Chapter 318: Wudang Sect (1

A few days prior…

At the foot of Mount Yongzhong, far from the main entrance, where the Zhuge Clan's estate was located…

…a hidden figure watched as a group of horsemen and carriages exited through the life gate of the formation surrounding the estate.

'Such a large group leaving at once… The Murim Alliance gathering is soon, isn't it?'

The figure, completely concealed, evaded the detection of the Zhuge Clan spellcasters who periodically scanned the area. He remained hidden until the group had completely left, confirming several times that no one remained before slowly rising.

"Haa, as expected of the Zhuge Clan. I almost got caught."

A middle-aged man in worn and tattered robes, who had been lying prone among the bushes, dusted himself off and sighed softly. He stretched his stiff limbs. Cheonggwan, the spellcaster from the Mosan Sect, glanced at the Zhuge Clan's formation and frowned slightly.

'I didn't sense anything unusual from the group that just left. Is it still within the Zhuge Clan's estate?'

It had been a while since he arrived here, following the trail of the unusual elemental power he had sensed emanating from the pirates at Dongting Lake. While the Mosan Sect was comparable to the Zhuge Clan in terms of spellcasting prowess, it was impossible for him, a mere spellcaster, to infiltrate their heavily fortified estate. So, he could only observe from afar…

'This is strange. They shouldn't be this quiet, judging by their past actions.'

But despite the passage of time, he still hadn't found any concrete clues. There were no significant reports from his colleagues dispatched to other regions either.

"Hahaha, perhaps it wasn't here after all? Maybe it was Mount Wudang? But the connection seems stronger here… Did Bindo make a mistake?"

But he couldn't just give up now. He sighed and retrieved various ritual tools from his backpack. It seemed this wouldn't be over quickly.

And a few days later…

…another otherworlder appeared far from the Zhuge Clan's estate and began his activities, but…

…Cheonggwan, still preoccupied with his investigation, and everyone else in this world, remained unaware.

"Hmm, this should be enough. Shall we move on to the next location?"

Finding a hidden vault within the rubble of a collapsed building was a trivial task for Harley, whose senses were already beyond the realm of ordinary humans. He could sense the ground's composition through vibrations and see through objects with his Qi sense.

Valuables filling his 「Subspace Storage」, secret manuals sent to Hubert for analysis, and several high-quality corpses sent to Hans after careful selection…

Having finished his cleanup, he left the scene with a light heart, pleased with the bountiful harvest.

And a short while later…

…a group of five or six people in Daoist robes cautiously approached the ruins.

"…What in the world…?"

"Huh, is this really the Shura Sect?"

"There's nothing left intact. Then their words were true…"

They looked around the completely devastated sect grounds in disbelief. They had come to verify the unbelievable rumors, but the reality was far worse than they had imagined. Their expressions hardened.

Collapsed buildings, ravaged earth, corpses scattered everywhere, and pools of blood… The scene vividly depicted the brutal battle that had taken place. And…

"Senior brother, look at this."

"…The bodies are gone."

"Yes, it doesn't seem like many, but judging by the remaining traces, they only took the bodies of the strongest."

"They wouldn't have bothered burying them in this situation."

Their unease intensified as they examined the scene.

"There are signs of someone rummaging through the rubble here! They were looking for something…"

"Was their objective to steal something the Shura Sect possessed?"

"Even so, to do all this alone…? Perhaps there were other accomplices?"

"…But the remaining traces match the testimonies…"

A shadow fell over their faces. The dazed testimonies of the survivors echoed in their minds.

A muscular giant in bizarre attire, his maniacal laughter, the sect crumbling before him, and the desperate last stand of their experts… Their consistent accounts were too detailed to be dismissed as a misunderstanding.

"…Senior brother, shouldn't we join the Zhuge Clan? I heard they're not far from here."

"I agree. A monster capable of single-handedly destroying the Shura Sect is on the loose. It would be safer…"

"…Let's return. Our master will decide."

The Daoists of the Wudang Sect bowed their heads respectfully towards the scene of the tragedy and turned to leave, to rejoin their main group and report the situation.

Having confirmed the facts, the Wudang Sect decided to contact the Zhuge Clan.

This led to the two factions' envoys, who had maintained a wary distance despite their previous exchanges, joining forces.

"Huh, the Shura Sect?"

"So that's why it's been so quiet. That happened?"

"If that's true, aren't we in danger too? The Shura Sect Leader, Gwangakpae, is a Transcendent Realm expert. If someone destroyed his sect, even our combined forces might not be enough…"

"But we can't just do nothing. We have to…"

Amidst the slightly chaotic atmosphere following the Wudang Sect's sudden contact…

…Hugo, having grasped the situation with his heightened senses, nodded slowly.

'…So that's what happened.'

In short…

'This is my fault.'

He scratched the back of his neck, feeling awkward. The Wudang Sect and the Zhuge Clan weren't far apart, about a hundred kilometers as the crow flies. Their paths inevitably overlapped, so it wasn't surprising that they discovered the traces of Harley's rampage. They could have joined forces and traveled together if they had wanted to.

'Well, there must be a reason they didn't. Anyway, those are the Wudang Sect's martial artists.'

He glanced at the leaders of the two factions, conversing in the distance. A middle-aged Daoist with a refined appearance, speaking to a Zhuge Clan elder with a serious expression.

'…Transcendent Realm? As expected of the Wudang Sect, one of the two pillars of the orthodox Murim. Even their envoy leader is on a different level.'

While the Zhuge Clan wasn't known for its martial prowess, the difference was stark. He wouldn't have noticed it before, but thanks to his recently acquired 「Heavenly Body」, his Qi sense had greatly improved, allowing him to roughly gauge their level.

'The skill is effective. The absorption rate of the elixirs I've been storing has increased tenfold. If this continues…'

As he was feeling pleased with himself…

"······!"

…his eyes met those of the Wudang Sect elder.

Tingle—

His senses tingled, and goosebumps rose on his skin. He felt like he had been scanned in an instant. He quickly averted his gaze, forcing a smile.

'…I should have managed my gaze better.'

He had been careless, still brimming with the energy from his recent victory against the Transcendent Realm Shura Sect Leader.

'But that was Harley. Hugo is still far from that level.'

While the Peak Master Realm transcended human limitations, the Transcendent Realm was the limit of human potential. He wasn't a match for them yet.

Not yet.

'Well, Hugo hasn't learned anything other than martial arts from Ganghwange. …But the Wudang Sect. If I play my cards right…'

The elder wasn't just from the Wudang Sect, one of the two pillars of the orthodox Murim; he was also a Transcendent Realm expert. Observing him from close range would be a valuable opportunity.

'My understanding of martial arts isn't enough to grasp everything immediately, but there are plenty of other learning materials here.'

The Wudang Sect elder finished his conversation and returned to his group. Hugo, carefully managing his gaze and expression, observed him discreetly.

'I wonder if they have anything good.'

He had already examined the Zhuge Clan martial artists' techniques, but they weren't very appealing. While he gained some useful insights from their unique formations that combined formations and spells, his current priority was pure martial arts. In that sense, the Wudang Sect experts were perfect targets.

'Don't be stingy. Share your knowledge.'

They were still more than halfway to the Shaolin Temple. And creating the necessary opportunities wasn't difficult for Hugo.

"Haa— What a shame."

After speaking with the Zhuge Clan…

…Elder Unyeongjin, the Wudang Sect elder, returned to his group and shook his head, sighing.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem…?"

One of the martial artists accompanying him tilted his head in confusion, but the elder didn't answer, his eyes closed as he recalled the young man he had just seen. Excellent physique, honed by rigorous training, and surprisingly deep internal energy for his age, likely due to consuming a large quantity of elixirs.

But what was most impressive was his unique constitution, seemingly in harmony with the world's energy. It reminded him of the legendary Ethereal Body, said to transcend the limits of internal energy by becoming one with the world.

'Of course, he can't compare to that yet, but if that young man continues to grow and transcends his limits, who knows…'

That was why he felt such a sense of loss. He would undoubtedly become a pillar of his sect, but judging by the situation, the Zhuge Clan was grooming him. While they were both part of the orthodox Murim, they were still competitors. He felt envious, especially in these uncertain times.

'…But his arrogance is a problem.'

As a practitioner of the Wudang Sect's internal energy cultivation technique, which emphasized mental discipline, he could sense it. The young man didn't seem to respect him… or anyone else present. It wasn't outright disdain, but a subtle condescension, like an adult observing a child's antics. Such an attitude wasn't befitting a young man, unless he was a detached, absolute master who had reached the Peak Master Realm.

'He wouldn't be alive if he met someone with a bad temper. The Zhuge Clan must treasure him.'

Perhaps they sent him to this gathering to temper his arrogance, to expose him to the world and hopefully quell his pride, as his talent was too precious to waste.

"Haha, I'd like to see his skills…"

Elder Unyeongjin muttered, stroking his beard. He was intrigued by the young man. He didn't know if he would become a future leader or be crushed by his own talent, but… he wanted to see his current level.

"I wish I had an opportunity…"

He reached the same conclusion as someone else, but it remained to be seen whose will would prevail.