The arrival of winter was heralded by the chill in the air.

As the winds grew colder and the beautifully colored leaves began to fall silent, that’s when you knew winter had come.

Of course, it was still a bit early to officially call it winter, but it wouldn’t be long before the once lush forest turned cold.

At the family’s training hall.

Whoosh.

Flames swirled within the hall.

In contrast to the cold air outside, the spacious room was filled with heat.

A massive flame spun through the air, filling the space. The energy was crackling, as if it would burst at any moment.

‘Hold it steady.’

Despite the power threatening to explode, I focused on controlling it, compressing and moving the energy.

My dantian felt tightly compressed from the recoil, and my body maintained an intense level of pressure.

‘Gather.’

With a whispered command, the flames that had been scattered in every direction suddenly rushed toward my palm.

Whoosh! A gust of wind swept through the hall.

Though the wind caused my hair to whip around, I paid it no mind.

My focus remained solely on refining the technique to perfection.

“Hoo…”

As the flames began to stabilize and the vibration subsided, I finally opened my eyes.

Gone were the smooth, delicate hands I had once seen after my first regression. Now, my hands were rough and large.

And in my palm…

A small, crimson orb had formed.

It was no bigger than my thumbnail, but it shone with a faint, radiant glow.

Looking at it, I let out a sigh and spoke aloud.

“…I did it.”

The amount of energy packed into this small orb was unimaginable.

I had to use more than half of my energy to create it, compressing it over and over again.

If I lost concentration for even a moment, it would explode, sending everything around me flying.

‘Not very efficient, though.’

To make this one small orb, I had to expend over half my energy. Right now, I could only use it once.

‘In my past life, I used this so easily.’

Back then, I had an amount of energy that rivaled even the Heavenly Demon. I could use this technique without needing to focus on compression or control.

‘But now… I can’t afford to be reckless.’

Crack.

I clenched the small orb in my fist, crushing it. Even though I intentionally caused it to dissipate, the sudden surge of wind caused the training hall to tremble slightly.

This was Flame Orb.

One of the ultimate techniques of the family’s Nine Flame Firewheel Technique, which could only be used at a certain level.

And this meant…

‘I’ve reached it.’

I had finally achieved the sixth level of the Nine Flame Firewheel Technique.

Additionally…

‘I’m just one step away from Fire Realm.'

I was one step away from crossing over into a new realm, beyond the peak.

‘…I’ve reached this point much faster than I thought.’

I didn’t expect to reach this level until I was at least in my early twenties, but I’d advanced far more quickly than anticipated.

Perhaps it was due to the energy stones and various resources I had consumed, or maybe it was because I reached the peak level at such a young age.

The way my energy harmonized with my body was faster than I expected.

‘…But that final step is the hardest.’

The barrier blocking the upper dantian was vast, thick, and impenetrable.

Unlike before, I couldn’t find a crack to slip through, nor did I have the power to break through it.

It would take some time before I could overcome it.

Even so…

‘Reaching the sixth level is a huge achievement.’

All the relentless training I had endured had paid off.

I had gone through hell to create this insane orb.

“…I guess I can take it easy for a while.”

It wasn’t that I had any urgent need to use this technique, but training to create the Flame Orb was the fastest way to reach the sixth level.

It required incredibly precise control of energy, and my body had to endure immense pressure to handle it.

Moving the energy while enduring that pressure?

‘That’s training, pure and simple.’

Even though autumn had come and gone, and the weather was supposed to be cool, it felt like I had been rolling around in the scorching heat all day.

In any case, now that I had achieved my goal…

“I can finally take it a bit easier…”

—"Young Master."

“…Hmm?”

As I was stretching my body, I heard the voice of a servant from outside.

“What is it?”

—"The Chief Steward brings a message. The family head is looking for you, Young Master.”

“…”

I immediately understood.

It seemed like my plans for some rest weren’t going to pan out after all.

After being called to the family head’s quarters through the Chief Steward, I entered the room, which had become somewhat familiar by now.

“I heard you called for me.”

“Yes.”

My father’s gaze was still as intimidating as ever.

He glanced at me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe.

“Hmm.”

I could feel a flicker of realization in his gaze.

‘He noticed.’

He must have realized that I had reached the sixth level. His intuition was as sharp as ever.

And yet…

Despite me reaching the sixth level, there wasn’t the slightest sign of heat emanating from my father.

It either meant he was concealing his energy completely or that his level was so far beyond mine that I couldn’t even perceive it.

Either way, the gap between us was still immense.

‘…Is someone like this really just one of the top 100 martial artists in Zhongyuan?’

No way.

Even in my previous life, I had already known.

My father wasn’t someone who could be confined to such a level.

He was simply hiding his fangs.

As he looked at me, my father finally spoke.

“Not bad.”

“…Thank you.”

It was a compliment, I guess, but it didn’t really sink in. His feedback was as curt as ever.

“Third son.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know why I’ve called you?”

“…”

Uh… let’s see.

‘Did I get caught for something?’

What could it be?

Did he find out that I was the one who blew up part of the training hall during my last session?

No, that kind of thing happened too often to count as a problem.

Maybe it was about the time First Elder tried to teach me under the guise of a sparring session, and we ended up burning down half the mountainside?

But that was mostly the First Elder’s fault. He swung at me with all his strength. How was I supposed to just run?

“…I don’t know.”

Too many possibilities to narrow it down. My father nodded and pulled out a letter from his robe, handing it to me.

“I didn’t call you for any of those reasons.”

I took the letter and unfolded it.

“Oh.”

It contained information that I had temporarily forgotten about due to my focus on training.

—Notice of Shinryong Hall Entrance Exam.

That was the title, and the rest of the letter was filled with formalities.

I skimmed past them. The essence of it could be summed up in two lines:

—All members of the family or sect who receive this letter are eligible to take the entrance exam for Shinryong Hall. —If you’re even a day late, you’ll miss the exam.

‘…It’s here.’

I had known that winter was approaching, and with it, the designated day.

But I had been so absorbed in training that I temporarily forgot.

‘Shinryong Hall.’

In my previous life, it was a place I hadn’t attended.

Or rather, to be precise, I had failed the entrance exam and couldn’t enter.

Damn…

Thinking about it now, it was a pretty embarrassing memory.

In all honesty, I could have used connections to get in, but I’d been too proud, thinking I could pass on my own.

‘And I failed spectacularly.’

My father hadn’t said much at the time, but I’m sure he was embarrassed for me.

For the record, my eldest sister, Guhibi, had also attended Shinryong Hall.

In fact, she was a top student there, either first or second in her class.

I also heard that Paeng Woojin had been in the same cohort.

‘Why do they insist on ranking everything? Can’t they just teach and be done with it?’

Shinryong Hall loved to rank everything, even within their classes.

“Are you telling me to go?”

“Yes.”

I had hoped he might say, If you don’t want to go, then don’t!, but my father’s response was firm.

‘…Damn it.’

While he let many things slide, this was something he wouldn’t overlook.

In my past life, I hadn’t cared much because I knew I’d fail the exam anyway.

‘But do you really think I’ll fail this time?’

With the level I’d reached now, I was far beyond most of the other candidates.

This wasn’t arrogance—it was a fact. None of the other Late-stage Martial Masters could rival me at this point.

‘At best, there’s Paeng Woojin… and maybe the Hidden Dragon.’

Paeng Woojin was in a bit of a unique position, but I hadn’t met the Hidden Dragon in this lifetime yet, so I couldn’t say for sure.

As for my eldest sister, Guhibi…

I hadn’t fought her directly, but I didn’t think I’d lose to her now.

Though I wasn’t keen on fighting her, because I knew she’d enjoy it far too much.

Shinryong Hall wasn’t exclusively for Late-stage Martial Masters, but it had become an unspoken rule.

It was an institution that gathered talented young martial artists. You could say it was a place for prodigies.

‘They call it a swordsmanship academy, but it’s really just a place for making connections and playing politics.’

Everyone knew that. It was why people were so eager to send their children there.

The world had long since shifted away from purely focusing on martial arts and chivalry.

“You’ll leave in three days.”

“…Understood.”

Even though I knew all of this, I didn’t protest.

There were things I needed to gain from Shinryong Hall.

People I needed to see. Things I needed to find.

‘I’ll also have to visit the underground.’

There was something hidden in the underground of Shinryong Hall that I needed to retrieve.

Before the Heavenly Demon arrived and sought out the secret vault, I had to get there first and take what I needed.

‘Even so, I can’t believe I’m actually going.’

I wasn’t exactly excited about it, but it was something that had to be done.

“I’ll prepare everything as soon as I return to my quarters.”

There was no point in running away now. There were more reasons to go than to avoid it.

I would simply accept it and move forward.

“Make sure to take good care of the people going with you.”

“Yes… I’ll take good care of… wait, what?”

I frowned at my father’s words.

“…Who am I supposed to take care of? Who else is going with me?”

Curiosity filled my voice as I asked him.

In response, my father handed me another letter without saying anything.

I took it, opened it, and checked the names.

The more I read, the more my face twisted in displeasure.

Three days had passed.

Though it was still autumn, by the time we reached Hanan, where Shinryong Hall was located, winter would have arrived.

While the Dragon and Phoenix Conference took place in winter, there was little chance that the sect would cancel it due to Shinryong Hall’s opening.

“You don’t have much luggage, do you?”

I casually remarked as I inspected the stacked belongings.

There were far fewer items than when we had left for An Hui.

“I heard they’ll provide everything we need when we get there, so we don’t need to bring much.”

“I might fail the entrance exam, you know.”

“You, Young Master?”

Hongwa, my servant, looked at me as if I were speaking nonsense.

His faith in me was almost burdensome.

In the past, I’d have been treated like a delinquent, and no one would have expected me to succeed.

But ever since I earned that damned title, everything had changed.

‘It’s all because of that stupid nickname.’

Ever since I stirred up chaos at the Dragon and Phoenix Conference, the servants and the family had started viewing me differently.

Before, they would have dismissed anything I said with an, Oh, our troublemaker is at it again!

But now, ever since I was dubbed the Six Dragons of Three Peaks, people looked at me like I had a grand plan for everything.

Our young master must have a reason for everything he does!

There’s no such reason, you fools.

“…Fine. Finish preparing.”

“Understood.”

Hongwa bowed and went back to work.

I turned to glance at the person standing nearby, feeling rather exasperated.

“You’re coming too, right?”

The person flinched and shivered at my words.

After a brief pause, I heard a voice respond.

“Yes… it seems so.”

Gujelyeop, who had been avoiding my gaze, finally spoke up.

Apparently, he was also coming with me.

‘I’m sure First Elder pulled some strings for that.’

There wasn’t much of a problem with him coming along. It was convenient for me to have someone to handle errands.

‘With his abilities, he should be able to pass.’

Gujelyeop wasn’t at the peak level yet, but he was at the very edge of becoming a top martial artist.

At least the training I had put him through hadn’t gone to waste.

‘If he goes and still gets beaten up, I’ll have to break him myself.’

If he got beaten despite everything, it would be because he recklessly jumped into a fight again.

In that case, I’d have to discipline him thoroughly.

But Gujelyeop wasn’t the real issue.

Nor were the other familiar faces.

‘Namgung Bia was unexpected.’

I had expected Mo Yong Hui to come, of course. She had mentioned multiple times that we would be going together.

But Namgung Bia’s decision to come along had surprised me.

In my past life, she hadn’t gone. So when she told me she was going this time, I was a little puzzled.

‘She said she thought it would be necessary for her future.’

Whatever that meant.

But that wasn’t the important part.

“…So.”

I looked past Gujelyeop.

Standing at a distance, as if reluctant to come any closer, was the one who was giving me a headache.

“Are you coming too, Sister?”

“…Yes.”

The girl—no, the woman—finally turned to face me.

She resembled Guhibi, but even more so, she took after Lady Mi.

And for the first time in a long while, she met my eyes.

“…Yes.”

It had been so long since I’d heard her voice.

After avoiding me for so long, she was finally facing me again.

She was my second sister.

The one who would later be known as the Red Flame Sword.

Gu Yeon-seo.