Chapter 120: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Law-Transcending Halo Qi (8)
'A fragment of Bodhidharma's true qi?'
It was the treasure that had been sealed within the treasure token from the City of Master Craftsmen. A halo of light spread across the boy's Upper Dantian.
It was called spirituality—a power said to elevate mere weapons into the realm of divine armaments.
'This is…'
Inspiration struck like a bomb detonating in his mind, so intense it felt like it was forcibly dragging out every last ounce of his latent talent.
Great Monk Bodhidharma. Even as the vision of a pure Buddhist martial art surged through his consciousness, it placed no strain on his Baihui point.
Was the Bodhidharma True Qi compensating for the toll of his short-life syndrome?
The moment he crossed his legs into a lotus position, everything else vanished from his mind. It was more accurate to say he had become completely detached.
The state of the battlefield, Ma Jin's severed arm, the warriors of the Desolate Fortress being helplessly pushed back, and even the bizarre actions of the Seventh Apostle—all of it faded away.
To complete a martial art capable of turning the tide of this battle, his mind had to be perfectly clear. He calmed his thoughts.
He channeled the mindset of an artisan from the Ironfolk's City of Master Craftsmen.
The cheerful teachings of the Tang Clan Leader, Heonwon Chang, came vividly to mind.
—If you pour your soul into every strike of the hammer, the armament takes on spirituality. That is how the divine swords and divine weaponry you hear about are made.
—Made…? What exactly is spirituality?
—To the human eye, it’s an incredibly faint intent, a power distinct from internal energy. A profound property. Only artisans who have reached the absolute pinnacle can wield it.
—Are you praising yourself?
—Think about it. A chipped piece of iron that can restore its own body. How grand is it to forge such a divine weapon? Like the Pangu Giant from the creation myths, it is creating life with human hands.
What Jeong Yeon-shin sought to create now was also a divine weapon.
It would be the foundation that would allow him to withstand the fruit of the World Tree and elevate him to an even higher realm. He was breathing life into his martial arts.
'The speed of accumulating qi is crucial. I must aim to create the fastest and most stable inner cultivation method in the world, even if I can't truly achieve it.'
Lost in meditation, Jeong Yeon-shin observed the Baihui point at the crown of his head.
The pressure felt as heavy as the Upper Dantian directly beneath it. He could fully feel the end of his life, now barely three years away.
To survive.
He had to surpass the Black Rank and reach the Purple Rank. The position of Commander of the Divine Sword Corps was a separate matter.
Simply sitting in that position wouldn’t make achievements fall into his lap.
He had to establish a justification so compelling that the Lord of the Desolate Fortress would have no choice but to give him the fruit of the World Tree.
The boy's world had a three-year horizon. His time was limited.
The end of his world would come. He would die. That was why this very moment was so critical.
'Today, I must become the equal of a supreme expert of the Black Rank.'
This inner cultivation method was for that purpose.
He had already constructed the path for circulating his qi, designed flawlessly.
From the Mara Blood-Roaring Art to the Moon Spirit Harmony Art, he had dismantled every coveted heart cultivation mnemonic he could find.
He knew the exact effect produced by every circulation path in the body's acupoints and the intent behind every inner cultivation method.
He had broken down the efficacy of each heart cultivation art and mapped out a new path.
The boy had finished his preparations even before arriving at the City of Master Craftsmen. He had completed the circulation paths, building the skeleton of his art.
He had only been waiting for the final spark of inspiration, the finishing touch that would perfect the heart cultivation art for his body.
Intent.
The unity of a mental image and qi circulation is called an inner cultivation method. The mind and the energy of nature harmonize to generate internal energy.
'I only need the final, crowning touch.'
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He recalled the first mnemonic. The intent of accumulating qi. With desperate earnestness, he sought to breathe in the energy of Mother Nature.
It was easy to formulate the words. The boy possessed only one ultimate desire.
[With every passing sunset, another day is lost.
The flow of sun and moon is a relentless wave, yet this body cannot even match a salmon swimming against the rapids.
I desire to defy heaven, yet I am bound by the laws of nature. No matter how I struggle, I cannot go against them.]
It was the first verse of a heart cultivation art that did not yet have a name, meant to evoke the intent of his new inner cultivation method.
Sssss—
As he raised his intent along with the circulation of qi, a reaction came. Natural qi began to rise, riding his inhalation.
It was the same as always. The problem lay in what came next.
Anguish.
Stray thoughts flickered in his mind. With his current breathing, he couldn't complete the inhalation. The energy dispersed instead of accumulating.
The residual forces scattered throughout his body were also disparate.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art, the Moon Spirit Harmony Art, the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand, the Mara Blood-Roaring Art… they were all in conflict because his heart cultivation art was not yet complete.
He needed one final realization to connect the flow.
'I must weave it with the teachings of the Diamond Sutra.'
Great Monk Bodhidharma's spirituality was with him. With its help, surely he could do it now.
Kiiiiing—!
His Upper Dantian sharpened his senses, strengthening his intent to manipulate true qi.
The power flooding from his Baihui point, which kept opening endlessly regardless of his will, felt truly infinite.
As his consciousness elevated, the innate energy inherent to Jeong Yeon-shin also surged.
Fwoosh!
His Baihui point filled with light. It flooded into and merged with the fragment of Great Monk Bodhidharma's spirituality.
At this moment, it was expanding once more. He didn't care. It was fine.
Great Monk Bodhidharma's manifestation and Jeong Yeon-shin's intent blended together in perfect harmony.
He recalled the teachings of the Diamond Sutra.
'Abide nowhere, yet let the mind arise. Let the mind flow as it will. Know it without being bound.'
When the mental image finally takes shape, the conviction accumulated by the mind becomes a heart cultivation art.
'Ah.'
Realizing what one already knew was also a form of enlightenment. The flower of light in his mind bloomed fully.
It spun rapidly like a wheel, a movement that drew the energy of nature into him.
The boy thought with his eyes closed.
…Since my only anguish is the desire to burn brightly through this short life.
It is only right to borrow the Buddha's wheel and use it as a stepping stone.
'Therefore, it is a halo.'
Simultaneously with his thought, the scattered energies throughout his body incandesced into a single color.
Though his eyelids were closed, his vision turned white. It was blindingly bright.
Yet he did not care. The boy's consciousness continued to whisper.
If a predetermined fate is the law of heaven…
I shall transcend that law at any cost.
'Therefore, it is law-transcending.'
Law-Transcending Halo.
He bestowed a name upon the heart cultivation art, defining its identity against the mysteries of the world.
Finally, the crowning touch. The spiritualities of Bodhidharma and Jeong Yeon-shin were overlaid onto the formless martial art.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art was a martial art that tempered the physical body.
What he sought to create now was different. He melted the subtle principles of the Jeong Family Dynamic Art into the functions of the inner cultivation method.
It was the constant operation of accumulating and circulating qi.
A torrent of light surged within his body, racing through his fine vessels, meridians, and acupoints.
As a single, fundamental quality was imbued into all the energy in his body, it rode a turbulent wave. The true qi of the Mara Blood-Roaring Art was imbued with divinity.
The Jeong Family Dynamic Art, the Demon-Quelling Azure Steel Hand, and the Moon Spirit Harmony Art melted into one within the crucible of the heart cultivation art.
Blood Art True Qi and Orthodox True Qi.
As if different beasts were transforming into spirit beasts, his internal power took on spirituality and transformed into a true qi of a completely different dimension.
Jeong Yeon-shin instinctively felt it. That they could smoothly merge into one at any time, or violently split into two.
It was a completely different realm.
'You, who have become one…'
He clearly drew the desired outline. Grasping the spirituality with his consciousness, he molded it into a tangible form.
At the same time, he bestowed upon it a concept that could be clearly recognized at any moment, just like the artisans of the City of Master Craftsmen.
'I shall call you the Law-Transcending Halo Qi, and make you my measure against the world!'
He roared with his soul. A tremendous echo reverberated through the realm of his mental image.
Wooooong!
“What is happening now?”
“Temporary Unit Commander! Are you alright?”
The voices of Baek Mi-ryeo and the Lazy Flame Dragon brushed past his ears.
The white current of air wrapping around Jeong Yeon-shin’s seated body gathered into a single point.
It was near his solar plexus, the Middle Dantian. A whirlwind raged.
The wheel that had been spinning in his mental image grew distinct. It settled inside his heart and took solid form.
Woooooong!
The sound of resonance was loud.
A ring of light. It was the driving force of his new heart cultivation art.
He had fully adopted Buddhist mythology. It was said that the wheel of the Chakravartin moves forward without hesitation, crushing mountains and rocks to deliver its teachings.
'This is my divine weapon.'
Jeong Yeon-shin opened his eyes. Even without observing his own interior, there was something he could clearly feel.
The halo dwelling in his heart was beating.
* * *
When Jeong Yeon-shin had broken from the formation to charge ahead alone, Namgung Hwa-shin had joined the battlefield leading the Radiant Wing Unit. Following Jeong Yeon-shin, four Blue-Ranked experts, including the Red-Day Sword, had also rushed out.
With them gone, there was no one else fit to act as deputy unit commander besides the White Qilin himself. It certainly wasn't a job that could be left to the Lazy Flame Dragon.
“Those 10th Sect bastards brought their absolute elite!”
“Their skills are superb! Avoid clashing swords directly! Take them down in a single exchange with the Fast Sword formula!”
The Radiant Wing Unit was soon scattered. There were too many enemies of equal caliber.
Normally, the difference between the Thirteen Heavens and the Desolate Fortress lay in the number of warriors. The Desolate Fortress was overwhelmingly larger than any single great sect, but when facing the Thirteen Heavens as a whole, it was at a disadvantage.
Right now, it was the latter.
'We must take the heads of their leaders,' Namgung Hwa-shin thought. It was the only logical conclusion.
His gaze swept the battlefield.
The very center of the fierce battle caught his eye.
He saw Jeong Yeon-shin, spitting blood, being pulled back by the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, while the Seventh Apostle of the Blood Flame Cult was performing some strange ritual.
It was a battlefield where one couldn't predict a single step ahead. Namgung Hwa-shin's emotions fluctuated wildly.
Meanwhile, the Blue-Eyed Demon Sword, Cheong-myeong, was struggling to parry the greatsword of the Sword Scorpion Demon, Dokgo Gwang. It did not look easy.
The sword of the man called the greatest Blue Rank swordsman had already lost much of its momentum.
His movements were sluggish. He was barely holding on by using the innate ability of the Brightfolk to summon a mysterious wind.
'He must have been fighting at a disadvantage for over seven days and nights. It’s amazing he’s held out this long.'
He was an incredible senior.
Cheong-myeong was a famous expert. With a personality that strictly divided those he liked from those he didn't, he had enjoyed considerable power due to his status as a pure-blooded Brightfolk.
For someone so composed to be reduced to this state showed the gravity of the situation.
'If he collapses, we will truly have no chance of winning.'
Namgung Hwa-shin ran, moving like an arrow. His fluttering blue robe seemed to contain the azure sky.
Fully unleashing the secret movement technique of the Unimpeded Clear Stream Body, he reached the center of the battlefield in an instant.
His skin tingled from the powerful wave of energy radiating from the Sword Scorpion Demon.
“The Desolate Fortress. It is indeed a pandemonium.”
The beard covering the lips of the Sword Scorpion Demon, Dokgo Gwang, curled upward. He had just violently deflected Cheong-myeong's Desolate Fortress sword.
The Brightfolk swordsman was sent flying backward in a long arc. The sword force had been terrifying.
It was strong enough to make the hair of the newly arrived Namgung Hwa-shin flutter violently.
“There are uselessly many extraordinary rising stars. The swords of the establishment should not be so sharp. It is only right that you all die here,” Dokgo Gwang said.
His indifferent tone was laced with killing intent. He swung his greatsword forward once more. It was a heavy, powerful strike. Though he was not of the Brightfolk, the wind erupting from his blade swept forward like a cannonball.
Kwoooong!
Namgung Hwa-shin met the sword wind head-on with his Desolate Fortress sword. He couldn't avoid it. His White-Ranked junior, Shin Bin-bin, had followed him and was hovering anxiously nearby.
The shockwave of true qi clashing and dispersing swept in all directions, scattering the dust at the bottom of the vast cavern.
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped his lips involuntarily. The shockwave that Jeong Yeon-shin had endured was truly heavy.
It didn't feel like a human technique at all. It was clearly of a higher caliber than Namgung Hwa-shin. This was the realm of the Black Rank.
Cheong-myeong, immediately returning to the fight, and Namgung Hwa-shin drew two trajectories with their sword paths.
Clang! Clang!
Dokgo Gwang's greatsword had a blade that was seventy percent of his own height. It was an exotic weapon used by only a few in the martial world, yet his mastery of the massive blade was overwhelmingly natural.
Along with irresistible power, the precision of his sword moves was vividly alive. With a single thrust, the upper part of Cheong-myeong's ear was sliced clean off.
Thud!
It was only because he had reacted so quickly that the damage was limited to that.
Cheong-myeong's evasive movements carried the wind of the Brightfolk, yet blood still burst forth from the mere fragments of force exploding from Dokgo Gwang's sword.
Even then, the strikes did not stop. After the thrust came a slash, straight from the side.
The massive blade lunged toward Namgung Hwa-shin.
At that moment, Namgung Hwa-shin was pushing off the ground, launching himself backward.
With a sharp rip!, the shockwave of the sword strike tore open the front of his blue martial uniform. He had barely evaded it.
It was the Namgung Clan's Infinite Steps.
'We can't win. His breathing is on another level.'
He thought, feeling a dull pain in his chest.
An expert's breath was proof of their martial arts level. They unleashed a stance on the exhalation and raised internal energy again on the inhalation. The cycle of executing sword moves was the yardstick to measure a swordsman's caliber.
Dokgo Gwang's breathing clearly overwhelmed both Namgung Hwa-shin and Cheong-myeong. The number of sword strikes he could unleash in an instant was different.
Strength, technique, breathing.
It was despairing. He couldn't keep up at all. He once again felt the helplessness he had grown so familiar with recently.
It had been the same when Jeong Yeon-shin killed his half-brother, Namgung Se-jin, and when the Vice Commander of the Divine Sword Corps, Ak Su-rim, had knocked him unconscious.
'If only I were of the Black Rank.'
The Black Rank of the Desolate Fortress was a realm referred to as supreme experts. It was difficult to find rivals even in a territory the size of a small nation. Impious titles like Sword King or Fist King usually originated from this realm.
“The lands outside suffer constant famine, but today's City of Master Craftsmen is truly a bountiful harvest. To think I'd get to take the heads of so many of the Desolate Fortress's rising stars. Fortune is on my side. This makes up for the value of the treasure token stolen by that wench from the Blood Flame Cult. It was merely a debt of the Pure Demon Alliance anyway,” Dokgo Gwang said. He stood in an arrogant posture, his greatsword planted in the ground.
He was taking his time, his attitude showing he was in no hurry.
Namgung Hwa-shin ignored him and regulated his breathing. Now was not the time to ponder the secret pact between the 10th Sect and the Pure Demon Alliance. Cheong-myeong approached, exhaling a weary breath.
“You're the White Qilin, right? I remember you. A promising junior.”
“Senior Demon Sword.”
“The 10th Sect are bastards who master all eighteen weapons. A peerless expert from the military founded it, so in a way, they resemble the Demonlight Wing. My Demonlight Formula is inferior to that guy's weapon techniques. I've even seen him suddenly throw a dagger while wielding a greatsword. He's also proficient in hand-to-hand combat and kicking, so watch your distance. He's a monster. There's no winning even if you engage him in close-quarters combat.”
“…Yes.”
“He doesn't seem to particularly care for his subordinates. He's so relaxed even while the Tang Clan Leader is running wild. I really can't understand those Sichuan bastards. Well, it's good for us. Let's look for an opening. Though… I'm worried about the Unit Commander.”
Cheong-myeong glanced across at the one-armed Ma Jin, who was moving precariously as he barely evaded the fist and palm techniques of the Pure Demon Alliance's Pure Demon God Hand.
Dokgo Gwang laughed.
“Spoken like a noble Brightfolk. You are utterly ignorant. To master all eighteen martial arts of our sect, one must cross the line between life and death. If the regressed Tang Clan Leader deals with them, it is actually something to be grateful for. How much stronger will the surviving disciples become? I have already calculated the appropriate time. You need only display the martial arts of the Desolate Fortress.”
His words carried a sharp edge.
The 10th Sect was also famous for its counter-stances, using all kinds of weapons to exploit the gaps in the martial arts of the great sects.
Here and now, he was practically toying with them. He thoroughly exploited the law of the martial world, where the strong devour the weak. Why was the 10th Sect counted among the Thirteen Heavens? His behavior demonstrated the conduct of an unorthodox expert in an instant.
It was then.
Gooooooo—!
An overwhelming sound of tearing air resounded from behind them, like a wild wind echoing in a deep canyon.
Simultaneously, a pure white flash of light swept past between Cheong-myeong and Namgung Hwa-shin. A moment later, a violent gale blasted through.
Kwaaaaang—!
It was Jeong Yeon-shin. Pure white light streamed from his eyes, and his movement technique was nothing like a gently drifting leaf.
As if unable to contain his overflowing power, he quite literally tore through the air as he charged forward.
Dokgo Gwang's eyes went wide as he hastily raised his greatsword.
Clang!
An explosive sound shook the cavern. The Desolate Fortress sword clashed violently against the greatsword. But that was only the beginning.
Gripping the hilt, Jeong Yeon-shin twisted his legs. Even as their blades remained locked in a fierce contest of strength, he executed a subtle technique with his wrist.
He deflected the crushing force to the side. It was a sword move of the Harmony Realm, one he had created right after being struck by the Thunderbolt Bomb.
Dokgo Gwang's greatsword grazed past the side of Jeong Yeon-shin's head and slammed downward. The boy didn't even blink.
He merely raised his eyebrows at his opponent's completely exposed flank. The blinding white light continued to radiate from his eyes.
'Is he even human...?!'
Dokgo Gwang's eyes widened in genuine shock for the first time. He felt a sword force that was utterly impossible to suppress.
How could a human change this much? He hastily detonated the true qi in his Yongquan point.
Instantly, his leg shot up with extreme speed. He intended to unleash Fa Jin through a brutal knee strike.
At that exact moment, Jeong Yeon-shin's left hand shot out. It was a stance he had been preparing from the moment he uncrossed his legs and stood up.
He had pre-cast the technique while rushing over. His unique weakness—the casting time—was rendered completely meaningless in this split second.
Another flaw was its lack of precision, but Jeong Yeon-shin reached out without a single care.
His hand thrust forward in a straight line, aiming directly for Dokgo Gwang's flank.
Brilliant River.
The colossal force swirling from his palm was immense. Just the sheer aftermath of its power exerted a destructive dominance over the surrounding space.
The ground shook violently. Streams of swirling shockwaves gouged, crushed, and collapsed the cavern floor.
This devastation continued right up until the moment of impact.
Armed with overwhelming power, he substituted the precision of the strike with sheer, unadulterated might.
For a split second, Namgung Hwa-shin saw the phantom of his older brother. He felt the imposing aura of the Imperial Sword Form.
It was as if the figure of the Flash Art Jeong Yeon-shin and the spirit of the Azure Qilin Namgung Se-jin had woven together, perfectly overlapping.
It all happened in an instant. A realm where every split second mattered.
A colorless shield of true qi formed around Dokgo Gwang's waist. It was an astonishing display of internal energy manifestation speed.
It was a layer of Body Protection Qi with a texture so dense and solid it looked like tempered glass.
In that instant, Dokgo Gwang and Jeong Yeon-shin's eyes met.
“...!”
Dokgo Gwang's eyes widened so far they threatened to tear.
It was the sudden, chilling insight of a supreme expert. He sensed his own death.
The boy's indifferently shining eyes approached relentlessly, crushing a pure white radiance directly into his palm.
Kbaaaaaang――!
It was a direct hit. The power exploded upon contact with the true qi shield on his flank. Instantly, the City of Master Craftsmen shook to its foundations.
A colossal sound of collision echoed in all directions. The sheer force of the echo pressed against the air as if it had taken physical form.
But that was not the end. The Flash Art Jeong Yeon-shin burst through the massive cloud of dust.
Behind the fluttering hem of his robe, blood and dust blurred together into a grisly mist.
In the dimly cleared space left in his wake, Dokgo Gwang's severed upper body was sent flying away. It was instant death.
He manipulated light itself, staying entirely true to his moniker. His Body Protection Scripture had become astonishingly fast.
It was fast enough for him to instantly wedge himself between the Commander of the Demonlight Wing Ma Jin and the Pure Demon Alliance's Pure Demon God Hand.
Grab!
The hand blade that was about to strike off Ma Jin's right arm was abruptly stopped. It was caught by a much smaller hand.
It was Jeong Yeon-shin's Grappling Technique. He had flawlessly caught the strike of the Pure Demon Alliance supreme expert's fist and palm technique.
“What... are you?”
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Pure Demon God Hand asked, his voice clipped and strained.
He had been trying to end the fight quickly after sensing an unusual wave of energy. Only he and Ma Jin had not stopped clashing, even when the Brilliant River exploded.
But now, silence had fallen.
The fighting across the entire battlefield had ceased.
The gazes of the experts from the Desolate Fortress, the Pure Demon Alliance, the 10th Sect, the Tang Clan, the Beggar Sect, and other great sects, as well as the warriors of various small and medium sects, silently converged.
They all looked toward this very spot—the exact center of the chaos.
“You are extraordinary. I must kill you here.”
The words of the demonic path expert were harsh and bold.
The Pure Demon God Hand Ha Yul-geuk poured true qi into his hand blade. A terrifying wave of demonic energy erupted from his flesh.
The flow of the surrounding air shifted erratically. Yet, Jeong Yeon-shin's hand did not budge in the slightest.
Only his gripping strength grew tighter.
Law-Transcending Halo Qi.
It was an energy that constantly harbored the profound power of the Buddhist Dharma.
“...”
Jeong Yeon-shin said nothing.
Still gripping the hand blade that had threatened to take his maternal uncle's arm, his eyes flashed with pure white light.
The young grandmaster.
Began to breathe through his divine art.