“Alright, what will you do now?”
Seo Jinha spoke while shrugging his shoulders.
“Surely, you didn’t improve the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship into a high-tier martial art?”
“Of course not.”
“I suppose so. Basic martial arts have their value precisely because they are the basics.”
Seo Jinha wore a look of regret.
Just as there are clear stages in the ultimate principles of martial arts, techniques also possess distinct levels and limits.
Therefore, an attempt to reform a martial art that only contains simple principles into a powerful technique is no different from completely destroying the existing foundation and recreating a new martial art.
For that reason, it is often a wiser choice to master a different high-tier martial art instead.
“That is only natural,” Bu Eunseol said calmly.
“If you break the principles of an already completed martial art to change its power or form... a clumsy technique that is neither here nor there will be born.”
“Is that so?”
Seo Jinha wore a bitter smile.
“But I couldn't accept that. So, I struggled even more.”
What he had dreamed of ever since he was a child was to break the stages and limits set by martial artists... with his own hands.
Just like the current Bu Eunseol.
“I know what kind of desire you hold,” Bu Eunseol spoke then.
“From now on, practice the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies ten thousand times every day—as slowly and as carefully as possible.”
“What?”
The Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies was a technique included not only in the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship but in almost all third-rate sword styles.
Though it had a grand name, in reality, it was just a sideways swing of the sword. It was closer to a basic movement that could hardly even be called a sword technique.
And yet, he was told to practice that ten thousand times a day with care?
“Are you joking?”
“If you think of it as lightly as a joke, I can raise it to twenty thousand.”
In truth, Seo Jinha’s assessment was wrong.
Bu Eunseol already knew of a swordsman who had defeated high-tier martial arts using only basic sword skills.
By practicing only the basic principles of the Hwa Wu Sword, a master of the sword had won the Secret Sword Tournament within the Hwa Wu Sword Sect, where the leading swordsmen of the time were stationed.
That man was Jingak.
“I understand what you're saying, but...”
Seo Jinha, who had been thinking deeply, shook his head.
“This kind of training is meaningless to me. I have already steadily practiced the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship for ten years. My foundation in the basics of the sword is better established than anyone else’s.”
Seo Jinha thought Bu Eunseol was giving him this training to re-establish his basic sword skills.
“I didn't tell you to practice the basic martial arts; I told you to practice the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies ten thousand times with care.”
“Isn't that the same thing?”
“It is not the same.”
Bu Eunseol turned his body.
“If you cannot feel the difference, you will ultimately fail to defeat the Sect Leader of the Hundred Swords Sect.”
“What did you say?”
“If you don't understand, just do it.”
Bu Eunseol slowly turned away.
“Ten thousand times, as slowly as possible.”
“Slowly?”
Bu Eunseol did not answer Seo Jinha’s question any further and departed.
‘What on earth...’
Looking down at the sword at his waist, Seo Jinha wore a dazed expression.
Though he didn't understand the meaning, Bu Eunseol had never once spoken nonsense. Since he had said it, Seo Jinha had no choice but to believe him.
The Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship consisted of twelve techniques in total, and each technique contained the basic principles of swordplay. It was a common, second-rate sword art found everywhere in the martial world.
Even within such a style, there was no technique quite like the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies. Because rather than a sword technique, it was merely a simple horizontal slash.
The fact that such a grand name—‘Sweeping horizontally to wipe out an army of a thousand’—was attached to a simple horizontal cut was, in fact, meant as a form of mockery.
Whish! Whish!
In the empty lot in front of the thatched hut, Seo Jinha tirelessly practiced the technique of the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies.
Originally, sword techniques were meant to be deployed quickly; if performed slowly, they would not align with the intent of the sword, and thus their true power would not emerge.
This point was especially emphasized in a simple technique like the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies. No fool would ever be hit by such a slow horizontal slash.
Whish, whish.
However, without a shred of doubt, he carefully practiced the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies.
“Seo Jinha.”
Just then, Myo Cheonwoo, who was returning drenched in sweat after finishing his training, slowly approached.
After hearing Bu Eunseol’s advice, he had begun practicing how to control his biological reactions. Now, he had developed that further into training to control his physical responses.
But every time he came down from the cliff, Seo Jinha was practicing the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies in front of the hut. It couldn't help but feel bizarre.
“Why on earth are you doing that?” Myo Cheonwoo spoke with an incredibly serious expression. “I guarantee you, your martial arts will not improve with that kind of practice.”
“Go away, and stop talking nonsense.”
As Seo Jinha glared with sharp eyes, Myo Cheonwoo waved his hands.
“No, really. My practice of making lies successful is over.”
Then he spoke with utter seriousness.
“Do you actually believe it? That legendary anecdote where practicing a single technique leads to the advancement of one’s martial arts?”
“No. I don't believe it.”
“Then why are you doing it?”
Gripping the hilt of his sword tightly once more, Seo Jinha said, “The one I believe in is that guy.”
He had known from the start. He knew that his martial arts would not improve through this training. Nevertheless, there was only one reason he practiced the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies with all his heart.
It was because he trusted Bu Eunseol.
“The one you believe in... is him.”
For a moment, Myo Cheonwoo wore a dazed expression. Then, he wiped his nose and looked at the distant sky.
“I suppose so. It was that single belief that brought us all the way here.”
There was a time when they dreamed of being the best under heaven. There was a desire to rise to the position of the Greatest of the Demonic Path, worshipped by a million demonic practitioners.
However, after meeting Bu Eunseol, all of their dreams changed.
‘I want to stay by his side and see how high he climbs.’
Bu Eunseol was rewriting the history of the martial world and showing an unprecedented speed of martial development. Soon, he would surely surpass the best in the world and reach the realm of the greatest of all time.
‘Isn't his every move our dream?’
Bu Eunseol was realizing and achieving everything they had only imagined—everything a martial artist ever dreamed of. Before they knew it, they found themselves wishing to stay by his side until the end of this long journey.
“Sorry. I spoke pointlessly.” Myo Cheonwoo waved his hand and turned back. “Work hard.”
These men were betting everything on Bu Eunseol and becoming one with each other.
Bu Eunseol’s dream was his own dream.
Seo Jinha’s dream was also his own.
That was why these next-generation masters, each with such strong personalities, could gather together and move toward the same goal.
Finally, it was the third day since Seo Jinha had begun practicing the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies. Since he had entered the initial stages of the Supreme Heavenly Realm, he would be able to sense it himself if his martial level had increased.
However, nothing had changed.
Just as Myo Cheonwoo had guaranteed, truly nothing had changed.
Nevertheless, Seo Jinha was not disappointed.
Rumble.
At that moment, Bu Eunseol arrived, leading Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Do Cheonlin. Seo Jinha watched them and asked without any particular outward sign, “Is everyone's training finished?”
Even if his expression was calm, he couldn't help but feel an inner sense of anticipation. What if there was more training left? Surely there would be another arrangement.
But Bu Eunseol said something unexpected.
“From now on, we must devise a plan to defeat the Sect Leader of the Hundred Swords Sect.”
“A plan?”
“He is a formidable enemy that is difficult to defeat. Were you planning to execute this spontaneously again?”
Seo Jinha scratched his cheek as if embarrassed.
“My entire plan was to grow stronger by training my martial arts. It's not like we're moving an army, so I didn't think there was a need to devise a meticulous plan.”
“The conditions to be considered are just different; even a battle between individuals must be fought meticulously and planned.”
In fact, Seo Jinha knew that much.
However, because famous martial artists generally have well-known tendencies, temperaments, combat styles, and specialized techniques, people didn't usually fight as planned as if commanding a large army.
Especially in the case of a duel, arranging various methods in advance was perceived as somewhat cowardly in the eyes of orthodox martial artists. Planning such things and setting up devices was the work of assassins.
“You must decide for certain from now on,” Bu Eunseol spoke as if he had looked into Seo Jinha’s heart.
“Whether you want to take revenge, or whether you want to shake off the inferiority complex in your heart.”
Seo Jinha wore a dazed expression.
Inferiority complex.
It was a word that accurately described his mental state and was a kind of wound he hadn't even realized himself.
His father, Seo Muwung, was the master of a martial arts hall that taught second-rate sword techniques, and his own martial foundation was also the second-rate art, the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship.
‘I want to soothe my father’s resentment.’
His father was not ashamed of having mastered the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship and took pride in being a disciple of the Emerald Sword Sect all his life.
Seo Jinha had also chosen the Demonic Path because of revenge, but since both those who killed his father and those from the Entrance of Enlightenment were from the Demonic Path, he didn't want to become a demonic practitioner who pursued the Path of Hegemony and used any means necessary.
However, before he knew it, he too was becoming a demonic practitioner who would do anything for the sake of revenge. Had he not tried to massacre the children on Hell Island before the gate even opened?
But being by the side of Bu Eunseol, who maintained the Middle Path and did what was right under any circumstances, his original personality had eventually returned. And he had always wanted to walk the same righteous path as his father.
“It doesn't matter what decision you make.” Bu Eunseol stared intently at Seo Jinha. “From the beginning, I haven't held any of the prejudices that orthodox or demonic practitioners have.”
Despite this, Seo Jinha could not easily speak. While being in the Demonic Path all this time, he had loathed it. The reason he liked Bu Eunseol and could become his subordinate without hesitation was that Bu Eunseol was closer to an orthodox person who only walked the right path, rather than a demonic one.
“I had my suspicions, and it really was true.” Do Cheonlin, who was watching, let out a deep sigh. “That guy, he wanted to walk the path of the orthodox.”
If he even felt a sense of rejection toward analyzing the enemy's abilities in advance and devising a battle plan? In reality, his convictions were no different from the renowned heroes among the orthodox who didn't employ even a hair's breadth of scheming.
“I...” Seo Jinha lowered his head, having nothing to say.
But then, Myo Cheonwoo chuckled. “What’s wrong with walking the path of the orthodox?”
“What?”
“There’s even a Command Lord here who is called Righteous Within Demonic.” Myo Cheonwoo grinned and pointed toward Do Cheonlin with both hands.
“And there’s also a Corps Leader from the Martial Soul Society who leads the wanderers between the orthodox and demonic paths.”
Do Cheonlin’s cheeks turned red and blue with anger. But those words were not wrong. The moment he entered under Bu Eunseol’s command, the distinction between orthodox and Demonic had... long ago been thrown to the dogs.
“I'm sorry for making you worry,” Seo Jinha bowed his head after gaining a great realization. “I think I've been thinking wrongly all this time.”
Bu Eunseol was also someone living for revenge, just like himself. He didn't care about things like orthodox or Demonic. It wasn't about what was right or wrong; he walked the path he believed was right.
If so, he also had to make a decision. What path he would walk, and what beliefs he would hold as he moved forward.
“Bu Eunseol, in truth, I followed you for the sake of revenge at first.” Seo Jinha spoke honestly. “Because once your information network was complete, I would surely be able to find Yeop Jeok-hwa, who killed my father.”
Then he lowered his head.
“The reason I accepted without hesitation when you suggested the Shadows was not for you, but because I calculated that I could obtain the true energy you mastered and move the information network you command.”
Seo Jinha wore an apologetic look. “Everything was calculated. I'm sorry.”
“You always have a tendency to blame yourself,” Yoo Unryong, who had been listening silently, said then. “Where in the world is there a person who doesn't weigh the pros and cons?”
“But...”
“And if you were truly a calculating person, you would never have risked your life to play the role of someone else's shadow.” Yoo Unryong shrugged. “It’s the same for us. We each entered under his command with our own hidden purposes... but before we knew it, it turned out like this.”
They each had their own purposes. However, staying by Bu Eunseol’s side, they had unknowingly come to resemble him and eventually followed him with all their hearts.
“Yes, that's right.” Seo Jinha nodded.
Bu Eunseol never forced anyone to follow him. It was just that those around him naturally came to follow him. So now, Seo Jinha had to be honest too.
“I tried to take revenge, and I also tried to sincerely help you. While I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps, I always wanted to be like you.”
Seo Jinha, having finally organized all his thoughts, spoke. “But now I have definitely decided on the path I must go.”
Taking a deep breath, he said, “For this time only, like my father, like a renowned orthodox hero... I will take my revenge fairly and squarely. And after that.”
Seo Jinha spoke with an incredibly serious and passionate voice. “I will cast off the shackles of being a martial artist and follow you with my everything.”
In short, Seo Jinha was saying that he would be an orthodox person only until he took his revenge fairly and squarely. And after finishing his revenge, he would not only break down the boundary between orthodox and Demonic like Bu Eunseol but would also remain his vassal and subordinate for the rest of his life.
“I am not someone who can stay in the martial world for long.”
“If you become a merchant, I will pick up an abacus; if you become a beggar, I will pick up a bowl.”
It was a crude but ultimate oath of loyalty.
As if he were about to say something, Bu Eunseol soon shook his head and changed the subject. “Anyway, if that's what you think, we should do the final training in the orthodox way.”
Bu Eunseol looked at Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Do Cheonlin. “From now on, we start sparring with each other.”
Then he spoke in a low voice. “The period is six days. During that time, exert all your capabilities and try to strike each other down.”
They had all surpassed their limits in a short period and were in a state of having increased their martial power. It was a situation where it was impossible to tell who was superior, as they were all worthy opponents for one another. Through sparring, they would become even stronger in a short amount of time.
Afterward, Seo Jinha began sparring alternately with Myo Cheonwoo, Yoo Unryong, and Do Cheonlin.
As they sparred, he was able to realize one surprising fact.
While his martial power did not increase just by practicing the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies ten thousand times, he had become able to perform his sword techniques stably.
All this time, he had been unable to break his childhood habit of trying to perform the Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship as powerfully as possible. No matter what sword technique he performed or practiced, instead of the original form, he would constantly apply changes so that it would be more powerful and more precise in its own way.
However, by performing the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies slowly and mastering one technique according to the textbook, he became able to focus on the original principles of the sword form.
Although performing it by the book did not make it more powerful or flashier than using variations, it became as solid as a fortress, devoid of gaps and stable.
‘This is why he made me practice the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies.’
If he had continued to practice difficult sword forms? He would have constantly thought in his head: ‘How can I make the power stronger? How can I change it to make it better?’
However, the technique of the Horizontal Sweep of a Thousand Armies, which was a simple cutting motion, was so simple and concise that it didn't even require a single distracting thought. Ultimately, Bu Eunseol had perfectly grasped Seo Jinha’s tendencies and personality and assigned this training.
‘I was trapped in a frame I created myself all along...’
The more Seo Jinha sparred, the more he gained realizations and his sword art developed rapidly. He had always thought that agility was important in everything and that techniques became stronger the more they were changed.
However, after fighting Myo Cheonwoo, Yoo Unryong, and Do Cheonlin, he finally realized.
They always engaged in strategic combat, and beneath the surface of their adaptable techniques lay solid and stable martial arts as support.
“I was unable to let go of my inferiority complex all this time.”
Seo Jinha had been proud of his father and hoped to one day defeat strong opponents with that Cloud-Gathering Swordsmanship. Because of that, he had no choice but to be buried in variations and improvisation... and he had been feeling a sense of rejection toward stable and orthodox martial arts.
‘It starts now.’
He had always devised strategies spontaneously and had never performed orthodox techniques. However, through this sparring, he began to change gradually. He built the foundation of his martial arts by repeatedly practicing techniques and analyzed the enemy's habits.
Then, he began to absorb and master even the tactics and strengths of Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Do Cheonlin.
The limit-breaking Myo Cheonwoo had become a ghost that controlled his biological reactions and poured out palm power that annihilated everything without a single trace.
Yoo Unryong, who had always insisted on perfect, calculated strategy, was now performing a sensory martial art like a beast that moved after smelling blood.
Whish! Whish!
Do Cheonlin, who had perfectly analyzed his own strengths and weaknesses through introspection, developed his Blood Flame Blade style once again to the extreme, completing a defensive form where a strike that cuts down a great mountain immediately returns the moment an attack is poured out.
To counter this—and to face the Sect Leader of the Hundred Swords Sect—Seo Jinha was identifying all their strengths and weaknesses and using tactics tailored to them.
Swish! Pah!
In the blink of an eye, Yoo Unryong’s Ten-Section Staff pierced a vital point like the teeth of a beast. The moment a flaw was discovered, reflexes faster than light automatically fired the Ten-Section Staff.
In the meantime, a subtle attack without any trace came in.
It was Myo Cheonwoo’s Silver Flame Palm Method. Because it was an attack as natural as breathing in and out, Seo Jinha was struck by the palm power without even knowing why.
Struck by the palm power, he flew through the air like a severed kite. Even though no internal energy had been injected, the power of the Silver Flame Palm Method was so strong that the impact felt as if it would shake his Protective True Qi.
‘An attack must come without any warning or omen.’
Thud.
Seo Jinha, who had been thrown, was standing right at the feet of none other than Do Cheonlin. The moment he was hit by Myo Cheonwoo’s palm power, he had deliberately let his body float further to approach him intentionally.
Swoosh.
Capturing Do Cheonlin’s opening, Seo Jinha, while lying on the ground, unleashed a single sword strike like lightning. It was a domineering sword style that seemed to combine Myo Cheonwoo’s ghost-like movements and Yoo Unryong’s beast-like attacks.
Nevertheless, it was Seo Jinha who flew back again. Do Cheonlin had already predicted all his attacks and unleashed an immediate counterattack through the Blood Flame Blade style.
‘If you cannot perfectly predict the enemy's move, you deliberately reveal an opening like this to induce a predictable attack and then counter.’
Boom.
In the end, even in today's sparring, Seo Jinha failed to win and ended up sprawling out on the ground.
“You’re fast.” Just then, Yoo Unryong spoke to him as he lay flat on his back, reaching out a hand.
“The path a person takes when they admit their own weaknesses and learn... is different from when they don't admit them.”
Ultimately, Bu Eunseol not only knew all about Seo Jinha’s inferiority complex, his longing for his father, and his desire for sword techniques, but he had also created a training method for how Seo Jinha could kill the Sect Leader of the Hundred Swords Sect, Majeon.
While inducing the three men to break their limits, he also made sure Seo Jinha could absorb and develop all three of their combat methods.
“Yeah, I get goosebumps sometimes too.”
Grip.
Seo Jinha, who stood up again while holding Yoo Unryong’s hand, let out a sound and stumbled for a moment. Seeing that, Myo Cheonwoo asked, “Are you going to stop?”
Then, Seo Jinha shook his head and raised his sword to a middle guard again. “No, there’s only one day left now, isn't there?”
Bu Eunseol said they would spar for only six days. Only one day remained. During that time, Seo Jinha had to build the skill to kill Majeon fairly and squarely with his sword techniques.
***
Deep within Mount Cheonra, famous for its rugged terrain. In a valley surrounded by cliffs on all sides, there was a sheer precipice known as the Thousand Men Cliff.
A thick mist hung below the precipice, making it impossible to even know what was down there, and a sharp, ominous wind, like the whisper of a Reaper, was always blowing.
As the sun set, five shadows climbed the sheer Thousand Men Cliff. Their physiques were sturdy, but their appearances were very ordinary. It was Bu Eunseol, Seo Jinha, and the others wearing human-skin masks.
“Use this before going in.” Before entering the Hundred Swords Sect, Yoo Unryong distributed the pre-prepared human-skin masks to them.
“Using transformation techniques consumes internal energy. For hiding your identity for a short period, there’s nothing as good as a human-skin mask.”
Techniques like the Face and Bone Shifting Art have the disadvantage of constantly consuming about ten percent of one's internal energy. If it's a transformation for a short while, especially ahead of a battle, it's a better choice to wear a veil or a human-skin mask.
“The only way to enter the Hundred Swords Sect is through a secret passage hidden between these cliffs.” Yoo Unryong spoke, pointing to the distant cliff on the opposite side.
“However, that passage is invisible and cannot be found even with super-senses. Therefore, only those who have received permission from inside the Hundred Swords Sect can enter.”
At his explanation, the eyes of Seo Jinha and the others turned cold. Not to mention Bu Eunseol, who had reached the Realm of the Transcendent Origin, Seo Jinha, Yoo Unryong, Myo Cheonwoo, and Do Cheonlin each possessed the martial power to single-handedly annihilate an ordinary small sect.
And yet, all five of them had gathered here to wipe out the Hundred Swords Sect.
“Do you guys really have to go together? Aren't you busy lately?” Seo Jinha looked at his companions with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“Can't you hear me?”
Despite his awkward expression, they didn't even pay attention. Instead, with grim expressions and sharp eyes, they were staring into the thick fog.
In truth, this matter was not a power struggle or a mission, but Seo Jinha’s own personal revenge.
However, here was Bu Eunseol, the great master of unmatchable martial arts who fought without backing down even against the supreme powers of the world.
There was Yoo Unryong, the successor to the famous Majeon Manbak Hall Lord, Baek Jeoncheon, a genius of divine calculations and the creator of the Ten-Section Staff.
Myo Cheonwoo, the genius of combat who crushed formidable enemies with only his bare hands and created the Silver Flame Palm Method that even melted iron.
And Do Cheonlin, the prodigy of the Blood Flame Blade family who had long been tapped as the next Lord of Majeon, now leading a wanderer task force and chilling the hearts of the world's heroes with his blade techniques.
As such, since the new generation of masters representing the Demonic Path and young leaders all set out to strike the Hundred Swords Sect... it had become a grave incident that would shake the power dynamics of the martial world, something that could no longer be called Seo Jinha’s personal revenge.
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