Chapter 288: They Won’t Be Able to Follow. (3)

Shingong.

Most martial arts called Shingong are martial arts classified as having exceptionally high limits.

Not just staying at the peak.

Martial arts whose limits are so high they can reach transcendence.

Most people call that Shingong.

For example.

Taking the Three Venerables as an example.

Sword Venerable’s Moon-Dancing Swordplay is a sword technique based on the Moon-Intent Core Arts;

Might Venerable’s Heaven-Piercing Fist used uniquely created Core Arts, not secret family Core Arts.

In the case of Heaven Venerable…

He’ll likely use the martial arts of the Namgung Family, which has been a pillar for centuries;

All of these were worthy of being called Shingong.

Transcending the limits humans possess.

Overcoming walls, shattering shells,

Martial arts that allow one to ascend to higher places.

That’s why it’s Shingong.

Then.

Is the Gu Family’s Nine-Flame Wheel Arts truly Shingong?

‘It is Shingong.’

Asking myself.

Answering myself.

The Nine-Flame Wheel Arts was indeed Shingong.

I could tell enough just by looking at Father;

Or by looking at Gu Huibi,

Or, amusingly, even by looking at a guy like me.

The Gu Family’s martial arts are Shingong.

Shingong was, in other words, an opportunity.

An opportunity to transcend the human framework.

An opportunity given to those who learn it,

And whether one can seize it or not

Depends on the martial artist’s talent and effort.

Seizing the opportunity and increasing one’s level,

Gradually moving towards the place one wishes to reach.

At least, that was the framework of Core Arts as I thought of it;

And the secret arts contained within martial arts, along with Shingong,

Were like indicators, revealing these one by one.

The Gu Family’s secret arts total five.

The first is at the level where one can generate internal heat using Qi;

It’s about containing that internal heat within the body to maximize physical abilities.

This is what I half-forcibly used immediately after my regression, once the Nine-Flame Wheel Arts reached reason.

The second is the ability to generate flames itself, which is the secret art.

If there’s one difference between the Gu Family’s martial arts and other flame arts,

It’s that the Gu Family’s flames…

Exist not to burn.

‘That’s ridiculous talk, flames existing for something other than burning.’

Hearing about this,

Even after realizing the deeper meaning later on,

Flames were just flames to me.

Whatever the ancestor’s intention might have been.

It’s funny.

‘That they sought to create their own sun.’

Just as each Core Art has its meaning,

The meaning held by the Nine-Flame Wheel Arts is none other than this:

The ancestor sought to create a sun, even though one already floated in the sky.

The ancestor sought to create a sun.

Although I vaguely understood the deeper meaning later on,

It was a meaning I couldn’t quite comprehend.

‘Is that why I couldn’t reach the extreme peak?’

The reason I remained at 9th-star, let alone 10th-star, in my past life.

Was it because I couldn’t fully accept the deeper meaning?

No, that couldn’t be it.

I simply couldn’t overcome it.

And thus couldn’t reach it.

Excuses weren’t necessary.

There’s nothing uglier than that.

As for the third secret art,

It was called Jeokcheon (Red Sky).

It involved using a martial artist’s energy

To dye the sky red.

Extremely honed Core Arts

Can invade the sky and dye it with one’s own color.

Around the time Father came to Heukyagung to break the formation,

The sky at that time was red.

At that point, perhaps one couldn’t even be called human anymore.

How could a person arbitrarily control the sky?

From the point where one could achieve such a feat,

They would have already begun shedding their human guise.

And the fourth.

The martial art I was about to use now was the fourth.

‘Yeomok.’

The secret art, Yeomok (Flame Jewel).

Drawing up the Qi,

Making the internal heat boil within the body,

And capturing all the released flames, preventing them from going anywhere,

Condensing them onto the palm to create a sphere.

Hooook!

The acupoints through which the Qi passed expanded.

My heart pounded so fiercely I could hear the thumping sound in my ears.

Hwarureureuk!

The night sky reversed.

The dim sky,

While adorned with countless stars,

Was lit ablaze using the body’s heat as fuel,

And that dark sky gradually brightened.

The range was narrow,

And the light wasn’t so dazzling as to make one close their eyes,

But at least that spot felt as if the sun had risen.

Kkwadeudeudeuk-!

The fiercely surging flames screamed.

Suppressing the desire to advance,

Being dragged into a confined space,

It must be that painful.

My veins stood out,

And my forehead became drenched in sweat.

My forearm, stiffened with tension,

Showed how much strenuous effort I was exerting to control it.

Originally,

This was a secret art I couldn’t use yet.

Just like Jeokcheon,

It was something that could only be gradually shaped after extreme training.

‘It’s about brute-forcing it with sheer volume.’

Because my Qi capacity was high, disproportionate to my level,

I could use it to this extent.

Barely, that is.

This was training in compression and amplification.

Coupled with the countless insights gained in my past life,

And the fortunate encounters I’d devoured in this life, it was a combined masterpiece.

It only became somewhat feasible now that the Nine-Flame Wheel Arts had reached 6th-star.

Woong-

Withstanding such pressure and drawing it all to one point,

Before I knew it, a crimson jade bead was floating and emitting a soft glow on my palm.

Looking at it, I thought.

‘How many seconds to create it.’

Between five and seven seconds.

Though it was a fleeting moment to others,

It was enough time for lives to be exchanged among those beyond the peak.

This meant it was still too risky to use in actual combat.

‘At least in a one-on-one fight, I can’t use it.’

To cast it, my body first stiffens completely.

As I need to control my Qi extremely carefully, a slight misstep could twist my meridians and lead to demonic possession.

In other words,

I’d be in a defenseless state for several seconds.

In short,

‘It’s a ‘kill or be killed’ situation.’

Ha.

This was a problem arising from trying to use something like this without matching the required level.

At least in my past life,

I could talk, laugh mockingly, and even use it while stomping on someone, you know.

I could once again feel how damnably weak I had become.

‘Of course.’

If you ask whether I have to use it despite enduring this state,

‘…I have to.’

I would nod without hesitation.

Among the Gu Family’s secret arts,

It was almost the only martial art usable in actual combat in an offensive manner,

And its destructive power was immense, proportional to the amount of Qi invested.

The ‘fifth’ secret art feels similar,

But I couldn’t use that one yet.

Woong….

‘Hoo….’

Only after creating it did I exhale the breath I’d been holding.

As I said, to use it, I had to be defenseless for a few seconds,

The reason I’m okay right now…

…is because Sword Empress did nothing.

And it was thanks to my own certainty that she wouldn’t interfere.

That makes sense.

She dragged me all the way here just to see this.

Trying to hide my slightly trembling hands, I looked at Sword Empress.

‘Thank you for waiting.’

I said, hiding my exhausted voice too,

But Sword Empress didn’t reply at all.

As if she was utterly shocked,

Sword Empress was staring at me with wide eyes.

‘I didn’t want to do this much, fearing she’d react like that.’

Secret arts are, ultimately, a collection of insights.

For a martial artist to progress,

Or on the path they’ve taken so far,

Whatever insights they’ve gained,

Martial arts and secret arts were ways to show that;

This small sphere…

‘Sip….’

…contained the insights I’d lived through.

Including my past life.

At Sword Empress’s level,

She could gauge how significant it was,

Which is why she’s reacting like this.

In her eyes,

She must think there’s an immense amount of insight contained here, far beyond my age.

Since she doesn’t know how I stumbled through my past life,

Won’t she just see me as having outstanding talent?

Talent that’s utterly absurd.

‘…This is.’

So, it was somewhat natural for Sword Empress to make that expression.

Sword Empress, who examined my hand with surprised eyes for a long time,

Uttered words as if resigned.

‘…You seem to have been in a much higher place than I expected.’

‘I’m not really that high. As you can see, my hands are still trembling.’

It wasn’t a lie.

To maintain the sphere, slightly larger than a finger’s width,

Required more than half my Dantian’s Qi…

…and the use of my entire body.

If I failed to retract this and it detonated,

It would explode over a considerable area, engulfing everything in flames.

Holding and controlling energy of that magnitude was damnably difficult.

‘The reason I used it anyway…’

…is because Sword Empress, standing before me,

Was someone who could block it without casualties if something went wrong, using her power.

As I looked at Sword Empress, shedding a drop of sweat,

Sword Empress, who had been staring at me in surprise for a while, moved her lips and spoke.

‘Do you know what people nowadays… call your generation of latecomers?’

That’s a sudden, out-of-the-blue question.

While I wondered what she was talking about,

I answered.

‘What was it… The Generation of Meteors. Something like that, wasn’t it?’

‘That’s right. The Generation of Meteors. A truly fitting name.’

They shine brightly.

Even in the not-so-distant past,

And even when Sword Empress was a latecomer herself,

Everyone shone,

But the current era held a particularly brilliant light.

The main reason they’re called the Generation of Meteors…

…is that it’s an era with the most talented individuals, as if stars themselves had fallen,

And furthermore,

It’s a name given with the hope that such brilliance would shoulder the responsibility of the Central Plains in the future.

Of course,

That was irrelevant to me.

‘In such circumstances.’

Sword Empress examined the red sphere displayed on my palm.

I could see a bright light emanating from the sphere.

It was the dead of winter,

And the weather, which should have been filled with harsh cold,

Became filled with heat the moment the sphere appeared;

The surrounding darkness was brightly illuminated.

As if.

‘You’ve grasped the sun in your hand.’

‘…How could I possibly grasp something so terrifying?’

At Sword Empress’s words, my expression twisted strangely.

She’s talking nonsense.

How could anyone grasp something like that? They couldn’t even touch it in the first place.

To my denial, Sword Empress smiled slightly and said,

‘Or perhaps, you are the sun.’

‘Why arbitrarily make me into something like that? I’m a person.’

Tsk.

Originally, I intended to just brush it off.

‘Her face suggested she wouldn’t let it slide if I didn’t handle it properly.’

I’d met her before.

And spoken with her.

If it’s like this, she could let it slide, right?

I even saved her!

‘Of course, I did gobble up that energy, though.’

Anyway, isn’t it something she could overlook?

‘I really didn’t intend to use this, at least.’

It was a technique I had no intention of using in front of people for the time being.

In the end, I ended up using it shamelessly just to pass this trivial test.

Thanks to that, Sword Empress seemed to finally wear a satisfied expression,

But I was the problem.

‘Why does she expect so much from me?’

She should really pay more attention to her own disciples.

Why bother me like this?

Still, it seems I managed to satisfy her somehow.

Perhaps sensing that gaze,

‘I apologize. After all, I was testing you. Please accept my apology.’

Sword Empress suddenly offered an apology.

‘Yes. Thanks to that, everyone else is staring.’

Of course, I had no intention of accepting.

It wasn’t just Sword Empress.

The latecomers gathered around were watching from a considerable distance, avoiding my flames;

The instructors observing this…

…were also looking this way with surprise.

‘I don’t know why they’re staring just because I did something novel.’

‘How could they not look?’

At my curt words, Sword Empress chuckled.

‘It must be like witnessing the birth of a comet.’

‘Please stop flattering me. It’s making me queasy.’

She’s making me uncomfortable.

Could Sword Empress have intended this?

For me to stand out more in the eyes of others.

Did she wish for that?

If so, that’s problematic.

Because I had no intention of drawing that much attention from others.

‘…What do you expect from me?’

‘What could I possibly expect? Simply…’

Sword Empress sheathed the sword she was holding and continued speaking.

‘I merely wish for you to emit more of the light you possess and stand tall in a high place.’

‘Anyone hearing that would think I’m from the Mount Hua Sect.’

‘Since you’re an honorary member, isn’t it similar?’

‘Ah.’

That’s right.

I did accept that too.

Just in case any questions arose about the Mount Hua Taoist energy within me,

I had asked Plum Blossom Immortal to arrange it for future handling.

Of course, that was purely honorary,

It wasn’t a reason for Sword Empress to pay attention to me.

As I snorted,

‘Thank you for indulging my insistence.’

Sword Empress began to conclude her words, seemingly intending to end the test.

‘…Am I accepted?’

‘Of course. If I didn’t accept you, it would be nonsensical.’

At the final confirmation of acceptance,

The tightness in my chest eased slightly.

If she hadn’t been satisfied after I brought this out, I would have just flipped the table.

A brief silence followed.

She was already planning to retrieve her sword and leave,

But I remained still, not dissipating the energy.

Sword Empress, finding my stillness strange, asked,

‘Why are you standing there like that?’

I didn’t answer.

It seemed she found it odd that I hadn’t retracted the sphere of energy in my hand.

To her, I said,

‘Didn’t I tell you earlier?’

‘Hm?’

‘I trust you’ll take full responsibility.’

‘What… what do you mean?’

At my words, Sword Empress tilted her head, not understanding,

Then, as if realizing something, she flinched and her eyes widened.

Her expression was even more surprised than when I first demonstrated the secret art.

She seems to have finally caught on.

Sword Empress probably didn’t know…

…that I have a personality that won’t just take things lying down, even if it means death.

I already wasn’t pleased,

And now I feel like I’ve been dragged out here to play the fool.

If I just left like this, I’d die of frustration.

So, I couldn’t just leave.

‘Don’t tell me… Kid.’

‘I showed it to you, but I haven’t been able to retract it yet.’

It was a lie, of course.

If I wanted to, I could have dissipated it reasonably,

But I had no intention of doing so.

‘Wait…!’

‘Please handle the cleanup yourself.’

Watching Sword Empress hastily gather her Qi,

Kkwadeuk.

I clenched my fist, which had been opening.

And then,

Hooook!

Immense heat erupted from my body.

Kwaaaa-!

---

The next day arrived.

If the first day was the test for the blood relatives,

The second day was for those belonging to the sects.

Knowing all this, as everyone gathered according to the schedule,

‘What are you talking about?’

Yeongpung, who had come up with his fellow senior disciples to take the test,

Had to hear rather strange words.

‘The test period has been extended?’

The test involving the blood relatives of the noble families, which should have ended yesterday,

Had been postponed by another day.

How could that happen?

As it was a test hosted by the Alliance,

It shouldn’t be possible for the duration to be extended.

They said the entrance exam would be held again tomorrow, or the day after.

‘…Something happened last night, so it couldn’t be helped.’

Sword Empress, who delivered this news, looked inexplicably exhausted.

Should I say she looked tired?

‘What on earth could have happened?’

Yeongpung couldn’t understand.

Even when he heard his grand-uncle-in-law was attending as an instructor,

He had wondered why,

But now, he understood for a different reason.

‘She’s tired from being an entrance exam instructor?’

Sword Empress, a powerhouse far beyond his current reach,

Looking so exhausted after just one day as an instructor for the entrance exam…

…was unthinkable from Yeongpung’s perspective.

Moreover, it wasn’t just mental fatigue.

She also looked physically tired.

Which made it even harder to comprehend.

However.

‘…What is this…?’

‘What on earth is this?’

‘What happened?’

When he arrived at the designated location to take the test,

Yeongpung began to vaguely understand the reason.

It seemed this was the cause.

‘…Hoo.’

At the sight before him, Yeongpung muttered unconsciously.

‘Did a meteor fall or something…?’

In the place where the test was originally supposed to be held,

As if something had exploded,

A massive crater, easily spanning over thirty jang in radius, had been created.