The Sword is the Heart
The Heavenly Maiden began walking slowly once more.
Her long skirt brushed the ground without stirring so much as a speck of dust.
It was quite some time before the woman spoke again.
"The path of a sword cultivator is not one that can be tread with the aid of others. Only by forging it entirely on your own can you truly walk the way of the sword."
The woman halted her steps.
"I've intervened on your behalf far too many times, leaving the tower's seal dangerously loosened. To maintain it, I'll need to devote considerable time and energy from here on."
"Heavenly Maiden... even with your power...?"
"You're wondering why I don't simply escape the Gyeok Ok Tower?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded. That was precisely the question burning in his mind.
The Heavenly Maiden spoke in a cold voice.
"What good would it do you to know?"
"......"
The Heavenly Maiden resumed walking and asked,
"In the end, did they take your sister?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"It's true the child has a special constitution, but calling it a Cold Spirit Constitution is inaccurate. If possible, retrieve her before she reaches the Myriad Laws Realm."
"Why...?"
"Once she begins cultivating martial arts with that body of hers, her growth will be like wings sprouting on her back. Such rapid progress is a double-edged sword for any warrior. Especially upon entering the Myriad Laws Realm, she must consolidate her foundation—a step that cannot be skipped. Ignore it, and while she may grow immensely powerful, countless side effects will arise. We can't ruin such a fine seed in our haste, can we?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded gravely.
"As you say, I'll bring Ryeong back as soon as possible. But Heavenly Maiden, what exactly is it about Ryeong...?"
"Even if I told you now, you wouldn't understand her unique trait. I'm baffled to encounter such a rare constitution here myself. But you'll learn in time naturally—no need to be impatient. That body will only be a boon, never a curse."
Yeop Hyeon nodded, though worry for Yeop Ryeong gnawed at his heart. Adapting to a harsh new world alone as a young child was no easy feat.
At that moment, the Heavenly Maiden opened her palm. In an instant, the bamboo leaf sword in her hand dissolved into countless leaves and returned to its original place.
Yeop Hyeon gazed at her with eyes full of envy and admiration.
"What is the name of that technique? I want to learn it too!"
The Heavenly Maiden clasped one hand behind her back and replied,
"The sword is the heart itself. When the heart embraces heaven and earth, they become your sword. Likewise, when the heart holds the cosmos, the cosmos becomes your sword... But your realm is too low; you wouldn't grasp it!"
"......"
At that point, the Heavenly Maiden's form began to fade.
"Another reason I spared them was to instill fear, ensuring they won't dare touch you easily. From this day, until you find the second Dochik, I cannot intervene nor leave the tower. The moment I do, the tower collapses—and so do you.
"One more thing: as I said before, you must retrieve my sword within half a year. Fail, and I'll shatter your legs without mercy!
"Oh, and the entity on the second floor... resolve it as quickly as possible. Make it cooperate by any means necessary. Otherwise, death is your only path!"
With those final words, the Heavenly Maiden's body vanished completely.
"......"
As Yeop Hyeon turned to leave, a sudden change seized his body. He convulsed violently and collapsed to the ground.
"Argh—!"
A agonized scream tore from him as his facial muscles twisted in agony.
Between his brows, a faint silhouette of a small tower emerged.
This was the price. The moment the Heavenly Maiden withdrew, the backlash from borrowing the tower's power struck him.
Yeop Hyeon rolled on the ground like a madman, feeling as if iron claws strangled his throat.
It was pain worse than death itself.
The one mercy was that the Heavenly Maiden's intervention had ceased, limiting the torment to this level. Had she continued, he would have surely perished!
Just then, Mu Yun Qi and the others arrived, paling at the sight of Yeop Hyeon writhing on the dirt. Mu Yun Qi rushed forward, propping him up in panic.
"Yeop—Yeop Gangdo! You okay!?"
Bai Ze hurriedly stuffed a Golden Injury Pill into Yeop Hyeon's mouth, but he remained curled in torment.
Confusion etched the three companions' faces.
Yeop Hyeon barely pried open his mouth.
"I-I'm... fine... Just need... to rest... Aaaagh!"
Mu Yun Qi and the others took no further action, standing guard around him in case of trouble. Night passed into noon before Yeop Hyeon began regaining his composure.
His body was drenched in sweat, as if he'd fallen into a river.
He fully recovered his senses that evening.
Mu Yun Qi and the others had watched over him sleeplessly for a full day and night.
With Mu Yun Qi and Ji An Zhi's help, Yeop Hyeon rose shakily, forcing a faint smile.
"I'm... fine."
They could say nothing. The sight of him the previous night had been utterly wretched.
Right then, O Lu Ju appeared before them, his expression grave.
"Yeop Hyeon! Men from the Canglan Academy main branch have come!"
'Main branch?'
The four furrowed their brows in unison.
'Canglan Academy main branch?'
Yeop Hyeon and his group exchanged glances. Mu Yun Qi asked,
"Why the hell would those bastards come looking for us?"
O Lu Ju shook his head.
"No idea, but it ain't good news."
Yeop Hyeon pondered briefly before saying,
"We'll find out when we meet 'em!"
Yeop Hyeon led Mu Yun Qi and the others toward Canglan Academy.
O Lu Ju hesitated behind them, then followed. He had no desire to meddle in academy affairs, but if things went south, he'd lend a hand.
Not to curry favor with Yeop Hyeon, but to repay the grace from the Heavenly Maiden last time.
Canglan Hall.
Three young men awaited them.
Having braced for some decrepit elder, the sight of mere youths caught them off guard.
In the center stood a man in silk robes, his posture ramrod straight, eyes cold as ice.
Flanking him were two others in the black-and-white robes of Canglan Academy.
One in academy robes stepped forward, scanning Yeop Hyeon's group before fixing on him.
"Where's Dean Ji? He should be the one to greet—"
Yeop Hyeon's figure vanished from his spot.
Slap—!
A crisp sound rang out as the speaker flew backward.
The silk-robed man glared, channeling his qi. But Bai Ze stomped his right foot hard.
Boom—!
The ground cracked, propelling Bai Ze like a loosed arrow at the foe.
The silk-robed man thrust out a palm, unleashing a surge of mighty energy.
Yet he was hurled to the hall's entrance in an instant. Cracks spiderwebbed the floor behind him, and blood trickled from his mouth.
Staring at his bloodied palm, the silk-robed warrior looked up at Bai Ze in disbelief.
"D-Demon strength... You've awakened a demon bloodline!"
Bai Ze ignored him, glancing at Yeop Hyeon. A nod, and he withdrew, returning to Yeop Hyeon's side.
Yeop Hyeon addressed the silk-robed man.
"I don't like pointless talk. You're not welcome here—leave on your own feet. If you want... we can help."
The silk-robed man snarled at Yeop Hyeon.
"You dare treat envoys from the Central Divine Continent's main branch like this?!"
Yeop Hyeon advanced on the trio. The leftmost one—the one Yeop Hyeon had slapped—leveled killing intent at him.
Bai Ze and Mu Yun Qi twitched, ready to intervene, but Yeop Hyeon waved them off.
"Hey, no violence. We're civilized gentlemen, after all."
Civilized gentlemen?
Mu Yun Qi's lip twitched upward. The most brutal among them preaching restraint was too much.
Yeop Hyeon turned to the silk-robed man.
"Speak. Why are you here?"
The man glared daggers.
"We've come to inform you that you may not use the name Canglan Academy. Nor our academy's techniques or weapons. In short, the main branch does not permit a Canglan Academy in Qingzhou."
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
"Got it. You're dismissed."
"Hey, you clearly don't understand! We demand an explanation and—"
Yeop Hyeon raised his hand again.
The silk-robed man flinched, blocking desperately.
Thud—!
His body shuddered violently. Then Yeop Hyeon's knee slammed into his gut!
Gah—!
The man spewed a groan, crashing to the floor.
As Yeop Hyeon moved, the remaining two main branch students countered—only for Mu Yun Qi and Bai Ze to block them.
Bang bang bang—!
In mere exchanges, the main branch students soared into the air.
An overwhelming gap in prowess.
Under Yeop Hyeon's full support, their strengths had multiplied several times over. Bai Ze, now in the Penetrating Nether Realm, could even clash with a Divine Fusion Realm master!
Mu Yun Qi hadn't broken through yet, but his speed rivaled any in the realm. Even Yeop Hyeon couldn't match it without his ultimate techniques.
The fallen trio stared fearfully at the approaching Yeop Hyeon. Their foes far exceeded any reports.
Yeop Hyeon bent slightly at the waist, eyes still closed.
"Tell them this: We want no aid from the main branch—and we won't tolerate meddling. You do you, we do us. Clear?"
"But you're using our Canglan Academy name!"
The silk-robed man spat in fury. Yeop Hyeon replied calmly,
"Dean Ji left it to us. No plans to change it. Oh, and one more thing—soon, us four will visit the main branch to seek instruction."
"Ha! Just you four?"