"Master," Lu Lang whispered in her heart, "you said that upon reaching the level of mastery, I should be able to execute all forms of the Heavenly Blossom Sword Art. Only then can I reach true comprehension… and step into the Unrestrained Realm."
She held her sword tight, her gaze unwavering.
"Well, Master… this is all I have left."
With quiet resolve, she stepped forward, sword trembling with blooming intent.
"Heavenly Blossom Sword Art—Twenty-Four Heavenly Plum Blossom Slashes."
Her blade danced.
An upward vertical slash began the sequence, followed by nineteen elegant, seamless strikes. On the twenty-first strike, her motion slowed.
Her mind cleared.
"The twenty-first—Heavenly Ascension Slash. The twenty-second—Descent of Flowing Blossoms. The twenty-third—Heaven Blooming Thrust. And the final one…"
"The Heavenly Slash."
In that moment of total clarity, Lu Lang released herself. Her body moved on its own, the sword becoming an extension of her soul.
Slash.
The twenty-first strike soared to the heavens.
Boom— a realm barrier shattered.
She broke through.
From the Small Success level of swordsmanship to full mastery—the Unrestrained Realm.
Her sword carried newfound weight. Space rippled under its path.
Zhuo Ji-hu's eyes narrowed. "Strange… her strength just jumped. Hmph. Fun."
He grinned. "Old man watching from above, let me show you what my training has reached."
Zhuo Ji-hu entered his stance—spine straight like a sword, one hand behind his back, the other holding his glowing green blade at chest height.
Lu Lang matched him—her blade low, pointing diagonally down. Two fingers slid along the blade's edge.
In an instant, both moved.
"Heavenly Blossom Sword Art—Heaven's Blooming Sky Blossom!"
"West Wind Sword Art—Vertex Slash!"
Their strikes collided. Dust swirled.
Zhuo Ji-hu leapt into the air, sword raised high. "Haaah!" A vertical slash tore the stage apart.
Lu Lang responded mid-air—a horizontal slash bisected his sword intent, cutting through.
In that breathless moment, both hovered, gazes locked.
"You're strong," Lu Lang admitted. "You forced my breakthrough. I'll remember this small favor."
Zhuo Ji-hu scoffed. "Hmph! The Zhuo family is one of the top powers in this city. What can a girl with no sect do to repay me?"
From afar, Li Hao smirked. "He doesn't understand favor. That'll cost him dearly. He thinks his family strong? One day, he'll remember today."
Up on the pedestal, the middle-aged man watched with narrowed eyes.
Back on the stage, Lu Lang stepped forward again.
"Heavenly Blossom Sword Art—Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Slashes!"
She launched a new flurry of strikes.
Zhuo Ji-hu met her, calling out, "Violent Storm Sword Art—Art of Distraction!"
The arena shuddered under the clash of spirit power.
Sword and saber intent twisted around each other in violent bloom.
But Lu Lang's sword broke through.
With impossible speed, her blade struck his left arm—severing it cleanly.
Zhuo Ji-hu stared in disbelief, his scream echoing as blood sprayed.
His arm was gone.
Lu Lang turned and walked away.
On the pedestal, the man narrowed his eyes.
"She has skill… good. With no sect backing her, she's vulnerable. It will be easy to bring her into the Zhuo family… as a wife for one of my sons."
Zhuo Min-jun—the vice clan master—rose to leave.
Outside the arena, Lu Lang walked with calm steps, but then—Li Hao's voice echoed in her mind.
"The elder from the pedestal is following you. Lead him out of the city."
Startled, she kept walking. Her master had already noticed. She trusted him.
She moved silently, leaving the city behind, heading toward the familiar mountain peak where she had trained with Li Hao.
Then—
"Little girl," a voice broke the silence. "Your match was… spectacular. Would you consider joining the Zhuo family as a wife to one of my sons?"
She turned slowly.
"And who might you be, senior?" she asked calmly.
"Ah, my manners. I am Zhuo Min-jun, vice clan master of the Zhuo family, direct descendant of our founder."
> [Name: Zhuo Min-jun
Age: 1098 years
Realm: Peak Void Martial Artist
Status: Zhuo Family]
Lu Lang bowed slightly.
"Senior, I am not interested in joining any sect or clan—especially not as a wife or concubine."
"You should know when to appreciate favors," Zhuo Min-jun said, his tone darkening. "This is an opportunity to be protected under the Zhuo family."
"I already have someone in my heart," she said, her voice calm. "And I do not go back on my faith. I must decline."
The old man's expression turned cold.
"Then you shall die here," he said. "Remember this in your next life—cherish the favors and opportunities given to you."
Lu Lang looked at Zhuo Min-jun with a firm gaze.
"Senior, I hope you'll remember those words as well."
Zhuo Min-jun sneered.
"Haha! I will—but ants rarely understand their place."
As he raised his palm, the spiritual power of the heavens roared to life, spiraling like a vortex. A Heaven Palm descended, aiming to crush Lu Lang with overwhelming force.
Just as it fell, an opposing force emerged from the void. It was circular, like a divine seal, etched with intricate patterns glowing faintly with celestial light.
Zhuo Min-jun's Heaven Palm struck it—but the moment it did, his own power turned against him. The palm was forcibly twisted, its internal spiritual force shattered like glass.
The seal didn't stop—it surged forward, aiming for Zhuo Min-jun himself. His instincts flared. With a swift sidestep, he narrowly dodged it, then retaliated. A beam of spiritual light burst from his palm, sharper and far more powerful than before.
But once again, a second divine seal rose from the void. It met his full-force strike, twisted it, and though it didn't shatter it entirely, it neutralized the beam.
Before Zhuo Min-jun could launch another attack, a foot slammed into his side.
Boom!
He was kicked through the air, his body flying across the landscape before crashing into the ground. Dirt and stone flew up as he skidded a total of 41 meters.
Bruised and scraped, he lifted off the ground. From the sky, he spotted two figures in the distance: the girl—and the young man.
He frowned. Was there a hidden expert aiding them? But as he looked closely, it was Li Hao who stood calmly beside Lu Lang.
Just as Zhuo Min-jun began to dismiss him, Li Hao raised his hand, forming a third divine seal.
The Flipping Human Seal.
Empowered by perfection-level mastery and imbued with Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power, it shimmered with a deep purple hue.
Zhuo Min-jun immediately formed a spiritual sword out of pure energy. Though not as powerful as his actual weapon, it was more than enough to deal with most enemies. He infused it with his sword intent and slashed down with a vertical arc.
The two powers collided.
Crack—BOOM!
Both forces shattered, canceling each other out.
Zhuo Min-jun's eyes narrowed.
This kid… Even when I use sword intent, he still matches me. I didn't even get the chance to draw my real sword, but that seal of his could kill someone one realm lower—and force someone at my level to spend tremendous power just to counter it.
He now looked at Li Hao with seriousness.
"Kid, what sect are you from? Why risk offending my Zhuo family for a little girl?"
Li Hao's expression remained calm.
"What is your Zhuo family to me? I already have grievances with your clan. There's no path left but to destroy you all."
Zhuo Min-jun raised a brow.
"Oh? Friend, can't we negotiate? We're nearly in the same realm, and I stand one step above you. Are you sure you can kill me?"
"There's only one way to find out," Li Hao replied coolly. "Let's not waste breath on useless words."
Zhuo Min-jun sighed.
"Very well. You leave me no choice. I'll show you the true power of a peak Void Realm cultivator."
He unleashed his full aura—Void Perfection Realm. The skies trembled. From his spatial ring, he drew a long, thin sword—72 centimeters long with a 3cm blade width.
He stood 41 meters from Li Hao, but at their level, that distance meant nothing.
Li Hao, unfazed, drew his own weapon—the Heavenly Sun Sword, four centimeters wide and gleaming with Golden Sword Intent. It radiated brilliance, a sun reborn in steel.
Lu Lang watched with awe.
This is the first time I've seen Master fight… I want to know how far I still have to go.
Even in the face of a peak Void Realm expert, he shows no fear.
Suddenly—
Boom!
Li Hao and Zhuo Min-jun vanished.
Clang! Clang! BOOM!
Sword collided with sword, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The very earth quaked as sword intent tore through the sky and split the land.
Li Hao fought with unwavering focus. Each movement was the essence of skill and intention, perfectly tuned.
Boom!
Another clash. The ground beneath them cracked, stones lifting into the air from sheer force.
They soared into the skies, clashing like comets. When they collided midair, they were thrown back.
Li Hao landed nine meters from the point of impact, skidding another seven meters before coming to a stop.
Zhuo Min-jun landed 9.2 meters away, sliding 7.1 more before halting.
Both faced each other.
Li Hao stood tall, sword pointed upward at core level, his eyes glowing with Yang Sword Intent.
Zhuo Min-jun shifted sideways, one foot 43cm ahead, sword at neck height, angled diagonally down.
Then—Li Hao struck.
A vertical slash of golden intent cleaved forward.
Zhuo Min-jun responded, drawing his sword over his head and striking down with green Wind Sword Intent.
Boom!
The clash canceled both attacks—equally matched.
From the side, Lu Lang watched, eyes wide.
Master… He's equal to even the top powers of Morioka City. He's not just fighting a Void Perfection expert—he's matching him blow for blow.
A realm that can shake the heavens—and Master stands unshaken.