White Flame's Challenge
The woman who stood blocking Baekri Hyeong, radiating an aloof and noble presence, was Baekri Hyang. Though she merely held her sword and stood still, the aura she emanated far transcended the realm of the peak. This was the true power of the person once hailed as the greatest talent before Baekri Hyeong was even born—the Sword Phoenix, Baekri Hyang.
In truth, he had not expected their clash to come so soon. He had thought they would only cross blades properly once he was older and had surpassed the Transcendent Peak Realm. But the Black Tiger Sword Sect's madness had left him no choice.
‘With my current strength, I cannot defeat Elder Sister.’
Against an ordinary master of the Transcendent Peak Realm, Baekri Hyeong could win with ease. But against Baekri Hyang, it was different. Even without real combat experience, the instincts she had honed could never be ignored. Yet Baekri Hyeong had no intention of backing down. Victory might be impossible, but this was the moment he had to press forward. It was not some stranger—innocent civilians had been slaughtered. Whether to provoke Baekri Hyeok or for some other purpose, it did not matter.
“Elder Sister. In ordinary times, I would have stepped back… but right now, I have no choice.”
“A swordsman shouldn’t speak with words. The sword—”
Chaeng-ae-ae-ae-aeng!!
Before Baekri Hyang could finish, Baekri Hyeong exploded forward and brought his sword down upon her. Yet she was still Baekri Hyang. Though briefly startled, she quickly regained her composure and deflected his surprise attack.
“A swordsman speaks with the sword. I already know that much.”
“Haha, that’s my little brother.”
Uuuu-uuuung.
Having received an unexpected ambush, Baekri Hyang smiled and drew forth her sword qi. It was the Baekri Thirteen Swords, refined into her own style—a sword art only she could wield. The Baekri Flame Emperor Sword revealed its ferocious form.
“I won’t hold back. This is serious. So don’t blame me if you’re unconscious for a few days.”
“I will also resist with everything I have!”
Kuuu-uuung.
As Baekri Hyeong stamped his foot, the heavy aura of the White Tiger Step enveloped the entire hall. The fact that he had trained in sword arts other than those of the Baekri Clan—Baekri Hyang had already suspected as much, but seeing it in person left her impressed.
‘It feels like facing a massive tiger right before my eyes.’
Baekri Hyang saw in Baekri Hyeong’s flashing eyes and deliberate steps the movements of a tiger preparing to render its prey completely powerless. To witness such a sight at only eleven years old… While rejoicing at her brother’s growth, Baekri Hyang raised the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword.
“Hah!”
Hwaruruk!
When Baekri Hyang swung her sword, sword qi wreathed in flames poured toward Baekri Hyeong. But he had already anticipated it. Using the White Tiger Step, he momentarily leapt through space. The problem was that Baekri Hyang had also predicted his movement and thrust out her next strike.
“Take this too!”
The sword qi, now split into three streams of flame, pressed in on Baekri Hyeong from different directions. It was the Three Flame Guiding Strike, one of the forms of the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword.
“I haven’t been standing still either!!”
Karurururung!!
Just as the Three Flame Guiding Strike was about to scorch Baekri Hyeong’s body, he reversed his grip on his sword and drove it into the ground. With a thunderous tiger’s roar, a white aura surged upward and completely erased the energy of the Three Flame Guiding Strike. It was the second form of the White Tiger True Sword—the Ascending Heaven Shaking Tiger Roar.
“..!”
Baekri Hyang was startled when her sword qi vanished. That strike should not have disappeared so easily, yet a single form had perfectly neutralized it. But there was no time to be surprised. Baekri Hyeong had seized the tiny opening and immediately activated the White Tiger Step, unleashing the first form—Charging Tiger Crossing the Gorge—straight at her.
“Chet!”
“Tahaat!”
Judging that she was too late to defend, Baekri Hyang retreated to regain her stance. But that was exactly the opening Baekri Hyeong needed. In an instant, he withdrew his White Tiger qi and drew forth his Azure Dragon qi instead. He transformed the Vermilion Bird Killing Sword he had used against Namgung Suryeon into an Azure Dragon form, continuing with the Azure Wing Explosion.
Kuo-o-o-o-o!!
A massive dragon-shaped silhouette surged toward Baekri Hyang at tremendous speed.
I can win. If this lands—!
Just as Baekri Hyeong’s confidence surged, he saw the corner of Baekri Hyang’s lips curl upward. Something was wrong, but it was already too late. Her crimson sword qi gradually bleached white, and white flames began to blaze from her body.
“I’ll praise you for pushing me this far!”
“This is—!”
Baekri Hyeong recognized her technique. In his previous life, she had only completed it around the age of twenty-five. The Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – White Flame. There was no doubt.
Her Baekri Flame Emperor Sword was divided into five stages. The most basic was the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – Red Flame. Next came the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – White Flame. The third was the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – Blue Flame, which she had created upon reaching the age of thirty. The fourth was the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – Yellow Flame, forged after many more years. The final stage was the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – Black Flame, born when she burned her own innate true qi during the Baekri Clan’s annihilation.
Yet the White Flame, which she had only achieved at twenty-five in the previous life, was now manifesting in her hands before she had even reached twenty. ‘If it’s come to this—!’
Baekri Hyeong withdrew his Azure Dragon qi and immediately summoned his Black Tortoise qi. He sensed that no other sacred beast qi could withstand her White Flame.
Chaeng-ae-ae-aeng!
“Hmm?”
“I’ve also been hiding a trump card!”
The Black Tortoise qi, summoned after a long absence, began to act unruly, seemingly in high spirits. If Baekri Hyeong had not been at the Peak Realm, he would have been completely overwhelmed. Unlike the Vermilion Bird qi, however, the Black Tortoise qi was somewhat controllable, so he granted it partial freedom while suppressing the rest.
Meanwhile, Baekri Hyang’s gaze grew heavy as she looked upon the Black Tortoise qi. The power it contained was dangerous. Even if her Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – White Flame held the advantage in raw strength, the mysteries woven into that energy were several levels above. If Baekri Hyeong failed to properly control it and was instead dominated by it, the worst possible outcome would occur.
She had intended to spar with him for a while before letting him go, but now she changed her mind. Since things had come to this, it would be better to see his true ability.
Kuuu-uuu-uuung!
“..!”
“From now on, I’m going all out for real. So you’d better defend yourself properly!”
When Baekri Hyang stamped her foot, the White Tiger Step aura that had dominated the surroundings whimpered. At the same time, an immense heat surged. Her cultivation method, the Baekri Flame Emperor Art, was raising the temperature of the entire area.
That was when it happened.
Ssae-ae-ae-aek!
“Krrgh!”
“With only this much skill, you thought you could follow Father? That won’t do!”
“Of course not!”
In an instant, Baekri Hyang closed the distance and brought her sword down. Baekri Hyeong could only barely block with his sword wrapped in Black Tortoise qi. The gap in physical strength was simply insurmountable. Yet he refused to give up and rose again.
“Haaah!”
Baekri Hyeong detonated his Black Tortoise qi in a single burst, using the recoil to create distance from Baekri Hyang. He could not afford to relax just because he had deflected her strike. Seizing the brief moment he had gained, he unleashed the first form of the Black Tortoise Tyrant Sword—the Four Blood Northern Wall.
Kwakwakwakwakwa!
An unrelenting barrage of indestructible sword qi. When Baekri Hyang tried to casually deflect it, she was instead pushed backward and realized something had gone wrong. Baekri Hyeong seized the fleeting moment of her confusion.
“Huuuup!”
Uuuu-uuu-uuung!
After drawing a single breath, he unleashed the Black Tortoise qi to its absolute limit. The Black Tortoise qi, which normally slumbered quietly in his middle dantian, responded to its master’s power and began to thrash with joy, revealing its full might. Then Baekri Hyeong’s sword seemed ready to shatter as the Black Tortoise qi poured forth its vast internal energy.
“This is my full power!”
“W-wait a moment!”
“Haaaaaaah!!”
Ignoring Baekri Hyang’s words, Baekri Hyeong swung his sword with all his might. The tremendous internal energy cloaked in black took the shape of an indescribable colossal beast. It was the final form of the Black Tortoise Tyrant Sword—Black Tortoise Descent.
Baekri Hyang moved desperately to block the strike, yet she could only watch in shock as the storm of sword qi assailed her from every direction. To think such a technique existed. And that the one wielding it was her own younger brother. This was truly…
“Incredible!”
Hwarurururuk!
Baekri Hyang poured every ounce of her internal energy into the Baekri Flame Emperor Sword – White Flame. The white flames that had been blazing gradually took on a blue hue. Kwakwakwakwakwa-kwang!! The Baekri Flame Emperor Sword, now transformed into Blue Flame, began to burn the colossal beast alive. The Black Tortoise, which had manifested as though it would devour the entire world, writhed in agony within the flames and gradually shrank.
“An opening!”
“..!”
Seizing the moment, Baekri Hyang kicked off the ground and charged at Baekri Hyeong. For some reason, he stood there dazed.
“I win.”
“...I lost.”
Realizing that Baekri Hyang’s cold blade now rested against his neck, he admitted defeat.