Chapter 07
The next morning, just as dawn broke, an unexpected visitor arrived at Namgung Cheon’s residence.
It was Namgung Un, his mother’s trusted subordinate and the clan’s Internal Steward.
A man who always remained by Zhuge Hwa’s side like a shadow, his actions within the clan were effectively regarded as Zhuge Hwa’s will.
Carrying an exquisite wooden box, he bowed respectfully before Namgung Cheon.
“Third Young Master, this is an item entrusted to me by the Acting Clan Head.”
Though his manner was impeccably polite, a trace of doubt lingered deep within his eyes.
It was only natural.
The insignificant youngest son who had been ignored until yesterday had suddenly become a storm that shook the entire clan overnight.
Trusting such a drastic transformation was not easy.
Without a word, Namgung Cheon accepted the box.
It felt surprisingly heavy, and a strange warmth seeped into his palm.
When he opened the lid, he found a single spiritual pill resting inside, its surface swirling with crimson and golden hues.
Heavenly King’s Heart-Replenishing Pill…
Its mere presence made the qi and blood throughout his body surge.
“The Acting Clan Head said that whether you can endure this pill is also your responsibility. With that, I shall take my leave.”
Having delivered the message, Namgung Un turned around and departed without hesitation.
Namgung Cheon stared briefly at the closed door before lowering his gaze to the pill in his hand.
“Whether I can endure it is my responsibility…”
His mother’s test was not over yet.
This spiritual medicine was both a reward and another trial meant to measure the size of his vessel.
He did not hesitate.
Sitting cross-legged, he immediately swallowed the Heavenly King’s Heart-Replenishing Pill.
The moment it passed through his throat and reached his dantian—
KWAAAAAANG—!
A ferocious and overwhelming heat exploded within his body.
“Urgh!”
A groan escaped his lips as it felt as though his dantian were about to burst apart.
The Heavenly King’s Heart-Replenishing Pill.
Despite its name, which suggested healing and nourishment, its true nature was closer to destruction.
It shattered an old and inadequate vessel completely before forging a new one atop the ruins.
An ordinary martial artist would have had all their meridians melted away by that initial shockwave alone, becoming crippled for life.
But Namgung Cheon embraced the destruction head-on.
“Break me. Then rebuild me.”
Drawing upon the experiences of his previous life, he seized control of the wildly rampaging energy.
The meridians that had only barely opened during his first Small Heavenly Circulation were now being mercilessly expanded by the torrent of power flooding through them.
Every blood vessel swelled taut.
His muscles and bones screamed as they twisted under the strain.
The agony felt as though his flesh were being torn apart and his bones crushed into powder.
The moment his body crossed the limits of what it could endure—
His consciousness began to blur.
If he lost awareness now, the berserk energy would tear him apart.
At that moment, memories from his previous life flashed through his mind.
The arrogance and indomitable will that had never broken despite countless betrayals and brushes with death.
The soul of the Heavenly Demon lashed his weakened body forward.
“I will not kneel before pain of this level.”
Forcing himself to remain conscious, he drove the energy even harder.
If it could not be avoided, then he would charge directly into its center.
The pain had already surpassed the realm of sensation.
Just as his consciousness was about to fade—
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
A series of explosive sounds echoed along his spine.
The Ren Meridian and Du Meridian.
The two great rivers through which the energies of Heaven and Earth flowed within the human body.
A forbidden domain unreachable by ordinary internal energy.
Yet under the violent force of the Heavenly King’s Heart-Replenishing Pill and the unyielding will of the Heavenly Demon, they began to open.
The instant those blocked channels were unsealed, the raging energy calmed as though a river had finally reached the ocean.
A far grander and smoother circulation began.
His shattered meridians were reconstructed stronger and tougher than before.
His internal energy flowed freely throughout his body.
His dantian deepened and widened like a lake that would never run dry.
All impurities were expelled from his body, replaced by pure and refined qi.
Hours passed.
By the time night had fully settled—
Namgung Cheon slowly opened his eyes.
Fwoosh—
A blue aura briefly illuminated the room.
“…Incredible.”
The Heavenly King’s Heart-Replenishing Pill was in no way inferior to the finest spiritual medicines of the Demonic Cult.
If anything, it was superior.
The Demonic Cult’s medicines often left severe side effects even when successfully endured.
“My cultivation has risen considerably.”
Everything around him looked different.
The dust drifting through the air.
The outline of moonlight filtering through the paper windows.
Everything appeared astonishingly clear.
“The Ren and Du Meridians have been opened. I’ve crossed an entire mountain.”
Slowly, he rose to his feet.
Every movement felt light and full of power.
With a satisfied smile, he stepped outside.
To completely surpass the person he had been yesterday.
And to lead the Namgung Sword into a new realm.
* * *
Namgung Cheon stood in the small courtyard behind his residence.
Drawing Changcheon from his waist, he raised the sword.
The blade that had once felt heavy now seemed like an extension of his own arm.
Shiiing—
The sword emerged with a clear ringing sound.
Its cold blue glow mingled with the moonlight, creating an almost mystical sight.
It truly deserved to be called a treasured sword of the Namgung Clan.
Namgung Cheon adjusted his grip and slowly closed his eyes.
Within his mind appeared the first form of the Namgung Clan’s inherited sword art:
Azure Sky Endless Sword Art.
First Form: Splitting Heaven Through Layered Mountains.
A technique meant to cleave apart mountains and open the heavens.
It embodied overwhelming weight and momentum, crushing opponents head-on.
Traditionally, the technique required a stable stance while circulating internal energy smoothly through the body’s muscles, bones, and meridians.
Layer upon layer of power would accumulate throughout the blade until sword and wielder became a single mountain.
That was the true essence of the technique.
But Namgung Cheon disagreed.
“To crush through sheer weight? Foolish.”
The Heavenly Demon’s philosophy was different.
“Power becomes weaker when dispersed. It must be compressed into a single point and unleashed.”
He poured the abundant internal energy flowing through his newly opened meridians directly into his arm.
His strengthened channels endured it effortlessly.
Blue sword qi enveloped the blade.
Then he swung downward.
SWOOOSH—
There was no explosion.
Only a sharp whistle through the air.
A vivid blue afterimage lingered in space before a streak of sword qi shot forward.
The massive boulder at the edge of the courtyard split apart as cleanly as tofu.
“…”
Namgung Cheon silently observed the result.
“The movement follows Splitting Heaven Through Layered Mountains, but the interpretation is entirely that of the Heavenly Demon.”
It was the Namgung Clan’s swordsmanship.
Yet hidden within it were destruction and killing intent.
This was the path he would walk.
He trained throughout the entire night.
As one form after another of the Azure Sky Endless Sword Art unfolded, increasingly sinister blue traces filled the courtyard.
The unstable lines gradually became sharp, precise, and consistent.
When dawn finally arrived, he sheathed his sword.
His body was drenched in sweat.
Yet since acquiring this new life, he had never felt better.
As he caught his breath, the final scene of his previous life surfaced in his mind.
The Heavenly Demon Palace drenched in blood.
What had become of the Demonic Cult after that terrible civil war?
But he quickly shook his head.
“There is no time to dwell on the past.”
Several decades had already passed.
Who ruled now and what had become of them no longer mattered.
Only the power in his hands—and the greater power he still needed to obtain—was important.
Power.
The only true law of this world.
The only true order.
In his previous life, the elders of the Demonic Cult had schemed endlessly.
They formed factions.
Played political games.
Fought for influence.
Yet all those intrigues had crumbled before his overwhelming strength like sandcastles before a tidal wave.
What they truly feared and obeyed was not the title of Cult Leader.
It was the absolute power possessed by the Heavenly Demon.
“Power itself is authority. It is the throne. It is the only thing that compels others to follow.”
Nor was this limited to the Demonic Path.
Righteous sects and unorthodox factions alike hid behind lofty ideals.
Yet in the end, the words of the strong always carried the greatest weight.
That was the essence of the martial world.
Then there was only one path forward.
“I will prove it.”
The martial might hidden behind the name Namgung Cheon.
And the most certain way to prove it—
Was to defeat the strong.
“In that case…”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Without hesitation, he turned and left his residence.
* * *
Thunderbolt Gate.
A respected orthodox sect.
Though not famous throughout the world, within Anhui Province it was a force that could not be ignored.
Ever since Gwak San, the wielder of the Thunderbolt Saber, became Sect Master over a decade ago, the Thunderbolt Gate had grown steadily stronger.
“KYAAAAP!”
At the center of the training grounds, Gwak San roared.
The massive saber in his hand descended like lightning.
Filled with saber qi, the blade swept through a cluster of wooden training dummies.
KWAKWAKWAANG—!
Five or six dummies exploded simultaneously, scattering splinters in every direction.
Gasps of admiration erupted from the disciples watching nearby.
There was no doubt.
This was the power of a Peak Realm master.
Yet Gwak San was dissatisfied.
“When will I finally surpass this wall?”
Gripping his saber tightly, he exhaled heavily.
Others praised his martial prowess.
He could not.
Though he stood at the peak of the Peak Realm, the path beyond remained invisible.
Years had passed in this frustrating stagnation.
Recently, rumors from Hefei had only worsened his impatience.
The youngest son of the Namgung Clan had received not one but two swords from the Sword Pavilion.
“If those rumors are true, Anhui’s balance of power will soon change dramatically.”
To survive—and elevate his sect during the coming upheaval—his current strength was insufficient.
“Sect Master! Sect Master!”
Just as he raised his saber again, a disciple rushed into the training grounds with a panicked expression.
Gwak San frowned.
“What is the meaning of this disturbance during training?”
“B-But, Sect Master! A guest… a guest has arrived!”
“A guest?”
Swallowing hard, the disciple almost whispered.
“The Third Young Master of the Namgung Clan has come in person!”
“What?”
Gwak San’s eyes widened.
The Namgung Clan.
A towering existence that he had never even dared approach despite sharing the same city.
Why would a young master of the Namgung Clan—especially the Third Young Master at the center of all recent rumors—come here?
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
“…Take me to him.”
Suppressing his complicated emotions, Gwak San straightened his robes and followed.
His steps toward the reception hall were heavy with tension.
Soon, he arrived.
Standing in the center of the hall was the man he had only heard about through rumors.
Expensive martial robes.
Two swords hanging from his waist.
A handsome appearance.
Yet the aura surrounding him was so deep, cold, and tranquil that its limits could not be measured.
Without realizing it, Gwak San swallowed.
The youth appeared far younger than himself.
Yet his very presence suppressed the momentum of a Peak Realm expert.
Instinctively, Gwak San understood that the rumors surrounding the Sword Pavilion were no exaggeration.
Maintaining his composure, he spoke first.
“I am Gwak San, Sect Master of the Thunderbolt Gate. It is an honor to meet the Third Young Master of the Namgung Clan. To what do we owe the honor of your visit to this humble place…?”
Namgung Cheon merely acknowledged him with a slight nod.
Then, without the slightest attempt at politeness or preamble, he stated his purpose.
“I have long heard of the reputation of the Thunderbolt Saber.”
His eyes locked onto Gwak San.
“I came to see with my own eyes whether that reputation is deserved.”
The proving of martial might.
The journey of challenge duels had begun.
