Chapter 124 :

Chapter 124. The Black Flame Dragon Gives Them a Chance (4)

Rumors about the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation spread throughout not only the academy but the entire Martial Alliance.

"Was there really a way to solve it?"

"There was. The problem was that you had to memorize two million different routes."

"Don't tell me he's just planning to teach everyone all two million routes and call it a day?"

"I heard Jin Sowoon intends to teach a method that lets you escape without memorizing every route."

The rumors grew even larger because there were limits on both how long the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation could operate and how many people could enter it.

The office of the academy representative group, which had always been practically empty aside from my companions, began receiving all kinds of visitors, from those questioning the attendance limit to those openly expressing dissatisfaction.

"Why are you spending all that money only to operate it for ten days?"

"Because the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation is extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong, we could end up creating a death zone inside the academy."

"Then why are only two hundred people allowed inside?"

"Because the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation is extremely dangerous. The limit is there in case something goes wrong and causes casualties among the academy students."

"All of these decisions seem like the academy representative's unilateral choices!"

"Because the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation is extremely dangerous, I ask for your understanding that we cannot accommodate every opinion."

No matter the complaint or question, I faithfully wielded the all-purpose answer of "because it's too dangerous," and eventually even those who had been chirping questions like sparrows shut their mouths on their own.

Then the conspiracy theorists started appearing.

"Isn't he deliberately building a dangerous formation to kill academy students?"

"The limit of two hundred people exists precisely to prevent such a dangerous situation."

"Could you be teaching only those two hundred people as a trick to strengthen your own faction?"

"Do I even have a faction in the first place? And doesn't that contradict the question you just asked?"

Like the pampered brats they were, they apparently could not tolerate the world refusing to revolve around them, so all kinds of nonsense poured out.

To teach them about the harshness of the world, I repeatedly employed the strategy of "So what?" and decisively put an end to the controversy.

"What if nobody comes because of that?"

"What do you mean?"

"The atmosphere is already hostile toward the academy representative. I was wondering whether you should be coaxing them instead."

At Seong Moran's question, I stared directly at her.

"W-why? If you suddenly stare at me like that..."

"Young Lady Seong."

"Y-yes!"

"If you knew the location of a divine weapon that could only be used once, would you go looking for it?"

"What? Why are you suddenly asking... Hmm. Even if it could only be used once, if it could save my life, then of course I'd go find it."

"But the object is located right in the middle of the heretical murim, and your family forbids you from going. Would you still go?"

"I would. You said it was a divine weapon. Even if I could only use it once, I'd still have to go."

"Exactly. You would go. For yourself and your family. This is no different. No matter how unreasonable or inconvenient it feels, if martial artists have a chance to learn the solution to the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation, wouldn't they naturally come?"

"Ah..."

Not only Seong Moran but also Namgung Seonhwa and Moyong Jaehwa, who had been listening beside her, stared at me with their mouths slightly open.

"Seriously, that scheming mind of yours..."

Eunho, standing beside us with one eye swollen black and blue while holding his hands up, muttered quietly.

"What did you say?"

"N-nothing! As expected of you, Eldest Senior Brother! You're the best! The best!"

"Keep your hands properly raised."

"Yes, sir!"

Namgung Seonhwa, who had been staring at me in surprise, suddenly seemed to think of something.

"If that's the case, why did you limit the number of participants? Since you're already doing it, wouldn't allowing around three hundred people to participate in the academic schedule benefit you more?"

"I need to hold five more academic sessions over the next three months. Even if I filled every available spot right now, it wouldn't mean much afterward."

"Ah... Once you overcome one obstacle, another immediately appears."

"It's fine. That's exactly why I placed a limit on the number of participants."

"What?"

#

"What kind of bullshit is that?!"

Jang Seokdo of the Zhongnan Sect roared.

Geumpyo calmly wiped the spit that had landed on his face from Jang Seokdo's outburst.

"I already explained it, didn't I? If you want to learn the solution to the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation, you must attend five future academic sessions hosted by the academy representative."

"You never said anything about that!"

"Terms and conditions are normally shown when you fill out the application, aren't they?"

"You bastards are really pushing it now!"

"Dongryong."

At Geumpyo's words, the sword-bearing boy beside him stepped forward while tightly hugging his sword.

Jang Seokdo flinched and took two steps backward.

He knew the rumors surrounding the Bloodletting Three Dragons of Class Mu very well.

'They say that when the three of them fight together, they can take on an entire squad?'

The Nine Great Sects, Five Great Families, and Twelve Peaks Fortress had all reacted negatively to the Taeul Sect's actions.

Just as Jang Seokdo himself had underestimated Jin Sowoon of the Taeul Sect and challenged him, other members of Class Mu had also gone after the three brothers, only to suffer the misfortune of having their arms broken.

Even then, some people had been unable to vent all their anger.

They had separately called out Dongryong, who looked like the youngest of the three, intending to teach him a lesson.

'I heard those tiny hands of his are ridiculously brutal.'

But Jang Seokdo had also heard that all three men who had attacked Dongryong ended up with broken arms and legs and would be unable to move properly for the next six months.

"If you're not going to apply, please step aside. There's a long line behind you."

Jang Seokdo turned around.

A long line of people who, like him, had secretly come to fill out applications stretched behind him.

Looking over them, nearly all were people who held little influence within their respective factions.

As a disciple of Zhongnan, he found it deeply unpleasant to stand in line with them.

But the moment news of the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation reached the main sect, he had received orders to learn its solution.

That was why he had endured the contemptuous stares of others and come here.

"Damn it... Give it here. Where do I sign?"

No matter how difficult his daily life at the academy became, when he considered his future in the Martial Alliance and his eventual return to the main sect, obeying the sect's orders was clearly the correct decision.

"Here, here, here, and here. Please place your personal seal."

"That's a lot."

"For your information, this document has been officially certified by the Intelligence Department. If you break the agreement, you will be required to pay a penalty of one hundred gold nyang."

"What?"

"This opportunity is being offered to only two hundred people. The Intelligence Department doesn't want to suffer losses because someone takes a spot and then refuses to attend."

"Of course, as long as you attend properly, you won't have to pay the hundred gold nyang."

No matter how unfair it felt, Jang Seokdo could not disobey orders from his main sect.

"Yes, you made a good choice. Next."

#

"Have you gained some enlightenment?"

"I would say that through the books Great Hero Jin left behind and my research with Jegal Cheongi, I have taken another step forward."

Yu Jiryang was naturally flexible and humble.

For someone like him to openly say that he had advanced meant that whatever enlightenment he had gained could not have been shallow.

"As expected, that's impressive. Congratulations."

At my words, Yu Jiryang instead lowered his head before staring deeply into my eyes.

"I believe Great Hero Jin is the truly impressive one."

"Me?"

Yu Jiryang turned his head toward the main training ground.

Five hundred carpenters were busily constructing nearly three hundred pillars and temporary buildings throughout the grounds.

"I heard rumors about the situation you're currently facing, Great Hero Jin. But even if I were in your position, I don't think I would have released the solution to the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation."

"That is one way to see it."

"May I ask why you made that choice?"

There had been other ways to draw the academy students toward me.

Even so, there were two reasons I had chosen this method.

The first was the Demonic Cult.

Because the Demonic Cult already knew how to break most arcane formations throughout the murim world, I decided there was little reason to keep the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation secret.

At the Martial Academy's main training ground, where a special version of the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation was being installed, I had encountered a welcome face.

"I actually looked for you as soon as I arrived at the Martial Academy, Great Hero Yu. Why didn't you participate in the Martial Academy's official examination?"

At my words, Yu Jiryang, who had grown noticeably thinner since the last time I saw him, chuckled.

"The Martial Academy is certainly an excellent opportunity, but there was an even greater opportunity waiting at the Taeul Sect, so I decided not to participate."

When I sent my plan to the Maosan Sect through the Intelligence Department, Yu Jiryang had rushed over immediately from Hefei, where he had been installing arcane formations at the Wang Family Estate.

"Besides, this is an opportunity to construct a pure Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation. Naturally, I had to come personally."

He had lost weight and grown leaner than before, but the profound light in his eyes seemed stronger than ever.

And the second reason was—

"Isn't it tragic?"

"What?"

"The interior of the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation is empty. No demonic beasts emerge, and no disasters occur. Those trapped inside can do nothing but endure an endless wait filled with suffering, while those outside can only wait helplessly and pray that the trapped people escape safely."

What else could this be if not a loss-leader strategy?

Suddenly, I remembered my great-grandmaster, who must have spent all that time trapped within this agonizing formation waiting for death.

"Regardless of whether one belongs to the righteous or dark faction, there are times when something appears before us that humanity itself must resist. In my eyes, the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation is one such thing. A Soul-Destroying Formation said to have vanished three hundred years ago has appeared again. That means this disaster may someday appear before people again. If there is a solution that human effort can handle, then I believe it is right to reveal it."

"Huh..."

Yu Jiryang stared at me for a long while with eyes wide like a rabbit's.

"As expected, Great Hero Jin, you are someone who completely escapes the limits of my perspective."

"You flatter me."

At the same time, I smiled.

"And simply knowing the solution doesn't necessarily mean someone can escape every time, does it?"

The Soul-Destroying Formation would become a regular event for as long as I remained representative.

Those who experienced the Soul-Destroying Formation once would fear it, yet at the same time desperately search for ways to overcome it.

That desire would lead them to attend my events regularly.

Yu Jiryang had been staring blankly at me, but a mischievous smile soon appeared on his lips as well.

Seeing that smile, I became certain and asked,

"Great Hero Yu, you know something too, don't you?"

He nodded slightly.

"Do you think you could memorize five hundred twenty-four thousand eight hundred routes?"

"Hah."

I let out a sound of admiration, and he continued.

"It probably won't matter to you, Great Hero Jin, but even if the person who originally created the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation returned from the dead, he would not be able to escape the formation I created."

So this was the kind of smile only those who understood could share.

The two of us exchanged equally wicked smiles.

#

"In the end, all the spots weren't filled."

"It's only the first day."

The Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation had finally been completed, and strange pillars and buildings of unknown purpose now stood throughout the center of the main training ground.

Not only the participants but also academy students and instructors who had gathered merely to watch were craning their necks toward us.

"Do you really think more people will keep coming?"

At Namgung Seonhwa's words, I nodded.

"Everyone here will have to stake their lives on survival for the rest of their lives. There's a free fortuitous opportunity right in front of them. There won't be many fools willing to let it slip away."

For people who had spent their entire lives among martial artists, certain instincts were impossible to suppress.

Even if I did not know exactly what they were thinking, they were probably all engaged in an intense battle of nerves over when to rush forward and submit their applications.

"Shall we begin?"

At Yu Jiryang's question, I answered.

"Yes. Please."

Standing atop the platform, Yu Jiryang raised a blue flag, lowered it, and then lifted a red flag.

"Activate the formation!"

A total of fifty Maosan Sect art practitioners, each responsible for one pillar, began activating the formation.

As fifty separate currents of force moved simultaneously, the sensitive horses in the stables began running wildly, while everyone's attention focused even more intensely on the center of the main training ground.

"Ohhh!"

"I-is that the formation?"

White mist began leaking from the temporary structures standing in the middle of the main training ground.

The mist slowly spread from the center toward the outer edges.

But when it reached the outermost boundary where the art practitioners stood, it abruptly stopped as though blocked by something and began piling up layer upon layer.

It looked as though a gigantic cloud that belonged high in the heavens was instead forming directly upon the ground.

The slowly accumulating mist moved between the strangely shaped pillars and gradually enveloped the entire main training ground.

Eventually, every pillar and temporary structure disappeared from sight, leaving nothing visible within.

"I'll conduct the test."

As Yu Jiryang approached the Soul-Destroying Formation, I asked,

"Should I go inside?"

Yu Jiryang smiled.

"I can handle this much myself now."

While constructing the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation, Yu Jiryang and I had added a safety mechanism.

If someone entered anywhere other than through the proper life-and-death gate, the formation would naturally eject them outside.

Yu Jiryang must have studied tremendously during his time at the Taeul Sect in Hefei, because he had implemented my idea without much difficulty.

Gulp.

The moment Yu Jiryang stood before the Soul-Destroying Formation, the entire area became so silent that even the crawling of an ant might have been heard.

Step.

The instant Yu Jiryang took a single step, his figure disappeared into the mist.

"..."

A short while later—

Step. Step.

Yu Jiryang walked calmly out of the Soul-Destroying Formation with his eyes closed.

"From the moment I entered, I kept my eyes closed and simply walked straight ahead."

That meant even the safety mechanism had been installed perfectly.

"Good work."

I turned toward the first group scheduled to enter the Soul-Destroying Formation.

"Are you ready?"

#

After people witnessed the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation operating, another fifty participants announced their intention to join within a single day.

And the news that many of those participants belonged to the Nine Great Sects greatly irritated the Righteous Path Association.

From the beginning, the Righteous Path Association had ordered its members not to participate in Jin Sowoon's events.

"There are still people inside our organization who are wavering. We need to keep an even closer watch on them."

"Instead of doing that, why don't we pressure the academy to provide the solution to everyone?"

"We already tried, but they refused."

Recently, however, more and more people had begun acting according to orders received directly from their main sects.

That was beginning to weaken internal unity.

Moreover, this was not some ordinary opportunity.

It was the Infinite Buddha Indestructible Soul-Destroying Formation.

They could hardly order everyone to remain still when such an opportunity was sitting directly in front of them.

"If things are going to be like this, we should simply share the solution ourselves."

"What? Are you suggesting we drag Jin Sowoon away and torture him?"

"Would that even be possible? I'm saying we should send someone ourselves, have that person learn the solution, and then share it internally."

"Everyone must have received messages from their main sects anyway. Their sects won't want to miss an opportunity like this either."

"Then let's do this. Speak with the Elder Hall and have them tighten control over our members. We'll select specific people to learn the solution, and afterward we'll tell everyone that we'll share it ourselves."

"Understood."

"This secret absolutely cannot leak. According to the contract, anyone who shares the information must pay a penalty of one hundred gold nyang."

No matter what little tricks someone employed, there was always an answer.

The faction leaders mocked Jin Sowoon's petty schemes and concluded their meeting with that belief.