The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 103

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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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Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 103
“Dark Venerable! I have discovered the traces you mentioned!”
“Ho? So that Thunder Monkey has finally made his move toward the Demon Immortal Realm!”
The Celestial Demon Sect.
One of the foremost factions among all demonic forces,
and the true seat of power within the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect—a great sect ruled by the Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu, a monster who had practically achieved Hapdogi.
Though the Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu showed little interest in territorial expansion, the sect was managed by his disciples below him.
Ju Wol-yang, known as the Dark Venerable, was the youngest among the disciples, yet he was a prodigy whose talents shone with particular brilliance.
“Finally! You have the exact coordinates of where that creature entered the Demon Immortal Realm, yes?”
“Of course, Venerable.”
“Bring it here then.”
Gu Byeok Jin-in carefully withdrew a small jade tablet from his robes.
The Dark Venerable Ju Wol-yang pressed it to his forehead to extract the recorded coordinates, then spoke with an eerie smile playing at his lips.
“Once could be coincidence, but passing through the same location twice? That coordinate surely leads to the Demon Immortal Realm.”
The Dimensional Barrier.
The space containing the barrier was a gap between worlds where infinite layers overlapped.
The barrier was woven through that gap by rules no one could comprehend,
and thus the distinction between the Lower Realm and Upper Realm was clearly delineated.
‘Among tens of millions, hundreds of billions of possibilities, I have found one precise and safe path!’
Ju Wol-yang’s heart raced.
Perhaps I had discovered the first viable route to invade the Demon Immortal Realm.
The Immortal Celestial Realm had suffered considerable losses while engaging in fierce battles across the Deep Three Continents.
“To discover a path to strike at the demons from behind… this is truly a magnificent achievement. Do you understand?”
“I merely feel grateful for your consideration, Venerable.”
“Hahaha! There is no need for such modesty. Had you not stood guard before the Dimensional Barrier for six months without rest, how could such an opportunity have presented itself? You have done well. I shall personally commend your contributions to the elders!”
The Dark Venerable Ju Wol-yang, uncharacteristically excited, praised Gu Byeok Jin-in, his trusted subordinate.
“Hehe, with this, I shall gain considerable influence in the Demon Sect Assembly for some time. Then we can secure a favorable position even in the Deep Three Continents!”
Ju Wol-yang began mentally organizing the achievements he would report to his senior brothers and the sect elders, envisioning the rosy future that lay ahead.
Gu Byeok Jin-in, who had been observing this scene with careful attention, bowed slightly with a somewhat ambiguous expression and spoke.
“Venerable.”
“Hmm? Yes. Is there more to report?”
“Yes. The thing is…”
Gu Byeok Jin-in carefully recounted what he had witnessed while guarding the coordinates.
“Something definitely passed through that coordinate precisely… but the Dimensional Barrier displayed an unusual reaction.”
“What? The Dimensional Barrier reacted? What do you mean?”
The Dark Venerable tilted his head to the side in question, and Gu Byeok Jin-in swallowed dryly before responding.
“As you know, the Dimensional Barrier is not a living being. However, it possesses ‘consciousness.'”
“I am aware of that. And?”
The Dark Venerable rested his chin on the table, his expression urging Gu Byeok Jin-in to continue his explanation.
Gu Byeok Jin-in, befitting his title as Guardian of the Dimensional Barrier and his area of expertise, carefully selected his words as he responded.
“The Dimensional Barrier is fundamentally governed by a ritual that adheres to strict, predetermined rules. These rules activate powerfully both when they are observed and when those who violate them are punished.”
“Hmm.”
“However, a ritual designed to suppress unauthorized illegal intruders has clearly been triggered. Yet this mysterious human employed some technique I cannot fathom, and completely disregarded the ritual’s activation to invade the Demon Immortal Realm. As a result, a rather troublesome complication has arisen.”
“A complication?”
Gu Byeok Jin-in made every effort to steady his trembling hands, wiping his damp forehead with his sleeve before continuing.
“Yes. The Dimensional Barrier grew enraged at having its rules defied, and has imposed an additional, more stringent regulation upon the coordinates that intruder breached.”
“It imposed a more stringent regulation? What do you mean by that? Explain it in terms I can understand.”
Pressed by the Dark Venerable’s insistence, Gu Byeok Jin-in proceeded with his explanation, his expression somewhat ambiguous.
“To put it simply, only those of the Hwa Shin-gi realm and below can pass through that coordinate breach.”
“Then? Those of the Yeon Heo-gi realm and above cannot pass through that breach?”
“That is correct, Venerable One. A formidable restriction has been imposed.”
“Hah… How could such a thing occur.”
In practical terms, those classified as supreme masters in the Upper Realm begin precisely from the Yeon Heo-gi realm.
The Hwa Shin-gi realm was certainly powerful, and those Venerables of that realm possessed considerable strength, yet they could not influence an entire continent.
They could exert dominion over certain regions or expansive bases.
To influence an entire continent, one required at minimum the Yeon Heo-gi realm.
A master powerful enough to single-handedly influence an entire continent.
The pinnacle of supremacy itself.
That was precisely what a Yeon Heo-gi realm Celestial Watcher represented.
And only at such a level could one safely cross into the Demon Immortal Realm.
To venture across at a lesser cultivation level risked suffering a devastating counterattack.
“Tch, this is troublesome indeed.”
The Dark Venerable was forced to abandon all the plans he had been cheerfully devising in his mind.
Of all things, the Hwa Shin-gi realm.
If it were merely the Yeon Heo-gi realm, he could select elite warriors from each faction, launch a devastating surprise assault, and retreat.
‘If Hwa Shin-gi realm Celestial Watchers were to converge…’
Of course, if he properly gathered Celestial Watchers of the Hwa Shin-gi realm, they could certainly inflict considerable damage upon the Demon Immortal Realm.
However, this would only be true if a substantial number of Hwa Shin-gi realm Celestial Watchers assembled together.
But if he were to send a massive quantity of Hwa Shin-gi realm Celestial Watchers through all at once to deliver a killing blow?
‘I would surely be exposed.’
Was it not wasteful to discard a coordinate and operation after using it merely once?
The ideal scenario would be for only a small number of Yeon Heo-gi realm Celestial Watchers to slip through undetected by the great demons, wreak considerable havoc, and escape.
The Dark Venerable’s gaze grew increasingly complex.
However.
He ultimately exhaled a long sigh and spoke.
“Gubyeong.”
“Yes, I await your command, Venerable One.”
“Can you capture that creature yourself? It seems this matter will only be resolved if you apprehend him directly.”
“You speak of that Thunder Monkey who tears through the breach, moving freely between the Upper and Lower Realms?”
“Yes, that one.”
Gu Byeok Jin-in contemplated the situation.
No matter how he looked at it, that creature was not a Celestial Watcher of a caliber he could handle.
Just for a moment.
It was only right before piercing through the hole and entering that he had encountered the Thunder Monkey, visible only as a hazy silhouette.
Yet the disparity in power was unmistakably clear.
“To speak honestly, Venerable One, I fear it would be beyond my capacity to manage.”
This was not merely a matter of fearing death.
It was about conveying a more certain assessment of the situation.
“Hmm, then what if I were to go myself?”
“If the Venerable One were to wait there directly, a successful hunt would certainly be possible.”
“…I suppose there’s no help for it. I’ll have to petition the higher-ups to grant me access to the Dimensional Barrier.”
Only a select few with permission from the higher-ups could enter and manage the Dimensional Barrier.
Because it was such a sensitive and crucial location, both Jeongzong and Ma Jong had carefully chosen only those with higher social standing than the Celestial Watcher realm to oversee the Spatial Gap where the Dimensional Barrier existed.
Should any problems arise there or conflicts emerge between different factions, it could spell true disaster.
The issue was that most were reluctant to take on the role of managing the Dimensional Barrier, as the compensation was meager relative to the time invested.
However, if a Celestial Watcher from the Hwashin Order volunteered to take the position, barring any significant objections, there would be little difficulty in gaining approval.
“Are you considering going there yourself, Venerable One?”
“Yes. For now, that would be the most certain approach.”
The Spatial Gap where the Dimensional Barrier existed.
It was truly barren.
With not even heavenly spiritual energy present, it was a place that offered no aid to cultivation whatsoever.
The thought of voluntarily entering such a place left a bitter taste on the Dark Venerable’s tongue.
Yet.
‘That creature must be captured.’
How had a mere human from the Lower Realm acquired such a wondrous ability to traverse dimensions?
The source of that ability intrigued him.
‘I can simply interrogate him once I’ve captured him.’
If I could seize that creature and extract more secrets about the dimensions, perhaps this could become the catalyst to shatter the delicate balance with the Demon Immortal Realm.
Jeongzong continued to act conservatively, but Ma Jong desperately desired an all-out war with the Demon Immortal Realm.
‘This peace has lasted far too long.’
Over a thousand years of peace, no less.
Was this not utterly absurd?
Too much time had been granted to those beasts.
Now was the time to flay their hides and harvest their blood and flesh as resources.
A sinister gleam flickered gradually across the Dark Venerable’s eyes.
* * *
Greedy Heavenly Beast Gyumokrang had never harbored much connection with humans.
He was a wolf of the free sky.
He was of the legendary beast species known as the Thunder Celestial Wolf, dwelling among the clouds of heaven.
From birth, he existed in an environment where contact with humans was nearly impossible.
“Still, this is too much.”
Every human I’ve encountered since growing up has been obsessed with capturing me.
Most were hunters, and by tearing them to shreds, Greedy Heavenly Beast Gyumokrang built a fearsome reputation throughout the Immortal Celestial Realm.
It wasn’t that I hated or despised humans—I simply couldn’t allow myself to be killed, so I acted in self-defense.
Yet my overwhelming strength earned me a reputation as a natural disaster.
From my perspective, it was deeply unfair.
“You want my eyebrows as compensation? That’s incredibly disrespectful!”
“Then you don’t have to listen to my advice.”
Ilhyang’s indifferent attitude and expression—as if nothing could move him.
This only made Gyumokrang more desperate.
“How can I not be curious! You said I could become stronger!”
“Then you should offer fair compensation.”
“You’re still young and don’t understand—my eyebrows are….”
“I know. By this world’s standards, they’d have the function of thousand-mile sight, wouldn’t they?”
“What?”
As Gyumokrang’s face went blank—how did he figure that out?—Ilhyang extended his index finger forward and spoke.
“That’s why it’s perfect compensation. If you want to grow stronger than you are now and listen to my advice, you’ll have to give up that much.”
“Sigh….”
Part of me wanted to just force the issue through sheer power.
But an overwhelming sense of refusal stopped me.
So Gyumokrang fell into contemplation.
Then, with a serious expression, I gazed toward the Eastern Sky and spoke.
“What do you think I should do, Grandmother?”
The moment I asked, I covered both ears and hunched my body.
As if hearing tremendous noise, my entire frame trembled violently.
“Alright! I get it! I understand! Stop talking now!”
Ilhyang observed this behavior and confirmed his suspicions.
‘So someone else really was watching.’
Cheonho, perhaps.
Or the Celestial Great Sage.
Or maybe both of them were monitoring me in real time?
‘Still, they probably couldn’t see inside Bidong where I’ve deployed the sealing magic circle.’
But even this couldn’t be certain.
Those monsters I’d met before—the Celestial Great Sage and Cheonho.
Even if I measured myself against them at my peak when I was on the Seven Continents, I couldn’t confidently claim victory against such beings.
“Alright, I’ve decided!”
Gyumokrang looked at Ilhyang with a slightly weary expression but spoke plainly.
“I’ll give you my eyebrows!”
“Payment upfront.”
“Damn it, you meticulous bastard! Don’t you trust me? I’m Gyumokrang!”
“Advance payment.”
Gyumok Rang grumbled for quite some time, but ultimately surrendered the eyebrow to Ilhyang.
And Ilhyang left calm counsel with Gyumok Rang.

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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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