Chapter 69 : Removal of the Brand (1)

Chapter 69: Removal of the Brand (1)

As he alternated his gaze between the two identical Gwak Yu-chans, Jang Woo-hyun opened his mouth.

“This… is it something like a clone?”

“I condensed my willpower into one spot and created another me.”

“Just like you said, you can think of it as a clone or an avatar. It may look the same, but it’s not a real person.”

The two Gwak Yu-chans spoke one after the other.

“From what I can tell, the silver giant must be someone’s avatar. An avatar can only contain a portion of the original’s power, but considering how it pushed you into a corner, that being must be far superior to me.”

“How strong would that be, exactly?”

“Since you survived, it probably wasn’t from the realm of Infinite Boundlessness. Still, to create an avatar capable of unleashing that level of attack, at the very least, it must’ve been at the stage of As-You-Will. Or it could’ve belonged to someone who reached Immortality. Maybe even beyond that.”

“Beyond that… are you talking about the Upper Realm?”

The two Gwak Yu-chans nodded at the same time and pointed toward the sky.

An existence from the Upper Realm—one of those who could be considered gods—might have been the one attacking Jang Woo-hyun.

Why were they targeting him? And what did Demonic Divine Fist Kim Min-soo know, that he had mentioned the silver giant?

Thoughts continued to spiral, but no answers came.

There was simply too little information.

“What in the world did you get marked by? Dealing with Windstorm Overlord alone is already a huge headache.”

Jang Woo-hyun remained silent, as he didn’t know either.

“The monkey’s a problem too, but it’s clear someone’s after you. You’ll need to grow stronger, and fast. The beings of the Upper Realm can’t directly exert power in the Middle Heaven, but if they can block ascension, then they must be influencing this world somehow. Maybe by sending followers or subordinates.”

Though Gwak Yu-chan had once been amazed by Jang Woo-hyun’s overwhelming talent, now his thoughts had changed.

He needed to become stronger, much faster.

Even Windstorm Overlord was a top-tier monster in the Demon World.

And now, something of similar or perhaps even greater danger was targeting Jang Woo-hyun.

Gwak Yu-chan had to grow strong enough not just to find it odd, but to be utterly shocked by it.

Otherwise, Jang Woo-hyun would surely die—either by the monkey monster or by some other force that had its sights on him.

“If Infinite Boundlessness is about infinitely expanding one’s willpower, then what exactly is the realm of As-You-Will?”

Curious about the strength of the ones targeting him, Jang Woo-hyun asked.

“As-You-Will is, hmm… how do I explain this?”

Both the avatar and the original Gwak Yu-chan folded their arms as they took a moment to organize their thoughts.

“You’ve heard of people describing humans as a microcosm, right?”

“Yes.”

It was a commonly heard notion.

Humans were sometimes described as small universes, or said to carry another universe within them, hence possessing limitless potential.

“The realm of As-You-Will is the stage where the laws of your internal microcosm are projected onto the world.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean, applying your own laws to the world?”

The phrase was so sudden and abstract that Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t understand it.

“For example, if you apply a personal law that your sword can cut through anything, then it really can cut through anything. If you apply a law that your body is invulnerable, then no martial artist of a similar level can even scratch you. Does that sound too weird? Simply put, you bend the laws of the world to your will. Like rivers flowing backwards or rain falling upward from the ground.”

“That’s… is that even possible?”

“Sounds ridiculous, right? But that’s As-You-Will. From there on, it’s hard to even call it martial arts. It becomes something mysterious. Absolute power.”

“Then what about the realm of Immortality?”

“I don’t know about Immortality. I’ve never seen it properly. But according to rumors, those who reach Immortality begin stepping into the realm of gods. It’s said there are only six known people in the Middle Heaven Martial World who’ve reached Immortality. Do you remember what you learned on the way here?”

Jang Woo-hyun recalled the information he had been taught during the journey.

The Six Heavens of Middle Heaven Martial World.

The highest masters, those who stood at the level of gods.

They rarely made a move, so even if one wandered the Middle Heaven Martial World their whole life, they might never see them.

Most martial artists in the Middle Heaven would never get the chance to meet them—not even from a distance.

‘The realms of As-You-Will and Immortality.’

He had heard the explanation, yet things had only grown more complicated.

He couldn’t even imagine the power of those who had reached As-You-Will, let alone the Immortals who stood among the Six Great Heavens.

Unless he met and experienced them directly, it would be difficult to truly understand their power.

To Jang Woo-hyun, who had only just stepped into the realm of Transcendence, As-You-Will and Immortality were still distant stories.

“By the way… this is a big problem.”

“Yes?”

While Jang Woo-hyun was mulling over the realms of As-You-Will and Immortality, Gwak Yu-chan was thinking about a problem of his own.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a life-threatening issue.

‘I’m running out of things to teach him way too fast.’

It had taken several days for Transcendent Senses, and a month for Void Steps. On top of that, he had demonstrated Infinite Boundlessness while explaining the realm.

Jang Woo-hyun was progressing so quickly that Gwak Yu-chan’s teaching material was drying up. He had boldly claimed it would take ten years to train him, but at this rate, he’d be lucky to last even ten months.

‘Should I just throw him into real combat?’

As he was pondering this, his senses picked up someone approaching the martial hall. Jang Woo-hyun must’ve felt it too, as he turned his head toward the front gate.

“This energy…”

“Looks like So-bong is back?”

Gwak Yu-chan’s prediction turned out to be correct, as a short while later, Pung So-bong entered the training grounds through the front gate of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.

“How have you all been?”

He looked no different from when he had left. Behind him stood a young man.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Son I-rang.”

A clean-cut young man in his twenties, Son I-rang offered a martial greeting.

“Nice to meet you. Are you the one here to help Woo-hyun?”

“He’s a friend well-known as a Curse Lifter. I had an old connection with him and happened to run into him while looking for someone who could help.”

“I once received one-sided help from Senior Pung in the past.”

“I merely lent a hand. Can that even be called help?”

“No, if you hadn’t told me about a new method back then, I might’ve remained stuck.”

Son I-rang, a spellcaster from the Middle Heaven, had once hit a wall in his cultivation.

With help from Pung So-bong, he overcame that obstacle.

Since then, his skills had improved, and he developed his own unique spell techniques, eventually gaining renown as a Curse Lifter.

While searching for a skilled Curse Lifter, Pung So-bong had coincidentally reunited with Son I-rang, and brought him to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall at his request.

“Let’s head over there.”

At Pung So-bong’s words, the four of them moved to a corner of the training grounds. Jang Woo-hyun sat in a chair, and Son I-rang immediately examined his shoulder.

“You said it was Windstorm Overlord’s brand?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Would you mind telling me exactly what happened?”

Jang Woo-hyun nodded and explained the encounter with Windstorm Overlord at the Demon Extermination Sect.

The meeting, the fight, the result of the battle, and how the brand had been etched into his shoulder right before the enemy vanished.

He recalled and described everything, down to the last detail.

“Since it hasn’t been long, I think I can remove it.”

Son I-rang took a metal plate roughly three or four times the size of his palm from his spell pouch and placed several talismans on it.

He then took out a few small containers and mixed red powder with water, creating a crimson liquid.

He inscribed unfamiliar characters onto the metal plate and placed the talismans on top.

A red energy began to rise, enveloping the talismans. Son I-rang picked one up and pressed it onto Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder.

Chiiiik.

Unlike before, when the talisman had been cut by wind, this time a red smoke rose as small arcs of lightning sparked from Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder.

Looking at the shoulder now shrouded in red smoke, Son I-rang took out another talisman and brought it close to the branded spot.

He repeated similar actions a few more times, and before long, half an hour had passed.

Beads of sweat were forming on Son I-rang’s forehead as he continued to focus and apply the talismans.

“I don’t think it’s working.”

That was Gwak Yu-chan’s assessment, as he watched from the side.

At his whispered remark, Pung So-bong frowned and told him to keep quiet.

But in truth, Pung So-bong was thinking the same. Contrary to what Son I-rang had said earlier, the brand was proving far more difficult to erase.

Shaking his head, Son I-rang took out several more tools and talismans.

He tried a couple more times, but the only result was a deep sigh.

“Huuuh.”

He stepped back and shook his head.

“This is not easy. The brand’s root is far more deeply embedded than I expected. It’s beyond my skill.”

Son I-rang gave up cleanly. It was much more difficult than he had anticipated.

According to Jang Woo-hyun, the brand had only been placed on him recently, yet strangely enough, it had already rooted itself as if over ten years had passed.

“You mean it’s too difficult for someone of your skill?”

“I hate to say it, but… Master Jang seems to have truly caught the interest of the Monkey King.”

“So, it’s completely impossible?”

“I don’t have a way. You’ll need to find a spellcaster even more skilled than I am.”

“Hah. How many Curse Lifters are there in the Middle Heaven better than you?”

Pung So-bong let out a wry laugh at Son I-rang’s words.

While he wasn’t as capable when it came to spellcasting in general, Son I-rang’s ability to lift curses and hexes was exceptional—so much so that he was famous in the Middle Heaven Martial World as a Curse Lifter.

The fact that even he said it was difficult and suggested finding someone else left them in a tough spot.

“Isn’t there any other way besides lifting the curse? Like surgery or cutting out the branded area?”

“It’s not a physical brand, so even if you cut off your arm, it wouldn’t disappear. As for other methods… usually, when you can’t lift a curse, you either seal its power or suppress it with a stronger force. But since this is a brand imprinted on a person, it won’t be easy. Sealing it would be difficult, and suppressing it would require a force equal to that of a great monster. Such items are rare and not easy to obtain.”

“What about crafting some kind of armor or special clothing and wearing it? Would that work as a sealing method?”

At Gwak Yu-chan’s question, Son I-rang took a moment to organize his thoughts.

“That’s possible in theory, but not easy. First, making something like that would be incredibly difficult. And there’s no guarantee it would even work.”

“If there’s a chance it might work, then it’s worth trying. Woo-hyun.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s head out.”

“All of a sudden?”

“There’s a craftsman I know. If it’s him, he might be able to figure something out.”

“Who? Oh! Right, if we’re talking about making something, that guy! Yeah, let’s go there. Should we leave right away?”

“There’s nothing to do here, so let’s just head out now.”

While Jang Woo-hyun stood confused, the two had already made their decision. Soon, the four of them boarded a flying artifact and departed from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.

Riding the flying artifact, the group arrived near a massive city surrounded by towering walls.

After putting the artifact back into the spell pouch, they walked toward the large gate in the wall.

“Senior Pung.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Is it not allowed to enter a city directly using the flying artifact?”

Curious, Jang Woo-hyun asked.

Even though they had a flying artifact—a fast and convenient means of travel—Pung So-bong had landed outside the city and was walking in.

The same thing had happened when they first arrived at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, where they had disembarked in a clearing before walking to the hall.

“Ah, I didn’t explain that to you, did I? It’s basic etiquette.”

“Etiquette?”

“Yes. The Middle Heaven, unlike the Lower Realm, operates in three dimensions rather than two, right? People can fly in the sky.”

As he said, people lived on floating islands in the sky and traveled via flying artifacts, making their lifestyle fully three-dimensional rather than flat.

“That’s why this is considered basic etiquette in the Middle Heaven Martial World. It’s not written in any law, but it’s an unwritten rule. Unless it’s a special or urgent matter, you’re not supposed to fly directly into a city or village. Keep that in mind.”

Because people could easily walk through the sky using Void Steps and fly with artifacts, these kinds of unspoken rules naturally developed.

“I understand.”

Gaining new knowledge, Jang Woo-hyun nodded and resumed walking.

“One moment, please.”

At Son I-rang’s call, Jang Woo-hyun came to a stop.

“Just in case, I’ll erase the trace of the brand temporarily. It might be troublesome if someone recognizes it.”

“Is that possible?”

“Not permanently, but for a short time. I should be able to conceal the brand for about one hour.”

“Then please do so.”

Before entering the city, Son I-rang pulled out a few talismans, placed them on Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder, and began chanting incantations.

Though he had spoken of it casually, it turned out to be a fairly time-consuming process.

“It’s done.”

When he finally finished, the group began moving again.

Towering walls over five *jang* tall, and gates to match in grandeur.

The city’s main gate stood wide open, and many people were coming and going.

“Whoa!”

As he stepped inside, Jang Woo-hyun gaped in awe at the unfamiliar sights.