Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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No matter how much it was meditation training, one couldn't do it all day long. After I revealed the Wudang Sect's ultimate arts to the Sword Demon, my routine shifted to meditation practice from dawn until lunchtime, followed by training those ultimate arts with him in the afternoon.
However, for the afternoon ultimate art sessions, we deliberately switched locations to a secret training ground set up in the nearby wild mountains. Whether the Sword Demon had realized that the Wudang Sect's ultimate arts were extraordinary divine skills or not, he seemed to think it crucial to keep them from leaking to the disciples.
Drawing from my past experiences researching the Thunder God Style, I shared with the Sword Demon as much of my knowledge on the ultimate arts as I could. Of course, I wasn't gaining the same profound insights that Lee Gwang or Jin So-cheong had back then, but I could certainly explain the meaning and variations contained in each technique. And when I delved into detailed oral formulas, the Sword Demon simply listened without a word.
Once the transmission of the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword was roughly complete on the first day, the Sword Demon exclaimed in admiration.
"Indeed... So that's why the Bright Dragon Master boasted so confidently!"
"What do you mean?"
"Twenty years ago, I clashed with the Wudang Sect's once-in-a-generation genius, the Bright Dragon Master. We were evenly matched, but he claimed that if one fully mastered the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, they could easily defeat me. I was skeptical then, but seeing it now, I understand."
This was something I'd heard in a previous life as well. I decided to ask the Sword Demon about a point I hadn't inquired about before.
"I'm sorry, but I don't quite get it."
"What don't you get?"
"I know the Bending Void Sword bends space, and the Heavenly Contraction Sword manipulates attractive and repulsive forces... but I'm not sure why that's superior to other will techniques."
My doubt was natural. From Lee Gwang onward, every transcendent genius I'd met praised the power of the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, but as for me, I hadn't really gained much practical benefit from using them extensively. Sure, they came in handy in certain situations, but compared to the White Lotus Cult's four supreme martial arts' pinnacle techniques like the Thunderclap Isle, True Night Moon Shadow, or Nine Extremes Blood Wind God Fist, they seemed lacking.
The Sword Demon answered.
"Your enlightenment is still too shallow to grasp their true power. If someone fully masters and integrates both the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, they could dispatch me effortlessly within a hundred exchanges."
"......!!"
"I don't know what will techniques you've seen, but the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword have a trait that grants overwhelming superiority in battles against peak experts. Namely, the ability to dominate space."
"Don't other will techniques dominate space according to one's will as well?"
The Sword Demon countered with a hollow laugh.
"Ha ha... You should know better than I do, yet it's strange. Do you really not understand their greatness?"
"......"
At a loss for words, I shut my mouth, and the Sword Demon sighed before explaining.
"Of course, a master's killing move can seize space. But dominating space means something different. It means you can distort an already deployed technique."
"Distort it?"
"After hearing the oral formulas for the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword from you, I've roughly envisioned how to apply them at full mastery. You can probably shift the opponent's aimed strike point with the Bending Void Sword and freely contract or expand the distance with the Heavenly Contraction Sword. No expert, no matter how great, could smoothly attack or defend like that."
Having explained that far, the Sword Demon continued.
"The scariest part is that the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword become even more potent in will-stage martial arts. They can be integrated into any sect's any technique and used freely. If that's not a divine ultimate art, what is?"
"Ugh...!!"
In that instant, something flashed through my mind.
'Heavenly Annihilation Isle!'
The killing move Lee Gwang used against the Wind God Style guardian beast!
At the time, Jin So-cheong, who had watched alongside me, mentioned that Lee Gwang had advanced to a new realm thanks to learning the Wudang Sect's ultimate arts from me. The Heavenly Annihilation Isle was probably a technique born from that new realm.
'Lee Gwang's Heavenly Annihilation Isle casually shattered the Wind Demon Annihilation Array Nine Extremes Blood Wind God Fist. In other words, it suppressed a killing move executed at utmost perfection by the guardian beast...'
Another killing move came to mind.
I recalled its name.
'Reverse Scale Annihilation Isle.'
Yong Bi-cheon unleashed a wind bullet drawing on infinite inner energy, but it was obliterated amid thunderous clamor, ultimately leaving thunder marks in the heavens and severing the arm of the Wind God Style guardian beast, Yong Bi-cheon! While traveling with me, Jin So-cheong revealed that the Reverse Scale Annihilation Isle was actually a technique he and Lee Gwang had developed together. Of course, he died soon after, so I never got the details.
I quickly pieced it together.
'The Heavenly Annihilation Isle and Reverse Scale Annihilation Isle... weren't those the result of incorporating space domination traits into Thunder God Style martial arts?'
That had to be it. It explained why the Heavenly Annihilation Isle pierced the Nine Extremes Blood Wind God Fist and why the Reverse Scale Annihilation Isle erased Yong Bi-cheon's wind bullet. True to their genius, they had successfully grafted just the advantages of the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword onto Thunder God Style martial arts in a matter of years.
As I sank into thought, the Sword Demon chuckled heartily.
"It's been a while since I've felt the thrill of learning martial arts. Tell me more."
"Understood!"
I replied boldly.
I didn't think we were at the level of sharing secrets about the black obsidian yet, but the Sword Demon was clearly treating me with great favor. He was my greatest ally in this life. If he grew stronger through the Wudang Sect's martial arts, I'd get to share in the benefits.
'Get stronger!'
Without the slightest hesitation, over the next two months, I taught the Sword Demon everything I knew about the Wudang Sect's ultimate arts. Not just the Bending Void Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, but the True Warrior Seven Ultimate Scriptures, Mysterious Heaven Five Divine Decisions, Supreme Ultimate Will Willow Sword, and Seven Stars Shadow Escape—every form and technique, along with my research insights.
But a problem arose.
The Sword Demon tilted his head and said.
"Unparalleled Hegemon... What kind of technique is this?"
I scratched my head.
"Well... I don't know its true nature."
Indeed.
Among the Wudang Sect's ultimate arts passed down from the Prime Prime Ancestor Chang Sam-bong True Man, the six great ultimate arts possessed terrifying power and clear purposes. However, the Unparalleled Hegemon at the end of my memories existed only as an oral formula, with no explanation of how to apply it. The Sword Demon reviewed the Unparalleled Hegemon's formula and movements before saying.
"Fist technique... no, it feels like a dance. And there are so many enigmatic passages..."
"That's why I could never practice the Unparalleled Hegemon at all."
"That makes sense."
What on earth was the true nature of the Unparalleled Hegemon?
Even among the insights left by Prime Prime Ancestor Chang Sam-bong, there was not a single mention of the Unparalleled Hegemon's purpose or power. Considering Chang Sam-bong was the Great Law Immortal and wouldn't skimp on teachings, it had to hold some profound meaning.
Yet, even Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong in the past hadn't unraveled the Unparalleled Hegemon's mystery. They merely said it brimmed with secrets. It could be called the world's most enigmatic martial art.
The Sword Demon said.
"Anyway, good. With today's session, the training is fully on track, so let's begin special training."
"Special training?"
"Yes. Hm... sparring."
Here it comes!
I'd sensed the Sword Demon itching for a spar with me. He seemed to hold back since I looked busy every day with meditation and transmission. But finally, the time for sparring with the Sword Demon had arrived.
Having had my arm severed by him in the past, I felt considerable reluctance. But I quickly steeled myself and said.
"Please go easy on me."
"Good!"
So what if I die.
If I die, I'll just train again.
In this life, even if I died, there was no one else who'd be unhappy about it, right?
That mindset let me accept it lightheartedly.
Soon, the spar began in the training ground with the Sword Demon.
Clang!!
Sword flames collided, resounding with a deafening crash. Just like before, the first ten exchanges or so seemed to be him gauging my skill evenly. Around the fifteenth exchange, the Sword Demon transmitted to me.
[Concentrate your will into your gaze.]
Will into my gaze?
Before I could even ponder the meaning, the Sword Demon's single strike came hurtling at terrifying speed. As before, I couldn't sense its presence at all. Knowing this was the pinnacle of the Shadowless Soul-Seizing Sword, I braced for follow-ups while strengthening my gaze.
'I see it...'
The moment of heart-eye clarity, as if time had stopped, arrived. I realized I was half-consciously interfacing with this world. To read the vortex of will from the Sword Demon's sword, I focused my will into my eyes.
'Here!'
Swoosh!!
It grazed perilously close to my cheek, but the Sword Demon's pinnacle strike missed. Far better than my first spar, I was thrilled.
'I applied it!'
I'd succeeded in consciously drawing out will to reinforce my gaze!
The Sword Demon withdrew his strike, smiling faintly.
"Well done. With this, we can say White Protector has entered the gate of will."
"Yes? Just this... "
"Just? You clearly perceived my will-infused strike and evaded using will, didn't you? That's a world of difference from the stage below. At least now you can tell how the opponent attacks."
"I see."
The Sword Demon suddenly grinned mischievously.
"But there's a problem."
Pfft!
"......!!"
In that instant, I felt a thin red line flash across my waist and shoulder. Only belatedly did my clothes flutter from being sliced, yet miraculously, not a single hair on my skin was cut.
'When did he slice that?!'
It wasn't now. It must have been during the exchange just moments ago.
But I hadn't felt it at all—how?
As I reeled in confusion, the Sword Demon said.
"I mixed in a bit of Bending Void Sword. Better than expected."
"Yes?! What did you say?!"
"Why so surprised? You taught it, so of course I can use it."
"......"
I was speechless.
The Sword Demon had learned the Bending Void Sword only about two months ago. And not just that—he'd invested precious fragments of time learning the other five ultimate arts too. Realistically, he should be a complete novice with the Bending Void Sword.
Yet he'd already reached the realm of applying its traits to his own sword techniques!
I grasped the essence of Sword Demon Seo Mun Dae-ryong.
'This man is an insane martial genius too...!!'
Seo Mun-hye, who became a peak expert in her twenties, didn't admire her father for nothing. No, I should have realized it from the fact that, at a young age, he matched evenly with the Wudang Sect's aged-but-youthful Bright Dragon Master. He was the unrivaled master and martial prodigy of the unorthodox martial world.
Normally, one would despair or wail in anguish here. Facing such an overwhelming talent gap shatters the human spirit. But I felt no fracture in my mentality and refocused on the spar.
"Once more, please."
"Of course!"
Clang
Claaang
As promised, I lost after exactly a hundred exchanges. My skill had grown far beyond when I first joined the Shadowless Sect, but the Sword Demon's had increased even more. He was probably still advancing at tremendous speed.
Yet I felt nothing.
Being crushed by talent wasn't new. Inferiority or frustration were too familiar to stir me now. Instead, those emotions had worn away, leaving me focused solely on pursuing [strength] itself.
I'm nothing special.
Anyone, over a hundred years, dying fifteen times while training martial arts, would end up like me.
The Sword Demon said.
"Good. Sparring seems fruitful from now on. Reduce meditation to one hour and spend the rest sparring with me. About a hundred times should make you fully accustomed to will."
"I have a question."
"Speak."
I asked cautiously.
"I've only managed to reinforce my gaze and footwork with will. Why can't I blend it into techniques?"
"Hm... Let's call it a matter of imagination."
"Imagination?"
The Sword Demon nodded and said.
"The will techniques of ultra-peak experts, forged at the end of extreme training, overwhelmingly transcend human physical limits. They often take on terrifying spectacles straight out of storybooks. In other words, will techniques are the crystallization of imagination."
"......?"
"A will technique reflects and maximizes the strongest form one envisions into the technique."
"That works?"
"Of course."
With arms crossed, he continued.
"Those called ultra-peak experts are without exception masters or grandmasters in their field. The blood and sweat they've shed to reach that realm surpass mortal imagination. And when a human accumulates that level of training, they develop their own philosophy."
The Sword Demon gazed at the sky with serene eyes.
"That philosophy is their personal answer to what [strongest] means. Will manifests that imagination, enabling superhuman feats."
"Ah!"
"Of course, reality isn't kind enough to perfectly realize that imagination. So, they infuse will techniques only into the pinnacle strike of utmost proficiency among their honed martial arts and techniques."
With that, I felt I'd nearly fully grasped the battles of ultra-peak experts.
Fundamentally, in the heart-eye clarity world manipulating utmost instantaneous time, they exchange blows with extreme precision, unleashing their strongest will technique at peak proficiency to shatter the opponent's will technique!
That was the combat logic of the Central Plains' top-tier experts.
'That's why Jin So-cheong trained the basic spear art Ran Nachal!'
Jin So-cheong could have honed advanced forms of the Heavenly Thunder Ultimate Pole Spear, but having understood ultra-peak combat, he didn't. The closer to the pinnacle, the simpler the forms become, requiring optimization for will techniques, so he refined the basic form with the fewest openings to its extreme.
Finishing his explanation, the Sword Demon said.
"Thus, to graft will onto your 'techniques,' first define what strength you desire. You could forcibly reinforce techniques without it, but the power would drop sharply."
A new task emerged for me.
What was the will technique I desired?
It was tantamount to defining the form of the strongest martial art in my mind.