At around the same time in the Premora Province, there was a simple villa in the mountains. The spring air swept through, bringing a fresh scent of blooming flowers and grass. There was a modest garden in front which was clearly tended to daily. There was not a single weed or leaf on the grass! It was practically spotless. This place was off the beaten path and it required a decent trek to reach. Without a guide, it would be nearly impossible to find. It was exceptionally well hidden! Due to its seclusion, almost nobody knew of its existence. And yet, the sound of battle was heard echoing throughout the forest.
Boom! With a single downward strike, a massive bear slammed its paw into the ground. The behemoth of a creature created a shockwave as it landed, slamming the dirt and leaves into the air. It instantly left an imprint on the hard ground as the beast roared out angrily. Being more than two men tall, it could likely crush a man to death with its sheer weight. If its huge claws landed on anyone, they could shred them apart! Even a man wearing full plate armor might suffer the same fate! To hunt this bear successfully might require the combined force of twenty to thirty men wielding crossbows. Yet, the same bear was drenched in blood and cuts from two men!
The older gentleman twirled his sword elegantly, reminiscent of a cloud and entered the bear's blind spot with ease. Do not be misled. It was not as easy as it looked! This bear might be an animal, but it possessed the same level of awareness as a Half-Perception Realm! Combined with its earthshattering might, it could defeat Royal Guards! However, the bear could not do anything against the man behind it. It twisted and turned yet the swordsman was like an itch, constantly hounding the bear's back. A flick of the sword later, and the beast received another enormous cut. The bear howled!
The younger swordsman did not idle about. He appeared like a hawk, diving down at the crucial moment the howl was heard. His sword sliced through the wind like a waterfall with nearly perfect precision. Sword light filled the space and descended on the bear's head! Every strike compounded on top of one another, increasing its killing potential to another level! If Cardinal Hui Wai-Wing was present, then he would be shocked. Cardinal Hui was the Leader of the Four Cardinals and reached Perception Realm Master. He spent many years honing his craft in archery, culminating in the martial technique, Simultaneous Strike. It took Cardinal Hui a long time to fully master this technique.
However, this young swordsman could perform the cardinal's secret technique and he could actually execute it better! Remember, Cardinal Hui was one of the strongest warriors in the Xingyuu Empire. That meant that this swordsman's combat capability had to be in the Perception Realm as well! Moreover, it could not be low. It had to be on the Royal Guard level! For two individuals, possessing the strength they did, to seclude themselves in the mountainside hunting beasts, was there a special reason? Once the sword strikes landed, the bear's head was diced off. It could not withstand the power of this martial technique! Without even struggling, the beast collapsed and died pitifully.
Sheathing his sword, the older gentleman came up and nodded in satisfaction. "Your mastery over Martial Energy is improving by the day. Your execution of the technique is approaching perfection."
The young man snorted and flicked his sword, sending the blood flying off the blade. "Still, it isn't enough for our master's standards, is it? Do you think you'll reach Instinct Realm before he chooses a successor?"
The older man's smile froze. "How could anyone reach Instinct Realm so easily? In fact, I haven't even touched on Half-Instinct Realm yet."
Going by his words, it meant that this old man was a Perception Realm Master! One had to know that the number of Perception Realm Masters in the world were a small handful, and each of them stood near the apex of power. For example, Sir Winstin, Lady Valentina, Sir Sebastian… Practically everyone had heard of their might! Even Inari and his partner, this grim reaper duo who took the underground world of Firecast by storm, made the Third Shadow quiver in fear. Every single one of them could be considered a living legend! And to think this random swordsman ranked among them as well, it was ridiculous!
But the younger man's accomplishments were more shocking! What was Martial Energy? Almost nobody had heard of this concept before and the same went for the premier warriors like the three strongest knights. This mysterious term would seem like nonsense to most, but it was actually not! How did the Sword King Sin Quelldown annihilate the First Hand? His achievement of Instinct Realm and formidable Cloud Sea Style was responsible for most, yet not all. The last star was his command over Martial Energy! Using Martial Energy, the Sword King could control his strike to fly, split into thirty blades, and kill everyone! Without energy, it would be impossible to replicate the feat. It was the glue that made his attacks so powerful.
Their ears twitched simultaneously, and they glanced in the same direction. Although they saw nothing, they could hear a commotion approaching from afar. They sensed a single horse with two riders. The strength of a Perception Realm was hard to imagine, especially if they managed to grasp Martial Energy! The two swordsmen exchanged a look and sprinted back home, hands on their swords. When they arrived though, they found two half-dead people saddled on a malnourished horse.
One of them raised their head and revealed a bloodied face. Surprisingly, it was Sword King Sin Quelldown! After facing the Lannisail explosion head-on, although he survived, it was only by the skin of his teeth. He then forwent healing his injuries and focused on escaping the capital city as fast as possible. Stealing a horse, he rode here while stabilizing his wounds and Benedict's. However, the man used too much energy withstanding the explosion. He might be an Instinct Realm, but that was at the earliest stages. His reserve of Martial Energy was nowhere near enough, especially against an attack originating from a peak Rank 3 Lord Wenmord! Both the Sword King and Benedict were in a truly pathetic state, one step from death!
"Master!" the two swordsmen cried in fright. This was the first time they saw him in such a poor state. After all, this was the Sword King they were talking about. He was likely to be the only Instinct Realm warrior in the last hundred years! In their minds, he was synonymous with invincible!
The Sword King coughed weakly. "Gather our belongings and prepare to move out. The Whispering Shadow has fallen out with us!"
The two turned solemn and replied with a nod. Within half an hour, they scrounged up supplies and money. Due to the Sword King's sensitive identity as the captain of the First Hand, he arranged many backup plans in case he was exposed. He might not fear the three strongest knights, but he did fear the Alzar Kingdom. Remember, he was one man! Instinct Realm or not, unless he touched on the same level of Drifting Snow Serenity Emperor, there was no way he could resist. That was a civilization of over ten million citizens! Just one percent was enough to drown him! Although his current opponent was the Whispering Shadow, he was too weak to repel them. Thus, the four departed after setting fire to their villa. As the towering inferno destroyed every trace of their existence, they expertly covered their tracks and disappeared.