The Cunning Treasure Hunter

In the Nine Provinces of the Martial World, there was only one person known to have reached the Heavenly Realm:

Zephyrion Akrest, the Sword Sovereign and leader of the martial Unity.

As for those who had reached the Kingdom of Harmony, there were about ten.

Even accounting for hidden masters of the Demonic Sect, rogue martial artists, and reclusive geniuses, the number would barely exceed thirty.

Then, how many had reached the Supreme Peak?

No more than five hundred.

But the number of Advanced Realm masters was countless.

Only five hundred martial artists in the entirety of the Central Plains, with its population estimated at over a hundred million.

Five hundred out of a hundred million.

And one of them was the fourteen-year-old girl standing before him.

"Is that really true?"

"I have just reached the entry-level of the Supreme Peak, but yes, it is true."

"…Would you mind demonstrating?"

His surprise made him lose his formal tone.

Realizing too late that his words might be taken as doubt, Logan quickly tried to explain himself.

But Vera had already drawn her sword.

"I didn't mean to doubt you, but…"

"It's fine."

The blade of the Falling Blossom Sword began to glow faintly.

As the twenty-eight constellations of the Three Elemental Realms illuminated the blade, a shimmering Sword Aura spread across its length.

Vera swung her sword lightly.

Even though the blade didn't physically touch it, the stem of a chrysanthemum in a water bottle was cleanly severed.

It had merely grazed the shimmering aura.

A clear display of Sword Aura.

"By the heavens…"

"Were you perhaps a follower of the Dao?"

"Oh, no… My father was, but that's all…"

Logan couldn't close his gaping mouth.

Of course, raw internal energy didn't always equate to strength.

The martial world was full of strange occurrences.

There were cases of people who couldn't manifest even a sliver of Sword Radiance yet managed to kill masters of the Advanced Realm.

Such instances were becoming more frequent lately, as major sects and clans fed their descendants rare elixirs.

These young martial artists, equipped with immense inner strength and the ability to manifest Sword Radiance, often reached the Advanced Realm without ever killing a single person.

Under the reign of the Sword Sovereign, the martial world had grown prosperous and peaceful.

But that prosperity had dulled its edge.

Still, that applied only to Advanced Realm masters.

Reaching the Supreme Peak at fourteen?

Even scouring the annals of martial history, such a feat was nearly unheard of.

Not even the Sword Sovereign had reached the Supreme Peak at that age.

"Have you ever fought a life-or-death battle?"

He had to ask, despite himself.

She was, after all, a fourteen-year-old girl.

How many young martial artists froze after their first battle, drenched in the hot blood of their enemies?

"Do you mean… have I ever killed someone?"

"…Yes."

Vera quietly counted in her mind.

She had killed Damian.

She had killed the assassin who stabbed her senior brother.

The sensation of cutting through flesh and bone… It was unforgettable.

"Two."

"…Pardon?"

"I've killed two people so far."

Logan stared into her calm, unflinching eyes.

Her gaze was eerie.

Though the room was brightly lit, her black pupils seemed dark and hollow, like those of the dead.

"I appreciate your concern, Branch Lord."

"…Oh, yes. That's right."

"But a martial artist carries a sword."

"…What?"

Vera rose from her seat.

The Sword Aura on her blade dissipated as she slowly, deliberately, sheathed her sword.

Logan noticed that the longsword in her hand was no ordinary weapon.

A Third Disciple of Mount Suncrest?

No, there was something more to this young girl's past.

But now was not the time to dwell on it.

"I am a martial artist before I am a girl.

If one does not draw their sword to cut down another, they are no martial artist at all."

"…Indeed."
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A sword was a weapon crafted solely for killing.

Unlike other tools, it was designed with one purpose in mind: taking lives.

Thus, those who carried swords had to be prepared to kill.

"I have come seeking your assistance, Branch Lord."

"What kind of assistance?"

"I need an estimate of the size of the Infernal Blade Corps and the Crimson Demon Gate."

Click.

The Falling Blossom Sword finally slid fully into its sheath.

Vera sat back down slowly.

"Can you help me?"

"Young Lady… Information from the Nomads' Sect is expensive. Especially information about the size of a specific faction—that is classified and highly valuable."

"I understand."

Vera stared directly at Logan, her dark eyes unwavering as they looked up at him.

From the vast and immeasurable depths of her gaze, Logan instinctively knew one thing:

He would lose in this negotiation.

"But information about me must also be quite expensive, no?"

"…What do you mean?"

"I know myself well. The Dragon of Mount Suncrest, who defeated the young master of the Akrest Clan.

There must be many who would pay a high price to know what 'level' I have reached."

Logan's face turned pale.

He had been outmaneuvered.

From the moment this young girl revealed her rank to him, she had already planned this.

"You'll need to settle the score, Branch Lord."

Information about someone's abilities was expensive.

Even more so if they were a figure of interest in the martial world.

And especially if they were someone with immense potential.

It was checkmate.

South of Eastern Mountain, deep within the Hollow Demon Valley, a man stood before the plaque of the Crimson Demon Gate.

His emaciated frame seemed mismatched with the enormous Great Curved Blade he carried.

The blade's edge was thin, but the arc was sinister, exuding a sense of dread.

Its crimson hue made it appear as though it had soaked in blood, mirroring its owner's cruel nature.

"So, the brats from Mount Suncrest are here as well?"

"Yes, Lord."

This man was none other than Ashen, the Night Ghost and leader of the Blood Sword Corps.

A martial artist of the unorthodox sects, he had reached the entry-level of the Supreme Peak.

He was notorious for dismembering his opponents with ease using his Great Curved Blade.

"Do they have a death wish?"

"But if we kill them, Mount Suncrest will…"

"No, Mount Suncrest won't have the time to deal with us."

"Pardon?"

"I heard something from those Demonic Sect scum. Heh heh…"

Ashen was closer to the Infernal Blade Corps than most, his savage and ruthless disposition aligning perfectly with theirs.

"Is it true there's chaos brewing in Silver Crest as well?"

"Not quite chaos yet… but soon."

"How do they know this?"

"How should I know?"

Before long, the warriors of the Blood Sword Corps began gathering beneath the plaque of the Crimson Demon Gate.

Ashen scanned their numbers with his eyes, ensuring everyone was present.

"Good. You're all here."

"Yes, my lord!"

"Tonight, we attack the Fiery Blade clan. Remember, our goal is to ensure they find no rest!"

"Yes, my lord!!!"

In Eastpeace County of Eastern Mountain Province, the home of the Fiery Blade clan, there lay the vast Eastpeace Lake.

In the middle of the lake, a small wooden boat drifted silently.

Onboard was Daven, the Sword Demon and leader of the Infernal Blade Corps, with his daughter Helena, the deputy leader, rowing the boat.

"Is it here?"

"This should be the place."

The two began unpacking their bundles, revealing a variety of sweets and snacks—things that would appeal to a child.

One by one, they dropped them into the lake.

It was a ritual.

An offering for their daughter and granddaughter, who had passed away—a child they had lost.

"She was so excited for her fourteenth birthday."

"Yes… just a day before it…"

"The Fiery Blade clan bastards. I'll tear them apart piece by piece."

Their grudge against the Fiery Blade clan stemmed from a clash fifteen years ago.

At that time, they were not yet ready to achieve their grand ambitions.

They needed more people, more infiltration.

"If not for that incident, Father, you would have already reached the Kingdom of Harmony."

Helena sighed quietly.

Daven shared her sentiment.

"Yes… how happy she was, thinking she could help this old man reach the Kingdom of Harmony."

"She was a loyal and blessed child."

"Where else can we find another young one with the rare Nine Sound Vein Disorder?"

Their conversation took a sinister turn, chilling to anyone who might overhear it.

How could a child aid the martial accomplishments of a Demonic Sect practitioner?

Moreover, one with such a rare constitution?

"The Sword Demon himself reached the Kingdom of Harmony through the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique , didn't he?"

"Indeed."

The Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique—a dark and ancient art of the Demonic Sect.

It required a child born with strong energy.

The ritual involved engraving runes onto their body with needles and extracting their heart while still alive.

The sixth drop of blood from their heart was consumed to elevate the practitioner to the Kingdom of Harmony.

Of course, this was not the only way.

Reaching such a level through ordinary and proper cultivation was possible.

Possible, but not practical.

Martial arts of the Demonic Sect relied on the Devil's energy, passed down through their connection with the Heavenly Demon.

From the outset, practitioners wielded immense power, rivaling that of half-step masters.

Their growth rate far outstripped that of conventional martial artists.

But such power came with consequences.

Ascending to the Kingdom of Harmony through demonic arts was no easy feat, hence the creation of such dark rituals.

Even the Sword Demon himself had used the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique to reach the Kingdom of Harmony.

He had consumed the heart of his own grandchild.

"If only we'd used our granddaughter's heart back then…"

This father and daughter weren't seeking vengeance for their child.

Their grudge was against those who had stopped them from dominating Eastern Mountain.

Their failure to elevate Daven to the Kingdom of Harmony and continue the legacy of the Sword Demon.

"Father, I've heard an interesting rumor."

"What kind of rumor?"

"One of the Mount Suncrest disciples in Eastern Mountain is said to possess the Celestial Blade Star."

Daven's eyes gleamed.

The Celestial Blade Star.

All Heavenly Demons were born under its sign.

Even if the disciple wasn't kin, their heart would serve as a perfect offering for the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique.

"…Sounds delicious."

No one intoxicated by the Devil's energy retained their humanity.

The very essence of the term Demon reflected that truth.