Chapter 604: Heart Fist (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 604: Heart Fist (2)
Fwoosh.
A shimmering haze rose from the massive crater gouged into the iceberg.
Blue flames flickered, dancing in the wind. The heat and smoke they produced mingled with the blizzard, a stark testament to the power just unleashed.
It was an overwhelming sight. It wasn't Mount Tai, but seeing a mountain peak sheared off by a single strike was beyond words.
And yet...
“What the hell?”
I, the one who had created this scene, could only stare at the iceberg with a look of utter bewilderment.
“What was that?”
A single, lightly thrown punch had caused this. I hurriedly examined my hand. There was nothing wrong with it. Despite unleashing such devastating energy, not a single mark remained.
What the fuck was that…?
I couldn't wrap my head around it. What was that strike just now? Did I really do that? I hadn't even circulated my Qi, nor had I taken a proper stance to attack. It had been a desperate swing, a flailing attempt to survive.
…To create a scene like that.
It wasn't an impossible feat. If I gathered every last drop of my internal Qi and focused it on a single point, I could probably produce that level of destructive power.
But I didn't even use my internal Qi.
That power had been unleashed with just a handful of energy. How in the world did this happen—
“…!”
Stagger!
As I tried to grasp the situation, my legs suddenly buckled. I collapsed, barely managing to catch myself before hitting the ground completely.
Riiiiing—!
A high-pitched ringing filled my ears.
Vrooom—!!
On top of that, an inexplicable vibration shuddered through my entire body.
“Hah… haah… hah….”
My breathing hitched, and a wave of nausea washed over me. How could I even describe this? It felt as if the strength supporting my body—and the very vessel within me—had been shaken to its core. The world spun violently.
Drip.
My nose was bleeding. It had already been bleeding from the beating I’d taken, but now it flowed in thick, heavy drops.
Thud.
Unable to stay upright, I slammed a hand onto the ground for support. Blood dripped onto the snow. My body felt like it had been shattered from the inside out. I fought to steady my breathing.
“…Heh heh….”
I heard the Dishonored Venerable’s voice from in front of me. It was a hollow, dry laugh.
“How utterly absurd.”
I was in no condition to reply. A sliver of anxiety crept in. He won’t hit me again after all this, will he?
It was a serious concern. If the Dishonored Venerable had taken that last blow head-on, there was no telling what might have happened to him.
The moment I threw the punch, I had kept my Mind’s Eye open. As the energy exploded outward, I saw everything. The lines of fate and force I perceived on the Dishonored Venerable were all consumed and extinguished by the energy I unleashed.
It meant that, in that moment, he had no choice but to dodge. He had truly escaped death by a hair's breadth. I was worried the enraged old man might retaliate.
“I’m not sure whether I should praise you or curse you for this. It’s quite the dilemma.”
Fortunately, it seemed he had no intention of hitting me further. The Dishonored Venerable approached me.
“In all my life, I’ve never seen a bastard gain enlightenment while trying to thrash his own master.”
Enlightenment?
Wondering what he meant, I tried to lift my head.
“Stay still. If you move carelessly, you’ll die.”
Hearing his warning, I obediently froze.
“Focus only on your breathing. Your soul has been shaken to its very core. Any rash movement will shatter your vessel.”
As he explained, the Dishonored Venerable placed a hand on my back.
Fwhoosh—!
Starting from his palm, the chaotic energy rampaging inside me began to settle, its flow corrected by his touch.
“I knew you were exceptional, but I never imagined you were this exceptional.”
The Dishonored Venerable continued to speak while helping me regulate my Qi. The slightest waver could plunge us both into a state of Qi Deviation. Normally, one should focus so intently that even speaking or breathing is done with extreme caution.
But the Dishonored Venerable seemed completely unconcerned. On the contrary, he sounded somewhat amused—this, after beating me to a pulp just moments ago.
“So, what was your impression?”
Impression? What was he asking about?
“I’m asking how it felt to set foot in the Realm of the Mind.”
“…!”
My eyes widened. The shock caused my Qi to waver, but the Dishonored Venerable effortlessly caught and stabilized it.
The Realm of the Mind?
I had heard of it before. The Realm of the Mind. A state similar to, yet distinct from, the levels a martial artist reaches through physical mastery. It was a state where the soul, honed and polished, takes form based on the martial artist's conviction and is expressed externally.
For a swordsman, it was the state of Unity of Body and Sword. The level where one could finally wield the absolute power known as the Mind Sword.
Furthermore...
The state where one can properly use the Fire Wheel Star.
The power of the Gu Clan that could only be fully realized upon entering the Realm of the Mind. It was the level required to use the true Fire Wheel Star, not the half-baked version I currently employed.
Which meant…
…Does that mean I’ve reached it?
I couldn't believe it. How could something like that happen so suddenly?
“As I said before, you haven’t crossed over. You’ve merely touched upon it,” the Dishonored Venerable added, as if reading my thoughts. “It’s a shame you haven’t fully crossed the threshold… but just touching it is a remarkable feat.”
For the Dishonored Venerable, who was notoriously stingy with praise, to call it "remarkable" meant it was something incredible.
Then, what I just used was…
The power that had obliterated the top of the iceberg in a single blow. Was that the power of the Mind? Since I didn't use a sword, it wasn't a Mind Sword. Should I call it a Heart Fist?
It certainly felt…
Thinking of it that way, I understood why he had asked for my impression. It had been a truly strange sensation. My Qi wasn't the primary driver of the movement. The power hadn't come from my dantian, but from somewhere deep within my heart. No, it wasn't even "inside"; it was a place I couldn't pinpoint.
The moment I extended my fist, I felt something being pulled out from that place. Something was being ripped out entirely. An intense emptiness followed, and soon after, my body lost its balance. That’s what it felt like.
“That is what it means to use one’s soul.”
“Hoo….”
My ragged breathing was starting to even out.
“Only when the vessel known as ‘I’ is complete, and when the conviction of the path I wish to walk is fully established, does the soul finally gain form and build a domain.”
It was difficult to grasp—both his words and their deeper meaning. Just listening wasn't enough to truly understand.
“The Realm of the Mind is akin to using the path you have walked thus far as a form of power.”
My breathing and my Qi gradually stabilized.
“With shallow enlightenment and a flimsy path, one cannot even glimpse it, let alone reach it.”
The Dishonored Venerable’s hand slowly lifted from my back. Only then could I lift my head from the snow.
“Since you have succeeded in touching upon it, you can be considered halfway there.”
“…Ah….”
I slowly tried to speak. Fortunately, I could make a sound without coughing.
“Then are you saying that what I just used was a power like the Mind Sword?”
“Perhaps.”
“Pardon?”
Perhaps? Caught off guard by the vague answer, I paused. The Dishonored Venerable smiled.
“What did it feel like to you?”
“…I’m asking because I don’t know either.”
“Then seek the answer until you have truly realized it for yourself.”
“That’s….”
“My disciple. Do you know why the Mind Sword is called the Mind Sword?”
I frowned. How would I know? I’d only learned about the Realm of the Mind a few minutes ago.
“Swordsmen live their entire lives with a sword in hand. Thus, when they enter the realm, the first thing their soul takes the form of is a sword.”
The soul takes the shape of a sword. That’s why it’s a Mind Sword.
“Because the shape of the path they have lived was a sword, they themselves are convinced that the form of their soul is that of a sword. That is why it is a Mind Sword.”
“That means…”
“The shape and meaning of the power you expressed is not something you ask others, but something you must discover for yourself.”
“...”
The form of the soul I had lived. The shape of the mind I myself was convinced of. What was it that had been expressed from the tip of my fist just now?
I didn't know. I couldn't be sure of anything.
I am…
The form of the soul created within my body. What shape did it take? Just because I unleashed it with my fist, could I simply call it a Heart Fist?
Such thoughts crossed my mind, but…
…This is too difficult. Let’s just call it a Heart Fist for now.
For me, at this moment, that was the best I could do. As I came to that conclusion…
“If there is one thing that puzzles me….”
I listened closely to the Dishonored Venerable.
“It would be that you are not yet ready.”
“Pardon? Not ready?”
“The completion of your vessel is more or less framed, but I judged that you were not yet ready to reach the Realm of the Mind. It was not yet time to teach you. For you to have touched upon it on your own is quite the mystery.”
“...”
My physical conditions were met, but he meant my enlightenment was lacking. Reaching the Realm of the Mind should have been impossible.
…He was even planning to teach me?
I didn't know how he intended to teach such a mysterious state, but given what a monster the Dishonored Venerable was, I didn't doubt him.
In any case, from his perspective, I wasn't even at a level to be looking at that realm yet. The fact that I had managed to touch it, even if only halfway, seemed strange to him.
I’m puzzled by it too.
I was glad I’d gotten stronger, but it was strange. I had reached a state I couldn't achieve even in my past life, despite being physically weaker now. He said conviction was crucial to creating the Realm of the Mind.
Conviction…
I was still lost, standing at a crossroads. I was in a position where I couldn't be sure of anything. It was impossible for me to have achieved it on my own.
Which meant…
Don’t tell me…
I recalled the conversation I had with the Blood Qi just before. The being that had suddenly appeared and spoken to me. It had definitely said:
[I shall help you.]
It said that since I was caught up in a troublesome situation, it would help me just this once. Could that have been the cause? Was that the reason I was suddenly able to use the Heart Fist?
It’s hard to say no…
I couldn't think of anything else. The searing heat I felt then, and the smile of the Blood Qi as it looked at me—everything was unsettling.
[We are ‘Dragons’.]
Even that last ridiculous statement I heard.
“...”
The thought that I had obtained this power with its help left a bitter taste in my mouth. As I fell silent, lost in thought, the Dishonored Venerable spoke.
“By the looks of it, something is bothering you.”
He had noticed my sour expression. At times like this, I really wished I wasn't wearing a mask.
“It’s nothing.”
I tried to brush it off, but the Dishonored Venerable just chuckled. It was as if he was saying, ‘Yeah, right.’
Whatever the case, it was a relief that I had reached the Realm of the Mind. Or was it?
It’s not like I’m in a position to pick and choose.
I had to use any means necessary. I had resolved myself to do so. But even so, the discomfort didn't disappear.
Think positively.
I had gotten stronger. I had broken through to another state and obtained a power comparable to my past life. I had to be satisfied with that.
I slowly pushed myself up.
First, I need to figure out exactly what this is. How to use it. How much power it contains. And how many times I can use it. Figuring that out is the priority—
Thump—!
“Keuk.”
My knee buckled again.
Cough!
Blood burst from my mouth. The amount was completely different from the trickle that had been dripping from my nose.
What the fuck? What’s wrong now?
Didn’t the Dishonored Venerable just stabilize my Qi?
I tried to cover my mouth, but blood continued to stream through the gaps between my fingers.
“Ah.”
Seeing my state, the Dishonored Venerable let out a small sound.
“It seems I couldn’t handle the backlash entirely. Heh heh.”
“What do you… mean….”
I couldn't finish the question.
Thump! Thump-thump!
A vibration, accompanied by immense pain, erupted from within my body. I clutched my chest and began to tremble. It hurt like absolute hell.
“I managed to organize your Qi so your body wouldn’t explode, but I couldn’t handle the backlash from you using a power you’re not yet suited for.”
I heard his terrifying words, but I was in no state to care.
Thump—!
The pain shot up to my head. This was beyond enduring. It felt like an earthquake was happening inside my organs.
Just then.
[Young Master—!!]
Through my fading consciousness, I heard Tang Soyeol’s voice as she ran toward us. I didn't want to show her such a pathetic state, but there was no way to hold on.
The Dishonored Venerable, watching me quietly, said, “Go to sleep for a bit.”
For a moment, I wondered if he meant I should just pass out.
“You’ll feel a bit better then.”
And with those words...
Smack!
A sharp impact on the back of my neck sent me straight into the darkness.
* * *
Time passed.
When I finally regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I was greeted by a somewhat familiar woman’s voice and an unfamiliar ceiling.
And...
“Are you awake?”
The face of the White Ripple Sword, pinching both of my cheeks.