The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 85

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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 85
Mak Chung never came to find Ilhyang.
So Ilhyang told him to submit any requests to the Black Dragon Faction whenever he wished, then immediately departed Giyang County.
His mana had fully recovered anyway.
He could reach Sungwha Island in just two days.
Upon arrival, Ilhyang was greeted by Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak, whose face was twisted into a grimace.
Ilhyang stared quietly at the irritated Gu Sang-hak, then turned his head and walked toward the Magic Tower as he spoke.
“Let us discuss this inside.”
“Very well.”
Blood Flame Demon Lord Goe Cheol answered promptly and scurried after him.
Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak’s lips twitched as if he had much to say, but ultimately he followed quietly behind Ilhyang.
Thus they reached Ilhyang’s office.
Upon arriving at the topmost floor of the Magic Tower, Bing Baek Ma-gun opened his mouth.
“The timeframe you mentioned, my lord, seems to be drawing near.”
When I first brought Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak to this place,
I had set a deadline and promised to send him and his personal guard to the Upper Realm.
Gu Sang-hak had thought it absurd at the time,
but after witnessing me construct a Magic Tower in the Lower Realm at the level of a Second Realm Spirit Vein,
he came to believe that promise held real possibility, and has since lived on the island with considerable sincerity.
I too recalled that promise from back then and nodded.
“The deadline approaches indeed.”
“While you were away, I worked quite diligently. I’ve earned my keep, I’d say.”
“I heard as much from my Disciple.”
Gu Sang-hak’s hardened expression softened upon my straightforward affirmation, and he asked in a measured tone.
“So you truly can send us to the Upper Realm? Not just me, but all the children under my command as well?”
“Well, to be honest, I suspect you could ascend to the Upper Realm without my assistance at all. Is there truly a need to go so prematurely?”
“I wish to go while I’m still relatively young. That way, advancing to the next stage will be easier. Besides, I want to bring these children who followed me here in good faith.”
Indeed, not knowing what sort of environment the Upper Realm was,
it would be better to have more allies.
Blood Flame Demon Lord Goe Cheol, watching from behind Bing Baek Ma-gun, spoke carefully.
“Is it truly possible for you, my lord, to ascend with all of us to the Upper Realm? This is no jest?”
Naturally, I had made no such promise with Goe Cheol, but it seemed reasonable enough to bring him along as well.
“That is hardly a difficult matter.”
It would have been challenging at the 5th Circle, but I had already reached the 6th Circle.
A realm where spatial magic could be wielded far more smoothly and across vast ranges.
I gazed at the delighted Goe Cheol and spoke softly.
“I understand that to ascend, one must reach at least the middle stage of Hwagyeong—or rather, the stage of qi accumulation. Is that correct?”
“Precisely so.”
I quietly contemplated the environment of the Immortal Celestial Realm, then opened my mouth.
Ilhyang quietly recalled the environment of the Immortal Cultivation Realm and opened his mouth softly.
“Does it matter where in the Upper Realm, as long as it’s there?”
“Of course not.”
“I have no objections either, Patriarch.”
“However, if you ascend together with me, joining forces with the Celestial Demon Sect may become difficult. Are you prepared for that possibility?”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was originally founded by an unparalleled master known as the Heavenly Demon.
The first Demon Immortal, and a monster presumed to still be alive in the Upper Realm to this day.
‘Indeed, I recall hearing that the Celestial Demon Sect exists within the Immortal Celestial Realm.’
That talkative Senior from the Purple Cloud Sect.
Based on what Man Chong had told me, the Celestial Demon Sect was quite a formidable faction even in the Upper Realm.
It was unanimously regarded as the foremost among all Demonic Sects.
Though its leader had ceased to show himself at some point, I had heard he had already transcended the Transformation Realm and reached the Void Harmony stage.
‘And that was nearly a thousand years ago.’
The Heavenly Demon Dam Cheon-hu.
He was a being called a once-in-an-era genius.
Perhaps by now he had become a monster of the Unity Realm.
Could one truly abandon such a Celestial Demon Sect?
Yet Bing Baek-ma-gun chuckled softly and nodded his head even more vigorously.
“To begin with, I am merely a guest brought in from outside. The Ice White Horse Technique I learned was never originally the martial art of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. So I harbor no such loyalty to the sect. Having served this much in the Lower Realm is sufficient—there is no need to continue such obligations even in the Upper Realm.”
“Ha, I find myself in much the same position, I must say.”
Gu Sang-hak and Goe Cheol.
They were both outsiders to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
To be precise, Gu Sang-hak hailed from the North Sea Ice Palace, a power long since forgotten by the world.
Blood Flame Demon Lord Goe Cheol was a descendant of the Black Sand Wind, the ruler of the Western Desert.
Their joining the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect was simply because the conditions it offered were favorable.
Moreover, setting aside personal preferences regarding the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect itself,
using the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect as a backing was convenient in many ways, so the sect currently harbored quite a number of masters from various organizations beyond these two.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect did not hesitate to recruit talent from outside.
“I understand that the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect has received various counsel through the legacy of its ancestors. One of those teachings is precisely the recruitment of talented individuals from outside.”
“They seem quite open-minded. I wasn’t aware of that.”
As Ilhyang expressed admiration with a look of surprise, Goe Cheol stepped forward to speak.
“Ha, it is no coincidence that the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect is called the foremost sect under heaven, Patriarch. They possess considerable capacity for tolerance.”
Listening to Goe Cheol and Gu Sang-hak’s words, Ilhyang nodded without any particular agitation.
And then he asked.
“Then it would be acceptable to go to an entirely different Upper Realm, not the Immortal Celestial Realm?”
“A different Upper Realm? Which one do you speak of?”
“I am thinking of going to the Demon Immortal Realm of the Upper Realm.”
“…The Demon Immortal Realm!”
Both men wore expressions of momentary surprise.
This was a proposal they had never considered.
At their level, they possessed considerable knowledge of the situation in the Upper Realm.
So there was no need for lengthy explanations.
“Once you reach the Demon Immortal Realm, I can provide a 4th Realm Spirit Vein immediately.”
“What! Is that truly possible?”
“Is… is that really true?”
A 4th Realm Spirit Vein.
Spirit Veins didn’t even exist as a concept in the Lower Realm.
Yet here was talk of not a Second Realm Spirit Vein, but a 4th Realm Spirit Vein.
Wouldn’t that enable extraordinary growth?
“If you join the sect I’m establishing, I’ll also prepare elixirs for you separately.”
“…!”
Ilhyang intended to establish a Magic Tower in the Upper Realm.
More precisely, in both the Demon Immortal Realm and the Immortal Celestial Realm.
Both places.
And for now, I planned to solidify my foundation in the Demon Immortal Realm first.
The reason was simple.
That place was somewhat freer, making it perfectly suited for me to quietly build my strength.
The problem was a shortage of talented individuals to grow stronger with in that realm.
Of course, there was Gong Jeol-gang.
But I intended to keep him bound to the Lower Realm for now.
The boy possessed talent for magic beyond my expectations.
I planned to let him build his skills in a safe place first, establishing a solid foundation.
The two people before me, however, were in a different position.
They were Hwagyeong Masters.
Skilled individuals capable of ascending to the Upper Realm through their own power.
All I could do was accelerate that timeline for them.
Of course, that alone wouldn’t be enough to recruit these two.
Providing a 4th Realm Spirit Vein would certainly be attractive.
But providing elixirs was an entirely different matter.
“The Patriarch makes an offer one cannot refuse.”
Gu Sang-hak had already half-decided in his heart.
He was impressed by Ilhyang’s remarkable growth and the way he dominated Kangho.
I was curious to see how far this young master would go.
Yet he extended his hand first like this.
There was no reason to refuse.
Meanwhile, Goe Cheol’s eyes darted about as if calculating various costs and benefits.
It was certainly an attractive proposal.
But if he joined the Celestial Demon Sect in the Upper Realm, it was difficult to gauge and compare what offer they might make.
However, when Bing Baek-ma-gun beside him accepted so readily, Goe Cheol showed signs of confusion.
“General, do you know what offer the Celestial Demon Sect will make that you decide so easily?”
“Teacher Goe, don’t be mistaken. Do you think the Celestial Demon Sect would even care about us? We’d be fortunate if they even sent someone to greet us.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“The Celestial Demon Sect also discriminates based on origins. Even in the Lower Realm, people like you and me were never allowed to touch the true treasures of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, their legacy.”
“Well… that’s because we’re outsiders when it comes to approaching the Sun-Moon Divine Altar.”
The sacred treasure of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
An eternally burning blue flame—the Holy Fire Spirit.
The divine altar where it was enshrined was the Sun-Moon Divine Altar.
“Teacher Goe already knows this well. You’re right. We are outsiders. All the men under me are outsiders too. Aren’t the ones under you also outsiders?”
“…That’s true.”
“From the start, those who come out like this and handle dangerous work are all outsiders like us. Don’t you feel something in that?”
“….”
Goe Cheol fell silent.
Though the sect was known for its tolerance, subtle discrimination based on origin existed within the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
This remained true regardless of martial prowess or rank.
On one hand, I understood it, but there was nothing I could do about the irritation.
“The Sect Master at least acknowledges us and treats us fairly. But everyone else is the same breed. You know that too, don’t you, Teacher Goe?”
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect had consistently recruited martial masters with Immortal Roots.
Yet the stigma of their origins never faded.
“Hmm….”
“I know you’re sensitive to profit, Teacher Goe. That’s precisely why you should accept this proposal.”
“Does the Demon Lord believe this would be more profitable?”
“At least the Faction Lord before us doesn’t discriminate against us like the others do.”
Ilhyang, who had been listening quietly to their conversation, interjected at precisely this moment.
With a resolute expression, shaking his head.
“That’s a misunderstanding. I will discriminate between you two and the others as well.”
“…?”
Seeing the bewildered expression on Bing Baek Ma-gun’s face, Ilhyang grinned.
And extending both hands before them, he spoke.
“You’ll be the first contributors to the Magical Sect I’m about to create, so naturally I must discriminate in your favor. I’m not someone with a heart broad enough to embrace everyone.”
“Haha, so you meant discrimination in the good sense. The Faction Lord certainly knows how to make people tense.”
As Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak smiled with relief, Ilhyang smiled back and spoke.
“If you become my people, I’ll take care of you thoroughly. I know how to distinguish what’s mine from what isn’t.”
Goe Cheol had to make a decision at this point.
And it wasn’t particularly difficult.
Because the item Ilhyang had presented as a gift first was the Great Restoration Pill.
“I will devote my loyalty, Faction Lord!”
Goe Cheol bowed deeply with utmost respect.
And Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak beside him also bowed.
“I will devote my loyalty.”
“Haha, I’m grateful. Teacher Gu, Teacher Goe.”
Martial arts were not inferior to the cultivation methods that Celestial Watchers practiced.
They possessed their own laws and principles.
Furthermore.
‘These ones too could open their own minor worlds.’
From my previous encounter with Namgung Jincheon, I had glimpsed infinite possibilities within martial arts.
Perhaps martial arts could become a new secret technique capable of overcoming the cultivation methods of the Celestial Watchers.

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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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