The stars above flickered softly, a tranquil canopy stretched across the quiet forest. Baek Sun-Ho and So-Ri sat near the embers of their dying fire, their silhouettes barely more than outlines in the night. Between them flowed an unspoken warmth—one built slowly, silently, through hardships shared and emotions left half-spoken.
So-Ri broke the silence first. "You know… I never thanked you. For what you did for Yeon."
Sun-Ho glanced sideways. "You don't need to thank me. He's part of our group. That's enough."
"You say that like it's simple," she murmured, lips curling slightly. "But no one else would have risked what you did."
Before he could reply—
BOOM—
A deafening blast echoed through the trees. The ground trembled.
Sun-Ho shot to his feet. "Yeon!"
The clearing they had turned into a temporary camp was suddenly ablaze with golden-red light. Trees cracked from the pressure. Wind spiraled outward in violent, ragged bursts.
Wheee—
Branches whipped and tents flew as a pillar of energy erupted from the spot Yeon had been sleeping. Rocks cracked.
Kwak—
The very earth beneath them fractured from the force.
Sun-Ho's eyes narrowed.
> "Without concealing my strength… I'm already near the Peak of the Inner Core Realm," he thought.
"Yeon, though… that's unexpected. He's already at the top of the Inner Core Realm. If I stopped restraining myself, I could easily overpower him."
A corner of his mouth lifted.
> "But… what if I didn't? What if I treated this as the real trial?"
He turned to So-Ri, whose bow was already in her hand.
"Don't let anyone interfere. Not even Master Jang."
She blinked. "Are you serious? This could—"
He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Please."
So-Ri hesitated. Then nodded and sprinted toward the others.
---
Master Jang Cheol-Oh had already risen when she arrived.
"Master! Sun-Ho said no one should interfere—especially you."
The old man froze mid-step. Then his face broke into a wide grin.
"Pffft—Hah! That brat…"
He threw his head back and laughed. "He wants to cross the storm alone."
---
Sun-Ho stepped into the center of the chaos.
Yeon stood there—or more accurately, floated slightly above the ground, his aura exploding out like a broken dam. His normally expressionless face was twisted in confusion and fear.
Golden-red flames lashed in every direction, untrained and erratic.
Sun-Ho clenched his fists and deliberately compressed his strength, masking it until he hovered at Low Inner Core Realm—his usual façade.
In the world of Murim, power was not gained in a single leap, but climbed step by step—through realms and the subtle tiers within them.
It began with the Body Refinement Realm, where cultivators hardened their physical form. This realm, like all others, was divided into three sublevels: Low, Mid, and Peak.
Next came the Inner Core Realm, where true cultivation began. One learned to gather, cycle, and refine naegong—internal energy. Strength rose not only in technique, but in understanding. Again, each step—Low, Mid, and Peak—marked a clear difference in mastery.
Beyond it lay the Grandmaster Realm, where one condensed their energy into a dense, resonant core. This is where the Body Transformation phase began—flesh and bone remade to endure the immense force of true martial power.
After that stood the Transcendent Realm—a realm of will. Here, Qi was no longer a tool but an extension of the cultivator's intent. Concepts like flame, void, or wind could be commanded directly. The lines between martial art and reality began to blur.
And at the highest point, almost mythical in nature, was the Sage Realm. It was said that those who reached it could see the flow of heaven and earth, touch fate itself, and step beyond life's natural limits.
Each of these realms held its own Low, Mid, and Peak stages, and each step forward widened the gap between the ordinary and the transcendent.
But for most, even a single step into the Inner Core Realm was a lifelong pursuit. Fewer still walked beyond it. And only one in a generation would dare chase the path to the Sage.
---
Yeon let out a strangled cry.
Fwoosh—
A surge of power blasted toward Sun-Ho like a wave of molten air.
He dodged smoothly, not with force but precision, slipping into Yeon's blind spots, using every ounce of his past life's experience. This wasn't a fight of realms—it was one of skill.
He struck palm to shoulder, redirecting energy flow. Slid behind and tapped a nerve point at the base of Yeon's neck. Caught a flame in his palm and twisted it into a spiral, dissipating it mid-air.
Tchk—
Whump—
Thud—
In a flurry of well-placed moves, Yeon collapsed to his knees, gasping.
Sun-Ho stood over him, chest rising slowly.
But inside—
Thrum—
A sound like a heartbeat echoed through his limbs. Qi surged. Not just into his core—but through his muscles, bones, skin.
> "This… this is body transformation," he realized.
"But that's supposed to happen at the end of Grandmaster Realm…"
His body pulsed. A glow shimmered beneath his skin, fading just as quickly.
He fell to one knee, sweat trickling down his temple.
> "It's because of my past life. My understanding is deeper than my realm."
"This is a premature evolution…"
He felt his strength stabilize. His body had subtly changed. Stronger. Faster.
Quieter.
No one would understand what just happened.
But it was enough that he did.
---
A few dozen miles away, beneath the golden-lit towers of a mountain fortress, a man in red robes stood by an open window.
His brows furrowed.
"That fluctuation… not normal," he murmured.
Behind him, a pale attendant knelt.
"The Murim Alliance is growing unstable. The Five Great Clans are restless."
The man turned. His eyes were cold.
"I don't care who the candidates are. Make sure our man wins."
"If someone's interfering—eliminate them."
---
Back at camp—
Ma-Rok stumbled out of his tent, hair a mess.
"What the hell happened?!" he shouted, staring at the scorched trees and cracked stones.
Yul-Rin rubbed her eyes, eyes wide. "I swear we just slept for an hour... Was there a war?!"
Sun-Ho sat on a rock, wiping sweat from his brow.
So-Ri grinned beside him.
"Training got intense," she said.
Ma-Rok and Yul-Rin stared, utterly baffled.
Sun-Ho gave them an innocent smile.
"Just another night."
The group burst into laughter.
Even Yeon, back to silence, sat quietly near the fire—but this time with the ghost of a smile on his face.
---
[End of Chapter 20]