Spiritual Creature (2)
They were still deep in discussion about the intruders when a figure burst into the room in a rush.
It was a martial artist from the archives, the division responsible for gathering intelligence.
"Urgent report! Paegeommun has attacked the Huashan Sect!"
"Paegeommun launched an attack?! How bad is the damage on Huashan's side?"
"Casualties are relatively light, but the material losses are said to be severe!"
The sudden assault by Paegeommun on the Huashan Sect.
An incident of this scale should have shown some kind of warning sign beforehand. The only reason they had missed it was that they had been completely absorbed in the surprise attack by the Dark Night Assassin Pavilion and its aftermath.
"Detailed information is still incomplete, but there are also reports that other major sects have been attacked by the remaining members of the Six Tyrant Coalition."
"So it hasn't stopped at Shaanxi. Other sects are being hit one after another."
The six great demonic powers with the strongest influence in the unorthodox path were collectively called the Six Tyrant Coalition, yet the six sects were never truly tightly linked. For them to strike at the Orthodox Nine Great Sects and other righteous factions at nearly the same time was far too convenient a coincidence.
Just as it had been with the Zhongnan Sect, the odds were high that the mysterious force had orchestrated it all.
"First, we will use the Martial Alliance to warn the other Nine Great Sects and the righteous martial world of the danger posed by this mysterious force."
At the words of Sect Leader Okwon Jinin, the elders nodded in agreement.
Information on the mysterious force was still little more than rumor and conjecture. Most would assume the Six Tyrant Coalition had simply begun working together in earnest against the righteous path. Yet some would surely take note of the mysterious force's existence as presented by Zhongnan and begin preparing for it.
Hard times are coming.
Was it a master's instinct, or simply the insight that came with age? Okwon Jinin felt a premonition that a great storm was about to rise over the long-quiet martial world.
Three days after the funeral rites had been completed, Cheonhwa sat blankly in his private quarters.
He had not slept properly of late, and his eyes were dull and unfocused. Whenever he closed them, the chaos of the testing ground during the Dark Night Assassin Pavilion's attack and the moment Jinhyun breathed his last were burned into his mind and refused to leave.
Would these memories eventually fade? Or would he carry them for the rest of his life? Only the passage of time would tell.
As Cheonhwa stared endlessly at the ceiling, a presence approaching his door registered on his senses. The Six Harmony Sensory Path, which had grown dramatically after the assassin pavilion's assault and Jinhyun's death, had stopped expanding its range. In exchange, everything within that range had become exquisitely clear.
"Cheonhwa, junior brother—are you still among the living?"
The visitor was Myeonghwa. He studied Cheonhwa's face, then gave a bitter smile.
"Looks like you're dying too, junior brother. Not that any of the entry-level disciples aren't right now."
Myeonghwa himself no longer showed his usual cheerfulness. Gone was the information broker who had flitted about collecting rumors while chattering about fun and romance. In his place sat an ordinary boy, exhaustion plain on his face.
"What brings you here?"
"I've been going around checking on everyone's condition. You're the last one."
"How are the others?"
"Same as you. Bodies are fine. Hearts aren't."
Myeonghwa pulled a nearby chair closer, sat down, and began unpacking his news.
"Jeokhwa looked composed on the surface, but she was clearly struggling. Yeonhwa was quietly staying by her side."
It was the reverse of how Jeokhwa usually looked after Yeonhwa—proof of how hard the ordeal had hit Jeokhwa mentally, and of how carefully Yeonhwa was watching over her in turn.
"Yeobhwa and the other brothers and sisters who stayed at the main mountain instead of taking the promotion exam were all completely wilted."
They had been protected by the sect's elders amid the chaos of the attack and had come through unharmed. But once everything was over, they would have heard the news of their brothers and sisters who had crossed the Three Rivers of Death. The helplessness of being able to do nothing but watch must have been unspeakable.
"Daehwa seemed just as broken up."
Daehwa had spent most of his time shut away in his private quarters since his closed-door training, yet even he was clearly torn apart by the loss of his fellow disciples.
"The brothers and sisters from the Support Faction and everyone else who took part in the exam all looked like they were barely holding it together."
Nearly six months of joint training had drawn the third-generation disciples closer as a whole. That was precisely why relief at having survived the slaughterhouse mixed with grief for those who had gone first, filling their heads to overflowing. Cheonhwa and Myeonghwa were no different.
"The second-generation seniors said something. Considering it was a surprise assault by assassins, a surprising number of us made it out alive."
"Is that so."
"And the only reason that was possible is because you were there, Cheonhwa."
"…"
Cheonhwa blinked at Myeonghwa, clearly not understanding. Myeonghwa gave a short laugh.
"If you hadn't moved so aggressively to gather the brothers and sisters together, a lot more people would be missing right now."
"I only did the best I could."
"Yeah. You did your best. We all did everything we could. And because of that, some of us are still here. Remember that."
Myeonghwa rose from his seat and continued.
"Remembering the dead is a privilege reserved for the living. But if you sink too deep into it, I don't think the ones who left would be happy about that."
"…You said I was the last. Where are you headed next?"
"To visit the memorial tablets of those who went first. Someone's got to grumble that all their brothers and sisters are being too gloomy, right?"
"I'll come with you."
Cheonhwa stood and followed Myeonghwa out. Deep regret existed only because deep memories existed. Simply drowning in sorrow was not the only way to mourn those who had departed. Carrying both the memories and the regrets of those who had gone, Cheonhwa left his private quarters.
The day after visiting the memorial tablets of the departed, Cheonhwa resumed the training he had set aside.
Generous leave had been granted until they recovered from the shock of the assassin pavilion's attack, but remaining sunk in gloom was not what Jinhyun or his brothers and sisters would have wanted.
He was going in and out of the Immersion Pressure Training Hall, continuing his practice, when an unexpected visitor appeared.
"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to on the main mountain. So you've been training here."
"Senior Uncle Gakhyeon, how did you know to find me here?"
"Hmph. Did you think you were the only one who knew about this training ground?"
Gakhyeon replied curtly that he himself had discovered the place long ago.
"I expected you to be wallowing, but you're more put-together than I thought."
"I decided moving was better than sitting still."
"In a hurry to grow strong so you can take revenge for your fellow disciples, are you?"
"…"
Cheonhwa fell silent. It would have been a lie to say the thought had never crossed his mind. At that reaction, Gakhyeon snorted.
"Don't. An ordinary master won't even come close."
"Then how strong do I need to become?"
"Beyond a Super Expert who can enter the ranks of the Hundred Great Masters of the Martial World. You will need to become a Peerless Expert who can shake the entire jianghu by yourself."
If the goal were simply to avenge Jinhyun, reaching the Super Expert realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak would likely have been enough. But as long as a mysterious force that moved while reading the heavenly secrets stood behind the enemy, Gakhyeon's judgment was that nothing less than the Peerless Expert realm would do.
Peerless Expert—a realm counted on one hand even when surveying the entire martial world. To Cheonhwa, who was still only a second-class martial artist, it was a wall that towered impossibly high.
"Do you believe I can reach it?"
"I don't know. At the very least, I judged it difficult. The only things worth looking at in you are spite and effort."
But—
"My close friend Jinhyun swore you would become the greatest master of the Zhongnan Sect."
Gakhyeon decided to trust the words his friend had left behind more than his own eye for talent.
"I'll drop by from time to time and look over your martial arts. Jinhyun asked me in his will to look after you, so I have to do at least that much if I want to keep my face."
"But I'm still only an entry-level disciple. Is it all right for you to teach me freely?"
"Put the other way around, that means there would be no problem if you were a full disciple rather than an entry-level one, doesn't it?"
With that, Gakhyeon stated his real business.
"Muwol is looking for you about the promotion exam. Go see him at once."
Having said his piece, Gakhyeon left the training ground without even waiting for a farewell. He clearly did not find Cheonhwa particularly pleasing, yet he had still come for the sake of his friend's final request.
Even after passing on, you leave me so much.
Cheonhwa offered silent thanks for the arrangements Jinhyun had made, then left the training ground and went to find Muwol.
Muwol, waiting at Sanggyun Hall, got straight to the point the moment Cheonhwa arrived. It was the result of the promotion exam that had been thrown into chaos by the attack.
"First, every survivor has been deemed to have passed the exam."
Surviving the surprise assault by the Dark Night Assassin Pavilion had already far exceeded the judgment required by the original purpose of the test. The problem was selecting the top ten. Normally the ranking would have been decided by the exam results themselves, but that was no longer feasible. In the end they ranked candidates according to the bonus points earned through everyday conduct.
"The top ten were selected from entry-level disciples who have consistently shown good conduct."
Unlike previous exams, the top ten of the third promotion exam were to be given a choice. One option was the usual Qi Building Pill. The other was a Heavenly Mansion Pill that aided the growth of internal energy. Cheonhwa had naturally intended to take the Qi Building Pill in order to complete the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong.
"Normally you would choose one of the two elixirs, but you have another option."
"What do you mean?"
"The Heavenly Mansion Pill that was among Senior Uncle Jinhyun's belongings—the one you entrusted to us. If we combine it with a Qi Building Pill, we can obtain an elixir of even greater efficacy."
The Heavenly Avian Pill.
An elixir twice as potent as the Qi Building Pill, with effects lasting a full year. For the training of the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong, no better medicine existed within the Zhongnan Sect.
"If you prefer, we can give them to you separately instead of combining them. What will you do?"
"Then I will take the Heavenly Avian Pill."
It was an arrangement Jinhyun had prepared with him in mind. Refusing was never an option.
"With the elixir decided, it is time to settle your path."
"I am listening."
"You have two choices. One is to become a full disciple. The other is to become a secular disciple."
The option existed because, separate from passing the exam, some needed to return to the secular world as secular disciples—cases like Daehwa, who had to return to his family.
"I will become a full disciple."
"Understood. The procedures for becoming a full disciple will take place once the entry-level disciple period ends. The selection of disciples by the second-generation masters will also occur then, so keep that in mind."
Entry-level disciples who passed the third promotion exam received the qualification to become full disciples, yet they could not become full disciples the moment they passed. The entry-level examinations spanned five years; promotion procedures were deferred until the entire process was complete. What, then, of those who passed early?
"From this moment until the entry-level period ends, you are authorized for independent training."
In other words, an opportunity to train freely without interference from anyone. Continuing existing martial arts practice was of course possible; so was learning higher-level arts normally reserved for full disciples. If one wished, one could pour all twelve double-hours of the day into training. That meant it was even possible to practically live inside the Immersion Pressure Training Hall.
In the two years that remain, I will complete the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong no matter what.
He had trained the five-stage Gyunchon Chukgi-gong up through the fourth stage. Only one stage remained until the peak. The two years left were the final chance to freely cultivate the foundational art. With the Immersion Pressure Training Hall and the aid of the Heavenly Avian Pill, all that remained was to throw himself into training with everything he had.
Cheonhwa's eyes shone with fierce will toward his goal.
The fifth floor of the Immersion Pressure Training Hall.
A space where the pressure was sixteen times that of the first-floor training ground. When he first set foot there, even breathing had required adaptation, let alone moving. Yet training in that merciless environment had guided his martial foundation to a higher realm.
Nearly a year had passed since he had shut himself inside the Immersion Pressure Training Hall and devoted himself to practice. At last Cheonhwa reached the fifth stage of the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong and completed the foundational art.
"Hoo…"
Cheonhwa exhaled a long breath, a satisfied smile touching his lips.
Now I understand. Why the heart method is called the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong—Balanced Heaven Foundation-Building Art.
Gyunchon—Balanced Heaven: standing at the center of the nine directions of the sky.
Chukgi—Foundation-Building: laying the base and the groundwork.
The five stages he had climbed so diligently had been the process of forging a vessel capable of containing every martial art of the Zhongnan Sect. That was why, the moment the foundational art was completed, there was only one ability gained.
From this day forward, Cheonhwa could freely learn every martial art of the Zhongnan Sect.
No wonder completing the foundational art by ordinary means takes ten years.
Trying to build, with a single heart method, the foundation that could hold all of Zhongnan's martial learning—of course it took time. It could truly be compared to the great undertaking of moving an entire mountain alone.
Without the Heavenly Avian Pill and this training ground, completing it in a single year would have been impossible.
Completing the foundational art in a little over four years since entering the Zhongnan Sect—it was likely an unprecedented record in the history of the sect since its founding.
Now that the Gyunchon Chukgi-gong is complete, only one thing remains.
Cheonhwa turned his gaze toward the inner depths of the fifth-floor training ground. Beyond a certain boundary lay a dense darkness. That was the place where the still-unrevealed secret of the training ground was hidden—the deepest layer of the Immersion Pressure Training Hall.
It doesn't feel like an absence of light so much as light being swallowed…
Cheonhwa examined the darkness with senses refined by the Six Harmony Sensory Path. Gakhyeon had told him not to even think of touching it until the foundational art was complete—that a single misstep could leave him permanently crippled.
He also said internal energy is unnecessary for crossing that boundary.
Beyond the darkness, the more internal energy one possessed, the stronger the pressure became. The less internal energy, the easier it was to cross. Therefore, what was required to go beyond was only physical robustness and mental fortitude.
After several deep breaths, Cheonhwa launched himself toward the boundary with all his strength.
The moment he passed it, pressure roughly twice that of the fifth floor pressed down on him. Without having completed the foundational art, he would have been crushed flat without any surprise. Once across the boundary, the pitch-black darkness he had seen from outside welcomed him.
The pressure… is about the same level as the fifth floor.
Cheonhwa moved his feet toward the interior. The instant he took a single step forward, he grasped the peculiar nature of this space. The darkness wrapped around his entire body was pushing back with force equal to the distance he advanced. Because his internal energy was not great, the repulsive force was not particularly strong—yet had he possessed abundant internal energy, a single step might have sent him flying back outside the boundary.
Cheonhwa advanced carefully, one step at a time. The farther he went, the stronger the repulsive force became; if he relaxed his tension even for a moment, he would be shoved backward and all his effort so far would come to nothing.
How far he had gone, he could not tell. He was certainly moving his feet forward, yet he could not be certain he was truly advancing. The darkness that hid even his own hand from view obscured both distance and direction. He could only dimly sense, through the repulsive force, that he was moving in a straight line. Even that might have been an illusion of the senses—yet Cheonhwa did not stop. He continued forward.
How much time had passed? The pitch-black darkness scrambled his sense of time. Moments stretched endlessly; at other times it felt as though days upon days had slipped by. Still Cheonhwa pushed through the darkness, advancing toward what lay ahead.
Forgetting distance, forgetting time, simply repeating the act of moving forward, the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness began to blur. Was he even truly awake? Was he unconscious and trapped in a hallucination? Did this darkness even have an end?
Countless doubts filled his mind, yet Cheonhwa cast them aside and pressed on toward what waited beyond. In the end, without even realizing it, he crossed another boundary.
Light flooded in, and the deepest chamber of the underwater cavern revealed itself.