Chapter 117
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: One Thought
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One Thought
Limiting the expansion of the White Realm to one's own body and mind, accelerating time within the sphere of influence.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
She had been able to smoothly control the internal time of the White Realm thanks to the uniqueness of the ability itself, but also because of the premise of a "closed space."
Just as one adjusts air pressure in a decompression chamber on a spaceship or submarine, it was possible to control the internal environment because it was an isolated state disconnected from the outside.
Now was different.
Her body was in contact with external space, and the natural flow of time clashed with her own accelerated time, creating instability.
For example, suppose the muscle mass running from the shoulder blades to the right biceps doubled its speed.
Meanwhile, the area from the navel through the abs, chest, and left arm muscles accelerated fivefold.
The lower body from the pelvis to the thighs sped up threefold in half, while the calves went fourfold.
Even the big toe and index toe, the palms and fingers moved at different speeds each.
All jumbled up, like a fleet caught in turbulence and storms, accelerating arbitrarily and changing every instant.
Naturally, it was insanely dangerous.
The right arm could lag behind the shoulder pulling ahead, muscles could misalign with each other, or the whole body could tear apart—it wouldn't be strange.
No matter how tough and resilient So-hyang's body was, it couldn't resist the destruction born from the disparity in space and time.
Since it wasn't a signature ultimate technique specialized in distorting specific laws, but a skill that directly tore and bypassed laws, she had to control every minute detail herself.
In other words, controlling this unstable spacetime was closer to self-destruction than acceleration or enhancement of the self.
But the moment So-hyang entered that unstable acceleration state, she grabbed the general's fist and smashed her face into his.
If her legs were relatively slow, she moved them faster; if her shoulder joint was too quick, she slowed it.
By controlling her body down to the cellular level with her consciousness, she directly adjusted speeds to move naturally—that was all.
She could fine-tune later; for now, So-hyang focused on the enemy before her.
"...What in the world."
She understood toying with a fist master using fist techniques.
It was the result of enlightenment in perfectly handling the body to a bizarre degree, ghostly movements, and insight that read minds—absurd, but possible.
Even slicing Gang Body with a mere hand blade was acceptable.
She had understood it bodily: the result of chillingly honed sword intent sharpened to the extreme and sword skills refined to the limit.
But mimicking an ultimate technique, no matter what?
The fruition of a warrior's life piled upon life, at its end distorting even laws—her unique trait?
"Oh dear, you need to focus."
"Kuhk-!"
What snapped the general out of his cognitive dissonance, where common sense clashed with reality, was So-hyang's leg whipping in like a lash.
With the pain of it digging into his side like a blade, stray thoughts vanished.
"...Right, that's it."
Panic and confusion could wait; focusing on the foe before him came first.
No matter that So-hyang matched the general's speed wielding Lightning Flash through her White Realm's mind-body acceleration.
Still, So-hyang was slower than the general now.
Her mind-body acceleration was unstable, and Lightning Flash was simply too fast.
Even by supreme expert standards, it accelerated dozens of times, moving faster than sound.
Compared to that, So-hyang had merely quadrupled or quintupled her speed, clearly sluggish against the general... but
In truth, that was enough for So-hyang.
As long as it wasn't a level where she couldn't lift a hand or foot, speed differences meant nothing once she could demonstrate her skill.
While the general swung five punches and kicks, So-hyang took one step and moved one arm—but that alone made them equals.
In sword terms, it was a blunt sword, the pinnacle of postemptive strikes that severed and pierced movement rhythms.
Not quite the level where So-hyang toyed with the general as before, but...
That alone showed defeat for the general.
His signature ultimate, Lightning Flash, was a decisive finisher specialized for short battles.
Once activated, parity without dominance was tantamount to disadvantage.
Thus, only two choices remained.
Maintain the stalemate, waiting for the faster opponent to tire first.
Or concentrate all remaining strength into one strike for victory.
The general chose the latter.
He opened his clenched fist, gathered lightning qi, and struck not So-hyang but the empty air before her.
Striking Empty Palm—a technique to blast foes away with shockwaves rather than direct hits.
"Ho?"
As it repelled So-hyang and he backstepped, their distance widened in an instant.
To two supreme experts, it was a gap closeable in one step, but the general needed just that one step's time.
"Suuuuu..."
Wrapping his right fist with his left palm, twisting his waist like a beast poised to leap, crouching, he focused his mind inward.
Concentrating on the Lightning Flash's bolt that fiercely rotated within, warping time.
He thought not of later.
Nor of the strain on his body.
Raising all inner energy packed in his dantian and meridians, he pushed rotation beyond limits.
With thunder roaring from within, shaking his eardrums, the general's vision began slowing once more.
"Indeed, this might be dangerous—"
Words in his ears stretched, and before So-hyang, eyes flashing, could grasp empty air to summon her spirit sword,
His thoughts accelerated endlessly, the world slowed endlessly.
In the gap of time not even an instant, an infinitely brief moment near stasis.
The general entered it.
Even colors faded from sight, filled only with black and white distinguishing outlines and shades.
In this colorless world where eyes rejected hues, all he saw was golden lightning circulating his body.
In silence of black, white, gold—no sound reaching ears—the general began moving quietly.
Like a bow drawn just before loosing an arrow: waist bent, muscles tensed, joints flexed, shoulder pulled back.
And staring straight at his foe.
So-hyang's gaze, slightly off-focus, seemingly unable to properly perceive the general in this infinitely slowed world.
Yet the general was certain. Even so, she tracked this time flow, aware of him.
Rational inference from her monstrous prowess thus far, and his instincts still blaring alarms.
As if confirming it, in the crawling time, So-hyang accelerated her consciousness, gripped her spirit sword.
And slowly rolled her eyes to meet his gaze.
Thus, without hesitation, the general unleashed his final punch, all power concentrated.
Planting his lead foot.
Twisting his waist.
Contracting back muscles.
Pulling shoulder, extending arm.
In the general's vision, crawling slow, but in truth dozens of times faster than sound, as the fist flew to So-hyang's face,
The general felt myriad worries and troubles instantly meaningless, his mind clearing.
Extreme focus and immersion allowing no other thoughts; compared to countless past punches, this was supreme.
Living this moment more vividly and fully than anything.
Devoting one's whole heart each instant left no room for regret or distraction.
He truly understood why the foe before him, White Lotus Sword So-hyang, was so unshakable.
To truly have faith in oneself, one could only concentrate wholly on one thought.
Thunderbolt Chain Fist.
Signature ultimate technique, Lightning Flash.
Esoteric profundity, Nirvana Serenity.
The moment of prajna wisdom where all defilements vanished, and also the scriptures' smallest unit of time.
The instant within instant, the flicker within flicker, in time near endless halt.
Golden thunder-laden fist advancing at lightning speed met the pure white blade brimming with auspicious qi.
Speed was weight, weight was power.
And now, two strikes surpassing dozens of times sound speed into sub-light velocity collided.
The aftermath alone crushed and scattered the training ground and surroundings with blast winds.
The upper protective formation installed to withstand supreme experts' spar easily tore, minimizing damage somewhat.
Even so, leaking shockwaves were inevitable.
"-Euk!? What wind out of nowhere—!"
"Kyaaaaak!"
Fiercer than annual typhoons, the storm spread across the area.
Still, it stopped at overturned carts, fallen people, flying market goods, shattered windows—no serious harm.
But could the culprits behind this aftermath be unscathed?
"Cough."
So-hyang, ribs cleanly snapped, coughing blood with pneumothorax gurgle.
"...Kuk."
The general, shoulder deeply slashed, artery gushing severely.
Lives clung on, but wounds too grave for friendly spar.
Supreme experts, so these weren't fatal—but that wasn't the issue.
All-out clash beyond supersonic.
Slightest deviation, and one or both dead—no exaggeration.
For So-hyang, the moment she'd longed for; she was utterly satisfied.
Thus, flushed-faced, beaming broadly, she exclaimed vibrantly.
"Hahaha! Thought I was dead!"
No exaggeration. Even for So-hyang, a Gang Qi-clad fist at sub-light speed would kill.
Without unsealing, under incomplete acceleration risking limb-tear, even more.
Sword and fist clashed, powers canceling; trajectories artfully deflected—thus surviving at this level.
Had attacks landed properly, mutual destruction clean.
"...I sincerely apologize. I lost control and used a killing move in sparring."
Arrogance led to strongest technique, and mid-way enlightenment birthed unimaginable strike.
"No, no! It was truly wonderful!"
So-hyang blinked wide-eyed, shaking head as if what nonsense.
Not intent to kill, but full power from immersion—not malicious.
To her, gratefully so; flushed cheeks, trembling hands in ecstasy proved it.
"Mm, well, if you say so..."
Her genuine joy left the general awkward instead; speechless, he quietly pressed meridians to stem bleeding.