Experiment Title: Is Your Fist Stronger or Is My Sword Stronger?

Facing each other, Seo-jun and Pa Jin-gwang scratched their heads.

"This is just a matter of who’s stronger, isn’t it? It’s not about muscles or inner energy; the stronger one wins, that’s all," Pa Jin-gwang said.

"Well, let’s at least give it a try," Seo-jun replied.

Seo-jun didn’t expect this experiment to definitively prove whether muscles or inner energy were superior. He was just annoyed by how, during the battle with the Master of Giryeon, Pa Jin-gwang’s brute strength didn’t fare any better against the spatial distortions.

"Fine then," Pa Jin-gwang said as he licked his lips and pulled his fist back.

His muscles stretched and rippled like a bowstring being drawn back, preparing to release an arrow.

Seo-jun focused all his attention on his sword. He poured everything into his drawn blade.

Reversed Heaven, Sun and Moon Technique.

Yin and Yang swirled, forming an inverse taijitu on the blade.

And then, poof—

The energy dispersed weakly, and Seo-jun tilted his head in confusion.

"What the...?"

"What are you doing?" Pa Jin-gwang asked.

"Wait a second."

Was it always this hard?

Back then, maintaining it had been tricky, but not impossible. Now, it was difficult just to form the energy at all.

‘Is it because I’m not in my demonic transformation?’

He clicked his tongue in frustration.

If he transformed into his demonic form, not only would his control over energy improve drastically, but handling the mysteries of Reversed Heaven would become much easier.

He had been so excited, thinking he’d unlocked a powerful finishing move, but now he was left disappointed.

The Reversed Heaven, Sun and Moon Technique had managed to pierce through the Master of Giryeon’s defenses, so he thought it might even scratch Pa Jin-gwang’s fists.

‘Oh well, I’ll just use something else.’

Once again, Yin and Yang energy swirled around Seo-jun’s sword.

This time, it formed a stable taijitu. The Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art had taken shape on the blade.

Feeling satisfied with the stable form, Seo-jun grinned.

"Alright, come at me."

But there was no response.

When Seo-jun glanced around, he found Pa Jin-gwang and Namgung Jincheon staring intently at the taijitu on his sword.

Poof—

The energy dispersed again after a while.

"What’s the deal?" Seo-jun asked.

"What is that technique?" Pa Jin-gwang asked, intrigued.

"It’s the Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art," Seo-jun explained.

"Does it have anything to do with Wudang?"

"I’ve never even met anyone from Wudang."

At Seo-jun’s answer, Pa Jin-gwang and Namgung Jincheon exchanged glances.

"Namgung Jincheon, it seems similar to you too, right?" Pa Jin-gwang asked.

"Hmm… while the principle it aims for is slightly different, there is some resemblance. However, martial arts of this level tend to connect on some level. It’s not impossible," Namgung Jincheon said.

"I see."

Pa Jin-gwang alternated his gaze between Seo-jun’s sword and his face.

"Well, as long as the Wudang don’t go mad, they won’t mess with the Namgung family."

"Hey! Don’t jinx it!" Seo-jun shouted.

"You and your nonsense again. Anyway, let’s get this over with. I want to take a nap," Pa Jin-gwang said.

Pa Jin-gwang raised his fist. Seo-jun, grumbling, once again surrounded his sword with the Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art.

"Ready?"

"Go for it."

──────────────!!!

A massive explosion erupted.

To summarize, the training hall and Seo-jun’s arm were obliterated.

‘So, the Heaven-Reversing Sun and Moon Art isn’t meant to be used like that, huh?’

But Seo-jun did gain a new realization from the experience.

•  

"Oh, brother…!"

Chun-bong panicked and flailed when she saw Seo-jun’s twisted arm.

She hadn’t seen her brother in so long, and now, right after reuniting, his arm was crushed. Her anger flared up instantly.

"Hey, you…! You should’ve held back a little!"

Chun-bong jumped up and down in fury, but Pa Jin-gwang just laughed heartily.

"It’s nothing. Just an arm."

"Oh really? Then should I break yours too!?"

Suddenly, Chun-bong was hoisted into the air and quieted down. Seo-jun, used to this, lifted her onto his shoulders and extended his right fist toward Pa Jin-gwang.

Even though his arm was crushed, his inner energy held it together, so it wasn’t a big deal.

"Next time, I won’t lose."

"You really consider this a win? You’re the type who wouldn’t even care if his arm got chopped off."

"It’s a matter of pride."

Pa Jin-gwang chuckled at Seo-jun’s words. His large fist lightly bumped against Seo-jun’s.

"Alright. When your muscles double in size, let’s do this again."

"Double the size…?"

Seo-jun laughed awkwardly, then gently lowered Chun-bong from his shoulders and hugged her. She still fit perfectly in his arms. Seo-jun grinned as he rocked her gently.

"You’re such a good girl, right, Chun-bong?"

"Hmph, nonsense."

"Aww, you’re so good."

Pa Jin-gwang frowned deeply at the sight.

"Even if she’s like a daughter to you, if you coddle her like that, you’ll regret it later."

"She’s not like a daughter; she’s like a sister."

"Anyone would think you’re treating her like your daughter. Just look at the age gap."

Age gap? Seo-jun counted on his fingers for a moment. It had been a while since he’d done any math, so it took him a second.

"A seven-year age difference makes her my sister, doesn’t it?"

"What?"

Pa Jin-gwang stared at Chun-bong, now in Seo-jun’s arms, with a strange look.

"She’s that old?"

"She’s not that old. She’s seventeen."

"Yeah, she looks about that age."

Pa Jin-gwang lightly patted Namgung Jincheon’s arm.

"I’ve been getting old, so my math isn’t great. Seventeen plus seven is twenty-four, right? That’s not quite right, is it?"

"Twenty-four is correct, senior…"

"Yeah? It is, isn’t it?"

Pa Jin-gwang’s eyes slid over to Seo-jun.

"So, he’s twenty-four?"

"Calling him ‘that’ isn’t very appropriate, senior…"

"That’s not what’s important! Twenty-four? I thought he was a hundred or two hundred years old, but he’s just a kid?"

"People in their hundreds aren’t exactly considered young, senior…"

"Ugh! Are you going to keep being difficult? You know what I mean!"

"I do agree with you…"

Pa Jin-gwang looked at Seo-jun like he was seeing something absurd.

To have such skills at twenty-four…

Hadn’t the legendary martial artist Ju Un-cheon reached the Supreme Master stage at fifteen and then the Hwagyeong stage at forty? Maybe the boy in front of him was on track to break that insane record.

Seo-jun raised an eyebrow at Pa Jin-gwang’s strange stare.

"What’s up, old man?"

"This brat’s attitude, I swear…"

"Hey, once you’re at the Supreme Master stage, a few hundred years’ difference doesn’t really matter. We’re all just friends, right?"

"No, it’s not like that."

"Such a stickler."

Seo-jun grumbled, waving his hand dismissively.

"Anyway, get out of here now. I need to watch my sister’s martial arts."

"Fine, fine."

Pa Jin-gwang grumbled and left.

By now, the sky had grown darker. Seo-jun scratched his head and looked at Namgung Sua.

"Do you think you’re ready now? Not too tired?"

"I haven’t done much yet."

Namgung Sua chuckled softly and gracefully unsheathed her greatsword.

"I’ll show you. Your sister hasn’t just been sitting idle all this time."

•  

"Master, it’s finished…"

A man stumbled forward, looking so exhausted that he seemed ready to collapse at any moment, yet his face shone with satisfaction.

Similarly weary, the middle-aged man in front of him took the scroll from his hands.

"Finally…!"

Namgung Yeongbo, the leader of the Namgung family’s Heavenly Medicine Division, smiled the brightest smile he’d worn in ten years.

After nearly a decade of effort, the creation of the miraculous elixir was finally complete.

Excited at the thought of resting like a corpse for the next few months, Namgung Yeongbo eagerly opened the scroll.

"Yes. Yes…! This is it!"

But as he scanned the elixir formula, his expression suddenly hardened.

"Wait a minute. Is this even possible?"

His face twisted as if he were about to cry. One of his subordinates, Yang Song-baek, cautiously asked,

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"How could it not be! This formula is way too complicated! Even if the family head himself tried to make it, it would take ages!"

"But, sir, you know we’ve had efficiency issues with the previous formulas."

"I know, but still!"

Namgung Yeongbo set the scroll down with a thud and stood up, swaying slightly.

"Let’s try it anyway. Maybe we’ll think of something along the way."

Thankfully, the ingredients required for this elixir weren’t absurdly expensive, so repeating the experiments wouldn’t cause a financial disaster for the Namgung family.

That was only because the elixir wasn’t intended to increase inner energy but to improve the body.

Temporarily named Celestial Divine Elixir, it was meant to enhance the body to a near-divine level… but still.

‘Is this really impossible? Should we use rarer ingredients, or lower the effectiveness?’

As Namgung Yeongbo absentmindedly moved forward, a wild idea popped into his mind.

Had he been in his right mind, he would have dismissed it as nonsense. But in his half-crazed state, it seemed like a pretty good idea.

"That’s right! We have the young master! A genius! He’s been creating martial arts out of thin air, hasn’t he?"

Yang Song-baek blinked.

"Did you come up with something, sir?"

"If he’s so good at making martial arts, couldn’t he help us with this too?"

"Do you really think so? This is a completely different field…"

"Is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Right. It is, isn’t it?"

Namgung Yeongbo collapsed onto the ground, flat on his back.

"Let’s just do this tomorrow."

"Sir, you can’t sleep here."

"It’s fine. I slept here last time, and it wasn’t so bad. Why don’t you rest beside me?"

"I’d rather go home and rest, sir."

"You’ve still got the energy for that? You’re not off the hook yet."

"Sir!"

"Just kidding. I’m not that cruel."

Namgung Yeongbo chuckled, but there was no response.

When he lifted his head to look, Yang Song-baek had vanished. He had fled.

"That little rascal…"

Namgung Yeongbo would’ve loved to chase him down and make him work non-stop for a month, but he didn’t have the energy.

Resting his head on his arm, he closed his eyes.

‘Maybe I should just ask the family head to handle it…?’

That thought crossed his mind before he drifted into a deep sleep.

Later, a maid would scream in horror upon finding him, but it wasn’t anything serious.

Namgung Yeongbo was just tired.