Chapter 211

Chapter 211: The Path to Seeking a Solution (5)

Distinctly visible bolts of lightning were pounding against the translucent perimeter of the Super True Qi Field.

Snap, crackle, pop.

Erratic bursts of blinding illumination tore through the air, scorching the dirt floor of the Training Ground a stark white.

Myo Jinheo fixed his unblinking stare entirely upon Dong Bongsu.

Dong Bongsu, completely unperturbed, met Myo Jinheo’s gaze with absolute detachment.

The Super True Qi Field was vibrating intensely.

It had remained stable during the monumental clash with Yeon Yeongha, throughout the struggle against the massive eight-tailed fox, and even during the recent breakthrough of Dongmun Mutoe’s formidable Eight Directions Avici Prison.

‘Fascinating.’

Yet, it amounted to nothing more than a tremor.

A vast, impassable gulf separates a mere shudder from a total rupture.

Stomp.

Dong Bongsu advanced by a single pace.

Zap-!

The electrical energy reacted instantly.

An invisible concentration of voltage surged toward the precise spot where Dong Bongsu’s sole made contact with the earth.

Myo Jinheo’s intricate Formation Field contracted sharply, attempting to ensnare the intruder.

Stomp, a second stride.

Zap-!

A third.

A fourth.

Dong Bongsu continued his forward march.

He progressed unhindered directly through the center of the perilous Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle.

The arcs of electricity ripped at his frame.

Static forces caused his hairs to stand upright, while azure sparks discharged relentlessly from the edge of the Nine Demon Annihilation Wheel Sword.

In response, the oscillations racking the Super True Qi Field intensified significantly.

Even so, Dong Bongsu’s forward progress remained completely steady.

He moved forward with the ease of someone taking a leisurely stroll.

“……!”

One of Myo Jinheo’s eyelids flickered wide in astonishment.

This should not be happening.

The Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle was a specialized layout engineered to seize the muscles, paralyze the skeletal joints, and cause the neurological system of any captured victim to collapse entirely.

Even if a target managed to insulate their True Qi, the raw physical impact of the electrical currents should strike straight into the flesh and marrow, suppressing the Dantian itself and totally arresting the circulation of Internal Energy… He could conceptually grasp a person simply enduring the agony.

After all, the vast landscape of the Murim was home to many exceptional Martial Artists capable of showcasing near-impossible feats of tolerance.

But… actually walking forward?

In the absolute center of that environment?

This was far beyond mere ‘deflection’.

He was proceeding exactly as though the Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle were entirely non-existent.

Swoosh.

Myo Jinheo snapped his fan open once more.

The overall concentration of the active Formation Field multiplied drastically.

Every metal implement nearby emitted a high-pitched metallic shriek.

In spite of this.

A fifth stride.

A sixth.

A seventh.

Dong Bongsu maintained his slow march.

Not even the rhythm of his movement showed any sign of hesitation.

It was a perfectly relaxed gait, identical to a wanderer exploring a meadow in the early days of spring.

A faint shudder rippled through the fingers Myo Jinheo used to grip his fan.

‘This individual…….’

Was the array genuinely failing to impact him, or had he completely deciphered and neutralized its structural logic?

Or could he possibly represent an entirely unfamiliar classification of warrior emerging from an unfathomable tier of power?

Regardless of the reality, the ultimate conclusion remained unchanged.

The Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle lacked the capability to restrain this particular opponent.

Eight strides total.

The gap separating Dong Bongsu and Myo Jinheo shrunk down to a mere five steps.

Right at that moment.

Dong Bongsu extended his left hand upward.

Tink.

Radiance pooled at the tips of his fingers.

A solitary projectile of unblemished white light materialized above Dong Bongsu’s palm.

It was a spectacular illumination, intensely radiant yet completely devoid of thermal heat.

The legendary [Faith Arrow].

Its sharp point was directed squarely at the midpoint between Myo Jinheo’s brows.

“……”

Myo Jinheo’s respiration locked in his chest.

This situation was entirely distinct from what had occurred previously.

In their prior exchange, Dong Bongsu had relied exclusively on his blade.

That basic output had proven more than sufficient to thoroughly overwhelm Yan Bilyeong.

The force he had manifested just now was not a blade, nor was it standard True Qi or conventional Internal Energy; it was something else entirely.

A manifestation of pure luminosity that transcended the known classifications of Qi.

Myo Jinheo’s analytical Mind-Reading Eye had already been shattered, but even with his remaining functional eye, he could recognize the truth.

That specific entity did not correspond to any mystical framework he had ever studied.

It was completely immune to the structural interference of any tactical array.

“Am I addressing Trigram Master Myo Jinheo?”

Dong Bongsu spoke aloud.

His delivery was completely serene.

There was no hint of intimidation, no trace of irritation, no underlying fervor.

It was simply an even, uninflected tone stating a plain reality.

“I have the capacity to discharge this projectile, or I can choose to hold it back.”

The shimmering projectile levitated in perfect stillness roughly three feet away from Myo Jinheo’s forehead.

“Be that as it may.”

Dong Bongsu’s gaze locked directly onto Myo Jinheo.

“If I release it, this encounter will not signify a conclusion, but rather the ignition of an entirely new conflict, will it not?”

The precise nature of that conflict was something Myo Jinheo could deduce perfectly well without requiring an explicit breakdown.

“The grand Sect Opening Ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and my schedule is packed, so perhaps it would be mutually beneficial to conclude our business here?”

His phrasing was casual.

Yet Myo Jinheo could interpret the immense significance anchoring those words with absolute clarity.

The vocal delivery of this individual, who claimed to be nothing more than the Sect Leader of a newly established Murim organization, seemed to project the capacity to withstand any crisis, immense fortitude, and an undeniable quality of command.

Observing those eyes that carried the ghost of an amused expression, an unfamiliar sensation of dread began to wash over him.

He had spent his entire existence traversing the dangerous paths of the Jianghu, navigating its endless Forest of Swords.

He had stood against and combated every conceivable variety of warrior and survived malicious predicaments and extreme trials, yet he could confidently state he had never crossed paths with an individual of this specific mold.

He hadn’t even begun to fathom the full depths concealed behind that gaze.

‘I haven’t even properly verified or faced the entirety of his arsenal, and yet…….’

To think that a single person could make him feel as though his very spirit was being scraped raw merely by remaining in his presence.

It was utterly exhausting.

It was potent enough to conjure the terrifying delusion of standing completely unprotected against a massive host of one hundred thousand Absolute Masters.

At the very least, it offered a scrap of comfort.

No matter the circumstances, the warrior’s proposal was not an outright ultimatum, but a straightforward presentation of alternatives.

To push forward down this path, or to halt.

Myo Jinheo’s fan quivered imperceptibly.

The Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle remained fully operational.

However, this specific tactical array had already been stripped of its functional utility.

A cage that lacks the power to contain its prisoner ceases to function as a cage, and this particular warrior could never be imprisoned by an implementation of this caliber.

It defied all rationality.

“……”

Myo Jinheo parted his lips to respond.

“Cease fire.”

An unlooked-for voice sliced through the tension.

It belonged to Yan Bilyeong.

Propping herself against the masonry, she was gradually hauling herself up onto her feet.

The wooden roof beam she had previously reinforced with her own True Qi had been cleanly cleft into two distinct pieces that now lay scattered near her boots, while a narrow trickle of crimson seeped from a shallow laceration on her forearm.

Yan Bilyeong’s focus was not directed toward Dong Bongsu.

She was staring intently at Myo Jinheo.

“Trigram Master Myo. Let us stand down.”

“Trigram Master Yan?”

The outer edges of Myo Jinheo’s eyelids twitched downward.

“That was my exact intention, even without your intervention.”

Myo Jinheo proceeded to speak, letting loose a soft, self-deprecating chuckle.

“Sect Leader Kim is undeniably an associate of our fellow Trigram Master Dongmun, so what logical purpose is served by persisting in this confrontation?”

“Hmph, fine. That is accurate. That miserable… rather, that gentleman.”

Yan Bilyeong indicated Dong Bongsu with a quick nod of her chin.

“He is not our adversary. He harbors no genuine malice toward the Formation Tower, nor does he possess a desire to end our lives.”

Operating as a dedicated Martial Artist long before she ever became a specialist in array creation, she could read the subtext of the combat.

Throughout the entirety of the preceding clash, Dong Bongsu had not directed a single strike toward a lethal pressure point.

The sole mark he had inflicted was that minor scratch on her arm.

The only item he had chosen to destroy completely was her personal armament.

An engagement where one party achieves such an overwhelming advantage, yet deliberately preserves the life of the defeated.

That stood as an undeniable proof of absolute self-assuredness and, in its own fashion, a demonstration of fundamental courtesy.

“Furthermore… it appears highly probable we would simply achieve an identical outcome if we persisted.”

For the very first time, a note of composure settled into Yan Bilyeong’s tone.

Her initial irritation and intense agitation had completely evaporated.

Replacing those emotions, a profound curiosity and a pragmatic assessment of the facts had asserted control.

She recognized perfectly well that attempting to pressure an opponent who could not be overcome by sheer martial dominance would inevitably result in far more severe consequences.

She would need to thoroughly analyze the events later to comprehend exactly what had transpired, but in a confrontation with that specific individual, Kim Rae-won, conventional arrays and the foundational laws of the Formation Dao were either entirely useless or severely restricted in their efficacy.

“……”

Myo Jinheo had similarly arrived at the exact same deduction as his colleague.

Clack.

The fan snapped shut, and the restrictive Thunderclap Absolute Sealing Circle dissolved completely.

The suffocating atmospheric weight pressing down on the area dissipated in a flash.

The electrical discharges jumping across the nearby metallic structures died out entirely.

The ambient static electricity faded away, and the crisp, regular morning atmosphere reassumed its place over the Training Ground.

In that identical moment.

The radiant white projectile hovering over Dong Bongsu’s left palm vanished from sight.

Naturally, he had never harbored any authentic intention of launching it to begin with.

“A highly intelligent resolution.”

Dong Bongsu smoothly deposited the Nine Demon Annihilation Wheel Sword back into his specialized Inventory.

Witnessing the lethal blade vanish into thin air, Myo Jinheo’s eyelids narrowed once again, though he chose to remain silent this time around.

Yan Bilyeong brushed the accumulated soil from her backside and, deliberately simulating an idle gaze toward a far-off peak, posed a question.

“Well, seeing as the situation has reached a tentative resolution… You are in a position to enlighten me now, correct? Precisely why my fellow disciple was confined to this location, and the underlying reason he pledged his absolute loyalty to this particular Hero’s Sect.”

Her demeanor remained somewhat defensive, yet the fundamental quality of her voice had shifted dramatically.

At the very least, it signaled a genuine willingness to engage in dialogue rather than resorting to physical violence.

“Did I not clarify that point to you previously?”

Dong Bongsu offered a quiet, amused laugh.

“I secured victory in our match, subsequently extended clemency to him, and upon receiving that clemency, he made the personal choice to remain here.”

Yan Bilyeong’s brow twitched with annoyance, though she managed to restrain her temper this time.

“Sigh. Fine, fine. I comprehend. Regardless of the details, Mutoe did eventually make his way back to the main headquarters of the Formation Tower, correct?”

“He is currently undertaking an expedition across the lands.”

Dong Bongsu intentionally emphasized the detail, an open smirk spreading across his features, as he tapped the dirt repeatedly with his right forefinger.

“When he returns, his destination is right here to this Hero’s Sect. He did not permanently rejoin the ranks of the Formation Tower.”

Dong Bongsu carried on, making zero effort to conceal his broad smile.

“As for the specific motivations behind his pledge of service, it is not truly my place to articulate them, so you are entirely free to interrogate Dongmun Mutoe directly once he completes his journey.”

Upon hearing the formal designation ‘Dongmun Mutoe’, Yan Bilyeong’s complexion shifted from a deep flush to a stark paleness before stabilizing, yet she refrained from throwing another tantrum.

After re-establishing control over her breathing through a sequence of measured inhalations, she eventually looked back toward Dong Bongsu with a completely collected expression.

“Very well, I grasp the situation. You mentioned previously that the formal Sect Opening Ceremony takes place tomorrow, correct?”

“Precisely.”

“In that case, given that it will require a span of several days for o-u-r esteemed Trigram-Master-Dong-mun—who is presently occupied with his ex-pe-di-tion—to conclude his current responsibilities with the Formation Tower and journey back, there should be no issue if the two of us remain on these premises for a few days to witness this Sect Opening Ceremony firsthand, correct?”

Hearing that proposition, Dong Bongsu’s grin widened even further.

This development aligned perfectly with his ultimate desires and represented an anticipated resolution.

“Without a doubt.”

Grimacing slightly at his enthusiastic confirmation, Yan Bilyeong snapped her head to the side.

Myo Jinheo offered a reassuring tap to her shoulder blade, then partially extended and retracted his fan before offering his own thoughts.

“……Very well. We shall remain as guests under your roof until our colleague Trigram Master Dongmun arrives. We extend our appreciation for your hospitality, Sect Leader Kim.”

Myo Jinheo executed a traditional Fist-and-Palm Salute.

“Nonetheless, I must establish one condition.”

His singular functional eye—the one that still bore traces of un-dried crimson fluid—stared directly into Dong Bongsu’s face.

“Throughout the duration of my residence here, this specific Trigram Master intends to maintain a vigilant watch over Sect Leader Kim and the entirety of the Hero’s Sect. Every single element and operation.”

It stood as an unambiguous, transparent declaration: ‘I intend to uncover your absolute identity and determine the exact nature of this organization known as the Hero’s Sect.’

It was a statement delivered only after he had successfully deduced, to a certain degree, the fundamental character of the man standing before him.

“Feel entirely free to observe whatever you wish.”

Dong Bongsu merely responded with a serene, untroubled smile.

● ● ●

Debris.

The shattered remnants of what had functioned as the primary main hall of the Hero’s Sect until mere minutes ago littered a substantial portion of the Training Ground in a disorganized pile.

Plumes of dust billowed upward from the locations where support pillars had snapped, structural beams had been wrenched from their brackets, the overhead tiling had shattered downward, and the masonry had split apart.

Following the conclusion of the active hostilities, Yan Bilyeong and Myo Jinheo had relocated themselves to the far boundary of the training area.

Yan Bilyeong was actively managing the bleeding from her arm laceration by utilizing her internal True Qi, her gaze still fixed on Dong Bongsu with a look of pure discontent, while Myo Jinheo, keeping his fan completely closed, silently evaluated the structural wreckage and the layout of the Training Ground.

Jeon Rahwa made her way forward.

The younger disciples had already been directed to a secure location behind the training area.

After assigning the care of the smallest children to Hoae, Jeon Rahwa had journeyed across the open space unaccompanied.

Her focus drifted past Dong Bongsu’s position, gradually tracking across the ruined materials.

The specific structure that had stood proudly as the main hall just a brief moment prior.

The central pavilion they had constructed through immense physical labor, meticulously choosing every individual log, securing every single fastener, and even orchestrating the efforts of the hired laborers and the young disciples alike.

Two days total.

It had survived for a mere two days.

“……”

Jeon Rahwa took up a position immediately beside Dong Bongsu.

Dong Bongsu’s attention was similarly anchored on the broken remains.

Neither uttered a word.

A brief interval of absolute quiet wrapped around them.

“You are familiar with that specific maxim you are constantly fond of repeating.”

Jeon Rahwa broke the silence.

Her delivery was entirely stripped of emotional inflection.

Which, from a certain perspective, lent it a far more ominous quality.

“To which phrase are you referring?”

“The principle dictates that the specific individual who creates a chaotic mess bears the absolute responsibility for tidying it up.”

“……Did those words originate from me?”

“They did.”

“That specific catastrophe.”

Jeon Rahwa indicated the pile of structural ruins with a subtle motion of her chin.

“Precisely who was responsible for creating that chaotic mess?”

“……”

“Does it not logically follow that it requires tidying up?”

“……”

For a brief span of time.

No response was forthcoming.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the ground, clearing a layer of fine powder from the surface of the wreckage.

Amidst the clearing dust, a fractured piece of timber became visible to the eye.

It was a splintered section of a symbolic wooden signpost, upon which the slightly asymmetrical characters identifying the ‘Hero’s Sect’—painstakingly incised by Hoae—could be dimly identified.

Dong Bongsu’s face broke into a smirk.

Maintaining that exact same amused expression, he shifted his neck around.

He directed his gaze toward Yan Bilyeong and Myo Jinheo, scanning them one after the other, as they stood waiting on the far boundary of the training area.

“It absolutely demands a thorough tidying up, wouldn’t you agree?”

Jeon Rahwa’s eyelids flared wide with surprise.

“What are you implying?”

“It appears we have just secured the services of two entirely fresh manual laborers, have we not?”

“……You are truly something else.”

Jeon Rahwa pressed the flat of her palm against her brow.

“Deep sigh.”

A heavy exhalation escaped her throat, though the outer corners of her mouth twitched upwards into a slight grin.

Dong Bongsu bent down and retrieved Hoae’s fractured wooden signpost from the middle of the structural ruins.

He carefully wiped the accumulated grime from its surface.

The three distinct characters spelling out ‘Hero’s Sect’ gleamed vividly beneath the morning sunlight.

The formal Sect Opening Ceremony is set for tomorrow morning.

We are absolutely obligated to restore this entire area to pristine condition before that deadline arrives, correct?