Chapter 87: Creating a Martial Art (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Creating a Martial Art (4)
After sending Jeok Yeong out, I poured myself a cup of water from the table and drank.
As I refilled the cup and let my mind wander, my thoughts eventually turned to Sound Transmission.
Come to think of it, this place is basically enemy territory. It’s incredibly foolish to speak out loud when I need to convey something secretly. This place is a den crawling with masters. For the sake of covert operations alone, I absolutely must learn Sound Transmission.
Realizing its necessity, I decided to practice whenever I had a spare moment.
Since the Twin Heroes of Guiyang were right there, I figured I’d try to send my thoughts to them. I looked at them and attempted a Sound Transmission.
[If you can hear me, answer 'yes.']
I sent the message several times, but the Twin Heroes of Guiyang gave no response.
Assuming I had failed, I pulled Phoenix King Yeop Seung’s martial arts manual from my robe and read the section regarding Sound Transmission.
After a moment, I put the book down and sighed.
Even if I minimized the number of acupoints required to manifest the technique, the energy had to pass through the Cheondol, Yeomcheon, and Seungjang points. The problem was the Seungjang point on my Ren Meridian; I hadn't unblocked it yet, which was why the transmission wasn't working.
"Does this mean the only thing I can use is Six Harmonies Voice Transmission?"
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. I was lacking the very basics I always emphasized.
The goal was to convey words secretly, yet this technique made my voice resonate from multiple directions at once. How could that be considered an Advanced Martial Art?
In the end, it meant I had to accumulate more internal energy and unblock both the Ren and Du Meridians.
For the time being, I’ll just have to bluff and say I haven't learned Sound Transmission yet so as not to limit my martial potential.
However, as I set the manual down, my eyes inadvertently caught a sentence in the middle of the page.
Six Harmonies Voice Transmission and the Lion's Roar are guided through similar acupoints?
Intrigued, I picked the book back up and began to slowly decipher the text.
"Oh!"
When I let out an involuntary exclamation of admiration after finishing the passage, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang asked, "My Lord, have you gained some martial insight?"
Yes, if you could call it that.
Theoretically, the Lion's Roar—a type of sonic art—was only possible once one possessed at least one jiazi of internal energy.
In reality, however, most people couldn't manifest a Lion's Roar even with sixty years of cultivation.
The Lion's Roar involved projecting internal energy through the mouth as sound waves into the air to create a massive resonance, but ordinary internal power couldn't vibrate the air that effectively.
The reason I had succeeded with Six Harmonies Voice Transmission during my bet with Galwi was that when I blasted internal energy from the root of my tongue, it was transformed into sound waves. Internal energy from the middle or lower dantian doesn't naturally convert into sound waves.
This was why one usually had to reach the Super-Peak Realm with at least two jiazi of power to master the Lion's Roar using energy from the lower dantians.
The manual explained that at the level of two jiazi, the accumulated energy in the middle and lower dantians gains the property of expansion and dispersion, triggering an Elastic Path.
This time, I attempted a Lion's Roar following the acupoint pathways of the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission.
Since I didn't know what would happen, I funneled a small amount of internal energy into the root of my tongue and opened my mouth.
"Ah!"
Immediately, an "Ah, ah, ah, ah" echoed through the room. However, as the sound resonated from all directions, it ended up sounding like a woman’s moan.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang flinched at the sound and looked around in surprise.
"Where did that moaning come from?" Po Zhongyin asked Xing Youzheng.
"I am practicing a sonic art," I bluffed.
At my explanation, Po Zhongyin and Xing Youzheng returned to their spots and settled down.
Next, I tried the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission without making a sound.
I wanted to see what kind of phenomenon would occur.
As I opened my mouth and activated the technique, Po Zhongyin spoke up.
"Wait! Why did my ears suddenly go numb?"
His words gave me a realization.
When masters unleashed a Lion's Roar, warriors with lower internal energy would have their internal power shaken or their eardrums ruptured.
This meant the vibration was being transmitted.
I confirmed this when I saw the water I had poured into the cup rippling, even though the cup itself hadn't moved.
The fact that ripples were forming meant the water was being affected by my Lion's Roar.
It definitely works as a Lion's Roar. I might be the only person in the world to achieve a Lion's Roar with only half a jiazi of energy.
If it could ripple water and make the Twin Heroes' ears go numb, I figured it could probably blow out a candle too.
"Zhongyin."
"Yes, My Lord."
When I called him, Po Zhongyin stepped forward politely.
"Place a candle on this table and light it."
Po Zhongyin found a candle and lit it on the table where I was sitting.
As the flame flickered to the size of a thumb, I opened my mouth and unleashed the Lion's Roar.
The flame wavered as if hit by a gust of wind, nearly dying out before flickering back to life.
Meanwhile, the Twin Heroes muttered again about their ears feeling muffled.
The reason the Lion's Roar is similar to Six Harmonies Voice Transmission is that the sound has to be dispersed in all directions. But what if I gathered that dispersing force into a single point? Wouldn't that become a formidable power in its own right?
With that thought, I gathered my internal energy toward the root of my tongue, pursed my lips as if to whistle, and blasted the Lion's Roar toward the candle.
The flame flickered for a brief second and then went out.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang, who were watching, were struck with awe.
"Ah! How can this be?"
The distance between me and the candle was too great for it to be extinguished by a mere human breath. They were shocked because the candle had gone out while I was sitting perfectly still.
I didn't shout, but I felt a surge of immense joy inside and clenched my fist.
This is the first time I’ve realized and achieved a martial technique entirely on my own! Besides, isn't this a technique that doesn't even exist in this world?
It was true.
While the world knew of the Finger Flicking Art, there was no such thing as a Tongue Flicking Art.
To use the Finger Flicking Art, one at least had to flick a finger, but my Tongue Flicking Art could be launched instantly without any prior movement, making it perfect for use as a hidden weapon.
Use it as a hidden weapon?
Thinking about it, it was more than capable of that.
I picked up the water cup, placed it on the table, and returned to my seat.
The distance between me and the cup was five paces.
I moved my internal energy more forcefully, pursed my lips, and unleashed the Lion's Roar.
Crack!
Without fail, the water cup shattered into pieces on the table.
"Gasp!"
Seeing this, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang were beyond shocked; they stood with their mouths agape, staring at the broken cup like men who had lost their souls.
I felt the same way. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst.
It works. I only thought of it, and it actually works.
This technique might look ridiculous, but its utility for me was enormous.
For instance, if I were moving with the Ox Step and drawing my sword, and the enemy blocked my blade, I could use the Tongue Flicking Art to strike their dead blood point. They would die in a single move.
How could anyone block the invisible Tongue Flicking Art, which wasn't even a physical dagger?
Now, the Draw Sword Instant Kill is truly complete, and not just in name.
Xing Youzheng, having regained his senses, looked at me with eyes full of reverence.
"Um, My Lord... have you perhaps attained the Heart Sword?"
I suppose it could look that way to them.
Since the candle went out and the water cup shattered without me making a single move, it was easy to mistake it for the legendary Heart Sword, where one can kill an opponent through intent alone.
"No. I just tried something I’d been thinking about."
The Twin Heroes didn't dare ask more and simply stared at me.
I gave them a firm instruction.
"Do not speak of this to anyone. This is a secret between me and the two of you. If this becomes known to others, it can no longer be called a secret weapon."
"We shall not utter a word of this, even in our graves."
I believed the Twin Heroes. It had been a long time since I’d lost the capacity for faith and trust in this world, but these men brought those feelings back to me.
The feeling of being able to trust someone was very similar to the feeling of loving someone.
Both were the only things that truly warmed my heart.
"Now, you two go and rest."
The Twin Heroes obeyed immediately.
"Yes, My Lord. We shall see you tomorrow morning."
I smiled as I watched them bow and leave.
Once they were gone, I decided to practice the Tongue Flicking Art a bit more. In fact, the reason I had sent them away early was to practice what I had in mind.
I placed a candle at a distance of two zhang and fired the Tongue Flicking Art.
The flame wavered and went out.
However, the problem was that the candle at three zhang wouldn't go out. It only flickered slightly.
Because of the distance, the force of the Tongue Flicking Art disperses before it reaches the target.
I wondered how I could concentrate that power even more, and then I slapped my knee.
Right! Instead of just pursing my lips, what if I roll my tongue into a tube and then blast the energy through it?
My heart raced at the thought that this might be the answer.
If this succeeded, an invisible, long-range hidden weapon would be born.
I relit the candle and rolled my lips and tongue.
Then, I funneled in internal energy and unleashed the Lion's Roar.
As I put in stronger energy, my tongue felt tingly and numb, as if it had been burned. Because the tongue is so soft, it couldn't easily handle the intense internal power.
But the pain was brief.
The candle three zhang away didn't even waver; it simply went out instantly, as if water had been poured on it.
"Success."
I was so happy that I threw my hands up, and tears began to stream down my face.
How could I explain this joy? I had tried to learn Sound Transmission, accidentally achieved Six Harmonies Voice Transmission, which led to the Lion's Roar, and finally resulted in the creation of the Tongue Flicking Art.
If Galwi were here, I felt like I would have bowed to him and called him "big brother."
If he hadn't taunted me with Sound Transmission, today's success would never have happened.
Even if you make a huge mistake against me, I’ll let it slide a few times.
I wiped my tears and fired the Tongue Flicking Art at the farthest window paper.
Pop!
A hole was punched through the paper. Now, all that remained was to increase its destructive power. If I did that, I could actually kill an opponent with the Tongue Flicking Art.
Even so, I didn't think I had become a true master.
I simply viewed it as gaining one more trick to make my bluffing more convincing.
With a decent Lightness Skill, the Scattering Light Red Sun Flash, and now this Tongue Flicking Art, I could finally possess the aura of a master rather than just pretending to be one.
Moreover, since the Ghostly Sword was still perfect for bluffing, I now had a handful of techniques to call my own.
My heart swelled with pride as I thought about how much easier my life would become.
Finally, the sun was rising on my life.
Pretending to be a master without the actual skills had been incredibly exhausting.
It was like a constant, nerve-wracking tightrope walk.
But now, I didn't have to worry so much.
I could live with my head held high, acting like a master and speaking boldly.
But of course, one only speaks boldly to underlings.
What about living among true masters just because I knew a few techniques?
If anyone suggested that, I’d rip their mouth open.
As I’ve said time and again, living as a master means living with your life constantly on the line.
The only person in the world who can sleep with their legs stretched out is the number one master under heaven.
Except for that one person, every other master lives in constant anxiety, never knowing when they might die.
This is because masters stake their lives in a fight, while underlings stake their survival.
Strangely, the more of a master someone is, the more they tend to stake their life when they enter a battle.
That is why more masters die in fierce battles.
Anyway, the conclusion was that I was most happy about being able to live as a master among the bottom-feeders without having to walk on eggshells.
I vowed that even when I went to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress, I would no longer live at the mercy of others' whims.
"Wait, I need to give this technique a name. What should I call it? Should I name it after myself and call it the Jaseo Divine Skill? No, that’s too tacky. Since it came from the Lion's Roar, should I call it the Lion's Tongue Flicking Art? No, not that either. It’s missing something. I need a name that sounds profound and impressive just by hearing it. That’ll be better for my livelihood."
I paced the room, muttering to myself like a madman.
Then, I smacked my forehead.
"I need to use this method alongside my sword techniques, so I should name it like a sword style so people can understand it. If they realize it’s coming from my mouth, they’ll all be on guard. Then it won't be a secret weapon anymore. A revealed hidden weapon isn't threatening. So, let’s name it like a sword technique."
I began pacing the room again, absorbed in coming up with a plausible name for a sword style.
Then, I clapped my hands.
"Right. No need to make it complicated; I can just borrow one of the rumors people are already spreading. Since using the Tongue Flicking Art while drawing my sword will result in an instant kill, I’ll call it Draw Sword Instant Kill. And since that sounds a bit lonely on its own, I’ll add 'Life Claiming Style' to signify taking a life. It’s perfect."
Draw Sword Instant Kill: Life Claiming Style!
Doesn't it sound like a profound sword technique?
And surely, someone will eventually ask for the name of the technique when I use my Ghostly Sword to perform telekinetic sword control.
Since I was already naming things, I might as well make that one too.
Once I had one name, the rest flowed easily.
"Draw Sword Instant Kill: Flying Sword Style!"
And since the form of the technique is different when I use the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet, I needed an appropriate name for that as well.
"Since they die as if they’ve suffered Qi Deviation and it kills multiple people around them, it’s like something exploded. I’ll call it Explosive Sword. Draw Sword Instant Kill: Explosive Sword Style."
With this, I now possessed techniques other than the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword.
Draw Sword Instant Kill: Life Claiming Style!
Draw Sword Instant Kill: Flying Sword Style!
Draw Sword Instant Kill: Explosive Sword Style!
And I had to weave these three forms into a single martial art.
I hesitated slightly here. While the names of the forms were flashy, the name of the sword style itself had to have a touch of simplicity to feel like an Advanced Martial Art.
Indeed, the more advanced a master's sword style, the more humble its name tended to be.
This was because they transcended worldly vanity, and I needed a name that would disguise me as such a figure.
"Since anyone who faces these forms will absolutely die, 'Three Ultimate Techniques' would be a perfect fit."
Doesn't it sound like the final martial insight of some hidden master?
Three Ultimate Techniques: Draw Sword Instant Kill, Explosive Sword Style.
The name was a bit long, but I could just call it the Explosive Sword Style later. When I told people the name of my martial art, they would surely think it possessed incredible power.
It might be a fraudulent martial art, but since its destructive power was the same as a master's, I wasn't worried.
Honestly, whether you die from a scam or a real sword technique, aren't you just as dead either way?