How Can Such a Beautiful Woman Be So Strong!
The guards charged at Yeop Hyeon. But he was faster.
The lead guard flew back, rebounding off him. Yeop Hyeon leaped into the air and drove his foot into another guard. The man was hurled into the corner like discarded trash. Riding the momentum, Yeop Hyeon clenched his fist and thrust it straight toward the Great Elder.
The Great Elder took a wide step forward and unleashed a palm strike at Yeop Hyeon.
Boom!
Fist met palm in a thunderous clash. The Great Elder's body slid back a dozen paces.
Yeop Hyeon didn't retreat a single step.
The Great Elder's face twisted in disbelief as he spoke.
"Impossible! Your dantian was clearly damaged—where does this power come from?!"
Yeop Hyeon narrowed his eyes at the Great Elder.
"How did you know my dantian was injured?"
The Great Elder glared back in silence, saying nothing. From that reaction, Yeop Hyeon realized it instantly. The assassin who had ambushed him on Nanshan had surely been sent by the Great Elder!
Killing intent flickered in Yeop Hyeon's eyes. Just then, a voice rang out across the hall.
"Yeop Hyeon, that's enough. You can go."
It was Yeop Rang. Yeop Hyeon shot him a glance and withdrew his killing intent.
'Fine. Wait two days. Then I'll deal with you all at once.'
Yeop Hyeon turned quietly and exited the hall. The guards watched helplessly as he passed between them, their eyes turning to Yeop Rang instead. The Great Elder, his face a mask of incomprehension, said,
"Yeop Rang, even if the Life-Death Platform duel is two days away, your brother just tried to kill you. How can you say nothing...?"
Yeop Rang cut him off.
"Don't worry. He deserves to die, but it has to be exactly two days from now. In two days, gather all the martial artists of Qingcheng. Let them witness my duel with Yeop Hyeon. Once it's over, my fame will soar to the heavens!"
The Great Elder raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Yeop Rang smiled.
"To draw the attention of the mountain-top factions, I need fame. If I crush Yeop Hyeon and make my name echo across all of Qingcheng, won't they naturally take notice?"
"But those powers are on an untouchable level. It's not easy to catch their eye."
"Don't worry. In two days, after I toy with him and kill him, it'll ease the hatred burning in your chest to some degree."
The Great Elder nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke up.
"Yeop Hyeon's dantian is destroyed, yet the martial prowess he just showed was no joke. Never let your guard down!"
Yeop Rang only smiled silently. It was true the Great Elder had been pushed back, but he chalked it up to the old man's weakness from years of complacency in his position. Yeop Rang didn't see Yeop Hyeon as a real opponent—just a stepping stone to showcase his own glory.
Back in his quarters, Yeop Hyeon hurriedly stuffed a Nourishing Spirit Pill into Yeop Ryeong's mouth and made her swallow it. Watching over her in tense anxiety, he berated himself harshly for forgetting the pill.
At that moment, Yeop Ryeong slowly opened her eyes. Seeing her fidgeting brother, she smiled.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah, not so cold anymore."
"I'm sorry. This will never happen again. I swear it!"
Tears welled up in Yeop Ryeong's eyes.
"Oppa, sometimes I think I'd rather die than be a burden to you. But earlier... I was so scared. Scared that if I died, you'd be all alone forever. I want to stay with you always!"
Yeop Hyeon's eyes grew moist. Yeop Ryeong wiped away her tears too.
"Oppa, let's survive no matter what and be together forever!"
Yeop Hyeon hooked his pinky with hers.
"Then promise like this. Neither of us dies first!"
With their pinkies locked in a vow, Yeop Ryeong's heart finally eased. Yeop Hyeon hoisted her onto his back and stepped out into the streets. Today, he planned to spend time with her instead of training. To him, Yeop Ryeong was more important than anything in the world.
As Yeop Hyeon left the Ye Family Mansion with Yeop Ryeong, the Great Elder, fearing they might flee, assigned tails to follow them. Yeop Hyeon noticed but showed no reaction. As long as they didn't ruin his time, it was fine.
Qingcheng had a population of just over two hundred thousand, the smallest among the Jiang Kingdom's many cities. After half a day touring the entire city, Yeop Hyeon and Yeop Ryeong prepared to return to the mansion. As they passed the city gates, a woman suddenly came galloping in from outside on horseback.
She wore a spotless white robe. In her hand gleamed a sharp silver spear. Her snow-white face and beautiful eyes made her perfection incarnate—a beauty Yeop Hyeon had never encountered in his life. One glimpse was enough to etch her into memory forever.
Her appearance drew every eye near the gates. They too seemed overwhelmed by her allure. Suddenly, her horse halted right in front of the Yeop siblings. The woman looked at Yeop Hyeon in surprise.
"A hidden realm?"
Yeop Hyeon was startled. With the Heavenly Maiden's help, his realm was thoroughly concealed—no one, not even the Great Elder, could detect it.
Yet this woman had seen through it at a glance. She leveled her spear at him.
"You must be Yeop Rang, the protagonist of the Heavenly Marvel. That's how you hide your realm. And your foundation looks solid too. Good. You qualify to receive my spear. I am An Ranxiu. Will you take a strike from it?"
"An Ranxiu?"
Someone shouted.
"No way... That's An Ranxiu, the once-in-a-millennium genius of the Jiang Kingdom!"
Surprised cries erupted everywhere as the gathered crowd buzzed.
"An Ranxiu! An Ranxiu is here!"
Yeop Hyeon's eyes widened. No one in the entire kingdom didn't know her name.
The Jiang Kingdom's top genius!
Before even turning eighteen, she had broken past the Control Qi Realm into the Soaring Realm—the earliest anyone had ever become a spear master since the kingdom's founding. Rumors said she had already comprehended spear intent, positioning her to become a Spear Path Grandmaster. An unprecedented figure in five hundred years of history.
She was rewriting it all.
Youngest National Scholar, youngest Soaring Realm martial artist, and even invited personally by the dean of Cangmu Academy—the kingdom's premier institution.
She had toured thirty-six cities, challenging the strong, and no one had properly withstood her spear. Not even Heaven's Chosen Ones or Heavenly Marvels could stand before her.
Yet there was no arrogance in her as she aimed her spear tip at him—only serene calm. Yeop Hyeon stopped thinking and looked up.
"You've got the wrong person."
An Ranxiu furrowed her exquisite brows.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not that Heavenly Marvel Yeop Rang. He's at the Ye family right now—go there."
An Ranxiu's eyes wavered.
"You're not Yeop Rang?"
Yeop Hyeon nodded. An Ranxiu scanned him slowly again.
"Unexpected. For this little Qingcheng to produce both a Heavenly Marvel and someone like you at a hidden realm simultaneously!"
She paused, then continued.
"Still, you qualify for my spear. Will you try?"
Yeop Hyeon hesitated. Sparring with a famous spear master like her could spread his name far and wide in an instant.
But it would also expose the power he'd kept hidden. With the Life-Death Platform duel looming, revealing his strength now could be dangerous. Who knew what despicable tricks the Great Elder might pull? He could even threaten Yeop Ryeong as a hostage.
Refusing a challenge didn't sit right with his nature either. After long deliberation, Yeop Hyeon met her gaze.
"Fine. But how about two days from now?"
An Ranxiu shook her head.
"You don't qualify to make me wait two days."
She turned to leave. Yeop Hyeon snatched a wooden sword from a nearby vendor and, in a flash, sliced a single strand of hair from his head. It split cleanly in two.
An Ranxiu halted in shock, staring at him with inscrutable eyes.
"I overlooked it. A sword cultivator at such a young age—rare even in the Jiang Kingdom."
Yeop Hyeon stared straight back.
"Two days from now. A duel between you and me. How about it?"
A smile bloomed on An Ranxiu's beautiful face. This man wasn't content to merely receive her spear—he boldly challenged her. She gazed at him again.
"Fine. Two days from now. But first, Yeop Rang. Do you know where the Ye family mansion is?"
Yeop Ryeong smiled and said,
"Unnie, we're from the Ye family too. Come with us!"
An Ranxiu looked at Yeop Hyeon.
"You're originally from the Ye family?"
"You could say that."
An Ranxiu nodded slightly.
"Two geniuses at once—lucky for the Ye family. Unless something goes wrong, they could easily rise to second-rate clan status."
The Yeop siblings headed to the Ye family with An Ranxiu. News of her arrival threw the mansion into chaos. The Great Elder emerged with the elders to greet her personally. Even with their recent surging momentum, An Ranxiu hailed from the Imperial City—a power that dwarfed a hundred Ye families combined.
When she said she wanted to see Yeop Rang's strength, the Great Elder couldn't hide his joy. He ignored the displeased Yeop siblings beside her and cupped his hands toward An Ranxiu.
"Lady An, your visit to our Ye family brings us great honor. Please, come inside."
"I'll pass for now. Is Yeop Rang here?"
"Yes! Of course!"
The Great Elder ordered an elder beside him to fetch Yeop Rang, then snapped at the Yeop siblings.
"What are you idiots doing standing there? Get lost!"
An Ranxiu frowned at his words. Yeop Hyeon shot back without hesitation.
"What business is it of yours?"
Yeop Hyeon and the Great Elder were like water and fire. He had no intention of saving face for the old man in front of An Ranxiu. Before the Great Elder could erupt, An Ranxiu spoke first.
"Who is this?"
The Great Elder feigned a mild tone.
"A man named Yeop Hyeon. He was once crown prince, but deposed for mediocre talent and arrogance. However..."
An Ranxiu interrupted.
"I can't judge his arrogance, but you just called his talent mediocre?"
"Yes. Eighteen years old and still stuck at fifth-grade Unceasing Realm—hardly exceptional, no?"
'A sword cultivator at a hidden realm, mediocre?'
An Ranxiu simply glanced at Yeop Hyeon without responding. Something was clearly off between this Yeop Hyeon and the Ye family. The Great Elder spoke again.
"Lady An, this Yeop Hyeon harbors grudges and has challenged the crown prince Yeop Rang to a life-or-death duel. If it's no trouble, we humbly request you witness the duel in two days!"
An Ranxiu looked back and forth between Yeop Hyeon and the Great Elder.
At that moment, Yeop Rang arrived after receiving the summons.
'That's Yeop Rang?' ---