Chapter 154: Shoot the Sun

Eun Wiryong respected his master, Eun Yudo.

The benefactor who had taken in a mere orphaned child and accepted him as a disciple.

To Eun Wiryong, he was a master, a father who had given him his family name, sometimes an irreplaceable friend, and occasionally an annoying older brother.

But what did his master think of him?

This pathetic disciple unable to advance even a single step, gasping motionlessly.

I won’t lecture you about martial arts. If there’s something you wish to pursue, pursue it. Of course, those were comforting words, but…

Were they truly sincere? Weren’t they because he wanted to cast out his disappointing disciple?

Eun Wiryong stared blankly up at the arena.

The duel between Namgung Suah and Namgung Myeong. Just watching made his chest burn with heat.

But he exhaled deeply, expelling that warmth.

Martial arts. That damned exclusive domain of geniuses.

After spitting out a few more curses, his chest calmed peacefully.

— Eun Wiryong of the Diancang Sect…!

At the referee’s call, he moved forward. He stepped onto the arena he’d been looking up at.

He straightened his body which wanted to shrink under people’s gazes, and gripped his sword’s handle like clutching at a lifeline.

I have no expectations.

If you have no expectations, you won’t be disappointed.

Even if he shot his sword towards the sun and it didn’t reach, it would be fine. He never thought it possible anyways.

— Hwangbo Hyeji of the Hwangbo Clan…!

Eun Wiryong quietly observed the woman standing across from him.

Hwangbo Hyeji met his gaze with a crooked smile.

“Finally, I can beat the shit out of that shameless face of yours.”

“Try it. If you can, that is.”

His stomach churned. If he lost here? The future he imagined for himself was nothing but miserable.

How pathetic was his inner self, secretly harboring expectations.

Perhaps, even I have… the potential to shoot down that sun in the sky…

— Begin…!

The referee announced the duel’s commencement.

Eun Wiryong drew his sword, staring blankly at Hwangbo Hyeji.

Her face twisted in annoyance as she stepped forward boldly.

“What’s with that look?”

She pushed forward with her front foot, her waist rotating. She pulled back her fist, gathering tremendous force in it before launching forth.

Great Fist of Mount Tai.

It was a heavy punch bearing the weight of Mount Tai itself.

Eun Wiryong reflexively unleashed the swordsmanship ingrained in his body.

Flashing Light Cloud-Splitting Sword.

A flash of light shot from his hand, parting the clouds above.

Swish!

It was faster than Hwangbo Hyeji’s punch despite being drawn after. Her eyes widened as the tip of the sword neared her nose.

She pulled back her fist and quickly turned.

Flutter!

Her hem fluttered, and in the same spinning motion, she threw another punch.

THUD!

Eun Wiryong’s body slid backward after blocking with his sword.

Hwangbo Hyeji felt the numbing sensation in her fist and opened her eyes viciously.

“Pathetic.”

What was that? That half-hearted response.

Unlike that chilling first strike, everything after was worthless.

The swordsmanship Eun Wiryong showed years ago was better than this.

“Are you really planning to give up completely?”

It pissed her off. Someone else had struggled desperately to reach this point, yet this bastard was regressing instead of advancing, just floating around like a dead fish.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you’re not destined for martial arts, dedicating your entire life to it is meaningless.”

Eun Wiryong assumed his ready stance again. Despite his words, his posture was flawless.

His talent, his effort. Any martial artist who’d seen him a few times would know.

How much love and effort must he have poured into the sword to display such techniques?

To ruin such swordsmanship through years of neglect?

To Hwangbo Hyeji, it was unforgivable.

“Fine then. Let’s see how this ‘failure’ enjoys getting the crap beaten out of him.”

Maybe that would knock some sense into him.

Hwangbo Hyeji’s eyes blazed as she gritted her teeth. Dense brown qi burst from her entire body.

Mount Tai Thunderous Divine Fist.

It was heavy, filled with the combined weights of her family’s expectations and her mother’s expectations too.

I absolutely refuse to lose to someone like this.

One large step forward, fist thrust ahead.

BOOOOM──────────!!!

A thunderous roar erupted from her punch slicing through the air.

Eun Wiryong’s eyes flashed as he quickly twisted his body. In an instant, his sword split the light.

Slash!

As he aimed for her shoulder, she quickly realized and ignored his sword, taking another step forward.

Crack! The sword stabbed into her shoulder. Though she blocked it with inner qi, the defense was imperfect and blood spurted.

Eun Wiryong’s eyes widened. His eyes shook. That trembling transmitted to his sword, making the tip waver.

“Oh please…!”

Hwangbo Hyeji swung her fist.

Thud! Struck in the abdomen, Eun Wiryong’s body rolled across the ground.

“Kugh…!”

After rolling repeatedly, he raised his head. Hwangbo Hyeji looked down at him. He gritted his teeth to rise, then found it all ridiculous.

There’s no reason to go this far.

Getting up and struggling pathetically—what would change?

Eun Wiryong’s lips moved.

I forfeit. As he was about to say those words, his eyes found the high spectator seats.

His master was watching him.

There was no disappointment or contempt in that face. Just a faint smile.

Why.

Rage took over his body.

Why doesn’t Master rebuke me? Even seeing this pathetic display, is he not disappointed?

If there are no expectations, there’s no disappointment.

Isn’t that right, so he never had any expectations of me from the beginning?

He knew it was a stupid thought, but his heart wouldn’t follow his mind.

Staggering to his feet, Eun Wiryong looked at Hwangbo Hyeji. She looked back at him.

The pathetic emotions in those eyes. Recognizing them, a crooked smile carved itself on her lips.

“That’s more like it.”

“…What would you know.”

Eun Wiryong’s sword vibrated. Those tiny vibrations became massive tremors, then shattered finely, making the sword tip multiply like phantoms.

“Prepare yourself.”

His sword shot like a beam of light. Swish swish swish! Leaving faint afterimages, it engulfed Hwangbo Hyeji.

She widened her eyes, throwing a single punch.

THUD!

Countless sword strikes crumbled, but wounds of similar proportions appeared on her body.

She took another step forward. Gritting his teeth, Eun Wiryong swung his sword dozens of times.

THUD!

Once more. She broke through his sword, yet wounds remained on her body.

The arena was stained with blood, her footsteps facing only forward.

While Eun Wiryong had once been ahead but rusted during his wandering, Hwangbo Hyeji who had lagged behind advanced stubbornly and had surpassed him.

THUD!

She countered his next sword technique. His eyes trembled.

He couldn’t win. This was something he knew very well, but it was already too late. The resentment buried deep inside him had awakened, and now even he could not stop it.

“Why──!!”

Master. Eun Yudo. Why don’t you correct me?

I’ve been going so astray. What changes by endlessly believing in this worthless disciple?

…When this disciple can do nothing for you?

The sunlight shattered against his pitifully forming tears. It was blinding—Hwangbo Hyeji’s sweat as she neared, the flowing blood staining the ground.

Her fist was pulled back.

It was within reach of him, and if it connected, he couldn’t endure.

His body moved before his thoughts. Flashing Light Cloud-Splitting Sword. The technique viciously carved into his entire being unfolded without a single flaw.

Eun Wiryong watched it from above. His body moved on its own, his mind following. His eyes saw the sun revealed between the clouds.

Sunlight parted the clouds and descended. Sunlight Splits the Clouds.

His resentment screamed, against that light, to its origin. He looked at the sun that cast down the light.

If only he could pierce a single hole in that damned sun.

The sunlight from the sky gathered in his sword, and the sword ungratefully pierced through the sun that had bestowed its grace.

A frog in a well sits observing the sky.

A frog in a well looks up at the sky. A mere frog doesn’t understand the depth of the sky. However, if the sun reaches out first, would it still be unable to touch the sun?

Eun Wiryong’s sword reached toward the sky.

I see.

Diancang’s sword pierced the sun, and a black dot was carved in its center.

Sun-Shooting.

He laughed as he watched his sword extend beyond the sun.

“Hahaha…!”

THUD!

Hwangbo Hyeji’s fist slammed into Eun Wiryong’s abdomen.

Though she seemed startled and froze, Eun Wiryong continued laughing while sprawled on the ground.

“Haha, ahahaha…!”

Looking up at the sky’s sun again, it remained spotlessly clear as ever.

As if that sensation of piercing it had been an illusion.

But Eun Wiryong knew. More, just a little more. At the end of endless cultivation lay the sun.

And what he’d desired wasn’t to shoot down the sun.

Rather, to pierce through even that and ascend higher. To embrace the sun instead.

That was what he had truly wanted.

“I understand, Master.”

Although his delusions had blinded him and made him wander, there was no reason to wander when he knew his destination.

Eun Wiryong reached out his hand. Sunlight reached back and grasped it. That warmth felt like his master’s faith.

This is Dao.

And this is what it means to Shoot the Sun.

— Winner! Hwangbo Hyeji of the Hwangbo Clan…!

The referee’s declaration rang out, yet not one of the Sixteen Great Sects’ elders spoke.

Amid the crowd’s thunderous cheers, Seojun burst into laughter.

“Isn’t that guy fucking crazy?”

Stopping mid-duel to suddenly stab at the sky?

As Seojun giggled, an old man beside him also burst into laughter.

“Hoho, my disciple isn’t quite right in the head.”

“Ah, he’s your disciple? Congratulations.”

“Congratulations my ass. That damn brat. If he was going to do that anyway, why spend so much time wandering around in circles?”

Though he spoke like that, his smile looked wide enough to split his face.

“You should get him out of here quickly. If he sorts out his enlightenment properly, he should reach the Transcendent Realm smoothly within a few years.”

“Mm, as he should.”

The beaming old man kicked off the ground and leaped into the arena.

Eun Wiryong, who had been lying down giggling, looked at him.

“You came, Master.”

“Yes, I’m here, my disciple.”

“Master.”

“What?”

“What is Dao?”

“I don’t know either. If I did, I would have ascended.”

“You don’t know at all?”

At his disciple’s gaze, Eun Yudo chuckled.

“I believe what the heart truly desires is the Dao.”

“Then wouldn’t the Dao differ for each person?”

“Of course it would. People are all different, so how could they walk the same path?”

Eun Yudo bent down to look at his disciple.

“The Dao isn’t a destination, it’s a path. You know what foreigners call the way?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Do you know why they call it the Dao? Because it means Path. The Dao speaks not of the endpoint, but of the path you walk in reaching it.”

“I saw the sun.”

Eun Wiryong stared directly into his master’s eyes.

Shoot the Sun. Launch me forth, beyond you, to even higher places.

So I can grasp the hand you extend and climb up, becoming a disciple you’re more proud of than anyone else.

“Your eyes must be crooked.”

“I’m still perfectly fine.”

“Cheeky brat.”

Clicking his tongue, Eun Yudo continued.

“If you saw it, then advance. That is your Dao.”

“Haha…! I understand.”

“Dull punk.”

Instead of responding, Eun Wiryong stood up.

Looking up at the high spectator seats, he could see Heaven-reaching True Qi.

“Thank you, Senior!”

He shouted loudly, and a transmitted message flew over.

[For what?]

[That saying about a frog in a well sitting and observing the sky.]

[Did it help?]

[Yes. Even in a sky as small as a well, the sun still rises.]

[Well said.]

[You seem to live without thinking much, so that was unexpected.]

[What was that you little shit?]

Cheeky bastard.

Seojun grinned and waved his hand.

It seemed like the martial world would gain another Transcendent Realm master soon.

Of course, if he got stuck at the Entrance of Life and Death, that would be troublesome, but from the looks of it, there shouldn’t be any problems.

After building a foundation for a few years and then challenging the Transcendent Realm based on his enlightenment, he should reach it smoothly.

Who would have thought that someone stuck against a wall could transform like this from a single great enlightenment?

Whatever, thanks to that I also…

Seojun looked up at the sun.

He spread his index finger and thumb to mimic a gun, then shot.

“Bang.”

For an instant, it seemed like a black hole had been carved into the sun.

Seojun grinned wickedly.

Sun-Shooting. Its principle felt clear as day.

It’s easy to pick up techniques when you watch from the sidelines.

Thanks, Diancang.