Seven Prodigies.

That was what they called the most outstanding representatives among the younger generation prodigies of the Central Plains.

They were proof of which generation would be leading the Central Plains a few decades from now—

And a sign of just how much attention the current era’s people were paying to the future, and to the younger elites of right now.

There had always been a lot of interest in the younger generation.

But lately, that interest had exploded more than ever before.

Naturally so.

‘Because the generational shift has already started.’

This was the age of upheaval.

It had been a long time since the war with the Demonic Cult had ended.

The ones who’d been called heroes back then, who’d carved out their achievements, were now slowly disappearing into the pages of history.

The supreme lord of poison arts, the nightmare of war known as Poison Sovereign, was dead.

The Sword Emperor, hailed as the Greatest Sword Under Heaven, had vanished.

The Bow Fiend had left for his own land of the North Sea and declared he would not appear again.

The rest of the Heaven-Beyond-Heaven were all either gone without a trace, or spending the rest of their lives inside their own factions.

‘And beyond all that, the biggest reason was—’

The Sword Saint’s death.

The death of the Zenith Under the Heavens had thrown the world into upheaval.

Who would inherit the vacant seat of Zenith?

Some said the Sword Emperor, who had not yet died, had become the new supreme.

But he was gone all the same.

Other Heaven-Beyond-Heaven masters still lived, so people wondered which of them it might be.

But no conclusion could be reached.

Because they would never fight each other. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

They had far too much to lose.

Every move the Heaven-Beyond-Heaven made dragged countless eyes and mouths along with it.

And because they knew that better than anyone, they had no reason to join in some pointless game.

That was why.

They weren’t Heaven-Beyond-Heaven—

But they were the ones people said would rise to that seat one day.

Even among the madly overflowing ranks of the younger generation, the seven whose names were singled out.

The Seven Prodigies.

Everyone else poured their curiosity into them.

The Zenith Under the Heavens seat left vacant because the Heaven-Beyond-Heaven wouldn’t move—

If not the next generation, then the generation after that, people said, one of the Seven Prodigies would likely climb to that seat.

Naturally, interest in the Seven Prodigies was sky-high.

Who was the strongest among the younger generation?

All seven were geniuses among geniuses.

So the desire to decide “the strongest of the younger generation” ran deep.

And among those seven, Poison Dragon—

‘Isn’t rated as particularly strong.’

Bottom tier among the Seven Prodigies.

For someone called the reincarnation of Poison Sovereign, the appraisal was pretty stingy.

In a way, it made sense.

‘His performance at the last Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was poor.’

Once every five years—

Martial Alliance held a martial festival composed solely of younger generation elites.

The so-called Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

A bizarre tournament where they gathered nearly hundreds of younger prodigies and had them beat each other senseless.

There, Poison Dragon—

‘Had been utterly crushed by another of the Seven Prodigies.’

Who was it again? I’d seen it while studying up on him.

Probably—

‘The Black Saber of Peng Clan.’

Black Saber, of Hebei Peng Clan—one of the Five Great Clans.

A younger generation prodigy from the Peng Clan Leader’s direct bloodline.

And Poison Dragon had lost to him.

Not just lost, either.

‘He’d been destroyed.’

If I remembered right, he hadn’t even managed a proper fight and had been beaten in nearly a single blow.

With an embarrassing showing like that, it was only natural that public opinion would be harsh.

Of course—

‘Even so, a Seven Prodigy is still a Seven Prodigy.’

That didn’t mean Poison Dragon wasn’t a genius.

Nor was it proof that he was weak.

I mean, look at him right now.

“...That bastard... dared...”

The killing intent he poured into the dagger in his hand as he raised it was nothing if not vicious.

It prickled along my skin.

‘Oof.’

I almost rubbed my arm without thinking. Luckily I didn’t, but I was pretty sure I had goosebumps.

‘...Maybe I shouldn’t have provoked him.’

I’d gotten pissed and really ground his nerves, but looking at him now, I regretted it a little.

Of course—

‘Even so, dragging my family into it crossed a line.’

Regret was regret, and charging in was charging in.

I couldn’t just swallow what he said.

‘He insulted my father?’

No matter how useless, no-good, empty-headed, and face-only he was, no matter how embarrassing he was to call “father,” no matter how badly I wanted to ditch him and run—

‘The only one allowed to trash him is me.’

That didn’t mean some other bastard could casually run his mouth.

I drew the sword from my waist.

Seeing that, Tang Cheonil’s lips curled up.

“...Ha...”

That smile dripped with contempt.

“Little Sword Saint, Little Sword Saint. Let people praise you and you start thinking you’re something, huh?”

“......”

I didn’t answer, just tilted my head a little. Go on, keep flapping your mouth, was what it meant.

“I hear you killed some Black Path master in a single sword. I don’t buy it. At best you took down some small fry.”

“And why do you think that?”

“You could never be a true master. Your eyes, your movements, all of it says so.”

“What a funny bastard. And who exactly are you to decide that?”

He wasn’t wrong, but it really pissed me off.

Probably because he was the one saying it.

“I don’t know what trick you pulled, but my eyes can’t be fooled.”

WHIRR-!

He spun the dagger once and leveled its tip at me.

Then, with a mocking smile, he said,

“You were hoping I’d be cowed by some rumor, but tough luck. I won’t be shaken by some—”

“Hey. With a mug that ugly, don’t make faces like that.”

“......”

I couldn’t hold it in and it slipped out. I usually let things go, but that one was too much.

Was it my imagination? For a split second, he actually looked hurt.

[...If you say that with a face like yours, really ugly guys do get hurt, you know.]

Yoo Cheongil pointed out my sin. I gave a sheepish laugh.

“Sorry. That was a bit harsh.”

“This bastard... you’re mocking me again...?”

“No, I’m not mocking you. I actually felt sorry, so I said—”

“You’re looking down on me because of what happened with that woman yesterday.”

“Oh, so you know you got wrecked? Even you think it was pathetic, huh?”

“You little bastard—!!”

Tang Cheonil’s roar blew out as his words kept getting cut off.

I swallowed dryly at the sound.

I could feel the killing intent.

“Fine. Here and now, I swear on my name—no matter what it takes—”

His eyes gleamed wetly as he spoke.

“I will kill you.”

He flared his killing intent to the limit and charged.

I wet my lips lightly and raised my sword.

‘Can I do it?’

The opponent was one of the Seven Prodigies.

Could someone like me really manage this? Just as worry and doubt brushed past—

[Want me to help?]

Yoo Cheongil asked in a soft, coaxing voice.

I shook my head at that.

He’d only possessed me a short time ago.

The duration wouldn’t be that long.

Even if it were—

‘I want to do this myself.’

I wanted to test this side of things too. Without Yoo Cheongil, just how far could a guy like me go? I’d been wondering.

‘Besides.’

Even setting that aside—

‘I kind of feel like I can win.’

I could at least beat this guy.

That confidence was filling me to the brim.

*****

While Tang Cheonil was unleashing killing intent and squaring off against me—

Tang Yeran watched with anxious eyes.

‘What is happening all of a sudden...?’

She’d come straight here after finishing the sword, and now her older brother and Bang Sungyeon were on the verge of a fight.

More than anything, the aura her brother Tang Cheonil was giving off wasn’t normal.

If this went on, Bang Sungyeon could get hurt.

Thinking that, Tang Yeran was just about to step in when—

“Stop.”

“...!”

Someone grabbed her shoulder and held her back.

Startled, Tang Yeran turned her head. An impossibly beautiful woman was looking at her.

“Why are you trying to interrupt when things are just getting good?”

“...Young Lady Murong...”

The culprit holding her shoulder was none other than Murong Yeongsun.

“They’re offering you a good show. Let’s watch quietly, shall we? It looks like it’ll be fun.”

The way she spoke with a slight smile almost made Tang Yeran’s heart flutter, even though she was a woman as well.

So you can really smile that beautifully, huh. As that thought flitted by—

“...You’re saying we just stand here and watch that?”

Tang Yeran’s eyes widened at Murong Yeongsun’s words.

“This is dangerous... In the state my brother’s in right now, who knows what he’ll do.”

She’d experienced her brother’s personality firsthand.

In this state, he was fully capable {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} of making a big mess.

So they needed to stop him before something serious happened.

“Are you worried?”

Even after hearing that, Murong Yeongsun was calm.

Thrown by her attitude, Tang Yeran asked,

“Isn’t that obvious...? Aren’t you worried, Young Lady Murong?”

“Not really. Young Lady Tang, if you’re worried, is it Young Master Bang you’re worried about? Or Young Master Poison Dragon?”

“...Of course...”

It was Bang she was worried about, but Tang Yeran couldn’t bring herself to say it.

For some reason, it felt embarrassing.

At that reaction, Murong Yeongsun let out a short laugh.

“Then that’s a relief.”

“...What... is?”

What was “a relief”? Her genuinely relieved expression just made it more confusing.

“Seeing how you’re reacting, it seems we’re still a long way off. A very, very long way.”

“What do you mean...? What’s so far off?”

“Young Lady Tang. Listen carefully.”

Still smiling, Murong Yeongsun said,

“The fact that you’re worried about the raccoon—no, about Young Master Bang in this situation is where you’re wrong.”

“...Huh?”

“There’s no need to worry about him.”

It was wrong to worry about Bang Sungyeon?

That was absurd.

“You...”

How could you not worry, when you didn’t know what might happen to him?

Tang Yeran was about to ask that when—

“Want me to tell you something?”

Once again, she couldn’t get the words out.

“As for Young Master Bang—”

The certainty in Murong Yeongsun’s eyes—

“He never takes a fight he’s going to lose.”

—was simply overwhelming.

*****

SHWIIIK-! KANG-!!

The dagger stabbed in sharply.

I raised my sword and blocked it.

Steel scraped steel and sparks flew.

I felt the heavy recoil and twisted my wrist.

KWA-GAK-!!

The dagger wasn’t just one thrust—it came at me over and over.

As if it already knew I’d block it.

The flow of the blade writhed like a snake’s movement.

It was so fast that if you looked wrong, it felt like several daggers were attacking at once.

‘Tsk.’

CHANG-! CHANG-CHANG-!

I barely managed to block the attacks, and even as I did, I admired it inwardly.

‘I’m actually blocking this?’

In the past, I wouldn’t even have been able to react at this speed.

Now I could see it, and even block it.

After I knocked the dagger aside—

“Hup.”

I twisted my waist and swept my sword out. Sword qi seeped into the blade and exploded outward.

Blue Moon Sword Dance, First Form: Moon Wave.

I swung my sword in a sharp arc like a crescent moon.

CHWAAAK-!!!

The sword burst into a flash and slashed the enemy.

‘Yeah, no.’

What I cut was an afterimage.

The enemy was long gone from that spot.

I rolled my eyes, searching for his presence.

FSSST-!

Got it. Left side.

I’d already identified him—so naturally, my sword moved to the right.

KANG-!

“Heh.”

I blocked the dagger with my sword.

Poison Dragon’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

He asked as we pressed against each other.

Was he really that surprised I’d found the feint?

The answer was simple.

“How did I know? There’s no way you’d telegraph your real approach that blatantly.”

The truth was, Tang Cheonil wasn’t stupid.

Why would he hide his presence only to give himself away like that?

It made no sense.

“...Quick on the uptake, aren’t you.”

“You like it?”

“Yes. I do.”

CREEEAK—! Power surged into his dagger.

“Enough that it makes me want to kill you.”

“—!”

I turned my head.

FWIP-! Something grazed my chin and shot up into the air.

THUNK-!

Whatever it was buried itself in the ceiling. A throwing knife.

WUUUUNG-!!

In the instant my head tilted back and my gaze scattered, I felt a rough surge of energy from Tang Cheonil’s direction.

I hurriedly dropped my eyes.

Where did he go?

I couldn’t see him. His presence? I couldn’t feel that either.

This was—

‘That thing.’

Tang Clan’s technique that hid one’s existence to the extreme.

The same one he’d shown in his spar with Tang Yeran.

‘Impressive.’

He really was gone. It was broad daylight, in an open training ground with not a single obstacle to hide behind—

And yet I couldn’t see him this much.

I turned my head this way and that, trying to find Poison Dragon.

“What are you looking at?”

His voice came from behind me, of all places.

I turned my head. Tang Cheonil’s eyes shone.

“This is the end, worm.”

His eyes—and the dagger—both gleamed with light.

Tang Fang Seven Sorrows Severing.

A dagger technique of Tang Clan unfolded from Poison Dragon’s hand.

The dagger thrust straight for my vital spot. If this landed, I’d be in serious trouble.

But—

KAAAANG-!!

“......!!”

‘That’s only if it hits.’

The attack did not succeed.

I struck his blade aside with my sword.

“How—!”

He reacted when his strike failed.

I spoke as I watched him.

“What did I tell you. What was I looking at?”

What else would I have been looking at.

“I was watching everything.”

I’d already seen it.

Moon Eyes showed me far more than I thought they would, and I captured every bit of it.

Pretending not to see had actually been the hard part, but it was worth it. Thanks to that—

‘I made an opening.’

This was it. This was the moment to use it.

FWOOOOOOOOOSH--!!!

Light flooded into my sword.

A fierce radiance, as if it meant to illuminate everything.

Third Form: Radiant Moon Annihilation-Overturn.

And—

‘Second Form.’

Night Moon.

The sword wrapped in brilliance kindled the night.

And that single blade, born from the union of the two—

CHWAAAAK-!

Split Poison Dragon’s world clean in half.