Absolute Sword Sense - Chapter 59

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Episode 25: The Monster in the Cave (2)

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With my Heavenly Spirit acupoint targeted, I thought I was doomed to die without being able to move.

But what entered through it was innate life energy.

As Flying Dagger Assassin King Han JiSang had said, the Celestial Spirit acupoint was also called the Baihui acupoint. I had never imagined it would be possible to receive energy through this fatal point.

“Circulate the Innate Cultivation Technique.”

‘!?’

No. How did they know the Innate Cultivation Technique too?

I wondered how this person knew it.

But first, I had to accept the innate life energy pouring into me.

There was no reason to refuse it if it was not meant to harm me.

“Whew.”

I began circulating my ki through my breathing and guided the incoming innate life energy into my Central Dantian.

Even I did not know whether I could properly absorb it.

They said that when internal energy in the Lower Dantian was received from another person rather than built up oneself, its nature differed. A considerable amount was lost, making it difficult to absorb more than thirty to forty percent.

‘Ah!’

The innate life energy pouring in felt subtly different from my own.

Yet its nature was remarkably similar.

That told me something.

‘...They cultivated the Innate Cultivation Technique.’

If the nature of our energy was similar, it meant we had cultivated the same technique.

Everything was full of questions.

But one thing was certain.

Because we had cultivated the same technique, less energy would be lost.

Thump! Thump!

My heart raced as innate life energy poured into my Central Dantian.

To assimilate it, I circulated the Innate Cultivation Technique with all my strength.

Naturally, Han JiSang possessed far more innate life energy than I did. As it exceeded what I had previously endured, the meridians throughout my body swelled as though they would tear apart.

“Ughhh.”

“...Endure it.”

Han JiSang's breathing had grown rough as well, as though transferring the energy was taking a great toll.

About half an hour passed like that.

The Innate Cultivation Technique settled innate life energy securely, while the Stellar Star Mystic Art allowed it to be used smoothly.

First circuit. Second circuit.

Following the Ki Meditation path of the Stellar Star Mystic Art, the innate life energy gradually began to circulate faster.

Then Han JiSang's voice reached my ears.

“Haa... haa... Though principles may seem complex, they are but emptiness and substance. See them clearly, and emptiness is meaningless.”

‘!!!’

The moment I heard those words, my mind went blank.

I had been focused solely on circulating my ki, but the verse formula of the Stellar Star Mystic Art formed a structure in my mind and took shape before my eyes.

Another half a two-hour period passed.

When I opened my eyes after finishing, joy filled me.

The Stellar Star Mystic Art had reached the fifth level.

From the fourth level onward, even an abundance of innate life energy could not raise it further without enlightenment.

Yet Han JiSang's words had brought me to the fifth level.

Moreover, the innate life energy in my Central Dantian had formed more than sixty years' worth of essence.

- This is incredible!

Even I was stunned.

It meant I had assimilated nearly sixty percent of the innate life energy Han JiSang had transferred to me.

If I gained enough enlightenment, I now had the foundation to reach the sixth level of the Stellar Star Mystic Art at any time.

- Congratulations, Un Hwi. You have gained a fortuitous encounter.

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword, which had been wary of Han JiSang, congratulated me.

With only one more level, I would reach the realm the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster had attained in life.

It was thanks to a fortuitous encounter, but the feeling was still extraordinary.

Regardless, I felt I should at least bow to Flying Dagger Assassin King Han JiSang.

‘Have they been sitting like that the whole time?’

- Yes.

Han JiSang was seated in meditation about ten paces away from me.

Their already unhealthy face looked even more haggard.

They had transferred so much innate life energy, which was essentially vitality, so it was only natural for their condition to worsen.

Slide...!

“Ah?”

The thin silver thread wrapped around my arm loosened.

It looked like I could remove it now.

Whirrr!

The instant I pulled it free, the silver thread was suddenly sucked away as though someone had yanked it. It disappeared into something like a brown guard worn around Han JiSang's elbow.

Han JiSang had not moved at all, so it was strange to see it retract by itself.

‘Have they awakened?’

I carefully approached.

Han JiSang still had not opened their eyes.

I was about to check whether their ki circulation had yet to end when...

“Craaaah!”

Han JiSang suddenly opened their eyes wide and lunged at me.

They looked as though they had lost their mind again.

Startled, I quickly executed a step and retreated.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!

With the Stellar Star Mystic Art at the fifth level, my movements were much faster than before.

Han JiSang, on the other hand, had grown slower.

They leaped at me, then immediately fell. They crawled across the floor with difficulty and stared at me.

“Meat... meat...”

Just like when I first saw them, they seemed to regard me as food. But perhaps because they had exhausted nearly all their innate life energy, they had become an ordinary person.

“Hungry... So hungry.”

When they had possessed monstrous strength, their appearance had been frightening enough to chill me. Now it was almost pitiful.

Had they realized they had grown weak, even in their delirium?

They tried to bite into their only arm.

‘No!’

I hurriedly pressed Han JiSang's acupoints to keep them from moving.

Come to think of it, I had some leftover jerky in my robes.

‘It is damp with moisture, though.’

It still seemed safe to eat.

“Meat! Meat!”

I put it into their mouth.

I had only sealed their movement, so they chewed and devoured the jerky greedily.

- Haa...

The Southern Heavenly Steel Sword let out a sigh.

I wondered what could have happened.

- They deserve to die. But seeing them like this, it seems they have received heavenly punishment.

‘...What happened?’

I cautiously asked it.

The sword had remained silent as though recalling memories it did not wish to revisit, but then it spoke.

- Fifteen years ago... my former master crossed swords with the man with the golden eye and lost. The injuries were so severe that death was imminent.

I had heard this from the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword before.

Even then, it had stopped in the middle of the story.

It seemed this was the hidden tale it had been unable to finish.

- After the man with the golden eye left, Flying Dagger Assassin King appeared before my former master, who was dying.

‘Ah...’

Could Flying Dagger Assassin King have dealt the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster the final blow?

No.

If that were so, the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster could not have left the Innate Cultivation Technique in that cave before dying.

- ...Flying Dagger Assassin King had been after my former master's life when my former master's fame was at its height. But even for that bastard, targeting my former master while he was at full strength had not been easy.

Flying Dagger Killing King had sought the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's life.

Still, it was not terribly surprising. Han JiSang had even targeted one of the Eight Great Masters.

More than that, I was curious who had commissioned the assassination.

- I do not know that either. But it seemed they were waiting for my former master to weaken.

That made sense.

The Southern Heavenly Swordmaster had been in a state where a touch from a fingertip could kill him.

No assassin would let such an opportunity slip away.

- But then, they made my former master an offer.

‘An offer?’

- Since my former master would likely not survive anyway, they asked him to teach them his Martial Arts.

They coveted Martial Arts even in that situation.

Still, these were the Martial Arts of the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster, who had been named as one of the next generation's Eight Great Masters.

Even Flying Dagger Assassin King could not help desiring them.

So that was why Han JiSang had cultivated the Innate Cultivation Technique.

- ...My former master was weakened and tempted by those words. So he made an offer of his own.

‘What was it?’

- My former master had always wanted to leave behind a successor. So he told Flying Dagger Assassin King that he would teach them his Martial Arts in exchange for passing them on, in the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's name, to someone worthy of becoming his successor.

Ah...

I could guess what happened next without hearing it.

If the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword was this furious, Flying Dagger Assassin King must have failed to live up to those expectations.

- Just as you expected, Un Hwi. After learning the verse formulas of the Innate Cultivation Technique, the Stellar Star Mystic Art, and the Stellar Star Sword Art from my former master, that bastard immediately changed their tune.

- Wow. What a rotten bastard. They made a promise to someone who was dying.

The SoDam Sword complained in irritation.

- That bastard broke both of my former master's legs on the spot.

‘The man with the golden eye did not do that?’

I had naturally assumed that the man with the golden eye had broken the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's legs.

But the true culprit had been Flying Dagger Assassin King Han JiSang.

It was truly vile.

- It seemed they broke his legs in case my former master miraculously survived. But that bastard was unlucky too.

‘Huh?’

- The man with the golden eye appeared then.

It was a twist upon a twist.

It had not been Flying Dagger Assassin King Han JiSang's victory after obtaining what they wanted.

- When the man with the golden eye saw my former master's broken legs, he cut off Han JiSang's legs, destroyed their dantian, and threw them into the valley.

- Wow, that feels so satisfying.

The SoDam Sword chattered excitedly.

It seemed pleased that Han JiSang had received karmic retribution.

A person's fate was truly unknowable.

Having experienced fortune and misfortune at the same time, Han JiSang must have fallen into utter despair.

- I never dreamed that person would still be alive.

Now I understood why the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword was so furious.

Evil Heaven, who could be called a worthy rival, had at least ensured that the Southern Heavenly Swordmaster's legacy would not end. Han JiSang, on the other hand, had only sought personal gain and received punishment.

- But it is strange. Back then, I naturally thought that bastard had died, and I naturally wanted them to die.

I understood what the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword meant.

If not for Han JiSang, I too would have been swept away by the rapids and nearly lost my life.

I would not have gained this fortuitous encounter either.

- Un Hwi. I do not know how I should think of them.

I completely understood the Southern Heavenly Steel Sword's feelings.

Han JiSang had driven its former master to a miserable death, so it must resent them. Yet Han JiSang had saved me, its current master, making them my benefactor.

- They only saved you to eat you, though.

‘...’

My connection with this person was complicated in every way.

I looked at Han JiSang.

After finishing the jerky, they twitched for a while. Then, at some point, they began staring blankly into space.

Seeing their condition, I understood why they had said there was not much time.

Then Han JiSang lifted their head.

“How long have I been like this?”

They had come to their senses.

They shifted back and forth so often that I could not make sense of them.

Still, they had given me innate life energy, so I felt I should offer my thanks.

Swish!