“The Lord of the Fortress?”

“It’s been a long time since we last saw him. Even before the contest was announced.”

It was at the honored seat in the central training arena of Ipwang Fortress. The Elder Council Leader and the former Sword Corps Captain were conversing.

A dignified elderly man clad in a violet robe chuckled. He was the Elder Council Leader of Ipwang Fortress.

Stroking his long white beard, he exuded a presence no less imposing than Mar Yeon-jeok himself.

The Elder Council Leader spoke.

“Long? It’s only been seven weeks. Focus on your household instead. I heard there was quite a commotion.”

“I’ve just returned after expressing my anger. Before being a member of the imperial family, they are my kin. How dare they act recklessly…”

Mar Yeon-jeok muttered with a terrifying expression.

He had just upended the Ipwang Ma Clan’s annex. Ju Yeon-jeong, Ma Se-in’s biological mother, had come into contact with Seomye (Jeong Yeon-shin).

It was something that could have gone unnoticed had it not been for the commotion caused by Ma Gwang-ik’s warriors.

“Isn’t she your niece-in-law? You can’t say she was acting recklessly without reason.”

“I was greatly disappointed. I thought I could solidify the Ma Clan’s future with Se-in.”

“How could anyone stay calm when their child’s succession rights are in jeopardy? Even more so if it’s due to an outsider.”

“An outsider? So you’re jealous. Saying that even after seeing him in person? If you’re serious, you’d better pick out a burial plot for your eyes.”

Mar Yeon-jeok gestured below.

At the center of the training arena, Seomye—Jeong Yeon-shin—had just claimed victory in the decisive round of the contest.

The boy, clad in a blue long coat, was calmly sheathing his sword.

His movements showed no hesitation, and his serene expression stood out vividly.

He had defeated a White Rank expert of near-Blue Rank with ease. This meant he was strong enough to be considered a member of an elite orthodox faction.

It was said he was sixteen. A feat hard for anyone to believe.

“The Namgung Clan’s Twin Qilins of Purity and Brightness (Cheongbaek Ssang Girin) made their names even younger than that boy.”

The Elder Council Leader spoke with a smile.

“The legitimate heir, the Azure Qilin, wields the Emperor’s Sword, and the illegitimate White Qilin uses the Infinite Sky Sword. Together, they are said to be an invincible combination. Do you think a mere boy like Seomye, raised in such poverty, could possibly catch up? Children raised with spirit medicines are different from the root. Giving high-grade elixirs to him now won’t bridge the gap.”

“…”

“Of course, Seomye is exceptional. I’ve heard of his Demonslaying martial arts and his destructive sound technique that eliminates the weak. However, it will not work against true masters.”

“The White Qilin’s growth is indeed remarkable. He seems to have absorbed the spirit medicine’s essence like it was second nature.”

“I’ve been watching him closely, and his progress has been extraordinary. I heard they even captured the Grand Flame Dragon in the dungeon. Even that creature won’t dare dismiss him now. He possesses heaven-given martial talent. Even without perfect meridians, his aptitude is unmatched. But Seomye is a different case.”

The Elder Council Leader pointed at both Seomye and the White Qilin as he continued.

“Look at their faces. Though he’s an illegitimate child, the White Qilin grew up well. He has a natural smile at the corners of his lips. Doesn’t that look pleasing? So natural. But what about Seomye? He looks as if he was beaten while growing up. Look at that cold gaze of his. Doesn’t he look like someone born to kill?”

“…”

“No one can beat someone who smiles. Add natural talent and a perfect childhood, and nothing could be better. The White Qilin has it all. If his older brother weren’t around, he might have become the Namgung Clan’s leader. As for Seomye, I’m not sure…”

“Already…”

Mar Yeon-jeok finally spoke again.

“He might already be able to stand alongside the White Qilin. Yeon-shin, that child was born with unprecedented instincts. Martial arts forged by a Grand Master fit him like a second skin. I cannot fathom how much more he will grow.”

The Elder Council Leader clicked his tongue dramatically.

“A face can always be molded. Perhaps I’ll adopt him as my own. Or… I do have a particularly talented granddaughter.”

“Let him step over my sword first.”

“Then I’ll just bring in the White Qilin. But if you’re so resolute, why haven’t you taken Seomye in yet? It seems like you haven’t even made a proper offer of wealth.”

“…”

“I can guess why. You’re afraid, aren’t you? You fear angering the grandson you abandoned. Or perhaps the Lord of the Fortress himself scolded you? You would’ve acted long ago otherwise.”

The Elder Council Leader grinned widely.

“…”

“It’s both, isn’t it? How pitiful your karma is!”

Mar Yeon-jeok remained silent.

Seeing his tight-lipped expression, the Elder Council Leader’s grin deepened.

“Do you remember when you commanded the world as the Sword Corps Captain? The day you destroyed the remnants of the Demonic Cult and planted the banner on Mount Tian? You were so strong then. There were few in the world who could rival you. But look at you now, so pitiful and faded.”

“The Ma Clan’s martial arts have always been far from orthodox cultivation.”

The Elder Council Leader’s eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected an answer.

“You’ve changed a little.”

He wasn’t wrong. Mar Yeon-jeok hadn’t been someone to speak this way before.

The brilliance of his belatedly recognized grandson was blinding.

He had sent people—masters of the family as messengers—to observe Seomye.

He hadn’t dared intervene directly. Going against the Lord of Ipwang Fortress was almost like defying heaven.

Thus, he had been unable to respond when the Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult kidnapped him. It was absurd.

The Namgung Clan had merely stood by, and Mar Yeon-jeok had been furious at himself for not sending supreme masters. But it had been too late to fix things afterward.

Only after the Lord of the Fortress personally intervened did Mar Yeon-jeok feel relieved. The raw reports of his grandson’s deeds sent chills down his spine.

He was running. Always running.

It was as if the boy had dedicated himself entirely to martial arts, his feats evoking awe and a sense of immense heroism.

Whenever Mar Yeon-jeok thought of his grandson, the years he spent as the Sword Corps Captain began to rewind.

It was a feeling he could hardly define.

He muttered.

“You called it ruin. It was inevitable. What is built quickly collapses just as fast. My prime didn’t last long. The old masters of the orthodox sects are enviable. I’ve thought that for a long time.”

Mar Yeon-jeok gazed down at his grandson. The match between Seomye and the White Qilin was now imminent.

He whispered.

“Yeon-shin will become the true sword. The Ma Clan’s martial arts don’t suit him. I’ll have to think of another way. If he is to face the Namgung Clan—orthodox sect’s strongest—someday…”

The combination of Mara’s Roaring Blood Technique and Purifying Azure Subjugation Energy.

It was a method Jeong Yeon-shin had refined into a form of martial skill while staying in the main base of the Bloodflame Cult for a long time.

At this moment, all he focused on was precision and power. The sensation brought about by the opposing flows of internal energy was unique.

‘It’s cold.’

The outstretched left hand tingled, as if submerged in ice water. The energy coursing through his wrist and passing the Neiguan Point was fierce.

While irregular ripples of blood energy surged forth, the Purifying Azure Subjugation Energy encasing his left hand shone with a dazzling brilliance, as if to pierce through the chaos.

The azure glow pulsed like a heartbeat.

The moment the azure light surrounding his left hand surged violently, an explosion roared.

Boom!

A shockwave erupted midair. The compressed air instantly pushed downward, scattering dust at his feet.

With a heavy rebound, Namgung Hwa-shin’s body was flung back. Even Jeong Yeon-shin was pushed slightly backward by the force.

‘I’ll need to refine this further.’

The power was undeniable. Even though the strike didn’t land directly, a master like the White Qilin had retreated seven steps.

Yet, the problem was equally clear. The precision was lacking.

It was a reckless deployment of internal energy. If it couldn’t even deliver a decisive blow, then it was meaningless.

This was a challenge he needed to solve before heading to the Namgung Clan.

For now, it was fine. The opponent was clearly shaken.

The moment Namgung Hwa-shin regained his balance from the unfamiliar martial art’s impact, that fleeting gap entered Jeong Yeon-shin’s awareness.

Thud!

He stepped forward. It was True Step. He had already triggered his focus at the lower Danjun. Energy burst forth from the Yongcheon Point under his foot.

Whoosh!

As the wind brushed past his ears, Namgung Hwa-shin loomed larger in his vision.

He had closed a distance of five steps with a single stride. Energy surged from his hand as he drew the Ipwang Sword.

‘Lightburst Sword Style.’

The remnants of the Zhongnan Sect’s swordsmanship had transformed into his unique martial art.

Within the blurring radiance, he twisted his arm, and the Ipwang Sword charged forward. It was a straight, horizontal slash.

Clang!

It collided with a sharp flash of white light. A clean wave of energy blew past. Was this the Infinite Sky Sword Technique of the Namgung Clan?

Their gazes locked as their swords clashed. Namgung Hwa-shin’s eyes reflected Jeong Yeon-shin’s face, with a pale gleam flickering in his pupils.

He seemed completely immersed.

Kkugh.

Namgung Hwa-shin’s sword force grew stronger, pressing with deep internal energy.

It was the moment when the Qi of the White Qilin turned into overpowering force. He overwhelmed opponents with sheer strength.

Jeong Yeon-shin’s arm holding the Ipwang Sword trembled slightly.

He recalled the Spirit Elixirs he had been rewarded with. He had deliberately avoided consuming them.

He had encountered countless opponents who were nourished with miraculous medicines from birth. Jeong Yeon-shin had been born into a third-rate martial family.

It was inevitable he would face situations where his strength fell short. Complaining about a lack of internal energy every time would be foolish.

It was his idiosyncrasy, even if others called it obstinate. He sought to overcome it with experience and instinct.

“Hup!”

Twisting his waist, he channeled energy into the oblique abdominal muscles.

The internal energy collected at the Zhishi Point supporting his spine erupted fiercely.

Crack!

With his robe fluttering violently, he spun deliberately, letting himself lose in the power struggle.

The rotational force from his spot carried into his left fist. Following Lightburst Sword Style was Ultimate Polar Flower Fist.

The spiral wave surged upward, sweeping the ground before colliding into Namgung Hwa-shin. The wind gathered at his side, rattling his blue robe.

A sharp thud echoed. Namgung Hwa-shin spun violently as Jeong Yeon-shin brushed past him.

It was the seamless flow of Clear Stream Movement.

His blue robe, caught in the swirling shockwave, spread out again in an instant.

‘He reacted the moment he felt the spiral flow.’

Jeong Yeon-shin noticed it when the robe brushed his fist. It was shallow. He hadn’t struck the internal organs.

And there was more. The gleaming sword light that flashed when they crossed paths grazed his thigh.

A slight sting lingered. They had exchanged a full strike.

Tap.

Namgung Hwa-shin had observed his unique martial art earlier and developed a counter.

Not waiting for the opponent’s attack, Jeong Yeon-shin stepped forward.

Namgung Hwa-shin responded in kind. Raising his sword overhead into a high stance, he executed a grand, sweeping sword technique.

A fully developed martial art of the Namgung Clan was majestic yet spectacular.

The Infinite Sky Sword Technique’s radiating force surged toward Jeong Yeon-shin, resembling a net covering the sky.

Whoooong!

Countless formless waves of energy emerged with a single slash. This was likely Sword Energy, a technique Jeong Yeon-shin had heard about.

‘Avoid and sever.’

He employed Circular Step. It reminded him of the Hwasan Sect’s Jasodan Incident, where he had developed the movement technique to pass the trial.

He focused on the trajectory of the sword energy and the ripples of the force. His Baihui Point warmed slightly.

The footsteps necessary to navigate through the net of sword energy burned into his mind as a clear radiance.

He stepped exactly where he envisioned.

Step.

The moment his foot landed, the sharp waves of sword force sliced through his shoulder robe and fell away.

It was a moment of rapid exchanges.

Namgung Hwa-shin anticipated Jeong Yeon-shin’s movements and adjusted his energy flow, but Jeong Yeon-shin foresaw this and altered his technique mid-step.

Step.

The boy pressed forward without hesitation. Ripples of energy spread from beneath his feet.

With Circular Step: Two Wings, Jeong Yeon-shin pushed back the surging force of the Infinite Sky Sword.

They were now closer again. Jeong Yeon-shin broke through the momentum.

Whoom!

Following the Lightburst Sword Style, Jeong Yeon-shin raised the Ipwang Sword. Namgung Hwa-shin prepared his counterattack.

The descending sword stroke was picturesque.

The moment the two swords clashed, internal energy erupted.

Clang─!

The heavy recoil numbed Jeong Yeon-shin’s grip, burning up his sense of touch. He suppressed a groan.

He could not stop. The gap between them was close. This left no room for anything but a slugfest.

The clashes and collisions repeated endlessly.

Clang! Clang! Boom!

Lightburst Sword Style, Circular Step, Ultimate Polar Flower Fist – Spiral, Stonewall, Flameflow.

Jeong Yeon-shin unleashed all the martial arts he had created and refined.

He treated this moment as another stage for honing his techniques. It was more training.

Even when blood splattered and his wounds deepened, he continued.

When Namgung Hwa-shin countered his unique martial art with terrifying precision, Jeong Yeon-shin altered his moves on the spot and retaliated.

“…”

The audience gradually fell silent.

It was a duel of genius against genius. A clash of martial brilliance.

The unrelenting exchange of strikes shone with extraordinary potential.

The once rowdy crowd grew quieter and quieter.

“…Truly astounding.”

Someone finally whispered. Others murmured in agreement.

“Martial arts I’ve never seen before are unfolding endlessly, yet they are on par with the ancient techniques of the Eight Great Families.”

“Even the White Qilin’s mastery is remarkable. How can one wield such power so effortlessly?”

“I heard Ma Gwang-ik’s Seomye is already being called a grandmaster. He crafts his own martial arts.”

“To counter the Namgung Clan’s sacred techniques with unique skills? Isn’t he lacking in internal energy? Famous martial arts grow stronger with time…”

Jeong Yeon-shin heard none of it.

He, too, was immersed. Trading instincts, strategies, and martial techniques with Namgung Hwa-shin.

It was a realm of brilliance, where the light of talent collided and soared higher. He wished it would last forever.

He felt his self-made martial arts seep into every fiber of his body.

Whoosh!

The wind that wrapped around his outstretched hand felt warm.

The Stonewall Wave of Ultimate Polar Flower Fist split Namgung Hwa-shin’s sword force at the end of Circular Step.

His skill had become endlessly precise.

It was intensely enjoyable. The feeling of talent sharpening talent was intoxicating.

He felt as if something within him had awakened again. The anxiety that had lingered as the seven days of the full moon drew near melted away.

He thought absentmindedly of the Spirit Elixirs. He would soon meet the Sovereign of Ipwang.

And then.

The boy began to smile.