Chapter 135: Five Elements Qi (4)

The right arm and chest severed, Ma Moon-gi was dying.

Even for a martial artist in the Realm of Transcendence, the wound was beyond recovery. As such, there was no way for someone in the Absolute Realm like him to survive.

Lying on the ground and looking at the sky, he turned his gaze. In Ma Moon-gi’s eyes, he saw Jang Woo-hyun’s hardened face.

“What are you staring at so intently? This was all foreseen.”

The faces of victor and vanquished were reversed.

The defeated one smiled even as he died, while the victor wore a grim expression.

“……”

During the clash just now, Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t afford to hold back. It had been different when he fought Yu Yuk-rang.

Back then, they had willingly collided. He could have held back and still won. In fact, he hadn’t even used all his strength.

But the fight against Ma Moon-gi had not been like that. If he had held back, Jang Woo-hyun might have been in danger. That was how powerful Ma Moon-gi’s attacks were.

“Since becoming a martial artist, I’ve always imagined such an end. So lighten up that face of yours. You're making me feel embarrassed. Don’t even say you’re sorry—I never did either. Just as I once defeated others because I was strong, this time I’ve been defeated because I was weak.”

Jang Woo-hyun did not respond, simply listening to his words.

“How was my final technique?”

“…It was incredible. Enough that I had to use my full strength.”

Hearing the answer, Ma Moon-gi laughed heartily for a while, pleased.

“To hear such words from someone like you—I can depart in peace.”

“What’s its name?”

“It has a grand name, Thunder God’s Descent, but I don’t call it that. I just call it Falling Thunder.”

It was a simple name, but there was no name more fitting. Just moments ago, Ma Moon-gi had truly become a bolt of lightning, descending from the heavens.

A day thick with black clouds. Or a day when a storm rages. He had become Falling Thunder itself.

“A good name.”

“Not as great as yours. Sacred River Flowing Armor… a martial art as magnificent as its name. Before I go, let me ask you just one more thing. Brother, where did you come from?”

“From another world.”

“Another world… The world you came from must not be ordinary. So the story passed down at the Yellow Dragon Temple was true.”

The Yellow Dragon Temple was the oldest sect among those in the Dawn Continent. There, vague records about a higher world had been handed down, and Ma Moon-gi had once heard of that information.

“Can I go there too?”

“If you had more time, perhaps. Maybe you’ve already set foot there without knowing.”

“That is regretful. That there is a wider world, and I couldn’t see it. Still, I’m glad I met a martial artist like you at the end. That I could mark my finish like this.”

As he spoke, thunder sparks crackled from Ma Moon-gi’s body.

“It was a pleasure. Then, farewell.”

With his final smile, thunder enveloped his body, and Ma Moon-gi’s figure burst into black flames.

Moments later, his body crumbled into ash and was carried away by the wind.

In the place where he had been, only a blackened mark remained.

With the end of the battle against Ma Moon-gi, Jang Woo-hyun’s fight with the masters of the Dawn Continent came to a close.

After offering a brief prayer for the departed Ma Moon-gi and the brothers Yu Yuk-rang and Yu Yuk-ho, Jang Woo-hyun moved once more.

There were still things to do.

“Lady Lee.”

Calling Lee Ga-hang, who was quite far away—

“Yes! Yes, sir!”

She ran quickly and stood before Jang Woo-hyun.

“I’d like your assistance.”

“Eh? Yes! Of course! Whatever it is, I’ll help with all my heart and soul!”

Having witnessed the fight with Ma Moon-gi, Lee Ga-hang, her discipline tightened, shouted loudly.

After the battle, Jang Woo-hyun gained a master.

One of the top five experts on the Dawn Continent and the absolute ruler of its southern regions—Lee Ga-hang became Jang Woo-hyun’s new master.

She first returned to the Black Tortoise Sect after leaving Black Tortoise Sect Leader No Yuk and White Tiger Mountain Manor Lord Naeng Namcheon behind, and stole a few basic martial arts manuals.

At first, the Black Tortoise Sect resisted. But with no one who could match her strength—and since she had saved the Sect Leader—they eventually cooperated willingly.

Thanks to her efforts, Jang Woo-hyun was finally able to begin the foundational training in Five Elements Qi.

“What’s this?”

“These are the martial arts manuals I acquired.”

Jang Woo-hyun handed Lee Ga-hang the manuals Kim Min-soo had prepared.

As she skimmed through them, Lee Ga-hang’s brow gradually furrowed.

“You’re saying… you acquired this trash?”

“……”

“They don’t even cover the basics. And this one has the middle part missing. What exactly have you been doing with these?”

Since he hadn’t done much with them, Jang Woo-hyun couldn’t say anything in response.

“Can you show me how you’ve been training?”

Nodding, Jang Woo-hyun crossed his legs and assumed the meditation posture. This time, it wasn’t just her brow—Lee Ga-hang’s entire face contorted.

“What are you doing right now?”

“I’m trying to learn martial arts.”

“This… this is how you’re going about it?”

As Jang Woo-hyun tried to move his Internal Energy through the Middle Dantian in the lotus position, he was immediately corrected by Lee Ga-hang.

“What about the Five Elements Stone?”

“Five Elements Stone? What’s that?”

With a look that said ‘What the hell is this guy?’, Lee Ga-hang stared at Jang Woo-hyun. Knowing his skill, she was holding it in—but otherwise, she probably would’ve cursed already.

“You’re trying to learn martial arts without even knowing what the Five Elements Stone is?”

“Uh… is that really necessary?”

“……”

Lee Ga-hang barely held back from blurting out, “Are you insane?” What Jang Woo-hyun was doing now was akin to trying to learn swimming without getting into the water—just practicing the stance on dry land.

“Your expression right now…”

“Gasp! I’m sorry!”

Noticing her twisted face, seemingly about to swear, Jang Woo-hyun pointed it out, and Lee Ga-hang covered her mouth with her hand. Just a moment later, she really might’ve cursed.

After bowing several times in half-apology, she composed herself and began to explain.

“All humans are born under the influence of the Five Elements. But not everyone can control all five. Among the Five Elements, each person has a type—or the strongest type—that suits them best. Finding that is the first step in learning Five Elements Qi.”

Here, it was not about sitting cross-legged and breathing to form a Dantian. The first thing one had to do was establish resonance with the Five Elements Qi.

The object used to identify the Qi for resonance was called the Five Elements Stone.

Though called Five Elements Stone (五行石), it wasn’t always literally a stone. Sometimes it was soil, other times a leaf or branch.

“If Water Qi is strong, dew forms easily on the stone, and it always feels damp. On the other hand, if Fire Qi is strong, the stone may carry a faint warmth. The same applies to the others. Each Qi has its own subtle traits.”

“So you're saying there are stones or twigs or something that contain concentrated Qi?”

“Yes.”

Listening to Lee Ga-hang’s explanation, Jang Woo-hyun tilted his head. Though the Qi might be weak, if a stone or twig contained any energy at all, there was no way Jang Woo-hyun wouldn’t have noticed when he spread his Qi Threads.

But since falling into this world, he had never seen such things. He hadn’t found them, either.

“Ah, Five Elements Stones are not found in the White Forest.”

Sensing what Jang Woo-hyun was thinking, Lee Ga-hang immediately continued.

“Why not?”

“Well, I don’t really know either. Maybe it’s because this is the land of a minority people.”

When Jang Woo-hyun asked what that had to do with anything—

“You know the White Horn Tribe learns martial arts different from Five Elements Qi, right?”

When he answered yes, Lee Ga-hang continued.

“Our Vermilion Bird Palace is the second oldest after the Yellow Dragon Temple. Among the legends passed down in the palace, there’s one like this.”

—The minority people of the White Forest are not of this world.

“What does it mean they’re not of this world?”

He had always wondered why only the White Horn Tribe used martial arts that focused on the Lower Dantian—there must be a hidden story behind it.

“That, I’m not exactly sure about either. Whether it means they’re not from the Dawn Continent, or if they came from an entirely different world. It’s a forgotten record now, but in the past, many people believed it. It’s possible, since some of the tribes do look different from us.”

When Jang Woo-hyun first saw the White Horn Tribe, he had also thought they looked like mixed bloods.

“Anyway, the White Forest is a bit of a peculiar place. Whether the minority people settled here because it’s unique, or it became unique because they settled here—I don’t know. But that’s why there are no Five Elements Stones here. They’re common everywhere else in the Dawn Continent.”

Even after asking more about the tribes of the White Forest, Lee Ga-hang didn’t know anything beyond what she had already said.

Unable to resolve his curiosity, Jang Woo-hyun decided to begin training in Five Elements Qi.

“First, I’ll need to get some Five Elements Stones. I’ll go outside the White Forest and fetch a few.”

“Let’s go together. I want to look for some myself too.”

“…Alright.”

Lee Ga-hang, who had wanted to go alone, reluctantly nodded.

Jang Woo-hyun stared at the small stone in his hand.

‘Fascinating.’

There wasn’t anything particularly special about a Five Elements Stone. As long as a faint power was imbued in a normal-looking rock, it was a Five Elements Stone.

It didn’t hold great power. You couldn’t use it to start a fire or warm your body. Nor could it freeze something or make anything feel cool.

It was just slightly damp—or if you focused, a faint warmth could be felt.

If you gathered hundreds or thousands of them, it seemed like they could be used for heating or cooling—but apparently, that wasn’t possible either.

“If you gather that many, the Qi naturally disperses. They just turn into regular stones.”

That’s why Five Elements Stones weren’t used in daily life. They were only used as materials for martial arts cultivation.

“These were hastily gathered, so I only found ones with Water Qi and Fire Qi. You’ll be learning from me anyway, but since we’ve got them, let’s find out which suits you better.”

“You said we determine it by holding the Five Elements Stone and sensing the match, right?”

“That’s one way to start. Finding the Qi among the Five Elements that suits you best. But you’re going to learn from me, aren’t you?”

Not understanding what she meant, Jang Woo-hyun stared blankly.

“With superior martial arts or a great master, you can strengthen a specific Qi. Without that, you’d want to find the Qi that fits you best—but since you’ll be learning from me, there’s no need to worry about that.”

“So a powerful martial art can sufficiently overcome incompatibilities?”

When he quickly understood, Lee Ga-hang smiled.

“Exactly. That’s why you need a great master or martial art. Because they can enhance the Qi you choose among the Five Elements. Still, since I’ve brought two, let’s test it out. Hold one in each hand, and tell me which one feels stronger—Fire Qi or Water Qi.”

As instructed, Jang Woo-hyun held one stone in each hand, then raised his left hand.

“This one feels stronger.”

“That’s good. You’re attuned to Fire.”

The one in his left hand was a dry stone that gave off faint warmth.

“Now, hold the Five Elements Stone and focus your mind. Try to feel the Qi of the Five Elements inside your body.”

Lee Ga-hang clasped both hands and closed her eyes, as if showing him what to do.

Then she activated her martial arts. The flame that emerged from her hand moved like a living creature, forming a ring around Jang Woo-hyun.

As Lee Ga-hang focused, the ring of fire began to rotate slowly.

“Breathe slowly. Slowly. Slowly. As if observing your inner self. I’m helping, so you should feel the Fire Qi.”

Jang Woo-hyun breathed slowly, turning his awareness inward. Hoping to feel something.

A moment passed. Then another.

Half a si-jin, one si-jin, then two si-jin. Jang Woo-hyun remained seated in the same position. Then, he slightly opened his eyes.

“This is it?”

“You feel something, right?”

Looking at the smiling Lee Ga-hang, Jang Woo-hyun furrowed his brow.

He didn’t understand what was going on.

“It took a little time, but if you felt some Qi deep in your chest, then it worked. That’s the beginning.”

Lee Ga-hang excitedly spoke, but Jang Woo-hyun’s expression grew increasingly twisted.

‘What is this?’

Was this seriously martial arts?

Sitting quietly inside a ring of fire holding a stone didn’t feel like much. It just looked like he was meditating alone.

“Now then, I’ll explain the next step.”

Watching Lee Ga-hang enthusiastically explaining, Jang Woo-hyun had a bad feeling.

‘This isn’t going to be easy.’

For the first time, he felt difficulty in learning martial arts.

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