“Hoo.”

Tang Sang-a let out a low breath.

I did it.

The Tang Clan’s secret art, the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art, was a movement technique that granted tremendous speed and flexibility, but at the cost of severe Inner Qi and stamina consumption.

In other words, unlike ordinary movement techniques, it was focused on combat. A movement technique was, by nature, a method for traveling farther and faster with less Inner Qi. The Thunder-Chasing Movement Art was clearly different in purpose from ordinary movement techniques.

I made it past one quarter of an hour.

It would not have been an exaggeration to say that Tang Sang-a’s realization of the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art had already entered the realm of mastery.

And yet she had never been able to use it properly, because it did not suit the flexible, razor-sharp nature of her martial arts.

But to have mastered such a formidable art and still be unable to put it to real use had simply been too wasteful.

Hmm. Well, the minor issues are flaws that’ll disappear as your level rises, so they don’t matter much.

Then what do you think my biggest flaw is?

Stamina.

When she had first heard that from Yeon Hojeong, Tang Sang-a had not been able to agree.

The power of poison and hidden weapons varied enormously depending on how precisely one judged distance. Naturally, the Tang Clan’s masters invested heavily in movement techniques, and because of that, almost none of them suffered physically in that regard.

But only now did Tang Sang-a understand what Yeon Hojeong had meant by stamina.

He didn’t mean simple endurance. He meant explosive force you can unleash in an instant, and the kind of stamina that lets you keep your consistency even while controlling your breathing however you want.

The denser the force one wielded, the faster one’s breathing collapsed. And once that breathing fell apart, it directly damaged one’s stamina.

Sustaining a constant level of power for a long time was something anyone could do, the only difference being degree.

But to unleash one-hit-kill force in repeated explosive bursts and still restore one’s breathing to normal—that was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a state even hellish training seldom reached.

The training Tang Sang-a had been doing all this time was precisely that kind of stamina training.

Training so brutal that even Tang Sang-a—someone as relentless as anyone when it came to martial arts—had wanted to give up several times a day.

And yet, astonishingly, after that training piled up day after day, she was able to maintain the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art for over a quarter of an hour without the slightest break in her movement, even though she had once struggled to keep it going for half that long.

And that isn’t all.

Extreme stamina training devoured far more breath.

But the more breath it consumed, the more breath also came in. As that exchange of inhalation and exhalation repeated over and over, the density of qi held within her muscles gradually rose as well.

Training Inner Qi alone isn’t enough. You need exactly this kind of process for your real combat ability to gain elasticity.

Once again, Yeon Hojeong seemed extraordinary to her.

He was a master of exceptional real-combat ability. Setting experience aside, in order to cultivate instincts that sharp, he must have carried out extreme training every single day without fail.

As stamina increased, the density of qi increased. As the density of qi increased, the versatility of Inner Qi usage increased as well. As Inner Qi usage grew more versatile, one’s methods of attack also became more varied, and as one’s methods became more varied, one could find a breakthrough under any adverse condition.

To train stamina.

A single drop of sweat spilled today could preserve a bowlful of blood in real battle.

Tang Sang-a felt that truth in her bones.

“Impressive.”

“Oh, you’re here.”

Mo Yong-woo looked at her with frank admiration.

“Your stamina’s increased tremendously. You must have trained like a madwoman.”

Tang Sang-a smiled.

“I’m still far from where I need to be.”

“Of course you are. But if you keep going steadily the way you have until now, I think the blind spots that could get you killed in actual combat will shrink by a great deal.”

He had seen through the goal of stamina training at once. Which meant Mo Yong-woo, like Yeon Hojeong, had realized the importance of stamina long ago.

As expected.

Tang Sang-a looked up at the sky.

There are so many people I can still learn from. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

She was called the peak among the Tang Clan’s younger generation, the only one who had personally received instruction from the Dark King, the strongest member of the Tang Clan.

Perhaps facts like those had nurtured her arrogance without her realizing it. Looking back at her former self, Tang Sang-a reflected deeply.

“That movement technique—is it the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art you mentioned before?”

“That’s right.”

“Chasing thunder... it truly is a remarkable movement technique, just as the name suggests. If someone used that together with poison arts, anyone facing it would feel dizzy just imagining it.”

Tang Sang-a shook her head.

“Of course it works well with poison arts, but what truly fits the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art best is hidden-weapon techniques.”

“Why? No matter how precise one’s hidden-weapon techniques are, it seems like it would be difficult to hit a target while using such a violent movement technique.”

“There are three people in our clan who can do exactly that. And I’ve seen with my own eyes how terrifying their martial arts are.”

“...”

“That’s why I’m saying the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art reaches maximum efficiency when paired with hidden-weapon techniques.”

Curiosity rose in Mo Yong-woo’s face.

“And those three?”

“One is my grandfather.”

Mo Yong-woo let out a low murmur.

“The Dark King.”

“That’s right. And the Grand Elder of our clan is also someone who can fuse the Thunder-Chasing Movement Art with hidden-weapon techniques.”

“Then who is the last one?”

“That’s right.”

Tang Sang-a’s eyes lit up.

“The man who truly controls the martial world of Sichuan today.”

Her voice carried open pride.

“My father.”

*****

JJEOJEOJEOJEONG! THUD!

After striking the iron staff several times, the steel whip suddenly twisted in a bizarre motion and tore into Yeon Hojeong’s shoulder.

Fortunately, it had not reached the muscle, but the sensation of flesh being ripped away was deeply unpleasant. On top of that, the surface of the steel whip was rough like a saw blade, making it ideal for shredding skin.

TUH-UH-UH-UNG!

Yeon Hojeong’s body shot straight up into the sky.

It was the Yeon Clan’s secret Heaven-Granted Flowing Flight. For a man who had been battering Tang Gwan with explosive movement only a moment ago, it was a lofty, elegant movement technique.

PAAAAAK!

By the time Yeon Hojeong had escaped the range and adjusted his grip on the iron staff, Tang Gwan had already reached the very tip of his nose.

Yeon Hojeong’s eyes wavered.

He got even faster.

What an astonishing movement technique.

It was on a completely different track from Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven of the Vermilion Bird Art. Blood-Wing Sweeping Heaven was an attack in itself, the fastest combat footwork possible. There was no elegance in it at all, only the butcher’s madness of wanting to kill the enemy in the shortest possible time.

Tang Gwan’s movement technique was different.

It was fast, but at the same time endlessly variable. Like lightning striking from a sky packed with black clouds, it was swift yet changed direction at will, making it impossible to predict where the attack would come from.

If Yeon Hojeong’s combat sense had reached an extreme that made it impossible to distinguish emptiness from substance, then Tang Gwan’s movement technique had pushed martial principles themselves into a state of ultimate transformation.

PUH-PUH-POONG!

Tang Gwan struck with full power, unleashing a Three-Layered Palm.

Yeon Hojeong blocked the three layers of palm force driving in one after another with the iron staff imbued with Black Tortoise Qi, but the destructive power was on an entirely different level from the opening strike.

Yeon Hojeong plummeted at terrifying speed. It was less that he chose to descend and more that he was being driven downward, unable to withstand the shockwave.

PAAAAANG!

Tang Gwan pursued him with terrifying speed.

It’s over.

Not only had Yeon Hojeong’s posture broken, but the flow of his Inner Qi had become somewhat twisted. This strike would decide the match.

That was what Tang Gwan thought.

BOOOOOOOOM!

Tang Gwan’s eyes widened.

Holding the iron staff sideways and shoving with both feet, Yeon Hojeong flew off at a diagonal and instantly brought his Inner Qi back under control.

Ha!

At this point, even Tang Gwan, who looked on Yeon Hojeong with displeasure, could not help feeling admiration.

What kind of monster is this?

Tang Gwan swung the steel whip.

CHWARURURURURUK!

Astonishingly, the steel whip—which had been no more than one zhang long—extended to nearly five zhang and coiled around Yeon Hojeong’s body.

It was not because it had been made from a special metal like the Flood Dragon Chain. The transparent threads connecting the smaller steel segments possessed tremendous tension and elasticity, allowing Tang Gwan to lengthen or shorten it at will according to his Inner Qi.

The steel whip wound around Yeon Hojeong’s body bit into his flesh.

Even the tremendous rebounding force of the Black Tortoise Art could not easily stop the sharpness of the steel whip from cutting skin. If handled badly, it would damage muscle too.

In that instant, blue light blazed from Yeon Hojeong’s eyes.

TUH-UH-UH-UNG! THUD!

Tang Gwan’s eyes shook.

He had been about to hurl Yeon Hojeong to the ground while still bound, but before he knew it, the iron staff had flown in and slammed into his wrist, forcing him to release the steel whip.

Seizing through empty air?!

It was absurd.

Every time Tang Gwan thought he had driven him into a corner, Yeon Hojeong escaped or blocked the attack with some inconceivable method.

He had never imagined that, in a moment this urgent, Yeon Hojeong would make him release the steel whip by using the iron staff like that. His combat sense was unbelievable.

PAAAAAK! KWANG!

Using the Thousand-Pound Drop, Yeon Hojeong landed on the ground and swiftly unwound the steel whip.

KUUUNG!

At nearly the same moment, Tang Gwan landed as well—and now the iron staff was in his hand.

“Huff.”

Steadying his breathing, Yeon Hojeong looked at Tang Gwan.

Tang Gwan’s eyes were trembling ever so slightly.

“...You really are remarkable.”

Tang Gwan flicked his wrist.

The iron staff spun once and clanged to the ground at Yeon Hojeong’s feet.

Yeon Hojeong likewise rolled up the steel whip and tossed it back to Tang Gwan. Tang Gwan reached out toward it, and before the eye could follow, the whip had come loose and slithered back into his sleeve like a snake.

Yeon Hojeong frowned.

“That steel whip... isn’t it a hidden weapon?”

Tang Gwan’s eyes widened.

“You knew?”

“You’ve gouged me with it enough times. Of course I should know by now. If you wanted, Clan Lord, that steel whip could probably split into hundreds of pieces and sweep through an enemy formation as hidden weapons.”

He saw through even that?

Tang Gwan looked at Yeon Hojeong for a moment, then let his aura subside.

The wind that had been blowing died down in an instant.

Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Surely you aren’t planning to stop here?”

“I am.”

“I still haven’t properly seen your hidden-weapon techniques or your poison art.”

Tang Gwan smiled coldly.

“I’m restraining myself out of regard for your father. If I used even the Tang Clan’s secret martial arts, you would, in all likelihood, either die or become a cripple.”

Even now, he did not say Yeon Hojeong would definitely die. That alone showed how deeply impressed he had been by Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts.

Yeon Hojeong muttered in disappointment.

“This was a good chance to see the Tang Clan’s secret martial arts. That’s a shame.”

Tang Gwan was dumbfounded.

“If you keep living like that, even ten lives won’t be enough to keep you intact.”

“In any case, it’s not like you’d grieve if I died, Clan Lord.”

That left Tang Gwan with nothing to say.

“So?”

“So what?”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“My vessel. Do you think it’s decent enough?”

Tang Gwan stared at him for a while, then turned his head away.

“You’re similar to Mo Yonggun.”

“That’s an evaluation I can’t tell whether I should be pleased by or offended by.”

“But there’s one thing that makes you different from Mo Yonggun.”

“What’s that?”

“At least when it’s time to draw the blade, you don’t hesitate.”

“Hmm.”

“You can play all the political games you want, rack your brains all you like, but in front of overwhelming power, none of it means a damned thing. In the end, the martial world is power. And the one who knows when that power must be used—that’s the one who can become great.”

“...”

“Even in vast nature, whose history stretches beyond reckoning, countless values have rotted and vanished. But there is one principle that never changes.”

Tang Gwan turned away.

“The strong devour the weak.”

He started walking.

“Use your head in moderation. A bastard born with fangs sharp enough to be useful will only dull them if all he ever does is wag his tongue.”

Yeon Hojeong smiled.

“I’ll arrange the meeting with the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions.”

“Hmph.”

Leaping up to the second-floor window, Tang Gwan spoke without looking back.

“Clean up before you leave.”