"And the Fortress Master?"

"It has been a long time since I last saw her. Not since before the competition was announced."

The Elder Council Leader and the former Divine Sword Squad Leader were conversing in the seats of honor at the Desolate Fortress's central training grounds.

An elderly man smiled, his purple robes draped over his imposing frame. This was the Desolate Fortress's Elder Council Leader. He stroked the white beard hanging beneath his chin; even that small gesture carried a presence no less powerful than Ma Yeonjeok's.

He spoke.

"A long time? It has been seven days and nights at most. Try paying that much attention to your own household. I hear there was quite a disgraceful uproar."

"I have just finished giving them a piece of my mind. Imperial blood or not, she is a member of my household first. How dare she act so rashly..."

Ma Yeonjeok muttered with a fearsome expression.

He had just turned the Desolate's Ma Clan's annex upside down. Ju Yeonjeong, Ma Se-In's mother, had approached the Lightning Genius.

Something that might otherwise have escaped his notice had come to light, thanks to the disturbance the Radiant Demon Squad warriors had caused.

"She is your nephew's wife, is she not? You cannot simply call her rash."

"I am deeply disappointed. I thought she would put the Ma clan on firm footing alongside Se-In."

"How could she remain calm when her child's right of succession is threatened? All the more so when it is because of some newcomer related through the female line."

"Some newcomer related through the female line? So you have been jealous all along. To say that after seeing him down there... If you mean it, you had best find a burial plot for those eyes of yours first."

Ma Yeonjeok pointed down at the center of the training grounds. The Lightning Genius, Jung Yeonshin, had won the match preceding the final.

The boy in blue robes was slowly sheathing his sword. His movements were perfectly steady, and the calm of his expression stood out all the more.

He had easily defeated a white-robed expert on the verge of promotion to blue robes. That made him a martial artist anyone in the martial world would acknowledge as equal to an elite of the Nine Great Sects.

He was said to be sixteen. Anyone would have found it hard to believe.

"The Namgoong clan's Blue and White Twin Qilins made their names when they were younger than that boy," the Elder Council Leader said with a smile.

"The legitimate eldest son, the Blue Qilin, has the Emperor Sword, and the concubine-born White Qilin has the Boundless Heaven Technique. They were called a combination that would one day be invincible. Do you believe the Lightning Genius, with his humble upbringing, can catch up? Those raised in luxury on spirit medicine have core energy filling their very sinews and meridians. Feeding him superior spirit pills this late will not close that gap."

"..."

"Of course, the Lightning Genius is extraordinary too. I have heard plenty about his martial art that destroys demons, and his sound technique said to annihilate the weak. But they will not work against supreme masters of orthodox arts."

"I know how fast the White Qilin has grown. He was strong to begin with, and he seems to have assimilated the medicinal energy in his minor meridians."

"I have been keeping an eye on that boy, and his attainments are tremendous. They say the Supreme Flame Dragon is imprisoned in the dungeon, yes? Even he could no longer afford to take the boy lightly. His martial talent is heaven-sent. He is exceptionally gifted without needing to be born with blocked meridians or the like. But the Lightning Genius's circumstances are different."

The Elder Council Leader pointed at the Lightning Genius and the White Qilin in turn as he continued.

"Look at their faces. Concubine-born or not, the White Qilin was raised in comfort, and there is a smile in the very shape of his mouth. A pleasing sight, is it not? So natural. But what of the Lightning Genius? He is so expressionless, you would think he grew up being beaten. There, look at those cold eyes. A face well suited to killing."

"..."

"No one can beat a man who smiles. Talent and a perfect childhood—what more could one ask for? The White Qilin has everything. If not for his elder brother, he might have become the Namgoong clan head. As for the Lightning Genius, I cannot say."

"He may already..."

Ma Yeonjeok spoke again.

"He may already be a match for the White Qilin. Yeonshin—that boy was born with an unprecedented sense for things. The martial arts he creates with a Grandmaster's talent must fit him perfectly. I cannot begin to imagine how much further he will grow."

The Elder Council Leader smacked his lips exaggeratedly.

"As for his expression, we need only give him one. I am almost tempted to adopt him. Or perhaps... My granddaughter is a clever girl."

"You will have to get past my sword first."

"Then I shall have to take in the White Qilin. Still, if you feel so strongly, why do you not take the Lightning Genius under your wing? You do not even seem able to shower him with riches."

"..."

"I think I understand. You are afraid, are you not? Afraid of offending the grandson you cast aside. Or could it be that the Fortress Master gave you a talking-to? You would have done something long ago otherwise."

The Elder Council Leader grinned.

"..."

"Both, then! What pitiful karma!"

Ma Yeonjeok gave no answer. As he sat in stony silence, the Elder Council Leader's amusement deepened.

"The days when you commanded the entire martial world as Divine Sword Squad Leader seem like a dream. Do you remember destroying the remnants of the Demonic Cult and planting that rough yellow banner on Tianshan? You were truly strong that day. Few under heaven could rival you. How have you declined into such insignificance?"

"Because the Ma clan's martial arts are far removed from orthodox cultivation."

The Elder Council Leader's eyes widened slightly, as though he had not expected an answer.

"You have changed a little."

He was right. Ma Yeonjeok had never been one to say such things.

The talent of the grandson he had come to know so late was dazzling.

He had assigned men to follow him, using the clan's experts as informants. He had ordered them to observe the Lightning Genius personally out in the martial world and report back. He had not dared order them to intervene.

Even for Ma Yeonjeok, defying the Desolate Fortress Master's warning was akin to defying heaven.

Thus, they had failed to respond when the Blood Flame Cult's Seventh Apostle abducted him. It was absurd.

Their report said that with the Namgoong clan standing idly by, they had been unable to approach the two Apostles and the dozens of cult swordsmen.

Ma Yeonjeok had been furious with himself for not assigning supreme masters, but it was too late to dwell on that afterward.

Only when the Desolate Fortress Master intervened in person had he felt relief. And the vivid, unvarnished written accounts of his grandson's deeds during that time had stirred his heart.

A headlong sprint. Nothing but a headlong sprint.

The boy ran without rest. Merely reading the reports left Ma Yeonjeok breathless.

That course, seemingly devoted wholly to merit and martial arts, had even begun to kindle a vast and noble spirit within him.

At some point, he came to his senses and found that Ma Yeonjeok of the Desolate's Ma Clan was receding into the distance.

It happened whenever he thought of the boy. It felt as though the years he had spent as Divine Sword Squad Leader were slowly winding back.

Even he struggled to define the emotion.

He spoke.

"Decline, you said? It is inevitable. What is built easily falls easily. The prime does not last long. I can only envy the old men of the Nine Great Sects. I have thought on this for a long time."

Ma Yeonjeok looked down at his grandson. Before he knew it, the match between the Lightning Genius and the White Qilin was about to begin.

He murmured,

"Yeonshin will become the Desolate Fortress's Divine Sword. The Ma clan's martial arts do not suit him. I must think of another way. All the more so if that boy is to face the Namgoong clan, foremost on the orthodox path..."

* * *

A combination of the Demonic Asura Blood Art and the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike.

It was a technique he had developed during his long stay at the Blood Flame Cult's headquarters, turning a sorcerous formation into a martial form.

For this moment, he had increased only its precision and power. The sensation of circulating opposing internal energies was unique.

'Cold.'

His outstretched left hand ached with cold, as though plunged into ice. Core energy surged fiercely through the Inner Pass pressure point below his wrist.

Amid the irregular pulses rising from the Blood Art, the Demon-Slaying Gentle Flowing Strike around his left hand shone with an eerily brilliant radiance.

It was a blue light beating like a heart.

The instant that blue radiance gave one great pulse around his left hand, a thunderous sound erupted.

BOOM!

A wave of force exploded in midair. Momentarily compressed air surged outward, reaching all the way to the ground beneath his feet.

Namgoong Hwashin was flung back amid an upward burst of dust. The heavy recoil pushed even Jung Yeonshin backward.

'I will have to keep refining it.'

Its power was undeniable. Even without landing a hit, it had driven an expert of the White Qilin's caliber back seven paces.

But its problems were just as considerable. It was sorely lacking in finesse.

Such a strained deployment of internal energy was meaningless if it could not even deliver an effective blow.

He would have to resolve that before reaching the Namgoong clan.

For now, though, it was fine. His opponent was badly shaken.

As Namgoong Hwashin recovered his balance from the aftermath of a martial art he had never heard of, Jung Yeonshin perceived that tiny instant.

THUD!

He planted one foot in a forceful stamp. He had already stirred his intent in his lower dantian. Core energy erupted from the Yongquan point beneath his foot.

WHOOSH!

As wind swept past his ears, Namgoong Hwashin grew larger in his vision.

One step closed a distance of five paces. Ripples of core energy rose from the hand drawing his Desolate Sword.

'Radiant Sword Art.'

The sword marks of Mount Zhongnan, sublimated into his own unique martial art, unfolded.

As he twisted his arm amid a hazy, distorting cluster of light, the Desolate Sword raced forward in a straight horizontal slash.

CLANG!

A sharp white gleam blocked it. A clear wave of qi washed over him. Was this the Namgoong clan's Boundless Heaven Technique?

His eyes met Namgoong Hwashin's across their locked swords. A colorless light flashed in the eyes reflecting Jung Yeonshin's face.

He seemed utterly absorbed.

The pressure mounted.

Namgoong Hwashin's sword force grew stronger. He pushed with his deep reserves of internal energy.

This was the moment the White Qilin's knowledge of his opponent became knowledge of himself: overpower an opponent whose internal-energy reserves were lacking.

Jung Yeonshin's sword arm trembled slightly.

He thought of the spirit pill he had received as a reward. He had deliberately left it untaken.

He would face countless enemies who had consumed spirit medicine since birth. Jung Yeonshin had been born to a third-rate martial family.

He would always encounter situations where his strength fell short. Blaming his internal energy every time would be foolish.

Call it an eccentric obsession if need be. He wanted to gain experience and overcome the gap through his senses.

"Hup!"

Twisting his waist, he channeled core energy into the oblique muscles along his abdomen.

The internal energy gathered as far as the Zhishi pressure points supporting his spine blazed brightly.

FLAP!

He spun with his robes fluttering, deliberately yielding in the contest of strength.

He gathered the Silk-Reeling Force generated by his pivot into his left fist. After the Radiant Sword Art came the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike.

Vortex's wave of force rose, sweeping even the ground, and struck through his straight punch. A whirlwind gathered against the robes at Namgoong Hwashin's flank.

A dull impact sounded. With the blow, Namgoong Hwashin spun in a broad arc and swept past Jung Yeonshin.

It was the consummate Boundless Flowing Body.

His blue robes, drawn into a spiral by the wave of force, unfurled again in an instant.

'He reacted the instant he sensed Vortex's airflow.'

Jung Yeonshin could tell from the cloth that had briefly brushed his knuckles. The hit was shallow. It had not damaged his internal organs.

And there was more. As they crossed, a flash of Namgoong Hwashin's sword had grazed his thigh.

It stung faintly. They had traded a full exchange.

TAP.

This was a formidable enemy who had studied his unique martial arts beforehand and devised counters. Jung Yeonshin advanced without waiting for him to attack.

Namgoong Hwashin did the same, raising his sword overhead into a high guard and unfolding a sweeping sword technique.

The properly mastered martial arts of a noble clan were both majestic and splendid.

A form of the Boundless Heaven Technique descended upon Jung Yeonshin, releasing unfettered waves of force.

WHOOOOSH!

Several colorless waves of qi imbued that single stroke. They approached like a net covering the sky.

It seemed to be the skill called sword qi. He had heard it was one of the many varieties of force waves.

'Evade, then interrupt with a strike.'

He employed the Evading Swift Step. He recalled the affair of Mount Hua's Purple Radiance Pill. He had created this footwork while undergoing Ma Jin's test to earn a solo mission.

First came EVADING SWIFT STEP FIRST STEP.

Namgoong Hwashin's sword paths and the direction of his force waves came into view with almost tangible clarity. The Baihui point at his crown grew warm.

A single footprint that would let him move freely through the net of sword qi etched itself into his mind. It blazed with a sharply defined brilliance.

He stepped exactly there.

STEP.

The moment his foot landed, the aftermath of sharp sword force sliced through the cloth at his shoulder and fell away.

A battle of prediction passed between them in an instant.

Namgoong Hwashin had unleashed another wave of force as though anticipating where he would step; Jung Yeonshin had foreseen that prediction and altered his footwork to evade it.

STEP.

Unperturbed, the boy advanced another step. A wave of qi spread beneath his feet.

Evading Swift Step, Second Step. The colorless ripple drove back the scattering force waves of the Boundless Heaven Technique.

He had gained this step while discussing the martial world over a cup of Lightning Immortal Treasure Liquor.

Once again, the distance had closed. He had created striking range and broken through the opposing momentum.

HUMMM!

Once more, he slashed upward with the Desolate Sword according to the Radiant Sword Art's formula. Namgoong Hwashin was preparing a linked form as well.

The sight of his sword descending diagonally was like a painting.

As streams of wind escaped along the blades of the two Desolate Swords, internal power erupted from their collision.

CLAAANG!

A heavy recoil instantly surged through his grip, numbing it. Jung Yeonshin suppressed a groan.

He could not stop. They were too close. Here, there was nothing for it but an all-out exchange of blows.

Evasion and collision began repeating without end.

CLANG! CLAAANG! BOOM!

Radiant Sword Art, Evading Swift Step, and the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike's Vortex, Formidable Wall, and Fist Blossoms.

Jung Yeonshin unleashed every martial art he had created and mastered thus far.

He made this match a place to refine his martial arts. It was another kind of training.

That remained true even as blood flew and sword wounds opened.

Whenever Namgoong Hwashin, having studied his unique martial arts beforehand, brought his sword to bear with a fearsome counter, Jung Yeonshin changed his formulas on the spot and struck back.

"..."

The audience gradually fell silent.

It was a match between geniuses, martial skill measured against martial skill.

Extraordinary talent flashed again and again through the unbroken succession of exchanges.

The noisy conversations all around them dwindled into quiet.

"... Truly astonishing."

Someone spoke in a whisper. Those who agreed did the same.

"He keeps unleashing martial arts I have never seen, yet they do not yield to the ancient divine techniques of the Eight Great Families."

"The White Qilin's skill is astonishing too. How can he handle that much internal energy so deftly?"

"The Radiant Demon Squad's Lightning Genius... They say he is already a Grandmaster. That he creates martial arts and masters them."

"He is countering the Eight Families' divine techniques with his own unique martial arts? Even at a glance, he seems short on core energy as well. The martial arts of great houses feed on the years and grow ever more powerful..."

Jung Yeonshin heard none of it.

Like Namgoong Hwashin, he was wholly absorbed. They exchanged perception, tactics, and the essential principles of martial arts.

This was a realm of talent shedding light like a comet. He wished it would continue forever.

His unique martial arts, already fitted to his body, now seemed to seep through his entire being.

WHOOSH!

The wind curling around his outstretched hand felt gentle.

Namgoong Hwashin's sword qi, rippling under the force wave of the Infinite Blossom Fist Strike's Formidable Wall, split apart at the end of an Evading Swift Step.

His finesse climbed endlessly toward greater precision.

It was immensely enjoyable. The sensation of their talents colliding and rising together was almost intoxicating.

Something throughout his body seemed to awaken once more. The anxiety with which he had awaited the full moon, still seven days and nights away, eased.

The thought came unbidden. He still had the spirit pill. Soon, he would meet the Desolate Fortress Master too.

And then, the boy began to smile.