novelraw Chapter 165 : A Fortuitous Encounter, Not a Predestined Bond
Chapter 165 : A Fortuitous Encounter, Not a Predestined Bond
Chapter 165: A Fortuitous Encounter, Not a Predestined Bond
When he defeated the Demonic Cultists in the Central Plains and stayed at the Shangguan Family.
Back then, when he met Pyo Deuk-won, he had said this.
—“Enlightenment is like that. Some attain it, others pass it by unknowingly. Some find it through wall-facing meditation, others while haggling in the marketplace, or during sparring, or amidst the bloodshed of battle.”
Just as he had said, Jang Woo-hyun had gained an insight from listening to the children playing in the alley.
Strictly speaking, the things he had been doing while resting thus far had become nourishment, and when the child’s words were added to that, a sprout had bloomed.
Getting up early in the morning and making his own food, going to the market with Jin Ha-un, drinking and laughing together, the conversation with Taecheong Divine Sovereign— all those moments had accumulated and brought about this very situation.
—“I’ll just be myself.”
Within his Mental World, filled entirely with sword blades, Jang Woo-hyun had believed that what he sought was the sword.
A sword capable of cutting down anything. He wished to become the sword itself.
But he had been wrong.
‘I am not the sword.’
The sword was a comrade and merely a weapon. The true wielder of the sword was none other than himself.
Just as the child had said, he was simply himself.
And only now did he begin to understand the words of Taecheong Divine Sovereign.
—“You are not a sword.”
Now he understood why he had spoken so firmly.
Those words had been meant to awaken him.
—“I don’t believe I was wrong either.”
He began to understand the words spoken before.
As Taecheong Divine Sovereign had said, he had not been wrong. Even if he had continued in his own way, growth would have been possible. Though the limits or the future that awaited were unknown.
—“But it wouldn’t have been a good situation.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign had been wary of becoming strong solely through battle after battle. If things had continued as they were, the blood on Jang Woo-hyun’s hands would never have dried.
Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t afraid of fighting. Nor was he hesitant about harming enemies.
But that didn’t mean he wanted to continue wounding or killing others.
He wanted to learn martial arts and grow stronger— not become a murderous ghost.
Growing strong ‘within battle’ and growing strong ‘only through battle’ were not the same.
This was what Taecheong Divine Sovereign had feared.
Had he moved forward without any awareness, Jang Woo-hyun would have walked the path of tyranny or the demonic way, as spoken of in the Central Plains. Perhaps he might have become a butcher.
‘This isn’t right.’
Clearing his thoughts, Jang Woo-hyun closed his eyes. Then he envisioned the scene he had seen before.
A space filled entirely with blades.
Jang Woo-hyun’s Mental World. His Microcosm.
When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived there.
Countless blades exuding a sharp and fierce aura.
Jang Woo-hyun smiled as he looked upon the many swords and sabers.
Now, those blades appeared differently— because the Microcosm he envisioned had changed.
Step.
Without erasing his smile, he took a step forward.
Stretching out both arms and clenching his fists, the entire world responded to his will.
All the blades rose into the air, as if held by unseen hands.
And shortly thereafter—
Every blade floating in the air began to move, each displaying a distinct martial art.
As he watched the scene, Jang Woo-hyun gave a new name to his Microcosm.
“Hundred Martial Heaven Sword.”
Endlessly moving swords and myriad martial arts.
The Sword-Filled Hell, Hundred Martial Heaven Sword.
Though he could not yet fully wield its power, Jang Woo-hyun had completed his true Microcosm.
While Jang Woo-hyun was immersed in his inner world.
Jin Ha-un remained by his side.
‘What did he gain?’
Nothing seemed particularly special. They had simply sat together, watching children play, when suddenly Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes lost focus and then closed.
His body did not move, nor did the surrounding qi stir. He just sat quietly, like someone in slumber.
There were no notable threats around, but Jin Ha-un remained alert, ready to draw his sword at any moment. Not once did he leave Jang Woo-hyun’s side.
Thus, as Jang Woo-hyun explored his inner world under Jin Ha-un’s protection, two days passed before he finally opened his eyes.
When he did, he neither exuded an overwhelming presence nor appeared to have changed in any remarkable way. Yet he looked visibly more composed.
“Did you stay by my side again? Thank you, Ha-un.”
“What do you mean, it’s what I’m supposed to do. Did you gain something?”
“Well, I’m not entirely sure yet.”
Though he didn’t answer definitively, Jin Ha-un knew— the gap between him and his sworn brother had once again widened tremendously.
‘It’s just like him.’
Jin Ha-un didn’t envy or resent him. Instead, he sincerely rejoiced in his growth more than his own.
“Let’s go back now.”
“Yes. I hope we’re not too late and get scolded.”
After spending two days in the small village, the two set off once more.
Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un quickly returned to where Taecheong Divine Sovereign resided.
Seeing them return later than expected, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“You…”
“Somehow, I managed to gain something. Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Elder.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign simply laughed for a while, looking at Jang Woo-hyun who had realized it on his own.
“There’s nothing I really did. Rather, I should thank you for keeping an old man company.”
Though he said it lightly, Jang Woo-hyun had received a great favor from him. Had they not met, things would not have turned out as they had.
“It’s good you came back in time. Now you can say your goodbyes.”
“Huh! Where are you going?”
“I told you, didn’t I? That I don’t have much time left.”
In response to Jin Ha-un’s question, the old man sitting on the chair slowly stood up.
“You asked before, didn’t you? Why I’m treating you so well.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign turned and began to climb the mountain. Though he didn’t tell them to follow, both Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un naturally walked behind him.
“I don’t believe your talent was given to you by coincidence. That’s just how the principles of the world work. And you must be the same.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign stopped and glanced at Jang Woo-hyun, who was following him.
“That face says you’ve got no idea.”
“Pardon? Yes, to be honest, that’s true.”
“This world seeks balance and operates in accordance with that balance. Where there is light, there is darkness; where there are evil ones, there are righteous ones. That is the Law of Nature and the Will of the Heavens. Perhaps the reason you possess such talent is because there is something you must accomplish, or perhaps to help someone, or for something else entirely.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign paused briefly, then added playfully,
“Or perhaps, you are the hero destined to bring order to this turbulent age.”
“……”
“I do not know what you will do or what incidents you’ll be entangled in, but what awaits you will not be ordinary. That’s why I wanted to help.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s desire to help Jang Woo-hyun had come from genuine goodwill. Feeling the warmth of that heart, Jang Woo-hyun smiled faintly.
“I hoped you would walk the right path. With your talent, you could easily have been led astray.”
He might have become a bloodthirsty killer or walked the path of tyranny. With such rapid growth, one wrong step could have sent him hurtling down a path of no return.
Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s unseen gaze was directed at Jang Woo-hyun.
What he had seen before was an unstable child holding a sword in his hand.
But now, things had changed.
The child had become a young man, and the sword once clutched tightly was now secured at his waist.
The unease had vanished from his eyes, and he was now clearly seeing the path he needed to walk.
It wasn’t his martial arts skill that had grown.
It was the growth of a person who had experienced something new and contemplated himself.
A miraculous encounter.
Everything Jang Woo-hyun had gained from meeting Taecheong Divine Sovereign had been just that.
Another bond formed in Central Heavens had helped Jang Woo-hyun grow.
“It seems my time is up. I shall now go to do what I must.”
As Taecheong Divine Sovereign beamed with a broad smile, the three had unknowingly arrived atop a mountain peak.
Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un were again astonished by the movement through Spatial Step. At that moment, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s body began to shine.
Creak.
With the sound of bones twisting, his form began to change. His limbs grew longer, his stature taller. Wrinkles gradually faded as if time were reversing.
Though he still bore the face of an old man, the many wrinkles were gone, and the eyelids that had drooped low enough to obscure his eyes now lifted, revealing his eyes.
Eyes too clear to belong to an old man.
When their gazes met—
“……!”
“Ah……”
What Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un saw was a world spread wide open.
They couldn’t even begin to measure the power of Taecheong Divine Sovereign.
Before they realized it, Taecheong Divine Sovereign stood at a height similar to Jang Woo-hyun. His clothes had adjusted to fit his new form. The staff he once held had transformed into a sword with an antique scabbard.
Standing atop the mountain peak, Taecheong Divine Sovereign, now in the form of a robust elder, delivered his will.
【Disciples of Samcheong Tai Chi Sect.】
The atmosphere trembled as his words spread out. Jang Woo-hyun thought the message could be heard even from tens of thousands of ri away.
【Regardless of status or martial arts attainment, from this moment forward, all disciples of Taeguk Sect are to move according to the orders of the Sect Leader.】
In response to Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s words, other powerful martial artists from afar conveyed their agreement and determination.
All their wills became one. From the distant main division of Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, a massive pillar of Will-Form Qi shot into the sky.
As he watched this, Taecheong Divine Sovereign spoke again.
【I, Taecheong of Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, hereby declare from this place.】
With a voice that filled all directions, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s energy radiated outward from his center.
【From this moment forth, I shall take the empty seat of the Six Heavens.】
With his declaration, the vacant seat among the Six Heavens was filled once more.
There was no need for anyone’s permission or agreement. His declaration alone made it so.
And at the same time, the entire world shook— as if a new sky had opened.
Rumble—
The Floating Stronghold beneath their feet trembled, and the sky roared loudly. The whole world responded to Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s words.
It was a scene truly befitting the phrase ‘shaking Heaven and Earth’.
In that overwhelming wave of power, Jang Woo-hyun sensed something else.
The magnitude and pressure were different, but he had experienced a similar situation once before.
‘True Immortal.’
Just like when the Giant Silver Hand blotted out the sky and fell, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s declaration shook the world itself.
With his declaration, a new guardian of the Central Heavens Martial Realm had emerged. Jang Woo-hyun and Jin Ha-un had witnessed that historic moment together.
Having concluded everything, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s gaze turned to Jang Woo-hyun.
“If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”
After offering his farewell, Taecheong Divine Sovereign turned away. As he took a step, the surrounding space rippled and his body grew faint.
“Elder.”
At that moment, Jang Woo-hyun called out to him.
“Your name— I mean, what is your name?”
The fading form of Taecheong Divine Sovereign regained clarity.
Jang Woo-hyun fixed the image of his back in his memory— for that back represented a destination he would one day reach.
Though he saw only his back, Jang Woo-hyun knew Taecheong Divine Sovereign was smiling.
He turned his head, and just as expected, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
“Not as the Supreme Sect Leader of Samcheong Tai Chi Sect, but as a humble bookshop owner.”
Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s smile deepened.
“You rascal. When asking an elder’s name, you should say ‘honorific name’.”
Though his words were chiding, his tone was not. Laughter came through his voice.
Taecheong Divine Sovereign turned his head again and stepped forward.
His body once more grew faint and vanished— as if he were walking far away in a single stride.
As he took the second step—
As if it were nothing special, Taecheong Divine Sovereign’s mouth delivered the answer Jang Woo-hyun had longed to hear.
“The name I used long ago in the Lower Realm was…”
With another step, his figure disappeared and only his voice remained.
“…Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang.”
The moment he heard the name, Jang Woo-hyun clenched his fist tightly without even realizing it.