Chapter 320: Wudang Sect (3) |
Several days had passed since the Zhuge and Wudang warriors joined forces and began their journey.
After their first joint battle, they had overcome several more skirmishes and finally reached Dengfeng County in Henan Province.
“We’ve finally arrived.”
“That’s Mount Song, the sacred land of the Buddhist sect… It truly is one of the Five Great Mountains of China.”
The group, having overcome numerous obstacles and nearing their destination, admired the scenery with satisfaction.
‘There shouldn’t be any more battles now.’
That was the common thought shared by everyone.
Dengfeng was close to Mount Song, where the Shaolin Temple was located, so there was little chance of any further trouble.
The fact that the frequency of conflicts had decreased significantly as they approached the Shaolin Temple’s sphere of influence was further proof.
“They must have put in extra effort, considering the upcoming meeting.”
As everyone relaxed and enjoyed the scenery,
Elder Yunhyeon of the Wudang Sect was lost in thought, a serious expression on his face.
‘…His name was Ha Seung-hoon, wasn’t it?’
His current preoccupation was a certain young man who was part of the Zhuge Clan delegation.
A talented individual who had caught his attention since their first encounter.
‘He’s incredible.’
His interest had grown even stronger after witnessing the young man’s performance in their first joint battle.
After all, he had observed his growth firsthand.
‘Improving day by day, constantly evolving… He’s a true prodigy.’
Elder Yunhyeon, a master-level expert, couldn’t have missed the changes in someone he was actively observing.
He had not only noticed Ha Seung-hoon’s rapid growth, but also the fact that it was influenced by the martial artists around him.
‘He seems to have been particularly influenced by our Wudang style…’
And that was the reason for his current contemplation.
The young man’s swordsmanship and movements were starting to resemble the Wudang style… but it wasn’t enough to accuse him of stealing their techniques.
He wasn’t copying their secret manuals or mimicking their forms.
He was simply adapting and evolving based on his observations and experiences in actual combat.
There were other soft sword styles besides the Wudang’s.
Unaware of 「Mimicry」 and its related abilities, Elder Yunhyeon could only ponder the question.
And more importantly…
‘It would be a waste to let him go.’
He had noticed something while traveling with the Zhuge Clan.
The bond between Ha Seung-hoon and the Zhuge Clan wasn't as strong as he had initially assumed.
They treated each other formally, maintaining a polite distance, like a guest and a host, not a disciple and a master.
And Zhuge Junghyeok, the delegation leader, seemed indifferent towards him.
And the most crucial observation was…
That the foundation of the young man’s martial arts wasn’t related to the Zhuge Clan’s style at all.
‘Perhaps I was mistaken. If he’s just a guest, not a disciple…’
Elder Yunhyeon’s eyes gleamed with a newfound interest.
Then perhaps he could recruit him to the Wudang Sect?
He seemed to have a natural aptitude for their sword style. He could offer him valuable teachings as bait.
‘It wouldn’t be as good as learning the Wudang arts from a young age, but with his potential, it wouldn’t be a problem.’
The world had changed.
Even those who sought the Tao needed strength to protect themselves in these chaotic times.
Of course, he couldn’t just teach the Wudang arts to anyone… but he seemed to have a good character, based on his observations.
‘I’ll bring it up sometime.’
He glanced at the young man, who was observing the surroundings with a curious gaze.
They still had plenty of time until the meeting began.
And so, Elder Yunhyeon continued to harbor his secret desire, his wishful thinking.
And as the delegation continued their journey,
“Amitabha. Welcome. You must be tired from your long journey.”
…They finally arrived at their destination, the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.
____________________
“Hugo is also growing steadily.”
Hugo, whose avatar name was Hugo and alias was Ha Seung-hoon, was diligently training in Ganghwange, striving to become a skilled martial artist.
He had received support from Harris, who helped him establish a foothold, and now, with Harley’s assistance, he was entering a period of rapid growth.
‘“Heavenly Ki Body” and “Nameless Art”.’
A martial art without a name.
He had tried to name the skill, but the system hadn’t responded.
Perhaps its nature was still too undefined.
‘A growth-type skill… It will continue to evolve based on the user’s actions.’
There was no point in worrying about it now.
He just had to keep moving forward.
“Hubert is still analyzing the manuals.”
Hubert, who had been casually reviewing the martial arts manuals in his spare time, was now swamped with work, thanks to the numerous sects they had raided.
But he hadn’t found any S-rank techniques yet.
‘There are a few A-rank ones…’
And even those had only been acquired from the Shura Sect, a powerful evil faction led by a master-level expert.
A-rank techniques were considered valuable secrets even in major sects… but having experienced the S-rank “Gentle Eight Trigrams Secret Art”, he wasn’t satisfied.
‘I should still learn a few of them. They might help “Nameless Art” evolve.’
He nodded, making a decision.
Having dealt with Hugo, his thoughts shifted to Harley, who was also in Ganghwange.
‘Harley has also worked hard.’
Mostly destruction and mayhem, but still…
Thanks to him, he had acquired a considerable amount of Karma.
He had hoped Harley would also learn some useful martial arts while he was in Ganghwange…
“…But it’s not easy to find something suitable for him. As expected.”
I sighed, shaking my head.
He had tried countless times to have Harley use martial arts techniques properly.
After all, with his incredible physique, it would be incredibly effective if he could combine it with proper technique.
‘But the results weren’t very good.’
Of course, it wasn't completely useless.
Harley’s recent performance was proof of that.
He had learned how to use his body more efficiently, how to properly channel his power… it was a testament to what could happen when a monster learned human techniques.
But when it came to more advanced techniques, like sophisticated fist and movement techniques, the meticulously refined and polished arts of martial arts… it didn't work.
It was like trying to force an ill-fitting garment onto him. It only hindered his movements and weakened his attacks.
‘To Harley, a punch thrown instinctively is stronger than a technically perfect one.’
So, he had hoped to find a suitable martial art in Ganghwange, a world filled with diverse and unique techniques…
But he hadn’t found anything yet.
‘I’m sure I’ll find something eventually. A high-level martial art that perfectly suits Harley’s unique physique isn’t easy to find.’
Hugo’s… or rather, Ha Seung-hoon’s… journey through the Murim world had just begun.
He would encounter countless martial arts and secret manuals.
He could choose one later.
‘It’s not urgent.’
He had just arrived at the Shaolin Temple, but the meeting wouldn’t start for a while.
It would take time for the representatives from all over the continent to gather.
So, today…
“Hmm, I think I’ll have some chicken.”
…He decided to treat Hugo, who would be forced to endure a vegetarian diet at the temple, to a proper meal.
____________________
The Immortal Fortress, shrouded in a sinister aura, deep within the Northern Mountains.
[“Hmm, this is useless.”]
An ominous voice echoed through a laboratory in its depths.
A chilling voice that would make ordinary people faint and even heroes tremble.
[“I had my hopes up… but it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to store it away for now.”]
It was Hans, the Immortal King, the nemesis of Auterica.
After dealing the final blow to the Master of Heaven’s Turn Society and absorbing a part of his divine power, he had returned to the Immortal Fortress to recover and had been experimenting with some interesting materials.
He had just finished his current project.
Swish—
He waved his hand, and several corpses, lying on the lab tables, began to sink into the shadows below, vanishing without a trace.
They were the bodies of Ganghwange’s master-level experts, their pale faces and unfamiliar attire a stark contrast to the usual undead.
Harley had provided them.
‘It seems difficult to turn natives from other dimensions into undead with the usual methods.’
It was different from creating undead from awakened individuals.
They were born and raised in Ganghwange, under its unique laws, so they were essentially foreign substances in Auterica.
As if this world itself rejected otherworldly magic.
‘Well, they’re all masters of Ganghwange’s internal energy cultivation techniques, so it’s understandable.’
To properly turn them into undead, Hans would have to go to Ganghwange himself.
As an awakened individual, he could use his dark magic there without any restrictions.
The quality of the resulting undead would be lower, since he couldn’t use his high-end equipment and materials…
[“No.”]
Hans’s eyes glowed with a sudden realization.
It was natural for his undead creation techniques to be less effective in another dimension.
Then he just had to supplement them with techniques from that world.
‘I heard there’s a jiangshi creation technique in Ganghwange.’
The Zhuge Clan didn’t practice such dark arts, but he had learned about it while gathering information.
He had even heard about it from Zhuge Hyemi, the sickly young miss who spent most of her time reading books.
‘It’s a technique mainly used by the Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult.’
They were shadowy organizations, their power and influence limited compared to the mainstream factions.
So they had developed various methods to compensate for their lack of manpower, and one of them was the jiangshi creation technique, which allowed them to control the bodies of powerful warriors.
[“Kkuk kuk— Jiangshi, interesting. I wonder what would happen if I combined it with other undead creation techniques… especially on awakened individuals.”]
Jiangshi were incredibly difficult to create, but even the mass-produced ones were said to be stronger than ordinary master-level experts.
Hugo, with his enhanced stats, skills, and 「Nameless Art」, was barely at the peak of the master level…
‘I should pay them a visit.’
Hans left the lab, stroking his bony chin thoughtfully.
There wasn’t much for him to do in Auterica now anyway.
Heinrich, who had remained at the temple, was busy preparing for the final battle against the Immortal King.
He would have to leave eventually, so it wouldn’t be bad to visit his new home beforehand.
‘I should check on the others first.’
And so—.
The invasion of an otherworldly Demon King was about to begin in the crumbling Murim world.
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