WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 152: The Black Flame Dragon Amid the Chaos (2)

──────

The matter of the Yueyang Branch Head was something Dang Hyeokjae had personally asked me about.

He said that if he was going to resign and leave immediately, someone would need to fill the position. Then he asked whether I knew anyone suitable.

It was only a brief meeting, but Dang Hyeokjae seemed to find most everyday matters bothersome.

Just look at how he had joined the Martial Alliance to meet me, then settled into the position of Yueyang Branch Head.

'Are all geniuses this strange?'

Jegal Cheongi, whom I considered the greatest genius, was perfectly normal, so they clearly were not all like that. Still, every one of them had some peculiar trait.

'There really is no one like my little brother Jegal Cheongi.'

In any case, Dang Hyeokjae had made the request, but I had no one I could recommend right away.

None of Taeul Sect's people resided at the Martial Alliance, and most of the people I knew either opposed me or lacked the standing in the martial world to become a branch head.

That was when I thought of the Hao Sect.

Of course, the Hao Sect would not have planted anyone within the Martial Alliance.

It was, after all, a sect for people living at the bottom of society.

Still, a few people had close ties to the Hao Sect.

People whose weaknesses the Hao Sect held, or people who shared interests with it.

Haeryeong said she would identify people among them whom she could influence, and I agreed.

After all, if someone who could support the Hao Sect from behind the scenes took the position of Yueyang Branch Head, the Hao Sect's standing in Yueyang would naturally grow stronger.

As I was about to leave after finishing the discussion, Haeryeong stopped me again.

"How about this? We will give you five percent of the profits from any Hao Sect taverns or inns newly established in Yueyang."

I tilted my head at Haeryeong's unexpected offer.

"All of a sudden?"

"Both the position of Yueyang Branch Head and Yueyang's interests came about because of you, Young Master. We do not remain indebted to a guest retainer."

Before I could say anything, Haeryeong said she would arrange it, then left the room.

"Thanks to this, I won't have to worry about money for a while."

Even if it was only five percent, the profits from Hao Sect establishments in Yueyang would likely be far beyond anything I could imagine.

"You're next."

Of the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb and Blood Jade Hand on the table, I picked up the Blood Jade Hand first.

"So I see you again here."

The Blood Jade Hand.

One of the Ten Great Forbidden Arts designated by the Martial Alliance.

It had earned that name because both hands turned red like blood-colored jade.

Despite its beautiful appearance, the martial art itself possessed terrifying destructive power.

The Blood Jade Hand transformed the user's internal energy into a peculiar type of internal energy called Blood Jade Force.

Once the dantian had been transformed by Blood Jade Force, internal energy would accumulate on its own without cultivation.

Yet when the time came for Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, when the three dantians merged, this strange internal energy stole the user's reason and turned them into a demon who craved only blood.

Two hundred years ago, the Blood Jade Demon Emperor killed ten thousand people in Shaanxi Province alone. One hundred and fifty years ago, the Blood Hand slaughtered fifteen thousand people in Jiangxi Province. After that, it was designated a forbidden art by the Martial Alliance and sealed in Shaolin Temple.

"And then it appeared somewhere unexpected."

During the Orthodox-Demonic War.

The Blood Demon Ghost Sword Unit of the Demonic Cult had gathered to reduce Shaolin Sect to ashes. At that moment, a single martial monk stood in their way.

Having already turned hundreds of monks into corpses, the Blood Demon Ghost Sword Unit dismissed the martial monk and charged.

That day, half of the notorious Blood Demon Ghost Sword Unit became wandering ghosts beneath the monk's hands.

That monk was Ilgak, Ilmyeong's junior martial brother and my rival for the position of top student.

The martial art Ilgak used at the time was the sealed Blood Jade Hand.

Even in that urgent situation, the martial world fiercely protested Ilgak's use of the Blood Jade Hand.

Shaolin Sect, however, remained unmoved despite the public condemnation.

"The Blood Jade Hand will be purified through the Buddha's grace and become a shield that protects justice."

Many found those shameless words infuriating and waited for the moment Ilgak lost his reason so they could attack Shaolin Sect. Yet Ilgak did not lose his mind even after reaching the Supreme Peak Realm.

Rather, the Blood Jade Hand Ilgak had mastered possessed exceptional demon-suppressing effects and was effective against demonic martial artists.

Many wondered how he had learned a demonic art without losing his reason, but Shaolin Sect never revealed the secret and safely reached the Northern Sea.

"Haeryeong must have given this to me as a weapon."

The Blood Jade Hand manual was practically a trump card that could be used to accuse an opponent of practicing a demonic art.

But it was not a weapon one could use against figures from the Nine Sects One Gang or One Hundred Eight Peaks who wielded immense influence.

"And like Ilgak, I won't lose my reason even if I use the Blood Jade Hand."

Without hesitation, I quickly read through the Blood Jade Hand.

Then, following the formula for Blood Jade Force, I began circulating my internal energy.

My hands started glowing red, and the Blood Jade Hand manual in my grip caught fire.

Fwoosh.

Instead of flames as red as the Blood Jade Hand, yellow flames close to gold rose from my hand.

It was exactly the form of the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand, the name Shaolin Sect had later given it.

"It's strange. A demonic art like the Blood Jade Hand can gain demon-suppressing effects."

The secret lay in superior energies such as Vajra Force.

Wudang Sect's Taiji Force, the Three Pure Supreme Sword's Three Purities Force, and Vajra Force allowed one to use the Blood Jade Hand without its side effects.

When I waved my hand once, the light that had made the room bright as day vanished in an instant.

Though it possessed enough heat to reduce paper to ash, I felt no warmth when I touched my hand.

"So Shaolin Sect had a reason to endure the suspicion and keep it secret."

I did not know what would happen in the future, but for now, I was practically the only person who could use the Blood Jade Hand without drawing suspicion.

"Still, the internal energy consumption is definitely high."

I converted the energy in my dantian into Jade Clarity Celestial Phenomenon Force, then used that to perform the Blood Jade Hand.

It was a method that anyone without considerable internal energy could never attempt.

My gaze then shifted to the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb.

There was another opportunity here to make up for my lack of internal energy.

"But it's hard to call it a good thing."

The Nine-Spirit Divine Herb was a spiritual medicine containing tremendous spiritual energy. Taoists sometimes called it the Nine Immortals Herb, naming all nine of its stalks after gods.

What made it unusual was that it had to be absorbed whole.

If the stalks were consumed separately, the spiritual veins would break apart and its effects would vanish.

It was such a difficult spiritual herb that even competent physicians would not dare use it carelessly.

In other words, it had to be consumed all at once. If one could not suppress its power, it was also a poisonous herb that would kill them.

That was why the Yuwol Sect Leader intended to offer it as a bribe to Mount Cang Sect rather than consume it personally, despite being a martial artist.

"The records say not to eat it."

The Martial World Elixir Compendium stated that the Sun Sword Emperor, who had once swept through the martial world, consumed the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb and was reduced to a handful of bloody liquid.

Considering that the Sun Sword Emperor was said to have possessed four gapja of internal energy at the time, the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb might have been closer to poison than a spiritual medicine.

Hoping for something different, I also searched through the Divine Physician of Life and Death's Myriad Herbs Compendium. This was what the Divine Physician of Life and Death had written about the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb:

If you find the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb, place it in a brazier and use it as firewood.

Then you will have a fire that does not go out for half a year.

It was written elegantly, but...

In short, it meant not to shove just anything into your mouth.

I looked at the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb with a bitter expression.

How many people had I saved, and how many times had I received help, thanks to the Divine Physician of Life and Death?

"I should listen to the Divine Physician of Life and Death."

I currently had a little over three gapja of internal energy.

Considering Yong Soa had reached three gapja at the same age, I was slightly ahead.

If I absorbed the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb as well, I could surpass not the Yong Soa of the past, but the Yong Soa of the present.

I should listen to that advice, but...

After considering it for a moment, I made my decision.

"...Sir Divine Physician, I'm sorry. I think fighting so many demonic martial artists in the past may have knocked a few screws loose."

With an apologetic heart, I picked up the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb.

I had thought of a countermeasure.

If I could not consume it, I only had to absorb it. Had I not learned the Absorbing Star Grand Art, one of the four great demonic arts among the Ten Great Forbidden Arts designated by the Martial Alliance?

"If it's the Azure Dragon Bangle, it should be able to stop midway. I'm counting on you, sacred relic of the Demonic Cult."

I extended my hand and activated the Azure Dragon Bangle.

A bluish-green light radiated from my wrist, and the dragon pattern emerged.

The Azure Dragon Bangle's energy sensed the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb's energy and slowly began drawing in its spiritual power.

Since I might need to throw away the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb at any moment, I carefully kept the speed slow.

But...

"Uh?"

Contrary to my will, the Azure Dragon Bangle began pulling in spiritual power like mad, as though it had found a delicious meal.

At the same time, the withered Nine-Spirit Divine Herb began regaining its vitality.

It was an incredibly strange sight, like a dead tree coming back to life, but the true energy filling my dantian overwhelmed me so completely that I could not even collect my wits.

'Fuck, I'm screwed.'

No matter how many times I circulated the Minor Heavenly Circuit or Major Heavenly Circuit, the amount of true energy showed no sign of decreasing.

It was not something I could endure. It was like forcing all of Dongting Lake into a leather water bag with a fixed capacity.

'I have to break it off.'

For some reason, though, my entire body had gone stiff.

With desperate determination, I spread my fingers.

Creak, creak.

When I forced open fingers that had hardened like solid branches, I was stunned once again.

'What the fuck is this?!'

The Nine-Spirit Divine Herb began floating in the air by itself.

And it continued supplying spiritual power.

This was insane.

'Damn it!'

My dantian was filled with so much true energy that it felt ready to explode, and my blood vessels began swelling from the excessive energy.

My hands and feet grew grotesquely thick, while veins bulged out in a bizarre fashion.

'I'm going to die...'

The spiritual power passing through the Azure Dragon Bangle had been purified once, but there was simply too much of it.

I had tried absorbing the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb through the Azure Dragon Bangle to prevent this exact situation, but that cursed spiritual medicine would not even allow that.

'If there were at least someone capable of Dual-Origin True Energy, they could prevent the worst-case scenario.'

But my body and muscles had stiffened from the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb's spiritual power, leaving me unable to make even the slightest sound.

Click.

"Senior Brother!"

At that moment, Geumpyo burst in with a flushed face, like a ray of light.

Good, it was my junior bro...

"Hic. There's a banquet going on, so what are you doing here by yourself?"

'Is this bastard drunk...?'

Holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand, Geumpyo swept his half-lidded eyes around the room. Then he spotted me, and his eyes flew open.

'Yes! Go call people, quickly!'

I gave Geumpyo a desperate look, and he seemed to understand it as he nodded.

"You were diligently cultivating even at this hour. Forgive me for disturbing you, Senior Brother."

Th-that's not it!

"What a truly profound sight. This junior brother cannot help but respect you more with every passing day, Senior Brother. I will make sure no one else comes near."

That's not it!!!

I shouted with all my strength.

'Call someone, you bastard!!'

But Geumpyo misunderstood my desperate voice. He gave me a thumbs-up, then shut the door and left.

It was over.

This would not end with qi deviation.

Like the Sun Sword Emperor, I would surely be reduced to a lump of blood.

'What a fucking embarrassment, dying after eating a spiritual medicine I was told not to eat.'

I did not want to carry the title of "the idiot who died after eating a spiritual medicine he was told not to eat," so I desperately racked my brain.

What I needed now was to release the true energy filling my body.

But I could not move.

Then I had to release true energy without moving my body.

Fortunately, I had learned the Blood Jade Hand before consuming the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb.

Hummm.

I converted my true energy into Jade Clarity Celestial Phenomenon Force, then desperately unleashed the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.

Golden flames bloomed from my right hand and began burning the true energy absorbed by the Azure Dragon Bangle.

'Phew.'

As I unleashed the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand at full power, I felt the true energy filling my body gradually drain away.

Its efficiency was so poor that I thought I would not be able to use it often, much like the Mad Heaven Divine Palm.

Yet the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand was saving my life right now.

My relief lasted only a moment.

'What the fuck?'

The Nine-Spirit Divine Herb began absorbing the heat of the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand.

The Azure Dragon Bangle then absorbed the energy of the Nine-Spirit Divine Herb, which had absorbed the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand's energy.

The situation was so absurd that a hollow laugh escaped me.

'What the...'

What was more, perhaps due to some strange effect, the true energy coming through the Azure Dragon Bangle seemed to retain the energy of the Sacred Flame Demon-Extinguishing Hand. It was scorching hot.

My body already felt ready to explode from the buildup of true energy, and now unbearable heat began flooding into me.

'Ah, so this is how the Sun Sword Emperor died.'

I had learned the truth behind the Sun Sword Emperor's death, which had not been known to the world, but I felt no joy at all.

Because now it was my turn to die that way.

As I hoped that at least my face would remain intact so they could hold a funeral, a change began inside my body.

'What?'

The unbearable heat that felt as though it would melt my entire body moved through my blood vessels and began devouring the blocked true energy.

As the heat grew stronger, it began consuming every bit of residue left in my blood vessels, hidden meridians, and lesser meridians.

Once the blocked true energy and impure energy were removed, the true energy entering afterward could flow smoothly.

The true energy exceeded my body's capacity and began seeping into my wounded skin and muscles.

Crack, crack, crack.

The sounds of bones grinding and muscles tearing rang out continuously, but I could not make a single sound.

No, I had no time to focus on that. If the heat moving through my body went even an inch wrong, I could become an idiot or burn all my organs to ash.

'Maybe I can live!'

Whether my body broke apart or not, I focused entirely on the heat.

This required a level of delicate true-energy control that could not be compared to controlling the Flying Dragon Claw.

Even after burning away every bit of residue in my Governing and Conception Vessels, the heat did not subside. In the end, I sent it through my meridians and into my lesser meridians.

Pain struck places so minute that I normally would not even notice them.

It felt as though each of my eighty-four thousand pores was being stabbed with needles and every nerve was being seared by fire.

"Urgh..."

The pain was so intense that a groan slipped out, even though I had been unable to speak when I desperately tried to call for help.

Boom.

The sound of something bursting inside my body rang in my head.

Before I could even recognize the source of the sound, more explosions followed.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

With the sound of air bursting, the pain that had assailed every pore and nerve vanished, replaced by a refreshing sensation.

"Haa..."

White vapor poured from my mouth with a long breath.

At the same time, steam began pouring from every pore across my body.

Sssshhhhh.

A sound like a boiling pot filled the room as my body floated into the air.

Even while experiencing this bizarre phenomenon, I could only immerse myself completely in the comfort of this state.

The pressure that had gripped my whole body, the heat that had scorched my nerves, and the pain that had pierced my pores had all disappeared.

The internal energy that had violently surged through my blood vessels began settling into my dantian, while the impure energy left behind from cleansing my body spewed out in every direction through my opened pores.

Fwoosh.

The internal energy spread like a gentle breeze, wrapped around me like a flower bud, then scattered into nothingness.

"Ah... Is this the Jade Pistil Golden Flower stage?"

It had not been long since I reached Five Dragons Serving the Sage, yet I had skipped past the Sun-Moon Union stage and reached the Jade Pistil Golden Flower stage.

"......"

I clenched and unclenched my fists.

I rolled my arms and repeatedly lifted and lowered my legs.

My body felt as light as though it had cast off an enormous weight.

I picked up my sword and released sword force.

The sword force I had learned only days ago rested in my hand as naturally as an old habit.

What was more, my dantian was filled with the absurd amount of four gapja of internal energy.

I was still below Bang Duchil, but I had surpassed Yong Soa.

The quantity of internal energy was not an absolute measure of martial power, but I had still surpassed that monstrous Yong Soa in one regard.

"A fortuitous encounter..."

Joy rose from deep within my chest.

"Divine Physician of Life and Death, I believe I was right this time. Hahaha."

If the Divine Physician of Life and Death saw me now, they would probably frown and make an obscene fist gesture at me. Still, the result was good, was it not?

From now on, I intended to enjoy Dongting Lake boat rides and spend money as wildly as I pleased.

Of course, there was one bastard (?) I needed to deal with first.

"How dare you drink while your senior brother is diligently cultivating?"

It was not because I had faced a life-or-death crisis and he passed by without realizing it.

At Geumpyo's level, it was only natural that he could not tell whether I was in danger or cultivating.

But was it not wrong to show up drunk beside his senior brother, who was working himself to death in cultivation?

This was absolutely not a grudge.

It was simply the earnest wish of the eldest senior brother of the long-established Taeul Sect that his junior brothers walk the proper path.

"You're dead!"

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried