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“Summon Yeodong-bin? Really?”

I was momentarily taken aback by the suggestion. After thinking about what kind of intention was behind such a statement, I slowly shook my head.

“Yeodong-bin only shows up when there’s no demon in sight. He won’t come for mere humans.”

“Demon? What’s that?”

“Well, that’s…”

I briefly explained the demon beasts and the otherworldly races. As I shared the information, Dokgo Seong seemed to have an epiphany and replied, “I remember seeing such a race in the harsh mountains of the Divine Stronghold.”

“Are you talking about the otherworldly race?”

Dokgo Seong nodded.

“In the barren mountain ranges and unique areas of the Divine Stronghold, there were incidents where things that can’t be called natural would attack people. The experts of the White Lotus Sect would often make it a regular event to hunt them down.”

“Are you sure they were demons?”

“They looked like giant toads and measured about one palm’s length. They were called ‘Gak’ (脚). There were many others that resembled them as well.”

As Dokgo Seong drew a picture on the ground to explain, it suddenly clicked for me; I had faced something similar before. They were quite alike to the tentacled toad that guarded the Great Thunder Valley. The only difference being that it was ten times bigger than the one he described.

‘So the otherworldly beings are scattered all over the world.’

It seemed that the White Lotus Sect had quite a bit of combat experience with these otherworldly creatures.

In Dongyoung, the influence of the Old Ruler was so profound that evil spirits and demon beasts were rampant, leading to the creation of the Aokigahara Life Sea to drive them into. The same went for the Central Plains, where there were hints of evil spirits surfacing, and one of those places seemed to be the Divine Stronghold.

I suddenly felt something was off.

Why isn’t the demon (魔) presented in the Central Plains?

The Goryeo and Dongyoung people were well-acquainted with the monsters, and some even had knowledge about the otherworldly beings because those monsters occasionally popped up in both regions. But in the Central Plains, spotting a demon beast was almost impossible. There were only a handful of people who knew about them, and thinking of the Central Plains’s vast land size, it was absurd to have so few demon beasts.

‘Why is that?’ I decided to shelve that curiosity for later.

While I was lost in thought, Dokgo Seong said, “It’d be a huge help if we could summon the Sword Saint, but it’s a shame…”

“Why do you want a spar?”

“That’s a foolish question. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to face off against Sword Saint Yeodong-bin as a martial artist?”

“……”

While I understood his answer, I was astounded at the same time. Given Yeodong-bin’s abilities, he could easily kill Dokgo Seong in ten seconds flat. I still vividly remembered the rain of sword qi flooding the sky with tremendous force. Dokgo Seong’s comments made me realize he was unaware of the Great Immortal’s immense might.

‘Hmmm… No, maybe I could use that martial artist’s temperament to our advantage.’

I thought of a method and said, “Master, if that’s the case, I have a suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“Please follow me.”

Swish!

A short while later, I found myself grasping Dokgo Seong’s hand as we arrived at the entrance of the Aokigahara Life Sea in Dongyoung, the Living Sea. A structure resembling a forward base still stood, and there were remnants of two of Dongyoung’s Great Swordsmen having stayed there. Just then, Kamizumi Nobutsuna, who was grilling fish, looked at us in shock.

“Who are you to suddenly show up like this?”

“Ah… no.”

It seemed Dokgo Seong shared the same level of confusion. They had unexpectedly arrived where an elderly man was grilling meat, and he was speaking a foreign tongue while appearing to be a Peak Expert.

To ease their confusion, I quickly addressed Dokgo Seong, “Let me explain, so please don’t attack them.”

“Got it.”

After that, I called over Dongyoung’s Great Swordsmen and began to translate in front of Dokgo Seong. I had already reached a level where I could fluently switch between the languages of the Central Plains, Dongyoung, and Goryeo. After explaining the situation to everyone, I walked over to the wall of the building and said to Dokgo Seong.

“This writing is Han-Eo…”

“Mhm!”

As Dokgo Seong confirmed the message written in Han-Eo, it read, “I will find the Lunar Kill Technique and kill the Master.” He let out a low sound.

“It’s the writing of Cheongwol. So, Cheongwol has already come here.”

“……”

“What a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone! We should search for Cheongwol and then head back to the Central Plains.”

“I wish we could.” I already knew that to enter the second stage of this Sea, the Death Sea, we needed eight people. Otherwise, the Yin-Yang Master clan guarding the Sea wouldn’t open the door for us.

And so, we stepped out of the forward base and entered the entrance of the Sea.

Swuuuh –

‘It’s coming.’

I sensed the aura of the demon beasts growing stronger, and the evil spirits stirring. Yeodong-bin’s arrival began. As I passed through the stage of faith in the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique (天遁劍法) to the stage of release, I could feel my Eight Gates gradually opening. With that, I easily summoned my divine energy to guide Yeodong-bin’s spirit and accepted his descent.

[I will eradicate the demons!]

Yeodong-bin appeared before me and instantly unleashed my internal power. Despite only opening three of the Eight Gates, the potential of the human body he could manipulate seemed to exceed that, like a scorching heatwave emanating from the heavens.

Rumble!

The Heavenly Escape Sword Technique (天遁劍法), the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram (六意聖天圖), and the Heavenly Determination (天決) unleashed weaponized lightning and blazing fire, swirling outwards. The Heavenly Determination carried an overwhelming destructive force, obliterating the countless demon beasts and hell flowers present in an instant. I noticed some demon beasts that had strong vitality withstood the onslaught for a moment, but soon, Yeodong-bin cast the Sword Flying Technique and began to deal with them using palm power.

The Spirit Needle Technique (意靈手) manifested as a translucent hand in the void, seemingly large enough to cover a mountain. As it struck the ground, it felt like an earthquake surged beneath us.

Crack!

The demon beasts couldn’t withstand the pressure and burst open, spewing black blood. Then, as Yeodong-bin seamlessly unleashed the Spirit Needle Technique, followed by the Spirit Needle Slash (意靈角) and Spirit Needle Fist (意靈拳), the area turned into a wasteland. His body multiplied and attacked thousands of times in a way that projected terror itself.

[It’s time to finish this!!]

The Heavenly Escape Sword Technique (天遁劍法), the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram (六意聖天圖), and the Rain Determination (雨決).

Shwoosh! Shwoosh! Shwoosh!

As Yeodong-bin threw his sword into the sky, it pierced through the clouds and soared high into the air. The sword, now invisible to the naked eye, began raining down onto the ground with a torrent of energy. Remarkably, each droplet contained immense power, capable of melting down beasts with regeneration abilities and indestructible materials, resulting in explosive disintegration. Millions of sword qi rained down upon the land.

After the winds of the swordstorm passed, the arena was left desolate. The Sea, which had been filled with demon beasts to the brim, now had no trace of them left. Although a few survived, they fled in panic somewhere far away.

Shhhhhh!

[Yeodong-bin, I have wiped out a vast number of demons!] Yeodong-bin seemed pleased, ready to leave. But I couldn’t let him go just like that, so I called him mentally.

[Yeodong-bin! Please wait a moment.]

[What is it? I have eradicated all the demons.]

[This is the Aokigahara Life Sea, and behind it are even more powerful demon beasts. Therefore, I cannot just borrow your strength, I need you to teach me.]

[Teach you?]

Yeodong-bin seemed a little perplexed. I desperately persuaded him.

[I have reached the stage of release in the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, just as you mentioned. You could either teach me the next stage or instruct my friend in swordsmanship. That way, we can survive!]

[Yeon-ja, the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique is a celestial sword technique, devoid of a basic form… Do you still wish to learn?]

[You say there’s no basic form, but you used the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram and Fire Dragon Sword Technique, didn’t you?! Please teach me too.]

When I pressed him, Yeodong-bin answered.

[The Fire Dragon Sword Technique is something I learned when I was still human, so I’m just using a familiar form. And the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram is an advanced technique beyond human comprehension.]

Advanced technique? What do you mean by that?

As I expressed my confusion, Yeodong-bin continued his explanation.

[Since you can utilize intent, I will tailor my explanation to your level. Gathering your intent to unleash a secret technique or applying Mind Control Technique is typically the limit of ordinary humans. A gap in enlightenment exists even beyond that.]

[Hmmm…]

[And going beyond that leads to a state where one’s will merges with the heaven and earth—Heaven and Earth Union (天地交泰)—and allows you to rise to the Absolute Realm (絶大地境). In this realm, you can manipulate heaven and earth, becoming a Natural Sword (自然劍).]

[……]

I was crushed by the sheer height of the celestial martial arts level.

‘So that’s how Yeodong-bin infused the sword qi into those raindrops, becoming a Natural Sword.’

It made sense why it was absurd to fight against the Great Immortal. Perhaps when facing the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong together, he might have held back intentionally.

Realizing that celestial beings could gain immense power by mastering martial arts as they ascended made my mind whirl.

Suddenly, something struck me, so I asked him.

[Currently, the strongest human in our world, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, mentioned something about Heavenly Spirit Pills as a path to the Original Spirit. However, he said that the Original Spirit itself was only an intermediate stage, and ultimately, one needs to open their heart by mastering the Upper Dantian, Middle Dantian, and Lower Dantian to unlock infinite power and transcend humanity.]

[……]

[This seems vastly different from what you just said—how should I interpret this?]

Yeodong-bin responded, “Yeon-ja, could you spare ten years of your lifespan?”

[What do you mean?]

[To explain, I must act against the heavenly secrets, and I need compensation for that.]

I grit my teeth and nodded.

[Take as much as you need.]

What’s an extra ten years when I could be reborn anyway? Learning from the Sword Saint Yeodong-bin was worth that much.

[Understood.]

Just then, it happened. The aura of Yeodong-bin, who had descended momentarily to communicate with me, suddenly vanished like a phantom. In a haze, an ethereal figure appeared before me. The apparition soon solidified, adopting a fully formed human shape. It was a middle-aged Taoist, looking serious yet pure.

This seemed to be Yeodong-bin’s human form. As he appeared in the arena, the Peak Experts felt tense, yet he paid them no mind and perched casually on a nearby tree. He then fixed a calm gaze on me and stated, “I can remain in this realm for only half a moment. Ask what you desire during this time.”

It seemed Ji-seon Mang-nyang had also used his own technique to pay with his lifespan to summon Yeodong-bin. I had gained valuable information that celestial beings could indeed be summoned based on the method used. As I sorted out my thoughts, Dokgo Seong cautiously spoke up, “Are you truly the Sword Saint Yeodong-bin?”

“Human, the only proof of my identity lies in swordsmanship.”

“Then, I, Dokgo Seong of the Thunder God Lineage, would like to receive the immortal’s teachings!”

Swish!

Dokgo Seong dashed towards Yeodong-bin like a flash. It was an unbelievable swift sword strike that told me his skills exceeded mine significantly. In an instant, he unleashed dozens of sword strikes that aimed for Yeodong-bin’s entire body. However, Yeodong-bin calmly closed his eyes and waved his fingers left to right.

Ching!

A massive summoned sword rang out as it deflected Dokgo Seong’s sword strikes aside. Dokgo Seong, who had his ultimate slash blocked, tried to stabilize himself to transition into his next move, but Yeodong-bin moved too rapidly, pushing Dokgo Seong back with sheer pressure.

Even while being pushed back, Dokgo Seong managed to hold his ground and retaliated by sending a sword strike infused with the Mind Control Technique. The dragon-shaped energy encapsulated within was immense. Yet, Yeodong-bin leaned slightly, casually grounding the energy without effort.

Crash!

In a heartbeat, the momentum of the Spirit Command sent Dokgo Seong’s upper body flying. Though he managed to block the downward slash and the upward push, he was unprepared for the kick to his thigh. The balance completely lost, Dokgo Seong was casually tossed into the air by Yeodong-bin’s light touch.

“……!!”

Dokgo Seong’s face was filled with disbelief as he landed. Breathing out in resignation, he declared, “There’s no doubt… today, I have witnessed something beyond heaven.”

It was astounding. Even the Three Dharma Guardians of the White Lotus Sect couldn’t have subdued Dokgo Seong within two minutes! Yet here was Yeodong-bin, doing so without even breaking a sweat, demonstrating how his martial arts level was an entirely different dimension from humans.

However, Yeodong-bin didn’t seem particularly interested in Dokgo Seong being defeated; instead, he turned his attention toward me and said, “Yeon-ja, let me answer your previous questions about the Heavenly Spirit Pills and the Original Spirit.”

All eyes were on him.

Dokgo Seong’s eyes bulged in anticipation, focusing intently on Yeodong-bin’s words.

“That’s not martial arts but divine power.”

“What?”

The reaction in the arena was one of sheer shock.

“To begin with, the path of the Heavenly Spirit Pills is not a realm permitted to humans. Thus, you must conclude that those who claim to have mastered the Heavenly Spirit Pills and Original Spirit are all Apostles of the God.”

 

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