Chapter 35

===================
Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
===================

**

Myeong-ryun, a disciple of the Secret Arts Pavilion, swallowed his saliva and analyzed the current situation.

‘The situation is not good!’

The scholar-sorcerers of the Ghost Immortal Valley were unmatched under heaven when it came to evil arts derived from demonic qi, to the point that rumors circulated about them being the descendants of the Demonic Cult destroyed by Immortal Sanfeng.

Furthermore, what decided victory or defeat for Taoist sorcerers was not so much their innate skill, but rather how well-prepared they were; the scholar-sorcerers of the Ghost Immortal Valley were better prepared than them, the Wudang Sect, and were not lagging far behind in skill either.

Even without sensing it through the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition, this place was a land of death for the Wudang Sect.

‘The surrounding natural qi is stagnant, as if pooled, and does not flow. At this rate, the power of Taoist secret arts that take only a short time to cast will be halved. It will also be difficult to unfold high-level martial principles.’

Still, the fortunate part was that the ‘modified warriors’ that the Ghost Immortal Valley boasted of were not seen among them.

Even though the tiger monster Qiuer, which seemed to have lost its reason, and the black dog monsters Penghou were swarming in.

‘If their skill is enough to defeat the Plum Blossom Swordsmen of the Mount Hua Sect!’

Although it would be difficult to display high-level martial arts in a space where natural qi seemed to have stopped, they would be able to buy some time. And if the technique formation were broken so they could fully display their skill? Then, they, the Wudang Sect Taoists, would also be able to freely use grand spells to their heart’s content, so they did not think they would lose.

Myeong-ryun’s thoughts ended within the blink of an eye.

“Junior brothers! Buy me just a little time! If we undo the evil art cast on this iron stake, the technique formation that stops the flow of true qi will be broken!”

After shouting, he immediately discussed how to break the technique formation with his junior brothers from the Secret Arts Pavilion.

“The wave of demonic qi obstructing the flow of natural qi is the problem.”

“Moreover, an earth-burrowing spell is also woven into it, so it will be difficult to pull out with human strength.”

“While the junior brothers hold off the Penghou and Qiuer, if we neutralize the demonic interference wave on the stake and summon demons and monsters, we should be able to pull out the stake even with the earth-burrowing spell on it.”

“Let us try it.”

At that moment, Yeon Baek-jung, the youngest of the Wudang Sect group, approached Myeong-ryun’s side.

“Senior brothers, this stake is one of the biggest obstacles, right?”

“Huh? Yes. This stake is a major axis of the technique formation.”

“Then if we pull out that stake, will the technique formation also become nullified?”

“Y-yes. But if you touch it carelessly, your upper dantian will be eroded by the demonic qi…”

Even before he could stop him, his junior brother grabbed the iron stake without hesitation.

In an instant, the stagnant natural qi around them shook violently.

**

‘How dare they.’

An anger, the reason for which was hard to guess, paradoxically cleared my head. Listening to the words of the senior brothers gathered around the iron stake, I was able to immediately grasp its role.

‘So it is because of that stake that my internal energy feels like it is being severed piece by piece.’

Senior Brother Myeong-hun, who was blocking the lunging Penghou with his sword, and Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang, who was brandishing both hands with the child on her back, were clearly unable to display their full skill.

It was because Wudang’s unique Force Release formulas, which should flow continuously without interruption, were not being properly implemented.

Although dealing with the Penghou was not a big problem even in that situation.

‘But the Qiuer is different.’

Dealing with the monster named Qiuer, who had easily escaped even the encirclement—loose as it might have been—of the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Swordsmen, would not be easy. Moreover, the riffraff ‘Scholars’ and ‘Masters’ of the Ghost Immortal Valley, who were mumbling something while shining their eyes at them from the mountainside, would surely be plotting something as well.

There was nothing good about dragging out time.

Synthesizing the words of the Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers, I immediately grasped the operating principle of the iron stake covered in talismans.

The principle of the demonic interference wave stopping the flow of true qi.

It was the destructive interference of waves.

Perhaps because the iron stake possessed a significant amount of demonic power, it was severing even the flow of true qi of the Elixir Condensation Stage piece by piece.

On top of that, I could even hear a strange voice in my head.

It was a resentful voice telling me to die, or asking why I had not saved them.

In a word, it felt like my head was becoming noisy.

It felt as though some noise had become wedged in my head.

In that situation, I pushed my way through the senior brothers and approached the iron stake.

‘If I apply the noise-canceling effect of electrical wires.’

In the butterfly dream, countless mechanical devices used electricity as power to display mysterious effects to the world.

And because that electricity, just as the great Maxwell (Pulse extreme four positions) had said, was no different from magnetic force.

Since the magnetic field caused by moving charges generated electromagnetic interference, it was a severe obstacle to the operation of the mysterious mechanical devices.

It was the same principle as the flow of natural qi stopping due to the demonic qi that occupied this space.

However, the ‘Doctors’ in the butterfly dream gathered their wisdom to cancel out the effect of that noise.

‘I will twist the true qi and let it flow.’

If the wires were not made in a straight line but formed by twisting the strands, the internal and external noise could be canceled. This was because the current caused by noise was canceled by the current of the twisted wires.

Similarly, I twisted the true qi that was about to be severed piece by piece through the Silk Reeling Force and let it flow into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. It was a cultivation possible because it was pure internal energy that had reached the Elixir Condensation Stage. The strands of internal energy, intertwined like arteries and veins, flowed in opposite directions and canceled out the invasion by the demonic qi.

‘It works.’

Indeed, the wisdom of ‘Doctors’ could not be undone by the evil arts of ‘Scholars’ and ‘Masters.’

While canceling out the interfering demonic power with my internal energy, I grabbed the stake. It seemed to be driven in quite deeply, as the resistance was considerable, but.

Yank!

I pulled the stake out with all my might.

**

This was the wisdom of a ‘Doctor’ who had survived despite experiencing countless trials and errors.

The Ghost Immortal Valley ‘Master’ who was chanting spells with closed eyes snapped his eyes open.

‘What is this?’

Suddenly, wind was felt.

It meant that the true qi which had stopped was flowing again.

In other words, it meant that the Stillness Control Formation that they, the scholar-sorcerers of the Ghost Immortal Valley, had painstakingly created was broken.

“Ugh! Over there!”

“How on earth is that possible!”

His subordinates, the ‘Scholars,’ pointed toward one side in a clamor.

It was the Taoists of the Wudang Sect surrounded by a pack of Penghou.

Among them, the youngest-looking Taoist had pulled out one of the pillars of the technique formation that the ‘Master’ himself had set up.

It was hard to believe even after seeing it.

‘How?’

Unless one knew the exact method of neutralization, the invasion of demonic qi emitted by the completed technique formation would affect the circulation of internal energy and the upper dantian even of a Wudang Sect elder-level figure.

Did that mean that boy was of the Wudang Sect elder-level?

‘That is absurd!’

The realistically impossible possibility was erased from his mind. Then, what was the remaining possibility?

‘He must be a genius of techniques.’

Considering he was with the disciples of the Secret Arts Pavilion and looking at his tattered upper garment, it seemed his martial power was not outstanding either.

Furthermore, in order to cancel out the demonic power, the consumption of telekinetic force in his upper dantian would be considerable. He would not be able to use any more strength.

In other words, it meant that the weakest link among the current Wudang Sect personnel was that young Taoist.

Having finished his calculations, the ‘Master’ immediately filled his voice with demonic power and shouted.

“Concentrate the Penghou and Qiuer on that young Taoist!”

Following the Master’s words, the clamoring Scholars braced themselves and began to chant their spells.

With that, the monsters swarmed toward the young disciple of the Wudang Sect.

**

But soon, the Ghost Immortal Valley Master realized that his thinking was wrong.

Wringing the neck of a Penghou that threw its body like a piece of straw, I thought.

‘What? Is he an idiot?’

As expected, a Master was just a Master.

-Concentrate the Penghou and Qiuer on that young Taoist!

Thanks to that, breathing room was created for the senior brother and senior sister.

The senior brother and senior sister, who made eye contact with me, blended into the shade of the trees using the concealment method of the Night-Walking Body Skill—one of the Wudang Nine Ultimate Achievements—in addition to the Flowing Cloud Movement Skill.

Meanwhile, I wrung the necks of nine Penghou and stacked them at my feet like a barrier to block the front.

Although the bite force of the Penghou was considerable, the power of their front paws when swung like a tiger’s was not much different from that of a somewhat robust wild dog.

‘I only need to watch out for their poison and teeth.’

The more Penghou approached, the more easily I could build the barrier, and the wider the range of movement for the Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers became.

Having gained some leeway, the senior brothers threw talismans into the air and began to chant their spells.

However, no immediate change occurred.

I knew instinctively that I had to buy time for the senior brothers to cast their techniques.

The barrier became even sturdier with the corpses of Penghou added in a short span of time.

Only then did the foolish Scholars and Masters of the Ghost Immortal Valley seem to realize that something had gone wrong, as they.

“Activate the Qiuer’s Tiger’s Roar!”

shouted and pulled out a book from the bundle on their back.

Meanwhile, hearing the command, the Ghost Immortal Valley Scholars raised their dark-red scepters high and began to chant spells.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The different syllables coming from the mouths of the three Scholars mixed and clumped together, turning into an unintelligible shout. As the pitch of their voices rose, blood trickled down from their eyes and noses.

With that, the pupils of the tiger monster named Qiuer also began to be dyed red.

‘What is that?’

The Qiuer began to open its mouth wide.

In the opened tiger’s mouth, a dense red energy formed to a visible degree.

“Keu-heong!”

Along with the roar, demonic qi erupted toward us.

“…Swiftly obey the command!”

The Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers finished their spells and stepped forward in front of me.

At the same time, streaks of black wind rose around the senior brothers and began to collide with the red energy spewed by the Qiuer.

With a sizzling sound, natural qi was causing electrical discharge at the boundary between the Tiger’s Roar spat out by the Qiuer and the black wind generated by the Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers.

At that sight, a small inspiration flashed through my head. However, there was no time to be intoxicated by inspiration.

Sweat formed profusely on the senior brothers’ foreheads, and the energy around their upper dantian fluctuated wildly.

It was a situation where neither of the two energies could gain the upper hand. If any of the senior brothers lost their strength, it would be dangerous.

Since the Penghou did not dare to approach due to the collision of the two forces, I left the side of the senior brothers and blended into the shadows of the trees, mixing the Flowing Cloud Movement Skill with the cultivation of the Night-Walking Body Skill.

Passing through the shadows, with my widened vision, the sight of the space above the Master’s head slowly splitting open came into view, and I could tell instinctively.

‘Is that… the Empty Gate?!’

It was said to be a passage that called monsters into the world, and also a gate that summoned specters.

Along with the recognition, the sensitivity of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition also rang an alarm. The energy of the heavens and earth in all directions was visible strand by strand and was felt through my skin.

I immediately began to move my steps, becoming one with the fluctuating true qi toward the Master.

**

The Scholar, bleeding from his eyes and nose, chanted spells endlessly with a desperate feeling that his life was on the line. The moment he stopped now, he would be hit by the Wudang Sect’s secret technique, the ‘Wind-Raising Thunder-Striking Art.’

However, sometimes there were things that had nothing to do with one’s will.

“Keu-heok!”

No matter how much one wagged their tongue, if the air leaked through the lungs, a voice would not come out.

“Just die already.”

Along with a hollow voice heard in his ear, the Ghost Immortal Valley Scholar could see a sword protruding between his breastbones.

That was the last sight the Ghost Immortal Valley Scholar saw.

This was not much different for the Scholar standing next to him either.

With a crunching sound, his breastbone collapsed, robbing the Scholar of his vision and erasing his voice.

It was the work of Myeong-hun and Yi Chae-yang, who had gained leeway as the Penghou concentrated on Yeon Baek-jung.

By the time the two of them claimed the life of the last Scholar.

“Keong!”

The red energy spewed from the Qiuer’s mouth faded, and a black storm pressed down on the Qiuer’s entire body, sealing its movements.

“Keu-heong!”

The beast could only spit out a useless cry.

As dozens of talismans scattered by the Secret Arts Pavilion disciples stuck to the Qiuer’s body, its eyes slowly began to close.

However, that was not the end.

“Junior brother!”

“I know!”

Myeong-hun and Yi Chae-yang did not miss the space above the Master’s head slowly splitting open before their eyes.

If the Empty Gate opened, there was no telling what kind of monster would be summoned next. However, the hands of Myeong-hun and Yi Chae-yang were not needed to deal with the Ghost Immortal Valley Master.

This was because, with a snapping sound, the cervical vertebrae of the Ghost Immortal Valley Master were shattered.

“We don’t need to treat this guy like a Blood Selling Cult blood ghoul, right?”

At Yeon Baek-jung’s question, Myeong-hun nodded his head.

Along with that nod, the gap in space that was slowly opening also closed, and soon, as if such a gap had never opened, no trace remained in the air.

Only the dead bodies of the Ghost Immortal Valley scholar-sorcerers and the corpses of the monsters told the tale of what had happened here.

**

“Hum hum.”

“Good.”

The Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers looked to be in a good mood.

Although they pursued and eliminated all the surviving Penghou, they did not incinerate them as before.

Instead, they drew blood from their bodies and skinned them.

“Honestly, it was a waste.”

“If not for the harm to the commoners.”

“With this much Penghou blood, we won’t have to scrape wooden pillars for a while.”

“Is that all? If we hand it over to the Tang Clan, we will even be able to exchange it for ores that only come out of Sichuan.”

In this place with few signs of human presence, the senior brothers could freely take what they wanted from the corpses of the monsters. That sight was not unfamiliar.

‘Since the more experimental specimens there are, the better.’

As expected, even if they were Taoists, it seemed that human greed was merely suppressed, not completely gone.

And the same went for me.

“I think I heard that the Qiuer’s inner core is used in the manufacture of spiritual elixirs.”

“Yes. It is one of the important raw ingredients of the Supreme Clarity Pill.”

“They say the fewer wounds there are, the more intact the inner core is.”

The Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers who had retrieved the Penghou corpses also joined in retrieving the Qiuer’s corpse, so.

“You junior brothers are in luck.”

“Pardon?”

“The Ghost Immortal Valley Scholars triggered the Tiger’s Roar through the Qiuer’s demonic qi.”

“Thanks to that, a significant portion of the demonic qi mixed in the inner core must have disappeared.”

“Because the value of a specter’s inner core from which the demonic qi has been cleared is beyond imagination.”

“If we request Elder Medicine Immortal, we will easily get about five Supreme Clarity Pills.”

At the words of the Secret Arts Pavilion senior brothers, my eyes met with Senior Brother Myeong-hun and Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang, and we wiped away our drool.

**

Having also eliminated the monster Qiuer that spawned the Penghou, we returned directly to the Wudang Sect.

Meanwhile, the child who had fallen asleep on Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang’s back opened its eyes.

“What is your name?”

“…”

“Do you remember your father’s name?”

“…”

The problem was that the child did not speak.

Senior Brother Myeong-ryun spoke to us via sound transmission.

[If you hand the child over to us, we might be able to stimulate the upper dantian and make it speak…]

Senior Brother Myeong-ryun’s opinion was dismissed by the rest of the group with their eyes.

The child was rolling its eyes anxiously, holding tightly to the hem of my clothes near my thigh. At the sight of the child, Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang quietly sent a sound transmission.

[The child has sturdy bones. If we have the child train at the Prince Slope and mingle with peers… won’t the day come when it recovers from the shock?]

Everyone except Senior Brother Myeong-ryun nodded their heads at Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang’s opinion.

And everyone’s gaze gathered on me.

It was because the child would not leave my side.

‘Is this what they call the imprinting effect?’

Like the saying that ducklings regard the first object they see upon hatching as their mother, the child’s small and weak hand held onto my ring finger and pinky finger.

It seemed to have no intention of letting go.