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0227 ———————————————-

Celestial Realm

Bright Dragon’s request was to use the Six Harmonies Sword Technique until my internal energy ran dry!

Of course, I’d never considered such a training method before, so I felt utterly baffled.

“Why do I have to do that?”

At my question, Bright Dragon looked at me with a fixed gaze and said,

“What do you think are the characteristics of your martial arts?”

“Well, it’s based on the Thunder God lineage’s techniques mixed with the Wudang Sect’s techniques…”

“No. From my perspective, there are three or four more styles mixed in there. Quite a bit of mysterious energy is mixed in, and you also occasionally use techniques from other martial arts, right? Am I wrong?”

“……”

“It’s all jumbled. If you weren’t a master in the Thunder God lineage or the Wudang Sect, it would be hard to pin down your style to any one sect.”

Hearing his words, I suddenly realized I had incorporated secrets of Yeodong-bin’s Heavenly Escape Sword Technique while enhancing my martial arts and had often mixed spear and fist techniques into my swordsmanship. Bright Dragon continued,

“Of course, it’s not a major issue, but your martial arts have more roots coexisting rather than a single lineage. Can you precisely divide the Thunder God lineage from the Wudang Sect in your martial arts? Do you understand the origins of each one?”

“… No.”

“If you had exceptional talent, this wouldn’t be a problem. But since your talent is lacking, this characteristic has become a disadvantage that’s holding back your achievements.”

Bright Dragon stated.

“The reason you don’t understand Sword Mastery isn’t anything else. The memories of various martial arts are scattering your enlightenment, causing you to struggle to distinguish between Qi and Intent. The chaotic mix of martial arts is a big obstacle in your path.”

“So, what should I do?”

“Didn’t I just say? Unleash the Six Harmonies Sword Technique.”

His eyes gleamed with a blue hue.

“The very first thing you learned when you were born was the Six Harmonies Sword Technique! You need to bring forth your body’s memory to cast aside distractions and attain Intent in the state of having completely exhausted your internal energy. As it’s the simplest technique, it’s perfect for such extreme training.”

“……”

“When you clear your distractions and forget about your techniques to focus solely on one intent, you will understand Sword Mastery.”

I understood the theory.

And based on my martial arts experience, I could grasp that Bright Dragon’s theory had validity and persuasion.

‘This… is terrifying.’

But I shuddered at how harsh the training process would be.

What is Hell Training?

Literally, it’s called Hell Training because it feels like falling into hell. Many ordinary people have died after attempting Hell Training.

Once, I had undergone a month of Hell Training with the Sword Demon, where I vomited divine artifacts and fainted, facing dreadful dizziness and headaches, tears streaming down my face. Even seasoned martial artists would usually dash away in mere days from the pain. Exhausted to the point of muscle fatigue, one must stubbornly keep getting up again.

Was I expected to go through this process, at an unknown time, to my limits?

In a completely exhausted state, my stamina would rapidly decrease, and ultimately, I would have to face the overwhelming fatigue and pain enveloping my entire body. The devastating agony at that time was indescribable. One couldn’t comprehend it without hearing the screams of muscles crying out as if they were about to collapse and die.

Bright Dragon chuckled lightly.

“Don’t blame me. Normally, Sword Mastery is cultivated through a gradual application of insight into Intent. But for you, who lack five insights, I have no choice but to use a special method. You have to endure.”

“… Is there really no other way?”

“Well, if you swing a sword aimlessly for about a hundred years, that might work. If you’re up for that.”

No way could I swing a sword for a hundred years. In the end, I gritted my teeth and replied,

“I’ll do it.”

What other excuse could I make? Rejecting Hell Training would be easier than accepting death. However, since there was a reason to gain strength, suffering more than death, I decided to accept the challenge.

Then, after receiving the Cave-Collapsing Sword’s teachings, I continued with focused Hell Training under Bright Dragon.

On the first day, I bled from my nose.

“Ugh.”

“Why? Did you think you couldn’t exhaust your internal energy just because it’s the Six Harmonies Sword Technique?”

Bright Dragon mocked from the side.

“You’d know better than that?”

His words were accurate. If I simply swung my sword without pouring in normal Qi, I could have wielded the Six Harmonies Sword Technique for the entire day without exhausting my energy. But here I was, infusing it with Thunder Light, rapidly depleting my internal energy while putting immense internal energy into every simple form of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique. At this rate, within half a moment, my stamina and internal energy would be completely gone.

As I sat down in a state of fatigue and wiped my bleeding nose, Bright Dragon said,

“It’ll take a while for you to recover on your own, so let me assist you.”

Fwoosh!

“……!!”

As I felt a burst of energy flow into my body the moment Bright Dragon placed a hand on my shoulder, I immediately sensed my internal energy surging at an incredible speed. I turned to him in shock, and Bright Dragon chuckled.

“This is the power of Wudang’s Infinite Divine Technique. It accelerates your recovery.”

“This… is.”

I was left speechless.

Amazing recovery power!

No matter how immense my internal energy and fast my self-recovery rate might be, the stimulus of Infinite Divine Technique surpassed anything I could imagine. I felt more than half of my internal energy refill in less than half a posture!

I was instantly filled with dread.

‘What? I was already capable of creating the Baek Woong Formation by merging the Thunder God lineage and the mystic force of the Hyun Cheon Divine Art… are you saying there exists an even superior internal energy than Hyun Cheon Divine Art in Wudang?’

Truly a True Sect Mastery!

While its destructive power might lag slightly behind other internal energies in the world, the mysterious energy, application, and potential for development possessed by Wudang’s internal energy was on par. Claiming that the Wudang’s internal energy cultivation technique was unparalleled in the world was not an exaggeration.

After about half a moment, I was able to rise again, ready for training. Bright Dragon looked at me with his arms crossed and said,

“Get your head in the game. We’ve barely begun.”

“Yes.”

“You think too many variables when you unfold each stance. Due to years of training, those thoughts are applied to your stance, causing slow execution. And that way of moving Qi, rather than focusing on Intent, distances you from achieving Sword Mastery.”

He raised his index finger.

“One! While unleashing the simple Six Harmonies Sword Technique, focus solely on one thing: Embedding your Intent into the blade!”

“Yes!”

Embedding my intent into the blade!

Embedding my intent into the blade!

I repeated this mantra in my mind like a madman as I focused solely on the Six Harmonies Sword Technique.

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

‘This Six Harmonies Sword Technique will never leave my side, will it?’

Who would have thought I’d be pushed to practice the Six Harmonies Sword Technique with my life on the line right now? What an annoying bond, yet it was the only path to becoming stronger. Having had this swordsmanship ingrained in me for almost half a century, I finally entered a state of meditative absorption while executing it.

Once my training with Bright Dragon finished, I would go learn the essence of Cave-Collapsing Sword from the Sword Demon. As I returned, drenched in sweat and a disheveled mess, the Sword Demon looked at me and said,

“There’s a stream nearby, go wash up.”

“I’m sorry.”

After washing up, the Sword Demon said,

“I didn’t expect it to be this harsh… we’ll need to readjust the schedule.”

“Huh?”

“For today, rest. Tomorrow, you’ll train all day under Bright Dragon.”

“……!!”

The Sword Demon shook his head.

“At this rate, passing on the techniques of Cave-Collapsing Sword would be harmful.”

His statement made sense.

But deep down, I felt a pang of regret.

‘Am I falling behind in learning practical techniques of Cave-Collapsing Sword due to not achieving Sword Mastery?’

It felt like a significant loss.

Seeing my discontent, the Sword Demon chuckled.

“You appear quite fatigued. Let me share something encouraging. Do you know how much of an advantage a master of Sword Mastery has over someone who doesn’t possess it?”

“I’m not sure…”

The masters of True Power Realm I met were all overwhelming figures that were impossible to compare against. It was because of this ignorance that I couldn’t even fathom the specifics of their powers.

The Sword Demon remarked,

“Once you can use your Sword Mastery, the attack power of Absolute Slash can be multiplied several times.”

“Hmm…”

“In any case, Sword Mastery is also an application of Intent. The only difference is that it’s highly efficient with an exceptional performance of Mind Control Technique.”

Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, and I asked,

“If Sword Mastery is a form of Mind Control Technique, what is the reason I can manifest it by concentrating my internal energy to the limit?”

The Sword Demon shrugged.

“Think simply. If you form Sword Mastery through Intent, you gain a hundredfold power with a onefold effort. Comparatively, if you form it through internal energy, you gain onefold power with a hundredfold effort. It’s purely a matter of efficiency.”

“……”

“Of course, depending on the martial arts or internal energy you mastered, there may be some variations…”

Leaving that lingering thought, the Sword Demon declared,

“What’s certain is that if you want to defeat Lee Kwang, you must acquire Sword Mastery.”

He understood my psychology. I openly nodded in agreement.

“Indeed.”

“Lee Kwang is not just creating strong Qi with a spear; he can freely use Intent Techniques and Secret Techniques, even casting the Mind Control Technique effortlessly in a highly refined manner. Even I would find it hard to determine who would win in a fight against him…”

My face grew heavy.

I knew that without the Sword Demon explicitly stating it. After a few decades of watching from the sidelines, one inevitably learns. There weren’t many experts across the Heaven and Earth Sea who could defeat Lee Kwang.

Even though my martial arts could easily subdue a decent peak expert, whether I could withstand Lee Kwang’s earnest attacks for over a hundred seconds was uncertain. He was a top-notch figure in the world, hiding his identity as a mere military officer.

‘But I will defeat him. I will definitely… hit back hard.’

That’s why I could endure Hell Training. I believe that through the hardships and meaningless steps, one day I could reach my goals.

At the very least, I had to be capable of countering Lee Kwang’s Thunder Cloud Palm with my Sword Mastery! Otherwise, the very duel with him wouldn’t even be possible. As a resolute determination crossed my eyes, the Sword Demon said,

“Keep it up.”

He chuckled.

“This too shall pass!”

Indeed, this too shall pass.

I felt a bit relieved by the Sword Demon’s words. No matter how dreadful or despairing the pain was, in the grand flow of life, it was mere passing moment. It was words that gave me hope more than anyone else. I even wondered if it was a phrase meant for the reborn.

And from the next day on, I repeatedly practiced the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, almost to the point of death.

“Aaaaaaaaah!!”

After unleashing the fiftieth form of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique with a wail, I collapsed in exhaustion. Tears, snot, and bodily fluids mixed, swirling around my tongue. My body was already screaming that it had reached its limit.

‘This is insane!!’

Compared to the hundred thousand slashes I previously accomplished, this appeared to be a pitiful number, yet on the flip side indicated that I had completely exhausted my internal energy and stamina fifty times! No martial artist in this world would go through such repeated consumption and recovery in one day.

This formidable recovery rep was solely possible due to Bright Dragon’s Infinite Divine Technique. Bright Dragon, who recovered my stamina and internal energy, chuckled.

“Have you heard of the phenomenon known as Super Recovery?”

“……”

Unable to respond as I lay on the floor regaining my strength, Bright Dragon continued,

“You might know this, but once a muscle is pushed to its limit and recovers, it becomes even stronger. I personally call this Super Recovery. This fact applies not only to muscles but also to overall stamina.”

“…….”

I had no strength to respond.

“Of course, it doesn’t apply well to you, a master of internal energy. Before pushing your muscles to their limits, your internal energy instinctively moves Qi to protect your body. But I believe that this Super Recovery can potentially be applied to abstract martial arts experiences as well.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Continuously exhausting everything to the brink of death could lead to the growth of your martial arts regardless of talent or five insights. Body’s instinct for protection keeps stimulating your instinct for combat!”

In that moment, I was stunned.

Did he really throw me into this endless cycle of repeated exhaustion based on that one hypothesis? If I failed, my body could be ruined or I could die for real! Even if he said he would restore me with the Infinite Divine Technique, it felt unbelievable.

Bright Dragon grinned an even more wicked smile.

“Now you’ve done fifty.”

I barely managed to lift my head and spoke,

“Wha… what exactly do you intend to make me do with this insanity…?”

Even with determination, my voice trembled. Just the fatigue I had experienced equated to the exhaustion felt after crossing the North Pole once. In other words, I’d rather run to the North Pole than undergo this hellish training.

As my spirit sunk at his words, Bright Dragon said,

“Hmm… I don’t know. But even if you’re a dimwit, if you die about a thousand times, something will happen, right? It has to?”

“……!!”

I had faced countless deaths, but his words sent chills down my spine.

“Alright, let’s begin!”

—————————= Author’s Comment —————————=

Please recommend this tale of the Rebirth Sword God~

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