Namgung Chang's opponent was Namgung Hyeon-cheol, the Third Sword Company's First Squad Leader.
A master who had surpassed the mid first-rate level and was approaching the upper range.
By contrast, Namgung Chang had only just reached the mid first-rate level.
In terms of pure mastery, Namgung Chang was a full step below Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
But having higher mastery did not guarantee victory.
This was not the difference between first-rate and pinnacle, either—merely a single step within the same first-rate level.
Of course, overcoming even a single step was no simple matter.
Higher mastery did not guarantee victory, but more often than not, the one with higher mastery prevailed.
Most would predict Namgung Hyeon-cheol's victory.
And indeed, the senior figures in the observation area all expected Namgung Hyeon-cheol to win.
But Namgung Chang was not thinking about defeat.
He was confident he could beat Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
It was not baseless confidence.
Through his intensive training with Namgung Geom, he had acquired the Celestial Wind Sword Art's secret technique.
With that, he could win.
Namgung Chang went all out from the start.
Against Namgung Hyeon-cheol, whose mastery exceeded his own, a drawn-out feeling-out phase would be foolish.
He had to press hard from the opening and seize the advantage before Namgung Hyeon-cheol could bring his full strength to bear.
The moment the bout began, Namgung Chang surged toward Namgung Hyeon-cheol and thrust his sword forward.
The sword wind from his blade spun with ferocious rotation and tore into Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
"The Celestial Wind Spiral!"
Namgung Hyeon-cheol's eyes flew wide at the sight.
The Celestial Wind Spiral.
A secret technique of the Celestial Wind Sword Art that maximized destructive power by spinning the sword wind at extreme velocity.
The Celestial Wind Spiral, by its very nature, multiplied the power of the Celestial Wind Sword Art several times over.
But mastering it was by no means easy.
It required an advanced level of inner arts circulation, something difficult even at the pinnacle level.
Even Namgung Hyeon-cheol had yet to acquire the Celestial Wind Spiral.
And yet Namgung Chang, at a mere mid first-rate level, had executed it.
Namgung Hyeon-cheol's shock was only natural.
The senior figures in the observation area were equally stunned.
Namgung Chang's exceptional talent was widely known.
But no one had imagined he would master the Celestial Wind Spiral at the age of twenty.
"I knew our second nephew had remarkable talent, but I never expected this."
Azure Sky Hall Master Namgung Seong exclaimed with genuine admiration.
"Indeed. At this rate, our second nephew might actually win."
Celestial Wind Hall Master Namgung Un said with an air of intrigue.
Namgung Byeok's brow furrowed.
He had not had the faintest idea that Namgung Chang had acquired the Celestial Wind Spiral.
As a father, Namgung Chang's mastery of the Celestial Wind Spiral was welcome news.
But Namgung Chang gaining the upper hand was not.
He had assumed Namgung Chang would lose, as a matter of course.
And he had wanted Namgung Chang to lose.
He could not stand to watch Namgung Geom gain a sword company.
Namgung Byeok had assumed Namgung Chang understood his wishes.
But watching Namgung Chang, there was no sign he intended to lose.
Meanwhile, even in his shock, Namgung Hyeon-cheol raised sword wind to block Namgung Chang's attack.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—!
Namgung Chang's spinning sword wind tore through Namgung Hyeon-cheol's in an instant.
Namgung Hyeon-cheol hastily retreated and unleashed another volley of sword wind.
Dozens of sword winds from his blade overlapped, forming a wall against the spiral.
CRASH—!
The layered sword wind was pierced and shattered.
But the spiral sword wind also lost its force before it could break all the way through.
Namgung Chang did not let up and launched another spiral sword wind.
The spiral roared toward Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
The spiral sword wind was not merely powerful.
Its speed surged dramatically as well, and its trajectory became far more erratic.
Namgung Hyeon-cheol layered his sword wind with a hardened expression.
For now, piling on volume was the only defense he had against the spiral.
CRASH—!
The spiral and layered sword winds collided with a thunderous boom.
The layered sword wind was pierced and shattered by the spiral.
But once again, the spiral scattered before it could fully break through.
The exchange repeated several more times, with no change in the outcome.
The spiral sword wind was powerful.
But the layered defense held its ground.
Namgung Hyeon-cheol's higher mastery played a role.
Had they been at the same level, the layered sword wind would not have withstood the spiral.
'As expected, the gap in mastery can't be ignored.'
If the stalemate dragged on, the disadvantage would fall on Namgung Chang.
The spiral sword wind demanded immense inner arts and mental stamina proportional to its power.
Namgung Chang was far more likely to tire before Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
He had to end it before that happened.
'I'll finish it in one strike!'
Simply going all out would not be enough to defeat Namgung Hyeon-cheol, whose mastery exceeded his.
He had to push himself beyond his limits, even at risk of injury.
Namgung Chang braced for internal injuries and added one more spiral sword wind.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—!
Two sword winds launched simultaneously from Namgung Chang's blade.
As spirals closed in from both sides, Namgung Hyeon-cheol frantically layered his sword wind.
The wall of layered sword wind rose to meet the spiral.
CRASH—!
The spiral sword winds tore through the wall of layered sword wind without mercy.
'This is impossible—!'
Namgung Hyeon-cheol's eyes bulged as the wall was pierced and shattered before him.
BOOM—!
As the wall of sword wind collapsed, the resulting shockwave crashed over him.
His body was flung helplessly through the air before tumbling across the ground.
Namgung Chang, too, sustained internal injuries from the reckless attack.
Along with the agony of torn energy channels, all the strength drained from his body.
But the bout was not yet over.
He gritted his teeth and approached Namgung Hyeon-cheol.
And leveled his sword at his throat.
"I lost."
Namgung Hyeon-cheol admitted defeat with a hollow expression.
Namgung Chang was victorious.
Namgung Chang offered Namgung Hyeon-cheol a clasped hands greeting, then returned to the waiting area.
"Well done."
"It was thanks to you."
Namgung Chang gave the credit to Namgung Geom.
Namgung Chang's victory over Namgung Hyeon-cheol had been made possible by the Celestial Wind Spiral.
And the reason he had been able to acquire the Celestial Wind Spiral was Namgung Geom's help.
Without Namgung Geom, Namgung Chang would never have mastered the Celestial Wind Spiral.
He was deeply grateful to Namgung Geom for generously sharing the insights behind the Celestial Wind Spiral.
Of course, Namgung Geom might have shared those insights because he needed Namgung Chang's victory to secure the new sword company.
But even so, having been taught a secret technique of the Celestial Wind Sword Art was something to be grateful for.
"So does this mean you'll be joining the new sword company?"
"Beat the Third Sword Company's Captain first, then we'll talk."
Namgung Geom smirked and said.
"Go have some tea. I'll be done and back before it gets cold."
Leaving a bewildered Namgung Chang behind him, Namgung Geom stepped onto the sparring stage.
The long-awaited final bout.
Namgung Geom's opponent was Namgung Ji-hwan, the Third Sword Company's Captain.
Namgung Geom assessed Namgung Ji-hwan's energy.
'Lower pinnacle, roughly.'
Among the Captains of the Three Great Sword Corps, he was on the lower end.
Even without his rise in mastery, Namgung Geom could have beaten him handily.
Now that his mastery had risen, it was beyond question.
Just as Namgung Geom assessed his energy, Namgung Ji-hwan assessed Namgung Geom's in return.
Namgung Ji-hwan's brow furrowed at the pressure he felt from Namgung Geom.
He could not precisely gauge Namgung Geom's mastery.
But he could tell it was above his own.
Namgung Geom was only twenty years old.
And he had been formally training for only five years.
Yet his mastery surpassed his own—he could scarcely believe it, even seeing it firsthand.
At first, he wondered if Namgung Geom had used elixirs to artificially inflate his mastery.
But the overwhelming pressure emanating from Namgung Geom told him the mastery was genuine.
'If I'm not careful, I could lose.'
Namgung Ji-hwan considered the possibility of his own defeat.
The sparring match stood at two wins, two losses—a tie.
If he lost here, the Third Sword Company would be defeated.
That could not be allowed.
The Third Sword Company's pride was on the line.
He had to win, no matter what.
But it did not look easy.
The one thing he could pin his hopes on was his depth of martial arts mastery.
Namgung Geom might have a higher level of mastery, but he had been formally training for only five years.
His proficiency and depth of technique could potentially lag behind.
And he would surely lack experience fighting high-level opponents.
Namgung Ji-hwan had no choice but to bank on that.
'I'll settle it with swordsmanship.'
Namgung Ji-hwan believed Namgung Geom could not match his Celestial Wind Sword Art.
And the bout began.
Namgung Ji-hwan brought out the spiral sword wind from the very first exchange.
His plan was to end the fight early, before Namgung Geom could bring his mastery to bear.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—!
The spiral sword winds from his blade closed in on Namgung Geom from four directions.
The ferocity was incomparable to the spiral Namgung Chang had produced.
At the sight, the Third Sword Company's members cheered.
They believed Namgung Geom could not withstand Namgung Ji-hwan's spiral sword winds.
Namgung Ji-hwan thought the same.
And yet, Namgung Geom's expression as the spirals bore down on him was utterly relaxed.
'Surely not—!'
Seeing Namgung Geom's expression, a premonition of dread crossed Namgung Ji-hwan's mind.
Then, Namgung Geom's sword moved slowly.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—!
The sword wind from his blade spun with ferocious rotation and shot forward.
The Celestial Wind Spiral.
But Namgung Geom's Celestial Wind Spiral was different from Namgung Ji-hwan's.
CRACK—!
Namgung Geom's Celestial Wind Spiral carried a cold that seemed ready to freeze the very space around it.
The Ice White Celestial Wind Spiral.
Namgung Ji-hwan's expression hardened at the sight.
Namgung Geom's Celestial Wind Spiral was vastly more powerful than his own.
And it carried an extreme cold on top of that.
Namgung Ji-hwan sensed his own defeat.
CRASH—!
The two Celestial Wind Spirals collided, and a deafening explosion tore through the air.
In their wake, Namgung Ji-hwan's spiral sword winds froze solid in the extreme cold and shattered.
"Ngh—!"
Namgung Ji-hwan groaned and was sent flying backward.
The glacial sword wind did not relent, pursuing him without pause.
Namgung Ji-hwan gritted his teeth and poured out sword wind.
CRACK—!
CRASH—!
But every sword wind he launched froze on contact with the glacial sword wind and broke apart.
Before long, the glacial sword wind had closed to arm's length.
"Nngh—!"
Under the cold that threatened to freeze his entire body, Namgung Ji-hwan desperately drew up his inner arts to block the frigidity invading his insides.
In that moment, a sword brimming with cold was laid against his throat.
Namgung Geom had closed in without him noticing, and his blade now rested at his neck.
The sensation of his throat freezing made Namgung Ji-hwan shudder.
Namgung Geom grinned at him and spoke.
"It seems I've won."