Myth of Martial Arts - Chapter 10

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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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Chapter 10
What was even more intriguing was that the strongest figure in the Imperial City, a master at the 9th Stage of the Gyeseon Realm, had become a student of Changung Academy. It was truly astonishing.

“Director Jang, just now that was…”

Mu Jin hesitated for a moment before asking carefully.

Mu Muk and Mu Heon Heon also looked at Jang Wook with tense expressions. They, too, harbored the same question.

The brief training session had been so remarkably effective that it had saved them what amounted to several months of cultivation.

If they were granted a few more opportunities like this, their cultivation realms might well advance by a full stage.

“Are you asking about that spiritual energy?”

Jang Wook glanced at Mu Jin with an air of indifference and smiled calmly.

“It forms naturally in the course of my own cultivation. It’s always like that. Watch it long enough, and you won’t find it strange anymore.”

At this, the eyes of Mu Muk and Mu Heon Heon both went blank.

Mu Jin, however, saw his pupils contract slightly at Jang Wook’s words, and his conviction in Jang Wook’s strength hardened all the more.

‘It’s the Waseon Realm, no doubt about it. He is undoubtedly a master of the Waseon Realm! What’s more, he may well be at the Middle Stage, or even the Upper Stage!’

He had once seen a Lower Stage Waseon Realm master cultivate, and that master’s aura had been incomparably weaker than Jang Wook’s. In Mu Jin’s eyes, Jang Wook’s strength had risen yet another notch.

Now that Jang Wook’s cultivation had reached the peak of the 6th Stage of the Gyeseon Realm, he felt more confident in himself, and he no longer kept his guard up around Mu Jin as he once had.

He opened his mouth and spoke with an easy, nonchalant air.

“Don’t be so surprised. If you all keep studying at Changung Academy, one day you may well surpass me as I am now! Even if your innate talent is a little lacking, it doesn’t matter. I have my methods, and in time, you’ll come to understand them.”

He painted a beautiful future for Mu Jin, Mu Muk, and Mu Heon Heon.

It couldn’t really be called empty boasting.

His present strength surpassed that of a 9th Stage Gyeseon Realm master, though next to a true Waseon Realm master, he still fell a little short.

But for the students of Changung Academy, reaching this level in the future would not be such a difficult thing.

Yet Mu Jin had clearly misunderstood.

Having believed all along that Jang Wook was a Waseon Realm master, he naturally took his words to mean that they, too, would have a chance to reach or even surpass the Waseon Realm.

‘This is…’

Mu Jin’s breathing suddenly grew ragged, and a flicker of hope began to burn in his eyes.

He had been stagnant at the peak of the 9th Stage of the Gyeseon Realm for over a decade, and even in his dreams he had longed to break through into the Waseon Realm.

But his constitution and innate talent were so wretched that, without a few lucky opportunities in his youth, he would never have reached the peak of the 9th Stage at all.

Even so, breaking through to the Lower Stage of the Waseon Realm was as hard as climbing to the heavens, and not the slightest glimmer of hope had shown itself.

And yet now, seeing Jang Wook’s calm yet confident bearing, Mu Jin’s heart, which had been silent for so long, began to stir.

‘Perhaps… he really does have a way.’

Mu Jin thought to himself.

If he could truly break through to the Waseon Realm Lower Stage, he would gladly accept living as a student for the rest of his life.

Mu Muk and Mu Heon Heon were also deeply excited.

They didn’t know exactly how strong Jang Wook was, but one thing was certain: he was stronger than their father.

Their father had been the strongest man in the Imperial City, and if someone stood above him, just how formidable must that person be?

Hearing that they, too, could grow that strong in the future, their hearts swelled with excitement.

Watching the three Mu children practically trembling with eagerness, Jang Wook looked thoroughly pleased. He waved his hand and spoke.

“Let’s go. Let’s head to the classroom and begin the lesson.”
“Just a moment.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Mu Jin hurried forward, lifted the two large crates he’d been carrying, and set them carefully before Jang Wook.

“Director Jang, these are the alchemy furnace and herbs you requested.”

The Jamun Heukgeumno, with its violet-patterned black gold, ranked among the very finest alchemy furnaces for refining spirit elixirs.

The medicinal herbs were fresh and complete, purchased from adventurers, and there were twice the quantity Jang Wook had asked for.

Together, the two items came to one hundred and twenty thousand Hwang Bi, yet Mu Jin didn’t say a single word about the cost.

It was a hefty investment, made purely to win Jang Wook’s favor.

‘So fast?’

A flicker of surprise crossed Jang Wook’s eyes, and then he smiled and nodded.

“Hold on to them for now. We’ll carry them to the classroom together.”
* * *
The classrooms of Changung Academy had endured centuries.

Though they had been left neglected for a long time, the quality of the buildings remained excellent.

Nothing was damaged. Even the desks and chairs inside had been preserved so perfectly that it seemed as though time itself had been turned back.

The empty classroom held only three people apart from Jang Wook on the platform: the Mu trio, seated in the front row.

“Before we begin, I’ll lay down the rules of Changung Academy. I can’t speak for other academies, but here, sharing anything you learn with the outside world is strictly forbidden.”

Jang Wook’s gaze passed over Mu Jin, Mu Muk, and Mu Heon Heon, one after another.

“If anyone breaks the rule, I will personally strip away their cultivation realm and their dantian, and throw them out of Changung Academy.”

By the time he finished speaking, Jang Wook’s eyes had sharpened like a blade, and a winter chill settled over his face.

Having laid down the rules, Jang Wook launched into the actual lesson.

The first lesson, naturally, was an explanation of the miniature version of Extreme Flawlessness. He taught only the cultivation method for the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage.

The miniature Extreme Flawlessness was something Jang Wook had prepared specially for the students of Changung Academy.

The cultivation method for the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage had been seeded with subtle flaws in three places, and its efficiency amounted to roughly a tenth of the complete Extreme Flawlessness.

Even so, its efficiency surpassed any other cultivation method in the world, so that even someone lacking in physique and talent could reach the peak of the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage within three days at most.

Geniuses like Mu Muk and Mu Heon Heon could reach the peak of the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage within a single day.

Having revised countless cultivation methods, Jang Wook understood everything from the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage through the Gyeseon Realm 6th Stage as if he were reading the lines of his own palm.

His explanations were both profound and lucid, which only made the solidity of his foundation stand out all the more.

The Mu Clan members seated below the lectern were utterly absorbed in his words, and Mu Jin, in particular, felt his depth more clearly than ever.

‘Only someone who has studied thousands, tens of thousands of cultivation methods could understand them this well.’

Mu Jin thought this to himself and sank deeper into Jang Wook’s explanation.
* * *
As noon drew near, Jang Wook finally finished the first stage of Extreme Flawlessness, the training method for the Gyeseon Realm 1st Stage.

He explained it with the meticulous care of a monk expounding a sutra.

Even someone who had never touched cultivation could have learned it completely, so there was no need to speak of the Mu Clan’s young people.

Mu Jin could not hide his disappointment, and he asked eagerly.

“Director Jang, when will you teach us this stage of Extreme Flawlessness?”

After hearing Jang Wook’s explanation of Extreme Flawlessness, Mu Jin came to a profound realization.

This method had to be a hundred times more powerful than his Yuun Gyeol.

He had a premonition.

If he could learn all ten stages of Extreme Flawlessness, he could shatter the barrier that had held him back for so many years and break through to the Waseon Realm Lower Stage.

A hot flame blazed up inside Mu Jin’s heart.

And for the first time, he thought: To think I could become a student of Changung Academy. Truly, this is a stroke of heaven’s luck.

Mu Jin glanced at Mu Heon Heon. Her dazed expression still drew people’s eyes to her.

‘Heon Heon, this child. She does foolish things now and then, but she’s brought our Mu Clan a chance worth a thousand in gold! Sure enough, my good daughter’s eye was never ordinary!’

He seemed to have completely forgotten how he had scolded this foolish daughter just two days earlier.

“Greed only gives you indigestion. Once you’ve mastered the first stage of Extreme Flawlessness completely, I’ll pass on the second.”

Jang Wook glanced at Mu Jin, his face as unmoving as a great mountain, radiating a dignified composure.

Yet inside, he was already filled with unease.

‘Do they think I don’t want to teach more? But Extreme Flawlessness has only six stages. At this rate, it will be hard to quench their thirst…’

If I teach one stage a day, my meager store of knowledge will run dry within a week at most. And what on earth could I teach after that?

Realizing the gravity of the situation, anxiety rose in Jang Wook’s chest like a wave.

‘I must procure a whole stack of superior Mortal-tier cultivation methods in the shortest time possible. Spirit-tier methods would be even better.’

Without cultivation methods beyond the Gyeseon Realm 6th Stage, no matter how quickly they progressed through Extreme Flawlessness, he would be unable to keep geniuses like Mu Jin, Mu Muk, and Mu Heon Heon from slipping away.

Where would the high-quality cultivation methods be most abundant?

Naturally, at Sinwang Academy and Unsan Academy.

Jang Wook had already set his sights on Sinwang Academy and Unsan Academy.

“But…”

Mu Jin wore a look of bewilderment.

He had wanted to say that he had already fully grasped the first stage of Extreme Flawlessness.

If he still hadn’t understood after Jang Wook had explained it in such detail, he would be nothing but a blockhead.

“No ‘but’ about it. The path of cultivation is endless in breadth and depth, boundless as the great sea. Even I would never dare claim to have perfectly comprehended the first stage of Extreme Flawlessness. Do you think you’re superior to me?”

Jang Wook’s eyes flashed as he bellowed.

Under Jang Wook’s sharp gaze, Mu Jin forced a strained smile and answered awkwardly, trailing off at the end of his words.

“Of course not.”

When Mu Jin lowered his tail and backed down, Jang Wook secretly let out a sigh of relief. Yet the impatience in his heart only grew stronger.

He might have deceived Mu Jin for the moment, but before long, this man was bound to grow suspicious.

“Well, today’s lesson ends here. Come back tomorrow.”

Jang Wook squared his stance and, with a composed expression, cut off Mu Jin’s persistent questions.

Just then, the System’s peculiar mechanical voice rang out in Jang Wook’s mind once more.

“The System has detected that Changung Academy’s student count falls short of ten, and will now announce a new quest.”

【Main Quest 4: Expand the academy and increase Changung Academy’s student body to ten.】

【A great academy must possess a scale befitting its greatness.

Three students alone cannot elevate the standing of Changung Academy, which is only now beginning to spread its wings.

The Host must recruit more students and widen the academy’s sphere of influence.

As the academy’s influence grows, the Director’s prestige will rise along with it.】

【Quest Reward: Changung Contract (蒼穹契約書)】

【Quest Time Limit: 72 hours】

【Quest Failure: No penalty】

‘This is hardly a difficult task, and there’s plenty of time.’

Jang Wook was no longer the clumsy man he had been before. He felt confident he could complete this quest.

‘Still, I wonder what this ‘Changung Contract’ is…’

At that, the System rarely offered an explanation.

【The Changung Contract is a special admission application. Any student who signs their name to the contract pledges loyalty to Changung Academy for life.

Even after graduating from Changung Academy and departing in the future, that loyalty to Changung Academy will remain.】

At the same time, Jang Wook’s eyes widened.

‘So it was this amazing!’

The students who sign the contract swear lifelong loyalty to Changung Academy?

‘This is truly a fine thing!’

Jang Wook grew a little impatient.

‘I have to get my hands on this, right now, this very instant!’

Watching Jang Wook’s expression shift by the moment, Mu Jin began to feel uneasy, and he asked carefully.

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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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