The Bloodline of the Earth
p I was stunned and quickly turned around. But the sea dragon clan warriors had already taken to the sky, soaring swiftly and following Yeon-hyun’s light group. The distance between us and Yeon-hyun vanished in the blink of an eye.
p “Wait a moment. What do you think about asking the senior about the Heart Tribe?”
p I tried to speak to the sea dragon warriors, but they responded with indifference.
p “Didn’t you hear? It’s the Heart Tribe. Or whatever it is, he said it’s the Integration realm.”
p “Just hurry up and go.”
p “No…”
p I tried to scold the sea dragon warriors, but in the time that had passed, I remembered we had not yet achieved victory by even a full year.
p ‘…Do they not know how terrifying and awe-inspiring the Heart Tribe is in the Gwanghan Realm yet?’
p Thinking about it, in a time when only a year had passed, what could I say about the Gwanghan Realm?
p ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do. Then I cannot abandon these people.’
p Following the light orb that Yeon-hyun had sent, I flew. Looking at the still-inexperienced sea dragon warriors, I thought to myself.
p ‘Leave them behind. While they suppress their rebellion… I will meet the Heart Tribe.’
p I had heard of the Heart Tribe before, but I still did not know what kind of people they were.
p I also had to learn what the Heartway Gongbeop was.
p It was time to understand them as well.
p ‘Let me meet them. I must learn what kind of beings they are!’
p Whoosh!
p How many mountain ranges had we passed?
p Flash!
p The light sent by Yeon-hyun exploded after crossing one great mountain range.
p “This place…”
p The meaning of the light exploding was that we had reached our destination.
p “The largest spiritual herb farm in the Dragon Clan territory…?”
p After crossing the mountain range, the place we arrived at was pure white.
p The vast farm ahead, drinking in the sunlight and shining brightly, looked as if it were spewing white flames.
p No, it was not a feeling. The flowers of the pure white plants around the farm truly emitted white qi that flickered like flames.
p The Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower.
p It was also called the Inseparable Wood Flower.
p This pure white wood was the important material used to make the absolute majority of the clothes worn by the Gwanghan Realm sages.
p Among the monks, most who had only reached the Foundation Establishment stage would fight in battles, and their clothes would become rags or tear.
p Those with high cultivation realms could create clothes using magic techniques.
p But those with low realms had to either retrieve spare clothes or go naked if their clothes tore, which was extremely uncomfortable.
p It was also humorous to wish for clothes to remain intact in the Gwanghan Realm, where conflicts never ceased.
p That was why countless monks secretly pondered about clothes, and three major solutions emerged.
p To learn the magic technique of extracting qi and creating clothes.
p Or to wear clothes that could be restored even if torn or burned.
p The method of overcoming one’s shame and going naked.
p The third method was humorous, but surprisingly, many people, including Changhoza, practiced it.
p Of course, only those who absolutely trusted their own strength did so.
p Anyway, the first method was something only high-level sages could attempt.
p But the second method, in which a restoration magic technique was placed on the clothes themselves, was chosen by a truly vast number of people, including high-level sages.
p And the main material used to make such restoration magic clothes was the Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower.
p The clothes made from the Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower had the very useful function of being able to regenerate into a full set of clothes if even one fragment remained, after being torn or burned.
p The Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower only grew in regions overflowing with qi, and when plucked by high-level sages using magic techniques, the qi was abundant, causing the cotton to regenerate continuously.
p Because of this strange property, the monks who cultivated the Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower mostly enslaved weak races with little qi and turned them into wood slaves who harvested the flowers.
p Hwa-ruk, hwa-ru-ru-ruk!
p When I looked at the cotton field, I was thinking about the Spiritual Spirit Wood Flower.
p From afar, red flames were dyeing the cotton field.
p “Is that the rebel army?”
p “They all look like people who cannot even condense qi.”
p Behind the flames, an immense presence could be felt, and the number was truly shocking.
p ‘How many people is that?’
p “Then, get down. You all handle suppressing the slaves according to your own judgment, kill all the ringleaders of the rebellion, and report to Senior Yeon-hyun.”
p “I understand.”
p The sea dragon warrior who had taken me on loosened his grip and dropped me, saying.
p The sea dragon warriors paid no mind to me and flew toward them to quickly subdue numerous races.
p I watched them for a moment and then gazed at the slave races setting the cotton field ablaze.
p ‘They said there was a Heart Tribe. The mention of the Integration stage must be the power of Woldoipcheon.’
p I still confusedly wondered what the Heart Tribe was, but after hearing Jang Ik’s words and seeing his one strike, I could at least make a guess.
p ‘For certain, the people called the Heart Tribe could immediately understand each other upon seeing them.’
p Boom, boom!
p I kicked off from the air and headed toward the flames.
p The slave races setting fires there were not just a few.
p Numerous races were mixed together, setting fires.
p Because the Gwanghan Realm races lived with dense Gwanghan Realm qi, most were born with the strength of Qi Condensation.
p But even in the Gwanghan Realm, there were weak people.
p Those with bodies so weak they could not properly receive the dense qi of the Gwanghan Realm, so they could not learn the Aquatic Beast Gongbeop.
p And those who could not find the Ancestral Law and thus could not learn the Heavenly Race Gongbeop.
p Such people were classified as weak races that paved the foundation of the Gwanghan Realm, and they were often captured by the Heavenly Race and Earth Race, forced into slavery or reduced to dan-yak.
p And the numerous races currently setting fires were most likely such weak slave races who had been working at Yeon-hyun’s farm.
p That was when I thought so.
p Peeing—
p Suddenly the tension string was pulled tight.
p The feeling that my throat might split at any moment!
p A sense predicting the killing intent that could be called the future foresight!
p ‘This is…’
p It was not simple killing intent.
p Sim-eo!
p It was the sim-eo exchanged between martial artists at the peak of Woldoipcheon.
p Someone was speaking through the sim-eo.
p No, asking.
p Who are you?
p Chirrit, chirrit…
p ‘This is…’
p I smiled as I accepted the sensation given by the sim-eo.
p And riding that sensation, I glowed my eyes toward the place where the being who sent this sim-eo was.
p Yeon-hyun’s information seemed wrong.
p ‘Not Woldoipcheon, but Sapcheon-kyeong?’
p Kugugugu!
p Far away, three sea dragon warriors were opening their mouths and breathing.
p I looked at them and shouted.
p “Run away! There is a Heart Tribe over there!”
p However, despite clearly hearing my shout, they ignored it and spat light bullets from their mouths.
p And the next moment.
p Flash!
p Chwaaah!
p A scarlet river of water.
p A river of sunset light surged like waves, blocking the breath of the sea dragon warriors.
p ‘Aah…’
p I could feel it.
p The one who had blocked the attack of the three Integration-stage sea dragon warriors was clearly the Sapcheon-kyeong!
p I suppressed the excitement rising up my spine and tried to run toward that direction.
p But when I was about to run toward it.
p Shreek!
p A chill ran down my spine.
p I quickly stepped back with a backward step, pierced by the sudden discomfort in my mind.
p Kwagwagwang!
p And the next moment, a large valley appeared below the spot I was about to pass.
p “…This, I should complain to Senior Yeon-hyun.”
p It was not just one Heart Tribe member, but two.
p ‘Or perhaps even Senior Yeon-hyun could not fully identify that fellow.’
p Uuuuuung!
p The scarlet sunset river flowing from afar surged like waves, sweeping up three sea dragon warriors.
p The sight looked like three snakes trapped in the sunset light ocean.
p That side was clearly the Sapcheon-kyeong, but the sensation of the Sapcheon-kyeong was not felt at all through the Aquatic Beast Gongbeop or Heavenly Race Gongbeop senses.
p ‘Since it is not detected, it seems that side did not know…’
p Thud, thud…
p I looked at a human-shaped figure who had emerged from the cotton field.
p A white-furred goat with Earth Race gait.
p “Are you the Integration-stage Heart Tribe that Senior Yeon-hyun mentioned?”
p The fellow was clearly a power at the Woldoipcheon level.
p And I looked at what the Earth Race human was holding.
p ‘A whip?’
p It was a thin leather whip.
p A thin whip used to beat slaves.
p However, strangely, the forehead of this goat human holding the whip used to beat slaves clearly bore the mark of a slave.
p The goat human with the slave stamp on his forehead had an overall gentle and round appearance.
p The fur itself seemed very fluffy and soft, and his eyes themselves showed a clear and soft nature.
p Moreover, because of his small stature, he looked rather cute at first glance.
p But I swallowed hard and looked at the fellow.
p ‘Under the fur…’
p I did not know how many scars there were.
p Under the fluffy and cute fur, whip marks were densely packed like rain streaks.
p It was not a simple opponent.
p I raised my tension and asked the fellow.
p “Are you the Heart Tribe?”
p “…”
p “What you are practicing is the Heartway Gongbeop, correct?”
p “…” p Your Heart Tribe…”
p And.
p Meeeh—
p The fellow roared and swung his whip.
p Kwagwagwang!
p “…!”
p And again, a valley appeared where the whip struck.
p ‘Ah, I see. I am the idiot.’
p I understood when I saw the Heart Tribe fellow muttering “mee.”
p The Aquatic Beast language I used was the common language among the Aquatic Beasts, but thinking about it, these Heart Tribe fellows had not obtained the Earth Race perspective, and accordingly had not naturally learned the Aquatic Beast language.
p [Hey, you, are you asking if I am the Heart Tribe?]
p I spoke to the fellow again in the spiritual language using consciousness.
p [Can you explain what the Heartway Gongbeop is? How do you classify realms with? What kind of enlightenment have you gained?]
p And then I finally received a proper answer from the fellow.
p [Ever since a moment ago, muttering to himself alone, you’re challenging me with your mouth?]
p “…ha.”
p Why?
p Even if I heard such insulting words from a lower realm opponent, I felt no bad mood at all.
p I instead smiled brightly and grabbed at the air.
p [I apologize.]
p Now words were unnecessary.
p Boong!
p Tearing through the air, I flowed the Invisible Sword throughout my body and rushed at him.
p I did not raise the Aquatic Beast Gongbeop.
p I suppressed the Original Soul and forcibly sealed the perception of the realm.
p After sealing all the Heavenly Race and Earth Race Gongbeop.
p I surged at the fellow while maintaining the pure Sapcheon state.
p ‘Indeed, is the Heartway Gongbeop a martial art?’
p I would learn that answer today.
p My attack and the goat’s attack collided.
p * * *
p Kugugugu!
p The scarlet river water swallowed the three sea dragon warriors.
p The three warriors panted and looked at the opponent in front of them.
p It was not clear who it was.
p They could not even identify what magic technique he was using.
p Furthermore, they could not sense even the main body.
p However, the size of the consciousness they felt was endlessly small!
p ‘What is this? This fellow…’
p The oldest veteran among the sea dragon warriors.
p He summoned a lightning bolt to call forth the wind-and-cloud tiger, filled the surrounding sky with it, and gritted his teeth.
p Kureung, kururung!
p The eating cloud cloud gave power to the sea dragon warriors.
p For a normal opponent, they would have become immortal warriors who did not tire of energy and pursued the enemy.
p But facing the existence in front of them,
p They were barely surviving with this magic technique.
p “Kuuk, you are the ringleader of the rebellion! I didn’t hear the information that there was an Integration-level rebel force…”
p He threw out a random comment to test the opponent first.
p But the opponent did not respond.
p He tried various suggestions and questions to test the opponent, but received no answer.
p He gradually began to grow impatient.
p ‘If this continues, my qi will all be drained. Senior Yeon-hyun hasn’t come, and like this…’
p That was when.
p [Hmm, the owner of this realm, the Four Pillars Earth Race, has not appeared?]
p He heard the words muttered by the opponent in front of him and his eyes lit up.
p ‘Right. Although he is holding his own against an equal realm, it seems he has no chance against a high-level sage.’
p He deliberately made a solemn expression and shouted.
p “We are only the advance guard. Within half a watch, Elder Yeon-hyun of the Jinryongmaeng will arrive. We may not defeat you, but we can capture you until then.”
p He signaled the other sea dragon warriors to raise his qi as if to immediately tie down the existence in front with the formation array.
p ‘Since I’ve done this much, he must be panicked and will want to retreat for now. I should take that opportunity to retreat for a moment and ask Senior Yeon-hyun for help now…’
p “Surround that fellow…”
p And.
p The owner of the scarlet river smiled faintly.
p [How much bluff. The Four Pillars puppet master hasn’t come?]
p “Haha, I wish I could believe that…”
p [I’ve been rolling my eyes and exchanging opinions with each other since a moment ago. Did you not know? Kkukkk… I’ve been anxious since a moment ago, but as expected… the Four Pillars hasn’t come.]
p “…The Four Pillars hasn’t come, but.”
p He quickly spun his head and began plotting a life-saving opportunity.
p “We are the warriors of the sea dragon race. Because we came with the determination to die, if our defeat is thick, we can use the self-destruction magic technique we brought…”
p [It’s a lie?]
p “…Foolish. Even if we do not self-destruct, the human race we brought with us, being so close to us, can exert the power of the Heavenly Person realm if he puts out his full strength. If we are in danger, he will…”
p [That also seems like a lie.]
p “You are very suspicious. But no matter how much you suspect, it’s useless. The truth will not change. But think carefully. Your senior the Four Pillars is coming here, we brought self-destruction magic techniques, and because of that close human friend, our actual power is actually superior to yours. Also, because we received the order to capture the ones who caused the rebellion, we were only fighting moderately. We are distant relatives of the black dragon race, so pulling out considerable power from the advance black dragon’s strength…”
p [In this world, besides the word ‘capture’ and ‘black dragon race’s distant relative,’ everything is a lie. You are not the sea dragon race, but the bluff race. Did you perhaps introduce yourselves wrong?]
p “…”
p He glared at the opponent in front of him.
p ‘What the hell is this?’
p It felt like his mind was being read in real time.
p He knew nothing about the opponent, yet the opponent was reading his mind in real time with a bizarre unpleasantness.
p [It seems you are unpleasant. And you are gradually becoming scared, aren’t you?]
p “…”
p Not only him, but the other sea dragon warriors who had the same thought had their faces pale.
p It was clear.
p The existence in front of him easily read the opponent’s inner thoughts.
p That unpleasantness and fear.
p He had seen such a being only once before.
p ‘Goe-gun, Jo Yeon…’
p The madman who had used two Four Pillars puppet masters since the lower realm.
p The sensation as if it pierced through the soul when he stood in front of that person.
p Of course, he did not believe that the mad old man could read minds, but there was something in common between the unpleasant feeling from the transparent eyes of Goe-gun and the unpleasant feeling he felt now.
p [It’s a problem for you Heavenly Race and Earth Race. You always struggle to survive while facing the crisis of death. It’s not bad, but aren’t there those who stick to their convictions? Have I been facing only small fry?]
p “You are…”
p [Enough, shut up. I don’t want to play with your fools anymore, and that fellow over there looks the most fun.]
p The scarlet river water made a sound as if laughing.
p He tried to say something, but the next moment.
p He gritted his teeth while looking at the surging scarlet wave rushing at him, who was at a loss for words.
p “Damn it, do you really want to go to the end with me!”
p [Hahaha, you and I going to the end? Seeing that you don’t know much about the Heart Tribe, it seems it’s not been long since your defeat. Remember this well. If you want to catch the Heart Tribe… if you don’t set up traps and face them with excessive power, it will never be easy with your Heavenly Race and Earth Race power.]
p Piiiiiiii—
p At the same time, he heard an odd sound.
p It was a song.
p ‘Th-this is…!’
p And the moment he recognized the song, he felt his whole body lose strength.
p It was not just a sensation. His life force and qi were actually leaving.
p ‘Ah, no…’
p What?
p Dying like this?
p This inexplicably?
p He stared blankly at the life force leaving his body.
p Life was not controlled.
p The qi was freely dispersing without his control, in an inexplicably easy way.
p ‘To die this easily…’
p [Your mistake is first, that you did not know about the Heart Tribe. And… that I have seen many of your Heavenly and Earth Race too much. That should be it. Goodbye.]
p Tuung!
p With the sound of something like a string snapping, he lost consciousness.
p He died from that.
p Just like someone slapping a bug, so simply and meaninglessly.
p The three sea dragon warriors died like that.
p And the owner of the scarlet river who killed the sea dragon warriors turned his gaze to the other side.
p There, a fierce battle was raging.
p * * *
p Kwagwang, kwaquaguang!
p The ground shook, dust clouds scattered, and the long whip flew in all directions.
p And following the whip, its length increased.
p A transparent Invisible Sword was swung like a whip.
p Seo Eun-hyun rushed at the goat, raising both arms to put strength into his lower abdomen, back, and shoulders.
p For a moment, his muscles seemed to swell, then the Invisible Sword struck down at the goat.
p The goat was not simple either.
p The goat held the whip and swung it from lower right to upper left.
p And in between, he put strength on his wrist and infused qi into the whip.
p At the same time, the weight of the whip changed, and he repelled Seo Eun-hyun’s Invisible Sword.
p Chwa-rak!
p When the goat bent his wrist again, the weight of the whip became as light as a feather, and the whip was quickly recovered at an unimaginable speed.
p Spot!
p Seo Eun-hyun swung his sword, and the goat swung his whip.
p A whip whose weight changed, a sword whose form changed.
p Their exchanges seemed equal at first glance.
p Pish, pish, pish!
p But under the goat’s white fur, slash marks were gradually grazing him.
p The goat’s wrist, thumb, index finger, little finger…
p Rib, solar plexus, navel…
p Top of foot, heel, calf…
p Shuk, shuk!
p The wounds on the goat’s body after Seo Eun-hyun moved twice.
p The goat understood.
p His opponent was sparing him now.
p No, exactly, it would be correct to say he was guiding him.
p At first, it was cautious, like probing the goat’s ability or testing something.
p But from some point, even though he had many opportunities to split the goat’s head, he was sparing him.
p And unlike the goat whose body was already red, Seo Eun-hyun’s body was intact, not a single tear in his clothes.
p ‘His technical mastery is terrifyingly precise.’
p The goat thought while looking at Seo Eun-hyun.
p ‘Even one simple technique, if it changes form into a sword, leads to countless variations, and since all those variations are based on the extreme mastery of the basic form, it is a one-hit kill level.’
p Moreover, the sword he swung was transparent.
p Although it could be confirmed with consciousness, the fact that it was invisible to the naked eye was an enormous absurdity.
p ‘Because it’s transparent, I can’t even sense what’s changing right now.’
p This wouldn’t do.
p ‘I have to settle this with a big technique.’
p The goat’s momentum changed.
p ‘I will pour out everything… to free my race…!’
p The next moment.
p The goat’s whip shot straight up into the sky.
p Now was the time to fall with a weight heavier than even Mount Tai.
p Seeing his momentum, Seo Eun-hyun also adjusted his stance.
p You can imagine.
p What they both wanted to use was the technique they called their own secret art.
p ‘No matter the result, I will exert my full power with the meaning of respect!’
p And when their techniques were about to surge toward each other.
p Tuung!
p A clear sound echoed, and the goat sat down in place.
p [Heuk…!]
p Strength drained.
p A sense of exhaustion spread throughout his body, as if he could do nothing.
p Into their space, the scarlet river water flowed in.
p * * *
p [Hello, I was having fun playing, sorry for interrupting. But listen, we don’t have time. The prediction that the Four Pillars sage will come directly has also failed, and we only caught these small fry… Anyway, as promised, since the Four Pillars hasn’t come, as promised I will allow all your race to enter the Heart Tribe territory.]
p […! Yes! Thank you very much!]
p I looked at the scarlet river water chattering in front of me and felt my whole body become sluggish and my life force leaving.
p ‘It’s dangerous.’
p I’m so sleepy.
p So sleepy and tiring. Perhaps this was the Sapcheon ability she had manifested.
p [Hey, aren’t you going to stop fighting, my friend? Judging from you, you’re a human race, learning the Aquatic Beast Gongbeop under the Aquatic Beast, and here you are, having reached the second stage of implementation. …Honestly, I don’t really have the confidence to win. But still, I can land a final blow on you, but if you let us go at least our race and my friend’s race, it would be really grateful.]
p It seems he is saying to let him go since he has no confidence to defeat me.
p If it were before, I would naturally deal a blow and dismiss it as nonsense.
p But I looked up at the sky and smiled faintly.
p If you want to mess with me, it’s a great danger.
p If you don’t, it’s just normal.
p ‘A hidden last move could be quite scary.’
p I first calmed my inner thoughts and nodded.
p “Do as you wish.”
p [Hahaha, really, thank you. Then, is there anything you want to ask? As the price of tacit consent, I will tell you what you are curious about.]
p I immediately asked him.
p “What is the Heartway Gongbeop?”
p Today I would learn about the Heartway Gongbeop.
p And the owner of the river answered.
p [Fu, fu-kuk-kuk-kuk… kuhahahaha!]
p It was a violent laugh.
p A reaction as if it was extremely funny.
p And his words continued.
p [Listen, friend. The Heartway Gongbeop does not exist in this world.]