Chapter 59

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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Release of Force referred to the method of emitting cultivation power.

In other words, it was the method of using the power accumulated in the body.

As such, in the martial arts of prestigious righteous sects, the release of force and the routine were like one body; without a routine, releasing force was also impossible.

However, just as there were no clear formulas for the release of force in the Tai Chi Sword Manual, there was also no clear routine.

That was likely the reason why the Tai Chi Sword Manual had remained an incomplete martial art, sleeping on the shelves of the Wonseong Repository.

It was just that in the sword manual, the mental imagery and intent were organized into formulas.

The main formula of the Tai Chi Sword Manual was to feel the true qi as it was and communicate it through the sword.

‘If I can just organize this properly.’

Feeling that a plausible formula could be formed, I recalled the first formula of the Tai Chi Sword Manual.

-The heavens operate with strength, qi flows on its own, responding to Yin and Yang, and uniting with the Five Elements.

The heavens operate strongly, so energy flows on its own, responding to Yin and Yang and uniting with the Five Elements.

Just like any other secret manual, it was a sort of introduction and the fundamental reason for creating the martial art.

‘A single law that integrates all energy into one. The endless branching theories to explain that law.’

It was a formula that could be interpreted as meaning that the Tai Chi Sword Manual was also one of those theories, or it could also be felt as a will to integrate all those theories into one.

Fortunately, since the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art was an internal art formed based on Maxwell’s (Pulse extreme four positions) electromagnetism, there existed a formula to bind together the Yin-Yang dipoles, as well as the various forces divided into the Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, and Sixty-Four Trigrams, into one.

Circulating the Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art, I recalled the formula that followed.

-Gathering leads to creation, scattering leads to extinction; riding the wind and flowing with water, without stagnation or obstruction.

When energy gathers, it arises, and when it scatters, it disappears.

If you ride the wind and follow the water, there is no blockage.

It meant that if one felt the energy as it was and utilized its properties, it would flow continuously without interruption.

‘It means to conform to the flow of the fluid.’

I intuitively interpreted the expression that was hard to visualize.

As the formula began to be interpreted, the path came into view.

Both wind and water were things that flowed (fluid).

Going against the downstream current would naturally result in a repulsive force, which was both logical and common sense in physics.

‘Could the routine of the Tai Chi Sword Manual, which has no routine, be the flow of qi itself?’

I swung the sword.

Following the flow and texture of natural qi exactly.

This was possible because the sensitivity of the Tai Chi Diagram Exposition showed the turbulently swaying flow of natural qi.

No wind arose around the blade that followed the texture of true qi, nor did it affect the flow of true qi; it simply harmonized into one with that flow.

A non-existent routine was formed.

Of course, the current routine could not actually be called a routine.

I had simply read the flow of qi and ridden upon it.

There was no set form.

For in the natural qi of Shaolin’s Mount Song, there would be Mount Song’s routine, and in the natural qi of Wudang Mountain, there would be Wudang Mountain’s routine.

Who could call a routine that had no fixed form or stance a routine?

However, since a sword path had been formed through harmony with natural qi, the next step was the circulation of true qi.

Following the flowing sword formulas, the intent of the Tai Chi Sword Manual danced in my head.

-Absorb qi at the mysterious pass, circulate qi through the extraordinary vessels, govern through non-action, and transform according to the situation.

Receive qi through the mysterious pass, circulate qi through the extraordinary vessels, govern with non-action, and change according to the situation.

The mysterious pass referred to the primary acupoints of the entire body.

One did not communicate with energy only through breathing.

Open the acupoints of the entire body to receive natural qi.

It was not easy at first, but as the situation of feeling the flow of true qi through the sword like a delicate sensation at my fingertips continued, it felt as though the pores of my body were opening little by little.

The Primal Chaos Tai Chi Art resonated with the formulas of the Tai Chi Sword Manual and began to throw open the acupoints of my entire body.

Thus, I became one with the true qi that was received.

Receiving the constantly flowing natural qi, I circulated it along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

Just as a flowing river ran without stopping toward the sea, the cultivation power that gathered after turning and circulating filled the Qi Ocean of the lower dantian and condensed into the inner core of the middle dantian.

It was not energy that I had governed by my own will.

It was just that the natural qi had moved on its own.

‘Is this what governing through non-action means?’

As the meaning of the formula clung to my body, the sword path changed to become softer; the awareness of myself as an existence called ‘I’ grew faint, and it felt as though I was being assimilated into the surrounding true qi.

My senses spread far and wide.

I could feel the soil that formed the ground of the mountain temple, the ancient trees of the thousand-year-old temple rooted beneath the soil, and the wind brushing past the leaves hanging at the ends of those ancient trees.

It felt as if I was becoming one with the space where the true qi flowed.

At the same time, I could tell.

‘The sword force can resonate with the true qi.’

Along the sword path moving according to the texture of true qi, the flow of true qi grew fierce and sword wind arose.

Along with that, a change appeared.

The flow of true qi was being assimilated into the sword path.

Beyond me being assimilated into the true qi, the true qi was being assimilated into me.

While maintaining that sensation, I gently swung the blade around my body.

With a rustling sound of grass leaves brushing against each other, the wind drew a circle.

The sword tip, resembling the movement of the stars, rotated around my body and raised a massive wind.

As the true qi received through the mysterious pass flowed fiercely along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the sword wind clinging to the sword tip and the flow of true qi were also fiercely assimilated along with it.

Following the routine, I had generated a sword qi force wave.

Just as I had loaded fist wind onto the straight punch of Tai Chi Chuan, sword wind arose on the blade and the true qi seized control of the domain, meaning a sword circle was formed.

‘ (Transform according to the situation).’

Transform according to the situation.

Suddenly, I conjured an imaginary enemy.

The murderous gestures of the Blood Selling Cult fanatics I had faced when I first entered the Jianghu, the bandits who wore monkey masks while brandishing strange weapons and spraying poison, the Mount Hua Sect’s Plum Blossom Sword Art I had clashed swords with in the mountains… to the killing sword of the Young Spirit Slayer, and even the water skill achievements of the Great Sage Who Overturns Seas.

I countered with the sword the ultimate techniques of those I had faced so far.

I deflected the strange weapons and scattered the poison with the sword wind.

I softly parried the killing sword and confronted the water skills with a sword qi force wave.

‘For a shearing sword strike, I will block the sword path by pressing down, and for water skills that govern fluid like one’s own hands, I will sweep them away with a sword qi force wave.’

In my upper dantian, the counter-methods were organized one by one like a book.

The blade was assimilated with the true qi, generating a sword qi force wave.

Because I moved the sword according to the flow, I could freely respond to the opponent’s movements.

It was striking second to control first.

In order to respond to the opponent’s initiative according to striking second to control first, flexible thinking and routines were required.

In addition, the fast techniques of the world’s various sects generally had fixed targets, forming routines by connecting the starting point and the target point in a straight line.

To be more precise, it was a form in which the force manifested at the force point formed in the center of the body was transmitted through the fulcrum holding the weapon, and finally released at the action point at the end of the weapon.

What was the most effective way to counter such a straight, strong strike?

‘The midpoint of the routine. Shaking the fulcrum.’

What was needed to accomplish that was…

Since one had to circulate true qi and swing the sword softly without blockage…

It was softness overcoming hardness.

In addition, to maximize efficiency, the stress originating from the lower body was condensed as much as possible to maximize the release of force through body rotation.

It was deflecting a thousand catties with four ounces.

As the essence of the Tai Chi Sword Manual was embodied, true qi like a mirage formed at the tip of the sword.

After frantically writing down answers different from when I had faced opponents with unarmed strikes and hand-to-hand martial arts, what I finally arrived at was, first of all, five characters.

‘Stirring, lifting, pressing down, splitting, and sweeping away.’

The three essences of the Tai Chi Sword Manual melted into the five formulas for releasing force.

“Phew.”

The sword path and wind, which seemed as if they would flow endlessly, subsided, and I bent the sword-formula fingers that had been placed against the blade.

The dense cultivation power that had wavered on the ordinary steel sword was also withdrawn into the lower and middle dantians.

Even so, I could not relax my expression.

This was because the formulas in the latter half of the Tai Chi Sword Manual were abstruse.

‘They cannot be interpreted intuitively.’

-Emptiness and fullness coexist, spirit and energy harmonize; movement and stillness rely on each other, and all things are born and extinguished.

Although the formula meaning ‘Emptiness and fullness exist because of each other, and spirit and energy achieve harmony; movement and stillness rely on each other, and all things are constantly born and disappear’ swirled through my head, I kept my body still.

If emptiness was what was empty, fullness was what was filled.

What was filled had mass, and what was empty was a vacuum without mass.

In physics, mass was another form of energy.

Just as water flowed from a high place to a low place,

Energy also flowed from a high level to a low level.

Just as ink dropped into clear water spread out, and warm heat pushed away the cold.

The predecessors of physics called this the ‘Second Law of Thermodynamics.’

‘Disorder always proceeds in a direction where it increases.’

If there were perfect balance, matter and life could not be born in the world.

Our very existence was the aftermath resulting from the destruction of balance.

Because energy was not evenly distributed, it gathered and pooled to become essence, assumed form, and arrived at life.

It meant that the breaking of symmetry was what created existence.

This was evaluated in physics as an important theory for the formation of existences possessing mass.

‘To have figured this out through intuition…’

Even if it was incomplete, it was a study imbued with deep insight; in addition, the reason why it had no choice but to be incomplete was also clear.

It was the result of contemplating, solely through the flow of true qi and insight, many truths that even the highly developed physics in the butterfly dream had not yet fully clarified; it made no sense for it to already possess completeness and perfection.

It was difficult to interpret the formulas written in the secret manual into any form of sword path or release of force.

In times like this, what I could do was…

‘I’ll just think about it later.’

I relaxed my stiffened expression and let the tension drain from my body.

I took a deep breath and focused on what I had achieved.

‘Tai Chi Sword. First, the five formulas for releasing force. I’ll think about them while refining them further. What I don’t know, I’ll think about again when it comes to mind.’

As my thoughts relaxed, the formulas of the sword manual became a bit clearer.

It was clearly felt that the reason there had been no routine was precisely because a routine must not exist.

It was a sword technique swung as the flow of natural qi led.

It was a sword art that had to rely extremely on sensitivity.

It was clearly a difficult study, but at the same time, my heart fluttered.

How much utility would it actually show against evil foes; how could it be utilized and developed against an actual enemy rather than an enemy assumed in imagination?

At the moment when one thought led to another,

Suddenly, the presence of someone was heard,

“You seem excited.”

My master was looking at me with a sullen expression.

Since when had he been standing there?

Even though he could have hidden his presence as much as he wanted, my master had deliberately revealed it out of crankiness, and I answered with a smile.

“Because I organized the formulas for releasing force in the Tai Chi Sword.”

“And so. It seems the soles of your feet are itching because you want to use the sword art you learned right this instant.”

As I, caught off guard, lost my words, Master stroked my head and spoke.

“From what I can see. I see many areas that need to be refined. Since it is a martial art that relies on sensitivity, you will also need to accumulate more experience. I would like to keep you by my side and refine it for the time being, but…”

Master’s words.

They were the advice of a master of the Wudang Nine Swords’ peak supreme realm.

I recalled the moment when the wind formula of the Four Symbols Wind and Thunder Palm, which I had thought completed, was helplessly dismantled by the Young Spirit Slayer.

In addition, the scene where Taoist Priest Su-gyo’s Blue Cloud Sunset Sword collapsed.

Afterward, when practicing martial arts, flaws that had been invisible before began to show.

It was because my vision had changed after facing the Young Spirit Slayer and the Great Sage Who Overturns Seas; martial studies in the peak supreme realm were of a completely different form.

I had only found the five-character force-release method from the incomplete Tai Chi Sword Manual. My master’s words were absolutely correct.

“It seems you won’t have time to practice right now.”

As I sent him an inquiring look, Master put his arm around my shoulder and said,

“It means a new mission has been handed down. Follow me.”

**

My joy at having created the force-releasing formulas from the Tai Chi Sword was short-lived; upon hearing the news that had come in, I had no choice but to stiffen my face.

“Group Jia, which was dispatched to Qinghai, went missing during their return. Communications have been cut since Xining.”

The Qinghai region was the westernmost tip of the empire, a borderland among borderlands.

Since it was a zone where none of the Nine Sects and One Association or the Seven Great Families exerted significant influence, it was also a region where the crowds of the unorthodox and demonic paths were powerful.

Above all, Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang belonged to Group Jia.

“Then the news about Senior Sister Yi as well…”

“Yes. It has been cut.”

The faces of the Wudang Sect disciples who had returned after being dispatched to their respective mobile units also turned gloomy.

Their fellow disciples had gone missing.

They did not even know their life or death.

It was something that could not be.

“I will go.”

“Please send me!”

All the disciples were of one mind.

There was no one who could sit by and watch their fellow disciples in danger.

Even at that sight, Master nodded and pointed to the map.

“It has already been confirmed. The Qinghai and Hehuang areas are the territory of the Dawn Sky Blood Cult. They are places out of reach of the Nine Sects and One Association, the Seven Great Families, or any other righteous sects. Thus, the Murim Alliance has decided to dispatch the mobile units once more. All disciples belonging to each mobile unit must prepare. This time, the renowned masters of each sect will set out together with the mobile units. Unlike previous missions, the purpose is not to strike the enemy; the survival and return of Group Jia is the top priority, so I hope everyone keeps this in mind.”

“Yes!”

In addition to the talk about the mission, we received portraits of Group Jia’s members; although I knew Senior Sister Yi Chae-yang’s face well, I did not know the faces of the others in Group Jia, so they were distributed to all the dispatched disciples.

Just before leaving together with the members of Group Bing once again,

Master caught hold of me.

“It is good to be deeply absorbed in martial studies, but you must not reverse the order of priority.”

As I tilted my head, Master continued speaking.

“Since martial arts are nothing more than tools to achieve the Way and chivalry. It means you should not put yourself in danger just to complete a martial art.”

Master’s words.

They were words directed at the sword slung on my back.

In addition to expressing concern that I should not rashly utilize an uncompleted sword technique in actual combat, it reminded me of the purpose of the mission.

Master’s words touched my heart anew.

Though I might not know about this life, I had seen many such people in that other life.

Recalling the countless people who had ruined their own lives because their goals and methods had been reversed, I nodded.

“Yes. I will keep it in mind, Master.”

At my reply, a rare smile spread across Master’s lips.

“Go.”

Following those words, I, along with Martial Aunt Hye-won and the members of Group Bing, turned around and stepped out of the sect gate.