He reached toward Yoo Hyun, who charged with his teeth clenched. A strange wave of qi swirled around his left hand. The next instant, Cheon Joo and the other Mount Hua experts widened their eyes.

SWISH!

Formless waves of core energy blossomed along his left hand. Martial force bloomed in clusters, like flowers opening one after another. Force struck force, creating fresh waves of qi. It almost looked like a higher art derived from Falling Blossoms Palm Strike—one that did not even exist. Yet the fist and palm art pouring forth was so immediately superior, on an entirely different level, that the connection was actually difficult to recognize.

THUD THUD THUD!

A barrage of impacts, each as powerful as the second form, Formidable Wall, hammered down—as though beating the dust out of Yoo Hyun's martial robes.

"Guh, haaagh!"

Yoo Hyun tumbled to the ground without even drawing his sword. A thin cloud of dust rose like mist. Jung Yeonshin lowered his hand, lost in thought.

'The Nine Great Sects' martial arts are highly refined. They truly embody the history of renowned orthodox sects.'

It had been excellent inspiration. He had never imagined core energy could be manipulated that way.

'I could make this the third form right here.'

Jung Yeonshin nodded to himself. It did not even seem to need further refinement. He named the third form of Infinite Blossom Fist Strike: Fist Blossoms.

"..."

Silence had settled over the gathering. His opponent had been a young Taoist known throughout the world as a hidden dragon. The sect leader's youngest disciple, reputedly Mount Hua's most promising talent, had fallen in three forms.

Jung Yeonshin thought it only natural. They had been on different levels from the outset. To face the Lightning Genius—not a Desolate Fortress trainee, but one of its foremost white-robed warriors—they would have needed an expert on the verge of becoming a Plum Blossom Swordsman at the very least.

The Desolate Fortress's purple-robed experts were said to rival the leaders of the Nine Great Sects. Jung Yeonshin considered his own circumstances in light of Yoo Hyun's. How much training would that fellow need to reach the level of Mount Hua's sect leader? The five-odd years Jung Yeonshin had left would be nowhere near enough. The very time frames by which they lived were worlds apart.

"... Bring him here."

At Cheon Joo's grave, stiffly delivered command, a Mount Hua warrior slung Yoo Hyun over his shoulder. His gaze betrayed astonishment as he looked Jung Yeonshin over on his way back. At last, a stir ran through the spectators.

"What—what just happened?"

"Wasn't that three forms? How could Mount Hua's prodigy..."

"Beaten in three moves! Who is that boy?"

Over the murmuring, Cheon Joo spoke.

"So the Desolate Fortress has been raising a dragon. How much tighter do you intend to squeeze Murim in the years to come?"

"That is quite a leap. Leave the common people alone, and the Desolate Fortress will not act."

"Your plausible excuses never change."

Cheon Joo shook his head and looked at Jung Yeonshin.

"Jung Yeonshin, was it?"

"Yes, sir."

"You have shown me a fine martial art. You cannot possibly have had any connection to Mount Hua's martial teachings. I never knew such an art existed in this world. It must have spurred our indolent sect leader's disciple as well. Should circumstances ever force you to leave the Desolate Fortress, know that Mount Hua will welcome you as an honored guest."

"Sword Saint! That is not remotely amusing. You have crossed the line."

Ma Jin pulled Jung Yeonshin behind him and stepped forward.

"I admit my greed got the better of me. I have made a sorry spectacle of myself. But before my eyes stands talent brilliant enough to shine across the world."

Surprise spread across the Mount Hua experts' faces at Cheon Joo's ready admission. Some looked understanding at the same time. Jung Yeonshin simply remained standing, motionless.

-You seem to be struggling to stay on your feet.

It was Baek Miryeo's sound transmission. He gave a slight nod.

He had exhausted nearly all his core energy, placing considerable strain on his energy core. Infinite Blossom Fist Strike relied heavily on core energy to generate its powerful martial force. That was the price of applying Burst Discharge from every posture. Freedom from the constraints of posture came with a burdensome expenditure of internal energy. At least for now, it seemed difficult to use as his primary martial art.

'I'll have to go back to my sword in real combat.'

Putting his thoughts in order, he took a room at the inn. Not only those who streamed in after him, but even the Mount Hua experts now looked at him differently—as though gazing upon some wondrous spiritual creature. He felt little about it. The span of life he had to live was different from theirs.

No sooner had he secured his room than Baek Miryeo flung open the door and entered. True to her caring yet uninhibited nature, she had dragged Chung Myung along by the scruff of his neck and sat him down as well.

"You, especially, need to open your middle dantian soon. If you lack internal energy, you should at least make up for it with endurance."

Baek Miryeo spoke as she sat upright. Chung Myung sprawled out beside her, half reclining.

"Did you say the middle dantian?"

"You didn't know what it does, then. It has benefits that even the upper dantian, which is said to house the spirit in the head, cannot provide. You'll feel it the moment you open the middle one: your internal energy will become a little more solid. Shaolin's Adamantine Immovable Divine Art is said to be a prime example of an art that cultivates the middle dantian."

"My internal energy becomes solid?"

As he absently repeated her words, Chung Myung interjected.

"It means greater efficiency. You've heard stories of experts who fought for seven days and nights without tiring, haven't you? They trained their middle dantian. The flow of your core energy becomes more stable, and you can unleash major forms over and over. Even taking a fairly powerful blow won't easily disrupt the flow of your internal energy."

"That must be why Chung Myung could exchange swords with the Namgoong First Sword. Nothing else would explain it, however accomplished this fellow may be."

Baek Miryeo pointed at Chung Myung, who was giving a long, leisurely yawn. He smiled brightly and tipped his head in a nod. Jung Yeonshin glanced at him, then turned back.

"How do I open my middle dantian?"

"It opens naturally after you've cultivated your lower dantian for long enough. Regulated breathing and circulation focused on your upper body should help."

"Isn't there a faster way, big sister?"

The words slipped out unthinkingly. He needed to obtain every means of growing stronger as quickly as possible. Unable to help his impatience over martial learning and meritorious deeds, he had used whatever form of address came to his tongue. Even he started at what he had said.

"Big sister...?"

The cold lines of Baek Miryeo's eyes softened helplessly. A faint blush colored her cheeks. For a moment, even her lips seemed to lose their firmness. It was an unbelievable sight. The Wave Swordswoman, of all people? True to her mastery of internal arts, she immediately took a long breath and restored her usual complexion.

At that moment, Jung Yeonshin could not help wondering whether Baek Miryeo had lost a younger sibling. At the same time, he realized that he knew nothing of the lives of any of the Radiant Demon Squad's warriors.

'I still don't know anyone.'

Baek Miryeo cleared her throat.

"First, you need to keep powerful energy within your body..."

Her explanation continued. In the end, the problem was core energy. Just as the lower dantian opened naturally through prolonged breathing practice, the middle dantian was no different. Clumsy, unorthodox shortcuts would only prove poisonous, she said. A different matter, but much like Jung Yeonshin having had his upper dantian open from birth. His damned constitution.

Swallowing an inward sigh, he went downstairs. He would think about the middle dantian later.

'Let's focus on earning merit. It's not as if I can't grow stronger without it.'

The inn was packed. The smell of food filled the air, and it was difficult to find an empty seat. Xi'an was said to draw martial artists of every kind. It was an unusual city, where the ordinary people who ventured outside were remarkably fearless. Apparently word of the Mount Hua Taoist's sparring match had spread, drawing even more people.

"It's that young swordsman!"

"The one who beat Mount Hua's hidden dragon in three moves?"

"They look the same age. How is that possible?"

"I saw it clearly with my own eyes!"

Murmurs rose from all directions as Jung Yeonshin descended the stairs. They seemed to be people who had watched the match.

"Our Lightning Genius will make a name for himself in no time. There'll be an uproar when they learn who he is."

"Naturally. He is the future of our fortress."

It was Chung Myung and Baek Miryeo. How could they say such embarrassing things so casually? Praise tied to his age meant nothing. Though this was the first time the wider world had judged his martial prowess, Jung Yeonshin let every word go in one ear and out the other as he searched for Ma Jin.

The Radiant Demon Squad captain was sitting with Heon Wonchang, and the empty space around their table made them easy to spot. His gruesome scar and powerful presence kept everyone at bay. No one dared share his table. Jung Yeonshin strode through the crowd toward him.

"Is this all right? Discussing our mission in a place like this?"

Ma Jin smiled at the question as Jung Yeonshin sat down with Chung Myung and Baek Miryeo.

"It's no secret that Mount Hua is searching relentlessly for the culprit. Warriors from renowned major sects inevitably have their every destination tracked. In fact, doing this openly helps reduce unforeseen casualties among the common people."

"True enough."

"Have you heard the saying, 'Make a noise in the east, strike in the west'? That's what we're going to do now."

"So we're not just here to stop Mount Hua from using force when necessary. We're going to help actively and settle the situation?"

"Yes. The investigation is already complete. The culprit is the Phantom Thief—a thief well known north of the Yangtze."

"Did you say the Phantom Thief?"

Baek Miryeo sprang to her feet. An aura coiled upward from her as though she were forging a sword within her body. Her narrowed eyes held a fleeting glint of killing intent.

"Yes. The same fellow who stole your secret manual. Isn't that fortunate?"

"Someone stole your martial arts manual?"

Heon Wonchang stopped eating and widened his eyes. It was only natural.

A blue-robed Desolate Fortress expert would struggle to find a worthy opponent outside great organizations like the Nine Great Sects. Such martial prowess was beyond the reach of a mere thief.

"There were circumstances."

Baek Miryeo gave the brief reply and fell silent. Her presence, however, told another story. It pressed against their skin like a blazing wildfire. The waves of qi emanating from her conveyed her determination to catch him and cut off his head.

After finishing their meal in silence, the party went upstairs to Ma Jin's room. It was quite large, befitting his size. Once they had seated themselves in a circle, Ma Jin met each person's eyes in turn and slowly spoke.

"I'll explain what I mean by making a noise in the east and striking in the west. First, few people here in Shaanxi fail to recognize Mount Hua's martial arts. They stand out too much."

"Then?"

"From now on, we're going to smash the signboards of Shaanxi's unorthodox sects connected to the Phantom Thief, one by one. We'll do it ourselves, without ever taking the fighting outside their grounds."

"What will Mount Hua do in the meantime?"

"Drifting Hidden Fragrance serves as both footwork and a movement technique. While we draw attention, they'll sneak in and search the sects' premises."

Ma Jin spoke dispassionately. For some reason, the corners of Heon Wonchang's mouth rose.

"Do we have grounds to tear down these unorthodox sects' signboards?"

At Jung Yeonshin's question, Chung Myung smiled and stroked his head.

"Looks like you don't know much about unorthodox martial artists. They go around collecting protection money the imperial court has never authorized. From the Great Ming Empire's perspective, the distinction between orthodox and unorthodox is simple: do the common people donate willingly, or is their money taken at swordpoint?"

Ma Jin nodded.

"They're vermin eating away at the nation. We leave them alone only because killing them merely brings fresh vermin together in packs. We need no justification to strike them. Even among themselves, they constantly destroy old sects and establish new ones."

"How many organizations are we targeting?"

"Five to begin with. I'll take two."

"I'll take one alone as well."

No one looked surprised by Jung Yeonshin's words. Ma Jin asked,

"You want sole credit? The risk is considerable."

"I'll handle it."

"Taking on a group alone is another matter entirely. All the more so when it's an organization trained in martial arts. Imagine bodies piling up with every stroke of your sword. The smell of blood can rob even an expert of reason. Group battles have the most variables. A one-on-one spar cannot compare."

"That, too, is something I need to experience."

"Very well. I'll assign the targets here. Lightning Genius, yours is the Mantis Sect in Lianhu County, Xi'an. From what I've learned, they're particularly vile. They reportedly don't hesitate to abduct women and children. As for your mission..."

Meeting Jung Yeonshin's steady gaze, Ma Jin continued.

"Defeat an entire sect single-handedly. Wipe them out."