Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Chapter 5: The Shared Disciple of the Sword King and Sword Demon
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With the emergence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Martial Alliance's vigorous response, the martial world was in a frenzy of activity. Yet life at the Henan Escort Bureau carried on much as it always had.
The training grounds of the Henan Escort Bureau rang with shouts of exertion, yells, and screams as usual.
"Argh!"
Jong Chil took a brutal beating from the combined assault of the Sword King and Sword Demon, leaving bruises all over his body. The pain was so intense that screams escaped him involuntarily.
He somehow managed to dodge the first five exchanges, but after that, it was utterly beyond anything he could handle.
In the end, Jong Chil collapsed flat on his back. His mind was hazy, but he kept his eyes open through sheer superhuman willpower. Closing them would invite an immediate torrent of punishment.
"Tch, can't even get the basics right. What's the point? Tsk tsk tsk."
At the sound of the Sword King's tongue-clicking, Jong Chil snapped to attention and bolted upright. He felt truly wronged.
"No, what am I, some prodigy? How am I supposed to master it after just one demonstration?!"
As Jong Chil shot back defiantly, the Sword King's hand flicked out.
Bam!
"Gah!"
The sharp pain exploding at the back of his head left Jong Chil dazed. But he clung to consciousness once more.
"Nngh."
Jong Chil had no choice but to shut his mouth. He always pushed back with one more word, earning a smack to the head every time, yet the habit refused to die.
"You punk, how long do you plan to lounge there? Get up!"
Grimacing at the Sword King's irritation, Jong Chil hauled himself to his feet. He was sick of experts and masters alike. He just wanted to escape these two old monsters and live in peace. But the Sword King and Sword Demon showed no intention of letting him go.
Their sudden fixation on Jong Chil stemmed from a rumor that had spread like wildfire through the Henan region centered around Heochang.
'The Sword King and Sword Demon have taken on a shared disciple.'
At first, most dismissed it as nonsense, but now nearly everyone believed it. The source was, naturally, the Henan Escort Bureau. Even the Paeng family in northern Henan had corroborated the tale, turning it into accepted fact.
Once the rumor took hold, the Sword King and Sword Demon immediately plunged Jong Chil into hellish training. A shared disciple of theirs had to possess skills befitting the honor. Otherwise, it would tarnish their reputations.
Of course, they didn't neglect their own training alongside Dan Hyeong-u.
But for the poor victim, Jong Chil, it was sheer agony. He was growing stronger, no doubt—at an astonishing pace. Did even geniuses progress this fast? The terror of death and pain worse than dying had forced growth beyond mere talent.
The beatings disguised as training resumed.
"Impressive. A Ten Great Master is on another level entirely."
Umun Hye's words drew nods from Jo Seol-yeon and Jegal Rin standing beside her. Recently, they too had begun training on the Henan Escort Bureau's grounds.
Truth be told, with Dan Hyeong-u sticking to the training grounds lately, it was the only way for them to see him. And since they were there anyway, they trained as well.
Among the three, Umun Hye's martial prowess was the highest, Jo Seol-yeon's the lowest. But their levels were gradually evening out. Dan Hyeong-u was the one correcting their forms.
During breaks, they chatted with him or watched Jong Chil's training. Spectating it proved helpful in its own way.
It wasn't every day one witnessed two Ten Great Masters attacking in tandem.
They could watch Dan Hyeong-u spar with the Sword King and Sword Demon too, but it was on such a lofty plane that they gleaned little from it. Their opponents' skill had elevated to where even seasoned experts could scarcely follow the action.
At any rate, Jong Chil's sessions made for entertaining and instructive viewing.
"I've never seen anyone grow that fast before."
Jegal Rin was quietly impressed. Jong Chil had no innate martial genius. Yet he was advancing faster than any prodigy.
Part of it was the Sword King and Sword Demon driving him to the brink of death, but the women knew the real key was Dan Hyeong-u's presence. Not from anything he'd said, but from the masters themselves.
The Henan Escort Bureau's training grounds brimmed with qi at all times—denser than on any sacred peak. It greatly aided cultivation. But even that couldn't explain such freakish speed.
No one knew exactly how Dan Hyeong-u had done it, but those training here found their qi reservoirs cracking in proportion to their effort.
Unless one's dantian was shattered outright, these reservoirs naturally rebuilt themselves stronger and larger than before.
Cultivating martial arts meant encountering countless walls. Growth stalled until one shattered them via insight or the right method, advancing to the next stage.
The result was a newly forged, expanded reservoir. Training here bypassed the struggle, smashing walls effortlessly without new techniques or masterly advice.
Of course, limits existed. Monumental walls demanded profound enlightenment no training ground could provide. Arriving there too easily might even make breaking them harder.
Setting that aside, the grounds were a martial paradise.
And among those benefiting most was Jong Chil, the star of these infernal sessions.
If others trained like him, they'd grow swiftly into masters too. But no one wanted to. Mastery was fine, but Jong Chil's ordeals were too gruesome for human eyes.
"He'll really become a master at this rate. He could already handle three of your White Serpents, no problem."
Umun Hye's assessment earned nods from Jegal Rin and Jo Seol-yeon. They knew well the Serpent Spirit Party under her command. The White Serpents were its ten strongest members—formidable experts, if below the Shadow Envoys or Umun Hye herself.
Withstanding three in concert required at least Shadow Envoy caliber. Meaning Jong Chil had reached that level. Compared to former Shadows, anyway.
The Shadow Envoy himself trained nearby, under Umun Hye's watchful eye. He overheard her words and glanced grimly at Jong Chil getting pummeled.
"Hoo."
He sighed involuntarily. Today was mild, comparatively. Yesterday, Jong Chil's arms and legs had snapped. That must be why the intensity was dialed back.
'If I were in his shoes, I might've killed myself.'
The Shadow Envoy half-jokingly thought so. If it came to that, he'd endure somehow. The point was, he wanted no part of it.
Stealing another glance at Dan Hyeong-u, he refocused on his training. He too was advancing rapidly thanks to the grounds—though not quite at Jong Chil's pace.
"Arrrgh! That's where it broke yesterday!"
Jong Chil's agonized cry echoed across the grounds.
His broken arm earned him a brief respite. The Sword King and Sword Demon showed no mercy. Even with fractures, training continued until all limbs failed. Only then did it halt.
'Damn it. How many times is this now?'
He'd lost count of the breaks. The silver lining: clean snaps, no shattering. Properly set, they'd heal fully. And thanks to Dan Hyeong-u, it took just a day.
These days, Jong Chil feared Dan Hyeong-u most. After sessions, as he dragged back to his quarters, Dan Hyeong-u would appear from nowhere, place a hand on his head, and infuse potent qi.
Absorbing it fused the bones back perfectly.
It was healing beyond human ken.
Thus, the man robbing him of recovery days terrified Jong Chil.
Anyway, a broken arm meant rest. The pain was far more bearable than their blows.
Leaning against the wall, Jong Chil surveyed the grounds. Countless figures trained diligently, repeating routines without fatigue or boredom.
"Sigh."
He sighed. He could train like them forever. Right now, though, he just wanted to flee.
His gaze fell on the Thunderbolt Squad.
They drilled the same moves relentlessly: the downward Lightning Strike Sword Technique and Lightning Strike Step they called it. Thirty strong, they moved as one—strikes simultaneous, steps synchronized.
Rumble!
Lightning born of their combined might crashed down. Jong Chil watched wistfully, smacking his lips. Without the Sword King, he'd be right there with them.
He far outstripped them now, thanks to hellish training. But his dream had been exactly that: Thunderbolt Squad level. Being a Ten Great Master's disciple sounded great—unless it meant courting death daily.
Jong Chil stared entranced.
The thirty shifted as one, flashing from the grounds' center to the edge in a blink. To his eyes, they seemed stationary there all along.
His eyes lit up.
"Incredible. Their speed tops any lightness skill out there."
Muttering, he sneaked a peek at the Sword King and Sword Demon. They too watched the squad with interest.
'I can rest a bit longer.'
Turning back, he focused on them.
The squad blurred across the grounds, thirty as one—a spectacular sight.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Each motion whipped up shrill winds. In a flash, they unleashed simultaneous downward strikes.
Rumble!
Boom!
A bolt pulverized the stone floor. Terrifying destructive power.
As befitting lightning, the speed was unreal. Without anticipating it, blocking or dodging seemed impossible.
The squad was phenomenal. Individuals might be unremarkable, but united, they were unstoppable.
Their plunging bolt outdid even a pinnacle expert's strike.
But Jong Chil fixated elsewhere.
'So fast!'
Their linear speed via Lightning Strike Step was mind-boggling—even he struggled to track it.
'That fast... I could escape with it.'
That was his goal. If he mastered it, maybe he could flee the Sword King and Sword Demon. The issue: how to learn it.
Glancing slyly at Dan Hyeong-u, the technique's originator. The squad had learned one sword form and one step from him, evolving into their current arsenal.
Jong Chil knew the sword form too, but couldn't use it anymore. Blame the Sword King.
No time for regrets now. He needed Lightning Strike Step—or better, Dan Hyeong-u's original lightness skill. That would enable escape.
Resolved, Jong Chil crept toward Dan Hyeong-u, eyes on his masters, moving one cautious step at a time.
The Sword King and Sword Demon knew full well but smirked inwardly, letting it play out. Whatever Jong Chil gained from Dan Hyeong-u benefited them too. He was their disciple, after all—tormented for training's sake now, but theirs.
Oblivious, Jong Chil sidled up stealthily and whispered,
"Dan Daxia."
Dan Hyeong-u, aware from the start, turned to him. He noted the desperation in Jong Chil's eyes.