Chapter 319: Wudang Sect (2)

Deep within the Three Gorges region, located at the westernmost edge of Henan Province, bordering Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces…

…a lone house stood in a secluded mountain valley. A tranquil mountain, strangely devoid of bandits or refugees hiding in the forest.

Inside the house, an old man with a sage-like appearance stroked his long, white beard and spoke.

"…Tell me again."

"As you command."

A man in his late thirties, kneeling on one knee, his presence faint like a ghost, repeated his report in a monotone.

"The Zhengjian Sect, Guihonggak, Shura Sect, and even the Black Ox Gang in southern Henan Province have fallen. The surrounding factions are wary, and the conflicts in the area have temporarily ceased."

The old man stopped stroking his beard and closed his eyes, lost in thought. Henan was heavily influenced by the Shaolin Temple, one of the most powerful orthodox factions. He had been instigating various groups, both orthodox and unorthodox, to destabilize the region and challenge the Shaolin Temple's authority…

'It's just a few sects in southern Henan. It won't significantly affect my plans, but… something bothers me.'

The sudden appearance of an unknown variable amidst the otherwise smoothly progressing situation…

…the mysterious grotesque…

…irritated the old man, who always strived for perfection.

"The culprit?"

"After slaughtering Gwangakpae of the Shura Sect, he destroyed the Black Ox Gang and vanished."

"Have you identified him?"

"We're having difficulty obtaining a detailed description due to his striking appearance. Based on his attire, he's likely from the southern barbarian tribes, but we believe he's deliberately disguising himself."

"Hmm…"

Few would have dared to look directly at such a powerful individual, and the survivors' memories were mostly focused on his distinctive features. There was no information to identify him.

'And that mysterious master who eradicated the pirates of Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River… What's going on?'

He thought there were no more hidden masters after the long period of chaos. Where did these powerful individuals, at least at the peak of the Transcendent Realm, suddenly come from? It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere…

'No, that's impossible. It's more likely that the Golden Island is involved.'

The old man stroked his beard again. There were no 'true' otherworlders left in this world. At most, there were a few settlers who had abandoned their powers.

"However, there's one noteworthy detail…"

As the old man pondered…

…the kneeling man spoke again.

"He called himself Mad Demon."

"…Hoo, Mad Demon?"

The old man's voice was laced with interest. He knew of Mad Demon. A skilled wanderer, infamous for his violent and reckless behavior, earning him a demonic title despite being neither orthodox nor unorthodox. He had rejected all offers to join any sect and even displayed hostility towards them.

For someone to claim to be him—

"Of course, it's not the real one. We've confirmed that Mad Demon has been active in Jinju, Hebei Province, recently."

—meant it was an imposter. Or a true madman who didn't care about reputation or public perception. The old man slowly nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"This is fortunate. We can use this. Leak this information to Mad Demon in Hebei. Knowing his personality, he won't ignore someone impersonating him."

"As you command."

"There's no need for us to intervene directly. Information is always valuable."

And so, thanks to their machinations, a match between the 'self-proclaimed Mad Demon' and the 'real Mad Demon' was set. A title match to determine the true owner of the moniker.

"The timing coincides with our upcoming plan. Have you finalized the target location? The candidates for the sacrifice…"

"Yes. The most important one is…"

The two continued their suspicious conversation. A sinister plot, born from the darkness engulfing Ganghwange, began to unfold.

After the Zhuge Clan and Wudang Sect joined forces…

…their peaceful journey didn't last long.

"Attack! This is our chance to crush the orthodox factions! Kill them all!"

"Uwaaaah! Aaargh!"

"You fools, charging in like moths to a flame! I'll purify you all!"

The attacks resumed, as if they had just been waiting for this. Perhaps alerted to their alliance, various groups of martial artists, clad in different attire, attacked them relentlessly.

"Even now, these barbarians haven't learned their lesson. I shall guide them to the Heavenly Emperor."

"Deploy the Great Dipper Formation! Show these fools the power of the Zhuge Clan!"

Elder Unyeongjin of the Wudang Sect and Elder Zhuge Gi of the Zhuge Clan stepped forward, shouting commands.

Amidst the renewed chaos, Hugo's eyes gleamed. This situation was partly orchestrated by him, so there was no reason to be surprised.

'…I can finally observe the Wudang Sect's combat style.'

The Wudang Sect, a Daoist martial arts sect, pursued softness, harmony, and balance. These principles were reflected in their martial arts, which often emphasized using softness to overcome hardness. Of course, there were always exceptions.

'It's not time to think about that yet. Let's take things one step at a time.'

But he couldn't just stand around and watch. He had to participate in the battle to avoid being questioned later.

'Well, I'm used to multitasking.'

Perhaps this would even be beneficial for his training.

Whoosh—

Energy surged through Hugo's body, enhanced by 「Heavenly Body」, and his thoughts accelerated, the surrounding environment slowing down. He tightened his grip on his sword hilt, bowed slightly, and took a heavy step forward, his gaze fixed on his opponent.

As if wading through water.

Thud—

"······!"

An enemy martial artist, previously far away, was suddenly right in front of him. His eyes widened, and his mouth opened in surprise.

But before he could speak, Hugo's sword had already sliced through his throat.

"Gurk…!"

He left the collapsing enemy behind and scanned the battlefield.

'This is my current limit. Still not enough.'

Enemies dying in confusion, trapped within the Zhuge Clan's massive formation infused with spellcasting; Elder Unyeongjin pushing back his opponents with an overwhelming barrage of attacks; and the Wudang Sect disciples, moving in groups of seven, wielding their swords in a complex formation.

'Seven… Is that the legendary Seven Star Sword Formation?'

He was momentarily captivated, but it wasn't something he needed. While the formation was effective, it was designed for humans fighting humans. And it wasn't designed to counter flying opponents.

'I could use it as a reference for creating a new formation, but… I need to focus on the basics.'

Clang—! Cling!

"Ugh, you brat…! How are you so strong…!"

"Haaa—"

He continued moving, even as he analyzed his surroundings, lost in thought. He fought relentlessly, his deep breaths a constant rhythm amidst the chaos. But his gaze, observing the battle, was focused on something else entirely.

'I can see it.'

His heightened senses, further enhanced by 「Heavenly Body」, combined with 「Hypersensitivity」 and 「Insight」, absorbed information about his surroundings. While it wasn't enough for 「Mimicry」, which required 'understanding'…

'I'm not alone.'

Hans's wisdom, Heinz II's intuition, Heinrich's skill, Harley's instincts, Harris's experience… and Hubert's 「Analysis」, and Horus's 「Seeker of Mysteries」… all combined—

'I see. I'm starting to understand the principles.'

—and most of the martial arts he observed were instantly deconstructed and analyzed, their core principles extracted and adapted for his own use.

Throb—

His head throbbed and heated up from the strain of connecting with multiple avatars, but it was nothing compared to his enhanced durability.

'I don't need to copy everything perfectly.'

While it wasn't impossible, it would be inefficient and potentially risky. It was wiser to leave an escape route, at least for now.

'The key principles are what matter. I'll adapt the forms to suit my body and take only what I need.'

In that sense, the Wudang Sect's martial arts contained what he needed most. 'Softness', the core principle of the Wudang Sect, was the opposite of his Auterica-based martial arts.

'In Auterica, I had to prioritize destructive power to deal with monsters with thick hides and high HP.'

There might have been other styles, but he hadn't encountered them. And 'Aura' itself was an energy specialized for explosive power.

'But internal energy cultivated from Qi is different. It's essential for reaching a higher level as a martial artist in this world.'

There was a reason why Murim martial artists were considered specialists in one-on-one combat. Their versatile internal energy techniques and deadly skills gave them an overwhelming advantage against opponents of similar level.

'Of course, they're somewhat weaker against non-human races.'

Like how the Heavenly Demon, who had just returned from Ganghwange, was relatively weak against Hans.

Hugo's movements began to change. His previously heavy steps became lighter, and his swordsmanship, which had prioritized strength and speed, became softer and more fluid.

'I only lack understanding of martial arts and internal energy. In terms of pure combat, I have nothing to be ashamed of.'

Even with his limited knowledge of this world's martial arts, he was a specialist who had trained multiple Transcendent martial artists.

His breathing, previously a constant rhythm, began to change, subtly different from the Wudang Sect's breathing technique, despite its apparent similarity.

'Done. This should be enough.'

He smiled faintly at those who had provided him with knowledge and understanding and took a deep breath. He now understood the meaning of softness and harmony in their martial arts and how to apply them in combat.

And as if to congratulate him…

"The individual has met the conditions for growth. The skill 「Qi Martial Arts」 has evolved into the growth-type Special Skill 「Nameless Art」."

…a new message appeared before him.