Chapter 135
Chapter 135
Paaang-!
A tearing sound split through the air as the sword was swung down with force.
It was an ordinary downward strike, yet the fundamentals contained within it resembled the stubborn roots of an ancient tree.
Those watching admired it, but Horyeung and Kang Hosan shook their heads.
Kang Hosan spoke toward Kang Chowon, who continued repeating the downward strike without pause.
“Chowon, rest for a bit.”
Horyeung also nodded, as if agreeing with Kang Hosan’s words.
“Chowon, calm yourself for a moment. The Young Master will return.”
At that, Kang Chowon halted mid-swing and looked at Horyeung.
“It’s already been half a month. I don’t think the Young Master is in danger, but I can’t help worrying.”
“What worries you so much?”
“You saw it too, Master. I’ve never seen the Young Master that shaken before.”
“It was my first time seeing it as well. That is precisely why he must have left briefly to resolve his own problem.”
“That’s exactly why I have to keep swinging my sword.”
“I know you wish to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Young Master. But your effort is excessive. What you are doing now is gnawing away at yourself.”
“No.”
“Mm?”
When Horyeung made a puzzled expression, Kang Chowon bit her lip tightly.
“I’m not training to stand beside him.”
Unable to hide her agitation, Kang Chowon clenched her fist tightly.
“I’m afraid of holding him back.”
“……!”
Their conversation reached the ears of the Asura Squad nearby.
Everyone paused what they were doing and looked at Kang Chowon.
“In the next five years. Within that time, I must at least reach the Transformation Realm so that I won’t hold the Young Master back.”
“No, you do not need to become that strong. You have already entered the ranks of the strong.”
“Do you truly think so?”
Seeing the deep sorrow in Kang Chowon’s eyes, Horyeung let out a low groan.
“The Heavenly Demon is strong. Even if I cannot help the Young Master, I want to at least become strong enough so that he can fight with peace of mind. If the Heavenly Demon suddenly appears before him, we would die without being able to do anything.”
“…….”
It was a reasonable statement. Youngho was both cold-headed and considerate. If he lost someone precious in war, he would grieve; if he saved them, he would rejoice.
In other words, he would not be able to easily abandon the Asura Squad and the other companions who had lived like family with him for years.
Youngho would not show it outwardly, but he would protect them as much as possible—from the monstrous Heavenly Demon’s martial presence, from his killing intent.
“My first goal is to survive when facing someone who can threaten my life with mere martial presence alone.”
It was a modest goal. If the opponent were not the Demonic Cult.
“Rather than hold the Young Master back, I would sooner take my own life.”
“Chowon!”
Before Horyeung could shout, Kang Hosan spoke in a voice filled with anger.
When Kang Hosan shouted sharply, Kang Chowon’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s.
Just as Kang Hosan was about to speak, a voice came from the roof of the pavilion.
“That is a very commendable mindset.”
At the familiar and welcome voice, everyone present looked toward the pavilion roof and cheered.
“Young Master!”
“You’ve finally returned—!”
With a noticeably brighter expression than before, Youngho spoke.
“I’ve returned.”
Seeing Youngho back to his former self, the cheers grew louder.
Leaving the cheers behind, Youngho stepped before Kang Chowon and spoke.
Sensing something unusual in the atmosphere, the Asura Squad’s cheers gradually subsided.
When the surroundings became so quiet that only breathing could be heard, Youngho said with a face as firm as stone,
“Chowon, I understand your resolve. If war were to break out right now, aside from Horyeung, the rest of you would only end up holding me back.”
At the cold yet realistic words, Kang Chowon clenched her fists tightly.
“Therefore, I will temper you so that none of you die. Simply put, I just need to make sure you won’t hold me back, right?”
For an instant, goosebumps rose along the bodies of those gathered beside Youngho.
Before Jongpal could speak after sensing something amiss in the chilling cold that ran down his spine, Kang Chowon answered first.
“Yes. Not just me—everyone here wants to be of help to the Young Master.”
No, that’s right. It’s really right. But somehow it feels like the way it’s being conveyed is wrong…?
Still, at Kang Chowon’s next words, the members of the Asura Squad let out sighs of relief.
“But there is no longer any need for the Young Master to train us. From now on, the Young Master must also prepare to face the Heavenly Demon.”
Her words were firm and filled with resolve. Normally, the matter might have ended there, but instead Youngho grinned as though he had been waiting for that very answer.
“Do not worry. Do you think I left for nothing? Of course I was training.”
“What do you mean?”
“To put it simply, I broke through the wall.”
At the shocking declaration, the Asura Squad began murmuring.
And Kang Chowon, too, could not conceal her astonishment.
“D-Don’t tell me…?”
“That’s right. I am no longer in the State of the Transformation Realm. I have reached the realm above it.”
It was impossible. What on earth had happened during the half-month he was absent from the Unorthodox Alliance for him to reach the same realm as the Heavenly Demon?
“To be precise, I did not become as strong as the Heavenly Demon. But it is certain that I broke through the wall of the Transformation Realm.”
At the unbelievable words, Youngho’s subordinates’ thoughts froze for a moment. But soon regaining their senses, they burst into cheers once more.
“Young Master!”
“As expected!”
“We believed in you!”
Even though he had not said he was stronger than the Heavenly Demon, the Asura Squad’s reaction was extremely fervent.
Thanks to that response, Youngho felt a sense of relief.
The same realm as the Heavenly Demon. Reaching that place alone was enough to be called a god.
Yet when the Asura Squad first heard this story, they had doubted him for a brief moment. They had even harbored a sliver of disbelief.
Only then had they chosen to believe Youngho’s words. It was not blind faith, but a conclusion drawn through rational thought and trust in him.
That was why Youngho could not become a god.
It was no different from what he had expected, yet only after seeing the Asura Squad’s reaction could Youngho truly feel at ease.
Because he could not become a god—because to them, he was merely Youngho.
Suppressing his joy deep within, Youngho spoke.
“Within the next three years, I will consolidate my enlightenment.”
“Will it really take that long?”
When Kang Chowon reacted in surprise, Youngho spoke with a faint smile.
“It is a realm far more profound than you think.”
Lifting the water flask hanging at his waist, Youngho continued.
“Listen carefully. Inside this flask is Clear Sky Stone Milk.”
The moment they heard that, the Asura Squad recalled how Youngho had obtained that Clear Sky Stone Milk.
“Ah! The one you got after fighting the Heavenly Demon!”
“That’s right.”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Jongpal immediately asked,
“But there were only two drops, weren’t there? Why are you suddenly showing it to us?”
Since it was the most valuable of spirit medicines, the question arose naturally.
Why show them that? They knew it was not something that would come to them anyway, so they did not expect anything—but they could not suppress their excitement.
And Youngho did not disappoint their expectations.
“In truth, I have about six drops of Clear Sky Stone Milk!”
“……You didn’t swindle the Heavenly Demon, did you?”
“Jongpal, what do you take me for? Of course I stole it from the Gold-Blood Hall—… No, I borrowed it!”
Wasn’t he about to say he stole it?
‘Is that really what matters!?’
The Clear Sky Stone Milk was what mattered!
No further explanation was needed. Surely, he had not brought enough to distribute to every member of the Asura Squad.
Most likely, only a select few chosen by Youngho would obtain that Clear Sky Stone Milk.
Another martial artist might not have been able to withstand the surging blood qi, but the Asura Squad, who had trained with Youngho for over five years, instead grew calmer.
Seeing that their hearts did not waver in any situation, Youngho smiled in satisfaction.
“First, most of the Clear Sky Stone Milk in this flask will go to predetermined individuals.”
They had expected as much. What mattered more was what came next.
“However! Exactly two drops! To put it simply, two shares remain. Within the next two years, the two of you who show the most outstanding results will each receive one drop of Clear Sky Stone Milk!”
Without even reacting to Youngho’s words, the Asura Squad immediately went off to train.
Their lightning-like speed even surprised Youngho.
Kang Chowon and Kang Hosan also immediately went to train. No matter how talented they were, they believed they would not be included among those chosen to receive the Clear Sky Stone Milk.
“Hosan and Chowon, follow me.”
However, the siblings were mistaken. At Youngho’s call, a faint sense of expectation began to rise within them.
But that expectation vanished without a trace at the seriousness in Youngho’s expression.
As Youngho entered a small pavilion, the siblings followed behind him.
Soon, Youngho deployed a Qi Barrier and spoke.
“Listen carefully. From now on, I will temper you more harshly than ever before.”
It was something he would normally say. For anyone by Youngho’s side, harsh training was a constant companion.
Thus Kang Hosan asked at Youngho’s ambiguous statement.
“It already felt like we’ve been training harshly enough…?”
“That’s true. It has certainly been harsh. But do you know this? Once you reach the Transformation Realm, becoming stronger is no easy task.”
It required effort that shaved away bone and spat out blood.
“From now on, I will give each of you one drop of Clear Sky Stone Milk.”
“……!”
“You must not be shocked yet. At your current realms, if you absorb the energy of Clear Sky Stone Milk, you can certainly reach the Transformation Realm.”
“That means we’ll be able to use Hardened Force, right?”
When Kang Hosan failed to hide the excitement in his voice, Youngho gave a bitter smile.
“Yes. Even if you reach the ordinary State of the Transformation Realm, you would be able to use Hardened Force. But that is not what matters. To surpass the Transcendent Peak Master means to undergo Bone-Marrow Reforging.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It is. If you wish to remain merely at the early stage of the Transformation Realm.”
Kang Chowon pondered. What exactly was Bone-Marrow Reforging? And what exactly was the State of the Transformation Realm?
She did not know. Having not reached that realm herself, she could understand nothing of it.
“After undergoing Bone-Marrow Reforging, the body becomes extremely sturdy. One can reach what is commonly called Blade and Sword Immunity. However, the sturdier the body becomes, the slower the growth of the physical body. Compared to when you were at the Transcendent Peak Master level, your rate of growth would decrease to at least one-tenth.”
It was a shocking statement. They had not known the efficiency of tempering the body would decrease so drastically.
Yet they still did not fully understand. Their lord was not someone who would wear such a heavy expression over something so trivial.
After pondering briefly, Youngho slowly met the gazes of Kang Chowon and Kang Hosan and spoke.
“For this training, you must not trust me. If you do…”
“You will die.”