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Chapter 327. Divine Spirit Hunt (2)
"Please...... don't lie."
Yang Ja-pyeong's eyes were trembling violently.
"Why would I lie?"
"......To sense the spiritual vein requires relentless time and effort, and an eternity of endurance in which one hurls oneself into suffering......"
"I'm telling you, I can sense it."
Еnūṁà
I shifted position slightly as I spoke.
"Here—there's a spiritual vein about this big flowing through, and over here, a thin one about this size. Am I wrong?"
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"......It took me three years just for the foundation......"
Yang Ja-pyeong, his spirit completely drained, muttered something incomprehensible.
Since asking him anything further felt a bit awkward, I began investigating on my own.
"How fascinating."
Е nuṁ a . і̂ d̊
Just as Yang Ja-pyeong had said, the Black Forest's spiritual vein permeated the entire forest.
Rather than thinning as it rose like air, the energy filled the space uniformly—from deep underground to the treetops—as though the space itself were a vessel cradling the spiritual vein.
'So that's the real reason Natural Formations spring up everywhere in the forest.'
It wasn't just animals and insects. Even the trees and roots absorbed the spiritual vein's energy.
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Those beings, having absorbed the spiritual vein's power, created phenomena unseen in the Central Plains.
And what formed in their place were Natural Formations.
Еňum а̌
I reached out and thrust my hand into a Natural Formation. The warping of space became vividly apparent.
'No wonder people can't find their way.'
Taking a single step forward made the phenomenon even more pronounced.
The spiritual vein beneath my feet said go left, but the visible path through the forest ran straight ahead.
The moment you followed the visual information and stepped forward, your sense of direction was lost.
Your directional sense didn't just waver—it was twisted entirely, rendering the level of one's martial prowess meaningless.
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Only the spiritual vein revealed the true direction and pointed toward the correct path.
The reason the Southern Fist Sect alone could manage the Black Forest.
"..............That can't be...... it's a lie......"
Yang Ja-pyeong, still unable to face reality, muttered to himself in a daze.
Just then—
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Е ǹüm̃ а .іd.
A series of massive explosions echoed from deep within the forest.
Until now, battle cries and falling trees had been audible, but never this loud.
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Even the dazed Yang Ja-pyeong rose to his feet and looked toward the source.
"One moment. I'll go check."
He unwound a thick rope from his waist, looped it around a tree, and scaled it at remarkable speed.
'Huh, he's nearly as fast as using the Flying Dragon Claw.'
W ė b nо́v̊е́ l Еnu m̌а
I was still admiring his peculiar Gecko Art when Yang Ja-pyeong descended moments later.
His expression was one of utter bewilderment.
"It seems...... they've encountered a Divine Spirit."
Then he glanced nervously at me.
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"What is it?"
"I'm worried...... you might suggest we go."
Е̃n̂ ū m̊ â . іd
Good grief, what did he take me for?
No matter how mad I was about Spiritual Medicine, what good was it if my life was in danger?
My junior brothers and teammates were here, besides.
I shook my head obediently.
"Don't worry. Didn't Sir Yang say clearly that it's dangerous? And the odds of a successful hunt are low."
"......That's right."
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"Then I'll trust Sir Yang."
"......"
Yang Ja-pyeong had apparently been fretting that, now that I could read the spiritual vein, I'd head off to hunt on my own.
Seeing his face relax, I asked once more.
"It really is dangerous, right?"
"......"
W еb̂ñ о̆ v̆ êl̄ Еǹ u mа
"And it's definitely too hard to hunt?"
"......"
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"They're bound to fail. Right?"
"......"
Yang Ja-pyeong wore an oddly transcendent expression.
Still, it was better to be sure.
Wе̂ b̀ no v е l Е̂n̆ um а
I asked again.
"Tell me they can't do it."
***
In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep.
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I cracked my eyes open and checked who was on watch. As scheduled, Eun Seol-ran was standing guard.
That was exactly why I'd woken at this hour.
Еǹ ūmа .i d̃
Seol-ran had the weakest sensory perception of the group.
I rolled over.
Then, suppressing my presence to the utmost, I began crawling forward.
Who'd have thought the belly-crawling I did on the battlefield would come in handy like this?
I felt a twinge of gratitude toward the Demonic Practitioners.
Next time I met them, I'd be sure to smash their skulls in.
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After covering about ten jang that way, I rose and deployed the Ghost-Breathing Step. Past thirty jang, I broke into the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art at full speed.
'It was definitely that way.'
Following the spiritual vein's flow rising from deep underground, I retraced the path we'd walked during the day.
When night fell on the already-dark Black Forest, truly nothing was visible.
Only the occasional glowing insect or flying bug dotted the darkness.
But this very fact made movement easier.
Е̄n u_ṁ ă. і d
With no visual confusion, all I had to do was follow the spiritual vein.
After roughly a quarter-hour of sprinting at full power, I arrived at the carcass of the Black-Red Serpent we'd hunted that afternoon.
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"Heh heh. I can find my way on my own now."
I moved a short distance away and dug up the earth where Yang Ja-pyeong had buried the poison core.
Scraping away a thin layer of soil revealed the poison core, glowing an ominous greenish light.
"Heh heh......"
Еnü ṁа .i̊ d̆
Ever since learning to read the spiritual vein, I'd been waiting impatiently for nightfall.
Now I could absorb poison cores to my heart's content, hidden from prying eyes.
Better yet, using the Azure Dragon Bracelet meant there was no need for Qi Circulation and Breathing to dissolve the cores.
Just swallow them and go—no one would suspect a thing.
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'I'll just say I went to take a piss.'
Thanks to that diligent effort, in under half a shichen, I'd absorbed the poison cores of the Vivid-Red Serpent, the Azure-Dark One-Horned Serpent, the One-Horned Monstrous Dragon, and the Three-Colored Venomous Toad.
Ẃ ѐ b̆ nо v e̊l̊ Е́n̂u m ã
"Is there a limit on how many I can do?"
I clenched and unclenched my left hand, testing the sensation.
The feeling in my fingers seemed slightly diminished.
It was like mild numbness in just the fingertips and palms.
It would probably take a bit of time for the sensation to return.
Still, the inner arts swelling in my qi center more than made up for a little numbness in the hands.
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So what if my hands were a bit numb?
It's not like I couldn't use them. And with more inner arts, I could smash someone's skull that much more easily.
"Heh heh heh."
The regret over the Divine Spirits was somewhat soothed by this.
That's right—better to safely build inner arts than do something reckless.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Ê nù m̄ ä .і̊.d́
In the distant forest, explosions erupted alongside a momentary flash of light.
"..............Right, safety first. Safety first."
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Yang Ja-pyeong was correct.
Divine Spirits couldn't be hunted.
Just look at the mess those fools were making.
The explosions shaking the entire forest had been going on for three days straight now. Day and night.
Ӗ n um а̄ . і d
No doubt there were those who'd gotten lost in Natural Formations during the hunt, and others with wounds severe enough to threaten their lives.
But the Divine Spirit dangling before their eyes made it impossible to quit.
"..............Yeah, this is right. This is the right call."
I forced my leaden feet to carry me back toward my companions.
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BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
Somehow, I didn't feel like using the Unrivaled under Heaven Movement Art, so I just walked.
Е́_ñ u ṁа. і̆ḋ
I followed the spiritual vein's flow as I walked back, which at least let me tune out the sounds of the Divine Spirit hunt quickly enough.
"What a godforsaken forest."
I was walking the exact same path I'd taken earlier, yet it had transformed into an entirely different route.
Moreover, not a single knife mark I'd left on my way out remained.
He began to wonder if it was even possible to exit this forest without reading the spiritual vein.
I drew on inner arts to heighten my Spirit sense.
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It strained my mind, but it made the spiritual vein far more vivid.
I'd considered asking Yang Ja-pyeong about this but decided against it.
He didn't seem to know, somehow.
Every time I asked about the spiritual vein, his expression went beyond skepticism to something that looked on the verge of tears.
Three years, he'd said. Well, I got it right away. Tsk.
Before long, the faintly perceived spiritual veins grew far more distinct.
Е́n_um а
I wasn't looking directly, yet I could sense the Black Forest filled to the brim with them.
Perceiving without seeing—what an extraordinary sensation.
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As I walked along, reading the spiritual veins, I noticed something I hadn't seen on the way out: a small, star-like light glowing on the ground.
'What's that?'
Approaching slowly, I found clusters of spiritual vein energy gathered together like gemstones, radiating light.
When I stopped reading the spiritual vein, the energy filling the Black Forest vanished along with the gathered light.
Е n ú m а́. і̇ d̊
And in the spot where the star-like glow had been, there lay a fruit resembling a cornelian cherry.
"Hmm......"
Yang Ja-pyeong's words came to mind.
[Most things in the Black Forest carry poison, so don't just stuff any old—...... never mind.]
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He'd cut himself off mid-sentence.
Probably wanted to warn about poison.
E n̆u̇m а.і d̊
Well, that didn't exactly resonate with someone already doing poison-resistance training.
"Heh heh......"
I used the Azure Dragon Bracelet to absorb one of the fruits.
'Ooh.'
A warm energy flooded my palm and was drawn into my qi center.
None of the chill typical of a poison core.
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'I might even be able to eat this.'
I plucked another fruit and popped it in my mouth. A moment later, a gentle warmth slowly rose from my stomach.
The same effect as what was commonly called Spiritual Medicine in the Central Plains.
"Well, if the Black Forest's spiritual vein affects everything, of course there'd be Spiritual Medicine like this."
On a hunch, I checked whether anything buried underground was glowing as I headed back toward my companions.
Wild ginseng and fleeceflower root typically grew underground, after all.
Е̌n̈u ṁ ӓ
'Nothing.'
I'd walked a considerable distance, scanning carefully, but hadn't found a single root of ginseng or fleeceflower root.
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The Black Forest truly was a wretched place.
Spiritual vein energy settled into cornelian cherry-like fruits but not into common ginseng or fleeceflower root.
What kind of capricious forest was this?
Complaints aside, the moment passed.
Wе_b ñǒ ṽ el Е ǹu̇m̃а
I used the Ghost-Breathing Step to slip carefully back into camp, when—
"Where have you been heading off......"
"Gah, you scared me."
"......Why so startled?"
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Yang Ja-pyeong was watching me intently from the darkness.
'Damn.'
Е́n̄ u̇ m a
The Ghost-Breathing Step's one flaw: it concealed your presence but not your form.
"Ah...... haha, just stepped out to relieve myself......"
"Using a Concealment Art?"
"Oh! I didn't want to wake anyone."
Surely this would come across as a considerate Academy Representative?
"......For an entire shichen?"
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Huh? Had that much time passed already?
While I tilted my head, Yang Ja-pyeong's voice dropped even lower.
"Where...... were you coming back from?"
Yang Ja-pyeong took one long stride closer.
Having warned about safety multiple times, he was clearly displeased that I'd been wandering the Black Forest on my own.
Hmm...... how to explain this.
W̆ еb̌ñо̌v̊ е̊l̇ Е̇ nůmа
I couldn't exactly say I'd gone to absorb poison cores.
'Ah!'
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The cornelian cherry fruits tucked in my robes came to mind just in time.
"Actually, I spotted these during the day, so I went back to pick them."
"What are those?"
"Fruits imbued with the spiritual vein's energy, it seems. They appear to help somewhat with inner arts cultivation."
W̌ ӗ b ń ov̄ёl _Е n ŭm ӑ
"......And you went out in the middle of the night to pick them?"
Fair point—it didn't make sense. Why go at night when he could've picked them during the day?
But someone who'd served in the Sojeong Squad, where lying was a daily affair, wouldn't be stumped by this level of crisis.
"The truth is, I wanted to do it away from the others' eyes."
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"Why?"
Yang Ja-pyeong's suspicion only deepened.
W̊е b̊n̂ ö.v̆ ё l Ӗn̄ ù mа̄
"Throughout all this, Sir Yang, the Spiritual Pills were only the size of millet grains, but you never ate a single one."
"......"
Since Yang Ja-pyeong hadn't contributed to the actual Demonic Beast hunts, he'd always excluded himself from the Spiritual Pill rotation.
That was the angle I exploited.
The best way to deflect suspicion was to plant a different suspicion entirely.
"It seemed like you couldn't eat because of the others watching, so I deliberately went out at night."
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"......"
Yang Ja-pyeong's fierce gaze wavered in a peculiar way.
"You've been working so hard for us—the least I could do was get you something like this."
And then it softened.
"......I'm, I'm fine......"
"Come now, when someone's showing this much sincerity......"
Е̃nu ṁ а
"No, really......"
"Are you going to keep making my thoughtfulness go to waste?"
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Seriously, stop being polite and just eat.
I needed him to look the other way, because I'd have to keep going out at night.
It was far better to make Yang Ja-pyeong tacitly let it slide.
"......A-all right, I'll try just one."
Е n̈ ŭ m̊a .і̄ d
Still uncertain, he placed one fruit in his mouth and chewed.
Then, as the effect hit, his eyes snapped wide open.
I nodded with a warm smile.
"Hurry and start your Qi Circulation and Breathing. You'll wake the others."
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After a moment's hesitation, Yang Ja-pyeong settled into a cross-legged position and closed his eyes.
This was also tacit permission to keep absorbing poison cores going forward.
Ẇе̄ b̌ n̆o v̇ е̌ľ En̊ úm̀ á
***
We finally entered the Demonic Reaches.
Sure enough, the number of Demonic Beasts appearing increased markedly once we crossed in.
But it wasn't a problem.
By now, the team members—half-natives of the Black Forest—hunted with practiced skill, split open the bellies, removed the poison cores, and shared the Spiritual Pills.
Beyond that, nothing was particularly remarkable.
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Normally, the stronger spiritual vein energy should've made navigation harder, but—
"This way."
—our team had someone besides Yang Ja-pyeong who could read the spiritual vein.
"Eun-ho."
"Yes, Eldest Senior Brother."
"Don't you think I'm pretty impressive?"
Ŵ е̇ b̊nоv̈.ẽ l̄ Еn̂ ù m а
"......"
Wherever Yang Ja-pyeong got confused, I stepped in to help, and thanks to that, our exploration speed in the Demonic Reaches barely dropped.
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"......By the way, the commotion has stopped."
Namgung Seon-hwa remarked, gazing into one side of the forest.
Just as she said, the noise that had echoed for four days and nights had abruptly ceased, and no sound came from that direction anymore.
"......You're alright, aren't you, Young Master?"
Ẽ n um̂а
Namgung Seon-hwa directed the question at me for some reason.
I replied as casually as I could.
"W-why, why wouldn't I be fine? What reason would I have n-not to be?"
"......"
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My stomach doesn't hurt. Not one bit.
The formality of it aside, the Demonic Reaches map was gradually taking shape, and once it was complete, our work in the Black Forest would be done.
Еǹǔ m̊ а
All that remained was returning to base camp, filling out the remaining days, and heading back to the Academy.
"They say dust piles into mountains...... and sure enough, it really adds up when you collect this much."
Those who'd consumed both the Spiritual Pills from Demonic Beasts and the fruits I'd gathered at night achieved reasonably satisfying growth in inner arts.
'Well, still nothing compared to me, though.'
The Azure Dragon Bracelet truly was an anomalous existence. I hadn't eaten a single Spiritual Pill or fruit, yet I'd accumulated the most inner arts of anyone here.
That evening, after setting up camp and settling in—
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SLITHER.
A presence stirred from within the forest.
Every team member drew their weapons and assumed a guard stance in unison.
Moments later, a familiar face pushed through the undergrowth.
"......Instructor?"
Seong Mo-ran tilted her head at the sight of No Jin-ha.
Ẃ eb nо̃ vẽl̀ Е nǔ m̊ a
And with good reason—the No Jin-ha standing before her bore little resemblance to the one they'd seen days ago.
"What happened to you?"
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One eye was wrapped in bandages, and deep burn scars marked his face.
He snarled with a vicious expression.
"Has a Divine Spirit come this way?"
What kind of nonsense was this?
Е nûm а ._і̌ d
"Don't tell me you lot hunted a Divine Spirit?"
No Jin-ha and his entourage glared at me.
"Speak, Jin So-un. Did you catch the Divine Spirit?"
"What...... kind of crap......"
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Before I could finish, Sa-ryeon stepped forward.
"We haven't so much as seen a Divine Spirit."
Ẅ ë bn̈ о̀ v е́ l̈ Е nú m ā
"I won't forgive lies."
"Why would we bother lying? If we'd caught one, it'd be better for us to say so honestly. It's not as if we committed some great crime."
No Jin-ha's lips twitched at Sa-ryeon's words. Then he snorted and turned away.
"I suppose scum from the Taeul Sect couldn't possibly hunt a Divine Spirit."
Having spewed that garbage, he disappeared into the undergrowth.
Seong Mo-ran murmured, almost admiringly.
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"The Divine Spirit hunt must not have gone well."
"No kidding. At the instructors' level, they'd all be at least Hall-Master rank in the Alliance...... and a large number of Righteous Path Association members were mobilized too."
I shared their sentiment and felt relief.
Had I joined the Divine Spirit hunt, we might have shouldered those same losses.
"If there were casualties during the Divine Spirit hunt, the instructors won't be able to escape responsibility...... will they be alright?"
At Seong Mo-ran's words, I curled my lips into a contented smile.
E̊ n̂ u m а́ . і̆ d̃
"Why should we care about that?"
When you dig your own grave, you lie in it.
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***
Darkness fell over the Black Forest once more.
I quietly killed my presence and slipped away from camp.
Yang Ja-pyeong, who woke every shichen on the dot, would notice my absence—but it no longer mattered.
Ѐ ń um̂ă . īd́
The fruits I brought back each time had sealed his mouth tighter than a padlock.
Since entering the Demonic Reaches, the increased number of Demonic Beasts meant I had to move even more diligently than near the base camp, but it was hardly taxing.
It was simply more opportunity to absorb more poison cores.
Once we returned to base camp, too many eyes would prevent nighttime excursions.
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This was the last chance to accumulate inner arts.
So I absorbed every last one of the eight poison cores—until all sensation left my hands entirely—and returned to camp with a straight face.
Èn̈ úm̆a_
"Not many fruits in the Demonic Reaches."
This godforsaken Black Forest, seemingly grown at random, didn't have an ounce of consistency.
The spiritual vein's power was stronger here, yet the fruits imbued with that power were nowhere to be found.
Still, I kept my Spirit sense at maximum, combing the Demonic Reaches thoroughly.
Then—
FLICKER.
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A brilliant flame blazed in the darkness.
"Hm?"
For a moment, I was confused.
What I was perceiving was the spiritual vein's flow—nothing more.
There should be no reason to see fire...... so why was something like a torch shining?
I let the Spirit sense fade, and the torch vanished without a trace.
W̃ е̊ b̂ nó v е̄ l Еň ǔ m а
Could it be?
In that instant, my heart pounded harder than it ever had.
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'Th-this much spiritual vein energy......'
I deployed the Ghost-Breathing Step at full power and moved toward the spiritual vein's torch.
And the moment I drew close enough to identify its source, I let my Spirit sense fade—
FLICKER.
W е̇ bǹо v е l Е̄ ǹūm̄ а̄
Something in human shape rose to its feet, a massive blaze wreathing its body.
OOOOOOH!
A creature several times the size of any known ape.
That ape was spewing flames from every inch of its body and fixing me with murderous eyes.
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"......Huh?"
Why...... are you here?
W̄ e̊b n̈ о v̄ еl̊ .Е ňu m̌a
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