Chapter 285 : Setting Out
Chapter 285: Setting Out
When Jang Woo-hyun emerged from the Beginning and End Cave, Jin Ha-un immediately tried to run toward him.
However, something about Jang Woo-hyun’s atmosphere felt strange, and his feet refused to move.
Jang Woo-hyun was different from before.
It was not that he sensed the size of his power or understood his realm.
They had simply spent enough time together that he could instinctively tell.
After all, he had already experienced this kind of atmosphere once before.
‘It’s the same as back then.’
Before ascending, when Jang Woo-hyun reached the end of the Absolute Realm.
Back then, he had lost interest in everything and viewed humans as insignificant.
This felt similar.
Though they stood in the same place, it felt as though they existed in entirely different worlds, and it seemed as though Jang Woo-hyun would drift away somewhere.
It felt as though he had become some unknown existence rather than human.
“Big Brother……?”
Forcing open lips that refused to move, Jin Ha-un barely managed to call out to his sworn brother.
He was terrified that the bond they had finally regained would end once again, but he still managed to speak somehow.
“Brother Woo-hyun.”
He was afraid.
Afraid Jang Woo-hyun would suddenly disappear again.
But those worries proved meaningless.
“Jin Ha-un. Hey, what are you doing standing there? Aren’t you happy to see me?”
After comforting Yong Seo-hee, Jang Woo-hyun casually walked over and stopped in front of Jin Ha-un.
The flustered expression.
The trembling eyes filled with anxiety.
Jang Woo-hyun instantly understood what his sworn younger brother was worried about.
“Hey, don’t worry. It’s not like that.”
The strange atmosphere surrounding Jang Woo-hyun suddenly scattered apart.
His faint presence regained clarity once more.
The existence seated high in the heavens descended back to earth.
Now Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un once again stood within the same world.
“Huh?”
“It’s not what you think, so stop worrying. I just got a little stronger.”
This was different from before, when he viewed people as ants and wanted to crush them beneath his finger.
Jang Woo-hyun had grown incomparably stronger since then, and he understood himself properly now.
He would not disappear without a word like before, nor would he look down upon everything as insignificant.
“Uh…… Brother, then…….”
“You’re asking what we do next?”
“Huh? Y-Yes.”
“We contact Elder Chu. Tell him we’re moving again.”
“Where are we going?”
“We’re attacking the Divine Dragon Clan.”
“……Yes. Huh? Yes?! W-Where did you say we’re attacking?”
The words were so sudden that Jin Ha-un reacted a beat late.
“We can’t just let them get away with what they did to us. It’s time to repay the debt.”
Jang Woo-hyun smiled at Jin Ha-un.
Those were the same words Jin Ha-un had spoken when they reunited atop the peak of Mount Okchu.
-We can’t just let them get away with what they did to us. Besides, what’s different from before anyway?
Jin Ha-un, who had been flustered, looked once more at the sworn older brother he had always believed in and followed.
The confident stance.
There was no trace of uncertainty.
The slightly raised corners of his lips carried confidence, and his shining eyes remained unchanged.
He had already set a new goal and was ready to run once more.
Looking at Jang Woo-hyun, Jin Ha-un recalled the past.
‘Invincible Divine Sword…….’
The man standing before him now was the once-invincible Divine Sword who had shaken the Central Plains.
The martial artist he had always wanted to resemble.
The man beside whom Jin Ha-un wished to stand.
The genius whose back he constantly chased while trying to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
‘No… now I probably can’t even see his back anymore.’
He had worked hard while chasing after that back, but now it felt as though Jang Woo-hyun had flown far into the sky.
But that was fine too.
Because becoming stronger would never change the kind of person he was.
Jang Woo-hyun was still Jang Woo-hyun.
And he was still Jin Ha-un’s one and only older brother.
When their eyes met, Jang Woo-hyun slightly nodded without losing his smile.
“Let’s go, Ha-un.”
At that point, there was no reason to question anything anymore.
If Jang Woo-hyun moved, then he would follow.
And the current Jang Woo-hyun would never lose.
No one in the world believed in him more than Jin Ha-un did.
‘Big Brother won’t lose anymore.’
The time had come to repay the enemy for everything they owed.
“I’ll contact Elder Chu. We’ll move together with everyone.”
Jang Woo-hyun readily agreed.
Now he could fight together with his companions.
Because he had obtained the power to protect them all.
---
While waiting for his companions, Jang Woo-hyun met Sama Jeong once again.
“Heh heh, your expression has become peaceful now.”
“It’s thanks to you, Great Hero Sama. As expected, you truly weren’t an ordinary person.”
Through their second meeting, Jang Woo-hyun learned that Sama Jeong was the Thousand-Year Nine Islands Master.
Meeting him by chance had practically been a destined opportunity.
“I merely oversee the Nine Islands. It’s not some lofty position like the heads of other sects. Because of the nature of the Nine Islands, there isn’t much to do either. You can simply think of me as a caretaker.”
Though he spoke lightly, judging by how others treated him and how he instantly recognized Jang Woo-hyun’s condition, Sama Jeong was anything but ordinary.
“So you found your answer?”
While speaking, Sama Jeong observed Jang Woo-hyun carefully.
This time, however, he saw nothing.
He had always prided himself on his ability to judge people better than anyone else, yet now he could understand nothing at all.
‘Martial Warrior Jang has surpassed a level I can measure.’
Jang Woo-hyun had completely stepped beyond the bounds of prediction.
Sama Jeong never imagined he would grow this much in less than a year.
“Yes. Just like when I met Great Hero Sama, I encountered another good opportunity and was able to grow. Ever since arriving at the Thousand-Year Nine Islands, it feels as though my luck has been incredibly good.”
Sama Jeong shook his head at Jang Woo-hyun’s words.
“What Martial Warrior Jang gained came from the path you yourself have walked.”
The Nine Islands did not interact much with the outside world, but Sama Jeong’s position meant he heard many stories about the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
That included stories about Jang Woo-hyun.
A rising martial artist who first became known during the Gathering of the Ten Sects.
From the very beginning, Jang Woo-hyun had helped the beastkin.
The rumors that followed afterward were no different.
He helped the Beast King Sect eliminate the Twin-Winged Lotus and ended the internal conflict within the Five Elements Cult.
Even when speaking with Sama Jeong, he revealed his desire to protect his companions.
Had he walked the path of heretics or evil men, he would never have been allowed to remain within the Thousand-Year Nine Islands in the first place.
And had his heart not been righteous, Sama Jeong would never have helped him.
Because of the path he had walked until now, he encountered good connections and gained good opportunities.
“Good opportunities came to you because you are a good person, Martial Warrior Jang. That is simply the way of the world.”
At Sama Jeong’s warm smile, Jang Woo-hyun awkwardly lowered his head and repeatedly thanked him.
“I heard you are leaving.”
“Yes. There’s a debt I owe, and I need to repay it.”
Sama Jeong knew exactly what debt Jang Woo-hyun meant.
And he also knew who needed to be repaid.
“I have no place interfering in your grudges and debts, Martial Warrior Jang. But there is one thing I wish to ask. Have you obtained the power to protect everyone like you said before?”
“Yes.”
Jang Woo-hyun answered briefly with a smile.
Within that smile, Sama Jeong read overflowing confidence.
Momentarily startled, Sama Jeong gave a small nod as if to say that was enough.
---
“You want me to come with you?”
“Me? W-Why would I go with you?”
At Jin Ha-un’s question, Gun Yu-hye turned her head away as she answered.
“Why are you stuttering? It’s too quiet here. Hardly anyone even comes around. You should just come with us instead.”
“I’m fine here. D-Don’t…….”
“Don’t what? Speak properly if you want me to understand. Don’t talk?”
“That’s not it. I mean…… right, don’t worry! Don’t worry about me.”
“Why are you talking so weird today? Are you sick or something?”
“Who’s sick?! Want to spar? I’ll show you I’m perfectly fine.”
“Spar for what? I’m leaving now anyway.”
Watching the two from beside them, the corners of Yong Seo-hee’s lips lifted slightly.
‘This is fun.’
Jin Ha-un casually invited her to come along, while Gun Yu-hye became flustered and stuttered at his words.
Since they had always been together while Jang Woo-hyun remained inside the Beginning and End Cave, Jin Ha-un and Gun Yu-hye’s relationship had developed in a rather special direction.
It could not quite be called romance.
Yet calling them merely friends also felt strange.
It was more accurate to say they had become unusually close.
“If you’re leaving, then go by yourself. I’ll stay here and train while waiting for Master.”
“What do you mean by myself? Brother, Sister Seo-hee, and I are all going together. Aren’t you going to miss us? You’ve gotten pretty close with Sister Seo-hee too.”
Yong Seo-hee, who had been listening nearby, also added her thoughts because she found it regrettable to part like this.
“Yu-hye, like Young Master Jin said, think about coming with us. There are a lot of good people in the Immortal-Slaying Division. Elder Chu is there, and Great Hero Mak and Great Hero Seo are kind too. And somehow, I think you’d get along really well with Sister Ye-ju.”
“Sister Ye-ju? You mean the Fierce Fist Heroine?”
“Yeah, that’s right. The Fierce Fist Heroine of the Beast King Sect.”
When Maeng Ye-ju was mentioned, Gun Yu-hye immediately became interested.
Maeng Ye-ju was a martial artist she desperately wanted to meet someday.
“Well… I do want to go with you, Sister. But I also need to wait here for Master, so I’m not really sure what to do.”
“Hye-ya, you should go with these people.”
At the gentle voice, everyone turned their heads.
Jang Woo-hyun and Sama Jeong were walking toward them.
“Master of the Nine Islands.”
“This place is where old people like me belong, not somewhere a young girl like you should remain. When the Heavenly Lord returns, I shall explain things to him. Follow Martial Warrior Jang and go see the martial world.”
“But…….”
“There is no need for you to lock yourself away in one place already. See the wider world and return afterward. This is the perfect chance, especially since you have such good companions.”
At Sama Jeong’s words, Gun Yu-hye shifted her gaze.
It stopped first on Jang Woo-hyun, then Yong Seo-hee, and finally Jin Ha-un.
“……Would that really be okay?”
“Of course it would. So stop worrying and go with them. Martial Warrior Jang, I leave Hye-ya in your care.”
“I don’t mind her coming with us, but things may become dangerous.”
“This child is a martial artist too. She has already prepared herself for that much. And with Martial Warrior Jang there, what is there to worry about?”
It was Jang Woo-hyun who desired the power to protect everyone.
Sama Jeong trusted him.
Seeing Sama Jeong’s mischievous smile, Jang Woo-hyun let out a quiet laugh and promised to take good care of Gun Yu-hye.
With Gun Yu-hye joining them, the Immortal-Slaying Division gained one additional member.
---
After reuniting with Seon Tae-gyeong, who had not remained within the Thousand-Year Nine Islands, the group headed toward a hill overlooking a distant city.
It was the same place where Jang Woo-hyun and Sama Jeong had spoken before.
Jang Woo-hyun wandered around the hill while gazing at the city before stopping at one spot.
Then he began digging into the ground with his hand.
“Hey, what’s wrong with your brother all of a sudden?”
“What do you mean? He probably has a reason. Just wait quietly.”
“What reason could there be for suddenly digging into the dirt? Is he planning to take a dump or something?”
“Stop saying disgusting things.”
While listening to Jin Ha-un and Gun Yu-hye bicker, Jang Woo-hyun continued digging deeply with his bare hands.
After digging to a suitable depth, he pulled something out from his storage artifact.
What remained in his hand was only the hilt of Mukya.
He had been searching for a place to bury the sword after its lifespan ended, and this place felt appropriate.
To Jang Woo-hyun, this hill held special meaning.
It was here that he spoke with Sama Jeong, settled his heart, and earned the qualifications to enter the Beginning and End Cave.
Inside the cave, he met Lü Dongbin through the Heavenly Escape Sword Art and achieved tremendous growth.
This hill was where the first step toward his latest growth began.
Jang Woo-hyun carefully placed Mukya’s hilt into the hole and slowly covered it with dirt.
‘Thank you. Rest peacefully now.’
The blade that once emitted curses for revenge had vanished long ago, but only now did Jang Woo-hyun finally bury another friend and companion who had helped him.
“But at this rate, when are we leaving? Your brother’s still over there doing that.”
“We’ll leave soon.”
“Where are we going? Taking a flying artifact to the World Tree or a teleportation formation?”
“Our companions are coming here to pick us up.”
“They’re coming to pick us up? Do your companions own some massive flying artifact or something?”
“No, not exactly. We have the Great Thunder Fortress.”
“That thing the Immortal-Slaying Division rides around on? What an overblown name. Great Thunder Fortress.”
Since she lived on the outskirts of the Central Heavens Martial Realm, Gun Yu-hye simply assumed the Great Thunder Fortress was some large flying artifact.
Tap. Tap.
While the two talked, Jang Woo-hyun finished covering the dirt and stood up.
“They arrived right on time.”
“Huh? What—”
Before Jin Ha-un could finish asking, a brilliant light flashed across the sky behind Jang Woo-hyun.
A moment later.
A gigantic fortress floated where the light had disappeared.
“Uh…… w-what…… is that?”
Seeing such a sight for the first time, Gun Yu-hye could not even close her mouth.
Watching her stunned reaction, Jin Ha-un took several steps forward before turning around dramatically.
Behind him, a colossal fortress floated in the sky.
“That.”
Placing his hand upon his waist and puffing out his chest proudly, Jin Ha-un declared,
“Is the fortress and transportation vessel of the Immortal-Slaying Division.”
“The Great Thunder Fortress.”
He introduced the Great Thunder Fortress as though showing off with pride.