything changed.

Whoosh.

Just as Dokgo Rang seemed to pass by Gongsun Kang, a cracking sound like the wind flowed out from above the martial arts stage.

And Gongsun Kang’s beloved sword, Biwol, was soaring helplessly into the air.

The eerie Sword Energy that had been rippling was already gone without a trace.

Clang, Clang.

Gongsun Kang’s sword fell on the martial arts stage, making a sound.

Dokgo Rang slowly lowered the sword he had raised high into the sky.

And he sheathed his sword.

Swish, Thud.

Gongsun Kang stood with his hand outstretched, his face pale.

But his hand was empty.

“Th, this can’t be……”

Blood began to seep from his torn palm, but Gongsun Kang didn’t even know it.

Gulp.

“Ugh.”

Blood poured from his mouth.

The reversed Internal Energy had shocked Gongsun Kang.

“G, Great Senior Brother!”

Gongsun Myung, his disciple who had been watching, hurriedly jumped onto the martial arts stage.

However, Gongsun Kang refused his support and glared at Dokgo Rang.

“Wh, what did you do?”

“The sword.”

Swish.

Dokgo Rang said, turning his body.

“Internal Energy and techniques are not everything. Sword Energy is even less so.”

Gongsun Kang’s last sword strike was very disappointing.

His Sword Energy was very threatening, but Gongsun Kang’s sword path had no choice but to become simpler.

He had become intoxicated with the power of Sword Energy himself.

Thud.

Dokgo Rang approached Gongsun Kang with an indifferent expression.

“Find your sword. If you can’t, you will never be able to surpass me.”

Thud.

Dokgo Rang passed by Gongsun Kang as he was.

The people who had been silent burst into cheers all at once.

“Waaaaah!”

“The Three Battles Invincible Swordsman has won!”

“Three Battles Invincible! Three Battles Invincible!”

People were going wild.

Dokgo Rang, who had not even participated in the preliminaries, had defeated the Great Disciple of the Gongsun Family, even the one who had been rippling with Sword Energy.

Even without using Internal Energy.

Was it the sorrow of those who had been alienated from the World Martial Arts Tournament?

People cheered for Dokgo Rang’s victory.

Especially those who had bet money on him.

Thud, thud.

It was the moment when Dokgo Rang was about to leave the martial arts stage as he was.

“Stop!”