The Sword Of The Fire Dragon

The Warrior in the Prophecy

Unlike the first time he jumped—or rather, was pushed by Sarwana—this time Arya could control the trajectory of his body.

Unbeknownst to him, during the two weeks he had spent in the hut consuming Tundra Moss regularly, Arya's bone structure had strengthened significantly. Additionally, the internal spaces within his bones for storing inner energy had expanded.

Sarwana had played no small part in this transformation. The Tundra Moss he gave to Arya was infused with inner energy. Not only did this enhance the strength of Arya's bones, but it also allowed him to develop a foundation of inner energy even before his training began.

Arya himself noticed the significant changes within him but remained unaware of the concept of inner energy since Sarwana had yet to explain it. So far, he attributed his ability to control his body during jumps solely to the quality of his bones shaped by the Tundra Moss, unaware of other contributing factors.

In other words, without consciously learning to manipulate his inner energy, Arya had already started doing so—albeit only to the extent of cushioning his body to avoid a hard landing.

From the top of another tree, Sarwana observed Arya with a smile as he landed lightly. The monkey king admired the young man's natural ability, even though he had not yet received any formal training.

Sarwana’s sharp eyes followed every move Arya made after leaving the hut. When the young man leapt gracefully onto a three-meter-high boulder to relax, Sarwana’s smile widened.

'It seems he has a natural talent for mastering martial arts,' Sarwana thought to himself.

Curious about Arya's progress after two weeks of memorizing the movements in the manual, Sarwana leaped through the treetops before landing gently beside him.

Startled by Sarwana's sudden arrival, Arya jumped back in shock, cursing under his breath.

"You’re insane! Do you want to give me a heart attack?"

Sarwana chuckled and sat on the boulder next to Arya. "How could a future great warrior die from shock?"

Arya snorted softly, scooting closer to the ruler of the Panguripan Gorge. "Why do you say that?" he asked, genuinely curious. He thought it impossible for Sarwana to expect greatness from someone whose only asset was strong bones and an unfamiliar martial manual.

"Before I answer that, let me ask: how much of the manual have you memorized so far?"

"I’ve memorized it all. I feel stupid for taking so long to learn it," Arya replied softly.

Sarwana's crowned head tilted in surprise. He had not anticipated Arya would memorize the entire manual in just two weeks when he had initially estimated it would take three months.

"Are you sure you’re not lying to me? Have you truly memorized it all?"

Arya nodded, his expression downcast. "Maybe I’m just not cut out to be a great warrior," he muttered.

"Not cut out? Don’t be ridiculous, Arya! You’re a genius, a rarity in the martial world," Sarwana exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Arya looked at Sarwana in confusion. His furrowed brows reflected the questions swirling in his mind. "Are you mocking me, Sarwana?"

"I may not have told you everything about the manual, Arya," Sarwana began. "The Dragon King Manual you’re studying belonged to a legendary warrior sought after by countless others." Sarwana paused, taking a deep breath.

"Like the Tundra Moss, the Dragon King Manual is a rare treasure. Of the five unarmed techniques and two sword techniques in the manual, two are extraordinarily difficult to master. Even my late friend, who inherited the manual, couldn’t perfect them," he continued.

Arya listened intently, his furrowed brows showing his effort to grasp Sarwana's words. "What does that have to do with me?" he finally asked.

Sarwana smacked his forehead gently. "It means you’re destined for greatness, Arya. You need to know that even the most talented warriors typically need at least three months just to memorize the movements in the Dragon King Manual. Yet you managed it in only two weeks."

"That’s it?" Arya’s expression remained indifferent, showing no pride in his accomplishment.

Sarwana was baffled by Arya's lack of enthusiasm. For most warriors or aspiring warriors, being called a genius would be a matter of immense pride. Yet the young man before him seemed utterly unbothered.

"There’s more, Arya... Haven’t you noticed that you can already control the inner energy within your body?"

"What are you talking about, Sarwana? Since when do I have inner energy?"

"I’ve been giving you inner energy through the Tundra Moss you’ve been consuming daily. What surprised me is that you can already control it without any formal training. Did you not notice as you jumped from the hut or onto this boulder?"

Arya scratched his head, still looking confused. "So that’s what inner energy feels like?"

"No, that’s a skill called lightness technique, which uses inner energy for control. But don’t worry; tomorrow, I’ll begin your training. However, it won’t be here—I’ll take you somewhere else to prevent this place from being damaged during your practice," Sarwana replied, his smile broadening. He was eager to begin training Arya and to see what the young man would achieve next.

After their conversation, Sarwana left to meditate in solitude. Sitting cross-legged on a flat black stone in an open field, the monkey king closed his eyes.

"Could he be the genius foretold to shake the martial world?" Sarwana wondered, recalling the words of an old hermit he had once met in a cave.

"Sarwana, the time will come when a genius warrior emerges to shake the martial world. Within his soul lie two opposing forces: good and evil. If his dark side prevails, he will kill indiscriminately, be it those of righteous, neutral, or demonic paths. No one will be able to stop him—not even you. But if his good side triumphs, he will possess a noble spirit, dedicating himself to protecting the oppressed."

Swallowing hard, Sarwana pondered the hermit’s words. He could only hope Arya would have the strength to resist being consumed by his darker side.