Chapter 16

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Family (16)

The children, who had emerged from the forest, could now return in a carriage sent by the family, unlike when they came.

Already exhausted, the trainees were given some form of reward for their performance, which exceeded expectations. Since about five or six people could fit in one carriage, it was quite a sight to see nearly a hundred carriages gathered in one place.

After the instructors rechecked the number of people and gave a signal, the carriages began to depart, starting with the one at the front.

Naturally, Leonard was in the first carriage,

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

For some reason, Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, and Number 4 were also riding along.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely awkward.

Number 1, with his eyes closed, had his arms crossed, Number 2 was glaring at him from the side, Number 3 was glaring at everyone except Leonard, and Number 4 was awkwardly smiling.

“So.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Leonard spoke up.

“Why are you all here?”

The carriages weren’t assigned by number, so apart from Leonard, they had all come of their own accord.

While it made sense for Number 3, who had worked with him in Group 6, the other three’s motives were unclear.

In response to this, Number 2 was the first to react.

“Because you’re the star of the day, right?”

Number 4 also nodded in agreement.

“Someone who rose from 381 to 1 in less than a month, how could that not be interesting?”

“You’re not just a topic of conversation for us!”

Number 3, who had been riled up by the two, shouted.

“You’re a much greater person than mere losers like you!”

Number 2 and Number 4 blinked in surprise at this unexpected statement.

The Number 3 they knew was always picky and growled like a beast whenever she saw them.

But now, she was not only defending someone else, especially a boy, but even praising him?

“You’re different from the Number 3 I knew. Did something good happen in the forest?”

“What?”

Number 3’s face turned bright red as she thought about the meaning of his words.

“No way! You idiot!”

As the children bickered in front of him, they soon turned their attention to Number 1, who had been silently observing.

He was the most difficult to understand among them.

Wasn’t he the embodiment of self-esteem, who believed without a doubt that he was the strongest and the best?

“...Everyone except Number 25 is just a bunch of losers who lost to me. They’re not even worth my attention.”

Number 1, with a look of disdain, scanned the three of them and sneered in response.

This made Number 2, Number 3, and Number 4 explode in unison.

“What did you say, you jerk!”

“The one who laughs last laughs best! Don’t you know that?!”

“I surrendered to Number 25. I can’t recall ever losing to you, no matter how many times I think about it.”

Number 2, shaking Number 1 by the collar, Number 3, shouting so loudly that spit flew, and Number 4, barely maintaining his polite tone, were all showing sides they never usually did.

These children, who had grown up prematurely due to their exceptional talents, were now acting their age. They had unconsciously stopped pretending to be strong in front of Leonard, the boy they all respected.

‘It’s noisy. I can’t just kick them all out, though.’

Of course, Leonard had no idea why these kids were putting on such a ridiculous show in his carriage.

He had already spent a lot of mental energy teaching the wolf the *Yongsu Chukyang Jin Jue*, and now the children’s noise was giving him a headache.

Fortunately, the chaos quickly subsided.

“If you keep making such a racket, I’ll make you all get out and walk.”

““““I’m sorry.””””

When Bruno stuck his head through the carriage window and said this, the children immediately shut their mouths.

Leonard closed his eyes, enjoying the rare moment of peace.

Recovering the mental energy he had spent earlier was quick.

He hadn’t been injured, and he had succeeded on his first try without pushing himself too hard.

‘If this world is so rich in natural energy, I might be able to become a mid-level spirit in just a few years.’

As he thought about this, Leonard spoke.

“Number 1.”

Everyone, who had been silent since Bruno’s scolding, jumped in surprise.

Number 1 was the most surprised, as he hadn’t expected Number 25 to call him.

After a few moments, Number 1 finally responded.

“...What is it?”

“I’m curious about the training that will start next. Do you know anything about it?”

Leonard’s straightforward question made not only Number 1 but also Number 2 and Number 4’s eyes widen.

They understood the implications of his words.

“Of course. I see you’ve heard about it too.”

Only Number 3 looked confused and listened intently.

“Starting tomorrow, we will receive training resources based on our performance in this training camp and begin the process to become true successors of Cardenas.”

At that moment, Number 2 interrupted Number 1’s explanation.

“You should also explain the *Blood Succession Ritual*, Number 1. You didn’t leave that out on purpose, did you? Huh?”

“Be quiet, Number 2. I was about to explain it.”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar term.

*Blood Succession Ritual*?

The explanation to resolve his doubts began immediately.

“It’s said that the Cardenas bloodline has a special organ that ordinary people don’t have. By awakening and forming this organ through a special ritual, we can grow at several or even dozens of times the normal rate.”

“Do you mean...mana?”

“Yes.”

Number 1 nodded briefly.

“Cardenas children don’t start practicing mana until they are old enough to endure the ritual, which is why they form this mysterious organ first.”

Leonard carefully raised the image in his mind and scanned his body, but he couldn’t see any organ.

It seemed that the *Blood Succession Ritual* had to be performed to even observe it.

He wondered if it was some kind of dark or evil technique, but he had never seen anyone with such power. It might be a phenomenon that couldn’t be understood by the common sense of the martial world.

‘I need to experience it myself.’

As he thought this, Leonard heard Number 3’s voice, who had finally understood after a few years.

“Aha! That’s why we weren’t allowed to eat spirit herbs or spirit stones before entering the training camp?”

“Accumulated mana before the *Blood Succession Ritual* can hinder future training. At least, that’s what I heard. If it’s not true, there would be no reason to prevent us from accumulating mana.”

“I always wondered why they stockpiled training resources but didn’t let the kids eat them. It all makes sense now.”

A strange sense of unease swept through his mind.

Replaying what Number 1 and Number 3 said, there was nothing particularly unusual. So why did Leonard, or rather *Yenmuhex*, feel something was off?

Spirit herbs? Spirit stones? Training resources?

What did these have to do with the foundation of internal energy cultivation?

“Number 1.”

“What is it?”

“Generally, how do you accumulate mana in your body?”

At the same time, the four people turned their gaze to Leonard.

The emotion in their eyes was surprise.

They seemed to wonder why he was asking such a basic question.

Number 2, who spoke first, said:

“Before forming a mana hole, it’s common to consume spirit medicines or spirit fruits that are rich in mana. Spirit stones are too dense to handle.”

“Once you form a mana hole, it’s said that the capacity increases slightly each time you empty and refill it.”

Leonard waited for more, but there was nothing else.

That was it.

In this world, the only way to gather mana was to consume it from external sources or through initial recovery. There was no internal energy cultivation method, not even a basic absorption technique.

The spirit of the *Sword Emperor* was shaken.

‘Is that possible? How?’

Shaking a high-level expert mentally was extremely difficult. In the martial world, only the best of the best could be hired, and even then, the fees were astronomical or the request was outright refused.

They were monsters who could detect and react to an ambush in all directions while sleeping.

Circulating internal energy alone could make them immune to all poisons, and with a protective aura, they could withstand even a wall-breaking attack. Once they reached the realm of *Gang Qi*, they were nearly invincible in both attack and defense.

‘...It was dangerous. I almost went into a mental breakdown.’

Leonard felt as if he had been struck by a mental sword when he heard the children’s words.

If he had been caught off guard, he might have been killed by a lower-level assassin.

No internal energy cultivation method?

To a martial artist, it was like building a house without a foundation or pillars.

‘No, maybe my perspective was wrong from the beginning.’

Leonard regained his composure and thought about the differences between the martial world and this world.

And then.

‘Ha, I was foolish!’

He soon realized.

The children were right.

In this world, the way to accumulate qi or mana could never be through internal energy cultivation.

‘The natural energy is so abundant and strong that even a high-level expert can’t perform *Yun Qi Tu Na* (circulating and exhaling qi).’

Leonard’s mind had reached the *Harmony Stage* when he regained his memories from his previous life.

*Upper Dantian*.

A realm where one can interfere with the world through mental power, beyond the physical and qi.

At this level, one can control the amount and density of natural energy. That’s why he could gather and infuse natural energy into the wolf without much difficulty.

‘But for someone just starting to learn internal energy cultivation?’

It was impossible to draw natural energy into the body.

Even a body that could accumulate internal energy just by breathing, known as *Kong Ling Zhi Ti* (Empty and Ethereal Body), would be like an empty bucket in this world.

Moreover, even if one could draw in mana, it would be problematic.

Unlike in the Central Plains, the natural energy in this world was so powerful that it would be like pouring a river into a small, shallow field.

If even a little bit went out of control, it would tear through the *Eight Extraordinary Meridians* and shatter the body from the inside.

‘Giving the *Yongsu Chukyang Jin Jue* to the wolf was also risky. The technique automatically circulates once it’s completed, so there was no danger, but if I had failed—.’

Leonard shook off the grim thought and pondered the common knowledge he had just learned.

If this world truly lacked internal energy cultivation methods, then he, who could use it alone, would have a significant advantage over the people here.

He could absorb qi and build internal energy to advance to the next level without consuming training resources.

Thud.

Leonard clenched his fists, having thought this far.

To stop the overly optimistic thoughts.

‘It’s true that I have an advantage. But even in this family, there are many martial artists who have reached high levels without internal energy cultivation. They likely developed a new system of martial arts.’

Being born into the Cardenas bloodline was a stroke of luck.

The knowledge and experience he could gain here were far superior and more valuable than anything he could obtain outside.

The *Blood Succession Ritual* was also a secret that outsiders could never access.

Squeak.

At that moment, the carriages, which had returned to the mansion, came to a stop, and the horses neighed.

“We’re back. This is the last day.”

In response to Number 1’s words, Number 2 frowned and said:

“Phew, it’s going to be harder and more troublesome from tomorrow.”

“I’m looking forward to the *Blood Succession Ritual*!”

“We’ll find out tomorrow. Everyone did a great job.”

Unlike the others, Number 3 was excited about the possibility of becoming stronger, and Number 4, as always, politely thanked everyone.

Then, as if they had planned it, the four turned to Leonard.

“My name is William, Number 25. Remember it.”

Number 1 said this and jumped out of the carriage.

“Anyway, that jerk is always showing off. I’m Bellita. You can call me Betty.”

“I’m Dyllan. I don’t have any nicknames.”

Number 2 and Number 4 also introduced themselves to Leonard.

Knowing that from tomorrow, the trainees would be called by their names rather than numbers, they hurried to introduce themselves.

Not wanting to be left behind, Number 3 also shouted:

“I’m Heather! Next time, I’ll help the team leader!”

Leonard smiled at the awkward approach and nodded in response.

This kind of encounter and connection was also a form of destiny.

“Leonard, that’s my name.”

Yenmuhex was dead.

Leonard was living in this world, and his previous experiences and strength were merely a wind at his back. If he relied too much on them, he might suffer a great defeat, as he had just experienced.

Without looking back, as always.

Leonard stepped out of the carriage and headed to his room, which would be his last for the night.

‘I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’

It was the last night in the training camp.