"Hmm..."
Hearing Kim Young-hoon's words, I picture the figure that regenerated their body even after my attack, furiously charging at me in an intense state of arousal.
"He seems to possess extremely favorable conditions for martial arts training."
Every time they swing their weapon, every time they are hit, and every time they fight their opponent,
A race that doesn't just get excited, but becomes aroused during combat?
Whether it's martial arts or the Earth Tribe's methods, this race has immense advantages in learning anything related to fighting.
'No wonder they are paired with the Human Race, who love to eat and exploit other races, as one of the Two Evils.'
Honestly, their sticky intent is somewhat unpleasant. But aside from that, they seem to be the race with the best conditions for becoming a warrior (鬪士).
Seeing my reaction, Kim Young-hoon smirks.
"Do you now understand why I said he's not a martial artist (武人)?"Hmm..."
I ponder for a moment before shaking my head.
"Hm, I'm sorry. To be honest, I really don't understand. Why isn't he a martial artist?"
I genuinely don't know.
I decide to be honest rather than pretend to understand.
Kim Young-hoon gathers energy from the air to create a Qi Weapon (氣兵).
A golden saber made of energy appears in his hand.
"What does it look like I'm holding?"
"A blade."
I respond immediately, seeing the intent imbued in his saber.
"Correct. A martial artist is someone who wields weapons."
Kim Young-hoon and I continue our conversation as we walk outside the hall.
Bo-oong!
Reaching the edge of the Twilight Domain, Kim Young-hoon swings the saber in his hand at me.
"What did I just use on you?"
"A martial technique."
"Correct. We are people who practice martial techniques."
He swings the saber again.
This time, he swings it with a genuine goal to cut me, so I draw my All-Heavens Sword and counter his swing.
Paaatt!
Though both of us imbue immense power in our weapons, capable of splitting the sea, we control our strength perfectly and cause no significant shockwaves.
"What collided between us?"
"Meaning (意)."
"Correct. Martial artists are those who wield weapons to create martial techniques, and with those moves, clash meaning."
Wo-woong!
His eyes glow with a golden light.
"Ultimately, it's all about meaning, and that meaning is our soul (魂). Since we imbue various meanings and display our artistry (藝) through those meanings, even if we wield weapons and fight, we do not become lost in the fight itself. But do you remember what that Fighting Ghost Race held in his hands?"
I recall Jin Ma-yeol, who tried to charge at me with lustful eyes.
What he held wasn't just a simple chain sickle and sword.
Desire (欲望).
He was enveloped in sticky lust (欲情), and completely lost in it.
"...I see."
I finally understand what Kim Young-hoon is trying to convey.
"Are you trying to convey that Martial Arts (武) is about 'what you imbue into your weapon'?"
"Something like that. It reminds me of an incident from before. Come down."
To-oong!
After saying so, Kim Young-hoon descends downward.
It's the Deep Sea of the Ancient Force Realm.
To-oong—
He still manages to step on the dimension above the Deep Sea like before.
"You are definitely strong. However, if what I sensed back then was not mistaken, your martial arts (武) are incomplete."
"Well...since I do mix Heaven and Earth Tribe methods and puppet techniques, you could say that."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
He shakes his head.
"I just said it. Martial Arts (武) is about 'what you imbue in your weapon'."
"Yes, you did."
"But how many weapons do you have?"
Sploosh, splash!
The surface of the dimension ripples as the Deep Sea beneath Kim Young-hoon's feet quivers.
"Last time, I pondered why you couldn't step on the surface of this dimension. At our level, this shouldn't be so difficult, yet you struggled. So I pondered and soon found the answer."
He smiles.
"Martial Arts is about contemplating what to imbue in your weapon. However, you have too many weapons. Moreover, you are not imbuing meaning to all of your weapons. Hence, your Martial Arts is incomplete, and because your Martial Arts is not complete, your martial realm is unstable, preventing you from stepping on the dimension's surface."
Paaaatt!
The golden saber he holds seems to shine brilliantly.
"You asked how to cut stars, right? While I can't cut real stars, I can cut something similar."
Chuaaaak!
As he swings the saber, the sea appears to ripple and split, revealing countless fragments of worlds beneath the dimensional sea.
Among them are fragments of worlds glimmering with starlight.
Kim Young-hoon swings his saber towards one of those fragments.
He spins once in the air.
His saber traces a circle.
The next moment, the starlight is cleaved.
Following the trajectory of the circle he drew, the 'light' in this sea domain splits.
Rip!
Split Sky (分天)!
An illusion of the sky splitting in two appears throughout the entire sea domain.
Kim Young-hoon wipes his sweat and laughs heartily.
"I know you have many weapons. And you properly imbue meaning into at least three or four of them. But you don't imbue meaning into the other miscellaneous ones. So, either discard all the miscellaneous ones, or if you don't want to discard them, make all of them truly yours. If you do that..."
I feel like I am catching a clue on how to solve Jang Ik's task through Kim Young-hoon.
"You'll be able to sufficiently cut starlight."
Chuaaaaaa—
The split sky returns to normal.
A divine skill (神技) where he didn't cut the space itself, but merely the light within it.
I bow my head to Kim Young-hoon in gratitude.
"Thank you for your guidance."
I have found the path I need to take.
'As expected...'
After bowing to Kim Young-hoon, I draw the podao in my heart essence.
The greenish podao is held in my hands.
I have the confidence to shatter an entire sea domain with the single swing of this podao.
No, not merely a sea domain. As Jang Ik said, I could even split a star.
However, I don't use the podao for such things.
Instead, I swing the podao towards Kim Young-hoon's heart essence.
Kuang!
Jang Ik's podao plunges into Kim Young-hoon's heart essence.
It seems to embed itself into the head of the Peng Bird, and then disappears into the Peng's body.
He blinks and asks.
"What's this? It doesn't seem to be your heart essence..."
"Try infusing your heart essence into the podao and communicate with it. You'll meet an interesting person."
'Jang Ik's disciple should be Kim Young-hoon.'
"Thank you for the advice. I'll be on my way now."
After delivering Jang Ik's single strike to Kim Young-hoon and giving him a clue to communicate with Jang Ik, I return.
It's a brief moment, but what I gained from Kim Young-hoon is immense.
'Yes, he's right.'
I have learned too much in my current state.
Then, can I assign meaning to all those things and use them properly?
'No.'
I thought I had unified Heaven and Earth Tribe methods and martial arts while creating the sword formation with Hong Su-ryeong.
But in hindsight, it wasn't unification; it was merely creating another weapon.
I wield the All-Heavens Sword and start performing the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship from beginning to end in a simplified manner.
From the 1st move, Transcending Peaks, to the 30th move, Deep Mountain, Emerging Dao.
'It's time to create the 31st move.'
I head to the Wuji Religious Hall's training grounds and begin organizing everything I have learned so far.
Starting from Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation, to the methods of the Cheongmun Clan, Thousand Lustrous Forest Sea, Mad Lord's circuits, Mysterious Bizarre Gu, Silica Earth Great Wall Practice, Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, White Orchid Blessing Incantation, Azure Spirit Starlight Quintessence Great Method, Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique and Lightning Path Methods, Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, Six Extremes Yin Thunder Body, and Great Desert to Dead Sea.
'I've learned quite a lot.'
I even created many things myself.
Including the Black Blade Maturing Secrets I made recently, there are quite a few things I created and used personally.
I recall countless method formulas and reflect on Kim Young-hoon's words.
'I have many weapons, but I don't imbue meaning into all of them...'
Then, what should I do?
How can I imbue meaning into my weapons?
'There's only one way.'
I unfold the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
And in accordance with the moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I begin to compare the method formula of numerous cultivation methods.
'I will meld all my methods into one.'
And I will unify cultivation methods and martial arts techniques.
It isn't just about melding Heaven, Earth, and Heart as in the latter part of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
It will be a process of integrating 'everything I have learned so far' into one.
'Let's begin.'
To cut down a star.
And to move forward!
No matter how many years it takes, even if I have to undergo hellish training, I must achieve it!!!
And with that, ten years pass.
'It's not easy.'
I have successfully integrated Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, White Orchid Blessing Incantation, Black Blood Tears Flower, Six Extremes Yin Thunder Body, and Great Desert to Dead Sea into my sword.
But swordsmanship consists of martial techniques.
Even if such cultivation methods are all incorporated into a single movement, a sequence of movements coming together forms a martial technique.
And in the linkage and connection of all those martial techniques, I must incorporate the cultivation methods into each and every one of the changes that are created.
'It's so far away.'
Honestly, I started this recklessly and I have no idea when it will end.
But I continue with the process.
Twenty years have passed.
The misfortune I felt last time is neither just my intuition nor a delusion.
I still feel it from the heavens above.
Even though I consulted with others like Yeon Wei and Song Jin, it seems they can't see the celestial energy that I can see.
Yeon Wei insisted that I must be possessed by an evil spirit and tried to perform an exorcism ritual on me by burning me at the stake, so I had to hang her upside down to bring her to her senses.
However, this isn’t just my misunderstanding. Misfortunes are coming and persisting without end.
There are frequent attacks from other sea domains, often resulting in kidnappings of followers.
We always manage to rescue them, and those who are kidnapped once are careful enough to avoid such incidents again, but it still leaves me feeling uneasy.
Recently, a Nascent Soul stage demon beast and half-human, half-fish hybrid, named Wi Yun, has been committing arson and attacking followers across various branches of the Wuji Religious Order.
Though I want to capture and interrogate her, every time I try, she would hide somewhere, making it extremely frustrating.
As I perform my duties as the Wuji Cult Leader, I continue to build the Health Axis and focus on melding my cultivation methods and martial arts into one.
Thirty years pass.
Kuaduk-waduduk!
During training, a Heart Demon appeared.
I succeeded in melding all my cultivation methods into a single martial technique.
But the problem is after that.
I have to integrate and apply all these cultivation methods into the countless changes of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
It's so, so far away!
My talent is so severely lacking!
Kuaduduk, waduduk, waduk, waduk!
Qi Deviation and Heart Demons come to find me, and I am in the process of devouring the Heart Demon before me.
"I can do it, I can do it, I can...!"
With my eyes rolled back, I gulp down the Heart Demon while shouting.
"I must do it...!"
I have long grown tired of sitting down and crying about my lack of talent in despair.
I am nearly 4,000 years old now.
At this age, I can't just sit down and cry like a child using talent as an excuse!
"I will do it! No, I must do it!"
Talent is just an excuse.
If I lack talent, I will just grind my body down and challenge it until I succeed!
It's something I've experienced multiple times before.
So...
"I will do it!"
Without sitting down, I stand up, wield my sword, and continue meltng my cultivation methods.
Forty years have passed.
It seems that once I immerse myself in training, my characteristic is to fall into madness.
At some point, I started accelerating my mind and training as I did a long time ago.
When I finally come to my senses, I can't tell how much time has passed.
What's clear is that while melding all my cultivation methods into the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I felt like I didn't have enough time.
How many times have I repeated this insanity?
I am confident that I have melded all my cultivation methods into the initial moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, from the first to twelfth.
Now, only the middle and late sections remain.
'Let's go, let's go...!'
I continue integrating cultivation methods while hunting deep-sea monsters.
Fifty years pass.
How many times have I gone mad while fighting deep-sea monsters and building the Health Axis?
Finally, I succeeded in integrating all my cultivation methods into all thirty moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Now, the only task left is to meld my cultivation methods into the hundreds of thousands of changes and connections of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
"Kahahaha!"
Kuadudududuk!
I tear off the face of a Heart Demon that is lingering and bothering me, and at the same time smash in the head of a deep-sea monster to extract an ancient stone.
Surprisingly, this deep-sea monster must have been quite strong as there is a huge ancient stone embedded in its head, and at the center of the stone is a rare Supervisory Jade.
Humming, I extract the Supervisory Jade and see my face reflected on it.
Why is it?
I feel that my appearance resembles Jin Ma-yeol, who charged at me like crazy.
Then, does that mean I am not a martial artist?
Is what I am doing not martial arts?
I think of asking Kim Young-hoon if I am a martial artist or not, but then I remember that Kim Young-hoon hasn't been seen recently.
He's probably in a secluded place communicating with Jang Ik.
With his talent, how would Jang Ik react?
What enlightenment would he gain from Jang Ik?
Could he surpass the barrier, enter Seated Detachment, Standing Oblivion, and show me hope for the next realm?
While thinking such thoughts, I feel pathetic about myself.
It's disdain for myself, thinking that Kim Young-hoon would go to the next realm first and then tell me about it.
And with that disdain, I realize that I am still a martial artist.
The very desire for the next realm, the very yearning for a higher level of martial arts, makes me realize I am different from Jin Ma-yeol.
The Fighting Steps of the Fighting Ghost Race are filled with nothing but lust, but my martial arts are filled with a longing for a higher place!
Though small, I take solace in that fact and continue to train in martial arts.
Sixty years have passed.
"Gaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
Finally!
I have melded all my cultivation methods into every martial technique!
According to the followers, it's been about seventy years in real time. But with my accelerated mind, it feels like hundreds of years have passed.
However, I am not pleased.
"Just why is this happening! Why!!!"
I wield my sword.
With every martial technique of my sword, countless methods follow.
This sword is a curse, a blessing, the grace of my master, the fruit of my efforts, the heart of Seo Li, the will of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the research of the Black Ghost Valley, and the tenacity of the Azure Heaven Creation Sect.
And, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections permeates into the martial techniques.
Tstststststststs—
"Gaaaaaah!!!"
A hazy mist seeps into the martial techniques, and I scream as I try to perform the moves.
But it's wrong.
It twists.
It distorts.
It begins to break.
The martial techniques disintegrate and rampage uncontrollably.
Kwaaaaang!
Eventually, the martial techniques fail to follow my will and twist out of control, exploding at some point.
I succeeded in melding everything into the techniques.
But as soon as the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is imbued, the martial techniques go berserk.
And as I forcibly perform a sword dance and execute the techniques, I experience something for the first time in my life.
Kwaaaang!
The All-Heavens Sword. It slips from my hand.
"..."
I have dropped. My sword.
I fail to comprehend what is happening, and my hands tremble violently.
"I...I..."
I dropped my sword?
This is something that should never have happened.
But it did.
No, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that the sword momentarily disappeared from my hand.
The grip strength I have developed until now has reached an abnormal level, and in terms of 'grip strength,' I am confident that I wouldn't lose to even those in the Star Shattering stage.
However, no matter how strong the grip, one cannot hold onto something that suddenly disappears.
Shocked, I stop training in martial arts for a while and focus solely on the affairs of the order.
Just why did such a thing happen?
Eighty years have passed.
Recently, I've often seen Buk Hyang-hwa and Kim Yeon hanging out together.
It seems they have become sworn sisters, sleeping together and calling each other only by their surnames.
"Why are you so late, Buk?"
"I told you not to call me that, Kim."
'How dare you speak to your heaven-like Unnie like that!"
"Kyaaak! I told you not to pull my hair!"
Occasionally, they would quarrel over trivial matters, but then, as if nothing had happened, they would walk around holding hands.
Watching them, I suddenly realize.
"Ah..."
The reason why my swordsmanship doesn't listen to me.
I have thought of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as my method, but thinking back, it isn't.
As Song Jin said, a connection is something made together with another person.
As it's made together with others, it isn't solely my method.
Since I was trying to mix something that isn't mine with my sword, it only makes sense that it wouldn't listen to me.
Of course, I still don't understand why it exploded at the end.
But I understand one thing.
"I need to communicate."
From that day, I begin static cultivation, not dynamic cultivation.
It's training to further feel the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections itself.
And ninety years have passed.
I look at the norigae I received from Buk Hyang-hwa while comparing it with the Colorless Glass Sword.
She said that the norigae contains the strange stone spat out by Cheongmun Ryeong, serving as an enormous power source.
Indeed, the norigae is emanating a tremendous amount of power.
But it seems Buk Hyang-hwa is mistaken about one thing.
Being only in the mid Nascent Soul stage, she might not have realized, but when I tried to insert my consciousness into the norigae, I felt nothing.
In other words, there is no strange stone sealed inside.
Moreover, the norigae is connected to 'somewhere,' and the power source used by the Buk Hyang Fleet is not merely the power of a strange stone but a power source drawn from 'somewhere'.
At first, I experimented to see if the norigae is connected to the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, but it doesn't seem to be the case.
The norigae and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections have no reaction to each other.
'I'll have to ask Kim Yeon to try once to find where the norigae is connected to with her consciousness later on.'
It's impossible for me, but with Kim Yeon's vast consciousness, she might succeed in finding the place connected to the norigae.
'...In the end, even the norigae can't reveal the secrets of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections...'
I stare at the Colorless Glass Sword, the origin of the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
If scattered into all 3,000 swords, they would be on the level of ordinary dharma treasures, but if combined, they would become a Four-Axis stage dharma treasure.
The Colorless Glass Sword, which was the foundation of my most precious memories, would become a truly proper Integration stage Grand Perfection level dharma treasure when combined with the All-Heavens Sword.
The Colorless Glass Sword, the foundation of my most cherished memories, would become a dharma treasure of the Grand Perfection Integration level when combined with the All-Heavens Sword.
The glass of the Colorless Glass Sword tempered by my Dan Fire for thousands of years, has transformed into something that is no longer just glass but something more akin to another mineral.
I gaze at the Colorless Glass Sword for a long time, but there is nothing special.
"Huuuuu..."
Even now, I haven't conquered the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.
Even now!
I!
Haven't fully understood!
The Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections!
"...Heavens Above!" I wanted to cry out, but since the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections is not a result of the heavens but a crystallization of the connections I have created, calling out to the heavens wouldn't change anything.
I sigh, returning the norigae to Buk Hyang-hwa, and once again return to static cultivation.
Discussing connections with experienced or reliable individuals like Song Jin, Yeon Wei, and Hong Fan,
About a hundred years have passed.
Song Jin has died.
***
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