Chapter 20
“That’s the spirit! That’s how you should respond!”
The Heavenly Demon roared with laughter, seemingly pleased with my reply.
“To reject a personal lesson from me would be the act of a world-class fool.”
I nearly became that fool.
Swept up by the atmosphere, my impulsive reply seemed to work in my favor.
Should I try pushing my luck further?
“Since you’re teaching me, make sure it’s something impressive!”
“What? Impressive, you say? Hahaha!”
Repeating my words, the Heavenly Demon burst into laughter again.
It wasn’t meant to be funny, but I inwardly celebrated, sensing things were going well.
“Something impressive, huh… What would suit you?”
Surprisingly, the Heavenly Demon fell into a deep contemplation over my comment.
I thought he was offering to teach me martial arts just for amusement, but maybe it wasn’t entirely a joke.
“Yes, that will do!”
After a while, the Heavenly Demon, who had been frowning in thought, finally spoke.
“Demonic Phoenix Sky Art. This will be the lightness technique I teach you.”
What? What did he just say?
I nearly screamed.
I never imagined those words would come from his mouth.
This is insane! Demonic Phoenix Sky Art?
Am I even allowed to learn something like that?
A mix of astonishment and joy overwhelmed me, nearly driving me mad.
After all, Demonic Phoenix Sky Art was the exclusive martial art of the Demonic Empress.
She was the only woman in the history of the Demonic Cult to rival the Heavenly Demon in prominence.
In a time of turmoil when the Demonic Cult was in disarray due to the absence of the Heavenly Demon, she emerged to hold the cult together.
The Demonic Cult revered her as the Demonic Empress, pledging absolute loyalty to her.
When the next Heavenly Demon was born, she relinquished power and disappeared into history, becoming a legendary figure.
I distinctly remembered her from the novel, even though she was only briefly mentioned.
Just a few lines about her had left a deep impression, and now I was about to inherit her martial art.
“The key to lightness techniques is to make your body lighter.”
The Heavenly Demon bent his knees slightly, adopting a poised and springy stance with his arms raised.
It looked somewhat like the Horse Stance, but slightly higher.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you copying me?”
“Oh, yes! Of course!”
I was still stunned.
I couldn’t even remember how I got back to the training grounds.
“I’m not someone with much time to waste. Focus and observe carefully.”
He was right. Opportunities like this were rare.
When would I ever get the chance to learn directly from the Heavenly Demon again?
Suppressing my excitement, I quickly mimicked the Heavenly Demon’s stance.
“Phoenix Unfurling Its Wings. Gracefully spread your wings and direct your internal energy through the Bubbling Well Acupoint.”
Following his instructions, I cycled my internal energy from my Dantian, through the Conception and Governing Meridians, completing one cycle of Qi Circulation, and guided it to my Bubbling Well Acupoint.
“Soaring into the Sky. The phoenix takes flight, pushing its internal energy smoothly through the Bubbling Well Acupoint with each flap of its wings.”
Surprisingly, my swordsmanship training helped me execute the move with relative ease.
I pushed my internal energy out through the acupoint and managed a small jump in place.
“The principles of Demonic Phoenix Sky Art are Elasticity, Flow, and Harmony.”
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous sound erupted from beneath my feet.
“Ahhhh!”
Before I realized it, my surroundings shifted dramatically.
Looking around, I noticed the treetops.
When I glanced down, the ground was far below me.
I was floating high in the air.
“Grandma!”
Realizing what was happening, my energy wavered, and I began plummeting.
It felt like I was experiencing a bungee jump for the first time, except without a rope.
The dizziness and nausea were unbearable.
Ping!
Suddenly, something soared up and supported my feet.
Barely regaining my balance, I looked down to see a thin branch holding me up.
Oh, thank goodness!
“Thank you so much!”
In my panic, I found myself shouting my gratitude to the Heavenly Demon.
If not for his intervention, I might have ended up a pancake on the ground.
Standing precariously on the floating branch, I suddenly had a realization.
What was keeping this branch suspended in midair?
Could this be the legendary Qi-Controlled Sword?
No, it’s a branch, so it must be Branch Flight!
Amazing!
Regardless of what it was, I was flying in the sky.
Yes, this is the lightness technique I had always dreamed of!
This is insane. This is incredible. How is this real?
Although it wasn’t something I achieved purely on my own, I became utterly captivated by the charm of Lightness Techniques after experiencing it for the first time.
I will make this skill mine no matter what!
I devoted myself to learning it with more focus than I had ever given to anything in my life.
Perhaps finding my determination admirable, the Heavenly Demon taught me with utmost sincerity, just as he had promised.
Bang!
A cloud of dust rose as I leapt forward.
With a single step, I easily covered a distance of about three meters.
This is amazing!
I had no other way to describe it but to say that Demonic Empress’s martial art was truly extraordinary.
“Do you remember the principle and essence of Demonic Phoenix Sky Art?”
“Flow.”
I answered while trying to make my movements as fluid as possible.
“And Elasticity.”
Simultaneously pressing off the ground and straightening my bent knees while explosively releasing energy through my Bubbling Well Acupoint,
Swoosh!
The scenery around me seemed to rush backward.
“Combine the two harmoniously.”
The elastic and fluid motion resembled the bold wingbeats of the Phoenix, the Empress of birds.
Ah, this is so fun!
As I continued practicing, I felt an overwhelming desire to leap beyond the confines of the training ground.
The space that once seemed vast now felt far too small.
I wanted to unleash the Demonic Phoenix Sky Art in a wide, open area.
Perhaps sensing my yearning,
“Shall we go up the mountain behind us?”
“Really? Can I?”
“If you’ve learned it, you should put it to use. Don’t you agree?”
Jeok I-geon had been silently observing me learning martial arts from the beginning.
The Heavenly Demon glanced at his son as if to ask for his opinion.
“Do you think it’s alright?”
If there had been even a hint of worry in Jeok I-geon’s tone, I must have lost my mind.
Maybe I was slightly blinded by the thrill of learning the Demonic Empress’s martial art.
“Of course, I’m fine! Isn’t it normal to expect injuries like cuts and broken bones when learning martial arts? I’m prepared for that!”
I rattled off lines I’d read in a novel as if they were my own thoughts.
So could you just let me go now?
I’m itching to move!
“With that attitude, fine. Let’s go.”
“Go… as in, you’re coming with me, Second Young Master?”
“Father can’t possibly go, can he?”
“Well… that’s true.”
Did learning just one martial art make me feel closer to them?
The thought of going on an outing with the Heavenly Demon himself was absurd, but it seemed I had grown bolder recently.
“Then, Father, we’ll be back.”
Jeok I-geon didn’t even give me a chance to refuse.
I wanted to say I’d be fine going alone, but my body was already following him, running in pursuit.
“Ha, such youthful energy.”
The training ground fell into a deep silence as Shin Seol-ha and Jeok I-geon left.
“To think she grasped the essence of Demonic Phoenix Sky Art in just a few days. She’s truly fascinating.”
The Heavenly Demon gazed beyond the wall that Shin Seol-ha had leaped over, his eyes filled with a deep sorrow for some reason.
“Don’t you think she resembles her? In both appearance and personality. That child was just like her at that age.”
Though there was no one else around, the Heavenly Demon spoke as if having a conversation.
“If her daughter were alive, she’d be about the same age as her now.”
“…Do you regret it?”
Suddenly, a voice emerged from the empty air.
“I wonder… Is this regret?”
The Heavenly Demon let out a faint chuckle.
“I don’t know. But one thing is certain: if I were to go back, I’d make the same choice. When a man becomes blinded by emotion, he often becomes a fool. Even if he knows it will become the noose around his neck.”
It had been an impulsive mistake in his youth.
He never imagined that winning a woman’s heart would be so difficult.
Nor did he know he would carry that love with him for the rest of his life.
—
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