Yeon Jipyeong unconsciously stepped forward, only for Mookbi to stop him.

“M-Mookbi?”

Mookbi shook her head.

“Don’t interfere. This isn’t a fight you or I can step into.”

“B-but!”

“If there’s going to be a result, Father and Young Master Yeon will be the ones to make it. Besides, those two would never exchange attacks like that without a proper reason.”

“......!”

“Stay still. Right now, that’s the right thing to do.”

Yeon Jipyeong bit his lip.

Though she said that, Mookbi was no less shaken than Yeon Jipyeong.

Why?

There was no intention visible in Yeon Wi and Yeon Hojeong’s spar.

No, one intention was clear. But Mookbi wanted to believe she had misread that intention.

Is this real?

Mookbi’s eyes deepened.

They really look as if they’re trying to kill each other.

After going through countless real battles with Yeon Hojeong, the current Mookbi had reached the point where she could instinctively distinguish false momentum from true momentum.

That instinct was ringing an alarm. It told her this was real, that this was a life-or-death duel that would continue until one of them died.

That can’t be.

It absolutely could not be. She had felt it while talking with Yeon Jipyeong too, but she knew how deep the bond and affection within the Yeon family were.

Moreover, Yeon Wi had learned of Yeon Hojeong’s past. Yeon Hojeong was one thing, but Yeon Wi felt a great debt toward him.

There was no chance anything would go wrong. But even knowing that, anyone watching had no choice but to feel their heart tighten.

If a truly dangerous moment comes...

An archer’s dynamic vision was more than twice as sharp as that of an ordinary martial artist.

She might not know if she were facing them directly, but if she was only watching, she should be able to interfere as much as needed.

Then I’ll...

At that instant, Yeon Hojeong’s presence changed completely.

HWARURURUK!

He released an overwhelming fire energy, as if he would burn all of Warbreaker Pavilion to the ground.

It was Vermilion Bird Qi controlled through the Yeon Clan Divine Core. Even though he controlled it perfectly, its nature seemed twice as powerful and rough as before.

Mookbi’s eyes widened.

Vermilion Bird Art?!

The arts of the Vermilion Bird were absolute killing moves.

Yeon Hojeong’s control over his martial arts was more exceptional than anyone’s, so even with the Vermilion Bird Art, the ultimate killing move, he could protect someone, and even with the Black Tortoise Art, an art of absolute defense, he could wield a terrifying killing method.

But the intent behind the current Vermilion Bird Art was far too clear.

Killing Intent!

HWAAAAAAK!

The Killing Intent surging like a tidal wave was real. It held the force to truly kill his own father, the Clan Lord of the Yeon Clan.

Yeon Wi was showing something just as astonishing.

PABABABABAK!

Dozens of sword marks were carved into the ground around where Yeon Wi stood.

ZIIIIING! ZIIIIING!

It was as if hundreds, thousands of invisible blades had shattered into pieces and were swimming around Yeon Wi’s body. The blades of unseen Killing Intent—Yeon Wi’s true presence, born from his sincere resolve to cut down his opponent.

Though they were father and son, their natures were far too different.

If Yeon Hojeong’s Killing Intent was like boiling lava, Yeon Wi’s Killing Intent was coldness itself. If Yeon Hojeong’s qi wave was fierce like a surging tide, Yeon Wi’s qi wave was cold and ominous, like the night sky in the calm before a storm.

Though their natures were so different, they were not without similarities.

Destructive power.

When the qi waves released by the two supreme masters were directed at a person with purpose, they carried enough destructive power to kill without so much as laying a hand on the target. In that, they were alike.

And the qi waves, Killing Intent, and wills of those two men collided head-on.

CRUNCH! KWADUDUDEUK!

The power of the external qi pouring out was too strong. Though the two stood three jang apart, the ground between them cracked apart.

It was a horrifying collision of qi waves. The clash was so vicious it seemed as if it might blow away every building and wall in Warbreaker Pavilion.

Chiiiiik!

The two different kinds of Killing Intent collided and created pale smoke.

And a moment later.

Hup!

As if by agreement, both of their brutal qi waves disappeared at the same time.

“......”

The two men stared straight at each other.

PAAAAAK!

Astonishingly, the first to move was Yeon Wi.

Yeon Wi’s movement, shot forward like an arrow from a strong bow, was on a completely different level of speed than before.

He closed the distance in one breath and thrust out his sword. The lightning-like sword strike aimed for Yeon Hojeong’s throat. It carried the force to kill with one strike.

At that moment, Yeon Hojeong’s hands slowly rose.

Though they moved slowly, they blocked the space # Nоvеlight # before him before Yeon Wi’s sword strike could reach. It was a wondrous technique.

TU-U-U-U-UNG!

Yeon Wi’s sword qi grazed past above Yeon Hojeong’s shoulder.

It was an astonishing rebounding force. An invisible wall of steel had deflected Yeon Wi’s sword qi.

HOOF!

Yeon Hojeong leaped into Yeon Wi’s chest.

Yeon Wi’s eyes shone.

He seemed about to throw a fist or kick, but then curled his body round and attacked with his entire upper body. It was an art difficult to find in the martial arts of the Central Plains—a body slam.

BANG!

With an explosion, Yeon Wi staggered backward.

He had not been pushed back in strength. Of course, Yeon Hojeong’s charging force was tremendous, but if they had clashed strength against strength, there was no way he would have been forced back.

He had stepped back to disperse the impact and launch a follow-up attack at the same time.

FLASH!

Yeon Wi’s sword swung like lightning.

The sword qi that cut toward Yeon Hojeong while drawing a zigzag path, as if it truly had become a bolt of lightning, was exquisite.

TU-U-UNG! FWIP!

He thought he had struck the flat of the blade and deflected the cleaving strike, but that was a mistake. The sword qi bent down and cut Yeon Hojeong’s thigh as it was.

Dangerous.

If it had gone even a little deeper, half his thigh muscle would have been sliced away.

He survived thanks to the rebounding force of Black Tortoise Qi. If he had been operating Vermilion Bird Qi, his leg would have been cut off, and at the same time, his father’s hand would have been damaged beyond recovery.

Yeon Hojeong did not panic.

That was the kind of fight this was. More vicious and more enjoyable than a fight against any formidable enemy, and at the same time, a battle to prove his own future.

If he could prove that future filled with trust, what did it matter if an arm or leg fell away?

But I still have much more to show you.

KOOOOONG!

From somewhere in the air, it seemed as if the cry of an unrecognizable strange creature was ringing out. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Yeon Wi, who had been about to launch his follow-up attack, felt his body suddenly stop.

It was a truly astonishing experience. To have his body’s movement controlled, not by his own will, but by being crushed beneath the opponent’s overwhelming presence—considering Yeon Wi’s current realm, it was something that should have been impossible.

It’s coming.

At the same time, Yeon Wi knew.

Yeon Hojeong was manifesting a powerful martial art he had never shown him before. With this next strike, he intended to pass over everything he had.

His intuition was correct.

SPLASH! CHWAAAAAAK!

The sound of crashing waves conveyed a fierce pressure.

In that instant, Yeon Wi felt a pressure that made every hair on his body stand on end. He had sensed that something unusual was coming, but only now did he realize that the power was beyond what he had expected.

HOOOOOOONG!

The world turned dark.

It was as if he had fallen into the deep sea where not a single point of light entered. The power of Black Tortoise Qi emitted through the Yeon Clan Divine Core was pouring out with a density tremendous enough to make even Yeon Wi tense.

And before it—

Yeon Hojeong’s left hand and right hand, which had each been aimed toward the upper and lower lines, met at the middle.

CLAP!

The sound of his palms meeting was crisp.

And that crisp sound was immediately buried under the terrifying explosion that followed.

KWAAAAANG!

This time, even Yeon Wi was pushed back by force.

A shock wave?!

It was a mighty shock wave spat out by striking both hands together. Like an attack with the force of a tidal wave, the heavy pressure of the deep sea seemed to trigger an explosion of True Qi and sweep everything away.

TADADADAK!

Even after retreating more than ten paces, his upper body’s center of gravity was still being shoved backward. It was qi-art power that drove him back with the force of a tidal wave.

Yeon Wi stabbed his sword into the ground.

KAGAGAGAGAK!

The sword bent as if it would break.

Even though he had poured sword spirit into it, the pressure was enough to make the sword bend. It was as if a fire bomb without explosives had detonated in front of his eyes.

Chiiiiik!

Pale steam rose from Yeon Wi’s body.

If he had not wrapped sword spirit around his entire body, he would truly have suffered for it. Choosing to enter a complete defensive posture instead of attacking back had been an excellent decision.

“Huff. Huff.”

Yeon Hojeong’s breathing grew even rougher.

It was clearly a strike into which he had poured all his strength. Even so, considering Yeon Hojeong’s stamina, he seemed to have tired too quickly.

It was because of Dragon-Embrace Divine Art.

He was perfectly controlling the Four Spirit Qi through Dragon-Embrace, but his body still could not keep up with the explosive force of the divine art itself. Even Yeon Hojeong could not escape the nature of Dragon-Embrace Divine Art, which squeezed the practitioner’s stamina and muscular strength to the limit.

CHING!

Yeon Wi pulled his sword from the ground and looked at Yeon Hojeong with deeply sunken eyes.

Yeon Hojeong took in a great breath.

WOOOOOOONG!

With that single breath, his True Qi was already stabilizing. The stabilization of his breathing and the recovery power of his True Qi were truly astonishing.

The corners of Yeon Wi’s mouth rose.

“Can you continue?”

Hup!

Before anyone knew it, Yeon Hojeong’s body appeared behind Yeon Wi’s left side.

He was fast despite not using Vermilion Bird Qi. This time, it was not Black Tortoise but Azure Dragon. He had approached an unexpected blind spot by using a flexible and quick movement technique.

Yeon Wi’s sword moved again.

JJEOJEOJEONG! BANG!

The two men’s sword and fist collided, once again creating a powerful shock wave.

CHWAAAAAK!

A diagonal sword wound appeared across Yeon Hojeong’s chest.

BOOOOOM!

Yeon Wi’s left sleeve burst apart as if exploding. The exposed forearm was swollen bright red.

BANG! KURURUNG! BOOOOOM!

The martial arts of the two men, clashing as if possessed, could be called art in and of themselves.

It was a sinister, oppressive match, but within it, every martial art a martial artist could show was dissolved. Attack, defense, evasion, counterattack—not only killing methods, but life-preserving methods as well. The sum total of all martial arts under heaven was here.

And only then could Mookbi see it.

It changes.

When Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts changed, Yeon Wi’s martial arts changed as well.

Even without deliberately using Four Spirit Martial Art, Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts themselves were a ferocious one-hit kill. Yeon Wi had copied the nature of Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts and faced his son.

When the son raised Killing Intent with Vermilion Bird Qi, the father also responded with blade-like Killing Intent.

When the son showed heavy defense and shock waves with Black Tortoise Qi, the father also showed a perfect defensive sword and composure.

When the son used a forward-driving attack with no retreat through White Tiger Qi, the father also swung the sword of an upright gentleman and did not step back.

When the son unleashed fast and soft hand movements with Azure Dragon Qi, the father likewise wielded force of the sword that was exceedingly relaxed and light.

Yeon Wi was literally receiving every one of Yeon Hojeong’s martial arts in kind. As if telling him to look at himself.

As if subtly teaching him: though they were not exactly identical, was this not his martial art?

And through that match, Yeon Wi was also analyzing his son’s martial arts and staring directly at his son’s present and future.

A moment later.

BOOOOOM!

It was an explosion that felt refreshing rather than heavy.

With that strike as the end, the two men who retreated far apart looked extremely rough.

Yeon Hojeong’s body had been cut all over and was covered in blood, while Yeon Wi’s clothes and hair had also been thoroughly disheveled by Yeon Hojeong’s fierce martial arts.

The two stood like that for a long while, looking at each other.

The first to open his mouth was Yeon Wi.

“Clan Lord Tang told me. As his sponsor, shouldn’t I start moving?”

It was far too abrupt a remark to make after ending such a vicious battle.

Yeon Hojeong nodded.

“It is about time you started using your head.”

“How would you have this father move?”

“You are already moving in your own way, Father. That is what I think.”

“Do you intend to fight alone in the shadows?”

“Unfortunately, I happen to be skilled at that sort of trickery.”

Considering why this spar had taken place, those words could have sounded quite provocative.

But Yeon Wi merely smiled.

“A blade is frightening precisely when it remains inside its sheath.”

“I know.”

“I will trust that you know when it must be drawn.”

“I will be mindful of that from now on.”

Yeon Wi nodded.

“I will go now.”

“Father.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for forgiving me.”

Yeon Wi turned around.

“You have already reflected on it. What is there for me to forgive or not forgive? Even if you harmed an innocent person and ten thousand people pointed fingers at you, this father alone would not give up on you.”

“......”

“Still, do not cross the line.”

“Yes.”

“I am going. Rest well.”

And so Yeon Wi left Warbreaker Pavilion.

Yeon Hojeong stared at the gate for a long while, then sank down where he stood.

He smiled bitterly.

“It would have been easier if he’d just cursed at me and slapped me.”