## Chapter 609 – 609. The Ascent To Light
609. The Ascent to Light
The place I teleported to using the space-shifting scroll was an old, abandoned inn, no longer inhabited by people. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling, and the wooden floor was not just dull but rotting away.
Seong Ji-gon was still passed out, lying face down on the floor. His posture looked uncomfortable, but there was no reason for me to adjust it for him.
‘Why isn’t Jik Seong-mi here yet? Did she choose to die at the hands of Shin Gong-se? She’s not that stupid of a woman.’
My worries were unfounded. Jik Seong-mi soon appeared. She looked around with a bewildered expression before staring intently at me.
“Just what are you?”
“You know about me, don’t you? I’m Seong Yu-jin from the Comet Sword Sect.”
“That’s ridiculous! You’re telling me a mere warrior from the Comet Sword Sect not only has a spatial storage item but also a paper that can use the Shrinking Earth Technique? Do you think I’d believe that?”
“Whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth. I am Seong Yu-jin from the Comet Sword Sect.”
“……”
She stared at me for a while, clicked her tongue, and then looked around again. She gazed out the inn’s window. The vegetation and the sky, where the sun was slowly setting, were visible.
“…Where is this?”
“It’s an abandoned house about an hour away from Payang City. It seems to have been an inn, but now it’s just a place to avoid the rain.”
“I have to go back. Now that the Ahyeon Clan has shown its true colors… the Jik Family Escort Agency…!”
I grabbed her wrist, stopping her as she rushed to go outside.
“It’s already too late. The Ahyeon Clan and the Comet Sword Sect have joined hands. Even if you go back, you alone can’t change the tide of the battle. You’ll only be captured and become a hostage to pressure the Jik Family Escort Agency.”
“Ugh! Then what am I supposed to do?!”
“I can help you.”
“……How?”
“I’ll give you the paper I just used, the space-shifting scroll. If you use it, you can instantly move near Hudan City. You can go back to the Jik Family Escort Agency and inform them of the situation.”
“If only I go back, my father will be suspicious. He’ll think I abandoned the escorts of the Jik Family Escort Agency and ran away. I’d rather die fighting here.”
“Did you forget about the Thousand-Mile Mirror? If you take the Nagang Sect’s book of techniques with you, the story will be different.”
I took out items from my inventory one by one and placed them on the half-broken old table.
Despite having a solution, Jik Seong-mi’s face contorted, and she couldn’t easily reach out.
“……What do you want?”
“Heh heh. You know, don’t you?”
I took a soft bed out of my inventory and took off my pants.
Jik Seong-mi closed her eyes. After thinking deeply for about three minutes, she opened her eyes again.
“……Okay.”
“Oh? Your tone has changed.”
“I don’t like it, but you’re my benefactor right now. If I can overcome this situation by offering my body, which has already been defiled by you… I’ll offer it as much as you want.”
That wasn’t the only reason. She had seen what I possessed, so she couldn’t look down on me like before. This world was fundamentally about the survival of the strongest, and in her eyes, I probably looked like a powerful person hiding my identity.
She approached the bed and began to undress. The white semen I had ejaculated from her vagina trickled down her thigh. It was a body that turned me on even now.
“Is it for the Jik Family Escort Agency?”
“It’s for the Jik Family Escort Agency and for me.”
Jik Seong-mi came to the front of the bed. I grabbed her wrist, pulled her, and laid her down on the bed.
The time of ecstasy began again.
•••
After about four hours of non-stop sex, Jik Seong-mi and I lay on the bed. Jik Seong-mi was docilely nestled in my arms. If someone saw us, they would think we were lovers. She followed me without resistance. Although there was a purpose, I liked her attitude.
I stroked her right breast with my fingertips, enjoying the languor.
“Are you satisfied?”
My dick was still throbbing. I could have more sex if I wanted to. But considering what was to come, I couldn’t just keep having sex. I had to let Jik Seong-mi go now for my plan.
“I was more than satisfied. Here, as promised, all of this is yours.”
“Aah.”
I squeezed her breast one last time, feeling regretful.
Jik Seong-mi got up. After getting out of my arms, she changed her clothes and used the Thousand-Mile Mirror. Her purpose was obvious. She wanted to see the situation unfolding in Payang City.
“What’s the situation?”
“……It seems the surviving escorts have scattered to avoid the battle. And the warriors of the Ahyeon Clan and the Comet Sword Sect are fighting.”
“Is that so?”
“The Comet Sword Sect is at a disadvantage. They’re being pushed back by the Ahyeon Clan’s power, and the warriors of the Comet Sword Sect are dying even now.”
“I see.”
“……Aren’t you upset? The warriors of your Comet Sword Sect are dying.”
“Not really. I don’t care if they all die. It’d be easier if they did.”
The situation was unfolding as in the original story. Although the process was slightly different, the destruction of the Comet Sword Sect was certain.
I turned my head and looked at Seong Ji-gon. Seong Ji-gon, who was sitting cross-legged in the corner of the inn, was currently absorbing the energy of the elixir.
‘He took Snow Ginseng and other elixirs, and I also gave him the Wisdom Pill, so he should reach the Outward Will realm.’
I gave Seong Ji-gon the Earth-based martial art, the Precious Carriage Divine Art. It was a martial art that the Nagang Sect leader had practiced along with his techniques. It was a martial art that didn’t deserve the name ‘divine art,’ but most martial arts were just grand in name, so I let it go.
Jik Seong-mi was preparing to tear the space-shifting scroll and looked at me.
“…I won’t forget this favor.”
“What favor? This is a fair trade.”
“No. It’s a favor. It’s hard to see my body as more valuable than these things. I’ll definitely repay this debt.”
“Well, repay it with that body of yours.”
Jik Seong-mi’s intentions were clear. She knew I was extraordinary and was trying to create a connection to use me.
If it were any other man, I would have been displeased, but she was a beauty. There was no reason to be displeased.
Jik Seong-mi tore the space-shifting scroll and disappeared.
‘I should start taking elixirs soon.’
I took out Snow Ginseng and other elixirs. Making elixirs would be more efficient, but I didn’t have the time or the method. The Ascent to Light was still strengthening Storm Breaker, so I couldn’t use it.
I shoved the elixirs into my mouth all at once. Each elixir had a slightly different taste, but they had one thing in common. They were terribly bitter.
‘Ugh….’
I endured the urge to vomit and circulated the Heavenly Qi Art. The Comet Sword Sect’s inner cultivation method didn’t suit me.
‘Originally, you’re supposed to take the elixirs one by one… Well, it’ll be fine. It’s too much trouble to eat them separately.’
I focused on absorbing the energy of the elixirs until dawn. Other than a throbbing pain in my stomach, there were no other side effects.
『Congratulations! You have reached the 2nd stage of the Outward Will realm!』
『You have been awarded 10 Heavenly Jade as a reward.』
『Congratulations! You have reached the 3rd stage of the Outward Will realm!』
『You have been awarded 15 Heavenly Jade as a reward.』
When I opened my eyes, the sun was beginning to rise.
At some point, I had fallen into a trance and circulated the Heavenly Qi Art. Seong Ji-gon was still sitting cross-legged. I could feel energy emanating from him. He was attempting to reach the Outward Will realm.
‘I have a total of 56 Heavenly Jade from what I’ve obtained this time. It’s good that Heavenly Jade is given at each stage from the Outward Will realm.’
『A special mission has been created!』
『You can’t just live being pushed around!』
『Kill Shin Gong-se within 10 days!』
『Success Reward: 50 Heavenly Jade』
The Heavenly Gang Star System, which hadn’t given me a mission for the past few months, finally gave me one.
‘A quest with no penalty.’
I could ignore the mission. But I was tempted by the 50 Heavenly Jade.
‘With 50 Heavenly Jade, I can reach VIP 1.’
•••
Seong Ji-gon finally woke up around noon.
With hazy eyes, he looked at me and laughed loudly.
“Haha! Yu-jin! I’ve reached the Outward Will realm! I’ve reached the Outward Will realm!”
“That’s great. Congratulations. You’ve now joined the ranks of geniuses that people recognize.”
“Hey. Can I compare to you? But what are you going to do now? Are you going back to Payang City to help the Third Elder fight?”
“It’s too late even if we go. The battle won’t change even if the two of us join. We’re returning to the Comet Sword Sect.”
“……Won’t Father and the other elders get angry? We ran away from the battle.”
“It’s okay. We have this.”
What I held in my hand was the Nagang Sect leader’s book of techniques. It wasn’t a divine artifact, but a book of techniques was also a precious item. If we took this, even Seong Go-dan would have to acknowledge our contribution.
“We’ll report that the Nagang Sect’s divine artifact was taken by the Ahyeon Clan… and we’ll have to injure ourselves appropriately to create traces of battle.”
“Will things go well? The fact that the Ahyeon Clan betrayed and attacked the Comet Sword Sect… means that we’ll have to be enemies with the Ahyeon Clan from now on.”
“Things won’t go well. The Ahyeon Clan is a more powerful force than the Comet Sword Sect. Now that they’ve taken the divine artifact, they’ll quickly eliminate the Comet Sword Sect and either fight the Jik Family Escort Agency or enter a cold war.”
In many ways, the Comet Sword Sect was at a disadvantage.
“The Comet Sword Sect will be destroyed soon. Let’s prepare to run away. We need to take care of the women we’re going to take with us.”
“Run away… Where to?”
“I have some candidates, but we’ll have to think about it from now on. My mother’s family.”
I scratched my head. I couldn’t take all the women of the Comet Sword Sect with me. But I could make sure they escaped safely.
‘I can’t let the women I’ve slept with die like dogs.’
I didn’t care about most women, but there were some I liked.
‘And I haven’t even slept with Seong So-jeong, Seong Ji-gon’s sister, yet.’
We decided to run to the Comet Sword Sect. We could use the space-shifting scroll to get there instantly, but if we were too fast, we might be suspected.
‘Let’s avoid being suspected by Seong Go-dan as much as possible.’
•••
“The Ahyeon Clan betrayed us?!”
“Is that true?!”
“Those filthy Ahyeon Clan bastards…!”
Seong Ji-gon and I, having arrived at the Comet Sword Sect, immediately explained the situation to the sect leader and the elders. The Ahyeon Clan had betrayed them, the warriors dispatched by the Comet Sword Sect and the Jik Family Escort Agency were almost annihilated, and the Nagang Sect’s divine artifact, the Thousand-Mile Mirror, had been taken by the Ahyeon Clan.
“Ugh….”
Seong Ji-gon and I acted as if we were furious. Our clothes were stained with blood, and bandages were wrapped around our bodies. We had injured ourselves.
“We were not strong enough to retrieve the divine artifact. But… we were able to bring the Nagang Sect leader’s book of techniques!”
“No! You did well!”
Seong Go-dan said, taking the book of techniques. He was praising us, but his eyes were fixed on the book of techniques and wouldn’t leave it.
‘He’s probably calculating how valuable it is.’
Like attracts like, and the elders were similar to Seong Go-dan.
“The sect leader is right! The Nagang Sect leader was once a well-known sorcerer in this area! Even if it’s not as good as the divine artifact he had, the book of techniques is also a treasure!”
“It wouldn’t be bad to use this book of techniques to train sorcerers or sell it to other sorcerer sects.”
If we hadn’t brought anything, we would have been criticized for running away.
‘The Comet Sword Sect was a sect that deserved to be destroyed. It’s amazing that it’s been operating normally until now, with such greedy people sitting at the top.’
Still, there were some normal elders.
“Sect leader! It’s not too late to decide about the book of techniques later! What’s urgent now is the warriors of our Comet Sword Sect who remain in Payang City and the Ahyeon Clan!”
“It’s not just the Ahyeon Clan! Do you think the Jik Family Escort Agency will stay still? We betrayed the Jik Family Escort Agency first, and we were betrayed by the Ahyeon Clan… Isn’t this the worst situation where both forces have become enemies of the sect?! We need a plan!”
“The worst-case scenario is the Jik Family Escort Agency and the Ahyeon Clan attacking us at the same time. One force alone is overwhelming… If two forces attack us at the same time? Then there’s no answer but destruction.”
The meeting was progressing. The problem was that no good solution was coming out, and they just kept repeating that they were in big trouble.
“…Seong Yu-jin. Seong Ji-gon. You can go now. You’re not feeling well, so take a rest.”
“Yes, sect leader. We’ll take our leave.”
We had made a contribution, but there was no reward.
