As the sky began to turn black, Tang Soyul also sensed the unusual change.

A cold aura began spreading through the surroundings.

When an inexplicable sense of unease started to fill the air, Tang Soyul's first action was to issue a warning.

“Run. Right now.”

It was none other than a warning to the nearby students.

Though they were all competitors and in the middle of training, none of that was more valuable than life.

Decisions had to be made quickly.

This was something her father, the Poison King, always emphasized.

As a member of the Tang clan, known for its assassins despite being part of the righteous sects, they had to always be aware of threats.

They needed to be quick in making judgments.

The Tang clan, which specialized in poison and stealth, instilled this way of thinking in Tang Soyul.

Enemies were always around, and even those in the same righteous sects could not be trusted.

The Poison King's teachings were simple: only family could be trusted.

One must never open up too easily to others.

Ironically, these words were often taught as he tortured members of the same righteous sects, making them all the more convincing.

After ascending to the Poison Peak without much difficulty, Tang Soyul wore a mask.

The Poison Peak belonged to the Tang clan.

Although its martial prowess wasn't as strong as other peaks and valleys, the title of “Poison” was known to belong to the Tang clan.

Even among the martial artists of the world and within the Tang clan, the reputation of their poison arts was rarely challenged.

In some ways, it wasn’t strange for Tang Soyul to rise to the Poison Peak.

Her older brother had once been known as the Poison Dragon during his youth as a martial artist.

Since the epithet of “Poison” was associated with the Tang clan, it was expected.

But Tang Soyul felt ashamed of her own epithet.

It wasn’t that she was embarrassed to be called the Poison Phoenix.

How could she be ashamed of being known as one of the best young martial artists of the righteous sects?

No, she was simply ashamed of herself.

She wasn’t strong enough to deserve that title.

Tang Soyul felt undeserving of the name that had been given to her.

Every year at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, she could tell just by looking at the people standing opposite her.

The geniuses known as the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes were all far more talented than she was.

And yet, despite being praised as the Poison Phoenix, she knew her position wasn’t as secure as it seemed.

She knew this, and so did the others.

The other young martial artists were probably well aware that her reputation was more due to her family background than her own abilities.

Because she knew this, she had to wear a mask even more tightly.

As a member of a noble family, she had to act with dignity. She trained harder than others, cutting her sleep short just to avoid falling behind.

But if someone asked whether her efforts had allowed her to close the gap with the others—

The answer was no.

No matter how hard she tried, she realized there were things that couldn’t be overcome with effort alone.

It wasn’t that she lacked talent, but she wasn’t a genius either.

That was her honest self-assessment.

‘Is that such a bad thing?’

As she went through her daily routine, Tang Soyul often wondered.

Was it really so bad?

She couldn’t keep up with the geniuses, but she was still treated as their equal.

Even if it was only because of her family name, wasn’t that enough?

These thoughts briefly crossed her mind, but soon after, she found herself throwing up on the ground in shame.

The shame filled her throat, making it impossible to bear.

The Tang clan had placed high expectations on her.

They believed she had the potential to achieve the state of immunity to all poisons, something known as Mandokbulchim.

It was a level of mastery in poison arts that couldn’t be reached even by mastering all the poison techniques taught by the Tang clan.

It required an innate talent.

The Poison King and the elders of the Tang clan had their eyes on Tang Soyul, believing she had that potential.

But what meaning did that have?

Tang Soyul thought it was meaningless.

If it was an expectation driven by their greed, then it was truly meaningless.

Time passed, and Tang Soyul began paying more attention to her appearance.

Regardless of what was inside, at least her outward appearance had to match that of a noble child.

As always, when she attended social gatherings with the children of other noble families, she sipped her poisonous tea and thought.

‘How pathetic.’

She was talking to herself.

Even as she entertained these thoughts, a smile remained on her face.

‘What am I doing?’

She had reached the level of a first-rate martial artist, but she hadn’t been able to move beyond that.

Was it really okay for her to continue like this?

She had heard rumors that the Sword Phoenix had reached the peak realm.

The hidden dragons and sword dragons were said to be only a matter of time.

She wasn’t sure about the fighting dragons.

That person had always been somewhat of a mystery.

As for the Thunder Dragon, she didn’t particularly care, but he probably wouldn’t be too far behind.

The Ice Phoenix, despite her weaker martial arts skills, had already made a name for herself thanks to her exceptional talents in other areas.

In the end, the only one being left behind was herself.

She couldn’t shake that thought.

And so, she laughed.

At that moment—

“Oh, Lady Tang, I’ve been meaning to ask about the upcoming Tang Clan Martial Arts Tournament.”

Someone began to speak to her.

Who was it again?

She couldn’t quite remember.

It was probably a noble from Sichuan, but Tang Soyul wasn’t the type to remember every person she met.

“Yes?”

Still, she smiled and responded.

“I heard that the Gu family is sending someone this time. Is that true?”

“The Gu family?”

As she answered, Tang Soyul tried to recall who the Gu family was.

It was the family of the Sword Phoenix, one of the noble families from the Shanxi region, which was quite far from here.

‘The Gu family, huh?’

The Tang Martial Arts Tournament was one of the few major events hosted by the Tang clan.

Even if they didn’t attend, they always sent out invitations as a way of maintaining connections.

The Gu family, being from a distant region like Shanxi, didn’t necessarily have to attend, so Tang Soyul found it interesting that they were coming.

‘Who is it, though?’

It couldn’t be the Sword Phoenix.

She was currently involved in important affairs at the Gu family’s headquarters and often traveled to the frontlines.

So, could it be her younger brother?

‘Did she have a younger brother?’

Tang Soyul vaguely remembered hearing something about that.

She hadn’t spoken much with the Sword Phoenix, but she did recall how brightly she smiled when talking about her younger brother.

The sight of the normally stern Sword Phoenix smiling had been quite striking.

“Is the Gu family sending someone?”

Someone else joined the conversation, clearly intrigued by the topic.

“Yes.”

“So, who are they sending?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I’m not Lady Tang, after all, so I wouldn’t know.”

Of course, it made sense that he didn’t know.

Even Tang Soyul wasn’t entirely sure.

“If it’s the young lord of the Gu family, it should be quite the spectacle.”

“What? The young lord? The Gu family has a young lord already?”

The conversation piqued Tang Soyul’s curiosity.

Did the Gu family already have a young lord?

As the people in the room leaned in to listen, the man puffed up his chest and began to explain.

“There’s a widely known rumor. Apparently, the Gu family has a son, and he’s already being treated as the young lord of the family.”

“Wow, having only one son must make things easier for them. No need to worry about fighting over the family’s headship.”

“I heard the rumors about the Chu family. They’re having a tough time.”

“Let’s not bring that up, shall we?”

Apparently, someone assumed to be from the Chu family let out a series of awkward coughs.

“Anyway... They say he’s being treated as the young lord, but the rumors about him aren’t all that great.”

“Rumors? What kind of rumors?”

Since this was a matter concerning the Shanxi region, not much information had reached Sichuan.

In fact, if it hadn’t involved the Sword Phoenix or the Hero, Tang Soyul might not have paid attention to this gossip either.

“I heard he’s quite the troublemaker.”

“The Hero’s son, a troublemaker?”

The son of the Hero, who had once been a renowned martial artist in Zhongyuan, and the younger brother of the Sword Phoenix, who was now considered the greatest young martial artist of the era—

A troublemaker?

‘...Hmm.’

Tang Soyul found it hard to imagine.

Still, a noble child from the Gu family... The name seemed vaguely familiar.

“I heard he insulted the daughter of the Peng family and ended up breaking off their engagement.”

‘Ah.’

At the mention of the Peng family, Tang Soyul finally remembered.

It was related to one of her few friends, Peng A-hee.

‘Was it that guy?’

She had heard the story before.

Back then, Peng A-hee had been grinding her teeth as she told the tale.

Tang Soyul had cursed him alongside her, saying how lucky it was that she hadn’t been involved with someone like that.

“A son of the Hero, turning out to be a troublemaker... That’s surprising.”

“And apparently, he has no talent for martial arts whatsoever.”

“It’s chaos over there. A real case of ‘like father, unlike son.’”

The room filled with laughter.

Tang Soyul didn’t join in on the conversation.

In these situations, it was best to stay quiet to avoid future complications.

“Oh, I heard the Namgung family is also attending this year.”

“Really?”

“The Namgung family? Does that mean... the Thunder Dragon is coming?”

Since the Namgung family was also from a distant region, Tang Soyul hadn’t expected them to attend.

But now that it was confirmed that the Thunder Dragon would be coming, the conversation shifted entirely to him.

The topic of the Gu family’s young lord was quickly forgotten.

After all, for them, the Thunder Dragon was a more significant figure.

Of course, for Tang Soyul, someone else was more important.

‘My sister is coming.’

There was another member of the Namgung family besides the Thunder Dragon.

Most people didn’t know about her, but Tang Soyul did.

She was referring to the beautiful woman, Namgung Bi-ah.

‘Will she be okay?’

Tang Soyul worried as she thought about it.

There would be many young male martial artists at the Tang Martial Arts Tournament.

Was it really safe for Namgung Bi-ah to come to such a place?

She had begged her to come, but she hadn’t expected her to actually agree.

That’s why she was worried.

‘I haven’t seen her in a long time.’

The thought of seeing her close sister again quickly pushed any thoughts of the Gu family’s troublemaker out of her mind.

At that time, she hadn’t realized—

-...I’m called Gu Jeolyeop.

As time passed, the person who stood before Tang Soyul, concealing his true name, would come to have a significant meaning in her life.

She had been captivated by his handsome face.

Little did she know the lengths she would go to because of him.

The troublemaker from the Gu family was far more handsome than she had imagined, and his face lived up to its reputation.

That member of the Gu family didn’t care at all about the Thunder Dragon or the dismissive attitude of the other young martial artists.

Contrary to the rumors of his lack of martial talent—

He had easily broken the Thunder Dragon’s arm.

The man who had once gossiped about him being a “worthless scoundrel” was now left speechless.

The troublemaker they had once mocked had shattered the arm of the Thunder Dragon, one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

What was strange, though, was that no rumors spread about the incident afterward.

The Namgung family might have suppressed it, or perhaps those who had witnessed it had kept quiet, fearing the Namgung family’s influence.

But none of that mattered to Tang Soyul.

What remained in her memory were his sharp eyes, his voice, and the powerful sight of him destroying the Thunder Dragon.

‘...Jeolyeop Gongja.’

Looking back now, she realized how foolish she had been.

She had fallen for him just because of his face...

She hadn’t known she was such an easy girl.

But then again, he was handsome enough to make her feel that way, wasn’t he?

That thought brought her some small comfort.

In the meantime, even Namgung Bi-ah had shown some interest in the young lord of the Gu family, though she claimed she didn’t like him.

Tang Soyul had chosen to believe her.

‘How many kids should I have?’

As she watched him leave, such thoughts had crossed her mind.

If it was the Gu family, her father might even approve, right?

If not, maybe he could become a son-in-law... Ah, but he was already confirmed as the young lord, so that probably wouldn’t work.

She had entertained all sorts of wild fantasies.

Before she met him, her life had felt suffocating and tiresome.

But meeting him had briefly made her forget all of that.

Was that love?

Thinking about it now, it probably wasn’t.

...Was it?

To be honest, she wasn’t sure.

‘What...? An engagement?’

When she heard that the person she had barely spoken to had gotten engaged, she couldn’t eat for days.

And when she found out that the fiancée was none other than her close sister, she was devastated.

No wonder she had run away from home.

Though it couldn’t really be called running away.

It was more like she had reached an agreement with her father.

Though to call it an agreement would be stretching it, as she had half-threatened him to let her go.

What had she been hoping to accomplish?

This wasn’t just some small family; it was an engagement with the Namgung family.

There was nothing she could have done just by looking at his face.

What had she been thinking?

No matter how she thought about it, she had simply been a fool.

But the funny thing was—

‘...I’m screwed.’

Even now, seeing his face again made her feel the same way.

His real name wasn’t even Gu Jeolyeop, and she knew he wasn’t a particularly kind person.

But just seeing his face made her happy.

She liked the way he spoke bluntly, and she even liked the way his sharp eyes looked at her.

Was that love?

Was that what longing felt like?

At that time, Tang Soyul had believed it was.

But she later realized that it wasn’t love.

It wasn’t love at all.

There was a clear difference between being enchanted by someone and truly loving them.

It didn’t take long for Tang Soyul to understand that difference.

-Are you cold?

-Why do they wear such thin clothes when they can’t handle the cold? Are they trying to start a fire or something?

Even though he grumbled, he still blew warm air onto her hands.

-You can’t eat that, you know. Why are you trying to force yourself? Ugh, stop it! I’m not drinking that poison tea of yours!

Unknowingly, he always took care of her.

-You did well.

Even though he claimed to hate it, he always played along with her stubbornness.

The emotions that gradually filled her heart were different.

There was an incident at the Sinryong Pavilion.

What had they said?

They had said the Poison Phoenix was all name and no substance.

That rumor had started to spread a little at the time.

When Tang Soyul heard it, she didn’t think much of it.

Because it was true.

What was surprising, though, was that in the past, such rumors would have made her feel miserable inside, no matter how much she smiled on the outside.

But now, she felt nothing at all.

She no longer cared about what others said.

Or was it that—

-Hey, what did he say?

-Brother, if you hit him anymore, he’ll die for real!

-Let me go. This bastard talks like shit. What? No substance? You’re going to get assassinated one day. No, actually, you’ll die by my hands first. That’ll be better for you.

-Brother!

Was it because someone else was now worrying about those things for her?

Or had she simply become more comfortable with herself?

No, she wasn’t entirely at peace.

Her feelings of inadequacy still followed her.

-The Sword Dancer is even stronger than the rumors suggest. She might be more powerful than the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

-The successor of the Sword Master is a monster.

-The Ice Phoenix has already expanded her influence across most of the Sinryong Pavilion.

The women by his side were all still extraordinary.

And she remained as unremarkable as ever.

During a conversation with Morong Hee-ah in the past, she had once said this to Tang Soyul:

-What do you want to do?

-Huh?

Confused by the question, Tang Soyul had stared at her.

Morong Hee-ah sighed and continued.

-You don’t seem to know what you want to do. You don’t seem like you want to take him away, but you also don’t seem like you’re trying to get closer to him. So, what is it that you want?

-...Well.

What should she have said?

Even now, as she looked back on it, Tang Soyul couldn’t think of anything to say.

Just as Morong Hee-ah had pointed out—

She had no desire to take him away, nor did she want to share him with anyone else.

If she had to be honest—

She just wanted to be by his side.

It was a ridiculous thought.

She had no desire to steal him away.

Nor did she want to force her way into his life.

She simply wanted him to notice her.

She wanted him to cherish her.

Ah, perhaps that was her desire after all.

-I’m going to take him.

That was what Morong Hee-ah had said to Tang Soyul.

At first, Tang Soyul had been taken aback by her bold statement, but in a way, she found Morong Hee-ah’s confidence admirable.

Unlike herself, who was defined only by her family—

Morong Hee-ah had built her own world, fiercely pursuing what she wanted.

There was something about that determination that was admirable.

Perhaps that was why Tang Soyul had felt motivated to try harder.

-Help me.

She had asked her friend for help.

As she had said before—

She didn’t have much talent for martial arts.

At best, she was of average ability.

However—

When it came to poison arts, she was somewhat skilled.

If poison techniques were considered part of martial arts—

She would have a place among the skilled.

While her habit of brewing tea with poisonous leaves was more of a personal preference—

It was also a talent recognized by her family.

So, she had decided to do what she was best at.

Training in poison techniques was simple.

She just had to keep hurting herself.

By keeping poison within her body and developing resistance to it, she could repeatedly go through cycles of poisoning and detoxification, weaving together her internal energy and the poison.

It was a method that only those with the bloodline of the Tang clan could use.

And among them—

Tang Soyul was particularly quick at detoxifying poisons.

That was why the Tang clan considered it a talent.

However, the downside was that her detoxification was so fast that her progress in poison techniques was slower.

Though she could gradually improve by continuing to train her internal energy—

For Tang Soyul, the pace of her progress was frustratingly slow.

So, she had decided to find a way.

If her detoxification was too fast—

Then all she had to do was increase the rate of poisoning.

-...This isn’t right, Soyul.

When Peng A-hee heard about the method, she had been appalled.

How could she use such a cruel technique?

-It’s fine. The medicine I use won’t leave scars.

-But...

-Please.

Peng A-hee had repeatedly refused, but in the end, she had agreed to help, unable to turn down Tang Soyul’s firm request.

The method was simple.

She would make a wound and then insert poison directly into it, poisoning herself.

Since the poison would spread more quickly through the wound—

It was an incredibly dangerous technique.

Even for someone from the Tang clan.

If the Poison King knew about it, he would have been horrified.

But Tang Soyul had decided to try it.

And—

It had proven to be surprisingly effective.

She could feel her poison techniques improving rapidly.

Peng A-hee had been the one to make the wounds on Tang Soyul’s body.

Tang Soyul could have done it herself—

But it was better to have someone else do it more delicately.

And since she had to make sure the wounds were in places that wouldn’t be visible—

She couldn’t ask just anyone.

‘Good.’

The pain from being poisoned had been worse than she had expected, but—

Her detoxification ability helped mitigate some of the effects.

And with Peng A-hee carefully ensuring that no scars would remain—

Tang Soyul believed that things would be better than before.

If things went well—

Wouldn’t it be easier to stay by his side?

She wanted to believe that.

What a foolish thought.

‘...Idiot.’

As blood dripped from her numbed arm—

She felt lightheaded.

What good was this?

She hadn’t been able to do anything, and yet here she was in this state.

Beyond her blurry vision—

She could see Namgung Bi-ah, who had come to her aid, locked in battle with the attacker.

She couldn’t even gauge how strong the enemy was.

With a single gesture—

Thud!

“Urgh...!”

The sister she had never imagined she could catch up to was sent rolling across the ground.

“Haa...”

“Soyul...!”

It was dangerous.

At this rate—

Her sister would die.

In trying to protect her useless self—

‘If she dies...’

In her fading consciousness, the image of him appeared.

If her sister died—

She would be sad, of course, but—

He would be even more heartbroken than she would.

That thought made her breathing grow heavy.

Ssshh—!

The sound of a blade cutting through the air faintly reached her ears.

Namgung Bi-ah, who had been knocked to the ground, had risen again and was swinging her sword.

She shouldn’t have done that.

It would have been better if she had just given up on someone like her and fled.

‘...Ah.’

Why was her sister still trying to protect someone like her?

Tang Soyul couldn’t understand.

She had been hovering by his side, harboring the same feelings as her sister.

Didn’t her sister find her annoying?

She had resented her sister in secret.

Hadn’t she said she didn’t like him?

Hadn’t she told her that?

Then why had she gone and gotten engaged to him, tempting his heart?

She had harbored a lot of resentment.

Even now, if she said she wasn’t still resentful, that would be a lie.

‘...Sigh.’

Even so—

Her sister couldn’t die here, not because of her.

‘Move.’

She had once wondered what love was.

She hadn’t known in the past—

But now she understood.

‘Move.’

It wasn’t a feeling of excitement when she saw his face.

It was a feeling that made her heart tremble just at the sound of his name.

A single gesture from him could shake her heart.

His voice could stir her emotions.

She found herself swayed by his simple words—

And circling around him, wanting to see him.

‘Move.’

The people he cherished—

None of them could get hurt because of him.

If he were sad—

That would be the saddest thing for Tang Soyul.

So she wanted to protect the people he cared about, too.

‘I really am an idiot.’

If Morong Hee-ah had heard her now—

She probably would have laughed.

No, she definitely would have laughed.

She might have even called her a fool.

To be so afraid of his sadness—

And to want to protect the people he cared about...

How ridiculous that was.

But—

That was Tang Soyul’s version of love.

Stab—!

“Soyul!”

A blade plunged into Tang Soyul’s thigh, blood spraying from the wound.

She had stabbed herself.

The sickening sound made everyone in the midst of the battle freeze.

The middle-aged man flinched, his movements halting.

His target was her.

Tang Soyul could vaguely understand.

He was after her.

That was why she was able to act.

“Don’t move.”

Though her mind was hazy, her voice came out clearly.

“If you so much as touch my sister, I’ll stab myself in the throat and die right here.”

The cold tip of the dagger pressed against her neck.

Seeing this, the man spoke.

“You think threatening me with your own life is anything but a joke? Do you really believe that will work on me?”

“It must be working since you’ve stopped.”

Blood was dripping down, and she felt as if she might faint at any moment.

But Tang Soyul gritted her teeth and endured.

“Your target is me, isn’t it? Then I’ll surrender willingly. Just let my sister and my friend go.”

“What an audacious girl. Why should I show such mercy? I could just kill them all and take you.”

At the man’s words, Tang Soyul smirked.

She couldn’t show any sign of fear.

“Do you think I won’t do it? I can die faster than you can get to me. Care to wager on it?”

She pressed the tip of the dagger deeper into her throat.

Blood began to trickle down her neck.

Tang Soyul’s eyes were filled with resolve.

She could die here.

At that moment, all she could think about was—

If she died—

Would he be sad?

That was the only thought in her mind.

“...”

Tsk.

The man clicked his tongue as if contemplating something, then withdrew his energy.

“The Sword King’s bloodline is truly blessed with long life.”

“Haa... Ugh...”

“You should thank the girl from the Tang clan. That pathetic threat of hers actually worked on me.”

With a flick of his foot, he kicked Namgung Bi-ah, who coughed up black blood.

“I’d like to kill her later just for the trouble she caused, but it seems circumstances won’t allow it.”

With regret in his voice, the man stepped past Namgung Bi-ah.

Grab.

Namgung Bi-ah, refusing to let him pass, grabbed his ankle with her pale hand.

“You... can’t... go...”

“What a foolish woman,” the man sneered.

Despite being beaten so badly, she still had enough strength left to grab onto him.

With a flick of his hand, the aura from the Dark Night Palace Lord’s body surged forth, throwing Namgung Bi-ah far away.

Thud!

“Eonni (Sister)!”

“I didn’t kill her. I just threw her far away because she was being a nuisance. This much should be acceptable.”

He muttered under his breath, aware that time was running short.

As the Dark Night Palace Lord approached rapidly, Peng A-hee drew her blade, trying to hold him off.

Though she was trembling all over, her body in disarray from the overwhelming fear, she did her best to exude some kind of fighting spirit.

“D-don’t come any closer!”

“Such foolishness. These days, the young martial artists seem to have grown bolder. Drawing your sword against an opponent you can’t even reach isn’t courage, child of the Peng family.”

His violet eyes gleamed as he looked down at her, making Peng A-hee tremble even more.

Seeing this, Tang Soyul shakily reached out and grabbed Peng A-hee’s wrist, pulling it down.

“Don’t,” she whispered weakly.

“Soyul...”

Even with Tang Soyul’s faint grip, Peng A-hee’s sword lowered all too easily.

Fear had already taken hold of her completely.

The Dark Night Palace Lord let out a snort, watching them.

He extended his hand, gathering his energy.

It was time to take Tang Soyul.

As the dark energy gathered before her eyes, Tang Soyul closed her eyes, resigning herself to what was to come.

At that moment—

Tap, tap, tap!

Someone suddenly rushed from behind the Dark Night Palace Lord, launching a surprise attack.

The culprit, surprisingly, was Cheol Jiseon.

“Ahhhh!”

He charged forward, holding his sword out in a straight line, his expression wild and unhinged.

The problem was, the Dark Night Palace Lord wasn’t someone who could be caught off guard by such a sloppy ambush.

In fact, he had probably already anticipated it.

Whirl!

Bang!

“Gahhh!”

The dark energy from the Palace Lord slammed into Cheol Jiseon, sending him flying into the bushes far away.

It seemed he hadn’t been killed, but even the Palace Lord’s patience was starting to wear thin.

The scowl on his face twisted, resembling that of a demon.

“No more interruptions...”

If there were any more disturbances, he was ready to kill everyone, even the Poison Phoenix and her companions.

The murderous intent rising within him had to be suppressed with great effort.

He couldn’t believe how much these young martial artists had inconvenienced him.

What should have been an easy task had taken far too long.

Any more delays could lead to complications.

With that thought in mind, the Dark Night Palace Lord extended his hand toward Tang Soyul.

“I’ll be taking you now...”

“You held on well.”

“...!”

At that moment—

A voice came from behind him, causing the Dark Night Palace Lord’s skin to prickle with unease.

Where had that voice come from...?

Tap.

Before he could even locate the source of the sound, he felt something lightly touch his waist.

‘Damn it...!’

He hurriedly gathered his energy, launching an attack while simultaneously spinning around to face his opponent.

He could barely make out the figure of a young man.

“You are truly shameless.”

The young man, with black hair and dark eyes, didn’t appear to be more than a few years past twenty.

“To think that I am still alive and well, and yet someone like you is running amok.”

A post-heaven martial artist?

How had this young man managed to mask his presence and approach so closely?

The Palace Lord’s blade-shaped energy shot toward the young man.

The tip of the energy was about to pierce through him when—

“I won’t ask your name. I’m not that curious.”

Tu-a-pa-cheon-mu (斗牙破天武).

“...!”

The Palace Lord’s expression changed, realizing something was terribly wrong.

"I-shik."

In that instant, a storm of energy erupted from the young man’s fist as it made contact with his body.

Tu-bi-ui-cheon-gwon (斗批意天拳).

Whoosh!

The entire mountain seemed to tremble with a massive shockwave.