The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

“What is that?”

At first glance, it looked like an augmented energy shield, but Leonard saw something else entirely through his eyes. The image of a fiery dragon was circling William's body.

He wondered if William had unknowingly awakened augmented qi techniques while facing Fire Bird Explosion. That might explain it, but the density of the energy forming the fiery dragon was far too weak for it to be an augmented qi technique. Moreover, William didn’t seem to be aware of it.

If that was the case, only one plausible explanation remained.

“Is it… a unique trait?” Leonard muttered aloud, but doubt lingered in his voice. He couldn’t help it. Unique traits were, by nature, manifestations of a person’s Mindscape, brought forth as laws of the world. Those with sufficient ability could overturn the heavens, split the seas, or even transcend dimensions.

But if this fiery dragon represents William’s Mindscape, why does it lack the force to interfere with reality? A unique trait that doesn’t influence the world’s laws? From someone who could properly muster Intent long before reaching the Transcendence Tier?

While rare, such cases weren’t entirely unheard of in murim. Occasionally, someone who had broken through to the Creation Realm would fail to manifest a high-level unique trait due to their shallow or crude Mindscape. Some even remained unable to tap into their full potential.

In his past life, Leonard had encountered similar examples. One was the Greenwood King, a bandit lord who led the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin. Despite commanding thousands—possibly tens of thousands—of outlaws, his life was driven by nothing but desires, making him the weakest of the Seven Absolutes.

The power imbued in Shattered Mountain Axe’s axe was undeniably strong, but he wielded it solely with brute force and internal energy. That was why Sword Emperor Yeon Mu-Hyuk was able to make him a lifeless corpse in just seventeen seconds.

Unlike that bandit lord, William did not lack the necessary talent or depth of Mindscape.

“Leonard.”

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. William, now composed after breaking through the wall of the Transcendence Tier, had regained his usual demeanor. The fiery dragon circling him had vanished, like a mirage fading into thin air.

Even though the situation had resolved positively, the fact remained that William had been pushed to the brink of death. It wouldn’t be surprising if he lashed out in anger or spewed curses. Leonard was ready to accept such a reaction.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

William offered a solemn sword salute, his expression sincere.

Momentarily caught off guard, Leonard didn’t respond immediately.

“I always knew,” William began, his voice steady, “that the senior members of the Order of the Red Dragon were holding back during our sparring sessions. I understood why—it was because I wasn’t strong enough to handle anything more. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that those sessions weren’t enough for me to grow.”

He paused, his voice trembling slightly.

“But you…” William’s tone grew resolute. “You didn’t hold back. You pushed me relentlessly, even knowing I could die. You believed I’d survive. If even one thing had gone wrong, I might’ve been killed or seriously injured, putting you in a difficult position. And yet…”

William wasn’t entirely wrong.

If Leonard hadn’t been the one to execute the Phantom’s Wail’s ultimate technique or if William hadn’t been in just the right state to handle it, the outcome could have been catastrophic. Everything had lined up perfectly to allow for William’s breakthrough.

If even one condition had been missing, William could have been torn apart rather than ascend to a higher tier.

But Leonard had been in full control of the situation.

I only did it because I was certain of success… though, I suppose you could call that trust.

William was oblivious to Leonard’s thoughts, his gaze burning with newfound intensity. “I won’t rely on my father’s reputation. I, William, will treat the trust and grace you’ve shown me today as if they were my very life!”

The Red Dragon Knights who’d gathered around them at some point erupted into cheers. The training ground reverberated with applause and shouts of approval.

As fellow knights who had faced the wall of the Transcendence Tier—or were still struggling to overcome it—they couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie. And with William being the son of Wade, the order’s admired commander, his achievement felt all the more special.

“That’s our young master for you!”

“From now on, no holding back during training!”

“Congratulations on reaching the Transcendence Tier!”

“If you join the second unit, I’ll handle all the grunt work—just bring yourself!”

“Who are you to recruit him without permission, you fool?!”

Ignoring the rowdy banter, Leonard briefly considered correcting their misconceptions but ultimately smirked. After all, it wasn’t entirely wrong to say he had bestowed a gift upon William.

If Leonard revealed the true nature of the secret technique, however, requests for assistance with breakthroughs would flood in. The family might even see it as an opportunity to bolster their ranks with stronger forces.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“I won’t disappoint you,” William replied firmly, shaking Leonard’s hand.

Deep inside, William vowed to one day stand as an equal to his friend, who still seemed so far ahead. The competitive spirit, which had withered during his stagnation, was reignited.

Thus, the commotion at the heart of the Red Dragon base came to a close with a resounding triumph.

* * *

“Hey, did you hear?”

“About Young Master William breaking through? Of course!”

From that day onward, Leonard’s standing among the Order of the Red Dragon shifted dramatically.

While he had never been ostracized, his earlier detachment had created a certain distance. Now, with this event as a catalyst, attitudes toward him began to change. Even those who had envied him because of Wade’s personal endorsement found themselves grudgingly impressed after witnessing—or hearing about—his sparring session with William.

“Leonard, huh? He’s a manly man that’s rare to find nowadays!”

There were many who talked about fighting “as if it were real,” but few truly put their lives on the line while sparring. Moreover, to repeatedly swing a lethal blade at the only son of the Red Dragon Commander? Any ordinary person’s hand would have faltered.

“He trusted his friend enough to act without hesitation, without worrying about the consequences. That’s… romanticism in its own way.”

Some of them could not help admiring the friendship between the two young men. Even battle-hardened knights who had shared battlefields and guarded each other’s backs would hesitate. Yet here were two young men who trusted and repaid each other in ways few could fathom.

A tale of life-and-death trust like theirs was rare, even in a place or family like the Cardenas, where such bonds were lightly forged.

“Did you hear? He completed two Subjugation Orders while at the Order of the White Dragon.”

“And in the Order of the Black Dragon, they already call him ‘Instructor.’ What is he?”

“I guess Commander Wade saw his worth from the beginning.”

Even among the Seven Great Orders, which were known to have limited communication with one another, Leonard’s name was becoming a topic of interest.

A peer during their training center days, and a friend made during assignments. Even others within the Order of the Red Dragon became deeply curious about Leonard. They sought to uncover more details about him. Some invited their peers for a drink to chat, while others roamed around, picking up rumors. Among them, a particularly proactive individual took decisive action.

“I am Izmel, the captain of the 1st Unit in the Order of the Red Dragon.”

“I’m Leonard,” he responded calmly.

Izmel approached Leonard at the training grounds where he was practicing as usual, courteously asking for a sparring match. The two locked eyes, instantly grasping each other’s capabilities.

Leonard’s insight proved more precise with his Dragon Eyes. Izmel, the second-in-command of the Order of the Red Dragon, was a formidable opponent, one worthy to be called an elite. Even with Leonard being nearly at the Demigod Tier, he was barely half a step ahead—Izmel, too, was close to the Demigod Tier.

If this were a fight to the death, the training grounds would likely be decimated.

“…We’ll need to hold back,” Izmel remarked.

“That’s a pity,” Leonard replied with a faint smile.

The two swordsmen exchanged words that left the onlookers baffled, and then stepped into position, their swords gleaming. The clash began as their domains of influence, their sword domains, overlapped.

Space seemed to fracture as their sword energies collided and transformed into streaks of lightning that ripped through the air. In a blink, the world slowed down and appeared drained of color, leaving only the vivid hues of their techniques.

A crimson color. A double-core of fire and earth attributes, huh.

In a world that seemed to have slowed down, Leonard analyzed Izmel’s augmented sword energy. He then shifted his own augmented sword energy, blending deep blue hues of water and wood, fusing the Black Tortoise Qi and the Azure Dragon Qi.

The logic was clear: water conquers fire, wood conquers earth. His instincts proved correct—the moment their swords met, the balance of power tilted. A deafening clash resounded, forcing both combatants back. Leonard retreated half a step; Izmel, a full step. Though the difference was minuscule, it carried enormous weight in a duel between masters.

The boundary of their sword domains had shifted towards Izmel, signifying that Leonard held the upper hand. In a fight between masters, even a distance the thickness of a piece of paper was important.

One Origin Five Elements Sword Art

Five Elements Style

Ultimate Secret Technique: Azure Dragon’s Flash

Leonard unleashed another technique. Considering the surrounding environment, the output was significantly lowered, but the speed was not much different. Amid the frozen world where even a falling leaf seemed suspended, Leonard’s deep blue energy surged forward at unparalleled speed—the peak of swift swordsmanship.

“Impressive,” Izmel muttered, unperturbed as he countered with a deceptively slow downward slash. The strike, though seemingly sluggish compared to Azure Dragon’s Flash, carried unimaginable speed and destructive force. It only seemed slow in the slowed-down world.

Explosive Sword—that was Izmel’s sword technique.

When Leonard saw it, his instincts kicked in.

Boom!

Their techniques collided violently, distorting the training grounds. The clash bent space itself, warping the surrounding reality. Direction lost meaning. Right could lead downward, and upward could lead left.

If this were a real battle, the entire grounds would have been vaporized, Leonard reflected.

Though they raised the level of swordplay and paid attention to controlling their strength, their clash caused a phenomenon difficult to guess only by output. Both fighters exchanged wry smiles, silently agreeing to wait for the spatial distortions to settle. Another moment of power could’ve unleashed catastrophic consequences.

The world’s natural laws reasserted themselves, smoothing the twisted space within seconds. Leonard and Izmel retreated several steps, observing one another.

After dozens of probing exchanges and a decisive clash, they had thoroughly assessed each other’s strength. Without resorting to unique traits, the half-step gap between them left room for variables that could change the match’s outcome.

“Seems the timing isn’t ideal,” Izmel remarked, lowering his blade.

Leonard nodded. “We’ll settle this another time.”

As the two offered polite farewells, the Red Dragon Knights observing the duel exchanged confused glances. But their bewilderment was interrupted by the wailing of a piercing alarm.

It was a situation that the two men, who were close to the Demigod Tier, had foreseen.

WEEOOO-WEEOOO-WEEOOO!

It was a red alert. It blared through the garrison, accompanied by the erratic flickering of magical beacons. It was a call for emergency deployment to a Corroded Realm—the situation was dire and needed immediate attention.

After a brief farewell, Izmel hastened toward the source of the alert. Left behind, Leonard hesitated momentarily. Unaffiliated with any specific unit, he wasn’t sure how to respond to a red alert. His deliberation was cut short by a familiar voice that resonated in his mind.

—Come to my office.

It was unmistakably Wade, the commander of the Order of the Red Dragon. Though his office was kilometers away, his voice effortlessly reached Leonard’s ears, reminiscent of the legendary Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission from murim.