The wind shifted.
Not a gust.
A warning.
Sun-Ho's eyes opened just before dawn, instincts screaming.
The sky was too still. The birds were gone. Even the insects had fallen silent.
He sat up. So-Ri, asleep beside the fire, stirred as if sensing the tension. Ma-Rok was already on his feet, hammer in hand. Yul-Rin crouched beside Yeon, gently nudging the boy awake.
Master Jang stood near the treeline, gazing into the distant hills.
Ji-Mun squinted. "You feel that?"
"Yes," Sun-Ho said, voice sharp. "They're here."
---
The Ambush Begins
CRACK—BOOM!
The mountain ridge to the west exploded in a spray of rock and flame. Flaming arrows rained down. Smoke bombs burst, obscuring vision. Screams echoed as tents below ignited.
The Assembly camp erupted in chaos.
Sect disciples ran for cover. Defensive barriers were summoned. Leaders scrambled to identify attackers—but it was already too late.
From the smoke, figures in crimson and black emerged—cloaked warriors with no insignias, but terrifying coordination. Each moved with the skill of a Grandmaster or higher.
So-Ri spun up her fans. "Who are they?!"
"Not bandits," Yul-Rin said grimly, throwing smoke-neutralizing powder. "Too clean. Too fast."
Ji-Mun's face paled. "A hidden sect?"
"No," Master Jang said. "A shadow faction. The one we've suspected. They were waiting for the heir to be chosen."
Sun-Ho's eyes narrowed. "Then they didn't come for the sects."
So-Ri met his gaze. "They came for you."
---
The Field Scatters
As the elite enemies flooded the ridge, powerful sect leaders met them in defense.
Hearts of Iron Sect clashed with robed assassins near the southern hill. Falling Blossom Pavilion formed defensive wards around their heir. Kang Mu-Jin of the Iron Wall Sect bellowed commands, forming a bulwark to defend his wounded.
But the center of the chaos...
...was Sun-Ho's camp.
---
One-on-One – The Silent Spear
A tall figure in bone-white armor landed before Sun-Ho—his descent so forceful it cracked the stone beneath him. His face was hidden behind a blank helm, and he held a spear that shimmered with dark energy.
He said nothing.
Sun-Ho unsheathed his blade.
"No mask. No retreat."
The spear-man raised his weapon. The air whined with suppressed force.
They clashed.
CLANG—KZZZZAK—BOOM!
Each impact shattered the air. The assassin fought with the precision of a sword saint and the weight of a boulder. Their battle carved trenches into the ridge, split boulders in half, and sent shockwaves that shook nearby treetops.
So-Ri rushed forward to help, but Master Jang held her back.
"He has to do this alone."
"But he—!"
"He's been holding back since the trial. That opponent is meant to push him."
---
The Breakthrough
Blood traced the corner of Sun-Ho's mouth. His breath steamed with fire and crackled with lightning—but his strikes grew steadier, not wilder.
The assassin struck, thrusting the spear at his heart.
Sun-Ho sidestepped—
And plunged his palm into the earth.
RRRRRRUMMMBLE—!
The ground heaved. Pillars of stone shot upward, sending the assassin flying. Sun-Ho appeared in the air above him, blade glowing with tricolored qi.
"Balance Breaker: Heaven Splitter."
KRAAAK—!!
The sky ignited.
A silent shockwave pulsed outward, bending trees, dousing flames, even halting nearby battles.
When the dust cleared, the assassin's armor lay shattered. He had vanished—either killed or retreated.
Sun-Ho landed on a cracked outcrop, body glowing faintly.
Lightning flickered from his hair. His feet pulsed with stabilizing earth. Flame danced in his breath.
The pulse of his core changed.
His qi spiraled inward—faster, tighter, deeper.
Then:
BOOOOOM.
His aura detonated in silence.
Everyone on the battlefield stopped.
---
Beyond Grandmaster
In a distant observation post, three elders from the High Cloud Sect watched through spirit mirrors.
One gasped. "That's not just Grandmaster."
"No," said another, voice shaking. "That boy just crossed into the Transcendent Realm. Mid-battle."
The third said nothing. Only stared.
---
Back at the Arena
So-Ri rushed to Sun-Ho, who stood upright, the storm fading around him.
"You… broke through," she whispered.
"I didn't mean to," he admitted, eyes wide with realization. "It just… happened."
Master Jang approached and gave a short nod. "So. You've taken your first real step."
"But I didn't even show it," Sun-Ho said, frowning. "I controlled it. Kept the surge hidden. No one except those closest would know."
The master smiled. "Good. Let the world still believe you're merely at the peak of Grandmaster. Your true strength is now a secret weapon."
---
Final Scene – The Fire Dies
The battle ended hours later.
Many factions had suffered losses. The arena was shattered. But the hidden faction had failed to eliminate their target.
Baek Sun-Ho had not only survived—he had risen.
That night, under a broken moon, the sect leaders convened one last time.
Votes were cast. Oaths whispered.
And by dawn...
Baek Sun-Ho was named the Final Candidate for Murim Alliance Leader.
---
End of Chapter 97 – The Storm Breaks