Kwak Yeon, having emerged from the Immortal’s Room under the full moon, went to find Daoist Hyehae.
“Elder Brother, has the Sword Sovereign returned by any chance?”
Daoist Hyehae looked at Kwak Yeon with a puzzled expression. It was unusual for him to ask a question first.
“The Sword Sovereign has not returned yet.”
When Kwak Yeon glanced down toward the base of the mountain, Daoist Hyehae continued.
“There is no need to go out of our way to inquire about the Sword Sovereign’s whereabouts down below. Whether he’s going out or coming back, he always comes to Three Spirits Peak first and visits our palace before anything else.”
Daoist Hyehae nodded.
“It’s certain that he hasn’t returned yet. If he had, he would’ve already rushed up here to pay respects to Master.”
Sensing the atmosphere was growing heavy, Daoist Hyehae quickly asked,
“But why are you suddenly asking about the Sword Sovereign?”
Since he had to keep the secret about the black metal object, Kwak Yeon said something that didn’t match his true intentions.
“I’ve never seen him, and I heard he left a long time ago. No one seems to be looking for him, so I was just curious.”
Daoist Hyehae nodded thoughtfully.
“There have been times before. This time, the duration has been unusually long, so we’re starting to worry a bit.”
Kwak Yeon, who was about to leave Purity Hall, suddenly thought of something and asked,
“When the Sword Sovereign left, did you see him off?”
Daoist Hyehae nodded.
“I was serving tea while he was having a conversation with Master.”
Kwak Yeon couldn’t bring himself to ask what the two had talked about back then. If Daoist Hyehae pressed him for a reason, he would have to come up with a lie he didn’t want to tell.
Fortunately, Daoist Hyehae, noticing Kwak Yeon’s curiosity, readily spoke up.
“The Sword Sovereign said he was going to meet a friend from the Beggars’ Sect. He mentioned that some unusual figures were moving around in Jianghu and asked him to look into it.”
“That day, the Sword Sovereign took Cheongmu with him.”
Since he would inevitably hear news of the Sword Sovereign’s return, Kwak Yeon put his mind at ease and devoted himself solely to training.
During that time, he performed two more memorial rites for Daoist Unseon. Yet, the aching longing for his master only grew deeper.
As his internal energy accumulated, the sense of gratitude toward Daoist Unseon became even stronger, and her sacrificial spirit for the world became all the more vivid to him.
After completing the third memorial rite for Daoist Unseon, Kwak Yeon began his usual Tai Chi Sword practice, the foundational step of his martial arts training.
At that moment, he sensed a change.
The internal energy that surged along the open meridian pathways began to spiral and rotate as soon as it entered the major acupoints.
The qi dwelling in the major acupoints was causing this harmonious rotation. Up until now, it had only served to speed up the flow of internal energy and reduce the time it lingered in «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the acupoints.
‘Another function of the Art of the Everchanging Origin has awakened!’
Just as it had occurred in the first major acupoint, the same rotational force arose in other major acupoints consecutively. It was like straw being twisted into a thick rope.
The internal energy twisted like a rope and, flowing through the palm, entered the Blue River Sword, extending furiously beyond the blade.
A long, slashing mark appeared on the wall of the stone chamber.
Even though the sword hadn’t actually touched it.
Kwak Yeon realized at that moment that he had just unleashed a Sword Thread.
He had reached the realm of transcendence.
Now, Kwak Yeon finally understood why the stage of transcendence, the realm of manifesting qi externally, was called the stage of surpassing mortality and entering sainthood.
To produce a Sword Thread like that, one had to harmonize both internal and external energies, a feat that could only be achieved by surpassing the limits of human capability.
‘It wasn’t my will that caused this.’
It was the harmony invoked by the Art of the Everchanging Origin.
‘It’s because my heart has grown that much larger.’
Could it be that he had become one with the heart of Daoist Unseon?
The thought only intensified the ache in his heart.
The vessel for Daoist Unseon’s vital essence that had been passed to him was nearly full.
The amount of internal energy he could absorb was gradually decreasing.
Nothing is eternal. Kwak Yeon knew that such a day would come, but it didn’t lessen the sense of loss.
Having reached the stage of transcendence, he was now gazing even higher, making the loss feel even greater.
Three cycles of spring blossoms had come and gone at Three Spirits Peak.
Then, one day, the moment finally came when he could no longer absorb any more energy.
Like a reservoir overflowing when it can hold no more, Kwak Yeon could no longer absorb internal energy, even amidst the storm of yin-yang energy.
He had reached the equilibrium point where the amount of vital essence and internal energy were perfectly balanced.
From now on, he would have to cultivate the vital essence to gradually increase the internal energy.
That meant it was time to leave the Immortal’s Room.
Resolving himself, Kwak Yeon looked around the stone chamber.
This was the place where he had endured years that felt like hell. Now that he was about to leave, a complex mix of emotions surged through him.
After all, this was the cradle that had nurtured him into what he was now.
Kwak Yeon lifted the Blue River Sword with both hands and offered a sword salute.
It was a ritual to vow that he would return and show his master the person he had become after shattering his past delusions.
Emerging from the Immortal’s Room, Kwak Yeon bathed, dressed in his daoist robes, and tied his hair meticulously before ascending to Purity Hall.
Daoist Hyehae, upon seeing the look in Kwak Yeon’s eyes, knew immediately what that expression meant.
‘He’s ready to leave.’
The once blazing Taiyang Acupoint had now calmed, and his eyes no longer emitted any radiant gleam.
Having reached the stage of blending fire with water, he had achieved the state where great power appears ordinary — a state known as “furnace fire reaching purity.”
All his internal energy had been perfectly condensed and contained within.
When Kwak Yeon first ascended to Three Spirits Palace, he still had the look of a child. Now, he was a young man with a sturdy build and a handsome, composed face.
Daoist Hyehae did not ask about his internal energy level.
He knew that Kwak Yeon’s internal energy had long surpassed his peers and that, at the stage of transcendence, one’s internal energy level no longer held any meaning.
Just as Daoist Hyehae was about to speak, Kwak Yeon said calmly,
“Elder Brother, I have formed the Steel Qi (Gang).”
Daoist Hyehae’s body stiffened as if struck by lightning.
Words that could never be spoken lightly by any martial artist.
Forming the Steel Qi meant manifesting the Sword Qi into a tangible force. It was a declaration of having reached the realm of Fire and Sword Fusion.
Aside from the Sword Sovereign, the only one in Wudang to have reached such a level was the leader of the Seven Swords of Wudang, Master Wuncheon.
It was no wonder that Daoist Hyehae was rendered speechless.
Even Daoist Unseon, Kwak Yeon’s master, had not expected him to reach the realm of Fire and Sword Fusion upon leaving the Immortal’s Room. She had only hoped he would attain the stage of transcendence and then, with further training, reach the Fire and Sword Fusion realm.
As Daoist Hyehae gazed at Kwak Yeon, he suddenly noticed something he hadn’t before.
All the tiny scars that had once covered Kwak Yeon’s face were completely gone.
When one’s essence, energy, and spirit — the three treasures — reach a certain level, a phenomenon known as “three flowers gather at the top” occurs, reshaping the body to become more suited for martial arts, even regrowing new skin and erasing old scars.
There could be no clearer proof of his ascension to the realm of Fire and Sword Fusion.
‘Ah, if only Master could see him now...’
Daoist Hyehae’s eyes grew misty with unshed tears. Kwak Yeon lowered his head, unable to look at him directly.
Otherwise, he might start to cry as well.
Then, all the energy within his body drained away. Even his mind seemed to escape, floating outside himself, observing from a distance.
When his spirit and energy finally returned to his body, Kwak Yeon felt as light as a feather. He could also smell the foul stench emanating from his body.
At Daoist Hyehae’s words, Kwak Yeon nearly burst into tears.
He bit his lip hard, suppressing the overwhelming emotion.
There was a reason he had come to Purity Hall after bathing and changing into his daoist robes.
“If you permit it, I would like to travel across the world.”
To Kwak Yeon, Daoist Hyehae was the elder brother who had taken his master’s place.
No, he was essentially his true master. After all, Daoist Unseon had only accepted him as a disciple to pass on her true body to him.
“There’s nothing to ask permission for. I’ve been waiting for this day.”
Daoist Hyehae wanted to praise Kwak Yeon and tell him how proud he was, but he held back.
Now was not the time for such words. It was the moment to convey the final instructions left behind by Master Unseon.
“Master said this: The path of the Immortals moves from within to the outside, while the path of the Martial Arts moves from the outside to within. Do you understand what that means?”
“I believe she was referring to ‘Refining the Heart through Chivalry’ (俠行修心),” Kwak Yeon replied.
“That is too narrow a meaning. Think of why Grandmaster Jang Sam-bong left behind his True Sutra.”
“Does it mean ‘Raising the World’s Righteousness through Chivalry’ (俠行仗義)?”
“That too is too narrow.”
Kwak Yeon had thought he understood Grandmaster Jang Sam-bong’s teachings, but to hear that even that was not the true meaning caught him off guard.
“Master wanted you to use your Celestial Sword to cleanse the world of all evil qi.”
The weight of Daoist Unseon’s expectations pressed down on Kwak Yeon’s shoulders.
“I will keep that in mind and devote myself to it,” he said, bowing his head.
Daoist Hyehae rose to his feet.
Upon reaching the Ancestral Hall of Three Spirits Palace, Daoist Hyehae spoke.
“Remove your daoist robe and daoist hat. Then, offer nine bows.”
Removing the robe and hat and bowing to the ancestral tablets — wasn’t that the ritual of renouncing one’s sect?
“It is Master’s command.”
“Master did not want Wudang to become your shackle. She wanted you to be a sword for the world, not just for Wudang.”
“But I have resolved not to leave Wudang.”
“This is not about leaving. It is merely shedding the outer shell. What does a shell matter? As long as Wudang remains in your heart, you will always be a disciple of Wudang.”
“...One day, I will definitely return.”
“If that is your resolve, Hyeonmu, then your daoist name will always remain.”
Kwak Yeon removed his daoist robe and hat and began offering nine bows to the ancestral tablets.
Yet, he did not feel sad.
He wasn’t being expelled — he was leaving by his own decision. And it was a place he would inevitably return to one day.
After Kwak Yeon finished the bows, Daoist Hyehae spoke.
“You have studied the Daoist scriptures, so you must be aware of the teaching to ‘Kill the Buddha, Kill the Ancestors.’”
A Buddhist saying often taught to Daoist disciples, meaning that to reach enlightenment, one must let go of all attachments, even to Buddha or to one’s ancestors.
“When the time comes, think only of the world and do not hesitate.”
Daoist Hyehae wasn’t merely giving spiritual advice.
Even if the wrongdoer was a fellow disciple of Wudang, Kwak Yeon was to strike them down mercilessly for the sake of the world.
“This is the final will Master left for you.”