Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Firm Ground After Rain (5)
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Indeed, it was true that lately I'd been paying too much attention only to Seolhwa.
So, I explained everything to Sua without leaving anything out, including the reason I'd passed on the Azure Sword Heart Method to Seolhwa.
All internal arts trace their roots back to the Earth Ingestion Method, derived from the words of Zhuangzi: "Earthly Gobbling Divine." It means expelling stale energy and taking in fresh energy.
However, just as a single tree has one root but branches that split in many directions, even within the orthodox sects, internal arts differ based on affiliation or the subtleties embedded in their forms.
From that perspective, the Azure Sword Heart Method taught by the old man was far removed from orthodox internal arts. Orthodox sects, which follow the lineages of Daoism and Buddhism, don't stray far from the Earth Ingestion Method.
In contrast, the Azure Sword Heart Method doesn't expel the waste or toxins from the body. Instead, it uses them as kindling to ignite an even fiercer flame.
This was an internal art close to those of the unorthodox paths, which pursue strength by any means necessary. In truth, the art itself leaned more toward the orthodox side, but the unorthodox weren't without their own internal arts.
Thus, it might seem inferior to the Moyong Clan's pleasure-seeking internal art or those of other orthodox martial families. But the true value of the Azure Sword Heart Method lay in its purification.
There are inherent limits to the toxins and waste expelled through breathing. But the Azure Sword Heart Method turns every bit of waste and toxin in the body into kindling and burns it all.
This offered the advantage of vastly superior internal energy quality compared to that built through orthodox internal arts. That was likely why I'd defeated the Moyong Clan Patriarch, Moyong Gang, before.
The difference in realms is absolute. Even so, the reasons I could win were that Moyong Gang had lost his reason to his demonic art, and that my internal energy quality was exceptionally high.
Perhaps because I'd now ascended to the pinnacle expert realm myself? I could see—or rather, sense—something like black smoke wriggling like a worm in Seolhwa's dantian.
At first, I'd wondered if it was right to teach her the Azure Sword Heart Method. But the poison entrenched in Seolhwa's dantian was something that couldn't be ignored.
After much deliberation, I'd chosen to pass it on to her. She'd formally become my disciple, after all, and poison in a living person was nothing but harmful.
At the very least, with an art like the Azure Sword Heart Method that used toxins as kindling, I believed it could neutralize the poison in her dantian to some extent, even if not fully purify it.
"M-Master. Something feels weird."
"What's wrong? Is there a problem somewhere?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore. My chest hurt every time I breathed... It feels too empty. Am I dying now?"
The effect was beyond imagination. The drawback of the Azure Sword Heart Method was that without toxins or waste to use as kindling, internal energy accumulation was far slower than even orthodox arts.
But burning the poison in Seolhwa's dantian as kindling made it blaze fiercely. The speed of accumulating internal energy through the art was unimaginably fast. And that wasn't the end of it.
I had no idea what sorcery had been used, but the poison in Sua's dantian kept refilling day by day, only to be burned away again by the art.
In short, she was the perfect talent who completely offset the art's weakness. Hearing my explanation, Sua's eyes sparkled like stars as she let out an exclamation.
"So, Master knew from the start how to save Seolhwa!"
"...Yeah."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't entirely wrong...
In truth, I'd only realized recently that Seolhwa was a Human Gu vessel. Even that, I'd discovered by chance while probing her meridians during direct instruction.
And if I hadn't reached the pinnacle realm from that previous battle, it would have been impossible. But I didn't want to spoil the moment by pointing that out.
I could only awkwardly stiffen my expression and nod. Now that I'd explained everything, I thought teaching Seolhwa would be much easier going forward.
"Um, Master?"
"What is it?"
"I don't know why, but it's bright over there! And there's smoke too!"
"...What?"
That was before I heard Seolhwa's words from outside the door, where she'd been waiting.
Nameless had heard the circumstances of the villains pursuing Seolhwa long ago. He quickly surmised that some calamity had befallen the village and moved without delay.
In the current situation, he judged that being separated would be far more dangerous, so he made sure not to forget to keep Sua and Seolhwa close by his side.
In less than a quarter hour, Nameless arrived carrying Sua and Seolhwa on his back and confirmed the flames lighting up the darkness with his own eyes. They weren't mere torches.
"Drag them all out!!"
"No exceptions. Even the old folks and kids—bring them out and tie them up."
"...Master, those are the people. The ones who kept chasing me."
Confirming the black-clad villains with their tall hats, Seolhwa hid behind Nameless, her hands trembling in fear. Thanks to that, he didn't even need to ask directly.
There were about twenty of them, and that was just counting those gathered in the square. Fortunately amid the misfortune, no deaths were visible yet, even though houses were set ablaze.
But judging that he couldn't stand by idly, Nameless drew his sword without hesitation. The difference in realms clearly favored him, but regrettably, their numbers were overwhelmingly greater.
The only way to overturn numerical superiority is a complete surprise attack.
Cutting off even a shred of hesitation, Nameless dove into the gap like a bird soaring through the sky, at blinding speed. An utterly unexpected ambush, with a swift sword beyond imagination.
It was like a fish returned to water. In the mere seconds of that brief moment, Nameless severed the necks of seven or more with a single ambush.
The remaining three survived only because they were farther away. Had they been with the others, they wouldn't have escaped decapitation.
"A-Ambush!!!"
Was it survival instinct? One of the villains squeezed out every ounce of strength from his nursing days to finally scream, and the scattered warriors gathered in one place.
Nameless's expression twisted slightly, tension gathering in his eyes. They weren't ragtag amateurs at a glance. Each one was a properly trained elite soldier.
Judging by their extraordinary auras, there might even be pinnacle experts like himself among them. That would make things quite troublesome.
It's not an impossible assumption. The incident at the Moyong Clan before, and their ruthless hands—ten to one, they're demonic cult warriors.
Demonic cult arts could mass-produce experts far faster than orthodox arts—or even unorthodox ones that pursued strength at any cost.
These days, the setting wasn't strictly enforced, but ordinarily, it took forty to fifty years for a mortal to reach the pinnacle with orthodox martial arts.
In contrast, demonic cult arts halved that time or more. The problem was the immense risks involved. Still, the enemies were tense as well.
Seven of the Black Epidemic Sect's elite warriors down in that split second...
Not even a first-rate could massacre them so one-sidedly. Does that mean... could it be?
Nonsense! The orthodox and unorthodox have already identified all pinnacle experts! He might be first-rate bordering on pinnacle, but he can't be a true absolute pinnacle expert!
The Black Epidemic Sect warriors exchanged information via sound transmission. Because of it, with everyone wary of each other, they fell into a protracted standoff—until one finally spoke.
"This concerns the life and death of our sect. It's not a matter for a great hero like you to meddle in."
The old man who had drawn his sword before them was undoubtedly the one they sought, but sensing his extraordinary skill, their leader judged it impossible this way and sought to escape first.
"Your sect?"
"Indeed."
"You vile demonic cult scum sure can wag your oil-slicked tongues."
"How did you...?!"
But the moment "demonic cult" left the old man's mouth, the warriors were shocked. The Black Epidemic Sect's alliance with the demonic cult was a secret unknown to any orthodox or unorthodox faction.
Yet this old expert from some nowhere village had seen through it at a glance? In that instant, a thought flashed through their leader's mind.
Those who even knew the demonic cult's name were exceedingly rare in the martial world. And of all things, a mysterious expert aware of the cult had taken in the escaped poison herself?
Was all this truly mere coincidence? If not? If this was all a scheme by that old man to preempt and block their grand cause?
He'd thought something was off from the moment the powerless poison vessel slipped away unnoticed. Finally grasping the full picture, the leader spoke in a cold voice.
"Black Death Squad, form up."
At their leader's command, over ten warriors swiftly arrayed into formation without question. They'd initially avoided risk.
But he'd changed his mind.
Even at the cost of any sacrifice.
They would kill that mysterious old man and silence him.