The skies above the newly founded Heaven's Balance Sect blazed with light, as if the heavens themselves acknowledged the rise of a new force. The once-barren summit of Mount Haneul was now bustling with life, structures rising from the ground shaped by alchemic flame, reinforced with spirit-forged materials, and designed according to ancient sect blueprints recovered from the ruins of Jin Mu-Won's past life.
At the heart of it all stood Jin himself, surrounded by his harem—each woman not only a romantic partner but a martial pillar of the new era.
The scent of incense filled the air. Bells rang across the mountaintop, announcing the sect's opening ceremony. Dozens of martial clans had sent envoys, some out of respect, others out of curiosity—or fear.
From the throne of stone and flame, Jin looked over his gathered disciples. They knelt, clad in robes of black threaded with silver lotuses, a mark of balance between destruction and serenity.
He raised his hand. "We are not here to dominate. We are here to restore balance to the Murim world, to shelter those abandoned by the great sects, and to protect the freedom of cultivation."
Cheers erupted, but not just from the disciples. Even representatives from rival sects nodded quietly, sensing something deeper behind his words.
Yue Rin stepped beside him. "The scouts you sent into the Forbidden Zone have returned. You'll want to see what they found."
---
Echoes in the Forbidden Zone
Later that night, deep within the strategy hall, Jin reviewed the maps brought by his scouts. The Forbidden Zone—an untamed realm sealed off by the Seven Grand Sects centuries ago—had begun to stir.
Creatures once considered mythical were reappearing. Spirit beasts corrupted by unknown Qi. A rift was forming in the sky above the northernmost ridge, and from it leaked an energy both familiar and terrifying.
"It's the same energy that surged when Kang Ryul activated the Heaven-Freezing Reincarnation Art," Arin murmured, her twilight eyes narrowed. "But... more chaotic. Tainted."
Mei Lin added, "This isn't just a remnant of ancient power. Someone—or something—is awakening."
Jin's mind flashed to his memories from his past life—of a sealed tomb in the far north, a prison where a being of unimaginable power had been chained by the joint effort of the Nine Supreme Cultivators.
"Could it be... the Frost Sovereign?"
---
The Return of Kang Ryul
While Jin and his allies planned, far away, Kang Ryul stood alone beneath a moonless sky.
His defeat still burned in his memory. Jin had spared his life, offering hope rather than humiliation. It gnawed at him. But even deeper was the seed of doubt—and change. The Ice Phoenix spirit within him pulsed gently, as if whispering: Let go of pride. Seek your path.
He clenched his fists. "I'm not done."
But instead of vengeance, he turned toward the Forbidden Zone. "I'll find the source of this power... and prove my worth not by destroying Jin Mu-Won, but by surpassing him."
Kang Ryul vanished into the night, stepping into the madness alone.
---
Moments of Peace and Bonds Deepened
In the days that followed, peace settled briefly over Heaven's Balance Sect. Jin finally had time to breathe, and so did the women around him. They trained, healed, and shared quiet moments beneath moonlit trees and on mountaintop paths.
Yue Rin sparred with Jin one morning, blades clashing, their speed a blur.
"You're holding back," she said, narrowing her eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You can't protect me from everything. I'm not just your shadow—I'm your sword."
Their fight ended in a draw, followed by laughter, and a moment of closeness under falling cherry blossoms.
Hana brewed a new elixir using spiritual lotus petals and Jin's flame essence, managing to create a pill that temporarily boosted Qi sensitivity tenfold.
"I call it the Flame Kissed Heart Pill," she teased.
"You named it after our kiss that night?" Jin blushed.
"Maybe. You didn't complain."
Arin meditated beside the Sacred Lotus Pool. Jin joined her, and in that silence, their souls linked once more.
"Soon, something ancient will rise," she whispered. "I see it in the cracks of fate."
---
A New Recruit, A Lucky Twist
Just as they began considering new disciples, a mysterious young woman appeared at the sect's gates—drenched in rain, barely conscious, and holding a torn scroll that bore the same symbol as the Vermilion Flame Scripture.
Jin carried her personally to the healing chambers.
When she awoke, she looked into his eyes and whispered, "I've been searching for you. You're the only one who can stop it."
"Stop what?" he asked.
She fainted.
Later, Hana identified her as a descendant of the Flame Scripture's original guardian clan—thought wiped out centuries ago. Her name: Saera.
As Saera healed, she revealed pieces of an ancient prophecy: a convergence of reincarnated souls, the reawakening of the Frost Sovereign, and a child of fire and void who would either save or destroy the world.
"It's you, Jin," she said. "You're the child."
---
The First Attack
A week later, the peace shattered.
A small scouting party sent toward the Forbidden Zone returned—only one survivor, half-mad, rambling about walking corpses, Qi-leeches, and a frozen beast the size of a mountain.
That night, tremors shook Heaven's Balance Sect.
Then came the roar.
From the western horizon, a tide of corrupted beasts surged toward the mountain—eyes glowing blue, black mist rising from their skin.
Jin leaped into the sky, blazing with Eightfold Flame, flanked by Yue Rin, Lian, and Arin. Mei Lin and Hana stayed back, leading the inner disciples in defense formations.
He summoned twin flame dragons, one gold, one violet, and crashed them into the first wave. The beasts howled but didn't stop. More poured from the forests. Something was driving them.
And then... he saw it.
A massive creature stepped out from the mist—part wolf, part serpent, part man—wearing shattered armor etched with forgotten runes.
It spoke with a voice like cracking glaciers. "You are the child of fire. I am your test."
---
Cliffhanger Ending
Jin narrowed his eyes.
"Then I'll pass."
The two forces collided beneath a bleeding sky, as the fate of the Murim world trembled once more.
To be continued...