Chapter 23: The Trials of the Divine Dragon

The tournament was simple: fifteen candidates divided into five batches. Each batch would have three rounds, and only one winner from each would advance to the final round. The last one standing would earn the title of Divine Dragon of Wolseong.

Batch One: Lucian vs. Three Sects

The moment Lucian stepped onto the arena, a suffocating pressure settled over the battlefield. His opponents—martial artists from the Black Veil Society, Soul Reaper Hall, and Blood Phantom Clan—circled him like hungry wolves.

One of them sneered. "You're just one man against three. How long do you think you'll last?"

Lucian smirked. "Long enough to bury you all."

The battle began.

The first attacker, a masked assassin from the Black Veil Society, lunged at him with twin daggers coated in poison. Lucian sidestepped and caught the man's wrist, twisting it with a sickening snap before launching him into the stands with a single kick.

A warrior from Soul Reaper Hall came next, swinging a jagged sword imbued with cursed energy. Lucian ducked under the slash and retaliated with a palm strike to the chest, sending the opponent crashing into the ground, unconscious.

The final opponent, a spear-wielding phantom from Blood Phantom Clan, aimed for Lucian's heart with a lightning-fast thrust. Lucian smirked, twisting his body mid-air and driving his knee into the spear-wielder's face.

Within moments, all three were down.

The arena fell silent before erupting into cheers.

Winner: Lucian.

Batch Two: Jang Tae-won (Mount Hua Sect) vs. Three Opponents

Jang Tae-won, the Sword Prodigy of Mount Hua, faced opponents from the Crimson Moon Cult, Blackfire Market, and Obsidian Fang Clan. Each came at him with wild, unorthodox techniques. But Jang's movements were like flowing water—precise, disciplined, and elegant.

With a single step, he weaved through attacks, countering each with devastating speed. His sword flickered like lightning, and within three rounds, all his opponents lay defeated.

Winner: Jang Tae-won.

Batch Three: Fang Xiaotian (Wudang Sect) vs. Three Opponents

Fang Xiaotian, the Daoist Sage in Training, stood calmly as warriors from the Scarlet Fang Quarter, Azure Sky District, and Ironclad Dominion charged at him. He remained still until the last moment, then moved like the wind—redirecting strikes with a flick of his sleeve.

With fluid motion, he used their own force against them. One by one, they crumpled under the weight of their failed assaults.

Winner: Fang Xiaotian.

Batch Four: Go Hae-rim (Hollow Bamboo Sect) vs. Three Opponents

The Hidden Weapons Mistress of Hollow Bamboo Sect faced challengers from the Silent Monastery, Blackfire Market, and Soul Reaper Hall. Her movements were graceful yet deadly. She flicked her wrist, and bamboo needles shot out, striking precise acupoints.

Her opponents fell before they even realized what had happened.

Winner: Go Hae-rim.

Batch Five: Baek Sungho (Ironclad Dominion) vs. Three Opponents

The Unyielding Spear of Ironclad Dominion faced warriors from the Black Veil Society, Verdant Moon Pavilion, and Obsidian Fang Clan. With a single sweep of his spear, he shattered defenses, overwhelming his opponents with sheer power.

None could withstand his relentless assault.

Winner: Baek Sungho.

Final Battle: Four vs. One – The Monster Stands Alone

The remaining contenders gathered in the center of the arena.

Jang Tae-won (Mount Hua Sect) – Sword Prodigy

Fang Xiaotian (Wudang Sect) – Daoist Sage in Training

Go Hae-rim (Hollow Bamboo Sect) – Hidden Weapons Mistress

Baek Sungho (Ironclad Dominion) – The Unyielding Spear

Lucian (Heavenly Demon Cult) – The Shadow of the Abyss

Jang Tae-won glanced at the others and whispered, "That monster must fall first."

The three nodded in silent agreement.

The moment the match began, all four warriors attacked Lucian at once.

Baek Sungho struck first, his spear roaring through the air like a dragon's tail. Lucian sidestepped, only for Go Hae-rim's concealed needles to flash toward his vital points. He spun his sword in a blur, deflecting them midair.

Before he could recover, Fang Xiaotian's palm surged with internal qi, aiming to strike Lucian's chest. Lucian smirked, catching the strike with his bare hand. The force of it sent shockwaves through the arena, but Lucian stood firm. "You'll have to do better than that."

Jang Tae-won took advantage of the moment, his Nine Celestial Sword Arts slashing toward Lucian in an elegant arc. But Lucian's blade met his head-on, the impact sending sparks flying.

Lucian's eyes glowed with a dark light.

In an instant, he vanished.

The next moment, he was behind Go Hae-rim, his sword hovering at her neck. "You lose."

Before she could react, he struck her acupoint, rendering her unconscious.

Three remained.

Baek Sungho roared, thrusting his spear with full force. Lucian caught the shaft mid-air, snapping it in half before delivering a devastating kick that sent Baek soaring out of the ring.

Two remained.

Fang Xiaotian and Jang Tae-won exchanged a look before attacking together. But Lucian didn't retreat.

He charged forward.

His blade clashed with Jang Tae-won's, shattering his opponent's stance. With a precise strike, he disarmed the sword prodigy and sent him sprawling.

One remained.

Fang Xiaotian exhaled and entered a deep stance. "You are powerful, but can you break the Tao itself?"

Lucian smirked. "I'll do more than break it."

Fang Xiaotian unleashed a devastating palm strike, but Lucian's blade cut through the attack itself. The Daoist prodigy staggered, his defenses shattered.

With one final step, Lucian appeared before him and pressed a single finger to his chest.

BOOM!

Fang Xiaotian collapsed, unconscious.

The arena was silent.

Then—

"Winner: Nam Gong-Wook!"

The crowd erupted into a deafening roar.

Lucian had done the impossible. He stood alone, undefeated, crowned the Divine Dragon of Wolseong.

From the stands, Jin Seol-Hwan—the Heavenly Demon himself—smiled.

"This boy… is a monster."

The cheers of the crowd still echoed across the arena when a sudden outburst shattered the victorious atmosphere.

"This is a farce!" Go Jang-ryeol, known as The Lion of Cheolju, roared as he stormed forward, his face contorted with rage. "There is no way a single man could defeat all four of them! He must have used forbidden means!"

Chae Seon-woo of the Hollow Bamboo Sect and Liu Mingzhe from Wudang followed suit, their eyes burning with barely restrained fury.

"I agree!" Chae Seon-woo sneered. "No mere disciple can overwhelm the finest warriors of our sects so effortlessly. He must have taken a forbidden pill to enhance his strength!"

Murmurs rippled through the gathered sect leaders and nobles. Accusations flew like arrows.

"A disgrace to the tournament!"

"The demon cult must have tampered with the results!"

"We should demand a reexamination!"

Lucian, standing tall at the center of it all, let out a slow, amused chuckle. He tilted his head, his piercing gaze settling on the fools before him.

"Accuse me all you want," he said, his voice dripping with condescension, "but does whining like cornered rats change the fact that I crushed your so-called geniuses?"

Go Jang-ryeol gritted his teeth, stepping closer. "Watch your tongue, demon! You think we'll let this stand?"

Before he could advance any further, a cold and murderous melody filled the air.

A wave of violet Qi-infused sound rippled through the arena. It was as if death itself had begun to hum a tune. The atmosphere twisted, suffocating weaker martial artists under its weight.

At the center of it all stood Yoo Il-ryung, the Master of the Hollow Bamboo Sect, holding his flute with a calm yet terrifying presence. His eyes, usually indifferent, gleamed with the unmistakable intent to kill.

The entire arena fell silent. Even the most arrogant warriors dared not move.

Lucian, however, remained unfazed.

With a flick of his wrist, his black sword gleamed under the sunlight, its edge now resting against Go Jang-ryeol's throat.

The Lion of Cheolju froze, his body stiff with fear. The blade pressed just enough to draw a single drop of blood.

Lucian didn't bother looking at him. Instead, his sharp, cold gaze locked onto the King seated upon the royal throne.

"Grandmaster Yoo Il-ryung, I advise you to control these so-called orthodox sects." His voice, laced with mocking amusement, echoed through the entire coliseum.

"Because even I don't know whose neck will be cut next."

A deep, suffocating silence fell over the arena. The sheer audacity of Lucian's words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

He had just openly challenged the authority of every orthodox sect, right in front of the King, Grandmaster Yoo Il-ryung, and the most revered martial artists in the empire.

The sect leaders clenched their fists, their killing intent thickening in the air. Some of the nobles were visibly shaking, caught between fear and disbelief.

Yoo Il-ryeong, unfazed by the tension, sighed and lowered his flute.

"I plea to all sects," he said calmly, "accept the results of this tournament. I personally examined each candidate before the matches began. No foul play was involved."

The declaration crushed any further objections.

Even the most stubborn sect leaders could not openly challenge Yoo Il-ryung's verdict without risking disgracing their own honor.

Go Jang-ryeol, humiliated beyond measure, clenched his fists and stepped back, his face dark with resentment.

Lucian smirked. "Good boy."

The veins in Jang-ryeol's forehead bulged, but he dared not retaliate.

With the tension finally diffused, the Heavenly Demon Cult disciples erupted into cheers, rushing forward to lift Lucian onto their shoulders.

"The Divine Dragon of Wolseong is one of us!"

"All hail Young Lord Lucian!"

"The Demon Cult stands undefeated!"

From the highest seat in the arena, Jin Seol-Hwan, the Heavenly Demon himself, simply smiled.

His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched his disciple defy the entire orthodox world without an ounce of fear.

"Foolish children," he mused. "They still don't understand. This is only the beginning."

The Legend of Lucian, the Divine Dragon, had only just begun.