Chapter 10: Heaven-Sent Talent (4)

Chapter 10: Heaven-Sent Talent (4)

The Palace of Heavenly Demons had made a move.

While the entire martial world tensed up again, the Palace of Heavenly Demons merely burned down a small estate in a small city called Hoguk city and disappeared.

People gossiped about the capricious acts of the Extreme Heavenly Demon, but those who knew the truth were solemn.

Extreme Heavenly Demon had slaughtered a cultivator!

The top echelons of the martial world.

The highest ranks of the business and political realms.

And the royal family.

They were the ones who knew about cultivators and understood how terrifying they were.

To them, the news of the Extreme Heavenly Demon slaughtering a cultivator was like the sky turning upside down.

"Yanguo is engulfed in chaos."

On the surface, it seemed calm.

All Extreme Heavenly Demon Young-hoon did was burn down an estate.

But those in the know were visibly shaken.

"Depending on Hyung-nim's movements, the turmoil will likely escalate."

"Well, that level of turmoil doesn't matter."

The one who had actually slain the cultivator was unbothered.

"The bizarre spells they cast are something that any peak master can counter once they get used to them. Slaughtering such beings won't help me further advance my understanding of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts. I need to seek out more stronger ones."

"Don't worry about that...There are still many cultivators left."

I smirked, unfolding a map of Yanguo.

Based on research from my past life, the number of cultivators lurking in Yanguo was more than enough to satisfy Young-hoon.

"I'll guide us to our next target."

Six months later.

Palace of Heavenly Demons rampaged through Yanguo, slaughtering one cultivator after another.

Most of the cultivators matched an ordinary peak master in strength, and it was rare to see any as powerful as those who had reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

Therefore, not even the elders, let alone Hyung-nim, had to join the battles. It was only the peak masters of the Palace of Heavenly Demons who exerted their power.

'But this isn't all.'

As far as I knew, the cultivators we had encountered so far were the bottom rung in the Cultivation hierarchy, merely dealing with menial tasks in the mortal world.

In other words, even the lowest of the low among the cultivators were comparable to peak masters.

'It's about time the high-ranking cultivators start appearing.'

My prediction proved accurate.

Three months later.

Palace of Heavenly Demons encountered a cultivator of a different caliber.

"Word has it that a group of mortals, ignorant of their place, are slaughtering cultivators of the clan. Is that you lot?"

One day.

While heading to slaughter a cultivator residing in Chamgyo city, on a mountain path, a young man in blue robes blocked the way of the Palace of Heavenly Demons, smiling slyly.

However, none of the Palace of Heavenly Demons members underestimated him.

The tingling sensation of his aura and the pressure he exuded were signs of a powerful cultivator.

"According to our intelligence, it is the cultivators who plan to annihilate the Palace of Heavenly Demons in collaboration with the martial world and the government. We're just struggling to survive. If you're a messenger of the cultivator clan, convey this message: If they stop persecuting us, we will cease slaughtering cultivators!"

Young-hoon yelled powerfully at the young man.

And then, the young man's expression changed.

"Ha, haha..."

He suddenly burst into a mad laugh.

"Ahahaha! Hahaha! Haha! Really, really... Ahahaha!"

Thud, thud...

Another young boy in blue robes and a beautiful woman in blue armor walked out.

All of them possessed auras similar to that of the young man.

"Hahaha... It's utterly hilarious. It seems you have a big misunderstanding. Since you made me laugh, I'll tell you one basic fact about the cultivation world."

The young man spread his left hand.

On it appeared the character for "refining qi."

"In the stages of cultivation, the lowest stage is called Qi Refining. The cultivators you've been defeating until now..."

"Are they Qi Refining cultivators?"

"No, no. Listen to the end. The Qi Refining Phase is divided into 14 levels, from 1-star to 14-star. The higher the number, the closer to the next realm. A 14th level Qi Refining cultivator is highly regarded in the cultivator clan, while a 1st level is considered the dregs. And..."

Chuckle...

The young man gave a twisted smile and showed his right hand, on which the number one was inscribed.

"The ones you've been proudly defeating were just 1st level Qi Refining cultivators embarrassingly low, even for cultivator standards. They were assigned to handle the petty affairs of the mortal world."

"..."

I was shocked as if I had been hit on the head.

I never had the chance to learn such information in my past life.

'I knew there were stages like Qi Refining, Qi Building, and Core Formation..'

But to think that the cultivators lurking around, each comparable to a peak master, were actually the very bottom of the Qi Refining Phase!

"By the way, my friends and I have reached the 3rd level of Qi Refining. We are a different class compared to the trash you've been dealing with..."

"So, even among 14 levels, you're just a lowly 3-star."

Young-hoon interrupted him with a smirk.

"The same bottom-dwellers mocking 1st level ones, that's hilariously pathetic. At least the ones I met fought me with the resolve to die. You just blabber away. Is that the extent of your cultivated skills?"

"Eek!"

The young man's face contorted.

"Fine, you impudent fool. If you so desire, I'll show you my power. I'll demonstrate what it means to be a 3rd level Qi Refining cultivator!"

A powerful pressure emanated from the young man and his two companions.

But Young-hoon merely clicked his tongue and turned away.

"It'll be a bit troublesome. Heavenly Demon force! Prepare the formation!"

Simultaneously, the peak masters of Palace of Heavenly Demons, trained in techniques derived from Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, surrounded the three cultivators.

Flash!

The cultivators started casting spells without chanting, their techniques shining like stars.

'Fast!'

They were indeed different from those we had encountered so far.

'No chanting and still such powerful spells!'

Typically, cultivators would always chant mantras before engaging in combat. But these ones didn't, and yet their spells were more powerful than any we'd seen.

"This level of explosion..."

It's a cultivator!

As I hurriedly looked up into the sky, a cultivator standing on a leaf-shaped magical instrument was looking down at the main branch of the Palace with calm eyes.

"Head of Palace of Heavenly Demons, the Extreme Heavenly demon, come out and face your punishment."

The cultivator's voice resonated throughout the main branch.

Tingling, tingling...

I felt an electric sensation all over my body.

'Dangerous.'

The cultivators I had encountered so far were of a completely different dimension.

"I heard that the Extreme Heavenly Demon, a mortal, has killed the Qi Refining juniors of my clan. As a Qi Building investigator of my clan, I will deal with you."

Young-hoon approached me and whispered.

"First, evacuate outside the Palace. Notify others as well."

"Hyung-nim?"

"A Qi Building investigator... Incomparable to those we've faced before."

"Hyung-nim, are you in danger?"

"Hahaha, that's unlikely."

He chuckled.

"Anyone who has reached the state of Five Energies Converging to the Origin could somewhat match him. And... I have reached Five Energies and continued to practice the martial Record."

Kukukukuku!

A terrifying force emanated from him.

His eyes sparkled with indescribable excitement.

"Don't worry... I will never lose!"

Boom!

He leaped off the ground, stepping through the air towards the Qi Building cultivator floating above.

Zoom!

A bright light burst with a thunderous sound.

Following his orders, I evacuated others and left the Palace.

From above the buildings, countless lights and explosions burst forth, and the figures of the Qi Building cultivator and Young-hoon flickered in the air.

The Qi Building cultivator, riding a magical instrument in the air, was opposing Young-hoon, who was stepping on the air, pressing him with the martial arts of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts..

Boom!

However, when the Qi Building cultivator took out a giant fan the size of a yard and waved it, Young-hoon started to be pushed back.

The cultivator began to use a variety of strange magical instruments, and it seemed Young-hoon was being overpowered.

Soon after, the cultivator's face paled as he tried to retreat.

At that moment.

Young-hoon vanished.

Immediately after, the cultivator's head fell off.

"Are you alright, Hyung-nim!"

The elders and I, who had been watching the battle from nearby, rushed to the site.

"Huff... Huff..."

There stood Young-hoon, panting for the first time after fighting anyone.

"Lord!"

"Extreme Heavenly Demon!"

"Hyung-nim!"

As we hurriedly approached him, he suddenly thrust out his saber.

"Look!"

"What should we look at?"

"The blade, look at the blade!"

"Blade...? Ah...!"

His blade was edgeless.

Until now, he had never used special weapons like treasure swords. He simply bought a saber from the local blacksmith whenever he needed a new one.

With the mindset that a craftsman does not blame his tools, he had always displayed peerless martial arts with ordinary sabers.

Until now, against any martial artist or cultivator, his weapon had never lost its edge.

"Ha, hahaha... Hahahaha!"

Young-hoon burst into hearty laughter.

"All this time, with the thought that a craftsman does not blame his tools, I've been using shabby weapons. Seeing that cultivator recklessly use bizarre magical weapons made me realize, weapons too are part of a martial artist's strength. I almost couldn't cut that monstrous Qi Building cultivator; I was just a little short on power!"

"Hmm... So he was that strong..."

The elders' faces darkened.

However, Young-hoons face was beaming more than ever.

"Yes, he was incredibly strong. Probably anyone who hasn't reached Five Energies Converging to the Origin, even if they practiced Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausating Martial Arts, can't face him. The difference in class was too big! He naturally used defensive magic on top of defensive Qi arts, causing the edge of my saber to fall off... But."

His eyes were shining brightly.

"We can win! If we fully master the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts! Even those monstrous creatures can be killed!!!"

"Ah..."

"Ahah!"

The elders too started to show signs of hope.

"Martial artists too! Can defeat cultivators!!!"

Young-hoon, holding the edgeless saber, shouted loudly.

I too, feeling some kind of hope from him, felt my heart surge.

"We will drive out the cultivators lurking in Yanguo and make the martial world ours!"

Young-hoon boldly declared, raising his sword towards the sky.

Everyone was compelled to agree with his ideology.

He showed them hope.

Two months passed.

Fifty Qi Building cultivators came at us.

Translator notes: I loudly exclaimed "F*ck!" when I first read that. Not 2, not 3, but fking 50 brrrrr

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