The hand gripping the sword, devoid of strength, yet inexplicably, his beloved weapon, clung to his palm as if it belonged there. It was as if it was naturally meant to be held tightly in that very grip.

“Haaah, haaah…”

His body, adopting the starting stance, had no reserve left to maintain the posture. Yet, for some reason, his old body stood firm, rooted like an ancient tree that had weathered a thousand years.

“Hoo… Hoo…”

His heart, which had been beating wildly, threatening to stop at any moment, now beat with powerful, rhythmic strokes, as if it could run to the end of the horizon.

“Hooooooo-.”

His qi points, which had surely ruptured and twisted, were cleared refreshingly. From the fine blood vessels at the tips of his limbs to the Hundred Convergence Point at the crown of his head. His Upper Danjeon seemed to open wide, his energy achieving unity with the heavens.

“Hooooooo-.”

With one or two long breaths, his True Qi, which had been boiling like water in a pot, settled deep and calm as an ocean.

“Hooooooo-.”

With the next long breath, driven by his will, that True Qi surged upward like a cliff a thousand fathoms high.

How could one express this profound and wondrous harmony?

How could one describe the feeling of peering into the truth of all things in the world through intuition, transcending logic?

The wall he couldn’t cross no matter how hard he tried. The wall he couldn’t pierce no matter how hard he struck. That wall. It no longer existed.

What unfolded before him was a universe stretching out so vast and distant it was dizzying.

Only then did Elder Peng’s wrinkled eyes, soaked in deep emotion and realization, tremble like a single blade of grass shedding morning dew. Since ancient times, martial artists have called this moment ‘sudden enlightenment’.

The time of ‘Awakening’.

Hundreds of people were gathered. From the greenhorn young warriors who had just entered the Luoyang Sword Clan and held a sword for the first time, to the white-haired old warriors who had lived their entire lives with the sword in the Sword Clan.

From the scholars who held brushes, to the servants doing menial chores, the maids checking food ingredients, and even the idlers who had just come to enjoy the festive mood, no one opened their mouths.

In that wondrous spectacle, what filled everyone’s senses was the heart of the sword held by Elder Peng.

‘Realm of the Mind Sword’

Jiiiiiiiing-.

In that silence filled with awe, what was heard was. The clear and elegant cry of the sword held in Elder Peng’s hand.

The Resonating of the Sword.

That was why the Luoyang Sword Clan’s sword art was called ‘Heart of the Resonating Sword’. He had dedicated his life to the sword, loving it all his life. How did the Luoyang Sword Clan welcome one who had finally, finally, crossed the wall?

Chaaang-.

The first to draw her sword was none other than the Head of the Guard Pavilion. She was the paternal aunt of Yeon So-hyeon and Yeon Seo-rin, a woman who still couldn’t resolve her love and hate for her younger brother, the Great Supreme Retired Patriarch. But she, too, was a warrior and martial artist of the Sword Clan. Without a single distracting thought, she held her sword straight in front of her face, paying homage to the warrior who had crossed the wall.

Cha-cha-chang-.

Following her was ‘Seamless Heavenly Robe’, Yeon Seo-rin. She drew the ancient sword inherited from her father, the Great Supreme Retired Patriarch.

Following her were the elderly warriors, their swords stained with the sweat of their hands.

Following them were the young warriors, drawing the swords they polished every day and holding them straight.

The maids and servants knelt with reverent attitudes, while the scholars bowed deeply, placing hands over their hearts.

This was,

Transcending the intricate interests and rigid status distinctions within the Sword Clan, transcending everything, the meaning of respect expressed as a member, as part of the Sword Clan. Because they were people of the Sword family, even those who didn’t wield a sword could comprehend.

In that pain that tore flesh and carved bone, pursuing a realm that seemed within reach yet remained elusive, it was an expression of homage to a warrior who had endured immeasurable time with infinite patience.

In that solemn spectacle, even outsiders unfamiliar with the Sword Clan’s culture couldn’t help but shut their mouths and pay their respects.

Amidst a flood of emotions, accompanied by a single tear, the first thing Elder Peng noticed as he slowly opened his eyes was Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, smiling. Paaang—. With a sharp sound of cutting air, the Grand Young Master shook his sleeves once to dust off the dirt and clasped his hands together with infinite politeness to pay his respects.

“It was a good duel.”

Hearing this, Elder Peng’s eyes brimmed with tears as if a dam had burst. He wiped away the tears without hesitation and, with trembling hands, bowed to the Grand Young Master in the most polite gesture he could muster.

“…I have learned greatly.”

This was. Normally, just a cliché greeting exchanged at the end of a routine duel. But in this moment. It was a phrase that deeply resonated in the hearts of all who watched.

“Congratulations, Elder Peng.”

At the Grand Young Master’s short but penetrating congratulation, Elder Peng bowed deeply, tears falling like rain.

“Thank you! Grand Young Master!”

And then, immediately. He knelt on one knee right there on the ground.

“Now…!”

He offered the hilt of his beloved weapon, filled with the traces of his life, to the Grand Young Master.

“My sword belongs to you, Grand Young Master…!”

To learn the sword from a master. And to dedicate the sword. Where in this Sword Clan could there be a more romantic scene than this?

Thunderous cheers and applause poured out from the crowd.

***

In the mansion of the Luoyang Sword Clan, a dinner gathering of the Hebei Faction elders was underway. Suddenly, a loud clang echoed through the room as a teacup shattered on the floor. Despite the commotion, the elders were engrossed in their conversation, oblivious to the broken teacup.

One elder, who had just rushed in with the news, exclaimed, “What did you just say?” His face betrayed his bewilderment.

“I said Elder Peng, the head of our faction, dedicated his sword to the Grand Young Master!”

The news sent shockwaves through the room. “What?!” “What kind of nonsense is that out of nowhere?!” the elders exclaimed in disbelief.

However, to those living in reality, this news was like a bolt from the blue.

“Why on earth would Elder Peng do that?!”

“How…?!”

“It’s not certain, but I heard…” the elder who had brought the news replied, his face drained of color. “I heard that Elder Peng received teachings from the Grand Young Master during a duel and crossed the wall right there on the spot!” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper.

In an instant, a silence filled the room, thick with suspicion. “Crossed the wall?” “By receiving teachings?” questions leaked out from the elders’ mouths, their expressions a mix of dazed disbelief and intrigue.

“And in a single duel?” another elder added, his voice barely above a whisper.

After that last remark, everyone was at a loss for words. Finally, one elder laughed incredulously and waved his hand. “You must have heard some false rumor somewhere.”

Then, another elder slumped back into his seat and laughed, “Really? I didn’t think you were the type to make such silly jokes.” At those words, others also flopped back into their seats, shaking their heads.

“…Indeed.”

“Come on, make sense.”

“You bring such an absurd rumor as information and turn the place upside down?”

Some even got angry.

“If you’re late, you should just apologize quietly…”

But their reaction was exactly what he had expected. The elder who had brought the news continued steadfastly despite the pouring criticism. “…Right now, the War Department of the Main Clan has been turned upside down. Old and young alike, the warriors of the War Department are all running to Wongakjeong!”

The expressions of the elders, who were about to dismiss it as a joke, hardened again.

“…Those heavy-assed fellows moved?”

The messenger elder thumped his chest in frustration. “Furthermore, there is information that even the warriors of the Sword Forest are gathering at Wongakjeong!”

“The Sword Forest…?!”

Sword Forest. The Sword Forest was an unofficial organization within the Sword Clan. It was a group where sword demons, who lived and died by the sword, gathered regardless of official affiliation or origin.

“Those madmen are heading to Wongakjeong?”

“What in the world…?”

The elders looked dumbfounded.

“That’s not all!” The elder who had brought the news shouted without even taking a breath. “Even the elders of the New Martial Righteous Alliance on the Third Young Master’s side have reportedly set off to visit Wongakjeong!”

The New Martial Righteous Alliance, a term referring to the forces gathered around the Third Young Master, comprised sects and martial families that had once belonged to the Martial Righteous Alliance.

“They are the Third Young Master’s people…?”

“They are heading to the Grand Young Master’s celebratory banquet?”

“They’ll be in a difficult position within their faction…?”

Bang!

“That’s not the issue right now, is it?!” The elder who had brought the news slammed his fist on the large round table. “The Grand Young Master pushed the back of an old man, whose physical prime had long passed, over the wall with a single duel…!” He shouted as if he were screaming.

And only then did the elders, who had not yet fully grasped the situation, experience a drastic change in their expressions.

“……!!”

This afternoon, when the Grand Young Master had unexpectedly revealed his faction and split the sky with the Great Supreme Retired Patriarch’s single strike, they had believed that there would be no more surprises from the Grand Young Master that day.

But, as if mocking them, the Grand Young Master had casually committed an act that transcended imagination.

“This situation is not a matter of cliques or factions!” the messenger elder shouted. “This is a major event that could fundamentally alter the political landscape of this Sword Clan from the very roots up!”

One of the core elders rose from his seat. “This is no time to be sitting here…!” His chair tumbled backward, spilling the food in front of him. “This is no time!”

Everyone stormed out, so no one cared.

“Let’s hurry to Wongakjeong…!”

***

In front of the main gate of Wongakjeong, Grand Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, with a deep smile, shouted, “The banquet begins now!”

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Firecrackers launched by the staff of Wongakjeong exploded in the darkened sky, creating a symphony of loud bangs.