The Divine Physician's Tomb
They chose the middle passage.
And the passage was both long and wide.
Martial artists passed by every so often, but fortunately, there was no need to draw their swords.
The passersby rely glanced at them and moved on.
Seeing the way they walked slowly, it seed they did not consider them rivals.
"Young hero Jeong-un, are you not interested in the cultivation pill?"
"It's not that I'm not interested..."
Suspicious circumstances continued to unfold.
The sense of incongruity that had accompanied them all this ti was still there.
That, more than the actual existence of the cultivation pill, was what bothered Jeong-un.
'Even the sudden collapse of the ground...'
It felt as if he was on a stage of a well-scripted puppet show.
Drawing countless martial artists to Yangyang,
then gathering those wandering Nokmun Mountain at the burial mound's cliff before collapsing the ground beneath them.
The problem was, this space actually existed below.
If the intention had rely been to trap the martial artists in a pitfall, they could have simply been buried alive.
"... Could this be so form of formation?"
Seonwoo Hak, having heard Jeong-un's muttering, turned his head with a sowhat surprised look.
"You think so too, young hero?"
There was also a hint of excitent on his face.
He then shared his hypothesis, which he had likely been considering.
"The Divine Physician called himself the King of Martial Arts. Did you know there are omitted words before that title?"
"Omitted words?"
"King of Martial Arts to Whom a Thousand Swords Bowed. It ans, literally, that a thousand swords kowtowed to a single king. There's a famous tale about how he made a thousand masters kneel before him in his lifeti."
"A thousand?"
If that were true, he would certainly be worthy of the title "World's Greatest".
Seeing a thousand masters was perhaps more surprising than defeating that many.
Now, Jeong-un was also aware of just how many sword-toting wanderers floated around the Central Plains.
'Isn't that a chance to obtain a thousand inspirations?'
With such destiny, anyone could discuss becoming World'S Greatest.
With such silly thoughts, Seonwoo Hak continued to speak.
"But the stele in front of the burial mound only says 'King of Martial Arts.' So to open the entrance, wouldn't a thousand swords be necessary?"
"So when a thousand martial artists gathered in front of the mound..."
"The gate opened. That was likely a condition for the formation."
If that was so, then continuously gathering martial artists made sense.
If they slowly gathered near the Nokmun Mountain burial mound, just for the purpose of coercing a thousand martial artists together at once, the plan checks out.
"That's plausible."
"Is it? In fact, there are quite a few formations with such conditions. Not on this scale, of course..."
When Jeong-un agreed, Seonwoo Hak nodded more excitedly.
Really, it wasn't just plausible. It was both outrageous and entirely reasonable.
After all, the ground had caved in when many martial artists gathered.
Even if the number wasn't exactly a thousand.
'I've experienced sothing like this before.'
Above all, Jeong-un had personally experienced the astounding power of such a formation.
After all, the final test of the entry examination had been to penetrate a formation.
Recreating the summit of a city pagoda deep in the mountains made even less sense than this.
'If that's the case...'
If the cultivation pill was truly here, then whoever orchestrated this had gathered the martial artists just to open the entrance.
Furthermore, it ant that even among a thousand martial artists, the person believed he could claim the cultivation pill for himself.
If he feared competition, he would have thought of a way to enter alone.
That ans he was just that confident in his own strength.
'I'm curious to see his face.'
That arrogance even inspired a peculiar sense of rivalry.
Whether the Immortal Spirit Pill truly existed or not, this was reason enough for Jeong-un to keep moving forward.
"You're clearly knowledgeable about formations, young hero Seonwoo."
After thinking things through, Jeong-un offered praise, and Seonwoo Hak smiled shyly.
"When the eldest son of a sword clan has no martial gift, he turns his eyes elsewhere and struggles desperately. It's rather embarrassing."
"Do you have many siblings?"
"I have four younger brothers."
"That must be tough."
There was hardship written on his awkward, silent smile.
Even after becoming young family head by besting his siblings, the struggle didn't end.
He would constantly have to prove worthy of that position.
Now, it made sense why he had co here alone with just his guard, even knowing he wouldn't obtain the Immortal Spirit Pill.
'No martial talent, so he turned his attention elsewhere?'
Jeong-un's gaze once again swept over Seonwoo Hak's fingertips.
For soone who claid to have no talent, his hands were those of soone extrely well-trained.
Just as Jeong-un was regarding Seonwoo Hak with a peculiar look, he abruptly ca to a halt.
"What's wrong?"
Seonwoo Hak looked at Jeong-un with a puzzled expression.
"Young family head."
It was then that Mu Cheol, Seonwoo Hak's guard, spoke from behind.
"There is sothing ahead."
It was as he said. They had finally reached the end of the passage.
At the sa ti, several strands of vital ki were chaotically entangled ahead.
That was why Jeong-un had instinctively stopped.
'This is...'
It wasn't just that.
He had already known that there were multiple martial artists in this place.
The problem was that the auras he sensed were not ordinary.
Hadn't the martial artists who sprinted ahead gathered together as if racing each other...?
'Did a fight break out?'
Jeong-un began to walk forward slowly.
Behind him, Seonwoo Hak and Mu Cheol followed, tension evident on their faces.
As they drew closer, a sll faintly brushed past his nose.
'The scent of blood.'
There had been a swordfight ahead.
It was clear as day.
It hadn't been long since a few martial artists passed them by.
Yet there wasn't any thunderous clanging of weapons.
That ant one side's martial prowess was overwhelmingly superior.
'And...'
Those people had halted and were waiting, for the next arrivals.
"Didn't you say your guard is a swordsman capable of imbuing true ki into his blade?"
"Excuse ?"
"Stay close to . I might not be able to protect you."
Before Seonwoo Hak could reply, Jeong-un kicked off the ground.
The light ahead, which had looked like a re dot, approached rapidly, and his vision was suddenly illuminated.
Again, a huge chamber opened up before them.
This ti, the ceiling was dizzyingly high, and as if luminous pearls had been affixed, the space was much brighter than the passage.
Even soone without keen eyesight could discern their surroundings.
"Another one arrived."
And then the scene before his eyes.
Five n with swords at their waists stood about casually.
And in front of them lay the corpses of more than a dozen people.
"One?"
"No, there are two more behind. Didn't you sense them?"
"Hmph, I thought they were just animals, they seed so insignificant."
Jeong-un quietly examined their faces.
More precisely, he gauged the energy they exuded.
'A mixed bunch.'
The temperant of their auras was different for each one.
aning, they did not belong to the sa group.
Apparently, they had, for the ti being, ford a temporary alliance in this place.
Yet there was a commonality.
'Corrupt energy.'
While the degree varied, those of the Righteous Faction all possessed an essentially upright aura.
There could be differences of temperant.
Like how the young family head of the Hebei Peng Clan had boasted a decidedly domineering energy.
Nevertheless, each pursued their own version of pure energy.
That was partly because their incantations were influenced by Daoism or Buddhism, but more importantly, because internal energy accumulated by wrongful ans always carried inherent limitations.
Corrupt ki, by its very nature, caused one's internal energy to twist easily.
Thus, once one passed a certain level, the energy channels would beco unstable, and it was easy to succumb to energy deviation.
Even if not, it was common for one's own internal energy to harm one's body.
Moreover, if they couldn't properly contain their cultivated true ki, they would unconsciously emit it from their bodies.
That was why Jeong-un was gazing at them with a slight frown.
"Disgusting."
"What?"
In the end, Jeong-un couldn't hold back and spat out the words.
He wondered how they could carry such filth within them. It was revolting on a physical level.
"Wait, that guy..."
One of them suddenly opened his eyes wide.
He had recognized the significance of Jeong-un's black martial uniform.
"That guy...! He's from the Heavenly Martial Hall!"
"The ones who blocked the front of the burial mound?"
A few of them flinched.
So of them knew of the Heavenly Martial Hall's reputation.
That was precisely why, even with relatively few people, they had managed to hold the line at the mound's entrance.
Among them, one stepped forward.
On hearing that, he scanned Jeong-un with eyes of growing interest.
"Heavenly Martial Hall, you say? You?"
Jeong-un didn't answer.
Beyond the dirtily tainted aura, the man's appearance was distinctive.
He was dressed as if from a renowned martial clan, and though he was younger than those beside him, he was clearly their center.
"Anyone can wear a martial uniform, but I suppose it wouldn't suit you to show no fear. Seems you really are from the Hall."
As he grinned, his features were almost excessively harmonious.
If soone ignorant saw him, they would have mistaken him for so noble young master from a fad house.
To top it off, even his sowhat lofty diction fit the part.
Nevertheless, Jeong-un only frowned harder.
'Is that what you'd call 'talent'?'
The clarity of corrupt energy around him was much keener than that of his companions.
No doubt, his martial attainnt was high.
To be so young but already the natural leader of his group.
The man went on, grinning broadly.
"I'm quite pleased. I've faced your people a few tis before. Took one of them myself, and the boost to my cultivation was remarkable."
"...'Took'?"
He unabashedly admitted to killing and 'taking' soone.
The Heavenly Martial Hall was an official Murim Alliance force.
If you so much as hard one of their mbers, your description would be distributed to every Alliance branch.
This, even more than their superior combat ability, was a major reason that others were so reluctant to fight the Hall's fighters.
"Now you seem a little afraid."
The man gave a thin smile.
"You embroider gold thread on your left sleeve, showing rank, don't you? Too bad, you've just got one stripe. You're likely little different from the last one."
He looked at Jeong-un as if he wasn't human, but so mouth-watering dish.
At the sa ti he stepped closer,
though he wore a sword, his hand didn't even touch the sword guard.
Clearly, he considered Jeong-un extrely inferior.
Or perhaps he vastly overestimated his own level.
He did say he had already killed a martial artist from the Heavenly Martial Hall, so perhaps the confidence was warranted.
Watching all this, Jeong-un finally spoke.
"Isn't your goal the Immortal Spirit Pill?"
"What?"
The man's mouth curled up, laughing as if at a joke.
"You do realize there are hundreds of martial artists here, don't you?"
"So?"
"And you'd throw yourself into a lee among those lunatics? That's stupidity of another level. Better to stay here and pick off moths like you as they co running to the fla."
His face was filled with conviction as he spoke.
He seed very proud of his "wise" decision.
He then tossed a question at Jeong-un, lips curling further into a sneer.
"So, do you actually believe you'll be the one to acquire the cultivation pill?"
"I'm not interested. More importantly..."
Jeong-un's answer was firm. It was the truth.
Right now, he had no interest in the cultivation pill hidden in the grave of the world's finest.
He was focused only on the n before him.
"I have a question before I kill you."
"What?"
The man stared in disbelief.
Even among those who cultivate corrupt martial arts, martial artists develop extrely sharp senses.
He couldn't have possibly misheard, yet the statent was so strange that he doubted his own ears.
"What are you going to do to ?"
"Before I kill you all, I just have to ask one thing."
"Kill... ?"
The man burst out laughing.
Apparently finding it hilarious, he glanced at his companions and they all chuckled together.
"You're insane. Is wearing that uniform making you drunk on your own accomplishnts? Go on, tell . Let's hear it."
"You'd best answer well."
"...?"
Jeong-un took a step forward.
"Depending on your answer, I'll decide how you die."
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