Chapter 35: Absolute Expert (2)
"Th-... is that true?"
Chul Geuk-jin, who had been too shocked, asked once more, the mysterious atmosphere that surrounded him now gone. It was a fact too unbelievable.
"Yes. It’s true."
Jang Woo-hyun began to tell his story, starting with how he had learned martial arts at the White Tiger Martial Hall.
It was his first time seeing Chul Geuk-jin today, but for some reason, he wanted to be completely honest. He wanted someone—anyone—to understand his situation. Besides, he didn’t think he could lie to this man even if he tried.
"A year. Just a year…"
It was a situation beyond comprehension. He had traveled the martial world for a long time and had seen and heard many things, but this was a first.
There was no one to compare him to. If he really had to think of someone...
‘Was this what the Shaolin Bodhidharma or the First Heavenly Demon were like?’
Just over a year, and he had reached the peak of Master Level.
And he had begun training in martial arts at a late age. He had grown without anyone's help.
‘He’s not someone I can take under my wing.’
He had left his sect to meet the person who had declared war on the Asura Sword Sect.
He wanted to see for himself if this person was just crazy or perhaps intoxicated with his own skills and acting wildly. While he did consider the extremely slim possibility that this person might be a genius who would leave a mark in martial arts history, he hadn’t placed much hope in it.
But now, after meeting him in person, he realized—
It wasn’t madness, nor arrogance. He wasn’t a fool drunk on shallow power.
His skills were not boastful, but confident. His eyes were intense. No matter who stood before him, his will to surpass them was clear.
"Heh..."
Chul Geuk-jin let out a hollow laugh, and as the smile faded, the image of a mere old man disappeared, replaced once again by the aura of an absolute master. Cloaked in a mysterious presence, he slowly spoke again.
"I asked this before, but… were you planning to kill them all?"
"I'm not the kind of person who just lets an attacking enemy go. I wasn’t planning to kill them all, but I was thinking of capturing their sect leader."
"Don’t do that. Even if they’re martial artists, it won’t do you any good. A bloody karma built by killing many will eventually take its toll on you."
Jang Woo-hyun frowned slightly at the incomprehensible words.
Karma from bloodshed—what did that even mean?
"You might not understand now, but you’ll grasp the meaning soon enough. Just don’t go on a massacre. As for your conflict with the Asura Sword Sect, how would you feel about me mediating?"
Chul Geuk-jin had taken a liking to Jang Woo-hyun and wanted to put an end to the fight.
"You don’t need to concern yourself."
From Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes, Chul Geuk-jin sensed not revenge, but some kind of overwhelming desire.
‘What is it? Is there something I don’t know?’
"Anyway, they’re not going to back down easily now."
That was true.
One of the Three Sword Kings was already dead, and the entire Martial World was watching. They couldn’t retreat so easily now, not with their pride on the line.
"I don’t know what you’re thinking just yet, but for now, you’re lucky. They probably think you’re a giant boulder that’s hard to move. But what if someone like me jumps into the fray again? Can you be sure there’s no one else like me?"
Just as he said, someone eccentric like Chul Geuk-jin might appear, someone who moved without regard for reputation or position. Some people might even move just for amusement.
The Martial World was the kind of place where such people could suddenly emerge. And if any of them sided with the Asura Sword Sect or targeted Jang Woo-hyun, he could be in serious danger.
Despite the warning, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t show any signs of backing down.
"Can you forgive someone who tried to take your life, Sect Master Chul? I can’t."
"……"
Even the absolute master Chul Geuk-jin couldn’t refute that. He himself had never lived that way. He couldn’t force someone else to do what he hadn’t done.
"Yes, I see."
Chul Geuk-jin nodded, seemingly convinced.
"Actually, I wanted to take you with me. That’s the main reason I sought you out."
"Sorry? Take me? Where to?"
"I wanted to meet the man who had the guts to declare war on the Asura Sword Sect alone. I don’t know anyone like that. And if I liked you, I was thinking of taking you in as my disciple. But that’s not going to work."
He was beyond what Chul Geuk-jin could handle.
He had climbed to Master Level on his own. Before long, he would reach the level of an Absolute Expert. Someone like that couldn’t be taught. It would be better to simply leave him alone.
"Take a look at this."
Chul Geuk-jin pulled a thin booklet from inside his robe.
He had given up on taking him as a disciple, but he still wanted to pass on at least one teaching.
"What is this?"
"Just take a look."
Jang Woo-hyun took the book and began to read it slowly. Chul Geuk-jin stood silently by his side and waited for a long time.
As he read, Jang Woo-hyun realized this was a secret martial art manual.
Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor
A martial art that encased the body in defensive Qi projection, integrating both offense and defense.
What was unique about it was that the Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor enhanced physical capability and compensated for weaknesses by forming a protective shell around the body.
It was unlike anything he had seen before—a martial art that defied conventional logic.
"Interesting."
At Jang Woo-hyun’s evaluation, Chul Geuk-jin smiled.
"Did you understand it?"
"Yes. Especially the part about using the divine armor to enhance physical performance—it’s quite unique. It deviates from standard martial arts norms."
"As expected!"
No one around him had ever understood it, much less learned it. Using internal energy to form a protective shell for the body—it was so far from conventional thinking that people couldn’t even accept the premise.
But Jang Woo-hyun seemed to grasp it without difficulty. He was in agreement with Chul Geuk-jin’s line of thought. Truly, a genius was different.
In truth, Jang Woo-hyun’s understanding was slightly different from what Chul Geuk-jin intended. For ordinary people in this world, it would be difficult to comprehend, but not for Jang Woo-hyun.
To him, it was just like building an exoskeleton armor with Qi, like something out of a movie.
Though forming it with internal energy was complex, given that this world had sword qi and flying humans, putting on armor didn’t seem like a big deal.
"Hahaha! No one else could understand it, but you’re different!"
Chul Geuk-jin laughed cheerfully. Jang Woo-hyun was a talent too good to pass up. He wanted to teach him everything, to pass on all he had—but he knew the young man would never follow him.
He even considered kidnapping him, but that would be meaningless. He couldn’t subdue him easily, nor did he have the confidence to beat someone with such skill into submission. They might end up killing each other in a real fight.
"I’ll give it to you as a gift."
"Sir?"
"No one else I’ve given it to could even comprehend it."
"But still, giving me something like this so suddenly…"
"Just take it. It’ll help you find the path forward or resolve your current situation. If it’s useless to you, throw it away here."
His firm tone made it impossible for Jang Woo-hyun to refuse.
"Then… I’ll gratefully accept it."
He carefully took the secret manual of Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor and bowed in gratitude. If this was one of the martial arts of the Eight Masters, it was a fortune incomparably greater than anything in the Demon Extermination Sect’s Martial Arts Repository.
For a chance meeting, this was far too great a gift.
"This is too much. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
"No need. Just the fact that you’ve accepted it is enough for me. It’s a martial art that could’ve disappeared from this world. The fact that it lives on in someone else now—that’s more than enough."
Chul Geuk-jin laughed heartily.
‘Huh?’
From that laugh, Jang Woo-hyun felt something strange.
For a brief moment, Chul Geuk-jin’s presence faded. It was as if he was no longer a person of this world. But in the next instant, a tremendous sense of presence filled the space again.
‘What was that just now?’
It was something he had never seen before.
While Jang Woo-hyun was confused, Chul Geuk-jin appeared refreshed, as if he had shaken off a burden.
“There’s nothing holding me back anymore.”
He had found someone to learn the martial art he had created, and there was nothing more he needed to leave behind.
He still had concerns about Heaven-Dominating Sect, but that situation was beyond his control now.
Currently, the Heaven-Dominating Sect had accumulated so much power that it could explode at any moment. Until now, he had suppressed it with sheer authority, but his limit would come soon.
Chul Geuk-jin decided that once he returned, he would begin by sorting out the sect’s affairs.
“I enjoyed today’s meeting. I’m not sure if we’ll have another chance… but if we do, let’s meet again. Ah, and the issue with the Asura Sword Sect… it might get resolved in another way.”
“Sorry? All of a sudden?”
“Haha, well, you never know what’ll happen in life. Take care, then.”
With a hearty laugh and farewell, Chul Geuk-jin disappeared.
Jang Woo-hyun, still dazed from the unexpected fortune he’d received, stood still for a while before picking up the fallen Flying Swallow Sword and returning to Gyerim.
* * *
The story of how he defeated the six sects did not spread as widely as expected. For one, three of the sects had withdrawn simply due to Chul Geuk-jin, and secondly, there were very few witnesses this time.
Even so, most martial sects became aware of the events thanks to the Beggars' Sect and Hao Sect.
Though the reason for the three sects’ withdrawal remained unclear, it was known that the Fiery Flame Sword Sect and Ghost Hand Mountain Villa had been completely crushed by Jang Woo-hyun alone.
Both sects had suffered complete defeat near Gyerim without even putting up much of a fight. Each had lost their Sect Leader. Those who had witnessed Jang Woo-hyun’s strength firsthand didn’t even dare dream of revenge.
All eyes turned toward the Asura Sword Sect—wondering what decision they would make and how they would respond. Jang Woo-hyun’s power could no longer be stopped by a small sect.
There were even murmurs that the Sect Leader of the Asura Sword Sect might have to step forward personally.
Contrary to people’s expectations, however, the conflict between Jang Woo-hyun and the Asura Sword Sect entered a temporary lull.
In the Asura Sword Sect’s case, their Sect Leader’s hidden ace had yet to arrive. And as for Jang Woo-hyun, he was in no hurry.
Dealing with Sang Mun-cheon had been one of his goals, but now that had become secondary.
What Jang Woo-hyun truly desired was a fight against a peak Master Level expert.
In his current state, fighting those weaker than him held no meaning. More than ever, he needed a battle against someone at the peak.
So he simply waited—for a top master from the Asura Sword Sect to come.
Since it was a battle between a massive sect and an individual, Jang Woo-hyun had nothing to lose. It was the Asura Sword Sect who were on the clock. If they didn’t handle Jang Woo-hyun soon, their reputation would only continue to deteriorate.
* * *
During the time of waiting, Jang Woo-hyun met with Son Ji-pyeong, the Vice-President of the Silver Flower Trading Company.
His original reason for coming to Guangxi Province had been to find something related to the Demon Spirit Manual.
The clue lay with the President of the Silver Flower Trading Company, who was known for collecting unusual martial manuals. He had to search that collection for any trace of the Demon Spirit Manual.
Thanks to Jang Woo-hyun, Son Ji-pyeong had escaped the clutches of the Asura Sword Sect and was more than happy to grant access to his father’s collection—and even guided him personally.
“This way, please.”
The space was small and modest, hardly the kind of place one would expect for storing secret martial arts manuals. There weren’t even guards.
“Is it okay to leave this unguarded?”
To that question, Son Ji-pyeong chuckled and replied.
“It’s fine. Haven’t you ever wondered how a merchant company like ours could possess so many secret manuals and still be perfectly fine?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, even possessing a single supreme martial manual can lead to disaster if the organization isn’t strong enough to protect it.”
“Ah…”
Now that he thought about it, that was true. Even though the Silver Flower Trading Company was reputable, they wouldn’t be able to fend off martial artists crazed by greed for martial manuals. If they were that powerful, they wouldn’t have been tormented by the Asura Sword Sect in the first place.
“So is there something special about this place?”
“You’ll understand once you see it yourself.”
With that, Son Ji-pyeong opened the door to the small building.
Inside was another locked door. Son Ji-pyeong opened that one as well and stepped aside.
“It’s in here. Take your time. I’ll have a servant waiting outside, so if you need anything, just let them know.”
He left, and Jang Woo-hyun went inside alone to look over the secret manuals collected by the head of the Silver Flower Trading Company.
It didn’t take long for him to understand why Son Ji-pyeong had said what he did.
“This is garbage.”
Not a single one of them was any good. Half-finished, bizarre, or utterly useless. No sane martial artist would attack the Silver Flower Trading Company just to get their hands on this trash.
So much for “unusual manuals”—none of them were even normal.
The most famous record seemed to be the one left by Kim Min-soo, titled “Demon Spirit Martial Art.”
The more he read, the more absurd things became.
Dragon Cry Spear
A spear art involving a spear shaft made from a giant flute, with a blade mounted on it. Each swing of the spear produced sonic attacks, making it a combination of sound and spear techniques.
Dissonance Blade
A blade shaped like a tuning fork. Each attack emitted sonic waves, functioning as a sound-based sword technique.
Four Limbs Four Swords Style
A sword style that used all four limbs—arms and legs—to wield four swords simultaneously.
Five-Drum Thunderclap Sonic Technique
A martial art involving five drums strapped to the back. By striking each drum, sound waves were generated, which were then used to produce thunder.
Ten Thousand Transformations Thousand Swords Art
A sword technique utilizing a thousand swords.
Transcendence Sword
A technique that formed sword energy into over thirty thin, long threads to attack with.
“This is insane…”
It got more ridiculous the deeper he went.
Compared to what was here, the Demon Spirit Martial Art was a truly excellent record. At least it had been useful.
This was someone’s delusion—a collection of empty dreams.
He could feel the Silver Flower Trading Company leader’s desperation, his desire to grow stronger even if it meant resorting to unorthodox methods.
Realizing that none of the manuals would be of much help, Jang Woo-hyun settled in the archive room and began studying Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor, the manual Chul Geuk-jin had given him.
Even though he understood the theory, Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor was not easy to master. Whenever he hit a wall, he would cool his head by flipping through the absurd manuals for amusement. At first, they were so ridiculous it was laughable—but after a while, they became strangely entertaining.
Hwang An or Jin Ha-un would occasionally visit, but upon seeing Jang Woo-hyun’s focused state, they assumed he was once again immersed in cultivating martial arts and quietly left.
Though most of the manuals collected by the Silver Flower Trading Company were bizarre, their creativity was impressive. Jang Woo-hyun extracted martial principles from them and compared them with his own swordsmanship.
Dozens, even hundreds, of hypothetical battles played out in his mind. Techniques were created and discarded over and over.
Fifteen days passed in such fashion—until Son Ji-pyeong came to him unexpectedly.
“Master Jang, do you have a moment?”
He had been so absorbed in his reading, living, eating, and sleeping there, that he hadn’t even washed properly. Son Ji-pyeong called to him.
“What is it?”
“I found this in my father’s safe. I thought it might be of use to you, so I brought it.”
In Son Ji-pyeong’s hand was a booklet, and the moment he saw the cover, Jang Woo-hyun suddenly bolted forward without thinking.
The characters on the cover were instantly familiar.
[듀뻔쮀 꺼]
Demonic Martial Divine Manual.
It was the second record left by Kim Min-soo.