Chapter 58: The Lonely Path of the Sword, Looking Toward Its End

It was a single technique the old man had shown.

Was that old man the legendary Martial Celestial Emperor?

But what had been engraved in Qing’s mind wasn’t just a single sword move.

The Solitary Nine Swords could not utilize free training points.

Instead, for every sword move acquired by breaking through the sword arts placed by the of Martial Celestial Emperor at the other Nine Great Sects, one level of mastery is increased.

And if all nine were gathered, reaching the ninth level, there was a special quest that would allow one to ascend to the tenth level.

This was information neither seen nor heard of before.

Was there anything more unpleasant than having such knowledge forced into one’s head?

Martial Arts Window, is this your doing again?

You're such a fucking asshole.

Still, for having been subjected to this brain-eating monstrosity of a status window, the feeling wasn’t as disgustingly vile as it should have been.

Somewhere along the way, something… something happened?

It felt like an incredibly rare opportunity had presented itself…

But… someone had interrupted it?

Something was there, yet… she had no memory of it?

In truth, Qing had flung open the Gate of Demonic Qi Deviation, taken about two steps in, and then turned back.

Demonic Qi Deviation!

It was a kind of rabbit hole that those who passed the Peak jumped into instead of the Transcendent realm.

It's a much easier way than overcoming the wall of Transcendent Realm.

But the side effects were severe.

The most common symptoms included homicidal impulses, sadistic tendencies, and a love for cannibalism.

Frankly speaking, Qing’s current condition wasn’t all that different from those symptoms.

Regardless, once someone stepped into Demonic Qi Deviation, they would inevitably lose their mind and turn into a demon.

And they would remain that way until they reached the next realm.

Only when a demon crossed the wall into the Profound Realm could they regain their sanity and return to normal.

This process was called Demon Purging.

However, throughout Murim’s long history, only a handful had ever returned from Demon Purging.

They had used a shortcut to bypass the wall, but upon reaching the next level, they had to suffer many times more than those who had properly broken through the Peak Realm.

At any rate, Qing had barely escaped falling into the abyss of eternal demonhood.

It was all thanks to the mighty guidance of the great Martial Celestial Emperor.

Unfortunately, Qing had no memory of it.

The human mind, when faced with overwhelming trauma, sometimes erased memories as a form of self-preservation.

A last-ditch survival skill called, “Let’s just pretend that never happened.”

The experience of having the entire universe turn hostile was far beyond what Qing’s fragile, once-innocent mind could have endured.

So, if she didn’t remember, then it didn’t happen.

Qing never overthought things she didn’t remember.

After all, when you forcibly try to recall something, the memory never comes back.

But if you let it go, it would eventually resurface on its own, just like an old uncle suddenly recalling a bad joke in the middle of the night and laughing about it.

Seeing the concerned looks of her companions, Qing forced a sheepish smile.

“I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you all.”

Pang Daesan frowned.

“You sure you’re really fine? You coughed up a ridiculous amount of blood.”

“…Did I?”

Pang Daesan simply pointed at something.

At his fingertip lay a massive puddle of black blood.

It was an extraordinary amount—far too much to have come from a single person.

Normally, anyone who vomited up that much blood would die on the spot.

Qing immediately denied it.

“What the? That’s not mine!”

“…Didn’t you just vomit it out?”

“Ehhh? Me? I don’t know anything about that.”

“You even asked someone to pat your back.”

“…Did I?”

Casually, Qing shifted her blood-stained sleeve behind her back.

Pang Daesan let out a deep sigh.

“Can you take this a bit more seriously? At least circulate your internal energy to check your meridians.”

Qing obediently followed his advice.

Her dantian was overflowing, her qi surging smoothly through her meridians and flowing like a river.

It felt… different than before.

Even though her qi was moving faster than before, it was somehow easier to control.

More importantly, she could pour out a much greater amount of internal energy in a single strike.

“Oh? Whoa, this feels way better than before!”

“…Better?”

“Wait… does coughing up blood make you stronger? What if I do it again? Will I instantly hit the Transcendent Realm? Is this… enlightenment?!”

Qing gasped in exaggerated excitement.

Pang Daesan, at that moment, personally experienced the feeling of being so baffled and speechless that words simply ceased to exist.

Just then, Qing turned her gaze toward Yu Ha-jinin.

“Sect Leader, that thing… it's a trace left by the Martial Celestial Emperor. It’s called Kaleidoscopic Variations.”

Yu Ha-jinin’s eyebrows shot up.

“Kaleidoscopic Variations? What do you mean by that?”

“That sword move. The technique itself is called the Solitary Nine Swords—”

“A sword that seeks solitude and surpasses all! Incredible! By the heavens! Sword Comrade! What a magnificent phrase! How could words so poetic and sublime come from that crude and reckless mouth of yours?! ”

Namgung Shin-jae suddenly interjected.

With wild eyes and dramatic hand gestures, he practically spit out his excitement, only to immediately shut up the moment he felt Yuha Daoist’s piercing gaze.

“…Then that's what Martial Em...p.... Hmm.”

His posture straightened in an instant, as if he had never lost his composure.

Wait. Why did that feel like an unnecessary jab?

Wasn’t I just insulted?

Qing tilted her head in confusion as she replayed Namgung Shin-jae’s words in her mind.

Yu Ha-jinin, however, simply urged her to continue.

“Junior sister. Explain in detail.”

“I saw… some kind of vision. An old man became a sword, and then—”

“The Unity of Sword and Body! Sword Manifestation! Truly, the Martial Celestial— ahem.”

“CAN YOU JUST… SIT STILL FOR ONE DAMN MINUTE?!”

“…My apologies. I got carried away…”

Namgung Shin-jae quickly became polite again.

But his politeness toward Yu Ha-jinin was different from how he treated Qing.

It wasn’t fear of Yu Ha-jinin’s strength.

It was respect for a true swordsman.

Yu Ha-jinin deserved the admiration of someone like Namgung Shin-jae.

While he shrank back, Qing carefully described the single technique the old man had shown her in the vision.

That was the agreement, after all.

If something came to her, she would share it.

After all, it wasn’t something she had earned through effort—it had just been handed to her.

A technique bestowed by the Martial Celestial Emperor upon the Mount Hua Sect.

Since it wasn’t truly hers, might as well share it equally.

“You have read the traces of his sword! How marvelous! How truly fortunate! Would you… be able to demonstrate it?”

“Of course!”

Qing confidently drew her sword with a proud look.

She then attempted to replicate what her mind and body remembered—

Or at least… what they were supposed to remember.

Qing found herself glaring at her innocent Moonlight Sword (No.8).

“Uh… hmm…”

“What’s wrong, junior sister?”

“I… don’t know how to fuse with the sword. I can’t even use sword force yet…”

A technique she had barely learned turned out to be utterly useless.

There was no way a mere late-stage Peak Realm warrior could replicate the supreme sword force the Martial Celestial Emperor had mastered in his final years.

Qing’s shoulders slumped.

“Ah…”

Yuha Daoist sighed.

She had comprehended the traces of the sword, but since she was only at the late Peak Realm, she had no way to actually manifest them.

“To grasp the essence of Unity of Sword and Body, your experience is still lacking.”

But Yu Ha-jinin didn’t seem disappointed in the slightest.

“As your realm rises in the future, you will naturally come to understand it. The insight of the Martial Celestial Emperor will surely aid you in breaking past your limits.”

“Will it, really?”

“Without a doubt.”

Yu Ha-jinin’s internal evaluation of Qing skyrocketed.

She was no longer just a promising talent with strong backing.

She was a hidden dragon, a future supreme swordmaster.

And building relationships with influential people was an instinct unique to the Chinese people.

“You must be exhausted from all the blood you’ve coughed up. Rest well, and in the evening, we shall prepare a great feast to restore your energy. How does that sound?”

Food!

Qing’s eyes sparkled.

Qing spent the next week having the time of her life.

After all, Mount Hua’s Sect Leader was personally entertaining her as an honored guest.

So much so that rumors spread—was she some long-lost daughter he had suddenly discovered in his old age?

Mount Hua housed not only its disciples but also numerous guests.

During the weeklong banquet, those guests took turns joining the grand feasts.

As a result, the event inadvertently became an unofficial martial gathering, attended by the direct disciple of the Grand Matriarch of the Ximen Clan.

Yu Ha-jinin went all out in treating her.

But if one had to choose the most over-the-top moment—

“She is truly the reincarnation of the Yue Maiden herself! In the near future, she shall be known as the Divine Moon Sword!”

There were many ways for warriors to earn their martial titles.

One of those ways was when a highly esteemed figure gave their personal endorsement.

And Yu Ha-jinin had been way too excessive with his praise.

The guests who had visited Mount Hua mistook his words for an official title and engraved it into their memories.

Divine Moon Sword!

Murim warriors had a peculiar trait—they couldn’t keep their mouths shut when they had juicy information others didn’t.

Once those guests left Mount Hua, they would spread stories far and wide about the sect leader’s absurd enthusiasm and the appearance of a divine female swordsman within the righteous sects.

Of course, they didn't know that the heroine of the Orthodox Faction made killing people a hobby and wielded Demonic Arts.

Regardless, Qing enjoyed herself immensely.

And as with all things, good times must come to an end.

“So, what does our junior sister plan to do next?”

Somehow, "junior sister" had been upgraded to "our junior sister".

“I plan to return to Divine Maiden Sect. It’s been a while since I last saw my master. I also promised to return around winter.”

“I see. Visit us again anytime. This old man gets lonely and would love to chat about the world.”

It was Mount Hua’s Sect Leader himself seeing her off.

If the sect leaders of other great clans had seen this, they would have clicked their tongues and frowned.

“How can a sect leader be so undignified and shameless?”

But Yu Ha-jinin had always been known for being extraordinarily worldly.

And his ability to navigate the secular world was precisely why Mount Hua had flourished under his leadership.

So he had no regrets.

“Changbin, take care. We’ll meet again sometime.”

“Ximen Lady, you as well….”

Changbin, the eldest senior brother of Mount Hua, awkwardly replied while sneaking glances at his sect leader.

As for his own plans—he would be staying in Mount Hua to resume training.

Meanwhile—

“It’s time for me to return to the Peng Clan.”

"That's right. It's about time Father's anger has subsided. I can't be away for long."

"What, San! Sword Comrade! Are you going to leave me behind?"

Peng Daesan let out a deep sigh.

He had always despised his martial title, Jade Qilin.

It wasn’t because of the title itself—but because it implied he was a mere prodigy, rather than the strongest of his peers.

But now, his pride had been utterly shattered.

Inside him, a burning desire for training and advancing to the next realm was surging.

Most of all—

He refused to lose to this woman.

Every time Qing casually taunted him with, "Hehe, You’re weaker than me, though.", an uncontrollable fury boiled within him.

As he felt that anger rising again, Peng Daesan took a deep breath to suppress it.

“If you ever visit Hebei, stop by our clan. I’ll treat you to as much delicious food as you can eat.”

Peng Daesan pulled out a wooden token from his pocket and handed it to Qing.

“OoOooh. And what does this mean?”

“…What the hell is with that way of speaking…? No, never mind.”

Qing took the wooden plaque and examined it.

It had Peng Daesan’s name engraved on it.

“That’s a guest token of the Peng Clan. Even if I’m not around, they’ll treat you well as an honored guest.”

"I see, that's right! Sword Comrade, take mine too. If you stop by Anhui, visit this Sword Comrade's main family too. If you're a swordsman, you should visit the best sword family in Murim at least once."

Qing ended up receiving two guest tokens.

She figured they were something like business cards.

And she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Though what she didn’t realize was—

These weren’t ordinary guest tokens.

She had been handed the highest-tier VIP tokens, reserved for the most esteemed guests.

And with that, the group parted ways, each heading home.

But it wasn’t something to be sad about.

If fate allows, they'll meet again.

And besides—they had openly invited her to visit.

No matter how enjoyable an adventure was, at some point, one must return home.

And now—

She finally had a place to return to.