Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Underground World
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Parob and his group left the Black Sand Black Dragon Heaven and entered the Central Plains. He and the Black Dragon Squad members had no idea what was happening back at their base.
They brushed the sand that had crept into their clothes out in the Central Plains, set up camp, and had dinner.
As they rested after the meal, one man approached the group's location. He was someone who gathered information on incidents and accidents in the desert.
These people, called News Messengers, belonged to the Desert Bees. The eight factions of the Eight Desert Whirlwinds, along with the various powers in the Border Wastelands, paid a fixed amount to the Desert Bees each month for information.
"It's a News Messenger."
The man stepped forward and greeted Parob.
"Any news?"
Parob looked at the News Messenger and asked.
"Please tell me what information you're seeking."
"Who's in the Heavenly Mountains?"
"The Ten Heavens first."
"Anyone from the Ten Heavens?"
"One hundred from the Great Ten Righteous Assembly and one hundred Heavenly Dragon Pavilion members from the Latent Dragon Ascension Society."
The Great Ten Righteous Assembly was a united organization of warriors from ten sects, while the Latent Dragon Ascension Society consisted of promising young talents between twenty and thirty-five years old, the so-called prodigies.
The Heavenly Dragon Pavilion in particular was made up of the top one hundred warriors among the society's members. Only the prodigies among prodigies gathered there, boasting tremendous pride and equally outstanding skills.
They were truly the future of the Central Plains martial world.
"What about the others?"
"One Hundred Mad Demons from the Latent Demon Heaven, two hundred from the Boundless Heaven Squad of Boundless Heaven, two hundred from the Cloud Mid Nine Dragons Squad of Yellow Dragon Heaven, and two hundred Great Secret Pavilion members from Silver Coin Heaven."
"All the heavy hitters have come out."
Parob let out a groan.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say those who emerged were the absolute elites of the Five Absolute Heavens.
"That means the ruins of the Absolute Six Heavens are that important."
"What about the Border Wastelands powers?"
"All Eight Desert Whirlwinds have mobilized, and hundreds of large and small factions are heading to the Heavenly Mountains."
"It'll be the second major incident after the Sun God Temple."
"An event involving both the Central Plains and Border Wastelands martial worlds."
"Indeed. Got it."
"Thank you for your business."
The man clasped his hands and left.
"Could turn into a war."
Sand Wind Full Demon Naul Mok said.
"Probably."
Parob nodded.
"You look tired. You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Circulate your qi a bit."
"Got it."
Parob moved to a corner on one side. Several men approached and stood around him. They were guarding him while he circulated his qi.
Parob immediately began circulating his qi.
'Hm?'
Parob's face stiffened in surprise as he circulated. His dantian felt completely empty. He checked his body once more.
'No way...'
His face paled.
The internal energy filling his dantian had greatly diminished.
'No way...'
The first face that came to mind was Tareu's.
Only now did he understand why he'd been so passionately intimate with her. It was clearly because he'd fallen victim to her seductive arts.
"That bitch...!"
A sticky killing intent flowed from his body. But there was nothing he could do.
Parob focused back on circulating his qi.
It was two hours from the ranch to the Western Pure Land Plain, but that was measured by a martial artist's stride.
Ordinary civilians would take half a day or more. Round trip would take a full day, making it impractical to base operations at the ranch. And it was dangerous.
If something unexpected happened and they retreated to the ranch only for enemies to pursue, the ranch and Chacha Kingdom would bear the full brunt of the damage.
So they set up base an hour and a half further up from the ranch at a place called Heaven Pillar Cliff.
Heaven Pillar Cliff consisted of hundreds of natural pillars and cliffs. Each pillar was thirty to fifty zhang tall with a diameter of five to ten zhang. Numerous caves dotted the pillars and cliffs, making it the ideal spot for headquarters.
The group unpacked in a cave below the cliff.
"Not going back to Chacha Kingdom?"
Ara approached Ak Muyoo, who was looking around, and asked.
"What're you talking about?"
"You brought all the generals' belongings."
"If I die in the mountains, I'll wander as a ghost in Chacha Kingdom. Better to stay in these mountains instead."
"Why go to such a dangerous place where you might die?"
"I promised Mok U's group."
"The road to the gold mine is Lu lady's territory, so you don't need to come all the way."
"Yeah."
Ak Muyoo scratched his head.
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Might just be throwing a tantrum."
"Tantrum?"
"Everyone spends ten months in their mom's belly and gets born the same way, but if I can't go where others do, I feel like the only one who's lacking. People won't acknowledge me just for going to a dangerous place, but at least I can face myself proudly, or so I think."
"You want to prove you're alive?"
"Proving I'm alive sounds too grand. It's more like getting some comfort from 'I'm breathing' or 'I'm not that far behind them.'"
"To me, you don't lack—you overflow."
"You're really pretty at times like this."
"......"
"Serious. Let's go."
Ak Muyoo headed back to the cave.
"Gather here."
Ak Muyoo called the group.
Soon, the group followed him into the cave.
"Scout first."
"Isn't what we heard from Lu lady enough?"
Seo Haran asked.
The group had heard about the terrain from Lu Ha. Their current location was south of the Western Pure Land Plain.
The path from the south to the Western Pure Land Plain was so steep it required crawling. The east was a deep cliff with no visible bottom, while enormous mountain peaks towered to the west and north. The slopes leading up those peaks were as sheer as cliffs, making access difficult. In short, the Western Pure Land Plain was an isolated place not easy to enter or exit.
"The more you know about the terrain, the higher your chances of surviving a crisis."
"That's how you survived the battlefield?"
"Yeah."
"There's anything to scout in a desert?"
"Deserts look the same but aren't."
"......Got it. I'll scout."
Seo Haran nodded.
"I'll check the gold mine, south, and peaks in order."
"You're checking everywhere?"
Ageukta asked.
"That's the difference between a martial artist who can use lightness skills and me. They can tread the air or use flying techniques to escape easily if they want, but except when falling off a cliff, I always have to stick to the ground. Gotta make sure."
"......We'll check the other areas."
"Got it. See you at dinner."
Ak Muyoo stood up.
As he did, Lu Ha and Jabjong rose too.
"Come with, Dao Absolute."
Ak Muyoo called Gwangja.
"Understood."
Gwangja followed the two.
Lu Ha guided the way to the cliff with the gold mine. Ak Muyoo carefully observed the surroundings as they went, not just the path but the areas around it and the peak positions, committing them all to memory.
After about an hour of walking, a bottomless abyss appeared. Thick fog filled the space below the cliff. The cliff extended long to the left, with no end in sight.
"That's the Western Pure Land Plain up there."
Lu Ha pointed to the left. The left side was over a hundred zhang higher than where they stood.
"Is there a way down?"
"That cave leads to the path on the cliff."
Lu Ha pointed to a cave at the boundary between the two cliffs. The three entered the cave.
The dark cave was quite deep.
It even bent once in the middle. After the bend, the exit was visible far ahead, about ten zhang away.
The exit opened onto the cliff.
"There's a path about a chi wide next to that rock."
Lu Ha pointed to a rock on the right.
The rock jutting from the cliff looked precarious, as if it might fall any moment. Ak Muyoo went over. As Lu Ha said, there was a narrow path beside the rock.
"Infinite Buddhas! How did you find this?"
Gwangja asked.
"Thanks to the mountain goats."
"You mean the goats that live in the mountains?"
"Mountain goats climb cliffs humans can't and graze."
"Oh, I see."
Gwangja nodded.
"I'll lead."
Ak Muyoo went ahead. Then Jabjong scurried in front of him and took the path.
"Jabjong seems to grow every day."
Lu Ha smiled as she said.
"Yeah."
Sure enough, Jabjong was shedding its puppy look and turning into a full-grown dog.
The path along the cliff wound up and down. After traveling over two hundred zhang along it, a cave appeared. It looked like the gold mine entrance but could easily pass for a natural cave.
"No way you'd think this is a gold mine."
Ak Muyoo muttered.
"We thought the same at first."
Lu Ha said.
"Where does this cave lead?"
"Keep going and it connects to the Western Pure Land Plain."
"Just the gold mine?"
"There are multiple paths, but we only found the one to the Western Pure Land Plain."
"Wanna go in?"
He turned to Gwangja and asked.
"I'd like to see."
Gwangja nodded.
"Isn't it dark inside?"
"It's dark."
"I've got this."
Gwangja pulled out a blue gem.
"What is it?"
"Night pearl."
When Gwangja shone the night pearl, the surroundings lit up.
"Just the one?"
"Yes."
"Martial artists can raise their internal energy and see like daylight even in dark nights, right?"
"Not quite daylight, but clear enough."
"Then no need."
"......"
"Not asking for it, just jealous. I turn blind at night."
"You're young, but already night-blind?"
"Dunno if it's from hardship or innate. Probably hardship."
"......Please take it."
Gwangja offered the night pearl.
"I said no need. If I fall off the cliff in the dark, it's my fate. If I hit a pillar and crack my head, my fate too."
"I don't need it. I only took it out for the clan head."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Can I take it?"
"Please do."
"Fine. I'll borrow it for now."
"Borrow?"
"Gotta light the way."
"......Understood."
Gwangja started walking again.
It was a single path at first. After about thirty zhang, the cave split in all directions, like tree branches. Small pebbles littered the entrances to each.
"This is where the gold mine starts."
Lu Ha said.
Gwangja picked up a rolling pebble and shone the night pearl on it. The surface sparkled.
"So this sparkle is gold."
Gwangja said.
"Yes."
The three kept walking. The tunnel was longer than expected. Innumerable side caves branched off the main path left and right. Miners seemed about to emerge from them any second.
"Hold up."
Ak Muyoo raised his hand. The two stopped.
"Isn't that water?"
Ak Muyoo said.
The two deployed their Heavenly Ear Divine Skill.
"Sounds like it."
Lu Ha nodded.
"How far underground are we?"
"At least a hundred zhang."
Lu Ha answered.
"But water sounds make sense?"
"Maybe an underground river?"
Lu Ha said.
"Jabjong, find it."
Woof!
"Shh! Quiet, pup. Got someone to kill?"
Ak Muyoo smacked Jabjong's head.
Grrr!
"Oh ho, wanna go?"
Ak Muyoo thrust his face forward. Suddenly, a chilling killing intent emanated from his body.
Yelp!
Jabjong tucked its tail and backed away. But Ak Muyoo didn't stop.
"I'm the guy who bit through the Blood Wolf Captain's neck with my own teeth, pup. Know your place before you challenge, got it?"
Ak Muyoo approached the cowering Jabjong.
Jabjong flopped over, exposing its belly—a sign of total submission.
"Challenge once more and I'll boil you. Remember that."
Whine!
"Up."
Ak Muyoo straightened and said.
Jabjong rose.
"Find water."
Ak Muyoo mimed drinking.
Woof!
Jabjong moved off right away, sniffing as it went.
"Keep going."
Ak Muyoo followed the water scent too.
"Doesn't seem like a gold mine here?"
Lu Ha said. The path they took was a natural cave, not man-made.
"Seems to lead outside?"
Unlike before, this section was bright enough to distinguish objects without the night pearl.
Soon the three reached the end of the cave.
"Whoa!"
"Huh!"
Their mouths gaped open.
Outside the cave wasn't outside—it was a massive cavern. Hundreds of night pearls embedded in the cavern ceiling illuminated an underground world.