Chapter 182: New Chun-bong (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 182: New Chun-bong (3)
Seo-jun clamped a hand over his mouth. Even so, he couldn't suppress the groan escaping through the gaps between his fingers.
"Ugh...!"
His body trembled violently. Watching him, Chun-bong let out a long sigh.
"Haa... You idiot."
"Geum Chun-ppung...! You! Your cheeks...!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Seo-jun lunged forward.
Squish— Poke, poke—
This sensation, sticking perfectly to his palms—this was it. This was the legendary Chun-cheek of her prime!
"Hehehe."
"You like that?"
"I love it."
It was true. After undergoing Bone-cleansing and Body-changing, the weight Chun-bong should have gained in her chest had gone straight to her cheeks instead...!
Only after fully savoring the plushness of Chun-bong’s cheeks did Seo-jun finally take a proper look at her.
Not much else had changed. Just because she had regained her baby fat didn't mean she had regressed into a child. And, most unfortunately—he was being entirely sincere here—there was absolutely no change to her chest, either.
She had simply, purely, regained her chubby cheeks...
"How did it turn out like this?"
Seo-jun marveled at the mysteries of Bone-cleansing and Body-changing. Chun-bong nodded with a pout.
"Who knows? What does having a body optimized for martial arts have to do with chubby cheeks?"
"Ah."
Realization dawned on Seo-jun, and his jaw dropped.
"It’s because of the Chun-bong Divine Art."
"What?"
"Seducing the opponent with chubby cheeks... The very essence of Phantasm...!"
"You’re really talking out of your ass, aren't you?"
If one thought about it, the reason Namgung Su-ah’s chest had grown was somewhat logical—at least, in Seo-jun’s opinion.
She was a martial artist who utilized her center of gravity to perform her techniques. If those breasts acted as a pivot, it would make executing her martial arts much easier.
But the reason for Chun-bong’s plump cheeks?
With Seo-jun’s limited insight, he couldn't fathom a reason. There had to be some profound meaning behind it.
"Whatever. I like it anyway."
"Yeah, well... as long as you're happy."
Chun-bong let out a heavy sigh.
* * *
Since it wasn't too late in the day yet, Seo-jun decided to check on Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah’s achievements.
Opening the Life-Death Barrier was one thing, but since they practiced orthodox martial arts, reaching the Super Peak Realm meant they should naturally be able to handle Astral Qi.
"Hup...!"
Chun-bong concentrated, pouring internal energy into her sword. Her mental imagery manifested as stars upon the Sword Qi, and then—
Clang—!
It shattered spectacularly, shards of internal energy spraying in all directions.
"Gyaaaah...!"
Chun-bong flailed. After intercepting all the flying fragments, Seo-jun turned his gaze toward Namgung Su-ah.
She, too, was wide-eyed and straining to form Astral Qi, but the result was exactly the same.
Boom—!
The internal energy exploded before it could fully condense into Astral Qi.
"What’s wrong?"
Was it because they had reached the Super Peak Realm through the Life and Death Breakthrough Art? As Seo-jun pondered this, Namgung Jin-cheon, who had somehow sensed the commotion, walked over with a faint smile.
"It is only natural..."
"Father-in-law!"
"Reaching the Super Peak Realm does not mean one can freely manipulate Astral Qi from the very start..."
"I could use it perfectly from the beginning, though?"
"That is because you are an anomaly..."
"Aha."
Namgung Jin-cheon smiled warmly as he observed Chun-bong and Namgung Su-ah.
"There is nothing wrong... It is just that they are slightly lacking compared to those who reached the Super Peak Realm through conventional means... Once they fill those gaps, handling Astral Qi will not be difficult..."
The Great Namgung Jin-cheon.
Seo-jun finished his habitual moment of adoration for the man. Then, he noticed Chun-bong looking deep in thought.
"What is it? Is there a problem?"
"Huh? No. Not a problem, exactly."
Chun-bong swung the sword in her hand back and forth. Unlike her usual style, the sword path was quite crude.
Seo-jun tilted his head in confusion. But Namgung Jin-cheon was different. His eyes widened slightly.
"That is..."
"Yes. It feels like... Grandpa’s sword is still lingering in my head..."
"Hoh... A Fateful Encounter, indeed..."
Chun-bong nodded. It was a Fateful Encounter.
However, it was an encounter that couldn't be viewed as entirely positive. Namgung Jin-cheon offered his advice.
"I am sure you will manage, but... it is not entirely a good thing for the Sword God senior’s essence to dwell within your body... Not only does it place a burden on your spirit, but if you use excessive power, your body itself could be ruined..."
"Yes. I’m aware."
After sheathing her sword, Chun-bong looked at Seo-jun with a serious face.
"I think it’s best if I go back into secluded training. I need to organize what I’ve realized, and thanks to the inner core you gave me, I think I’m starting to understand how to handle internal energy a bit better..."
"If that's what you think, then you should."
"Not right this second. After I’ve organized things a bit more."
Seo-jun nodded in satisfaction at her words.
Usually, after breaking through to a new realm, martial artists would enter secluded training for a long period to process their enlightenment, so this wasn't unusual.
Besides, Seo-jun was planning to visit the Demonic Cult anyway, so the timing of Chun-bong’s secluded training was perfect.
It wasn't like he was going to the Demonic Cult to start a new life. He’d just take care of his business and come right back, so their schedules should align.
However, there was one thing bothering him. He felt quite guilty because he hadn't been able to provide anything for Su-ah.
When Seo-jun glanced at Namgung Su-ah, she gave him a bright smile and shook her head.
"Don't make that face. I’ve already received so much. And... I don't intend to let Geum Mae leave me in the dust so easily."
"Got it."
Seo-jun smiled faintly and thought to himself.
'I should bring something back for her from the Demonic Cult.'
* * *
The grace of the Great Namgung Jin-cheon had not yet ended.
"Son-in-law, I heard you can now use Qi Sword Control...?"
"Oh? How did you know?"
"The Fist King senior told me..."
"Wait, already? That man has a big mouth."
After Namgung Su-ah and Chun-bong went back to rest, Namgung Jin-cheon headed to a hill near the Namgung Clan estate with Seo-jun—though it was only "nearby" by their martial standards.
"Son-in-law, what do you think Qi Sword Control is...?"
"Isn't it controlling a sword with Qi?"
Qi Sword Control. That was the literal meaning of the words.
However, Namgung Jin-cheon shook his head.
"That is about half-right... but to be precise, it is closer to the realm of Mental Intent..."
Mental Intent belonged to the realm of the Upper Dantian. It could be called a martial artist’s will, or their purpose.
It was simply that their intent had taken on physical power.
"The true essence of Qi Sword Control is to imbue yourself within the sword... It can be seen as an extension of the Unity of Man and Sword..."
Shring—
The sword at Namgung Jin-cheon’s waist unsheathed itself.
He stood on the hill, looking down at Anhui. The vast landscape stretched out before them, and the sky was being dyed by the sunset. As Namgung Jin-cheon reached out, the sword flew forward on its own and hung suspended beneath the sky.
"Its applications are diverse... It can be used simply to deal with enemies at a distance... or to perform movements that the human body cannot implement—"
Namgung Jin-cheon’s Mental Intent expanded powerfully. In this moment, Namgung Jin-cheon was a human, and he was also a sword.
To Seo-jun’s eyes, it looked as if there were two of him.
The Namgung Jin-cheon standing on the hill, and the Namgung Jin-cheon standing beneath the sky...
"—One can even split their own existence to create two or more of themselves..."
The sword—the other Namgung Jin-cheon—moved.
──────────────
The sky he struck split in two. Seo-jun watched the scene in a daze.
Between the rift in the sunset was a pitch-black expanse crowded with stars.
Seo-jun knew instinctively what it was.
The universe.
The very fabric of the sky had been sliced open, revealing the distant cosmos.
"No, what the...?"
If he could do this, wouldn't teleportation be possible too? Just snip through space and step inside.
Namgung Jin-cheon, who had turned back around before Seo-jun even realized, smiled at him.
"I hope this was of some help to you, son-in-law..."
Beneath the split sky, Namgung Jin-cheon’s robes, stained by the sunset, fluttered in the wind.
"Once again, I leave my daughter in your care..."
* * *
Qinghai, located to the west, and Mount Kunlun, located even further west within it.
The atmosphere within the Kunlun Sect, situated deep in those mountains, was heavy enough to take one's breath away.
"What is the situation with the Demonic Cult bastards?"
"They are pushing in with the force of a breaking wave. At this rate, it won't even take fifteen days for them to reach Qinghai."
"Damn it, this is driving me crazy."
Pung-wol, an elder of Kunlun, clutched his head.
"Elder, reinforcements from the Murim Alliance are arriving one after another. You don't need to worry too much..."
"Don't talk about things you don't understand. The support the Murim Alliance can send while they're at war with the Black Lotus Union is limited. We have to stop those Demonic Cult bastards with only that limited support."
Still, it was manageable for now. The Demonic Cult was only testing the waters, and the current force they had sent could be held back by Kunlun’s strength alone.
But Pung-wol knew the truth.
In Tianshan, that godforsaken demon den, the cultists swarmed like a plague of insects. The force they had sent now wasn't even worth a speck of dirt under their fingernails.
God forbid the day a Great Arch-Demon of the Extreme Demon realm should appear, leading the Ten Thousand Ghost Army...
No matter how much the Kunlun Sect held an elemental advantage against demonic arts, it would be impossible to stop them.
"Why are those lunatics throwing another fit? Those goddamn bastards. I swear, if I catch even a glimpse of them, tearing them limb from limb wouldn't be enough..."
"Elder...?"
"What."
"O-oh, it's nothing."
"Dammit."
Pung-wol muttered as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I wish some mysterious master would just drop out of the sky."
"Elder, that's..."
"I know, you brat! It's not senility, so shut up!"
"Yes, sir."
"Bloody hell."
Pung-wol clicked his tongue.
* * *
"The last stop is Mount Kunlun... Hmm. This should do."
His destination was Tianshan. The Demonic Cult was located there.
Since it was an absurdly long distance, Seo-jun prepared himself thoroughly.
'I'll go through Henan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, hit Kunlun, and then fly straight to Tianshan. I won't get lost that way.'
It wouldn't be good if it became known that an orthodox master was heading to the Demonic Cult. Who knew what kind of trouble that would stir up.
However, Seo-jun had a spare identity for just such an occasion...
'Baek Seo-jun, I choose you!'
He planned to travel as Baek Seo-jun until he reached the outskirts of the Demonic Cult, and then switch to the identity of Cheon Seo-jun once he arrived.
That way, he could almost perfectly hide the movements of Lee Seo-jun and Cheon Seo-jun. There would be no link between them.
"Seo-jun, are you all packed?"
Just then, Namgung Su-ah poked her head in.
"Yeah. All set."
"Then, I have something to say..."
Namgung Su-ah entered the room with a sly, suggestive smile.