A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 24: Refining (3)

A new world appears before my eyes.

Though I haven't fully entered that world yet, I sense that once I do, everything will change drastically.

The purple thread.

Familiarizing myself with the direction this new path points to, I recall the formula of 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts'.

Up to now, I memorized the formula but couldn't understand a single word.

That's why, even possessing this divine technique, understanding it was impossible.

Now, however.

The moment I saw the path of purple, somehow, I felt I could understand 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts'.

'Now I understand why everyone who read 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts' called it an absurd martial art.'

Yes, this is a martial art that could completely overturn the history of martial arts in Yanguo.

Its basis might be for escaping and ambushing cultivators.

But if used properly, this could be.

Undoubtedly a martial art meant to capture and kill those cultivators!

A few cycles back, this was Kim Young-hoon's assessment of 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts' after mastering it.

Yes, used properly, it's indeed a martial art capable of killing cultivators!

The formula of 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts' crosses my mind.

[In the contest of martial arts, if the clashing of colors represents the essence of martial arts can't we attack the colors themselves?]

A phrase incomprehensible before stepping into the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

But now, I understand.

'Colors represent intent (spirit, will, etc). Attacking the colors themselves mean.'

Attacking the opponent's intent directly!

Beyond exchanging intent trajectories, attacking the intent themselves, and furthermore, cutting through the opponent's very consciousness, is the essence of Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts. One who uses this as a basis can enter a cultivator's blind spots and strike!

The divine technique Kim Young-hoon showed, which made him disappear like a phantom, wasn't his agility but the record that quickly sliced through my consciousness, making it impossible for me to perceive him momentarily!

Shuk!

My sword dives into the flow of the Crown Prince's consciousness.

Every human consciousness has its fibers.

Aiming for the gaps in the fibers through the purple thread, I concentrate my intent following the formula of 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts' and slice into his consciousness.

Paat!

The edges of his consciousness split.

Though I stand before him, in his eyes, I must appear to have vanished like a phantom.

I've entered the cultivator's blind spot.

Ordinary martial artists can't perceive intent due to completely being dominated by a cultivator's consciousness domain.

Conversely, a cultivator can detect every movement of a martial artist who enters their realm of consciousness.

But 'Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts' allows one to penetrate the cultivator's blind spot, rendering even cultivators unable to track a martial artist's actions.

A martial art that momentarily equalizes martial artists with cultivators!

This is.

'A martial art created by mortals to transcend the cultivators!'

Quickly slicing through the fibers of the Crown Prince's consciousness, I approach him closely and raise my sword.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Transcending Peaks!

Paat!

My sword, covered in sword silk, precisely targets the Crown Prince's neck.

Then, the sound of clashing metal resounds.

Kaang!

A translucent defensive spell suddenly covers him.

Huh, huhuk! What trick did you play?

Surprised by my sudden disappearance and close-range attack, he forms a spell seal.

Kwaang!

Energy writhes, changing the flow of the surrounding air.

Purung!

I'm thrown backwards by a strong recoil, and a small whirlwind starts rising around the Crown Prince.

Fun tricks, but I'll show you they won't work on a true cultivator!

Pyeung!

Several wind blades shoot out from the whirlwind covering him.

I hastily retreat, dodging outside the Crown Prince's domain of consciousness.

From outside his realm, the flow of intent becomes clear.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Strange Stone.

Boom, boom, boom!

In a defensive and offensive stance, I deflect all incoming wind blades and prepare to re-enter his domain.

However, as the Crown Prince forms another spell seal, a wind bullet, as big as my upper body, shoots towards me from the whirlwind.

'I need to dodge.'

Frowning, I deploy my agility technique and escape among the houses within the Makli Clan's territory.

Kwaang, Kwaang, Kwaang!

The wind bullet collapses several straw houses, and corpses and streams of blood from mortals spill out.

'I need to approach the whirlwind.'

Observing the Crown Prince's whirlwind, I click my tongue.

'Every strand of that wind is a wind blade. If I approach, I'll be shredded.'

Even if I manage to approach by cutting through his consciousness, if I can't penetrate the whirlwind, I can't deliver a strike.

'No, hold on.'

Even if I penetrate the whirlwind, the Crown Prince's defensive spell remains.

My sword silk isn't enough to penetrate his spell.

'How can I break through all of it?'

Kwaang, kwaang, kwaang!

I dodge through the alleys of the village, using the houses of cultivators as a shield against the Crown Prince's attacks.

Dodging isn't a problem.

As long as I keep observing the flow of his intent from outside his domain.

However, fundamentally, the internal energy of a martial artist is more impure compared to a cultivator's spiritual power, so no matter how much internal energy a martial artist has, they will tire much quicker than a cultivator.

'I can't drag this out.'

I need to finish this quickly.

And to do that.

'Now, right now. I must ascend to Three Flowers Gather at the Summit!'

I must seize this clue and ascend now.

With the resolve to die!

Ta-at!

Climbing onto the roof of a house with my Transcending Peaks Step, I thrust my sword at the wind bullets the Crown Prince shoots.

Boo-woong!

Kwaang!

Cutting upwards with Ascending Vein, the wind bullets split in half and fly off in different directions.

Jing, jing, jing!

'My hand is trembling.'

Indeed, the power contained in the wind bullets were formidable.

The hand holding my sword ached unbearably.

'I'll keep receiving those attacks.'

I gave up on dodging and continue to thrust my sword at his wind bullets and wind blades.

The intent of the wind bullets and wind blades is directed at me.

I observe the attacks coming from both sides and prepare my stance.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Landscape Painting!

Diagonal slashes extend left and right, cutting through the approaching wind blades and wind bullets.

But beyond, even more endless wind blades rush in.

'They don't stop.'

I keep wielding my sword and perform sword moves.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Joy of Mountains and Peaks.

Flowing Ridge.

Strange Stone.

Bouldered Cliff.

Amidst continuous rotation.

Piercing and slicing the wind bullets.

I attack and block in a defensive and offensive stance.

While doing so, I begin to approach step by step again.

Shuk! Shuk!

I cautiously advance, inching forward with measured steps

Shoulder, waist, cheek, thigh.

The flesh touched by the wind blades turn to tatters.

"Hmph, dare to come at me! Die!"

The Crown Prince forms a spell seal, and the whirlwind writhes, as numerous wind blades begin to merge.

Soon, they form the shape of a giant bird.

A deep red consciousness aims at me.

A terrifying killing intent pierces the entire space I stand in.

I can't block it.

I can't dodge it.

The moment it flies at me, I'll die.

I instinctively know.

But for some reason, I'm not worried.

I just aimlessly follow the faint purple thread between the red.

'What does purple mean?'

Blue is the thread of self-protection.

Thus, it extends from me.

Red is the thread of killing intent.

Thus, it extends from the enemy.

Then what is purple?

Purple is...

Suddenly, I feel as if the red and blue threads are mingling, somewhat forming a Tai Chi.

Though blue is weaker compared to red, it mixes with red.

And between red and blue.

A purple thread opens a path.

'Purple is the color born from the mix of blue and red.'

Hostility and self-will.

The will to protect oneself and the will to kill.

Why can these two intents mix?

Suddenly, looking at the stance I've taken, I'm amazed.

Facing this fearsome attack, I've adopted the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's first move, Transcending Peaks.

'Do I no longer want to live?'

No, that's not it.

I've always wanted to live.

Then, the current stance also means my will to live has guided me towards it.

'Ah, right.'

This isn't just a simple Transcending Peaks.

Transcending Peaks marks both the beginning and end of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Therefore, it can also be the initial form of the ultimate technique, Severing Mountain ().

Kieeek!

The giant bird flies towards me.

I initiate the twenty-second form of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Severing Mountain ().

Transcending Peaks (). 

Entering Mountain ().

Ascending Vein ().

Flowing Ridge ().

Bouldered Cliff ().

Strange Stone ().

Deep Mountain ().

Secluded Valley ().

Landscape Painting ().

Dragon Vein ().

Cliff Edge ().

Twelve Lights Emerging Peak ().

I slash horizontally, then vertically again holding the sword high and piercing crookedly, then I rotate in a defensive and offensive stance, adjusting and charging forward with an upward slash.

I twist and neutralize the opponent's power, slashing diagonally several times.

In an instant, I intensify the sword silk with a rapid vertical slash, then change the speed, slashing upwards and firing twelve streams of sword silk.

All of this happens in a flash.

I frantically wield the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, relentlessly pursuing the purple thread.

The power of the giant bird intensifies.

The wind blades emitting from its body leave scars and cuts all over my body.

My vision blurs, perhaps due to too much blood loss.

'A little more, just a little more!'

Keep moving the sword.

Get even one step closer to that color!

Even if I die the next moment!

'If I lack talent.'

Joy of Mountains and Peaks ().

Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven ().

Layered Mountain ().

Mountain Tiger ().

Mountain and Valley Transformation ().

Echoing Valley ().

'I must go crazy!!!'

It's okay to die now.

So please, show me the way!

In that moment.

I see a massive red intent aiming at me and think.

'Maybe in the contest of martial arts, there is no me or others.'

Until now, I've always thought others' intents were invariably red.

But if I change my perspective, from the other's point of view, their intent is blue, and mine is red.

I used to think the world of peak martial artists only consisted of others' intents and mine.

But maybe that's a mistaken thought.

Others' intent.

And my intent.

It's just a matter of perspective and maybe they're all the same color.

I close and then open my eyes.

Changing perspectives, my intent appears red and the giant bird's intent blue.

When I blink again, the colors return to normal, but I understand.

'If intent is essentially the same, what remains is only my martial arts.'

The boundaries between my color and the Crown Prince's color start to fade.

Red and blue melt into each other, and before me, the world seems to be drenched in purple.

My body is turning into tatters in real-time, but concurrently, I enter a strange state of ecstasy.

Martial arts are never complete on their own.

Martial arts need a partner to dance with.

'Ah, I see.'

I finally understand the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

A realm of connection!

A realm where the boundary between the opponent's intent and mine disappears, allowing me to read their intent more directly and meticulously

By understanding the opponent's intent, I can ensure that all my movements and techniques are flawless.

I mirror all my techniques in the Crown Prince's intent, fully understanding how much energy I've wasted.

How many unnecessary movements I made while executing sword moves.

Huuuuh

I take a deep breath.

I gather all the internal energy I've carelessly scattered while executing my sword moves!

The Shadow Guards, paralyzed by paralyzing powder, watched the duel between Seo Eun-hyun and the Crown Prince from the ground.

A seasoned veteran with overwhelming practical experience despite his young age!

That was the assessment of Seo Eun-hyun when he joined the Shadow Guard.

Such an experienced master had been refining his skills for decades.

But everyone in the Shadow Guards thought he couldn't beat the Crown Prince.

Because he was a cultivator.

A being of a different class from martial artists.

Indeed, Seo Eun-hyun was becoming tattered in real-time while fighting the Crown Prince.

He was spewing blood, covered in wounds and holes torn in his body.

Yet, he did not give up and steadily moved forward, step by step.

Everyone knew.

This desperate struggle was futile.

Suddenly, the Shadow Guards were astounded.

Seo Eun-hyun began to execute his swordsmanship.

It looked more like a sword dance.

A series of movements, clean without any superfluity.

But what astounded them was what happened next.

Seo Eun-hyun's intent became increasingly refined to the point where even the mid pinnacle guards failed to grasp in understanding.

His intent, which had spread out around him, suddenly converged into three points.

"Th-Three..."

Above his head, three flowers bloomed.

"Three Flowers... Gather at the Summit!"

The three flowers that momentarily lingered above his head were soon sucked into his nose and mouth.

Huuuuup!

All the wasted energy returns at once.

The internal energy spent while executing the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship is instantly replenished.

I felt like I understood why Leader said that Echoing Valley was linked to Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.

'A technique that receives and counters the opponent's power.'

In a sense, it was a practice of exchanging intents with the opponent, ultimately leading to connection.

'Thank you, Hyung-nim.'

I express my deep gratitude to Kim Young-hoon from my past life and continue to swing my sword.

There is no you or me.

Only martial arts itself exists here.

I felt like I understood why Three Flowers Gather at the Summit masters spoke to enter a state of no-mind.

Not a metaphysical answer, but advice to reach a state where neither your intent nor the other's exists.

Mountain Echoes, Valley Respond ().

Nine Mountains Eight Seas ().

In a state of no-mind, I unleash my sword.

In executing sword moves, not even a single bit of wasted movement exists.

In the realm of purple, beyond blue and red, I continue to infuse my sword with intent.

'If there is no you or me in martial arts, then there is neither your intent or mine.'

The sword silk becomes one with the sword, infusing it with energy.

If sword silk is the realization of sword intent,

Then next.

'Sword intent should connect with the intent flowing through the world.'

Paaat!

The sword silk evolves.

The faint aura surrounding the sword thickens and starts to emit a radiance.

It looked as if the sword was adorned with starlight.

Sword Gang!

Why I couldn't sustain the Sword Gang for more than a second with my strength alone, even when pouring all my internal energy into it, became clear in the realm of Three Flowers.

Because martial arts aren't just about using one's own strength.

The opponent's intent.

And the intent of the world must connect to truly complete martial arts.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Heavenly Lake!

I become like a clear lake, sweeping through the 'flow' of the giant bird with my sword.

Though it was a spell body without meridians and channels, I felt like I could understand the giant bird's structure.

The flow of intent inside the giant bird was clear to see.

The power of the giant bird was sucked into my sword in an instant, and I executed the ultimate technique of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship while sheathing my sword.

Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

Ultimate Move.

"Severeing Mountain."

Chaaaak!

Unsheathing the sword again, I unleash it towards the giant bird.

My sword was clearly adorned with bright Sword Gang.

Chung!

The Sword Gang shatters the giant bird.

"Huuu..."

I catch my breath.

I look at the Crown Prince, grinding his teeth within the whirlwind, with clear eyes.

"Ha, you. Don't be happy just because you broke one spell. Take this!"

Numerous wind blades merge, transforming into a giant dragon this time.

But I no longer felt that these would kill me.

Tadat!

I charge at him with the Transcending Peaks Step.

Koooong!

The wind dragon roars and flies towards me.

In the midst of executing the foot technique, I realized something more.

'Mountain Lord Martial Arts and Transcending Peaks Step were one technique all along.'

Until now, I didn't realize it due to my lack of talent.

It was only after reaching the state of Three Flowers that I finally understood.

The intention Kim Young-hoon had left in this foot technique when he created it.

Mountain Lord () transcends Great Peaks()!

'And then, it soars.'

Mountain Lords Soaring Flight ().

I leaped up