Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: A Rising Star
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Mu-heun dove straight into the lake to save Ak Jin-sam, who had fallen in after taking a fist to the face.
*Splash!*
Submerging himself in Cheonji Lake, he found Ak Jin-sam, supported him by the shoulder, and pulled him out. After handing the unconscious Ak Jin-sam over to the physicians, he headed back to the Divine Dragon Assembly's waiting room.
And when he entered the waiting room…
“That was absolutely incredible!”
“It was! How on earth did you do that?”
“Have you been practicing martial arts since you were a child? Were all those rumors about you being a scoundrel just nonsense?”
“Amazing. That bastard Ak Jin-sam was clearly using forbidden demonic arts. What a coward!”
The descendants of the Demonic Cult rushed over, all vying to speak with him.
Just as he was starting to feel tired and irritated by the crowd swarming him like a pack of ghouls.
“St-stand back! Our lord has just finished his match!”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun, sensing Mu-heun's mood, intervened, and the heated excitement subsided for a moment.
Taking advantage of the lull, Mu-heun clasped his fist in his palm and addressed the crowd.
“I'm grateful for your kind words. However, there are still many matches left, so I'd like to rest for now.”
“Ah…”
The descendants who had approached all looked disappointed. Mu-heun studied the faces of the disappointed martial artists.
*‘These are the people who will become the arms and legs of the Divine Cult. If I truly want to change it, I'll need to win their hearts and lead them.’*
Changing his mind, Mu-heun spoke to the martial artists who were turning to leave.
“However.”
As they turned back at the sound of his voice, he looked at each of them with clear eyes and said.
“If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you all to my family's estate after the Divine Dragon Assembly. We can speak at length then.”
The descendants' faces immediately brightened, and they replied joyfully.
“Th-that sounds wonderful!”
“We'll be watching your remaining matches closely.”
“Haha, though I doubt anyone can beat you, Lord Mu-heun!”
Mu-heun gave a small wave in response to their support, then sat back down. Pa-sun, whose perceptiveness had been honed by his life as a servant, quickly brought him some water, and Mu-heun began to rest.
But then…
Someone approached him, having heard everything.
“I enjoyed your match.”
“……?”
A woman with skin as fair as white jade and pure white hair tied back neatly. A mysterious aura, an elegant gait. A woman befitting the title of peerless beauty, and one of the top contenders for victory in the Divine Dragon Assembly.
It was Seol Ha-ryeong of the Sacred Fire Palace.
*‘This person is definitely…’*
“You're the one who fought Wi Ji-seung of the Mongo Pavilion in the first match.”
“Oh my, you remember.”
“How could I forget the beautiful yet powerful Myriad Ice Snow Flower?”
“Hoh hoh hoh, thank you. You truly are worthy of the Sacred Fire's choice.”
*Cough!*
Mu-heun involuntarily spat out his water, spraying Pa-sun and Un-pyo.
“M-My lord…”
“S-sorry.”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo stepped away for a moment to wipe themselves down, leaving Mu-heun and Seol Ha-ryeong alone.
“How did you know about that?”
“Huhu, I was there too, you know?”
“Ah… the Heavenly Dance Festival?”
“That's right.”
“Heh heh…”
“The phrase 'a sea change' truly suits you. It's hard to believe you're the same person from back then.”
“What is it you want to say?”
“It seems the Sacred Fire Palace will also be supporting you, Young Master.”
“The Sacred Fire Palace will support me?”
“Yes. I came to greet you, as it seems we'll be seeing each other often.”
“Hah…”
Mu-heun studied Seol Ha-ryeong's expression.
The emotion he felt from her was still ecstasy.
*‘What a peculiar one.’*
“Well… in any case, it's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Huhu, the pleasure is all mine.”
With that final greeting, Seol Ha-ryeong abruptly turned and left.
“What on earth was that about?”
She came and went like the wind.
Mu-heun was momentarily dumbfounded, then collected his thoughts.
*‘The Sacred Fire Palace supports me... huh.’*
His mind was cluttered with things to consider.
But regardless, the Divine Dragon Assembly continued without pause.
The first day of the Divine Dragon Assembly.
The match between the Heavenly Dance Family's Fourth Young Master, Baek Mu-heun, and the Red Demon Pavilion's Ak Jin-sam sent a shockwave through everyone watching.
In contrast, Mu-heun, the source of the shock, was looking for other noteworthy figures among the participants.
Indeed. It wasn't for nothing that this year's assembly was called the greatest in history. Besides Seol Ha-ryeong, there were numerous powerhouses, and the most prominent among them were all masters who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
*‘Lee Baek of the Ferocious Tiger Family…’*
Lee Baek employed the Ferocious Demonic Tiger Arts, freely switching between fist and claw techniques.
His opponent was a man named Gyu-hwang from the Swift Body Pavilion. His speed was astonishing as he zipped across the arena with swift movement techniques, employing dangerous kicks that targeted vital points in an instant.
However, Lee Baek was like a white tiger incarnate. Soon, Gyu-hwang was torn apart and collapsed, as if hunted down by a savage beast.
*‘His beast-like senses and martial arts are one and the same, making him seem like a divine beast. How impressive. In a way, he'd be a good match for Un-pyo.’*
There were a few other powerful individuals, but the most impressive among them were still Seol Ha-ryeong and Lee Baek.
Once all the participants' matches were over, Gu Yeom shouted to the crowd.
“This concludes the first round of the Divine Dragon Assembly!”
The first round was over.
One hundred people had fought, and after excluding the injured, only twenty-four remained.
Fifty were eliminated through defeat.
Twenty-six withdrew due to injury.
This was to be expected. In the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Divine Dragon Assembly, participants would use any means necessary to win, so even in defeat, one rarely escaped unscathed.
However, there was one family that remained intact, without a single member eliminated…
“Pa-sun, Un-pyo, I'm glad you both made it to the second round without injury.”
“It is all thanks to your teachings, my lord.”
“We are nothing compared to you, my lord.”
…it was the Heavenly Dance Family.
After the first round of the Divine Dragon Assembly, public perception of Pa-sun and Un-pyo had changed considerably, but it was nothing compared to the attention on Mu-heun. He could feel the gazes on him. The weight they carried was entirely different from before.
*‘It seems I've been successful, to some extent.’*
***
That night, various discussions were held about the first round of the Divine Dragon Assembly. Amidst all the talk, one person's name came up without fail.
Everyone who had watched the tournament likely felt it.
The new disciple the Cult Leader had announced before the tournament began.
The sixth disciple, Baek Mu-heun of the Heavenly Dance Family.
That declaration was not merely a whim brought on by the Cult Leader's old age.
“On the first day of the tournament, the one who left the strongest impression was undoubtedly the Cult Leader's sixth disciple, Baek Mu-heun.”
“Hear, hear!”
“And the moment you realize he only recently began learning martial arts and has just passed the age of twenty! Everyone's minds must be reeling, no?”
“Kahat! Indeed!”
The gossips, who loved to talk, were ecstatic.
They had only been considering the five disciples already in the line of succession, but now a massive boulder had been thrown into the lake, creating huge ripples.
“Shouldn't we be siding with the Heavenly Dance Family's Fourth Young Master now?”
“What if he's just a flash in the pan?”
“A flash? Who reaches such a level by being a mere flash? Did you not see his match earlier?”
“That's... true, but aren't the five disciples already polished gems? Can a newly discovered raw stone possibly catch up to them in three years?”
Conversations like this were taking place in every family.
“The momentum of this rising star is frightening.”
“Indeed. If this upward trend continues, no one will be able to keep up with him.”
“There are still matches to be fought. Let's wait and see until tomorrow.”
The Elders' discussions were not much different.
Just then, an unexpected group of people gathered in one place.
Mi-wol, the Sun and Moon Divine Maiden of the Sacred Fire Palace,
Cho Seon-neung, the Killing Palace Lord,
and Cheon Ji-gyeong, the Law Palace Lord.
***
- The Three Palace Lords' Meeting
The Killing Palace Lord, Cho Seon-neung, was the first to speak.
“Divine Maiden, what are your thoughts?”
“Hoho. We all heard it, did we not?”
“……”
When the Divine Maiden gave an ambiguous answer, the Law Palace Lord, Cheon Ji-gyeong, pressed for a clearer one.
“Is there anything else you know?”
“……”
The Sun and Moon Divine Maiden paused for a moment before speaking.
“The Heavenly Dance Festival was held not long ago. At that time, there was a revelation concerning the Heavenly Dance Family's Fourth Young Master.”
“……!”
“Wh-what was it?”
“That he is the inflection point of our cult.”
““……!””
The minds of Cheon Ji-gyeong of the Law Palace and Cho Seon-neung of the Killing Palace became complicated.
Baek Mu-heun was born with martial talent.
That much was an undeniable fact.
However, the Cult Leader's five disciples were masters who had reached the pinnacle of demonic arts long ago. No matter how talented he was, it was impossible for him to surpass all those peak masters within three years.
Furthermore, the five disciples would also be gritting their teeth and dedicating themselves to training. For someone who had just turned twenty, no matter his talent, it was like trying to break a boulder with an egg.
But if he had received the Sacred Fire's blessing, that was another story. The Cult Leader couldn't possibly be unaware of what they knew. The Sun and Moon Divine Maiden saw right through their thoughts and gave a triumphant smile.
As the silence with the two pondering Palace Lords stretched on, Mi-wol concluded the conversation.
“For now, let us continue to watch the Divine Dragon Assembly.”
“Let's do that.”
“Let's do that.”
***
Meanwhile, in another place, a storm of blood was brewing in the dead of night…
It was the Red Demon Pavilion.
“Not only have you weakened our influence, but you've also brought us shame.”
Ak Jin-sam, Wi Gun-seong, and Kang-in lay bloodied and collapsed before Hwang Cheol-ung. They had fainted, unable to withstand the excruciating pain of having their muscles and bones torn.
“The Radiant Heavenly Demon Unit and the Law Palace have notified us of an internal audit regarding the Red Face Blood Sky Demonic Arts.”
Hwang Cheol-ung smashed the desk beside him.
“Another! Another! Another! Audit!”
Then, he drew the Red Demon Blade from his waist. He had just used this very blade to behead Won Ju-ryong, who had foolishly mishandled the command unit and proven his own guilt. Ak Jin-sam, Kang-in, and Wi Gun-seong sensed their impending deaths.
“Useless fools.”
He swung the hand holding the Red Demon Blade.
Wi Gun-seong's arm flew off.
His anger still not sated, he swung the blade once more.
And Ak Jin-sam's arm went flying as well.
“Just you wait until the audit is over.”
He didn't kill them, as taking their lives with an audit pending would surely result in disciplinary action against him. However, they were all dead men as soon as the audit was finished.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“May I come in for a moment?”
“Who dares…”
The person knocked and opened the door without hesitation, surely aware of the situation inside.
“It's been a while, Lord of the Red Demon Pavilion.”
“……!”
Seeing the face of the person who entered, Hwang Cheol-ung's rage subsided, replaced by worry.
“L-Lord Flame Demon.”
The Flame Demon had not come alone. A familiar woman followed behind him.
“I'm here too.”
“L-Lady Ice Demon, as well.”
Two of the Cult Leader's disciples had come to visit the Red Demon Pavilion Lord, and they both smiled even as they took in the blood-spattered room.
***
That night, Mu-heun prepared to cultivate his internal energy in his quarters, telling Un-pyo and Pa-sun to get plenty of rest.
“Rest well today for tomorrow's matches.”
But Pa-sun and Un-pyo couldn't hide their excitement and chattered away.
“My lord, the entire cult is buzzing with talk of you.”
“When did you become so strong? I can't even begin to fathom it now.”
And at some point, the entire Azure Dragon Unit had gathered in Mu-heun's quarters, joining in the fuss.
“That's exactly what I'm saying. Young Master, how on earth did you hide your skills? Did you know, Unit Leader?”
“I had no idea he was this skilled either. Fourth Young Master, were you holding back when you sparred with me? The prowess you showed at the Divine Dragon Assembly earlier was truly jaw-dropping.”
“Ehh? You sparred with the Unit Leader too?”
His brothers, who he'd been wondering about, also joined in.
“Fourth brother, what in the world happened? Were you always that strong?”
“Little brother, when did you get so powerful?”
*‘No matter how much the cult buzzes with talk of me, the loudest place must surely be the Heavenly Dance Family estate.’*
It was only this quiet because the Heavenly Dance Family Head, Baek Gun-hak, had declared he would not be receiving any guests today.
Mu-heun took in everyone's praise, played along for a while, and then retreated to his room.
“Hoo.”
He caught his breath and sat down in a cross-legged position.
It was time to tame the wild horse in his dantian.
Mu-heun recalled the events of the Divine Dragon Assembly.
The moment he had dived into the lake to save Ak Jin-sam…