Yeopryeong returned to the inn room and took out the Tianhuo Nuanyu. With a surprised expression, she turned to Yeophyeon.
"Oppa, this stone… it's so warm. Holding it like this, I feel the chill leaving my body!"
"Really? That's great!"
Yeopryeong held the red stone tightly, nodding repeatedly with a delighted expression. Yeophyeon settled into a corner of the room, sat down, and slowly closed his eyes.
"Celestial Lady? Did you just see that girl?"
[She is a person from a different dimension than you. Recognizing her is useless. Take a look at the ring you just bought.]
Yeophyeon took out a glowing purple ring. At first glance, it looked old and poorly made, nothing special.
[Do you know what this is?]
Yeophyeon shook his head.
[It's called a Formation Ring, containing a small formation. Although the formation's rank is low, it's made with extreme precision, making it worth studying. That's why the girl coveted it. Keep it and use it for self-defense.]
Yeophyeon's expression shifted to mild surprise.
"You mean a whole formation is hidden inside this tiny ring?"
[Once you travel through the world, you'll understand just how vast and incredible this world truly is.]
Yeophyeon nodded.
"Once I reach the peak of mastery, I'll definitely explore the world!"
His gaze returned to the ring in his hand.
"Celestial Lady, how do I use the formation?"
[First, drop a single drop of your blood onto the ring. Then, control the ring using the method I taught you.]
Following her instructions, Yeophyeon dropped a single drop of his blood onto the ring. The ring reacted strangely, and suddenly a formation appeared in his mind!
The Wulei Formation!
Once activated, this formation allowed attacks on enemies using Divine Thunder.
"Divine Thunder?"
Yeophyeon asked, astonished.
"Celestial Lady, can this formation really summon Divine Thunder?"
[Of course not. How could such a small formation summon the true Divine Thunder of the heavens? The "Divine Thunder" I mentioned is merely a special effect built into the ring by its craftsman. Its power cannot compare to real Divine Thunder, but compared to your current level, it can be quite effective. Once the formation is activated, even masters of extreme skill will have difficulty defending. However, the formation is damaged, so it can only be used about five times at most.]
Yeophyeon's expression brightened significantly. His One-Sword Life-and-Death Technique could defeat even skilled martial artists, but the cost was high, and he suffered considerable damage himself.
A sudden idea sparked in Yeophyeon's eyes.
"Celestial Lady! You have the insight—why don't we start hunting treasures professionally? If you help like you just did, we could make a fortune…"
The Celestial Lady interrupted him.
[You would use me just to hunt treasures? How ambitious of you!]
Yeophyeon smiled sheepishly at her stern rebuke. She spoke firmly.
[Do not rely on luck in anything. Today you were fortunate to find the ring, but you cannot expect such luck every time. For a swordsman, the heart is the most important. Never forget that!]
Yeophyeon nodded, responding earnestly.
"Celestial Lady, I understand. I will remember."
The Celestial Lady gave no further response.
Yeophyeon steadied his resolve. Following her advice, he decided to focus on training rather than hoping for luck.
An hour later, once Yeopryeong had fallen asleep, he entered the Jade Tower to train. He had not yet reached the peak of mastery, but he could use his sword techniques.
In truth, his skills were less formal techniques and more instantaneous reactions honed through sparring with his shadow. Through shadow training, Yeophyeon had developed strength, speed, and reflexes, reaching the highest level in the Transformation Stage.
Until now, he had been a frog in a well. Outside the Green City, countless masters existed beyond his comprehension. Having left the city, Yeophyeon had no choice but to devote himself to training alongside Yeopryeong to survive. In the Jade Tower, he sweated and trained diligently.
The next day, Yeophyeon sold the carriage they had arrived in to the inn and headed to the Tian Mountain City docks. The siblings were speechless at the sight before them. A river at least a thousand zhang wide stretched out, with enormous ships, each at least a hundred zhang long, docked in countless numbers. They had never seen such massive ships before.
"Oppa, the ships… they're huge! Are we really taking one of these?"
"Yes, we'll take this ship to the Imperial City!"
Yeopryeong looked at Yeophyeon with curious eyes.
"Oppa, is the Imperial City bigger than Tian Mountain City?"
Yeophyeon lightly patted her head and replied.
"Of course it's much bigger! Once we arrive, we can see for ourselves just how massive it is, alright?"
"Oppa, let's go quickly!"
Yeopryeong couldn't stop smiling at the thought of reaching the Imperial City. Yeophyeon quietly smiled back at her.
Having pre-checked the sailing schedule the night before, they boarded immediately after buying tickets. The Cloud Ship had many rooms of varying sizes, with ticket prices reflecting the class of the room.
Yeophyeon spent forty gold coins for two tickets, leaving him with only ten.
'How am I supposed to survive with this money…'
He sighed quietly, leading Yeopryeong to the ship's lowest deck. Their room was humble, containing only a bed, a table, and two chairs.
While unpacking, Yeophyeon spoke kindly to Yeopryeong.
"We have about half an hour before the ship sets sail. When it does, we'll go up on deck to enjoy the view."
Yeopryeong smiled at him, then turned to rummage through her bundle. She pulled out a pair of cloth shoes she had made herself, slightly embarrassed, and handed them to Yeophyeon.
"I made these myself. Want to try them on?"
Yeopryeong squatted to remove Yeophyeon's shoes. Though he did not show it, Yeophyeon was touched by the unexpected gift.
"Wow—!"
Yeopryeong pinched her nose and glared at him.
"Oppa, your feet smell terrible!"
She dashed out, returning with a basin full of water. She set it on the floor and dipped Yeophyeon's feet into it. Surprised, Yeophyeon protested.
"I'll do it myself!"
Yeopryeong glanced up at him and began carefully washing his feet.
Suddenly, tears like tiny droplets began to fall from her eyes. Yeophyeon's soles were covered in calluses, and his legs bore numerous scars—wounds from when he was the Yeop family heir.
"Yeong-ah, why are you crying?"
Yeopryeong wiped her tears and answered.
"I'm thinking of all the hardships you've gone through… I swear I will become unbeatable! I'll earn enough money to make sure you can live comfortably!"
In truth, Yeophyeon had raised Yeopryeong on his back. When their mother left, Yeophyeon was only ten, Yeopryeong five. They survived by scavenging leftovers like beggars.
Even in such harsh circumstances, Yeophyeon raised his sister to this point. Yeopryeong could barely comprehend the extent of his struggles. Ever since becoming heir, Yeophyeon's body had never been unscathed, returning home each evening battered and wounded.
Yeopryeong's warm words filled Yeophyeon's heart with warmth. Patting her head, he said,
"Your health comes first. There will be capable people in the Imperial City who can cure your illness. Once you're fully recovered, we'll train together."
Yeopryeong, washing his feet, replied with determination.
"Oppa, once I'm fully healed, I'll train hard! No matter how difficult, it won't matter!"
Yeophyeon was about to respond with a smile when suddenly the door opened, and uninvited guests entered—a middle-aged man and two elderly men. Yeopryeong jumped up in shock.
"Who are you?!"
The middle-aged man at the front looked at Yeophyeon and spoke.
"Do you still remember me?"
Yeophyeon nodded. They were the three who had chased him in the mountains long ago.
'Was the middle-aged man's name… Makchon?'
Yeophyeon had expected them to look for Yeongseok, but not that they would follow him all the way to the ship.
"If you hand over the item quietly, I'll spare your life."
In a calm voice, Yeophyeon responded.
"No fighting is allowed on the Cloud Ship."
Makchon snorted.
"Hmph! If we kill you and toss you below the ship, who would know?"
Yeophyeon paused, then spoke.
"If we give you the item, will you let us go?"
"Of course, as long as the item is guaranteed."
Yeophyeon inhaled deeply.
"I have no choice."
He pulled a black pouch from his chest and walked toward Makchon.
"Keep your promise."
Makchon's eyes burned as he looked at the pouch.
"I will keep my promise."
Yeophyeon suddenly threw the pouch not at Makchon but at the elderly man standing beside him. Startled, the old man instinctively caught it. At the same time, Makchon also instinctively reached for the pouch in the old man's hands.
At that moment, a cold sword aura flashed across the room.
Shing!
A sword appeared from nowhere, striking Makchon's neck. His split face sprayed blood in all directions as he flew into a corner of the room!
The remaining two elderly men tried to flee, but the sword was faster. Yeophyeon's blade pierced one of them. Meanwhile, the last old man managed to escape. His cries for mercy as he left the room threw the ship's lowest deck into chaos. Yeophyeon calmly sheathed his sword, looking slightly annoyed.
A short while later, a woman in a long purple skirt, her face covered with thin cloth, entered Yeophyeon's room accompanied by the ship's guards.
Yeophyeon's expression darkened. He couldn't gauge her strength.
Three of the guards were martial masters, the other two at the peak of mastery. They all exuded an extraordinary aura.
'So this is the strength of the Qiu Xian Tower!'
As Yeophyeon kept watch, the woman glanced at the scattered corpses, frowning.
"Did you do this?"
Yeophyeon nodded, intending to explain.
"They attacked first…"
At that moment, the woman flung her sleeves and turned away.
"Explanations can wait in hell. Deal with the two and throw the bodies overboard!"
A sword floated in Yeophyeon's right hand. The woman, about to leave, stopped and stared at him with a strange expression.
"Swordmaster?"
Yeophyeon nodded.
"Impressive, a swordmaster at such a young age. But the rules of the Cloud Ship are higher than heaven; no exceptions. Kill him!"
Yeophyeon narrowed his eyes and gripped his sword tightly. The blade vibrated slightly, and a line of sword energy flashed along the blade.
The martial artists in the room froze instantly. Yeophyeon took another step and faced the woman.
"Sorry… I'm not just a swordmaster, I'm a Grand Swordmaster."
The woman neither blushed nor faltered in her breathing, though internally she was greatly unsettled.