Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Audience with the Leader
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"Congratulations. Your request for an audience with the Leader has been approved."
Mok Yangil's face lit up with a broad grin at Wei Sohong's news.
"Oh! It came through faster than I expected!"
"Indeed. I figured there'd be a backlog of reports, so you'd have to wait a few more days at least. It's a special case, but hey, good news is good news."
Wei Sohong nodded in agreement with Mok Yangil's words before continuing.
"That said, only one person has been granted permission. What'll you do?"
Mok Yangil stepped back without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Go on ahead. I'll wait here."
"Got it."
Hyeok Mulin nodded and followed Wei Sohong out.
They ventured deep into the heart of the Heavenly Net Escape Society's grounds, where countless trees and ancient giants grew thick and wild.
At the end stood a colossal tree, where they came to a halt.
"This is the Heavenly Green Tree—the thickest and tallest on the island."
It certainly is magnificent, Hyeok Mulin thought, craning his neck upward. The peak vanished into the dizzying heights, out of sight.
Wei Sohong gave a faint smile.
"Climb up. The Leader's waiting for you."
"Thanks for the guide."
Tap. Tap-tap.
Hyeok Mulin ascended effortlessly, bounding from branch to branch. Even the ones he stepped on were thicker than a grown man's torso.
Finally reaching the top, Hyeok Mulin stepped onto the platform.
The scene was bizarre.
The treetop had been leveled flat to create a spacious area. Around it, branches layered like the terraced slopes beneath a hollowed-out mountain peak.
Behind him stretched a dense forest, while ahead lay a vast lake shimmering in full view.
At the platform's edge stood an old man in a pure white mask, hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the lake's stunning vista.
His stooped shoulders and shock of white hair exuded an innate tranquility.
Hyeok Mulin watched the elder silently. Soon, a raspy voice emerged from behind the mask.
"You're the new recruit who just arrived on the island."
"That's right."
"What's your name?"
"I'm a nameless wanderer."
"Nameless wanderer, huh..."
The old man grumbled disapprovingly. Hyeok Mulin turned the question back on him.
"And you? What's your name?"
"They call me the White Mask Ghost around here."
White Mask Ghost.
Neither of us is sharing our true names. Fair enough.
After the exchange, the White Mask Ghost spoke again.
"I've heard about you. You're looking for a physician who can restore a dantian."
"Yes. Do you know anything about that?"
The White Mask Ghost's lips parted slowly beneath the mask.
"You've come to the right place. We once poured effort into dantian restoration ourselves."
The Heavenly Net Escape Society had indeed once strived to repair dantians.
But their motive wasn't just to heal the dantians themselves—it was because they believed it would help them escape this Millennium Prison Island.
"But here's the strange part."
The elder's voice, flowing smoothly until then, suddenly hitched.
"Word is, you have zero interest in escaping the island. You're solely focused on finding a dantian healer..."
Swoosh—
The White Mask Ghost turned slowly, fixing Hyeok Mulin with a piercing stare.
"Do you already know a way off?"
"......"
Hyeok Mulin met his gaze wordlessly.
Moments later, the White Mask Ghost added,
"Who the hell are you, anyway? Are you even a prisoner?"
"Curious, are you?"
"You could say that."
"Then answer my question first. Do you know that physician I mentioned?"
The White Mask Ghost fell silent at Hyeok Mulin's counter, then spoke.
"No."
"Then I can't tell you either."
"......Hah."
The White Mask Ghost shook his head with a sigh of regret.
"Answers don't always come from talk. Sorry, but I need to hear it."
Shuuuuk!
Without moving his feet, the White Mask Ghost sliced through the air in an instant.
Now right in Hyeok Mulin's face, he slowly raised one hand and unleashed the White Crane Flow Divine Hand.
A flash erupted from his palm, gliding gracefully like a crane in flight, targeting Hyeok Mulin's meridians.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
But Hyeok Mulin countered with Flowing Leaf Divine Palm, batting away every strike and launching a counterattack of his own.
Flicking his finger joints, he unleashed a barrage of lethal palms at the White Mask Ghost.
In the frenzy, the White Mask Ghost crossed his arms to block vital points and slid backward.
Hyeok Mulin pressed the assault, fiercer and more destructive.
Dozens of fluttering palm strikes hammered the White Mask Ghost's body. But he steadied himself, arms tracing soft circles in rotation.
Papapapak!
The wide sweep entangled Hyeok Mulin's attacks, weakening the Flowing Leaf Divine Palm or deflecting them outward.
At the circle's center—his chest—he gathered both hands and lunged, thrusting sharply at Hyeok Mulin's face.
But Hyeok Mulin didn't dodge.
He charged straight at the incoming White Mask Ghost.
Spreading his palm wide as if to embrace the sky, he struck with razor sharpness to engulf the man's face.
Strength against strength. Offense against offense.
No defense—just mutual strikes.
"......Hah."
Hyeok Mulin held firm, forcing the White Mask Ghost to withdraw his hand and retreat.
Tsking at the display, he said,
"You're a demon cultist."
"Sharp eyes."
"I've clashed with demon cultists and unorthodox fighters my whole life. I know that domineering style anywhere."
Orthodox faction, as I figured. All that upright martial arts.
Hyeok Mulin shrugged indifferently.
"We're all prisoners here. What's there to divide?"
"Fair point."
To Hyeok Mulin's surprise, the White Mask Ghost agreed readily.
"But."
He drew a blue leaf fan from his robes and channeled inner energy through his body.
"You're not one of us."
The fan rippled diagonally, unleashing a explosive gale.
So fierce it shook the Heavenly Green Tree itself.
The torrent crashed over Hyeok Mulin like a tidal wave.
'Zhuge Clan.'
Only one group wielded a fan like that with matching techniques.
And inner energy? Had he restored his dantian?
Facing the blast head-on, Hyeok Mulin sensed the energy flowing through the White Mask Ghost.
'...So that's it.'
But he quickly saw through it. Black demonic energy surged fiercely in his grip.
Flicking his hand like tapping the air, the gale shattered and dissipated into nothing.
The White Mask Ghost paused, then spoke.
"Could it be you're..."
His eyes locked on Hyeok Mulin, who stared back.
The White Mask Ghost gripped his fan. Hyeok Mulin raised his right hand.
In that instant, both lunged forward, their forms colliding at a single point.
Kwaaaaang—!
A thunderous boom echoed across the island as they clashed.
The warriors waiting below rushed up in alarm.
"Leader! What happened?!"
But thick dust clouded their vision, blocking entry.
As they waited tensely, the haze cleared, revealing two figures standing firm.
Hyeok Mulin and the White Mask Ghost, each in their spots.
The only difference: scorch marks scarred the ground beneath the White Mask Ghost's feet.
The warriors' pupils trembled in shock.
Standing frozen for orders, the White Mask Ghost finally spoke slowly.
"Nothing to see here. Go back down."
"B-but..."
"......"
"Understood."
They glanced uncertainly before descending awkwardly.
Alone again, Hyeok Mulin spoke first.
"You've recovered your inner energy."
His gaze dropped to the man's abdomen.
"But your ruined lower dantian remains unrestored."
The White Mask Ghost's lower dantian was still shattered.
Yet through his insights, he'd mastered using the middle dantian as a substitute, storing energy there.
"...Conversely, yours is fully intact."
The White Mask Ghost had confirmed it from the demonic energy Hyeok Mulin displayed.
A brief exchange of blows, and they'd already sized each other up completely.
Staring hard, the White Mask Ghost asked,
"So you're not seeking to fix your own dantian—you're hunting for a physician who can do it?"
A glint flashed in his masked eyes.
Hyeok Mulin turned away, his actions answering for him.
"Think what you want."
He had no more reason to stay.
The conversation and clash had revealed everything about the Heavenly Net Escape Society.
Even the Leader's lower dantian was unrestored. Their interest in repairs was all in the past.
No leads here, no information at all.
With nothing left to see, Hyeok Mulin prepared to leave.
Then the White Mask Ghost spoke slowly.
"In the past, we tried everything to restore dantians. All failed."
He sighed wistfully before adding,
"So we stopped researching it, stopped seeking experts. That's all I can tell you."
He made it clear: nothing here for you.
Hyeok Mulin paused briefly.
Not the answer I wanted, but...
They answered, so this much is fair.
Slowly, he replied,
"As you guessed, I know a way off this island."
"......!"
"However."
His final words, delivered in a low tone, ended the exchange cleanly.
"Only I can use it."