The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

The expeditionary force dispatched to the Corroded Realm Nastrond returned a few days after departure. Among the Red Dragon Knights, who considered most incursions into a Corroded Realm an annual routine, the difficulty of subjugating Nastrond stood in a league of its own. It required breaking through endlessly regenerating Undead and defeating the Demigod Tier beasts lurking in the depths of the Corroded Realm.

Even with Wade himself leading the charge, they had to enlist the support of a Class 9 Grand Magus from the Wickeline family to accomplish the feat. Not only did they succeed with minimal casualties, but they also managed to slay two apostles. It was an achievement grand enough to warrant a celebratory feast from the whole family.

However, the atmosphere within the Cardenas family was unusually subdued, unlike anything seen in recent memory.

“…I’ve been sensing a heavy tension around the knights lately,” someone murmured.

“You too? Same here. Even while meditating in my quarters, I can’t seem to shake off this vague sense of unease. It’s like the calm before a storm.”

“There hasn’t been any notable change in the frequency or details of our missions, though. I can’t say what it means, but we should stay vigilant. It feels like something is brewing.”

Many knights, having opened their upper dantian and awakened their spirituality after reaching the Transcendence Tier, often possessed a near-prescient ability born from straddling the line between life and death—a keen intuition that allowed them to instinctively discern the path to survival from the road to ruin.

The absence of the Seven Great Orders’ leadership was one such cause for unease. No matter how tightly such matters were kept under wraps, rumors inevitably leaked when people were involved.

Some speculated that demons from the Nine Hells would soon spill forth. Others whispered that the Celestials were advancing from Heaven’s Gate. Some blamed the lingering remnants of Nidhogg’s curse.

“…Huff.”

Upon returning from the Corroded Realm, Leonard had shut himself away in his quarters at the Red Dragon base, devoting himself entirely to consolidating the enlightenment he had gained. Despite being a promising talent noted by the Knight Commanders, he wasn’t yet in a position to involve himself in major events. At the very least, he wouldn’t be until he ascended to the Demigod Tier and gained access to classified information.

But for Leonard, who had been meditating in the lotus position for over two weeks, that was of little concern.

There’s no longer any part of the One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method’s scriptures that I can take reference from. Substituting myself as the central element, Earth, to complete the core—this direction wasn’t something even the martial art’s creator could have envisioned.

Having reached a higher tier than in his previous life, Leonard was confident in his judgment. The creator of the One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method had to have also been someone who’d reached the cusp of the Profound Realm. The level of understanding and enlightenment infused into the martial arts scriptures made this apparent.

Of course, it was possible that the creator had fully advanced into the Profound Realm. If that were the case, the martial art had to have been written before they’d broken through, or perhaps it was a supreme cultivation method born from organizing their accumulated knowledge.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. At my current level, the martial arts scriptures of the One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method can no longer guide me further. From here on out, I must trust my own martial philosophy to forge ahead.

Envisioning the Yellow Dragon, a divine beast that could be considered the head of the other divine beasts, as equal to humanity… Such an insight was so audacious, even arrogant, that calling it hubristic would fall short. Yet somewhere deep in Leonard’s consciousness, the spark of such an idea began to ignite.

One Origin Five Elements Cultivation Method

Five Star Sovereign Sutra: Inheriting the Path

Surpassing the state of compressing the five elemental forces into a singular whole, as outlined in the Five-Star Creation Sutra, marked a leap to the next level. The idea that “the energies of the five elements condense as they sink to a single point” was only the beginning.

By cycling through the compatibility and incompatibility of the elements, the harmonized five elements gradually elevated their state through circulation.

In stages one and two, yang energy continued to grow until it reached the mature state. But from stage three onward, yin energy began to gain prominence, matching the mature state of the yang energy by stage four. The final state, stage five, represented the perfect balance between yin and yang, perpetually growing without end.

So this was the state of the Five Elements Equilibrium. Compatibility and incompatibility were, after all, merely repetitive cycles of pushing and pulling within the natural order. Theoretically, the state of equilibrium transcended such meaningless repetition. If there was a victor, there would also be a loser. As if to deny that, the state of equilibrium was nothing short of fantastical.

…But perhaps the very notion of “loser” is nothing but arrogance and bias.

Even if a forest burned to ash, new shoots would inevitably sprout from the charred remains. A pond could be filled in with soil, but water would still find its way deep underground. Even compatibility and incompatibility were ultimately limitations born from humanity’s incomplete understanding of the natural world.

As these thoughts coalesced, an image of a vagrant mumbling about filling then emptying flashed through Leonard’s mind. Though the man was neither a master nor even a skilled martial artist, enlightenment was not bound by status or strength. Wisdom that began with humanity, when elevated far enough, would eventually reach realms incomprehensible to human understanding. To enter such an unknown realm, one needed to first let go of all prior learning and enlightenment.

Swirl.

A golden auspicious energy rose faintly around Leonard, illuminating the training chamber. It was an energy distinct from augmented protective qi.

Following Commander Wade was the right choice. If I hadn’t, it would’ve taken me half a year longer to become accustomed to wielding this power.

Unlike ordinary internal energy, the auspicious energy itself was fundamentally different. It was impossible to imitate Flamberg directly without having the same Mindscape as Wade, but Leonard had picked up enough of the basics to grasp how to move it.

Still, his expression quickly turned puzzled.

“This is…? I can’t handle this the same way as internal energy. I can’t shape it into augmented qi or discharge it like Commander Wade.”

It didn’t accumulate within him like traditional internal energy, nor did it flow through his meridians. While it shared some traits with qi, its detailed characteristics were vastly different. Given that even Leonard’s Dragon Eyes couldn’t track Flamberg’s hyper-acceleration, this power was, in the truest sense, something entirely unknown.

For now, Leonard decided to call it celestial energy. Considering that only Wade among the Knight Commanders had been seen using it, he assumed it was a special power unique even among Demigod Tier beings.

“Ah…”

After spending hours experimenting with the celestial energy, Leonard finally achieved a breakthrough.

By wielding celestial energy and harnessing the level of the Demigod Tier, its consumption and burden will be significantly reduced. It’s almost as if my very existence is elevated temporarily when I use it.

It was similar to freely activating his Dragon Heart—a feat that otherwise required specific conditions like entering a Corroded Realm or confronting beings from otherworldly dimensions. Celestial energy had practical advantages far beyond that.

Moreover, the two powers didn’t clash or interfere with one another. If Leonard ever had to reenter a Corroded Realm, he was confident they would synergize.

Let’s see… When they synergize, if it’s an enemy like Svafnir whose affinity I can counter, I can probably hold my own. I may not be able to defeat them outright, but I won’t be entirely without a chance either.

This meant Leonard had ascended to a level where he could, albeit conditionally, contend with a Demigod Tier being. His worth as a knight was now magnitudes higher than before.

Against Demigod Tier beings, it didn’t matter whether one was at the External Force Tier or the Transcendence Tier. The overwhelming might of Demigod Tier beings rendered the usual logic of numbers meaningless, which was why the Three Noble Houses invested heavily in raising as many Demigod Tier combatants and Class 9 Grand Magi as possible.

Though Leonard’s newfound strength had its limitations and was barely within Demigod Tier standards, he had still reached a point where he would be treated as a major figure even without the Cardenas family’s influence.

This also meant Leonard was no longer someone the Order of the Golden Dragon could afford to expend as they saw fit.

“Returning to the Forest of Swords shouldn’t be an issue anymore.”

The sheer number and might of the Golden Dragon Knights made them a threat, but Leonard could easily defeat five or six of them on his own now that he could wield the power of the Demigod Tier without significant strain. Given that his prior insubordination had restricted the Golden Dragon Knights’ freedom of action, there was no longer any reason for him to avoid them.

As he emerged from his training chamber, Leonard cast his gaze westward, toward the setting sun on the distant horizon.

…The commanders seem to be gathered in one place. Is it a meeting?

It seemed Leonard’s awakening of the celestial energy had enhanced the range and clarity of his Dragon Eyes, allowing him to perceive the flow of energy far beyond what should have been possible. Even though the gathering of powerful presences was well beyond the horizon, their auras shimmered clearly in his sight.

Each presence belonged to a formidable warrior capable of distorting the very laws of the world. Among them, he could also sense one familiar energy and another foreign one—likely indicating that another Class 9 Grand Magus had arrived from the Wickeline family. Cruella had seemingly brought someone along.

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, Leonard felt an intense disruption in his perception. It was as if a massive portion of his awareness had been forcibly severed, and he could no longer sense any of the figures he’d just observed. It seemed the group had noticed his attempt to observe them.

Sure enough, a voice soon resonated directly in his mind, as clear as if the speaker were right beside him. It was as if the speaker used the Thousand Miles Sound Transmission.

—This is not a place where you are permitted. Do not pry.

It was Wade. His voice carried its usual sternness, though there was a hint of pride hidden within it, as if acknowledging Leonard’s achievements. Leonard realized that with time, he too could one day project his will across great distances, just as Wade had done.

Content with his progress, Leonard withdrew his awareness. Had Wade and the others perceived Leonard as a threat, they wouldn’t have stopped at merely severing his perception. They would have possibly attacked his consciousness directly with a heart sword, shattering his spirit altogether.

Understanding this, Leonard wasn’t frightened. He smiled, exhilarated by the path now unfolding before him.

“The Demigod Tier, huh.”

This time, it was different.

When he had once faced defeat and death at the hands of the Heavenly Demon, the path before him had seemed faint and unreachable, like a mountain peak hidden beyond the clouds. Now, it was so close that he felt he could touch it if he reached out.

The qualifications to approach the true essence of the Arcadian Empire and the Three Noble Houses were now within his grasp.

The Demigod Tier was no longer just a distant dream—it was one step away.

* * *

“Hmm.”

Wade suddenly swept his hand through the air, a casual motion so natural that an untrained observer would have thought he was merely swatting away a bothersome insect.

However, the individuals gathered in the hall were not ordinary people. Each was a supreme warrior, one of the strongest in existence.

This was the Hall of Dragons. Though ordinarily used for the Seven Great Orders’ internal meetings, today the hall had been opened to outsiders—a rare occasion.

“What was that? It didn’t feel refined enough to be the gaze of a commander-level knight,” remarked Corbin, the Light Dragon Commander, his expression curious.

Beside him, Demian tilted his head as if in disbelief. “That felt familiar… No, it couldn’t be. Leonard couldn’t have grown that much already, could he…?”

“It was Leonard,” Wade said curtly, confirming Demian’s muttered speculation.

“It seems he gained some enlightenment during the recent Corroded Realm expedition. I didn’t expect him to grow so much in less than a month.”

If this pace continued, Leonard could very well reach the Demigod Tier in less than a year—a growth rate that was nothing short of monstrous.

Demian’s jaw dropped in shock, while Corbin, who had been trying to recall who Leonard was, froze. It was as though Leonard intended to break every record for the youngest achiever in the Cardenas family’s history.

Those who had broken into the Demigod Tier understood all too well what this meant. The expansion of one’s awareness field by several kilometers and the externalization of one’s Mindscape were unmistakable signs that a breakthrough into the Demigod Tier was imminent.

“Fascinating.”

The tense atmosphere, filled with murmurs of confusion and curiosity, suddenly broke.

The man who’d spoken sat at the assembly’s head seat. His hair and eyes radiated a brilliant golden light, as though he were a living embodiment of the sun. Even the blood flowing through his veins shimmered faintly with the same golden hue, visible beneath his skin like molten gold.

This was Declan von Cardenas, the Archduke of Sword and the head of the Cardenas family, one of the three pillars of the Arcadian Empire.

Though rumors of his inactivity had led some to question whether he was even alive, the man smiled warmly, his boyishly clear eyes incongruous with his rugged, bearded appearance. “For now, let us proceed with today’s agenda. Discussing successors would be meaningless if the world is doomed to end, wouldn’t it?”

Seated in the hall were two Class 9 Grand Magi from the Wickeline family, four of the Cardenas family’s Knight Commanders, and—via a communication device—those from the Jehoia family, who were unable to leave the front lines in their fight against the Spriggans.

The representatives of the Three Noble Houses had all gathered.