novelraw Chapter 216 : Chapter 216
Chapter 216 : Chapter 216
Chapter 216. Blooming (1)
On the path up Mount Hua, Baek Hyang spoke with a faint smile.
“Thank you, Senior Brother, for granting my request.”
It was Baek Hyang who had first proposed Mount Hua as the location for their closed-door training.
When Jin Yuseong was kidnapped by the Fighting Venerable.
She had come to Mount Hua with Nam Geon.
Thus, she had wanted to visit this place again with Jin Yuseong for some time.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
“Weren’t we planning to visit Mount Heng and the Seomoon Clan anyway? In terms of the route, Mount Hua seemed fitting.”
The distance to the Seomoon Clan was neither too far nor too close.
It was a location where they could train quietly and return to the Jianghu at any time if something important came up.
“Still.”
How long had it been since they started climbing the steep mountain, sharing small talk from time to time?
Passing through a place where the clouds felt like fog, they arrived at a point where the ground below was hidden by a sea of clouds.
Baek Hyang wore a disappointed expression.
There were many trees on the way here, but she hadn’t seen any plum blossoms.
It was a chilly autumn.
She thought the flowers probably wouldn’t bloom in earnest until the end of winter.
Just then, Jin Yuseong’s voice echoed.
“Let’s make a place to sleep and then begin our training in earnest.”
***
A few days later.
Jin Yuseong stood with his eyes closed, the Master’s Blade in his right hand.
Countless thoughts passed through his mind.
He had to master the Sun Moon Infinite Sword to face the Demonic Cult’s leader.
But how could he master that divine art?
This was simply a daunting problem.
Countless worries surfaced in his mind.
Jin Yuseong willingly erased those worries.
It had always been this way.
He had never gained a special enlightenment all at once.
He had never leaped over several stages in one go.
Even internalizing the clues of enlightenment he had barely grasped was not easy.
It didn’t matter.
As always, he focused only on the clues of enlightenment he had barely caught.
Mastery was still far away.
Instead, it was enough to just take one step at a time.
So this time, he decided to first immerse himself only in the enlightenment he had gained while killing the Teaching Demon.
“Haa. Hoo.”
He composed his mind by repeating deep breaths.
In his mind, only one moment was being drawn over and over without rest.
The moment he had killed the future Teaching Demon, the Heavenly Emperor Cult Leader.
His concentration reached its peak, and he couldn’t even feel his own breathing.
In that fleeting moment, Jin Yuseong’s eyes flashed open, and he threw the Master’s Blade held in his right hand.
The energy flaring from the Master’s Blade was reflected in his eyes.
Furthermore, he could see a very fine thread.
A thread connecting the sword hilt to his hand.
Jin Yuseong gently grasped that thread.
His right hand was not completely closed.
It looked as if he were holding an invisible sword.
Nevertheless, he felt a subtle sensation through his right hand.
Focusing on that sensation, he swung his right hand.
Then, the intention was transmitted along the thread to the Master’s Blade, far away.
Vwooom.
The Master’s Blade let out a sword cry.
In response, a severe headache visited Jin Yuseong.
Amidst the pain, Jin Yuseong smiled faintly.
The path of the Master’s Blade was changing in accordance with his swung arm.
But this lasted only for a moment.
Snap.
The thread connecting the Master’s Blade and his right hand broke.
SWOOOSH. BANG!!
The Master’s Blade, which had flown with a sonic boom, embedded itself in the face of a distant cliff.
Jin Yuseong executed his lightness technique to its utmost and ran towards the cliff.
This was also training.
It was lightness technique training.
Flick!
With a little application, it was also footwork training.
He dodged invisible attacks, twisting his body sharply and stepping here and there.
Then, upon reaching the vicinity of the cliff, he pulled out the embedded Master’s Blade.
He once again launched his body and headed for the previous spot.
“Haat!”
As always, fighting a life-and-death battle with an imaginary enemy.
After returning to the initial location, Jin Yuseong sat cross-legged and entered meditation, both to regulate his breathing and to clear his mind.
Then, when his internal energy recovered and the headache subsided, he would repeat the training of the second form, Ilwol.
While Jin Yuseong was engrossed in his training and was once again pulling out the Master’s Blade embedded in the cliff face.
A shout was heard from above the cliff.
“Be a little careful! If the cliff collapses, do you think you’ll be the only one to die?”
It was Dang Sopyeong’s voice.
Jin Yuseong raised his head and looked up.
Dang Sopyeong was hanging from the cliff, picking medicinal herbs growing there.
“Don’t worry!”
“Who do you think is worried about you? It’s because I’m worried I’ll die. Because I’m worried I’ll die!”
Perhaps because he shouted too hard, Dang Sopyeong’s balance momentarily faltered.
“Heek.”
Dang Sopyeong barely managed to cling to the cliff face again.
Jin Yuseong, who was watching the scene, shouted.
“Poison arts are poison arts, but you should train your lightness technique more!”
“There would be no danger if it weren’t for you!”
Jin Yuseong chuckled and turned away again.
After that, he focused on his training for a long time.
As the sun was setting, a shout was heard from above the cliff again.
“Senior Brother! It’s time to eat!!”
It was Baek Hyang’s voice.
Jin Yuseong launched himself towards the cliff.
He ran up the cliff as if it were flat ground.
The reason he trained here was because of the Master’s Blade.
Since the second form, Ilwol, was a sword-throwing art, there was a risk of the sword flying far away during practice.
If he were to lose the Master’s Blade, it would be a disaster in many ways.
But Jin Yuseong didn’t think going back and forth on the cliff was troublesome.
“It would have been better if the slope was steeper.”
He rather wanted the training to be more arduous.
After climbing the cliff, Jin Yuseong ran with Baek Hyang.
Before long, they arrived at a place where smoke was rising.
A spacious clearing. A shabby but large hall had been built.
His comrades were in the middle of preparing a meal there.
Dang Sopyeong was also organizing some kind of medicinal herbs on one side.
After a simple meal, Hwangbo Ak approached Jin Yuseong.
“Now that we’ve finished our meal, how about a light duel?”
Hwangbo Ak treated duels like an after-dinner walk.
He didn’t just do this with Jin Yuseong.
He dueled with one person each day, taking turns.
And his method was to additionally train alone to organize what he had learned through that day’s duel.
Hwangbo Ak argued.
That he couldn’t live with the itchiness of just sitting cross-legged and meditating alone.
However, Hwangbo Ak wasn’t the only one dueling day after day.
“Uh, Great Hero. Could you perhaps give me a chance to duel today as well?”
Jin Yuseong nodded at Paeng Daecheol’s overly cautious request.
“You may use your full strength.”
“Yes! I will do so!”
Paeng Daecheol, believing there was no way Jin Yuseong would be defeated by him, truly used his full strength.
“Haaat!”
Every time he swung the Thunder Dragon Blade, a gray energy, like lightning, twisted in various ways and flew at him.
Jin Yuseong deflected the Blade Qi with the Master’s Blade and dodged it by stepping with his footwork.
He gradually closed the distance with Paeng Daecheol.
“Haat!”
Even after the distance closed, Paeng Daecheol’s rough dance continued.
But it didn’t last long.
Jin Yuseong, who had placed the Master’s Blade at his neck, said.
“It seems you’ve become somewhat accustomed to performing the Thunder Blade Art with the Primordial Origin Heart Art.”
“Yes, Great Hero!”
“Did you request a duel perhaps because of your footwork?”
“As expected of the Great Hero!”
After a moment of thought, Jin Yuseong turned his head and looked at Senior Sister Choyeon.
“In terms of footwork alone, Senior Sister Choyeon’s enlightenment is quite outstanding.”
“Yes, Senior Brother. I will help him.”
As soon as Choyeon’s words ended, Jin Yuseong turned and headed for the hall.
In his hand, when he came out again, was a book.
“In addition to Senior Sister Choyeon’s teaching, learn this as well.”
The book he held out was the Fighting Venerable’s Primordial Origin Steps.
“Senior Sister Choyeon’s footwork is subtle and nimble. Learn how to handle qi and your body from Choyeon, but after you’ve become somewhat proficient, focus on the Primordial Origin Steps.”
“D-don’t tell me this footwork is also the Fighting Venerable’s martial art?”
Paeng Daecheol asked, just in case, because the word ‘Primordial Origin’ was in it, just like the Primordial Origin Heart Art.
When Jin Yuseong nodded, Paeng Daecheol showed a deeply moved expression.
Ignoring his gaze, Jin Yuseong looked at Choyeon.
“Senior Sister will also gain something in the process of teaching Young Master Paeng.”
“I will keep that in mind, Senior Brother.”
These were not just empty words.
The people here were all brimming with talent.
It was common for them to gain enlightenment in the process of dueling with each other or discussing martial arts.
In that process, Jin Yuseong was also receiving help.
Because they were talented people, they would use their qi or move their bodies in ways Jin Yuseong had never thought of.
Jin Yuseong did not have the creativity of a genius, but at least he could imitate that creativity.
While dueling with Hwangbo Ak, he had also incorporated his brawling techniques into his swordsmanship.
While dueling with Choyeon, he had also seen and practiced her subtle and concise swordsmanship and footwork.
The same went for Paeng Daecheol.
Even at this moment, Jin Yuseong was contemplating how to perform Paeng Daecheol’s hegemonic blade art with a sword.
Especially since he was learning a martial art of a similar vein, the Fighting Venerable’s Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade.
A thought flashed through Jin Yuseong’s mind as he was contemplating the Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade.
“Hmm?”
On a whim, Jin Yuseong started walking.
After arriving at a place a little away from his comrades, he drew the Master’s Blade.
The energy that escaped his dantian ran through the blood vessels of his entire body and finally gathered in the Master’s Blade.
“Haat!”
With a shout, he thrust his sword, and the enhanced qi enveloping the Master’s Blade cut through the air.
The shape of the enhanced qi was like a tiger swinging its front paw.
Jin Yuseong was also staring intently at the tiger-shaped enhanced qi.
And Jin Yuseong did not miss it.
The very faint thread connecting that enhanced qi and the Master’s Blade.
“As expected.”
The later forms of the Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade were a terrifying technique that freely controlled five tigers.
In a way, this was similar to the sword-throwing art Jin Yuseong was practicing.
In that sense, this was rather easier.
No matter how often he handled a sword, it was not a part of his body.
On the other hand, qi was at least something he had held within his body.
After it left, he would usually lose control, but eventually, those who reached a certain level could control it.
‘I should train the Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade and Ilwol together.’
Jin Yuseong grinned.
It was a completely different feeling from when he was locked in a cave alone for closed-door training.
***
In late autumn.
Jin Yuseong spoke as he observed the energy condensed on Baek Hyang’s Restoring Name Sword.
“It certainly seems you have perfectly mastered all six of the initial forms.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Jin Yuseong momentarily showed a strange expression.
Half of it was pride for his Senior Sister, and the other half was bewilderment.
He had started teaching his Senior Sister the Sun Moon Infinite Sword only after they were reunited.
And now, only about half a year had passed.
Yet, in just that half a year, she had mastered all six of the initial forms.
But the bewilderment didn't last long.
The stronger his Senior Sister became, the higher the possibility she would survive the future battles.
Jin Yuseong opened his mouth in a calm tone.
“The true meaning of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword ultimately lies in circulation. In the initial forms, it was said that the sun and moon are each infinite, but this is just an explanation for those of a lower level. The Sun Moon Divine Sword said that the only thing truly infinite in this world is that circulation.”
Did this feel too vague even to the genius Baek Hyang?
She tilted her head.
“Circulation……?”
Jin Yuseong nodded and then verbally explained the principles connecting the initial and later forms.
After the long and detailed explanation ended, Baek Hyang had an ambiguous expression.
She had memorized all the principles and explanations.
It just didn’t resonate with her.
“I also wondered what kind of nonsense this was at first, so don’t worry too much about it.”
“I-is that so, Senior Brother?”
“A talented Senior Sister like you will be able to realize it in no time.”
Baek Hyang smiled faintly at Jin Yuseong’s words, which were full of expectation.
After that, Baek Hyang continued to devote herself to the Sun Moon Infinite Sword every day.
She practiced by performing the six initial forms alternately, and she also meditated while sitting cross-legged.
In her meditation, she continuously repeated Jin Yuseong’s teachings.
But it still didn’t resonate with her much.
The circulation of the sun and moon.
It was a vague story.
Contrary to Jin Yuseong’s expectations, she did not gain enlightenment all at once.
Time passed.
The season came when white snow covered Mount Hua.
The frost also covered the plum trees.
And the snow that had accumulated on the mountain began to slowly melt.
Beyond the melting snow, petals began to bloom one by one.
Forgetting even her training, Baek Hyang gazed at the small petals.
A faint smile drew on her lips.
It was because she wanted to see this that she had suggested going to Mount Hua to Jin Yuseong.
A few months ago, on the day they climbed Mount Hua, she had been disappointed that she couldn’t see any flowers.
But in the end, the trees were in their place.
Even though it was the natural order for them to bloom and fall as time passed.
When her thoughts reached that point, Baek Hyang let out a low exclamation of admiration.
“Ah……”