Final Breath (1)
The mere momentum of the Invisible Sword shattered most of the martial techniques Kim Young-hoon had created.
Yet by offering a brand-new art as a sacrifice, the saber dao pierced the briefest instant of his gaze and cleaved through his awareness, aiming straight for his throat.
Conversely, Seo Eun-hyun’s Invisible Sword, though fierce, still required half a breath to descend.
“I win!”
When Kim Young-hoon laughed with his mouth torn wide open.
Over Seo Eun-hyun’s left hand, a kaleidoscopic light erupted.
Within the seventy-two fetters chant, the Earth Punishing Mantra manifested as a law spell using the Five Phases’ spiritual energy.
“Did you complete the law spell without chanting the incantation, manipulating the flow of power through the Formless Spear?”
The speed at which it had formed suggested it had been prepared long before the fight began.
The law power solidified in mid-air and locked into perfect solidity.
It was likely a law spell that condensed spiritual energy to ignite an explosion!
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll never hit it anyway.”
The time needed for Seo Eun-hyun to finish casting the law spell and fire it at Kim Young-hoon was only enough to blink once or twice.
That brief a moment and Kim Young-hun’s saber dao would already be at Seo Eun-hyun’s neck!
That was when it happened.
Kwagwagwag!
Seo Eun-hyun did not release the law power from his left hand to fire the spell.
Instead, he seized the law spell with the hand infused with pure zhi energy, then looked at Kim Young-hoon.
Along with Seo Eun-hyun’s martial intent, the chant of the Straight Strike Technique rang out.
Chuan Gu An Technique—Direct Strike.
The Invisible Sword that had clearly been about to pierce Kim Young-hoon’s body had already transformed and now nestled in Seo Eun-hyun’s left hand.
The law spell, now layered over the Invisible Sword, was sent flying toward Kim Young-hoon.
If it hit, it would be a lethal strike.
“And if it’s a lethal strike, this monster with veins flowing with strong qi will still win, right?”
Even if only half the neck was severed, as long as the blood vessels were not completely cut, he would probably not die.
It was Kim Young-hoon’s judgment of victory.
“No.”
Kugugugug!
Kim Young-hoon drained every ounce of his body’s qi.
“Just like Seo Eun-hyun—fully prepared to die!”
It felt as if his dantian was about to explode.
But Kim Young-hoon paid it no heed and burned even further into his talent and the senses he had awakened upon entering this world.
The joy of training in martial arts.
He forgot everything else.
“How… how joyful this is.”
Kim Young-hoon had created a martial art.
The new martial art was not one that simply displayed body techniques or unleashed sweeping slashes.
The world was frozen.
Inside it, golden threads burst from every point of Kim Young-hoon’s body.
These threads raced through the frozen world at the speed of light, converging around his arms, his hands, and finally wrapping the saber dao he held completely.
Over the saber dao, thin lines of the Martial Dao spread, forming veins and meridians.
He thought about what a martial art truly was and pondered it again.
Internal energy, martial forms, will.
All of it was part of a martial art.
And the inner dan was what harmonized everything and allowed the martial art to reach balance.
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon recalled that, and began to ponder the existence of the inner dan.
“What exactly is an inner dan?”
Fundamentally, an inner dan was a pure force that settled in the dantian, mixed with the dantian’s strength, and formed a new shape.
Then, what was the dantian?
Why did the pure force he spat out deplete completely once used, yet the dantian restored power?
Kim Young-hoon’s senses guided him the moment he formed the thought.
“Because it is connected.”
The dantian was linked to every vein and meridian throughout the body.
It was truly connected to life itself.
That was why, drawing upon life force, it constantly absorbed qi from the air and maintained vitality.
The pure force, even if imbued with consciousness, was not truly connected to life, so it kept being consumed.
And in that fleeting moment, Kim Young-hoon’s talent guided him toward a new insight.
If he released qi outward, artificially created meridians and veins, then infused life force into the pure force, wouldn’t that pure force become yet another inner dan existing outside the body?
Beyond the fact that it wasn’t easily depleted, couldn’t it steadily restore its own power because it was linked to life force?
Or wouldn’t it become yet another source of new strength?
And Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao was the union of nine pure forces and his own consciousness domain.
“Let’s go.”
Infusing life into the saber dao, he created a new dantian outside his body.
The saber dao began to blaze even more brilliantly.
In that frozen instant, the saber dao completely cut through the law spell Seo Eun-hyun had fired—surpassing every awareness and perception—and shot toward Seo Eun-hyun’s neck.
The Invisible Sword that had been embedded in Seo Eun-hyun’s law spell suddenly changed direction and aimed at Kim Young-hoon again.
Because it changed too quickly, it only veered toward his shoulder.
Chwak!
Kwaaaang!
With a delayed sonic boom, the sound echoed, and the soil that had risen in a cloud around them was pushed back in a perfect circle.
Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao had touched Seo Eun-hyun’s neck, and Seo Eun-hyun’s Invisible Sword had struck Kim Young-hoon’s shoulder.
“I… won.”
It was Kim Young-hoon’s victory.
“I won!”
Fwoosh, splatter!
Blood burst from Kim Young-hoon’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
He had overexerted his talent and nearly exploded his dantian.
Moreover, his inner dan was completely empty, and the light of the saber dao was already fading as if it would extinguish any moment.
Yet Seo Eun-hyun sighed.
“…If this had been a real fight, I would have died. Yes, I admit defeat.”
“Hah, hahaha…!”
Kim Young-hoon laughed with his face painted in blood.
He had finally overcome him.
Patzatz…
The golden light embedded in Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao withdrew and returned to his consciousness domain.
Seo Eun-hyun’s Invisible Sword also returned.
“By the way, what was that? The one at the end.”
“Assuming you could turn pure force into an inner dan, you connected the meridians and veins outside the body with the dantian and created the saber dao as another inner dan.
You created an additional source of power outside the body, and used it to temporarily reinforce the saber dao beyond its limit.”
“Whoa…”
Spear with a stunned expression, Seo Eun-hyun looked at Kim Young-hoon.
“You created such a martial art… during this very fight?”
“It’s a martial art that can be made as long as you have the idea. You probably can’t learn it easily either. After all, you release qi outward to cast law spells…”
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon glanced around while speaking with Seo Eun-hyun.
He hadn’t noticed because there hadn’t been time to pay proper attention.
“Since I’m also a Daoist… it would be fine without forcing it…”
He thought the surroundings were completely ruined and the terrain had collapsed.
He had never considered how they differed from the original terrain.
“…You’ll be able to learn it.”
The terrain Seo Eun-hyun had scattered his Invisible Sword and changed now formed a formation diagram.
Spell characters were engraved into the diagram as sword scars, with five overlapping formation diagrams centered on Seo Eun-hyun.
If he had just infused law power, the Five Phases formation would have activated and the entire surrounding area would have become his domain.
“…”
Shiver, shiver!
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon felt a chill run down his spine.
“If the fight had dragged on long enough for Seo Eun-hyun to activate the law formation…”
Kim Young-hoon’s defeat would have been certain.
“Long battles are almost impossible with Daoists.”
Thinking he had ended it well in the short time, Kim Young-hoon sighed.
“By the way, um…!”
And suddenly, he felt his legs going weak.
“Ah… I’ve reached my limit.”
His consciousness was already growing dim.
“Eun-hyun-ah, can you do me a favor…?”
And just before he lost consciousness.
Kim Young-hoon felt that Seo Eun-hyun was far too unscathed.
His entire body was torn, his clothes stained with blood, internal injuries from the qi he had completely drained.
He had taken quite a few wounds from the Invisible Sword’s momentum alone.
But Seo Eun-hyun had nothing—no wounds, not even dirt on him—except for slightly faster breathing.
Except for a faint mark on his neck where Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao had grazed him, Seo Eun-hyun was completely untouched.
If it had truly been a real fight, Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao would have cut off Seo Eun-hyun’s neck, and Seo Eun-hyun’s Invisible Sword would have taken only one of Kim Young-hoon’s arms.
Strictly speaking, Kim Young-hoon had won, and both of them acknowledged it.
But as he lost consciousness, Kim Young-hoon let out an empty laugh inside.
“But this… is the winner really the one who died?”
The one who won was the one trying to die, while the one who lost was completely fine.
Kim Young-hoon swallowed his empty laugh and fainted.
“Damn it…”
* * *
“Huu…”
I sighed softly while looking at the fallen Kim Young-hoon.
It was a perfect defeat.
Honestly, even in the middle of the fight—especially in that instant that lasted less than a second—he had kept creating martial arts and attacking me.
The sight had sent chills down my spine.
And the martial art he created at the very end.
“Making a dantian outside the body to raise the output of a martial art?”
It was a martial art that only someone as brilliant and talented as him could create.
I never imagined his talent was this absurd.
In the pure realm of martial arts, of course I had lost.
And if it had been a real fight, I would have ended this life, so there was no room to complain about my combat power.
“If only there had been a few more seconds… I could have activated the formation and taken control of the surrounding area…”
Kim Young-hoon moved in a world of instants far shorter than a second.
Even reacting to the Invisible Sword he moved had barely been enough for me.
“He came chasing me without giving me time to react.”
I looked at the blood-stained Kim Young-hoon and carried him on my back.
“You’re truly amazing.”
I didn’t know how much longer his lifespan had.
Nor did I know whether he could overcome his lifespan by enduring a heart attack and heavenly thunder.
How much more would he grow in the remaining time?
I was endlessly curious about it.
“Still, in this life, I’ll be able to see all of your growth.”
For a very, very long time.
With a new lifespan granted.
If he could not overcome his lifespan, I would be able to watch his final moments for just as long.
Very long.
I took Kim Young-hoon and left Shattered Heaven Peak.
I had obtained everything I wanted.
Now it was time to seek out others.
* * *
I left the Seongje Kingdom and returned once more to the Yeon Kingdom.
And in a small coastal town in the Yeon Kingdom, I obtained a modest residence and began treating Kim Young-hoon.
The martial art he had newly created—the one that formed an outer dantian—was one that would damage the spirit qi.
Probably because it was hastily made, it was incomplete.
Moreover, Kim Young-hoon and I had collided recklessly multiple times, twisting our qi and blood.
Treatment required a long time.
As I treated Kim Young-hoon, I stored the enlightenment of the Wol-do-ip-cheon realm.
And from now on, I resolved to consider matters of foundation establishment.
“First, everything I learned during the qi condensation period is basic internal methods.”
The beginning of true cultivation is actually foundation establishment.
The stage where lifespan truly increases, the stage where one truly becomes a transcendent being—it all begins with foundation establishment.
Therefore, every internal method from qi condensation layer one to fourteen is essentially nothing more than a foundation.
Setting up spiritual veins as a factory inside the body and laying the groundwork to produce pure zhi energy as the product.
Now that the product is made, it’s time to prepare to sell it and influence the surroundings.
I need to learn proper Daoist methods and raise my stage in foundation establishment.
“I need to find a foundation establishment internal method.”
Where can I get one?
Since I’ve already reached foundation establishment, I could receive it from any sect.
“Well, thinking about how to obtain the method can wait for later…”
Actually, with my current core formation-level power, obtaining a method would be no problem.
Of course, finding a “liked” method is a different matter.
I set aside thoughts about the method and considered the invitation I had seen on Shattered Heaven Peak.
“Do not reveal your destiny? A Terminus One? A gift?”
I honestly don’t know what any of that means.
Of course, there are records of Yang Su-jin triggering a phenomenon and various suspicious records about it.
And seeing him call me a “future Terminus One.”
“He might be… someone who fell to this world like us.”
Then, what exactly is a Terminus One?
I couldn’t say for certain.
I could guess why he was called that, but I could not be sure it was true.
And the warning he gave me was clearly about the abilities I had been granted.
“Don’t reveal your regression ability to others?”
Up to now, I had never spoken of it to anyone.
If I spoke of it, no one would believe me.
And even if they did, what could they do? It would only bring misery to both of us.
“And… for some reason, I instinctively felt repelled by it too.”
All humans instinctively avoid revealing their fate to others.
Especially a Terminus One.
It was what the shadow that called himself Yang Su-jin had said.
“If revealed, ‘something’ will notice.”
Anywhere in the Three Thousand Worlds.
That meant… something…
I stared at the sky far away and frowned.
“A very large and powerful entity that can investigate the entire concept of the Three Thousand Worlds just by speaking it aloud… Are they still searching for us, Terminus Ones?”
Today’s sky was clear.
Spotless and blue, it seemed high and distant beyond.
Shiver!
I shook my head, feeling somehow ominous.
“Honestly, I don’t know what it all means, but it’s best not to do what he told me not to…”
By the way. Not revealing fate to others…
I recalled the companions taken by heavenly beings.
Those whose talent had been exposed by the heavenly beings.
“What do they do to those whose talent has been revealed to others? Have they already fallen into what he meant?”
I frowned slightly and sighed.
I didn’t know what any of it meant.
“That’s enough. I’ll think about it later. Right now there’s no point—there’s not enough information.”
Gradually, Kim Young-hoon’s treatment was coming to an end.
A few days passed.
Kim Young-hoon stood up, dusting himself off, and swung his saber dao once more.
“By the way, what are you going to do now?”
He looked at me and asked.
“With foundation establishment as a Daoist, you could enter any family as a patriarch.”
“A patriarch… that would be nice too.”
I looked far south.
“I have friends I need to meet.”
“Friends you need to meet? Who?”
“Ah, the one like that drag-on that the deputy took. He asked me to do something.”
I explained about Seo Ran to him and said.
“It seems he wants me to help his descendant defeat a core formation-level ghost or something. I plan to do it.”
“Hmm, a core formation-level ghost.”
Kim Young-hoon received the summary I gave and grinned.
“Sounds fun. Let’s take them on together.”
“All right. Then, shall we go meet the descendant of that dragon guy first?”
Kim Young-hoon and I crossed the Black Wind Sea and headed toward Seo Ran’s residence.
* * *
Thump, thump!
We pushed off into the air and arrived at Seo Ran’s residence.
If we had used the Wind-Calling Responding Dragon Transformation like before, we could have flown, but knowing it was Seo Hyul’s trap made it an unsuitable choice.
“Is it down here?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s swim…!”
Just as Kim Young-hoon was about to hold his breath.
I stopped him and drew out the Invisible Sword.
“Why swim? I’m sorry to the owner, but I’ll tell the owner to come out.”
“Huh?”
Kugugugug!
Sorry to Seo Ran, but I felt I needed to cause a little commotion.
Invisible Sword!
Kwaaaaang!
One strike split the sea.
The sea surface right above Seo Ran’s residence was cleaved open by the Invisible Sword, and a path of water appeared before us to his dwelling.
“Owner is there?”
I used the summons technique to vibrate spiritual energy and shouted, and after a moment,
Seo Ran emerged from his residence in the form of a dragon.
“…Why are the seniors here…?”
He looked at Kim Young-hoon and me with great caution.
Chwaaaang!
The split sea rejoined, and Seo Ran surfaced and faced us.
I showed Seo Ran the Wind-Calling Responding Dragon Transformation I had received from Seo Hyul and said.
“King Seo Hyul told me to help his descendant, the Wind-Calling Responding Dragon Transformation manual is its proof.
Will you accept our help?”
Seo Ran’s expression brightened as he glanced at me and the manual.
“I-If the seniors help, I would be grateful. But since you are humans, can you trust someone like me…?”
“…I’ve already heard from King Seo Hyul. About your origin as well.”
I looked at Seo Ran and said.
At those words, Seo Ran lowered his head and let out a faint sigh, then glowed.
He transformed into the form of a half-dragon with scales and a tail.
“…I’m sorry for not meeting you in my true form from the beginning. That you already know the truth… truly, I was entrusted by the king.”
Seo Ran said with a faint smile.
“I understand. Then, seniors, please help me. Guide me through the blockade.”
I looked at him.
The feeling of calling me “senior” from a friend I had known before was somewhat strange.
In this life, perhaps I could not become friends again.
But I would not kill him.
“Very well. Guide us through the blockade.”
Seo Ran, along with Kim Young-hoon and me, headed toward the waters where the Seopmyeong Ship of Black Ghost Valley hid.
* * *
Chwaaaang!
“Whoa, majestic.”
After breaking through the phantom blockade and the nullification blockade that Black Ghost Valley had set, looking at the Seopmyeong Ship placed in the center inside a massive water barrier,
Kim Young-hoon let out a voice of awe at the sight.
“That’s the blockade.”
Seo Ran pointed to the blockade surrounding the Seopmyeong Ship.
The blockade would be lifted if the eight formation flags inside were removed.
But the one with a pure human bloodline could easily accept it and there was no problem.
Kim Young-hoon and I approached the blockade.
In our previous life, we could have simply entered and removed the flags.
“Please help us break through this blockade.”
“I understand. Then…”
And that was when it happened.
Kwaaaang!
Golden light flashed from one side of the blockade.
It was Kim Young-hoon striking the blockade around the Seopmyeong Ship with his saber dao.
The blockade shook violently and trembled.
“Ah, no, senior. There’s no need to smash it so roughly…!”
Seo Ran said anxiously to Kim Young-hoon.
But Kim Young-hoon grinned and took a new stance.
“Ah, well. I don’t know anything about spells or whatever. So I just tried hitting it once… But this.”
Kim Young-hoon’s saber dao began to spew golden light.
“I think it can be smashed. Why bother with a troublesome disassembly?”
Kwaaang!
He swung the saber dao again, and the blockade shook once more.
“Ah, no…”
Seo Ran seemed surprised by the unexpected action.
But I smiled faintly as I watched.
If Kim Young-hoon did it, I couldn’t lose either.
Kwakwaaang!
I drew out the Invisible Sword and beat the blockade just like Kim Young-hoon.
The blockade began to shake madly.
Patzatz!
With my strike, the blockade shook and a weak crack appeared.