Book 3 Chapter 8

The Legend of the Thousand Tribulations Blood God Wei Cheonmu

Today is the day of the much-anticipated first class.

The weather was clear, without sudden storms,

unexpected downpours, or lightning on a clear day.

This was the first class since entering the Cheonmu Academy. How many complex procedures had to be overcome to take this one class? The more I thought about it, the more moved I felt from the morning.

The first class was held in the Geommu Pavilion. It was a foundational course titled 'Introduction to Martial Arts,' a mandatory subject for all first-year students of Cheongwan. Bi Ryuyeon, Hyo Ryong, Jang Hong, and Yun Junho were all in the first-year Cheonja-jo, so they could take the class at the same time. Of course, Mo Yonghwi was also present, but being inherently reclusive and disliking mingling with others, he was as good as absent. Everyone seemed to know Mo Yonghwi well, constantly making him the subject of their conversations. However, Mo Yonghwi, by resolutely refusing to comment on the attention focused on him, exemplified the typical unsociable person.

Urae was entrusted to Bieung Pavilion. It was probably being well-cared for by the specialized hawk handlers at Bieung Pavilion, living in comfort. Of course, Urae seemed to find soaring through the sky more interesting than being confined to one place.

The classroom was large enough to accommodate about 50 people, with a spacious blackboard, two feet wide and half a foot tall, hanging on the front wall. Today's class was not only a foundational lecture on martial arts but also the class where the supervising elder for the Cheonja-jo would be decided. Therefore, everyone was filled with anticipation. Since the identity of the supervising elder had not yet been revealed, everyone eagerly watched the unopened door.

At that moment, the slight murmuring in the classroom suddenly ceased.

"They're here!"

Hyo Ryong said, his eyes shining. It was clear that the other disciples had also noticed. Even without the other person deliberately masking their presence, there wasn't a fool in this classroom who wouldn't notice someone approaching within three feet.

"Creak."

Finally, the door opened, and the master who would be in charge of them walked in.

"That person!"

The first to recognize him was the always mature-looking Uncle Jang Hong. Bi Ryuyeon called him uncle whenever he was bored. Whether it was his innate talent or the result of his efforts, he possessed considerable knowledge of the martial world.

"Who is it?"

Bi Ryuyeon asked, nudging Jang Hong's side with his elbow.

"Ouch, that hurts! Don't you recognize that famous person?"

He gave Bi Ryuyeon a sharp look, intending to reprimand him again, but soon gave up. He knew it would be a pointless effort. The silence was broken again, and the surroundings became noisy once more. It seemed Jang Hong wasn't the only one who recognized the elder. Bi Ryuyeon nudged Jang Hong's side again—this time with a bit more force, as revenge for the reprimand—signaling him to tell him quickly.

"Hmph, that person is the renowned sword master of Mount Wudang, Ok Hyeong Jin-in. His sword is so masterful that it can even revive the dying!"

Jang Hong explained excitedly, unable to hide his admiration. His words were filled with genuine respect and admiration for Ok Hyeong Jin-in.

'This is unusual.'

Although they hadn't known each other for long, this was the first time Bi Ryuyeon had seen Jang Hong showing such sincere respect for someone. He usually complained and grumbled like an old man or an uncle. In short, he was a grumbler.

As Jang Hong had already mentioned, the master in charge of the first-year Cheonja-jo, to which Bi Ryuyeon belonged, Ok Hyeong Jin-in of the Wudang Sect, gave an overall impression of being gentle and kind. In particular, his long, snow-white beard that reached his chest and his neatly tied white hair were striking features of the elder master. His eyes were as calm as a tranquil lake, befitting his appearance, which was reminiscent of a celestial being from a legend.

However, it was too early to judge him solely by his appearance. Despite his outwardly gentle and benevolent demeanor, he was an ultimate master who could unleash sword energy as if it were child's play. Sword aura (Geomgangjigi) would likely be effortless for him as well. He possessed the ability to demolish mountains with a single sword.

The gaze of nearly fifty disciples was fixed on him. The class was finally about to begin. Their hearts pounded with excitement, unable to contain their emotion from the first class. The class began with Ok Hyeong Jin-in's greeting.

"Greetings, everyone. I am Ok Hyeong of the Wudang Sect, who will be in charge of 'Introduction to Martial Arts'."

Despite his status as a master, Unhoegeom Ok Hyeong Jin-in addressed the disciples with semi-honorifics. Of course, not all martial arts masters treated disciples with such respect. There were individual differences.

Most classes at Cheonmu Academy did not require writing implements. The focus was on understanding and applying principles. Of course, the use of writing tools, namely brush, ink, and paper, was not regulated. It was entirely left to individual judgment.

Cheonmu Academy began its education assuming disciples had reached a certain level, so most lectures often skipped the basic aspects of martial arts and went straight to the main content. However, this rarely led to students being unable to keep up. Weren't they the best talents, meticulously selected and filtered? Lectures on basic fundamentals would have been an insult to them.

One of the purposes of Cheonmu Academy was to act as a guide, helping these outstanding disciples of the martial world quickly reach the pinnacle of mastery.

"Hey, isn't Ok Hyeong Jin-in one of the Eight Swords of Wudang?"

A disciple interjected, pretending to know. Ok Hyeong Jin-in, who had become their supervising master today, was one of the eight ultimate masters of the Wudang Sect, which, along with Shaolin, was considered one of the two great pillars of the martial world. The Eight Swords of Wudang were objects of respect known throughout the martial world, and at the same time, the spiritual backbone of the Wudang Sword Sect.

"He's famous for the story of defeating the Seven Heroes of Heshak with a single sword last time."

"Are you talking about the incident five years ago where he made the Seven Heroes of Heshak kneel with just one sword, without anyone getting hurt?"

"Yes, that incident. You know it well too."

"Of course."

They were discussing the incident from five years ago when Ok Hyeong Jin-in intervened in the bullying of a passing merchant by seven ruffians called the Seven Heroes of Heshak. Ok Hyeong Jin-in, who was on his way to visit the Amida Sect, had unintentionally become involved in someone else's quarrel. As a gentle soul, it was an unpleasant encounter he had not intended. In any case, since the Seven Heroes of Heshak were in the wrong, Ok Hyeong Jin-in, as a prominent figure in the martial world, couldn't just pass by. If he hadn't known, it would have been one thing, but with such an event unfolding before his eyes, he couldn't ignore it. To turn a blind eye to someone being oppressed was contrary to the ethics of the martial world and the teachings of his sect. Thus, he reluctantly drew his sword against the petty Seven Heroes of Heshak. He would have preferred to settle it with words, but since they wouldn't listen, he had no choice. Negotiations for peace through dialogue failed, so Ok Hyeong Jin-in decided to open a new avenue by swinging his reluctant sword.

The fight was decided with a single sword. Such trash, like cousins, didn't need two swords. The victory was decided from the start.

The volley of blue sword energy emanating from his Songmun Gogeom shattered the swords of the seven men in an instant. The Seven Heroes of Heshak, disarmed, threw away their pride, which had turned to dust along with their weapons, and prostrated themselves, begging for forgiveness. Their fear must have been immense, as they were unable to even flinch and had all their means of livelihood reduced to scrap with a single sword.

Ok Hyeong Jin-in, who was known for his good nature, gave them a brief lecture and let them go with a light punishment for their minor involvement. After that, there were no more reports of them causing trouble. Whenever they thought of doing something bad, the image of the blue sword energy flashing before their eyes would have deterred them. Therefore, according to the rumors, they decided to change their profession.

Thus, he was an ultimate master who possessed both skill and character, a distinguished warrior respected in the martial world not only for his swordsmanship but also for his character. Bi Ryuyeon could hear murmurs about Ok Hyeong Jin-in's skill and status from various places behind him.

"The reason you have all entered Cheonmu Academy is, firstly, to personally reach new heights in martial arts, and secondly, as righteous individuals, to train yourselves to counter the core enemies of the evil martial sects, Machon-gak and Heukcheon-meng. Ultimately, it is to become a shield to protect the righteous path from the vast forces of blood and slaughter that may come in the future. From now on, I, and Cheonmu Academy, will spare no effort and provide full support to create the optimal environment for you to understand your martial arts and dedicate yourselves to training."

If there were Jeongcheon-meng and Cheonmu Academy in the righteous path, then in the evil path, there was Machon-gak, which was the progenitor of talent cultivation institutes for the evil path, comparable to Cheonmu Academy. Machon-gak was the largest and best educational institution for cultivating elite martial artists of the evil path. It was correct to consider them Cheonmu Academy's greatest rival. In terms of pride and honor, they were rivals who could never afford to lose to each other. Therefore, their relationship was notoriously bad, and for the past hundred years, they had spent their time slandering and cursing each other.

"As everyone knows, today's class is to, once again, clear our minds and briefly touch upon how the dark history and politics of the martial world over the past hundred years have led to the current delicate state of tension."

Today's class was based on the assumption that everyone would know about the past hundred years of history as common knowledge. On the other hand, it was for those disciples who, miraculously, might not know. And today, Ok Hyeong Jin-in experienced that miracle. Who would have imagined that there would be someone named Bi Ryuyeon, who knew absolutely nothing about today's lesson, which any martial artist, even a three-year-old, would know?

"You have all surely heard the name Cheon-Geob-Ryeong."

Ok Hyeong Jin-in spat out the cursed name as if expelling a foreign object stuck in his throat.

"Cheon Geob Ryeong!"

As soon as the name Cheon-Geob-Ryeong was uttered, all the students in the classroom were shocked and stunned. Except for Bi Ryuyeon, the entire classroom seemed to freeze in astonishment. The reaction to hearing that name would be the same anywhere in the martial world. Not only the righteous path but the evil path as well. The name was so cursed that everyone, regardless of the righteous or evil path, dreaded and avoided it the most. The reaction was exactly as Ok Hyeong Jin-in had predicted.

"And I'm sure no one is unaware of Cheon-Geob (Heavenly Tribulation) Blood God (Hyeolsin)."

"……."

This time, the venue rapidly sank into a deep sea of silence. All sound was swallowed by the abyss of emptiness, and even the air felt frozen, creating an illusion of sinking.

What name was it this time that made even breathing cease? Bi Ryuyeon couldn't understand why a mere name could cause the atmosphere to turn so cold, but he kept his lips firmly shut.

"Master, why do you utter such a tragic name?"

A disciple with a stern face stood up and protested. The others also seemed to have a superstition that merely hearing the name could bring a curse or something terrifying. Compared to the terror of that name, the fear of Cheon-Geob-Ryeong was merely a shadow. It was because of him that the terror of Cheon-Geob-Ryeong was realized. He was the embodiment of blood, slaughter, and terror.

"Of course, you all do not wish for that name to be mentioned. That name has, after all, been a tacitly forbidden name in the martial world for over a hundred years. However, I am mentioning it directly to you today so that you can dedicate yourselves to martial arts with a renewed mindset. And this is also the educational policy of our Cheonmu Academy. As always, at Cheonmu Academy, we first tell new students this story. We bring before you the deep, dark despair and terror that you wish to ignore and detest, perhaps forever conceal. But do not turn away from it. You are proud students of Cheonmu Academy, and furthermore, you are talents who will become the light of the martial world in the future."

Murmurs could be heard from various parts of the classroom. It was palpable that everyone was agitated.

"The time has come for you to face the reality before your eyes. You must look directly at the source of the anxiety and fear that has been buried in the martial world for a hundred years. The shadow of darkness that has always existed in the damp and shady corners of the martial world; cultivating the strength to confront it is the mission given to you who have entered Cheonmu Academy."

There was even a sense of solemnity in Ok Hyeong Jin-in's voice. The students appeared visibly tense from Ok Hyeong Jin-in's calm yet powerful impassioned speech. The sound of dry throats being cleared from here and there intensified the tension in the classroom.

'If you keep crying, Cheon-Geob-Ryeong will take you.'

This was something every child of a martial artist had heard countless times in their childhood. There was a miraculous, almost unbelievable story that this one sentence, used by martial artist parents as a last resort to console a crying child, would miraculously stop their tears. There were even statistical data from opinion polls that documented its success rate. It was especially effective on children who could understand a bit of conversation.

A hundred years ago, after that day, martial artists had ingrained the fear of Cheon-Geob-Ryeong into their beings from childhood through such parental sayings. Fear was as contagious as the plague. Moreover, since it had no form, it gradually took on flesh and was embellished, eventually becoming an entirely unrecognizable entity. In the case of Cheon-Geob-Ryeong, even though it happened a hundred years ago, the numerous truyền thuyết, as well as the existence of survivors—then how old were they?—made the fear even more vivid.

Thus, Cheon-Geob-Ryeong became the most horrific and terrifying taboo, and people tended to shy away even from mentioning its name. Bringing up Cheon-Geob-Ryeong and Blood God at drinking parties, banquets, or gatherings was considered the height of impoliteness and lack of manners.

If one were to curse someone by invoking the name of Cheon-Geob Blood God, it would result in a fight to the death that very day. One of them would be removed from the list of living residents, or sometimes, both would amicably have their names added to the registry of the underworld. It was such a vicious and terrifying curse that it was rarely used even against sworn enemies.

For an immeasurable time, the righteous path (Jeongpa) and the evil path (Sapapa) had been locked in a cycle of bloody antagonism. Blood begat blood, and revenge begat revenge, with countless human lives offered up to the altar of heaven as the price of this propagation. As the blood flowing from the sacrifices formed a sea of blood, everyone involved in the martial world wished for one thing: that a single supreme being would suddenly appear, break the endless cycle of chaos, and unify the martial world, which was struggling in chaos and suffering.

A supreme being to unify the martial world!

Of course, that supreme being had to emerge from their own faction. Therefore, although their desires were the same, their objectives differed, and the fighting showed no signs of ending.

And in this martial world, where constant friction and power struggles continued, with the outcome of the battle uncertain, a warrior appeared. He was, in a word, a supreme being. He ascended to the position of a supreme being solely through his own martial prowess, arrogantly looking down on the martial world and subjugating sects one by one under his feet.

At first, everyone—especially those from the evil path—hailed him as the unique individual in the history of heaven and earth who would end the conflicts of the righteous and evil martial worlds and unify the martial world. They believed they could finally subjugate the despised righteous martial world and gain the upper hand. However, it didn't take long for this thought to be revealed as a tremendous mistake. And it was also revealed how carelessly they had thought of him. The price was horrific.

Allegedly from the evil path—though there was no proof—he gathered his followers with powerful leadership and martial might bestowed by heaven, plunging the martial world into a vortex of blood in an instant. He, whose origins were not even properly revealed at the time, plunged the martial world, weakened by continuous conflict and strife, into terror in a single moment. The martial world, which had almost exhausted its stored strength due to the continuous attrition, could only endure a painful humiliation under his sword.

The evil sects were no exception. That was the fatal miscalculation of the evil path. He did not possess even a sliver of benevolent leniency towards the evil path, just because he was rumored to be from the evil path. The factions, split into two and constantly engaged in mutual strife and slander, were merely bothersome pebbles blocking his path. He ruthlessly punished those who stood in his way, and the martial world was once again washed in blood.

The name of that man was the Blood God of Thousand Tribulations, Wei Cheonmu, the embodiment of blood that threatened the heavens.

Whether he had dreamed of unifying the martial world from the beginning was not clearly established, but with absolute confidence in his martial arts, he found the ceaseless confrontation between the righteous and evil paths pathetic and finally decided to break that tedious situation. He achieved martial world unification and world conquest. At that time, with his abilities, it was not impossible. He possessed incredibly powerful martial arts that had reached the Divine Transformation Realm (Shin-hwa-gyeong).

As always, in the martial world, numerous people flocked like a swarm of ants under a strong individual, forming webs of power. And this power grew proportionally to the master's martial arts level. Those who piled up mountains of corpses in the martial world and formed seas with spilled blood were called the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong (Spirits of Heavenly Tribulation) by the people of the martial world, who trembled in fear.

There was no one in the entire martial world, both righteous and evil, who could contend with the god-like astonishing martial arts of the Blood God of Thousand Tribulations, Wei Cheonmu. While the martial world had dreamed of a supreme being since its inception, the supreme being that was born was as cruel as a demon and as unfeeling as a crystal of ice from the North Sea. Without mercy, and so simply, he plunged the entire martial world into a pit of terror and blood in the shortest possible time.

The righteous and evil paths were too powerless to confront that supreme being. Not only was the martial world divided into righteous and evil paths, but the righteous martial world was further fragmented by ideology and self-interest, and the same was true for the evil path. Therefore, there was no way they could contend with him.

Thinking that divided forces could not exert great power, the Blood God, Wei Cheonmu, first proceeded with the integration of the evil path as part of his martial world unification project. He was not content with his current position and desired even greater power.

The invasion of the righteous path was postponed until after the integration of the evil path. The righteous path gained a brief respite, but it was too early to be relieved. This rest was merely a prelude to an even more horrific and tragic future. Not only was he already a formidable opponent, but if he also unified the evil path, the outcome would be obvious.

If the evil path were to be unified under his hand, the righteous path, which had not yet been united, would inevitably be crushed under his feet. Given the current struggle, how could they possibly contend with him if he also amassed the tremendous power of the evil path? Everyone knew this was impossible. Therefore, the righteous path began to devise measures for their own survival. Thus, the righteous path finally decided to set aside their past conflicts and jealousies and unite their strength under a single banner. This was how the Martial Alliance, the unified grand federation of the righteous martial world, was born.

This force, called Jeongcheon-meng, appeared plausible on the surface but lacked substance. It was hastily formed and was like a shiny apricot without a core, lacking a proper organizational structure. The hastily assembled Martial Alliance was barely enough to withstand even a playful prod from the Blood God, Wei Cheonmu, who was armed with endless power and terror. He was focused on integrating the evil path at the time and would occasionally lightly prod the righteous path. However, even after gathering their strength and forming the Martial Alliance, the righteous path struggled to even respond to Wei Cheonmu's provocations. The lack of proper organization was a critical problem. A castle built on sand is bound to collapse.

However, heaven did not completely abandon the righteous path. Heaven sent down a savior, as if to show off. The only one who could confront him, the embodiment of absolute terror and despair, the unique savior of the martial world and a comet-like appearance, the number one person in the world, was Taigeksin-gun Musin Hyeok Wol-rin, and the savior of the evil path, Paccheondo Musin-ma Gal Jung-hyeok.

The existence of these two could only be considered a gift from the heavens. It would be impossible without a divine existence that valued order and harmony. If they had not existed, the martial world would now be floundering in an even deeper abyss of despair and terror under the rule of the Blood God of Thousand Tribulations, Wei Cheonmu.

Taigeksin-gun Musin Hyeok Wol-rin was the first person to survive the Blood God, Wei Cheonmu's immense martial arts, which had reduced all righteous and evil martial artists to the level of his junior disciples. Moreover, he even achieved the feat of landing a solid blow and returning. If not for him, the righteous martial world would have been listed as a subordinate force of the Blood God from the start.

Taigeksin-gun Musin—later revered as Musin (God of War) in the righteous path—Hyeok Wol-rin's unique martial art was 'Geon-gon Taigek Eum-yang Il-won Sin-gi (The Technique of Primordial Divine Energy from Heaven and Earth, Tai Chi, Yin and Yang)'. This was the ultimate martial art that drew out absolute power and destructive force by simultaneously using Yin and Yang energies. According to legend, it was an incredible divine art that could use the powers of Flame Spirit (Yeom-ryeong) and Ice Soul (Bing-baek) simultaneously. This, also known as 'Taigek Cheong-hong Sin-ryeong Bing-yeom Gong (Tai Chi Azure and Crimson Divine Spirit Ice Flame Technique)', was the unique divine art that could rival the Blood God's martial arts at the time.

However, despite being the only divine art that could directly confront the Blood God's martial arts, no successor who inherited his divine art has ever been passed down. The fact that he did not die young and lived a lifespan beyond that of ordinary people, yet left no successor, remains one of the martial world's mysteries.

In fact, his whereabouts were clear until about twenty years ago. According to one theory, which circulated reliably throughout the martial world, it was said that the divine art was lost because there was no talent worthy of inheriting it. If that rumor were true, the martial world would have to despair once again. His martial arts were the only ones in the martial world that could counter the Blood God's martial arts. Although there were no reports of that martial art being lost, there were also no reports of superior martial arts appearing in the martial world.

Therefore, the theory that he left behind secret manuals or arrangements was widely circulating as a highly probable fact, fueling the entire martial world with vain delusions and contributing to the dream of 'Il-hwak-cheon-mu' (the illusory belief that one could suddenly gain immense martial power overnight).

And another person, Paccheondo Musin-ma Gal Jung-hyeok, the owner of a peerless martial art that could threaten the heavens. He was the savior of the evil path who gathered the shattered forces of the evil path, which was on the verge of collapse from being beaten by Cheon-Geob-Ryeong, and formed a resistant force. Gal Jung-hyeok was also later revered as Musin (God of War) by the evil path, and the character 'Ma' (Demon) was added to distinguish him from Taigeksin-gun Musin Hyeok Wol-rin.

He gathered the fragmented forces of the disunited evil path into one, which led to the birth of the Black Heaven Alliance (Heukcheon-meng), the unified federation of the evil martial path and an organization against Cheon-Geob-Ryeong.

All the people of the evil path clung to this sole lifeline of the evil path, which was on the verge of collapse. Strangely, the more people clung to the lifeline, the stronger it became, rather than weaker. And then, another miracle occurred. It was truly a miracle.

The supreme being, Cheon-Geob Blood God, Wei Cheonmu, despite his immense Divine Transformation Realm martial arts and absolute charisma, was simultaneously rejected by both the righteous and evil paths due to his frenzied power, violence, and terror. Thus, he became a public enemy of the martial world.

However, designating someone as a public enemy and rejecting them would only be possible if one possessed power and skill. Even if one wanted to ostracize someone, if one was inferior in strength, it would be futile.

And so, the evil path, which was being thrown into disarray under the Blood God's sword, formed the Black Heaven Alliance, the united federation of the evil path, following the example of the righteous path, under Gal Jung-hyeok's 'Hongcheon-do' (Roaring Heaven Saber). They began to organize a systematic resistance against the existence of the Blood God.

As the evil path was primarily composed of sects that valued profit, their union was more difficult and time-consuming. However, the Blood God would not graciously accept this alliance, which had taken so long to form.

Naturally, the Blood God retaliated. He felt deeply betrayed that the evil path, his birthplace and origin—despite only receiving a baptism of blood and terror—had conspired against him. Of course, he had treated them a bit harshly, but he couldn't help but feel betrayed. His integration strategy was so harsh and arbitrary that even the evil path rejected it.

And the miracle that occurred. It was the alliance of Jeongcheon-meng and Heukcheon-meng. The righteous and evil martial worlds, which had spent long years in tension and confrontation, formed a common front under a single common enemy. This was something neither the righteous nor the evil path could have predicted. The formation of a common alliance front of the righteous and evil martial worlds, which would be considered a dream if it were to happen, was realized by a common formidable enemy. It could be called a historic event.

The formation of the alliance front between the righteous path's Martial Alliance (also known as Jeongcheon-meng) and the evil path's Martial Alliance (also known as Heukcheon-meng). Wei Cheonmu, the Blood God of Thousand Tribulations, found himself cornered. He and his shadow, the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong, faced a temporary obstacle. However, the predicament was short-lived. Even in this desperate and cornered situation, he did not lose his confidence and arrogance.

Jeongcheon-meng and Heukcheon-meng unleashed all their martial power and devised and executed a plan to encircle and annihilate the lair of the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong, which no one had dared to approach until then. Both sides fought desperately, with their backs to the wall. At this point, one would expect fear, but the Blood God, without the slightest fear, attempted a frontal assault against the forces of both sides. The three forces clashed head-on, and the results were astonishing.

The evil path, which had arrogantly believed they would win now that they had united, and the righteous path, which had relaxed thinking it would be easier now that the evil path had united, both suffered immense damage and drank the bitter cup of defeat to the dregs, falling into a state of unconsciousness. This was the result of mobilizing their forces prematurely, so soon after forming the alliance. The immaturity of their organizational operation was clearly exposed. As a result, both the righteous and evil paths suffered enormous blows. The extent of the damage was so great that it would take over thirty years and the consumption of enormous financial resources equivalent to thousands of horse-drawn carts for the entire martial world to recover.

Furthermore, they failed to eliminate him despite suffering such extensive damage. That was truly the worst unfortunate news. Even the simultaneous cowardly attack by the righteous and evil paths failed to eradicate his existence from this martial world…

Even Taigeksin-gun Musin Hyeok Wol-rin, who had stood firm until the end, suffered a setback from the Blood God's final, all-out blow and had to spend three years recuperating. The situation for Paccheondo Musin-ma Gal Jung-hyeok, who had fought him just before, was even worse. He had sustained a critical injury requiring four years of recuperation.

Of course, Cheon-Geob Wei Cheonmu was not unharmed either. And his whereabouts vanished like a stone falling from a cliff into the sea.

His existence, which had become the fear and nightmare of the entire martial world, disappeared into a thick fog, with no confirmation of his life or death—although he was injured at the time of his disappearance, he was clearly alive. How could the sleep and peace of all people in the martial world be undisturbed? How could they go to sleep with peace of mind when the final blow, aimed at eradicating the Blood God's existence, had failed?

Given the Blood God's martial arts, it was judged by the martial world that if he escaped and went into hiding and regained his original martial arts level, he would have a lifespan of at least two hundred years, however terrible that assumption might be. This was because once martial arts reached a certain level, the body would undergo transformation, become young again, and regain its strength.

Even now, the former abbot of Shaolin, Il-gak Daesa, was 140 years old, and Muryang Jin-in, the first of the Eight Swords of Wudang, was approaching 150 years old. Moreover, even though they were both over 120 years old, they possessed youthful, smooth skin, elastic muscles, and unfathomably high martial arts, far from being withered and bent. It was the ultimate masters who possessed the power to suppress even the ferocity of time.

Therefore, it was selfish to expect the Blood God's body, which had reached the Divine Transformation Realm, to weaken and decay with the passage of time. Even Il-gak Daesa and Muryang Jin-in today admitted that they could not guarantee victory against the Blood God at that level with their current strength. Who could dare to be overconfident? Ok Hyeong Jin-in himself was now around 120 years old. Yet, he had never felt that he was defeated or surpassed by any young person. And indeed, that was the case. No young talent had yet emerged from his sect, the Wudang Sect, capable of breaking his sword.

Therefore, considering the Blood God was fifty years old at that time, it meant that for at least the next 150 years, there could be no peace of mind. Furthermore, given the high probability of a successor, the martial world was by no means safe.

Almost all martial artists began to suffer from severe, short-term premature ejaculation in their nightly encounters with their wives after that day. Doctors in various regions enjoyed a boom. This inexplicable, astonishing symptom swept through the martial world like an epidemic. The number of martial artists who were shunned by both their wives and mistresses increased, and they sought medical attention, complaining of severe loss of appetite and insomnia. Doctors in various regions were overwhelmed with patients suffering from similar or identical symptoms.

As a result, a collective, nationwide epidemic of premature ejaculation and depression spread, and the brothels at the time had to close down. Bars, on the other hand, saw good business thanks to foolish challengers trying to alleviate their anxiety through self-abandonment or alcohol. However, businesses that rented out temporary sleeping partners run by courtesans fell into a severe recession and struggled. Lying down was like lying on a gravel field, and sitting was like sitting on a thorn bush. Who could feel at ease?

Therefore, they began to devise measures to eradicate premature ejaculation and ensure comfortable nights as soon as possible. And they finally reached a conclusion. The conclusion drawn from the battle with the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong was that there was a severe lack of ultimate masters capable of matching his existence. The need for outstanding talent was paramount.

If not for Taigeksin-gun Hyeok Wol-rin of the righteous path and Paccheondo Gal Jung-hyeok of the evil path, what would have become of the martial world? The thought alone sent shivers down their spines.

These worries were not limited to ordinary martial artists. For Hyeok Wol-rin and Gal Jung-hyeok, the only survivors who had directly clashed with him, it was even more pressing. A countermeasure was needed. They both felt the need to cultivate the strength to not collapse against the return of the Blood God of Thousand Tribulations, Wei Cheonmu, and his shadow, the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong. Therefore, Taigeksin-gun Musin Hyeok Wol-rin, with the help of the Cheonmu Samsung, the top masters of the martial world at the time who had assisted him against the Cheon-Geob-Ryeong, established a comprehensive martial arts educational institution. This was the origin of Cheonmu Academy.