The young man traced the obsession clinging to Gongsun Yeong’s blade—the residue of a path traveled tens of thousands of times without a single step of true progress. In reading that fleeting sword scar, Jin Cheon-hee understood her agony, though Gongsun Yeong remained silent.

It wasn’t envy that a younger martial artist had surpassed her. She knew the Jianghu was too vast for such petty grievances; finding joy in the safety of her kin mattered more than victory. No, her silence stemmed from a tantalizing sensation sparked by Jin Cheon-hee’s stone pipa. She felt it—she was merely one step away.

In the past, the principle of Counterstrike to Seize the Initiative had granted her a breakthrough, but that alone was no longer sufficient. It sounded absurd, but she believed the answer lay in clashing against that dull, dark instrument. That was the gap between them. Even if this turned into a teaching spar, she didn’t care.

Just one step. She would plow forward like a stubborn ox!

Haaah!

She swallowed a breath, steeling herself to unleash the greatest technique she could muster.

Jin Cheon-hee watched her intently. The next exchange would be the finale. Her stamina was extraordinary; if he, with his boundless internal energy, felt the strain, she showed no sign of it. Yet, the bout had its merits. He could now assess his arm with cold precision. Having survived the Five Poisons Sect’s toxins, the limb had hardened, showing no tremor even under the stone pipa’s weight. The spectators were awestruck, mistaking his one-handed style for the arrogant leisure of a master, unaware that his left arm was his Achilles’ heel.

Alright, is the performance test over then?

His left arm wasn’t useless—he could force power through the pain—but there was no need to expose a weakness unnecessarily. Deciding the test was over, Jin Cheon-hee deliberately plucked the stone pipa strings.

Twang—

A flat, dry sound devoid of internal energy signaled the attack.

In that instant, Gongsun Yeong moved. Her footwork was rapid and fluid, unmistakably the Emperor God Footwork of the Gongsun Clan.

Then, let’s give her… a new experience.

Why limit the duel to the ordinary? Swords, sabers, spears, axes—universal martial arts were designed for bipedal humans fighting on firm earth. But the Jianghu was vast. As an adult who had walked its strange paths, shouldn’t he introduce her to the unknown?

From here on, I choose true Sound Arts.

At his signal, Noe-jin tossed the weapon high.

Swish!

Jin Cheon-hee discarded the heavy stone pipa and snatched the Seven Silver Zither from the air.

Whirrr—

Though smaller than a standard guqin, the Seven Silver Zither released a sharp, intangible Qi with a single spin. The Dark Fragrance Pipa was a bludgeon; this was an instrument of art. The Zhuge Clan taught that the superiority of a weapon was secondary to its suitability for the moment.

Thrummm—

A profound tone rippled out, infused with explosive internal energy. It was no mere melody; it was a shockwave that caused the very earth to shudder.

“Kuh!?”

Jin Cheon-hee recalled an old wuxia movie where Sound Arts destroyed the Murim—a rare protagonist for the genre, which usually favored fists and blades. Channeling that memory, he plucked the strings.

Gongsun Yeong took the full force of the blast, her forward momentum working against her. It was as if she had plunged from a cliff into a stormy sea; the shockwave struck her evenly, sending her tumbling like a leaf in a gale.

“Wha… What is this?” she stammered.

“This is the Sound Arts of a true master,” Jin Cheon-hee declared. “Sound is sharper than a blade. It is not a point, but an expanse. Consider it undodgable.”

Usually, he aimed to burst eardrums, but the essence of the Seven Demonic Zither was to project internal energy as a physical force.

‘Unless you move faster than sound, like the Thieving Phantom,’ he mused. ‘Only someone at that level, or perhaps a master of the Formless Sword, could cut the sound itself.’

But for the current Gongsun Yeong, it was an insurmountable wall.

Strum.

“Reaching the Transformation Realm young is impressive, but the world is full of eccentric masters. Remember that not all enemies clash with steel.”

Gongsun Yeong gritted her teeth, irritation flaring. ‘Lecturing me? He sounds like an old man.’ Yet, she was accustomed to his oddities.

“Hah… I didn’t know a master of Sound Arts could do something like this…”

“That was just a taste. Now, for the real thing!”

Clang-clang-clang!

The sonic assault intensified. Gongsun Yeong attempted the Counterstrike to Seize the Initiative, but how does one parry the intangible? This time, Jin Cheon-hee focused the sound into a spearpoint, utilizing the adaptability he had gained fighting the Blood Immortal Cult.

She raised her Sword Aura, but—Sound… How do I fight sound?

Cr-crash!

Her sword shattered, and she was flung backward by the focused blast. The warriors of the Gongsun Clan stood frozen, overwhelmed by the display, until Wang Gak-yeon broke the silence.

“Crazy bastard. He’s checking her pulse right in the middle of this.”

Indeed, as soon as she collapsed, Jin Cheon-hee was kneeling beside her.

“She’s fine. She’s conscious!” he announced, before immediately praising himself. “Wow, as expected of me. I avoided all the vital points perfectly. And Sister Gongsun Yeong’s breakfall was flawless. If she had any energy left, she would have counter-attacked.”

“Hey, Cheon-hee.”

“Yes, Noona?”

Lying in the dirt, Gongsun Yeong grinned. “I think I get it now.”

“Ah, did you realize something?”

“Yeah.”

As he pulled her up, Jin Cheon-hee mused, ‘Talent beats constitution, but experience beats talent.’

Despite her Supreme Yang Physique, Gongsun Yeong had lagged behind Tang Ah’s sheer genius. Tang Ah had nearly broken Jin Cheon-hee’s bones during their spar, whereas he could fight Gongsun Yeong with composure. Yet, through this grit, Gongsun Yeong had found her answer.

“I’ve learned a lot too,” she said.

“You did?”

“Yes. You’re not human. You’re a monster. Why isn’t ‘Monster’ in your nickname?”

“There is ‘Mad’ in it, though,” he countered.

“Hahaha, that’s a given.” She stretched her aching body, a sense of relief washing over her. She had finally crossed the wall.

***

Everyone has gotten a lot stronger. Wait, she was supposed to be dead in the novel, so is there any point in measuring?

The “power inflation”—as the fans called it—was real. Even without Gongsun Yeong, the rising generation of the Jianghu had ascended. Tang Ah and Wang Gak-yeon had entered the Transformation Realm. The Three Seasons Tiger, his sworn siblings, were flourishing under his guidance. Even Namgung Woon, though taking his time, was safe to find his path.

It was only natural. No one had died. No clans had been annihilated.

Unlike the tragedy of the original Supreme Demon Lord, no main characters had lost limbs or lives. Jin Cheon-hee had cultivated an environment where they could focus on martial arts amidst moderate stimulation, rather than trauma.

But seriously… just how strong is Tang Ah?

To surpass Gongsun Yeong, who possessed the Supreme Yang Physique and commanded a military unit, with less real-world combat experience… Tang Ah’s strength was becoming a mystery all its own.