I Became the Genius Mage of the Martial Academy

Chapter 90 : Blood Fiend Seo Muk-ho (5)

“You, what in the world… how did you do it?”

Baek Hasin asked in a surprised voice. Namgung Bihwa was also staring this way with her eyes wide open.

A blood fiend is tricky. Especially in a berserk state, they rampage until the moment they die, so it was only possible to subdue them by either blowing off their head or cutting off all their limbs.

Especially since blood fiends were guys who could move for a short time even if a sword was stuck in their heart, to think he had defeated him in an instant like this. It was bound to be astonishing.

But the person in question just nonchalantly shook off the blood on his sword.

“I’ve been researching something lately.”

There is also a process of blood explosion in the Blood River Art. I had just analyzed and dismantled its oral secrets to create the Great Blood Art.

The reason I knew this was because I had seen the great sorcery that the Blood Demon had caused in the original work.

‘He had forcibly made the blood demons in the area go berserk.’

The scene where the legion of blood swept through the large army was so spectacular that I still remembered it.

Inspired by that, I had thought there would be a specific way to force a berserk state, and digging into it was the right answer.

Although you might think that making them go berserk is more dangerous, a berserk state is a power that is difficult to control.

To be forcibly made to go berserk by an external energy in an unprepared state meant that you could suffer side effects during battle or be consumed in advance.

Other than that, there was a lot of room for strategic use in many ways.

‘Although it will take quite a bit of effort to theorize it.’

The fact that it had worked in a real battle was possible because it was a skill that combined the insight of [Absolute Magic] and the sense of [Peerless Body].

I had no intention of using the Great Blood Art by myself.

‘It’s not like I created an amazing martial art. It’s better to announce this and deal a blow to the Blood Cult side.’

After knowing that the Blood Cult side was targeting me, I had been careful when going out. I had no intention of letting that hardship go to waste.

‘If they targeted me, they have to pay the price.’

And most of all, since you could get credits for club activities or thesis scores from the intermediate students, I was planning to get the necessary credits by publishing the Great Blood Art as a thesis.

It was a way of killing two birds with one stone.

However, since it was a matter of instinctively controlling the qi wave, it seemed it would take a little more time to refine the oral secrets and so on so that other martial artists could also follow it.

“Then let’s deal with it slowly.”

With those words, I was about to strike his neck, but in an instant, Seo Muk-ho’s body twitched, and instead of the shattered twin flying claws, he grabbed my ankle with his remaining hand.

“I’ll kill you!”

“Damn it, Cheonwu!”

A speed that no one could perceive. The enemy’s eyes were that sharp.

It was a dying flash. He delivered a final blow to me with the tip of his nails, which he had raised to the fullest.

“Keuk!”

Then, a considerable amount of internal energy and blood flow entered my body. It seemed he was trying to do the same thing I had done.

The two of them quickly blew off Seo Muk-ho’s arm and neck, but the blood that had already entered my body was churning with a turbid qi.

‘I have to endure it!’

I stood and closed my eyes and entered a state of qi circulation. A peak-level internal energy was raging inside. But even if I could somehow subdue the wildly rampaging internal energy, the problem was the blood.

Sometimes, those who were at the level of a Blood Demon or a Blood Fiend would bestow something called holy blood or true blood, and it seemed the blood that Seo Muk-ho had received was of that kind.

The fluid was cold, yet hot and heavy. A high-density true blood was eroding along the energy veins.

Although pushing it out and eventually expelling it would be the best in principle, I, who had learned the Blood River Art, thought of absorbing it instead. It was an instinctive judgment.

‘It’s worth a try.’

No matter how much I planned and used my head, in the end, what I could trust was my intuition. That was how I survived.

I put all my remaining mana into the true blood that was surging up. And then I controlled it with the power of the third circle.

The true blood churned and resisted. I exerted my willpower more strongly and pressed the true blood. Beyond that, I interfered with the will of the true blood, intervened, and dismantled it. The mythical talent of [Absolute Magic] made this possible.

The true blood began to be purified. The adaptability of [Transcendent Growth], which could even chew up a deadly poison, absorbed the true blood, which had its malice erased.

And the body that had reached [Peerless Body] reacted to it. The result was amazing.

Ssssss-

Heat spewed out from my whole body, and in an instant, my energy veins expanded. The strange thing was that the true blood had completely melted into my blood and had begun to hold mana.

‘Amazing.’

It felt as if the world had become a little clearer, as if I had taken a stimulant. And yet, I didn’t feel any fatigue or burden.

On the contrary, my whole body was light.

And most of all, the pressure of [Terminal Illness], which usually felt like it was squeezing one side of my heart, was not felt much.

‘Don’t tell me, has my lifespan increased?’

The reaction of [Terminal Illness], which hadn’t disappeared much even when I had taken an elixir, had faded.

Come to think of it, the real appearance of Seo Muk-ho, who had lost his true blood, was that of an old man.

And yet, the reason he had looked like a middle-aged man was because the effect of rejuvenation among the effects of the blood art had progressed.

One of the reasons why the common people still converted to the Blood Cult, even though various martial arts were released to the world and they were ostracized for their numerous side effects and evil deeds.

It was the fact that the body became younger. Although the side effects were enormous, those who had nothing to lose did not care about such things.

Seo Muk-ho must have been one of those types.

It’s easy to get strong, and the body also becomes younger. If the body of a person who has lived a lifetime of suffering as a weak person is filled with vitality instead of a weak and senile feeling, it is difficult to shake off that temptation.

And even more so if you are an old man who is about to die soon.

‘Of course, not everyone gets these results.’

There were many who died while learning the blood art late. Seo Muk-ho must have been a case where he was particularly well-suited for the blood art.

The problem was that the Blood Cult had begun to take deep root in the common people, to the extent that they would even grant true blood to an old man like this.

Although there was nothing I could do about it right away, there was a need to be vigilant.

The omens of a crisis were increasing in various parts of the central plains.

At times like this, what was important was, in the end, the rise of my realm and the overcoming of my debuff talents. Thanks to [Transcendent Growth], the other minor debuff talents were almost overcome, but a powerful debuff like [Terminal Illness] was still tricky.

‘Perhaps I can find a way to surely overcome [Terminal Illness] with this opportunity.’

Until now, I had been extending my lifespan by activating the talent of [Life Extension] in a state of realm ascension or in an extreme situation, but it seemed it would be okay to try using the method of the Blood Cult.

‘It doesn’t seem to have any side effects right away.’

It seemed the adaptability of [Transcendent Growth] was stronger than something like true blood.

I was finally able to lift my head after coming out of the aftermath of the adaptation. Then the two of them were watching me. It seemed they had been acting as my guards.

“Are you okay?”

“…It was a mistake. I should have dealt with it more surely as a senior.”

Their worried gazes reached me. I nodded my head, saying that I was okay.

No one would have thought that he could move after half of his limbs had been cut off and his chest had been pierced.

“But you might have been poisoned by the Blood Cult’s poison!”

“Yeah, we have to go to a doctor right away…”

“It’s okay. I’ve already absorbed it all.”

At my words, the two of them flinched for a moment. It seemed it was hard to believe. Because if it was a master at the level of a blood fiend, just injecting his own blood was a deadly poison.

It was understandable, to the extent that there was even a saying that it was more difficult to survive from the wounds sustained in battle than to kill the Blood Cult members.

After a while of commotion, they both finally checked my energy veins and then stepped back with a face that was half surprised and half reluctant.

0 deaths, 0 serious injuries.

After finally confirming this, I finally opened my mouth.

“Let’s go back now.”

The hunt was finally over.

We cut off Seo Muk-ho’s head and put it in a cloth bag, and put his body in a sack and put it aside so that the beasts couldn’t eat it.

It was left for the government to take care of later, or in case it was needed for submission to the academy. Of course, although the academy sometimes required a sword mark in the verification process, there was no need for that now.

‘The Haomun must be watching in this vicinity.’

Because the news that Seo Muk-ho was dead or that a student of the Martial Academy had been defeated would be worth information.

Even if an inspection related to credits came in later, there was a credible witness.

We went down the mountain that way and returned to Gangju.

And after handing over the head of the wanted criminal to the government, we divided the remaining amount after deducting the information fee.

“Then shall we part ways slowly?”

As we entered the city, I brought it up. Since we had come all the way to Gangju, I was planning to finish the other business I had planned earlier.

Namgung Bihwa said she would stop by Anhui Province for a while, and Baek Hasin said he had taken on a mid-level request in this vicinity.

‘He’s doing well on his own.’

Baek Hasin knew his own situation of lacking credits well. At this rate, it seemed there was no need to worry separately.

“Then let’s see you later.”

I waved my hand at them and then headed to the boat I had reserved in advance. There were quite a lot of people on the medium-to-large-sized ship. The inside of the ship was bustling with merchants and martial artists.

The place I was going to now was Anhui Province.

Although Baek Hasin hadn’t noticed, there was a big event in Anhui Province right now.

It was the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, which was held once every four years. A competition where the late-stage martial artists under the age of twenty who had gathered from all over the central plains participated and competed in martial arts.

Among the regulations of the Martial Academy, the credits you would get if you won first place, that is, won the championship, in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, which was one of the top in the central plains, was 10 points. The runner-up was 8 points, and the third place was 6 points. In this way, the credits were allocated differently according to the rank.

‘Even if I just get to the semifinals, I can earn at least the credits of a mid-level request.’

Of course, since the late-stage martial artists had gathered from all over the country, it wouldn’t be easy. The reason why Seo Muk-ho had not been able to leave Gangju earlier was also because the various sect masters who were bringing their disciples to the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly had gathered.

But there was no need to be scared. I believed in the realm I had grown until now.

Since I had also gotten stronger while hunting Seo Muk-ho this time, I was confident that I would not be defeated by the average peer masters.

And so, as the sailboat was moving and I was getting some air in the background, someone approached.

“That blue robe, are you perhaps an intermediate student of the Martial Academy?”

After dealing with Seo Muk-ho and reporting to the government, I had changed into the clothes of the Martial Academy, and so someone had recognized me from the outside like this.

When I turned my head, there was a middle-aged woman and a tall woman who was fidgeting behind her.

“That’s right.”

At my answer, the middle-aged woman introduced herself.

“I am Choi Mi-kyung, an elder of the Hainan Sect. It’s just that my disciple is on her first trip to the central plains this time… and she has no experience of getting along with her peers from other regions. I was wondering if we could have an exchange?”

If it’s the Hainan Sect, it’s one of the nine sects. A large sect that influences not only Hainan, but also Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hunan.

And among them, if she was an elder, she was a real power who could elect the sect leader.

Then she could have asserted her authority against a student, but she was very polite.

‘Since I’m in a recovery period, it doesn’t matter.’

My mana was also quite exhausted, and since I had even taken in true blood, my internal energy was also on the verge of running out. Rather than doing something like training on the boat, it seemed it wouldn’t be bad to just have a proper conversation.

“Alright. I am Zhuge Cheonwu of the Zhuge family.”

At the introduction that followed along with the cupped fist, Choi Mi-kyung’s eyes widened for a moment.

“You were from the Zhuge family. I see.”

“Haha, please speak comfortably. Although our paths are different, you are a much older senior as a martial artist, aren’t you?”

“Ahem, shall I?”

At my words, Choi Mi-kyung moderately lowered her speech and continued a question-and-answer session that softened the atmosphere, and then I asked about something that had been bothering me for a while.

“But what about the young lady?”

When I slightly tilted my head and looked at the opponent, the long-haired woman, whose bangs were grown down to her eyebrows, quickly hid behind Choi Mi-kyung.

Even though she was not of a height that could be hidden by that. For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu, but my interest was not in such things.

‘Is she about half a hand shorter than me?’

I instinctively grasped the opponent’s reach and stride and waited for the opponent’s answer.

And so, after waiting for a while, the answer came back.

“…I am Yang Ha-eun, the first disciple of my master, no, Elder Choi Mi-kyung.”

“You seem to be about my age, but to be the first disciple at that age is amazing.”

And that too, if she was the first disciple in the Hainan Sect, she was the top elite late-stage martial artist who could be said to be the next elder without exaggeration. She belonged to a very high distribution even in the hierarchy of the Hainan Sect.

But as if she was not used to my compliment, Yang Ha-eun hid completely behind her.

“She’s been very shy since she was young, so don’t mind her too much.”

Choi Mi-kyung answered, having already spread her footwork and standing behind Yang Ha-eun. Then Yang Ha-eun’s front was empty, and our eyes met.

“……!”

The surprised Yang Ha-eun quickly spread her footwork and hid behind Choi Mi-kyung, and a farce where Choi Mi-kyung caught her back again unfolded.

Still, as if she couldn’t catch up with Elder Choi Mi-kyung, Yang Ha-eun was eventually held by the waist from behind and brought to me.

Although you might think it was ridiculous, I couldn’t laugh recklessly. It wasn’t just because of etiquette.

‘Fast and heavy.’

I had wondered how she could have snatched the position of the first disciple at that age, but her footwork was considerable from the beginning.

At least a peak level. Just as you can infer the level of a person by looking at their footwork, Yang Ha-eun’s realm was not ordinary.

I asked a low question, looking at Yang Ha-eun, who was being dragged with her face covered.

“But what brings you all the way to the central plains?”

Why had the Hainan Sect come all the way to Gangju? And that too, a first disciple of her own age. I had an ominous premonition.

Choi Mi-kyung bound her disciple’s two arms as if to urge her. Just then, a river wind blew, and thanks to that, her bangs were lifted, and her face was revealed. Yang Ha-eun, who seemed shy, hesitated for a moment and then finally opened her mouth.

“…To participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”

It was the moment when what I had been worried about became a reality.

But more than that, my entire attention was stolen by Yang Ha-eun’s face, which was revealed in the wind.

‘Why didn’t I know?’

An odd-eye with one eye discolored white. Since it was a feature that could not be commonly seen in the central plains, I remembered it clearly.

Yang Ha-eun, one of the Blood Fiend Demons, the final weapon of the Blood Cult that appears in the latter half of the original work, a monster called the Blood Sea Witch in the central plains.

A Transformation Realm super-master who swept the area, controlling the blood of the dead on the battlefield like a wave, was a terror in itself.

‘Why is she here?’

Come to think of it, at the last moment when I had defeated Yang Ha-eun, there was a last line that she, who had been released from the control of the Blood Demon, had muttered.

[Master…. It was good when we were hit by the sea breeze of Hainan together. …Ah, no! After the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly is over, those guys will!! Ahh! If I had been a little stronger then… Master, too, wouldn’t have been kidnapped….]

I looked at Yang Ha-eun with a serious gaze. When our eyes met, she turned her head as if startled.

But that was not what was important right now.

As if to confirm again, I examined Yang Ha-eun’s two eyes and features. A sharp and yet somewhat dazed impression. It was her.

‘To think I would encounter the Blood Sea Witch in this way.’

I swallowed a dry saliva.

Yang Ha-eun, she was originally destined to be kidnapped by the Blood Cult after this Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

(End of Chapter)