Chapter 48
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48
“All out…?”
“We ask that you permit us to use our Aura as well.”
Yuk Gyeong-cheon lightly tapped his chest, a confident gleam in his eyes.
“You may use your spiritual power as well, Immortal.”
Beside him, Wan Cheong-jo stepped forward.
“I also request instruction under the same terms.”
Lee Hyun looked back and forth between the two men.
“I don’t mind, but… what if you get hurt?”
Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s eyes widened in mild surprise before he threw his head back and burst into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha!”
His booming laughter echoed across the martial training ground.
“You may not know this, Immortal, but the two of us are martial arts grandmasters who have attained the Profound Realm—a lofty peak in the mortal world. Instructor Wan and I once confronted a Tier 2 Insect-Bonded Warrior at the border of the Heavenly Yang Kingdom. Combining our strength, we fought over a hundred exchanges and managed to wound the wretch’s left arm. Though we could not take his head in the end, we drove him back across the border.”
Yuk Gyeong-cheon planted his spear upright.
Thud.
The heavy butt of the shaft struck the stone pavers, sending a deep vibration through the ground.
“We are not so fragile that you need worry about hurting us, Immortal.”
Wan Cheong-jo added calmly, “If things turn dangerous, we will be the first to withdraw.”
Lee Hyun nodded.
“Very well, then.”
At his agreement, their faces brightened with anticipation.
Lee Hyun, on the other hand, glanced down at the iron training spear in his hands and sighed inwardly.
Still, they have no idea I’m a freak of nature… I’d better regulate my strength carefully.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Lee Hyun set down their training spears.
At once, two royal martial artists stepped forward from the weapon rack bearing a pair of silver spears. Forged as single pieces from tip to butt, the weapons bore fine ripples across their surfaces like silver grain—the distinct mark of refined iron that had been repeatedly folded and hammered hundreds of times.
Both men took hold of their weapons.
Lee Hyun channeled a faint thread of Primordial Unity True Qi into the silver spear.
Hummm—
A translucent glow suffused the spearhead and shaft. It was so subtle that one could hardly notice it without looking closely.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Yuk Gyeong-cheon adjusted his stance, rolling his shoulders back.
“Then I ask for your instruction once more.”
He drew a deep breath.
Instantly, Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s energy surged through his arms and flooded the spear. A sharp, one-inch spear aura bloomed at the tip before swelling violently outward.
Within breaths, a brilliant spear aura stretching over ten feet long completely cloaked the steel blade.
Each time the aura hummed, the surrounding air sizzled, radiating blade-sharp gusts of heat in all directions. The watching Transformation Realm martial artists instinctively held their breath.
Even So Bul-ui and Im Yak-ran watched the ring with solemn, focused expressions.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon kicked off the ground.
His form blurred into a streak of silver lightning.
CLAAANG!
The two spears collided head-on.
A circular shockwave of wind detonated from the point of impact.
Fwoooosh—
Dust and stone chips across the training ground were blasted outward in every direction.
Lee Hyun slid back a single step.
As if anticipating the retreat, Yuk Gyeong-cheon twisted his hips with fluid power. The silver spear carved a massive arc through the air, whipping violently toward Lee Hyun’s waist.
Shweee—
The razor-sharp Aura trailing from the blade gouged a thin score mark across the stone pavers beneath them.
Lee Hyun raised his spear shaft, angling it upward against the base of the incoming aura.
SKRRRRK!
The two metal shafts ground against each other with a shower of sparks and screeching friction.
The instant Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s spear bounced upward from the deflection, Lee Hyun’s spearhead darted straight for his chest like a striking viper.
The corners of Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s mouth curled upward.
“Excellent!”
A dense layer of Protective Aura flared around his torso.
At the same time, his deflected spear spun midair, chopping down toward Lee Hyun’s shaft with crushing force.
CLANG!
Just before Lee Hyun’s spearhead could pierce the Protective Aura, it was batted aside.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon closed the distance in an instant.
The butt of his shaft thrust forward like a bolt of lightning, angling straight for Lee Hyun’s ribs.
Whoosh!
Lee Hyun twisted his torso gracefully. The shaft grazed past his robes by a mere hair’s breadth.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon gave him no room to breathe.
Clang! Cl-cl-clang!
Aura flooded the entire training ground in blinding flashes.
In their previous spar, a minuscule opening had appeared at the tip of Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s spear whenever he transitioned between stances. But with his Aura Art fully deployed, even that tiny flaw was completely erased.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s breathing, body, and spear moved as a unified whole. The explosive force originating from the tips of his toes traveled through his waist and shoulders without the slightest hitch, pouring directly into the blade.
Every single strike was heavy enough to bring down a fortress wall.
Clang! Cl-clang!
A tempest of Aura whipped relentlessly around Lee Hyun.
Yet, once again, the blade failed to sever so much as the hem of his robe.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s gaze sharpened.
Is he trying to return to the same spots again?
He tracked Immortal Lee Dong-sam’s footing with razor precision.
However, his opponent was no longer moving solely between the four points he had trodden earlier. Instead, he glided like water through the turbulent gaps left by the shockwaves of Aura, completely untouchable.
Just as I thought! It won’t be so easy this time.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon grew increasingly confident.
Immortal Lee Dong-sam’s spearmanship was wondrous, but perhaps it was merely an exercise in finesse—a dazzling display of footwork that could not hold up in true, lethal combat.
There is absolute power that pure technique can never overcome!
Yuk Gyeong-cheon inhaled deeply.
Aura surged into his arms and spear with explosive intensity.
Wuuuung—
The Aura enveloping the blade began to spin violently.
One layer.
Two layers.
Three layers.
Circular Aura Rings bloomed in rapid sequence, centering around the tip of the spear. Each ring rotated in the opposite direction of the one beside it, grinding against one another with terrifying friction, pulverizing the surrounding air and dust to nothingness.
Wan Cheong-jo’s face hardened from the sidelines.
Is he really bringing that out?
It was the very technique Yuk Gyeong-cheon had used to wound the Tier 2 Insect-Bonded Warrior of Heavenly Yang.
If the opponent attempted to block the spear tip, the three interlocking Aura Rings would grind away their weapon and Body-Protecting Spirit Light alike. If they dodged to the side, he could instantly expand the rings outward to devastate the surroundings.
The Transformation Realm martial artists instinctively scrambled back several paces.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon lunged forward with everything he had.
BOOM!
The three Aura Rings cascaded toward Lee Hyun like a grinding mill of pure destruction. The training ground was drowned in blinding, crackling radiance.
Yet, at that exact split second, Lee Hyun’s spear tip slipped effortlessly into the razor-thin seam between the three rings.
Ting—
A clear, bell-like chime sliced through the air.
The three furiously counter-rotating Aura Rings swallowed one another’s momentum, their balance destroyed in an instant as they warped violently out of control.
Skrrrch! Crack!
Yuk Gyeong-cheon turned deathly pale.
Unable to contain its own chaotic force, the Aura he had unleashed collapsed inward, spiraling wildly around Lee Hyun’s shaft as if pulled into a vortex.
Four Taels Deflect a Thousand Catties!?
With a smooth, gentle half-turn of his spear, Lee Hyun redirected the torrential force coiled around his weapon, sending the entire mass of wild Aura veering completely off course and rocketing straight into the sky.
KABOOM!
High above their heads, the tempest of Aura Rings detonated against the clouds in vain.
Caught in the sudden vacuum of the blast, Yuk Gyeong-cheon pitched forward uncontrollably.
Before he could even attempt to recover his balance, a cold sensation brushed against his forehead.
Lee Hyun’s spear tip hovered motionless, resting silently before the space between his brows.
A thick drop of cold sweat dripped down Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s brow.
Lowering his spear, Lee Hyun spoke calmly.
“The counter-rotation of the three interlocking Aura Rings was truly magnificent.”
“No… far from it…”
With trembling hands, Yuk Gyeong-cheon lowered his spear. An overwhelming thrill shivered down his spine, leaving him chilled to the bone.
What kind of ungodly skill is this…? To think there are still heights like this left to climb on the martial path!
Now, Wan Cheong-jo stepped forward.
“I ask for instruction as well.”
A fierce competitive fire burned in Wan Cheong-jo’s eyes.
Brother Yuk’s spear and mine are entirely different.
He adjusted his grip on the short spear in his hands, his posture sinking low.
Moments later, Lee Hyun and Wan Cheong-jo faced each other in the center of the scarred training ground.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Aura bloomed from Wan Cheong-jo’s body.
It was not vast and flamboyant like Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s raging gale. Instead, it clung to his limbs and the surface of his short spear like a thin, dense film, barely half an inch thick.
Wan Cheong-jo choked up on the shaft. His lead hand rested barely two feet from the spearhead, while his rear hand gripped the center of the shaft.
Then, he moved.
Tap.
His footstep was whisper-quiet compared to Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s explosive stomp.
Yet with that single tap, three razor-sharp streaks of spear aura converged on Lee Hyun from completely different angles at blinding speed.
Cl-cl-clang!
Wan Cheong-jo’s spear shifted trajectory the instant it met resistance. Pivoting on his lead hand, the spearhead drew a tight, vicious circle, slashing across Lee Hyun’s chest.
As Lee Hyun leaned back to evade, the butt of the spear surged upward like an uppercut from below.
Lee Hyun’s shaft intercepted the butt.
Using the recoil of the clash, Wan Cheong-jo spun his body effortlessly. The spear aura struck in relentless succession at Lee Hyun’s back, waist, and knees.
Clang! Cl-cl-clang!
It was a style of spearmanship entirely distinct from Yuk Gyeong-cheon’s heavy, decisive blows.
Before one attack could even conclude, the next was already underway. The distinction between the spearhead and the butt was completely blurred, as was the boundary between thrusting, slashing, and bashing.
Wan Cheong-jo relentlessly slipped inside Lee Hyun’s guard.
Before long, the distance between them closed to less than ten feet.
Lee Hyun’s long spear no longer had the room to maneuver effectively.
Wan Cheong-jo’s eyes gleamed with triumph.
Got him.
He twisted the shaft.
The concentrated Aura shattered from the spearhead into dozens of fine, glittering threads. Slender needles of piercing aura shot simultaneously toward every vital acupoint across Lee Hyun’s upper body.
In that split second—
Lee Hyun let go of his spear.
Wan Cheong-jo’s pupils dilated in shock.
He abandoned his weapon?!
In the very next instant, Lee Hyun’s entire form wavered like a shimmering mirage.
Swish!
Instead of retreating, Lee Hyun brazenly surged straight into the midst of the surging threads of spear aura.
Is he mad?!
Wan Cheong-jo reflexively twisted his spear shaft to impale Lee Hyun’s solar plexus.
Right then, Lee Hyun’s hands unleashed a dazzling display of martial skill, entirely erasing the boundaries between fist, palm, finger-flick, and grappling.
Clack-clack!
Lee Hyun’s index and middle fingers struck out like lightning, flicking the flat of Wan Cheong-jo’s blade twice in succession.
Though they were merely two casual finger-flicks, the trajectories of the dozens of branching threads of spear aura scattered into the air like harmless raindrops.
Simultaneously, Lee Hyun’s left hand glided forward, locking around Wan Cheong-jo’s elbow joint like an iron clamp.
Wan Cheong-jo felt the strength in his spear arm evaporate completely.
Panicked, he tried to drive his opposite fist into Lee Hyun’s jaw—
Th-th-th-thump!
Wan Cheong-jo’s vision was overwhelmed by dozens of shifting afterimages.
Executing an ever-shifting array of hand techniques, Lee Hyun’s right hand swept across Wan Cheong-jo’s entire body in a blinding blur.
The Gyeonjeong Acupoint on the shoulder, the Jeonjung Acupoint on the chest, the Ilwol Acupoint on the flank, the Gokji Acupoint on the arm…
Lee Hyun’s fists, palms, and fingertips struck Wan Cheong-jo’s vital points in rapid, grazing succession.
Finally, barely an inch before Wan Cheong-jo’s nose, Lee Hyun’s right fist tore through the air and came to an abrupt, absolute halt.
BANG!
The burst of wind pressure unleashed the moment the fist stopped whipped Wan Cheong-jo’s hair wildly backward.
The entire exchange had unfolded in less than a single breath.
Clatter.
Only now did the spear Lee Hyun had dropped finally hit the stone pavers.
“That was fine spearmanship.”
Silence blanketed the training ground.
The Transformation Realm martial artists standing around the ring could not fathom what had just occurred. To their untrained eyes, it merely looked as though Lee Hyun had waved his hands a few times, and Wan Cheong-jo’s spear had come to a bewildered, paralyzed stop.
After a long moment, Yuk Gyeong-cheon stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply to Lee Hyun.
“We have received profound guidance.”
Panting for breath, cold sweat soaking his tunic, Wan Cheong-jo bowed right beside him.
“Thank you for the instruction.”
The Transformation Realm martial artists surrounding the ring clasped their hands in unison, their heads lowered in reverent awe.
Jang Gyeong-ik walked over to Lee Hyun, shaking his head with a broad smile.
“Junior Martial Brother Lee, I had no idea you were so accomplished in martial arts.”
“To tell the truth, an ancestor of my clan was a mortal who attained the rank of Martial Arts Grandmaster,” Lee Hyun replied smoothly. “A few martial arts manuals and cultivation formulas were passed down to his descendants. I simply learned our family’s martial arts as a child.”
“So that was the case.”
Jang Gyeong-ik accepted the explanation without hesitation.
Among cultivators of rogue cultivator origin, it was not unusual to have ties to mortal martial arts clans or royal houses. Furthermore, Lee Dong-sam was a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. If one fused spiritual power with mortal martial arts, Jang Gyeong-ik figured it was hardly surprising that he could overpower a Martial Arts Grandmaster of the Profound Realm.
So Bul-ui seemed to think along the exact same lines.
“As expected of the Great Perfection of Qi Refining,” he murmured in mild admiration. “To manipulate spiritual power like Aura… it seems even masters of the Profound Realm can hardly contend with it.”
Im Yak-ran remarked, “Is his skill with the spear itself not remarkable as well?”
“Compared to mortal martial arts, perhaps.” So Bul-ui’s expression held genuine, if somewhat condescending, praise. “I always thought the Crimson Sky Sect was focused entirely on alchemy, but I had no idea an outer-sect alchemist could move his body like this. If my senior martial brothers back at the sect saw this, they would find it quite intriguing.”
Lee Hyun offered no reaction.
So Bul-ui was not attempting to insult him; the man simply truly believed what he was saying.
The ones who actually scowled at the remarks were Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Wan Cheong-jo.
To witness such transcendent martial skill right before their eyes and glean nothing… what utter fools!
Wan Cheong-jo felt the exact same way.
A bunch of blind fools with no talent beyond being born with a spiritual root. They have no idea how incredible he truly is…
In truth, Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Wan Cheong-jo did not hold much respect for the state-resident cultivators deep down.
And they had good reason for it.
A child born with a spiritual root appeared roughly once in ten thousand—a rare aptitude, certainly. However, a martial artist capable of breaking through to the Transformation Realm appeared only once in several million.
Masters of the Profound Realm were rarer still. Typically, a mortal population of a hundred million was needed to produce even one or two Profound Realm masters in an entire generation.
Therefore, in terms of sheer rarity of talent and tenacity, ordinary Qi Refining cultivators could not even hold a candle to Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Wan Cheong-jo. It was merely that the type of talent cultivators possessed happened to suit the laws of this world.
Both Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Wan Cheong-jo vaguely realized that Immortal Lee Dong-sam’s explanation was a complete fabrication. His martial arts far exceeded anything that could be explained by merely having learned “family martial arts.”
Yet neither of them pried. They simply assumed Lee Dong-sam had his own reasons for keeping his secrets.
From that day forward, the attitude of the Anreung martial artists toward Lee Dong-sam changed completely.
While they had treated him with standard courtesy before as a state-resident cultivator of the Crimson Sky Sect, they now revered him with genuine respect, treating him like a revered senior who walked far ahead of them on the martial path.
Yuk Gyeong-cheon and Wan Cheong-jo occasionally visited the Immortal Service Courtyard to ask about spear techniques and footwork. Lee Hyun shared a few insights within the bounds of his knowledge, offering pointers here and there.
Not that any of this disrupted Lee Hyun’s daily routine.
Ordinarily, he inspected the pills and medicinal herbs at the Immortal Service Courtyard, occasionally visiting the royal court or nearby cultivator clans to mediate disputes.
Once every two or three months, he secretly returned to Tunnel No. 3 to check on the spirit fields and fluffy bees.
On occasion, he donned his Badger Mask and convened meetings for the Twin Heavens Society.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Yang Kingdom did not cross Anreung’s borders. However, the number of Insect-Bonded Warriors stationed at the northern spirit vein showed no signs of decreasing.
* * *
Five years later.
Anreung Kingdom, Immortal Service Courtyard.
Lee Hyun was lying comfortably on the floor of his quarters.
Inside his Sea of Consciousness, an intricate seal floated quietly in the center of his mind.
Multiple layers of patterns enveloped a hollow circle, while on the outside, two streaks of light revolved endlessly in opposite directions.
The Origin-Protecting Seal.
Fourteen years had already passed since he first obtained the Spirit-Guarding Origin-Protecting Art. Befitting a secret art concerning the primordial spirit, the Origin-Protecting Seal was vastly more esoteric than any spell Lee Hyun had learned so far.
Even so, he had steadily researched and refined it day after day. And today, he had finally achieved a major breakthrough!
Hummm—
The Origin-Protecting Seal, which previously collapsed the moment his conscious mind lost focus, settled firmly into place within his Sea of Consciousness entirely on its own. Now, even without Lee Hyun actively focusing on it, the seal maintained a stable, permanent form while consuming a minuscule amount of Primordial Unity True Qi.
If external divine sense or bewitching powers approached his Sea of Consciousness, it would automatically draw upon more Primordial Unity True Qi to safeguard his primordial spirit.
I suppose this counts as reaching Minor Accomplishment!
Lee Hyun pulled out the wooden board he used as a handmade status window from his storage pouch.
【Spell: Spirit-Guarding Origin-Protecting Art (Minor Accomplishment)…】
Just as he slipped the board back into his pouch—
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door of his room.
“Junior Martial Brother Lee. Are you inside?”
It was Jang Gyeong-ik’s voice.
Lee Hyun rose and opened the door.
“What is the matter, Senior Martial Brother?”
“It is time to prepare for the Immortal Ascension Selection.”
“The Immortal Ascension Selection?”
“Screening children with spiritual roots and sending them back to the main mountain. This is your first time participating since becoming a state-resident cultivator, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
Jang Gyeong-ik gestured toward the corridor.
“Come to the council hall. We need to decide on our assigned regions and schedule.”
* * *
Council Hall of the Immortal Service Courtyard.
The state-resident cultivators of the Crimson Sky Sect and Azure Gauze Sect sat facing each other across a long wooden table.
Spread out on the table was an expansive map detailing the entire Anreung Kingdom.
Every six years in Anreung, children between the ages of six and thirteen who had not yet been tested were gathered to examine their aptitudes. The Crimson Sky Sect and Azure Gauze Sect divided the recruitment territories according to their prior agreements.
Jang Gyeong-ik pointed to the western part of the map.
“The territories our sect will oversee this time are Saknyeong Province, Baekha Province, and Unreung Province. All of them are sparsely populated western borderlands of Anreung.”
Lee Hyun’s gaze lingered on Pyeongneung County in Saknyeong Province.
It was an area located quite close to Tunnel No. 3.
Jang Gyeong-ik continued, “First, the royal court will gather the eligible children of each county by village. We will travel in a designated sequence to test their spiritual roots, and bring those with aptitude back to the royal capital.”
“Are we not sending them straight to the main mountain?”
“The Crimson Sky Sect is too far away,” Jang Gyeong-ik explained. “We can’t just keep the children flying around on a boat until the selection in every territory is finished.”
His expression turned remarkably solemn.
“Children are not like us. They require timely meals and proper sleep, and they fall ill easily from the high-altitude chill.”
“Even with the wind-warding formations?”
“Blocking the wind doesn’t completely dispel the cold. In the past, disciples handling the Immortal Ascension Selection for the first time have taken that lightly, only to have the children fall ill.”
Jang Gyeong-ik ticked off the points on his fingers.
“They must also be fed a balanced diet of mortal grains, meat, and vegetables. You can’t just carelessly feed them spirit food or pills, assuming it’s good for them; their bodies can’t digest it. Mortal children can die if they’re starved for even a few days. Bear this in mind: mortals are fragile. They must be handled with care, like tender sprouts.”
“Ah… that makes sense.”
I’ve lived as a cultivator for so long that I’ve lost touch with mortal sensibilities.
Jang Gyeong-ik continued, “That is why the selected children are first brought to the Immortal Ascension Selection Courtyard in the royal capital. Once the screening across all regions is concluded, we will board them onto the Crimson Sky Immortal-Ferrying Boat and take them to the main mountain all at once.”
“Understood.”
When the meeting concluded, Jang Gyeong-ik led the Crimson Sky Sect disciples to a spacious stone terrace behind the Immortal Service Courtyard, where a large storehouse stood.
Jang Gyeong-ik placed his identity token onto the formation plate at the entrance.
Hummm—
The storehouse doors parted to the left and right, revealing a flying boat over two hundred feet in length resting inside.
The hull was crafted from white spirit wood, its sides decorated with patterns of golden alchemy fire and swirling clouds. The deck and cabins were lined with dense arrays of inscriptions for both wind-warding and defensive formations.
“That is a fine flying boat,” Lee Hyun remarked.
“This is the Crimson Sky Immortal-Ferrying Boat.” Jang Gyeong-ik patted the hull lightly. “It’s a high-grade flying magical artifact entrusted to the Immortal Service Courtyard by the main mountain. We rarely have a reason to use it, but when recruiting disciples, we must always bring this vessel.”
“Is it because we need to transport so many children?”
“That’s part of it, but…” Jang Gyeong-ik paused for a moment. “There is also a need to display the sect’s majesty to the mortals.”
“Majesty?”
“Sending a child with a spiritual root to an immortal sect alters the destiny of an entire clan. It is a moment mortals will remember for the rest of their lives. Surely we can’t arrive in a shabby cart, can we?”
A Crimson Sky disciple standing nearby nodded solemnly. “If the first cultivator they ever see looks destitute, the children’s parents might doubt our sect.”
“Indeed,” Jang Gyeong-ik agreed, then turned to Lee Hyun. “Do you have your own flying magical artifact?”
“I do.” Lee Hyun produced the palm-sized Flowing Cloud Disk from his storage pouch.
“A Flowing Cloud Disk. Its size and color are unobtrusive. That will do nicely.”
“If we have the Crimson Sky Immortal-Ferrying Boat, do we still need our personal flying magical artifacts?”
“It would lack a certain finesse if this colossal boat landed in the middle of a village and a swarm of cultivators poured out,” Jang Gyeong-ik explained. “Instead, we keep the ferry hovering high in the sky while the cultivators responsible for that state descend on their personal flying artifacts. That is how the majesty of an immortal sect truly shines in the eyes of mortals.”
Jang Gyeong-ik then drew a small flying sword from his storage pouch.
Hummm—
The finger-length sword expanded to over ten feet long, and he stepped onto the blade.
“Watch closely. First, you must halt at a height of about ten zhang above the ground.”
The flying sword rose into the air. Jang Gyeong-ik didn’t descend immediately but waited, hovering until all the disciples on the stone terrace were looking up at him.
“Make sure to check if the mortals are looking in your direction first,” his voice drifted down from above. “We can perceive our surroundings instantly with our divine sense, but mortals cannot. They are slow to turn their heads, slow to shift their gaze. If we descend too quickly, no one might even notice us.”
Jang Gyeong-ik used the Wind-Riding Formula to make his robes billow gently.
Rustle—
His wide sleeves and hem swelled in the wind with just the right amount of drama. Only then did the flying sword begin its slow descent.
“You must descend neither too quickly nor too slowly.”
Upon reaching about three zhang above the ground, Jang Gyeong-ik paused in midair once more.
“Stop here again. The mortals need time to get a clear look at your face.”
A moment later, the flying sword touched down on the stone platform. Jang Gyeong-ik’s knees didn’t bend, nor did his body sway. Not a single speck of dust was stirred. The hem of his long robe settled a beat after he landed.
“Just like that.” He stepped off the flying sword. “Make sure to use the Wind-Riding Formula to give your robes a gentle flutter. Just be mindful of the wind’s direction. If the fabric blows across your face, it ruins the entire impression.”
Jang Gyeong-ik was completely serious.
“Bending your knees upon landing also ruins your poise, so be careful not to do so.”
“Understood.”
“Give it a try.”
Lee Hyun infused the Flowing Cloud Disk with his spiritual power.
Hummm—
The circular plate of white jade expanded to nearly three zhang across.
Lee Hyun stepped onto the Flowing Cloud Disk and followed the exact sequence Jang Gyeong-ik had demonstrated. He rose to a height of ten zhang, waited for all eyes to be on him, and then descended while using the Wind-Riding Formula to make his robes flutter just so. After pausing at three zhang so his face was clearly visible, he landed upon the stone platform without kicking up a single speck of dust.
Jang Gyeong-ik nodded in approval.
“Well done.”
“It’s not difficult.”
“In the field, hundreds of people will be looking up at you from below. You just have to do exactly as you did now.” Jang Gyeong-ik studied Lee Hyun’s face for a moment. “Though it would be better if you adopted a slightly more dignified expression. Not so fierce that it terrifies them, but solemn enough that none would dare approach you carelessly. Refrain from useless chatter, and speak only when necessary, but with an air of authority.”