Episode 145
The Thirteen Generations of the Flying Dragon Sect in Yunnan Province.

The members of the Seventh Division had gathered again this evening, just as usual, for their sparring session.

Na Seoyu, the deputy leader of the Seventh Division, took a deep breath and gripped the sword ‘Yeonhong’—a blade given to her by Hae Cheongyeon—more firmly.

Before her stood a woman, reclining casually with a faint, inviting smile.

This was an opponent Na Seoyu absolutely refused to lose to.

“Hah!”

With a sharp shout, Na Seoyu lunged forward.

Now a fully matured, top-tier master swordswoman, her new technique was swift, and her strikes looked razor-sharp.

Yet, her blade never reached her opponent.

The black steel ribbons, writhing as if alive, suddenly coiled around her.

Whoosh!

“Eek!”

Na Seoyu spun her body, scattering sword shadows in all directions.

Swish!

But the black steel ribbons seemed to absorb her strikes without a scratch.

They only hesitated momentarily before tightening their grip again.

“Ugh!”

With no choice, Na Seoyu leapt backward, desperate to escape the ribbons’ range.

But it wasn’t easy.

The black steel ribbons, like a fierce dragon, refused to let her go.

Swoosh!

The thin tip of a ribbon curled sharply, wrapping around her leg.

“!”

Her body froze midair, unable to retreat any further.

In an instant, the black, snake-like ribbons filled her entire field of vision.

Before she knew it, her whole body was ensnared.

Rustle, rustle!

“Ah!”

Na Seoyu was trapped like a cocoon.

No matter how hard she struggled, escape was impossible.

Gently, the living ribbons lowered her to the ground.

“Eek!”

Ya Wunhyang approached slowly, her usual languid expression showing no sign of effort.

With a dreamy gaze, she spoke softly.

“Weak.”

Na Seoyu gritted her teeth.

Though it was undeniable she was weaker than the supreme master Ya Wunhyang, it was a sting she never wanted to hear from her.

Suppressing the rising anger, she spoke.

“Yes, I’m certainly no match for you, Lady Ya. So, could you please release me now?”

A faint smile curved Ya Wunhyang’s lips.

“I’ll let you go if you promise to give up Seolpung.”

The sudden demand caught Na Seoyu off guard, her face flushing red.

“W-what are you talking about all of a sudden?!”

But Ya Wunhyang’s expression remained unchanged as she repeated calmly.

“I mean exactly that. Promise to abandon Seolpung, and I’ll release you.”

Na Seoyu, who rarely lost her temper, finally glared at Ya Wunhyang with fury.

“Don’t joke around. You think you can threaten me with something like this?”

Having returned to the Flying Dragon Sect after caring for her father in Nagajang, Na Seoyu had been quite unsettled by the sudden appearance of Ya Wunhyang.

This woman, who had come chasing after Seolpung, was undeniably more beautiful than Na Seoyu herself.

Not only that, but she was already a renowned supreme master.

What unsettled her most was how openly Ya Wunhyang showed her feelings for Seolpung.

Na Seoyu couldn’t understand how someone could be so honest and confident all the time.

Honestly, she envied her.

Watching her made Na Seoyu feel small and insignificant.

And now, Ya Wunhyang was telling her to give up Seolpung.

That ignited a fierce resistance deep inside Na Seoyu.

If there were a few things she could never give up in life, Seolpung was one of them.

With determined eyes, she stared back at Ya Wunhyang.

“I will never give up.”

Ya Wunhyang smiled faintly again.

“You always pretended otherwise, but now you’re finally being honest.”

“…What?!”

Na Seoyu was taken aback.

Come to think of it, she had never once admitted her feelings for Seolpung.

She had been completely tricked by Ya Wunhyang.

With a soft rustle, the black steel ribbons that had bound Na Seoyu loosened as if moving on their own, then coiled around Ya Wunhyang’s slender waist.

But Ya Wunhyang didn’t even flinch, speaking in her usual languid tone.

“Not backing down is a good start. But it’s not enough. You’ll never beat me. My heart is far stronger than any martial art. And… Seolpung is a man who can’t stand anything less.”

It was both a declaration and a warning.

Na Seoyu met her gaze seriously.

She knew Ya Wunhyang was right.

Seolpung, currently training deep in the forest with the Sword Saint elder, was truly an extraordinary man—she just hadn’t realized it because they were always together.

Even Ya Wunhyang, who had just toyed with her like a child, was no match for Seolpung.

The same went for Han Gyoseong, the First Division leader known as the prodigy of Cheongseong, and Sa Gunil, the leader of the Fourth Division, famed as the greatest prodigy of Jeomchang.

‘And that’s without even using the full power of that crimson-eyed martial art.’

No matter how vast the martial world was, and how many hidden dragons there were, few in their twenties had achieved anything close.

Seolpung might very well become the absolute master of the next generation.

But if the person standing beside him was lacking?

That would only hold him back.

Na Seoyu refused to be that person.

With resolute eyes, she looked at Ya Wunhyang.

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to stay here forever. Soon, I’ll make you experience what I just went through.”

Her fierce words made Ya Wunhyang smile faintly and turn her head.

But it wasn’t a mocking smile.

There really were people who had grown that fast.

Her gaze shifted to where Jilpung Biung Biseoyoung and Jeomchang Sword Tiger Je Wonyeong were sparring.

Until recently, Bi Seoyoung had been a top-tier second-rate martial artist, but now she had reached the pinnacle.

She had struggled to grasp the transition from second-rate to first-rate, but crossing from first-rate to the pinnacle came naturally.

Now at the peak, Bi Seoyoung had become untouchable.

“Hah!”

Je Wonyeong’s sword struck like lightning pouring through storm clouds, aiming at Bi Seoyoung.

It was the Absolute Black Sky Sword Rain technique from the Four-Sword Style, sometimes used by Sun Woojin.

Swish!

But just as the sword seemed about to hit, Bi Seoyoung’s form scattered like falling petals.

It was the Absolute Wind Leaf technique of the Heavenly Wind Divine Method, now finally accessible to her at the pinnacle.

Shhhhhh!

Je Wonyeong gritted his teeth and switched from the Four-Sword Style to the Spectral Eighteen Sword Style.

Sharp eighteen sword energies swirled fiercely in all directions.

Bababababat!

But even these razor-sharp strikes couldn’t touch Bi Seoyoung.

She moved like the wind itself, swirling around him.

Like she was everywhere and nowhere at once.

As Je Wonyeong desperately tried to cut down her elusive form, Bi Seoyoung suddenly accelerated, brushing past his back.

Now she wielded the Explosive Advance technique as naturally as breathing.

Ssssh!

Chak!

“Gah!”

Je Wonyeong barely blocked Bi Seoyoung’s strike, sweat beading on his back.

Her sudden bursts of speed made even reacting difficult.

It was as if she had become a shadow.

Then, once more, Bi Seoyoung streaked past his rear.

Chak!

Her afterimages filled the air like scattered petals, her strikes striking like sudden gusts.

Je Wonyeong, clearly the more skilled of the two, looked trapped in a whirlwind, struggling.

Watching the duel, Ya Wunhyang shook her head unconsciously.

Even if it were her instead of Je Wonyeong, she doubted she could catch someone like that.

Of course, both Je Wonyeong and she, with their higher martial prowess, wouldn’t be easily defeated by Bi Seoyoung.

But the odds of catching her were far lower than the odds of being caught.

How could you defeat an enemy as elusive as the air itself?

‘And to think she was only a second-rate martial artist a few months ago.’

It was unbelievable.

The same went for Cheon Joo-eun, who was now cheerfully racking up consecutive wins against male members of other divisions.

“Yeah! Fifteen wins in a row!”

“Now it’s my turn, Lady Cheon!”

“No, I was waiting first!”

Cheon Joo-eun had recently risen to the upper ranks of first-rate, gaining the admiration of many male warriors.

With her naturally cute looks and ever-smiling face, now combined with leader-level martial prowess, it was no surprise she was popular.

But in the Seventh Division, there was one man even more popular than her.

That was Bae Jonggwan.

Surrounded by countless men, he was the center of attention.

“Whoa! Amazing, Jonggwan! How can you move so nimbly with muscles like steel?”

“As expected of Iron God Meteor Bae Jonggwan! How do you build those incredible muscles?!”

“Teach me that external technique too, Jonggwan!”

“Jonggwan!”

“Jonggwan!”

Of course, the kind of popularity was a bit different.

With the explosive step technique that Sun Woo-jin had passed down, and recently receiving focused training from Seol Poong, Bae Jong-gwan had added a sleek new method and dazzling moon sword skills to his already steel-like external martial arts.

Once the other male members of the squads saw that mastering external techniques didn’t slow him down, they no longer hesitated to ask Bae Jong-gwan to teach them as well.

Not long ago, he had been treated like a quack medicine peddler, but now Bae Jong-gwan had become the popular figure among the twenty-three male warriors of the Flying Dragon.

Ya Woon-hyang glanced over the seven squad members training around her.

Not a single one was ordinary.

Though they hadn’t quite reached her level yet, it was hard to believe these were the same people who, just a few months ago, were considered second-rate.

She looked over at Na Seo-yu, who was staring back at her with a challenging gaze.

And she said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

Judging by their progress, it didn’t seem impossible that Na Seo-yu might catch up to her.

For the first time in a long while, she felt the blood of a martial artist surge within her.

Just then, someone flew toward them with a lightness like a bird, using that sleek new method.

It was Hae Cheong-yeon, the vice-captain of the Fourth Squad.

“Seo-yu unni!”

Her voice was urgent, unlike usual.

Ya Woon-hyang watched her quietly.

Hae Cheong-yeon, once a member of the Seventh Squad before Ya Woon-hyang, had earned her place as vice-captain of the Fourth Squad through outstanding martial prowess.

She was also well known as the woman of Jeom Chang Geomho Je Won-young, the current Fourth Squad captain.

Jeom Chang Geomho Je Won-young had consistently expressed his affection for her, though she remained indifferent.

“Seo-yu unni! Where is Father?!”

At her words, Ya Woon-hyang realized she had forgotten one important fact about Hae Cheong-yeon.

‘She’s the daughter of the Sword Saint Hae Un-baek, isn’t she?’

Even Ya Woon-hyang, who had never envied any other woman, suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.

She was truly a woman with remarkable credentials.

But now, that remarkable Hae Cheong-yeon’s expression was grave.

Na Seo-yu, slightly taken aback by Hae Cheong-yeon’s uncharacteristic urgency, answered, “If it’s the Sword Saint elder, he’s probably in the forest over there, dueling with Seol Poong, the squad captain. But why…?”

“Thank you!”

Without waiting for a reply, Hae Cheong-yeon darted off in the direction Na Seo-yu pointed.

It was a side of her completely unlike her usual self.

Na Seo-yu tilted her head, murmuring, “What’s going on?”

At the same time, Sword Saint Hae Un-baek was laughing heartily in a forest that had been utterly devastated.

“Ha ha ha ha! You’re truly remarkable! It’s the first time I’ve been able to move my arms and legs so freely against a young martial artist!”

He spoke without a sword in hand.

Apparently, he had been relying solely on his bare-handed techniques to spar with Seol Poong.

Seol Poong, sprawled across the ruined forest floor, struggled to rise and said, “It’s all thanks to your teachings, Sword Saint elder.”

“Ha ha ha! Don’t say that! I’ve taught many young warriors, but if all their skills were because of me, the world would already be filled with supreme martial artists, ha ha ha!”

Suddenly, the Sword Saint glanced around and whispered conspiratorially.

“By the way, do you have any interest in my daughter, Cheong-yeon?”

“…What?”

Seol Poong looked at the Sword Saint, startled by the unexpected question.

From a distance, Hae Cheong-yeon’s voice called out.

“Father! Where are you?!”

The Sword Saint’s face visibly flustered, but he quickly laughed boisterously again.

“Ha, ha ha ha! Just joking! People, why so serious? Wasn’t that fun? Ha ha ha!”

Then, in a low voice, he whispered quickly.

“So this joke about Cheong-yeon stays strictly between us…”

At that moment, Hae Cheong-yeon landed beside them.

“Father!”

“Oh! My daughter’s here! Still as beautiful as ever, my dear girl, your old man missed you…!”

The Sword Saint tried to greet her with his usual playful charm.

But Hae Cheong-yeon handed him a letter with a stern expression.

“This came from the Martial Alliance.”

The Sword Saint took it with a puzzled look, but as he read, the playful glint faded from his eyes.

His gaze sharpened like a blade.

It was a challenge.

A formal challenge from Seo Il, the One-Eyed Strange Sword, one of the Five Great Monsters of the martial world, directed at Sword Saint Hae Un-baek.

Moreover, rumors that the Strange Sword had already challenged the Sword Saint had spread throughout the martial world even before the letter arrived.

It was clearly the work of Je Gal Ji-gang.

Hae Cheong-yeon said with a firm expression, “The fact that Seo Il has issued a challenge means he’s confident he can win.”

Seo Il, the One-Eyed Strange Sword, belonging to the Five Great Monsters, was famous as an undefeated gambler.

He traveled the world seeking duels and had never lost once, killing every opponent who had defeated him.

Yet now, he was challenging the Sword Saint through the Martial Alliance.

The Sword Saint smiled gently and asked Hae Cheong-yeon, “Do you think your old man will lose?”

She shook her head, frustrated.

“It doesn’t mean he’s stronger than you. It means they’ve created a situation where he has no choice but to lose. Don’t you understand? That’s why Seo Il is undefeated.”

Seo Il was undefeated not because he was the strongest, but because he only challenged opponents he was sure to beat.

Never someone stronger or even equal—only those he could definitely defeat.

That’s why, despite being a gambler, he had never challenged the other absolute masters of the martial world.

“And the situation where he must win is surely connected to the Martial Alliance. It’s a trap. A trap set by Je Gal Ji-gang to eliminate you.”

That was why Hae Cheong-yeon had come to deliver this news personally.

If the letter had reached her father through other channels, the Sword Saint would have accepted the challenge without hesitation.

But even knowing it was a trap, the Sword Saint only smiled softly.

“Cheong-yeon.”

At his gentle voice, she snapped, “No, Father! Absolutely not!”

But he continued calmly.

“You know well that for a martial artist, there are things more important than life itself. I am not afraid of death, but I fear retreating out of fear of death. And… if I avoid this challenge, you know what will happen, don’t you?”

Hae Cheong-yeon bit her lip, unable to answer.

The reason Je Gal Ji-gang hadn’t touched the Sword Saint yet wasn’t just because he was an absolute master.

More precisely, it was because he was the most respected martial artist among all warriors.

To the current generation, the Sword Saint was synonymous with the ideal swordsman.

One who never compromised with injustice and never bowed to any threat.

But if the Sword Saint avoided the Strange Sword’s challenge?

His reputation would crumble instantly.

No, Je Gal Ji-gang would make sure of it.

And Hae Cheong-yeon knew exactly what that meant.

‘The reason Je Gal Ji-gang couldn’t touch Father will disappear. Without the Sword Saint’s influence over the martial world, he’ll just be a strong warrior. Someone they can dispose of without concern. And the first target will be our family.’

The Hae family, led by Hae Un-baek, was based in Heochang, Hanam Province.

It was close to Jeongju, the seat of the Martial Alliance.

Until now, no one dared touch the Sword Saint’s family for fear of backlash from the martial world.

But if Je Gal Ji-gang could topple the Sword Saint’s status, the Hae family would become a perfect hostage.

From Je Gal Ji-gang’s perspective, it didn’t matter whether the Sword Saint accepted or declined the challenge.

As the leader of the massive Martial Alliance, dealing with a single powerful warrior was far easier than fighting the shadow of the most respected martial artist.

‘Maybe he even hopes the Sword Saint will avoid the fight…’

As Hae Cheong-yeon wrestled with her thoughts, the Sword Saint gently stroked her head and said,

“Don’t worry, Cheong-yeon. If you’re this anxious, doesn’t it feel like I’ve already lost? Your old man isn’t that weak. If I had fallen into Je Gal’s trap or been killed by some strange sword, I wouldn’t be alive now. So why not trust me? Whatever trap it is, I’ll smash it and come back to you.”

His voice was filled with unwavering confidence, trying to reassure his daughter.

Hae Cheong-yeon looked at him with anxious eyes.

His words were true.

He had become the idol of all martial artists by overcoming battles and dangers no one else could.

But even knowing that, her unease wouldn’t fade.

Je Gal Ji-gang knew this too.

Hae Cheong-yeon said, “Then send a reply demanding that the One-Eyed Strange Sword come here first. We can’t let them lure Father into their pre-set trap.”

The Sword Saint nodded readily at her suggestion.

“Yes, that sounds like the best plan. Let’s do it that way.”

Hae Cheong-yeon felt a slight sense of relief at the swordsman’s prompt acceptance.

If she could lure him here and force a direct confrontation—leaving no room for traps—then, logically, there was no way her father would lose to someone like Seo Il.

But still, something felt off.

Even though it made perfect sense, and even though her father was undoubtedly one of the strongest figures in the martial world, her uneasy premonition refused to fade away.