The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 46

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

Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 46
Two weeks before Ilhyang entered the Secret Realm.
A great transformation began at the Heavenly Demon Sect Sacred Ground.
The beginning of this change, which had not occurred in decades, started at the symbol of the Heavenly Demon Sect—the very place where the legendary Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu was said to have lingered before ascending to the Upper Realm.
A place where the traces of the ascended Heavenly Demon remained so vivid that an eternal azure flame had been created.
A sacred land that continues to stand as the holiest ground of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
An altar where the azure flame, the Sacred Fire Spirit, burned eternally.
[Sun-Moon Divine Altar]
Before that Sun-Moon Divine Altar stood.
An object that the Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu had left behind just before ascending to the Upper Realm, containing teachings that would allow his descendants to follow him in ascension.
Namely.
[The Crimson Salt Stele]
Upon this pale pink salt monument.
Characters in a deep, blood-red hue began to be inscribed with agonizing slowness.
Scritch… scritch…
Words being carved in real time, starting from the corners of the stele.
Watching from beneath the stele were eight guardian protectors known as the Eight Great Protectors of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
These elderly members of the Eight Great Protectors.
Were now maintaining an extraordinarily reverent demeanor.
Carefully transcribing each character as it appeared on the stele, uttering soft exclamations of wonder.
“Hehe… I cannot fathom how many decades it has been since such a secret realm message arrived, Seniors.”
“Indeed.”
Information transmitted with great effort by our illustrious ancestors in the Upper Realm must never be treated lightly.”
“Hehe, there is no doubt about it. The Sect Master has already urgently activated the sect’s decree. Our finest martial masters are prepared and standing by for deployment.”
Tap.
Yeo Yong-sang, the foremost of the Eight Great Protectors and separately known as the One Yang Divine Immortal, folded the record book he had been transcribing and tucked it into his sleeve.
He then stroked his white beard and spoke.
“This secret realm will undoubtedly swarm with vermin as it always does. Our disciples must prepare themselves thoroughly before entering.”
“Of course. As always, our sect will reap the greatest harvest. I intend to order them to seek out and clash with those heretic dogs within the realm.”
“A sound strategy indeed.”
The Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu, called the first Demonic Immortal.
The advanced intelligence he transmitted from the Upper Realm after establishing his new power became tremendous nourishment for his descendants in the Lower Realm.
Indeed, more ascended cultivators have emerged from the Heavenly Demon Sect than from any other after the Heavenly Demon’s passing.
The descendants of the Heavenly Demon Sect have always received such advanced information from their ancestors and brought corresponding tributes in return.
This time was no exception.
“Are the one hundred male and female disciples prepared?”
“They will all be ready by tomorrow, Seniors.”
“Sigh, I do hope our esteemed ancestors in the Upper Realm will be satisfied.”
Though it was merely one hundred male and female disciples.
The great ancestors of the Heavenly Demon Sect were magnanimous, and they generously shared excellent information in return for even such modest tribute.
What the ancestors in the Upper Realm truly desired was singular and absolute.
More disciples ascending to the Upper Realm.
“This time, Mansizong, the Heavenly Blood Sect, and Cheonsa-ok—those vermin will make their moves again, won’t they?”
Within Kangho, excluding the Heavenly Demon Sect, there were scarcely any factions worth restraining beyond Mansizong, the Heavenly Blood Sect, and Cheonsa-ok.
They possessed the ancestral legacies that allowed covert communication with the Upper Realm, making them the greatest threats to monitor.
In contrast, the Moshan Sect of the Orthodox Sects, lacking such ancestral inheritance, was nothing but refuse.
Without advanced intelligence from the Upper Realm, there were limits to expanding one’s power.
“Mansizong, the Heavenly Blood Sect, and Cheonsa-ok surely possess ancestral legacies left behind, so they will undoubtedly attempt to infiltrate this Secret Realm.”
“Tsk, truly vexing wretches. We should dispose of them properly one day. I wonder what the Sect Master’s intentions are.”
“In truth, had those Orthodox Sect dogs not interfered, they would have been eliminated long ago. Then we wouldn’t have troubled the seniors’ peace of mind either… I remain perpetually apologetic for my inadequacy, Senior.”
“Well, it’s fine. There was genuinely little we could do. Those bastards operated so cunningly within Orthodox Sect territory that our hands were tied.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Senior.”
The foremost of the Eight Great Protectors.
Yeo Yong-sang, the Divine Healer of the Sun, and before him, a wrinkled elderly man bowing deferentially as he delivered his report.
This deeply wrinkled old man was none other than Gal Wi-ryang, the youngest of the Eight Great Protectors, the Eighth Protector.
The blue-bearded elder listening quietly beside Gal Wi-ryang’s report.
Jo Cheon-hwa, the Divine Healer of the Moon and second-in-command of the Eight Great Protectors, opened his mouth.
“What of the Thunder Lightning Sect? How do those rabble fare?”
“Ah! There have been recent movements from that quarter, as it happens.”
“Oh? Have those cowardly dogs finally begun to stir? But didn’t you say they were nearly annihilated last time?”
“Having lost the ancestral legacies to us, they should indeed be considered nearly destroyed. Yet regrettably, the Sect Master and his blood kin managed to escape at the last moment, didn’t they? We’ve been unable to locate them because they’ve remained hidden like moles out of fear. However, we recently discovered traces of their activity.”
“Hmm. Those arrogant wretches specializing in lightning force… If we could only capture them and absorb their secret techniques, it would be a tremendous asset to our Sect…”
“Our disciples are already making efforts toward that end, so we may receive good news soon.”
“Tsk, I hope so. I’d prefer this Secret Realm incident concluded as quietly and swiftly as possible.”
Yet contrary to the wishes of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s Protectors.
Information regarding this newly emerged Secret Realm spread rapidly among the Celestial Watchers for reasons unknown.
Consequently, from this dangerous heretical faction positioned on the periphery of Zhongyuan to the other Celestial Watchers within Zhongyuan itself.
All cultivators of the advanced celestial techniques throughout Tianxia were already moving swiftly toward the Secret Realm that had appeared for the first time in decades.
* * *
As scorching wind brushed across his face, Ilhyang tilted his head briefly in confusion.
“What is this?”
The air was hot.
Not as metaphor or exaggeration—the air was genuinely scorching.
Unsettled by this strangeness, I passed through the long rocky corridor before me and ventured forward.
A breathtaking vista consumed my vision.
“A desert? Why?”
The sight before me defied all sense of reality.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a dungeon?
How could a dungeon’s internal environment transform so drastically?
“Could they have employed weather magic?”
A dungeon?
Space-warping magic had already been applied to this location, and weather-altering magic was layered on top of it?
What circle of archmage created this dungeon?
While Ilhyang tilted his head in confusion.
Four figures emerged from behind the rocky passage, accompanied by soft groans of discomfort.
And.
A low exclamation burst from Chul Mu-geuk’s lips as he stood at the very front.
“Oh? This appears to be the Secret Realm. Truly, it’s as peculiar as the rumors suggested!”
Along with Chul Mu-geuk’s exclamation.
Ilhyang heard Geumok whimpering from where she clung around his neck.
[Here… it’s so hot.]
Indeed.
Even for the Desert of Heat.
The air was suspiciously scorching.
Hot and parched air with almost no moisture.
Moreover.
“No matter how I look at it, something seems wrong, Senior.”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“I thought it was a dungeon, but the weather conditions are far more unpredictable than expected. The scale is also much larger than anticipated.”
At this point, it was merely speculation.
But the Secret Realm might not.
Simply refer to a dungeon after all.
‘Perhaps I misinterpreted the term.’
It was a clear mistake.
When I first heard about this place called the Secret Realm.
I was told that various magical beasts and traps existed within, along with tremendous rewards.
So I easily assumed it simply meant a dungeon.
‘But this is far too different for that assumption.’
The main backdrop was a desert so vast it made one dizzy just to perceive it.
Even when I extended my mana perception.
The surrounding landscape was so immense and boundless that it couldn’t fit entirely within my senses.
‘And the flow of mana is also strange.’
Creating a dungeon of this scale would require astronomical costs for any human.
It was on the level of completely dismantling the existing environment and rebuilding it from scratch.
Moreover, this wasn’t merely a matter of expense—it was a result that demanded tremendous time and effort.
The Gorge that once existed had been completely replaced, and an entirely different space had been inserted in its stead.
To construct a dungeon this way would be utterly impossible within the finite lifespan of any human, no matter how I thought about it.
Perhaps only a dragon could manage such a feat?
‘This might be a mystery of this world.’
At first, I wondered if it was similar to the Demonic Realms that existed sparsely across the Seven Continents.
To dispel my doubts, I retraced my steps back through the rocky passage I’d first emerged from.
Thud—
As I touched the solid rock blocking the passage’s end, I realized we were completely severed from the outside world and nodded to myself.
‘So… this is neither a Dungeon nor the Demonic Realm.’
A Secret Realm.
This was an entirely new form of mystery that existed only in this world.
I had finally discovered yet another unique rule that belonged only to this realm.
The corners of my mouth twitched slightly upward.
“Still, this is troublesome. How am I supposed to find treasures in such a vast place…”
As I walked back toward the cave entrance,
I heard Chul Mu-geuk’s dejected voice and nodded.
“The Secret Realm is larger than I initially thought. We may need to wander around here for several days.”
“Hmm, we brought plenty of dried provisions and jerky, but I’m concerned about fresh water.”
“Fresh water is actually abundant here.”
Whoooosh—
As I swept my hand through the air and conjured a thick stream of water, a rainbow materialized in the mist above.
Yang Cheon-jo and his older brothers, who had been curiously looking around behind me, were startled by the sight and burst into applause.
“Remarkable! Truly impressive!”
“As expected of my younger brother! I knew I could count on you!”
“Magic is truly wondrous.”
Leaving their admiration and praise behind,
I pointed toward something visible in the distance to the left and spoke.
“Let’s head in that direction first, Senior.”
“Hmm? Do you sense something?”
“It appears there’s a structure of some kind.”
When I’d swept my mana detection earlier, I’d sensed something massive to the left.
It seemed like some kind of artificial construction.
Rather than wasting time here, moving toward such a distinctive location seemed the better choice.
‘First, I’ll familiarize myself with the geography and environment of this place as we travel.’
And so my companions and I began crossing the Desert of Heat beneath the scorching sun.

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