Chapter 229
For three whole days, I just kicked back, resting and restoring my stamina and energy to their peak condition. Of course, I was itching to dive into the secrets of the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword, but if I weren’t in top shape, I’d just waste my time. Recovering from full-body muscle soreness was a bit of a grind.
“Let’s have a duel,” the Sword Demon suggested once I was back in fighting form.
Clang!!
The blades clashed. It felt much the same as before, but as I crossed the twenty-second second in my transformation into an expert, I sensed something.
‘This is easy…’
My swordplay hadn’t changed much, but now, even in the ranks of novices, I could seemingly read attacks and defenses using my intent, adequately countering the Sword Demon’s powerful moves with finesse. So while his elusive strikes threw me off a bit, they weren’t completely overwhelming.
Crash!
After about a hundred seconds, the Sword Demon sheathed his sword and stepped back.
“You’ve improved.”
“Yeah.”
“With this level of growth, you could easily begin learning the essential techniques.”
He began to explain the key concepts of the Cave-Collapsing Sword.
Most of it sounded familiar since I’d encountered it before, making it easy to grasp; the Sword Demon even added some extra insights.
“The crux of it is bending space with your intent. You need to align your moves, thoughts, and breathing for optimal curvature.”
Whoosh!
As he lightly demonstrated the first foundational move of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, the blade twisted in a bizarre direction, almost defying all logic. I had felt this peculiar twisting during our duel earlier, and I realized it would be nearly impossible to evade if it came flying at me this way. Combined with the nature of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword, it could unleash a lethal strike like nothing else.
With a smirk, the Sword Demon said, “Under normal circumstances, this would be my limit in teaching you. However, over the past three months, Mei Long and I discovered another hidden feature of the Cave-Collapsing Sword.”
“Another hidden feature?”
“Indeed. It might even relate to some insights obtained from your previous life as Lee Kwang.”
The Sword Demon adopted the intermediate form and stared into the void, emanating a sharp, deadly aura as if there were an enemy before him, demonstrating the practical might of his techniques. His intent consolidated like sturdy bamboo in an instant before he vanished with a shout.
“Ha!”
In that moment, I saw him reappear fifteen feet away, surrounded by dazzling light that scattered like flower petals, and then I felt overwhelming power brush by my consciousness. A force of dominance.
“…!!”
I clenched my fists, realizing why the Sword Demon hadn’t shown me that absolute slash earlier.
‘There’s no dodging or blocking that attack…!!’
Overwhelming force!
Even if it were just a spar, facing such a technique would turn me into pulp or worse, dead on the spot. The moment the Sword Demon demonstrated the power of that strike, he took a breath and slid his sword back into its sheath.
“Pretty similar to Lee Kwang’s Heavenly Island, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah…”
It really was. The Wind Spirit Sect’s staff, Loose Sky, obliterated the Dharma Guardian’s defenses in one strike, and the Thunder God’s one move, Heavenly Island, had been beyond my comprehension before. Now, however, the technique I experienced from just one of the Sword Demon’s moves felt remarkably akin to that Heavenly Island.
“Once you’re well used to bending space with the Cave-Collapsing Sword, you’ll move on to the next stage: unity with the Heavenly Contraction Sword.”
“Unity with the Heavenly Contraction Sword?”
“That’s what Mei Long and I concluded.”
He slumped down as if the weight of the world registered on him.
“There’s a reason why Yuan Yuanzi and Jang Sam-bong combined these two giant techniques. When your mastery of the Cave-Collapsing Sword and the Heavenly Contraction Sword reach a certain level, they trigger a synergy effect.”
That results in a technique that can wholly ‘devour’ space itself.”
“Devour…”
As I mulled over that unique concept, the Sword Demon elaborated.
“For an expert, the distance to your opponent is like life and death. By mastering the Cave-Collapsing Sword, you can distort space, and with the Heavenly Contraction Sword, you can manipulate that distance. When these two properties merge, the dimensionality of your sword path transforms. It’s more accurate to say it rises to a higher dimension.”
He tightened his fist.
“The surprising thing is that this unity technique doesn’t discriminate based on martial art quality. Whether it’s Thunder God techniques, Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword styles, or Wudang techniques, the brilliance of Jang Sam-bong remains unmatched.”
“…!!”
“Starting today, focus on obtaining the unity technique. Once you achieve it, few in the world will be able to match you.”
“Understood!!”
I gritted my teeth. The path to becoming stronger was laid right before me. Who wouldn’t pour their all into this? Even if my talent was lacking, I wasn’t going to give up!
Thus began the Sword Demon’s teachings on the Cave-Collapsing Sword. I diligently focused on bending the sword paths with my intent under his kind guidance. At first, I struggled to grasp it, but after roughly two months, I successfully managed to curve the foundational moves.
“Yes!!”
When I finally succeeded in applying a foundational move with the Cave-Collapsing Sword, I was overjoyed. While I couldn’t yet expand the sword path with the same finesse as the Sword Demon, I had trained it to a level suitable for real combat. Seeing my joy, the Sword Demon reprimanded me.
“Aren’t you a bit too happy? It’s only natural.”
“Natural?”
“Yeah. If you were clumsy with your intent, it would’ve taken ten years. But since you’re proficient enough to use sword strength, this accomplishment isn’t out of the ordinary. Plus, you’ve likely trained far longer than I have in total.”
“I see…”
That took the wind out of my sails. The Sword Demon chuckled and continued.
“Well, starting today, I’ll also teach you the Heavenly Contraction Sword. In your spare time, learn the Seven Stars Shadow from Mei Long.”
“But Seven Stars Shadow is a skills technique. Why now…”
My confusion was valid. Seven Stars Shadow was a lost art in the Wudang Sect and an exceptional skill at that. While it had extraordinary power, it seemed illogical to spend time on it given the urgent need to learn the unity technique.
Moreover, with my current technique of Soul Removal, I didn’t need Seven Stars Shadow. In terms of pure speed, Soul Removal was far superior.
The Sword Demon grinned.
“It’s quite fascinating. Mastering the secrets of Seven Stars Shadow makes it much easier to achieve unity between the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword.”
“Huh…”
“Mei Long didn’t bestow upon you the Wudang Sect’s seven core techniques for nothing.”
“Please elaborate.”
Nodding, the Sword Demon began explaining.
“When you underwent Hell Training for three months to grasp the sword strength, Mei Long and I were tirelessly debating and analyzing the seven core techniques. We discovered that, apart from the Muted Slice, the remaining six techniques are interlinked.”
“Linked…”
“During your intensive training in the Wudang techniques, you might have felt that the movements felt somewhat like a dance – they flowed into each other.”
“That’s right.”
“That’s because the secrets hidden within the six core techniques resonated harmoniously. Achieving the unity technique of the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword requires obtaining the secrets of Seven Stars Shadow, pushing you to decode the flow of the True Martial Seven Cuts, and eventually, the Heavenly Five Divine Decisions to master Tai Chi Yau Ji Willow Sword. Ultimately, it all circles back to the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword.”
The Sword Demon shrugged.
“The universe resonates. The six core techniques form a cohesive martial art. To achieve this grand unity, you need to reach a certain level with each, and in the end, everything reverts to that ‘one’ essence. That’s the way it embodies both Tai Chi and Cosmic Unity.”
“…!!”
In that moment, I felt like I’d been hit hard by a brick wall.
‘Good grief… Jang Sam-bong…!!’
I might not have comprehended the extent of it before, but hearing the Sword Demon speak, I sensed the deep and ethereal energy embedded in the Wudang techniques. Until now, I thought they lacked destructive power compared to the Thunder God techniques – but now my perception shifted with my insight into their essence.
I broke into a cold sweat.
‘I… truly was a novice!’
The scene of Jang Sam-bong, an absolute master, contemplating the changes of the universe as if they were laid out palm-side was beyond imagination. This was not merely a martial art that someone like me could judge based on superficial power.
Each of the six core techniques resonated with one another like pearls on a string, harmonizing into a beautiful, flawless form without a single contradiction. The way Tai Chi emerges from confusion mirrored even the Great Nature itself.
It wasn’t surprising that figures like Lee Kwang and the Sword Demon would be utterly awed by Jang Sam-bong’s insights as soon as they encountered them—they had reached the pinnacle of mastery in intent, but even then, they couldn’t help but be humbled before Sam-bong’s revelations.
“Don’t worry. In about ten years, you should be able to grasp the basics and power of the six core techniques.”
“Really… is that possible?”
I found myself unable to believe the Sword Demon. Ten years might seem fleeting to an average person, but considering what I was aiming for, it felt astronomically short. Having just reached the peak without breaking a sweat, I was sure mastering the six core techniques would take at least a century. Ten years felt like quite the steal.
The Sword Demon suddenly looked cheerful.
“Hehe. Normally, Mei Long and I wouldn’t have been able to research this deeply. How could anyone rapidly master Jang Sam-bong’s techniques if not with the help of the Master of the White Lotus Sect? But thanks to you, it’s become possible.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve had years to hash out the discussions on martial arts with the Thunder God lineage, so you remember. Plus, the memories of Lee Kwang’s Heavenly Island and the Reverse Scale Island from Jin So-cheong’s arts made a remarkable difference. My process sped up by decades.”
“…”
“Mei Long thinks of me as an absolute genius, huh? Haha!”
This whole training camp was such a blur that I didn’t understand anything that went on! The Sword Demon was able to expedite his research into the Wudang techniques using the obsidian to deliver memories. Suddenly, it hit me: the profound effects of the obsidian I got from the Prophet.
‘Using obsidian allows you to transfer achievements from your previous life!’
I could no longer deny how effective the techniques I learned from the Prophet were. I resolved to learn more from him in the future.
After receiving training from the Sword Demon, I went to Mei Long to start learning Seven Stars Shadow. Mei Long was a tad annoyed.
“You must’ve memorized the form of Seven Stars Shadow to death by now, so I’ll just give you the secrets. Got any questions?”
“Nope.”
“Good.”
I recognized that asking any further questions would just lead to more confusion. Given my current lack of ability, wasting time was a joy I could not afford.
‘Let’s do this!’
This lifetime, I was all in on boosting my martial skills! I couldn’t care less about what was happening in the outside world!
And so, six years flew by in a blink.
Despite not achieving the unity technique between the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword just yet, I had learned to properly wield both swords with intent and had grasped applications for the other techniques. Compared to the shallow experiences of my previous life, I could genuinely claim to have made significant progress in my martial arts.
While training, the Sword Demon addressed me.
“Baek Woong, I might need to return to the Shadowless Gate for a while.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Bull. There was no way he’d throw away training time without a good reason.
When I gazed at him, he conceded, “Alright, it is a big deal.”
“I can help!”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Has something happened at the Shadowless Gate?”
The Sword Demon answered, acting casual. “Well, it turns out…”
But I immediately felt my body freeze at his words.
“Jin So-cheong has gone out to catch the Eight Demons of Martial Daos. So, I have no choice but to return.”
