The Miraculous Divorce Technique

Chapter 40

WHOOSH. ROAR.

The final gate of the Wind and Sand Soul-Returning Formation.

It was to break through the tornado and destroy the single formation core located inside, the wish-granting jewel.

FLUTTER, FLUTTER, FLUTTER.

The hem of his clothes fluttered incessantly as if it were being sucked into the tornado.

Cheok Sagyeol had planted both his feet and hands on the ground and was resisting the pulling force.

"Damn it, what kind of bastard installed this formation?"

The illusion was showing off its majesty as if it were a real existence beyond an illusion.

If he let his guard down even a little, it felt like he would be swept away by the tornado's pulling force and disappear beyond the sky.

It was hard to believe, but one of the phenomena of a natural disaster had been realized with the power of a formation.

'With this much wind, the Thousand-Catty Drop alone is not enough. The only way is to temporarily dissipate the tornado and break the formation core in the gap when the wind has calmed down...'

This time, too, the problem was his internal energy.

If he could use his internal energy freely, he was confident he could cut down even a tornado in one blow.

But Cheok Sagyeol was not sure that this gate was the last.

It was because it was difficult to grasp in detail how many stages of gates it was composed of.

'Should I try to approach by going underground?'

It was a thought that came to Cheok Sagyeol as he looked at the ground.

And he immediately put that thought into practice.

BAM. BAM.

An application of the claw technique.

With his hands hardened to the wrists, he dug and dug at the ground without rest.

If there was a rock, he broke it, and he moved forward, raising a cloud of dust without rest.

Since he didn't know techniques like the Earth-Hiding Art, his hands and feet were suffering.

But he thought it was a good method, even if it was foolish.

There was no problem in digging the ground even without internal energy.

'This should be enough, right?'

Cheok Sagyeol returned to the hole he had first dug and stuck his head out.

But it was then, as he was gauging the distance.

"Damn it!"

The tornado moved and changed its position.

Although it was a whirlwind where the wind had gathered, there was no way it would be fixed.

But as if to tease him, the tornado moved only after he had finished digging the ground.

"Damn it! I'll just smash it all!"

BOOM.

Cheok Sagyeol shot his figure up as if bouncing.

As he was drawn by the tornado's pulling force, he naturally floated high into the sky.

ROAR.

The Bodhi Lotus Art that arose from his dantian ignited its flame.

That flame exploded into a golden Buddhist qi art, brightly illuminating the surroundings.

But the stance was that of the Blood Fiend Asura Art, the Asura Heaven-Destroying Palm.

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK, CRACK.

A giant golden palm struck the tornado as if catching an earthworm.

It had eliminated the tornado in one blow and at the same time, had turned even the formation core into dust.

"Uweeeeeeek."

'Ah, fuck.'

'When will I ever get used to it?'

Every time he used it, it felt as if rats were crawling all over his body and dirty water was flowing through his blood vessels.

"Cough, spit."

It was then, as Cheok Sagyeol spat out the last of his vomit with his saliva.

The surrounding environment blurred as if the illusion were disappearing, and a clearing surrounded by willow trees was revealed.

The scenery he had seen when he had set foot in the Wind Forest. It was proof that the formation had been completely broken.

And there, along with a single thatched cottage, were one middle-aged man and four old men.

"As expected, you are amazing, Grand Master Muheo."

The middle-aged man, Baili Lin, said to Cheok Sagyeol, performing a cupped fist salute.

He had guessed his identity from the intense Buddhist qi art he had felt in the last move.

"And you are?"

"Baili Lin. I am the master of this Wind Forest and the pavilion master of the White Wind Pavilion."

"Hohaha, this old monk is called Muheo. It is a pleasure to meet you, Pavilion Master Baili."

Cheok Sagyeol began to act, performing a half-salute.

"As expected, you were Grand Master Muheo. This person has had his eyes opened wide today. To break through our main family's Wind and Sand Soul-Returning Formation in less than an hour, I am truly impressed."

"Hoho, not at all. It is this old monk who has learned that the Baili family is a true hidden dragon of the martial world."

As they exchanged warm pleasantries, Baili Lin's eyes shone as he asked.

"But how did you know to come here, Grand Master?"

"It seems there is a misunderstanding. This old monk did not come knowing that this is a special place, but followed a person."

"A person?"

"This old monk has come to the Baili family as a private tutor for a day. Baili Huang, that child was here, wasn't he?"

"Then you set foot in the Wind Forest following that boy, Huang, and you entered the formation?"

At Baili Lin's question, Cheok Sagyeol nodded his head and performed a half-salute.

"Perhaps this Wind Forest does not allow unauthorized people to enter. I don't know if this old monk has made a mistake, Namo Amitabha."

"..."

Baili Lin could not make a rash judgment.

If he had followed the natural course of the formation, he would have wandered around the Wind Forest and then gone out the entrance again.

'But he deliberately tried to forcibly invade the inside of the formation?'

That part bothered him.

"This old monk has recently been engrossed in the study of formations, so I set foot in out of curiosity. Please understand with a broad mind, Pavilion Master Baili."

Cheok Sagyeol, who had read the thoughts in Baili Lin's expression, quickly made an excuse.

It was because entering such a secret place without permission was a rude act for any sect.

"Not at all, Grand Master. It can happen when one is engrossed in something."

"But what kind of place is this? To be a place protected by such a thorough formation... Namo Amitabha."

"This is the place where the ancestor of the Baili family established the main family. These are the Hidden Wind Squad."

"The Hidden Wind Squad..."

'As expected, the momentum of each and every one of them is not ordinary.'

'To think they were hiding masters of this level in addition to the revealed ones like the elders and the squad leaders.'

'For martial artists, who prove their existence through the martial arts they have accumulated, to live only in the shadows despite having such ability is not an easy thing.'

'It means that their love for the Baili family is wider and deeper than anyone else's.'

'Should I tell them about the story of Baili brat and Lee Cheon-eok?'

Cheok Sagyeol had felt something while tailing Lee Cheon-eok.

That was that the Baili family, for its size, had no place with few people, and when he had examined the footprints presumed to be Lee Cheon-eok's, his martial prowess was definitely above the peak.

A person skilled in tracking or a master who has reached the peak can estimate an opponent's martial prowess with just a small clue.

Lee Cheon-eok's footprints were faint, and the force was evenly distributed on the front.

This was a characteristic that appeared in martial artists above the peak master level.

If so, unless Lee Cheon-eok was extremely careless, it would take time to subdue him.

Moreover, if Lee Cheon-eok knew that Muheo had also swapped bodies, he would be even more wary, and things could get complicated.

'In that aspect, if I receive the help of the Hidden Wind Squad?'

'Also, if I use this Wind and Sand Soul-Returning Formation, I can lure him to a place with few people.'

Cheok Sagyeol, who had made a decision, began to act.

"It seems that Buddha has led me to this place. Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva."

Whether they believed it or not, he was betting on the hearts of those who cared for the family.

* * *

"Is this the residence of that Teacher Myo?"

At Baili Huang's question, Sib-i-wol nodded her head.

"Yes."

"Then we should go in, what are you hesitating for?"

It was the moment Baili Huang extended his foot.

"Wait."

Sib-i-wol grabbed Baili Huang's shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"From here on, a single wrong step will cost you your life."

"What?"

In Baili Huang's eyes, it was just an ordinary yard.

But unseen mechanism formations were installed without a single gap.

"Step only where I step. Otherwise, I can't be held responsible."

Sib-i-wol moved slowly and cautiously.

Sometimes with ordinary steps, sometimes in a zigzag, and at other times, he used his lightness skill to leap over five zhang.

"L-let's go together!"

Baili Huang, for fear of forgetting where he had stepped, quickly followed behind him.

An hour later.

"You fucking bastard. The master and the dog, their heads are amazing, amazing. You broke through this in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?"

It was the words of the pot-bellied old man, Teacher Myo.

"It took an hour. Until now, there has been no formation that has tied me down for more than two hours, but the record has been broken, tsk."

Sib-i-wol answered sullenly.

Baili Huang just stared at them blankly.

Teacher Myo's gaze shifted to him.

"But who is that old man? I've never seen his face before."

"He is the master's new servant."

"Another pitiful life like mine has been added. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"You should say it's an honor."

"Honor, my ass. It would be an honor for you guys."

At Teacher Myo's words, Sib-i-wol's expression hardened coldly.

"You bastard, alright, alright. Don't make that face."

"..."

"I'm grateful, you bastard, relax your face! You're so damn brutal!"

"Please be careful. I just swallowed my anger three times."

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you did. But why did you come?"

Teacher Myo asked, waving his hand.

"There was a command from the master to escort you."

"You know the contract, right? I'm not a common servant who just comes when called."

"Of course."

"Are you going to do it?"

"No. This person here will take the test."

Sib-i-wol said, pointing at Baili Huang.

Baili Huang was bewildered as to what was happening to him.

"Really? From what I saw earlier, he doesn't seem to know the 'gi' of mechanism formations."

"That's right. The master said that if a person ignorant of mechanism formations passes your test, he can be made to work on a contract basis, not on a case-by-case basis. Isn't that in the contract?"

"What will you do it with?"

"Red grade. The period is one year, right?"

"I'm not responsible if he dies?"

"Of course."

At Sib-i-wol's confident answer, Baili Huang, with a pale face, chimed in.

"What do you mean, of course! You have to explain the situation!"

"The master said."

"What?"

"He said he'll catch a dog, so you should earn your keep too."

"What? Earn my keep?"

"Escorting the teacher from here is your keep as a servant... no, your mission. So you just have to pass the teacher's mechanism formation."

At Sib-i-wol's plain explanation, Baili Huang protested fiercely.

"You said I could die!?"

"You won't die. The reason the master entrusted this mission to you is because you have that much ability. Trust the master. He is not a person who entrusts a heavy responsibility to a guy who doesn't have the ability."

"No... I'm glad you trust me, but..."

'Even though my training is over, to ask me, who doesn't know mechanism formations, to pass it.'

'And a dangerous grade that could kill me...'

Baili Huang thought it was absurd.

Fighting someone and facing a mechanism formation are completely different fields.

This was common sense that even a child knew.

"Couldn't you please reconsider? I'm too anxious..."

As Baili Huang took a step back, Sib-i-wol said.

"The master said that being acknowledged by others and convincing oneself are different. I heard that the master acknowledged that you have reached the peak. But can you yourself be proud of being a peak master?"

"...That..."

Baili Huang started to speak and then closed his mouth.

It was because it was true that he lacked the confidence to speak confidently.

"A peak master is literally a complete martial artist whose mind, qi, and body have reached the peak. Such a person will survive even if thrown into the vast sea, and will not die even if dropped in the middle of a fiery pit. If you want to be proud of yourself as a peak master, take the test and survive. I dare say that no one, not even yourself, will doubt that you are a peak master."

At Sib-i-wol's words, Baili Huang felt his chest swell.

A bright light flashed in his eyes, and his fighting spirit soared.

Baili Huang, who had raised his lowered head, spoke as his heart commanded.

"I will try it, the test."

The corners of Sib-i-wol's mouth rose slightly.

'What a simple guy. He bites at whatever is thrown at him.'

(End of Chapter)