Chapter 235: The Cult of Ascension

Yeop Jun-ui had moved to another city that had been attacked by the Radiant Light Sect, and there, he encountered Second Captain Ho Sam-rang.

“The people in the city were all abducted.”

Before they could even exchange greetings, Ho Sam-rang bluntly explained the reason for the people’s disappearance.

“…How do you know that?”

“I found traces. Come this way.”

They crossed the city where people had vanished and arrived behind a guesthouse building. Ho Sam-rang pointed to the ground.

“This city was one where warriors from Black Tortoise Pavilion had been dispatched. They left behind a message.”

Black Tortoise Pavilion was the division responsible for wielding Water Qi among the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult. Using their ability, they had carved a few words into the ground.

Dharma Treasure. Abduction. Cult of Ascension. Cultivator.

The words, which remained untouched and un-erased, were still clearly visible. Yeop Jun-ui read one of them aloud.

“Cult of Ascension…”

Now, anyone from the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult would recognize the name. It was the group of cultivators from the cultivation world that had joined hands with the Radiant Light Sect.

“Even if they used a Dharma Treasure to abduct people, it’s still hard to believe.”

Judging by the size of the city, it wasn’t just home to a few hundred. At the very least, there must have been several thousand—possibly even ten thousand residents.

“How could they kidnap that many people without leaving a single trace?”

“That’s what we need to figure out now.”

“What do you plan to do?”

At the question, Ho Sam-rang pointed again to the spot where the words had been written.

“Look a bit further away.”

A short distance from the four words.

Survival. Pursuit.

Two new words, and beside them, a single line marked with a small droplet at the end.

“We can follow the trail.”

Ho Sam-rang pulled out a Dharma Tool about the size of a palm and held it up.

It was an object capable of tracking unique energy signatures. If the Black Tortoise Pavilion warrior had left proper traces, they should be able to track their enemies.

“This is too dangerous. Wouldn’t it be better to wait for reinforcements before making a move?”

“It’s better to act while the trail is still fresh. If the traces vanish, we might lose the chance to follow them. And I’m worried about the safety of those already on the trail. They might need our support.”

“…”

Yeop Jun-ui couldn’t agree with Ho Sam-rang’s thinking.

Due to Lee Ga-hang’s injury, he was temporarily in command of their subordinates, making it difficult to make a hasty decision.

“Even thinking it over again, this is too risky. These are the people who abducted an entire city’s worth of residents without leaving any trace. There’s no way to estimate how powerful they might be.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can just sit around waiting for reinforcements. It’ll take time for them to arrive. Countless lives may be lost in the meantime.”

Ho Sam-rang’s argument was reasonable, leaving Yeop Jun-ui with no rebuttal.

“We can always retreat if the situation is too dangerous. I’m not insisting we fight. We might even find the prison where the abducted are being held. We can’t afford to waste time like this. You report to the Main Division and wait for reinforcements. I’ll go ahead first.”

At Ho Sam-rang’s decision, Yeop Jun-ui slightly furrowed his brow.

‘Why is he in such a rush?’

It didn’t match the image Yeop Jun-ui had of Ho Sam-rang. He had always been composed and calm.

Given the nature of the incident, he should have been as cautious as Yeop Jun-ui, yet he was clearly in a hurry.

‘Is something going on?’

Yeop Jun-ui examined Ho Sam-rang closely.

There was unease in his eyes, and his movements weren’t his usual calm ones. He looked… uncomfortable.

‘Not uncomfortable—anxious.’

Ho Sam-rang wanted to move quickly. As if he had to catch someone.

Noticing the questions swirling in Yeop Jun-ui’s gaze, Ho Sam-rang finally opened his mouth, his expression stiff.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll be honest. One of the Black Tortoise Pavilion warriors stationed here was my nephew.”

“Ah…”

Now Yeop Jun-ui understood his behavior.

Just as he’d suspected, someone he knew had been here. That’s why he wanted to act quickly.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking of him. But he’s not the only one. I want to save the other disciples too, and the people of this city.”

“I understand.”

Having learned the reason for Ho Sam-rang’s urgency, Yeop Jun-ui made up his mind to help him. He couldn’t turn a blind eye after hearing that.

“The more people, the better. I’ll go with you. I’ll report to the Main Division and we can depart immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. As members of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult, those people are no different from my senior brothers.”

Led by Ho Sam-rang and Yeop Jun-ui, the warriors of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult began the pursuit to find the missing people.

Main Division of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult.

Before setting out, Jang Woo-hyun visited Lee Ga-hang and Yong Seo-hee.

After returning from the Nation of Mechanical Marvels, he had given them healing Dharma Treasures and elixirs, so both were now in much better condition.

“How’s your body?”

“I’ve recovered a lot thanks to the elixir you gave me.”

Lee Ga-hang, still lying down, lifted his arms and legs. His injuries had been serious, and his body had yet to fully regenerate.

“Seo-hee, what about you?”

“I’ve gotten a lot better.”

Unlike Lee Ga-hang, Yong Seo-hee was healing quickly.

Her severed arm and bodily injuries were almost fully restored. Even the damage to her eyes and face was nearly healed. In a few more days, she’d be able to remove the large eye patch covering her face.

Even if Lee Ga-hang had undergone Ascension, Yong Seo-hee carried the blood of a dragon—a being far superior to humans in recovery speed.

“Are you staying at the Main Division now?”

“No, I have to move again. Just stopped by before I go.”

“So the war has begun, hasn’t it?”

As a member of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult, Lee Ga-hang understood what was coming.

“That’s right.”

“Is Lady Seo-hee going with you, Sir Jang?”

Though he’d grown quite close to Yong Seo-hee, Lee Ga-hang still treated her with utmost formality.

After all, she was a scion of a prestigious clan from the Central Heavens Realm who bore the blood of a dragon and seemed to share a special bond with Jang Woo-hyun.

“Seo-hee’s coming with me?”

“Yes? Isn’t that obvious? As your consor— I mean, may you return victorious!”

He’d nearly said “consort,” but caught himself under Jang Woo-hyun’s sharp gaze, quickly changing it to “victorious,” resulting in an odd and garbled sentence.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Are you really okay? Sounds like your brain’s scrambled from the injury.”

“I’m fine! So Lady Seo-hee isn’t going with you?”

“She’s still recovering. Where would she go in that state? Wouldn’t it be better for her to stay here?”

At Jang Woo-hyun’s question, Yong Seo-hee shook her head.

“It’s uncomfortable for me to stay here.”

The one responsible for the current chaos in the Central Heavens Realm was the Divine Dragon Clan.

Naturally, the people of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult did not look kindly upon Yong Seo-hee, who came from that very clan.

Had she not been an acquaintance of Jang Woo-hyun, the benefactor of the cult, she would never have been allowed to remain within its ranks.

“Right, let’s just travel together. It’s better for you to stay by Woo-hyun’s side.”

“Senior Maeng, we’re not going on a trip. We’re heading into battle.”

“Being next to you is probably the safest place, no? And as long as you’re within Thunder Fortress, there’s not much danger. Not from people, anyway.”

The warriors of the Annihilation Squad were simple-minded; they wouldn’t care even if Yong Seo-hee was from the Divine Dragon Clan. Let alone the Great Sage of Wind and Thunder or Chosu.

“Wherever the elder brother is, of course the sister-in-l— Ack!”

Jin Ha-un, about to blurt out “sister-in-law,” was silenced by Jang Woo-hyun with a quick jab to his throat.

After tossing Jin Ha-un into a corner, Jang Woo-hyun turned again to Yong Seo-hee to ask her thoughts.

“I want to go with you.”

Even after asking several more times, Yong Seo-hee’s decision remained firm.

In the end, it was decided that she would join him and ascend to Thunder Fortress.

As the conversation wrapped up, the bedridden Lee Ga-hang lifted his head and made a request.

“Sir Jang, if you happen to meet Jun-ui, please give him a hand. He acts smart, but he’s really a fool. He’ll get himself into trouble in no time. Scold him in my place and help him, please.”

“If we meet on the battlefield, I’ll definitely help him.”

“Thank you.”

With that final exchange, Jang Woo-hyun departed from the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult.

Using the traces left behind by a warrior of Black Tortoise Pavilion, Yeop Jun-ui’s group tracked the enemy to an uninhabited floating island.

There, they climbed a nameless mountain peak and looked out into the distance.

Even at a glance, thousands of people stood in formation across a wide plain. They took turns walking and stopping as they advanced toward a massive machine.

Below was an inverted triangular base, and above it hovered an enormous cube. As the people approached the device, they ascended toward the top of the cube under some form of control.

“Were they all put under mass hypnosis?”

Thousands of people, differing in age and gender.

They didn’t make a single extraneous movement. They simply stood and walked, over and over.

The sight of thousands moving as one was eerie even from afar.

“The enemy’s definitely using some trickery. To control that many people… we won’t be able to fight them head-on. Even if they used a Dharma Treasure, it wouldn’t be a normal one. We should pull back for now.”

Ho Sam-rang had no intention of recklessly charging in.

It was important to find the traces of the Black Tortoise Pavilion warriors, but not worth attacking blindly without knowing the enemy’s strength.

“I agree that withdrawing is the right move for now. From the looks of it, they won’t be moving right away. Let’s wait for reinforcements.”

“Let’s do that.”

With their decision made, Ho Sam-rang and Yeop Jun-ui began to pull back before the enemy noticed them. The distance was quite far, so they assumed they wouldn’t be discovered.

But they were wrong.

“So, more rats have come.”

A voice suddenly rang out from above.

There was no killing intent or malice, yet they instantly knew the speaker was an enemy.

Without hesitation, Yeop Jun-ui and Ho Sam-rang punched toward the sky.

Kwahhh!

Flame pillars erupted from their fists, tearing through the air where the voice had come from.

“Spread out!”

Under their command, the warriors of the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult swiftly prepared for battle.

The blaze that had engulfed the sky split apart, revealing a middle-aged man with sharp features.

“Last time it was water, now it’s fire.”

The man standing in midair smiled and shook a silver bell in his hand.

Ding! A faint sound rang out. Strangely, even though it was quiet, everyone heard it clearly.

【Stop.】

The man’s voice followed the chime, resonating outward.

At the word “stop,” the cult warriors who had readied themselves for battle froze in place.

【Now sleep her—】

Whoooosh!

A massive blaze surged up, cutting off the man’s speech.

Ho Sam-rang had pushed his energy to the limit and extended both arms. A storm of flame roared around the middle-aged man.

“A Dharma Treasure that controls minds! Everyone, raise your power!”

The reason behind the synchronized movement of thousands and the abduction of entire cities without a trace became clear.

That silver bell in the man’s hand—

Divine King’s Voice-Seizing Life Bell.

A Dharma Treasure used to control humans—an artifact bestowed upon the Cult of Ascension by a True Immortal.

A cultivator of the Cult of Ascension had used this Life-Seizing Bell to control the city’s people.

“Haha, you’re stronger than I thought.”

The middle-aged man rang the bell once more.

A faint sound rang out again. As Ho Sam-rang’s mind began to go hazy, he spread fire outward to block the approaching energy.

With focused attention, he realized—the Dharma Treasure didn’t operate through sound.

The sound was merely a trigger. A certain energy spread outward, worming into the mind.

“Vice Captain! A barrier!”

Ho Sam-rang’s command was instantly understood. Yeop Jun-ui cast a wide fire barrier above their heads. The fire clashed with the energy released from the bell and wavered violently.

“You’re quick to catch on.”

Despite his failed attack, the middle-aged man smiled.

Ho Sam-rang stepped through the air toward him. His punches launched spears of fire across the sky.

The man backed away, casually dispersing the flame spears.

“If it’s fire, I wouldn’t mind testing it.”

He raised his hand and cast a fire-based sorcery technique. A searing torrent of flame shot forward.

In response, Ho Sam-rang stomped hard on the air.

Boom!

Cracks formed in the sky, and a wave of fire surged forth. Like a tidal wave, it swallowed the incoming flame.

‘You want to fight me with fire?’

The Vermilion Bird Pavilion was home to those who wielded Fire Qi among the Five-Wheel, Five Elements Cult.

And aside from the Division Leader, Ho Sam-rang was the pavilion’s second strongest warrior. Using flame-based techniques against him was sheer foolishness.

As Ho Sam-rang stirred the Fire Qi in his central dantian, the surrounding flames resonated with his energy.

The flames created by the enemy’s sorcery became part of Ho Sam-rang’s flame-enhanced defense.

Cloaked in the fire, Ho Sam-rang approached the middle-aged man.

Despite the giant mass of fire blazing toward him, the man did not erase his smile. Locking eyes with Ho Sam-rang, he pulled out a small jade bottle and hurled it.

Crack—

The bottle shattered, releasing a mysterious liquid.

Whoooosh!

It seemed to be an enhancer for flame-based sorcery. The flames around Ho Sam-rang intensified. The sky itself burned with flames powerful enough to incinerate an entire village.

Within the searing inferno, Ho Sam-rang noticed a flicker of a different color.

‘Black…?’

The instant he became aware of it, black flames rode his energy stream and reached his body. It all happened too fast for him to react.

When he tried to suppress the black flames—

“Gaaaaaaah!”

Ho Sam-rang collapsed, screaming in agony unlike anything he had ever felt before.

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