Deep within the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled patches of light. The trees crackled softly in the wind.
"What a pity." The square-faced middle-aged man pursed his lips in regret. "Although that young man looked ordinary, almost frail..."
“But in my estimation…”
“He definitely possesses Inspiration—something only Martial Generals are qualified to develop. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d stride so boldly through the border.”
Nearby.
A cold-faced young man, about twenty-eight or twenty-nine, crossed his arms and said quietly, “The weak remain weak, because they don’t know how to use their advantages properly.”
In this region, martial artists with Inspiration are considered rare resources.
Exactly.
Inspiration is a resource—a resource that can mean the difference between life and death.
“Luke Kang, you’re absolutely right.” The square-faced man smiled, not hesitating to show his approval.
In their five-person team, Luke Kang was the only martial artist with Inspiration.
Simply put—
But one thing was certain—
But martial artists with Inspiration are exceedingly rare—perhaps only a handful exist along the entire border. Luke Kang, as a Martial General with Inspiration, was truly remarkable.
Rustle.
Luke Kang stepped down with his right foot, rustling through a patch of withered leaves. He chuckled softly, "Only by facing death can unbreakable Inspiration be forged. It's the crucible of life and death that tempers Inspiration."
“That person just now definitely possessed Inspiration.”
“Maybe he believes that relying on Inspiration, he can avoid mortal danger. Or perhaps he’s using it to temper his own Inspiration.”
As he analyzed, Luke Kang felt a touch of emotion.
He remembered his own youth—brimming with spirit and ambition, a time when he too dreamed of sweeping away every Demon and Specter, of standing tall in the Martial General Realm.
A single careless move, and you’d be facing a death more brutal than any nightmare—caught in the sinister grasp of Demons whose bodies were thicker and more terrifying than steel or concrete.
Luke Kang waved off the concern, stepping forward without hesitation. His gaze swept the winter forest, and suddenly, a razor-edge warning pricked at his Inspiration—an elusive sense of threat, cold and sharp as the wind itself.
Leaving the defensive belt meant steeling oneself for crisis—every step outside was a gamble with life and death.
As the cold wind swept by, the square-faced man instinctively held his breath. His eyes flashed with the light of Peerless Martial General Realm's Presented Liquid Internal Power as he scanned every shadow.