The Eldest Son
The Grand Young Master.
Ju Seung-hyeok.
At barely twenty years old, he had already earned the title of Sword Dragon.
Among the rising stars of the younger generation, those with truly exceptional skill were called Dragons or Phoenixes. In the current martial world, there were exactly five who bore the title of Dragon.
The Sword Dragon, Ju Seung-hyeok of the Ju Family.
The Fist Dragon, the head disciple of Shaolin, Monk Mu-a.
The Staff Dragon, the head disciple of Wudang, the Perfected One Byeok Gong-jin.
The Spear Dragon, the successor of the Shandong Zhao Clan, Zhao Eop.
The Golden Dragon, the financial genius of the Heavenly Commerce Guild, Geum Hwi-ak.
On the other hand, only three women had received the title of Phoenix.
In any case, even when combining both Dragons and Phoenixes, there were only two rising talents from prestigious families.
Given that reality, one could only imagine how overjoyed the Ju Family had been when Ju Seung-hyeok received the title of Sword Dragon.
But…
After that, Ju Seung-hyeok stopped all activity.
He didn’t attend the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering reserved exclusively for those title holders, nor did he hone his skills through sparring tours. He hadn’t even built any notable achievements.
The people of the world said that the Sword Sovereign was secretly forcing him into closed-door training.
But that was not the truth.
Ju Seung-hyeok had truly ceased all activity.
He had shut himself inside the family estate and refused to come out.
The reason this once-brilliant genius had become like this was none other than the Anak Blood Incident.
It was during the bloody tragedy that occurred in Anak, Shandong, that Ju Seung-hyeok had earned the title of Sword Dragon.
But from that day onward, he could never lift a sword again.
Inside the Silver Sage Hall, Ju Seung-hyeok’s personal residence.
After Ju Woo-jin left, Seung-hyeok’s worries only grew heavier.
Becoming the Junior Family Head.
What exactly did that position mean?
It was the sole seat from which one could receive the successor’s education and be taught the family’s secret ultimate techniques—the only path to potentially becoming the next Family Head.
It wasn’t a position one could simply claim by wanting it. Only those who possessed both the talent and the ability could attain it.
Moreover, becoming the Junior Family Head meant learning all the internal operations of the clan.
In other words, it meant standing beside the Family Head and helping lead the Ju Family.
With that came immense authority and power, but it also carried an even heavier burden of responsibility.
“Are you going to hand that seat over to your siblings?”
His wife, Ye Ga-in, asked gently.
“I don’t know anymore.”
“Why? What did the youngest Young Master say to you?”
At Ga-in’s worried question, Seung-hyeok paused for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
“That kid… told me to become the Junior Family Head.”
“…What? That’s unexpected.”
Ga-in’s eyes sparkled at those words.
To her, Seung-hyeok’s position had felt increasingly precarious lately.
“To think that Woo-jin would say something like that to me. Hah, this is something.”
Seung-hyeok scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, looking somewhat bashful.
Beside him, their daughter Seol-ah was sleeping soundly.
“During the Anak Blood Incident… I thought it was all my fault. That hasn’t changed even now. But…”
“…You know it wasn’t your fault. Those people were the ones who did wrong.”
“Hoo, it was all so complicated.”
Seung-hyeok smiled faintly.
“It was as if Woo-jin knew exactly what I was agonizing over. He scolded me, asking why I was living so pathetically, crushed by something like that.”
“……”
Ga-in listened quietly and nodded.
She had always respected her husband’s choices.
That was still true now.
He was simply taking a short rest.
He would get back on his feet soon.
“Things will get busy starting tomorrow. The martial tournament is about to begin.”
“That’s true. After the Heavenly Tournament ends, you’ll be heading to the archipelago, right?”
“Yes. I’ll be back soon.”
“Always take care of yourself first. Don’t worry about us.”
At those words, Seung-hyeok gently wrapped his arms around Ga-in’s shoulders.
Despite the smile on his face, his mind was incredibly complicated.
The next day.
The morning of the Ju Family Heavenly Tournament dawned.
The Ju Family warriors gathered on the platform one by one with solemn expressions.
Thud! Thud!
With the sound of drums signaling the start of the martial tournament, people began filling the grand training grounds of the Ju Family.
It had been two days since the Heavenly Tournament began.
People gathered in small groups, chatting among themselves as they celebrated the prosperity of the Ju Family together.
“Hello, fellow warriors of the Jianghu.”
A woman with a bright, cheerful face.
It was Ju Yu-gyeong, the Chief Steward of the Ju Family.
She stepped onto the platform and shouted with her internal energy so that everyone could hear.
“I’m sure this is the day you’ve all been waiting for the most. Allow me to explain a few rules for the martial tournament.”
Ju Yu-gyeong’s explanation began.
I watched the scene from a spot far away from the platform.
“Muyoung.”
I immediately called for him.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“How many of them do you think you could defeat over there?”
“Hmm, I’ve never really thought about it…”
Muyoung began pondering with a serious expression.
First-rate Extreme.
Muyoung’s current realm was First-rate Extreme.
Considering he was a member of the Rising Dragon Unit and not even twenty years old yet, it was indeed an impressive level.
A moment later, Muyoung spoke.
“Against the Red Dragon Unit, I think I could defeat all but about five…”
“Who are the five?”
“Obviously the Red Dragon Unit Captain, the Vice Captains, and the leaders of the First, Second, and Third Squads. I wouldn’t be able to beat them.”
“You can beat everyone else?”
“It seems worth trying.”
Muyoung showed his confidence.
Considering his actual skill, it was a fairly accurate assessment.
After all, the martial tournament prohibited the use of internal energy and focused purely on forms and techniques, making it the perfect stage to test one’s understanding of swordsmanship.
“Want to go out there?”
At my words, Muyoung chuckled and shook his head.
“I’m fine, sir.”
“Why? If you advance, you could get a better position and a higher salary. Wouldn’t that be good?”
“I already receive more than enough money. And I… would rather die than go anywhere else.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that.
Originally, Muyoung had been quite a renowned talent even within the Rising Dragon Unit.
In fact, he was known as the youngest to ever pass the unit’s test.
Yet for some reason, he had been assigned as my personal guard.
Whether in my previous life or this one, I had no idea why.
Only he himself knew the reason.
“Being my guard must be boring.”
“Boring? Not at all. These days my heart is pounding so hard I can barely stand it.”
“Your heart is pounding? Why?”
“Don’t you already know, Young Master?”
Muyoung widened his eyes as he asked back.
“I still can’t figure out how you manage to attract so many demonic practitioners everywhere you go. It remains a complete mystery to me.”
“Ah, is that so?”
It’s not that they’re attracted to me. I’m the one seeking them out, Muyoung.
I swallowed the rest of my words.
By now, the martial tournament seemed to have begun as warriors started stepping onto the training ground.
“Then, to prepare for the tournament, shall I go sharpen my martial arts a bit?”
I headed straight back to my residence.
Upon arriving at my quarters, I immediately sought out the training ground.
The internal energy within my body amounted to one and a half cycles of the sixty-year cycle—ninety years’ worth of cultivation that could only be accumulated through decades of relentless training.
“The key is how I handle this.”
I slowly adjusted the true qi flowing inside me.
The Dragon Heaven True Qi had reached the twelfth and final stage of perfection.
As for the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi, I had only just reached the first stage.
In terms of raw power, the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi was supreme.
Even at the first stage, it was not something to be taken lightly.
After all, even my father, the Sword Sovereign, had only reached the seventh stage of the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi.
“I obviously can’t reveal this during the tournament. Absolutely not.”
If I brought out the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi, my father and the elders would lose their minds.
No matter what anyone said, it was essentially the family’s ultimate secret art, passed down only to the Family Head.
Of course, the same applied to the Dragon Heaven True Qi.
“Father definitely noticed my internal energy.”
Two days ago in the Sword Soul Hall, Father had clearly recognized it but chose to overlook it.
Instead, he had given me a strict order to participate in the direct-line martial tournament.
“Ju-wall Divine Art.”
In that case, the only thing I could display right now was the Ju-wall Divine Art.
It had originally been at the second stage, but thanks to the development of other advanced techniques, it had now surpassed the ninth stage.
“Hmm, shall I give it a try?”
It was a dilemma.
In my previous life, I had mixed all my martial arts together to create an entirely new one.
Why?
Because even the Jade Heaven Descending Dragon Qi could not reach the Heavenly Demon.
But I immediately shook my head.
“Not yet.”
Combining all the insights I had gained was an extremely dangerous and complex process.
In my previous life, I had nearly died doing it.
It was still too risky to merge the core principles of the different mental techniques, so I would put that on hold.
“Hoo.”
I stood up from my seat.
Internal energy was strictly forbidden in the martial tournament anyway.
Therefore, there was no need to adjust my cultivation method right now.
Though I will be using a weapon…
The Ju Family was unmistakably a sword clan.
But I had no intention of fighting the tournament with a sword.
Black King Advance Strike Body.
The legacy left behind by the Fighting King, the greatest master of the underworld.
I planned to use this to break the Ju Family’s sword techniques.
Though everyone looked down on the martial arts of the underworld, that didn’t mean they were inherently inferior.
It was the same way the orthodox sects looked down on and despised the techniques of prestigious families.
It was simpler to think that the righteous factions simply despised the vermin of the underworld.
The Black King Advance Strike Body consisted of six forms in total.
From the first form, Running Destruction Phantom Strike, to the sixth form, Overlord Forbidden Blood.
I practiced each one slowly while picturing every sword technique of the Ju Family in my mind.
I already had all of the Ju Family’s sword arts memorized.
I analyzed each one thoroughly, reorganized them, and found their perfect weaknesses.
Then I drove the principles of the Black King Advance Strike Body straight into those weaknesses, completely dismantling them.
Strangely enough, the sword techniques of the Ju Family—one of the most prestigious orthodox clans—were being torn apart far too easily by the very underworld martial arts that everyone scorned.
Through this Heavenly Tournament, I intended to plant a proper sense of caution in everyone’s hearts.
“Mmm…”
Seol-ah was sitting in the small training ground attached to the Silver Sage Hall, drawing something on the ground.
She was drawing what appeared to be a person, though it was a bit difficult to recognize.
“Seol-ah, what are you doing?”
“Daddy!”
At that moment, Ju Seung-hyeok, who had finished preparing and was about to leave, spotted her.
Seol-ah immediately ran over and hugged him.
“I drew Uncle.”
“Uncle? Which one?”
“Um… the youngest uncle.”
“Ah, you mean Woo-jin. Shall we take a look at our Seol-ah’s drawing skills?”
Seung-hyeok looked at the picture Seol-ah had drawn on the ground and flinched in surprise.
But he didn’t show it and asked her carefully.
“Seol-ah. Why does Uncle look so sad in the picture?”
It was just a joke.
She was only five years old, so he assumed her drawing skills were simply immature.
But that wasn’t the case.
“Hmm… Uncle is always crying…”
“What?”
Seung-hyeok’s expression hardened at his daughter’s unexpected words.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Woo-jin Uncle. Hehe, Uncle is always crying like this.”
Seol-ah imitated Woo-jin’s expression.
At first glance, it looked like he simply had no expression at all.
“The youngest uncle… is crying?”
“Yes! Even when Uncle smiles, he isn’t really smiling. I don’t really understand it well, but… he’s sad.”
“……”
Seung-hyeok soon dismissed it as nothing serious.
“Haha, it seems our Seol-ah really likes her youngest uncle. Even though you’ve barely met him.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
Seol-ah tilted her head.
Finding her adorable, Seung-hyeok gently pinched her cheek before turning away.
“Seol-ah, get ready quickly and come watch your dad with Mom, okay?”
“Okay~”
Leaving Seol-ah’s reply behind, Seung-hyeok left the Silver Sage Hall.
Since the martial tournament had begun, there were many things he needed to observe carefully.
That was why he didn’t hear it.
The muttering of Seol-ah, who had been left alone.
“It’s strange… Uncle really is always crying. Just like… a dead mantis…”
Looking at the mantis lying dead in a corner of the small training ground, its colors faded, Seol-ah kept muttering words whose meaning no one could understand.
From the end of the mantis’s abdomen, something long and wriggling was slowly emerging.