Chapter 154: The Way Back

Just as the phrase “gather everything” implied, Yang Jeon-gun had collected not only Flexible Technique Methods but also numerous martial arts of martial artists.

Jang Woo-hyun selected two books among them, which analyzed and organized various martial arts.

‘Mostly footwork and movement techniques.’

The books primarily contained content about methods of movement and bodily maneuvering, referred to as “Footwork Scripture.”

Since Jang Woo-hyun was already at a stage where he could develop and create martial arts on his own, Yang Jeon-gun’s martial arts manuals were not of significant help. However, the variety of martial arts occasionally provided him with brief inspiration.

After reaching the Boundless Realm, Jang Woo-hyun had already constructed the framework to improve the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step. The small inspiration he gained from Yang Jeon-gun’s manuals added flesh to that framework.

Within his accelerated consciousness, while improving the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step, he began practicing other martial arts as well.

A few blade scales dropped from Dragon King’s Scale and danced splendidly above Jang Woo-hyun’s hand. Soon, dazzling patterns emerged over his palm and then vanished.

As he immersed himself in his own world, spending several shichen like that—

【Enemy approaching!】

At the sudden shout from Yong Seo-hee, Jang Woo-hyun snapped out of his thoughts.

As she said, three cultivators riding Flying Apparatus were approaching from the front.

What was called the Wind and Cloud Path—or simply wind road—was not a passage to another dimension. It was more like an invisible stream, akin to ocean currents, that only certain races such as the Dragon Tribe could use. The only difference was that it existed in the sky.

Naturally, others could see Yong Seo-hee and Jang Woo-hyun flying along it.

“A peculiar dragon indeed!”

Wearing sinister grins, the three cultivators approached. Although Yong Seo-hee was fast, they had taken positions ahead, making it difficult to shake them off.

【I’ll attack first then…】

“No need.”

Interrupting Yong Seo-hee, Jang Woo-hyun extended his palm toward the cultivators. Right then, the brilliant pattern on his palm glowed, and as he stretched out his hand, countless sword qi and sword flux burst forth.

The cultivators were unable to defend properly and were instantly torn apart.

Jang Woo-hyun had no intention of speaking. If they were cultivators, he would simply attack now.

【…….】

Faced with an incomprehensible display of overwhelming power, Yong Seo-hee fell silent, while Jang Woo-hyun reflected on the previous attack.

‘Half success, half failure.’

As the attack didn’t release properly at the moment of discharge, his palm was torn.

‘But the power is definite.’

Even though it wasn’t perfected and only a small amount of power was infused, the destructive force was considerable.

‘I’ve learned something great.’

What he had just used was a variation of Thousand Hands Thunder Mandala, originally seen from Ma Moon-gi of the Thunder Sect in the Dawn Continent, reinterpreted in his own way.

Satisfied with the power of the new martial art he had created, Jang Woo-hyun smiled. And he continued contemplating martial arts.

After spending a day atop the dragon-formed Yong Seo-hee’s head—

The improvement of the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step was mostly completed.

The optimal positioning movement technique of the Horse King’s First Step, “Extreme Interval,” was now renamed “No Trace,” inspired by the long-abandoned Dispersing Mist Skill and the Hidden Flying Tiger Step found in Yang Jeon-gun’s secret manual.

The Horse King’s Second Step, “Sprint,” which utilized a burst of internal energy through Yongchun to gain instantaneous acceleration, was fused with inspiration from Light World Swift Step and was named “Extreme Radiance.”

While organizing the Six-Legged Horse King’s Step, several blade scales floated over Jang Woo-hyun’s left hand, constantly drawing small patterns.

From time to time, some cultivators or other races tried to attack Yong Seo-hee, but before they could approach, they were all shattered by Jang Woo-hyun’s sword or the power of the Mandala he had formed.

And so, Jang Woo-hyun repeated his training and unknowingly began to breathe in a rhythm.

A new breathing technique he created, modeled after the breathing method of giants: Swirling Inhalation Breathing Technique.

With one exhale, he dominated the surroundings, and with one inhale, he circulated energy inside and around his body. A vortex of qi formed around Jang Woo-hyun, absorbing all nearby energy.

【Kyaaaaaaaa!】

When he activated the Swirling Inhalation Breathing Technique without thinking, a sudden scream rang out.

Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t on the ground but atop the dragon’s head. He had forgotten that and instinctively absorbed the surrounding energy.

“Huh?”

When he looked down, a portion of the dragon’s head had caved in, and Yong Seo-hee was falling below.

“You’re saying that wasn’t a real dragon?”

“Yes. I inherited the blood of a dragon, but I’m not a real dragon.”

“Then what was that form just now?”

“That wasn’t an actual transformation into a dragon. You could call it a kind of Projection formed by energy.”

“Oh… I see.”

Yong Seo-hee continued explaining that the people of the Divine Dragon Family only inherited dragon blood, not true dragons themselves.

“I heard only the Dragon Tribe can use the Wind and Cloud Path. How does that work then?”

Jang Woo-hyun questioned the contradiction.

“I’m not a dragon, but since I inherited the blood, I can mimic it.”

Dragon Blood Return to Origin Technique.

It was a unique cultivation method practiced by the martial artists of the Divine Dragon Family, drawing out the power hidden within their dragon blood.

“To be exact, it’s hard to call it martial arts. It’s closer to sorcery or a cultivator’s cultivation method than typical martial arts. But what did you just do, orabeoni? My power itself was getting sucked in.”

The two of them had descended to a Floating Stronghold. Due to Jang Woo-hyun’s Swirling Inhalation Breathing Technique, the dragon form Yong Seo-hee had manifested collapsed, causing them to fall here.

“I was performing Qi Circulation Breathing Technique.”

“What? That was Qi Circulation?”

At such unbelievable words, Yong Seo-hee’s eyes widened. The dragon-shaped body she had formed moments ago had been sucked into Jang Woo-hyun.

That form she created was like another body made of qi. What kind of martial art could absorb someone else’s body?

Yong Seo-hee couldn’t comprehend what she had just heard.

“That… was it something like an absorption technique or Star-Absorbing Demonic Art?”

She had heard stories about wicked martial arts that stole others’ internal energy or vitality, so she asked cautiously.

Just in case, she quietly gathered her energy while keeping an eye on Jang Woo-hyun.

“It’s absolutely not something like that, so don’t misunderstand. Have you ever seen a giant?”

“If you mean the giants from the Daein Nation, then yes, I have.”

Still on edge, Yong Seo-hee continued the conversation.

“If you’ve seen their martial arts, it’ll be easier to understand.”

Once again, Jang Woo-hyun performed the Swirling Inhalation Breathing Technique and explained that he created it by observing the giants.

“Oh… so. You saw what the giants do… um, in other words, orabeoni created a martial art that draws in all the surrounding energy like a vortex, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“……”

Yong Seo-hee stared blankly at Jang Woo-hyun, baffled by the absurd explanation.

A human had stolen the martial arts of giants. No—he had reinterpreted and recreated it.

‘Could that even be possible?’

From Yong Seo-hee’s perspective, it was an incomprehensible situation.

At the unbelievable statement, she furrowed her brows and sank into thought.

“But why are you calling me orabeoni?”

“Pardon? What do you mean? It’s only natural.”

Yong Seo-hee rolled her eyes as if to say, “What kind of question is that?”

“I’m not even two hundred years old yet.”

She proudly asserted her youth.

However—

“Hmm…”

Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t even a hundred yet.

No, not even close. His actual age was under forty, and even if the thirty years lost in disrupted time were added, he hadn’t yet reached seventy.

That meant Yong Seo-hee was at least more than double his age—perhaps even close to triple.

Yong Seo-hee stared at him with a look that said, “What’s wrong with this person?”

Jang Woo-hyun cautiously opened his mouth to correct her misunderstanding.

“Well… I’m not even a hundred years old yet.”

“What? Um, could you repeat that again? I think I misheard you.”

“I said I’m not even a hundred yet.”

“……”

A short moment after hearing that—

Yong Seo-hee let out a shriek and leapt up.

“No! Why? Huh? Wh-why?”

“……”

“That doesn’t make sense! And you’re that strong?”

She couldn’t wrap her head around the situation.

Jang Woo-hyun had defeated the notorious cultivator Yang Jeon-gun and rescued the imprisoned people. He had also destroyed the Moving Manor in one strike.

And what about the cultivators and other races who attacked them on their way here? Each time he swung his hand, they couldn’t even get close and all perished.

Seeing Jang Woo-hyun’s martial prowess, Yong Seo-hee had naturally assumed he was older than her. Most martial artists at that level were much older than she was.

“So, orabeo… I mean, if it’s not rude, could I ask what your level is?”

“The stage referred to as Boundless Realm.”

Boundless Realm. A level recognized as that of a true master within the Central Heavens Martial Realm.

Even in the Central Heavens Martial Realm, where countless races and innumerable people were active, few had reached the Boundless Realm.

‘Not even a hundred, and already at this level?’

No matter how gifted one was, no one could reach the Boundless Realm this quickly. Even within the Divine Dragon Family, there weren’t many martial artists on the same level as Jang Woo-hyun.

“E-even Cho Ryeong-unni called you oppa…”

“That tree calls everyone oppa.”

Now that he thought of it, she had called Yong Seo-hee unni as well.

After learning his age, an awkward silence fell between the two.

Looking at the flustered Yong Seo-hee, Jang Woo-hyun tried to shift the atmosphere with a change of topic.

“Do you happen to know what a shady mushroom is?”

“A mushroom? That’s quite sudden…”

“Cho Ryeong keeps calling me that whenever she speaks.”

Understanding the meaning, Yong Seo-hee let out a small laugh.

“It’s a curse from the Wood Spirit Tribe.”

“Mushroom is a curse?”

“Yes. There’s a tribe called the Fungus Tribe that looks like mushrooms, and they don’t get along with the Wood Spirit Tribe. So the Wood Spirit Tribe uses ‘mushroom’ as an insult. Shady mushroom. Bad mushroom. Dirty mushroom. That sort of thing.”

“I see. Then what about the yellow fox flower?”

That phrase had also been used in Cho Ryeong’s presence.

“It’s a flower that blooms briefly only at dawn. Before it blooms, its bud resembles a fox tail, so it’s called the yellow fox flower. And because it only blooms briefly at dawn, it’s also called the bashful flower.”

“It’s called the bashful flower, but why to me… Ah.”

Recalling the situation before they left, Jang Woo-hyun finally understood what it meant.

When Cho Ryeong tore out her heart and gave it to him, and he refused to accept it, she had called him a bashful one.

Mushroom when insulting. Yellow fox flower when embarrassed. Cho Ryeong was a bizarre and amusing tree with a unique worldview.

“Has your curiosity been resolved?”

“Yes, thank you.”

At Jang Woo-hyun’s words, the stiff expression on Yong Seo-hee’s face slightly softened.

“Really… it’s true, right?”

“What is?”

“Your age.”

“There’s no reason for me to lie about it.”

Seeing how plainly he said it, Yong Seo-hee no longer doubted him. From the beginning, Jang Woo-hyun never seemed like the type to lie.

Age, age, that is… Nodding to herself and mumbling softly, Yong Seo-hee eventually found a solution.

“What’s your age now… no! Never mind! Don’t say it! Let’s use the method from the Spiritual Realm.”

Unlike martial artists, cultivators’ lifespans increased exponentially as they ascended in cultivation, so they didn’t consider age or the time someone began cultivating when determining seniority. In that world, the stronger one became the elder and senior.

“That means Woo-hyeon orabeoni is orabeoni.”

“Pardon? No, that’s an unreasonable… let’s decide that later.”

Seeing Yong Seo-hee’s expression change constantly, Jang Woo-hyun trailed off.

“What is there to decide later? Let’s go with it! A society where the strong are respected. Such a beautiful society. Now, orabeoni, let’s depart! Let’s go!”

Yong Seo-hee drew up her energy and transformed back into a dragon. Without further argument, Jang Woo-hyun climbed onto her head again.

In the end, the two decided on seniority using the method of the Spiritual Realm.

What meaning that held was unclear, but due to Yong Seo-hee’s strong insistence, Jang Woo-hyun had no choice but to take a step back.

【You brought a Dharma Treasure from the Lower Realm?】

“Yeah. We ascended together.”

After several days of flight, the two had grown quite close. Having been unable to speak due to the use of the Wind and Cloud Path for the first time in a while, Yong Seo-hee had finally adapted enough to converse.

【It’s fascinating.】

The great dragon’s head slightly turned to look at her own body.

There, the wing-shaped Dragon King’s Scale was assisting Yong Seo-hee’s flight.

The day before—

When Yong Seo-hee had asked about Dragon King’s Scale, Jang Woo-hyun explained that he used it in place of a Flying Apparatus. As she marveled at it, he intended to show her how he used it.

When he briefly showed the wing-like transformation of Dragon King’s Scale and tried to move again, Dragon King’s Scale attached itself to Yong Seo-hee’s body and became her wings.

Just like the winged dragons said to exist in the Demonic Spirit Realm, Yong Seo-hee suddenly sprouted metal wings made of iron scales.

What followed was an enormous boost in speed.

She was now flying faster than ever before.

“I’m amazed too. This is a first for me.”

Agreeing with Yong Seo-hee’s words, Jang Woo-hyun looked at Dragon King’s Scale.

At first, it had been a unique weapon that alternated between hidden weapon and sword, transmitting will. After arriving in the Central Heavens, he learned that its true identity was a Dharma Treasure capable of growth. Now, it even devoured other Artifacts and Dharma Treasures.

And now, it had become dragon wings.

‘Could it be related to dragons?’

Come to think of it, even the name was related to dragons.

Dragon King’s Scales (龍王鱗).

There was no definitive proof, but Jang Woo-hyun somehow felt his guess was correct.

Though she didn’t say it, Yong Seo-hee had similar thoughts.

‘I should look into it once we return.’

What she had suspected ever since Yang Jeon-gun’s storage was now certain. Dragon King’s Scale likely had something to do with the dragon from her memories that devoured treasures.

The two continued flying for quite a while, and with Dragon King’s Scale’s help, they crossed a journey that would have taken over half a month in just ten days.

The coordinates shown by Jang Woo-hyun pointed to an area where both Dry Wood Island and spatial teleportation spell formations could not be used. They had no choice but to fly the whole way.

【We’re almost th—】

“Seo-hee, slow down.”

Jang Woo-hyun cut off Yong Seo-hee’s words.

Fwoooong.

As if the world itself were being pushed away, the two returned to ordinary speed and flew through the sky.

Jang Woo-hyun’s gaze turned toward a distant Floating Continent.

‘That’s it.’

A distance that appeared to span dozens of li.

Even from that far, Jang Woo-hyun could feel it.

His body reacted first.

Even sensing the faintest trace of a True Immortal, his body began to tremble.

Yong Seo-hee hadn’t noticed anything—just the faintest, imperceptible hint. But because he had experienced it once, Jang Woo-hyun recognized that power.

This was the power of a True Immortal.

His body reacted to the fear etched into him.

The overwhelming presence, the pressure that bore down from all directions, the force that seemed ready to shatter the world—everything rushed back to him, and he was consumed by terror.

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