Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 306
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 306
How cowardly this so-called Immortal is.
Only after persuading him again and again that I wouldn’t attack did the Sword Ancestor come down to the ground, still with a face full of wariness.
He kept his distance as well.
In case of a sudden attack.
Moreover, the emotions contained in his eyes as he looked at Zhuge Munhyeon were… curiosity? Doubt? They seemed filled with all sorts of complex things.
“Who are you?”
“Zhuge Munhyeon.”
“Do you think I asked for your name?”
“Then what did you ask?”
“What I mean is… Hah, never mind. Never mind. You don’t seem to know what situation you’re in yet, so asking would be pointless.”
The Sword Ancestor sighed and shook his head.
‘That guy…’
Zhuge Munhyeon, frowning, also had many things he wanted to ask.
“What are you?”
“I’m called the Sword Ancestor.”
“Sword Ancestor?”
“Yes, I’m an ascetic from Taeudon seeking to understand the true meaning of the sword.”
Though it was a lukewarm introduction, from Zhuge Munhyeon’s perspective as he listened, it was eye-opening.
Taeudon?
Since he was fighting with the kids, I thought he was some petty immortal who came coveting spirit energy.
That Taeudon I was looking for?
Taeu…
‘Holy shit!’
What was my purpose in coming to Huashan?
There was the purpose of appealing for the unity of the Nine Sects, but that was on a grand scale, and personally, I intended to visit Taeudon to learn real immortal arts.
But an immortal from Taeudon appeared out of nowhere.
Whether you go sideways or straight, as long as you reach your destination, but unfortunately, friction arose with the Taeudon immortal. And in the process, though it regenerated, I completely destroyed one of his arms?
‘Damn… I should have talked it out from the start. He was someone who used his power sparingly toward the cave, worried the kids might get hurt.’
Zhuge Munhyeon, suddenly filled with regret, stealthily observed the Sword Ancestor’s mood.
How should I cheer him up?
I thought about it, but nothing particularly came to mind.
For now… let’s smile.
Respectful speech is natural.
“Haha, so you were an immortal from Taeudon. Not knowing this, I committed a great discourtesy.”
“…”
The Sword Ancestor made an expression as if he’d seen something disgusting at Zhuge Munhyeon’s sudden smile, change of speech, and friendly behavior.
He must be wondering why this guy is suddenly acting like this.
But what does it matter?
He says he’s from Taeudon, so there’s no need to make enemies.
Apologize and be forgiven.
How difficult could that be?
I already saw him flying through the sky like a bird.
Compared to that, what is walking on air, and what is walking on snow without leaving traces?
Compared to him, even Dharma who supposedly crossed the river on a reed is nothing.
‘There’s no comparison. He flies around…’
The Immortal Realm is right before my eyes.
Let’s try to look as appealing as possible.
As much as possible…
“Hey, what are you kids doing over there? Come here quickly and greet the immortal from Taeudon!”
“Huh?”
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had glanced back, called to the three people gathered by the cave, watching nervously.
“Aren’t you coming quickly?”
At Zhuge Munhyeon’s urging, the three people approached hesitantly.
They were full of wariness.
From their perspective, Zhuge Munhyeon’s attitude was puzzling.
The person who had been fighting desperately to the death just moments ago was suddenly changing his demeanor and treating him like an elder he’d known for years.
Considering his usual personality…
But!
“Please understand, Lord Sword Ancestor. These kids are quite shy. Hahaha!”
Zhuge Munhyeon didn’t care at all.
His life as an immortal depended on this meeting.
It was then, as he resolved to act as appealing as possible and become a promising(?) immortal…
“You there.”
“Yes!”
Whether the Sword Ancestor looked displeased or not, Zhuge Munhyeon answered with a deep smile.
“Why are you suddenly speaking respectfully?”
“But Lord Sword Ancestor, your way of speaking has changed too, hasn’t it?”
“Well…”
Come to think of it, that was true.
His speech that ended with ‘da’ had changed to ‘hage’ style.
It seemed to have naturally happened because of Zhuge Munhyeon’s way of speaking.
“Still, don’t smile meaninglessly. It’s disgusting.”
“But you’re much older than me and a senior in the immortal path…”
“Senior, what senior. Where is such a thing among those who walk the path of cultivation?”
“Still…”
“Your level is already similar to mine, so there’s no need to be bound by the constraints of human relationships.”
“Ah…”
At the Sword Ancestor’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon nodded obediently.
It meant that ability equals status.
Zhuge Munhyeon was much more familiar with that approach. He had lived in the Demonic Path where one was respected solely based on ability.
“But it seems you’ve heard of Taeudon?”
“…Yes.”
He was still trying to smile, but not using respectful speech made it much easier to interact.
“Hmm, you seemed to know nothing about basic immortal arts, so I thought you were a drifting cloud, but you weren’t completely ignorant. But where did you learn Embryonic Breathing? It doesn’t sound like you accidentally awakened to spirit energy?”
Drifting cloud.
He knew that referred to someone who had awakened to spirit energy but didn’t belong to any faction.
“I learned it from Yongbuhwa, an ascetic of Bosan Pavilion.”
“Bosan Pavilion? So you were an immortal belonging to Bosan Pavilion? But why don’t you know anything except Embryonic Breathing?”
“Because I’m not affiliated with them.”
“What?”
“Learning Embryonic Breathing from Yongbuhwa was due to personal connection, and it was Bosan Jeongju who told me about Taeudon.”
“Bosan Jeongju told you about Taeudon?”
“Yes. He said I wasn’t inclined to learn talisman arts and told me to seek out Taeudon since there are those who seek to understand immortality through martial arts.”
“I see, so that’s how it happened. That’s how it was.”
The Sword Ancestor nodded as if he finally understood.
His wariness also disappeared.
His expression was like facing someone from the same group.
‘Is it like an orthodox sect?’
That’s probably what it was.
Just as Murim is divided, I heard that the world of immortals is also distinguished by factions.
Places like Bosan Pavilion and Taeuldon would be the orthodox sects, while creatures like gwi, yo, and gui would be equivalent to unorthodox sects or Mado, and Buyun would be… perhaps a wanderer?
Zhuge Munhyeon tried to gauge the world of immortals based on his own experience.
“So the reason you were looking for Taeuldon was to enter an immortal sect?”
“Something like that.”
“Hmm…”
At Zhuge Munhyeon’s answer, the Sword Ancestor nodded again.
Zhuge Munhyeon.
The spiritual energy he possessed was comparable to that of a decisive monk.
He seemed to know how to use the Five Elements energy as well.
However, his foundation was lacking.
“Your order is all mixed up.”
“Something like that. I received some teachings, but mostly I enlightened myself.”
“By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Remarkable. That couldn’t have been easy…”
After pondering for a moment, the Sword Ancestor looked at Zhuge Munhyeon and said.
[Perhaps the experiences from your previous life helped you?]
“…!?”
Zhuge Munhyeon was startled for a moment.
Previous life?
Could the Sword Ancestor see it too?
Come to think of it, most of those who had reached the realm of Half-Immortals had said similar things.
Calling him someone wearing another’s skin, or having two souls.
Fortunately, the Sword Ancestor seemed to consider the three people nearby and spoke using their exclusive method of communication.
A method of sound transmission that resonated in the mind, similar to but different from sound transmission.
Zhuge Munhyeon was inwardly grateful for his consideration.
Though they had started with a fight upon meeting, the more he saw of him, the more likeable he became.
However, since he didn’t know immortal arts, he replied using sound transmission.
[Yes, in my previous life I cultivated seeking Ascension to Immortality.]
[I see. Were you a Taoist then? I heard they misunderstand the concept of realms and call the afterlife ascension to immortality.]
[Ah, I wasn’t a Taoist… think of me as a similar existence.]
He couldn’t bring himself to say he was the Heavenly Demon.
[Well, it doesn’t matter. Whatever your past was, what’s important is the present.]
[Thank you for thinking that way.]
[Nothing to thank me for…]
The Sword Ancestor chuckled and looked at the three people fidgeting behind Zhuge Munhyeon.
“But have those people also accumulated cultivation in the immortal way?”
“That’s not the case.”
“No?”
“Right, they’re all different cases. Two were born with spiritual roots, and one accidentally learned a power similar to spiritual energy.”
“I see, now that you mention it, I understand. One has sealed their spiritual energy and another has… mixed it, albeit weakly.”
This was his assessment of Dan Yeonhwa and Jin Yalim.
“But… what’s the deal with this one?”
“What do you mean?”
“If my eyes aren’t mistaken, he has the makings of a Demon Immortal.”
“Makings of a Demon Immortal?”
“Yes.”
His assessment of Mujin was different from the previous two.
“I don’t know the details myself, but I do know that unstable power is dangerous. I heard it could potentially distort the realms of immortals and humans.”
“…?”
At the Sword Ancestor’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon turned his head to look at Mujin.
He also looked confused.
Makings of a Demon Immortal?
Could distort the distinction between realms?
Just as he was bewildered by this unexpected story, he heard Mujin muttering with a grimace.
“Damn it, because of that Evil Seed bastard, my fate…”
“…”
Full of lament.
That damn kid.
He curses at every opportunity.
Did I tell you to learn it?
Did anyone push you to learn the Mad Soul Art?
He got enchanted by power and learned it himself, yet who is he cursing?
But he couldn’t just leave it alone.
He was the disciple who inherited his final mental insights.
“Are you certain about that? That Mujin has the makings of a Demon Immortal?”
“Hmm, well… I’m not entirely sure either. Perhaps Dongju would know.”
“Could I meet him?”
“Though you haven’t left the human realm yet, since you said you have a connection with Bosan Jeongju, he probably won’t refuse.”
“That’s fortunate. Then I ask of you. I’d like to meet Taeul Dongju.”
“All three of them?”
“They’re people with at least some spiritual energy flowing through them anyway. With Taeuldon’s help, they might become stronger than they are now…”
“True enough.”
The Sword Ancestor readily nodded.
Thus, the journey to Taeuldon was decided.
It was an unexpected meeting and course of action, but fate seemed to lead that way.
Of course, they had to stop by Huashan first.
Since there would be no need to return to Huashan again, they had to say their farewells.
“We’ll have to walk, won’t we?”
“Probably?”
“This has become troublesome. It’s farther than I thought.”
“I’ll try my best to keep up.”
“Your best…”
The Sword Ancestor sighed.
Being someone who flies around, human light body techniques probably wouldn’t satisfy him.
But what could be done?
There was a group to accompany…
“Ah, because of that Evil Seed bastard.”
Meanwhile, Mujin drooped his shoulders with a dejected expression, and Dan Yeonhwa patted him consolingly.
Those guys…
He wanted to smack them on the head, but now he was a learned person who knew there were times when calm persuasion was needed.
“Mujin.”
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t you rather be grateful to him?”
“What? Grateful? To that Evil Seed bastard?”
“Tsk tsk, how can you know one thing but not two?”
“Not know? What do you mean…?”
“You were born with the Blood Moon Eyes.”
“Blood Moon Eyes…?”
“They call it that when the pupils take on a red, blood-like tint.”
“Ah….”
“That means you were born with the energy of the Heavenly Killing Star, making it hard to control your killing intent. If left alone, even after learning Wudang’s Taoist Secret Techniques, you would have been destined to become a killing demon.”
Mujin nodded his head.
Because that’s exactly what had happened.
There had been more than a few times when it was difficult to suppress the surging killing intent.
“It’s only because you learned the Mad Soul Art and your eyes changed to black obsidian that you’ve remained fine until now. Should I say the demonic nature suppressed the killing intent? No, rather, I’d say it was a great help because it could transform that killing intent into anger.”
“Is, is that so?”
“Also, wasn’t it thanks to learning that Mad Soul Art that you met me?”
“That’s true, but….”
“Nothing in this world comes for free. Everything flows within the bonds of fate. In other words, the Mad Soul Art was destined to be connected with you from the beginning. So now, stop resisting and accept him as your master.”
“…Immeasurable Buddha.”
If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.
Perhaps having gained some insight from these words that pierced through truth, Mujin chanted a Buddhist phrase and nodded his head.
It seemed he would no longer grumble about calling himself an ‘Evil Seed’ or such things.
“Come, let’s go. We need to stop by Mount Hua on our way.”
“Yes.”
As he quickened his pace, Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa hurriedly followed behind.
However.
‘What the… dong? Spirit energy? Monk? Damn it, what the hell is all this nonsense?’
Only Jin Yalim still couldn’t understand the situation that had befallen him.
For him, all of this was completely new information he was hearing for the first time in his life.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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