“Have you decided on a name for the sword technique?”

“I’ve decided to call it Radiant Sword Style.”

In a place where a subtle fragrance was rising, he answered Hyeon Won-chang hesitantly.

Radiant Sword Style.

He created it hoping his own life would be like the light filling the world, never extinguishing from the sun, moon, and stars.

The sword technique’s characteristic of spreading light along its trajectory also played a part.

“Ah… The resonance is better than I thought. How unfortunate.”

“What name were you thinking?”

“I was going to call it ‘Seizing the World’s Radiance and Directly Cutting the Knot’. That was the feeling I received. If it becomes great, it would be a sword that could encompass heaven and earth and handle the world!”

“……”

Jeong Yeon-shin silently drank his tea. The taste was exquisite.

They called it Jingwei Fu tea, and the golden shimmering tea water represented how they were being treated in the Zhongnan Sect.

‘It was bewildering.’

The Zhongnan Sword Immortal’s reaction to the Radiant Sword Style was beyond imagination.

His brusque attitude immediately became warm.

He even hugged Jeong Yeon-shin with reddened eyes.

Compared to how he treated his second son Jeong Jung-san, he seemed like a different person.

He had saved his niece and created his own sword technique.

Although he hadn’t done anything for the Zhongnan Sect, he was being treated as an honored guest, making him feel awkward and uncomfortable.

But Hyeon Won-chang seemed different.

“I want to take this golden tea when we return.”

He looked carefree, as if he had just effortlessly cut down enemies.

They spent time chatting for a while.

They set their mission according to the discretion Ma Jin had given them.

The goal was to prevent civilian damage or deal a meaningful blow to the Tyrant Sword Sect.

They had gained the Zhongnan Sect’s goodwill. They would be able to hear battle news immediately.

“Sir Jeong?”

A pleasant voice rang from outside the door. It was the Sword Dragon, Wei Ji Myo-hwa.

Leaving behind Hyeon Won-chang’s face mixed with envy, he stepped out of the room.

It was the same as when they first met.

She stood with a unique feather decoration on her hair, which was draped like black silk.

Wearing a sky-blue martial arts uniform, with one hand on the sword handle, various qualities were revealed.

Just from the brief observations and conversations, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t help but feel favorable as a martial artist.

Her boldness in pointing out her disciples’ mistakes, her chivalrous spirit of saving civilians, and the energy of a swordsman pursuing higher martial arts.

These qualities would have contributed to making her a dragon along with her powerful martial arts.

“I’ve come to hear what I couldn’t discuss before.”

“About the Sword Master’s sword traces?”

She nodded.

“Although it’s shameful for our sect, I want to remove the Sword Master’s shadow. In both chivalry and sword path, I must walk my own way. I will become a great master.”

Her declaration of ambition before a younger boy was impressive.

Her attitude had subtly changed after seeing Jeong Yeon-shin’s Radiant Sword Style.

Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s caliber seemed to match her reputation as the Zhongnan Sect’s strongest rising talent.

“I’ll support you.”

At his calm response, she seemed slightly deflated but quickly composed herself.

“If you help restore the Nine Yang Unified Technique.”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa moved her red lips.

“I promise to serve you as a benefactor until my life ends. You’re significantly reducing the unsatisfactory time of a life that may not continue long.”

Peaceful sunlight sat brightly on the ground.

Amidst the soft midday sunlight and quiet mountain terrain, only her voice rang clearly.

It was the most dignified act in the martial world. Sharing martial arts meant this.

“Isn’t it possible?”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s lips drew a red and smooth arc.

Her request was not servile.

Confidence overflowed from her gaze, approaching like an inextinguishable flame.

Was this the spirit of a rising talent standing at the peak of a famous orthodox sect?

It wouldn’t mean staying by his side for life.

It meant that as a martial artist who had received grace, she would help as much as she could whenever possible.

Jeong Yeon-shin nodded coolly.

“It won’t take long.”

“How surprising and delightful.”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa smiled slightly.

Rustle.

The two moved, walking side by side. The feeling was strange.

The Sword Dragon Wei Ji Myo-hwa was clearly blue-level in Desolate Sect terms.

Providing one-sided assistance to a martial artist with such martial prowess and experience? It was not a common experience.

With a mysterious feeling, they reached the cliff’s edge.

From a distance, the Zhongnan Sword Immortal stood with his hands behind his back, watching them.

His face was surprisingly relaxed compared to the beginning, with a hint of a smile. It had been like that since seeing the Radiant Sword Style.

Hyeon Won-chang even secretly whispered that he might ascend to immortality.

“I’ll explain the oral chant first.”

“What did you just say? oral chant?”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa turned her head sharply.

Jeong Yeon-shin, hit by her flowing hair, patted his face.

Glancing at her embarrassed expression, he slowly opened his mouth.

“It won’t be exactly the same. That part seems to be the Sword Dragon’s responsibility.”

He traced back the manifestation of subtleties understood from the sword path’s traces.

He completely reverse-calculated the true energy operation method. He didn’t specifically discuss it.

He was now a key martial artist of Desolate Sect who received the long robe from CHyeong Myeong.

He knew how to distinguish between what could and couldn’t be said.

‘The Sword Dragon seems trustworthy, but…’

Did she have the talent to steal someone’s martial arts? It wouldn’t be good for rumors to spread.

Even now, Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s tone had become more elevated.

“In the realm of enlightenment, what a talent…!”

Her expression seemed to say, “This seems something like out of this world?”

“So my part is…”

“I’ll tell you the incomplete oral chant, and you’ll refine it closer to completion?”

Was the conclusion difficult? Jeong Yeon-shin asked without hiding his puzzlement.

It would be very easy. It would be on a different dimension from tracing the traces and recalling the oral chant step by step.

As she remained silent, the sun began to set.

* * *

Wei Ji Myo-hwa disappeared for a while after receiving the oral chant.

According to what he heard from the Zhongnan Sword Immortal, she had fallen into inner demons.

Even with a straightforward personality, one cannot be free from the mind.

“She wasn’t a child who boasted about martial arts. But it seems she was shocked by your talent.”

The Zhongnan Sword Immortal looked at Jeong Yeon-shin with a strange gaze.

“Among the martial artists of the same age in Shaanxi, there was no one who could compete with her. This was true even including Mount Hua Sect. In the Central Plains, Shaanxi was incomparable to even a small country, so she considered herself the best martial talent in the world.”

“Best in the world.”

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered as if savoring the words. It was an unfamiliar resonance.

The Zhongnan Sword Immortal slowly nodded.

“Yes. For the first time, she felt her talent was pathetic. After seeing the real thing.”

“It’s meaningless. The Sword Dragon is several levels above me.”

For Jeong Yeon-shin, who was pressed for time, it was hard to understand.

Invisible talent or age cannot substitute the current position.

The Zhongnan Sword Immortal chuckled while shaking his head.

“How much of a fatal mistake has heaven made. To give talent that was sufficient, and even a heart that desires insufficiency. It’s an unfair thing in the world.”

“That’s an embarrassing statement.”

They had become quite close. Someone from the Zhongnan Sect even said it was like looking at a grandchild.

Jeong Yeon-shin also found the Zhongnan Sword Immortal much more comfortable than his maternal grandfather Ma Yeon-jeok.

At that moment.

“Elder Jong, Sir Jeong.”

The moment the voice rang out, she was already before them.

With the mysterious body technique, her jet-black hair fluttered above the sky-blue martial uniform.

“Sword Dragon.”

“You’ve come. I thought you’d overcome it quickly.”

It was Wei Ji Myo-hwa, who had been talking with them. Her white face had become so emaciated it looked pale.

After greeting the Zhongnan Sword Immortal, she clasped fists with Jeong Yeon-shin. Her expression looked very resolute.

“Sir Jeong. Since you’ve obtained the oral chant first, you might be able to demonstrate the sword?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Can you learn the Nine Yang Unified Technique together? The achievement will be faster than training alone.”

“I apologize.”

Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head.

“I don’t have enough time to even refine my own sword technique.”

“Ah…”

Unable to force him, she let out a regretful sigh. He slowly added.

“Since the origin is the same, seeing each other’s swords will be sufficient. You can come beside me when I’m training Radiant Sword Style. Sword Dragon, you can practice the Nine Yang Unified Technique.”

The body technique he learned from CHyeong Myeong was also learned this way.

Jeong Yeon-shin understands the martial arts of the first opponent he meets in real combat.

The custom of forbidding watching others’ martial arts training doesn’t carry much meaning.

But their reactions were different. For the first time, admiration filled Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s eyes.

“…Sir Jeong is a great master.”

“Generosity should be broad to the appropriate extent. The vessel for the world is already complete.”

The Zhongnan Sword Immortal sighed. His expression remained the same, but his goodwill seemed to have intensified.

It seemed like admiration for his demeanor beyond talent.

Deep familiarity was evident on both their faces.

Revealing insights and demonstrating already established martial arts are completely different things.

‘Misunderstandings are accumulating.’

Jeong Yeon-shin put away his thoughts and headed to the training ground behind Sunshimgak.

He felt Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s elegant presence following behind him.

When he looked to the side, she smiled softly and stopped in place.

They drew their swords almost simultaneously.

Swish.

The Desolate Sword revealed under the sun was mysteriously more beautiful than before.

They said swords made by the iron clan grow with their master. Even if it was a standard-issue sword, it seemed the same.

Having grown together with Jeong Yeon-shin’s real battles and achievements, and now capable of holding the Radiant Sword Style, there might be no sword more suited to him in the world.

‘Radiant Light.’

He murmured internally and raised the oral chant. The true energy operation of Radiant Sword Style was completely different from Eternal Blossom Fist.

Unlike Eternal Blossom Fist where all strikes were cut off in a single blow, Radiant Sword Style had a continuous, unbroken flow.

Boom.

He began moving the Desolate Sword with the imagery of sunlight pooling and flowing in waves.

The sword tip, buried with light from the sun overhead, fell to the ground, drawing a circle.

There was no obstruction in wielding the sword.

The light and wind gathered on the blade seemed to transfer to his body. It was an astonishingly familiar feeling.

Radiant Sword Style. This was because he created it himself.

‘I am the master.’

At this moment, he fully realized. He was the father of this martial art.

“Ah.”

An unheard sigh scattered. On the other side, Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s sword stopped.

Standing blankly in place, she captured Jeong Yeon-shin in her eyes.

She had been practicing the Nine Yang Unified Technique alongside him, moving true energy.

Clearly, with her overwhelming experience and knowledge, she had initially taken the lead.

She had even secretly blamed herself as lowly for feeling slightly relieved at Jeong Yeon-shin’s initially rough sword movements.

Yet in an instant, she was caught up in the realm of mastery.

Jeong Yeon-shin was dancing the sword of the sun.

They had learned a new sword simultaneously, but their martial arts achievements were completely different.

It was apparent even with just a glance.

Both the Nine Yang Unified Technique and Radiant Sword Style were rising sword techniques that no one could disparage.

When she swallowed her silence, the Desolate Sword’s speed changed.

Before she knew it, the swift sword technique was melting into Jeong Yeon-shin’s sword method.

Whoosh! Whoooosh!

Between the wave-like light streams of Radiant Sword Style, the Sword Dragon Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s sword slowly descended.

There was indeed a dragon holding the wish-fulfilling jewel. A strange sense of defeat against overwhelming martial talent.

Masters who have deeply cultivated internal energy have a certain gaze.

A radiance that flashes like a beast’s eyes due to true energy.

“What on earth am i…”

Wei Ji Myo-hwa’s eyes, always clear and bright, became blurry. Her focus slowly disappeared.