Once.

Slice-!

The first martial artist’s chest was cut open.

"Guhk!"

Twice.

Slice-!

The second martial artist’s arm flew into the air.

"Kraaagh-!"

Three times.

Slice-!!

The third martial artist’s neck was pierced through.

Wonyang immediately spun her body and thrust her sword toward the neck of the man who had lost his arm.

Thrust-!

"Kh... khurk...."

In an instant, five were dead.

The Azure Dragon Unit martial artists stepped back, but Wonyang instead rushed forward.

Before her, she saw a man with terror in his eyes.

She swung her sword.

Lone Heavenswalk.

A single line of sword qi split into dozens.

Puh-guh-guh-guhk-!!

The man’s body was horribly torn apart, flesh bursting in all directions.

"...Do not be afraid! Kill her!"

One martial artist at Five-Qi Convergence Realm shouted.

Wonyang kicked up a fallen sword from the ground, spun her body, and struck with the flat of her blade.

The sword shot through the air and buried itself in the throat of the man who had shouted.

With the sound of him collapsing, Wonyang kicked off the ground.

She swung her sword horizontally.

Lone Moon Beneath the Heavens.

Sword qi shot forth like a wolf howling at the moon.

It was not mere sword qi.

It detonated the energy in the empty air.

KWA-GWANG-!! KWA-GWANG-!! KWA-GWANG-!!

Chain explosions.

Their formation collapsed, and four were swept up in the blasts and went down.

Six, seven, eight, nine.

"...Mo-monster...!!"

The faces of the remaining martial artists turned pale.

But Namgung Wonyang did not stop.

She kept advancing.

Thrust.

Slice.

Slice.

As the unit members were being cut down, a martial artist at Five-Qi Convergence Realm stepped in front of Wonyang. His sword came chopping down from above.

KANG-!

Wonyang blocked it with her sword.

The man moved to continue his attack at once, but Wonyang was faster.

She gave her body a slight twist and thrust out her sword.

The blade cut through the air.

And then.

Thrust-!

It pierced the man’s throat. Wonyang immediately kicked off backward, planted a hand on the blood-soaked ground, and launched herself once more.

Thrust-!

Swords and daggers buried themselves in the spot where she had just been.

Her eyes flashed.

Energy gathered into her sword.

Without hesitation, she hurled it toward the cluster of Azure Dragon Unit martial artists.

Heaven-Slaughter Wolf-Star Art.

Cold Star Shattering the Void.

KWA-A-A-A-ANG-!!!

A massive explosion erupted where the sword struck.

"Kraaagh!!"

"Guhk!!"

"Save me...!!"

Five men were swept up in the explosion and blown to pieces.

Only two remained.

Both at Three-Flower Summit.

"...We-we have to run...!"

One of them turned and ran.

But Wonyang picked up a sword lying on the ground and hurled it after him.

Thrust-!

It buried itself in the back of his neck, and he fell on the spot.

One remained.

Wonyang stepped forward.

She picked up another sword.

The man trembled and backed away.

She kicked off the ground.

The man swung his sword.

KANG-!

She struck upward and knocked it away. His front opened completely. Spinning her body, she slashed upward from below.

Slice-!

The man’s face split in half.

Wonyang lowered her sword and looked at Unhwi. Unhwi gave a nod.

She smiled.

***

Faced with the sudden turn of events, Ha Mujin could not regain his senses.

No, how could anyone have predicted this?

He had moved according to Zhuge Yeonghyeon’s plan.

Yet not one thing had gone as Zhuge Yeonghyeon said it would.

Seol Unhwi had killed two Heavenly-Man Realm martial artists as effortlessly as if he were toying with children, and that bitch Namgung Wonyang, whom no one had even counted on, had wiped out the Azure Dragon Unit.

Even if the Azure Dragon Unit was not the Murim League’s highest elite force, it was still a mid-level group made up of Three-Flower Summit and Five-Qi Convergence Realm martial artists, and yet it had been annihilated.

...With that level of martial strength, she should already be at Heaven-and-Earth Fourfold Realm... Is that even possible at her age?

Ha Mujin could not begin to understand how this absurd monster called Seol Unhwi trained his subordinates to produce such monstrous martial power.

In that brief instant, Ha Mujin was thinking of running.

"I will not stop you."

At the sudden sound of Unhwi’s voice, Ha Mujin frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

It was as though he had read his thoughts. No, surely not.

"Were you not thinking of running away?"

"..."

"Go. I will not stop you."

"...You bastard...."

"However, are you not a protector?"

"..."

"According to the words of Zhuge Yeonghyeon lying dead here, I attacked Gun Mugyeol together with Senior Wang. In such a situation, the man serving as protector runs away? No matter how this ends, if you flee now, it is no different from fleeing the martial world entirely."

"..."

"So choose. Will you die like a martial artist, or become a fugitive who is no longer one?"

Ha Mujin ground his teeth.

The insolent little bastard.

Blatant killing intent stretched toward Unhwi. Unhwi did not respond.

Because someone had already stepped in front of him.

Wang Muha, the Golden Blade Chivalric Hero.

He drew his sword and stood before Unhwi.

Ha Mujin looked at Wang Muha in silence, then at Unhwi, and without another word kicked off the ground.

Not forward, but back.

He fled.

Wang Muha spoke to Unhwi.

"If we let that man go, he will become a grave future trouble."

"I agree."

"My heart has already turned from the Murim League, and since I have decided to stand with you, I intend to remove that future trouble. What do you think?"

"I will follow your decision, Senior Wang."

Wang Muha looked at Unhwi for a moment, then nodded.

"I will bring back only his head."

"Be careful."

Wang Muha immediately kicked off the ground.

In an instant he became a dot and vanished, and before long tremendous booms began to erupt.

A clash between masters who had reached unity of heaven and man.

It was a slight shame that it was not happening close enough to watch properly, but it was fine.

Unhwi stood there in silence and called Wonyang.

Wonyang approached.

"Go to Ha Baekhyun."

"...And you, my lord?"

"I will remain here."

Because the situation had to be put in order.

And Gun Mugyeol was absolutely not an easy man.

"Go to Ha Baekhyun and tell him to rescue my sister."

At this hour, the second examination was already in full swing.

The timing also fit.

The Gun Mugyeol Unhwi knew would definitely have tampered with the second examination.

Why had he moved the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering forward?

Why had he deliberately allowed Seol Yeonhwa to become involved?

When [N O V E L I G H T] Gun Mugyeol did anything, he was the sort of man who considered even the second-best course and acted with that in mind.

"Go."

"...Understood."

Wonyang kicked off the ground, and Unhwi was left there alone.

KWA-ANG.

KWA-A-ANG.

The sounds of Wang Muha and Ha Mujin fighting rang out.

Soon people would come rushing here.

With the noise this loud, it would be stranger if they did not.

Unhwi quietly closed his eyes.

And so time passed.

***

Before Unhwi and Gun Mugyeol began their game,

all the martial artists who had passed the first examination were seated in the waiting chambers.

The second examination would begin soon.

The thirty-eight rising stars sat in their places, steadying their breathing as they waited for it.

As befitted those who had passed the first examination, all of them radiated extraordinary presences.

Seol Yeonhwa was quietly gazing out the window.

Little brother...

Seol Yeonhwa was not a fool either. It was not as though she did not know Unhwi was planning something.

Had he succeeded?

Was everything going well?

She did not know.

She had certainly thought that she herself might become a burden.

That was why she had told Unhwi it might be better if she withdrew.

To those words, Unhwi had answered like this.

Do what you want to do, Sister.

She had said that if what she wanted to do only ended up shackling her family, she had enough resolve to give it up without hesitation, but Unhwi had been just as firm.

Do you know why I am moving around so busily, Sister?

She had said she did not.

I want the Snow Palace to endure forever, and beyond that, I want all of my brothers, my sister, and even Father to achieve what you all desire.

She had had nothing to say.

I want to help with that. And I want to prepare the stage for it. So do not worry, and simply do your best.

His sincerity had reached her, and so she had not returned to the Snow Palace.

That was why she was participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering now, and why she had passed the first examination in first place.

Desperately.

She had fought with everything she had.

So that she could repay that feeling of Unhwi’s.

But being worried was another matter.

"Miss Seol."

At the low voice, she turned her head.

It was Gongsun Mingyue.

The next head of the Gongsun clan. She too was a genius standing on the threshold of Heaven-and-Earth Fourfold Realm.

"Miss Gongsun."

"Are you nervous?"

Seol Yeonhwa gave a faint smile.

"It would be a lie to say no."

"You are honest."

Gongsun Mingyue came to stand beside her.

Looking out the window together, she continued.

"I am the same. The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering... they say it is the place where the future of the martial world is measured, do they not? From what I can see, I think you are close to that future, Miss Seol."

"You flatter me."

"It is not flattery."

Gongsun Mingyue’s gaze became serious.

"Miss Seol, I know. I know how outstanding you are. Not merely in martial arts, but in insight and wisdom as well."

"..."

"As a descendant of one of the Five Great Clans, I too aim for final victory in this gathering. And by my feeling, the person most likely to be my final opponent is you, Miss Seol. If so, then I believe it is only natural that I should know more about you as well."

Seol Yeonhwa blinked.

So.

Because she expected her as the final opponent, she wanted to learn more about her?

To say that so directly to her face was fresh enough to surprise Seol Yeonhwa.

But that was not the end of it.

"For this second examination, how about we join forces?"

It sounded like she wanted to analyze her more closely from a nearer distance.

An appearance with nothing hidden, only sincerity.

Seol Yeonhwa looked at Gongsun Mingyue for a moment, then nodded.

"All right."

The two lightly clasped hands.

It was then.

"Miss Seol."

A rough voice cut in.

Both of their gazes turned at the same time.

Seok Cheonhan.

The young master of the Tyrant Blade Gate was approaching with a broad grin. His build was imposing, and his gait was unrestrained.

"Young Master Seok."

Seol Yeonhwa’s voice turned cold.

Where Gongsun Mingyue’s proposal had been pure competitive spirit from beginning to end, this man was the exact opposite.

He was packed full of filthy desire. It was not the first time, nor the second.

Yet Seok Cheonhan paid no mind to Seol Yeonhwa’s gaze. If anything, he came even closer as he spoke.

"It was truly regrettable that we could not share the field at the last Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."

"..."

"Compared to that time, it seems your martial arts have advanced by almost two full steps. Your eyes were truly beautiful. Ah, that bearing like plum blossoms blooming within that cold aura. Noble indeed, as befits a polar heir, and yet the passion contained within..."

He stepped closer still.

"I cannot help but wonder how that passion blooms when the night grows deep."

Gongsun Mingyue’s gaze turned cold.

"Young Master Seok. The examination is about to begin. Perhaps you should mind your manners."

"Manners?"

Seok Cheonhan let out a scoff.