Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: The Seclusion Caves
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The seclusion caves were located midway up Mount Yicheon.
As Jeong Miju had said, applications for the caves spiked during the Yicheon Festival's martial tournament.
Most of them were students who had brushed against that elusive "enlightenment" amid the clashes.
There were ten caves available, usable for up to half a year at a time.
Fortunately, all ten were empty right now.
Among the students heading in, Wi Seongcheon recognized quite a few familiar faces: Hwangbo Seongwoo, Sang Yirin, and Yeongjin.
He didn't know the other seven well, but they were students who had made a name for themselves at this Yicheon Festival.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"It's not that heavy. My left arm's fine, isn't it?"
Wi Seongcheon flashed a grin at Yeongjin's worried question.
He was carrying a hefty stone slab in his left hand—the white jade Muyeon Jun had won as runner-up prize.
Muyeon Jun had lent it to him, saying sitting on it while circulating qi would help heal internal injuries.
'Why'd he give it to a guy like that...'
Sang Yirin scowled at the sight.
Wi Seongcheon knew full well she was glaring daggers but pretended not to notice.
For now, at least.
"If you need it too, senior, just say the word. Lending it out's no big deal."
"It's not even yours."
"I got permission from Muyeon Jun."
Sang Yirin's eyes flashed with fury at that. Wi Seongcheon said it loud enough for her to hear.
"He just told me to take it when I asked. Said he didn't need it."
"No way—that precious thing?"
"Guess it's not that precious to him."
Still, he hadn't accepted it outright. Taking something this valuable would leave him feeling indebted.
"I'm good anyway. Didn't take any internal injuries."
Yeongjin gave a wry smile in reply.
Internal injuries... He hadn't even had the chance. The spar with Uha Yeon that drove him to the caves had ended in a single exchange.
Yeongjin had great confidence in his swift swordplay. The sword style he practiced from Jeomchang pursued utmost speed.
Jeomchang swordsmen believed theirs was the fastest in the world.
Yeongjin felt the same. Even if his overall skill fell short of Ta Hui-myeong or Uha Yeon, he was certain his speed surpassed theirs.
That confidence had been shattered.
Regret... None.
The thrust that sealed his defeat was masterful, even by his own judgment.
But it was blocked.
He lost.
That thrust had satisfied him, yet it never reached Uha Yeon.
So he needed to get faster.
"You?"
Wi Seongcheon turned to Hwangbo Seongwoo.
He expected an instant refusal, but surprisingly, Hwangbo Seongwoo didn't brush it off right away.
The guy stared sullenly at the jade stone in Wi Seongcheon's hand.
"...Don't need it."
It felt like he'd shatter just sitting on it.
"This is the busiest time."
The seclusion caves were just what they sounded like: massive caverns. A rough-looking middle-aged man stood at the entrance.
Heo Cheolwoo, caretaker of the caves and the mountain forests.
"Yeongjin, back again, eh? Lost to Geom-bong, I hear?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't need to explain much."
Heo Cheolwoo hefted a large axe he'd set aside.
He ambled over, glancing sidelong at Wi Seongcheon.
'Dormant Dragon.'
As a master from the Dark Fame Division, Heo Cheolwoo's moniker in the Killing Clouds was Three Clouds—right below Seo Il in rank.
Seo Il had stopped by last night to ask him to keep an eye on Wi Seongcheon.
It was unexpected for the one called Returning Thunderbolt to make such a request, but there was no reason to refuse.
Watching Wi Seongcheon had been an order from the Dark Fame Division head even before Seo Il asked.
"Deep inside, the tunnel splits into ten doors."
Yeongjin, who had experience here, led the way in.
"The central grand cavern has water and hardtack pills. But relying on that alone for meals would be brutal, so the caretaker brings food every morning."
That was the only time you could reliably check the time inside.
"Beyond the grand cavern's branching doors—that's the real training space. Just in case, stock up on plenty of water and pills before entering. No lights in there, so time slips away unnoticed. And be extra careful with the mechanisms."
As Yeongjin said, the grand cavern was stocked with hardtack pills and huge jars of water.
"Year-end evaluations excluding student spars will be handled by professors coming here directly. But spars are unavoidable."
Year-end evals included theory exams and matches against peers.
Theory exams accommodated secluded students by having professors visit, but for peer spars, you had to emerge just for that moment.
Yeongjin filled a waterskin to the brim, bundled up a huge armful of hardtack pills, and picked one of the branching doors to enter.
Wi Seongcheon followed suit, filling his own waterskin.
'Took care of theory already.'
He'd attended classes diligently and kept up with previews and reviews. Full marks might be a stretch, but top ranks were within reach.
His past practical exams had been top-tier too, so his scores were solid.
The real concern was the peer spars.
No matter how well he did in theory and practicals, blowing the spar would kill any chance of advancing to the upper class.
"Me."
As he slung the bulging waterskin over his shoulder, a voice piped up from behind.
"I'll nominate you for the year-end spar."
Sang Yirin glared at Wi Seongcheon.
He blinked, then burst out laughing.
"No way."
"...What?"
"I was gonna nominate you too. This is what they call 'clicking,' right?"
Her expression chilled at his grinning words.
Wi Seongcheon stuffed his armful of hardtack pills into his pouch and brushed past Sang Yirin.
Crunch.
He heard her grinding her teeth behind him.
"You good?"
Wi Seongcheon asked Hwangbo Seongwoo, who looked utterly unimpressed.
Hwangbo Seongwoo, arms crossed, smirked despite the cut on his cheek.
"Can't complain. Wasn't planning to nominate you anyway."
"Really? I figured you'd pick me for sure."
"Your arm's healed up fine from our fight, but this cheek scar hasn't."
So he was going for Paeng Yeonhwa after all.
As Wi Seongcheon stared silently, Hwangbo Seongwoo's brows furrowed.
"If you say no, I'll pick someone else."
"...For real?"
"Didn't look like you'd hate it, from your tournament showing."
"Same here."
"Then why the stare-down?"
Hwangbo Seongwoo shot back, incredulous. Wi Seongcheon chuckled and walked past.
"Just watch your back."
"...Ha!"
Hwangbo Seongwoo snorted and shook his head.
Rumble.
They pushed open the heavy iron door.
Beyond lay pitch-black darkness, without a single torch.
Wi Seongcheon steadied his breath and proceeded.
High-level qi cultivators could see in total darkness. Not as clear as daylight, but enough to navigate the winding path.
'Body feels heavier than usual.'
Not imagination. The caves weren't just a big hole split into ten.
Built for the closed-door training of righteous sect prodigies, they were laced with formations for cultivation.
The heaviness Wi Seongcheon felt now was from one such formation. The more he walked, the heavier it got.
He slowly raised and extended his arm. Just that made his muscles tense and bones ache.
Wi Seongcheon grinned.
He reached a wide clearing at the tunnel's end and set down his waterskin and pill bundle.
The weight on his body had intensified since entering, making movement a bit awkward, but not exhausting.
He walked slowly to the wall. There were the mechanisms Yeongjin mentioned.
Weight/Lightness, Vision, Touch, Illusion.
Wi Seongcheon slowly lowered the lever under Weight/Lightness. The crushing pressure vanished.
Centered: normal sensation. A bit lower...
His head buzzed. Heels lifted involuntarily, back arched. His body felt light.
No—lighter? It was like shedding the constant unseen burdens on his frame.
Wi Seongcheon steadied his wobbling body and pushed the lever all the way down.
His body floated up. Legs kicking, eyes wide, he looked below.
No doubt. He was hovering in midair.
Advanced qi masters transcended wall-walking to soar freely with Sky Treading or Cloud Flight, but Wi Seongcheon wasn't there yet.
'Not flying on my will. Just floating.'
His body kept rising slowly.
He tried adjusting his posture midair, but his body wouldn't obey.
More precisely, he could move it, but it refused to hold position—balance shifted with every motion.
Wi Seongcheon raised the lever again, this time maxing it upward.
Thud. His body slammed to the floor. Crushing force made his bones ache.
"Urgh...!"
He staggered up, reset the lever to center. Pressure gone.
"...Mysterious Divine Martial Array. Made by the Jang Clan centuries ago, huh..."
First time with a formation, so the wonder hit harder. A mere lever shift causing this.
Wi Seongcheon whistled and grabbed the Vision lever next. It wouldn't go lower.
'Default position.'
Curious what it'd do, he slowly raised it.
Change hit instantly. Vision darkened. Qi couldn't pierce the thickening gloom.
Maxed out: nothing visible but the lever.
'No sense of direction.'
Only the mechanism-operating lever remained in view.
Block sight after weighing down or lightening the body...
Terrifying to imagine.
Wi Seongcheon shuddered and lowered the Vision lever.
Next: Touch.
Change was obvious.
"Urk!"
Raising the Touch lever from base made him retch involuntarily.
If Vision just blackened sight, Touch set every sensation rioting. Internal body noises thundered in his ears. Skin contacts sharpened excruciatingly.
Dizziness from blood whirling through his body? The moment he thought it nauseating, the sensation amplified intensely.
Wi Seongcheon grimaced and dropped the Touch lever to base.
"Hoo...!"
He was used to pain, but this was something else.
Deep breath, then he eyed the Illusion lever.
Mindful of prior shocks, he didn't crank it hard.
Just a nudge up.
Gray mist swirled everywhere. Lights flickered within.
"...I see."
Wi Seongcheon nodded slightly.
Emerging from the dark: a faceless monster.
Impossible creature—an illusion from the formation.
"You next time."
He lowered the lever, banishing the phantom.
Not time to tangle yet.
"Two months till year-end eval."
Wi Seongcheon muttered, setting down the jade stone from his side.
"One week of playing nice first."
He sat on the jade, cross-legged. First time cultivating in such a formation.
'Dunno how far I can adapt.'
All of it alien: Weight, Vision, Touch, Illusion.
Yet excitement surged alongside.
Itching to tweak mechanisms for real training.
So for a week, just qi circulation on the jade to heal internals first.
'No rush.'
Wi Seongcheon breathed deep, circulating the Heavenly Flower Cascade Art.
Recalling the Spirit Ignition sensation from his spar with Uha Yeon—and watching her fights.