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Volume 88, Chapter 2 of the Rebirth Sword God

…….

Is this a dream?

It felt strange. Even though I recognized it as a dream, that peculiar sense of floating wouldn’t go away. Maybe that’s why my rational thoughts weren’t functioning and I felt trapped in this space passively. I seemed to recall that I had heard in the knowledge from the future world given by Cheon Woo-jin what this phenomenon might be called.

Lucid Dream.

A dream where one is aware that they are dreaming.

While I was blankly lost in time within this dream, a scenery unfolded before me.

Swish…

‘That’s…’

A Bodhi tree. I remembered having seen that tree, also known as the Dragon Flower Tree, many times over my past lives. I had not only gone on countless adventures to find seeds of the Dragon Flower Tree but had also seen it within the world inside the Reverse Root Water Mirror. Furthermore, it seemed I had seen the Bodhi tree in many moments of life.

As I looked down beneath the Bodhi tree, I spotted someone standing there. At the sight of that shadow, I felt I knew who it was.

‘Dharma Master…?’

By my intuition, it had to be that figure. I recognized him since I had fought fiercely within the Heavenly Secret. However, the moment I thought of that shadow as Dharma Master, the form suddenly shifted into another person.

Swoosh

The one who appeared this time was entirely different.

A demon sorcerer clad in black.

That entity stood beneath the Bodhi tree, seemingly observing me. I felt no favor or animosity from that gaze; it was just the very essence of a neutral being.

What was certain was that this entity exuded a feeling of superiority. While I was thinking that I could never meet such a being in an ordinary manner, the black sorcerer spoke.

“Have you ever thought about why the outer gods are plural…?”

…?

There are several outer gods…? What’s so strange about that?

As I puzzled over it, the black sorcerer continued.

“The existence of multiple beings who have broken free from the [Cycle] insinuates the omnipotent being is, in fact, acknowledging its own limitations. Yet, the outer gods are not singular and serve the omnipotent.”

…….

“It is the same reason that the great [Father]’s words are the most irreverent among all creation… In truth, those called the outer gods are well aware of their own limitations… yet they are still banking on the omniscient to transcend those limits.”

As the black sorcerer spoke incomprehensible things, he suddenly reached out his hand toward me.

His gaze glinted coldly for a moment.

“The birth of Chi You is near.”

***

Flash

“Ugh!”

I suddenly felt a headache and sat up. Then I discovered myself lying on a bed, and a familiar voice soon followed.

“Are you awake, Baek Woong?”

“……Is that you, Lee Hwan-woong?”

Sitting in the adjacent chair, Lee Hwan-woong closed a small palm-sized booklet and spoke.

“You fainted in the arena and were transported to the Lemuria Empire’s hospital. You’ve woken up exactly 34 hours and 20 minutes later.”

“I fainted for over a day?”

Lee Hwan-woong shrugged.

“Well, it’s not uncommon for a fainting martial artist. But it’s a bit fascinating that while you already possess tremendous divine power and energy, you fainted. Even if thrown into the sun’s core, your divine power would just keep you comfortably warm.”

“…….”

“Was it because of that last ultimate technique you used?”

What a sharp guy.

I nodded slightly, and Lee Hwan-woong spoke with a tone mixed with admiration.

“Indeed… It felt like witnessing the Beyond Heaven. To be honest, I could analyze and observe to some extent up until you and Ajidahaka used the Absolute Realm technique. However, I couldn’t analyze Ajidahaka’s secret technique at all. Of course, what you employed against Ajidahaka….”

“Is that so?”

“That is the realm of the Divine Skill, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. The Divine Skill.”

I casually responded and suddenly recollected something.

“Are you saying you couldn’t analyze it? Then that means even your powerful AI, Mephisto, couldn’t interpret it… Does that mean the Divine Skill cannot be blocked by Heavenly Unrestrained Technique?”

When I asked, Lee Hwan-woong smiled wryly.

“Exactly. Heavenly Unrestrained Technique is set up on the premise that it must never falter, so if it can’t be interpreted, then at that moment it’s nearly useless.”

“Hmm!!”

“However, who knows what would happen if the AI’s computing power could interpret the realm itself….”

Lost in thought, Lee Hwan-woong suddenly switched topics.

“So? Are you now a definite master of the Divine Skill? Are you now one of the Divine Realm’s White Seats?”

“…….”

It was hard for me to respond to Lee Hwan-woong’s statement, so I mumbled for a moment. After organizing my thoughts, I finally spoke.

“The name of the technique I used last is called Heavenly Escape, Thunder God Sword Name… I can indeed activate the principles of the Divine Realm with that technique… but I still don’t think I belong to the Divine Realm’s White Seats.”

“Hmm? Why is that?”

“I’ve come to realize the common point among the Divine Realm’s White Seats. It’s not merely about using the skills of the Divine Realm.”

I clenched my fist tightly and added.

“The Martial God needs to reveal himself to me! Or at least I need to feel his presence.”

Through my conversation with Ajidahaka, I had become certain.

‘He definitely met the Martial God!!’

Otherwise, there would be no way for me to know how it feels to encounter the Martial God, nor would I ever state with certainty what I felt about him. Given that, it was clear that all the White Seats must have met the Martial God at least once.

“Hm… Is that so? Then Baek Woong, you haven’t met the Martial God yet.”

“……Yeah.”

“But then that’s odd.”

“What do you mean?”

“Master of the White Lotus Sect and Jin So-cheong have met the Martial God. However, they aren’t exactly part of the Divine Realm’s White Seats.”

“…….”

Oh… uh… that… That’s true?

While I was flustered, Lee Hwan-woong stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Probably, there seem to be three conditions. First, one must meet the Martial God. Second, one must be able to use the Divine Skill. Thirdly, I’m not quite sure.”

I frowned.

“……What’s the third one? This isn’t a joke.”

Lee Hwan-woong chuckled.

“It’s not a joke. If it were just about satisfying the first and second conditions, it would be simple to make Jin So-cheong and the Master of the White Lotus Sect reach the level of the Divine Skill and easily gain their place among the White Seats. But despite you having brought them up several times through your many past lives, they still haven’t claimed that position. Their martial skills might well be on par or even surpass them, but they cannot claim the seat.”

“……!!”

“The same goes for the Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon.”

After muttering that, Lee Hwan-woong stated firmly.

“So, there probably is a third condition as well. I can’t say for sure, since I left it blank, but there’s likely another common point among the other White Seats.”

At those words, I muttered blankly.

“I think I know.”

“Hmm? You think you know? What is it?”

“It’s….”

I hesitated to say the intuition that had just come to mind and eventually gave up.

“……No. I still don’t know.”

“Haha, what is it?”

“…….”

Lee Hwan-woong chuckled, but I could only wear a complicated expression.

‘Someone who regards martial arts not as a means but as an end… possesses a love for it, and can devote everything to martial arts…’

Was my thinking truly correct?

But to say it was [Heart] felt too vague and subjective a standard. If I brought this up, wouldn’t it sound like I was just chasing clouds? That’s why I had to continue my training to prove whether my thoughts were correct. Only then would I be able to meet the Martial God.

Additionally, there was another reason I couldn’t tell Lee Hwan-woong. If this condition were indeed real, it could potentially jeopardize the true intentions of ‘that person.’ In fact, it was something I wasn’t completely able to accept.

Trying to shake off those complicated thoughts, I got off the bed and spoke.

“Is Ajidahaka receiving treatment as well?”

“No. He recovered faster than you and was discharged in less than 12 hours. His race likely possesses tremendous physical strength and regeneration abilities.”

Responding that way, Lee Hwan-woong continued.

“Actually, the reason I’m here is to convey a message from Ajidahaka. He said to come to this coordinate when you wake up.”

Swish

Lee Hwan-woong handed me a stone marked with a magical circle that shimmered beautifully. As I stared at it blankly, he spoke.

“If you chant the spell, you can instantly move to the location engraved on the stone. I know the spell.”

“…….”

It’s similar to the Golden Lamp, but there’s nothing strange about that. In truth, if a character as famous as the Cosmic Sword Saint didn’t have such a demon artifact, that would be very odd.

“Go on.”

I nodded and quietly placed my hand on the stone. Moments later, as Lee Hwan-woong recited the incantation, my body was teleported.

Whoosh!!

The place I arrived at was on a cliff overlooking Manjangan Cliff. Beyond the cliff lay the vast ocean, glistening under the sunlight.

As I reveled in that ancient yet beautiful scenery, I heard Ajidahaka’s voice.

[Baek Woong. Have you arrived?]

Ajidahaka walked out from the nearby hut. As I stared at him, he said.

[This is my home planet. Your star is thirty million light-years away from Azdaha.]

“Azdaha….”

[As you can see, the gravity and natural environment here are very similar to your planet, Earth. The only difference is that here, there are three moons.]

I glanced up at his words. Just as he said, two faintly visible moons appeared in the sky. Perhaps the remaining one was hidden from view.

After a moment, I suddenly spoke.

“Sword Saint Ajidahaka, there’s something I want to ask.”

[What is it?]

“……Why did you lie about not being a White Seat? You passed it down through your race for generations.”

That’s right. Ajidahaka had said to me the first time we encountered as the Overlord in the arena that he wasn’t a Divine Realm’s White Seat. Yet, the figure he had displayed afterward was undeniably one of the Divine Realm’s White Seats, so I couldn’t help but pry.

Upon my words, Ajidahaka seemed to smirk.

[Well, in a situation where everyone and anyone was watching… I wouldn’t blurt out the secrets of the Divine Realm to someone I had just met for the first time, would I? It was a lie I had no choice but to tell.]

“Damn… so you did deceive me.”

[Of course, I think differently now. Given who you are, I believe I can reveal that I am one of the White Seats.]

Seating himself on a nearby tree stump, Ajidahaka continued.

[But I must clarify that I haven’t called you here to divulge all the secrets related to the Divine Seat. That has to remain a secret for now.]

I was taken aback.

“What? You can’t tell me, even though it’s been proven that I can use the Divine Skill? To say such now…”

[Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. It’s a constraint from the Martial God.]

Yikes!

I was astonished by that statement.

“A constraint from the Martial God? What do you mean?”

[Those who claim the seat share boundless combat experience and receive support from the Martial God, but in doing so, they become constrained. They must not divulge anything about the seat externally. Hence, most keep it a profound secret. Even if a divine being tortures them or extracts memories with divine power, the Martial God protects them.]

“……!!”

[Even if someone tries to torture us to make us involuntarily spill the secrets, wishing for intervention from the Martial God can prevent the information from leaking.]

Is that really the case!

Only now did I start to comprehend the attitudes of the Divine Realm’s White Seats that had perplexed me. Yet, I still had one thing I couldn’t understand, so I spoke.

“But you seem to have revealed quite a bit, right? And even if you’re not, the other Divine Realm’s White Seats have seemingly dropped hints here and there… Is that really keeping to a strict secret?”

[Of course, the constraints of secret-keeping are somewhat voluntary. No matter how omnipotent the Martial God is, he cannot control each and every mouth of ours. They leave it to our autonomous will, but if someone leaks a secret, that individual will suffer the consequences.]

“Suffer? What kind of consequences? You don’t mean… my lifespan will be reduced…?”

Ajidahaka shook his head vigorously.

[Law of Cause and Effect!]

“……!!”

[The Divine Skill cannot be discussed without mentioning the Law of Cause and Effect. Originally, using the Divine Skill requires a balance between the amount of cause and effect one possesses and the primordial void, and as the Martial God supports the cause and effect, if it diminishes, ultimately, the frequency with which one can utilize the Divine Skill also decreases.]

With those words, Ajidahaka continued.

[You might already know this, but for a mortal, the amount of cause and effect has limits, and naturally, it’s no different from the number of times one can use the Divine Skill throughout their lifetime… and once that number decreases, it hits hard, so everyone keeps quiet about it. The Law of Cause and Effect is entirely different from Qi, making it exceedingly difficult to cultivate through training.]

“…….”

[For those of us who have staked our lives on martial arts, it’s a painful constraint.]

I found myself speechless. To think there was such background behind the secrecy of the Divine Realm’s White Seats!

In that moment, a realization struck me, and I spoke to Ajidahaka.

“Ah, Ajidahaka. You’ve seemingly revealed a lot right now… then doesn’t that mean you’ve suffered a heavy loss? Won’t you be unable to use the Divine Skill moving forward?”

Indeed, if what Ajidahaka said was true, mentioning the secrets of the constraints meant a terrible leak! Considering the profound levels of those secrets, it would mean Ajidahaka had suffered significantly regarding the Law of Cause and Effect.

Ajidahaka calmly replied.

[I don’t particularly mind.]

“Eh?”

[Thinking about the timing of a cosmic apocalypse… I’ll likely be the last among the Argeldol Race, and living like this means I will almost certainly encounter the end. Originally, I was gathering cause and effect to efficiently unveil the Divine Skill against the impending demise brought by the [Old Ruler].]

Having said that, Ajidahaka drew his sword and plunged it into the ground.

Boom!

[However, I thought I should pay respect to your great will.]

“…….”

[I never expected you would mention the Sword God….]

Ajidahaka seemed awed by his words, muttering.

[Even if I can’t use the Divine Skill much by the time the apocalypse arrives… if that leads to a lifelong regret… still, I thought it necessary to share your determination with the world. That being said, I have my duties, so I cannot tell you any further…].

I felt Ajidahaka’s penetrating gaze on me.

[That determination to become a Sword God, pursue it until the very end! That’s the reason I revealed even a fraction of the secrets to you today.]

I realized the significance of what Ajidahaka had shared with me.

And suddenly, I felt the weight of my earlier words.

Sword God!

Becoming the pinnacle of all swordsmen across the three thousand realms was no small feat.

By simply voicing that goal, I had established an ambition beyond reaching the Divine Realm’s White Seats.

I fell into silence, drawing out Ajidahaka’s sword.

Shing!

The well-polished blade radiated with light. As I grasped it, I was momentarily engulfed by emotions before finally uttering my intention.

“I will undoubtedly become the Sword God.”

What level the Sword God would represent, I still did not know.

But one thing I could say for certain.

The moment I become the Sword God, I would be able to surpass even the Martial God.

“You can count on it!!”

Whip!

I quickly twirled the sword, extending the handle toward Ajidahaka.

[Hehe, your spirit is commendable.]

As Ajidahaka chuckled, he accepted the sword once more and slowly walked toward the cliffs of Manjangan Cliff. Then he asked.

[Now I’m curious. How did you conceive that last ultimate technique… the Thunder God’s Sword Name?]

“That is….”

I began narrating the circumstances under which I realized the Heavenly Escape, Thunder God Sword Name, to Ajidahaka.

Ajidahaka listened intently and after a long while, finally spoke.

[Baek Woong… according to your words… it seems that there is still another divine sword within you.]