The moment the life-saving artifact activated, the Makli Clan elder rocketed upwards at an incredible speed, and my Sword Gang could only graze his chest instead of striking his neck.
Swoosh!
Even so, it was enough to slice through his ribs, half his liver, and completely sever one of his lungs.
The Makli Clan elder, bleeding profusely, was still alive.
"Cough! Cough... Grlgrglgh.."
Despite spitting blood foam and barely holding together his falling intestines with spiritual power, he remained alive.
"Grunt, gasp... That... uniform... Cheongmun Clan...! You damned... colluding with, Jin Clan...!"
Despite having one lung crushed, he forcibly maintained his bodily functions through spiritual power.
Terrifying vitality.
But if left alone, he would eventually die from depleting all his spiritual power.
"Grunt... Cough.. Cheongmun Clan descendant, spare my life. I promise enormous compensation from the main family.
Many cultivators from different clans are currently on edge due to the massacre in the Heaven-Treading Desert...!
In two hundred years, there will be a great war, and every cultivator, including Qi Building, is crucial..!"
"..."
I silently held my sword, infusing it with Sword Gang.
Seeing this, the Makli Clan elder gritted his teeth.
"You fool! Don't you understand what's important...! I will ensure proper compensation for crossing the Byeokra border!
Please, I beg you..."
Buzz!
"Yiiik!"
He dodged my Sword Gang and started infusing energy into the life-saving artifact.
'He's pouring his life force into it...!'
Simultaneously, his figure turned blue and reached the edge of the barrier with astounding speed.
'That's a Core Formation's escape technique!'
The life-saving artifact seemed to allow lower-level cultivators to mimic the flying techniques used by Core Formation cultivators.
"Damn it..! I won't die like this! No way!!"
Boom!
The elder released all his power in a burst, shattering the barrier like a paper wall, creating an escape route.
The backlash caused the Jin Clan Qi Refining cultivators who had set up the array to spit out blood.
"You can't escape!"
"Ha, catch me if you can!"
He gripped the life-saving artifact on his chest and used the escape technique again.
In a blink, he moved another 30 meters away.
"Catch him!"
"Yes!"
I swiftly kicked through the air, shooting Sword Gang.
"You fools...! I won't die so easily to your schemes!"
Flash!
He activated the life-saving artifact again, and with a blue light, his figure moved further away once more.
'That direction is...!'
The faces of me, Kim Young-hoon, and other Jin Clan Qi Refining cultivators twisted.
He is flying towards the Makli Clan's outpost on the Yanguo border.
"Block him! We can't let him reach the outpost and receive support from Makli Clan's Qi Building cultivators!"
"I'm aware!"
Kim Young-hoon and I furiously pursued the Makli Clan elder, and a chase across the border region began.
Whoosh!
I swung my sword, shooting Sword Gang, and quickly formed hand seals to recite the Earth Imprisonment incantation, corresponding to the Earth Imprisonment Star.
"Earth Imprisonment!"
Rumble!
Pillars of earth shot up, attempting to trap the Makli Clan elder.
However, as he formed hand seals, a gust of Yin wind tore through the earth bars, scattering them back towards me.
Flash!
I assessed the space, dodging the falling debris, and leapt into the air.
At the same time, I unleashed a powerful sword slash with Transcending Peaks.
A semi-circular white Sword Gang shot towards the elder.
"Hah!"
As he formed hand seals, Yin energy coalesced into dark clouds, enveloping him and deflecting my Sword Gang.
Simultaneously, the dark clouds transformed into a Cloud Dragon and shot towards me.
But I charged straight towards him.
Unstoppable.
Flash!
A tremendous wave of intent resonated behind me, and the sound of Gang Qi Compression Sphere echoed.
Boom!
A fist-sized orb of light passed by me, entering the Cloud Dragon's mouth, exploding it, and rushing towards the Makli Clan elder.
"I cannot die!"
Flash!
He again infused life force into the life-saving artifact, disappearing with a blue light, and simultaneously, an explosion of Saber Gang erupted at his former location.
A storm of light!
Numerous light streams filled the space in front of me as if painting with saber scars.
As the explosion subsided, I burst through the light storm, extending a massive sword strike towards the fleeing Makli Clan elder!
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven!
The Sword Gang enhanced and expanded, widening its range as it extended towards the elder of the Makli Clan.
Whoosh!
My elongated Sword Gang struck down the elder, sending him crashing to the ground below.
Frowning, I formed hand seals to create an earthen prison.
'The Sword Gang's impact felt dull.'
It didn't cut through.
Even amidst this, he had managed to raise his protective Gang Qi, turning a deadly strike into a mere hit.
"Earth Imprisonment!"
Rumble!
Pillars of earth rose, encasing the elder of the Makli Clan.
However, with a powerful shout from within the earthen prison, my spell shattered and exploded.
'Indeed, Qi Building cultivators are in a league of their own.'
Neither Sword Gang nor spells could deliver a decisive blow.
But it didn't matter.
I had successfully hindered him.
Kim Young-hoon arrived anew, unleashing a barrage of Gang Spheres.
Nine spheres cascaded towards the elder.
Flash, flash, flash!
A storm of light relentlessly pressed in.
Amidst the tempest, a blue streak of light flickered.
"I cannot die, not like this..!"
The elder of the Makli Clan desperately activated his life-saving artifact, narrowly escaping Kim Young-hoon's onslaught.
His abdomen is torn open, and one arm had vanished.
Yet, he forcibly regenerated an arm using spiritual power and continued his escape.
'Not even a cockroach...'
I was astounded by his tenacity.
What kind of human is this?
'Qi Building cultivators don't die easily unless their head, heart, or dantian is completely destroyed... That saying is indeed true.'
Qi Building cultivators can substitute the functions of lost organs with the spiritual power they've cultivated.
Though the concept seemed absurd, it was proven true.
Of course, he would die once his spiritual power was depleted.
But for now, he remained alive.
Kim Young-hoon and I relentlessly pursued him.
While I hindered him, Kim Young-hoon followed up with lethal attacks.
The elder continually resorted to his life-saving artifact, narrowly escaping each time.
This cycle repeated, and despite being nearly dead, the elder kept consuming pills from his storage bag, barely managing to survive.
'It's hard to end this in one strike...'
The biggest problem was his efficiency countering the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts technique of erasing perception.
He has more and stronger magical artifacts than Makli Wangshin, and it seems the technique had become well-known due to previous confrontations with the Makli Clan.
'And he has so many pills...'
He kept popping them like snacks.
'Dragging this out is troublesome...'
The day was fading.
I clenched my teeth and launched my flying sword after the Makli Clan elder.
In any normal situation, this would be pointless.
For Qi Building cultivators, unless their protective auras weak point is precisely targeted, Sword Gang and sword strikes are ineffective.
But the elder, now pale as a ghost, dodged my flying sword.
To the nearly dead elder, even my flying sword posed a tremendous threat.
Swoosh!
My flying sword again narrowly missed the elder.
'In a chaotic battle, it's hard to precisely control a flying sword.'
A stable footing was necessary.
I landed and touched the ground.
"Swift as the Sky!"
I chanted the Sky Speed Star incantation and cast a spell.
Rumble!
The earth coalesced, forming a circular platform under my feet.
As I changed my hand seals, the platform slid across the earth.
Rumble!
The ground beneath became my vehicle.
Trees and rocks swiftly passed behind me.
High above, the now slower elder of the Makli Clan was visible.
I, on the ground, and Kim Young-hoon in the sky, surrounded him, unleashing Gang Spheres and Sword Gangs.
Standing on the platform, I took a stance and gripped my sword.
'I'll end this..!'
The end of life is always poignant.
How painful were the moments of death.
But the death in this life seems particularly meaningful.
The sun had set.
Before dawn the next day, my life would come to an end.
'Here I go.'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship
Eleventh Move, Cliff Edge!
Crash!
I didn't unsheathe my sword.
Still in its scabbard, I sliced through, and launched my Sword Gang towards the sky.
With incredible speed, my Sword Gang shot upwards, and from above, nine orbs of light descended.
Caught in between, the elder of the Makli Clan panicked, then resignedly smiled and formed a hand seal.
"...Huh, you've won."
The sky was filled with light.
Amidst the storm of light, I saw the elder of the Makli Clan being diced, his protective aura scattering away.
"Cough..!"
The cultivator, once soaring in the sky, now fell to the ground.
Thud!
Barely alive, his remaining spiritual power was equivalent to a Qi Refining 1st or 2nd Star cultivator.
Even that was fading.
His life force flickered and his heartbeat weakened.
"You may take his last breath."
"Understood."
I approached the dying elder with a weary body.
This cultivator, who had once brought storms and darkened skies, now writhed pitifully, a mere insect.
I recalled my past life.
The dark clouds he summoned, the sinister gaze he cast down upon us...
Now, this once-mighty Qi Building cultivator lay in such a state.
"...To think, at the brink of death, you Qi Building cultivators are no different from the mere mortals you so much disdain."
I calmly lifted my sword.
At that moment.
"...I am no different from mortals..?"
The elder of the Makli Clan, with bloodshot eyes, stared at me.
"Don't make me laugh... I am Makli Yun-ryeon! An elder of the great Makli Clan... a distinguished cultivator!"
Flash!
"...!"
"Don't dare compare me to mere mortals...!"
His body swelled, emitting a putrid stench and blue light.
I immediately realized his intention.
'Self-destruction...!'
Swoosh!
I hastily retreated as a blinding explosion enveloped the area.
'What's this...?'
The explosion was massive in light but limited in destructive range and power.
'More like a flashbang than an explosion..?'
Suddenly!
I understood his plan.
"Kim Hyung! We must escape! In this vicinity..."
Kugugugu!
The stench of rotting corpses wafted through the air as a stream of green water, heavily mixed with corpse poison, surged towards us like a river.
Kirururuk, Krrrruk...
Kweeeek!
Keeeeek!
I hastily leaped into the air to avoid the green stream, but from within it, zombies poured out and leaped up, swinging their nails at me.
'Damn, this is...'
Chaaaa!
The green stream whirled up into a vortex.
From the center of the whirlpool, a middle-aged cultivator in blue emerged, holding a whisk.
The sheer size of this aura.
This pressure of spiritual power!
'Another Qi Building cultivator...!'
And this overwhelming spiritual aura.
Not just any ordinary Qi Building cultivator.
Late-stage Qi Building!
A powerful figure on par with Makli Wangshin!
"A distress flare suddenly burst into the sky, and it turns out to be a rescue signal sent by Yun-ryeon..."
The cultivator in blue at the center of the whirlpool flicked his finger, and the green waters brought him the clothes and the evening dew left behind by Makli Yun-ryeon.
"...He was an excellent alchemist. The high-quality elixirs he created numbered in the tens of thousands..."
He grinded his teeth as he glared at us.
"The cultivator from the Cheongmun Clan, and the decisive weapon of the Jin Clan... It seems you've cleverly exploited the treaty between Jin and Makli to kill Yun-ryeon..."
Realizing the situation, he alternated his gaze between me and Kim Young Hoon, beginning to gather spiritual power.
"Do not think you can die easily...!"
However, Kim Young-hoon sneered and unleashed another powerful technique.
"I wonder where you get such confidence... Even Makli Yun-ryeon, who reached the fourth stage of Qi Building couldnt stop me. Do you really think I would fear someone only at the third stage?"
"Ha ha ha, I know youre exhausted from dealing with Yun-ryeon. Even if the low-level cultivators of the Jin Clan assist, their spiritual power is nearly depleted... You are not enough."
"Hmm... If I were alone, that might be the case. But the brother from the Cheongmun Clan with me has power just below the Qi Building stage, beyond the 14th Star of Qi Refining. Together..."
"Joining forces?"
He laughed dismissively.
"Ah, you seem to be under a misunderstanding. When did I ever say I came alone?"
Kuuuuuu!
The dark night sky.
Dark storm clouds were gathering again.
Similar to the phenomena caused by Makli Yun-ryeon, the clouds seemed to mimic his techniques.
Though the clouds were about a quarter the size of those summoned by Makli Yun-ryeon, cold sweat ran down my back.
It seems as if the sky is covered with Yin energy.
"One of the later-generation disciples from our clan happened to be nearby gathering materials, so we came together."
"Uncle Makli Goon! You left too soon."
The newcomer was a young man dressed in blue.
With an ethereal look, he managed his spiritual power effortlessly, revealing his formidable presence.
Mid Qi Building!
'And almost transitioning to the late stage...'
A direct descendant of the Makli Clan!
A figure worthy of being called a later-generation disciple has appeared.
"Is it not that youre too slow, little Jun. Well, anyway, thanks for coming. You take care of those Jin Clan remnants and the Cheongmun Clan guy. I'll deal with the external elder of the Jin Clan."
"Yes, but who sent the flare signal?"
"...Yun-ryeon has passed away."
Upon hearing this, the young man's face twisted in shock.
"Yun-ryeon...? How could such a great alchemist...?"
"It seems like Jin and Cheongmun clans conspired together. Using the pretext of crossing the border into Byeokra, they assassinated Yun-ryeon."
"...These despicable scum..."
The young man from Makli Clan grimaced with malice.
"You dont know who you've killed... The most respected alchemist under the Core Formation elders of Makli Clan...
Many disciples have lost the chance to learn from him, and you cannot imagine how many precious elixirs that could have been refined... are now lost!"
I stared emotionlessly at the ranting young man, preparing my technique.
"Lucky me. Killing you here will save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives."
Today was likely my last day.
I had chosen this place as my grave.
I wasn't afraid to die.
But what weighed on my mind was...
"Kim Hyung! Run as far as you can!"
Kim Young-hoon dying here without being able to reach his goal.
While I was okay with my imminent death, I wished for him to live a little longer.
"I'll try to buy as much time as I can."
Using Endless Mountains Beyond Mountains, I charged at the younger, seemingly weaker mid Qi Building cultivator.
"Ha, this is laughable."
Kuuuuuuuu!
Yin wind gusted.
Beyond the yin wind, a ring of Yin energy flew towards me.
Using Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I cut through Qi Building spell and occasionally used my own techniques to counter.
'Cut through everything!'
I slashed, parried, and dodged numerous spells, finding a sliver of an opening.
'Cut!'
My sword, in a swift motion, aimed at the mid-stage Qi Building young man.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Twenty-Second Move, Severing Mountain!
All twenty-one forms unleashed at once, exploding through my sword.
'Break through!'
Severing Mountain!
The final form, named for its power to even cut through mountains, surged towards the mid Qi Building man.
And then.
Kaang!
My sword broke.
Not just the sword, but the Sword Gang covering it shattered into pieces.
Was it a defensive spell?
No.
A counterattack?
No.
Did he use a magic artifact?
No.
The mid Qi Building young man was doing nothing.
Just emitting protective Gang Qi using Pure Spiritual Force, he looked at me as if I was a joke.
His mere presence was enough to repel the onslaught of Sword Gang from a Five Energies Converging to the Origin martial artist.
'...So this is a Qi Building cultivator...'
A novice who had just entered Qi Building could be dealt with using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts and other martial arts, risking life in a fight.
However, a cultivator who has truly experienced Qi Building and reached the mid-stage is an impossible opponent for a Five Energies Converging to the Origin martial artist.
Unlike Makli Yun-ryeon, who was nearly beaten to death by Kim Young Hoon, this young man is full of spiritual and physical strength.
'Ah, I see.'
I realized I have no chance against him.
Even facing Makli Wangshin in my past life was possible only because his strength had fallen from the third stage of Qi Building to the 4th Star of Qi Refining.
Anything beyond that is out of reach.
"Is this all you have? You insect."
Kwaang!
Immense Yin energy gathered in the young mans hand, forming a dragon claw.
The dragon claw struck me, sending me crashing down into the forest below.
"Kheuk...!"
If I hadn't instinctively released my strength and deployed a defensive spell, I would have died in one blow.
There was a clear difference in our levels.
"Cough... Cough..."
Struggling to rise, I spat blood, unable to move my legs.
I saw pieces of my intestines mixed in the coughed up blood.
It seems my intestines are ruptured.
"Cough... Cough... Kaha... Kahaha..."
I coughed up blood, looking up at the night sky covered in dark clouds.
The green-robed cultivator was already pressing Kim Young-hoon in combat.
'...I can't be more ashamed.'
Running away? Buying time?
I had been overwhelmed so easily, now lying helplessly.
Shameful, utterly shameful.
An unaccomplished life.
I never achieved anything, merely confirming that even the heavens have rejected me.
I barely reached the mid-stage of Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
After the 7th Star of Qi Refining, I only studied in theory, never reaching higher as the heavens forbid it.
Even my death, which I thought would be somewhat honorable, turned out to be a miserable end, treated like vermin.
"Pathetic. Cheungmun Clans martial artist of Five Energies Converging to the Origin is you? Daring to face a cultivator with just some lump of iron in your hand.
Even the little cultivation you have is only up to the 7th Star of Qi Refining... Pathetic and useless..."
The young man from Makli Clan clicked his tongue, forming a seal.
"Since you dared to kill a member of my clan, under the pretext of border invasion, I too will kill you under the same pretext..."
My body was lifted by his spell, crossing the border between Byeokra and Yanguo.
"Regret killing a great alchemist of my clan as you die like an insect."
He formed another seal.
I felt a bitter smile on my lips.
'An insect-like fate...'
True enough.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape this fate.
What could I do when even the heavens deny me?
No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to reach beyond.
I closed my eyes, waiting for death that was approaching.
An unfulfilled life.
The end of a tenacious life came just like that.
I thought it was my seventh return.
Kwaang!
An explosion sounded, and the binding spiritual power of the Makli Clan cultivator dispersed.
I opened my eyes and looked at the person who freed me.
A very familiar back.
"...Master...?"
My master, Cheongmun Ryeong, stood in front of me.
"How did you come here...?"
I asked in confusion, but Master didn't turn to me and replied shortly.
"Didn't you send a letter?"
"Yes...? But that should take at least three days to arrive..."
"Hmph! Three days? Youve always been slow, but is even your letter to your master slow? Before you left, I put a much better transmission talisman in your storage device."
Master sighed and waved his hand.
In his hand was my crumpled letter.
"Did you think I wouldnt know? You fool... I could tell your emotions just from your handwriting."
I thought I had written with maximum emotional restraint.
But it seems impossible to fool the eyes of my master.
"...My disciple. Why are you so frustrating to the end? I have conducted rituals and read the celestial omens with you countless times. I have read the celestial omens concerning you by myself hundreds of times. Did you think I wouldnt know that your end is near?"
"..."
"It seemed that you knew your life was coming to an end, so you sent the letter... But what is this? Did you come here wanting to die honorably? Did you really intend to fight and die without telling me anything?"
Master scolded me with a tone of anger.
I couldn't help shed tears.
Masters intent was a deep, dark blue.
The intent of sorrow.
Like the dark clouds covering the sky, his intent was also deeply colored with sorrow.
"...I'm sorry."
And then, I had to hear the words I least wanted to hear from my master.
"I failed you, I couldn't do anything for you..."
"...No, it's not your fault."
"I don't know how much time is left in your life, but still... shouldn't you say goodbye in front of your master?"
Master still didnt turn to me as he spoke.
Somehow, I knew why.
Master's voice was trembling.
"...Yes. I will do that."
Then, it happened.
Makli Jun chuckled and shouted at my master.
"Ha, your disciple crossed the border of Yanguo recklessly, so I have to deal with him. Step aside..."
"...You seem to be under a strange misunderstanding. It's not the Qi Refining cultivators who are forbidden to cross borders without permission, but the main forces of each clan, the Qi Building cultivators. Therefore, my disciple has no reason to be judged by you."
"Huh, that's interesting. Then, as a Qi Building cultivator from Byeokra, you are also currently standing in Yanguo's land, so you fall under judgment too?"
"...Yanguos land?"
Kugugugu-
Green spiritual energy began to swirl around Master.
"Young one, you are mistaken. The territories among cultivator clans are not clearly defined by mortal laws. It's not about the borders of Yanguo or Byeokra as defined by mortals. The territories are based on the dragon veins () flowing through each land.
The territories are marked based on the land where spiritual energy suitable for each cultivator clan flows. It's the countries of mortals that have been established under those territories. Not the other way around..."
Kugugugu!
Masters formation diagram spread around him.
Simultaneously, the nature of the energy around us changed.
Kugugugu!
'This is...'
The energy of the dragon vein is changing!
The original spiritual energy of this land was pushed out and started to recede!
"In other words, dragon veins are the proof of the territory of cultivator clans. So long as I maintain the dragon veins, this land is our territory. Now it's the opposite, you have invaded the land of Cheongmun, Byeok, and Gongmyo, the three clans of Byeokra.
Get lost! If you dare to disturb the last moments between me and my disciple, I will not forgive you!"
"Eek, Eeek...!"
Makli Jun formed a seal, trying to drive away the dragon veins summoned by Masters formation diagram.
However, whether it was due to the difference in skill and experience in handling spells and formations, his attempts to counter the formation were all thwarted.
"I will not allow...
Anyone to harm my disciple!"
***
"What nonsense! Regardless, you have invaded the land of Yanguo, belonging to Jin and Makli clans! I will personally judge you!"
"Judge..? How dare a mere child try to judge... Did I not tell you? As long as the dragon vein encompasses this area, it is the land of the Three Clans.
In terms of dragon veins, formations, and basic spells, there's no one in Byeokra, Yanguo, and Shengzhi who can match me, Cheongmun Ryeong. What do you know to speak so foolishly?"
"Ha! Nonsense... Well, Cheongmun Ryeong. I have heard of that name."
Makli Jun sneered as he continued.
"Among the Qi Building cultivators, there are three great figures: Makli Yun-ryeon in alchemy, Gongmyo Cheon-saek in artifact refining, and you, Cheongmun Ryeong, in formations and basic spells. I once researched who these revered individuals were.
I wondered how dare anyone compare themselves to our Yun-ryeon of the Makli clan. Gongmyo Cheon-saek may be a vulgar man, but his skills are undoubtedly strong.
As for you, you have trained for hundreds of years and yet are still at the early stage of Qi Building. Even that at the tail () and not the winnowing basket ()? How dull, stupid, and lazy must one be to not even fully reach the early stage of Qi Building?"
He laughed mockingly, revealing his murderous intent.
"Such a master, such a disciple. I heard that in the main house of Cheongmun Clan, there's a useless creature that just consumes food and does nothing, studying basic spells, understanding before breakthrough, sitting idly. That fool over there who sought teachings from such trash must be as stupid, dull, lazy, and as worthless as that trash.
This place is now the land of the Three Clans? Then if I kill you, the dragon vein will recede, and it will become our land again."
Kugugugugu!
Dark clouds writhed above his head.
Yin energy surged from him, coloring the surroundings.
I looked at those dark clouds.
Clouds blocking the sky.
The will of the heavens rejecting me.
"...Master."
"Speak."
"Disciple...has lived a life achieving nothing. It's shameful."
Master clenched his fist.
But he paused for a moment, as if to listen to what I had to say.
"But... Master. I know your strength. After clashing with that Qi Building cultivator this time, I am even more certain of it."
Staggering, I stood up and approached my master.
"Although you are at the early stage of Qi Building, I have realized that you can definitely defeat that man. Doesn't that mean... everything you have done has meaning? That the years of your efforts have value? Master. I feel that my life is nearly spent and I humbly ask you."
I knelt behind him and made my request.
"The teachings you have given me... all the hardships you have endured in your life, they have meaning... I wish to see it with my own eyes. Please make that rude man regret his words. You should not be subjected to such disrespect."
"...Alright."
Master finally turned around to face me.
He hugged me once and then held my hand.
Rough and calloused.
The skin of a life spent in hard training.
"Of course, I was planning to do so. My disciple."
Kuuuuu!
A cloud dragon descended upon us from the sky.
"Save your melodrama for after you're dead!"
Flash!
Boom!
As Master raised his hand, the cloud dragon exploded.
Master turned his back again and glared at Makli Jun, speaking.
"First, there are a few things in your nonsense that need correcting."
Kugugugugu!
Green spiritual energy once again burst forth from around Master.
Wood () element spiritual energy.
"First, as you said, I am indeed a dull, stupid, lazy trash. However...My disciple is not dull. The dull ones are those stupid fools who rely on their innate qualities and are lazy in their efforts."
The spiritual energy of wood moved, drawing a formation diagram around Master.
"Second, my disciple is not stupid. He may lack talent, but how could a stupid person learn martial arts and break through the cultivation barrier?"
The ground filled with green burst with light.
"Third, my disciple is not lazy. He practiced incantations until his throat was sore, practiced hand seals until his hands bled, and continuously practiced his unique swordplay amidst all this. He is definitely not lazy."
The green spiritual energy converged from various places, and sprouts of energy began to emerge from the ground.
Within a radius of 10 zhang (approximately 30 meters), Master's domain spread, with countless sprouts of spiritual energy bursting forth.
The darkness in the sky seemed to be pushed back by the light emerging from the earth.
"Fourth, my disciple is not trash. He has worked harder and respected me more than the naturally talented but undisciplined scions of the main family. If such a person is trash, then who in this world is not?"
"Ha, as if to prove you're not an insect, youre ardently defending your insect-like disciple."
"Fifth..."
Paaah!
Green trees of spiritual energy grew around Master.
A forest formed entirely of spiritual power emerged.
"You may dismiss me as an insect... But the Cheongmun Clan does not solely base its hierarchy on inherited bloodlines.
Cheongmun Clan venerates the Dao of Combat. Our ranks are determined by the Immortal Combat Meeting held every few years. Those with low ranks are pushed to the outer domains, while those with high ranks are granted the right to stay in the main house. And I... have been researching and developing techniques in the main house for nearly 150 years."
"So what? You're still just at the first stage Qi Building. I am at the second stage. With the assistance of the third stage Qi Building cultivator who is about to suppress that external elder from Jin Clan, you have no chance of winning!"
"Sixth."
Flash!
The forest of spiritual energy suddenly grew massive.
Kugugugugu!
"My lifetime of dedication to Understanding before BreakthroughThe teachings I have given my disciple...were never wrong!"
Countless trees combined to form a giant tree, reaching towards the sky.
"Disciple, I am an incapable master. Thus, I could neither do anything for you nor could I give you anything. But... the teachings I taught you, everything you've learned..."
Kuoooo!
Cloud dragons converged and roared towards the giant tree.
"That they were never wrong, that they were not meaningless... that's all I can show you.
Disciple... You and I.
We were never wrong."
Then, the giant tree began to move.
"Starting now, I'll prove it."
Kwagwagwagwa!
The branches of the giant tree extended.
Suddenly, thorny branches shot towards the sky, trapping the cloud dragons.
'Is this the principle of the Earthly Imprisonment Incantation? No, that's...'
I was shocked as I closely observed the giant tree.
It wasnt just a mass of spiritual energy.
Hundreds, thousands, millions, even billions of incantations and spells composed the giant tree.
Innumerable incantations and magical runes formed the giant tree.
And simultaneously, spells began to shoot from the giant tree.
Kwagwagwang!
A cascade of light surged.
Thousands of spells fired from the giant tree began to puncture holes in the sky.
The dark clouds tore apart, revealing the starry night sky.
"What is this..."
"Understanding before Breakthrough, Breakthrough followed by Understanding... Many talk about them as if they are equivalent... Breakthrough followed by Understanding sounds grand, but isn't it just a fancy way to describe relying on innate talent to easily ascend in realms?"
Makli Jun hastily employed spells and magical abilities.
Yin energy gathered, and rain began to fall.
But the giant tree radiated light.
My master, atop the giant tree, formed seals at an unseen speed and shouted,
"To reach ascendence through endless practice of incantations, spells, and hand seals. That, is Understanding before Breakthrough. Those who use spells relying solely on instinct, without any understanding. Compared to us who master all spells and ascend based on them, how can we be on the same level!!!"
The giant tree's spells clashed with the cloud dragon's magical abilities numerous times.
Each time, the air vibrated, and waves of spiritual energy swept through heaven and earth.
"When I ascend to a realm through Understanding before Breakthrough, I am confident to overpower anyone in the same realm!"
Each time the giant tree collided with the cloud dragon, the appearance of the giant tree began to change.
The tree gradually transformed into a human figure.
The wooden figure swung its arms.
The cloud dragons Yin energy descended from the sky.
Zzeeeong!
Whirlwinds howled, and the clouds formed circular ripples.
Makli Jun's cloud dragon was torn apart, and the wooden figure became more distinct.
The wooden figure, resembling Master's appearance, took the form of a towering giant.
Rooted deep in the earth, reaching towards the sky.
That, was Master.
Master was the giant tree.
Thump, thump...
AhIts beautiful.
At the same time, I felt my heart strangely pounding.
The day I was to die.
The time of my death was approaching.
"Can't I live?"
I hadn't fully grasped what Master was showing me.
How could it be time to die already?
It felt so unfair.
"Heaven above, you gave me nothing, and yet, why do you so cruelly take my life away..."
Thump, thump...
I suddenly realized my heart was exhibiting abnormal symptoms.
"Heart attack...!"
Though my body was injured in battle, it still had plenty of vitality.
My internal organs were slightly damaged but not fatally.
I wondered how the heavens would take my life.
It seems like it would be a sudden death.
"Is this how it ends?"
I tried to focus on Master's battle as my vision blurred.
"Master, this unworthy disciple..."
I felt indignant.
Master was fighting so hard for me.
And what about me?
A mere decree of fate.
Was I to leave without fully receiving Master's final gift because of that?
Can humans truly not defy their fate?
'No, it can't be!'
What about cultivation?
What about the elixirs made by the Makli Clan?
'Can I defy my fate with such elixirs...?'
I refused to accept it.
Even if it meant dying, I wanted to imprint this scene in my memory.
My master's final battle!
I channeled spiritual power into my hand.
The power that Qi Building cultivators call Pure Spiritual Force.
I pressed my hand, filled with force, against my heart, forcibly pushing the force into it.
"Ughhh!"
It was excruciating!
My heart felt like it was about to burst!
Yet, stimulated by the energy, my heart started beating again.
Thump, thump, thump...
"Heavens above, what will you do now? My heart beats again!"
I wouldn't die just yet!
Kugugugugu!
Suddenly, a tree behind me broke and fell towards me.
"Ugh..!"
Ignoring the pain in my heart, I rolled away, narrowly avoiding the tree.
Crash!
"...!"
As I touched the ground, a venomous snake emerged from a hole and bit my fingertips.
A powerful poison, judging by the snake's pattern.
"Is it fated that a dying man must die?"
Nonsense.
I won't die like this!
Shiiiek!
I manipulated my internal energy to expel the venom infiltrating my bloodstream, expelling it through my fingertips.
Thump, thump, thump!
And when heavens above couldn't kill me in several ways,
It stopped my heart again.
But I kept stimulating it with energy.
"My heart... will not obey..!"
Without the painful stimulation of energy, my heart would stop instantly.
But!
"Now is the time!"
Thump!
My heart beats.
On this day, at this time, at this moment!
I was supposed to be dead!
But!
"I am... alive!"
Forcibly stimulating my heart with energy!
Though I would die when my spiritual power is exhausted...
I am still, still alive for now.
"Heavens above... I am alive. Though I may die soon... I will embrace this moment!"
Despite the excruciating pain, I continued to watch Master's battle.
The giant tree increasingly resembled Master.
Finally.
Flash!
The tree completely transformed into Master's image.
"My formation is complete."
My giant tree akin master began to form seals.
Paaah!
The master-like tree, disproportionate in size, also formed seals at an astonishing speed.
Just like Master's usual speed.
Around the wooden giant, even larger spells began to appear.
"What, what is this... It's not over...!"
Kugugugugu!
Again, thousands of spells.
This time in an enlarged state, headed towards Makli Jun.
The cloud dragon he released was barely a match for the basic spells used by the wooden giant.
There was more.
Bright light flashed, and a formation diagram spread around the master resembling wooden giant.
The nearby mountain range fell within its influence.
"Isnt..Isnt this the formation range of a Core Formation cultivator?!"
"Activate!"
As Master formed a seal, so did the wooden giant.
Simultaneously, sprouts around it grew into trees.
Then, the trees combined, soaring into the sky.
The giant tree pierced the clouds.
"Disperse!"
With the massive force from the giant tree, it seemed to tear apart Makli Jun's dark clouds in a circular motion.
The beautiful starry night sky, hidden behind the clouds, was revealed.
"Conclude!"
Simultaneously, buds sprouted, flowers bloomed, and fruits formed on the ends of the branches of the giant tree.
The fruits shone like stars.
The little sprouts that had grown from the earth now shone like stars in the sky.
"Go!"
The fruits fell.
I knew.
Each of these fruits was a concentration of uncountable spells!
"Aah, aahhh..."
Makli Jun, with a stunned expression, watched the shower of fruits falling toward him, uttering incoherent sounds.
Kwagwagwang!!
A storm of light swept over.
A massive spherical explosion occurred, and that was the end.
Inside the explosion, there was no trace of Makli Jun, not even his clothes or belongings.
"Go!"
However, that wasn't the end.
The remaining fruits, floating gently, flew towards the late Qi Building cultivator of the Makli clan, who was fighting in the distance.
"What, what...!"
Kwaaaaang!
As Makli Goon made a gesture, a massive wave of green water rose, seemingly blocking the fruits.
But seizing the opportunity, Kim Young-hoon, who had flown towards him, unleashed a barrage of Gang Spheres.
"Ah, no..."
In an instant.
Kim Young-hoon's strand of Gang Qi pierced Makli Goon's heart, causing him to fall to the ground.
A few remaining fruits also fell towards where he lay.
Kwaaaaang!
Another massive explosion enveloped the area.
Thump, thump...
As Master's spell-formed body, towering high into the sky, began to crumble.
Thump, thump...
Simultaneously, I realized my spiritual power was nearly depleted.
"Just a little more... just a bit more..."
I had to bid farewell to Master.
Converting all my internal and spiritual energy into force, I forced my heart to keep beating.
My meridians tangled, and my body was in shambles, but even as I coughed up blood, I greeted Master.
Returning to the ground, Master looked pale.
"...I may have overexerted myself a bit. But I have shown you everything."
I saw his complexion and asked.
"You've depleted your vital energy."
"Hmph! I could have defeated that guy in a war of attrition, drying up his blood. Using the Wooden Man technique to its completion and then attempting a second transformation would have been enough to win comfortably. I only ended it quickly because it seems like you couldn't hold on much longer."
"Haha... Thank you, Master."
"..."
Thump, thump...
"...My disciple, you are my pride. The scions of the clan came to me for teachings, but not one of them could withstand my harsh words and critiques.
But you... you stubbornly stayed until the end and received all the teachings of my Understanding before Breakthrough..."
Master walked over to me, held my shoulder, and placed a hand on my forehead.
"This is all I can do for you. All I can give you is the knowledge you couldn't learn..."
Wooong!
Knowledge started flowing into my mind.
A technique to directly infuse knowledge into consciousness.
I received the spells Master just used and the Qi Building techniques he had mastered.
"It may seem useless to a disciple about to die... but this is my heart. If it's not a burden, take it."
"...Master's grace."
I smiled, stood up, and faced the dawn.
In the background, daybreak was coloring the sky.
Despite forcing my heart to beat, I survived a whole day longer than my fated lifespan!
However, this seem to be the end.
My internal and spiritual energy were all depleted.
This was it.
The morning sun shone over the mountains.
Thump...
Now truly the end.
'But as a disciple, I cannot end it like this.'
If I only receive from Master without even expressing gratitude, how can I be a true disciple!
Boom!
My internal energy was completely exhausted, but I punched my chest fiercely.
My chest bore the imprint of my fist.
With my punches, my heart was forced to beat again.
Boom, boom, boom!
'If I'm going to die, let it be more painful.'
Master, realizing what I was doing, trembled his lips, made a decision, and sat down in a meditative posture.
I prostrated before Master, who was sitting cross-legged.
Once, twice, thrice...
My heart stopped again, but I kept beating my chest to force it to beat.
Four, five, six times...
Drip, drip...
Why was it still dark blue around me even though the dark clouds had cleared?
Why was it still raining?
'Ah, it's not dark clouds.'
It was Master's sorrow and tears.
Seven, eight, nine times
I performed the nine prostrations.
The nine prostrations are not simply bowing nine times to ones master. They represent nine different ways of prostrating.
A tradition that originated in martial arts and became distorted.
But even if the tradition was distorted, it was insufficient to express my feelings.
What's important in a ritual is not its origin, but whether it suffices to express one's heart.
For the last time, once more.
After offering ten prostrations, I addressed Master with a hoarse voice.
"I have received immeasurable grace from Master. Thank you, and farewell."
"Go on then. Farewell."
Tears fell.
I thought they were from Master's face, but they were falling from my eyes as well.
"Rest, my beloved disciple."
With those final words, I closed my eyes.
As dawn painted the sky,
A master, having received his disciple's prostrations, shed tears over the now cold body of his disciple.
"You were the giant tree in my heart."
Initially, a bothersome little sprout,
But as ten, twenty years passed,
The sprout grew into a tree.
Growing and growing,
Becoming an irreplaceable giant tree,
A pillar supporting the heart of Cheongmun Ryeong.
But now, that giant tree was no more.
"Rest in peace."
A disciple who has strived all his life.
Cheongmun Ryeong wished for his disciple's posthumous peace, laying the body that had died while prostrating properly.
Cheongmun Ryeong took a seed from his pouch and placed it on the disciple's chest.
As he infused wood element spiritual energy into it, the seed began to react.
Paaah!
Kugugugugu!
The seed sprouted rapidly, covering the disciple's body, growing into a giant tree.
Soon, the tree grew so large that it surpassed any in the nearby forest, and only then did Cheongmun Ryeong withdraw his hand.
The tree was a quince tree.
Cheongmun Ryeong, caressing the tree that resembled his disciple, spoke.
"I will not forget you."
Whoosh!
As if the soul of Seo Eun-hyun was ascending, a strong wind blew from the base of the quince tree up into the heavens.
Cheongmun Ryeong looked up through the branches of the quince tree into the sky.
This was Seo Eun-hyun's seventh return.
***
I slowly opened my eyes.
My chest still ached.
Was it because of the heartache I experienced just before dying in my past life?
Or was it phantom pain from the fierce beating of the heart?
Or perhaps, it was the sorrow of never being able to see my master again, with whom I had formed a bond.
"I, your disciple, will etch Master in my heart."
Though separated forever by a separate timeline, our time together will not be forgotten.
After making this short vow,
I formed a hand seal.
There was not a speck of spiritual power in my body, but the hand seals, perfected through Understanding before Breakthrough, could be activated with just the faintest energy flowing inside me.
With a burst of energy,
As the hand seal was activated, the other companions around me, just about to wake up, fell back into sleep without me needing to do anything.
After using the hand seal, I felt a throbbing in my head.
"This sensation... something is wrong with my upper dantian..?"
It felt like something massive was crammed inside the upper dantian.
After a moment of contemplation, I realized what it was.
"My consciousness has reached the level of Qi Refining 7th Star..!"
Considering that the consciousness of a Five Energies Converging to the Origin martial artist is around the level of Qi Refining 3rd or 4th Star,
The size of my consciousness, having cultivated further to reach Qi Refining 7th Star, was about the size of Qi Refining 10th Star..
It was strange that my upper dantian remained intact, given that a consciousness of that size was compressed within it.
"It seems my body, not yet having undergone rejuvenation in the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, is struggling to cope with the upper dantian."
To address this pain, I dug up some yellow bamboo roots nearby to eat and immediately entered rejuvenation.
Once again, the Five Elements of heaven and earth energy flowed into my body, and I regained the Five Elements Spiritual Roots, grasping the qualities of a cultivator.
Only after undergoing the transformation and acquiring a body capable of withstanding the consciousness did the headache cease.
Simultaneously, the compressed consciousness in the upper dantian unfolded properly after reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin, revealing its form.
It was the same size as my consciousness in the previous life.
I felt a faint sense of nostalgia looking at it.
"Something else has been transmitted through time..."
At the same time, I grasped one of the laws of regression.
What regresses are only my soul and consciousness.
If the consciousness grows before regression, its size is maintained.
I first took my companions to a cave and kept them asleep with a sleep spell.
Then, I pondered about this life.
"Heavens do not permit me... What should I do?"
The main reason for becoming a cultivator was to investigate the Ascension Gate.
In my past life in the Cheugnmun Clan, I had used the clan's library to learn about the Ascension Gate.
The information wasn't much different from what I already knew...
Nevertheless, the Ascension Gate is a spatial rift that opens once every thousand years.
Once open, it gradually shrinks over six months before fully closing.
To withstand the spatial pressure inside the Ascension Gate, one must at least have the defensive power of a cultivator at the Heavenly Being realm.
Once the Ascension Gate closes, one must wait another thousand years to see it again.
A thousand years.
To wait that long, one needs at least the lifespan and power of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm.
That's why I decided to become a cultivator.
"Even if I master martial arts, it only maintains the peak conditions of the body, not extending life."
A fact I had verified in my past life.
However, I can't further my cultivation.
Then what should I do?
How should I do it?
Is there a way to find out?
Even though my master had imparted the knowledge of Qi Building and the latter stages of Qi Refining to me,
I could never surpass Qi Refining 7th star.
What am I supposed to do!
"I must try, at least once."
I clenched my teeth.
Yes, there's nothing I can do.
But the seniors of Heavenly Being will visit in a few days.
The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Black Ghost Valley, Heaven Creation Sect.
Furthermore, the Sea Dragon King and Hunchback Old Man.
I should plead with them.
Even if it means groveling, I should ask them for a way.
Clenching my teeth, I began to cultivate the Law-Transforming Dantian.
Equalize the five spiritual qualities and settle them in the dantian.
Then harmonize with the Yin-Yang energy to polish with the primordial chaos energy.
Perhaps because I had already achieved this state in my past life, I stayed awake for two nights and completed the Qi Gathering phase, creating the Law-Transformation dantian.
Now, I was ready to enter the 1st Star of Qi Refining at any time.
The day came.
Once again, the Grand Master of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the Elder of the Black Ghost Valley, and the Sect Leader of the Heaven Creation Sect three Heavenly Being cultivators descended upon us.
[There are four with spiritual roots, huh?]
The Grand Master of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Jin Byuk-ho, drew us in.
Heaven and earth energy naturally resonated, pulling me, Oh Hyun-seok, Jeon Myeong-hoon, and Kang Min-hee forward.
Once again, reactions similar to my previous life burst forth.
[The Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Body...! A legendary constitution!]
[Ghosts, Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root..!]
[Unique Holy Body! Hahaha, I can't stop laughing!]
Then, their gazes finally turned to me.
[Hm? At the stage of completing Qi Gathering. It looks like you are originally a cultivator... Oh? Look at this. The size of your consciousness is at the level of Qi Refining 10th star?]
Jin Byuk-ho exclaimed upon seeing the size of my consciousness.
Then, greed flickered in the eyes of the others again.
[Let's test the aptitude.]
At the same time, heaven and earth energy forcibly infiltrated my body, tearing through it.
Crack, crunch...!
"Argh...ugh!"
I gritted my teeth and endured his cruel aptitude test, and after a while, it was determined that I had the Five Elements Spiritual Roots.
As the five energies radiated brilliance, the three cultivators immediately showed disappointment.
[Tch, I had high expectations due to the unusual size of your consciousness for a Qi Gatherer...]
[This one seems unremarkable.]
[Hmm, but considering you have not activated any spiritual meridians and have just begun learning cultivation... That level of consciousness is not bad.]
Only Sir Chang-ho showed some liking towards the size of my consciousness.
If things continued this way, Sir Chang-ho would only give me a recommendation and leave.
I knelt on the spot and shouted loudly.
"I greet the great seniors of Immortal Cultivation! I have forced open the divine consciousness by reaching the Five Energies Converging to the Origin through martial arts and have longed to become a cultivator! Please show mercy to this lowly one and accept me as a disciple!"
Whoosh!
I swung my Gang Qi-imbued arm in the air to demonstrate my worth.
"I can also handle the Pure Spiritual Force used by Qi Building cultivators. My combat power is above Qi Refining 14th Star, less than Qi Building. If you take me, you'll gain the strength of a Qi Refining 14th Star immediately!
Please grant me this opportunity, seniors!"
[Hmm...]
[Five Energies Converging to the Origin... there certainly was such a thing...]
Jin Byuk-ho and White Bone Ghost Devil of the Black Ghost Valley appeared indifferent, while Sir Chang-ho of the Heavenly Creation Sect showed significant interest.
"Oh, you speak the language of Byeokra. Are you from there?"
He asked me in his native language instead of through consciousness, and I responded likewise.
"...You could say that."
"I have a branch family in Byeokra..."
However, he seemed uninterested in me beyond a recommendation.
I asked with gritted teeth.
"Why won't you give me a chance! You won't regret taking me!"
"Hmm... If it wasn't the time for the Ascension Gate to open, and you had come to the Heaven Creation Sect, or even to the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect or the Black Ghost Valley, you would have been good enough to be an inner disciple. But now it's different.
We are already planning to promote our most important members in the sect during ascension, and every additional person increases our burden exponentially. These individuals have legendary, almost mythical qualities like the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Body, Ghostly Yin Transformation Immortal Root, and Unique Holy Body, which is why we are willing to bear that burden."
So, my qualities are not enough to take me with them.
I looked at the three Heavenly Being cultivators and asked.
"Then, may I ask one thing?"
[You dare, treating us as if we're free to indulge you!]
Crash!
Jin Byuk-ho roared angrily, and a bolt of lightning fell from the sky.
Boom!
"Argh...!"
I was struck by lightning, screaming in agony.
It felt like my body was burning in flames.
'Am I, dying...'
"What a nasty temper."
Whoosh-
Sir Chang-ho flicked his finger, and wood element spiritual energy enveloped me with healing power.
I was quickly healed from the electrical damage.
"Cough...! Hah...!"
[Heh, taking care of your fellow countryman, are you?]
"You're all too quick-tempered. This junior might have something interesting to ask. It's too much to strike with lightning just for speaking."
Sir Chang-ho commented, clicking his tongue.
Trusting Sir Chang-ho, I decided to ask my question, even at the risk of dying.
"Seniors, if you have no intention of taking me, could you kindly advise how one might surmount the barriers of the heavens themselves forbidding the path of Immortal Cultivation?
I aim to reach Qi Refining 7th rank and perform the Seven Stars Ritual, but what should I do if dark clouds arise in the sky every time, blocking the heaven and earth spiritual energy?"
White Bone Ghost Devil frowned at my question and pointed at me.
Pop!
Simultaneously, both my arms burst open.
[Chang-ho indulged you, and now you overstep your bounds. Do you really think you have the right to speak to us?]
"Jeez, if you don't know, just say you don't. Crazy, I tell you."
Sir Chang-ho clicked his tongue and restored my arms.
White Bone Ghost Devil pulled Kang Min-hee close to them, looking too annoyed to bother with me anymore, and floated into the sky.
[Hmm, the phenomenon of Heavenly Rejection. I recall reading about it in the sect's archives.]
Jin Byuk-ho seemed somewhat interested in my question and pondered briefly before answering.
[As far as I know, the ritual will break if someone else helps, so you should push away the anomalies of the Heavenly Rejection phenomenon yourself.]
"Hahaha, look at his face sinking. Well, it's not helpful advice, is it? How is a Qi Refining cultivator supposed to fend off the Heavenly Rejection phenomenon with their own power? Even a three-year-old could give that answer!"
[...Tch, what can I do? He's annoying! I'm leaving!]
Crash!
Boom!
Jin Byuk-ho, frustrated, struck me with lightning again before floating away.
"Argh!"
Once again, I felt my body burning in pain, but Sir Chang-ho's healing technique barely saved my life.
"...Thank you, Sir Chang-ho, sect leader of the Heaven Creation Sect and Cheongmun Clan."
"It's nothing. Tch... When you reach Heavenly Being, everyone's character becomes a bit off, so just bear with it. For now, I'll give you a recommendation for the Cheongmun Clan. With your consciousness, you would have been welcomed anywhere before the Ascension Gate opened, but it's a shame."
I still bowed deeply before him and said.
"Thank you for your words, but I plan to continue appealing to the many seniors passing through the Ascension Gate during this period."
"Hm? Even if you appeal, everyone else is busy taking their most important members and future talents with them. You won't find anyone to take care of you."
"But... aren't there some who go alone, without a faction? I heard of one person with a hunchback and controls puppets, having no faction..."
Sir Chang-ho frowned at my words.
[What! You're going to appeal to the Mad Lord, that lunatic!]
He exclaimed through consciousness, not vocal.
Hearing this, Jin Byuk-ho and White Bone Ghost Devil, who were preparing to leave, looked back down.
[The Mad Lord? Why is that crazy old man's title coming up?]
[Why are you bringing up that spine-chilling lunatic?]
'Uh...?'
Their reactions were not good, even drawing the two cultivators back.
Jin Byuk-ho's face was turning red with anger.
[You... you're not planning to appeal to that crazy Mad Lord, are you!?]
"Yes...?"
I questioned in surprise, recalling how he had been friendly when he learned I was a martial artist who reached Five Energies Converging to the Origin in my past life, even gifting me the Hidden Consciousness Technique.
White Bone Ghost Devil also sternly advised me with a hardened face.
[You know about the Mad Lord, but do you not know what kind of person he is? He might seem sane at times, but he frequently suffers from madness and bouts of insanity. He's more terrifying and spine-chilling than any devil arts cultivator or clan.
You might have read some sane records about him, but he is mostly insane, so do not engage with him!]
Sir Chang-ho also spoke to me with a face full of concern.
"Didnt you say you were a martial artist of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin? The Mad Lord's peculiar obsession with martial artists is well-known. Wasnt his young lover a martial artist from the Five Energies Converging to the Origin? Ever since her death, that madman became notorious for capturing martial artists and transforming them into puppet-like creatures.
I advise you not to approach him! If caught by the Mad Lord, you could be transformed into a living puppet!"
"..."
He shook his head in dismay and sighed.
"Anyway, if you dont want to throw your life away, not only should you avoid speaking to him, but also hide immediately if he appears to avoid being detected! Remember my words! Forget about unnecessary thoughts and take this recommendation letter to the Cheongmun Clan."
I numbly received the recommendation letter from Sir Chang-ho, who repeatedly warned me against encountering the hunchback old man, the Mad Lord, before leaving.
'...Whats the deal with him?'
I recalled the seemingly sane hunchback old man, feeling deep conflict within.
'No, before that...'
I pondered, looking at Manager Kim Yeon, who seemed puzzled by my conversation with the cultivators in the language of Byeokra.
'I should do something about Manager Kim...'
If what they said was true, it wouldnt be good for Manager Kim Yeon to be caught by the Mad Lord.
'But even if I intervene, Manager Kim will awaken that vast consciousness, and the Mad Lord will come for her...'
Having properly learned cultivation, I now understood the status and ability of Heavenly Being cultivators.
Just their thoughts could naturally resonate with heaven and earth spiritual energy.
How could I possibly contend with such monsters?
Not figuratively, they could literally turn a country to dust in a single blow.
Amidst worry and anxiety.
Once again, Deputy Manager Oh Hye-seo awakened the power of calling wind and rain..
Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol, sensing the origin of her power, came to take her.
I kneeled before Seo Hweol and asked a question.
"I, a mere mortal, wish to ask a question to Lord Sea Dragon King. Please graciously accept my inquiry..."
[Hmm, go ahead.]
"Do you, Lord Sea Dragon King, know of a cultivator called the Mad Lord?"
Upon hearing this, Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol, who had never lost his solemn and dignified expression, suddenly contorted his face.
[That damn lunatic... Ahem. Why do you ask about that madman?]
"..."
It is now clear.
The hunchback old man.
The Mad Lord is indeed a madman feared by all.
'To see such a reaction from the composed Sea Dragon King...'
"...I wish to know why everyone dislikes the Mad Lord."
[Drop the honorifics for that bastard. That madman has a very perverse sexual desire, using his puppets for it. Although most Heavenly Being cultivators have some mental issues after living for thousands of years...
The Mad Lord is one who's sane in just one aspect, and insane in all others. Never engage or converse with him! He usually captures those who speak with him, transforming them into living puppets.]
"..."
I was speechless, my face blank with shock.
I also realized how lucky I had been so far.
'No, was it because he was very pleased to take Manager Kim Yeon as his disciple..?'
Indeed, other individuals, despite their ferocious nature, left us alone, but...
The Mad Lord always tried to kill me and Kim Young-hoon, persisting only because Manager Kim stopped him.
'Every time, we would have died if Manager Kim hadnt intervened.'
Thinking more about it, he was indeed a madman.
To leave Manager Kim to such a madman would be too cruel.
Thump!
I kneeled before the Sea Dragon King and begged.
"Please, Lord Sea Dragon King...kindly accept this woman, Kim Yeon, as your disciple or kin..!"
[...What? Why should I do that?]
Seo Hweol, who seemed agitated by the mention of the Mad Lord, returned to his usual demeanor and questioned me.
I explained everything to him.
We are beings from another world, each having gained unique abilities upon coming to this world.
Manager Kim Yeon is soon to awaken a consciousness surpassing even Heavenly Being cultivators.
That the Mad Lord covets her talents, likely to take her as his disciple.
[Hmm... Hearing your situation, it's quite pitiable. Caught in the eyes of the Mad Lord...]
However, Lord Sea Dragon King seemed more moved by the Mad Lord's interest in Manager Kim than by our sudden arrival from another world.
[But how do you know all this?]
"...This is the ability I have gained."
[Hmm, something like a prophecy? I refuse if youre asking to be taken too. Those who have reached a certain realm have a sense of fate and know roughly about the future. Prophetic abilities are the most useless.]
"...I do not mind. Please, I beseech Lord Sea Dragon King to take her."
[Hmm...]
Seo Hweol seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.
[It's a big burden for me to take another person. Taking this girl is already a huge burden, but I'm willing because her abilities will be a tremendous help to my race...
But to take another one...]
"..."
[However, I'm too worried about what might happen to her with the Mad Lord, and if what you say is true, her consciousness might indeed be useful...]
He looked at me narrowly, pondering.
[...What if what you said is a lie? If that girl doesnt awaken any abilities, she's unappealing to me...]
"If Lord Sea Dragon King believes I have lied, then you may devour me. According to my ability, she will awaken her power within today, so just wait until then."
[Hmm...]
After a moment of thought, he slowly nodded.
[If her ability is a lie, Ill just leave her near the Ascension Gate. The Mad Lord wont be interested in her anyway. But... the Mad Lords power is so immense that if he notices her awakening, it might be hard even for me to contend...]
"...!"
[If her ability is as you say, it could be very helpful, so I'll keep an eye on it.]
"Thank you, Lord Sea Dragon King!"
After speaking, Sea Dragon King approached Manager Kim Yeon and grasped her wrist too.
Kim Yeon, unaware of what was happening, struggled in surprise.
[Hmm, quite rebellious. Sleep for a while.]
Whoosh-
A gentle wave of consciousness from Sea Dragon King put Kim Yeon, Kim Young-hoon, and Oh Hye-seo to sleep.
[...I ended up talking more than expected. Since fate has brought us here, I cant take you, but I can let you out of the Ascension Path. How about it?]
Whoosh-
Sea Dragon King flicked his finger, and a spatial rift opened inside the cave, revealing a dark entrance.
'...Well, if Manager Kim goes with Sea Dragon King, there's no reason for the Mad Lord to come here...'
After thinking for a moment, I approached the sleeping Kim Young-hoon.
Then, I formed a hand seal.
My consciousness connected with his upper dantian.
I touched his forehead and used the same technique my master had passed down in my previous life.
Knowledge of Yanguo, Byeokra, and a bit of Shengzis language seeped into Kim Young-hoons mind.
Along with the Severing Vein Saber Method, Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, and various martial arts.
Also, the Record of Surpassing Path and Martial Arts, Record of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, and other techniques accumulated by Kim Young-hoon in my past life.
'...In this life, I hope you, Kim Hyung, wont face danger because of me.'
Lastly, I imparted the cruel deeds of the Makli Clan and the information that killing Emperor Makli Jung would reduce their atrocities.
If Kim Young-hoon kills Emperor Makli Jung, the Jin Clan wouldnt uselessly operate assassination squads.
Thus, my disciples would naturally return to being ordinary people under the Jin Clan.
After imparting knowledge to Kim Young-hoon, I placed him into the spatial rift.
"Goodbye, Kim Hyung."
I might not see him again in this life.
[Ho, aren't you going?]
"...No."
I breathed in the air of Ascension Path
Outside the Ascension Gate, the heaven and earth spiritual energy here was denser than in Yanguo and Byeokra.
Even if I went outside, I wouldn't be able to break through Qi Refining 7th star.
Therefore, in this life, I will train within Ascension Path, amidst this dense spiritual energy.
I will continuously perform rituals for the heavens.
Sincerity can move the heavens.
'...Will the insights and techniques my master imparted upon me become meaningless?'
If the heavens forbid,
Until the heavens grow weary or insane,
I will devote this life to earning heavens' permission.
The Ascension Path has much denser spiritual energy, so there might be a different possibility.
"I wish to remain in the Ascension Path."
[Hmm... You intend to cultivate within the spiritual energy of Ascension Path? Not a bad idea. However, this place is difficult to enter for anyone below the level of Nascent Soul. Heavenly Being cultivators have already taken all living creatures above Qi Building and Core Formation as materials... If you train here, you'll spend decades in immense solitude.]
"...I am prepared for that."
[Well, if that's the case, there's nothing I can do. I wish you luck.]
Seo Hweol nodded and closed the spatial rift. Holding Kim Yeon and Oh Hye-seo, he then stepped outside the cave.
Flash!
A blue light enveloped my vision, and soon, a blue dragon was seen soaring into the sky.
I stepped out of the cave and looked up at the heavens.
In this life, I will continuously seek the heavens' permission from within Ascension Path.
If I devote fifty years to constant rituals, even the heavens will not dare to deny me!
'Master, your disciple...'
I will ensure the knowledge you imparted does not go to waste!
With this vow for my current life, I gazed at the sky.
***