By the time we’d finished eating the wild boar, Im Sobaek looked around at us.

“Sword Demon, Yukhap, Mongrang, Cult Leader. I’d like to talk to you all—just this once—about martial arts. I hope you’ll hear me out.”

We leaned in closer to the fire and watched Im Sobaek. His tone was so serious that the only sound was the crackling of the flames.

The Lecher was the first to speak, his voice unusually solemn.

“We’re ready to listen, Alliance Leader.”

Im Sobaek spoke.

“This is my personal opinion. You may all take it differently. Frankly, if one’s level isn’t high enough, or their philosophy of martial arts is fundamentally different, this might sound pointless. But that doesn’t matter. Our bellies are full, the breeze is nice, and you four are rare masters. I’m ready to talk.”

We held our breath and listened.

We had no idea what kind of story was coming.

Im Sobaek began.

“For the record, there are many subordinates in the Alliance I hold dear, but I’ve never spoken this deeply on the subject with any of them. They’re simply not at that level. To put it simply, the message I want to leave you with is this: if you can’t overcome the difference in internal energy, you’ll never rise.”

So far, I had no idea what he meant.

The Sword Demon immediately asked,

“What do you mean? It doesn’t sound like you’re just telling us to build more internal energy.”

It’s not easy for someone of his level to ask a question about martial philosophy, but our eldest did it without a trace of hesitation.

Im Sobaek answered.

“Fundamentally, the Three Calamities all have deeper internal energy than the five of us ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) combined. Do you accept that?”

The Lecher replied.

“Yes, but do they even have more than you?”

Im Sobaek nodded.

“They do. I once had a pure internal energy match with Senior Shin Gae—it wasn’t even close. From him, I could estimate the others’ levels. Now, the terms I’ll use from here are just labels, not absolutes. Keep that in mind.”

“Yes.”

“The Three Calamities have already transcended the realm of ‘pure green furnace flame.’ In simple terms, their energy is overflowing to the point of being limitless. No matter how much they exert, they never run dry. Does that still sound human to you?”

The Lecher shook his head.

“No, not at all.”

“Which means, if I fought the Cult Leader ten times, I’d lose all ten. I understood that clearly after clashing with Senior Shin Gae. But as the head of the Alliance, I can’t just die like that. If possible, I intend to avoid that fight. But here’s the point—our internal energy is all inferior to the Cult Leader’s. If one day we’re forced to fight with no way out, are we just going to lay our necks down?”

“Of course not.”

“Exactly. But even if I set everything aside and trained my internal energy for the next ten years, I still couldn’t catch up to the Three Calamities. Same goes for all of you.”

At this point, Im Sobaek looked at me.

“As for you, Cult Leader, I’ll reserve judgment.”

I answered briefly.

“Why?”

“There are some people... you just can’t explain with logic. Let’s move on.”

“Sure.”

So I’m one of those irrational freaks?

Anyway, I kept listening.

“Even if I gathered every elixir in the martial world and took them all myself, I still wouldn’t catch up to the Three Calamities. That’s how wide the gap is.”

Suddenly, the Alliance Leader laid his hand on the hilt of his sword and slightly drew it.

The blade gleamed faintly in the firelight.

“But I have my sword.”

He ran his finger gently along the exposed steel.

“This is all there is. The only thing that can overturn a battle. Let me rephrase it. To survive, we must be able to kill those with deeper internal energy. You should all accept this reality now. It’s impossible for you to surpass the internal energy of the Three Calamities.”

“Mmm.”

“Whether by fortune or faction, the Three Calamities have moved beyond the green furnace flame stage to near-complete return to the origin. At least, that’s how I assess it.”

Then Im Sobaek pointed at the Lecher.

“You don’t use a sword, but you’ve got your ice arts. Interpret this your own way.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The human body has a limit on how fast it can move. Because of breathing. That’s why it’s easier to match the speed of the Three Calamities than it is to match their internal energy.”

He raised his hand in the air.

“I’m saying their top-end power isn’t unreachable.”

“Understood.”

“So, the only way is to repeatedly evade their overwhelming power and slice them down with your blade. It sounds crazy, but that’s the only option. If you’re the kind of master who can seize such an opportunity, you’ll be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the emperors of this era. You’ll be considered one of the top ten masters in Jianghu. And just so you know, that list doesn’t include the Three Calamities. Now, why am I saying all this when it seems so obvious?”

Im Sobaek looked at me, and I answered.

“Because martial artists are too obsessed with internal energy?”

“That’s part of it. That obsession makes them forget the essence.”

“You’re saying... unless we learn how to kill someone with deeper internal energy, we’ll never rise.”

Im Sobaek nodded.

“Exactly. Normally, people think, ‘I’ll train until my internal energy is deeper than that guy’s, then take revenge.’ But that has limits.”

The Sword Demon asked,

“So we’re the ones who’ve hit that limit—or will hit it soon?”

“You’re either already there or about to be. Once you hit that wall, trying to break through with internal energy only blocks your growth.”

He looked at the Sword Demon.

“Sword Demon, you need to go deeper into the sword.”

The Sword Demon gave a slight nod.

Im Sobaek continued.

“That’s why the Six Combat Blade was born. When I was younger, the emperors who beat me didn’t fall to internal energy. I took my revenge with the sword. Even now, some of those emperors still have deeper energy than I do.”

The Drunk looked stunned.

“Seriously?”

“Why else would they keep challenging me like excited children?”

That revelation—that some emperors still surpass the Alliance Leader in energy—was unexpected.

Im Sobaek said,

“If you want to become stronger, think about the Cult Leader. Even if you train endlessly, you’ll never exceed his internal energy. So what should you train instead? You think wandering around looking for elixirs is the way? Wrong. You need to think about how to use your sword, how to use your ice arts. That’s what evolves martial skills. You won’t improve by sitting around like pigs in a sty waiting for some miracle. And Sword Demon, you know this—the old main base’s spirits all had deeper energy than us. At least back then, that was true.”

He sheathed his sword and said,

“To summarize: your swordsmanship still isn’t good enough. That can mean a lot of things. But mostly, it means you haven’t made it your own. From my perspective, your bodily movements are still slow. Your physical application and technique are lacking. Your footwork training is incomplete. You need to raise the level of those basic things. And only after that—if you’re lucky enough to receive a fortuitous encounter—can you add internal energy to it. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

We all nodded.

Im Sobaek continued.

“It’s hard to quantify internal energy, but just for clarity, I trained to be able to kill opponents with ten or even twenty years more cultivation than me—with the sword. That’s how I survived.”

The Drunk finally spoke.

“...Alliance Leader.”

“Yeah?”

“To be honest, the Number One of the Evil Path had incredibly deep energy. And blades didn’t pierce him. Even our eldest’s sword couldn’t.”

Im Sobaek narrowed his eyes.

“Is that so? That’s unexpected.”

The Drunk looked at me.

“...I don’t know what the Cult Leader was thinking, but he locked into a direct energy clash. We joined in afterward. Then our eldest smashed his skull. So it was the four of us who killed him. One-on-one, I don’t think we could’ve closed the energy gap.”

Im Sobaek nodded.

“So you're saying the gap was so wide, it felt like blade-impervious skin. But in truth, it wasn’t perfect.”

“Exactly.”

He turned to me.

“What were you thinking when you engaged in that energy battle?”

I answered calmly.

“I believed that once his energy was depleted, Yukhap, the Lecher, or our eldest would finish the job.”

“And?”

“And I went in expecting to win the clash, too.”

In truth, it had been a mental gamble. I trusted the others, yes—but more than that, I was betting on the Heavenly Pearl in my body to kick in when all else failed. It was a desperate calculation I made instinctively.

Because that’s the kind of bastard I am.

Im Sobaek let out a short sigh.

“So it wasn’t just a normal fight. I assumed you four killed him easily since you didn’t talk much about it.”

Before we realized it, the talk had shifted into a debrief of that battle.

The Lecher asked,

“What would you have done, Alliance Leader?”

Im Sobaek looked around and said,

“As you know, my internal energy is a bit higher than yours. Not boasting—just facts.”

“Yes, sir.”

“But assuming I couldn’t cut him down?”

The Lecher nodded.

“Yes.”

“Well... now I’m a bit annoyed. Hearing all this makes me want to fight him myself. Did that bastard have any weapons?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Then, off the top of my head, I would’ve just smashed him into the ground with my sword.”

The Lecher stared in shock.

“...Excuse me?”

“Why so surprised? That’s how you kill someone.”

“But with inferior energy, could you really bury him?”

Im Sobaek chuckled.

“You just lack confidence. The Six Combat Blade is heavy. Without a weapon to block, the enemy’s own internal energy and the ground’s support give out first. Sometimes the ground collapses just from the clash. But it’s not like I’d swing just to bury him.”

“Then how?”

He stared into the fire and said,

“...I’d swing to split him in half. If I don’t cut him, I die. A swordsman must carry the will to cleave in a single stroke. Right, Sword Demon?”

The Sword Demon nodded.

“Indeed.”

He turned to me.

“Cult Leader, don’t you agree?”

“I do.”

Then to the Drunk.

“You too—train with that intent to cleave. Even more fiercely than now.”

The Drunk nodded.

“I’ll engrave it into my heart.”

Then he turned to the Lecher.

“I haven’t watched you long, so I’m not sure how far you’ll grow. But if you ever reach your potential, will everyone around you just freeze to death?”

The Lecher paused, then looked at him.

“Yes. They’ll all freeze.”

Im Sobaek smiled faintly.

“Then I hope you reach it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Suddenly, Im Sobaek spoke clearly and deliberately—like declaring war.

“When the five of us arrive at the Murim Alliance, let’s call in the emperors and throw a party. So what if we lose in a duel to a white-path master? We can train and come back stronger. If it helps us grow, I’ll gladly accept defeat. Dueling has meaning. But there’s one more thing I always tell my subordinates.”

There was a flash of killing intent in his eyes as he looked into the fire.

“...If we ever clash with the Cult Leader in a fight to the death—it won’t be anything like a duel. No matter how shallow my energy is, I’ll slice off one of his arms. After that, the Murim Alliance will take his head. Even if I fall, the Alliance won’t lose. That’s how I train them. Or...”

He glanced around at us.

“...You all will finish the job.”

It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t a last will. But at that moment, we understood the kind of resolve the Alliance Leader carried—and it sent a chill down my spine.

In short—Im Sobaek was a terrifying man.

Then he turned to the Lecher.

“Is there any liquor left?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s drink the rest.”

After that, no one talked much. We were all lost in thought.

***

We arrived at the Murim Alliance.

The Alliance Leader introduced us as honored guests to a man named Song Gwanju, who was in charge of hospitality. He seemed to understand right away and led us to our lodgings. On the way, Im Sobaek told someone,

“...Call in those annoying bastards.”

“Which ones? There are quite a few.”

“All the ones unhappy with my reappointment.”

“Understood.”

A short distance away, Im Sobaek turned to us.

“I have reports to read and matters to handle. Rest comfortably. If anything bothers you, tell Gwanju.”

The youngest answered for us.

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

I paused to take in the view of the Murim Alliance. The grand buildings, the spotless paths with no trash... but more than that, I felt the weight of command that rested on Im Sobaek’s shoulders, governing all the warriors here.

But I’m not the Alliance Leader, so not my problem.

I placed my hands on my hips and addressed the Alliance.

“Jomsoi of Ilyang County has entered the Murim Alliance.”

The other three immediately followed after Song Gwanju.

“...”

“Wait up.”

None of them responded.

I trailed behind them, and as I walked, I met the eyes of several Alliance members. Even those I’d never seen before suddenly offered me a martial salute.

“Welcome, Cult Leader.”

“We’re honored by your visit.”

I nodded silently and passed by—but then looked back at them. Were there facial sketches of me going around? Even though they’d never seen me before, they all seemed to recognize me instantly.

I couldn’t help myself—I called them back.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

I asked the Alliance members,

“How did you recognize me?”

They hesitated and looked at each other. One scratched his head and answered,

“We just knew.”

“How do you ‘just know’ if you’ve never seen me before?”

One of them said it outright.

“Cult Leader, you’re on the watchlist. Everyone in the Alliance knows who you are.”

“Watchlist?”

“Yes.”

“And what exactly are they watching for?”

“...Your temper. It’s said to be... fiery.”

Another member scolded him.

“Stop it. What kind of nonsense is that to say to a guest? Forgive him, Cult Leader. Ever since you gravely injured Clan Lord Sama Hak, most members have known your name. We don’t mean it negatively.”

“Oh, Sama Hak. I remember him. What’s he up to these days?”

“He retired.”

“Well damn. That happens in duels sometimes. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Understood.”

I sent them off with a nod and headed to my lodgings, thinking—

Fiery temper?

That’s not quite right.

More accurately, I just don’t care whether it’s fire or water.

After all, Heaven-Piercing Sun-Moon Radiance didn’t come out of nowhere.