Chapter 2571 – 2571. The Bright Ascension

I split open the white tiger’s corpse and pulled out its core.

I created water in the air and roughly washed the core, which was dripping with blood. Even so, it didn’t look very good. Moreover, the stench of blood was overwhelming. The energy within the core was murky and impure.

‘I can’t just consume it like this. I’ll have to refine it if I want to eat it. I could absorb the energy with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but… that’s too inefficient.’

The white tiger’s core was worse than I expected, which was disappointing.

“That demonic white tiger was a monster that cultivated with external methods, not orthodox ones. That’s why its core is so murky and evil. Be careful. The white tiger’s thoughts might be embedded in the core itself. Seek out a renowned Taoist or high priest to purify it.”

“If you’re talking about a renowned Taoist, there’s one right in front of me.”

“Haha. I certainly have a high rank… but I don’t know much about Taoist arts.”

For now, I put the white tiger’s core into my inventory. I plan to ask Mireong to purify it and then consume it with other elixirs. It doesn’t seem like it will greatly help with my cultivation level.

“Could you cut off the white tiger’s hide? It would be even better if you could cut off the bones and meat as well.”

“Why should I do that?”

“I’m not very good at using a knife. I don’t want to damage the hide. And didn’t you say you wanted to taste the white tiger’s meat? I’m a bit hungry, so let’s eat before we go.”

“……”

I took out the Hwaryeon Flying Blades and dissected the white tiger’s corpse. I peeled off the hide and separated the bones and meat.

“As expected, your swordsmanship is outstanding. There’s nothing to criticize.”

“How many times have I wielded a sword? I’d be pathetic if I couldn’t do this much.”

The Martial Alliance Leader took out a pot, cooking utensils, vegetables, salt, and other items from his spatial storage. He began to cook.

Actually, it was hardly cooking. He just threw the ingredients into a boiling pot. That was all.

‘Just looking at the cooking process makes me want to throw up.’

Still, since it’s white tiger meat, I have some expectations. Since the meat is extraordinary, perhaps it will have a deep flavor I don’t know about.

“It’s done. Try it.”

“……”

I put a piece of meat and some broth into my mouth with a spoon. And immediately spat it out.

“Ptoo. It tastes awful. Just adding salt doesn’t get rid of the meat’s fishy smell. And why is the meat so tough?”

“Hmm? Isn’t it incredibly delicious? Just eat it. It’ll give you some energy.”

“I’m not eating it.”

It feels like the smell of the meat is still lingering in my mouth. I rinsed my mouth several times with clean spring water and then took out Yuria’s homemade lunch box. It feels like my tongue is being purified.

‘As expected, people need to eat delicious things.’

The Alliance Leader, who was heartily tearing into the white tiger meat, stared at me intently.

“You always take out food to eat, even in brothels. I thought you were worried about poison… but it doesn’t seem like that. Is that food delicious? Give me a bite.”

I was about to tell him to fuck off, but I stopped. I wanted to let this uncivilized tongue know that there was heavenly cuisine. If I was going to be a jerk, I had to show him how amazing this was.

“Just one bite.”

I handed him a piece of steak. As soon as the Martial Alliance Leader put it in his mouth, his eyes widened. His pupils shook back and forth.

“This can’t be! I’ve never tasted such delicious meat before! Can’t you give me a little more?! Huh?!”

“Of course not.”

I ate the entire steak in front of the Martial Alliance Leader. For dessert, I drank the wine that Elena had recommended.

“…Is that wine? The fragrance reaches even here. Give me a glass. Wine is meant to be shared with friends.”

“The Martial Alliance has no friends.”

“Haha. We’re already friends.”

I ignored him and tried to drink the wine straight from the bottle. The Martial Alliance Leader, who had approached in an instant, snatched the wine bottle and put it to his own mouth.

“You son of a bitch.”

I, enraged, swung my sword at the Martial Alliance Leader. He deflected it with one hand.

“Kuh. This is a new kind of wine. The world is indeed vast. Thanks to you, I’m having a good experience. Thank you.”

“Do you think I’ll let it go with just a word after you stole my wine? Get ready to die, old man!”

A duel began.

And I couldn’t kill the Martial Alliance Leader. In a battle where I only used pure martial arts without resorting to my trump cards, I was bound to be pushed back.

• • •

The next day.

We rose into the sky again. I rode on a cloud, and the Alliance Leader rode on a blue crane. The ground was a mess. Mountains were collapsing, and the earth was overturned. But neither the Martial Alliance Leader nor I cared. It would all be sorted out eventually.

As we headed to Anhui Province, where the Namgung Clan was located, I asked the Martial Alliance Leader.

“Do you know anything about the immortal we saw yesterday? You’re from the Wudang Sect.”

“Just because I’m from the Wudang Sect doesn’t mean I know much about the immortal realm. Still, I probably know more than the Demonic Cult. Do you know that there are levels of cultivation even for immortals?”

“I do.”

Human Immortal ‣ Earth Immortal ‣ High Immortal ‣ Heavenly Immortal ‣ True Immortal ‣ Dao Heaven.

I spoke about the levels of immortals, the Immortal Realm, that I knew. These were the levels that appeared in the original work, ‘The Bright Ascension.’ However, since this world had changed quite a bit from the original work, the levels might be different in detail.

“Oh ho. That’s right. The six levels of immortals. It’s not a widely known fact, but you know it well. But do you also know that simply cultivating is not enough for an immortal to raise their level? I don’t know the details, but I’ve heard that achievements are important. And that when one becomes a Heavenly Immortal, they receive a name from the heavens.”

“So why are you suddenly bringing up the levels of immortals? Are you trying to give a lecture?”

“Aren’t you curious? What level of cultivation is needed for an immortal to directly interfere with the middle realm?”

“…Are you saying that guy yesterday was a Heavenly Immortal?”

“No. Even a Heavenly Immortal can’t interfere in the middle realm alone. It takes at least a True Immortal to do that. In other words, an absurdly powerful being is targeting you.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“Are you scared?”

“It’s actually a good thing. If they’re True Immortals, there will be fewer of them. It’ll be easier to pinpoint them.”

“Haha. That’s not easy either. True Immortal-level immortals are practically the rulers of the immortal realm. You’ve been targeted by such a great immortal.”

“Even so, they can’t directly lay a hand on me.”

“Do you have no intention of ascending to immortality? From what I see, with your talent, you’re more than capable of ascending.”

I frowned.

Since I knew that ascension was a trap, I had no intention of ascending. But you never know what might happen. There might be a reason to go to the immortal realm even without ascending. Thinking about that was a bit annoying.

“So who is that guy?”

“I don’t know either. The Wudang Sect does have a lineage of immortals, but… it’s a very old record. There’s no way to know what the current state of the immortal realm is. I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”

“……It’s fine. Have you ever heard of the Primordial Spirit?”

“Hmm? What’s a Primordial Spirit? Is it a type of ghost?”

“What about ascension?”

“Isn’t that another name for ascending to immortality? Is there something I don’t know?”

“Do you know about the Guardian Deities?”

“…Oh. That’s top secret. No, if you’re the Demonic Cult’s Little Heavenly Demon, you might know.”

“How do you know about it?”

“Haha. I am the leader of the venerable Martial Alliance. The Martial Alliance has a history as deep as the Demonic Cult. Guardian Deities. What you’re talking about isn’t the Four Symbols, but their clans. In the past, the Martial Alliance worked unofficially with them for the sake of the world. But why are you asking about them?”

“The guy who tried to eat me this time was a white tiger. Shouldn’t I assume it’s related to the white tiger clan?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure about that. I don’t know the details. Besides, they only appear when the world is in danger. After the Emperor established the Empire and restored order, their clan disappeared. I only know about them from records.”

“I see.”

It didn’t seem like he knew much. The Martial Alliance was a bit incompetent.

• • •

We arrived in Anhui Province.

I decided to walk into Anhui Province instead of heading straight to the Namgung Clan.

“Aren’t you going straight to the Namgung Clan?”

“If I go in right away, the Namgung Clan people will be surprised.”

“…I didn’t know you were capable of such consideration.”

“It’s not that I don’t know consideration. I know it, but I choose not to do it.”

“Isn’t that worse…?”

“And the Namgung Clan is my in-laws’ place. I should give them some time to prepare to welcome me.”

The only reason I was visiting the Namgung Clan was because it was my in-laws’ place. If it weren’t for that, I would have just ignored them.

The Namgung Clan warriors guarding the entrance to Anhui Province had already been informed, as they immediately bowed in greeting when they saw me.

“Elder Seong! Welcome back!”

“The Alliance Leader is with you as well! We will inform the Clan Head! And we will guide you both!”

“It’s fine. Since it’s been a while, I’ll take a look around the city before going back.”

I walked through the city with the Martial Alliance Leader. Unlike me, who was indifferent, the Alliance Leader looked around like a country bumpkin.

“So this is Anhui Province. It’s indeed developed like a city of its level.”

It wasn’t just flashy.

I could see beggars begging in every corner. I frowned. I could feel it. A very unpleasant gaze was directed at me.

‘I was trying to control my temper.’

Rumble. Bang!

Lightning struck a beggar from the sky. The defenseless beggar died instantly. The people around were startled and gathered around the beggar.

“It’s divine punishment!”

“The heavens are angry and killed that beggar!”

“Wasn’t that guy begging like he was threatening people? Good riddance!”

The people weren’t afraid; they were happy to have something to watch.

“…You. Did you use lightning to kill that beggar?”

“That beggar glared at me first.”

“I felt energy from you, but I didn’t feel any killing intent… was it real?”

“Beggars are like insects. I tried to hold back because it’s Anhui Province, but… I couldn’t.”

“So you killed him like you would kill an insect without any killing intent? Hmm. That beggar wasn’t an ordinary beggar. He was a member of the Beggars’ Sect.”

“I know.”

“I think I know why the Beggars’ Sect is so furious at the mention of your name and tries to kill you.”

“Don’t you think it’s ridiculous that those beggar bastards act like martial artists? If they have the time to learn martial arts, they should work instead of begging.”

“…Originally, the Beggars’ Sect didn’t learn martial arts because they were beggars. It’s that martial artists who had no choice but to become beggars.”

“When are you talking about? It’s not like that now.”

“…That’s true.”

The current Beggars’ Sect forces people to be beggars in the name of tradition. The disciples of the Beggars’ Sect cannot have any other job.

“They’re trash who are perfectly healthy but don’t think about working and just learn martial arts like thugs and beg. They’re also filthy things that spread disease. If I were the Emperor, I would have wiped them all out or made them slaves… The Emperor is too lenient.”

“Hmm. You’re unpredictable.”

The Martial Alliance Leader followed behind me with a complicated expression.

This guy isn’t normal either. He didn’t even get angry when I killed a righteous martial artist. Maybe he was secretly displeased with the Beggars’ Sect.

And we arrived at the Namgung Clan.