Return of the Martial Soul – Chapter 3: The Awakening of the Seal
Deep within the heart of Unryonghoe’s stronghold, the Heaven’s Seal—long dormant—began to emit a subtle yet unmistakable resonance, as if absorbing the very qi of the ancient land.
Kang Mujin stood in silence, now dressed in a traditional martial robe, the pendant-shaped seal resting on his palm.
"Why does this thing react to me...?"
Elder Woon Gihyeon stood beside him, his voice as calm as mountain wind.
"That is the energy of the heavens. A fate you were born with. The seal does not respond to just anyone."
Mujin scoffed, still unconvinced. But the energy emanating from the seal grew stronger, like a slumbering beast beginning to stir.
---
That night.
Within the hidden training hall of Unryonghoe, Mujin began his first steps in martial cultivation. But no matter how closely he imitated the forms, the flow of qi eluded him.
"Too many distractions," Woon Gihyeon noted.
"Martial arts are not merely movements. They are harmony—between mind, spirit, and breath. A fractured heart cannot conduct the flow."
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Mujin closed his eyes and allowed memories to surface—his family, his lost junior, the cold silence of his modern life. As he slowly let them go, something shifted inside him.
A subtle stream of air gathered around his fingers.
Woon Gihyeon did not flinch. He nodded instead.
"The flow has awakened. You are ready… to break the first seal."
---
Days later.
Mujin was taken to a forbidden ground known as Cheonbisa—The Shrine of Heavenly Secrets. Beneath a towering cliff stood an ancient stone gate, covered in forgotten symbols.
"There will be a trial."
As the stone doors groaned open, a man in black emerged. His presence was like still air before a storm.
His name was Bifung, a battle-hardened master from the Practical Sect.
Bifung studied Mujin and spoke quietly.
"If you are a True One… then prove it through your sword."
Within the stone chamber, their blades clashed. Mujin was still a novice, but the seal’s energy began to guide his movements in subtle ways.
With one deft strike, Bifung knocked Mujin’s sword aside and muttered:
"You’re unrefined. But… your body waits for the qi to lead."
He paused, then stepped back.
"Accepted. You are connected to the flow of the Heaven’s Seal."
As Bifung retreated, a soft glow emerged from the chamber’s rear.
A new relic revealed itself—the Jade of Fleeting Clouds.
When Mujin reached out, it resonated with the Heaven’s Seal. The third mark was etched upon it, and the seal began to spin slowly, harmonizing with a deeper energy.
---
That night.
Mujin stared at the seal, now pulsing with three distinct energies.
"If this really is my fate…"
A faint voice echoed within his dream.
"When the Seven Treasures are gathered, the Gate shall open… and the path home shall be revealed."
Mujin awoke with a start.
He was no longer merely a survivor. He was now… a traveler on the road of destiny.
To be continued.
