Heaven-Breaking Divine Art (1)
Heaven-Breaking Divine Art. It pairs the character for "break" with "heaven." Literally translated, it means a martial art possessing the power to shatter the heavens... but what would it be like in practice?
Rank F — The mana in your body converts to Heaven-Breaking Qi.
The basic effect wasn't much different from Blood Demon Divine Art. It was simply that the mana turned into Heaven-Breaking Qi instead of Blood Demon Qi.
'Heaven-Breaking Qi... how intriguing.'
Blood Demon Qi was an overbearing energy with near-immortal vitality. So what was Heaven-Breaking Qi? Its fundamental nature could be called dominance. However...
Rank E — Heaven-Breaking Qi gains the property of Myriad Transformations.
Myriad Transformations. Unlike Purple Haze Divine Art, which merely held the potential, Heaven-Breaking Qi could actually transform into anything.
Swish—.
Yun-seok tested it by slicing his hand with a blade. Unlike when he had Blood Demon Divine Art, the wound didn't heal over time. But the moment he formed a precise intent...
The bleeding stopped, and fresh flesh sprouted. Though he hadn't tried it, he suspected he could even use it to heal others.
'In terms of versatility, it's overwhelming.'
Moreover, with just Heaven-Breaking Qi, he could employ all the profound principles and techniques of Dragon Soaring Qi, Purple Haze Qi, and Blood Demon Qi without distinction. The biggest concern had been resolved.
And not only that—the stat increases were no issue either.
Rank D — Mana stat increases by +8.
The across-the-board +2 to all stats was gone, replaced by a rise only in mana. Yet it didn't feel weaker. Naturally so. The increase was absurdly massive.
His current mana at 'S-' would reach 'SS+' with +8. For reference, an S-rank stat potion cost a whopping 6 million AP. With 6 million AP, you could boost every stat except mana by 2 and still have plenty left. But...
Rank C — It must exist. The Middle Dantian opens.
This line baffled him. The Middle Dantian was as vast as the three unique skills combined, already filled with Heaven-Breaking Qi. The energy there still wasn't moving, but that wasn't the confusing part.
'It must exist?'
What did that even mean? Unable to figure it out, Yun-seok checked the next entry.
Rank B — Shatters the unshatterable.
Fortunately, this one was straightforward. Too straightforward, in fact, leaving it somewhat vague. But he had a hunch.
Yun-seok channeled Heaven-Breaking Qi into his sword—just in case—and swung at the wall.
Slash!
It cut clean through. A vivid sword mark remained on the waiting room wall, protected by the system and impervious to all damage.
'What the...'
Yun-seok was speechless. He'd tried it on a whim, not expecting it to work. It wasn't just any wall. This was the work of the absolute being who created the Tower of Heaven. He'd shattered it.
Heaven-Breaking Divine Art. Now he understood why it bore that name. Obtaining it was tantamount to gaining a means to defy the heavens themselves.
Of course, the best outcome would be never needing to use it... but when did things ever go as planned?
'At least I won't need the watch now.'
Eventually, Yun-seok stopped checking the old pocket watch. It reset time to five minutes before death, but could only be used once a month. If he'd needed it this time, he planned to spend that hour training in the waiting room. But now that Heaven-Breaking Divine Art proved its worth encompassing all three prior skills, there was no need.
'No turning back anyway.'
Five minutes passed. Yun-seok quietly approached the tablet.
He had 282,000 DP left. Unlike AP, it couldn't be saved indefinitely, and now it was practically pocket change. He decided its use without regret.
'Time to synthesize.'
Please select skills to synthesize.
Up to 3 skills possible; all must be the same rank.
The Authority of Skill Synthesis created something entirely new. It didn't always go positively, but it occasionally hit big. Plus, with Heaven-Breaking Divine Art and Shaman's Law enabling so much, many skills had lost utility.
Mana Resistance, Unlock, Sword of Anti-Magic.
He first selected three Rank D skills—no adjustment needed.
Mana Resistance. Once useful, but no longer necessary with the far superior Heart of Freedom.
Unlock went without saying, and Sword of Anti-Magic was similar. Ignores 30% enemy resistance. Not bad to have, but expendable—and potentially better as synthesis fodder.
Skills have been synthesized.
You have acquired Dispel.
◈ Blocks active skills C- rank or lower.
◈ Consumes no mana.
◈ Cooldown: 600 seconds.
In short, a 'counter' skill... Just like how he'd sealed an opponent's skill with Shaman's Law before.
'Gotta raise it to at least B rank to be useful.'
Even factoring in the investment and the substitute Shaman's Law, it wasn't bad. The cooldown wasn't too long, and above all, zero mana cost.
Spirit Affinity (Rank C-) rank has increased.
Spirit Affinity (Rank C) rank has increased.
Spirit Affinity, gained from the fairy in the Great Hall. Using 192,000 DP to rank it up, Yun-seok immediately put it on the synthesis table.
Paired with it: Poison Immunity (meaningless with Light of Purification) and Mana Reinforcement (C+), long eyed as synthesis fodder.
Skills have been synthesized.
You have acquired Environmental Adaptation.
◈ All terrain penalties reduced by 50%.
Terrain penalties? A new phrase. No more skills to synthesize anyway, so he'd hold onto it.
'Synthesize again when something suitable comes up.'
Yun-seok decided to save the remaining 90,000 DP. Too awkward for bottom-tier synthesis, better for minor AP needs later.
Finally, he checked achievements.
— Secret Pursuer (Secret area exploration complete) +150 LP
— Secret Hunter (5 secret areas explored) +350 LP
— Pioneer of the Heavens (Reached Heaven) +380 LP
Using 500 LP for the Trial of Exploration, he'd gained 880 LP total. Like last mission, other trials seemed profitable the higher you went... but prices stayed fixed, so later was better.
'Higher floors mean bigger returns anyway.'
He had 2,000 LP now—four more trials possible. Short-term fine, but long-term loss. Higher rewards later.
'Maybe the system anticipates getting stuck.'
He was strong now. Rarely lost to same-floor duelists. But limits might come. Save the 2,000 LP. LP wasn't easily farmed.
'Alright, let's begin.'
Yun-seok drew his twin swords and stood still. He'd planned to resume chasing Sword God's realm, but first, grasp Heaven-Breaking Divine Art. Exploring Heaven-Breaking Qi might yield insights.
'Qi of Myriad Transformations...'
Internal arts had natures, suiting certain techniques. Blood Demon Qi paired with domineering, forceful swordsmanship; Dragon Soaring Qi with ultimate rigid or fluid styles. Purple Haze Qi blended well but excelled at none.
Yet he'd done it. Domineering, Forceful, Soft, Illusory, Dull, Heavy, Light, Swift.
With just Purple Haze Divine Art, he'd unified all to extremity in one strike.
'Struggled so much for that.'
He'd thought the answer lay in Purple Haze Qi. Wrong. It was Sword God Lee Hyun-hak himself. Absurd sword talent transcended Purple Haze Divine Art's limits.
Yun-seok believed steady effort would get him there eventually.
'Didn't expect the path so soon.'
Omnipotence differed from versatility. Heaven-Breaking Divine Art was arguably Purple Haze Divine Art's superior. No need to transcend contradictions—Heaven-Breaking Qi erased them.
Vmmm!
Yun-seok slowly infused his sword with Heaven-Breaking Qi, organizing insights one by one.
The colorless qi gained hues.
Whoosh!
Domineering: a crimson aura ruling over all, much like Blood Demon Qi.
Humm!
Forceful: an unyielding resolve, a serene green.
Shaaa!
Soft: embracing everything, a deep ocean blue.
"...".
It was easy so far—these were etched into his bones.
The problem now: Illusory?
'Paths myriad, yet never forgetting initial purpose...'
A brilliant yellow draped faintly over his sword qi.
Yun-seok asked again.
'What is Heavy?'
It was simple: a steadfast will like rock. A gray core stood firm.
Rumble.
Next.
Light—what did lightness mean?
"...".
It was unclear. To him, lightness was a spirit unbroken even when trampled.
Right? A muddy maroon layered on.
"...".
Two left. Yun-seok steadied his breath.
'Swift...'
Invisible, and thus blindingly bright. White energy blended in.
Finally: Dull?
Always the hardest. Hence his labyrinth practice using a dull sword against the beasts.
'Slow, yet not slow.'
Speed was irrelevant if it reached the goal. The dull sword felt tyrannical, dominating everything despite its slowness and plainness.
Yun-seok closed eyes.
Now he knew. Dullness was...
Endurance hiding itself before victory.
Humm!
A purple hue was added—the reason unknown.
"...".
It was done.
Yun-seok gazed at his contradiction-filled sword. Eight colors coexisted harmoniously in distinct forms.
He was chasing the Sword God, yet it was wholly different. It was natural—looking at the same sight could evoke different feelings.
Different didn't mean wrong.
'Eight united... Eight Harmonies Sword? No, Eight-Colored Sword Qi.'
He attached a name to it. It had started as an imitation, but he had created it himself. Affection stirred within him.
'Anyway, he had named it... now it was time to test it.'
He extended his sword. The motion was slow yet fast, heavy yet light, steadfast yet as floral as cherry blossoms.
Whoosh—!
The perfect thrust ended. The Eight-Colored Sword Qi converged, shooting along its trajectory.
Was it thanks to the B-rank effect? The wall now had a clean, man-sized hole.
He had been curious before: what lay beyond? It was unintended, but now he knew.
"Kyaeeeeek!"
A sharp feminine scream pierced his ears. It was the first time he had heard another voice in the waiting room.
Yun-seok peered through the hole. A statue stood in the center like his, but the space was decorated and contained a bed.
And...
"W-W-W-Who... who are you...?"
A trembling woman stared back.
Yun-seok chuckled dryly.
Apparently, he had a neighbor in similar straits.