Chapter 122
Cho Woo-Kyung, the disciple of the Qiankun Hands and the Daybreak Swordmaster, could not close his mouth. Right before his very eyes, Baek Mu-Gun was pushing his two masters back using powerful martial arts.
‘Where did such a monster come from?’
Even though they seemed to be around the same age, Mu-Gun’s ability still dumbfounded him. Woo-Kyung thought that no one among his peers could surpass him. Befitting his confidence, his martial prowess was at the Upper Intermediate Peak Realm, and certainly not on the weak side of it either.
However, compared to him, Mu-Gun was on an entirely different level. From Woo-Kyung’s perspective, Mu-Gun seemed to have gone past the Peak Realm. Otherwise, he definitely would not have been able to drive his two masters into a corner. It would already be surprising if Mu-Gun had reached the Absolute Realm, but he had actually gone beyond that. Such a monster had never existed in murim before.
Woo-Kyung’s perplexity was nothing in comparison to how shocked Seok Gang and Geom Woo-Saeng were, given that they were the ones fighting Mu-Gun. It was difficult for them to understand why they were the ones frantically trying to defend against Mu-Gun’s attacks instead of the other way around.
‘How could this be?’
With enough concessions, they could understand Mu-Gun reaching the Absolute Realm, especially when taking his insane talent into consideration. Still, that didn’t explain how Mu-Gun could launch a one-sided offensive against two high-ranking Absolute Realm masters.
As commonly said, even if someone started learning martial arts in their mother’s womb, they still would not be able to reach such a level. Contrary to popular belief, however, Mu-Gun had managed to reach this far at his tender age. All things considered, it was certainly possible for him to become the best martial artist in the world—no, he could even become the strongest martial artist of all time.
The two couldn’t help but think how great it would be to be standing next to Mu-Gun when he reached that level. To that end, they were even willing to devote the rest of their lives to him. Mu-Gun could likely lead their pretentious disciple properly as well.
Simultaneously reaching a decision, Seok Gang and Woo-Saeng stepped far back.
“Stop! That should be enough to decide the outcome of this match,” Seok Gang said.
Seok Gang knew that if Mu-Gun had made up his mind and given it his all, he would have already defeated them. The match only lasted this long because he had been holding back.
“Do you admit defeat?”
“I have lost,” Woo-Saeng replied.
Mu-Gun looked at Seok-Gang next.
“Same here.”
“Then, as per the conditions of our match, will you both join the Baek Sword Sect as venerable elders?”
“Of course. We plan to uphold our promise.”
“It’s an honor to have you both as venerable elders of our sect. Please take good care of us in the coming future.”
“We should be the ones saying that. Please take good care of us. That aside, who are you really, Young Patriarch Baek? How did you reach such a monstrous level at that young age?”
“The golden lightning that you displayed earlier is quite familiar. Are you perhaps related to the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword?”
“That’s right. Now that it has been mentioned, your golden lightning did look exactly like the martial arts of the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword. Are you perhaps his descendant?”
“That’s right,” Mu-Gun said, not wanting to hide anything from them.
“I thought he died in the battle against the Hell-Blood Demon before he could leave a descendant. I’m surprised he managed to leave such an outstanding descendant around.”
“I was able to improve my martial prowess thanks to the arrangements that the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword prepared. However, I hope that you both keep this a secret. Ah! I would like to ask for your disciple to remain silent about it as well.”
“No worries. We will certainly not reveal it to anyone. Moreover, since we will be working together from now on, it’s best we introduce our disciple as well.”
“I have yet to decide whether I’ll join the Baek Sword Sect,” Woo-Kyung bluntly said.
“Your masters are going. It’s only natural that you come along as our disciple, so stop spouting nonsense.”
“Why should I do that? This is an important, life-changing decision, so I should be the one to make it.”
“If you want to decide otherwise, then spit out all the martial arts you have learned from us.”
“How can I spit out what I’ve learned? Aren’t you being too petty?”
“Petty? This is all for your own good. Serving under a man like Young Patriarch Baek can only do you good.”
“He may go around creating enemies just like you two, my dear masters.”
“You should not pressure him too much. As your disciple said, his life should be up to him to dictate,” Mu-Gun said, implying that he did not care whether Woo-Kyung joined or not.
“Don’t you think that my skills would go to waste, Young Patriarch Baek?” With his pride hurt, Woo-Kyung indirectly asked if Mu-Gun had no desire to recruit him.
“That’s what I’d like to ask you. Isn’t it a pity to lose the chance to become a member of the Baek Sword Sect, which will become the world’s best martial sect in the future?”
“The world’s best martial sect?”
“That’s right. We will sooner or later become the best out there.”
It was difficult for Woo-Kyung to argue against Mu-Gun’s confidence. With the martial arts that Mu-Gun had displayed a while ago, he could certainly become the strongest martial artist in the world. Hence, it wasn’t impossible for the Baek Sword Sect, Mu-Gun’s sect, to become the world’s best martial sect either.
“Moreover, I can lead you to greater heights.”
“Cough, it is my natural obligation as a disciple to follow my masters,” Woo-Kyung said, unable to refuse the offer anymore.
“Natural obligation as our disciple? Do you hear the crap you’re saying? There is nothing to gain from acting in such a way,” Seok Gang said.
“Hehe, what are you saying, my dear masters? Do you really think I would leave you two? I was just trying to look cool. I was planning to join the Baek Sword Sect from the start. I swear to the Heavens.” Woo-Kyung smiled.
Mu-Gun chuckled at Woo-Kyung’s cheekiness.
“Can we introduce ourselves to each other now, then?”
“Ah! I am Cho Woo-Kyung, the disciple of the Qiankun Hands and the Daybreak Swordmaster. I am turning twenty-four this year.”
“We are the same age. I’m Baek Mu-Gun of the Baek Sword Sect. I hope our friendship blooms and we get along well in the future.”
“Having a friend like you would be an honor, Young Patriarch Baek.”
“How much trouble has the Nine Celestial Demons Sect done?” Woo-Saeng asked after the introductions.
“They have been disguising themselves as murim clans and have taken control of a group of bandits, thieves, and pirates. Through those groups, they implement their schemes and wreak havoc all over murim. Several demonic practitioners of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect have also shown themselves,” Mu-Gun gave the two masters a brief summary about the Nine Celestial Demons Sect’s activities.
“It seems they haven’t fully resurfaced yet.”
“That’s right. They are probably focusing on reducing the power of murim behind the scenes for now.”
“The forces of murim have to be gathered before they mobilize all of theirs,” Woo-Saeng said.
“That’s also one of the reasons why we are recruiting you two esteemed masters. Is there perhaps anything you have to prepare before heading over to our sect?”
“We have nothing else to prepare, but there is one thing we have to resolve before we leave,” Woo-Saeng said.
“May I ask what that is?”
Rather than answering immediately, Woo-Saeng looked at Seok Gang.
“Considering things have progressed this way, I don’t see why we should keep it a secret,” Seok Gang said.
Woo-Saeng nodded. “It’s related to a divine beast. We have found one in the heart of Mount Nankun.”
“A divine beast?”
“It’s a centipede that is over fifty feet long. We call it the Three-Headed Centipede due to its three heads.”
“Its name alone tells me it’s no ordinary beast.”
“That’s right. Each of its heads possesses a different type of energy and its own thought process, making it difficult to deal with. We have tried to take it down several times already, but after multiple failed attempts, we were left with no other choice but to retreat.”
“It must be a truly amazing beast, considering even the two of you combined weren’t enough to slay it.”
“It is, but it should be easy to take down with your help, Young Patriarch Baek and Master Sunset Sword.”
“What do you say?” Mu-Gun asked Jin Yoo-Sung.
“What else? Of course, we should catch it,” Yoo-Sung answered as if Mu-Gun was asking the obvious.
“Let’s capture the Three-Headed Centipede before we leave, then. To avoid delaying any further, why don’t we hunt it down tomorrow?”
“Okay. Actually, there’s one thing I would like to ask from you.”
“What is it?”
“I would like to have the beast core of the Three-Headed Centipede. We were actually trying to catch it with the intention of feeding its beast core to our disciple.”
“Let’s do that, then,” Mu-Gun gladly accepted. He didn’t covet the Three-Headed Centipede’s beast core in the first place. It would have been great if he could have it, but it was only right for Seok Gang and Woo-Saeng, who had found the Three-Headed Centipede and had been trying to slay it, to take its beast core.
“Is that fine with you as well, Master Sunset Sword?”
“It is.”
Yoo-Sung didn’t particularly want it either.
“Thank you. I was worried about what to do if any of you wanted the Three-Headed Centipede’s beast core. That being said, it makes me feel bad to make you two go through all the hard work with us and not gain anything in return.”
“Please don’t think of it that way. We have already gained a lot from having the two of you and your disciple join the Baek Sword Sect.”
“Hearing you say that sets my mind at ease, Young Patriarch Baek.”
“That aside, we will have to spend the night here. I don’t know if we can all fit in there, though.”
Yoo-Sung looked at the house with concern. It was the only accommodation he could see within the Dieyun Valley. The Baek Sword Sect’s group was composed of eight people. Together with the three who lived here, they numbered eleven in total. The house was too small for everyone to sleep in.
“It’s only one night, not a few days. Can’t we just put up with it and sleep?”
“We will soon be leaving anyway, so if we move the furniture outside, we should be able to get some proper sleep despite the small space.”
“That should do.”
Deciding to spend the night in Dieyun Valley, Mu-Gun and his group moved all the furniture in the house outside, freeing up space. It was too tight for the eleven of them to lie down comfortably, but it was still better than sleeping in the cold wilderness. Mu-Gun’s group and the three men from Dieyun Valley had a simple dinner, then huddled together in the cramped house to sleep.
The next morning, they woke up early and had a quick breakfast before hunting down the Three-Headed Centipede. The Three-Headed Centipede’s cave was an hour deeper into the Dieyun Valley. With Seok Gang and Woo-Saeng’s guidance, Mu-Gun’s group made their way toward it. The path to the cave was extremely rough, making it difficult for ordinary people to traverse. However, it wasn’t that big of an obstacle for Mu-Gun’s group since they were all martial arts practitioners.
“How does the Three-Headed Centipede fight?” Mu-Gun asked.
“Each of its heads has a different thought process, allowing them to move independently. For that reason, although it’s just one divine beast, you should treat it as three separate beings. Moreover, as I have previously said, the three heads use fire qi, ice qi, and thunder qi respectively,” Woo-Saeng kindly replied.
“How does it use those energies?”
“It uses the antennae on its heads to charge up the three energies into a round shape, which it will then launch like a cannonball. It can also use those energies like a sword. Oh, its pincers are also coated with poison.”
“The way you describe it makes it seem as if it’s no different from a martial artist.”
“Believe me when I say that it’s not just as strong as a normal martial artist. Rather, it’s equal to an Absolute Realm master who can use vajra qi.”
“How about its defensive capabilities?”
“It has a shell sturdy enough to deflect vajra qi. Its joint areas are relatively weak, but it can freely contract its body, which makes it hard to target those spots.”
“That’s only because there were only two of us. With Brother Sunset Sword and Young Patriarch Baek’s support, hunting it down will be easy,” Seok Gang refuted.
While having a light drink last night, Seok Gang and Woo-Saeng's friendship with Yoo-Sung grew so deep that they reached brotherly terms.
“Still, we should not let our guard down.”
“That does not exist in my dictionary, so don’t worry.”
They were still talking about the Three-Headed Centipede when they reached its cave. Looking down at it, Mu-Gun noticed it was located in between sharp cliffs and was filled with black clouds.
“What’s that black cloud?”
“It’s the poisonous fog the Three-Headed Centipede spews out.”
“How toxic is it?”
“Touching it does nothing, but you will start losing internal energy if you inhale it.”
“We can’t fight while holding our breaths, so we should get rid of the poisonous fog first.”
“There’s no need to do that. The Three-Headed Centipede has a temperament so fierce that it will walk out of the poisonous fog on its own accord as soon as we enter the cave,” Seok Gang said.
“I see. Then, as we have decided on the way here, I will be in charge of the head that releases the thunder qi, Elder Seok Gang will take the head that releases the fire qi, and Elder Geom Woo-Saeng will take the head that releases the ice qi. Venerable Elder Jin, please support us whenever necessary.”
The three nodded in response to Mu-Gun’s command.
“I will also join in if needed.”
Woo-Kyung expressed his intention to participate in the battle.
“This will be dangerous, so you six should observe us from here,” Mu-Gun warned the Six White Wolves.
“Understood.”
“Now, let’s begin.”
Mu-Gun headed into the cave, and Yoo-Sung, Seok Gang, and Woo-Saeng followed suit. Woo-Kyung and the Six White Wolves remained on standby outside.
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