Chapter 220: Chapter 220

Heavenly Realm

Afterwards, I continued my meditation training under the Sword Demon’s guidance. As two or three months passed, I began to sense a change.

‘I think I’m starting to get it…’

It felt like my willpower was breaking through a boundary! There was an indescribable Formless Flow subtly enveloping my body. Or rather, should I call it a thread? The thin strands seemed to spiral around as I moved, wrapping gently around me.

When I first felt that sensation, I told the Sword Demon, and he responded,

“Looks like you’ve finally caught on.”

“Is that thread my Intent?”

“Correct. But I trust you know it’s not Qi, right?”

“Yes.”

The Sword Demon settled down in the Sparring Arena to explain.

“The thread wrapping around you is your Defense Instinct.”

“Defense Instinct?”

“The Intent isn’t uniformly wrapped, is it? The amount and density varied by body part, right?”

I pondered. Just as he said, I remembered threads tightly coiled around my head and heart, while my limbs were loosely wrapped.

“That’s absolutely right.”

I nodded in agreement. The Sword Demon pointed to my heart with his index finger and continued,

“You’ve trained to defend vital points while honing your supreme martial arts. Therefore, the more critical a Vital Point is, the more focused your will becomes on it. Isn’t it natural to defend your acupoints and vital points during a fight?”

Realizing his point, I asked,

“Does that mean Intent shows how much I consciously care about defending?”

“Exactly. Well, it’s not just that.”

In other words, it implied that the parts I was more concerned about defending are wrapped with threads of my Intent more tightly. The Sword Demon continued,

“Actually, this is something every first-class level master feels instinctively. Deciding where to defend and where to expose is a fundamental skill for a master, isn’t it?”

“Ah!”

“The Intent you’ve felt has made this clearer for you. If your level improves further, you might even be able to see someone else’s Intent.”

“Hmm…”

“However, realizing and using your Intent isn’t where it ends. Now that you’re aware of it, you must move on to the next stage.”

What could that next stage be?

I focused on the Sword Demon’s words as he said,

“Move the threads of your Intent. When you can do that, you can say you’ve grasped Intent.”

“Understood.”

As soon as I heard the Sword Demon’s words, I plunged back into meditation. Focusing my mind intensely, I saw the strands of Intent wrapping around my body as before. I tried to move those strands according to my will, but oddly, nothing happened.

‘Why isn’t it moving?’

Recalling that these threads represented my Defense Instinct, I attempted to concentrate on various body parts differently, but still, there was no change. The threads remained still. After spending a whole session trying, I slumped down, exhausted, and the Sword Demon chuckled,

“Not moving, huh?”

“Yes.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“That’s because simple will and Intent are different things. A mind refined to its limit enforces its will upon the world, which is Intent! It’s entirely different from just moving the self as you think in your head.”

“……”

If I had been early in my training, I might’ve thought this was nonsense. However, after close to half a year of meditation, I understood what the Sword Demon meant. Earlier, while perceiving the threads of Intent, I felt something was ‘bridging’ between me and this boundary that couldn’t be expressed in terms of geometry. It was clear that this ‘boundary’ existed, and I had to surpass it to wield Intent.

I sighed heavily.

“Ugh… this is really difficult. Is it true that the top masters in the Jianghu realize this all by themselves?”

“Those with talent grasp it naturally, and those without it gradually awaken under a teacher’s guidance. There are a few who figure it out during a fierce battle, but that’s very rare. That’s why the teachings of renowned schools are so esteemed.”

Saying that, the Sword Demon looked at me peculiarly.

“I wonder why your own master didn’t pass down Intent to you… he must be quite the master.”

“……”

“Everyone has their reasons. In any case, if you keep going like this, you’ll eventually grasp Intent stably.”

“When do you think that will be?”

“It depends on you.”

I had a rough estimate of when that might be. While receiving lessons from the Sword Demon, I had been diagnosed for about three years of training, and considering the time for this life’s training, I knew I had a solid two years left to grind through.

‘About two years…’

I had rolled for decades in the path of martial arts. No matter how boring meditation was, there was no way I couldn’t endure two more years. Instead, focusing my mind to achieve progress quickly seemed crucial.

So, four more months passed. I had grown accustomed to meditating daily like a plant. During the whole day of focused concentration, I gradually found myself moving the threads of Intent, and recently, I could somewhat feel a reaction between my Intent and inner strength.

The Sword Demon was surprised when he heard of my achievement.

“Faster than I expected!”

“Really?”

“I thought it would take a year to move the threads. But you’ve done so in a short time, so it seems you’ve unconsciously wielded Intent many times.”

“……”

So far in my life, I’d fought in countless battles, easily beyond hundreds. During that time, I must have unconsciously used Intent without realizing it.

‘Did that previous experience expedite my progress in meditation practice?’

The Sword Demon laughed heartily and congratulated me.

“Very good! Soon you’ll have a superb sparring partner!”

What?!

I knew very well what kind of disaster could happen during a spar with the Sword Demon. I had previously lost an arm when he suddenly got angry mid-battle! He generally had a laid-back personality, but when he entered combat, he transformed into a ferocious beast.

So, I quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, the Eight Devils Assembly will be coming up soon.”

“Hmm. I was just about to talk about that.”

The Sword Demon looked at me calmly and said,

“This Eight Devils Assembly will be held in the Capital Luoyang

.”

The familiar place name shocked me.

“Isn’t Luoyang the base of the Douma and the Shura Sect?”

“Correct. That Douma has pushed for it adamantly.”

The Eight Devils Assembly being held in Luoyang meant that the head of the Heretical Sect would gather in the capital. Moreover, Luoyang was a city where the Golden Eagle Guards and Dongchang held significant power, and it was the stronghold of the six great sects known as Twin Gate Sect. Having known this backdrop from my previous life, I was astonished and said,

“There are several powerful sects in Luoyang, stronger than the Shura Sect. Golden Eagle Guards and Dongchang as well. Are you really going to hold the Eight Devils Assembly there, despite the risks of conflict with them…?!”

No matter how secretly they gathered, if things went a little awry, it could turn into complete chaos!

The Sword Demon smiled wryly.

“Hah! As you say, a foolish choice indeed. But because of the bait brought forth by that Douma, everyone has no choice but to gather.”

“What is that bait?”

“……”

The Sword Demon fell silent before speaking.

“White Lotus Sect.”

“……!!”

White Lotus Sect!

As that name resurfaced, I felt my consciousness waver. It was a name that haunted my previous life like a curse and wouldn’t fade away. However, the Sword Demon continued, seemingly unfazed by my fear of the White Lotus Sect.

“The Dharma Protector of the White Lotus Sect has expressed a desire to join forces with us. It’s not a proposal we can dismiss lightly, so we’re going to listen.”

In that moment, I clenched my fist tightly. If that Dharma Protector was Yongbi Cheon from the Wind Divine Sect, it would mean facing our sworn enemy in Luoyang! Regardless of which side, a massive pressure loomed before me.

At the same time, I found it strange.

‘I barely impacted the Jianghu in this life. Though I rescued prisoners on Dae Ryeok Island, that was always the norm. But if things go as planned, does that mean the Sword Demon has attended the Eight Devils Assembly in Luoyang in every life?’

That didn’t seem quite right.

The Sword Demon showed no signs of concern whatsoever.

I found something odd, so I asked him,

“Master, isn’t it true that you could refuse to attend this assembly? It seems risky to participate…”

The Sword Demon stroked his chin and replied,

“Hmmm. Normally, I would refuse. I would have rather demanded a different location or ignored it. I have no interest in crawling into a tiger’s den. But this time, I’ve decided to take a bit of a risk.”

“Why?”

“Not only did you rescue my daughter, but you’ve also become a valuable asset to our forces, haven’t you?”

“Uh…”

As I stammered, the Sword Demon smiled brightly.

“If it were just me, I’d have my limits, but with you alongside, I feel assured. I believe we can gather plenty of information from the assembly.”

The Sword Demon decided to trust me and participate in the Eight Devils Assembly!

At that moment, I finally understood how things had unfolded.

‘Originally, the Sword Demon would have ignored the assembly and simply waited for a chance to deal with that Douma. But now that I’m the Dharma Protector of the Shadowless Gate, he’s gained the confidence to peer into the White Lotus Sect’s secrets.’

I had inadvertently changed the course of history.

Feeling this unexpected turning point, I was flabbergasted. Was I really going to get involved with the White Lotus Sect even while simply trying to train? Of course, I believed the information I could gather from this incident would be invaluable, but I wasn’t thrilled about it.

‘In this life, I just want to focus on training. I also want to avoid putting the Sword Demon in danger because of the White Lotus Sect.’

The more I got caught up in conspiracies, the less time I had for training. No matter how precious the information, I had painfully realized that without strength, it would be useless. And thinking I already knew enough about the White Lotus Sect, I began to consider refusing to attend the assembly.

What should I do?

How can I stop the Sword Demon from attending the assembly?

‘Ah, I got it.’

As I pondered, I finally spoke to the Sword Demon.

“Master, actually, I’ve gained some mystical sword techniques after learning from my master. Would you like to see them?”

“Hmm? You have such techniques?”

“Yes. I obtained them from a relic left by a legendary figure, but I can’t quite grasp their mystery.”

As soon as my words ended, I started demonstrating the sword techniques of the Wudang Sect, specifically those from the renowned Jin-In.

Papapapat!

Starting with the Nine Palace Sword and the Heavenly Bamboo Sword, I unfolded all the techniques except Unmatched Strike, and it barely took a single Shijin. The Sword Demon watching my demonstration looked at me in shock.

“That’s…!!”

I played it cool and said,

“Do you think practicing this will help me reach the stage of Intent?”

“Of course! Where did you acquire those techniques?”

“That’s…”

I started to make excuses again. Then, the Sword Demon showed a troubled expression, saying,

“Hmmm… then I have no choice. Let’s ignore the Eight Devils Assembly this time.”

“Is that alright?”

“In return, let’s research your techniques together.”

The Sword Demon was a true martial genius and a hardcore martial artist. He would never let pass such an opportunity. To him, practicing techniques was a monumental matter compared to any White Lotus Sect nonsense.

“Yes.”

Internally, I felt a surge of success in my plan.

I didn’t just manage to cancel the Sword Demon’s trip to Luoyang using the bait of the Wudang Sect techniques, but I also gained the rightful opportunity to research the techniques with him!