บท 15: Chapter 14: Talent Abandoned by the Heavens (2)
I toured four more mid-sized factions in Seokyeong City.
Among them, I lost the sparring matches at Eunryubo and Hwiyeongmun, but won at Gaejubang and Yugwolbo.
Having gained some modest fame, I then visited mid-sized factions classified as part of the unorthodox sects, including the Hoejaeng faction.
"Recently, I heard about a young elite swordsman challenging others to duels throughout Seokyung City. It turns out to be you."
The Hoejaeng faction, known as an unorthodox sect in Seokyung City, greeted me with a hearty laugh as soon as I arrived.
The faction leader of Hoejaeng, an old man with a long beard and wearing a gray robe, seemed like a hermit due to his unique aura. The elders of Hoejaeng also carried a cultivator-like air.
"Unfortunately, I've injured my right arm in the past few days, so I will not be able to spar. Instead, the elders of our faction will take on this challenge."
Following the faction leader's words, a robust-looking middle-aged man with a pleasant smile stood up.
"I am Taek Jeok-yeop, the first elder of the faction, and I will be your opponent."
"I, too, request a good match."
Shortly after, we stood on the sparring stage and assumed our starting stances.
"Let the duel―"
Boom!
"Begin!"
Before the overseeing faction leader could even announce the start, Taek Jeok-yeop charged at me with his saber, initiating the attack.
'So, this is the nature of the unorthodox sects.'
Unperturbed, I infused my sword with energy and countered his attack.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Second Move, Entering Mountain (入山)!
Swoosh!
I ducked under his charging saber in a mid-stance and then, with a low stance, aimed a slash at his lower body.
Whack!
However, Jeok-yeop nimbly leapt into the air, evading my sword, and plunged down with his saber.
'Facing it head-on is dangerous.'
But retreating would only put me under constant pressure.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Eighth Move, Secluded Valley (幽谷).
Whoosh!
Clang!
I countered his saber with my sword, diverting the direction of his forceful strike. The saber, narrowly missing me, made a thunderous noise as it shattered the ground of the sparring stage.
I seized the brief moment right after Jeok-yeop's strike to launch a counterattack.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Fifth Move, Bouldered Cliff (塊巖).
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
I twirled on the spot, like performing a sword dance, creating an impenetrable defense with my sword movements.
Jeok-yeop took a step back to avoid getting entangled and I didn't miss the chance to thrust forward again.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Fourth Move, Flowing Ridge (流陵)!
Boom!
The undulating sword movements, like the ridges of a mountain, surged towards Jeok-yeop.
Jeok-yeop swung his saber to fend off my attack, but the sword energy writhed and snaked its way into his guard.
'Now to finish this off...'
Ffft!
At that moment, something tiny and sharp shot precisely towards my eye.
"!"
I was startled and dodged, retracting my sword.
"A needle?"
It was a tiny needle.
Jeok-yeop had fired it from his mouth, a hidden needle mechanism at his disposal.
"This too is part of my martial arts, so I hope you won't take offense."
Jeok-yeop, with his amiable smile, came at me again with his saber.
I felt refreshed.
'So, the unorthodox sects use many unusual tactics.'
Clearly, based on pure martial arts, Jeok-yeop was several levels below the master of the Hall of Eight Respects.
Had I pressed on with my sword a bit more, I could have disarmed him completely.
But with such unexpected techniques like the hidden needle, his actual combat ability might be higher than that of a righteous martial artist.
'Such experiences, I couldn't have gained them by the side of Young-hoon Hyung-nim.'
He was the best in the world, a noble and upright hero.
Though he was called the Extreme Demon in my past life, it was because he defied cultivators, not because he was sinister.
Thus, sparring with him always involved pure martial artistry, lacking in dealing regarding such unpredictable situations.
Moving forward, my experience would grow through countless duels with unorthodox sects.
'While I wasn't without real combat experience in my past life, it was mostly large-scale battles, confrontations with cultivators, or following Young-hoon Hyung-nim in raiding government offices...'
I hadn't had much experience in such direct confrontations with unorthodox sects, especially not with an elite from the unorthodox sects like this!
Clang, clang, clang!
Jeok-yeop's saber slashed at me three times in quick succession.
At the same time.
Pfft, pfft, pfft!
He continuously shot those barely visible thin needles at me, which was quite distracting.
'Alright, let's end this.'
I decided to play my trump card.
In dealing with such troublesome types, it's best to crush them in one go.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Ninth Move, Landscape Painting (山水畵).
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Sixth Move, Strange Stone (奇石).
Combining six diagonal slashes with variations, I accelerated the sword movements.
Flash!
Six slashing attacks countered both the incoming needles and the saber, finding an opening amid the intermingled variations.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Seventh Move, Deep Mountain (深山)!
I charged into the opening and twisted from lower right to upper left, slashing upwards at him.
Swoosh!
I only sliced his garment, as it was a sparring match, and thus emerged as the winner of the duel.
"Duel, challenger Seo Eun-hyun wins!"
"A good duel indeed. Ha ha."
"I learned much from it."
I respectfully bowed to Jeok-yeop and was about to leave the sparring stage when something happened.
The faction leader of Hoejaeng, stroking his beard, loudly announced.
"Then, let's proceed with a consecutive duel (連戰) right away!"
What?
Surprised, I questioned him.
"What do you mean by a consecutive duel? I wasn't informed of this beforehand."
"Uh? Did I not mention it? I thought I clearly suggested a series of three consecutive duels and you agreed, didn't you? Everyone, you heard me say that, right?"
"Yes, the leader is right."
"I heard it clearly too."
The elders of Hoejaeng unanimously nodded, and I couldn't hide my frustration.
'These people...'
Is this what being part of the unorthodox sects means?
'Did they never intend to let me win and leave?'
"Do you not suppose if I win and leave, I plan to spread rumors about Hoejaeng's dishonor?"
"Don't worry, young one."
The faction leader smiled benignly.
"You'll be slightly wounded in our faction's duel, develop gangrene from the wound, and eventually die. We'll take good care of you, but despite our best efforts, you'll unfortunately pass away."
"You're all mad."
Their way of thinking was entirely different.
"Did you have no intention of letting me leave if I won?"
"Did our Hoejaeng faction ever appear to be a righteous sect to you? We are an illegal organization that has not been officially recognized by the authorities. Coming to an illegal organization and requesting a duel is akin to storming into a bandit's lair."
"...Well."
I just laughed wryly.
"I knew that."
Though the martial world is said to be divided between the Righteous and the Unorthodox factions, it was actually overwhelmingly dominated by the Righteous faction.
Fundamentally, the term 'Righteous faction' refers to martial sects that have mastered the orthodox martial arts. However, in Yanguo, the 'Righteous faction' specifically means martial arts schools that have received official authorization from the government authorities.
On the other hand, the 'Unorthodox faction' signifies groups of warriors who band together to engage in illegal activities.
As such, the Unorthodox faction could never operate openly, unlike the Righteous faction, which always stood in the light. Most unorthodox organizations were not officially recognized or authorized by the government authorities.
Obviously, by conventional standards, my act of requesting a duel with an illegal organization was insane. It was no different from storming into a bandit hideout to challenge them to a duel.
Of course, the martial sects within the city, unlike bandit hideouts, did have some similarities with regular righteous sects, but essentially, they were no different, making my action a bizarre act.
But...
"...However, not all unorthodox factions are crazy illegal organizations. From what I know, some still have a sense of pride as martial artists. It seems Hoejaeng is not one of them."
My intrusion into the unorthodox faction to request a duel was not without thought. Based on information I gathered from my previous life, I sought out unorthodox organizations that maintained the pride of martial sects, and Hoejaeng was one of them.
Twitch―
At my words, the eyebrows of Hoejaeng's leader twitched.
"...Pride doesn't put food on the table. Not doing despicable acts doesn't make a sect prosperous..."
"What I think doesn't matter to you... But those who lack even the minimum pride will remain in the same place all their lives."
"..."
Of course, I could say this because I knew that Hoejaeng would transform into a righteous sect in a few years.
"...Still, it changes nothing. As the dominant force in this area, we have a duty to take care of a fool who dared to request a duel with us."
Click, click, click, click, click!
Excluding the first elder, ten elders of Hoejaeng surrounded me.
"Let's start the second continuous battle!"
"...You talk well."
10 against 1 in a duel?
The thought process of these unorthodox people were ridiculous, but...
'After all, I came here for this.'
I smirked and extended my sword towards the ten elders surrounding me.
"Come at me. I will accept it."
Thus, the duel began.
In Seokyung City, a young martial artist began to make a name for himself. He went to the unorthodox faction Hoejaeng to request a duel and became the subject of ridicule. Requesting a duel with an illegal organization! It was no different from challenging a bandit hideout.
Everyone expected the young martial artist to be found dead the next day.
A day passed, and people speculated that the martial artist had been killed.
Two days passed, and rumors spread that Hoejaeng had killed the martial artist and buried his body beneath their sect.
On the third day, people mourned the death of the young martial artist.
However, on the evening of the third day, the martial artist emerged from Hoejaeng's stronghold, covered in blood.
He then went to an inn, ordered noodles and dumplings, and immediately went to another sect to request another duel.
Later, it was revealed that Hoejaeng had engaged in endless continuous battles with the martial artist. Dozens of Hoejaeng's fighters took turns battling the martial artist, day and night, without rest.
The young martial artist fought all of them, defeating every one of them over three days and nights. Hoejaeng, true to their unorthodox nature, even had those who had been defeated and recovered rejoin the battle, but the martial artist crippled anyone who tried to challenge him again.
Finally, on the third day, all the unorthodox masters of Hoejaeng combined forces to face the young martial artist, but he overcame them all and escaped from Hoejaeng.
Immediately after eating noodles, the martial artist went on to challenge another sect.
The young martial artist's insane actions became the talk of Seokyung city, and he was given a fitting nickname.
The Infinite Fighting Spirit, Seo Eun-hyun!
That was me.
"Slurp!"
After roaming through thirty-three smaller sects in Seokyung city and eating noodles at an inn, I reflected on my experiences.
'Dueling with righteous factions doesn't exhaust me as much as those with unorthodox factions.'
During my last encounter at Hoejaeng, I almost lost my life.
'Those shameless brutes...'
Even Taek Jeok-yeop, who first lost to me, returned to the duel arena after regaining his strength when I became fatigued from continuous fighting.
When their despicable tactics became blatant, I started using underhanded methods too. Pretending to clean my sword, I secretly applied poison from toxic herbs onto the blade.
In my past life, when I became chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance, I had studied medicine and reached the level of a top-class physician and also worked at the medical hall of Fighting Dragon Stronghold. But being a top-class physician also meant being a top-class poisoner. The line between healing and killing was indeed very thin.
Fighting with poison made the battles much easier. As soon as my sword, smeared with poison, grazed any of Hoejaeng's fighters, they immediately collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Eventually, Hoejaeng started using poison against me too. However, I was a top-class physician.
'Their basic and cheap poisons couldn't affect me.'
The poisons used by Hoejaeng could easily be neutralized by antidotes and medicinal herbs I had prepared in advance.
The leader of Hoejaeng, in his fury, gathered all their combatants to keep me captive for three days and nights.
'That mad old man...'
It felt like endless waves of underlings were being thrown at me, as if they had cloning technology. The fighters of Hoejaeng, upon realizing their continuous losses, eventually resorted to openly attacking me with spears and arrows, forming battle formations.
'If I hadn't taken hostages, I would have really been killed.'
In the end, I had to rush at the leader of Hoejaeng, overpower him, and take him hostage to save my life. But even that was not enough, as the elders of Hoejaeng ignored their leader's plight and continued to order my death, forcing me to fight the entire sect on the last day.
'If I hadn't used poison, hostages, stimulants, and narcotics, I would have been dead.'
On the last day, I was so exhausted that I consumed stimulants like a madman. Even after escaping Hoejaeng, I was still under the influence of stimulants, strong enough to request another duel at another righteous sect without any problem.
"Sigh..."
Thinking back on that day, I couldn't help but sigh.
Apart from Hoejaeng, other unorthodox sects were similarly ruthless. Initially, they seemed to agree to a fair duel, but as soon as I won, they forced continuous battles. If I continued to win, the surrounding disciples would draw their hidden weapons and attack me all at once.
In such ways, many unorthodox underlings would drain my strength. I would then consume stimulants, spread poison, and fight back against the unorthodox attackers. When my strength was completely drained, I would flee with all my might. If I had enough strength left, I would fight against the entire unorthodox faction, defeat them, and then leave.
After such a 'duel,' I would take more stimulants and request another duel at a nearby righteous sect. There was no fear for my life in the righteous sects, so it didn't matter whether I won or lost. Afterward, whether I lost or won, I would ask to spend the night at the righteous sect. Inside their premises, I didn't have to worry about attacks from the unorthodox factions, so I could rest peacefully.
In this manner, I roamed through numerous righteous and unorthodox sects in Seokyung city, dueling like a madman. While I was called the crazy lunatic, Infinite Fighting Spirit, by the public, I didn't care.
'I lack talent.'
The path to the pinnacle I seek to reach is impossibly distant for my talent. Therefore, I must constantly fight, crossing the boundaries of life and death. That's how I must reach that realm.
What must one do to overcome a wall without talent?
'Go mad.'
If one lacks talent, one must possess madness. That's the only way for a dullard to behold the same world as a genius.
And so, I ransacked not just Seokyung city but all over Yanguo, visiting numerous righteous and unorthodox sects, dueling relentlessly. Two years passed in this manner.
"It's been a while."
I arrived at our first house in the mountain where I had promised to meet Kim Young-hoon.
Over the past two years, my reputation has spread throughout Yanguo, especially after causing a stir in various sects of Seokyung city. Consequently, the Four Stars Three Demons of Seokyung city even attempted to recruit me, which I neatly declined. Taking on organizational responsibilities inevitably eats into personal time, and with my limited talent, that could prevent me from overcoming the pinnacle barrier in this lifetime.
During these two years of causing chaos, I engaged in duels with the righteous factions and accumulated real combat experience under the guise of duels with the unorthodox factions. There were even times when I narrowly escaped death after being ambushed by bounty hunters in inns, set upon me by the unorthodox factions.
My real combat experience has grown tremendously, to the point where I can confidently claim at least a ten percent chance of winning against any late first-rate expert, regardless of their strength. However...
'I still can't even see the wall of the Pinnacle Realm, let alone reach it!'
How much more do I need to achieve to attain this Pinnacle Realm?
Sighing, I entered the house to keep my appointment with Kim Young-hoon.
"Ha ha, who do we have here if not the famous Infinite Fighting Spirit, Seo Eun-hyun?" he greeted me in martial world jargon.
"...I'm also honored to meet the renowned Young-hoon," I replied with a salute.
"Ah, this Young-hoon title never sits right with me. What's wrong with this world that there's no Kim clan?"
"Well, if you dislike Young-hoon, you might have to be called Geum-hoon instead," I suggested jokingly.
"Tsk, not to my liking," he grumbled.
"What's there not to like, Young-hoon, one of the Three Great Warriors, the Absolute Mountain Saber?"
Indeed, Kim Young-hoon, who had mastered the Record of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts, had reached the status of one of the Three Great Warriors in just two years in this life.
'He's grown even faster than his previous self.'
Could this life's Kim Young-hoon defeat a cultivator?
His martial arts, inheriting the enlightenment that the previous Kim Young-hoon had wrung out of his entire life, were strengthening much faster than before.
'Maybe...'
Yes, maybe he could become even stronger.
"...Enough small talk, let's have a duel after a long time."
"Ha ha, I am honored to face the blade of one of the Three Great Warriors!"
We entered the indoor duel arena and began our duel.
'Ordinary techniques are useless against Kim Young-hoon.'
I began with full sincerity from the start.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, First Move, Transcending Peaks.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Twelfth Move, Seven Lights Emerging from the Peak.
I charged at him, performing a horizontal slash, followed by seven streaks of sword energy beyond the slash.
"Your skills have improved compared to two years ago," he noted.
Whoosh!
Kim Young-hoon, without even drawing his saber, casually swung the sheathed blade and dispersed all my sword energy into thin air.
"But still, it's clumsy."
"I'll have to show you something new."
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Thirteenth Move.
Joy of Mountains and Peaks.
I spun rapidly on the spot, slashing thrice, then raised my sword high and brought it down thrice.
The cross-directional slashes rained down on Kim Young-hoon.
From the thirteenth move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, each one was a technique worthy of being called a 'decisive move.'
'He can't dodge this!'
But Kim Young-hoon, without attempting to evade, extended his sheathed saber and, with a slow, smooth motion, diagonally swept his blade twice from below to above, effortlessly neutralizing my sword energy.
'Then, a strike that cannot be neutralized...'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Fourteenth Move.
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven!
Whoosh!
My whole body's energy greatly intensified.
Majestic internal energy flowed through my meridians and into my sword.
Energy as vast as a mountain, and the heart as vast as heaven!
The originally formless sword energy started to condense, faintly taking shape.
A form of Sword Silk, which should only be possible at the Pinnacle Realm, was forcibly manifested.
I executed the move, slashing diagonally upwards from right to left.
Kuagwang!
Formidable sword energy flew towards Kim Young-hoon.
He raised his sheathed saber and precisely targeted a spot in my sword energy.
In an instant.
Chang!
The intensified sword energy scattered in all directions, dissipating into nothingness.
"..."
I stared at him in disbelief for a moment.
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven had always been my signature decisive technique, capable of splitting any opponent or technique in half with its terrifying power. I believed it would be effective even against peak-level masters. However, seeing it neutralized in an instant by his move brought a wave of frustration I couldn't help but feel.
"Your power is too dispersed. Concentrate your sword energy more intensely into a single intent," he advised.
"...Thank you for the advice."
"Now, it's my turn."
Without giving me a chance to react, he assumed his stance and softly announced his technique.
"Severing Vein Saber, Fourth Move, Mountain Wind."
Swoosh!
It's coming!
I quickly executed a technique to counter 'Mountain Wind.'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Fifteenth Move.
Layered Mountain.
I swung my sword.
The sword energy emitted in one stroke split into three.
Swinging again, the three split into nine.
Swinging yet again, the nine split into twenty-seven.
Continuing to perform the sword dance, I further split my sword energy.
Soon, the space in front of me became densely filled with sword energy, like a thicket of thorns.
Bang!
The thrust of the Mountain Wind, nearly invisible, couldn't penetrate the wall of sword energy formed by Layered Mountains and dissipated.
"Haah... Hah..."
But after executing Layered Mountains, I was drenched in cold sweat, barely managing to stay upright. The mental strain was immense.
Splitting sword energy requires significant concentration.
Turning the energy into hundreds of pieces, forming a wall like a thicket of thorns with Layered Mountains, brought an exhaustion like my brain was melting.
Decisive moves are not named lightly. They are the culmination of a martial art master's extreme concentration and life-long determination.
Ordinary martial arts might contain one or two such terrifying decisive moves. But Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, improved by my previous life's Young-hoon Hyung-nim, had twelve more.
'Insane talent, indeed.'
But this meant that every time I executed a move beyond the twelfth of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I felt overwhelming fatigue. Effective, yes, but exhausting.
With this momentum, I launched into the next technique, charging at Kim Young-hoon.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Sixteenth Move.
Mountain Tiger.
From lower left to upper right.
From lower right to upper left.
Four times each.
A total of eight slashes rained down towards him.
Though similar to the Ninth Move, Landscape Painting, where slashes are scattered in all directions, the move Mountain Tiger concentrated the power of slashes into one pinpoint spot.
Each of the eight slashes had to converge precisely on one point, requiring significant concentration.
"Your lower body is exposed."
However, Kim Young-hoon targeted my legs with a lower stance, completely breaking through the Mountain Tiger.
Whoom!
"Kugh!"
Struck by his sheathed saber, I fell to the ground.
"It seems I've won."
"Yes, congratulations."
I sheathed my sword and stood up, thanking him. His critique seemed to reveal some flaws in my techniques.
For a while, he pointed out my weaknesses and areas for improvement, which I took to heart.
After guiding me in duels for ten nights, he promised to meet again and left.
I, too, set off for my next series of duels.
And so, time flowed like a river, and three years passed.
It's been five years since my return.
Not on the day we planned to meet, but after a duel with a mid-sized sect in Cheongju city, Kim Young-hoon found me.
"It's been a while, Infinite Fighting Madman, Seo Eun-hyun."
"...Kim Young-hoon...Is that you?"
"Haha, it might be a bit awkward. That's the way it is..."
Over three years, my nickname changed from Fighting Spirit to Fighting Madman. My real combat experience increased even more, and my reputation grew. I also increased my underhanded skills like poison and hidden weapons while dealing with the unorthodox factions.
Scars from the past years dotted my body, proving my experiences. But my martial arts level remained the same: still a late first-rate. The wall of the Pinnacle Realm was nowhere in sight.
Yet, the Kim Young-hoon I met again had completely changed.
His appearance was that of a man in his 20s.
'Rejeuvenationl! This means...'
He had already reached the realm of Five Energies Converging to the Origin, a state of youthful rejuvenation.
I felt a tinge of emptiness. While some barely improve their skills after years of relentless real combat, others advance to the next level just by activating their inherent talent.
"Haha, reaching the Five Energies realm rejuvenated my body. I've reached a realm completely different from the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit stage. That's how it turned out."
"What brings you here? Didn't we meet just a year ago?"
We were supposed to meet every two years.
Two years after parting, and then two years again.
We met each time, and it had been only a year since our last meeting.
"Well, after reaching Five Energies, I traveled around Yanguo, challenging various major sects to duels, and realized something."
"What is it?"
"It turns out that I've reached the absolute of martial arts in Yanguo. No one could match even a fraction of my power. So, I thought..."
He made a subtle suggestion.
"Now, as the top martial artist, I plan to run a sect or organization. I'll offer you a position if you're interested..."
"I'm fine as I am now."
He seemed to be caught in the throes of the Wulin Alliance Leader's syndrome.
Accepting his offer would likely land me in a role like an advisor or division head, busy with organizational work. With my reputation and skills being unparalleled compared to my past lives, taking on such roles would make organization management easier.
But...
'I can't afford to have my time taken away for organizational duties.'
While a genius reaches Five Energies Converging to the Origin in five years, a dullard like me barely makes any progress.
Every minute, every second is precious for me to reach the Pinnacle Realm.
Therefore, I cannot allow my time to be taken away.
Facing my curt refusal, Kim Young-hoon sighed and left, a bit downcast. He mentioned that it might be difficult to meet as often once he starts his organization, and added that if I joined him, he could always spar and guide me.
'No matter how good the conditions are, I won't join this time.'
I had already received countless guidance and sparring sessions from him in past lives.
Now, what I need more is a wealth of real combat experience!
Even Young-hoon, my Hyung-nim in a past life, advised me to undergo numerous real battles once I reached the late first-rate.
Joining him now would actually be a loss.
I decided to observe his journey from afar in this life and continued my endless series of duels.
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