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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobt
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The Lotus Hall assessment began.
The assessment was divided into two parts: intellect and martial arts.
In the case of intellect, it wasn’t that difficult. After all, the assessment targets were minors.
What could they expect from children who weren’t even of age? The most important thing in the assessment was not academics, but martial arts.
Buzz buzz.
“Ugh, my stomach hurts.”
“Hmph, they’re all nothing special.”
On the training ground prepared for the Lotus Hall.
It was crowded with fourth-generation disciples ranging from seven or eight years old to around twelve years old. Their number reached about a hundred.
All these many people were young martial artists challenging the assessment.
Since they were young, it was noisy and bustling, and the reactions were diverse.
Some looked like they were about to cry from excessive tension, some were stiff as a stone, and some were on high alert, observing their surroundings with sharp eyes.
Joo Seo-cheon casually took a seat in an inconspicuous corner and waited for his turn.
“Who is that?”
“An unfamiliar face.”
While waiting for his turn, Joo Seo-cheon received some unwanted attention.
“Isn’t he a bit too old to challenge the assessment?”
Thanks to the cliff climbing and overflowing internal energy, he had grown unrecognizably. Even at the age of ten, he looked around fourteen years old.
Perhaps because of that, there were frequent murmurs about whether he met the age criteria for the Lotus Hall assessment.
“Why are you paying attention to him? He’s going to fail anyway.”
Someone snorted. It was clearly a sneer.
“I’ve investigated potential competitors in advance. Since he’s not in my memory, he’s definitely nothing special.”
The Lotus Hall allowed reassessment as long as the age requirement was met.
The age of majority in the Central Plains was fifteen. Even if one entered the Lotus Hall at the age of fourteen, there were many advantages.
The honor of being from the Lotus Hall went without saying, and above all, one could receive superior training at a different level.
Even if the period was only one year, it didn’t matter.
As a result, there were quite a few people preparing to enter the Lotus Hall, and their efforts were remarkable.
Although the assessment method differed each year, sparring often appeared, so they thoroughly investigated each other.
It was to find a way to win, even if just a little.
Anyway, within the scope of this preliminary investigation, there was almost nothing about a person named Joo Seo-cheon.
It was partly because he rarely interacted with others, but also because he had only recently gained attention.
“Wait a minute.”
Someone recognized Joo Seo-cheon.
“I saw that face not long ago… Ah, right. He’s the disciple of the Smiling Gentle Swordsman.”
Not long ago, visitors had come to offer congratulations to Yu Jeong-mok. It also happened within the Mount Hua Sect.
It seemed that the disciple was related to that visitor.
At the name Smiling Gentle Swordsman, a few children stirred.
“Hmph!”
A child who seemed to have a high nose snorted.
“His reputation has been great recently, but I’ve never heard anything about his disciple being special!”
“Good, just let it slide.”
If they had spoken ill of his master even a little, he would have smashed them on the spot, but on the contrary, it was close to praise, so he decided to let it go. He wasn’t in a particularly bad mood.
“Rather than wasting time on such a guy, it’s better to move your body a little!”
“You’re right. Let’s go.”
The two chatty ones left.
“Hmm, they’re all just people who will fail. I can easily pass without even trying, right?”
Joo Seo-cheon smiled as if relieved.
Exactly one hour later, the fourth-generation disciples awaiting the assessment despaired.
“No, we’re doomed!”
Screams erupted from here and there.
Before the assessment began, the fourth-generation disciples who had sneered at Joo Seo-cheon and chattered freely also had pale faces.
“How can we defeat that?”
Some children had already lost their fighting spirit and given up before even fighting.
“I knew that genius would appear someday, but…”
“Who would have thought it would be today!”
The child next to him pleaded in a resentful voice, then drooped his shoulders and trudged away.
“Next!”
The examiner called out the fourth-generation disciples waiting for their turn.
However, most of them returned with weak steps.
“Oh my…”
Joo Seo-cheon also looked at the assessment ground with a surprised face. In the center, a young beautiful girl stood in front of the examiner.
“Nak So-wol!”
She was a fourth-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect and a year younger than Joo Seo-cheon, at nine years old.
She was also a relatively famous person in the Mount Hua Sect.
Information about Nak So-wol came to Joo Seo-cheon’s mind. It was because she was a person who left a vivid impression even in the world before the regression.
“The Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix…”
Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix, Nak So-wol.
She was the only female among the current Five Elders of Mount Hua and the granddisciple of the Iron Blood Plum Blossom Sword, who was renowned as a transcendent master.
Not only was her master-disciple relationship extraordinary, but she herself was also a person who couldn’t be ignored.
Although her talent wasn’t enough to shake an era, she still showed uncommon qualities from a young age.
With those qualities, efforts, and having one of the Five Elders of Mount Hua as her grandmaster, her future was as good as guaranteed.
In fact, in the life of his previous life, Nak So-wol grew at a terrifying speed and had her name inscribed as the Plum Blossom Swordsman.
Afterward, she was recognized to the extent that the word “Phoenix” was attached to her nickname, signifying that she was the best among the late-stage disciples of the orthodox martial arts world.
However, as they say, a beautiful person has a short life.
After the age of war began, Nak So-wol greatly contributed and became a hero, but she ultimately died before even reaching the age of thirty.
Moreover, not only was her martial power impressive, but when Nak So-wol reached her late twenties, she had already been included among the top beauties of the martial arts world.
The back of the hero Joo Seo-cheon had chased. One of the people who had shown that back was none other than the Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix, Nak So-wol.
“Hah, my luck is really terrible…”
He had intended to approach the assessment with the mindset of taking a stroll. Among the assessment takers, there was no one who could pose a threat.
Except for one person, Nak So-wol.
“Next!”
“Gulp!”
There were still challengers.
Among them, there were also those for whom today was their last chance.
They stepped onto the assessment ground to challenge Nak So-wol, not wanting their efforts until now to go to waste.
Clang!
“Aaargh!”
As Nak So-wol swung her sword, the challengers were thrown off like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. It was only natural.
Some of the examiners clicked their tongues and shook their heads from side to side. It seemed that there was no need to watch any further.
Nak So-wol was the granddisciple of one of the Five Elders of Mount Hua. From a young age, she had received excellent teachings and learned advanced martial arts. On top of that, her own talent was outstanding, so the outcome of the match was obvious.
The various emotions such as anxiety, hope, and enthusiasm that had been present until just now were gone.
Only despair remained.
The level of the challengers was by no means low.
On the contrary, they were among the top of the fourth-generation disciples.
The Lotus Hall was an elite group before reaching adulthood. It was a place where only geniuses gathered, so naturally, the level of the challengers was high.
It was just that their opponent was unfortunate.
“They say heroes are different from the roots…”
Joo Seo-cheon clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat.
“Next!”
The examiner raised his voice while looking around. However, no one stepped forward.
“This year is over… There’s always next year…”
“I’m still young… Why this year…!”
Sighs filled with resignation and despair erupted from here and there. It seemed like the Lotus Hall assessment was about to end.
“There’s still someone.”
However, an unexpected person appeared.
“Isn’t he the disciple of the Smiling Gentle Swordsman?”
The examiner recognized Joo Seo-cheon.
“That stupid fool!”
The fourth-generation disciple who had looked down on Joo Seo-cheon half an hour ago laughed as if it was absurd. It was a clear sneer.
The outcome was obvious. Among them, there was no challenger who could defeat Nak So-wol.
No, to be honest, regardless of the outcome, the question was how long he could last.
Moreover, Joo Seo-cheon’s name wasn’t even on the list of competitors to be wary of. In fact, most of the assessment takers looked at Joo Seo-cheon and wondered, “What’s with him?” in puzzlement.
“Does he want to be humiliated?”
“No, he just has no sense. He doesn’t know much about Nak So-wol, so he can display such arrogance.”
Whispers could be heard from the surroundings.
“Can we start right away?”
Joo Seo-cheon asked, looking at the examiner.
Instead of answering, the examiner nodded his head.
“Please take good care of me.”
Nak So-wol greeted politely.
Even though she was only nine years old, etiquette was ingrained in her body.
Joo Seo-cheon responded to Nak So-wol’s greeting with a nod, then slightly bent his knees, ready to dash out at any moment.
He lightly gripped the sword in his hand, and his gaze was fixed straight ahead. There was no change in his expression.
At this, Nak So-wol looked at Joo Seo-cheon in wonder.
“This is the first time I’ve seen someone make such a calm expression while looking at me.”
“Hey, how can you be so mature at the age of nine?”
Joo Seo-cheon let out a hollow laugh as if it was absurd.
Not only was her ingrained etiquette impressive, but it was also amazing how she spoke so clearly and calmly like now.
As a rule, children, regardless of gender, were supposed to be innocent and naive, but that couldn’t be felt from Nak So-wol.
“The more I look at you, the more amazing you are. It’s like you’re speaking like an uncle.”
“Is that so?”
“Hmm, it’s nice of you to see me as young.”
Although he didn’t show it on the outside, he was happy on the inside.
In fact, he wasn’t an uncle, but a grandfather.
“I’ll let you have the first move.”
Nak So-wol showed leisure.
“Thank you.”
Joo Seo-cheon smiled brightly.
“I have to pass the Lotus Hall assessment while avoiding standing out as much as possible.”
Since the opponent was who she was, the impact would be significant if he won. Then he might even gain fame outside the sect.
But he couldn’t lose either.
It was because he couldn’t be certain whether he would pass or not.
In that case, he had to win, but make it seem like he won with great effort, not with an overwhelming difference in skill.
“How did it get so twisted from the very beginning?”
If it weren’t for Nak So-wol, he could have easily adjusted his skills to match the average or ordinary people and passed without suspicion.
However, the so-called genius, Nak So-wol, had to pop up, giving him a headache.
He could wait a year, but he didn’t have that kind of time.
“Then, let’s go.”
Joo Seo-cheon moved the flow of internal energy to the Yongcheon acupoint.
“It seems like it will end within three moves.”
One of the examiners muttered.
The reactions of the other spectators were the same. Everyone thought so.
However…
“Huff!”
He suddenly inhaled. Strength surged through his body.
His tender thigh muscles contracted and expanded in an instant.
Joo Seo-cheon kicked off the ground as if pushing it away and launched his body.
Whoosh!
Joo Seo-cheon’s body reached Nak So-wol in the blink of an eye.
“…!”
Nak So-wol blinked in surprise at the unexpected speed of her opponent.
“Huh!”
The spectators watching were also surprised.
Especially the expressions of the examiners, who had shown a bored demeanor, changed unusually.
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