Seo-jun first established the foundational framework for his movement technique.
When creating martial arts, Seo-jun, unlike others, always began by considering the technique's purpose. Why was he creating it? How would he use it? What category would it fall under, and how would he specialize it?
By sketching out a rough outline, the details would naturally fill in as he progressed.
Of course, things rarely went exactly as planned. Inspirations would often intervene and alter the technique mid-creation.
'For this movement technique, speed is the priority.'
There was no need to think about anything else—no need for intricate details, and no concern for how it could be used in combat. This movement technique was simply for traversing the vast lands of Zhongyuan.
Speed. That was all he needed.
With the direction set, he proceeded to build the framework. He already knew several martial arts techniques, so he could incorporate elements from them.
The first thing that came to mind was Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-mu .
His body was much stronger than before, and he could add elements of Pa Jin-gwang's movement technique on top of that.
'That old man really is insane.'
Although Pa Jin-gwang was only a second-rate warrior, he managed to walk on air.
The answer was simple.
With overwhelming strength, he pushed off the air and ran on it, purely through raw physical force.
This was the same man who could break qi barriers with his bare fists.
Usually, it was nearly impossible to break through qi barriers with sheer physical force alone. At the transcendence level, warriors who surrounded their bodies with qi would remain unharmed even if a mountain fell on them (though what would happen after that, no one knew).
This was why warriors of that level always infused their attacks with internal energy. Without it, they couldn’t harm their opponents.
But Pa Jin-gwang, that madman, broke through with just his fists.
How?
Seo-jun only realized it after witnessing it himself. If you could shatter space with sheer power, then even qi barriers would break.
The foundation that allowed this was none other than Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-mu .
The technique that Seo-jun learned from the Fist King.
'Let’s give it a shot.'
Seo-jun clenched every muscle in his body and kicked off the ground with tremendous force.
BOOOOMMM!!!
His body soared high into the sky.
In mid-air, he activated Hwang-ryong Do-ha .
A dragon’s shape formed beneath his feet, and with the power of Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-mu , he stomped down.
"Oops."
BOOM!
The qi he stomped on struck the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Seo-jun smacked his forehead as he looked at the mess he made of the yard.
The type of movement he was attempting was far from genuine aerial walking. True aerial movement wasn’t about simply being able to walk on air.
Seo-jun’s method was different.
He’d release internal energy from the Yongcheon point on the soles of his feet, coating his shoes with it, then step on manifested plum blossoms or conjured dragons and leap around.
But there was a problem with this approach.
It was akin to stepping on your own feet to push off again, so naturally, it came with limitations.
Realistically, it shouldn’t work.
Yet by defying common sense with refined skill and powerful internal energy, Seo-jun managed to make it happen at the transcendence level, albeit with limited force.
He couldn’t apply enough power to stabilize his internal energy in mid-air.
It was different for hwa-kyung masters. They could manipulate nature’s energy, allowing them to solidify their qi in mid-air effortlessly.
They made no distinction between the ground and the air.
They could simply fly or leap through the sky as though it were solid ground.
That was the true essence of aerial movement, known as heavenly step or walking on air .
Even Seo-jun, who had once danced through the sky using blooming plum blossoms, couldn’t overcome that limitation.
If he wanted to surpass it, he’d have to reach hwa-kyung .
"...This is troublesome."
But if he had already achieved hwa-kyung , he wouldn’t be working on a new movement technique.
The sheer power of Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-mu was too much for him to stabilize in the air.
If he could reach Pa Jin-gwang's level of running through the air by brute force, it would be different, but reaching that point would take far too much time.
By then, he would have long surpassed hwa-kyung .
Their fields of expertise were different; what could he do about that?
He was already advancing in Pa-ryeok-gwae-shin-mu at an unusually rapid pace for a secondary skill.
"Hmm..."
Should he abandon the idea of flying and just run on the ground?
But that didn’t quite satisfy him…
Flying in a straight line would be much faster.
By ignoring obstacles and simply flying forward, he could travel with incredible efficiency.
Planes are the fastest means of travel for a reason, after all.
"Oh? Wait."
Flying? In a straight line?
Seo-jun’s mind began to race.
His body was tough enough now, so maybe it was possible?
He immediately began crafting a formula. It was only a minor modification to an existing technique, so it wasn’t difficult.
In an instant, he had completed the preliminary design, and a grin spread across his face.
"This is crazy. This is going to be so much fun."
He couldn’t keep this excitement to himself.
Bursting with energy, Seo-jun gathered everyone around.
Chun-bong, Namgung Su-a, Namgung Myung, Pa Jin-gwang, Namgung Hyeok, Jang Geuk, and others.
Quite a crowd had gathered.
One particular face stood out.
"You’re…"
"Hello. I apologize for last time."
Wu-hye from the Wudang Sect bowed deeply.
Despite nearly having his head smashed by Seo-jun previously, his face showed no emotion. In fact, his eyes sparkled with interest as he looked at Seo-jun.
Namgung Myung, standing nearby, cautiously interjected.
"They happened to be visiting, so I brought them here as they wished to formally apologize for the incident."
"Chun-bong said it was fine. It’s not like your brother did anything wrong."
Seo-jun looked directly at Wu-hye.
"You… just don’t do that again."
"...I’ll do my best."
Do his best? Seo-jun wondered if he hadn’t beaten him hard enough, but Wu-hye’s gaze remained earnest.
Apparently, controlling himself wasn’t entirely within his power.
"I don’t care what you do to others, but if you do that again in front of me, there’ll be no exceptions, Wudang or otherwise."
While it might trouble the Namgung family, Seo-jun knew he could handle it.
"I understand."
Wu-hye nodded, a bit too enthusiastically.
Seo-jun felt a tinge of guilt and waved his hand dismissively.
"I may have gone a bit overboard last time too. My apologies."
"No need. It was a fair response."
Hye-woon, standing nearby, respectfully cupped his hands. Seo-jun reciprocated with a nod.
As Hye-woon and Namgung Myung were about to leave, Seo-jun stopped them.
"Since you’re here, why don’t you stay? I’ve got something impressive to show you."
"Oh… Are you sure it’s okay for them to see?"
"What’s the harm? It’s not like they’ll be able to copy it."
With excitement in their eyes, Wu-hye, Cheong-song, and Wol-mang took their seats, and Namgung Myung joined them with a bright smile.
Standing confidently before them, Seo-jun declared:
"Watch closely. This is a revolution in movement techniques."
Those familiar with his antics merely marveled, while Namgung Hyeok, less accustomed, raised an eyebrow.
"A movement technique? Out of nowhere?"
"I just made it."
"Made… another one?"
Bright plum blossoms bloomed under Seo-jun’s feet as he stood in mid-air.
Though they had seen it before, Namgung Hyeok couldn’t help but be impressed.
"A plum blossom… It seems different from the ones used by Mount Hua."
Wu-hye’s guests also watched intently without blinking.
Seo-jun paid them no mind.
By now, he no longer cared if anyone tried to copy his martial arts.
Instead, he focused entirely on showcasing his new movement technique.
"I call it Honyuan Bu (Mixed Origin Step)."
Below him, the plum blossoms split into two, spinning around each other.
The energy they emitted held both yin and yang, coming together to form a taiji symbol.
With qi wrapped around his entire body for protection, Seo-jun raised his arms.
"Applaud."
BOOOOMMM!!!
The power of Honyuan Ilwol Gong exploded beneath Seo-jun’s feet, launching his body forward.
In an instant, he disappeared from sight.
Pa Jin-gwang burst out laughing.
"As mad as ever!"
Even with his trained eyes, it was hard to keep up with that speed. If Seo-jun were to charge at him at that speed, defending in time would be nearly impossible.
Could he even control it?
Pa Jin-gwang doubted it.
And soon enough—
BOOOOMMM!!!
Something crashed into the ground with a resounding thud.
The delayed sound of an explosion echoed from high above.
Chun-bong dashed over, coughing in the cloud of dust.
"Hey, hey! Are you okay?"
She grabbed Seo-jun, who was buried deep in the ground, by the scruff of his neck and pulled him out, giving his back a firm smack.
"Didn’t I tell you to think before you act?"
"Ugh…"
Seo-jun shook himself off and grinned.
"I’m fine, aren’t I?"
Success.
Like Gamae-gamae Hua , he confined the explosion’s direction, launching his qi-shielded body.
Adding his movement technique on top, the speed was insane.
His lightweight body, the explosive power of Honyuan Ilwol Gong , and his own leap—all came together to achieve maximum speed.
If his body weren’t sturdy enough, he would have exploded even with the qi shield, but that was a minor detail.
Using it high in the sky where he wouldn’t crash into anything, with a bit more control practice, it would be perfect.
"It’d be a shame to end it here. We have an audience, after all."
Now that he had their attention, he needed to impress.
Seo-jun leapt to his feet.
"Watch this!"
BOOOOMMM!!!
Once again, Seo-jun’s form vanished.
His spectators gazed into the sky where something glinted in the distance, exchanging amazed glances.
"Master Wol-mang, what is that?"
"I wish I knew."
Cheong-song gave up trying to track Seo-jun’s movement with his eyes and simply observed his surroundings.
Oddly, everyone seemed to take it in stride.
Though many marveled at what they saw, no one looked especially shocked.
Despite the staggering speed Seo-jun displayed with his movement technique!
Cheong-song had never seen anything like it—someone flying through the air at such speed without the aid of a sword or fist.
Wasn’t anyone else amazed?
Scanning the crowd, he realized that most were unfamiliar faces, but their calm demeanor suggested they weren’t ordinary.
As they chuckled and watched in amusement, he wondered about this strange atmosphere.
'Is this how things are at the Namgung family?'
It was different from what he expected.
Then—
BOOOOMMM!!!
A massive cloud of dust rose in the distance as a thunderous explosion echoed.
Pa Jin-gwang laughed heartily.
"That rascal’s crashed into something again!"
"Senior Fist King, I don’t think this is a time to laugh."
Fist King? Cheong-song widened his eyes, but no one else seemed to react.
Namgung Hyeok pointed toward the direction of the dust cloud.
"Isn’t that… the Shaolin Temple?"
"What?"
Pa Jin-gwang leapt to his feet.
Others stared with open mouths.
Chun-bong turned pale and took off running.
"That crazy idiot actually did it…!"
This was a catastrophe.