No Fists for Your Foster Father
‘Divine Fusion Realm?’
All eyes turned to Yeop Hyeon.
Most of them were Penetrating Nether Realm experts, which already placed them among the elite. In the context of Qingzhou, they were top-tier martial artists.
But was that enough?
Far from it. It still fell short.
Their enemies weren't ordinary fighters—they were Cangmu Academy and the Dark Realm.
Cangmu Academy had taken a hit this time, but from the perspective of the Central Divine Continent's Cangmu Academy, losing just twenty Dao soldiers wasn't a devastating blow. And the Dark Realm hadn't suffered any losses at all.
Cangmu Academy's Qingzhou branch still stood strong.
And then there was the Daeun Empire. It was they who had sent those twenty elite elders.
For Yeop Hyeon and the others, the crisis was far from over.
That sense of peril wouldn't fade until both Cangmu Academy and the Dark Realm were utterly destroyed.
Mu Yun Qi nodded at Yeop Hyeon's words before slipping out of the tent.
The warriors inside turned their gazes back to Yeop Hyeon.
He sat down and continued.
“Now that we've formed the Bi Jeok Mercenary Group, let's all make it count! I'll establish the first rule: We, the Bi Jeok Mercenary Group, shall share honor and disgrace, life and death!”
Share honor and disgrace, life and death.
Luk Ban-jang nodded at Yeop Hyeon, her expression resolute.
“Sounds good!”
The rest of the warriors nodded solemnly in agreement.
Even without Yeop Hyeon saying it, the countless battles they'd fought together had already forged bonds of life and death.
Yeop Hyeon stood.
“Alright, everyone—get some rest and tend to your wounds! I'll handle the rest.”
At that moment, Luk Ban-jang rose.
“If there's any spending to do, let us know. Distributions and expenses need to be transparent to avoid headaches later.”
Neung Han nodded in agreement.
“Sis is right. Everything has to be crystal clear. Otherwise, over time, folks start taking things for granted.”
Ya Ri and the others bobbed their heads vigorously.
They all knew Yeop Hyeon wasn't the petty type. Still, some matters demanded absolute clarity.
Even among brothers-in-arms, accounts had to be settled squarely.
“Haha, no worries! I won't stick you with the bill!”
“……”
Stepping out of the tent, Yeop Hyeon soon ran into Gang Gu.
She cut an imposing figure in her silver armor, every bit the valiant warrior princess.
“Care for a walk?”
Yeop Hyeon nodded at her suggestion.
The two strolled slowly down a wide, deserted avenue.
How long had they walked? It felt like ages, yet neither had spoken a word. Finally, Gang Gu broke the silence.
“No more reckless adventures like that from now on.”
Adventure, huh…
When Gang Gu first heard that Yeop Hyeon had emerged from the depths of the enemy capital, shock had rippled through her.
Her initial reaction was fury. Charging into the heart of the enemy lines was insanely dangerous.
Then came the anxiety. She'd fretted endlessly over his safety, dispatching scout after scout to the capital. Fortunately, intel from Chwiseonru had arrived just in time, allowing her to mobilize precisely when needed.
“No time to think back then…”
Yeop Hyeon glanced at Gang Gu and swiftly changed the subject.
“Any word from Cho Country or Wol Country?”
“Nothing yet.”
Yeop Hyeon's brow twitched.
“Why not?”
Gang Gu snorted.
“With the capital in this state, you think they'd dare make a move?”
Yeop Hyeon nodded lightly before asking, “So, what's the next plan?”
“What do you think?”
He replied evenly. “We can't just let this slide.”
“Exactly! Starting a war and then bailing whenever they feel like it? Unacceptable!”
Gang Gu halted.
“You pulled off something huge this time. Thought about what reward you want?”
Yeop Hyeon pondered briefly, then shook his head.
“Haven't given it a thought.”
“Figured as much, so I put in a request on your behalf! You'll find out what it is when we get back to Canglan Academy.”
“Wait, what—”
Just then, a shadow materialized before them.
It was O Lu Ju, newly promoted lord of Chwiseonru in Kanguk.
Gang Gu gave him a curt nod.
“You two talk. I'll head back.”
With that, she retraced her steps.
O Lu Ju approached Yeop Hyeon, eyeing him up and down before breaking into a broad grin.
“Penetrating Nether Realm already! Congratulations!”
Yeop Hyeon clasped his hands in respect.
“Lord O Lu Ju, I have something to discuss.”
“Speak freely.”
Yeop Hyeon grew serious.
“I'm aiming for the Divine Fusion Realm.”
O Lu Ju fell silent.
“Why the surprise?”
O Lu Ju finally spoke. “There's a pill called the Divine Fusion Pill. An exceedingly rare elixir infused with the five elements' spiritual energies. A Penetrating Nether Realm expert who takes it could have those energies flood their body, shattering their limits in one go to reach Divine Fusion. However…”
His expression soured.
“The price is the issue. At least a hundred million taels of gold per pill.”
‘A hundred million taels minimum?’
Yeop Hyeon was stunned. No clan in Kanguk could cough up that sum on a whim.
“These rarely hit the market, so it's whatever the seller demands. A hundred million is conservative. If you need it, I can contact Chwiseonru headquarters for one or two. What do you say?”
Yeop Hyeon gave a wry smile.
“Lord, I need thirteen.”
Thirteen Divine Fusion Pills?!
“That many?!”
O Lu Ju exclaimed, and Yeop Hyeon bowed his head slightly.
“I hate to impose, but please.”
O Lu Ju thought it over, then nodded.
“I'll reach out to headquarters. No guarantees on how many we can secure, but Chwiseonru will do its utmost!”
Yeop Hyeon clasped his hands again.
“Thank you, Lord!”
“Haha, no need for formalities between us…”
“Oh, one more thing. Could you source about thirteen life realm spirit stones? The kind that boost defense.”
O Lu Ju nodded.
“Money's no object for those. They'll take about ten days to arrive from headquarters.”
Ten days.
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
“Perfect. And if you spot any suspicious moves from Cangmu Academy or the Dark Realm, let me know. They won't back down easily.”
Canglan Academy couldn't match Chwiseonru's intelligence network.
“Haha, leave it to us. We're already watching them closely. Any whiff of trouble, and you'll hear from me right away.”
“Much appreciated!”
“No need to stand on ceremony. I'll go hunt down those pills and spirit stones. See you soon!”
With that, O Lu Ju's form blurred and vanished.
Returning to his tent, Yeop Hyeon entered the Gyeok Ok Tower without delay.
Sitting cross-legged on the tower floor, the Spirit Water Sword floated serenely before him.
True Sword!
This was no illusion—the Spirit Water Sword was a genuine blade with physical form. So what did "true" signify? It meant essence.
The essence of the sword!
Every object in the world possessed its own essence, not just swords. A "true sword" was one that had awakened to its own essence.
Humans evolved ceaselessly. Swords did too.
A living sword like the Spirit Water Sword would awaken its spiritual intellect at a certain realm, stepping into a new stage.
Since evolving into a true sword, the Spirit Water Sword had dramatically boosted Yeop Hyeon's combat prowess. With it, even Divine Fusion Realm foes fell more easily. His skill wasn't solely reliant on it, of course—but it undeniably made battles smoother.
That was the value of a fine weapon.
Yeop Hyeon's top priority now was solidifying his current realm. His hasty breakthrough had left it unstable. He needed to stabilize it first before eyeing Divine Fusion.
Otherwise, advancing would bring severe backlash.
Two days later, Yeop Hyeon emerged from the tower, now acclimated to the Penetrating Nether Realm.
He headed for Mang Mountain.
Bidding farewell to Luk Ban-jang and the others, he set off swiftly with Bai Ze and ten thousand demon beasts.
Demon beasts.
Qingzhou wasn't overrun with them, but they existed. Living deep in remote mountains, they rarely mingled with humans. Until now, humans and demon beasts had coexisted peacefully, respecting each other's territories out of mutual wariness.
The Guardians ensured that peace between the races endured.
Word spread that Bai Ze had brought demon beasts to the capital, putting neighboring countries on high alert.
It was unprecedented for demon beasts to join human wars.
And if Mang Mountain's forces allied with Kanguk, it would rival Jeoguk's might—they couldn't afford to relax.
About three hours later, Yeop Hyeon and Bai Ze reached Mang Mountain. The sun blazed overhead, but the mountain's depths were dim as dusk. Towering trees blotted out the sky; a normal person craning their neck at the base wouldn't glimpse the canopy.
“Yeop Sword Brother, as I said before—my foster father isn't one for reasonable talk.”
Yeop Hyeon eyed Bai Ze.
“Your foster father being Myriad Laws Realm—that was no joke, right?”
“You think I'd lie?”
Yeop Hyeon licked his dry lips, his face grave.
“One always shows respect to elders. Rest easy—I won't throw a single punch at your foster father!”
Bai Ze stared at him, incredulous.
“You talk like you've beaten him before or something…”
—