To release Whirl to Stonewall? Both reason and heart recoiled.
It wasn’t just because the martial art was named by Namgung Se-jin.
‘It’s a technique I should be concerned about, even if just by chance.’
The release of martial arts was a rare occurrence—especially one as dangerous as this.
In the lower ranks of the martial world, where small and medium-sized sects competed for territory, such acts were more common.
Betraying one’s sect wasn’t the only risk; even superhumans who had perfected martial arts still struggled under torture.
The martial arts Jeong Yeon-shin had released so far had room for further growth.
They could evolve much further under his guidance. Even the counters would have been willingly accepted.
Whirl to Stonewall, however, was different. It was inherently bound to certain forms and techniques, limiting its application.
“You’re not going to release it...?”
Shin So-bin asked helplessly.
“Right. I’m not.”
“Oh... you’re not...”
Her face fell noticeably, which secretly amused Jeong Yeon-shin. He remained calm and thoughtful.
‘No matter how urgent the achievement...’
He still needed to adhere to the basic principles of core martial techniques. Swordstorm Arc and Jeong Ga-donggong were the same.
Moreover, Whirl to Stonewall was a deadly one-hit kill technique.
It had clear weaknesses in casting time and precision, and opening up its core techniques was simply out of the question.
Anyone who knew the details would understand the life-and-death stakes.
‘In the end...’
Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm had to be mastered first. The fundamental premise of this martial art was that no one had ever truly mastered it.
Even putting aside the Mara’s Roaring Blood Technique from the Bloodflame Cult, it was a fact.
There was no reason to release it.
“You’ll earn recognition for your major achievements. A huge one, at that. You just came back, so you don’t know how much of a fuss is going on.”
Shin So-bin spoke carefully, watching Jeong Yeon-shin’s reaction.
“Hmm.”
When Jeong Yeon-shin had given Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm, the recognition he received was mediocre at best.
It wasn’t a martial technique the Shaolin monks could truly call a new martial art.
It had been a high achievement given that no one had ever entered its ranks, but it wasn’t enough to meet the expectations.
It was merely a rare martial art in terms of technique.
Nothing more.
‘Whirl to Stonewall won’t return a high recognition either.’
This was the standard in Ipwang Fortress. Even the most virtuous martial techniques were evaluated based on their general applicability.
To master Whirl to Stonewall, one had to first master Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm, a technique that no one had even begun.
There was no one who could inherit it. There was no reason to open its techniques.
“I’ve just returned. I need to focus on my energy first.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke, gently pulling away the hands that had grasped his robe.
He smiled softly at the nameless disciples, meeting their eyes.
‘Such adorable children.’
Even though he had attained the Blue Rank, they came to him without hesitation.
The older disciples still kept formalities, but the younger ones didn’t expect it.
“First, energy control. Ah, yes, that’s right?”
Shin So-bin responded awkwardly, her face slightly crinkling in embarrassment.
Her white robe, normally pristine, was subtly crumpled due to her restrained posture.
Originally, she had appeared dignified, but now...
Shin So-bin’s family was one of the prominent noble houses of Ipwang Fortress.
It was said that they wielded power comparable to the Ma Clan, but Shin So-bin’s behavior now didn’t reflect the pride one would expect from a highly regarded noble family.
“Shin So-bin, what about Lord Ma Gwang-ik and the other seniors?”
“After Seomye sunbae left, they immediately departed on their missions. No one has returned yet.”
“Sichuan?”
“Exactly.”
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled a conversation with Ma Jin before confronting the Namgung Clan.
—I’ll have to head to Sichuan soon. That Thunder Strike you took is still fresh in my mind. The news says they’re secretly making Fire Pills in the Sichuan Tang Clan. They want me to confirm it.
—The Tang Clan... Sichuan’s martial world is notorious for its dangers. Even Ma Gwang-ik’s masters would be hard-pressed to survive if they get caught up in it, right? Three factions from the Nine Great Sects and three from the Thirteen Heavens are said to be working together with the Tang Clan.
He remembered Ma Jin’s playful reply. He had even expressed concern for Jeong Yeon-shin.
‘He still hasn’t returned.’
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded once, then spoke.
“We’ll discuss the details later. As for Whirl to Stonewall... no, Whirl to Stonewall itself doesn’t really need further discussion.”
He had added the final hand technique to Whirl to Stonewall. He had invented the counter to the techniques and even the closing style.
“Yes, let’s do it!”
Her voice mixed with eagerness. Shin So-bin nodded vigorously, her face reddening.
Jeong Yeon-shin found it a bit odd. It wasn’t a usual sight.
Ma Gwang-ik’s White-Furred Master, Shin So-bin.
He recalled their encounter during the mission to the Yongbong Gathering, where they had met the Red Dragon.
Shin So-bin had once unabashedly discussed attracting attention with her practice of Radiant Sword Style.
She hadn’t hesitated to point out the Blue-Rank master’s flaws. She even openly discussed her skill.
The original her was quite bold. She always had been.
‘Why is she like this?’
Jeong Yeon-shin tilted his head, walking away. His robe brushed against the others.
The children, the nameless disciples of Ma Gwang-ik, reluctantly stepped aside.
They were like the children of Ipwang Fortress, closer to true martial tradition.
They had grown up in the fortress. Like disciples of any other sect.
Despite their innocent appearances, they had been trained in Ma Gwang-ik’s ways from the start.
Missions, rest, practice. They were accustomed to Ipwang Fortress’s system.
“Right. I should tell my tale of victory later.”
“Just get it over with. Anyway, Whirl to Stonewall is for me first. I still don’t understand how to power the first form correctly. Properly, I mean!”
“What are you saying, beginner? Let’s settle this in a duel. Follow me to the training ground.”
“Fine! You think I’m afraid?”
Amidst the ruckus of youthful voices, Shin So-bin gazed at Jeong Yeon-shin’s retreating back with a slightly bewildered expression.
There was no sign of fatigue from the boy walking calmly ahead.
Instead, there was an aura of quiet intensity surrounding him, a proof of his growth. His presence was palpable.
‘His martial skills have risen again.’
Shin So-bin thought. The achievements of the Blue-Rank master, Seomye, were becoming more and more evident.
An unfathomable rise in power.
She could hardly even guess how long she could last against him now.
All she could see was his unyielding progress.
Yet, there was something more important than achievements. It was the potential to create martial arts.
Ma Gwang-ik Seomye achieved growth and creation simultaneously.
Even as he created new techniques, he continued to advance. He no longer looked like a boy among his peers.
“Senior Shin, what’s wrong?”
“You’re acting strange, So-bin.”
“You’re not acting like a Ma Gwang-ik disciple!”
The children chattered playfully, teasing her. They were right.
It was an unusual sight. Had she, too, developed feelings for Seomye, her senior?
‘No, that can’t be it.’
No, she wasn’t that shallow. The issue was with her own heart, which had been tied to her identity as a martial artist.
Shin So-bin reflected without realizing.
‘He’s a Zongshi (Master of the Sect).’
She recalled the words of Hong Joo-geum, the Red Noon Sword of the Mara-Slaying Army, from their earlier conversation.
A sect’s pioneer. The one who awakened the truth. The venerable leader everyone reveres.
The martial world’s values often centered on the creation of new arts.
The person who founded a sect with a pure lineage was respected as a Zongshi.
Martial artists admired figures like Bodhidharma and Zhang Sanfeng more than the Buddha.
They were the founders of the Shaolin and Wudang martial arts systems. Both were called Great Masters.
Seomye Jeong Yeon-shin was creating his own school. No one could treat him lightly now.
‘Even if he is still incomplete...’
If one walked the martial way, they were meant to show respect.
‘That’s what a true martial artist would do.’
Shin So-bin had immersed herself in the martial arts techniques Jeong Yeon-shin had shared.
She had felt it all. The overwhelming martial presence flowing through the techniques, the inspiration flashing through every word.
It was different from just looking at a Blue-Rank martial artist. She felt inspired.
The elite martial artists of the upper world of Kangho were very few.
Reading the techniques Jeong Yeon-shin had written, most martial artists would bow their heads in reverence.
Not just the Whirl to Stonewall technique. Radiant Sword Style, Five Harmonics, even Demon-Destroying Azure Unyielding Palm—all of them felt the same.
‘Seomye Ilmaek...’
It was then she understood her own feelings. Her posture had shifted fundamentally.
She had unknowingly adopted the attitude of a disciple toward a Zongshi.
Therein lay the problem.
The fact that there were not just one or two Ipwang disciples like Shin So-bin.
But Ipwang Fortress itself was a sect where master-disciple relationships had been strictly forbidden by law.
There were no terms like “master” or “junior brother.” It was simply a matter of superiors and subordinates, seniors and juniors.
‘If anyone catches wind of this...?’
Shin So-bin had grown up navigating the ways of the Shin family in Ipwang Fortress.
Her brow furrowed as a series of faces crossed her mind.
***
Three days had passed.
With Ma Jin, who was supposed to take on the mission, currently away, Jeong Yeon-shin had no choice but to wait for direct orders from the Command Division.
During this time, Jeong Yeon-shin spent his days refining his martial arts techniques.
He tried to minimize the amount of time spent at the Ipwang Fortress's main compound.
While his achievements were important, he needed to gain more experience in the martial world and broaden his knowledge.
Although he won the recent martial arts tournament, he found it hard to feel satisfied.
‘I was just lucky.’
He recalled his fight with Namgung Se-jin, the White Qilin.
That day, the flow of battle had been in Jeong Yeon-shin’s favor. That alone had determined the outcome.
Both of them possessed martial techniques that could inflict fatal wounds.
Jeong Ga-donggong was a new and overwhelming martial art, to the point where it seemed almost supernatural. It wouldn’t have been surprising if either of them had won.
‘I need to improve more.’
Martial arts were a study of combat, a discipline perfected through battle with others. One could not master them alone.
Living martial arts were shaped by interaction with opponents.
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Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
Baek Girin Namgung Hwa-shin.
Among those who could develop alongside him, he was the only one who seemed to match Jeong Yeon-shin’s sense of martial arts.
However, Jeong Yeon-shin couldn’t help but shake his head internally. Namgung Hwa-shin must have been in a state of despair.
He couldn’t be used as a tool for refining martial arts.
‘I can’t help him either.’
The sparring sessions with the Ma Gwang-ik disciples had lost their edge.
They had grown too close—like family. The practice of real combat had stagnated.
There was no feeling of danger anymore.
Also, all the seniors had gone to Sichuan with Ma Jin. Jeong Yeon-shin simply continued his routine practice.
Perhaps it was because he had witnessed the unmatched mastery of the Divine Sword Corps’ top experts, including the legendary Divine Sword Master.
His thoughts grew intense. He wished someone would challenge him, so he could fully unleash his exclusive martial arts.
‘What an absurd thought.’
He shook his head and fell into meditation. Two hours passed.
Suddenly, the light from the setting sun, filtered through the bars, brushed across his cheek.
It was the breath of twilight at the close of the day. And then...
[Is anyone there!?]
A sudden voice rang out, vibrating the air.
The inherent energy of the voice was immense, a wave of power that even reached the level of Blue-Rank martial arts.
Jeong Yeon-shin immediately reacted. There was no Blue-Rank presence, only himself among the Ma Gwang-ik disciples here.
Woong!
He quickly activated his Guarding Essence technique and rushed out, opening the door swiftly.
Thwack! Whhhhaaa!
The harsh wind whipped through his hair, and in an instant, he closed the distance.
There, in front of the building, stood only one person.
“I have officially entered Ipwang Fortress today. I’ve been assigned to Ma Gwang-ik.”
The young man, with shadows hanging over his face, smiled.
It was a soft smile. He walked forward holding a small bottle, and the scent of alcohol grew stronger as he approached.
He continued speaking.
“We’ve met before, right? Your face left quite an impression on me. You were the one who called me sluggish.”
“......”
“I don’t remember your name, but I know your alias. Seomye... wasn’t it?”
He appeared to be at least ten years older than Jeong Yeon-shin. His looks made that obvious.
With clear and handsome features, a sense of boredom emanated from him. He was someone Jeong Yeon-shin had seen before.
“Hwangbo Clan, Tae Yeom-ryong.”
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke.
He immediately relaxed his body with Jeong Ga-donggong.
His muscles unwound in an instant, like a beast preparing for a fight.
While doing so, he kept his eyes on Tae Yeom-ryong.
“You remember me?”
Tae Yeom-ryong smiled, clearly satisfied.
His attire was simple, but it carried an unusual grace.
The leaf he was chewing appeared to be opium.
How had he obtained it? It was an odd sight for Ipwang Fortress.
With his eyes half-lidded, he drew a line with his lips, and Jeong Yeon-shin simply stared at him.
“There’s no reason not to. Our qualities are alike, aren’t they? I am of the Sun God lineage, and you are...”
Tae Yeom-ryong trailed off, tilting his head slightly.
“What? Anyway...”
From his entire body radiated a terrifying energy.
Though it didn’t appear to be the full extent of his true power, the heat of his energy was palpable.
It was the energy of the Fire Element.
He seemed to be growing stronger, as if the power was building within him.
“Now, I’m no longer just the young master of the Hwangbo Clan. I’m just a nameless disciple now. Please, take care of me.”
His words were casual, as if he had no attachment to the world.
He didn’t sound like the young master of a powerful clan.
But that didn’t matter. Jeong Yeon-shin was left with a question.
Why had the successor of a family that had been wiped out been brought into Ipwang Fortress?
Was this something the Command Division could decide?
While organizing his thoughts, Jeong Yeon-shin slowly spoke.
“Respect.”
“Hmm?”
“Show respect, Tae Yeom-ryong.”