The Purple Radiance Pill was a secret spirit medicine of Mount Hua. It was said that Daoist adepts versed in mystical arts spent decades refining a single pill.

Now that he had experienced it himself, he understood. The power it held lived up to its reputation.

HUMMM

Energy like a mass of plum blossoms melted down into liquid circulated inside Jung Yeonshin.

From the Curved Bone point below his navel to the Heavenly Prominence point between his collarbones, he traced a great circle through his upper body, including the Jade Hall point at his solar plexus in its course.

That was the region housing his middle dantian. He stimulated it without pause.

'It’s working.'

He felt its functions begin to awaken. He could sense a distinct change.

The core energy of his Movement Art, making a greater circulation alongside the Purple Radiance Pill’s energy, was becoming more tenacious as it passed through his middle dantian.

This must be the endurance Baek Miryeo had spoken of.

'It won’t open all the way.'

It felt only halfway open. Apparently, he would have to break through with core energy he had made his own.

Even this was more than he could have asked for. They said that an internal arts master who had cultivated the middle dantian could draw in and release internal energy without faltering under any circumstances.

Without further cultivating his own core energy, he had stepped firmly into the realm of masters. He had saved himself an enormous amount of time.

Satisfied, Jung Yeonshin moved his hand. He placed his palm on the center of Yoo Hyun’s back as the boy lay face down, then began pouring in the Purple Radiance Pill’s energy circulating within him.

“Already...!”

Cheon Joo’s voice reached him. Increasing the force of the energy he poured in, Jung Yeonshin spoke.

“Yoo Hyun. Wake up.”

His energy did not waver even as he spoke aloud while circulating it. This was both a property of the Movement Art, which refined internal energy through bodily movement, and a result of his innate control over internal energy.

Perhaps Cheon Joo had closed his mouth; he heard nothing more.

“I said wake up.”

As he spoke, he pressed firmly against the nape of Yoo Hyun’s neck with his left hand, sealing his mute point.

Once he had prevented the boy from speaking, the rest was easy. He circulated energy without pause, stimulating the young Daoist’s insides. Consciousness had no choice but to return.

“This is the Purple Radiance Pill’s energy. I’ll give you all of it, so circulate your Violet Dawn Sacred Art.”

Jung Yeonshin spoke as he felt the boy’s pulse surge. He could sense Yoo Hyun’s turbulent emotions through his fingertips. After passing over all the energy, he withdrew his hand.

It was called power transmission between bodies—the act of transferring energy to another person. He had heard that it naturally entailed extreme physical exhaustion.

For Jung Yeonshin, it was different. Perhaps because he had opened his middle dantian so much wider, his entire body felt brimming with strength.

He straightened and stepped back. Ma Jin’s hand, extended to support him, swept awkwardly through empty air.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

The three waited in silence for Yoo Hyun to finish his regulated breathing and circulation.

At last, when Yoo Hyun rose, Cheon Joo took his wrist to examine his pulse. His eyes widened so much they seemed about to split.

Jung Yeonshin had fully released the Purple Radiance Pill’s energy and infused it into Yoo Hyun’s body without the slightest loss. A supreme master of Mount Hua’s Sword Saint’s caliber was bound to notice immediately.

“His internal power...!”

Cheon Joo, Mount Hua’s Sword Saint, could not continue for a time. Only after drawing several breaths did he let out a low murmur.

“You released this much energy and passed all of it over? How can such a thing be possible...?”

He lifted his head to stare at Jung Yeonshin, his expression mingling astonishment and admiration.

“You are truly a man of great generosity!”

“I understood that you entrusted this to me in good faith.”

“Even so...”

The emotion on his face would not fade. Yoo Hyun gazed at Jung Yeonshin in much the same way. He had already felt something akin to admiration for him, but now he seemed to look up to him as he would a senior martial brother of his own sect.

“You have saved Mount Hua’s future. You have treated our sect as a true great hero would, and you shall be rewarded accordingly.”

Cheon Joo made no attempt to hide his reverence. Even his manner of speaking had changed.

It felt strange to hear Mount Hua’s Sword Saint address him as a junior while showing such courtesy.

He had merely passed along some cumbersome energy because he had too little time to become Divine Sword Squad Leader.

“Of course, I do not mean to measure your kindness in material wealth. It is simply a token of our feelings, so please accept it. Hyun said he would visit the Desolate Fortress, did he not? I shall send it with him when he goes.”

“Thank you.”

Jung Yeonshin returned the courtesy with a martial salute, then glanced at Ma Jin.

“Is the mission over?”

“Yes. You did it all.”

“Hardly.”

Chung Myung had taken the Phantom Thief’s left hand, forcing him to return of his own accord. The Radiant Demon Squad and Mount Hua had defeated the Blood Flame Cult contingent, which must have been formidable.

Jung Yeonshin had merely added his spoon to a meal others had prepared, yet unintentionally brought the whole affair to a close.

The Purple Radiance Pill, the source of all the trouble, had gone to the Mount Hua sect leader’s disciple. There could hardly have been a cleaner resolution.

The mission ended before reinforcements from the fortress even arrived. They promised to meet again with Mount Hua’s masters, who showed them the greatest goodwill.

Had they sensed the change in Jung Yeonshin’s presence brought about by his middle dantian? Chung Myung smiled, and Baek Miryeo shook her head as they brought their horses alongside his.

Just as Heon Wonchang had wished, the return journey was like a leisurely tour of the martial world. That was how great the fruits of this mission had been.

With Ma Jin’s tacit approval, the Radiant Demon Squad made an unhurried return. They had been away so long that when the Desolate Fortress came into view upon entering Xiangyang, it felt both welcome and unfamiliar.

Throughout that time, Jung Yeonshin suppressed his impatience and honed his martial arts, so that he could render great service on the next mission as well.

* * *

Originally, he had intended to ask the Desolate Fortress Master for a martial art as soon as he returned. Now things were different.

He had the Radiant Sword Art and Evading Swift Step, neither of which he could have imagined gaining when he set out.

Both still had much room for improvement. Since he did not yet know what martial art he might need, he decided to restrain himself.

“Off to the training ground again? Aren’t you exhausted after all that traveling?”

It was Heon Wonchang, whom he had encountered in the main hall of the Radiant Demon Squad’s quarters.

Who knew how much he had eaten and drunk at the taverns? He thrust forward a face shadowed by dark circles. Jung Yeonshin pushed his chin away.

“I’m fine.”

For the sake of his internal cultivation, he had not touched so much as a cup of wine. Now that he had opened his middle dantian considerably as well, even his stamina felt limitless.

He left Heon Wonchang behind, shaking his head in admiration.

On his way to the smaller training ground, he heard congratulations and murmured remarks from all manner of seniors.

“Lightning Genius! I hear your accomplishments were simply unbelievable.”

“Is it true you beheaded the Vicious Rakshasa Swordsman?”

“I heard he took him down by fighting him in relays.”

“Relays? A Desolate Fortress white robe killed an elder of the Tyrant Sword Tribe. Would any true warrior of this fortress belittle that feat with such talk?”

“That blue outer robe suits you splendidly. I’d be willing to give you mine too, if you need it.”

It was nothing like when he had killed the Blood Master Swordsman. The response was tremendous. Some seniors had even knocked on his door.

He had heard that elders of the Thirteen skies were masters whom even the Desolate Fortress’s blue robes struggled to handle. No matter how he had killed one, it was bound to cause an enormous stir.

“They say he saved the life of Mount Hua’s successor-disciple too.”

“How many masters of the Nine Great Sects has he befriended in just two missions?”

“Zhongnan, and now Mount Hua. Next time we have a mission in Shaanxi, we ought to ask for Lightning Genius.”

Responding to every one of them was exhausting. He had never expected that the first fatigue he felt after greatly activating his middle dantian would come from the corners of his mouth.

By the time he passed the main training ground, he was forcing himself to smile.

In the smaller training ground, which consisted of enclosed chambers, he reviewed the martial arts he had gained on the mission.

Could he imbue the flow of the Radiant Sword Art with greater power? How could he take the second step of Evading Swift Step?

He could not stop devising forms for the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike, either.

'I can’t get a feel for it yet.'

Inspiration did not come immediately. He would have to broaden his experience.

'As it happens, I heard of a good place for that.'

Jung Yeonshin immediately turned to leave.

* * *

The grounds occupied by the Divine Sword Squad’s seventeen squads within the Desolate Fortress were vast. They had to accommodate not only the warriors of each squad but their servants and attendants as well.

The Radiant Demon Squad’s radiant demon arts were different from the heavenly squad’s Clear Sky Swordsmanship. Each of the seventeen martial units under the Divine Sword Squad was likened to an independent sect.

Their numbers were said to resemble those of small or midsized sects and gangs, with an immense difference in fighting strength being the only distinction.

Vast grounds and different martial arts: left to themselves, they would find it difficult to interact.

'He said we must meet and form an ocean, rather than remain narrow wells.'

Ma Jin’s words came back to him.

The Desolate Fortress was an innovative collective of martial learning. The imperial household had founded it by shattering the unwritten rule that the government and martial world did not interfere with each other.

They tried every conceivable approach to hone the sword of the Great Ming Empire. One departure from convention inevitably followed another.

“And you are?”

The place where the middle-aged scholar now questioning Jung Yeonshin sat was another such example.

The neatly laid-out training ground stretching beyond his shoulders was a magnificent sight. There were even rows of small steps for spectators.

Unfamiliar warriors sat scattered around it, watching the center. Following their gazes, Jung Yeonshin saw all manner of martial arts he had never witnessed before.

CLANG! BOOM!

White- and blue-robed warriors from the other squads were matching their skills.

This was a training ground where every warrior of the Divine Sword Squad could spar freely—a place where the martial arts of all seventeen squads intersected.

“Is this the Martial Transcending Ground?”

“It is. A young swordsman in a blue outer robe... You must be Lightning Genius. I am Do Yoowon of the Command Bureau.”

“Jung Yeonshin of the Radiant Demon Squad.”

They exchanged martial salutes.

Do Yoowon spoke. There was something curious about the goodwill in his expression.

“I have heard a great deal about the Radiant Demon Squad’s Lightning Genius. All news within the Desolate Fortress flows to the Command Bureau. We are the ones who classify your accomplishments. They were truly astonishing.”

His features were sharp, but his smile made him look quite kindly.

“Building a name as a chivalrous hero at such a young age... Seeing you gladdens my heart. Let me tell you a little secret.”

“What might that be...?”

“Complete even one small mission, and you will be promoted to blue robe. Each of your achievements was substantial and earned you many points—enough that taking the examination as a formality will suffice.”

“Ah.”

Jung Yeonshin’s brief exclamation came from the heart. He was making definite progress.

He knew the merit he had accumulated over three missions, including the affair at Zhongnan, was considerable. But hearing it directly from a Command Bureau scholar was another matter.

This man managed personnel affairs within the Desolate Fortress. To Jung Yeonshin, that made him an even greater figure than Ma Jin.

“Allow me to congratulate you in advance.”

Do Yoowon smiled faintly.

“At any rate, you have come to the right place. Being assigned to oversee the grounds today may prove worthwhile. Might I get to see a match between young masters?”

“Did you say young masters?”

Without realizing it, Jung Yeonshin had grown even more polite. He could feel how different his manner was from the way he treated Ma Jin, that sorry excuse for an uncle.

Captain of the Radiant Demon Squad? Now that he stood before this man, he understood. The people who held appointment authority were kings.

“You did not know? The heir to Desolate’s Ma Clan is training over there right now.”

A familiar figure stood where Do Yoowon pointed.

His handsome features made him look like a younger Chung Myung. He was the adopted grandson of Yeonshin’s maternal grandfather, Ma Yeonjeok.

Now he wore white martial robes bearing the character for ‘Desolate’ from the fortress’s name.

Yeonshin remembered creating the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike with the fellow’s help. The flow of martial force he had developed further from it had proven quite useful. Gratitude welled up in him again.

'That was a good hard fist art.'

While he reminisced, Do Yoowon continued.

“Many are saying he lives up to Desolate’s Ma Clan’s reputation. He has been winning match after match against the other white-robed warriors here at the Martial Transcending Ground. Is it not all the more remarkable when less than a month has passed since he cleared the Desolate Fortress Trial? He has caused quite a stir around the fortress.”

“I see.”

Just as Jung Yeonshin nodded, his eyes met those of the fellow standing in the distance.