Exchange Program IV

Seol-ah's sword cut through the night, a graceful arc that seemed to brush against the very fabric of the darkness around her. In the outside training ground, protected by ancient runes etched into the stones, she worked her way through each movement, her mind chasing an elusive understanding.

'The essence of my art,' she thought.

The Grade 5 sword art of the Moyong family—Skyward Lotus. It was not a humble art, nor a restrained one. Skyward Lotus sought to rise above, to claim the heavens, to wield a blade that looked down upon all beneath it. It was an art of audacity, of heights reached through sheer will and grace. Her enhanced aura, a blend of wind and water, resonated along the length of her blade, and her stance became a reflection of the art's lofty ambition.

But even as her aura resonated along her sword's edge, something held her back.

What exactly was her art missing?

She was already approaching the zenith realm of mastery—an inch from achieving full command over the Grade 5 art. But mere mastery was not her ambition. She wanted to transcend it, to push beyond the boundaries of this art. Her Gift, the Heavenly Sword Soul Body, demanded nothing less than perfection.

'Arthur,' she thought, his image sharp in her mind. He was her age, yet he had crafted his own Grade 6 art, complete with two devastating movements. The force of his strike lingered in her memory, each swing born from a clear understanding, a unity between the art and its wielder.

Then what was she lacking? Talent was not her shortfall—her swordsmanship talent matched, if not exceeded, his. And her mastery over Skyward Lotus was already nearing its peak.

No—it wasn't talent or technique.

She knew it was something more profound, something deep within her art itself. The purpose, perhaps, or a truer, more raw essence that demanded to be felt, not merely understood.

Seol-ah took a deep breath, centering herself, allowing her mind to drift as she held the sword at her side. The night was still, the air cool against her skin.

'The sky itself… an unyielding freedom…'

She suddenly understood. What was missing was not technique but purpose. Skyward Lotus was not a blade for conquering others—it was a blade for achieving a boundless view, a blade to meet the heavens.

With a new clarity, she took her stance once more, and her sword rose with a power that flowed from her very soul.

She knew she was close to creating something that could rival even Arthur's art.

As she moved, her aura became lighter, almost weightless, her blade now an extension of her will to reach beyond the world itself.

I watched as Seol-ah's sword carved through the night air, her movements graceful yet fierce, each stroke alive with a purpose that felt… unbound. The Moyong family's art was on the brink of something remarkable.

'She's close,' I thought, a faint smile tugging at my lips. The Moyong style had long wrestled with the concept of "blossoming," much like the Southern Edge sect's snow flower arts—a concept beautiful, but often a limit in disguise. While the snow flower arts were trapped at Grade 4 because they clung too closely to a metaphor without substance, the Moyong family's art carried a spark of potential. It didn't need to become something else, like the Violet Divine Mist art of Mount Hua sect. It simply needed to grow into itself.

What Seol-ah grasped, perhaps without realizing it, was that the path to Grade 6 didn't lie in mimicking greatness but in embracing the unique strength of her art. This was a leap few could make, but her sword whispered of freedom from the boundaries once believed immovable.

Her journey was bigger than herself; Seol-ah Moyong had the power to not only elevate her family's art to Grade 6 but to reshape the destiny of the Moyong family. With her breakthrough, the Moyongs could truly stand on par with the Kagu family and the Mount Hua sect, cementing themselves as one of the three overlords of the Eastern continent.

Humanity would need such strength—such unity of purpose—for the future that lay ahead. 

I hadn't expected this sight when I came here to train alone, but it was a welcome one.

"Oh, so you're here," Seol-ah said, only now noticing me. Her breaths came heavy as she lowered her sword.

"What will you call the art?" I asked.

"Infinite Horizon," she replied, a slight smile lighting her face.

An ambitious name. 

But that suited the Moyong family well; their founder had once dreamed of becoming the sky itself. And Seol-ah, with that unmistakable fire, seemed bold enough to reach even beyond.

"It fits," I said.

"Not too arrogant?" she asked, her golden eyes narrowing slightly.

"Not in the least."

"Good," she replied with a short nod, her voice firm and settled.

"Thank you for helping me," Seol-ah said at last, dipping her head in a light bow.

"I didn't help much," I replied, accepting her swords. "You picked that up just by watching me use my own Grade 6 art."

"I wouldn't have, if you'd chosen to use the first movement."

I couldn't argue with that. She was right—God Flash wouldn't have sparked the insight she needed like Hollow Eclipse had. I glanced at the blade in her hand, a small smile forming.

Then, her golden eyes studied me, appraising. She took a step closer, head tilted. "I've sensed it before... but you are strong. No—beyond strong."

"Thanks. You're strong too," I replied honestly.

The Seol-ah standing before me could likely give even Ren a run for his money, though she had some way to go before reaching Lucifer. Her body, well-trained and lean, bore the marks of her dedication, slight abs showing through her training attire. And she would only grow stronger yet—especially once she formed her Sword Heart and unlocked the deeper power of her Gift beyond mere talent.

"Perhaps," she replied, though she wore a small frown. "But it feels unfair, standing next to you. Are you sure you're the same age as me?"

Her words took me by surprise, and I let out a laugh. "Yes, I'm quite sure, Seol-ah. I'm seventeen."

"Really?" She asked again, as if hoping I'd admit to being older.

"Yes, really. And why do you feel this way toward me and not Lucifer?" I raised an eyebrow.

"He's stronger than me," she nodded thoughtfully. "But you're... well, you're something else. I can't even sense your level properly."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied with a smile. "Anyway, you should go see the Headmaster. He'd be pleased to know you've elevated the Moyong family art."

"But it's incomplete," she said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "I've only finished the first movement. It could take a decade to complete the whole art and pass it on properly."

"Even so, it's a step forward." I gave a nod of encouragement. "I should get back to my own training. See you around, Seol-ah."

"See you, Arthur," she said with a small smile as she turned and walked away.