Intent is, in essence, a single thought.
I had a rough idea of what that meant in my head.
Fundamentally, Intent is a power that makes the impossible possible, but its direction varies from person to person, greatly influenced by the mental image a martial artist holds.
There were things that were originally impossible, yet before my regression, Harmony Realm martial artists had gathered together and combined their strength.
Setting aside the fact that they still lost to the Heavenly Demon, what mattered now was that I had been able to witness the martial arts of Harmony Realm masters, even if only from a distance.
The Shaolin abbot, as if symbolizing the Buddha's mercy, was simply solid, simply powerful, and his reach extended to the very edge of my vision.
The Lord of the Black Alliance's two spears, one large and one small, ceaselessly pressured and drove back his opponent, and I could feel a domineering intent to seize the upper hand and crush him from start to finish.
As if proving his origins in the Beggars' Sect, the Murim Alliance Leader displayed a palm technique that was both tenacious and resolute, staking everything he had before the fire.
Beyond him, countless Harmony Realm martial artists had each showcased their own signature moves.
It wasn't as though I could grasp each martial art from seeing it only once or twice, nor could I compare them against one another.
But the meaning contained within them came through with perfect clarity.
The Shaolin abbot sought to become a Buddha, the Lord of the Black Alliance sought to become a tyrant standing above all others, and the Murim Alliance Leader simply pursued righteousness.
These were, perhaps, exactly what Seomun Hwa-rin called Intent—the single-minded resolve of one's heart.
In other words, one could call it the destiny a single martial artist strives to fulfill over the course of a lifetime.
If that was so, then what was it that I sought to achieve?
At first, I swung the sword because I was hungry. But at some point, I kept swinging it even when I was no longer hungry.
To eat more of what was delicious. To live in a better house. To earn the admiration of more people.
And simply because I loved the sword.
But even that did not last long. Because revenge began to mix into the reason I swung my sword.
During the time the Heavenly Demon was invading in full force, I swung it to survive, but at the final moment—after I saw Tang So-wol fall—the sword I wielded once again held the flames of revenge.
In the end, if I had to pick one thing that runs through my sword, it would be revenge…
But if asked whether that is truly a task I must accomplish over the course of a lifetime, I can only tilt my head in doubt.
That is because I already failed once, yet after my regression, I am making up for it. In fact, I even defeated the Lord of the Black Heaven Sword Gate before he became the Black Heaven Sword Emperor.
If it were my previous life, perhaps, but at least in this life, revenge cannot become something I must pursue for the rest of my days.
"…This is difficult."
The sparring match with Seomun Hwa-rin had stretched on until sunset. In that time, I had managed to reproduce a sword tinged with faint Intent a few times, but the sensation still felt far away.
As I grumbled while lightly stretching my stiffening shoulders, Seomun Hwa-rin let out a soft laugh and spoke.
"It is only natural. When all is said and done, awakening one's own Intent is closer to reflecting on oneself and re-establishing oneself. For someone like me or you, it cannot be easy."
"What do you mean, someone like me or you, Senior Seomun?"
"Naturally, I mean martial artists of the Unorthodox Sects."
"I may not look it, but I am a martial artist of the Orthodox Sects."
"Isn't it just a matter of affiliation? You are the second most Unorthodox martial artist I have seen among the Unorthodox Sects."
"…"
That much?
I asked, my voice turning bitter without meaning to.
"If I'm second, then who's first?"
"Why, the Lord of the Black Alliance, of course."
"Hmm. I suppose I have to concede on the Lord of the Black Alliance."
If an Unorthodox martial artist is one who wields martial arts for personal gain, then no one could rival the Lord of the Black Alliance. At least, not in this era.
I nodded a couple of times and sheathed my sword.
"Now that I'm in this situation myself, I understand. Why so few of the high-ranking Unorthodox martial artists ever reach the Harmony Realm."
"Correct. They fight among themselves all day long, and no matter how great a martial art, it doesn't last long and is easily lost to the ages… but that can't be the only reason. After all, compared to their numbers, the Unorthodox Sects have a higher ratio of masters, don't they?"
He was right. The Orthodox Sects often took in even those lacking talent in martial arts as disciples, while in the Unorthodox Sects, people died off every single day, so that was part of it too…
But the biggest reason was the difference in real combat.
Unlike the Orthodox martial artists, who only stepped into the martial world after growing strong enough to earn the grand title of "Murim Debut,"
Unorthodox martial artists were always simply thrown into the heart of the martial world.
The number of life-and-death trials they had survived was different, so as long as they lived, they had no choice but to grow stronger quickly.
There's also the fact that Unorthodox martial arts generally focus on growing stronger quickly.
That's why, assuming the same realm, Unorthodox martial artists are generally stronger than Orthodox ones in life-and-death duels.
Even the Five Great Families and the Nine Great Sects and One Gang only fare slightly better when comparing individuals, so that says it all.
After all, their strength comes from their massive organizations, doesn't it?
Anyway, because of these circumstances, even though the Orthodox Sects surpass the Unorthodox Sects in scale and cohesion, the balance between the orthodox and unorthodox is roughly maintained.
This same situation also occurs in the Harmony Realm—that is, the realm beyond masters, where one is called an absolute master. The cause is a bit different, though.
Even among Harmony Realm martial artists of the same level, the Unorthodox side generally has stronger individual martial prowess.
In fact, the Lord of the Black Alliance is on the younger side among Harmony Realm martial artists, yet he is evaluated as one of the strongest in terms of martial might.
The difference, however, lies in the sheer numbers.
In the past, Unorthodox martial artists died too easily, which was the reason. In the realm of absolute masters, however, it is because too few Unorthodox martial artists manage to break through the wall of the Harmony Realm.
Until now, I had heard reasons like the purity of internal energy, vulnerability to Qi Deviation, or that orthodox martial arts with a solid foundation are better suited for building a tall tower.
But once I actually found myself in this position, I understood. Those reasons were merely attached after the fact.
Even if one's internal energy is turbid, there are plenty of ways to compensate. My Crazy Wolf Life-Stealing Art, for instance, uses killing intent as its solution.
Vulnerable to Qi Deviation? What is the reason one falls into Qi Deviation in the first place? Is it not because they reach recklessly for the next realm?
Those who had no right to ascend in the first place merely went berserk, so that cannot be considered a reason either.
Lastly, is a solid foundation important? That is true, but it cannot be the reason.
If that were the case, then only those from families and sects with generations of heritage would produce masters. Then what of the absolute masters who appear out of nowhere one day? And what of those who spend their entire lives training only the basics and die without ever going further?
If one were to bring up differences in talent, then it would simply be a matter of saying that some are born with the talent to reach the Harmony Realm and others are not, so let us set that aside.
Then what is the reason that the Unorthodox Sects' martial artists, who are generally stronger overall, find it far more difficult to reach the Harmony Realm?
The reason was simpler and more fundamental than that.
"Honestly, I wonder how this differs from cultivating the Dao."
"In the distant past, they say people became immortals through martial arts. I thought that was an exaggerated tale, but it doesn't seem entirely without basis."
The path to realizing Intent and reaching the Harmony Realm is simply to look inward and continue to refine and polish oneself.
Such a practice with no end in sight is utterly foreign to the Unorthodox Sects' martial artists, who are preoccupied with surviving and enjoying wealth and glory.
On the other hand, it would be quite familiar to the Orthodox Sects' martial artists.
"Honestly, I'm a bit lost."
"Isn't that the nature of a wall? Once you climb over it, you'll find it wasn't as formidable as you thought in quite a few cases."
"So you're saying I shouldn't be impatient, shouldn't compromise, and should think and observe fiercely."
"Correct. I, too, set aside my ego and, after over ten years of Realization, reached my current state. Rushing will not make it possible."
"Hmm. Considering Senior Seomun Hwa-rin's age, it's actually been nearly twenty years, hasn't it… Ah, for reference, I'm eighteen."
"…You should have kept that thought to yourself and not said it out loud!"
Seomun Hwa-rin, struck by the sudden, cruel reality, glared with fire in her eyes and began pounding my shoulders wildly.
Unlike in the sparring match, these punches carried no force at all—just a playful patting.
I let her hit me and nodded.
"Understood. Actually, right now I have something far more urgent to deal with, so following Senior Seomun Hwa-rin's advice and training with a bit of leisure suits me just fine."
"What do you mean by that? A reason to train leisurely?"
"Well… compared to my Realization, my internal energy and body are a bit lacking."
"…?"
"Because my internal energy is insufficient, I can't maintain the Sword Flame for long, and because my body is frail, after repeating the movements manifested through Sword-Mind Unity a few times, I quickly tire and collapse."
"Ohh?"
Seomun Hwa-rin blinked rapidly, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
But it was true. If Seol Ri-hyang had struggled because her energy had waned while fighting the Blood Flame Fist Demon, unable to withstand the Yin Energy of her Pure Yin Constitution, causing her qi to run wild…
Then I had simply collapsed from pure exhaustion.
"Well, my External Arts are a bit lacking, but it's nothing urgent. After all, if I don't slack off in my training, they'll naturally catch up on their own. Besides, my growth hasn't completely stopped yet."
"You mean you're still growing taller?"
"Not as much as before, but yes, a little."
"…"
Seomun Hwa-rin looked up at me silently, envy clear in her eyes.
Come to think of it, Seomun Hwa-rin was shorter than Seol Ri-hyang.
She might have been a bit taller before the Rejuvenation, but… it probably wasn't a dramatic difference.
"What's really urgent is my internal energy. Originally I planned to cover it with the Spirit Summoning Pill, the prize for winning the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, but… unfortunately, I lost by forfeit, didn't I?"
"M-My apologies…"
"It's fine, I'm not blaming you, Senior Seomun. Besides, Seol Ri-hyang is set to receive a Spiritual Medicine from Clan Head Eon, and I'm set to receive one from Clan Head Paeng, so it should be resolved soon."
"The two clan heads haven't even arrived yet. What do you mean by that?"
"I've already received a promise from Eon Ga-hye and Brother Paeng. If they have any face to save, wouldn't they keep their word?"
"…It seems you and Hyang-i make quite the pair. The problem is that you're both as shameless as highway robbers."
In response to Seomun Hwa-rin's lament, I shrugged my shoulders and headed out of the training ground.
On the way, I didn't forget to tell a servant that I planned to have dinner together tonight, so they should move the meal tray meant for Seomun Hwa-rin's room to mine.
Unlike Seomun Hwa-rin, who was all fresh and clean, I had given my all in the sparring match and was drenched in sweat, so I washed up briefly and changed into new clothes before arriving at my room.
My head had been filled with martial arts all day, but the moment I saw the scene before me, all my thoughts flew away and I went blank.
And for good reason—for some reason, Tang So-wol was straddled on top of Seol Ri-hyang, pressing down her arms with both knees, completely cutting off any resistance.
"Hehe… You can't run away anymore now."
"Let go, let me go, sister Tang!"
"Don't want to? It's your fault for always running away, Hyang-i."
The sight of Tang So-wol lifting the corners of her mouth with a strangely rough breath made me blurt out without thinking.
"…What are you two doing? And in my room, of all places."
"Eep!"
At my words, Tang So-wol whipped her head around, glanced back and forth between herself and Seol Ri-hyang pinned beneath her, then hurriedly shook her head.
"Wait, please hear me out! I can explain everything!"
That was a line I felt I'd heard somewhere before.