Chapter 360
Thud.
Clang clang-!
Once, a sound of scraping against the wall reverberated.
A touch, which looked strong against the wall, left a mark.
I felt a slight friction, but I tore through it with strength.
Boom boom-! Boom!
While being careful not to break the flow of mixed energy, I kept extending my fist toward the wall.
When my fist connected with the wall, it didn’t stop; a hole was created instead.
Crack-!
Cracks began appearing from the many holes I’d made. Ignoring it, I continued to punch.
The energy gushing from my dantian settled in the upper dantian. My whole body felt hot, as if it wanted to burst out.
It was crucial to endure this.
That was the most important way to maximize my physical abilities.
“Huhhhh.”
As I let out a thin breath, hot air mixed and streamed out of my mouth.
At first glance, it felt like a wager.
I twisted my upper body.
At the same time, I concentrated the energy from my upper dantian into my fist and threw my final punch.
Crack-! Boom!
At that moment, a loud sound erupted and a massive wall collapsed.
Thud thud thud-!
As debris rained down, I recovered my breath, absorbing the heat and energy that had spread around me.
“Phew….”
After returning the energy that had spread through my body back to the dantian via my blood vessels, I checked my condition while cooling down my overheated body.
I had to frown as I closed my eyes and inspected the surroundings intently.
‘It doesn’t seep in properly.’
Several days had passed since I reached the state of Hwagyeong, yet the enlightenment I gained there hadn’t properly permeated my body.
I had trained for a long time in the Demon Realm and felt my level rise accordingly.
After reaching that realm and recovering to some degree, I returned to the real world.
With the enlightenment I had at that time, I was able to achieve Hwagyeong immediately in the real world.
‘The sense of alienation just won’t fade away.’
It was starkly different from the realm I felt in the Demon Realm.
‘What’s different?’
Back then, I had focused more on mental training than physical training.
I knew I would lose everything when I returned to the present world. I figured my inability to reach a higher level was mainly due to my mental state.
As it turned out, my prediction was accurate.
Thanks to that, I successfully accessed Hwagyeong as soon as I arrived in the real world.
‘But that leaves me only halfway there.’
It wasn’t as if I had entirely bridged the gap to Hwagyeong.
It felt unstable.
My body was off-balance and extremely uncomfortable in a peculiar way.
If I were to search for the reason….
‘First, I’ve never reached the flower realm solely through the Kuga’s heart technique.’
This was the first time I’d accessed a level purely with the Gu Yan Hualun Gong.
The directions from which I was pulling myself up differed from when I had assistance from the Magi, so I wondered if that was the cause of my instability.
It wasn’t a certainty; just a guess.
Now let’s consider a second reason.
‘There’s too much energy inside me.’
Based on the scorching power of the Nine-Year-olds, from volcanic energy to magic energy and even blood energy.
If it were any other martial artist, two different types of energy colliding would likely lead to a cataclysmic explosion.
I, however, was juggling four types of energy.
Moreover, they all had wildly different characteristics, and apart from that, they were all rather unruly.
As I reached the Hwagyeong level, my capacity to control that energy had significantly expanded, but….
‘That also means the other energies have become stronger.’
I felt it deeply.
Every time I tapped into my energy, the others that had been pushed back began to slowly poke their heads out.
Should I say they’ve become more insistent in their presence?
Should I say they’re protesting for me to use them too?
Whatever the case, it wasn’t a favorable situation.
While dogi was inherently a non-threatening energy, as long as Shin Noya was within my body, it wouldn’t collide with my energy and run amok.
Having been mingled and utilized for a long time, it was well entrenched in my body.
But the remaining two energies were different.
They were like monsters.
The Magi couldn’t stand the idea of other energies existing alongside its own.
I wasn’t sure what their motivations were, but the blood energy seemed adamant about expanding its territory.
Knowing that neither was in a sound state, I didn’t want to release them if possible.
But the more I used my energy, the more they tried to come out, which was rather concerning.
‘But I can’t just banish them.’
The Magi had already been indelibly etched into my heart, so removing it wasn’t an option.
The blood energy also wasn’t something you could cast out just by wishing it away.
My best bet would be to avoid using it as much as possible.
‘I managed to completely transform the magic into my own energy, but the blood….’
Compared to the abundant use of magic energy in my previous life, where I instinctively knew what to do, the blood felt completely unfathomable.
With my body being a mix of various energies, I wondered if the slow seepage of enlightenment occurred because I lacked a proper foundation.
Of course, this was merely another hypothesis.
‘… The only thing I feel somewhat certain about is.’
I escaped the predicament of the mental state and reached the realm, only to find myself stymied once again by the same issue.
“… Tsk….”
After calming my body down, I slowly opened my eyes.
Time had flown by, and evening had settled in.
I gazed at the rising moon and recalled what had transpired during the day.
‘Wi Seol-ah.’
As I thought of Wi Seol-ah, I patted my chest.
I had absorbed the energy that dissipated when she vanished into my body.
But I felt nothing.
It could be due to catching a mere whisper of energy, exceedingly faint and shallow.
It was inevitable that I’d feel anxious about being incapable of sensing anything at all.
I kept reaching out, hoping I might converse with her, just like with Shin Noya.
Only the poor little beast answered back.
[Huh…?]
‘I didn’t call you, so go back to sleep.’
[… Huh… .]
Had Wi Seol-ah truly vanished?
A wave of anxiety brushed over me.
Her disappearance wouldn’t be surprising—she mentioned having exhausted her strength.
There were still questions left unasked and words I wanted to say.
But since this was all strictly my own hang-ups, it wouldn’t matter if she faded away.
Wi Seol-ah, who had wrapped herself in my arms and closed her eyes at that time, opened them up again shortly after.
The words she spoke, meeting my gaze with those big, familiar eyes, remained vividly imprinted in my mind.
– Confucius…?
It stung.
While a part of me felt relieved to return to normalcy, an even stronger wave of regret and a mysterious exhaustion washed over me.
While observing my expression, Wi Seol-ah seemed to sense something and rose.
– Sister…? Where did you go….
That’s what she had said.
Upon hearing that, I realized she was aware of her existence.
So how far does her understanding extend?
Did she know her true identity? Did she know about my circumstances?
Should I have inquired about those matters?
Perhaps I should have.
However, what escaped my lips was something entirely different.
– I’m sorry.
– Confucius…?
– I’m sorry. Just not right now… we’ll talk later.
After gently stroking Wi Seol-ah’s hair a few times and escorting her back to the building, I ventured here alone.
I felt restless.
Because I couldn’t just leave Wi Seol-ah all by herself.
Yet, standing idle there felt quite challenging.
Could it be that she really was gone?
That was definitely within the realm of possibility.
Still, I held onto the hope that it wasn’t true.
Even though every sign pointed to her absence.
I believed otherwise.
This was due to that voice I had heard at the end.
– Embrace this.
A warm and tender voice.
The sensation of the hand that wrapped around my arm was also there.
‘…Mother.’
That voice was unmistakable.
It was my mother’s voice—veiled in a memory, I didn’t know how far back.
What on earth was happening?
I thought about this as I moved my body.
The World Tree had once spoken to me in the Demon Realm.
– Your mother is alive.
That my mother still lived.
This was a fact I knew well enough.
‘… Rather than discovering she’s alive.’
As a child, I merely watched my mother walk towards the open gate to the Demon Realm.
I couldn’t tell whether she met a demise or not.
Yet, if that voice was indeed my mother’s….
‘Where could she be…?’
How did she know to speak to me?
After that moment, I attempted to hear my mother’s voice again, yet no reply came.
‘Do you know something?’
I rubbed my belly absentmindedly.
The World Tree mentioned that this beast had ties to my mother, so I wondered if it had done something related.
[Huh?]
The creature merely appeared confused about what I was saying.
I bit my lip as I made that realization.
‘Embrace it,’
I was told to embrace the gradually fading energy of the divine sword.
The voice indeed said so.
The energy, which had once rendered me immobile, had been neutralized in an instant.
If it was connected to my mother’s voice, it must have held some significance.
Especially if I had gleaned from the World Tree what kind of being my mother was.
‘Isn’t she the master of all realms?’
An existence that even the World Tree couldn’t easily confront.
The second calamity to befall this world.
Just hearing these two lines made it evident that my mother was quite the extraordinary individual.
That my mother had sought to help me.
‘If the voice truly belongs to my mother, then perhaps.’
Or it could be the interference of another being, but for now, it remained a mystery.
Ultimately, I embraced the words and energy, yet I had no idea what the next step entailed.
If there’s a way, it must be singular.
‘I must seek out my mother.’
It was a ridiculous conclusion.
I was aware that the Demon Realm wasn’t confined to just one location, and I knew there was no easy route to find her.
Yet still, I needed to pursue it.
Right now… the only person who could fathom what had happened to the new sword was none other than my mother.
To achieve this,
‘I need to meet my father.’
A certain individual who might know what transpired with my mother.
Currently, that man was none other than the head of the Gu family—my father.
After wrapping up my deliberations,
I decided it was time to find my companions to clear my cluttered mind.
Due to everything happening, I hadn’t properly sought them out, and I needed to check on Wi Seol-ah as well.
Just as I was about to take a step forward,
“…!”
The chilling sensation forced me to halt mid-step.
Someone loomed beyond the dark gaze.
‘Since when has this person been here?’
I hadn’t sensed them at all.
The unknown figure leaned against the wall, their gaze aimed directly at me.
I had experienced this uncanny feeling before.
Which meant this individual was definitely….
“… It’s an honor to meet you, senior.”
As soon as I recognized their identity, I assumed a formal stance and greeted respectfully.
The person, having heard my words, finally moved away from the wall and approached me.
Emerging from darkness into the moonlight, their face became visible.
As suspected.
The man was the Dark King.
I concealed my tremors while observing the Dark King closely.
The expressionless demeanor he bore when I first met him hadn’t changed. It was a cool facade that revealed nothing of his thoughts or emotions.
Then the Dark King spoke to me.
“It seems like you were busy concentrating, so I had to wait.”
There’s an unspoken rule about not invading another’s training without permission.
It seemed the Dark King didn’t care for that.
Neither did I.
“Did you come for something?”
“I mentioned I would come see you last time, didn’t I?”
“… True, you did.”
I was taken aback; I hadn’t expected him to actually show up.
‘Is he not quite sane?’
If a man of the Dark King’s caliber came to see me, did he not contemplate how intimidating that could be for me?
Though, when one reached such advanced levels, it’s likely they wouldn’t ponder such trivial matters.
This was a world where power was synonymous with authority.
‘If he wished, he could even slay the three gods.’
Rumors circulated widely.
If the Dark King genuinely sought it, he could probably take out the Three Lords as well.
In fact, he could kill even the three spirits who were merely threads in the sea of countless martial artists in the Central Plains.
Most who heard of this treated it as mere exaggerated praises of the Dark King’s prowess. However, now that I faced him, I thought it possible if circumstances permitted.
‘I can barely sense his presence.’
Even though he stood right before me, I still found his presence vague. At least it was a relief he wasn’t as undetectable as last time.
I still had no idea what effects the mask he wore had, but a faint sense of him emerged, though it had all but vanished before.
“Hey kid.”
“Yes… senior.”
The term irked me, but I didn’t say anything.
From his perspective, I was indeed a child.
Though he appeared to be in his twenties or thirties.
The Dark King was a seasoned veteran, even from the days when Iljangro was still in the picture.
He was at that level where you couldn’t ascertain someone’s age just by their looks.
So, when he saw me, the Dark King suddenly commented.
“The more I see, the more you resemble him.”
I had heard that before. It was familiar by now, considering I’d encountered that remark numerous times.
“I often hear that.”
I assumed he was speaking of my father.
Most who regarded me with similar comments usually referenced him.
“Hmm?”
I expected a certain response, but upon hearing my words, the Dark King tilted his head slightly.
… Not that?
“Are you talking about how I resemble my father?”
“No.”
“Uh… then, who do you mean I resemble?”
I wondered if he referenced Iljang-ro.
It would feel rather odd if he claimed I looked like that old man.
I felt a bit uncomfortable at the thought.
While I mulled over that,
Whether he sensed my discomfort or not, the Dark King spoke of another individual.
“I’m speaking of your grandfather.”
“My grandfather?”
I had heard that before.
I was curious then about what sort of relationship existed between the Dark King and my grandfather that warranted such mention.
As I began to recollect my thoughts, fully prepared to ask.
“If you look that similar… then they can’t be related by blood.”
“Pardon?”
The Dark King launched into a mysterious line of reasoning.
“This is truly puzzling.”
“What exactly are you talking about now…?”
Bam.
…!
Despite wanting to interrogate the Dark King about what he meant, I couldn’t find the words.
The man standing before me suddenly vanished.
He appeared right in front of me and seized my right arm.
Is it an ambush?
I was taken aback for a moment as I had been readying my energy.
“Hey kid.”
In an instant, the Dark King lifted my sleeve.
’Oh, no!’
I was horrified.
There, traces of demonic energy were still imprinted.
A skin patch the size of a thumb, resembling reptile scales stood out.
When I wondered what to do about that…
He glanced at my skin and asked.
“What does this have to do with Yeon-ga?”
“… What?”
After hearing his words, I couldn’t help but respond in astonishment.
It was such an out-of-the-blue inquiry.
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