I immediately retreated and flew a Flame Lightning First Blade Spear.

Kaang!

At that moment, a purple trajectory soared as if to block my vision.

The Heaven and Earth Grand Righteous Sword Art. It was a superior martial art that only the family head could learn in the past.

Cleverly, it was also one of the family’s secret techniques that had not been taken away because it had not been used even once since the appearance of the Heaven-Shattering Demon.

“Is this all?”

Zhuge Tae-seong asked without chasing this side further. An attitude of completely looking down on this side.

“No way.”

I said, floating in the air with psychokinesis.

Then, cries of admiration poured out from all directions.

“The sky?!”

“Don’t tell me that rumor was true!”

Fortunately, although the rumors about me had spread in the Central Plains, it seemed there were few who had witnessed it directly among them.

Judging by the fact that they hadn’t set a rule that one shouldn’t float in the sky above the training ground in advance.

“It’s just a trick.”

“We’ll know when we fight.”

With the answer, I shot about a dozen spears of flame lightning from the sky.

Spears of scorching heat that poured down like rain. However, the opponent was deflecting all of them with just minimal movements.

Certainly, a master who had reached the pinnacle of the super-peak level was on a different level. Because it seemed difficult to inflict a fatal blow with just long-range attacks.

But it was the same for the opponent.

Swish-!

Although a powerful qi flew from below, it was just scattered by the magic and sword strikes shot from this side.

‘It’s powerful, but not at a threatening level.’

I was now deliberately floating at around 10m. A distance that was tricky for the enemy to rush in, but easy for this side to shoot magic.

I shot an additional stream of water magic at Zhuge Tae-seong.

Although the opponent dodged as before, in the end, the training ground was a limited space.

As ice soared from the ground due to the continued freezing magic, his movements were bound to be restricted, albeit slightly.

‘Now!’

Simultaneously, I shot the Flame Lightning Second Blade Spear that I had floated in the air. An attack that struck down from both the left and right.

The sword strike that Zhuge Tae-seong swung deflected the two fan ribs with a purple trajectory.

But the real aim was something else.

“Your back is open.”

While taking his back, I swung the Demon-Slaying Sword. A three-way attack that he couldn’t block even if he knew. In an instant, blood drops splattered in the air.

“Keuk!”

Although Zhuge Tae-seong belatedly twisted his body to dodge, he had already been injured in his back.

The swift sword strikes, characteristic of the Zixia Divine Art, persistently attacked it.

“How cowardly.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I additionally flew a Flame Lightning First Blade Spear from behind the guy.

Zhuge Tae-seong, who hastily deflected it. And the Demon-Slaying Sword that was shot in front of him.

Although the opponent belatedly tried to block by twisting his wrist, the martial art I used this time was the Emperor Sword Form.

As his wrist was bent outwards for a moment by the heavy blow, he hastily retreated.

“What is this…!”

“Are you surprised?”

Before he could even properly arrange his posture, I drove the enemy back using the continuous strikes of the Taiji-Hye-Sword.

However, even if I had gained the upper hand for a moment, in the end, the opponent was a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle.

As we exchanged blows, the opponent’s response also became solid, so I flew a large number of spears of flame lightning and widened the distance.

Kwaang!

Flames soar around the opponent. Just then, Zhuge Tae-seong, who pierced through the karma and rushed at me.

However, a Flame Lightning Second Blade Spear had already been completed above his head. Two flashes of light that struck down like thunderbolts.

Ka-ga-gang!

While Zhuge Tae-seong stopped and blocked the attack, I had already floated in the air.

“Even tricks can be quite tricky when they gather. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, I admit it.”

A powerful qi rises from Zhuge Tae-seong’s body. A denser purple stream of qi than before began to encroach on the surroundings, which had been heated by the heat.

‘He’s dangerous.’

I instinctively raised my altitude. At that moment, Zhuge Tae-seong’s figure soared at a high speed.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Although it was a tremendous speed, the air was the domain of a mage.

Immediately, a dozen spears of flame lightning were shot at the enemy.

However, the flames were just cut down in the empty air. As expected, this much was not effective against Zhuge Tae-seong.

‘If so!’

I immediately activated wind magic. A gust of wind that burst out like a storm. But Zhuge Tae-seong did not fly away. Rather, his approaching speed became even faster.

‘Teleportation?’

He had kicked off the empty air by releasing his internal energy from the soles of his feet. A feat that was possible because he was a master who had reached the realm.

‘So it’s a trick for a trick.’

Before I knew it, Zhuge Tae-seong, who had come right in front of me, thrust his sword.

He was not a person who had risen to the position of young master for nothing.

“Still not enough.”

If it was a fight in the same empty air, this side, which had a foothold, was more advantageous. I immediately stepped forward and thrust the Demon-Slaying Sword.

Chae-aeng!

A sword strike that clashes with each other in the empty air. Soon, they bounced up and down, unable to overcome the repulsive force.

‘The distance has widened again. This is to my advantage.’

The moment I thought that, a half-moon shaped powerful qi flew in.

“Keuk!”

After blocking the additional attack, I immediately shot a Flame Lightning First Blade Spear.

Soon, Zhuge Tae-seong, who was stuck on the ground with a flash of light.

Although the blow just now was quite effective, it was not decisive compared to the internal energy consumed.

“Is this all?”

I asked back, looking at Zhuge Tae-seong, who had fallen to the ground and was looking up this way.

Zhuge Tae-seong, who raised his sword instead of an answer.

It seemed the superior-inferior relationship had been reversed. As if to prove this, the surroundings were also filled with silence.

To think that scoundrel had overwhelmed the young master. It seemed everyone was at a loss for words in front of the tremendous anomaly.

‘The strong don’t think they need to grasp their opponents.’

Because they would think they could easily gain the upper hand if they just brought out their own strength completely. But that was a miscalculation.

‘Then I just have to not fight him head-on.’

It was his mistake to have been engrossed in external activities until the day before the challenge for the heir.

He could have given himself the leisure to prepare for the enemy’s abilities. But as a result of ignoring his opponent and prioritizing his own schedule, this situation had occurred.

‘Thanks to that, all my strategies worked.’

The method David chose to catch Goliath was, in the end, a battle of distance.

Because if you fight with an effective strategy in an advantageous position, you can win even if your opponent is stronger.

If this had been a real battle, the aspect would have been a little different. Because the range of the ground that Zhuge Tae-seong could utilize would have been much wider.

But in a duel format like this, I was much more advantageous. Because this side was superior in the ability to use the rules.

Looking at Zhuge Tae-seong, who was panting roughly, having lost his stamina, I muttered.

“I’m disappointed.”

“You, are you really Zhuge Cheonwu?”

For a moment, the Daoist Scholar’s Fan stopped. Because rather than being embarrassed by the question, I felt a sense of shamelessness.

“What’s so new? Were we ever close enough to distinguish something like that?”

At least the guy had no right to question whether it was true or not.

Although they were relatives only in words, I had never felt the affection of a family in my memories.

I shot a Flame Lightning First Blade Spear. Then the opponent who deflected it again and jumped up.

It seemed he was aiming for the gap after a big attack.

‘He’s found a weakness.’

Before I knew it, the opponent had approached to a close distance in the time it took for the next magic to be prepared.

Kaang!

But it wasn’t threatening.

Because I was also quite confident in my swordsmanship.

I deflected the guy’s sword strike with the Demon-Slaying Sword and retreated further.

In the first place, if it wasn’t a level that could be broken in one or two moves, it was just a repeat of before.

Soon, Zhuge Tae-seong, who had lost his mobility in the empty air and was in a disheveled posture, came into view.

The triple fusion magic, Flame-Wind-Lightning, that was activated at the same time.

The huge magic struck down at Zhuge Tae-seong, who had begun to fall.

Kwaaaaaang!

Flames and electric shocks created a vortex and burned the area vertically down to the ground.

A crater was formed in the middle of the training ground, as if a meteorite had fallen.

Zhuge Tae-seong, who was standing there, half-kneeling, at the center of it.

I aimed two Flame Lightning First Blade Spears at his head.

With this, my mana was almost depleted. If this attack was blocked, I wouldn’t be able to use magic for a while. But I didn’t care.

Because there was one last weapon left.

I bluffed.

“Do you want to try more?”

A performance that feigned leisure flowed out naturally. To think the characteristic of an [Arrogant Young Master] would be helpful at a time like this.

In the silence of the training ground, the pressure continued. By the time it became difficult to maintain the Flame Lightning First Blade Spear any longer. Finally, an answer flowed from Zhuge Tae-seong’s mouth.

“…I lost.”

With Zhuge Tae-seong’s declaration of surrender, the announcer’s shout echoed throughout the venue.

“Th-the winner is Zhuge Cheonwu!”

The scoundrel of the Zhuge family had defeated the young master.

“To think he really defeated the young master?!”

“N-no way!”

The sound of murmuring spread in all directions at the astonishing result. With this, the entire Zhuge family would be in an uproar for a while.

But I didn’t care about such rumors. Because what was really important was the bet I had made with the family head.

As I landed on the training ground, I turned my back without even giving a glance to Zhuge Tae-seong.

“Are you really planning to become the family head?”

As I came down from the training ground, the first one to approach me was Zhuge Hyeon-guk.

“We’ll have to see about that in the future. Do I still not look like I have a chance?”

“…A talent that is too outstanding is bound to be kept in check.”

“If it blocks my path, I’ll just break it.”

And then I headed for the highest seat.

“As promised, I will receive the authority over the armed forces.”

“Do so.”

Zhuge Hohyeon’s permission fell. A calm tone. An attitude that seemed to have no particular emotion.

Now that there was nothing more to hope for, I turned my back.

Just then, I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Do you have a moment?”

“Yes.”

The place Zhuge Hohyeon called me to was the formation hall.

A stage prepared for unfolding a formation. Now, in this interior, there was only me and Zhuge Hohyeon.

In the first place, it was a private meeting with his son, and since his own martial power was also at the Transformation Realm, he wouldn’t have needed an escort.

“What is it?”

“I want to know what changed you so much.”

As expected.

He was only interested because I had been active. In Zhuge Cheonwu’s memories, he had never given a glance to him unless he was useful.

Since I had no intention of telling him the truth in the first place, I expressed it in a roundabout way.

“A desperate wish has just been answered.”

“Is that so.”

Zhuge Hohyeon raised one hand. With that gesture, the scenery of the formation naturally changed.

Zhuge Hohyeon was also an existence of the top-tier level among formation masters.

He could easily do this much.

“I want to have a game of Go with you.”

Although he compared it to Go, it was a story of wanting to have a formation battle. Because masters could grasp the opponent’s intention and even emotions while playing a game. He must have wanted to know this side’s feelings with this.

It was understandable. Since his scoundrel son had suddenly challenged for the heir and had even defeated the young master, causing an anomaly in the family.

But I had no intention of falling for such an intention so easily.

“Since we’re doing it anyway, how about we make a bet?”

“You like to make bets.”

“Because I had to seize any opportunity that came my way to grow even a little.”

“Is it related to the armed forces like before?”

“Yes, if I win, I would like you to give me the right to operate half of the Cheongi Unit just once.”

“I suppose the rest of the conditions are the same as before. Alright.”

Zhuge Hohyeon surprisingly readily accepted.

‘I don’t know the reason, but…’

With this, the stage was all set. I crossed to the other side and unfolded the Daoist Scholar’s Fan.

Since I had surpassed the young master, it was now time to defeat the family head.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep