Kaaang!
Was it a luxury even to regret? In this slowed-down world, I deflected Chang-min’s sword once again.
Think.
If you don’t find a way, you will die.
Every time I turned my Qi, I felt the clashing masses and gritted my teeth. I had to do something about them. Ignoring these masses was reaching its limit. Even pushing strongly, they merely floated around and scattered here and there.
There must be a way. The Seven Stellar Attribute Spiritual Medicine wasn’t a set item. Each must have had individual effects, and now that I had consumed four out of seven, I should have been able to acquire at least first-class skills, if not peak levels.
If Poison Doctor’s diagnosis was correct, that would be true.
Yet the masters who taught me all said that I had a problem. In the case of the teachers, it took them over ten years for my symptoms to improve. How could the diagnoses of the Poison Doctor and the teachers differ so greatly?
Even after having consumed more than half of the four spiritual medicines, my condition was such that I couldn’t even properly connect a single technique from the First-Class Swordsmanship. Having adequately felt the effects of one dose of spiritual medicine, I could reasonably guess how my body would feel after consuming three more.
Even if I did consume the remaining medicines, I had no confidence in controlling the flow of my Qi.
If I could only connect the essence of first-class techniques in fragments, how could I process the peak essence with this body?
There must be a way. The Poison Doctor assumed I would notice, but there was definitely a method I had yet to realize.
“Are you going to self-destruct? You can’t even handle your own internal energy and are getting internal injuries.”
From the slow world, Chang-min’s slow voice reached me. While I continued to redirect my energy and fend off the sword, one thought crossed my mind.
…I need to control it.
I needed to control even these impurities.
I had been possessed by the thought that the impurities would someday disappear. Ah, yes. Someday, these impurities will leave my body, and I will find a method to do so.
But when would that be? Three years from now? Ten years from now? Twenty years from now?
How many martial arts techniques would I have to learn and use before I could cleanse all the impurities floating through my veins?
I would have to coexist with these impurities for a very long time. And to make it through that long coexistence, I had to acknowledge their existence. I had to learn how to live with these unwelcome housemates filling my blood vessels and Qi meridians.
Chang-min’s sword kept stabbing in. Was he preventing any chance of a variable? Simple yet steadily tightening his grip around my throat.
And at the same time, I recalled. How did those masses move when I used my Qi? Since coming to the Jeomchang Sect, I had practiced and dealt with those techniques countless times. What was the issue with the masses when I unfolded those techniques?
In what situations did my Qi flow well, and in what situations did it not? I desperately fumbled for the answers.
And I remembered.
Like a flash of inspiration, the coincidental timing when the sword and technique connected. How did I move the Qi, and what kind of flow did the masses exhibit in that Qi?
The flow of my inner Qi shifted.
I rotated the Qi in my blood vessels. Twisting the Qi into a spiral, I advanced. And the masses caught up in that flow… cleared a path.
Kurururur.
The flow of Qi began to accelerate. The scattered masses that had been blocking my Qi meridians started to ‘align’ as they got caught in a whirlpool.
Kaa, strong!!
It opened.
While it was a distorted path changing constantly in the spiral whirlpool, the internal energy, being, found a path it could run without colliding with the masses.
I can do it.
Right now, I can do it.
Ignoring the pain, I thrust my legs forward. The agony in my thighs shot up as I ignored the wounds and put all my strength into stepping on the ground. But such things weren’t important now.
Bang!
The First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword, unfolding with the essence of strength, pushed back Chang-min’s sword. A fleeting thought crossed my mind that maybe I should observe Chang-min’s reaction, but I ignored it. I only gazed at the tip of my sword and my inner self. I continually created whirlpools to maintain a small path for my Qi to move freely.
The following transformation technique.
A transformation technique I had never once implemented properly manifested without flaw, and Chang-min’s sword, deceived by the second cut of the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword, pierced the air.
And in that moment, another transformation of ecstasy occurred.
Paat!
A slash like a razor created a bloodline. Blood sprayed from Chang-min’s chest as the sword arts wavered. Was it a serious injury? No, that’s not it. It merely sliced the outer skin. It was a shallow attack, doubtful if it even reached the bone. While it could induce significant bleeding if we continued to fight, a martial artist wouldn’t be incapacitated by such wounds.
“Uaaah!”
I followed after the retreating Chang-min. The pain seeping into my legs as I had to advance forward the same distance as he was retreating didn’t matter at all.
I forgot everything.
I focused solely on maintaining the swing of the sword and the flow of internal energy. The background faded, Chang-min’s face disappeared, and only the outlines of the sword and body remained. That was all my eyes could see. The center of gravity lowered. Again, was it another thrust?
I tensed my legs. Now, I could parry it. It was doubtful if I could manifest the strength on time; with the technique I envisioned, I couldn’t seek a direct clash.
I turn the sword directly against that sword.
Kuwung!
In the slowly flowing time, my sword and Chang-min’s clashed. His thrust and my slash met exactly at one point.
My whole body tingled under the raw energy exposure. Yet, perhaps due to the stable flow of my internal energy, it was bearable this time. Yes, it was tolerable. The problem was that I was being pushed back.
I patted my body that screamed in raw energy and desperately maintained the flow of Qi as I unleashed a technique I had never used before.
First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword: Hundred Transformations.
A formless technique.
Changing the essence countless times in a single move… the essence of the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword.
It began with the essence of ecstasy. I met Chang-min’s thrust with the sword through that ecstasy.
Then it transformed into the essence of strength. I suppressed his body and raw energy with all my might.
And it transformed once again into the essence of finesse. In an instant, I twisted the direction of the opposing force.
Kwaaaaah!!
The tremendous raw energy brushed past my ears. Chang-min’s sword and arm extended completely past my shoulder. In a distance so close we could headbutt each other if we wanted to.
Twisting Chang-min’s energy with the finesse technique, my arm was pulled back behind me.
Seeing Chang-min’s left hand morph into a spear-like shape, I drew up the final transformation. What I drew in was not the blade but the sword hilt.
At the moment Chang-min’s palm stretched out to block the descending sword hilt,
the thrust transformed.
The thrust heading toward his shoulder twisted and headed toward Chang-min’s jaw.
Chang-min’s hand waved in the air, and my sword hilt struck Chang-min’s chin. His figure twisted into a form that shouldn’t exist and sailed through the air.
I won, you bastard.
As that thought crossed my mind, I felt my body crumble and chuckled. My legs had taken damage, and combined with the injuries exposed to raw energy and my rough control of internal energy, I had also damaged my Qi meridians, crushing my body with new techniques.
It’s normal to collapse.
I wish someone would call for an ambulance…
As I saw someone running towards me, I lost consciousness.
* *
“Teacher, the outcast is smiling?”
“Leave him be, seems like he’s having a good dream.”
That ending cannot happen!
“Uuuhhhhhhhh!!”
The moment I opened my eyes, I scanned my surroundings. I was at the mountainside where I’d just fainted, and several people surrounded me. Master Cheongheo, Master Un-jong, and other masters, along with a stranger elder. And Chang-min.
Seeing Chang-min, I instinctively patted my waist, but nothing was there. A reflexive move to gain distance sent pain rushing through my legs.
Seeing me like that, Chang-min spoke calmly.
“Congratulations on your achievement.”
“Congratulations on your achievement.”
“Congratulations on your achievement.”
The masters also offered their congratulations. What is this? What situation is this? The two masters from Hyeong-gyeong who had suddenly appeared and the Chang-min who had just smashed my jaw were standing there intact. As I blankly looked around, several people in Jeomchang faction uniforms were wandering about.
“Now, I’ll apply the golden herbal medicine and wrap a bandage, so don’t move too much.”
A person who looked like a physician applied medicine to my leg.
…I had thought the wound was a penetrating one that could lead to massive blood loss if not tended to, but the actual wound on my leg wasn’t that deep. A wound that hadn’t even penetrated half of my thigh. It was not a small injury, but… it was much less than I had anticipated.
“First of all… I owe you an apology.”
“…What did you do to me?”
Master Un-jong spoke up.
“I pulled you into a mirage formation called the Cheonyeomilli Illusion Formation.”
“…Mirage formation.”
A mirage formation… I looked around again. People milling about doing something… now that I looked closely, they were cutting trees and moving stones while holding defensive arrays.
Typical behavior of formation masters.
Fell into a formation. I checked my condition by touching my body. I felt some injuries from rough internal energy control, but aside from my thigh, there wasn’t any other injury.
My gaze turned back to Chang-min. If that fight had been real, Chang-min should have had severe injuries on his chest and a shattered jaw. However, he appeared perfectly intact without a scratch.
“…I have a natural resistance to mesmerizing effects.”
“Indeed… I heard from that Miss that you have a resistance to mesmerizing effects, but with the power of the Cheonyeomilli Illusion Formation, I thought if I disturbed your spirit, I could surely mesmerize you.”
So my resistance to mesmerizing effects was stronger than expected, and I actually got injured then.
“Ugh.”
Looking back, I had plentiful evidence that I had fallen into the mirage formation.
From the middle of the fight, Chang-min’s attacks became too monotonous and his form seemed to fade. Was it that the real Chang-min was the one who faced me at the start and was replaced by an illusion after that?
…Thinking rationally, it doesn’t make sense that I managed to defeat Chang-min just because I found a route for controlling my internal energy.
Pure skill was several levels above mine, and the level difference in the sword techniques was even greater; after all, I was up against Chang-min. How could the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword triumph over the Four-Finger Saber Technique of the Jeomchang Sect?
So, I had been completely duped by the camera stunt planned by the Jeomchang Sect.
All the masters had been waiting around, and the physician was on standby as well. If I had been eaten by the mirage, the formation would’ve stopped, so I guess my safety was guaranteed.
I felt relieved, letting out a long sigh.
“Haa…”
“This whole thing was something I orchestrated by persuading everyone from the Jeomchang Sect. Your companions were persuaded by me too.”
At Master Un-jong’s words, I turned my head.
“…Was there a reason for going this far?”
“Since you’re unlikely to be in life and death situations. I thought this was the right time.”
What can I say? There was regret in Master Un-jong’s eyes, but it was coupled with certainty.
“Your talent is astonishing. Both what you did in Sacheon and your craftsmanship. I suddenly thought: up until now, you might never have been in a life-or-death situation. Haven’t you never pushed yourself to the limit, relying on just a single sword as a martial artist?”
“When I stayed in Hwa-gyeong, I was only filled with doubts. But after reaching Hyeong-gyeong and experiencing your skills, I gradually began to confirm that thought.”
“…Confirm, you say.”
“Indeed. Having that certainty made it feel like this was a one-of-a-kind opportunity. So, I persuaded everyone and set this in motion.”
A one-of-a-kind opportunity?
“Your nature is an issue you must overcome by yourself. If you trained peacefully in Jeomchang, how long would it take to achieve the flow of energy you have gained now? It’s an uncertain matter. Until then, you would have wasted time in the Jeomchang Sect without much to learn, which is such a waste.”
“Hmm…”
I had no choice but to agree with Master Un-jong’s words.
If I hadn’t desperately sought means in a life-and-death situation, I would’ve just waited for the lumps in my body to disappear, never thinking of how to handle them while tossing and turning through Qi control and awkward training.
Even after consuming the Seven Stellar Attribute Spiritual Medicine, I would have had problems. By that time, I would have started worrying, but with no expectation of acquiring earth attribute medicines, how much time would I have wasted even if I had thought of how to control the lumps?
“A path before me shows a way to shorten the time, at least by several years, or perhaps even ten years… one would naturally get excited. And I also thought this: isn’t it a perfect time to deceive you?”
He meant that it was the perfect timing for deception both in terms of justification and timing.
…I had no choice but to agree on this point too. Since a master had been born in the sect, why hadn’t this fact been made public? This had surely been circulating among the disciples.
So I had been duped by Chang-min’s words.
I momentarily sank into my inner self. Even with some internal injuries, moving my Qi felt sharp, but it was bearable.
Kurururur.
I operated the control method for the masses I had implemented within the mirage formation. Perhaps due to decreased concentration, the path in my meridians looked a bit unstable, but… it was surely opened. It was a narrow, bumpy road where Qi could communicate freely.
“Geah! I did say I would oppose it!”
“From the start, you didn’t have to go this far and create an injury.”
“…I’m sorry. All of this is a result of my greed.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Seeing the other masters chide Master Un-jong and the gloomy expression on his face, I hurriedly waved my hands.
“It was a bit forceful, but… wasn’t there a satisfactory outcome?”
Truth be told, I felt a bit uneasy about getting suddenly caught up in this, but… it wasn’t completely incomprehensible.
I too had previously experienced what it was like in front of Master Un-jong.
Master Un-jong must have felt gratitude for the realization he obtained from me and thought to repay that kindness.
For a master like him to have forced this upon me, it must have been because he had that much conviction in this endeavor.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
So let’s think positively. Even while gambling a chance of ruining my relationship with him, he worked hard for my martial arts advancement. Just the effort alone wasn’t something trivial. The physician and all the formation masters had been mobilized, so he must have made some complaints to the sect.
“I appreciate that you say so… and I’m so pleased you were able to overcome this.”
Master Un-jong smiled, seeming a bit bashful.
