The Price of Transcendence

In less than a month, he had earned 104 points. On Mount Bongnae, there were rarely opportunities to perform good deeds, so he had barely scraped together a few points even after a year. But once he followed the immortals' instructions and stepped out into the world, the speed at which he accumulated points was on a completely different level.

"There is nothing more I can teach you on Mount Bongnae, so go out and see the world."

Due to the Bongsin Covenant, the immortals could not teach Seong-jin the ways of the immortals directly. In the end, they had taught him everything they could before sending him down the mountain; any further enlightenment would have to be Seong-jin’s own burden to bear. Thus, after leaving the mountain, Seong-jin had been accumulating Gong-gwa-gyeok by hunting demons.

'As I accumulate Gong-gwa-gyeok, my body draws closer to that of an immortal. In a sense, this score is my remaining lifespan.'

If he used his Gong-gwa-gyeok points to transform his body into a Divine Bone, his lifespan would increase accordingly. If someone destined to live to 100 were to die at 20 due to the Nine-Yin Severed Pulse, extending their lifespan to 200 would mean they would die at 40. While Gong-gwa-gyeok cultivation could not cure the Nine-Yin Severed Pulse, it could delay the day of his death. Ultimately, this was why the immortals had sent him down the mountain. If they could no longer teach him anything on Mount Bongnae, it was better for him to spend his time earning Gong-gwa-gyeok points.

With this many points, he felt he could move on to the next stage.

Seong-jin gazed at the sky, gauging the celestial energy. He pulled a talisman from his robes, set it aflame, and chanted an incantation. Even though it was a simplified method, by accumulating Gong-gwa-gyeok correctly and offering a sacrifice to the heavens, he could see the celestial energy shifting. Such was the mystery of the immortal path—even just knowing the knowledge allowed one to perform miracles.

"I offer these points to the heavens; grant me the secret of the Three Talents."

Three Talents (Samjae). The third stage of the immortal path, following the One Origin and the Two Forms. It represented the source of the universe and the three forces that transform it: Heaven, Earth, and Man. He was stepping into a realm that elevated humanity to a status equal to the Heaven and Earth where all things lived.

Whoosh!

A tremendous wave of energy swirled around Seong-jin. The martial arts of the immortals were naturally designed for those who already possessed a Divine Bone. Because Seong-jin was merely human, he could not fully master them despite learning them all, but as his immortal cultivation realm advanced, his mastery of these martial arts also rose by a level.

'As my immortal realm reaches the Three Talents, my mastery of the Anti-Dragon Palm, the Eight Immortals Steps, and even the Heaven-Escaping Sword Technique has reached the 3rd Star.'

For every one of the ten stages of the immortal path he climbed, his mastery of martial arts increased by one star; once he became a true immortal, he would be able to fully master all martial arts. Conversely, this meant that Seong-jin had been displaying such prowess with only 2nd-star mastery—a testament to how incredible the immortals' martial arts truly were.

"What is the power of 3rd-star mastery?"

Seong-jin flicked his finger as a test.

Crack!

Lightning sparked between his fingers, and a stinging current flowed through the air. It was Thunder Qi, vivid enough to be seen with the naked eye. At this level, he could even call down a bolt of lightning.

"I am truly beginning to transcend humanity."

Seong-jin summoned the sword of the Sal-mun leader, which he had previously moved with his Sword Control.

"Come."

The Thunder Qi infused into his fingertips emitted a powerful magnetic force. The iron sword was caught by the magnetic pull, shooting forward as if a drawn bowstring had been released. Controlling iron with magnetic force—this was the essence of the Sword Control technique used by the Sword Immortal, Yeo Dong-bin.

"That part was already possible."

As he added his internal energy to the sword, Sword Qi erupted from the blade hovering in the air. He could now manifest Sword Qi on a blade controlled by Sword Control.

"With this, I could truly take on a hundred men alone."

If he were to float dozens of swords and imbue them all with Sword Qi, anyone who wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a first-rate master capable of using Sword Qi themselves would be shredded without even being able to resist.

The immortal path began at One, and as the realm grew higher, the number increased by one; upon reaching Ten, one would ascend to become a true immortal. According to that, the Three Talents was merely the third stage.

"I realize anew just how incredible my masters are."

His body felt lighter, and operating his internal energy caused less pain. A freshness he had never felt before. At this rate, he would be fine until this winter.

Having single-handedly wiped out the Sal-mun, Seong-jin gathered the ledgers and evidence from within their base and returned to the Murim Alliance.

"So, you are saying that you pursued the assassin who was threatening the Dokjakdang and wiped out the Sal-mun, which had been operating in Hubei, in a single night?"

"That is correct."

"Hoo... this is quite something. This isn't a matter I can just compensate and settle on my own. It will take some time to verify the truth of the reported details, so would you be willing to stay within the Alliance headquarters until then?"

"I was planning to stay in the lodging provided by the Alliance during the Yongbong Festival anyway, so that is not a problem."

After Seong-jin nodded and left, the scribe stamped the report as Urgent and sent it to the upper echelons. The report passed through several hands before reaching the highest level of the General Manager's office.

"General Manager. We have news that the Sal-mun, which had been operating in Hubei, has been destroyed."

"What? How? We struggled so hard to find those bastards, and they never turned up!"

The Murim Alliance couldn't have been unaware of the existence of the Sal-mun, which was doing business right in their backyard in Hubei. However, they had never been able to find them, and the reason was simple: they couldn't locate the hideout of men who moved like ghosts, appearing here and there as if using magic.

"How did he find them?"

"Well, a martial artist who joined as a guest warrior recently got tangled up with the Sal-mun during a mission, charged in, and slaughtered everyone..."

"A guest warrior?"

The Sal-mun had been a thorn in the Alliance's side for quite some time. But the Sal-mun also knew how dangerous it was to do business in the Alliance's territory, so they kept a low profile and never crossed the line. For the Alliance, which had to deal with the entire world, they couldn't afford to go all-out to hunt down a group that only moved when hired and carefully selected their contracts to avoid becoming a target for eradication.

However, if a single guest warrior had solved the problem without the Alliance having to exert any effort, that was a significant achievement.

"His name is Seong-jin. He was brought in by the Lightning Spear of the Shin Clan. He is of the same generation as her, but I am told he has no specific sect."

"Not even from the Nine Sects and One Clan, yet he has that level of skill at that age..."

To the Murim Alliance, which was always hungry for talent, he was a precious treasure.

"Suspicious."

"Why do you say that?"

"The fact that such a talent appears at a time like this, as if waiting for it. Isn't it too coincidental to be a coincidence?"

There were more visitors in Hubei now than ever before. It wasn't overly sensitive to think that there might be spies hiding among the countless outsiders with sinister intentions.

"Seong-jin..."

Among the reports the General Manager encountered daily, Seong-jin's name took center stage.

Seong-jin, who had been left waiting for the verification of the incident, decided to watch the Yongbong Festival in his spare time. Considering the testimony about the plum blossom scent that the mistress of the Okseol-hyang had mentioned was handled by the Hao-mun branch, he needed to look into the Hwasan Sect. He had already been turned away once, so visiting them again wouldn't be of much help, but since he had come all the way to Hubei to participate in the Yongbong Festival, the Hwasan Sect would inevitably have to attend the event as well.

"But where do the most people gather?"

He was able to solve that question through the conversations of passersby.

"If it's the Yongbong Festival, it has to be the martial arts tournament! No matter how many events they've prepared, everyone came to watch the martial arts of the Nine Sects and One Clan, didn't they?"

The Yongbong Festival itself was a long event lasting nearly a month. It had been extended to welcome guests from all over the world, and while many events were prepared, everyone was looking forward to one thing: the martial arts tournament of the rising stars from the Heavenly Martial Academy.

The world is vast, and there are many masters. However, the only sects recognized throughout the world were the Nine Sects and One Clan, so the tournament of the rising stars, who were considered to have the best potential even within those sects, naturally drew the attention of the Murim people.

"Isn't today's tournament the one featuring the Hwasan Sword Dragon, who is considered the best ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠among the rising stars when it comes to the sword?"

"Who did they say the opponent was?"

"I heard it was the successor of the Shandong Ak Clan?"

"The Shandong Ak Clan, descendants of Ak-bi? As expected of the Heavenly Martial Academy. The participants are all world-renowned."

Seong-jin, who had just found the tournament grounds, felt his interest piqued when he heard that today's match was between someone he knew.

'Hoh.'

If it was the Hwasan Sword Dragon's match, other members of the Hwasan Sect would naturally be watching. Perhaps even the Hwasan Sect Leader, whom he hadn't even seen, might be there.

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do I have to do to watch that tournament?"

At Seong-jin's question, the passersby looked him up and down and said:

"You must be a young warrior who came to see the Yongbong Festival, but you're already too late. Tickets for famous figures like the Hwasan Sword Dragon have been sold out since the match-ups were announced. Your only choice is to buy a scalped ticket at a premium."

"I have a bit of money."

Seong-jin had accepted the money offered by the Cheongwol-ru without hesitation, and since he hadn't wasted any while traveling, he still had quite a bit of travel money left.

"Haha, this young warrior doesn't know how the world works. Do you think you can get a scalped ticket with just that amount of money?"

The passerby looked at Seong-jin's money as if he were dumbfounded.

"The Yongbong Festival is an opportunity to witness the martial arts of the great sects that discuss the world. For an ordinary martial artist, it's an experience you couldn't buy with a thousand gold, as you can see martial arts you couldn't even dream of in a lifetime right before your eyes. Naturally, among those gathered in Hubei, there are many who have emptied their entire fortunes to see the Yongbong Festival, so you couldn't even dream of it with that amount."

As the passerby raised his voice, the attention of others nearby gathered on Seong-jin.

"Another village bumpkin from the countryside is realizing reality and getting frustrated."

"Haha, he must have thought he could broaden his horizons and mingle with the rising stars of the Heavenly Martial Academy when he left home."

People whispered and laughed at Seong-jin. Because of the Yongbong Festival, most of the people on the streets of Hubei were Murim people. Among them were those who appeared to be students of the Heavenly Martial Academy, and they giggled among themselves as they watched Seong-jin, who was ignorant of the world.

"Those kinds of people must have been called geniuses where they lived."

"There are so many who think the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world is their oyster."

"Haha, but isn't it true that people gather at the Yongbong Festival thinking it's a gain if they can even exchange a few words with a martial artist from the Heavenly Martial Academy?"

Seong-jin didn't care what they were blabbering about.

"Then how much money do I need to get a scalped ticket?"

"Looking at you, it seems you've barely managed to scrape together your travel money... to get a scalped ticket now, you'd have to be the child of a major landowner."

"Hmm."

"It seems you came hoping to exchange a few words with the students of the Heavenly Martial Academy, but wake up. The high-nosed rising stars of the Nine Sects and One Clan are hard to even approach for the rising stars of the same righteous path."

"The Hwasan Sword Dragon was talking quite freely."

At the passerby's words, Seong-jin, who suddenly thought of Yeong-myeong, tilted his head at the description that contradicted his usual behavior.

"Hey, you're bragging quite a bit for such a young age! I heard the Hwasan swordsmen are also in Hubei right now, so if you go around spreading false rumors, you'll be in trouble."

"It's not a false rumor. In the first place, the Lightning Spear and the Diancang Sword were also there."

"Why would people like the Hwasan Sword Dragon or the Diancang Sword associate with someone like you? That makes no sense..."

"Isn't that right, Miss Danmok?"

Seong-jin asked toward the presence he had started to feel nearby a moment ago.

"Ah, when did you notice? I was deliberately killing my presence to surprise you!"

"If there is a strangely quiet direction in the midst of such a crowd, isn't that even more suspicious?"

"Oops."

Danmok-cheong, who had been quietly approaching Seong-jin from behind, smiled and stuck out her tongue when her identity was revealed.

"The Diancang Sword? The very rising star who is the best in the Diancang Sect?"

"So that young warrior's words weren't a lie?"

As Danmok-cheong appeared, people flocked to her in an instant.

"Miss Danmok, I'm the eldest son of the Jeong family, do you remember me?"

"Hello, I'm from the Iron Sword Sect, a secular sect of the Diancang..."

Being the best rising star of a sect also meant that one was likely to become the sect leader someday. In that sense, the Diancang Sword Danmok-cheong had a status no different from a princess of a country. Yunnan, where the Diancang Sect was located, was a land where central power barely reached, so the power of local powerful families and sects was extremely strong. The Diancang Sect, the ruler of such Yunnan, was literally no different from a single nation, so the Diancang Sect leader was no different from the king of a nation.

"Ah, I'm sorry everyone. I'm on my way to watch the Yongbong Festival right now. If it's something important, please send an official message to the Diancang Sect next time."

Danmok-cheong pushed away the crowd as if she were used to it and asked Seong-jin:

"Young Master Ju, did you come to watch Yeong-myeong's tournament too? Then shall we watch together? I'm on my way to watch it too, as it happens."

"Unfortunately, I couldn't get a ticket."

"It's okay, tickets are issued separately for the students of the Heavenly Martial Academy. Let's watch with mine."

"Is that really okay?"

"Are we at the point where we need to say things like that? I owe you for the carriage ride here, so I should at least do that much. Come on, hurry! We'll be late at this rate!"

Danmok-cheong unhesitatingly linked arms with Seong-jin and pulled him along.

"Who on earth is that...?"

"I've never seen that face before, what is his relationship with the Diancang Sword?"

Those who had hoped to win Danmok-cheong's favor and mingle with her could only watch the scene like dogs chasing chickens.