[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 271

The inherent limitations of the human species.

To overcome them, what must one do?

Humans, with their fragile bodies, have always pondered how to become stronger.

A human with a gun can take down even the king of Africa, the elephant. But prick them with a thin needle, and they’ll cry in pain. Stub their toe on a doorstep, and tears will flow.

That’s humanity, and that’s the limit of the flesh.

“Martial arts are the essence of techniques humans have developed and refined over centuries.”

The answer comes from Grandfather Changma’s mouth.

Meanwhile, he’s calmly getting treatment for his torn-off finger, looking completely unfazed.

“Techniques?”

“Techniques are what you develop through repetitive training and learning.”

To overcome the limits of the flesh.

To overcome the limits of the species.

That’s what techniques are, and that’s the essence of what’s called martial arts.

“No matter how much a human trains through relentless effort, it’s true they can’t match even a single swipe of a tiger’s paw.”

“Tigers are scary, huh?”

“Hahaha.”

Techniques are the essence of life devised by humans, who are inherently lacking in physical strength.

Here, unless you separately train in external martial arts for physical conditioning, everyone’s basic strength is roughly the same.

External training is only done in the early stages for a healthy body, and it’s rare for martial artists to make external training their main focus.

“No matter how much you train externally, you’ll just become a slow, hard turtle. They may become prey, but they’ll never become predators.”

This answer likely comes from an early realization of human limitations.

That’s why they focus not on external training but on energy manipulation techniques, cultivated through breathing exercises, to harness the inner energy stored in the dantian.

By channeling this intangible energy, called inner energy, to their feet, they can achieve explosive bursts of speed. They can also enhance regular attacks with this energy for greater impact.

But they can never achieve sustained physical enhancement. That’s the limit of humanity.

“The breathing technique that channels this intangible inner energy is what we call the heart technique.”

“Are there differences in efficiency among heart techniques?”

“Hoho, of course. The common energy circulation technique you can find in the market, if practiced diligently for 60 years, yields what we call 1 *gapja* of inner energy. What we possess is a qualitatively different heart technique.”

“Wow!”

“For example, that old poisoner over there uses poison to channel his energy for attacks.”

There are differences in efficiency among inner energy techniques, and the same goes for the sword techniques, fist techniques, and other offensive methods that utilize this accumulated energy.

Some may gain 1 *gapja* of inner energy after 60 years of training, while others gain 3 *gapja*. Some might only leave a scratch on a giant tree with a fraction of their energy, while others can completely cut it down.

“With such extreme differences in efficiency, security around martial arts must be incredibly important.”

“Correct. You understand well. In the martial world, hundreds of people can die over a single martial art technique.”

Here in the Cheonma Shin Guild, the stronger you are, the higher your rank. So, the fact that Grandfather Changma can casually chat with the sect leader means his rank is quite high.

The spear he wields weighs 9 kg.

That’s almost the weight of a lightweight barbell. Most cold weapons weigh around 1…

Assuming it’s around kg, that’s a really heavy weight.

In a world where even a slight brush can be fatal, moving swiftly with such a heavy weapon would be impossible with an ordinary body.

Just trying to understand that makes my head spin.

Even all that fuss about gods and whatnot starts to make sense.

Training alone and getting hurt, sparring and getting hurt, trying to settle disputes and getting hurt.

“Is this place full of patients?”

“You seem to know a lot.”

This is ridiculous.

“Ahem!”

Grandfather Changma must have felt my gaze, as he clears his throat and looks away.

“It’s done. Try moving.”

Grandfather clenches his fists a few times and then nods.

“Oh, it’s fine. Your medical skills have reached the heavens. Truly, you are a god of medicine.”

“I should have told you earlier, I’m sorry. That weapon seems to choose its owner.”

“Haha, I’m fine. It’s my fault for being careless, why should you apologize, child.”

It was just the weight. I didn’t want to lie, but it was the only way to make Grandfather understand.

If I hadn’t directly grabbed the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which is close to a mass weapon, my fingers wouldn’t have been torn to shreds.

“But why did your hair turn white?”

“It seems healing doesn’t work well if you’re injured by that staff. So I had to draw out some strength.”

Only after turning completely white did I manage to heal.

When Son Goku swings the Ruyi Jingu Bang, even though he’s startled, he picks up a nearby branch and blocks it lightly. I guess that’s why.

“It’s made of something called Shinjincheol.”

“Hmm, I’ve never heard of that.”

“I guess it was made to kill those so-called gods.”

The Ruyi Jingu Bang, regardless of its material, is something you can’t just swing around no matter how strong you are.

Even if you force yourself to lift and swing the 13,500-pound Ruyi, the ground would cave in, your legs would give out, or you’d slip.

That’s why you need the state of “Mu-ah” (無我, selflessness).

To erase your physical form, and even forget yourself.

It’s the same as when using the Cloud Technique.

If Hercules is the teacher of physical combat, Son Goku is the teacher who teaches you how to control your mind.

“This old man can’t handle weapons, so there’s no choice. I’ll watch your posture, so try attacking once.”

“Attack Grandfather? That’s a bit…”

“Hahaha! If your heart is that weak, it’ll be hard to survive in the martial world.”

Despite his words, he gently pats my head.

No matter what, I can’t kill someone who treats me so kindly.

“There’s no choice.”

As Grandfather Changma finishes speaking, someone quietly appears beside me.

“Did you call?”

“Yes. Try sparring with this child once.”

At Grandfather’s words, the person who suddenly appeared looks at me.

Judging by appearance, they seem to be in their 30s.

“I’m the youngest of the Changma Unit, a subordinate unit of the Changhun Unit.”

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

“Nice to meet you, miss. I’m Sang-Guangmu Song, the Celestial Spear, affiliated with the Changma Unit.”

“I’m Han Ga-eul. I’m not affiliated with any unit.”

“…Understood.”

The conversation ends quickly with an awkward reply.

“Grandfather, am I really supposed to fight this person? They’re not even an enemy.”

“Try testing your skills once.”

“Ugh…”

“Why, are you unwilling?”

“Yes. Somehow…”

Grandfather, without answering, pats my head once and then steps back, creating some distance.

“Begin!”

I guess there’s no other way.

As I make up my mind, a path of wind opens up.

Kwa-gwa-gak—!

With a single step, a fierce gale sweeps in.

**〈First Gale (一陣狂風)〉**

I push off the ground with force in my legs, and my body rushes forward as if the earth is folding beneath me.

***

Changma Squad member, Sang-Guangmu Song, the Celestial Spear, and Han Ga-eul stand at a distance.

The elders watching them step back and begin to observe the situation.

“Begin!”

Changma shouts at the two who were just staring at each other.

At the same time, a path of wind forms in front of Han Ga-eul.

“What is that…?”

“I’ve never seen it before either. Must be some kind of advanced technique the kid has mastered.”

They had no idea what the fight meant to Han Ga-eul.

To her, fighting meant killing or crippling.

“Her stance is unusual too.”

Han Ga-eul slightly lowers her waist.

At the same time, she shoots forward like the wind.

Pang—!!

As Han Ga-eul dashes forward at an incredible speed, the recoil sends a sharp gust of wind into the faces of the elders standing at a distance.

“So fast…”

“An astonishing lightness skill.”

The distance between the two, which was quite far, closes in the blink of an eye.

Sang-Guangmu Song feels his chest sink.

The moment Changma said “begin,” the woman with peach-colored hair was already right in front of his nose.

‘Wh-when did she…!’

He joined the Changma Squad, a subordinate unit of the Changhun Corps, in his early 30s. People around him praised him as a once-in-a-generation genius.

That’s why he approached this lightly.

But as he sees the trajectory of the fist tearing through the wind, all he can do is barely tilt his head.

‘If I don’t dodge, I’ll die…!!’

Before he can finish that thought, he realizes too late that an immense pain has struck his knee.

Crack!

“Ugh!!?”

Han Ga-eul, who had been throwing punches, kicks his knee as if pushing him away.

Thanks to that, Sang-Guangmu’s leg bends backward and tears off, flying away.

“Grrr!”

Crack!

Han Ga-eul’s fist flies toward his face again. Before it lands, Changma’s booming voice reaches Sang-Guangmu’s ears.

“Ah, what a pity.”

‘What…?’

He’s already lost his leg. What could possibly be a pity?

Unable to ask, Sang-Guangmu only thinks to himself as Han Ga-eul’s muttering voice reaches him belatedly.

“I could’ve pulled it out.”

Han Ga-eul’s hand stops right in front of Sang-Guangmu’s eyeball.

“……”

Neither Sang-Guangmu nor the elders watching knew this:

Han Ga-eul’s skin was so tough that even a demon’s claws couldn’t leave a scratch.

But when Han Ga-eul uses the Cloud Technique on both legs to shoot forward, the friction is enough to tear her skin.

However, today, her hand…

Han Ga-eul’s skin was perfectly fine.

The elders were looking at the scene with serious expressions.

“The child’s attack…”

“It’s too intense, way too intense.”

Dokma couldn’t finish his words, so Grim Sword continued for him.

Han Ga-eul’s attack was an extremely efficient straight-line attack aimed at the shortest distance to the enemy.

“That’s not martial arts or anything. It’s just an attack meant to tear apart a living being.”

“Her hand speed is too brutal. She doesn’t hesitate at all when attacking weak points.”

“If the Heavenly Slaughter Star saw that, they’d tuck their tail and run.”

“Huh… Where did the child learn something like that?”

Meanwhile, Han Ga-eul was holding up Song Gwang-mu’s broken leg and smiling brightly.

[The Mad War Hero of the Gods (Peach Martial Arts Master)]

Boom!

The elders hurriedly rushed into the Extreme Demon Hall.

“Master!”

“Why are you all in such a hurry?”

“We can’t let our Ga-eul go out!”

At Grim Sword’s booming voice, the Heavenly Demon pressed his head.

“Our Ga-eul…? Are you talking about Shin Yi? I thought we had already decided to send him out.”

“That crazy woman… no, we absolutely cannot let Ga-eul go out!”

“Sigh. Before the Divine Teaching turns into a pigeon coop, tell me the reason.”

“She’s completely out of control… no, anyway, it’s not possible!”

The Heavenly Demon pressed his throbbing head with his fingers.

He was well aware that his tone became lighter when he was with his peers or elders.

Even so, such a thing was never a problem within the Divine Teaching, as Grim Sword’s formidable martial prowess naturally commanded respect.

But he had never acted so childishly before.

“Shin Yi is still young, not even twenty. It’s the age to see the world. It wouldn’t be bad to let him participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering. It’s about time for the Eight Heavenly Dragons to be newly established.”

The Eight Heavenly Dragons refer to the young talents of the martial world.

Depending on their gender, the most outstanding young talents who have reached their twenties are bestowed with the titles of Dragon and Phoenix.

That is the Eight Heavenly Dragons of the martial world.

The problem is that there are only eight seats, so they are always monopolized by the major sects.

“Did you just say the Eight Heavenly Dragons? Then is our Ga-eul the Radiant Dragon? Those worms and chickens will all be torn apart!”

“She’s a woman, so she’d be a Phoenix. What are you talking about with Radiant Dragon?”

“No way. She’ll definitely cause trouble. Absolutely not.”

“No matter how young, she’s still Shin Yi. Please show some respect.”