Chapter 24 – Cant You Tell by Looking

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 24 – Can't You Tell by Looking?

Before they knew it, day had broken.

Under the autumn sky, purely blue without a single cloud.

Clang, clang, clang, clang…!

As the wake-up bell echoed through the White Peak Sword Sect grounds, the disciples who woke from sleep quickly began to move busily.

To make it to the morning roll call on time, they had to hurry and finish tidying their bedding, washing their faces, and changing clothes.

Being late was absolutely forbidden.

If they dawdled and were late, Chief Supervisor Hyeop Mu-geuk's thunderous scolding would come down, and they would receive disciplinary training until breakfast.

Those who knew, knew.

That despite White Gate Sword Gentleman Sagong Woon having passed away at the hands of an unidentified assailant, the discipline of White Peak Sword Sect remained intact because of Hyeop Mu-geuk, who was thoroughly responsible in all matters.

The fact that there hadn't been a single defector over the past six months proved it.

That was why the local supporters of White Peak Sword Sect lamented the current situation where there was no one to back up Hyeop Mu-geuk in the sect.

Although all the disciples were composed of energetic young people in their twenties and thirties, the lack of martial talents at a level to take on important duties meant the executive team was always under pressure.

But now.

Things had changed.

In just one day, everything was transformed.

Like the moon setting and the sun rising, dark despair had vanished and bright hope had arrived.

Because of Cheol Ryu-heun, who had demonstrated genius talent and dominating martial prowess against the Thousand Snake Gang.

It was incomprehensible.

That he, who had been unconscious for half a year, suddenly came to his senses and recovered, and on top of that transformed into a formidable swordsman capable of crushing White Snake Head Sword Gul Ma-hun – it was a change no one could readily accept.

However, the disciples didn't much care about such questions.

More than anything, what was more important was that a sect master had appeared who could perfectly fill the void left by the previous Sect Master Sagong Woon.

Having discovered a great possibility for the sect's revival again, what did anything else matter?

The southern training grounds facing the main gate.

The disciples, who had assembled earlier than scheduled, waited for the executives to arrive with expressions full of anticipation.

Eyes sparkling more than usual.

It was a natural reaction.

After all, this was the new Sect Master Cheol Ryu-heun's first official morning roll call and the occasion to receive rewards for performing the new body tempering method.

At that moment.

The arena suddenly stirred.

"Gasp!"

"No way!"

"Th-That…!"

All the disciples' gazes focused on one spot.

The other side of the training grounds.

A figure was approaching.

Moreover, moving both arms and both legs perfectly fine.

One might think, what's so surprising about a person walking, but…

"Elder!"

Indeed, that was so.

If the identity of that figure was Yeop Hwon, who had been suffering from illness until now, it was so surprising one might faint.

The disciples suddenly remembered what Cheol Ryu-heun had said yesterday.

-Look forward to it. After one night's sleep, you'll see an elder walking around just fine.

'I-It was true!'

Honestly, they had been half-believing, half-doubting.

They had thought medical skill was separate from martial prowess.

No matter how outstanding a master one was, it didn't mean they excelled in all other areas.

Yet now, seeing Yeop Hwon actually walking around, a shock similar to when Gul Ma-hun died in vain yesterday struck their hearts.

'Is the Sect Master perhaps an omnipotent genius?'

'Good heavens, we failed to recognize his true value!'

One man in his thirties brightened and ran out.

"Elder! Have you finally recovered completely?"

At that, the rest of the disciples also followed him in a rush.

But Yeop Hwon, without a word of reply, frowned and waved one hand dismissively.

Don't come close, go away from here.

It seemed to mean something like that.

Seeing the gesture, the disciples who had stopped abruptly wore awkward expressions and turned back.

'Why is the Elder acting like that? I wanted to give him a big hug in my joy…'

'This is the first time he's frowned at us.'

Soon, all the disciples watched Yeop Hwon's movements closely, sensing something strange.

Black eyeballs rolling around.

Watching carefully, his walking seemed natural yet somehow a bit awkward.

How to put it – like walking on ground covered with small, bumpy pebbles, each step was taken cautiously.

"He still seems uncomfortable."

"Should we help him up to the platform?"

"He just gestured for us not to come close."

"Right, he must have done that because there's no problem."

"Why does his complexion look even better than us young folk though?"

"Hey, look over there. His taiyang acupoint, which was usually flat, is noticeably prominent now."

"Oh? You're right."

"Could he have regained even his former internal energy level?"

"The way I see it, he's deliberately walking with measured steps while circulating his true energy."

"Right, that makes sense. Since his hiatus was long, he must be trying to regain his feel as quickly as possible from this morning…"

The disciples didn't know.

Just how agonizing the sensitive sensation currently dominating Yeop Hwon's entire body was.

'With everyone's attention on me, if I let out such an unseemly moan… gugh… I mustn't! I have to endure!'

Hyeop Mu-geuk alone was enough to have witnessed the embarrassing scene of him going 'Haaahng, haaahng!'

As an Elder, he had face and dignity – he no longer wanted to show it to anyone else.

Still, the fortunate thing was that he had grown reasonably accustomed to the intensity of the tingling pleasure that grazed his nerves.

Otherwise, strange moans would have been continuously bursting out on his way to the training grounds.

He hadn't slept all night, but strangely he wasn't tired.

It was the effect of this incomprehensible phenomenon continuously generating vitality within his body.

Tingle-tingle, tingle-tingle.

Yeop Hwon barely endured the thrilling pleasurable stimulation and stepped up onto the platform.

Right on time, Chief Supervisor Hyeop Mu-geuk and the three Head Instructors – Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In – entered the training grounds.

Step, step, step, step…

As the executive team took their places on the platform, the disciples were filled with great excitement and emotion.

How long had it been?

Since White Mountain Sword Excellence Yeop Hwon and White Flash Sword Tiger Hyeop Mu-geuk stood shoulder to shoulder like this…

For them, who had always suffered from insufficient executive strength during the long period of stagnation, this was truly a heartwarming sight.

Hyeop Mu-geuk read the hearts of the people gathered before the platform and looked at them with a pleased expression, then turned his head and whispered.

"Elder, how are you feeling?"

"Having adapted somewhat overnight, I can now endure… that sound."

As an embarrassed look flickered across Yeop Hwon's face, Hyeop Mu-geuk soon said subtly with a good-natured smile.

"I heard nothing last night."

At such thoughtful consideration, Yeop Hwon also responded with a faint smile.

In that instant.

Pat.

A palm that suddenly flew in from behind lightly patted Yeop Hwon's back, and simultaneously.

"Haaahng!"

A strange moan echoed across the training grounds.

Silence.

The three Guyang brothers and the disciples wore dumbfounded expressions.

What was that sound? It feels unpleasant somehow? No, more precisely, it feels kind of dirty?

The owner of the hand that had just tapped Yeop Hwon's back was none other than Cheol Ryu-heun.

"Still a good reaction."

Yeop Hwon, who had been trembling from the sudden stimulation, flushed red with shame.

"S-Sect Master… If you suddenly touch me like that, I'll…"

"No need to be embarrassed. It's all finished now."

"Pardon?"

"Energy circulation, begin."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's brief command, Yeop Hwon looked bewildered for a moment before sitting cross-legged on the platform.

"Hng!"

Because of the stimulation where his body met the floor, a strange moan burst out once again.

"From now on, close your eyes and focus on operating your internal energy cultivation method."

"Yes, Sect Master."

The moment Yeop Hwon's reply ended.

Slap!

A palm struck his back.

"Huuaaahng!"

From then on, Cheol Ryu-heun moved his right hand rapidly and struck Yeop Hwon's back repeatedly.

Slap, slap, slap-!

"Hahng! Haaahng!"

The executives and disciples were bewildered and confused.

'Gaaah! Wh-What is he doing?'

Seeing the reaction around him, Cheol Ryu-heun said indifferently.

"Can't you tell by looking? It's just part of the treatment, so don't pay it any mind."

The disciples were dumbfounded.

Treatment, what treatment – that's just elder abuse!

On the other hand, Hyeop Mu-geuk's attitude was calm.

"Everyone wait quietly."

He had heard the whole story from Yeop Hwon last night, so he wasn't particularly surprised.

Rather, he was eagerly anticipating the results of this extraordinary treatment method.

'If the Elder truly rises to a level rivaling the previous Sect Master's…'

Then White Peak Sword Sect would gain one more great wing.

Eventually, when Cheol Ryu-heun's hand movements stopped, silence once again fell over the entire training grounds.

Suddenly.

Swisssh… swisssh…

White haze emanated from around Yeop Hwon, who was sitting cross-legged, and took on a certain form.

Like a current of air in the shape of a white mountain.

It was a phenomenon that only those who had mastered the White Peak Dew-Presenting Mental Cultivation Method, one of the White Peak Sword Sect's main internal energy cultivation methods, could produce.

Hyeop Mu-geuk involuntarily let out a quiet exclamation.

"Ah!"

In the past, Yeop Hwon had not been able to create the mountain-like current so large and clear during energy circulation.

That meant his current internal energy cultivation achievement surpassed his prime.

'Elder!'

His emotions were renewed.

Just a short while ago, the sect's future had been entirely gray.

Everything was hazy and dark.

He had agonized and agonized over how to change the black-and-white future into vibrant colors.

But now it no longer looked only hazy and dark.

Following Cheol Ryu-heun, even Yeop Hwon was beginning preparations to color the black-and-white future with other hues.

'At last, the gray that had covered my eyes is disappearing and finally… Hm? Wait! What's that rainbow light?'

It wasn't just Hyeop Mu-geuk – the others were the same.

"Wow! Look at that!"

"R-Rainbow light!"

The cause was Elder Yeop Hwon.

In the blink of an eye, the mountain-like current had transformed into seven rings of different colors, spinning round and round above his crown.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun's indifferent voice reached their ears.

"It's the Seven Energies Returning to Origin."

Hyeop Mu-geuk and everyone tilted their heads.

'Seven Energies Returning to Origin?'

There was a stage in internal energy cultivation called Five Energies Returning to Origin.

It was a level of mental cultivation method where five-colored rings appeared above one's crown, and upon reaching it, superior internal energy would newly settle in the lower dantian.

Five Energies Returning to Origin was essentially a shortcut to becoming a renowned master in the martial world.

But… Seven Energies Returning to Origin?

They knew of Five Energies Returning to Origin, but this was the first they'd heard of that.

At least it didn't seem like fabricated nonsense.

Cheol Ryu-heun smirked inwardly.

'You couldn't possibly know…'

Seven Energies Returning to Origin was actually a cultivation method that grafted the essence of another high-level internal energy mental method onto the essence of Five Energies Returning to Origin, and only one person in history had ever experienced it.

The Martial Immortal.

An unparalleled transcendent recorded as one of the all-time strongest of the orthodox martial world alongside the Sword Emperor.

Seven Energies Returning to Origin was the cultivation that the Martial Immortal had mastered, and based on it, his internal energy level rose rapidly each year, becoming an absolute ruler of the martial world at a young age.

Originally, it was an achievement in the spiritual realm, making it difficult to awaken through another's hands.

However, as the Divine Martial Sword, Cheol Ryu-heun had separately established the elixir needed for Severed Meridian Disease treatment, the methods for opening blocked energy channels, and more, based on his vast martial knowledge, and had applied it to Yeop Hwon.

At one moment.

Flash!

The seven rainbow-colored rings simultaneously shattered like powder and were absorbed into Yeop Hwon's crown, disappearing.

Right after, Cheol Ryu-heun muttered with a satisfied expression.

"He has finally reached the stage I arranged."

Then he shifted his gaze toward the disciples.

"Next is your turn. I'll completely remake all of you into useful swordsmen."