Consolidation and Challenge (6)
The moment Jegal Mun-ho finished speaking, every one of the Guardians nodded in agreement.
“Very well.”
Jegal Mun-ho stamped the document on the table and handed the official permit to Yeon Wi.
“I hereby formally approve the dispatch of the Righteous Army’s Grand Marshal and eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon Family, Yeon Hojeong, to the Black Dragon Department. Patriarch Yeon, please deliver this permit to the Grand Marshal yourself.”
“Understood.”
“After this, we must go through official negotiations with the Black Dragon Department. Even at the shortest, that process will take at least a month. However, considering the Martial Alliance’s future movements, spending that much time would be burdensome. We will need to accelerate the timeline as much as possible.”
Jegal Mun-ho looked at Yeon Wi.
“Patriarch Yeon.”
“Speak.”
“It seems we will need to meet the Black Dragon Department’s leadership in person. At least two Guardians, including myself, should participate. Would you be willing to take one of those seats?”
Yeon Wi nodded without hesitation.
“Why even ask? If possible, I would very much like to do so.”
Beyond his own capabilities, the person being dispatched was his son. Any parent would step forward without a second thought.
“We will need at least one more person to accompany us. To put it nicely, it’s about maintaining proper appearances. To speak plainly… we need someone who can assess the character of the Black Dragon Department’s Lord.”
Jegal Mun-ho glanced at Moyong Gun.
Moyong Gun was leisurely sipping his tea. He was the one who had once engaged in secret dealings with the Black Dragon Lord, only to end up in a complete falling-out.
Normally, he would have raised his hand first, yet now he remained silent. Even he found the prospect of facing the Black Dragon Lord again uncomfortable.
At that moment, Gong Gong Dae-sa spoke.
“If the Military Counselor and the other Guardians have no objections, this monk would like to join you.”
Everyone was visibly startled.
“You, Dae-sa?”
Gong Gong Dae-sa let out a hearty laugh.
“Is this not an opportunity to meet another powerhouse of the Sacred Heavens? As for this old monk, the only other Sacred Heaven experts I have ever met are my martial uncle, the Fist God of our Shaolin Temple, and the Sword Immortal of Wudang.”
Mu-heo, the strongest martial monk of Shaolin Temple.
Tak-mu-ja, the greatest sword master of the Wudang Sect.
The two were living legends, absolute powerhouses who stood unrivaled even among the Holy Thirteen Seats.
It was said that those who had reached the Sacred Heavens continued to grow without pause even at this very moment. While the Ten Immortal Emperors were generally considered a step above the Three Lords, no one could say with certainty how much that gap had narrowed by now.
What was certain, however, was that their martial prowess existed beyond the heavens. If people claimed they could rival the supreme experts of three hundred years ago—the golden age of the martial world—then it would not be strange for any one of them to claim the title of the strongest under heaven.
Even so, the positions of Mu-heo and Tak-mu-ja were special. They were the oldest and had made their names known the longest.
Those who loved to rank others were convinced that the true strongest under heaven must be one of those two.
“There are countless artisans in this world,” Gong Gong Dae-sa continued. “And the Holy Thirteen Seats can be considered the greatest artisans when it comes to martial arts. Even if they have reached similar heights, their methods and areas of expertise differ. I believe it would be good to experience that greatness for myself while I have the chance.”
He wanted to witness the greatness of Yang Cheon, the enemy who stood as the supreme ruler of the dark factions.
It was a statement that could easily be twisted against him, yet no one rebuked him. On the contrary, several Guardians who had secretly looked down on Yang Cheon felt a surge of shame after hearing Gong Gong Dae-sa’s words.
No matter what path one walked, simply reaching the Sacred Heavens was enough to warrant respect. Before considering one’s disposition or past deeds, as fellow martial artists treading the same road, it was only right to acknowledge such a person as truly remarkable.
Jegal Mun-ho nodded.
“Understood. Then I will send a letter to the Black Dragon Department immediately. Gong Gong Dae-sa and Patriarch Yeon, please make all necessary preparations so that you may depart at any time.”
“Brother!”
Kang Liang, who had burst through the door, suddenly froze.
A low, resonant hum filled the air.
In the center of the training yard, Yeon Hojeong sat in lotus position. A faint, razor-sharp aura emanated from his body.
It was not the usual aura Yeon Hojeong gave off. It felt like staring at a blade forged to perfection—just like his father Yeon Wi. A chilling, refined killing intent that was nothing short of perfection.
What is that?
It was a power completely different from the true qi he normally circulated. Kang Liang waited quietly until Yeon Hojeong finished his cultivation.
Half a shichen later.
“Huu…”
With a light exhale, Yeon Hojeong rose to his feet.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Kang Liang grinned.
“Yeah, you really took your sweet time.”
“So, what’s going on?”
“The Patriarch sent word. The upper echelons of the Martial Alliance have already dispatched a letter to the Black Dragon Department. He and several other Guardians are heading there to speak directly with the Black Dragon Lord.”
Yeon Hojeong nodded.
“Of course. A righteous warrior being dispatched to the dark path requires at least some form of mutual agreement.”
“He said it might take up to a month. He asked me to tell you to finish all preparations by then.”
Normally, his father would have spoken to him directly. The fact that he hadn’t meant he was truly swamped with work.
“I understand. Are you ready?”
Kang Liang gave a crooked smile.
“I could leave right this second if you wanted.”
“Until the dispatch date is finalized, train with everything you have. That place is another battlefield. In some ways, it may be far more brutal than the Martial Alliance.”
“I know. After all, I’m from the dark path myself.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled faintly.
“Good.”
From that day on, both Yeon Hojeong and Kang Liang devoted themselves to training.
Kang Liang swung his sword from dawn till dusk, while Yeon Hojeong struggled to absorb the newly mastered divine art, Sword Limit Qi, into his Yeon Family Divine Elixir.
Surprisingly, while cultivating Sword Limit Qi, Yeon Hojeong felt as though he had hit a wall.
The divine art itself was not a perfect match for him. Its nature and sharpness might suit his father Yeon Wi and younger brother Yeon Ji-pyeong, but it did not align well with Yeon Hojeong, who prioritized destructive power and speed.
Yet Yeon Hojeong refused to give up on Sword Limit Qi. Instead, he contemplated it even more deeply and focused harder on accumulating its energy.
He was surrendering himself to change.
Until now, he had always focused on maximizing his strengths. He had done so as the Black Dark Emperor, and even after his regression, the same had been true.
Now, things were different.
Rather than solely amplifying his strengths, he poured his effort into covering his weaknesses. Logically, one should focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot. But at this moment, he believed it was more important to turn the impossible into the possible.
Thus, after fifteen days.
After exerting himself to the point of vomiting blood, Yeon Hojeong finally succeeded in melting Sword Limit Qi into his Yeon Family Divine Elixir.
But he did not stop there. He took one more step forward.
He reached for the fourth of the Five Divine Arts—Divine General Qi.
Divine General Qi was a divine art specialized in overwhelming enemies with sheer momentum. While its destructive power was slightly below that of the Dragon Robe Divine Art, its ability to dominate the energy of space was unmatched among the Five Divine Arts.
As he cultivated Divine General Qi, Yeon Hojeong was genuinely shocked. He had known the principles and characteristics, but experiencing it firsthand revealed how vastly different it truly was.
And then he realized why the Five Divine Arts were bound together as the representative martial arts of the Yeon Family.
They are different, yet the same. Separated, yet one. One, yet entirely distinct.
Just like the Sasinmu.
The Five Divine Arts were also intricately connected. Though they possessed completely different properties, their fundamental principles were as alike as twins.
That was precisely why learning them together was so difficult. Their core principles were identical, yet their advantages and sensations were entirely different. If one tried to learn them half-heartedly, they would end up mastering neither.
At the same time, if one delved deeply into a single divine art to the extent that Yeon Wi had, one would naturally come to understand the others.
The ultimate form of that principle was the Yeon Family Divine Elixir. Once it had been formed, rather than focusing on preserving the individual characteristics of each divine art, one would instead strive to melt them all into one.
That was the difference between Yeon Hojeong and Yeon Wi.
Yeon Hojeong sought to unify everything into one, while Yeon Wi aimed to reach the pinnacle of a single divine art and from there create an entirely new realm.
It was not a matter of who was right or wrong. What mattered was that both of them had attained an extremely profound understanding of the Yeon Family’s martial arts.
There is still one left, but this is enough for now.
Biying True Art, Dragon Robe Divine Art, Sword Limit Qi, and Divine General Qi.
As the four divine arts merged into one, the Yeon Family Divine Elixir grew even smaller.
It was not that his power had decreased. Its density had increased. He now required far more precise control, yet at the same time, he could unleash the same techniques with far greater sharpness.
I can see it.
Another ten days passed.
Yeon Hojeong, who had been sitting in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes.
Finally… I’ve reached it.
The chaotic realm that led to the world of Mugeuk.
It was still a long journey, but at the very least, he had gained the confidence that he would not lose his way.
Uuuuuuuung—!
The flash of enlightenment struck him with greater force than ever before.
“Uwek!”
Yeon Hojeong suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Kang Liang, who had been resting nearby, rushed over in shock.
“Brother! Are you alright?!”
At that moment, Pae Yul—who had appeared without anyone noticing—spoke bluntly.
“Of course he’s not alright.”
“What?”
“In the Daoist tradition, it is not uncommon for practitioners to cough up blood when they attain a great enlightenment.”
Pae Yul shuddered as if the very thought disgusted him.
“What a monstrous bastard. Have you already climbed another step?”
Yeon Hojeong wiped the blood from his mouth and answered.
“I have already obtained the enlightenment. The important thing was that I had not yet been able to melt myself into that enlightenment. But now I have.”
“Hah. You sure know how to say things that are hard to understand.”
Despite his words, Pae Yul’s eyes were filled with unconcealable awe.
This guy really is…
Genius? Monster?
Such words could not define him.
Pae Yul knew exactly what kind of realm Yeon Hojeong had stepped into.
Not only had he obtained martial prowess greater than the leaders of the great sects at barely twenty-five years of age, but now he was beginning to open the door to Mugeuk—a realm spoken of only in legends.
No one knew how long it would take to fully step inside. But looking at this bastard, Pae Yul could not help but think that he would reach the realm of Mugeuk within five years at the latest.
“By the way, Senior, why are you here?”
Pae Yul answered gruffly.
“Preparations are complete.”
“What preparations?”
“The dispatch. I’m going with you. Not only the sect leader but all the other Guardians gave their approval.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled bitterly.
He was stubborn as always, but what could be done? The man had declared he was coming along.
“I’ll be in your care.”
“Yeah. You should get ready too.”
“Hm?”
“The Military Counselor, Gong Gong Dae-sa, and the Patriarch have returned after finishing their meeting with the Black Dragon Lord, Yang Cheon.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes widened.
“Already?”
“They’re running the Martial Alliance in a half-sealed state, aren’t they? There was no time to waste.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“Change your clothes. We’re heading to the meeting hall. We depart today.”
Yeon Hojeong smiled.
“Excellent.”