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C40. If You Pass the Test, I Will Teach You
The leader of Nokrim, Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord, Seok Muhae, was sixty years old.
Although he had surpassed the peak of his life, his imposing presence was still capable of dominating anyone. Simply standing still, Seok Muhae emanated an invisible energy that crushed his surroundings. Suddenly, he elevated his power from the Dark Heaven Asura Manual to press Yeon Jeokha.
When Seok Muhae's invisible energy directed towards him, the Nine Heavens Energy of Yeon Jeokha activated automatically.
A strange sound resonated between the two as their energies collided.
The sound grew deafening, but Seok Muhae's expression remained calm.
Unlike him, Yeon Jeokha, who had never experienced such a confrontation of energies, frowned slightly.
Only then did Seok Muhae release his power as if it had been nothing.
The tension disappeared as if it had never existed, but neither of them opened their mouths.
Seok Muhae observed Yeon Jeokha with curiosity.
The young man seemed to be seventeen rather than twenty. That a boy so young could withstand his Dark Heaven Asura Manual was astonishing.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Wow!"
Seok Muhae let out a sigh of amazement.
A young man of only seventeen had withstood his power. It was something impossible, even if the young man had started learning martial arts in the womb.
"Do you know who I am?"
"The Great Chaeju of Nokrim?"
Seok Muhae observed Yeon Jeokha with a complicated expression.
He was the leader of Nokrim and one of the top ten fighters in the world, but the young man before him showed not a hint of respect. His tone and expression were as casual as if he were talking to an old man on the street.
"From whom did you learn martial arts?"
Yeon Jeokha hesitated for a moment.
The leader of Nokrim was the strongest man he had ever met, even more powerful than the Sage of Heaven and Earth of Wudang.
'What should I say?'
He couldn't point to the sky as before; that could cause him trouble.
With Seok Muhae's aura, it seemed he would not tolerate a joke. If he failed to convince him, he might end up in a fight. And he wasn't sure he could win that fight. Seok Muhae's power was incalculable.
For the first time since escaping the warehouse, Yeon Jeokha felt nervous.
Before answering, he looked directly into Seok Muhae's eyes, trying to discern his intention. If he sensed any malice, he was ready to attack and escape.
Seok Muhae was surprised when Yeon Jeokha looked directly into his eyes. He had asked from whom he had learned martial arts, but instead of answering, the young man simply stared at him.
Still, Seok Muhae waited patiently.
He saw no malice in the young man's eyes, so he decided to wait. If he had perceived any malice, he would have drawn his sword immediately.
The young man's clear and sincere eyes seemed charming to him.
The Twelve Demons were his disciples, but they did not have that charm.
Human feelings are relative.
Yeon Jeokha felt that Seok Muhae had no ill intentions towards him. Therefore, he thought he might be able to convince him.
"It's a family martial art."
That was more believable than saying he learned it from an immortal.
Moreover, it wasn't a lie; technically, it was a family martial art.
Curiosity appeared on Seok Muhae's face.
Perhaps he knew the young man's master.
"What is your father's nickname?"
"The Moon-Splitting Swordsman."
Seok Muhae let out a brief sigh of understanding.
He recalled a young swordsman who had become famous in southern Jiangnan twenty years ago by defeating the Yoomyung Cult.
"I had heard that the Moon-Splitting Swordsman had exceptional martial arts... It seems the rumors were not exaggerated. But why are you on Five Peaks Mountain if you are his son?"
"My mother died giving birth to me, and my father passed away afterward. I was expelled."
"How is it possible that you were expelled being the son of the Moon-Splitting Swordsman?"
"It's a complicated story. My father's main wife, my stepmother, threw me out."
"Ah, I see."
Seok Muhae slapped his knee in understanding.
"But how is your internal energy so deep? Did you have any fortuitous encounter?"
"I ate many strange things while I was locked in the warehouse. I suppose that helped me."
"Strange things?"
"Perfumed water and dumplings."
Seok Muhae frowned.
The conversation had taken a strange turn.
'Perfumed water? Could he mean a rare elixir?'
But what did dumplings have to do with all this?
"Anyway, you gained great internal energy. Now, I want to see if your martial arts are up to that internal energy."
"How?"
"Follow me."
Seok Muhae stood up and left the tent.
Yeon Jeokha quickly followed him.
Seok Muhae shot into the night sky.
He reached the top of a nearby tree and jumped from branch to branch.
Yeon Jeokha followed him using his fast movement technique.
Seok Muhae ran through the treetops as if he were strolling.
After a while, Seok Muhae looked back.
Yeon Jeokha was following him at the same distance, but his way of running was strange.
'What kind of movement technique is that?'
The young man kept his arms parallel behind him while running only with his legs.
Seok Muhae reached the top of a nearby mountain and waited for Yeon Jeokha.
Soon, Yeon Jeokha appeared.
When Seok Muhae confirmed Yeon Jeokha's steady breathing, his expression hardened slightly.
'This internal energy is not ordinary.'
'If his martial arts skills are lacking despite his outstanding internal energy...'
Then this boy would be no different from those other bandits who suddenly gained internal energy. He would feel disappointed if this young man, who he liked, turned out to be like them.
"As the Great Chaeju of Nokrim, I need to verify your skills. So, do your best."
"Verify my skills? Why?"
"I'll tell you if you pass this test."
"I understand."
When Seok Muhae slowly drew his sword, Yeon Jeokha also drew his bakdo without delay.
Seok Muhae immediately began with the Swordsmanship of the Dark Heaven Asura Manual.
This was a sword technique he had not yet taught his disciples, and it was the one that had given him his renown as the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord.
Swoosh.
Seok Muhae's sword moved mysteriously towards Yeon Jeokha.
Yeon Jeokha blocked the sword with his bakdo.
From the first movement, Flying Dragon Ascension, to the second, Heavenly Dragon Rising, and the third, Dragon and Tiger Windstorm. The movements flowed naturally, as if they were a single thread unraveling.
Clang, clang~.
Every time the sword and bakdo clashed, sparks shone in the darkness.
In Seok Muhae's eyes, a light of curiosity shone.
As Yeon Jeokha countered his attacks without hesitation, his competitive spirit ignited.
"Watch out!"
Immediately, from the tip of Seok Muhae's sword, a thread of black energy began to unwind.
The thread of energy wrapped around Yeon Jeokha's entire body.
He found himself trapped in the energy net of the Dark Heaven Asura Manual sword, which was said to be able to cut even the hardest metal like tofu.
It was the first time he had faced such a sword technique, and Yeon Jeokha's eyes widened.
Seeing the cold energy net shining in the darkness made his skin crawl.
He didn't need the leader to tell him to be careful; his instinct told him he was in danger.
'It's blocked on all sides.'
In this situation, the response was the fourth technique, Wheel of Devastating Wind.
Within the energy net of the sword, Yeon Jeokha's bakdo began to move rapidly.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa.
The wind created by the bakdo swirled around Yeon Jeokha like a wheel.
Chichichichik.
The energy net of the sword slowly broke as it was caught in the wind wheel.
When the energy net, which Seok Muhae had created with great effort, broke, he withdrew his power.
Swoosh.
The black thread surrounding Yeon Jeokha suddenly disappeared.
Only then did Yeon Jeokha stop his bakdo.
The wind wheel of the Wheel of Devastating Wind technique faded with a soft sigh of wind.
With an expression of admiration, Seok Muhae asked:
"Wow! What is that technique called?"
"It's called Wheel of Devastating Wind. The wind rises like a fire and rolls forward. If used simply, it seems like a chaos of wind everywhere, but upon reaching the phase of mental communion, it becomes subtle."
"Incredible. Incredible. I haven't been surprised like this in a long time. Not only do you have extraordinary internal energy, but you have also learned Swordsmanship to match it."
"So, did I pass the test?"
"You could say so."
Seok Muhae looked at Yeon Jeokha with a complicated expression.
The original plan was to unify Nokrim and rule through the Twelve Demons.
But due to these strange characters that suddenly appeared, everything had become a mess. Instead of showing Nokrim's power to the outside, he now had to worry about maintaining internal order.
The problem was that maintaining internal order wouldn't be easy.
The five new Inspectors seemed to have already surpassed the level of the Twelve Demons. In this situation, the Twelve Demons would be controlled by the Inspectors instead of controlling them.
Suddenly, the young Yeon Jeokha, who had seemed like a stone in the path before, began to appear useful to him.
'If I can't control the situation with the Twelve Demons...'
Could I use Yeon Jeokha to balance things?
As Seok Muhae pondered, Yeon Jeokha asked:
"So, why did you test me?"
"Ah, well."
Seok Muhae explained to Yeon Jeokha what had happened at the Nokrim tournament.
After hearing the entire explanation, Yeon Jeokha replied:
"I understand. Well, I have nothing to do with that, so can I leave now?"
"That you have nothing to do with it? Nokrim is facing a serious situation, and you talk like that without any sense of responsibility! You are also part of Nokrim, so you shouldn't talk like that."
"Those are things that the superiors should handle. That's what leaders, inspectors, and guardians are for, right?"
"Well, your point makes sense, but the situation is more complicated."
"Don't worry. I won't say anything. I can keep the secret. Besides, no one in Five Peaks Mountain cares."
As Yeon Jeokha continued trying to excuse himself, Seok Muhae grew desperate.
Right now, Yeon Jeokha was the only one who could counter the Inspectors.
"Wait, wait. Don't rush. By the way, why did you have trouble with Nokrim? I heard you helped a guard fight against Nokrim. Is it true?"
Seok Muhae quickly changed the subject, trying to keep Yeon Jeokha talking.
"Did those bandits really say that? They are true liars!"
"Then why did you attack them?"
"One of their sub-leaders insulted me that day."
"Insulted you?"
"I was just watching when suddenly he started cursing my parents. Even if we are part of Nokrim, shouldn't we have some decency? Isn't that right? Or is it okay in Nokrim to insult other people's parents?"
"Of course not! I would have killed him."
"Ah, then next time I'll kill him."
Seok Muhae remained silent for a moment, speechless.
Carefully observing Seok Muhae, Yeon Jeokha asked softly:
"Can I leave now?"
Cornered, Seok Muhae looked at Yeon Jeokha with a solemn expression.
"Eh, eh, as the Great Chaeju of Nokrim, I have a favor to ask you. I need you to accept it."
Desperate, Seok Muhae invoked his position as the Great Chaeju of Nokrim.
"What favor?"
"I need your help."