Wudang Sacred Scriptures

Once again, Kwak Yeon spoke without hesitation about what he had been studying.

“Since Hard Strength relies heavily on muscular power, I believe it causes the muscles to tense up, making the strength visibly manifest. That’s also why it leads to quicker fatigue.”
“So, you’re saying Soft Strength is considered a superior form of strength simply because it doesn’t tire the body as easily?”
“I haven’t considered what defines the realm of higher-level strength.”

Most would offer some sort of guess when being evaluated by others, but Kwak Yeon responded with honest introspection.
A master always hopes for an honest disciple. Only then can they teach in accordance with the disciple’s level.
Instructor Hyeonmun spoke, a satisfied expression spreading across his face before he even realized {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} it.

“Internal energy pressure flows through the meridians like a kind of wave. So if internal energy pressure is the dominant force, then it’s natural for Soft Strength to have a stronger wave than Hard Strength. That’s the reason Soft Strength is considered superior, even when the actual impact is the same.”
“I’m curious—what advantage does a stronger wave offer?”
“Think of Soft Strength like a whip. A whip delivers tremendous force in an instant because the wave travels through it. Now, how would you transition from Hard Strength to Soft Strength?”

“You’d have to make the body as supple as a whip.”
“And what does it mean to make the body supple?”
“You’d have to release muscular tension and reduce reliance on brute force.”

“Exactly. To attain Soft Strength, one must loosen all the muscles as if the entire body is hanging limp like a whip. Then, the internal energy pressure must be sunk down into the danjeon, achieving what we call a broadcasted state of flow.”
After turning his gaze away from Kwak Yeon, Instructor Hyeonmun looked across all the disciples of Eternal Wudang and continued speaking.
“That is the purpose of training in Surface Palm. When broadcasted flow is properly achieved, internal energy pressure circulates smoothly, and the tendons and muscles are fully supported by it. Efficiency is maximized. That is the secret behind the saying: ‘With four ounces, move a thousand pounds.’ Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!”
The voices of the Eternal Wudang disciples echoed across the training ground.
 

****
Kwak Yeon was completely immersed in his internal energy studies.
There were, in fact, a vast number of strength types.
There was Perceptive Strength, which flowed based on sensation and didn’t visibly manifest. There was Form Strength, which could be identified through visible, structural application.

There were also offensive and defensive types: Offensive Strength for attacking, Defensive Strength for guarding. Offensive Strength was divided into Rising Strength and Releasing Strength, while Defensive Strength was further categorized into Yin Strength and Transformative Strength.
Some forms were offensive in function but retained defensive characteristics, while others were the opposite—defensive in form but capable of offense.
For example, Collapse Strength, Drill Strength, Inch Strength, Divide Strength, Cold Strength, and Lift Strength were purely offensive.

Meanwhile, Press Strength, Pluck Strength, Elbow Strength, and Grab Strength were primarily offensive but contained defensive traits as well.
Other types included Forceful Strength, which involved moving the limbs aggressively, and Gentle Strength, which was gathered inward and applied subtly without outward signs. The list was seemingly endless.
“There’s more of this than in bone-meridian studies. At this rate, we’ll spend our whole lives just learning the basics.”

Even Seok Jangsan, the most naturally talented among the Eternal Wudang disciples, stuck out his tongue in exasperation.
But Kwak Yeon found joy in every single lecture.
All the hazy thoughts he’d had while pondering the Celestial Meridian Map—the vague ideas about the flow of meridians—were finally taking shape through Instructor Hyeonmun’s lectures.

“So, in the end, strength is the method for unlocking the pathways of the human meridians!”
There had been a time when Kwak Yeon wondered if martial arts techniques weren’t just movements designed to open the meridian channels and blood points.
As he continued studying the nature of each form of strength, that suspicion turned into certainty.

Because he’d been operating the Celestial Meridian Map daily, full of meridian lines and physical muscle connections, he was able to mentally visualize everything Instructor Hyeonmun explained.
Unconsciously, that act of visualizing imprinted itself into his body.
Though Kwak Yeon didn’t realize it, he had entered a state of focused absorption—Samadhi.

Still, this wasn’t something one could call a miracle or fated encounter.
The Wudang Sect had always emphasized fundamentals more than any other martial sect. They taught their martial arts with thorough theoretical foundations, having systematized and codified everything.
That was why Wudang martial arts were called martial studies.

All martial arts may have originated from Shaolin, but Wudang was where they bloomed into something greater—this saying was no exaggeration.
In recent years, some criticized Wudang for becoming too focused on theory and losing the original spirit of martial technique. As a result, they had started teaching their theoretical lectures at only a basic level.
But since the disciples of Eternal Wudang were considered lower in potential, no one had high expectations. So the tradition of teaching them in detail was preserved.

Thanks to that, Kwak Yeon was able to build a solid foundation in Wudang’s martial studies.
Of course, if he hadn’t already begun studying meridians from the basics at the training hall and explored them deeply, he would never have been able to understand or internalize the theory this well.
As his understanding deepened, Kwak Yeon came to a clear realization: these various forms of strength, their harmony and continuity—that was what created martial techniques.

“How much effort must the founding ancestors of Wudang have poured into building such a vast system of theory?”
Kwak Yeon was in awe. This was the very root that allowed Wudang to take root as one of the great sects.
“I can’t afford to neglect a single thing.”

With fiery eyes, he buried himself even deeper into the study of internal strength.
But at some point, unease began to creep in.
Suddenly, he was reminded of his current condition.

“What if I really am incapable of accumulating internal energy?”
No matter how much he studied, it would be meaningless.
Everything would remain just an image in his mind—nothing more.

That was not what he wanted.
The more he studied internal energy, the more desperate he became.
Perhaps if he’d remained ignorant, he wouldn’t feel this desperation.

He remembered something Elder Jang once said: “There is no separate hell beyond the heart.”
Had Elder Jang spent his entire life living in that hell?
Then why had he never left Mount Wudang?

“Was it regret?”
He didn’t know.
But he did know this: he, too, was becoming trapped in that hell. No matter where he ran, there would be no escape from the prison of the mind.

His danjeon remained silent, lifeless.
It was right there—so close he could see it—but beyond a gap he couldn’t cross.
Now that full-fledged Surface Palm training had begun, Kwak Yeon’s frustration began to take full form.

—BOOM!
A hole burst open in the brick wall.
“Whoa! Congrats, Pyo Yeongsang!”

“You finally succeeded in Releasing Strength.”
It had taken twenty-eight days since he began Surface Palm training, but Pyo Yeongsang had finally managed to break through the brick wall using Releasing Strength.
The Eternal Wudang disciples, who had already mastered Releasing Strength and moved on to Impact Palm training, all clapped in unison to congratulate him.

Pyo Yeongsang smiled awkwardly, but then his expression darkened.
“Could you all stop now?”
At his words, the applause ceased at once.

They had noticed Kwak Yeon, still standing in front of an unbroken wall of bricks.
With Pyo Yeongsang advancing to the next stage, Kwak Yeon was now the only one left in Releasing Strength training.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere settling over the training ground, Kwak Yeon walked over to Pyo Yeongsang.

“No need to do that for me. Let’s all congratulate Yeongsang.”
But no one stepped forward to clap or offer their congratulations.
Kwak Yeon’s expression fell.

Clap. Clap. Clap.
Seok Jangsan began clapping first.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s celebrate. Today is Pyo Yeongsang’s day—tomorrow it’ll be Kwak Yeon’s turn.”

Only then did the sound of hesitant applause break the silence.
Kwak Yeon turned to Pyo Yeongsang and said,
“I ruined your good mood. I’m sorry.”

“Kwak Yeon, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. If anything, I should be thanking you. Honestly, I’ve just been copying your movements this whole time. That’s why I was able to succeed today.”
It was a bold confession.
“Even so, that’s your own achievement.”

“No. I know you deliberately slowed your movements and separated them out so I could follow along. Just like you did back when we were training in Taiji Sphere Techniques.”
“…”
“I never thanked you because of some stupid pride. But now that I’ve passed and you’re still stuck… I feel really guilty.”

As Pyo Yeongsang trailed off, Seok Jangsan cut in abruptly.
“You mean it pains you, right?”
“Yeah, exactly! That’s what I wanted to say. It pains me.”

Seok Jangsan turned to the other disciples.
“Everyone here probably feels the same way. Don’t you?”
Jeong I-chu nodded and stepped forward.

“That’s right. The reason we Eternal Wudang disciples have achieved such incredible results this time is all thanks to you, Kwak Yeon. I’ve been copying your movements too.”
“Same here!”
“Hey! There’s no one here who hasn’t. Except maybe Jangsan.”

Seok Jangsan responded immediately.
“Why am I the exception? I started copying Kwak Yeon from day one!”
The group of boys burst out laughing.

Seok Jangsan gave Kwak Yeon a firm pat on the shoulder.
“Come on, Master Kwak. Don’t give up.”
Kwak Yeon was deeply moved by their support.

But at the same time, a wave of self-loathing surged up from within.
“…I want to stop for today.”
Even Seok Jangsan found that, just for now, he couldn’t bring himself to chase after Kwak Yeon.

 
****
These days, Instructor Hyeonmun, head of Eternal Wudang, was in unusually high spirits.

Not only had the disciples shown the best results since he took over the division, but as a teacher, he also felt a renewed sense of pride.
The passion he had lost long ago had returned ever since he began giving internal energy lectures again.
This group of Eternal Wudang disciples was different from the sluggish students of the past.

They constantly asked questions during lectures and showed outstanding concentration.
That was why the attitude of the students mattered more than anything else to a teacher.
And the one who had led the group in that direction was Kwak Yeon.

He was also the one thing Instructor Hyeonmun worried about.
There had always been a few children who were slow to accumulate internal energy, so up until recently, he hadn’t been too concerned.
But lately, that anxiety had started to grow.

The gap between Kwak Yeon and the others had become too wide.
Surface Palm training could not progress without internal energy—it was only natural.
Instructor Hyeonmun knew that Kwak Yeon had been fully focused on Taiji Internal Circulation and Energy Conduction training.

“The more impatient you are, the harder it becomes to accumulate energy. Always keep the Clear and Silent Focus Point in mind.”
That was all he could say to avoid the risk of Qi Deviation, and there was nothing more he could do.
After learning internal energy methods, all future progress depended entirely on the practitioner.

Instructor Hyeonmun recalled his visit to the Medicine Hall a few days ago to speak with Instructor Hyeonik.
Instructor Hyeonik had just returned to the Medicine Hall from his time at the Outer Martial Pharmacy.