Wudang Sacred Scriptures-Chapter 67

When Kwak Yeon stepped out of the Immortal’s Room, Daoist Hyehae was waiting for him.

“You endured it.”

In the elder’s gaze, Kwak Yeon saw that he had always known this day would come.

“Did you encounter your destined connection?”

Kwak Yeon flinched.

‘He knew the secret of the Immortal’s Room...’

“Yes.”

“Come with me.”

Daoist Hyehae led him to the Meditation Wing and handed him a fresh Daoist robe to wear.

Then, with his own hands, he gathered Kwak Yeon’s hair into a topknot and placed the Daoist crown upon his head.

“The first crown must be bestowed by one’s master. After that, it is the disciple’s duty to return the gesture.”

Kwak Yeon sensed that something was wrong with the Palace Lord, Unseon.

“Wow! Senior Uncle, you really do look like a true Daoist now.”

Daoist Cheongmu, ever dramatic, was also dressed neatly in formal robes and wore his own crown.

“Come along now.”

Kwak Yeon didn’t need to ask where they were going. He already knew: they were headed to the Palace Lord’s quarters, the Quiet Chamber.

“Ugh, this thing is so uncomfortable.”

Perhaps unaccustomed to wearing the crown after so long, Cheongmu kept adjusting it with both hands.

“Senior Uncle, take a look—am I wearing it right?”

“It’s properly set.”

Normally, Daoist Hyehae would have scolded him for being overly dramatic, but this time, he remained silent.

The Quiet Chamber, despite being the residence of a palace lord, was a humble, one-room structure—utterly unbefitting its occupant.

—Creak.

When Hyehae opened the door, the morning sun spilled softly into the small room.

At the far end of that light, Kwak Yeon saw her—Daoist Unseon, seated in meditation.

His heart dropped like a stone.

She looked almost lifeless, her face pale and devoid of vitality, utterly motionless, as if she had become a statue of herself.

“...?”

Kwak Yeon froze in place, startled.

Daoist Hyehae spoke calmly beside him.

“She hears everything. Mind your voices.”

Relieved that she had not yet departed from this world, and yet understanding what this moment signified, Kwak Yeon felt tears well up in his eyes.

“She said she would only accept your disciple’s bow once you achieved Manifest Qi. She’s left behind only a handful of her original energy to preserve her body.”

In other words, she was enduring in a meditative coma, kept alive by the thinnest thread of vital force.

But what of all the essence energy she once held, energy powerful enough to conjure yin spirits into form?

Suddenly, it all made sense. The immense force that had unexpectedly taken root inside his body—its origin was now clear.

‘What I thought was a dream... it was real!’

And the icy look Hyehae had given him back then... that too, now made sense.

“It’s time. Offer your master the formal bow.”

When Kwak Yeon remained dazed, overwhelmed by a surge of emotion, Daoist Hyehae pressed gently.

“You cannot imagine the pain she endures to preserve her body with but a sliver of energy. And yet you hesitate?”

Hurriedly, Kwak Yeon lowered himself to the ground and performed a full kowtow.

As his forehead touched the floor for the ninth and final time, hot tears spilled from his eyes, unchecked.

For the first—and last—time, he combed his master’s hair and placed the Daoist crown upon her head.

It was a rite that should have been performed by Daoist Hyehae as the First Disciple, but he had graciously yielded the honor.

As the ritual fire burned, Kwak Yeon finally asked the question that had been smoldering within him.

“Why... would she do such a thing for me...?”

His voice broke with grief, unable to finish.

Daoist Hyehae answered softly.

“She said she saw your will.”

“My will?”

“That you would not use Manifest Qi for yourself.”

“...”

“She said the world is being overtaken by deceit and delusion. Your task is not to weep—but to master the path of true cultivation as swiftly as possible. That is the final wish she entrusted to you.”

Kwak Yeon bowed his head in reverent silence. Especially at the word Manifest Qi, his heart grew heavy.

That final insight left behind by Grandmaster Jang Sam-bong—it was indeed worthy of being called the True Scripture.

The True Scripture of Wudang!

Now that he had inherited the Wudang Sacred Scripture, he was no longer merely a student—he was Wudang’s true heir.

And he vowed to never again doubt whether he was worthy.

To do so would be to betray her final wish. To cast aside the faith she had placed in him.

Moreover, to awaken from the illusion and obtain the Sutra of the Infinite Void was his life’s destined purpose. He would dedicate himself to it with unrelenting effort.

****

Now that his Conception and Governing Meridians were unblocked and his internal energy could circulate freely, the enlightenment gained through the Art of the Everchanging Origin caused his internal qi to surge exponentially under the method of Tai Chi Internal Skill.

Through this realization, Kwak Yeon came to understand that in order to truly wield the highest level of martial arts, one had to unify essence (jing), energy (qi), and spirit (shen) into a single harmony.

If essence is the bow itself, then energy is the drawn string—and the spirit, the arrow.

Though the Everchanging Origin encompassed all three, it emphasized the training of shen above all. novelbuddy.cσ๓

The higher one ascends in martial cultivation, the more crucial the spirit becomes. As the phrase goes—"The mind stirs, and the energy follows." It was like a lantern guiding one's way through the darkness.

As he continued his rigorous training, his understanding of this principle deepened. He could now lead energy with intent, even regulate its flow at will. The inner current moved through his meridians and pathways without missing a single vessel.

By stimulating his energy channels with such precision, something remarkable occurred within him.

Tiny amounts of refined qi began to settle in the major acupoints of his body.

It was only after dozens of cycles of breathwork and cultivation that Kwak Yeon suddenly became aware of it.

‘Unlike before, my energy centers no longer resist the entry of refined qi...’

In that instant, a voice echoed in his memory—Grandmaster Jang Sam-bong’s direct mind-transmission:

“That which accumulates in the meridians forms the foundation of outer strength.”

Kwak Yeon had only studied internal cultivation at Yeongmudang. He had never been taught the external energy arts.

According to the Wudang hierarchy, the outer arts were introduced only at the highest level of True Martial Hall.

Yet through his insight into the Everchanging Origin, and the inner heart techniques it revealed, Kwak Yeon had come to understand the outer arts instinctively.

“So that’s it... The Everchanging Origin harmonizes inner and outer energy to manifest true internal power.”

Now that he had grasped the essence of the outer arts, and his major acupoints had begun to retain refined qi, Kwak Yeon suddenly wished to test their effect.

He recalled a conversation he once had with Seok Jangsan: that at the peak of martial arts, one could conjure and roll wind spheres with Tai Chi’s ninth form.

Let’s try it.

He took the Heaven-Center Horse Stance, the posture of the Tai Chi Ninth Form, and gathered all his intent between his two palms.

Infinite changes in Tai Chi... Something from nothing.

As the internal qi surged up from his lower core and coursed through the energy gates, it grew faster—and stronger.

It’s the effect of outer energy.

It was like a mighty river flowing freely, drawing in the streams of smaller tributaries along the way.

At last, the internal energy gathered at the tips of Kwak Yeon’s palms hesitated for a beat—then burst forth, piercing through the centers of both palms with powerful force.

In that instant, Kwak Yeon twisted his wrists inward.

—Whoosh!

Between his hands, the air condensed.

A shimmering sphere began to form, round and flickering. Though it was faint and quickly dissipated, it had undoubtedly been a ball of wind.

It was far from perfect, but this was the moment he had achieved Qi Emission—the external projection of internal power.

For now, it lasted only the blink of an eye, barely compressing a sliver of air. But as his internal energy grew, so too would the duration—and one day, he would be able to fill that hollow sphere of wind with refined energy itself.

Having reached the summit of insight through the Art of the Everchanging Origin, Kwak Yeon immersed himself even more deeply into his training.

He discovered that this art’s true effect, when refined through spiritual practice, enhanced every martial technique he possessed.

As he reapplied its insights to the foundational arts he had learned, the results were astonishing.

If one were to fully comprehend the Sutra of the Infinite Void... it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that a mere flick of the hand could split heaven and earth.

The thirst within him deepened.

If only I could learn Wudang’s highest techniques...

Just as regret began to settle in his heart, he suddenly remembered the advanced martial scriptures that had come into his hands.

The true manual of the Western Master.

Though it was a demonic art by origin, the nature of any martial technique lay in the heart of the one who wielded it. Besides, the insights passed down «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» from Grandmaster Jang Sam-bong would serve to purify any residual malice.

From that day on, whenever the yin-yang storms ceased within the Immortal’s Room, he began training in all three techniques.

Then, one day, Kwak Yeon realized something: none of the three arts had proper names.

If, as Grandmaster Jang said, disciples of the Western Master’s demonic lineage ever reappeared, I must distinguish what I’ve refined from their path. I should name them now.

Since the original forms had been purified through the Everchanging Origin, and had become something new, he decided he had the right to give them names.

After much deliberation, he named the first technique Demon-Repelling Infinite Form.

The characters meant “to cast out demons” (Cheokma) and “to dry them to nothing” (Mujin). It also had the flow and structure of a martial form, so he added Se (form) to its name.

The second technique, which had once been the terrifying Essence Extraction Art, he resolved to use only on demonic energies. He named it Demon-Cleansing Pure Yang Technique.

For the third, which invoked both yin and yang simultaneously, he had considered simply calling it Yin-Yang Technique. But out of respect for the Western Master—who had once been a peerless scholar—he chose to add the character for spirit and called it Yin-Yang Divine Art .

Having named the three techniques, Kwak Yeon felt a fleeting embarrassment. Was he, a mere martial novice, trying to imitate the great forebears of the martial world?

But he quickly shook off the doubt.

What does a name matter? It’s the will and resolve behind it that give a technique its meaning. What’s truly shameful is being unable to wield it fully.

Before he knew it, the seasons had turned four times, and the anniversary of Daoist Unseon’s passing had arrived.

After the memorial rite at the Shrine of the Founders in Three Spirits Palace, Daoist Hyehae summoned Kwak Yeon for a rare conversation.

“How goes your training?”

“Recently, I succeeded in Qi Emission.”

“Immeasurable blessings!”

Hyehae uttered a Daoist exclamation, full of awe.

“Excellent. Truly excellent.”

To project energy outward was a sign of reaching the pinnacle of martial cultivation.

Given Kwak Yeon’s age and how short his training had been, it was nothing short of miraculous.

“It was all thanks to First Disciple’s guidance and generosity.”

But Daoist Hyehae shook his head.

“I had no plans to enter seclusion for three years anyway. Think nothing of it.”

Kwak Yeon bowed his head, moved by the depth of his teacher’s care.

“Then I suppose your internal energy must exceed the level of one full Jiazi by now.”

“Considering I can now emit qi, that would be a fair estimate.”

Internal energy levels were always gauged relatively—so this was as close a guess as any.

“How is the speed of your qi accumulation?”

Kwak Yeon wasn’t sure why he was being asked but answered honestly.

“Since achieving emission, the rate has slowed somewhat.”

Daoist Hyehae nodded as though he had expected this.

“Your master feared this would become your next hurdle. And it seems she was right.”