Chapter 26 – A Step Forward

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 26 – A Step Forward

"Mmm…"

A quiet sound echoed in the dark space.

It was the groan of the swordsman who had been trapped in a pit-like space beneath the floor of a cave in Three Immortals Mountain.

After a while.

The body of the swordsman, who had been lying as if dead, stirred.

"Nngh…"

Letting out another groan, he soon opened his eyes and slowly raised his upper body.

The first thought he had was.

'Ah! I'm alive!'

He had touched the mushrooms, unable to endure the extreme hunger, and lost consciousness – but miraculously, he had recovered without dying.

How long had he been unconscious?

With all sides completely sealed, he had no way of knowing not only the date but whether it was day or night.

The swordsman shook his head slightly, felt along his waist for his sword to confirm it was there, then heaved a sigh of bitter regret.

'Whew… That was reckless. To carelessly touch unknown mushrooms just because I couldn't bear my hunger…'

Initially, his plan had been that if he sensed the poison spreading, he would use his true energy to expel it from his body.

After eating several, his hunger subsided a bit and he felt something like vitality being generated, so he thought it was fine.

But it was a miscalculation.

Before he could properly respond, severe abdominal pain assaulted him, and even the true energy circulating through his energy and blood channels was cut off, making him bitterly regret his wrong choice.

This was why survival instinct was truly terrifying.

It momentarily clouded his judgment, making him even let go of the thread of reason.

'Hmph! Isn't all of this because of that bastard!'

He was indignant, but also curious.

About the identity of that young man who had indifferently cast looks as if everything in the world was trivial and bothersome.

Since being confined, only one fact had become certain.

That the man was well aware of the cave's secrets, purposes, and such – enough to skillfully operate the mechanism leading to the underground trap.

'If I meet him again, I'll subdue him with my sword and interrogate him about everything, but since I have no way to escape right now…'

Looking at the space that was pitch dark all around, he freshly felt that his path ahead was hopeless.

'Anyway, this place might be the location I've been searching for all along, so I absolutely must not give up easily!'

The swordsman steeled his resolve and sat cross-legged.

It was to reorganize his internal energy and blood, which must have been disturbed by the effects of the poisonous mushroom.

Entering energy circulation, he soon fell into meditation with regular breathing.

But then.

'Hm?'

Contrary to expectations, his internal energy and blood were maintaining a clean state without any disturbance anywhere.

Because of this, the circulation of his true energy was also unobstructed, and furthermore, there wasn't even any turbid energy that the poison would have left behind.

At that moment, an unidentified energy arose from the guanyuan, shimen, and qihai acupoints that formed the main energy pathways of his lower dantian.

It was warm like sunlight, light like a feather, soft like breath…

That energy soon spread along the chong vessel connecting the dantians to the major acupoints of the middle dantian and upper dantian, delivering a tingling thrill.

'Huh, what's this? Did I gain some enlightenment without knowing?'

Flustered by the unexpected phenomenon, the swordsman hurriedly decided to surrender his mind and body to that flow.

He followed his instinctive intuition.

Concentrating his spirit, at some moment he felt as if his body was floating in the air and entered the state of oneness with all things.

Suddenly, a brilliant light burst forth, illuminating the darkness.

The swordsman was completely unaware.

That currently, a radiant three-colored energy light was emanating greatly from his crown.

And also that his body, in a cross-legged position, was slowly rising upward as if levitating…

* * *

'Light…!'

Hyeop Mu-geuk's eyes, standing with his back to the platform, suddenly widened.

There was one reason.

Pure white light like mist was currently creeping up from the bodies of the disciples who sat cross-legged on the training ground floor, circulating their energy.

Hyeop Mu-geuk knew well what that phenomenon indicated.

Rapid energy accumulation.

More precisely, it was a phenomenon that only appeared when energy accumulated steeply within the body in an instant.

If energy circulation were proceeding as usual, only a faint shimmer would be visible.

Yeop Hwon, standing beside him, murmured with an admiring look.

"Truly remarkable."

Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In's reactions were no different.

Hyeop Mu-geuk kept his gaze fixed forward and nodded, wearing a faint smile.

Indeed.

As he said, it was remarkable.

In truth, the disciples' internal energy cultivation method wasn't anything special.

They had only mastered the essence of the White Peak Intermediate Method, which was learned after the basic training of gathering scattered internal energy into the dantian, the so-called "Qi Sinking to the Dantian" process.

The ordinary disciples of White Peak Sword Sect – in other words, those at the standard disciple level – were broadly divided into two categories.

Lower-level students who paid money periodically to learn martial arts, and upper-level students who were selected by the executives' judgment.

Like any martial sect, those beyond the ordinary disciple level qualified for major positions as swordsmen recognized by the sect.

The baseline and essential condition for that was precisely the unique phenomenon of rapid energy accumulation that briefly appeared when mastery of the White Peak Intermediate Method reached its peak.

The current disciples of White Peak Sword Sect had each entered as lower-level students and had become upper-level students, but none had yet risen higher.

It was because their internal energy cultivation achievement – that is, the mastery of the White Peak Intermediate Method – hadn't reached its peak.

But now.

The situation had changed dramatically.

Before the executives' very eyes, every single person without exception was generating white energy currents and performing rapid energy accumulation.

All of them had finally reached the peak of the White Peak Intermediate Method's mastery.

Thanks to the results of the body tempering great method that Cheol Ryu-heun had meticulously arranged and the miraculous effects of the elixir stew…

If so, learning the next level's advanced mental cultivation method and corresponding sword forms would just be a matter of time.

Suddenly.

Pop, pop-pop-pop, pop-pop, pop-

A sound like bubbles bursting in succession began to be heard from the disciples' direction.

Simultaneously, the white energy currents enveloping each body shook vigorously and became even more vivid.

Hyeop Mu-geuk recognized its nature at once.

'Ah! Just as the Sect Master said…'

It was unmistakably the sound of all energy channels and acupoints being opened.

In that moment, Hyeop Mu-geuk and the executives grasped that a vast amount of true energy was flowing through the disciples' bodies.

Guyang Cheon exclaimed quietly as if in admiration.

"Wow! It seems twenty years' worth of internal energy is really accumulating!"

At that, Yeop Hwon stroked his beard with a pleased look.

"This is a great blessing for our sect. From now on, everyone will be able to learn the sword forms from the middle chapter of the White Peak Sword Manual."

Hyeop Mu-geuk felt his heart swell just from watching.

'He said it was special measures for training them into elite swordsmen in the shortest time, and indeed… As expected, the Sect Master's unfathomable ability is not something my mind can dare to fathom!'

At that moment, Yeop Hwon came over beside him and said.

"Heheh, now it's your turn, isn't it?"

"Yes, Elder. Please watch over us well."

With his answer, Hyeop Mu-geuk sent a hand signal to the side.

Right after, Tae Sa-ja quickly brought over one wooden box.

"Here it is."

Hyeop Mu-geuk recalled part of what Cheol Ryu-heun had written and left as he opened the lid of the wooden box.

<Checking the remaining quantities of various elixirs, there are three Dragon Fruits left and the Great Restoration Pill is the last one. The Dragon Fruits are for the three Head Instructors' share, and the Great Restoration Pill is the Chief Supervisor's share. I put all four separately in a pouch inside the wooden box. After everyone takes them and performs energy circulation according to our sect's mental cultivation method formulas, you'll see considerable results.>

Soon, Hyeop Mu-geuk took out the pouch inside the wooden box and checked its contents.

One was bluish in color, and the remaining three were reddish, so he could immediately distinguish which was the Great Restoration Pill and which were the Dragon Fruits.

"Here, take these. These are Dragon Fruits that the Sect Master ordered us to consume today."

"Wow! Is this really the inner core of the legendary flood dragon?"

The three Guyang brothers each received one Dragon Fruit and wore highly excited expressions.

It was the first time they had even seen the inner core of a rare mystical creature, and now they were being told to consume it.

In contrast, Hyeop Mu-geuk advised in a calm manner.

"Excitement is forbidden. Don't forget the teaching of Peaceful Energy and Empty Mind."

Peaceful Energy and Empty Mind meant to quietly control one's state of mind and eliminate distracting thoughts – it could be called the essence forming the foundation of all internal energy cultivation methods.

The three Guyang brothers quickly composed their expressions and answered solemnly.

"We will keep it in mind, Chief Supervisor."

Thus, the four people chewed and swallowed the Great Restoration Pill and Dragon Fruits, then sat cross-legged on the training ground floor.

Yeop Hwon turned his head to look at Tae Sa-ja.

"Now, go and do your work. This old man will personally hand over the traitor to the authorities later."

"Understood, Elder."

About two hours after the workers left.

Swisssh…

Suddenly, five-colored rings of energy currents like those of a phenomenon rose and spun above Hyeop Mu-geuk's crown.

Blue of wood, red of fire, white of metal, black of water, yellow of earth, symbolizing the five elements… This was most likely the achievement of Five Energies Returning to Origin.

At the same time, Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In also showed noticeable changes.

Swisssh… swisssh-swisssh…

The white haze emanating from each of their bodies transformed into shapes resembling white mountains.

Completion of the White Peak Dew-Presenting Mental Cultivation Method.

It was the unique phenomenon signifying that their mental cultivation study, which had remained incomplete until now, had finally entered the path of great achievement.

Though smaller than what Yeop Hwon had produced earlier, from the three Head Instructors' perspective, they had achieved in one stroke what would have taken at least several years.

Over a hundred people sitting cross-legged and emitting light – the sight was nothing short of a grand spectacle.

Yeop Hwon couldn't help but feel moved as he looked up at the sky.

'Our sect stands at a new turning point in history! Considering this the last opportunity, I shall assist the Sect Master and build martial achievements that no one can dare look down upon! Until this old life runs out…'

Within White Peak Sword Sect, which had been struggling in the swamp of decline, an invisible mountain was being born and rising soundlessly.

Bearing the flame of hope, embracing the dream of revival.

Higher, ever higher.

* * *

Time flowed on, and before they knew it, the sun hung on the western mountain ridge.

Thud-thud-thud-thud, thud-thud-thud-thud-!

The sound of hoofbeats that shook the hills and woods.

Divine Wind, carrying Cheol Ryu-heun, was charging wildly as if tearing through the deep valley of Three Immortals Mountain.

Before that fierce momentum, the surrounding old trees were ceaselessly smashed apart.

Crack, crack-crack, crack…

Shortly after, Cheol Ryu-heun pulled the reins at a location where the sound of a waterfall echoed.

"Whoa."

He wore a satisfied expression as he stroked Divine Wind's mane.

"Thanks to you, I came comfortably. Wait here for a moment."

At that, Divine Wind moved its head lightly as if understanding.

Cheol Ryu-heun took out a fire starter from his clothes and entered the cave beside the cliff where the waterfall cascaded.

Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh-!

Lighting the fire and employing nimble footwork, he soon arrived at the point where the cave ended.

But at that moment.

CRASH-!

The moment a thunderous boom rang out, part of the floor beyond the platform in front cracked-crack! screamed and split apart.

A peculiar light flickered across Cheol Ryu-heun's pupils.

"…"

Right after, as another boom sounded again, the cracked area collapsed with a rumble, and from it, a figure emitting a mystical light soared up along with dusty haze.

A man appearing to be in his late forties or early fifties.

With his eyes closed in a cross-legged posture, floating in mid-air, it was the swordsman who had been trapped in the underground space until now.

Cheol Ryu-heun fixed his gaze on the top of the man's head.

It was because he had discovered three flower bud-like energy currents clearly formed around his crown.

That was the true nature of the mystical light.

At that moment, the three-colored energy currents reminiscent of flower blooms gently seeped into the swordsman's body.

Swisssh-swish, swisssh-swish-swish…

Following that, the swordsman's eyes snapped open and he landed precariously on the edge of the holed floor.

At the same time, the figure of Cheol Ryu-heun, positioned beyond the platform in front, drove into his pupils.

"You! You're still here!"

The instant the swordsman, eyes bulging, erupted in a fierce roar, Cheol Ryu-heun shrugged.

"Looking lively. I thought you'd be on death's door."