The Martial Master - 75 Back home.

“Good good! You’re bringing great help to this old man here!”

…

…

*BANGGGG*

“Huff. Huff.”

With a thunderous thud and a glint of everlasting white, a girl dressed in a red robe punched a dummy in front of her. The dummy had the number ‘6’ written on it, taking the form of a simple figure.

The punch brought a deafening boom in the plains she stood on, where shockwaves thumped and crunched in the atmosphere like divine chimes.

However, when that disastrous punch thrashed the motionless dummy, the only booming response was a single crack on where her fist met. The dummy didn’t even fall back…

The girl’s eyes shined with annoyance as she drew her first back and wiped the sweat on her brow. She spoke no words, though…

*WOOOSH*

With a drawn fist, she attacked once more…

*BANGGGG*

The dummy didn’t even crack.

“Huff. Huff.”

Exhaustion paled on her face as she staggered backwards. Fumes were wafting out of her bright red palm; the skin on her fist was even beginning to flake off.

“I’m still nowhere near the strength of a sixth step Martial Condensation Cultivator?”

The annoyance in her eyes deepened even further as she huffed out before marching away from the dummy. A strange vortex formed in front of her, and as she stood in, the world in front of her transformed into a simple room where a cultivation mat and bed lay.

A bookshelf was also to side, having numerous manuals and strange items laid on the shelves.

The girl paid no attention to this as she jumped onto her bed and grumbled.

“Why do I have to do this…”

She grabbed the soft pillow beneath her and hugged it. However, a strange mischievous expression soon replaced her annoyed face.

“But Master surely can’t find anyone. So I probably don’t even need to bother with this stupid training anyway…”

Her eyes dwindled as she stared at the wooden ceiling, eventually turning to the books on the shelf. She pouted for a while as she pondered.

“Hrmm, I don’t want to risk it.”

Then, in a leap, she appeared on the mat beside her with a single book in hand. This book had the title ‘Heavenly Condensation’ written, carrying a surreal vibe of divine nature.

“Even if Master doesn’t find someone, I still won’t allow myself to be beaten by a dummy!”

…

…

*Step* *Step*

“…”

With a pair of black and golden eyes, a man with a set of golden hair wandered through a narrow passageway. This passage was white in its purest form, glistening with a pristine sheen.

“So your name’s Su Min?”

An old man leading the way spoke with a soft voice. His eyes shined an oceanic blue, and although his face was full of wrinkles, a vibrant vitality seethed around him.

“Mhm.”

Su Min nodded as his dull eyes narrowed with a sudden twitch, staring into the distance. The old man glimpsed at Su Min’s reaction as he stroked his beard.

“Hm, well I’m Wen Yu.”

*Step* *Step*

His eyes shined a strange light as the hallway soon revealed an entrance. There were two double doors, encrusted in a fine wood that fanned a fresh zephyr.

Wen Yu paused as he breathed in the air, then grasping the wood handle, he pulled it open.

*Creeeakk*

A bright light streaked into the dim hallway as a modest garden shone into view. A couple of extraordinary birds fluttered past with cheered chirps, and a small pond was swept upwards with lavish scaled fish.

The grass was of a luscious green that seemed to surpass common colour; the dirt a contrasting brown that brought a pleasing feeling to the eye.

It wasn’t large, and the only thing accompanying this garden was a small wooden house and a hut. The house had a rough door and, for some reason, no windows.

“Ah… I can relax once more.”

Wen Yu yawned as he took a glimpse at the peaceful scenery. Su Min’s dull eyes had remained the same throughout, though, which made Wen Yu quite aggravated.

However, after a while, Su Min seemed to be frowning as he stared at an inconspicuous spot under the house. Wen Yu’s eyes flashed as he noticed this, and an eventual smirk replaced his sour expression.

“Heh, I’ll show you to your room then.”

Su Min eventually left that gaze as he looked ahead again. But that frown wouldn’t leave him.

*Woosh*

Although Wen Yu didn’t seem to be in a rush, he still didn’t bother to walk to the house as he appeared before it. He grasped the handle much the same way, but a mysterious glint shined in his eyes whilst doing so.

*PSST*

Then, with a pulse of white, Wen Yu suddenly disappeared in a ray of light!

“…”

Su Min paused and his eyes narrowed.

“This house…”

A glint of ancientness billowed in his dull golden eye as a strange feeling thrummed in his chest. He had already found that something was wrong with that house, but by the display of the overseer, it was indeed correct.

“Hm… This trip will probably be a headache.”

He sighed, then strolling before the house and crushing some flowers in the way, Su Min disappeared in a ray of light.

*Woooooshh*

“?”

Su Min staggered backwards as he found himself in a whole different world.

“I’m moving..?”

His expression froze as he took a glimpse at what he was standing on. It was a metal structure, one that narrowed into a point in the distance. In fact, it seemed to resemble a compass.

As Su Min thought this, he decided to survey around him, and indeed, he was inside a giant compass…

“Hehe, welcome to my world!”

The old man revealed himself with a grin as he stared at the strange world. It was subtle, but the platform they were standing on was slowly rotating…

That was because it was the compasses needle!

Su Min rubbed his head as he tried to take it in. To be standing on a world-sized compass, how could anyone just brush that off?

The old man eyes shined a mysterious light as he ignored Su Min and wandered further forward. Su Min paused as he saw this, but seeing no other way to go, he decided to follow.

It didn’t take long for the metal structure to narrow further, and as Su Min was beginning to feel sceptical, a floating ray of light revealed itself far away.

The old man remained unchanged to this as he explained.

“This is one of the transporting compasses that stabilises the world! Of course, I control the heavenly compass, so I can easily transport you to the Martial Section!”

Su Min eyes flashed as he stared at the ray. A faint impatience shrouded him; like this opportunity could dissipate in front of him.

*WANGG*

The old man sighed as he stopped before the ray of light. He didn’t walk in though…

“I won’t go with you, as I need to collect my daughter, so just stay in the sect you get sent to!”

His eyes shone with a stern light as he stared at Su Min, who was currently eyeing the ray of light.

“Mhm…”

Su Min didn’t feel anything dangerous from the light, so he didn’t hesitate to step into it.

*PSHEWWW*

‘This feels weird…’

His view was soon encompassed in a pale white as he felt his body enter a strange space. Time seemed to lose meaning for a moment, and in the next instant, he was standing on a greyish ground.

A small crater formed around him, presumably due to the transportation or maybe because he was travelling at high altitudes. He had no idea, though, as for him to travel from the heavenly section to the martial, the distances involved must be astronomical.

But, this was all unimportant as he felt a strange shiver pulse around his body. An aura he hasn’t felt for a long time seeped into him.

‘It really is the Martial Realm…’

He surveyed the area around him, and quite conveniently, two mountain peaks stood in the distance. Though, these peaks had a completely different atmosphere compared to the world, one heavenly, divine.

“So I got transported to the rare sect that cultivates heavenly energy…?”

Su Min’s eyes narrowed as that peak that was far in the distance got magnified until he could see everything clearly. The sect seemed to be quite powerful, as when he did this, a faint dangerous sensation blasted him.

*Wanggg*

Su Min removed his gaze as he pondered. Though, the sect seemed to react as a thin film of light attempted to block his gaze that he had already removed.

“If I recover then they shouldn’t be too much of an issue, but right now, it would be troublesome… ”

He clenched his fists as that blistered symbol on his chest hummed painful stings. He could only use his physical strength right now without damaging his foundation any further, which was about the same strength of a normal 8th step Martial Condensation cultivator.

“I reach the boundary separating the two realms of strength with Ancient Energy… Quite annoying to be so weak right now, as my job depends on my strength.”

Su Min pondered for a bit, but he could only do so for a while as he sensed a faint fluctuation in the distance. It was coming from the sect…

“They must be inviting me in, heh…”

Not caring the least, Su Min took a slow stroll towards the sect and waited for whoever was going to meet him.

“Stop!”

And so, in a ray of heavenly light, a robed woman appeared before Su Min and stopped his light stroll. Su Min remained unchanged to all this as a single thought entered his mind.

‘6th step strength, weak…’

“Hm… I came here on behalf of the Heaven’s Realm Overseer, so could you give me a room to stay in.”

Su Min spoke to the woman floating in the air with the same dull eyes.

“The overseer?”

The woman paused as she eyed Su Min in detail. The only reason she was sent out was that the sect’s defence array had detected a powerful sense. Unfortunately whatever was causing the reaction had only emerged for a split second, and most of the higher-ups thought it was a fluke

But, to make sure she was sent out to survey the area. And strangely enough, she found this odd man walking towards the sect…

She found no powerful aura around the man, and his looks were ordinary, so she only went up to him to make sure.

But, to think that he would demand a room and say that he was here on behalf of the overseer?

“Are you mad..?”

The woman furrowed her brows as she continued to gaze at Su Min. Although he seemed weak, his indifference made her uneasy.

Su Min sighed in return as he decided to ignore her and continue to walk.

“Well whatever, he’ll be coming soon anyway and I have a job to do. So don’t get in my way, please?”

*Step* *Step*

The woman’s face soon turned dumbfounded as Su Min strolled past her and toward the sect.

“… You dare?!”

To think that someone would ever disrespect her to such an embarrassing degree? Although she wasn’t in a high position in the sect, she was still in the top 1000 in the disciple rankings!

Though, when her resounding roar blasted past Su Min, he didn’t even flinch.

“..!!”

Her ashen face finally blew as she disappeared from view with seething rage. The world rumbled, and then in a chaotic spew of white light, a pellet of water formed above Su Min.

It quivered with an oceanic aura, then with a speed far surpassing sound, it shot right at him!

Yet, Su Min remained unchanged as he paused with a sigh.

“I did ask politely…”

His voice rumbled with annoyance as he clenched his grip! The woman’s eyes widened as she gasped on instinct, but it was all too late…

*PSSH*

His fist, with an instantaneous motion that only brought afterimages in the woman’s eyes, intercepted that pellet of water that was about to collide with him!

*PECK*

The woman’s eyes quivered with terror as she felt her body freeze up!

*ssSSS-* *Drip… Drip*

Steam wafted out of Su Min’s palm as a couple droplets of warm water pitter-pattered onto the grass. Su Min lowered his hand after a pause, soon returning to his slouched demeanour.

“If you want to kill me, then why can’t I?”

His voice, tinged in a killing intent, agitated the sky. The woman’s face turned pale in sweat as she felt her entire world get drenched in a blood red, and in the same moment, a terrifying aura locked onto her.

“W-wait, senior!”

Su Min didn’t even respond as he appeared before her and grasped her neck like a chicken.

“GA-”

Her eyes widened as she kicked the air out of panic and despair, but it was all pointless…

*CRACK*

“…”

Su Min’s dull eyes narrowed as he watched her face turn limp and her eye’s light fade…

*THUD*

Her body, soon after, left his grip and thumped the ground.

“Why didn’t he give me something to verify my identity?”