Chapter 16: Talent Abandoned by the Heavens (4)

Chapter 16: Talent Abandoned by the Heavens (4)

Absorbing and comprehending information about every space I traversed was not an ordinary task. It was dizzying, especially when combined with the practice of maintaining constant sword energy.

Now, this task included perceiving auditory information from every moment I passed through. It wasn't just about perceiving auditory information from noisy streets.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of clothes brushing against each other.

Thud, thud.

The sound of footsteps.

Huff, huff, huff.

The sound of breathing.

I had to consciously perceive all these sounds continuously.

'Dizzying.'

Doing all this simultaneously, I felt not just a headache but dizziness to the point of near-collapse. I wondered if I could even engage in martial duels in this state.

'Especially now, when there are hardly any sects left to duel with.'

For about 30 years, I traveled all over Yanguo, challenging almost every small and medium sects to duels.

Occasionally, I even visited major sects for duelse.

As a result, there was hardly a place in Yanguo I hadn't been to.

I now resorted to battling bandits and water bandits rampaging through Yanguo, capturing them.

The problem was these evil men never fought fairly, especially when chased down. The most desperate ones even resorted to throwing explosive pellets they somehow acquired.

In this dizzy state, I had to fight such men.

'Can I even preserve my life?'

Sigh.

I sighed and firmly gripped my sword.

After all, this was the path I chose.

Even if I die, I will walk this path.

I looked at the six books piled up in front of me.

"You survived again this time."

"Yes, this time as well."

15 years had passed.

45 years since my return.

In the meantime, I met Kim Young-hoon three more times and received three more sets of insights, making a total of six volumes of insights from Kim Young-hoon.

During this time, I mastered processing not only visual and auditory information but also touch, taste, and smell continuously and adeptly.

Now, when I met a martial artist of late first-rate, my understanding of the five senses, sword energy, and immense practical experience allowed me to start with a 70% chance of winning against martial artists of the same level.

Of course, this was without considering the power of my martial arts. Including that, my winning probability reached 99%.

If it was a real fight allowing the use of toxins and hidden weapons, I could guarantee victory against any late first-rate martial artist.

Moreover, with the ability to process information using the five senses and my understanding of constantly using sword energy,

I could now face a peak master for about 10 to 20 exchanges.

Of course, it was difficult to continue beyond that.

That was the end.

I still...

hadn't...

become...

a peak...

master.

Still!!!

Still!!!

"My existence has spread among the Core Formation cultivators. It seems I'm wanted. Two Core Formation cultivators laid a trap and waited for me.

I barely escaped. Still, I managed to inflict a small wound on the cheek of one of them."

"You've gained even more insights."

"What insights. Despite all this, I still can't properly confront Core formation cultivators. Assuming I don't run away, I can't even last a hundred exchanges against them. It's impossible to inflict any meaningful damage."

He gazed at the sky with a sense of futility and mused.

"Honestly, I sometimes wonder whether the extreme of Five Energies Converging to the Origin I've reached... is the [end] for martial artists. Perhaps the martial artist who created Record of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts had similar thoughts. No matter how hard we try, it's impossible to defeat cultivators with martial arts."

I quietly looked at Kim Young-hoon.

Despite writing six books full of astonishing insights, he held a small teacup, his face etched with a hollow smile.

Clearly, he possessed talent given by the heavens.

And I, talent abandoned by the heavens.

Clearly, he and I were in starkly opposite situations.

Yet, somehow, I saw my reflection in Kim Young-hoon.

Myself, who could not grasp even a hint of the Pinnacle Realm despite numerous lifetimes of effort.

His situation, where no possibility of defeating cultivators appeared despite repeated lifetimes.

Clearly, a genius given by the heavens and a dullard abandoned by the heavens.

Why then, did we seem so similar?

"By the way, I still don't understand why I haven't reached the Pinnacle Realm. It's frustrating for me too."

Kim Young-hoon looked at me with a slightly bitter expression.

"Why can't you reach that realm despite mimicking the world of peak masters, including sword energy... I can't grasp what's missing."

He let out a hollow laugh and stood up.

"Let's have a sparring session after a long time."

"That sounds like good news."

Kim Young-hoon and I left the guesthouse and headed towards a nearby forest.

Upon reaching a suitable clearing, I unsheathed my sword without a word.

The sword energy, which I had been maintaining continuously for seven days and nights, flickered on my sword.

"Your understanding of sword energy is considerable. You'd quickly reach the stage of Sword Silk once you attain the Pinnacle Realm," Kim Young-hoon observed, noticing the aura of my sword.

I smiled bitterly.

The hypothesis after reaching the Pinnacle Realm was meaningless.

It was already the 45th year since my return.

I only had about five years of life left, and the likelihood of becoming a peak master within that time was slim.

A realm that I couldn't reach despite dedicating my entire life.

Would any special enlightenment come within these five years?

"Then, let's begin."

I took up a fighting stance, my expression intense.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Sixteenth move.

Mountain Tiger.

Swoosh!

Six sword energies from the upper left to the lower right.

Six from the upper right to the lower left.

A total of twelve sword energies converged towards Kim Young-hoon's heart.

Ting!

Kim Young-hoon didn't even draw his saber. He simply flicked his finger, and my technique dissipated instantly.

However, I didn't panic and immediately launched another move.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Twelfth Move.

Nine Lights Emerging Peak.

A more evolved sword technique that sent nine sword energies his way.

"You've significantly reduced your vulnerabilities."

Swoosh!

Kim Young-hoon quickly deployed his movement technique, dodging all my sword energies and quietly commended me.

I didn't respond but quickly took another fighting stance.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Seventeenth Move.

Mountain and Valley Transformation.

Boom, bang, bang!

I sent sword energies in all directions, absorbing them into the earth with the principle of infiltration and then detonating them after a delay, a decisive move of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Boom, bang!

The surrounding terrain transformed under my will.

Sword energies emerging from the ground surged towards Kim Young-hoon.

Whoosh!

But when he swiped his finger horizontally, the sword energies I launched lost their power and scattered into the air.

"Severing Vein Saber Method, Eighth Move, Mountain Scream."

Whoosh!

He extended his finger towards me again.

Boom!

The saber energy emanating from his finger overturned the ground as it surged towards me.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Eighteenth Move.

Echoing Valley.

Whoosh!

I infused sword energy into my sword, and simultaneously, I withdrew all force from it.

Though it sounded absurd, Echoing Valley required just that.

I filled my sword with energy while maintaining its form, removing all intent and miscellaneous forces, leaving only a hollow form of energy.

"Haah!"

With all my concentration, I maintained the emptiness in my sword and faced the incoming saber energy.

Grr!

Immense pressure traveled up my arm, but simultaneously, the saber energy that surged towards me was absorbed into my sword.

I emptied my intent from the sword and filled it with the opponent's intent.

Then, with a swift turn, I exerted all my strength to fling the energy in another direction.

Boom!

The Mountain Scream Kim Young-hoon launched destroyed several trees and shattered a huge rock.

"Heugh, heugh!"

I sweat profusely and trembling. Echoing Valley was originally a counterattack technique that absorbed the opponent's energy and intent, returning it back to them. However, I could only manage to deflect the attack.

'Still far off.'

Gritting my teeth, I took up my stance again and charged.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Nineteenth Move.

Mountain Echoes, Valley Responds.

Whoosh!

My sword vibrated, and my sword energy morphed into waves, spreading in all directions before suddenly converging towards Kim Young-hoon.

An inescapable decisive technique!

But he just smiled, lifting his hand, and saber energy burst from his fingertips.

Whoosh, bang, bang, bang!

Spinning and dancing, he flicked his hand each time, deflecting the converging sword energies.

Whoosh, thump, thump, thump!

He deflected countless sword energies and then extended his finger towards me again.

"Severing Vein Saber Method, Ninth Move, Dragon's Mound."

Rumble!

The fearsome saber energy, twisting like a dragon, flew towards me.

'Can I withstand it?'

No, even trying to deflect it with my sword would tear me apart due to the intricate changes in his technique.

'I need to take a risk.'

I confront it head-on.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Twentieth Move.

Nine Mountains, Eight Seas.

I spun in place with my sword, once, twice, thrice, then again.

With each spin, the speed and power of my sword grew exponentially.

After nine spins, the power within my sword had become terrifyingly immense.

With every bit of my being, I slashed at the oncoming saber energy in all directions.

Boom!

A massive explosion sounded, and I witnessed my sword shatter.

Flung backward by the shockwave, I crashed into a large tree, spitting blood and kneeling.

My defeat was evident.

"Damn it... What seems to be the problem?"

"Hmm..."

Kim Young-hoon sighed softly.

"I don't know. You... I can't fathom why you're still in this realm. You should have become a peak master long ago."

"What do you mean?"

I asked, catching my breath.

It was absurd.

I had never even come close to enlightenment, let alone reach the Pinnacle Realm.

"Intriguing. Why is this happening? Hmm..."

After pondering, Kim Young-hoon looked at me thoughtfully and suggested,

"Perhaps you lack a catalyst."

"A catalyst?"

"Yes, a catalyst. Like desperation or a driving force. Something that would push your talent beyond its limits with extreme concentration..."

"What kind of catalyst are you talking about!"

I cut him off, yelling furiously with veins bulging in my eyes.

"I've wielded a sword for over 50 years! My entire life! I've longed to transcend to the next realm! You're telling me I need to be more desperate? How much more!"

I screamed as if in agony, disregarding the pain in my entire body.

"I've struggled my whole life to break free from being first-rate! What am I lacking? What more do I need to do? I've unblocked all my meridians.I even sleep with my hand on my sword, flowing sword energy!

I've reached a point where I even collect and process information in my dreams! But why! Why!!! Why won't the heavens show me the next realm!

Why!!!"

I thrashed about, screaming at the sky.

I knew it was undignified for someone nearly seventy.

But.

Having pursued the sword and yearned for the Pinnacle Realm all my life, yet never even grasping what that realm might be.

How could I not be in anguish?

"Why... just why..."

Sobbing, I looked up at the sky.

Kim Young-hoon watched me with a heavy heart, then flicked his finger towards the tree I had crashed into.

Splat!

Immediately, a significant volume of martial arts techniques filled the tree.

A Jiangshi?

The cultivator had turned Kim Young-hoon into a Jiangshi with his spell

You wretched mortal, how dare you scream in the presence of a Daoist cultivator. Now pay the price. Go on, Extreme Monster, kill this disciple of yours with your own hands.

Grrr Ahhh

The corpse of Kim Young-hoon staggered and then lunged at me. I quickly drew my sword to block his strike and retreated.

This vile cultivator!

To dishonor the spirit of the deceased in such a way!

I gritted my teeth, blocking each attack from the transformed Jiangshi.

Fortunately, he cant use his martial arts from his lifetime.

He was only pushing me with the strength and speed of a Jiangshi.

Naturally, the strength infused by the cultivator seemed formidable, imposing a tremendous burden on my aged body with its sheer power and speed.

Damn it, damn it!

With each strike of my sword, my eyes reddened in rage.

Every slash I made at Kim Young-hoons body felt like a tremendous insult.

Im sorry.

But I steeled my heart and took my fighting stance.

If this is how it is.

Let's end it quickly.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship,

Twenty-First Move.

Heavenly Lake!

Old memories rushed in.

Why is the twenty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship called Heavenly Lake? All other stances have names related to valleys, peaks, or mountains, but why this one?

Early in this life.

I had asked Kim Young-hoon, wondering if he knew since the revised Severing Mountain Swordsmanship included this stance by his previous cycle's self.

Hmm, Heavenly Lake? It reminds me of Baekdu Mountain's Heavenly Lake.

Baekdu Mountain?

Haha, yes. Does this world also have a Heavenly Lake like Baekdu Mountain? Or maybe someone from Korea like us named this move.

Hahaha I guess so.

Heavenly Lake ().

A vast lake reflecting the sky.

A vast pool located at the highest mountain peak.

The spirit of that terrain naturally emanated from me.

Imagery of Heavenly Lake, along with the countless memories of being taught martial arts by Kim Young-hoon, came to mind.

The essence of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship flowed through my memory.

The Heavenly Lake holds the myriad forms of the heavens, yet it itself never changes.

In essence, the symbolized heaven represents the object I contend with.

The lake that contains it signifies my single strike.

Crash!

Sword energy swept over Kim Young-hoon's entire body, and my sword was sheathed back into its scabbard.

In an instant, his movements froze.

The twenty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Heavenly Lake, is a technique that momentarily suppresses the opponent's movements by drawing in all the 'power' flowing through their meridians into my sword energy, trapping it within my sword.

A skill that could only be executed by someone who is both a first-rate doctor and an expert in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

A martial art exclusively tailored for me, an extraordinary move that no one but I could perform.

Rumble!

Within the sheathed sword, the briefly stolen power surged.

Left alone, it would eventually dissipate, but I chose to preserve this energy and resumed the stance for the next move.

"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Twenty-second Move."

Excluding the twenty-third and twenty-fourth moves, which are more conceptual and theoretical.

The true secret technique () of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

'If the corpse is intact, it could be used by the cultivator as a zombie.'

Therefore, I have to leave no corpse behind.

'Rest in peace.'

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

The secret technique.

"Severing Mountain."

The content of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's secret technique was not grandiose.

True to its purpose of cutting through mountains, it was simply about making brute sword cuts.

Starting from the first move, Transcending Peaks, all the way to the twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake, pouring all the moves at once on the opponent!

That was the secret technique of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Severing Mountain.

The first move, Transcending Peaks.

With the unsheathing of the sword, I rode the flow of power stolen from Kim Young-hoon's body, cutting him horizontally.

The second move, Entering Mountain.

Quickly switching to a lower stance to strike his legs.

The third move, Ascending Vein.

Cutting upward while holding the sword from the lower stance.

The fourth move, Flowing Ridge.

Sending winding sword energy to stab.

The fifth move, Bouldered Cliff.

Rotating and delivering several slashing strikes.

The sixth move, Strange Stone.

Changing the grip and adding a deceptive move.

The seventh move, Deep Mountain.

Returning into a defensive posture and cutting diagonally upward.

The eighth move, Secluded Valley.

Twisting and nullifying the opponent's force aimed at me.

The ninth move, Landscape Painting.

Delivering diagonal sword energy strikes from left and right, totaling six slashes.

The tenth move, Dragon Vein.

Drawing up energy to make a large cut.

The eleventh move, Cliff Edge.

Cutting again from below upward.

The twelfth move, Nine Lights Emerging Peak.

Sending nine streams of sword energy beyond.

By this point, Kim Young-hoon's body was completely tattered.

'To completely obliterate it.'

So that the cultivator could not revive any part and desecrate the spirit!

Even in its tattered state, it writhed and attacked me again.

Tremendous power and speed!

'I must avoid it!'

No, what's the point of avoiding?

My life is already at its end.

A life already destined for death.

At this moment, to ensure that my master's legacy is no longer insulted, burn everything!

"Arrgh!"

The thirteenth move, Joy of Mountains and Peaks.

Striking down five slashes and then another five.

Ten slashes in total, enveloping him from all directions.

Kyaaah!

The Jaingshi's hand broke through the barrage of slashes, attacking me.

I'm going to die.

'I can't die yet.'

More, just a bit more!

Draw more energy!

My brain processed and input information faster.

The surrounding space, sound, smell, the humidity and temperature, the taste of blood on my tongue.

It felt like my brain would explode.

'Let it burst.'

More and more!

Until my brain burns completely!

The fourteenth move, Qi Mountain Heart Heaven.

The Dragon Vein Qi Method surged, and my momentum grew immense.

Simultaneously, sword energy condensed, taking the form of Sword Silk!

In this situation, a direct strike was inevitable.

And then.

Crackle

My brain, under the pressure of impending death, burst through something.

Ah

Is this my imagination?

Red.

And blue.

All the colors of the world vanished, leaving only these two.

Red.

And blue.

Ah

Is this...

A red line extended from Kim Young-hoon's fingertips to my head.

Instinctively, I sensed it was [the next attack].

Whoosh!

I avoided the attack with minimal movement and raised my sword.

A blue line stretched from my sword to his ribs.

Instinctively, I sensed it was [the optimal path for me].

Entranced, I followed the blue line with my sword.

Slash!

My sword cut through his upper body.

Somehow, Kim Young-hoon's face seemed to be smiling faintly.

Seeing that faint smile,

I repeated a thought I had before.

A genius bestowed by heaven.

And a dunce abandoned by heaven.

Poles apart, yet we seemed alike.

The reason was.

Because in the fate given by the heavens, we both struggled desperately.

Here, there are neither geniuses nor dunces.

Only those who spent their lives resisting fate and those who will die doing the same.

Yes.

As long as we live in the fate given by the heavens, talent is irrelevant. We are similar humans.

Is this how you're ending it?

On his corpse, it seemed Kim Young-hoon's face from his living days was reflected.

'Of course not.'

As if bewitched, I continued to unleash my sword.

The fifteenth move, Layered Mountains.

Thousands of sword energies thinly split, becoming a storm that enveloped his entire body.

A defensive move originally used to nullify the opponent's energy evolved into a lethal strike, optimized for the situation.

The sixteenth move, Mountain Tiger.

The claws and fangs of the tiger living in the Layered Mountains concentrated at a single point, tearing through his body.

The seventeenth move, Mountain and Valley Transformation.

Sword energy sent to the ground changed the terrain, shaking his foundation.

The eighteenth move, Echoing Valley.

Emptying my intent in the sword energy to counter and strike back.

The nineteenth move, Mountains Echoes, Valleys Respond.

Sword energy transformed into a wave, delivering a strike that he couldn't avoid, shredding his body.

The twentieth move, Nine Mountains, Eight Seas.

Rotating several times on the spot and delivering cuts in all directions, tearing apart his form,

The twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake.

Swinging the sword again, gathering all the waves, flows, and power I had unleashed into the sword.

Rumble!

The power of all the waves, flows, and power from the twenty moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship were gathered.

This vast energy was suppressed inside the sheathed sword.

I unsheathed my sword again, just like at the beginning.

Concentrating all this power into a single slashing strike.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

"My twenty-second move."

The secret technique.

"Severing Mountain!"

The essence of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship in a single strike!

Releasing this final strike, I saw the the passing of my life before my eyes.

Ah, yes.

This is the end.

Flash!

With my strike, Kim Young-hoon's body completely shattered, scattering in all directions.

Now, even if a cultivator comes, his body cannot be further desecrated.

Thus, I ascended to the new realm I had longed for.

And concluded this tenacious life.

That was my fourth return ().

Translator Notes:

Here's an extra chapter (longest chapter so far) for Christmas and to finish up the arc!

***

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Link to donations in the discord!