Chapter 133

Chapter 133

Youngho focused his internal energy and saw the transparent barrier between himself and Heo Do.

From the way Heo Do stared blankly into the void outside, it seemed he truly couldn’t see him.

“Can you hear me?”

There was no response. Once Heo Do regained his senses, he immediately left.

It was confirmed—he really couldn’t see him.

‘Can I leave?’

There wasn’t a strong sense that he couldn’t, but…

‘It feels as if something is calling me…’

“Isn’t that right, Seonpung?”

“Meow?”

Youngho patted Seonpung’s head, who was perched on his shoulder.

“I suppose there’s no need to search here. Just in case, keep your Bone-Contraction Technique activated from now on.”

Seonpung immediately leapt down from Youngho’s shoulder, reverting to his form as a White Tiger.

He looked far more skilled than most martial artists who had mastered the technique.

Youngho addressed Seonpung, revealing the imposing physique of a mountain guardian rather than the cute cat form from moments ago.

“Then let’s go. Stay alert, just in case.”

Contrary to his warning, Youngho himself strode forward with a nonchalant expression.

He wasn’t fully relaxed, but there was no need to heighten his vigilance excessively.

‘Strangely, I can’t sense even a trace of hostility in his energy…’

After walking roughly half a Dakyung, Youngho’s steps came to a halt. He grinned.

“It’s been a long time.”

He spoke to the Immortal whose eyes met his.

“Would you grant me your teaching?”

The Immortal brushed back his white beard and said,

“You still have a thick face.”

“That’s the charm of a member of the Unorthodox Faction.”

“That was meant as sarcasm…”

The Immortal looked at Seonpung, who was guarding him, and said,

“You’ve raised him well.”

“At least I didn’t let him go hungry. Perhaps that’s why he grew so large.”

“I know. Maybe I fed him too well… but as the child of a spirit creature, he had no choice but to grow like this.”

Youngho felt a strange unease at the Immortal’s words.

‘Hmm?’

He didn’t dwell on it long, instead asking immediately,

“Why do you speak as if you’ve seen Seonpung all this time?”

“I had no choice but to see him.”

“You’re thorough with your responsibilities.”

“Don’t be mistaken. I saw you, precisely.”

“Excuse me?”

“I have observed all your actions until now. Indeed, you always give your best.”

“Thanks for the compliment. Then you must know the current situation, right?”

“Yes, you’ve been cornered.”

The Immortal observed Youngho with calm eyes.

“I suspected that something like this might occur. Rewinding time doesn’t guarantee everything will go as planned. From the beginning, it was a gamble, knowing the risks.”

Youngho couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle at the Immortal’s calm tone.

It was a slight, almost self-mocking laugh—not directed at the Immortal, but at himself.

“I will not speak of giving up, at least.”

“That is why I preserved your memory.”

“Whether the destination is right or wrong, I will not stop moving forward.”

“I know.”

“Then please, I beg you.”

Youngho slowly knelt and pressed his forehead to the ground.

“Please grant me your teaching.”

For a moment, silence filled the space. The stillness was unsettling.

It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. To be precise, it was a sensation he hadn’t felt since his Regression.

At that moment, Youngho felt fear.

Not of the Immortal himself—he wasn’t afraid of the Immortal’s existence—but of the possibility that the Immortal might refuse his request.

The silent stillness made even Seonpung tense. He didn’t know the identity of the figure before him.

Yet, his master—the man he had seen all this time—wasn’t the type to kneel and bow over trivial matters.

Seonpung lowered his posture slightly, intending to assist in any way he could.

“Enough.”

At that moment, the Immortal used Object Grasping Through the Void to restrain Seonpung’s movement.

The Immortal pressed his fingers against his tired eyelids and let out a deep sigh.

“Honestly, I was surprised. I didn’t expect you to be this anxious. I will teach you, so stand up.”

At the Immortal’s affirmation, Youngho immediately straightened his posture.

“Thank you.”

“No thanks are necessary. In truth, we have carried a burden on your behalf.”

The Immortal looked at Youngho and sighed once more.

“You were that anxious?”

“Yes. At this rate, I would repeat the same mistakes as before my Regression.”

“You are correct.”

The Immortal approached Seonpung.

“You’ve grown properly. Rest your eyes for now. This is all the help I can give.”

He pressed on the White Tiger’s acupoints. Youngho, watching, asked with surprise,

“You know an animal’s acupoints?”

“A Heavenly Demon can manage this much. So you, too, must reach this level to defeat a Heavenly Demon.”

Youngho’s expression hardened immediately. Even witnessing Youngho’s serious expression, the Immortal spoke without hesitation.

“For the time being, this one will meet its mother in dreams. All thanks to you.”

“I did very little.”

“Hmm…”

The Immortal paused.

“I said I was taking a gamble just now. But that was because I doubted whether you would follow the plan properly.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“First, I didn’t expect the war to come so quickly. I thought it would happen at least ten years later… but since rewinding time is unprecedented, it’s not strange that I couldn’t predict it.”

Youngho looked at the Immortal with considerable surprise.

“So, does that mean I could defeat the Heavenly Demon ten years from now?”

“The probability increases. Ten years from now, Namgung Cheon and other junior disciples of the Orthodox Sect will also become considerably stronger”.

Youngho nodded with a vacant expression.

“Still, the anxiety remains. That’s why I took a gamble. And it paid off.”

He was incredibly curious. What exactly was the Immortal planning?

And how far had he anticipated the situation?

The Immortal stared at Youngho with calm eyes.

“If you hadn’t ascended Mount Kunlun, this gamble would not have worked. You made a truly good decision.”

It was a strange statement. Such a small act being called a gamble? Ascending Mount Kunlun was something the Immortal could have mentioned when they first met.

Noticing Youngho’s confusion, the Immortal continued naturally.

“When we first met, telling you to come to Mount Kunlun would have been extremely dangerous.”

“Why?”

“It requires an explanation of all things, but briefly put, you lacked Immortal Energy.”

“Immortal Energy…?”

“Yes. The mountain you visited to find Seonpung’s mother had barely a trace of Immortal Energy. If I had told you where we would meet next, the lack of Immortal Energy could have disrupted the natural order.”

“Is the natural order really that formidable?”

“You will understand how foolish it is to break it once you attain enlightenment.”

“Then is it possible for me to converse with you here and now?”

“Mount Kunlun’s Immortal Energy nearly matches that of the Immortal Realm, so there’s no need for concern. But teaching you will require much more Immortal Energy.”

“How long exactly can you teach me?”

“One week. Precisely one week.”

One week.

Considering that this instruction came from someone who wasn’t even his master, it felt like a long time.

Yet, he remained concerned.

“Will there be enough Immortal Energy?”

“There is enough. But we will use most of the Immortal Energy in Mount Kunlun, so for at least twenty years, no Immortal Energy will be found there.”

“That much…?”

“Yes. Not a serious problem. But what comes after is crucial.”

The Immortal’s calm eyes held solemnity. Youngho sharpened all his senses and focused on the next words.

“For at least a hundred years, we cannot intervene in the Mortal World at all.”

“…!”

Youngho felt as if lightning struck his mind.

Previously, the Immortal had said that if he couldn’t kill the Heavenly Demon, he would personally descend to do it no matter what.

But this was different. No intervention in the Mortal World at all. That meant…?

“Do not make such a startled face. We also reached this decision after extensive discussion.”

“….”

“If I teach you now, we Immortals will not be able to observe or intervene in the Mortal World for the next hundred years. With Mount Kunlun’s rapid accumulation of Immortal Energy, it might be possible within fifty years, but our activity would be confined to Mount Kunlun, which is meaningless.”

As the Immortal said, it truly was a gamble—a gamble leaving all possibilities to Youngho.

Which made it all the more perplexing. The Heavenly Demon was said to be a future world-breaking existence. Could such a being really be slain by his own strength alone?

“I do not particularly trust you. It’s simply that you have become the last hope, so it cannot be helped.”

“I do not understand.”

“Then just accept it. I would intervene personally, but there are those who prevent me.”

“Because it would disrupt the natural order, they stop you?”

“Yes. They are exceedingly powerful. Even I could not defeat three of them attacking at once.”

The Immortal looked at Youngho with a weary face.

“There was discussion among the Immortals over who would teach you. I ended up taking the role, but it was not easy.”

“Why?”

“To be entrusted with teaching is to gain the authority to intervene in the Mortal World. If I could intervene, I might not resist the impulse to go kill the Heavenly Demon myself.”

“Is that possible?”

“There are side effects, including the potential erasure of my existence, but it is possible.”

“….”

“In any case, I became the representative because I understood your martial arts best and can teach you how to utilize them. No one else among the Immortals could do it as effectively.”

“You’ve been observing me closely.”

“Yes. Your method of using Flame Venerable Opens the Gate is interesting, though it differs from my own thinking.”

Youngho’s brows twitched.

“What do you mean?”

“First, I am much stronger than you. Right now, I am even stronger than the Heavenly Demon.”

“Did you break the Transformation Realm barrier like the Heavenly Demon?”

“Yes. And within this week, I intend to break your barrier as well. In other words, I aim to bring you to the level of the Heavenly Demon.”

Hearing the Immortal’s words, Youngho felt his long-cold heart begin to race.

“This is possible because, as I said, I understand the martial arts you use better than anyone.”

“Still, there must be limits if I do not use the same martial arts as you.”

“I told you. That is why I am here.”

The Immortal was clearly beyond judgment by conventional reasoning, but Youngho still found it hard to believe.

Then, a scorching black flame erupted from the Immortal’s body. The pitch-black fire, like an abyss trapped in physical form, flickered atop his palm.

Youngho stared blankly at the Immortal’s black flame. It was fundamentally different from his own.

It was neither darker nor hotter than his, yet the flames seemed solely focused on destruction.

The black flame exuded an almost tangible will of annihilation.

The Immortal spoke calmly, but with deadly intent in his gaze.

“My name is Jang Wijin. You are the successor of my martial arts.”