Chapter 360 ·Epilogue – Between a Dullard and a Genius
Chapter 360: Epilogue – Between a Dullard and a Genius
“I don't know.”
Zhang Sanfeng looked at the man speaking confidently before him.
The man who had saved the world and the fate of every living being from the Great Luo Emperor Who Destroys Heaven.
Once, he had possessed talent so extraordinary that even the gods would have been astonished.
Now, however, he could not even understand the simplest martial art.
“How in the world...?”
How had he achieved Ascension and reached the Upper Realm?
How had he fought against the Immortal Emperors and those lofty beings who dwelled above?
Zhang Sanfeng simply could not understand the Jang Woo-hyun standing before him.
“...How did you do it before?”
“I just did it, and it worked.”
“Haa...”
Zhang Sanfeng had trained both body and mind for countless years, but Jang Woo-hyun's shameless attitude was enough to make all of that cultivation crumble.
How could he possibly be so confident?
“I'm telling the truth. I just did it, and it worked.”
Noticing Zhang Sanfeng's gaze, Jang Woo-hyun continued in a quieter voice than before.
“I knew your talent was special, but I didn't know it was to this extent. Still, it's strange. It's not as though you've lost your memories.”
Jang Woo-hyun had only lost the power and talent he had accumulated throughout his life.
He had not lost his memories.
He should still remember every martial art he had mastered and every bit of training he had undergone.
Yet, strangely enough, his growth was incredibly slow.
“I remember them, but they aren't clear. They're vivid one moment, then suddenly become blurry, as if they're covered by fog.”
“That is quite peculiar.”
“Should I ask the Law of Nature why this is happening?”
The fact that he casually referred to Heaven—the law governing the world—as though it were an old friend made Zhang Sanfeng let out a hollow laugh.
“You can ask it?”
“Well... I'm not certain, but it did say it watches over everything. If I call it, maybe it'll appear at least once.”
His utter lack of concern naturally drew a sigh.
'Is this the side effect of having his power taken away?'
After returning, Jang Woo-hyun had become somewhat foolish.
No.
To be precise, it was only when it came to martial arts.
Normally, he was the same as before.
But whenever the topic shifted to martial arts, he behaved rather strangely.
If one wished to put it kindly, he resembled an innocent child.
If not...
He simply looked a little slow.
It was frustrating, but Zhang Sanfeng could not criticize him.
Jang Woo-hyun had not only saved the world, but had also given up all the martial arts and talent he had accumulated in order to restore balance.
Who could possibly fault someone like that?
If he lacked ability now, then they would simply continue teaching him.
“Well, training can continue. However, Woo-hyun.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Why in the world are you carrying so many Dharma Treasures?”
A palm-sized disc rotated endlessly over Jang Woo-hyun's chest.
He also wore gauntlets and greaves, while three swords hung from his waist.
“I won't criticize you for coveting fine weapons. But your current appearance is simply excessive.”
“Ah, I'm only carrying them because I want to use them to my heart's content.”
“To your heart's content?”
“Yes. I couldn't use Dharma Artifacts or Dharma Treasures before.”
While he possessed the Dragon King's Scale, he had been unable to properly wield either Dharma Artifacts or Dharma Treasures.
Now, however, the Dragon King's Scale was gone.
As a result, Jang Woo-hyun had finally gained the ability to use both.
That was why he was trying out all kinds of Dharma Treasures to find one best suited to him.
“So you don't need to worry.”
“That's good, then.”
As their conversation came to an end, an emotionless voice echoed through the air.
“Come to the Demonic Heaven Palace. The Taiji Sect does not suit you.”
The Heavenly Demon Lord, Muk Geom-young, sat before Zhang Sanfeng, staring at Jang Woo-hyun with vacant eyes.
“If you come to the Demonic Heaven Palace, I shall pass everything I possess on to you.”
“Why are you trying to steal another man's disciple?”
“The Taiji Sect does not suit that child. From the beginning, his talent was more suited to the demonic path than the righteous path. Even if he is no longer as gifted as before, that would still be better than forcing him to wear clothes that do not fit.”
At their exchange, Jang Woo-hyun cautiously interrupted.
“The Heavenly Demon Lord's martial art has a rather... strange name. What kind of 'Dog Shit' is that?”
Muk Geom-young's expressionless face twitched.
Seeing both his reaction and hearing Jang Woo-hyun's remark, Zhang Sanfeng clenched his teeth to stop himself from laughing.
Perhaps it was another side effect of having his talent taken away by the Law of Nature.
Whenever martial arts came up, Jang Woo-hyun became stubbornly childish.
“...It is not 'Dog Shit.' It is 'World-Opening.' The World-Opening Heavenly Demon Art (開世天魔功).”
After glancing once at Zhang Sanfeng, who was struggling to suppress his laughter, Muk Geom-young continued.
“If you come to the Demonic Heaven Palace, I shall pass down the World-Opening Heavenly Demon Art and the Profound Heaven Divine Art (玄天神功). Master both martial arts, and you may become not merely the strongest in the Central Heavens Martial World, but the strongest in the entire Middle Realm.”
“I still don't want the Dog Sh— I mean, the World-Opening Heavenly Demon Art. I'll just keep training here. Oh? Wait a moment. May I take care of something first?”
Jang Woo-hyun raised his left arm.
Attached to his gauntlet was a communication Dharma Artifact that had been rattling and vibrating continuously.
Someone was trying to contact him.
When Zhang Sanfeng nodded in approval, Jang Woo-hyun activated the communication artifact.
【Big Brother! They're here again!】
Jin Ha-un's voice rang out immediately.
Even without any explanation, Jang Woo-hyun immediately understood what was happening and frowned.
“I'll be right there.”
After turning off the communication artifact, Jang Woo-hyun bowed to the two men.
“I have something to deal with, so I'll be leaving.”
“When exactly are you planning to train?”
“I'll gain some real combat experience where I'm going while thinking about what I learned today.”
“You didn't learn anything today. What exactly are you planning to practice?”
“Then I'll review what I learned yesterday.”
At the shameless reply, Zhang Sanfeng let out a quiet sigh.
“Very well. Off you go.”
“Yes, sir. I'll be on my way. Heavenly Demon Lord, please rest well.”
After bidding them farewell, Jang Woo-hyun departed.
“He seems to have become rather foolish.”
“Haha. Even you noticed, Heavenly Demon Lord?”
“Even so... I cannot bring myself to dislike him.”
Zhang Sanfeng quietly nodded in agreement.
“If you wouldn't even be able to teach Woo-hyun, why were you trying to take him away?”
“What makes you think I couldn't teach him?”
“Have you ever taught anyone in your entire life?”
“...”
“And besides, you aren't even in the Demonic Heaven Palace. Where is your true body now?”
The Muk Geom-young sitting before Zhang Sanfeng was merely an Avatar.
His true body was no longer in the Central Heavens Realm.
“I am in the Buddha Realm. Their strength has weakened considerably.”
Sending the Seven Great Saints and the other two to the Upper Realm had consumed an enormous amount of the Buddha Realm's power.
As a result, they had begun losing ground against the Asura Realm.
Muk Geom-young was currently assisting the Buddha Realm.
“I see. Do you require any help?”
“Soon, cultivators will begin crossing into the Martial World more frequently. It is only right that the Sword Heavenly Lord remains behind to protect it.”
According to Muk Geom-young's investigation...
It had become extremely difficult to achieve Ascension or Lesser Ascension into the Upper Realm.
“Those who cannot ascend will simply turn their attention elsewhere.”
Not only would the cultivators of the Central Heavens Realm begin moving, but the Corpse Blood Realm and many other worlds would as well.
That would inevitably throw the entire Middle Realm into chaos.
The battle in the Upper Realm and everything Jang Woo-hyun had done had not been completely resolved.
Its effects were still spreading across countless worlds.
The Demon Extermination Squad (除魔滅邪隊).
A force belonging to the Samcheong Taiji Sect that specialized in dealing with supernatural beings.
Yang Ju-seung was one of the ten captains of the Demon Extermination Squad.
Lately, however, instead of fighting monsters, all he ever seemed to do was serve as a hostage.
Opposite the white monkey monster standing ahead were the martial artists of the Demon Extermination Squad.
At their center stood Jin Ha-un, the Crimson and Azure Sword Ghost, a rising expert of the Taiji Sect.
A moment later.
A man appeared, and the monkey monster waved enthusiastically as though greeting an old friend.
“Master Gong, Warrior Jang has arrived, so could you please release us now?”
At Yang Ju-seung's words, the enormous centipede monster wrapped tightly around him flicked its antennae.
【Silence, human! Stop pretending we're friends!】
The Flying Heavenly Centipede, Gong Ryo.
The centipede monster, who could be considered the Wind-Passing Great Sage's right-hand subordinate, always accompanied him whenever he crossed into the Central Heavens Realm.
“I'm not pretending. At this point, we really are friends. Do you know how many times you've captured me?”
Although Gong Ryo possessed venom capable of killing him instantly, Yang Ju-seung was no longer afraid.
After being taken hostage month after month, even fear had gradually faded away.
【H-How many times has it been?】
Gong Ryo looked slightly flustered by Yang Ju-seung's calm tone.
“Today makes the seventh time.”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage came to the Central Heavens Realm for one reason alone.
To fight Jang Woo-hyun.
Whenever someone stronger than his Avatar appeared or the enemy overwhelmed him with numbers, he either fled or took Taiji Sect martial artists hostage and demanded that Jang Woo-hyun be brought to him.
Even now, over a dozen of Yang Ju-seung's subordinates were tightly bound by Gong Ryo's other Avatar.
Since no one was ever harmed and this had happened repeatedly, the Demon Extermination Squad martial artists had begun to feel oddly familiar with Gong Ryo.
Whenever the Wind-Passing Great Sage appeared, they simply thought, 'He's here again,' and called for Jang Woo-hyun.
“We'll quietly withdraw, so please release us now.”
【...Ah? S-Should I?】
Gong Ryo had never imagined he would become friendly with humans.
Yet after meeting them so many times, they no longer felt unfamiliar.
Since he never actually fought them and merely captured them each time, there had never been any conflict.
“We're all just going to watch without fighting anyway. What's the point of keeping us tied up?”
【......】
It was a perfectly reasonable argument.
Gong Ryo slowly loosened his grip.
But at that moment—
Crack!
With a violent tearing sound, a hole opened in the dimensional wall.
A hand suddenly reached out from empty space.
Neither Gong Ryo nor Yang Ju-seung had expected anything like it.
“Would you stop coming already? Don't you ever get tired of this?”
“Hehehe. Why would I? I'm having fun.”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage had returned after only three days.
His purpose, as always, was to fight Jang Woo-hyun.
They had already fought more than ten times.
The first time he met Jang Woo-hyun again, he had been disappointed by how much weaker he had become.
He no longer grew stronger at his former terrifying pace, nor did he display the same overwhelming brilliance.
Yet after fighting him repeatedly, the Great Sage realized something.
Jang Woo-hyun had not lost his combat experience.
He no longer overwhelmed opponents with raw power.
Instead, he compensated for his shortcomings through relentless effort and sheer determination.
Jang Woo-hyun never retreated.
He fought with desperate resolve.
During their second battle, both of his arms had been torn off.
Even then, he clenched a sword in his teeth and ultimately severed the Wind-Passing Great Sage's head.
If the Wind-Passing Great Sage was a monster that had learned human martial arts...
Then Jang Woo-hyun was a human who fought like a monster.
'There really isn't anyone else this entertaining.'
The Wind-Passing Great Sage had begun enjoying their battles once again.
His growth was slower than before?
That was even better.
It meant they could continue fighting for much longer.
He always sent an Avatar matched to Jang Woo-hyun's current level.
An Avatar at the level of a Transcendence martial artist posed no burden to him.
Besides, this much wouldn't earn him a scolding from his older sister.
“Stop coming already.”
Unlike the excited Great Sage, Jang Woo-hyun was thoroughly fed up.
The monkey only wanted to fight him.
It was nothing but a nuisance.
'Still... how does he come here this often?'
Traveling from the Demonic Spirit Realm to other worlds was supposedly easy.
Even so, he appeared far too frequently.
Even if he only sent weakened Avatars, the number of appearances was excessive.
'He's definitely plotting something...'
But there was no way to know what.
“Little girl with boobs! Don't move! If you do, they'll all die!”
Jin Ha-un, who had been about to attack, immediately stopped and stepped back.
He could have defeated the Wind-Passing Great Sage's current Avatar.
But with hostages being held, he could not make a move.
“Ha-un, I'll handle this. That bastard might pull another stunt.”
Jang Woo-hyun stepped forward with his sword.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage raised his fist with an unchanging grin.
Just before they clashed—
KRAAAAAK!
“Huh?”
The space behind them shattered with a deafening explosion.
The dimensional wall broke apart.
A gigantic lion-headed monster stepped through.
“Big Brother?”
Before the Wind-Passing Great Sage could finish speaking, the Lion Camel King reached out through space.
Caught completely off guard, the Great Sage reacted a split second too late.
The gigantic fist struck him squarely.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave blasted the Wind-Passing Great Sage into a distant forest.
After sending his younger brother flying, the Lion Camel King walked toward Jang Woo-hyun with thunderous footsteps.
He resembled a moving iron tower.
“It has been a long time, human.”
“...Yes, it has. But what brings you here?”
“My younger brother always seems to enjoy fighting you. Today, I have decided to join as well.”
“Ah...”
Jang Woo-hyun squeezed his eyes shut.
Closing one's eyes before an enemy was something one should never do.
But he simply could not help it.
“I see.”
When he opened them again, every trace of expression had vanished.
Jang Woo-hyun grasped one of the swords at his waist.
“You monsters really think this place is your playground. Ha-un, go deal with the monkey.”
“What? But if it isn't you, Great Sage won't leave the hostages alone.”
“Don't worry about that. Gong Ryo! If you don't release those people, I'll come all the way to the Demonic Spirit Realm myself.”
【Eek!】
At the threat, Gong Ryo's Avatar hurriedly released all of the hostages.
Even though Jang Woo-hyun had become weaker, his strength—and his madness rivaling that of the Wind-Passing Great Sage—had left an unforgettable terror in Gong Ryo's mind.
A violent storm erupted in the distant forest.
When Jang Woo-hyun tilted his head toward it, Jin Ha-un immediately flew off.
Jang Woo-hyun drew his sword while facing the Lion Camel King.
“Hahahaha! Human, show me your strength!”
RUMBLE!!
It was as though space itself had been compressed inside the scabbard.
The sword he drew measured well over seven feet in length.
The massive blade looked as though several sword blades had been fused together.
Mechanical mechanisms embedded within it emitted sharp clicking sounds.
“Hm?”
The aura radiating from the sword was anything but ordinary.
After confirming that the hostages Gong Ryo had captured had safely retreated behind him, Jang Woo-hyun manipulated the sword's hilt.
“W-Wait! Human! Don't use a weapon! I want to fight you direct—”
“Shut up, you damn monster! I'm sick of you people showing up!”
Click! Clack! Clack!
The enormous sword split apart.
Its countless blades shot toward the Lion Camel King.
The Dharma Artifact in Jang Woo-hyun's hand was called the Hundred Scale Mountain-Breaking Sword (百鱗破山劍).
It was Cho-su's masterpiece, created while attempting to forge a weapon similar to the Dragon King's Scale.
It consisted of hundreds of Mountain-Breaking Swords.
As explosions engulfed the battlefield ahead, Jang Woo-hyun drew another weapon from his storage artifact.
A cylinder roughly one jang in length.
The Immortal-Slaying Thunder Cannon.
Created by Cho-su to combat fragments of True Immortals, the weapon unleashed a beam of light toward the Lion Camel King.
Only after the Dragon King's Scale disappeared did Jang Woo-hyun realize the truth.
He possessed extraordinary talent for wielding Dharma Treasures and Dharma Artifacts.