Yeoprang, leading the party of elders, arrived at the martial stage. The moment Yeoprang appeared, the hall filled with heat and tension.
The Heaven-Calling Prodigy!
No one like him had ever appeared in Cheongseong before.
Looking down at the countless crowd beneath his feet, Yeoprang's lips curved into a smile. He had looked at people like this even in his previous life.
Now, the heavens had granted him even the Heaven-Calling ability. They had allowed him to become the brightest star in this Cheongchang Realm!
Yeoprang shouted toward Yeopbu with vigor.
"Yeophyeon! Come out and accept your death!"
His voice rang through the sky like thunder. All eyes turned toward Yeopbu. Yeophyeon still did not appear. The crowd murmured.
"Could he be scared?"
"No way! He was once called the bloodthirsty wild dog… he's not someone who fears death."
"Hah! That depends on the opponent. That Yeoprang is a Heaven-Calling Prodigy. One who even summons the Heaven-Calling!"
"Well, let's wait and see! If anything happens, the Yeop family will explain!"
An elder standing beside the martial stage frowned as he looked at Yeopbu.
"Go and see what schemes he's plotting."
Another elder at his side moved toward Yeopbu.
Yeophyeon had returned to his residence just an hour earlier. Since then, he had been slowly feeding Yeopryeong some medicinal porridge to counteract Yeoprang.
"Oppa, today is the day of the life-or-death duel with Yeoprang," Yeopryeong said in a small voice.
"Don't worry! Now, open wide! That's right…"
After a moment, Yeophyeon got up and said,
"I'll be back soon!"
Yeopryeong nodded. Yeophyeon pressed a light kiss to her forehead and began to leave. Just as he was about to open the door, Yeopryeong's voice reached his ear.
"Oppa… you'll… come back, right?"
"Of course."
Yeophyeon stepped out of the room.
Yeopryeong slowly closed her eyes. She reached her right hand under the bed, grasping a pair of scissors. Long ago, she had once considered ending her life so as not to be a burden to Yeophyeon.
But every time she saw him, the desire to die vanished. Death itself did not frighten her; what terrified her was the thought of Yeophyeon being left alone. Her grip on the scissors tightened.
If he survived, she would live. If he died, she would die too!
"Yeophyeon!"
At someone's shout, all eyes turned to the gate of Yeopbu. Yeophyeon, wearing a long robe, was stepping out.
A cold smile crept onto the eldest elder's face. The invited heads of the Yeop family, the deputy of the Seongju clan, and the head of this clan all fixed their gaze on Yeophyeon. Seeing him walk toward the martial stage, Jangryeol nodded slightly.
"Yeophyeon's courage and spirit are impressive as always. Our younger generation has always been bested by him."
Leeok nodded in agreement.
"Decisive and sharp, he is indeed an outstanding talent. I cannot understand why the Yeop family would want to discard him. If Yeoprang manages the internal affairs and Yeophyeon handles the external, the Yeop family could very well become a powerful clan."
Gangnyeom of the Seongju clan spoke.
"That Yeoprang is the direct grandson of the eldest elder. With his narrow perspective, he cannot tolerate anyone who could threaten his grandson. As long as his attitude remains so, the Yeop family's rise to a powerful clan is unlikely."
Leeok and Jangryeol nodded.
Meanwhile, Yeophyeon stepped onto the life-and-death stage, facing Yeoprang. Yeoprang smiled at him before turning his gaze to the eldest elder.
The eldest elder looked toward a man and a beautiful woman seated near the stage. They were representatives from Yeomseong and Naseong, not Cheongseong.
They were powers the Yeop family could not dare challenge. Acknowledging the elder's gaze, they nodded. The elder returned their nod with a smile.
"According to Yeop family rules, only the individual on the life-and-death stage is responsible for their survival. No one else may intervene. If life and death are decided here, the losing side may not retaliate. Now, let the duel begin!"
The duel began!
Yeoprang smiled at Yeophyeon.
"So, the day has finally come. Today will be your last day. You are—"
Yeoprang's words abruptly stopped as Yeophyeon charged at him like a predator. The crowd gasped. Normally, duelists exchanged greetings before beginning combat.
But Yeophyeon, seasoned by countless battlefields, thought idle words invited death.
Moreover, there were no rules requiring conversation during a life-or-death duel. Yeophyeon acted first to seize the initiative. In an instant, he reached Yeoprang and delivered a punch.
It was the Fist Smash, considered a lower-level Yeop family technique. Yet at Yeophyeon's level, it carried the force to shatter stone and iron. Yeoprang's expression turned serious as he felt the sheer power.
It was a strike not to be underestimated. Yeoprang stepped forward with his right foot and crossed his arms to block the punch.
Bang!
With a heavy thud, Yeoprang's body was pushed endlessly backward. The onlookers were stunned. It was only the first engagement, and he was already being forced back. The elders of the Yeop family watching the stage were troubled, especially the eldest elder, whose face grew terrifyingly dark.
Yeophyeon charged at Yeoprang again, using a running start to drive his fist forward.
Pure physical strength!
In Cheongseong, a small fortress, martial techniques were rare. Most fights relied on the body and experience.
Yeoprang's face turned pale. Yeophyeon's abilities had far exceeded expectations. When Yeophyeon's fist struck again, Yeoprang clenched his own fist and met it head-on. Light flashed from Yeoprang's fist. A warrior at the level of the Ki-Transcendent stage could control their energy. Yeoprang was using his ki to enhance his physical strength.
Bang!
When the fists collided, Yeoprang's face contorted first. His body was hurled backward violently. The crowd clearly saw Yeoprang's trembling hands. The eldest elder leapt to his feet in disbelief.
"Where does such strength come from? This is not the skill of a Fifth-Rank Martial Practitioner!"
Leeok, too, was astonished. The power Yeophyeon was displaying seemed abnormal. The two visitors from Yeomseong and Naseong exchanged glances. The duel continued.
Yeophyeon pushed off the ground with his right foot and lunged forward.
In an instant, he closed the distance by several meters. His right foot brushed Yeoprang's shoulder. Yeoprang's eyes flashed. Instead of yielding, he struck Yeophyeon in the abdomen.
Pow!
Yeoprang rolled across the stage floor several times. Yeophyeon was knocked back a dozen paces but appeared unscathed. His strong body had withstood Yeoprang's strike.
"This cannot be!"
The eldest elder watched in disbelief.
"How can he be unharmed?!"
Leeok raised his eyebrows repeatedly. Yeoprang also suffered little damage, as his inner armor absorbed most of Yeophyeon's force.
Seeing Yeophyeon standing as if nothing had happened, Yeoprang furrowed his brow.
"How can he withstand that?"
That strike had contained Yeoprang's full power, plus his ki. Yet Yeophyeon endured it as if it were nothing. Clenching his fist, Yeophyeon tore his sleeve, revealing a veined forearm. Yeoprang glared at him, ready to kill, and spoke.
"You've been hiding your strength… you…"
But before he could finish, Yeophyeon's body was already before him.
Pow!
In an instant, Yeoprang was hurled to the edge of the stage. The enraged eldest elder shouted.
"Yeoprang! What nonsense are you spouting during a life-and-death duel?!"
The other elders, though silent, were equally displeased. One mistake in words was enough; continuing to speak while losing was foolish!
Yeophyeon did not relent and attacked again. Yeoprang's eyes hardened as he raised both hands.
Bang!
A powerful stream of energy surged from Yeoprang.
"Ki-Transcendent!"
Someone shouted.
"Heavens… to reach Ki-Transcendent at eighteen…"
"Truly a prodigy who summoned the Heaven-Calling…"
Finally, a smile appeared on the eldest elder's face. The two visitors from Yeomseong and Naseong shuddered as they watched. The eldest elder's expression brightened further.
Yeoprang glared fiercely at Yeophyeon.
"Come! Feel the difference between you and me!"
A torrent of energy flowed from Yeoprang. Ki-Transcendent meant absolute control over one's energy—a force Yeophyeon, merely Fifth-Rank, could not resist.
Yeophyeon's face remained expressionless as he clenched his fist. A wave of immense power surged through him like a storm.
Golden Body Stage!
Having reached the Golden Body stage, Yeophyeon's strength had grown more than tenfold. With all eyes on them, Yeophyeon launched himself at Yeoprang. Observers shook their heads, holding their breath as the distance closed.
Boom!
Someone was sent flying through the air!
The crowd froze. It was Yeoprang, not Yeophyeon, who was thrown.
"How can this be!"
The eldest elder stared at Yeoprang, collapsed in a corner of the stage, in disbelief.
The spectators around the life-and-death stage also stared, stunned. It was hard to accept that a Heaven-Calling Prodigy had lost. Yeophyeon flew toward the fallen Yeoprang without hesitation.
"Arrogant!"
The furious eldest elder leapt onto the stage, throwing a punch at Yeophyeon. Yeophyeon met it with a sharp gaze and a counterpunch.
Pow!
With a heavy thud, the elder was sent flying across the stage. As Yeophyeon prepared to continue, the Yeop family elders stormed the stage, and countless guards nearby armed with strong crossbows followed.
Yeophyeon clenched his fist slowly. His cold eyes swept across the chaos as he spoke.
"Has the life-and-death duel turned into a brawl?"
The eldest elder shouted in anger.
"Your dantian was destroyed long ago! Where does such strength come from?!"
Yeophyeon replied with open contempt.
"That is none of your concern!"