1051——————==

True Martial Home

The situation of the Monster War flowed into a long-term battle, just as Zhuge Yulong had predicted. The Eight Parts of the Divine continuously summoned monsters using some major sorcery, but as the [Mutants] were all hunted down, they had no choice but to sporadically appear in human form to summon their monster legions around them. Meanwhile, the Great Bear Empire used the combined techniques of Seong Jin and Abe no Seimei to detect the attacks and deployed elite troops, resulting in a tedious war of attrition.

Boom!!

The Great Bear Empire’s Commander, Guk-ho, leaped back with a crash while gripping his halberd. He frowned as he faced the Eight Parts of the Divine, Mahuraga.

“Damn it. What’s with this strength…”

But he couldn’t avoid fighting.

He was now loyal to the Great Bear Empire.

Before Baek Woong’s disappearance, Guk-ho had caught Baek Woong with Jin So-cheong after many internal struggles and decided to join the Great Bear Empire.

His initial goal was revenge against the White Lotus Sect and to kill Yong Bi-cheon, so siding with the Great Bear Empire, which had allied with the White Lotus Sect, seemed absurd. However, one day while imprisoned in the Great Bear Empire, Jin So-cheong appeared in his dreams, which changed his mind.

[Older Brother. Help the Great Bear Empire.]

[Jin So-cheong, what do you mean? Where did you suddenly go?]

[I became a disciple of Master Mangnyang, and with his help, I was able to appear in your dreams. Emperor Baek Woong is a Reborn Person.]

Explaining everything, Jin So-cheong continued.

[The grudge you hold against the Wind Spirit Sect is meaningless before a Reborn Person. Both you and I, as well as our master, were manipulated by Krishna… The Reborn Person is not our enemy. On the contrary, we must help him.]

[I can’t believe it. You want me to believe such nonsensical words just because you appeared in a dream?]

[Then what do you think is the reason you can clearly think and discern reality even while considering this space as a dream? Do you think this is just a simple dream?]

[…….]

[Older Brother, it’s fine to kill Yong Bi-cheon anytime later. In fact, being bound by such a person creates our limitations. So now, for a greater purpose, please strengthen yourself for the great cause.]

[A greater purpose? Is there anything more important than avenging the Merchant Sect?]

[Indeed. It’s the heavenly secret I learned through Master Mangnyang. I received permission to disclose it, so I will tell you… ]

As Jin So-cheong continued, Guk-ho inevitably understood. It was indeed a matter that resonated with him. After significant contemplation, he said.

[Alright… I will set aside all my grudges. But you must definitely return.]

[Of course. I will return, having gained the utmost strength.]

As Jin So-cheong’s figure faded, Guk-ho hurriedly shouted.

[Hey, you bastard, come back for real….]

If you’re going to command your older brother like that, go buy me a drink.

“……”

Unable to finish his last words before waking from the dream, Guk-ho wore a bitter smile.

“A great cause… While it doesn’t resonate with me, I’ve made a promise, so I’ll keep it.”

Afterward, Guk-ho declared his intention to surrender and joined the Great Bear Empire. By this time, Baek Woong had already disappeared, and the Reborn colleagues of the Great Bear Empire accepted Guk-ho without much opposition. Although Guk-ho had previously asked Baek Woong not to take him as a companion in his past life, the current situation made them eager to accept anyone, even just one more hand.

Guk-ho then acquired numerous martial arts from the Seven Great Techniques and the White Lotus Sect and received teachings from Dokgo Seong, the Hidden Master of the Thunder God Lineage. He also consumed mass-produced spiritual pills and rapidly increased his internal power, even receiving Vision Divine Techniques from the past elders of the Thunder God Lineage, like Red Moon, Cheongwol, and Green Moon. Having learned special techniques from Krishna and already awakened his potential, Guk-ho grew tremendously in power and, after about a decade, became a prominent figure within the Great Bear Empire.

Having honed his skills, Guk-ho also participated in the conquest wars of the Great Bear Empire, accumulating real combat experience. With more time passing, he emerged as one of the elite leaders of the Great Bear Empire, occupying a seat among the high-ranking commanders. Although he did not reach the Absolute Realm during the battle against the invading forces of Europe due to the need for homeland defense, the situation had changed now, and he was participating in a fierce battle against the Eight Parts of the Divine as a top-level force.

And now.

Guk-ho was directly fighting against Mahuraga, one of the Eight Parts of the Divine, in Sichuan Province. He had only been battling Mahuraga’s true form for a mere hundred seconds, yet he already felt immensely overwhelmed.

‘Ugh…. This is the strongest opponent I’ve ever faced in my life.’

It was his first duel with a divine being, and Guk-ho was inwardly astonished. Divine beings were said to operate on an entirely different level, separate from the other profound masters, but he never expected this level of strength! Every attack Guk-ho threw was effortlessly swatted away by Mahuraga, who even absorbed some attacks barehanded. Moreover, the sonic arts cast by Mahuraga possessed unimaginable destructive power; had it not been for the protective barrier cast by the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin beforehand, he wouldn’t have lasted even five seconds, let alone one hundred seconds.

[Die!!]

Mahuraga twisted like a serpent, gathering powerful energy in its mouth and unleashed it. Seeing that, Guk-ho widened his eyes.

Decisive Enlightenment

Thunderclap

Demon Suppression Technique

Bang!!

As Guk-ho swung his halberd, lightning erupted. He spun his weapon at unimaginable speed to deflect the thousands of sound waves emitted by Mahuraga. This was a technique Guk-ho commonly used, a rapid acceleration of the halberd’s blade tip through sudden Thunderclap casting, a technique that had never existed in the history of the Thunder God Lineage. He had created this technique naturally through thousands of battles, and its power rivaled that of any of the Thunder God Lineage’s techniques.

Mahuraga stepped back slightly and said.

[The Absolutes really are unfathomable. Do you truly intend to challenge one who has reached the Demon King’s realm with only a halberd? Do you not know the saying ‘The Mantis Stalks the Cicada’?]

“Hmph… What do I care?”

Guk-ho smirked as a crimson glow shot from his eyes.

“I’ll bet my life so just give me one of your arms!!”

[What?]

“Here I go…”

Wooooo

At that moment, the enormous halberd in Guk-ho’s hand began to bleed. As the handle, blade, and even the entire weapon glowed with blood, Guk-ho’s body quaked violently.

‘Cry, Fang Tian Hua Ji.’

Under normal weapons, Guk-ho’s Absolute Realm techniques couldn’t hold up; they’d break within a second. Theoretically, Guk-ho’s techniques placed a tremendous burden on any weapon. Even a diamond weapon wouldn’t withstand the pressures from his sheer intent.

Due to that reason, when Guk-ho was struggling, he was provided with a legendary weapon by the Zhuge Clan; this was the Fang Tian Hua Ji, the very pinnacle of halberds.

Snap!

The Blood Thunder wrapped around Guk-ho’s body like it was alive. Seeing that, Mahuraga guarded himself, but Guk-ho grinned devilishly, initiating his first attack.

“Hahaha!!”

Absolute Realm

Heavenly Light Blood Thunder

Paaaat

For a moment, Guk-ho completely vanished from Mahuraga’s perception. As Mahuraga realized that crimson lightning was darting around him at incredible speed, no matter how powerful Mahuraga might be, he couldn’t detect or evade the speed of lightning, so he could only watch helplessly as the flashes erupted within the rain of blood thunder.

Those flashes were the edge of the Fang Tian Hua Ji, imbued with the intent of the Absolute Realm.

Bang!!

Mahuraga’s body flew into the air. He had put up a sonic barrier beforehand, so he didn’t suffer a direct hit, but unlike previous encounters, there were significant cracks now in Mahuraga’s defenses. Mahuraga was inwardly panicking.

‘Thunder… The speed of light itself… If this continues, even I won’t be able to counterattack.’

Mahuraga felt a sense of crisis.

‘Impossible. Even if I want to sweep through everything, if that bastard strikes and retreats at the speed of light, it will only expose more weaknesses…. How is this even possible?!’

He had no way of knowing.

Guk-ho, having grasped the secrets of the Thunder God Lineage’s Soul Removal Techniques, had spent decades researching ways to apply that knowledge to create his very own techniques, optimized for maximum offensive power. This method of growth was closer to that of the Reborn Person Baek Woong.

Guk-ho indirectly became capable of employing his very own Thunder Spirit by leveraging the myriad of superb martial arts he had accumulated, thanks in part to the aid of Baek Woong. The Heavenly Light Blood Thunder was slower than a true Thunder Spirit, but at this speed, it was practically meaningless.

Boom!!

Again, at nearly the speed of a Thunder Spirit, Guk-ho’s attacks came crashing down continuously upon Mahuraga’s barrier. The overwhelming internal power and intent behind Guk-ho’s Heavenly Light Blood Thunder showed no signs of abating.

Clang!!

After launching more than 300 blows in a flash, Guk-ho’s decisive strike ultimately shattered the sound barrier protecting Mahuraga, and the blade’s tip of the Fang Tian Hua Ji sliced across Mahuraga’s scales. At the moment the blade pierced Mahuraga’s flesh, it let out a scream.

[Khraaaaaak!!]

Two hundred seconds –

As that instant passed, a phantom-like surge of crimson thunder coursed through Mahuraga’s body. And when the Blood Thunder transformed back into a human, Guk-ho reappeared, spewing blue blood as Mahuraga’s right arm flew off into the air.

Puff!!

Thud!

Guk-ho lowered the Fang Tian Hua Ji with a smirk.

“It’s true what they say. Even a mantis can slice through a cartwheel!”

[Khraaaaaaaaaak!! You bastard!!]

Kugugugug

“Ugh.”

At that moment, Mahuraga radiated an intense light and gathered immense power in the air. Guk-ho hastily attempted to escape using Heavenly Light Blood Thunder, but Mahuraga had already fired a sonic wave that constricted his body.

‘Damn it! Has the protective barrier from Cheon Woo-jin been completely used up…?’

Even when Mahuraga had struck back during Guk-ho’s earlier attack, he had automatically countered with sorcery. Mahuraga excelled in using sonic and sorcery arts and always carried automatic reflection spells. Guk-ho had succeeded in enduring Mahuraga’s automatic counter until he landed a decisive blow, but it seemed that the barrier from Cheon Woo-jin had completely dissipated in the process.

As Guk-ho became immobilized, Mahuraga opened his mouth wide and proclaimed.

[I can’t let you die easily. Become my meal!]

“……!!”

“Let’s not be so hasty; first, let’s roast you a little!”

Snap!!

From the thundercloud summoned by Mahuraga, a bolt of lightning cascaded down and struck Guk-ho. Despite being electrocuted and suffering immense pain, Guk-ho didn’t let out a single groan. Mahuraga’s eyes glistened with intrigue.

[Oh well. Even a lightning strike that could charcoal an elephant doesn’t faze you? You must have some resistance, probably from dealing with thunder arts…]

“…Huff, huff….”

[Sometimes, I have to serve raw food as well!]

Zzam….

Mahuraga’s jaw opened wide enough to swallow a person whole. As he clearly revealed the inside of his maw, Guk-ho desperately thought about whether he could turn this situation around.

‘No…’

The gap in strength was just too great.

Ultimately, Guk-ho closed his eyes.

‘Jin So-cheong. I’m sorry. I can’t keep my promise.’

Darkness engulfed him.

Gulp.

As he felt his entire body being sucked into the mouth of the serpent, Guk-ho’s consciousness faded away.

“Damn it, am I too late?!”

Just before Guk-ho’s awareness completely left him, he thought he heard a voice.

“I might have succeeded in killing Mahuraga, but…”

Mangnyang sighed.

“Guk-ho has suffered a grave injury…”

Guk-ho’s state was truly horrific.

He had briefly entered Mahuraga’s belly, only to emerge as the Great Bear Empire struck Mahuraga down, but during that brief stay, he had been poisoned, causing his skin to deteriorate all over.

It was so brutally charred and shriveled that even a person with full-body burns would look normal by comparison, and he couldn’t even breathe properly. Temporarily, Mangnyang used sorcery to heal him, but it was hard to consider him truly alive.

While Guk-ho had held Mahuraga in place, their main forces had arrived to strike down the core of the Eight Parts of the Divine in an instant. So far, the Eight Parts would often escape the moment they were sensed to be under attack, but this time they had deliberately set a trap, with Guk-ho acting as bait. They absolutely had to capture him, hence the time it took to erect the barrier by the Great Bear Empire led to Guk-ho falling victim.

Crack!!

Crushing Mahuraga’s head after it became a corpse due to the joint attack, Dokgo Seong unleashed his fury.

“Damn it…!! Can’t Guk-ho’s injuries be healed using the Corpse Dissolution Technique?!”

“…That’s impossible. Mahuraga’s venom itself has infused divine power, rejecting any healing attempts through the Cursed Death Technique.”

“Is there any way Guk-ho can survive?”

“……”

Mangnyang fell silent.

Kiiing

Suddenly, he drew a dagger from his robes and addressed Guk-ho.

“Guk-ho. I’ll make it easier for you.”

At Mangnyang’s words, Guk-ho, who lay prostrate on the ground, briefly gazed back at him, then managed to smile faintly, moving his lips slowly.

Do it swiftly.

Reading that response with his mind, Mangnyang bit his lip and swiftly decapitated Guk-ho.

Swish.

Having cultivated martial arts during the years, Mangnyang’s energy-infused blade cleanly severed muscle and bone. As Guk-ho’s head rolled to the ground, Dokgo Seong exclaimed.

“What are you thinking? If you’re going to say you killed Guk-ho because he couldn’t be saved, I’ll take your head off next!”

Dolko Seong’s words were laced with latent anger. It was common to grant peace to a comrade by sacrificing oneself, but that was not something to be done casually. Killing a comrade is the utmost taboo when done carelessly.

As he wrapped Guk-ho’s head in a cloth and placed it into his spell bag, Mangnyang turned his gaze towards Dokgo Seong.

“Hmm.”

Upon meeting Mangnyang’s gaze, Dokgo Seong recoiled.

‘How can his gaze have turned so dark…’

The eyes that had always gleamed with talent and brilliance now carried the shadow of death, akin to lifeless fish eyes.

“Elder, please keep it a secret that I killed Guk-ho. It could damage the trust between comrades, so I ask this of you. When the time comes, I will reveal everything.”

“Why?”

Mangnyang fixed his gaze on Dokgo Seong for a moment before replying.

“Death in this world leads to an eternal hell. It’s the spirit of a mortal being cast into the underworld, consumed by a cruel evil god. I don’t want such an end for someone like Guk-ho.”

“What then?”

Mangnyang extended the dagger he held.

“This dagger, the Sealed Soul Knife brought from the Celestial Realm, will mean that those who die or are harmed by it cannot go to the underworld and will instead be sealed in it for 99 days. Then I can also extend the sealing period through the Cursed Death Technique…”

“I don’t quite understand. What does it mean to be trapped in that priceless artifact without a body?”

“It means violating heaven’s principles to forcibly turn them into an immortal… using my subversive approach.”

At that, Dokgo Seong gasped in astonishment and questioned,

“What?! Why would you do something like that?”

“……”

Mangnyang slowly continued.

“Everything is for Baek Woong…”

The news of Guk-ho’s death soon spread to everyone. They mourned, but the fact that Mahuraga was slain provided some comfort.

Afterward, the war with the Eight Parts of the Divine continued.

Over the next ten years, Jin Nara was captured and killed, during which over thirty thousand humans vanished, and Yeon Jong-hwi, along with the Red Moon and Green Moon, also perished. Furthermore, the remaining White Tiger and Black Tortoise of the Imperial Palace fell into demon transformation and were slain by Jin Nara.

Cough… cough… Am I reaching my limit…?

Dongyoung, the Sword Saint, and master of Blade-less Techniques, Kamizumi Nobutsuna, gasped for air as he lay gravely injured. Even witnessing the fall of his illustrious comrades, he squeezed out the strength to fight, yet Jin Nara’s true form was far too powerful. It was hard to believe he was even injured. He looked at the corpse of Tsukahara Bokuden, who lay dead beside him, and spoke.

“Friend… But we didn’t even reach the Absolute Realm… and we at least managed to land a strike on that monster’s true form… Can’t we be satisfied with that?”

No response came.

“Hahaha!”

Seeing Tsukahara Bokuden with his eyes closed, Kamizumi Nobutsuna chuckled for a moment and then closed his own eyes.

“Ah, a Martial God… I always wanted to see one, yet it seems fate has not favored me…”

And thus, Dongyoung’s two great swordsmen closed their eyes. They too had reached the Absolute Realm and had shown their prowess as crucial forces in the Great Bear Empire, yet ultimately fell victim to Jin Nara’s relentless assault. They too were sealed within Mangnyang’s Sealed Soul Knife.

The sacrifices continued to mount.

The human resources left behind by the Reborn Person Baek Woong continued to dwindle, and the morale of the leadership was despondent. Yet even amid this chaos, the war against the Eight Parts of the Divine proceeded steadily, and particularly during the Jin Nara suppression, the Great Bear Empire seemed to gain a clear advantage.

Then, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Monster War –

The final showdown began.