“Who’s the brat? Never seen him before.”
At the man’s question, Wang Geol replied in a low rumble.
“He’s the child chosen as the Successor of the Ten Demonic Sects.”
“The Successor… is that so?”
The bearded man looked at Bu Eunseol, a strange smile playing on his lips.
Ziiiing.
In that instant, Bu Eunseol felt a bizarre resonance, followed immediately by the crushing sensation of a massive iron weight pressing down on his entire body.
Formless Energy.
Having already experienced the Formless Energy of the Sword Demon, Wi Hyeok-gun, Bu Eunseol instantly recognized the suffocating pressure radiating from the bearded man.
Vooom.
A brilliant light ignited in Bu Eunseol’s eyes. Simultaneously, a whirlwind of presence surged from his body, deflecting the crushing force that descended upon his head. The miraculous cultivation art, the Polarity Reversal Cultivation Art, was circulating True Energy endlessly to protect him.
“Oho.”
The bearded man let out a gasp of surprise. “You’ve built up quite the internal energy. To block my presence with sheer cultivation…”
Though Bu Eunseol felt pain akin to a mountain crashing down on his shoulders, he kept his back rigid and unbending.
“Don’t test him unnecessarily,” Wang Geol growled, his face contorted in a scowl. “The boy has only been here for two months. Besides, the Deputy Pavilion Master brought him in personally.”
“Don’t worry. He doesn’t seem worth testing yet, anyway.”
The bearded man looked down at Bu Eunseol and smirked.
“He’s only grasped the basics of internal energy; he hasn’t learned a damn thing else.”
“……”
“I wanted to see him dodge, but to think he’d just stand there blankly and try to resist.”
He wanted to see me dodge?
As Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow, the man turned away abruptly, as if he had lost interest.
“If he’s the Successor, I suppose I’ll have to see him again eventually.”
Muttering these cryptic words, he waved a hand at Wang Geol.
“Take good care of my blade. I’ll be back in three days.”
“Three days isn’t enough. Come back in four.”
At the blacksmith’s retort, the man simply waved his hand again without looking back, trudging away.
“Who is that person?” Bu Eunseol asked, showing rare curiosity.
The Formless Energy the bearded man had unleashed was on a level that didn’t pale even in comparison to Wi Hyeok-gun, the Sword Demon.
“None of your business.”
Wang Geol, who usually answered questions freely, avoided the subject this time.
“It’s late.”
Muttering under his breath, the blacksmith grabbed the massive saber from the table and disappeared into the back of the forge.
***
Perched on the edge of the sheer cliff, Hyeol Geum-gang frowned as he listened to Bu Eunseol’s account.
“A master of the Trailblazer Squad wielding a Great Saber.”
Bu Eunseol described the bearded man he had met before climbing Iron Palm Peak.
“Did he have a spiky beard covering his face?”
“He did.”
“His name is So Jeon. His moniker is the Swift Plundering Great Saber. He earned that name because he wields a massive blade with terrifying speed and agility.”
Hyeol Geum-gang narrowed his eyes. “He is the Captain of the Trailblazer Squad.”
“I see.”
Masters capable of manifesting Formless Energy were rare even in the Murim. Bu Eunseol had already guessed the man was the squad captain, but Wang Geol’s attitude remained a puzzle.
Being a Squad Captain isn’t such a grand secret. Why did he say it was none of my business?
“From now on, cease all interest in him.”
Fortunately, Hyeol Geum-gang explained the reason immediately.
“So Jeon… not only is his martial art strong, but his personality is exceedingly eccentric. Furthermore…” He paused, shaking his head. “He holds a strange conviction that everyone in Wolf Fang Pavilion must be a superman.”
“A… superman?”
“Correct.”
Hyeol Geum-gang’s gaze turned sharp as he looked at his disciple.
“In the past, he has beaten several young disciples who entered the Pavilion to death. He claimed they lacked the strength or talent befitting Wolf Fang Pavilion.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Bu Eunseol understand Wang Geol’s reticence.
He was worried I might be beaten to death by that man.
Recallling So Jeon’s sneer, something hot surged in Bu Eunseol’s chest.
Does he think he can kill someone like me whenever he pleases?
Bu Eunseol clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. Since entering the Murim, the type of person he despised most was exactly the kind So Jeon represented: those intoxicated by power who believed they could dictate the fate of others.
His eyes grew as cold as the chill flowing from an ice cave.
“Elder.”
Having made a decision in his heart, Bu Eunseol spoke. “Is there no way to avoid an invisible presence?”
“Are you speaking of Formless Energy?”
“Yes.”
After learning the Way of the Beast, Bu Eunseol could dodge surprise attacks or predict incoming martial arts techniques. However, against Formless Energy, which manifested without any prior physical movement, he was helpless.
“Formless Energy is, literally, just presence. The only way is to emit a powerful presence that rivals it, or to create an astral barrier with your internal energy.”
Hyeol Geum-gang’s gaze grew subtle as he studied Bu Eunseol’s eyes.
“Surely, you don’t intend to fight So Jeon?”
“Even if I do not wish it, he will come looking for me.” A flash of light sparked in Bu Eunseol’s dry eyes. “Under the pretext of a ‘test’.”
Hyeol Geum-gang sighed.
“The Trailblazer Squad Captain is a figure who stands shoulder to shoulder with the supreme masters of the world. I acknowledge your talent is exceptional, but facing him in the near future is impossible.”
“I do not intend to fight him right now.”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes were burning like fire.
“But if someone tests me, I will test them in return.”
It was a statement bordering on arrogance—no, it was pure hubris. Had anyone else said it, Hyeol Geum-gang would not have been able to suppress a sneer.
But with this rascal… it feels like he truly means it.
Bu Eunseol’s obsession always had a way of making others’ hearts race. Hyeol Geum-gang was no exception.
“If that is your mindset, then we cannot leisurely practice only cultivation arts.”
Having made up his mind, Hyeol Geum-gang spoke with a lighter expression.
“Looking at your current progress, reaching the Third Stage won’t be in the distant future. That means we must now use our time more wisely.” He stared piercingly at Bu Eunseol. “From now on, learn the Cultivation Art from me for half the day. For the remaining time, you must learn Movement Arts and Footwork.”
“Movement Arts and Footwork…”
“Correct. If you learn those two properly, at the very least, you won’t be killed by another’s hand.”
Hyeol Geum-gang paused, looking up at the distant sky.
“In truth, I intended to pass down my own Movement and Footwork arts to you soon. Learning the arts I practiced would help you understand the Polarity Reversal Cultivation Art more deeply… However,” he trailed off, shaking his head as he looked back at Bu Eunseol. “What you need right now is not the mastery of the Polarity Reversal Cultivation Art. You must complete the foundation of martial arts as soon as possible.”
Though there was no wind, Hyeol Geum-gang’s robes fluttered. His internal energy was naturally manifesting through the resonance of his spirit.
“Elder.”
Bu Eunseol bowed his head deep. Even though they had not formally established a master-disciple bond, Hyeol Geum-gang always considered and worried about his future. It was a favor that could not be bought with a thousand pieces of gold.
“If you go to the end of the West Garden of Wolf Fang Pavilion, there is a path leading up to the Serene and Enlightened Terrace.”
“The Serene and Enlightened Terrace…”
“Yes. Built there is a place called the Serene and Enlightened Tea House, where one can drink tea.”
Hyeol Geum-gang cast his gaze toward the far sky and spoke in a low voice.
“Starting today, go there and practice your Movement Arts. We will resume cultivation training after you have learned them.”
Bu Eunseol asked with a puzzled expression. “You mean… I should learn Movement Arts at a tea house?”
“Correct. Originally, the Serene and Enlightened Terrace can only be ascended by masters of Movement Arts… but in this situation, it cannot be helped.”
“I do not understand what you mean.”
“You will understand when you go.”
Muttering cryptic words, Hyeol Geum-gang spoke in a voice that was both serene and solemn.
“Because there, resides the greatest master of erratic and unparalleled Movement Arts in all of Wolf Fang Pavilion.”
***
The West Garden of Wolf Fang Pavilion.
If one walked straight past the beautifully manicured flower garden, a small trail leading into the deep forest appeared. After walking along the path for a long time, Bu Eunseol stopped, frowning deeply.
“This is…”
The path had been cut off, and in front of him lay a vast lake with no end in sight.
“Are they telling me to cross this?”
Scattered across the lake were pieces of wood, floating as if someone had thrown them there intentionally. However, the wooden pieces drifted erratically on the water’s surface, and the distance between them was far too great.
“Even if the logs were closer together, it would be impossible.”
To cross the lake by stepping on drifting wood, one would need to be a grandmaster of Movement Arts capable of Treading Duckweed, Crossing Water.
“Hmph.”
Bu Eunseol let out a groan and looked around. The river water was deep, and there wasn’t a single boat in sight. To reach the location of the Tea House, he had to cross this water somehow.
“Surely they don’t expect me to build a boat.”
After pondering for a moment, Bu Eunseol took a deep breath.
Splash.
Without hesitation, he plunged into the lake and began to swim.
Splutter. Splash.
He had never properly learned how to swim. However, thanks to his relentless physical training, he managed to propel himself forward somehow.
Huff. Huff.
But as time passed, Bu Eunseol’s limbs grew heavier. Swimming consumed far more stamina than he had anticipated. As he fought the current without rest, he felt his breath becoming increasingly short.
Haa. Haa.
The land visible across the water seemed just within reach, yet no matter how hard he swam, he couldn’t seem to get closer.
Huff. Huff.
When he reached the point where he could no longer lift a finger, Bu Eunseol stopped moving.
Inhale.
Taking a long, deep breath, his abdomen began to expand. Floating comfortably on his back, he began to circulate True Energy through his meridians. Thanks to the breathing techniques of the Sutra of Changing Tendons and Washing Marrow, he could cultivate energy in any posture.
Strange.
As he cultivated while lying in the water, he felt a peculiar sensation, as if his internal energy was deepening.
Instead of getting harder, it feels like new strength is welling up.
Humans are beings where the body, qi, and spirit exist independently. Martial artists strive to unify these three through cultivation arts, which is also known as the state of Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit. Bu Eunseol had focused his mind and pushed his body to its limits solely to cross the river. As he began to cultivate in the tranquil water, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit gradually merged into one.
Flash!
A mysterious light glimmered in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he finished his circulation.
Is it this late already?
He thought he had only cultivated for a moment, but the sun was already setting.
“Let’s go, quickly.”
Splash.
As he began to swim again, Bu Eunseol’s body shot forward as if cutting through the lake. He was naturally using his internal True Energy as he moved his hands and feet to cleave the water.
Swish. Whoosh.
Using internal energy, his body propelled forward several times faster than before. Finally, he arrived on the shore that had seemed unreachable.
“Moving the body requires unity not just with the spirit, but with the flow of True Energy.”
Profound and mysterious.
Bu Eunseol had stumbled upon a practical application of martial theory that usually took masters decades to grasp, purely by chance.
“To think internal cultivation could be this profound.”
He had swum at full power for nearly an hour (half a shichen), yet he wasn’t tired at all. At this rate, he felt he could swim for three days and nights without issue.
“This is…”
Walking along the path, Bu Eunseol’s steps halted once more.
“A rock face this time?”
Blocking the dead end was a rock wall of dizzying height, seemingly piercing the sky. If he were a master of Lightness Arts, he could have used Soaring with Qi, stepping on protruding sections to ascend. But Bu Eunseol, having learned absolutely no Movement Arts, had no way to climb it.
—Originally, the Serene and Enlightened Terrace can only be ascended by masters of Movement Arts…
Recalling Hyeol Geum-gang’s words, Bu Eunseol sighed.
Only now did he realize the true meaning of those words.