The village of Jeongbong clung to the base of the mountain like a whisper to the wind, cold mist coiling through its narrow streets. Ji Han, only eleven, lived a life untouched by the grandiose his days spent in his family's humble herb shop, listening to his grandfather's tales of legendary martial artists. Warriors who could tear the skies apart with a blade, monks who healed with a single breath, and grandmasters who commanded the very elements themselves. But those stories were as distant to him as the stars, vivid but unreachable.
Ji Han's ambitions were simpler. While his friends dreamed of becoming the next great martial artist, wielding swords and mastering secret techniques, Ji Han had always shrugged it off, saying he would become a prosperous merchant. He would bring wealth to his family's shop, selling rare herbs from the mountains and beyond. Martial arts, with all its glory and danger, wasn't for him. Or so he thought.
One misty evening, while playing with his friends near the mountain's edge, a sudden disturbance in the air brought their game to a halt. In the distance, two figures moved like shadows, martial artists, locked in combat. Shockwaves rippled from their strikes, shaking the ground and sending gusts of wind that made the trees sway like ocean waves. The very air hummed with raw power as their techniques cracked the earth beneath them. Ji Han's friends, wide-eyed with fear, turned and fled, but Ji Han remained. Mesmerized. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene, his heart thundering in his chest as he witnessed something beyond mere mortal strength, a glimpse into the legends his grandfather spoke of.
When the battle finally ceased, silence fell over the valley. Ji Han looked around, realizing his friends had abandoned him. But something else caught his attention—a faint rumble, a shift in the rocks near the base of the mountain. A crack had appeared, as if the mountain itself had been stirred by the battle. Curiosity tugged at him, and before he knew it, his feet were moving towards the fissure.
He slipped inside, the walls of the crack expanding into a hidden cave. The air within was cool, ancient, and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Ji Han saw a small shrine in the heart of the cavern. Upon it lay three dusty tomes, their covers worn but the titles clearly visible. One read Unmovable Dao, and the other The General Path and the last had no title. His heart pounded in his chest. These were no ordinary books. They were martial manuals, the kind that held within them the secrets of untold power.
Without thinking, Ji Han snatched them up, tucking them into his pouch. He dashed home, eager to tell his parents of his discovery, but when he arrived, the house was empty. Alone in the quiet, his excitement overcame him. He pulled out the Unmovable Dao and opened it. The General's Path was too complex, written in an ancient script he couldn't understand, but the Unmovable Dao... that was different. He could read it. And what he found inside made his heart race.
The manual spoke of a martial art unlike any he had ever imagined. It described three breathing techniques, each designed to strengthen the body and expand one's chi—the vital energy of all living things. The first technique, called Mountain Regard, was said to enhance the meridians within the body, refining one's chi to flow like the unyielding mountain winds, and allowing the practitioner to draw strength from the very earth itself.
He began practicing that night, sitting in the quiet of his room, breathing deeply as the book instructed. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then, slowly, he felt it—a stirring within him, a warmth that spread through his body. His senses sharpened, his muscles tightened, and for the first time in his life, Ji Han felt connected to something far greater than himself. It was as if the mountain itself was breathing with him, its timeless strength seeping into his veins.
The other breathing tecniques were simpler, the obsidian tortoise breathing tecnique, who used the chi gathered By the mountain regard breathing tecnique and used It to reform the body, making It as sturdy as possible, Seeking to achieve an impenetrable body
and the last one soul domain breathing tecnique wich aims to better the soul By building traps and defenses mecanisms in the soul itself
Together, these three techniques formed the foundation of the Unmovable Dao, a martial path designed to create a practitioner as unshakable as the mountain itself, steadfast, impenetrable, unyielding.
"Those are really interresting maybe i should learn them, but the General's Path is in a ancient languague and the other one doesn't even have a title"
While he talks, in the cave he got the books a mysterious figure speaks to its servants
"It was supposed to be here," a voice rasped, low and cold. The figure stood in the center of a vast, dimly lit chamber, its walls lined with dark-robed servants, each one kneeling in subservience. Their master paced in front of an ancient altar, frustration etched across his face. "The map was clear, the temple exists. The books should be here!"
He paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room. Something caught his eye, a glint of metal in the corner. He strode over, and there, leaning against the wall, was a sword. Its blade was dull, as if it hadn't been drawn in years, but a faint aura of power still surrounded it. He recognized it instantly.
"The Thundering Motion Sword," he murmured. "So, whoever took my books was foolish enough to leave this behind." He smirked, his gaze darkening. "No matter. The books will be mine, one way or another."
He turned to his servants, his voice cold and sharp as a blade. "Search the village. Find the one who took them. They can't have gotten far. I want the ancient martial arts returned to me before the next full moon. And if anyone stands in your way..." His eyes gleamed. "Remove them."
One of the servants responds "but master this is emerald dragon's territory If he notices us close we will have a big problem, master mountain tiger and master Crazy hurricane were battling earlier and he stopped then with ease, i believe he could pose a threat to us"
"Damn it! Nothing Goes acording to plan, we will have to get the books later then" the leader says with rage
Back in his small room, Ji Han had drifted off into deep sleep after practicing his cultivation. His body, already beginning to absorb the benefits of the Mountain Regard, felt heavier, more grounded, as though the earth itself was lending him its strength.
Unbeknownst to him, his actions had already set forces into motion. Forces that had lain dormant for centuries, waiting for the right moment to awaken. And now, with the ancient texts in his possession, Ji Han had unwittingly become the focal point of a looming conflict, one that would test not only his newfound strength, but the strength of his will, his soul, and his very destiny.