Chapter 190: Mount Hua (10)
“This is the Blood God’s relic located in Mount Hua. Among the relics discovered by the cult, it’s the largest in scale.”
Gwang-yeon spoke with a hint of pride, or perhaps satisfaction. As if he had created it himself.
Was he just proud that something this impressive was under his jurisdiction?
“It’s certainly massive. So this is what sparked the Blood Tree incident?”
“Yes. Using a special formation within the Blood Tree, they planned to create an unquenchable flame to burn down the entire Hwasan Sect.”
If enemies had invaded, they could have barricaded the gates and fought to the death, but fire was something they couldn’t handle.
Imajon had devised a plan to rip out the entire Muhonjibyeok while the Hwasan Sect was engulfed in flames.
Moving something like that Muhonjibyeok wholesale... It’s a brute-force method, but it’d sure get the job done.
Pa Cheon was right. With Peak realm masters throwing themselves at it, it wasn’t impossible.
Normal Peak experts wouldn’t stoop to hauling a massive metal slab like that—it’d ruin their dignity—but fanatics were different.
Plus, it was so sturdy there was no risk of damage. In a way, it was a stupidly simple yet most reliable approach.
‘If they had a plan like this, they might already have secured a few other relics for the Blood Cult.’
The characters in the formation made from that Blood Tree you mentioned—said to be written by the First Heavenly Demon himself—make it likely. I thought they just had interpretations, but to think they’d try to steal the real thing.
They were even planning to take the Muhonjibyeok from Hwasan Sect’s scripture hall. What happened to others elsewhere was obvious.
‘Come to think of it, they brought it to Jan Hon Do the same way, didn’t they? Total cliche.’
Cliché... what?
‘Anyway.’
As I fell deep into thought and stayed silent, Gwang-yeon cautiously addressed me.
“Then... do you think it’s possible? To be recognized as the Blood God’s vessel by the cult, one must induce a change in the relic.”
Gwang-yeon continued.
“However, the difficulty varies with the relic’s size. For one this large... even the current vessel candidates in the cult could probably change it by less than a tenth—no, a fraction of that. That’s why they planned to move and study it wholesale.”
“Gwang-yeon.”
He responded to my call.
“Yes.”
“I am not one to speak empty words.”
Of course. It wasn’t empty talk; it was all talk.
But in moments like this, nothing sealed the performance like an overwhelming display.
“So just watch closely. And see who stands before you.”
I approached the Muhonjibyeok. In the old days, I might have sliced my palm with a sword for blood, but ever since acquiring the Blood Explosion Jade’s power, I skipped the hassle.
I extracted a few drops from my fingertip and fired them at the Muhonjibyeok.
The moment the blood touched it—
Rumble-rumble-rumble—
With a vibration, the wall cracked into countless fine lines, splitting into hundreds, thousands of squares.
“!?”
Gwang-yeon’s eyes widened to the tearing point.
But it was too early for surprise. Just as expected, the split squares began merging, dividing, and transforming like crashing waves, forming characters.
“......Blood God Sovereign, Blood Lineage Rules All!”
Gwang-yeon dropped to his knees before me and slammed his head to the ground.
“Oh! The true vessel of the Blood God! No one has ever induced such a change before!”
Gwang-yeon fully entered fanatic mode, mumbling scripture-like chants nonstop.
Of course, I couldn’t react to such trivialities.
My own eyes were nearly popping out. I had no choice after reading what was written on the Muhonjibyeok.
Finally writing a diary. I went through hell to get this Cloud Demon Iron slab so my records wouldn’t fade, hauled it all the way to Hwasan... but no Hwasan Sect, just tiny Taoist shrines. Looks like I arrived before the sect was founded. What a shame.
Day 281.
A relatively fresh record, not even a full year in. The fact alone sent chills down my spine.
The Muhonjibyeok was made of Cloud Demon Iron. Processing it required a Heavenly Grade blacksmith like Cheol Mu Geuk, or at least Super Peak realm martial arts to wield Gang Qi. Even then, shaping it like that was nearly impossible.
Which meant the First Heavenly Demon had gained the ability to process Cloud Demon Iron in under a year.
The Muhonjibyeok on Jan Hon Do had him calling himself an ordinary grad student.
How on earth?
“N-No way!”
Then, Gwang-yeon—who’d been bowing and chanting—looked up at me in shock.
“C-Can you decipher the Blood God’s relic? Even the Demon Lords couldn’t interpret it!”
“Obviously. Now shut up so I can think. And I forbid you from gazing upon this relic.”
“Y-Your command!”
Gwang-yeon slammed his head back down and didn’t budge.
With the noise gone, reading became much easier.
Acquired a new ability. It detects and detonates my blood.
I could tell at a glance. It was the Blood Explosion Jade’s function.
‘Ability and jade. What’s the connection?’
Pretty decent ability. Right now, it’s only strong enough to smash a tree, but if I level up the skill, it might reach Gang Qi-level destruction. Then that’d be the real Mancheonhau, right? Not whatever else claims to be. Ah, but at this point, the Tang Clan isn’t Sichuan’s overlord yet—just a small village called Tang Family Hamlet. Maybe swing by later and drop a hint about Mancheonhau? Sounds fun.
Two words that absolutely shouldn’t exist in this world popped up together.
Skill. And level.
It was nonsense. An ordinary modern person arriving in a murim world and rising to master status?
In my case, circumstances aligned, and I had acting to fake being a master. But the First Heavenly Demon was different.
He was genuinely powerful, earning the title Blood Demon in four years. Not some lame regional nickname, but a brutal two-syllable moniker.
No way an average modern guy pulls that off in four years. Unless...
‘He had a status window.’
Status windows are omnipotent gods. Why else do people scream “Status!” when life sucks?
Learning martial arts and abilities via status window explained his strength.
What pisses me off is the quests to level skills getting harder. Hunt a Red Dragon? Is it someone’s pet mutt? If I ever build a faction—fat chance—I’ll make quest-making a tradition. Misery loves company.
Hyeok Mun’s words came to mind. He was a cultist but hated the Heavenly Demon. Here’s why: A quest made the First Heavenly Demon capture a Red Dragon, leading Jeok Yong Hyeok Ga to join the cult. Useful info if Hyeok Mun ever spills later(?).
‘Quests, too... Those are straight-up tasks, right?’
The cult’s traditions, tasks—all from quests, apparently.
Good news: Martial arts from combining skills are getting stronger. Feeding it status window abilities makes it grow. Wonder if it’ll gain ego eventually.
I knew instinctively. The “martial art from combined skills” was the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
‘Why it doesn’t feel like martial arts. Why it’s so powerful. Why it has a faint ego.’
All mysteries unsolvable by this world’s logic cleared up. It never belonged here to begin with.
Whatever. First diary, so it’s messy. Doubt anyone can read this anyway. Might as well. Maybe another dimension-hopper shows up.
That’s me.
Fine, since I’m at it, I’ll leave these everywhere. Scatter them; someone’ll read. Shaolin’s still around, so head there. North Sea Ice Palace, too.
......Ah.
I’d rather avoid the North Sea Ice Palace, but the First Heavenly Demon left unignorable bait. Can’t skip it now.
Alright, freebie time. Hey, you reading this. That thing embedded in the ‘this’ character? Reinforcement Stone. If you’re from my era, you know how to use it. Strengthens whatever you want. Quests for these are brutal; I’m hooking you up. I’ll leave more in diaries—follow my traces. See how I survive, how I get home. Hope someone gets it.
The First Heavenly Demon must have been terribly lonely.
I had Pa Cheon to confide in—about coming from another world.
But he couldn’t. No one to truly open up to.
Now I knew why he left the Muhonjibyeok. His personal record, to remember who he was, what he did.
If fate brings us together again. That’s my first record.
The text ended, but I approached the Muhonjibyeok.
The part saying, “That thing embedded in the ‘this’ character, Reinforcement Stone.”
I placed my hand on it. In the ‘ㅇ’ of ‘this,’ a perfectly clear, transparent gem was embedded.
I kept chuckling in disbelief.
What is that? I sense some unknown energy.
‘Reinforcement Stone. Strengthens anything.’
Reinforcement? Like a jade?
‘Roughly.’
Pa Cheon wouldn’t grasp the concept easily. Close enough.
A Reinforcement Stone that strengthens anything.
Jades could probably be enhanced, too. From the nuance, jades were like crystallized skills extracted from the First Heavenly Demon’s abilities.
‘Teleportation Jade? Time Wheel Jade? Blood Explosion Jade? Avoid Poison Jade?’
No.
I had something else to reinforce.
‘Pa Cheon.’
Why call?
‘Ready to evolve? Say, “Evolve me, Supreme One,” if you are.’
The target was obviously Pa Cheon.
I Pretend to Be the Heavenly Demon