Camellia 134

The Murong clan’s Fire Dragon Sword was said to be a technique that devoured dragons. Its blazing sword energy formed the shape of a massive dragon that filled the air, and its thick tail whipped out like a flail, scattering waves of sword force in its wake.

At last, Seolyeong climbed the summit of Suido with Sahyeol Amje. As he had been asked multiple times, he had come to execute the Fire Dragon Sword.

Just before sunrise, in the crisp and biting morning air, Seolyeong coughed dryly. For some reason, the surrounding area was seething with an unbearable level of Qi, making his nerves raw and sensitive.

Sahyeol Amje stepped past his bride and stood firmly on the flattest part of the peak. Gazing calmly at the vast expanse of the Sipman Daesan spread below, he spoke with ease.

“When I deploy my technique, you are to immediately unfold the Fire Dragon Sword.”

He turned and flung Gyeokroe-do through the air. The shining sword cut cleanly through the sky and landed securely in Seolyeong’s hands.

Seonwol-do, which had remained at his side in necklace form, let out a whining vibration as if stung by jealousy. Though not as famous as the Seonwol-do, Gyeokroe-do was still a sword of high prestige within the martial world, and now it seemed like it had stolen its master away.

“Calm down, mutt. I’ll hold you again once I’m done swinging this.”

Seolyeong soothed the sulking Seonwol-do with practiced ease and readjusted his grip on Gyeokroe-do. Then, in a voice as quiet as the dawn wind, he asked,

“May I ask why I must perform the Fire Dragon Sword… or are you truly determined never to answer?”

Gauging the movement of the flowing wind, he strode forward. He stopped only once he was close enough to meet his husband’s gaze.

“I will follow your lead because I love you. I yield without hesitation because I care for you.”

Now that he had fully acknowledged the feelings that had taken root within him, he wanted to express them, boldly and without restraint. Even the indifference on his husband’s face no longer hurt him.

“So please, keep your eyes wide open and watch me.”

Watch my sword, and my love.

As soon as the graceful bride of Yeonhu fell silent, Tang Yujae drew Gogeugeonju-do (High Level Cloud-Lord Blade) from his waist and slowly gathered his breath.

This cultivation method, which required one to inhale and exhale the Qi of Heaven and Earth, was a transcendent martial art that expanded one’s internal energy simply by deep concentration.

Seolyeong felt the very ground quake beneath Sahyeol Amje’s breath. Bare branches trembled, jagged cliffs cracked and steepened. A mere few controlled breaths had shaken the world. It was an achievement Seolyeong could not hope to match even with a lifetime of cultivation.

Sahyeol Amje stepped to the edge of the cliff. Gogeugeonju-do shot toward the heavens.

Heavenly Qi Divine Sword Technique.

A sword technique that harnessed the Qi of the sky to unleash divine-level force, to be deployed alongside the Mind-Cleansing Method. Judging by this, the former Cheonma must have contained Heaven, Earth, and Man within his body.

By holding the world within himself and crossing the net of time, he could have glimpsed either past or future without limitation.

But Tang Yujae had no interest in his own future. What he sought was the past.

The key to unlocking the secrets of the Tang clan compound.

There was not a trace of hesitation in the hand that unleashed Golden Dragon Breakwater, a subform of the Heavenly Qi Divine Sword. Dark green sword energy filled every direction, and a dragon emerged.

It was not a half-formed divine beast clutching a yeouiju. It was a true dragon.

“What a dazzling talent…”

Seolyeong could not help but be awed. Sahyeol Amje’s martial power operated on a level entirely different from any warrior he had ever witnessed.

The dragon now rising into the sky could have easily devoured the Fire Dragon that Murong Wi used to summon. That was how overwhelming its presence was.

The pressure of Sahyeol Amje’s gaze reminded him to follow through with the technique. Seolyeong quickly regained his composure.

‘Forgive me, Brother Ahwi. I’ll borrow your secret technique just this once.’

With a brief apology, he charged toward Sahyeol Amje’s sword and moved.

As he pushed forward, his blade drove in with fierce speed. With a deafening crash, Sahyeol Amje accepted the blow.

The dragon behind the sect leader roared in anger. Louder and more commanding than a tiger’s cry, the roar echoed over the peak as Seolyeong absorbed the sword energy of the Madu.

“Since it’s the same dragon, I suppose I can borrow a bit of your strength. Lend me your power for just a moment.”

He grinned and closed his eyes. Blocking his vision, he gathered his intent into one place. Once he felt that all stray thoughts had been cleared away, he swung the Fire Dragon Sword.

His blade rose to the left and swept across the horizon. It barely missed the sect leader’s face, and from its edge spread flames as white as snow, flowing with steady strength.

Clang. Gogeugeonju-do clashed against the Gyeokroe-do. The fire cut through at least ten paces in one sweep.

Murong Wi’s Fire Dragon Sword traditionally emitted a red glow, but Seolyeong’s bore a pale hue, reflecting his own nature. The newly born flames did not burn flesh but enveloped gently. His sword was not made for destruction, but for healing.

“Let us live in love, my lord.”

Standing side by side with his husband, Seolyeong whispered. Though the strength gap was such that Gyeokroe-do was gradually being pushed back, he did not care in the slightest.

The yang dragon radiating warm light and the yin dragon born from Sahyeol Amje faced each other.

“I admit it now. Hatred and resentment can become fuel for growth. While I struggled to avoid hating anyone, you must have forged your martial arts over eons of bitterness.”

To an outsider, it might have sounded like mockery. But Seolyeong was simply voicing his honest thoughts without malice. He wanted to make his intentions clear.

“But even so, you have not found peace. That tells me your strength and your healing have never been connected. If the old grudges have been resolved, then it is time for you to be free. As your partner, I will help you do that.”

A man in love could grow as bold as he pleased. Even before the world’s strongest warrior, Seolyeong did not falter.

“Until the world seems beautiful to you again, I will shower you with love. So that the thought of living outweighs the thought of dying, I will hold you every day with all of me. So you no longer need to be bound to the sect.”

The dragons locked eyes, then bared their fangs and crashed together. Yang and yin collided. An earsplitting explosion engulfed the peak.

“I will become your only bond…”

But swept away by the blast, Seolyeong’s vow failed to reach Sahyeol Amje.

The sun rose in orange light. At last, Heaven, Earth, and Man connected in one line, and the net of time appeared, spread thick across the sky.

A strange glimmer passed through Tang Yujae’s eyes as he gazed upward.

Boom. Boom. The peak began to collapse. Sahyeol Amje, having dropped his sword, glanced once at Seolyeong, gently stroked his fair cheek, then turned to leave.

“Do not follow me, fragile one…”

Though even he knew it was already too late for that.

Throwing himself into the sky, Tang Yujae executed the Cheonma’s legacy, Chuksu-buyeongbo (Silent Step of the Everlasting Void), with all his might and crossed into the net of time. He moved so fast he vanished from sight, leaving Seolyeong stunned.

Wherever Sahyeol Amje stepped, the strands of the net unraveled and flailed in his wake.

Seolyeong felt a foreboding feeling. If he left that man alone in such a vast sky, all their time to love one another would vanish. Everything would become irrevocable.

It was then.

“Ah, uh!”

A falcon suddenly streaked through the air and seized Seolyeong by the scruff of his neck.

Its strong talons pierced his skin, but there was no time to care. As it dragged him skyward, Seolyeong realized the divine beast from beyond the region had come to help him.

The threads of the net touched by Sahyeol Amje now trembled beneath his own feet. The falcon spread its wings wide and let out a thunderous cry. The pounding of its wings struck Seolyeong’s eardrums.

It sounded almost like a voice saying, just trust me.

He mumbled weakly.

“I’ve stumbled into another miracle… to be saved by a divine beast again…”

So much for asking the Wonsi Cheonjon to protect Sahyeol Amje in his place. It seemed heaven had no intention of honoring that request.