Seo-jun clamped his hand over his mouth, but he couldn’t completely suppress the groan escaping between his fingers.
"Ugh…."
His body trembled as he stared at Chun-bong. Watching him, Chun-bong let out a sigh.
"Seriously? Idiot."
"Geum Chun-bong…! Your cheeks…!"
Seo-jun couldn’t hold back anymore and lunged at her.
Squeeze—squish—
The soft, plump sensation in his hands. This was it. The legendary Chun-bong cheeks were back!
"Hehehe."
"Happy?"
"Extremely."
That’s right. After undergoing Bone Refinement, Chun-bong hadn’t gained larger breasts—but instead, her cheeks had become rounder and plumper.
After indulging himself with her cheeks for a while, Seo-jun finally took a proper look at her.
Not much else had changed. Her rebirth hadn’t caused any regression in her appearance, nor had it enhanced her figure. Tragically (and he meant that sincerely), her chest remained exactly the same.
Only her cheeks had transformed.
"How did this even happen?"
Seo-jun marveled at the mysteries of Bone Refinement. Chun-bong, meanwhile, pouted and nodded.
"Yeah, seriously. What do chubby cheeks have to do with martial arts?"
"Ah."
Seo-jun’s eyes widened as realization struck.
"It’s the Chun-bong Divine Art."
"What?"
"Using your cheeks to charm and deceive enemies—the ultimate illusion!"
"You’re full of crap."
In hindsight, Namgung Su-a’s transformation had made sense.
Her martial arts relied on balance and weight distribution, so enhancing her chest might have supported her techniques.
But Chun-bong’s cheeks?
Seo-jun’s limited insight couldn’t explain it. He figured there had to be some deeper meaning.
"Whatever. I like it."
"Fine… as long as you’re happy."
Chun-bong sighed deeply.
*****
Since there was still time, Seo-jun decided to test Chun-bong and Namgung Su-a’s progress.
Passing through the Gate of Life and Death was one thing, but as martial artists who practiced orthodox techniques, they should also be able to wield Qi reinforcement if they’d truly reached the Absolute Stage.
"Hup…!"
Chun-bong infused her sword with Qi and focused. Her intent manifested as stars forming along the blade—
Clang—!
Only to shatter into fragments of energy that scattered around the room.
"Ahhh!"
Chun-bong flailed in panic while Seo-jun swiftly shielded them from the fallout. He then turned to Namgung Su-a.
Her eyes gleamed as she attempted to form Qi reinforcement.
Boom—!
Her energy burst before she could stabilize it.
"What the hell?"
Was this the result of advancing too quickly with the Life-and-Death Resonance Technique? Seo-jun was still puzzling over it when Namgung Jincheon walked in, smiling knowingly.
"It’s only natural…."
"Father-in-law!"
"Just because one reaches the Absolute Stage doesn’t mean they can control Qi reinforcement immediately."
"I had no problem with it, though."
"That’s because you’re abnormal."
"Ah."
Namgung Jincheon examined both women carefully before nodding in approval.
"There’s nothing wrong. However, since their breakthroughs weren’t entirely conventional, they’re missing certain foundational elements. Once they fill in those gaps, handling Qi reinforcement will come naturally."
Seo-jun mentally bowed in admiration.
Namgung Jincheon, the Great Master.
He glanced at Chun-bong, who was deep in thought, frowning slightly.
"What’s wrong? Something bothering you?"
"Huh? Oh, no. It’s not a problem."
Chun-bong swung her sword, but her movements felt clumsy—nothing like her usual precision.
Seo-jun tilted his head in confusion, but Namgung Jincheon’s eyes widened slightly.
"That…"
"Yeah. It’s my grandfather’s sword technique. It’s stuck in my head for some reason…."
"Ho… That’s quite the stroke of fate."
Chun-bong nodded. It was indeed a fortuitous encounter.
But it wasn’t necessarily a good one. Namgung Jincheon’s expression grew serious as he gave his warning.
"You know this already, but having the Sword Deity’s spirit lingering in your body isn’t entirely a blessing. It’ll strain your soul, and overusing that power could even destroy your body."
"I understand."
Chun-bong sheathed her sword and turned to Seo-jun with a determined expression.
"I think I should enter seclusion again. I need to process this realization, and thanks to the Qi core you gave me, I’m starting to grasp how to control my energy better."
"Then do it."
"Not immediately—after I organize my thoughts a bit more."
Seo-jun nodded approvingly.
It wasn’t uncommon for martial artists to go into seclusion after a breakthrough to consolidate their understanding.
Besides, he was planning to visit the Demonic Cult soon. Chun-bong retreating into training during that time actually worked out perfectly.
It’s not like he was moving there to settle down. He’d just take care of business and return quickly.
Still, there was one lingering thought—he felt guilty about not giving Namgung Su-a anything to help her.
When Seo-jun glanced at her, she smiled brightly and shook her head.
"Don’t look at me like that. You’ve already given me plenty. Besides… I’m not going to let Chun-bong leave me in the dust."
"Got it."
Seo-jun smiled faintly and thought to himself.
‘I’ll make sure to bring something back from the Demonic Cult.’
*****
Namgung Jincheon’s generosity hadn’t ended just yet.
"Son-in-law, I heard you can now control Qi-Controlled Swordsmanship?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"The Fist King mentioned it."
"Already? That big-mouthed old man."
After Namgung Su-a and Chun-bong left to rest, Namgung Jincheon led Seo-jun to a hill near the Namgung family’s estate. (By their standards, “near” was quite a distance.)
"What do you think Qi-Controlled Swordsmanship is?"
"Controlling a sword with Qi, right?"
The term itself—Qi-Controlled Swordsmanship—implied as much.
But Namgung Jincheon shook his head.
"That’s only half-right. More precisely, it falls under the realm of Intent."
Intent originated from the Upper Dantian. It represented a martial artist’s will and intent—imbued with actual power.
"The essence of Qi-Controlled Swordsmanship is to pour one’s self into the sword. It’s an extension of Sword-Body Unification."
Swish—
The sword at Namgung Jincheon’s waist unsheathed itself.
Standing atop the hill, he gazed down at the sprawling landscape dyed by the setting sun. Reaching out his hand, he guided the sword into the sky.
"Its applications are endless. You can strike distant enemies, execute movements impossible for the human body, and—"
Namgung Jincheon’s Intent surged. At that moment, he became both man and sword.
To Seo-jun’s eyes, it looked like there were two of him.
One stood on the hill. The other hovered beneath the sky.
"—you can even divide your existence, creating multiple selves."
The sword—no, Namgung Jincheon’s second self—moved.
*****
Slash—
The sky split in two. Seo-jun gawked in disbelief.
Between the cleaved sunset, a black void glittered with stars.
Seo-jun instinctively understood.
The universe.
The sky had been cut, revealing the boundless cosmos beyond.
"What the hell…."
If that was possible, couldn’t he just slice through space to teleport? Just a quick slash, and—swish.
Namgung Jincheon, now facing him again, smiled faintly.
"I hope this has been helpful to you, son-in-law."
Under the divided sky, with his robes dyed in twilight, Namgung Jincheon’s figure radiated grandeur.
"And once again, I leave my daughter in your care."
*****
Far to the west lay Qinghai. Even farther west stood Mount Kunlun.
The atmosphere within the depths of the Kunlun Sect was suffocatingly heavy.
"What’s the situation with the Demonic Cult?"
"They’re advancing relentlessly. At this rate, they’ll reach Qinghai in less than two weeks."
"Dammit. This is insane."
Elder Pungwol of Kunlun clutched his head in frustration.
"Elder, reinforcements from the Martial Alliance are arriving steadily. We don’t need to panic—"
"Don’t be naïve. The Martial Alliance is already at war with the Black Blood Lotus. The reinforcements they’re sending us are limited. We have to hold off the Demonic Cult with what little we’ve got."
For now, they could manage. The Demonic Cult’s forces seemed to be testing the waters, and Kunlun’s current strength was enough to hold them back.
But Pungwol knew the truth.
Mount Tian, that damned demon nest, was crawling with countless demonic cultivators. What had arrived so far was nothing more than a fraction of their forces.
And if one of the Great Demon Lords, who commanded the Ten Thousand Ghost Army, showed up…
Even the Kunlun Sect—known for its ability to counter demonic energy—would struggle to withstand them.
"Why the hell are those lunatics acting up again? Goddamn bastards. I wouldn’t hesitate to rip them limb from limb if I could…."
"Elder…?"
"What?"
"Ah, it’s nothing."
"Damn it."
Pungwol looked up at the blocked ceiling and muttered.
"If only some mysterious expert fell from the heavens to help us."
"Elder, that…"
"I know, you idiot! I’m not senile yet, so shut up!"
"Yes, sir."
"Good grief."
Pungwol clicked his tongue.
*****
"The final stop is Mount Kunlun… Hmm. This should work."
Seo-jun’s target was Mount Tian—the Demonic Cult’s stronghold.
Since it was an absurdly long journey, he made sure to prepare thoroughly.
‘Hanan, Shaanxi, Gansu, then Kunlun. From there, I’ll fly straight to Tian Mountain. No chance of getting lost.’
It wouldn’t do any good for news to spread that an orthodox martial artist was heading to the Demonic Cult. That kind of attention would only lead to unnecessary complications.
Fortunately, Seo-jun had a backup identity for situations like this…
‘Baek Seo-jun, you’re up!’
He planned to travel in disguise as Baek Seo-jun until he reached the Demonic Cult’s outskirts. Once inside, he’d switch to his Cheon Seo-jun persona.
That way, his true identity as Lee Seo-jun—and his link to Cheon Seo-jun—would remain completely hidden.
"Seo-jun, did you finish packing?"
Namgung Su-a peeked her head through the door just then.
"Yeah. I’m all set."
"Good. Then there’s something I need to tell you…."
With a sly smile, Namgung Su-a stepped into the room.