Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: An Invitation to the Mist
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I asked my father to help me find the coffin I had placed in the secret underground warehouse. It was the coffin containing the body of the deceased Golden Fang Poison Claw.
I applied preservatives and used various medicines to strengthen the body. I recalled the conversation I had with my father.
‘The first time I told him about the corpse, I was nearly disciplined.’
-What? You say that is the body of the Golden Fang Poison Claw? Why in the world did you bring such a thing here?
-A corpse? Mu-heun! Have you lost your mind?
Only after a lengthy explanation did my father understand, and he set a few conditions for me.
-If you feel you can’t handle it, give up midway.
-Your father will help you, so don’t try to do it alone.
-Keep the matter of the corpse a secret from everyone until an unavoidable moment arises.
Once I accepted all of his conditions, my father gave me a bead, calling it a treasure of the Heavenly Dance Family. It was the Soul Origin Bead.
My father and I implanted the Soul Origin Bead into the heart of the dead Golden Fang Poison Claw, carved various formations onto it, and then infused it with the Heavenly Demonic Energy residing in my dantian.
A Heavenly Demonic Corpse couldn't be created overnight, so I came here every day to infuse the Soul Origin Bead with my Heavenly Demonic Energy.
It would likely be complete around the time the Divine Dragon Assembly ends.
A Heavenly Demonic Corpse that wields the art of poisonous energy.
I closed my eyes and thought of my disciples at the Sichuan Tang Clan.
They probably still think I vanished without a trace. The thought of my disciples following the Tang Clan’s orders, twisting my research to cultivate Poison Blood Demons…
‘It makes my blood boil even in my sleep.’
They are being used, knowing nothing.
The disciples I raised with my own hands, pitiful children who had lost their parents in the war and were left to wander.
Once you take someone in, you have to take responsibility for them to the very end.
And once you’ve been wronged, you have to pay it back.
I wondered what expressions they would make when the Golden Fang Poison Claw, once known as one of the three hidden weapons of the Sichuan Tang Clan, points his poisonous claws at them.
To become the complete master of the Heavenly Demonic Corpse, I gazed at the Soul Origin Bead implanted in the Golden Fang Poison Claw's heart and took out the Myriad Fragrance Blood Jade Tree fruit I had been storing.
The faint scent of a myriad of fragrances.
I closed my eyes and savored the rich aroma.
The fruit of the Myriad Fragrance Blood Jade Tree holds countless scents, and it emits a different fragrance depending on the heart of the person holding it.
To some, it is merely a peculiar smell. To others, a terrible stench. And to some, a heavenly aroma.
That is why most people remember it as just a slightly unusual fruit, failing to recognize its true value.
However, a fruit that holds a myriad of fragrances is by no means an ordinary fruit. It was a divine object that contained all of creation in one place, so much so that it wouldn't be strange to say a god had crafted it himself.
What is seen is, in the end,
made of what is unseen.
The fact that water, clearly visible to all, can lose its form and return to the embrace of the atmosphere demonstrates the futility of the boundary between the seen and the unseen.
Unseen water, drifting in the void, meets turbulence and soars high into the sky. Then, startled by the cold air, it once again becomes visible water and falls to the earth. This is ‘rain.’
Winter rain mixes with the cold to become snowflakes, and snowflakes clump together to form cold, hard ice.
Just as snow and ice become water again when spring arrives, all things originally have a single source, but their properties change due to certain factors.
One such transformation is non-visualization,
and the result of non-visualization is fragrance.
In other words, everything that exists can be explained through fragrance.
Even an object that is colorless and odorless by human standards has its own unique scent when one expands their perception.
Myriad Fragrances were, in essence, all of creation.
Therefore, if this fruit was utilized properly, it could be used for a grand technique to detoxify all poisons or even restore a crippled body.
Mastering these Myriad Fragrances would be the key to fighting the Tang Clan, so I could not neglect my research.
This experiment was a step forward in that research.
I heavily concentrated the fragrance emanating from the Myriad Fragrance Blood Jade Tree fruit and assimilated some of it.
On my thumb, I created a diagram for a spirit control technique combining sixteen different fragrances and placed it on the Soul Origin Core implanted in the Golden Fang Poison Claw's heart.
Just as I had used bamboo fragrance to track the observers in Blade Leaf Valley, I used the Myriad Fragrances to connect the Soul Origin Bead to my dantian.
I extended the length of the fragrant connection, incorporating the principles of tracking arts.
The length was incomparable to what I had achieved with bamboo fragrance…
About a hundred li.
I proceeded with all preparations meticulously.
"Dang Baek-ho. I will come to you again, as your confidant."
* * *
I began to move, preparing for my duel with the Azure Dragon Unit Commander. What I needed was a concealment formation to avoid surveillance and the Illusion Grass I received from the Blade Leaf Demon.
I brought dry firewood and carved a formation diagram onto it.
The characters I carved were ‘Mist,’ ‘Seal,’ and ‘Silence,’ which would block out sound.
Next, I hung a long talisman in front of my quarters. The character carved on the talisman was ‘Gate.’
I wrote each character, infusing it with my energy and will.
I dug grooves in the ground to form the character for ‘Field,’ like braille. The character, encompassing the entire garden, could only be recognized from the sky.
I then placed torches along the grooves, filling them with the prepared dry firewood.
Among the precisely arranged torches, I mixed in the Illusion Grass, using it to cast an illusion formation that covered my entire estate.
Next, I attached talismans, modified from the Demon Sealing Paper I received from the Heavenly Dance Family Head, to various spots on the estate walls. The talismans would prevent any energy from leaking out.
‘The preparations are complete.’
I could feel several observers from other factions within the cult watching this place from a distance. Today, I would settle things with the Azure Dragon Unit Commander here, so no one could be allowed to peek inside or sense what was happening.
Hence, the perfect illusion formation I had prepared.
‘Go ahead, observe all you want. All you’ll see is the Azure Dragon Unit Commander and me having a cup of tea from start to finish.’
I then changed into my martial uniform and stood at the entrance of the estate, holding the Sun and Moon Sword. With my hands clasped behind my back, I faced the main gate.
As the moonlight and clouds created the perfect atmosphere, the Azure Dragon Unit Commander arrived.
Cheon Ga-rak entered the misty estate and spoke.
"Young Master Sa. I heard you proposed a duel with the Azure Dragon Unit and wished to see me about it…"
The moment Cheon Ga-rak passed through the main gate and stepped into the garden.
*Shwaaa-*
A gentle mist spread out.
In an instant, all noise vanished, and not a single breeze stirred. The illusion formation had been activated.
Sensing that some kind of formation had been triggered, Cheon Ga-rak’s expression hardened as he spoke.
"...What is the meaning of this, Young Master Sa?"
"Mist settles thickly here in the mornings and evenings."
"Are you playing a joke on me right now…?"
Cheon Ga-rak was furious. Even if his opponent was the son of the Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak, he himself was the commander of a main combat unit of the cult. To play such a prank on him was, by anyone's standards, going too far.
However, I cut him off.
"Didn't you want to test my martial prowess?"
"Ha."
It was true, of course. He had wanted to test my skills. But still, there was a certain level to things. He had intended to test me using a promising junior from the Azure Dragon Unit at most, not to test me himself like this.
‘How audacious.’
The Azure Dragon Unit Commander calmed his racing heart and spoke.
"And so, did I not say we would have a duel?"
"Will a member of the Azure Dragon Unit suffice?"
"Hah!"
‘Confidence? No, this is arrogance. What in the world is he relying on?’
Whatever training Young Master Sa had undergone, there was a gap in time that could not be bridged. The Azure Dragon Unit Commander hesitated for a moment, knowing that if he were to fight Young Master Sa now, he would surely be too heavy-handed.
But I drew the Sun and Moon Sword,
and then unleashed a sinister demonic energy.
At that, the Azure Dragon Unit Commander’s expression turned cold as he spoke.
"Are you serious?"
"Would I lie?"
A thick mist swirled in a circle, creating a stage for the duel in the center, which was illuminated by the moonlight.
"I heard about your deeds in Blade Leaf Valley, how you rescued the Blade Leaf Demon from the Sichuan Tang Clan's scheme and achieved a great merit. I am not, by any means, doubting your medical skills or your genius."
"..."
"Just looking at this formation proves a skill that ordinary people couldn't even dream of."
"..."
"However, I cannot simply overlook your claims of defeating a peak martial artist in the process, or that you will participate in the upcoming Divine Dragon Assembly as the Heavenly Dance Family's representative!"
"..."
"Even if you have learned martial arts, there is an absolute amount of time required. There are things that cannot be achieved with a brilliant mind alone."
He talked too much.
"Blah, blah, blah."
"Wha-what."
"Do you test skills with your mouth? I went to the trouble of setting the stage, so just come at me."
Cheon Ga-rak’s hand went to his waist.
"...I might get an earful from the Family Head for this."
"I won't hold my tongue, so come."
"Hahahahahaha!"
The Azure Dragon Unit Commander burst into loud laughter and spoke.
No, it was closer to a scoff.
"A man of his word, are you?"
"I said, come on."
The Azure Dragon Unit Commander took out something like a dagger from his robes and unfolded it, revealing a long spear. It was his beloved weapon, the Azure Dragon Demonic Spear.
The Azure Dragon Demonic Spear was a divine weapon that could extend and retract. When shortened, it was the size of a dagger, easy to carry in his robes. He was known for always carrying his beloved weapon with him.
The time had finally come to test each other’s martial prowess.
It was a situation both of us had wanted.
"I will begin."
I drew the Sun and Moon Sword and nodded, and the Azure Dragon Unit Commander unleashed a sharp aura.
The Azure Dragon Unit Commander, Cheon Ga-rak.
Despite my rudeness, he wasn’t reacting emotionally, but was emitting just enough energy to face a peak master.
‘He might be a better person than I thought.’
*Kwaang!*
Cheon Ga-rak kicked off the ground and flew towards me.
Sharp, awl-like spear strikes rushed in from all directions.
*Kagagaga! Kang!*
The Sun and Moon Sword that met them was solid, bending all the sharp awls, much to Cheon Ga-rak's great surprise.
"Haap!"
Once again, the Azure Dragon’s demonic spear, imbued with demonic energy, crushed the stage.
But all of Cheon Ga-rak's spear strikes were blocked by the Sun and Moon Sword, never once even touching the hem of my clothes.
"..."
The Azure Dragon paused for a moment and spoke.
"Honestly, it's true I underestimated you, Young Master Sa. Please forgive my rudeness."
"The duel is not over."
"What I have confirmed of your skill is more than enough…"
"Come."
"Hah!"
Cheon Ga-rak apologized after confirming my skill, but I didn't accept it. When a man draws his sword, shouldn't he at least slice a radish?
However, it seemed Cheon Ga-rak thought I was ignoring his consideration, as a vein popped on his forehead.
"Do you really intend to determine who is superior between us?"
The Azure Dragon Unit Commander, Cheon Ga-rak, released a ferocious energy, as if to say he had just been playing until now. It was a clear warning.
‘He’s telling me to back down after seeing his energy. But.’
I, too, met his energy with one of equal magnitude.
*Hwoooong-*
It was clearly the energy of a transcendent master.
No, it was even more ferocious than that of a typical transcendent master.
Sensing my energy, Cheon Ga-rak couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Tra-transcendent…?"
I simply nodded without a word.
"Ha, ha, haha…. Let’s do it. You were qualified after all. Let’s see who is superior."
The duel began anew.
This time, it wasn't just sharp awls, but hundreds of them spinning to create a storm, and within that storm, thunder and lightning raged.
The verdant Azure Dragon destroyed parts of the stage, resembling an Azure Dragon ascending to the heavens, calling forth lightning.
But the ferocious energy that countered it was like a Black Dragon tearing the sky apart, powerful enough to bring the ascending Azure Dragon crashing back down to earth.
The duel lasted for several minutes, with hundreds of exchanges.
Tremors that shook the earth and piercing sounds that could tear one’s eardrums echoed throughout the estate, but the perfect stage did not allow the vibrations to spill outside.
In the end, it was the Azure Dragon that fell,
"I… I lost."
"It was a good duel."
And the Black Dragon that ascended.