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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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A skilled martial artist could visualize the flow of a fight, the sequence of moves and counter-moves, just from a verbal description of techniques and styles.
This spar wasn’t just a meaningless exchange of words; it was a battle of knowledge, a demonstration of internal energy control, a display of mutual respect for each other’s achievements in the martial arts.
It was a clash of experiences, of lessons learned and skills honed through years of dedication and effort. It was a manifestation of the very essence of martial arts.
I closed my eyes, and Bi Wol’s energy became even clearer, even more tangible.
In the darkness behind my eyelids, I saw her, a young girl with black hair and fiery red eyes, staring back at me with fierce determination.
‘She used the Heavenly Demon’s Imperial Walk to close the distance, then aimed for my eyes, a known weakness, with the Heavenly Demon’s Blood Severing Strike. This wasn’t the Bi Wol who clung to me and sought my affection.’
She was like a finely honed blade, sharp and dangerous. I could still feel the chilling aura of her killing intent, the phantom sensation of her blade against my throat.
“You have three seconds left, Master.”
Bi Wol’s Heart Demon spoke slowly, her voice heavy with anticipation. She believed that I had barely managed to defend against her attacks, a hint of amusement in her tone.
Bi Wol, consumed by her Heart Demon, had reached the initial stage of Transcendent Mastery, a level I had also achieved.
‘She’s not wrong. But…’
The key to winning this spar was to compensate for our weaknesses and anticipate the opponent’s next move.
Dramatic breakthroughs and sudden leaps in power were reserved for those who had reached the Enlightenment stage or higher.
Transcending the limitations of Transcendent Mastery required a strong foundation and relentless effort.
“I’ll use the Third Stance of the Heavenly Demon Art, the Heavenly Demon’s Soul Attack, to crush your spirit, Master. How will you counter that?”
It was a venomous technique that used demonic energy to create illusions, trapping the opponent in a mental labyrinth. Like a game of Go, she was strategically surrounding me, cutting off all escape routes.
It was a cunning and calculated move.
She had used the Heavenly Demon’s Imperial Walk to prevent me from retreating, then the Heavenly Demon’s Blood Severing Strike to keep me on the defensive, and now she was striking at my mental vulnerability.
But I had a plan.
“I’ll use the Silent Dragon’s Blood Steps of the Sichuan Tang Clan to move three paces behind you, using your poison as a stepping stone.”
Like placing a white stone on the Go board, I made my move, countering her strategy.
In the span of a mere fifteen minutes, I had successfully defended against every attack she threw at me.
The thought of parrying every move of the Heavenly Demon, the strongest being in my own novel, [King of the Diamond Fist], filled me with a strange exhilaration.
It had been so long since I’d felt this…
This surge of adrenaline, this competitive spirit. It was a stark contrast to the resignation I had felt since being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
“Impossible! A righteous sect’s technique? From you, Master?!”
Bi Wol’s Heart Demon was outraged. I chuckled.
“Why not? There are no rules or limitations in a spar. We’re discussing the essence of martial arts, transcending the boundaries of good and evil.”
My words caught her off guard. This wasn’t simply a technical exchange; it was a philosophical debate.
A verbal duel transcended the physical limitations of style and form.
Bi Wol, a practitioner of the Heavenly Demon Art, could utilize the pure techniques of the Wudang Sect. I, with my Extreme Yin Body, could wield techniques with yang properties.
A member of the demonic sects could utilize the techniques of the righteous sects. A third-rate technique could be elevated to the highest level with proper understanding and execution.
“But Master, you’re only supposed to use techniques you’re familiar with…!”
She hadn’t anticipated this. If I had limited myself to the Ice Crystal Divine Art, I would have lost.
“It is common sense in the vast world of martial arts to anticipate an opponent’s full range of abilities.”
This was Bi Wol’s first proper verbal spar. It was understandable for her to assume that the same rules of a physical confrontation applied to a verbal duel.
“I am the Ice Dragon. A member of the demonic sects who made a name for myself in the War of Good and Evil. The one who rescued those children from the clutches of the self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.”
“….”
“Do you think I achieved this strength without effort? That I simply relied on my innate abilities and believed the world revolved around me?”
I smiled, adding a touch of theatricality to my words. This duel wasn’t simply about technique; it was about understanding the essence of martial arts and unraveling the mysteries of the Heart Demon.
“I will use a shard of the Ice Shadow Wall to create a sharp blade and aim for your Zhongfu acupoint. I’ll strike with the Three Talents Sword Technique.”
“That’s just a third-rate technique.”
“But there are those who have elevated that third-rate technique to the highest level. A single man who, with just three simple movements: a horizontal slash, a vertical slash, and a thrust, was hailed as the greatest swordsman in the world.”
That man was the legendary Sword God from [King of the Diamond Fist], a character I had intended to write as achieving immortality in the final chapters.
I had sought the guidance of the Infinite Sword Emperor of the Namgung Clan, the Poison Dragon of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Beggar Sect Leader, the Hao Clan Leader, and countless others.
I had traveled far and wide, seeking knowledge from both the righteous and demonic sects, even venturing into the outer martial arts world.
“If you don’t defend yourself, you’ll lose the use of your right arm. Are you sure you want to risk that?”
My Extreme Yin Body limited the techniques I could learn, but it didn’t mean I was ignorant of other martial arts.
“Ahahaha! I understand now, Master! This is true innovation! You’re still teaching me, even now!”
“You’re wro…”
Suddenly, I felt myself sinking deeper into her mindscape. I saw Bi Wol, no longer a young girl in a white robe, but a woman dressed in black, her eyes gleaming with a newfound power. She had transformed into the Heavenly Demon, ready to face me as an equal.
“Then I’ll use a sword technique as well! Let’s settle this with the Namgung Clan’s Thirteen Lightning Sword Thunder!”
The moment she drew her imaginary sword, I countered her attack.
“I’ll block your attack with the Flaming Dragon Sword of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal echoed through the air as our swords met, sparks flying. Bi Wol’s Heart Demon let out a triumphant cry.
“Surprised, Master? I actually forced you to step back!”
She was right. I had unconsciously taken a step back.
‘…How?’
I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did Bi Wol know the Thirteen Lightning Sword Thunder, a technique famous for its heavy strikes, a signature style of the Namgung Clan?
“I wanted to sever your arm, but I’ll settle for this.”
One of her strikes had grazed my right shoulder.
“Now, using the Iron String Sword Technique of the Jegal Clan as a feint, I’ll strike at your ribs with the Cloud Splitting Flash Sword of the Moyong Clan!”
The Bi Wol I knew wouldn’t be able to execute such techniques. But here she was, flawlessly wielding the techniques of the Five Great Clans.
‘The Namgung Clan’s swordsmanship emphasizes weight, while the Moyong Clan’s focuses on speed. How did she manage to combine these two styles?’
She was no longer the disciple I knew. She had transformed into the Heavenly Demon I had described in my novel.
An invincible force, capable of consuming every living being in her path.
“Then I shall use the techniques of the Nine Great Sects.”
If I countered her with techniques from the Five Great Clans, I would lose. I needed to change tactics.
“I’ll deflect your attack with the flowing movements of the Mount Hua Sect’s swordsmanship, then strike at your abdomen with the Clear Wind Kick of the Qingcheng Sect, creating distance between us.”
“I’ll use the Heavenly Roaming Divine Steps to widen the distance between us to three paces.”
The spar had taken an unexpected turn, evolving into a battle of wits and endurance.
We were constantly trying to outmaneuver each other, utilizing techniques we had never used before.
To win this battle, I had to understand her Heart Demon.
“…Bi Wol.”
“Yes, Master? How may I serve you?”
I had to confirm my suspicions. I was starting to believe that her Heart Demon was a manifestation of her original destiny, the one I had tried to erase.
“Are you really Bi Wol, or are you the Heart Demon?”
“You’ve figured it out, Master. Impressive.”
After all, the curse of the Heavenly Demon Star was to kill, to survive by spilling blood.
“To be honest, I’m not sure anymore. When I woke up, my love for you and my desire to kill were intertwined, a tangled mess.”
“That’s strange. How is that even possible?”
The more I spoke to her Heart Demon, the more I realized how similar she was to the real Bi Wol.
Light and shadow, two sides of the same coin.
“This is the love you taught me, Master. The overwhelming power of emotions.”
In the original story, Kim Hyul had completely eradicated his Heart Demon, achieving a higher level of mastery. But…
“If I could convey my true feelings to you, Master, even if it meant sacrificing this body, this vile spirit would gladly disappear.”
“Heart Demon, why do you think there’s a distinction between good and evil within the heart?”
“…What?”
I couldn’t simply erase her Heart Demon. It felt wrong.
“Human weakness is precious. It’s what allows us to feel compassion for others.”
This wasn’t part of the original story. She was experiencing a Heart Demon precisely because she was learning about human emotions, about empathy.
“Master…”
“…You call me Master, even though I’ve done nothing for you but offer a helping hand when you stumbled.”
The fact that even Bi Wol’s Heart Demon, a creature born from the Heavenly Demon Star’s curse, addressed me as “Master” and suppressed her violent urges felt strangely familiar.
“Heart Demon, do you remember what I said when we first met?”
I saw her again in my mind, a young girl with empty eyes, her legs chained, her body huddled on the cold, hard ground.
I had received countless injuries while protecting her from the cult.
“You said, ‘Seoljung Songbaek,’(‘pine and cypress in the snow’) Master.”
The Heart Demon looked down at my scarred body, her eyes filled with sadness.
“Yes. Do you understand its meaning now?”
“Pine and cypress trees don’t lose their color even in the snow. It’s a metaphor for a person with unwavering integrity. Someone like you, Master…”
I shook my head as the image of the destroyed Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, a place I had eradicated, materialized within her mindscape.
I was finally able to enter Bi Wol’s inner world.
“No, Bi Wol. When I said ‘Seoljung Songbaek’, I was referring to you.”
“…? I don’t understand.”
“I knew that even in that darkness, you were trying to hold onto your humanity.”
I looked around the mindscape, observing every detail. A young girl with black hair, the Bi Wol I knew, was lying unconscious in the rain, in front of the cult’s headquarters.
“I am not that strong, Master…!”
The Heart Demon screamed at me, her voice filled with anguish, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the rain.
“You endured the cult leader’s beatings without a sound, trying to protect your friends. You refused to eat flesh and blood, choosing to swallow mud and dirty water to satisfy your hunger.”
I recited every detail, hoping to reach both the Heart Demon and the real Bi Wol trapped within.
“How can you say that’s not ‘Seoljung Songbaek’?”
Before becoming the Heavenly Demon, Bi Wol was a kind and innocent girl, just like she was now.
“They forced me to eat flesh and blood when I was unconscious. I had to stay silent to protect my friends, while they made me bury more and more bodies! What do you know about my suffering?!”
The Heart Demon lunged at me, her hand gripping an imaginary sword, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision.
“I’ll use the Sixth Stance of the Heavenly Demon Art, the Nine Heavens Demon Sword, to sever your head, Master!”
The duel resumed.
Another attack.
“I’ll dodge your sword with the Lazy Donkey Roll, then strike the ground with the Ice Shattering Fist. And using the momentum, I’ll launch myself into the air and strike with the Descending Ice Fist!”
I rolled on the ground, narrowly avoiding her blade. I could feel the phantom sensation of mud sticking to my clothes. This mindscape was incredibly realistic.
“The Lazy Donkey Roll? You, a master of Transcendent Mastery, resorting to such a low-level technique? The entire world will mock you!”
“I don’t care. What need do I have for formalities or honor when trying to save my beloved disciple?”
“I’ll use the Asura Demon Sword, unleashing a flurry of strikes that target your vital points: your Lianquan, your Tanzhong, your Zhongwan!”
“Your aim is precise: the side of my ribs, the center of my chest, and my abdomen. Very well. I’ll use the Tenth Stance of the Ice Crystal Divine Art, the Ice Flow Kick, to flow past your sword strikes, then I’ll strike your abdomen with a freezing kick, followed by a fist to your temple.”
“I’ll defend myself with the Heavenly Demon’s Divine Palm!”
“Too late. How can you block all of those attacks with a single palm?”
Boom!
“…Impossible! I can’t lose! This is my mindscape, a place filled with my nightmares!”
A deafening roar shook the ground, a thick cloud of dust erupted from the impact, leaving a large crater. The Heart Demon coughed, struggling to get up.
“Heart Demon, you, the embodiment of my precious disciple’s inner turmoil, why do you call this hell your mindscape?”
“What… what do you mean…?”
“You called me your ‘world’ before, like a bird hatching from its egg.”
I clicked my tongue, realizing she was still far from understanding. She hadn’t grasped the truth of her own existence.
“But a world is not simply a place. It’s the sum of a person’s experiences, the path they have walked.”
The moment I spoke, the noise subsided, a deafening silence replacing the cacophony of battle. The rain stopped, and snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
“…Your world isn’t this bleak and desolate place. It’s a pristine, untouched landscape of snow.”
Step by step, I walked towards the unconscious Bi Wol.
“You could have given up. You could have embraced the Heavenly Demon Star’s curse and lived a life of bloodshed.”
The snow crunched beneath my feet as I reached her, gently brushing the snowflakes from her hair.
“But you didn’t. Even in darkness, you clung to hope, trying to save everyone around you.”
“Master…? What are you doing here…?”
The Bi Wol I knew slowly opened her eyes, regaining consciousness. I smiled.
“A flower that blooms in the snow is a rare and precious thing. Its beauty is a testament to its resilience, its ability to endure hardship.”
I created a sword of ice and placed it in her hand.
“You are Seoljung Songbaek, Bi Wol. Unwavering and steadfast, even in the face of adversity. So go forth and do what you believe is right.”
Defeating a Heart Demon was ultimately a personal battle.
“I’ll be here to guide you every step of the way.”
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