It was a warm morning, with birds chirping in the skies and the cuckoo's of chickens echoing through the place.

Eryke and the little girl walked down the hill step by step. His expression remained calm as ever. Unfortunately, the little devil before him went on and on without rest, so much that even a sage would erupt in rage.

But he, long used to her antics, merely picked at his ear and continued forward at an unhurried pace.

"Eh, Master, at least reply to me!" the little girl began to patter again.

Eryke stayed silent. By now, he had learned that ignoring her was the best practice, she would quiet down after a while on her own.

As expected, after just a few minutes she grew bored of annoying him and finally fell silent.

By then, they had reached the foot of the hill.

"By the way, Master, what's that crack? It doesn't look like a normal crack at all, it's straight, like a sword mark but one that stretches across half the hill!?" she asked, scratching her head.

"..." Eryke glanced at her and thought to himself, 'This girl, her mind is sharp, but how could she have slept through such a commotion? Is she the reincarnation of a panda?'

"Eh? What's wrong, Master?" she tilted her head in confusion.

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head as he placed his hands behind his back and continued walking.

"Hey, Master, tell me who did that?" she tugged at his sleeve.

Eryke's brow twitched. 'When will I ever be free of this brat?' He cast her a sidelong glance and sighed:

"This is the sword mark left behind by a great sword expert."

"Really!?" Her eyes lit up instantly.

"Yes," he said casually. "There was a fight last night. One side was a giant shadow beast, and the other was a sword immortal who descended from the heavens."

"W… what!?" The little girl's mouth fell open in the shape of an "O."

"Yes," Eryke replied, amused. This girl was far too easy to trick.

"What happened then!?" she pressed eagerly, stars sparkling in her eyes.

"Well," Eryke paused, the corner of his lips curling into a grin, "the sword immortal was merciless toward the beast. A colossal sword materialized behind him, and with a single slash, he cleaved half the hill apart."

"This… this is amazing," the little girl whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Is it?" Eryke asked instead of answering, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah," she nodded quickly. "I wonder how powerful that sword immortal must have been."

"You want to see?" Eryke raised a brow.

"Who wouldn't want to see a sword immortal?" she mumbled in glee.

"Then see it," Eryke chuckled.

"W–what are you talking about, Ma—!?" Her words froze in her throat as her eyes widened. A giant sword loomed into existence behind Eryke, appearing out of thin air.

Eryke grinned as he watched her stunned expression.

"A… are you that sword immortal!?" she shouted, utterly shaken.

"What do you think?" Eryke replied. The manifestation was his Sword Will and now it had grown to such a size.

At this point, he could confidently say he was capable of slaughtering any first-stage Martial Artist with ease. Even facing a Transcendent Martial Artist, he was certain of victory.

The only true threat would come from those above the Transcendent realm. But, according to public knowledge, there were almost no such figures in the current Martial World.

But Eryke doubted that. Somewhere, stronger beings were watching the martial world from the shadows. He could feel it in his gut.

With a faint shimmer, the giant sword dissolved into the air, vanishing from behind him.

The little devil leaped toward him, circling around with a giggle. "Master, you're so strong!"

"...Thanks," Eryke muttered. He had revealed his Sword Will just to scare the brat, but instead of fear, she looked even more delighted.

With a sigh, they continued walking.

Disciples, servants, and everyone they passed bowed in respect to Eryke, their faces bright with admiration. Even the bald master was grinning ear to ear as he pressed his disciple's shiny head down in reverence.

"Woah, suddenly it feels like everyone is admiring us," the little devil said, giggling with glee.

Eryke shook his head. "This is the admiration born from strength, strength respected throughout the Martial World."

"I see, Master," she said with a firm nod.

"Hmm." He gave a casual nod.

They continued walking, along with the others, all heading toward the main hall of the Mount Hua Sect.

The moment they arrived, the place fell into complete silence, every sound vanished as though swallowed by the atmosphere.

Eryke stepped inside without hesitation, the little devil following closely behind. The guards at the entrance bowed respectfully as he passed.

Inside, the silence deepened. A heavy pressure filled the hall, an air of solemnity lingering in every corner.

The sect leaders and elders sat upon their chairs, their postures rigid, their expressions unreadable.

"Ah, Guest Elder Eryke, you have arrived." The sect leader immediately stood up, his serious demeanour breaking into a warm smile at the sight of him.

There was only one seat left unoccupied—directly opposite the sect leader. Eryke walked over and sat down, the little devil settling beside him.

Then…

Silence.

The hall was as still as stone, each elder unmoving in their seat.

After a few moments, the sect leader finally exhaled and spoke. "I apologize if this silence feels awkward, Guest Elder Eryke."

Eryke shook his head casually. "No problem. So, Sect Leader, what is the topic of this meeting?"

"Well…" The sect leader paused, his gaze sharpening. Slowly, he reached into his sleeve and placed something upon the table.

A simple, rusty, metallic scabbard.

Eryke raised an eyebrow, confusion flashing through his mind. Strangely, just by laying eyes on it, his Sword Will began to stir violently, as though desperate to burst free from his body.

In an instant, his gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp demeanour.

The entire hall froze in shock. It wasn't only Eryke. Everyone present felt it, the same suffocating pull, their Sword Wills rattled and excited by the presence of that old, worn scabbard.

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