Volcanic Age - Chapter 19

The snow plum bloomed as the winter plum withered. then, over time, the snow plum wilted and was once more replaced with a winter-themed one.

Ju Seo Cheon had been residing at Lotus Peak for a year.

Time passed so quickly.

The Plum Blossom Life Arts had been his daily practice up until this point. Because of that, when he was eleven years old, he had internal energy stored for 45 years.

Additionally, The Purple Haze Arts made it to the third start. Still, the pace was abhorrently slow.

Ju Seo Cheon had no intentional influence over this. On the contrary, it was. He worked out by paying close attention for a long time.

If they are focused, martial artists don’t need much time to finish an art. Usually, a year was plenty.

Actually, the Five Elements Plum Blossom Sword Art was already finished by him. Basic swordsmanship techniques like the Universe Sword Art and the Withered Flower Sword Art only required a few months to master.

Of course, he had kept these accomplishments a secret to avoid drawing attention to himself.

“Whew.”

Even though he could solve most of the things he achieved in the past due to the fact he had reached the unrestrained realm 

but the Purple Haze Arts was hard to comprehend even with prior experience in using it.

He realized that it wasn’t a godly art of Mount Hua for nothing.

It would have been much faster if someone had taught him but he couldn’t ask anyone for advice on the Purple Haze Arts so he had to solve it alone.

It wasn’t that the fourth-generation disciples tried to spend their childhood in the Lotus Peak for nothing. It meant that the treatment was that good.

The part Ju Seo Cheon liked especially was the close to free personal training. There were almost no restrictions to it.

He had learned some top-ranked martial arts since having come to Lotus Peak.

For internal energy circulation, it was the Universal Plum Blossom Breathing Technique.

The internal energy circulation method that represented Mount Hua Sect was divided into four.

The first was the Plum Blossom Qi Arts which served as the base for everything. The second was the Universal Plum Blossom Breathing Technique and the third was the Jade Maiden’s Breathing Technique.

The Universal Plum Blossom Breathing Technique and the Jade Maiden’s Breathing Technique were only allowed to the full-fledged disciples and the reason for that was that they served as the roots and trunks for Mount Hua Sect.

In addition, the Jade Maiden’s Breathing Technique was an energy circulation technique that was only made for women. Men weren’t able to learn it.

The fourth one was the Purple Haze Arts. It was the greatest art of Mount Hua Sect.

Ju Seo Cheon trained in the Plum Blossom Breathing Technique and also in the Plum Blossom Life Arts.

The two techniques were things he had practiced to the point he got tired of them in his past life so he was able to complete them at a really fast speed.

Besides that he learned the Fourteen Stances of the Plum Blossom Sword, pursuing arts, detoxification, and other miscellaneous arts he would need in Kang Ho besides martial arts.

The fourth-generation disciples that had passed the evaluation received an education of another level as if to prove that this place wasn’t called the Lotus Peak for nothing.

 

Ju Seo Cheon showed the Fourteen Stances of the Plum Blossom Sword to the instructor at a suitable level and took some time for personal training.

 

He spent most of his time sitting near the plum tree and operating the Plum Blossom Life Arts. Doing this regularly helped in accumulating internal energy.

 

“Senior Brother.”

 

After he finished circulating internal energy, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar face.

 

Ju Seo Cheon calmed down his surprised heart and said,

 

“I will get my internal energy run rampant and my insides will get screwed like this.”

 

The two of them entered the Lotus Peak side by side a year ago. Because of that, the repercussions it brought still reverberated now.

 

“I’m sorry if I surprised you.”

 

Nak Seo Wol blinked and then apologized. Those weren’t empty words and you could feel that she was sorry from her voice.

 

“There’s no need to apologize like that. Moreover, isn’t it obvious you don’t have to apologize as you are the granddaughter of that old ha…no, that grandma?”

 

Nak Seo Wol was ten years old.

Her mature mind and actions that didn’t fit her age were still the same.

 

She was considerate and conceded to others. In addition, she received advice from her fellow comrades that were several times older than her.

 

That wasn’t something that should be seen from a ten-year-old kid at all.

 

Part of it was because Nak Seo Wol wasn’t normal since she was young but also because of the strict education she received from the Iron Plum Sword.

 

“Senior brother.”

 

Nak Seo Wols’s cheeks swelled up.

 

“Okay, I understand. I’m sorry. I apologize.”

 

Ju Seo Cheon shrugged his shoulders and recognized his mistake.

 

The Iron Plum Sword may seem like a bloodless person but that wasn’t the case for her disciple.

 

Nak Seo Wol got satisfied as Ju Seo Cheon apologized sincerely.

 

“I think that it is really good for someone to admit their mistakes.”

 

“Right. Before that, you are also quite the person to want to hang out with the likes of me.”

 

Ju Seo Cheon received a nickname even before he made an appearance in Kang Ho.

 

The flashy and frail one.

 

It was taken from the idiom that he was externally splendid but didn’t have anything inside of him.

 

A year ago, at the examination, Ju Seo Cheon had won by swinging his sword ignorantly.

 

At first, people said that he may have used some black magic but 

 

it was resolved as Ju Seo Cheon had stumbled upon the fate of having consumed a miraculous medicine.

 

“A pig is wearing a pearl.”

 

“Ugh, how did that fate go to that guy?”

 

“It means that he is only lucky.”

 

The evaluation of Ju Seo Cheon decreased even more.

 

Miraculous medicine. Having won simply with internal energy meant that his martial prowess was terrible.

 

In the position of the disciples that had worked hard for several years, they couldn’t help but resent Ju Seo Cheon more than their fated enemies.

 

Whatever the case, contrary to the idiom that supported his nickname of ‘The flashy and frail one’, he had flashy internal energy and terrible martial arts.

 

It was obvious but Ju Seo Cheon didn’t care about that at all. On the contrary, he was quite satisfied with having this nickname.

 

‘It annoys me that I’m being cursed at but it makes sense.’

 

He had entered the Lotus Peak but he was recognized as being plain.

 

This way he would be able to evade the gazes of the enemies that would appear in the future.

 

He regretted the way he had lived his past life and wanted to live the current one as he pleased but he had to, at least for now, keep a low profile.

 

“You know what, senior brother.”

Nak Seo Wol stared at Ju Seo Cheon.

 

“What?”

 

“What you usually show is your original ability?”

 

“Right.”

 

Ju Seo Cheon laid a plate of steel in his face and lied.

 

Ju Seo Cheon’s actions, after entering the Lotus Peak, were exceptional in various meanings, and he received attention and 

expectations.

 

The moment he just entered, most people didn’t see him in a good way. But some didn’t.

 

They thought that he may change if he was taught properly, even if he had passed the evaluation luckily with the help of a miraculous medicine.

 

A few instructors in the Lotus Peak especially thought that way.

 

They taught him on behalf of Yu Jong Mok, that had gone out on a mission, and taught him quite seriously even though he wasn’t their disciple.

 

But there was no way that  Ju Seo Cheon would follow their expectations as he had to hide his original skills. He only showed moderate skills.

 

“And you know that elder Shim Ok Ryeon hates me. That’s why it would be better not to approach me.”

 

Ju Seo Cheon stood up from his seat. Nak Seo Wol wanted to follow him but he raised his hand and stopped her.

 

‘Ugh, what a waste.’

 

He acted cool and uninterested in the outside but he wanted to return immediately and speak with Nak Seo Wol.

 

The memories from when he first saw her remained strongly deep in his heart.

 

She was standing at the latter levels of Murim’s Righteous Faction, was called the Plum Blossom Sword peak, and was courted by countless men.

 

Their difference in skills and prestige was so big that Ju Seo Cheon only followed her back. He didn’t dare to speak to her.

 

That kind of person accompanied him, called out his name, smiled, and held conversations together. 

 

It was enough to make him extremely happy.

 

Nak Seo Wol became one of the peerless beauties of Murim and at the same time surged up like a hero.

 

Ju Seo Cheon, was nothing, only being able to admire his idols and doing so until his death.

 

Nak Seo Wol was clearly among them.

 

“Endure it a little bit more Ju Seo Cheon.”

 

But the problem was Shim Ok Ryeon.

 

Not too much time passed since having entered the Lotus Peak, 

 

Shim Ok Ryeon showed on purpose that she didn’t like Ju Seo Cheon and was wary of him.

 

But after some time passed she discovered that Ju Seo Cheon didn’t commit any accidents, nor did he have any exceptional skills, and stayed silent for the most part, so she naturally put away her interest.

 

This was the time when he should be patient.

 

Ju Seo Cheon reminded himself of that point several times.

 

The geniuses, talents, and prodigies gathered at Lotus Peak. There were nine members excluding Ju Seo Cheon.

 

When Ju Seo Cheon first saw the members of the Lotus Peak, he couldn’t hide his surprise even though he had known who it would be.

 

That was because the current composition of the members was formed by people that mostly stood next to Nak Seo Wol on the battlefield.

 

If you thought about it, it was an obvious thing.

 

The Lotus Peak was a place where all the talents of Mount Hua Sect gathered and were taken care of and nurtured to become exceptional 

 

If a person was particularly talented they were also provided with top-ranked martial arts or miraculous medicine.

Imagining apart their future. 

 

A ninth of the Plum Blossom Sword Examiners, elders, and leaders were graduates from the Lotus Peak.

 

‘How should I express what I’m feeling right now?’

 

They were all people he didn’t have a connection with. They all lived in a completely different world.

 

These people didn’t know the face or name of Ju Seo Cheon.

 

That was the same even when he became an elder in his past life.

 

‘Everyone that is here…will disappear during the age of war.’

 

The age of war continued for dozens of years. The force of Mount Hua Sect changed several times in that time.

Starting from the Examiners, the Five Elders, and even the leader of the sect had changed due to the war.

The ones that were called heroes lost their lives in exchange for peace. His fellow disciples were no exception.

‘No, now I also don’t know when I will depart.’

The reason Ju Seo Cheon was able to stay alive until the end of his past life was because of a bit of luck and part of his martial prowess.

Most of the ones that were called elites were sent on important missions and got designated as targets to assassinate.

Most of the third and second-ranked martial artists on deployed on the battlefield and disappeared.

On the other hand, martial artists with a moderate level somehow protected their lives and succeeded in staying alive.

But Ju Seo Cheon this time surpassed that moderate level and entered Lotus Peak, 

which was a class for geniuses, so he didn’t know what would 

happen.

‘Will I be able to become a hero that others would admire as well?’

Just as he thought that a voice had called out to him

“Hey, frail guy!”

There was a really angry kid standing there. His eyes were fierce and he was breathing quite aggressively in an excited state.

His hip bone was much bigger than the other kids and his spiky hair was quite memorable.

“Yes, brother Lee Geon.”

Lee Geon was three years older than him, a member of the Lotus Peak that would turn fourteen this year.

“You bastard!”

Lee Geon’s eyes were bloodshot as he scowled at Ju Seo Cheon. Jealousy was the feeling that flashed in those eyes.

Lee Geon walked over to Ju Seo Cheon and glared at him as he scratched his head as if it were bothering him.

Then, with his somewhat brittle hands, he seized his collarbone roughly.

“You dare disregard what your senior brother said? I’m positive I previously advised you not to approach Nak. But you still dare speak to her even though you know that!”

Translated by novel multiverse

Edited by Beetlesme