Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 33
>Chapter Title: The Battle for Disciples (3)
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How could he talk about killing or crippling his own younger brother with a smile on his face?
It wasn't an expression of him deliberately pretending to be nonchalant while racking his brains.
‘...Is this guy really insane?’
Even she, Valley Leader Hang Yeo-ryang of Super Sound Valley, was infamous for her eccentric and self-willed nature.
But this was a first for her.
He wasn't bluffing on purpose.
That meant there wasn't much brotherly affection between the two.
There were occasionally those who went after each other's lives in the struggle for family succession, so it could be possible.
‘Threats like this won't work on him.’
Her desire to forcibly drag him away right now grew even stronger.
Then, a voice whispered in her ear.
“Valley Leader Hang. It seems like a rules violation to make contact with a candidate before the disciple selection ceremony has even begun.”
-Startled!
She flinched in surprise and turned her head to the side.
The voice belonged to the Dark Clan Leader.
The Dark Clan Leader kept his gaze fixed on the sparring matches without looking away.
She furrowed her brows at him.
‘Nonsense. Telepathic Voice Transmission is a technique that delivers sound only to a specific target, so he shouldn't have been able to hear it.’
No matter how high one's cultivation level, it wasn't a technique that could be eavesdropped on.
So how did he know she was trying to make contact with Mok Kyung-un?
As she wondered, the Dark Clan Leader spoke as if reading her thoughts.
“Staring too obviously gives it away.”
“...What are you talking about?”
She feigned ignorance.
The Dark Clan Leader let out his characteristic laugh.
“Oh ho ho. I heard that the Super Sound Valley Leader's sect, the Echoing Sound Sect, has many special techniques related to sound. Among them is Telepathic Voice Transmission, which allows conveying one's intentions to a specific person. Isn't that right?”
“......”
At these words from the Dark Clan Leader, Hang Yeo-ryang's expression turned icy cold.
She knew he handled confidential matters, but she hadn't expected him to know about her sect's technique, Telepathic Voice Transmission.
That meant,
‘He's been keeping surveillance on me.’
She thought she was out of the Clan Head's sight, but apparently not.
As she felt disconcerted, the Dark Clan Leader continued without even glancing her way.
“It's a technique I'd love to learn. However, even within the society, there are laws and rules to follow, so please keep that in mind, Valley Leader.”
“......”
She gave no reply.
She felt displeased that he knew her sect's techniques, but clashing with the Dark Clan Leader, the eyes and ears of the Clan Head, would do her no good.
“Ooh!”
Just then, exclamations rose from here and there.
Wondering what was happening, she saw it was due to the match unfolding in the plaza's sparring ground.
“Hoo.”
Even the Dark Clan Leader narrowed his eyes in surprise.
And rightly so, for the match had been evenly matched from the start.
Yet most had picked Yeom-ga of Slaughter Valley as the winner.
Watching Yeom-ga execute his forms during the match, he targeted openings with the precision of a highly experienced master.
In contrast, Mok Yu-cheon seemed lacking in match experience but compensated with exceptional instincts.
‘But in the end, experience is key.’
As time passed, they expected Yeom-ga to gain the advantage.
The Dark Clan Leader thought the same.
However,
“Cough... Cough......”
Black blood trickled from the mouth of Yeom-ga, who knelt on one knee in the sparring ground.
What in the world had happened?
Mok Kyung-un narrowed his eyes as he gazed at Mok Yu-cheon standing before Yeom-ga.
“Haa... Haa...”
Mok Yu-cheon breathed heavily.
A faint red haze rose from his body, and his skin had turned completely brownish.
Even the whites of his eyes had browned, giving him an eerie appearance.
‘What is that?’
Even the free-thinking experts of the Heaven-Earth Society, well-versed in martial arts, were murmuring in confusion at the sight.
Bright Sword King Son Yun muttered with arms crossed.
“His internal energy has nearly doubled.”
To him, the most sensitive to auras here, it was starkly apparent.
Just moments ago, Mok Yu-cheon had been merely at the early pinnacle stage, but after this transformation, his energy had surged dramatically.
It now bordered on surpassing the peak of pinnacle.
Thunderclap Fist King Won Byeong-hak frowned, speaking in disbelief.
“Could that child have cultivated an evil art?”
Evil art.
It referred to cultivation deviating from established orthodox paths.
Among unorthodox experts, some advanced rapidly through evil arts.
However, such methods strayed from normal paths, bringing severe side effects.
For instance, overly rapid growth made further progress difficult, or erroneous energy circulation twisted meridians, often leading to qi deviation.
Bright Sword King Son Yun eyed Mok Yu-cheon's discolored pupils.
“...If he's cultivated an evil art, we may need to subdue him.”
One major issue with evil arts was that the explosive energy growth could affect the brain, causing loss of reason and rampages.
Mok Yu-cheon's current state was far from normal.
-Hah! Mortal, your handiwork is finally shining through.
Cheong-ryeong's voice rang in his ear.
Mok Kyung-un nodded faintly in response.
The Timber Transforming Heart Method, exclusive heart technique of Timber Sword Manor's Clan Head, was an orthodox supreme art, not an evil art.
It properly followed righteous cultivation principles.
The problem was that Mok Yu-cheon had learned a version where Mok Kyung-un arbitrarily altered the incantations.
‘So that's it.’
The side effects had finally manifested.
Tampering with a supreme art like the Timber Transforming Heart Method could cause such issues at any moment.
Surviving this long was actually fortunate.
-From the looks of it, he's near a rampage. If unlucky, his meridians could rupture entirely, killing him right here.
Mok Kyung-un's lips curled at Cheong-ryeong's words.
‘Perfect.’
He had planned to deal with Mok Yu-cheon at an opportune moment.
But if he died here from heart method side effects in front of everyone, there'd be no need to dirty his hands—convenient.
Yet the Demon Monk's condition looked worse than expected.
“Cough... Cough......”
Moments ago, Mok Yu-cheon's surging energy had landed a blow to the chest, and he kept coughing blood.
The Demon Monk glanced furtively at Mok Kyung-un with his head bowed.
His look seemed to ask what to do.
‘Hm.’
As a Demon Monk, he could control the possessed body to mitigate injuries to some extent, but acting like this suggested it wasn't a minor wound.
To worsen the side effects further, Mok Yu-cheon needed to keep using that flawed heart method longer.
Mok Kyung-un chuckled softly and sent a telepathic message.
-Endure a bit longer and face off against Mok Yu-cheon...
It was right then.
-Thud!
The Demon Monk's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
‘What the...’
What had happened?
Even when possessing a body, it affected him somewhat, but the body was mere clothing, so he should control the pain.
Why had he fainted?
-Slither...
Mok Kyung-un furrowed his brow slightly.
The Demon Monk possessing Yeom-ga's body had just exited it.
Why leave the body so suddenly?
As he puzzled, the Demon Monk spoke toward him.
-..........
‘What? He's dead?’
Surprisingly, the Demon Monk had left because Yeom-ga's body had stopped breathing.
Mok Kyung-un had assumed an easy win.
But his prediction had gone awry.
-..........
At the Demon Monk's words, Mok Kyung-un eyed Mok Yu-cheon narrowly.
According to the Demon Monk, just as he thought victory was sealed and prepared to finish, a surprise strike hit.
After that, the chest meridians suddenly began rupturing.
He tried repairing the injury arbitrarily, but the ruptures spread too fast to handle.
-Truly coincidental.
‘What?’
-They say a blind fish takes the bait in times like these?
Mok Kyung-un couldn't grasp Cheong-ryeong's meaning.
Meanwhile, Mok Yu-cheon, still discolored and eerie, approached the fallen Yeom-ga's body and reached out.
In that instant,
-Fwosh!
Someone blocked his path.
It was Senior Warrior Gwak Mun-gi, attendant to Blood Sword Valley Leader Lee Ji-yeom.
“The match is over. Stop.”
Gwak Mun-gi extended his hand warily at Mok Yu-cheon with a tense expression.
Rightly so—Mok Yu-cheon's appearance screamed danger.
He could rampage at any moment.
As Gwak Mun-gi tensed, Mok Yu-cheon stepped back two paces.
‘He still has his reason.’
Senior Warrior Gwak Mun-gi inwardly sighed in relief.
Had he lost control and rampaged, subduing him would have been risky.
-Swish!
Gwak Mun-gi placed fingers on the fallen Yeom-ga's neck.
He then frowned and looked up at the platform.
At this, Blood Sword Valley Leader Lee Ji-yeom's expression hardened.
‘This is...’
He had sent him to check vitality due to the suspicious collapse.
That expression confirmed his fears had come true.
Most troublesome.
Deaths in Blood Sword Valley's trials weren't major issues, but losing talent like Yeom-ga here was regrettable.
Especially at the final trial.
Witnessing Senior Warrior Gwak Mun-gi's reaction, Mok Yu-cheon couldn't hide his bewilderment.
‘Wh-what in the world...’
He had no intention of killing Yeom-ga in this match.
Yet, the moment he circulated the Timber Transforming Heart Method, an immense killing intent overtook him unwittingly.
He couldn't fathom why.
Even now, a strong impulse boiled within, urging him to rampage.
But Mok Yu-cheon suppressed it with utmost endurance.
‘Stop... Stop it.’
-Ssssh...
Gradually, Mok Yu-cheon's skin color began to fade.
Some observing executives' eyes gleamed at the sight.
‘Suppressing the impulse?’
To them, Mok Yu-cheon's display was quite novel.
The rapid energy surge and bizarre skin discoloration suggested an evil art side effect, on the verge of rampage.
Yet he controlled it himself.
‘Look at this guy.’
It struck some as impressive.
Even strong-willed individuals would struggle against such impulses, yet at that age, he showed such endurance.
Conversely, Mok Kyung-un smacked his lips in disappointment.
‘What a shame.’
He had hoped for a rampage and death here, but he endured.
Lucky indeed.
Cheong-ryeong shared his sentiment, agreeing.
-Truly a fortunate mortal.
‘Indeed.’
-But it's amusing.
Amusing how?
As he wondered, she explained.
-That the heart method you casually altered without much thought produced such effects.
‘......’
He had nothing to say to that.
Who could predict that random incantations would cause explosive energy growth and meridian damage?
Still, the altered heart method remained dangerous.
* * *
About half a shichen passed.
The situation turned awkward.
The reason: Next up, Mok Ha-rang of Flower Fog Manor, Mok Kyung-un's opponent, forfeited, lacking confidence in winning.
Thus, the final match for top spot pitted Mok Kyung-un against Mok Yu-cheon.
The observing executives were inwardly astonished.
Who could imagine brothers from one clan vying for first place?
A first in Blood Sword Valley trial history.
And,
‘The two hostages will face off.’
“Oh ho ho.”
Among observers knowing the Mok brothers' identities, the Dark Clan Leader found it highly entertaining.
Conversely, Bright Sword King Son Yun, who brought them, clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘How did this happen...’
He had expected them to die in Blood Sword Valley.
Never this outcome.
If word spread within the Heaven-Earth Society, it would spark controversy.
Two orthodox fledglings, mere hostages not even society members, competing for top in Blood Sword Valley trial—quite humiliating, even displeasing.
‘...The Clan Head miscalculated.’
Had they not been sent here, this wouldn't have happened.
Yet they survived to the end.
And by Blood Sword Valley rules, they earned a chance to become disciples of Heaven-Earth Society executives.
Even the Clan Head hadn't foreseen this.
‘No helping it now.’
In this situation, best to fully integrate them into the society.
Turn them into symbols, reversely.
Excellent emblems of betrayal: Orthodox descendants turning their backs on orthodoxy to rise as Heaven-Earth Society talents.
“Now, you two face each other.”
Then, Blood Sword Valley Leader Lee Ji-yeom on the platform called them to the sparring ground to stand opposite.
The two brothers now faced one another.
“Begin the match!”
Lee Ji-yeom lowered his raised hand and shouted.
At the start signal, Mok Yu-cheon assumed a stance, face flushed with anger.
“You bastard?”
“What?”
Mok Kyung-un asked nonchalantly.
Mok Yu-cheon closed the distance step by step, accusing him.
“You didn't teach me the heart method properly!”
At first, he hadn't suspected.
They had gone through verification multiple times.
But encountering Mok Kyung-un here revealed his true nature, confirming it.
He had definitely not taught the Clan Head-exclusive Timber Transforming Heart Method's incantations correctly.
‘Because of you, I...’
Was overtaken by killing intent and killed during the match.
Even now, unable to control it, he forcibly suppressed.
Even as half-brothers from the same clan, he hoped he'd at least feel guilt for these side effects.
But,
‘!?’
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly.
“Only realizing it now? You're impressively stupid.”
“You!!!!!”
Fury boiling over, Mok Yu-cheon launched himself at Mok Kyung-un.
Aiming his best technique, but,
-Pak!
In a flash, Mok Kyung-un deflected his wrist, seized his throat, and slammed him to the ground.
-Boom!
“Urk!”
He whispered in his ear.
“You think you can do anything to me like this? Why not try that heart method instead?”
[The Battle for Disciples (3)] End