“Who’s this little brat? Never seen his face before.” At the bearded man’s question, Wang Geol replied in a low voice. “He’s one of the Ten Demon Successors chosen this time.”
“Ten Demon Successor… I see.” The bearded man, wearing a peculiar smile, fixed his gaze on Bu Eunseol.
Zing.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol felt a strange resonance, as if a massive iron weight was pressing down on his body. ‘Formless energy…’ Having already experienced the formless energy of the Sword Demon, Wi Hyeokgun, Bu Eunseol instantly recognized the suffocating pressure as the powerful formless energy emitted by the bearded man.
Hum.
At that moment, a radiant gleam flashed in Bu Eunseol’s eyes. Simultaneously, a gust-like momentum surged from his body, pushing back the oppressive force bearing down on him.
The Ban-geuk Method. This astonishing inner energy technique continuously circulated his energy, shielding the area around his body.
“Ho!” The bearded man let out an exclamation. “You’ve amassed considerable inner energy. To counter momentum with inner energy, no less.” Bu Eunseol felt a pain as if a mountain were crashing down on him, but he kept his back straight.
“Don’t bother with pointless tests.” Wang Geol spoke, frowning. “He’s only been here for two months. And he was brought here personally by the Vice-Sect Leader.”
“Don’t worry. He doesn’t even seem worth testing yet.” The bearded man looked down at Bu Eunseol with a smirk. “You’ve only built the foundation of your inner energy. You haven’t learned anything else.”
“…”
“I was hoping to see you dodge, but you just stood there, resisting head-on.”
‘He wanted to see me dodge?’ Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow, and the man, as if bored, turned away abruptly.
“If he’s one of the Ten Demon Successors, I suppose we’ll cross paths again eventually.” Muttering something odd, he waved at Wang Geol.
“Fix my sword properly. I’ll come back in three days.”
“Three days won’t do. Come back in four.” At Wang Geol’s words, the man simply waved his hand as he walked off.
“Who was that man?” Bu Eunseol displayed a rare spark of curiosity.
The formless energy the bearded man had unleashed was on par with that of Wi Hyeokgun, the Sword Demon.
“No need for you to know.” Wang Geol, who usually answered questions freely, avoided responding this time for some reason. “You’re late.” Muttering under his breath, Wang Geol picked up the large sword from the table and disappeared into the forge.
***
At the edge of a sheer cliff, Blood Vajra, listening to Bu Eunseol’s story, furrowed his brow.
“A master of the Changsindae wielding a great sword.” Bu Eunseol had recounted his encounter with the bearded man before heading to Iron Staff Peak.
“Did he have a face full of a prickly beard?”
“Yes.”
“His name is So Jeon, and his nickname is Swift Leopard Great Blade. He earned that moniker for wielding his massive sword with speed and agility.” Blood Vajra narrowed his eyes. “He’s the leader of the Changsindae.”
“I see.” A master capable of wielding formless energy is rare, even in the martial world.
Bu Eunseol had already suspected the man was the Changsindae leader. But what puzzled him was Wang Geol’s attitude.
‘The position of Changsindae leader isn’t that remarkable. Why did he say I didn’t need to know?’
“From now on, steer clear of anything related to him.” Fortunately, Blood Vajra explained the reason immediately. “So Jeon is not only immensely skilled in martial arts but also has an extremely erratic personality. Moreover…” He paused, shaking his head.
“He holds a strange belief that everyone in Nangyang must be a superhuman.”
“Superhuman, you say?”
“Exactly.” Blood Vajra’s eyes glinted sharply as he looked at Bu Eunseol. “In the past, he beat several young disciples of Nangyang to death, claiming they lacked the strength or talent to belong here.”
“I understand.” Now, Bu Eunseol could comprehend Wang Geol’s behavior.
‘He was worried I’d be beaten to death by that man.’ Recalling So Jeon’s mocking sneer, a fiery surge of emotion welled up in Bu Eunseol’s chest. ‘Does he think he can kill someone like me whenever he pleases?’ Bu Eunseol clenched his fist tightly. Since entering the martial world, the type of person he despised most was someone like So Jeon.
‘Drunk on their own power, they believe they can dictate others’ fates.’ Bu Eunseol’s gaze was as cold as the chill from a frozen cave.
“Elder.” Having made a firm resolve in his heart, Bu Eunseol spoke. “Is there no way to evade invisible momentum?”
“You mean formless energy?”
“Yes.” Since mastering the Beast Blade, Bu Eunseol could dodge surprise attacks or predict incoming techniques.
But against formless energy, unleashed without any prior movement, he was utterly defenseless.
“Formless energy is just that—momentum. The only way is to emit an equally powerful momentum or create a protective barrier with inner energy.” Blood Vajra’s eyes grew subtle as he studied Bu Eunseol’s expression.
“Are you planning to challenge So Jeon?”
“Even if I don’t want to, he’ll come for me.” A spark of light flashed in Bu Eunseol’s dry eyes. “Under the pretext of a test.”
Blood Vajra sighed.
“The Changsindae leader is a figure who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest masters. I acknowledge your talent, but facing him in the short term is impossible.”
“I’m not trying to fight him.” Bu Eunseol’s eyes now burned like fire.
“If someone tests me, I’ll test them in return.” It was an arrogant, almost reckless statement.
If anyone else had said it, Blood Vajra would have scoffed. ‘But this guy might actually mean it.’ Bu Eunseol’s determination always stirred others’ hearts, and Blood Vajra was no exception.
“If that’s your mindset, you can’t just focus on cultivating your inner energy technique.” With a resolute expression, Blood Vajra spoke lightly. “Given your current energy, reaching the Third Realm isn’t far off. That means you need to use your time more wisely.” He fixed his gaze on Bu Eunseol.
“From now on, spend half the day learning inner energy techniques from me. The rest of the time, you must train in movement techniques and footwork.”
“Movement techniques and footwork…”
“Yes. If you master those two, at the very least, you won’t die at someone else’s hands.” Pausing briefly, Blood Vajra looked at the distant sky. “In truth, I was planning to teach you movement techniques and footwork soon. Mastering the ones I know would deepen your understanding of the Ban-geuk Method…” Trailing off, he shook his head as he looked at Bu Eunseol.
“But what you need now isn’t to perfect the Ban-geuk Method. You need to establish the foundation of true martial arts as quickly as possible.” Though no wind blew, Blood Vajra’s robes fluttered.
His inner energy was naturally manifesting through spiritual resonance.
“Elder.” Bu Eunseol bowed his head.
Though they weren’t formally master and disciple, Blood Vajra always considered and cared for his future.
It was a kindness worth more than a fortune.
“At the edge of Nangyang’s western garden, there’s a path leading to Cheongmyeongdae.”
“Cheongmyeongdae…”
“Yes. There, you’ll find a teahouse called Cheongmyeongdaru.” Casting his gaze to the distant sky, Blood Vajra spoke in a low voice. “Starting today, go there and train in movement techniques. We’ll resume inner energy training after you’ve worked on your movement.” Bu Eunseol asked with a puzzled expression.
“Go to a teahouse… to learn movement techniques?”
“Exactly. Normally, only masters of movement techniques can ascend to Cheongmyeongdae, but… given the circumstances, there’s no choice.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You’ll see when you get there.” Muttering cryptically, Blood Vajra spoke in a calm yet solemn tone. “There, you’ll find the greatest master of elusive and unparalleled movement techniques in Nangyang.”
***
Nangyang’s western garden.
Passing through a beautifully adorned flower garden and walking further, Bu Eunseol found a narrow path leading into a deep forest. After walking along the path for some time, he stopped, frowning.
“What’s this…” The path ended, and before him stretched a vast, seemingly endless lake. “Am I supposed to cross this?”
Scattered across the lake were pieces of wood, as if deliberately placed, floating on the surface. But the wooden fragments moved erratically, and the gaps between them were too wide.
“Even if the pieces were closer together, it’d be impossible.” To cross the lake by stepping on the wooden fragments, one would need to be a master of movement techniques capable of performing Ascending Reeds Crossing Water.
“Hm.” Letting out a low groan, Bu Eunseol surveyed his surroundings.
The water was deep, and not a single boat was in sight. To reach the teahouse, he had no choice but to cross this lake somehow.
“He didn’t mean for me to build a boat, did he?” After a moment of hesitation, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Splash.
Without hesitation, he dove into the lake and began swimming.
“Phew. Ha.” He had never properly learned to swim.
But thanks to his relentless martial arts training and physical conditioning, he managed to move forward.
“Huff. Huff.” As time passed, however, his limbs grew heavier.
Swimming consumed far more energy than he’d expected. As he pushed through the current, Bu Eunseol felt his breath growing short.
“Haa. Haa.” The land visible above the water seemed so close, yet no matter how hard he swam, it remained out of reach.
“Huff. Huff.” When he could no longer move even a finger, Bu Eunseol stopped.
“Huup.” Taking a long breath, his abdomen began to swell.
Lying calmly on the water’s surface, he started circulating his energy through the Four Seas and Hundred Meridians. Thanks to his mastery of the Muscle-changing Sutra’s breathing technique, he could circulate energy in any position.
‘Strange.’ Circulating energy while floating in the water, he felt his inner energy deepening with an odd sensation. ‘Instead of growing more exhausted, it feels like new strength is surging.’ Humans are beings of body, energy, and spirit, distinct yet interconnected. Martial artists, through inner energy techniques, seek to unify these into one—the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.
To cross the river, Bu Eunseol focused his mind and pushed his body to its limits. As he began circulating energy in the still water, his essence, energy, and spirit started to merge into one.
Flash!
A mystical light shimmered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he finished circulating his energy.
‘Has this much time passed already?’ He thought he’d only been circulating energy briefly, but the sun was already setting.
“I’d better hurry.”
Whoosh.
As he resumed swimming, Bu Eunseol’s body shot through the lake, cutting through the water. By moving his hands and feet to part the current, he naturally utilized his inner energy.
Whoosh. Phew.
With inner energy in play, his body moved several times faster than before. Finally, he reached the shore that had seemed unattainable.
“Moving the body requires not just the spirit but harmony with the flow of energy.” Mysterious and profound.
Bu Eunseol had, by chance, grasped a practical truth that only those who trained inner energy for decades could comprehend.
“To think inner energy techniques could be so intricate.” Despite swimming at full strength for half an hour, he wasn’t tired at all. At this rate, he felt he could swim for three days and nights without faltering.
“This is…” Bu Eunseol’s steps halted as he walked along the path. “A cliff now?”
At the end of the path loomed a towering cliff, piercing the sky. A master of qinggong could have performed Ascending Clouds and Soaring Heights, stepping on protrusions to climb up. But Bu Eunseol, who had never learned movement techniques, had no way to ascend.
“Normally, only masters of movement techniques can ascend to Cheongmyeongdae…”
Recalling Blood Vajra’s words, Bu Eunseol let out a sigh.
Only now did he understand their meaning.
