Jeong Yeon-shin looked up after gazing down at Hwangbo Myeong-rin’s corpse.

“This one isn’t even resisting.”

Cheong Myeong said. He shrugged and kicked Lazy Flame Dragon’s back of the knee.

Lazy Flame Dragon, who fell to his knees with a thud, looked up at Jeong Yeon-shin with a grin.

“Things have gone wrong. If you came knowing everything, it’s extermination. A blue-ranked warrior? I couldn’t even imagine your true identity.”

From their first meeting, he who chewed opium poppies while drunk was indeed not in his right mind.

He seemed largely unconcerned even though his half-sister’s head had been severed.

Whether it was due to the contempt he suffered as an illegitimate son who became a young master, or simply because he was mad, was unclear.

Solar Divine Meridian.

Was the pain said to shake the meridians beyond imagination? Even at first sight, Lazy Flame Dragon was truly insane.

He seemed to have lived merely by inertia even as the Hwangbo family’s young master.

“What was that sword technique? It was a sword strike I’ve never seen before. What internal energy technique did you learn? Tell me.”

“Your sister just died by my sword moments ago.”

“Those dull ones are none of my concern. They lived in a different world. They probably didn’t even think of me as a sibling? I’m the same. With the family about to fall, there’s no need to mind the elders’ feelings. Gu Gwa, no, Lightning Flash! I want to know all your martial arts!”

Lazy Flame Dragon created a smile with shadowed eyes.

Now it was certain. He had gone completely mad from martial arts and pain.

Jeong Yeon-shin ignored his words while stroking the hilts of the Desolact Sword and Northern Light sword in turn.

The Hwangbo family guard unit was just the preliminary battle. The expedition had just begun. It was a mission to strike one of the Eight Great Families.

‘They said extermination wouldn’t be achieved through short-term decisive battle.’

The Hwangbo family is a massive local prestigious clan. They said it wasn’t just one main house in Jinan, Shandong Province.

They said they could secretly exploit the people while ruling Jinan like royalty because they had branch families and branch offices.

They couldn’t be judged by one guard unit. They said it was an organization equipped with an elder council and elite masters.

He heard all the Eight Great Families and Nine Sects were like that. They were strong enemies equipped with various martial arts. Enough to please Jeong Yeon-shin.

‘A sword technique to deflect thunderclap bombs, an internal energy technique for quick energy accumulation, sword techniques effective in one against many…’

The sword techniques had already established their system as martial arts. Only combat adaptation remained.

In the midst of chaos, Jeong Yeon-shin slightly closed his eyes.

He hoped he could complete both the sword technique to counter thunderclap bombs and the new internal energy technique in one mission.

* * *

“Your efforts were great.”

“Thanks to you, we can accomplish a long-standing mission.”

The senior masters ruffled the heads of Jeong Yeon-shin, Hyeon Won-chang, and Shin So-bin.

While Shin So-bin made a face of disgust, Jeong Yeon-shin asked Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo about what had happened.

This was after Baek Mi-ryeo had already grabbed both his shoulders once to check his injuries.

“For us, well, we were just terrified when we heard about the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering incident. Who knew they would use thunderclap bombs like that? We really ran here with lightness techniques until our feet sweated.”

“At the blue rank, one should be able to handle explosive bombs. I’ll teach you how to utilize the Radiant Demon technique.”

Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo said.

Even if Desolate Sect had no master-disciple bonds, human relationships were different.

Jeong Yeon-shin felt Radiant Demon Wing as a complete Sect. Starting with Cheong Myeong’s grinning face.

The same was true for Baek Mi-ryeo, who looked at him after demonstrating a palm technique that gently drew circles in the air.

“This is the Harmony Realm technique. From the very character, it’s different from the Force Realm Technique that releases true energy forcefully. You’ve heard the saying ‘softness can control hardness’? If you surround your sword or fist palm with an internal energy barrier, you can even send back explosive bombs. I’ll show you many times, so feel free to ask until you master it.”

“I thought of that.”

“Oh?”

“I’m curious about several application uses, but I think I understand those too, so I’d like you to check them.”

“……”

Meanwhile, the surroundings were noisy. The dantians of those who surrendered without dying among the Hwangbo family guard unit members were being destroyed.

The dantian was an organ that affected the entire body’s meridians and channels. It couldn’t end with just dispersing internal energy.

“Keu, keuk!”

“Heoeok!”

Many were rolling on the ground, but no one paid attention.

They were ones who surrendered without fighting alongside their comrades to the death. The gazes upon them couldn’t be kind.

Several, including Cheong Myeong and Baek Mi-ryeo, were excluded from the menial tasks. They said it was because they had been scouts.

The same was true for Jeong Yeon-shin, Hyeon Won-chang, and Shin So-bin. Their martial world activities from the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering until now were officially recognized as merit.

“Not just anyone can destroy the dantian. A blue-ranked master with deep internal cultivation must do it. It’s quite a troublesome task. Since they’re prisoners once captured, we can’t kill them. During battle it’s at our discretion, but afterward we hand them over to the government office. We follow the imperial court’s judgment.”

Cheong Myeong said. Jeong Yeon-shin and Hyeon Won-chang slowly nodded.

Desolate Sect was a sect with clear hierarchical order.

The white-ranked warriors who arrived late took charge of handling the surviving enemies.

Even post-battle tasks weren’t easy, like gathering corpses, checking identification tags for identity confirmation, and temporary burial.

Meanwhile, rising talents from other families gathered together with sealed lips.

Their eyes, glancing at Radiant Demon Wingincluding Jeong Yeon-shin, held no spirit light.

Their faces were like Domineering Sword Hwangbo Jun who ultimately died by Radiant Demon Wing Leader’s hand. Their complexions weren’t good.

“I’m newly envious. It feels like yesterday we took the Desolate Sect examination together, but now Sir Jeong is my superior.”

Hyeon Won-chang shook his head while looking at the corpses. If he hadn’t completed missions earlier, he might have had to handle this.

Jeong Yeon-shin stared at him blankly before speaking.

“May I say something as a blue-rank?”

“Hmm?”

“This tearing. Sir Hyeon doesn’t need to do it for me. I’ve been quiet thinking you might feel awkward, but it’s rather embarrassing. I’ll do it myself.”

Jeong Yeon-shin said while patting below his shoulder. It was where the character ‘Hwang’ was engraved.

Simultaneously, Hyeon Won-chang’s face noticeably deflated.

“When it’s one of my few life’s pleasures… must you take everything?”

“What…”

They were given leisure to chat. It was a rarely enjoyable time.

Around when the dry plain entering spring was heated by the noon sun, handling Lazy Flame Dragon and the second young master became an issue.

“I believe killing them is right.”

Cheong Myeong said with a slight smile. Perhaps because he was from an elf clan said to be dignified anywhere in the Central Plains.

He showed not the slightest hesitation even before three Squad Leaders. Jeong Yeon-shin thought it was like him.

“Won’t they be future trouble? Since they’ve seen the martial arts of three Desolate Sect military forces in their eyes, if we carelessly take them prisoner and they escape, it could become a headache. Counter techniques might even emerge.”

“There’s a point.”

The swordsman with a grave expression nodded. It was the Azure Sky Squad Leader.

He was said to have been born destined to become a sword master thanks to his tall height and long arms.

That’s when it happened.

“Radiant Demon Wing!”

Lazy Flame Dragon raised his head and shouted.

His glistening eyes stared only at Jeong Yeon-shin on one side.

“I want to join Radiant Demon Wing! I’ll serve with all my might! I’ll grovel like a dog, just let me stay by the Lightning Flash’s side!”

“What nonsense?”

Hyeon Won-chang muttered as if dumbfounded.

There was no way it would be accepted. Whether he was illegitimate or whatever, he was still blood of a family about to be exterminated.

The Ming imperial court never left future troubles. Desolate Sect was the same.

A sect transcending orthodox and evil sects. They only cared about the people’s livelihood.

“You are a prisoner.”

In that moment, powerful formless energy burst from the Annihilation Team Leader’s index finger.

Lazy Flame Dragon’s upper body shook as if hit by a typhoon. Finger Wind. It was a technique that locally expelled palm wind through true energy.

“Seven Steps Life-Losing Acupoint Sealing… It’s the Annihilation Team Leader’s unique martial art!”

Hyeon Won-chang beside him whispered. Jeong Yeon-shin was always amazed by his martial world knowledge.

He had no way of knowing how he knew martial arts he’d never seen.

The Annihilation Team Leader spoke.

“Solar Divine Meridian. I know your true energy is like having learned the Scorching Yang Divine Technique. My original true energy carries wood energy like elf clans. You must have heard the principle of wood generating fire. Your inner power isn’t as refined as the true energy that just entered.”

“So you’re saying if I raise my energy, it will only strengthen your true energy, so don’t try to unseal carelessly. I’ve well heard of the esteemed Annihilation Team Leader’s Seven Steps Life-Losing Pressure Point Sealing. If one acts rashly, the entire body’s channels twist and one dies before taking seven steps. In my case, I’d burn to death.”

Lazy Flame Dragon replied with a grin. Wood generating fire was the Five Elements principle that wood energy strongly nurtures fire.

If he could control the Solar Divine Meridian’s energy, it would have rather become nourishment.

It wasn’t so. Because he couldn’t control the Scorching yang power, he had a constitution destined for early death, and if wood energy further strengthened this uncontrollable power, it would only be fatal.

“You know well. Now be quiet. Your opinion is useless.”

“Haha, well.”

When Lazy Flame Dragon, who had briefly lowered his head, raised his neck straight again, the bloodshot whites filling his eyes didn’t look human.

“You turtle-like b*st*rd! Burn to death? Die by burning? I’m really sick of heat! Now you’re just some damn person! Like the Solar Divine Meridian! It’s just a minor meridian, you skeleton b*st*rd!”

Simultaneously, Jeong Yeon-shin moved unexpectedly and struck the back of his head. The momentary sensation of abundant hair touching his instep felt unpleasant. He pushed with footwork carrying true energy.

THUD!

He looked down at him who had fainted with his forehead hitting the ground. He thought it was better than instant death from the Squad Leader’s technique.

“Why aren’t you destroying this one’s dantian?”

He asked, looking around at the three Squad Leaders. It wasn’t what he hoped for. He was just curious.

Ma Jin, his body soaked in blood, placed his hand on Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder.

“Actually, the treatment of that Lazy Flame Dragon has been decided. The Sect Lord commanded it. She said to bring him alive if he’s living. She said keeping his inner power intact is important. It’s the Solar Divine Meridian that’s said to be rare in the world. Perhaps she has something to study martially.”

In that moment, Jeong Yeon-shin felt a strange intuition. Was it upper dantian precognition?

He had an intuition that the Desolate Sect Lord’s order was related to him.

‘Then it must be good.’

He thought unconsciously.

While she was strict about the World Tree fruit, she was clearly wrapping Jeong Yeon-shin in goodwill.

There was no reason for the peerless master said to be closest to world’s strongest to treat Jeong Yeon-shin with pretense.

SWISH!

While he was lost in thought, the second young master’s head fell. The Azure Sky Squad Leader had cut down him who was kneeling in terror.

“We can’t let more than one direct line survive.”

The Annihilation Team Leader said.

He was the one who had first met and picked a fight with Jeong Yeon-shin near Huizhou.

It was strange to see the head of that so dignified and arrogant young master lying with eyes wide open.

Do most martial artists’ lives end so futilely in the end?

The martial world was a world of survival of the fittest. If the one encountered was stronger, one had to helplessly offer their neck.

‘To correct the disorder of people’s lives, rather following the martial world’s ways…’

Jeong Yeon-shin newly realized Desolate Sect’s paradoxical role.

While thinking it was unavoidable, he hoped there wouldn’t be missions that conflicted with his heart.

* * *

Time passed in place.

It was around when clouds caught in sunlight moved to the distance.

The moment white-ranked warriors finished cleaning up the battlefield, the Annihilation Team Leader gathered Radiant Demon Wing and the Azure Sky Squad and Annihilation Team forces.

The atmosphere was free-spirited. Jeong Yeon-shin sat down heavily with Hyeon Won-chang and looked at the Annihilation Team Leader.

“We’ll repel the branch families first.”

The Annihilation Team Leader quietly continued speaking.

“A martial arts family’s power isn’t all martial might. Martial world connections are also powerful. We must preemptively annihilate their contacts who could bring in other sects. The main force will enter the Hwangbo main house after that.”

“Wouldn’t blocking Jinan be enough, how will we organize the personnel?”

Ma Jin asked. He seemed to treat the Annihilation Team Leader as a senior.

“There are nine Hwangbo branch families where the family’s martial arts have branched. One in each county of Jinan. The branch families’ martial might has already been investigated. We’ll exclude white ranks. We’ll distribute the blue ranks.”

“Understood.”

Meanwhile, Jeong Yeon-shin observed the faces of other Desolate Sect masters including the Annihilation Team Leader.

What he was about to do now was something that required reading the room. It could likely be seen as an attempt to monopolize merit.

‘Though that’s actually true.’

Only Radiant Demon Wing saw him in a purely positive light.

Still, it had to be done. The Central Plains were terribly vast. Many missions required watching dozens of sunsets.

He needed to accumulate as much merit as possible.

He planned to immediately overturn any reputation damage from this moment with martial arts.

In the hall where the Great Masters’ heavy spirit seemed to press down even on the blue ranks.

“I wish to volunteer for a solo mission.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who finally raised his hand, spoke calmly.

The surroundings instantly went quiet. Even Desolate Sect’s masters were human.

They said there were those who privately sought merit.

However, Lightning Flash Jeong Yeon-shin was a young master who had just become blue-ranked. It could easily be seen as reckless behavior.

The Annihilation Team Leader stared at him and asked back.

“You want a solo mission?”

“It’s to hone the wide-area martial art I recently acquired in actual combat. I will certainly succeed in the mission. I promise to give up if I cannot gain the recognition of the seniors here.”

“You.”

True energy carried in the Annihilation Team Leader’s voice.

“This mission is crucial. We’re dealing with one of the Eight Great Families. Do you know why I’m even listening to your words now? It’s because you’ve risen to blue rank. That’s all.”

The waves flowing from his voice felt almost visible, and even the stone fragments rolling across the plain began to bounce slightly as if reacting to his internal energy.

Yet the hem of the Annihilation Team Leader’s black robe didn’t move at all. It was power control that had reached divine skill.

“Lightning Flash. I thought well of you. It’s a world where martial artists who can add wit to prodigious talent are rare. I saw the capacity of a Squad Leader in you, yet you disappoint me like this.”

Even Ma Jin dared not interrupt at this moment. He only made an expression as if asking why he hadn’t given advance notice.

Jeong Yeon-shin was rather fine with it. The Annihilation Team Leader had mentioned blue rank.

It was a sign of respect. There was a chance to prove himself.

It was different from when he contemplated facing the Domineering Sword.

He could immediately prove his ability to handle multiple enemies.

It was the martial art that had led to his ill-fated encounter with the Hwangbo siblings on Huizhou’s main road.

“I apologize.”

As he stood up and made a cupped fist salute, the masters formed a circular space.

Their expressions varied. Concern, interest, and displeasure seemed to fill his vision together.

‘It’ll be fine.’

He repeated inwardly to reassure himself.

They said there were no masters above blue rank who weren’t obsessed with martial arts.

He didn’t hope for amazement. He hadn’t heard of anyone creating sound techniques with a sword.

Perhaps they would acknowledge it with one demonstration.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly gripped the sword hilt. Not the Desolate sword but the Northern Light sword. Its material was excellent and suitable for sound techniques.

SWISH.

It was a plain entering noon. Dry radiance gathered on the drawn sword.

It was the moment of demonstrating his new unique martial art before the masters of Desolate Sect’s three military forces.

“Please protect your ears with internal energy.”

Jeong Yeon-shin spoke respectfully and raised his inner power following the sword technique’s chant.

He split the rising true energy in two. It was the Lesser Palace point and Labor Palace point among the three meridian points gathered in the center of his palm.

He applied power simultaneously. A chilling light brushed the Northern Light sword.

WHIIISH!

It was the moment when a wave like a bird’s cry spread inside the long blade.

About ten white-ranked warriors around fainted and collapsed in all directions.