Chapter 397
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**Chapter 397: I Believe in Myself.**
Yeon Jeokha finally realized that the others couldn’t see that spectacular scene.
Of course, he wouldn’t have been able to see it either if he hadn’t used the **Eye That Penetrates the Heaven**.
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
When Yeon Jeokha answered evasively, Baek Seolyeon giggled.
“Do you mean the weather is fine?”
“Yes, it’s very fine.”
While the two talked about the weather, the demonstration of Monk Gwanghae’s **Dragon Capturing Sword** came to an end.
He carefully put away the peach wood sword as if it were a legendary blade.
“What I can teach you is only the **Void Sword** (공진검) and the **Dragon Capturing Sword**. Don’t underestimate these two sword techniques. If talismans and spells are a river, sword techniques are an ocean. The eighteen stances of the Void Sword and the six stances of the Dragon Capturing Sword have a world so deep and vast that, even if you train your whole life, it will be difficult to understand their mysteries.”
Yeo Hwa-gyeong, who had been listening silently, raised her hand.
“Master, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Other monks say that the effect of mystical techniques varies depending on the **Inner Dan/Dantian** (내단) and sincere faith. But you mentioned Inner Dan and belief. Aren’t sincere faith and belief somewhat different?”
Monk Gwanghae nodded.
“Yes. They are not a little different, but very different. As you know, each monk follows a different path. Most monks depend on the gods to manifest their techniques.”
“So you’re saying you don’t depend on the gods?”
Yeo Hwa-gyeong’s eyes widened.
Since entering the mountain, she had been learning about Taoist gods from dawn till late at night.
It was all to have sincere faith.
But Monk Gwanghae’s words subtly deviated from that mainstream.
“I believe in the gods. But I don’t depend on them.”
Monk Gwanghae’s words surprised the disciples.
However, the other monks from the **Five Dragons Palace** (오룡궁), who had come to learn swordsmanship, accepted it indifferently, as if they were used to it.
Monk Gwanghae continued speaking.
“The gods and immortals are in their own world. I am in this world. Through training, I will advance to the world of immortals. If I didn’t know the way, I would have to depend on them, but if I already know it, why depend? They left teachings to become immortals, and I simply follow those teachings.”
“Isn’t that faith?”
“While you pray to the gods to expel evil spirits, I draw the Void Sword or the Dragon Capturing Sword. Do you think that’s faith in the gods?”
“……”
Yeo Hwa-gyeong looked at Monk Gwanghae with an ambiguous expression.
The same was true for the other lay disciples.
It was difficult to judge whether that could be considered faith or not.
“To make it easy for you to understand, I believe in myself. I believe in the sword technique I have chosen, and I believe that by reaching the highest level of that technique, I can eliminate evil spirits. I believe that I am the universe, and that the universe is me. As you learn swordsmanship from me, believe in yourselves. Without believing in oneself, one cannot believe in anything else purely.”
Monk Gwanghae looked calmly at the lay disciples.
Honestly, the last part was an addition for the confused lay disciples.
In his original teaching, there was no place for the gods.
For him, gods and immortals are the ultimate goal, not a means to manifest techniques.
That is his Way (道).
Monk Gwanghae’s words resonated with Yeon Jeokha.
It wasn’t because of having seen the amazing spectacle created by his techniques with the **Eye That Penetrates the Heaven**.
At first, he thought that the **Nine Heavens Supreme Swordsmanship** was enough to survive in the martial world.
But that was a mistake and arrogance.
What pulled him out of the **Eight Gates and Eight Appearances Formation** of Wind and Earth Mountain (Pungjisan) was Yeodongbin’s **Celestial Thunder Sword** (cheondungeom).
To unravel the mystery of that sword, he ascended Mount Wudang.
The Void Sword and the Dragon Capturing Sword that Monk Gwanghae showed were also a world beyond human comprehension, visible only with the **Eye That Penetrates the Heaven**.
“I am the universe, and within me is the universe!”
That was a phrase that the monks who guided the **Inner Dan** repeated as a habit.
But they taught that, although man is the “universe,” he must “depend on the gods.”
Monk Gwanghae is different.
He doesn’t just say that “within you is the universe,” but that “you must be aware that you are the universe and believe in it.”
That universe is clearly vaster and wider than the “mirror” he entered and exited.
“I must learn the Void Sword and the Dragon Capturing Sword.”
It’s not just because the phenomena created by these techniques are mysterious.
I can’t keep carrying only the memories of the **Mysterious Woman of the Nine Heavens**.
Yes. I am the universe, and within me is the universe.
***
Yeon Jeokha went to the **East Garden** (동원) for three consecutive days.
The lay disciples of **Yeodongbin** also accompanied him without much thought.
Of course, Monk Gwanghae’s mouth opened as wide as a bowl.
He taught with all his heart and soul.
The swordsmanship practice, which normally ended in an hour (2 hours), extended to more than two hours (4 hours).
Then side effects arose.
The lay disciples, who didn’t usually use their bodies much, began to fall one by one, exhausted.
It was then that Monk Gwanghae realized that his passion had been excessive.
“Hmm, let’s end for today. I intended to teach you three stances of the Void Sword each day, but it seems that won’t be possible. Seeing the condition of your bodies, I think that, except for a few, even one stance a day will be difficult for you. Reading the classics is also good, but dedicate time to training the Void Sword. That’s all for today.”
When Monk Gwanghae left, the lay disciples, and even the monks of the **Five Dragons Palace**, sat in their places.
When their bodies, which had been burning, cooled down, Lee Doju, from the **Palace of Great Harmony** (Taehwa Palace), sighed.
“Ha! Not even in the Palace of Great Harmony (Taehwa Palace) do we do this.”
Wielding a wooden sword for two hours wasn’t easy even for a martial artist.
Beside him, Banhwaseon shook her head.
“It’s true. In our **Hundred Flowers Palace** (Baeghwa Palace), the maximum is one hour. This is exhausting. I think I won’t be able to read the classics tonight either.”
“Perhaps that’s why there aren’t many people who learn sword techniques…”
At Cheong Cheonseok’s words, the lay disciples nodded in agreement.
Certainly, Monk Gwanghae’s sword techniques were too much for mystical arts practitioners, who had to read classics from dawn till late at night.
Suddenly, Cheong Cheonseok turned his gaze to Yeon Jeokha.
“Disciple Yeon, how long do you plan to learn sword techniques?”
“Until I learn them all.”
“Do you plan to learn both the Void Sword and the Dragon Capturing Sword?”
“Yes.”
Cheong Cheonseok glanced at Baek Seolyeon.
Although it was fine to follow Yeon Jeokha, she had no intention of learning the sword techniques of the **Five Dragons Palace**.
Would she continue with the training?
Seeing her tired and apathetic face, it didn’t seem like she would.
As expected, a heavy sigh escaped Baek Seolyeon’s lips.
“Ugh! This is too exhausting. I think my path with the sword will deviate because of the Void Sword and the Dragon Capturing Sword. I’m sorry to say this midway, but I think this is it for me.”
For the past three days, Monk Gwanghae had subjected the disciples to such intense training that even martial artists found it difficult.
Although it was called sword dance, it was essentially a sword-wielding art.
If they got too accustomed, they might confuse the stances they had already learned.
It was necessary to prevent their swordsmanship from deviating due to the sword dance to exorcise demons.
When she opened the door, the exhausted lay disciples began to give up one by one.
The female disciples of the **Hundred Flowers Palace** also joined the list of those giving up.
Yeo Hwa-gyeong quietly asked Yeon Jeokha.
“Brother Yeon, why do you want to learn all the sword techniques to exorcise demons? You are already excellent with talismans and spells.”
“Because the path Monk Gwanghae pursues seems different from that of other monks. It’s interesting.”
“Interesting? In what sense?”
“The monk doesn’t depend on the gods. That shows how much confidence he has in his sword techniques. I don’t think it’s a waste to learn them.”
Banhwaseon chimed in.
“But in the end, they are only useful for exorcising demons. I’m afraid that the Void Sword will affect my sword techniques from the **Hundred Flowers Palace**. The way he repeats it is terrifying.”
Yeon Jeokha also agreed on that point.
If the Void Sword became too familiar, it would also be a problem.
It could involuntarily come out in the middle of a fight.
In the end, everyone decided to give up, except Yeon Jeokha.
If martial artists feared that their sword path would deviate, for others the cause was physical exhaustion.
***
Baek Seolyeon headed to the dining hall for dinner.
She saw the practitioners of the **Eight Immortals Pavilion** (팔선각) lined up in a long queue to receive their food.
She stood at the end of the line.
While idly looking at the dining hall, she saw Yeon Namcheon already eating with Lee Doju.
Seeing Yeon Namcheon, she remembered what happened in the **East Garden**.
After only three days, she was about to abandon the sword techniques of the **Five Dragons Palace**. Her heart was restless.
If everyone had made the same decision.
Then, this uncomfortable feeling wouldn’t have remained.
But Yeon Namcheon said he would continue to the end.
Yeon Namcheon.
He is not an ordinary person.
He is not only a prominent disciple of **Cheongbullno**, but his martial and mystical skills have reached an almost divine level.
That someone like him had decided to continue must mean something.
“Could there be something exceptional about the sword techniques of the **Five Dragons Palace**?”
But no matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind beyond the sword dance.
“Bah! It must be the limit of my vision.”
Thinking that left her feeling empty.
That someone her age, Yeon Namcheon, could see something important that she was overlooking.
“Should I try again?”
But she shook her head.
No matter how much she thought about it, the Void Sword wasn’t a technique that could be learned lightly.
According to Monk Gwanghae, it’s a sword technique as vast as an ocean, and if it were useful in reality, everyone would be learning it with fervor.
“I shouldn’t be greedy.”
If it truly is an ocean, then the Void Sword and the Dragon Capturing Sword are not for someone who has barely set foot in the martial world.
Only someone like Yeon Namcheon can afford to be greedy.
Baek Seolyeon, who had been hesitant, was finally able to organize her thoughts.
“Excuse me.”
Hearing herself being called, Baek Seolyeon turned around.
A beautiful woman with a delicate face stood there, with an awkward smile on her face.
Was she the daughter of the leader of the Blue Mountain Sect (cheongsanmun) of Sipeun?
“Yes, how may I help you?”
“Ah, I’m Son Gain (Son Gae-in) from the Blue Mountain Sect of Sipeun.”
“I know. I’m from Sipeun too.”
Baek Seolyeon acted as if she knew.
The Blue Mountain Sect is an influential orthodox sect in **Sipeun**, where the **Wudang Sect** is located. Therefore, it’s inevitable to hear various rumors about the Blue Mountain Sect.
“Yes, you’re from the Child’s Heart Sect (dongsimmun), right?”
“How do you know?”
Baek Seolyeon looked at Son Gain with surprised eyes.
The Child’s Heart Sect is small and little known even in Sipeun.
“Because the people in Yeodongbin are famous. You passed the difficult exam and became a lay disciple, didn’t you?”
At Son Gain’s praise, Baek Seolyeon smiled.
It was an acknowledgment that her success had made her known even in the Child’s Heart Sect.
Her heart, which had felt heavy from the comparison with Yeon Namcheon, felt a little lighter.
“But why did you call me?”
“Ah, since you’re from the same region, I wanted to greet you and get along.”
Son Gain lowered her eyes shyly.
Although the Blue Mountain Sect is more powerful, she bowed first to a lay disciple of the Wudang Sect.
“Yes, of course. Since I arrived at the mountain, I haven’t had anyone to talk to, so this is great.”
After introducing themselves, Baek Seolyeon and Son Gain quickly became friends.
Meeting someone from the same region and of similar age gave them a sense of mutual support.
Baek Seolyeon was two years older, so Son Gain called her “older sister.”
After receiving their food, the two found an empty spot and sat together.
While eating, Baek Seolyeon glanced at Yeon Namcheon’s seat, and Son Gain said:
“That’s Yeon Namcheon, right?”
“Yes.”
“They say he’s a bit strange…”