Divine Techniques (신공).

Most martial arts known as divine techniques possess limits that far exceed normal martial arts.

Rather than staying at the pinnacle.

Their limits are so high that they reach transcendence, and that’s why people refer to them as divine techniques.

For example,

When the Three Lords are used as a reference,

The Sword Lord's “Moonline Sword” is based on the "Will of the Moon" swordsmanship.

The Tyrant Lord’s “Heaven-Splitting Fist” is a unique martial art that he independently created, not relying on the secret techniques of his family.

As for the Heaven Lord,

He utilizes the martial arts passed down by the Namgung Clan, which has stood as a pillar for centuries.

All of these are techniques worthy of being called divine.

Transcending the limits of human capability.

Breaking through the wall and shattering the shell.

Allowing one to ascend to higher places.

This is why they are called divine techniques.

So then, is the Gu Family's “Nine Flame Wheel” a divine technique?

'It is.'

I asked myself the question and answered myself.

The “Nine Flame Wheel” is certainly a divine technique.

I knew that just by looking at my father.

Or even by looking at Lady Gu Hee.

And ridiculously enough, even looking at someone like me, one could see that.

The martial arts of the Gu Family are divine techniques.

A divine technique is, in other words, an opportunity.

An opportunity to surpass the confines of being human.

Given to those who learn it.

And whether one can seize it or not depends on

The talent and effort of the martial artist.

Seizing that opportunity and pushing forward the realm of mastery,

Advancing little by little toward the goal.

At least, that’s how I understood the concept of divine techniques.

Alongside divine techniques, the secret techniques contained within martial arts

Were like signposts showing the way.

The Gu Family’s secret techniques numbered five in total.

The first was a technique that allowed one to draw out heat by utilizing internal energy,

Then store that heat within the body, maximizing physical capabilities.

It was something I had forced myself to use immediately after regaining my knowledge of the “Nine Flame Wheel” in this lifetime.

The second secret technique is being able to generate flames itself.

If there’s one thing that sets the Gu Family’s martial arts apart from other fire-based arts,

It’s that the Gu Family’s flames

Aren’t meant to burn.

'What a ridiculous notion—flames that don't exist to burn.'

Even when I first heard about it and later came to grasp its deeper meaning,

To me, flames were still just flames.

Regardless of what the ancestors intended.

It’s absurd.

'The goal was to create a sun of their own.'

Just as each divine technique has its own intent,

The “Nine Flame Wheel” holds a particular meaning.

Despite the fact that a sun already hangs in the sky,

The ancestors aimed to create another sun.

Though I vaguely grasped the deeper meaning later on,

I could never fully comprehend it.

'Is that why I couldn't reach the pinnacle?'

The reason I couldn’t even reach nine stars in my previous life, let alone ten.

Was it because I hadn’t fully accepted the deeper meaning?

No, that wasn’t it.

It was simply because I couldn't surpass that boundary.

I couldn’t reach it, that’s all.

Excuses were unnecessary.

There’s nothing more disgraceful than that.

The third secret technique was called

“Red Sky.”

It involved channeling a martial artist’s energy

To dye the sky red.

An extremely refined divine technique

Is capable of invading the sky and coloring it with one's own energy.

When my father came to the Black Night Palace and broke the formation,

The sky was red at that time.

At that point, could such a person still be called human?

How could a human have the ability to manipulate the sky at will?

At that point, one has already begun to break free from the confines of being human.

And then, the fourth technique.

The one I’m about to use now is the fourth.

“Flame Orb.”

The secret technique “Flame Orb” (염옥).

By drawing out internal energy,

And causing heat to surge within the body,

You trap all the released flames in one place and condense them into a sphere in the palm of your hand.

Whoosh!

The pressure points through which my energy flows expand.

My heart pounds so intensely that I can hear the thumping sound in my ears.

Crackle!

The night sky turns.

Where the dark sky was once decorated with countless stars,

Now the heat from my body ignites the fire,

And the once-dark sky gradually brightens.

Though the area is small,

And the light is not blinding enough to close one’s eyes,

At least that small area seemed like the sun had risen.

Rumble!

The flames surged fiercely, screaming.

Suppressing their desire to advance,

They were dragged into a narrow space, causing them great pain.

The veins on my body bulged.

My forehead was drenched with sweat.

The stiffness in my forearm,

Was evidence of how much strain it took to control this.

Under normal circumstances,

This is not a secret technique I should be using.

Like “Red Sky,”

It’s something that can only be shaped after extreme refinement.

'But I’m using brute force.'

Thanks to my absurdly high amount of internal energy, far exceeding my level,

I could barely manage to use it.

It was all by the skin of my teeth.

This was the product of training in compression and amplification,

Coupled with the countless realizations from my previous life,

And the fortuitous opportunities I’d devoured in this one.

Only after reaching six stars in the “Nine Flame Wheel” was it barely manageable.

Hum…

Enduring the pressure and concentrating it in one place,

Soon enough, a scarlet orb floated above my palm, glowing softly.

I looked at it and thought,

'It took seconds to form.'

Five to seven seconds.

To others, it would have seemed like an instant.

But in the world of those beyond the pinnacle, it’s enough time to decide life or death.

That meant this technique was still impractical for real combat.

'It’s unusable in a one-on-one fight.'

In order to activate it, my body stiffens.

Since I have to control my energy extremely carefully, one wrong move, and my energy channels could twist, causing inner demons to arise.

In other words,

For several seconds, I would be defenseless.

In short,

'It’s a case of "you die, and I die."'

Sigh.

The problem arose from trying to use a technique far beyond my current level.

In my previous life,

I would’ve been able to use it while talking, laughing, and stepping all over someone.

I could now truly feel how disgustingly weak I had become.

'Of course,'

The reason I’m using it despite all that

'…Is because I have to.'

I would nod my head without hesitation.

Among the Gu Family’s secret techniques,

This is one of the few techniques that can actually be used in battle.

And the destructive power is proportional to the amount of internal energy put in.

The 'fifth' secret technique is similar in nature,

But I can’t use that one yet.

Hum…

“Huu…”

Only after creating it did I release the breath I’d been holding.

As I said before, I had to be defenseless for a few seconds to use it.

The reason I was fine now

'Is because the Sword Empress did nothing.'

Moreover, I was certain she wouldn’t do anything.

Of course.

She dragged me here just to see this one thing.

I hid my trembling hands and looked at the Sword Empress.

“Thank you for waiting.”

Though I hid my exhausted voice,

There was no response from the Sword Empress.

It seemed she was greatly shocked.

She was staring at me with wide eyes.

'I didn’t want to go this far because I thought she might react like that.'

A secret technique is ultimately a collection of realizations.

For a martial artist to advance.

Or along the path they’ve traveled thus far.

What realizations they’ve come to.

That’s what martial arts and secret techniques show.

In this small orb,

Sigh…

The realizations I’d gained throughout my life were contained.

Including those from my past life.

For someone like the Sword Empress,

She could see how much I’ve realized just from looking at it.

That’s why she’s reacting this way.

In her eyes,

It must seem like an incredible realization for someone of my age.

She wouldn’t know how I scraped through my previous life.

She’d simply think I was gifted with extraordinary talent.

A ridiculous level of talent.

“…This is.”

That’s why it’s only natural for the Sword Empress to make that face.

After staring at my hand in amazement for a while,

The Sword Empress spoke in a defeated tone.

“…You’re much higher than I expected.”

“I’m not that high. As you can see, I’m shaking.”

I wasn’t lying.

To maintain a sphere barely larger than a fingertip,

I had to use more than half of my internal energy,

And I was exerting my entire body.

If I didn’t retrieve it and it exploded,

It would detonate across a significant area, engulfing it in flames.

Controlling such a powerful force was no easy feat.

'The only reason I dared to use it.'

Was because of the Sword Empress standing in front of me.

If something were to happen, she would have the power to prevent any casualties.

As sweat dripped down my forehead, I looked at the Sword Empress.

She, who had been stunned while watching me, parted her lips and asked,

“Do you know what people call your generation now?”

A sudden question out of nowhere.

I didn’t know what she was getting at, but

I answered.

“What was it again… The Generation of Shooting Stars? Something like that?”

“Yes. The Generation of Shooting Stars. Quite a fitting name.”

Bright and radiant.

In the not-too-distant past,

Even during the time when the Sword Empress was among the young martial artists,

Everyone had shone brightly.

But now, this era shines even more brilliantly.

The reason they call it the Generation of Shooting Stars

Is because it’s a time when an exceptional number of talented individuals have appeared,

And also because

There’s hope that these shining talents will take responsibility for the future of the martial world.

Of course.

That had nothing to do with me.

'In any case.'

The Sword Empress gazed at the red orb in my hand.

Light was pouring out from that orb.

Though it was the dead of winter,

When the air should have been filled with biting cold,

From the moment that orb appeared, the area was filled with heat,

And the previously dark surroundings were now brightly illuminated.

As if,

“You’re holding the sun in your hand.”

“…There’s no way I could hold something that terrifying.”

My face twisted at the Sword Empress’s words.

What nonsense.

How could anyone hold something like that? It can’t even be touched.

In response to my denial, the Sword Empress gave a slight smile and said,

“Or maybe you are the sun.”

“Why are you trying to turn me into something like that? I’m just a human.”

Tch.

Normally, I would have been content to let it go with a joke.

'But her face told me that wouldn't be enough.'

I had met her before.

We had spoken before.

If things had been slightly different, I might have been able to let it slide.

Hell, I even saved her life!

'Although I did absorb the energy from that.'

In any case, shouldn't that be enough for her to give me a break?

'I didn’t plan on using this in front of others.'

It wasn’t a technique I intended to display in front of others for a while.

But in the end, I used it, just to pass this trial.

Thanks to that, the Sword Empress now seemed satisfied.

But I was the problem.

'Why does she expect so much from me?'

She should pay more attention to her own disciples instead of bothering me.

Still, it seemed I had managed to satisfy her.

Sensing her gaze,

“I’m sorry for putting you through this, but I had to test you. I apologize.”

Suddenly, the Sword Empress was apologizing.

“Yes. Now everyone’s staring at me because of it.”

Of course, I didn’t intend to forgive her.

It wasn’t just the Sword Empress.

The younger martial artists who had been watching from a distance to avoid the flames were all staring at me.

The instructors who had been observing were also

Looking at me in shock.

“Did I do something that amazing? I wonder why they’re all staring.”

“How could they not?”

In response to my grumbling, the Sword Empress chuckled.

“They’re witnessing the birth of a comet, after all.”

“Please stop flattering me. It’s making me feel queasy.”

Was she doing this on purpose to make me stand out more?

Did she want me to be more visible to others?

If that was the case, it would be troublesome.

I had no intention of drawing that much attention to myself.

“…What do you want from me?”

“What could I possibly want? I just…”

The Sword Empress sheathed her sword as she continued,

“I just want you to continue shining brighter and standing taller. That’s all I ask.”

“If someone overheard, they’d think I was from Mount Hua.”

“An honorary disciple, aren’t you? Isn’t that close enough?”

“Oh.”

That’s right.

I had received that title.

I’d arranged it through Plum Immortal to cover up my internal energy from Mount Hua, just in case anyone ever asked.

But that was purely an honorary title.

It didn’t explain why the Sword Empress was paying so much attention to me.

As I sighed quietly,

“Thank you for accepting my unreasonable request.”

The Sword Empress began to wrap up, seemingly ending the test.

“…Did I pass?”

“Of course. If I didn’t pass you, that would be ridiculous.”

Hearing the final word that I had passed,

The heaviness in my chest slightly lifted.

If she hadn’t been satisfied after all this, I would have just flipped the table.

For a brief moment, silence fell.

She had already sheathed her sword and was preparing to leave.

Yet, I remained still without withdrawing my energy.

The Sword Empress, noticing my lack of movement, asked curiously,

“Why are you still standing there?”

I didn’t answer.

It seemed odd to her that I wasn’t retrieving the energy orb in my hand.

So, I spoke.

“Didn’t I tell you before?”

“Hm?”

“I trust you’ll take full responsibility.”

“What…do you mean?”

At my words, the Sword Empress tilted her head in confusion.

But soon after, she realized something, her eyes widening in shock.

Far more startled than when I first showed her the secret technique.

She had finally caught on.

The Sword Empress had no idea.

That I’m not the type to let things slide.

I was already annoyed.

I felt like I’d been dragged out here to be a puppet for her amusement.

If I just let this go, I’d die of frustration.

There was no way I could let it end like this.

“Surely not… boy.”

“I showed you what you wanted to see. But I haven’t retrieved it yet.”

Of course, that was a lie.

I could easily disperse it if I wanted to.

But I had no intention of doing that.

“Wait…!”

“I’ll leave the clean-up to you.”

As I watched the Sword Empress hurriedly draw her energy,

Crack.

I clenched the fist that had been holding the orb.

Then,

Whoosh!

An immense wave of heat erupted from my body.

KABOOM!

The next day arrived.

If the first day had been a trial observed by the clan members,

The second day was for those belonging to martial sects.

Everyone knew this, so they gathered at the appointed time.

“What do you mean by that?”

Yeongpung, who had come up with the other senior disciples for the trial,

Had to hear something strange.

“The trial period has been extended?”

Originally, the trial for the clan members should have ended yesterday.

But now he was hearing that it had been delayed by a day.

How could that be?

Since it was an exam hosted by the Murim Alliance,

There should be no reason for the period to be extended or anything like that.

They were now saying the trial would be held tomorrow or the day after.

“…Something happened last night. It couldn’t be helped.”

The expression of the Sword Empress, who delivered the news, seemed unusually tired for some reason.

Was she exhausted?

‘What on earth happened?’

Yeongpung couldn’t understand.

When he first heard that his master’s teacher would be serving as an instructor, he had been curious.

But now he couldn’t grasp what had happened in a different sense.

‘The Sword Empress is tired because of the trial?’

The Sword Empress, who was far stronger than someone like Yeongpung could even fathom,

Was looking physically worn out after just one day as an instructor?

For Yeongpung, it was unimaginable.

Moreover, she didn’t just look mentally tired.

She appeared physically exhausted as well.

Which made even less sense to him.

However,

“…What?”

“What the hell is this?”

“What happened here?”

When they arrived at the designated location for the trial,

Yeongpung finally had a vague understanding of the reason.

It seemed this was the issue.

“…Wow.”

Yeongpung involuntarily muttered in astonishment as he looked at the sight before him.

“Did a meteor fall…?”

The trial site, where they were supposed to hold the test,

Now had a massive crater,

At least thirty feet in diameter, as if something had exploded.