“Y-you said Hye Yoon…”
Wudang’s sect leader, Hye Woo, hoped for his voice not to tremble.
Had it been over a month now? The man Jin Mu brought in, he remembered that kid.
“Yes, right. I am called Jin Hwi, who recently entered the Wudang Sect.”
“Right… if my eyes aren’t wrong, the huge Taiji move which was used just now is…?”
“Is the talent of this lacking disciple.”
“…!”
Many emotions crossed through the eyes of the sect leader. Taiji, which he had been wanting to protect at the cost of giving up his life.
But due to the new force from the outside, he couldn’t. This new Taiji, which appeared at a time when lost, was completely different.
For this second, he felt a sense of relief, but he was filled with disbelief at the same time. Emotions arose.
To him, who prided himself on being at a strong level in Wudang. The sajae who disappeared without staying in the sect, he was not that talented.
And to think, this disciple of his, he did not seem lacking in the slightest now.
The one who brought him was none other than Jin Mu himself. Now he was rebelling against the Wudang warrior who brought him?
Jin Hwi asked in confusion,
“Sect leader. If you don’t mind, would it be alright for me to continue the spar with the spirit of the sect leader?”
Nevertheless, he became aware of the reality once again. The fact that the person in front of him possessed better skills.
There was no time to think about what happened or why it was as such, nothing made sense now.
“Would you mind stepping back?”
Taiji. Taiji which did not collapse in the face of this outside power.
If he did not entrust this to the one who showed potential then who could he trust in?
“We will be together in spirit.”
The sect leader gathered his thoughts once again and looked around. And he spoke to those of Wudang who did not understand,
“He is a disciple of sajae Hye Yoon. Not long back, he joined us. He was a Taoist. But today…”
He continued to speak with excitement,
“He is the future of Wudang, who will protect the spirit and traditions of Wudang from external forces.”
“…!”
“…!”
People were embarrassed by the sect leader’s words. In particular, the expressions of the middle-aged and elderly disciples showed concern.
Of course, he was too young to those present. Even if one understood the circumstances, he must have been around 30 at most.
Such a person being involved was such an important thing, since this was a battle that would determine the future of Wudang.
And he came forward, but since the sect leader had declared something like this, they could not raise any objections.
“Jin Hwi.”
“Yes, sect leader.”
Seol-Hwi stood tall.
The sect leader’s thoughts could be understood not only from his facial expression but his voice too. It was not pride; it was the expression of someone who had no other choice.
“Can you win…?”
Seol-Hwi felt the heart of the sect leader more.
What was scarier than the helplessness of not being able to do anything was that Wudang’s martial arts skills were subdued by external martial arts. It would be a feeling of being denied one’s legacy. So, he must have wanted to risk all this pride and ask the question to the one he had only met once.
“I plan to teach you.”
“…?”
“Everything you attempt may go awry or you might lose your way, and sometimes you may feel a great sense of helplessness. In the end, it will come back over time.”
“…!”
The sect leader’s heart felt trembling.
Jin Hwi in front of him, the words of this man had reassured his heart more than anything else.
The spirit and strength that he would not let up until the very end. He had no choice but to surrender to the strength of the outside power, and this kid meant to fight against that.
Right.
“I will protect Wudang…”
He thought he could give up everything.
It was unknown if the man in front could truly succeed, but if he could endure it, with that alone, he felt like he could endure any humiliation.
“I will hand over everything I have to this kid and step down.”
The sect leader exited in this manner. All eyes turned to Seol-Hwi at once.
“Wonderful.”
Jin Mu, who was observing the situation, nodded. He had also witnessed the scene where Seol-Hwi neutralized the thunder qi with Taiji energy.
He could vaguely sense that his level was higher than that of the sect leader. But that was all for now.
Was it not just the sweet scene of the Supreme Master level? Yet Jin Mu felt like the third ability was still the most powerful.
Even though he had vaguely admired the sect leader before, he personally dismantled the sect leader’s martial arts skills. Now, he was confident that his skills were not lacking.
“The third ability. It is a thunder qi that pierces through the natural world. And I don’t know if there is a stronger force than that. And if you saw it, you would think that attacking would be reckless.”
“But you have to see for yourself to know about it. I will experience it for myself to see if it is actually as strong as they say.”
“Hmm. Foolish. If the strength of Wudang has already crumbled like a piece of paper, what more are you expecting?”
Jin Mu’s eyes shone.
At one time, he would have rather seen himself lose like this, but it was the look in the eyes of a great warrior who had become accustomed to this new power, and the last regrets he had for Wudang had disappeared.
“I don’t think so.”
The eyes of a loser only sought strength. Meeting his gaze, Seol-Hwi slowly drew his sword.
“They say that once a person steps beyond the Peak level, the pace of everything slows down. Taiji is the true peak when it comes to dissuading people from the wrong path. Come. I will use the Complete Sword of Wudang to handle this thunder qi.”
“Complete Sword? Puah, hahahah!”
Jin Mu burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as if he had heard an absurd joke. He laughed so loudly that even the onlookers seemed puzzled.
Pat
Jin Mu, who had been laughing, suddenly stopped and spoke with a cold expression,
“The Complete Sword. Yes, I once delved into it. The flow of Taiji. The legend speaks of its revelation at the culmination of the flow.”
His gaze towards Seol-Hwi was filled with anger.
“When the sharp sword reaches its pinnacle, it gains purpose, and when it reaches the Supreme, it transforms into a sword of strength, merging with us. Is that what you are alluding to?”
Crack
His jaw clenched momentarily.
Seol-Hwi remained silent. It was not a question posed to elicit a response.
As anticipated—
“That is all nonsense. I don’t know who concocted such notions, but it’s all rubbish that undermines the well-being of future generations. If there is anyone at Wudang who has delved deeper into the Complete Sword, then come forward and enlighten me, demonstrate it to me!”
Rumble
He raised his fist in anger, gritting his teeth with an unprecedented expression.
“Some aspects may hold truth. When one masters the Supreme state, they merge with the sword, embodying a sword of righteousness, able to wield it as desired. It’s true that you become the sword. However, even without achieving that, it stops there. After a decade of dedication, I realized the Complete Sword was a mere fabrication. In comparison, thunder embodies the true essence of the sword.”
Tststststs!
The power of thunder crackled as his words concluded, exuding a palpable threat.
“This power. A power visible to all. Is the Complete Sword the only means to engage in combat? Does every martial movement converge into a single sword? Are such absurdities being propagated here?”
“I beg to differ.”
Shhh
Seol-Hwi retorted as he raised his sword, assuming a stance.
“It marks the beginning and the end. The foundational principle of all sword techniques originates from the center and returns to the center.”
Chiiing. Woong.
“…!”
The tip of the sword trembled slightly. Jin Mu’s eyes shifted.
Numerous energies…
It was not a slow sword technique. It vibrated, gradually honing its edge.
“Taiji, Yin and Yang, there are always counterparts, and they change and correspond to each other. The enemy and us. Of course, it is heavy and fast sometimes, and then the flow changes, being slow and soft too. But that is why it is strong. The meaning of harmony remains in the Taiji Sword. How does it feel? Would you like to spar now?”
Nice then.
Jin Mu raised the sword high in agreement.
Wooong
On one side, a deathly power due to the overflowing thunder qi, and on the other side was the Complete Sword with a thousand forms, slow due to the thousand vibrations.
“It will be clear once we see the results. Such a vain dream.”
Swords clashed, creating harsh sounds.
Chak
The two slowly closed in on each other.
“Is this… alright?”
“Right, this is the Complete Sword. I thought it was just some folk tale skill…”
In addition to the two involved, the disciples of Wudang were also whispering.
Complete Sword.
This sword art was developed in complete opposition to quick sword techniques.
First step - the extreme of overpowering speed with slowness, a story that only happened in fiction. In other words, it is a legend, not reality.
“Maybe it is possible? You know about the Softness Subduing the Steel…”
“That is a different thing. For that…”
Some held hope, but nine out of ten would shake their heads. Those who had learned the techniques of Wudang knew a bit about this.
But this slow form technique was something that even the most skilled could barely pull off.
And when an average swordsman competed with all their might, it was natural for them to not last. And was the quick sword not the most suitable sword technique in the martial arts family?
“You will soon find out. Well. Which one is right and…”
The eyes of those watching the spar were wide open, and most of them were individuals who had invested time in learning the Complete Sword.
And out of all of them, they were all failures.
With this confirmation, will the Complete Sword exist within Wudang? Or will it turn out to be nonsense?
Everybody was waiting in anticipation, and the fight finally began.
Chang!
The thunder qi shot at Seol-Hwi.
Although it was just a simple stabbing motion, Jin Mu’s single sword attack felt incredibly powerful, like it could determine the winner.
Taking!
Seol-Hwi narrowly dodged that blow. Seeing that, Jin Mu smiled.
“Nice. Let us see if you can get away with it this time.”
Jjkkkk rumble!
When he raised his sword, lightning broke out in six directions.
This strength emitted an ominous feel, just imagine what would happen if it struck people.
“Haaah!”
With a shout, the thunder qi went for Seol-Hwi from six directions.
Jjkkk!
This time Seol-Hwi raised his sword, but it was already too late. A torrent of lightning hit Seol-Hwi’s body directly. Was it because its speed could not be dealt with?
“Kuak!”
And Seol-Hwi took the hit with his body.
Slowly. More slowly.
Why did he think of the Complete Sword? Was it a mistake?
That was not it because they knew it right away when Jin Mu’s thunder hit.
Just like how outstanding geniuses looked at tough problems in life and came up with solutions without thought.
A land in a neatly drawn painting.
The firmness of the land accepted the lightning.
Due to its nature, the thunder qi has the energy of wind and, of the other four energies, the land was where the lightning will seep into.
Jjkkkk!
In theory, yes. That was why the answer came first.
But he did not know the process. That was why Seol-Hwi had to confirm it.
It is infinitely strong and heavy, powering the world.
Right. It is the strength of the land.
And among the four demonic arts he learned, it was also the direction with the least amount of learning.
It started with wind in the first place. Moving with the cold waves of ice.
The flames of destruction and rebirth from flame. What was unknown was the land.
How, how do I endure this?
The answer had to be right there. The problem was the process. So the question was how.
In a way, it was a natural question to ask if it was possible to control lightning and how to suppress it. But the answer could not be found.
No, he thought it could not be found. If it was not for the teachings given by his master in the past life.
-Do you know why the Qingcheng Sect places importance on the wind?
-Because it is everything, this is because they value becoming one with the world around them.
-That is all those Taoists being hypocrites.
-Well, is there another reason then?
-Of all the forces in nature, what do you think is the strongest one?
-Lightning? Maybe not?
-Right. It is lightning. What kind of energy is lightning made of?
-That… clouds and wind. Wind?
-Right. The wind is the source of the force that sustains the Qingcheng Sect.
-…
-If you become one with the wind and dominate it, as long as the martial arts of Qingcheng are stuck in your mind, there is nothing to be afraid of.
And he remembered this.
In the end, if one cannot go against nature, then one had no choice but to be influenced by the wind.
That huge third ability was realized to be one from nature.
