Kwaduk...
I grip the remaining podao.
Having used up 19 podao to erase the projections of the Seven Esteemed Ones Of An Era, I now only have three left.
Since Jang Ik's podao specializes in 'destruction' itself, it seemed there was nothing better for sweeping away the Esteemed Ones in large numbers.
Kuung!
Meanwhile, the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress has now reached Heavenly Lotus Mountain.
Fortunately, at least five Esteemed Ones have been swept away.
Since Jang Ik's podao attacks through the Plane of Soul, once it 'recognizes' a target, the attack itself sends a shock to their main body.
Even though I only struck their projections, the main bodies will probably need several years just to focus on recovering from the damage.
I look toward the remaining Esteemed Ones.
There's Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, the vanguard of the Blood Yin Realm.
And the most powerful of the Blood Yin Realm, Esteemed One Gyu Cheon.
'Of all the ones left, of course, it's the most troublesome ones.'
I gaze at Esteemed One Swae Ryeong.
A red giant with coral sprouting all over its body.
Blink!
The red giant's body is covered in what seems like countless eyeballs staring at me.
Just like the last time I faced Esteemed Ones, reading intent isn't easy.
Back then, I thought it was just the peculiar grotesque nature of the creatures from the Blood Yin Realm, but now that I've reached this realm, I can tell.
'It's not a characteristic of the Blood Yin Realm beings, but rather a trait of those at the level of Esteemed One or above.'
Kuung!
Esteemed One Swae Ryeong suddenly sits down on the spot.
Then, sitting crossed-legged, they begin to form hand seals.
'They're using their strength!'
To prepare for the Blood Yin Realm's invasion, the Bright Cold Realm has documented all the appearances, names, and abilities of the Blood Yin Realm's Esteemed Ones.
This is because, unlike the other Middle Realms whose Esteemed Ones all went to the Lightning Sacred Sea, only the Blood Yin Realm retains its Esteemed Ones.
As a result, anyone of the Grand Cultivator level or higher is provided with information about the Blood Yin Realm's Esteemed Ones.
Esteemed One Swae Ryeong's abilities involve curses, heart demons, and environmental control.
Curses, heart demons, and environmental control aren't particularly scary.
What's most terrifying about that Esteemed One is their God-Invoking (降神) ability!
Esteemed One Swae Ryeong is famous for summoning and commanding the power of the Blood Yin Realm itself.
Kuguguguk!
From where Swae Ryeong sits, red coral begins to sprout everywhere.
Ooooooo—
Negative forces gather around him, and countless Heart Heavenly Demons begin to emerge.
As they revolve around Swae Ryeong, they start to form some kind of ritual formation.
If that formation is completed, a portion of the Blood Yin itself will descend upon Swae Ryeong, granting them their authority.
'I just have to stop it in the middle, but the real problem is...'
I glance toward Gyu Cheon, who's glaring at me.
Though they haven't rushed toward me after seeing I still have Jang Ik's podao, if I try to charge at Swae Ryeong, they seem ready to attack at any moment.
The Yellow Dragon Race is already infamous for its strength.
And this Yellow Dragon has even mastered sinister devilish arts to become an Esteemed One of the Blood Yin Realm.
'They're a monster that can't be compared to something like Yuk Rin...'
Even though they're only projections, perhaps due to the support from the Blood Yin Realm, both of their presences are as intense as their main bodies.
'Can I do this?'
I have to face two Esteemed Ones.
I sharpen my mind to the extreme.
'I can do it.'
No, I must do it.
Dudududududududu!
My entire body begins to expand again.
I become a giant of starlight with 21 heads.
Gyu Cheon and Swae Ryeong, even as they watch this, don't seem overly wary.
Their attention is still focused on Jang Ik's podao.
'Do they still not consider me worth paying attention to?'
I'll make you pay attention.
Wriggle, Squirm, Wriggle!
[Kuaaaaaah!]
Eyes begin to sprout all over my body.
Just like Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, who is covered in coral and eyes, flags and eyes begin to sprout from my own body.
The eyes bulge, nervously watching me, while the flags emit continuous screams of agony.
The Extinguishing Realm Demonic Curse Banner sprouts from my entire body, spreading a vicious aura around me.
Kiyaaahhh!
Kyaaaaah!
Huaaahhh!!!
As horrifying ghostly wails erupt, half of the Heart Heavenly Demons that have sprung up around Esteemed One Swae Ryeong seem to flee from my presence.
The other half seem like they want to escape as well, but appear to be bound to Swae Ryeong through some kind of sorcery, unable to flee.
Sensing the aura of my curses and pain, the gazes of Swae Ryeong and Gyu Cheon change.
Although I can't read their intent, I can sense their emotions from their eyes.
Shock.
'They're only shocked, huh?'
I'll turn that into tension.
I draw out the power of my Immortal Beast True Blood.
Chiii—
The mist of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections billows faintly around me.
The strength of my body expands even further.
Now that I've exhausted most of Jang Ik's podaos, it's time to face these two Esteemed Ones purely with what I've accumulated.
I will face them with everything I've accumulated through the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, the Earth Axis, and Understanding before Breakthrough!
I draw forth Nether Perception, Earth Perception, Star Vein Eye, and the Heaven, Earth, and Heart vision of the three planes into my vision.
Though I cannot unleash the Three Great Ultimates due to a lack of harmony in my cultivation, the puppet circuit covers my entire body.
It is no longer the circuit of 'General Seo.'
Now, the circuit of General Seo from the Four-Axis stage is insufficient to amplify my strength.
The circuit engraved in me is the one I've been digging up for a long time from [Her].
Since I've analyzed [Her] while fighting, modifying my entire body like [Her] in an instant is no issue.
As Heaven, Earth, Heart, and Puppet wraps around me, an overwhelming force begins to explode from within my body.
Only now do I see 'wariness' flash in the eyes of Gyu Cheon and Swae Ryeong.
I draw out the Colorless Glass Swords.
Each one is an out-of-standard dharma treasure of the Four-Axis stage.
Tststststststtt!
Three thousand Colorless Glass Swords begin to combine.
Three thousand become three hundred.
The out-of-standard dharma treasures condense into peak Four-Axis dharma treasures.
Three hundred become thirty.
The peak Four-Axis dharma treasures become true Refining Void Dharma Treasures at the Integration level.
Thirty become three.
The Integration-level dharma treasures merge into dharma treasures at the Grand Perfection Integration level.
The three completely fuse into one.
The Grand Perfection Integration-level dharma treasures evolve into something beyond the Integration stage.
Thus, the All-Heavens Sword is completed!
Wiiing!
I grip the Colorless Glass Sword as my forty-two eyes gleam with light.
'I've rarely relied on dharma treasures up until now.'
Up until this point, the Colorless Glass Sword was honestly just tempered glass through Dan Fire.
So rather than drawing on the power of the Colorless Glass Sword, I always used it to 'enhance' my Formless Sword or All-Heavens Sword in battle, which actually diminished my concentration.
But now, things are different.
Flash!
The Colorless Glass Sword, blossoming into the form of All-Heavens, begins to shine brightly.
It feels as though I can sense the breath of her from the 10th cycle.
The Colorless Glass Sword has three forms.
The first form, 'Color' gives the sword the ability to change its energy.
The second form, 'Natural,' enables the sword's energy to link with mine.
And the final form, 'All Heavens,' allows the sword to convert my emotions directly into power.
The 'All Heavens' form of the Colorless Glass Sword becomes enveloped by the All-Heavens Sword.
The Colorless Glass Sword, now a Refining Void Dharma Treasure and completely fused with my heart essence, overlaps with the All-Heavens Sword.
Dududududu!
'So is this...the Colorless Glass Sword?'
After countless years, I finally feel the full power of the Colorless Glass Sword in my hands.
For the first time since acquiring it, I draw out 100% of the All-Heavens Sword's power, smiling.
It feels as though I'm holding a star in my hand.
The sword pressure flowing from my blade does not fall short of the overwhelming presence of Sacred Master Baek Woon's Within Heavens Star.
'Thank you.'
To the you of the 10th cycle.
The pure white light of the All-Heavens Sword, amplified by the Colorless Glass Sword, shoots from my right hand, forming a pillar that connects Heaven and Earth.
I can see the wariness growing in the eyes of Gyu Cheon and Swae Ryeong.
But this isn't the end.
From within my domain, I pull out 'another sword.'
A pure white sword body.
A replica of an Immortal Treasure, made of Salt Crystal.
Reforming Calendar!
A part of the South Polar Compass which is a clone and imitation of the Immortal Treasure Yeung Seung, the Southern Polar Ritual Treasure!
This is a tool I've always felt uneasy about, not disappearing even after my return.
But this is not the time to feel uneasy or anything else.
With the Reforming Calendar Sword in my left hand and the All-Heavens Sword in my right, I assume a dual-sword stance, continuously drawing out the potential of both swords.
The power erupting from Reforming Calendar is no less than the All-Heavens Sword.
And finally.
I see tension filling in the eyes of the two Esteemed Ones.
Our gazes clash.
Immediately, I charge toward the two Esteemed Ones.
'Quick, activate Yeon's Play!'
Mad Lord, and Kim Yeon!
Kugugugugung!
The sky roars.
Chwaaak!
"Heok...hah..."
Kim Young-hoon, his entire body drenched in cold sweat, swings his sword at something in the air.
Thud!
But with that, he collapses on the spot.
He has succeeded in cutting down the Heart Demons that had tormented him.
But now he is so drained that he cannot even move.
"...Damn it."
Bang!
He slams his fist into the ground.
His hands tremble.
The realm Seo Eun-hyun named Void Shattering.
Kim Yong-hoon has tirelessly strived to reach that realm.
But this is a realm that's not easily grasped.
Even after reaching the peak of Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion, it remains the same.
He has not even a clue how others reached that realm.
He knows it isn't something that can be achieved through mere effort.
It requires the will to burn oneself to the point of destruction.
But...
'How am I supposed to do that!?'
He must return.
However, to rise beyond this stage, he needs to embody emptiness.
And he cannot embody emptiness without forgetting everything precious to him.
'Are you telling me to abandon the reason I practice martial arts!?'
Kim Young-hoon is an ordinary person.
He led an ordinary school life, completed ordinary military service, graduated from an average university in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and dedicated his life working for an average company.
He met Oh Ye-rin, the daughter of one of the company's board of directors, Oh Young-cheol, and got married, living an ordinary married life.
Sometimes they argued, sometimes they were harmonious, and sometimes they were happy together. They had an ordinary married life.
They were ordinary days.
He was a man who had lived an ordinary life his whole life.
And he was someone who had devoted everything to protect that ordinariness.
Kim Young-hoon is the head of his family.
"How!? Can you tell me to give up!?"
He pounds the floor of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress and shouts.
With trembling hands, he picks up his blade.
"I can't...give up."
Seo Eun-hyun suggested embracing connections, but Kim Young-hoon refused.
Because it isn't his own enlightenment.
He can't accept everyone like Seo Eun-hyun, with his wide-open heart.
He isn't tenacious like Jeon Myeong-hoon, who relentlessly pursues a single goal to the breaking point.
He isn't smart like Kang Min-hee, who can solve problems easily.
He isn't physically strong like Oh Hyun-seok either.
He doesn't have impressive specs like Kim Yeon.
And he isn't quick-witted like Oh Hye-seo.
Because of that, he earnestly hopes to gather with everyone.
To return home.
As he watches the battle between Seo Eun-hyun and the two Esteemed Ones, one that even the phrase 'shaking Heaven and Earth' is insufficient to describe, he can tell.
Seo Eun-hyun is being pushed back.
The corrupted Yellow Dragon Gyu Cheon is too strong.
If it were a one-on-one fight, Seo Eun-hyun might have had the upper hand, but the two-on-one situation is driving Seo Eun-hyun into a corner.
If it continues like this, Seo Eun-hyun will be defeated, and they will all be annihilated.
Of course, Kim Young-hoon is confident that he can survive.
The Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, and the Surpassing Radiant Saber.
Because they are martial arts so perfect for escaping.
But he cannot do that.
"I...cannot...give up..."
His family, and his comrades who are like family.
He cannot give up a single one because he, too, has come to deeply understand the preciousness of these connections.
Clink!
He grabs his saber and stands up, tears streaming down his face.
Then, he begins to focus his mind on all the martial arts he has accumulated.
He cannot give up either side.
But he also cannot sit down and cry forever.
Because he is an adult.
'I don't know how Seo Eun-hyun did it!'
In any case, it's impossible to easily understand someone else's realization!
So, he'll use his own method.
'I will reach the next realm with my own way!'
Paaaaatt!
The countless connections in Kim Young-hoon's mind begin to disappear.
He momentarily focuses all his attention inward to his saber.
Everything in this world vanishes except for his Martial Arts.
He embodies the emptiness in his heart and his eyes shine.
'There's no need for later or tomorrow. Now!'
Paaaaatt!
Golden radiance begins to burst forth.
'Now! Right this moment! I must reach it!!!'
Beneath the red sky.
A golden sun rises.
Surpassing Radiant Genesis Form.
Second Style.
Golden Dawn Unfolds (金曉爲開)!
[TL/N: The '曉/dawn' also means to know, to understand.]
The golden dawn opens.
Kim Young-hoon's body ignites.
Golden radiance blazes from his entire being.
In that instant.
Though it is only a single moment, he enters emptiness.
His plane rises.
'Is this...the world you see?'
With that final thought, the existence known as Kim Young-hoon disappears from the world.
What remains is a single, sharp golden radiance!
The flash of light (閃光) cleaves through the red coral giant that had been channeling the power of Blood Yin to strike Seo Eun-hyun!
[——————!]
An immense scream envelops the area.
Pasasasa—
Beyond the back of the coral giant, Kim Young-hoon reappears amidst the scattering golden light.
'Are you watching, Seo Eun-hyun?'
He thrusts his fist forward, watching Seo Eun-hyun, who is now engaged in a one-on-one battle with the Yellow Dragon.
'I, too, have taken a step forward.'
With that thought, Kim Young-hoon faints.
Kurururung!
I glance down as I confront Gyu Cheon, who is pressing me down with overwhelming force.
'I've always believed.'
It seems he has finally found his own answer, taking one step forward.
Though he hasn't fully established his enlightenment and completely entered the realm, he's clearly grasped the concept.
Now, the only thing left is my side.
I look at Gyu Cheon, who fights me on equal footing, and smile with all 21 mouths.
[What will you do now? The one breaking my curses is gone.]
[...]
I smirk as I see the fallen Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, who had been twisting the curses of my Extinguishing Realm Demonic Curse Banner and moving it elsewhere.
Wriggle!
The Extinguishing Realm Demonic Curse Banner embedded all over my body begins to squirm.
At the same time.
Kiyaaaaaa!
The screaming banners use the opening I made by approaching Gyu Cheon to pierce into their Inner Star.
Bulge!
Gyu Cheon's eyes widen.
[This will sting a bit.]
In the next moment, Gyu Cheon's eyes roll back.
Try to endure it.
This is the Extinguishing Realm Demonic Curse Banner that even tore apart Sacred Master Baek Woon's mind!
I madly begin thrusting the banners embedded in my body into Gyu Cheon.
Blood gushes from Gyu Cheon's seven orifices.
But as expected of an Esteemed One, though their body writhes in pain, they do not succumb to suicide or death from the agony.
But they cannot move.
That alone is enough.
I grin, holding Reforming Calendar and All-Heavens Sword in my hand.
[Vanish, specter of the Yellow Dragon Race!]
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Ultimate Move.
Severing Mountain!
The 22nd move is unleashed through the two divine swords, severing Gyu Cheon's bones and flesh.
Though they are merely a projection, it does not matter.
I cut through both their soul and flesh through the Plane of Soul.
Once recognized, no matter where their main body is, it will be cut.
That is the attack of the Heart Tribe that has reached Void Shattering!
My sword strike travels through the Plane of Soul, all the way to where Gyu Cheon's main body lies.
If I can identify the main body, I can cut it no matter what!
Shortly after, Gyu Cheon's projection is completely torn apart and vanishes.
I turn all 21 heads 180 degrees and look back at Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, who took a hit from Kim Young-hoon.
'A long ill-fated connection.'
From Su In and Hong Yeon, to the many connections formed in the True Devil Realm.
The countless people who died at the hands of Esteemed One Swae Ryeong...
'It's time to end this.'
Remembering them, I grip Reforming Calendar and the All-Heavens Sword and leap towards the Swae Ryeong.
Jjeong!
With my strike, the entire Heavenly Lotus Mountain trembles.
Esteemed One Swae Ryeong, who had briefly lost consciousness due to Kim Young-hoon's attack, fully loses consciousness under my blow.
Or so I thought.
[...!]
I take a step back, trembling at the vicious sense of intimidation emanating from Esteemed One Swae Ryeong's projection.
:: Do not interfere. ::
Bzzzzzz!
My mind goes blank.
In the next moment, I feel a sudden dizziness from Blood Yin's authority that Esteemed One Swae Ryeong invoked at the last moment.
Kurururung!
Red lightning crashes from the sky.
It's not Jeon Myeong-hoon's lightning—it's a sign that Blood Yin's authority is gradually taking control of the world.
Kuarung, Kurururung!
Seven streaks of blood lightning strike the ground.
At the same time, dimensional gates begin to open at the points where the blood lightning struck.
[Ha, ha...]
The Blood Yin Realm Seven Esteemed Ones Of An Era.
Their main bodies are beginning to be summoned.
I swing my sword to shatter the dimensional gates, but it's useless.
As if the authority of Blood Yin is protecting them, my sword doesn't even cause a budge.
Judging by the weakened aura I feel, it seems they've been shaken by Jang Ik's podao and my earlier attack.
But even if we fight while accounting for the fatal wounds, the combined strength of those seven...
'Around three Esteemed Ones...'
Perhaps there's considerable resistance crossing the dimensional gates because they are Esteemed Ones, as the summoning process is slow.
However, that's not the problem right now.
The reason my head felt dizzy just moments ago,
'Blood Yin's split soul launched a mental attack!'
I quickly return to the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress to check on the condition of my comrades.
All of them are convulsing, and only Kim Yeon, Seo Ran, and Hong Fan remain unharmed.
The rest are bleeding from their seven orifices, dying with their brains turned to mush from the mental attack.
Even Seo Ran, who appears 'unharmed,' is merely in a peaceful slumber, and Kim Yeon is sitting in meditation, still doing something.
I connect to Kim Yeon through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon and ask.
—Kim Yeon, can you activate Yeon's Play?
Fortunately, a positive response comes from Kim Yeon's side, indicating that it seems possible.
However, the problem is with the Mad Lord.
I rise to the upper level of the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress where the Mad Lord resides.
The Mad Lord is dying there with his brain completely mushed.
For those at our level, regenerating a brain isn't difficult, but the mental attack had directly struck his soul, making regeneration difficult.
With a stunned expression, I infuse blessings into the Mad Lord's body and shout.
"Damn it! No!"
Yeon's Play must be unfolded by two puppet masters with powerful consciousnesses.
One from outside, and one from inside.
And the method to activate the Yeon's Play from the 'inside' is known only to the Mad Lord.
It's when I'm racking my brain to find a solution.
Step—
"...!"
I flinch in surprise at the shadow of a person that appears before me.
It's Seo Hweol.
He laughs as if he can't believe the situation.
"...To think I'd be treating the Mad Lord in my lifetime. Well...it can't be helped since time is pressing."
Blink!
As he reaches out towards the Mad Lord, an 'eyeball' sprouts from his hand.
"Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens...?"
"What Blood Yin just used is an application of Purple Soul Filling the Heavens. As you already know, Purple Soul Filling the Heavens is a secret art of inheritance. Blood Yin is currently trying to seize this world by giving 'themself' as an 'inheritance' to the Bright Cold Realm. In the process, they infused a part of their consciousness into you all, who are a 'part of this world'."
His explanation continues.
"In short, those who were hit by Blood Yin's Purple Soul Filling the Heavens and whose brains are now mushed will soon turn into Blood Yin themself."
"...!!!"
I look down at the Mad Lord.
But then I glance at Seo Hweol and speak.
"Judging by the look on your face, you must have a solution."
He is still smiling as usual.
"Didn't Daoist Seo also obtain Purple Soul Filling the Heavens in the Ancient Force Realm? And it seems you've fully made it your own. With my Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and your Purple Soul Filling the Heavens, we will prevent the Mad Lord's mind from being eroded by Blood Yin. After awakening his mind through a powerful consciousness, we'll restore his memories through my wife's authority. You remember what we did before, correct?"
'Before'.
Seo Hweol's words likely refer to the time when he, Kim Yeon, and Oh Hye-seo joined forces to peer into the Mad Lord's memories in order to deal with Kang Min-hee.
"At that time, we temporarily erased his memories, but this time, we'll revive them. For that, we need the power of Daoist Seo, a 5th stage Manifestation Heart Tribe. My wife's authority will comb through the Mad Lord's history, and then the Mad Lord's disciple will stimulate his consciousness through the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon to bring his memories back to life. I will block Blood Yin's erosion with Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens, so Daoist should use your Sub-Heart Sword to engrave the Mad Lord's memories back into his soul."
"Good. I'll cooperate."
"Straightforward, I like it. Then..."
Snap!
Seo Hweol snaps his fingers, and a ritual formation drawn in blood appears around the Mad Lord.
Seo Hweol and I stand, facing each other. We each use our Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens and Flower Soul Filling the Heavens to block the power of Blood Yin that is eroding the Mad Lord's mind.
At the same time, I send the power of Flower Soul Filling the Heavens to my comrades, temporarily blocking Blood Yin's Purple Soul Filling the Heavens.
Snap!
Seo Hweol snaps his fingers again, and from his shadow, a projection of Oh Hye-seo emerges.
She steps between Seo Hweol and me with a gloomy gaze.
I glance at Oh Hye-seo briefly, then signal to Kim Yeon.
Tstststststststt!
Kim Yeon's consciousness clone appears opposite of Oh Hye-seo.
The four of us stand in the four directions surrounding the Mad Lord, each forming hand seals.
"Well then...let's begin."
I take out the Sub-Heart Sword, Kim Yeon brings forth the Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon, and Oh Hye-seo draws on her authority.
Thus, we connect with the Mad Lord's soul once again.
A Taiji emerges between Oh Hye-seo's hands and begins to reverse its rotation.
Flap, flap, flap, flap...
The sound of turning pages echoes, and a bright white light fills my vision.
As Kim Yeon's Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon stimulates the Mad Lord's consciousness, his first memory appears before me and Kim Yeon.
His first memory.
It's the memory of his birth.
The past of Mad Lord (怪君) Jo Yeon (早緣) unfolds before Kim Yeon and I.
-x-X-x-
Jo Yeon's life began in one of the territories of the Jo Clan, situated between Byeokra and the Northern Great Grasslands.
He was not born into the main family but rather a branch of a branch of the Jo Clan.
His father, who hadn't even reached the Qi Gathering stage, had spent a night with a slave woman captured from the East, and Jo Yeon was the result of that union.
However, something had gone wrong with the bloodline from one side or the other.
Jo Yeon was born with a hunched back.
Jo Yeon's father disliked him.
It seemed that he couldn't accept that such a deformed child was his own.
Before Jo Yeon had even been weaned, his father sold off his mother.
Afterward, his father intended to abandon Jo Yeon at some common mortal household, but as Jo Yeon was discovered to possess a spiritual root, his father had no choice but to raise him.
Jo Yeon grew up under his father's abuse.
Although Jo Yeon was born with a Three Elements Spiritual Root, which technically placed him in the True Spiritual Root category, the Jo Clan's prestige was at its peak at that time, and the number of True Spiritual Root holders in the clan was so abundant that they were overflowing.
Thus, Jo Yeon received no special treatment, and it was a miracle he survived the abuse and continued to grow.
However, when Jo Yeon turned 10 years old, things changed.
He escaped from his father's grasp.
One day, he dreamed of a giant bird trampling him, and on that very day, he awakened his Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.
Anyone who awakened an Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent, regardless of the spiritual root they possessed, had to be sent to the main family to be supervised.
Thanks to this, Jo Yeon was taken away from his abusive father and sent to the main house.
Jo Yeon had a thought.
That his life would get at least a bit better.
But he was mistaken.
His life only became more miserable.
A Seven-Colored Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.
The worst among all those who awakened the so-called Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.
Those who had not even a speck of talent but had hideous patterns appear on their faces when becoming excited, making them look grotesque.
These individuals were nothing more than trash, unable to do anything other than serve as breeding stock for the Jo Clan.
That is what the Seven-Pattern Law Talent holders were.
On top of that, Jo Yeon was born with a hunched back.
Naturally, he became a target for bullying by his peers.
Getting beaten up in some corner of the Jo Clan was the norm, and there was even a time when he was stripped naked and buried with only his face sticking out of the ground.
Whenever there was something delicious, it was either taken from him or he was forced to offer it up, and even the elders of the clan would frown in displeasure whenever they saw Jo Yeon.
Some of the more violent members of the clan would frequently kick him just because they were in a bad mood.
Jo Yeon spent half his childhood living as the Jo Clan's training dummy.
Getting beaten and ridiculed was part of his daily life.
Even so, Jo Yeon endured it.
After all, the Jo Clan was his family.
He held onto a simple dream of one day becoming an adult and finding his mother, who had been sold off, and living together with her.
Holding onto this simple dream, Jo Yeon endured.
And when Jo Yeon finally became an adult,
He heard shocking news.
"...What?"
"They said your father died, so go handle the funeral. Do you understand?"
At the sudden news of his father's death, Jo Yeon hastily returned to his hometown.
There, he was able to confirm with his own eyes that his father had indeed passed.
His father had reportedly died of mercury poisoning.
Apparently, during the refining of a magic artifact by a direct descendant of the Jo Clan in one of the territories, mercury was used in the refining process, and Jo Yeon's father was assigned to handle it.
This was because his father was the lowest ranked in cultivation.
As Jo Yeon conducted the funeral of his father who died of mercury poisoning, his heart became hollow.
'...My family...'
Though his father gave him nothing but bad memories, he had still been the only connection Jo Yeon had to the Jo Clan.
Feeling an inexplicable void, Jo Yeon attempted to organize his father's belongings.
But an absurd situation arose.
"Your father's belongings? Hmm...we burned them."
"..."
Starting at the direct descendant who had caused his father's death, Jo Yeon could only stare with his mouth open, unsure of what to say.
"Ahaha, sorry. I was testing a newly crafted magic artifact, you see. It was really a mistake. Sorry. Don't feel too bad. It really wasn't my intention. Instead, here...10 Building Emptiness Pills. Even excluding drug resistance, this can extend your lifespan by about 30 years, so this should be a fair compensation."
[TL/N: This was translated as Blessing Pills before.]
"...Thank you."
Jo Yeon didn't care much for his father's belongings.
However, his father's ledger contained information on where he had sold Jo Yeon's mother, the only clue he had to find her.
Jo Yeon had no choice but to hire some mortals to search for his mother, but they failed to find her.
With no other options, he focused solely on his cultivation.
Though the worst among the Extraordinary Patten Law Talent, as a cultivator, he wasn't entirely bad.
Jo Yeon swiftly reached Great Completion in the Qi Refining stage and rose to the Qi Building stage within twenty years.
Of course, reaching the Qi Building stage didn't mean much.
In smaller clans, reaching the Qi Building stage would warrant a position as an elder, but his clan was the Jo Clan.
As the continent's number one clan, the Jo Clan had so many cultivators at the Qi Building stage that one could trip over them on the ground. Jo Yeon had to be content with the slight elevation in status within the clan.
After reaching the Qi Building stage, Jo Yeon temporarily left the clan.
He claimed to wander the martial world to solidify his cultivation, but in truth, it was to properly search for his mother.
And after about five years of wandering, Jo Yeon finally succeeded in finding traces of his mother.
It was said that his mother had been sold off in a dispute involving a mortal martial clan, where she lived out the rest of her days.
Jo Yeon secretly entered the servants' graveyard of the martial clan and offered wine and a bow.
'...Where should I go now?'
For no reason, Jo Yeon felt himself becoming empty.
Of course, he would eventually have to return to the Jo Clan.
The Jo Clan allowed those with the Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent a period of 49 years to wander. If they didn't return within that time, the clan's Soul-Chasing Squad would come after them to capture and bring them back.
However, Jo Yeon felt as if his sense of belonging had disappeared.
He felt that no matter where he went, he wouldn't feel a sense of attachment.
It was as if he became a piece of duckweed, floating about on the vast ocean called the world.
It was when he was staring emptily at the sky.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before... For what reason did you enter the burial grounds of our Kangju Wol Clan?!"
A mortal scolded Jo Yeon.
Jo Yeon looked at him, chuckled, and said,
"There's nothing to know. Get lost, mortal. I'm not in a good mood right now..."
"You! How dare you enter the grounds of the main house and speak such insolence! It seems you are a family member of one of the servants here, but even family members need to inform the steward before entering this place. I've heard nothing from the steward, so how dare you disregard protocol and barge in here—"
Pebeong!
Jo Yeon, irritated by the man's noisy chatter, casted a basic spell toward the man's head to threaten him.
"Shut up. I told you I'm not in a good mood, you mortal. A small family like this, which doesn't even know of the existence of cultivators, can be destroyed right now without a second thought...this is your last warning. Get lost."
Jo Yeon didn't want to create unnecessary conflict, so he merely threatened the man. But that was the problem.
Clink!
Instead of backing down, the man's eyes gleamed with a burning desire to fight as he gripped his two short spears in both hands.
"Oh...so you're a distinguished guest! This Wol has failed to recognize the noble. I apologize. However, there are rules in a clan! If you wished to visit the burial grounds of the main house, you should have informed the steward first!"
"This bastard, to the end..."
Jo Yeon, floating several spells around him, glared at the man.
And then, for a brief moment, Jo Yeon flinched in surprise.
"Hmm, you have a spiritual root?"
The consciousness that flowed around the man suddenly condensed into a spherical form, similar to that of cultivators.
The man smirked and said,
"I don't know what that is, but I do know one thing. This is the realm called Five Energies Converging to the Origin!"
"Hah, a mortal's confidence...good. Let's give it a go! If you bore me, you'll pay the price for disturbing my mood!"
"Ha, you're quite arrogant. Just a few months ago, this body realized the essence of the spear! I am stronger than even the Number One Spear Under the Heavens!"
That day, Jo Yeon, at the early Qi Building stage, clashed with Wol Bi (月比), a reclusive martial master of Byeokra's martial world.
"Huuu...Hu..."
Jo Yeon, looking at his slowly healing wounds, glanced over at Wol Bi.
'I almost died.'
If Wol Bi hadn't fainted while standing, and had instead thrust his spear into Jo Yeon's head, what would have happened?
He would have surely died.
A Qi Building cultivator like him, dying to a mere mortal.
After waiting for all his wounds to heal, Jo Yeon approached Wol Bi, pried open his mouth, and crushed a medicinal pill for external wounds, placing the powder inside his mouth.
Not long after, Wol Bi regained consciousness.
"Ha, haha! I lost! Truly...I never expected there to be someone this strong."
"..."
Jo Yeon clicked his tongue as he looked at Wol Bi.
"In my clan, I'm an existence lower than a bug. Yet, you struggled against someone like me, and what. Stronger than the Number One Spear Under the Heavens? Ridiculous fool."
"Hahaha, Big Bro's clan must be truly terrifying. For there to be so many stronger than Big Bro..."
"You...do you not know anything about the cultivation world? And why am I your Big Bro?"
"Isn't it normal for men to address each other as brothers after exchanging blows? Ahaha!"
"..."
Jo Yeon clicked his tongue again as he looked at Wol Bi.
Strangely though, it didn't feel as bad and upsetting as when he was beaten by his own clan's brothers.
Instead, a rather refreshing feeling?
Before he knew it, Jo Yeon found himself unconsciously laughing along with Wol Bi.
"You, how about becoming my disciple?"
Jo Yeon, having never formed a relationship with anyone, proposed the best kind of human relationship he knew to Wol Bi.
But Wol Bi shook his head.
"Hmm, I'm sorry Big Bro, but I already have a master."
"..."
"But even if I can't become Big Bro's disciple, I can become your friend."
"Friend...?"
Jo Yeon was taken aback by the unfamiliar word.
Having never had a single friend since childhood, the word 'friend' felt all too strange.
But whether Jo Yeon found it strange or not, Wol Bi simply pushed forward.
"That's right, a friend. From today on, Big Bro and I are friends and brothers. Hahaha!"
"Wait, hold on..."
And so, Wol Bi became Jo Yeon's first friend.
Five years passed.
Jo Yeon spent the past five years working as a blacksmith for Wol Bi's family.
He made weapons for his best friend, Wol Bi, and also came to learn about the martial world.
The martial arts created by mortals to survive in their own way.
A world where those who practiced these martial arts competed to determine supremacy, different from the world of cultivators.
Although it was a much smaller world compared to the world of cultivation, Jo Yeon found beauty in that small world.
He came to understand the beauty of martial arts.
The disciplined movements.
The countless meanings of martial arts exchanged beyond them.
The extreme where those martial arts meanings manifest as the interaction of intent at the Pinnacle and Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, and beyond that, Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
All kinds of thrilling martial art realms...
For the first time in his life, Jo Yeon wanted to use all of his talent to create the best weapon for his friend who lived in this world of martial arts.
Thus, he lived as a blacksmith at the Wol Clan, forging and forging thousands and tens of thousands of weapons.
Wol Bi was always satisfied wielding the weapons he made.
Since Wol Bi could handle all sorts of weapons, not just the short spears, Jo Yeon also found enjoyment in crafting various weapons.
Whenever Jo Yeon made a weapon, Wol Bi would wield it, demonstrating martial arts that suited the weapon and explaining the meaning behind those martial arts.
"This Sacred Swallow Folding Crane martial move was created with the feeling of..."
"This Dignified Joint Restraining Technique is..."
"The Three Iron Canon martial art requires a strong rebounding force. And that rebounding force comes from..."
They were such enjoyable moments.
However, those enjoyable moments did not last long.
"What? Wandering the martial world?"
Just as Jo Yeon had left his home to wander, it seemed that something similar existed in the martial world as well.
"Yes, Hyung-nim. Now that I've completed my martial arts, don't I need a disciple? As I need to find someone to inherit my progress...please understand."
"Hm...I see."
Jo Yeon nodded.
"Since I was preparing to create a cultivation method based on the intent you taught me...it's actually good timing. Go ahead."
"Mm...I originally wanted to ask you to come with me..."
"Heh heh. That sounds good too, but parting for a while will also be good."
Jo Yeon smiled as he spoke.
He was excited at the thought of creating a cultivation method using intent to surprise Wol Bi.
"I'll head to my clan's territory for a while to make a cultivation method and prepare a gift for you, so you go build your reputation and come back."
"Haha, understood. If Hyung-nim says so...then, I'll also prepare a gift for Hyung-nim and meet you later. Until then!"
"Good!"
And so, the two parted ways.
Jo Yeon went to a nearby territory of his clan, referencing the clan's resources to create a cultivation method, and began crafting a weapon for Wol Bi.
It was a pair of short spears.
For Wol Bi, through Wol Bi, to be unfolded by Wol Bi.
Short spears made solely for his martial arts!
To create the perfect weapons, Jo Yeon secluded himself and worked on them for several years.
Ten years passed.
Jo Yeon finally completed the pair of short spears that best suited Wol Bi's martial art, the Paired Wings Spear Technique, and set out to gift them to him.
However, Jo Yeon had misjudged one thing.
It was that the sense of time for cultivators and mortals are entirely different.
For Jo Yeon, a cultivator in the Qi Building stage, ten years was merely 'just' a short time, but in the martial world, ten years was enough time for even mountains and rivers to change.
Having been abused, bullied, and ostracized since childhood, Jo Yeon had always lived keeping the doors to his heart closed.
Aside from Wol Bi, there was virtually no one Jo Yeon had properly opened up to. Thus, he completely failed to perceive that the sense of time for cultivators is completely different from that of mortals.
Other clan members at least interacted with others enough to be aware of the sense of time for mortals, but not Jo Yeon.
As he stared at the completely ruined Wol Clan, he dropped the spears he had been carrying in his embrace.
"This...what...?"
It was a tragedy born from the difference in the sense of time between cultivators and mortals.
Jo Yeon quickly inquired about the cause of the Wol Clan's downfall.
He soon learned the truth.
The Wol Clan had rapidly risen to prominence centered around Wol Bi, the Number One Spear Under the Heavens, but at the same time, they attracted the jealousy of countless others.
Furthermore, the Wol Clan was filled with the highest-grade weapons made by Jo Yeon. Coveting those weapons, the larger martial factions banded together and sought help from the cultivator clans.
It was the Jo Clan that had directly intervened, executing Wol Bi, and the Wol Clan was destroyed by the large martial sects.
Jo Yeon clutched his chest and wept bitterly.
"Why!? Why!? Why!!?? Even though you've never given me anything, why did you take my friend away from me!? Why!!??"
He wailed, looking at the heavens.
At the same time, these words were directed at the Jo Clan.
For several months, Jo Yeon lived like a recluse.
Then, after several more months, he regained his composure.
'I must take revenge.'
He couldn't take revenge on the Jo Clan.
Having 5 Heavenly Being, 29 Nascent Soul, and 160 Core Formation cultivators under its banner was the great faction known as the Jo Clan.
On top of that, even though he felt no affection for it, the Jo Clan was still his own.
Thus, Jo Yeon decided to target the martial sects that had requested the Jo Clan to annihilate the Wol Clan.
It might be difficult if they had someone at Five Energies Converging to the Origin, but since the martial sects only had one or two peak masters at Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, he was not scared at all.
Revenge was swiftly executed.
Jo Yeon petitioned the Jo Clan for the Sect Annihilation (滅門) of three large sects.
The reason he gave was that they had insulted him.
And the Jo family granted Jo Yeon, a Qi Building stage cultivator, permission for the Sect Annihilation of the three large martial sects.
To them, martial sects were nothing more than livestock.
Even though Jo Yeon was considered useless within the Jo Clan, he was still a human in their eyes.
For livestock to insult a human, regardless of their size or scale, annihilation was the only proper response.
Jo Yeon destroyed two of the sects, leaving a ten-day gap between each, and ten days later, he went to the last sect.
Huarururururu!
The signboard of the large martial sect, Qi Spear Pavilion, was engulfed in flames.
The entire pavilion was ablaze.
All the servants had fled, but those who practiced martial arts—especially those who wielded the weapons stolen from the Wol Clan—none of them escaped alive.
Standing at the topmost floor of the Qi Spear Pavilion, he faced the Pavilion Master who stayed behind to wait for him.
The Pavilion Master looked at Jo Yeon with empty eyes and spoke.
"...What wrong did our Qi Spear Pavilion commit, Elder Cultivator"
"..."
"We offered our tributes on time. So why...why are you exterminating us...?"
Jo Yeon did not respond.
Because this was simply an act of violence.
A senseless act of violence, where the stronger oppressed the weaker for no reason.
It was nothing more than violence to repay old grievances, a meaningless act.
Thus, Jo Yeon remained silent and prepared his spell.
The Pavilion Master raised his spear, ready to confront Jo Yeon.
Jo Yeon's spell flew toward him.
And, it was at that moment.
Kwagwagwang!
'Someone' appeared between the two of them.
'Someone' severed Jo Yeon's spell and, as if dancing, took a stance.
The moment Jo Yeon saw the 'someone's' movements, he had no choice but to freeze.
A woman, masked, wielding two short spears.
Her stance was shockingly similar to his friend Wol Bi's.
After glancing between Jo Yeon and the Pavilion Master, 'she' asked,
"Who is the Pavilion Master?"
The Pavilion Master, his face lighting up with hope, shouted,
"Reinforcements?! It's me! I am the master of Qi Spear Pavi—"
Pukwak!
Before he could even finish, the Pavilion Master's heart was pierced by 'her' Spear Gang, and died.
'She' spat out her words as if chewing on them.
"This is Master's revenge."
"You...you're...Wol Bi's...disciple..."
The Pavilion Master couldn't even finish his sentence before dying.
It was a futile death.
'She' laughed lightly, as if relieved, on the top floor of the burning pavilion.
"...Revenge...is completed...Master."
Then, Jo Yeon spoke as he looked at 'her.'
"You're Wol Bi's disciple?"
"...?"
Jo Yeon's hand trembled.
His friend who had died such an absurd death.
His trace now stood before him.
He, at that instant, on that day, recalled the moment he first met Wol Bi and prepared his spell.
Jo Yeon's eyes reddened.
"Fight me."
"...Who are you? And why should I...?"
"If you win!"
Dozens of spells floated around Jo Yeon.
Jo Yeon retrieved two short spears from his storage artifact and showed them to her.
"I will give you your master's spears!"
'She' quietly listened to Jo Yeon's words before silently assuming a stance.
Even through her mask, Jo Yeon could feel her fighting will.
The fighting will to claim her master's belongings, no matter what!
The next moment, the two of them collided on the top floor of the burning pavilion.
That was the first meeting of Jo Yeon's and 'her.'
-x-X-x-
Jo Yeon opened his eyes wide.
Kwaaang!
In an instant, 'her' spear trust shattered his defensive spell.
'Impressive.'
With a wide grin, he confronted her.
Both wielded spherical consciousness domains, but their methods of usage were completely different.
She used her consciousness domain to read the flow of air, spiritual energy, and the flow of spells to destroy the spells.
With graceful movements, launched an attack toward Jo Yeon.
Though Jo Yeon casted countless spells, few managed to reach her.
'She's reading me!'
He could feel it.
She was reading the hues of his intent and evading all of his attacks.
'Should I try using that cultivation method I've been developing?'
Jo Yeon pondered for a moment.
But soon, he gave up.
'It's an incomplete method...it's still far from being finished. I can't use something so crude yet.'
Instead, he chose a more straightforward approach, the kind that cultivators used to defeat martial artists.
Overwhelming strength!
Crushing her techniques with sheer overwhelming power!
Kwaaang!
One side of the pavilion wall exploded.
At the same time, Jo Yeon's spell directly struck her body, and she was flung far into the distance.
'I got a bit too excited. I should save her. If she falls from that height...'
But Jo Yeon's eyes widened.
Paaaang!
She stepped onto the air and flew upward.
"What...!?"
Not even his friend, Wol Bi, could do such a thing.
Well, to be precise, he had heard that it was something Wol Bi could do with enough time.
But Wol Bi had simply said that he didn't want to waste time learning trivial tricks like stepping on the air.
However, just by looking, it was clear that she was younger than Wol Bi.
Vitality that looked like she just entered her twenties.
Putting aside the fact that she had already reached the same realm as Wol Bi at such a young age, she had even mastered stepping on the air that even Wol Bi needed time to learn!?
As Jo Yeon realized her talent was beyond imagination, he let out a bright laugh.
"Haha, ahahaha!"
'This is great, Wol Bi.'
Taaat!
He kicked off the pavilion and jumped onto his flying artifact, launching more spells toward her.
With two short spears enveloped in Spear Gang, she deflected and diverted his spells as she gradually closed the distance between them.
'You've got yourself a fine disciple.'
"Is this all you've got!!??"
Kwaaang!
Jo Yeon roared as he unleashed a spell of flame dragons toward her.
"Wol Bi wasn't done with just this! That guy coated the air with Gang Qi and sent it flying! Are you telling me that his disciple only learned trivial tricks like stepping on the air? Did you really learn anything properly!?"
"Kugh..."
"Show me more! Show me more of what Wol Bi taught you!!!"
He even pulled out a magic artifact from within his robes.
The horse-tail whisk magic artifact radiated intense heat as it surged toward her.
Kwaaang!
She cloaked her entire body in protective Gang Qi and swung her dual spears.
But it wasn't easy.
Jo Yeon remembered the spear techniques Wol Bi had once displayed and dodged her attacks, pressing her even further.
Before long, while fighting in mid air, the two of them had moved from the upper floor of Qi Spear Pavilion where they first clashed to an isolated forest.
"Wood (木)!"
As Jo Yeon formed hand seals, the trees rapidly grew and rushed toward her like tentacles.
She wielded her spear, slicing through the branches in the air as if dancing.
'She's gradually losing energy...'
Jo Yeon smiled as he watched her.
She wasn't on the same level as Wol Bi in his prime, but she was quite strong.
However, at that age and with that level of skill...
Given time, she might very well surpass Wol Bi.
Jo Yeon was truly delighted.
His friend remained alive within her.
In the form of Martial Arts!
Gradually, the distance between Jo Yeon and her closed.
At first, it was she who had approached Jo Yeon to wound him, but now it was Jo Yeon approaching her.
'Just a little more...'
Just a little closer.
Wol Bi.
So he could feel the traces of his first friend...
Kwaang!
Jo Yeon swung his whisk, sending a bird of fire at her before moving in close.
He didn't think it was dangerous.
Different from when he met Wol Bi at the early Qi Building stage, Jo Yeon had grown significantly.
He had now reached full completion of the early Qi Building stage, forming all seven stars of Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket.
With his body completely covered in pure spiritual force, he had no fear of being injured by something like Gang Qi.
He stepped into the range of her spear to feel Wol Bi's spear technique more deeply.
Just as Jo Yeon entered her proximity.
Chills!
He saw her fighting will beyond the mask and felt shivers down his back.
'Wait, this is...'
The spear was changing.
Wol Bi's Paired Wings Spear was beginning to evolve.
"No...!"
He was so shocked to the point of his eyes bulging out.
Pushed to her limits, she was evolving the Paired Wings Spear.
The technique was changing.
No, it was evolving!
Kwaaaang!
Her Spear Gang struck Jo Yeon's protective pure spiritual force.
Jo Yeon was shocked to the point his heart almost leaped out, but at the same time, he smiled with satisfaction.
A disciple with talent surpassing Wol Bi.
Though Wol Bi was no longer in this world, Jo Yeon felt he understood what Wol Bi must have felt in his final moments.
'To this child...he entrusted everything and then died.'
With talent like this, Wol Bi surely departed without any lingering regrets.
Freely and without burden.
Because this disciple clearly had the skills to repay all of his debts.
"Magnificent!"
Jo Yeon shouted.
From behind her mask, he could feel her labored breathing.
As expected, it seemed she was nearly drained of her internal energy.
Jo Yeon laughed heartily as he spoke.
"You've not only inherited everything from Wol Bi magnificently, but even evolved beyond it. You are..."
Just then.
Chills!
'Wait, what is this fighting will...'
"It's not over yet!"
She adjusted her spear stance.
Jolt!
For a moment, Jo Yeon felt her consciousness domain compress.
Paat!
"...Huh?"
He looked down in a daze at his chest.
A hole the thickness of a strand of hair had pierced through Jo Yeon's chest.
"Ke...keheok...!"
Jo Yeon coughed up blood.
"Th-This...wait..."
He realized what she had done.
A martial artist's Gang Qi couldn't normally pierce a cultivator's Protective Gang Qi.
So...
She compressed the Gang Qi into a thread, maximizing its power in a split second to pierce Jo Yeon's heart.
'My...my pulmonary artery is torn...!'
His heart wasn't shattered, but Jo Yeon could feel that his pulmonary artery had been ripped apart.
"Keheok!"
He lost focus and fell from his flying magic artifact.
And, absurdly enough, she too had exhausted all her strength and was falling.
'This reckless...! Both of us are in midair, what are we supposed to do...?'
Forcing himself to stay conscious, Jo Yeon grabbed a handful of elixirs from his storage artifact and swallowed them.
He then applied an emergency healing spell and a talisman to his chest.
Afterward, he grabbed her as she fell, pulling her into his arms, and cast a floating spell.
Cough!
Perhaps due to the injury she inflicted on him, the spell faltered, and Jo Yeon's floating spell was only half-completed.
'D-Dying is...'
Images of his life flashed through Jo Yeon's mind.
Kwaaang!
He crashed into an old tree growing at the edge of the forest, near a small path.
Crash!
Branches snapped, and the leaves, already withering and dying, fluttered to the ground.
But by some stroke of fortune, both Jo Yeon and the woman survived.
"Hah...hah..."
Jo Yeon, drenched in cold sweat, glanced around.
They were on top of a tree.
Crack!
And just as he realized this, the branch they were on broke, and the two of them fell to the ground once more.
"Kuhuk! Urgh!"
Jo Yeon coughed up more blood, trembling as he shakily grabbed another one or two pills, swallowing them before barely managing to sit up and circulate his energy.
Chiiii-
Even if he was a Qi Building cultivator, the heart is a dangerous area.
Until he reached the Core Formation stage, he was still bound by the fragility of human life.
'I almost died.'
If her spear had been aimed just a little closer to the center of his heart, Jo Yeon would surely have been the one to die.
He had narrowly escaped death.
Looking at the old tree with its pale pink flowers, Jo Yeon offered his thanks.
"Thank you..."
He leaned against the trunk and caught his breath.
Then, he began to laugh heartily.
"Ha, hahaha! Ahahaha!"
Jo Yeon cried.
He cried his heart out.
My friend.
Are you watching?
'The disciple who inherited your will has already surpassed you. The gift I was going to give you, you wouldn't mind if I gave it to your disciple, right...?'
He retrieved the short spear he intended to give to Wol Bi from his storage artifact and placed it next to the still unconscious her. Afterward, he checked her pulse.
She was still alive.
Jo Yeon looked at her face.
Somewhere along the fall, her mask must have flown off, as it was nowhere to be seen.
Her face was covered in pockmarks, perhaps from an illness in her childhood.
And above one of her eyes was a large burn scar.
Soon, she opened her eyes.
"Uh, uhhh!"
She met Jo Yeon's eyes, then hurriedly covered her face, looking around frantically until she found her mask.
Only after hastily putting on the mask to cover her face did she face Jo Yeon again.
"Hmm, I've treated your internal injuries for now. I also treated your other wounds using my healing talisman, so your body should be fine. However, you've completely depleted your internal energy, so you'll feel weak. And also..."
Jo Yeon pointed to the short spear he had placed beside where she had been lying.
"You won. That weapon is now yours."
At those words, she looked between the spear and Jo Yeon for a moment before asking,
"...Excuse me, but may I ask your name? Were you perhaps an acquaintance of my master?"
Jo Yeon smiled softly and said,
"Before I tell you my name...show me the Paired Wings Spear with that spear. I'll tell you after I see it."
"...Understood."
She nodded and took Jo Yeon's spear, taking her stance.
Then, like a graceful dance, the Paired Wings Spear unfolded from her hands.
Jo Yeon watched.
It was similar to Wol Bi's spear, yet different.
A spear more refined, but with Wol Bi's will (意) still intact.
He felt a momentary illusion, as if he had returned to the past when Wol Bi had demonstrated martial arts in front of him, explaining the moves with the weapons Jo Yeon had crafted for him.
Drip, drip...
Jo Yeon's eyes welled up again as he laughed.
"It's excellent. Wol Bi would surely be delighted, even in the afterlife..."
"Thank you, Senior."
"My name is Jo Yeon (早緣). What is yours?"
"Ah...I've heard of you."
She bowed to Jo Yeon and said,
"I am Wol Ha-eun (月下恩), the adopted daughter and disciple of the Number One Spear Under the Heavens, Wol Bi. It is my honor to greet my master's companion for the first ti—ugh!"
Wol Ha-eun, while offering her greeting, collapsed again mid-bow.
Jo Yeon chuckled.
"My apologies. You must have overexerted yourself showing me the spear while already exhausted."
"...Yes. It seems I've embarrassed myself."
"No...it's my fault for making such a request."
After finishing his words, Jo Yeon leaned back against the tree trunk and looked up at the tree that took them in.
"...Do you know what kind of tree this is?"
"Judging by the flowers, it seems to be a quince tree. It's the season when quince flowers should be in full bloom, but seeing how few have blossomed, it must be an old tree."
"This tree saved us."
Jo Yeon stared up at the tree for a moment before speaking to Ha-Eun again.
"Where is Wol Bi's body?"
"...Master asked to be cremated and for his ashes to be scattered where his vengeance is completed."
She took out a small wooden box from her chest.
Jo Yeon gestured toward the quince tree.
"Then let's scatter them here. Even if we scatter them where Qi Spear Pavilion stood, it will just be trampled on again by the martial sects that come later. Instead, wouldn't it be better to scatter them at the tree that saved our lives after we avenged him? If it's my request, that friend would surely agree."
"Mmm...that sounds good."
Ha-eun brought the box of ashes, and together, she and Jo Yeon scattered them beneath the quince tree.
On a day in that spring.
Wol Ha-eun and Jo Yeon exchanged their names for the first time beneath the quince tree.
-x-X-x-
"What will you do now?"
Night had fallen. Jo Yeon lit a fire in the cave and asked her.
In response to Jo Yeon's question, Ha-eun seemed to ponder for a moment before replying.
"My goal...was to avenge my master. My master told me to do whatever I wanted once my revenge was over...but my heart feels complicated"
"What's there to feel complicated about? Just do what you want."
"I want to follow my master's path. But at the same time...I don't want to follow it."
"What do you mean by that?"
At Jo Yeon's question, Wol Ha-eun touched her mask.
"I...was born with a disability. Though now, after undergoing a complete transformation, I've separated my fingers, I was born with my ring and pinky fingers on my right hand fused together. On top of that, after suffering from a plague, I lost my parents and was left scarred with pockmarks all over my face...since I was young, everyone called me a beggar woman and spat on me, keeping their distance."
Twitch!
Jo Yeon unintentionally flinched at her story.
"Because of my ugly appearance, everyone despised me, and just looking at someone would make them claim I'd pass on curses and plagues, so they wouldn't even let me look at them property. I was even threatened that they'd sew my eyes shut. But when I was twelve, my master came to our village, and he cleared out the heretical sects that were extorting the villagers and trafficking drugs."
Crackle...
Jo Yeon listened quietly as she spoke.
"Everyone would scream in disgust and yell if they met my gaze. But my master, instead, took me as a disciple simply because I kept staring at the tip of his spear. He didn't discriminate against me for my appearance or my disability and treated me the same as the other disciples he met during his heroic deeds."
Ha-eun continued to fiddle with her mask.
"He was a righteous man. But that righteousness made him the target of jealousy from other sects...eventually, those who called themselves cultivators, accepting bribes from the sects, began to...burn my master's clan to the ground."
Shudder...
Her fingertips trembled.
"The clan was set on fire, and my master, after being ambushed by the cultivators, had his dantian destroyed, becoming a cripple. The cultivators mocked him and threw master's crippled body into the midst of the very people who envied him before disappearing..."
"..."
Crunch...
Jo Yeon clenched his teeth. As a cultivator himself, he knew all too well which cultivator faction had assaulted Wol Clan.
The Jo Clan!
It was his very own clan that had ruthlessly trampled on his friend's life!
"I rushed in and swept aside the other martial artists, carrying my master on my back while escaping. It was in that process that I got scars on my face and why I now wear a mask, but...I have no regrets. I saved my master. After that, I nursed him as he hovered between life and death, and whenever he regained consciousness, he taught me martial arts. I swore vengeance. I vowed to eliminate every vile target of my revenge with my own hands."
Jo Yeon ran his hands over his face.
"But my master, in his final moments, told me this, 'I hope that you don't end up like me'...that's why I want to do heroic deeds righteously like my master, but at the same time, I don't want to become like him as I must honor the wish of my master who hoped for me not to up like him. What...should I do?"
"...First, I must apologize to you."
Jo Yeon stood and bowed his head toward Wol Ha-eun.
"Your master. The cultivators who crippled Wol Bi's martial arts...shamefully, they were members of my clan."
The truth spilled from his mouth.
The truths of the cultivation world.
And the circumstances that led the Jo Clan to become involved in the matter...
"I...will apologize on behalf of my shameful clan. No, no...I give you my apologies."
"..."
Ha-eun looked at Jo Yeon with a complex gaze.
For a while, silence lingered between the two.
Under the dark night sky, inside the cave where the bonfire burned.
In that moment, Ha-eun hit Jo Yeon.
At first, she hit him with controlled emotions, but gradually, the blows intensified to the point where Jo Yeon's face began to bleed.
After hitting Jo Yeon for some time, Ha-eun eventually knelt before him, sobbing uncontrollably.
Jo Yeon gently embraced her, as if trying to comfort her, and Wol Ha-eun clung to him tightly and wept aloud.
The hunchedback man and the disfigured woman cried by the fire, remembering the martial artist who had connected them, their tears flowing through the night.
The next day arrived.
"I apologize about last night."
"No, it is I who should apologize for not paying more attention sooner."
"...No. It was my fault for not controlling my emotions...Senior must have been grieving too, yet I couldn't even manage my own feelings..."
She stopped mid-sentence and looked at Jo Yeon for a moment.
"What will you do now, Senior?"
"I...well, I think I'll continue to roam the martial world."
"In that case...I will follow Senior. I will stay by your side and protect you. It is also my way of atoning for what happened yesterday."
"Hmm, you're going to protect me?"
Jo Yeon looked at her with amused eyes.
Then, suddenly, he playfully asked her a question.
"In that case, how about this? Why not become my disciple? From what I read in the records, Five Energies Converging to the Origin can give one the same Five Elements Spiritual Root as us cultivators. You can train in cultivation methods, and I could teach you."
The same question he had once asked Wol Bi!
At his words, she hesitated for a moment.
Jo Yeon thought to himself.
How would she respond?
After some contemplation, Ha-eun shook her head.
"I appreciate the offer, but I decline. I have only one master. Besides, I still prefer martial arts."
"Hahahahaha!"
Jo Yeon laughed in satisfaction at her answer similar to Wol Bi's.
"Good, I apologize. Do as you wish. I will continue to wander the martial world, and you can follow along, doing whatever you like."
"Understood. I will follow Senior from now on, and I will do heroic deeds as my master did, within my limits. If I follow Senior, I won't meet the same end as my master, so I will also be fulfilling my master's final wish."
"Do as you please. Just know, as a cultivator, I will not stay long in mortal villages. I'll be spending more time in the rivers and fields than you might expect. I'll often be dealing more with monsters and demon spirits rather than heretical sects or bandits threatening the people. After all, I've recently crushed three large sects on my own accord. I'll need to send the Inner Core of demon beasts to the clan to accumulate merits...will you be alright with that?"
"I'm fine with it."
"Then, come along."
And so, the two began their journey.
A cultivator and a martial artist who completed their revenge roamed every corner of the land.
Byeokra, Yanguo, Shengzi...
As they traveled from place to place, they eliminated monsters that harmed humans.
Jiangshi, Fox Demon (매구), Man-Eating Ghost, Black Snake, White Bone Ghost, a maddened Sea Dragon, and others.
[TL/N: 매구, or Mae Gu is a Korean Fox Demon. It is said when a fox lives for a thousand years, it becomes a Mae Gu.]
The two of them roamed far and wide, ridding the world of evil beings.
Kung!
Ha-eun withdrew her spear from the head of a maddened sea dragon, which had been spewing lightning from its entire body.
"Phew, it's strong."
"Are you alright?"
Jo Yeon approached her and took out some healing pills.
Around five years.
After traveling together for several years, eliminating monsters and demons, the two had grown quite close.
From the relationship of a master's friend and his disciple...
They grew closer.
As a cultivator and a martial artist.
As one person to another.
As comrades.
Jo Yeon applied a healing talisman to Ha-eun's wound.
"Hmm, the wound is pretty deep. The healing talisman won't be enough. We've also run out of healing pills...let's spend the night in a nearby village and make some more."
"Understood. Thank you."
Looking at Jo Yeon drawing closer, Ha-eun slightly tilted her head back.
For some reason, the nape of her neck was slightly flushed.
The two comrades arrived at a nearby village, riding together on a flying magic artifact.
"H-Heok! You must be Immortals! Welcome to Seoak Village!"
"Seoak Village, what a nice name. We seek lodging for the night, do you have room for the two of us?"
"Oh, yes! I will gladly host both Immortals at my home. But...may I ask a favor from the Immortals?"
At that, Jo Yeon and Wol Ha-eun exchanged glances, then spoke to the village chief.
"Tell us your request."
"Ah...! In the mountain behind our village, there lives a giant Black Snake that devours people. The number of people who have already entered that Black Snake's stomach is already well into the dozens...I beg thee Immortals to capture that Black Snake!"
At the village chief's request, the two immediately nodded.
"Very well. We'll go take care of it right now."
"Agreed, but first, let's rest for the night to recover our strength, and then we'll deal with it."
The two had slightly different opinions.
Wol Ha-eun spoke.
"Shouldn't we take care of the snake demon spirit even a day sooner so the villagers can feel more at ease?"
Jo Yeon shook his head.
"You're not fully recovered yet. It's safer to treat yourself first before confronting it."
"I'm fine, this kind of injury...I can endure a little longer. Based on the testimony, it's a demon beast barely at the Qi Building stage. We can catch it quickly."
"Hmm..."
Jo Yeon stared at her for a moment, reading the will in her eyes, and nodded.
"If that's your will..."
With that, the two immediately headed to the mountain behind Seoak Village to subdue the snake demon beast.
Kugugugugu!
The black snake demon charged at them with fierce eyes.
Ha-eun stepped on the air to evade the snake's attack, targeting the gaps between its scales with her spear, tearing into its body with Gang Qi.
Jo Yeon floated the magic artifacts he created himself, pressuring the snake demon.
It's when everything was progressing smoothly as the two fought the snake.
Kiyaaaak!
The snake demon swung its tail like a whip.
The tail broke the sound barrier in an instant and slashed deeply into Ha-eun's wound.
"Kughk!"
Ha-eun groaned in pain, and in that brief moment, the snake body slammed into her direction.
Kwaaaang!
She quickly enveloped herself in Protective Gang Qi to minimize the impact, but her mask was shattered in the process.
"Ugh...!"
Startled by the loss of her mask, Ha-eun glanced at Jo Yeon. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
At that moment, the Black Snake rushed toward her again, but Jo Yeon swiftly stepped in between them.
"Ha!"
Huarurururu!
With a furious expression, Jo Yeon unleashed flames directly into the snake's mouth.
The snake's vitality quickly drained.
However, all of a sudden,
The snake lunged at Jo Yeon as it was losing consciousness.
Kwaak!
The snake's fangs grazed Jo Yeon's skin.
His skin tore, and the venom began to spread inside him, twisting his face in pain.
Panicking, Ha-eun thrust her spear, finally piercing a hole through the snake's face and causing it to fall into slumber.
Wol Ha-eun quickly picked up Jo Yeon and stepped in the air to rush back to Seoak Village with her face pale.
"N-No! You can't die!"
She was normally someone who couldn't even more properly without her mask, but at this moment, she didn't even pay it any heed and ran with all her might.
Upon reaching the village, she brought the village's only doctor, a scholar from the local bookstore, to treat Jo Yeon.
She arrived at the village and immediately brought the village's only healer, a scholar from the village bookshop, to treat Jo Yeon.
The bookstore scholar treated Jo Yeon.
Ha-eun anxiously gritted her teeth, waiting outside until the treatment was finished.
The bookshop scholar's daughter wandered around Ha-eun with a fairy tale book, occasionally glancing at the room where Jo Yeon was being treated. However, neither of them said anything to each other.
Surprisingly, the treatment was done quickly.
Since the Black Snake frequently spread venom, the village always had antidotes on hand.
"Hmhm. You didn't need to rush here so quickly. With a Qi Building cultivator's innate detoxification abilities, it would have healed on its own. For something like this..."
"Ah...! That's a relief."
Wol Ha-eun smiled brightly, and Jo Yeon stared blankly at her face for a moment.
Noticing his gaze, she flinched and quickly covered her face.
"Ah, ah...that, my bare...face. I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at it."
"Hm..."
She fumbled in a flustered manner, then hurried over to a nearby woman and borrowed a white cloth to cover her face.
Afterward, as if trying to move past the embarrassing situation, she quickly changed the subject.
"Th-That aside...your body is quite weak. When the snake made its final attack, you could've avoided it easily if you knew even basic martial arts."
"Well...that's true, but as a cultivator, mixing internal energy with spiritual power will actually slow down my progress in cultivation."
"You can at least learn some external method that don't use internal energy and basic movements, can't you? I'll teach you."
Seemingly pleased with the new idea that just came to her, she led Jo Yeon to the center of the village.
Ha-eun held her short spear in both hands, and Jo Yeon was handed a suitable fan borrowed from elderly passerbys.
"Even if you don't use weapons in combat, just learning how to move your body properly will help a lot. Try following me."
"Hmm, alright."
As the sun began to set,
The man and woman practiced martial arts that looked like a dance.
Each time Ha-eun's spear moved, Jo Yeon's fan followed.
Jo Yeon mimicked Ha-eun's movements exactly.
Ha-eun spun three times to the right, and Jo Yeon followed, spinning three times as well.
The tip of Jo Yeon's fan and the tip of Wol Ha-eun's spear brushed against each other three times.
Ha-eun looked at Jo Yeon and said,
"You're following along well. Next, I'll teach you footwork and a technique that lets you close in on your opponent. Like this..."
For a while in the center of the village, the two unfolded martial arts that resembled a dance.
As the sun gradually set, more onlookers gathered.
Through Wol Bi and perfected by Wol Ha-eun, the Paired Wings Spear was quite beautiful.
The sight of the man and woman moving in sync with their martial arts was pleasing to watch, regardless of the Heavenly Penalties they both carried.
"Alright, let's try again from the beginning. But this time, Senior, please attack me intermittently."
Once again, their martial moves unfolded.
Jo Yeon seemed to dance lively, following her.
Then, at a sudden moment,
Taat!
He moved swiftly, reaching for Ha-eun's face.
"Ah...!"
Ha-eun tried to dodge, but for an instant, Jo Yeon's intent twisted into an unexpected trajectory, making it unable for her to evade.
And in that instant, Jo Yeon's hand removed the cloth covering Ha-eun's face.
"Ah, no..."
Ha-eun was flustered, but Jo Yeon tossed the cloth aside and laughed.
"I want to see your face."
Blushing furiously, Ha-eun muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.
"No...you mustn't. It's too...ugly. It's not something worthy of being seen by you."
"It's fine."
Jo Yeon smiled warmly as he spoke.
"You're beautiful. That face as well..."
His voice was quiet, but it was clearly heard in the village center.
The villagers erupted into cheers and applause.
But the man and woman, both blushing, only looked at each other.
Ha-eun shed tears.
The expressions of the hunchbacked man and the disfigured woman both changed to a smiling face and a crying face.
Ha-eun cried.
Yet, even as she cried, she didn't stop performing the Paired Wings Spear's martial moves with Jo Yeon.
With her face covered in tears, Ha-eun spoke to Jo Yeon,
"...Alright. Then...shall us two imperfect people continue dancing together?"
"I told you, you're beautiful."
The two continued to dance, and finally, just as the sun had completely set and the moon was rising, their dance came to an end.
The village chief of Seoak Village approached the two immortals who had saved their village, bowing deeply as he spoke.
"Thank you for saving our village, Sir Immortal, Lady Immortal...Thank you so much for subduing the Black Snake. To make sure today's grace is remembered for times to come, we will have the dance the two Immortals have shown us as a tradition of our village, passed down to future generations. The dance the Immortals displayed will become our village's, no, the entire region's pride and tradition! Once again...thank you!"
The two of them glanced at each other and smiled bashfully at the village chief's words.
Jo Yeon smiled brightly and said,
"If you're going to pass it down, make sure to put in the effort so it lasts not just a thousand years...but tens of thousands of years into the future!"
"We will certainly do so. The two Immortals will be able to see our village's tradition even a thousand years from now!"
After finishing his words, the village chief swallowed nervously and then spoke in a more suggestive tone.
"Ah...and if you'd like, my house will be entirely vacated for the night."
At that, both Jo Yeon and Wol Ha-eun blushed deeply and burst into hearty laughter.
And so, on that day, the two connections became one.