The Peerless Swordmaster Returns
Reaching the grand completion of a martial art meant comprehending its true intent and fully internalizing it. When a warrior's skill allowed him to apply that intent in actual combat, he was recognized as a true master. Even a third-class street martial art, if its intent was understood and fully mastered, could elevate a warrior to second-class status. Of course, the higher the martial art, the more insight it demanded. Mastering even a single form could bring one to second-class or first-class. The True Demon School gathered such supreme arts in the great capital Seogyeong-seong. And a man who had achieved grand completion of the True Demon School's martial arts in just seven months had appeared.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Kim Young-hoon's blade cleaved the air. The Dragon-Severing Saber Art of the True Demon School. The sword art that sliced even dragons flying through the sky. It was the basic martial art taught to inner disciples of the True Demon School. Of course, "basic martial art for inner disciples" meant something beyond ordinary street-level third-class arts; it was second-class. Despite the name "second-class," it was anything but weak. As the fundamental martial art of the great school's inner disciples, its ferocity was truly formidable. And comprehending its true intent and fully internalizing it meant...
"...I have reached first-class."
I stared at Kim Young-hoon, the inner disciple leader who was now displaying the sword art, and could only gape in astonishment. First-class. The name carried an indescribable weight. In any field, those bearing the title of "first-class" were regarded as masters of their industry. In the martial world, first-class warriors held positions of seniority, such as elder or patriarch of a great sect. In smaller schools, they often became the headmaster themselves. After only half a year of practice. Yet Kim Young-hoon had crossed that threshold without hesitation. It defied every principle of the martial world. 'The True Demon School must be turned upside down,' I had heard. Seven months after external disciples were said to have reached elder-level strength, the school had descended into chaos. Suspicions had even been cast on Kim Young-hoon as a spy from another sect. The result was that he and I, another suspected spy, were placed under house arrest at his residence. 'Why am I being dragged along as a spy when I don't even know martial arts...'
Of course, I had to go along. A fifty-something plump man who had come looking for martial arts instruction had been told, "Learn our school's arts and become a first-class expert in half a year." That was absurd on any logical level, and it made sense to suspect him. "By the way, Master Leader, aren't you worried?"
Haha, what do you mean?"
In a world of martial sects, aren't there stories of spies cutting their own dantian and severing their meridians?"
Exactly like that."
Whoosh!
He swung his blade one last time and wiped the sweat from his brow. "But I feel like I can see the next wall. Once I cross it, I should reach the next realm."
...
Monster. After only becoming first-class, he could sense the next realm already? 'Next after first-class is peak martial artist.' Peak martial artists were the elders or patriarchs of great sects. In the Yeon Kingdom, that realm was also called an absolute expert, and only a thousand people in the kingdom reached it. In fact, beyond peak status, no one in the martial world even spoke of the next realm, so for all practical purposes, the peak was the absolute limit of mortal martial arts. 'Achieving high-level martial arts in seven months and reaching peak... I was wrong.' If the momentum continued, I could advance the legendary return of the Heavenly Supreme Blade by thirty years instead of fifty. 'No, fifty is too much. Let's say forty.'
His growth rate was insane. "Haha, first-class is suspicious, but once you cross the peak wall, they can't refuse even if they suspect you. Besides, Young-hyun brought back three stalks of the Yellow Spring Three Roots, right?"
He continued practicing the sword art. I had indeed left one stalk of the Yellow Spring Three Roots behind from Deungsunhyang. It had been prepared for his growth, but... 'I'll give it to him soon.' That way his internal energy would match the strength of a peak martial artist. "...By the way, Master Leader, the form of the sword art seems completely different from before..."
Haha, of course. It was the sword art of Patriarch Heo Baek of the True Demon School. The Demon-Slaying Sword Art. I saw it once and memorized it. I'm practicing it now as a saber art."
...
'Heavenly Martial Talent.' Truly astonishing. Thinking about it, Kim Young-hoon had always been unusually fit, never tiring from mountain climbing, and his footwork during soccer was unnaturally quick. Even when working physically at the company, he always came in first. 'Born talent? Then perhaps our abilities were already present in the original world before we arrived in this one. What about my regression ability?' Ridiculous. I shook my head and dismissed the thought. Seven full days passed.
Whoosh!
Kim Young-hoon had reached peak status. "I have crossed the wall."
"...Ah."
I handed him the last nine-hundred-year-old Yellow Spring Three Root and asked in disbelief, "You really have an unbelievable talent."
I was surprised myself. I never imagined my talent for martial arts would be like this... Maybe that's why I loved martial arts stories since childhood."
Exchanging light banter, he chewed the Yellow Spring Three Root I gave him and began circulating his internal energy in the lotus position. Kuuu...
A few moments later, three flowers of qi condensed above his head and entered his nose and mouth. 'That's the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown...' Swaa...
His eyes turned bright. With a confident smile, he rose from his seat. "Now I'm not afraid of the True Demon School patriarch."
"...It seems so."
By the way, when will this house arrest end?"
He approached the elder watching us outside our gate. "Excuse me, when will the house arrest be lifted?"
"Until your spy suspicions are cleared."
"Hmph... Very well."
Three more days passed. People from the True Demon School arrived. "Listen, spy Young-hoon and his associates! The patriarch orders you to cut out the internal dan of spy Young-hoon, who tries to steal our school's martial arts, and sever his meridians!"
"...Ah..."
Three elders from the True Demon School surrounded Kim Young-hoon. One inner disciple, a second-class warrior, approached me. "...You said you were not a spy, right? I was simply..."
Quiet! Tie him up!"
Puff...
It looked pathetic. All I could see was Kim Young-hoon unleashing saber strikes at blinding speed. Whoosh!
Kyu... Aaaaah!
One elder's wrist was sliced off. From that day forward, the elder could never use that hand again. Kim Young-hoon gripped his blade with a sorrowful face. Unlike seven months earlier, his lean, muscle-corded body naturally assumed the blade form he had practiced countless times. "My first master..."
"Wh-What...!"
The other two elders, shocked by the sight, charged at him. But Kim Young-hoon's blade moved so fast that their wrists were lightly sliced again. "Eh... eek..."
Thud!
The inner disciple approaching me had barely recovered when Kim Young-hoon appeared and kicked his wrist. He collapsed unconscious. "...Uwaaaaa!"
Damn! A peak expert! Run!"
Tell the patriarch!"
The other True Demon School disciples who had come with them fled in terror. Kim Young-hoon looked at me with a grim expression. "Young-hyun, I'm thinking of going to Duryong Fortress. What do you think?"
Duryong Fortress is a demonic sect, but it doesn't indulge in evil acts. It's just overly ambitious. It probably won't be bad."
Hahaha, good. Then head to the front of Duryong Fortress first. I'll lure the elders and patriarch of the True Demon School away."
We left the house and parted in opposite directions. I rushed south to Seogyeong-seong, arriving at Duryong Fortress just as evening fell. "Seo Eun-hyun, why so late?"
Haha, the Leader is fast."
Yet Kim Young-hoon had arrived at Duryong Fortress before me. I sighed softly at the bloodstains on his blade. Even recently, he had feared my violence. Now he was stained with blood from the sword. Even to survive in this world, the world was changing us. If only I could return... to an ordinary life on Earth, without this martial world. Suddenly, I felt that this regression ability, which allowed one more life, was truly insignificant. 'If I'm going to regress, why not send me back to the time I was on Earth...?'
It couldn't be helped. Since it had already happened, I had to survive. I smiled faintly as I looked at Kim Young-hoon, his blade stained with blood. "It is fortunate that you are safe, Leader."
* * *
Ten years passed. Kim Young-hoon, betrayed by the True Demon School, pledged himself to Duryong Fortress and became one of its offerings. He collected even higher martial arts and became stronger than most peak experts. In ten years, he claimed the seat of one of the Heavenly Three Blade Masters. But in truth, he always concealed more than forty percent of his skill and only showed the rest. I had no doubt that if he ever revealed his full power, he would become the Heavenly Supreme Blade and the number one person of the Yeon Kingdom. Now I decided to ignore the age gap and treat him as an elder brother. He created a martial art perfectly suited for me and taught it to me. "It's the Dan-ak Sword Art. Named because it carries the spirit to cut even giant mountains. If I achieve grand completion, you should easily reach peak status."
Together with the sword art, the Dragon Vein Qi Art was created. It was a first-class martial art unlike ordinary third-class or second-class arts. The only problem was... "By the way, Young-hyun, you really are slow."
My terrifying martial talent. The number one person of the world taught me a detailed martial art tailored for me, yet after a full year, I was still barely holding on at third-class. "...What can I do? We all have different talents."
Over the past ten years, Kim Young-hoon trained martial arts while I studied medicine. In addition to the herbology I had already learned, I studied acupuncture points, needle techniques, and treatment methods. Thanks to that, my skills rose enough to open a formal clinic and practice medicine. Because of the herbology I knew, my progress in medicine was much faster than in martial arts. "By the way, aren't you going to marry?"
"...Well, when opportunity comes, I have to."
Duryong Fortress's unique atmosphere made marriage difficult. Several young ladies who saw me working at the clinic turned pale and fled. "Hahaha, Young-ah's wedding. I suppose I should start leaving Duryong Fortress."
"No, are you leaving because of me?"
Just a joke. Rather, Duryong Fortress feels too narrow."
True. In ten years claiming one of the Heavenly Three Blade Masters and possessing real power as the number one person of the world, he was right. "I'm thinking of leaving Duryong Fortress and forming a new organization. What do you think?"
"A new organization?"
Yes. The Gwanghan Martial Alliance. It will gather countless sects of the Yeon Kingdom and mediate the chaotic affairs of the martial world. What do you say? Will you come with me?"
"...Of course. Fellow countrymen."
Yes, fellow countrymen... We must not part ways."
Thus, Kim Young-hoon and I left Duryong Fortress after ten years in this world to found the Gwanghan Martial Alliance. Kim Young-hoon spent two years traveling the kingdom, visiting great sects and trying to break them down. In the third year... He succeeded in tearing down the signs of every sect. He truly earned the title of the number one person of the world and founded the Gwanghan Martial Alliance with that fame. The first patriarch was naturally him, and I served as his closest aide and strategist. Seven years after founding the alliance, twenty years had passed since we fell into this world. From barely reaching third-class at the beginning, I had become a solid third-class warrior. Of course, my internal energy was first-class from eating many elixirs as a strategist, but my actual skill remained third-class. Kim Young-hoon, however, was different. Kuuu...
In a dark chamber, I stood guard for Kim Young-hoon's inner disciple leader as he completed his circulation. Then... Uuuung!
Five rings of qi condensed above his head. After a while, the five rings were sucked into his nose and mouth. Five Qi Consorting with the Origin! Thud, oof, crack...
His body twisted violently. Bones and flesh twisted. "That..." Wood, crack, crack!
His body transformed into an ideal form. Bone Reconstruction! Paaaaaat!
A moment later, a completely different person stood before my eyes. All wrinkles and white hair had vanished. His freshly grown hair was lush. The owner of that vibrant physique was completely unlike the man I knew. "Hy... brother...?"
Haha... Hahahaha!
By achieving Bone Reconstruction, he had succeeded in Rejuvenation. Now he looked far younger than me. "Truly amazing! Come here, young brother! You look full of vitality! What can you do now!"
"...Haha, my brother should marry before me."
That was right. After being appointed strategist for the Gwanghan Martial Alliance, I had been too busy for even dating, let alone marriage. "Hey, this guy. I don't know what marriage is..."
But he seemed uninterested in marriage too. "I know from experience. The first three years are good, but after that... I don't know."
Kim Young-hoon was a married man who had exaggerated about marriage on Earth. Because he had many connections with his wife, even after becoming the number one person of the world, he seemed uninterested in marriage. "By the way, if the world knew I achieved Bone Reconstruction..."
Haha, of course it would. By the way, I should start handing over the Gwanghan Martial Alliance to the next patriarch..."
You have no one you like in mind?"
A patriarch must have some martial skill. Who is this guy who doesn't understand martial arts at all!"
Brother is an abnormal genius. The others aren't stupid."
Even so..."
After Bone Reconstruction, one year later. My brother transferred the position of patriarch to his successor and retired. I also wanted to retire with him, but the second patriarch struggled with managing the alliance, so I was forced to remain as strategist. Ten more years passed. Thirty years had passed since I fell into this world. I was now approaching sixty. My martial skill was limited; although my internal energy was abundant, I had only barely reached the end of third-class. The Gwanghan Martial Alliance had passed through two patriarchs and entered the era of the third. I trained a successor furiously to hand over the position to the second strategist and barely managed to retire. My brother retired from the first patriarch's seat, wandered the martial world, and traveled across the kingdom, sometimes not appearing for months. For that reason, he did not attend my retirement ceremony. The first time I saw my brother's face again was one year after he became a strategist. I had bought a manor in Seogyeong-seong and was leisurely reading medical texts inside. Thud, thud...
What? Who is it... Ouch! Brother!"
...
What kind of appearance is this? You didn't even come to my retirement. Where have you been? Wandering the martial world... Brother?"
The man I hadn't seen in a long time had the appearance of a beggar, his face pale, his once-overwhelming confidence gone. "What's wrong, brother!"
Thud!
He collapsed on the floor of my manor and looked at the sky. "Young-hyun. I thought I had a truly blessed martial talent."
"Right. If brother weren't a genius, what would you be?"
"...True. I am definitely a genius of martial arts. In this Yeon Kingdom, no one, no ordinary person, could match my martial talent."
"Ordinary person? How could brother be ordinary? Brother is the number one person of the world..."
I fought against cultivators of the Tao. Don't you remember? Thirty years ago. Those monsters that flew through the sky and kidnapped our companions."
...
I fell silent. That was right. Cultivators. As strategist for the Gwanghan Martial Alliance, I had met them several times. They lurked in the political and royal circles of the Yeon Kingdom, manipulating the kingdom itself. After the Gwanghan Martial Alliance was founded to mediate the martial world, they wanted to control the alliance too. My brother was displeased, but knowing that opposing them meant opposing the country itself, I took their hand. With their indirect support, I could expand the power of the Gwanghan Martial Alliance. But they had ordered the martial world to never harm cultivators, and because of that decree, no one in the alliance ever had the chance to fight them. And my brother retired from the position of patriarch and began searching for cultivators. "Cultivators are really hard to find. Even if I try, I run away with annoying techniques like illusions or flight, so I never get to fight them. But this time I succeeded in facing them."
"Did you win?"
"...I won."
If you had done it during your time as patriarch, I would have grabbed your neck."
My brother laughed bitterly and clicked his tongue. "I fought a cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment realm and only managed to wound him with my bare hands... If he had just brushed me, I was supposed to accept defeat. So I did win."
"...The one who reached Foundation Establishment is one of the ten great experts among cultivators?"
"...No."
He stood up with a gloomy expression. "He said that the realm he reached, Foundation Establishment, is the second-lowest in the cultivation world. For a martial artist, that would be second-class."
"...! What nonsense is this?"
In both lives, I had known cultivators were terrifying beings. I knew monstrous entities existed above the martial artists. But having watched his martial arts for thirty years, I knew his power truly reached the heavens! Not just a phrase. He really could manifest martial arts in the sky using Void Step. He could even cut through millennium-old steel like tofu. And yet... such a martial arts genius, a being in the second-lowest realm of the cultivation world, had only managed to wound him by risking his life! 'I knew it was a xianxia world.' I knew of xianxia genres only because I had read about them. Because cultivators existed, I had roughly thought this world was like a xianxia story, but I had never seriously considered how strong they were. My previous image of the monsters that kidnapped my companions had been that of some divine beings rather than cultivators. "...It's hard to believe humans can be that strong."
I thought the same. But I was a frog in a well... Those cultivators we saw lurking in every corner of the Yeon Kingdom were the lowest beings in the cultivation world. Because they were at the very bottom of the cultivation world, they handled worldly affairs and lurked in the mortal realm."
...
He sighed. "I will continue facing cultivators. And I will create martial arts to fight them. Definitely...! Because I have the Heavenly Martial Talent that this world, no, the entire world has never seen!"
Thus my brother burned with bright eyes and left for somewhere. His words shocked me, and for a while I stayed inside without going out. From that day, I began investigating the existence of cultivators with full effort. Using my connections, I met cultivators lurking in the Gwanghan Martial Alliance and in political, commercial, and royal circles. I listened to their stories about the cultivation world and learned. Through interaction, I realized the scope of the cultivation world far exceeded my imagination. Cultivators. Unlike martial artists who honed their internal energy and sword to manifest their power, their purpose was to become immortals through cultivation. Even the lowest cultivators matched peak martial artists and lurked in the martial world. As their realms rose, they summoned tigers and dragons, controlled natural disasters, and gradually became closer to divine beings. After hearing of such terrifying existences, I continued my martial practice in order to forget my fear. The monsters I had first seen thirty years ago, those dragon and immortal-like beings, I could not believe humans could reach the level of divine beings through cultivation. What was even harder to believe was that even they struggled to reach the upper world, where even more terrifying beings existed. It sounded like a ridiculous lie. But... I, who had witnessed such ridiculous lies, could not deny it. I only knew my companions had become cultivators. I had not expected them to become such terrifying beings. Yet they were truly becoming terrifying existences. "Haha..." The more I learned about cultivators, the clearer it became how insignificant my and my brother's power was. No matter how hard a human trained martial arts, what could one do? Cultivators were monsters who hurled mountains and reshaped terrain. No matter how much I regressed, what could I do? I could never reach cultivators. To become a cultivator, one needed a spiritual root. It was said that those without one could never become cultivators. 'I don't know if my regression ability will end this life or not.' I had simply thought it granted one more life and lived my best. What if there was another life? Actually, I didn't even know if the regression ability ended after one life or if there were more chances. But even if I regressed several more times... 'We can never oppose those beings called cultivators...' Every time I met cultivators and learned about their world, or searched ancient books for records, I felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. Within that powerlessness and pressure, I trained martial arts again and again. When I swung my blade with this aging body, at least my thoughts quieted a little. Ten more years passed. "Huff..."
I circulated the Dan-ak Sword Art, regulating my breath. Now I had reached a level where I was barely hanging on at second-class. Around that time, I met my brother again, who had changed once more. "B-brother...?"
He had the appearance of a crazy person, head hair long and unkempt, beard overgrown. "...Long time no see, Young-hyun."
"Yes, I haven't seen you in a few years. We only contacted through letters... Did the information I sent about the cultivation world help?"
"Yes. It was somewhat helpful."
"The martial art to defeat cultivators... perhaps..."
"I have completed the martial art I was planning."
"Whoa...!"
I let out a gasp. If the martial arts genius himself said such a thing, it meant he could now face cultivators with his power. "Brother truly surpassed the heavens with his martial arts..."
"No."
But his face was unusually gloomy. "My martial arts end here."
"...What do you mean?"
"Today I came to say goodbye to you."
"...Brother?"
All the pride and hope that filled his face had turned pitch black. "From today, I will enter the cultivation sect as a disciple. Starting from the youngest, probably. Hehe..."
"No, what...?"
"...For ten years I searched for cultivators, fought them, and created martial arts to face them. And... I met the existence called Core Formation. My brother's words continued. "I fought him and, by unfolding all my insights, succeeded in cutting off his left hand. But he attached a talisman and the hand regrew. Immediately after, he toyed with me thoroughly."
...
"He said he would place me in his cultivation sect because he valued my will. After losing to him, I learned that this is the end that martial arts can reach."
...
"No matter how much I practice martial arts, I cannot go higher. Whether I train for a hundred years or a thousand, it's the same... So I have decided to become a cultivator and walk a new path."
I felt my lips trembling as I listened. There were too many things to say, but nothing to reply. The words that came out of my mouth were rather foolish. "To become a cultivator, don't you need a spiritual root?"
"...The cultivator of Core Formation said."
And to my foolish question came a shocking answer. "The realm of Five Qi Consorting with the Origin that martial artists reach corresponds to the Five Elements Spiritual Root that cultivators are born with. Precisely, when an ordinary person reaches Five Qi Consorting with the Origin through martial arts, their spiritual root awakens."
"Whoa..."
"The talent that cultivators are born with, ordinary people can only barely awaken after a lifetime of hard work with martial arts."
He murmured while staring at the sky with a gloomy expression. "I... was only a genius of martial arts."
After looking at the sky for a while, he stood up. "...I will go. To pursue the realm above."
My brother, having finished speaking, unfolded his movement technique and vanished. A book remained on the spot where he had stood. I picked up the book with a dazed expression. The title was the Yue Xiu Kung Wu Lu. Records of the pursuit of martial arts to surpass cultivators. The martial art he had made while searching for cultivators over the past ten years. I read page by page the insights left by my brother. ...Honestly, to someone like me who had only barely reached second-class, the cultivation method sounded like empty talk. But looking at the trembling handwriting that filled the book, I could feel the emotions my brother must have felt when leaving behind this martial art. At the same time, I could feel the determination of the man who created such a martial art to eventually abandon martial arts and become a cultivator. At the beginning of the book was the advice he left for me. —Young brother Seo Eun-hyun, please pass on this martial art to future generations so that they may have at least a minimum lifeline to survive before the natural disaster that is cultivators. I read his insights again and again, carving them into my mind. No matter how many times I read them, I could not understand. It was only to feel his will. "...Brother, where are you going, leaving this younger brother behind."
At first, he was only the Leader. However, over forty years... he had become my true brother. From that day, I trained even harder. I wanted to understand even a little of the cultivation method he left behind. But my aging body only grew weaker. And after several years, I reached a proper second-class realm instead of barely hanging on. But from that point, my body began to decline rapidly. It was unavoidable aging. * * *
Cough! Cough!
I coughed on a luxurious bed. 'What a cruel world.' Fifty years had passed since I arrived in this world. Just like in my previous life, I lay on the bed, dying of a cold. The only difference was the type of bed and house. 'My heavenly fate cannot be changed.' I would die on the exact same day and at the same time. As death approached, I could feel it. It was destiny. No matter how much one struggled, one could not escape fate. One could only submit. If one struggled madly, one could live a little better. One could spend a little longer in this world. But one could not change one's innate fortune and fate. Receiving a human body between fortune and fate, struggling within it, was our life and duty. Only within that could something be gained. What was outside could not be obtained. '...Was it really like that?' I slowly closed my eyes while feeling the life force drain away. To avoid regrets from my previous life, I had lived as hard as I could in the new time given. But looking back... Could I not have gone beyond my fate? Could I not have struggled... and glimpsed beyond my fate? Sometimes I thought that. 'If I had struggled a little more... a little longer, maybe I could have gone a little farther...' I had spent my life with my brother, risen to the position of first strategist of the Gwanghan Martial Alliance. I had grasped wealth and honor in the human world. Now only the deathbed remained. 'Was it regrettable?' This life was not regrettable. It overflowed with fulfillment. The only regret was... When one who wanted to leap to an even greater place faced an even greater wall, not being able to do anything... It was regrettable. Although I had experienced regression once, I was otherwise ordinary. In martial arts, I was even slow. An ordinary man standing beside the talent that received heaven's blessing, I could not see him surpassing the heavens. Yes. Not seeing what lay beyond the heavens. My only... regret. A winter that was cold but not too cold. I lay on the bed, having lived fifty years, having done everything I could. Thus I ended my life. That was my second regression.