Ilseong pushed himself to his feet. After only a few breaths, his pale complexion returned to normal.
"...This humble monk has misunderstood."
Ya Suhyeok had soundly beaten him with a single punch, shattering his confidence. Still, he quickly recovered from the shock.
Ya Suhyeok's eyebrow twitched. Although he had held back, the blow had landed hard, yet his opponent seemed surprisingly unscathed. "Misunderstood?" he asked.
Ilseong nodded. "As a Buddhist, I tried to avoid unnecessary conflict and underestimated your abilities. My pride as a Shaolin disciple clouded my judgment. I sincerely apologize."
Ya Suhyeok readily accepted the apology. "It's fine. As long as you've come to your senses after getting hit, that's all that matters."
"From now on, I won't be arrogant. I'll fight with all my heart and soul."
For this reason, his spirit finally broke.
Ilseong shifted his stance, and a fierce aura poured off the large monk. Where he had been a steadfast rock, he now carried the presence of a savage tiger stalking its prey.
You crazy seniors!" Ya Suhyeok screamed at the top of his lungs as he flew through the air, but he couldn't stop the excited students.
Ya Suhyeok grinned and knocked his fists together, liking what he saw. "Looks like that hurt a lot. If you think it's unfair, should I let you hit me once too?"
Ilseong laughed heartily at the offer. "Thank you, but I'll accept this as the price for my arrogance. Please believe me when I say I mean no disrespect."
"Kraaaaargh! Come on! Stop dodging and fight me!"
"Don't regret it later when you lose."
The two large boys glared at each other, their muscles rippling. Despite their mutual goodwill, their eyes burned with competitive spirit.
"Shall we start?"
"Let's."
The two boys got into position, kicked off the ground hard, and charged at each other.
BOOM!
They engaged in close combat, raining down a storm of fists and feet. Their arms and legs drew wild arcs as they battered each other's bodies.
Given the close-quarters combat between the two students, not even the Ten Supremes could reach them in time to prevent injury.
CRACK! THUMP! CRUNCH!
The exchange was merciless. They hit, twisted, pushed, and grappled, throwing their entire bodies into a fight that relied on pure physical ability. This was a fight between two monsters of strength—men who could wrestle bears and snap the necks of tigers. Even without inner qi, the stage cracked and threw up dust in every direction.
The audience gasped in admiration, overwhelmed by the pair's extreme mastery of external arts.
"Do both of them have superhuman strength?"
"Is a fight like this really possible with only external arts?"
The two large boys glared at each other, their muscles rippling. Despite their mutual goodwill, their eyes burned with competitive spirit.
"I can understand such feats from Shaolin monks, but that student from the Azure Dragon Academy is just..."
Even the Supreme Buddha, supposedly the greatest Shaolin master, marveled at the duel.
Fists, shoulders, feet, and legs flew indiscriminately.
THWACK!
The two boys punched each other in the face and stumbled back a few steps.
"...Shouldn't we have him forfeit?" he asked. "It looks like he could get seriously hurt."
Ya Suhyeok wiped the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand and laughed. "Heh, looks like Shaolin's pretty rough with its kids, too. There's no mercy in those fists."
Ilseong wiped his bloody nose and smiled gently, though his eyes burned with rivalry. "Amitabha. You must have had a rough upbringing yourself, sir. I've never seen anyone try to grab a monk's hair before."
"Oh, that? I learned it from my teacher."
"...Y-You can't mean the Azure Dragon Hero?"
After a brief exchange to catch their breaths, they charged again.
"Don't regret it later when you lose."
As Ya Suhyeok deflected Ilseong's fist, he frowned.
It was also the mindset that his teacher, Baek Suryong, had instilled in him over the past year.
He's strong.
Shaolin martial arts embodied an unbreakable spirit. Each seemingly simple strike was exquisitely controlled.
Ya Suhyeok felt his whole body tingle every time he blocked or deflected a blow. Evidently, the thousand-year-old Shaolin legacy was no empty boast. His opponent's fists felt heavier and more overwhelming with each passing moment.
"Do you think that kid would accept a forfeit?" Hyonwon Kang snarled.
FLUTTER!
The wind caught the hem of Ilseong's robe, sending it billowing wide. This movement itself became a feint, obscuring Ya Suhyeok's vision. Ilseong stepped in at the same instant and drove his right palm into Ya Suhyeok's shoulder.
THUD!
That memory was his most vivid from the past year, considering it happened nearly every day.
Ya Suhyeok staggered back, and Ilseong pursued him, attacking with growing intensity. His momentum was relentless, demonstrating his will not to surrender the advantage.
Ya Suhyeok gritted his teeth. His instincts told him, If I retreat any further, I'll lose.
He stomped his feet hard as if digging them into the ground. Glaring with the ferocity of a tiger, he bellowed, "Bring it on!"
"Do both of them have superhuman strength?"
A brawl broke out. Fists, shoulders, feet, and legs flew indiscriminately. Amid the chaos, Ya Suhyeok threw his head back and delivered a powerful headbutt to Ilseong's face.
CRACK!
Baek Suryong bit his lip, watching his student fight.
Ilseong staggered, blood gushing from his nose. Still, a venomous glint burned in his eyes. Seizing Ya Suhyeok's head with both hands, he drove his knee upward.
THWACK!
The wind caught the hem of Ilseong's robe, sending it billowing wide. This movement itself became a feint, obscuring Ya Suhyeok's vision.
Blood streamed from a gash on Ya Suhyeok's forehead, but he lowered his stance, blocking Ilseong's knee with one hand just in time to reduce the impact. With his other hand, he grabbed the back of Ilseong's calf and pulled, throwing him off balance.
CRASH!
"Aaargh! I'm getting dizzy!
The two large boys tumbled and crashed to the ground.
The audience watched the increasingly intense fight, holding their collective breath.
After a brief exchange to catch their breaths, they charged again.
Sin Yeonho turned to Baek Suryong. "...Shouldn't we have him forfeit?" he asked. "It looks like he could get seriously hurt."
Jaegal Soyeong and Myeong Il'oh also expressed concern, agreeing that a forfeit would be better.
"Yeonho-oppa is right. If he pushes any further, Suhyeok could be in danger."
"Hyung-nim, there's no need to overdo it on the first day. It's a pity, but..."
If it had been the him of the previous Heavenly Martial Festival, or the Azure Dragon Academy of years past, they would have conceded defeat long ago.
The other instructors wore grim expressions, seemingly in agreement.
Ilseong was slowly pushing Ya Suhyeok back. The longer the fight dragged on, the clearer the outcome became, barring some unforeseen variable.
Baek Suryong bit his lip, watching his student fight. After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and shook his head. "No, absolutely not."
"Baek Suryong," Namgung Su called out in a low voice. He gave Baek Suryong a questioning look, as if asking whether he could take responsibility for the consequences of his greed. Given the close-quarters combat between the two students, not even the Ten Supremes could reach them in time to prevent injury.
Ilseong staggered, blood gushing from his nose. Still, a venomous glint burned in his eyes. Seizing Ya Suhyeok's head with both hands, he drove his knee upward.
However, Baek Suryong's reason for not stopping the match had nothing to do with his goal of winning the Heavenly Martial Festival. Before he could open his mouth, though, someone else spoke up.
There's no mercy in those fists."
"Do you think that kid would accept a forfeit?" Hyonwon Kang snarled. He glowered at the instructors, making it clear that he would not allow them to force Ya Suhyeok to forfeit.