Special Graduate (2)
“Hahaha! You were born with the qualities of a true hero and great warrior.”
Baek Ho Jun burst into hearty laughter at my words that honor was more glorious than any reward. He must have already felt guilty, so this probably made him even more grateful.
The atmosphere grew even warmer, and we finally arrived at the rearmost treasure vault.
Kuuuung!
The treasure vault door swung open. The sheer volume was impressive, everything gleaming brightly, but to be honest, as Baek Ho Jun had said, there weren't many truly useful items.
This was the moment that starkly revealed why the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families didn't send their top late-stage experts to Cheonmu Academy.
“Tch, this is embarrassing for me. Still, there are some top-grade elixirs for nourishment, so you'd be better off choosing one of those.”
Baek Ho Jun apologized repeatedly and offered his special advice. From my perspective, picking an elixir did seem the most sensible choice.
Of course, that's only if you don't know about the Seven Strikes Eight Rises: Invincible Fist King setting.
In fact, this Cheonmu Academy treasure vault contained one attack technique that my Maternal Uncle—the creator of this world—and I had personally set up. A fist technique, no less.
Originally, it was like an Easter egg in a game, with activation conditions so stringent that no one ever paid it any mind, leaving it forgotten. But my Maternal Uncle had said this:
—If you fulfill all the activation conditions for this technique... it might just be the strongest among attack arts.
Moreover, I possessed the supreme inner cultivation method, external art, and poison technique.
To put it metaphorically, I had countless bullets but lacked a gun.
What would happen if I properly mastered an attack technique in that situation?
—Then, surpassing the peak realm to reach the long-dreamed Entry to Divinity wouldn't be a pipe dream.
The Entry to Divinity was the realm of true superhumans, where one transcended human limits to ascend to the ranks of the divine. It was the level reached by the likes of Baek Ho Jun here, the Ten Great Warriors of the world, and the Demon Cult's Ten Elders.
“Do you have something particular in mind for your reward?”
The perceptive Baek Ho Jun studied my face and asked.
I nodded without hesitation, boldly affirming it.
To Baek Ho Jun, who didn't know the creator's words, this might seem like an unexpected choice.
What I selected was...
“I'll choose the Attribute Five Elements Fist as my special privilege.”
None other than the Attribute Five Elements Fist, a notoriously tricky technique that required gathering all five attributes to activate.
“What? What?!”
As expected, Baek Ho Jun leaped in shock at the completely unforeseen pick.
He calmed down and spoke steadily.
“Is it because the creator of that Attribute Five Elements Fist was the Fist Emperor, once the world's greatest?”
“No.”
“Or are you really planning to make proper use of it?”
“Yes.”
“Truth be told, I had a huge interest in that technique myself. I properly mastered a fire-attribute art, didn't I? So I thought I could just gather the remaining water, wood, metal, and earth attributes. But no such luck. One or two is feasible, but collecting all five—proper fire, water, wood, metal, and earth attribute arts—is incredibly difficult.”
Baek Ho Jun tried his utmost to dissuade me. Not out of greed, but because in his youth, he'd recognized its extraordinary potential and attempted it himself.
“Above all, ordinary warriors struggle to master more than two attributes. It's because their inner cultivation methods have limits in accommodating them.”
His words made sense. In fact, they represented the prevailing opinion in the current martial world.
Baek Ho Jun himself had mastered the scorching Solar Palm Art, so he could handle wood-attribute techniques to some extent, as they fueled fire even hotter. But water attributes were a direct counter; half-heartedly learning one would hinder even his prized Solar Palm Art.
“I don't know what inner method you've cultivated, but trying three or more attributes is suicidal.”
This legendary technique, the Attribute Five Elements Fist, created in the Fist Emperor's final years—the man who had been the world's greatest in his era. The reason it languished in Cheonmu Academy, gathering dust and scorned to this day, was precisely this.
Due to the nature of inner cultivation methods humans could master, handling more than two—three at most—was nearly impossible.
But I'm different.
I had the cheat-level inner cultivation method, the Mythic Heart Method, which allowed me to master any attribute technique to its limit.
And that wasn't all. The vessel for those attributes—my body—had been tempered by the Great Power Iron Hardening Skill, unbreakable with ease.
In other words, across the entire martial world—nay, throughout history—only I, Cheon Myeong, could master all five attributes in one body.
The technique most suited to me, the strongest one, and the attack art only I can wield: the Attribute Five Elements Fist.
That's why I'd struggled so desperately to come to this Cheonmu Academy.
Initially, it hadn't crossed my mind, but after mastering the Great Power Iron Hardening Skill and acquiring the Mythic Heart Method, the Attribute Five Elements Fist came to mind.
Even my creator uncle had left it as a mere setting Easter egg, never once used in the original story—a legendary technique.
“Even if I can't use it in real combat, I want to master it properly.”
I pleaded earnestly with the dissuading Baek Ho Jun.
“Are you sure? No regrets?”
He asked one final time.
“Of course.”
My resolve had been firm from the start—and remained so. How could I refuse a technique tailor-made for my current state?
“Ugh... Fine, you must have your reasons and convictions. Theoretically studying it might lead to great enlightenment later...”
With such determination, even the academy head couldn't dissuade me further.
Instead, he showed his final magnanimity as academy head.
“If you just take that unusable Attribute Five Elements Fist, I'll feel too guilty to bear it.”
Baek Ho Jun rummaged through the elixirs in the vault and pulled out one decent one.
“A top-grade elixir, the Heavenly Upper Elixir. Take this too.”
Astonishingly, it was the pinnacle elixir producible at Cheonmu Academy, renowned across the Central Plains as top-grade: the Heavenly Upper Elixir.
Back when Meng Yuon and Peng Jincheon earned merits in the special sparring matches, they'd received a lesser second-grade version, the Heaven and Earth Elixir, as reward.
The Heavenly Upper Elixir far surpasses even that Heaven and Earth Elixir.
To give away something so precious. Though it was of little use to me now—having taken the millennial snow ginseng, rendering top-grade elixirs redundant—his gesture warmed my heart.
“Oh, no, I can't accept that.”
I waved my hands in refusal, but couldn't overcome his stubbornness.
“You will. Take it.”
“The rules don't allow two rewards.”
I stuck to principles, but Baek Ho Jun had his own unbeatable logic.
“If the Attribute Five Elements Fist is your special graduate reward, then this Heavenly Upper Elixir is my thanks for saving my cherished subordinate and instructor, the Flying Dragon Hero Spear Huang Yi-cheon. You know he and I are sworn brothers in private, right?”
“Ugh.”
That left me no choice. Huang Yi-cheon and Baek Ho Jun were the type to risk their lives for loyalty, so they'd repay the favor somehow. But I never dreamed it'd be like this.
“Above all, it's been ages since we had a special graduate. Handing over just the Attribute Five Elements Fist would have people cursing the academy head. Save my face, will you?”
He looked ready to bow if I refused, so I quietly accepted.
“I'll put it to good use.”
I meant it sincerely. With top-grade elixirs useless to me now, I planned to use it for something more meaningful.
“Good, good.”
Baek Ho Jun beamed as if he'd leap for joy upon my acceptance. The giver happier than the receiver—what a curious situation.
“Here, and the manual for the Attribute Five Elements Fist. Master it well, then return it to our Cheonmu Academy treasure vault.”
And so, the Attribute Five Elements Fist I'd longed for, dreamed of, finally came into my hands.
“This is it...!”
Back in my private training room, manual in hand, I felt overwhelming emotion.
How much grueling effort had it taken to obtain this?
Finally mine—and with a month's vacation ahead, I could study it more. Actually, adding the time until graduation after vacation made it two months total.
By the set rules, you need all five attributes—fire, water, wood, metal, earth—to use it properly.
Currently, I had two: the cold water attribute from Moon Palace Finger of Wolnyeo Palace and Cold Seal Palm, plus fire from the Flame Tiger Double Claw taught by the Flame Flower Divine Army Baek Ho Jun.
In other words, just fire and water for now.
So, until I gathered wood, metal, and earth, was the Attribute Five Elements Fist just useless scrap?
If I use the Mythic Heart Method and Great Power Iron Hardening Skill, could I wield the Attribute Five Elements Fist with just one attribute?
That question arose. With plenty of time, I devoted the next week to study and analysis.
And I achieved a startling realization.
The original Attribute Five Elements Fist requires all five for activation, but with the Mythic Heart Method, I can unleash even single-attribute attacks!
This meant I could maximize a single attribute's power, even without the full supreme might of all five.
“Let's try it.”
Compiling my insights, I calmly rose. My body felt lighter than ever, my mood invincible.
And finally!
Water
Not the complete form requiring all five attributes, but an attempt at the Attribute Five Elements Fist using only water.
I was anxious even as I executed it—but far from it.
Paaaaah!
Powerful water-attribute energy gathered in my fists, glowing blue. It was unmistakably water-attribute fist strength—a perfect, potent attack stance.
Kwaaaang!
A streak of refreshing blue fist strength shattered a boulder beyond the training ground. The force was so immense it shook my entire private quarters.
“Whoa, whoaaa.”
The power and perfection far exceeded my expectations. I stood frozen, unable to hide my astonishment.
Even with just one attribute, it's this strong...
How devastating would it be with all five?
I couldn't help but wonder about the complete form.