At the ti when Regis, was locked in combat with Adrian, the Sword Demon was mocking Vera before eting his end at the hands of The Burning Tiger of Heaven. anwhile, the Emperor's Envoy from the Demonic Sect paid a visit to the Branch of the Eastern Mountain the Fiery Blade clan.
"Who… are you?"
The first to face him was a fourteen-year-old girl nad Sylvia, the youngest daughter of the late head Gavin. She was also the younger sister of Alec, the clan's young master, and the niece of Flastrike Valen.
"Is Flastrike present here by any chance?"
"If you an Flastrike, that would be… my eldest uncle?"
"So, you must be Sylvia. Could you let him know that a guest has co to see him?"
"Alright…"
The young girl glanced up at the man holding a lacquered red fan, her gaze curious. He didn't appear to be a martial artist but looked more like a scholar. Dressed in a black robe embroidered with a red dragon, he carried an air that made it difficult to determine if he was a friend or foe. His youthful face smiled, but his slitted eyes betrayed no emotion.
Without further words, Sylvia nodded and ran off into the inner courtyard of the branch family. The Emperor's Envoy, Byron, quietly surveyed his surroundings. The branch family seed to have suffered more damage than the main family. The incomplete restoration work spoke volus.
"Well, the head is dead, after all," he murmured.
The absence of a leader had profound symbolic significance.
Gavin, the "Flaming Sword of Thunder" and head of the Branch of the Fiery Blade clan, was a martial artist who had reached the mid-stage of transcendence. While sowhat overshadowed by his younger brother's progression into the early stage of enlightennt, Gavin still commanded imnse respect throughout Eastern Mountain. In fact, more people owed their loyalty to him than to the Flastrike himself.
As Byron calculated various scenarios, a powerful aura drew closer from afar. Soone approaching the clan at this ti could only be one of two things: an ally or an enemy. Each step carried an overwhelming presence.
"So, we et at last, Flastrike."
"Who are you?"
"No need to be so wary. I'm here to make you an offer."
The slitted eyes of Byron opened slightly. Valen saw it then—the whites and blacks of his eyes were reversed, no longer human.
"Are you from the Demonic Sect?"
"Calling us 'Demonic' seems a bit harsh, don't you think? Surely there are more refined titles."
But instead of answering, Valen drew his flaming blade, the Fla Dragon Sword. Its blade roared with a fiery energy, the very essence of the Fla Dragon Sword Technique.
"It seems you're eager to die."
"Ah, but don't you wish to know who killed your son?"
The fan in Byron's hand snapped shut as his eyes narrowed once more.
The appearance of the Emperor's Envoy signified the resurgence of the Demonic Sect. After fifty years of silence, for one of their high-ranking officials to appear was no trivial matter. Moreover, the fact that he had sought out the forr Heavenly Net Master, Valen, and disappeared with him, made this event worthy of being called a "great incident."
Vera, Marcus, and Ethan decided to return to Mount Suncrest Sect. With the Emperor's Envoy now involved, there was little they could do to intervene. This figure, a left hand to the Heavenly Demon, had been estimated to be at least in the early stages of enlightennt during the previous war between the righteous and demonic sects.
Now, Vera's journey had taken an unexpected turn. Their mission was now to safely return and report everything to the Mount Suncrest Sect and the Unity.
The fresh scent of grass tickled their noses as faint shadows stretched across the ground. Retracing their steps, Vera paused.
A massive cherry blossom-shaped scar carved into the earth caught his attention. He recognized it as his own handiwork. This was the site of his second kill.
"Why have you stopped?"
Ethan, who was walking ahead, turned back to look at Vera. His eyes, as always, were hard to read. Yet… there was a trace of conflict in them.
"Vera," called Marcus softly.
"Yes, senior brother?"
"What's on your mind?"
"…Just wondering if there will co a day when I can no longer count the people I've killed."
For now, he could still rember. The first, the second, the third. But one day, as he drew closer to a fate of endless bloodshed…
"That day will co," replied Marcus.
"Senior brother! You don't have to say such things…"
"It's the truth, Ethan. That day will co, Vera."
No matter how Ethan protested, Marcus spoke with unwavering warmth, even in the face of brutal honesty.
"But even then, we will remain by your side."
"Will you really?"
"Yes. And don't let it weigh too heavily on you. The martial world is, after all, a place for those who carry swords."
Swords were tools for killing, and those who carried them had already steeled themselves for death. Vera nodded silently. Blood-stained hands were the destiny of all martial artists; no one was exempt.
His eyes fell back to the cherry blossom mark deeply engraved into the ground. Perhaps due to the blood soaked into the earth, that spot appeared darker than the rest.
In the Everstone Clan, within the Internal Affairs Hall, the office of the Internal Affairs Head, Aria, was filled with tension. Her eyes trembled as she held a letter from The Burning Tiger of Heaven.
"What is the matter, Young Lady?"
Caleb, who was leaning casually against the wall, noticed the unusual atmosphere. As the Head of Internal Affairs for the Everstone Clan, Aria rarely showed any emotion, even during the Demonic Sect Remnants Suppression Campaign, where she led the strategists. If soone as composed as her was shaken, it could only an one thing: a terrifying Demonic Sect figure had appeared.
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"It\\u2026 it seems the Sword Demon disciple, the Sword Ghost, has shown up."
"The Sword Ghost showed up? Why are you speaking in the past tense?"
"Because he was killed."
Caleb blinked. The Sword Ghost, a disciple of the Sword Demon, was a figure tied to the Infernal Blade Corps, one of the main militant groups of the Demonic Sect.
"He apparently returned as the leader of the Infernal Blade Corps and attempted to perform the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique."
"That ritual has extrely stringent requirents."
"He was using the heart of a Celestial Blade Star."
"Ah."
Caleb nodded knowingly. The Demonic Sect's dark arts always required a sacrifice in exchange for power. And who would oversee these exchanges? The malevolent deity they worshiped.
"The heart of a Celestial Blade Star would indeed suffice as a sacrificial offering."
"Yes. It seems he sought to elevate his status to match the ritual requirents."
"No wonder The Burning Tiger of Heaven killed him."
The duty placed upon Vera, protected by The Burning Tiger of Heaven, was clear: to eliminate anyone harboring malicious intent toward her. The Sword Ghost, a man who had targeted her heart, was destined to die.
"To go to such lengths for the sake of achieving the Enlightened Realm..."
"...I can sowhat understand."
Caleb glanced at Aria, who let out a bitter smile and hid her face behind the letter. But Caleb wasn't one to leave things be. He stepped forward and gently pried the letter out of her hands.
"Did you ever long for martial prowess, Young Lady?"
"Wouldn't I? If it were up to , I want to be born with the Heavenly Martial Body."
"Quite an envious thought."
"What can I do? I lack talent."
Her words rang true. Aria had no innate aptitude for martial arts. In contrast, the child she kept her eyes on was a prodigy—a Celestial Blade Star, no less, and a monster in the making.
"They say she already surpassed the initial stage of Transcendence."
"What?"
"That girl has already stepped into the early stages of Transcendence, and The Burning Tiger of Heaven vouches for it. It most likely true."
This ti, it was Caleb turn to let out a bitter laugh. That young girl had reached his level, and soon, she would undoubtedly surpass him.
"I told you, didn't I? She possesses greater talent than ."
"Still, I didn't expect it to be so fast…"
"Five years."
"What?"
Caleb grinned as he nodded confidently.
"She reach the Enlightened Realm in five years. That my prediction."
"Is that the result of your sharp insight again?"
"Partially. The rest is an educated guess."
"...But the Enlightened Realm isn't sothing you na like a passing dog."
Aria propped her chin on her hand and passed the letter to Caleb, who burned it silently using Fla Incineration. The letter vanished, leaving not even ash behind.
"Shall we make a bet, Young Lady?"
"A bet? Fine. What at stake?"
"How about one Silver Ingot?"
A significant amount of money. Two taels of silver could sustain a commoner for a year, while a single Silver Ingot weighed fifty taels.
"You're willing to wager half of your yearly inco?"
"Do you accept?"
Aria widened her eyes before smiling brightly. She had nothing to lose.
"But the winner has to host a proper banquet."
"Deal. Even losing ans free drinks. Generous, isn't it?"
The wager was set. All that remained was to wait.
"In any case, this will likely an the end of Vera journey, and she will return to Mount Suncrest Sect."
"Most likely."
"...I should visit Aiden."
Caleb shrugged, clearly unenthusiastic about the idea.
"Do you really need to? You just hear harsh words again."
"Even so, I must go. Aiden understands as well."
Aria rose from her seat and donned her outer garnt. She fastened a slender, ceremonial sword to her waist—a weapon more decorative than practical.
"Vera needs the Heaven-Reversing Pill. Aiden will understand that."
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