'Should I grow my hair long...?' It was a jest from the absolute ruler who alone governs the world.
It was hard to imagine such a lofty being making a joke.
One should not let any words slip by.
Jeong Yeon-shin had to remember that.
He recalled the time he wandered in search of the Hunyuan spear.
He had sparred with local martial artists to gather information.
To gain their favor, he learned the art of hospitality, even losing in verbal sparring.
When one becomes a master, they grow their hair long.
He kept that thought in his heart. 'Still, if they are the great lords of the main lineage, wouldn't they consider that enough to call me a master?' The realm of black was said to be the achievement of the Three Transformations and the Five Qi Foundations.
It was a level where one's essence directly responded to their thoughts.
A world capable of standing against the renowned elders of the Nine Factions.
At that point, it seemed unlikely that someone would snatch at his long hair from close range.
After stepping into the realm of ascension, he could grow his hair long.
It was just a fleeting thought.
Once again, he met the green eyes, and the Lord of Iphwang opened her mouth.
"Your demeanor is resolute. Such foolish talk."
A faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
"Even if the heroes of the world escape death, the fierceness of the island's beauty will not diminish. It does not look bad." "······Thank you."
"There is no need for gratitude or apology."
Her tone was as gentle as a breeze.
She continued slowly, "The main lineage is not lacking in great talents. I have called you to reward the achievements you have made through your aspirations, so I shall bestow upon you what you rightly deserve."
Finally.
The words he heard from the lord stirred his heart.
He needed to calm his mind, but it was not easy.
Even with a long exhale, his heart raced.
If the Lord of Iphwang was aware of everything, she did not withdraw her small smile.
Everything in his field of vision slowed down.
Her lips, which had just finished speaking of the bestowal, opened again.
"Your contributions are significant. I will speak of two."
He could not focus on her beauty, which was a testament to unparalleled martial prowess.
He could only gaze at her face, which seemed to be no more than four or five years older than him, as if trying to imprint it in his memory.
"The merit of locating the main branch of the cult that harms the common people, and the merit of greatly contributing to the extermination of the rebellious factions without sacrifice." "······."
The former merit was merely an incident that arose from the Seven Swords Alliance coveting Jeong Yeon-shin's value.
That was how the incident of the main branch began.
However, he did not feel embarrassed.
The reward that was about to come was more important than anything else at this moment.
"You have sufficient merit. It is time to test your qualifications."
With those words, she reached out her hand again.
Unlike a martial artist, her white palm slowly rose.
A very strange thing happened.
The moonlight behind the Lord of Iphwang was drawn into her hand and began to wane.
It truly created a transcendent spectacle.
It was not a human act.
That was how Jeong Yeon-shin felt.
"This is."
Whoosh.
The massive tree trunks surrounding the office exhaled a gentle breeze.
It felt as if they were tickling his body.
It was the moment when the emerald leaves, bathed in the brilliant breath of the full moon, brushed against her entire being.
"It is the fruit of the world tree. A small fragment."
It was as if she had plucked a handful of the moon reflected in the lake.
A beam of light sprouted on the hand of the Lord of Iphwang.
It was hazy, as if it had been shaped from moonlight. "······."
Jeong Yeon-shin fell silent.
A gust of wind from outside, where there were no walls, teased his neck as it passed.
Even if he gathered everything he had seen in his life, it was the most bizarre miracle.
The hum.
Even the sound of vibration felt divine.
He stared intently at the piece of light resting in the palm of the noble one.
If it was the goal of life, he felt nothing.
It was different from the elixirs that were commonly said to raise one's internal energy.
There was no surging energy.
Only a feeling of the miraculous filled him.
"I know what is known in the world."
The Lord of Iphwang parted her lips.
When he raised his head, he met the gaze of the forest, which resembled an abyss.
She was staring at Jeong Yeon-shin intently.
"Everyone is mistaken. This is not an elixir that grants immense power."
"You spoke of qualifications. Then what kind of...?" "You must feel to understand."
Her hand moved slightly forward.
The fragment of light was placed even closer.
The more he looked, the more mysterious it became.
It seemed unlike anything in this world.
"Taste it."
At the Lord of Iphwang's words, he instinctively raised his hand.
She slowly shook her head.
"If it falls from my body, it will lose its power. You must bring your mouth."
There is a saying called "Gijinibo" (奇珍異寶).
It meant rare and strange treasures.
Things like the Imugi, spirit creatures, strange beings, and even ginseng in human form.
The various divine swords of the world that exhibited miracles, as well as the famous elixirs of the Central Plains, were like that.
It was said that things difficult to accept with common sense were abundant among the upper echelons of the martial world. 'If it falls from my body, it will lose its power?' The Lord of Iphwang spoke as if she were the world tree herself.
Countless questions bloomed in his mind.
Was it something spiritually connected? Did the term "guardian of the world tree" encompass such meaning? However, he dared not voice it.
He feared showing presumptuous words and actions.
Jeong Yeon-shin's position was such.
He could not be called a master by the lord.
He was in a position to accept whatever was bestowed upon him. 'Senior Cheongmyeong said that as one's rank rises, the information one encounters changes.' For now, he decided to promise the black.
That was enough for now. 'Still.' Even so, the fragment of the world tree before him was a fitting reward.
He should take it.
Without hesitation, Jeong Yeon-shin slightly lowered his head toward her hand.
At the same time, he slowly opened his mouth.
The moment his lower lip first touched the tip of her hand, "Huh?" Jeong Yeon-shin let out a sound of confusion.
It was because the Lord of Iphwang withdrew her hand.
"The appearance is not good."
Her tone was calm.
At the same time, the fragment of the fruit descended to her fingertips.
Swish.
It reached out as it was.
The hazy light gradually filled Jeong Yeon-shin's vision.
It was not a movement toward his mouth.
It was headed straight for his head.
The pathway leading directly to his upper dantian seemed to respond already.
Her long finger touched the space between Jeong Yeon-shin's eyebrows.
At that moment, "Huh!" His breath was immediately cut off.
It was inevitable.
In an instant, his consciousness flew away.
It felt as if he was being buried in the abyss of a swamp, and at the same time, a sensation of endless elevation enveloped all his thoughts and surged upward.
Whoosh─! It was not an increase in power.
It was some kind of experience.
It felt as if he had entered the mind of an unapproachable being.
A tidal wave of sensation erupted.
It truly surged rapidly.
He felt every detail of the air brushing against his skin, bringing the energy of nature.
He became more sensitive than he had ever imagined.
It was a perception that felt as if he might go mad and die.
Suddenly, he became aware of the slowly flowing time.
He saw the flowing moonlight.
At this moment, Jeong Yeon-shin was one with the Lord of Iphwang.
He felt both sight and atmosphere.
He gazed at himself through her eyes.
The features of the lord reflected in the black body were wondrous.
Could there be another instance like this among the miracles of the world? It was hard to believe. ...
That moment felt like an eternity.
Her slender breath was clear, yet not a single exhale had ended.
Before the wind that brushed past his ear had even faded, it was unbearable.
Gradually, his upper dantian seemed to be trying to burn as if it were forcefully enduring.
"It is done."
The moment the Lord of Iphwang whispered, the unbearably long time regained its flow in an instant.
Whoosh! Jeong Yeon-shin returned to himself.
His body swayed.
It seemed he had experienced a sensation that surpassed even the realm of ascension.
Just as he was about to lose his balance, a gentle hand grasped his shoulder.
It was the Lord of Iphwang.
"Now is not the time. It is too early."
She said.
Jeong Yeon-shin merely raised his head to meet her gaze.
"When you say it is too early..."
"Your level is shallow, and you cannot accept the fruit. Devote yourself to training."
"Just now, what was the purpose of that?" "I tested whether you could accept the spirit of the world tree. Once your vessel of thoughts becomes solid, as long as the clan's tree does not wither, you will not ascend to the Hundred Meetings through the Baihui point. You will live eternally."
She spoke of the spirit.
It seemed to mean sharing the divine nature of the world tree to hold onto one's life.
This too was something beyond common sense.
Jeong Yeon-shin asked if his understanding was correct.
"Your interpretation is correct."
The Lord of Iphwang slowly nodded her head.
It meant that the fruit was the medium. 'What...?' He fully experienced the mystery that was said to be among the top in the martial world.
Before entering, he had thought of the legendary panacea that was passed down through tales.
It was only half right.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt a sense of emptiness and asked once more.
"Upon rising to the rank of the Lord of the Divine Sword, I will receive the complete fruit as a fitting reward. Thus, you mean to endure the spirit of the world tree to reach the realm of the purple robe?" "That is also correct."
"Then, what was the sensation I just experienced?" He asked about the world he felt through the lord's eyes.
Her lips curled up slightly.
"It was inevitable."
Swish.
The gentle hand on his shoulder gently pushed Jeong Yeon-shin away.
"It was a gift."
"Ah."
He stepped down from the tree trunk.
Before he knew it, all his senses had returned.
However, the unparalleled world he had experienced remained vividly in his memory.
So it was a test, and thus a gift.
He did not know what the inevitability she spoke of meant.
However, it was an experience that would greatly lead him in the future.
Perhaps it might even help with the tasks at hand.
Inspiration was stirring in the creation of his heart technique.
It was very intense.
"May you prosper until you reach the Southern Branch."
She said.
It seemed she knew that Jeong Yeon-shin had been selected for the martial arts competition against the Namgung family.
It was said that all matters of the city would be handled by the General Office, but it seemed she had some interest in it. 'It is the order of the guest.' The word prosperity was a greeting.
It meant he could leave now.
"May the lord also be at peace."
Jeong Yeon-shin calmly offered his respects.
Swish.
The sound of his clothes softly brushing against each other came back to him clearly.
The lord slightly leaned back.
She gently leaned against the tree trunk.
Jeong Yeon-shin turned his body as he watched her slowly close her eyes.
The moment he stepped out of the office, the stone door that had opened by itself earlier closed on its own.
It must have been the subtlety of the Lord of Iphwang's air manipulation.
He was now accustomed to it.
Jeong Yeon-shin descended the stairs.
It felt much shorter than when he ascended. 'So that was the fruit.' His heart felt strange.
Perhaps it was because he had experienced something unimaginable.
He fully realized one of the inexplicable things in the martial world.
He thought that anyone who experienced it would feel the same way.
He had even heard the word eternal life.
It was a story far removed from his current self.
It was on the opposite end. 'Even if I receive the fruit.' He understood that his level was insufficient to contain that power.
The experience of the mission would lead to an increase in martial arts and expand his merits.
Ultimately, it meant he had to return to the basics.
Thud.
The boy who had stepped outside the inner sanctum of the Lord of Iphwang walked silently.
His shadow gradually lengthened under the brightly descending moonlight.
The deep night was coming to an end.
The next day, at the Ma Gwang-ik Great Martial Arts Arena.
An official document was issued through the General Office.
It was a letter detailing the next mission.
Jeong Yeon-shin, sitting in the middle of the martial arts arena, unfolded the document regarding the mission assignment.
His seniors surrounded him in a circle, looking down at him.
The sight of them gathered together was somewhat amusing.
"The name of the island's beauty is included in the martial arts representative team. It is truly written."
"It is indeed an honorable matter. If only I were ten years younger..."
Some seniors with higher martial arts skills than Jeong Yeon-shin seemed to have read it first.
The boy skipped the miscellaneous preamble and went straight to check the list. [By the decree of life and death, the following five shall be executed.] Namgung family, Chang Ryung Hwa-ju.
Namgung family, So Ga-ju.
Namgung family, Chang Gung Geom Cheon Dan-ju.
Namgung family, Elder Won-ju.
Namgung family, Lord. [The following main lineage martial artists should prepare accordingly.] Sun Cheon Ik, Baek Gi Rin.
Ma Gwang Ik, Seom Ye.
Main lineage, Elder Won-ju.
Iphwang Ma family, Lord.
Divine Sword Lord. 'Divine Sword Lord?' Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes widened.