The Blue Warrior of Yuhuang City subdued the young lord of the martial arts family.
It was a surprising move, coupled with the use of the Golden Water technique to break through.
It was certainly an expected occurrence.
With the sharpness of his senses, Jeong Yeon-shin was already ahead of the game.
"What’s happening?"
"It seems that Tae Yeom-ryong has been struck."
To others, it appeared differently.
The Dragon and Phoenix Gathering was a martial arts banquet held periodically.
Jeong Yeon-shin was a newcomer, a master who had never been seen before.
Whispers began to rise gradually.
"It’s a technique I’ve never seen before. New methods, Golden Water, blood strike. Everyone feels the same."
"The Bo Sin Gyeong was truly mysterious. It felt as if I were witnessing the elder of a noble clan."
"Where is the sect? How could they let Tae Yeom-ryong... Even if it was just one exchange..."
The atmosphere, which seemed on the verge of exploding with Tae Yeom-ryong's madness, gradually dissipated.
It felt as if a spring breeze had come to scatter the killing intent.
Jeong Yeon-shin remained silent.
He had rendered one of his opponent's arms useless.
The distance was extremely close.
In a typical martial arts duel, it would have ended here, but who knew how Tae Yeom-ryong would react, who seemed to be in a frenzy?
There was no one who could unleash their power at such a close distance in the Shi Hwa Mu Geuk Kwon.
He prepared by drawing up his true energy significantly.
At that moment, Tae Yeom-ryong muttered, "Am I really the dull one...? Dull?"
"If you can’t even feel that, then that’s all there is to it."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke calmly as he withdrew his arm.
He did not release the blood strike.
He kept it in place to be able to subdue any sudden outburst.
'If I practice Qi gathering, I might be able to release the pressure points.' He had often heard stories about masters who could manipulate the energies of Yin and Yang.
They said their strengths were distinct.
The energy of Yang could easily disperse the inner strength of others that had entered their body.
Seeing it firsthand was intriguing.
Was it possible to evoke the nature of fire with true energy? How was that done?
As Jeong Yeon-shin fell into thought, Tae Yeom-ryong’s reaction was peculiar.
It was a calm rage.
The man who had swallowed a whole poppy flower opened his mouth.
"The Gu Gwa of Chusilmun. I understood your talent with that one move. With your abilities, you will surely make a name for yourself for a long time. Even decades after your death, you will be spoken of."
"And?"
The highest provocation was to mock the intimate stories of the opponent.
He had learned this from Cheongmyeong before setting out on his mission.
Thus, he remained silent, letting Tae Yeom-ryong speak.
"Do you know the feeling of your feet moving towards the abyss on their own? You have everything. Your complexion looks quite good. What does it feel like to possess talent without paying a price?"
"What?"
It was a remark that even extinguished his interest in the true energy of fire.
It came across as trivial.
It seemed better to engage in close combat with this dullard.
Tae Yeom-ryong continued speaking, his fingertips trembling.
"I was born with extreme Yang energy. Even when I did not practice my heart method, I grew stronger. The sharp sensation accompanied by the pain of blood vessels igniting. That is my achievement. It is martial arts built upon my lofty inner strength training to change my constitution. You have no right to belittle me as dull!"
Perhaps it was because he acknowledged Jeong Yeon-shin's talent.
He spoke as if sharing a drink with a close friend.
It was rather embarrassing for Jeong Yeon-shin.
He was pleased with the mission, but this first encounter felt strange.
The shadow under Tae Yeom-ryong's eyes was burdensome.
Jeong Yeon-shin slowly opened his mouth.
"What do you want me to do with such facts? I do not possess martial arts that could overwhelm your talent."
"Do you truly!"
"I said you were dull. There is nothing wrong with that. Your pain is known only to you. No one else can understand."
In the end, Jeong Yeon-shin found himself speaking about his own experiences.
He had felt this while carrying out various missions.
Unlike monks from the old sects, the people of the martial world tended to get angry easily.
Just stating the facts could provoke them.
It was incomprehensible, but he believed it would still be the same now.
He had worked hard to provoke a strong backlash.
This was his first intentional provocation.
It was bound to work.
"Only I know...? I have never heard that. Everyone said they understood. Even that Volcano Sect guy just now."
The reaction was strange.
Tae Yeom-ryong trembled his lips like a mute who had just begun to speak.
He was a genius suffering from the Sun God’s disease.
Understanding his mental state was difficult for anyone.
"Someone who understands the trajectory of my technique does not know me? Are you belittling a talent destined to die young? The elders of my family held me back due to their rising expectations."
His previously tense gaze softened.
The unique aura of a master who had learned the Jeongjong Mu Hak returned, and one could see the madness dissipating from his eyes.
His prayer was clear.
He did not appear to be intoxicated by wine and poppies.
Finally, Tae Yeom-ryong’s expression seemed to carry an unprecedented fondness.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a sense of crisis.
The thought of failing his mission crossed his mind.
"If I were you, I would sever ties with my family and throw myself into Yuhuang City. They say the fruit of the world’s eye can cure all ailments. The Sun God’s disease would be the same. To discuss life without that level of effort? It’s ridiculous. Even if you live a few more years, it’s already too late."
"Haha! You worry for me! Is it that regrettable to lose the talent to discuss martial arts together?"
"You said you were dull."
It was an incomprehensible thought.
He seemed mad from long suffering.
The problem was that he approached with a provocation that would work on an ordinary person.
'I need to take my time and do this again.'
It was an unexpected obstacle.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned around immediately.
At this moment, any provocation seemed futile, and he needed the help of Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin, who were watching from a distance with strange expressions.
'I cannot sever Tae Yeom-ryong's limbs in the middle of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering.'
It would easily become a public enemy of the righteous martial world.
He could not allow that, so provocation was the goal.
Even the pursuit of the Huang Bo family’s martial force, which was designated as the last mission, was a difficult task.
"Where are you going? Let’s have a duel. You would be good for it. I will specially treat you to some old Shaoxing Huangjiu."
"Your insignificant talent would ruin the taste of the wine. I do not dine with worthless people."
Even after spitting out such harsh words, he laughed heartily.
He was completely mad.
Jeong Yeon-shin shook his head inwardly.
He turned his gaze to find Yu Hyun, who had been sprawled out in the distance.
He saw him getting up alone.
It seemed that there were no disciples accompanying him from the Volcano Sect, and his appearance was quite disheveled.
Jeong Yeon-shin quickly approached and asked,
"Where is the elder from your sect?"
"Oh, it’s been a while. As you can see, they decided to send everyone out from within the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. How could I comfortably share friendships when the elders are watching? Anyway, thank you. Indeed... um, Gu Gwa."
He seemed to change the subject after hearing about Tae Yeom-ryong.
Jeong Yeon-shin noticed Yu Hyun’s eyes moving.
He had a keen sense, more useful than expected.
He caught a glimpse of the rough Huang family’s Yuhuang City emblem covered by another cloth.
Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth.
"You’re not angry. You intervened in the duel."
"It should have ended long ago. It was not a match. Compared to that, you..."
"Um?"
Yu Hyun, known as the unparalleled genius of the Shaanxi Province, seemed to falter at the end of his words.
"You’ve become incredibly strong, almost unbelievable. It feels like your realm has changed. I have improved too, but, um? Speaking of which, you..."
It seemed he finally recognized the color of Jeong Yeon-shin’s martial robe under his long coat.
Yu Hyun’s expression grew complicated.
The blue of Yuhuang City held significant meaning.
They said it was on par with the elite of the old sects in the world.
They were the utmost masters beneath the sect leader and elders.
Jeong Yeon-shin was on friendly terms with Yu Hyun.
He had heard that as the youngest disciple of the clan leader, he dreamed of mastering the Plum Blossom Sword of the Volcano Sect.
The blue was a position that matched Yu Hyun’s aspirations.
He could guess his feelings.
'The time of living is different.'
Jeong Yeon-shin swallowed his words.
He turned his gaze.
He saw those approaching before Hyeon Won-chang and Shin So-bin.
Outstanding young men and women with remarkable auras.
They were the later disciples of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering who had been at Yeonhwa Pavilion.
'The elite of the Jeongjong Mu Hak are gathered in one place.
There are also disciples of the Jeongsa family.'
To Jeong Yeon-shin, they did not appear as mere people.
Their faces could not hide their curiosity, and they seemed to represent a new lineage of martial arts.
"I have never seen anyone speak harshly to Tae Yeom-ryong in my life. I am Wei Wu-ling of the Zhang Bai Sect."
"I am Yin Li-myeong of the Nam Jik Rye Baek Do Mun. Your technique was quite creative. Where did you learn it?"
"From Chusilmun. If you had a late disciple like a young hero, you would soon soar. It has been a long time since a dragon has flown from the middle and small sects, and now another late disciple like the Sword Dragon and Tae Yeom-ryong has emerged."
One by one, they gathered.
Perhaps it was because the opponent was Tae Yeom-ryong.
Despite having heard Jeong Yeon-shin’s words, they seemed to have no strong aversion.
He returned their greetings and felt their auras completely.
'Good.'
Recently, what Jeong Yeon-shin sought to establish was the Heart Method.
It was the study of accepting energy.
The various auras of the late disciples revealed through true energy were all inspirations.
To increase the speed of Qi gathering in the Heart Method, stability also had to be considered.
Jeongjong Mu Hak was indeed a good foundation.
"Such a thing without roots."
From one side, he saw Huang Bo Myung-rin glaring at him as if she wanted to kill him.
The late disciples of the prestigious martial arts family formed a group around her.
Among them, no one approached Jeong Yeon-shin.
At that moment, someone spoke.
"I heard that people from Shaolin, Wudang, and Jongnam have sent someone as well. I do not know when they will arrive."
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately thought of the monk Gak Jeong and the Sword Dragon Wi Ji-myo.
It was the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering of the righteous martial world.
It seemed that disciples comparable to the three major sects of the Central Plains were gathering.
'The scale is growing.'
It was not just the late disciples.
The Namgung family of Huiju had already begun skirmishes with the Shiba family.
To accomplish the purpose of this mission, they would also have to involve the Huang Bo family.
The Shiba family, which had fought with the Namgung family, could not be overlooked either.
He could not predict how fierce the flow would become.
Just as Jeong Yeon-shin was sharpening his vigilance.
"This place seems good."
A chilling voice spread.
It was a powerful resonance.
In an instant, an incredibly deep inner strength was felt.
Boom! Boom!
Corpses of warriors clad in blue martial robes flew from all directions.
They seemed to be the warriors of the Namgung family who had been secretly guarding the area.
The reactions of the late disciples were immediate.
Sreung!
The sound of drawing swords rang out in unison from all directions.
There was no one so careless as to not question the identity of the intruders.
Each of them glared at the uninvited guests with shining eyes.
"Whenever the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering opens, the evil sects swarm in. It was the same yesterday. When Namgung locked the door, all sorts of flies came buzzing."
"Isn’t it natural since they reveal everything? Even in our main family, there are so many enemies."
"Let’s finish this quickly."
In response to the calm demeanor of the late disciples, a more elegant retort came back.
"The words of the hidden sect were true. Even the young ones of the righteous sects. Truly delightful."
"The response is good. Yes. It is a common occurrence in the martial world."
Many approached silently.
Blood-red hair mixed with black hair, a mix of energies.
There were about twenty blood sect swordsmen.
With their red eyes glaring, Jeong Yeon-shin was among them.
He had appeared frighteningly soon after entering Huiju and spending time at Yeonhwa Pavilion.
It seemed intentional.
Jeong Yeon-shin had already heard the words of Ma Jin.
Since he had revealed martial arts that could become the nemesis of the Blood Flame Sect, he would have become a top target for assassination.
'It was true.'
He had learned through multiple missions.
The influence of the Blood Flame Sect had grown alarmingly large.
Such a massive cult was mobilizing all its power to kill Jeong Yeon-shin.
As a sect that relied on martial arts for its essence, the longer he spent in the martial world, the easier it would be to be tracked.
It was said to be part of the martial arts techniques.
If the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering had been held within the Namgung family, such an incident would not have occurred.
Even Yuhuang City had not anticipated this.
"Blood Flame Sect?"
"Mad."
"How many branches have gathered like this?"
Many were murmuring.
Even Jeong Yeon-shin, who had little experience in the martial world, found it tiresome to face them.
The late disciples who had roamed the martial world before would feel the same.
They appeared to be a terrifying force.
Even Huang Bo Myung-rin, who had been at a distance, had turned pale.
Tae Yeom-ryong, who had not yet released his blood strike, also wore a grim expression.
This was the martial world.
It was said to be a place where inevitability and chance intertwined, suddenly creating corpses.
Just because they had chased away a third-rate sect yesterday did not mean that a major sect would not visit tomorrow.
The locked doors of the Namgung family might also have been playing into the hands of the Blood Flame Sect.
Everyone would die.
It was an old method of the evil sects.
If they massacred the heirs of the opposing righteous sect, even the mid-level masters would be affected.
In a world where a single thread was crucial for masters, it widened the gap of monstrous psychology.
"..."
Only the sound of flowing water, constantly absorbing sunlight, echoed.
Was the river beneath the pavilion approaching the Samdo River? There were young late disciples swallowing their saliva.
'Good.'
Jeong Yeon-shin followed the established formula and began to circulate his true energy.
Soon, a divine and mysterious power began to rise from his entire body.
He wrapped his inner strength around his right hand and inwardly hoped.
The Blood Flame Sect’s seven swordsmen had lost an eye to this martial art.
He hoped they had brought the countermeasure.
If he could counter that countermeasure once more, there would be something to gain.
It was a life that needed to grow stronger rapidly.
He had to use any means necessary.
"You."
One of the Blood Flame Sect swordsmen stepped forward.
He had the most black hair among the group.
They said the martial arts of the sect varied greatly.
The energy he felt was unusual.
"In a bustling city like Huiju, there is nowhere our main sect's eyes do not reach. You must have known that the assassination order had been issued, yet you dared to come here. The fools of the righteous sect know nothing. You are..."
"Then you must know this as well."
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.
A light blue current gathered in his outstretched hands.
It was a unique martial art that did not exist anywhere in the world.
The moment the Myeolma Cheonggangsu, which swallowed the sun, was revealed above the water’s surface, a grand energy spread from his hands.
Wuuung!
It was the most clear energy of anyone present.
A wave like a sky-blue mist spread in all directions.
Perhaps it was because he had gathered a considerable amount of Qi for the creation of the heart method.
Even without swinging his hands, he pushed back the energy of the Blood Flame Sect swordsmen entirely.
It was completely opposite.
In that moment, there was no response.
A look of confusion appeared on Jeong Yeon-shin's face.