Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Journey into Jianghu
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After the incident with the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace had concluded.
Baek Hyun focused solely on training in the Starpoint Sect's martial arts.
Unlike before, where he had perfectly built only the foundations and stopped there, he now began earnestly stacking a grand tower.
Ever since his physique evolved, Baek Hyun possessed stamina that was nearly infinite, so he threw himself into training day and night without distinction.
Mukheon also showed tremendous enthusiasm in teaching his disciple, whom he had taken in late in life.
However, no matter how supreme a martial artist's realm, their stamina was not infinite, and as sect leader, he had duties to attend to. Thus, he only directly instructed or corrected Baek Hyun's forms at set times each day.
For the rest of the time, he assigned tasks suited to Baek Hyun's achievements to stimulate his drive for growth and guide his martial arts in the right direction.
"Traverse all the peaks of Starpoint Mountain within a single hour."
"Pardon?"
Of course, it was partly because Baek Hyun's talent was simply too exceptional.
"Pierce a hole through that mountain, no more than an inch wide."
"Pardon??"
Mukheon, overly excited at times, would occasionally assign excessive tasks.
"Without using sword qi, use only thrusts to keep rainwater from touching your clothes."
"Pardon???"
"Even the hem of your robe mustn't get the slightest bit wet."
"But that's not water, it's...!"
Through this method, Baek Hyun's skills advanced by leaps and bounds.
During the day, he engraved in his mind the teachings from Mukheon, one of the world's top ten masters and the supreme expert in the Shoot the Sun Sword Art.
At night, he carried out the tasks given by his master and ceaselessly swung his sword or practiced forms to assimilate the day's lessons.
Moreover, to nurture the sect's greatest prodigy, the Starpoint elders occasionally shared their insights with Baek Hyun.
In this way, voraciously absorbing all of Starpoint's martial arts and insights, Baek Hyun rapidly—and without the slightest gap—built his tower of martial prowess.
As a result of gaining martial arts and insights far more mature than before, incomparable to his past self.
He could now fully unleash the potential of his cheat-like physique, and even master advanced techniques he hadn't dared touch before.
Yet Baek Hyun remained unsatisfied, continuing to immerse himself in even more martial arts.
And so, time swiftly passed.
After the hottest drought in ages had passed.
The sun still loftily overlooked all creation from the vast sky.
However, while the sun in the heavens had shone upon the mortal world without fail for the past three years, Starpoint's little sun had secluded himself without showing his light for quite some time.
"It's already been half a year since Hyun entered closed-door training..."
Mukheon, the leader of the Starpoint Sect and Baek Hyun's master, swallowed a sigh as he gazed at the newly built hall.
Even before his physique evolved, Baek Hyun had once endured a year and a half without a single sip of water.
Mukheon knew this, so normally, half a year of seclusion wouldn't worry him.
The problem was that the hall Baek Hyun had entered for training was the most dangerous place on Starpoint Mountain... perhaps in the entire world.
Demon Subduing Hall.
The first sacred site of Starpoint Sect to be rebuilt after its destruction by the Wheel Breaking Temple's invasion.
That was the identity of the place where Baek Hyun was now enduring his training.
"You should go in now, senior brother. As much as I hate to imagine it, even if it's too late... we must check."
Mok Jin, leader of the Life and Death Sword Squad accompanying him in case of emergency, cautiously spoke up.
Mukheon let out a deep sigh, recalling the last conversation with his disciple half a year ago.
"Master, any new quests... er, tasks?"
"...You really completed all of those? Sorry, but I've got nothing new coming to mind. I didn't expect you'd finish the ten-year tasks so quickly. Rest up for a while."
"Ah, then could I use the Demon Subduing Hall?"
"...Hm?"
"Haven't had real combat in two years; I'm itching for it. I checked it out before, and there's plenty of space inside the formation. If I avoid the Three-Legged Crow, I can handle the rest somehow..."
"Hm??"
"They're all useless malignant stock anyway. I'll train and clean them all out~"
"Uh... Hm???"
Since they were rebuilding anyway, the old hall had been replaced with a sturdy new one, and the formation reinforced far beyond before, sealing the Demon Subduing Hall more perfectly than ever.
Yet Baek Hyun, citing real combat training, had stepped into the Demon Subduing Hall's formation to fight the malevolent spirits.
'I should have stopped him somehow back then...'
Unable to hide his distressed expression, Mukheon drew the sword at his waist.
Astounded by his disciple's unbelievable growth, he had permitted this absurd act.
A master's role is to stop a disciple from overreaching, yet what a foolish thing he had done.
"Then let's go, senior brother."
"Yes, let's."
As Mukheon and Mok Jin steeled themselves to open the Demon Subduing Hall's doors.
-Kkiiiiiik...
The tightly shut doors of the Demon Subduing Hall creaked open.
-Craaaaaash-!!
In that instant, a dazzling radiance painful to the eyes burst forth from what should have been pitch darkness inside.
From within the brilliant glow, a single figure slowly emerged.
Shadows dared not even approach it.
Each strand of its radiant hair, flowing like molten sunlight, seemed alive as it whipped about, scorching the air with low hisses and leaving trails of flickering light.
Its eyes, like miniature compressed suns, emanated savage waves of light and an overwhelming pressure far beyond human limits.
Its pale, smooth skin cast no shadows from any angle.
As if refusing even fleeting darkness, the figure subtly emanated rippling flames in all directions, burning away every shadow.
As it exhaled softly, the air warped, sending explosive waves of heat rippling outward.
Dust on the ground evaporated, and leaves a few steps away burst into flames.
Its mere existence sent immense energy vibrating ceaselessly, crushing the surrounding space.
Yet the moment those overwhelming eyes fixed on Mukheon and Mok Jin.
-Pshk
"Oh, Master? You came to greet me? How'd you know?"
The transcendent aura enveloping the figure vanished in an instant, leaving only a sturdy young man who had shed his boyish features.
Seeing that familiar, endearing face, Mukheon sighed in relief, patting his chest.
"Haa... You had me worried, you rascal."
"Ah, sorry. I lost track of time in the heat of battle..."
Mukheon, who had lost the will to scold upon seeing the head-scratching figure replacing the divine one moments ago, sheathed his drawn blade and spoke.
"Well, since you walked out on your own... any results from the training?"
"There were results, but... I realized how far I still have to go. Beyond the Three-Legged Crow, there are monstrous beings inside I can't even challenge."
"Do you think the monstrous beings sealed by our ancestors would be easy foes? Still, with your talent, someday..."
"Even so, I managed to subdue half of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts inside!"
"……………"
Mukheon held his tongue.
Before the two senior brothers delved into proper conversation, they first moved to the private residence of the Starpoint Sect leader.
Originally Mukheon's solitary abode, it had become a shared space since taking Baek Hyun as disciple.
Mukheon personally brewed tea for his hardworking disciple and spoke.
"So... you took down half of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts in the Demon Subduing Hall?"
"Ahaha, 'took down' is too generous. Mostly, I just outlasted them until they collapsed from exhaustion."
The past two and a half years of training had advanced Baek Hyun in every aspect.
But his prowess was nowhere near matching the fully mature Ten Great Ferocious Beasts in the hall.
Yet Baek Hyun could subdue them because he was a 'gamer'.
"First month, I fought the rabble nonstop, then targeted the weakest among the overwhelmingly strong ones."
A fully mature one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
Baek Hyun sipped the tea his master had poured and continued.
"Naturally, I wasn't even a match. So I threw everything I'd learned at it, and when it looked like death, I bolted. The space inside the formation was surprisingly vast."
"And then?"
"Rinse and repeat. Until it died."
"…………"
With his signature thorough hit-and-run tactics, he wore down the calamity-like foe over months.
Even fleeing with fatal wounds, he regenerated via one of his Solar Heavenly Spirit Body's abilities and charged back in.
In the process, his initially clumsy regeneration honed, shortening rest times.
Through fierce real combat, the thickly stacked tower of martial arts sharpened into a keen blade.
The Ten Great Ferocious Beast, denied even a moment's respite, gradually tired.
Each cycle of flee and fight, the time he could stay grew longer.
In the end, most of the beasts he faced had no choice but to yield their lives to Baek Hyun.
However.
"Even so, some were beyond hunting. Especially the 'Nine-Tailed Fox' and 'Black Dragon'... insanely strong. Just eye contact nearly killed me."
"They're part of the Four Great Cataclysms for a reason. Tougher than the Three-Legged Crow for you, yet you survived. Lucky."
"Yeah, really lucky."
But.
"I still didn't find the key to the next realm. This helped a lot, but... I still feel lacking."
Mukheon could only let out a hollow laugh.
Reaching perfect Transcendent Realm maturity at just 18 would shock the entire martial world, yet this kid eyed the next realm already...
He could slack off contentedly, but he always raced toward the next goal.
'Right, that's who you are.'
An indomitable archer eternally shooting endless arrows toward the sun.
That was his disciple.
"Generally, more internal energy helps advance realms, but beyond Fusion Realm, it doesn't work. That's why even elixir-fed prestigious clan heirs stagnate long in Transcendent."
Fusion Realm was achieved by 'completing' the tower built so far.
When heart, energy, and body achieved perfect balance in the ideal form.
Only then could a Transcendent martial artist undergo 'Shedding Mortality' and step into Fusion Realm.
"Is your 'martial' tower truly complete?"
"...No, not yet."
Seeing his disciple finally seem enlightened and lost in thought, Mukheon smiled warmly and continued.
"You have so much, it's naturally hard to 'complete'. Overwhelming internal energy alone is tough, let alone a body that can draw infinite energy. How burdensome to handle."
Fusion Realm martial artists were wholly complete in themselves.
Through Shedding Mortality, they remade their bodies ideally for their arts, physique, and combat style.
For them, failing to fully use their power was absurd.
Paradoxically, the 'irregular' Solar Heavenly Spirit Body was hindering Baek Hyun's progress.
"But that's not so bad. If you gain the insight to fully wield that overwhelming body..."
You'll become the strongest Fusion Realm martial artist in history.
"No need to rush. You're already incomparable to your peers."
"But I..."
Seeing his disciple still slightly uneasy despite the comfort, Mukheon sighed briefly and pulled a neatly folded letter from his bosom.
"Seems my words alone won't convince you. Timing's perfect—use this chance to feel how far ahead you are."
"Master, this is?"
"From the Murim Alliance. Inviting Starpoint Sect to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly."
'!!'
Dragon-Phoenix Assembly.
At the name anyone even slightly versed in murim would know, the shadow in Baek Hyun's eyes sparkled brightly.
"M-Master. Showing me this means...!!"
"You've never left Yunnam Province, right? As Starpoint's next leader, time to make your mark in jianghu."
Go forth, to the 'martial world'.
And so, Baek Hyun's first journey into jianghu was decided.