Chapter 21 - MOUNT HUA SECT ARC (CHAPTER2: System’s Echo And The Weight Of Mastery)

Mist wreathed Abraham's cloak as he descended Mount Hua's jagged flanks, frost-crusted gravel crunching like brittle bones underfoot. The air bit sharp with pine resin and ozone tang, each fogged breath a reminder of peaks conquered. Weeks blurred in memory: relentless drills etching the Plum Blossom Sword art into muscle and soul—twenty-four forms blooming lethal grace, petals of qi masking killing intent. Essential camouflage for the Heavenly Sovereign Slash, whose golden dragons devoured qi ravenously, scorching meridians and siphoning life force like a curse. Hide the emperor's blaze, Abraham thought, wind lashing cheeks raw, or ash scatters before the abyss yawns. ��A chime pierced silence: "Congratulations, Host. Mission: Master Plum Blossom Sword Art—Completed. Reward: Enhanced qi circulation unlocked." System's voice, cold ledger, stirred unease. He paused on sheer outcrop, Heavenly Stair railings rattling spectral warnings. Peaks receded, but sect's dread lingered. Disciples fled Michael's shadow—crimson-veined colossus whose scowl drenched Sect Leader Jang Mun in sweat during ascents. They dread him beyond demons, Abraham mused, relic throbbing approval. Let fear forge alliance.Training flashbacks surged: dawn haze, elders barking forms. Barricade bloomed qi-petals shielding probes; Violet Cloud Divine Skill renewed meridians with dawn's kiss. Exhaustion hollowed him, but subtlety emerged—elegant deflections veiling Sovereign thunder. Master's machine shattered; Hua tempered. Michael loomed, coal-void eyes scanning. Disciples whispered: "Flesh demon." Jang Mun's tremor echoed: "Your guardian unnerves ancestors."Abraham gripped hilt, meridians humming. Art fit seamless, concealing core blaze. But tranquility fractured. Blood Cult murmurs poisoned winds—venom shadows encroaching. Veil holds; storm brews. Michael matched stride, aura leashed tempest. System reward? Fleeting. Mount Hua judged worthy; Murim tested survival. Path sharpened, subtlety and storm entwined.