Whether for a mage or a martial artist, growth was more important than anything else.
That was why they became bloodshot in their search for elixirs and why they entered life-or-death battles just to grasp a single line of enlightenment.
In such a situation, one wouldn’t even begrudge giving their life to a benefactor who helped them break through a wall that had blocked them for several years and allowed them to enter the 3rd Circle.
In reality, the next stage of cultivation was a realm that some might never reach even if they sacrificed their lives.
“I am not one to brag, but I am a man who has even repaid his debt to Baek Woon-ho. Although I grumbled a bit, please see me as someone with that much loyalty.”
Zerok had been captured by the bandit Baek Woon-ho and forced into a debt of life, but even after a long time had passed, he had eventually repaid it.
“Well… yes. If that makes you feel more comfortable, then do so.”
“Thank you!”
Lee Tae-sung did not refuse when the other party adopted such an attitude.
Having a mage owe him a favor was a good card that he could use well one day.
—
As they moved through the underwater cave and defeated a few naturally occurring monsters, it didn’t take long for them to reach the end.
A wide-open cavern appeared.
The passage leading here had been quite wide, but the cavern was much larger.
It was so vast that it made one wonder how such a thing could exist here.
Baek Woon-ho carefully examined the walls, stroking them with his palms.
“Hah. Truly a monster. It looks like the entire interior of the rock was carved out.”
The underwater cave they were in was located inside a cliff beneath the sea.
The interior, which should have been solid, was empty as if a giant spoon had hollowed it out.
Baek Woon-ho clicked his tongue in amazement.
At the same time, a sense of longing flickered in his eyes.
For someone tracing the footsteps of the Flame Emperor, the hope of reaching such a realm was a powerful driving force.
‘…’
Lee Tae-sung was also surprised.
Was it because of the state of the cave?
He was surprised by that, too, but it didn’t really catch his eye.
Rather, it was the letters covering the walls and ceiling that became visible when he focused his vision!
As he stared at them, a notification appeared before his eyes.
**[Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art — Latter Half (Legendary)]**
– Grade: Rank 6 Hybrid Mana Circulation Method
– Characteristics: The latter half of the Flame Emperor’s exclusive Hybrid Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art. Entry is impossible if one hasn’t mastered the first half.
– The rank has decreased by one because it is limited to the latter half.
It was exactly what he had been looking forward to.
“Is that it? The latter half of the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art?”
“That is correct.”
“I can’t understand a single thing,” Baek Woon-ho muttered.
He also saw the secret oral instructions written in the cavern a beat later, but since he hadn’t learned the first half, it felt like a sequence of unintelligible characters to him.
*Ding!*
**[Would you like to learn the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art — Latter Half (Legendary)?]**
**[32 Skill Points are required]**
Lee Tae-sung smirked.
‘Heh. As expected, the fruits go to the prepared.’
Tae-sung was the one who had played the biggest role in the Mortu Nocturn Branch and had been lucky enough to personally kill the Branch Manager.
He had leveled up significantly back then, and upon being promoted to a Special-class Disciple, he had received a large amount of skill points as a reward from the Flying Dragon Clan.
Thanks to that, he was able to learn it immediately without struggling for skill points.
*Ding!*
**[You have acquired a new skill]**
Skill: Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art — Latter Half
Notifications appeared simultaneously in the real-world and in Dream World.
*Ding!*
**[You have already mastered the first half of the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art.]**
**[You have acquired the complete Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art.]**
**[Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art (Legendary)]**
– Grade: Rank 7 Hybrid Mana Circulation Method
“!”
At that moment, Tae-sung felt as if a bomb had exploded in his head.
The essence of the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art, which would normally take several years of agonizing study to master, flowed into his mind and was understood in an instant.
A sense of exhilaration, as if his spirit were floating, washed over him.
A state of selflessness.
It was a fortuitous encounter that might come once in a lifetime to a lucky martial artist.
Tae-sung naturally sat down in a cross-legged position, and Baek Woon-ho and Zerok began to stand guard in front of and behind him.
A mana circulation method was the foundation for a martial artist or a Hybrider pursuing martial arts.
Although he hadn’t realized it himself, he was able to understand a Rank 7 Hybrid method thanks to the skill, and thus, Tae-sung’s realm naturally rose a level.
How much time had passed?
When Tae-sung opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashed within them.
“…”
Standing up, he drew his sword.
A faint white flame mixed with holy power rose around his body, and a powerful energy grew along the blade.
Sword Qi!
He hadn’t activated the Heavenly Net Flame Hand or summoned Ashaka to create a light sword, but the energy blooming from the sword was powerful enough to not be pushed back compared to those times.
“Congratulations. In martial arts terms, you have entered the late stage of the First-class realm. When I first saw you, I thought there was no fledgling like you, but your growth rate is ridiculous. I suppose I should say, as expected. You truly are the legitimate successor.”
“Oh… thank you.”
Tae-sung responded to Baek Woon-ho’s words with a dazed expression.
To be honest, he hadn’t imagined he would gain enlightenment so suddenly.
It still didn’t feel real.
“However, since you aren’t in the Peak Realm, your body won’t be able to handle it if you keep using full Sword Qi. You have many other means, so it’s better to use it only when absolutely necessary.”
If he pulled out Sword Qi at any time, the mana consumption would be too high, and above all, it would put a strain on his body.
Bones, muscles, ligaments, and the mana roads through which mana passed…
Impact would gradually accumulate and could later grow beyond control.
Therefore, he always had to be careful.
One could only use Sword Qi without burden from the Peak Realm and above.
“Thank you for the advice.”
“It was nothing.”
“Master Zerok, thank you for guarding me as well.”
“It was only natural for me to do so.”
After greeting Baek Woon-ho and Zerok in turn, they began to search the cavern again.
—
The cavern didn’t just contain the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art instructions written by the Flame Emperor.
In a corner, there were old daily necessities, suggesting the Flame Emperor had stayed there for a while.
Emergency rations that looked like grain pills, sealed water, various bits of trash…
Naturally, since they were hundreds of years old, the food was inedible, and the trash was on the verge of rotting away.
“What is this? Is it something the Flame Emperor used?”
Baek Woon-ho picked up a single glove rolling around on one side.
This, too, was old and the fabric was worn out; it wasn’t an artifact, just an ordinary glove.
It looked useless because it seemed like it would tear immediately if used…
‘Oh? That really is the Flame Emperor’s.’
Abeson popped out and spoke.
“Are you sure?”
‘Yes. I remember it because the design is a bit unusual. He was definitely wearing those gloves when I met him.’
“!”
Tae-sung’s eyes sparkled as he carefully picked up the glove.
‘They definitely said any item used by the Flame Emperor during his life would work, right?’
This was the condition set by the Golden Altar of Alchemy, which held a grudge against the Flame Emperor.
They had said that if he brought back a treasure stolen by the Flame Emperor or an item he used, they would hand over secrets that the Golden Altar of Alchemy did not release to the outside.
Since they said they wanted it for ancestral rites, they might accept a glove like this.
Even though it was a rotting item, it didn’t pose much of a problem for performing a rite.
Then, he suddenly locked eyes with Baek Woon-ho.
“Uh… would you like to have this?”
Tae-sung asked, feeling as though he was taking too much for himself.
He had gained the complete Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art, but Baek Woon-ho had not.
Baek Woon-ho was the one who found this hideout, yet he had gained nothing.
Baek Woon-ho frowned.
“Are you joking? What would I use that trash for?”
“…”
To Tae-sung, it was a precious treasure, but to Baek Woon-ho, it was worth less than junk.
—
Although he didn’t know if the Golden Altar of Alchemy would accept it, Tae-sung tucked the Flame Emperor’s glove carefully into his chest.
He would have to take it there once he returned to Elleun.
After that, the three of them explored the cavern for a long while longer, and after scouring the entire place, they returned to Arcanos.
The three of them stood on an empty pier as waves crashed against it.
Tae-sung glanced at Baek Woon-ho.
“…I’m sorry.”
In the end, they hadn’t gained anything more from the cavern.
Tae-sung had obtained the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art and entered the late First-class realm, and Zerok had become a 3rd Circle mage, but only Baek Woon-ho remained the same.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s just that my luck only went this far.”
However, Baek Woon-ho was composed.
From the beginning, he didn’t think it would be easy to chase the traces of the Flame Emperor, who was the greatest under heaven several hundred years ago.
He would waste a lot of effort and experience countless frustrations.
He had jumped into this path with all of that prepared.
Although he was disappointed this time, Baek Woon-ho had already carved into his heart that things could always turn out this way.
“I plan to go to Paleten.”
The clue left by the Flame Emperor at Chimgeom Mountain said that the Flame Emperor would leave another hideout in one of three places: Cheonghwa Fortress, Arcanos, or Paleten.
Since there was nothing at Cheonghwa Fortress and they had seen everything in Arcanos, he now planned to visit Paleten, the last remaining clue.
“Since there was a hideout here, there’s a high possibility that there’s nothing in Paleten.”
“That may be so, but if there’s even a slight possibility, I plan to go. Because there are no other clues.”
“If that’s the case… I hope you find a fortuitous encounter.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you again later.”
After saying that, Baek Woon-ho changed back into his herb gatherer’s clothes and headed out of the city.
He planned to move while securing travel expenses by traveling through the mountains.
Baek Woon-ho leaped away, using his Lightfoot Technique.
“Call me whenever you need my help. I’ll drop everything and come running, no matter what I’m doing.”
Tae-sung also said his goodbyes to Zerok and parted ways.
However, Tae-sung did not depart for Elleun.
‘Can we go now?’
“Yes.”
Another purpose for coming here: following the traces of Abeson’s son, Leo.
‘What’s here is the entrance to the Water Spirit Realm. I discovered it by chance during my travels.’
Leo was presumed to be collecting Spirit Essences.
Therefore, he would have gone to another Spirit Realm, and Tae-sung came here to another Spirit Realm entrance to follow those traces.
*Splash*
Tae-sung dove back into the sea.
The entrance to the Water Spirit Realm was underwater.
As his mana flow had become much more intense after mastering the complete Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art, the time he could hold his breath underwater had increased.
Since it wasn’t a very deep place, he didn’t even need Underwater Breathing Magic like before.
Tae-sung swam forward carefully.
‘It’s here.’
Following Abeson’s guidance, he arrived at a place where there were countless seaweeds under the sea.
It looked like nothing at first glance, but as he pushed through the seaweeds and went inside, only then did the entrance to the Water Spirit Realm appear.
There was a background that felt detached, with no current felt, as if it were the boundary of another dimension.
‘Leo, that child was originally kind…’
Abeson, looking at the entrance to the Spirit Realm, muttered as if his heart were heavy.
Tae-sung made thorough preparations.
He drew his sword, ready to manifest Sword Qi at any time, and even summoned Ashaka to perch on his shoulder.
He said he shouldn’t manifest Sword Qi recklessly, but now was the time to do so.
As he pushed the Heavenly Fire Holy Law Art to its limit, a faint white light bloomed around him.
He was just about to touch the Water Spirit Realm in that state.
*Swoosh*
“!”
At that moment, the Spirit Realm fluctuated violently, and a Water Spirit popped out from within.
The creature, in the shape of a translucent fish, looked at Tae-sung and was horrified.
‘Fl-Flame Emperor!! Have you come again because you’re short on living sacrifices!!’
“…?”
‘Uuugh… I will offer one lower-tier spirit as a sacrifice again this time. Please, overlook us with this for now…’
The Water Spirit spoke in a sorrowful voice.
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