7. Strong Martial Arts Are Strong. But One Who Transcends the Basics Is Stronger

Strong Martial Arts Are Strong. But One Who Transcends the Basics Is Stronger

— The Lee Hyeon-do of the past, and the Seung-chan of now.

The Sword of the Munju and the Sword of Seung-chan

"This... doesn't make sense."

Munju looked down at his sword.He was sure—his swordsmanship,his martial art—

was the more perfect one.

He was strong.He had walked the path of the strong.He had mastered martial techniques meant to make him the strongest.

And yet,before the Samjae Sword Forms,he was breaking apart.

Samjae Sword Forms.The basic sword technique everyone learns.A foundation mandatory for anyone wishing to become strong.But no one had ever become the strongest with just the basics.

Munju grit his teeth.

"You think you can defeat me with nothing but the basics?"

Seung-chan raised his sword.

"I do."

"And—""I want to see just how far the basics alone can take me."

The Choice of the Past Lee Hyeon-do, and the Present Seung-chan

Lee Hyeon-do of the past—he had mastered the Samjae Sword Forms.Refined them more perfectly than anyone else.And then he built stronger techniques upon them.

Eventually, he surpassed the Samjae Sword Forms.That was his choice.To reach the end of martial arts,he went beyond the basics and into greater power.

But—

Seung-chan was different.He did not try to surpass the Samjae Sword Forms.He aimed to prove everything with those fundamentals alone.

If the basics were perfect,could one reach the pinnacle without stronger techniques?

That was Seung-chan's experiment.

Could one stand at the peak using only the fundamentals?

Munju raised his sword again.He still refused to admit defeat.

No matter how refined,the basics alone couldn't win against all swordsmanship.Then when would Seung-chan meet his limits?

He swung his sword.A dazzling strike.The peak of powerful martial arts.

But—

Seung-chan's sword defended flawlessly.No flashy technique.No trick.Only a calm repetition of the Samjae Sword Forms.

And yet—Munju's blade could no longer break through.

Powerful Martial Arts Are Strong, But There Is a Rule Among the Strong

Seung-chan knew.

Once the basics are perfected, even dazzling techniques lose meaning.But the laws of Gangho aren't simple.Yes—powerful martial arts are strong.But a strong person may be strong for other reasons.

He recalled his past self, Lee Hyeon-do.

He too had once mastered the Samjae Sword Forms.But then he moved beyond them.He believed that was the path to the pinnacle.

But now, Seung-chan—has chosen another path.

"Then how far can I go with only the basics?"

He was testing it.

Martial arts may be strong—but if one cannot become a master with only the basics,then is a master born—or made?

Munju was defeated.And yet—

Seung-chan wasn't sure.Where this path would ultimately lead.

Chapter 27: A New Duel with Another Strong Opponent

— Same Samjae Sword Forms, but a different pattern.

A New Duel – Testing the Samjae Sword Forms Again

Seung-chan raised his sword again.This time, his opponent was strong in a different way.A classic powerhouse of Murim.

One who had survived countless real battles.One who had refined their martial art to the extreme.A master forged not by technique—but by experience.

He was not like Munju.Munju had mastered strong techniques.But this opponent had transcended technique through lived combat.

The Test: Same Technique, Different Flow

Seung-chan would still use only the Samjae Sword Forms.But this time, he would change his combat rhythm.The opponent would not use any formal sword style—only instinct honed in real battles.

"The strong are strong."If that rule held,could the Samjae Sword Forms overcome it again?

The Moment Swords Cross

The opponent moved first.

Swish—!A blade cut through the air.Fast.

Unlike Munju's strikes—this was unpredictable.Not structured, not repeatable.Purely a sword forged for survival.

But—

Seung-chan's sword didn't change.

Heaven (Cheon) – downward slash from above

Earth (Ji) – low strike aimed below the waist

Man (In) – straight thrust from the front

He responded with the basics.Yet his blade showed no disturbance.

Pattern Shift – Same Technique, But with Absolute Mastery

The opponent's sword moved unpredictably.But—

It still could not escape the fundamentals.

All swordsmanship begins and ends with basics.No matter how unconventional, it still flows within the bounds of foundation.Once the Samjae Sword Forms are perfected, even erratic moves can be neutralized.

Seung-chan's blade did not falter.

The Pressure Begins – Absolute Completion of the Samjae Sword Forms

Seung-chan began to adapt.

Reading the opponent's moves a beat ahead.

Creating openings with subtle footwork.

Still not modifying or combining the forms—only applying them exactly.

But—

The opponent began to fall back.

His attacks slowed.He used more and more strength with each swing.And yet Seung-chan was still using just the fundamentals.

His swordsmanship was simple.But that simplicity—perfected—could not be surpassed.

Victory Was Already Decided

Yes, the strong are strong.But—

What makes one strong?

Technique?Experience?Or simply the fact that they were born to be strong?

Seung-chan realized:

His opponent was a master built on real combat.But even that was overwhelmed by perfected fundamentals.More than powerful martial arts—perfect martial arts won.

Then—

What defines a master?

Was it Seung-chan's mastery?Or was this opponent's defeat also… predetermined?

Experiment Result: The Law of the Strong Continues

Powerful martial arts are strong.But perfected basics can render even unorthodox skills useless.Then—is the law of the strong broken?Or is it simply because Seung-chan was already strong?

Seung-chan fell deep into thought.

And then—he prepared his next test.

This time, it would be with a weak one.

— The Lee Hyeon-do of the past, and the Seung-chan of now.

The Sword of the Munju and the Sword of Seung-chan

"This... doesn't make sense."

Munju looked down at his sword.He was sure—his swordsmanship,his martial art—

was the more perfect one.

He was strong.He had walked the path of the strong.He had mastered martial techniques meant to make him the strongest.

And yet,before the Samjae Sword Forms,he was breaking apart.

Samjae Sword Forms.The basic sword technique everyone learns.A foundation mandatory for anyone wishing to become strong.But no one had ever become the strongest with just the basics.

Munju grit his teeth.

"You think you can defeat me with nothing but the basics?"

Seung-chan raised his sword.

"I do."

"And—""I want to see just how far the basics alone can take me."

The Choice of the Past Lee Hyeon-do, and the Present Seung-chan

Lee Hyeon-do of the past—he had mastered the Samjae Sword Forms.Refined them more perfectly than anyone else.And then he built stronger techniques upon them.

Eventually, he surpassed the Samjae Sword Forms.That was his choice.To reach the end of martial arts,he went beyond the basics and into greater power.

But—

Seung-chan was different.He did not try to surpass the Samjae Sword Forms.He aimed to prove everything with those fundamentals alone.

If the basics were perfect,could one reach the pinnacle without stronger techniques?

That was Seung-chan's experiment.

Could one stand at the peak using only the fundamentals?

Munju raised his sword again.He still refused to admit defeat.

No matter how refined,the basics alone couldn't win against all swordsmanship.Then when would Seung-chan meet his limits?

He swung his sword.A dazzling strike.The peak of powerful martial arts.

But—

Seung-chan's sword defended flawlessly.No flashy technique.No trick.Only a calm repetition of the Samjae Sword Forms.

And yet—Munju's blade could no longer break through.

Powerful Martial Arts Are Strong, But There Is a Rule Among the Strong

Seung-chan knew.

Once the basics are perfected, even dazzling techniques lose meaning.But the laws of Gangho aren't simple.Yes—powerful martial arts are strong.But a strong person may be strong for other reasons.

He recalled his past self, Lee Hyeon-do.

He too had once mastered the Samjae Sword Forms.But then he moved beyond them.He believed that was the path to the pinnacle.

But now, Seung-chan—has chosen another path.

"Then how far can I go with only the basics?"

He was testing it.

Martial arts may be strong—but if one cannot become a master with only the basics,then is a master born—or made?

Munju was defeated.And yet—

Seung-chan wasn't sure.Where this path would ultimately lead.

Chapter 27: A New Duel with Another Strong Opponent

— Same Samjae Sword Forms, but a different pattern.

A New Duel – Testing the Samjae Sword Forms Again

Seung-chan raised his sword again.This time, his opponent was strong in a different way.A classic powerhouse of Murim.

One who had survived countless real battles.One who had refined their martial art to the extreme.A master forged not by technique—but by experience.

He was not like Munju.Munju had mastered strong techniques.But this opponent had transcended technique through lived combat.

The Test: Same Technique, Different Flow

Seung-chan would still use only the Samjae Sword Forms.But this time, he would change his combat rhythm.The opponent would not use any formal sword style—only instinct honed in real battles.

"The strong are strong."If that rule held,could the Samjae Sword Forms overcome it again?

The Moment Swords Cross

The opponent moved first.

Swish—!A blade cut through the air.Fast.

Unlike Munju's strikes—this was unpredictable.Not structured, not repeatable.Purely a sword forged for survival.

But—

Seung-chan's sword didn't change.

Heaven (Cheon) – downward slash from above

Earth (Ji) – low strike aimed below the waist

Man (In) – straight thrust from the front

He responded with the basics.Yet his blade showed no disturbance.

Pattern Shift – Same Technique, But with Absolute Mastery

The opponent's sword moved unpredictably.But—

It still could not escape the fundamentals.

All swordsmanship begins and ends with basics.No matter how unconventional, it still flows within the bounds of foundation.Once the Samjae Sword Forms are perfected, even erratic moves can be neutralized.

Seung-chan's blade did not falter.

The Pressure Begins – Absolute Completion of the Samjae Sword Forms

Seung-chan began to adapt.

Reading the opponent's moves a beat ahead.

Creating openings with subtle footwork.

Still not modifying or combining the forms—only applying them exactly.

But—

The opponent began to fall back.

His attacks slowed.He used more and more strength with each swing.And yet Seung-chan was still using just the fundamentals.

His swordsmanship was simple.But that simplicity—perfected—could not be surpassed.

Victory Was Already Decided

Yes, the strong are strong.But—

What makes one strong?

Technique?Experience?Or simply the fact that they were born to be strong?

Seung-chan realized:

His opponent was a master built on real combat.But even that was overwhelmed by perfected fundamentals.More than powerful martial arts—perfect martial arts won.

Then—

What defines a master?

Was it Seung-chan's mastery?Or was this opponent's defeat also… predetermined?

Experiment Result: The Law of the Strong Continues

Powerful martial arts are strong.But perfected basics can render even unorthodox skills useless.Then—is the law of the strong broken?Or is it simply because Seung-chan was already strong?

Seung-chan fell deep into thought.

And then—he prepared his next test.

This time, it would be with a weak one.