Бадам лянхуа (14)

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'What the...!'

Without giving me a chance to be startled, Kim Young-hoon thrusts his saber towards me.

Vroom!

Boom!

A golden saber light strikes my body.

As I have reached the Qi Building stage, my body is always enveloped in protective Gang Qi. Thus, I didn't sustain any injuries from the blow, and I am merely flung outside the city.

Outside Cheon-saek City in the Heaven-Treading Desert.

With no more eyes watching me, I don't hesitate to draw out my Formless Sword.Feeling the momentum of my Formless Sword, Kim Young-hoon's expression changes, but he charges at me with a smile.

Vroom!

Boom!

The golden light of his saber clashes against my Formless Sword.

It’s fast.

And powerful.

And then...

"Kim Hyung."

"Hm?"

That’s all.

"You still haven't reached Beyond the Path to Heaven."

Boom!

I repel his golden saber light and swing my Formless Sword towards Kim Young-hoon.

He tries to counter with his golden saber light, but in an instant, my Formless Sword accelerates even faster, surpassing his speed.

Clang!

Kim Young-hoon barely manages to block my Formless Sword in a split second, but that’s the end.

He can't show me anything more.

'The speed of Surpassing Radiant Saber caught up by Formless Sword?'

That’s impossible.

Surpassing Radiant Saber is the embodiment of extreme speed.

A martial art that literally exists in the brief instants of time.

That is Surpassing Radiant Saber.

Not so pathetic to be caught up in speed by the Formless Sword, which embodies freedom of trajectory.

I estimate Kim Young-hoon's realm.

'The extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle. Just a bit beyond the extreme?'

That seems to be all.

Kim Young-hoon laughs in vain and dissipates the golden saber light.

'As expected...'

The golden saber light doesn't return to his consciousness.

It was just, golden Saber Gang.

"Right. I haven't reached Beyond the Path to Heaven."

"The extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle."

Honestly, even that is an insane speed.

'It’s been almost 7 years now since the cycle began?'

In just 7 years, this person has broken through Ultimate Pinnacle and slightly exceeded its limits.

'Before, it took 10 years just to reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin...'

Knowing that there exists a realm beyond the Path Beyond the Heavens, and understanding the martial principle of it, the time of reaching that state seemed to accelerate as he trained more fervently with it as his goal

"Even that much is an insane level of growth. Impressive."

In my past life, Kim Young-hoon had spent decades reaching Beyond the Path to Heaven.

Instead, just his talent to mimic the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven with Ultimate Pinnacle realm martial arts is insane.

But he doesn't seem to think so, looking at me with dissatisfaction.

"Who are you mocking? You, who reached Beyond the Path to Heaven and Qi Building in less than half a year..."

"......"

"And as you've seen, the golden Gang Qi I just showed was just imitating the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven."

He raises the golden Gang Qi with dissatisfaction.

Woo-woong!

Inside the golden Gang Qi, I feel the power of nine Gang Spheres.

Instead of naturally integrating Gang Spheres into consciousness and merging them, it’s a method of forcibly breaking the Gang Spheres and integrating them, then controlling them within a single Gang Qi.

Incredibly inefficient and has a short duration.

Additionally, if there's even a tiny mistake when splitting the Gang Sphere, it could immediately impact the entire body's meridians, posing a risk of becoming disabled, a truly dangerous martial art.

"That's a dangerous martial art. It would be better not to continue using that."

"No problem. If one has the ability to detect and control every minute flow, there's no chance of becoming a cripple."

I silently watch his golden Gang Qi.

'Ordinary people don't have the ability to control all those minute flows...'

It’s a martial art that can only be used by leveraging Kim Young-hoon's overwhelming talent.

But I shake my head and say,

"Still, even if it momentarily catches up to the realm of Beyond the Path to Heaven, it's too inefficient and dangerous in front of real strong opponents.

Just me, for example. I'm confident I can suppress you using that within 10 seconds, without using the output of Pure Spiritual Force and consciousness, and just with the Formless Sword."

"......"

It wasn't a joke but a fact.

If it’s Surpassing Radiant Saber, the embodiment of speed, it’s unlikely. But that Gang Qi, in front of the trajectory embodiment of Formless Sword, is just the epitome of useless inefficiency.

I can say this because I am in a higher realm.

'Moreover, that's...'

Originally, that was one of the many trials and errors Kim Young-hoon repeatedly went through at the extreme of Ultimate Pinnacle.

In this life, I hadn't told Kim Young-hoon about the many trials and errors he had gone through from the Ultimate Pinnacle to Beyond the Path to Heaven.

'It's a path that leads nowhere.'

Seeing Kim Young-hoon a bit downcast, I say to him,

"So, you've come all this way to the far eastern edge of Byeokra..."

"Yes. Like you said, I've entered a strange path. I came to find you to break out of the mold of Ultimate Pinnacle."

"A wise choice."

I nod.

It’s been over 200 years since I reached Beyond the Path to Heaven.

I’m quite confident in guiding him on this path.

I smile at him.

His growth is ever accelerating.

Every time he faces a new goal, Kim Young-hoon's talent seems to spring from an endless well, reaching higher and higher.

Simultaneously, his rate of growth is quickening.

'Even if, by chance, I can't cultivate the Longevity Fruit in this life...'

Perhaps, within the remaining 50 years, I might see the realm above Beyond the Path to Heaven.

'Good...'

A new realm will be pioneered in this life!

"Kim Hyung."

"Hm?"

"Challenging me to a sparring match, besides the techniques you just showed, you must have something else up your sleeve, right?"

"Uh... no, what I just showed was the result of long contemplation and my ultimate technique..."

I chuckle at his flustered reaction.

"Then you'll have to come up with something new right away."

Rumble!

Seeing Kim Young-hoon after so many years, I can't let it end with just this.

I’m itching for a proper martial duel.

"Don't worry. I won't use Pure Spiritual Force and will match my consciousness with yours. If you want, I won't even draw out my Formless Sword. Honestly, whether I draw it or not, I've already mastered the change in trajectories, so it makes no difference..."

"Eh, eh..."

I grin and approach the person in front of me, finally a worthy opponent to spar with.

Now I understand how Kim Young-hoon felt, exhilarated when he used to spar with me when I was just beginning in Five Energies Converging to the Origin and at the entrance of Ultimate Pinnacle.

For someone who has been alone at the top for so long, the chance to play with anyone, even slightly close to the summit, is enticing.

It doesn't matter how much lower in realm the opponent is.

After all, besides such an opponent, most couldn't even find the entrance to the mountain, let alone reach the summit.

I match his level, float nine Gang Spheres, and charge at him.

"This is my friend, Kim Young-hoon, Miss Buk. Kim Hyung, this is Miss Buk, who recently worked with me on a certain formation, Buk Hyang-hwa."

"...Hello."

"Hello... But..."

Buk Hyang-hwa looks up and down Kim Young-hoon with a pitying gaze.

"Did you encounter bandits? In the eastern part of Byeokra, it's common to meet bandit groups between cities."

"......"

"Wait a moment, I'll bring you some clothes."

She looks at Kim Young-hoon who’s in tatters with pity and goes inside her work area to get clothes.

"...The lady from last time."

"Yes."

"...Introducing me in this state, are you happy?"

He glares at me, rubbing his slightly swollen jaw from the beating.

"...Ahem, I did heal you, didn't I?"

"Did you have a lot of pent-up frustration at the company?"

"...Let's just say that."

Honestly, I don't even remember the things that happened on Earth anymore, but I brush it off while avoiding Kim Young-hoon's gaze.

"Hooh, but I didn't expect you to have already made a lady friend. Seems like your love life is going well."

Kim Young-hoon, having read the intent between me and Buk Hyang-hwa, looks at me sharply.

"...It's not exactly a romantic relationship."

"It isn't?"

He points outside the magic artifact shop with an incredulous expression.

Outside, a couple that look like lovers are walking by.

"Do you see their intent?"

"...I do."

"And since you're at a higher realm than me, unless your brain is damaged, you would've seen your own and that lady's intent too."

"......"

'Damn...'

Being equals in martial arts meant we couldn't hide our inner thoughts from each other.

"It's just... not that."

"What do you mean it's not? If you have eyes, you can see the intent you two are emitting towards each other."

"......"

I avoid Kim Young-hoon's gaze, and he slaps his chest in frustration.

"You were like this in the company, but why are you so frustrating?"

"Why are you even bringing up the company?"

It was almost 700 years ago, and honestly, I can't even remember.

My memory and thinking has improved as my consciousness expanded, but still, 700 years is no short time.

"...Right. You probably didn’t know at the company. Back then, you couldn't even read intent, you dull guy."

"Excuse me?"

"Except you, all the department people knew, you fool."

"What are you talking about?"

I wish we were talking about martial arts instead.

I couldn't follow what Kim Young-hoon was saying and just looked at him.

Kim Young-hoon looks at me with pity, then just clicks his tongue.

"....???"

I don't understand his attitude and look at him puzzlingly.

Later, when Buk Hyang-hwa came out with new clothes for Kim Young-hoon, I still didn't understand what he was talking about and just tilted my head in confusion.

Two days have passed since Kim Young-hoon came to Cheon-saek City.

I was helping Buk Hyang-hwa gather materials for magic artifacts, and told her what Kim Young-hoon said to me.

"...So, suddenly he says everyone from my hometown knew. Miss Buk, what does this mean?"

"Puhaha..."

Buk Hyang-hwa bursts into laughter hearing my words.

"No, Daoist Seo. Do you really not know?"

"Am I the strange one?"

"No, not strange. Just a bit slow."

"...I've heard that a lot before."

She chuckles and says,

"Among your hometown folks, there was someone who liked you, Daoist Seo!"

"Huh?"

I’m startled by her unexpected answer.

'Someone in our department liked me?'

There weren't many female staff in our department.

There were about 8 female staff, one of whom was quite elderly, and three had boyfriends.

'Among those without boyfriends, who could have liked me?'

It could’ve been Deputy Manager Kang Min-hee, Deputy Manager Oh Hye-seo, Manager Kim Yeon, or Manger Shin.

'Manager Shin rarely interacted with me, so not her... A colleague then? But who?'

I press my temples, confused.

Buk Hyang-hwa watches me with a subtle expression.

"Does it bother you, Daoist Seo?"

"Hmm... It's a bit surprising but not really bothering."

I brush off the thoughts with her voice.

In fact, I hardly remember the other colleagues except for Kim Young-hoon.

It’s been 700 years.

700 long years without proper conversation.

Whether someone liked me, I liked someone, we disliked each other, someone bullied me, we were indifferent, or someone I trusted.

'I don't remember who's who. My memories and feelings have all faded.'

"Since they are not beside me now, I feel nothing. Rather, those with me now come to mind much more and are much more precious."

"Ah..."

"Huh? You look tired. Let me help."

I take the magic artifact materials from her reddened hands.

It seems hot.

We soon arrive at the workshop of White Magic Lotus.

"...Anyway, Daoist Seo. There's something I want to show you..."

Buk Hyang-hwa takes the materials from me and after arranging them inside, she calls me into the workshop.

"Come see. You might find it interesting."

"What is it?"

I follow her into the workshop.

In the center of the workshop, something covered with a white cloth was placed.

I tremble slightly at its outline.

"Is that..."

"Yes, that's right."

Whoosh!

She removes the cloth, revealing what is beneath.

A puppet.

It’s the Mad Lord's puppet brought from Serving Command Palace.

"You restored the Mad Lord's puppet?"

"I can't restore the central circuit yet. It's too intricate. But I successfully restored the other circuits, so it can move if spiritual energy is infused. It can't exert full power, but it can output about 60% of its strength."

She looks at me and asks.

"Shall we try it out once?"

"Sure."

I readily agree.

The Mad Lord's puppet.

What level would 60% of the puppet’s original strength be?

Buk Hyang-hwa and I took the puppet outside to the desert.

"Here I go!"

Vrooom!

She inserted a spirit stone into a slot in the puppet and infused it with consciousness, and the puppet flapped its wings and flew.

'Incredible...'

I marvel at the dense circuits swirling inside the puppet.

Is it more intricate than a living creature's veins?

Amazing...

I see her command the puppet with her consciousness.

The next moment.

Bang!

"....!"

Startled, I released a Gang Sphere in front of me.

Boom!

Pure Spiritual Force shot from the puppet's rear in a sharp needle form, collides with the Gang Sphere.

'Such speed...'

The next moment, the bee puppet moves again, flying behind me and extending its stinger.

Crack!

I wrap my hand with Pure Spiritual Force and catch the puppet's stinger.

'This speed...'

It’s the speed of Kim Young-hoon using five Gang Spheres.

Additionally, this attack uses the puppet's Pure Spiritual Force in the form of a stinger.

'It's a Qi Building level attack...'

This is only at 60% of its full power.

If the puppet could exert its full strength, it would be as strong as late Qi Building.

Chilling!

I indirectly experienced the Mad Lord's power through the bee puppet.

I shiver all over.

How many such remains, like this bee puppet, were casually discarded in Serving Command Palace?

Not just in Serving Command Palace, but also inside the Nether Crossing Ship, there were a lot more than just a few of these remains.

'If the puppet could exert its full power, its speed would be comparable to Kim Young-hoon at the Ultimate Pinnacle using nine Gang Spheres...'

Can a mere puppet achieve such speed?

Snap!

Lost in thought, the bee puppet cuts off the Pure Spiritual Force stinger and moves away from me, shooting another stinger from its rear.

Whoosh!

The bee puppet rushes at me again.

Boom!

I grab the puppet's head and slam it into the ground.

"Impressive. Both the Mad Lord and Miss Buk who restored the Mad Lord's puppet..."

"It wasn't that hard, really. It isn’t a combat puppet and it wasn't too damaged."

"...Excuse me?"

A puppet that moves at the speed of Ultimate Pinnacle and can deliver a Qi Building level blow in a moment, is not a combat type?

"This isn't a combat type?"

"Right. Apart from the stinger, it doesn't have any special attack features. It's just fast, without any peculiar devices. You can tell from the functions embedded in the puppet."

Buk Hyang-hwa approaches me and points at the puppet.

In the area she indicated, there’s an intricate formation, emitting strong spatial vibrations.

"This is a transport puppet used for carrying goods. I've marked a spatial coordinate inside the workshop... Look."

As she tinkers with the back of the puppet, it hums and changes its posture.

From an aggressive stance with its stinger out, it now assumes a peaceful and comfortable stance, extending its front legs.

Buk Hyang-hwa places a glass bracelet on its extended front legs, and the puppet embraces it.

"Using the spatial formation engraved on its body and its unique speed..."

Flash!

As she manipulates the back of the puppet and enters some command, the bee puppet shoots forward at high speed and then suddenly disappears.

"It moves to the set coordinates through spatial movement to transport goods."

"......"

"The bracelet has just been put down in my workshop. And now..."

She takes out a small formation disc from her pocket.

The formation disc is engraved with countless circuits, forming a small spatial formation.

Flash!

The next moment, the spatial formation lights up, and the bee puppet reappears before us.

On the front legs of the bee puppet is a hammer from her workshop.

"It seems like this puppet was used to transport goods. In Serving Command Palace, there were countless such puppets of Senior Mad Lord."

"......"

To think this wasn't even a combat puppet, but merely one for carrying goods.

I laugh hollowly, feeling the Mad Lord's power indirectly.

'Even if I reach the Heavenly Being stage in both cultivation and martial arts, I wonder if I can ever compare to Mad Lord.'

I marvel at the puppet before me.

Suddenly, I feel a strange emotion looking at the puppet.

'But this puppet...'

"Miss Buk, did you say the central circuit of this puppet couldn't be restored?"

"Yes. I couldn't understand what the circuits meant."

"May I try to control this puppet?"

"You, Daoist Seo? Aren't you unskilled in handling magic artifacts other than flying swords?"

"I have a feeling I can handle this puppet well."

"Hmm..."

After a moment of hesitation, she brings the puppet in front of me and briefly explains how to operate it.

"First, infuse your consciousness into this circuit and try moving it."

"Understood."

I infuse my consciousness into the bee puppet.

Countless circuits inside the puppet absorb my consciousness.

"There are seven main circuits in total, among which you should sequentially infuse your consciousness into..."

Buk Hyang-hwa is explaining something beside me, but I focus on the sensations coming from the circuits.

'As I thought, this is...'

My prediction is correct.

Whoosh!

I separate my consciousness inside the bee puppet.

Consciousness is a collection of intent.

And intent is a combination of countless colors.

Among these colors are the Seven Emotions that form the foundation of human emotions.

I divide the consciousness I had infused into the puppet into seven colors.

Whoosh!

The seven massive circuits absorb the seven colors separately.

Simultaneously, I feel completely unified with the bee puppet, and it feels like I know exactly how to control it.

"Miss Buk, I have mastered the puppet."

"If you keep infusing consciousness periodically... What?"

"Watch this."

Vroom!

Following my will, the bee puppet naturally soars into the sky, circling gracefully.

It moves much more fluidly than when Buk Hyang-hwa controlled it.

"How did you..."

The puppet controlled by her only moved in stiff, straight lines, but under my control, it moves freely.

'If Mad Lord has the vision of Beyond the Path to Heaven, then naturally he would have the ability to see the colors of intent, the foundation of Beyond the Path to Heaven's heart essence...'

"How did you do that, Daoist Seo?"

"I will explain."

After controlling the bee puppet naturally for a while, I brought it back down to Buk Hyang-hwa and explained my discovery.

About the Seven Emotions.

And the colors of intent visible to those in the martial world who have reached the stages of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and Five Energies Converging to the Origin.

Buk Hyang-hwa listened to my explanation, taking notes in her notebook.

That night.

Buk Hyang-hwa was deep in thought, touching the circuits of the bee puppet in her workshop.

'The consciousness of the Seven Emotions...'

It’s an area she hadn't thought of.

Applying human emotions to rigid magic artifacts.

'What exactly did Senior Mad Lord create...'

Even this bee puppet was just one relatively intact puppet among the countless remains in Serving Command Palace that day.

'There must be an astonishing number of such puppets in his usual abode...'

Shiver!

Just as Seo Eun-hyun felt a chill sensing the Mad Lord's power, Buk Hyang-hwa also felt goosebumps realizing his genius.

'An unbelievable talent... truly an Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent...'

A talent surpassing even devils.

Rustle, rustle...

She was analyzing the circuits when suddenly her face stiffened.

'Wait, if Daoist Seo is right, this puppet is... not just a puppet with emotions.'

Whoosh!

Four-colored patterns appear on her face, and her eyes intensely focus inside the puppet.

'It's connected...?'

Buk Hyang-hwa analyzes the puppet's circuits.

'This puppet, based on emotions, is interconnected with other puppets of Senior Mad Lord. It was designed like that.

If I analyze the flow of emotions felt from this puppet in terms of circuit flow...'

After tinkering with the circuits for a while, she suddenly stops.

Thud!

One of her tools fell onto the puppet's body.

Although the circuit got slightly mashed, Buk Hyang-hwa's face turns pale, and she trembles.

Drip...

Blood trickles from her nose.

Whirr!

The four-colored patterns on her skin burn brighter than ever.

"Impossible..."

Buk Hyang-hwa stands up and steps back from the bee puppet.

"Senior Mad Lord... just what were you trying to create?"

Her breathing hastens.

She looks at the puppet in shock.

'A talent and concept surpassing devils...

No, if my speculation is correct, the realm he was attempting to breach is one only permitted by the heavens...

A realm taboo for mortals...'

An impossible fantasy and imagination.

That is what Buk Hyang-hwa discovered to be Senior Mad Lord's goal.

'But, since he's crazy, could it be that he literally intends to violate the taboo to create it..?'

Whirr-

Due to the extreme enlightenment from glimpsing a madman's taboo-breaking fantasy, Buk Hyang-hwa's qualities that were highly activated started to calm down.

After calming her startled heart, Buk Hyang-hwa turned her gaze to a blueprint hung on one side of her workshop.

It’s a conceptual design of a dharma treasure she was developing for Seo Eun-hyun.

A blueprint slowly being developed to meet the absurd conditions Seo Eun-hyun had mentioned.

But having glimpsed Mad Lord's plan and witnessing the numerous emotions contained in the puppet, she feels that her ongoing blueprint has been significantly supplemented.

Buk Hyang-hwa approaches the blueprint of the dharma treasure.

'If Senior Mad Lord's insane fantasy is true, whatever I create can never match his work. However...'

She picks up a working brush and slowly re-draws the blueprint of the dharma treasure.

'When in the hands of Daoist Seo, this work might at least follow in the footsteps of his creation.'

Rustle, rustle...

Buk Hyang-hwa meticulously refines the blueprint of the dharma treasure with a focused gaze.