Chapter 120
Ever since Jo-Yang introduced himself to Baek Mu-Gun and Jin Yoo-Sung, he had been having dinner with them every evening. The two liked Nam Jo-Yang, who was honest and simple, so they didn’t mind. They only had meals together at first, but after a few days, they began to drink together too. With their friendship deepening, Jo-Yang carefully requested Mu-Gun and Yoo-Sung to take a look at his martial arts.
Mu-Gun was curious about the martial arts of the Sea Palace Sect, one of the Three Great Clans of Fujian, anyway, so he gladly accepted Jo-Yang’s request and even personally sparred with him. As the younger brother of Sea Palace Sect Patriarch Nam Jo-Myeong, Jo-Yang naturally fought using the Seventy-Two Sea Palace Chain Sword Art, their sect’s authentic martial arts. As its name suggested, once unleashed, it gave form to a series of chain reactions strong enough to push back the opponent and prevent them from counterattacking.
Jo-Yang’s Seventy-Two Sea Palace Chain Sword Art was so structured that breaking through it proved difficult. Even if its chain reaction did get broken midway, it had a defensive frame strong enough to prevent the battle from becoming one-sided.
If Jo-Yang could properly master the Seventy-Two Sea Palace Chain Sword Art, he would easily reach the Upper Peak Realm. If he had the talent, he could even reach the Absolute Realm. Befitting his honest, upright personality, he had thoroughly honed all the techniques of his Seventy-Two Sea Palace Chain Sword Art, solidifying his foundation.
However, he couldn’t properly utilize it, which was probably due to his lack of practical experience. If he could get more real-life experiences, Jo-Yang’s swordsmanship would likely become far stronger than it currently was. After their spar, Mu-Gun told Jo-Yang about his evaluation, to which Jo-Yang agreed. He then requested Mu-Gun and Yoo-Sung to keep sparring with him on the way to Guangzhou.
Mu-Gun agreed under the condition that Jo-Yang sparred with the Six White Wolves in return. Jo-Yang’s Seventy-Two Sea Palace Chain Sword Art was a completely different sword art from the ones that the Six White Wolves had dealt with, so sparring with him would be a great help to them. Hence, they all spent the rest of their journey sparring with each other.
The Eun Merchant Group’s ship arrived in Guangzhou after twenty-one days at sea. Strong waves and winds posed dangers to them on the way, but they ultimately reached their destination unscathed. As soon as they arrived, Mu-Gun’s party detached from the Eun Merchant Group’s party and began to move on their own.
Mu-Gun’s party had to have already returned to the port in fifteen days, which was when the Eun Merchant Group planned to leave for Wenzhou again. Jo-Yang found it a pity that they had to part with Mu-Gun’s party now but was relieved to hear that they would be heading back together after fifteen days.
After separating from the Eun Merchant Group’s party, Mu-Gun and his group made their way toward Mount Nankun, where the Qiankun Hands and the Daybreak Swordmaster were living. They could reach Mount Nankun in four days if they were quick enough, so they moved as quickly as they could.
They arrived in Mount Nankun in three days—a day earlier than their estimated time of arrival—as a result, but their journey still wasn’t done. They still had to find the Dieyun Valley, which was where the Qiankun Hands and the Daybreak Swordmaster were, at the heart of the mountain. Unfortunately, its name didn’t really help them find it.
Hence, they hired a local herbalist to guide them. The herbalist searched through Mount Nankun for herbs to forage for a living, so they naturally knew all about the ins and outs of the mountain and were bound to know where Dieyun Valley was. With the herbalist’s help, Mu-Gun’s party reached their destination after hiking for a day and a half.
“That’s where Dieyun Valley is.” The herbalist pointed at a valley covered in layers of cloud and fog. According to the herbalist, the Dieyun Valley was known as a forbidden area among the Mount Nankun hunters and herbalists. He said that whenever someone entered its premises, the person would endlessly wander around it as if trapped in a maze and would only be released when they were at death’s doorstep.
The story made Mu-Gun realize that an array formation was protecting Dieyun Valley. As far as Mu-Gun remembered, Qiankun Hands Seok Gang had a very profound knowledge of array techniques.
“Thank you for your hard work. This is your reward.”
Mu-Gun handed a pouch to the herbalist.
“Thank you. I’ve already told you this, but I still think it would be best for you all not to go in there,” the herbalist warned them again.
“Alright. Don’t worry about us and just take care of yourself on your way back.” Mu-Gun sent the herbalist off.
“What do you plan to do? The rumors about it are likely talking about an array formation,” Yoo-Sung asked.
“If an array formation surrounds it, then all we have to do is find its entrance,” Mu-Gun said as if it wasn’t that big of a deal.
“You’re right. My age seems to have affected my memory. For a moment there, I forgot about the extent of your capabilities,” Yoo-Sun said, remembering Mu-Gun’s Thunder God's Heavenly Eyes.
“Well then, shall we go?”
Mu-Gun and his group approached Dieyun Valley, which was located beyond a ridge, but they stopped soon after, having discovered a group approaching from the opposite ridge.
“Has the Heavenly Killer Sect discovered this place?” Yoo-Sung frowned.
Mu-Gun activated the Thunder God's Heavenly Eyes and examined the other group. They were armed with swords and were all wearing blue robes embroidered with a seahorse symbol on both sleeves.
“Judging from their outfit, I doubt they’re from the Heavenly Killer Sect.”
“What are they wearing?” Yoo-Sung asked.
“Blue robes with a seahorse symbol embroidered on both sleeves.”
“They’re probably Nankun Sect martial artists,” Sah Do-Kwang of the Six White Wolves said.
“Nankun Sect?”
“Yes. I heard that the Nankun Sect’s emblem is the seahorse.”
“When did you learn about that?”
“I heard it from the Sea Palace Sect’s martial artists.”
“The Nankun Sect is one of the Guangdon Jin Family’s four great vassal families, so why would they target Dieyun Valley?”
“Their reasons aside, fighting two martial arts masters in Dieyun Valley is too reckless.”
“That’s true. Even though the Nankun Sect is a vassal family of the Guangdong Jin Family, their martial prowess is still no match against the two masters.”
“Is the Nankun Sect perhaps not aware of who’s in Dieyun Valley?” Nak Il-Bang, one of the Six White Wolves, wondered.
“That’s probably the case.”
“What’s your plan? We can probably just leave them be.”
“Let’s wait and observe for a moment.”
Mu-Gun’s party stopped advancing and just observed the Nankun Sect’s martial artists. Mu-Gun wondered whether they could break through the array formation but soon concluded that they probably wouldn’t have to go out of their way to stop the Nankun Sect group. After all, they would likely fail and give up on their own accord anyway, forcing them to head back.
From somewhere, the Nankun Sect’s martial artists busily rolled over three boulders that were as big as a house.
“They... moved some boulders. I have no idea what they’re trying to do.” Yoo-Sung looked puzzled.
“They’ll probably roll those boulders down in an attempt to destroy the array formation,” Mu-Gun guessed.
“Will it work?”
“If the geographic terrain that forms the array formation is destroyed, the array formation can be disrupted.”
“They’re actually using their brains to solve it,” Yoo-Sung commented.
Not long after, the Nankun Sect’s martial artists rolled a boulder down toward the Dieyun Valley. It trailed along the slope of the ridge, destroying the trees that were blocking its path, then bounced and dropped on Dieyun Valley, devastating the whole area.
When the layers of cloud and fog surrounding Dieyun Valley faded, Mu-Gun activated the Thunder God's Heavenly Eyes. Examining the area, he confirmed that the array formation was greatly damaged.
“Their plan worked.”
“They have broken it?” Baek San-Kyung asked.
“That array formation is a maze array. Once you go inside it, it would force you to circle the same path. However, now that its axis has been damaged and the maze no longer functions, it has been rendered useless.”
“Thanks to them, we can head inside with ease,” Yoo-Sung said, finding the current situation actually advantageous.
“They’re making a move.” Neung Jo-Eun of the Six White Wolves pointed to the opposite ridge. The Nankun Sect martial artists were now descending down the ridge and approaching Dieyun Valley.
“What should we do?” Mak Dae-Pung of the Six White Wolves asked.
“We have to take them down.” Do-Kwang looked at Mu-Gun.
“Why do you say so?” Mu-Gun asked.
“Going in now and defeating them might make it easier to recruit the two masters.”
“Well, even if we don’t help, the two masters are skilled enough to stop them on their own. I wonder how much they would actually appreciate our help,” Mu-Gun rebutted.
“We’ll leave a good impression, at the very least.”
“Still, I’m not sure helping them before making sense of the situation is the right move. More importantly, the Nankun Sect is a vassal family of the Guangdong Jin Family. If we harm them, the Guangdong Jin Family will definitely not stay still. Your plan could put us in hostile relations with the Guangdong Jin Family,” Il-Bang objected.
“Even if it does, recruiting the two great masters in Dieyun Valley would still bring far more benefits to our sect,” Do-Kwang refuted back.
“Our help does not guarantee that the two great masters in Dieyun Valley will join us.”
Unwilling to budge, Do-Kwang and Il-Bang held fast to their stances.
“I think it’s best for you to make a decision now, Young Patriarch Baek,” Yoo-Sung urged because the Nankun Sect’s martial artists were now entering Dieyun Valley.
“Let’s find out why the Nankun Sect and the masters in Dieyun Valley are fighting first, then decide what to do from there.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Let’s go.”
Mu-Gun’s party went straight down the ridge and immediately entered Dieyun Valley. After going through multiple layers of clouds and fog, they were greeted by a unique and enigmatic landscape. Like a folding screen, white rocks surrounded the back of the ground basin in the middle of tall trees. A mountain stream flowed vigorously in front of it, making it seem like a dragon frisking around. The shabby house in the ground basin likely served as the Qiankun Hands and the Daybreak Swordmaster’s home.
Together, all those elements created a beautiful, picturesque landscape. However, the battle in the middle of the mountain stream ruined its elegance. Two elderly men and a young man were fighting against the Nankun Sect’s martial artists, who trespassed into Dieyun Valley. Mu-Gun thought Qiankun Hands Seok Gang was probably the barehanded elder, and Daybreak Swordmaster Geom Woo-Saeng was the one with the sword. If so, then the young man fighting alongside them had to be their disciple.
Despite only having three people on their side, they didn’t lose ground against the Nankun Sect martial artists, who were over fifty-strong. Rather, at the rate the situation was progressing, the Nankun Sect martial artists probably would not be able to avoid total annihilation.
Mu-Gun immediately jumped into the middle of the two groups and swung his sword down at the mountain stream, causing it to soar into the air and form a water wall. Not long after, it swooped over the two groups at the same time, forcing them to immediately create more distance between each other. As soon as Mu-Gun, who was standing where the mountain stream used to be, came into view, they looked at him with puzzled gazes.
“Why don’t you all take a bit of a break?” Mu-Gun urged.
“Who are you?” Qiankun Hands Seok Gang asked. A hint of astonishment could be seen in his gaze, having immediately recognized that Mu-Gun was an Absolute Realm master.
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