After the first exam ended, there was a brief period of waiting.

I found myself staring blankly at the sky, enduring the boredom.

‘No stars yet.’

The sun was setting, but it wasn’t dark enough for the stars to appear.

I continued circulating my internal energy while watching the flow of the sky, making sure to be careful not to let it brush harshly against my meridians. I had to guide it toward my upper dantian.

As the energy gathered, I could feel its delicate threads lightly tapping at the door of my upper dantian.

It was a faint and fragile energy, not enough to break through the wall or collapse it.

But the important thing was that it had made contact.

‘After all that dragging, I’ve finally made some progress.’

The fact that it had made contact meant I had opened the passage, however small.

Now, it was a matter of refining this path, but...

‘The problem is that it’ll take a disgustingly long time.’

Unlike before, my body no longer poured out internal energy like a waterfall, and thanks to Noya’s teachings, I now understood how important compression and control were for the future.

To strengthen this thin thread and break through the solid wall would require an immense amount of effort.

Sure, there might be a shortcut through a sudden epiphany, but...

‘…At least not until I reach the Hwakyung realm.’

The only other option was to consume the Baekmaseok.

Deep underground, hidden away, was the Baekmaseok. If I could find and swallow it, I might be able to forcefully make contact, but I’d rather save it for when I’ve fully reached the Hwakyung realm. That way, I could absorb it without wasting any of the energy.

“Urgh…”

Amid my ongoing energy circulation, I heard a groan of pain from below.

“Can’t you be quiet?”

“I’m… doing my best… to be quiet.”

“Are you talking back to me?”

Redirecting the energy I had been guiding to my upper dantian, I pressed down my body weight.

“Guh!”

The groaning stopped as Gu Jeol-yeop, who had been acting as my makeshift seat, let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.

Despite that, I didn’t stop speaking.

“Why can’t you even handle this?”

“…”

Gu Jeol-yeop looked up at me with an expression of frustration, but I wasn’t done.

“You’re so lacking in perseverance, no wonder you almost failed.”

“…”

His face twisted in discomfort at the direct hit to his ego. As expected.

“After all the effort I put into training you, you almost slipped because your feet got tangled?”

“…Urgh…”

“Why do you always lose focus in real situations? If that’s how it’s going to be, drop your family name. I’m ashamed to even show my face.”

“I’m older than you, though…”

“Oh, is that so? Then act your age, Hero of Yeolhyeop Sword.”

“…Guh.”

Unable to find the words, Gu Jeol-yeop hung his head low.

This idiot. Watching him from the sidelines, I couldn’t help but feel angry.

‘You almost lost control of your energy because you tripped?’

You get one chance to strike the pillar. You can unleash your full energy in a single move, or finish it with one slash.

They count it as one chance no matter what, as long as you maintain your internal energy flow.

But this guy almost broke his flow because his footwork faltered.

It’s the same thing that happened during the martial arts competition.

Whenever he’s in real combat, he always loses focus. If he hadn’t recovered and made even a tiny scratch on the pillar, he would’ve failed.

“If you had failed, I would’ve smashed you into pieces instead of the pillar.”

“…”

The memory of what had happened to the pillar flashed through Gu Jeol-yeop’s mind, and his face turned pale.

Even Gu Yeon-seo passed without any trouble.

Though she didn’t stand out compared to others, at least—

‘She passed.’

I glanced over at Gu Yeon-seo, who stood a little farther away. Her vacant stare remained the same, but her outline was becoming clearer.

‘It seems like she’s not following the path of the sword.’

That’s a relief.

If she had followed the Sword Empress’s path, it would’ve been awkward for a member of the Gu family to suddenly start following the sword techniques of the Mount Hua Sect.

I just hope she only absorbs the Sword Empress’s aura and nothing more.

‘As for the others… they probably handled themselves well.’

Since I couldn’t move around freely, I wasn’t sure how things turned out for them.

But I wasn’t worried.

Even without me, they would’ve found a way to succeed.

But then there was—

‘Wi Seol-ah.’

Why is Wi Seol-ah here?

And moreover—

‘She broke through the wall.’

When I saw her again after so long, I realized she had become a martial artist who had reached the peak.

It took only a year or two for Wi Seol-ah, who once knew nothing of martial arts, to reach such a level.

It was terrifying how much talent she had.

And yet—

‘Is this something I can’t change?’

It seemed inevitable that Wi Seol-ah would end up wielding a sword, no matter what I did.

Even though I had changed so much, nothing about Wi Seol-ah had changed. No matter how much I struggled, was this something that was simply out of my control?

Such thoughts crossed my mind.

‘What a mess.’

I let out a dry chuckle.

Gu Jeol-yeop, seeing my strange expression, frowned, so I increased the pressure on him.

“Kugh!”

There were countless things in life I couldn’t control.

‘But I’ll change what I can.’

It was too late to give up now.

‘There must be a reason I came back.’

I had turned back time, returned to the past.

It was too much to brush off as just a “miracle.” The strange twists and turns felt too deliberate.

Lately, I’d been wondering if I had been sent back with a specific purpose in mind.

‘…’

I would’ve liked to think it was just a delusion.

But my bad premonitions never seem to be wrong.

After all, I’ve led a life of constant bad luck.

“…Tsk.”

“Uh, Young Master… would you mind getting up soon…?”

“I’m in a bad mood right now, so shut up and stay still.”

“Yes, sir…”

Things I wished wouldn’t change had changed.

And the things I wished would change, stubbornly remained the same.

‘It’s so damn frustrating.’

Life was hard enough already.

Even though I keep grinding through, there’s never any reward.

‘What do you expect from me?’

Asking the heavens wouldn’t give me any answers, and asking others would only get me labeled as a madman.

As always, I’d have to search for the answers myself.

And in the end, the only conclusion I ever came to was that I had no choice but to try.

For now—

‘It’s Wi Seol-ah and Jang Seon-yeon.’

I had to start struggling with the parts that concerned me the most.

I glanced toward where Group 1 was gathered.

‘They’re not engaged yet, it seems.’

In my past life, Wi Seol-ah had gotten engaged around the time she reached adulthood, which was also shortly after I became a demonic cultivator.

So, it wasn’t too late to stop it.

The only problem was—

‘What happens if I stop it?’

What right do I have to stop the engagement?

And what harm might come to Wi Seol-ah or me if I did?

‘For now, nothing.’

There might be consequences, but nothing that couldn’t be handled.

Despite knowing that, I still hesitated.

‘Why did the Sword Master head to the Jang family?’

Both in my previous life and this one.

I still didn’t know why the Sword Master went to the Jang family.

The current leader of the Martial Alliance was from the Jang family, and the Sword Master had once been the leader.

That could be one reason, but—

‘There must be something else.’

There had to be a more compelling reason why the Sword Master left the Gu family for the Jang family.

I needed to know.

For Wi Seol-ah’s sake, and to ensure there were no consequences for her.

Once I knew that—

I could kill Jang Seon-yeon without hesitation.

As I turned my thoughts over, I heard a distant shout from an instructor.

“The second exam is about to begin, please prepare yourselves.”

The long wait had finally come to an end.

I felt a bit disappointed since I still wanted to mess with Gu Jeol-yeop some more.

As the details of the second exam were relayed, I couldn’t help but frown.

And now, back to the present.

I stood in front of the woman who had assumed a combat stance, unsure of what to say.

The second exam involved sparring with an instructor.

This exam felt like a hastily put-together mess, and considering the long wait, it was probably rushed due to too many people passing the first round.

‘There must have been too many passing candidates.’

The reason was obvious.

They needed to reduce the number of passing candidates, and this was the method they chose.

‘It’s the instructors who suffer for this, yet they still go through with it.’

If it were me, I would’ve simply failed the ones who weren’t good enough. But I guess they didn’t want to be criticized for being too harsh, given their status as a righteous sect.

But sparring with an instructor?

They wouldn’t expect us to win, and if that were the requirement, the noble families and sects would have been in an uproar.

So the bar was likely set low, but that didn’t mean it would be easy.

“I get that, but…”

“Yes?”

“But my opponent seems a bit… off.”

Fine. Whatever.

I’d do it if I had to, but—

Why is she my opponent?

I stared at my opponent with clear dissatisfaction.

She was one of the most beloved female warriors in the martial world and had inherited the title of Sword Empress in the cleanest possible way.

The Plum Blossom Sword Empress, So Yi.

She was my opponent.

‘Seriously. Why?’

As an instructor, she could participate in the exam, but we had been told she wouldn’t be part of it.

“So why are you here in front of me?”

“Must’ve been a false rumor. I’m an instructor, so why wouldn’t I be here?”

She spoke so calmly, as if she wasn’t the Sword Empress, and I squinted suspiciously at her.

“…Are you sure you’re not lying? Swear it on the honor of Mount Hua.”

I asked while narrowing my eyes, and I could see her shoulders twitch slightly.

“…How could a mere martial artist like me swear on Mount Hua’s honor? You’re being too harsh.”

“You’re avoiding the question, huh?”

“…”

She’s lying.

She’s definitely here because of me.

It seemed she couldn’t bring herself to swear on Mount Hua’s honor, which meant—

So, she’s standing here just to fight me?

“Why?”

“…”

She didn’t answer.

She even avoided eye contact, clearly not planning on explaining herself.

Instead, she simply raised her sword and spoke.

“Gu Yangcheon, of Group 2… the exam will now begin.”

“…It’s too late to try and sound all official now.”

Clearly, she was challenging me.

It looked like the other groups had already started.

I had hoped things would go smoothly, but—

‘If I don’t take this seriously, she won’t go easy on me.’

If the outcome of the exam depended on the instructor’s judgment, then the reason she was stubbornly acting as my opponent was obvious.

She wasn’t going to let me off easily.

‘Hmm…’

The stance she took wasn’t anything special.

She simply held her sword pointed toward me.

But the unwavering tip of the blade, her graceful gaze, and her composed posture—

Even though it seemed like a simple stance, it carried an incredible weight.

It was because she had truly reached the Hwakyung realm, a fully realized martial artist.

The number of Hwakyung martial artists I had faced could be counted on one hand.

And thinking back to the assassin from the Hwangbo family—

‘There’s no comparison.’

That guy didn’t even come close.

I had only been able to defeat him because of the demonic energy and his momentary lapse in focus.

But that wouldn’t work on the Sword Empress.

Just as not all Pinnacle martial artists are the same, the same goes for those in the Hwakyung realm.

If I imagined the many levels within the Hwakyung realm, I’d have a better sense of it, but for now, I could only focus on the Sword Empress.

‘The Sword Empress…’

The title alone was enough.

In the world, it was said that to earn that title meant being the greatest female swordsman of the era.

Though she was currently serving as an instructor, which made her seem less significant, that was only by her own choice.

Her martial path was still as lofty as ever.

“May I ask something?”

“Speak.”

“You’ll go easy on me, right?”

“…Hmm.”

She smiled faintly at my question and then replied.

“We’ll see.”

‘Damn.’

I had my answer.

She wasn’t going to take it easy.

Seeing her response, I nodded and then—

Thud.

I immediately dashed forward, closing the distance to her.

I saw the surprise in her eyes.

Without hesitation, I gathered all my internal energy and swung my fist.

Whoosh!

A fiery burst of energy erupted from me, and as if a storm had swept through, wind and flame intertwined with my inner energy, surging toward her.

At that moment—

Rustle.

Petals, mixed with the flames, began to scatter.

Crash!

Far in the distance, behind the plains where Group 1’s exam was taking place, a loud crash echoed, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

Dozens of martial artists stopped what they were doing and turned toward the source of the sound.

It wasn’t just the students; even the instructors paused in surprise.

They were all martial artists, after all. It wasn’t the sound alone that drew their attention; it was the overwhelming internal energy mixed with heat, piercing their senses.

Who could it be?

Who could unleash such intense energy that it reached this far?

The sensation was chillingly suffocating.

“Cough, cough…”

Those who weren’t as advanced were already struggling to breathe, coughing uncontrollably.

The second exam, which had just begun, was temporarily halted.

No one could focus in the midst of such overwhelming pressure.

Among those watching, Tang So-yeol seemed particularly excited.

“Why are you so happy?”

The question came from Paeng Ah-hui, who was participating in the exam as well.

Being from the Paeng family, she couldn’t skip out on Shinryongwan.

She hadn’t wanted to come, knowing she’d be compared to her older brother, who had caused no small amount of trouble here, but as a member of her family, there was no avoiding it.

She simply had to grit her teeth and bear it.

“Look at their faces. How could I not enjoy this?”

“Why do you enjoy it, though?”

“How could I not? I was getting so sick of everyone looking down on me.”

Paeng Ah-hui could only sigh at Tang So-yeol’s words.

Is she really that happy?

Despite her thoughts, she couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the energy.

‘…Is that really coming from him?’

Judging by Tang So-yeol’s reaction, it seemed her former fiancé was the one unleashing this energy.

‘This doesn’t make sense.’

Even though she could sense it, it was hard to believe.

This level of energy wasn’t something a young martial artist should be capable of.

‘This is beyond the level of a mere student…’

How many years had it been?

The same young man who used to sneer at her with a face twisted in rage while she beat him up—

In just a few years, he had gone beyond the level of a student and become a formidable expert.

Just a few years.

It was an incredibly short time for any martial artist, let alone someone trying to reach a new realm or master a martial art.

And yet Gu Yangcheon had surpassed all of that, heading toward a place she could barely even imagine.

‘I guess it’s a little unfair.’

She chuckled to herself.

Though she didn’t regret breaking off the engagement, she couldn’t help but feel a little bittersweet.

If he had been like this from the start, maybe they wouldn’t have broken off the engagement.

Of course, if his personality had remained the same, she would’ve called it off no matter how talented he was.

But now?

‘Ugh.’

She shook off the pointless thought.

She turned to Tang So-yeol, still excited, and asked, “I get that you’re happy, but where did your sister go?”

“Huh? My sister? Oh, Bia?”

Her current fiancé, where had she gone?

That was what Paeng Ah-hui suddenly wondered.

“Good question. She wasn’t supposed to wander off, but where did she go? She always gets lost when she’s alone…”

“How big could this place be for her to get lost?”

“You don’t get it, Ah-hui. She’s the real deal.”

“….”

Paeng Ah-hui had thought it was a joke, but judging by Tang So-yeol’s face, she seemed genuinely concerned.

No matter how bad someone’s sense of direction was, could they really get lost in a place like this?

Shaking her head, Paeng Ah-hui turned to look around.

The exam had come to a halt, with everyone focused on the continuous crashing sounds in the distance.

That’s why it was surprising.

‘I thought he hated this kind of attention.’

Gu Yangcheon, who she thought didn’t like being the center of attention, was now doing something that drew the focus of everyone around him.

It was as if he was deliberately showing off.

‘Hmm?’

In that moment, Paeng Ah-hui’s gaze landed on someone.

It was a handsome young man.

Though his striking appearance drew her attention, that wasn’t why she was focused on him.

‘I know him…’

She recognized him.

Most of the martial artists here were from famous families, all people Paeng Ah-hui was familiar with, but this man was different.

‘Jang Seon-yeon.’

She remembered his name more than his title of Sacred Star.

Somehow, his title hadn’t stuck with her.

It was the same with Gu Yangcheon. In her mind, Gu Yangcheon was closer to a wild dog or a mad dog than a Sacred Dragon.

Why didn’t Jang Seon-yeon’s title seem to suit him?

‘I wonder why.’

Paeng Ah-hui pondered why her gaze lingered on Jang Seon-yeon more than anyone else.

Like everyone else, he was looking toward the source of the sound, but—

There was something different about him.

Unlike the others, her gaze seemed drawn to him, but why?

“Ah.”

It didn’t take long for her to realize why.

While most of the people here were filled with amazement or admiration—

‘Why does he…?’

Jang Seon-yeon’s eyes were filled with a mixture of self-loathing, inferiority, and jealousy.

As the only son of the leader of the Martial Alliance, famous for his good looks and talent, known for his gentle disposition—

Why would someone like him have such an expression?

Paeng Ah-hui couldn’t help but wonder.

But before she could think about it further—

Whisk.

Jang Seon-yeon turned and walked away, his face disappearing from view.

Having already passed the exam, he didn’t seem to care.

Watching him from afar, Paeng Ah-hui muttered to herself.

“This feels off…”

A strange feeling of unease washed over her.