The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 260

To be honest, I was flustered at first when I felt the energy of the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm from Senior Brother Un Hwang.

But after clashing swords a few more times, I realized that it was not the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm.

I was only able to figure out that it was a sword art with a very similar structure to the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm.

'Well, I'm also from Wudang, and Senior Brother Un Hwang is also a Wudang disciple. Grand-elder Ok-gil might have taught Senior Brother Un Hwang an advanced martial art. That martial art could have been created from the same root as the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm.'

Even while exchanging attacks and defenses in a daze, I thought about my and Senior Brother Un Hwang's martial arts.

It wasn't that I was thinking about other things during the duel because Senior Brother Un Hwang was too weak.

It was because as I was dueling with Senior Brother Un Hwang, who used a martial art similar but different to mine, I felt as if an inspiration was tickling and blooming in a corner of my heart.

'If I hadn't dueled with Senior Brother Un Hwang, I wouldn't have even known that such a sword art existed.'

Thinking about it, it's not that such martial arts don't exist in the Wudang Sect at all.

In the first place, the Taeguk Sword Art and the Taeguk Fist Art also have different forms, but they share the same principle in that they are martial arts that use the mystery of Taeguk.

The same goes for the Flowing Cloud Sword Art, the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique, and the Flowing Cloud Fist Art.

All three martial arts are martial arts with the same principle, that is, they emphasize the flow.

'The Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm and Senior Brother Un Hwang's martial art are also the same... perhaps I feel they are similar because the principle of generating great power with the explosive force created by fusing innate qi with internal energy is the same.'

When internal energy and innate qi are mixed, it feels a little more refreshing than ordinary internal energy.

If I had to use colors, internal energy is white, and innate qi is blue.

Should I say it feels like the two are mixed to become sky blue?

'In the first place, it means that the forms and weapons might not have been that important.'

A feeling as if a small enlightenment is about to come.

In the end, the essence of martial arts is the basic principle that implements the martial art, and the shell of forms and weapons that surrounds it can be changed at any time. This thought flashes through my mind.

'To be honest, I thought I would gain almost nothing from this martial arts tournament.'

My thought was close to arrogance.

Didn't they say there is something to learn even from a three-year-old child? To think I'm gaining something from the very first duel.

Indeed, it's not for nothing that there is a thing called a sect.

Over hundreds of years, countless people must have passed through and gradually improved the system of the organization.

As a result, the most efficient and effective things must be applied to the current Wudang Sect.

"Hooo—!"

When my thoughts reached that point, Senior Brother Un Hwang, who was facing me with his sword in close proximity, let out a big breath and stepped back to create distance.

I thought about chasing him by stepping on my footwork, but for now, I waited quietly to see what my senior brother would do.

"As expected... you're strong. I can't even get a grasp on how to attack."

"May I give you a small piece of advice?"

"Advice?"

"In my opinion, whether you are chosen as one of the Five Swords of Wudang or not after this martial arts tournament, I think it would be good for you to talk with Grand-elder Ok-gil or the Sect Leader and go outside the sect."

"What... do you mean by that?"

Senior Brother Un Hwang, with a slight frown, asked back.

I thought I might have made him misunderstand my words, so I hurriedly began to explain further.

"I meant that it would be good for you to go outside the sect quickly and gain practical experience. Right now, your basics and internal art are honestly surprisingly solid. At this level, you wouldn't fall behind Senior Brother Un Cheol of our room or... even Grand Senior Brother Un Gwang."

"But?"

"The problem is that your forms are too honest and linear. It seems you've practiced mostly alone, but such rigid forms have a limit in actual combat."

"A limit..."

"Especially when you fight against someone like me who already knows the forms you will use to some extent, the effect is even more halved."

"Hmm... how do I overcome that limit?"

"Didn't I just say it? The way is to go outside the Wudang Sect now and develop your application skills while experiencing actual combat."

"Application skills..."

"Senior Brother. Try to receive my attack once."

As soon as I finished speaking, I stepped on the Seven Star Steps and approached right in front of his nose.

If I had used my best speed, I could have made it so that he couldn't even react, but since that was not my intention now, I performed a footwork at a level where he could react appropriately.

And I began to perform the sword art as naturally as flowing water.

The sword art I chose was the Taeguk Sword Art, the basic of the basics that one starts to learn first upon entering the Wudang Sect.

Instead of using the forms learned at the Yuyeop Hall as they are, I swung the sword with the feeling of instinctively bursting the sword where a weakness was visible.

Senior Brother Un Hwang received my sword as if he were relaxed, but his expression was not at all.

He must have momentarily recognized that my sword art was the Taeguk Sword Art, but he must have barely received it because the following sword forms were irregular.

"Th-This is..."

"It's the Taeguk Sword Art. Do you understand what I'm saying now?"

Senior Brother Un Hwang nodded his head.

He is also a talent worthy of being counted among the best in the Wudang Sect.

Seeing that he understood what I was trying to say with just one explanation.

"Then shall we stop talking and try again? I've been going easy until now, but I won't go easy anymore."

"Alright. Come on."

Senior Brother Un Hwang, with a very tense expression, took a ready stance.

It seemed he was preparing to receive my attack.

But that was also wrong.

My senior brother must know well that he is the weaker one now.

Usually, when fighting, the weaker one should never take a defensive attitude.

Just as there is a saying that offense is the best defense, one must push the opponent with attack, attack, attack until the end.

Because if you keep attacking, there is at least a possibility of winning by exploiting a small weakness you barely caught, but if you defend, it's as good as giving up on winning in the first place.

'Then I have to make him take responsibility for his choice.'

I, pouring a generous amount of internal energy into the hand holding the sword, began to slowly approach him.

Since Senior Brother Un Hwang is a smart and persistent person, he will surely understand my intention.

'I also want to try out what I newly realized today.'

The energy being injected into the sword now is the energy of the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm.

I can't say that I have perfectly converted the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm into a sword art, but I have succeeded in imbuing the sword with internal energy with the principle of the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm that I understand.

Should I call it the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Sword?

I would never fight in this way against an opponent who is similar to or stronger than me.

Because it would be better to fight with the palm technique, which is already in a near-complete stage, than to fight in this unfamiliar way.

But, if I continue to practice like this and the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Sword performed with the sword becomes as proficient as the palm technique, it will be of great significance because it will increase my options.

It is said that the sword defeats the fist and foot, the fist and foot defeat the spear, and the spear defeats the sword.

If I use the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm against an opponent who uses a spear, and the Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Sword against an opponent who uses fists and feet, I will be able to fight more efficiently.

"Th-That energy is?"

Senior Brother Un Hwang, who felt that the energy I was gathering was similar to the energy he used, looked at me with slightly widened eyes.

The reason I chose to perform the unfamiliar Heavenly Firmament Demon Subduing Palm with a sword now is to teach him what happens when you defend when there is a difference in power.

I deliberately chose this martial art to give him a bigger shock.

As the internal energy swirled, a strong wind began to blow momentarily.

It is still very inefficient compared to holding the energy in my hand.

There is a lot of energy lost in the middle, and I also feel that I might not be able to control my strength properly.

So I thought about just performing a familiar energy, but I still stubbornly gathered the energy.

Because I thought I had to do this for Senior Brother Un Hwang, who had stood on this stage wanting to fight me with all his might.

The surrounding air began to shimmer due to the powerful true qi.

I think I put in too much energy because I couldn't control my strength as I was raising an uncontrolled energy, but what can I do? It's Senior Brother Un Hwang's job to handle this.

I, lightly stomping my foot, swung my sword towards Senior Brother Un Hwang, who was maintaining a solid defensive stance.

It's not a sword with any special forms or techniques.

Just a sword art that was lightly swung horizontally.

My senior brother also raised his energy with all his might with the martial art from a little while ago and countered my attack.

Seeing that he performed some kind of form, it seems that the sword art my senior brother learned also has defensive forms.

'In a situation like this, you shouldn't take a defensive stance, but you should think about retreating and receiving as little of the opponent's force as possible.'

Even in the midst of that, I felt a deep regret.

Well, it's natural that a person who has only trained in martial arts cooped up in the mountains without officially debuting in the martial world can't do such improvisation yet.

It's just a matter of accepting the result with his body.

The moment the sword and the sword clashed, a chilling roar erupted.

It was the sound of the sword held by Senior Brother Un Hwang rupturing from my sword.

For a moment, astonishment was etched in my senior brother's eyes.

He probably never imagined that a sword made of iron would not break, but tear.

My sword, which had torn through the sword, very naturally reached right in front of Senior Brother Un Hwang's chest, and just as it was about to tear his chest as well.

I stopped the sword exactly one inch in front of his chest.

And a strong wind that covered him.

Un Hwang was not directly hit by the sword, nor was he covered in my shockwave, but just from the wind created by my sword and energy, his body staggered and he collapsed to the ground.

His hair was all disheveled, and it was a strong wind to the extent that the front of his clothes was all undone.

"Ha, haha..."

Senior Brother Un Hwang, with a laugh as if he were dumbfounded, looked up at me.

He had an expression that said he had thought there would be a difference in power, but he had never thought it would be this much.

I held out my hand to him who had fallen, and my senior brother took my hand and stood up.

"I have learned a great lesson. I lost."

"Thanks to you, I also gained a great enlightenment."

At that time, the grand-elder came up and declared my victory, and I, after exchanging a glance with Senior Brother Un Hwang, came down to my seat and sat down.

"You've worked hard, Unhwi-ya."

"What's there to work hard about?"

The senior brothers from our room welcomed me.

I, watching the next duel that immediately followed, smiled without realizing it.

There was a bigger result than I thought even from the first duel.

I began to look forward to the other duels that would unfold in the future even more.

What else I could gain from the other senior brothers, and what kind of fights I could have, all of it.

(End of Chapter)