Only I Am A Reader

"I welcome everyone on the peak of our humble Mount Hua!"

The Great Mount Hua Sect.

As one of the sects that had the longest histories even within the entirety of murim, the sect established on top of one of the great five mountains was well known for its Daoist non-materialistic nature. The stories of the Mount Hua Daoists suppressing evil all around the land were deeply engraved in the minds of the masses.

However, it was far from being the only sect that specialized in the use of swordsmanship. When it came to the use of the sword, several renowned names would quickly come to mind…

Whether it was the noble Namgung of the nine grand families or the Southern Edge Sect of the ten great sects, their swords' fame rivaled that of Mount Hua. The same could easily be said about the sects occupying the other great five mountains. Some sects that didn't specifically specialize in using the sword had also managed to produce several peerless swordsmen over the years!

So why was it that only the Great Mount Hua Sect possessed the honor and responsibility of holding and overseeing the sole Sword Conference in murim? The answer was simple.

The Sword Sage! Just by being the birthplace of the one and only Sword Sage of murim, the Great Mount Hua Sect possessed the absolute right of being called a blessed land for sword practice, spreading about the greatness of the plum blossom sword!

"I trust you are all doing well. You have my thanks for attending this term's Sword Conference!"

And it was precisely that Sword Sage who momentarily floated atop his sword, saying a few words to the crowds looking up to him.

"Unfortunately, things had been hectic since we had to push it forward this time, but it's all for a good reason. Please wait patiently for the announcement we will make by the end of the conference, I guarantee that everyone will come to a complete understanding by then."

Hsss… hsss…

No one dared to talk normally under the gaze of the Sword Sage, but the audience still broke into a wave of inaudible whispers. Everyone was curious about the change of date, and the Sword Sage's words made it seem likely that something big was happening!

"Well then, I regretfully have to take my leave as my fellow Alliance Elders are waiting! I wish you all great enjoyment in the upcoming competition, and to be forever unrestricted in the pursuit of martial arts!"

The Sword Sage finally descended before disappearing under the eyes of the audience, only leaving behind a string of carefree laughter.

"Ahem. I will be the one overseeing the 1st rate Sword Tournament. The matchings will be announced shortly!"

A Daoist wearing the senior robes of Mount Hua Masters rose from within the audience, his words coinciding with a group of students transporting two desks each accompanied by four baskets, the Mount Hua Sword Conference was truly starting!

"Chung Myung! Baek Chun!"

"Han Kyung! Kang Manshik!"

With each desk placed in front of one of the two square stages, the four students who stayed behind picked a piece of paper from the basket, loudly announcing the names written on them by amplifying their voices with Internal Energy.

In order to avoid any possible conflict, the Sword Conference matchings completely relied on chance. Although all the righteous families and sects of murim appeared to be strongly united under the banner of the Murim Alliance, that was only on the surface.

The number of conflicts of interest that broke out wasn't small. As such, even the Great Mount Hua Sect couldn't afford to be accused of being biased. Seeing the random choice being made under their eyes was the best way to clear the sect's name.

"Please advise!"

The four whose names had been called out walked down from their seats and onto the stage. Standing in front of their opponents, they didn't dally before unsheathing their swords!

Shiing!

No matter how much of a friendly competition the Sword Conference was supposed to be, the matches couldn't possibly be conducted using wooden swords, only real swords could truly show the skill of their wielder!

Klang! Clang! Klang!

Without hesitation, the four swords clashed seriously from the very beginning, each swordsman using their martial art at full force. Testing the waters wasn't a bad choice, but in a fight like this, one could only go all out!

The reason that such a great number of people converged for an event like this was the importance that it signified. This was a competition that put every sect and martial family's swordsmanship to the test. Just as the winner would bring honor to their organization, the loser would bring disgrace to the names they represented!

Klang!

"Chun Myung wins!"

The first match was quickly decided when the sword flew out from the loser's hand. Everyone could see that the two swordsmen were at least equal in skill, Baek Chun had purely lost due to a difference in strength, but not even he complained.

The competition was part of a 'Sword Conference', but winning crystallized every part of the winner's ability. Whether it was their strength, speed, sword skill, or even battle experience, every advantage counted.

Craccck!

"Kang Manshik wins!"

The same could be said about the second match which ended in the destruction of the loser's sword, even a Martial Artist's wealth or fortune required to obtain an unrivaled sword also counted as a part of their ability.

"Yang sun! P…"

"Peng Haibei! E…"

There was no celebration or congratulations as the winners and losers returned to their seats. After putting the names of those who advanced into another basket, the Mount Hua students proceeded to match two more pairs.

Swish!

'That's not too bad.'

Sitting next to Yeon and Cheon Sohee, Leo observed the consecutive matches taking place. Despite not being some sort of genius who would pick up people's techniques by seeing them, he at least managed to pick up some weaknesses and loopholes that might come in handy later.

'I wonder if it would be any different this time?'