The battlefield was a flattened plain between the twin ridges of Whispering Pass. Towering cliffs loomed on either side like ancient judges.
Baek Sun-Ho tightened the straps on his gauntlets. His breath came slow. Focused. Dead calm.
Before him stood a giant of a man—Jin Woon, a war emissary of the Crimson Iron Sect. Two heads taller than most men. Clad in scale-wrapped armor. And with strength that had once shattered a mountain pass gate with a single blow.
The gathered sect envoys sat on rock ledges above, watching. Judging. The outcome of this duel would determine whether Dustcloud's candidate would be allowed to enter the final round of leader selection.
And Sun-Ho had to win.
At all costs.
---
The Master's Absence
Yeon So-Ri gritted her teeth beside the ridge path.
"Where's Master Jang?"
A courier disciple stepped back, pale.
"He's… in the Riverroot Caverns. Said something about chasing a 'debt collector with a grudge.' Left this morning."
So-Ri swore under her breath. "He knew this would happen."
---
The Duel Begins
Jin Woon cracked his neck.
Kwak.
"I don't like playing with weaklings," he said, unsheathing his massive blade. "Hope you scream."
Sun-Ho didn't reply. He drew his spear with practiced stillness.
Shhink.
The wind fell silent.
Then—
BOOOM!
Jin Woon lunged, his blade cleaving the earth like a falling tree.
Sun-Ho rolled aside, the shockwave blasting debris.
Krrrk!
Whump!
Shnnng!
They exchanged a flurry of blows—Sun-Ho swift and clean, Jin Woon brutal and relentless. Dust and sparks filled the air. Each clash thundered like distant war drums.
CLANG! CRACK! FWSSH!
---
Breaking Point
Sun-Ho landed a strike against Jin Woon's leg—but the man barely staggered.
Jin Woon retaliated with a spinning slam.
THWAM!
Sun-Ho skidded across the ground, knees cutting trenches into the dirt.
Blood dripped from his brow. His muscles screamed.
Hhhhhh…
He forced himself upright. Vision swimming.
> I can't win like this.
Not with just this level of control.
His heart pounded. Somewhere beneath the surface of his mind, something stirred.
A gate. Sealed.
His memories burned behind it.
The past life. The techniques. The strength he'd sacrificed.
---
A Spark Ignites
Jin Woon laughed and raised his sword.
"Goodbye, weakling."
He swung.
And in that instant—
Crack—
Something inside Sun-Ho snapped.
Not broken. Unlocked.
A rush of heat flooded through his veins.
WHRRRRRM!
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
A roaring inferno surged outward—not wild, but concentrated. Controlled. His eyes lit like molten amber.
"W-what is this!?" Jin Woon shouted, staggering backward.
Sun-Ho rose to full height.
His spear caught flame—but not ordinary fire. It danced in hues of red, gold, and violet. The Fire of the Five Elements.
> Metal. Wood. Water. Fire. Earth.
Unified. Balanced. Alive.
---
Past Returned
Within his mind, ancient martial seals unfurled like lotus petals.
Names.
Forms.
A sword stance called Ashen Dragon Spiral. A palm strike known as Flicker of the Last Ember. Techniques from a forgotten era.
His era.
"I remember," Sun-Ho whispered.
And then he moved.
---
The Final Clash
Jin Woon screamed and charged again.
But it was too late.
Sun-Ho's spear became a streak of burning light.
SHHHHRAK!
Jin Woon's sword melted at the hilt.
THMP!
A single palm strike sent the giant soaring backward.
BOOOOM!
He crashed into the cliff wall with a thunderous quake—and didn't rise.
Smoke curled from the rocks. Sun-Ho stood at the center of the scorched ring, spear raised.
Silence reigned.
---
Aftermath
The envoys stared in stunned silence. No one moved. Even the birds seemed to hesitate in flight.
So-Ri finally exhaled.
"He… won."
Then she noticed the way the flames curled around him, soft and obedient.
Alive.
"He awakened."
A messenger from the Jade Sky Sect whispered to his superior:
"Is this still Dustcloud Sect's candidate… or something else entirely?"
---
The Flame Sleeps
Sun-Ho slowly released his stance.
The fire dimmed.
Whew…
He turned, eyes locking with So-Ri's.
Her expression was unreadable—part awe, part fear, part something warmer.
She ran to his side.
"You're burning up."
"I'm fine," he said, though his breath was ragged. "I just… remembered who I was."
"Who were you?"
He didn't answer.
Not yet.
---
Far Away – Observing Eyes
Atop a distant cliff, hidden by illusion talismans, a robed figure watched through a mirrored glass.
"So… the flame has awakened."
The voice was brittle. Hungry.
"The blade remembers."
---
[End of Chapter 11]