Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Vibration
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"Do you have a rough idea of the enlightenment you attained?"
"To some extent... yes, I think I do."
The conversation and sword discussion he'd had with So-hyang before was akin to a form of hypnotherapy in principle.
To put it simply, it induced a state of focus akin to a panoramic memory reel and trance through guided thinking via dialogue.
By reflecting on past memories, it brought to the surface the accumulated fruits of training that had settled and sunk away, breathing new life into years of effort that hadn't properly borne fruit.
For Kang Pyo, who lacked exceptional physical aptitude or intellect and possessed only a steadfast mental image that hadn't led to achievement, it was like forcibly implanting enlightenment.
Of course, it was possible only because Kang Pyo, as a martial artist, was ready to attain and bear that enlightenment.
No matter how capable So-hyang was, she couldn't induce enlightenment in just anyone with a few words.
"Think of it as an achievement you would have reached someday even without my help—you've just arrived a little early."
"That 'someday' might not have come in this lifetime. As I keep saying, thank you truly."
"Aigoo, I get it, so explain it already."
Gratitude or not, So-hyang was immensely curious about the achievement Kang Pyo had gained.
"From the outside, it looked like infusing your Sword Qi with intense vibrations, and it was quite impressive."
Kang Pyo let out a small chuckle at her eyes sparkling with curiosity and her face plainly showing expectation.
Then, he closed his eyes for a moment and contemplated his inner self.
"...As you know, my sword isn't sharp."
Dull and blunt without flashing sharpness, it was the weapon of a dullard with no options but to swing it correctly through repetitive training.
"I asked myself how to catch up to others with such a sword... and this was the answer."
Kang Pyo drew his sword with superfluous-free motion, and from the lightly gripped hilt, a subtle tremor began.
"Compressing hundreds or thousands of strikes into a single sword blow."
Though inferior in power or wisdom, he had confidence in the stubbornness of his mind, so like water drops piercing stone—weak droplets eventually drilling through rock—
Kang Pyo drew up the strikes from his inner self, overlaying and condensing them into one sword.
His unique secret art, a groundbreaking achievement that stepped into the realm of ultimate techniques upon creation.
"I named it 'Shatter'."
Its principle was more akin to crushing and grinding than slicing, making it an apt name.
"Mmm! That's cool."
So-hyang clapped her hands with a satisfied expression.
Recalling her previous life, it resembled weapons called hyper-vibration blades or ultrasonic cutters.
Originally industrial equipment, but in her past life, So-hyang had custom-ordered one adapted for combat use.
Thus, she'd actually wielded it before. Though she hadn't particularly favored it.
The cutting power secured through extreme vibrations was indeed excellent, but as a trade-off, the sword path inevitably became disrupted.
A meticulously refined sword path to its limits would twist from even minor factors, and even slight distortions reduced power in the end.
It led to the absurd result where wielding a cheap factory longsword was stronger than a hyper-vibration blade.
Above all, she hadn't liked relying on external power.
Though, considering she'd used swords from materials science's pinnacle and administered various chemical elixirs without hesitation, it felt a bit hypocritical now.
From the start, So-hyang's standards were inevitably somewhat subjective.
She had little aversion to drugs enhancing the body, yet disliked exosuits assisting motion from outside.
Still, she'd use wire-launchers for 3D maneuvering or jetpacks depending on the situation.
The goal of pursuing strength through one's own power was inherently ambiguous.
Where to draw the line between one's own power and external aid.
From nutritional intake and sports science aid, going fundamentally, even one's body was inherited from parents—another's.
Having pushed through with such subjectivity to reach her realm was truly wondrous.
"The realm related to mental images seems beyond my meddling now..."
That didn't mean there was nothing left to teach Kang Pyo.
So-hyang summoned her spirit sword, gripped it, and vibrated the blade through spirit energy.
Kiiiiing, the fiercely trembling sword emitted a high-frequency whine, resembling Kang Pyo's Shatter to an uncanny degree.
"...How."
Kang Pyo stared at the wailing white blade with a dazed expression. Had she mastered his lifelong ultimate technique after seeing it just once?
The overwhelming talent gap denied his lifetime's efforts, reviving the inferiority complex he'd thought overcome, plunging him into despair.
In an instant, a gloomy aura settled in his eyes, a dark atmosphere swirling as if he'd fall to heart demon any moment.
"...Huh? Suddenly?"
Noticing him sink into distant despair in a flash, So-hyang panicked and scolded him.
"Good grief, look properly!"
As if exasperated, she thrust the fiercely vibrating spirit sword before his eyes.
"The basic class difference means the power might seem similar, but the energy efficiency is abysmal. It's just mimicry—zero practicality."
"Ah..."
Any skilled martial artist above a certain level could replicate a lesser technique without issue, but tailoring it to oneself was another matter.
Of course, with her spirit sword's adaptive function, So-hyang could steal it with a bit of focus if she wanted, but she had no intention since it disrupted her sword path.
It was merely reproduced as a teaching aid, not stolen technique.
"See, a vibrating sword like this is more saw than sword. A higher-dimensional, more powerful, finer saw."
With wording fitting this era's perspective, So-hyang explained a swordsmanship.
One she'd once seriously devised, fundamentally altering the structure premised on hyper-vibration blade use.
"Overwhelming, alien cutting power makes clinging to conventional weight distribution inefficient, right? Sense it less as loading weight onto the sword and more as wielding it with swift sword principles..."
The foundational footwork and motions diverged entirely from standard sword systems, yet as So-hyang's creation, the technique's depth was profound.
Novel yet esoteric.
"...My goodness."
Kang Pyo uttered a dazed exclamation.
Peak realm artists beginning to forge their own paths couldn't follow others.
Each individuality was uniquely personal—what was core theory for one might be peripheral for another.
But the swordsmanship So-hyang showed was different.
A system perfectly matching the alien trait of forging sharpness from sword cry.
"Thank you so much..."
It felt like donning clothes tailored perfectly for him, a sense of unity.
Other martial artists endured trial and error, racking brains to devise fitting systems.
Like sailors navigating by stars and winds beside those using cutting-edge charts and devices for ease.
Like solving problems with the answer key in advance—it was immense help.
"Truly, an indescribable grace. How can I ever repay..."
"Eh, no need. If you master what I taught and ascend realms smoothly, I'm happy."
So-hyang waved it off with a kind, gentle smile, truly unconcerned.
Then, lightly, in a small voice, she added one line.
"Grow big and strong healthily, and sparring with you would be more than enough."
"...Pardon?"
Kang Pyo felt a chill like a blade to his throat, but it vanished instantly, so he dismissed it as imagination.
"Hmm, hm~"
With a humming tune, So-hyang's face bore an irrepressible grin.
A commendable martial artist who'd forged a named ultimate at peak realm—with blood opened, no mundane talent would hinder now.
As if prior stagnation was for momentum, he'd likely surpass great peak to transcendent soon.
"...Sigh, can't wait."
Truly mouthwatering.
"-? What's this, chills since earlier...?"
His instincts sharpened by rising inaction rang alarms, but unadapted to the realm, Kang Pyo chalked it to mood again.
Even realizing the cause, he couldn't act, so perhaps fortunate.
After leaving the mountains Ya-un claimed, travel proceeded without hitches.
No bandits, beasts, not even common wolves or tigers. Thus, So-hyang yawned from boredom.
"This was never a dangerous road...!"
Between Wudang Sect and Zhuge family territories, with steady merchant traffic, security was ironclad.
Even bandits hesitated to occupy routes between great powers like Five Great Families, Nine Great Gates, Sixteen Prestigious Sects; ignorant rabble avoided it too.
Beasts naturally shunned human-trodden paths.
Such safe roads meant escorts were often minimal for formality.
"This vital caravan specially hired an escort agency for security, but..."
"And they backstabbed you?"
"Exactly! I'm so wronged...!"
"Aigoo, but you're alive? No major losses ultimately—have some water."
So-hyang soothed Song Seol-ryeong's venting head and made her drink cool water.
"Haaah..."
Song Seol-ryeong clung to So-hyang's side under warm sun like a limp cat.
"...Miss, didn't you used to fear her lots? Why so chummy suddenly?"
"Dunno? Rolled so hard her head snapped...?"
"You punk, watch your mouth. Think the clan heir's your pal?"
"No, but... she got rolled that hard...?"
Infinite spars pushing to gasping vomit till endurance limits.
Thus, Song Seol-ryeong overcame fear of transcendent expert, grit alone remaining as she clenched teeth through spars.
The vanished resentment from grinding teeth.
Various reasons, but chief: the problematic training spars for her ended.
"Real combat's effect is spot-on; Seol-ryeong's bad instinct-dependent habits mostly corrected. Spars can stop now."
"...!!! Really!?"
Wake, light spar, breakfast, post-meal spar, faint, lunch, faint, dinner, faint, light spar then sleep...
Freed from the horrific gear filling days with faints, sleep, spars, meals.
"Wanna try this? Honey candy—girls love 'em."
"S-So-hyang? I'm not a kid... Ack, yummy-"
Barring extreme wringing of last drops from dry towels, So-hyang was utterly harmless basically.
Eyes full of goodwill, words and acts kindly gentle.
She'd benevolently feed snacks one by one; despite same age sixteen, one spoiled unconsciously.
"M-Mother...?"
Like Stockholm syndrome variant: after near-death rolling, her kindness bred affection reciprocally.
Thus, Song Seol-ryeong's tensed nerves softened quickly, purring like a tamed housecat.
Zhuge Han-sang too.
"Don't skip the exercises taught first. Later, order weights at forge for that too. Breathing's key—train hard?"
"Huff, huff, yes...!"
So-hyang's invented Chain Body Technique held no special secrets; after teaching motions and imprinting, nothing left to teach.
Left him to autonomy with "do this/that" advice.
Post-extreme training, spare energy let Zhuge Han-sang resume fawning trivially—
"Ahaha, I like stronger men? Win arm-wrestle, might accept your heart~"
So-hyang slyly shifted topic, conveying refusal.
"Wha, really...!"
Generally, transcendent had bone transformation, so physical contests sans internal energy held no chance.
But Zhuge Han-sang's innate superhuman strength, plus martial training and horrific Chain Body overcoming, yielded godlike power beyond typical peak artists.
Judging viable odds, eyes flashing, he challenged.
Of course.
"...Huh?"
"Ah, strength control."
Crunch, arm twisted odd angle, he dazed.
"Why?"
"Isn't it broken?"
"...Do the breathing taught?"
Resultantly bones tougher—truly good fortune.
Anyway, relentless training days like recent ended.
So-hyang's group arrived leisurely smoothly at destination, Gyun County.
"Wow, splendid scenery."
Towering peaks piercing skies, sheer cliffs, clouds sea-like below.
Mist flowing softly along ridges perfectly 'auspicious', pine scent evoking Taoist aura.
Indeed, famed scenic mountain of Central Plains.
"Nature's awe never loses value. Don't just watch feet—lift heads, etch it in eyes."
So-hyang smiled brightly, tossing elder-like words to trailing group.
"Hweeeek...! Uheheek...!"
"Heok, huuuk, uuuk...!"
Trailers sweated storms, endured bursting lungs gasping; words unheard.
Not fast pace yet crawling stomach-down—odd sight.
"Tsk, all peak-level experts exhausted by mere mountain path?"
"This... isn't path, it's cliff...!!"
Indeed.
Their 'path' was actually sheer rear cliff of Wudang Mountain.
Not steep—near inverted, vertical-plus heavenly cliff.
Sword-cut clean cross-section left no grips footholds.
So-hyang walked upright treating wall as floor. Flat-ground view: lying prone.
Merit of Bright Mystery Sword Art's principle, Suction Formula indiscriminately gathering heaven-earth spirit energy, and ultimate weight balance.
Barring large flesh lump gravity-squished somewhat embarrassingly, motion natural as flat ground.
"Why...! Ignore good path...!"
Others near death, but young must experience for flexible future adversity response.
"Eh, boring otherwise."
No mood explaining tediously; dismissed aptly.
"Nyaaaaak!!!"