Chapter 370: Sage's Martial Arts, Great Void One-Qi Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 370: Sage's Martial Arts, Great Void One-Qi Art
"It makes sense that your arm won't regenerate after being hit by a man like that."
The Sword Demon continued, a look of mock pity on his face.
"This is a disaster. You’ll have to live as a one-armed man for the rest of your life."
"Sword Demon, you are being insolent."
The Heavenly Demon glared at the Sword Demon, who was clearly trying to get under his skin. His bloodshot eyes bore down on the man with crushing pressure.
"Hahaha! Glaring at me like that won't provide a solution."
The Sword Demon laughed jovially before continuing.
"I could simply absorb you."
"Oh, come now. Would you really break such a sharp blade?"
The Sword Demon tapped his own sword as he spoke.
"Such immense confidence."
"I simply know my own worth."
The Sword Demon flashed a slight smile.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon watched him with a heavy gaze. Though the man was obnoxious, there was no denying his necessity. Unlike himself, whose movements were restricted because his seal had not been fully undone, the Sword Demon was bound by nothing.
"Sword Demon."
"Speak, Master."
"I am giving you an order."
"I am listening."
"Bring Lee Jae-won to the Hundred Thousand Mountains."
"Wha... What!?"
The Sword Demon’s eyes widened in shock at the Heavenly Demon's words. What on earth was he talking about?
"You take your jokes too far."
"This is no joke."
The Heavenly Demon looked at him with absolute gravity.
"I need Lee Jae-won to restore my body."
"Do you really think Lee Jae-won will come to the Hundred Thousand Mountains willingly?"
"Is it not your responsibility to make that happen?"
"I am a sharp blade, not a bag of tricks."
The Sword Demon shook his head vigorously.
"Do not worry about that. I have a bag of tricks elsewhere."
"Are you referring to Ma-noe?"
"Indeed. You need only follow Ma-noe's instructions."
The Heavenly Demon spoke in a calm, detached tone.
Scratch, scratch.
The Sword Demon scowled deeply and scratched his head. Judging by the Heavenly Demon's attitude, he realized the master was dead serious.
This is insane, the Sword Demon thought.
He was certain the Heavenly Demon wanted him dead. Who was Lee Jae-won? He was the World's Greatest Martial Artist, the man who had stopped the advance of evil twenty years ago by turning the transcendent Heavenly Demon into a mere puddle of blood.
Of course, an incredible amount of luck had been involved, but the fact that he had defeated the Heavenly Demon was an undeniable record. To be told to lure such a man... it was no different from being told to go die.
"Understood."
However, the Sword Demon soon nodded. Regardless of the intent, he had no right to refuse. He was nothing more than a sword held by the Heavenly Demon.
How could a sword possess a will of its own? It simply swung in whichever direction its master aimed.
Seeing the Sword Demon's response, the Heavenly Demon nodded.
"Ma-noe!"
He looked toward the entrance and called out.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The sound of rapid footsteps approached, and soon Ma-noe appeared.
"Did you summon me?"
"Tell the Sword Demon what needs to be done."
"As you command."
Ma-noe bowed so deeply his torso was nearly parallel to the ground.
"Sword Demon, please follow me."
He rose slowly and looked at the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon gave a slight nod. It seemed this wasn't just a whim of the Heavenly Demon; there was an actual plan in place.
Ma-noe quickly exited the Great Hall, and the Sword Demon followed immediately behind him. The Heavenly Demon watched them leave in silence, his profound eyes gleaming with an inscrutable light.
*
Rumble, rumble.
Inside the swaying carriage, Sun-woo sat alone in silence. He had sent away both Neung So-hwa and Seol-hyang under the pretext of practicing his martial arts. He intended to make the most of this rare moment of tranquility.
Sun-woo closed his eyes. He began to slowly recall the martial arts he had learned, reviewing them one by one. Having mastered so many techniques, a whirlwind of martial knowledge surged through his mind.
He began to go through them in reverse order, starting with the most recent.
Great Shift of Heaven and Earth.
The supreme martial art of the Demonic Cult, permitted only to the Cult Leader. It was the technique closest to Sun-woo's True Secret Technique. Since mastering it, he had overcome countless crises and gained power so immense that no master of the same rank could rival him.
Formless Shadow Stealth Technique.
The signature technique of the Traceless Killer, who had once assassinated the Sect Leader of Wudang. Unlike ordinary stealth arts that were limited by darkness, this peerless technique allowed one to hide even in broad daylight.
Wind-Dust Step.
The unique movement technique of the Flying Fox, said to have put the Beggar Sect's Drunken Eight Immortals Step and Kunlun's Cloud Dragon Eight Forms to shame. It was the footwork that allowed him to be faster than anyone else. Without the Wind-Dust Step, he would have succumbed to many dangers.
Zhu-Rong Art.
A technique said to have come from India, formerly the signature art of the Thousand-Transforming Lustful Demon. It was a transformation art that allowed the user to manipulate bones, organs, eyes, nose, mouth, muscles, and even height. It had been incredibly useful when he posed as Tang Se-gi, the young Sun-woo, and the Tang Clan Head. He would likely need to rely on it again for a while once he returned to the Tang Clan.
Rain of Ten Thousand Flowers.
The secret martial art of the Tang Clan, a peerless technique that had saved his life in the archives. It was also the art that had helped him turn Tang Seo-yoon into an ally.
...
...
And finally, the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art.
It was the source and starting point of every martial art he was currently practicing from the archives. By harmonizing Yin and Yang, it boasted a power more pure and potent than any other, possessing a versatile nature that could mimic the essence of other techniques. Thanks to that versatility, he could freely wield numerous martial arts despite lacking their specific internal cultivation methods.
Hmm.
As he reviewed his techniques one by one, Sun-woo felt as if he had forgotten something. He was sure he had recalled everything, yet the nagging feeling that something was missing persisted.
What is it?
Sun-woo began to think carefully once more, searching for any technique he might have overlooked.
Flash.
A sudden spark ignited in his mind. He realized his mistake. He hadn't recalled everything. There was a technique he had forgotten.
It was the martial art he had practiced and practiced for over twenty years. A technique of love and hate that had made him scream in frustration because its progress was despairingly slow, despite being pure and stable.
...The Great Void One-Qi Art.
He had completely forgotten it. He hadn't even remembered its existence, despite having practiced it for two decades.
Curiosity began to well up in Sun-woo's heart. Since mastering the Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art, he hadn't even thought of the mnemonics for this technique.
He wondered: what would happen if he, who had now reached the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm, were to operate the Great Void One-Qi Art? Would he gain a belated realization? Or would he simply struggle with its vague, cloud-like concepts just as before?
Why even think about it? Just forget it. Let it go.
Sun-woo shook his head. He already possessed the magnificent Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. Why linger on the Great Void One-Qi Art? it was nonsensical.
"..."
However, once the thought took root, it wasn't easily dismissed. The harder he tried to forget, the more vivid the memories of the Great Void One-Qi Art became—from the first day he learned it to the days he cursed it in despair. It was a martial art he had dedicated twenty years of his life to. It was impossible not to have lingering attachments.
Fine, let's just test it once.
Sun-woo decided. Just one experiment. He promised himself that if it felt wrong after one attempt, he would bury it deep in the recesses of his mind forever.
Unlike the past, when he was merely at the Peak Realm, he was now at the Upper Stage of the Transcendent Realm. At a level that reached the limits of humanity, his discernment of martial arts should be sufficient.
Sun-woo slowly began to recite the mnemonics of the Great Void One-Qi Art in his mind.
Woooooooong.
Soon, an incredibly pure and clear energy began to swirl around his body. Sun-woo focused on interpreting the mnemonics as deeply as possible, striving to find the fundamental essence of the art.
'When Qi gathers, all things are born; when all things vanish, Qi scatters. The state of scattered Qi is called Void (虛), and the primordial state of Void is called the Great Void (太虛). Therefore, the Great Void refers to the primordial state of the universe where Qi is scattered. Because the Great Void is a state where Qi is scattered and not a state where Qi is gone, it is different from Nothingness (虛無) or Emptiness (空無).'
The Great Void did not view the 'Void' as 'Nothingness.' It was merely scattered; it was not considered completely gone. Thus, it viewed Qi as always being in a state of fullness. This was a concept diametrically opposed to conventional martial arts, which involved accumulating and consuming internal energy in the Dantian.
When he first learned the art, he couldn't understand this. How could one make such a contradictory statement—that being empty is being full? Thus, he had only memorized the words without ever trying to understand the hidden meaning. He had thought it was merely a metaphorical expression.
But now, it was different. It wasn't a metaphor. The Great Void referred to a grand state that is finally completed by emptying everything.
Woooooooong!
A massive aura surged around Sun-woo.
Crack! Craaaack!
At the same time, the carriage Sun-woo was riding in began to fracture. It couldn't withstand the immense energy he was emitting and began to break apart.
Whinny!
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
The Blood-Sweating Horses pulling the carriage stopped simultaneously. They began to shiver violently, overwhelmed by the majestic aura.
It wasn't just the horses. All the martial artists of the Alliance nearby began to tremble as well, as if they were facing an entity of unfathomable scale.
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
"Wha... what is... this?"
The coachman, Tang Gwan, couldn't stop his teeth from chattering. He felt his consciousness fading, unable to withstand the massive pressure crashing down from behind him.
Grab.
Suddenly, he felt someone grab the back of his neck. He looked up to see the noble and sublime figure of the Flame-like Woman.
"Get away from here!"
Neung So-hwa lifted Tang Gwan by the neck and tossed him aside. Tang Gwan flew through the air with a dazed expression and landed in a distant snowbank.
"No one is to approach the carriage Sun-woo is in!"
Having thrown Tang Gwan, Neung So-hwa shouted a command that rang out like a declaration.
"Sister... what is happening?"
Seol-hyang, pale with shock, looked up at her from below.
"It seems Sun-woo has gained a realization."
"A... a realization?" Seol-hyang asked in surprise.
"Yes. So everyone, get as far away from Sun-woo as possible! That includes the horses!"
Neung So-hwa spoke with an incredibly serious expression. Hearing her, the warriors quickly moved the Blood-Sweating Horses. Though the terrified horses were reluctant to move, they were eventually forced to a safe distance.
Once she confirmed they were far enough away, Neung So-hwa looked back at the carriage with a heavy gaze.
Woooooooong.
Immense energies were still swirling around the carriage Sun-woo occupied. Neung So-hwa began to worry. She feared he might have fallen into Qi Deviation.
She closed her eyes and began to slowly sense the energy Sun-woo was emitting. She intended to smash the carriage and save him at the slightest hint of something going wrong.
Wooooong.
Soon, Sun-woo's aura reached her. Neung So-hwa carefully felt the energy touching her body.
It's so pure.
She was struck with amazement. Sun-woo's energy was shockingly pure—incomparably more so than before. Even previously, Sun-woo's Qi had boasted a purity rivaling Nature Qi. But the Qi he was emitting now was on a different dimension of purity.
It was Nature Qi itself. Moreover, it felt like the pure Nature Qi one could only experience on a sacred, high mountain.
Whew.
Neung So-hwa breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Seeing such pure energy, she was certain it wasn't Qi Deviation.
Just what are you doing in there?
She watched the carriage with a worried expression. The impact was far too great to be a simple realization. This was surely a sign that a massive transformation was about to occur.
I don't know what's happening, but you mustn't get hurt.
Neung So-hwa prayed silently as she watched the carriage. She didn't know what was going on, but she desperately hoped Sun-woo would emerge safely. Her gaze grew even more solemn as she stood watch.