Chapter 777
'To think he's already mastered the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation at such a young age?'
The aspiration of those who wield hidden weapons.
Is to grasp the pinnacle of hidden weapon arts—the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation—before they grow old and die.
Yet here was a young man who appeared to be barely in his thirties, wielding the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation as naturally as breathing?
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The man was manipulating hundreds of uniquely shaped hidden weapons in a rotating formation, producing those bizarre sounds of slicing air.
Swish!
Just then, a sharp sound of breaking air rang out as a small hidden weapon shot toward Jeong Cheong-ja's forehead at a terrifying speed.
It was utterly unexpected, its swiftness akin to light itself.
But the moment Jeong Cheong-ja's eyes flashed—
Halt.
The hidden weapon froze mid-air as if time had stopped.
"Impressive," the man said, gazing in the direction where Jeong Cheong-ja was concealed.
"You seem to be a revered elder of the murim. What brings you here?"
It appeared the man had been aware of Jeong Cheong-ja's presence all along.
"I didn't mean to spy," Jeong Cheong-ja said, stepping out from behind the tree where he had been hiding.
"I merely had business here."
His eyes had darkened.
After enduring countless hardships to reach Neungra Mountain, only to find So Ok-rim absent, he now had to move on to another location.
"What business could you possibly have in such a remote mountain?" the man asked.
Noting Jeong Cheong-ja's ethereal demeanor and gentle gaze, he realized this was no ordinary figure but a transcendent master from beyond the secular world, and thus adopted a respectful tone.
"I was looking for someone. But... they're not here."
"Someone you were looking for?"
"I thought they would be here honing their martial arts..."
The man let out a soft "Ah."
This area was suffused with a mystical energy akin to the Great Natural Qi.
Untouched by human footsteps, it was an unparalleled place for cultivation.
Which was precisely why he, too, had forsaken his clan's perfectly adequate training hall and secret chamber to practice here.
"My apologies for disturbing your training."
Seeing the grim expression on Jeong Cheong-ja's face, the man approached and asked,
"Are you all right?"
His eyes brimmed with vitality, and at his waist hung a hidden weapon pouch made of deer leather.
Jeong Cheong-ja chuckled faintly upon seeing it.
"Ghost of the Tang Clan, Tang Gon. The Family Head considered to have the richest emotions and greatest talent among his predecessors. To think I'd find you here."
The man practicing hidden weapon arts was none other than Tang Gon.
"How did you recognize this humble Family Head?"
Tang Gon rarely engaged in murim affairs.
Outside of Righteous Faction members who knew him personally, few could identify him on sight.
So how had this old man recognized him instantly?
"Once you master hidden weapons and poison to perfection, you no longer need gloves."
When Tang Gon looked at him in surprise, Jeong Cheong-ja smiled faintly.
"Besides, how many in the murim can wield the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation with such ease at your age?"
The hidden weapons in Tang Gon's grasp were smeared thickly with the Tang Clan's signature Extreme Poison.
Yet, having fully mastered all Eight Great Secret Arts of the Tang Family, he handled them barehanded while executing the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation.
"Elder, you—"
Just as Tang Gon began to speak—
Hiss, hiss, hiss.
The sound of skittering insects filled the air as dark shadows began pouring into the Secluded Valley.
The Overlapping Pupils People.
Thud. Thud.
Spotting Jeong Cheong-ja, they slowly advanced toward him.
"Get out of here."
Not wishing to drag the young man into danger, Jeong Cheong-ja immediately prepared to flee.
Given the Overlapping Pupils People's brutality, Tang Gon would undoubtedly be caught in the crossfire.
"Well, well. Overlapping Pupils People."
Yet Tang Gon recognized them at a glance.
The Sichuan Tang Clan was renowned for its poisons, hidden weapons,
and esoteric secret arts passed down through generations—so identifying the Overlapping Pupils People was child's play.
"Abominations that should never have resurfaced in this world."
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Gon's eyes.
The murim forbade certain demonic scriptures and forbidden texts, one of which was the Four Calamities Purgatory Scripture.
The dark arts recorded within required the sacrifice of innocent lives,
making them utterly unforgivable.
Yet here were monsters born from that very scripture, roaming the murim freely?
If these creatures broke free from control, an unstoppable massacre would ensue.
"Filth like this must be eradicated at once."
A transparent energy streamed from Tang Gon's hand.
It was one of the Eight Great Secret Arts of the Tang Family—the Five-Dew Poison Mist.
A technique that dispersed five concentrated Extreme Poisons stored within the body through the wind.
In battles against overwhelming numbers,
no other arcane art could match its devastating power.
But then, something strange happened.
Swish! Hwaaak!
The bodies of the Overlapping Pupils People, which should have melted into pools of blood, instead erupted with scorching heat—
And in an instant, burned away the poison of the Five-Dew Poison Mist.
They had mastered and unleashed the Flame Emperor's Qi, the very same technique Jeong Cheong-ja had used.
"Flame Emperor's Qi... So these bastards are from the Three Realms."
A terrifying energy surged from Tang Gon's eyes.
The Three Realms—especially the Azure River Realm—had long infiltrated the Tang Clan, tormenting his father, Tang Pae. They were his sworn enemies.
And now, here he was, training his martial arts to avenge his father—
Only to witness the Overlapping Pupils People wielding the martial arts of the Three Realms... An unprecedented rage boiled within him.
"Do not let it distract you. Retreat for now."
Despite Jeong Cheong-ja's warning, a bloody light spilled from Tang Gon's eyes.
"You should be the one retreating, old man."
Swish!
Tang Gon thrust both hands forward—
And in a single motion, one hundred and thirty-two Iron Caltrops rained down upon the Overlapping Pupils People.
He had executed the Myriad Blossoms Fill the Sky—a technique capable of launching sixty-six hidden weapons at once—with both hands simultaneously.
The storm of caltrops pierced through the flames erupting from the Overlapping Pupils People's bodies in an instant.
Pah-pah-pak!
Yet, even with the caltrops embedded in their flesh, the Overlapping Pupils People charged forward, unfazed.
Still, Tang Gon curled his lips into a faint smirk.
"Extreme Yang Qi isn't omnipotent."
Boom-boom-boom!
Suddenly, the caltrops embedded in their bodies detonated, sending shrapnel flying in all directions.
Having anticipated their use of Flame Emperor's Qi, Tang Gon had layered the Heavenly Thunder Exploding Dragon technique atop the Myriad Blossoms Fill the Sky.
Sssss— Thud.
But even after the explosions, the Overlapping Pupils People merely stood there—their bones and flesh exposed—before slowly advancing again, their expressions indifferent.
"Persistent bastards."
Whoosh! Pah-pah-pak!
Tang Gon swirled his hands in a circular motion, and the shattered caltrops re-embedded themselves into the Overlapping Pupils People's bodies.
Having reached the Realm of the Ten-Finger Spirit-Returning Rotation, he could freely manipulate even the hidden weapons he had already launched.
Using the exploding shards from the Heavenly Thunder Exploding Dragon, he pierced through their bodies once more.
Kuh-ung. Kuh-ung.
Unable to withstand the relentless assault, the Overlapping Pupils People finally collapsed.
Thud. Thud.
Yet, more than half of them still remained standing.
Enraged, they began marching toward Tang Gon.
Watching this, Jeong Cheong-ja's eyes narrowed.
'He, too, is a pillar who will uphold the Murim. I cannot let him die here.'
Jeong Cheong-ja recognized Tang Gon as a man of righteous roots—one who could protect the martial world from wicked forces.
'Even if things go wrong... I can entrust the legacy to him.'
Tang Gon was an honorable man.
Even if he were told the location of the Seven Absolutes Secret Cave, where the final Insight of the Three Pure Realms remained—
He would never act greedily. He would pass it on to So Ok-rim.
"Run."
Jeong Cheong-ja, gathering the last of his strength, spoke to Tang Gon.
"No ordinary power can—"
Kuh-reung! Kwaaang!
But his words were cut short.
A deafening explosion shook heaven and earth as two streaks of light shot into the sky—
Swaaaak!
—then suddenly crossed, instantly beheading the Overlapping Pupils People in the blink of an eye.
This was the Tang Pae's Death Line—
A new secret technique of the Tang Clan, surpassing even the Eight Great Hidden Arts, created by Tang Pae after gaining Insight from witnessing the Bloody Tears Seven Forms.
Tang Pae, the head of the Tang Clan, had wished for the clan's declining martial arts to rise to the pinnacle of Murim in a single generation.
And before his life ended—
He created an inescapable line of death, demonstrating it before Bu Eun-seol and Tang Gon.
Now, Tang Gon, who had inherited that purified Insight—
Named this martial art, capable of manifesting that line of death, after his father.
Thud-thud-thud.
The might of Tang Pae's Death Line was overwhelming.
In a single stroke, it cut down more than sixty of the Overlapping Pupils People—enemies even Jeong Cheong-ja, well-versed in the martial arts of the Three Pure Realms, struggled to eliminate.
Kuh-ung. Kuh-ung.
As the headless bodies of the Overlapping Pupils People crumpled to the ground—
Ptui.
Tang Gon spat out a thick glob of blood.
Though he had completed two strands of Tang Pae's Death Line through his father's teachings—
His Internal Power was insufficient, and having forced the technique before fully mastering it, he had suffered Internal Injuries.
Fwaat!
At that moment, the remaining Overlapping Pupils People seized the opening—
Leaping forward in an instant, they unleashed a torrent of Flame Emperor's Qi upon him.
Fwaaaa!
But then—
An overwhelming surge of cold energy crashed into the attacking Overlapping Pupils People.
Crack! Shatter!
Simultaneously, Jeong Cheong-ja released his Internal Power, shattering the frozen enemies in a single strike.
He had used the Snow Emperor's Qi—inherited from the Snow Emperor—to instantly freeze the Overlapping Pupils People, despite their mastery of Flame Emperor's Qi.
Whoosh.
But having expended yet another portion of his life force, Jeong Cheong-ja's face aged rapidly in the blink of an eye.
Tang Gon couldn't conceal his astonishment at Jeong Cheong-ja's terrifying martial prowess and asked:
"Are you a descendant of the Snow Emperor?"
"Something like that."
Suppressing the pain surging through him, Jeong Cheong-ja extended his thumb toward Tang Gon.
"That technique you displayed earlier... It's a secret art capable of elevating the stagnant Tang Family Inherited Arts to the pinnacle of the martial world in one fell swoop."
Tang Gon's eyes gleamed when Jeong Cheong-ja instantly grasped the Tang Clan's circumstances.
"Just who are you, old man?"
"Merely a passing wanderer."
Tang Gon's hatred toward the Three Realms ran deep due to his father's death.
No brief explanation could possibly convey the truth about the Three Pure Realms.
"And—"
Jeong Cheong-ja retrieved a small box from his robes and held it out.
"This seems to belong to you."
"What is this?"
"Open it."
When Tang Gon lifted the lid, he found a jet-black ring inside.
"This is—"
As the Tang Family Head, Tang Gon was versed in every rare treasure and precious artifact scattered across the land.
He immediately recognized the translucent thread coiled around the ring—the legendary sinew of a Flood Dragon, the Flood Dragon Sinew Cord.
"Martial arts that materialize True Qi are typically wielded by prodigies born with greater capacity for accumulating Internal Power than others."
"..."
"But your Internal Power is somewhat lacking."
Jeong Cheong-ja offered a gentle smile.
"However, with this Flood Dragon Sinew Cord, you can unleash perfect lines of death without significant loss of internal energy."
Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk.
A bizarre sound echoed from the distance once more.
The Overlapping Pupils People were gathering again.
Tang Gon's eyes flashed as he slipped the black ring onto his finger.
Then he stretched his hand toward the approaching enemies.
Shiiiiing!
With a sound that seemed to cleave heaven and earth, Tang Pae's Death Line unfurled once more.
Thud-thud-thud.
The heads of the charging Overlapping Pupils People tumbled to the ground in an instant.
This time, despite using only a single strand—
The Flood Dragon Sinew Cord amplified the destructive power of the True Qi-forged line while reducing the expenditure of Internal Power.
"..."
Stunned by the unexpected might, Tang Gon stared fixedly at the ring coiled with the cord.
If he could possess such a treasure—
He could instantly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest masters who commanded the martial world.
"I cannot accept this."
Yet Tang Gon removed the ring and held it out.
"How can I take such a priceless artifact without having earned it?"
"You aided me just moments ago."
Jeong Cheong-ja gave a faint chuckle.
"Moreover, the Overlapping Pupils People relentlessly pursue those who interfere with them. Because of me, you'll be embroiled in life-and-death battles for some time... Consider this no mere gift."
"It's unnecessary. If I rally my clan's masters, we can handle them."
"You intend to face them alone."
Jeong Cheong-ja saw straight through him.
"That's the dignity befitting a Tang Family Head, is it not?"
Tang Gon, both startled and impressed by the old man's insight, nodded.
"Very well. After dealing with the Overlapping Pupils People, I'll return the Flood Dragon Sinew Cord to you."
Jeong Cheong-ja didn't respond, merely maintaining his faint smile.
"Protect the martial world."
Before Tang Gon could reply, the old man vanished in an instant with a burst of movement technique.
"Three Realms..."
Tang Gon gazed at the distant sky where Jeong Cheong-ja had disappeared.
Then he murmured under his breath:
"So even they harbor righteous men?"
Tang Gon had already deduced that Jeong Cheong-ja belonged to the Three Realms.
No faction outside the Three Realms would possess such intimate knowledge of the Tang Clan's affairs—a family that deliberately minimized its involvement in martial world conflicts.
Yet this raised another question.
"Does this mean the Three Realms are clashing among themselves?"
To his knowledge, in the current martial world—
Only the Three Realms were capable of creating abominations like the Overlapping Pupils People.
Yet here was an elder, presumably affiliated with them, being hunted by those very creatures?
"I can't fathom what's happening."
Shaking his head, Tang Gon took a deep breath and stared at the distant heavens.
"My duty is simply to strengthen my clan and prepare for what lies ahead."
The sky seemed to reflect the face of the comrade he respected most.
"Isn't that right?"
Tang Gon knew.
In this world, only one man could confront the Three Realms and emerge victorious—Bu Eun-seol.
He alone.
Tang Gon's role was to restore the Tang Clan's glory, so that when the time came, he could lend his strength.
Staggering.
Jeong Cheong-ja no longer had enough vitality left to even employ movement techniques.
He had rushed here using his own techniques, desperate to find So Ok-rim in the Central Plains as quickly as possible, but—
The endless onslaught of Overlapping Pupils People had drained him beyond recovery.
Originally, he could have lasted three more days.
Now, only a day remained.
No—barely half a day.
"I must find Ok-rim."
All this time, he had strived tirelessly to restore the power of the Baekri Clan, and had even found a prodigy of the martial world capable of mastering it.
No matter how many other prodigies emerged elsewhere, none could compare to that child.
"That child..."
Jeong Cheong-ja's vision blurred.
Not just those in the human and celestial realms, but even those standing firm on the higher path—and those maintaining the balance—would soon reveal themselves one after another.
He absolutely had to find So Ok-rim and pass on the legacy left behind in the Seven Absolutes Secret Cave.
"I pray this gamble succeeds."
Of the three training locations, So Ok-rim had not been at Neungra Mountain.
That left only Cheonju Mountain and Jade Flow Mountain.
After much deliberation, Jeong Cheong-ja had chosen Cheonju Mountain near Yellow Mountain and made his way here.
Whoosh.
Finally arriving at Cheonju Mountain, Jeong Cheong-ja staggered deeper into the mountains.
He could no longer even run, let alone use his Movement Technique.
The only fortunate thing was that Heuk-pyo and Tang Gon had been dealing with the Overlapping Pupils People, so he hadn't been pursued for the past few days.
But now, even walking was a struggle—his spiritual energy was completely spent.
In the end... this would be his final journey.
"Not just my faction, but the others must not have been spared either."
The Demonic Heavenly Emperor was thorough.
Moreover, he possessed an intelligence network capable of finding even those the Three Realms had failed to locate... The remaining members of the Three Pure Realms must have already been attacked.
Now, his only hope was So Ok-rim.
Thud.
After walking for a long while, Jeong Cheong-ja finally collapsed on the uphill path, unable to take another step.
Clack.
But trembling violently, he barely managed to grab onto a tree stump.
If he fell now, he would never rise again.
Even if he had to die, he had to reach the secret cave on Cheonju Mountain and see So Ok-rim.
Thump.
Yet in the end, his knees buckled helplessly.
For ten days, he had wandered the Central Plains without a single sip of water. Even in peak condition, no one could endure that—but the Limitless Power of the Demonic Heavenly Emperor had completely drained his body's vitality.
Though he had forced himself to hold on with the Soul-Returning Art, it was no longer possible.
"...Is this the end for this old man?"
With a sigh full of regret, Jeong Cheong-ja slowly let go of the last of his strength.
Whoosh.
But just then, a gentle breeze brushed past him—and a shadow caught his collapsing body.
"Are you alright?"
At the same time, a pure and profound True Qi surged into his Life Gate Acupoint like a tidal wave.
When Jeong Cheong-ja weakly opened his eyes, he saw the face of a young man with a prominent nose and the bearing of a hero.
Jeong Cheong-ja smiled faintly.
He realized—Heaven had not abandoned him. It had sent him one last act of kindness.
"This old man must reach Heavenly Lion Peak. Can you help me?"
The young man studied Jeong Cheong-ja—his compassionate gaze, the extraordinary energy flowing from his body—then nodded with a smile.
"Of course. I'll assist you."
Without hesitation, he lowered himself and said,
"Climb onto my back."
The young man's white garments were made of expensive silk, yet he paid no mind as he knelt on the dirty ground.
Jeong Cheong-ja smiled faintly and let himself be carried.
"Hold on tight."
The young man activated his Lightness Art and began ascending the mountain in a single breath.
Whoosh.
His Lightness Art was extraordinary—in less than a meal's time, they had already reached the summit of Heavenly Lion Peak.
"We've arrived."
After being set down, Jeong Cheong-ja quickly scanned the surroundings.
The secret cave he and his allies had prepared was here.
But nowhere could he find any trace of So Ok-rim.
"So the child wasn't here either."
Jeong Cheong-ja sighed and shook his head.
In the end, So Ok-rim wasn't here.
But fortunately, a worthy successor stood before him.
"Young man, I have a request—"
Hiss, hiss.
Just then, a strange sound reached them.
From the mountainside, black shadows were rapidly climbing on all fours like spiders.
The Overlapping Pupils People.
The young man studied them before asking Jeong Cheong-ja,
"Were you being pursued by those?"
"Indeed."
"They reek of sinister energy."
The young man drew his sword from his waist.
The blade was slender, shimmering with a faint golden light.
It was none other than... the famed sword of the Namgung Clan—the Golden Needle Sword.
"So you are... the youngest son of the Namgung Clan, the prodigy known as Namgung Un."
The moment Jeong Cheong-ja recognized him, the young man—Namgung Un—widened his eyes in surprise.
"You know of me?"
"At twenty, the only genius capable of mastering the Namgung Clan's sword techniques to the realms of No Form in Technique and Mystery Within Technique... is you alone, is it not?"
At Jeong Cheong-ja's words, Namgung Un rubbed his nose and laughed sheepishly.
"You flatter me too much, elder. How could someone like me be called a genius?"
Shaking his head, Namgung Un gazed at the distant sky.
"My sworn brother is a hundred—no, a thousand times more talented than I am. Someone like me could never hope to catch up to him."
Jeong Cheong-ja's expression turned peculiar.
He possessed the Insight of the Sage's Eye.
He could see just how extraordinary Namgung Un's talent was—how rich his emotions ran.
Yet this young man claimed there was someone he dared not compare to?
Just who could that person be?