Chapter 93
Thus, Jaseong spent several months training the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword in seclusion.
He confined himself to his personal training yard inside White Fragrant Pavilion to cultivate in isolation.
During that time, the Sword Demon sat in the corner of the training yard, continuously meditating.
Watching him, Jaseong was suddenly struck by a question.
'Has there ever been a time when an executor of Heaven's Mandate remained manifest in the world for so long?'
Previous executors such as Baek Cheon-gwang, Hong Gukyul, or Dongfang Hwabin only stayed for a few days at most—sometimes just a few hours—before returning to the Immortal Realm.
But the Sword Demon was different.
He had already stayed in Jaseong's training yard for several months.
It was as if he were an executor with special qualifications.
Another peculiar thing—Sword Demon seemed to have no lingering attachments whatsoever to the world.
He poured all his energy into meditation, entirely focused on finding inner peace.
"You are quite different from the other executors of Heaven's Mandate. Don't you miss being in the world?"
At Jaseong's question, the Sword Demon slowly opened the eyes he'd kept closed.
A deep darkness lingered in his gaze.
"Not at all."
"Why is that...?"
"Because everything that happened to me in this world was hollow and futile."
"..."
Sword Demon replied in a subdued voice, carrying the weight of a deep backstory in his eyes.
Curious, Jaseong pressed further.
"Sword Demon, I heard you hail from the Black Star Sect, one of the seven major sects of the Evil Path Association."
"..."
"They say you were the greatest genius in Black Star Sect history, but left for some reason... What was that reason?"
This was a secret that junior martial artists in the martial world had been speculating about for centuries.
There had been countless rumors throughout the land:
That Sword Demon had stolen a miraculous manual and fled, or that he left to create his own sect, and so on.
But nobody knew the real answer.
"The reason I left the Black Star Sect..."
Sword Demon's expression grew more somber.
Then, for the first time, he spoke words he had never uttered before.
"Do you have any liquor, by chance?"
... Alcohol?
Jaseong couldn't help but be taken aback.
Sword Demon, who had only ever meditated, was now suddenly asking for alcohol.
"If you need it, I'll get you some. But why the alcohol all of a sudden...?"
"Please get a smooth, clear spirit. It was her favorite."
It was another string of puzzling words.
Jaseong nodded for now, then stepped outside the training yard.
Right then, waiting by the yard's iron gate was the young boy brought from Wandering Warrior Village in days past—Cheon Kang.
"Greetings, leader!"
Cheon Kang greeted him with a bright smile.
Working as an errand boy at White Fragrant Pavilion, and learning martial arts from Lee Rin and Gu Janghu, he had gained a new presence.
"Have you finally finished your secluded cultivation?"
"No, not yet."
"Ah... This one's going on a bit longer than usual."
"More importantly, I need something right now."
"Please tell me."
"Bring me a few bottles of Jiannanchun."
"Huh...? Alcohol?"
Though Cheon Kang looked puzzled, he soon brought the liquor without a word, as instructed by Jaseong.
Jaseong went back to Sword Demon with the bottles in hand.
But when Jaseong entered the training yard—
"...?"
Sword Demon was building a small cairn in one part of the yard.
A few wildflowers were placed in front of it as well.
"You brought good liquor."
Rather than drinking it himself, sword Demon poured the Celebratory Wine over the cairn.
As though paying honors to someone departed.
"You said you were curious as to why I left Black Star Sect?"
"That's right."
"In life, I had a lover."
... A lover?
For a man so obsessed with the sword that he earned the title Sword Demon, to have feelings for someone—it was an unexpected answer.
"She was the daughter of the Feng clan, one of the most prestigious righteous families. Quite the opposite force from the sect I belonged to."
There was a note of longing in Sword Demon's voice.
"To keep my promise to her, I deserted my school and went to the Feng clan. Together, we tried to leave the mundane world behind and live peacefully. But..."
"?"
"The martial world did not let us go."
A cold anger colored Sword Demon's voice.
"The top experts of the Murim Alliance and the Evil Path Association pursued us. Calling us both traitors to our respective factions. And as a result of that manhunt, she lost her life."
"...!"
"At the time I thought I had lost everything, the Sword Immortal visited me. He appointed me as an executor of Heaven's Mandate and bestowed upon me the Heaven Evading Way."
Sword Demon stared at the cairn and continued.
"On top of the martial skills from Black Star Sect, I manically trained the martial arts of the Heaven Evading Way. Then, under the name Sword Demon, I roamed the world, striking down insatiable absolute experts. For her revenge, and to fulfill Heaven's Mandate."
Hearing this, Jaseong felt his situation was similar to Sword Demon's.
He, too, was walking this path to avenge his eldest brother, sister-in-law, and nephew.
"But... I failed in the end. I was killed with her enemy right before my eyes."
Sword Demon's voice fell bitterly.
"... Even an expert like you failed to fulfill Heaven's Mandate? I can hardly believe it."
Jaseong's bewilderment was genuine.
Given Sword Demon's realm, there should have been hardly anyone in the Central Plains who could match him. Just who managed to stop him?
"Did you know? There are those in this world, aside from us executors of Heaven's Mandate, who are protected by the Immortal Realm."
"... Protected by the Immortal Realm?"
"You've heard tales, haven't you, of those who gain fortune and become supreme experts?"
Jaseong nodded.
There were many legends of people in the martial world who met with miraculous fortune—elixirs, spiritual beasts, divine implements, legendary manuals—thus becoming unrivaled.
"They don't realize it, but that fortune is granted to them by their ascended ancestors or seniors in the Immortal Realm."
"...!"
"For example, there are three Heavenly Demons in the Immortal Realm right now. The First, the Fourth, the Seventh. They grant opportunities to those with the right talent for the cult's revival. By sacrificing the lifespan they accumulated in the Immortal Realm."
"That's...!"
"So, no matter how much we executors are protected by the Sword Immortal, it's not easy to complete Heaven's Mandate. In fact, our battles in the world are really a proxy war between ascended immortals."
"...!"
Jaseong's eyes went wide at the astonishing truth revealed by Sword Demon.
Until now, he had thought he was simply fighting for revenge and Heaven's Mandate.
But the truth was, he was caught in an even greater cosmic struggle.
"So remember this, successor. Never grow complacent for a single moment. The instant you rest confident in your strength, an even greater expert may appear. Train unceasingly; never halt, but keep growing stronger. Only then can you reach the end of Heaven's Mandate."
Sword Demon spoke with a chilling gaze.
Jaseong silently nodded, etching those words in his mind.
* * *
After that, Jaseong continued his isolation training, relentlessly practicing the basics of the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword with a heavy blade.
Forgetting even the passage of time, he focused solely on the blade.
The result: eventually his body became completely accustomed to the incredible weight.
Whoom! Whoom! Whoom! Whoom!
Even without true ki, Jaseong could now mimic the mysteries of Speed(快) with the heavy blade.
Though it wasn't at the supersonic speed shown by Sword Demon, he could at least replicate the basic form.
Seeing this, sword Demon finally unfolded his legs and stood up.
"The time has come."
"?"
"Put down the Sword Immortal's blade now."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Now use your own sword and true ki to perform the basic moves of the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword."
At Sword Demon's words, Jaseong couldn't believe his ears at first.
Then, all at once, his heart thundered with excitement.
At last, his training was entering a new phase.
Srrrng—
Jaseong drew the sword at his side, the one that his eldest brother and sister-in-law had given to him.
After swinging the huge blade for so long, the regular sword in his hand now felt almost weightless.
It was like holding a feather.
Swaaa—
Drawing the sword at his belt, he immediately activated Samadhi Eyes.
This was necessary to move his true ki along the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword's meridian path, as Sword Demon had taught him.
'... Will it really go well?'
Assuming the stance for the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword, Jaseong felt a bit anxious.
He had spent countless hours ingraining the forms and movements using the blade of the Immortal Realm.
But did that brute-force method really help?
Would all that perseverance finally shine at this moment...?
But the moment Jaseong executed the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword technique with true ki and a regular sword—all his doubts vanished in an instant.
Shushushushushushu—shuk!!!
Something astonishing happened, even to Jaseong himself.
His sword released sword energy simultaneously at all twelve directions before him.
A fantastic sight, as if twelve swordsmen were thrusting their swords at once.
He had reproduced the supersonic thrust demonstrated by Sword Demon in the past!
"......!"
Jaseong held his breath, stunned by the sight he had produced himself.
His eyes widened in amazement.
Sword Demon, by contrast, finally gave a satisfied smile.
"That is enough. While you haven't mastered it fully, you've achieved it to about thirty percent."
"How is this even possible...?"
"Keep training. Once you truly master it, the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword is an ultimate move with no equal under heaven."
With a dumbfounded expression, Jaseong could only nod.
With that, the air split apart and a beam of light poured down before Jaseong's eyes.
Sword Demon's time for passing on the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword had ended.
"It is time for me to return now. Successor."
Sword Demon spoke with equanimity.
"If I may give you one last piece of advice—"
"?"
"In life, I wandered the world alone. I trusted only in my own strength and fought alone. But... that was an arrogant mistake."
Regret tinged Sword Demon's words.
"Trusting only in my own power, I failed to fulfill Heaven's Mandate. Worse, I was killed by a hundred righteous experts right in front of her murderer."
"..."
"Successor, be sure to build your own forces. You seem to be doing well already, but to fulfill Heaven's Mandate, you'll need even stronger allies and power."
As those words ended, sword Demon's form slowly faded.
A halo of light enveloped him as his movement vanished completely.
"Thank you for your advice. Let's meet again someday."
Gazing at the spot where Sword Demon vanished, Jaseong murmured softly.
Then, dragging his weary body, he left the training yard.
Step—step—
Having finished his seclusion, Jaseong's body felt heavy as if weighed down by boulders.
That was the price of having done nothing but madly train, subsisting only on stale rations.
'But... I've become so much stronger. With this newly mastered ultimate move, the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword, if I ever face the disciple of the Heavenly Demon again... Could I defeat him next time?'
Clenching his fist, Jaseong muttered to himself.
He was itching to use the Heaven Evading Shadow Annihilation Sword as soon as possible.
Just then—
"Sir!"
A beautiful woman with skin as white as dumpling wrapper and big, bright eyes approached.
It was Lee Rin.
Behind her came Gu Janghu as well.
"You've finally finished your seclusion?!"
Lee Rin's face was filled with joy.
Jaseong smiled.
"Yes."
"Wasn't this round of secluded cultivation way too long? What sort of enlightenment did you gain this time...?"
"I'll show you in time. But how about you two? Have you been diligently training while I was away?"
At Jaseong's question, Lee Rin nodded with a broad smile.
Confidence sparkled in her eyes.
"Of course! Thanks to the nursemaid's guidance, I finally broke through the wall."
"What...?"
Jaseong looked at her in surprise.
To hear she had broken through that barrier was hard to believe.
The next moment, Jaseong instinctively activated Samadhi Eyes.
Right then—
'... Lee Rin's intention has become incomparably finer than before.'
Her pure-white intention spread all around like a spiderweb.
It was proof she had become a peak expert.
"I'm the same, leader. I broke through as well."
Gu Janghu shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
Just as he said, his gray intention was also weaving a spiderweb around them.
'Both of them have grown tremendously.'
Jaseong couldn't hide his amazement.
Sure, he had made elixirs for them with Heaven Evading Alchemy,
Sure, they had been through many practical fights with numerous experts,
But for them to reach the peak at such a young age?
It was a clear testament to their extraordinary martial talent.
'... Sword Demon said so. That to reach the end of Heaven's Mandate, I'd need the help of others as well... With Lee Rin and Gu Janghu, I can count on my rear being protected.'
Jaseong smiled quietly at the thought.
Just then—
"Leader."
Now, fragrant Hyang-I appeared at the end of the hallway, wearing a red silk skirt.
"You've finally finished your secluded cultivation."
"Yes. Nothing happened in the meantime?"
Before entering seclusion, Jaseong had warned Hyang-I to report only after his cultivation ended, unless it was exceedingly urgent.
Otherwise, he could lose the thread of his martial breakthrough.
Luckily, thanks to Hyang-I's exceptional skills, the Ansun branch had operated smoothly even in his absence.
However...
"?"
Why was it?
Unlike Gu Janghu and Lee Rin, Hyang-I was approaching with a serious look on her face.
"Leader. Something unexpected has happened in the martial world."
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Will there be a time where Jaseong will ascend to the Celestial World?
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】