—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobt
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“It’s as I thought.”
Yu Jeong-mok’s figure was reflected in Joo Seo-cheon’s eyes.
Yu Jeong-mok was still slowly displaying the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword. However, it was quite different from when he displayed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
He displayed the sword, but he did so with consideration so that his disciple could watch comfortably. So he deliberately made his postures larger or used methods such as changing the direction of his gaze so that the standing Joo Seo-cheon could see as much as possible.
It must have been difficult just to display it slowly, but he was considerate so that his disciple could properly observe.
However, strangely, that consideration stopped around the time the third stance of the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword began.
There were occasional postures that couldn’t be properly grasped unless Joo Seo-cheon moved his body and observed from a different angle.
It wasn’t because Yu Jeong-mok had gotten tired midway or found it bothersome. It was the opposite.
Forgetting even his disciple’s presence, he had become immersed in the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword.
“A future that changes with my actions. And not just once, but twice. I didn’t expect it to be Master.”
Just now, Joo Seo-cheon had discovered something unusual when Yu Jeong-mok showed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword Technique, which was his entire martial prowess.
“The imbalance of the five elements. Due to consuming the Water Spirit Divine Fruit, the water energy was considerably biased.”
The power of the Water Spirit Divine Fruit had stopped the leakage of pre-heaven true Qi.
At first, it seemed like that was all, but upon looking again, it wasn’t. Although subtle, the remnants remained.
Even Joo Seo-cheon didn’t know until Yu Jeong-mok showed the Fourteen Hands Plum Blossom Sword.
Yu Jeong-mok had exerted all his strength to manifest sword energy, and he felt the yin energy, the water energy, within that energy.
So he deliberately requested Yu Jeong-mok to display the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword slowly.
The Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword, as the name suggests, was a martial art that embodied the principles of the five elements’ circulation. It was perfect for correcting the imbalance of the five elements.
And the reason he asked to display it slowly was to make him focus more. It was so subtle that he might have missed it.
“To think that a single spiritual medicine would change things this much…”
It had corrected the sickly constitution that was thought to be a disease, and that had also become a clue to raise his realm.
“…”
While he was thinking, Yu Jeong-mok had deployed the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword up to the final stance. Then he immediately entered Qi circulation.
It was to absorb the enlightenment he had gained and raise his realm.
Joo Seo-cheon guarded the surroundings for the breathing technique while holding his breath so as not to disturb Yu Jeong-mok.
“The imbalance of the five elements is just a trigger.”
The remnants of the Water Spirit Divine Fruit, the water energy, weren’t that much. Even if there was an imbalance, it wasn’t at a serious level.
It was just a subtle part that was complemented, and the internal energy had become more stable and increased by a fingernail’s worth.
Then what was Yu Jeong-mok’s true enlightenment?
“Rest.”
Yu Jeong-mok was a diligent and hardworking person.
But he was so diligent that it was almost too much.
He was so upright that he was evaluated as being quite stubborn.
It was the same even after he had failed to become the Plum Blossom Swordsman. He had been running without rest throughout his life.
In fact, some of his martial brothers who knew him were tired of his diligence.
This effort was so excessive that it seemed like an obsession. No matter who told him, it was of no use.
He only had the mindset of working hard, and since entering Mount Hwa, he had always exerted force on his body.
It could be seen just by looking at the Body Enhancement Exercises.
Yu Jeong-mok had pushed himself too much.
“Ah, sometimes you need to let go.”
The five elements represented circulation, the flow of nature.
While correcting the imbalance of the five elements, Yu Jeong-mok had pondered and thought about the five elements again and understood them.
As he learned about circulation, he realized that there were times when he had to let things flow like water.
Water energy, five elements, circulation.
He awakened to and understood these three things.
And he succeeded in overcoming the hurdle of the peak realm.
A long time passed, and Yu Jeong-mok slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze and energy had completely changed.
There was a composure that wasn’t there before.
However, his gentle and comfortable smile remained the same as before. With the addition of composure, he was like a sage.
“It’s not me, but you who is teaching me. All of this is thanks to you.”
The first words he spoke were in a voice filled with affection.
At those words, Joo Seo-cheon exclaimed in a voice filled with deep emotion.
“Congratulations, Master!”
Joo Seo-cheon was genuinely happy as if it were his own accomplishment.
Before the regression, he had always been a burden to his master. He deeply regretted not being able to properly witness his passing.
He felt uneasy as if he had only incurred debts… But he was happy to be able to repay that long-cherished wish in this way.
Joo Seo-cheon was once again grateful for his new life.
* * *
“Ho, Smiling Gentle Swordsman has reached the transcendent level?”
The news of Yu Jeong-mok reaching the transcendent level spread in less than a day.
“This calls for a celebration!”
In the Nine Great Sects like the Mount Hua Sect, there were many masters. It wasn’t for nothing that they were called major sects.
However, that didn’t mean they were overflowing with them. A transcendent master was treated as a rare and valuable asset even within a major sect.
And Yu Jeong-mok had reached that level of a transcendent master. It was enough to draw attention.
Martial brothers who usually knew and interacted with Yu Jeong-mok visited him to offer congratulations.
In both his previous and current life, it was the first time Joo Seo-cheon had seen so many visitors come to his residence.
“Congratulations, truly.”
“If it’s Smiling Gentle Swordsman, I believed from long ago that you would achieve it someday.”
“It’s not much, but please accept it.”
Yu Jeong-mok didn’t have a particularly wide network. Even the people he could call somewhat close were at most five.
However, the number of people who had visited recently had already exceeded a hundred, and most of them were those seeking connections.
Needless to say, the Mount Hua Sect wasn’t just filled with people from the Mount Hua Sect.
In the case of lay disciples from high-ranking families, they would be accompanied by several attendants and bodyguards.
In addition, there were clients, merchants, people for sparring purposes, and so on. It was filled with a wide variety of people.
And among them, there were quite a few who had the purpose of somehow forming connections with the inner disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.
No, to be honest, almost all the visitors had that thought in mind.
It was none other than the Mount Hua Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. If they could form a proper relationship, it would be more reassuring than any sword.
In the case of small and medium-sized sects without power, if they had a connection with an inner disciple of Mount Hwa, even the moderately evil sects wouldn’t dare to approach them.
In a bad sense, they could even exercise power by using Mount Hwa as a backing.
“Sigh, Master is really…”
Joo Seo-cheon inwardly sighed.
His eyes reflected the back of his master, Smiling Gentle Swordsman Yu Jeong-mok, who was diligently entertaining the visitors one by one.
He had learned how to rest, but his upright character remained the same.
“If he says he’s tired since he hasn’t been at this realm for long, no one would come anymore…”
Joo Seo-cheon was worried, but Yu Jeong-mok smiled softly as usual, saying he was fine, and dealt with the people.
Fortunately, his master wasn’t someone who lacked discernment, so he wasn’t taken advantage of or incurred any debts.
He also showed skilled handling in accepting or declining gift offensives at an appropriate level.
Upper Palace, the peak of Lotus Peak.
It was a structure that had remained since the beginning of the Mount Hua Sect and had never changed its appearance throughout its long history.
It was built by summoning the best architects of the era from the design stage, but even after that, considerable effort, time, and money were invested in maintaining it. It was a place that was regarded as important in many ways.
The scenery of Mount Hwa seen from the Upper Palace was truly beautiful and spectacular, making anyone lose their soul.
Its reputation was also great, and it was a place that anyone with a taste for elegance dreamed of visiting at least once.
Moreover, apart from the scenery, the Upper Palace itself was also tremendous.
Although it was long ago, it was built by summoning the best architects of the era and consuming an astronomical amount of money, so it was natural.
Not only was the structure perfectly achieved, but the beauty seen from the exterior was also beyond words.
It was deliberately made to look inferior to the Imperial Palace, not reaching the power of the Emperor, but it was still one of the most notable structures in the Central Plains.
“Yu Jeong-mok, I knew that child would do it.”
Inside the Upper Palace, an old man with a beard so white that it was dazzling, sitting on the main seat, smiled with satisfaction.
There were a hundred masters in the world.
They were called the Hundred Great Masters. They were mainly composed of transcendent masters, and there were also masters of the Awakening Realm.
But were the Hundred Great Masters the true peak of the vast martial arts world?
No.
Beyond the Awakening Realm, there were those who transcended human limits and received gazes of reverence.
The Ten Seats Above the Heavens.
The hundred masters were, after all, below the heavens.
There were always those who flew above those who leaped.
Above the heavens, there were ten absolute masters.
That was the Ten Seats Above the Heavens.
The old man sitting on the main seat was also one of them.
Sword Immortal Woo Il-mun, the True Person.
The sect leader of the Mount Hua Sect!
“If it weren’t for his sickly constitution, he could have definitely become the Plum Blossom Swordsman. It’s truly regrettable.”
Sitting on either side of Woo Il-mun, who was on the main seat, were middle-aged men who were about to enter their old age.
They were none other than the assistants to the sect leader of Mount Hwa, the Five Elders of Mount Hua, who held authority second only to the sect leader.
“Hmm, I heard that as he reached the transcendent level, his sickly body also improved…”
“Oh?”
Woo Il-mun showed interest.
Yu Jeong-mok was a master at the peak level, but he had not been properly treated as a real asset until now. It was because of his sickly constitution.
It wasn’t a bad thing. His personality was fine, he was a hard worker to the point of being called obstinate, and he had somewhat decent talent.
However, due to that damned sickly constitution, he lacked endurance, so he wasn’t given any proper missions.
“Hmm, then how about conducting a proper examination?”
From the perspective of the Mount Hua Sect, leaving a talent like Yu Jeong-mok idle was like letting a talent go to waste.
“That’s a good idea.”
The future changed once again.
Afterward, during an Upper Palace meeting, Yu Jeong-mok was discussed. This meeting, held by the sect leader and the Five Elders of Mount Hua, was the highest meeting of the Mount Hua Sect in name and reality.
The matter of what to do with a transcendent master was sufficiently worthy of being brought up in the Upper Palace meeting.
And about half a month later.
Even after half a month had passed since the consumption of the Water Spirit Divine Fruit and the end of the Upper Palace meeting, Yu Jeong-mok hadn’t coughed even once.
As a result, the leadership of the Mount Hua Sect judged that Yu Jeong-mok’s sickly constitution had been cured. They summoned him and assigned him a new mission.
In other words, a debut in the murim.
* * *
“Oh my goodness.”
Something that had never happened before occurred.
Since becoming Yu Jeong-mok’s disciple, Joo Seo-cheon had never seen him venture into the murim for any purpose other than socializing. He was so surprised when he heard the news.
“Hmm.”
To be honest, he was worried.
If Yu Jeong-mok made his debut in the murim, the path ahead was a darkness where he couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
