**Chapter 125.**
—
He had received a tremendous lesson.
Victory and defeat had been decided from the beginning.
Even so, **Cloud Dragon** had approached the spar sincerely.
Putting aside the difference in Rank, he had fought proudly as one martial artist against another.
*How pathetic I am…*
The fist that had repeatedly struck his heart.
Even though it targeted the same spot again and again, he could not respond.
He could neither deflect it nor block it.
After being struck several times, fear had taken hold of him, and he had lost the ability to make rational judgments.
How immature.
How shameful.
**Hwangbo Jin-cheol** closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
Among the younger martial artists, he had always believed himself to be the best.
In the end, he had been nothing more than a frog in a well.
His spar with Cloud Dragon made him realize just how vast the world truly was.
“I would like to serve you as my elder brother.”
Yuri blinked, unable to respond immediately.
They had struggled desperately against the natural disaster of the avalanche and returned to the **Pointed Sword Pavilion**, only to find Hwangbo Jin-cheol kneeling in the middle of the training ground.
It seemed he had been sitting there for quite a while.
Looking at Hwangbo Jin-cheol’s face half-buried in snow, Yuri glanced toward **Estor**.
*He’s the same age as me.*
His gaze then shifted to **Haryeong**.
*Lady Haryeong is four years older than me.*
Perhaps sensing the meaning of his glance, Haryeong narrowed her eyes and glared at Yuri.
Yuri quickly moved his gaze and looked toward **Lorellia**.
*And Lady Lorellia is… just how old…*
He could not finish the disrespectful thought.
The moment Lorellia smiled brightly, an invisible killing intent seized Yuri’s heart.
His body trembled as if struck by electricity.
To begin with, those two were women, so the title **“elder brother”** did not apply.
“You mean you want to serve me as your elder brother?”
Yuri asked with a complicated expression.
“Yes.”
“As far as I know, Young Master **Tyrant Dragon** is twenty-six years old.”
“That’s correct.”
“Do you know how old I am?”
“Yes.”
“And you still want to call me elder brother?”
“I crossed fists with you, lost, and gained enlightenment from those fists.”
Hwangbo Jin-cheol lowered his head until it struck the snowy ground.
“What does it matter that you are younger than I am? If you permit it, I wish to serve you as my elder brother for the rest of my life.”
Even though Yuri had not yet given permission, Hwangbo Jin-cheol’s voice was already filled with respect.
Yuri suddenly thought of **Romance of the Three Kingdoms**.
He had never properly read it, but he knew at least that **Guan Yu** had been older than **Liu Bei**.
When one sincerely regarded someone as an elder brother, the order of birth was not particularly important.
“Well then, little brother.”
It was not as if Yuri had forced it.
The other man had bowed his head first and asked to serve him.
There was no reason to refuse.
When Yuri nodded and answered, Hwangbo Jin-cheol raised his head from the snow.
“Yes, Elder Brother!”
A broad smile spread across his snow-covered face.
For **Lee Su-hyeok**, the orphan who had neither parents nor siblings, now living as Yuri—
it was the moment he gained a younger brother.
“Can I call you Oppa too?”
Standing nearby with a strange expression, **Namgung Yeon-bi** quickly spoke up.
*She’s really being obvious.*
Ever since they first met two days ago, Namgung Yeon-bi had been clinging to him, even putting on little performances.
At first Yuri had wondered what she was doing.
Now he roughly understood the reason.
No matter how much history and tradition a martial clan possessed, its power ultimately depended on how many **strong experts** it had.
In that sense, among the current **Five Great Clans**, the most prosperous was the **Yeonri Clan**.
The clan’s strongest expert, the **Silver Martial Queen Yeonri Sang-ah**, was among the top experts even among the **Martial Zeniths**, and her disciple **Yeonri Eunha** had reached the **5th Rank at the age of twenty-five**, making her a genius.
In other words, they had both present strength and future potential.
The **Murong Clan** also had the **Orthodox Heaven Alliance Leader, Murong Hyeon-rak**, known as the **Swordless White Crane**, but among the younger generation there was no one capable of inheriting his legacy, which was why they were considered inferior to the Yeonri Clan.
A step below those two were the **Hwangbo Clan** and the **Zhuge Clan**.
Still, the Hwangbo Clan had **Tyrant Dragon Hwangbo Jin-cheol**, so their future looked promising, while the Zhuge Clan was renowned not only for martial arts but also for formations and magic.
And the **Namgung Clan**?
They had nothing.
Once the strongest among the Five Great Clans, the Namgung Clan had now fallen to the **lowest position** among them.
The fact that they had abandoned their homeland of hundreds of years and moved to the western continent city of **Lutran** was itself proof of their decline.
About fifty years ago, the Namgung Clan had been forced to leave **Anhui** after losing a power struggle against a rising sect there.
They moved to the great western city of Lutran with dreams of a new beginning.
But things had not gone well there either.
Even after fifty years of effort, the Namgung Clan was still treated as outsiders in Lutran.
If not for the mercy shown by the **Ascad Family**, the Namgung Clan might never have secured a foothold in Lutran at all.
In the end, everything came down to the fact that no master had appeared in the current generation of the Namgung Clan who could truly uphold their history and tradition.
According to rumors, even the current clan head, the **Sky Sword Lord Namgung Ju-won**, had not yet reached the **7th Rank**.
The only reason they still barely held a place among the Five Great Clans was because of past loyalties and efforts beyond mere martial strength.
So what about the future?
What did the next few decades hold for the Namgung Clan?
Still darkness.
Even if Namgung Ju-won somehow broke through the wall and reached a level comparable to the Martial Zeniths, among the younger generation there were no outstanding talents capable of carrying the clan’s future.
The eldest son, already well over thirty, was still struggling at the early stage of the **5th Rank**, and the other brothers were similarly mediocre.
The youngest son, **Nangong Jin**, had only recently reached the **4th Rank**.
Among the clan head’s direct children, the one with the most potential was **Heavenly Sky Sword Flower Namgung Yeon-bi**.
She had been recognized for her talent from childhood and entered the Yicheon Sword sect as a lay disciple.
At the young age of twenty-one, she had already reached the **4th Rank**.
The problem was that the young talents of this era were simply too exceptional.
In another age, perhaps it would be impressive.
But in this era, a young martial artist reaching the 4th Rank at Namgung Yeon-bi’s age was not rare.
Could Namgung Yeon-bi truly carry the future of the Namgung Clan?
Could she close the widening gap between them and the other clans?
Difficult.
In that case, the only option was to recruit a powerful expert from outside to shoulder the future.
Through marriage, if possible.
If not, then at least through connections.
“Sure, Yeon-bi.”
Naturally, Yuri had no intention of marrying into the Namgung Clan and becoming **Namgung Yuri**.
He no longer held ill feelings toward Namgung Jin.
More precisely, he simply had **no interest** in the Namgung Clan at all.
There was no need to refuse and create awkward relations.
The advice of **Alnair Maybeld** surfaced in his mind.
Connections were always better than none.
It was more important to create allies than enemies.
“Yes, Oppa.”
Namgung Yeon-bi answered with a radiant smile.
She was already convinced that **Cloud Dragon had half fallen into her net**.
Even a dragon soaring high in the sky was nothing more than a fish once caught in a net.
*It’s impossible to bring the Orsia Clan’s Sword Dragon in as a husband… but Cloud Dragon is possible.*
The problem was that there were not few competitors.
Even the **Yeonri Clan** had their eyes on Cloud Dragon.
*It’s fine.*
The Yeonri Clan might be the strongest among the Five Great Clans, but that cold and prideful **Yeonri Eunha** did not seem like the type who would want to marry the very man who had beaten her senseless.
Besides, Cloud Dragon himself had said that becoming the adopted son of the Silver Martial Queen would be burdensome and undesirable.
So she would slowly draw him in, like clothing becoming soaked in a steady drizzle.
Reviving the clan was one thing—
but Namgung Yeon-bi also wanted to rise above her brothers and sit in a high position within the clan.
*I’ll make you my wings.*
Smiling while dreaming such ambitious thoughts, Namgung Yeon-bi suddenly shuddered.
A chill ran down her spine.
A gaze.
**Dark Flower** was looking at her.
Her face was expressionless, but within her black eyes a small **green flame** flickered.
Experts of the **Tang Clan** were often compared to **snakes**.
Poisonous snakes.
A snake that silently slithered close—once it bit you, its poison spread through your entire body and killed you.
Right now, Dark Flower truly looked like a snake.
Namgung Yeon-bi swallowed and forced a smile.
—
—
The summons from **Lorellia** came in the middle of the night.
She rarely called people at such an hour, so Yuri wondered what it was about.
When he arrived at the door, **Haryeong** and **Estor** were already there.
When the three of them entered together, they found Lorellia and the **Yeonri master and disciple** inside.
Seeing them, Yuri naturally felt tense.
Just yesterday, he had **beaten Yeonri Eunha quite thoroughly**.
When he held back, she became angry and accused him of going easy on her.
When he avoided hitting her face, she became angry again and accused him of looking down on her.
So he had struck her with real force.
Even then, Eunha refused to admit defeat easily.
Compared to Hwangbo Jin-cheol, who had fainted out of fear after a few blows to the chest, Eunha had shown far more spirit.
Even after being knocked down several times, she continued attacking, insisting she had not yet lost.
Eventually, Yuri had broken one of her arms so she could no longer wield her **crescent blade**, and when she still kept charging, he broke one of her legs so she could not stand.
Only then did the words **“I lose”** finally leave her mouth.
*Surely they didn’t call me here just to scold me for going too far…*
He had beaten her that badly and had not even given her holy water afterward.
Eunha now appeared completely healed, but Yeonri Sang-ah must have seen the condition her disciple had been in.
“You’ve arrived.”
Lorellia spoke with a bright smile.
“Sorry for calling you while you were resting. The one who has business with you three is not I, Lorellia, but these two. Please listen to what they have to say.”
It did not seem they had been called here to complain about yesterday’s duel.
After the three of them sat down in empty chairs, **Yeonri Sang-ah** spoke.
“Yesterday… you sparred with my disciple.”
“Yes.”
“What did you think? There is no need for modesty—answer honestly.”
“If we had been the same Rank, I think I would have had a difficult fight.”
That was how troublesome Eunha’s **Heavenly Snow White Transformation Art** had been.
Even with the enhanced sight and senses granted by **Thunder Domain** and **Withered Eternal Source**, the cold aura of that martial art was difficult to deal with.
It relentlessly transmitted cold energy within a certain range.
It would only have been troublesome though.
He would have won in the end anyway.
And if it had been a life-and-death battle rather than a spar, he would have won even more easily.
“So even if it was difficult, you would still have won.”
Yeonri Sang-ah murmured with a bitter smile.
When she glanced at her disciple, she saw no despair from yesterday’s defeat.
Instead, Eunha’s eyes were filled with **passion** rather than their usual coldness.
Seeing that, Yeonri Sang-ah felt a quiet pride.
Even her young disciple had not been discouraged by defeat.
For a master to lose heart when her disciple had not would be shameful.
So **Yeonri Sang-ah** straightened her back proudly and spoke.
“I called you here because of the promise I made with the **Calamity Saint**.”
“What promise?” Yuri asked.
“She asked that when you fall into hardship in the future—when you require help—I should provide that help.”
At those words, the three of them looked at **Lorellia** in surprise.
“For our sake…!”
**Estor** widened his eyes and trembled with emotion. Yuri and **Haryeong** were not quite as expressive, but they felt a similar gratitude.
“The training here will likely end within a few months,” Lorellia said.
“In my judgment, Estor and Haryeong should be able to break through the wall before next summer.”
Haryeong’s body trembled.
When she had first heard those words at the Pointed Sword Pavilion, she had not truly believed them.
People often said that the **4th Rank** was the level an ordinary talent could reach through ordinary effort.
If someone worked with the determination to die, they might reach the **5th Rank**. In other words, the 5th Rank was considered the limit permitted to an average person.
The **6th Rank** was a realm that ordinary talent could not even dream of reaching. Even someone considered gifted beyond the average found it difficult to reach the 6th Rank.
Opening the **Upper Dantian** carried that kind of meaning.
**Intent** was a power that could not be mastered through effort alone, and opening the Upper Dantian and wielding Intent meant one had begun to transcend humanity itself.
Haryeong knew she could be quite shameless at times, but when it came to her own talent, she could never act shamelessly.
She had no master and had never properly studied martial arts.
The foundation of the martial arts she had learned consisted of the **Vast Origin Art**, **Merciless Killing Style**, the **Ghostly Step Without Shadow**, and the assassin techniques and body methods she had secretly learned from the **Tang Clan**.
All of them were incomplete.
She had learned them by stealing glances and overhearing fragments.
Until last year, she had never even consumed a single spirit medicine.
If she had been ordinary, she might never have even entered the path of martial arts.
If she had been gifted and fortunate, she might have reached the **3rd Rank** after many years.
Yet under those conditions, Haryeong had reached the **5th Rank**.
Because she was keenly aware of that talent, she could not be shameless about it.
Through natural ability she had reached the 5th Rank in her mid-twenties, but beyond that she felt no further progress.
She had encountered the limit of internal energy and martial arts that talent alone could not overcome.
Meeting **Yuri** had shattered that limit and sent it far away.
She had taken an **elixir**, learned the **Taiji Reversal Scripture**, and received instruction from **Lorellia**.
Now even Haryeong could feel the **wall of the 6th Rank**.
To feel the wall meant she had reached the end of the 5th Rank.
Now came the process of breaking through.
A small hole had already been made in the wall.
Through that hole she could draw upon Intent. She only needed to widen it little by little until the wall shattered completely and the Upper Dantian opened.
“Once I finish guiding the three of you, I, Lorellia, will head to the **Central Sea**,” Lorellia continued.
“If any of you fall into hardship and need help, I would gladly intervene. But I, Lorellia, also have things I must do.”
At the words **Central Sea**, everyone except Lorellia looked surprised. Yeonri Sang-ah especially stared at her with wide eyes.
“You’re going to the Central Sea? Do you intend to cross it—or wander it?”
“I plan to wander it!”
“Alone…?”
“There’s no one I can take with me, and I am more comfortable alone.”
The **Central Sea** was infamous for countless ominous tales—most of which were not rumors but truth.
It was a vast and unpredictable sea dividing the eastern and western continents.
Monsters were rampant there, and strange phenomena beyond common sense occurred frequently.
One could cross safely by **airship**, but traveling by ship was far from easy.
Even now, the **Adventurers’ Guild** regularly sent expeditions to explore the islands of the Central Sea.
Yet no matter how thoroughly prepared they were, there were always casualties.
“Are you going to use the **Ark**?” Yeonri Sang-ah Sang-a asked.
“The Ark of our **Church of Order** remains in the sanctuary. I have no intention of using it for personal matters like this, so I plan to try crossing the Central Sea with my own body.”
“I thought you would go to **Bernok**,” Yuri said.
Lorellia chuckled.
“That place is certainly tempting, but I, Lorellia, am a devout priest who always places the Goddess first.”
“Then the reason you are going to the Central Sea is to search for the **Sanctuary of the Evil God**?”
The place most likely to contain such a sanctuary in this world was the Central Sea.
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it dangerous to go alone?”
“If one avoids danger simply because it is dangerous, one cannot grow. If the Central Sea is a hell of danger, I, Lorellia, will gladly walk into it.”
Her voice did not waver.
“The conflict in **Bernok** will soon end.”
Yeonri Sang-ah, who had been listening quietly, spoke.
“For several months now the conflict there has stagnated. Many forces are already withdrawing.”
From the moment the **Apex Lucionel** sealed the entire **Etherium vein** with his own soul as the key, the war in Bernok had become unwinnable.
“The Apex has declared he has no intention of breaking the seal. In other words, unless he dies, no one can obtain the Etherium vein. So even the masters of **Oxybel** have given up developing the Etherium mine and turned their attention toward war reparations instead.”
Originally Bernok had been a mining territory owned by the city of Oxybel, the same city where the **Lucionel Magic Tower** led by the Apex stood.
“The reparations have already grown so large that they cannot possibly be paid. The cities that declared war will have no choice but to become territories of Oxybel.”
For more than a year, **Martial Zeniths** and **Archmages** had gathered there and fought.
Yet in the end, none of them achieved what they wanted.
*If the conflict ends… does that mean **Chuk Shin-do** will return as well?* Yuri wondered.
While he was thinking that, Yeonri Sang-ah took out three small **jade tokens**.
“If you need help, take this token and visit the **White Snow Merchant Guild**. They operate in most cities across the continent, so they won’t be difficult to find. Deliver the token there and they will contact me immediately. I will come as quickly as possible.”
“What if we’re in a situation where we can’t visit the guild?” Yuri asked.
“That is beyond my control. Use it carefully—only when it truly matters.”
It was not like the desperate summoning **Lacy** had used to call **Orca**, but now Yuri could summon the **Silver Martial Queen**, one of the strongest Supreme Masters, whenever necessary.
*And three times?*
Technically, Yuri himself could only request help once.
But naturally, he already considered **Haryeong’s** and **Estor’s** tokens to be his as well.
*[Why not just ask the Silver Martial Queen for help and wipe out the Tang Clan entirely?]*
*[Don’t be ridiculous. Even if the Silver Martial Queen is powerful, she cannot handle the entire Tang Clan alone. And I do not wish to take revenge in such a way anyway.]*
When Yuri sent that thought through **voice transmission**, Haryeong replied in horror.
“My disciple and I will return to the **Yeonri Clan** tomorrow,” Yeonri Sang-ah said.
She glared sharply at Lorellia.
“Although I failed to achieve my revenge this time, the next time will be different.”
“I, Lorellia, will happily await your next challenge.”
Even under that fierce gaze, Lorellia smiled brightly.
After staring at her for a moment, Yeonri Sang-ah turned to Yuri.
“The proposal I made before still stands. Have you reconsidered becoming part of the Yeonri Clan?”
“No.”
“What about becoming my adopted son?”
“If I became the adopted son of the Silver Martial Queen, who lives alone, what would the world think of you?”
“I would have no problem with it.”
“The offer is far too generous for me, so I must decline.”
After Yuri rejected her firmly, Yeonri Sang-ah clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“I must also take revenge on you,” **Yeonri Eunha** added.
Their eyes met.
She moved her lips and smiled slightly.
At the center of that beautiful smile was the small gap where her tooth had been.
*Maybe breaking the tooth was too much…* Yuri thought.
Unable to look straight at it, he turned his gaze aside.
“When I am ready, I will seek you out myself,” Eunha continued. “But if you wish to see me sooner, you may visit the Yeonri Clan at any time.”
“…”
“The Yeonri Clan resides in **Seoha**. If you wish to visit, first contact the White Snow Merchant Guild to announce your intent. I will inform them beforehand so that your journey will be comfortable.”
“I have no intention of visiting.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have no reason to go.”
“You beat me senseless and yet say you won’t come to the Yeonri Clan?”
“What does beating you have to do with visiting your clan?”
“I must take revenge.”
“If you want revenge, come find me yourself.”
Eunha’s expression twisted slightly.
Yeonri Sang-ah Sang-a looked at her disciple with mild confusion before clearing her throat.
“Well… don’t reject it so completely. If you ever come to Seoha, you will be welcomed at the Yeonri Clan.”
“Yes.”
That much he could not refuse.
The **Yeonri master and disciple** and **Hwangbo Jin-cheol** departed from the Yicheon Sword sect the next morning.
“I will see you again, Elder Brother.”
“Alright, little brother.”
Yuri accepted the respectful farewell of his large younger brother.
“Then next time for sure.”
“Yes, yes.”
He also endured the eerie gaze of **Yeonri Eunha**, her front tooth missing.
“If you ask for help, I said I would personally intervene. But the best thing is not to fall into hardship at all. The world has been especially dangerous lately, so be careful after leaving the mountain.”
Yuri carefully placed the jade token Yeonri Sang-ah had given him inside his robe.
After seeing the three of them off, he looked up at the sky.
For once, it was not snowing.
The pale sky stretched clearly above him.
*Summer, huh…*
Before that, the immediate goal was to descend the mountain.
Haryeong and Estor would break through to the **6th Rank**, and Yuri—already at the 6th Rank—aimed to manifest **Intent Manifestation**, even if only slightly.
*Soon it’ll be my third year in this world.*
Looking at the clear sky for the first time in a long while stirred strange feelings.
*FS… USAUSAMI… CatPants…*
Where were those three now?
Were they even still alive?
*When I leave the mountain, I should visit the **Crack of Kangyu**.*
He did not know whether they were truly dead or not.
But they had shared some bonds.
At the very least, he should visit the cliff where **Usausami** had fallen.
*If I find nothing… I’ll at least leave a flower.*
A pure white **lily**.
Going forward, we will be releasing 5 free chapters per week, primarily on Thursday and Friday. Depending on circumstances, releases may occasionally follow an alternate-week schedule instead of the usual weekly schedule.
For locked chapters, updates will follow the same release schedule as the free chapters. Whenever an update is released, readers can expect 10–15 locked chapters to become available at the same time.
We understand that a slower release pace may be disappointing, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding. This adjustment is necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project and allow us to continue providing consistent releases without interruptions.
To be transparent, several challenges have made it increasingly difficult to maintain our previous release pace:
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We believe that a slower but sustainable release schedule is the best way to ensure the series reaches its conclusion without unnecessary delays or interruptions. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support.
A Personal Note to Our Readers
I would also like to share some perspective on why this decision was not made lightly.
To date, I have made 465 chapters of I Start With 13 Hidden Traits available completely free of charge, and I still intend to continue releasing free chapters until Chapter 516, the official ending of the main story.
While this is currently the most popular and actively read novel on the website, I chose to unlock a large number of chapters for free because I wanted readers to enjoy the story without excessive restrictions. In many cases, translation websites keep chapters locked for years before gradually making them free. Instead, I prioritized reader access and maintained an aggressive release schedule so that everyone could continue reading without long waits.
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I do not regret making so many chapters freely available, and I am grateful that so many readers have enjoyed the novel. I only ask for your understanding as I adjust the release schedule to something more sustainable. My goal has always been to bring this series to its conclusion and keep the project alive for as long as possible.
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