Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Debut
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Anyway, returning to the original topic, So-hyang continued her conversation with the Alliance Leader.
"I understand what you're saying. Ordinary transcendents are much stronger than Se-min, and I seem to be at that level, right?"
"Probably in the upper ranks among them, but you shouldn't underestimate transcendents."
Those who had reached the Transcendent Realm were beings who had surpassed humanity.
In other words, a transcendent master was a martial artist who had attained the highest realm within the bounds of humanity.
"Even the heads of famous sects and clans are usually at the transcendent level at best."
When discussing the power structures of various factions, those in the Transcendent Realm were generally excluded from consideration, with transcendents regarded as the pinnacle.
"No, I already know that."
These were facts So-hyang had learned from holing up in the Heavenly Martial Library.
"Well, what you're saying is..."
So, she wasn't underestimating transcendents.
"Do you think my body is at the same level as it was three years ago?"
So-hyang let out a small laugh as she raised her fist, the gripping force causing the space around it to vibrate.
Three years ago, she had already entered the ranks of superhumans—moving at full power would generate wind pressure and shatter stone floors.
What kind of power did So-hyang's now fully mature body possess?
"...What?"
The Alliance Leader had momentarily forgotten that the slender girl before him was still in her growth phase.
Her current body, refined with reference to imperial physiology and precise adjustments via intent, was far superior to initial expectations.
If So-hyang's estimated upper limit had been merely surpassing human boundaries,
Then this body utterly transcended common sense.
And if she mobilized the spirit energy of the Spirit Sword on top of that?
Assuming full power, So-hyang was confident she could seriously slice off a mountaintop or sever a river's flow.
"Is that really no lie?"
With a sigh at the skeptical Alliance Leader, So-hyang stepped outside to demonstrate.
"Here, watch."
She gripped the Spirit Sword, planted her feet on the ground, and drew up her power.
Not spirit energy, but pure physical strength caused the earth to tremble as if in an earthquake, creating the illusion that the air was being sucked in.
Then, she swung toward the sky.
"...This is insane."
The Alliance Leader couldn't hide his shock.
What she had cleaved was the sky itself.
The strike launched upward had sliced through the clouds drifting high above.
Not just the edge of a cloud—it had left a massive scar, as if splitting the heavens in two.
This wasn't the limit of humanity or the peak of transcendence; it was clearly power at the divine entry level.
"...Is this right?"
The Alliance Leader's judgment wasn't wrong.
Even as the grandmaster who founded the new Sword Sect, she was still a novice in martial arts.
Setting aside swordsmanship skill, mental fortitude, intent, and such factors,
Purely in terms of enveloping aura and knowledge of Central Plains martial arts, her realm was appropriately at the peak level.
Factoring in her exceptional physique, he had expected her actual combat power to be at the transcendent level...
But he hadn't anticipated that her body had reached the heaven-defying realm entirely.
It wasn't just the gap between an adult man and a child—it was like the difference between a newborn and a beast.
A slight miscontrol of her power, and any martial artist below the Transcendent Realm would shatter on a graze.
Even a transcendent with protective aura would fare differently, but it was still overwhelming physical force of little consequence.
"In the end, it's the body that's the issue."
Transcending human limits had been her goal since her previous life, but...
"...This is too strong."
So-hyang looked down at her arm in renewed surprise. She hadn't predicted her body's growth would reach this extent.
The idea that this slender flesh contained the power to uproot mountains and cleave the sky...
Applying insights accumulated over centuries to a young body—an impossibility made real as a singularity.
Over a hundred years of profound knowledge of the human body, yet still impossible fundamental changes to brain structure.
Increased upper limits of physical composition stemming from the altered brain structure.
Even referencing the dragon blood's body, which was the golden ratio incarnate, inspiring her to that degree.
And crucially, the intervention of intent.
Initially used simply like telekinesis to fix bones and press muscles,
Over time, intent permeated and accumulated in her body, slowly twisting its fundamental structure.
"...Wait, isn't that the Transcendent Realm?"
Intent altering reality was a wondrous technique akin to the mental images of the exalted.
"Similar, right? But calling the realm itself Transcendent wouldn't be accurate."
Rather than elevating through enlightenment, it was merely the result of accumulated time.
So-hyang's own achievements didn't reach the Transcendent Realm.
"Even so, you're one crazy bitch."
The Alliance Leader couldn't hide his bewilderment.
By her own assessment, with this power, returning to her previous life would allow her to wage war against armies head-on.
She was confident she could challenge modern civilization's golden towers single-handedly.
"So, does this still look like transcendent level to you?"
"...Are you insane?"
Power to overturn the earth and cleave the sky. This clearly surpassed the Transcendent boundary.
To emphasize again, anyone below Transcendent would be pulverized even on a brush.
"You've definitely surpassed transcendent, at least..."
But she couldn't defeat a true Transcendent—yet she could manifest similar power.
Transcendent compared to those below, yet forever short of true Transcendent: an ambiguous realm.
"That's my dilemma. Now, all that's left is honing through real combat..."
So-hyang's training had reached a transitional phase.
She had completed the Spirit Sword to wield aura, grasped the basics, and built a rough sense of martial arts.
From here, it was mastery and refinement, ideally through actual combat.
Training against walls wouldn't lack progress entirely, but it would pale compared to real fights.
The problem was this.
A conclusion both the Alliance Leader and So-hyang agreed on.
"Looks like there's no suitable opponent."
No one for real combat.
The power gap made even crossing swords with transcendents impossible.
Challenging a Transcendent? The fight wouldn't even establish.
So-hyang's worries deepened, until she devised a solution.
"...What if I seal my power?"
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Ways to restrict a body touching heaven-defying realms.
Simply weighting limbs with iron chains wouldn't fundamentally limit her divine strength, and crafting such weights was impossible anyway.
Thus, So-hyang devised imposing seals on her body.
"...You mean the sealing procedure for heinous criminals?"
"Yes. Tell me the method."
A restraint technique inserting numerous large needles into meridians across the body to suppress energy flow and prevent power exertion via a formation.
A binding procedure for demons, martial criminals, or high-realm offenders.
So-hyang mastered the method, adapting it based on her deep human anatomy knowledge for a body without internal energy.
Suppressing pure physical movement, excluding internal energy flow.
She had suitable materials too.
Leftover titanium from reforging the Spirit Sword—far more body-friendly than steel or copper.
In the end, So-hyang completed the seal by piercing her limbs, abs, back, waist, sides, and body with thirty-six self-made titanium piercings.
As mentioned, constructing a formation within the body space to impose load.
Since the loading agent repurposed her own power, even monstrous physical prowess posed no issue.
"...Oh, this feels pretty good."
If likened, it was like moving in water with immense resistance.
Not crude suppression by weight, but force applied directly opposite to movement direction.
Testing with a punch into the air produced a vicious tearing sound.
"Wow, I've gotten a lot weaker?"
A fairly serious punch.
Pre-seal, it would've whipped up a storm; now, just this.
Felt restricted to about one-tenth of prior physical ability.
Not numbing nerves to prevent full power use, but loading every motion while allowing full movement.
Immense load on muscles.
A way to train a body unstimulated by ordinary equipment.
"Ho, an unexpected bonus."
Remarkably effective for a week's adaptation.
"How's this? Good enough, right?"
"...Still monstrous power, but way better than before. It's fine."
With the Spirit Sword reforged granting power in place of internal energy,
And her abnormally strong body restricted to slightly below three years ago.
Now was truly time to leave the Martial Alliance.
Excitement, thrill, heart pounding.
So-hyang's silver-white eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Walk the classic path of a murim wanderer!"
Dojang raiding.
Visiting obscure sects and families to challenge them to duels, claiming plaques and fame upon victory—the textbook murim hero's journey.
What her previous life self had craved but become a joke in his era: realizing that romantic tradition.
"Kukuku, living young despite being an old fogey."
The Alliance Leader had walked a similar path in his youth.
Starting from the bottom, building pure renown through skill alone.
His blue eyes clouded with nostalgic longing.
This new friend was his peer in age yet a fresh young thing.
The Alliance Leader felt envious of So-hyang's vitality.
"To match your level, head to one of the Five Families or Nine Sects. Ahh, exciting."
The Martial Alliance was centered in Hubei.
In order of distance: Wudang Sect and Zhuge Family closest.
"Between them, start with Wudang."
"Hm? Why?"
"Family kids have high noses. No manners to accept a nobody's challenge."
Families gripped regional hegemony, prizing authority as local powers.
Showing up demanding a duel usually meant door rejection.
Orthodox sects, claiming the Dao, generally responded mildly.
"Especially Wudang—they're true Taoists. Great personalities."
Thus, the Alliance Leader advised building fame at Wudang first, then Zhuge.
Wudang first: peaceful duel. Zhuge first: likely scorned and chased off.
But So-hyang always preferred chaos over peace.
"...Is that so?"
As So-hyang's eyes curved into half-moons with a meaningful smile, the Alliance Leader grinned knowingly.
"Damn, what a nasty personality."
Door rejection sounded fun.
"First challenge: Zhuge Family!"
The girl declared with a bright, cheerful voice, making the Alliance Leader burst into laughter.
Decided? No delaying departure.
So-hyang sprang up, slung a single travel pack, and dashed out of the Martial Alliance.
"-See you later!"
"Ha, going right now?"
The Alliance Leader watched the doll vanish over the wall in an instant, eyes full of amusement.
"...Been a while since I subscribed to the jianghu gazette."
For a while, the murim would buzz with news of his late-life friend.
"Can't wait to see the chaos she'll unleash."
A rare joy for the Alliance Leader, bored with passing years—truly delightful.