Chapter 224
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Let Them Do It
"Seriously, what's all this after a good meal?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages grumbled with an anxious look.
Everything had been perfectly fine until lunch.
The meal prepared by Byeok Taesan's attendants was exceptionally delicious. Their cooking skills seemed to have improved recently, making it even tastier than before.
It was a truly satisfying meal. How many people could enjoy such luxury while traveling?
But as soon as the meal ended, Byeok Taesan had suddenly ordered them to prepare for training.
Having experienced several times what Byeok Taesan did in the name of training, he knew very well what kind of results it would bring.
Byeok Taesan's training was the kind that made you doubt, at every moment, whether a person could endure it.
The group gathered a short distance from the carriages.
Included among them were the members of the Underworld Sect who had come along as coachmen and handymen.
Having come out for training, they stood with a considerable distance between them.
And then, Byeok Taesan appeared.
Byeok Taesan scanned the group and then spoke softly.
"Begin."
Everyone looked slightly bewildered, but they soon nodded and began their training.
As usual, they began practicing their primary martial arts.
Since they were all training together, they performed their forms using minimal internal energy.
Byeok Taesan observed them intently.
It was clear they had been training diligently, as everyone's skill level had noticeably improved.
Even the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric, who had been visiting brothels every night, were no exception.
The training continued, repeating the forms.
Once they began, everyone focused completely on their training.
Byeok Taesan nodded and channeled his spiritual energy into the Golden Bracers, amplifying it.
Amplified three times, the immense spiritual energy split into strands, precisely matching the number of people in the training group.
This was something he couldn't have even dreamed of doing before.
But that didn't mean he could do it effortlessly. If he didn't maintain his concentration, he couldn't control the separated strands of spiritual energy.
Byeok Taesan focused, sending the divided spiritual energy to the trainees and connecting with them.
For a moment, the concentration of those touched by the spiritual energy wavered.
"Focus and accept it calmly."
At Byeok Taesan's firm command, their concentration held.
The spiritual energy sent by Byeok Taesan seeped into their bodies.
He wasn't controlling them like puppets, but for those on the receiving end, it certainly felt like it could be something similar.
Byeok Taesan's spiritual energy subtly adjusted their forms and the control of their qi.
Each time, the flow of their techniques changed slightly.
They were bewildered at first, but once they accepted it, a new world opened up.
With just a subtle change in the flow, the level of their techniques leaped forward.
Understanding and internalizing it was another matter, but it felt as if their eyes were opened wide and every sense in their bodies had awakened.
Byeok Taesan didn't stop after just one attempt; he repeated the process several times.
Once the energy was infused, enlightenment followed.
Byeok Taesan withdrew his spiritual energy from those who had entered a state of enlightenment. For those who hadn't, he continued to adjust their flow until they did.
Before long, everyone had stepped into the realm of enlightenment.
The entire group fell into a state of self-annihilation.
That was when the real training began.
Until now, they had trained with minimal internal energy, but those lost in self-annihilation were incapable of such control.
Byeok Taesan's spiritual energy moved again.
And at every moment one was about to attack a nearby companion, he intervened to protect them.
A slight smile touched Byeok Taesan's lips.
Dividing the amplified spiritual energy and controlling each part separately was no easy task.
But the more he did it, the more accustomed he became.
*Isn't this quite an interesting way to train?*
Byeok Taesan's training continued until everyone had achieved enlightenment and emerged from their state of self-annihilation.
* * *
The carriages set off again.
Inside a carriage, Sword Demon Na Chungil sat with his eyes gently closed, reflecting on the day's events.
The more he thought about it, the less he understood. A thrill ran through him.
Honestly, since he began learning martial arts, he had gone through countless training sessions and real battles, but he had never seen or heard of anything like this.
How could someone be forced into the realm of enlightenment?
Besides, his own level was not so crude that he could gain enlightenment in such a manner.
And yet, he had clearly fallen into a state of self-annihilation, achieved enlightenment, and now stood at a level definitively higher than before.
He was still far from comparing to the Sword Devil, but if this were to be repeated just a few more times, reaching that level would not be a distant dream.
At this rate, what was the point of training so hard you coughed up blood and carved your own bones?
A sudden sense of futility washed over him.
Na Chungil lowered his head, his thoughts tangled and his mind in turmoil.
It felt as if his body were sinking into shadows.
At that moment, he felt a pain as if someone had struck the back of his head.
"Ugh!"
Na Chungil's mind cleared instantly. He opened his eyes wide and looked behind him.
There was no one there, of course. He was inside a carriage, and only its wall was behind him.
Na Chungil quickly composed himself.
To fall into such futility after enlightenment was a direct path to a heart demon.
It would immediately cause problems for his body, and if it became serious, it could lead to Qi Deviation.
Fortunately, he had come to his senses before it became a major issue, so he could easily recover.
Na Chungil rubbed the back of his head. He expected a stinging pain, but there was none.
Once his mind was clear, he realized he hadn't been physically struck.
One person immediately came to mind.
*'It was the Young Master.'*
He truly was an incredible person. He must have anticipated that I would fall prey to a heart demon and saved me.
The thought made him feel endlessly ashamed.
*'To fall to a heart demon over something so trivial. I still have a long way to go.'*
Na Chungil's expression became resolute.
This happened because his training was insufficient. He vowed to train even more rigorously from this day forward.
He had to train until his body broke to prevent such idle thoughts from arising.
With a much more serene expression, Na Chungil closed his eyes again.
And he began to meditate calmly, steadying his mind.
This was not an incident that happened only to Na Chungil.
Several others who had reached high realms fell into similar situations and escaped in a similar fashion.
Among them were Yeon Harin, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon.
They had all fallen prey to heart demons, been saved by Byeok Taesan's help, and, grateful to him, began to meditate calmly.
All the while, the carriages continued on their journey.
* * *
Before long, Byeok Taesan's party arrived in Wuhan.
The carriages sped through Wuhan as if to pierce it, stopping in front of a massive estate.
The main gate of the estate opened, and the carriages entered.
This was a new estate built for Byeok Taesan to stay in.
Building an estate of this size would normally take several years.
However, the Underworld Sect had poured in unlimited manpower and money to complete the estate as quickly as possible.
This estate incorporated all the capabilities of not only the Underworld Sect but also formation masters like Seung Doheung and mechanism experts.
The moment he passed through the main gate, Byeok Taesan felt a strange sensation.
"Well, look at this."
Byeok Taesan had the carriage stopped and disembarked.
When Byeok Taesan's carriage stopped, the others naturally followed suit, and everyone had to get out.
Byeok Taesan stepped down from the carriage and scanned his surroundings.
A formation encompassed the entire estate.
And, whether due to the power of the formation or not, a faint spiritual energy was flowing throughout the estate.
Seung Doheung had manipulated spiritual energy using the formation.
"Young Master? Is something the matter...?"
Hwaok approached and asked cautiously.
"It's nothing."
Byeok Taesan said this and then brought the entire estate under his senses, carefully observing the flow of spiritual energy.
It appeared the spiritual energy wasn't serving any special function within the formation.
It seemed that in the process of studying the formations extracted from the Golden Wall and applying them to his own, he had accidentally stumbled upon spiritual energy.
But this had meaning in and of itself.
The fact that he made spiritual energy flow so consistently meant he had gathered it using the power of the formation.
In other words, this had become an excellent place for those with spiritual energy to train.
It wouldn't mean much to Byeok Taesan, but it would be a great help to those who had just awakened their spiritual energy.
Meanwhile, the people in the estate came flocking out.
The person running at the very front was Seung Doheung.
"Young Master! You've arrived!"
Seung Doheung prostrated himself, then sprang up with a broad smile, spreading his arms wide as if to present the estate.
"What do you think? I put a great deal of effort into it. Isn't it quite something?"
Seung Doheung was talking about the formation.
He had no doubt that Byeok Taesan had already grasped the entirety of the formation he had set up.
Byeok Taesan stared at Seung Doheung silently.
Why would he be checking the formation? But making spiritual energy flow through the estate was a very commendable feat.
"Well done. I will give you a reward."
Seung Doheung's face lit up.
"Thank you!"
He hadn't expected a reward. He had only run over hoping for a word of praise.
But for the Young Master himself to bestow a reward—what a glorious honor.
Byeok Taesan looked at Seung Doheung and made a light horizontal gesture with his hand.
Seung Doheung's eyes rolled up into his head, and he collapsed.
The Underworld Sect members near Byeok Taesan quickly rushed over, picked up Seung Doheung, and carried him inside.
The rest of the group watched this unfold, looking back and forth between Byeok Taesan and Seung Doheung with very complicated expressions.
They all knew what had just happened. He had been made to experience death.
And by experiencing death, one could learn to use spiritual energy.
Spiritual energy was an incredibly powerful force.
Considering that, it was definitely a reward.
But it was probably not the kind of reward Seung Doheung had been expecting.
Byeok Taesan entered the estate with a calm expression.
The group wiped the complicated looks from their faces and quickly followed.
Hwaok drew close to Byeok Taesan's side, cautiously about to ask something.
But before she could ask, Byeok Taesan spoke first.
"Call it the Profound Heaven Manor."
Hwaok's eyes widened slightly before returning to normal.
"Yes. I will see to it."
After replying, Hwaok moved slightly ahead to guide Byeok Taesan.
She led Byeok Taesan to his office.
Byeok Taesan's office was enormous.
It was divided into several sections: a room for handling personal affairs, with a separate bedroom located behind it.
And on either side of the room were a reception room and a vast hall.
In this vast hall, a jade throne sat on a high dais, and extending from it to the left, right, and front were seats arranged for Byeok Taesan's subordinates.
It was a space that would rarely be used on a normal day.
It would probably only be used when something truly momentous occurred.
But Hwaok believed that having such formalities in place was also important.
The bedroom had a staircase leading to a basement, where a large and sturdy training hall was located.
Byeok Taesan looked around the training hall and smiled with satisfaction.
This was the very center of all the spiritual energy flowing through the estate.
Byeok Taesan's mere presence here would raise the quality of the spiritual energy in the estate. Furthermore, depending on what he did, he could make even more spiritual energy flow.
With the expression of someone who had found an interesting toy, Byeok Taesan looked around the training hall.
Decorating this place with gold and jade didn't seem like a bad idea.
After a thorough inspection of the training hall, Byeok Taesan returned to his office.
Hwaok was waiting quietly in the office.
"Young Master, it is said that the Five Great Families, the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Hubei Martial Alliance have joined hands."
He already knew they had held a meeting.
In truth, that alone could be considered joining hands to some extent, but judging by Hwaok's expression, it seemed to be more than that.
When Byeok Taesan seemed interested, Hwaok quickly continued.
"They have joined forces to create an organization called the Heavenly Martial Alliance."
"The Heavenly Martial Alliance?"
"Yes. The world is in an uproar because of it. They are recruiting martial artists on a massive scale and forming cooperative organizations."
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok. For her to bring this up, it must mean an offer had come their way as well.
"The Heavenly Martial Alliance has sent a proposal asking the Golden Jade Trading Company to participate."
"They're including trading companies?"
"Yes. They've sent the same proposal to several other large-scale trading companies besides the Golden Jade Trading Company."
"And?"
Hwaok paused for a moment before speaking.
"An offer also came to the Underworld Sect."
Byeok Taesan let out a soft laugh.
Hwaok quickly continued.
"The leader of the Underworld Sect is awaiting your command."
The Underworld Sect now belonged to Byeok Taesan. Therefore, when deciding on such an important matter, they had to follow his opinion.
"What does he want to do?"
"The leader of the Underworld Sect seems to be tempted."
"Let him do it."
Hwaok's eyes went wide as saucers.
"Really?"
"If he wants to, he should. Will it cause problems if the leader of the Underworld Sect joins the Heavenly Martial Alliance?"
Hwaok shook her head firmly.
"That will never happen."
Currently, the Underworld Sect was structured to be governed not only by its leader but also by Hwaok.
In fact, Hwaok, who could also command the Secret Heaven Group, had access to more information than the Underworld Sect's leader.
So, even if the leader joined the Heavenly Martial Alliance and used the sect's members, it wouldn't be a problem.
After all, any information obtained that way would end up in Byeok Taesan's hands anyway.
Moreover, it was actually better in some ways, as they would gain thorough inside information on the Heavenly Martial Alliance.
Of course, the Heavenly Martial Alliance would believe that to be impossible.
"And... a message has arrived requesting to see you, Young Master."
"Who?"
"Sima Wihong."
"Sima Wihong?"
"He is the Grand Strategist of the Martial Alliance."