He hit someone! He actually hit someone here!!
All the martial artists present were left speechless.
Lee Bong, who had been sent flying by Yeophyeon's slap, was just as stunned. He had never imagined that Yeophyeon would dare to make a move at the Changmok Academy examination grounds, and right in front of Elder Changjung no less.
Changjung himself was momentarily dumbfounded as well. Yeophyeon had used his hands so blatantly right before his eyes that his mind went blank for an instant.
Lee Bong barely managed to steady himself and stand up, then shouted in a voice filled with rage.
"You vicious—"
Before he could finish speaking, Yeophyeon's figure suddenly appeared in front of him again, and he swung his hand up, striking the same cheek once more.
Smack!
With a crisp sound, Lee Bong flew through the air in exactly the same posture as before. The martial artists who witnessed the scene felt their hearts pound violently from the shock.
An Eogi-level martial artist being unable to even counterattack!
Even if one were to be generous and say the first strike was a sneak attack, there was no such excuse for the second. This was nothing short of being completely overwhelmed by sheer strength.
"How insolent!"
With Changjung's furious shout from atop the crane, an invisible force enveloped Yeophyeon.
Yeophyeon looked straight at Changjung.
"Elder Chang, is it appropriate to vent personal grudges under the guise of official matters?"
"Hahaha! When have I ever shown personal feelings? The recruitment rules of Changmok Academy clearly state that any martial artist who has not reached the Eogi level is unqualified for admission. You are merely at the Gibyeon level. What is wrong with stripping you of your qualifications?"
Elder Chang's gaze grew even colder as he continued.
"Moreover, you committed violence in front of everyone here. This is a blatant insult to Changmok Academy as a whole. Even Mistress An, an honorary professor of Changmok Academy, would not be able to overlook such conduct lightly!"
At that moment, Lee Bong, who had been lying off to the side, struggled to his feet. With a voice full of hatred and resentment, he shouted at Yeophyeon.
"You lowly bastard, how dare you! I will definitely take your life with my own—"
Once again, Yeophyeon did not give him the chance to finish. Just as before, Yeophyeon's figure flashed and appeared right in front of Lee Bong.
This time, however, Lee Bong did not simply take it. As Yeophyeon approached, Lee Bong swung his fist at Yeophyeon's face as if he had been waiting for this moment.
In an instant, a powerful current of energy wrapped around Lee Bong's fist like mist.
'Not bad. There's some force to it.'
Yeophyeon likewise threw a punch straight at Lee Bong's fist.
In the blink of an eye, the two fists collided.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed through Chang Mountain. Lee Bong was sent flying out of the arena, and a bloodcurdling scream burst from his mouth. His entire right arm had been completely shattered.
Yeophyeon spoke to the shrieking Lee Bong in an ice-cold voice.
"Say one more word, and you really will die."
When Yeophyeon turned his head toward Changjung, he met the elder's eyes, now brimming with naked killing intent.
"Today, you dared to commit vicious acts before me and completely trampled upon Changmok Academy's dignity. Even if Mistress An were present, you would never be forgiven! Guards! Take this brat away and kill him at once!"
At his command, two martial artists standing nearby stepped forward toward Yeophyeon.
Yeophyeon looked straight at Changjung and said calmly,
"It is true that I am not at the Eogi level. But as you have seen, it is also true that my strength surpasses the Eogi level. Is that not so?"
Changjung replied with a sneer.
"What your strength may be is none of my concern. What matters is that your current realm is not Eogi, and you are unqualified to participate in the examination."
Changjung waved his hand lightly.
"Take him away and kill him."
The two Nangong-level martial artists immediately lunged toward Yeophyeon.
'If you insist on forcing this, then so be it!'
Yeophyeon's expression hardened as he stomped his right foot down.
Boom!
The ground split apart, and a powerful surge of energy erupted from Yeophyeon's body, blasting the two martial artists several zhang away.
A Gibyeon-level martial artist repelling two Nangong-level opponents with a single strike!?
The eyes of everyone present filled with utter disbelief.
Wasn't Yeophyeon's realm two whole levels lower than theirs?
From atop the crane, Changjung watched the scene in shock. When Yeophyeon had easily subdued Lee Bong earlier, he had merely found it somewhat unexpected, not astonishing. After all, Yeophyeon had previously defeated Changgi.
But this was entirely different.
Blocking two Nangong-level martial artists at the Gibyeon level? Was such a thing even possible!?
Changjung could no longer deny it.
The rude boy before him was not an ordinary martial artist, but a genuine genius.
Changjung fell into deep contemplation. He could see no easy way out of this situation. If Yeophyeon truly was an unparalleled genius, then expelling him as a mere elder would surely earn Changjung punishment from Changmok Academy. On the other hand, if Yeophyeon, who already bore deep resentment toward him, were to enter Changmok Academy, he would inevitably seek revenge one day.
Changjung pondered for a long while. Then, as if having made up his mind, his expression turned icy.
'A genius? Changmok Academy has no shortage of geniuses. It is better to eliminate future trouble now!'
Changjung slowly clenched his fist. Instantly, a powerful current of energy appeared around Yeophyeon, binding him tightly. Yeophyeon felt his entire body being constricted.
Yeophyeon was inwardly startled. Changjung's strength was above the Nangong level!
'A head-on clash is impossible!'
Yeophyeon threw a punch straight ahead.
Bang!
In an instant, a gap opened in the energy restraining him. As Changjung was about to strike again, Yeophyeon's figure shot out through the opening like lightning and, in the blink of an eye, moved toward the mountainside.
Changjung laughed mockingly.
"You think you can run? How laughable!"
At that moment, Yeophyeon suddenly leapt onto the platform near the starting point where the Gugungjin was set up.
The eyes of everyone on the mountainside and below widened in shock.
Changjung was equally stunned.
"What trick are you trying to pull now!?"
The instant Yeophyeon set foot on the formation, the Gugungjin began to shake violently. At the same time, a beam of light shot skyward from the center of the formation.
Those within Changmok Academy also noticed the pillar of light rising into the heavens.
"The Nine Palace Light Pillar to the Heavens… My heavens! Who is standing in the Gugungjin? Could it be An Ransu!?"
"Why is the Gugungjin, which hasn't activated in decades, suddenly reacting!?"
"Is Mistress An attempting the challenge!?"
"Who on earth is it!?"
Before long, martial artists began rushing toward the summit from all directions.
The activation of the Gugung Platform meant that someone had stepped into the Gugungjin!
Changjung stood dumbfounded. He had thought Yeophyeon was fleeing, never in his wildest dreams expecting him to climb onto the Gugung Platform.
Then Changjung burst into thunderous laughter.
"Yeophyeon, there are many ways to commit suicide! Foolish brat! If you die like this, it saves me the trouble!"
The Gugungjin.
Once activated, the nine wooden dolls within the formation would attack simultaneously. Its power was enough to kill a Nangong-level expert in an instant, and even Changjung himself had no confidence in breaking the formation if he entered it.
To break this formation required more than mere martial prowess. One needed solid fundamentals, talent, and real combat ability. The founder of Changmok Academy had left behind such a terrifying formation precisely to test true talent.
Soon, countless people gathered around the Gugung Platform, murmuring as they watched Yeophyeon.
Yuk Soyeon arrived beneath the platform with Yuk Myung and Yeophryeong. Upon spotting Yeophyeon, Yuk Soyeon was startled.
'Could it be that he intends to challenge the Gugungjin!'
Beside her stood Yeophryeong, wrapped in several layers of blankets. She did not fully understand what was happening, but she could clearly sense that it was nothing good.
Pale-faced and extremely tense, Yeophryeong asked,
"Lord Soyeon, my brother will be all right, won't he?"
Yuk Soyeon let out a soft sigh and looked at Yeophryeong. After hesitating for a moment, she said,
"Do not worry. Nothing will happen."
Despite her words, Yuk Soyeon watched Yeophyeon with anxious eyes.
The Gugungjin. A terrifying formation that no one had dared to challenge for decades.
The reason there had been no challengers was simple: everyone who stepped onto the Gugungjin had died.
Even if Yeophyeon's strength and background were extraordinary, the Gugungjin was still the Gugungjin.
The moment Yeophyeon stepped fully into the formation, the nine wooden dolls that had been sitting quietly suddenly moved, forming an encirclement around him like living beings.
Yeophyeon stared at the wooden dolls with eyes full of killing intent. He had boldly challenged the Gugungjin, but even he had not expected so many wooden dolls to emerge.
Yeophyeon was afraid of the Gugungjin, but he had no choice. Elder Changjung of Changmok Academy had already moved against him. No matter how capable Yeophyeon was, he could not stand against a colossal power like Changmok Academy.
That was why the Gugungjin came to his mind. Yeophyeon believed that once he stepped onto the Gugungjin, even Changjung would be unable to touch him.
Yeophyeon slowly swept his gaze around. The nine wooden dolls stood motionless, each holding a long wooden sword.
Yet Yeophyeon felt an intense sense of danger. He did not dare relax, focusing all his senses as he kept the dolls in check.
At that moment, one of the wooden dolls in front of him thrust its sword straight toward Yeophyeon's brow.
The onlookers began murmuring.
"This is unbelievable!"
"Look at the speed of that sword! Could it be that all of those dolls are swordsmen!?"
"If nine Eogi-level swordsmen attack together, even a Nangong-level expert wouldn't be able to withstand it!"
From atop the crane, Changjung was equally shocked. He had known the Gugungjin was formidable, but he had not realized it could unleash swordsmanship at the level of a swordsman. The formation had been dormant for so long that even this was his first time witnessing such a sight.
A smile slowly spread across Changjung's face.
Although the dolls were only at the Eogi level, if they truly possessed swordsman-level mastery, the situation was entirely different.
Nine Eogi-level swordsmen empowered by a formation. Even a Nangong-level expert would struggle against that.
'Perhaps among the young martial artists of the strong nation, An Ransu might barely be able to attempt this… but Yeophyeon, of all people!?'
A sneer escaped Changjung's lips.
"Yeophyeon, a person must know their limits!"
Receiving the wooden doll's first strike, Yeophyeon felt that the sword was fast, powerful, and decisive. Yet there was one strange thing.
'It's too weak…'
Even Yeophyeon himself did not know why he felt that way, but the sword truly seemed far too weak to him.
At that moment, the wooden sword was already right before Yeophyeon's nose. Yet he still showed no intention of moving.
The spectators felt as though their breaths had stopped.
Then suddenly, the wooden sword trembled violently and, in an instant, transformed into a streak of light that was sucked directly into Yeophyeon's body.
At the same time, the Yeongso Sword within Yeophyeon's body began to tremble as if undergoing some kind of change.
The remaining eight wooden dolls simultaneously thrust their swords at Yeophyeon.
However, the eight wooden swords vanished in the same way the moment they touched Yeophyeon's body.
The crowd was utterly stunned. But no one was more shocked than Yeophyeon himself.
"Celestial Maiden? What is going on? Was this your doing?"
A voice echoed in Yeophyeon's mind.
[The Invincible Sword Body Art you cultivated absorbs all swords weaker than the Yeongso Sword you possess.]
As Yeophyeon was about to ask more, Changjung's furious shout reached his ears.
"You bastard! You used trickery!"
Yeophyeon looked at Changjung and said calmly,
"Trickery? Then come and check it yourself!"