Chapter 42
[Chapter Five: Sword Technique—Intermediate]
'I finally... learned a new sword technique.'
With the Heaven Evading Way manual in hand, Jaseong's eyes gleamed.
Even with just the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique, Jaseong had defeated many enemies until now.
But that was merely the basic sword art of the Heaven Evading Way.
No matter how powerful it was, it was a swordsmanship composed of only three forms.
The intermediate sword technique he would learn this time was undoubtedly a more dazzling, superior martial art.
Just how much stronger would he become? His heart pounded at the thought.
Swoooosh—
Suddenly, an unusual wind swept around the main training yard.
Tree branches shook violently, and fallen leaves swirled up, creating a vortex.
Next, his crown of the head grew hot, and the Samadhi Eyes activated on their own.
Saaa—
As Jaseong's consciousness entered the Samadhi State, he saw streaks of pouring light splitting the air.
Within that light, a figure slowly began to take form.
This strange phenomenon was now familiar to Jaseong. It meant that the 'predecessor executor' who would pass on a martial art was arriving.
'I wonder which executor of Heaven's Mandate will come this time....'
Soon the beams of light faded. And the moment Jaseong confirmed the identity of the predecessor executor of Heaven's Mandate who appeared, his eyes widened a bit.
Standing where the light receded was a child.
The boy barely reached Jaseong's waist and looked to be only about seven years old.
He wore a spotless white robe, not a speck of dust on it, and his long hair was neatly tied and hanging down.
What especially caught Jaseong's eye was the clarity and depth in the boy's gaze.
In them, there was a chilling, strange gravity utterly unfitting for a child.
"It's been a while."
The child in white spoke.
At that, a delighted smile appeared on Jaseong's lips—for standing there was Baek Cheon-gwang, the last head of the Baek Clan who had passed down the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique to him in the past.
"How have you been?"
"How could I have been well in the darkness of eternity?"
"Well... true enough."
"But thanks to you, I was at least able to set foot in the world like this. And I'm grateful."
"I'm glad to hear that. So, what sword technique will I be learning this time?"
"As a reward for fulfilling your fourth Heaven's Mandate, the sword technique I will hand down to you is the intermediate level of the Heaven Evading Way, the Heaven Evading Flash Sword."
"Heaven Evading Flash Sword...?"
Just the name sounded incredibly powerful. Jaseong's heart pounded with excitement.
"As you already know, I cannot stay by your side indefinitely and teach you. The time granted to me is ten nights and days. After that, you'll have to attain enlightenment on your own."
"Ten nights and days...? Last time, it was four nights and days, so that's a significant increase."
"It's fortunate for me too. It means I can escape the darkness of eternity for a little while longer. But..."
"?"
"After spending time here in the world with you, returning to that eternal darkness is almost unbearable. It's as if I have to learn again how to endure solitude from the beginning..."
A deep loneliness flickered in Baek Cheon-gwang's eyes.
In front of him, Jaseong fell silent for a moment.
The weight of Baek Cheon-gwang's solitude transmitted heavily to his chest.
"... So please, be sure to complete Heaven's Mandate to the end, so you don't end up like me."
"Don't worry. I will certainly fulfill Heaven's Mandate."
Because that's also the path to achieving my revenge.
Seeing Jaseong's resolute eyes, Baek Cheon-gwang smiled faintly.
"Very well. Let me explain what kind of sword technique the Heaven Evading Flash Sword is."
Baek Cheon-gwang shhhk! drew the sword from his waist.
It was an old, long sword that didn't match a child's height, yet it seemed as natural as if it were part of Baek Cheon-gwang himself.
"The Heaven Evading Flash Sword is a extreme-speed sword art that maximizes the 'One(單)' and 'Speed' of the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique. If you master it, first-rate or lower opponents won't even be able to follow your sword with their eyes. It's literally a sword art like a flash."
"......!"
With those words, Baek Cheon-gwang began to demonstrate the Heaven Evading Flash Sword.
Shing―
Baek Cheon-gwang raised his sword. At that moment, the air vibrated and a gust of wind kicked up.
At first, it seemed as if he were simply standing still, holding up his sword. Then, in a sudden instant...
Crack!
A flash streaked before Jaseong's eyes like lightning across a dry sky. Next—
Boom!
A huge boulder at the edge of the main training yard split in half. And that wasn't the end.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Flashes darted across the main training yard one after another.
With the sound of air being torn, trees were sliced in two and toppled over.
With just a single swing, everything in the vicinity was being melted away into the flash.
Seeing this scene, Jaseong held his breath.
The sword technique that Baek Cheon-gwang just demonstrated surpassed all imagination.
'This is the Heaven Evading Flash Sword...'
A sword as blindingly fast as even the Samadhi Eyes could barely keep up with.
Before it, a deep, vivid glimmer rose in Jaseong's eyes.
'It's truly an exceptional sword technique... If I can master it, there will hardly be any enemy in the world I can't overcome...!'
* * *
After he finished his demonstration, Baek Cheon-gwang let out a long sigh.
"As you could see, since this sword technique contains the Sword Immortal's enlightenment, learning the Heaven Evading Flash Sword is no simple feat. Especially with your current condition, it will be even more difficult."
"My condition...?"
"To fully unleash the power of the Heaven Evading Flash Sword, you must know how to wield sword energy."
At those words, Jaseong's eyes trembled.
Sword energy. The technique of infusing internal power into the sword to form a visible shimmer.
A skill only possible for someone late in First-rate.
Of course, Jaseong's skill is well above late First-rate. But unfortunately, he still hadn't been able to wield sword energy.
"The reason you haven't been able to wield sword energy until now is because your internal power was much too low."
"... I've heard I have low internal power countless times during the Dark Path Duel Banquet."
"Ha. You still managed to win the Dark Path Duel Banquet with that measly amount. And without even knowing sword energy."
"......."
"Well, you've only been training in martial arts for barely over a year—so that's to be expected. In any case, you need a certain level of internal power to use sword energy. Fortunately, since you won the Dark Path Duel Banquet and earned the Evil Path Association's special reward, the Humanoid Ginseng, your internal energy has increased greatly. You should now be able to wield sword energy."
Having said that, Baek Cheon-gwang began to instruct Jaseong in the use of sword energy in earnest, stating that only by mastering sword energy could he learn the Heaven Evading Flash Sword.
"Watch closely."
Baek Cheon-gwang placed a leaf on the flat of his blade.
"The blade is broad, so of course the leaf won't be cut. But—"
As Baek Cheon-gwang enveloped his blade with sword energy, the leaf crumpled! and shattered into pieces—as if it had touched a razor-sharp edge.
"If you train your sword energy by placing leaves on your blade this way, it will work."
"It looks simple enough."
"I know from experience just how extraordinary your innate talent is. But no matter how great your talent, it takes at least several months to generate sword energy."
"... Several months? Then when will I ever learn the Heaven Evading Flash Sword?"
"That's already fast. Most people have to train for years just to produce sword energy."
Baek Cheon-gwang's words were reasonable—but for Jaseong, who longed to become stronger as soon as possible, that sounded unbearably slow.
"... I'll have to do it within three nights and days."
"What...? What did you just say, descendant?"
"Baek Cheon-gwang, you can only remain in this world for ten nights and days, right? I'll spend three nights and days learning sword energy, and use the remaining seven to master the Heaven Evading Flash Sword."
At Jaseong's bold words, Baek Cheon-gwang was so taken aback he could only let out a hollow chuckle.
Even he, renowned as one of the three greatest swordsmen in the world during his life, had needed several months to master sword energy.
Yet this wasn't the first time Jaseong had made such an arrogant declaration.
When he had inherited the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique in the past, he had said something much like this.
And then, in truth, he had mastered it in no time at all, leaving Baek Cheon-gwang astounded.
'... But sword energy is on an entirely different level from the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique he learned before. If he fails this time, I'll honestly work him to the bone...'
Baek Cheon-gwang muttered inwardly and started passing down the secrets of sword energy.
"All martial artists use internal energy from their dantian and channel it into their arms or legs. Even a 3rd-rate martial artist can do that. The reason sword energy is difficult is that you have to load your internal energy into an external object."
"To transfer internal energy outside the body..."
"The method's simple. Think of your sword as your own arm. Imagine yourself transmitting energy to your arm, and naturally, your internal power will follow through to the blade."
"Think of the blade as my arm... Like this?"
"Just listen to the explanation first. You won't quite grasp it yet. Have you heard of One with the Sword? The state where man and sword are united. In fact, among seasoned experts, they commonly refer to sword energy as the foundation of One with the Sword. Using sword energy means you recognize the blade as part of your body."
"One with the Sword... Like this?"
"... I said it's not that easy! Why are you so impatient! Finish listening before you move! Recognizing the blade as an extension of your body is moving from a conceptual understanding to practical—?"
Baek Cheon-gwang's steady explanation abruptly halted.
Vmmm!
Baek Cheon-gwang's eyes froze. A faint shimmer of energy was emerging across Jaseong's blade.
Crack!
The leaf on Jaseong's blade shattered into pieces. He had, however weakly, generated sword energy.
"Is this correct?"
"H-h-how in the world..."
"It's easier than I expected."
"Easy...? Sword energy???"
Jaseong's outrageous feat left Baek Cheon-gwang dumbfounded.
How he accomplished such a feat was actually simple.
Saaa—
When he activated the Samadhi Eyes, white currents of energy traced lines through the air.
It was the exact internal energy route Baek Cheon-gwang had used to display sword energy.
Jaseong drew up the Heaven Evading true ki from his dantian and channeled it just as Baek Cheon-gwang had shown—dantian to chest, chest to arm, arms to the palm, palm to the blade.
When the internal power reached the sword, he felt, just as Baek Cheon-gwang had said, as if the blade was his own arm.
'So this is the foundation of One with the Sword: sword energy, where my sword becomes me and I become the sword...'
In truth, sword energy was extremely easy for Jaseong.
Until now, he had used the Samadhi Eyes countless times to control energy.
And for him, who could so keenly manipulate energy using the Samadhi Eyes, sword energy—incited by merely moving energy—was far too simple. Had he not even learned the Celestial Gate Opening Art—the technique no other predecessor executor of Heaven's Mandate could master—in that same way?
'Compared to that, this is child's play.'
Of course, before the Dark Path Duel Banquet, Jaseong couldn't use sword energy no matter how hard he tried.
His internal power had been too low to push his energy out to the blade.
But with his internal power greatly raised by the Humanoid Ginseng, that was no longer an issue.
He could generate sword energy as much as he liked.
"......"
Looking at Jaseong like this, Baek Cheon-gwang was truly at a loss for words.
Even as one of the Three Immortal Swords, it had taken him months to master sword energy—yet Jaseong grasped it in an instant, just from a few words of explanation.
At this rate, Jaseong would genuinely manage to wield sword energy in three nights and days.
'Even the ascended Heavenly Demon didn't have talent like this... Just where in the world did the Sword Immortal pick up such a monster...?'
Baek Cheon-gwang barely managed to suppress his astonishment.
But shockingly, what was to astonish him had only just begun.