Chapter 21
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 21
With a wooden sword in hand, Seo Jin-myeong found it impossible to take even a single step. There was nothing remarkable about the way Lee Hyun stood before him, yet the instincts that had kept Seo Jin-myeong alive for countless years screamed a single, unrelenting warning:
Do not fight this young immortal.
For the first time in ages, a memory from his childhood surfaced.
When he was just ten years old, he had encountered a massive bear that had wandered down from the mountains in search of food before winter. From its position up on the slope, the beast had done nothing more than look down at him. Yet, in that moment, young Seo Jin-myeong hadn’t even been able to breathe.
He was overcome by the same gut-wrenching certainty that his life and death rested solely on the whim of the beast, the same helpless despair of knowing nothing he did could change the outcome.
Decades had passed, and he had reached the Transformation Realm. He never imagined he would once again feel like that helpless child, frozen before a ferocious predator.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun was observing Seo Jin-myeong with keen interest.
As expected of a Transformation Realm master.
The tip of Seo Jin-myeong’s wooden sword trembled with an imperceptible, ceaseless vibration. To the untrained eye, it might have looked like his hand was shaking, but a master of the Transformation Realm was a grandmaster of the Martial Way—a caliber of warrior rarely seen in entire kingdoms. A man like that would never have trembling hands.
Each minute tremor had to be a manifestation of the profound wisdom forged through countless life-or-death battles.
As a cultivator refining the Primordial Unity Body, Lee Hyun’s entire physical form had been baptized in spiritual power, granting him extraordinary dynamic visual acuity.
Examining his opponent through that heightened vision, Lee Hyun saw that the wooden sword never lingered in one position. The tip would seem to point upward only to dip down slightly; the moment it angled to the left, it was already primed to transition into a frontal thrust. The angles of his wrist, elbow, and shoulder were also shifting, the movements so fine they were almost invisible to the naked eye.
It was entirely different from the rigid opening stances of the Cheonggang Sword Formula. From the moment he raised his blade, was he already generating endless variations, preparing to chain a single posture into dozens of potential attacks?
So this is the Martial Way… a form unconstrained by fixed stances. Unable to wield spiritual qi directly, they’ve honed their mastery over cold steel to its absolute limit.
Lee Hyun’s expression grew serious.
Just then, Seo Jin-myeong blurted out, “W-Wait a moment!”
Watching from the edge of the training ground, Gwak Cheon-ung furrowed his brows.
“What is it?”
“Please, just give me a moment.”
Without taking his eyes off Lee Hyun, Seo Jin-myeong took two steps back. Then, moving his lips ever so slightly, he transmitted his voice so only Gwak Cheon-ung could hear.
[Something is wrong.]
[What do you mean, wrong?]
[It’s hard to explain. Standing before him, my body refuses to move.]
[Are you sensing killing intent?]
[No. It’s just… an overpowering feeling that I must not face him.]
Gwak Cheon-ung was taken aback.
He knew Seo Jin-myeong’s character intimately. The man had nerves of iron—he had once held a chokepoint against two Transformation Realm masters from the Heavenly Yang Kingdom all by himself until his comrades could escape.
Yet this same man couldn’t even begin a sparring match with wooden swords?
Gwak Cheon-ung stepped onto the martial training ground.
[I’ll step in first.]
He extended his hand, and Seo Jin-myeong passed him the wooden sword. After testing its weight with a few light swings, Gwak Cheon-ung took his place across from Lee Hyun.
“Martial Instructor Seo seems to be unwell today. I shall face you first.”
“Please go easy on me.”
“Of course,” Gwak Cheon-ung answered casually, but the moment he faced Lee Hyun head-on, his expression changed.
The instant he leveled his sword, a stifling weight bore down on his chest. It felt as if an invisible, colossal mountain was looming directly over his head.
Without realizing it, Gwak Cheon-ung tightened his grip on the wooden sword. As he strained to suppress the trembling at the tip of his blade, veins bulged on the back of his hand, and beads of cold sweat broke out on his brow.
Lee Hyun marveled once again.
Courtyard Head Gwak’s opening stance is even more profound.
Gwak Cheon-ung’s wooden sword was also trembling faintly. But where Seo Jin-myeong’s blade manifested overt variations, Gwak Cheon-ung’s seemed to have none at all.
Yet, upon closer inspection, the pressure of his fingers on the hilt and the angles of his wrist, elbow, and shoulder were shifting from moment to moment.
The sword was motionless, yet in perpetual motion. It was impossible to predict which angle the strike would come from.
Compared to the boundless possibilities born from Gwak Cheon-ung’s absolute restraint, the variations at the tip of Seo Jin-myeong’s sword seemed like child’s play.
Is this the realm of stillness within motion?!
Just as Lee Hyun tensed and gripped his wooden sword with both hands, Gwak Cheon-ung lowered his blade.
“Before we begin, I’d like to confirm a few things. First, what kind of offensive measures can Retainer Lee use in a real fight?”
“For offensive spells, I have learned one that launches fireballs, one that fires needles of spiritual power, and a type of swordsmanship. Besides those, I also have a spell that repels my surroundings with a barrier of qi…”
“Do you have spells for defense and movement as well?”
“I have spells to create a shield, lighten my body, sprint at high speeds, and burrow into the earth.”
“And how well have you mastered them?”
“I’ve used them all for a long time, so I’m quite proficient.”
“A long time…”
Gwak Cheon-ung pointed toward several wooden planks, leather shields, iron plates, and stone pillars set up on one side of the training ground.
“Before we spar, I’d like to see how dangerous your spells are. After all, if we don’t know their exact power, someone could get hurt.”
“Understood.”
Hmm… to look like an ordinary 3rd layer Qi Refining cultivator… how much spiritual power should I use for a basic spell?
After a brief calculation, Lee Hyun drew a small wisp of spiritual power to his fingertip.
“This is a spell called the Yang Metal Formula, which I use to catch spirit insects.”
A slender wisp of silvery-white energy condensed at the tip of his finger.
Flash.
A thin silver needle sliced through the air.
The Yang Metal Formula pierced the wooden board, penetrated the leather shield behind it, and left a small hole right in the center of a finger-thick iron plate.
Even after puncturing the iron plate, the residual silver needle lodged itself nearly half a cheok deep into the stone pillar behind it before finally dissipating.
Gwak Cheon-ung walked up to the iron plate and inspected the hole.
Damn it all… he uses this to catch bugs?
Lee Hyun had used what he considered a meager amount of spiritual power, but because his mastery over the spell was so high, its destructive force was still staggering.
“Then… could you show me your next spell?”
Next was the Fireball Technique.
A fireball the size of a fist appeared over Lee Hyun’s palm. A terrifyingly immense power radiated from the sphere.
Unlike normal flames, the fire on its surface didn’t flare outward. Instead, it curled inward along its spherical shape, the light intensifying toward the core until it turned a blinding white.
As he thrust his hand forward, the fireball hurtled toward a stone pillar.
Flash!
A blinding burst of light erupted.
KABOOM!
Scorching heat and a violent shockwave blasted out in all directions.
The tremor shook the ground, traveling up through Gwak Cheon-ung’s and Seo Jin-myeong’s feet to rattle their very innards. A pungent, acrid smell spread with the billowing dust.
The stone pillar had been shattered into fragments by the blast. The surface of its remaining base was cracked like a spiderweb, glowing red in places and even melting slightly.
Finally, Lee Hyun decided to demonstrate the Cheonggang Sword Formula.
With a flash of light from his storage pouch, the broad, thick Earth-Shoveling Sword emerged. Its tip struck the stone floor with a heavy thud.
Thump.
Gwak Cheon-ung and Seo Jin-myeong glanced from the Earth-Shoveling Sword to Lee Hyun’s face before nodding to themselves.
The tools used by immortals certainly look peculiar.
Gripping the Earth-Shoveling Sword with both hands, Lee Hyun channeled the Cheonggang Sword Formula, causing a blue luminescence to wash over the broad blade.
The light extended far beyond the sword’s edge, forming a translucent blade three cheok in length.
Only when the blue energy enveloped the blunt, shovel-like form of the Earth-Shoveling Sword did it finally resemble a proper greatsword.
Lee Hyun swung the sword in a diagonal arc.
Slash!
The upper half of a standing stone pillar lingered in place for a brief moment before slowly sliding off and crashing to the floor.
Gwak Cheon-ung examined the cleanly sheared surface, rendered utterly speechless.
Lowering the Earth-Shoveling Sword, Lee Hyun asked, “My apologies. Did I destroy too much?”
“It’s fine. Things are broken here frequently anyway.”
Lee Hyun returned the Earth-Shoveling Sword to his storage pouch.
Gwak Cheon-ung maintained a calm exterior, but his mind was in turmoil.
This new retainer, Lee Dong-il, possessed spells far too destructive to be judged by his supposed 3rd layer of Qi Refining.
He had heard that one’s cultivation realm and their proficiency with spells were two separate matters, but seeing someone so young wield techniques that even he—one of the foremost figures in the entire Untaek Kingdom—could not casually deflect left him feeling hollow.
Is it truly so difficult for an extraordinary martial genius like me to face the spells of a mere 3rd layer Qi Refining cultivator head-on?
Normally, the retainers of the Bureau of Heavenly Service rarely sparred with them. Even on the rare occasions they did, the speed and power of their spells fell far short of this newcomer’s.
Moreover, unlike Untaek, the Heavenly Yang Kingdom didn’t mobilize Qi Refining cultivators for battle, meaning Gwak Cheon-ung had rarely fought cultivators at all.
Consequently, he had never considered a 3rd layer Qi Refining cultivator much of a threat, which only made the shock of witnessing Lee Hyun’s spells all the greater.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Gwak Cheon-ung spoke.
“As expected, the means of immortals are on an entirely different scale. However, that power is only a factor if your opponent stands there and lets you cast your spell.”
“I agree completely. Having witnessed the duel between you and General Gang the other day, I saw how astonishingly fast you both are.”
“The martial artists of the Heavenly Yang Kingdom won’t be kind enough to stand by and wait for Retainer Lee to cast his spells.”
At that moment, Seo Jin-myeong cautiously chimed in.
“Before that, may I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you, by any chance, learned a spell or cultivation art designed to intimidate others?”
“Hmm? I’ve never learned anything of the sort…”
Seo Jin-myeong turned to Gwak Cheon-ung with an awkward expression. Gwak Cheon-ung explained in his stead.
“When facing Retainer Lee with a sword, I felt an inexplicable pressure.”
“Pressure?”
Lee Hyun pondered for a moment, then circulated the Qi-Concealment Technique without dispelling the Spirit-Concealment Technique. A thin veil that shrouded the fluctuations of his spiritual power spread over his skin, enveloping his entire body.
In that instant, both Seo Jin-myeong and Gwak Cheon-ung blinked.
“H-How did you do that? The pressure from earlier vanished.”
“Indeed, it’s gone.”
Does the Qi-Concealment Technique mask minute traces of a leaking aura along with the fluctuations of spiritual power? From now on, I should always use both the Spirit-Concealment Technique and the Qi-Concealment Technique together.
To dispel their suspicion, Lee Hyun offered a plausible excuse.
“It’s likely due to my constitution. For generations, my family has possessed great natural strength. Even before I stepped onto the Immortal Dao, my body was sturdy enough to wrestle wild beasts in the mountains. The cultivation art I practice also incorporates a bit of body refining. I suspect you were sensing that innate aura.”
Gwak Cheon-ung stroked his beard, seemingly convinced.
“So you are an immortal who also trains the physical body. No wonder your presence felt so extraordinarily imposing.”
Relaxing as well, Seo Jin-myeong picked up a wooden sword from a rack at the edge of the training ground.
“Then let us properly explain how martial artists face cultivators. What do you consider to be the greatest difference between us martial artists and cultivators?”
“Is it not the presence of a spiritual root?”
“Correct. Lacking spiritual roots, we cannot absorb heaven-and-earth spiritual qi directly. We must nurture the essence of the flesh through food and medicinal herbs, refining it over long years into internal energy.”
Seo Jin-myeong opened his palm. As he circulated his internal energy, a faint glow coursed along the veins of his wrist and the back of his hand.
“Reaching the Transformation Realm and the Profound Realm grants power that can hardly be called mortal. Yet, in sheer volume of energy, we cannot rival cultivators. That is why grandmasters of the Martial Way never contest cultivators in raw power.”
Seo Jin-myeong brought over a thick wooden shield, set it upright, and brought the tip of his sword close to it.
A white light coalesced at the tip of the wooden sword. Initially the thickness of a finger, the sword aura gradually thinned in time with Seo Jin-myeong’s breathing. From the thickness of a little finger to that of a chopstick, it compressed further until it was a thin filament resembling a thick needle.
Seo Jin-myeong thrust the sword forward lightly.
Thwack!
The slender sword aura pierced straight through the thick wood and left a small puncture in the iron plate positioned behind it.
“The martial artists of the Heavenly Yang Kingdom generally call this ‘One Point Breaks the Surface.’ It means piercing a plane through a single point.”
Gwak Cheon-ung added, “No matter how sturdy a Qi Refining cultivator’s defensive spell may be, a technique that protects a broad surface is inherently vulnerable to an attack concentrated on a single point.”
“I see.”
Not a difficult concept for someone from the modern world. Force is constant, so you reduce the surface area to maximize pressure.
Next, Gwak Cheon-ung struck a single spot on the wooden shield three times with the tip of his sword. On the surface, it left only shallow indentations, but when the fourth thrust struck that exact same spot, the shield burst open from within.
Crack!
“If it cannot be pierced in one blow, they strike the same spot in rapid succession. The Chain Sword Formation of the Heavenly Yang Kingdom has multiple martial artists strike the identical spot in sequence, as if they were a single person.”
Seo Jin-myeong continued his explanation.
“It is no exaggeration to say that for secular martial artists like us, whatever method we use to break an immortal’s defense ultimately boils down to a thrust. Utilizing the principle of One Point Breaks the Surface is the most practical way to kill an immortal.”
This time, Seo Jin-myeong drew three short wooden flying blades.
“The next thing to beware of is… immortals typically possess numerous techniques, making it easy for their focus to scatter the moment they deliberate over which one to employ. At that precise juncture, we martial masters sever their fingers to disrupt their hand seals, target their eyes to blind them, and disrupt their breathing to shatter their incantations.”
He threw the first flying blade. As it arced high above Lee Hyun’s head, his gaze was naturally drawn toward it.
At that moment, Seo Jin-myeong hurled the second flying blade. Seeing it dart straight for his wrist, Lee Hyun pulled his hand back slightly. Before he knew it, a third flying blade was whistling toward the bridge of his foot.
“The third might be the true attack, or all three could be feints.”
“And the moment one avoids all the feints,” Gwak Cheon-ung added, “the assailant might rush in directly.”
“Furthermore, they may conceal hidden weapons in their sleeves, or scatter stone powder and medicinal dust to impair your vision and smell.”
Gwak Cheon-ung spoke once more.
“Now, consider this from your perspective, Retainer Lee. If you only knew the Fireball Technique, you would unleash it the instant you saw an enemy. But because you know a variety of spells, you first hesitate when faced with an attack: should you block, repel, evade, conceal yourself, or counterattack?”
“That is certainly true.”
“Having many options is an advantage, but employing them harmoniously in battle requires rigorous, scenario-based training. In real combat, making a swift decision—even an imperfect one—is far superior to hesitating in search of the perfect choice.”
Lee Hyun remained silent for a moment before nodding.
“I understand in theory, but how should we train for this?”
“To begin with, we shall restrict your options.”
Gwak Cheon-ung held up two fingers.
“Defensive spells and movement spells. In the beginning, use only these two categories. Any technique to repel an opponent may only be used defensively.”
“I am not to use offensive spells?”
“You may, if you wish to kill Martial Instructor Seo.”
“I will not use them.”
Seo Jin-myeong returned to his spot facing Lee Hyun.
“The rules are simple. Block or repel my strikes. If that proves difficult, create distance.”
“May I burrow into the earth?”
“That… is forbidden for now.”
“Understood.”
The two faced each other once more, ten zhang apart.
“We shall begin.”
The instant the words left his mouth, Seo Jin-myeong surged forward and thrust his sword.
Without hesitation, Lee Hyun conjured a translucent Spirit Light Shield before his chest.
Thud!
Just before his sword met the shield, Seo Jin-myeong stomped down with explosive force, rupturing the stone floor beneath him.
The shockwave threw Lee Hyun off balance, lifting him slightly into the air just as Seo Jin-myeong’s wooden sword smashed down onto the Spirit Light Shield. Compounded by the force of the stomp, the impact knocked Lee Hyun off his feet and sent him hurtling backward.
Seo Jin-myeong didn’t let the opening slip. Leaping forward, he drove his wooden sword down toward Lee Hyun’s chest just as his back was about to hit the ground.
Swish—
As he fell, Lee Hyun’s body slid backward across the stone floor as if on ice.