#255
Zhuge Family (1)
Hubei Province, Yung Jung Mountain.
This was the stronghold of the legendary martial artists, the Zhuge Family, as well as a land where one of the dragon veins resided.
In fact, the concept of a dragon vein itself was part of feng shui, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that most renowned factions settled in such auspicious locations.
Whether they secured good land due to their strong power, or if their power grew because they were situated on good land, opinions varied.
Thanks to this, they managed to maintain relative stability even in the midst of chaos, while also waging war to secure additional dragon veins, putting their lives on the line to protect their stronghold.
Moreover, the Zhuge Family was renowned as a top-tier aristocrat in terms of formation technique and sorcery.
The defenses around Yung Jung Mountain, where they were based, were practically an impregnable fortress that no one could approach.
‘That used to be the case…’
Today, the vice commander of the Heavenly Guardian Unit, responsible for guarding the outer perimeter of the Zhuge Family, gripped his sword tightly and glared at the unexpected visitor before him.
They were currently inside the sixth of seven formations spread across Yung Jung Mountain, known as the Great Luo Forbidden Fragmentation.
Except for the final formation, which anticipated an enemy that had infiltrated the family’s inner sanctum, this place was effectively the last line of defense.
The renowned formations the family prided itself on, which had always seemed impenetrable, had been breached in an instant.
It was undeniably an embarrassing disgrace for their fame, but naturally, they had their reasons as well.
‘Crazy, you penetrated the formation through the sky and came straight here?’
Since formations relied on specific objects or natural terrains, they were naturally specialized in countering ground-based enemies.
Of course, the Zhuge Family had mixed sorcery in, preparing some measures against aerial attacks, but even so, it was impossible to be fully prepared for an opponent capable of traversing through the sky and directly crossing an entire mountain!
‘Even if this mountain isn’t particularly high…!’
When the intrusion was first detected at the foot of the mountain, they had thought little of it.
Then, as soon as the intruder breached the second formation, an emergency mobilization order was immediately issued…
The speed of the opponent’s entry was unbelievably rapid.
‘I must stall for as long as possible!’
They had to buy time until the rest of the family could finish preparing for battle.
Grinding his teeth, the vice commander firmly grasped the sword in his hand and spoke with a serious expression.
“…This is your final warning. State your reason for invading our domain without permission.”
Even with the Great Luo Forbidden Fragmentation aiding them, acting recklessly against such a mysterious opponent was out of the question.
It was best to stall for time through dialogue while gathering information about the adversary.
To his surprise, the intruder nodded in agreement and replied.
“Oh, I beg your pardon. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Harris, and I’ve come to ask a few things about your return.”
“…In common parlance, an unauthorized visit is called an intrusion.”
“Oh! Is that so? It’s clear to see I’m not from around here. Hahaha!”
At the shameless response, the Zhuge warriors wore looks of disbelief.
Although it was obvious from a glance that he was an outsider due to his unique appearance, trying to justify such a fundamental difference as a cultural one was a bit too much…
‘No, wait a minute. He doesn’t even seem human… Is he a monster? Would he really not know human customs in that case? What should I do here?’
As such rational doubts arose, confusion washed over the vice commander’s face.
When the intruder first barged in, they had thought of him as a definite enemy, but his calm demeanor was starting to blur what their response should be.
“…If that is truly the case, would you mind waiting here for a moment? Preparing for our guest is the proper way to welcome someone. You would be amenable to that, would you not?”
His decision was to follow the intruder’s words for now, taking a practical approach.
After all, the final judgment would lie with his superiors, and his task was to stall for time here as long as possible.
“I feel I may have been too rude. Then shall we proceed?”
Harris, the uninvited guest with golden hair, green eyes, and long ears, nodded casually despite the tense situation for the warriors.
*
‘My goal is to grow my influence, and there’s no need to necessarily clash with every faction. Those minions were below my standards, but the Zhuge Family doesn’t seem to be ravaging the area too much.’
Of course, the commotion created now was a subtle way of showcasing strength to establish smooth relationships, but this was nothing more than common self-promotion, right?
Unbeknownst to others, Harris was secretly admiring the formation that had forcibly pulled him down from the sky.
‘Impressive, is this truly a proper formation? Amazing!’
To be more precise, he was captivated by the flow of energy linked to this area, himself, and each of the warriors.
The natural energy flowing as precisely as a well-oiled machine felt like a work of art.
And this sensation resonated across a completely different dimension—
Even the Undead King in Auterica felt the same.
Hmm, this is interesting. It can forcibly suppress someone as strong as Harris… I see now that the five formations I passed through earlier were connected, amplifying their effects. Was formation technique this powerful?*
Hans, who had been researching alone in a small chamber, tilted his head slightly, whispering softly.
After encountering it on Earth and being incorporated into “The Path of Magic,” the concept of formations had proven very versatile, making it a technique he often utilized.
There was no reason not to use it since the effects dramatically amplified with just a bit of embellishment in drawing magical circles or setting up altars.
However, with Hans’s level of knowledge, it was impossible to completely breach the Zhuge Family’s pinnacle formations.
It was only because Harris, as a powerful individual, had targeted the vulnerability of being in the air that getting this far was possible.
Well, for a faction of that size, they must have a few tricks up their sleeves. Hehe… this is quite tempting.
Ultimately, learning anything could be beneficial.
While Hans was inflamed with personal desires for sorcery, Harris continued to focus on the operation of the energy flowing within the formation.
Looking closely, it seems this formation is also related to the Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill’s eight trigrams.
Naturally sensitive to energy, Harris had become even more attuned since beginning martial arts practice.
For him, the peak of this formation, which manipulated the natural harmony of the world’s energy, served as an excellent teaching material.
The properties of energy and its operations, the laws of this world contained therein, and the comprehensive principle of energy manipulation…
Feeling a tingling sensation in his head, Harris began to gradually move the energy, recalling the essence of the Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill.
At that moment, Hubert, who was receiving real-time updates of the situation through Harris’s senses, naturally adjusted his analysis and assisted him.
Right, now that I think about it, there’s no need to rigidly adhere to traditional techniques since our conditions are different.
In this world, martial arts started with humans seeking power, imitating extraordinary beings from birth.
From the ferocious beasts that threatened their survival to the movements of even weak herbivores with remarkable survival abilities.
And that started to include not only animals but also natural phenomena such as waterfalls and lightning, ultimately representing abstract concepts such as life, death, and abundance.
And what the Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill pursues is harmony with heaven and earth… which I’ve already got plenty of.
Thus, he would boldly discard what was unnecessary.
He reworked the previously incomplete Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill, substituting the essence of harmony with nature that stemmed from “Nature Assimilation” and “Call of Nature” through his overwhelming affinity.
Whoooooosh—
As vast natural energy surged in, the flow that constituted the formation began to waver.
He then sensed the representative among the warriors exclaiming something, but at that moment, it hardly mattered to him.
Skipping unnecessary steps and simply gathering what he lacked.
Given that Hubert had already completed a general analysis, proceeding without any issues was all but guaranteed.
Harmony. Filling in the lacking parts with the excessive and growing together.
The influx of energy surged into Harris’s body, forming a small core at his dantian.
The sudden change overcharged his body, causing it to creak, but Harris, who had already transcended to complete his essence, quickly adapted to the situation.
And finally.
The entity has met the conditions and awakened its potential. Special skill “Nature Affinity” obtained.
The entity has gained enlightenment through repeated training. Skill “Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill (Reformed)” obtained.
Harris had thought it would take considerable time to gain something, but unexpectedly, he achieved returns much earlier than anticipated due to an unintentional opportunity.
And he instinctively sensed it.
That in acquiring “Nature Affinity,” the possibility of forging connections with an even wider variety of spirits had opened up.
…I can’t wait to return to Auterica after this.
As the swirling energy settled, a faint smile appeared on Harris’s face.
Perhaps he would truly be able to summon spirits that were practically divine beings soon.
“Oh!”
Only then did Harris become aware of his surroundings, quickly glancing around, and he met the fierce gazes of the warriors, his face turning awkward.
Cough, what the… this doesn’t make any sense…
Hah— hah—.
Of course, they couldn’t help but respond this way.
While he had immersed himself in his own world, the barrier… no, the formation had inevitably collapsed under the weight of the energy’s flow.
‘Oh dear, this is troublesome. It wasn’t intentional.’
Had he not been waiting calmly, he would have unknowingly become a troublemaker who broke down the formation.
Given this situation, it was practically a declaration of war.
No, given the circumstances, would overpowering them and forcing them to listen be better…?
As Harris’s thoughts began veering toward a rather extreme direction…
“…The Soft Eight Trigrams Secret Skill. You wouldn’t happen to be a descendant of the Celestial Gate, would you?”
A deep and aged voice resonated.
And sensing the crowd had already begun to encircle the area, Harris naturally turned his gaze towards the person who had spoken.
An elder, slowly walking toward him while leaning on a staff, accompanied by several warriors behind him.
“Huh! Grand Chief?”
The warrior representative, who had been facing Harris until now, turned in surprise to look at the elder, but the old man continued speaking in a solemn tone without answering him.
“You manipulate the energies of nature and lead the phenomena… using martial arts opposed to the Qi Gate Formation. A study that can readily disrupt the basic flow of energy that constitutes a formation.”
At his words, Harris paused for a moment.
Truly, should he regard the Zhuge Family as worthy of their reputation?
Knowing both the name of the martial arts and its abilities was no small feat.
“Haha, what a twist of fate! I thought both the immortal master and his disciple had perished, severed in the wake of their demise. Yet, at this level… could it be termed as Current Realm?”
As soon as his words fell, the air around them stiffened.
Having sensed the overwhelming flow of energy and having a rough idea, the weight of his declaration was a different matter entirely once the head of the family made it public.
No matter how strong the Current Realm was, with the last pinnacle of their family remaining, he could assure he wouldn’t lose, but his opponent held an ability contrary to their family’s specialty in formations.
In other words, clashing head-on meant certain defeat.
“What a surprise, a distinguished guest has arrived, and this old man is babbling unnecessarily. So then, what business does the great hero have with our family?”
In an instant, sensing the shift in the reactions around him, Harris stroked his chin while gazing at the elder.
The Grand Chief referred to the former chief, so his authority was considerable; yet, this one spoke of ‘guest’ while yielding and extending a hand first.
That meant he was now standing on a higher ground than initially anticipated.
What a marvelous start.
“Haha— I’ve got a few questions and a favor to ask… So, with that said…”
In this situation, what was worded as a request was practically a demand.
Of course, to build a smooth relationship going forward, he couldn’t overstep too much.
“Can we discuss inside? It feels a bit improper to keep a guest waiting out here for too long… the hospitality seems lacking…”
Harris’s character, transformed into arrogance the moment an opportunity presented itself, was now quite miserable.
