Chapter 967
“Hoo….”
Glenn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon standing before Karoon.
‘What happened in that short time?’
As far as he knew, after coming out of the Chamber of Self, Raon had trained the Light Wind Palace swordsmen and helped Aris recover.
‘He supported Aris’s cultivation, yet instead of weakening, he grew stronger….’
He couldn’t understand it.
Raon hadn’t trained himself—he had been helping others. Yet he appeared even stronger now, and Glenn let out a faint laugh.
‘No, he did grow, but… he feels more refined than strengthened.’
Rather than simply becoming stronger, Raon seemed to have fully adapted to the enlightenment and martial insight he obtained in the Chamber of Self.
The overwhelming heat and cold that had seemed on the verge of exploding were now perfectly melded into his body and mind.
‘Helping Aris recover was astonishing enough.’
But he’s surprising me again.
Aris was still cursed, so Glenn believed that even with a Dragon Heart, she wouldn’t immediately reach the transcendent realm.
But thanks to Raon assisting her cultivation, Aris shattered his expectations and crossed the wall into transcendence in a single leap.
Although she wasn’t at the same power level as before, what Raon accomplished was something Glenn himself would have struggled with.
‘I should be glad I didn’t step in.’
If Raon hadn’t moved, Glenn had been prepared to assist Aris personally.
But no matter how he imagined it, he couldn’t be certain he could have restored her as Raon did.
‘He truly is a blessing.’
A gentle smile touched Glenn’s lips as he looked at Raon.
‘Almost too precious to be my grandson.’
Talented in martial insight, yet still carrying the warm heart he’d had since childhood—his grandson was so lovable that Glenn found himself smiling unconsciously.
‘Hm?’
Glenn’s smile faded slightly as he looked past Raon at Karoon.
‘That boy…’
He’s tense.
Karoon seemed overwhelmed by the mighty aura and noble sword force flowing from Raon. In that state, he wouldn’t be able to display even half his true ability.
“Stop glaring at each other.”
Glenn stepped between them and shook his head.
“It’s not time yet. Step back and prepare yourselves.”
He gestured for Karoon to fall back, hoping to ease his tension.
“Yes.”
Raon calmly nodded and stepped back, moving as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He rotated his wrist like he could start immediately if needed.
“…Understood.”
Karoon exhaled roughly and shook his head. He was still tense, but seemed to have escaped Raon’s crushing pressure.
“Huh? What’s with that face? Don’t tell me….”
Balder approached Karoon with a smirk.
“You scared? Of your nephew?”
He circled a finger at Karoon’s stiff expression.
“Shut your mouth.”
Karoon frowned and jabbed his elbow sideways.
Thud!
His elbow dug into Balder’s side as if to break it in half.
“Guh….”
Balder fell to his knees, gasping from the sudden strike.
“A spar is about to start. Don’t provoke him.”
Denier clicked his tongue and dragged Balder toward the outer edge of the training hall.
“I-I was just trying to loosen him up….”
Balder trembled his lips, saying he couldn’t even joke now.
“It’s not that kind of atmosphere.”
Denier’s voice was dry as parched fields.
“If you want to climb higher, watch this fight carefully. Though who knows if you’ll even be able to follow it….”
His transparent eyes, cold like glass beads, focused on Raon and Karoon.
“If you’re ready, step forward.”
At Glenn’s gesture, Raon and Karoon moved to the center of the training hall.
“With your level, you don’t need a signal. Begin whenever you’re ready.”
He stepped far back, indicating he wouldn’t give a starting cue.
“I’m curious how far your limit goes.”
Karoon tilted his chin, locking eyes with Raon.
“If others cross the sea of martial arts in a small sailboat, you seem to chart forward alone on a full-rigged ship.”
He acknowledged Raon’s talent with calm sincerity.
“Aren’t you similar, Palace Lord?”
Raon lifted a shoulder lightly.
“I used to think so.”
Karoon let out a faint laugh and lowered his gaze.
“After reaching transcendence, I felt myself rapidly growing. I even thought I surpassed my elder sister. But before you, I’m nothing but a firefly before the sun.”
His tone tightened.
“That doesn’t mean I’ll admit defeat before the fight starts. Victory isn’t decided by martial mastery alone.”
Karoon lifted his sword. Blue lightning-like aura flared along the silver blade.
“I’ll start with full power.”
He aimed the blade at his own neck—a stance with no intention of dragging out the fight.
“Then I’ll respond in full as well.”
Raon clenched his teeth and drew Heavenly Drive.
“And I agree—victory isn’t decided by strength alone. Nothing in the world is absolute.”
He pointed Heavenly Drive at Karoon’s neck, inviting a good match.
“……”
“……”
Raon and Karoon aimed their swords at each other, unmoving.
Glenn and Denier also watched in silence, like statues.
“Khmp!”
Only Balder couldn’t hold back a tiny cough from the pain in his waist.
Clang!
At that instant, Raon and Karoon lunged simultaneously.
—
Clang!
Raon narrowed his eyes slightly as he blocked Karoon’s strike—a slash containing fierce sharpness hidden beneath natural flow, like a beast’s claws.
‘He’s gotten stronger.’
Karoon’s sword was smoother and more precise than their first spar, aiming at Raon’s vitals flawlessly.
‘Did he gain enlightenment from our past duel?’
It seemed Karoon too had grown while Raon was in the Chamber of Self.
Impressive progress—but not enough for Raon to lose to anyone now.
Tssss!
Raon clicked his tongue softly and twisted his wrist gripping Heavenly Drive.
Fwoosh!
Flames flared along the blade, instantly devouring Karoon’s powerful sword strike.
Boom!
Karoon’s consecutive slashes halted, and his body was flung backward. There was a clear difference in mastery and martial depth.
“Mm….”
Karoon frowned, surprised his sword sequence had broken instantly. He bit his lip and stepped left, slashing downward.
“I’ll finish this strike!”
His sword fell with lofty presence, like the ridges of Northgaze Mountain.
‘He has to end it quickly.’
From their earlier exchange, Karoon knew Raon’s swordsmanship and aura outstripped his now.
To gain even a sliver of advantage, he had to unleash everything now.
Rumble!
He drew his aura to the limit and unleashed a refined sword technique—Middle-Refining Severance, said to split even an opponent’s breath.
Claaaang!
Karoon charged with the resolve to stake his life on this one strike.
Whoosh!
The moment Karoon’s sword storm surged forward, Raon spun the Rings of Fire.
Fwooooom!
In a single instant, the ring of fire resonated—disassembling and analyzing the essence of Middle-Refining Severance.
‘Breaking sword, flowing sword…’
Raon imbued the divine insight of Ten Thousand Swords into Sky-Piercing Sword arts, stepping forward with his left foot while the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation’s tenth star ignited golden fire along the blade.
Neither Raon nor Karoon dodged. They trusted in their respective swords and struck toward each other’s eyes.
Booooom!
Blue light and golden flame collided, blasting waves of force across the heavens and earth.
The result appeared instantly.
Crackle!
Karoon’s technique carried a force that could split the sky—but it could not surpass the flame towering above it.
Blue light was devoured by gold, losing strength with every breath. Not a counter, but a destruction—Karoon’s full-power sword strike shattered before Raon’s blade.
Crunch!
Karoon collapsed to his knees as if strength had drained from him. Though gripping his sword, he couldn’t swing it anymore.
“Damn….”
He tried to rise using his sword like a cane, but his body wouldn’t listen, and he fell backward.
“Haa….”
Raon lifted a trembling hand and wiped the blood trickling down from his lip.
‘So it ends like this.’
He had defeated a transcendence-level opponent, once nearly even with him, while suffering only minor internal and external injuries. Even he was shocked by his own growth.
“It was a good match.”
He steadied his breathing and bowed to Karoon.
“I want to stand and fight again, but….”
Karoon frowned as he looked up at Raon.
“There’s no point.”
He shook his head, accepting defeat.
“If you had simply been strong, I could have endured somehow. But you pierced straight through the weaknesses of my sword… there was nothing I could do.”
Karoon tightened his grip on his sword, calling Raon’s ability terrifying.
“It’s thanks to our duel before I entered the Chamber of Self.”
He wasn’t being polite—fighting Karoon earlier had revealed his flaws, allowing him to grow faster.
“Spare me the flattery.”
Karoon snorted weakly.
“Go on.”
He told Raon to leave and fell backward again. The mental blow seemed far greater than the physical.
“I’ll see you next time.”
Understanding Karoon’s feelings, Raon bowed to him and the others and left the training hall.
“Wh-what….”
Balder exhaled in disbelief.
“He really lost? The difference was that big?”
He shook his head, unable to believe it.
“Considering the difference in strength, he actually fought well.”
Glenn smacked his lips as he watched Raon’s back.
“He landed internal injuries and shocked his body significantly.”
He shook his head, saying Raon’s state wasn’t as perfect as he looked.
“Though I know it won’t comfort you.”
Glenn closed his eyes, understanding Karoon’s regret.
“People outside call our family monsters… but that boy is a monster even among us.”
Denier smiled faintly as he looked where Raon had stood. Even though he was only a Grandmaster who had yet to reach transcendence, he seemed unsurprised—as if he had foreseen this outcome.
“Are you alright? Want help getting up?”
Balder swallowed nervously and approached Karoon covering his face with his sleeve.
“…No.”
Karoon waved him off.
“But still….”
“Leave him alone.”
Glenn tapped Balder’s shoulder and walked toward the exit.
“Denier. You too.”
He motioned Balder along and exited the hall.
“Yes.”
Denier nodded faintly, then headed for the door. His transparent eyes, devoid of emotion, lingered on Karoon before he stepped out.
“Haa….”
Karoon looked up at the scorching sky and exhaled.
“Damn it….”
Strength finally returned to his hand—but too late. His opponent had already left after letting him taste defeat.
‘To think I’d be this outclassed.’
If he hadn’t fought with full force, he might’ve stalled a bit longer.
But the outcome would’ve been the same. The realization crushed his chest with bitter heaviness.
“I was perfectly defeated….”
Karoon slowly lifted his upper body.
“But I still have to move forward. No… I’ll catch up.”
Unlike before, his mind was not clouded with jealousy or resentment. Only a burning desire to follow Raon remained.
‘But alone… I’ll never reach him.’
Karoon planted his sword in the ground and rose to his feet. Looking down at the shadow cast by the red sun, he nodded.
‘I’ll need help.’
—
After his duel with Karoon, Raon headed back toward the annex.
-You could have comforted him a little.
Wrath clicked his tongue briefly.
-He must be devastated. Someone who used to be your equal was surpassed in a flash.
Wrath frowned, saying Raon was too cold.
‘Saying anything there would’ve been worse.’
Raon shook his head calmly.
‘Especially coming from me—it wouldn’t help.’
In his assassin days, he might’ve agreed with Wrath, but living as he did now, he had learned to understand the heart of a warrior. Right now, Karoon would want to be alone.
‘Still….’
He’s grown far stronger than I expected.
‘I didn’t think I’d beat a transcendence-level swordsman with just internal injuries and torn muscles.’
He had known he’d grown stronger, but he had not expected such an easy victory.
Even considering that he had seen Karoon’s technique before, it had still been too easy.
-Fool.
Wrath motioned his chin toward him.
-You didn’t just grow in swordsmanship. Your stamina, mental strength, physical ability, aura, and experience all increased. Combined, it’s only natural your overall power skyrocketed.
Wrath squinted, repeating exactly what he had once said in the past.
‘Maybe so.’
Raon clenched his right hand lightly.
‘It feels like I’m finally getting closer to my goal.’
He had been worried whether he could ever kill Derus—but now he felt he could faintly see the man’s back.
‘Which means I need to train even harder.’
Smiling faintly, he headed toward the annex—then paused in front of Federick’s residence.
‘Is Aunt still sleeping?’
Aris should have woken long ago, yet she hadn’t, and Raon felt uneasy.
‘I suppose I could check in before heading back.’
He turned away from the annex and walked toward Federick’s mansion.
“Finished already?”
Federick blinked, surprised by how soon Raon returned.
“Yes. It ended earlier than expected.”
“You’re even roasting Karoon now? Completely insane.”
He exhaled in disbelief.
“It was just luck. More importantly, is Aunt still asleep?”
“She woke up.”
Federick nodded, saying Aris had regained consciousness a short while ago.
“Really? Then—”
“No need to go.”
As Raon moved to enter Aris’s room, Federick lifted his hand.
“She already left.”
“…Already?”
To wake up and immediately disappear—it was typical Aris.
“Where did she go?”
“No idea. She ran out saying she had something to retrieve.”
Federick sighed, saying Raon knew Aris’s personality better than anyone.
“If she lost something…”
Raon repeated Federick’s words, narrowing his eyes.
“No way.”