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Miyamoto Musashi!

Special Officer of the Twelve Joules!

“No way!”

I was so shocked that everything went white in front of my eyes. The very person I had been searching for was right here before me!

This man had to be Dongyoung’s famous character. I had certainly heard of him many times before. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that whenever I ventured to Aokigahara Life Sea or Dongyoung, I inevitably found clues about him. The reason was simple: his influence on the world was enormous, and he was symbolized by a single phrase.

The strongest absolute master in the history of Dongyoung!

“Hahaha… Of course, the martial arts of Dongyoung might not be on par with the continental ones. But this land has three martial arts styles that cannot be underestimated.”

“First, my New Shadow School. Then there’s Miyamoto Musashi’s Two Heavens One Style. And don’t forget the Lunar Kill Technique.”

“He was a born genius, a prodigy.”

I suddenly remembered the evaluation made by Kamizumi Nobutsuna, the sword saint of Dongyoung, about him. Quite some time had passed, but it had left a deep impression on me. Kamizumi Nobutsuna was an absolute master on par with the leaders of the Nine Great Sects, yet he willingly acknowledged that he could not measure up to Miyamoto Musashi.

“The martial arts written in this Book of Five Relationships involve using two swords, known as the Reverse Sword Technique.”

“It’s an extreme technique that only those with extraordinary talent can even begin to learn. There are probably only a couple of people in all of existence who can master this.”

“This is a highly unkind martial manual that only allows geniuses to challenge it. It’s likely a flaw derived from the fact that the person who wrote the Book of Five Relationships was a genius unmatched in the world.”

Additionally, I recalled the evaluation of the Lunar Kill Technique made by the Sword Demon. He stated that anyone who learned the techniques in the Book of Five Relationships would be a formidable opponent that could dominate the world.

“First, I am not Miyamoto Musashi. I am Sasaki Kojiro from Ganryūjima.”

“Though it is said that I fought a decisive battle against Musashi, the truth is, I could not even match him in a second. I was prepared to die right then, but Musashi told me my talent was too precious and gave me this Book of Five Relationships instead.”

“It seems Musashi became disappointed with the martial arts world after sparring with someone like me, who was said to be Dongyoung’s greatest swordsman. And thus, he commanded me to live as Miyamoto Musashi.”

“He said he was going to the continent to find a worthy opponent. Beyond that, I’m clueless.”

When I had tried to find Miyamoto Musashi back in the day, I encountered the fake Miyamoto Musashi, Sasaki Kojiro. After being defeated by Musashi, Sasaki was ordered to train in the Book of Five Relationships and live on as an imitation.

“Could it be… Could it be…?”

Since I had been overwhelmed with unrelated events since then, I had never imagined I’d find him here! Let alone that the very Miyamoto Musashi would be the Special Officer right under the Twelve Joules and equivalent to the Three Masters!

While I trembled in shock, the Sect Leader spoke to Miyamoto Musashi.

“So you were watching me from nearby as a Special Officer of the Twelve Joules.”

“Correct.”

After a moment of silence, the Sect Leader exhaled in admiration.

“Hmm… I only became aware of your presence because of my deep enlightenment about the Primordial Void. As the infinite power, once filled with primordial spirits, ebbed away like a tide, my senses sharpened endlessly, and amidst that ecstasy, I detected a faint rupture.”

“…”

“You’ve harmonized with the source of Qi and even hid your own intent. Such a realm is truly astonishing.”

Hiding one’s intent?

“I don’t get it.”

I couldn’t comprehend what the Sect Leader described as Miyamoto Musashi’s stealth ability. Intent can be considered an extreme willpower that exerted influence over the world for martial artists. How could one hide it? That would imply the existence of another realm beyond human free will, which was simply unacceptable. After all, it dealt with matters outside human perception.

One thing was certain. The superhuman before me had exceeded the realm of Intent and advanced into the absolute realm!

And that realm was utterly incomprehensible to me.

Miyamoto Musashi, gazing intently at the Sect Leader, spoke briefly.

“Shall we fight?”

Huh?

Why would he say something like that? It was true that the Sect Leader viewed him as a potentially insurmountable enemy, but on the surface, we were still bound by a Non-aggression Pact with the Twelve Joules. Moreover, the Sect Leader had asserted that recognizing Miyamoto Musashi had significantly strengthened him. Given that I, the Master of the Seven Luminaries, was right beside him, I couldn’t fathom this provocation to fight.

But it seemed the Sect Leader had a different perspective. He fixed his gaze on the two swords at Miyamoto Musashi’s waist and responded.

“There’s no need for mutual destruction right now.”

“…….!!”

I couldn’t help but cover my mouth in shock.

No way… The Sect Leader just suggested mutual destruction after getting provoked first?!

Even when I summoned the power of the Moon Sovereign to intimidate him, the Sect Leader simply brushed it aside, pressing me down with his own formidable presence. Now he was acknowledging the possibility of mutual destruction if he engaged in a fight with Miyamoto Musashi!

This was unbelievable.

No matter how strong the Master of Dongyoung was, such a level of combat prowess simply wasn’t possible…

At that moment.

Shwack!

Ah.

An unearthly flash passed by, and my head cleanly detached as if chopped off. There wasn’t even a moment of bleeding.

It felt like thinking this was my 19th death.

…

Ah, no. I wasn’t dead.

As I fumbled to touch my throat, I realized the scene of my head being severed was merely a hallucination! But no matter how much I thought about it, the realism of that illusion had been overwhelmingly convincing, as if I barely died and came back to life.

“That illusion… it’s not an illusion technique. It’s just my intuition…”

I, as a martial artist, sensed that the death I vividly experienced was a reflection of Miyamoto Musashi detecting my killing intent and returning it right back at me! In other words, every tiny ounce of killing intent or disturbance I exuded, every minuscule muscle twitch, was perfectly read by Miyamoto Musashi.

This was a feeling I recognized all too well. If I fought as I was now against Miyamoto Musashi, no matter what tricks I employed, I’d be hacked to pieces within three seconds.

I felt my strength drain.

After tirelessly honing my strength to be worthy of dominating the world, I found myself questioning if such a monstrous figure still existed in the world. And shockingly, he appeared right outside the realm of the Four Great Families, amplifying my horror.

All my efforts over the past century felt utterly meaningless.

Yet, the two monsters continued to regard each other, ignoring me. The atmosphere in that space was filled with an ominous energy, one where a living being wouldn’t stand a chance. The surges of thousands of qi, complex and foreboding, churned and breathed as if alive, even I—the peak expert—struggled to perceive them.

The first to withdraw their presence was Miyamoto Musashi. He looked at the Sect Leader with an inscrutable gaze and said.

“If you have something to say, now’s your chance.”

To utter such arrogance towards the current ruler of the Central Plains, someone who had even toppled the Great Immortal, was nothing short of audacity. But his abilities, proven through their exchange moments before, justified that arrogance. For some reason, it felt like if the Sect Leader opened the world of illusions, Musashi could just tear it apart.

With a chuckle, the Sect Leader replied.

“Tell the Master of the Twelve Joules that I wish to form an alliance.”

Miyamoto Musashi fell silent for a moment before responding.

“What’s the goal of this alliance?”

“I want to establish a coalition to defeat the Celestial Realm.”

“How shameless.”

He continued coldly.

“If you manage to draw my sword, then I might pass that message along.”

The Sect Leader calmly responded.

“Come at me.”

Swish!

I couldn’t see it. I sensed that the Sect Leader unleashed an overwhelming force at that moment, reacting at a terrifying speed, but in that instant… I felt absolutely nothing, from start to finish. Usually, you’d feel at least some scene unfolding, but even as I reached the level of ‘fiber’ from ‘microscopic’, I didn’t perceive a thing.

Yet beyond my senses, in that extreme microcosm of chaos, the two absolute beings exchanged a single strike.

Whoosh!!

A trickle of blood shot up from the Sect Leader’s left shoulder blade. The wound wasn’t large, but it was clear that he hadn’t withstood Miyamoto Musashi’s strike; he had been forced to take a hit. The Sect Leader had managed to dodge wounds even during his fight with the Great Immortal!

Miyamoto Musashi wasn’t unscathed either. He staggered back a couple of steps, blood dripping from his lips.

He wiped the blood from his mouth with a humorless grin.

“Impressive. It’s my first time since meeting the Joules…”

“Are you satisfied now?”

“Sort of.”

“Visit the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect.”

“Understood.”

As soon as Miyamoto Musashi finished speaking, he vanished. His disappearance felt strikingly different from any teleportation I had witnessed—be it an Instantaneous Technique from a Sorcerer or a glance of a magical movement’s instant. It felt like an overwhelming void, one that threatened my very comprehension of reality. The absolute speed left no shimmer behind.

I quickly turned to the Sect Leader.

“Sect Leader! Are you alright?”

“Of course. That was quite entertaining.”

Despite his leisurely demeanor, the Sect Leader muttered faintly, as if slightly drained.

“However, had I not attained the Seven Great Techniques and the realization of the Primordial Void, it wouldn’t have been so amusing.”

“…”

“Baek Woong. I have remained in the Imperial Palace specifically to meet him.”

“I get it now.”

Finally, I comprehended the Sect Leader’s intentions. The Special Officer of the Twelve Joules, Miyamoto Musashi, had hidden his appearance in the realm of ultimate martial prowess! Originally, no one could have noticed him. The Sect Leader had vaguely sensed his existence, gathering the realizations he gained from the fight with the Great Immortal, leading him to finally pinpoint this situation. Even Zhuge’s wisdom could never reach such an insight.

The Sect Leader remarked.

“Indeed, the Lunar Kill Technique. The power I read in old texts was no falsehood…”

I snapped back to the moment at his mention.

“Now that you mention it…”

The one who informed Kamizumi Nobutsuna of the existence of the Lunar Kill Technique was none other than the Sect Leader over a hundred years ago!

“It’s the ultimate swift knife technique that only a blind person can master. I don’t know who holds its legacy, but there’s a legend that if its master appears, the world will be drenched in blood.”

“When I went to the Ming Dynasty, I sought out the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who allegedly reached the extremes of martial arts. I even met with him for a personal discourse on martial practices; he told me, ‘If you want to grow stronger as a Dongyoung native, learn the Lunar Kill Technique. It’s the most dangerous martial art in existence.’ Of course, I dismissed his words and returned to Dongyoung to train in the Blade-less Technique. I believed that winning without drawing my sword was the ultimate form of swordsmanship. I still hold that belief, but I’m sure the Lunar Kill Technique is an incredibly ferocious swift knife art.”

The Sect Leader explicitly stated that the Lunar Kill Technique was the most dangerous martial art in the world. This meant he had knowledge of its identity and power for over a century. While piecing together the information I had gathered, I found a question bubbling up, and I asked the Sect Leader.

“Old texts? Are you saying the Lunar Kill Technique is an ancient martial art?”

“Indeed. I’ll explain further later.”

He abruptly turned his head.

“I need to strengthen myself further before I next meet with the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

Swish!

With that, the Sect Leader vanished using his Instantaneous Technique. I assumed he had returned to the White Lotus Sect, as it was the most suitable place for training. He would continue honing the Seven Great Techniques and embracing his realizations until Miyamoto Musashi sought him out.

Zhuge was chuckling inside me.

“Normally, the Twelve Joules would never accept an alliance proposal. They’d be foolish to attack while merely observing the Sect Leader.”

“So are you saying the Sect Leader has made a mistake?”

“No! He has read the true nature of the Master of the Twelve Joules. The Sect Leader’s perceptiveness is commendable.”

As I countered, Zhuge muttered ominously.

“Things are starting to get urgent. I guess it’s time for me to prepare…”

 

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