Chapter 94 – Martial Arts World (5)
A massive crowd of martial artists had gathered at the Ancient Dragon Gorge. The nameless wanderers, in particular, were countless. They didn't have any proper martial arts worthy of the name. The Secret Vault of the Shadowless Divine Fist was a heaven-sent opportunity. If they were lucky enough to get their hands on a divine technique, their lives would change completely.
They knew that recklessly using the martial arts of a great clan would get them hunted down, but no one cared. Everyone thought they would be the exception.
The map of the Shadowless Divine Fist pointed to this very spot. The entrance of the gorge. A waterfall was crashing down, sending spray flying in all directions. But more turbulent than the waterfall was the seething greed of the people.
A wandering swordsman screeched, his face twisted in anger. "Why won't you let us in! Are you trying to keep it all for yourselves!"
He was quite skilled for a wanderer. First-class. His voice, thick with inner energy, boomed through the roar of the waterfall.
Martial artists stood in their way. A middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the ground opened his mouth. "Be quiet."
His quiet voice spread in all directions. Despite being a soft sound, it was perfectly clear in everyone's ears. A stark contrast to the wanderer who had been screaming his head off.
The Murim Alliance claimed to uphold justice. This was martial skill worthy of the Master of the Righteous Heaven Corps, a man they called the Sword of the Alliance.
The Righteous Heaven Master smiled kindly at the wanderer. "You have no knowledge of formations anyway, do you."
"That's why we're asking to take a look!" "That's right! Just let us check!" Relying on their numbers, they raised their voices, but then abruptly shut their mouths.
The Righteous Heaven Master's kind smile remained, but a subtle pressure from his inner energy weighed on everyone. The wanderers felt as if a heavy weight was pressing down on their shoulders. A feeling of powerlessness.
"Hahaha! Do you not trust the name of our Righteous Heaven Corps? This place may be a secret vault, but in the end, it's just a thief's warehouse. If there are any true treasures inside, the Murim Alliance will see them returned to their rightful owners."
"Th-then how can we..." The wanderer who was about to shout "trust you" finally closed his mouth. The gaze of the smiling Righteous Heaven Master had cowed him. As expected of people who lived by the sword, they had quick instincts. Though they were the orthodox faction, they were still swordsmen. People like them could end up dead without anyone ever knowing.
"I am Mo Yong-cheol of the Mo Yong Clan! I don't trust this!! I must go in and see for myself!!"
"You are...?" As the crowd began to quiet down, a man with absolutely no sense of the room started shouting. He began to stir up the crowd.
"The Righteous Heaven Corps may be the justice of the Murim, but in the end, they're just people! How can we trust people! Especially with the rampant rumors that all the martial arts in the world are inside! And who knows if the martial arts of our Mo Yong Clan are in there too!"
The Righteous Heaven Master frowned. The Mo Yong Clan was a prestigious family that even held an elder position within the Murim Alliance. They would surely be taken care of, so why was this fool sticking his neck out?
'The rumors really are true... How pathetic.' It wasn't just Mo Yong-cheol, notorious for being a scoundrel. Lately, the Mo Yong Clan itself had been getting bad rumors. Whispers circulated that they were doing things unbefitting of an orthodox clan behind the scenes.
"Tch. Mo Yong-cheol. Even if you are of the Mo Yong Clan, it's best not to say things you can't take responsibility for. And speaking to me so rudely..."
The Righteous Heaven Master raised his aura to pressure him. The Mo Yong Clan guards nearby tensely gripped their sword hilts.
Despite his pudgy flesh visibly trembling, the man didn't back down. "I-I will enter too! I heard the gold the Shadowless Divine Fist stole would reach the heavens! Who knows if this place is bursting with gold and silver!"
At those blatant words, the wanderers' eyes began to gleam red. Gold and martial arts!
"Are you sure...!"
"Kuha ha ha ha ha!!!"
The Righteous Heaven Master, who had been trying to build his momentum, hardened his expression. An incredibly loud shout shook the heavens.
"You talk well for a piglet, you do! Hey, Righteous Heaven Master! Stop bullying the brat and come play with me!"
"KWAANG!!" A giant man fell from the sky like a thunderbolt. The moment he landed, the surrounding terrain shattered.
Rock fragments flew in all directions. "Kugh!" Those unlucky enough to be hit by the stones coughed up blood. Each piece was imbued with inner energy.
The wanderers flinched at the sight of him. He was an unorthodox master who, unlike the orthodox faction, didn't care about appearances. Getting on his bad side meant losing a limb as a bare minimum. If you were unlucky, you'd end up in a state worse than death.
A renowned master of the Four Evil Paths. The Crimson Blood Fiend.
The Righteous Heaven Master and the Crimson Blood Fiend clashed. Sword energy scattered in all directions, and the ground caved in.
After exchanging a series of blows, both their expressions changed similarly. It was a dead heat. If they really fought, one of them would die. And it might very well be them. Both had the same thought simultaneously.
In the end, the fight ended in an instant.
Then, the Righteous Heaven Corps and the Blood Crimson Corps of the Four Evil Paths faced each other.
These two corps were the standard-bearers for the Murim Alliance and the Four Evil Paths. They weren't the strongest units, but losing here would be a massive blow to their pride.
If they fought as they were, they would have to go all the way, even if just for their pride. If that happened, a full-scale war between the orthodox and unorthodox factions might break out. No one wanted a war during these peaceful times. At least, the vested interests on both sides did not.
An agreement was reached between the Murim Alliance and the Four Evil Paths. Only those under the age of thirty would be allowed inside.
It was a desperate measure, born from a fear that the conflict would escalate.
They didn't have much time since the formation was set to open tomorrow.
It was a small-scale competition of sorts.
This wasn't about killing each other, though. They gauged their respective military strength and deployed roughly equal numbers. So that each side would serve as a check on the other.
They agreed to split the valuables, and if any of their own sect's martial arts were discovered, they would be recovered.
Of course, the wanderers' opinions were not considered at all in this.
The weak follow the strong. That was the only law of the martial world.
The hundreds of wanderers were sharply divided into two groups. The looks on their faces could not have been more different.
Those close to the waterfall were smiling in satisfaction.
The faces on the other side were filled with desperation and anger.
"Kwang!" The Crimson Blood Fiend slammed his giant blade into the ground and shouted. "Next!"
The absolute formation blocking the Shadowless Divine Fist's secret vault. It wouldn't be long before it opened.
According to the formation masters, it would be broken during the lunar eclipse tomorrow, when the moonlight disappeared and the formation was at its weakest.
If they missed this chance, they would have to wait over a year.
The selection of those who would enter the vault continued.
One wanderer screamed as if he was about to meet an unjust end.
"No...! I'm just twenty years old this year!"
"Shut up! With a face like that, you're twenty? Stop bullshitting!"
At the Crimson Blood Fiend's words, the Righteous Heaven Master nodded. "Right... no matter how I look at you, you don't seem to be in your twenties. Unfortunate, but denied!"
"Damn it...!" The wanderers couldn't enter if they looked even a bit older.
Only the rookies who looked plainly juvenile were allowed in.
Being so young, their martial arts skills were obvious. They weren't from affluent families with ample support.
Every single one of them was only at the Third-class level.
They were people whom the descendants of renowned families could handle with ease.
The role of these snot-nosed brats was to be meat shields for unknown trap mechanisms.
The wanderers, completely ignorant of this, struggled desperately to get in.
The selection was over.
The martial artists who were permitted entry stared at the waterfall with tense eyes. That was the entrance to the secret vault.
The phenomenon where the Earth's shadow completely covers the moon. The lunar eclipse began.
At the same time, the formation started to tremble. It was the unique weakness of formations that utilized the power of moonlight.
"It's opening...!" The formation masters who had been waiting began to shake the absolute formation.
Si-woo ran, following the Qi of Mixed Origin. He arrived after running non-stop for a full hour.
A particularly wide and calm stretch of the river came into view. A huge pool of water, looking almost like a lake. The Qi of Mixed Origin was emanating from here.
'Is this it...?' After a moment of hesitation, he dove into the water. He swam forward, concentrating on his energy sense.
He wasn't worried about breathing. If worst came to worst, he planned to pull out an oxygen tank.
He followed the Qi of Mixed Origin, diving deeper into the water. The closer he got to the bottom, the denser the Qi of Mixed Origin became.
'This is it.' While following the path, he sensed something incredible.
Focusing his senses, he realized it was a barrier made of the Qi of Mixed Origin. It felt similar to the phantom barrier of Mok Yi-do that he had seen in the Honyeon Gigong manual.
He carefully inspected it, concentrating his inner energy at his fingertips. However, it had no effect on his body.
Since it was something Mok Yi-do had prepared for him, he didn't think it would be dangerous.
He passed through it without any resistance. It was almost anticlimactic, as there was no reaction at all.
He kept moving forward. Light filtered down from above him. He swam towards it.
"Puha!"
As soon as he surfaced, a small room came into view.
A space that seemed to have been carved out of a natural cave appeared.
'This guy really had a thing for caves, huh.'
There was nothing else to look at except for the path leading further in.
It was a small side room with a glowing stone embedded in the ceiling and a table set up inside.
On the table was an orb. An opaque orb the size of a child's head.
It looked like a hugely enlarged pearl.
The Qi of Mixed Origin was gushing out from this thing.
'Hmm...?' As he wondered what this was, a familiar face came into view.
"Uugh... I-I'm screwed...!"
The thief woman who had given her name as Bae Cheol-moon. That woman was inside the cave, clutching her head outside the Qi of Mixed Origin barrier.
She wasn't even trying to hide her presence, yet she completely failed to notice him.
The plump back of her head looked delicious.