Chapter 49
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Ascending to the Ranks of an Absolute Master
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White Jade Mountain.
Atop the mountain overlooking Zhangjia County, a youth in white and an old man in black stood silently, gazing down at the city.
“I apologize.”
The youth in white did not bow, but his tone was deferential as he apologized to the elder.
“Tell me what you did wrong.”
“He is the one who severely injured Dark Blood and Seop Yu-heun, and this time, he killed the Mad Sword. He is an extremely dangerous man. I should have cast an inescapable net, but I underestimated him.”
“Indeed. Sending only the Three Blood Fiends was a mistake.”
The old man clicked his tongue.
In truth, the Three Blood Fiends were infamous for their coordinated attacks and were powerful enough to have wounded Guyang Cheon.
So, while the youth in white could be said to have done his best, he apologized because, regardless of the process, the outcome was what it was.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Please, instruct me.”
The youth in white had a plan in mind, but after successive failures, he decided to accept the old man’s guidance.
“Your greatest mistake was sending the Three Blood Fiends to his residence. He will be thinking, ‘How did they know who I was and where to find me?’ Did the Three Blood Fiends happen to learn of the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion’s contact and track him? That makes no sense. So, what will he conclude?”
“He will think there was an information leak.”
“Exactly. He will grow suspicious of the Martial Arts Alliance’s Shanxi branch and report everything when he returns. The Alliance will likely investigate all its branches. The intelligence network we worked so hard to build could collapse.”
“I apologize.”
Only then did the youth in white fully realize the extent of his mistake.
“Then what is the best course of action now?”
“Our people hidden in the Martial Arts Alliance branches will be discovered and expelled. There are two options. We can either hide in the shadows again and wait for another opportunity, or we can use this chance to hold our founding ceremony in earnest and declare the revival of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult to the world. At the very least, the lands west of Luoyang are our domain, so it’s worth a try.”
“We will declare our revival.”
The youth’s expression was one of seething anger at the thought of having to bide his time and sharpen his blade in the shadows once more.
“Not a bad choice. We have prepared enough, and we are far stronger than when we fell to Hwa Un-ryong. However.”
“However, what?”
“That man is the problem.”
“You mean the enforcer from the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion?”
“Yes. That man of unknown identity is the problem. He should be insignificant, yet he is mercilessly defeating our masters. Judging by the current situation alone, one might even believe it was the work of Yang Cheon-rin himself.”
“There is no way Alliance Leader Yang Cheon-rin would do such a thing.”
“That’s my point. No matter how strong an opponent is, we can find a way to deal with them if we know who they are. Even the mighty Hwa Un-ryong died at our hands. But we don’t know who this man is, and it’s frustrating.”
“Shall we mobilize all our people within the Alliance to find out?
“Tsk, tsk. Would you burn down the house just to catch a flea? Do you know how hard we worked to plant our people in the Martial Arts Alliance? In the worst-case scenario, our people could be exposed without us even learning his identity. That’s how tightly Zhuge Mun-hyeon controls information.”
Thinking of Zhuge Mun-hyeon, the old man shook his head in frustration.
“By the way, can you manage them? They are on our side for now, but they are the descendants of the Black Way Union and the Evil Emperor Union, who once held great power in the Central Plains.”
“Of course. The old-timers from the Black Way Union and Evil Emperor Union are a nuisance, but they are manageable. They still lack the strength to stand against the Martial Arts Alliance on their own.”
“Don’t suppress them too much; coax them gently. Pay attention to the factions beyond the Central Plains as well. We must bring down the Martial Arts Alliance through pressure from all sides.”
“Yes. I understand.”
The old man gave a slight nod and said briefly,
“I’m counting on you.”
Then, he vanished without a trace.
It was an incredible art of concealment and movement, unbelievable even when seen with one’s own eyes.
“He’s already left? The Union Leader’s martial arts are truly beyond imagination. At this level, even if Hwa Un-ryong were to return from the dead, he would be no match for the Union Leader. I must hurry.”
With those words, the youth in white also disappeared.
On the summit of White Jade Mountain where the two had stood, only faint footprints remained; all other traces of them were gone.
**
As soon as I arrived at the safe house in Zhengzhou County, I sent the information I had gathered to the Martial Arts Alliance via carrier pigeon.
I wanted to get it to Zhuge Mun-hyeon as quickly as possible so he could devise countermeasures.
The situation was so urgent that I didn’t stop by the Full Moon Tower or the Ouyang Clan.
An inn on the outskirts of Zhengzhou County.
After finishing my meal, I soaked in warm water and began to rest.
My mind and body were exhausted from studying the Heavenly Will Sword Art with minimal sleep and using my movement arts to escape Shanxi Province.
Resting like this restored some of my strength.
The next morning.
I hurried my preparations to depart for the Martial Arts Alliance.
I had escaped the dangers of Shanxi, but I was in a rush, eager to reach the Alliance headquarters.
-Pure. You didn’t reveal my codename, did you?
-No. Even the Shanxi branch doesn’t know you as Affectionate. They only know I’m an enforcer for the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion. I think the information was leaked from there, and that’s how they tailed me.
-That’s a relief. If they had captured and tortured you to find out about me, we would have been completely exposed.
-They probably didn’t know you were this strong, Affectionate. They must have thought they could win. That’s why they secretly tracked me to your residence.
I nodded silently and diligently used my movement art.
Pure had also improved her movement art and was keeping pace more easily than before.
Certain that the enemy still didn't know my true identity, I felt a sense of ease.
-Let’s pick up the pace.
-Understood.
Pure used her movement art with all her might to maintain the same speed as me.
-Even if it’s hard, keep pushing your movement art to the end. It is only when you push a martial art to its absolute limit that you can see the next stage.
Pure seemed to be struggling, as she didn’t reply via telepathy.
I glanced at her and continued to increase my speed.
I intended to properly elevate her martial arts.
We were lucky this time, but we won’t always be.
If she were ever subdued by the enemy, it was obvious that all information about me would be compromised.
Therefore, for my own sake, it was essential for Pure to improve her martial arts.
-You’re truly amazing.
-What is?
-It’s hard enough for me to travel alone, but you’re carrying that man on your back.
-Focus on your movement art.
I was carrying a long wooden box—a coffin—on my shoulder, yet I was moving as fast, if not faster, than her. She must have been utterly astonished.
Inside this coffin, one of the Three Blood Fiends was contained, his paralyzing and muting acupoints sealed.
-If we take him to the Martial Arts Alliance, we should be able to get a clear picture of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult, right?
-Not exactly. They operate as a strict cell-based organization. Still, someone like Strategist Zhuge should be able to extract a significant amount of high-level intelligence. He’s a remarkable man. The counterattack will begin from there.
-Then they’ll retreat back into the shadows.
-Perhaps.
I had shuddered countless times facing the immense and formidable power of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult.
I was truly curious to see what their next move would be.
-Let’s hurry.
-Yes.
I picked up the pace.
During the day, we traveled as fast as our movement arts would allow, and in the evenings, we discussed movement arts and sword techniques.
She had an outstanding aptitude for martial arts.
While it helped that I interpreted and explained the arts in a way that suited her constitution, she truly absorbed the teachings at a rapid pace and grew.
Most martial artists had clear limits no matter how diligently you taught them, so her talent could be considered quite good.
The Martial Arts Alliance.
As soon as I entered the main gate, I presented the token of the Evil-Repelling Sword Squad Leader.
Since ‘Affectionate’ of the Demon-Dispelling Pavilion could not be exposed to the public, my official calling card was that of the Evil-Repelling Sword Squad Leader.
Pure had already entered the Alliance through a passage reserved for Demon-Dispelling Pavilion contacts.
The Information Pavilion.
I handed the coffin containing one of the Three Blood Fiends to Vice Pavilion Lord Yuk Yeong-seo.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“This is a record of what I experienced. Please take a look.”
I handed him a thin booklet detailing the events in Shanxi Province.
Yuk Yeong-seo skimmed the contents, and his eyes widened.
“As expected. Squad Leader, you are a hero of the Martial Arts Alliance. Now we can grasp the movements of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult. Please leave the rest to me and go see the Pavilion Lord. He is waiting for you.”
“Thank you.”
I immediately left the Vice Pavilion Lord’s room and headed for Zhuge Mun-hyeon’s office.
“Hah, I heard of Squad Leader Ouyang’s astonishing martial prowess and could hardly believe my ears. Come, please have a seat.”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon treated me with even greater respect than before.
It was proof that my status within the Martial Arts Alliance had risen significantly through this incident.
He never disrespected anyone, but it was Zhuge Mun-hyeon’s way to treat people according to their abilities.
Knowing this better than anyone, I wasn’t the least bit flustered and accepted it naturally.
“What was your impression after facing them directly?”
“I felt they were extremely well-prepared. In fact, their response was meticulous and rational. The only thing that threw off their plans was that I was stronger than they anticipated. Otherwise, I would have ultimately been killed by their hands.”
“I suppose so. The ones who attacked you in concert at the end even managed to wound you, Squad Leader Ouyang.”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon seemed to find that part hard to believe.
“Truthfully, if I had fought defensively, I could have subdued them without issue. But Pure had been captured, and I was worried she might be killed. I was wounded because I moved decisively to neutralize them.”
“Excellent. Our contacts must be well-protected. Finding a new one takes time for them to adapt, which is very tiresome. Moreover, if a contact is captured, we must assume all information has been compromised.”
“That is why I am continuously teaching her movement arts and sword techniques. Fortunately, she has talent.”
I took a sip of tea and changed the subject.
“By the way, why did you summon me?”
“With the threat of the Dark Blood Heaven Cult, the Black Way Union, and the Evil Emperor Union becoming more concrete, I felt that the Martial Arts Alliance was being too complacent. I’ve come to realize the pressing need for a martial artist powerful enough to strike fear into them.”
“But we have the Alliance Leader, the four Division Leaders, the elders, and countless other masters, do we not?”
“Of course. The problem is that their martial prowess has stagnated. Therefore, I persuaded the Alliance Leader and formulated a plan to have a certain martial artist consume an elixir and cultivate them into an absolute master in a short period.”
“And that would be me.”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon nodded.
Zhuge Mun-hyeon’s plan became crystal clear to me.
The Martial Arts Alliance had a history of identifying promising young martial artists and consistently feeding them elixirs to turn them into absolute masters.
I was one such case.
And now, I was to be the protagonist of that story once again.
I couldn’t tell if I should feel pleased or bitter.
In any case, I was certainly blessed with a heavy workload.
If it was an elixir related to my martial arts, it had to be the inner core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Fox.
“I will give you the inner core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Fox. Consume it and elevate your internal energy. Then, the number of people who could be your match, Squad Leader Ouyang, could be counted on one hand.”
“Thank you.”
Just as I expected.
Zhuge Mun-hyeon rose from his seat, opened a heavy safe, and brought out a silver box, which he gently opened.
The vermilion-tinged inner core of a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Fox.
In my past life, I had left this uneaten for the sake of the future. For it to come back to me after all this time felt truly surreal.
“Please, consume it.”
“Here?”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon nodded.
He likely wanted to witness me consuming the elixir and circulating my energy to directly confirm my martial prowess.
I trusted him, so I consumed the fire fox’s inner core without hesitation.
The hot Yang energy melted in my mouth and was instantly absorbed in my stomach, immediately merging with the Universe’s Will Divine Art and beginning a full circulation through my meridians.
The scorching heat startled Zhuge Mun-hyeon, causing him to step back.
‘Truly astonishing. To assimilate the fire fox’s core so quickly. Most people would be writhing in agony at first.’
Zhuge Mun-hyeon was left speechless.
The energy circulation continued for a long time.
When it came to consuming elixirs and increasing internal energy, I was the foremost expert.
Thanks to that, I perfectly absorbed the fire fox’s inner core over the course of about four hours.
Flash.
As I opened my eyes, a powerful aura erupted forth before quickly dissipating.
“How is it?”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon asked cautiously.
“It is satisfactory.”
“Then what is the level of your internal energy?”
“One hundred and eighty years, plus another twenty.”
“So, two hundred years?”
Zhuge Mun-hyeon collapsed into his chair in astonishment.
He had encountered countless prodigies and witnessed many brilliant martial geniuses, but he had never seen a case like this.
‘To think there exists someone with a natural talent surpassing that of Alliance Leader Hwa. This is truly a great blessing for the Martial Arts Alliance. For such an outstanding martial artist to appear in these difficult times…’
Zhuge Mun-hyeon let out a sigh of relief.