Chapter 318: Wudang Sect (1) |
A few days ago.
On the outskirts of Yungjung Mountain, where the Zhuge Clan's main residence was located.
A figure, concealed within the natural terrain, some distance from the mountain entrance, silently observed the procession of horsemen and carriages emerging from the formation's hidden gate.
‘That many people leaving at once… Right, the Murim Alliance meeting is soon.’
The figure, perfectly hidden, his aura suppressed,
Waited patiently until the group had completely left, then carefully stood up, confirming that there was no one else around.
“Whew, as expected of the Zhuge Clan. I almost got caught.”
The middle-aged man, dressed in worn and tattered robes, brushed the dirt off his clothes and sighed softly.
He stretched his stiff limbs, then glanced at the Zhuge Clan’s formations and frowned slightly.
He, Qingguan, a sorcerer of the Maoshan Sect, had followed the trail of the unusual spirit energy he had sensed at Dongting Lake, tracking it all the way here.
His sect, the Maoshan Sect, was comparable to the Zhuge Clan in terms of sorcery, but he couldn't get any closer to their stronghold. He was just a sorcerer, after all.
‘This is strange. He shouldn't be this quiet, judging by his previous actions.’
But despite the passage of time, he hadn’t found any concrete clues.
And there hadn’t been any news from his colleagues in other regions either.
“Hahaha, could it be… Mount Wudang instead? But the connection to this place is much stronger… Did I make a mistake?”
But he couldn’t just give up.
He sighed softly and took out his ritual tools from his backpack.
It seemed like this wouldn’t be over soon.
And a few days later,
Another otherworlder appeared in a distant location, beginning his activities…
But Qingguan, still preoccupied with his current investigation, and everyone else in this world, remained oblivious.
____________________
“Hmm, this should be enough. Let’s move on to the next location.”
Finding a hidden vault within the rubble of a collapsed building was child’s play for Harley, with his superhuman senses.
He could sense the density and composition of the earth beneath his feet with a simple stomp, and his Ki sense allowed him to see through objects.
Valuables, stored in his 「Subspace Storage」, secret manuals sent to Hubert for analysis, and a few high-quality corpses sent to Hans…
Having collected his spoils, he casually left the scene, his heart lightened by the unexpectedly large haul.
And after a while,
A group of five or six Taoist priests, dressed in robes, cautiously approached the ruined estate.
“…What in the world…”
“Is this… really the Shura Sect?”
“There’s nothing left. So, what they said… was true…”
They looked around the devastated sect grounds, their faces hardening with each passing moment.
They had come to confirm the unbelievable rumors they had heard, but the reality was even worse than they had imagined.
Collapsed buildings, craters in the earth, scattered corpses, and the lingering scent of blood…
The remnants of the battle painted a gruesome picture.
And…
“Senior brother, look at this.”
“…The bodies are gone.”
“Yes, not many of them, but… judging by the remaining traces, they only took the strongest warriors.”
“They weren't being considerate and giving them a proper burial.”
Their unease intensified as they examined the scene.
“There are signs of someone rummaging through the rubble here! They were looking for something…”
“Were they after something specific?”
“Even so, to do all this alone…? Perhaps there were other accomplices?”
“…But the remaining traces match the eyewitness accounts…”
Their faces darkened as they recalled the survivors’ testimonies.
The dazed and disoriented survivors’ accounts of the incident played in their minds.
A muscular giant, dressed in strange attire, appearing out of nowhere.
His savage laughter, the destruction of their sect, and the desperate last stand of their fellow martial artists.
Their consistent testimonies couldn't be dismissed as mere hallucinations.
“…Senior brother, shouldn't we join the Zhuge Clan? I heard they’re not far from here.”
“I agree. A monster capable of single-handedly annihilating the Shura Sect is roaming free. It would be safer to travel with them…”
“…Let’s return. We’ll inform the Sect Leader and let him decide.”
The Taoist priests of the Wudang Sect bowed their heads respectfully towards the scene of the tragedy, then turned and left.
To rejoin their main force and report the situation.
And having confirmed the truth through their investigation, the Wudang Sect decided to contact the Zhuge Clan.
It was a decision that would bring together the delegations of the two factions, who had been maintaining a wary distance despite their relatively friendly relations.
____________________
“The Shura Sect?”
“So that’s why it’s been so quiet. That happened?”
“If that’s true, then we’re in danger as well. The Shura Sect Leader, Mad Demon Kwangak, is a master-level expert. Even if we join forces with the Wudang Sect, we might not be able to handle someone who could annihilate them…”
“But we can’t just do nothing. We have to…”
The sudden contact from the Wudang Sect created a stir among the Zhuge Clan delegation.
Hugo, having assessed the situation with his enhanced senses, nodded slowly.
‘…So that’s what happened.’
In short…
‘It’s my fault.’
He scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward.
The Wudang Sect and the Zhuge Clan weren’t that far apart.
About a hundred kilometers as the crow flies.
Their paths inevitably overlapped, so it wasn't surprising that they had discovered the traces of Harley’s rampage.
They could have joined forces and traveled together if they had wanted to.
‘But there must have been a reason why they didn’t. Anyway, those are Wudang Sect warriors.’
He glanced at the two groups, their leaders conversing some distance away.
A Zhuge Clan elder and a middle-aged Taoist priest with a refined appearance, their faces serious.
‘…Master-level? As expected of the Wudang Sect, one of the two pillars of the righteous Murim. Even their escort is stronger than ours.’
He wouldn’t have been able to sense it before, but he had acquired 「Heavenly Ki Body」, which had significantly enhanced his Ki sense.
‘This skill is amazing. It increased my elixir absorption rate tenfold. At this rate…’
He smiled inwardly, pleased with his progress, and then,
“······!”
…his gaze met the Wudang Sect Elder’s.
A shiver ran down his spine as their eyes locked.
He felt as if he had been scanned and analyzed in an instant, despite the brevity of their encounter.
Seeing the change in the Elder’s expression, Hugo quickly averted his gaze, forcing a smile.
‘…I shouldn’t have been so careless.’
He had been too relaxed after defeating the master-level Shura Sect Leader.
‘That was Harley, not Hugo.’
The Mysterious Realm transcended human limits, while the Master Realm was the pinnacle achievable by mortals.
Hugo, who hadn’t even reached transcendence yet, was no match for a Master Realm expert.
Not yet.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. Hugo hasn’t learned anything besides martial arts from Ganghwange… But the Wudang Sect… If I play my cards right…’
The Elder was not only from the Wudang Sect, one of the two most powerful righteous factions, but also a master-level expert.
Observing him up close would be a valuable learning opportunity.
‘Of course, my understanding of martial arts isn’t good enough yet, but there are plenty of… learning materials here.’
The Wudang Sect Elder, having finished his conversation with the Zhuge Clan elder, turned and walked back towards his group.
Hugo’s gaze, carefully controlled, followed him.
‘Do they have anything interesting?’
He had already examined the Zhuge Clan warriors’ techniques, but they weren't very impressive.
He had gained some interesting insights from their formations, which combined sorcery and martial arts, but his current priority was pure martial arts.
In that sense, the Wudang Sect experts were perfect targets.
‘Don’t be stingy, share your secrets.’
They were still more than halfway to their destination, the Shaolin Temple.
And creating an opportunity wasn’t difficult for Hugo.
____________________
“Such a waste… Such a waste…”
Having returned to his group after his conversation with the Zhuge Clan, Elder Yunhyeon of the Wudang Sect shook his head, sighing regretfully.
“What’s wrong, Elder? Did something happen…?”
One of his disciples, a martial artist, tilted his head curiously, but the Elder didn’t reply. He closed his eyes, recalling the young man he had just seen.
An excellent physique, honed through rigorous training, and an unusually deep internal energy for his age, as if he had consumed countless elixirs.
And most importantly, his unique constitution, which seemed to allow him to resonate with the world’s Ki.
It reminded him of the legendary Empty Spirit Body, a mythical constitution that allowed one to transcend the limits of internal energy cultivation by achieving perfect harmony with nature.
‘Of course, he’s no match for the legendary body, but… if he reaches his full potential, who knows?’
That’s why it was such a shame.
He was clearly a talented individual, a potential pillar of their sect, but he seemed to be a prized disciple of the Zhuge Clan.
Even though they were both part of the righteous Murim, they were still rivals, their territories close to each other.
And these were chaotic times, where every faction was struggling to survive.
‘…But his arrogance is a problem.’
He could sense it, thanks to his pure and righteous internal energy cultivation technique.
That the young man didn’t respect him… no, that he was subtly looking down on everyone present.
It wasn’t a deliberate act of disrespect, but more like… a casual disregard, as if observing from a higher vantage point, like an adult watching a child’s antics.
It wasn’t an appropriate demeanor for a young man, unless he was a reclusive master who had transcended the mundane world.
‘He wouldn't have survived this long if he had encountered someone with a bad temper. The Zhuge Clan must be protecting him.’
Perhaps they had sent him on this journey to temper his arrogance, to expose him to the wider world and teach him some humility.
His talent was too valuable to waste.
“Hmm, I’d like to see his skills…”
Elder Yunhyeon muttered to himself, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the young man was… special.
Whether he would become a world-shaking figure or be crushed by his own potential, remained to be seen.
“It would be nice if I could find an opportunity to test him.”
He had reached the same conclusion as someone else, but whose will would prevail…
…remained to be seen.
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