1033——————==

True Martial Home

I started training in the Immortal Sword Technique. Before diving into it, I considered calling my master, Yeodong-bin, who’s basically a genius in this sword skill, but then I thought, “Nah, that’s not right.”

“Yeodong-bin has already taught me the basics in the past. And I haven’t even fully mastered them yet… If I do call him, it’ll only be when I get stuck on the basics.”

Calling him when I have zero progress would only lead to frustration for both of us. Training isn’t something that can just be handed to you on a silver platter. I decided to call Yeodong-bin only after I had laid a solid foundation in the Immortal Sword Technique.

I recalled the training methods for the Immortal Sword Technique.

[Simply summoning the Immortal Sword and fighting will accumulate cause and effect. But, it’s gonna take forever.]

[The essence of the law of cause and effect is circular, so once you understand the principle of circles, you can train in the hidden wonders of the Immortal Sword Technique.]

[When you use the sword, you will feel the pulse within the Immortal Sword connecting to your heart and blood. Give it a try.]

[Qi should flow according to the principles of Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence. Since Qi and Intent are connected, the Immortal Sword Technique is also influenced by Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence. Therefore, you should use this as a foundation to develop the Immortal Sword Technique.]

[Connect the sword and your heart, and draw at least a hundred circles a day.]

[Once your proficiency reaches a certain level, you will be able to sharpen the sword.]

Yeah, it’s coming back to me vividly.

“I need to draw over a hundred circles each day with the Immortal Sword, and once I sharpen it, I can learn the Spirit Sword and accumulate karma!”

The training process was clear. I focused my mind, believing my arm was connected to the Immortal Sword. Slowly, but precisely, I began to draw circles in the air.

No sound, no vibrations. I didn’t even unleash any powerful thrusts or sonic booms. It felt like drawing circles in a quiet lake with my Immortal Sword, nothing more.

Eventually, I managed to draw a hundred circles without too much difficulty, which honestly felt way easier compared to the hellish training I had done before. I tilted my head in confusion since I didn’t feel any strain on my muscles or Qi despite being cautious while drawing them for a while.

“Hmm… Is that it?”

It felt too easy, somehow lackluster.

“They said to draw at least a hundred circles each day, but if I stop at a hundred, that’s just lame. I gotta do more.”

I thought to myself as I kept on drawing circles with the Immortal Sword.

Swoosh, swoosh.

After drawing about a thousand more, I was like, “What am I doing?” and stopped. If training were tough, I’d be gritting my teeth to get stronger, but it felt more like I was watering down alcohol—no significant challenge whatsoever! I felt like I was wasting my time.

“…”

Alright, I’ll call it a day. I did ten times the recommended training, so that counts for something…

I spent the rest of the time practicing the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art, accumulating Thunder Energy in my body. Whenever I could, I helped Zhu Xian learn the Soul Exchange Technique to make it easier for him to practice the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art.

Days slipped by uneventfully for about ten days. I drew a thousand circles with the Immortal Sword every day, but honestly, nothing changed.

Is this really training?

If it were proper training, I’d feel some struggle to at least catch a glimmer of accomplishment, right?

I felt confused by the Immortal Sword training, which was unlike any martial arts training I had done before, but I reminded myself that I was still in the early stages; it had only been ten days after all. At least a month of this might lead to some conclusions.

Whoosh!

During that time, I realized that I was starting to make some progress in the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art. The size of the Thunder Energy swirling inside me had increased by at least fifty percent, and its circulation speed was picking up too. I felt pretty proud realizing my Thunder Soul was building up.

“Hmm… but the Immortal Sword Technique still feels underwhelming…”

And so, a month passed.

Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin showed up at the training area and handed me a treasure.

“Here, catch.”

“What’s this?”

“The Mangnyang elder sends out treasures once a month. This time it’s the Yin-Yang Mirror, following the last one, the Tongtian Divine Fire Pearl.”

“Oh, from the designated true master of Kunlun….”

I took the palm-sized half-red, half-white mirror, the Yin-Yang Mirror, and stared at it in amazement. With this, I ended up with two powerful treasures! I said to Cheon Woo-jin,

“Lately, I haven’t even used the National Seal much. It just feels like all I’m doing is collecting treasures. Why are we getting so many?”

“It’s part of the Celestial Proximity Plan.”

“Hmm? Didn’t you mention that before?”

Cheon Woo-jin explained,

“Currently, the Celestial Realm and the Human Realm are artificially distanced from each other to prevent a chain collapse. However, if we stay this distant, we won’t have any influence on the Human Realm before doom strikes. So, the plan is to reconnect the cause and effect and bring the Celestial Realm and the Human Realm closer together… This is what the elder is organizing.”

“I see. But wait, didn’t we distance ourselves to escape destruction before? Isn’t reconnecting risky?”

“As long as we’ve avoided destruction, that’s what matters. The tricky part is reintegrating the distance that we’ve created.”

“Ah… I get it.”

“Sending powerful treasures to the Heavenly Altar once a month is part of this plan. The more strong treasures that appear in the world, the stronger the cause-and-effect that occurs. It also allows you and the Great Bear Empire to obtain some strong treasures.”

I understood the situation after Cheon Woo-jin’s explanation. While organizing his words in my head, I spoke,

“Aren’t the Illuminati attacking us these days?”

“They have been strangely silent since their last meeting with the Galactic Tribe Alliance. While they were in a cold war, the number of clashes with their androids has been decreasing.”

As I kept chatting with Cheon Woo-jin, a thought struck me.

“Isn’t the Transference Gate fixed now?”

“That’s a bit peculiar.”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned a little,

“When you activated the Transference Gate, it suffered severe damage, and despite the Empire’s brainiacs working on it, it hasn’t been restored…”

“What?! Are you saying all the data from the Transference Gate is gone?!”

“That’s the odd part. The data is completely intact and accessible. The old general computing without the quantum brain chip is functioning normally. It’s just the AI that existed in the Transference Gate is completely nonfunctional and cannot be restored.”

“……?”

I stared blankly at him, not quite grasping what he was saying, as Cheon Woo-jin continued,

“To put it simply, only the AI is down. So now the Transference Gate, which used to play a pivotal role in the Great Bear Empire, is just an ordinary computer.”

“Is that a serious problem?”

“…The Empire has plenty of human resources, so it’s not a significant issue. A supercomputer that was assisting the Transference Gate is currently operational as a temporary fix. But in the ongoing arms race against the Illuminati, the slow progress of AI development is quite painful. It may not be a major problem for now, but….”

“Hmm. I wonder why that happened…”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin took a puff from his electronic cigarette and said,

“Baek Woong. Once your training is over, come to the capital. It seems this AI problem with the Transference Gate can only be resolved by you.”

“Eh? Are you saying I broke it?”

“Clearly, there’s some causal relationship involved. You have to come.”

“Hey, what did I even do….”

Boom!

Without answering, Cheon Woo-jin vanished using his space-time mending technique. I grumbled to myself.

“Seriously. Only says what he needs to and disappears.”

I continued my training.

I spent each day drawing a thousand circles with the Immortal Sword and practicing the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art in rotation, while also helping Zhu Xian in his growth. Additionally, Lee Seol-pyo sought to learn from the Absolute Realm, so I sparred with him sometimes to guide him in martial arts.

Another three months went by.

My collection of treasures accumulated, and I now had five.

“……”

What is happening…

What’s all this about?

“I haven’t gained a single thing!!”

Boom!

I yelled out loud while standing under a waterfall, trying to meditate atop a cliff.

That’s right.

It had already been four months since I started training in the Immortal Sword Technique! Even though I drew circles with the sword every day, I felt no progress—just an endless loop of circles. Meanwhile, both Lee Seol-pyo and Zhu Xian had made great strides in their martial arts; Zhu Xian had advanced far beyond novice level and was now quite skilled. The only one stuck in place was me.

What’s going on?

Did I draw too few circles? I thought about increasing my count from a thousand to two thousand, three thousand, all the way up to four thousand, hitting ten thousand even. But no matter how many circles I drew, I saw no progress, no enlightenment, not even the slightest bit of accomplishment.

While the hell training created a different kind of anxiety and emptiness in my heart, I longed for the tangible feeling of achievement that came from overcoming torturous pain instead of this never-ending cycle of frustration. It felt like the first life, aimlessly swinging the Six Harmonies Sword Technique without any grounding.

“Yeodong-bin, come forth!”

Eventually, I called out Yeodong-bin.

[Did you call, Dharma Protector?]

“Is this really how I should be training in the Immortal Sword Technique?!”

[……?]

I summoned the sword and showed it to Yeodong-bin while explaining my training routine thus far.

“Counting all the circles, I must have drawn at least several hundred thousand! Yet, I haven’t felt the accumulation of cause and effect or anything sharpening the sword!”

Hearing this, Yeodong-bin stood still, pondering deeply. Then he replied,

[Then why don’t you draw in front of me?]

“Sure.”

Whoosh.

I drew the circles with the Immortal Sword. I kept going, surpassing a hundred, but it was around five hundred when Yeodong-bin, who was watching silently, finally said,

[You’re just drawing circles… and you haven’t drawn enough. That’s not training at all.]

“What do you mean?!”

[You haven’t even tried to grasp the significance of drawing those circles. In what way can you assert your beliefs when you don’t understand the meaning behind the action of drawing the circles with the Immortal Sword?]

“…I’ve never heard that before.”

[Only I know the true Immortal Sword Technique. Somehow I’m not sure where you learned my distinctive training methods. You’ve become too accustomed to learning from others.]

“……”

[You lacked the autonomous will to discover the hidden meanings on your own.]

So that was it?!

[As long as you are sincerely willing to train in the Immortal Sword Technique, I have an obligation to teach you the martial discussions.]

“No, even if that’s the case, how can I go about it if I feel like I’ve just been digging a hole this entire time?”

[First, sit down.]

After sitting in front of Yeodong-bin, he said.

[By the way, have you ever heard what a circle means?]

I searched my memory and replied,

“Um… I don’t think I’ve ever heard a specific explanation. I was told I had to grasp the essence on my own…”

[Exactly, you must understand the essence on your own. But from the looks of it, you don’t seem to have much talent, nor have you been independent enough in your learning, so… it might be wise for me to give you some enlightenment at this critical moment.]

Then, Yeodong-bin continued,

[What do you think is the biggest feature of a circle?]

“It’s round.”

[What does being round have to do with the law of cause and effect? What does roundness symbolize in this world… that’s essential.]

“……?”

[You’ve just been handed a major clue.]

Huh? What does that even mean?

I was left questioning what to do for a moment, scratching my head.

‘Hmm… what is he talking about?’

What is the significance of roundness?

Feeling blank, I remained silent, and Yeodong-bin said,

[If I explain every detail to you, you’ll get less enlightenment. Keep pondering the question I posed to you while continuing your circle drawing training. I mean you should think while you wield the sword.]

“Ah-ha!”

[That way, you might come to understand the relationship between circles and cause and effect on your own.]

“Couldn’t you just tell me that now?”

[Rationally, it’s a straightforward concept. Anyone could grasp it relatively easily. However, understanding it and embodying that understanding into your martial practice is an entirely different story. Just because a scholar understands a principle doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily be a genius in martial arts, you know?]

Yeodong-bin’s eyes shone for a moment.

[Baek Woong, you are an absolute master who’s courageous enough to stand against even a god. From now on, rather than living off the enlightenment of others, you must use your will and instinct to carve out your own rocky path ahead. That path will be more treacherous than hell training, but that’s just how it is when you’re aiming to surpass the absolute mastery.]

“Hmm…”

[All masters of absolute mastery are destined to wield their own unique, unprecedented techniques. No one can walk your path in martial arts on your behalf. In order to tread that lonely, arduous road, you need to have the right mindset to begin with.]

I started to understand Yeodong-bin’s words.

‘So, it’s about finding my own path without a teacher….’

Things felt a little clearer now. Even though I’m still struggling to practice new world-class martial skills, I’ve begun testing new basic techniques using Intent Heavenly Pillar, in a way that’s independent of talent. I felt it was akin to creating something novel connected to my intent and imagination. If this creative process is repeated, I have a feeling that I can break the existing mold and gain a new power.

Yeodong-bin said,

[Well then, I’ll take my leave.]

“Wait! I have a question.”

[What is it?]

I hesitated but decided to ask the thing that had been bothering me the most.

“I may lack talent, but I’ve made every effort to reach this absolute mastery. It took a very long time. So, can a talentless person like me really reach the Divine Realm?”

I want to know.

Will I truly be able to obtain the Divine Skill?

In response, Yeodong-bin simply replied,

[Baek Woong, just how much talent do you think god has?]

“……?”

[I’ll take my leave now. I have a lot to train for as well.]

Boom!

Yeodong-bin disappeared. I stared blankly at the place he vanished, shaking my head.

“Damn it, I guess there’s no easy route ahead.”

None of Yeodong-bin’s words made much sense to me; I felt like we had just gone in circles in a confusing philosophical discussion. What’s the deal with circles, anyway…?

But somehow, I felt as if the blocked path had opened, and my mind felt clearer. Also, it seemed as if the law of cause and effect made its presence felt when he was being unusually kind. Was that why?

Sigh, sigh.

Let’s get through this training before worrying about it!

I resolved to devote myself to training for another two months.

Then, around that time, Liu Ha came by the training ground.

“Your Majesty~~ The call from Sagong Lin is urgent!”

“What’s going on?”

“There’s been a nuclear war~~.”

“…….”

What on earth?

Boom!

I quickly teamed up with Zhu Xian and Cho Mu-rin using Liu Ha’s small Transference Gate and headed to the main palace. There, Sagong Lin was waiting for us in a secret room.

“You’ve arrived, Baek Woong.”

“What do you mean there’s a nuclear war?”

Sagong Lin sighed and replied,

“The war broke out 20 minutes and 45 seconds ago. Illuminati-controlled puppet governments from the Third World launched 145 nuclear missiles simultaneously towards the Great Bear Empire without any formal declaration of war. It’s a real headache…”

“…So, the Illuminati is striking the Great Bear Empire?”

“Correct.”

“But I didn’t notice any missiles flying nearby or any signs of evacuation around the training area.”

Prompted by my words, Professor Sima Ling, who was standing next to Sagong Lin, answered instead.

“Most of the missiles were annihilated by the illusions and barriers deployed by Cheon Woo-jin. The main territory has sustained zero damage, and the areas where missiles fell have returned to normal.”

“…….”

“It was possible thanks to amplifying the power with the Philosopher’s Stone. Unfortunately, a few missiles still fell outside the homeland, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Wow… that’s pretty impressive.

“What about Cheon Woo-jin now?”

“He’s resting after exhausting his powers.”

“I see.”

While I was secretly admiring Cheon Woo-jin’s illusions, Sagong Lin said,

“Baek Woong. The reason Illuminati has challenged the Great Bear Empire is that the day we promised with the Galactic Tribe Alliance is fast approaching. They seem to think they can’t win against the Great Bear Empire once the support from outer space begins.”

I began to piece together the situation.

“Hmmm… So what’s the reason for summoning me?”

“Please help us wrap this up. We’ve located the lair of the Illuminati shadow government, the Reptilian Lord.”

Sagong Lin slowly extended her hand. Then, eight tactical forces agents stepped forward from the waiting area. With Zhu Xian and Liu Ha joining, we made a complete team of ten.

She spoke again.

“According to our investigation, their base is located on the far side of the moon.”

“Hmmm…”

“Please help us end this war swiftly.”

After a moment of contemplation, I nodded.

“Alright, let’s go!”

It’s my chance to take down those filthy bastards who tried to blow me up with their nuclear explosions!