About three days into our journey like that, we saw nurous troops filling the horizon across the plains ahead.
"Barbarians."
Seeing them, Zhuge Xiaohui spoke. Having grown up in China, she called them barbarians, but they were the Xiongnu. A warlike nomadic people whose main territory was Mongolia.
They must have seen us too, as they stopped moving, and a group of about a hundred riders began galloping quickly toward our carriage. They seed to think we would run.
"How annoying. I'll have to scare them a little."
I got out of the carriage and spoke, infusing my voice with mana.
"Хэрвээ чи үхмээргүй байвал намайг битгий залхаагаад зайл!!! (If you don't want to die, don't bother and get lost!!!)"
My words echoed in all directions like thunder across the plains. The horses of the cavalry coming toward us panicked and stumbled, and several riders fell off. Realizing we were no ordinary people, the cavalry quickly cald their horses and retreated, fleeing back to their main force.
"Ugh... Couldn't you have given a warning first... My ears are ringing."
"What else do you have inner energy for? To boil soup?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Zhuge Xiaohui couldn't hear properly. I shook my head, got back into the carriage, and set off. We passed through the midst of the large Xiongnu army. They trembled in fear, unable to do anything, and opened the way for us.
We continued traveling like that, but Zhuge Xiaohui's martial arts simply weren't improving. Even though she was receiving the benefit of the [Teacher] ability. It seed like she had hit a wall.
"You think too much when using martial arts. If you keep that up, you'll be a beat slow and lose even to those at a similar level."
"That's easier said than done."
At that, I sighed and said.
"You're hopeless. Let's do this. From now on, we'll only spar. I won't give you ti to think, so try to endure."
"Huh? What? W-Wait a minute..."
Thwack! Thwack! Thud! Smack!
"Ah!"
From that day on, I increased my speed and began beating Zhuge Xiaohui rcilessly with my wooden sword. Because of that, she groaned and couldn't sleep properly. One day, perhaps because it hurt too much, she cried in her sleep and called for her mother. Seeing this, Zhuge Xiaohui seed to have grown up pampered at ho.
But it couldn't be helped. Whether she wanted it or not, I felt she wouldn't beco useful until she at least reached the Transformation Realm. Eventually, she would break through the wall and reach it on her own, but that would be too late.
"Please, go a little easier... I can't take it anymore."
"If you don't like getting hit, dodge or block."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Aaagh! Argh!"
After a week of being beaten like that, she finally began to block to so extent.
Thwack! Thwack! Smack! Thwack! Thud!
"Owww!"
"Oh, now you're getting better. You should have done this sooner. One more week and you'll be there."
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui made a sad face and said.
"We have to do this for another week??"
"Yes, hurry up and take your stance."
After another week of this, she began occasionally counterattacking while blocking. She seed to have gained so breathing room. Then, as if realizing sothing, she sat down. Five types of energy began to swirl around her, and her skin started to crack.
'Oh~! The 'Five Energies Facing the Source' and 'Bone Exchange, Body Refinent'... She's finally at the Transformation Realm. Fortunately, she didn't poop through her skin.'
Normally, one would reach the peak of the Transformation Realm through the 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown' stage and then the 'Five Energies Facing the Source' stage, but because I had diligently infused her with inner energy, Zhuge Xiaohui seed to have reached the peak of the Transformation Realm as soon as the wall broke.
After so ti, she slowly opened her eyes.
"Ah... My body feels different. The places I was hit don't hurt anymore, and the flow of inner energy feels better."
"That's the Transformation Realm. Was it worth getting beaten?"
"I don't think so... I really thought I was going to die."
Zhuge Xiaohui imdiately denied it. The two weeks must have been very difficult for her.
Whether she said that or not, I took from my inventory a sword made of the sa material as the composite sword I had made in One Piece, but designed to fit this era, and tossed it to Zhuge Xiaohui. Now, making such swords didn't take long.
"This is..."
"A gift. You'll need a sword now too."
Zhuge Xiaohui drew the sword, swung it a few tis, and thanked .
"It's a good sword. Thank you."
Now, in the evenings, after eating, we would have short spars, and I would teach Zhuge Xiaohui martial arts. I was modifying and improving the Zhuge Clan's martial art, the 'Heavenly Qi Eight Formation Sword,' to better suit Zhuge Xiaohui, and teaching it to her. Having improved it to this extent, if Zhuge Xiaohui worked hard, she might even reach the Life-Death Realm beyond the Profound Realm.
After traveling for about three more days like that, we finally saw Lake Baikal.
"Wow~ It's such a huge lake. I thought it was the sea. I thought Dongting Lake was big, but this is incomparable."
Lake Baikal was indeed close to the Arctic, with so parts frozen, and it was an enormous lake.
We followed the lake north in the carriage. Lake Baikal was truly vast. We traveled north for another three days. Finally, a place that looked like a castle appeared in the distance. That was probably the North Sea Ice Palace.
"A beautiful castle."
As Zhuge Xiaohui said, it was indeed beautiful. A splendid white castle standing alone in front of a frozen lake, like sothing a famous painter might have painted.
"You wait in the carriage. The North Sea Ice Palace has its own complicated circumstances. They won't welco us."
"Huh? Then I won't get to see the castle? We ca all this way..."
Zhuge Xiaohui was very disappointed. There was a reason I said this. Zhuge Xiaohui didn't know the situation here well. In the past, the North Sea Ice Palace was attacked by the 'Dragon Turtle,' one of the five spiritual creatures symbolizing lightning. Fortunately, the fifth palace lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, Dan Seo-jung, succeeded in luring it into the palace's hidden underground vault and used a technique of mutual destruction to seal both himself and the Dragon Turtle in the Ice Barrier Stone.
The five spiritual creatures were incredibly powerful beings, impossible to face without being at least at the Life-Death Realm. Their size was also enormous, almost like a calamity. But thanks to Dan Seo-jung's sacrifice, they were barely sealed in the Ice Barrier Stone, and even now, the North Sea Ice Palace's elders were guarding and monitoring the seal.
The problem was that the spiritual energy the five spiritual creatures had accumulated over ti had beco a true origin, residing within their bodies. If one could extract it, they would gain imnse inner energy. If this fact beca known, countless martial artists would flock to the North Sea Ice Palace, and the Extre Six Martial Arts Sect, the main villain of Nano Machine, might make a move first.
Of course, I could just take it, but then the protagonist of this universe, Cheon Un-woon, would not be able to defeat the final villain, the Extre God. That could lead to the misfortune of having to deal with all those annoying enemies myself. And honestly, I wasn't very interested. To say it again, the foundation of my power is mana.
"Don't do anything unnecessary. Wait here. I'll get what I need and co back quickly."
"Fine..."
I hid the disappointed Zhuge Xiaohui and the carriage well behind a hill, used [Stealth], and quickly flew to the North Sea Ice Palace. Then I took out [Jack Sparrow's Compass] and began searching for the hidden underground vault near the Seal Spirit Mountain of the North Sea Ice Palace.
'Here it is.'
I entered the Seal Spirit Mountain and checked the hidden vault. It was a cave made entirely of ice, so much so that calling it a 'vault' seed lacking. Deep inside the cave, elders and soldiers were gathered, just watching.
I imdiately used [Clairvoyance] to check below. I could sense the Dragon Turtle deep underground. Fortunately, there was so space there, so I teleported to it.
'Wow... It's enormous...'
When I arrived at the underground cavity, I could only see part of the Dragon Turtle's body. It was so large that I couldn't see all of it. If this creature went on a rampage, the people of this world would have a very hard ti dealing with it. Fortunately, the Ice Barrier Stone surrounding the vault still seed to be sealing it well. The Ice Barrier Stone of the vault had the property of becoming harder as it absorbed cold energy, so no master could easily break through it. That's why the Fifth Palace Lord Dan Seo-jung had sealed the Dragon Turtle here.
Ignoring the still motionless Dragon Turtle, I began searching for one item. Dan Seo-jung's sacrifice succeeded in sealing the Dragon Turtle here, but it resulted in the loss of the ancestral tablets of past patriarchs, the secret martial arts manuals, and the sacred artifact the 'Cold Jade Blade' that were resting in the North Sea Ice Palace's vault. What I was looking for was precisely the Cold Jade Blade. The formulas for the 'Cold Jade Clear Sky Art' were written on the Cold Jade Blade.
The Cold Jade Clear Sky Art was a far more powerful martial art than the Ice White Divine Art, currently known as the North Sea Ice Palace's strongest martial art.
'There it is.'
Using [Jack Sparrow's Compass], I found the Cold Jade Blade in a corner of the vault cavity. I scanned the Cold Jade Clear Sky Art with Nano, then left it right there. So that Cheon Un-woon could escape from here as in the original.
Then I teleported directly to the North Sea Ice Palace and flew to where the acting palace lord was. I struck the neck of the acting palace lord, Dan Ju-cheon, who was sitting at his desk working, knocking him unconscious instantly. Then I grabbed his head, read the Ice White Divine Art as well, and returned to where Zhuge Xiaohui was.
"You really ca back quickly."
"Yeah, I'm done here."
"Where to now?"
"Jangbaek Mountain. (Baekdu Mountain)"
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui sighed deeply and said.
"Hah... We have to go that far again... I suppose you won't tell why?"
"You know well."
"Good grief..."
We got back in the carriage and began the return journey.
As expected, the return trip was also a repetition of the sa routine, without any special incidents. During the day, I would run simulations of the martial art I had obtained at the North Sea Ice Palace, researching it. In the evening, after dinner, I would teach Zhuge Xiaohui martial arts, then wash up, and before sleeping, I would "tornt" her a bit with my bat. That was the entirety of our daily routine. The scenery didn't change much either. No matter how far we traveled, it was just endless fields.
"It was the sa coming here, but this is really boring. I want to go back to the Central Plains quickly."
"Yeah, it is boring. But your martial arts have improved a lot."
"That's true. There's nothing else to do."
As we traveled like that to the southeast, the days gradually beca warr. Occasionally, we saw nomadic tribes and traded for at to replenish our supplies. Finally, mountains ca into view, and the Great Wall appeared before our eyes.
"We're finally here. Back to the Central Plains... But this doesn't seem like Shanxi..."
We had co down to the southeast, so this was natural.
"This is around Hebei and Liaoning."
"I see."
We first passed the Great Wall and arrived at a large town. We maintained the carriage, bought ingredients, then looked around the town and had so snacks. While doing so, a beggar approached us, handed a note without a word, bowed, and disappeared sowhere.
The note said, 'Extre Six Martial Arts Sect is expanding its influence.'
"Why are they giving this information? Did they think I would act?"
"They're probably hoping you will."
I incinerated the note in the air in an instant and said.
"That's ridiculous. I'm sure I said I wasn't interested."
Zhuge Xiaohui looked a bit bitter at that. She seed to want to go and help too.
"Do you want to go?"
"Yes, I do. Since it's where I belonged before being with Taejin-nim."
"Forget it. What good would soone at the Transformation Realm do?"
At my warning, Zhuge Xiaohui was incredulous.
"Soone at the Transformation Realm 'no good'..."
Indeed, it was true. Currently, the Extre Six Martial Arts Sect had many who had surpassed the Transformation Realm and reached the Profound Realm, so Zhuge Xiaohui would be of little help. It would be fortunate if she didn't beco a plaything because of her looks or die a useless death.
Anyway, ignoring such matters, we drove the carriage onward to Jangbaek Mountain. Of course, Zhuge Xiaohui's training continued.
"The Profound Realm can be reached through the process of unifying what you have. So you need to think about what you have and how to unify it. But since you only have what I taught you, don't worry about that and focus on refining the basics more deeply. Whether there are any deficiencies in your posture or power distribution, and how to use your inner energy efficiently."
"Okay."
"Thanks to , you don't lack inner energy, so just work hard. You won't beco a useful servant unless you at least reach the Profound Realm."
"The Profound Realm... The current heads of the Martial Arts Alliance are at the Profound Realm. You speak of it so lightly."
"Once you perfect the 'New Heavenly Qi Eight Formation Sword' I corrected for you, even the Profound Realm will be nothing."
At that, Zhuge Xiaohui seed surprised.
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes. So stop talking nonsense and focus on your training."
Perhaps because I said this, Zhuge Xiaohui began training very hard from that day on.
And so, while continuing to train Zhuge Xiaohui, we finally arrived near Jangbaek Mountain.
Reviews
All reviews (0)