touchnovel Chapter 276 : Thousand-Year Seeking Dao Institute (4)
Chapter 276 : Thousand-Year Seeking Dao Institute (4)
Chapter 276: Thousand-Year Seeking Dao Institute (4)
Jang Woo-hyun had seen expressions like this many times before.
If he were to interpret the emotion appearing on Sama Jeong’s face, it would probably be:
‘What the hell is wrong with this guy?’
It was the same emotion many people had shown while looking at Jang Woo-hyun.
From Sama Jeong’s perspective, Jang Woo-hyun made absolutely no sense, so such a reaction was only natural.
“Martial Artist Jang.”
“Yes.”
“There is something I wish to ask. Would you answer honestly?”
“Of course.”
“That… well, excluding the recent battle against the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord… have you ever lost a fight against an enemy?”
“…….”
Jang Woo-hyun looked back on his past.
From the Yun Sword Sect in the Central Plains to the battle against Hyeonwol in the Corpse-Blood Realm.
‘Have I ever actually lost?’
He had lost while crossing hands with martial artists stronger than himself, like Pyo Deuk-won, Cheol Geuk-jin, and Dang Myeong, but those fights had not been life-and-death battles.
They had been closer to sparring matches meant to guide him.
He could not recall ever losing against an actual enemy.
However, one thing did come to mind—
The time he clashed with the Ascension Cult and first witnessed the power of the True Immortals.
“There was a time when I fell to the Lower Realm because of the power of the True Immortals, but other than that… I don’t think I’ve ever lost to an enemy.”
“Huh, huhuhu, huhuhuhu…….”
Sama Jeong let out an empty laugh.
Only after hearing Jang Woo-hyun’s answer did he begin to understand his condition, even if only vaguely.
And even then, it was merely a rough guess.
Sama Jeong was not a genius, so he had lived a completely different life from Jang Woo-hyun.
“The fears and worries Martial Artist Jang is carrying now are things every martial artist experiences.”
The martial world was a place where battles could erupt at any moment, meaning one could be injured or killed at any time.
If a sect became embroiled in conflict, ordinary martial artists naturally worried whether their comrades or martial siblings might die—or whether they themselves might be injured.
“Have you ever envied or been jealous of someone during your path of learning martial arts?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean. What does it mean to be jealous of someone else?”
Ordinary people experienced frustration while learning martial arts.
They blamed themselves.
When they encountered someone more talented than themselves, they felt the existence of a wall and sometimes became jealous or envious.
But Jang Woo-hyun’s talent had never truly shown him a proper wall before.
Whenever a wall appeared, he did not merely overcome it—he smashed through it entirely and broke past his limits.
Thus, the emotions he experienced were completely different from those of ordinary people.
The same applied to jealousy.
He had been too busy learning martial arts and stealing the martial arts of others.
When would he have had time to envy anyone?
“Your overwhelming talent became poison instead.”
“…….”
Since he did not fully understand Sama Jeong’s meaning, Jang Woo-hyun remained silent.
“As one lives in the martial world, everyone eventually loses. Whether in sparring or life-and-death combat. Defeat is natural. People suffer injuries and are blocked by walls. Sometimes they become discouraged after witnessing someone with overwhelming talent. But Martial Artist Jang never experienced such things. Because of your extraordinary talent, you simply kept running forward without ever once falling.”
Sama Jeong’s gaze rested upon Jang Woo-hyun.
His expression was gentle, like a grandfather looking upon his grandson.
“One can lose, and one can become discouraged. The important thing is what comes afterward.”
“Afterward……?”
“I mean what you choose to do next. Some people choose to give up. Others stand back up and run again. There are even those who continue forward slowly, even if they can no longer run.”
At the word give up, Jang Woo-hyun’s body twitched.
Because while walking alone through the city earlier, he had truly thought about stopping.
“Martial Artist Jang was injured, but you did not die. And surviving means there is still a next time.”
Because he was alive, he could rise once more.
Because he was alive, he could continue forward.
After listening to Sama Jeong’s words, Jang Woo-hyun, who had been standing still, tried to take another step forward.
To move ahead once more.
But another fear bound his feet.
Something caught him again, stopping him in place.
Sama Jeong immediately understood what was restraining him and spoke.
“Are you afraid of losing your comrades?”
Seeing the trembling in Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes, Sama Jeong smiled and shook his head.
“Trust your comrades.”
Sama Jeong continued in a gentle tone.
“Even judging only by the rumors I’ve heard, Martial Artist Jang possesses talent and strength worthy of standing among the greatest in the Central Heavens. Most of your companions are probably weaker than you.”
Jang Woo-hyun nodded in agreement.
Sama Jeong seemed almost like a prophet who knew everything.
“Comrades—and friends—are not defined by strength. If someone ignores those around them simply because they themselves are stronger, can those relationships truly be called friendship or companionship? Of course not. And the comrades traveling beside Martial Artist Jang all possess their own abilities. Trust them.”
Sama Jeong was right.
Jang Woo-hyun had failed to trust his companions.
Even though they were all more than capable.
Cho-su accomplished all the things Jang Woo-hyun could not.
Without Jin Ha-un in the Corpse-Blood Realm, they would have suffered greatly.
And escaping from Yong Cheon-myeong would have been impossible without the Wind-Passing Great Sage, Seon Tae-gyeong, and Yong Seo-hee.
“You may speak with your comrades and receive their help. That is what comrades are for.”
Even though he had always received help from others, he had arrogantly reached conclusions alone as though he were the center of the world.
-Even when I’m with my friends, I’m not scared! We’re the strongest!
Just as Hong-du had said, being together with comrades was the greatest thing.
Like a fool, Jang Woo-hyun had ignored those closest to him.
“And if you’re worried about the safety of your companions, then shouldn’t you simply become stronger? Martial Artist Jang should be more than capable of that.”
“Pardon? That’s… impossible.”
No one could do everything alone.
If that were possible, he would not have been agonizing like this.
Yet Sama Jeong burst into hearty laughter at Jang Woo-hyun’s response.
“Perhaps because you ascended from the Lower Realm, you still think as though you’re there. This is the Central Heavens.”
Kuuung!
The words Central Heavens spread like a shockwave.
At that moment, Jang Woo-hyun realized once again where he stood.
“This is a world where anything is possible.”
The Central Heavens Realm.
The place where those called immortals in the Lower Realm eventually arrived.
A world where myths and legends became reality, and dreams unfolded before one’s eyes.
This was the realm where people sought to ascend further and become gods themselves.
What, then, could possibly be impossible here?
Jang Woo-hyun had been mistaken.
As Sama Jeong said, he had been judging everything according to the standards of the Lower Realm.
Repeating the words “a world where anything is possible,” he thought of what he himself could do.
‘Protect everyone.’
Become stronger.
Move forward.
The moment he made that resolve, the chains binding his feet shattered apart.
The worries and fears blocking his path vanished.
Hwaaaaaak!
A massive wave of energy erupted from Jang Woo-hyun.
As he closed his eyes and breathed, the surrounding energy rushed toward him.
Kurururung!
A tremendous power stirred within his body.
The energy gathered in his dantian spread throughout every corner of his body.
Pudeudeuk!
With a cracking sound, the arm torn away regenerated completely.
The circulating energy swept through his body, washing away all negative emotions.
For a brief moment, a green aura flickered from Jang Woo-hyun’s head before vanishing.
The instant it disappeared, he realized something had been wrong.
‘This is…….’
What vanished just now had been another poison hidden by Yong Cheon-myeong.
The poison implanted by him had not been fully detoxified.
The green aura Hong-du pointed out referred to this very poison.
Because of Yong Cheon-myeong’s scheme, Jang Woo-hyun had trembled in fear and become consumed by negative thoughts.
Those emotions and actions had been completely unlike his usual self.
Realizing Yong Cheon-myeong’s trickery, Jang Woo-hyun let out a faint laugh.
Even someone who had stepped into the realm of gods still resorted to such petty methods.
It reminded him of when he fought the True Immortals before.
‘They aren’t omnipotent either.’
Neither the True Immortals nor the Six Heavenly Lords were invincible.
And if that was the case, then they were opponents he could eventually challenge.
Strengthening his fighting spirit, Jang Woo-hyun raised his regenerated arm and clenched his fist.
Kugugugugu—
Just from clenching his hand once, the surrounding energy gathered into it.
It was different from before.
After ascending from the Corpse-Blood Realm and experiencing Yong Cheon-myeong’s Microcosm, he had grown even further.
“Huhuhu. Astonishing, truly astonishing. At this rate, even the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord may have been shocked by Martial Artist Jang’s talent.”
At Sama Jeong’s words, Jang Woo-hyun smiled and performed a proper martial salute.
Now that both his arms had fully recovered, he could finally complete the gesture properly.
“I am Jang Woo-hyun of the Demon-Slaying Corps. I owe Great Hero Sama a tremendous debt. If you ever require my strength, I will help without hesitation. Thank you!”
“What help could an old man like me possibly have given? Martial Artist Jang would have realized all this yourself before long. Then tell me—what do you intend to do now?”
At the question, Jang Woo-hyun smiled.
It was a completely different expression from before.
Now, it overflowed with confidence.
Enough that even those watching him felt uplifted.
“I intend to train. I’ll become strong enough to protect everyone. And then.”
“And then?”
“I will challenge the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord again.”
“Uahahahahaha!”
At the provocative declaration that he would challenge one of the Six Heavenly Lords, Sama Jeong burst into loud laughter.
The heavens of the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
The supreme beings said to have stepped into the realm of gods.
Even the Six Heavenly Lords had now become nothing more than destinations Jang Woo-hyun needed to reach.
The man who trembled in fear after being attacked by the Dragon Emperor Heavenly Lord Yong Cheon-myeong was now gone.
Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes brimmed with confidence, and his once-weakened body now overflowed with compressed energy.
The very ground trembled beneath the pressure of his aura.
It was difficult to believe a person could change so completely in such a short moment.
‘So this is the true Cheonrin Sword Alliance.’
Jang Woo-hyun had become the hottest name in the Central Heavens Martial Realm.
Famous enough that even Sama Jeong, living in the distant outskirts, knew of him.
“It won’t be easy. Are you certain?”
“The path I’ve walked until now has never once been easy.”
Sama Jeong felt as though Jang Woo-hyun himself shone with light.
“Indeed. Now you finally resemble the Cheonrin Sword Alliance I heard about in all those rumors, huhuhuhu.”
Laughing warmly, Sama Jeong stepped forward and grabbed Jang Woo-hyun’s hand.
Jang Woo-hyun felt some sort of energy pass into him from Sama Jeong’s hand.
Since it was not a negative force, he accepted it.
“I offer you this small assistance, so please make good use of it.”
“What is this?”
“There is a rather unique training ground within the institute. I’ve granted you permission to enter it, so I hope you’ll visit it at least once.”
“I’ve only received help from you. I haven’t been able to repay you in any way……”
“It’s fine. If Martial Artist Jang becomes stronger and stabilizes the Central Heavens Martial Realm, then would that not itself be a blessing? So do not feel too burdened.”
After repeatedly thanking Sama Jeong, Jang Woo-hyun returned to the Thousand-Year Seeking Dao Institute.
---
“Institution Master!”
A middle-aged man approached Sama Jeong, who had been staring for a long time in the direction where Jang Woo-hyun disappeared.
“The Heavenly Lord has returned!”
Despite the man’s call, Sama Jeong gave little reaction.
“Institution Master?”
“I heard you. So the Heavenly Lord has returned.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you run all the way here just to tell me? You could have used a Sound Transmission Talisman or a Dharma Treasure.”
At Sama Jeong’s words, the middle-aged man slightly furrowed his face.
“You were the one who ordered it.”
“I did?”
“Yes. You said not to lazily lie around while reporting things and to move using our own feet. Honestly, it’s extremely inconvenient, isn’t it? It takes forever too. So maybe now we should go back to—”
“That’s enough, you brat. Consider it part of your training and keep running around.”
“……Understood.”
“What’s with that tone? Are you rebelling against me right now?”
“Pardon? No? How could I possibly do that? Absolutely not!”
The middle-aged man shouted loudly in denial.
“That’s enough. You’re noisy, so quiet down.”
“But Institution Master, what are you doing out here? You said you wanted to see the Cheonrin Sword Alliance, so when were you planning to meet him?”
“I already met him.”
“When? The Sword Alliance should still be inside the institute.”
“When fate connects people, they are bound to meet.”
“Ah…….”
The middle-aged man let out a small sigh and frowned.
He simply could not understand those kinds of words no matter how many times he heard them.
“What?”
“It’s just that you started talking like you’re grabbing clouds again, so I didn’t want to hear it.”
As Sama Jeong raised his arm at the cheeky response, the middle-aged man quickly jumped backward.
“But after meeting the Sword Alliance, how was he? Was he truly as impressive as the rumors claim?”
The middle-aged man swiftly changed the topic.
“He was a genius who only knew how to run. He did not know how to fall and rise again.”
“Pardon? What exactly do you mean by that all of a sudden…….”
“I grabbed his hand and helped him stand back up. Now what happens next is up to him. Whether he sits down again or starts running once more.”
“You’re talking about things only you understand again.”
“That’s enough. Let us return now.”
While looking toward the place where Jang Woo-hyun once stood, Sama Jeong muttered quietly.
“Perhaps he won’t merely run anymore. He may even begin to fly.”
Sama Jeong, the Institution Master of the Thousand-Year Seeking Dao Institute and the Foresighted One.
A remarkable eccentric famous not for overwhelming martial prowess, but for his extraordinary insight.
That was the true identity of the old man who helped Jang Woo-hyun today.
Through this new connection, Jang Woo-hyun once again grew stronger.