Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Wisdom Sword
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Movement was the same as before.
Drawing a circle with the sword, embodying the sword intent of Taiji Sword.
Continuous and unbroken, like a mouse playing with fire, endlessly repeating the circle.
However, So-hyang understood the profound truth within it.
Even understanding it didn't make it easy to imitate, and truthfully, her grasp was still insufficient—a deep, profound insight into Taiji.
The color of yin was black, the color of yang was white.
The trajectory of the sword wielded by Cheongheo Daoist mixed black and white sword auras, yet drawing the circle made it hard to distinguish beginning from end.
Where did the black end and the white begin?
The two colors didn't blend into gray; they simply coexisted.
Yin while also yang, yang while also yin.
Because both existed, it was Taiji; because they were not different, it was Wuji.
"Yin and yang are not different, so Taiji is none other than Wuji..."
Wuji was the origin of the universe, the root of all things.
Thus, all things, converge toward the origin.
Taiji Wisdom Sword, Convergence.
The ring evenly mixed with black and white exerted an irresistible gravitational pull toward all things in the world.
The sword repeated its rotation, the trajectory endlessly overlapping and layering.
With a sound as if space itself was tearing, an overwhelming attractive force that pulled in all directions devoured the entire area.
An overwhelming power like the Coiled Dragon shown by the Jeon clan head before, or the Five Elements Mount Sumeru displayed by the sect leader.
Not capturing and interfering with spatial coordinates through supernatural senses like Cheongheo Daoist's eyes or So-hyang's divine perception, but purely distorting space with raw power.
However, the previous two techniques were one-shot bursts, expending all energy in an instant.
Cheongheo Daoist's Taiji Wisdom Sword was different.
It was sustained.
Moreover, with each rotation layered upon the last, its power continuously multiplied.
Air, natural qi, all surrounding matter—of course, even spiritual energies that weren't material.
Everything captured in the sect leader's vision was swallowed by the rotational pull.
Dense gases rubbed against each other, emitting tremendous heat and light; condensed qi solidified under overwhelming density, merging with the ring.
All that was drawn in was converted into Cheongheo Daoist's sword force, becoming mindless violence that crushed everything in range.
"...Where did Wudang's softness go?"
"Strength overcomes softness, softness governs strength; at the extreme, the two become indistinguishable."
"Hmph, you talk a good game."
A kind of shining disk, airflow rotating in a circle.
"As expected of master and disciple; your ultimate techniques resemble each other..."
If the sect leader's technique was a cycle based on the mutual generation of the five elements, Cheongheo Daoist's was the more fundamental cycle of yin and yang.
In any case, they all appeared as rings.
However, their power was on a different level.
Just like gas around a black hole rotating, condensing, emitting light, and warping space due to overwhelming mass.
It was a conglomeration of power too vast for a mere human to unleash—an astronomical phenomenon more fittingly described.
As the rotation reached a critical point, condensing even space and distorting the surrounding view, So-hyang burst into loud laughter.
"Ahahaha! What, turning a single sword into some kind of landing saucer—!"
So-hyang couldn't even finish her words, helplessly pulled toward the disk without moving a muscle, and recalled the past.
Before venturing into the martial world, her conversation with the Alliance Leader.
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At the time, So-hyang had many curiosities about the martial world but deliberately avoided detailed explanations.
Experiencing it firsthand was best. She wasn't so lacking in patience as to spoil the value of discovery with excessive prior knowledge.
"Isn't it freshest to encounter it without knowing? Don't explain too much."
On the other hand, the Alliance Leader wanted to boast his insights to his friend gained in his later years.
He tried to share valuable info like the secret arts of the Five Great Clans and Nine Great Sects, their counters, weaknesses, habits of specific warriors...
"Aaaah, I can't hear you—!"
But his so-called friend blocked her ears, muttering about spoilers and such.
"...Wow, is this for real? Am I the Martial Alliance Leader?"
Provoked, the Leader tried drilling sound transmission straight into her eardrums or implanting info with Benevolent Light Heart Chant...
But sound transmission jammed into her eardrums temporarily severed auditory cells; mental intrusions of Benevolent Light Heart Chant were sliced away by the sword in her mind.
"Hmph, think that'll work?"
Grinning crookedly as she blocked every attempt, she left him staring in dismay.
"No, this..."
"—What the hell are you doing?"
Lee Se-min, dragged along to eat by So-hyang, looked like he was losing his mind.
The Leader using near-illusory arts to force whispers, So-hyang resisting just because she didn't want spoilers...
Both seemed insane.
In any case, using top-tier physical control and mental fortitude worthy of the Central Plains' best, So-hyang resisted excess info.
Thus, she viewed Jeon clan techniques fresh, unaware of secrets like the Thousand Origins Chaos Void Formation.
Starting from a blank slate, she built her insights on martial arts as desired.
That said, she didn't ignore the Leader's stories entirely.
Tales like fighting black path warriors to the death in an inn only to become best friends, rescuing a merchant caravan from bandits and catching an elegant lady's eye...
She could at least listen to such trivialities.
Classic wuxia tropes, but So-hyang listened with sparkling eyes, finding them fascinating.
New and wondrous culture and society to her.
With the listener hooked, the storyteller naturally got excited, spinning old yarns.
"...Huh, how'd we end up on first love stories?"
"Why, it was fun. Unpack more from the bundle."
Amid such chatter, there were meaningful talks too.
Like the Leader's impressions of peak transcendent experts.
Not detailed analyses of weaknesses or counters, but simple sentiments.
For example, Jeon clan head Jeon Heon was a "mountain scholar."
Wudang's sect leader, Cheonha Daoist, was a "stone monkey."
Less info, more curiosity-sparking remarks, so So-hyang memorized them.
Wudang's former head, war comrade who had his back, over 240 years old—technically senior even to the Leader.
His evaluation of Cheongheo Daoist: Old Monster.
Long life doesn't guarantee strength, but Cheongheo was one who grew truly powerful with his years of cultivation.
Even if he hadn't breached the impossible wall of the Transcendent Realm, his achievements couldn't be belittled.
"If he charges with intent to die, he could deal me meaningful damage."
Meaning a mortal could interfere with one who reached transcendence.
A warrior at a level where, though paths differed, he could achieve similar results to So-hyang.
At her warping limbs distorted by twisting space, So-hyang involuntarily exclaimed in admiration.
Having reached the pinnacle of Wudang arts through insight into Taiji's essence, he was called this before retiring from the front lines.
Wisdom Sword Initiate.
Indeed, the reputation was not exaggerated.
Though she couldn't even voice it, merely mouthing silently as she was sucked into the disk's maw.
Unlike the Jeon head who gave adjustment time and tuned his level,
Or the sect leader who had to teach due to her freakish talent.
This wasn't mere potential threat; a warrior truly on equal footing.
A formidable foe whose simple defeat wasn't conceivable at a glance.
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So-hyang analyzed Wisdom Sword's components as two.
One: the ring formed along the sword's trajectory.
The other: the airflow of attractive force from the ring.
First, the central axis had no apparent counter.
Overwhelming power sucking in even Gang Qi, grinding Ghost Sword's indestructibility or True Iron alike.
Counterattack or defense would plainly be crushed; truly no answer.
Even the secondary attractive airflow couldn't be perfectly resisted.
Escaping the pull's range was impossible.
The pull enveloping the area, Taiji's trajectory circling slightly beyond the sword.
Pull hinders movement, trajectory shreds all with pull-derived force.
Movement unbroken. Continuous and ceaseless.
A single stance chaining endlessly, revealing its full might.
The infinite continuity without start or end was Taiji Wisdom Sword's true intent.
Break that movement, and Wisdom Sword stops.
But how?
Approach close, and get shredded!
With a chill down her spine, So-hyang smiled silently, focusing on escaping immediate crisis.
She couldn't resist being pulled, but could twist the direction.
Instead of pulling back, she twisted her whole body sideways, loading force to warp trajectory.
Her helplessly center-bound path bent, merging with the rotation's flow.
From mere falling object to planet orbiting Cheongheo Daoist.
Spinning at the vortex's edge, but time bought nonetheless.
Watching from below, the sect leader gasped momentarily.
"...Wow, it actually works."
How many spars with his master? Even among countless, Taiji Wisdom Sword was rare.
Once deployed, the fight ended.
Unfolding the ring, sect leader's Five Elements Sword Principles got sucked in, yielding victory without action.
Even if mismatched against qi arts specialist, the sheer level gap overwhelmed.
Not getting sucked immediately and buying time was impressive.
"It's just buying time. You can't shake off Wisdom Sword's pull."
Impressive or not, from straight-line pull to slow spiral approach.
Changed direction of fall, but still falling.
"Won't last long. Without a solution, it'll end like this."
So-hyang tried replying, but noticing even voice got sucked into the ring, merely mouthed.
Can't last long? Same for you, Daoist?
"Ha, you noticed."
Wisdom Sword's core was ultimately the sword—and the swordsman wielding it.
Drawing in all, converting to sword force, but bearing it was Cheongheo himself.
Limbs creaking at joints, qi and blood twisting in agony.
Indeed, charging to die could damage even Transcendent Realm made sense.
Uncontrolled, full Wisdom Sword power was unignorable even for Transcendent.
But Cheongheo grinned fiercely.
"Still, you'll reach the center first."
Hmm, true.
No matter trajectory change, base pull too immense; defeat certain.
Unless fully unsealing and breaking free with overwhelming muscle— no other way.
"Yes. Now pull out the metal weights in your body and fight in earnest."
Cheongheo Daoist's famed ultimate: Wisdom Eye.
Eyes piercing and insighting essence of the seen.
Impossible his Wisdom Eye missed So-hyang's body seals.
Opponent rushing for spar holding back power.
Even then, balanced near-even fight.
Couldn't blemish a warrior's pride more.
Thus, time for full power.
Hearing this, So-hyang smiled wistfully.
Because she conceived a way to counter Taiji Wisdom Sword without unsealing.
So-hyang stopped struggling to maintain slow pull along rotation, instead hurling toward center.
"...What, intent on dying—!?"
Not life-or-death, but ultimate technique at pinnacle unleashed.
Not aiming to kill meant gauging superiority and withdrawing, not controlling deployed art.
In short, willingly touching Wisdom Sword's ring meant crushed to death.
But So-hyang had no intent to die.
Seeming to charge ring, subtly twisting to graze past—
Using pull in reverse, advancing atop the disk.
"What—"
Toward ring's upper plane, rotation's center, inward.
Toward ring's heart, maintaining ceaseless flow: Cheongheo Daoist, thrusting white sword tip.
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"...Oh dear."
Even within Taiji Wisdom Sword's fierce all-devouring radius, a safe zone existed.
The ring's center, rotation's core.
In a storm swallowing surroundings, safest spot was storm's eye.
"Close to user, central axis."
So-hyang, face flushed, sweat pouring, panted heavily.
Had she not perfectly pierced symmetric point where pulls collided, she'd have been instantly devoured by nearing ring.
Cheongheo Daoist, face pale, bellowed.
"Are you sane!?"
Almost ground a junior to paste with his own hands.
"But I lived, right?"
Regardless, So-hyang trembled in euphoria of overcoming life-death brink.
"Lived? You nearly died!!"