Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 311

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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 311

Mirror World.

It was a place that truly lived up to its name, ‘a world reflected in a mirror.’

The familiar scenery that looked like an exact replica of Xiaohuashan’s valley they had just passed through evoked an even greater sense of mystery.

There were also some sights they hadn’t seen before.

Simple small cottages built in every corner of the valley and cultivators positioned beside them.

It was like finding different parts within the same picture.

However, there was one thing.

“The flow of time isn’t different or anything, is it?”

“Pardon?”

“Just wondering. There are stories about going to the Immortal Realm and returning to find the axe handle rotted away. Like one day here being a year outside, or vice versa.”

That would be troublesome.

What if he just stopped by briefly, but the outside world flowed quickly and he could never see his parents again?

However.

“You’ve read too many books.”

“Ah…”

“The flow of time isn’t something that can be tampered with carelessly. There won’t be even an inch of error, so don’t worry.”

At Myo Gak’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon set aside his momentary worry and patted his chest in relief.

Thank goodness.

But then.

“Gasp! Th-that…”

Jin Yalim’s eyes widened as he pointed at something with his hand.

And for good reason.

A cultivator was floating while seated in meditation.

But perhaps annoyed by that commotion, Myo Gak waved his hand, and Jin Yalim sat down clutching his head with both hands.

There was a ‘smack!’ sound, so it must have hurt.

“A lowly thing who hasn’t even awakened Spirit Energy, let alone Smoke Energy! How dare you disturb a practitioner’s precious cultivation time?”

“Ugh, this is…”

“This is?”

It was understandable to be angry, having been hit by a child who looked much younger and only came up to his chest.

But Myo Gak was an immortal who wouldn’t tolerate such an attitude.

Smack! Smack smack!

Each time his hand waved, Jin Yalim’s head turned helplessly left and right.

Hmm, quite crisp.

So Spirit Energy could be used in such a way too.

While it was unfortunate that Jin Yalim was getting beaten, Zhuge Munhyeon, who got to see a new way of using Spirit Energy, even secretly practiced it.

“Argh! You damn brat!”

Jin Yalim, who felt like he was being hit by invisible hands, finally drew up his internal energy and charged forward, but it was futile.

Even a Gang Qi master was nothing more than a trivial level before Myo Gak, who had learned immortal arts.

The moment Myo Gak formed a strange hand seal, Jin Yalim stiffened as if bound by something.

“Damn brat?”

Smack!

“I was going to go easy since the Decisive Stage practitioner is with us.”

Smack smack!

His touch was quite harsh.

His hand, visible through Spirit Vision, bent like a whip and struck various parts of Jin Yalim’s body.

That was also a skill.

To avoid all the places he had already hit and strike only the painful spots.

“St-stop! Stop!”

“Stop?”

“…please.”

He must have been in pain too.

No matter how hard he tried, he could only get beaten without being able to move, so he finally added ‘please’ at the end.

What a shame.

To think he’d stop there.

If he had watched just a little more, he would have known for sure.

The rule is that when someone begs for forgiveness saying they were wrong, you should hit them one more time so they can never make eye contact again.

“Hey, Myo Gak.”

“Yes.”

“What was that just now?”

“This?”

With a wave of his hand, Jin Yalim’s chin was struck upward.

“Gah!”

The scream was natural.

He had been hit squarely on the chin.

“That’s also amazing, but I mean the thing that bound Yalim’s body at first. Looking at it, it seemed different from Taoist or Buddhist hand seals? Could it be immortal arts?”

Myo Gak, who had been making a puzzled expression at Zhuge Munhyeon’s question, asked back with a somewhat surprised face.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t learned immortal arts?”

“Ah, well… I’ve only learned Embryonic Breathing.”

“That’s truly amazing. How did you reach the Decisive Stage by learning only Embryonic Breathing? I’ve never even heard that such a thing was possible.”

“…”

“And for someone who has lived just over a hundred years to reach such a level… What incredible talent. No wonder the Sword Ancestor told us to treat you preciously.”

A bitter smile formed at the sight of Myo Gak making an excessive fuss, even spitting as he spoke.

How tactless.

To say such things when everyone was listening.

But fortunately, everyone seemed too distracted by the amazing sights to hear the part about ‘a hundred years.’

“This is a basic immortal art called Binding Curse.”

“Binding Curse?”

“That’s right. Each immortal sect calls it by different names, but it’s a fundamental technique that uses Spirit Energy to bind an opponent’s body.”

“Hmm, like pressure point strikes?”

“Similar but a bit different. If you learn it, you’ll understand the difference.”

That was true.

Pressure point strikes are techniques that use one’s own energy to block the energy flowing through another’s body, making them unable to move. They can be used on distant opponents too.

But it’s impossible at the distance from which Myo Gak had just used the Binding Curse technique. Also, it seemed like binding someone with invisible strings.

‘Hmm, depending on how it’s used, it could be a great help in combat too.’

The world of immortals.

Everything was full of things to learn.

That made it even better.

He could become stronger through new things.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Resolving to learn gradually, he urged them forward and Myo Gak walked ahead.

And.

“Are you okay?”

“…Don’t touch me.”

Jin Yalim, who had been thoroughly beaten, quietly brushed away Dan Yeonhwa’s worried touch and puffed up his cheeks.

He had to hold back his curses too.

In case that guy Myo Gak might beat him again.

His situation was becoming increasingly pitiful.

But his rejection of Dan Yeonhwa’s concern couldn’t have looked good to Mujin.

“Amitabha, indeed the old saying is never wrong.”

“What?”

“They say if you stay still, you’ll at least make it halfway.”

“….”

“Dan Mae, let’s go quickly.”

At Mujin’s words, spoken as if he had gained great enlightenment, Jin Yalim had to barely suppress his surging killing intent.

Not you, you flat-nosed bastard?

Isn’t there an old saying that the one who butts in from the side is more hateful?

* * *

The outskirts of the valley.

A small thatched cottage built simply in the shade created by the drooping leaves of a giant weeping willow.

An old man with white hair and a white beard sat facing the Sword Ancestor, his face deeply furrowed with concern.

“The Living Human Refinement Method?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hmm.”

Living Human Refinement.

It was an evil forbidden technique that refined living people and transformed them into other beings.

“You said it was the work of those called the Blood Sect.”

“You think someone taught them the forbidden technique?”

“Yes.”

At the Sword Ancestor’s words, the old man’s face furrowed even deeper.

Who had transmitted forbidden techniques to the human realm?

“Since they’ve come this far, let’s meet and discuss this together. You said they seem to know about the Blood Sect.”

“Yes, Dongju-nim.”

At the old man’s words, the Sword Ancestor replied respectfully and looked toward the bamboo gate of the cottage.

“I greet Dongju-nim.”

Myo Gak, who had just arrived, couldn’t step inside the bamboo gate and bowed from outside.

“You’ve worked hard. I will speak with the one called Zhuge Munhyeon, so wait outside with the others.”

“Understood.”

When the order was given, Myo Gak stepped aside to make way for Zhuge Munhyeon.

‘The master of Taeul Cave.’

Even the aura he felt from the old man was different.

A true Immortal.

‘He gives off a different feeling from Bosan Jeongju. Just facing him makes my hands tremble.’

He didn’t seem to be displaying any particular power, yet just facing him made breathing uncomfortable.

I thought I had grown quite a bit….

Or is the old man just too strong?

“Wait here.”

“Yes? B-but….”

Jin Yalim made a resentful expression at the sight of Zhuge Munhyeon entering inside.

You want me to stay here with this rude little brat?

This damn….

But he couldn’t grab him.

He had to quickly turn his head away at Myo Gak’s glance that flew his way.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Munhyeon approached Taeul Dongju.

Naturally, when visiting someone else’s house, it’s common etiquette to go greet the highest elder first.

“Munhyeon, son of the Zhuge family, greets Taeul Dongju-nim.”

“Welcome, Zhuge Gongja. I heard from the Sword Ancestor that this is your first time in Seonmun?”

“That’s correct.”

Zhuge Munhyeon, who greeted him respectfully, couldn’t help but admire inwardly.

Indeed, a master is different in some way.

He had thought it was Seonmun’s etiquette for all strong people to be overbearing and look down on those of lower realms like insects, but wasn’t Taeul Dongju showing courtesy toward his guest in every gesture?

His bearing and attitude in the midst of it all.

If there was a true person who had awakened to truth and attained enlightenment, he would probably look exactly like this.

“Let me introduce myself first. I am called Buyoja.”

“Yes… Yes?”

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been nodding, was startled and stared at him.

Buyoja?

“Why do you react so?”

“Ah, well… By any chance, were you called the Old Man of Huashan…?”

“Ho ho, surprising. Quite a long time has passed, yet how do you know my worldly title?”

“….”

At his appearance laughing heartily, Zhuge Munhyeon was simply left speechless.

How could he not be surprised?

According to the Taoist historical records he had read in Taiji Cave, the person who founded Huashan had exactly that name.

Buyoja Jin Dan.

Commonly called the Old Man of Huashan.

The important thing was that he was a figure from a thousand years ago.

“Looking at your expression, you seem to have heard quite a few rumors about me.”

“Th-that is….”

“That I appointed an emperor? That I created internal alchemy? Or that I’m the founding ancestor of Huashan?”

Since he was too surprised to speak and only nodded, Buyoja smiled faintly and shook his head.

“They’re all folk tales, so don’t keep them in memory.”

“Folk tales? But you’re right here before my eyes.”

“Ho ho, I merely transmitted enlightenment to a small temple grounds established on Huashan, I didn’t found Huashan.”

“Ah….”

In the end, it’s the same thing.

Because an Immortal’s sword was passed down and developed so humans could learn it, the current Huashan became a sect representing Central Plains swordsmanship.

Then is this person… the Flower Immortal?

Come to think of it, I was always curious.

How did those living on white rocky mountains come to create martial arts by referencing plum blossoms?

“More than that, I’m curious about you.”

“Yes?”

“Your appearance is that of nineteen years, but that life of at least a hundred years you lived before.”

“….”

“Those who came with you won’t be able to hear, so would you tell me?”

He pondered briefly, but didn’t bother to hide it.

“Heavenly Demon Baek Ganghwi. That was the name I had in my previous life.”

“I see. Heavenly Demon… Yes, that’s right. I’ve heard of it before. In the demonic path, they call one who has achieved everything possible as a human by that title?”

“Yes. At least by human standards. But since I didn’t know where the limit was, I tried to ascend to immortality.”

“In the end, you found the path of reincarnation.”

“Well, rather than finding it, it was because of the schemes of those called yo and gwi, or goe….”

“Ho ho, schemes… Could that really be? Heaven wouldn’t have carelessly bestowed fate.”

“Heaven?”

“Even Sangson cannot avoid the predetermined bonds. Everything is a connection that followed according to your choices. Like that Eight Trigrams Heaven Wheel in your hand.”

This person who looks like a Taoist is saying things like the monks’ ‘temporal causation’ – that everything is predetermined to be so.

Ah, in the end, is it that all streams return to the same source, so truth connects?

But I don’t really understand.

That everything happens according to predetermined connections.

Since he was someone who had achieved everything through his own efforts from the beginning, he couldn’t understand his words even more.

However, one thing was clear.

“Dongju-nim.”

“Ask away.”

“What kind of existence are the Celestial Immortals?”

“….”

When I asked seriously, Buyoja quietly looked at my face, then smiled and shook his head.

“You’re someone who only looks at the goal. But don’t get too far ahead of yourself.”

“Pardon?”

“One who hasn’t yet escaped the boundaries of humanity doesn’t need to know about places so far away. Right now, shouldn’t you focus on surpassing the realm before your eyes?”

“The realm before my eyes?”

“The realm you’ve achieved now is in a slightly different direction from what we know, but immortality has no predetermined path to begin with. The path you’re taking now is probably your own immortality.”

He was referring to the fusion of internal energy and spirit energy.

Come to think of it, the Sword Ancestor was quite surprised too.

“However.”

“…?”

“Since you’ve reached a level similar to Resolution, you still have a long way to go. You must form your Origin Spirit and accumulate steady cultivation before you can become a True Immortal like me. Celestial Immortals are beings far higher than that, and who knows how many eons it would take to reach them.”

Buyoja spoke with a smile, but Zhuge Munhyeon inwardly sneered.

That’s what you think.

I’m originally someone without patience.

When I have a goal, I work myself to death to achieve it no matter what.

A thousand years?

Not a chance.

Who’s going to wait that long?

But even while sneering like this, there was one thing that bothered me.

“Was Origin Spirit the stage after Resolution?”

“That’s right.”

At those words, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

‘Damn bastards, writing that Origin Spirit was the very first stage. Nothing was correct.’

Remembering the Ascension Method that Hyeoncheon had given me made me feel annoyed all over again.

But it doesn’t matter now.

I’ve found the proper path.

Moreover, Taeul Dongju said that the path ahead was still long.

In other words, I can become even stronger.

What words could be more thrilling than that?

What matters is that there are still countless goals left to achieve.

Just wait and see, I will definitely ascend to become a Celestial Immortal.

“More than that, now I also have something I want to ask you.”

“Please speak.”

“If you lived the life of the Heavenly Demon in your previous life, you must surely know.”

“….”

“I want to know about the Blood Cult.”

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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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