Chapter 219: Chapter 219

Heavenly Realm

I could sense that my training process was flowing similarly to the past. The Sword Demon, being a master of swordsmanship, quickly figured out my current martial arts level and status after sparring a few times. He concluded that I needed to consciously handle my Qi.

“Alright, let’s start the hell training.”

Of course, if I took this literally, it would result in a month of grueling physical and spiritual exhaustion with no gains—just like before. I had already seen the futility of such meaningless training once. So I quickly said to him,

“I’m not exceptionally talented. How about we try Seated Meditation instead?”

The Sword Demon tilted his head.

“Hm? You’re certainly capable, aren’t you…?”

“……”

“Well, if that’s what you want, then you should. Better than I would know your own condition, right?”

Then, just like before, he taught me the forms of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique while guiding me in meditation training.

Seated Meditation wasn’t just about sitting still and focusing your mind. Unlike the meditation performed by disciples of Buddhism or Taoism aiming for enlightenment, the Seated Meditation taught by the Sword Demon resembled a training that unified the mind while concentrating intensely on a single point. Once I closed my eyes, I couldn’t see anything, yet within that darkness, I could distinctly observe my own Self.

Hooouuu…

As Qi unconsciously flowed from my body, the Sword Demon said,

“Conceal your Qi.”

“I apologize.”

As I hurriedly lowered my aura, he continued with his explanation.

“You’re clumsy at hiding your Qi. Although your inner power surpasses that of a human, it means you lack the technique to control it. And without mastering your own Qi, it’s unlikely you’ll easily reach the level of consciousness.”

“I will take note.”

“Focus.”

I thought about piercing through a point in the darkness. Strengthening my concentration while reducing my reliance on Qi, raising my pure essence to the extreme—that was the essence of Seated Meditation.

‘How can I completely conceal my Qi?’

The state of completely hiding one’s Qi was called Return to Simplicity. Only experts, like those in the realm of Law Protectors, reached this level. I had a feeling those masters could readily hide a level of inner power like mine without much effort.

After two more Shin periods of Seated Meditation, I asked the Sword Demon,

“I have a question about Return to Simplicity.”

“I suspected you’d ask something like that. What exactly are you curious about?”

The Sword Demon seemed to see right through my thoughts. I nodded and asked seriously while sitting,

“Is hiding one’s Qi also a technique of consciousness?”

“Partly correct, partly wrong.”

The Sword Demon looked at me with deep-set eyes and explained.

“The ability to conceal Qi can indeed be enhanced by consciousness. However, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that this technique embodies the essence of Return to Simplicity. It’s distinctly a different level.”

“Please explain.”

“Ha ha, many masters would risk their lives to hear this explanation.”

Finding amusement in the situation, he slowly extended his index finger. As my gaze focused on it, the Sword Demon slowly spoke,

“Only the utmost masters in the Martial Arts World can completely hide their Qi through Return to Simplicity. So, why do you think this state occurs?”

“Um…”

“Since Qi would be so powerful as to overflow, it should be normal for it to spill over.”

“That sounds difficult.”

I hadn’t really thought about it. As I pondered, the Sword Demon began explaining calmly.

“Well, it’s due to [concentration].”

“Concentration?”

“Exactly. When Qi reaches the extreme point, it concentrates and converges on a single point for maximum efficiency. It’s hard to say it’s the Dantian, but perhaps we could call it a primary point of focus… From that focus point, it can explosively release its true energy automatically.”

That was quite a difficult explanation. However, I somehow felt I understood, so I nodded along.

“If the power is dispersed throughout the body, it results in significant waste.”

Concentration over dispersion.

Hearing my response, the Sword Demon smirked.

“Precisely. Moreover, when Qi rises to its peak, it actually burdens both mental strength and physical strength. The human body instinctively tries to protect itself from that immense Qi pressure. Therefore, leading the massive Qi to focus on one point is a means of efficiency.”

“Hmm…”

While the Eight Extraordinary Vessels don’t impact the body significantly, having an enormous inner power like that of Return to Simplicity probably didn’t help either. It was not wrong to say that too much could lead to overflow.

“Ultimate masters use this phenomenon, allowing their consciousness to control it more easily. As a result, the Qi gets completely trapped within meridians, so not a single thread escapes to the outside, leading to the state of Return to Simplicity.”

I didn’t understand completely, so I asked the Sword Demon,

“I can’t feel that focus point…”

“That’s because your inner power is so formidable compared to your control. It’s an issue of technique, different from mental strength. Your inner power is not built through normal training, so it’s rather difficult to tame it.”

With that, the Sword Demon tapped my shoulder with a wooden sword.

“In other words, once you acquire consciousness, you’ll find it easy to fully control your Qi and reach Return to Simplicity.”

“I understand.”

I realized that the benefits of attaining consciousness were substantial.

Until now, I had intentionally hidden my inner power using the techniques from the Hwa Family, but if I could fully control it using consciousness, that wouldn’t be necessary. Should I attain the state of Return to Simplicity, it would greatly reduce the troublesome effort.

But after two more months of repetitive meditation training, I realized a critical issue.

‘This is so boring…’

No matter how much I focused my mental strength on Seated Meditation, there were limits. Humans are ultimately animals, and sitting still is even harder. Just sitting there focusing hour after hour was an excruciating ordeal, especially for someone like me with little experience in such training; it felt like my mental energy was dissipating more and more.

Realizing my restlessness, the Sword Demon spoke up.

“Have you developed some respect for the monks now?”

“Yes. They are truly remarkable individuals.”

How can they wake up at dawn and spend decades doing something so mind-numbingly boring until night?

Crack, crack!

I shuddered, and the Sword Demon laughed.

‘He’s a surprisingly jovial guy.’

I hadn’t seen this side of him the last time we trained together. I could tell that he held a great fondness for me. Perhaps it was because I was a benefactor to his daughter and showed sincerity in my training efforts.

At that moment, Seo Mun-hye came into the training room carrying a large tray of snacks.

“It’s break time. Please eat while you rest.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The variety of snacks wasn’t great, but everything was fresh and precious, hard to come by for a commoner. It seemed they had bought a plot of land to cultivate fruits specifically for the Shadowless Gate. The Sword Demon picked up a fruit and munched on it while saying,

“Hye, do you like Baek Woong, the Law Protector?”

“Eek.”

I was startled by the Sword Demon’s sudden question. Then Seo Mun-hye lightly smiled and answered,

“Yes.”

“Seems so, Baek Woong.”

“……”

What do you mean by that?!

But I couldn’t say anything. The Sword Demon’s gaze was indifferent yet seemed to carry a mix of playfulness and an indescribable pressure. I hadn’t spoken about this directly, but it seemed he secretly wanted me and Seo Mun-hye to end up together.

‘What to do…’

I wasn’t surprised, but somehow the issue popped up faster than I anticipated. If I trained here in the Shadowless Gate, my martial arts would definitely improve, but someday the Sword Demon’s pressure might force me to marry Seo Mun-hye.

Some might say I’m greedy to complain in such a situation, considering I’m not exactly handsome myself while Seo Mun-hye is a stunning beauty with silver hair and a top-tier martial artist as the successor of the Sword Demon. Marrying her would essentially mean I could easily rise to a position leading the Jianghu Martial Sects.

But I didn’t want that. My only desire was for improvement in martial prowess, and marrying Seo Mun-hye seemed like an unbearable burden.

‘No, I don’t want to lend my feelings to others anymore.’

While I’ve shared a deep connection with Mangnyang and Miho, it’s still hard to manage.

‘What if I develop feelings… and can’t protect Seo Mun-hye?’

Even now, I can still visualize Mangnyang’s miserable end due to my blunders. The failure of Miho, who died while trying to protect me, was also etched in my mind. The mental shock I experienced back then was enough to drive a normal person insane or drastically alter their personality.

What if I were to connect with Seo Mun-hye and lead a blissful life?

I might find happiness. No, I would surely be that way. I could have children and live joyfully.

But such a scenario is impossible in this life. As long as I pursue my goals, I cannot avoid death. Additionally, abandoning someone dear and failing to fulfill my responsibilities as a husband to die would shatter my mental state.

Moreover, deep in my heart, there’s only room for Miho. After pledging my affection and love solely to Miho, the thought of bonding with another woman is inconceivable. Though it may seem a foolish notion only I maintain, I do not wish to bond with anyone else but Miho.

In that moment, I made a decision.

After achieving consciousness, I would leave the Shadowless Gate whenever the opportunity arose.

Just then, Seo Mun-hye came beside me and said,

“Baek Woong, why do you wear such a troubled expression?”

“Ah? Seo Mun-hye… um…”

Seo Mun-hye smiled and took my hand.

“If you have worries, please share them with me. You’re now part of the Shadowless Gate family, Baek Woong.”

“Uh… um…”

In that instant, the Sword Demon sent me a stern message.

[ Speak up! Tell me your trouble! ] n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“……”

This pressure felt like it could create trouble where there was none. I confirmed again that the Sword Demon greatly treasured Seo Mun-hye as his only daughter and cleared my thoughts. Then, slowly, I spoke to Seo Mun-hye.

“Do you know that the Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade is in the hands of the Twelve Rat Clan?”

“……”

“……”

At that moment, the atmosphere chilled. The Sword Demon, who had been half amused watching me flirt with Seo Mun-hye, suddenly turned serious, his expression hardening. Seo Mun-hye’s complexion also paled slightly. Then, with a heavy voice, Seo Mun-hye asked,

“Baek Woong, how do you know this?”

The Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade was the winning prize of the previous Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament. It was rumored to hold a supreme martial art that could rival the greatest weapons, which was why Seo Mun-hye participated in the tournament. However, I recalled hearing that the Twelve Rat Clan had won it just as my fourteenth life was ending.

“I heard about it from the pirate leader when rescuing Seo Mun-hye. He seemed to have a link to the organizer of the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament

and knew its whole backstory.”

I quickly made up my answer. Luckily, it seemed like I worded it in a way that raised no suspicions, as the Sword Demon replied gruffly,

“Humph! That Douma will surely pay for what he’s done at the next Eight Demon Assembly.”

“Eight Demon Assembly?”

“Anyways, continue speaking. Why did you just bring this up, Baek Woong?”

The Sword Demon stared at me, and I calmly continued my story.

“I can’t help but be curious about the supreme martial art hidden within the Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade. It’s said that the blade is not very conducive to a high-level martial artist’s training, and I’ve never heard of a weapon possessing a hidden martial art. That’s why I’m mulling over it.”

“Ah… that…”

Upon hearing my words, Seo Mun-hye seemed at a loss. She appeared to be fumbling about what to say. Unable to bear her hesitation, the Sword Demon interjected,

“Hye, you should take your leave for now.”

“Yes, Father.”

Seo Mun-hye slowly exited the room. As silence took over, the Sword Demon looked at me and said,

“Baek Woong, she already shared that story with me. I also learned about the martial art of the Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade while gathering intel on the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament.”

“Did you manage to find out?”

“Indeed. But it sounded so absurd that I didn’t pay much attention to it.”

Saying that, the Sword Demon chewed on some fruit and continued,

“… There are rumors that the Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade can manipulate time and space.”

“Really?”

I responded incredulously, to which he shrugged nonchalantly.

“I heard that once you unravel the black cloth wrapped around the blade, both time and space go haywire. That Douma probably thought it was the Spirit Sword’s secret ability, but many believe it’s actually a martial art of sorts. The idea of a supreme martial art capable of manipulating time and space spread rapidly because of that.”

“Understood.”

“Baek Woong, we’ll discuss this later. The Zi Ling Yan Moon Blade isn’t particularly needed for the Shadowless Gate right now; what’s more important is the upcoming Eight Demon Assembly.”

Curious, I asked him,

“What exactly is this Eight Demon Assembly?”

“You should know. This is the Eight Demons of Martial Daos leader’s meeting.”

“I’ve never heard of such a discussion while traveling the Jianghu.”

Hearing that, the Sword Demon gave a wry smile.

“Countless Jianghu People would want to take the head of the Eight Demons of Martial Daos chief. If anyone found out the location of the meeting, there would be overflowing numbers attempting to invade.”

“Ah…”

“The next Eight Demon Assembly will be in five months. I need you to improve your skills by then and accompany me to the meeting.”

Feeling embarrassed, I said,

“My skills cannot even compare to yours.”

It seemed absurd for me to be his escort. The Sword Demon waved his hand dismissively.

“Haha, it’s not like that. Stop being so modest. I truly believe I’ll need your strength.”

I sensed something significant in his tone and asked,

“Is there a possibility of a violent conflict…?”

The Sword Demon nodded, saying,

“Specifically, it’s my intention to incite one.”

“……!!”

I felt an undeniable killing intent in the Sword Demon’s gaze. Though it wasn’t directed at me, the intensity of it made me flinch involuntarily. He was indeed the unrivaled master of the Martial Arts World and the leader of the Shadowless Gate, Seo Mun-dae Ryong.

“Because of that Douma’s actions in the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament, Seo Mun-hye became a slave to the pirates. I will rip him apart at the Eight Demon Assembly, scour his body for his limbs, and punish him with the same fate.”