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“We’ve finally arrived…”

Geok-ho let out a heavy sigh. After fighting and struggling so much since the middle of the journey, he could finally see the outskirts of the peak. The absurdity of having climbed hundreds of Sacred Altar Trees made him shudder, but he also felt relieved that their mission was almost within reach.

Cheong-wol, who was behind Geok-ho, was gasping for breath.

“Hah… Hah… I need to catch my breath. I can’t take it any longer.”

“Yeah, you probably should,” Geok-ho replied.

The moment he finished speaking, Geok-ho sat down and adjusted his posture to regain his Qi. It wasn’t just because they were at a high altitude with thin air; the three of them had fought off the Yama General trio three times while passing through a mystifying formation and had encountered extraordinary spirit beasts multiple times. They hadn’t had a single moment to rest or catch their breath, so they were utterly exhausted now.

‘I’ve never been in such a densely packed series of fights before.’ If it were only a couple of them, they wouldn’t have made it this far so quickly. For a while, they committed themselves to recovering in silence, and after a short while, the first to recover, the Bright Dragon, stood up and spoke.

“What did that guy say we should do once we reach the peak?”

Geok-ho was too focused on recovering his internal power to respond. Instead, he inwardly complained. ‘Damn it. That old geezer’s recovery speed is incredible.’

Having cultivated the profound internal power of Zen for over several decades, Bright Dragon’s self-recovery was incomparable to that of the young Geok-ho. Geok-ho was still struggling to recover his internal energy while Bright Dragon was already fit enough to fight. No matter how many spiritual pills he took and how many special facilities he used, the fundamental levels of cultivation were drastically different. Cheong-wol also had to admit that the Wudang Sect’s Qi methods were more exquisite than the Thunder God lineage.

After some time, he stood up and spoke.

“I didn’t get the details, but we were told to search for any unusual structures or seals as thoroughly as possible.”

“Hmph… In a place that suspicious, there certainly should be something strange. The Qi is seriously distorted.”

Bright Dragon glared at the direction of the peak with a displeased look before continuing, “Let’s recover a bit more before we head up. I have a feeling there’s something there.”

“But if we linger too long…”

Suddenly, a woeful sound erupted from the sky, as if something was falling, and a dark hole seemed to tear the sky apart. All three of them immediately realized that the barrier had been breached, and their expressions hardened significantly. Geok-ho gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s go.”

“This is terrible…” Bright Dragon said nervously. It was hardly the act of a Jianghu person to step into a critical battlefield with their power reduced to less than half. While they couldn’t always fight in top condition, creating advantageous situations was the basics of combat. But the situation had become extremely urgent, so they silently ascended the Sacred Altar Tree.

As they stepped onto the peak of the Sacred Altar Tree, Geok-ho noticed the scenery was just as he had seen in Baek Woong’s memories.

Ohhhh…

The whole area was pitch black. The stars looked as if they could be grabbed with their hands, and there were countless stars. Enormous tree trunks spread out underfoot and around them, resembling a vast land.

Geok-ho muttered, “Breathing is actually easier here…”

Just a moment ago, as they ascended from the midpoint to the upper level, the air had been so thin that even a normal person would have collapsed from breathlessness. It had been nearly impossible to breathe, yet all three of them were Peak Experts, just barely maintaining deep breaths. However, now that they had reached the peak, the air felt rich and alive, making it comfortable.

Furthermore, there was no cold, and a pleasant warmth seemed to be enveloping them. Although the pure blackness was a downside, it felt like they could live here year-round. Geok-ho looked around and said, “We don’t have much time, so let’s split up and find anything suspicious.”

“If there’s an enemy here, this plateau is a great place to get ambushed.”

“Is there any other way? In any case, if you’re not prepared to give up your life, you can’t approach this with a clear mind. We have no choice but to finish this quickly.”

“Damn it, if that guy doesn’t explain why later, I won’t let it go!”

“Let’s regroup here in a little while.”

After that, Cheong-wol and Bright Dragon, though grumbling, activated their divine techniques and scattered. The peak of the Sacred Altar Tree was quite vast, so it didn’t take long for their figures to become dots to the naked eye. Geok-ho charged forward, sharpening his vision.

After a moment, Geok-ho suddenly stopped, having spotted something strange.

“What’s that?”

A massive vine root was coiling protectively around something round. Though it was in an obscure corner and hard to see, Geok-ho had an instinctual feeling that it was something important, so he approached. He swung his spear down and cut through the vine root to check what the round object was.

Clang! Clang!

‘That’s tough.’

Geok-ho realized that the round object inside was a metallic sphere. The bizarre sphere had a translucent glass window, but the inside was invisible from the outside. It was big enough for three or four people to fit inside.

‘Should I break it?’

He wanted to open it, but without a clear way, Geok-ho decided to test it out by infusing his qi and hitting the metal sphere.

“Huh?!

Suddenly, Geok-ho was taken aback. Although he was worn out, he had managed to generate sufficient qi for a strong attack, yet the sphere showed no signs of damage! Considering that even ordinary metals on the ground would be severely damaged or shattered by a blow of qi, this was surprising. He had heard of a few rare metals that could withstand qi, but seeing one with his own eyes was a first for Geok-ho. He stood there, dazed for a moment, then looked around closely but found nothing else.

After about a quarter of an hour of searching the area, Geok-ho returned to meet with Bright Dragon and Cheong-wol again. Bright Dragon seemed to have found nothing, but Cheong-wol spoke up with a bubbly voice, suggesting he had found something.

“There’s something really bizarre!”

“Where is it?”

“It’s quite a trek further ahead.”

Tydaht!

They followed Cheong-wol and used their divine techniques to dash ahead. Just as Cheong-wol had mentioned, it took a while despite using their divine techniques, so it had to be something far away. When they arrived, something massive appeared, seeming to be at least twenty times larger than a human body.

“What is this?”

“I’m not sure. But it’s quite elongated…”

“Hmm. What could it possibly be used for?”

Geok-ho peered around the long cylindrical structure. He noticed that on the end pointed toward the ground, there was a complicated set of machinery installed. There were dozens of buttons, and Geok-ho vaguely understood this was out of his expertise. Scratching his head, he said, “I don’t get it. Why is something like this on the peak of the Sacred Altar Tree?”

“Didn’t you mention hitting that round iron thing? Should we try smashing this one? Who knows, it might work!”

“I think it’d be better not to. What if it’s something important?”

“Should we keep looking?”

“…I guess we should, but I’m suddenly feeling a bit at a loss. This isn’t the kind of thing Mangnyang or Zhuge Sa would know about; what do we know…”

“That’s true.”

They fell silent. They were people who had dedicated their lives to martial arts, known for their fighting prowess, but they lacked the abilities to analyze such bizarre structures from another realm. While they were awkwardly silent, a melodious voice suddenly rang out.

“I commend you for not recklessly damaging the items here. Now, shall we have a chat, uninvited guests?”

Pa-at!

As they turned to look at the voice’s source, a peculiar figure in a white hood and strange hat stood there. Of course, Geok-ho’s group had been living in Divine City for three months and had already memorized his face and name, recognizing him immediately.

“The clan of the Scarf, Hong Gil-dong!”

It was Hong Gil-dong, known as the right hand of the Master of the Twelve Joules and a formidable expert. Standing before the three Peak Experts, he showed no signs of being intimidated and spoke with poise.

“The Joule Master said to bring you here politely. Although entering our Divine City is an unredeemable crime, you’re merely the executors, so I could forgive you.”

Geok-ho pointed his spear at him and responded casually, “I have no intention of begging for mercy. You came here alone to take a beating?”

With killing intent in their eyes, they stepped forward. Until just before their ascent, they had been completely depleted of energy, but given the abundance of qi at the Sacred Altar Tree’s peak, they were now more than 70% recovered. Thus, they considered the possibility of losing to Hong Gil-dong nonexistent.

Hong Gil-dong smiled strangely.

“Oh? You really think I came alone?”

Geok-ho tensed at his words. “So, you brought others with you?”

“No, I did come alone.”

What the heck is this guy talking about? Geok-ho stared incredulously at Hong Gil-dong as he continued, “Well, as the King of Gu-do and the Grand Elder of Manha Spiritual Gate, I have the privilege to be here, so what can I do? Everyone’s busy trying to fend off the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“What’s your point?”

“You’d do well to follow me quietly. As I mentioned, the Twelve Joules doesn’t hold any strong hostility toward you.”

“Ha…”

Geok-ho scoffed, then suddenly called forth a thunderous roar and lunged at Hong Gil-dong, aiming to spear his head.

Bang!

With unbelievable speed and force, Geok-ho thrust forward. As he was a top-tier master who aspired to reach the Absolute Realm, this assault could not be easily dodged or blocked. However, he immediately realized he had stabbed, not Hong Gil-dong, but a mere clone.

Swoosh! Geok-ho quickly reacted to eight incoming attacks, blocking them and retreating to his original position. In the blink of an eye, an entire second passed, but he felt sweat dripping down his body.

He’s strong.

Extremely strong!

A sense of foreboding crept up his spine, and his instincts told him that Hong Gil-dong was a superior master than him. Both Bright Dragon and Cheong-wol understood this too, causing their faces to turn stiff, especially Bright Dragon, who was secretly shocked.

‘Just now… I couldn’t feel the clones dispersing and gathering again. And it was way too fast.’

Could it be that he’s using that legendary ‘technique’? The mythical realm that only exists as a legend in the Martial World!

Bright Dragon felt unease rise within him. If Hong Gil-dong’s realm was indeed as he suspected, they could really be wiped out here. Hong Gil-dong grinned.

“Wow. Among the Joule Masters, there are only two or three equals to your strength… I’ll get to stretch my legs after a long time.”

“Who the hell are you? And what’s this clan of the Scarf, that it produces men stronger than the Joule Masters?”

Geok-ho asked warily. Hong Gil-dong replied, “I’ve simply lived a good life, breathing in good air and receiving good teachings.”

“Well then, while it’d be nice if you came peacefully, that’s not happening, so shall we have a fight?”

Swish! Swish!

In the next moment, Hong Gil-dong’s figure split into five. The five clones simultaneously charged at Geok-ho and the others. Geok-ho recalled the characteristics of the spirit clones.

‘Even a slight hit will make them disappear. The real one must be hiding and planning a sneaky attack?’

Determined not to be ensnared by their ploy, Geok-ho decided to go on the offensive. He unleashed his qi, readying an extensive attack technique.

Boom!

A loud explosion echoed. And amidst the thick dust, the next moment’s sight was remarkable.

Geok-ho felt a powerful punch to his solar plexus, and he trembled as he stifled the blood rising in his throat. His arm was grabbed by one of Hong Gil-dong’s clones, and Hong Gil-dong’s blade was poised directly above his head. Just like that, he was subdued by three clones in an instant. In a single second, Hong Gil-dong jabbed into Geok-ho’s solar plexus and grinned.

“Prejudice can be frightening. Well, my skill is rather unique.”

The reason Geok-ho was caught was simple. Though he released his qi, each clone possessed immense martial prowess. They effortlessly deflected his attacks and struck at Geok-ho’s openings instead. Caught off guard, he was left helpless against clones that moved just as adeptly as he did. Moreover, they even penetrated through him at a vital moment!

Had Geok-ho maintained a defensive stance, he surely wouldn’t have fallen so easily. Misjudging the opponent’s techniques was his downfall.

“Ugh… How…?”

“Why not take a little nap?”

As Hong Gil-dong touched Geok-ho’s body, he fainted instantly. Meanwhile, Bright Dragon and Cheong-wol, moving defensively to avoid a confrontation with Hong Gil-dong, watched the scene with tense expressions. Bright Dragon, shaking in disbelief, muttered.

“Reality and illusion blending into one, mocking the actual realm… the ultimate technique of true manifestation of clones… the legendary ‘Void Spirit One Hundred Eight Illusions’!”

Hong Gil-dong’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“It seems as though being the Wudang Sect’s Sect Leader means you’ve seen quite a bit. Indeed, my technique is the ‘Endless Void One Hundred Eight’ realm. One of the former kings of the Gu-do Kingdom once left for the Central Plains Martial World.”

“But what happens if you know?”

“Unless you ascend to the Absolute Realm, you won’t be able to discern or counter my technique.”

Bright Dragon ground his teeth.

Void Spirit One Hundred Eight!!

It was a legendary martial art used by the mystical figure Void Spirit, who once swept through the Martial World around the time of the Wudang Sect’s investigator Jang Sam-bong. Typically, spirit clones would disappear with a strong blow, but his method harmonized truth and illusion so perfectly that even Peak Experts found it impossible to discern, allegedly allowing him to reach a level of complete evasion.

Many masters had foolishly been killed, thinking oneself safe due to this deceptive technique. However, Void Spirit had once challenged Jang Sam-bong, the world’s strongest known master at the time, only to vanish afterward.

Bright Dragon, as the Wudang Sect leader, was aware of this technique’s heritage but never imagined he would actually meet its possessor. He had dedicated his entire life to tapping into the absolute possibilities hidden within the Seven Great Techniques, leaving no room to divert his attention elsewhere. But if Hong Gil-dong truly reached the realm of Void Spirit, they faced a serious problem.

Moreover, Bright Dragon was now convinced of another fact.

The Hong Gil-dong before them was also a master of the Absolute Realm!

According to Jang Sam-bong’s teachings, the ‘Void Spirit One Hundred Eight’ was a skill that could only be performed by one who had ascended to the Absolute Realm. The ‘Endless Void’ also indicated reaching a state of great achievement. Whether it was the beginning phase or he had fully mastered it wasn’t clear, but it was certain that he was witnessing another Absolute Master who had never shown himself in this world.

‘Is this the right-hand man of the leaders of the Twelve Joules strong enough to produce such monsters?’

Bright Dragon suddenly felt a disparity in levels between the Central Plains Martial World and the Eastern Martial World.

Yet he couldn’t give up just yet. Bright Dragon sent a secret transmission to Cheong-wol beside him.

[Support me. We can only rely on the Absolute Realm to withstand him.]

[Do we have any means against such a ridiculous technique?]

[If we utilize our ancestors’ teachings as much as possible, it might be feasible.]

[Alright. I’ll sync our breathing.]

Hong Gil-dong smirked as if he intended to end things with this next attack, multiplying the number of clones.

Pa pa pa pat!

The count had reached a massive one hundred and eight!

With such a number of indistinguishable clones converging on them, there was no way anyone could withstand it. Hong Gil-dong remarked, “I don’t have the luxury of time here, so let’s finish this quickly.”

Pa-at!

It was the moment when Hong Gil-dong’s clones simultaneously lunged in.

Limitless Creation Absolute!

Mind Blade!

Bowing Sky Slash!

Shuka-kak!

Suddenly, dozens of Hong Gil-dong’s clones were torn apart, and Hong Gil-dong himself hurriedly retreated. Although his Void Spirit One Hundred Eight had embodied power and speed indistinguishable from reality, it had been sliced away by the technique performed in collaboration by Bright Dragon and Cheong-wol who had their backs closely pressed together.

This wasn’t something that just any random intent technique could manage; even Hong Gil-dong furrowed his brows.

“So, you’ve based your effort on the Wudang Sect’s Divine Art, Two Intent Divine Art, and temporarily created a technique to counter the Absolute Realm? Impressive.”

Sparking collaboration was usually an impossible feat, but since both Cheong-wol and Bright Dragon were at the pinnacle level and had mastered the Seven Great Techniques, it was possible. Their intent formed a singular blade (Mind Blade) that momentarily reached the domain of the Absolute Realm!

This counterattack wasn’t trivial, so no matter how skilled Hong Gil-dong was, he couldn’t effortlessly break through it.

‘Even though he’s an enemy, he’s remarkable.’

However, that technique couldn’t be unleashed indefinitely. Even now, both Cheong-wol and Bright Dragon were casting their combined technique while abandoning all distractions, pouring all their mental energy into maintaining it. Such concentration couldn’t be sustained infinitely, and contemplating his victory, Hong Gil-dong murmured to himself.

“I would like to meet the one capable of leading people like you…”

“We can’t let this happen.”

Grand Elder of Manha Spiritual Gate, Hong Gil-dong, resumed his offensive.

With the urgency to swiftly subdue them and assist the Master of the Twelve Joules.

Cheon Woo-jin was lost in thought.

‘Is this really alright?’

Zhuge Sa had entrusted him with a strategy and a request.

Yet, it was truly a mad pursuit that would cast aside present victory and solely focus on the victory of the Reborn Person. From Baek Woong’s perspective, it was a perfectly rational strategy, but living this life felt like a descent into madness, hurtling toward destruction. Hence, even while having successfully infiltrated, Cheon Woo-jin was deeply troubled.

He could ascertain once again.

It was madness.

Yet – for that very reason, Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t abandon this mission. If Zhuge Sa were to handle it personally, the allies’ casualties would multiply exponentially. Given the circumstances, he had to pursue maximum efficiency or risk the lives of those that could be saved.

What pushed Cheon Woo-jin to a resolution was, in fact, the thunderous explosion that shattered the barrier.

Ku-gu-gu-gung…

“If there’s a hell, I’d wind up there first.”

Cheon Woo-jin sighed briefly and reached out. Why did the image of Jin So-cheong propelling himself forth to assassinate the Master of the White Lotus Sect, abandoning his own beliefs for Baek Woong, come to mind?

“Hastily we shall end this set of regulations.”

A small explosion rumbled ahead of him.

What had been protected by the barrier was now shattered by Cheon Woo-jin’s technique.

And that explosion was – the beginning of the Sacred Altar Tree’s grand battle, truly entering the realm of madness.

 

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