Chapter 60

One month ago, shortly after receiving a letter from the Gyojin Sect and holding a elder family council…

Yang-hwi and Baek Mu-ryang entered seclusion together.

“Hwi… I don’t know if this is really possible. Even if I go into a month-long closed-door training with you, there’s no guarantee I’ll reach the Peak Realm.”

From Baek Mu-ryang’s perspective, he was right to be skeptical.

Honestly, it made no sense to reach the Peak Realm just a few months after becoming a First-Class Expert.

‘It’s not the best option, more like the lesser evil... But there’s no other way.’

And it wasn’t entirely hopeless either.

If anything, the chances were rather high.

Yang-hwi stared at Baek Mu-ryang for a moment, then opened his mouth.

“Father, you were the one who first ordered me to master the Heavenly Harmony Art and the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword, were you not?”

“Yes. Your talent is remarkable, enough to be called the greatest under the heavens.”

Thanks to that order, Yang-hwi was able to pass down both martial arts comfortably to Baek Mu-ryang and his younger siblings.

“Though my martial strength may not yet surpass yours, I dare to say I understand the profundities of these two arts better than anyone.”

There exists a type of person called a martial scholar, not necessarily a martial artist, but someone who deeply comprehends martial theories.

“Hwi, are you saying you want to be my martial scholar?”

“Something like that. At this point, it seems like the best path forward.”

“Hmm. You’re right. If there’s no other method, we must at least give it everything we have.”

“Then shall we begin lightly with a spar?”

“Very well. Come to think of it, this will be the first time we’ve sparred.”

With a pleased expression, Baek Mu-ryang drew his sword.

Before being the head of the family, he was a swordsman.

For someone like him, sparring and speaking of swords was always a joy.

Clang! Clang-Clang!

Swords clashed and separated again and again.

After exchanging a few quick strikes…

“Let’s go at it seriously now.”

As Yang-hwi infused his sword with internal energy, the blade began to tremble, making a sound like the flapping of wings.

Baek Mu-ryang followed suit, unleashing the Wings from his blade as well.

Clang!

Clang!

Claaaaang!

Though it was only a single exchange, multiple metallic clashes echoed out in succession.

‘This is my first time sparring with someone at the Realm of Phoenix Wings. In my previous life, I was the only one to master the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword.’

It was exhilarating. It was thrilling. Yang-hwi was, by nature, a born martial artist.

Had he not possessed a genuine love for the martial path, he wouldn’t have reached the Transcendent Peak Realm in his past life.

Clange!

Clange!

Clange!

Like that, an entire day passed.

Yang-hwi and Baek Mu-ryang clashed swords thousands of times.

And as a result, he became certain.

“It’s possible. In a month… Father can reach the Peak Realm.”

Baek Mu-ryang had the talent for it.

As a descendant of the Baek family bloodline, his natural physique and temperament seemed almost tailor-made for the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword.

“Father. The Heaven-Shrouding Sword must be both unshakable and fast. It’s heavy because it is faster than anything else.”

When teaching his younger siblings, he had emphasized weight before speed.

But Baek Mu-ryang was different. He had already passed that stage.

“Alright, Hwi. Let’s go again.”

Seven nights passed.

“Heavenly Harmony Art embraces the energy of all things. To be more precise, it seeks to unify them into one.”

The wings spread wide, embracing everything.

The wings that spread become firm and protective, all-encompassing.

“Thus, what it creates is this: wings that are firm, yet fast enough to cut through the wind.”

“Hahaha, how fascinating. Why is it that your explanations are so easy to understand? It’s as if you’re describing something you’ve already experienced.”

That made Yang-hwi flinch.

He forced a grin and swung his sword.

“Coming in!”

Claaaaang!

The clash of blades rang out once more.

“The sound has changed subtly. Good. At this rate…!”

Another seven nights passed.

“To reach the Peak Realm, one must attain three realizations.”

“The will injures others, the qi follows the heart, and the sword intent manifests into blade form— those three, yes?”

“Correct. Among them, the qi following the heart— how can one move their qi at will? Isn’t the key… to be unconscious of it?”

Baek Mu-ryang remained silent, casually moving his sword.

His movements became natural.

Like a child learning to walk not through instruction, but instinctively.

The distractions faded from his control of sword strokes and internal energy.

“It aligns with the principles you mentioned earlier. A hawk does not consciously fly— it simply soars.”

A third set of seven nights passed.

“Heavenly Harmony Art has the nature of unification— of turning all things into one. That is why I believe it is especially suited for achieving the Sword Manifestation stage.”

“The release of sword qi. The concentration of energy. Fusing it into a denser, deeper form…”

No longer just thoughtful, Baek Mu-ryang began slipping into a state of selflessness.

Yang-hwi swiftly placed a spiritual elixir in his father’s mouth and pressed a pressure point so it would naturally be swallowed.

“One. Unity. Fusion and fire. Swift and firm— merging as one…”

In a trance, Baek Mu-ryang murmured to himself.

Yang-hwi watched him fondly.

“One last hurdle. Just one more…!”

He hadn’t realized it in his past life.

To the young Yang-hwi back then, Baek Mu-ryang was simply a great and towering figure.

‘His talent is far from ordinary. Come to think of it, Father once reached the Second-Class Realm using nothing but a low-tier family martial art.’

Until now, he had overlooked it, but if his innate talent hadn’t been exceptional to begin with, he would have never reached the Second-Class Realm.

Such was the nature of third-rate martial arts.

Without the aid of talent, one could never surpass their limits.

“Father… This is the final hurdle. And if it’s you, I know you can do it!”

And finally, the day of the life-and-death duel arrived.

“Hahaha! Father, congratulations on your great achievement!”

Claang!

Baek Mu-ryang’s sword trembled more fiercely than ever before, radiating a bright, white light.

The very sword aura that proved he had achieved the Manifested Sword Intent, and the second boundary of the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword—

It was White Wings.

.

“Huuuu…”

With half-lidded eyes, Baek Mu-ryang looked gently at Yang-hwi.

Then he slowly sheathed his sword.

“Let’s go, Hwi.”

“Yes, Father!”

At the moment of the life-and-death duel, all of Akan-hyeon would be thrown into shock.

For a new Peak-Level Master had been born.

“Just as I expected.”

Yang-hwi smirked slightly, curling the corners of his lips.

All those gathered in the open arena where the duel was to take place were visibly stunned.

“Sword Qi…!”

“Impossible! The head of the Baek family was still a Second-Class master just recently!”

“He’s not merely projecting energy—this is definitely Manifested Sword Intent!”

And that wasn’t all.

The aura surging from Baek Mu-ryang’s entire body…

His sword-like will that extended outward, infused with inner energy…

In other words, he had also attained Manifested Will Intent.

“Huh… There’s no denying it now.”

“Lord Baek has ascended to the Peak Realm!”

Suddenly, Yang-hwi felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around—

There was Gu-Ak, his face filled with astonishment.

“J-Junior Brother… What kind of miracle did you pull off this time?”

“Fufufufu… All that happened was two geniuses meeting and creating a synergistic effect.”

But in Gu-Ak’s eyes burned a strong thirst—craving.

It had already been several years since he’d reached the First-Class Realm, yet the path to the Peak remained elusive.

“Junior Brother… Could you… Could you teach me too?”

“Hmm. Teaching you won’t be hard. But you likely won’t grow as quickly as Father did. After all, your foundational martial arts are different.”

“I understand. When you have time, I humbly ask for your guidance.”

Despite the looming life-or-death battle, Gu-Ak had willingly filled one of the three slots needed for the duel in place of a real helper. That alone made him deserving of aid.

“Of course. But for now, let’s focus on Father.”

Yang-hwi turned back to look at Baek Mu-ryang.

Right at that moment, his sword, now filled with sword qi, clashed against the curved blade of Blood Night Wanderer.

Claaang!

Though both weapons were brimming with inner energy, it was Blood Night Wanderer’s curved blade that got deflected.

Yang-hwi sharpened his senses and examined the two.

‘Father’s inner energy is equivalent to about fifty years. In contrast, Blood Night Wanderer’s is a full cycle of sixty. In pure energy, Blood Night Wanderer had the advantage.’

And yet, it was Baek Mu-ryang’s sword that had knocked the opponent’s weapon back.

“This is the power of White Wings.”

When the early forms of the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword are executed properly, the blade resonates, emitting a buzzing sound like wings.

The next stage beyond that resonance is White Wings—

A resonance between sword and sword qi.

A far more intense vibration, with exponentially increased destructive power.

It was a technique Yang-hwi had developed in his days as a wandering warrior, when he was constantly struggling with insufficient inner energy.

“Kgh—! How?!”

Blood Night Wanderer was flustered. Baek Mu-ryang didn’t answer. Instead, he simply swung his sword again.

Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword – First Move:

Piercing Feathers Through Rock – Seventh variation.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Six consecutive thrusts, each separated by just a hair’s breadth.

Blood Night Wanderer’s limbs struggled to keep up, flailing to block each incoming strike.

Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword – Second Move:

Folding Wings Twin Slash

As if the sword had split in two, it drew twin arcs of energy.

From left to right, and from right to left—converging inwards.

“Father has seen right through him.”

Blood Night Wanderer, true to his rogue background, had weak fundamentals.

His swordsmanship was decent, but his footwork and body movement techniques—essential for dodging—were sorely lacking.

In contrast, Baek Mu-ryang had learned the Thousand Vessel Step during his closed-door training.

“Gaaaah!”

Blood Night Wanderer failed to retreat fast enough as Baek Mu-ryang stepped in with The Thousand Vessel Step, and the edge of his sword grazed the front of Blood Night Wanderer’s robes.

A deep crimson began to rapidly spread.

“Damn it!”

Infusing his curved blade with tenfold inner power, Blood Night Wanderer swung fiercely, finally forcing Baek Mu-ryang to retreat and resetting his stance, panting heavily.

“So he’s no paper tiger… Definitely a seasoned Peak Realm expert.”

Between Blood Night Wanderer and his father, the one with the higher cultivation was clearly the former.

His inner energy was greater, and each individual strike packed more power.

But—

In a martial artist’s duel, victory isn’t determined by cultivation and energy alone.

“When it comes to sword technique, we have the overwhelming edge.”

Blood Night Wanderer’s swordplay was that of a rogue, refined through real combat, but lacking in refined form.

“In other words, while it’s efficient and laced with killing intent, it lacks depth in its underlying principles.”

If one had to assign it a ranking, it would fall under the category of Peak-level martial arts.

It couldn’t even begin to compare to the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword, which had been elevated to the level of a supreme martial art after being fully mastered at the Transcendent Peak level.

“Not to mention, the difference in footwork alone is far greater.”

For a martial artist, footwork was as important as sword technique.

After all, it was one’s footwork that allowed them to control distance and tempo, enabling seamless advances and retreats—it was only natural.

Clang! Clang!

With each exchange of techniques, Blood Night Wanderer’s body accumulated more wounds.

The blood he shed grew heavier with every strike.

In contrast, Baek Mu-ryang had sustained only minor injuries, nothing serious.

“Blood Night Wanderer.”

Having leapt backward to widen the gap between them, Baek Mu-ryang spoke.

“Yield. If you acknowledge defeat, I won’t take your life.”

Yang-hwi, hearing his father’s words, puckered his lips slightly.

‘Father, really now. At a time like this, it’d be better to show a more commanding example.’

Still, it was his father’s decision. There was no helping it.

Given his father’s upright and chivalrous nature, this outcome wasn’t unexpected.

“Huff, huff…”

Blood Night Wanderer breathed heavily, hesitating.

As a wandering rogue, he had no obligation to throw his life away for someone else’s battle.

“...I yield.”

The moment Blood Night Wanderer spoke those words, an explosive cheer erupted.

“Uwoooooahhh!!”

“Lord Baek has won!”

“One with absolute chivalry! One with absolute chivalry!”

“Turns out Lord Baek’s ‘Righteous Chivalry’ wasn’t just talk!”

“Indeed! To have not only chivalry but peerless swordsmanship as well!”

“Surely he deserves to be called the Twin Absolutes Sword Hero—of Sword and Chivalry! Hahahaha!”

“Twin Absolutes Sword Hero! Twin Absolutes Sword Hero! Twin Absolutes Sword Hero!”

And just like that, Baek Mu-ryang earned a new title.

He had once been mockingly referred to as“One Absolute of Chivalry”, implying he had only honor but no martial skill.

But now he was recognized as the “Twin Absolutes Sword Hero”, a title signifying mastery in both swordsmanship and virtue.

“Blood Night Wanderer. Our duel was a valuable experience. I thank you.”

Seeing Baek Mu-ryang offer a polite cupped-fist salute to the man he had just fought to the death, Yang-hwi smiled with pride.

“Truly, Father lacks nothing when it comes to being the head of our household.”

Lord Baek of the Twin Absolutes Sword Hero, Baek Mu-ryang.

This was the moment he proved himself as both family patriarch and master swordsman, resolving a dire family crisis with dignity.

“That makes two victories out of three for our household. Lord Gyojin Sect, do you admit defeat?”

As soon as Baek Mu-ryang finished speaking, every eye turned toward the Head of the Gyojin Sect.

“……”

His whole body trembled violently. A murderous aura so thick it was chilling began to pour from him.

He looked as though he were on the verge of falling into deviation, following in his son’s footsteps.

Yang-hwi clicked his tongue as he watched.

“Oh dear… You’ve lost without even drawing your sword.”

“Kugh!”

Blood spurted from his mouth as his internal energy reversed from the backlash.

---The End Of The Chapter---

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