Shinseung sat down, crossed his legs, and remained that way for a while.

Baek Yoonjun stood guard around Shinseung.

And so, after a short time passed.

"Although I have not reached the standard of the third-rate that Benefactor Baek speaks of, I have gained much. Thank you. Amitabha."

"I am glad if you have gained something."

Although Shinseung had not yet reached the third-rate, he saw a path to reach it.

It was a fact that only those who had already walked that path could know.

Baek Yoonjun was very intrigued by that sight.

Because he had not yet seen a third-rate martial artist other than himself.

'If I'm lucky, I might be able to see him rise to the third-rate.'

Baek Yoonjun had only done ordinary training by his own standards, cooped up in the mountains until he reached the third-rate.

The third-rate he had entered after that.

Since there was no item to help him from the third-rate onwards, he had no choice but to train almost by self-study.

Therefore, if Shinseung rose to the third-rate, he had quite a lot of advice to give.

"I will take my leave for today. Benefactor Baek, you may use this place and your residence freely at any time."

"Thank you for your consideration."

After exchanging a few words with Baek Yoonjun, Shinseung left, and Baek Yoonjun decided to stay in the stone cave a little longer.

After Shinseung left, Baek Yoonjun sat down and scanned his surroundings.

The traces of martial arts on the walls were very diverse.

Starting with bare hands, there were traces of blunt weapons such as staffs and clubs, and also traces of bladed weapons such as swords and spears.

It was as if he had trained martial arts with all sorts of weapons in the world.

'Actually, except for swords and blunt weapons, I'm lacking, so it will be a good reference.'

Although by Baek Yoonjun's standards, they were traces of third-rate or lower martial arts, for Baek Yoonjun, whose range of martial arts was narrow, they were not bad reference materials.

Engraving the traces of the martial arts in his eyes, Baek Yoonjun observed the heart sword within him.

'I definitely didn't use it as a sword just now.'

The form just now was definitely a palm technique.

Nevertheless, he was able to use the heart sword.

'Although it's a sword, it doesn't have to be a sword. Does this also apply to weapons other than bare hands?'

To prove his thoughts, Baek Yoonjun gripped the Black Iron Night in its scabbard.

Although it was definitely a sword, the Black Iron Night, held in its scabbard, was a blunt weapon.

Baek Yoonjun demonstrated the Dog Beating Staff Technique that he had taught to Hong Yungae.

'It works.'

Although it was not as natural as a sword, he was definitely able to perform the staff technique using the heart sword.

Having performed the Dog Beating Staff Technique to some extent, Baek Yoonjun threw the sword and caught it, grabbing the end of the scabbard and pulling his arm back.

It was a ready stance that was his own interpretation of the spear technique engraved on the wall.

Holding the scabbard, Baek Yoonjun thrust the Black Iron Night as if swinging a spear.

Perhaps because the tool was different, it was not as easy as a sword, but he was able to perform the spear technique without any problems.

Baek Yoonjun then interpreted and utilized the martial arts engraved on the wall in his own way.

And the emotion that Baek Yoonjun felt while doing so was.

'It's fun.'

He felt a thrill in the training that was like training for the first time in a long time.

And so, Baek Yoonjun performed the various martial arts on the wall in his own way and engraved the mysteries he had performed near the traces of that martial art.

It was a trace that mainly contained the mystery of which parts to improve.

Baek Yoonjun's training continued until the sunlight from the palm-shaped hole in the wall faded and darkness fell.

His movements stopped after he finished performing and engraving the traces of the martial arts next to the palm-shaped hole in his own way.

"Phew..."

Although he had no internal energy to gather, as if it were a habit, Baek Yoonjun slowly exhaled as if gathering it and hung his sword at his waist.

Then he slowly scanned his surroundings.

Although there were already plenty of traces of martial arts, in the empty spaces, plenty of improvements to the martial arts were engraved.

'I got excited and engraved a lot.'

In a way, it was an act close to vandalism.

'Still, since it can be called a higher martial art than what is engraved on the wall, it should be okay, right?'

Still, since it was a martial art that was better than the martial art on the wall, he decided to take it easy.

It was so-called self-rationalization.

Having finished his self-rationalization, Baek Yoonjun scanned his surroundings.

'I want to train a little more.'

No matter how he looked at it, it was late at night.

Although the late night was not a particular problem for him.

'Those Martial Alliance guys might be loitering around again.'

Baek Yoonjun came out of the stone cave and scanned his surroundings, jumping over the wall in the same way as yesterday.

'I don't see them.'

He did not feel the presence of any martial artists.

'I think they came around this time yesterday and the day before. Could they have come early?'

Wondering if they had come early, he jumped over the wall and scanned the inside of Shaolin, but there was nothing unusual.

'Then are they late?'

Baek Yoonjun loitered near the wall and continued to scan his surroundings.

And so, after a long time had passed.

'Why aren't they coming?'

The sun was rising in the distance.

'It seems they're not coming.'

The martial artists of the Martial Alliance did not show themselves, and only a group presumed to be martial monks was climbing the mountain towards the entrance.

'Are those the martial monks who bring information?'

Baek Yoonjun moved towards the entrance, stealthily scanned the martial monks with his senses, and returned to his residence.

'Hmm, their martial arts level is nothing special. It seems the really strong martial monks haven't come back yet.'

Disappointed by the martial arts level of the martial monks at the entrance, Baek Yoonjun quietly waited for Shinseung at his residence.

A moment later, as expected, Shinseung came to the place where Baek Yoonjun was staying.

"Did you have a peaceful night, Benefactor Baek?"

"Thanks to you, I spent it comfortably."

After exchanging greetings, Shinseung took out the bamboo slips he had in his bosom.

"I took a quick look, but unfortunately, there was no news about the Sichuan Divine Doctor."

"It's okay. I didn't think I would be able to find her easily."

Although Baek Yoonjun was inwardly disappointed, he did not show it.

Since gathering information was Shinseung's favor, it was a difficult thing for Baek Yoonjun, the homebody introvert, to complain about such a favor.

Shinseung, who was quietly looking at the bamboo slips while observing Baek Yoonjun.

"How was the stone cave yesterday?"

He asked about the stone cave he had taken Baek Yoonjun to yesterday.

"The stone cave, you say? It was good. If I had my way, I would have wanted to continue training there."

"Then how about you do so? I will copy the information and leave it in front of the stone cave with a meal."

"I can't trouble you that much."

Baek Yoonjun immediately refused Shinseung's favor.

Since he was already receiving a favor without any price, his heart was not at ease to receive an even greater favor.

Towards such a Baek Yoonjun, Shinseung performed a half-salute and bowed his head.

"After the martial artists of the alliance made a fuss, there was nothing last night."

At Shinseung's words, Baek Yoonjun fell silent.

Although he had cut down the martial artists of the Martial Alliance, he had no intention of saying it.

"Although I was prepared, there was nothing. It must be thanks to Great Hero Baek's care."

Towards such a Baek Yoonjun, Shinseung smiled benevolently as if he knew everything.

Since he could not think of a particular answer to that, Baek Yoonjun just scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Since Benefactor Baek has shown me such a favor without any price, please give me a chance to repay you."

At Shinseung's very polite words, Baek Yoonjun had no choice but to obediently nod his head.

"Although it is shameless, I will accept your favor."

"I am the one who is grateful for giving me a chance to repay you even a little. Amitabha."

Baek Yoonjun, who had decided to accept the favor, returned to the stone cave after Shinseung left his residence.

Although a huge palm-shaped hole had been created, by Baek Yoonjun's standards, it was a cozy and comfortable place.

'I like it. Should I make something similar when I go back to the mountain later?'

Feeling the coziness of the stone cave, Baek Yoonjun scanned his surroundings.

He had roughly looked at and improved the martial arts here yesterday.

Although it had looked quite good yesterday, today it looked a little shallow.

'Now that I've risen to the second-rate, it's funny for me to judge whether it's deep or shallow.'

Since there was no immediate comparison, Baek Yoonjun, who had thought of the best in his own way, scanned the martial arts on the wall and the martial arts he had engraved alternately.

'It's certain that I thought this was the best yesterday.'

Although only a day had passed, countless points for improvement were visible.

'Although it's more comfortable for me to move according to the situation at that time rather than a form or a move, I still need a basic form.'

Thinking so, Baek Yoonjun slowly drew the Black Iron Night and swung it.

A blue energy flashed from Baek Yoonjun's sword, which he swung at a speed that was neither fast nor slow.

Although he had swung it according to the form of various weapons yesterday, this time he swung everything according to the sword.

'As expected, a sword is comfortable.'

Since the martial arts engraved in the stone cave were not all tailored to the sword, compared to yesterday when he had performed them thinking of various weapons, it was at a pathetic level.

'No matter how I think about it, a sword is right for me.'

Perhaps because he was performing those martial arts with a sword that suited him well, his heart was at ease.

For a long time, Baek Yoonjun swung his sword.

And so, Baek Yoonjun, who had been swinging his sword, stopped his movements at a thought that suddenly came to his mind.

'Anyway, since I don't use a form, why did I think a form was necessary?'

Baek Yoonjun's thoughts changed. He held his sword again and swung it slowly.

Although the same energy as before was not visible, instead, a lukewarm breeze blew.

It was as if it were the same as the appearance of Baek Yoonjun, who had had internal energy before.

'This is just the past. I have to go further from here.'

Baek Yoonjun's sword began to slow down even more.

Although it had slowed down, an afterimage remained in the place where Baek Yoonjun's sword had passed.

'A martial art that does not use a sword eventually heads for the same path.'

All streams return to the sea.

Baek Yoonjun unconsciously recalled the mystery of all streams returning to the sea.

He unconsciously began to walk the path of nothingness.

The path of martial arts where nothing exists.

Baek Yoonjun began to move forward again.

The previous footsteps began to turn into a single path.

'All martial arts are different, but in the end, they become the same. No, it's not just martial arts. All things, such as Buddhism and Taoism, eventually become the same from a certain point.'

Baek Yoonjun's sword seemed to be stopped.

But around him, numerous afterimages remained.

It was not just the afterimage of a sword.

The afterimages of all martial arts, such as fists, palms, and sabers, remained around him, merged, and became the same.

It seemed as if only this place's time had stopped.

Although Baek Yoonjun, who had fallen into a state of selflessness, did not know, the time around him was flowing rapidly.

Shinseung, who had come to deliver information and a meal, witnessed Baek Yoonjun and quietly retreated from his seat.

The retreated Shinseung immediately set out to find his disciple, Hyejin.

Shinseung, who had found Hyejin training martial arts in the training ground.

"Hyejin, are you there?"

"Did you call, Master?"

"Follow me."

He took Hyejin and returned to the stone cave again.

"Hyejin. From now on, guard the entrance of the stone cave and let no one in."

"Is there a noble person inside the stone cave?"

"It seems Benefactor Baek is gathering his enlightenment."

"That person?"

Although Hyejin unconsciously tried to look inside the stone cave, Shinseung immediately stopped such a Hyejin.

"If you look in at your level, you may fall into a state of qi deviation. So do not look in and do not let anyone approach this place."

"I under... stand."

At Shinseung's firm appearance, Hyejin suppressed his rising curiosity, swallowed his saliva, and answered.

Looking at such a Hyejin, Shinseung smiled benevolently.

"Just by guarding, a good opportunity may come to you, so guard it well."

"Just leave it to me, Master."

"Right. Then I'll see you later."

Shinseung lightly patted Hyejin's shoulder and left the place.

The footsteps of Shinseung, who had left the place, were light.

'Master. The person who has reached the realm that you had glimpsed is there.'

Shinseung recalled his master, who had been the owner of the stone cave.

Shinseung's master, who had had a talent of all time, but because of that, had glimpsed a realm he could not reach and had been constantly in pain.

'So has your grudge been resolved?'

Hoping that his master's grudge would be resolved even a little by Baek Yoonjun.

The journey of Tang Yuhwa and Baek Sowol's party towards the Heavenly Mountains was relatively smooth after they had encountered the jiangshi.

"Sigh, the state of the carriage..."

Baek Sowol frowned greatly as she looked at the carriage full of jiangshi corpses and neutralized jiangshi.

"It's all for the future of medicine. Bear with it."

Tang Yuhwa was doing her best to treat Hyunjun Hyun, who had not yet woken up, while studying the jiangshi.

Hyunjun Hyun's condition had improved a lot, and it seemed he would wake up soon if he continued to receive treatment steadily.

And the jiangshi.

'The more I look at it, the stranger it is.'

Tang Yuhwa, who was studying the jiangshi's corpse, fell into thought as she looked at the increasingly strange jiangshi.

The state of the jiangshi was no different from a corpse.

However, the strange thing was that the heart was in such a good state that it could be compared to that of a living person.

The research done with the outside and internal energy had reached its limit.

In the end, Tang Yuhwa picked up a knife.

"Ugh... you're looking at that so well."

Tang Yuhwa was cutting the jiangshi's chest with a knife, and Baek Sowol, who was watching from the side, frowned greatly.

"Master said it's not that strange in the West."

"West or whatever, the master who taught you taught you such things well."

As Baek Sowol mentioned Tang Yuhwa's master, Tang Yuhwa glared.

"I-I'm going to get some air."

Looking at Tang Yuhwa's face, Baek Sowol went out of the carriage.

Even after Baek Sowol disappeared, Tang Yuhwa, who had been glaring, turned her gaze again and focused on the dissection of the jiangshi.

And so, time passed.

"This is."

Tang Yuhwa separated the jiangshi's heart.

"It's certainly strange."

At that moment.

Thump, thump!

The heart suddenly began to beat as if it were alive.

Poof!

Something small popped out of the heart and attacked Tang Yuhwa.

"Huh?"

Before Tang Yuhwa could react, it flowed into her mouth and instantly went down her throat.

(End of Chapter)