Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
The Sword Demon took me to the sparring ground and said,
“Let’s use a Wooden Sword for our match.”
“A Wooden Sword, you say? But there’s only an Iron Sword here… Don’t you usually use an Iron Sword?”
As far as I knew, the Shadowless Gate rarely utilized something like a wooden sword. They generally aimed for a spar close to actual combat with only iron swords. The Sword Demon responded,
“That’s just to heighten the tension for amateurs. You and I have both reached peak levels and can completely grasp our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, correct? Therefore, a blunt and powerless weapon is best.”
A Peak Expert can kill their opponent anytime with their sword energy and Sword Flame, regardless of the weapon’s quality. If they don’t control the weapon’s edge, accidents are more likely to occur.
“I see…”
Swish
I took the Wooden Sword handed to me by the Sword Demon and assumed a stance straight on. Knowing he was undoubtedly more skilled than me, I focused on raising my energy to eliminate any gaps. After a moment of observing my energy, the Sword Demon expressed admiration.
“Excellent. It’s rare to see someone your age reach this level.”
“That’s quite the compliment.”
“Let’s see your skills.”
Whoosh
No sooner had he finished speaking than a faint vibration emanated from the tip of his Wooden Sword, and immediately a beam of sword energy shot out like a flash. It seemed to be an application of tan(弹) technique, and the speed was breathtaking. I gracefully deflected the attack with a spectacular Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique.
The boundary between the Sword Demon and me was meticulously adjusted. As I tried to break through the curve with my swift strike, the boundary shifted fluidly as if it were alive, giving me the illusion that the Sword Demon’s entire form transformed into a vast current of water.
‘He completely understands the rhythm of my strikes.’
I thrust with my swift sword, suddenly employing Illusionary and Change techniques to disrupt the Sword Demon’s rhythm. Yet, his swordplay adapted swiftly, and he perfectly countered my attack. The defense was so flawless that I felt embarrassed to continue my assault.
Clang!
A resounding sound echoed. Even though it was a Wooden Sword, the reverberation rang out as our sword flames clashed in the air. Despite my overwhelming internal energy, the Sword Demon’s flames dispersed every bit of strength I had.
After about ten seconds, he said,
“Very nice. Your foundation in swordsmanship is solidly established.”
“With all this flattery, I don’t know how to react.”
“Hmm? This isn’t just flattery…”
Whoosh!
“……!!”
Suddenly, I was taken aback when he slipped into my guard, and his strike flew close to my throat. It was literally a surprise attack that pierced through the senses of a Peak Expert. The speed wasn’t even that fast, yet I couldn’t understand why I didn’t notice this attack.
As I hastily dodged, the Sword Demon nonchalantly unleashed a series of attacks, forcing me into a defensive position. Desperately parrying his continuous strikes, I bit down hard, reminded of a familiar feeling.
‘This feels just like when I got bullied by Lee Kwang!’
It felt as if a cat was playing with a mouse! I managed to defend with a minimal reserve, so the opponent couldn’t afford a hasty, powerful strike, but I couldn’t find a way to reverse this desperate situation!
After nearly 100 seconds of fending off the Sword Demon’s relentless assaults, he suddenly withdrew his Wooden Sword and sighed.
“Hmm… So it is.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your swordsmanship is skewed. You have no understanding of Intention.”
“……?”
I tilted my head and questioned,
“Intention? Are you referring to the realm of Mind Control?”
“I see you know that. But why are you not utilizing it?”
“I’ve heard there’s such a thing, but I don’t know how to unfold it,” I replied honestly.
Intention!
In fact, I had heard of this state before during the duel with Jin So-cheong, but back then, my martial arts level was too low to understand what he meant. Afterward, I had been so desperate to hone my techniques that I could hardly think about Intention. So, I had no proper response to the Sword Demon’s mention of it.
Hearing my words made the Sword Demon momentarily dumbfounded. Then he said, incredulously,
“That can’t be… Your swordplay and martial skills are undoubtedly from a renowned lineage. And to reach the Peak level at your age, you must have painstakingly learned from a peerless master. And yet, you don’t know about Intention?”
I scratched my head.
“Even if you say that… I’ve been too busy polishing my skills to even consider Intention.”
“That’s a ridiculous excuse! Do you understand how absurd that is?!”
Suddenly, the Sword Demon erupted with frustration.
“Whoever taught you must be a madman. He could teach you the harmony of mind and technique but not Intention? That’s practically asking someone to die!”
“……!!”
I could only close my mouth as he criticized my master. I had no inclination to refute him because I somehow understood the source of his anger.
‘Lee Kwang…!!’
The master who taught me the most martial arts was undeniably Lee Kwang. However, I knew he had always concealed many techniques from me throughout my countless lives and had kept me in check. He was clever enough to understand how to efficiently deceive people. Of course, my lack of talent played a part in this, but he had clearly drawn a line with me at some point to keep me from advancing.
After a while, the Sword Demon calmed down and said,
“I apologize for insulting your master. However, you must understand that not knowing about Intention is truly absurd.”
“It’s alright…”
I gazed thoughtfully at the Sword Demon and spoke,
“What exactly is Intention?”
“Heh heh… I never thought I would have to explain this to a master of your caliber.”
The Sword Demon, chuckling wryly, suddenly plopped down on the sparring mat.
“Now, observe.”
Assuming a proper seated position, the Sword Demon continued.
“I’m sitting in a crossed-leg stance. How many movements would it take me to stand up and attack you?”
“Um… Two movements, I suppose.”
Even if he thrust with his sword using the power of his thighs, it wouldn’t count as a proper attack. To engage the opponent, he would first need to firmly plant his feet on the ground to build up force before launching a strike. No matter how strange a technique, if the lower body strength wasn’t solid, it couldn’t be a legitimate attack.
Thus, combining the rising motion and the thrusting motion, I’d say it would take at least two actions.
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
I inadvertently gasped. The Sword Demon’s Wooden Sword was suddenly aimed right at my heart. With a sly grin, he asked,
“How many movements was that?”
“……”
I paused for a moment before replying honestly,
“I didn’t see it.”
Indeed.
It vanished from my sight completely. I saw a blurred movement from the Sword Demon, but how he struck in that instant was beyond my perception. I felt the same sense of danger I had earlier.
‘It was just like before…’
When the Sword Demon had unexpectedly pierced through my guard with that terrifying strike, it felt just like this. However, it wasn’t just because the speed was too fast. On the contrary, one could say it was a regular speed, yet he had easily breached my perception.
As I pondered, the Sword Demon explained,
“This is what Intention is all about. There’s a world of difference between those who have grasped Intention and those who haven’t. Even if your internal energy and techniques are on par, the level of skill will greatly differ depending on the development of Intention.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“Intention refers to human will, while Mind signifies the act of asserting it onto the world.”
“……?”
To assert one’s will upon the world?
How does that connect to the elevation of deadly techniques?
Suddenly, I remembered the advice Jin So-cheong had given me before.
[No matter how perfect your internal energy is, that’s all governed by a human body. Confronting someone who has acquired will through deception is like standing naked in the frigid wind of the North Pole, waiting to die. That would be a miserable affair.]
[It’s the advanced level of unarmed techniques. Once you begin to step outside the realms of techniques and internal energy, one enters an entirely different dimension of combat. Of course, one cannot entirely ignore techniques and internal energy, but it vastly diverges from the lower levels of unarmed movements.]
I recalled that Jin So-cheong had indeed advised me about Intention, emphasizing that it was a different concept from internal energy. And it was Jin So-cheong, not Lee Kwang, who had ever mentioned it.
The Sword Demon continued his explanation.
“Where do you think human willpower comes from?”
“That should be… the brain, I suppose.”
“Such a materialistic perspective! Well, it isn’t wrong. The brain can be included in the Upper Dantian, and how fast do you think it transmits commands throughout the body?”
“Extremely fast. The stronger one becomes, the more their movements align with that speed.”
“Exactly. The most fundamental element that accelerates those speeds is the brain, the Upper Dantian. Cultivating Qi, opening up the meridians, and moving internal energy is just laying down the path. The principles of mind, energy, blood, and emotion exist for this reason. Fundamentally, the ability of the Upper Dantian can control all martial arts.”
With that, the Sword Demon gazed deeply into the void.
“However, as I’ve mentioned, this explanation merely touches on the materialistic aspect of Intention. Its true ability can be expressed in terms of the Heavenly Pillar.”
“Heavenly Pillar? As in, the pillar of the sky?”
“Indeed. The pillar of the sky.”
Swish
The Sword Demon extended a finger toward me. In that moment, I felt an invisible, intense Formless Qi enveloping my entire body. It was as if I was faced with a mighty storm, pressing against me until I felt torn apart. When I desperately utilized my internal energy to resist, a short time later, he withdrew the Formless Qi.
“Ugh… ugh…”
As I gasped for breath, the Sword Demon remarked,
“You just resisted my Formless Qi. Was that internal energy or will?”
“……”
What should I say? Of course, I had straightened my internal energy, but at the same time, I couldn’t endure without strong willpower. Unable to answer, I hesitated, and the Sword Demon continued,
“A strong mental force connects the human heart with heaven and earth. In that moment, it feels like the pillar of light connects heaven and oneself. In other words, a formidable will to create a massive pillar between you and heaven is proof that you can utilize Intention.”
“I don’t feel that way.”
“No, you certainly can. If you’re at the realm of a Peak Expert, you can undoubtedly use Intention. Why? Because the training and patience you’ve built to reach this point surpasses that of an ordinary person.”
The Sword Demon sighed.
“The reason you don’t grasp my explanation is that you’ve become too accustomed to battle only using Qi. In combat, while internal energy, techniques, strategies, and Intention are all essential to victory, you fundamentally did not recognize Intention.”
“Uh-huh…”
I pondered and then asked the Sword Demon,
“But I’ve never faced significant difficulties while battling strong opponents. Isn’t the inability to utilize Intention a significant drawback?”
“Strong opponents? I don’t know what you consider a strong opponent…”
The Sword Demon looked at me as if it were absurd.
“I could kill you in under 100 seconds, regardless of whether your internal energy is ten times stronger than mine, and probably at least ten people in the world could do the same. Why? Because you don’t know Intention, while I do.”
“……”
It was true, and I found myself speechless. The Sword Demon was the strongest among the Eight Devils of Martial Daos, the zenith of the faction, and it was only natural he could claim such prowess. Moreover, I had witnessed countless instances of the Sword Demon’s unfathomable realm firsthand.
Continuing, the Sword Demon mentioned,
“Since it seems you have no grasp on how to utilize Intention, let me teach you properly.”
“Yes, please.”
“You just now failed to observe how many movements it took for me to attack you while sitting in a crossed-leg position, and you didn’t grasp how I attacked. You already know that it isn’t a matter of speed.”
The Sword Demon continued,
“When consciousness is maximally compressed and reaches an endlessly pure state, the human perception world can transition to an entirely different phase. I assessed your weaknesses at a speed several dozen times faster than yours, enabling a transcendental movement unachievable with my usual internal energy.”
“……?”
What on earth is this?
What’s all this about a world of perception?
“Um, did I make it too complicated? Let me put it this way.”
With a gaze akin to that of an exasperated teacher, the Sword Demon said,
“Have you ever felt time stand still while facing a life-and-death adversary?”
“……!!”
In an instant, memories rushed back.
‘The duel with the Twelve Law Masters!’
During my tenth life, while dueling the Twelve Laws, I had distinctly felt a moment that couldn’t be defined by human sensory perception where I heard the heart’s voice of the Twelve Law Master. At that moment, it felt as if time had halted.
Seeing my expression, the Sword Demon smiled warmly.
“So it exists?”
“At that time, I felt like time was frozen and could hear my opponent’s thoughts. Whether that was real or not, I’m not sure…”
“Indeed, that was accurate. What you sensed in that moment was your opponent’s true heart. It’s called Heart Mind Awareness, a realm experienced only by true masters. Enhanced concentration creates an illusion of sense.”
Heart Mind Awareness!
As I internalized that term, the Sword Demon continued,
“You accidentally entered that space. However, masters who manipulate Intention continuously immerse themselves in that extreme mental world, whether willingly or not. Because they constantly accelerate their perception.”
“Accelerate…”
“The wider the perception, the more moves and techniques that were once impossible for humans become feasible. That’s the application of Intention, and Formless Qi can also be considered an application of Intention.”
I began to feel like I understood what Intention was.
Being able to perceive the extreme moments of thought, accelerating perception with willpower! Plus, strengthening willpower allows one to execute techniques impossible for a normal human body. It means transcending the fundamental principles of martial arts!
‘I must master Intention.’
Suddenly, I thought to ask the Sword Demon,
“Wait a moment. So, what’s the use of all the internal energy and skills I’ve acquired so far?”
If Intention is that powerful, couldn’t I just hone it and forgo practicing internal energy or martial arts? Upon hearing my question, the Sword Demon appeared to anticipate it.
“Intention isn’t something one can utilize frequently. It consumes phenomenal willpower, so it’s primarily intended to enhance specific techniques when required, execute extreme maneuvers, or employ as a finishing move.”
“So, it needs to be used only when necessary.”
“Thus, even if you’re unaware of Intention, you might still defeat a Peak Expert who knows it. If that Peak Expert lacks the techniques and internal energy, no matter how they utilize Intention, they can’t catch up to your fundamental capabilities.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s important is maintaining harmonic balance between mind, technique, body, and intention. The ability of peerless masters to perform unimaginable miraculous feats is indeed based on Intention.”
I started to feel like I was grasping the concept of Intention.
‘So that’s why Lee Kwang unleashed such incredible power with Nae-gong-sol.’
Lee Kwang must have been employing the power of Intention. His original abilities might not have been enough to reach that heightened state with Nae-gong-sol, relying entirely on Intention’s strength. After desperately committing everything I heard to memory, I said to the Sword Demon,
“Then how do I learn Intention?”
“It’s pretty straightforward. You simply need to assert your will upon the world.”
“……”
“Well… Let’s give this a try.”
Realizing his own explanation was too abstract, the Sword Demon proposed,
“Use up your internal energy until it’s exhausted.”
“What?”
“After depleting your internal energy, close your meridians and assume a crossed-leg position to maintain your life force.”
“Are you serious…?”
Finishing his sentence, I couldn’t hold back from closing my mouth.
“Of course, this calls for pushing things to the limit. With an excessively sensitized mental state, you’ll get close to Intention.”
“……”
Internally, I lamented,
‘So this guy’s another hardcore martial artist…’
Training to the point of death?
Such a thought was not limited to Lee Kwang. If I were to engage in some insane training method like exhausting my internal energy, closing my meridians, and trying to survive, I might very well end up dead. However, I had no other options, so I nodded my head reluctantly.
“I’ll give it a shot.”
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