The Cunning Treasure Hunter

"…That's not what I meant."

For a moment, Jordan was at a loss for words.

Because Great Master Thorne was right.

How else were they supposed to realize the truth?

After everything had already collapsed?

After facing a miserable, inevitable end?

When it was too late to change anything?

"But still…"

Even if it was right, it wasn't easy to accept.

If Great Master Thorne lost his strength—

If he died—

Then Reverse Heaven Unity would lose its greatest pillar.

So far, Aria and Aiden had been able to lead this shadowy organization because their authority had been acknowledged.

Who had given them that authority?

It was none other than Great Master Thorne—

The second greatest figure in the entire martial world, right below the Sword Sovereign Zephyrion Akrest.

But what happened if he was gone?

Jordan didn't want to even imagine it.

In the worst case, the organization could collapse entirely.

Yes, Aria and Aiden had proven they were more than capable—

But there were times when power alone was not enough.

They were trying to overturn the world itself.

Every member of the Reverse Heaven Unity was someone who chased impossible dreams.

And the world was cruel.

People feared what was young and unproven.

*"…What about Aria and Aiden? What happens to them?"

"Even if I am gone, there is still Damien."

Damien.

A martial artist at the mid-stage of Transcendence.

Aiden's master, and Vera's great-grandmaster.

But he was not a man of fame.

He had always remained in seclusion atop Mount Suncrest, dedicating himself only to his swordsmanship.

"Or perhaps Kael."

"…Kael is not ready."

"But he has the talent, does he not?"

Martial Dragon of Mount Suncrest Kael.

Though a junior to Aiden, he had reached higher realms, standing at the peak of Transcendence.

But even he was not yet complete.

"…He is not fully refined. You know this."

Meanwhile, Medicine Immortal was already preparing.

There was no time left.

Great Master Thorne had no need to convince anyone further.

"Very well. Let's say you are right. But…"

His snow-white eyebrows furrowed.

It was a clear sign of anger.

"Do I need your permission for this?"

A sharp rebuke.

Jordan lowered his head.

There was no justification for his resistance.

He should have been grateful that Great Master Thorne had even bothered to explain himself.

"…Please reconsider."

"I already have. Step aside."

Great Master Thorne brushed past him.

Jordan simply watched as he disappeared into the cave—

Then slowly drew his sword, planting it into the ground at the entrance.

"…I wonder how this will end."

A Fragile Peace

While Jordan and Great Master Thorne had been arguing,

Immortal Pharmacist had taken Vera from his arms.

Great Master Thorne handed her over without a word.

Her pulse was faint, her breath barely audible—

She was on the brink of death.

And yet…

"…Her expression is peaceful."

As if she had let go of everything.

That shouldn't have been possible.

He knew her story.

He had heard it from Jordan.

Her parents were burned alive right before her eyes.

Their severed heads were taken as trophies.

The only remains she could bury were half-burnt ashes—

Barely enough to fill a coffin.

"…What would I know?"

Immortal Pharmacist had never suffered such horrors.

But he understood the hatred and grief that came from such tragedies.

He understood that the world should not be a place where such atrocities were justified.

That was why he had chosen to stand with the Reverse Heaven Unity.

Why he had created the Supreme Harmony Elixir.

Originally, it had been for no one in particular.

He had simply thought—

"One day, this will be useful to someone."

"Maybe it will change the world."

The Gamble Begins

Now, Great Master Thorne had made his choice.

He would pour his life into a single blade.

Would Vera be that blade?

Would she become the sword that cut through fate itself?

There was no turning back now.

The ritual had already begun.

And soon—

The world would bear witness to the rise of a new legend.

The Final Gamble of a Grandmaster

For a martial artist, even one single realization—a single step forward—could be as vast and boundless as the heavens.@@novelbin@@

How many strange prodigies had suddenly ascended to become supreme grandmasters, thanks to an unexpected opportunity or enlightenment?

If the Supreme Harmony Elixir could enhance their mastery…

If it could supplement the depth and purity of their internal energy…

That single advantage—the difference of a mere fraction of power—could determine victory and defeat.

It could determine life and death.

"…If only I had finished it a few months earlier."

Just a few months.

If he had only resolved himself a little sooner…

Then it wouldn't have come to this.

With a sigh, Immortal Pharmacist reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small porcelain bottle.

It was barely the size of a thumb—so small that it could hold only a half-mouthful of liquid.

Whatever was inside it…

Its seal was so complex that it was wrapped in charms, golden thread, and a tight stopper—so thoroughly bound that even on purpose, it would be difficult to open.

But Immortal Pharmacist was unraveling it now.

"I'm emptying my reserves completely, huh."

Though his words were grumbling, his hands were swift and precise.

Despite being seventy-seven years old, he was still a martial artist at the peak of Profound Realm.

No matter how tightly sealed the bottle was, there was nothing that could stop his hands.

Especially since he himself had been the one to seal it.

The elixir inside was so rare that even he had only seen it a handful of times in his entire life.

And if left unsealed, its efficacy would fade with time.

That was why he had used an intricate sealing technique—a microcosm of the Everstone Clan's formation arts—to preserve it as if time had stopped.

"…It's done."

With a final twist, the seal was undone.

The stopper slid open smoothly—without breaking.

And then—

A pure, otherworldly fragrance filled the entire cave.

Even Great Master Thorne, who had been approaching after his argument with Jordan, paused.

Even Jordan, who had been standing guard outside, could not ignore the scent.

"Medicine Immortal… is that—?"

Great Master Thorne immediately recognized it.

But Jordan did not.

In his fifty years, he had never smelled anything like it.

Not even heard of it.

Immortal Pharmacist spoke with a grim look.

"Yes. It's Divine Meridian Elixir."

Divine Meridian—another name for Azurite.

Then, what was Divine Meridian Elixir?

A heavenly elixir formed deep underground within caves filled with Azurite, shaped only in rare geological formations where the earth's energy converged.

Only places like the Everstone Clan's secret chambers could house such a treasure.

"Did you really need to go this far?"

Great Master Thorne let out a bitter laugh.

Immortal Pharmacist sighed.

"You are old, and this child is young. If I don't use this to cleanse her meridians, she won't be able to withstand your Innate True Essence."

"…I see."

"Come here and take the acupuncture. It will be painful. I need to align your meridians with hers—make them as similar as possible."

It wasn't just painful.

It was inhuman.

"Your body will shrink, and all of your remaining internal energy will be spent trying to temporarily rejuvenate your meridians."

It was beyond madness.

To transfer something as pure as Innate True Essence…

One must align their very nature to the recipient.

This was why it was normally impossible.

Internal energy could be passed—because it was something cultivated after birth.

If one belonged to the same martial sect, their internal energy would naturally align.

But Innate True Essence…

It was preordained at birth.

Even identical twins could not share the same Innate True Essence.

Still, Immortal Pharmacist did not hesitate.

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He pried open Vera's lips and poured the essence into her mouth.

Barely a half-mouthful.

But the effect was instantaneous.

Even though she hadn't even circulated it, her lips and cheeks already began to regain color.

"She will naturally begin circulation on her own. Now it's your turn."

Immortal Pharmacist pulled out his needles.

And before him—

His oldest friend was shedding his robes.

Despite his age, Great Master Thorne body was taut with compressed muscle.

A warrior's body.

A grandmaster of the sword.

"Why the sad face, Medicine Immortal?"

"We're saving a precious child. You should be smiling."

But Immortal Pharmacist did not smile.

"I am also sending my oldest friend to his death."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"Don't joke, Great Master Thorne. We both know what this means."

The moment this transfer was completed—

Great Master Thorne would have at most three months left to live.

And in those three months—

He would have no internal energy.

No way to defend himself.

He would live out the rest of his days as nothing more than a dying old man.

The legend of Mount Suncrest's Sword Master would die.

Leaving behind only an ordinary elder…

"Before my disciples come to stop me—hurry up and do it."

"…I already said I would, didn't I?"

Immortal Pharmacist took his needles—

And began the ritual.