Chapter 151: Summary

“There are three of us here, but we all come from different origins. We ascended from different worlds. There are many Lower Realms, and when one meets certain qualifications or transcends dimensions, they come to this place. Ascension isn’t the only method—there are also those who arrive through what’s called ‘Flight to the Heavens’ or ‘Ascend’.”

When he first met Pung So-bong, he had mentioned ‘Ascend’.

However, Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t the type to be overly sensitive to every word, and after going through Ascension and various experiences, he had soon forgotten the term ‘Ascend’.

Jang Woo-hyun looked at Lee Ahn, who stood before him.

His appearance was different from any human he had encountered thus far. With blue eyes, he stood tall and met his gaze directly.

“A Grand Mage…”

Jang Woo-hyun repeated the term Lee Ahn had used earlier.

Not a martial artist, nor a spellcaster, but a mage.

His perception of the world expanded once again.

When he had first fallen into this world, he thought only the Murim existed. But after experiencing Ascension, he realized there was a higher dimension, a world of cultivators. And now, one more had been added to that list.

A different world. And completely different people.

Lee Ahn had said that people from his world and this world rarely intersected, but just knowing of their existence had broken Jang Woo-hyun’s bias.

Just as he said, thinking that only martial artists or cultivators, only Easterners, could achieve Ascension or Flight to the Heavens was a narrow-minded notion.

Those called ‘foreigners’ or people from lands outside the Central Plains—if they cultivated enough, they too could ascend to higher realms.

“While I am sometimes called a Grand Mage, to be more precise… ah, I suppose there’s no perfect way to express it in your language.”

Lee Ahn seemed to ponder deeply.

“In your language, perhaps ‘Necromancer’ or ‘Spirit Conjuror’ would be the closest terms. Though not entirely accurate. I understand there are spellcasters in the Murim Realm who practice spirit arts like spirit summoning—they might be considered similar.”

Even as he tried to explain in a way Jang Woo-hyun could understand, Lee Ahn seemed uncertain. It was a foreign concept from another world, one he expected would be difficult to grasp.

But Jang Woo-hyun immediately understood what kind of mage he was upon hearing the words ‘Necromancer’ and ‘Spirit Conjuror’.

“You mean like raising corpses, controlling skeletons, making corpses explode and all that?”

“Huh? Oh… yes. I thought you wouldn’t understand any of this, but you’re surprisingly quick to get it.”

From Jang Woo-hyun’s perspective, it wasn’t difficult.

No, not just him—anyone in South Korea who had fought demons before could understand it easily.

“So, the world you came from—is it called the Magic Realm or something?”

“Wha?!”

Lee Ahn let out a small shriek at the unexpected question.

“That’s surprising. It’s not something you already knew… but you understood it immediately?”

Though taken aback by the unexpected encounter, Jang Woo-hyun had no difficulty understanding Lee Ahn’s story.

Because he was from Earth, not the Central Plains, his thinking differed from typical Ascenders.

“The world of the Murim is the Murim Realm. The world of the cultivators is the Cultivation Realm. Then the world of the mages would be the Magic Realm.”

It wasn’t a particularly complex deduction.

“A world of mages.”

A world he had never known.

And a place Jang Woo-hyun had never visited in the Lower Realm.

Because he had grown so rapidly, he hadn’t even properly explored the Central Plains before ascending to the Central Heavens. His experience was limited, and his knowledge was shallow.

“What ‘World’s Best’?”

‘Cheonha (天下).’ The world beneath the heavens.

People of the Central Plains called their world ‘Cheonha,’ but how foolish was that notion?

He hadn’t seen all the worlds beneath the heavens. There might be geniuses in other places just as brilliant as him. Like Ma Moon-gi of the Thunder Sect he met in the Dawn Continent.

Through his conversation with Lee Ahn, Jang Woo-hyun reflected on his arrogance and foolishness.

He had thought no one possessed talent to match his own. But that was limited to the world and knowledge he was familiar with.

The Central Heavens, vast as it was, was just one of many Middle Realms, and places known as Great Realms or Upper Realms housed beings worthy of being called gods.

He couldn’t predict what kind of martial arts, spell formations, or supernatural powers might appear.

“If the Corpse-Blood Realm is the land of blood and corpses… then are you already dead?”

Jang Woo-hyun asked about the Corpse-Blood Realm Lee Ahn had mentioned earlier.

“Well… depending on how you define ‘being alive,’ I guess. But from your perspective, I’m dead. It would be more accurate to say I’m a moving corpse.”

Lee Ahn explained that the Corpse-Blood Realm rejected the living.

“Those who ascend from the Cultivation Realm to the Corpse-Blood Realm are called ‘Corpse Immortals’—they’ve already died once. They rarely come from the Murim Realm. Occasionally, some strange ones make it through, but those cases are so rare that they can’t really be considered true Ascenders.”

“Earlier, were you using something like a protective barrier?”

Lee Ahn nodded.

“Yes. Just as living beings can’t exert power in the Corpse-Blood Realm, beings like me can’t unleash our full strength in the Central Heavens. That’s also why I got caught by that lunatic Yang Jeon-gun.”

Lee Ahn emphasized multiple times that if they had met in the Corpse-Blood Realm, he never would’ve been captured. Listening to the story, Jang Woo-hyun began to understand how things worked.

The Corpse-Blood Realm wasn’t a place that typical Ascenders or those who underwent Flight to the Heavens would visit, and its denizens rarely crossed into the Central Heavens or other Middle Realms. Lee Ahn, in essence, was like the undead-seeking immortality mages often seen in novels.

“Why would you risk coming to the Central Heavens?”

“There’s something I need to reach the next stage, and I heard it could be found here. That’s when Yang Jeon-gun caught me.”

“So you’re striving to reach the Upper Realm, the next world? I assume they don’t call it True Immortal over there. Is there another title?”

“My goal is to ascend to the Divine Throne and be worshipped for eternity.”

“Divine Throne? Like sitting among the stars?”

“To be precise, the term is ‘Divine Seat.’ You can think of it as the path to godhood. It’s not much different from becoming a True Immortal.”

Though Jang Woo-hyun asked several more questions about the next world, Lee Ahn didn’t know much either, so it wasn’t of much help.

“Have you ever heard of the Ascension Cult?”

Just before leaving, Jang Woo-hyun asked one final question.

“Never heard of it.”

Ascend, Ascenders, Ascension Cult.

The terms were similar, so he had asked just in case, but Lee Ahn’s reaction was completely unremarkable.

“Just a coincidence in terminology?”

Unable to determine whether it was coincidence or fate, Jang Woo-hyun left with Lee Ahn from the place where he had been imprisoned.

While Jang Woo-hyun was in the realm of the cultivators, the Central Heavens Martial Realm had fallen into great chaos.

The first major event was the battle between two of the strongest experts of the Central Heavens Martial Realm—the Six Heavens.

The clash between Sword Sky Lord, guardian of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, and Dragon Heaven Lord, heir to dragon blood.

The battle lasted for three days and ended in Dragon Heaven Lord’s victory. As a result, the six heavens of the martial realm became five.

That battle signaled upheaval across the entire martial realm.

The Thirteen Major Powers of the Central Heavens Martial Realm—known as the Ten Sects and Three Clans.

Among them, three clans started their own war, and soon various large and small conflicts broke out all over the realm. Almost as if it had all been planned.

Some sects split due to internal strife, others faced new enemies, and some began to move simply for their own pleasure amid the chaos.

Due to everyone’s circumstances and motives, the Central Heavens Martial Realm had become complete chaos.

Some called the current situation an era of upheaval, while others referred to it as the Great War of the Central Heavens.

And those deeply connected to Jang Woo-hyun were also being swept up in the massive war.

The heart of the battlefield.

“Phew…”

Jin Ha-un exhaled as he shook his tingling hand. In front of him lay the massive corpse of a beheaded giant.

‘Stronger than expected.’

Though not as tall as Ta Run and Ta Wi, the giants from the Daein Nation he encountered in the Giant Tree Grove, these enemies still stood over one jang in height. Jin Ha-un had just been battling them.

‘Pango Eternal Sect.’

A sect composed of giants and mixed-blood descendants of giants.

Most of their disciples were massive in stature, and like the giants he met in the Giant Tree Grove, they wore armor of Qi Projection and unleashed their energy wildly in all directions.

‘If I hadn’t fought them before, they wouldn’t have been easy to deal with.’

The time spent fighting alongside his sworn brother had helped him.

Kwaaaang!

At the distant sound, Jin Ha-un turned his head.

In his line of sight, a giant with a hole in its chest was collapsing backward.

Jin Ha-un leapt toward that direction.

“Is it over?”

Maeng Ye-ju, who had crushed the giant’s chest, asked as Jin Ha-un approached.

Around her lay a dozen shattered corpses of giants.

“Yes, mostly taken care of.”

“Pango Eternal Sect. Didn’t think these bastards would be involved too.”

After chaos swept the Central Heavens Martial Realm, Jin Ha-un had been fighting alongside the Suwang Sect.

At first, it was only the Bi Ik-ryeon, the coalition of bandits who had openly begun their activities, that they had to face. But over time, more enemies had emerged.

Bi Ik-ryeon, the coalition of bandits.

Pango Eternal Sect (盤古永生門), who claimed to be the descendants of giants.

Biyeong Hidden Sword Group (秘影隱劍團), the assassin sect of the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

And even mysterious cultivators of the Ascension Cult.

All of these were enemies the Suwang Sect had to face.

If they had only fought one at a time, it wouldn’t have been difficult. But with them banding together, even the Suwang Sect was hard-pressed. Moreover, they had to protect the Beastkin while fighting.

“Let’s clean up here quickly and head to the next—ah, those bastards are here again.”

Jin Ha-un and Maeng Ye-ju had separated from the group to deal with the giants targeting the rear of the Suwang Sect. Now, a group was approaching them aboard a Flying Apparatus.

“Truly insane bastards.”

Maeng Ye-ju’s expression twisted. She, who laughed even in relentless battles, only made that face in one situation.

“There they are!”

“That’s the Fierce-Fisted Heroine!”

“It’s Maeng Ye-ju!”

“The Blue-Red Sword Demon is here too!”

“Ooh!”

“Let’s go!”

They disembarked from the Flying Apparatus and charged forward.

Madmen who entered this battlefield without any purpose, simply to fight.

When war engulfed the Central Heavens Martial Realm, these maniacs had begun roaming and brawling wherever they pleased.

“White Martial Society, you crazy bastards!”

Angered, Maeng Ye-ju shouted their name and drew up her energy. Behind her, a giant tiger form appeared and began radiating powerful waves of energy around her.

“Waaaah!”

“Nice!”

The martial artists of the White Martial Society laughed heartily and sped up. Among them, one with exceptional movement arts rushed forward and stood before Maeng Ye-ju.

“Die! You bastards!”

Maeng Ye-ju didn’t hold back and smashed her fist into the man’s face.

Kwaaang!

The enemy’s face was obliterated, and he flew backward at a speed similar to how fast he had charged.

“The Heroine of Suwang Sect!”

“As expected!”

“Just as fiery as they say!”

Even though their comrade was struck, the White Martial Society martial artists seemed thrilled and kept charging forward.

The second attacker was a large man wielding a broad saber.

“Fierce-Fisted Heroine! A pleasure! I’m Yeop of the Baekmu Socie—huh? Uh…”

Stopping at a certain distance, he had begun to introduce himself, but faltered as he saw someone behind Maeng Ye-ju and Jin Ha-un.

A small red fox Beastkin stood there.

Her height reached only the waist of an adult man. Her eyes curved like a bow, and the corners of her lips were upturned. The fox girl, who looked like a child, had a smiling face.

It was a smile that made one feel good, but the White Martial Society martial artist who recognized her identity went pale and shouted.

“Re… retreat! It’s the Laughing Little Fox! Run! Everyone retreat!”

At his shout, the others charging forward all halted.

“What?”

“Laughing Little Fox?”

The fox Beastkin, who drew everyone’s gaze, smiled.

“Ohoho, what amusing people you are.”

She took one step forward and slightly opened and closed her mouth.

“Nyaa.”

Chomp! With a cute sound and her mouth gently closing—

“Gyaaaaah!”

The arm of one White Martial Society martial artist who had been running away was torn off. As if bitten by a massive beast.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep