“Hmm. I see. That’s quite unusual. Using a fan as a weapon. What kind of person is he?”
“On the surface, he seems kind-hearted, but that’s just a facade. Inside, he harbors a vicious nature.”
“Well, judging by what he did to Go Seung and Sunwoo Baek, that much is pretty obvious. What about this Jo Deok person?”
“He’s the adopted son of the leader of Manchwi Gate, ranked thirty-ninth under Mushincheon.”
“Adopted?”
“Yes. Since he couldn’t have a child, he brought in an adopted son. But two years after adopting Jo Deok, he had a biological child. From that point on, the adopted son became nothing but a thorn in his side.”
“What kind of personality does he have?”
“He’s learned to hide his true self, always watching the leader’s mood. He never shows what he’s really thinking.”
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes lingered a little longer on Jo Deok than Yoo Ji Gwang.
A man who conceals his true nature is more dangerous.
“The top student «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» among the intermediate division is a boy named Baek Cheon. He’s fairly skilled, but after losing to Go Seung recently, he’s been deeply affected. The once confident and outgoing boy is now perpetually anxious and withdrawn.”
It hadn’t been long since Go Seung clashed with Baek Cheon, yet the information had already been updated, down to a detailed analysis of his mental state.
That was precisely why Yeon Woo Jin had recruited Hwang Sung.
If not for Hwang Sung, he wouldn’t have received such swift and comprehensive updates.
A satisfied smile played on Yeon Woo Jin’s lips as he spoke.
Hwang Sung asked, “What do you plan to do?”
“Well, we should return the favor, don’t you think?”
“Return the favor?”
“Our side should send out our top student as well.”
“You mean... you’re going to go yourself?”
“No. Gwak Pyeong will go.”
“Oh...”
Hwang Sung had almost forgotten.
To outsiders, Gwak Pyeong was known as the top student of Baekyeong Martial Academy.
With a worried look, Hwang Sung spoke up.
“Gwak Pyeong is strong, but he can’t match Yoo Ji Gwang. He might end up getting humiliated instead.”
Yeon Woo Jin flashed a sly grin.
“What level is Gwak Pyeong officially recorded as?”
“Peak-Level, Seven Stars.”
According to the records, Gwak Pyeong wouldn’t stand a chance against Yoo Ji Gwang, who was officially at Peak-Level, Ten Stars.
“That’s the downside of this system, isn’t it? Unless someone voluntarily discloses their true level, there’s no way to know for sure.”
“Huh?”
“Gwak Pyeong isn’t at Peak-Level, Seven Stars.”
“Then... what level is he?”
“He’s at Transcendence-Level, Two Stars.”
“What? T-That’s impossible! B-But the records clearly say...”
“When was that record last updated?”
At Yeon Woo Jin’s question, Hwang Sung hastily flipped through the records.
“When he was seventeen...”
“Exactly. He was already at Peak-Level, Seven Stars back then. Do you really think he’d still be at Seven Stars now?”
“So he’s been hiding his true level all this time?”
“Seems so.”
“But why?”
“To blend into the Southern Region naturally. You know how the Southern Region is. If he revealed his true level, people would avoid him rather than associate with him. Besides, other regions would start keeping an eye on him.”
“But wouldn’t there be more benefits to revealing a higher level?”
“I think Gwak Pyeong just wanted to fit in. If his level was close to the other students, they wouldn’t shy away from interacting with him. That’s why he intentionally downplayed his abilities.”
“Hm. True. There are plenty of martial artists who choose not to register their level and live as hidden masters.”
Once a martial artist registers their level, whether it’s with the Murim Alliance, the Demon Sect Alliance, or Mushincheon, that information is shared with all factions.
The registration system was implemented for several reasons, but the primary one was to foster competition.
Mushincheon was the first to adopt it.
Within Mushincheon, martial artists constantly strive to surpass their rivals, pushing themselves harder in training, ultimately making the faction stronger.
Moreover, the detailed categorization of levels made it easier to assign martial artists to suitable roles, maximizing efficiency.
Thanks to this system, Mushincheon had achieved near-perfect strength distribution.
In response, the Murim Alliance and Demon Sect Alliance also adopted the registration system and eventually agreed to share information with each other to keep Mushincheon in check.
Interestingly, when they proposed this to Mushincheon, the sect surprisingly agreed.
Mushincheon saw it as a chance to flaunt their superiority.
Since then, registering one’s level had become the norm for martial artists.
Of course, it wasn’t mandatory.
There were still many who chose to live as hidden masters without registering.
But aside from them, most martial artists, the moment they achieved a higher level, would eagerly rush to the registration office to update their status.
In any case, if Gwak Pyeong was at Transcendence-Level, Two Stars, then Yoo Ji Gwang wouldn’t even stand a chance.
“But if we send Gwak Pyeong to take down Yoo Ji Gwang, his level will become public knowledge. Didn’t he keep it hidden because he didn’t want to be exposed?”
“Well, that was before I arrived. It’s different now. We’re aiming to take control of the Western Region, so we can’t let the other academies look down on Baekyeong.”
“So, are you planning to mobilize all the students?”
“No. We’ll only take a select few. That way, we can make a strong, definitive statement about Baekyeong’s power.”
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Hwang Sung.
“Aren’t you excited? The day when all of Mushincheon will acknowledge Baekyeong as the strongest academy?”
“That title of ‘strongest’... does that include Jungcheon as well?”
“Of course. Jungcheon is also an academy, isn’t it?”
Jungcheon.
A place where even monsters at the Transformation-Level resided.
When Yeon Woo Jin first declared his intent to conquer all the academies in Mushincheon, Hwang Sung initially excluded Jungcheon from the information he gathered.
Jungcheon was technically an academy, but its status was so exceptional that it wasn’t considered in the same league as the others.
But when Yeon Woo Jin specifically asked for Jungcheon’s data, Hwang Sung was stunned.
Who would dare target Jungcheon?
Yet, he collected the information without a word.
If anyone else had said such a thing, he would have dismissed it as a madman’s rambling.
But the one who said it was Yeon Woo Jin.
If it was Yeon Woo Jin, he might actually pull it off.
Hwang Sung’s heart began to pound.
For the first time in Mushincheon’s history, he would witness the unification of all academies under one rule, and he would witness it firsthand.
What a thrilling, exhilarating experience this would be.
Still, there was a long way to go.
The students’ levels had to be raised.
After all, cultivation didn’t advance overnight.
But in the end, they would grow stronger. And when they did, they would leave an indelible mark on the history of Mushincheon.
Hwang Sung couldn’t help but smile. He was more than satisfied with his decision to become Yeon Woo Jin’s right hand.
****
Back in his room, Yeon Woo Jin sat in deep thought.
During his conversation with Hwang Sung, he had identified a critical problem.
It was the registration system.
They had succeeded in leveraging martial artists’ desire to stand above others to encourage level registration, but the accuracy was questionable.
After all, hadn’t it always been said that most martial artists concealed at least thirty percent of their true power?
Just look at Gwak Pyeong.
The level recorded in the registration system wasn’t necessarily the true level.
Was there a way to uncover the truth with absolute certainty?
Yeon Woo Jin resolved to use every ounce of his knowledge to find a way.
There were instances where a master could accurately assess the level of a weaker martial artist.
How did they do it?
That was where he decided to begin.
For this purpose, the standard for a “master” would be the Mystic Realm.
While the Transformation Realm could also perceive such things, the Mystic Realm allowed for a much finer discernment of levels.
A Mystic Realm martial artist could sense the flow of Qi.
Upon reaching the Peak Level, three bud-shaped Qi manifestations would appear around the Baihui acupoint, known as the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
The heat waves emanating from the buds served as an indicator of the level of enlightenment one had attained.
Upon advancing to the Transcendence Level, the buds would bloom fully, transforming into five rings of energy, known as the Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
When one reached the Transformation Realm, that energy would be drawn into the eyes, a state known as Refined Furnace Fire.
There was yet another phenomenon at the Transformation Realm’s Five Stars.
Rather than appearing powerful, the individual would look completely ordinary.
This was a sign that they had perfectly concealed their Qi — a state referred to as Return to Simplicity.
Each level had its own characteristics, and the flow of Qi differed distinctly from one stage to another.
What if he could pinpoint those flows and accurately discern one’s level?
The mere thought of it sent a thrill through him.
Organizing his thoughts, Yeon Woo Jin immediately spread out a sheet of paper and began writing out complex calculations.
And so, the night grew deeper and deeper.
****
For several days, Yeon Woo Jin hadn’t slept, working tirelessly on something.
Watching him with growing anxiety were three figures.
“It’s been four days now. He hasn’t slept a wink and just keeps working on that thing.”
“What if he harms himself at this rate?”
Logically, they knew it.
Yeon Woo Jin wasn’t someone whose body would suffer from just four sleepless nights.
But still, worry was a natural part of being human.
“What is he making that has him so focused?”
“I overheard something... about a device that measures one’s level.”
“Huh? Is that even possible?”
“You’re seriously asking that after everything we’ve seen him do? Maybe it’s impossible for us, but if it’s him...”
“That’s true...”
“Well, it’ll definitely be something amazing. I wonder how it’s going to measure the levels?”
“If he’s pouring his heart and soul into it like this, it’s definitely not going to be just an ordinary device.”
Despite their worry, all three couldn’t hide the anticipation on their faces.
Just then, they heard a triumphant shout from inside the room.
“It’s done!”
Yeon Woo Jin’s voice echoed out from within.
They all rushed to the door, practically tripping over each other to get inside.
Yeon Woo Jin greeted their eager expressions with a faint smile.
“You were that curious, huh?”
“Yes!”
They all answered in unison, as though they had rehearsed it.
With a grin, Yeon Woo Jin held up the device he had created.
It was a round disk with a gemstone embedded at the center, surrounded by intricate, unfamiliar symbols.
Among the symbols, they could make out recognizable characters indicating various levels.
“Well then, let’s see if it works, shall we?”
Yeon Woo Jin aimed the disk toward Jeok Seong and infused it with Qi.
At that moment, Jeok Seong felt a faint breeze pass over his skin.
Clack-clack.
The gemstone in the center began to glow a deep red as the characters on the disk whirled rapidly around it.
Click-click.
The characters slowed down and finally aligned themselves, forming a coherent line.
[Mystic Realm Eight Stars ]
Seeing the reading, Jeok Seong’s eyes widened.
He had only recently ascended to the Eight Stars.
“Did this thing really just figure out my level on its own?”
“Yep.” Sёarᴄh the NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was incredible.
How was it even possible?
When Yeon Woo Jin pointed the device at Ma Ryong, the gemstone started spinning again.
Click-click.
[Mystic Realm Nine Stars ]
“What? Wait, I thought you were only at Eight Stars! You lied to us!”
Ma Ryong’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“So, you’ve been holding back against us during sparring matches. No wonder you always seemed so calm!”
“N-No! I only just recently had a breakthrough to Nine Stars!”
Jeok Seong then glanced toward Chun Ho Seong.
What’s your level?
Click-click.
[Mystic Realm Eight Stars]
Jeok Seong let out a sigh of relief.
So, all three of them had risen by one level.
The trio stared at the disk in Yeon Woo Jin’s hand as though it were some divine artifact.
“I’m calling it the Five Elements Convergence.”
“What’s the principle behind it?”
“Well, it’s a bit complicated to explain... but basically, each level emits a distinct fluctuation of Qi. The gemstone absorbs those fluctuations and translates them into data through a complex formula that combines the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Once calculated, it determines the level accurately...”
Yeon Woo Jin continued to explain in detail, but the three men stared blankly at him, completely lost.
Whatever the principle was, one thing was clear:
With this device, no one would be able to hide their true level anymore.
To think he’d created such an astonishing object in just four days.
The three men gazed at Yeon Woo Jin with a newfound sense of awe and reverence.
Yeon Woo Jin smiled and said, “I’m giving it to Hwang Sung. It’ll make scouting for talent much easier.”
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes glinted with a dangerous resolve.
It seemed he was preparing to make his next move.
Back in his room, Yeon Woo Jin sank into thought.
During his conversation with Hwang Sung, he had identified a crucial flaw in the registration system.
The flaw was in the accuracy of the recorded levels.
They had successfully used people’s desire to stand above others to encourage them to register their levels.
But what about the accuracy of those levels?
After all, wasn’t it said that most martial artists concealed at least thirty percent of their true power?
Gwak Pyeong was a perfect example.
If someone like Gwak Pyeong could hide his true level, how many others were doing the same?
Was there a way to uncover their true strength with absolute certainty?
Yeon Woo Jin’s eyes darkened as he leaned back in his chair.
It was time to find a way.