Chapter 133: Five Elements Qi (2)

“An Immortal? Do those people really exist?”

“Of course. They truly exist.”

The old man answered as he tucked the child under the blanket.

“Where can I meet one?”

“There’s a world of Immortals high up in the sky. If you reach that place, you can meet them.”

“There’s land above the sky? Above the clouds?”

The child furrowed her brows and made a serious face.

“A sky far, far away. You can’t reach it just like that.”

“Even Grandpa can’t go?”

“Even your grandpa can’t, not yet.”

“Not yet? Then will Grandpa become an Immortal someday?”

The expression in the child’s wide eyes was so endearing that the old man chuckled.

“My dear Hang-ah, do you want Grandpa to become an Immortal?”

“Yes! If you become an Immortal, you can live a long, long time. Then even when I grow up, I can still meet Grandpa for a long, long time!”

At her reply, the old man patted her head.

“Alright, then this Grandpa will work hard to become an Immortal. You should also train harder starting tomorrow.”

“Okay!”

An old memory of Lee Ga-hang.

Her grandfather, the former Palace Head of the Vermilion Bird Palace, used to speak often about Immortals.

When she was young, she believed those words. There was no reason to doubt a respected martial artist and beloved grandfather.

But as she grew older and became worn down by reality, the stories of Immortals gradually faded from her mind.

After she became an adult, her grandfather stopped talking about Immortals altogether.

Had it not been for a certain incident, the word “Immortal” might have been erased from Lee Ga-hang’s mind completely.

It happened on a seemingly ordinary day.

Her grandfather was caught in an explosion while using an artifact that had been stored in the Martial Arts Repository of the Vermilion Bird Palace for a long time.

Everything happened so suddenly. She didn’t know why he used the artifact, nor why it exploded.

The man who had been leading the Vermilion Bird Palace with composure began to die slowly after the explosion.

Before passing away, he spoke again of an old story.

“Hang-ah, if—someday—you meet someone who exudes an unusual atmosphere, never fight them.”

“An unusual atmosphere? Like what?”

“Someone who doesn’t feel human. If you meet someone who doesn’t seem like a human being, never fight them.”

“Why? In case they’re an Immortal? Oh Grandpa, what would I even be doing fighting an Immortal? And why would someone from the Peach Blossom Land come to our world anyway?”

He seemed to want to say more, but his condition worsened and he couldn’t open his mouth again. And just like that, he left the world.

After her only family passed away, Lee Ga-hang had to fight fiercely to survive. Leading the massive organization known as the Vermilion Bird Palace was too much for someone of her young age.

Naturally, she had forgotten all about her grandfather’s tales of Immortals and his warnings.

But today, upon seeing the man named Jang Woo-hyun, Lee Ga-hang remembered everything.

A being who did not feel human.

As soon as she recalled the memory and realized his power, she gave up on fighting.

The intuition that had helped her rise to the position of Palace Head of the Vermilion Bird Palace screamed at her—titles like “Sovereign of the Dawn Continent” or “Ruler of the South” meant nothing before that man.

‘He surpasses that monster.’

The Sect Leader of the Thunder Sect who stormed the Yellow Dragon Temple alone and forced it to seal its gates. Even someone worthy of the title “Greatest Under Heaven” paled in comparison to Jang Woo-hyun.

When she had seen the Thunder Sect Leader, she thought, ‘So a human can become this strong.’

But when she looked at Jang Woo-hyun, her thought was, ‘That’s not human.’

And she hadn’t been wrong. Jang Woo-hyun overwhelmed the four who had stepped into battle, excluding her.

The results of that brief clash were already clear.

Lee Ga-hang’s eyes turned to the two men in the distance.

“Keugh… may I ask just one thing?”

Yu Yuk-rang, still standing despite the gaping hole in his chest, opened his mouth. Jang Woo-hyun, his face hardened, simply gave a small nod in reply.

“Truly… whew. Brother Jang, are you really from another world?”

“Yes, I came from another world, not this one.”

“How did you come here?”

The youthful face of Yu Yuk-rang began to change. As if time was flowing faster just for him, he was rapidly aging.

Jang Woo-hyun hesitated, wondering how to explain, and then answered briefly.

“I ascended to the Realm of Transcendence, and then fell back down to this world.”

Yu Yuk-rang’s eyes widened, then he laughed.

“Hahaha, so one can fall back down as well. Still, to think—ascension, huh…”

It was an absurd tale, yet he believed Jang Woo-hyun’s words.

Though not as strong as Jang Woo-hyun, Yu Yuk-rang was also one of this world’s absolute masters. He had vaguely heard tales of Immortals before.

After coughing up a surge of blood, Yu Yuk-rang continued.

“So there really was something beyond the Five-Wheel. What is the next stage called?”

“In the world I came from, what you call the Five-Wheel is called the Absolute Realm. Beyond that is the Realm of Transcendence.”

“Transcendence. The Realm of Transcendence.”

Yu Yuk-rang repeated the name of the next realm multiple times.

“Don’t make that face. It’s something that can happen between martial artists. Despite your overwhelming attacks, your heart is gentle, hahaha.”

Jang Woo-hyun gave a bitter smile. He hadn’t intended to kill the four.

But as the exchange of techniques continued, he gradually used more strength, and their will reached him, making it impossible for him to hold back.

Through Will-Form Qi, the four had conveyed their thoughts.

Not to hold back. To face them with his full strength.

As a result, not one of the four was unscathed.

Among the brothers of the Azure Dragon Alliance, the younger, Yu Yuk-ho, had died with his upper body shattered. The elder, Yu Yuk-rang, was also on the verge of death.

The other two were still alive, but their conditions were poor. Black Tortoise Sect Leader No Yuk had lost consciousness from severe internal injuries, and Naeng Namcheon of the White Tiger Mountain Manor had his right arm severed.

The only one unhurt was Lee Ga-hang, who had stayed out of the battle from the beginning.

She was now tending to the surviving No Yuk and Naeng Namcheon.

“My brother and I have no regrets. I’m sure the other two feel the same. What we’ve been preparing for all this time wasn’t in vain. It’s just a bit disappointing that we didn’t get to experience what comes next.”

Covered in blood, Yu Yuk-rang laughed heartily.

“Brother Jang, it was an honor. If there is an afterlife, let’s spar again.”

Having aged into an old man, Yu Yuk-rang closed his eyes while still standing.

The ruler of the eastern region of the Dawn Continent, Alliance Leader of the Azure Dragon Alliance, Yu Yuk-rang—his life ended there.

Jang Woo-hyun lifted Yu Yuk-rang’s standing body and laid him beside his younger brother. Then he turned and looked for Lee Ga-hang.

She was tending to the fallen Naeng Namcheon and No Yuk, while also glancing in Jang Woo-hyun’s direction.

As Jang Woo-hyun slowly walked toward Lee Ga-hang, she flinched and trembled.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“Eh? Me? No, I’m not nervous at all!”

Lee Ga-hang frantically shook her head as she replied. Anyone could see she was scared, but her denial only made it more obvious. Still, Jang Woo-hyun did not ask further.

“How are the two?”

“The injuries are severe, but they won’t die. I already gave them the spiritual medicine I brought.”

“Thank you for your help.”

As Jang Woo-hyun gave a slight bow, Lee Ga-hang bent nearly in half, practically bowing deeply. She was exceedingly polite toward Jang Woo-hyun to the point of discomfort.

Telling her not to be so formal, Jang Woo-hyun asked one thing.

“Why didn’t you fight?”

It was a casually asked question, but under Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze, Lee Ga-hang trembled. To her, Jang Woo-hyun was like an unbeatable monster.

“…Within the Vermilion Bird Palace I belong to, there’s a tale passed down from long ago.”

Those who transcended humanity and stepped into the next world.

“I thought you were one of those people. That’s why I stayed out of the fight. Ordinary humans wouldn’t be able to face you.”

Even in this world, stories of the Central Heavens or Ascension existed faintly, and knowing that, Lee Ga-hang had roughly sensed Jang Woo-hyun’s identity.

“There’s something I’d like to ask…”

“As much as you like! Ask anything, and I’ll answer with all sincerity!”

“You don’t need to be so tense like a rank-and-file soldier. It’s nothing serious. Just a moment ago, that man named Yu Yuk-rang mentioned something ‘we’ prepared. Do you know what he meant?”

“Ah, that. It’s about the man who challenged the Yellow Dragon Temple alone about fifteen years ago.”

Lee Ga-hang and the others who had gathered here today had thought of themselves as the strongest. But that man who challenged the Yellow Dragon Temple alone shattered their beliefs.

“He introduced himself as the Sect Leader of the Thunder Sect and faced the Yellow Dragon Temple alone.”

At first, everyone thought it was madness. The Yellow Dragon Temple was a massive sect that ruled the center of the Dawn Continent. Not a force one man could deal with.

“But the outcome was different from what everyone expected.”

A single person devastated the Yellow Dragon Temple, and due to the damage, it was still sealed to this day.

“After that event, the heads of the four sects who gathered today made a promise.”

If someone like the Thunder Sect Leader ever appeared again, they would join forces to oppose him.

“Today’s gathering is because of that promise. A while ago, the former Sect Leader of the Black Tortoise Sect contacted us. He said there’s a mon… eh, a very stro… person in the White Forest he can’t handle.”

Lee Ga-hang smoothly changed a negative word mid-sentence and continued.

“Oh! And he might be watching this place.”

“Who? That Thunder Sect Leader you mentioned?”

“Yes. Before we came, the former Sect Leader said he sent a message to him. He might not have come, but if he did, he could be watching from somewhere and might appear.”

Perhaps that was the signal. A thunderclap rang out in the distance.

Jang Woo-hyun and Lee Ga-hang turned their gazes toward the direction of the sound.

The opposite side of the White Forest.

In the clear sky without a single cloud, lightning suddenly appeared and spread out.

Rumble. Rumble—

The lightning drew nearer. Focusing his sight, Jang Woo-hyun could see someone approaching.

With each step he took in midair, thunder roared beneath him, and lightning crackled under his feet. It was as if he was walking on lightning.

Crack!

As he drew close, the approaching figure stomped through the air, and a bolt of lightning struck near Jang Woo-hyun and Lee Ga-hang.

From within the crackling lightning, a man appeared.

A square face with bulging eyes. Unkempt hair and a beard sticking out in all directions. He looked like a lion.

“Thunder Sect Leader…”

Lee Ga-hang immediately recognized him.

The man who single-handedly devastated the Yellow Dragon Temple.

Though the leaders of the sects bearing the names of the Four Divine Beasts claimed to be absolute, he was the true absolute master of the Murim. The undisputed Greatest Under Heaven of the Dawn Continent who never took center stage.

“What is this?”

Receiving Lee Ga-hang’s gaze, he asked without even turning his head.

His eyes were fixed on Jang Woo-hyun.

“Where did this monster come from? Flame Queen, who is that? No, is he even human?”

The Thunder Sect Leader sensed the power stirring inside Jang Woo-hyun and tensed his whole body.

Just moments ago, the Thunder Sect Leader had been approaching from a distance. Feeling the immense energy, he thought the other sect leaders had prepared a formidable fighter.

But once the fight began, their power quickly faded.

It wasn’t because they withdrew it after the battle ended. The battle had been ended by another overwhelming force.

Realizing the situation was grave, the Thunder Sect Leader had rushed here.

“Your name is…”

As Jang Woo-hyun took a step forward and asked his name, the Thunder Sect Leader flinched and raised his power. Then, without delay, he attacked.

Boom!

With a thunderclap, the Thunder Sect Leader vanished from his spot.

Even Lee Ga-hang, an absolute expert, couldn’t follow his speed.

Even Jang Woo-hyun lost track of his movement for a moment.

Boom!

Struck by his palm, Jang Woo-hyun was blasted dozens of jang away and landed deep inside the White Forest.

“Hmm.”

Though he attacked first, the Thunder Sect Leader didn’t relax.

It was the most frightening situation since he’d emerged into the Murim. Not even when he stormed the Yellow Dragon Temple alone had he felt this way.

With just a single step forward, it felt like the entire world wanted to attack him.

“Flame Queen, where is that man from?”

Without turning his head toward Lee Ga-hang, the Thunder Sect Leader asked. His gaze remained fixed on the forest where Jang Woo-hyun had landed.

“He… he’s not from this world.”

“Not from this world? What do you mean by ‘this world’? Are you talking about the Dawn Continent?”

“Yes, not of this world… hick!”

Lee Ga-hang stopped speaking at the sudden gust of wind.

Before she knew it, Jang Woo-hyun was standing not far away. As if he had just risen from the earth.

With a completely different, hardened expression, he asked coldly.

“What are you?”

It wasn’t about being attacked.

To Jang Woo-hyun, the Thunder Sect Leader was an incomprehensible being.

‘How did he do that?’

The Thunder Sect Leader’s attack on Jang Woo-hyun had reached a speed that should not be possible in the Absolute Realm.

Transcendent sensory domain.

It made no sense, but the Thunder Sect Leader’s speed just moments ago was that of a martial artist who had entered the Realm of Transcendence.

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