The Sixteen-to-Eight round had ended, and before the Eight-to-Four round began, I quietly examined the wooden board among the now-dwindled participants.
Only eight of us remained.
The results so far hadnât deviated much from my expectations.
The Blade King and Bi Seongdo advanced.
Tang So-yeol and I also made it through.
And with the rest being martial artists who had hidden their true skillsâpractitioners at the Hwagyeong levelâthe only ones left were the true powerhouses.
This also meant that the Martial Arts Tournament was nearing its end.
At most, seven days and nights remained.
Even if it dragged out, there wasnât much time left.
âHmm.â
The matchups had been reduced and reduced again until only four matchups were left.
At this rate, only two or three duels would remain after today.
Despite the time left, staring at the wooden board left me with many thoughts.
âPeng Zhou of the Hebei Peng Clan versus Gu Yangcheon of the Shanxi Gu Clan.
I scoffed when I saw the engraved words that plainly listed my opponent.
âWell, damn.â
I had to admit one thing.
This tournament had deviated from my expectations far more than Iâd anticipated.
âWeâre already facing each other?â
Fighting the Blade King before the quarterfinals?
Not even I had seen that coming.
I thought Iâd face him at the very endâthe final showdown.
Even if the Blade King wasnât in top condition right now, I never expected them to play that card so early.
âI thought weâd meet in the finals.â
I rubbed my smooth, beardless chin.
What was going on here?
âHmm.â
My position had grown immensely.
Not to brag, but it was the truth.
The crowd outside was even larger and louder than during the Divine Dragon Tournament.
That meant expectations about me had skyrocketed.
Andâ
âThanks to Moyong Hee-ahâs quick maneuvering, my value went up even more.â
After the Zhangyuan Trading Companyâs head left, Madam Mi immediately took action upon hearing Moyong Hee-ahâs report.