Chapter 35 – Heaven and Man Unity Art

Chapter 35 – Heaven and Man Unity Art

Being born as a child of a prestigious family was like walking on a well-paved road.

Since one could learn the family's long-handed-down secrets in a stable environment without needing to wander around in search of them. Not only that, but the wealth and honor accumulated step-by-step based on the region were also naturally given.

However, above all, was it not the fact that there was a martial arts manual that ancestors had mastered and proved its safety?

However, what was held in San-ho's hands right now was not such a proven martial arts manual.

An unfinished secret manual seen for the first time.

It was like walking on an unmade road. Making one's way through a forest path seen for the first time rather than a well-paved road. A road where no one could answer on his behalf what dangers might lurk or what might be at the end of it.

San-ho opened the nameless secret manual, which did not even have a title, with a slightly tense face.

It was called Heaven's Mandate.

If there was such a thing as a preordained fate in the world. To find that answer, it started from here.

Flutter.

Slowly, the pages turned.

Letters written in elegant handwriting entered San-ho's clear eyes.

Exhaustion of Obstacles and Liberation

A Leisurely Cloud and a Wild Crane

The formulas, which looked like poetry lines at first glance, were quite difficult to grasp in context.

"…What does this mean?"

Tilting his head slightly, San-ho went back to the first page and began to read the same sentence slowly, brushing it with his hand.

The first page of the secret manual was composed of formulas regarding the mindset one must have to learn high-level martial arts. Contents about intangible standards and lines that might seem difficult to understand at first.

As the pages turned one by one, the things contained within slowly reached his mind.

– Complete freedom starts from within. Do not be bound by anything, do not carry anything, and do not compare yourself with anyone. A freely flowing life can head anywhere. Therefore, freedom is not getting lost, but anywhere becoming a path.

It seemed that this was roughly the content when interpreting the repeatedly emphasized parts.

'Hmm… It also seems to share a similar track with the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art.'

Enlightenment was, after all, something that came from within oneself.

The Tao and true meaning spoken of by the numerous internal cultivation methods of the Jianghu all pointed toward the practitioner.

This was also the same.

'So, in the end, it's the same that I am the subject of this too. Moving forward… Is that the part that's different?'

San-ho began to dig into the poem-like formulas one by one, recalling the formulas of the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art. There were many parts that he would not have understood if he had not learned the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art.

The reason why Murong Seol-ju had treated it as a useless half-copy even though he had already examined the secret manual lay there.

Ordinarily, it would be impossible to even understand the formulas, let alone master this.

Moreover, this secret manual.

"Uh, it ends here?"

Even though it was content that clearly had a following part, that part could not be seen.

Secret manuals for internal cultivation methods generally showed similar structures. It was common for them to consist of mindset, methods of operating true qi, full-scale training methods and applications, and advice related to control methods.

However, this secret manual only contained the content of the beginning stage.

San-ho looked through more of the secret manuals placed together, but they were not continuing contents. Except for this secret manual, they were all ones where the middle content was lost or the structure itself was so strange that it was impossible to master.

'Out of the secret manuals I brought, this is the only one that looks useful. Then the secret manual Murong Tak was looking for must be this one too…'

Why on earth this?

It did not even look like particularly dangerous content.

As if puzzled, San-ho pushed the other books onto the bookshelf and began to examine the nameless secret manual from the beginning again.

Rustle.

The sound of paper turning echoed in his ears.

Another cultivation method resembling the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art.

– Freedom is existing, flowing. Thus, becoming me.

Formulas filled with metaphors to the point where one would think it was just reciting poetry if it weren't called martial arts. The extremely difficult formulas were all dismantled and perfectly reassembled in San-ho's head.

It was the moment he was reading the secret manual, filling in the missing contents based on the formulas he knew.

'Could this be…'

Before long, San-ho's eyes were gradually dyed with astonishment.

He had finally realized the true meaning that the formulas, which he had read repeatedly several times, wanted to convey.

“……!!”

Complete freedom.

'I am the world, and the world becomes me.'

The Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art that San-ho mastered harbored the true meaning that 'the world starting from me returns to me through ten thousand paths.' Thus, the internal energy starting from the dantian circulated through the entire body to accumulate internal qi, repeating the process.

But what if the meaning of 'I' became broader? Like the world.

This secret manual held the answer.

Heaven and Man Unity .

It meant becoming one with the world.

"Crazy……"

Qi flows in nature.

The energy flowing through all creation, from the sky and land to the mountains, rivers, trees, and grass . Recalling the true meaning harbored in the nameless secret manual, San-ho naturally followed the drawn path.

A nameless martial art.

'Is it okay if I name it?'

After contemplating for a moment, San-ho thought of a suitable name.

Heaven and Man Unity Art .

This was no longer an unfinished secret manual.

It was none other than the internal cultivation method that drew the qi flowing in nature into the practitioner's dantian. It was the Heaven and Man Unity Art.

Upon realizing that fact, San-ho covered his mouth without realizing it.

And why wouldn't he?

San-ho had now acquired an automatic internal energy absorption system in addition to the macro internal energy circulation.

'Compound interest plus automatic savings…?!'

It was like thinking that only interest would accumulate on the money put into a bank account, only for the principal to keep increasing as well.

'Besides… since the subtlety of the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art has been added, the Heaven and Man Unity Art will also breathe in and out energy on its own.'

In the meantime, San-ho had consumed external energy, namely spirit medicines, to increase the speed at which internal energy accumulated.

But he no longer needed to do so. Now, even if he just breathed, the energy flowing in nature would be absorbed into San-ho's dantian.

And automatically, at that.

"Wow… If this is just the beginning part, what on earth is in the rest of it?"

San-ho opened his mouth wide and examined the secret manual again.

Of course, the blessing of the Heavenly Martial Body and the subtlety of the Ten Thousand Flows Return to the Source Divine Art were added. So, even if it was difficult to expect such efficacy for anyone other than himself, it was undoubtedly an extraordinary divine art. Assuming, of course, that one could understand those extremely difficult formulas.

'But why on earth did Murong Tak try to destroy this? It's not like he was trying to learn it himself.'

If Murong Tak had known the efficacy of this martial art even by any chance, it was highly baffling. For a martial artist of the Jianghu to step forward and try to destroy a divine art.

Although it was highly likely that he had only a purpose without knowing the reason, San-ho, unable to understand that behavior, tilted his head.

Would he know if he looked at it once more?

It was when San-ho, who muttered softly like that, was reading the first part of the Heaven and Man Unity Art again.

He felt a somewhat strange feeling.

The strange sense of déjà vu, which had been felt every time he turned a page of the book from earlier, began to gradually grow stronger.

'…What is this? It's clearly content I'm seeing for the first time. Why does it feel like I've seen it somewhere…'

He tried to ignore it, but the more he read the formulas repeatedly, the faint sense of déjà vu gradually turned into a rising memory.

At that moment.

"Ugh……"

San-ho suddenly grabbed his head, which throbbed as if it were about to split, and let out a suppressed groan.

Out of nowhere, a pain that felt like gouging out his brain rushed in.

Huff, puff.

San-ho, who closed the secret manual with a thud, breathed heavily. His chest felt stuffy from the rising breath.

'What… is this.'

Out of bewilderment and confusion, cold sweat poured down like rain, soaking his clothes wet.

At that time, unfamiliar scenes that were interrupted like a broken projector began to appear in his blurry vision.

'What on earth is this memory?'

San-ho tried hard to shake off the memories rummaging through his head. The moments of the past, tangling up in a mess, made him dizzy.

However, a memory that could not be suppressed squeezed through the gap and surfaced after all.

– Make sure to remember. You must never forget.

“……Gasp!”

Finally, San-ho, who met the eyes of himself standing in front of the mirror like an illusion, gasped.

It was clearly his own voice.

'What, is that me? No… more than that, don't forget? What?'

There had definitely been a time like this before.

A past memory that suddenly popped up while talking with Sawol was like this. In other words, the memory of the real Tang San-ho.

Just then, the mouth of Tang San-ho, who was looking at him from inside the mirror, hovered open.

'What are you trying to say?'

Amidst the frantic dizziness, San-ho realized instinctively.

That he might be able to find clues to the questions that had been troubling him lately from past memories.

San-ho no longer tried to suppress the rising memories. He just let them be. Thus, as if reading a book, as if watching a movie… he began to accept Tang San-ho's memories.

– You must never forget the reason why you came here. That is your Heaven's Mandate .

Tang San-ho, who had a slightly younger face than now, whispered clearly.

'Again?'

Even Tang San-ho spoke of Heaven's Mandate. By this point, there was no room for doubt. That he had not come here by accident. That he still existed because he had a clear purpose and role.

Even while frowning deeply as pain and confusion poured in all at once, San-ho did not stop thinking.

How much time had passed like that?

"Haa……"

Finally letting out the breath that had been blocked deep inside, San-ho slowly opened his eyes.

Could one remember a person's entire life?

It wasn't that all the countless times had returned. However, important memories surfaced between the mismatched pieces here and there.

Something like the identity of the déjà vu he had been feeling constantly.

'It wasn't an illusion. I really saw it. No, not just to the extent of seeing it…'

Sawol had mentioned it in the past. That in the past, Tang San-ho had locked the door and stayed holed up in his room for days, writing nothing but text. However, when he opened the door and came out, there was nothing in the room.

The thing that he had tried to find but could not find anywhere.

The identity of what Tang San-ho had written down alone after sending everyone out.

That was none other than the Heaven and Man Unity Art.

'How is this possible? This is not even the family's martial art, and it's content I've never seen anywhere.'

Unbelievably, Tang San-ho knew. The Heaven and Man Unity Art. No, something even greater than that. The Heaven and Man Unity Art was only a part of some divine art. There were two more secret manuals existing after the first volume he had just mastered.

Their contents could not be seen, but their existence alone could be known.

Just how did Tang San-ho know this martial art?

Simultaneously with the rise of that question, an ominous thought crossed his mind.

'Surely, he didn't die because of that… right? Haha. No way…'

Murong Tak had certainly risked his life to destroy this single secret manual. He had not even hesitated to harm the Young Clan Leader of his family, claiming that it was his Heaven's Mandate.

If so.

Might it not be that someone tried to kill Tang San-ho, who knew this secret manual? Perhaps they kept him alive because he lost his memory after waking up.

Groan.

Reaching a troubling conclusion, San-ho's expression turned rapidly fatigued.

If this speculation was correct.

It would mean that the culprit who harmed Tang San-ho was still roaming around inside the Tang Clan Castle.

To think that the one who drastically raised the difficulty level of 'Surviving as Tang San-ho in the Central Plains Martial World' was none other than Tang San-ho himself. He really did not want to believe this harsh and shocking fact.

If memories were going to return, they should all return. How could they skip parts in the middle like this!

San-ho ruffled his hair in frustration.

"If you're going to tell me, you should tell me everything…"

Even if he tried to force himself to recall other memories, nothing more came to mind. If so, the only way to regain his memories was to find the rest of the Heaven and Man Unity Art.

Tang San-ho in his memory had said that he must master this martial art. The voice warning him never to forget Heaven's Mandate lingered in his ears.

'On one side, destroying this is Heaven's Mandate. For me, mastering this is Heaven's Mandate…'

He could not understand how they pursued such different results under the exact same name.

The three volumes of the secret manual written by Tang San-ho. However, since Tang San-ho's body would not have been able to master the Heaven and Man Unity Art, let alone any high-level martial arts, it was reasonable to assume that he had simply transcribed what was in his head.

If so, how did one of those secret manuals flow all the way to Xinjiang, and who was the secluded expert who disappeared there? What on earth was the identity of this damn Heaven's Mandate? Since his memory was not intact, there were far too many unsolved questions.

'Whatever the case, I have to find my memories first before something like what happened with the Murong Clan occurs.'

Even among the memories that returned in fits and starts, San-ho knew what he had to do.