911——————==

True Martial Home

My choice quickly leaned towards ‘Invisibility.’

‘That guy is dangerous.’

Once before, he had completely obliterated one of the Seven Luminaries, Xuyou. The enigmatic martial arts he employs were beyond any description within my current martial arts knowledge and couldn’t simply be categorized as a type of Absolute Realm. If I were to confront such an unknown state and meet my end, I could call this life’s venture a total failure. Plus, I had to consider the possibility of being captured and tortured by him.

‘So, how can I avoid drawing his attention…’

I knew the distance between us was well over twenty li. Thanks to the potential of my Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I could perceive his shape, but my normal eyesight couldn’t confirm him from that far. No matter how skilled one is in the Absolute Realm, it is impossible to sense someone from twenty li away, so I felt somewhat reassured, yet I couldn’t tell how safe this distance truly was.

‘Hmm… ten li…? Nope. At ten li, on a good day, I can sometimes sense auras too…’

After some deep thought, I decided to set the intangible range from him at around fifteen li. I resolved to maneuver as far away as possible and take a long route around Yama Mountain. After all, the mountain had been crushed by his single sword strike, making it much easier to breach any barriers.

Tydaht

I dashed around, ensuring the distance between us wasn’t shrinking, and I could tell I had reached the area near the boundary of Yama Mountain without getting closer. As the gap closed, I began to see Yama Ghosts appearing here and there, and I was ready to swing my sword to fight.

I would erase these Yama Ghosts and push straight into the Yama Hall!

“……?!”

Sasat!

I charged from afar to ambush about thirty of the Yama Ghosts, but I instantly spun in midair and ducked into the thicket. It wasn’t out of fear of the Yama Ghosts, but because an odd sensation had flitted through me, sending chills down my spine.

Danger.

It was a perception unique only to masters. In truth, it could be considered a boundary of the mysterious sensations encountered while always cloaked in intent. However, this gut feeling was always linked to my life, so I couldn’t afford to ignore it; I had to evade combat. Fortunately, the Yama Ghosts seemed oblivious to my presence and began to wander off into the distance.

“……”

I laid flat, using my Stealth Technique, not making a single sound. The Yama Ghosts had drifted far enough that I had no reason to stay hidden. But even in the surrounding silence, I remained perfectly still, like a cocooned caterpillar.

It’s dangerous.

It’s dangerous…

‘What the hell is this feeling?’

I couldn’t discern. Rationally thinking, there should be nothing around me that poses a threat. The Yama Ghosts I encountered were one step below the Yama Commanders, and the Commanders were one step below the Great Commanders. The highest ranking was the Yama King’s Honor Guard, known as the Demon King. Although the Demon King was said to be powerful enough to capture beings of great spiritual fortitude during their lifetime, I was confident I could defeat even the Demon King if he appeared.

While simple martial arts alone wouldn’t be enough to conquer the Demon King, utilizing Spirit Power or the Immortal Sword would certainly do the trick. No matter how strong the Demon King is, there’s no way he could surpass Peng Zuo.

Yet, even without a sight of the Demon King or any signs nearby, my instincts and gut feelings kept bombarding my brain with warnings.

If I fight or make a noise, I’ll die!

‘Why…?’

I knew it would be foolish to lay low like this, especially when I urgently needed to retrieve the Mirror of Clarity. I recalled Mangnyang’s frantic attempts to conserve time, which only made me more anxious. Although I was filled with impatience, I stubbornly maintained my stealth posture.

I must not disregard the feelings instilled in me through martial prowess. That would be the biggest mistake one could make in a real fight. In many instances, this sensation embodied the essence of my martial arts, and I had no doubt about its validity. Despite thinking of myself as foolish, I minimized my breathing and hardly moved to stay hidden.

……

……

Had I really held out for about an entire moment without moving?

Hu Woong

In a split second, I realized why I was scrunching up so tightly. Just a moment ago, I had felt a chilling sensation sweeping past above my head.

It was definitely killing intent.

If that killing intent had sensed me, it would have surged toward me in that instant.

I was sweating bullets as I thought.

‘Oh… I see. That’s why it’s not safe here…’

This isn’t a safe range.

I had maintained about a fifteen li distance from the Hat Warrior, believing that from this range I could move comfortably. But I must have crept right into the Hat Warrior’s detection range! Just before the Hat Warrior sensed me, my peak expert martial arts intuition warned me of the danger and urged me to hide, which is why I remained safe until now.

Then, could it be…

The twenty li range I had stood in earlier was also within the Hat Warrior’s detection?

‘No way! That’s not a human’s detection ability!’

No matter how skilled one is in the Absolute Realm, that isn’t possible! Twenty li is a distance where several villages could fit. Furthermore, given the turmoil caused by the collapse of Yama Mountain, with hundreds of thousands of Yama Ghosts attacking the Hat Warrior, could he really sense even the tiniest aura from twenty li away amidst such chaos?!

‘… There must be some treasure or spiritual ability at play. That would explain it.’

I too had watched him with my Fire Eye Golden Spirit from afar. If he possessed a similar spiritual ability or treasure, it would indeed be possible. There’s no way someone could reach that level through pure martial discipline alone.

… If that kind of detection range was achieved solely through martial prowess, then it means I wouldn’t even get a chance to draw my sword against him. That’s probably the case.

I gritted my teeth. I had to move from this spot, break through the Yama Hall, and get to the Wheel King’s room, but how long must I stay hidden? Though it’s clear I haven’t been detected yet, I had a gut feeling that even the slightest movement would land me in his detection range.

“……”

It’s exasperating. But I thought of this restlessness as proof of my inexperience, so I decided to hold on stubbornly. I resolved that even if it took a full day, I would get through the current danger first. Though I felt guilty towards Mangnyang, if I were to die here, the outcome would ultimately be the same.

Time passed again.

Zheong!!

From afar, once more the crescent light flickered, bursting forth with a loud sound. Soon after, the silence returned, and I realized the sense of danger that had been plaguing my mind was gradually dissipating.

I awkwardly stood up and surveyed the surroundings with my Fire Eye Golden Spirit, only to be met with a horrifying sight.

‘The Yama Ghosts have been wiped out…’

Not just a few, but hundreds of thousands of Yama Ghosts lay dead, piled like a mountain of corpses. Furthermore, the Yama Commanders and Great Commanders leading them were also dead without exception. It’s strange to say they died in the underworld, but since they were spiritual beings, I knew that upon dying, they would revert back into the underworld.

Clop clop

As I walked over the desolate field of corpses for a while, I examined the bodies and noticed something odd.

“What is this?…”

It was obvious that every single corpse had died from a single sword strike. Yet, peculiarly, the only external wound was a thin line, and there was no blood present. I wondered if perhaps an internal technique had burst them from within, so I looked deeper but again found no internal damage.

If someone who didn’t understand the situation saw this, they might think the Yama Ghosts were just sleeping. However, they were undeniably lifeless with no hope of revival.

I had never seen such martial arts before.

Is it truly possible to kill without any more than these faint wounds?

Moreover, it appeared they had not even put up a fight; how was that accomplished?

No matter how exceptional a world-class martial skill might be, there must always be some evidence or reason left behind for death. Even my relatively clean death marks would indicate internal organs bursting or being damaged. Similarly, sound techniques would clearly show a reason for death visible to any master’s eye.

But this trail completely disregarded the common sense of martial arts.

Could it be that something akin to Thunder Spirit killed them with natural energy, but that didn’t seem to fit either. Had they been sliced by a blade of future technology, like a vibrational blade? If that were the case, I would have sensed it long ago.

The bigger issue was that looking at this thin mark, I could not speculate the origins of its martial arts.

None of the martial arts techniques I knew left such a mark.

How on earth were they cut down?

“Ugh….”

I let out a low murmur and shook my head.

“I need to take a corpse with me.”

I stuffed a bunch of Yama Ghost bodies into my Wooden Armor. If I couldn’t comprehend it now, it might be better to analyze it later. After cautiously scouting around, I quickly made my way toward the Yama Hall.

Tydaht

‘Can it be… empty?’

As I leapt over the wall of the grand palace, the office of the Yama King, I quietly muttered to myself. The absence of guards around the Yama Hall seemed suspicious. However, what troubled me more was whether the Hat Warrior was present or not.

If the Hat Warrior was waiting for me inside the Yama Hall, that’d be the end. I instinctively felt I couldn’t withstand his sword strike. While I remained cloaked, sitting on the edge of my seat, I soon bit hard and made my way inside.

‘It’s been a while since the sense has disappeared! If it left, it should have left by now. I’m going in!’

I gathered my courage and walked into the Yama Hall. After walking for a bit, I began spotting Yama Hall’s guards and commanders sprawled out, lifeless. Most likely the handiwork of the Hat Warrior. As I ventured deeper, I found a chair where the Yama King would usually sit, and it was empty with no owner.

“Hmm…”

According to Mangnyang’s memory, there’s a backdoor that leads out from here. Following that path would lead to the secret room of the Wheel King, where the Mirror of Clarity awaited. I felt a sense of relief at being nearly at my goal. I continued my steps towards the back door and soon enough arrived at my destination.

A colossal door came into view. This door was something that usually couldn’t be opened by ordinary means, relied on for defense so Mangnyang could defend from within. Normally, it would be impossible for a human to open the Wheel King’s room, but I relied on Mangnyang’s memory to cast the unlocking spell.

Kukung!!

I wedged a huge iron bar next to the Yama King’s chair into the gap of the iron door. Then slowly, without straining myself, I began to pull the iron bar towards me, causing the massive iron door, towering three spans high, to begin opening effortlessly.

Kugugugung…

“Wow.”

I marveled at the scene. Originally, there was no way I would be able to open a bar as thick as a human arm, yet it was actually swinging open so lightly!

‘Mangnyang is amazing!’

Mangnyang had figured out that the iron bar next to the Yama King’s chair served as the key to the Wheel King’s room during his exploration of the underworld. I held the iron bar and stepped through the now-open door, and shortly after, it closed slowly behind me.

Inside the Wheel King’s room.

It was my first time coming here, but knowing it through Mangnyang’s memory made it feel familiar. I immediately located the Mirror of Clarity and successfully placed it into my Wooden Armor. Then I used the Suspicious Fishhook to send a message to Mangnyang.

[Mangnyang! I’ve arrived in the Wheel King’s room and grabbed the Mirror of Clarity.]

I could hear Mangnyang’s excited voice in response.

[Well done! Now I’ll use the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan to guide you back to the current world. I’ll open the door, so please wait a moment.]

[But a strange guy intervened along the way…]

[Hmm?]

I narrated everything I had experienced to Mangnyang. He listened without a word before responding.

[It was very good that you didn’t clash with that warrior. However, something about the feeling is off.]

[I think so too. Please help me hurry back to the current world.]

[……]

After a moment of silence, Mangnyang finally spoke.

[No. We can’t go back yet.]

[Huh?]

[Baek Woong. Take out the Mirror of Clarity from your Wooden Armor again. And…]

Mangnyang instructed me on what to do. I tilted my head at his remarks.

[Why should I do that? I could simply return to the current world…]

[We are out of time. The way I see it, he could arrive at any moment. Hurry up.]

[Got it.]

I followed Mangnyang’s instructions.

Pa-at!

Moments later, silence passed, stretching for about half a moment. Once that time had elapsed, the silence shuddered as the door slowly ajar.

Creeeak

As the door to the Wheel King’s chamber opened, the Hat Warrior strolled in leisurely. He looked around the room, seemingly searching for something, but with his large hat, his face remained hidden from view. After scouring the room thoroughly for a moment, he slowly approached where I was.

……

Who the hell are you?

Who are you to be chasing me?

I wanted to ask, but the situation didn’t allow for it. After a long time of peering into the space I occupied, he cautiously reached out, only to give up and silently retreat, exiting back through the door of the Wheel King.

“Ha ha.”

Suddenly, I burst forth from the Mirror of Clarity accompanied by a flash of light. I had activated the Mirror of Clarity, hiding within the world inside it as per Mangnyang’s plans. No matter how much of a Hat Warrior he was, he wouldn’t suspect I was concealed within the Mirror, making this ploy a success. It truly seemed that the Hat Warrior had been unable to track me down.

I wiped the sweat from my brow due to the tension. Once again, I communicated with Mangnyang.

[Mangnyang. He searched the Wheel King’s room and then left.]

[Did you see his face?]

[I… couldn’t. Even using my Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I couldn’t see it at all…]

That was a bit strange. The Fire Eye Golden Spirit also possessed distant sight capabilities, but bizarrely, I couldn’t view the Hat Warrior’s face.

[Regardless, the Baek Woong hidden in the Mirror of Clarity was undetectable… It means he can’t glimpse into the Mirror’s internal world. And since he didn’t randomly break or take anything… it seems he isn’t all-knowing.]

Murmuring to himself, Mangnyang seemed disappointed.

[Baek Woong. Given this situation, stay in that room a bit longer before returning.]

[Why? Why have you been so adamant about sending me back to the current world since earlier?]

[He might come following your trail.]

[……]

That’s possible!

[Your venture into the underworld was a secret plan that no one in the world would know about. Yet that Hat Warrior arrived and seemed to wait for me just in time. He undoubtedly possesses remarkable detection skills, and if we recklessly utilize the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan’s power, he could track us to where we are.]

[Ugh.]

[We must proceed with extreme caution as long as we don’t know his identity.]

It was a valid point. Mangnyang’s wariness was understandable. As I nodded my head, Mangnyang continued.

[As it stands, you should know that there are hidden treasures within the Wheel King’s chamber. Let’s try to find that out as well.]