Chapter 573: To Hanam.

Emerging from the cave, I strolled through the forest.

I didn’t know the time, but judging by the moon’s position, it seemed to be the dead of night.

“Shall we rest around here?”

It was something I blurted out after walking for a while.

I didn’t expect an answer. I simply stopped and waved my hand over the ground.

Hwa-reuk-!

Flames burst from my fingertips, igniting the fallen wood fragments. Then, I gathered more fragments from the surroundings using conjuration. That completed the campfire.

The darkness brightened slightly. I sat around it, passing the time. Rabbits were hopping around nearby, so I caught one and roasted it while I waited.

Tadak-! Tadak-!

Watching the rabbit slowly cook, I thought.

‘I should arrive within seven days and nights.’

At this speed, that’s roughly how much time was left until I reached Hanam. Normally, I would have moved while cutting back on sleep. I would have arrived within three days at the latest, but I couldn’t do that now.

‘My physical condition is terrible, you see.’

I had to move while conserving my body as much as possible.

‘If only I had Ddol-ddol… Tsk.’

If that guy were here, I would have arrived within a day, let alone three. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use that guy either. That’s because he had been sent to Jiseon. Since things turned out that way, I had no choice but to travel on foot now.

In a way, it might even be better since I had to manage my internal injuries slowly. Thinking of that, a smirk involuntarily appeared on my face.

‘To think my body ended up like this after just one go.’

Although I didn’t hold back and intentionally used it excessively, seeing my body in this state after just one use made me think a lot. The road ahead was long. I couldn’t afford to be this disorganized.

‘But I can’t hold back,’

If anything, I’d use it more strongly than now. There’s no way I can moderate it here.

Then… the remaining method is.

‘I have to grow, right.’

Either get stronger here to the point where using it wouldn’t be a problem, or.

‘If I complete that, it might be roughly possible.’

If I could properly use what I intended to create, it seemed like it could be solved to some extent. Of course, better than those two is…

‘Ascending to a higher realm.’

Breaking through what’s blocked and reaching a higher realm. The problem is.

‘Is that as easy as it sounds?’

It was a realm I couldn’t reach even with my overwhelming internal energy in my past life. The Transcendent Realm. That place truly cannot be reached by internal energy alone. It can’t even be brushed against with trivial enlightenment. A lowly vessel cannot even attempt to contain it. One must perfect their martial arts, complete their mental imagery, and make it entirely their own. Pae-jon said that if one wishes to glimpse the Transcendent Realm, those are the conditions.

This means.

‘It’s still far away.’

It meant it was still a long way off for me. After all, the majority of martial artists die without reaching the Flower Realm. If one lacks talent, they can’t even reach the peak, let alone higher realms.

‘I heard that even counting all those in the Transcendent Realm wouldn’t reach thirty.’

Among the countless martial artists, only that many reached that place. Aiming for that place with a body that had only turned twenty was absurd. Although I knew that fact clearly.

‘Still, I have to do it.’

Still, in the end, I had to do it.

Kkwaak.

I clenched my fist. At the same time, I recalled.

‘How far have I come now?’

I poured three years into regaining the power of my past life. While doing so, I didn’t just fill it with internal energy; I rolled around with Pae-jon and filled it with other things. How far did I come doing that? Objectively speaking.

‘Eight tenths. Slightly less than that.’

Even after consuming every fortuitous encounter, I hadn’t even reached eight tenths? It’s laughable. Yet, I felt fear.

‘It must mean the efficacy of the Demonic Heaven Absorption Technique is that outstanding.’

A power that raised me, shrouded in dark emotions rather than enlightenment, right up to the verge of the Transcendent Realm. It was the same as saying that using the Demonic Heaven Absorption Technique, power could be easily accumulated. But.

‘I don’t need such empty power.’

I know I won’t reach my ultimate goal. Slowly and steadily. That’s what I need right now.

‘…Conversely.’

I was also facing the damned situation of needing to reverse the slow speed and accumulate it quickly.

‘I have to do something.’

How on earth should I do it? I was still in a situation where I had to continue pondering.

Around the time I succeeded in completing the shell of the Fire Wheel Formation. Pae-jon, seeing this, said.

[At least you’ve set foot in it. Now, fill it.]

Since you succeeded in constructing the mental imagery, now fill the incomplete core. This also meant completing the unknown territory called mental imagery.

‘If I do that, he said he’d teach me the fifth form, didn’t he?’

It was truly absurd. The Heavenly Sky-Breaking Palm strike was said to consist of seven forms in total. I should be moving on to the fifth form after finishing the fourth, but the condition is that I must complete the realm of mental imagery. What a terrifying condition this is.

‘So, does that mean the final form requires reaching the Transcendent Realm?’

For some reason, it felt like that might be true, which scared me. Because it seemed like something Pae-jon would actually do. That’s what the Heavenly Sky-Breaking Palm strike taught. Achieving artificial metamorphosis. Forcing oneself to touch the realm of selflessness. Constructing the Mind’s Eye to see a new world. Now, it was progressing to making one construct mental imagery. The Heavenly Sky-Breaking Palm strike, literally.

‘The power to transcend humanity and shatter the heavens.’

I began to understand the meaning of the Heavenly Sky-Breaking Palm strike that Pae-jon had explained. That old man…

‘Does he really intend to become a god?’

It didn’t seem like a joke. He was called a martial arts fanatic; that description fit perfectly. How crazy must one be to create something like this?

‘Did he lose to the Heavenly Demon even after creating something like this?’

Did he lose to the Heavenly Demon despite creating the bizarre martial art known as the Heavenly Sky-Breaking Palm strike? Seeing this. I wondered if the world’s situation might have been slightly different if Pae-jon’s body hadn’t been ruined by the Reverse Aging technique. Now, it was just a useless worry.

‘Instead of recalling such foolish hopes.’

I should be thinking about what I need to do next.

“Haa…”

I let out a deep sigh and reached out. It was the moment I was about to eat the well-cooked meat to fill my stomach. Just then.

“…Where do you intend to go now?”

Seong-yul, who hadn’t said a word while we were moving, spoke to me. I pulled out the meat and looked at him.

“I told you.”

That I was going to Hanam. I had definitely said so.

“You mean right away?”

“I have to go right away.”

There’s no benefit in delaying. I could handle things along the way, but going immediately was the best option right now.

‘Because I have things to do in Hanam.’

I needed to arrive early and get things done.

“Why are you asking? What’s your point?”

That’s what I asked Seong-yul. If he was asking out of curiosity about the destination, that would be understandable, but I knew Seong-yul’s question wasn’t just that. He was laying the groundwork. I was sure he had something else he wanted to ask me.

As expected. Since I opened the conversation with a question, Seong-yul brought up his main point as if he’d been waiting.

“…Young Hero-nim, you told me you would teach me how to be of use.”

“That’s right.”

It was something I told Seong-yul at the Wudang sect.

“I still don’t understand that.”

“Hmm.”

“And I don’t understand what Young Hero-nim intends to do either.”

I thought I had explained enough, but Seong-yul still seemed not to understand. Or perhaps. He might not want to understand.

“In three months. You said you would attack Hanam.”

“Correct.”

That’s why I’m going there now.

“Attacking Hanam… does that perhaps mean… attacking the Murim Alliance?”

I didn’t bother answering this. Because there was no need to answer. Attacking Hanam was tantamount to attacking the Murim Alliance.

As I confirmed with silence, Seong-yul’s gaze wavered slightly.

“…Why?”

The reason. I pondered Seong-yul’s question for a moment. There were countless reasons I could give, but for questions like this, the simpler the answer, the better.

“Because it’s worth destroying.”

“…!”

“There are more than enough reasons to destroy it. But there seems to be no one to do it, so I’m doing it.”

Do I need any other reason than that? It was worth destroying, and I wanted to destroy it, so I am.

“…”

Seong-yul showed no reaction upon hearing my answer. He just stared at me with wavering eyes. Seeing that, I chuckled.

“What, you don’t want to do it now?”

He said he’d do anything if it was necessary, whether it was killing someone or anything else. Is he hesitating now?

“It’s not that…”

“If you don’t want to, say so. I’ll send you away if you wish.”

I’ll send you away if you wish. Of course, that didn’t mean I’d send him to a place he desired. Seong-yul looked fine now, but he was the Sword Demon of his past life. Naturally, I couldn’t just send him away as he was. I kept him by my side, thinking perhaps the Dragon Speech could suppress his Heavenly Killer Star, but if he hesitated now. ‘I’d have to turn him into a demon or kill him right now.’ I would dispose of him without hesitation. However.

‘Hesitation isn’t necessarily bad.’

I didn’t know why he was hesitating, but if it was because he was reluctant to kill, or hesitant about attacking the Alliance, the center of the orthodox sects. That itself wouldn’t be bad. Rather, the lunatics who got excited upon hearing that and emanated killing intent and fighting spirit were more problematic. Therefore.

‘Perhaps I should give him some justification.’

Instead of dealing with Seong-yul, I thought I’d give him some justification.

“You.”

“…Yes.”

“You said you could see through the other person’s lies. Does that apply to me too?”

That’s what Seong-yul told me at Wudang. That he could sense the other person’s lies. It was a question asking if that applied to me, and upon hearing it, Seong-yul paused briefly before looking at me. His pupils wavered. As I watched him silently, wondering why he was acting like that, Seong-yul spoke to me.

“…I… don’t know.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing that, I had to tilt my head. You don’t know? After hearing Seong-yul’s words, I thought for a moment.

‘Is it because I haven’t lied to him yet?’

Come to think of it, I didn’t think I had ever specifically lied to Seong-yul. Could that be why? Or perhaps.

‘Is there something else?’

I didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. Because it was something I could just verify.

‘Just in time, it seems like the justification I was going to give him.’

The thing I was going to tell him anyway was perfect for verification. I immediately looked at Seong-yul and said.

“Then, can you check if what I’m saying is true or false?”

“What…”

“Do you know? About Cheonghae Ilgeom’s death.”

Sa-aaaah.

As I brought up Cheonghae Ilgeom, Seong-yul’s demeanor changed drastically. Color seeped into his pupils, and the air grew tense. It seemed my words had stimulated his Heavenly Killer Star. Still, I didn’t stop. With a slight smirk, I continued speaking to him.

“That was because of the Murim Alliance.”

Sa-aaaaaah-!

As I blurted it out, dark energy began to emanate from Seong-yul’s body. Seeing this, I asked.

“How about it? Does this statement seem like a lie?”

“…What… are you saying…”

Seong-yul’s amber eyes gradually darkened. Should I let it continue like this for a bit longer? He seemed to have suppressed it well since our first meeting, but I was curious about what would happen if he let it loose just once. Also.

‘It would be good to see how far the Dragon Speech could suppress it.’

It was also a place with few people. Even though I had internal injuries, I figured I could handle that much. While observing Seong-yul’s rapidly swelling killing intent with that intention, just then.

Sa-rak.

“…?”

Suddenly, I felt something behind my back.

“What that means. Explain immediately…”

“Shut up.”

“…!”

Seong-yul’s growing killing intent collapsed instantly.

“Gasp…!”

His form shattered, and the backlash struck Seong-yul. Seong-yul’s body trembled from this. As Seong-yul staggered from the unexpected backlash. I too had to frown from the pain felt in my heart. Just like Seong-yul, this was also the backlash from unleashing the Dragon Speech. Using it hastily without proper preparation caused greater damage. But I couldn’t help it.

‘What is it?’

I sensed something in my Ki. It was faint, but definitely something. The problem here is. The presence was very close. If measured by distance, it wasn’t even ten steps. Despite being that close, sensing the presence only now meant. The opponent’s level must be quite high.

‘This is troublesome.’

Although my internal injuries were preventing my Ki sense from functioning properly, even considering that, the opponent’s level was high.

‘Who is it?’

Who could it possibly be? Who would approach while hiding their presence like this?

‘Is it Wudang?’

It couldn’t be Wudang. The circumstances suggested otherwise.

‘Then, perhaps the Beggars’ Sect?’

That’s the most likely possibility. Although Woo Bong-chwi-gae placed a restriction, they might have assigned someone. However…

‘If it were truly the Beggars’ Sect, they wouldn’t have approached this closely to check on me.’

They would have watched from afar. They wouldn’t have approached like this intending to do something. Coming this close means.

‘They broke through Nari, who should be watching from afar.’

Somewhere in this forest right now, Nari should be watching. I didn’t feel any sense of Nari being attacked. This means the opponent bypassed her Ki sense and came this far.

Woo-oong-!

I drew up the energy in my body. I felt a slight pain in my heart but ignored it. Just who could it be? I had to find out.

Hwa-ah-ak.

The moment my Ki began to spread wide and move quickly.

Woong-!

“What…?”

As my Ki spread, I simultaneously felt a presence. This is.

‘Behind me?’

Right behind my back. As soon as I felt that, I gathered energy into my hand and turned around. Immediately after, I tried to unleash flames without hesitation, but.

“Wang-!”

“…!”

Someone raised their hand and made a cute sound the moment I turned around. Seeing this, my eyes widened. I first saw the small figure raising its hand and the light green hair. The woman was looking at me with round eyes. The shining pupils within those large eyes were unusual. I found myself staring blankly at it. Because it was a completely unexpected person. As I stared at her with an unreadable expression, the woman tilted her head in return.

“You’re not surprised?”

“…Huh.”

Hearing her say that with a hint of disappointment, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of exasperation.

“I prepared quite diligently… Hmph…”

The woman who appeared by bypassing my Ki sense was someone I knew well. Breaking the brief silence, I spoke to her first.

“…It’s been a while.”

At my words, the woman smiled. It was still a bright and gentle smile.

“Yes, I missed you very much. Young Master-nim.”

It was late at night under the rising moon. The wild Tang Soyeol appeared before me. And quite suddenly at that.