My Dad is Too Strong-Chapter 317

Chapter 317
Do-Jun was exploring the Core as usual. His primary method was to gather information using the Interpreter. Although observing each location individually was a tedious task, the information obtained was invaluable, so Do-Jun made a habit of using the Interpreter regularly.
Suddenly, a series of messages appeared before his eyes.
[Interpreter completion has reached 80%.]
[Condition met. Interpreter is undergoing a transformation.]
[Interpreter has advanced from Relic of the Deep Realm to Lost Item of the Deep Realm.]
Do-Jun’s expression stayed calm as he watched the text flash by, though inwardly, he was surprised. Artifact upgrades weren’t uncommon, but this was his first time seeing the grade “Lost Item.”
[Interpreter - Ataraxia]
Category: Miscellaneous / Support
Grade: Lost Item of the Deep Realm
Completion: 80%
Magic Resistance: 10 (+800)
Description: Encyclopedia of the Core compiled by Epicurus, a traveler of the Deep Realm (incomplete). Tap the magnifying glass button on a blank page to record information about a target. As the completion increases, magic resistance will also increase (for use in the Core only).
Indeed, the grade had changed from Relic to Lost Item of the Deep Realm.
As Do-Jun read through the Interpreter’s description, his gaze paused for a moment. His finger hovered over the word “incomplete,” and the moment he touched it, new messages appeared.
[The Core is evaluating your qualifications.]
[Condition met.]
[A fragment of the Encroached dimension has been activated.]
***
In the Central Plains, many referred to the Kunlun Mountains as the Mystic Realm.
It was a place beyond human reach, a “Heaven Beyond Heaven.” Its reputation as a realm of mystery wasn’t due to treacherous terrain or unpredictable weather alone. Even top martial artists risked their lives by setting foot there. Compared to the Kunlun mountain range, places like the Northern Sea Ice Palace or Central Heaven, which were considered beyond mortal reach, were nothing more than specks of dust—so the storytellers claimed.
One rumor about the Kunlun Mountains spoke of a force with strength far exceeding that of all the great sects combined, including the Nine Great Schools and the Five Sacred Clans. Some even believed that the Blood Sect, which once soaked the Central Plains in blood, had disappeared without a trace because of this mysterious force. However, over time, the story came to be seen as nothing more than a legend.
A name that seemed to exist only in myths, the Heavenly Demon Sect. Yet this seemingly mythical force was very much real, hidden somewhere deep within the mysterious realm.
***
Within the Heavenly Demon Sect, there existed individuals whom no one dared to look at directly. These were the Supreme Demons and Division Masters. They were figures wielding immense influence within the sect. However, they seldom appeared publicly, dedicating their time to mastering the sect’s martial arts in their secluded training chambers.
Meanwhile, a young boy panted heavily, each breath escaping in a near cry of exhaustion. He was a student at the Black Death Academy, the sect’s training institution. His name was Zhong Xue. Like many of his peers, he had lost his family to the Blood Sect and had been left to wander the world before finding refuge with the Heavenly Demon Sect.
“Dammiiiit! I’m last agaaaaain!” he wailed.
The other students had already disappeared far ahead. Having only recently joined the academy, Zhong Xue’s skills were still rough and unrefined. Unable to keep up, he finally collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. With no seniors in sight, he decided to rest as he was already late. The finish line was still far away.
It wouldn’t hurt to take a fifteen-minute break,
he thought, leaning against a tree. But he quickly shook his head.
He couldn’t afford to become weak. The seniors would be waiting at the mountaintop, and his instructor hated to see even a single dropout.
With a groan, Zhong Xue forced his trembling legs to stand. He was already battered and bruised, but so was everyone else. Everyone was struggling.
It was strange. The distance they needed to cover was only about four kilometers, which normally wouldn’t be hard to run. Yet here in the Kunlun Mountains, even walking half a kilometer felt ten times more difficult than it did outside.
Zhong Xue remembered what his instructor had mentioned.
“First, you must adapt to the Kunluns.”
At first, he thought adapting meant learning the mountain’s terrain. But that wasn’t what his instructor had meant. Simply walking or running here was exhausting, many times more difficult than anywhere else. Adapting meant learning to endure this unnatural strain.
Running was no longer an option; he was too exhausted, so he kept walking instead. How long had it been? Maybe half an hour, but he finally noticed something was wrong.
Hold on a second...
Cold sweat trickled down his face.
I-I need to find my way back quickly!
It wasn’t just that he had lost his way—what truly mattered most was leaving the designated path. The instructors of the Heavenly Demon Sect feared this above all else. Unless one was a Supreme Demon or a Division Master, stepping off the designated path almost certainly meant death.
Among the various dangers, the greatest threat was the presence of spirit beasts, creatures imbued with Kunluns’ mystical energy. Each spirit beast claimed its own territory, and the designated paths were the only safe areas. Stepping outside meant trespassing into a spirit beast’s domain. And spirit beasts despised intruders. Getting caught almost certainly meant death.
Zhong Xue’s face paled, and his already labored breathing grew even more erratic. He decided to retrace his steps, as it was his best chance to find the path again. But, as if fate was mocking him, his foot suddenly sank into thin air.
“Huh? A-aaaaah!”
The spot where he’d stepped through the brush turned out to be the edge of a cliff. Zhong Xue tumbled downward, unable to control his fall. Luckily, the outcropping branches of the cliffside broke his fall, slowing him just enough to grasp the rocky surface. But the friction against the jagged rock scraped his fingertips raw.
“
Arghhh
...!”
By the time he hit the ground, his hands were a bloody mess. But he didn’t have time to dwell on the pain because despair hit him even harder. Looking up, all he could see was the sheer cliff towering above him. Slumping to the ground, Zhong Xue stared blankly ahead.
“In tales, people always stumble onto a stroke of good fortune in moments like this,” he whispered.
The protagonists of martial arts stories often found hidden masters, secret techniques, or mystical elixirs after falling off cliffs. With a bitter laugh, Zhong Xue gazed up at the sky.
Then he let out a heavy sigh and stood up. He had to think of something. He needed to find a way up, but no matter how hard he thought, nothing came to mind. Climbing the cliff in his current state was out of the question. The most realistic option was to stay put and wait.
His instructor wouldn’t want to leave anyone behind. He would surely notice that a student was missing and conduct a thorough search of the area, right?
“No, he wouldn’t. Not a chance,” Zhong Xue concluded, replaying the scenario in his mind.
Straying from the designated path was extremely dangerous. While his instructor was undoubtedly skilled, he was not a Supreme Demon or Division Master. There was no reason for him to risk his life searching for someone who might have already been killed by a spirit beast. Even if he wanted to search, it wouldn’t be feasible.
Sure, his instructor could Zhong Xue’s disappearance to his superiors and request a search, but finding someone who may be in closed-door training was like searching for a needle in a haystack. And even if they did find them, convincing them to help would be next to impossible.
If they could get the Demon Immortal to help...
Yao Ping, the Demon Immortal, was the leader of the Celestial Secret Squad. Zhong Xue had never met Yao Ping in person, just like the other Division Masters or Supreme Demons. However, rumors said he was the most “normal” of them all, though also the hardest to find.
I’m finished... wait, huh...?
Suddenly, he saw a distant silhouette. No... it wasn’t just a silhouette. It was a colossal shadow of a giant wolf, easily ten meters tall.
Y-you’re lying.
Zhong Xue blinked and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
A... a spirit beast!
It was a creature he had only heard of in stories. Fear gripped him as he stumbled backward. Was it coming to punish him for trespassing into its territory? Just as panic was about to overtake him, an inexplicable calm settled over him.
Wait, what’s going on...? I don’t sense any hostility. And why is it walking next to that man?
Spirit beasts were known to attack intruders on sight. Yet this enormous wolf seemed to regard the man beside it as a companion rather than prey.
The ground trembled with each step as they approached. Zhong Xue’s gaze first landed on the man’s clothing. It was unusual, unlike anything he had ever seen. It wasn’t the martial robes or uniforms worn by the sect’s disciples. Nor did the man carry himself like a martial artist. Then who was he? And why was he in the Kunlun Mountains?
A sudden thought struck Zhong Xue. A man straying from the designated paths of the Kunlun Mountains, dressed in unfamiliar clothing, and most importantly, standing next to a spirit beast without fear, while the beast showed no aggression toward him.
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. The man in front of him could be one of the legendary Supreme Demons, or maybe a Division Master. Either way, he was probably one of the most powerful figures in the sect.
Grrrrr...
The spirit beast bared its fangs as soon as it spotted Zhong Xue.
However, the man beside it raised his hand in a calm gesture, and the beast immediately stopped. In fact, it did more than just stop. The giant wolf let out a whimper and nuzzled its snout against the man’s hand.
He must be!
Having reached this conclusion, Zhong Xue immediately dropped to his knees.
He slammed his forehead against the ground so hard that the earth seemed to shake. Raising his voice as loud as he could, he bellowed, “Ten Thousand Years to the Heavenly Demon! May all demons bow in reverence! This humble disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect humbly greets the Supreme Demon!”
He’s definitely a Supreme Demon, right...? He has to be
. Thinking that, Zhong Xue looked around with his head still lowered, though all he could see was dirt.
A few moments later, the man said in a calm voice, “You can stand.”
The moment he heard the man’s voice, Zhong Xue cheered inwardly. He had guessed correctly!
“A-ah, yes! Thank you!”
Zhong Xue scrambled to his feet and cautiously looked up at the man. His expression seemed far too gentle for a Supreme Demon. But appearances could be deceiving.
“You’re a student of the Academy, aren’t you?” the man asked.
“Yes, sir!” Zhong Xue’s voice trembled with nervousness.
The man, Do-Jun, glanced at Zhong Xue’s injured fingers before shifting his gaze to the cliff.
“Looks like you fell during training,” he commented.
“Shamefully, I lost my way.”
Do-Jun nodded slightly, then looked at the spirit beast beside him—the black wolf, Hei Lang. Without hesitation, Hei Lang opened its jaws, gently bit down on Zhong Xue’s collar, and tossed him into the air.
“
Waaahhh!
”
Zhong Xue landed on the wolf’s back, sinking into its thick, soft fur. Then, with a powerful leap, Hei Lang soared into the sky.
***
Instructor Tan Zhonghao frowned as he saw Zhong Xue running toward the group in the distance. The other senior disciples had already arrived and were waiting, unable to eat because of Zhong Xue’s tardiness. Arriving an entire hour late, the boy would certainly receive punishment today.
“Zhong Xue!”
Hearing his name, Zhong Xue mustered the last of his strength and sprinted toward Tan Zhonghao. His body felt like it was about to fall apart, but he endured the pain as he reached the instructor.
“
Huff
...
huff
... I-I’m sorry! I... the thing is...”
Tan Zhonghao crossed his arms and sighed.
Another excuse from this kid.
“Well, let’s hear what excuse you have today,” he said.
“It’s not an excuse—”
“Then get on with it.”
“I-I lost track of everyone. Then I took a wrong turn and fell off a cliff.”
“You strayed from the path?”
“Yes...”
“And you fell off a cliff?”
“Yes, sir.”
Not just straying from the path but also falling off a cliff was a serious accident. Anywhere else, it might have been survivable. But in the Kunlun Mountains, it was as good as a death sentence.
Tan Zhonghao pinched the bridge of his nose, clear frustration on his face. The three lines of wrinkles on his forehead deepen, showing his irritation. He could already smell the stench of a lie.
“So... how did you climb back up?” he asked.
“I was about to give up. But then... I saw this huge wolf and a man approaching from a distance. I was shocked, of course. It was a spirit beast! And the man beside it—he was a Supreme Demon! The Supreme Demon must have taken pity on me because he ordered the spirit beast to carry me back up. So the beast let me climb onto its back and leaped into the sky!”
Tan Zhonghao stared at him, speechless.
“Zhong Xue...” he finally said.
“Yes, sir!”
“If you’re going to make excuses, at least make them believable.”
“No, sir, I swear! It was really a Supreme Demon—” he was interrupted by Tan Zhonghao’s sigh.
“Zhong Xue,” Tan Zhonghao said.
“Yes?”
“Even Supreme Demons cannot control spirit beasts. Not even the Division Masters. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Let’s go.” Without waiting for a reply, Tan Zhonghao led the students down the trail.
As they passed Zhong Xue, his fellow disciples each patted his shoulder, offering silent comfort.
Trailing behind them, Zhong Xue furrowed his brows in confusion.
Then... who was that man...?