Chapter 234
Chapter 234
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Cultivator's Mountain (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The moment the word "Qian" slipped from Park Chan-woo's lips...
The auras of Yulla and the surrounding scouts began to churn violently.
Witnessing their reaction, Park Chan-woo was certain.
'I drew the right one.'
Pulling a Bagua tile marked the true start of the trial.
And it was clear not all eight Bagua were equally distributed among them.
Qian, Dui, Li, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Gen, Kun.
In total, eight—the components of the Bagua.
When Chi-woo had drawn "Dui," they'd shown considerable surprise, so perhaps the earlier ones in the sequence were rarer.
"...Impressive confidence."
Yulla clicked her tongue softly.
Those who had overwhelmingly passed Yi Sa-baek's trial...
They had every reason to brim with self-assurance.
Yi Sa-baek's trial was infamous for its deceptive simplicity.
Yet the second trial had limits that pure individual might couldn't overcome.
It was no different from a team battle disguised as a solo one.
Gathering all eight Bagua alone was nearly impossible.
Especially once word got out about drawing Qian and Dui—they'd become everyone's prime targets.
Both were low-probability draws, so every faction would be desperate to claim them.
And they'd already advertised it openly, with no escape route.
"I'd advise against entering right away, unless you want to die screaming."
Her final warning.
No matter their secret realm origins or unvetted status, recklessness came at a steep price.
Even at the mountain's base, underestimating the gathered Arhats would lead to disaster.
Far wiser to delay entry and join a strong faction.
Like the first trial, the second simply required collecting the Bagua—any method counted for passage.
Offering Qian and Dui would net them prime recruitment terms.
'Though scores vary by how you gather them.'
The path to success was free-form.
But grading wasn't just about the end result.
The route taken naturally determined the rank achieved.
Three trials dotted the mountain's base.
Higher total scores meant greater status on the mid-slopes, so taking the easy path wasn't always smart.
Thus, she tried to rattle them.
She was intensely curious how they'd handle the stares and pressure now bearing down.
"We're entering right away."
Park Chan-woo ignored it all.
If the trial had already begun, this choice was part of it.
This was Cultivator's Mountain.
A gathering of Arhats who had honed their pure prowess.
Head-on breakthrough was the answer.
Only those with a warrior's blood could reach the heights!
'His attitude's spot on, at least.'
Yulla smiled faintly.
A refreshingly bold response, exceeding expectations.
Had there been any recent Arhats tackling the trial with such brazen certainty?
The second trial's rules had remained fixed for ages.
Vetted entrants arrived with prior knowledge.
Hide your tiles, join a faction, gather quickly.
But this Arhat was different.
No hiding his hand.
No intent to seek aid, either.
More like, come at me if you dare.
Arrogant? Reckless? So what.
Just encountering such an Arhat had her blood pumping after so long.
"Good luck."
"Qian! Qian has appeared!"
"Dui showed up too!"
News of Qian and Dui's emergence spread like wildfire among the other Arhats.
Faction leaders who heard trembled with excitement.
"Qian's Bagua..."
"Finally...!"
"After a full year?"
For an entire year, no "Qian" had surfaced.
Someone might have drawn and hidden it, but no one had passed the second trial in that time.
They'd waited endlessly.
Praying for Qian to appear.
Over a thousand examinees drifted through the second trial.
Faction leaders among them had nearly every Bagua except Qian.
Naturally, curiosity burned.
"Who are they?"
"They passed Yi Sa-baek's trial with 'Superior' and 'Exceptional Superior' scores."
"...In Yi Sa-baek's trial?"
Qian's appearance was shocking enough.
But top scores in Yi Sa-baek's trial? Equally jaw-dropping.
Yi Sa-baek boasted abysmal pass rates and had never awarded mid-tier or higher.
In short...
"These are no ordinary powerhouses."
"Heard they're from the secret realm..."
"...Secret realm?"
What nonsense was this?
Secret realm.
The mountain's deepest, darkest depths.
A rumored place hidden somewhere within.
Arhats from the secret realm were never weaklings.
They emerged straight to the mid-slopes, flaunting their might.
Like guaranteed winning tickets.
Major mountain clans always eyed them greedily.
"What do we do?"
"..."
Three main options.
Kill and steal.
Trade.
Or recruit.
The simplest was killing, but true secret realm elites demanded heavy sacrifices.
These bold fools flashing their tiles openly? Trade was out.
Recruitment, then?
'They revealed Qian and Dui. Stupid move, but it screams confidence in their strength.'
Qian and Dui were the best Bagua.
In Bagua matchups, nothing beat them.
But "Bagua duels" only worked when hands were hidden.
Now everyone knew theirs—no one would duel.
"Let's watch a bit longer."
They chose a fourth path.
See just how crazy these guys were.
Plenty of others hunted Qian and Dui anyway.
If they proved mediocre, kill them.
If exceptional, decide later.
And if truly secret realm stock, befriending them wouldn't hurt.
Secret realm grads wielded absolute sway mid-mountain.
"Just a bunch of ragtag amateurs."
Chi-woo clicked his tongue.
The moment they entered the trial zone, a mob charged.
Pathetic minnows, barely worth a yawn.
"They fear secret realm origins more than I thought."
He had the measure of it now.
Both were mistaken for secret realm scions.
At first, he hadn't grasped the weight, but ascending the mountain revealed the term's intimidating aura among Arhats.
That's why none dared attack rashly.
Chi-woo nodded.
"The secret realm is seen as a haven for cursed Arhats."
"...Not a flattering view, then."
"An object of wariness. Perfect mask material—shrouded in mystery, little known."
Park Chan-woo nodded.
They were role-playing as secret realm heir and bodyguard.
"Of course, the true secret realm imprisons Arhats guilty of grave sins..."
"Like that 'hell'?"
"...Yes."
Avici Hell.
The infinite cavern holding the Twelve Heavenly Kings was part of the secret realms.
Secret realms named such prisons.
And Avici was the worst among them.
"Worry not. Secret realm or any mountain clan, none dare touch the Heavenly Demon's name."
Though masked as secret realm now...
Once the mountain learned Park Chan-woo was the Heavenly Demon's heir and Chi-woo one of the Twelve Heavenly Kings, the shockwaves would be immense.
Erased or not, the Heavenly Demon's name wasn't so easily forgotten.
Much less the Twelve Heavenly Kings, who stood above all clans serving the mountain's lord.
'Too much time has passed. Can't act rashly without confirming the mountain's changes firsthand.'
The issue: Revealing themselves now was unpredictable.
Hundreds of years locked in Avici Hell.
Everything had vanished in that span.
Their supporting forces, Heavenly Demon's successors...
If the Godslayer still thrived with his faction dominant, two alone couldn't hold.
They needed mid-mountain or higher to find a path.
Until then, secrecy was key.
However...
"Not all are cowards, it seems."
Park Chan-woo murmured slowly.
Fifty Arhats appeared before them.
Not everyone feared or shunned secret realm origins.
"Hand over Qian and Dui now and scram. We'll spare your lives."
The leader of the fifty.
His mana felt thick and potent.
And his Arhats' power levels were no joke.
Creak!
"Finally, a chance to loosen up."
Chi-woo grinned.
After shedding his mortal shell and reversing his age, his power surpassed his prime.
Yet no real outlet until now.
And here prey delivered itself.
"Tch tch. Fools who don't value their necks. Kill them."
No quarter offered, the leader commanded.
And it began.
...A massacre of terror and chills.
Invisible.
Imperceptible.
Before they knew it, that monster was reaping Arhat lives.
One gesture, one step—precisely one life extinguished.
Over fifty Arhats cleared in less time than a tea sip.
"...Wiped out?"
"Saban's faction?"
The news raced to other factions.
Saban's group ranked top among second-trial powers.
Utterly crushed without resistance?
No, not quite annihilation.
One survivor.
Sent to broadcast this devastating feat.
"Secret realm elite, huh?"
"And just one man."
"...One slaughtered all fifty?"
"Yes. The guy who got 'Superior' in Yi Sa-baek's trial..."
"..."
Silence fell over them.
One 'Superior' scorer annihilating Saban's faction.
A single thought flashed through every mind.
'Insane. Then how strong is the 'Exceptional Superior' guy?'