"The process of rising to the Three-Manifest Realm is never smooth."

"...I am prepared for that."

Unhwi, who had been looking at Wonyang, spoke firmly.

"Even so, if you reach that ultimate state, there will at least be a chance to drive a blade into Namgung Hyeon’s throat once."

"That is enough for me."

It had been the same in the carriage on the way here to Gongneung, and in the carriage when they had been heading to Heaven-and-Earth Province as well.

At first, when Unhwi saw Namgung Wonyang’s physical condition, he felt one thing.

The possibility of the Three-Manifest Realm.

He wanted to confirm that for certain.

So he had continuously taken her pulse, sent qi through her, and gone through all sorts of processes.

Only then did Unhwi gain certainty.

Namgung Wonyang could rise to the Three-Manifest Realm.

Unhwi took out a book from his dusk pouch and handed it to Wonyang.

It was an utterly ordinary book, the kind that did not even have a title written on it.

The moment Wonyang, having received it, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) opened the front portion, her eyes widened.

"My lord... this is...?"

"It is the core of the Three-Manifest Realm."

Unhwi spoke briefly.

"Given where we are, memorize all of it and burn it within one siju if possible."

"Understood, my lord."

***

The next morning.

The Murim League’s enormous martial grounds.

The Heavenly Martial Platform.

This place, capable of holding several thousand people, was already packed.

Elders from each sect, masters of the martial world, and even spectators.

At the center of the martial grounds, about three hundred rising stars had gathered.

All of them were young.

And all of them were overflowing with confidence.

At the very top of the spectator stands.

Gun Mugyeol, the Murim League Leader, was seated there, and beside him sat Unhwi.

Gun Mugyeol looked at Unhwi sitting beside him and asked,

"Is it not a magnificent sight? So many rising stars gathered in one place."

"I cannot deny it. As expected of the Murim League."

"..."

"Who but the Murim League could gather this many people?"

"That is... true."

"On top of that, the Heavenly Martial Platform, which I had only heard of in rumors, is indeed grand beyond measure. To think it can hold this many people. At this rate, even the Enemy State would probably covet it."

At the sudden shower of praise, Gun Mugyeol became flustered in a way rarely seen.

Even Zhuge Yeonghyeon, seated beside him, opened his eyes round in surprise, so there was no need to say more.

Ahem. Gun Mugyeol cleared his throat and continued.

"...They might covet it, but what could they do? This place is no different from a holy land for martial artists."

"That is fortunate. As expected of Leader Gun."

"...Ahem."

Without caring what the reactions around him were, Unhwi looked down below.

He saw Seol Yeonhwa.

She too wore a relaxed expression.

Slowly, Gun Mugyeol raised his hand.

The martial grounds fell silent.

"The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering begins."

Gun Mugyeol’s voice rang throughout the entire martial grounds.

"The rules are simple. Draw lots and engage in sparring matches. If you subdue your opponent or receive their surrender, you win."

"..."

"It continues until thirty-eight remain. Begin."

A roar of cheers erupted.

The rising stars began to move.

After drawing lots, they headed toward the sparring arenas.

The exact number of rising stars gathered here was three hundred and four.

To continue until only thirty-eight remained meant each person had to fight three times.

Since they had to distribute their strength properly and devise short-term strategies within a short span, the most important thing was to determine who their first opponent would be.

Soon, the first match began.

Two martial artists clashed swords.

Clang!

Sword qi scattered.

But it did not last long.

One of them soon collapsed.

"Winner, Lee Mujin of the Clear Wind Sword Sect!"

Cheers erupted.

Then the second and third matches continued in succession.

Time passed.

Then it happened.

"Next match! Seok Cheonhan of the Tyrant Blade Gate, Bang Muhyeok of the Hwa-Cheon Sword Sect!"

The martial grounds stirred.

The young master of the Tyrant Blade Gate.

That name alone drew attention.

Seok Cheonhan walked out to the center of the martial grounds.

A massive saber was strapped to his back.

An arrogant expression.

Eyes that looked down on his opponent.

"So, it is Young Master Seok of the Tyrant Blade Gate."

Gun Mugyeol murmured, and in that instant Unhwi’s eyes sharpened.

Once, long ago, he had mentioned it lightly.

How Seol Yeonhwa had died in his previous life.

And Unhwi had found every person directly related to that death and tortured them all.

He ignored their pleas to be killed, healed them, healed them again, and then tortured them again.

He tortured them whenever he was bored.

He tortured them even when he had something to think about.

He even procured spirit medicines and fed them to them so they would not become broken shells.

Seok Cheonhan was one of them.

And every matter carries signs. Right now, Seok Cheonhan was staring at Seol Yeonhwa with deeply suggestive eyes.

That glinting gaze was strange beyond words.

"What do you think?"

To Gun Mugyeol, who asked that question, Unhwi answered briefly. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"It is interesting."

"Interesting... Heh heh...."

Soon, the sparring began.

Seok Cheonhan drew his saber.

Boom!

As the saber swung, blood-colored saber qi burst forth.

Tyrant-Heaven Blood Blade.

A saber art that split the heavens.

His opponent, Bang Muhyeok, hurriedly raised his sword to block.

Clang!

The sword was knocked away.

"Urgh!"

As Bang Muhyeok staggered backward, Seok Cheonhan’s saber came down again toward him.

Bang Muhyeok hurriedly stamped backward and spun his body. It was a technique meant to strike Seok Cheonhan’s saber with his foot and alter its direction.

Unfortunately, Seok Cheonhan was a top-tier expert even among the rising stars. He was a martial artist of the Five-Qi Convergence Realm, so there was no need to say more.

Before Bang Muhyeok’s foot could even touch the saber, Seok Cheonhan tilted it slightly to the side and struck Bang Muhyeok across the side of the head.

Boom!

Had it been the blade’s edge, his head would have split in two.

Looking down at Bang Muhyeok, who had collapsed onto the ground, Seok Cheonhan raised his saber high into the air.

"Winner, Seok Cheonhan of the Tyrant Blade Gate!"

Cheers erupted.

But the very top of the spectator stands remained quiet.

"Tyrant-Heaven Blood Blade...."

Gun Mugyeol spoke as he rested his chin on his hand.

"They say the Tyrant Blade Gate made the Tyrant-King Blood Blade of the Hebei Peng clan into their own. What do you think, Young Master Seol?"

Everyone around them looked at Unhwi.

Clicking his tongue inwardly, Unhwi slowly opened his mouth.

"I too have heard the story that the Tyrant Blade Gate inherited the true legacy of the Hebei Peng clan."

"It is a famous story in the martial world."

"Yes. But in that saber art, not even the shadow of the Hebei Peng clan can be seen."

"Hm."

Unhwi continued quietly.

"The Tyrant-King Blood Blade of the Hebei Peng clan drew up the energies of the middle energy center and the lower energy center at the same time and loaded them into the saber. It was a martial art that could only truly be used after reaching the Five-Qi Convergence Realm."

The surrounding elders held their breath.

"But the Tyrant-Heaven Blood Blade used by that Seok Cheonhan...."

Unhwi paused briefly, then continued slowly.

"It is a martial art that explosively drags up only the energy of the lower energy center to produce temporary power. The outer shell is merely similar. In essence, it is completely different."

"That is right."

Gun Mugyeol nodded.

"Furthermore, that saber art has a fatal flaw."

"A flaw?"

"Every time he swings the saber, its connection to the upper energy center is severed."

At Unhwi’s words, even Gun Mugyeol grew serious.

"Severed... yes, that is certainly true. Since he handles the saber with only the power of the lower energy center, he becomes unable to read the qi of heaven and earth. Anyone who had reached the Heaven-and-Earth Fourfold Realm would not miss that opening."

"And besides."

Unhwi added,

"That method has a limit of five times. From the sixth onward, the lower energy center will fail to endure it and he will suffer internal injuries."

"Hmm...."

"If he uses it a seventh time, his energy center will be destroyed."

The surrounding elders’ eyes widened.

They turned to look at Seok Cheonhan again.

To that extent...?

He saw through the very essence and limit of the martial art after seeing it only once...?

Gun Mugyeol let out a faint laugh.

"You truly do have an eye for it, Young Master Seol."

"You must have seen it first, Leader."

"Heh heh...."

The two men met each other’s gaze.

On the surface, the atmosphere was cordial, but beneath it there flowed a cold current of mutual appraisal.

The sparring continued.

"Next match! Chu Mugeuk of the Chu clan, Noe Mujin of the Heavenly Thunder Gate!"

The martial grounds stirred again.

The Chu clan.

One of the Five Great Clans.

Chu Mugeuk stood in the martial grounds.

A long spear was in his hand.

"So, the original house of the Tyrant-King Spear Art."

Gun Mugyeol muttered.

The sparring began.

Chu Mugeuk swung his spear.

Boom!

A thunderous roar rang out.

The spear thrust forward as though to pierce the heavens.

Heaven’s Apex Tyrant-King Spear.

Noe Mujin unleashed a palm art, but

Smash!

He was driven back by the spear.

Chu Mugeuk’s spear kept thrusting forward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was overwhelming.

"Aaargh!"

Noe Mujin collapsed.

"Winner, Chu Mugeuk of the Chu clan!"

Cheers erupted.

"Heaven’s Apex Tyrant-King Spear...."

Gun Mugyeol muttered.

"It is a martial art of the Three Ascending Extremes."

"You saw it?"

Unhwi nodded and answered quietly.

"In the first extreme, it draws up the energy of the true energy center. In the second extreme, it receives the qi of heaven and earth. In the third extreme, it fuses the two and detonates them."

Gun Mugyeol nodded.

"It is a martial art that embodies the process of passing from the Five-Qi Convergence Realm into the Heaven-and-Earth Fourfold Realm. As expected of a martial art from one of the Five Great Clans, it is intricate."

"But there is a problem."

Gun Mugyeol gave a faint laugh.

"That an opening reveals itself before the third extreme is reached."

"Yes. Between the first and second extremes, in that brief instant, the flow of qi is cut."

Unhwi continued.

"It only went unnoticed because his opponent was lacking. Had it been a martial artist of the same level, it would have been read."

The Chu clan, despite being one of the Five Great Clans, was participating in this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering for the first time.

So was it because he was nervous?

Or because he wanted to display a higher martial art?

No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like watching a child proudly show off clothes that did not fit.

At least, that was how it appeared to these two.

Gun Mugyeol propped up his chin.

"Moreover. The higher ascending martial arts rise, the more severe their internal-power consumption becomes. If he uses the third extreme more than three times, his energy center will not endure it before he reaches the Heaven-and-Earth Fourfold Realm."

"I agree. However, the moment that spear art is completed, in other words, when Chu Mugeuk becomes capable of wielding the third extreme freely, he will have no equal among those of the same realm."

Unhwi declared it outright.

The two men met each other’s gaze.

The surrounding elders did not even dare breathe.

The Three Ascending Extremes...?

He discerned even that after seeing it displayed only once...?

It was enough to leave one speechless.

So he had not raised the Heavenly Alliance under the name Chief Justice of the Heavenly Alliance for nothing.

How could it be possible for someone to discuss martial arts with Gun Mugyeol himself?

The surrounding elders could not close their mouths.

Admiration, awe, and fear were all mixed together.

Time passed.

The sun rose high into the sky, and the sparring continued.

"Next match! Gongsun Mingyue of the Gongsun clan, Kang Mucheol of the Ironblood Sword Sect!"

The martial grounds stirred once more.

The Gongsun clan.

One of the Five Great Clans.

And there had been rumors that its young heir was a woman.

Gongsun Mingyue stood in the martial grounds.

She held a thin, long sword.

Her gaze was cold.

"Well now... she was on the participant list, but since she did not appear at yesterday’s banquet, I had assumed she was not participating... so even the Gongsun clan has joined."

Among the Five Great Clans, which is the greatest?

When asked that question, most people choose the Gongsun clan.

Unhwi spoke in a quiet voice.

"I have heard that the movement art of the Gongsun clan is the finest under heaven. It seems we will see it today."