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**Rebirth Sword God Volume 81 Chapter 3**

I already have an idea of how powerful Dharma is.

“The strength of Dharma I encountered in the outer universe was on par with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

Back then, I went with the help of the Giant God, who was so reluctant to battle Dharma that he even advised me to evade, suggesting that this Giant God was essentially an incarnation of the Three Sovereigns and possessed the power of the Three Sovereigns. Given this, I could speculate that Dharma’s abilities are certainly at the peak of divine status. In fact, since I have no precise way to measure the strength of those at that level, it’s all just conjecture; however, there was another reason why I trembled at the thought of fighting Dharma.

The Reborn Person who can summon the True Martial Home!

How many times has he reincarnated and gathered strength to successfully invoke such a tremendous ceremony? Though Dharma in the outer universe didn’t specify how many times he has reincarnated, I’m sure it’s far beyond my own count.

“Damn it! What’s the use of having such negative thoughts!”

Being afraid of the enemy won’t increase my chances of winning.

In this moment, I’ll only think about winning!

Shaking off the negative thoughts swirling in my head, I gripped my sword tightly and ignited my fighting spirit. Probably due to the confidence I gained from having just defeated Nailatop, I currently felt a considerable surge of self-assurance and determination within me.

“Dharma, don’t underestimate me! I’ve already fought you before!”

It was a line meant to slightly fluster my opponent, but Dharma’s reaction was unexpected.

“…… Yes… I remember… That scene echoed back to me… You succeeded in striking my shoulder with your spear…”

“……!!”

Wait, he knows about my battle in the outer universe?

Could he possibly possess memories from the outer universe?

“I thought it was just empty bravado, but it seems it was true!”

While I was taken aback, Dharma remained in prayer, his eyes glowing with light.

“[Interesting… In that case, I will use the same incantation as before, so let’s see you try it again.]”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Dharma leapt upward dramatically, soaring into the sky. A vast energy of darkness began to gather around him, and it felt eerily similar to before. Not long after, the echo of the dark incantation he uttered sent shivers down my spine.

“[O light of frayed ends, O king of ancient horrors dwelling in the void! I, the contractor, declare with the mark of six hundred sixty-six, this command shall illuminate the world’s fingerprints.]”

That was exactly the same incantation!

Was he challenging me to break through just like before?

“Ugh! But my power has grown tremendously since then!”

I unleashed a spear to strike Dharma using the Thunder God’s lineage!

If he’s provoking me, I’ll gladly respond!!

Crackle!

After harnessing my divine power to form a spear and incorporating the Thunder Spirit, I created a thunder spear that felt as if a massive lightning bolt had been condensed. Though I had never created a thunder spear like this before, I figured its power would nearly match the spear I formed using the Evil Spirit’s strength back then. Perceiving that Dharma might be stronger now, I controlled my divine power and infused it generously into the spear.

Kugugugu!!

As I compressed my divine power within, the Thunder Spirit responded fiercely, releasing waves of thunder. Normally, any container would burst if overly filled with divine power, but the Thunder Spirit greatly enhanced the durability of the spear. Once I felt I had adequately packed in my strength, I let the spear fly with radiant vigor.

With the stance of the Piercing Sky in place!

Boom – !!

In the next moment, the spear, empowered by the Thunder Spirit, shot forth with several times the force of what I had thrown before, following the essence of the Heart-Controlling Spear technique. Since I hadn’t thrown a spear this strong recently, I couldn’t predict the extent of its force, but I was sure this single attack would annihilate most mortal strongmen in one strike!

Boom!!

Kugugugu…….

With a loud explosion, a mushroom cloud surged before me as a chain reaction of blinding light and thunder erupted. After a while, smoke filled the sky, and Dharma’s form reemerged through the haze.

Crack… Drip…

Dharma was not in perfect condition. He was still in prayer, but his body was covered in wounds; it seemed he was soaked in blood, and the magical protective barrier surrounding him had clearly been shattered, the flow of his magic thrown into disarray. Moreover, I could see that a chunk of his shoulder had been ripped off, indicating that he had failed to fully block my attack. His robes soaked in fresh blood painted a picture of significant injury.

“Ugh!”

Yet, I sensed something was wrong. Dharma’s glow remained intense, and his posture of prayer had not wavered. Regardless of how externally severe his injuries seemed, if he didn’t lose his focus or composure, it felt like my efforts had been in vain!

From Dharma’s lips flowed yet another incantation.

“[O king of the loathed stormy weather, summon forth.]”

Swoosh!!

At that moment, a being that resembled a pitch-black lizard emerged near Dharma. Although it appeared small, like a spirit from the natural world, it didn’t seem remarkable at first glance. However, I was startled when that little thing suddenly chanted an ominous proclamation.

“[By the contractor’s request, I declare this place as my domain!!]”

Puff

Swoosh—

As soon as that declaration was made, dark rain began pouring down on the previously serene hillside of the White Lotus. Each raindrop dripped with a pitch-black fluid, and in an instant, the world was smothered in darkness. I was perplexed by this sudden turn of events, and just then, the reborn individual beside me spoke urgently.

“Baek Woong! You cannot be exposed to this rain for long! Defend yourself with Kabbalah.”

“Got it!”

Heeding the advice from the reborn, I quickly summoned Seth and activated the powers of the Sephiroth within me. The vine-like power began to spiral around my body, binding me completely in its grasp, and the reborn simultaneously enveloped in this realm of divine power.

“I don’t know why we can’t just use divine power for defense, but I’m sure there’s a reason!”

The reborn had exhibited a superior understanding of battles involving top-tier experts while moving the Thousandth Baek Woong earlier. It was plausible that he could comprehend Dharma’s spells and strategies that I could not understand from my perspective.

Crackle!

“Ugh!”

Suddenly, I jolted as a sharp pain pierced through my entire body. It felt as though acid was dripping and eating away at my flesh! Staggering, the reborn spoke to me.

“The being of loathed stormy weather is the [Old Ruler]! Dharma has summoned the [Old Ruler] to perform a sweeping area attack that disregards your defenses and simultaneously create a field advantageous to himself.”

Ignoring defenses!

That indicates an attack that could shatter common spells like paper and cannot be blocked even by ordinary divine barriers. But what truly horrified me was not just that.

“…What? That little lizard is a deity?”

I stared in disbelief at the lizard perched on Dharma’s shoulder. No matter how I looked at it, there was no indication of the majesty or magical power one would expect from an [Old Ruler]. That little creature embodies the ability of the [Old Ruler] which controls the universe? As I was shocked, the reborn spoke.

“While I lack detailed data, the king of loathed stormy weather is also a renowned upper deity. To summon such a divine being and control it without consuming magic power is likely an exclusive battle technique of the Reborn Dharma! Much like your Thunder Spirit!”

“…!!”

“It was right of you to block the summoning of that lizard before. However, now that it’s summoned, you’ll need to be mindful of it in battle.”

Whoa!

I felt the barrier created by the powers of Kabbalah being punctured and weakening as it neared the black veil. To see it happen, I tried reinforcing the barrier with my divine power, but the result was as I expected.

Crash!

As the barrier shattered like a broken glass window, I realized things were tougher than I imagined.

“Damn it!! So that’s why I had to use Kabbalah—there’s no way to pierce through the divine powers of another world!”

For a moment, both sides fell into a standoff as Dharma floated far away.

“Baek Woong, you’ve got enough latent potential, but it seems you lack experience fighting in the realm of the gods. While you may have faced many as a mortal, having little experience fighting on equal terms is a critical disadvantage.”

“What makes you think you know everything?”

“What the artificial intelligence says is that this is precisely my combat skill. It’s a martial technique I gained by reaching the extremes of magic.”

Dharma casually responded, and his eyes glowed.

“Behold the stage of Simultaneous Convergence of All Demons! Let the battle commence.”

Creak!

Creak!!

What unfolded exceeded my imagination.

“Ooooow….”

The lizard that was resting on Dharma’s shoulder was suddenly snatched by tentacles that extended from Dharma’s body, being absorbed right into him! After a moment, once the lizard, the [King of Loathed Stormy Weather], was fully absorbed, the robe draped on Dharma’s shoulder burst apart, revealing a pitch-black, armored figure that resembled some kind of grotesque armor.

“Did he just absorb the [Old Ruler]?!”

Boom!!

But that was not the only transformation. As soon as Dharma’s shoulder strengthened, the waves of magical power radiating from him suddenly intensified several times over.

Staggering

“Ugh!”

The surge of magic pressure overwhelmed me, and for a moment, I lost my focus. Initially, I never expected him to amplify the magic he was emitting from an already strong [Old Ruler]! And the reborn beside me paled as he spoke.

“If he summons a ruler and unleashes an area spell, then absorbs that very ruler, the magic effect won’t disappear, and he’ll use no magic power… you’re telling me he’s capable of fusing a ruler to recover from all injuries and curses while amplifying his power exponentially? How much of a demon’s affinity for magic has he maximized for something like this to be possible?”

“Damn, I don’t know the details, but what’s his weakness? If he’s fused with the [Old Ruler], can we separate them?”

“No!”

“What?”

The reborn’s following words delivered a shock to me.

“According to the scan results, Dharma’s body has absorbed a total of 13 entities of the [Old Ruler]. In addition, that shoulder region has become virtually invincible throughout this battle.”

“……?!”

W-What do you mean? Did Dharma absorb that many [Old Rulers]?!

Is that the source of that unimaginable capacity?!

“Just look for yourself.”

The reborn said that and suddenly grabbed my hand, sharing our visions.

Zzzip—

A moment later, the analytical data of Dharma’s overwhelming body began to clarify before my eyes. The moment I peered into Dharma’s physique, I instinctively held my breath.

Ghaaa…

Grrrrrr!

Dharma’s body was not merely human flesh; it was filled with magic cores embedded throughout and surrounded by chunks of evil spirits, forming a grotesque melee of flesh. The human form was barely maintained, undeniably unlike anything human. The pulsing lumps of flesh occasionally glimmered with dark eyes, creating a chilling scene.

A total of 13 magic cores were visible, each radiating an aura like unfathomable darkness, resembling nothing I had experienced before. Moreover, the eyes that dwelled near the cores appeared to embody the universal terror of some [thing]. I had hardly ever seen a being so fully merged with the essence of magic.

“Ah… ah…”

As I gazed in astonishment at Dharma, he spoke.

“Looks like you finally caught on.”

“You madman!! Have you completely given up on being human?!”

Is he really a Reborn Dharma who has devoured and assimilated the [Old Ruler]?

Those magic cores must all represent the [Old Rulers] he has absorbed!

“I had been mistaken! This man has always been a monster!”

What I assumed was just a high level of magical prowess had completely missed the mark. He was not a genius in magic but rather a being intending to consume the magic from the universe and reach the same levels as them. By choosing the path of absorption, the Dharma before me was essentially a fusion of 13 incarnations of the [Old Ruler] dressed in human form.

A demon god far more sinister and powerful than that creature from the Antarctic scripture!

Dharma replied.

“It’s a common method among sorcerers. I utilized the advantage of being a Reborn and repeated it infinitely, minimizing side effects. It was a necessary choice to gain countless supernatural abilities.”

“You lunatic…!!”

“The Simultaneous Convergence of All Demons has only just begun, challenger.”

Dharma assumed his seated position in the air again, praying as he quietly stated.

“When the Five Stars rise, you shall meet your demise.”

“……!!”

I instantly grasped the meaning behind Dharma’s warning.

The Five Stars.

It symbolized the principles by which magical power maximizes in the knowledge of magic. It’s essentially the Tai Chi of the magical realm; if Tai Chi symbolizes Yin and Yang, then the Five Stars symbolize the principles of pure chaos. If one were to further evolve into the Six Stars, they would come closer to harnessing the power of the Tetragrammaton, attaining absolute being – but Dharma seemed intent on not advancing to that level.

“He just summoned the [Old Ruler] and absorbed it… that means… the limbs and head represent the five physical parts symbolizing the Five Stars!”

If that were true, then what Dharma just absorbed—the [King of Loathed Stormy Weather]—indicates that he has already achieved the First Star among the Five Stars. If he could summon the other shoulder, and then the legs, and finally one from above the head, his magical prowess would reach astronomical levels.

‘…If he gathers the Five Stars, there’s no way I can win. I must grasp the end within that moment.’

While my divine power was considerable, even that would be dwarfed compared to what Dharma was radiating. With the amplification of the Five Stars’ summoning, if the curses and powers of the five [Old Rulers] accumulate, the outcome would be unmistakable—total defeat.

Could there be any glimmer of hope?

As I grappled with the dilemma, a sudden thought registered, and I focused ahead.

“Agni!! Lend me your strength!!”

Clank!!

At that moment, the Four Great Spirit Deity Agni manifested into my grasp. The reborn beside me gasped.

“You summoned it already?!”

“It’s the only option left!”

Indeed.

My only remaining solution was the Four Great Spirit Deities.

‘Before I tried to counterattack with the Thunder Spirit’s strengthening and directly assault Dharma, but it clearly seems it won’t succeed. Instead, I need to weaken his defenses with the Four Great Spirit Deities first…’

When confronting an enemy with such a unique winning formula like Dharma, overpowering it with absolute strength was our best chance. Striking outright with the Thunder Spirit would be an exercise in futility; thus, it made more sense to leverage the powers of the Four Great Spirit Deities, which placed us at a clear advantage within this context.

“Using every last shred of might I can muster!!”

I concentrated the flames of Agni and aimed forward. Then, I unleashed it.

Boom!!

Zhiin —!!

“[…]!!”

“Just as expected!!”

I saw Dharma’s posture break apart as he tried to maintain his prayer form, one of his arms engulfed in dark flames. Furthermore, the third eye on his forehead turned crimson, shedding tears of blood—clearly indicating that he was harmed by the impact!

Just as predicted.

Complex and powerful concept manipulation abilities often nullify any attack if met with a superior power directly!

Since the Four Great Spirits clearly had a much higher status, I could just attack freely regardless of his intentions. Regardless of how powerful this [Old Ruler] might be, it could not outrank the elemental forces of the universe.

The ground trembled as Dharma’s entire form shook violently. I instinctively sensed that now was the crucial moment to potentially strike a fatal blow against him.

“I’ve used up the full output of Agni! So then, using Vajra might enable the strongest kind of attack….”

Suddenly, the memory of my past where Indra had killed me surfaced. Would this insane being help me now in a moment of crisis?

“Damn it!! Absolutely not. Wasn’t he the one who struck me in the back while fighting against the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?”

Despite having the perfect opportunity, I was aghast at the thought of not being able to utilize my greatest weapon. However, I quickly let go of that disappointment and sought an alternative.

There’s no way I could rely on a half-baked Six Heaven Unity Spear.

I wouldn’t lean on the Thunder God for support.

I could not rely on petty techniques or spells anyway to gain the upper hand.

Infinite Slash is powerful, but its limits are too apparent.

The enhancement from the Thunder Spirit felt lackluster.

‘Then it seems there’s but one answer.’

With a roar,

I summoned the Immortal Sword. Holding the correct stance of swordsmanship, I locked my tranquil gaze on Dharma before me.

Void…

“Have I truly grasped it…”

I might just be wandering through the abyss of realization, having deceived myself into thinking I have comprehended it.

But at least if I could leverage that sense, even using this incomplete strategy might yield competent proficiency.

It’s as if Dharma noticed my gaze and his expression transformed into one of shock.

“Is it possible!!”

Did Dharma realize what I intended to do? He certainly appeared flustered, shedding the tranquility he once held. However, I paid him no mind as I laid the sword over the blade, acknowledging the movement of the wheel. As the rotation accelerated, the darkness began to envelop the sword, and at that moment, I recognized that a sword devoid of intent finally emerged.

I extended a single blade.

**Dark Night Slash**

Originally impossible to reach this distance. Yet, I threw it like it was a given, knowing that a blade untainted by will or Qi would never reach such distances—even with the immense restraint of divine power, passing dozens of yards should naturally prove unfeasible. Yet, I executed the Dark Night Slash just as if it were certain to connect, and I no longer recognized what it was I was attempting to slice.

Void.

The distance of a hollow heart.

I could faintly grasp just how far that distance was, and in that realization, I understood what I had gained from Reverse Root Water Mirror.

‘The empty heart… is… the darkness itself?’

It was still an incomplete understanding, but at that moment, I instinctively sensed where the Dark Night Slash aimed to strike.

Suddenly, like receiving a coordinate from an epiphany that had burst forth!

I can’t quite put it into words, but I felt a sense of joy.

Even as I struggled amidst the swirling clouds of fog, I finally glimpsed the direction I needed to pursue.

Was the joy from that realization enough?

I unintentionally let thoughts about slaying Dharma slip away, merely dazedly tracing the Dark Night Slash. It became the most emotionless, intent-less strike of my life, void of murderous intent or animosity. In the simplest terms, I felt that whether or not I struck Dharma was of little concern.

Schwink!!

As I struck with a heart devoid of intent, this absolute strike severed all breaths of life.

In the true state of an empty self, I executed the Dark Night Slash.

How long had it been since I had lost myself in this singular technique?

Kawaaam – !!

The sheer chaos exploded forth, showering everything around in a brilliant radiance. The countless layers of barriers surrounding Dharma were sliced cleanly away, and in an instant, even his true form was cut along with them. Just like a sharp razor would draw forth droplets of blood upon cutting skin, Dharma’s body finally ruptured as the chaos wrapped around him erupted in its final throes.

Koooaaar!

Kaaaar!!

From Dharma’s form, a dizzying chaos began to emanate, and the area quickly transformed into a realm blanketed in darkness.

‘It was the best strike.’

I had no doubts that the Dark Night Slash represented the utmost I could achieve.

Anyone struck by the Dark Night Slash cannot heal through regenerative powers, as I had learned from Asura—I was indeed in a favorable position.

“…….”

To anyone’s eye, it seemed that Dharma had suffered a fatal wound, yet at that moment, he laid his bloodstained hand over his own body and muttered something unbelievable.

“Varuna, lend me your strength.”

What?

Swoosh!

Dharma’s severely damaged form—an entity brimming with chaos that seemed on the verge of exploding with the 13 magic cores—was enveloped by the warm, absolute power of the water element. That same power gently wrapped around his wounds and swiftly restored his body to stability.

Tsssss…

“……?”

What did Dharma just say…?

As I stood dazed, the reborn from a distance shouted.

“Baek Woong! If you’ve gained what you can, you need to pull back!”

At the reborn’s words, I felt clarity wash over me.

“If not, we are bound to exchange blows with the same Four Great Spirits!”

“……!!”

…That’s right!!

If I think about it, it’s unusual to consider this possible!!

“I’d been led astray, solely thinking of the Dharma I encountered in the outer universe!”

In that instant, my gaze locked with Dharma’s. As our eyes flared with fighting spirit, we raised our hands forward and shouted simultaneously.

“Vajra!”

[Vajra!]

Boom!!

At incredible speed, he and I collided in midair. Upon realizing that Dharma was also effortlessly weaving through his incantation technique, I thought as expected.

‘His Absolute Realm!’

I suspected as much. There was no way a Reborn of Dharma wouldn’t have trained in martial techniques. Having trained in that realm for thousands of years, it would be odd if he hadn’t reached the Absolute Realm!

“Damn it! This Dharma is way too different from the one I met in the outer universe!”

While he shared the same mastery over magic, it was clear that this Dharma before me had achieved every possible power he could access. The longer we fought, the more I would sense that reality.

And amidst the traces of our violent collision, our weapons clashed ferociously, releasing violent bolts of lightning. I grimaced as I eyed my weapon.

“Please… don’t backstab me this time…”

For a moment, the Vajra crackled with derisive lightning; was that just my imagination?

Crackle crackle!

The distance between us barely extended an arm’s length. Faced with each other, we exchanged glares, and as I drew closer to Dharma, there was no denying he bore the form of a monster. Yet, despite that monstrous visage, it felt like he still retained a sense of humanity within his eyes.

Dharma uttered softly.

“Even if my magical form is strong, if faced with the strength of a Martial God, recovery is impossible. I never anticipated you would ascend to that path so soon—one I could not tread upon…”

“…….”

“Though I paused temporarily using Varuna, you’ve already inflicted serious injury upon me. Well done.”

“What’s with the praises…?”

I shot back curtly, keeping my gaze trained on him.

“Since we’ve both drawn upon the forces of the Four Great Spirits, then there’s no choice but to see this through.”

Indeed.

Just like me, Dharma could also wield the powers of the Four Great Spirits freely.