The Cunning Treasure Hunter

The Place Forbidden to Vera

The Elder's Residence was a place forbidden to Vera.

Only those accompanied by a Second Disciple or someone of higher status were permitted entry.

However, Vera was an exception.

The Great Master Thorne had personally granted him special permission.

Strangely enough, Sect Leader Gideon did not interfere with Great Master Thorne's decision.

On the contrary…

It was as if his mind was occupied elsewhere.

He did not even question why Great Master Thorne's entire inner force had vanished.

Even though Great Master Thorne sensed that something was off, he knew what had to take priority.

Right now, the most important thing was guiding Vera in her cultivation.

At the very least, he had to help her break past the threshold of the Kingdom of Harmony.

The ultimate goal, however, was far beyond that.

To push her beyond the peak of the Kingdom of Harmony...

To lead her to the Profound Realm —a legendary realm spoken of only in stories.

To achieve that, Great Master Thorne had to impart everything he had realized and experienced.

Inside the dimly lit chamber, Great Master Thorne opened an old wooden chest.

Within it lay numerous spiritual pills he had accumulated over the years.

He began sorting them—separating the weaker ones from the more potent.

"…There's no point in keeping the weaker ones now."

Vera had already reached the pinnacle of Peak Absolute Mastery.

Though he had yet to fully grasp and control his strength, his foundation had already surpassed what these weaker pills could support.

What he needed now was enlightenment to break past the bottleneck.

Thus, giving him ineffective pills would be meaningless.

Instead, Great Master Thorne gathered those weaker spiritual pills for himself.

His body was no longer that of a Martial Artist of the Kingdom of Harmony.

To his aged and frail body, even these mild pills would provide significant relief.

They wouldn't restore his lost inner force.

They wouldn't even prolong his inevitable death.

But at the very least, they would lessen his suffering and grant him a little more vitality.

That was enough.

Silently, Great Master Thorne picked up a murky brown spiritual pill and placed it in his mouth.

Back in his prime, such a thing wouldn't have even stirred his core.

But now…

It felt like a raging storm had been unleashed within him.

"…Huuu."

Still, Great Master Thorne was once a grandmaster of the Kingdom of Harmony.

Effortlessly, he suppressed the surging inner force and guided it into his core.

The twisting pain in his gut eased slightly.

"…This won't last long."

The spot where his Innate True energy once resided was now vacant.

The spiritual pill's energy could only momentarily fill that void.

It couldn't stop his approaching death.

It couldn't even delay it.

Yet…

He had to stay alive.

At least until the Supreme Harmony Elixir was completed.

Only he could ensure that its overwhelming power was properly refined and guided.

"Master, are you here?"

Just then, Vera's voice echoed from beyond the door.

Calmly, Great Master Thorne settled his inner force and concluded his breathing exercises.

Rising from his seat, he opened the old wooden door, its thick paper covering rustling with the motion.

Beyond the threshold stood Vera, his posture straight, his expression unreadable.

A chuckle involuntarily escaped Great Master Thorne's lips.

The corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

Confused, Vera tilted his head.

"…Why are you smiling?"

To Vera, this was no laughing matter.

His Master's lifetime of cultivation had been reduced to nothing.

The immense power he had spent his whole life refining had vanished overnight.

How could he possibly smile?

"Come, sit."

Instead of answering, Great Master Thorne beckoned him over.

He sat on the edge of the wooden porch and reached into his sleeve.

Pulling out a small package wrapped in paper, he unfolded it to reveal dried sweet potatoes.

"Eat."

"…Master, I—"

"It's fine. Just eat."

Without waiting for a response, Great Master Thorne placed a piece into Vera's small hands.

For a moment, Vera hesitated.

He glanced at Great Master Thorne's face, then down at the dried sweet potato in his palm.

Finally, he took a bite.

A chewy texture met his teeth, followed by a faint, lingering sweetness.

It tasted good.

Yet his heart remained unsettled.

He knew that Great Master Thorne was doing this for his sake.

That only made it harder to bear.

Seeing Vera's gradually darkening expression, Great Master Thorne let out another quiet laugh.

Then, he pressed his palm against the center of Vera's back.

"…Ah."

"Straighten your back. Your shoulders, too."

"But…"

Great Master Thorne shook his head.

There was no need for Vera to feel guilty.

Vera understood that.

Logically, he knew.

And yet…

"…Even so, how can I not feel sorry?"

Lowering his head, he clutched his robes with small, trembling hands.

A warm palm gently ruffled his hair.

Then, in a voice as soft as a whisper, Great Master Thorne spoke.

"I was never meant to achieve greatness."

"…What do you mean by that?"

The End of a Journey

"My age has long passed sixty. I reached the mid-stages of the Kingdom of Harmony and sat among the ranks of absolute masters. By that point… you can't help but realize it."

Great Master Thorne let out a bitter smile.

He had failed to see what lay beyond.

Because there was nothing beyond for him.

He had never once envisioned himself becoming someone greater than he was now.

Ironically, the only time he had glimpsed a "better version" of himself…

Was when he had given up everything.

When he had surrendered his martial arts, his inner force, and even his very way of life.

Only after entrusting everything to Vera…

Only then did he understand.

Flowers do not bloom forever.

Spring does not stay forever.

His time—their time—had already passed.

"I simply chose to let go."

"But why…?"

"You've mastered cherry Blossom Descent Manual, haven't you?"

"…Yes."

"Flowers fall when the time comes. And because of that, people long for them again."

Vera widened his eyes, tilting his head in confusion. Discover hidden content at My Virtual Library Empire

Seeing this, Great Master Thorne kindly elaborated.

"And because they wait… when the flowers bloom once more, they appear all the more beautiful and special."

"…Ah."

"I, too, was struggling against fate. Just like the countless cherry blossoms covering Mount Suncrest right now, I wished to be a flower that never faded."

His gaze drifted towards the southern peak of Mount Suncrest.

Vera followed his eyes.

"There's no need for you to feel guilty. Most importantly, you must not die before surpassing this old master. You will become a greater martial artist than I ever was."

"…I will do it."

Whether or not he truly could—it was still unknown.

He was born with the fate of Celestial Blade Star.

A genius among geniuses.

No, beyond genius—his talent was monstrous.

Yet, the Profound Realm…

Not a single martial artist in the history of Martial World had ever been properly recorded as reaching such a realm.

Even the Kingdom of Harmony, in this current era, was so rare that only a handful of individuals could attain it in a lifetime.

Yet, Great Master Thorne believed.

He believed that Vera could do it.

But first…

He had to cross the threshold of the Kingdom of Harmony.

"You must have heard from Aiden already. From today onward, while the other disciples seek their masters for training, you shall come to me."

"I will do as you say."

A Body in Pieces

"…You want to retrieve the rest of your body?"

"Yes. Is that so surprising?"

The Young Cult Master replied indifferently.

But Gideon wore a grave expression.

The Young Cult Master's complete resurrection?

That didn't concern him.

They were already plotting to divide the world between them. Cooperation was inevitable.

The real issue was…

The process of retrieving that body.

"…Do you even know where your missing parts are?"

"I do."

"How?"

It wasn't like he had his head.

At best, only a fragmented consciousness and self-awareness remained within his severed left arm.

And yet, how could he possibly know where his other limbs were sealed?

The Young Cult Master simply grinned, shrugging.

A secret.

Gideon grit his teeth but had no choice but to let it go.

"…Your head is in Akrest, your torso in the Iron Fist Sect, your right arm in Celestial Sword Sect… and your right leg is sealed within the Everstone Clan, isn't it?"

"…Ha. To think you figured that out despite being trapped in that underground prison."

At that moment…

The answer flashed through Gideon's mind.

A mere speculation, perhaps.

But it was the only explanation.

"…You. You're prying into Magnus's memories, aren't you?"@@novelbin@@

"My, my. Even in your old age, you're still sharp. No wonder you managed to claim the position of Sect Leader despite not even being the First Disciple."

"…Are you mocking me?"

"Come now, let's not be so prickly."

The Young Cult Master rose from his seat.

Casually, he began wandering around Scarlet Crown Chamber, mumbling to himself.

"Akrest, the Iron Fist, Celestial Sword, Everstone… Which should I visit first?"

"Heh. So eager already?"

"Large-scale endeavors should always begin sooner rather than later. They take time. Besides… by now, they should be arriving."

Just then—

A loud thump, thump echoed from the back door of Scarlet Crown Chamber.

Gideon's brows furrowed.

Inside the pavilion, only he and The Young Cult Master were present.

There were no servants here to open the door.

"…Tsk. It seems the younger generation lacks proper discipline these days. When entering the Sect Leader's residence, it is customary to announce one's identity first."

"That would only apply… if the one outside were your disciple."

Gideon's eyes narrowed.

Slowly, he stepped across the corridor toward the back door.

The dull, heavy knocking continued.

Thump… thump…

It didn't sound like someone knocking.

No.

It sounded like someone… slamming into the door.

The moment he opened it—

Gideon saw it.

The missing leg.

The Young Cult Master's right leg.

The very limb that had supposedly vanished after fleeing on its own.

It stood there.

Beating against the door with its severed stump.