Chapter 153: Azure Heaven Creation Sect (4)

Red lines stretch out from all sides, enveloping the surroundings.

Seven from the rear.

Three from the front.

Two red lines from each side.

The only empty spaces are above in the sky and below the ground.

However, going below ground would be no different than voluntarily entering the training hall to be trapped.

And the sky, even if there are no intents targeting there right now, it’s too easy to be targeted by others.

'Then…'

I decide to charge towards the senior brother rushing at me from the rear.

Seven intents target my limbs.

From the fighting spirit emanating beyond their intent, it's clear they're willing to break my limbs if necessary to capture me for the training hall.

Paaat!

The first touch aims for my shoulder.

Allowing it would dislocate my shoulder.

I bend my waist slightly to dodge the hand, then place my hand under the senior's arm and slightly change direction.

Wobble!

"…!"

As I change direction, he feels the force he was about to exert on me shift to one side, causing him to stagger.

In that moment, the intent wildly fluctuates.

Taatt!

I manage to pass through the gaps of the trembling intent, initially escaping the encirclement of the seniors.

'This isn't the end.'

Though I've escaped the encirclement, there's still a long way before freedom.

'The only way to escape the training hall in one go is…'

I roll my eyes, looking far off at a cliff.

If I fall off the cliff next to the training hall, they won't pursue further.

'Twenty steps to the cliff.'

I can make it!

Taatt!

I hurriedly speed up my steps toward the cliff.

But, as expected, the seniors of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect posses tremendous speed.

Pababat!

They quickly catch up to me.

Purely due to their high physical capabilities, they don't even need movement techniques or lightness skills.

"Stop right there!"

"Where do you think you're running off to"

Dududududu!

Chilling footsteps sound from behind.

Half a dozen muscular giants, regardless of gender, chase me as if they’re starved dogs given a bone.

"He’s heading for the cliff! Catch him!"

A muscular, bald senior sister shouts as she chases after me.

Chaak!

Two of the senior brothers reach out simultaneously towards my shoulders.

Reading their intent, I duck and dodge their hands.

Paatt!

From beneath the ground, red lines rise towards my legs.

In a crouched position, I kick off the ground, propelling myself forward.

The spot I kicked off from sprouts a pair of hands that grab at the air.

Kugugugu!

From above, like a meteor falling, the muscular, half-bald senior sister descends upon me.

Taat, tat!

I deftly step aside, avoiding her landing spot.

Kwaang!

She lands where I was, extending her fingers towards me.

Her log-like fingers scratch wildly at where I previously was, and finding no response, she propels herself towards my new location.

Kuang!

I twist half a step to avoid her, then using a lightness technique, I shake her off and again dash towards the cliff.

Only eight steps to the cliff!

"Our fresh recruit is running away!"

"Catch him!"

'I can definitely escape!'

I smirk and begin to step even faster.

But then.

Pababat!

From beneath the ground, dozens of red lines burst into the air.

'Damn…'

Phuk, phuk, phuk!

And from beneath the ground, several Four-Cloud and Three-Cloud disciples reveal themselves.

"Where do you think you're escaping...!?"

"We can't be the only ones suffering..!"

A total of 16 seniors stand in my way.

Countless lines of intent densely fill the space ahead.

There's seemingly no way forward.

But in this world of intent, I close my eyes.

Dozens, hundreds of intents obscure my vision.

It's impossible to dodge all these attacks and without Formless Sword or Gang Sphere, counterattacking is difficult.

If so,

'I'll use it to my advantage.'

Ta-att!

Using a lightness technique, I deflect one of the reaching hands towards me, utilizing the initial stance of Echoing Valley to redirect it towards another senior.

“Kugh!”

Buuung, bung bung!

Several fists and kicks aim for me.

I use the force of a leg kicking towards me and throw it back at a senior rushing from behind, catch a fist coming from the side, and redirect it towards another senior extending his leg from the front.

Reading dozens of intents and deflecting hundreds of attacks towards other targets, I dodge numerous hands and finally break through the throng of senior brothers and sisters.

Paaatt!

And then, I leap down the cliff.

'Finally, I've escaped!'

Just as I’m about to breathe a sigh of relief.

“…!”

Kugugugu!

From the cliff, a giant hand made of dirt reaches out towards me.

"This dogsh-"

I forgot in my rush that these people are originally cultivators..

But my panic is only momentary.

Quickly analyzing the situation, I position my body in mid-air as I see the dirt hand reaching for me.

And.

Thwook!

Just as the hand almost touches my feet,

'Now!'

With gleaming eyes, I use the force of the hand to leap even further away.

Paaang!

In an instant, the peaks of the training hall recedes from view.

The seniors of the Earth Body Training Hall watch me escape with regret, smacking their lips.

In a flash, the peaks of the Wooden Hall, Water Hall, and Metal Hall pass before my eyes.

And then.

“…Huh?”

I feel an ominous sensation and look back.

I used the force from the dirt hand to leap further, but somehow that caused me to head towards the…

'Fi-Fire Training Hall!'

After quickly realizing my ominous fate, I desperately try to change direction, but it’s too late.

Huarurururu!

A giant flame dragon opens its mouth, engulfing me as I fly through the air.

Kwarrr!

Caught in the mouth of the flame dragon, I fall somewhere, feeling intense heat around me.

'….God damn it'

Escaping the tiger's den only to enter a bear's cave.

"Haha, newbie. Flying through the air to our Fire Path Body Training Hall, is that a declaration of intent to practice the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture?"

"Hey, wait. Have we tested this newbie's spiritual root? If it's not a Fire Spiritual Root, we should politely transfer him to another training hall!"

"Huahaha, I immediately did with my flame dragon spell. This kid is definitely a Fire Spiritual Root!"

Huarururu!

The flame dragon that caught me transforms into chains of fire, binding me tightly.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Around me, several seniors of the Fire Path Body Training Hall with their bodies glowing red-hot, encircle me.

"…I think I've come to the wrong place, could you let me go, please...?"

"Haha. Everyone, add another log, we've got a newbie!"

My plea goes unheeded, and I'm tied tightly to a stake.

"Now, I'll teach you the intricacies of the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture, so listen well."

"Ah, I already understand."

"Oh, you do? That's good. Lads, cook the newbie!"

And then, the pile of firewood below me is ignited.

"Newbie, if you use the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture properly, you'll have no problems. Give it a try."

I’m engulfed in flames.

Huarurururu!

Engulfed in flames, I grit my teeth and forcefully operate the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture.

Though it feels like I’m turning to ash, operating the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture somehow prevents me from dying.

'It hurts.'

Excruciatingly so.

It feels like I’m turning into smoked bacon.

But within these flames, I sense something.

'Ah, I see...'

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

In my past life trapped in 'General Seo' for a thousand years, I haven't felt this sensation for a long time.

Pain.

Feeling pain, I realize something.

'It hurts. But... being in pain means.'

I'm 'alive'.

'Yes, I am...'

Alive!

Flash!

"Hooo…"

I absorb the flames in accordance with the secret method of the Fire Path Enduring Origin Scripture, grinning amidst the blazing fire.

‘I made a big fuss over nothing after being spared from physical pain for too long.’

The visual effect was so astonishing that I panicked prematurely.

But, is there truly nothing more agonizing than this pain?

‘Of course not.’

In the midst of flames and suffering, I realize something far more tormenting than pain.

Death.

To close one's eyes in powerlessness and misery, having achieved nothing and saved no one.

Isn't that truly more agonizing?

Sizzle…

Within the scorching heat, I find my calm.

‘Regardless, I can become stronger.’

With this kind of training, it should help me amass enough strength so as not to die powerlessly anymore.

‘What have I been doing until now…’

This isn’t the time to be complaining.

Kim Yeon is suffering under the tyranny of the insane Mad Lord.

Jeon Myeong-hoon and the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect is doomed to be annihilated by a True Immortal in a few decades.

Who knows what Seo Hweol will do to Oh Hye-seo.

Kang Min-hee will go mad and destroy the entire Black Ghost Valley.

Azure Tiger Saint is going to eventually die and Oh Hyun-seok will become crippled after that.

To save everyone.

Or at the very least, to find out why and what is happening.

‘I shouldn't be sitting here moping around, Seo Eun-hyun!’

In the midst of searing pain, I face my seniors looking on with satisfaction with a smile.

"Senior brothers, senior sisters, seniors...!"

It hurts.

But now, in the midst of burning pain, I finally know what I need to do.

"Is this all!? I had some expectations hearing that the Fire Path Body Training Hall is a thrilling place, but this is so lukewarm I can't even tell if the fire has been lit or not!"

The veins on the seniors’ faces who were stoking the fire bulged.

"I'm going to catch a cold from the chill! Make it hotter! This junior is catching a cold!”

"…Ha, haha…."

At my words, the faces of the three or four seniors who tensed up began to laugh.

"Hahahaha! Alright, we've got quite the character here! Alright, newbie! We'll do as you say! We can't have our adorable junior catching a cold! You guys, bring some lava over here!"

I laugh as I’m turning into charcoal.

Yes, it hasn't been long since I returned to being human from a puppet.

I’ve been too dramatic.

Today, I've regained my senses.

The time for pretense is over.

Let's become stronger!

Even more so!

From a certain day onward.

Rumors started circulating in the Azure Heaven Creation Sect's Five Elements Body Training Hall.

"Hey, have you heard the rumor? If you go to the Fire Path Body Training Hall early in the day, there's a newbie tied up burning since dawn."

"Oh, really?"

"But listen, what's scary is that if you go to the Metal Path Body Training Hall around the morning, you can see a newbie, who looks exactly like the one burning at dawn, being ripped apart there."

"Wow, a hardworking newcomer, isn't it?"

"No, the story's not over yet. I was just passing by the Water Path Body Training Hall after lunch, and I saw the guy who was in the Metal Path Body Training Hall in the morning diving into the deepest part of the Water Path Body Training Hall.""

"Wow... Three different training halls...? Is that even possible?"

"That's what I'm saying. But what's even scarier is that, while going up after dinner, I saw a newbie who looked exactly like that guy, receiving impact training in the Wood Path Body Training Hall."

"Wow...? You must’ve been mistaken, right?"

"How could that be? And I don't know if they saw this wrong, but one of the juniors passing by the Earth Path Body Training Hall at midnight said he saw a newbie, looking exactly like the one I saw, coming out from under the Earth Path Body Training Hall..."

"Could it be that quintuplets joined the Azure Heaven Creation Sect at the same time?"

"If that were the case, it’d be an interesting rumor, but no such rumor exists. In other words…."

"They’re all the same person?"

The two burly men gaped in amazement.

"Training in all Five Elements Body Training Halls? What kind of absurd rumor is that?"

"That's what I'm saying. Usually, mastering only one of the Five Elements Enduring Origin Scripture and moving on to the Starlight Protecting Void Body is the norm for most..."

"Does that mean, then, this newbie possesses the Five Elements Spiritual Roots?"

"It appears so. Being a possessor of the Five Elements Spiritual Roots, he seems to be attempting to master all five methods of the Five Elements Enduring Origin Scripture."

"…That's insane."

"If he masters all five methods of the Five Elements Enduring Origin Scripture, he would literally gain tremendous resistance against the Five Elements themselves... Wait, hold on!"

One of the burly men pointed somewhere.

"There, that’s the newbie!"

"Oh, that’s the newbie?"

With curious expressions, the two men looked at a man who had been climbing the mountain path since dawn.

I glanced at the two senior brothers discussing me from afar, took a deep breath, and continued my ascent to the Five Elements Hall.

It’s been about 3 months since I started my formal training at the Five Elements Hall.

Nine months since my return.

I’d been training with the insane methods of the Five Elements Hall and the vast heaven and earth spiritual energy of the Bright Cold Realm.

Moreover, I’ve been training on the best spiritual veins of Azure Cold Island, a place in the Bright Cold Realm where the spiritual veins converge, and I’ve already reached the extreme stage of Qi Gathering.

‘Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation is completed.’

Sigh...

As I exhaled, spiritual clouds of five colors circled around me before flowing back into my body.

After mastering Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation, I’ve been also diligently training in the Five Elements Enduring Origin Scripture at the Five Elements Hall.

Crack, crack...

I clench and unclench my fist.

Compared to three months ago, my body has become significantly stronger and more robust.

In terms of physical strength alone, my body is comparable to a Qi Building cultivator's body filled with Gang Qi, even though I’m still at the Qi Gathering stage.

‘If I combine the Qi Refining method mastered through Understanding before Breakthrough, a Qi Building cultivator’s body, and the state of Five Energies Converging to the Origin…’

Even at my current Qi Gathering cultivation, I feel like I can compete with a mid-stage Qi Building cultivator.

‘No, with the Mad Lord's techniques to neutralize the opponent's magic artifacts…’

My actual combat power can reach the level of late-stage Qi Building even without including puppets.

Crack, crack...

I clench and unclench my fist again, organizing my thoughts.

"Not enough."

But I’m not satisfied.

I’m still only at the Qi Building stage in terms of power.

Certainly, my growth rate isn't slow.

A body harmonized with the Five Energies Converging to the Origin assimilates the strengthening of the body swiftly.

My body after complete transformation is very compatible with the body refining methods.

Even the seniors of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect were surprised by my remarkable growth.

"But, it's not enough!"

I clench my fist tighter and look up at the Five Elements Hall.

‘Faster... I must reach higher.’

At this rate, I can't save anyone yet.

With a firm resolve, I continue my ascent to the Five Elements Hall.

Kugugugu!

That day, I also practiced swordsmanship in the depths of the Water Training Hall, holding my breath in a place with dense water pressure.

To not forget the basics, I must continuously imprint them on my body!

Kugugugu!

The water pressure crushes my whole body.

‘Not enough.’

While practicing Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I continuously analyze the Qi Building methods I will cultivate in the future with the experience of Understanding before Breakthrough.

‘It’s not enough!’

Wo-woong!

In that state, I also train the Mad Lord’s Wonderfully Mysterious Innate Heart Canon.

Normally, training in multiple techniques at once can lead to demonic possession due to confusion and lost focus.

Mental demons can appear, or the circulation of vital force and blood can become entangled and explode.

Suddenly, blood rushes to my head, causing a throbbing pain.

A surge of anger wells up, and a violent desire to smash everything in sight writhes within me.

Symptoms of demonic possession.

However, I resolve the possession quite simply.

Thump!

I raise my fist and punch my own face.

Boom!

Blood rushes to my head, and the about-to-explode energy and blood burst forth.

The air that filled my lungs expel completely and rises upwards as bubbles.

Gurgle, gurgle...

Demonic possession? Mental demons?

Such nuisances are only distractions that arise from having too much idle thought.

When life hangs in a balance to such an extent that one can't afford such distractions, naturally, those foolish thoughts scatter.

Gurgle, gurgle...

I exhale in the water pressure, sending out a distress signal.

Swoosh!

A green spiritual energy swims towards me, grabs my body, and pulls me up to the surface of the water.

A while later.

"Puhah!"

I gasp for the sweet air, regaining my consciousness.

Wo-woong!

One of the senior brothers with a Wooden Spiritual Root places his hand on my head, healing my injuries.

"Ah, senior brother. Thank you."

"Well… it's good to be diligent, but aren't you pushing yourself too hard lately?"

Such words coming from the mouth of a fearsome senior brother of the Five Elements Hall meant that I was indeed training like a madman.

"Rushing things too much can lead to trouble. You should pace yourself."

It was a surprisingly warm advice coming from someone who would throw his juniors into water with stones tied to their feet.

I nod and acknowledge his advice for now.

"Alright, the healing is done."

"Thank you."

After expressing my gratitude, I immediately dive back into the water.

I see the senior brother making a slightly queasy face above the water surface.

After glancing at his expression, I descend towards the deep abyss.

Woong!

Utilizing Water Surpassing Path to Cultivation, I manage to breathe for a moment underwater by manipulating the spiritual energy.

"Hoo..."

It might seem funny to breathe underwater, but surprisingly, those who learned water-based methods can do such a thing.

Although it doesn't help with lung capacity training and I tend to avoid it.

I form a hand seal and speak.

"Storage Scroll, open."

Woong!

The scroll tied to my waist rises in the water and unfolds beside me.

This scroll, obtained from the elder of the West Spirit Gate last time, was a kind of storage magic artifact commonly known as a ‘storage scroll.’

I take out a jade tablet from the Storage Scroll that I snatched from the elder.

The jade table has a method inscribed in the language of the Bright Cold Realm.

The method's name is "Three Spirits Technique," which allows one to create three avatars of oneself to be stored in a safe place. If the main body is in danger and loses their cultivation or body, the avatars can be used to regain the cultivation.

It’s a suitable method for cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage who frequently lose their physical bodies.

A notable feature is that creating more than three avatars will gradually reduce the cultivation of the avatars.

Therefore, trying to recover cultivation through a weaker avatar can pose problems.

Conversely, if only one avatar is created instead of three or more, its power will be as formidable as the main body itself.

‘In short, it's a technique that serves both as insurance for one's life and future cultivation in case of loss, and also allows for using the avatar as an offensive tool.’

It seems quite useful.

As I’m reading the Three Spirits Technique again,

‘Wait a moment.’

After looking at the formula of the Three Spirits Technique, I use spiritual energy to inscribe the formula of the Devil Legion Terracotta Scroll in the water.

Then, I hastily compare the formulas of the two methods.

"...Wait, these methods..."

I read both formulas simultaneously, realizing something.