Chapter 1234
Above the subterranean training grounds, where only flickering shadows had once ruled, a sun and moon began to ascend. These celestial bodies, which had no business existing beneath the earth, radiated gold and silver brilliance with an intensity that surpassed the natural world, as if asserting their right to be there.
Raon climbed to his feet, his hands firmly gripping the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword, blades birthed from the essence of solar and lunar light. His crimson gaze shimmered with a golden hue, a clear sign of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and the Ring of Fire resonating within him.
"Sword Domain - Divine-Demonic Harmony."
Glenn squinted, observing the dual blades held by his grandson.
"That is a Sword Domain that earns its place among the greatest ever seen in the history of Zieghart. Its offensive power and durability are top-tier, making it a perfectly balanced domain. It even possesses that unpredictable edge at the finish."
He gave a slow, knowing nod, having already deciphered the mechanics of Raon’s Divine-Demonic Harmony.
"However, such a feat carries little weight in this place."
Glenn let out a soft laugh, watching the contrasting energies of heat and frost swirling around the twin swords.
"I see that now."
Raon pressed his lips together, his fingers twitching as they held the hilts of his weapons.
'I didn't expect the environmental pressure to scale upward even after my Martial Prowess was boosted by the Sword Domain.'
His original plan was to use the full might of the Divine-Demonic Harmony to stand his ground against Glenn. Yet, the moment the domain expanded and his internal power surged, the crushing weight of the training ground intensified proportionally. It appeared the gravity of this space adjusted in real-time to the occupant's strength.
"It is quite a pity that your situation remains unchanged despite summoning your domain."
Glenn made a casual motion with Heavenly Tremor, almost as if he were mocking Raon’s efforts.
"It doesn't matter."
Raon gave a small, determined tilt of his head.
"Adaptation is mandatory anyway. I might as well start taking the hits early."
This wasn't mere bravado. Given the unique properties of this legendary training ground, he wanted to absorb every bit of experience it offered.
"Besides, the utility of this Sword Domain isn't limited to just power and defense."
Deploying the domain sharpened his connection to his weapons, vastly improving his ability with Sword Control. Even if his physical Martial Prowess felt dampened, he was still in a much better position than if he fought without it.
"A fair point."
Glenn conceded with a nod of acknowledgement.
"In that case, show me what you have again."
Even as the invitation left his lips, Glenn brought Heavenly Tremor down in a blinding arc. It was nothing more than a flicker of light, yet the blade was already bearing down on Raon's shoulder.
"Guh!"
Raon pushed off with his toes, leaping backward to create space. In that borrowed heartbeat of time, he swung the Divine Sword downward to parry the strike aimed at his skin. Zzzzzing! Glenn’s attack wasn't merely swift; it carried an overwhelming weight. Despite Raon putting every ounce of strength into his counter, he was forced back five staggering steps.
"Ngh..."
Before Raon could even steady his shaking hand, a bolt of red lightning crashed down from the ceiling. Glenn clearly had no intention of allowing him a moment to breathe.
"Hah!"
Raon sucked in a sharp breath and lunged upward with the Demonic Sword. The swirling blue Frost met the lightning head-on, sending purple sparks dancing across the air. Crackle! Stomping down on the scorched earth where the energies collided, Raon glared at Glenn.
"You told me to come at you, but you aren't playing fair."
He gestured with his chin, pointing out the irony of being told to attack while being buried under a relentless defense-breaking assault.
"I told you this was a real fight."
Glenn shrugged, his expression one of pure logic.
"You are free to use every trick in your arsenal as well."
He opened his arms wide, inviting Raon to try whatever he wished.
"Hmm..."
Raon bit his lip, eyeing the relaxed posture of the man before him.
-Hoho!
Wrath rubbed his chin, letting out a whistle of surprise.
-I hadn't realized the old man had this side to him. I assumed he was the type to move with rigid honor and predictable fairness.
The demon smacked his lips, finding the turn of events quite entertaining.
'He’s doing this to force me to grow.'
It was obvious Glenn was utilizing ambushes and erratic patterns to broaden Raon’s combat intuition.
'But there is one thing my grandfather doesn't realize.'
A small smirk played on Raon's lips as he loosened his grip on the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword just a fraction.
'Dirty tricks happen to be my area of expertise.'
He slammed his foot into the ground with a resonant thud. Utilizing the Supreme Harmony Step at its highest velocity, he wove in the illusions of the phantom sword and the shifting nature of the variable sword. With intricate footwork, he blurred toward Glenn's left flank.
As if he had triggered a cloning art, Raon’s form split into five distinct entities. Each clone charged Glenn from a different angle, executing a unique set of maneuvers.
"A variation of the Supreme Harmony Steps I haven't seen before."
Glenn sounded genuinely impressed as he watched the five versions of Raon close in.
"But it is still unrefined. I can see right through it."
With a confident grin, Glenn swung Heavenly Tremor, which was now wreathed in Lightning Aura. He was certain he had located the true Raon. Crackle! The electricity from the blade wiped away the four illusions like ink being washed from a page, before homing in on the real Raon who was attempting to strike from the rear. Zzzzzing!
Raon, who had been aiming for Glenn's blind spot, found himself intercepted by the backswing of Heavenly Tremor. He was forced to abort his strike and shift the Divine Sword into a defensive guard.
"Tch..."
Raon gritted his teeth as the Lightning Aura of the great sword began to eat away at his own solar flames, pushing him back.
"It lacks maturity, but with more refinement, it could become a formidable technique... Wait?"
Glenn was in the middle of offering critique when he glanced at his own hands and his eyes went wide. The moment he sensed the anomaly and looked down, the Demonic Sword—which Raon had secretly released—erupted from the dirt beneath his feet.
With reflexes that defied human limits, Glenn leaped back a single step and kicked the tip of the rising ice blade.
The Demonic Sword exhaled a cloud of Silver Frost, almost as if it were frustrated at missing its mark, before flying back to hover at Raon's side.
"That gave you a bit of a chill, didn't it?"
Raon snatched the floating Demonic Sword out of the air, watching Glenn, who had been forced to retreat for the first time in the duel.
"I know the footwork is still rough. But it serves its purpose as a distraction."
He gave a casual shrug, warning Glenn not to stay too comfortable.
"So that's why you were stomping so loudly during your charge..."
Glenn looked at the disturbed earth and let out a dry, disbelieving laugh.
"You used the vibrations and the dust to tunnel the Demonic Sword underground without me noticing."
He stroked his beard, clearly surprised by the psychological trap Raon had set.
"That was a maneuver cunning enough to catch even a Transcendent off guard. I can clearly see the depth of your combat history."
Glenn’s eyes shone with a hint of pride, realizing that Raon’s experience in the field was far beyond what his age suggested.
"I'm not finished."
Raon opened both palms, letting go of the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword. The two weapons soared into the air, radiating heat and cold even more intense than when they were held. They darted through the sky of the training ground, weaving through the red lightning like twin dragons navigating a storm.
Raon tracked the movement of the blades while pushing his Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Glacier energy to their absolute limits.
"I’m still working the kinks out of this one..."
He held his right hand in a sharp sword-sign and spread his left wide, taking a long, deep breath.
"Try dealing with four blades at once."
Raon lunged toward Glenn, the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword diving from above while two shimmering water-swords formed in his hands.
Kwaaaang! Glenn parried the flurry of strikes, each carrying devastating force, while masking an internal sigh.
'Remarkable.'
Even under the stifling weight of the First Patriarch’s specialized training zone, Raon's Martial Prowess was staggering. Any typical Transcendent would have been decapitated or crushed instantly by the sheer complexity of this four-pronged assault.
'I never imagined he would reach this level so quickly.'
The Raon who had struck down the Archangel Raphael, the Raon who stood against Derus Robert, and the Raon who returned home after the kill were all different people. Glenn had fought beside him and watched him from afar, but the martial depth Raon was currently displaying surpassed all expectations.
It felt almost surreal; his grandson seemed to undergo a total metamorphosis with every single conflict he survived.
'He truly might become the strongest to ever live.'
Given this terrifying rate of improvement, there was a real chance Raon would eclipse even Glenn's own peak before he reached his middle years.
'And he is shielded from the pressure of the heavens.'
Because Raon had the support of the entity he called a friend, he didn't suffer the direct weight of the heavens' surveillance like Glenn did. Unlike his grandfather, Raon would be able to reach the highest stages of existence without being forced to leave the Continent.
'I could almost be jealous. No, that isn't right.'
Glenn shook his head slightly while effortlessly neutralizing the four-sword formation.
'This is all the result of that boy’s own blood and sweat.'
As a child, Raon was mocked for having zero aptitude for the sword. People didn't just say he couldn't be a warrior; they said he wouldn't survive to adulthood. Yet, he had conquered his own failing body through sheer tenacity, unearthing a talent that had been buried deep.
To be honest, it was a feat Glenn wasn't sure he could have managed himself. It deserved nothing but admiration.
"Just like you admitted."
Glenn raised his chin, using Heavenly Tremor to simultaneously knock aside the Divine Sword, the Demonic Sword, and both water blades.
"It is still unpolished. You would be more dangerous sticking to a single blade."
He snorted, easily dismantling the multi-sword style Raon was testing.
"In time..."
Raon bit his lip, his body jolting from the feedback of Glenn's parries. He looked up, his eyes burning.
"It will be perfected."
He reset his stance, refusing to abandon the complex technique.
"I admire the spirit."
Glenn beckoned for another attack, his eyes narrowing.
'The only gift I can truly give Raon is...'
A victory in the final clash with the Heavenly Demon. No matter how fast Raon grew, reaching that level within a single year was a near-impossible task. When the fated day arrived, Glenn intended to strike down the Heavenly Demon himself and fade away, leaving a clear path for the grandson who had gone from a "dullard" to the pride of the family.
"Here I come."
A magnificent sky and bolts of ruinous lightning surged from Raon’s hands, while the Divine Sword and Demonic Sword plummeted from above, glowing with a light so fierce it seemed they were consuming their own existence. Rumble! This was his ultimate combination—the peak technique of Sky-Piercing Thunder merged with the Invincible Azure-Red Sword through the Divine-Demonic Harmony.
"An impressive display of power. But..."
Glenn watched the tidal wave of sword energy approaching and calmly shook his head.
"The transitions between the styles are flawed."
He raised Heavenly Tremor and sliced through the exact point where the harmony faltered. By striking the seam where Sky-Piercing Thunder and the Invincible Azure-Red Sword failed to fully connect, he dissipated the massive energy wave with minimal effort.
"Hah... hah..."
Raon doubled over, gasping for air as if he had poured his entire soul into that final move.
"At this rate, you won't be much of a challenge for me."
Glenn glanced at Raon’s exhausted face.
"Refine the execution of your movements and your sword logic. A sword that is only halfway there, no matter how much power is behind it, can be shattered by a spark this small."
He summoned a tiny flicker of lightning, no larger than a fingernail, on the edge of his blade.
"I understand."
Raon chewed his lip, appearing shaken by the vast gap in their technical skill.
'Perhaps I should give him one more push?'
There was a secret regarding the pressure of this training ground that Glenn hadn't mentioned. He decided to reveal it, hoping the shock would further motivate Raon.
"Actually, there is a specific secret to how the pressure in this great training ground works."
Glenn walked closer, resting Heavenly Tremor on his shoulder.
"Every person who steps into this domain is adjusted to possess the exact same Martial Prowess. That means..."
He wiped a non-existent speck of dust from his blade and let a small smirk form.
"Right now, your raw power and mine are identical. You were dominated not because I am stronger, but because my technique is superior."
Glenn looked down, expecting Raon to look discouraged by the revelation. Instead, his grandson’s expression took a sharp, unexpected turn.
"Is that the truth?"
Raon’s chin trembled, but his mouth curled into a wide, hungry grin.
"Then, if I want to be of any use to you, Grandfather..."
He radiated a sudden, chilling intensity, like a man who had just found the map to a long-lost treasure.
"I just have to find a way to keep up."
For the first time, Glenn felt a genuine shiver run down his spine as he looked into his grandson's eyes—eyes filled with an insatiable greed for martial perfection. His own lips parted in surprise.
"Y-yes... you do that..."
