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One day, while training, the Sword Sovereign spoke to Wi Seol-Ah.

“Seol-Ah, it’s not about how to swing the sword, but rather what you should put into it that you must always ponder.”

Hearing this, Wi Seol-Ah tilted her head, unable to grasp the meaning.

Putting something into the sword? Was it a vessel? What could possibly be put into it?

As a child, she couldn’t understand this at all.

No, it was more accurate to say she didn’t want to understand it.

At that time, she was too impatient to think about anything else.

It wasn’t until she surpassed the Transformation Realm that she began to grasp her grandfather’s intentions.

What kind of sword dance should she perform?

What sword path should she follow?

Where should she channel her strength, and how should she surround her energy?

Before deliberating on such concerns, she needed to consider what to put into the sword.

What thoughts she should hold and with what mindset she should face the sword.

The Heavenly Lord, who taught Wi Seol-Ah, said:

“A martial artist can be divided by realm, but sword mastery cannot be simply categorized by realms.”

“How much of yourself can you put into the sword? That is what truly matters in sword mastery.”

How much of oneself can one put into the sword?

It’s a simple yet profoundly difficult notion.

Wasn’t it called Divine Sword Unity?

The dream of those sword masters to become one with the sword.

It was when she finally began to grasp this that she understood the meaning behind that statement.

But—

“To put myself into the sword….”

What does ‘I’ even mean?

The reason it still felt unreachable was that Wi Seol-Ah did not know what she herself was.

“What am I?”

What on earth could she be?

Wi Seol-Ah pondered this continuously, yet she still didn’t know.

If she thought quietly, would she come to understand someday?

And if she ever gained certainty of who she was, would something change?

Wi Seol-Ah felt a strange fear about that.

“…”

Her closed eyes opened.

As she lifted her heavy eyelids, she first saw her slightly swaying vision.

A few seconds later, Wi Seol-Ah realized she was being held by someone.

Surprisingly, she did not struggle.

Instinctively, she knew who was holding her.

“Are you awake?”

Moving gracefully, Gu Yangcheong spoke to Wi Seol-Ah.

“…Yes.”

Her answer was weak.

Her exhausted body easily slumped down.

In that moment, Wi Seol-Ah asked Gu Yangcheong:

“…Um, did I lose?”

“Yeah, you did.”

She nodded at his blunt reply.

Seeing this, Gu Yangcheong chuckled and asked:

“Are you disappointed?”

Of course, it would be disappointing.

She had lost by the tiniest margin.

“It was really regrettable.”

By a hair’s breadth.

If Wi Seol-Ah had been able to wield one more hidden sword, or could have put just a little more of her heart into that final strike…

The victor would have been Wi Seol-Ah instead of Shin Ryong.

“Hmm.”

Gu Yangcheong swallowed the shallow pain rising within him.

In a hurry, he spread the energy barrier to fend off the shock.

He had blocked it all, yet he had still sustained minor internal injuries.

The injury itself was no issue. It would heal within a day at most.

The problem was—

“I got internally injured.”

The fallout from the clash between the two had penetrated him to that extent.

He felt a strange sense of realization about reaching such a level.

“I can understand Wi Seol-Ah…”

After all, she was someone who had once achieved the title of the best in the world in a previous life, and he knew the strength she exhibited at her prime, so it wasn’t completely shocking.

No matter how much he wished she hadn’t picked up a sword, he was aware this would happen once she did.

However—

“And Shin Ryong, what’s up with that guy?”

What is he really?

With every strike of the Hundred Steps Divine Power, his heart was entangled.

It seemed unintentional, but he was pouring his heart into his movements.

Compared to that, he could easily defeat a Light Wind.

And it wouldn’t take long to capture Yu Tan-Geom either.

“Is that really just a young adult level?”

It was absurd.

Sure, Gu Yangcheong had gained some things through his reincarnation.

But this kid exhibited a superiority that was leagues ahead of what he was in his past life.

“Though he’s weaker than Gui Seung, he’s changed too much since the last life.”

The name of Shin Ryong (神龍).

Just having that was overwhelming.

Furthermore—

“I didn’t sense any aura of the Blood Demon.”

He hadn’t felt anything of the kind he was suspicious about.

He had assumed that Yuseong and the others had gotten to him already, but he didn’t show any signs of it.

“Did I miss it?”

That was possible, but Gu Yangcheong decided against it.

It was truly pure talent and the result of hard work.

Shin Ryong must have risen that far on his own.

If that’s the case…. Really….

“Is this guy a crazy person?”

He was convinced he was a lunatic.

“What the heck has he been doing? Such a weirdo.”

Since he recognized the monk consumed dumplings and was out of his mind long ago.

This guy was certainly beyond imagination.

A bald guy, no less.

A manifestation of talent. A genius sent from the heavens beyond the ages.

Even with all those adjectives, it was hard to picture him reaching that level.

That was—

“He must have literally cut his bones and flesh off.”

To possess talent and dedicate one’s life to training.

That’s the only way one could reach such pure energy at that age.

“From the looks of it, he’s eating a lot of Poison Heavenly Pills too.”

But eating dozens wouldn’t necessarily elevate one’s realm.

There’s a limit to that.

“If that were true, I would have surpassed that long ago.”

Taking Poison Heavenly Pills comparable to the Hundred Steps Divine Power.

Gu Yangcheong casually carried those around for fun.

“…He’s the real deal.”

The real deal among the real deals.

He might possess talent rivaling Wi Seol-Ah.

In the current Central Plains, where fakes ran rampant, he appeared to be one of the few true martial artists.

That’s why he had let it slide.

“I had intended to crash in between and tear it up.”

Seeing the so-called rule-bending in the sect had infuriated him to the point of burning it all down.

As long as Shin Ryong wasn’t a fraud, he had held back.

Moreover, it also served to apologize for disregarding what he understood.

“That wasn’t bad.”

Yellow Elegant Descent.

He had witnessed the profound essence of Shaolin he had not seen in his past life.

Gui Seung had never applied the essence, so he didn’t witness it back then.

“…It seems like this lifetime is quite different.”

Even if he was weaker compared to the Gui Seung from the previous life, Shin Ryong now labeled immense potential.

Gu Yangcheong, who was the furthest from being a martial artist, was gradually gaining enthusiasm just by watching him.

Shin Ryong was an extraordinary presence.

Thus he mused:

“Will he be a hindrance?”

In the plans he had set for himself in the future, would the current Shin Ryong hinder him?

If it would, he would kill him in advance. He thought deeply about that.

“I still can’t tell.”

He didn’t have certainty yet.

It seemed he needed to observe him a bit longer.

“What the heck happened?”

What had gone so wrong that Shin Ryong had changed so drastically?

Was it the dumplings? Was the dumpling the problem?

Then did he not eat dumplings in the last life?

Indeed, a monk eating dumplings had its issues.

“Who was the bastard feeding him?”

He didn’t think Shin Ryong had picked the dumplings on his own. He wanted to see the face of whoever it was.

That person would surely not be normal.

At that moment—

“…That’s disappointing.”

Wi Seol-Ah, still in his arms, spoke up.

What is she talking about? Gu Yangcheong pondered for a moment before recalling.

“Ah, I asked, didn’t I?”

Right, he had asked if she was disappointed.

Of course, she would be disappointed. Wi Seol-Ah would know all too well that she had lost by a sliver.

Since she was the one who participated in the sparring, it was impossible for her not to know. But then—

“Oh… I’m not disappointed about losing the sparring, though.”

He had to raise an eyebrow at Wi Seol-Ah’s words.

“Huh? Then what are you disappointed about?”

“…”

Not being disappointed about losing the sparring? Then what exactly was she disappointed about?

Gu Yangcheong questioned her again, but Wi Seol-Ah remained silent, simply averting her gaze.

“…What’s going on?”

What is it?

He couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t answer after raising his curiosity.

Yet, he didn’t push for a second question.

From a glance, it seemed she wouldn’t respond anyway if he asked.

Her ears, slightly flushed.

He considered touching them but held back, simply offering a light smile.

“Let’s get you treated and then grab some food. Nangong Bi-ah is waiting outside.”

Nangong Bi-ah had been waiting for them outside for quite a while.

“…Yes….”

“Anything you want to eat?”

“I want meat.”

“Okay, let’s eat that then.”

Gu Yangcheong felt relieved inside, as if reassured by her response.

Wi Seol-Ah was the same as always.

That was enough for him.

Two days after the main round, Hanam was overflowing with stories.

Naturally, the stories were about the previous sparring matches.

“This time, the Sword Dragon of Hwasan, you see….”

“Even the Sword King’s sparring was like a painting….”

“There are so many strong people hidden in the Central Plains.”

The tales from day one had completely faded away.

At best, they spoke about when Poison Phoenix smashed Yu Tan-Geom?

Among the accumulating stories, the most vibrant was, of course, already clear.

“They say she’s the youngest Transformation Realm martial artist. What an incredible sparring match it was.”

“She lives up to the name of Shin Ryong.”

“Not only that! I feel that this Shin Ryong might be the most exceptional one in history.”

“I never thought I’d witness such a sparring match in my lifetime…. It felt like a dream.”

Most of the countless tales revolved around Shin Ryong.

How could it not be discussed when it was such a brilliant and intense spectacle?

“Perhaps it’s the reincarnation of Huangbo Bulyeong?”

Huangbo Bulyeong (煌阿佛尊).

One of the heroes of Shaolin who thwarted the Blood Calamity in the past.

Some believed that the current Shin Ryong would become a being comparable to him.

Sure enough, with that caliber of talent, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

With this sparring, Shin Ryong had surely imprinted his presence.

The hope of Shaolin and the strongest of the Five Dragon Triumvirate.

It meant he was recognized as a promising figure to lead the Central Plains moving forward.

Moreover, there were others who appeared in that light as well.

“What about the successor to the Sword Sovereign?”

“That young lady was incredible too! Being the successor to the Sword Sovereign, she was certainly not lacking at all.”

“The elegant sword that dances through the heavens. The martial arts could be that beautiful… I only heard rumors before, yet it was truly a sight.”

“Plus, that young lady’s appearance…”

The Moonlight Sword Dance.

The unique martial arts born from the Sword Sovereign’s inspiration were incredibly renowned.

The characteristic of golden light and a sword path that seems to capture moonlight.

Especially since she used visualization to legitimize the concept of betting in her elegant sword, it drew eyes like no other.

For a woman of tender years to exhibit such martial arts, it was only natural that others would look on in astonishment.

Thanks to that, Wi Seol-Ah subtly acquired a nickname for herself.

“The Sword Moonblade…. She truly looked like the Sword Sovereign had returned.”

“It’s a fitting nickname indeed.”

Sword Moonblade.

It seemed the name was derived from the crescent-shaped sword strike Wi Seol-Ah had showcased at the finale.

Hearing this brought a thought to mind.

“That’s a shame, though. Compared to my previous life, it seems a bit lackluster.”

In her previous life, she was referred to as the Little Sword Sovereign.

Though it was a slightly regretful title, it wasn’t bad.

Gulp.

In a high-end inn.

He took a sip of his tea and savored the flavor while listening to the sounds around him.

He purposely didn’t set up the energy barrier.

He aimed to catch snippets of the conversations between Tang Soyeol and Wi Seol-Ah.

As he absorbed the whispers of gossip, they had casually drifted into his ears.

“The Emei Sect hasn’t made any movements. They seem to be laying low after the last incident.”

Nearby, Cheol Jiseon was continuing his meal, sharing info.

It was a bit late in the evening when they had come to the inn.

The reason for this was none other than to check how stories were circulating among the people.

At this, he shifted his gaze to him.

Simultaneously, he moved and established the energy barrier.

Hoo-oom—

Now, it was time to get into the main topic.

“Did everyone else lurking around completely disappear too?”

“Yeah, at least that’s what I’ve received.”

“How disappointing. I hoped they would be a bit more foolish.”

So, the Fairy of Powder could not be underestimated.

It was understandable, after all, if they had been warned directly.

They would have likely left the position of Sect Leader long ago.

“What else is there?”

“The Huangbo Clan Leader sent word. He’s finished preparations and is ready whenever you are.”

“Good.”

Quick movements make things easier.

He sensed that Huangbo Clan Leader was sharpening his sword.

“Is he so eager to sit in that position?”

The position of Clan Leader of the Four Great Clans was one he had longed for.

He could see the intense ambition of the Huangbo Clan leader shining through.

This wasn’t bad either.

Because it was easy to manipulate someone with such desires.

“Tell him to wait a little longer.”

“Understood.”

Not much time left, at most, it would be within ten days.

As it would be best to use it at the most appropriate time, it was a priority to make him wait for now.

“The most important thing hasn’t been prepared yet.”

It should be about time for some news to arrive, and just as he thought that—

“Oh, and one more thing… The Huangbo Clan has sent another message.”

He perked up at Cheol Jiseon’s words.

He noticed the slight hesitations in his speech once again.

“Speak. It’s fine.”

“……The First Dragon Great Lord has captured a martial artist from the Demonic Sect and is escorting him back.”

Uptight.

Hearing that, Gu Yangcheong stopped lifting his teacup.

“A martial artist from the Demonic Sect who had attacked Wudang…?”

As Cheol Jiseon gradually spoke, he steadied his breath.

“His name is Tang Deok.”

Thud.

He put down the teacup he was holding without drinking a sip.

On that day, Cheol Jiseon’s gaze at him appeared unusual.

What would he ask of me?

Would he ask if I’m fine?

Or would he inquire about how to retrieve him?

In his mind, neither seemed probable.

At least, if it was Cheol Jiseon he knew, he would surely ask this.

-This.

“Yangcheon. Was this your doing…?”

“…”

As Cheol Jiseon’s question arose, Gu Yangcheong slightly smiled.

As expected, he was sharp.

“Correct.”

He instinctively deduced the answer with such clarity.

 

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