I Possessed a Cultivator Destined to Die at the Hands of the Protagonist - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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18.
The man’s name was Im Jin-woo, and after becoming the third-generation disciple of the Mudan Sect, he received the monastic name Cheongrim.
Kang Jin-heon settled quietly beside Eun Hui-gyeom, and I, noticing the cue, took my seat as well.
“When you, who possessed the finest skills in the Seochen Sect, suddenly disappeared leaving only a letter saying you’d become a monastery disciple or something—I was absolutely shocked.”
After that, Cheongrim had tried to find Kang Jin-heon, but unfortunately, there was no trace of him to be found.
“I’m sorry about that.”
There was an unspoken rule that those not born into the Seonmun Baekga had to sever all worldly ties to become a monastery disciple.
This didn’t apply to Eun Hui-gyeom, who had lost his entire family, or to me, who never had one to begin with.
“No, I never thought I’d see you again like this. I was skeptical myself….”
A monastery disciple.
Even after becoming a disciple of the Mudan Sect, that single phrase of unknown meaning had remained lodged in Cheongrim’s heart like a splinter.
I asked Cheongun about the commission.
“You submitted a request to find a missing senior brother. What exactly happened?”
“Ah, that’s…. Well, it’s actually related to Senior Brother Cheongun. He’s the only one among the current Mudan Sect disciples to have reached the pinnacle realm.”
Cheongun was respected by many of his fellow disciples not only for his high cultivation but also for his exceptional character.
“About a year before Senior Brother disappeared, he said something strange and then vanished.”
“Something strange?”
“If I obtain the secret technique to gain the power of a monastery disciple, I can become stronger than I am now.”
From Cheongrim’s perspective, Cheongun’s condition began to change around that time.
Most of the disciples who heard those words didn’t understand their meaning.
But suddenly, Cheongun remembered Kang Jin-heon, who had disappeared during his time in the Seochen Sect to become a monastery disciple.
After that, Cheongun began to think that monastery disciples might actually exist, and he investigated alone.
“The last time I saw Senior Brother Cheongun…. He was definitely not in his right mind. It was as if something had possessed him.”
Cheongun left, saying he was going out into the martial world, and disappeared without a trace.
Cheongrim, with a faint hope, tried to follow Cheongun, but at some point, Cheongun’s trail went cold.
“Who did Senior Brother Cheongun hear about the monastery disciple’s secret technique from?”
“I’m not sure about that. He left for the martial world not long after saying those words…. Ah, but I did find something like this in his room.”
Cheongrim produced a fragment of a talisman wrapped in cloth from his robes.
The half-burned talisman bore characters that were impossible to decipher.
“I investigated the talisman as well, but there wasn’t anything particularly revealing.”
I gazed quietly down at the talisman resting on the table.
The fact that even the unburned portions were illegible meant these weren’t normal characters.
“Let me check it just in case.”
After obtaining Cheongrim’s permission, I brought my hand to the talisman and read its spiritual essence.
The mystical energy flowing from my fingertips seeped into the talisman.
‘Huh? This is….’
A faint mystical energy emanated from the talisman.
But it was different from ordinary mystical energy.
It was a chilling aura, as if the energy had been deliberately distorted with malice.
A chill ran down my spine.
Eun Hui-gyeom quickly grabbed my wrist.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I felt a chill run down my spine—a malevolent aura unlike anything I’d ever encountered before.
This talisman had clearly been crafted with sinister intent.
“Can’t you sense any aura from the talisman?”
“Aura?”
Eun Hui-gyeom followed me to examine the talisman.
“It does feel murky somehow, but what exactly is this?”
Kang Jin-heon, who checked the talisman after Eun Hui-gyeom, shook his head as if equally puzzled.
Kang Jin-heon offered his thoughts.
“It seems to be a difference in spiritual power. Yeon-seo has the most spiritual power among us.”
Having greater spiritual power didn’t simply mean possessing more qi.
It meant understanding the flow of heavenly energy, the nature of qi, and the truths of the world in greater detail.
In other words, I could perceive things that Eun Hui-gyeom and Kang Jin-heon couldn’t yet sense.
“What kind of aura did you feel?”
“Clearly malevolent—demonic qi.”
“Demonic qi? Does that mean Senior Brother has fallen into a state of qi deviation?”
“It doesn’t seem to be that kind of thing…”
Cheongrim, being a non-practitioner, couldn’t understand my words, so I had no way to explain further.
All auras carried intent within them, and the nature of heavenly energy was to change freely according to the user’s will.
‘Who would do such a thing to a martial artist… Wait.’
I couldn’t determine if it was the Mudan Sect, but there had been cases at Cheonmyeong Suseonggi where individuals were caught conducting experiments to turn martial artists into practitioners.
‘Paecheonmun?’
Paecheonmun was one of the Idosimun, formed by disciples expelled from Hyeonganmun, which was one of the Jeongmun Paldae.
‘It’s too early to be certain.’
Even if it were Paecheonmun’s doing, a torn talisman alone provided insufficient information.
“Where was Cheongun last sighted?”
“At Jaya Mountain.”
Jaya Mountain was located about half a day’s journey west of Muyang County.
I’d heard the terrain was so treacherous that even locals avoided venturing there.
We made minimal preparations and headed straight for Jaya Mountain.
“Wh-what, aerial sword technique? Impressive indeed.”
Cheongrim, who couldn’t perform aerial sword flight, was carried aloft by Kang Jin-heon.
Cheongrim, who had been skeptical about the existence of practitioners, finally seemed to grasp the reality upon witnessing our abilities.
Following Kang Jin-heon’s instruction, I stood upon the sword while sensing the flow of wind.
The flight was far more stable than when we’d come to Muyang County.
After flying for about an hour, we arrived at Jaya Mountain.
“It certainly is treacherous.”
“Y-yes, it is.”
I had thought no mountain could be that treacherous, but Jaya Mountain proved me wrong—its difficulty was rather severe.
Unlike other forests, it was overgrown with abnormally massive plants, trees twisted in unnatural directions, and sheer cliffs; everything defied reason.
One careless step could easily lead to a fatal tumble down a cliff hidden beneath the foliage—a perfect environment for disaster.
I read the earth’s resonance as I descended into Jaya Mountain.
As expected, the earth’s resonance of Jaya Mountain was considerably stronger than other mountains and terrains.
Among all the places I had visited, this seemed to be the location with the most potent earth resonance.
“Heading toward Jaya Mountain was the last trace of my elder brother’s movements.”
Beyond Jaya Mountain, Cheongrim could find no further traces of Cheongun’s path.
“Let’s venture inside for now.”
Eun Hui-gyeom stood upon a protruding branch at the cliff’s edge.
We thus stepped deep into the heart of Jaya Mountain.
The deeper we ventured, the more peculiar the flora and fauna became.
“That squirrel is enormous!”
“We don’t usually call something like that a squirrel.”
“Then what about a flying squirrel?”
“I have no idea either.”
A squirrel the size of a small child scampered through the trees, and its appearance was rather endearing.
Cheongrim, who had been following behind us, spoke cautiously.
“I have entered Jaya Mountain several times searching for my elder brother, but I found nothing.”
“That makes sense.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Places with such concentrated, specific resonance tend to distort the celestial patterns of their own accord. In other words, one cannot penetrate deeper using ordinary methods.”
Ordinary cultivators entering Jaya Mountain would find their vital energy suppressed, experiencing a sense of unease and discomfort.
This was because the flow of the Five Elements remained unstable.
Each visit to Jaya Mountain brought a suffocating sensation, the feeling of walking in circles, and encounters with bizarre phenomena—naturally, people began to avoid it.
Without reading the earth’s resonance to find the correct path, venturing into the depths of Jaya Mountain was virtually impossible.
“Indeed, there do seem to be far more unusual creatures and plants visible than when I came alone.”
Cheongrim nodded slightly, his gaze turning toward the tangled vines.
That was when it happened.
Crash!
The vines suddenly tore apart, and something—a creature of unknown nature—burst through and descended upon Cheongrim.
“Cheongrim!”
Kang Jin-heon was the first to move.
Kang Jin-heon wove a hand seal, and the wind that erupted cleaved the space between Cheongrim and the creature.
Simultaneously, a portion of the creature’s garment tore away, scattering into the air.
[Cheongun]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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