Jung Yeonshin gazed silently at the young master of the Hwangbo clan before turning his head.
The reaction of Hwangbo Myeong-rin, who was grabbed by the collar at the back of her neck with Yeonshin's right hand, was amusing.
At first, she looked bewildered, as if experiencing something impossible in her life.
Perhaps it was because Yeonshin had lifted her without emitting any killing intent. Her awareness came late.
"You… you bastard…!"
Energy emanated from Hwangbo Myeong-rin's right hand. Despite being less skilled than the one who was knocked down, she had mastered reputable martial arts.
She was a martial artist from a noble family, and the refined flow of her energy made it clear.
As the genuine energy of the Jung Clan's Movement Arts coursed through him, Yeonshin immediately struck out.
Thud!
White powder smudged Yeonshin's hand as it struck Myeong-rin's face, but he paid no mind.
Once, twice, thrice more—he struck again. At that moment, he perfectly mimicked a martial artist trained in life-and-death battles.
"Huff!"
His shallow breath carried a focused internal technique, causing a slight shockwave.
Infused with a trace of energy, the blow must have rattled Myeong-rin's skull.
Myeong-rin seemed unable to collect herself, disbelief written all over her face.
In an instant, the energy forming in her hand dissipated.
"Well."
The young master of the Hwangbo clan intervened, wearing a drunken smile.
"This is already troublesome. Thinking about the elders of my family makes it worse."
His approaching hand moved subtly, targeting Yeonshin's arm that held Myeong-rin's collar.
It was hard to distinguish feints from real strikes, as if he had mastered drunken boxing.
Yeonshin had anticipated this. He concentrated overlapping currents of internal energy into the veins of his right arm.
With a slight flick of his hand, Myeong-rin's body was tossed backward. Ignoring the humiliated groan left behind, he braced for the young master's attack.
Thwack!
Their arms tangled in shadows. The power contained in the young master's strikes was incredibly heavy and hot.
It was astounding that someone could maintain composure with such scorching internal energy surging through their meridians.
'This is martial arts of the highest caliber.'
Yeonshin gathered another thread of energy, immediately forming an invisible barrier around his arm.
It was an internal defense technique known as Guardian Energy. With further mastery, it could develop into the famous Iron Body Defense.
The heat pressing against his skin slightly weakened.
Pop!
The rhythm shifted. Both fighters attempted to seize each other's wrists, their techniques dazzlingly intricate.
Yeonshin had previously absorbed and enhanced grappling techniques during a mission for the Mount Hua Sect.
Even so, the opponent's moves exceeded expectations. It was a series of clever and fluid maneuvers.
It felt as though Yeonshin was fighting a slightly more experienced version of himself.
"Well, I'll be damned."
The young master's voice carried light amusement, and his eyes shone with interest.
His shadowed eyes seemed to brighten with faint vitality.
"There's someone like me, huh?"
He even had the leisure to speak mid-fight. His internal power and experience were on another level. Yeonshin began to falter under the increasing pressure.
The energy concentrated in the young master's strikes showed no sign of diminishing—it only grew stronger.
Boom!
A powerful rotational shockwave erupted. Yeonshin's long hair, which had been hanging down to his shoulders, fluttered backward.
Unable to keep absorbing the pressure, Yeonshin burst apart the technique with a spiral palm strike using his Infinite Blossom Fist Strike.
The recoil was significant, forcing Yeonshin to take a natural step back.
"You're attending the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering? Gu Gwa of Chushil Sect. I'll remember you. You'll be quite a sight after some years, provided you keep training."
The young master stood with one leg casually bent, leaning slightly. He hadn't retreated a single step. He was exceptionally strong.
"I won't get to see it, though. A grave big enough to cool my body is already waiting. I just need to lie down in it."
His words and actions were so unrestrained that it was hard to believe he was the heir to one of the great martial families.
Unlike Hwangbo Myeong-rin, who vowed revenge, the young master seemed to treat this as mere entertainment.
"Forgive my younger brother and sister. In ten years, they won't even be able to meet your eyes. They'll have to look up—far up. They brought this upon themselves… See you around."
Chewing on a poppy flower, he turned and walked away, leaving his beaten siblings behind without a care.
His behavior showed no attachment to worldly affairs. It was hard to believe he was a clan successor.
'He should be in Desolate Fortress. If he's like this, why doesn't he covet the Fruits of the World Tree?'
Feeling the weight of Heon Wonchang's hand on his shoulder, Yeonshin remained still, replaying the young master's techniques in his mind.
The crowd that had gathered began to disperse, each murmuring their own impressions.
No one dared approach Yeonshin, who had now antagonized the Hwangbo clan.
It was largely due to the murderous glare left by Hwangbo Myeong-rin as she departed. Her face was twisted in seething resentment.
She was Yeonshin's second contingency. If the young master acted cautiously, Myeong-rin would help complete the mission.
Yeonshin's thoughts returned to martial arts.
'So techniques can be applied that way. I need to know when to break free from rigid forms.'
Even in this moment, he had grown stronger—just slightly.
"Brother Gu."
Heon Wonchang leaned in from the side. The crowded space prompted a change in title.
"Are you alright? I thought about stepping in, but you seemed oddly amused. You're best at provoking people, after all."
"You saw it clearly. I have no idea what you're implying about the rest."
"Anyway, that young master seems formidable. Rumors call him a rogue wandering above the clouds, and his strength and personality match the stories."
"I'm more surprised that Brother Gu was only pushed back by one step."
Shin So-bin interjected, tossing her tied-back hair and revealing the sweat beading on her neck.
"The young master of the Hwangbo clan is nicknamed the Lazy Flame Dragon. He's considered the greatest talent north of the Yangtze River. He dominated the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering at twenty, and five years have passed since then. Even White Qilin Namgoong Hwashin, the previous champion, is said to be beneath him. He's also incredibly arrogant—he once called a duel 'child's play'."
"Five years past twenty?"
"I heard Brother Gu is the same age as me. Don't you have four years left until twenty? That makes a nine-year difference between you and the Flame Dragon."
"Right, four years left."
Yeonshin replied calmly, though the satisfaction from his martial progress was now overshadowed by discomfort.
"Didn't you say you learned martial arts directly from the Fortress Lord?"
Oblivious to his feelings, Shin So-bin chattered on.
"What you lack most right now is internal energy, but the Fortress Lord's technique should allow you to build it quickly. It's said to be one of the world's supreme arts. Even royal families hoarding elixirs only practice that method. In five years, wouldn't your power rival the Flame Dragon's?"
"Five whole years."
Yeonshin muttered as he shook his head. Inventing a technique for rapid cultivation had become an urgent priority.
Yet, Shin So-bin's words contained subtle contradictions.
"It's not completely out of reach. As long as you don't get swept away by a single flick of the hand, you can counter great internal strength with refined techniques. I heard that the Wudang Sect's Taiji Sword, located below Desolate Fortress, is one such martial art."
"That probably wouldn't work under normal circumstances. The techniques would have to be extraordinarily refined. I'm not saying you lack anything, though."
Shin So-bin, a recent junior member, had a bold side to her.
While acknowledging Jung Yeonshin, she also maintained the pride of someone raised as a treasured daughter in a prestigious family.
Jung Yeonshin didn't mind. She followed orders well, and that was enough.
Pointless pride had a way of changing after experiencing a few bloody battles.
"Let's go."
Jung Yeonshin gathered his belongings from under the tree and mounted his horse.
Just beyond Shandong Province, the Hwangbo Clan's territory, lay Huizhou, where the Namgoong Clan was hosting this year's Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.
* * *
"The atmosphere feels strange."
Heon Wonchang commented.
Huizhou was an exceptionally wealthy city. Given the vast amount of goods traded there, merchant groups were plentiful.
Indeed, the roads within the city were paved smoothly. The streets bustled with people haggling and trading goods.
However, the expressions of the people passing by were not particularly cheerful. Dismounting, Heon Wonchang shook his head.
"A poor harvest here too. Huizhou's tea leaves are famous, but it seems we won't be able to taste them easily."
"I've heard that bad harvests have become more frequent lately, especially across the Central Plains. Who knows what will happen to the world."
Jung Yeonshin half-listened to their conversation, his mind focused on martial arts even as they approached the Namgoong Clan.
He was mentally rehearsing techniques, a process known as meditative training.
Even while walking, Jung Yeonshin's training efficiency didn't drop.
From the moment he entered Desolate Fortress, his life had revolved around martial arts.
"We've arrived. Impressive."
Heon Wonchang marveled as he stood before the Namgoong Clan's main gate. There was a hint of bitterness in his tone.
The Namgoong Clan's estate was as clean and grand as its reputation suggested.
While it couldn't compare to Desolate Fortress, it was one of the most prestigious family estates in the world.
"Welcome. Have you come for the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?"
Even the gate guards carried themselves with disciplined composure. Jung Yeonshin nodded and cupped his fists in greeting.
"I am Gu Gwa of Chushil Sect."
"…Confirmed."
The guard examined the paper Jung Yeonshin handed him and nodded.
He seemed to have memorized the list of participants. Dressed in a blue martial robe, the guard continued.
"We apologize, but this year's Dragon-Phoenix Gathering will not be held within the estate. Due to an important matter in the main house, the venue has been relocated. We ask for your understanding."
"Then where…?"
"There is a pavilion called Lotus Pavilion to the north of Huizhou. We will send someone to guide you there."
Something felt off. Their attitude suggested the Assembly was no longer a priority.
'Hmm.'
Jung Yeonshin suddenly sensed something strange. It started as a sensation spreading from his head.
It was the kind of ominous aura he had encountered when facing the Blood Flame Cult and the Tyrant Sword Tribe. Rough and sinister.
Recently, he had been increasingly prone to these sudden intuitions, a combination of foresight and instinct.
'Could it be an attack by the Thirteen Heavens?'
His sharpened senses offered a hypothesis. Without showing any signs of suspicion, Jung Yeonshin followed the guide.
He half-listened to Shin So-bin's chatter beside him.
It took a long time to reach the destination. Even on horseback, it would have been a considerable journey.
It seemed the Namgoong Clan was more concerned about hiding its internal affairs than ensuring the Assembly's success.
"You may stay at any inn nearby under the Namgoong name. We hope you make good connections."
The guide spoke with the refined manners typical of noble families and left without further formalities.
No one came to see them off.
Their group turned immediately, feeling the overwhelming pressure of powerful auras in the distance.
Boom!
The waters by the lake surged, white foam scattering under the sunlight before falling back.
Beneath the grand pavilion built luxuriously over the water, an elegant young Taoist was clashing swords with the Hwangbo Clan's Flame Dragon.
The young Taoist looked familiar. The plum blossom insignia marked him as part of the Mount Hua Sect.
Many people, men and women alike, were already watching the duel.
Some sat with their feet propped on railings, while others stood boldly on the pavilion's roof.
There were over thirty of them, all exuding the air of martial masters despite their youth.
They were rising talents.
For Jung Yeonshin, this was an unfamiliar sight.
Having endured countless battles in his missions, he had never encountered so many young disciples from various sects at once.
Seeing peers his own age felt oddly unsettling.
"That's Yoo Hyun, Mount Hua Sect's leader's disciple. His internal energy runs deep."
"They say he consumed Plum Blossom Pill. Even so, isn't this dangerous?"
"The Flame Dragon's eyes have turned bloodshot. He finally drew his sword."
"For someone of his age. Doesn't he feel any shame?"
Heirs of noble families, Taoists, and monks alike looked on with grave expressions.
Jung Yeonshin understood immediately.
Fueled by tremendous heat, the Flame Dragon's bloodshot eyes gleamed as he chewed on poppy petals.
He was nothing like the man Jung Yeonshin had faced earlier. The madness curling at his lips was palpable.
He had abandoned all decorum and restraint.
"Someone like you trying to lecture me? What could you leave behind if you were in my place? It's pointless!"
The Flame Dragon's voice rang out, his arrogant shout amplified by his powerful core energy.
Yoo Hyun, who had inherited the Plum Blossom energy Jung Yeonshin had passed down, flinched. Fear flickered across his face.
He kept retreating, blood dripping from his slashed robes.
No one dared intervene. Not even Hwangbo Myeong-rin or her brother.
With every clash of swords, the weaker onlookers flinched.
The Flame Dragon's strength was on another level, and his techniques were remarkably sharp.
"What should we do?"
"Sir Baek went to call for help!"
In a gathering dominated by heirs of noble families, their influence allowed them to dismiss adults.
But the Namgoong Clan's precarious state had led to an early breakdown.
Amid this chaos, Jung Yeonshin stepped forward—before even introducing himself.
The moment the young prodigies noticed him, he was already standing beside the Flame Dragon.
"You again? Still a worthless brat!"
The Flame Dragon's fury flared, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Jung Yeonshin with murderous intent.
Boom!
Yoo Hyun, barely blocking the Flame Dragon's sword strike, was sent flying.
Simultaneously, the Flame Dragon turned to Jung Yeonshin, striking without hesitation, his energy surging.
Crash!
The impact wasn't from clashing waves of energy. Jung Yeonshin's hand moved in a subtle arc.
Pressing his forearm against the Flame Dragon's, he dropped his wrist downward.
In a fluid motion, he trapped the inner joint of the opponent's arm between his thumb and four fingers.
'It works.'
Channeling his energy through his grip, he sealed the opponent's pressure point, rendering his strength useless.
His power remained intact, but Jung Yeonshin's technique prevailed. The Flame Dragon's face froze in disbelief.
"What…"
Their movements halted. Jung Yeonshin stared silently before speaking.
"You mentioned talent. You're not like me."
"What?"
Jung Yeonshin stepped closer, within grappling distance, unfazed by the opponent's heat.
"You're just slower."
He whispered calmly, his tone devoid of emotion.