I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
The Peak Realm.
From here on out, it was all about one’s realization, meaning there was no simple shortcut like a grand ritual to easily climb higher.
In truth, the vast majority of geniuses trained in prestigious and orthodox sects but ultimately stopped here, unable to ascend further before their lives ended.
The next stage was the Transcendence Realm, a state where only about a hundred individuals existed across the entire Wulin at any given time, which was why they were called the Top One Hundred Masters.
For most people, the Peak Realm was the end, the pinnacle, and a mountain summit they could never hope to climb beyond.
Since Seonwu had also reached this stage, it would be difficult for him to advance rapidly from now on.
Although his growth had slowed, it was also a period of time for him to solidly consolidate his various martial arts to that same extent.
Blindly raising his inner energy alone while leaving everything else unable to keep up was by no means a good way to grow.
‘Well, if that realization were easy to convey through words, or if it could be solved with a spiritual pill, masters of the Transcendence Realm would be overflowing.’
It wasn’t for nothing that even among monks and priests who spent their entire lives practicing asceticism, only a tiny fraction ever reached the Transcendence Realm.
Seonwu also had a goal of achieving that realization before reaching the age of twenty, but he wasn’t confident that he would definitely succeed.
‘In the worst-case scenario, even if I remain at the Peak Realm, there’s always the option of traveling with a thick layer of secret guards covering me from front to back.’
Of course, if it came to that, the romance of roaming the Jianghu that he originally dreamed of would be cut in half.
‘But I have a body that cannot afford to travel recklessly, even if I were willing to risk my life.’
He had to maintain awareness of his own status.
Still, because he preferred to achieve his goal if possible, he trained diligently.
First, a fully mature Peak Realm.
Advancing toward the absolute end of the Peak Realm came first.
He also set out to properly execute the martial arts he could deploy now that he possessed Sword Gang.
Neither Flying Nor Crying.
The Banquet of Broken Hat-Strings.
Inquiring the Weight of the Nine Cauldrons.
He strived to completely make these three sword forms his own.
If he were to calmly gather his Sword Qi to create Gangqi just to unleash Inquiring the Weight of the Nine Cauldrons in actual combat?
Naturally, his opponent wouldn’t wait for him and would instead slice his throat right open.
Therefore, there were two ways to utilize it in real combat.
The first was combining it with Neither Flying Nor Crying.
Seonwu stood completely still with his sword inside its scabbard.
At a glance, it looked as if he was simply being cautious while regulating his momentum before a fight, but in reality, Sword Qi was forming inside the scabbard, compressing further to become Sword Gang.
Compared to right after he had freshly stepped into the Peak Realm, the time required for this process shortened day by day.
When drawing a sword at the end of a psychological war between masters, what if Sword Gang had already formed the exact moment he pulled his blade from the scabbard?
After that, he was free to attack however he pleased.
It was simply a gap that could never be blocked with mere Sword Qi.
Deflecting it or doing whatever else wasn’t easy in the face of this absolute cutting power.
The very fact that one had to avoid and deflect because it couldn’t be blocked meant they were already entering the fight at a disadvantage against someone of a similar realm.
The second way was to gradually raise the output of his Qi while actually exchanging sword strikes.
He also succeeded in forming Sword Gang in a single instant during the span of exchanging a few blows.
A surprise Sword Gang.
That single strike was fully capable of deciding the outcome.
If an opponent fought on equal terms, sword against sword, thinking their skills were similar, they wouldn’t be able to block if it suddenly transformed into Sword Gang.
Sword Gang could absolutely never be blocked with Sword Qi.
‘Of course, it can be dodged.’
Forget Sword Gang—even if it were the grandfather of Sword Gang, it didn’t matter as long as it didn’t hit.
Perhaps that was why masters with exceptional Lightness Techniques survived for a long time.
A duel between masters was a battle of wits that deepened, involving things like delivering a trump card strike after creating a situation where the opponent couldn’t dodge.
Of course, the Soaring Phoenix Sword left behind by King Zhuang of Chu wasn’t a simple sword technique that only contained the method to form Sword Gang.
It also discussed in truly profound depth how to link these three forms together, how to use them in what situations, and how to respond.
If it hadn’t done so, it wouldn’t be a completed sword technique, but merely a handful of tricks.
However, regarding the fourth form.
Seonwu couldn’t even touch Stopping Warfare is True Martial Arts, which dominated a domain that could even be called a Heart Sword, as this was a form difficult to properly deploy even in the Transcendence Realm, let alone the Peak Realm.
It was called a form, but in truth, it was the intent of the Heart Sword, the domain of the sword.
‘Since it’s a sword form that can only be properly mastered in the Realm of Creation.’
Thus, putting the fourth form aside, Seonwu also properly mastered a Fist Technique.
Although his romance was more heavily pinned on the sword, his mind wasn’t so closed that he didn’t know which was stronger between being excellent only in sword techniques versus being excellent in fist techniques as well.
‘If I limit myself to the sword, just unleashing a surprise fist change that wouldn’t normally appear allows me to gain the upper hand in the battle of wits.’
He thrust out a single fist.
A target dummy placed over a hundred steps away shook violently.
‘Nice.’
The fact that it only shook without bursting apart was simply because he had combined his training to delicately control its power.
Had he thrown it with full force, it would have shattered even a giant boulder.
Jewangjieom, one of the forms of the Wuwang Shenquan.
If one were to ask how it differed from the Hundred-Step Divine Fist…
“Come to think of it, an Air-Rending Punch that strikes a place about a hundred steps away isn’t exactly exclusive to Shaolin, is it?”
“That is correct, Your Highness.”
“Then why is the Hundred-Step Divine Fist uniquely famous like that?”
Admiral Lee Dae-yong bowed his head.
“There is no other Air-Rending Punch that produces that level of power within the same realm.”
“Is it to that extent?”
“Yes. Of course, the Wuwang Shenquan that Your Highness is currently mastering is comparable to it. However, excluding these two, other Air-Rending Punches do not possess an absolute power worthy of being called a divine fist.”
I see.
So it’s the difference between whether it’s at the level of a restraining move or a standard move.
Or if it’s at the level of a finishing move.
Seonwu understood it in his own way.
‘It truly is a divine fist.’
The Wuwang Shenquan had three forms in total.
The first form, [Jewangjieom].
To Seonwu, this looked like a cousin of the Hundred-Step Divine Fist.
Of course, if Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou heard this, he might foam at the mouth explaining how it was different and how it was superior.
And in reality, they wouldn’t be identical either.
At any rate, if it were implemented through a [Game System], it felt like it wouldn’t be much different.
A Fist Technique capable of long-range attacks.
The power itself upon impact was ultimate.
Because the thrusting of the fist and the arrival of the impact a hundred steps away occurred almost simultaneously, dodging or blocking it was significantly more difficult than expected.
It was worthy of being given those kinds of characteristics.
‘The practical range exceeds a hundred steps, right?’
It was called a hundred steps, but two hundred or three hundred steps were also within range.
If it were called the Three-Hundred-Step Divine Fist instead, the name would actually sound a bit tacky.
And the second form, [Jewangcheongun].
It didn’t mean actually creating an army and sending it in all directions.
What took the place of an army was a Fist Shadow.
When he unleashed his thrusting fists, countless Fist Shadows blanketed the air.
All directions.
The six harmonies.
The entire front under heaven.
Covering all of it, the Fist Shadows transformed endlessly.
Since each one contained Fist Qi, they were illusions yet realities.
Freely alternating between falsehood and reality, it created continuous transformations, and within those transformations, it went on to suppress the opponent.
Of course, if this method worked well, it was a complete encirclement.
If it went wrong, it could be pierced through at a single point.
The third form, Jewang지명.
Because this contained the unalterable mandate of the emperor within a fist.
A simple, single fist thrown with the strength of one’s entire body and soul.
That was also a single fist containing absolute power.
‘It feels like the Great Vajra Palm… though Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou would say otherwise. Still, the power is good, so I have no complaints either.’
Of course, because it was simple, a single fist that was conversely profound could easily turn into a missed swing if caught up in an opponent’s clever movements.
However, what Seonwu realized as he began mastering martial arts in earnest was that there was no such thing as an absolutely invincible, flawless method just by itself in the world.
If there was softness overcoming hardness.
Hardness snapping softness was also possible.
If there was a heaven-and-earth net.
There was also a single-point breakthrough.
The crane-wing formation versus the fish-scale formation.
There was no rule saying one side would definitively win.
The side that was stronger and used it better won.
Though using it better was truly a depth that had no end.
Understanding one’s own martial arts better and using them better.
Discerning the enemy’s martial arts better and responding better.
That was what mattered.
At the same time, it was also important for one’s own martial arts itself to be strong.
‘No matter how much a general tries to use strategy, fundamentally, it’s more advantageous if the soldiers are more elite, the commanders are sturdier, and the supply line is better maintained.’
Similarly, if one’s internal energy was deeper and one’s forms were more profound, they already had half the advantage.
In that regard, the martial arts he had pulled out from the Imperial Vault were all ones that had received a first-class rating even in the Earth Pavilion, martial arts that had dominated an era.
There was not the slightest lack in their inherent profoundness.
Sword techniques.
Fist techniques.
Lightness techniques.
While mastering those three types, he also dug deeply into his internal cultivation methods.
The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Peerless Prajna Divine Art.
By mastering both thoroughly, he freely alternated between them depending on the moment.
Even if his realm didn’t heighten, he solidly widened his foundation.
He raised his proficiency.
In doing so, Seonwu found his own compatibility.
‘When deploying most martial arts, it’s more comfortable to use the Peerless Prajna Divine Art as a base.’
It wasn’t mysterious for nothing.
All sorts of complex and exquisite methods could be freely deployed with a smooth flow of Qi.
On the other hand, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art felt rigid instead of just being sturdy.
Though it was indeed that sturdy.
‘It’s probably because my realm is still only at the Peak Realm.’
However, it wasn’t a complete mismatch.
If it were so rigid that it prevented someone from properly deploying entirely different martial arts, how could it be called a divine art?
In particular, the final third form of the Wuwang Shenquan, which he felt was similar to the Great Vajra Palm.
When unleashing Jewang지명, there was a feeling that it fit even better than the Prajna Divine Art.
But when deploying his Lightness Technique in earnest or for other martial arts requiring exquisite transformation and control, the Prajna Divine Art was definitely more comfortable.
‘Hmm, if only I could simultaneously possess both the defensive power of the Vajra and the mysteriousness of the Prajna…’
How should he put it.
Having defensive power as good as a [Tanker] while having offensive power as good as a [Dealer], along with great instantaneous explosive power…
And good mobility as well…
Could he not just have everything be good?
It would be truly wonderful to sweep everything simultaneously.
If only it could be like that…
‘Hmm, if possible, what if I add other divine arts instead of just these two?’
Wudang’s Taegeuk Yangui Shingong was also placed at the first-class level of the Earth Pavilion.
That too would have its own outstanding points.
If he could just add up only the advantages of the three divine arts to gain something like the [Passive] effect of each one.
It would be truly wonderful to enjoy all of them.
In fact, that was also a regret Seonwu had felt while playing wuxia games.
The protagonist would randomly acquire this divine art and that divine art through various fortuitous encounters.
‘But the thing is, you have to choose which one to use at any given moment.’
You only received the effect of the internal cultivation method selected on the status window.
You couldn’t obtain the remaining effects.
Of course, if you received all the stat modifiers of each divine art combined, the [Game Balance] would explode.
‘Then again, if it were that easy, martial artists in the world would have randomly mastered multiple divine arts even if it weren’t me.’
Since it couldn’t be done, it just couldn’t be done.
More than that, obtaining the realization of the Transcendence Realm would be more important.
‘Establish a single willpower to the extreme, thereby surpassing human limits and bringing the flow of nature beneath my will.’
If so, the infinite cycle that follows that flow shall be mine.
He understood what these words meant, but the realization wouldn’t dawn on him.
He had heard what was possible at the stage of the Transcendence Realm.
Unlike the Peak Realm, one became capable of continuously maintaining Gangqi.
If filling up all the internal energy that could be contained within the vessel called a human was the Peak Realm, then connecting with nature inside and out so that there was no need to depend on the size of the vessel was the Transcendence Realm.
To use an analogy, expanding a water tank to its maximum capacity was the Peak Realm.
Installing waterworks and drainage from the start so that water constantly flowed was the Transcendence Realm.
‘But how exactly am I supposed to realize this?’
Even if he asked, realization differed for everyone as it was one’s own unique realization, and even if it was conveyed through words, it supposedly couldn’t be understood in the exact same way.
One’s own unique willpower.
It was somewhat profound.
It would be easy if it could be explained precisely with a formula like a scientific theory.
Priests were said to awaken to Wuwei Ziran.
Monks were said to awaken to Form is Emptiness.
Martial artists were said to pierce through nature with their own unique willpower.
This too was a rough outline; some priest said they realized the principles of the Taegeuk.
Some monk answered with a flower and a smile.
Some martial artist said they slashed the sky with a sword, thereby suppressing the Qi of heaven and earth.
Even a demonic practitioner who realized a sea of blood and mountain of corpses claimed it was their own realization?
There was simply nothing in common.
Ultimately, if there were a hundred top masters, there were a hundred types of realizations.
Because he had to find something of his own, Seonwu also put in effort.
He tried reading Daoist scriptures.
He tried reading Buddhist scriptures.
He tried reading Confucian scriptures.
He tried reading the writings of other various scholars and hundreds of schools.
He also tried meditation.
There were times he devoted himself solely to martial arts training.
But no particular clue to realization was caught.
“Ugh, since they said they’ve told me everything that can be said in words, it’s useless to ask more here…”
Like that, five more years passed.
Seonwu became fifteen.
In the meantime, he had properly trained all the martial arts he could master as a Peak Realm expert.
Of course, there would be no end to sharpening the exquisiteness of the forms.
In any case, he had learned the few given martial arts well enough to use them properly.
It could be said that he had become a Peak Realm expert worthy of the title.
But at the same time, the path to the Transcendence Realm was far away.
‘They say I’m blocked by a wall, but in truth, it isn’t even a wall.’
If it were a wall, it could at least be smashed.
This was a bit different.
How should he put it.
‘Right, it’s something where I need to snap into a realization and soar. Sheesh.’
That one thing just wouldn’t come to him.
In the grand framework, he had to leap up from here where he had arrived.
What on earth did he need to realize.
How could he realize it.
While agonizing over such thoughts, Seonwu suddenly had a completely different question.
‘But is the Peak Realm really supposed to just end here?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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