Chapter 171: Three Absolutes (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Three Absolutes (2)
“Huh?”
“What is Seok Myeong trying to do?”
A small commotion broke out at the edge of the central courtyard.
Gwi Cheon-neung’s voice had been so low, and the few words overheard so brief, that no one could discern the content of their conversation. However, one thing was certain.
Whoosh!
A chilling wave of killing intent was erupting from Seok Myeong.
“Is Seok Myeong trying to fight? Against three elders at once?”
And then, the impossible prediction actually came true.
“Step forward,” Seok Myeong said, beckoning with his hand. “All three of you Diancang elders.”
The moment he spoke, the elders of the Qingcheng Sect felt as if their eyes were about to pop out of their heads.
“We… we have to stop him!”
“Good heavens. Why is that usually gentle boy acting like this?!”
Just as the elders were about to rush in out of sheer panic—
“Stop!”
A commanding, aged voice struck the ears of the Song-generation elders. It was Sect Leader Song Jeong. He scanned the crowd with a grave expression before turning his gaze toward the First Elder.
“Tell everyone to move back. Instruct the elders to scatter and protect the first-generation disciples.”
“Sect Leader…?” Song Ji’s face twisted in bewilderment.
Even the previous duel with Nok Gwi-bo had been nerve-wracking. He was glad Seok Myeong had won, but his heart had been in his throat the entire time. Now, the boy was claiming he would take on three of them at once. He was appalled that the Sect Leader wasn't lifting a finger to stop him.
“Do not worry too much. Seok Myeong has not yet revealed his true depths.”
“Even so, this is madness! Sect Leader! How can you allow this fight to—”
Thud.
Song Jeong cut off Song Ji’s protest and pointed toward Seok Myeong. “If you have eyes, look closely. Look at Myeong-i as he gathers his energy…”
“What?”
At those words, Song Ji looked toward Seok Myeong. For a moment, his face filled with confusion.
Just moments ago, Seok Myeong had been radiating a vicious killing intent. But looking at him now, that killing intent had vanished as if it had been washed away in an instant.
“T-this is…?”
Most martial artists find their qi and emotions synchronized. When they are enraged, killing intent erupts, and their internal energy becomes turbulent. However, once one surpasses that stage and achieves perfect command over their energy, they can control not just their qi, but their emotions as well.
This was the state known as transcending the Peak Realm.
“Do you see it now?”
“… Gasp.” Song Ji let out a sharp breath.
Gathering one’s energy in such a manner was not something that could be achieved simply through the sheer volume of internal strength or cultivation. It required what was commonly referred to as enlightenment. Whether one was a martial artist or a Taoist, they had to be able to control the energy of the mind and the lower Dantian—the trinity of Essence (精), Qi (氣), and Spirit (神).
“But, Sect Leader… while it is true that Seok Myeong’s martial arts are astounding, I have never heard of a first-generation disciple reaching the Absolute Realm in the history of the Jianghu,” Song Ji muttered, unable to believe his own eyes.
Song Jeong nodded. “Indeed. It is truly a miracle among miracles.”
“Pardon?”
“I do not know the reason, but Seok Myeong is entering a different domain of martial arts. I didn't feel it during his duel with Nok Gwi-bo, but I can see it now. He is facing the wall he must overcome. How could I let him miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?”
Song Jeong nodded as he spoke. In most cases, a martial artist gains enlightenment when they are in a state completely different from their usual self. It might happen during an extreme life-and-death struggle, where the world and the opponent’s sword suddenly seem to move in slow motion. Or, in a state of extreme rage, they might manifest power far beyond their normal capabilities.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Seok Myeong this angry before,” Song Ji groaned.
In Seok Myeong’s case, anger had likely been the catalyst. Whatever Gwi Cheon-neung had said, it had triggered an explosion of extreme fury within Seok Myeong. But in the next moment, that fury had turned ice-cold. It was as if his excitement had reached such a peak that it turned into absolute composure.
“To be honest… I want to watch.” Song Jeong’s hand shook slightly as he gripped his own arm. “I want to see how high Seok Myeong has climbed. And where his limit lies.”
“…”
Song Ji’s expression became complicated. The Sect Leader, who was always prepared and moved with caution, was now choosing a dangerous path. But there was no turning back now. The time to stop it had passed, and both Seok Myeong and the Sect Leader looked determined.
Song Ji gritted his teeth and obeyed the Sect Leader’s command. “All elders, scatter and protect the first-generation disciples!”
*
“Oh?”
Meanwhile, Taoist Unyang of the Wudang Sect narrowed his eyes.
The fight was clearly over, yet the atmosphere that had been settling down was suddenly blazing again. No, it wasn't just blazing; it was like a volcano erupting. Seok Myeong had taken a combat stance, and Diancang was preparing for a second round, with two elders and even the Martial Alliance advisor, Ji Jung, joining in.
“U-Unyang Martial Uncle? What is happening?” Jin-cheon, who had been shocked before, was now utterly aghast.
He might have somehow fought one elder, but fighting three was an entirely different matter. No matter how you looked at it, it was as if Seok Myeong was digging his own grave.
— All elders, scatter and protect the first-generation disciples!
What was even more shocking was that Qingcheng wasn't stopping him. Instead, they were positioning their elders among the disciples, allowing this reckless fight to proceed.
“Tsk. It seems they’ve forgotten all sense of dignity. Just what kind of grudge is this?” Unyang shook his head. He understood the sentiment, but Diancang was going too far. For three elders to use their numbers against a single first-generation disciple… it was embarrassing just to watch.
“Martial Uncle, please stop them. I owe Seok Myeong a great debt from last time.” Jin-cheon clung to Unyang’s arm. He was certain Seok Myeong would die.
However, Unyang’s voice remained calm. “…It seems you cannot see it.”
“Pardon?”
“Well, that’s only natural. Do not worry. This match will not be decided so easily.”
“What?”
Jin-cheon asked again, but Unyang ignored him, narrowing his eyes and nodding as he watched Seok Myeong. Seeing that Song Jeong hadn't stopped the duel, it seemed the Qingcheng Sect Leader had an inkling as well. But Unyang suspected he was the only one here who could truly see it.
‘True Person Song Jeong, you are a lucky man.’
Whirrrr.
In his eyes, Seok Myeong was clearly enveloped by the Taiji. Harmony and mutual coexistence. The Taiji, the very source of those principles. Because he was from Wudang, he could sense it. It was vivid to Taoist Unyang’s eyes.
‘To think it’s the Three Absolutes!’
The Taiji, which had initially been spinning in black and white, was slowly transforming into a vortex of three distinct energies. He let out a sigh of slight regret and spoke to Jin-cheon.
“Watch closely, Jin-cheon. For Taoist Seok Myeong will likely become the greatest rival of your life.”
*
‘I must make him apologize before the ancestral tablets.’
Seok Myeong gritted his teeth. If Gwi Cheon-neung was the mastermind behind the raid on Mount Qingcheng… if he was the culprit responsible for the blood spilled that day and the loss of the ancestors' many legacies… then Seok Myeong had to bring him to his knees.
As that thought crossed his mind—
Whoooosh!
For a moment, he felt a strange sensation. It was peculiar. The extreme anger he felt had crossed a certain threshold and turned into a sense of peace. He felt half-asleep, yet his mind was infinitely clear.
Within that state, Seok Myeong saw it. He saw himself facing his opponents. And he saw another version of himself watching from a completely different vantage point.
‘What is this?’
Seok Myeong focused on the energy surrounding him. It was the energy he had tried to pour into the Green Jade Buddha Staff. The energy he had only barely grasped after two days of meditation was suddenly flowing from his solar plexus, beginning to control the internal energy within his body.
And, with miraculous ease, it seized control of both the Energy Absorption Art and Qingcheng’s internal energy. The two energies—which had barely been balanced through the Dual Flow Exchange Technique and would occasionally clash—were now being brought into perfect harmony.
— They haven't fully blended yet.
Was it a coincidence that Song Hak, who had said those words, caught Seok Myeong’s eye for a fleeting moment?
Step. Step.
The three members of the Diancang Sect surrounding him came into focus. The Three Talents Formation. It was the most basic formation used to deal with a single opponent. Diancang wasn't particularly famous for combined attack techniques. At the elder level, there were almost no occasions where they would need to coordinate their movements. Nevertheless, following the three principles of Heaven, Earth, and Man was the most fundamental logic of martial arts.
Sliiiide.
Three directions. Three energies.
Thinking it was strange, Seok Myeong partially closed his eyes. Nok Gwi-bo had recovered a fair amount of his internal energy. Gwi Cheon-neung and Ji Jung had joined him, waiting for an opening. The three elders were circling Seok Myeong.
‘Rotating and coexisting.’
That was the principle of the Taiji.
“Hah!”
Nok Gwi-bo was the first to strike. Seok Myeong used the Illusory Lost Track Step to slip past the attack and step aside.
“You brat!”
Swish!
Ji Jung followed up with an offensive. Seok Myeong quickly parried his sword, then froze.
Swoosh!
In that split second, before he could even retract his sword, he saw Gwi Cheon-neung’s blade thrusting toward him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seok Myeong barely managed to parry while retreating. However, his form wavered under the intense momentum of his opponent.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The three elders didn't give him a chance, pouncing all at once.
Clang-clang-clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang!
A fierce exchange occurred in an instant. Three swords crossed incessantly, occasionally probing for a gap.
Slice!
“Urgh!” A groan escaped Seok Myeong’s lips. He had become faster, but the relentless onslaught of three elders was truly formidable.
Whoosh!
As Seok Myeong deployed the Illusory Lost Track Step to respond—
Flash!
Secret Cloud Shadow Chasing. The Diancang movement art performed by the elders began to erase the illusions of the Illusory Lost Track Step one by one. And just as only a few—barely two or three—illusions remained—
BOOM!
“Gah!”
“Urgh!”
“Ack!”
The three elders groaned and were blown backward in different directions.
“You…” Gwi Cheon-neung frowned as he looked down at his sword. His hand was vibrating uncontrollably. “What kind of sorcery is this?!”
Ji Jung was the same. His sword—no, his hand—was trembling like that of a drunkard. Even more shocking was the fact that there were fine cracks on his blade.
“That boy… he put some other kind of qi into his sword,” said Nok Gwi-bo, panting heavily.
Thud.
Seok Myeong landed on the ground. Standing with a firm posture, his face once again showed the same composure he had at the beginning.
“Let’s finish this quickly.”
“Fine by me.”
“Hmph.”
Sizzle—
One by one, Sword Aura began to coalesce at the tips of their blades.
“Oh no…”
“Heh…”
The Qingcheng elders watching the scene frowned. The Diancang bastards were now openly preparing to use killing moves. Just as they were about to ignore the Sect Leader’s orders and jump in—
Vrrrroooooom—!
“Huh?”
“What is that?”
Energy began to bloom from Seok Myeong’s sword as he stood in the center of the fray. But it wasn't the energy the Qingcheng elders had seen before.
It was a brilliant light. Three colors… no, it was a radiant, five-colored light like a rainbow. That brilliance was spreading from the tip of Seok Myeong’s sword.