Chapter 63: Where Is This Place? (3)

“Why is some guy who doesn’t know anything hanging around here?”

Gwak Yu-chan lifted his spear again, suspicious of Jang Woo-hyun’s answer. He clearly seemed to be doubting something, though Jang Woo-hyun had no idea why.

“Maybe he flew in by mistake. I think we should at least hear him out, don’t you?”

“Mistake? No such thing as flying in by mistake to Immortal Ascension.”

“Could you explain in more detail what happened to you?”

Ignoring Gwak Yu-chan, Pung So-bong continued the conversation.

Jang Woo-hyun had a rough guess about what “Immortal Ascension” was, but since he wasn’t entirely sure, he calmly explained what he had gone through.

“Mommyyyy!”

“Immortal, sir!”

As he spoke, the children came running down the mountain, screaming.

Jang Woo-hyun pointed toward them.

“When I came to, those kids were standing in front of me. So I headed to the village with them, and on the way, I saw some martial artists kidnapping the villagers and ended up rescuing them.”

Pung So-bong nodded as he listened to the story, while Gwak Yu-chan listened with a sullen expression, clearly displeased about something.

“Elder, this noble one saved us. And he asked for nothing in return.”

The raccoon beastman who had spoken to Jang Woo-hyun earlier approached and said this.

Pung So-bong gave him a nod, then turned to Jang Woo-hyun.

“Thank you. If not for you, all of them would have been taken. So, it seems you really know nothing about this place.”

“That’s right. Where exactly is this place? Those floating islands and ships in the sky… What exactly are they? And you mentioned ‘Immortal Ascension’—is this the world of immortals?”

“Where should I even start…”

Pung So-bong paused for a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining.

“To put it simply, yes, this is the place where those who have achieved Immortal Ascension come. It’s called the Middle Heaven Realm.”

“If what I went through was Immortal Ascension, then this is… the realm of transcendents? I don’t know what to call it exactly, but is this a world for those who have crossed a certain threshold?”

“Not quite. While it’s true that people who transcend the Lower Realm come here, there are also native races who’ve lived here from the beginning—like these folks here.”

Pung So-bong shook his head and gestured toward the beastmen.

“The Middle Heaven Realm lies between the Lower Realm and the Upper Realm, hence the name. It’s also called Middle Heaven because it stands at the center of all Middle Realms.”

From the phrase “all Middle Realms,” Jang Woo-hyun deduced that there must be multiple realms classified as Middle Realms, not just Middle Heaven.

“You said the place I came from is the Lower Realm. So, how many Lower Realms are there?”

“That, I don’t know. There are three of us here, but we all came from different places. We all came up from different worlds. There are many Lower Realms. If you meet certain qualifications or cross a dimensional threshold, you end up here. And Immortal Ascension isn’t the only way to come—some arrive through a method called Flying Ascension, or Soaring Ascension.”

“What? Flying Ascension?”

Jang Woo-hyun had heard of the term Soaring Ascension before. His memory was hazy, but he had read stories beyond martial arts back when he was on Earth.

‘Is this like an immortal cultivation world?’

He didn’t know the details, but he remembered such a setting existed.

“You’ve heard of Flying Ascension?”

“Not clearly. It’s just something I happened to come across. Isn’t it… about cultivators trying to ascend to become immortals?”

“Ho ho, how unexpected. A martial artist who achieved Immortal Ascension knowing about cultivators.”

“Suspicious. A martial artist knowing about cultivators.”

Gwak Yu-chan, still looking sour, interjected, but Pung So-bong ignored him and continued.

“Seems like you’ve got a rough idea. Martial artists like you go through Immortal Ascension, and cultivators go through Soaring Ascension. The methods are different, as are their abilities. And of course, they come from different Lower Realms. You come from the Martial Realm, while cultivators come from what we call the Cultivation Realm or the Mystic Martial Realm.”

“The Martial Realm and the Cultivation Realm…”

Jang Woo-hyun repeated the terms to himself, digesting the information.

A world above his own—his worldview was expanding now that he had arrived in this Middle Heaven called Middle Heaven Realm.

“You said Middle Heaven is one of the Middle Realms, and that the place I was from is just one of many Lower Realms. Then above this—what’s that place called the Upper Realm?”

As he asked, he glanced up toward the sky.

“The Upper Realm lies beyond that sky and is the domain of the gods. Those who ascend to that place are called True Immortals, sometimes Constellations, and some even call them gods. You’re quick to grasp things—impressive for someone who just arrived here.”

“Hmm…”

Letting out a soft sigh, Jang Woo-hyun fell into thought.

‘So the Central Plains wasn’t the end after all.’

He felt slightly overwhelmed by the sudden deluge of information.

Since he was someone who had come from Earth, he had always assumed that other worlds existed—but even so, this worldview was massive.

Countless Lower Realms, numerous Middle Realms—and even an Upper Realm where gods resided.

It was like going from a single country on Earth to suddenly learning about the entire solar system, then the galaxy, and finally the entire universe.

After taking a moment to reorient himself, Jang Woo-hyun looked around and organized his thoughts.

‘A place where countless worlds exist.’

And where, like the beastmen around him, countless races lived.

In other words, there would be countless powerful beings here—and countless things to learn.

He didn’t know what kind of martial arts existed here, but if he trained, he could become stronger and climb even higher.

Not only that, the Upper Realm contained those called gods.

He didn’t know how powerful they were, but to be called “gods” meant their strength was likely unimaginable—far beyond anything he could currently comprehend.

If he could one day reach that place, or even meet such beings, he might be able to get information about Earth. Maybe he’d even learn why he ended up here.

‘Maybe…’

He might even find a way back to Earth.

Though flustered at first, Jang Woo-hyun quickly set a new goal.

Just like when he had left for the Martial World, he now resolved to explore this new world, to see and learn as much as he could.

Pung So-bong and Gwak Yu-chan were surprised to see the change in Jang Woo-hyun’s expression.

Normally, people who arrived in Middle Heaven for the first time were either too shocked to accept the truth or so overwhelmed by the vastness of the world that they rejected everything they heard. But Jang Woo-hyun… His eyes now sparkled with purpose, as though he had just found a new goal.

“Immortal, sir! Immortal!”

“Thank you, Immortal!”

The children who had returned to the village after greeting their parents came running back to Jang Woo-hyun.

“Immortal? Why are they calling me that?”

“Because you’re an Immortal!”

“You smell like wind!”

“You’re the wind-scented Immortal!”

“Wind scent?”

Pung So-bong didn’t understand what the children were talking about. It was the first time he had heard such a thing.

When he asked again, the children pointed at Jang Woo-hyun’s left shoulder, saying the scent of wind was coming from there.

Pung So-bong turned to the elder beastman, hoping for a more comprehensible explanation.

“A great being’s blessing is upon him.”

“Blessing? From whom?”

“That, I don’t know. But it’s clear that a great being has bestowed their blessing. For us to be able to sense it like this, it must be no ordinary blessing.”

Upon hearing the word ‘blessing’, Pung So-bong and Gwak Yu-chan pulled Jang Woo-hyun away from the beastmen to a more secluded area.

After traveling a fair distance, Gwak Yu-chan deployed a Qi barrier so their voices wouldn’t leak out.

“What’s this about, exactly?”

“Hey, what did you run into?”

“Let’s check something first.”

Pung So-bong took out several talismans from his robe and chanted an incantation, then brought them close to Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder.

Before the talisman could even touch his shoulder, a gust of wind blew and shredded it into pieces.

“This… doesn’t seem ordinary.”

“…”

Pung So-bong didn’t respond directly to Gwak Yu-chan’s question, but his silence was an affirmation.

With this level of force, it was clear the presence was no average being.

“Is there a problem?”

“Hold on a moment.”

Cutting off Jang Woo-hyun’s question, Pung So-bong began to speak quietly with Gwak Yu-chan.

“He hasn’t been here long, so it must’ve happened back in the Lower Realm, right?”

“Could they be marked even back in the Lower Realm?”

“I don’t know. This is my first time seeing a case like this. And we can’t get a clear reading with the talisman either.”

“One thing’s for sure—this isn’t normal.”

“Exactly.”

“Just how much did it like him… to mark him in the Lower Realm?”

The two exchanged words in a way Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t follow. He just stood there listening, unable to keep up with the conversation.

“Have you ever met a winged dragon or a white monkey in the Lower Realm? With this level of force, it’s probably one of them.”

After finishing their private exchange, Pung So-bong turned to ask Jang Woo-hyun.

“I don’t know about any winged dragon, but I did meet a white monkey.”

“As expected.”

Both Gwak Yu-chan and Pung So-bong nodded at his answer.

“That’s it.”

“It’s that guy.”

Gwak Yu-chan’s previously grumpy expression finally softened. His eyes now carried a look of pity, as if he were staring at someone unfortunate.

“Um… what’s going on exactly?”

“This isn’t just some blessing. You fought the white monkey, didn’t you?”

Jang Woo-hyun nodded in confirmation.

“He’s not the kind of being who gives blessings to those he fights. This is a mark. A symbol that he’s chosen you. You can think of it as a brand. More accurately, it’s a seal. Something he leaves behind on someone he’s selected. It means, ‘This is my prey. Don’t touch.’”

“…”

“I don’t know if this will make you feel any better, but… there are some upsides. As you saw just now, it blocks spells and curses, and low-level monsters won’t dare approach you.”

Jang Woo-hyun remembered when he had fought True Demon Palace and a gust of wind had blocked Heo Gwak’s spell. Just as Pung So-bong said, he had already experienced its effects once.

“Then why did the beastmen call it a blessing?”

“To them, that white monkey is an object of worship. You could say that you’ve received the recognition of a god they revere.”

“Then… what exactly is that white monkey?”

“You may have heard of it. In your Lower Realm, are there legends of monkey demons? A monkey demon known as the Great Sage?”

“A monkey demon? Yes, there is.”

Jang Woo-hyun was familiar with the legendary monkey demon. He had even asked the white monkey before if that was its name.

“Then this will be easier to explain. Do you know that the Great Sage had sworn brothers?”

“Sworn brothers? Oh! The Seven Great Sages!”

Other than the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong, he wasn’t sure who the rest were, but he had heard of the Seven Great Sages.

“The white monkey is one of those Seven Great Sages—or rather, now the Six Great Sages. Anyway, he’s one of them. The Wind-Passing Great Sage, the Monkey King. He’s a top-tier demon in the Demon Beast Realm. That Wind-Passing Great Sage has marked you as prey. That invisible mark on your shoulder is the proof.”

“Ah…”

As soon as he arrived in the Middle Heaven Realm, Jang Woo-hyun had already gained an enemy.

And it was a very powerful one.

“That… Wind-Passing Great Sage—just how strong is he?”

“If you were marked, that means you defeated him in the Lower Realm?”

“Yes.”

“Then that must’ve been just a split body—not the main body. Due to restrictions, he would only have been able to use a portion of his power. But his true body is one of the most powerful entities in the Demon Beast Realm. Even here in the Middle Heaven Realm, there are few who could stand against him.”

“I’m not too familiar… but this Demon Beast Realm—is it the land of monsters?”

Pung So-bong nodded and continued.

“That’s right. It’s one of the Middle Realms—a world of monsters. The homeland of all kinds of strange and terrifying beings.”

It was the place where the summoners of the Thousand Demon Sect—the arch-enemies of the Demon Extermination Sect—called forth their monsters.

And the same otherworldly place mentioned by the monster that the Fiend God Swordsman Kim Min-soo had encountered.

That was the Demon Beast Realm.

The home of all monsters.

Their world.

“We’d better get moving quickly. Who knows if that thing might show up.”

“There’s probably still some time. There’s quite a bit of distance from the Demon Beast Realm. It likely hasn’t noticed yet. But that brand—you’ll need to remove it as soon as possible.”

“Is it even possible to erase it?”

“If you can find a skilled enough spellcaster, it should be possible. That thing probably didn’t pour all its power into the brand either. That being said, what do you say to coming with us?”

It was an offer from people he had only just met. Jang Woo-hyun found it hard to answer right away.

“What, you don’t trust us?”

Gwak Yu-chan returned to his grumpy expression once again.

“I completely understand your hesitation. It’s a new world, and we’re the first people you’ve met here. Still, I hope you’ll think it over. You’re the one who saved our acquaintance—we have no intention of harming you. And truthfully, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you either. You still don’t know much about this place, do you?”

Though he agreed with Pung So-bong’s reasoning, Jang Woo-hyun asked for a little time to think it over.

* * *

“This is boring.”

On one side of a sky shrouded in dark storm clouds, an enormous mountain range twisted and writhed as if dancing. In the forest below, gigantic plants devoured unidentifiable beasts.

Waterfalls shot up from the earth into the sky, rivers flowed with fire on one side and ice on the other. It was a world where everything was a chaotic mess.

This place was none other than the Demon Beast Realm—Demon Realm—the most mysterious and dangerous among the Middle Realms, home to bizarre and terrifying creatures.

There, a monkey clad in an ornate robe of interwoven blue and white sat on the ground, muttering to himself.

All around him lay the torn remains of a colossal dragon, its scales each as large as a grown man.

The monkey demon, who had been sitting with a tired expression, stood up as the wind began to blow.

“Hm?”

He sniffed the air.

A faint trace had drifted in. It was the lingering scent of the mark he had left behind in the Lower Realm.

“Could it be?”

Half-expecting, half-hoping, he reached out and grasped at the air.

Space distorted under an unseen force, and something hidden within was drawn into his palm.

Opening his clenched fist, he found a small orb resting in his hand.

The monkey sniffed it once, then popped it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

A moment later—

“He’s here!”

The fun little human he had encountered after centuries—had finally ascended to the Middle Heaven.

“Uhuhu.”

Rumble—

As the monkey demon’s boredom was swept away, storms began to rage around him.

The forest shattered and flew into the sky, and the dark clouds that had blotted out the heavens dispersed.

All because his mood had improved.

The sheer force of his presence cracked the ground beneath his feet and tore open the sky.

“Uahahahaha!”

In a remote corner of the Demon Beast Realm—

A top-ranking great monster, even among the elites of the Middle Heaven, moved toward the hunt far sooner than expected.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep