"Yes, child of Namgung, you should leave this place quickly. I must deal with these two criminals without delay."

Namgung Sua frowned deeply at Elder Jong-in's words.

Both Jong-in and Namgung Sua knew the truth. The atmosphere didn’t feel right for someone who had come to apprehend criminals. The Huashan Sect wouldn’t arrest criminals with such recklessness.

Moreover, if they were truly after criminals, there was no reason Namgung Sua should step aside. If the criminals had stolen any important secrets, then Namgung Sua, who was with them, would also be subject to investigation.

It was clear there was a hidden meaning in Jong-in’s words. Even without thinking too deeply, the intent was obvious from the tone.

“If you leave now, I won’t involve you. But if you stay, I’ll have no choice but to take you down as well.”

Namgung Sua scoffed before drawing her greatsword.

"Namgung does not bow to external pressure."

"So you refuse the mercy and choose punishment instead?"

"That’s something we’ll find out soon enough."

A flash of lightning flickered between Namgung Sua’s eyes.

"The sword of Namgung does not break. No matter how powerful Huashan is, you cannot imprison the heavens in your hands."

"What a pity."

"I should be asking you, Elder. Why go to such lengths for this?"

Jong-in stroked his beard, silently staring at Namgung Sua. Then, with a sigh, he pointed to the sky.

"The heavens showed me the path, but they did not grant me the talent to walk it. My life is nearing its end, and my cultivation will return to nothing. Isn’t it ironic? How could the heavens block my way like this?"

Jong-in shouted in frustration.

Seo-jun couldn’t help but snicker.

"What a load of crap. You blame the heavens for your lack of talent? What did the sky ever do to you?"

"You still run your mouth as always."

Jong-in glared at Seo-jun but then chuckled.

"It doesn’t matter anymore. If the heavens block my way, then I’ll just defy the natural order."

Schwing—

Jong-in unsheathed his sword, and the scent of plum blossoms filled the air.

"Good. I’ve never liked those smug descendants of the Jin Sword Clan. What’s divine about their sword, anyway? There’s not a single one who’s reached the level of a god."

"You bastard..." Chun-bong’s face twisted in rage.

Jong-in sneered at her.

"Why do you look so offended? Ah, I see. Let me tell you something interesting. Do you know why I’ve come all this way just to deal with you?"

Chun-bong’s eyes widened in shock. She glared at Jong-in with murderous intent.

"You... Don’t tell me..."

"Those fools couldn’t finish the job, so I came to end it myself. It wouldn’t do to leave the Divine Blood in this world."

Fwoosh!

A platinum-colored aura erupted from Chun-bong’s body.

Blood tears streamed from her eyes, and the veins on her skin bulged grotesquely.

Dangerous.

Seo-jun clicked his tongue and gently placed a hand on Chun-bong’s shoulder.

"Chun-bong, calm down. If you lose focus, you’ll stab the wrong person."

"Huff... huff..."

"Just follow me, okay?"

Seo-jun gave Chun-bong a reassuring smile as he stepped forward.

The moment Chun-bong’s face was out of his line of sight, his expression hardened.

His golden eyes gleamed with murderous intent as he stared down Jong-in.

"Arrogant brat."

Jong-in clicked his tongue and swung his sword.

Fwoosh!

Plum blossoms bloomed.

The countless blossoms, seemingly alive, surged toward Seo-jun.

Schwing—

Seo-jun inhaled deeply and drew his sword.

‘Plum blossoms.’

He had seen them many times before.

But these were on a different level from what he had seen in the past.

The blossoms from Un-jak had been powerful, but the blossoms before him now seemed capable of tearing everything apart.

‘So what.’

From Seo-jun’s sword, blue plum blossoms bloomed.

Frozen Blossoms.

As he swung his sword, the blossoms mingled and collided with the ones Jong-in had summoned.

Grrrrr—!

The sound of clashing sword energy echoed through the air.

With his vision obscured by the petals, Jong-in charged through the blossoms he had created.

"This young warrior—!"

Namgung Sua swiftly intervened.

Crackle!

Lightning crackled around her sword as she unleashed the Celestial Unbound Sword Art, her will pressing down on Jong-in.

But it was in vain. Jong-in unleashed his inner strength, brushing off the pressure.

Then, stars gathered around his sword.

Crackle—BOOM!

Destruction radiated from his sword, shattering Namgung Sua’s defenses.

"Gah...!"

Namgung Sua barely avoided a direct hit but was thrown through the air, spitting blood.

He was strong. The gap between the pinnacle and transcendent levels was enormous.

Realizing the gap, Chun-bong gritted her teeth and charged forward.

Just as Jong-in swung his sword at Namgung Sua, Chun-bong attacked from the side. Even if he was at the transcendent level, he only had one sword.

Chun-bong’s sword glowed with the energy of the Azure Divine Sword.

"Haaaa!"

Pouring all her strength into her arms, she unleashed dozens of slashes in an instant.

But Jong-in was faster than she anticipated. He swiftly retracted his sword and countered.

The sword, wrapped in powerful energy, clashed with Chun-bong’s blade. Despite her best efforts, her sword cracked.

Chun-bong’s expression stiffened. Jong-in sneered and swung his sword again.

Fwoosh!

Blue plum blossoms filled the air.

At that moment, Seo-jun’s figure suddenly appeared in front of Jong-in.

"Time to die."

Red plum blossoms bloomed next to the blue ones. The chaotic mixture of colors erupted from Seo-jun’s body.

Pushing Chun-bong back, Seo-jun summoned a gust of wind to accompany his strike.

No matter how strong Jong-in’s sword aura was, Seo-jun knew it wouldn’t hold up for long in direct combat.

But Seo-jun had an advantage—he didn’t need to rely on pure swordsmanship. His plum blossoms alone were enough to fight.

The wind Seo-jun summoned guided the plum blossoms toward Jong-in.

Red and blue petals swirled in the air.

Seeing this, Jong-in clicked his tongue and pulled back his sword. But before he could react, the blossoms exploded.

BOOOOOOM!

The unexpected explosion sent Jong-in flying backward.

"Hmph...!"

Thanks to his reflexes and protective energy, Jong-in wasn’t seriously injured. But the fact that he had suffered even a minor internal injury infuriated him.

"How dare you...!"

Jong-in glared through the cloud of dust.

‘This lowly brat injured me? He’s just a kid in the pinnacle level. No matter how talented he is, the gap between the pinnacle and transcendent levels is vast!’

Furious, Jong-in charged forward.

The dust scattered from the sheer force of his movement.

Seeing him approach, Seo-jun stomped the ground. His inner energy traveled through the earth, triggering something.

BOOM!

The bomb Seo-jun had planted earlier detonated.

This time, Jong-in couldn’t escape unscathed. Blood poured from one of his legs as he limped forward, eyes blazing with rage.

"I’ll kill you!"

But before Jong-in could reach him, Namgung Sua stood in his way.

Her eyes, usually narrowed in a lazy expression, now glowed with the fury of lightning.

"Huff..."

She exhaled slowly.

Why was she still standing here? She barely had any connection to these people. No one would blame her if she walked away.

Yet, she remained.

‘Because that’s the way of Namgung.’

The sword of Namgung does not break. It doesn’t compromise with injustice, and it swings for righteousness and honor.

Even a brief connection, like the one she had with these people, couldn’t be ignored.

This was Namgung Sua’s code of honor.

"Haaaa!"

Her greatsword, raised high, descended with the heavens behind it.

The freshness she had felt when she saw Seo-jun’s sword now added to her own.

Celestial Unbound Sword Art.

The Namgung Clan’s secret sword technique unfolded before her.

"Foolish girl!"

Stars gathered around Jong-in’s sword as it clashed with Namgung Sua’s.

Her sky was torn apart once again, but Jong-in’s eyes widened in surprise.

Namgung Sua’s unyielding sword had managed to hold his back for a brief moment.

In that fleeting opening, Chun-bong and Seo-jun attacked from both sides.

The two of them were closer than siblings, now able to understand each other’s intentions with just a glance.

Chun-bong, who arrived slightly ahead of Seo-jun, swung her sword from an ambiguous distance.

Even if it didn’t land, distracting him for just a moment would be enough.

Meanwhile, Seo-jun was concentrating his inner energy into his sword.

Heavenly Plum Blossom.

What he wielded was no longer sword energy. It was neither internal energy nor sword aura—something else entirely flickered on his blade.

Before the sword even made contact, the pressure from the technique bore down on Jong-in.

"You bastards!"

Jong-in snarled in anger.

These kids, acting all high and mighty—what did they even know!

Jong-in's fury erupted as he unleashed his full power. The sheer intensity of his attack sent shockwaves through the air.

Stars filled his sword, and for each star, a plum blossom bloomed. One blossom for each star, until the sky seemed full of blossoms, each radiating power.

Plum Blossom Star Aura.

The fragments of his aura swirled violently around him, tearing through everything in their path.

KRRRRK—!!!

It was as if everything was being shredded to pieces. Seo-jun watched as his sword, which he had poured all his strength into, shattered after holding on for only a few moments.

'Damn, this is bad.'

At this rate, Chun-bong and Namgung Sua wouldn’t be able to escape either.

He didn’t want to picture them being torn apart by that monstrous sword energy.

If he wanted to stop that future, he had to do it himself.

A sharp pain pierced his head as he desperately clung to the thin thread of sanity. What he needed now wasn’t to lose control but clarity.

His eyes widened as he calculated the attack's trajectory in his mind.

His heart pounded as his inner energy surged. Using his Master of Spirit Energy Art, Seo-jun gathered every bit of his internal power and directed it toward the barriers blocking the flow of his meridians.

BOOM!

His entire body trembled. Even though the barriers in his body had been weakened over time, the sheer force of breaking them caused excruciating pain. It felt like his body was going to shatter.

He didn’t care. Pain didn’t mean death. He’d just have to do it again.

BOOM!

A dam seemed to burst as his energy finally broke through, flowing freely through his meridians. Seo-jun channeled the energy through his Governing Meridian, sending it upward.

THUD!

As his internal energy collided with the final barrier in his crown, the world around him spun.

“Ugh!”

Blood poured from his mouth. His vision blurred as he nearly lost consciousness.

With a grunt, he bit down hard on his tongue, snapping himself back to reality.

'No wonder they call this the Gate of Life and Death—it really does feel like you're going to die.'

Ignoring the thoughts that flickered in his mind, he focused again, gathering more energy for one final push.

BOOM!

He broke through. His Ren and Du meridians fully opened, allowing the energy of heaven and earth to surge through him.

Instantly, his Essence, Energy, and Spirit aligned perfectly.

The balance between his body and mind was off, but the small core he had created helped maintain that balance, preventing his body from collapsing under the strain.

As his body hovered in the air, it quickly reformed, regenerating at an incredible rate. His previously injured form now began to heal, his body reshaping itself into an ideal state.

And above his head, three resplendent plum blossoms bloomed, signaling that he had achieved Three Flowers Unite—a major breakthrough.

Golden light flashed in his eyes.

Forgotten—or more precisely, repressed—memories flooded back into his mind like a torrent.

He pushed them aside for the moment and refocused on the battle.

Step—

In one movement, he was by Chun-bong’s side. Reaching out, he pulled her back just as Jong-in’s sword passed inches from her face.

The blade brushed her nose, but it was too late. Seo-jun had already moved her out of harm’s way.

With glowing eyes, Seo-jun fixed his gaze on Jong-in.

"Heaven and Earth, None but I Alone Stand Supreme."

He deliberately disrupted the delicate balance of his newly formed Essence, Energy, and Spirit.

Three grotesquely twisted plum blossoms bloomed above him, warping the space around him. His aura, now tainted with a murky grayish energy, flickered ominously.

"You stand supreme in this world, meaning you must have no parents, right?"

Seo-jun was perfectly at ease in this broken, distorted state. Though he knew this form wouldn’t last long, it didn’t matter. He could always reset his state after dealing with the immediate threat.

He was, after all, running a dual-core system—a mind capable of working in two extremes.

With bloodshot eyes, he raised his hand, and starlight began to gather on his palm.

“I'll send you to your foster parents' side, bitch.”