Chapter 142
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Learning from Each Other
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“There are things that are invisible, yet real, you know. For example…”
A suitable idea came to mind, and Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly.
“Like pressure points.”
Seeing Goengseongja’s still-confused expression, Dan Ak-seon continued to explain.
“It’s about materializing a virtual point, the center of balance, in your mind as if it were real. Just like precisely locating a pressure point inside the body to place a needle.”
Goengseongja was momentarily speechless.
The decisive moment that had determined the outcome of their spar.
The image of that small, delicate hand deftly weaving through a narrow space was still vivid in his mind.
For an idea conceived on the spot, it contained a profound martial principle.
‘They say there’s always a sky above the sky…’
He wondered if this was the realm of talent possessed by those called geniuses.
Meanwhile, Cho Ak-ryang, who was watching the spar from a distance, wore a wry smile.
Ga Du-dal, the one who had taught the technique, would never know it, but his throwing arts were unexpectedly shining here.
Goengseongja let out a sigh, his brow deeply furrowed.
He then stood rooted to the spot and began to ponder something.
A moment later.
“Teach me.”
“Pardon?”
Goengseongja spoke to the startled Dan Ak-seon.
“I'm not asking you to teach me the entire form. I just can't get a feel for what you mean by 'stealing space.' I want to know when and how you apply it.”
Dan Ak-seon looked troubled.
“I’m weaker than you. How can I teach a master who is more skilled than I am?”
“Why not?”
Goengseongja stared at Dan Ak-seon with a confident gaze.
“What’s the purpose of sparring? Isn’t it to learn something through the process of competing against each other?”
“Well, yes.”
“That’s why I want to learn from you. It’s not fair if you’re the only one who learns something from this spar.”
Hearing this, the Kunlun Sect Leader slapped a hand to his forehead.
“That damn disciple of mine… So much for the pride of Kunlun…”
Goengseongja deliberately ignored the piercing gaze boring into his back and waited for Dan Ak-seon’s answer.
It was then that Dan Ak-seon, after a moment of thought, nodded his head.
“Alright. I don’t like being unfair either.”
Goengseongja’s face lit up.
“Excellent! Then show me again.”
Before the words were even out of his mouth, Goengseongja launched himself toward Dan Ak-seon.
It was the same move he had used when he’d gained the upper hand just moments before.
Dan Ak-seon responded in the same manner as well.
Thud.
Goengseongja, who had been thrown violently onto the training ground, let out a cry of admiration.
He was genuinely impressed by Dan Ak-seon’s counterattack, which was much more skilled and fluid than before.
“Wow! This is exquisite. But you intentionally lured my attack just now, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I deliberately focused your attack and then slipped my hand in. With the feeling of stealing the space behind the hollow of your knee, the center of your attack.”
“Like this?”
Dan Ak-seon shook his head at Goengseongja’s imitation.
“No. That’s just the form. The exact center changes each time, so the first step is to accurately visualize it in your mind.”
Goengseongja tilted his head.
Despite Dan Ak-seon’s explanation, he still looked like he couldn’t grasp it.
And for good reason. The concepts Dan Ak-seon mentioned were in the realm of mental imagery, a different track from the martial principles he was familiar with.
“Let’s try again.”
This time, Goengseongja attacked in a different way.
From internal energy and techniques to experience.
Goengseongja held the advantage in every aspect.
As a result, Dan Ak-seon was instantly put on the defensive.
But at the crucial moment, it was Goengseongja who was, almost unbelievably, sent flying with a loud crash.
“Again!”
Goengseongja didn’t give up and charged at Dan Ak-seon again.
Craash.
“Again!”
Thump!
“Again!”
Watching Goengseongja repeatedly charge and fall, Dan Ak-seon wore a troubled expression.
“Um… are you alright?”
Goengseongja grinned.
“There are two ways to master a martial art.”
“…?”
“One is enlightenment, gained through a moment of realization. The other is learning through the body.”
“Learning through the body?”
Goengseongja nodded and said confidently.
“Literally carving it into your body until you understand.”
“Ah!”
“Whether it’s enlightenment or physical learning, does the order really matter? What’s important is that you eventually get it. That’s how I overcome my own limits.”
Dan Ak-seon had a peculiar look on his face.
“Actually, that’s not why I asked if you were okay.”
“Huh?”
As Dan Ak-seon looked around, Goengseongja’s gaze naturally swept across the area near the training ground.
“I think everyone thinks I’ve won.”
The faces of the Kunlun disciples surrounding the training ground were all filled with bewilderment.
For the second disciple, the successor to the Sect Leader’s direct teachings, to be repeatedly thrown by a child was unthinkable.
But Goengseongja just grinned, unbothered.
“So what?”
In truth, if they had fought seriously, Dan Ak-seon would have been no match for Goengseongja.
Goengseongja was essentially letting himself be thrown, eager to learn the essence of the principle Dan Ak-seon had used.
“It doesn’t matter how many times I fall or how many times I lose. I only need to win once in my entire life.”
“Just once?”
Curious, Dan Ak-seon asked again.
“When is that?”
Goengseongja’s eyes glinted with confidence.
“The battle against the strongest under heaven. I only need to win that one. Everything else is just part of the process.”
As Dan Ak-seon, having realized something, nodded in admiration.
“One last time, here I come!”
Goengseongja closed the distance with dazzling footwork.
Not to be outdone, Dan Ak-seon rushed forward to meet him, countering with his grappling arts.
A short cry of surprise erupted from amidst the dizzying tangle of hand shadows.
“Ah!”
This time, it was Dan Ak-seon.
Having fallen on his bottom, Dan Ak-seon looked up in surprise at Goengseongja’s fist, which had stopped right before his eyes.
“Is this how you do it?”
At Goengseongja’s question, Dan Ak-seon exclaimed in admiration.
“That’s it. You’re amazing.”
To grasp the essence of stealing an opponent’s balance after just a few exchanges was incredible.
Goengseongja smiled, not unkindly, and extended a hand.
As Dan Ak-seon took his hand and stood up, Goengseongja formally clasped his fists.
“Thank you for today. I learned something thanks to you.”
“Let’s do it again tomorrow!”
“Anytime.”
As he was smiling and leaving the training ground, Goengseongja suddenly changed direction.
He had spotted his master walking toward him with a stern gaze.
“Stop right there.”
At Gwangjindojang’s words, Goengseongja flinched, and his feet moved even faster.
“I said, stop!”
At that same moment, Goengseongja’s form vanished as if erased from the spot.
It was the fifth form of the Eight Forms of the Cloud Dragon.
Cloud Dragon’s Infinity.
Early morning.
The silence that descended upon the grounds was heavy.
Gwangjindojang, burning incense, was just as somber.
His lips remained tightly sealed as he presided over the memorial rite for his deceased disciples.
He stared blankly at the Taoist names written on the memorial tablets placed on the altar, then lit three sticks of incense in succession.
Whoosh.
Following that, a handful of spirit money fluttered in the air, turning to ash as it scattered.
A deep pain surfaced in the eyes of the Kunlun disciples watching.
No matter how devotedly they held the rite, no matter how many millions in spirit money they burned, what was the use?
It wouldn’t bring the dead disciples back to life.
The sound of Gwangjindojang reciting the memorial address painfully tore through the hearts of the Kunlun disciples.
Watching from afar, Dan Ak-seon’s heart grew heavy as well.
That afternoon.
Dan Ak-seon left his room for a walk.
Perhaps because of the aftereffects of the memorial rite, a heavy atmosphere hung over the entire Kunlun Sect.
The Kunlun Taoists he occasionally passed would only offer a slight nod, saying very little.
After walking for some time, Dan Ak-seon discovered a unique landform and headed toward it.
At first glance, it looked like a single cliff, but it was actually two cliffs that overlapped in an exquisite way.
Between the cliffs, which were split apart as if struck by a heavenly axe, lay a surprisingly wide space.
In the secluded gap between the cliffs, a place seldom touched by human feet.
There, he encountered an unexpected person.
It was Goengseongja.
He was running back and forth between the cliffs, repeating the motion without rest.
But it seemed he was using only his physical strength, not his internal energy.
A fierce, blade-like wind howled between the cliffs, yet his entire body was drenched in sweat.
Spotting Dan Ak-seon, Goengseongja skillfully climbed down the cliff face.
“Training again today?”
At Dan Ak-seon’s words, Goengseongja nodded.
“I’d feel guilty if I didn’t train.”
“To whom?”
“To my family, who were killed by those bastards from the Demonic Cult.”
“…!”
“It would be shameful if I, the sole survivor, were to be lazy.”
Revenge was his calling, and for that, he needed strength.
That was why he could not neglect his training for even a moment.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
At Dan Ak-seon’s apology, Goengseongja let out a faint smile.
“No need to make that face. Half the kids here have a similar story.”
That was the nature of Kunlun.
The Central Plains might not know it, but they were still fighting an endless war with the Demonic Cult.
Although the cult was said to be holed up beyond the Qilian Mountains, there were occasional devils who came down the mountain to gauge the situation in the Central Plains.
And it was their duty to stop them completely.
“Starting tomorrow, let’s train together.”
Goengseongja smiled at Dan Ak-seon after his sudden proposal.
“You lack physical strength.”
“Physical strength?”
“Yes. No matter how magnificent your internal energy is, the vessel that contains it is ultimately the body. Internal energy without the physical stamina to back it up is no different from a chipped sword.”
Goengseongja continued.
“You need to get stronger. It seems those Demonic Cult bastards are targeting you.”
Dan Ak-seon was startled.
Even Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa had not yet figured out the true identity of their pursuers.
“Do you think those fiends have thrown in their lot with the Demonic Cult?”
“Who knows? But one thing is for sure.”
“…?”
“Those bastards are involved in most of the deaths that happen around here.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled bitterly.
The words made him realize anew just how deep the grudge against the Demonic Cult ran.
“Don’t entrust your fate to others. In the very, very end, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded at Goengseongja’s advice, which felt genuinely sincere.
“I want to get stronger, too.”
Goengseongja grinned.
“Then it’s settled. We’ll train together starting tomorrow?”
“Yes. I’ll work hard.”
A few days later, in the early dawn.
“Ak-seon! Time to train!”
Goengseongja’s voice shattered the quiet stillness, and Dan Ak-seon rubbed his eyes as he stepped outside.
“Brother, isn’t it a bit too early?”
Before they knew it, fifteen days had passed since Dan Ak-seon’s group arrived at the Kunlun Sect.
Training together every day, Dan Ak-seon and Goengseongja had grown as close as sworn brothers.
“You have to be diligent to build physical strength. You have to push your muscles to their limits, like wringing a drop of water from a dry towel. That’s when the real training begins. You should at least build a proper body while you’re staying at Kunlun.”
Goengseongja urged on the sighing Dan Ak-seon.
“Alright, you ready? Let’s run!”
Dan Ak-seon smiled wryly and began to run after Goengseongja.
And there were eyes watching the two as they quickly grew distant.
It was Cho Ak-ryang, along with Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa.
“The Sect Leader mentioned it yesterday. He asked if we’d consider leaving after winter passes.”
“That means we’d be here for over three months. Isn’t that too long?”
“It’s not as if we can’t, is it? Look over there.”
Cho Ak-ryang gestured toward the training ground with his eyes.
Young Kunlun disciples could be seen joining Goengseongja and Dan Ak-seon.
After exchanging cheerful greetings, they soon started running somewhere, following Goengseongja, who was now at the head of the group.
“He looks happy.”
Cho Ak-ryang nodded at Han Seol-hwa’s comment.
“For Doctor Dan, this is both training and good fun.”
Beom Gye-wi soon agreed.
“Well, as long as Doctor Dan is happy.”
Gazing blankly at Dan Ak-seon’s retreating back, Beom Gye-wi suddenly spoke.
“I hope Doctor Dan can be this happy in the place we’re trying to build, too.”
“That’s why we have to work hard.”
At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, the other two nodded.
Dan Ak-seon, smiling brightly as he ran with others his age.
They wanted to continue protecting that smile.