The End of the Middle Dantian
Watching the torrent of arrows, Seong-jin reflexively reached out his hand. His instinct was to unleash his Naegi to deflect the arrowheads, but he realized in an instant that the memory he was witnessing was not his own.
‘Is this... the memory of the Heavenly Demon?’
As the realization dawned on him, the rain of arrows filled his vision. One could not block ten fingers with a single hand; no matter how exquisite one’s Geumna-su (Grappling Hand) technique might be, it could only cover an area the size of one’s palms.
‘If it’s like this, then how...?’
Instead of trying to block the arrow rain, the Heavenly Demon leaped forward. As his strength, transcending all human limits, pushed against the earth, his body shot forward like a cannonball. Moving faster than the falling arrows, he faced the soldiers' defensive formation and vaulted over it. With a single stride, he covered dozens of jang and struck the center of the formation like a Thunderbolt Bomb.
Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step.
He used the impact of his landing as the springboard for his next movement. The moment his feet touched the ground, the soldiers collapsed, and the defensive line was dismantled in an instant. Yet, the Heavenly Demon’s steps did not stop there. Even as the soldiers fell, a man stood proudly before him, mounted on a horse.
"Hahaha! You aim for me directly! So, it was no lie that you insist on non-killing?"
A general wielding a massive crescent-blade polearm greeted the Heavenly Demon from horseback. "I am the Great General of the Empire, Eung Gwang-il! Receive a single strike from me!"
With the acceleration of his warhorse, he brought the polearm down in a straight line from above. It was a mounted martial art created by the Imperial Army—who fed even their horses medicinal herbs—to counter the northern tribes. The strike of an absolute master of the Imperial Army, having achieved the unity of man and horse, carried the momentum of a landslide. Seong-jin, facing this, was overwhelmed by a Gipa (energy wave) that felt as if Mount Tai were collapsing.
Mount Tai Crushing the Peak.
A simple strike, merely swinging from top to bottom. Yet, because it was the simplest, it was the most powerful.
‘It feels as if I am facing not a human, but Great Nature itself...!’
Technique is useless before extreme power. The strike of an absolute master had exactly that kind of force.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga!
Even before the polearm touched the ground, the earth split apart from the energy wave alone. A line extending vertically toward the horizon along the trajectory of the polearm cleaved the world in two. Before that strike, which made the mountains and vegetation tremble, the Heavenly Demon reached out his hand.
-Watch closely.
"......!"
The sudden sound of the Heavenly Demon’s Jeon-eum (Voice Transmission). It was not directed at anyone else; it was a transmission that only he could hear. A voice that no one else in this world could perceive. A single word delivered to someone in the next world who would be peeking into this memory.
-This is the end of Middle Dantian martial arts.
The Great Heaven and Earth Shift.
Just as the name implied—to grasp and move the heavens and earth—it was as if he were holding the entire world in his hands. It was the ultimate technique capable of freely changing the direction of the power contained within all things.
-Though Mount Tai is high, it is but a mountain under the sky.
The mountain that seemed to cover the world was caught in the mere hands of a man. It was an ultimate technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, created by a young child for a father who suffered while learning demonic arts. It was a movement that stood out for its childlike simplicity—the idea of catching and moving any power whatsoever.
This childish ultimate technique, which existed only in theory, was perfected in the hands of the Heavenly Demon, tempered through repeated battles against the strongest warriors of the era.
-If the flow of power does not cease, there is nothing to fear.
The strike of the Imperial Great General, which had been like Mount Tai, had its direction changed by the Heavenly Demon’s hands and was unleashed once more. Eung Gwang-il hurriedly thrust his spear with the mystery of the Six Harmonies, but since he was essentially facing his own power, he could only manage to offset it. However, the strike returned by Geon-gon-dae-na-i had the Heavenly Demon’s own power added to it.
"One who should have become a god long ago has remained on earth without attaining liberation. Truly, you are a Demon Lord."
With an aftermath that felt like the heavens collapsing, Eung Gwang-il was swept away by the power of Geon-gon-dae-na-i. An absolute master at the pinnacle of the Imperial Army would not die from a single strike, but the Heavenly Demon did not bother to pursue him, instead gathering his strength.
-If you have polished your Upper Dantian with the teachings of a god, your body should now be capable of learning demonic arts.
-If you polish this and complete the Middle Dantian, you will be able to open the Lower Dantian with the mystery of Geon-gon-dae-na-i. If all three Dantians are opened, you will achieve Rebirth (Hwan-gol-tal-tae).
The cure the Heavenly Demon had found. It was the artificial creation of a Seon-gol (Immortal Bone).
-If you can be healthy, that is enough for me.
The story could not continue for long. The warriors of the Kangho, having confirmed the retreat of the Imperial Army, were narrowing their net once again.
-It is only a pity that I cannot see you healthy.
That was the end of the memory.
Seong-jin’s recovery of the Green Jade Buddha Staff was like pouring oil on a fire that was already blazing after the discovery of the Songmun Ancient Sword within the Murim Alliance.
"The Green Jade Buddha Staff, is it really true?"
"Since Shaolin entered seclusion after the Heavenly Demon’s chaos, there are no Shaolin monks to verify it. We must take it to Mount Song ourselves to confirm, but for now, the remaining tombs take priority."
"Find it! We must reclaim our sect’s treasure!"
However, this phenomenon was not limited to the righteous Murim Alliance.
"So, the Songmun Ancient Sword and the Green Jade Buddha Staff were all found in the mountains. Doesn't that make them our property?"
The Green Forest King began to move, and the Hao-mun set up shop, saying, "The Murim Alliance is buying the treasure maps at such high prices? A chance to make money."
With the righteous and the evil factions gathered in one place, conflict was inevitable.
"Isn't this the treasure map bought by the Murim Alliance! How do you have this!"
"We just drew it based on the maps shown to us by guests at the gisaeng house. Just because you bought the maps, do you have to erase our memories too?"
"What did you say!"
The Hao-mun was considered a sect between the righteous and evil, as commoners unrelated to the Murim world made up the majority of its members. They used this to open branches even in Hubei to collect information, but this incident was a clear declaration of war against the Murim Alliance.
"Is the Hao-mun leader finally refusing the 'cup of authority' and choosing the 'cup of punishment'!"
It was an explosive situation that could lead to a war between the righteous and evil factions. Accidental skirmishes began to occur in various places, and in the process, the third tomb was discovered.
During that process, within the formation of the tomb, the alliance of the 8th and 9th strongholds of the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds clashed with the joint forces of the Arangdae and the Zhuge Clan. In the chaos, those caught in the effects of the formation were trapped and lost contact. The Murim Alliance was attempting to dismantle the formation from the outside, but time was dragging on because they didn't know what would happen to the treasures inside if they forced it.
Some sects were stopping them, fearing their own treasures might be inside, and were unwilling to give up the treasures just to break the formation. Since the Murim Alliance ran on the support of major sects, they could not ignore the supporters' opinions and force the dismantling of the formation.
As the situation stood, others gave up on the third tomb, which had become difficult to touch, and turned their attention to finding other tombs. In this situation, it was natural that requests for Seong-jin, who had found the second tomb, were pouring in.
"I will refuse them all. For me, confirming the third tomb is the priority."
"But you can't enter the third tomb right now, can you? The vicinity has already become a battlefield where the Murim Alliance and the Green Forest's follow-up troops are fighting. It would be difficult to even approach with mediocre skills."
"I will have to find a way from now on."
Seong-jin expressed his refusal to Geum Ye-hwa, the clerk from the General Affairs Office who had brought a bundle of requests. She had been assigned as Seong-jin’s dedicated contact since their last meeting, and she had come to find him again.
"Warrior Joo, what are you seeking the Heavenly Demon’s tomb for?"
If one were a demonic practitioner, there would be no reason not to seek the tomb. If one were from a sect that had its treasures stolen by the Heavenly Demon, there would be something they wanted to find. But for a freelance warrior who belonged nowhere, it was different. Those who pursued power and touched demonic arts were usually those who were alone, with no one to protect and no one to stop them from falling into temptation.
"Perhaps..."
"I just don't want the same tragedy to repeat itself."
"......!"
"But it is troublesome that the Murim Alliance has forbidden approach to that place."
"What if there is a way?" Geum Ye-hwa said, her eyes shining. "If there were a way to participate in the front lines, would you go, Warrior Joo?"
"Of course."
Seong-jin nodded at the question. It didn't matter how strong the absolute master was. Welcoming the mourners was the duty of the bereaved family. Just because he hadn't fulfilled his duties as a child while his father was alive didn't mean he could continue to do so now.
"Because that is the duty of a human being."
At Seong-jin’s words, Geum Ye-hwa nodded. "Then, I would like to ask you for a request."
Geum Ye-hwa said that and pulled out a request form from her bosom. "This is a designated request I am giving to you."
The content of the mission was the rescue of the personnel trapped within the formation of the third tomb. A special note was the rescue of all personnel, regardless of whether they were Murim Alliance warriors or Green Forest bandits.
"We must stop the two forces from clashing. Because no matter who wins, it will inevitably lead to a war between the righteous and evil factions."
"But why give this to me?"
"I received reports from the Arangdae members that you possess the skill to break through formations."
Also, judging by their conversation just now, he was not a person who would covet the Heavenly Demon’s legacy with a mission right in front of him. That was why Geum Ye-hwa had presented the request. If Seong-jin were a person who prioritized the Heavenly Demon’s legacy, she would not have entrusted him with the job, even if he could break through the formation.
"Will you try it?"
"May I bring someone to help?"
"Are you talking about the Hwasan Sword Dragon or the Jeomchang Single Sword? Of course."
Seong-jin accepted Geum Ye-hwa’s designated request.
Geum Ye-hwa, who had sent Seong-jin off with the request, stood there for a long time, watching the spot where he had left.
-Is there a problem?
"No, it's fine. I was just a little surprised."
She answered the bodyguard who was asking after her and chewed over Seong-jin’s answer.
"The duty of a human being."
She hadn't known that a person who truly meant such words actually existed.
"Saying he doesn't want to repeat a tragedy. Did he also lose his family in the Heavenly Demon’s chaos?"
The Heavenly Demon had scolded the Kangho while adhering to non-killing. That act, bordering on obsession, was so famous that even the absolute masters of the time would repeat their challenges without worrying about death, so it was certain that it wasn't mere deception. However, looting is rampant in areas swept away by natural disasters. The Heavenly Demon had merely swept through the Central Plains like a typhoon, but those left behind had no choice but to become victims of a chaotic era.
The Luoyang Geum Clan, Geum Ye-hwa’s family, was also one of the families that had collapsed due to the Heavenly Demon’s chaos.
"Let's return. There is a lot of pending work."
-Yes, Great Chief.
Geum Ye-hwa, born with her Upper Dantian already open, was gifted with the divine power to hear people’s words and discern their truth. With this ability, she became the Great Chief of the Murim Alliance at a young age and, with god-like personnel management and judgment, wove together the sects that acted according to their own interests. It was no exaggeration to say that the current Murim Alliance could exist because of her divine power.
Because she couldn't guarantee her safety if this divine power were revealed to the outside, Geum Ye-hwa hid her true identity and worked as a mere clerk in the General Affairs Office, secretly performing the role of Great Chief.
"I've met countless people and seen all sorts of dirty things, but this is the first time I've met someone who sincerely speaks of the duty of a human being."
-Yes?
After seeing the voices of her parents, who used to whisper love, turn into lies, Geum Ye-hwa no longer acted like a spoiled child. She knew it with her head. That the reason one could devote themselves to a newborn baby who only knew how to whine was because they truly loved the child. But she also knew that no matter how much one loved, if their body and mind were exhausted, they could feel annoyance or bother, even for a moment.
However, she was a child born with divine power, and the truth that the divine power showed without filtration was simply too shocking for a young child to accept. One could say she matured too early. Even while using her divine power to compete with merchants for the revival of her family, she hadn't been this shocked, even when seeing thugs who treated women like playthings or Murim families who were polite on the outside but were the very definition of 'honey-mouthed, sword-hearted.'
"But I don't think I'll be able to forget this."
Geum Ye-hwa spoke her thoughts aloud and used her divine power. It was the truth.