The Sword Emperor Transmigrates

Leonard’s past encounter with the Order of the Golden Dragon had not left a positive impression. The memories were still vivid in his mind—a clash that had only led to mutual resentment.

Those were the people who had tried to become the vessel for Ancestor Cardenas, hoping to inherit her strength and will, but failed and fallen into disfavor.

Their Dragon Blood Awakening surpassed even that of the commanders, granting them all the dragon’s traits below intermediate grade. The so-called Golden Dragons defied normal classification—they were at the Transcendence Tier, yet were more monstrous than most. Those knights could even stand against Demigod Tier warriors, if only briefly; essentially, they were war machines the House of Cardenas had created unintentionally.

Leonard, picturing a potential confrontation in his mind, clicked his tongue lightly.

“If I had to take on all the Golden Dragon Knights at once, I don’t think I’d die, but I probably wouldn’t be able to achieve a swift victory.”

The Golden Dragon Knights were monstrously strong as they were, though their growth potential had been sealed. Even Demigod Tier beings like the Wraith Kings, who relied purely on strength, could be taken down if ten Golden Dragon knights attacked simultaneously.

As degraded creatures of the ancient transcendental species who protected the laws of the world—the dragons—most authorities or unique traits had no effect on the Golden Dragon Knights.

“I don’t entirely lack empathy for their plight,” Leonard muttered to himself.

Those who sought power through the Corrupt Path and not the Righteous Path, abandoning future growth and possibility in exchange for immediate strength, existed everywhere. In his previous life as Yeon Mu-Hyuk, the martial artists of the Corrupt Path were also like that.

Yeon Mu-Hyuk would often encounter martial artists of similar origin: talented individuals who, due to unfavorable circumstances or lack of opportunity, couldn’t join prestigious schools or missed their chance to become masters. Martial arts of true depth and skill could elevate practitioners to the Ascension Realm with diligent training.

However, lesser techniques, often containing only superficial teachings, could only take a practitioner to the Peak Realm if they were lucky. At best, they might reach the Apex Realm by pushing their bodies to the limit or using inhumane methods to gain strength.

Even demonic martial arts, with insights of sufficient depth, could lead one to the Creation Realm or the peak of the Demonic Path if practiced earnestly. However, lesser martial arts didn’t even offer that path.

That’s the reason people like the Greenwood King, the Wave King, and the Poison Blood Wolf couldn’t even withstand a hundred of my moves when facing me. Their martial enlightenment, the Ascension Realm’s foundation, was too superficial, and their techniques for manipulating willpower were crude.

Compared to them, the Golden Dragon Knights were somewhat blessed.

Except for the fact that they’re destined to be consumed as vessels for the Ancestor.

They probably volunteered knowing their fate, but human emotions weren’t always rational. Those who once saw themselves as the chosen saviors of the House of Cardenas—and the world entire—had likely struggled to accept ending up as mere disposable tools.

The knights of the Order of the Golden Dragon were all famed as the greatest talents of their generation, so perhaps the fall from their lofty aspirations to their current reality was even more devastating than for the ordinary martial artists of the Corrupt Path.

“It’s been a while, Sir Tress.”

However, Leonard’s patience didn’t extend so far as to indulge those who would lash out from bitterness.

The Golden Knight before him had once attempted to subdue him, only to find himself defeated. Now, facing Leonard as his unquestionable superior, Tress’ eyes quivered like an aspen tree behind his helmet, though he kept his posture formal.

“...I apologize for my prior behavior, Sir Leonard.”

“Well, it’s not something I’d call minor, even with a polite excuse.”

At the Dragon’s Head, the headquarters of the Golden Dragon Order, Leonard was greeted with more than just Tress. Nearly twenty Golden Dragon Knights stood in formation, only their eyes visible beneath their helmets, casting him less-than-welcoming gazes. It was clear they had gathered in the parade grounds to meet him, though their stares failed to elicit even a flicker of intimidation as Leonard walked forward.

Naturally, no one blocked his way or confronted him. The best they could do was watch, their eyes filled with a mixture of jealousy and bitterness as they stared at someone who had reached a level they could no longer aspire to.

“The family head had ordered me to meet the Ancestor,” Leonard told Tress, who followed a few paces behind. “Where can I find her?”

“You’ll have to go down to the basement,” Tress replied, bowing slightly. “It’s necessary to isolate the Ancestor’s remains from the outside world to prevent further erosion.”

With a nod, Leonard advanced toward the staircase leading down. With each step, his five senses felt increasingly muffled, as if entering a space altered by magic. He could sense a powerful spell restraining even his Demigod perception—Class 9 magic. Only Class 8 spells or higher could deceive the world’s eye, so this was to be expected.

After descending deep enough to lose track of his steps, Leonard suddenly realized that Tress was no longer there.

“A door?”

Then, he noticed a massive door looming ahead, its doorknob fashioned like a dragon’s head, staring at him as if alive. When Leonard reached out to touch it, he realized it wasn’t a physical door; rather, it was the mental image of a wall—a Mindscape’s boundary that had manifested into reality. It was akin to materializing thought, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Ancestor Cardenas had created this. After all, True Gods defied logic altogether.

“So it’s a test... to see if I can break through on my own.”

Getting no response after a knock, Leonard drew his sword and channeled his internal energy. Vibrant energy encircled him, weaving around him like armor of light. His perfected internal energy cultivation, faster and more intense than when he was just at the Transcendence Tier, surged to life.

An all-out strike—it was impossible to gauge the strength of the wall made by Ancestor Cardenas, so Leonard had no other choice but to try breaking through with his full might.

The Four Symbols within Leonard resonated in unison, each urging him to draw forth their power. The Northern God Style was ill-suited for this situation, and the Eastern God Style couldn’t overcome the gap in status here to neutralize the spell.

Two styles remained, one optimized for destruction and the other for breakthrough: the Western God Style and the Southern God Style.

Leonard chose the latter.

One Origin Five Elements Sword Art

Southern God Style

Single-Point Breakthrough Strike

Fiery Scarlet Point

The multi-hued energy swirling around his sword flared into crimson, taking the form of a phoenix—one unlike any in this world—its wings unfurling as it gathered on his blade.

The ultimate technique he prepared was inspired by an ancient legend from the martial folklore of the Central Plain murim—a tale of an assassin whose blow would always kill with a single strike, leaving only a crimson mark on the corpse.

As such, the assassin had earned the moniker of the Scarlet Point.

When it came to focusing energy for a precise attack, no technique surpassed a thrust. Leonard concentrated his explosively amplified power into the tip of his sword, driving it forward with all his might to pierce through whatever lay in his path. If he could carve even the smallest opening, the compressed energy would burst forth, shattering everything in its wake.

This ultimate technique had originally been conceived to pierce through the toughest materials and even massive enemies, and Karyl had never thought he would use it against a mere wall.

No, set aside such useless thoughts…! he told himself, clearing his mind of distractions, feeling the electric signals travel down each fiber of his muscles with absolute focus.

The essence of Fiery Scarlet Point, the ultimate technique he used, was to compress and concentrate energy to an extreme degree, releasing it in a pinpoint strike. Against an overwhelming obstacle against which slashes were futile, only a pinpoint could break through—a tiny window of opportunity smaller than a needle’s eye.

Cliiiiink—

With a shrill hum, Leonard’s Vermillion Bird Qi compressed into a dot no larger than a grain of rice, and at last, he felt it rip into something—he couldn’t tell whether it was space, time, or simply an illusion.

In any case, only the thrust mattered—piercing through all resistance until it reached its final point.

Crack!

The seemingly impenetrable wall finally yielded, allowing Leonard to pass through with his blade. He advanced naturally, almost as if becoming one with the sword itself. It was a strange sensation. If this world were real, Leonard would be stuck behind it with only his sword passing through. Yet here he was, passing entirely through the barrier.

“Oh? Not bad.”

A voice, low and resonant, snapped Leonard back to his senses. He looked up to see the source.

Before him was the one who ruled over this Mindscape, which he had barely managed to infiltrate with his Fiery Scarlet Point. It was a transcendent being who seamlessly extended her Mindscape into reality—Ancestor Cardenas.

Leonard stood before his family’s legendary ancestor—an undeniably historic moment. Yet his first impression was unexpectedly simple.

She’s massive.

Towering over two meters, the Ancestor looked as if she had been sculpted from stone—her features flawless yet devoid of any human warmth.

Her limbs, crafted with intricate precision like those of a ball-jointed doll, seemed incredibly flexible, giving her a sort of mechanical grace. Needless to say, she was strong. Her physical prowess spoke of power beyond even that of the Golden Dragon Knights, who surpassed even the commanders. They now seemed like children compared to her.

Naturally, her hair and eyes were golden, gleaming with an almost supernatural brilliance—something never before seen in the Cardenas family.

“Are you… the Ancestor?”

“If that’s what you believe,” she replied calmly.

Leonard’s eyes widened, grasping the weight of her words.

She noticed his shock, giving a slight smirk before continuing, “It’s rare to meet those who remember a past life. There were a few in my time as well. Some ended up with fractured souls, some went mad, and others struggled to accept themselves. Rarely does someone balance both lives and accept each of them as you have.”

Under her penetrating gaze, Leonard felt an unusual urge to shrink back, as if every detail of his past life lay exposed.

The Ancestor’s expression softened slightly, as though looking at a child she found endearing.

“As long as you see yourself as a Cardenas, I’ll acknowledge you as my kin. What you’ve done for the bloodline so far would have harmed you more than helped, had you been in it for selfish gain. Don’t you agree?”

“Well... yes, I suppose so.”

“Being strict with yourself is fine, but don’t let it chain you down,” she cautioned. “Stray too far from the center, and you may lose the wings you’ve so carefully grown.”

With those words, she opened her hand and summoned a simple longsword, devoid of any supernatural qualities but straight and true.

But the moment she gripped it, a chill shot through Leonard, prompting him to retreat and switch to a defensive stance.

A monster...!

Declan, who had attained unity with the heavens, was already beyond what Leonard could comprehend, so Ancestor Cardenas’ presence was something downright otherworldly. Leonard knew he had managed to back away only because she had let him. Had she struck at him with intent, he would’ve died instantly.

“Good reflexes,” she remarked, intrigued. “You must have trained with the sword in your past life. I can sense a different kind of discipline in your movements. Something even I could learn from.”

With just a glimpse of Leonard’s stance, she had already discerned the unique foundation of his martial arts. Despite being just a fragmented soul, her martial arts stood in the Deification Tier.

The God of Swords, once infamous for having annihilated her entire kin with forbidden martial skills—reviled as a blasphemer by mortal souls yet celebrated as the strongest among dragons and greatest of the Gold Dragon lineage—approached with a look of keen interest on his face.

“You have only recently reached the Demigod Tier, haven’t you?” she asked. “Then you’ll need time to unleash and refine that power.”

With each step she took, a crushing weight pressed down on Leonard, reminding him of when he had faced the Heavenly Demon as Yeon Mu-Hyuk. However, the Ancestor’s presence was far more terrifying. If she could wield this much power with only a fragment of her soul remaining, the full might of a true Deification Tier being would be unimaginable.

Still, Leonard kept his knees locked, steadied himself with the weight of his sword, and met her gaze head-on.

“I thank you for your consideration, Ancestor.”

She smiled, seemingly pleased with his resolve. “I like your grit. When Ragna came to see me, he had a look similar to yours.”

As her gaze softened with memories of her past and her lost love, the Ancestor’ imposing aura briefly waned.

Leonard instinctively sensed an opening and seized it.

Western God Style

Cutter of All Things

Sky and Clouds Piercer

A tempestuous slash surged forward.

Leonard had honed this skill in the Yggdrasil subjugation mission, now being able to unleash it even from a 30-degree angle. At such close range, few could endure the force of this cutting wind, and even most of the commanders couldn’t escape unscathed.

Leonard himself knew that, but it brought him no relief.

Swooosh!

With a soft hum, Ancestor Cardenas deflected Leonard’s attack with a single slash, turning his lethal blade into a harmless breeze.

“Hmm, your approach to manifesting intent is a bit crude,” she said. “Let’s start with refining that.”

“...Yes, ma’am!”

Fueled by a mix of joy and fear, Leonard lunged forward, not thinking of anything but facing her head-on until the moment she would once again rest.

This marked the beginning of an incomparable opportunity and miraculous encounter.