Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Heavenly Realm
For the next three days, I rested comfortably, focusing all my efforts on restoring my stamina and qi to peak condition. I wanted to immediately receive the essences of the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword, but attempting it in my current state would just waste time. Easing the muscle soreness throughout my body took a fairly grueling period.
"Let's spar once."
By the time I had fully recovered my stamina, the Sword Demon proposed a match against me.
Kaang!!
Our sword strikes clashed. It didn't feel much different from before, but around the twentieth exchange, I sensed something in the initial flurry.
'Easier...'
My own swordsmanship hadn't changed much. However, I could now use intent even in basic exchanges to judge offense and defense, and respond fluidly to the Sword Demon's powerful strikes with sword aura. Because of that, though I was still flustered by his elusive techniques, I didn't yield a major advantage.
Paat
After over a hundred exchanges, the Sword Demon withdrew his sword and stepped back.
"You've grown."
"Yes."
"This level should be fine to proceed straight to the essence transmission."
With that, the Sword Demon began explaining the essence of the Void Bending Sword.
Since I'd heard the basics before, it was easy to understand. He added further details.
"The key is the feeling of bending space with intent. You must properly synchronize your techniques and mind with your breathing to achieve good curvature."
Buwoong
As the Sword Demon lightly executed the first form of the Shadowless Soul Severing Sword, the sword path bent in a bizarre direction that seemed to defy the form's shape, just like last time. I'd felt it during our earlier spar, but when a sword path curved so freely, it was incredibly hard to evade. Combined with the Shadowless Soul Severing Sword's nature, it became an unparalleled killing technique.
The Sword Demon smiled faintly.
"...Normally, this would be the limit of what I could teach. But the Famed Dragon and I discovered another profound use of the Void Bending Sword over the past three months."
"Another profound use?"
"Indeed. It probably aligns with the realm that Lee Gwang, from your previous life, ultimately attained through his research."
The Sword Demon assumed a mid stance and glared at the empty air. He straightened his murderous intent as if facing an enemy, clearly striving to demonstrate the technique's real combat power. His intent coalesced in an instant, rigid like a straight bamboo stalk, and with a sharp shout, he vanished from the spot.
"Hap!"
It happened in that moment.
Kugugung
I watched as the Sword Demon's body reappeared three zhang away, radiant light scattering like flower petals. Then, an immense force brushed past, felt through my intent. It was a domineering power.
"......!!"
I clenched my fist while watching. I now understood why the Sword Demon hadn't shown me that supreme technique during our spar.
'That attack can't be dodged or blocked...!!'
Overwhelming might!
Even in practice, if I took that supreme technique head-on, I'd be turned into mincemeat or killed instantly. As I stood stunned by its power, the Sword Demon caught his breath and sheathed his sword.
"It's quite similar to Lee Gwang's Heavenly Sky Annihilation, isn't it?"
"Yes..."
It truly was.
The single step of the Thunder God that obliterated the clones in one strike against Wind Demon Annihilation Nine Extremes Blood Wind God Fist, the ultimate of the Wind God Style guardian deity Yong Bi-cheon, and shattered his protective aura—the Heavenly Sky Annihilation! Previously, the level gap was too vast for me to even discern how it was executed. But what I'd felt in the Sword Demon's single exchange now was essentially the same.
The Sword Demon said,
"Once you're sufficiently adept at bending space with the Void Bending Sword, you'll advance to the next stage: unification with the Celestial Pivot Sword essence."
"Unification with the Celestial Pivot Sword essence?"
"Yes. That's the conclusion the Famed Dragon and I reached."
He plopped down on the spot and continued.
"Chang San-bong, the originator, designed these two supreme arts with purpose in their pairing. When proficiency in the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword reaches a certain level, a synergistic effect emerges. The result is a technique that 'devours' space entirely, like just now."
"Devours..."
As I repeated that unique concept, the Sword Demon spoke.
"For experts, the distance to the opponent is as vital as life itself. The Void Bending Sword lets you warp space, while the Celestial Pivot Sword lets you control distance to the foe. When these traits combine, the dimension of sword paths you can wield changes. It's more accurate to say it elevates to a higher dimension."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"Even more astonishing is that this unified essence transcends the nature of any martial art. Whether Thunder God Style, Shadowless Soul Severing Swordsmanship, Wudang swordsmanship, or even third-rate swordplay... Chang San-bong truly was a peerless master."
"......!!"
"You'll strive from today to attain this unified essence. Once you do, few in the world will be able to handle you."
"Understood!!"
I gritted my teeth.
With the path to greater strength laid bare before me, who wouldn't devote themselves fully? Even if my talent fell short, I would never give up.
Thus began the Sword Demon's guidance on the Void Bending Sword. Under his patient instruction, I relentlessly focused on bending sword paths with intent. At first, it was frustrating and progress stalled, but after about two months, I could finally curve my techniques.
Suaaat
"Success!!"
I was overjoyed at my first successful application of the Void Bending Sword to a technique. I couldn't freely extend the sword path like the Sword Demon, but it was refined enough for real combat. As I celebrated, the Sword Demon chided me.
"Aren't you overly thrilled? It's only natural."
"Natural?"
"Indeed. If you were clumsy with intent, it would've taken not two months, but ten years. But you've mastered it to the point of using sword aura, so this achievement is par for the course. Moreover, in pure training time, you've far outstripped me."
"I see..."
It deflated me somewhat. The Sword Demon chuckled and said,
"Then from today, I'll teach you the Celestial Pivot Sword as well. In the remaining time, learn the Seven Star Shadow Escape from the Famed Dragon."
"The Seven Star Shadow Escape is a movement art. Why now..."
My doubt was reasonable.
The Seven Star Shadow Escape was a lost supreme movement technique of the Wudang Sect. Naturally, it held profound mystery. But in our urgent need to attain the unified essence, spending time on it made no sense.
Moreover, I already possessed the peerless escape art Annihilation Step, rendering the Seven Star Shadow Escape unnecessary. For pure speed, Annihilation Step was far superior.
The Sword Demon replied,
"It's quite peculiar. Mastering the Seven Star Shadow Escape's secret makes attaining the unified essence of the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword far easier."
"Huh..."
"Chang San-bong didn't transmit the Wudang Seven Supreme Arts to you without meaning."
"Please explain in more detail."
The Sword Demon nodded and said,
"While you endured three months of hellish training for sword aura, the Famed Dragon and I ceaselessly debated and analyzed the Seven Supreme Arts. We discovered that, excluding the Peerless Tyrant, the remaining six are organically linked."
"Linked..."
"While long cultivating Wudang supreme arts, you've surely felt the movements linking like a dance."
"Yes."
"That's because the secrets embedded in the six supreme arts resonate with each other. To gain the unified essence of the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword, you need the Seven Star Shadow Escape's secret; mastering that leads to grasping the True Martial Seven Ultimate Scripture's flow; that requires understanding the Mysterious Heaven Five Divine Secrets' meridians; that demands learning the Taiji Essential Intent Free Sword's sword paths; and ultimately, it circles back to the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword."
The Sword Demon shrugged.
"It's like heaven and earth resonating. The six supreme arts are bound as one martial art. You must master all to perfection in any one—and that one becomes all. How could this not be the Taiji, the Primordial Chaos?"
"......!!"
In that instant, I felt as if my head had been struck by a heavy blow.
'The world... Chang San-bong...!!'
I wouldn't have known otherwise, but his words revealed the profound mystery latent in the Wudang supreme arts. Until now, I'd only seen them as lacking destructive power compared to Thunder God Style—but ascending to the intent stage and observing martial arts' essence had changed my perspective.
Cold sweat beaded on my skin.
'I... was truly a novice!'
I sensed the absolute grandmaster Chang San-bong contemplating all creation's transformations on his palm, from an unimaginable realm of nothingness. This was no martial art to judge superficially by visible might.
The six supreme arts resonated like beads on a string, harmonizing without contradiction into perfect form—it was even beautiful. The Taiji emerging from chaos symbolized nature itself.
No wonder peak experts like Lee Gwang and the Sword Demon, upon encountering Chang San-bong's enlightenment, were awestruck and praised its transcendence despite their arrogance born of supreme intent mastery. They could only humble themselves before it.
The Sword Demon said,
"Don't worry. In ten years, you'll fully grasp the intent secrets and basics of the six supreme arts."
"The world... Is that possible?"
I questioned him in disbelief. Ten years seemed long to ordinary folk, but incredibly short for the payoff. Now adept at the transcendent realm, I intuited that properly mastering the six would take at least a century. Ten years was a bargain.
The Sword Demon suddenly looked delighted.
"Heh heh heh. Naturally, with just the Famed Dragon and me, such research would've been impossible. How could one swiftly master Chang San-bong's supreme arts without the White Lotus Cult Leader? But thanks to you, it was possible."
"Yes?"
"You have memories of researching and debating supreme arts for years with Thunder God Style prodigies. Plus memories of seeing Lee Gwang's intent applications like Heavenly Sky Annihilation and Reverse Scale Slash, and Jin So-cheong's martial arts. I advanced decades of research effortlessly."
"......"
"The Famed Dragon thinks I'm an absolute genius. Kahaha."
Those camp training memories where I barely understood anything! Through the obsidian, the Sword Demon had received them, drastically shortening his Wudang supreme arts research. I newly appreciated the obsidian's power from the Oracle.
'With the obsidian, I can inherit achievements from past lives!'
I acknowledged the Oracle's spells were extraordinarily effective. And resolved to learn more from her next time.
After training with the Sword Demon, I went to the Famed Dragon and began learning the Seven Star Shadow Escape. He said with mild annoyance,
"You've drilled the Seven Star Shadow Escape forms until you're sick of them, so straight to the secret transmission. Any questions?"
"No."
"Good."
I knew further questions would only confuse me. With my middling intellect, I needed to focus fully on the secret or waste time.
'Let's work hard!'
This life, focus solely on advancing my martial arts!
The outside world be damned!
Thus, six years passed in a flash.
I still hadn't attained the unified essence of the Void Bending Sword and Celestial Pivot Sword. But I'd learned to properly wield them as intent techniques, and grasped applications for the rest. Compared to superficially skimming them in my past life, this was true advancement.
While training, the Sword Demon said to me,
"Baek Woong. I must return to the Shadowless Sect briefly."
"What happened?"
"Nothing major."
A lie.
The Sword Demon wouldn't abandon training time for something trivial.
As I stared at him, he conceded,
"Fine. Actually, it is major."
"I'll help."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Trouble at the Shadowless Sect?"
He answered my question nonchalantly.
"Actually..."
But his words made my body stiffen involuntarily.
"Jin So-cheong went off to take down the Eight Demonic Lords. So I have no choice but to go."
============================ Author's Note ============================
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