Several days passed, and the new Jeong Yeon-shin immersed himself in training.

Occasionally, Cheong Myeong would give him a strange look, but being naturally free-spirited and detached from worldly affairs, he didn’t think much of it.

The Elf clan’s divine techniques that he was mastering day by day were too captivating to spend energy elsewhere.

Lightness skills are about running. The achievement of techniques for moving the body lightly inevitably influences one’s performance.

It didn’t take long for the inspiration gained from Cheong Myeong’s movements to transform into techniques.

Although it was still in a rudimentary form with only the basic framework of energy manipulation, there was much room for improvement, but as the founder of a martial art, one must inevitably grasp the essence of that martial art.

“A practitioner who learns and acquires, and a master who creates and masters. Even at the initial stage of completion, the achievements cannot be the same,” said Baek Mi-ryeo.

While tracking traces of the Blood Flame Cult members and guarding against their re-invasion, Radiant Demon Wing members could feel Jeong Yeon-shin’s movements changing day by day.

Unlike Jeong Yeon-shin, who didn’t care who was watching, they didn’t deliberately spy on his training.

However, following the principle that when the level of martial arts being mastered is high, a martial artist’s demeanor also changes, they could only guess at his achievements.

“The qualities of a great master. It’s undeniable, but hard to believe even as we watch. Even our leader chose to focus on his own Preservation Techniques instead.”

Cheong Myeong, who had seen Jeong Yeon-shin under the net hammock, had been sleeping inside the government office since then.

A month. This was the time since encountering the Blood Flame Cult member.

They had come up empty-handed. It wasn’t that they couldn’t see the culprit again.

The village’s cows, horses, pigs, and chickens continued to die off little by little.

They could clearly feel that the Blood Flame Cult’s purpose was not to slaughter the village’s livestock, but to cut at people’s nerves.

Yet they didn’t come to the farmland. That was because Cheong Myeong was keeping a close eye on it.

Cheong Myeong was content to play the role of a threatening scarecrow, regardless of how many livestock died.

This led to conflicts.

When Baek Mi-ryeo would plan tracking and patrol routes, Cheong Myeong would climb up to the net hammock, saying he needed to soak up some sunlight.

Baek Mi-ryeo, who was frustrated alone, alternately accompanied Heon-won Chang and Jeong Yeon-shin.

“That guy. It seems he’s indeed not alone. He’s seeing through our patrol routes. This time, a horse died.”

It was a problem that the stable was far from the government office due to the local magistrate’s aversion to smells.

The value of a single horse is no ordinary matter. At least in this Jinping County, it would be more valuable than any other resource.

Heon Won-chang, who had approached unnoticed, looked up at the net hammock.

His expression was not pleasant. Having become more comfortable dealing with him while learning basic martial arts principles, he spoke up.

“Why are you so calm? Are you really from an Elf clan? A horse has died.”

“Yesterday it was a pig,” Jeong Yeon-shin said as he passed by.

“We Elf Clan are friends of the forest, not friends of horses and pigs,” Cheong Myeong added.

“Unless you were to die, I suppose.”

“Then I’ll make sure to exterminate his entire clan somehow,” Jeong Yeon-shin said with a smirk as he moved towards the washing area.

They said that most noble clan members who grew up in Desolate Sect, like Cheong Myeong, were this free-spirited and light with their blades.

It was different from the image of immortals that people usually imagined.

Jeong Yeon-shin, as a warrior from Desolate Sect, was getting to know the world better as time passed.

When he returned after washing, a feast was laid out. The plump local magistrate was rubbing his palms together nervously.

While thinking that he would become a sly official if he got promoted to the capital, Jeong Yeon-shin understood, seeing how he had witnessed martial artists running as if flying over the farmland for a month.

“P-please eat,” the magistrate said with an awkward smile. After avoiding them for a while, he seemed to have made some kind of decision.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who wasn’t particularly interested, sat down with Radiant Demon Wing members and talked.

How to change the defense network, how many helpers there would be, whether they should start searching and subjugating given the vast surrounding mountains.

Over the past month in these situations, Jeong Yeon-shin realized:

That there are various types of battles in the world, and the short-term decisive battles that most masters prefer are not easily achieved in reality.

After finishing the meal and having a training session, he went to his now-familiar bed.

The cry of an owl, like a short bamboo flute, filled the peaceful night of his first foray into the martial world.

* * *

The next day, Jeong Yeon-shin set out on his own. It was easy to get permission from Baek Mi-ryeo and Cheong Myeong.

This was because they had a low opinion of the inaction of the helpers who were too afraid to come down due to the Desolate Sect masters.

The two masters rated Jeong Yeon-shin’s chances very highly in case of a direct confrontation with the Blood Flame Cult member.

They thought it would be difficult for a guy with only fast feet to defeat the current Lightning Flash.

‘Strange.’

From Jeong Family’s perspective, Desolate Sect was a realm that was no different from the immortal world.

Sometimes it felt quite strange to be fully recognized by the Blue Warriors.

‘Not bad though.’

He wasn’t sure if it was thanks to his rapidly improving divine techniques or just his mood.

As he climbed the mountain, his steps felt much lighter.

Unlike Cheong Myeong, he was in a position where he couldn’t afford to be leisurely.

Until yesterday, he had focused on training to achieve divine techniques, but he couldn’t continue like that forever.

Feeling frustrated, he thought of surveying the entire county from the top of the mountain.

Thinking that he would also refine his divine techniques, he wandered through mountain paths that his group had not searched.

And it was only around sunset that he discovered a strange hut built in front of a cave.

It looked like a door or a passage. The efforts of his group over the past month had borne fruit.

‘It was a cave where the smoke escaped to the other side. They said it couldn’t be like this unless they only ate survival pills, but this was the reason we couldn’t find it.’

Without thinking too long, he turned his back.

If it was an unavoidable situation, he wouldn’t hesitate to risk his life.

But in a situation where he had leeway, he had no intention of deliberately creating variables.

He had entered Desolate Sect to seek the fruit of the World Tree in order to live this one life.

If he were to die meaninglessly, the fruit or whatever would be meaningless.

With a suitable amount of tension and excitement, he was stepping on the dirt floor and going down when Jeong Yeon-shin decided to reverse his decision.

“Who are you?”

He encountered a red-haired man coming up with his teeth sunk into the neck of a dead young boy.

Apart from his unfamiliar face and shabby attire, his hair was clearly red like blood.

Blood Flame Cult.

It was just as he had heard. There were also those who drained the vitality of children and elevated their power.

It was a place where their influence did not diminish even though they were designated as a cult by the empire.

They said that the Blood Flame Cult’s blood techniques were refined in all sorts of ways. To the point where even the masters of Desolate Sect trembled.

Faced with the reality of the rumors, Jeong Yeon-shin examined the man’s physique, posture, and energy.

‘An accomplice. The Blood Flame Cult guy who was watching our backs.’

He slowly moved his hand towards his sword.

“A young boy with a sword. An energy that seems to cut, white martial robes with the character Hwang engraved…”

The guy muttered as he looked Jeong Yeon-shin up and down, then curled up the corners of his mouth.

“It’s just as I heard. Thanks to the greenhorn from Desolate Sect, I’ll be able to gain merit. I’m not like my brothers who ran away to avoid the likes of you. Curse your misfortune…!”

Swish-!

The moment a dazzling white light flashed, the guy’s head flew off.

The child fell powerlessly from his hands. The headless body that stood for a moment soon collapsed with a thud behind the young boy.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had already moved to the guy’s side, swung his sword to shake off the blood.

“Let’s end it now,” he muttered.

He dared to speak of misfortune for just this much? He didn’t know how many more there were.

But if they couldn’t even react to his sword, how many there were didn’t matter.

Even if it was his first mission involving the Blood Flame Cult among the thirteen heavens, it seemed it wouldn’t take a month after all.

These guys couldn’t be left alive any longer.

He used his Fate Conquering Scripture to dig the ground. After closing the child’s eyes, he buried him. He didn’t cover him with much soil.

Although it seemed to be a victim from somewhere other than Jinping County, he planned to ask the magistrate to find the parents after finishing the job.

Jeong Yeon-shin turned around with his sword in hand. Towards the direction of the hut.

As he circulated his true energy, a cool breeze began to swirl around his moving feet.

His steps gradually rose.

The undergrowth beneath his feet, as if not bearing Jeong Yeon-shin’s weight, was gradually raising its head more and more.

The sound of his steps also naturally faded with the noble clan’s walk. Until he reached the front of the hut.

Thud!

It was different when he stepped on the eaves. The peacefully standing grass was trampled all at once.

Tremendous power was put into the Radiant Demon Formation Quick Sword Technique, and the Desolate Sword became a white lightning bolt, tearing apart the hut along with the Blood Flame Cult member inside.

Crash-!

“Aaargh!”

“Wha-what?!”

Amidst the scattering dust and debris of wood.

A guy whose body was split in half, spewing empty air, and another guy behind him with a shocked expression were seen.

Each of them was holding a corpse. The issue wasn’t just about Jinping County.

‘Fate Conquering Scripture.’

He had no intention of having a conversation.

The true energy strengthened by the Spiritual Pill multiplied in power, and the force that raced through his entire body’s three meridians added sharpness to his leaf-like movements.

Kwak! Kwajik!

The hand holding the Desolate Sword, which smashed, crushed, and then cut, was exerting enough sword power for a massacre.

The vibration of the sword transmitted to the elbow represented Jeong Yeon-shin’s heart, which no longer hid his anger.

Jeong Family’s spirit was reflected in the blood spurting out.

“You revere the law of the Jungle? Fine.”

The guys fell, becoming like the corpses they had been playing with.

Through the hut that was pierced from the back, the inside of the cave with torches here and there could be seen.

This could indeed be called a branch of the Blood Flame Cult. As expected, the Blood Flame Cult member in Jinping County was nothing.

‘Can I handle it alone?’

He calculated the odds before entering. Because boiling blood and survival are separate matters.

But perhaps because he had made a loud presence at the entrance.

There was an energy spreading out from deep within the cave, as if they had already noticed.

The waves of true energy surging in the atmosphere were sinister and powerful.

[Kill him!]

A roar that seemed to pound the heart rang out. At the same time, the sound of footsteps echoing from all directions.

‘Two, three, … five.’

Five minions and one who seemed to be the branch leader.

He had heard that the branch leaders of the Blood Flame Cult were usually genuine masters called Blood Master Swordsmen.

The sword that teaches and guides. However, before he could gauge whether he could confront him, the cult members rushed in.

“How dare you come this far!”

“Pay with your blood!”

Among the five redheads was the guy from Jinping County.

For a moment, he made a surprised expression, then ran towards him, grasping his sword as if it was a good thing.

He seemed to have gained momentum thanks to his comrades on either side.

Jeong Yeon-shin did not back down and took another step forward.

Boom!

The resonance of the eaves that dug into the stone floor pushed away the footsteps of the guys altogether.

Ignoring the flinching appearance of the guys who were rushing in with murderous intent, he loaded the Charged Strike onto the Desolate Sword.

He felt the wind of the noble clan wrapping around his body as he turned and spun.

The first one he killed in Jeong Family was a Blood Flame Cult member, but the sword he was wielding now was on a different level than then.

Swaak-!

Amidst the torches dancing in the shockwave of the Charged Strike, a long silver trajectory was drawn.

Three bodies were cut by a single line of the sword. There was a feeling transmitted through the blade.

On the other hand, the Blood Flame Cult members fell with the same look in their eyes as they rushed in, as if they hadn’t even recognized it.

The shock was left to the two survivors.

The Blood Flame Cult member from Jinping County hurriedly stepped on his movement technique, but Jeong Yeon-shin had already become a leaf riding a typhoon, striking down with the Demonic Slaying Two Strikes.

The sound of the sword chewing the body, kwak, announced the end of the guy’s revenge.

“What the…!”

The last guy who stepped back fell with his chest cut, unable to recognize the following quick sword.

Jeong Yeon-shin, who had shaken off his sword, glared into the depths of darkness.

If the first debuting white robe of Desolate Sect killed even the Blood Master Swordsman, what kind of repercussions would occur? He wasn’t very curious about that now.

Thump.

The sword’s clear ringing accompanied his slow footsteps.

The Desolate Sword rumbled, praying for the martial luck of its only companion.