"Are you saying that the realm differs for each individual?"
I ask, struggling to understand.
Kim Young-hoon, wiping his blood, begins to explain.
"More precisely, while materializing consciousness is the same, 'what' materializes differs for each person."
He pauses, seemingly in thought, then continues.
"Honestly, I've only grasped a clue, so I'm not entirely sure. But one thing's certain: the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts continuously speaks about someone's life. I don't know who that someone is, but since the realm beyond is achieved due to someones life experiences and since every human life is different, wouldn't there be a unique martial art for each life beyond this realm?"
"A different martial art for each life..."
That idea somehow tickles a corner of my heart.
"...But you mentioned two realizations, right? If one is that the realm beyond Ultimate Pinnacle differs for each person, what's the other?"
"Oh, the other is just a personal realization."
Kim Young-hoon says with a faint smile.
"I realized that I truly long for home. All this time, my motivation for practicing martial arts was the hope that I might one day return home to see my family."
He caresses his chest and closes his eyes.
"The faces I long to see as soon as possible... I realize only now that I've been madly practicing martial arts to forget that pain, gripping the saber until my hands tore, to achieve that goal."
Kim Young-hoon looks up at the sky with a distant gaze.
"...Hmm, I apologize. This doesn't quite seem like a martial art realization."
"No, its not that."
I shake my head in disagreement and explain why it can still be a martial art realization.
I explain what I felt when I reached the state of Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
"Everything I've done is part of my life. Just as heaven, earth, and man influence each other, what I've done has also been influenced by my life.
If you've realized something about your life, then it will surely blend into your martial arts, Kim hyung."
"Sometimes talking to you feels like speaking with a wise old man. Though I'm surely better in martial arts, you have something I don't..."
He looks at me with a perplexed expression.
"Maybe you, too, will reach beyond this realm as quickly as I do."
"Haha, that's unlikely. How can I match your talent, Kim Hyung?"
"Weren't you fast in reaching the extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle? That's enough talent. Of course, not as much as mine... But anyway. When I, with my superior talent, observe you, I think that if I'm a bird born to fly quickly into the sky, you are a volcano."
A volcano?
"Do you know how a volcano erupts? Well, I'm not too sure, I've just heard about it. Lava keeps rising beneath a volcano, accumulating until it can't withstand the pressure anymore, and then it explodes.
If Im a bird naturally flying swiftly up high, you are a high mountain, and moreover, a mountain filled with lava, ready to explode with a force much more powerful than any bird when it does."
He encourages me with a smile.
"Reflect well on your life. Perhaps things you've overlooked have accumulated, creating potential you're unaware of."
'Unknowingly accumulated things.'
All I've built is merely time.
"...Anyway, let's not stay here. Let's treat you properly, Kim Hyung."
I take Kim Young-hoon for proper treatment.
And then, I start to ponder more about the topic Kim Young-hoon brought up.
Time flows on.
Before I knew it, I had fully mastered the Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal Surpassing Paths, and the Wood Surpassing Path had also taken root based on my accumulated foundation.
'The Wood Surpassing Path is the easiest...'
Perhaps it's because the other Five Elements' power properly supports it.
The Wood Surpassing Path gathers spiritual power so easily and quickly, thanks to the mutual support of the Five Elements.
Its smooth sailing.
Now, the Wood Surpassing Path is at the level of Qi Refining 13th Star. Unified Origin.
Just a little more, and it will be complete.
I am about to fully master the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation.
'Of course, it's uncertain if I can enter Qi Building.'
Despite all this effort, I might not reach Qi Building in this life.
'Kim Hyung said I have potential...'
But I am a slow learner.
Perhaps even more so than he imagines.
If I can't extend my lifespan by entering Qi Building this life, reaching beyond Ultimate Pinnacle might remain a dream.
It's been almost 5 years since Kim Young-hoon grasped the clue to the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts.
He dived daily into the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts to the point of bleeding from his hands, knocking at the gates beyond Ultimate Pinnacle.
But for me, its entirely different.
Even while practicing cultivation methods, I never ceased to train in martial arts whenever I had a moment.
I never slackened for a single moment, never letting go of the sword from my hand.
Even after reaching Ultimate Pinnacle, where a sword becomes unnecessary, I always maintained a sharp spirit, never forgetting the feel of practicing swordsmanship.
For the past 40 years, I wasnt just focused solely on cultivation methods.
Not just in this life, but in the previous ones too...
Suddenly, I begin to confuse how many lives I have lived.
"Is this the ninth? Tenth? Ah, I've undergone nine returns."
During these returns, how many years did I live?
"No, don't think about it."
How many years did I practice martial arts, and how many years did I cultivate?
"It's the early signs of a heart demon. Don't think more!"
In each of the nine returns, I nearly lived close to 50 years in each life.
Even considering the lives where I died earlier, when I add up all the lives I've lived so far...
"No!"
Around 500 years.
Roughly, a life span of 500 years.
"Ugh, huff..."
Wolkwak!
Blood spills as energy and blood twists.
-Even after 500 years of practicing martial arts, I still can't grasp beyond this point.
Gang Qi uncontrollably escapes from my body, splitting into nine pieces.
In the world of intent, nine versions of myself surround me, each uttering gloomy words.
-How about gradually letting go of martial arts now?
-After all, the initial goal of reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin and breaking through divine consciousness has been achieved.
-Now, I'm at least not so weak to be torn apart by a fox.
-Martial arts are not my talent. Isn't it better to focus on one thing instead of forcing what doesn't work?
It isn't that I have a split personality.
They are all me.
The voices are my own self-talking.
-Honestly, how much of Kim Young-hoon's advice do I even understand?
Wolkwak!
I try to control my emotions, but I omit blood again.
-Even a genius like Kim Young-hoon, unprecedented for a thousand years before and after, remained at the extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle for several lives.
-I've barely managed to pass on knowledge and enlightenment to get to this point, but that's Kim Young-hoon's story.
-How many more years will it take for someone without talent like me to reach Kim Young-hoon's level? Another 500 years of training?
Ughh Krghhh
I bleed a little more and then heal my internal injuries.
-Let's face it. What have I achieved in these 500 years? Haven't I just wasted time?
Thoughts storm through my mind.
The words being uttered by the Gang Sphere avatars are the immediate, dark thoughts made manifest.
-Why am I practicing martial arts?
Suddenly, such a question echoes in my mind.
"Because I need power."
The moment I hear that question, the storm of scattered thoughts somewhat clear.
"It's simple, isn't it?"
The words of Mad Lord come to mind.
One overcomes fates attraction with a power that surpasses it.
"I've just done everything I could. What more do you want from me..."
Within the boundaries of humanity, I've struggled and tried to overcome fate.
That is all.
"I know. Perhaps entering Qi Building in this life is just my vain hope. Even if I enter Qi Building and practice for hundreds of years, I might not even step beyond Ultimate Pinnacle.
I'm no different from dust under this vast sky. But even if I'm just a bug or dust, I cherish each and every life..."
As I speak and sort out my thoughts, the clouds in my mind seem to clear bit by bit.
"Martial arts have become one with my life, I cherish them too."
I raise my head.
The intent avatars that coldly spoke to me disappeared, leaving only the spheres of Gang Qi in front of me.
I disperse the Gang Sphere and clench my fist.
"It doesn't matter how many years it takes. I cherish my life... Even if everything goes back to square one, all I will have left is the memory that I did my best."
My energy and blood stabilize.
I might not have gained a great enlightenment, but I fended off the heart demon.
However, I still feel a slight tightness in my chest.
'I feel like I could have realized something...'
Not realizing it might also be due to my lack of talent.
"I can't help it. I have to pour more time into it."
As my energy and blood settle, the powers I had cultivated over the years begin to stir.
"Still, I've finally reached here after pouring in so much time..."
Kugugugugu!
The wood attribute energy surges, creating a point of spiritual power.
And then, it explodes.
Boom!
A shockwave erupts from my lower dantian, and a cloud of green energy, the color of the wood element rises up.
Yellow, black, red, white, green.
"I've fully mastered the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation...!"
Whew...
As I exhale, clouds of five colors swirl around me.
"Should I try to break through to Qi Building?"
I close my eyes with a smile.
The Five Elements are tailing each other, dramatically increasing my recovery rate.
I wonder what will happen if I attempt Qi Building this time...
Kugugugu!
I absorb the clouds of five colors, filling my lower dantian to the brim.
The clouds of five colors spin inside, converging towards the center.
"Here goes!"
Kugugugu!
I, a fool, have climbed up in the most ignorant way, pouring in accumulated time.
No matter how thick the wall of Qi Building might be, can it really stand against all my time?
Boom!
A star of five colors lit up inside me.
But the star of five colors keep vibrating with slight changes stemming from my Five Elements Spiritual Roots, and once again, cracks form in the star.
Crack, snap!
Boom!
Eventually, another explosion occurs, the star shatters, and all the spiritual clouds I have accumulated for the Qi Building attempt dissipate.
The cultivation I had built up to 14th Star of Qi Refining falls back to 12th Star.
"Whew..."
Its another failure.
But then.
"Whew, whew..."
It was after about twenty breaths.
Kugugugu
Power began to surge back into my lower abdomen.
When I had fully mastered four methods, my recovery rate of spiritual power was already fast enough to restore all my cultivation in half a day.
Now that I have mastered all five elemental methods, the recovery rate of my spiritual power is so fast that the cultivation of 14th Star Qi Refining can be fully recovered in the time it takes for twenty breaths.
"Let's go again."
Kugugugugu!
Having quickly recovered the cloud of five colors, I once again attempted Qi Building.
Koong Koong Koong!
With each explosion of the star, I observe the flow of the Five Elements.
The changes in the Five Elements correspond precisely to the five elemental methods I have mastered.
With each failure, I begin to see clear reasons for the failure.
A life of nothing but failure upon failure upon failure.
The rotten failures are accumulating, and someday will sprout a seed.
Simultaneously, each time I observe the flow of the Five Elements, the power of the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation settled inside me seems to gradually find balance.
Among the methods I have learned so far, the Earth Surpassing Path had a little more spiritual power than the others, and there were slight differences in energy according to the order in which they were learned.
Although the difference was so slight it was barely noticeable, these tiny differences are gradually being filled, moving towards perfect balance.
Every time these small gaps are filled, I found that my recovery rate improved slightly, little by little.
From around twenty breaths, to nineteen and a half.
"Go further."
Kooong!
I focused on my lower dantian and continue my training.
"There are about ten more years left."
Within that time, I must break through!
I enter a cave deep in Shattered Heaven Peak and continually challenge Qi Building, adjusting the slight ratio of spiritual power in the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation.
Kim Young-hoon, too, did not come to visit, likely caught up in his own intense training and realizations somewhere.
And then, a few months passed.
"Eun-hyun, come out."
"Yes, Kim Hyung. What's... Wow!"
I, startled by Kim Young-hoon's appearance.
Hes so emaciated that his bones are showing, and dark circles have sunk deep under his eyes, making him look like a living skeleton.
His hands are also covered in scabs, gripping a saber so that the scabs seem to merge with the saber, giving the impression that his hand and the saber are connected.
"For the past 50 or so days, I've survived on the energy of my Inner Core alone, swinging my saber like a madman. And, Eun-hyun..."
A single tear trickles down Kim Young-hoon's gaunt face.
"After 40 years of hard training...finally. Finally, I've reached it."
"..."
Engrossed in my cultivation practice, I have been unaware of Kim Young-hoon's activities.
"From now on, I will begin my ascent. I came to show you."
"Yes."
I stop my cultivation, rise from my place, and follow Kim Young-hoon.
We go to the front of a small peak located at the lower part of Shattered Heaven Peak.
Kim Young-hoon, gaunt and emaciated, lifts his saber.
"Let me explain slowly. About the realm beyond..."
He begins his explanation.
"The key to reaching the stage beyond lies in finding the form of consciousness that best suits humans.
The founder of Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts tried to transform human consciousness into the same form as humans, like the demon beast methods, but abandoned it feeling it wasn't the way of martial arts.
However, he pondered why demon beasts transform their consciousness into the same form as their species, referencing the demon beast methods.
He concluded that it was to amplify their inherent wild nature, responding to the energy and thus strengthening the body to its limits."
As he explains, he slowly and languidly begins to perform the Severing Vein Saber Method.
Gradually, his form of consciousness begins to change, stimulating my upper dantian.
"Why did the founder of Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts conclude that this was not the inherent form of human consciousness? I pondered this repeatedly and then realized something while delving into the profound subjectivity of the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts."
His slow saber dance movements gradually pick up pace.
"Humans are inherently unique beings. Demon beasts, initially lacking intelligence and gaining it through spiritual awakening, did not need to ponder their lives and thus chose to enhance their wildness.
But we, inherently intelligent, are beings who ponder. If we live lives full of pondering, each person's worries and lives will inevitably differ."
His consciousness begins to be suffused with light.
"Therefore, the most suitable form of consciousness for humans is inevitably linked to what each individual has most profoundly pondered in their life."
Its a golden light.
Unlike the previous life's Kim Young-hoon, who simply burned his life to leap forward, the Kim Young-hoon who had rightly pondered his goal all his life is showing a much more stable level of achievement.
I feel like I could glimpse the happiest times of his life through that golden consciousness.
Times spent sleeping with his family, eating meals, and leading a normal everyday life.
All those times.
Around Kim Young-hoon, nine versions of himself appear.
Nine Gang Spheres rotate around him.
Gradually, they begin to merge into his consciousness.
"What I most wanted and wished for in my lifelong martial arts training was to cross the sky like a beam of light to return to my family."
Eun-hyun, you said that life melts into martial arts. You were right. The characteristic of my martial arts being swift was imbued with my desire to return to my family even faster..."
'Ah...'
His consciousness materializes and condenses.
I thought his consciousness had merged into his blade as a solid line.
But looking again, his consciousness itself has become the blade.
The form of consciousness that best suits Kim Young-hoon is a golden saber.
The blade of consciousness merges with the saber that Kim Young-hoon is holding.
The final movement of the Severing Vein Saber Method ends.
Observing his every move in a flash, not missing even a moment, I watch everything about him.
In the world of an instant.
In that world, my consciousness communicates with Kim Young-hoon, who holds a blazing golden blade.
[What is the name of that place?]
In the world of an instant, my consciousness and his engage in dialogue.
[What do you think it is?]
[Tell me, please.]
[I pondered and pondered. But it was so clear.]
He smiles slightly.
[This realm, built upon the blood and tears of the founder of Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts. I cant ignore it
I can't even imagine the pain and history it took to pioneer this realm.]
From the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts to reaching the Beyond the Path to Heaven Martial Arts.
The new history of martial arts, forged in Kim Young-hoon's blood.
[Even though Ultimate Pinnacle was a fictional realm, this surpasses even fiction. Then, it's only right that the first pioneer is qualified to name it. I don't have the qualifications.
Therefore, this realm shall follow the will of its founder...]
Just as the saber of golden consciousness and the saber steeped in Kim Young-hoon's blood merge.
The image of Kim Young-hoon from past cycles seems to overlap with the current Kim Young-hoon.
No, the corpses of Kim Young-hoon from all past lives are behind him.
The history of martial arts he created, made from his blood, becomes one with the new realm.
[It shall be called Beyond the Path to Heaven ().]
The next moment.
In the world of an instant, the saber of light swings at a speed that even my tenfold accelerated thought can not follow, illuminating the four corners of Heaven and Earth with golden brilliance.
"Beyond the Path to Heaven, the Surpassing Radiant Saber!!!"
The beam of radiance cuts through space, splitting the peak before us in half.
The sound of the explosion follows belatedly, and soon after, the explosion roars.
"This is my own path of life I have reached."
Kim Young-hoon, with tears in his eyes, turns to look at me.
"I only now understand that life is joy. To all the predecessors who made me who I am now, to my family, and to life itself, I am grateful."
Amidst the dust clouds created by the collapsing peak, Kim Young-hoon laughs and laughs again.
-x-X-x-
"Ah..."
It's beautiful.
So very dazzling.
I silently watch Kim Young-hoon.
Hes shining.
Kim Young-hoon is shining so brightly.
"...Amazing, you truly are."
Normally, I would have given him a bright smile.
Or perhaps, show my respect with a bow.
But right now, I can only quietly admire his achievement.
He seems akin to light itself.
Maybe because of the lingering heart demon of my last ordeal.
Compared to him, I feel so insignificant.
"Really... congratulations."
He looks at me and smiles faintly.
And then, Kim Young-hoon collapses.
Thud-
"Ah..."
That's right.
He has reached this realm by swinging his saber like a madman for months without proper rest or food.
I hurriedly carry Kim Young-hoon, lay him down, and treat him.
Watching him asleep, I let out a bitter smile.
Is this envy?
No, it isn't.
Its a sense of deprivation about my own talent, a bit of emptiness, and feeling of insignificance.
While he blossoms his talent and continuously progresses, I need many times more time to cover the same distance.
Seeing his light, maybe its because the shadows in my heart seem to deepen.
I feel even my hope is fading.
'Can I reach Qi Building within the remaining time?'
Honestly, I'm not sure.
The balance is becoming increasingly perfect and my recovery time shortened.
But I still haven't reached Qi Building.
Continually adjusting the ratio of the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation while trying to break through Qi Building is becoming more difficult.
'...Both cultivation and martial arts.'
It feels like even the heavens are forcibly rejecting me.
If there is such a thing as the attraction of fate, what kind of force is binding me from reaching the next realm?
'Can I really overcome the barrier to the next realm in this lifetime...'
With a heavy heart, I revitalized Kim Young-hoon's vital energy for several days.
A few days later, Kim Young-hoon wakes up.
"Kim Hyung, are you feeling alright?"
As he gets up, he looks over me for a while.
"Kim Hyung?"
When I ask again, Kim Young-hoon finally looks at me and smiles faintly.
He nods his head.
"Any discomfort?"
He shakes his head.
"...Are you having difficulty speaking?"
He shakes his head again and looks at me meaningfully with a smile.
'What's going on..?'
Kim Young-hoon gets up, grabs his saber, and goes outside.
He looks at the sky for a moment with a smile, then climbs onto a nearby high rock, resting his chin in his hand, and watches me.
He looks like hes observing me.
I read Kim Young-hoon's intent.
His intent is full of interest, curiosity, and anticipation.
'Anticipation... Could it be?'
His intuition seems to feel that I would reach a similar realm as him.
Or maybe hes just expecting me to reach the same realm as him.
"...Kim Hyung. I... don't have as much talent as you think."
But Kim Young-hoon just observes me without any reaction.
"..."
After a while, I sigh, go inside to adjust my cultivation, and practice martial arts.
From that day, Kim Young-hoon's strange behavior continued.
After reaching the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven and waking up again, Kim Young-hoon stopped speaking.
It wasn't aphasia.
Sometimes he went out to buy necessities and spoke then.
But even at those times, he did not directly converse with me.
He never spoke a word to me, just always looked at me with curiosity and anticipation in his eyes.
If I seemed burdened, he would go far away to a distant peak.
But I knew he was always watching me, even from afar.
'...It's burdensome.'
As if hes curious about when I would reach the next realm.
No, it was more than that; hes certain of it.
Sometimes I would ask him for martial arts guidance or to observe the martial arts of Beyond the Path to Heaven, but he avoided conversation and no longer taught me anything.
It felt like he was reluctant to show any thoughts towards me.
'What does this mean..!?'
I was frustrated to the point of madness, but I had to accept his stance and continued to practice martial arts and adjust the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation myself.
Time kept passing.
No matter how much time passes, Kim Young-hoon maintains his odd observer's behavior around me patiently.
'I feel like I'm going crazy.'
He showed no thoughts, didnt teach, didnt offer advice, or even talk to me.
He just looked at me with transparent eyes.
As if he was certain that one day I would definitely reach the same realm as him, full of significant anticipation.
What year is it?
How many times has it been?
'I failed again.'
I kept observing and re-observing the changes in the Five Elements through repeated failures.
As a result, I understand more than 70% of the changes.
Yet, I still haven't reached the Qi Building stage.
If I can grasp the remaining 30% of the changes, I will probably be able to ascend to the Qi Building stage.
But time is really running out.
'Is it one month, two, three months left?'
My life is nearing its end.
With heavy eyes, I look up at the sky.
Neither martial arts nor cultivation can take me beyond.
I am no different from dust.
Yet, Kim Young-Hoon, like a speck of dust, still looks at me from afar with eyes full of expectation.
Thud, thud...
I approach Kim Young-Hoon and speak.
"...As I said before, my life is slowly coming to an end. Being a cultivator, I am well aware of my own lifespan."
"..."
"Why haven't you spoken to me since you entered Beyond the Path to Heaven? By now, you must realize I lack talent, so can't you at least offer some guidance?"
He just gives a faint, bitter smile.
"...Fine. I'm about to die. You won't help or advise me. I just came to say goodbye."
If I fail to enter the Qi Building stage this time, I will truly die.
"I really don't understand why you, Kim Hyung, are practicing this silent cultivation. Frankly, I'm baffled and frustrated as to why you suddenly stopped talking after reaching Beyond the Path to Heaven.
But... you're undoubtedly a great master who has pioneered a new realm. So, I will respect you. Thank you for showing me a new realm."
I bow to Kim Young-Hoon and slowly head towards a spot on Shattered Heaven Peak.
Receiving Seo Eun-hyun's farewell, Kim Young-Hoon watches his fading figure in the distance and sighs softly.
"...Why can't you understand, Eun-hyun."
Maybe its a matter of perspective.
Kim Young-Hoon can see it.
"You're already complete. Beyond just forging a weapon, you're holding it in your hand, ready to swing. So, why aren't you swinging it?"
When he awoke after reaching Beyond the Path to Heaven and saw Seo Eun-hyun, he was too shocked to speak.
The fact that 'such a thing' could be seen in the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven was truly surprising.
But Seo Eun-hyun's 'that thing' is already complete.
Even more towering and solid than Kim Young-Hoon had imagined.
Just a swing away from being used.
After seeing it, Kim Young-Hoon constantly spoke to 'that thing' in Seo Eun-hyun's subconscious, stimulating and guiding it.
He didn't provide teachings through voice or spars.
He feared that such instructions would only obscure the enlightenment.
But now, Seo Eun-hyuns death is drawing near.
'Should I speak to him now?'
You're complete.
Just swing, and it will work.
Can he awaken even now if I tell him directly?
Kim Young-Hoon watches Seo Eun-hyun practicing cultivation from afar.
Suddenly, he sees a reflection of himself in Seo Eun-hyun's 'that thing.'
"...Enough."
Kim Young-Hoon decides to trust his intuition.
He would continue as he had been, constantly stimulating his subconscious.
"Let's trust the guy."
No, he has no choice but to trust.
Anyone who saw 'that thing' would have no choice but to believe.
"If he really struggles, I'll just show him once."
Kim Young-Hoon decides to trust his feelings and what he had seen in Seo Eun-hyun's inner world.
Do you know the feeling of not seeing a sprout grow no matter how much fertilizer you give?
Repeatedly giving the soil the fertilizer of failure, yet the sprout of success refuses to emerge.
Kuwoong, kuwoong, kuwoong!
I keep challenging Qi Building.
Stars shatter, the Five Elements adjust, and I fail again.
Hoo...
What was once a recovery of twenty breaths has now reduced to five.
Almost perfect.
But it feels impossible to reach the end, like trying to find the limit of an irrational number.
No matter how much I adjust, it feels impossible to reach the end.
'What exactly should I do?'
No matter what I do, the end never seems to be in sight.
Kuwoong!
Once again, the Spiritual Energy Star explodes.
'Why does it explode every time?'
Honestly, after mastering the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation and adjusting the ratios to the extreme, shouldn't that have been enough?
What more could it possibly want from here?
'What exactly...!'
Frustration surges within me, and it feels like my blood will burst from my veins.
"What more do you want from me.."
Just then, it happens.
"...Hm?"
My eyes twitch and look towards the distance.
"...Thats."
Kim Young-Hoon stood up and started performing a sword dance.
Yes.
Its a sword dance.
Its the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
From the first to the twenty-fourth move, his sword techniques sweep through the air, and after completing all the moves, Kim Young-Hoon sheaths his saber and sits down.
That is the end.
'Was he trying to tell me something?'
What could he possibly mean?
Especially since Im pondering over cultivation, not martial arts.
However, I can't shake off the image of Kim Young-Hoon performing Severing Mountain Swordsmanship from my mind.
'Why did he show me Severing Mountain Swordsmanship?'
If he wants to enlighten me, wouldn't it be better to show me Surpassing Radiant Saber, the pinnacle of his achievement in Beyond the Path to Heaven, to stimulate my upper dantian?
'No, a lowly person trying to understand the intentions of a master... Then, there must be some reason he showed me Severing Mountain Swordsmanship...'
Strangely, Kim Young-Hoon's swordsmanship lingers in my mind for a long time.
After some contemplation, I realize the reason.
"Aha..."
What he performed wasn't just Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
It was 'my' Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
He had mimicked my usual stance, gestures, habits, direction of intent, and pacing of energy - 'my' Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
That's why Im deeply impressed by seeing my own swordsmanship through Kim Young-Hoon.
'Why did he show me my Severing Mountain Swordsmanship?'
I think about the problems in my swordsmanship and recall what Kim Young-Hoon had shown.
"There's... no problem?"
Even though Im a rotten dullard, Im a master who reached the extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle.
The Severing Mountain Swordsmanship Kim Young-Hoon showed, without a joke, had no flaws whatsoever. It was perfect and stable in every flow.
'Is there some hidden problem that I'm unaware of?'
That might be the case.
Seen through the eyes of a genius like Kim Young-Hoon, who reached Beyond the Path to Heaven, he might see more than I can.
Let's think carefully.
There must be a reason he showed me that...
...
"...There's none."
Theres no problem.
And then, in the midst of my contemplation, I understand Kim Young-Hoon's intentions.
'He was showing me that there's no problem with me...?'
To encourage me?
"...I'm perfect?"
I shake my head.
That can't be. Hes a master far beyond me, an incomparable martial arts prodigy.
There's no way my flaws aren't be visible to him.
But.
'If Kim Young-Hoon, a master much higher than me, sees no problem, then maybe there really is no problem?'
Perhaps my martial arts are already complete?
Zing-
Completion.
Somehow, with that thought, something seems to resonate in my heart.
This feeling is similar to when I heard Kim Young-Hoon's explanation that the realms of Beyond the Path to Heaven vary depending on a person's life.
Something touches my heart.
Zing-
Something is knocking on my heart.
I ponder the nature of this feeling.
I remember this tingling sensation.
When observing the colors of my disciples' intents, when studying with my master and affirming his heart, when I saw Kim Young-Hoon reaching Beyond the Path to Heaven.
'This feeling is...'
Its the feeling of life being closely experienced.
"Aah!"
Indeed.
The thing knocking inside my chest is none other than 'myself.'
"Aah...!"
Suddenly, I feel tears streaming down.
Why did my heart respond to the words 'completion' and 'life.'
Perhaps, its because all my past lives are complete in themselves.
Just then, I am finally able to hear a certain voice, felt as a tremor in my heart.
I look at Kim Young-Hoon, who is watching me from afar.
He isn't silent.
He has been speaking to me all along.
"Aah..."
I feel anger.
I feel injustice.
How coul I be so foolish?
Having learned the languages of various countries and the language of the demon race, what good is it if I cannot understand the language of the heart?
Kim Young-Hoon has been unceasingly speaking to me, stimulating my subconscious.
Telling me I am already complete.
That I only need to wield it.
"...But, I lack talent."
I clench my teeth and with tears floowing.
"Talent?"
Kim Young-Hoon sat at the very peak of Shattered Heaven Peak, looking at Seo Eun-Hyun on the opposite peak, shedding tears.
Smirking slightly, he muses.
"What does talent matter at this point?
Even if I am heavenly-sent talent, and you are a talent abandoned by the heavens, it's not about who has or doesn't have talent.
It's about those who have found the meaning of life and those who are searching. I found mine. What about yours? You have something I don't. You surely know your life better than anyone."
From heart to heart, influenced by the power of Beyond the Path to Heaven, Kim Young-Hoon's Will is conveyed.
Thump!
Kim Young-Hoon's Will reaches me.
Hearing his words, I feel a sudden clarity.
That is exactly what I had thought when I saw him before.
The past Kim Young-Hoons, who despaired among the cultivators, flash before my eyes.
Blessed or forsaken by the heavens. We resemble each other as we cry out beneath fate.
If we are similar under fate.
If we have the will to resist fate, aren't we alike in that too?
While listening to Kim Young-hoon's heart, I look into my heart, facing what I have long ignored.
"Did I unknowingly despair?"
The ratio of the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation isn't the issue.
Such things, once adjusted to a certain extent, can always be resolved.
I am more than qualified to challenge the Qi Building stage.
But I haven't, perhaps fearing that my lack of talent means no matter how much my lifespan extends, nothing will change.
Escaping the attraction of fate is not just about strength, but also about will.
Perhaps, I have been tamed by the attraction of my fate.
"Thank you, Young-hoon Hyung-nim."
Receiving his heart, I shed my hesitation.
'So it is.'
When the inner demon visited last time, I drove it away, saying it's fortunate that martial arts are an important part of my life that I cherish.
But the frustration I felt wasn't resolved.
Only now do I understand the reason.
It's not about cherishing them.
I have always been cherishing them..
It's not about doing my best.
I have been living my whole life doing my best.
Whether talented or not, I have strived and cherished all my efforts.
The accumulated depression throughout my lives burst out, turning into a heart demon, making me worry about talent.
'Whether a dullard or a genius, that's not what's important.'
What matters is how much we cherish life and believe in our own.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
All the shadows in my heart wash away swiftly.
Cleansing all hesitations, I regain my focus and once again challenge the Qi Building stage.
I have been foolishly standing still under the pretense of adjusting ratios.
"Ratios, what nonsense."
Why should I adjust to the method?
The method should adjust to me.
Five spiritual clouds swirl in my dantian.
The slightly protruding parts among them,
I cut them off without hesitation with my Sword Gang and expell them from my body.
Hoo...
Although my spiritual power decreases, the five elements synergize and are forcibly balanced by the cutting of Sword Gang, fully recovering.
The ratio of the Five Elements becomes perfectly equal.
At the same time, I feel as if the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation completely merge, a strange sensation.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Kuwoong!
I challenged Qi Building.
The completely merged five-colored spiritual energy forms a Spiritual Energy Star.
It shattered soon after but reforms in less than half a breath.
Kuwoong, kuwoong, kuwoong!
I concentrate day and night, losing track of time.
And then, I feel a pain in my heart.
"Again?"
My lifespan is ending.
If only I have a little more time, Qi Building is within reach...
"Take my life if you dare."
Looking at the heavens, I declare defiantly.
"Let's see whether you bring down divine punishment first, or I reach Qi Building!"
The perfectly integrated five spiritual energy swirls, creating countless changes within.
These changes forcefully subdue the fluctuations in the Spiritual Energy Star.
Qi Building is within reach.
Thump, thump...!
Beating my heart with Gang Qi, I focus even more.
I am no different from dust.
But do you know?
Stars are formed from clouds of dust.
Dust gathers and forms the cradle of stars, the nebula.
The five elements of spiritual energy shine, and the star, shattering several times within the cloud, re-emerge.
'Here I go!'
Is it due to my intense focus?
Before I know it, the starry night has passed, and dawn is breaking.
Soon after, dark clouds cover the sky.
Will the heavenly lightning strike, or will I reach Qi Building?
A critical situation!
Roar, roar...
Blue streaks flash between the clouds, and the sky brims with the power of lightning.
Thump, thump, thump...
"Heavens above..."
Thump, thump!
"I will break free from fate!"
Flash!
The sky turns blue.
In the next moment.
From afar, I can hear Kim Young-hoon's heart reaching out to me.
As if he is speaking right in front of me.
"Eun-hyun, swing. It's already in your hand."
'Ah.'
Only at the edge of life and death did I understand his words.
Due to his longing and desire to return to his family, Kim Young-hoon created his Surpassing Radiant Saber that transcends space and light.
That is the meaning of his life.
Then, whats the meaning of mine?
'I wanted to break free from fate.'
How many times have I struggled miserably under fate?
Like Kim Young-hoon, who flies like a bird in the sky, I wanted to fly beyond and escape fate, seeking freedom.
Kim Young-hoon's longing for home melded into his martial arts, achieving a speed that transcends even space.
I meld my desire to escape fate into my martial arts, endlessly liberating my techniques.
In an instant.
I find the optimized form of my consciousness.
A sword.
The sword, longing to escape fate, transcends its form, becoming formless, dispersing into transparent consciousness.
Shuaaak!
Suddenly, the Gang Spheres that leave my body merge with the consciousness, materializing it.
Kwarurung!
A bolt of blue lightning falls towards me, and I precisely locate its falling point with my Lightning Predicting Eye.
Holding the colorless void in front of me, I swing towards the heavens.
"Beyond the Path to Heaven."
The sword of formlessness cuts through the heavenly lightning and splits the thick clouds beyond.
"Formless Sword!"
The sky splits vertically, and light of dawn pours through the gap.
Ku-gung, kku-gung, kku-gu-gu-gung!
They say the dantian is the field of the heart (mind, emotion).
From the field of my heart, where I have rid myself of all hesitations and nourished the soil with fertilizers, sprouts start to emerge.
It has been a long journey.
But finally,
I have arrived!
***
The Five Elements form a perfect circle.
"Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation!"
Surpassing the Five Elements, truly entering the path of cultivation!
The five spiritual clouds of yellow, black, red, white, and green start to rotate and compress in the dantian.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
'Here we go!'
A Spiritual Energy Star forms.
The twists of spiritual energy from the Five Elements Spiritual Roots are blocked by the changes of all five methods of the Five Surpassing Paths to Cultivation.
Suppress them!'
The changes of the Five Elements rotating in the dantian gradually expand their reach.
Soon, the transformations of the Five Elements begin to consume the twists of the Five Elements Spiritual Roots.
My achievements devour the fetters I am born with.
Woo-woo-woong!
Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times?
I've challenged Qi Building countless times.
I've understood all the changes of the Five Elements!
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
All transformations of the Five Elements ascend to my hand, and the five-colored star begins to stabilize.
Pa-aa-aaat!
A dazzling orb of light, different from the mere point of spiritual power I've been cultivating, shines within my dantian.
The words of Mad Lord come to mind.
'Creating the flow of fate, extending lifespan...'
Through the unified spiritual meridian, spiritual power circulates and gets absorbed by the Spiritual Energy Star.
And the Spiritual Energy Star compresses it into Pure Spiritual Force.
The Pure Spiritual Force then circulates through the entire spiritual meridian, making the whole body accustomed to it.
Since the Spiritual Energy Star itself prevents the Pure Spiritual Force from running rampant, it's safe even if it flows to sensitive areas like the upper dantian or heart.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Gang Qi, or Pure Spiritual Force, starts flowing throughout my body.
Thump, thump, thump!
I no longer need to forcefully compress the heart with Gang Qi.
Gang Qi naturally flows through the spiritual meridian, extending my lifespan.
Changes occur in the celestial energy.
Beyond my fated star, a new position forms, granting me an additional 300 years of lifespan from the heavens.
'If the path of cultivation is about creating a continuation of fate, like the stars... Perhaps cultivation is ultimately a process of becoming like the heavens.'
I gain a slight insight into the path of immortality.
Through it, my ability to read celestial energy has slightly improved since the Qi Refining stage.
Now, just by looking at the sky, I can get a sense of great fortunes and misfortunes.
'From now on, the concept of time will change a bit.'
After reaching Core Formation, I'll receive another 300 years, totaling 600 years of lifespan.
At Nascent Soul, I'll get an additional 600 years, making it about 1200 years in total.
Starting from now, having received an extra 300 years from the heavens, my lifespan will be significantly longer.
Roar, roar...
The dark clouds that gathered around Shattered Heaven Peak dissipate and soon vanish.
"Ha, haha. Hahahaha!"
I sort through my thoughts and laugh loudly, resonating throughout the entire peak.
Finally.
After several lifetimes, finally!
"I have overcome fate...!!!"
Surpassing fate, overcoming lifespan.
Cururuk
I deeply understand Kim Young-Hoon's words that life is joy.
Through martial arts, I have redefined myself and gained higher enlightenment.
Having overcome fate, I have been granted an additional 300 years.
How can I not be grateful?
Once again, I confirm my achievement of reaching the Qi Building stage, releasing Pure Spiritual Force throughout my body.
Currently, I can only produce a slender thread of Pure Spiritual Force, as there is only one source of conversion, the single Spiritual Energy Star.
But undoubtedly, it is Pure Spiritual Force, and with Gang Qi flowing in my body, it's like having constant defensive Gang Qi activated.
Up to the Qi Refining stage, cultivators, though capable of using spells, still feel somewhat human.
But from the Qi Building stage, one truly begins to transcend humanity.
With Gang Qi flowing throughout my body, attacks from martial artists with Sword Energy or Sword Silk will not even break my defenses.
Even Sword Gang should have no effect if the concentration of Pure Spiritual Force is increased.
'Unless it's an attack at the Gang Sphere level, the defensive Gang Qi flowing normally should be sufficient. Additionally, Pure Spiritual Force is circulating throughout, boosting vitality.'
Like the one Qi Building expert in pill-refining from the Makli Clan. Even if several organs are torn out, Pure Spiritual Force will keep them functioning for days, making it unproblematic unless the head, heart, or abdomen is severely injured.
Furthermore.
Covering internal energy with Pure Spiritual Force forms Sword Gang. In that case, freely pouring the Pure Spiritual Force flowing throughout my body into my Inner Core should allow me to produce infinite output of Gang Qi.
Frankly, any energy flowing through my body can be scooped up in whatever amount I wish and utilized in my Inner Core without any noticeable impact.
As I ascend to Qi Building, most importantly, my consciousness has grown even more.
Swish...
I release my Formless Sword.
Then my consciousness returns to its original spherical domain, enveloping me.
Woosh...
Around me, within a radius of about 3 Zhang (approximately 9 meters), becomes covered with my consciousness.
As I continue to cultivate in Qi Building, the domain of my consciousness will only grow larger.
'If I didn't reach Qi Building in this life, the size of my consciousness would remain the same, so my head wouldnt explode right away in the next life. But now that I've reached Qi Building and been granted more life, thinking about the current size of my consciousness...'
However, after pondering and moving my consciousness for a while, I quickly found the answer in the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven.
Swoosh...
My consciousness changes into the Formless Sword, and as I activate my will, it completely splits and begins to swirl around me.
'This is possible even without internal energy.'
My skill in handling pure consciousness had greatly increased, having reached the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven.
In the next life, if I wake up and immediately split the Formless Sword, it seems I'll be able to avoid overload in the upper dantian.
'I can at least stay relieved for now...'
For now, I am greatly relieved that I wouldn't be trapped in a cycle of my head constantly exploding.
Of course, I don't know what will happen if I continue to cultivate and my consciousness grows, but for now, I have extinguished the urgent fire.
Swoosh...
I revert the Formless Sword back.
I ponder over the cultivation methods I will learn in the future.
'Now that I've been given 300 years, I should think slowly...'
Until now, I always felt rushed due to the constraint of a 50-year lifespan.
But now that I've been granted 300 years in a single life, I feel incredibly relaxed and peaceful.
The stages of Qi Building are broadly divided into four.
Many people casually called them early, mid, late, and Grand perfection, but there are official names for each stage of Qi Building..
Unlike Qi Refining, where each stage is called Star, it is called Constellation in Qi Building.
1st Constellation: Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, Winnowing Basket
2nd Constellation: Ladle, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Chamber, Wall.
3rd Constellation: Legs, Bond, Stomach, Hairy Head, Net, Beak, Triple Stars.
4th Constellation: Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wing, Chariot.
They are called by these names.
They corresponds to the twenty-eight stars existing in the Astral Realm.
Qi Building cultivators start from the Spiritual Energy Star corresponding to the 1st Constellation and go up to the 28th Spiritual Energy Star corresponding to the 4th Constellation. Creating all twenty-eight Spiritual Energy Stars in the dantian signifies reaching the Grand Perfection of Qi Building.
The Seven Stars Ritual performed during the Qi Refining phase is of great help in Qi Building.
The Seven Stars Ritual involved receiving heaven and earth spiritual blessings by borrowing the names of seven out of the twenty-eight constellation stars.
Depending on the type of constellation chosen at that time, it can either assist in the practice of the 1st Constellation, 2nd Constellation, 3rd Constellation, or the 4th Constellation.
'I performed the ritual for the Seven Stars of the Azure Dragon this time, so I should have an advantage in the practice of the 1st Constellation.'
Suddenly, I recall an interesting fact.
Typically, the vast majority of cultivators perform the Seven Stars Ritual only twice in their lifetime.
Unless they choose the wrong time for the ceremony, causing it to fail, or some extraordinary rare phenomenon like Heavenly Rejection occurs.
Originally, the blessings received during the Seven Stars Ritual are only for seven stars, and depending on which constellation one chooses, the timing of the help received in Qi Building changes.
Usually, those with insufficient talent receive blessings from the stars of the 1st Constellation or 2nd Constellation, hoping for help in the early to mid-stages of Qi Building.
Those with outstanding talent receive blessings from the stars of the 3rd Constellation or the 4th Constellation, aiming to quickly pass through the early to mid-stages and focus on the later stages.
'This cursed regression ability might be helpful sometimes.'
In my case, every time I regress, the state of cultivation is completely reset, and I have to perform the Seven Stars Ritual again.
Then, if I receive blessings from the 1st Constellation in the early stage, refresh my understanding of that stage, and in the next life, skip the 1st Constellation with prior knowledge and receive blessings from the 2nd Constellation...
'Reaching the Grand Perfection of Qi Building by receiving blessings from all four constellations doesn't seem like a far-fetched idea.'
Maybe Qi Building might be a bit easier than Qi Refining.
I am lost in thought regarding Qi Building when.
"Eun-hyunl."
Kim Young-hoon approaches me.
After nearly ten years, speaking with his voice.
"It seems that cultivators from various cultivator clans that have settled in Shattered Heaven Peak are coming this way."
"Ah, that makes sense."
With lightning striking and clouds splitting, its natural for them to come here.
"Then Sha-"
Just as I am about to utter the word 'Shattered Heaven Peak.'
Crackle!
A flash of lightning sparks before my eyes, and the entire surroundings are engulfed in a strange glow..
I realize in an instant that I have been transported to some bizarre place.
'What's this...?'
I am about to go on alert, but then I realize that my physical body has disappeared.
I have been sucked into this strange world in the state of consciousness.
'What's the situation here?'
As I look around in confusion.
Whoosh...
Crackle, crackle...
The bizarre space begins to fill with lightning of all colors.
Red, blue, gold, white, jade, pink, dark red...
And across the world of lightning.
A shadowy figure emerges, like a dark shadow.
I tense up at this incomprehensible situation and watch the figure.
The figure has no discernible outline, and its entire body is a dark shadow, almost ghost-like.
But it doesnt feel like the aura of a ghost, its more akin to a bizarre phantom.
As I observe the entity.
Drip...
"...!"
From the face area of the shadow.
Blood begins to flow from where I assume the eyes would be.
It looks like a resentful spirit shedding bloody tears.
[I am Yang Su-jin, the first Sect Master of Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the remnant shadow of the fate left behind. You, the next generation's Ender.
Entering this space means that you've miraculously achieved the conditions I set.
Before realizing your fate, entering Shattered Heaven Peak, surviving the heavenly lightning, and uttering 'Shattered Heaven' - all Enders who miraculously achieve this near-impossible probability can come here.]
'Yang Su-jin!?'
[I, the founder of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Yang Su-jin, have created an attraction of fate within Shattered Heaven Peak that inevitably draws in Enders. Therefore, an Ender will inevitably come to Shattered Heaven Peak at some point.
However, for an Ender, who is less than a bug before realizing their fate, to be struck by heavenly lightning here and survive against all odds, and to then utter 'Shattered Heaven,' would require an unbelievable miracle.
Such an event is impossible, but without a miracle, there will be no escaping [it]s notice.
Thus, I leave this warning here for future generations, relying solely on the possibility of such a miracle.]
Crack, sizzle...
Around the figure introduced as the remnant of Yang Su-jin.
The lightning that surrounds us starts turning blood red.
[Future generations, whether you are the next Ender, or the one after, or even thousands or millions of generations later, never reveal the fate you have been given. I don't know what gift you may have received, but under no circumstances should you ever speak of it.
No matter where you go in the Three Thousand Worlds, [it] will know what you have received.
Keeping your fate a secret is the only slim chance you have.]
Crackle, sizzle!
The entire area fills with blood-red lightning.
More and more blood tears flow from the eyes of the figure introducing himself as Yang Su-jin's remnant.
[If you have already revealed your secret, then, future generations, even that slim chance has vanished.
Do not even think of returning to your homeland or escaping the curse of fate.
Just give up on the thought of cultivation, live ordinarily among mortals, and die an ordinary death. Forgetting your homeland forever and living and dying that way is the only way to find happiness for an Ender who has revealed their own fate.]
Drip, drip...
His shadow starts to bleed and then begins to dissolve into the blood-red lightning.
[Everyone living their fate feels averse to revealing it.
Especially for an Ender, this feeling is much stronger. Yet, many take their fate lightly and end up revealing it.
I, too, once revealed my fate and ended up like this, so, future generations, heed my warning.
Even if you don't reveal your fate, [it] will be after you, but if you do reveal your fate, any means of resistance against [it] will completely disappear.
Future generations, never take my warning lightly. Never...]
Crackle, sizzle...
Eventually, completely dissolving into the blood-red lightning, he vanishes.
Flash!
The next moment.
"...It's time to leave.."
I return to the real world, and Kim Young-hoon arrives in front of me.
What happened in that strange world occurred in less than a second.
'Ender? [It]? Caught? What shouldn't be revealed?'
"Right, but... are you okay? You don't look well..."
"Oh, no, it's nothing. I guess I pushed myself a bit too hard to reach Qi Building. But anyway..."
I look around and click my tongue.
"It looks like we're surrounded."
Indeed.
Dozens of Qi Building cultivators from various clans of Shengzi surround us at Shattered Heaven Peak, each wielding their own magic artifacts and standing on their flying artifacts.
"Who are you to occupy Shattered Heaven Peak, jointly selected as a sacred ground by the clans of Shengzi!
What are you plotting? Speak the truth now!"
One of the older Qi Building cultivators points at us angrily and shouts.
I step forward and bow.
"Greetings, I am a cultivator who has just reached the stage of Qi Building. The phenomenon just now was due to a special method I was practicing.
In my ignorance, I only thought this land belonged to the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, not knowing it was part of the territory of the Shengzi clan alliance. So please forgive my mistake. I will not set foot in the Great Mountain Range again."
"Hmm, with the recent massacre near the Heaven-Treading Desert and the war predicted to happen in 200 years, the entire continent is in chaos.
You lot seem suspicious! And to be a loose Qi Building cultivator at this time! No, this won't do, we're taking you in!"
"Could you please forgive us just this once? I really have just broken through to Qi Building, and the recent phenomenon was due to a special method I practiced."
The leading Qi Building cultivator scoffs at my words and begins to channel his magic artifacts's power.
He seems not to listen anymore.
"Surrender quietly!"
"...Sigh."
I look at Kim Young-hoon.
"I tried to let this go peacefully, but that's not going to happen."
"Hmm, can't be helped. None of them seem to be at Core Formation, so let's just warm up. You need to get used to Beyond the Path to Heaven anyway."
"That's true."
As we speak, the cultivator with the magic artifact yells out.
"What nonsense are you spouting! A 1st Constellation Qi Building cultivator and a Qi Refining 3rd or 4th Star losing their minds..."
In the next instant.
Kim Young-hoon grabs his saber.
"Ha..!"
And the Qi Building cultivators around us shudder.
If they have performed the Seven Stars Ritual and have the ability to read celestial energy, they will have felt it.
A great misfortune appears right before them.
Flash!
Kim Young-hoon's consciousness turns golden.
Simultaneously, Gang Spheres rise around him.
My consciousness also transforms into the shape of a sword, and nine Gang Spheres rise around me.
"These bastards, using some bizarre and grotesque sorcery! Do you really think you two can defeat all of us?"
"Clan leader, they're using bizarre methods we've never seen before. Could they be Core Formation seniors?"
"Nonsense! They do not have a Core Formation senior's consciousness! Everyone, take out your magic artifacts!"
The next moment.
Kim Young-hoon's golden consciousness merges with his saber, becoming tangible.
My colorless consciousness disperses like mist before solidifying.
Kim Young-hoon grips the golden saber, and I grasp the formless void.
As I ascended to Beyond the Path to Heaven, Kim Young-hoon's intent became much clearer and more vivid.
Our intents intersect.
[Beyond the Path to Heaven.]
[Beyond the Path to Heaven.]
"Surpassing Radiant Saber."
"Formless Sword."
Back to back, we swing our respective Surpassing Radiant Saber and Formless Sword at the surrounding Qi Building cultivators.
Translator Notes: Yang Su-jin. Ender. Fate. Gift. [It]. Foreshadowing. Mystery. Exciting!
In a flash, a golden radiance sweeps through too swiftly for anyone to react.
In a flash, something colorless whips around, sweeping the front with an unstoppable force.
Boom!
"Ahhhh!"
"This is insane, what is this!"
"They're not just Qi Building cultivators!"
A hill in front of me is violently torn away, and a peak behind is cleanly sliced diagonally.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Flowing Ridge!
I thrust smoothly with the Formless Sword Gang, my hand clutching the void.
The ridgeline of the mountain in front is smoothly carved away, targeting the Qi Building cultivators who desperately dodge the Formless Sword Gang with all their might.
The Formless Sword isn't just about combining nine Gang Spheres.
The power unfolding from my hand is overwhelmingly greater than the sum of the nine spheres.
The Formless Sword Gang freely transforms, stretching far and wide according to my will, and morphing into the most fitting shape with each sword technique.
Moreover, due to its origin from Gang Spheres, just being in contact with the Formless Sword allowed me to accelerate thought as much as I wanted.
The Gang Spheres are gone, but the effect of tenfold acceleration remains.
"Seniors, we apologize for our rudeness. Please calm your wrath!"
The leading Qi Building cultivator, who had been aiming at us with his magic artifact, pleads for forgiveness with disheveled hair after dodging the Formless Sword Gang.
However, my goal isn't to annihilate these cultivators but to scare them away, so I swing the Formless Sword even more relentlessly.
"Arghh!"
"The Core Formation Senior is enraged!"
"Run!"
While swinging the Formless Sword, I make sure not to cause casualties.
If these cultivators return to their clans and bring back Core Formation seniors, it would become quite troublesome.
Without casualties, Core Formation cultivators will be less likely to personally come after us.
'Anyway from the sensation of swinging the Formless Sword... there might be no need to swing with my hand.'
The Formless Sword, the epitome of freedom, breaks all limits and conventions of sword techniques.
However, I continue to perform sword techniques, gripping the Formless Sword Gang.
Even if its unnecessary, the essence of this power is still that of the sword, which shows its greatest might in the hands of a swordsman.
Boom!
The ultimate move of Severing Mountain slices through the peak before me.
A Qi Building cultivator, who narrowly escapes, turns pale and flees far away on his flying artifact.
'This is the feeling.'
The realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven...
I retract the Formless Sword back into my consciousness and look towards Kim Young-hoon.
I can't see him. His version of Beyond the Path to Heaven is specialized in speed, seen only as a flash of golden light.
Even with accelerated perception from holding the Formless Sword, I can only catch fleeting afterimages.
Boom!
A golden ray of light shatters the last remaining Qi Building cultivator's defensive spell and Pure Spiritual Force, sending him flying with a mouthful of blood.
Thanks to Kim Young-hoon's control, the cultivator doesnt pass out from the strike and manages to quickly flee on his flying artifact.
Flash!
In a blink, Kim Young-hoon is already by my side.
'Its quite difficult to react properly.'
I think to myself.
"How does it feel to wield this power in this realm?"
I remember the sensation of swinging the Formless Sword and answer his question.
"It's a realm that requires more attention to the fundamentals."
Wielding such immense power could lead to losing the essence of martial arts. Despite its boundless nature, I feel the need to impose restrictions and continue practicing swordsmanship deliberately.
This is a realization from my intuition as a martial artist who has practiced for 500 years.
Kim Young-hoon nods at my response.
"You understand well. Despite ascending to a new realm, the foundation is martial arts! Losing sight of martial fundamentals can lead to total collapse.
As you said, more than any previous stage, this realm demands focusing on grounding ourselves."
He clicks his tongue while speaking.
"Knowing so much about martial arts and yet belittling yourself for lack of talent. It was infuriating to see you suppress yourself with such talk."
"..."
"What about other insights? Did you notice anything else?"
I shake my head at his question.
"I was focused on grasping the essence of the Formless Sword, so I didn't have the chance to observe anything else."
"Of course, it would be difficult to pay attention to details in that chaos."
He looks at me.
"Upon reaching Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, one begins to see the colors of intent. And with Beyond the Path to Heaven, this ability deepens, allowing one to read the heart essence of others."
As per Kim Young-hoon's explanation, I focus on the flow of intent, and soon after, I can see his soul emanating the flow of intent from within his body. Focusing on the flow emanating from the soul itself, I am soon able to perceive the essence of Kim Young-hoon.
Golden light!
A vast river of golden radiance!
'No, it's not just a river.'
Its part of something larger. Numerous rivers intertwine, forming a massive entity of golden brilliance. Its a Peng Bird ().
A Peng Bird formed from golden rivers, flapping its wings. That is the foundation of Kim Young-hoon's martial arts and simultaneously, the essence of Kim Young-hoon as a person.
As you get accustomed to seeing heart essence, you can approach and stimulate others' subconsciousness with your heart essence, or even cultivate them. You can send a much more fundamental heart language than through telepathy or consciousness. Like this.
Kim Young-hoon's heart essence changes. The golden Peng Bird makes eye contact with me.
The next moment, I understand intuitively what Kim Young-hoon is thinking, feeling, and trying to convey to me, beyond words.
I learn a few more minor things about Beyond the Path to Heaven from Kim Young-hoon.
You seem to have learned it all. And you might want to take a look at your own heart essence.
My heart essence isn't the Formless Sword, is it?
'Is my heart essence the Surpassing Radiant Saber? Its a Peng Bird formed of golden rivers. Heart essence and your realm are certainly connected, but they're different.
It will be good for you to explore your heart essence to understand yourself.
I nod at Kim Young-hoon's words, close my eyes, and contemplate my heart essence.
How long have I been observing my own intent and following my heart essence?
Suddenly, my heart essence appears before my eyes.
Deep within my subconscious.
I immediately feel as if my lower body is pierced by something sharp.
It isn't that my physical body is actually stabbed; its just my consciousness in the world of heart essence mistaking it for an injury.
'But the pain is vivid.'
Ignoring the pain in my lower body, I look at the world of my heart essence.
Is this my heart essence...'
As I walk through the world of my heart essence, I sustain wounds on my arms and legs.
Despite the pain, I continue to walk. The pain is familiar. As the pain has already seeped into every corner of my heart, I walk through my heart essence in peace.
My heart essence is a mountain.
A vast and immense Mount Tai.
And on this Mount Tai, there is no room to step because of densely packed swords planted upside down.
Ironically, these swords are all colorless, utterly transparent.
The surface of these swords are clear as glass, reflecting my image.
A mountain of swords!
A purgatory of a mountain of clear and pure swords!
That is the world of my heart essence.
Throughout countless lives, I have suffered pain and more pain.
Always striving upwards, I have constantly endured pain like walking through a field of blades for that goal.
Yet, I have tried to uphold human virtues.
This is the result.
Pristinely clear and pure to the core, but the one walking within suffers excruciating paina hellish mountain of swords.
'This is me.'
I continue to climb to the top of this mountain of swords, wounded but undeterred.
The peak of this transparent hell is always out of reach, no matter how far I walk.
'So, my heart essence reflects what I've always felt about this world...'
Pain piercing through my body from all directions.
The distant and unreachable goal, no matter how far I walk.
Yet, a clear pride for not having shamed myself.
'Ha ha haha...'
I laugh.
Then, I leave the world of heart essence.
Kim Young-hoon looks at me and asks.
'How was it?'
'I think I understand a bit more about who I am.'
The pristine hell I just saw is the foundation of my Formless Sword, the driving force of my desire to escape my fate.
This mountain is the very image of my life that I find torturous, and at the same time, a mountain I built with my own hands.
Pain and effort built this representation of my entire life.
Yes.
That mountain is my sword.
'Thank you. For all the teachings.'
Kim Young-hoon nods at my words and then smiles slightly.
'If you're grateful, then do me a favor.'
Please tell me.
He draws his saber.
"Let's have a match."
"..."
Somehow, it seems like the most fitting request from him.
"Do you know how frustrated I've been these past 10 years? Even when I sent you heart essence to stimulate your subconscious, you didn't take them in, all because of your absurd inferiority complex about talent.
And it's not like you really couldn't grasp the essence of Beyond the Path to Heaven; you had all the conditions to reach it but just kept doing stupid things...
Again, all you had to do is realize what you built up, and you'd have reached it, but you kept barely missing it."
He lifts the corner of his mouth and raises his saber towards me.
"Do you think I liked following a guy around for 10 years, straining my eyes? I kept doing it because it drove me crazy that you were about to reach it but didnt."
Whooosh-
Golden light seems to flow from his eyes.
I feel like theres madness mixed in that glow.
"I waited in frustration for 10 years, longing for you to reach the same realm. I can't tell you how much it ached waiting for that.
Now, Seo Eun-hyun. Let's have a match. Make it interesting for me...!"
Kim Young-hoon's martial madness bursts forth, and his momentum surges.
"Sigh..."
I sigh and materialize my consciousness again.
'No rest for the weary.'
Right after teaching me about Beyond the Path to Heaven, he wants to spar, leaving no time to breathe.
But I welcome it, too.
'I guess I'm a martial artist through and through.'
"Then first, Ill equalize my internal energy and consciousness with Kim Hyung's..."
"What nonsense is that?"
He speaks sternly at my words.
"Didn't you use all your techniques and everything against me during Ultimate Pinnacle? This time it's the same. I've been in this realm 10 years longer than you, so I should show at least that much leniency."
"...Doesn't that make it an unfair martial arts duel? Considering the few spells you dabbled in during Qi Refining..."
"Haha, be quiet. Can't I overcome even that?"
I sigh and slowly materialize my consciousness.
Kim Young-hoon also starts materializing his consciousness at the same time.
"Before we start, I have a question..."
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Kim Young-hoon hadn't learned any spells.
His consciousness also remains the same size as when he achieved Five Energies Converging to the Origin, almost a tenth of the size of my consciousness, which covers a radius of 3 Zhang.
"Assuming we are in the same realm, what do you have over me besides speed?"
Experience is limited by time.
Output is limited by the Pure Spiritual Force of Qi Building.
Consciousness is limited by size.
And in terms of precision and freedom, my Formless Sword is more specialized.
Even talent is becoming less influential in this realm.
It's one thing to pioneer a realm and another to be grateful for guidance, but reality is reality.
I look at him and let the Gang Qi rise throughout my body.
"If I go all out, Kim Hyung and I are no longer on the same level."
Receiving the momentum from the sheer weight of my consciousness, Kim Young-hoon looks excited and tense.
"...Isn't overcoming all that the true essence of martial arts?"
As I grasp the air, I smile brightly, from ear to ear.
'Yes...'
That's so Kim Young-hoon.
The next moment, a golden flash and a formless void collide.