Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Transcendent Realm
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“Do you wish to reach the Transcendent Realm?”
“Of course I do. The problem is the time and effort it takes.”
How nice it would be if I could just sit still and get stronger like Dan Un.
‘That’s the problem—I can’t.’
It was a truly sad reality.
Perhaps my feelings showed on my face, because Bukgung Baek spoke with a smirk, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“It won't be long, so you don't need to be impatient.”
“I'm not impatient at all.”
“From what I heard of your conversation with the Blue Dragon Sword, that doesn't seem to be the case.”
This guy, seriously.
“A Hall Master shouldn't be eavesdropping on others' conversations.”
“I only heard it because I could hear it.”
“...Anyway, you seem fine, so I'll be on my way. I'll leave the fruit here, so eat it when you get peckish. It's not a side dish for drinks, so absolutely no alcohol. It'll make your wounds worse.”
“Thank you.”
He could be annoying at times, but he was practically half a master to me. Who else would look after him?
Seeing him drink all the time, he was bound to become a middle-aged alcoholic soon.
‘Wait a minute?’
Did he teach me martial arts just so I'd take care of him in his old age?
My body trembled at the well-founded conclusion.
To think I'd have to support Bukgung Baek, the scoundrel of the Righteous Path Alliance.
‘I'll have to leave Nine Dragons Fortress before that happens.’
Just as I was about to leave the room, dreaming of dining and dashing, Bukgung Baek's languid voice reached me.
“Take a careful look at what you possess. It will be helpful.”
“Ah... yes.”
I had no idea what he meant.
* * *
After the visit, I headed to the Black Dragon Martial Hall.
The dividends were coming in steadily, but as the largest investor, shouldn't I check on the state of the business?
And while I was at it, offer some advice on operations if I had any.
For example, offering discounts for long-term registration or running a children's class to secure future customers.
Above all.
‘The CEO doesn't exactly inspire confidence.’
To think the director was Wi Ji-pung, a man who ate rice with just a single side of vegetables. That wouldn't do.
Shaking my head, I walked on and soon arrived at the East Gate.
A bustling crowd.
A huge number of people and a constant stream of goods.
It was far more crowded than the other three gates combined.
It was only natural. Given Nine Dragons Fortress's location in the western part of the Central Plains, the East Gate was bound to be the most developed.
And the Black Dragon Martial Hall stood right in the middle of that bustling district.
“No matter how many times I see it, the location is prime real estate.”
If they'd opened an inn or a clothier's shop instead of a martial hall, they would have been raking in money...
Creaak.
Putting my regrets aside, I opened the door and entered, my eyes falling upon the sight of members swinging wooden swords.
So far, it looked like an ordinary martial hall.
The problem was.
“Hiyah.”
“Yahp.”
Most of the members were women, and middle-aged women at that.
“...”
What in the world was this crazy sight?
A martial hall, a place practically off-limits to women, was overflowing with female members.
And in a hall run by Taoists, all of whom were destined to die as forced bachelors!
As I stood there dumbfounded by the shocking scene, Wi Ji-pung, who was observing the members from a platform, spotted me and flew over using a movement technique.
Flutter.
At this, the middle-aged female members didn't know what to do.
“Oh, my!”
“Oh! Look at those leg muscles!”
“If only I could touch those thighs just once...”
“Haaa...”
Watching their reactions, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
Thud.
As Wi Ji-pung landed stylishly, a few of the women put their hands to their foreheads and fainted.
They were like swooning fans seeing their idol up close.
“You never once came by, and now you finally show your face.”
“...Wh-what is all this?”
“Haha, as you can see, business is booming.”
No, I could see that business was booming.
“I'm asking why there are more female members.”
“Ah! About that...”
Wi Ji-pung's explanation was as follows.
The Black Dragon Martial Hall started earning a sufficient income by teaching the Dark-Suppressing Sword Art to the warriors of the Outer Hall.
However, a problem soon arose.
While making money was good, they found themselves short on people to teach the young disciples of the Black Dragon Hall.
The Black Dragon Hall was already short-staffed, and trying to run a martial hall on top of that made the personnel shortage even worse.
The retired elders had no choice but to take charge of the children, but Wi Ji-pung was not pleased with this.
“That would go against the very purpose of opening the martial hall, wouldn't it?”
“That's true.”
The martial hall, opened to provide a stable income so the elders could live comfortably, had ended up making their lives more difficult.
In the end, Wi Ji-pung came up with a solution: expand the martial hall and bring the young disciples there as well.
With plenty of spare land, it was a perfectly feasible plan.
The problem was the construction cost.
“So, you needed money to expand the hall, launched a massive recruitment drive, and only middle-aged women showed up?”
“Yes.”
“...Why is that?”
“I'm not sure. I just taught them diligently, I didn't do anything special, yet this is how it turned out.”
As I tilted my head in confusion along with Wi Ji-pung over this mystery.
“We've finished our training and returned, Senior Brother.”
“Good work, everyone. You need to take the class at the Hour of the Monkey, so go and wash up quickly.”
“Yes.”
I found the cause.
“...Do they always walk around shirtless like that?”
“Well, clothes tend to wear out during training. So they usually don't wear shirts.”
“Ah...”
That was it.
Among the eight halls of the Inner Fortress, the Black Dragon Hall emphasizes physical training second only to the Gray Dragon Hall.
They not only train bare-chested in the training yard but also go for a run every morning, and when they're bored, they scale the back mountain doing squat jumps.
It didn't matter when they were in the Inner Fortress with no one to see, but doing that at a martial hall located in front of the East Gate, a prime bustling area, it was impossible not to attract attention.
And the result was.
“Kyaaah!”
“Oh, my!”
The mass production of an army of middle-aged female fans.
Moreover.
‘How are their bodies so good when their diet is so poor?’
Perhaps because they all did a lot of external arts training, they boasted bodies packed with lean muscle.
How could heads not turn?
‘Children's class, my foot.’
The middle-aged members were far more valuable.
“Hmm... operations seem to be going very well.”
“Haha. Right? With more members, we're getting a lot of donations too. The Primeval Lord of Heaven must be watching over the Black Dragon Hall.”
It's not the Primeval Lord of Heaven, it's the ladies who are watching over you.
“We shouldn't just stand here. Let's go inside. Since you're here, we should have a drink, shouldn't we?”
“Yes, well, let's do that.”
And so we entered the director's office.
Wi Ji-pung, a broad smile on his face, pulled something out from under the desk.
I couldn't help but be surprised.
“W-wait! Is that?!”
What came out from under the desk was alcohol and dried pig's ears.
“Hahaha, we can afford snacks with our drinks now.”
Wi Ji-pung continued, a confident smile on his face.
“These days, we even eat our rice with two side dishes.”
“My goodness!”
It was one surprise after another.
Compared to their cold and hungry days of the past, this was a giant leap forward.
“This is all thanks to you.”
“No. It's because you and the other brothers of the Black Dragon Hall have managed it so well.”
I meant it.
“Come now, enough with the modesty. Let's have a drink.”
The drinking session that began was exceedingly heartwarming.
It was only natural.
Since the joint venture was running so smoothly, there was no reason for either of us to have any complaints.
Besides, the Black Dragon Hall was fundamentally a group of Taoists.
They weren't the type to deceive others, so there was no chance of embezzlement.
We exchanged cups and chatted about this and that for a good two hours.
“Oh my, look at the time. I should probably get going.”
In truth, I had nothing but time, so there was no need to leave, but I was sick of the dried pig's ears.
And I couldn't stomach any more of the cheap white liquor.
Unaware of this, Wi Ji-pung, thinking he had been a proper host, smiled contentedly and said.
“Oh dear, it seems I've kept a busy man for too long. Yes, you should get going.”
He stood up to see me off, and then.
“My, a bug in this weather?”
Spotting the bug, he waved his hand.
Bzzzt.
From a gesture made at a considerable distance, the bug hastily flew away.
“...!”
The bug flew away even though I felt no wave of energy.
It might seem like nothing, but it was anything but.
It meant that Wi Ji-pung's will had influenced the bug.
In other words.
“The Trans-Transcendent Realm?!”
Like Dan Un, Wi Ji-pung had also reached the Transcendent Realm.
As I gaped in astonishment, Wi Ji-pung scratched the back of his head and replied.
“Haha, teaching many people led me to a small enlightenment. It's nothing grand. And aren't you the same, having defeated the One Star Sword?”
“Th-that's right. Ha. Ha. I was just surprised to be caught up to when I thought I was ahead.”
This was driving me crazy.
He reached a realm I couldn't, even after fighting a master of the Transcendent Realm in the middle of the Nine Dragons Mountain Range, just by teaching some middle-aged ladies?
My face flushed and my head grew hot with indignation.
“Hm? Are you sick? You look like you have a fever.”
“...No. I'll be going, so please rest well.”
* * *
“You're back? Have you eaten?”
“I have.”
“You seem a bit down today. Is everything alright?”
“Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired. I'm going to my room to rest, so you should rest too, sister.”
Leaving Myo Hyang behind, I went straight to my room.
I changed into comfortable clothes and lay on my bed, but I was too indignant and frustrated to sleep.
That bastard Dan Un reaches the Transcendent Realm by sitting around.
Wi Ji-pung gains enlightenment while teaching middle-aged ladies.
“Wow... I was the one grinding all the mobs, but the other guys are the ones leveling up.”
It seemed the god of the martial world wasn't very fair.
As I stewed in my indignation, I began to have doubts about the War King Arts.
‘Could the Lord have scammed me?’
You know how it is.
Giving you a martial art that allows for rapid growth in the beginning but makes it difficult to advance in realms.
Like a demonic art.
After doubting the Lord for a moment, I quickly shook my head.
‘No. My internal energy is too pure for it to be a demonic art.’
From my experience fighting the fiends of the Ten Demon Alliance, the internal energy of the War King Arts was incomparably purer than theirs.
In other words, it accumulates internal energy according to the principles of heaven, not by defying them.
As I pondered over and over, Bukgung Baek's advice from the infirmary came to mind.
‘Take a careful look at what you possess. It will be helpful.’
What I possess...
Following his advice, I began to review the martial arts I had.
First, the War King Thirteen Strikes.
‘It's a perfect fighting style.’
It's a fighting style that utilizes every possible movement of the human body, a perfect art that not only possesses power and speed but also allows for the simultaneous accumulation of energy.
Moreover, the exquisiteness of each form is on par with any divine art, and it would be hard to find a martial art this powerful under the heavens.
And then, the War King Arts.
Strictly speaking, the War King Arts isn't composed of five forms. It's more accurate to see it as five stages.
Upon reaching the entry level of the Peak Realm, the stage of a master, I was able to use the Explosive Death Force. In the middle stage, I could use the Ultimate Death Force, and in the later stage, I could use the Chain Ring Force, albeit imperfectly.
Perhaps, upon reaching the Transcendent Realm and the one above it, I'll be able to reach the Hell Force and Heavenly King Force that exist in the later stages.
‘I think the clue lies in the Chain Ring Force.’
A conclusion reached after long deliberation.
However, since I reached this conclusion on my own, I needed to get it confirmed.
From my personal star tutor, Bukgung Baek.
‘I even brought him fruit, so he probably won't refuse.’
This is why it's important to be generous in life.