'Hoo, this will require so special asures.'
Looking at the situation in the Mysterious Study Pavilion, it seed that ordinary thods would not work.
Jang Baekseo went to Cheongmu that way, conveyed his thoughts, and asked him to gather people.
The main hall.
A place where the key mbers of the first-generation and the instructors of the second-generation were gathered.
"Today, I would like to express my gratitude to the senior uncles, senior aunts, and the elders of the sect who have gathered here to listen to the words of this lacking disciple."
Jang Baekseo first expressed his gratitude to the people who had gathered.
"This place today was created because this child, Baekseo, has sothing he must say to the people of the sect."
The Sect Leader, who had already heard the situation, opened his mouth, and following him, Jang Baekseo continued.
"I'm sure you all know that the Mysterious Profound Sect has been on the rise recently."
At Jang Baekseo's words, the gathered people nodded their heads with proud faces.
"But that is only a rise in political and financial terms."
And at the words that followed, the faces of the people around them frowned.
They all knew it. Although the sect was currently on the rise, this was only a financial and political matter due to the support of Qingcheng and the Geumjo rchant Guild and the fall of the Cheoncheonbang. The fact that their own military power, which could be called the core of a martial sect, had little to do with it.
"Therefore, I have been thinking about various things, staying up at night. And I have co to this conclusion."
Jang Baekseo spoke, changing his expression from ti to ti and mixing in exaggerated gestures as if he were acting in a play.
"For the Mysterious Profound Sect to take a step forward and gain a position like the New Twelve Powers, its martial arts must develop!"
At the words 'New Twelve Powers', the hands of the audience gathered in the place were naturally clenched.
The New Twelve Powers, to which the Geon-gon Sect, the sect of Gang Junpyo, whom he had fought before, belonged, was a na that referred to the rising new powers in the existing Central Plains martial world, which was represented by the Nine Great Sects and the Seven Great Families.
For those who were called so-called small and dium-sized sects, the New Twelve Powers was a much more realistic goal than the Nine Great Sects or the Seven Great Families.
"In that sense, I have been staying up all night, revising and supplenting the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique, the representative sword technique of the Mysterious Profound Sect. I have prepared this place to propose that we train with this as the new representative sword technique of the Mysterious Profound Sect!"
As Jang Baekseo's words ended, the people gathered in the place began to murmur.
'Yes, that's right. If you guys are martial artists, then of course you should!'
At this point in ti, Jang Baekseo's martial prowess within the Mysterious Profound Sect was known to be at the first-rate.
The level of the first-rate at the age of learning (15) was a level that could be called genius, and as such, no one doubted Jang Baekseo's talent for martial arts.
But that was that, and this was this.
A martial artist's talent did not necessarily lead to a talent as a martial arts scholar, did it?
And crucially…
'There's pride. How can they accept that?'
The pride of a martial artist!
The martial art that they had polished for a lifeti and had used as a beacon of their lives. If a young disciple of the sect who was doing well recently ca and saw it and said, 'Hey, this is a bit so-so. I've made it a bit aweso, so let's learn with this from now on,' who would say, 'Ah, I see. Thank you,' and switch over so easily?
And this backlash was exactly what Jang Baekseo had intended.
Leaving behind the murmuring audience, Jang Baekseo unfolded the new Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique, also known as the New Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique.
At first, the audience, who had been watching with a reluctant expression, could not help but be amazed, with their mouths agape, as the sword dance of the New Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique continued.
The New Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that Jang Baekseo was demonstrating was that brilliant. It was fast and powerful, and at the sa ti, deep and soft, and soft and at the sa ti, strong.
The audience, watching Jang Baekseo's sword dance, was simultaneously thinking of a single word in their heads.
Genius!
Of course, the truth was a little different… but what did it matter?
After Jang Baekseo's sword dance ended, a silence fell on the audience, making the previous murmuring seem colorless.
Everyone gathered in this place was constantly thinking about and replaying the sword dance that Jang Baekseo had just shown.
'Still, he has the right mindset as a martial artist.'
The New Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that Jang Baekseo had just demonstrated was Jang Baekseo's own extre of the sword, demonstrated through the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique.
Just by seeing this once, it would be of great help to the first-generation and second-generation of the Mysterious Profound Sect.
While thinking that, Jang Baekseo waited.
For the accomplice to act!
"Baekseo, I don't think this is right."
While the people in the place were still engrossed in Jang Baekseo's sword dance, Cheongdo broke the silence and stepped forward.
"The new Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that you just showed… it was certainly amazing. But…"
Cheongdo, conscious of the gazes focused on him, said.
"Can you call that the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique?"
Cheongdo's words hit the mark. The sword dance that Jang Baekseo had just unfolded was certainly wearing the shell of the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique, but it could by no ans be called the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique. If he had to give it a na, a na like 'Jang Baekseo-style pseudo-Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique' would be fitting.
And at Cheongdo's words, the people in the audience also opened their eyes wide, as if they had noticed that fact.
"The Mysterious Heaven Sword is a sword technique that contains the subtlety of 'flow', softness, and 'embrace', inclusiveness. But your sword technique, although outstanding, has almost none of the original form of the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique left."
"I have been greatly enlightened by Senior Uncle Cheongdo's teaching. I have acted arrogantly, intoxicated by my own talent. Please forgive … if it is not too much of an impertinence, could you show this lacking junior brother the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that is one step ahead, as Senior Uncle Cheongdo thinks?"
At Jang Baekseo's words, which had already been promised, Cheongdo, who had smiled, drew his sword.
"Although it was out of the orbit of the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique, since I have seen such a wonderful sword dance, how can this senior uncle refuse?"
Cheongdo, who had said so, drew his sword without hesitation, and soon his sword dance began.
Sreung!
Unlike the brilliant Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that made Jang Baekseo doubt his eyes, Cheongdo's Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique, which utilized the subtlety of flow and embrace, had no brilliant taste.
But as much as it faithfully utilized the subtlety of flow and embrace, an indescribable 'hyun-gi' (mysterious qi) was seeping into each and every sword strike.
After Cheongdo's sword dance ended, a silence that was sowhat different from when Jang Baekseo had finished fell on the audience.
"It is truly wonderful, Senior Uncle Cheongdo. Although you did not make any particularly big changes, you have greatly increased the stability of the technique by reducing the stride by about half a step in a specific move!"
At Jang Baekseo's complint, Cheongdo scratched his cheek and said.
"It's nothing. It's just my own interpretation."
"But it's strange, isn't it? Although Senior Uncle Cheongdo said it was nothing, in my opinion, that alone will be of great help to the third-generation disciples who will learn it in the future. But when I went to the Mysterious Study Pavilion last ti, there was no interpretation volu about it. What is the reason for this?"
At such a question from Jang Baekseo, Cheongdo answered, mixing in an exaggerated gesture like an entertainer on a stage.
"Oh my! An interpretation volu… I didn't think of that. But Baekseo? Is it right for , who is only at the peak realm, to leave an interpretation volu? If it were Senior Brother Cheongmu, who is called the best genius that the Mysterious Profound Sect has produced, it would be a different story…"
Saying so, Cheongdo glanced at Cheongmu, who was watching the farce from the side.
After letting out a sigh once, Cheongmu answered.
"I have already tried to leave an interpretation volu that contains my own enlightennt. But…"
"I rejected it."
The one who had received Cheongmu's trailing words was the Sect Leader.
At the Sect Leader's words, a murmur spread among the people in the place. That was because the best master of the Mysterious Profound Sect and one of the ten great masters of Sichuan was Cheongmu.
To think that he would reject an interpretation volu written by such a Cheongmu, containing his enlightennt… then if they, who had not even reached the transcendent realm, wrote an interpretation volu, it would naturally be rejected, wouldn't it?
But the words of the Sect Leader that followed were enough to change their thoughts.
"The interpretation volu of the Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique that that guy, Cheongmu, wrote was certainly amazing. But… who else but that guy could learn it properly? Rather, the subtlety of the half-step that Cheongdo showed has much more value as an interpretation volu."
It was a simple story.
Just as an outstanding martial artist was not necessarily an outstanding master, even if a genius or a too outstanding master poured all his enlightennt into creating a secret manual, ordinary people could not understand that secret manual and could not learn it properly.
The two most important factors when creating a martial art: the strength of the martial art and the ease of acquisition.
For the developnt of a sect, balancing these two factors was more important than anything else.
Jang Baekseo had expressed that through a short farce, and as expected, the people gathered here were all silently thinking about sothing, as they were not all fools.
This was exactly what Jang Baekseo had intended.
For Jang Baekseo, creating a strong martial art was as easy as eating cold porridge.
But creating a martial art that was strong, easy to acquire, and could show an even progress without a large deviation depending on the person was a completely different problem.
In the first place, it was not the kind of problem that could be solved with the brilliant wit of a single skilled person.
Only after the wisdom of many ordinary people who worried and worked hard had gathered and had been endlessly contemplated could a high-level martial art, which was the foundation of a so-called prestigious sect, that satisfied the above conditions, be born.
'And the interpretation volus and revision volus of the secret manuals that are created in that way will beco the greatest fertilizer for the developnt of the sect.'
Jang Baekseo cupped his fists to the audience, who were lost in deep thought, and said.
"I once again deeply apologize for having made a rash statent, intoxicated by my own insignificant talent. And I thank Senior Uncle Cheongdo for giving a lesson and for breaking my blocked head."
Jang Baekseo, who had settled the situation and had planted the first seed for the developnt of the sect, soon moved to plant the second seed.
"No! No, you crazy bastard!!"
"Yes!? Why, why is that, Sect Leader!? This is such an outstanding study…"
"You crazy bastard, you're saying that even after seeing my state!?"
Jang Baekseo had a question mark floating above his head, as if he did not understand the Sect Leader's opposition.
Jang Baekseo had proposed to the Sect Leader that they add a certain martial art to the education course to raise the level of the current third-generation, the young disciples who could be called the root of the Mysterious Profound Sect. The Sect Leader, who had been pleased with Jang Baekseo's proposal, had said that he would decide after experiencing that martial art himself. And Jang Baekseo, who had been waiting, believing his words, had rushed to the main hall, excited, at the Sect Leader's call…
"Why on earth are you doing that? The Dansim Art is such a good study…"
The Dansim Art!
It was an alchemy technique with such an outstanding function that Jang Baekseo had decided to learn it first after his regression.
Moreover, since its origin was the Mysterious Profound Sect, it was even better.
But for so reason, the Sect Leader was opposing it like that, wasn't he?
"…But why are you lying in bed, Sect Leader?"
"It's because of you!!!"
Although Jang Baekseo did not know, the Sect Leader, Ju Yulgok, had started to train in the Dansim Art himself right after hearing Jang Baekseo's proposal… and he had sustained an internal injury that very day.
Originally, the Dansim Art was a training thod with a high entry difficulty and a high acquisition risk.
Even though he had known that, the Sect Leader had sustained an internal injury while training with a complacent mind, thinking, 'Hey, since Baekseo has already learned it, how dangerous can it be?'
"Oh my, that's enough, that's enough. Anyway, this is…! Are you trying to kill the kids!?"
"Ugh…!"
It was not that Jang Baekseo had not thought that he might kill a few kids if he taught this…
"But wouldn't it be okay if they can get stronger?"
"It's not okay, you crazy bastard!!!"
"Tsk…"
At the Sect Leader's fierce opposition, Jang Baekseo had no choice but to change his plan.
"So this is what you chose instead of that crazy martial art?"
"Yes, it's quite good, isn't it?"
The Sect Leader said, listening to Jang Baekseo's words, and looked at the young disciples of the third-generation who were dancing sothing similar in an orderly manner in the training ground.
"So what's the na of this?"
"For now, I'm calling it the Three Forms, Six Shapes Soft Body thod."
"The Three Forms, Six Shapes Soft Body thod…"
The Three Forms, Six Shapes Soft Body thod was a study that Jang Baekseo had created by collecting and modifying only the movents that made the body flexible and elastic, leaving out the most important part of the Dansim Art and at the sa ti the most painful internal qi emission.
Since the most important internal qi emission was missing, its effectiveness was much less than that of the Dansim Art, but he had supplented that part as much as possible to see a certain effect.
"But it looks rather…"
"Ahem! Just as a dicine that is good for the body is bitter to the mouth, so is a martial art!"
As the Sect Leader had said, this… it did not look very cool or anything.
'As long as the martial art is effective, that's all that matters!'
Although he was protesting like that in his heart, Jang Baekseo was thinking, 'But was it a bit too much?'
Thus, the two seeds for the developnt of the sect were planted.
But the seeds that Jang Baekseo had planted were by no ans limited to the Mysterious Profound Sect.
After finishing the Path of Chivalry, Jang Baekseo had continued to plant seeds for the future without a mont's rest.
He had found the secret vault of the Hegemon's Fortress and had finished the groundwork to cure Sohyun's illness. At the sa ti, he had made the Geumjo rchant Guild grow and had laid the foundation to encompass the entire Western martial world, and at the sa ti, he had prepared the potential to plan for the Eastern martial world. In addition, since the Geumjo rchant Guild owed Jang Baekseo a considerable debt through this matter, he could exert so influence on their movents to a certain extent. The influence on the rchant world that Jang Baekseo was currently lacking could be replaced by them to a certain extent.
In addition, although it was a matter that had been ntioned once at the ti of the incident in Qingcheng, Jang Baekseo knew the existence of the Western martial world rchant guilds that the hands of the Hundred River Association had reached, through the mories of his regression.
Before leaving the Geumjo rchant Guild, he had given Geum Gadong a list of these rchant guilds and their information in advance and had asked him to interfere with them so that they would not notice that it was the work of the Geumjo rchant Guild and to take their place.
No matter what, for a group, and a secret society like the Hundred River Association at that, to run properly, a considerable amount of wealth was bound to be needed. And the puppet rchant guilds of the Western martial world would have occupied a certain portion of that wealth.
In other words, Jang Baekseo had achieved three things with this one secret vault excavation: preparing the groundwork to cure Sohyun's illness, putting the Geumjo rchant Guild in a great debt, and finally, cutting off a part of the Hundred River Association's financial resources.
But this was not enough.
To change the future, to stop the assassination of the Heavenly Demon…
'Because of this Path of Chivalry, the Hundred River Association did not get Madam Ma, who would have provided crucial information about the internal structure and security arrangents of the Demonic Cult. So their assassination of the Heavenly Demon must have been greatly disrupted. But…'
He could not possibly think that those madn would give up their plan just for that.
Jang Baekseo could not erase the thought that this was not enough to break their foolish plan and to completely stop the bloody massacre.
Of course, it was not that there were only worries about the coming future. The Sichuan Alliance, which had started completely unexpectedly, and furthermore, the promotion of the alliance of the Western martial world, was a very good thing in checking and stopping the Hundred River Association, which would reach out to the Western martial world to lay the foundation for the assassination of the Heavenly Demon in the future. And the fact that Grandmaster Gwangha, who had a considerable ntal debt to Jang Baekseo, was at the center of it was an even better thing for him.
Although it had been a little less than a year since Jang Baekseo had regressed, he had changed the future in a sufficiently better direction.
But this defensive thod lacked decisiveness. To stop those madn who had no future, it was not enough to just have a solid defense.
In the end, it was a fight that would end only when he found their head and struck it.
'This is just the beginning. From now on, I have to thoroughly cut off their hands and feet, find the perpetrator who had assassinated the Heavenly Demon, and crucially, I will be able to sleep with a peaceful mind only when I have removed their head.'
Various plans to stop, interfere with, and dig up the mad actions of the Hundred River Association and to find their leader flashed through Jang Baekseo's mind like a ray of light… but unfortunately, most of them were things that the current Jang Baekseo would have a considerable difficulty in carrying out.
That's why…
'I lack the strength now…'
Like a butterfly waiting for its ergence, from now on, it was a ti of endurance and training to make a difficult and arduous, but valuable, leap.
Since he had decided to train, there was nothing to hesitate or wait for.
Jang Baekseo headed to the deserted, old training ground, which had now beco completely his own. To beco stronger, to stop the tragedy with that power, and thereby to protect what was precious… what could stop the steps of a martial artist who had hardened his resolve?
His ambition was grand, and there was nothing to stop him in his steps. The back of Jang Baekseo, who was walking away, was truly the appearance of a great man itself.
In this way, Jang Baekseo, the Mysterious Profound Sect, and the Western martial world had finished all the preparations to face the coming turmoil.
And thus… ti passed.
***
"Senior Brother! The master is looking for you!"
The one who had run into the old training ground, which had now beco Jang Baekseo's own, was Jang Baekseo's junior brother, Jang Yuhan, who had now reached the age of learning. Although Yuhan had had a good physique for his age three years ago, surprisingly, he had not grown much taller after that and had a rather slender body. In addition…
"Yuhan, how co your face is getting prettier as you get older?"
At the call of his junior brother, the burly man who had turned his head, Jang Baekseo, looked at him, and Jang Yuhan blushed and said.
"Don't tease . Senior Brother. And please put on your shirt."
"You brat, you're so shy."
Although Jang Baekseo had not yet passed twenty, his appearance was already not lacking to be called an adult, no, a man.
His broad shoulders and his tall body with well-developed muscles were wonderful enough to make the viewer exclaim in admiration.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Jang Baekseo, who had roughly wiped off his sweat and had put on his shirt, left the old training ground behind.
(End of Chapter)
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