Emperor's Sword [EN]: Chapter 21

The Heavenly Demon Vault! It was a place where not only the martial arts and insights of the Heavenly Demon and past cult leaders were stored, but also the prized martial arts techniques of various sects that the Heavenly Demon Cult had acquired over the past 1700 years. Furthermore, it was a place where weapons that could dominate an era, various elixirs, artifacts, and precious jewels were piled up like mountains. This place was the innermost sanctum of the Heavenly Demon Cult, a treasury where their 1700-year history and power were concentrated. For this reason, only the cult leader, vice-leader, or elders and above were allowed to enter the Heavenly Demon Vault, and even then, only with the approval of the cult leader or the Supreme Protector. After the Mad Demon Sovereign’s rampage 50 years ago, the vault was not only sealed from the inside but also covered with ten-thousand-year-old cold iron from the outside, fearing the Mad Demon Sovereign’s return. Many lamented the fact that countless treasures were buried underground, unable to see the light of day, but it was an unavoidable choice. Perhaps the vault would not be opened until they were certain that the Mad Demon Sovereign was dead.

“This is the place.”

The Supreme Protector led him to a passage beneath the Protector Hall. The front was covered with cold iron where a door used to be. It was impossible to guess the thickness of the iron from its appearance.

“As you can see, this place is sealed shut. The thickness is over five ‘ja’ [approximately 1.5 meters], so it will take a considerable amount of time just to remove the cold iron.”

“This is more difficult to enter than I thought… If there were even a small gap, I could use the Concealment Technique to enter, but this is completely sealed. What were they thinking when they did this?”

“It was to ensure that if the Mad Demon Sovereign tried to come out again, there would be some noise from breaking the door and the cold iron, which would serve as a signal for us to prepare.”

“It was a good idea, but now it’s difficult to get back in. Is there no secret passage to enter from another place?”

“No, there isn’t. The Heavenly Demon Vault is the most important place in our cult. The area itself is made of bedrock, and the vault itself is made of cold iron, making it even more difficult to break through from another place.”

“So, in the end, I have to break through here… This is quite troublesome.”

[Isn’t it inevitable? In the end, I have no choice but to use the most brute-force method.]

“Brute-force method?”

[The good thing is that there’s an empty space behind the door, so it will only take some time, not that much effort.]

“Tch, I guess that’s the only way. Supreme Protector!”

“Yes, Sovereign.”

“Leave this to me and bring me some dried rations and ‘byeokgokdan’ [a type of energy pill]. And when you leave, please ensure that no one can enter.”

“Yes, I understand. But how do you plan to do it?”

“What else can I do? I’ll have to try breaking through with my sword…”

“What?… It will take a considerable amount of time and energy. Wouldn’t it be better to use explosives?”

“Do you want to advertise it? The vibrations from the explosion will probably alert everyone in the Heavenly Demon Cult, and things will get complicated. I’ll just quietly handle it myself.”

“What if the Mad Demon Sovereign ambushes you right after you break through? You’ll be exhausted and it will be difficult to fight him…”

“That’s my fate. Well, I’m about to start, so Supreme Protector, please prepare some dried rations, water, and ‘byeokgokdan’. Just leave them at the entrance. I’ll take care of them myself…”

“Yes, I understand. Please be careful.”

After the Supreme Protector left and pushed the food inside, Pa Cheon stared intently at the cold iron for a long time.

“If it’s five ‘ja’ thick, it will take at least a day, right? Moreover, it’s layered, so it won’t be easy to break through.”

He took a slow, deep breath. He activated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and drew the Heavenly Demon Sword. The Heavenly Demon Sword was much longer than an ordinary sword. It was four ‘ja’ and five ‘chi’ [approximately 1.35 meters] long, and its shape was wider and thicker like a saber rather than a typical sword. The dark, blackish blade with a red aura emanating from it made it clear to anyone, even those who knew nothing about swords, that it was no ordinary weapon. To think that he would use such a treasured sword to remove cold iron!

The red aura from the Heavenly Demon Sword intensified, and a huge beam of light, three ‘jang’ [approximately 9 meters] long, shot out. It gradually became transparent but still retained a red aura, making it look truly mystical.

Generally, sword energy (劍剛) is a condensed form of sword qi, usually with a bluish hue, but the sword energy that Pa Cheon emitted was not only different in color from ordinary sword energy but also larger and more precise.

Tsutsutsutsu

The sword energy was accompanied by a sound like lightning, and strange sounds like ‘shwoong’ echoed whenever it cut through the air. He directed it straight at the center of the cold iron.

Kwaang!

The corridor vibrated. He didn’t stop and continued to thrust, focusing on one point.

At first, only a small scratch of about half a ‘chi’ appeared, but it gradually became deeper and wider. But even so, it was barely noticeable…

Generally, to use sword energy (not the sword qi that ordinary martial artists speak of, but pure and precise sword energy), one needs more than 3 ‘gapja’ [180 years] of internal energy, and even with that, if one lacks understanding of the sword, it’s only a mere imitation. To freely unleash sword energy like Pa Cheon, one needs not only internal energy but also a comprehensive understanding of sword techniques. Such a master can break through about two ‘chi’ [6 cm] of cold iron with one strike. However, in the case of multiple layers of cold iron like this, breaking through even half a ‘chi’ is quite difficult. Knowing this, Pa Cheon focused on one point and slowly worked, gauging the depth. As the Supreme Protector said, if he were to clash with the Mad Demon Sovereign after completely removing the cold iron, even he could not guarantee his safety. It was a truly tedious task. Such repetitive work tends to dull one’s senses and induce boredom and lethargy. Moreover, continuously using sword energy, which consumes a lot of internal energy, was not an easy task even for Pa Cheon. Three ‘shijin’ [approximately 6 hours] had already passed, and only about one ‘ja’ of the cold iron had been chipped away. Exhausted, he sat cross-legged and focused on circulating his energy.

One of the phenomena that had recently appeared in him was that when he circulated his energy, the true qi flowing through his meridians moved on its own without his conscious focus. Generally, those who circulate energy, regardless of the depth of their power, perform the Great Heavenly Cycle (大周天搬運), circulating the internal energy accumulated in the ‘dantian’ (丹田) [an area below the navel] through the twelve meridians, including the ‘ren’ (任脈) and ‘du’ (督脈) meridians. However, in Pa Cheon’s case, the true qi originating from the meridians themselves, not only from the ‘dantian’ but also from various acupoints, combined on its own and often showed a phenomenon of flowing from the ‘haedae’ (海底: perineum) through the ‘chong’ (衝脈) meridian to the ‘ihwanggung’ (泥丸宮: ‘baihui’ acupoint) [the top of the head]. Pa Cheon had already overcome the stages of ‘ogijo won’ (五氣朝元) [the five energies returning to their origin] and ‘samhwachwijeong’ (三花聚頂) [the three flowers gathering at the crown] from the beginning through the efforts of the Twin Elders and his unity with the Heavenly Demon and Hyeneung. He had entered the realm of ‘nohwasuncheong’ (爐火純淸) [pure fire in the furnace], where his true qi became pure, and had broken through the ‘saengsahyeongwan’ (生死玄關) [the gate of life and death], the gate of life and death that martial artists dream of, reaching the realm of ‘hwanggoltaltae’ (換骨奪胎) [changing bones and seizing the womb] and ‘banbakgwijin’ (返樸歸眞) [returning to simplicity]. Therefore, when he circulated his energy, the phenomenon of ‘bugongsammae’ (浮空三昧) [floating in samadhi], where he would float about three ‘chi’ above the ground, would occur. However, Pa Cheon was now transcending the normal stages of internal energy enhancement. To explain it in general terms, it was like he was breaking through the ‘baekmaek’ (百脈) [hundred meridians] and opening the ‘ilcheonsemaek’ (一千細脈) [thousand fine meridians]. The meaning of internal energy being a few ‘gapja’ had no value anymore, and with a moment of enlightenment, he could leap over several stages, and martial arts of a completely different dimension would unfold according to his will. It was like a small snowball rolled from the top of a mountain, growing larger and harder as it rolled down. He was making greater progress even though he was doing the same thing. Pa Cheon’s internal energy was now exceeding 6 ‘gapja’ and was reaching the realm of the divine. Of course, it was not yet at the level of the natural sword that the Heavenly Demon had spoken of, but he was able to unleash the ‘mok-eo’ sword of controlling the sword with his mind.

‘True qi (眞氣) is breath and spiritual energy (靈氣). It has its own spirituality and happens on its own.

The blooming and falling of petals is the harmony of energy, and a person getting sick is the breaking of the harmony of energy.

Growing old is the weakening of energy. Energy is the law and order that moves the universe. The human body is a microcosm, so the flow of true qi should naturally happen on its own. It is wrong to deliberately confine true qi. It is also unnatural to move it by force of will. It is all truth to proceed in various ways instead of one. Forms and styles are bound by shapes and frameworks, so true qi is not natural, and the absence of a fixed form is also reckless. The true control of true qi is the adjustment of the middle way (中道), neither adding nor subtracting. It is to let the sword know its path and not forcibly block the path of the heart. When the mind arises, a will is established, and when a will is established, energy is moved. Therefore, there is form (形), style (式), strength (剛), softness (柔), change (變), and nothingness (無) in the mind. Going and going, coming and coming, that is the way of reason (道理行).’

Pa Cheon’s body loosened from the cross-legged position and floated in the air. Without even realizing it, he was lying flat on his back, with his hands folded below his navel, floating in the air. A faint mist began to emanate from his pores, gradually thickening and completely enveloping his body. Time passed. The energy circulation he had started for a short rest had gone on for more than a day, but he was still floating in the air, and the faint mist that had enveloped his body gradually thinned, turning into a transparent light membrane. It was 14 ‘shijin’ and three ‘gak’ [approximately 28 hours and 45 minutes] since he had started circulating his energy. His body slowly descended to the ground, and his eyes snapped open. As he rose, the Heavenly Demon’s laughter was the first thing he heard.

-Hahahaha, congratulations, Pa Cheon.

“Heh heh, I don’t think it’s something to congratulate or be congratulated about… It would be better to offer condolences, wouldn’t it?”

=What do you mean by that, benefactor?

“I think I’ve learned too much. How insignificant what I possess is…

I’ve sensed a vast world that is not clear but seems to be there. To be honest, at first… I scoffed at the Heavenly Demon’s words… Now I know it’s true. Damn it!… I was better off when I knew nothing and lived in my own self-importance…”

-Hahaha, that is also a blessing. What could be a greater blessing for a martial artist than to enter the path of the heart (心道)? Yes, as you said, it’s just the beginning. But if it’s you, you might be able to see the end of martial arts.

“There is no end, Heavenly Demon!… Just as the universe is endlessly vast, and our minds can expand infinitely, there is no end. It’s just that if you keep going and going, that’s where your share is.”

His eyes were calmly lowered and seemed to contain a deep mystery. But they were also eyes that felt somewhat empty and sad.

“I’m afraid that one day, my life… all the things I tried to achieve… all my efforts… will be seen as nothing but futile… I’m afraid of that.”

“Amitabha!”

“Alright! Still, I have to do what I must. I need to do something to feel alive.”

Pa Cheon felt light, as if his insides were empty. He couldn’t feel the fullness of his vital energy like before. But he knew. He was no longer the same person he was just a while ago…

His gaze fell upon the sword hanging at his waist. That was all. Yet, the sword was floating into the air on its own, beginning to glow with a red aura. It happened instantaneously, covering the entire blade with a transparent, red film. It didn’t tremble; it simply floated. Pa Cheon stared at the iron gate before him with a calm gaze.

*Whoosh*

*Bang*

The sword had pierced two feet into the iron, and the area around it quickly melted.

“Sword Burst!”

*Clang*

The sword, still embedded in the iron, emitted a burst of light, causing cracks to spread like a shattered glass wall before falling away powerlessly.

Watching this, Pa Cheon let out a dry laugh. But wasn’t there still two feet of iron remaining? Now, with one more strike, the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault would reveal its secrets to Pa Cheon. The sword remained suspended in the air, still attached to the iron wall, and without retreating, it pierced through the remaining two feet.

“Sword Burst!”

Pa Cheon’s resonant voice echoed, and the iron wall that had so firmly blocked his path shattered into pieces. Some of the fragments that fell were glowing red and melting.

[Indeed, impressive! I expected as much from the Heavenly Demon Secret Vault, but I didn’t expect it to be this vast.]

He entered, preparing for a possible attack from the Mad Demon Lord. However, his concerns were unfounded. There was no movement, no sign of any living presence.

[Where is this guy?]

He began to venture deeper. The Heavenly Demon Secret Vault was divided into six chambers. The first chamber was where general martial arts manuals were stored, with an estimated 3,000 or more books. There were not only martial arts manuals but also ancient documents written in oracle bone script [an ancient form of Chinese writing], as well as books from various fields up to 100 years ago. He casually scanned the shelves, glancing at the titles. Nothing particularly caught his interest. But did that mean the books were worthless? Not at all. About a third of them were martial arts manuals, each containing techniques that would make ordinary martial artists foam at the mouth. Yet, Pa Cheon only glanced at the titles, showing no particular interest.

The second chamber contained martial arts manuals created or modified by past Heavenly Demon Cult elders and higher-ranking experts, each with titles that seemed to exude a demonic aura. He passed through there as well. His only interest was in the Mad Demon Lord and the Heavenly Demon Ring. Besides, the level of martial arts was already at a profound level for Pa Cheon, so none of them could evoke any emotion in him.

The third chamber was the elixir room. The Twin Elders of Mount Tai had possessed a vast number of elixirs, but they were nothing compared to this. In a room of about 50 pyeong [approximately 1,778 square feet], there were over 1,000 types of medicinal herbs piled up.

There were also about 20 types of his favorite liquor.

‘I should come back here later. It seems like it would be a great help in improving my subordinates’ martial arts.’

The fourth chamber was the armory. Not only were there the 18 traditional weapons, but also weapons whose forms were so strange that one couldn’t even guess how to use them, covering the walls completely. There were enough weapons here to rearm the entire Heavenly Demon Cult, and some of them emitted auras as powerful as the Heavenly Demon Sword and the Ganjiang Sword. What was somewhat unique was that there were brief explanations attached to the bottom of the weapons, detailing their origins, usage, characteristics, and the user’s personal information. Looking at them, he couldn’t help but smile several times. There were truly bizarre weapons.

There were even some that made him wonder why they were ever created. For example, there was something called the ‘Mother-Child Needle.’ It was designed with a tiny hole in the mother needle to insert the child needle, which could be inserted into a man’s genitals. When having intercourse with a woman, the child needle would be shot out along with the semen, entering the woman’s body and destroying her internal organs. It wouldn’t kill her instantly, but the child needle would slowly move around, tearing her organs apart, and would dissolve on its own within about two hours. The origin of this weapon was quite amusing. It was created by a man named Jin Yang from the Song Dynasty, who was said to be incredibly wealthy. He had seven concubines in addition to his wife, and he was always trying to bring in more beautiful and young women as concubines. So, one day, his wife, fed up with his behavior, called her older brother, a high-ranking official in the imperial court, to their home. She made her husband write a pledge that if he brought in another concubine, he would donate all his wealth to her family. However, she added the condition ‘as long as the wife is alive.’ She figured that after she died, it wouldn’t matter if her husband took concubines or gave all his wealth to them and became a beggar. But could he change his habits? At that time, a famous courtesan had just arrived, and her beauty was the talk of the town. Jin Yang tried to restrain himself, but he soon found himself running to her. He continued to secretly have affairs with her, and the courtesan, knowing that Jin Yang was a famous wealthy man in Luoyang, demanded that he take her as his concubine. Jin Yang wanted to make her his eighth concubine, but he was hesitant because of the pledge he had made with his brother-in-law. He had an old friend named Jang Gong, who was the one who created the Mother-Child Needle. He was a renowned artisan on the continent, so skilled that there was nothing he couldn’t make. Jang Gong, after hearing his friend Jin Yang’s troubles, suggested assassinating his wife, and Jin Yang readily agreed. The problem was that his brother-in-law was a powerful official in the imperial court. If his wife died under suspicious circumstances, they would surely investigate the cause of death, and if evidence of murder was found, he would be immediately identified as the culprit and executed. So, Jang Gong spent a month and ten days researching and created the Mother-Child Needle. Of course, Jin Yang’s wife became a corpse the next day, but no doctor who examined her could find any traces of murder. This origin story was written in small letters at the bottom of the container holding the Mother-Child Needle.

The fifth chamber was the Ancestral Hall. There were life-sized statues of past Heavenly Demon Cult leaders, along with their martial arts techniques and insights. The next designated leader of the cult was required to spend three years here.

‘Only one place left. According to the Supreme Elder, the last, sixth chamber is the Heavenly Demon Chamber. It’s where the Heavenly Demon’s relics and manuals are stored. Then, the Mad Demon Lord must be there.’

Pa Cheon took a deep breath and calmed his mind. According to the Supreme Elder, his opponent was also a formidable expert. If he had already reached the realm of Overcoming Demonic at that time, he might have reached the realm of Transcending Demonic by now.

In the demonic path, there are also certain levels. The peak level is called the Demonic Realm, and only then does one achieve a Demonic Body. Even if two people have the same internal energy, if one achieves a Demonic Body, their demonic nature gives them about half a level of internal energy advantage over those who have not. This is beyond the stages of the Purple Plum Petal and the Yellow Flower Art, entering the beginning of the White Banquet Bloom, and experiencing the essence of general demonic arts. It is often called the peak stage.

Next is the realm of the Body of Overcoming Demonic, where one achieves the true form of the demonic. It is neither completely transcending the demonic nor being subordinate to it. One can emit demonic energy at will but also control it. If compared to the realm of swordsmanship, in the Demonic Realm, one can freely use sword energy, but in the realm of Overcoming Demonic, one can also use sword control. Of course, this refers to the realm of controlling the sword with one’s mind. This is from the end of the White Banquet Bloom to before the Great Crimson Fall.

Beyond the realm of Overcoming Demonic opens the realm of Transcending Demonic, where no demonic energy flows out, and one’s nature is also freed from the demonic. If compared to the realm of righteous martial arts, it is no different from achieving the unity of heaven and man and transforming Qi into spirit. One can use the wooden sword and the mind sword of sword control, and Pa Cheon is currently at this stage. It is truly the realm of enlightenment of the Great Crimson Fall, and this can also be divided into many complex stages. It is most difficult to move beyond Transcending Demonic, and most of those who consider themselves absolute masters of their time often fail to make further progress here.

The first stage of Transcending Demonic is called ‘Stillness,’ the second is ‘Truth,’ the third is ‘Emptiness,’ and the next is ‘Spirit.’ There is no distinction between righteous and demonic arts here, and in the history of the martial world, there are no more than five people who are recognized as having reached the stage of Stillness in Transcending Demonic, and most of them remained in Stillness. It is only speculated that the Heavenly Demon was somewhere in the middle of Truth and Emptiness. The same was true for righteous sects, where it was said that no more than seven people had reached the stage of Stillness in the Great Crimson Fall. In the stage of Stillness, one can use formless swords and truly use the mind sword. In the stage of Truth, the formless sword is further enhanced, allowing one to manifest formless sword energy in any form and create up to 12 formless swords. In the stage of Emptiness, one achieves complete invulnerability, and nothing can damage the body except for the Cosmic Sword of the Spirit stage. One can also create a primordial spirit body to attack or imbue formless swords with the energy of nature, so there are no restrictions on their form or quantity. The stage of Spirit is a stage that no one can explain.

Even among Taoists, the stage of Emptiness is considered the stage of becoming an immortal, and they avoid mentioning anything beyond that, so what more can be said? It can only be imagined that it is the highest stage of the mind sword and the final stage of martial arts that humans can reach, the stage of the Cosmic Sword.

A large plaque came into view. It was on the upper part of the entrance to the sixth chamber, made of what seemed to be Zitan wood [a type of dark, dense wood], with the characters engraved and painted in vermilion.

天魔現身萬魔仰伏 (Heavenly Demon Appears, All Demons Bow Down)

It was only eight characters, but they were a living, breathing testament to the 1,700-year pride of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Pa Cheon cautiously began to slip inside. He was already in the first stage of the profound realm, Transcending Demonic, or the enlightenment of the Great Crimson Fall, so the Heavenly Demon Concealment Technique he used was completely undetectable.

The inside was larger than expected. The first thing he saw was a full-body bronze statue, about three jangs [approximately 30 feet] tall, installed at the front. It was probably the Heavenly Demon.

[Heavenly Demon! Is that you?]

-Ho, you’ve managed to restore my appearance perfectly.

[Impressive! They must have moved the main headquarters several times… Did they make a new one? Anyway, it’s quite a dedication.]

The figure looked to be in his early 30s, wearing the Heavenly Demon Sword at his waist and holding a jade fan in his hand. He had a headscarf wrapped around his forehead, keeping his long hair in place, and his eyes were clear, staring straight ahead.

In front of the bronze statue was a glass case about one jang [approximately 10 feet] wide and five jangs [approximately 50 feet] long, and there were no other objects around it. It was just spacious, and the floor was made of smooth black steel stone.

Pa Cheon was puzzled because he couldn’t see anyone anywhere. Even if the Mad Demon Lord was dead, his corpse should be somewhere. He moved quickly, searching every corner of the room. Inside the glass case were only the Heavenly Demon’s relics, manuals, and a few paintings. He turned his steps. He wondered if he had missed his traces somewhere else.

*Shwing*

It was from behind. As soon as he sensed the presence, he quickly shortened the distance by five jangs to the left using the E-Hyung-Hwan-Wi (Changing Form and Position) movement technique and flipped his body backward. There was no further sound. The sword energy emitted by the opponent was aimed only at the space where he had been a moment ago, and it was retrieved without hitting the floor. This alone showed how skilled the opponent was.

“Hehehehe, how long has it been? It’s been a while since I’ve smelled a human…”

Title: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 23. Mad Demon Lord. Related Data: None [59408]

Sender: Im Sam-yeol (logos333) 2000-12-29 00:33 Views: 2057

-Emperor’s Sword-