Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Mount Tai and the Big Diper
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After Meng Liao's return, the situation was resolved at an astonishing speed.
The remnants who fled the battle and the prisoners, following Meng Liao's orders, moved in perfect unison to clean up the chaotic mess.
They dispatched dozens of envoys to the Starpoint Sect's outer families they had harmed, offering apologies, punishing those who had acted excessively, and attempting to atone for their karma.
Moreover, the living infrastructure, which had been reorganized for wartime combat focus, returned to normal in an instant.
"Whatever the case, we've opened exchanges with the Central Plains, so we might as well make use of it."
Though it was for reparations, they actively leveraged the newfound connections with the Starpoint Sect's outer families.
They cultivated fields with rare crops and herbs unique to the Southern Barbarian region for sale.
They hired artisans active in Yunnan Province to build proper structures instead of tents.
Unlike their previous nomadic lifestyle, they were gradually transforming into a more settled people.
In truth, this lifestyle had been forced upon them by the Heavenly Demon Cult's raid, but since the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace region had long embraced civilized living, all the tribesmen welcomed the change.
The damage from Parun Temple's scheme was beyond imagination, and the agreement with Starpoint Sect imposed new restrictions on their actions.
Yet, compared to all those shackles, the establishment of proper trade routes with the Central Plains was far more beneficial, so the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace seemed poised for rapid growth.
To call it growth was inaccurate; it was more like finally unleashing their inherent potential.
"Still, catching up to Starpoint Sect will take ages. Or... maybe we'll never catch them?"
Meng Yeon pondered this while sipping specialty tea from the Southern Barbarian region at a proper desk that hadn't existed just a few months ago.
If they hadn't wasted strength needlessly fighting Starpoint Sect and focused solely on growth, perhaps.
But having suffered devastating losses—enough to uproot several pillar roots—and now leashed by Starpoint Sect, no matter how optimistically viewed, catching up seemed impossible.
Trade with the Central Plains could only be conducted through the merchant groups affiliated with Starpoint Sect's outer families, after all.
"Well, from my view, it's got better odds than Brazil catching the US."
"...Wanna end up a prisoner here?"
"Why so harsh? Brazil's got massive potential. Plus, the president's excellent, and the system's improving fast."
Baek Hyun, who had returned to the Southern Barbarian region as an envoy to monitor the Beast Palace, sipped his tea and subtly reached out to pet Har's fur.
"Still, I doubt Brazil will become a superpower like the US."
"Exactly."
"Hey."
Starpoint Sect held the clear advantage over Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
The fact that they could only compete using extreme guerrilla tactics and all sorts of underhanded strategies spoke volumes about the power gap.
In the final battle, even the asymmetric force Mokheon had been neutralized chasing executives.
With only about 20% of their forces hastily returned, they had endured a defensive battle in extreme numerical inferiority against the Beast Palace's full commitment.
Starpoint Sect was undeniably superior in overall strength.
Of course, they had nearly suffered a 'Vietnam' moment.
"Well, we've got a long way to go too. Let's both hustle as fellow backwater powers and grow as much as we can."
But was Starpoint Sect, this powerhouse, the strongest in the martial world? Naturally not.
Yunnan Province, where Starpoint Sect was based, was a backwater among backwaters in the entire country.
No wonder Starpoint Sect often appeared as fodder in most wuxia tales.
Even among the righteous sects, powerhouses surpassing Starpoint Sect were plentiful.
Wudang, Shaolin, Nangong Clan—names synonymous with corruption themselves...
No matter the buffs from the remake process, they paled against ultra-massive sects known to all.
And the final black curtain, Parun Temple, likely commanded even greater forces than all those combined.
'I've still got a long way to go.'
At present, the Sun Heavenly Spirit Physique was as good as a cheat, but that didn't make him invincible.
The overwhelming output and near-infinite internal energy were clear advantages, but they had distinct limits.
Even Samjoko, unmatched in raw power, had been攻略 and sealed by him.
And this world held beings equal to or surpassing Samjoko.
Among the Monstrous Beings, there were the pinnacle 'Four Great Cataclysms.'
Among humans, the Righteous First and Evil First could likely rival Samjoko.
And the presumed final boss, 'Crown Prince,' was probably stronger.
Blindly rampaging on overpowered strength alone would lead to a pointless sudden death.
In the actual game, high output helped greatly, but countless counters existed.
He hadn't even fully unlocked the Sun Heavenly Spirit Physique's potential.
He thought he'd trained hard... but the road ahead was still long.
"Anyway... what's next? Main chapter's over, so things'll be quiet for years."
"What else? Train like hell. Master's been drilling me properly lately. I'm just here briefly to see you."
"...Me?"
"Yeah. Gonna be in closed-door training basically forever. So if you wanna see me, come to Starpoint Sect."
"Bullshit."
With that, Baek Hyun drained his teacup and stood.
Meng Yeon snapped irritably at him but fiddled regretfully with her now-cold cup before speaking.
"...If I visit, you gotta come greet me, right?"
"I'll think about it."
"You bastard, you wanna die!?"
Leaving Meng Yeon shouting as if truly enraged, Baek Hyun crossed the lush Southern Barbarian jungle.
Unlike the tense atmosphere before, it brimmed with vitality and energy.
Seeing this, he realized how much had happened in such a short time.
'Wonder what the others are up to.'
-Thudquaang!!
A flash like the sun vanished from the Southern Barbarian domain in an instant.
-Kukwagagagagagagagaga-!!!!
Beneath a massive waterfall pouring endless thick streams of water.
In that place where even rocks were eroded by the fierce currents, countless Wudang disciples stared intently at one spot.
"Just... how many shichen has he endured?"
"...It's long past a day. Not shichen—it's been days."
"...He's insane."
Among the Nine Great Righteous Sects, Wudang rivaled the top.
Even Wudang disciples were aghast at the feat unfolding, yet the boy seated at the waterfall's center wore a serene expression.
Among Wudang's grueling trainings, the infamous waterfall practice.
It exposed the practitioner to an extreme environment of icy water hammering down like giant mallets endlessly.
This honed battle focus, tempered external arts, and allowed insight into the 'flow' essence of Wudang swordsmanship—highly effective.
Yet third-generation disciples his age lasted barely a geng.
Seemed easy—just blocking water—but the endless chill sapped body heat.
The relentless pressure threatening to snap the neck and bruising the entire back was no human endurance test, especially for an adolescent.
It should have been impossible.
-Kwagagagagagaga-!!!
Yet the boy withstood the fierce waterfall for days that peers couldn't handle even a geng.
As fellow Wudang disciples who came for waterfall training let out hollow laughs,
"Tch, figured you'd all gather here—to gawk?"
"Elder!"
A Wudang elder, unable to stand it, arrived and spoke.
"I'll advise you all: don't compare yourselves to that child, Qingyun."
You'd fall to heart devil.
The elder thought this but inwardly marveled at the boy's act too.
Others might miss it, but he saw clearly.
Entrusting his body to the torrent yet serene as deep sleep, posture unmoving.
No mere mental fortitude or external training reached that realm.
Only unity with nature, flawlessly deflecting the endless冲击 and chill—water oneness realm.
Recalling Qingyun's innate 'constitution,' the elder chuckled hollowly like the others.
"Truly... a child born to perfect the 'Taiji.'"
-Thudquaaaang-!!
At that moment, the raging waterfall reversed direction, surging upward.
Merely a small human rising.
That trivial act of ending training synced with the fierce waves flowing backward.
"Wh-what the...!"
"Amitabha, Amitabha..!!"
As all present gaped in shock,
The immature-looking boy who achieved the impossible scanned his surroundings briefly.
Then quietly, but loud enough for all, murmured,
"...Why's it flowing backward?"
"""……………"""
A heavy silence descended on Wudang Mountain for a time.
In Mount Song, one of the Five Peaks, lay Shaolin Temple—the North Star of the righteous sects, boasting the deepest history and tradition among the Nine Great Righteous Sects.
Shaolin was characterized by unyielding fortitude admitting not even a needle, yet boundless compassion and righteousness, befitting its monkly rigor and discipline.
Yet Shaolin monks were human too, occasionally gossiping like worldly folk.
"Heard about the recent uproar with Southern Barbarian Beast Palace and Starpoint Sect?"
"Yeah. Talk was even the Martial Alliance might intervene. But it resolved well, I heard?"
Two youthful novice monks carefully roasted a freshly caught rabbit and chatted as usual.
"Apparently, the biggest contributor was Starpoint Sect's head disciple, barely fifteen."
"Ah, that disciple Radiant Sword belatedly accepted? Hmm, probably exaggerated, but Starpoint isn't one for empty boasts..."
"Wudang's rumored prodigy, Zhuge Clan's rumored Heavenly Martial Physique in closed training... Seems our generation's overflowing with talents."
The two novices, chatting animatedly while expertly grilling, split the meat evenly and continued.
"Well, Shaolin's got no worries, right? We've got our own monster..."
-Bang!! Kwaaang!! Kwagagagwang!!!
At that instant, thunderous roars shook the nearby wall violently.
"Eek, wh-what's this!!"
"E-earthquake!?"
They dropped prone, waiting it out, but the booms only intensified.
At the peak,
-Kwaaang!!
Like a thunderbolt exploding, dust billowed as a massive hole punched through the wall.
Emerging: a sturdy boy with an unbelievable physique for their age, body honed to extremes, rugged features.
His body—perfect, even beautiful—not a scratch despite boring through rocks, unyieldingly firm.
Vajra Indestructible.
The dream of external art cultivators. Seeing it, the novices instantly realized.
"Tch, Master sure makes me suffer... Digging here's same as anywhere."
Their senior brother—hailed as Shaolin's future pillar—had tunneled through the mountain before them.
Before fully processing, his piercing gaze impaled them.
"You two... eating meat?"
"Y-yes! We truly s-sor...!!"
The young novices hurried to bow, bracing for the roar.
Same third-generation, but his intimidating presence and aura—no prior chats.
The next abbot designee, strictest of all, catching their blatant violation...!!
"Cut it out and head in. Instructor catches you, you're dead."
Ah, shouldn't call him instructor.
-Bang! Kwagagwang!! Kwaang!!
With that, he lumbered his un-novice-like bulk, punching a new path, vanishing from sight.
"...What did we just witness?"
"The Buddha's manifestation come to admonish us...?"
The two novices lingered, immersed in the intense encounter's afterglow.