Chapter 235
Chapter 235
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Mountain of Cultivators (9)
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The second trial to climb the mountain.
A gauntlet that tested not just raw power, but the full spectrum of one's abilities.
It evaluated everything comprehensively—utilization of the Bagua trigrams, trading, recruiting talent, and more.
To properly ascend the mountain and cultivate Arhats of upright spirit, they needed well-rounded geniuses with talent in all six aspects.
One-sided talents inevitably hit limits and stagnated, unable to accept new things.
But...
'I heard he came from the outer realms, but...'
Examiner Yulla clicked her tongue as she surveyed the state of the 'trial grounds'.
It was a massacre. No, a slaughter.
And he was doing it alone, relying solely on brute force.
No need for other rules or alliances born of necessity.
Before overwhelming might, all were equal.
The epitome of perfection...
Hexagonal talent? Genius intellect?
Pfft.
Those two were proving it right now.
'Pure power. That's all it takes.'
The absolute condition for climbing the mountain was strength alone.
...It almost felt like a protest.
Arhats from the outer realms were mostly stubborn fools who'd honed only martial prowess.
Yet none had ever displayed such electrifying prowess.
'Whose disciple is he?'
She had no idea.
No matter how closely she watched, she couldn't pin it down.
If he'd learned martial arts from someone, traces of their style would remain.
But his energy was perfectly reined in.
His gestures, his footwork, the way he wielded his energy—it was all too ordinary.
In other words...
He wasn't using any martial arts.
It was just a brawl.
The confidence that he didn't need refined techniques.
Or proof that he'd reached such a realm...
'No traces of demonic arts. No intervention from demons or other petty entities. He achieved perfection through solitary cultivation without even climbing the mountain.'
Was that even possible?
Arhats sought to climb the mountain for many reasons, but the greatest was 'learning'.
Beyond the mountainside, the energies of heaven and earth churned, granting immense inner power with mere breathing.
And that was just the start.
Not to mention wealth and glory—the clans above the mountainside had distilled the essence of ancient martial arts over eons.
Learning from them guaranteed rapid progress.
No matter how impressive outer realm martial arts were, they were relics of the past.
The gap between ancient Arhats and the current ones was like heaven and earth.
That was why even outer realm Arhats desperately tried to climb.
Yet...
...Unless he'd cultivated forbidden demonic arts, or made an incarnation contract with demons, how could he be this complete?
'A genius.'
If anything, that was it.
A talent so extraordinary he could perfect incomplete martial arts.
Heaven-sent prodigies appeared from time to time.
Yulla decided to watch a bit longer.
This foothills area was also a space to reveal the trial-takers' true natures.
"S-Spare me!"
"You mad demon bastard!"
Screams echoed back and forth.
The Arhats who'd charged in were scattering in panic.
They'd tried to hold him off with the Bagua that lowered abilities, but it wasn't enough.
The Twelve Heavenly Kings.
Among them, the mightiest—First Heavenly King Chui.
Now even stronger than his prime, no Arhat here could handle him.
"What a pity."
Chui shook his head as he lightly stretched.
He looked unsatisfied.
For a homecoming, it was far too anticlimactic.
"The mountain's old spirit of valuing pure might is gone. Only cowardly pack rats remain."
"It must've been pure survival of the fittest back then."
"Yes. This doesn't seem like the mountain I knew."
Long ago, when the Twelve Heavenly Kings reigned, the Mountain of Cultivators was ruthless survival of the fittest.
The weak were devoured; only the strong survived.
Weaklings banding together against the strong?
As if.
That wasn't wrong in principle, but it could never happen in the 'Pantheon'.
It meant the Arhats' spirit had plummeted to the dirt.
That was why he liked Isa Baek's trial.
Simply enduring one punch—that crude, brutal method was the most Arhat-like test.
But the second trial...
'A complete letdown.'
It was so absurd he couldn't even laugh.
Instead of growing stronger on their own, they herded like sheep, shoving Bagua onto the unworthy to force passes.
What meaning was there in climbing like that?
They seemed more obsessed with 'success' than self-cultivation.
So...
"Successor. Mind if I teach them all a lesson?"
Force the weak out, leave only the worthwhile.
That was far more important than gathering Bagua—truly for the mountain's sake.
Park Chan-woo nodded.
"Time for me to move too."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. If I go solo, the one hiding the 'Heaven' trigram should make a move."
The owner of 'Heaven' wasn't just him.
From the start, the 'Heaven' trigram's ability was unique among the Bagua.
The ability to become any other Bagua.
No fool would openly declare 'Heaven'.
They'd desperately hide it and act covertly.
But Chui was exposed.
Proven as an overwhelming powerhouse.
Park Chan-woo, on the other hand, wasn't.
Acting alone would draw the other 'Heaven' owners.
Even if not, he couldn't let Chui shine solo.
'Points matter.'
Three trials to reach the mountainside.
Their total score determined status there. He needed perfect scores.
Not just to spread the Heavenly Demon's name.
The Mountain of Cultivators stood opposed to the demons.
Claiming its peak and power would aid him endlessly.
The fastest way was maximum attention.
Besides...
'No better stage for me to shine.'
Park Chan-woo smiled faintly.
With Chui scouting most other Bagua abilities, it was time to move.
As expected.
As soon as Park Chan-woo moved alone, Arhats swarmed like a tide.
They pressed from all sides with Bagua that forcibly weakened foes.
The most common and reliable: 'Earth' trigram.
At least 30 stacks, it seemed.
But...
'No pure stats left to drop but magic power.'
Regrettably, his pure stats were fixed at 1 by 'Extreme Weakness'.
And they wouldn't go lower.
Magic power dipped, but swordplay was unaffected.
"Now!"
"He's this weak—he can barely move!"
"Kill him!"
Park Chan-woo gripped Baal's sword.
Assumed position.
"Wh-What?!"
"How's he moving?!"
"Even with this many 'Earth' trigram...!"
He'd cut down the approaching mob one by one.
As Chui said, a total ragtag bunch.
Weaklings relying solely on Bagua abilities for the hunt.
But...
None of it worked.
Not a single Bagua ability they'd prepared could weaken him.
"Are the Bagua even working?!"
"Why isn't he affected?!"
The Arhats screamed.
Park Chan-woo was like the natural predator of Bagua.
He subdued all the charging Arhats in an instant.
'No Heaven yet.'
He'd collected all their Bagua, but his desired 'Heaven' hadn't appeared.
Still, there couldn't be just one 'Heaven' here.
Because when he reached into the 'box'...
'Multiple Bagua with similar magic wavelengths.'
He could sense special Bagua by their magic signature.
One was 'Heaven'.
The box had over three 'Heavens', meaning at least one was loose in the trial grounds.
Still cowering in hiding?
That moment.
As he shrugged in mild disappointment...
His body froze as if bound in chains.
"Can't break this one either, huh?"
He rolled his eyes toward the approaching man.
A user of multiple Bagua.
Successfully slowed his movements with a sneak attack.
But it was odd.
"Got multiple Heavens, I see."
"Right. I own every 'Heaven' here. Moving alone was your fatal mistake, idiot."
The man sneered.
With Bagua sealed and movements slowed, he brimmed with leisure.
Park Chan-woo asked.
"Why not head to the next trial?"
"I like it here."
Not a proper answer.
The man was deliberately blocking passes.
He had a hunch.
Slowly extending a hand, he donned the 'Radiant Dantalion's Glasses'.
Confirmation hit.
"An Incarnation."
The man was an 'Incarnation' contracted with a demon lord.
...Even the Mountain of Cultivators had Incarnations.
Ones hindering Arhats, no less.
Probably not just here.
The whole mountain might crawl with them.
The man grinned.
"Sharp catch. But too late."
Sword drawn, he swung at Park Chan-woo.
Instantly.
Clang!
"...Huh?"
The sword bounced off.
Failed to pierce Park Chan-woo's defense.
The man tilted his head.
"Adamantine?"
His wrist numbed.
Like striking thick iron plate.
'An Incarnation on the Mountain of Cultivators. Interesting.'
...This was enough.
If the 'Heaven' owner who appeared as expected was an Incarnation, no mercy needed.
Authority of 'Baal's Belt': 'Roar of the Fierce God' used!
All crowd control effects released.
All within the roar's domain forcibly suppressed.
Grooooooooaaaaarrr-!!