Heavenly Realm
I spent the next three days comfortably resting, focusing on restoring my stamina and Qi to their prime. While I desperately wanted to learn the secrets of the Spatial Manipulation Sword and the Heavenly Contraction Sword, wasting time due to being in poor condition would do no good. It was quite a tight schedule managing the muscle soreness all over my body.
“Let’s spar.”
Just when I had fully recuperated, the Sword Demon suggested a duel.
Clang!
The swords clashed. It felt almost no different than before, but as I noticed the shift in my skill around the twentieth second, something clicked.
‘This feels easier…’
My swordsmanship hadn’t really changed much, but now I could discern attacks and defenses using my Intent as a novice, and I could adequately counter the Sword Demon’s overwhelming skills with my sword mastery. So, despite a bit of panic at the Sword Demon’s elusive movements, I managed not to be entirely overwhelmed.
Pash!
After about a hundred seconds, the Sword Demon withdrew his sword and stepped back.
“You’ve grown.”
“Yes.”
“At this level, there shouldn’t be any issues jumping straight into teaching you the secrets.”
With that, the Sword Demon began explaining the essence of the Spatial Manipulation Sword.
Since I had a rough understanding from previous explanations, it was easy to follow. The Sword Demon added,
“The key is to feel like you’re bending space with your Intent. You have to harmonize your swordplay, mind, and breath to achieve a good curve.”
Whoosh!
With a flick of his wrist, the Sword Demon unfolded the first move of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, and much like before, the sword’s path twisted unnaturally. I had felt this during our duel earlier; such erratically curved sword paths were indeed difficult to evade. When combined with the characteristics of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, it transformed into an unrivaled killing path.
With a smile, the Sword Demon said,
“… Normally, this would be the limit of what I could teach you. However, Yong Junil and I discovered another refinement of the Spatial Manipulation Sword over the past three months.”
“Another refinement?”
“Yes. It’s possibly connected to your past life, where an individual named Lee Kwang achieved this level through research.”
The Sword Demon assumed a stance and gazed into the void. His aura surged sharply, as if he were facing an enemy, making an effort to demonstrate the practical power of the move. His Intent coalesced intensely, like a poised bamboo, before he vanished in a moment.
“Focus!”
That moment arrived.
Boom!
I saw the Sword Demon reappear three yards away, and I witnessed a dazzling spectacle of light scattering like flower petals. Then, I felt a massive force sweep past me. It was a Dominance Path power.
“……!!”
I clenched my fists, realizing why the Sword Demon hadn’t showcased that Absolute Slash during our spar.
‘That attack can’t be dodged or blocked…!!’
An overwhelming might!
No matter how much I practiced, facing that Absolute Slash would immediately turn me into a blood pudding or worse. As I was in shock over the slash’s ferocity, the Sword Demon took a breath and sheathed his sword.
“Feels somewhat similar to Lee Kwang’s Heavenly Contraction Island, doesn’t it?”
“Yes…”
It genuinely did.
The Thunder God’s one step, the Heavenly Contraction Island, had struck down clones in a single blow and shattered the protective energy of Yong Bi-cheon. Back then, the level was too high for me to comprehend how to execute the technique. But now, the Sword Demon’s technique felt very much akin to that Heavenly Contraction Island.
The Sword Demon continued,
“When you become sufficiently accustomed to bending space with the Spatial Manipulation Sword, you’ll move on to the next stage: the Unity with the Heavenly Contraction Sword Technique.”
“You mean merging with the Heavenly Contraction Sword Technique?”
“Exactly! That’s the conclusion that Yong Junil and I reached.”
He slumped down after that.
“The original originator, Zhang Sanfeng, had a reason for linking these two grand techniques. Once your proficiency with the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword surpasses a certain threshold, a synergistic effect occurs. The result becomes a technique that ‘consumes’ space entirely, just like earlier.”
“Consuming…”
As I echoed that unique concept in my head, the Sword Demon spoke up.
“For an expert, the distance to their opponent is as vital as life itself. By mastering the Spatial Manipulation Sword, you can warp space, and by mastering the Heavenly Contraction Sword, you can adjust distance. When these two characteristics combine, the dimension of the sword path you can wield shifts entirely. It is more apt to say the dimension elevates.”
He clenched his fist.
“The astonishing aspect is that this Unity technique applies to any martial art. Whether the foundational martial art is from the Thunder God’s school, Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, Wudang Sect, or even a third-rate one… Truly, Zhang Sanfeng is a peerless master!”
“……!!”
“You need to start striving for this Unity technique from today. Once you grasp it, there won’t be many capable of contending with you in the world.”
“I understand!!”
I bit down on my resolve.
The path to becoming stronger lay right before me, so who wouldn’t pour their all into training? Even if I lacked natural talents, I would never give up.
And thus, the Sword Demon’s teachings on the Spatial Manipulation Sword began. Under his patient guidance, I diligently focused on using my Intent to curve the sword path. At first, I found it hard to grasp, and it was quite a struggle, but around two months later, I was finally able to bend the initial move.
Swoosh!
“I did it!!”
Having successfully applied the initial move to the Spatial Manipulation Sword for the first time, my joy almost had me jumping. While I couldn’t twist the sword path as freely as the Sword Demon, I had acquired enough skill to utilize it effectively in real combat. When I expressed my joy, the Sword Demon gave me a teasing look.
“Aren’t you a bit too happy? That’s only to be expected.”
“Expected?”
“Exactly. If you had been clumsy in wielding your Intent, it would’ve taken you not two months but ten years. Yet, since you are skilled enough to use sword mastery, this achievement is quite normal. Besides, considering the mere training time, haven’t you exceeded me significantly?”
“I see…”
I felt deflated. The Sword Demon smirked and then added,
“Well then, starting today, I’ll also teach you the Heavenly Contraction Sword. And in your spare time, you’ll learn Seven Stars Shadow Movement from Yong Junil.”
“But Seven Stars Shadow Movement is a body technique. Why now…?”
My concern was reasonable.
The Seven Stars Shadow Movement was a martial art in the Wudang Sect lost to time, yet it was also a peerless body technique. Yet, given the urgency to grasp the Unity technique, spending time on the Seven Stars Shadow Movement seemed questionable.
Moreover, I had already obtained the peerless body technique of Soul Removal, making Seven Stars Shadow Movement seem unnecessary. When it came to sheer speed, Soul Removal was far superior.
Then, the Sword Demon responded.
“That’s quite peculiar. Mastering the secrets of Seven Stars Shadow Movement will make it easier for you to achieve the Unity technique with the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword.”
“Huh…?”
“It implies that Zhang Sanfeng didn’t impart the Wudang Sect’s seven legendary techniques to you for no reason.”
“Please elaborate.”
The Sword Demon nodded and said,
“When you underwent hellish training for three months to gain sword mastery, Yong Junil and I tirelessly debated and analyzed the seven legendary techniques. As a result, we discovered that all six legendary techniques are interconnected—except for Peerless Slash.”
“Interconnected…”
“You must have sensed how flowing the movements were in a dance-like fashion as you practiced the Wudang Sect’s techniques for a long time.”
“Indeed.”
“That’s because the secrets dormant in the six legendary techniques resonated with one another. If the Unity technique exists for merging the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, then to achieve that, you must first obtain the secrets of Seven Stars Shadow Movement. Following that, you’ll need to grasp the flow of True Martial Seven Absolute Techniques, after which you’ll recognize the paths of Heavenly Movement of the Five Spirits, and eventually, that knowledge leads back to the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword.”
The Sword Demon shrugged his shoulders.
“The heavens resonate with one another. All six legendary techniques can be viewed as one unified martial art. Ultimately, one must master all at a certain level to achieve mastery in one. And that singular mastery transitions into completeness, creating a cycle akin to the Tai Chi or Primal Unity.”
“……!!”
At that moment, I felt a shocking impact in my mind as if I had been struck with something heavy.
‘This world… Zhang Sanfeng…!!’
Normally, I wouldn’t have understood, but hearing the Sword Demon’s words made me sense the profound essence contained within the Wudang Sect’s techniques. Until now, I merely thought they were lacking in destructive power compared to the Thunder God’s techniques – but having ascended to the stage of Intent, I could observe the essence of martial arts and had my perception changed.
A cold sweat trickled down my back.
‘I was… truly naïve!’
The image of the absolute master Zhang Sanfeng contemplating the changes of all things laid out in the palm of his hand felt like a distant dream. This was not a martial art that a rookie like me could casually judge merely by its visible power.
Each of the six legendary techniques resonated harmoniously, forming a perfect entity without a single contradiction, like the beauty of a finely woven thread. The emergence of the Tai Chi from chaos represented even the great nature itself.
No wonder the pinnacle experts like Lee Kwang and the Sword Demon gasped in awe the moment they encountered Zhang Sanfeng’s enlightenment, praising the wonder of the Wudang Sect. They were individuals who honed their Intent to its highest degree, yet their natural arrogance as masters could not help but humble themselves before Zhang Sanfeng’s enlightenment.
The Sword Demon said,
“Do not worry. Within ten years, you should be able to grasp all the key aspects of the six legendary techniques.”
“Can this truly be possible…?”
I questioned, unable to believe my own words. Ten years might seem long to an ordinary person, but in light of the stakes, it was a remarkably short period. I instinctively understood that since I had just reached the pinnacle, mastering the six legendary techniques would require a minimum of a hundred years. Ten years was extremely cheap in comparison.
The Sword Demon suddenly seemed quite delighted.
“Heh heh heh. Of course, originally, with merely the powers of Yong Junil and me, reaching this depth would have been impossible. How could one quickly grasp Zhang Sanfeng’s extraordinary martial arts? It would have been impossible without the Master of the White Lotus Sect. But thanks to you, it became possible.”
“Huh?”
“You possess the memories of spending years researching Thunder God’s techniques and the legendary techniques together. Moreover, you’ve seen how the Heavenly Contraction Island works as applied by Lee Kwang, along with observing Jin So-cheong’s martial arts. This allowed me to bypass decades of research.”
“……”
“Yong Junil thinks of me as a true genius. Heh heh.”
Regarding the memories I had from that training retreat, I had no clue about what was going on! The Sword Demon had used the Obsidian Stone to transfer knowledge, accelerating the research of the Wudang Sect’s techniques remarkably. I realized the profound effects of the Obsidian Stone I had received from the prophet.
‘Using the Obsidian Stone, I can inherit accomplishments from my past life!’
I acknowledged just how effective the techniques gleaned from the prophet were. I was determined to learn more from the prophet in the future.
After receiving training from the Sword Demon, I started learning Seven Stars Shadow Movement from Yong Junil. He seemed a bit annoyed and said,
“You’ve probably practiced the forms of Seven Stars Shadow Movement enough, so I’ll teach you the secrets straight away. Got any questions?”
“None.”
“Good.”
I knew that any questions would only lead to confusion. Already struggling enough with my intelligence, focusing all my efforts on learning the secrets was essential, or I’d end up wasting too much time.
‘Let’s do this!’
This lifetime, I’m solely focused on mastering martial arts!
What happens in the outside world is none of my concern!
And thus, six years flew by like the wind.
I hadn’t yet attained the Unity technique with the Spatial Manipulation Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, but I had learned to properly wield both skills with Intent, and could apply the remaining techniques effectively. Comparing it to my previous life, I could genuinely claim to have made significant progress in my martial arts achievements.
While I was training, the Sword Demon said to me,
“Baek Woong, I think I need to return to the Shadowless Gate for a bit.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing major.”
That was a lie.
There’s no way he would sacrifice training time to return to the Shadowless Gate for something trivial.
As I stared blankly at him, he conceded,
“Alright, it’s actually a big deal.”
“I’ll help!”
“That would be appreciated.”
“Is there a disturbance in the Shadowless Gate?”
The Sword Demon responded casually to my question,
“Actually…”
But I couldn’t help but stiffen at the answer.
“Jin So-cheong has set out to deal with the Eight Demons of Martial Daos. That’s why I have to return.”
