No one had been left behind on the climb. But most people looked like they'd barely survived.
Some martial artists collapsed the moment they reached the summit. They sprawled on the ground, gasping for air. Others leaned against stone walls, legs trembling.
Then there were Liam and Shizuku.
They strolled up to the top like they'd taken a casual walk through a park. Not a drop of sweat on either of them. Chatting casually.
Wing reached the summit and extended his hand to help Hart. The boy gritted his teeth and pulled himself over the final ledge on his own. Wing smiled faintly.
"I did it!" Hart flopped onto the ground, grinning.
Wing grabbed his collar and hauled him upright. "Don't lie down like that. Walk it off slowly. Helps with recovery."
Hart groaned. His back ached. His legs burned. But when he looked around and saw that martial artists twice his age looked just as wrecked, he straightened his spine a bit.
Then he looked at Wing.
His senior brother wasn't even sweating. Wing's sleeves and pants were slightly damp from the mist, but that was it. Nearly ten kilometers of winding mountain path through clouds and fog, and Wing's clothes were barely wet. Keeping dry was harder than staying cool.
"Brother Wing, how'd you do it?" Hart was genuinely curious.
"Just release more aura on your body's surface," Wing said simply.
He means Ken, Wing thought. But my junior brother hasn't reached that stage yet. No point explaining advanced techniques before he's ready.
Wing wasn't showing off. Maintaining Ken while climbing a steep mountain path helped with emergency reactions and improved training efficiency. For someone at Wing's level, this staircase wasn't a challenge. With his current aura capacity, he could maintain full Ken for three to four hours without breaking a sweat.
Hart stared at him.
Just release more aura on the surface? You make it sound so easy!
Even maintaining basic Ten for the entire climb would've been impossible for Hart. And Ten was literally just keeping aura on the body's surface under normal circumstances.
Hart scanned the exhausted crowd. Then his eyes landed on two figures walking ahead.
He froze.
John Smith's clothes were spotless. Clean. His forehead was dry. His hair wasn't even mussed. No sweat. No dew. Nothing. He looked even more composed than Wing.
The woman beside him, though? Her glasses had condensation on the lenses. Her black hair was slightly damp from the mountain mist.
He's the one who beat Brother Wing...
Hart stared at Liam. Liam glanced back at the same moment. Hart flinched and took half a step backward.
Liam frowned. What's his problem?
He led Shizuku toward the pavilion. Wing and Hart followed. Tetsuro was already there, standing beside the Sky Master.
"The future generation is formidable!"
The Sky Master looked over the crowd. He counted heads as more martial artists reached the summit. He nodded with satisfaction. His gaze lingered briefly on Wing, Liam, and Shizuku. His smile widened.
"The Sensui Mountain Conference is a gathering for martial arts exchange," the Sky Master said. "Not a competition of Nen abilities."
He raised three fingers, one after another. "Therefore, this conference will not discuss aura. Only martial arts. The martial path consists of three elements: strength, skill, and will. All three are essential. Over the next ten days, we will dedicate three days to strength, three days to skill, and three days to will. Exchange and learn. No distinction between schools. Only differences between individuals."
Tetsuro spoke up. "What about the last day?"
The Sky Master stroked his long gray beard. "On the tenth day, sixteen participants will be selected to perform a public exhibition."
Tetsuro asked nothing more. His eyes lit up with fighting spirit.
Hart glanced at Tetsuro. The tough guy from Heavens Arena had clothes soaked from the climb. Still neat, but wet. Hart's mental evaluation of him dropped a few points.
He's the one who lost to Brother Wing, after all.
The crowd murmured among themselves.
The schedule mirrored the Sensui Mountain Art Exhibition happening on the front side of the mountain. Same 3+3+3 format. The final day was probably the public performance. Meaning they'd demonstrate martial arts in front of all the celebrities, collectors, artists, and wealthy patrons attending the exhibition.
Martial arts as performance art. How fitting.
"Now, if you're willing to follow me, come along." The Sky Master radiated energy despite his gray hair. His smile was carefree. "You'll stay at my villa in the back mountain for a few days."
He vanished mid-sentence.
The crowd gasped. Shocked again.
How is this not a Nen competition?
Liam shook his head. If you're trying to avoid showing off Nen abilities, maybe stop teleporting in front of everyone like a magician.
Though I'll admit. It's pretty damn cool.
Tetsuro walked out of the pavilion first. As he approached the villa gate, it swung open automatically. The interior came into view. Everyone filed in one by one.
Liam turned to Wing. "Comparing strength, skill, and will? How do you even compare will? Wing, did you follow this format last time?"
Wing thought for a moment. "More or less."
"That's not very convincing." Liam shook his head. Then he noticed Shizuku's expression. "What's wrong?"
"That person's body is so clean," Shizuku said.
Liam realized she meant the Sky Master.
Hart nodded to himself. Sky Master is definitely the strongest here. Naturally, he'd be the cleanest.
"He probably teleported straight from the base to the summit," Liam said. He hesitated. "So being spotless is... normal... I guess..."
Except it wasn't normal.
The kind of cleanliness Shizuku noticed wasn't about dust or dirt. It was something else. Liam recalled the Sky Master's appearance. If he had to describe it, there was no trace of life on the man. Like a brand-new product fresh off the assembly line.
Shizuku blinked at him.
Liam's eyes narrowed. "What if the Sky Master we've been seeing is a Nen clone this whole time?"
Unless there was a specific reason, objects conjured or manifested through Nen didn't come with useless details like stains, dirt, dust, or grime. They appeared clean. Immaculately clean.
If the Sky Master they'd encountered was a clone created by Nen, then his ability to vanish constantly made perfect sense. The real person was dismissing the construct.
Wing laughed at first. Then he stopped. His expression grew serious.
They walked into the back mountain villa. The manor was enormous. Empty. Not a single person in sight. The cold wind at the summit howled past. The door behind them slowly closed on its own.
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