WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 64: Heavenly Dragon Secret Directive (2)

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The space beyond the stone wall was far larger than Baek Socheon had expected.

It felt as though he had wandered through a cave before entering an enormous cavern. This place was not underground, so sunlight streamed through small, high windows. A stream ran through the space, while flowers and grass bloomed throughout. Looking at the scene before him, it was hard to believe this was indoors.

The most striking sight was the small hot spring in the center. It was large enough to hold two or three adults, and steam rose from its surface. Anywhere else, it would have been an ordinary hot spring. Here, though, it carried an extraordinary air.

“It is called the Dragon Spring. Soaking in it heals internal injuries, and circulating your energy within it allows you to gain more internal energy than you would outside. It also restores the body’s vitality. I should have brought you here three years ago.”

Ak Sogun would have tried various methods in earnest to repair Baek Socheon’s dantian here. But once the Heaven-Exiled Grudge Gu entered Baek Socheon’s body, all desire to bring him here had completely vanished.

“I should have brought you here much sooner...”

Baek Socheon comforted Ak Sogun.

“Please don’t dwell on it. It wasn’t your intention, Alliance Leader.”

“No matter how you comfort me, it does not change the fact that I failed to overcome the gu parasite.”

Perhaps his repeated self-reproach was only natural. He stood at the very top of the Martial World Ranking Record. It would likely take the Alliance Leader a long time to truly overcome this.

“What are those?”

More than ten jars stood against one wall.

“Food supplies for extended cultivation.”

Sure enough, they contained fasting pills and various other foods that could be stored for a long time. With sunlight coming in and air circulating freely, the place was truly comfortable. There was even a bed to sleep on, as well as a latrine tucked away in one corner. The space was wide enough that it was perfect for practicing martial arts.

“Rest and receive treatment here for a while. That alone will not be enough, so...”

Ak Sogun brought over a box that had been carefully stored in one part of the Hidden Land of the Heavenly Dragon.

“I saved this for a worst-case scenario. With the Dragon Spring and this, you may find a way to restore your dantian.”

Baek Socheon opened the box Ak Sogun offered and found a single snow ginseng root inside. A powerful ginseng fragrance wafted from it.

His eyes widened.

“This is...!”

“That’s right. It is Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”

Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng!

Among spiritual medicines made from spiritual herbs, it was the finest, with unmatched effects.

Ak Sogun’s sincerity told Baek Socheon that it was time to reveal the truth. He had planned to tell him after recovering a little more internal energy, but now that the Alliance Leader had even offered the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, he could no longer hide it.

“Alliance Leader, I have actually succeeded in treating my dantian.”

Ak Sogun asked in surprise.

“Really? When?”

“Not long ago.”

Baek Socheon told him how he had met Ban Yunsaeng and healed his body. He also explained that this was why the gu parasite inside him had disappeared.

“Oh! What a relief! What a tremendous relief! Heaven has not abandoned us.”

Ak Sogun rejoiced as if it were his own affair.

“Then you should take this Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Alliance Leader.”

“No. If your dantian has been repaired, you need this spiritual medicine even more. Use it to replenish your internal energy.”

“You should take it.”

When Baek Socheon declined again, Ak Sogun spoke gently.

“As you know, I already have sufficient internal energy.”

The more internal energy one possessed, the more sharply the amount gained from spiritual medicines declined.

Up to two sixty-year cycles, a person could receive their full effect. Beyond two sixty-year cycles, the effect was reduced by more than half. By three sixty-year cycles, the cost-effectiveness had hit rock bottom.

Put simply, someone with three sixty-year cycles of internal energy would need to spend hundreds of thousands of nyang to gain one or two more years of internal energy through spiritual medicines.

The Alliance Leader currently possessed three and a half sixty-year cycles of internal energy. The Black Heaven Alliance Leader, meanwhile, was known to possess around four sixty-year cycles.

Baek Socheon, with three sixty-year cycles, had fought him evenly before losing. It was an incredible result.

“At most, I would gain around a dozen years of internal energy from the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. But you may be able to gain two sixty-year cycles’ worth.”

Baek Socheon could feel that the Alliance Leader genuinely cared for him. Without such sincerity, he would never have opened the Hidden Land of the Heavenly Dragon or so readily offered the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

“Thank you, Alliance Leader.”

Baek Socheon did not decline any longer. He needed to recover his strength if he was to resolve the martial world’s current crisis.

A martial artist who consumed Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng could gain between one and a half and two sixty-year cycles of internal energy. Baek Socheon would absorb the full two sixty-year cycles of internal energy, and even a third of that would grant him forty years of internal energy. For Baek Socheon, who already possessed fifty-one years of pure internal energy, gaining another forty years was like regaining his remaining wing.

‘And if I dissolve the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng in the Dragon Spring?’

He expected he might gain a little more than forty years of internal energy.

Baek Socheon received one more reward for honestly revealing his condition.

“If you can use internal energy now, you should be able to learn that as well. Come here for a moment.”

Ak Sogun led Baek Socheon to the bookshelf beside the bed.

Dozens of books were arranged there. The true final room of the Murim Alliance’s Ten Thousand Books Repository was here. The secret manuals within were superior even to those kept in the area accessible to Pavilion Masters. Rare books that could not easily be obtained in the market were also stored alongside them.

One booklet, in particular, had been placed separately at the very top.

Anyone could tell that it was the most precious book in the room.

Ak Sogun took it down and handed it to Baek Socheon.

“If you have recovered your internal energy, this will help you.”

Baek Socheon was shocked when he saw the secret manual Ak Sogun offered.

“This martial art...!”

One of the four secret manuals called the Greatest Martial Art of All Time.

The Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword.

It was one of the two remaining secret manuals Baek Socheon had sought. He had thought it would be the most difficult one to obtain, yet he had acquired it like this.

“This is far too much for me.”

“I had intended to give you this as well. I planned to reward you with it for stopping the war. If not for you, the Black Heaven Alliance Leader would be soaking in the Dragon Spring right now. You are more than qualified. Take it.”

“You should learn it yourself, Alliance Leader.”

“It is too late for me to learn it. And as a martial artist, allowing such an outstanding martial art to remain buried would be a sin. So accept it.”

“I won’t decline any longer. Thank you, Alliance Leader.”

Baek Socheon bowed to Ak Sogun. He felt deeply sorry again for having misunderstood such a good person.

“I hope this never happens, but if the Black Heaven Alliance wins the war, this martial art could fall into the Black Heaven Alliance Leader’s hands. I never want to see that happen. Once you have memorized this secret manual, burn it and destroy it. Before you die, pass it on to someone worthy.”

“I understand.”

Baek Socheon respectfully accepted the secret manual.

“I have heard that spiritual medicines have been difficult to acquire lately. Still, I will try to find more.”

Baek Socheon waved his hands in refusal.

“That’s all right. The Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng alone is enough for me.”

“I am not willing to leave things at that.”

He looked as though he had decided to repay all the cold treatment of the past three years.

“The Black Heaven Alliance Leader does not yet know that I have recovered my internal energy. I believe it would be best to keep it secret for a while.”

“Yes. For now, I alone will know of this.”

“Thank you.”

“The Black Heaven Alliance and the Blood Cult have joined hands. I am sorry to say this, but we need your strength again. I need it, and so does this martial world.”

“If we cannot break their alliance somehow, dealing with them will not be easy.”

Their forces had been evenly matched in the last war against the Black Heaven Alliance. No, if Baek Socheon’s strength was excluded, the Black Heaven Alliance had held an advantage of roughly seven to three. Baek Socheon alone had raised the Murim Alliance’s strength from three to five and led them to a truce.

“That is why you must recover quickly. From now on, this place is yours. Do not worry about matters outside. Cultivate at your leisure, then come out when you are ready.”

“Thank you.”

Baek Socheon stopped Ak Sogun before he could turn and leave.

“Now that people know you and I have reconciled, whoever plotted this may devise another scheme. Please be careful in all things, Alliance Leader.”

“I will.”

Ak Sogun left the Hidden Land of the Heavenly Dragon.

Left alone, Baek Socheon took a deep breath.

“All right. Shall I begin?”

First, Baek Socheon took the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng to the Dragon Spring.

He stripped off his clothes and entered the spring.

When he submerged himself fully, the water was pleasantly hot. Even the energy brushing against his skin made it clear that this was no ordinary hot spring.

Baek Socheon slowly circulated the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method.

The amount of internal energy he accumulated was clearly different. It accumulated more than three times as quickly as it did when he circulated his energy outside. Ordinary martial artists would likely receive no more than twice the effect, but Baek Socheon’s realm and the exceptional efficacy of the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method combined to grant him more than three times the amount of internal energy.

That was not all. As he circulated his energy here, vigorous vitality flowed through the meridians of his entire body.

The Dragon Spring could be described in one phrase.

Once you entered, you never wanted to leave!

After completing several cycles of energy circulation, Baek Socheon opened the box containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

His heart pounded as he looked down at it. He had consumed many spiritual medicines while building up three sixty-year cycles of internal energy, but this was his first time with a supreme spiritual medicine on the level of Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

Baek Socheon began chewing it.

The sweet, bitter, fragrant flavor that burst across his mouth was the best of any spiritual medicine he had tasted.

After chewing it thoroughly and swallowing, he began dissolving the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng with the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method.

Ssssss.

Perhaps because he was dissolving it within the Dragon Spring, he absorbed more energy as internal energy than he normally would have.

He gained fifty years of internal energy.

He should have gained forty years, but he had gained ten more, reaching fifty years in total.

“Excellent!”

Baek Socheon let out a joyful cry.

Combined with his existing fifty-one years, he now possessed one hundred and one years of internal energy. He was nineteen years short of two sixty-year cycles.

His internal energy was also purer than ever before. He might still be somewhat weaker in a prolonged battle, but he could now unleash attacks with power similar to that of his former peak.

‘No. It is still not enough.’

The Black Heaven Alliance Leader alone possessed more than four sixty-year cycles of internal energy, and the Blood Cult Leader’s internal energy, which had not been revealed to the outside world, would not be insignificant either.

Soaking in the Dragon Spring, Baek Socheon began calmly reading the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword secret manual.

* * *

Three days later.

Baek Socheon stood in the center of the Hidden Land of the Heavenly Dragon, holding the Ghost Shadow Sword.

For three days, Baek Socheon had carefully memorized the formulas of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword. After checking several times to make certain he remembered them all, he burned the secret manual as the Alliance Leader had ordered. Before he died, he would have to pass this martial art on to a disciple or leave it behind as a secret manual.

With more than a hundred years of pure internal energy and his beloved Ghost Shadow Sword in hand, Baek Socheon’s heart pounded.

He was learning the Heaven-Turning Nine Fists, the greatest fist art of all time, but no matter what anyone said, he was a swordsman.

With the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword as his personal sword art, the Heaven-Turning Nine Fists as a supplementary martial art, and the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method as his cultivation method, he now had a truly perfect combination.

Ah, it would be perfect beyond perfection if he could obtain the one remaining martial art, but that too was in a place that would be extremely difficult to reach.

‘For now, focus on swordsmanship.’

Baek Socheon swung his sword and unleashed a form.

The Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword was a sword art based on swift swordsmanship.

Not simply swift swordsmanship, but ultimate swift swordsmanship.

A sword art aimed at becoming as fast as light itself.

He had no trouble understanding the First Form through the Fourth Form. From the Fifth Form onward, though, he would need to keep pondering and studying them.

The form he unleashed now was the First Form, the Heavenly Pivot Form.

Baek Socheon thrust his sword.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

More than ten sword trails were drawn through the air.

The secret manual stated that upon reaching full mastery of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword, all the sword trails would remain and form a single image. Every sword trail gathering to make one picture.

Baek Socheon had once reached the realm of the greatest under heaven, yet even he wondered whether such a thing was possible.

For now, it was not even easy to leave behind all the sword trails of the First Form.

And he was supposed to leave behind all the sword trails of the Seventh Form? To do that, he would have to unleash all seven sword forms in less than the blink of an eye.

If it was possible, that would be the ultimate endpoint of swift swordsmanship. The supreme swordsmanship a human could wield, or perhaps something that could only be unleashed after surpassing the human realm.

Baek Socheon felt a desire to take on the challenge. Beyond the war, as a martial artist, he would someday achieve full mastery of the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Asura Divine Sword and see what image all its sword trails created.

For the first time in a long while, Baek Socheon forgot the world’s complications and freely practiced his swordsmanship to his heart’s content.

Footnotes:

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