Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
Following the recommendation of the Sword Demon, I was appointed as the protector of Shadowless Gate, and training began the very next day. The Sword Demon seemed intent on teaching me one-on-one in the tranquil training hall filled with his disciples. He looked at me intently before speaking.
“I reflected for a few days after you left, and it seems the order is off.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you cannot seize your intent in the realms of hellish training, then your Five Insights are rather lacking. Even if you practiced with the same method for a month, even a year or a decade, the chances are slim.”
Five Insights!
Hearing that term filled me with dread. It represented the pinnacle of martial talent. I knew I lacked the intrinsic inspiration that comes naturally to martial artists. The Sword Demon continued,
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t use your intent at all. In fact, you’re doing it unconsciously.”
“Unconsciously?”
“The Ultimate Techniques and Secret Techniques you employ are mostly impossible to realize with human physical capabilities, no matter how much you strengthen your Qi. The fact that you can use them means you’re unconsciously surrounding your body with your intent and enhancing it.”
“Ah…!!”
“What you currently lack is a skill to intentionally utilize your intent.”
I felt like I began to understand. Even though I didn’t consciously use my intent in a technical manner, I had clearly grasped Jin So-cheong’s Ultimate Technique when facing him. That keen perception was surely the result of a blend of focus and intent. The Sword Demon added,
“I think Seated Meditation might be better suited for you.”
“Seated Meditation?”
“Didn’t your school practice it?”
I pondered over the training process of the Thunder God Lineage.
“I think we did it very occasionally.”
The basic training routine involved honing sword techniques close to combat proficiency and physical conditioning. Practicing Qi was handled separately as Qi Refinement, and dedicating time strictly to Seated Meditation was rare due to my insufficient talent; there simply wasn’t enough time even if I focused solely on techniques.
The Sword Demon chuckled as if he understood.
“You’re not a beginner. You’ve reached quite a profound level in the martial arts. The time for training through mere physical enhancement has passed.”
“How should I practice Seated Meditation?”
“Simply sit still. But that’s surprisingly harder than it sounds.”
After explaining that, the Sword Demon picked up a wooden sword.
“I’ll explain Seated Meditation later. For now, let’s pass down the Sword Form to you.”
“The Sword Form? You’re referring to the Shadowless Gate’s sword techniques?”
The term Sword Form referred to the overall basic stances of swordsmanship. In other words, he was telling me to learn the movements.
“Well, you’ve made quite the entrance as one of our sect’s protectors.”
The Sword Demon casually stated as he stretched the wooden sword forward, saying,
“Watch closely. This is the Secret Technique known as Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword.”
Moments later, the Sword Demon moved gracefully yet fluidly. His movements were so slow that even a child could see them, but each technique was executed with perfect precision, without waste. It felt as if he had practiced that particular technique thousands, even tens of thousands of times.
Swish…
He finished demonstrating the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique.
“What do you think?”
“I saw it well.”
The Sword Demon burst out laughing at my response.
“Hahaha! Is that all? Don’t you feel more?”
“Umm…”
I was taken aback. It seemed the Sword Demon expected me to feel something more profound from his demonstration. I desperately racked my brain, recalling the countless times I had witnessed Seo Mun-hye fight. I compared her movements with those of the Sword Demon and finally spoke.
“It seems like there’s a shadow.”
“Exactly! That’s the key feature of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword.”
The Sword Demon replied with satisfaction. I sighed in relief, thinking I had finally answered correctly.
“In truth, this is two martial arts combined. It’s called Shadowless Sword Technique and Soul-Removing Sword Technique, which is why we call it Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword.”
“Huh? Then, are you saying that…?”
“Indeed. The shadow you observed was actually the Soul-Removing Sword Technique.”
“……!!”
“While your opponent perceives it as just a shadow, the Soul-Removing Sword Technique is operating in secret, silently severing their throat. That’s the essence of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword.”
I couldn’t help but drop my jaw in shock.
To combine two sword techniques at once!
Such a concept was utterly foreign to me.
If that’s true, then blocking the Shadowless Sword would mean taking a hit from the Soul-Removing Sword, and blocking the Soul-Removing Sword would mean being hit by the Shadowless Sword! But when I had seen the sword techniques demonstrated, they had only appeared once, and there was no sign of the other technique deploying. Confused, I looked at the Sword Demon, who chuckled.
“Seeing is believing. Let’s have a spar.”
“Yes.”
Moments later, I picked up a wooden sword and began to spar with the Sword Demon. Of course, having faced him many times before, I was curious how it would compare to our previous bouts.
Yet, just a dozen seconds into the spar,
Swish
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique unfolded, and as I tried to block it, an unexpected strike from a different direction hit my shoulder. I realized this strike was terrifying enough to make my body tremble.
‘Goodness… If this were a real fight, my arm would have been severed!’
It was just a wooden sword, and without any blade energy, I was unharmed!
At that moment, it dawned on me that throughout my many reincarnations, the Sword Demon had been holding back a lot during our sparring matches. If he had actually used his full strength, he could have taken my head within fifty seconds without needing fancy moves. As I stood there in shock, the Sword Demon sheathed his wooden sword, saying,
“Look. You grasped the path of the Shadowless Sword Technique, but you’ve completely missed the path of the Soul-Removing Sword Technique that’s moving in secret. Even a Peak Expert like you couldn’t easily discern the true and false.”
“……!!”
“Neither the Shadowless Sword Technique nor the Soul-Removing Sword Technique are particularly powerful moves on their own, but when you combine the two through intent, the synergistic effect is tremendous.”
“I see…”
I finally understood why the Sword Demon could dominate the Heretical Sect.
‘If the Sword Demon unleashed the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword and the Severing Sword Technique, who could possibly withstand it?’
If the existence of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword were known, it might be different, but it seemed like not many were aware of it. The Shadowless Gate’s reputation was high, yet the specific techniques remained a secret. Moreover, if someone encountered the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword for the first time, they’d likely fall victim to its deadly strike without any way to defend themselves, meaning that no one from the Heretical Sect could challenge the Sword Demon.
‘Wait a minute. Could it be possible for me to deploy my learned techniques simultaneously like the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword?’
The Sword Demon seemed to read my expression and replied sharply,
“You’re thinking about mixing another sword technique with the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, aren’t you?”
“Ugh… I’m sorry.”
“Haha! It’s not unusual. Most who encounter the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword think similarly. However, combining two sword techniques to achieve maximum synergy is quite difficult. It requires generations of research and development from geniuses.”
Chuckling, the Sword Demon said,
“From today, I will impart the Sword Form of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword to you. And during your free time, practice Seated Meditation. I believe this is the best training method.”
“I understand.”
I was now ready to embark on serious training.
Filled with anticipation of growing stronger, I clenched my fists tightly. Then suddenly remembering something, I turned to the Sword Demon,
“Oh, by the way, there’s something I’d like to show you…”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“This.”
I pulled out the Book of Five Relationships from my robes and handed it to the Sword Demon. He glanced over it and murmured,
“This is a Martial Arts Secret Manual. Where did you get this?”
“My elder brother obtained it in Dongyoung. However, there doesn’t seem to be any clear training method mentioned.”
What I said was the truth.
The Book of Five Relationships was indeed categorized as a Martial Arts Secret Manual, and it certainly contained some techniques or inner cultivation methods. However, most sounded vague and nonspecific, leading one to wonder how to apply them in practice. Training by its guidelines would likely lead to disastrous results instead.
“…”
Flick
Flick
Whether or not the Sword Demon heard my words, he focused intensely, slowly flipping through the pages. I could only stand there, gazing at him inspecting the Book of Five Relationships.
After about half a shichen of silence as he read, the Sword Demon closed the book.
He sighed,
“The one who wrote this is truly, truly an amazing master!”
“Really?”
“What an astonishing martial art… However, I lack the confidence to learn it.”
What did that mean?
When I looked at him, seeking an explanation, he replied,
“This doesn’t seem like a martial art from the Central Plains, but it’s definitely remarkable. However, neither I nor you could grasp it.”
“What do you mean?”
I expressed my confusion.
Although I might not be enough, the Sword Demon was a prodigy and master of swords. I could not understand how he could admire it so much while also concluding that he could not learn its techniques. The Sword Demon continued,
“The techniques written in this Book of Five Relationships use two swords—Dual Sword Technique—but not in a standard way. They use the Reverse Dual Sword Technique.”
Having heard of the Reverse Dual Sword Technique from Mangnyang, I already knew how to differentiate between the two styles.
The dual sword stance is categorized based on the positions of the two swords, either the Standard Dual Sword or the Reverse Dual Sword. Additionally, the position of the feet is categorized as Standard Foot or Reverse Foot. In a Standard Dual Sword, one holds a broad sword in the right hand and a short sword in the left while in the Reverse Dual Sword, it’s the opposite, holding the broad sword in the left and the short in the right. If the foot holding the broad sword steps forward, it’s Standard Foot, and if the foot holding the short sword steps forward, it’s Reverse Foot.
“The Reverse Dual Sword Technique requires exceptional martial talent and reflexes. Additionally, the martial art method itself can only be advanced through the overwhelming genius of a talented person training with a singular intent. It’s an extreme technique that allows only those with extreme talent to even begin learning, which means only two or three people in existence could master it.”
“……!!”
“I have been training with swords for far too long, so I can’t reshape my top-tier style to fit this Book of Five Relationships. It would mean tossing all my previous martial arts aside. That’s why I said I couldn’t learn it.”
So that was what the martial arts of the Book of Five Relationships entailed?
It demands extraordinary talent from anyone, rejecting even the average and above-average geniuses!
The Sword Demon, with his deep-set eyes, continued,
“The problem is that I once encountered the martial art described in this Book of Five Relationships.”
“Eh?”
“On the day your brother, Baek Woong, rescued my daughter, I had an encounter with a Dongyoung warrior.”
He dropped his wooden sword.
“At that time, I was utterly impressed by the Reverse Dual Sword Technique he displayed and meant to take him on as my disciple. However, because he was extremely stubborn, I ended up killing him instead. The martial arts in this Book of Five Relationships are very similar to what that Dongyoung warrior was using.”
“T-That is so?”
The Sword Demon folded his arms in thought.
“Well, it seems there’s a Reverse Dual Sword Sect in Dongyoung. It must be a select few.”
While the Sword Demon mentioned it casually, I felt as if my head were about to burst at the sudden realization.
‘This means… the Book of Five Relationships was penned by Miyamoto Musashi. However, if that’s the case…’
If the Sword Demon judged that it was authored by an incredibly skilled master, then Miyamoto Musashi must possess martial prowess at least on par with, or even greater than, Ik-gwang. Yet in reality, Miyamoto Musashi had been killed by the Sword Demon during their duel! The puzzling paradox of crafting powerful martial arts while falling victim to death seemed inconceivable.
What in the world happened?
I brushed aside the wild theories racing through my mind and cautiously asked the Sword Demon,
“Is there a chance I could learn the Book of Five Relationships?”
“You might struggle with that. Just reiterating, this is a martial text that only challenges those of exceptional genius. It’s a terribly unfriendly martial book. The original author must have been an unparalleled genius to cause this downside.”
“Ugh… I see.”
“Well, there is some opportunity for research here. Would you mind giving it to me?”
Should I give the Book of Five Relationships to the Sword Demon?
Doing so could allow him to study it, possibly improving his martial arts while perhaps revealing some techniques to me derived from it. But trusting him enough to that extent was a different matter entirely. After all, the Book of Five Relationships undoubtedly contained peerless techniques, and I could not predict what might happen if I handed it over to him.
As I hesitated, the Sword Demon gave a bemused smile.
“Hmm, so you don’t quite trust me yet.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well, it’s fine. If you want to consult me later, feel free.”
The Sword Demon returned the Book of Five Relationships to me. From that moment on, I felt a slight increase in my trust toward him. Given the significance of the Peerless Martial Arts Secret Manual, he could easily have coerced it from me or tried to deceive me, but he handed it back instead, displaying a sense of magnitude.
‘Perhaps it’s reasonable to trust him a bit more.’
Thus, I began to train under the guidance of the Sword Demon for about three months, learning both the Shadowless Sword Technique and Soul-Removing Sword Technique.
Acquiring the movements and techniques was not overly difficult, and I was able to grasp the Sword Form well before the three-month mark.
During this time, I also practiced Seated Meditation, which calmed my mind and helped me feel more collected. While I didn’t feel I had attained any clear insights, I somehow sensed I was on the verge of understanding something. According to the Sword Demon, while Seated Meditation is a slow process, it effectively awakens one’s intent.
“Well, at this rate, I should be able to learn to utilize my intent effectively within roughly three years.”
Three years.
That felt long, but when considering my reincarnation experiences, it wasn’t particularly lengthy either. Of course, I wasn’t doing Seated Meditation alone; the Sword Demon was there to guide me on how to draw out my intent. I seized this chance, pouring my all into my training to maximize my abilities.
During this time, an urgent messenger arrived from the Bancheon Alliance.
“So Woong! You need to move quickly!”
The messenger was a skilled fighter affiliated with the Bancheon Alliance, whom I had seen several times over my reincarnations. He was Kwan Jung, known as Seongja’s Member of the Bancheon Alliance. Originally just a second-rate expert, he had grown into a peak expert after receiving the elixir from Mangnyang.
Seongja looked pale, as if he had been riding for days. He wiped his sweat and said,
“The Leader of the Bancheon Alliance urgently wishes to see you.”
“Eh?!”
My surprise made me blurt out.
“When I saw him three days ago, he said there were no issues.”
I had been visiting the Jinrang Valley every seven days after training at Shadowless Gate. This was to relay any developments in case something urgent cropped up. Just three days ago, when I visited Mangnyang and updated him on my recent conditions, he said everything was fine and advised me to focus on my training. But now it seemed something unexpected had happened?
Then Seongja said,
“Please hurry. It’s so urgent that the Leader of the Bancheon Alliance sent me.”
“Hmm… Understood.”
“He said to meet you at the usual place.”
As soon as Seongja finished speaking, he dashed out of Shadowless Gate. The Sword Demon, who had been listening, remarked,
“The Leader of the Bancheon Alliance must be quite urgent. You should hurry.”
“I apologize. I’m not sure when I’ll return.”
The Sword Demon chuckled.
“Don’t worry. You can come back anytime comfortably.”
“Yes…”
Whoosh!
I swiftly moved outside Shadowless Gate, headed for the Jinrang Valley.
Upon arrival, I found Mangnyang already waiting, dressed immaculately near the main hall. As soon as Mangnyang spotted me, he said,
“Baek Woong. There’s a major issue.”
“What happened?”
As Mangnyang’s following words left me dumbfounded.
“The Master of the White Lotus Sect has signed a non-aggression pact with the Emperor.”
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