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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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The awkwardness was short-lived.
Though Peng Hou-sang’s words had unsettled him, Namgung-Woo wasn’t so immature as to let it show.
He quickly regained his composure and walked alongside Peng Ha-ryeong.
The warm summer sun and a gentle northern breeze brushed past them.
The fierce battle they’d fought just days ago felt like a distant dream.
Peng Hou-sang had returned from Beijing just yesterday.
Having concluded his negotiations with the Imperial Family, he’d rushed back to Tianjin, arriving not long after Namgung-Woo.
The Beijing Uprising had happened less than a week ago.
The chaos of the battle was still fresh in Namgung-Woo’s mind.
But Peng Ha-ryeong, a true native of this world, seemed more focused on other matters.
“Ye-ryeong has improved so much.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The, uh, Ethereal Void Divine Art, right? She said it was incredibly difficult, and she’s only at the third level, but my brother said her Celestial Gate has narrowed. It means she’s starting to control her upper dantian! At this rate, she might close her Celestial Gate and regain her lost lifespan within the year! Isn’t that great?”
Peng Ye-ryeong was her precious younger sister, someone she would gladly give her life for.
Seeing her sister’s remarkable progress filled Peng Ha-ryeong with such joy that she could laugh off any obstacle.
Her face radiated with hope as she chattered excitedly about Peng Ye-ryeong.
But Namgung-Woo wasn’t particularly interested in hearing about Peng Ye-ryeong.
Not because he didn’t care.
He was just as concerned about her well-being as Peng Ha-ryeong.
In fact, he’d personally checked on Peng Ye-ryeong’s condition immediately after returning to Tianjin.
He’d imparted his Thirteen Lightning Sword Techniques to the Yang brothers.
And he’d shared the Ethereal Void Divine Art with Peng Ye-ryeong.
All three were precious connections, people he’d shared his valuable martial arts with.
He felt a special bond with Peng Ye-ryeong, as her resonance had helped him overcome Li Zi-long’s sorcery.
But he didn’t need to discuss Peng Ye-ryeong with Peng Ha-ryeong.
“How are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Not Ye-ryeong. You, Miss Peng Ha-ryeong. You fought a tough opponent.”
“Oh… you mean me?”
The Black Tortoise Guardian, who had blocked them from reaching Li Zi-long.
As Namgung-Woo recalled, the guardian was stronger than Peng Ha-ryeong, but weaker than Peng Ja-ryeong.
Fortunately, Peng Ha-ryeong had escaped without a serious injury, but he’d overheard that she would have been in danger if Peng Hou-sang hadn’t arrived in time.
He’d thought it was a minor issue at the time, but she hadn’t expected him to bring it up.
She was caught off guard by the sudden question and stammered,
“Um… It was… easier than I thought? I mean, I don’t think his internal energy cultivation was that much higher than mine. And our instantaneous power seemed about the same.”
With her opened meridians compensating for her relatively weaker Twelve Principal and Eight Extraordinary Meridians, Peng Ha-ryeong could temporarily match a Transcendent Realm expert, even at the Peak Realm.
The Black Tortoise Guardian was admittedly a low-level Transcendent Realm expert, but it was still remarkable that she could hold her own.
“But his stamina was definitely better. I guess I’m still no match for a true Transcendent Realm expert who has achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.”
“Even with your opened meridians improving your Qi circulation, your total Qi capacity hasn’t changed. Recognizing that difference is important.”
He wasn’t sure if he, someone who had gained power so easily, was qualified to give advice, but his words were based on his own recent experience.
His battle with Li Zi-long, the first time he’d completely depleted his dantians.
He’d blamed himself for not recognizing his limits, for not realizing he could run out of True Qi.
If he had understood his limitations, he could have used his True Qi more efficiently and avoided that crisis.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m stating the obvious. Don’t take it too seriously.”
“Of course not! I’ll remember it.”
Her admiring gaze, as if he were some once-in-a-millennium grandmaster, was a little overwhelming.
‘I should be more careful about what I say.’
He tried to assess himself objectively.
He possessed a considerable understanding of martial arts theory.
But it was knowledge granted to him, not earned through personal study and practice.
There was a vast difference between theoretical knowledge and true understanding, embodied through experience.
‘I need to work harder.’
When he first sparred with Hwang Mu-tak, he hadn’t known how strong he was in this world.
After the Wuan County incident and learning from the Yang brothers, he’d gained a better understanding of his place.
And in Beijing, he’d witnessed firsthand the existence of those far stronger than him.
‘I was lucky to defeat Li Zi-long. Without my Ever-Clear Vision, without having experienced the realm beyond the Celestial Gate through my resonance with Peng Ye-ryeong, I would have lost.’
Luck had been on his side.
And he still hadn’t unlocked his full potential.
‘I haven’t used my upper dantian at all.’
His essence, energy, and spirit weren’t fully integrated. He’d relied solely on his lower and middle dantians in battle.
He’d only used his upper dantian once, when imparting the Ethereal Void Divine Art to Peng Ye-ryeong.
He did use his Ever-Clear Vision which is essentially an upper dantian ability in his daily life.
But that was just a fraction of his upper dantian’s potential.
A significant fraction, yes, but still just a fraction.
The Ethereal Void Divine Art and his upper dantian. These were the challenges he needed to address after the battle in Beijing.
“Miss Ha-ryeong, would you mind sparring with me at the training grounds?”
“What? Of course! I’d be honored… but will I be of any help to you?”
“I’ll limit my True Qi. You need time to process what you learned from the recent battle, right? We can help each other.”
“Then, absolutely!”
A soft hum escaped her lips. Perhaps she was happy to be of assistance.
They headed towards the small training grounds attached to the annex the Peng Family had provided.
Small was a relative term. It was more than enough space for three people.
Yang Kwai, who had been there first, jumped down as he saw them approach.
“Oh! Boss, you’re here!”
“You’ve arrived.”
Yang Jeong followed his brother.
Yang Kwai suddenly started picking at his ear.
“Huh? Did I just hear something? A voice that shouldn’t be there… Nah, it must be my imagination. My hearing, as a Peak Realm expert, transcends that of ordinary mortals.”
“Ugh… Aren’t you tired of this? Have some shame, especially in front of the Boss… It’s like writing letters in front of Confucius.”
Yang Jeong sighed, exasperated. But Yang Kwai remained unfazed.
“Backtalk… unacceptable. I’m a Peak Realm expert.”
“You’re full of shit.”
Yang Kwai’s incessant bragging finally broke Yang Jeong, forcing him to drop his usual respectful tone.
“Boss, please tell him to stop. He’s been like this ever since we left Beijing.”
“Sigh… Boss, a weakling’s words are meaningless. How about we establish some proper rules for the Azure Sky Group? No entry below Peak Realm. Or maybe those below Peak Realm are trainees, not full members.”
The Beijing Uprising had spurred growth in many.
Namgung-Woo and Peng Ha-ryeong.
And even the Yang brothers.
But unfortunately for Yang Jeong, their growth wasn’t equal.
Yang Kwai had reached the Peak Realm, while Yang Jeong hadn’t.
Perhaps driven by a sense of rivalry, or a sense of responsibility as the elder twin, Yang Kwai had taken the next step.
“Yang Kwai, enough with the jokes. Last time I checked, your techniques were still inferior to Yang Jeong’s.”
“Ahem, well, that’s…”
“I know you’re happy about reaching the Peak Realm, but don’t let it go to your head.”
“I know, Boss. Boasting about being a Peak Realm expert is a good way to get killed in the Jianghu.”
Yang Kwai’s playful demeanor vanished.
“Good. You two should continue sparring and practicing together. Yang Kwai can share his insights on reaching the Peak Realm with Yang Jeong, and Yang Jeong can help Yang Kwai refine his techniques. It’ll benefit both of you.”
“We’ve been doing that. We cultivate our Qi together before bed and discuss martial arts. And he actually takes it seriously then.”
Apparently, Yang Kwai’s bragging was all in good fun.
“Alright? So, can we use the training grounds now?”
“Go ahead. We’re pretty much done.”
Namgung-Woo turned to Peng Ha-ryeong.
“Do you mind if they watch us spar?”
Observing someone’s personal training was taboo in the martial world.
Sparring was a form of training.
While opponents naturally observed each other’s techniques, spectators were a different matter.
But Peng Ha-ryeong readily agreed.
“Of course. The Peng Family’s martial arts aren’t so easily deciphered from a single observation.”
She stepped onto the training grounds.
She wore a determined expression, as if to say she wouldn’t go easy on him, even if he was her benefactor.
“I’ll give it my all!” she declared.
Namgung-Woo smiled faintly and leaped onto the training grounds.
If she was going all out, he would too.
The sounds of their clash echoed through the air.
A man and a woman, bathed in sweat, focused on each other.
It was summer.
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