Chapter 217. Blooming (2)

Baek Hyang, having realized something, unknowingly drew her Restoring Name Sword.

Soon, she began to perform a sword dance.

In response, a handful of internal energy flowed out from her dantian and began to race through her blood vessels.

‘It starts with a seed.’

That tiny seed settles on the earth.

It absorbs water and earth qi, slowly taking root in the ground.

The energy racing through her blood vessels also gradually increased.

‘A trunk, and then branches.’

The Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and further, it flowed without restraint through the fine meridians of her entire body.

Passing through the warm spring, it endures the summer where rain and sunlight rage.

Passing through the cool autumn again, the harsh cold of winter assails the small tree.

And then, one day, when spring comes again.

Just as the tree’s energy gathers in its branches, energy gathered at the tip of her sword.

Blooming.

A single plum blossom bloomed at the tip of her sword.

Spring had only just begun.

The number of plum blossoms embroidered in the air gradually increased.

Plum blossoms bloomed in profusion all over the world.

As if to draw in advance the scenery that would unfold on this small Mount Hua.

Full Bloom.

But where there is a beginning, there is also an end.

The petals that had filled the whole world began to leave the tree one by two and fall to the ground.

At one moment, they fluttered gently in the soft spring breeze.

At another moment, they raged violently in the harsh winter wind filled with fighting spirit.

Falling Petals.

The petals that had beautifully colored the whole world were no longer visible.

A truly empty scene.

Baek Hyang smiled in a state of selflessness.

It was the end, but it was not the end.

Even if the petals had fallen, the tree still remained.

Passing through the warm spring, summer arrives, dyeing the whole world green.

Accepting the energy of the world, the tree prepared for the winter.

And after enduring the harsh winter through autumn again.

At the tip of her sword, the dance of the previous flowers began to bloom in profusion once more.

That was right.

It wasn’t just the sun and the moon that circulated, forgetting time.

Instead of the teachings of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword and Jin Yuseong’s teachings, she began to melt what she had seen and felt while looking around the world into her sword.

Then, a question suddenly came to her mind.

‘Is it really infinite?’

No matter how much it was a tree and not a petal, it could not be eternal.

Then, a scene suddenly came to Baek Hyang’s mind.

The sight of countless plum trees that had grown all over Mount Hua.

“Ahh.”

Her sword dance continued with a face full of joy.

The flowers that had been in full bloom scattered in all directions again.

The falling of petals was merely an act to announce the beginning.

A fruit bloomed at the tip of her sword, which was filled with the energy of spring.

This was the very essence of life.

Life itself could not be eternal.

The fruits she scattered flew in all directions.

They would once again take root in the earth and grow.

Just as she had.

In Baek Hyang’s mind, intoxicated by the sword and the world, her life flowed endlessly.

The harsh cold of winter would come to those who had hidden their bodies in the earth.

Just as she had been tormented by her father, who was addicted to gambling and alcohol, when she was young.

But even in that cold winter, there was sunlight.

Just as her mother, whom she had bid farewell to before climbing Mount Hua, had done for her.

When winter passes, warm spring comes.

‘Senior Brother. Brother Nam Geon.’

The journeys they had together became her nourishment.

Sometimes, there were days like a summer storm.

The countless bloody battles where life and death were at stake.

Passing through summer again, autumn came.

And then winter again.

The harsh cold of winter came to a life that was thought to be peaceful.

Jin Yuseong disappeared. Because of some crazy old monster.

It felt like she would freeze because of the cold.

Nevertheless, she was able to endure.

Jin Yuseong was gone, but her comrades still remained.

She was with Nam Geon, and Dang Sopyeong was also planning for the future somewhere else.

Choyeon also joined them at some point.

They were all people who followed Senior Brother’s will.

That was right.

Even if one tree disappears, the plum blossoms do not disappear.

The seeds scattered by that tree carried on its will.

And now, there were too many of those trees.

It wasn’t just about Hwangbo Ak or Paeng Daecheol, who had become new comrades.

She remembered the younger generation of the Twin Heroes Alliance who rejoiced whenever they met Jin Yuseong and themselves.

She remembered the scene of those who had been rescued from the clutches of the Heavenly Emperor Cult a while ago expressing their gratitude to Jin Yuseong.

Even if they disappeared someday, wouldn’t that will continue on?

Only circulation is infinite.

Baek Hyang endlessly indulged in the true meaning contained in that single sentence.

The martial arts she had learned so far.

The years she had spent with Jin Yuseong.

Furthermore, even the things she had realized while enduring the period without Jin Yuseong.

All of those things melted into her dance.

Several four seasons came and went.

Around her, plum blossoms repeatedly bloomed and fell endlessly.

A little away from her.

“……”

Jin Yuseong and his comrades just watched the scene with their mouths shut.

The moment all the internal energy contained in Baek Hyang’s dantian was exhausted.

She sat cross-legged as she was and began to organize the countless realizations that had filled her.

Soon, the energy of the world swirled around her.

Her empty dantian was quickly filled.

Furthermore, it enveloped the blood vessels of her entire body.

At the same time, Baek Hyang’s body rose slightly into the air.

A strange noise was heard from her body.

Her body began to be reconstructed into a form befitting her enlightenment.

Marrow Cleansing and Body Tempering.

Dang Sopyeong, who was quietly watching the scene, couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth.

“……Now I kind of understand why you always called Miss Baek a genius.”

He had already felt her intelligence before.

And also that her talent for martial arts was outstanding.

But Dang Sopyeong’s standards were too high.

Because there were so many talented people around him.

It was a little strange to say, but it felt like she was ‘one of the geniuses.’

But this time, it was a little different.

Marrow Cleansing and Body Tempering. It meant she had reached the Heavenly Ladder Realm.

Of course, he had seen Jin Yuseong achieve Marrow Cleansing and Body Tempering before.

But the feeling was completely different.

To be precise, it was because of the sword dance Baek Hyang had performed just before.

The hundreds of petals that colored the entire world.

Sometimes they fluttered gently in a favorable wind, and sometimes they raged like a typhoon.

‘If I could perform such a technique using hidden weapons instead of petals.’

He, too, was a talented martial artist, so he had thought of this while watching the scene.

On the other hand, Jin Yuseong was thinking something a little different.

He was not mesmerized by the petals Baek Hyang scattered.

‘Circulation.’

He could glimpse the true meaning of the sword dance she performed to some extent.

It wasn’t just because he had already stepped into a higher realm than her.

While he was intoxicated by her sword dance, his third eye had opened at some point.

Thanks to that, he was able to glimpse the fragments of the countless thoughts and realizations that passed through her mind.

Thanks to that, Jin Yuseong was also able to realize various things he hadn’t thought of.

It was just a little embarrassing.

Because in the feast of her enlightenment, there were many memories of himself.

Jin Yuseong, who had been lost in thought for a moment, shook his head and quietly closed his eyes.

Recalling Baek Hyang’s sword dance, he also began to organize his realizations.

This was the same for Dang Sopyeong, Choyeon, Hwangbo Ak, and Paeng Daecheol.

They had seen the same sword dance, but each had gained a different enlightenment and contemplated how to melt it into their own martial arts.

How much time had passed like that?

Baek Hyang, who had finally organized all her realizations, opened her eyes.

Jin Yuseong, who had approached her side at some point, nodded and said.

“Congratulations. In addition to reaching the Heavenly Ladder Realm, it seems you have created your own martial art, Senior Sister.”

Jin Yuseong thought.

That there was no need to teach his Senior Sister the last three forms of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword.

Because his Senior Sister had now begun to walk her own path anyway.

Baek Hyang smiled faintly at Jin Yuseong’s praise.

“I’m still lacking. Isn’t it a little strange for plum blossoms to be deep blue?”

Indeed.

Because it was a sword dance performed with the energy of the Great Swallow Nest Building Divine Art, the color of the petals was a little strange.

“Don’t worry. A Senior Sister like you will surely be able to create a heart art that suits that sword art.”

Dang Sopyeong, who was listening quietly, interrupted.

“More importantly, what is the name of that sword art? Since it’s a sword art created by Miss Baek, shouldn’t you give it a plausible name?”

“Can you name it, Senior Brother? It’s a sword art I realized thanks to you.”

Jin Yuseong shook his head at Baek Hyang’s request.

“It is your own complete enlightenment, Senior Sister. Even if it wasn’t for me, you would have realized it at some point. You should name it yourself.”

After showing a disappointed expression for a moment.

Baek Hyang turned her head and looked somewhere.

A single, small plum blossom.

Looking at the petal that had been the clue to her enlightenment, she said.

“Then I’ll just call it the Plum Blossom Sword Art.”

At her words, Dang Sopyeong let out a hollow laugh.

‘She’s clearly a genius, so how could her naming skills even follow the Jin clan guy’s.’

***

A warm spring day arrived.

The training of Jin Yuseong and his comrades continued.

Baek Hyang was refining her Plum Blossom Sword Art and was struggling to create a heart art that suited it.

‘Seed. Root. Trunk. And even branches.’

The petals that would unfold at the end, and the fruit that could be called the essence, could be expressed through the sword art.

In the end, the core was the root.

Baek Hyang slowly dyed her dantian from deep blue to the light pink of plum blossoms.

Jin Yuseong was also continuously swinging his sword at the bottom of the cliff.

Was it because of his efforts so far?

Or was it thanks to partially obtaining Baek Hyang’s enlightenment?

Handling the enhanced qi of the Five Tiger Gate Severing Blade had become much easier.

Every time Jin Yuseong swung his Restoring Name Sword, the five enhanced qi that had already left the sword swirled here and there.

The second form, Ilwol, was also the same.

“Haat!”

The sword, thrown with a shout, swam through the air.

Following the movement of Jin Yuseong’s right hand swinging in the air.

Hwangbo Ak, Paeng Daecheol, Choyeon, and Dang Sopyeong were also steadily refining their own martial arts.

Only one person, Nam Geon, was walking in place.

From the first day he climbed Mount Hua until now.

SWOOOOSH!

He was just repeating the same action.

He continuously performed the Heavenly Wind Sword Art using Dynamic Cultivation.

Furthermore, after gradually condensing the energy flowing through his entire body.

“Haaat!!”

The first form of the Sun Moon Infinite Sword, Crimson Lotus Ascension, was used for a one-hit-kill Mighty Sword Art.

After climbing Mount Hua, he had been training only this repeatedly.

His comrades would have duels or exchange discussions on swordsmanship and continuously enjoy enlightenment.

But Nam Geon couldn’t do that.

He was born with a body blessed by the heavens, but he lacked comprehension.

He had never experienced a special enlightenment.

‘Still, I’ll do it.’

It didn’t matter.

He had no jealousy towards his comrades.

They were literally his comrades.

Their growth was also a joy for Nam Geon.

It was just that.

‘I have to be helpful too.’

He wanted to be of some help to them.

He wasn’t afraid of being abandoned.

Jin Yuseong, Baek Hyang, Choyeon, and even Dang Sopyeong were not people who would abandon him for such a reason.

Nam Geon knew that much.

It was just a matter of mindset.

Therefore, Nam Geon did his best.

He just swung his sword silently and steadily.

Then one day.

Nam Geon’s movements, who was silently swinging his sword today as well, stopped.

Dang Sopyeong was very stealthily approaching him.

“W-what’s wrong, Sopyeong?”

At Nam Geon’s question, Dang Sopyeong for some reason put his index finger to his lips.

It meant to be quiet.

Then he turned his head and looked around.

After confirming that no one was around, Dang Sopyeong took something out from his sleeve.

“It’s a pill made from things I picked up while roaming Mount Hua these past few days, Brother Nam.”

It was a pill with a fragrant and strong scent of plum blossoms.

“W-why are you giving this to me?”

At Nam Geon’s question, Dang Sopyeong shrugged and answered.

“The Jin clan guy doesn’t need it anyway, and Miss Baek and Miss Cho have already eaten it, haven’t they? You’ve been giving it up all this time, so this time it’s your turn, Brother Nam.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep