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Chapter 604: Heart’s Authority

Flame Burst.

Above the massive, hollowed-out iceberg, a haze was rising.

Blue flames danced in the wind, shimmering.

The heat and smoke emanating from it expressed their presence amidst the blizzard.

It was an overwhelming sight.

Though it wasn’t Mount Tai, the glimpse of the mountain’s summit being blown away in a single strike was beyond description.

And I—

“Crazy.”

I, the one who caused that spectacle, found myself staring at the iceberg with a look of sheer bewilderment.

“What is that?”

A light swing of my fist had caused such a scene.

I quickly inspected my hand.

There was no problem with it.

To unleash such energy without leaving a single mark was simply unfathomable.

‘What the hell….’

I couldn’t understand.

What was that strike just now?

Did it really happen to me?

I felt no energy, nor was I in a posture to execute a proper attack.

It was simply a reckless swing made out of the desire to survive.

‘…To create such a scene.’

It wasn’t impossible.

If I pulled all my energy and unleashed it at a single point, I could cause that level of destruction.

‘But I didn’t even use my energy just now.’

What I had just used was truly only a small fraction of my power.

What in the world was happening here…

“…!”

Stumble-!

As I tried to grasp the situation, my legs suddenly went weak, and I almost fell.

I barely managed to stabilize myself and avoided a complete collapse.

Beeeeep-!

Now I was hearing a ringing in my ears.

Buzzing—!!

I could even feel an unknown vibration coursing through my body.

“Hah… Hah…. Huh…”

My breath twisted, and a wave of nausea surged up.

How was I supposed to explain this?

The strength that supported my body and the sensation within my vessel felt like they had been completely shaken.

I was horrifically dizzy.

Drip, drip.

I got a nosebleed.

I was already bleeding from the nose, but now it started to flow even more profusely.

Thud-.

Struggling to maintain my balance, I had to lean on the ground with one hand.

Blood trickled from above my eyes.

I felt like my body was completely malfunctioning.

Noticing this, I desperately tried to catch my breath but—

“…Hah…”

I heard the voice of Pejon in front of me.

It was a sound that carried a listless chuckle.

“Unbelievable.”

This wasn’t a situation where I could respond. I felt a bit anxious.

Having ended up like this, surely I wouldn’t be beaten any further, right?

That was my significant worry.

If I had taken that blow directly, who knew what would have happened to Pejon as well?

Immediately after swinging my fist.

I had activated my heart’s eye just as the energy burst forth, so I saw everything.

The lines that had been visible to Pejon were all consumed and extinguished by the energy I unleashed.

At that moment, aside from dodging, Pejon had no way to respond.

It truly felt like I had just narrowly dodged death.

I was worried that Pejon, incensed, might retaliate against me.

“Should I compliment you or scold you? It’s a tough call.”

Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have any intention of hitting me again.

Pejon stepped closer to me.

“I’ve never seen a disciple defeat their master and gain enlightenment like this before.”

Enlightenment?

I raised my head in confusion.

“Stay still. You’d die if you move incorrectly.”

Receiving the warning, I had to keep my body rigid.

“Focus on your breathing. Your soul has been completely shaken. If you act rashly, your vessel will shatter.”

As he explained, Pejon placed a hand on my back.

Whoooosh-!

Starting from Pejon’s palm, the chaotic energies within me gradually began to align.

“You’ve impressed me. I didn’t expect you to be this skilled.”

Even amidst this, Pejon continued speaking.

While he helped me stabilize the chaotic energy,

If either of us wavered even slightly, we could both fall into confusion.

So, ideally, it involved focusing not just on speaking but on my breath, but it seemed Pejon paid no mind to that.

Instead—

“How do you feel about this?”

He seemed to take joy in the situation.

Despite previously beating me up to no end.

‘Feelings, huh.’

What in the world was he asking for?

“What’s it like to step into the realm of the heart?”

“…!”

Pejon’s words caused my eyes to widen.

I was startled enough that my energy wavered, but he casually grasped it and stabilized everything.

‘The realm of the heart?’

I had heard that term before.

The realm of heart-thought.

A realm similar yet different from that which martial artists reach through training.

It was a stage where one refines their soul to construct and express their form based on the martial artist’s physical body.

Per the sword mastery, it was said to be the position of Divine Sword Unity.

And only then could one wield the absolute power of Heart Sword.

Moreover—

‘It was the level at which one could properly use Flame Wheel Sun.’

The Gu Family’s Power could only be wielded in this realm of heart-thought.

Not the flawed Flame Wheel Sun I could use, but the proper one.

Which meant—

‘…Have I reached that place?’

It was hard to believe.

How could I possibly have.

At that moment.

“As I said earlier, it’s not like you’ve surpassed it, just that you’ve touched it.”

Pejon seemed to understand my thoughts and added an explanation.

“It’s regrettable that you haven’t fully surpassed it… but even just touching it is a remarkable achievement.”

If Pejon, who rarely praised, deemed it significant, it surely was an incredible feat.

‘Then, what I just used…’

The power that blew away the summit of the iceberg in a single hit. Is that the strength of heart-thought?

Since I hadn’t used my sword, it couldn’t be the Heart Sword.

Should it be called the Heart Fist?

‘Truly….’

Thinking that way, it made sense why Pejon had asked about my sensations.

It was an exceedingly strange sensation.

In executing the movement, it wasn’t the energy that played the key role.

Not from the lower dantian, but deep within the heart.

No, saying “deep within” is vague—there was no specific place to point out.

The moment I extended my fist, I felt something escape from that place.

Something entirely extricated.

Then a profound void flooded over me, and not long after, my physical body lost its center.

That was the sensation.

“Originally, to utilize the soul is like this.”

“Whew….”

My shaky breathing began to stabilize.

“When your vessel, that is ‘you,’ becomes complete and you firmly establish your belief in what you wish to achieve, only then does the soul take shape and establish a realm.”

It was difficult.

Both the words and their meaning.

Listening alone offered no understanding whatsoever.

“The realm of heart-thought is akin to using the power of the path you’ve been walking all along.”

Breath came easier, and the energy slowly began to stabilize.

“You won’t just brush against ephemeral enlightenment or reach the path. You can hardly even glimpse it.”

Pejon’s hand slowly detached from my back.

At that moment, I could finally lift my gaze that had been staring at the ground.

“You’ve successfully touched it, so you should be able to claim half of it.”

“…Ah….”

I cautiously tried to speak.

Fortunately, it seemed there was no issue producing sound.

“Then, does that mean what I just did was akin to the Heart Sword?”

“Perhaps.”

“Huh?”

Perhaps?

The unexpected response caught me off guard.

Just as I was in shock, Pejon chuckled and continued.

“How did it feel to you?”

“…I was just curious since I’m not entirely sure?”

“Well then, strive to find the answer for yourself until you gain full understanding.”

“That’s….”

“Disciple, do you know why the Heart Sword is called the Heart Sword?”

I furrowed my brow at the question.

How in the world would I know? I had only recently learned about heart-thought.

“Sword masters carry their swords throughout their lives. Therefore, when they enter the realm, the first thing they construct is the sword itself.”

The soul takes on the form of the sword.

Hence it is the Heart Sword.

“They are assuredly confident that the shape of the soul is that of a sword, as it symbolizes the roads they have traveled through their lives. That’s why it is called the Heart Sword.”

“What you’re implying is—”

“The shape and meaning of the power you express are something you must discover for yourself, not something to be asked of others.”

“…”

The shape of the soul that emerged through experience.

The shape of heart-thought that one comes to hold with confidence.

What had just been manifested at the tip of my fist?

I had no clue.

Nothing felt certain.

‘I wonder…’

What shape has the form of the soul created within my body taken?

Could I just call it the Heart Fist since it was unleashed through my fist?

Such thoughts flickered through my mind.

‘…This is too complex; I’ll just say it’s the Heart Fist for now.’

That felt like the best conclusion for me at this moment. Just as I pondered that—

“If there’s something that seems puzzling to you…”

I had to listen to Pejon’s words.

Puzzling?

“It seems you’re not yet prepared for this.”

“Eh? Not prepared?”

“Though your vessel seems to have roughly formed, it appears to be too early for you to touch the realm of heart-thought. I deemed it still premature to teach you at this moment.”

“…”

While my physical conditions were fine, he indicated that my lack of enlightenment made touching the realm too difficult.

‘…He even thought to teach me.’

I had no clue how he would even think of teaching such an unknown realm, but with how monstrous Pejon was, I resolved to let that go.

Anyway.

In Pejon’s eyes, I was still not at the standing to be observed.

This situation where I could touch even half of it seemed strange to him.

‘That’s a question I share.’

I felt I had gotten stronger, which was nice.

However, to reach a realm I couldn’t in my previous life, and do so while in an inferior state now felt off.

Focusing on establishing my beliefs was said to be crucial for forming the soul.

‘Belief…’

I was still standing at a loss.

In a position where I couldn’t be certain of anything.

That shouldn’t have been possible.

Which meant…

‘Could it be…?’

I recalled my earlier conversation with the Blood Qi.

The one who had suddenly appeared and spoken to me.

He had clearly said he would help me.

[I’ll assist you.]

He said he would help.

Getting entangled in some troublesome situation, he promised to help me just this once.

Could that have been the reason?

Is that why I was suddenly able to use the Heart Fist?

‘It might not be so…’

There was nothing else that came to mind.

The fiery heat I felt at that time and the smile on Blood Qi’s face as he looked at me.

Everything felt irritating and concerning.

[We are ‘Dragons.’]

Even that last crazy remark echoed through my mind.

“…”

Thinking I gained this power thanks to his assistance felt unsettling and uncomfortable.

As I momentarily held onto that thought in silence,

Pejon, who had been quietly watching me, spoke.

“It seems there’s something weighing on your mind.”

It looked like he had caught onto my rotten expression.

At times like this, I truly regretted not wearing a mask.

“It’s nothing much.”

I tried my best to act as if it wasn’t, but Pejon only chuckled at my words.

It was as if he were saying, “Yeah, right.”

Regardless of what had happened, it was fortunate that I had touched the realm of heart-thought.

Should I just think like that?

‘After all, now isn’t the time to ponder my choices.’

One had to utilize all means and methods.

That’s what I had determined.

Yet still, the discomfort refused to vanish.

‘Think positively.’

I’ve grown stronger.

Whatever it might be, I broke through a new level.

I’ve acquired a force that could be compared to my previous life.

That had to be enough.

I slowly began to rise.

‘First, I need to properly grasp what this is.’

Exactly how to use it.

How much power was contained within?

And how long I could wield it.

Understanding this had to be my priority—

Thud-!

“Gah.”

I barely managed to lift my knee again and it buckled beneath me once more.

Whoosh.

Blood erupted from my mouth.

The amount flooding out was far different from the trickle that had come from my nose.

What the hell? Why is this happening again?

‘Wasn’t Pejon supposed to help settle my energy?’

I tried to plug my mouth, but blood just kept seeping through the gaps in my fingers.

“Aah.”

Upon seeing this, Pejon uttered a single exclamation.

“It seems you couldn’t handle the recoil after all. Hah.”

“What does that… mean…?”

I couldn’t let all my questions out.

Boom-! Boom, boom-!

I felt an immense pain accompanied by vibrations within my body.

I immediately clutched my chest and began to tremble.

It hurt like hell.

“Though I organized your energy to prevent your body from bursting, I could not contain the recoil from wielding power that is beyond your standing.”

What I heard was an exceptionally ominous statement, but this wasn’t a time to mind it.

Bang-!

The pain shot up to my head.

This was beyond endurance.

It felt as if there was an earthquake inside me.

At that moment.

[Prince!!]

Beyond the dimming of my consciousness, I heard Tang Soyeol’s voice rushing toward me.

I didn’t want to show such a pitiful state. There was no way to endure it.

As Pejon quietly observed, he said.

“Tuck in for a moment.”

Did he mean to faint?

Just as I thought that.

“That should make it easier for you.”

With those words—

Swoosh-!

I felt a sensation at the back of my neck, and I instantly lost consciousness.

Time passed.

When I finally regained my senses and opened my eyes, what greeted me was—

“Oh my.”

A familiar voice from a woman,

A strange ceiling I had never seen before.

And—

“Did you wake up?”

The face of Baek Cheon-gyeom pinching my cheeks.

 

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