Chapter 274
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: The Fist King's Ordeal
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Skill.
Skill?
Yeah. I want you to reinforce the skill I have.
A reward equivalent to an unknown power.
It was the reinforcement of the skill Jeong Hoon possessed.
One Who Transcended Humanity Lv.3
-Type: Unique Evolution Title
-Grade: Celestial
-Automatically manipulates natural mana, recovering mana periodically.
-Can permanently erase dungeons. (However, higher-grade dungeons cannot be erased)
-Partially immune to the influence of Transcendents.
The current One Who Transcended Humanity he held.
The skills level was 3.
Transcendents were divided into grades based on their aura.
No matter how skilled a human was, they were powerless before a Transcendents aura.
And this title was the only way to narrow that gap in aura.
A title he naturally acquired upon ascending to the Celestial realm.
The titles level had risen because Jeong Hoons aura grew stronger after slaying Transcendents.
But level 3 still wasnt enough.
This wont get me to the ultimate power.
The ultimate poweran uncharted realm no one had reached.
To claim it more surely, he needed to raise that title and elevate his aura.
Being unaffected by Transcendents meant not being suppressed by their aura.
Hmm, reinforcement to what extent?
At least to the level of a Lord-grade.
Pfft, for that, the titles grade would need to rise at least one step.
One step.
Meaning, up to the grade after Celestial.
Does one step up make it equal?
Youd get a bit closernowhere near their toes, but closer.
Yeah?
Jeong Hoons face twisted.
Even raising a Celestial-grade title by one step wouldnt put him shoulder-to-shoulder with Lord-grade.
Just what level was their aura?
Anyway, you want that skill reinforced?
Yeah.
Sorry, but a one-grade upgrade is impossible. I can raise the level to 10, though.
Thats enough.
Once he claimed the ultimate power, the title would rise in grade anyway.
For now, just boosting the level was sufficient.
Good. Just know the trials difficulty will match the reward.
Got it.
Jeong Hoons vision went black.
When it returned, he stood in the center of a mansions first-floor lobby.
Familiar place.
Very familiar.
This was the mansion of the Fist King, which Jeong Hoon had visited back when he job-changed to Martial Emperor.
But why was this the trial?
Puzzled, Jeong Hoon took a step forward.
The trial begins.
At that moment, the mansions doors burst open, and martial artists in training robes poured in.
How dare you trespass here!
Seize him!
Out of nowhere, they branded Jeong Hoon an intruder and surrounded him.
What the hell?
Jeong Hoon tilted his head.
Each martial artist was level 250-300.
No match for Jeong Hoon, who was well over level 500.
Theres definitely something more.
Then it happened.
Your level is temporarily demoted to 100.
You possess the Poison-Weakened Fist King.
The martial artists enter an Invincible state.
You cannot defeat the martial artists.
Damn it.
A system where he couldnt take out the martial artists directly.
To pass the trial, hed have to endure their torture.
What? Master! You cant kill those guys?!
Ridiculous.
Mukho and Anima raged.
But a trial was a trial.
Unless he gave up, enduring their torture was the way through.
Drag him!
Resist, and your remaining family wont be safe.
Weakened or not, he was still the Fist King.
The martial artists approached cautiously.
Now I see why the Fist Kings mansion was left abandoned.
Fist King.
The mansion was neglected to the point his title rang hollow.
Dilapidated, as if it would crumble at a touch.
For some reason, the Fist King had been ostracized by the martial artists of his time.
Why are you dragging me away?
Jeong Hoon asked on his behalf.
They saw him as the Fist King.
Hah, finally lost your mind?
Fist King, evidence surfaced that you allied with the Heavenly Demon Cult to dominate the martial world.
The Poison King slowly poisoned you. Drag him with confidence.
Poison King.
Jeong Hoon let out a hollow laugh.
Allied with the Heavenly Demon Cult?
Hed heard the Fist King once dueled the Heavenly Demon Dokgo Jun, but allying with the cult? First time hearing it.
A frame job.
Cough!
Jeong Hoon felt something hot surging inside and spat it out.
Black blood.
Possessing the Fist King had left his body in ruins.
Sneers crossed the martial artists faces.
Pfft, the Fist King looks pathetic.
Serves you right for straying from the path.
Jeong Hoon was forcibly dragged out of the mansion by their hands.
Murim Alliance.
Underground prison.
Escaping the martial artists outside the mansion was impossible.
Mana and holy power were frozen solid, unusable, and poison-weakened, blood constantly leaked from his bodys orifices.
The Fist Kings extremely trained body was barely holding on, but he could die any moment.
Yet before the torture that followed, even that body rapidly weakened.
Fist King, how did it come to this?
An elderly man peered at Jeong Hoon through the bars with sad eyes.
Murim Alliance Leader Jang Yongbaek.
If Nak Jincheon was the Fist King, Jang Yongbaek was the Murim Alliance Leader, known as Sword King or Sword Sovereign.
......Just one question.
Jeong Hoon forced his mouth open.
Even with his iron will, staying sane while life hung by a thread wasnt easy.
Jang Yongbaeks lip twitched.
No trace of sadness nowhis eyes gleamed with greed.
Still keeping your mouth shut. Impressive.
Why frame me?
Frame...... Youre denying it?
Puhaha, its just us here. Lets be honest.
As Jeong Hoon said, this deepest underground prison was for the gravest criminals awaiting death.
Jang Yongbaek had dismissed all guards upon entering.
Just the two of them.
The Divine Scripture. Where is it?
Jang Yongbaek mentioned the Divine Scripture.
Jeong Hoon knew nothing of it.
Ah, so that damned book got me into this mess.
Damned book? Its the only power that can save the world!
A Sword Sovereign with such greed.
Hand it over quietly. Then, Fist King, your life and family will be spared.
Jeong Hoon grinned and flipped him the bird.
Fuck off.
......Dont know what that means, but it pisses me off.
Yeah. Its an insult.
He didnt know what the Divine Scripture was, but no way hed hand it to that bastard.
Jang Yongbaek suppressed his boiling rage and asked.
Going to stay silent to the end?
Even if I knew, I wouldnt tell you.
Hah, unbelievable.
Then.
Alliance Leader!
A martial artist rushed down to the underground prison.
What?
As I reported, this was hidden!
He handed over a book.
A brilliantly glowing book.
Jang Yongbaeks lip curled up as he took it.
Well done.
Yes. What about him? Shouldnt we finish him off?
No. Leave him.
Yes.
The martial artist left, leaving Jang Yongbaek and Jeong Hoon alone again.
Jang Yongbaeks eyes curved like crescent moons as he gazed at Jeong Hoon.
Knew youd be caught, so why hide it so hard?
......
Heh, lets see whats inside...!
Jang Yongbaeks face twisted as he opened the book.
The pages that should hold text were blank.
Seeing it, Jeong Hoon sneered.
Whats wrong? Not what you wanted?
......What did you do to this book?
Dont know.
You memorized it! You bastard!
Jang Yongbaek tore the book to shreds.
Some martial arts manuals vanished upon learning.
This Divine Scripture must be the same.
I said I dont know.
Argh!
Face red with fury, Jang Yongbaek stormed out.
Soon, the martial artists whod tortured him returned.
The hellish torture was about to resume.
Come on, then. Bring it.
A faint light flickered in Jeong Hoons dying eyes.
Hed endure this damned trial and claim the power, no matter what.
You have passed the trial.
The trial ended after nearly a week.
When Jeong Hoon regained his senses, he was no longer in the underground prison but in a temple.
The vanished Goddess Statue stood before him.
Success......
The blinking exclamation mark above the Goddess Statue confirmed the quest complete.
Such agonizing time.
Torture this brutal was a first.
Nails and toenails ripped out, all hair including head plucked.
Then boiling water poured over him.
Even his extremely trained body, poisoned and weakened to the extreme, couldnt endure.
One eyeball gouged, all teeth pulledcouldnt even eat.
Jeong Hoon had passed out and woken repeatedly in the unending agony.
And in that state, the world ended.
Omens had appeared long before.
Unable to stop the looming apocalypse, the martial world fell into chaos.
Jang Yongbaek obsessed over the Divine Scripture to restore order, but it was too late.
Theyd exceeded the penalty threshold.
In that process, Nak Jincheon mustve had parts of his memory wiped and been turned into an NPC.
He could picture the situation.
Anyway, this trial was pure endurance.
Give in to escape the pain, and it ended.
In failure, of course.
As Jeong Hoon approached the Goddess Statue, a clear voice rang out again.
Impressive. Such strong mental fortitude in a human.
Not easy.
This trial taught him the world held countless torture methods.
Unimaginably horrific succession.
Without the reward, even Jeong Hoon couldnt have lasted.
Youve guessed it, but this trial was the origin of your power.
Jeong Hoon nodded.
So the Divine Scripture meant the Martial Emperors power.
......Martial Emperor means infinite potential. But I dont recommend it. Most humans cant reach the end of even one path. Pursuing many leads to ruin.
Nak Jincheons negative view of the Martial Emperor back then.
He knew the Divine Scriptures arts peaked high but bottomed out low.
Thats why he pushed for Fist Saint over Martial Emperor.
A test, essentially.
Jeong Hoon passed by choosing Martial Emperor.
Afterward, Fist King Nak Jincheon fulfilled his role by passing on the power and ascended.
Now, the reward.
A promise is a promise.
Quest completed.