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Translator: uly
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: I Am the Great Radiant Martial of the Solar Heaven Martial Sect
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I am the Great Radiant Martial of the Solar Heaven Martial Sect.
"Agh. I'm dying here."
Black Wind turned his gaze to his chest. Both pecs were caked in blood and sand.
"But the Black Demon Adamant Body is doing its job."
He let out a smirk.
He'd suffered severe internal injuries, and his skin was mangled, but it wasn't fatal. That was all thanks to the Black Demon Adamant Body.
"Still, first things first…"
He sat cross-legged right there.
Black Wind wasn't completely ignorant of martial arts.
He'd learned a few techniques. He just lacked the internal energy to use them properly. Well, he could manage something like Life-Death Bind, but it had no real power.
"At least it does some healing…"
What he was preparing to circulate now was the Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force, the internal energy method he'd been taught.
It claimed that once mastered, you could turn all things into internal energy—a load of nonsense. But he'd practiced it diligently since childhood, so he could pull it off in any situation.
It didn't pull him into a deep trance like the Samadhi State, so he called it Meditation Heaven Force. And there was no better sleeping pill than the Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force when he wanted to crash.
Whether it worked or not, it was the only thing he knew, so in a pinch, he always relied on it completely.
"Still gotta close my eyes. And get the posture right."
He didn't fully trust the Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force, but he observed all the formalities. Black Wind closed his eyes and recited its incantation.
He'd had seven masters.
They weren't people with extraordinary talents just because they were called masters. The martial world scorned them as the Central Plains Avoidance Seven Freaks.
The Avoidance Seven Freaks meant they were the best in the world at dodging fights. They were also called the Ten Thousand Defeats Seven Freaks.
They'd never won a single fight in their entire lives. A martial artist proves their worth through combat and grows via life-or-death duels. But the Central Plains Avoidance Seven Freaks had never fought to the end.
Whenever things looked bad, they ran. That meant they missed even the chances to win. As far as Black Wind knew, his seven masters hadn't even won fights as kids.
People who had no business becoming martial artists.
No, his seven masters were people who shouldn't have become martial artists.
The First Freak, Indestructible Freak Master, had taught him the Black Demon Adamant Body.
The Second Freak, Evasion Freak Master, had taught him Six Illuminations Spirit Sense, the pinnacle of evasion techniques. Six Illuminations Spirit Sense developed the six senses to their limits.
The Third Freak, Defense Freak Master, had taught him the defensive Beast Blood Demon Art.
That was the most martial-arts-like of the bunch.
The Fourth Freak, Concealment Freak Master, had taught him Hidden Void, a hiding technique.
The Fifth Freak, Effort Freak Master, specialized in internal energy.
He wandered the country's mountains claiming to make medicine for treating paralyzed bodies.
The Sixth Freak, Force Freak Master, had passed down the Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force for sleeping.
And from the Seventh Freak, Body Freak Master, he'd learned the Flying Heaven Void Step, the ultimate escape movement technique.
In any case, with the meager techniques from his masters, Black Wind had survived this far. Today, he'd even completed the First Freak, Indestructible Freak Master's Black Demon Adamant Body.
"Agh, so sleepy. Today…"
Black Wind gritted his teeth.
Strangely, circulating qi with the Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force always made him drowsy. He'd tried everything to stay awake, but he'd never succeeded once.
Just like his Sixth Freak, Force Freak Master, who'd lived that way his whole life, Black Wind always fell asleep during qi circulation.
The Myriad Phenomena Great Heaven Force was why he could fall asleep in an instant. Whenever he wanted to sleep, he always used it.
"I'm not sleeping. No way."
But it was no use. Thirty years of habit wouldn't vanish. Before a quarter hour had passed, he was out cold, still cross-legged.
He woke up an hour later.
"Lost again."
Black Wind shook his head.
"But at least the fatigue's eased up some…"
He flashed a grin and stood.
He was so used to it now that he didn't even get mad.
"By the way, who might you be?"
Black Wind walked over to the corpse. Up close, it was clear the body belonged to someone huge. Sitting height about matched Black Wind's, but bulkier flesh made it look much bigger. Black Wind plopped down cross-legged in front of it.
"I'm Ten Thousand Commander Black Wind."
"..."
"Not that I'm bored and introducing myself. Just curious why you died out here all alone. And I wanna give you a proper burial, but I'm wondering what you'd think…"
The corpse was burly, but the face looked pretty old. At least as old as Indestructible Master, if not more.
Black Wind's eyes drifted to the corpse's knee.
Something was carved there.
"Pardon the intrusion."
He brushed the dust off in front of the corpse.
[Kneel!]
"Didn't I say I'm a Ten Thousand Commander? Seems you don't know much about the military, old timer. A Ten Thousand Commander has ten thousand men under him. Line 'em up—do you know how long that is? You can't even see the end."
Black Wind looked back at the writing.
[Kneel!]
"Fine, fine, I'll do it."
Black Wind stood and bowed.
Then he checked the corpse's knee again.
[Kneel!]
"Got it. I'll bury you, alright?"
Black Wind dug into the ground with his crescent blade.
"This is why you gotta carry a shovel."
He regretted not having one right then. Luckily, the soil was soft and dug easily. Once the pit was ready, he went back to the corpse.
"That robe looks nice. Mind if I take it?"
"..."
"Silence means yes, so thanks."
He bowed his head and grabbed the robe.
Poof!
In an instant, the corpse turned to dust and scattered everywhere. The robe, made of some special fabric, was fine.
"Guess it's ancient. Embalmers gather every speck of dust, you know."
Black Wind collected the scattered dust.
"Hmm…!"
He pulled something out from the dust. An egg-sized orb, a sash, and three arm rings.
"This one's for eating."
He popped the egg-shaped orb straight into his mouth. Despite its size, it slid down his throat like an egg yolk.
Black Wind waited with eager anticipation.
"Uh… old timer, should I circulate qi now?"
He asked the dust.
"…Damn it. Of course my luck means the inner core's turned to mush… Shit! I'm probably the only guy in the world who eats inner cores like injury meds."
Black Wind grumbled as he gathered all the dust. He dumped the soil-mixed dust into the pit, covered it, and went back to where the corpse had sat.
[Thank you.]
It was written below the "Kneel!" inscription.
"If you're thankful, you should've left something besides the egg."
[I give you the Solar Four Treasures.]
"The Solar Four Treasures? This sash, the rings, and the robe… Ah!"
A smile spread across Black Wind's face.
On the right wall hung a bow and a bell. The bow was smaller than usual, and the bell looked like a camel bell.
Even though it was small with a slack string, it exuded a strong sense of unease. Like it was shouting, "I'm a masterpiece. No, a divine bow. Treat me right." Black Wind went to the wall and fetched the bow and bell.
"No ordinary person could even lift this."
The bow was incredibly heavy, about the same as the mace on his belt. Its surface was covered in countless relief and intaglio carvings.
"Now that's what I call a masterpiece."
Black Wind nodded.
"Let's see… Anyway, thanks for the new job."
Black Wind bowed to the burial spot.
"I was just discharged and stressing over how to make a living, but you've decided my next gig. I take it as a sign to become a hunter."
Black Wind drew the string.
If the corpse had turned to dust, ages had passed, yet the string was intact.
"Definitely a masterpiece. Lemme string it. Like I said, I'm no lightweight."
He braced one end against the wall and pulled.
"...?"
He pushed with all his might, but it didn't budge.
"Duh! You don't brace it against the wall—you hook it by your instep and press down from above. My bad."
Black Wind took a deep breath, hooked one end by the depression next to his foot, and wrapped his left foot around it.
Then he pressed down while pulling the string. This time was different. It bent a little. But no exaggeration—the bow bent exactly one inch.
Nowhere near enough to string.
He tried a few more times after that.
Eventually, he tossed the bow aside.
"Not giving up on hunting. I'll get it someday."
Next, he picked up the arm ring.
It was quite wide. Like hundreds of thin rings fused together.
"But how do you wear this? Just shove my fist in… It fits."
A satisfied smile appeared on Black Wind's face for the first time in a while. Somehow, his fist slipped right in.
"But…"
He pushed to pull it out.
"…Damn! Nothing goes right."
It bent inward but not outward. He was stuck with it until he cut his arm off. One moment of curiosity, and he'd wear this metal lump forever.
"I'll get it off someday."
He glared at the grave, then picked up the sash. It was a masterpiece like the bow. Or at least looked like one.
"This looks like a sword hilt. Or maybe a saber."
Black Wind tilted his head.
The handle-like protrusion at the front was about a foot long, perfectly palm-sized.
"I'll belt it first…"
He undid his old sash and buckled on the new one.
The clasp was a ring, so it was easy.
"Definitely a sword hilt. Or saber."
He gripped the handle and yanked.
Shiiiing!
A sharp sound rang out as a long sword emerged. But the blade was a full three feet.
"Whoa!"
An exclamation escaped Black Wind's lips.
The blade was transparent and thin like glass. It felt like it could slice through anything just by touching it.
"The problem is…"
The sword drooped limply from the hilt.
"It's a flexible sword. No internal energy, no wielding it."
Black Wind looked at the flexible sword pitifully.
Someone with internal energy could thrust it back stylishly, but he had to stuff it. He grabbed the tip and aligned it with the sash opening.
"Ow!"
As expected, razor-sharp.
Just a graze, and blood welled from his finger. But the blood on the blade vanished instantly. Like the sword had drunk it.
"Trust me, bloodsucking's a bad habit, buddy."
Black Wind stuffed the flexible sword back in. Drawing was easy; sheathing was hell.
"If I draw this again, I'll curse my castle. No, forgive my father. Damn it."
He finally shoved it in and collapsed. His face was drenched in sweat.
He caught his breath for a moment.
"Now, let's see who this guy was."
Black Wind wiped below the "Kneel!" inscription with his palm.
Dense writing appeared.
[I am the 121st Heavenly Lord of Solar Heaven, Great Radiant Martial of the Solar Heaven Martial Sect.]