The wind roughly swept past his ears. The true energy running through his entire body contained the principles of the world’s extremes and overlapped.

Jeong Yeon brought his hand to the sword hilt as it was.

‘I’ll cut it in one go.’

A commotion was breaking out in the vast village fields.

People were shouting at him to stop, while the red-haired man from Blood Flame Sect burst into laughter, saying they shouldn’t speak like that. They hadn’t noticed yet. The distance was quite far.

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

The cloth of the hood brushed past his cheek and moved away.

Cheong Myeong, who had followed, surpassed him with tremendous lightness skill.

The realm of walking on grass tips without touching the ground. Indeed, the Elf Clan.

Jeong Family’s footwork was not enough to be effective even within the Desolate Sect’s area of activity.

In recent years, he had been trying to create essential divine arts like lightness skill and walking techniques, but inspiration was lacking.

‘Damn it.’

In the end, even Baek Mi-ryeo passed him with light footwork, and even Heon Won-chang brushed past his shoulder, saying he would go first.

In terms of lightness skill, Jeong Yeon-shin had not yet reached the level of Desolate Sect’s white class. He knew it himself.

“Hmm.”

His eyes moved keenly.

Beyond the farmland and livestock pens spread out below the government office hill, many houses were lined up.

Further out, green hills continued to reach the mountain range outside the village, and the lush undergrowth was unusual.

Even at a glance, it seemed like a good mountain to hide and live in.

‘They said he periodically comes to the village and commits atrocities.’

The Central Plains is a very vast place. Even a single county had people living in it that were difficult to count with the naked eye.

Nevertheless, the fact that he always appears means he resides not far away, and there aren’t many places where he can hide his red hair.

It is well known that it is forbidden by the doctrine for members of the Blood Flame Sect to wear a hat or straw hat on their heads.

Jeong Yeon-shin glanced down as he changed his running direction.

The body of the Blood Flame Sect member who blocked Cheong Myeong’s refreshing single sword flew back.

It meant he was not at the level to handle Desolate Sect’s blue class. What would happen if Baek Mi-ryeo joined in as well?

“Just in case.”

He ran towards the hills.

By the time he passed the frightened eyes of the county people and arrived at the path entering the mountain, he soon realized he had made the right choice.

“Out of the way!”

A man running with disheveled red hair fluttering. There were traces of experience all over his bright red martial arts uniform.

It was surprising how he had shaken off Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo.

Jeong Yeon-shin brought his hand to the sword hilt and spread all his fingers at once before gripping the handle.

At the same time, he aimed the sword path while raising his Radiant Demon Skill.

Swoosh-

Now, a formless energy that could be called a energy wave was leaking out of his body quite a bit. Right foot forward and lowering his upper body, the Horseback Stance.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s Quick Sword Radiant Demon Skill, having fully assumed the stance, was something even Desolate Sect’s blue class Radiant Demon Wing experts found difficult to lightly receive.

“A greenhorn? No. That’s something else…!”

Surprise flashed across the face of the Blood Flame Sect member who had been running with a demonic face. He soon gritted his teeth and changed direction.

‘Huh?’

Where is he going? Jeong Yeon-shin was dumbfounded.

It was a moment when all the experiences of having to face head-on or confront right in front of him became meaningless.

As if this was the real martial arts world, the sight of the guy running away in a wide circle delivered a shock. His first step into the martial arts world.

Apart from his aptitude for martial arts, he discovered in himself the naivety that all martial artists under heaven experience.

He did not yet have the walking techniques and lightness skills to catch the Blood Flame Sect member. In the end, Jeong Yeon-shin could only watch the receding back, unable to do anything.

“What a blunder.”

Cheong Myeong, who had approached at some point, smiled bitterly.

“Yeon-shin, don’t blame yourself. It’s our fault.”

“He had the Nine Lives Grass. It was a divine art suitable for escaping, befitting a remnant of the Blood Flame Sect.”

Baek Mi-ryeo, who followed, sighed.

The Nine Lives Grass literally meant a secret martial art that could save one’s life.

In that guy’s case, it seemed to be his leg techniques. It could be said to be completely incompatible with Jeong Yeon-shin.

“A divine art faster than the lightness skill used by the Elf Clan who walks on grass tips? That guy earlier. They said he hadn’t been in the Blood Flame Sect for long.”

Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t help but ask. Cheong Myeong’s bitter smile deepened.

“Those bloody guys are like that. They gain power through sorcery where the boundaries between magic and martial arts are unclear, and there are cases where they refine martial arts in a hurry by burning the blood of others and themselves together. At the cost of their lifespan. That guy earlier must have had even more talent. It felt like his swordsmanship achievement couldn’t keep up with his lightness skill.”

“Just acting alone for a long time is strange. The Blood Flame Sect members are not free-spirited guys. There’s something more.”

Baek Mi-ryeo said with a thoughtful expression.

She continued her words while glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin, who had slightly bowed his head, suppressing her anger.

“Everyone must have guessed, but the guy’s base will be nearby. Judging from his strange obsession, he won’t back down like this either.”

“Shall we wait leisurely while getting some fresh air outside for the first time in a while?”

“…Alright. You do that. Damn Elf Clan.”

Cheong Myeong, who clasped his hands behind his head, and Baek Mi-ryeo, who glared at him with narrowed eyes.

As they talked for a bit, they saw Heon Won-chang running over, panting.

“Heon Won-chang. Your overall martial arts achievement is fine. Befitting the white class. But your stamina can’t keep up. You may think your current level is sufficient, but you can assume there’s never a case where you fight an opponent you meet in the martial arts world in perfect condition. It’s lacking.”

Baek Mi-ryeo spoke in an indifferent tone. Heon Won-chang, feeling embarrassed, apologized and bowed.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s eyes shone. The reason why Ma Jin deliberately sent four people.

It was a tradition of Desolate Sect for a blue-class expert to oversee the experience and achievements of a white-class warrior.

Extremely rare level martial artists in the world were directly guiding them in their martial arts journey.

It was a benefit that could not be considered common throughout the Central Plains.

“And as for Jeong Yeon-shin…”

Receiving Baek Mi-ryeo’s gaze, he inwardly flinched. It was because her eyes had softened gently.

“The foundation is astonishingly well-established. It’s to the extent that I wonder if there are such cases even among the Nine Sects and Eight Families. I fully realized it when I saw you running without any techniques. Just looking at the body, there would be no one to keep up even in the Radiant Demon Wing. Even more so for a sneaky Elf Clan member like Cheong Myeong.”

Baek Mi-ryeo, who scanned Jeong Yeon-shin’s body with an unbiased gaze, smiled contentedly.

“A martial artist should have a good body in the first place. It’s a physique that can’t help but achieve greatness no matter what martial art you learn.”

“That’s right. There’s no need to be discouraged about lightness skills now.”

Cheong Myeong, who tapped Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder while smiling brightly, not minding the word ‘sneaky’.

It was also awkward to leave the envious gaze of the Desolate Sect’s Divine Cooperation members.

Jeong Yeon-shin changed the subject. Feeling a sense of reward for the Jeong Family’s Eastern Technique he had devoted his childhood to.

“Is it okay for us to stay at the government office? I was a bit harsh.”

“What will you do if it’s not okay? It’s Desolate Sect. He should duly cooperate with us.”

“That’s right. The one who’s uncomfortable is not us, but that county magistrate. What can the national law do about it? Thanks to you, that official must have also realized his place.”

Cheong Myeong agreed with Baek Mi-ryeo’s words. It seemed like a trivial matter for them.

But how was the prestige of the county magistrate in his hometown, Xinye County?

He had seen it rivaling the Jeong Family, who were landowners and a martial arts family.

He couldn’t help but rethink the position of Desolate Sect.

An unprecedented faction that was hard to find a match for in both the martial arts world and the government.

‘I really joined a comfortable place. I just need to do well.’

One should deeply consider the opponent’s strength, but there’s no need to worry about the faction’s prestige.

How many places like this exist in the vast world?

“By the way, you. Do you want to learn how to walk?”

“Walking techniques? Do you mean divine arts?”

Cheong Myeong, who showed reluctance at Jeong Yeon-shin’s counter-question, scratched his hood.

“I can’t pass down our sect’s martial arts, but… I can teach you how the Elf Clan moves. Usually, people can’t do it even if they know, but I think you can.”

“The Elf Clan’s divine walking technique!”

The one who made a fuss was Heon Won-chang. He made an earnest expression as if begging to be taught as well, and Jeong Yeon-shin fully understood his reaction this time.

Having met many Elf Clan members recently, he had become numb to their distinctive facial features and long ears, but there were still many places in the Central Plains that looked at the Elf Clan as if they were celestial immortals.

The realm in which they existed was that deep and narrow.

To the extent that their ageless beauty, extraordinary movements, and the clan’s reputation as friends of nature were not uncommon to be treated as myths among the people.

Heon Won-chang spat saliva.

“Witnessing the divine walking technique of the world’s Elf Clan can only be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Please grant this humble one a piece of that opportunity as well!”

“Yes, yes. How can I discriminate against fellow Radiant Demon Wing members? It’s just that most people can’t make use of it even if I teach them…”

The perplexity on Cheong Myeong’s face deepened. Baek Mi-ryeo, who was next to him, shook her head.

“For now, you can just show them. Are you already worrying about disappointment?”

“Well. Didn’t someone suspect for over a year that I clearly taught them while omitting the key points? In the end, they couldn’t master it.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about. Aren’t there many such individuals? No one from the Radiant Demon Wing has been able to enter.”

Baek Mi-ryeo, who deliberately turned her body with a calm demeanor, said she would investigate the village and moved away.

The Elf Clan member watched Baek Mi-ryeo’s retreating figure with a grin, while Heon Won-chang, wearing a bewildered expression, muttered weakly.

“Even no one from the Radiant Demon Wing could learn it? Is it truly a divine technique exclusive to the Elf Clan…?”

“It’s not systematically structured. This is just a way of walking and running.”

Suddenly, dust rose at Cheong Myeong’s feet. Without any flow of true energy, the hem of his pants fluttered in a single gust of wind.

“Look.”

At the same time, he lightly kicked off the ground and soared, without making even the slightest sound.

With extraordinary movements, he stepped on the side of a tree a few times and then stood upright on a branch at the top. It couldn’t be called human movement.

The Desolate Sect Divine Sword members, who had unknowingly approached as if entranced, tilted their heads up with their mouths agape.

‘It’s not true energy, but something like true energy supported the body.’

Jeong Yeon-shin stared up at Cheong Myeong, recalling his movements.

Cheong Myeong closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling the forest air, before jumping down like a feather.

He landed with a feeling like a leaf falling, and again, there was no sound.

It was a divine walking technique that was not just surprising but frightening. Having no trace in one’s movements was truly like having a fatal move.

Jeong Yeon-shin fell into thought.

“Perhaps… do you understand?”

Cheong Myeong approached with a disbelieving expression and asked. Then he flinched preemptively.

“I didn’t interrupt your meditation, did I?”

“No. I was pondering how to create wind with true energy. Since I don’t have the same power as the Elf Clan…”

“What…!”

Cheong Myeong’s eyes widened at Jeong Yeon-shin’s casual words.

“You gained insight after seeing the energy of nature just once? How could that be…!”

“Isn’t that why you showed it? A few ideas came to mind. If I segment the true energy by breaking down the movements like forms…”

Jeong Yeon-shin’s focus, which had been gradually sinking into a trance, returned. He smiled brightly at Cheong Myeong.

“Thank you for the excellent inspiration. Sometimes I feel guilty for only gaining from Desolate Sect, but it seems I can greatly contribute to this mission now.”

“……”

Cheong Myeong stared blankly at Jeong Yeon-shin, who was even making a fist-palm salute as a sign of respect.

Heon Won-chang approached with a similar expression.

“Shall we unpack at our lodgings? For Sir Jeong’s sake as well.”

“…Yes, let’s do that.”

The three people moved to follow Baek Mi-ryeo, who had already gone far ahead.

Cheong Myeong and Heon Won-chang kept glancing at Jeong Yeon-shin, who was walking slightly behind.

As if the commotion caused by the Blood Flame Sect member had never happened, the chilly spring breeze of the evening, which had already entered the first season, was caressing their shoulders.

By the time they arrived at the Jinping County office, walking leisurely, the sun had completely set, creating a warm, sunset-colored blanket.

The four Radiant Demon Wing members settled in the government office.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had released the county magistrate’s blood points, was uncharacteristically calm for someone on their first martial arts journey, being absorbed in the beginnings of the divine walking technique.

He brushed off the fearful gazes without concern and continued to ponder martial arts even as he went to bed.

‘If I think about the movement in advance and emit true energy in short bursts at each joint of movement…’

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly closed his eyes.

* * *

Cheong Myeong, who had been sleeping sprawled out in a hemp hammock strung between trees, opened his eyes groggily.

He was enjoying the sunlight that nourished and awakened the plants and trees. Smiling pleasantly, he suddenly looked down.

A boy standing still with his eyes closed in the clearing.

With the Desolate Sect sword at his waist, he surrounded his entire body with a quiet prayer.

Was it the boldness of not caring who watched his current training?

Just as Cheong Myeong was about to smile approvingly.

In the midst of the sunlight piercing through the leaves.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s body shook slightly with the morning sun.

Soon, dust rose at the tip of his lightly stepped foot, and as he spun and kicked off the ground, the sight of scattering leaves was captured in his movements.

Cheong Myeong’s eyes widened.

“Insane…!”