Chapter 103: Meeting (2)

Inside the grand building of the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect.

All the sects that had arrived were gathered.

The large round table placed in the center was divided into ten sections, of which six were occupied.

Deeper inside the building, the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect and the Beast King Sect were the first to take their seats. Next to the Beast King Sect were the Northern Sea Ice Palace and the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult, while beside the Tai Chi Sect sat the Blazing Sun Solar Palace and the Radiant Light Sect.

Except for the Beast King Sect, each of the other sects had only one representative seated, while the rest stood behind them.

Jang Woo-hyun, seated among them, struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from rising. With the giants of the Central Heavens Martial Realm gathered in one place, a smile appeared on his face despite his intentions.

The itch to fight had been somewhat relieved by hitting Yu I-geon, so he was in a relatively calm state of mind.

Jang Woo-hyun discreetly turned his eyes and observed the others.

The Left Protector of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult, who utilized thunder in a unique spell-based martial art.

Cheok Hwa-hong, an elder from the Solar Palace and native of the Flame Nation, who had mastered the extreme Heat Yang Energy Technique.

Seol Ha-rin, the Young Palace Master of the Ice Palace, who had mastered the Yin Cold Qi Technique, the opposite of the Solar Palace.

And finally, Yeom Jong-myung of the Beast King Sect, who bore a beast-like ferocity and was a spellcaster representing the Central Heavens Martial Realm, from Radiant Light Sect, the sect of spellcasters.

Each of them was truly a master. And they were the very people walking ahead on the path Jang Woo-hyun had to tread.

Just reading their aura offered something to gain.

Jang Woo-hyun tightly shut his mouth to keep from smiling and turned to another master he had encountered upon entering.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Gu Yeong-pung of the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, overseeing this matter.”

A sturdy elder stood up and gave a clasped hands greeting.

He was someone known to everyone present except Jang Woo-hyun.

Cheong Song Gu Yeong-pung.

One of the five "Pines" ranked just below the Sect Leader of the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, known to be the most moderate among them. He was a formidable martial artist who had made a name for himself in the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

“Since everyone seems to be here, shall we begin?”

Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, Beast King Sect, Blazing Sun Solar Palace, Northern Sea Ice Palace, Five Wheel Five Elements Cult, and Radiant Light Sect. Six out of the ten sects had gathered, so he asked.

“The three clans follow completely different paths, so they won’t come. Of the ten, one probably doesn’t care at all. The demonic cult bastards and those strange ones in the cave won’t show up either. And who knows what those madmen of the Baekmu Society are thinking... In any case, this should count as everyone. You may proceed.”

At the words of the Left Protector of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult, Gu Yeong-pung gave a slight smile and continued.

“As mentioned previously, Bi Ik-ryeon has allied with a group from the Cultivation Realm called the Ascension Cult.”

Everyone gathered gave a slight nod.

It had already been reported that Bi Ik-ryeon had kidnapped beastkin, leading the Beast King Sect to attack them, and during the fight, it was discovered that the Ascension Cult was involved.

“That alone wouldn't be enough to gather us. What’s the real reason for this assembly?”

Cheok Hwa-hong asked. As he said, the mere fact that Bi Ik-ryeon had allied with a Cultivation Realm faction wouldn’t have warranted summoning the sects of the Ten Sects and Three Clans.

Though Bi Ik-ryeon was gaining notoriety in the Central Heavens Martial Realm, any sect present here could have wiped them out.

Moreover, the Ascension Cult, an unknown faction, was just one among many in the Cultivation Realm. Even if the two had joined forces, they were no match for the Ten Sects and Three Clans.

“From here on, it would be better if Master Yeom explained.”

At Gu Yeong-pung’s words, Yeom Jong-myung stood up.

“I am Yeom Jong-myung of the Beast King Sect.”

Though he had already introduced himself, Yeom Jong-myung greeted the assembly once more.

“This matter is not as simple as it seems. Bi Ik-ryeon and the Cultivation Realm factions can indeed be handled by the sects gathered here. But that’s not all.”

Yeom Jong-myung paused briefly to draw their attention before continuing.

“They are searching for the power of the Celestial Wolf Emperor.”

“What?”

“You mean, they’re looking for the power of a Martial God?”

The Celestial Wolf Emperor.

A Martial God, a beastkin who had ascended to the world of the gods, known as the Great Realm or the Upper Realm. At the mention of his name, everyone was stunned.

“Master Yeom, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“We tracked their traces and launched an assault. That’s when we found out. That the Celestial Wolf Emperor had vanished. And that Bi Ik-ryeon was searching for traces left behind by him. We haven’t grasped the full picture yet, but from what we’ve gathered, they are seeking fragments of his power through beastkin blood. What the Celestial Wolf Emperor left behind.”

It was such an unexpected revelation that no one could speak.

After a brief silence, it was the Antlered White Mask of Radiant Light Sect who spoke first.

“If they’re looking for fragments of power, they must have a purpose. What is that purpose?”

Despite the mask, the voice was unexpectedly clear and crisp.

“With that power, they can elevate their realm.”

“Elevate their realm? What do you mean by that?”

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Cheok Hwa-hong interjected.

“They are forcibly creating multiple warriors of the Transcendence.”

“Multiple? How many are we talking about?”

“We do not know exactly. But it is not a small number. It could be dozens. In the worst case, it might be triple digits.”

“That’s absurd!”

Everyone protested at the sudden claim.

Jang Woo-hyun might have made those in the Transcendence seem weak due to his overwhelming strength, but the wall of Transcendence was not something easily overcome.

If it were truly possible to create ‘multiple’ Transcendence-level warriors through external means, there would be no reason for the great sects not to have done so already.

Even the sects gathered here could enhance their warriors’ abilities with their secret spiritual medicines or unique Dharma Treasures. However, producing numbers in the triple digits was absolutely impossible.

"An unbelievable tale."

"You won’t believe it, but it is true. And that’s not the end of it."

"If it’s not the end…"

A trace of unease appeared on the otherwise expressionless face of Seol Ha-rin. That alone showed how grave the story unfolding truly was.

"They might even be able to produce masters of the Boundless Realm."

"That’s utter nonsense!"

The Left Protector of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult raised his voice.

Even the idea of multiple Transcendence-level warriors was hard to believe, but if one were to grant every possible concession, it might be digestible. After all, those seated here were, at most, of the Transcendence.

But the Boundless Realm was different. From the Boundless Realm onward, one was considered an outstanding powerhouse in the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

Moreover, it felt completely different from the Transcendence. The Boundless Realm was a kind of wall.

A wall that most warriors failed to overcome and fell before.

The Boundless Realm was not a realm that one could ascend to simply by obtaining fragments of power left behind by the gods.

Amid the crowd’s skeptical reaction, Yeom Jong-myung continued.

"I haven’t met someone forcibly pushed into the Boundless Realm myself. But I’ve seen enough to believe in the possibility."

"What exactly did you see?"

"I encountered Bi Ik-ryeon's Sa Do-woong."

Evil Tiger Sa Do-woong. He was among the top three in Bi Ik-ryeon, so everyone here knew his name.

"Wasn’t he already known as a warrior of the Boundless Realm?"

"That’s right. But he had attained greater strength than what was previously known."

"Greater strength… Couldn’t he have simply advanced his realm? While he may not measure up to those gathered here, he is a known figure in the Central Heavens Martial Realm."

"He said so himself."

At Yeom Jong-myung’s response, Cheok Hwa-hong frowned, and the somewhat agitated Left Protector of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult cut in.

"What are you saying? He said with his own mouth that his strength had increased? Who heard it? And they just let the person who heard that go? That’s preposterous…"

"I agree. What you’re saying doesn’t add up."

"Sa Do-woong is dead."

At those sudden words, Cheok Hwa-hong paused his speech.

"What do you mean? Sa Do-woong is dead? If his strength had increased, as you say, he wouldn’t have been easy to kill. Did you or the Beast King Sect Leader personally step in?"

"The ones who defeated Sa Do-woong are the ones who provided us with all this information. Ye-ju."

At Yeom Jong-myung’s call, Maeng Ye-ju stood and began to explain what she knew.

The Floating Stronghold of Sa Do-woong where the beastkin had been imprisoned, the information they obtained by torturing a cultivator found there, and finally, their battle with Sa Do-woong himself.

"So you’re saying the Beast King Sect’s prodigy killed one of the top three warriors of Bi Ik-ryeon? And that too after he had grown stronger?"

At Cheok Hwa-hong’s point, Maeng Ye-ju shook her head.

"I didn’t do it alone."

"Not alone? Then you had a companion?"

To that question, she raised Jang Woo-hyun, who was seated beside her.

"This friend fought alongside me."

All eyes turned to Jang Woo-hyun. He had attracted attention since the first encounter, and now being introduced like this, it was inevitable that everyone’s attention focused on him.

"I am Jang Woo-hyun. I have no affiliation."

"You fought as well? Can you demonstrate your skills properly?"

"Yes."

As Jang Woo-hyun deactivated the Secret Flowing Body Technique, explosive energy radiated from him as the center.

Everyone’s eyes gleamed. They had assumed he was of considerable level. But he was slightly beyond what they had expected.

An unknown warrior possessing power on par with Maeng Ye-ju, the heir of the Beast King Sect.

And at the moment when all attention converged on him—

The most surprised were Maeng Ye-ju and Kang Yong.

"You…"

"No way…"

The energy Jang Woo-hyun displayed was different from what they knew.

He had grown stronger. The energy he showed now was already on par with Maeng Ye-ju. But that wasn’t all.

There was something only the two of them knew. Jang Woo-hyun’s true strength was revealed when his body was clad in a strange armor of Qi.

Right now, he wasn’t wearing that special Qi armor.

Which meant he hadn’t even revealed his full strength. Maeng Ye-ju and Kang Yong were left speechless by Jang Woo-hyun’s rapid growth.

And there.

There was one more person even more shocked than the two.

‘Damn it!’

Grit.

Yu I-geon, filled with rage, clenched his teeth.

Having regained his senses, he stood at the very back of the Solar Palace group.

Yu I-geon hated that all attention was on Jang Woo-hyun. This assembly should have been his moment to make a name for himself and gain recognition, but instead, the name Yu I-geon was forgotten, and all focus went to Jang Woo-hyun.

‘That bastard…’

The man had hidden his strength. Just to humiliate him.

Shaking with fury, Yu I-geon glared at Jang Woo-hyun, thinking that some bizarre guy had taken the place where he should have been.

He had intended to shine brilliantly on stage, but instead, he ended up merely illuminating someone else who had stepped onto it.

"You two defeated Sa Do-woong?"

Despite Yu I-geon grinding his teeth, the conversation continued uninterrupted.

"That shouldn’t have been possible for just the two of you."

Though Maeng Ye-ju and Jang Woo-hyun were both exceptional, it was unlikely they were capable of subduing Sa Do-woong.

"There was… not just one more person, but another one."

"Who? Is that person also here?"

"He is not someone from the Central Heavens Martial Realm."

Maeng Ye-ju, who was answering Cheok Hwa-hong’s question, paused briefly upon seeing a man approach. A disciple of the Samcheong Tai Chi Sect walked up to Gu Yeong-pung and handed him a small note.

After reading the note, Gu Yeong-pung gestured for Maeng Ye-ju to pause and proceeded to explain its contents.

"Well, it seems another guest has arrived."

"A guest? Who is it?"

"They’ve arrived from the Baekmu Society."

"...Those lunatics came here?"

At the mention of another sect's appearance, everyone inside the hall frowned and began murmuring. From their reactions, Jang Woo-hyun got a rough idea of how the Baekmu Society was perceived.

Step. Step.

Deliberate footsteps echoed through the murmurs.

Not long after—

Bang!

Someone kicked open the meeting room doors and strode in.

"Looks like everyone’s gathered."

A young man dressed in green robes.

With a round and gentle face, he wore a faint smile and seemed relaxed, despite the unwelcoming stares directed at him.

Strangely, he carried a long box on his back. After scanning the surroundings once, he fixed his gaze on Jang Woo-hyun.

"We meet again. I said it would be more fun this way, didn’t I?"

The man speaking with a smile was none other than Dang Myung of the Dark Heaven Divine Sword, whom Jang Woo-hyun had encountered yesterday along with Cheol Geuk-jin.

Because of his statement, every previously hostile gaze now turned to Jang Woo-hyun, filled with curiosity.

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