Chapter 117: Storm Archipelago

"That’s the place you were looking for."

At Tarun's words, Jang Woo-hyun, who had been deep in thought, turned his body and looked ahead.

There was nothing unusual. As always, the green sea stretched out below. However, the closer they flew, the more he sensed something was different from the surroundings.

'It’s hot.'

They were flying over a forest, and the temperature around them had risen. A sultry wind blew through as if they had arrived in a hot region.

And the moment they crossed a certain boundary, heat haze rose, and the scenery before their eyes began to distort.

"This is the Scorching Forest. It’s the place where a seed of the Flaming Tree once fell long ago."

"Flaming Tree?"

Hearing the unfamiliar word for the first time, Cho-su, who stood beside him, explained.

"It’s the tree spoken of in ancient legends where the sun used to rest."

"What? The sun rests on a tree? That doesn’t make any sense."

When Jin Ha-un asked, Cho-su smiled and continued.

"From the perspective of someone from the Lower Realm, most of what happens in the Central Heavens Realm doesn’t make sense, does it?"

At those words, both Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un had to agree. In this vast world without end, there was more than one thing they couldn’t understand.

"A long time ago, a seed of the Flaming Tree fell here."

As he steered the ship, Tarun continued explaining.

"It didn’t grow large enough for the sun to rest on it, but it is said to have spread more seeds around."

After a long time had passed.

The place where the seed of the Flaming Tree had fallen continued to expand its territory, eventually becoming a unique area where trees emitted heat.

"Right now is the period when it emits heat."

"It’s not always like this?"

"There are times when it emits heat and times when it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, the trees turn red like heated iron."

'So that’s what it is.'

Red Wood Region, or the Scorching Forest.

Now he understood why the name Jang Woo-hyun had heard and the name the giants used were different. Depending on the period, the forest presented a different appearance.

A mysterious forest where the trees sometimes emitted heat and sometimes turned red.

He always forgot, but he shouldn’t judge this world with common sense. Just as Cho-su said, there were countless things in the Central Heavens Realm that didn’t make any sense.

'Well, I mean, a giant is rowing a boat beside me. What else would be strange?'

With a giant rowing the boat and a race with three eyes aboard, nothing felt strange anymore.

Even though he had seen something mysterious, Jang Woo-hyun simply nodded to himself and moved on.

Even after entering the Scorching Forest, the group continued flying for quite a while. Near the end of the forest, they could see massive thunderclouds.

"That’s incredible."

Jin Ha-un's words echoed what everyone felt.

Until they reached the end of the forest, the massive thunderclouds had not been visible. As if something had been covering them.

"The Scorching Forest hides things."

"Hides what?"

"The heat from the forest distorts vision."

It was Tarun who knew why they hadn’t seen the thunderclouds.

'So that’s why they told us to find the Red Wood Region?'

It seemed one couldn’t find the Storm Archipelago unless they came close.

"That inside is the Storm Archipelago."

As they neared the thunderclouds, Tarun slowed down the ship.

"This is as far as we go."

The two giants’ guidance ended there. They had no need to go any further inside, and Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t expecting more.

"Thanks for bringing us here."

After giving his thanks, Jang Woo-hyun boarded the small, boat-shaped Flying Apparatus that Cho-su had taken out.

"Sorry. Little One."

"Be careful. Little One."

Tarun and Tawi waved to the group before turning the ship and disappearing quickly. In the end, they didn’t hear the story the giants were hiding.

"Let’s go too."

Leaving their regret behind, the Flying Apparatus carrying the three moved toward the massive thunderclouds.

Kurururung.

With the distant thunder rumbling in the background, the Flying Apparatus carrying the three sliced into the black clouds at high speed.

Inside the black clouds, nothing was visible. Even when they raised their Qi sense, they couldn’t feel anything.

Jin Ha-un, tense, half-drew his sword, and Jang Woo-hyun extended his Qi Threads in all directions. As they flew for some distance in this tense state, their surroundings began to brighten, and soon, they managed to break through the thunderclouds and come outside.

Kwa-rururung!

The thunder that had seemed distant now boomed right in front of them.

The moment they emerged from the clouds, a typhoon surged.

With the sound of thunder, lightning streaked across the sky, and the pouring storm winds made the Flying Apparatus lose balance and shake.

"Storm Archipelago."

Could there be a more fitting name?

The thunder crashing down as if to shatter the world and the raging storm—this wasn’t mere weather. Thunderbolts struck without warning, and wind and rain assailed them out of nowhere.

The region itself looked unstable.

Between the Floating Islands suspended in midair, rivers of thunderbolts flowed and disappeared repeatedly.

"Are we still going in?"

Cho-su's voice carried a hint of tension.

Anyone who had seen this scene with their own eyes would have reacted the same.

"I’ll try to block it."

Jang Woo-hyun nodded and drew the Dragon King’s Scales.

Chwarureuk.

Hundreds of bladed scales separated and flew outward.

The bladed scales spread around and enclosed the Flying Apparatus in a circle. It wasn’t as tightly sealed as the Dragon Scale Armor, but Jang Woo-hyun filled the gaps between the blades with his internal energy.

A massive barrier formed around the Flying Apparatus.

As Cho-su resumed movement, the storm accompanied by lightning struck the Dragon King’s Scales.

Kwa-reung! Kururung!

The barrier Jang Woo-hyun created was dented for a moment, but only briefly. Trusting the barrier, the group moved forward.

Maintaining the barrier made of the Dragon King’s Scales, Jang Woo-hyun scanned the surroundings. Though not identical, he had seen a scene like this once before.

'Microcosm.'

Also referred to as a domain or conceptual world.

It seemed similar to the universe shown by Cheon Heo-jin.

A place where laws were twisted.

It wasn’t a natural phenomenon—someone had opened their Microcosm here. That’s why lightning could be born from thin air and strike in all directions.

The previous-generation Cult Leader of the Five Wheel Five Elements Cult, who created this place, must have at least reached the Realm of Wish, perhaps even the Immortal Realm.

While looking at a place left behind by an Absolute Realm expert of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, Jang Woo-hyun was once again reminded of the concepts of Microcosm and laws.

"Woo-hyun."

"Yes?"

"I don’t know what you’re looking for here, but can you even find it? Do you know the exact location?"

"I don’t know precisely."

They had no choice but to search by moving around. The Demonic Martial Divine Lord's Kim Min-soo had only told them to head to the Storm Archipelago and provided no further clues.

"Should I summon a few of my puppets to search?"

"Should we check the Floating Islands one by one? And if we find nothing, we can mark them."

"That’s terribly inefficient. How long do you think that’ll take?"

"Right now, it seems like that’s the only way."

Jin Ha-un offered a suggestion, but it wasn’t exactly a good one.

"Hmm, there’s no clear answer. For now, since we don’t know how big this place is, let’s explore the whole area. If we find anything, great."

"Yes."

"Sounds good."

As the other two agreed, Cho-su increased the speed of the Flying Apparatus.

Two hours later.

"This place is way too big."

Contrary to their expectations, the Storm Archipelago was enormous. Moreover, each region had its own unique traits, making it difficult to scan the whole area.

The first area they arrived in had thunder and torrential rain, but in some areas it only rained, and in others, lightning struck without rain.

In some places, only strong winds blew, and in such places, maneuvering the Flying Apparatus was no easy task.

The current area they had arrived at was also a wind-only zone. The wind here was blade-like, as if an invisible being were swinging a sword at them.

And it was here that Jang Woo-hyun's group encountered another creature for the first time.

Kyaaaa—

A being blocked their Flying Apparatus.

It was a large weasel with slit eyes and sharp teeth.

Its length from head to tail was six cheok, more than half of which was its tail, tipped with a translucent blade.

"It’s a Kamaitachi."

Its appearance fit the name of a sickle weasel.

"It’s a wind-attribute monster that rides the wind to swiftly kill enemies using the blade on its tail."

"Why is it just standing there?"

Dozens of Kamaitachi glared at the group and shrieked, but didn’t attack.

"Strange, they’re not usually like this. Normally, they’d charge immediately at anything. Nasty temper, very violent."

"Maybe they’re guarding their territory? That might be their nest. They could have young."

"Could be."

Since the monsters weren’t attacking, there was no reason to fight. The group entered a temporary standoff.

As they considered whether to go another direction, other creatures—different from the Kamaitachi—appeared.

"Pigs?"

They were yellowish pigs with white heads and tails.

It was no ordinary pig, as it bounced lightly through the air and settled between the Kamaitachi.

"Cho-su-nim, what is that pig?"

"It’s a wind-attribute monster called a Moonrin... but why are those things with the Kamaitachi?"

Though Moonrin were also wind-type monsters, they usually didn’t act alongside Kamaitachi. Furthermore, Moonrin were of a higher rank than Kamaitachi.

"I guess we’ll find out now."

This was no ordinary situation.

Different monsters were blocking their path as if it were prearranged. As though they intended to prevent them from proceeding any further.

"Should I handle it?"

At Jin Ha-un’s words, Jang Woo-hyun shook his head and stepped into the air while activating the Sacred River Flowing Armor.

If it was a monster, then he, a former member of the Demon Extermination Sect, was an expert. Besides, hadn’t he defeated the Windstorm Great Saint before—even if it was only a Projection?

Kyaaaak—

As he stepped through the air, the Kamaitachi shrieked even more viciously. Yet strangely, they still did not rush in immediately.

Wondering why, he took a few more steps and crossed a certain boundary.

That was when the Kamaitachi moved.

The shrieking creatures vanished from sight.

Kagagak! Kagak! Kwaduk!

Winds surged as sharp blades struck his entire body.

'They’re faster than I thought.'

Unexpected speed. And considerable power as well.

An attack powerful enough to decapitate a Supreme Peak if they let their guard down.

But Jang Woo-hyun was already clad in the Sacred River Flowing Armor. Even with dozens of Kamaitachi attacking, they couldn’t inflict a single scratch.

Tak.

Kiiiiik!

He seized one of the Kamaitachi that had been circling and attacking from all sides. They were fast, but not beyond what Jang Woo-hyun could catch.

Bbeudeuk.

With the creature caught, Jang Woo-hyun applied force and snapped its neck. Then he yanked its head right off.

The vitality of monsters was unlike that of normal beasts.

During his time with the Demon Extermination Sect, Jang Woo-hyun had firsthand experience with the tenacity of monsters.

He tossed aside the severed head and limp body of the Kamaitachi and immediately turned to face the others.

He didn’t even need to draw his sword. A single punch burst the head of a charging Kamaitachi, and a sweeping hand cleaved through another’s body. With just a few movements of his hands, over a dozen Kamaitachi were already dead.

As the Kamaitachi were slaughtered, the pig-like monster Moonrin, which had only been observing, began to move.

Kkuuuuiiiik!

Unlike the Kamaitachi, they weren’t that fast. But they were stronger. The powerful wind surging from Moonrin’s body was enough to push Jang Woo-hyun backward.

One of them charged forward like a wild boar. With a veil of wind enveloping its head, it rushed straight at Jang Woo-hyun.

Even as the Moonrin came rushing, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t evade.

He simply threw a punch.

Puhuuuuung!

Jang Woo-hyun’s fist shattered the wind veil and smashed the head of the charging Moonrin.

Kudududeuk.

Even after the head was destroyed, the unrelenting force of his fist drove into the creature’s torso, rupturing its body completely.

Only its hind legs and rear remained.

Two-thirds of its body had been obliterated, and the corpse fell down.

At that sight, all the approaching monsters froze. Instinctively, they knew.

That the human before them was a monster.

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