Chapter 32
"Who's this little brat? A face I haven't seen before."
At the man's question, Wang Geol answered in a low voice.
"He's the one chosen as a Ten Demonic Heir this time."
"An Ten Demonic Heir... I see."
The bearded man looked at Bu Eun-seol with a peculiar smile.
Bzzz.
At that moment, along with a strange sensation, Bu Eun-seol felt the illusion of a massive lump of iron pressing down on his body.
'Formless Qi...'
Bu Eun-seol had already experienced the Formless Qi of Sword Demon Wi Hyeok-gun.
He immediately grasped that this suffocating pressure was powerful Formless Qi unleashed by the bearded man.
Wooong.
At that instant, a brilliant radiance bloomed in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
Simultaneously, a momentum like a whirlwind surged up from Bu Eun-seol's body and began pushing back the pressure pouring down over his head.
The Reverse Polarity Heart Method.
This astonishing internal energy method was constantly circulating true qi, protecting the area around his body.
"Ho-oh."
The bearded man let out an exclamation of admiration.
"You've built up considerable internal energy. To block momentum with internal energy, no less."
Bu Eun-seol felt pain as if a mountain were crashing down upon him, but he straightened his back rigidly.
"Don't go giving pointless tests."
At that moment, Wang Geol spoke with a frown.
"He's a child who's only been here for two months. And the Deputy Pavilion Master brought him personally."
"Don't worry. He doesn't seem to be at a level where testing is even possible yet, anyway."
The bearded man looked down at Bu Eun-seol and let out a short laugh.
"He's only grasped the basics of internal energy, but hasn't learned a single thing."
"..."
"I was going to see how he dodges, but instead he just stood there blankly and resisted."
'He was going to see how I dodge?'
As Bu Eun-seol furrowed his brow, the man turned his body around swiftly, as if he had lost interest.
"If he's a Ten Demonic Heir, I'll have to see him again at least once, anyway."
Having muttered something strange, he waved his hand at Wang Geol and said,
"Take good care of my sword. I'll come back in three days."
"Three days won't do. Come back in four."
At Wang Geol's words, the man simply trudged away, waving his hand.
"Who is that person?"
Bu Eun-seol revealed an unusual curiosity.
This was because the Formless Qi the bearded man had unleashed was at a level that was not at all inferior to that of Wi Hyeok-gun, who was called the Sword Demon.
"That's none of your concern."
Normally, Wang Geol readily answered even things that weren't asked.
But this time, for some reason, he avoided answering.
"It's late."
Wang Geol muttered quietly, then picked up the great blade that had been placed on the table and swiftly went inside the forge.
Standing tall at the edge of a sheer cliff, Blood Vajra, who had been listening to Bu Eun-seol's story, furrowed his brows.
"A master of the Innovation Unit who wears a great blade."
Bu Eun-seol had told him about the bearded man he had met before climbing Iron Palm Peak.
"Did he not have sharp, bristly whiskers growing all over his face?"
"That's correct."
"His name is So-jeon, and his epithet is the Swift Savage Saber. He earned that epithet because he wields a massive great blade with speed and agility."
Blood Vajra narrowed his eyes.
"He is the very leader of the Innovation Unit."
"I see."
Masters capable of displaying Formless Qi are rare even in the murim.
Bu Eun-seol had already guessed that he was the leader of the Innovation Unit. But what was strange was Wang Geol's attitude.
'The position of Innovation Unit leader isn't even that great. Why did he tell me it was none of my concern?'
"From now on, cut off any interest regarding him."
Fortunately, Blood Vajra immediately told him the reason.
"So-jeon, that man is not only strong in martial arts, but his personality is extremely eccentric. Not only that..."
He paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"He holds the strange belief that the people of Langya Pavilion must all be filled with superhumans."
"Superhumans... you say."
"That's right."
Blood Vajra's gaze toward Bu Eun-seol flashed sharply.
"In the past, he beat young disciples who entered Langya Pavilion to death on multiple occasions. Saying they lacked the strength or talent befitting Langya Pavilion."
"I see."
Only then could Bu Eun-seol understand Wang Geol's attitude.
'He was worried that I might be beaten to death by that man's hands.'
Recalling the sneer of the bearded man, So-jeon, something hot suddenly surged up in Bu Eun-seol's chest.
'Did he think he could kill someone like me at any time?'
Bu Eun-seol twisted his fist and clenched it.
Since coming out into the murim, the type of person he despised most was exactly someone like So-jeon.
'Drunk on power, thinking they can preside over the fate of others.'
Bu Eun-seol's gaze was as cold as the chill flowing from a deep cave.
"Elder."
Having made a resolution in his heart, Bu Eun-seol opened his mouth.
"Is there no way to avoid an invisible momentum?"
"You mean Formless Qi."
"That's right."
After learning the Way of the Beast, Bu Eun-seol had become capable of dodging surprise attacks or predicting the pouring martial forms.
But against Formless Qi, unleashed without any prior movement, he could only be utterly helpless.
"Formless Qi is, literally, nothing more than momentum. The only options are to emit an equally powerful momentum of your own, or to create forceful energy forged from internal energy."
Blood Vajra's eyes, which had been watching Bu Eun-seol's gaze, grew subtle.
"Don't tell me you intend to fight So-jeon."
"Even if I don't wish it, he will certainly come looking for me."
A flash of light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's dry eyes.
"Using the exam as an excuse."
Blood Vajra let out a sigh.
"The leader of the Innovation Unit is a figure who stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest masters under heaven. I acknowledge that your talent is outstanding, but contending with him in a short period of time is unreasonable."
"I am not trying to contend with him."
Before he knew it, Bu Eun-seol's eyes were burning hot like fire.
"If someone tests me, then I will likewise test them."
It was a statement so arrogant it bordered on madness.
Had anyone else said these words, Blood Vajra would not have been able to suppress a sneer.
'But this brat really seems like he would do it.'
Bu Eun-seol's persistence always made others' hearts race. Blood Vajra was no exception.
"If that's what you think, then you cannot afford to leisurely practice only the mental cultivation method."
As if having made up his mind, Blood Vajra spoke with a lightened expression.
"Judging by your current progress, reaching the Third Layer is not such a distant future. That being the case, you must now use your time a bit more wisely."
Then, fixing his gaze on Bu Eun-seol, he said.
"From now on, spend half the day learning the mental cultivation method from me. And for the remaining time, you must learn movement techniques and footwork techniques."
"Movement techniques and footwork techniques..."
"That's right. If you properly learn those two, at the very least, you will not be killed by another's hand."
Blood Vajra paused for a moment and gazed at the distant sky.
"Actually, this humble monk was also planning to personally teach you movement and footwork techniques before long. If you learn the movement and footwork techniques that this humble monk has mastered, you would be able to grasp the Reverse Polarity Heart Method more deeply..."
Trailing off, he looked at Bu Eun-seol and shook his head.
"But what you need right now is not the Great Completion of the Reverse Polarity Heart Method. You must complete the foundation of True Power Martial Arts as soon as possible, even if only a day sooner."
There was not a single breeze, yet the hem of Blood Vajra's robe fluttered.
It was the natural manifestation of his internal energy through the resonance of his spirit and mind.
"Elder."
Bu Eun-seol bowed his head.
They had not even formed the bond of master and disciple, yet Blood Vajra always considered and worried about his future.
That was a kindness that could not be obtained even with immeasurable wealth.
"If you go to the far edge of the Langya Pavilion Western Garden, there is a path that leads up to Clear Sky Terrace."
"Clear Sky Terrace..."
"That's right. There, a place called the Clear Sky Teahouse has been built where one can drink tea."
Casting his gaze toward the distant sky, Blood Vajra spoke in a low voice.
"Starting today, go there and train your movement technique. We will resume the mental cultivation training after you have learned the movement technique."
Bu Eun-seol asked with a puzzled expression.
"You mean I should go to a teahouse... and learn a movement technique?"
"That's right. Originally, Clear Sky Terrace can only be climbed by a master of movement techniques, but... in the current situation, there is no helping it."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"You will understand once you go."
Muttering incomprehensible words, Blood Vajra then spoke in a calm yet solemn voice.
"There, you will find the greatest master of movement arts in all of Langya Pavilion, one of unparalleled versatility."
The Western Garden of Langya Pavilion.
If one walks straight through the beautifully arranged flower garden, a narrow path leading into a deep forest comes into view.
Bu Eun-seol, who had been walking along the path for quite some time, furrowed his brows and came to a halt.
"This is..."
The path had come to an end, and before his eyes stretched a vast lake with no end in sight.
"Am I supposed to cross this?"
Scattered across the lake floated pieces of wood, as if someone had deliberately thrown them there.
But the wooden fragments drifting on the water's surface were moving about on their own, and the gaps between them were far too wide.
"Even if the wood were floating close together, it would be impossible."
To cross the lake by stepping on those wooden fragments, one would need to be, at the very least, a grandmaster of movement arts capable of performing the Duckweed Crossing Water technique.
"Hmm."
Letting out a low groan, Bu Eun-seol looked around.
The river was deep, and not a single boat could be seen anywhere nearby. To reach the place where the teahouse stood, he had no choice but to cross this river somehow.
"They can't be telling me to build a boat and cross."
After a moment of deliberation, Bu Eun-seol drew a deep breath.
Splash.
And then, without hesitation, he entered the lake and began to swim.
"Pffft. Pah."
He had never properly learned how to swim.
But thanks to having relentlessly trained his body through martial arts all this time, he was somehow managing to propel himself forward.
"Huff. Huff."
However, as time passed, Bu Eun-seol's arms and legs gradually grew heavier.
Swimming consumed far more stamina than he had expected. As he continued to push through the water without rest, Bu Eun-seol felt his breath growing increasingly labored.
"Hah. Hah."
The shore visible above the water seemed to be right before his nose, yet no matter how much he swam, he could not reach it.
"Huff. Huff."
When he reached the point where he could no longer move even a single finger, Bu Eun-seol stopped his movements.
"Hoo."
As he drew a long breath, Bu Eun-seol's stomach began to gradually swell.
And then, lying comfortably on the water's surface, he began to spread his true qi throughout his entire body. Because he had mastered the Qi Circulation Breathing Method of the Tendon Transformation Sutra, he was capable of qi circulation in any posture.
'How strange.'
As he lay in the water and circulated his qi, he felt his internal energy deepening along with a peculiar sensation.
'It doesn't feel like I'm growing more exhausted—rather, it's as if new strength is welling up.'
A human being is an existence in which the physical body, qi, and spirit and mind are separate from one another.
And martial artists seek to unify these into one through internal energy methods—this is precisely the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
Bu Eun-seol had focused his mind solely on crossing the river and had driven his body to exhaustion.
And when he began qi circulation in the still water, his essence, qi, and spirit were gradually merging into one.
Flash!
A mysterious radiance shimmered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes as he finished his qi circulation.
'Has so much time already passed?'
He had thought he had only circulated his qi for a brief moment, but the sun was already setting.
"Let's hurry."
Pah.
When he began swimming again, Bu Eun-seol's body shot forward as if cleaving through the lake.
He was naturally employing his internal true qi as he moved his arms and legs to part the water.
Pah. Pffft.
With the use of his internal energy, Bu Eun-seol's body shot forward several times faster than before. At last, he was able to reach the shore that had seemed impossible to touch.
"So moving the body must be unified not only with the spirit and mind, but with the flow of true qi as well."
Profound and wondrous beyond words.
Bu Eun-seol had, through a fortuitous opportunity, grasped a practical principle that only those who had cultivated internal energy for decades could comprehend.
"To think that internal energy methods could be this profound."
He had swum at full strength for roughly an hour, yet he was not tired in the slightest. At this rate, he felt as though he could swim for three days and nights without any trouble.
"This is..."
Bu Eun-seol's footsteps, which had been following the path, came to a halt.
"A cliff face this time?"
What appeared at the dead end was a sheer rock wall of dizzying height, as if piercing the sky.
Had he been a master of the lightness skill, he could have performed the Qi-Piercing Ascent and climbed upward by stepping on the protruding ledges.
But Bu Eun-seol, who had never learned any movement techniques, had absolutely no way to climb it.
—Originally, the Clear Bright Platform can only be ascended by a master of movement arts...
Recalling Blood Vajra's words, Bu Eun-seol let out a sigh.
Only now did he understand the meaning of those words.