"Fist Tyrant! Fist Tyrant! Fist Tyrant!"
The crowd's chants for the new Fist Tyrant shook the Heavenly Martial Academy. Before countless watching eyes, a new star of the murim was born.
Cho Il, a prodigy touted by gossipers as the future greatest fist fighter, lay collapsed on the duel stage. The man who defeated him was a fourth-year student from the Azure Dragon Academy, a school that had consistently placed last in the Heavenly Martial Festival.
Geo Sangwoong dazedly lifted his head and scanned the spectator seats. The sound of the crowd chanting his new alias thundered through the academy grounds.
"Haha...!" he laughed as the reality of his victory finally sank in, and a thrilling ecstasy set his whole body trembling.
Just then, his gaze found Geo Ilsan's.
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"Father! When I grow up, I'm going to become the world's greatest martial artist!"
"That might be even harder than making the Golden Dragon Trading Company the world's richest business, you know?"
"I still want to do it!"
"Hahaha! Okay. You should try to do whatever you want. I will support you with all my might!"
A childhood memory surfaced—the promise he had made to his father long ago. He remembered the thick hand patting his head and the approving smile.
Although he had long since grown bigger than his father, to him, the man remained a colossal presence, like a great mountain.
Unable to contain his emotions, he shouted with all his might, "Father! I'll definitely keep my promise! Please keep watching over me!"
Geo Ilsan's eyes widened for a moment at his son's booming voice. Small tears welled in the corners of his wrinkled eyes, and he let out a hearty laugh and nodded.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Martial Festival staff carried the unconscious Cho Il away.
"BOOOOOOO!"
Rather than showing sympathy, the audience jeered at Cho Il's wretched state. The moment he was defeated, he revealed his cowardly side by using inner arts to perform an assassination technique.
If he had won the unofficial duel, public opinion might have turned back in his favor, but his loss erased any chance of that. The outcome was always crueler for the loser, and the resentful jeers of those who had lost their bets only added insult to injury.
He will never be able to make a comeback.
Baek Suryong watched as Cho Il was carried off. In an instant, the boy's reputation was shattered, and he lost his alias—a martial artist's honor. No orthodox sect would favor a prodigy branded as dishonorable, rendering every connection he had built at the Heavenly Martial Academy worthless. His value as a Blood Cult spy had evaporated.
Besides, traces of his demonic art slipped out during the duel.
While fighting Geo Sangwoong, Cho Il had come close to using demonic arts several times, though he himself seemed unaware of it. Ultimately, he managed to hold back, displaying some self-control. However, that brief internal conflict was enough to raise red flags among the supreme masters present.
Already, Baek Suryong noticed a few wary gazes trailing after the departing Cho Il.
"It's over." Baek Suryong clicked his tongue, losing all interest in the spy.
The Heavenly Martial Principal rose from his seat. "I declare Geo Sangwoong, fourth year student at the Azure Dragon Academy, the victor. As promised, the alias of the Fist Tyrant now belongs to Geo Sangwoong. I, Heavenly Martial Principal Jin Ryang, guarantee it."
The official declaration sent another roar through the crowd, but the Principal was not finished.
"That said, you will face disciplinary action for striking an opponent who had already conceded. A fitting punishment will, of course, be enforced against Cho Il."
"Okay." Geo Sangwoong nodded calmly, expecting nothing less. Not a trace of regret crossed his face. Even if he had the chance to do it all over again, he would have landed that final punch. "Thank you, everyone!"
He clasped his fists together in a salute to the roaring crowd, then stepped down from the stage and limped toward the Azure Dragon Academy's camp. He had won, but his body was a wreck, and he would likely be in pain for days.
Baek Suryong came out to greet his student before anyone else could. "You rascal! You worked hard."
Geo Sangwoong smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "It's all thanks to you, Mr. Baek. At some point, I could see that bastard's attacks so clearly, like I'd experienced them all before..."
Baek Suryong looked away, playing dumb. He had fought Cho Hyeok of the Blood Dragons in his past life and was familiar with the Soul Reaping Demonic Art. Knowing this, he had secretly drilled Geo Sangwoong to react unconsciously to the technique should he ever face Cho Il.
Still, none of that diminished Geo Sangwoong's victory in the slightest.
"You won with your own skill. Be proud of yourself."
"...Yes."
Baek Suryong patted his student on the shoulder, told him once more that he had worked hard, and sent him off to rest.
Afterward, Geo Sangwoong received a barrage of congratulations from his fellow Azure Dragon Academy students, including Hyonwon Kang, Wiji Cheon, and Yeo Min, before finally making his way over to Ya Suhyeok.
Ya Suhyeok, who was classified as seriously injured after his brutal brawl with Ilseong, sat wrapped in bandages with the Silver Tiger yawning languidly atop his head. The corner of his mouth twitched at the sight of Geo Sangwoong. "What's with that appearance? You're a complete mess."
"Look at your own face before you talk. Ilseong looks way better than you."
They traded jabs, then burst out laughing.
"Anyway, you worked hard."
"Yeah. You too."
The two boys lightly bumped their large fists together, then sat down side by side in the injured participants section, fully intending to watch the rest of the matches. However...
"Snore~ Whoo..."
By the time the commotion died down and the next match began, they were leaning on each other's shoulders, snoring away.
The other students giggled at the sight of the two slumbering young giants.
"Looking at them like this, they're just like two bears."
"Who could argue with that?"
The Fist Tyrant and the Savage Tiger Fist may be the two prodigies who would one day compete for the title of greatest pugilist, but at the Azure Dragon Academy, they were just the adorable Monochrome Bears.
All of the matches for the first day of the Heavenly Martial Festival concluded. The scores from the external arts events were tallied, and the academy rankings posted on a banner hung from the tallest building in the Heavenly Martial Academy.
Namgung Su looked up at the results for the first day, then turned to Baek Suryong. "Are you satisfied with today's results?"
First day or not, they had not suffered such a poor showing in decades.
Baek Suryong, who had been studying the same banner, shrugged and smirked. "This isn't too bad."
Vermillion PhoenixWhite Tiger
"Of course, we're still going to win the Heavenly Martial Festival.
Azure DragonBlack TortoiseHeavenly Martial
The banners of the Five Great Academies were posted from left to right by rank and fluttered in the wind. Ultimately, the Vermilion Phoenix Academy had claimed the highest total score on the first day of external arts events, benefiting from the intense competition between the Heavenly Martial and Azure Dragon students, who began fighting each other from the preliminaries.