Book 26 Chapter 13

Clash! Most Expensive Secret Technique vs. Deepest Ultimate Skill

—Wudang Ultimate Mastery

Three years ago.

Immediately after the Wudang Mountain incident where Mount Hyo-bong was attacked, Hyeon-un took a brief break and visited his sect, the Wudang Sect. He wanted to meet his master.

The reason was simple. During the attack on Wudang Mountain, he had been almost useless. Despite years of training in infusing his sword with his mind and rotating water in a jar with sheer will, it hadn't been of much help. In fact, it was his junior disciple, Mo Yong-hwi, who directly confronted the re-attacking Mount Hyo-bong. And surprisingly, it was his eldest disciple brother, Bi Ryu-yeon, who delivered the final blow to Mount Hyo-bong, whom even the genius boy Mo Yong-hwi couldn't handle.

He had only been dealing with insignificant enemies.

"This won't do," he thought. So he ascended Wudang Mountain again. He spoke of his training and the attack that had occurred. He sought guidance from his master.

"You want to become stronger… This master has already taught you everything. I have even passed on the essence of the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword to you, so what more is there left?"

His master, Cheong-un-ja, said he had nothing more to teach, but Hyeon-un wasn't in a state to be comforted by those words alone.

"But…"

The Tai Chi Wisdom Sword could be considered the ultimate essence of the Tai Chi Sword, the Wudang Sect's supreme sword technique. However, the problem was that the Tai Chi Sword could not be mastered simply by knowing its essence.

"This disciple has not yet grasped the ultimate skills of the Tai Chi Sword. My proficiency is only at fifty percent."

He still only understood about half of it.

"The Tai Chi Sword is formless and without any set moves; it is an ethereal sword. It is commendable that you have learned this much at your age."

"But…"

"To be free from moves is a difficult task. It means breaking free from the customs that bind you. If this were possible for everyone, no one would suffer."

The Tai Chi Sword's profound meaning was so deep that it was said one could never see its end even after a lifetime of practice.

"Disciple feels like I am still wandering in a fog."

What he needed now was a guide to lead him through this fog.

"Indeed, you still have a wall to overcome."

In other words, Hyeon-un had a weakness.

"If you speak of a wall… what is it?"

"Currently, you cannot withstand Extreme Speed."

Extreme Speed was the wall.

"With fifty percent proficiency in the Tai Chi Sword, you cannot defeat Extreme Speed. Therefore, when you encounter someone using Extreme Speed martial arts, do not use the Tai Chi Sword."

The Tai Chi Scripture, the foundation of the Tai Chi Sword, was about overcoming strength with softness. But just as everything has its counter, the Tai Chi Sword had its nemesis: Extreme Speed. Softness could overcome strength, but speed could break softness.

"It's like rock-paper-scissors."

"Rock-paper-scissors, you say?"

"Yes. Softness (Yu) is paper. Paper can defeat rock (strength). But speed (Kwai) is scissors. Paper can wrap around rock, but it gets cut by scissors."

"Then how should I deal with Extreme Speed?"

He didn't believe that the Tai Chi Sword would be completely ineffective against Extreme Speed martial arts. There must be a way. Otherwise, how could it have been passed down as the Wudang Sect's supreme sword technique for hundreds of years? As Hyeon-un expected, his master had the answer.

"Become an ethereal paper."

However, it was not an easy answer to understand.

"Ethereal paper?"

"Yes, no matter how sharp the scissors, they cannot cut paper that has no form, can they?"

While that might be true, it sounded like wordplay.

"Ethereal paper… it's even harder for this disciple to understand than the state of No Moves."

It didn't click.

"That means the Tai Chi Scripture must reach the eighth stage and attain the realm of 'Bending Wind and Rain'."

"The realm of Bending Wind and Rain? I've never heard of such a realm."

"Of course. That realm does not even reveal its name to those who are unqualified."

Hyeon-un had never dreamed that such a realm existed. Naturally. He hadn't been taught because he wasn't considered ready. There was no point in giving false hope to someone who wasn't qualified to ascend that mountain. In other words, that was the true essence of the secret techniques. A realm of non-transmission to the unworthy, not to be carelessly revealed to outsiders.

"Follow me."

Hyeon-un followed Cheong-un-ja to a hidden training ground deep within Wudang Mountain. It was a place concealed by trees, forbidden to ordinary disciples. In one corner of the training ground, an object resembling a giant honeycomb sat on a large iron wheel. Upon closer inspection, he could see sharp arrowheads protruding from each hole.

"What is this…?"

"It's called the 'Wind and Rain Killing Arrows.' It's a device that simultaneously launches dozens of arrows using mechanical power."

It was something that would be used in warfare rather than in the martial arts world. Hyeon-un found it hard to believe that such a formidable object existed in the midst of a pure Taoist sect.

"Why is something like this here…?"

"Shoot it at this master."

Hyeon-un was startled by his master's sudden command.

"Are you telling me to bear the sin of killing my master?"

"Do you think this master would die from that? Shoot it with confidence."

"But still…"

Master Cheong-un-ja sighed deeply.

"That indecisive nature of yours hasn't changed."

Tsk, tsk. Hyeon-un felt deeply embarrassed by Cheong-un-ja's behavior.

"…I am ashamed, Master."

Indeed, that personality trait had been pointed out before but was hard to correct.

"Trust this master a little more. Now, shoot it. I have something to show you. What are you waiting for, shoot it quickly!"

When his master insisted so much, he couldn't reply, "Still, I don't trust you, Master."

"Ah, alright."

He replied so, but his hand still hesitated as he pulled the mechanical launch device.

Clang!

With a heavy metallic sound, the 'Wind and Rain Killing Arrows' activated, and dozens of arrows were shot towards Cheong-un-ja. Hyeon-un wanted to close his eyes tightly, but he couldn't, as his master had strictly ordered him to watch with both eyes open.

However, Cheong-un-ja remained calm even in the rain of arrows.

Swish!

Cheong-un-ja's sword drew concentric circles in the air.

And then…

"This, this is impossible!"

Hyeon-un couldn't believe what he saw.

"How?!"

Despite the torrent of arrows, Cheong-un-ja was unharmed. Not a single arrow touched his body. Nor were they broken or cut. The arrows scattered in all directions, forming a circle around Cheong-un-ja.

"Did you see?"

"Yes, I saw."

"How much did you understand?"

"About half…"

Hyeon-un answered, trailing off. Perhaps it was less than half.

"Did you grasp it?"

It was a sudden, rather abrupt question. Yet, Hyeon-un replied,

"I've caught a clue."

"Then that's good."

Cheong-un-ja nodded, seemingly satisfied with that much, and continued,

"What you just saw is the eighth stage of the Tai Chi Sword, the realm of Bending Wind and Rain."

He added,

"Bending Wind and Rain means using the sword to bend the wind, and the wind to bend the arrows. It's a realm where you can move surrounding objects by shaking the air around you, as if your limbs have lengthened. The Wandering Formlessness of the Daoist Master can be considered its ultimate form. I am still lacking to reach that realm. This master can only move the wind around the sword, but that Daoist Master can move the wind several yards away with a single finger."

"How can I reach this realm?"

"The power of rotation. Realize the power of rotation."

"The power of rotation?"

Hyeon-un's eyes widened. It was a power that made him feel the urge to dig into the earth.

"Yes. This intensive training camp will be of great help to you. Don't forget. It's not the sword that moves the wind, but your will, your intention, that moves the wind and rain. Remember the 'Jar Training' you received! That jar is the entrance to the realm of Bending Wind and Rain."

"Is that really true?" Hyeon-un couldn't believe it. The Jar Training was a training that Bi Ryu-yeon had forcibly subjected the Zhuque Brigade to during the Wudang Mountain intensive training camp, where they had to rotate the water filling a jar without touching it using their qi and will. Only those who could escape that training, those who could break the jar with the force of the rotating water, were allowed to leave. How many friends had collapsed in a near-death state, one after another, undergoing that meaningless and useless training? Even after completing the training, they didn't feel much stronger. It was still a training that sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it.

'That seemingly meaningless training is the entrance to the realm of Bending Wind and Rain?'

His master seemed to see what he couldn't. But Hyeon-un wasn't so ill-mannered as to say his master's eyes were failing him.

"Dedicate yourself further to training. Then, you might be able to see the end of the Tai Chi Sword. That realm, achieved only by our ancestor Zhang Sanfeng, the realm everyone dreams of, you might be able to reach it."

This meant there was a realm higher than the realm of Bending Wind and Rain.

"What kind of realm is that dream realm?"

Just as he had been told and shown the realm of Bending Wind and Rain, simply being told that such a realm existed meant he had gained the qualifications of a challenger. In other words, he had been recognized by his master. However, Hyeon-un was completely unaware of this fact.

"You said the highest realm of Bending Wind and Rain is Wandering Formlessness. Is there a realm higher than that?"

Cheong-un-ja nodded without hesitation. Indeed, if Bending Wind and Rain was the eighth stage, there would likely be tenth and twelfth stages.

"Yes. It is a realm truly worthy of being called the realm of Sword Immortals. In our Wudang Sect, it is only passed down as a legend."

In other words, not only had his master, Cheong-un-ja, not reached it, but even 'that person' called the Wudang's number one master had not reached it.

"What kind of realm is that?"

Hyeon-un asked with a pounding heart.

"Emptiness (Kong). Space (Gan). Bending (Man). Curving (Gok)."

Cheong-un-ja spoke each character clearly, as if engraving them in his heart. To Hyeon-un's ears, the sound was like a lion's roar.

"So it is passed down in legend. But even I do not know what kind of realm it is."

And he still deeply cherished the last words his master had spoken to him.

"Deepen!"

* * *

"Bending Wind and Rain…"

He had no choice but to test it. It was a shame to go straight into actual combat without practice, but he had no other choice now. Hyeon-un extended the tip of his sword forward and began to concentrate his consciousness on the sword's tip.

'Rotate!!'

The source of the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword's power was the power of rotation.

Concentrate, concentrate, and concentrate again.

He thought of the training of rotating the water in the jar, which his eldest disciple brother had made him do at Wudang Mountain. He remembered how the jar had eventually shattered from the force when the water inside had whirled into a vortex. Only Namgoong Sang and Hyeon-un among men had succeeded that far. Of course, they had collapsed from exhaustion afterward. What had their eldest disciple brother said to them as they collapsed after the training?

"Good, remember that feeling you just had. That's the basics. And remember this too. Is wind lighter or water lighter?"

The last remark was truly nonsensical. Why had he said such a thing back then? He couldn't understand it at all. But now, he felt he understood.

Is wind lighter or water lighter?

Of course, wind is lighter. Then, is it easier to move something heavy or something light? The answer was already decided.

'I was foolish. I had already learned everything back then…'

Everything for Bending Wind and Rain was already complete, but he hadn't even seen what he possessed properly. He had taken a long detour, searching elsewhere, when the clue to Bending Wind and Rain was already in his hands.

'The center of the essence of rotation. Fixing the axis is the basic principle of rotation.'

The hardest part of the jar training was imagining this axis. But now, in his hand, he held the most suitable object for a rotational axis.

Hyeon-un began to spin the world around his outstretched sword as the axis.

The wind began to slowly spin around his sword, slowly.

'It's spinning!'

Hyeon-un rejoiced inwardly. Although it wasn't as clear as water, he could definitely see the wind becoming something tangible. Now, all that remained was to further expand that rotation and increase his domain.

'…!'

The Southern Sea King also felt that formidable aura, and his relaxed expression began to disappear. Hyeon-un seemed to have fewer and fewer openings.

"Come. I am ready anytime."

Hyeon-un said with a calm gaze towards Jeon Hun.

"Ho, you seem quite confident unlike before?"

"Today, I will show you the true essence of the Wudang Tai Chi Sword. What I show you from now on is all I have."

Hyeon-un's sword tip slightly lowered forward. It was a provocative stance, as if inviting him to attack anytime.

"If that's all you have, I must show you a technique of corresponding value. I guarantee this technique is more valuable than any I possess."

"The most valuable technique?"

That means…

"As I said before, I don't recoup money taken by ending lives. I send it as travel expenses to the afterlife. Therefore, I don't infuse my life and soul into every blow to save costs. But for this strike, I am willing to pay a particularly enormous cost. Still, I must test if I can save your life. Right. This technique can be said to be my strongest."

"I am curious about what kind of technique it is. I, too, will prepare a technique worthy of it."

Jeon Hun moved first.

Life-Stealing Soul-Buying Money

Ultimate Secret Technique

Soul-Stealing Flying Downfall

Bankruptcy Declaration

Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo! Pee-yoo!

All the silver coins from his pouch were shot towards Hyeon-un like a downpour. Moreover, they weren't all flying straight. Some flew straight, some dropped suddenly in mid-flight, and some curved in arcs. However, all their destinations were Hyeon-un. With qi-infused money pouring in from all directions, there was nowhere to escape.

It was a finishing blow delivered with the intention of incurring a massive deficit. If it continued like this, he would undoubtedly be pierced by the barrage of qi like a hedgehog.

'Now!'

Hyeon-un's sword slashed through the layer of air before him. As if stirring a pot with a ladle, his sword stirred the air, causing the wind to bend and swirl. Hyeon-un's sword qi was now interfering with nature. He moved nature naturally, without resisting it, but by conforming to it.

Moving a Thousand Jin with Four Liang!

This is the true power of the Wudang Tai Chi Sword: creating a large phenomenon with little force.

Wudang Tai Chi Wisdom Sword

Eighth Stage Ultimate Mastery

Bending Wind and Rain

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Surprisingly, the dozens of light arrows flying towards Hyeon-un bent and their trajectories twisted.

Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack!

Dozens of light streams pierced the wall behind him and embedded themselves. However, Hyeon-un's body was unharmed.

"Impossible! The trajectory bent?!"

The Southern Sea King couldn't believe what he was seeing. The wind was still swirling fiercely between Hyeon-un and Jeon Hun.

Hyeon-un's sword drew multiple concentric circles, wrapping the swirling wind around its blade. Then, it shot towards Jeon Hun in a spiral trajectory.

Wind Blade Slash!

Ffffff-bbbbb-bbbb-bbbb!

The fiercely swirling blade of wind, carving the hard bluestone floor with terrifying force, flew towards Jeon Hun. The power of Bending Wind and Rain had been converted from defense to offense.

"You think I'll lose?!"

Although his silver coin pouch was completely empty from the previous technique, he still had coin purses. Jeon Hun quickly took out coins to counter the incoming wind blade.

Kwa-kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah-kwah!

However, the coins in Jeon Hun's hand were caught in the vortex of the incoming wind blade and scattered in all directions. Jeon Hun's arm was also not spared. His sleeves and clothes were torn to shreds. Blood splattered everywhere.

"Kuaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

Jeon Hun let out a scream of unbearable pain. The wind blade that had slashed Jeon Hun continued without slowing, shattering the expensive sandalwood desk behind him into pieces. The sandalwood desk that the fake Southern Sea King had desperately tried to protect had just turned into a pile of firewood. Hit directly by the Wind Blade Slash, Jeon Hun couldn't move his fingers due to the impact.

And then, Hyeon-un's sword reached Jeon Hun's messy neck. Facing the stunned Jeon Hun, Hyeon-un declared,

"In the end, you couldn't save my life. This battle is my victory."