Chapter 44
Chapter 44
『 Translator – Divinity 』
In any case, it wouldn't even take fifteen minutes for a person who entered the Secret Treasury without permission to lose their life. However, this was a matter of pride. They couldn't just stand by and watch after having their paralysis points struck without doing anything, could they?
From then on, the sixteen treasury guards tried their utmost to release the acupoint strike. Their dantians moved as if in a whirlwind, but even so, they could not release the blocked points.
Who could have known that fifteen minutes, then thirty minutes would pass like that?
It was naturally not good for the body to remain in a state of paralysis for so long.
As time passed, the thoughts that rose in the minds of the treasury guards only grew more complex.
Wondering who on earth could be capable of paralyzing them to this extent, a sense of worry began to form at some point.
Anyone could see what a great help such a person would be to the Divine Cult. The warriors of the Secret Treasury were different from the other warriors of the Divine Cult. They were people with an extraordinary faith in the Demonic God and a heart dedicated to the Divine Cult. That was why they had voluntarily given up the pleasures that others pursued and had guarded that post.
Therefore, how special would Cheon Ha-seong seem to such people?
To them, who had been staring endlessly at the entrance of the Secret Treasury with anxious eyes, a sound was finally heard.
Considering the time that had passed, he had held out for quite a while. It seemed that because the Cult Leader had entered with him, he had been able to last for a long time.
Then they saw Cheon Ha-seong running out with a startled face and an expression that seemed almost out of its mind.
‘He fell for it!’
The first thing they thought was that Cheon Ha-seong had fallen victim to the Mechanism Formation. If not that, it seemed unlikely he would have appeared with such a look, the color drained from his face. As expected, Cheon Ha-seong was empty-handed. He had gone all that way and had been unable to bring anything out.
However, Cheon Ha-seong, who had come out of the Secret Treasury, saw the treasury guards and ran towards them without stopping.
“Seniors! I am truly sorry. I didn't know it would take this long!”
Then, as if he had performed the Form-Shifting Art, he disappeared from that spot and reappeared in front of them.
The distance he had shortened by doing so was not much, but it seemed he had hurried, thinking he had to release their paralysis points even a little faster.
Cheon Ha-seong moved between each person like the wind and released their acupoints in an instant.
The treasury guards stared blankly at Cheon Ha-seong.
If so, were they to understand that the reason he had come out of the Secret Treasury in such a hurry was to release their acupoints? They were bewildered.
“Seniors, are you alright? If you would permit it, I will inject my internal energy into you.”
Cheon Ha-seong spoke, fidgeting like a puppy caught stealing food.
The treasury guards didn't know what to say in this situation. It was the first time something like this had happened, and while they should have been angry, they weren't. Far from being angry, they were filled with anticipation and were curious about who Cheon Ha-seong was. Just then, someone asked.
“Where is the Cult Leader? Why hasn't the Cult Leader come out?”
Cheon Ha-seong had nothing to say about that.
While they had clearly agreed to only take the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp and the Azure Sky Stone Milk, the moment he entered the Secret Treasury, he had said that a chance like this would rarely come again and had started gathering other things as well.
He said that Hyo-eun would also need them to give birth to a healthy child, that they would have to give them to the child when it was born, and that spiritual elixirs were the best way to attract trustworthy people.
Cheon Ha-seong was thinking that as much as he was using the Divine Cult's resources, he would have to repay the cult.
The oldest of the treasury guards approached Cheon Ha-seong.
“Who are you?”
At that, Cheon Ha-seong realized he hadn't even introduced himself yet and respectfully bowed his head.
“My introduction is late, Senior. I am called Cheon Ha-seong, a Head Instructor of the Martial Arts Academy. By the grace of the Demonic God, I have learned the Heaven-Shattering Will Art and have recently achieved the sixth stage. However, to achieve complete mastery of the Heaven-Shattering Will Art, I needed the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp and the Azure Sky Stone Milk.”
Cheon Ha-seong explained in a clear and organized manner, even adding that the Cult Leader had obtained the consent of the Divine Cult's leadership.
The treasury guards, listening to Cheon Ha-seong's words, looked at each other as if to ask if such a thing was even possible. If they hadn't been so helplessly paralyzed by Cheon Ha-seong, they would have found his words hard to believe. But now, they had no choice but to admit that Cheon Ha-seong was a person who surpassed their imagination.
In the meantime, the Cult Leader, who had leisurely walked out of the Secret Treasury, approached and spoke.
“And he is also my son-in-law. That is what is most important.”
“Yes…?”
The treasury guards became even more bewildered.
“Son-in-law, what do you say to giving these old men something to do? If you let them witness the Heaven-Shattering Will Art, it seems they could soothe their boredom by recalling it for the rest of their days.”
As the Cult Leader spoke, one of the treasury guards stepped forward.
“Cult Leader, if what you have brought out are the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp and the Azure Sky Stone Milk, then you must have had to pass through the Poison Pool and all the Mechanism Formations, which means you must have already consumed a great deal of internal energy. How can he possibly do that? If you would permit it, I would like to take Head Instructor Cheon's pulse. I would like to know the state of his internal energy.”
At that, the Cult Leader smiled benevolently and said.
“There is no way I would permit that, is there? But I can tell you for certain that my son-in-law has received the Demonic God's special grace. And my son-in-law already passed the twelve gates of the Martial Arts Academy in six days at the age of thirteen, nine years ago.”
The Cult Leader spoke as if telling them to be as amazed and impressed as they wanted.
However, there was something he had overlooked. There was no need to say such things to the other leaders of the Divine Cult. It was because even without him saying it, everyone would already know about the legend of the Martial Arts Academy.
But the reason he was now proudly saying those words to the treasury guards was because he thought they would not have heard of the legend of the Martial Arts Academy. If he had thought of that, he should have also thought that the treasury guards would not have even heard of the Martial Arts Academy itself.
“Ah… It seems you lot don't know about the Martial Arts Academy. How can you not even know about the Martial Arts Academy? This seems to be a rather serious problem. No matter how much you've been absorbed in only guarding the Secret Treasury and training as if you've left the secular world behind, you should still take some interest in the goings-on of the Divine Cult.”
The Cult Leader had intended to boast about his son-in-law, but when that fell flat, he spoke, feeling displeased.
“So, what the Cult Leader is saying is that there is no problem with Head Instructor Cheon executing the Heaven-Shattering Will Art right now, is that not so?”
The treasury guards spoke, thinking that they weren't interested in anything else and just wanted to see the Heaven-Shattering Will Art quickly. The Cult Leader, thinking, 'Who would know better than I how socially inept these people are,' let out a small sigh and looked at Cheon Ha-seong.
Cheon Ha-seong had been ready for a long time. Although there were many martial artists in the Divine Cult whom he could trust and respect, now that he had come to the Secret Treasury, it seemed the treasury guards were the ones who truly deserved respect.
So Cheon Ha-seong wanted to help their accomplishment in any way he could, and he was glad that he could show them the Heaven-Shattering Will Art.
“Then I will begin.”
From then on, Cheon Ha-seong slowly began to execute the techniques of the Heaven-Shattering Will Art.
Just a moment ago, Cheon Ha-seong had certainly seemed gentle. The look in his eyes changed as if he were a completely different person.
A chill could even be felt from the eyes of Cheon Ha-seong as he drew his sword.
Although a familiar technique was being executed, the treasury guards felt as if they had never seen it before.
The problem wasn't just that it was so fast that it was difficult to follow with the naked eye. From a certain point, Cheon Ha-seong seemed to move as one with his sword, and the sword seemed to share its will with Cheon Ha-seong.
It was as if the sword knew what Cheon Ha-seong wanted and was moving to fulfill that wish.
The moment he moved, whirling his sword, the surrounding atmosphere was torn apart and the ground he stepped on writhed.
A vibration was felt in the ground where they stood, and before they knew it, a deep, long furrow had formed in the floor.
The treasury guards, having kicked off the ground and dodged, did not take their eyes off Cheon Ha-seong.
As each technique was executed, a trace was left behind in the surroundings. The floor cracked like a spiderweb, while nearby trees were uprooted and boulders exploded.
The treasury guards had to try their utmost not to be swept up in the explosions and thrown back.
KR-R-R-R-RUMBLE—
A deafening roar continued, and the sharp sword cut through the atmosphere without rest.
The treasury guards felt a chill, as if the sword were cutting through their own bodies.
‘I want to do it. I want to compete. I want to block that sword.’
The treasury guards were having such thoughts without even realizing it.
It wasn't as if they had discussed it with each other, but they were all thinking it with one mind.
In the meantime, Cheon Ha-seong stepped on the ground and shot upwards. A tremendous energy shimmered around his sword.
While it may have been a fresh sight for the treasury guards, it was not so for the Cult Leader.
The Cult Leader thought he had seen enough of Cheon Ha-seong's Heaven-Shattering Will Art and knew enough about it. But it felt unfamiliar.
The energy gathered around the sword had once again changed.
He pictured an imaginary enemy in front of him and tried to understand how Cheon Ha-seong's path would continue. He could imagine them all collapsing, vomiting blood, no matter how many people stood in his way.
It seemed the sharp, blue-bladed sword could aptly split the world in two.
Those who had at first thought to just watch what he would do were now completely overwhelmed and held their breath, at a complete loss for words.
The techniques continued without stopping. The treasury guards didn't know if it was alright for them to keep watching. But they couldn't not watch either.
It was the fate and instinct of one who had become a martial artist. It was a magic that could not be refused.
Cheon Ha-seong continued to execute the techniques in front of them and showed them the full might of having reached the sixth stage.
When he finally stopped, the treasury guards all inhaled at once. It was only then that they realized they had forgotten to even breathe while Cheon Ha-seong was performing the Heaven-Shattering Will Art.
They could not understand how such a thing could happen.
Heaven Beyond the Heavens.
That seemed to be the only phrase that could explain Cheon Ha-seong.
“Cult Leader, please do not go elsewhere and have him take the spiritual elixirs here. We too will stand guard. Head Instructor Cheon is a treasure of the Divine Cult. If the Demonic God did not send him, it makes no sense that Head Instructor Cheon could achieve such a level of accomplishment in the Heaven-Shattering Will Art.”
Neither Cheon Ha-seong nor the Cult Leader had thought the treasury guards would say such a thing. But hearing it, it also seemed that it couldn't be helped.