Chapter 118
Wind and Thunder Cliff (2)
The introductory cultivation art taught by the boy.
Its result was the three flower buds gathered above Namgung Jun’s crown.
All three shone with shades of blue, yet each possessed a distinct hue.
One was a deep blue that flickered violently and unpredictably.
Another was a pale sky-blue that flowed gently like the heavens.
The last was a dark navy blue, calm and heavy as though infused with the chill of eternal winter.
Though three flower buds with entirely different characteristics had manifested above his head, Namgung Jun showed no sign of stopping his cultivation.
As if unaware of their existence, he continued drawing endless circles with his entire body, repeatedly reciting the cultivation formula while circulating his qi.
Boooom!
Each time his hands and feet traced large and small circles, waves of energy carrying the colors of the three flowers spread outward from his body.
The Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art.
The Azure King Cleansing World Art.
And the cold yin energy of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
Though all three energies flooded through his meridians, no eruption occurred.
Following the profound principles of the cultivation art, the three forces continuously interlocked, maintaining a delicate yet stable harmony.
And during that process, the energies gradually became balanced.
The cold yin energy remained the largest in volume, yet it was slowly being absorbed into the powers of the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art and the Azure King Cleansing World Art.
It was insignificant in scale.
Yet it was undeniably a small Taiji.
The cultivation art taught by the boy did not merely suppress the eruptions of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians through harmonizing opposing energies.
Following the formula, his internal energy endlessly traced circles throughout his body, circulating without cease.
Crack!
The body that had already been tempered through sword cultivation began to transform once more.
Starting from the dantian at the deepest core of his body, the changes spread through hundreds and thousands of branching minor meridians, then through the acupoints and primary meridians, and finally into his muscles and bones.
Simply by entering the path of this new cultivation art, the levels of his Jing (Essence) and Qi steadily rose.
The greater his attainment in the cultivation art became, the faster both his body and internal energy developed.
Hummmmm!
As the quality of his Essence and Qi gradually improved, the aura radiating from him became increasingly powerful.
Namgung Jun’s harmony of the Three Treasures—Essence, Qi, and Spirit—had largely been sustained through the insights and senses inherited from his previous life.
Had the levels of his Essence and Qi been any lower, no amount of enlightenment or perception could have forced such a balance.
The Spirit that carried the memories of the Sword Emperor was simply too immense.
Ordinarily, he would have needed much more time to temper and refine both body and internal energy until they reached the proper level.
But that was no longer necessary.
The cultivation art taught by the boy had accelerated that process.
By the time Namgung Jun’s mastery of the art reached the fifth stage—
The boundaries separating Essence, Qi, and Spirit gradually faded.
Slowly, they intertwined.
Then they became one.
The complete unification of Jing, Qi, and Shen.
The flower buds above Namgung Jun’s head bloomed simultaneously.
Three Flowers Gather at the Crown.
The realm symbolizing the unification of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
The symbol that one had entered the ranks of the true supreme masters of the Jianghu.
The three magnificent flowers scattered radiant light in all directions before dissolving into fragments of brilliance that poured back into Namgung Jun’s body.
Only then did he cease circulating the cultivation art and regain awareness.
As he slowly opened his eyes, his brows twitched sharply.
The boy’s teachings had entered his mind directly through pure intent.
To fully digest them, Namgung Jun had unconsciously entered a state of selflessness, focusing entirely on comprehending the teachings.
Only now did he realize how much he had changed.
Not only did I naturally suppress the eruption of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, but the quality of both my body and internal energy has advanced. And the result is...
Namgung Jun looked around Wind and Thunder Cliff.
The scenery remained the same.
Yet it appeared completely different.
The unification of Essence, Qi, and Spirit had altered the very way he perceived the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth.
After surveying the entire cliff, his gaze finally settled upon the boy before him.
The boy, too, appeared different than before.
After studying him quietly, Namgung Jun asked,
“What martial art have I learned?”
“Taiji Peach Blossom Origin Art.”
Namgung Jun’s eyes grew even calmer, as though he had already expected the answer.
Taiji Peach Blossom Origin Art.
A foundational cultivation art of the Wudang Sect and one that contained the very essence of its teachings.
Created personally by Zhang Sanfeng, it possessed the ability to transform one’s body into an ideal vessel for learning the martial arts of Wudang.
It was considered a divine art comparable to Shaolin’s Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture.
“I am not a disciple of the Wudang Sect. Why would you bestow such teachings upon me?”
“Does the cultivation of the heart and refinement of one’s nature require divisions and boundaries? Hundreds of rivers ultimately flow into the same sea.”
The boy’s expression and tone remained utterly free, as though he cared nothing for the rules of the world.
“You and I met here. That alone is sufficient.”
The moment the boy looked directly at him—
Namgung Jun felt as though the boundless universe itself surged toward him all at once.
“For the question of our encounter, I offered the Taiji Peach Blossom Origin Art as my answer.”
The boy’s gaze remained tranquil.
“What answer will you give in return?”
What exactly did he mean?
Was he asking for a martial art equivalent to the Taiji Peach Blossom Origin Art?
Or some form of compensation?
Namgung Jun shook his head.
He knew it was not such a simple exchange.
After giving the matter careful thought, Namgung Jun replied,
“This junior will provide the answer through the martial path I walk from this day forward.”
“You will answer with your Dao? The simplest thing is often the most difficult. Yet you know that and still choose to walk it.”
“It seems that's simply the kind of person I am.”
Namgung Jun smiled faintly, and the boy nodded.
“It seems the time you can remain at Wind and Thunder Cliff is coming to an end.”
“When an achievement has been attained, do not linger within it. Once the work is complete, one must naturally withdraw. The same applies to you.”
The boy raised a hand and pointed in a certain direction.
“There lies the first step toward the answer you will one day give.”
Turning his head, Namgung Jun looked toward the cliff wall.
A narrow passage that had been invisible before now appeared.
He turned back to offer a final farewell.
But the boy was gone.
Only colorless starlight shimmered where he had been standing, despite it being broad daylight.
“Immortal.”
Namgung Jun bowed deeply toward the starlight.
“I may never become a true disciple of the Wudang Sect, but I will never do anything that would tarnish your name.”
At that moment, one of the drifting motes of starlight touched his body.
“As the ancients said: ‘The fame and profit of past and present are but dust.’ What use is reputation? In the end, it is nothing more than dust.”
A fragment of intent emerged from the starlight.
With that, the starlight slowly faded away, like stars returning to the heavens after briefly descending to the earth.
Namgung Jun gazed at the place where the star-clad boy had stood for a long while.
Then he bowed once more and turned away.
As he followed the passage out of Wind and Thunder Cliff and made his way back toward the Wudang Sect—
Master. I'll return quickly.
Thinking of Lee Seha and the Heavenly Sword Hall, he quickened his pace.
***
Sword-Unsealing Pool
The area around the Sword-Unsealing Pool remained chaotic.
Only a few days earlier, warriors of the Sun Moon Demonic Cult had launched a surprise attack there.
“Hm?”
One of Wudang’s second-generation disciples, who was standing guard, rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
The young man whom the entire sect had been desperately searching for was now walking toward them under his own power.
“Namgung Sohyeop?”
“Ah! It really is Namgung Sohyeop!”
“You're safe!”
As the disciples hurried toward him, Namgung Jun offered a polite salute.
“We heard you fell from the cliff while fighting the Divine Thief. The disciples of our sect have been searching every corner of Wudang Mountain.”
“It’s a great relief to see you unharmed.”
“Yes. I was fortunate.”
Namgung Jun smiled bitterly.
Hearing their words, he felt increasingly indebted to the Wudang Sect.
“Please come inside first.”
The disciples escorted him into the Sword-Unsealing Pavilion.
Xuanshi, who was still overseeing the pavilion, stared at him with astonishment.
“You returned completely unharmed! This is truly fortunate. Primordial Heavenly Venerable.”
“I heard the Wudang Sect assisted in the search for me. I am sincerely grateful.”
“We merely did what ought to be done. Think nothing of it.”
As he drank the tea Xuanshi prepared, Namgung Jun's expression darkened slightly.
The Heavenly Sword Hall had originally agreed to help guard the pavilion.
Yet not a single member of the Heavenly Sword Hall was present.
That could only mean circumstances had changed drastically.
“What happened after the Divine Thief and the demonic cultists attacked?”
“I’ll summarize it briefly. We successfully repelled the Demonic Cult’s assault on the Sword-Unsealing Pavilion, but the Divine Thief ultimately escaped.”
Holding his teacup, Xuanshi continued.
“Meanwhile, the situation on the front lines worsened. Even the Heavenly Sword Hall, which had been searching Wudang Mountain for you, had to leave the search in our hands and depart to reinforce the battlefield.”
Having learned why the Heavenly Sword Hall was absent, Namgung Jun drained his tea in a single gulp.
“Then I must follow them immediately.”
“Young Hero Namgung, judging by your appearance, it seems you've been wandering Wudang Mountain ever since falling from the cliff. Wouldn't it be wiser to rest, even briefly?”
Namgung Jun smiled wryly under Xuanshi’s concerned gaze.
His appearance certainly looked terrible.
He had lost his bamboo hat during the fall.
His hair was disheveled.
His blue martial robe was covered in dirt and dust, its original color long since obscured.
Yet appearances were deceiving.
After obtaining the opportunity at Wind and Thunder Cliff, Namgung Jun was in better condition than ever before.
Smiling, he shook his head.
“Thank you for your concern, but I am in perfect condition. I will head to the front lines immediately.”
“Haa...”
Namgung Jun reached into his robes and produced the Purple-Spotted Bamboo Slip.
He handed it to Xuanshi.
“I recovered this from the Divine Thief just before I fell from the cliff. I return it to the Wudang Sect.”
“Gasp!”
The moment the bamboo slip appeared, Xuanshi sucked in a sharp breath.
I naturally assumed the Divine Thief escaped with it...
Still dazed, Xuanshi accepted the sacred relic.
When Namgung Jun rose to leave, Xuanshi hurriedly stopped him.
“Young Hero Namgung! Please wait!”
He sat Namgung Jun back down to hear the full story.
It was not because he suspected him.
The chief disciple, Hyeonmang, was bedridden after suffering the Divine Thief’s ambush in Taihe Palace.
And the Purple-Spotted Bamboo Slip was one of Wudang’s most treasured sacred objects.
If Xuanshi simply accepted it without learning the circumstances, the Sect Leader would surely berate him later.
“...And that is what happened.”
“You threw yourself off a cliff for the sake of recovering our sect’s sacred treasure... Young Hero Namgung is practically a benefactor of the Wudang Sect.”
In truth, Namgung Jun had only pursued the Divine Thief to kill him.
But Xuanshi seemed to have misunderstood the situation slightly.
Still, Namgung Jun felt that taking the time to correct the misunderstanding would only delay him.
His thoughts were already on the battlefield where the Heavenly Sword Hall had gone.
“Then I shall depart at once.”
“Ah, understood. Wait—take this as well.”
Xuanshi hurriedly searched the room and handed him a small travel pack.
“It contains our sect’s medicinal ointments, wound medicine, bandages, and fasting pills. I hope they prove useful.”
“I gratefully accept.”
“Young Hero Namgung, the Wudang Sect will never forget what happened today. We will repay this debt in the future. Please return safely.”
Xuanshi offered a formal salute first.
Namgung Jun returned the gesture with clasped fists before quickly descending Wudang Mountain.
The situation was far too serious.
It was essential that the Wudang Sect fully understand exactly how Namgung Jun had recovered the Purple-Spotted Bamboo Slip from the Divine Thief.