I exploded in frustration. I felt swindled or something. The spirit of the National Seal explicitly told me it would grant me a third eye that sees everything, yet somehow, I couldn’t see Miyamoto Musashi. Zhuge Sa responded as if I were being dense.

[Hey, take out the National Seal.]

“I did.”

As I laid the National Seal on my palm, Zhuge Sa nonchalantly remarked.

[You’re not doing anything right now.]

“What?”

[Can’t you tell? The National Seal is a mobile treasure. Since you haven’t chanted the release incantation, it’s just supplying you with aura. ]

“Ah!”

Listening to Zhuge Sa, I quickly rummaged through my memories and found the incantation to release the National Seal.

Wee-ing –

A brilliant golden light erupted, twisting everything in front of me. Instantly, the Palace Examination Technique activated, allowing me to sense everything nearby. Realizing that this was the proper activation of the technique made me feel utterly deflated.

‘Damn it… it wasn’t automatic; it was manual.’

Even so, it didn’t add up, so I canceled the activation of the National Seal and clenched my teeth.

“How could a martial technique like that even exist? Is the Lunar Kill Technique that powerful?”

My current skills were among the top, only rivaled by those on the Pinnacle like the White Lotus Sect or the Twelve Joules. Even I Cheong-un, the ex-Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage, told me I had the qualifications to be an elder. Yet, I still couldn’t detect any sign or sight of Miyamoto Musashi!

[Based on objective information alone, it seems he has transcended his internal power to the level where it’s meaningless.]

“Well, that makes sense.”

I knew how significant Musashi’s presence was. Against him, the power of the Dharma Guardian would amount to nothing. He could unleash an all-out attack before I even made a move! Theoretically, that would be the best method to counter a Dharma Guardian, but practically, hardly anyone could accomplish it. Only the Sect Leader could deliver a lethal hit through the Dharma Guardian’s protective energies and martial skills, but now Musashi was added to that list.

[We should find out why the Sect Leader was aware of the Lunar Kill Technique.]

“That’s true.”

[But if it were me, I’d go visit Lee Cheong-un first.]

“What?”

The unexpected suggestion made me stop short. Zhuge Sa continued.

[The situation is about to get more urgent. Until now, it was enough to just confirm Lee Cheong-un’s status, but from now on, you might not get the chance to meet him multiple times. You need to gather what you can from him before that.]

I caught on to what Zhuge Sa meant.

“Lee Cheong-un has also reached a transcendent state, so listening to him will solidify the information, right?”

[Exactly! And when you finally meet the Sect Leader, you’ll have more questions.]

“Indeed…”

With that in mind, I departed the Imperial Palace and headed towards the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School where Lee Cheong-un was. Finding him enjoying tea quietly in Waryong Hall, he greeted me warmly.

“Welcome!”

I leaned in and asked, “I have a question. Do you happen to know the Lunar Kill Technique?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so,” Lee Cheong-un tilted his head. I had a good idea he’d never lie about something like this, which left me feeling a bit sour. But I still needed to consult him, so I laid out the Obsidian and recorded the details of the confrontation with the Heavenly Realm and my discussion with Miyamoto Musashi.

As he held the Obsidian, savoring my recollections, Lee Cheong-un remarked, “I see, so the Sect Leader chose that path…”

“What path?”

Lee Cheong-un tossed the Obsidian back at me and replied, “The mutated form of the Primordial Spirit that the Sect Leader manifested. Do you know that it’s something that goes beyond the Realm of Intent?”

“You mean you know what that is?”

“Both the Sect Leader and I have long surpassed the stage of handling intent. So the extreme we perceive may be quite similar. The form is just different.”

He pondered for a moment before speaking again. “Considering your current level, few have taught or shown you beyond this point. Because even without the White Lotus Sect, you wouldn’t fall short of the strongest in the present Martial World. But if you genuinely plan to confront a divine being, it’d be wise to know about this.”

“Please enlighten me.”

“Simply put, both the Sect Leader and Miyamoto Musashi have reached the level of shaking the heavens by moving pillars.”

Shaking pillars? I stared at him dumbfounded as he continued.

“The intent is human will, and consciousness refers to actualizing that in the world. Powerful mental strength connects the human heart to heaven and earth. At that moment, you feel as though a light pillar connects the heavens to yourself. You got that, right?”

I nodded.

“Of course.” I remembered being drilled endlessly during my training with the Sword Demon. It all made sense, having survived life-and-death moments. There was no way I didn’t understand the theory of intent. Lee Cheong-un crossed his arms.

“So the next stage is moving the Heavenly Pillar of Intent to shake the world.”

“Shake the world? What do you mean by that…”

“Didn’t you notice anything strange while using the Mind Control Technique?”

Suddenly, Lee Cheong-un activated the Thunder Spirit, instantly evaporating the tea he was drinking. Probably, he used an incredibly fast thrust to break down the water’s components, one by one. As I stared, agape, at this divine being, he continued.

“Since you use Mind Control Technique, you might be able to do something similar. But even so, there’s a limit. Comprehending something seemingly impossible consumes vast amounts of mental strength, physical strength, and internal power. The Dharma Guardian offsets all of that with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, masking how exorbitant it is.”

I nodded in agreement.

“That’s true.”

The Mind Control Technique had colossal power, but it wasn’t something I could use freely and frequently. In the heat of battle, using it thrice would usually seal the deal. In clashes of Peak Experts, the timing of unleashing a hidden technique was the pivotal turning point. Lee Cheong-un said in a relaxed tone.

“So why on earth is the consumption so great with the Mind Control technique?”

“Because it’s realizing a transcendence that is impossible by human power.”

“Correct. But what’s the standard?”

Standard? I looked at Lee Cheong-un as he interlocked his fingers.

“The consumption of the Mind Control Technique arises as a reaction to surpassing the world’s laws. That consumption’s standard, have you ever thought about what that might be?”

“Hmm… Probably just a rough estimate. It’s very subjective.”

As I shared my thoughts as a Peak Expert, Lee Cheong-un flashed a grin.

“Breaking through that premise is precisely what moves the Pillar of Intent and transcends the laws. Until then, if you were to take heed of the world’s concerns, you would merely be slightly bending the laws. But to radically shift those standards is the condition for reaching the Absolute Realm.”

“……!!”

Upon hearing Lee Cheong-un’s speech, I was astounded.

‘Is that even possible?’ Sure, it sounded easy, but there’s no evidence that some intangible ‘law’ existed. I just arbitrarily executed things with the assistance of Qi and intent. But being able to discern and completely invert that notion? It was baffling, leaving me clueless about any training or effort necessary to achieve that.

After a while of mind-boggling contemplation, I shook my head in disbelief.

“What do you mean by the law? Are you referring to the natural phenomena and physical laws of this world?”

“It’s quite a stretch to collectively explain it like that. But if you handle intent, you’ve likely experienced that the common sense in the micro-realm can fluctuate wildly.”

Lee Cheong-un continued, “Think carefully. Numerous Mind Control Techniques get executed without anyone knowing why or by what principles. Yet amid that chaos, there exists a certain pattern. This unwritten rule often receives intangible acknowledgment among experts.”

“That seems to ring true.”

While Lee Cheong-un’s words felt somewhat scattered, he managed to pierce through my confusion. Writing it down would sound absurd, but as someone engaged in the practice of Peak Martial Arts, I understood that feeling. Lee Cheong-un remarked.

“Specifically, I can’t help you with how to reach the transcendent level of the Cosmic Law. But with just this much knowledge, you should be able to fathom why the Sect Leader and Miyamoto Musashi are so formidable.”

“So, what the Sect Leader manifested as a mutated form is essentially a result of changing the laws of the world?”

“That would be correct. He conjured chaos to unleash his potential and, as a result, transformed himself into part of that chaos. This was borne from decades and centuries of training done by the Master of the White Lotus Sect, which can be regarded as one potential outcome.”

“What about Miyamoto Musashi’s stealth?”

“Ask the Sect Leader about that. He knows that guy better as he’s confronted him directly.”

With that, Lee Cheong-un stated, “I’ll stop the explanations here. Any more would only hinder the Great Way.”

“Sure… got it.”

“So, what do you plan to do next? The Heavenly Realm is putting more pressure on us now.”

“……”

I found it tough to answer, really. Regardless, I was still on the side of the White Lotus Sect, so I had no choice but to see this through to the end, even if it meant death. Compromising with the Heavenly Realm seemed like the worst bet since my chances of survival were slim. Lee Cheong-un smirked at my expression.

“It seems I asked a pointless question.”

“And what’s your plan, Lee Cheong-un?”

“I’ve made sufficient preparations. Now I should be able to act.”

His eyes glowed with determination. “You won’t have to worry about any repercussions.”

Asking him would yield no answers. Lee Cheong-un was wary due to my status as a Reborn Person, and we were maintaining a careful alliance as we supported each other. At this point, he was my most objective ally.

After our conversation, I returned to the White Lotus Sect. Upon arrival, I headed to meet the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader was meditating in midair, perhaps training in his martial skills. Without turning to look, he greeted me.

[You have arrived, Baek Woong.]

Politeness intact, I offered my martial authority and spoke up.

“I have a question.”

The query was much like what I asked Lee Cheong-un. What does the Absolute Realm mean, and just what martial arts did Miyamoto Musashi possess? After a long pause, he finally replied.

[Among the ancient books gathered by the White Lotus Sect, there was a record known as the “Chronicles of Japan,” which contained missing bits from the ancient chronicles passed down in Dongyoung. During my youth, I dived into that missing section, noting that it referenced the transition from mythology to human history.]

“Huh…”

[It was said that when the demonic energy from the Abe no clan had taken control, humans could finally live peacefully again, but then a clan named ‘Tenshi’ went on the rampage, killing and consuming mankind. When the hate of human beings reached its peak, an ultimate martial art was created by geniuses in martial arts, totaling almost a hundred people, and that was the Lunar Kill Technique.]

“What?!”

His words made me feel something was off.

“What absurdity is this? A martial technique created out of resentment towards the deities?”

[……]

“And how can there be even a hundred geniuses in martial arts?”

That’s just nonsense. Martial arts is meant to evolve through natural combat prowess combined with weapon skills. Claiming it was created to fight deities seems like a stretch.

Moreover, true geniuses don’t come in droves. I’ve met enough true martial geniuses to know this better than anyone. To outsiders, a talented person and a genius may seem the same, but actually, genuine geniuses are unique and distinct. There couldn’t have been that many in ancient Dongyoung! Even today, questioning if a hundred geniuses exist within the Central Plains is seriously doubtful.

The Sect Leader casually replied to my doubts.

[That’s true, and I thought of it as just another ancient tale. But when I learned that Aokigahara Life Sea actually exists, I couldn’t dismiss it anymore.]

“……!!”

[That place is the Seal of the Old Ruler. Without the Seven Luminaries or the Twelve Joules, it’s a cursed land unguarded by anyone in Dongyoung. Yet human civilization has persisted because someone has been continuously sealing and killing the Old Ruler. If such a being exists in Dongyoung, it could only be the owner of the Lunar Kill Technique.]

So that’s why the Sect Leader had recommended the Lunar Kill Technique when Kamizumi Nobutsuna came looking. The Sect Leader, having studied ancient texts, realized that the last bastion of defense for Dongyoung was that very technique. And now, I had just faced the one who bears that martial art, Miyamoto Musashi.

With renewed curiosity, I asked again.

“Then how did Miyamoto Musashi conceal his presence?”

[He sliced through the world.]

“Huh?”

[To be precise, he sliced through the realm we recognize, burying his existence within time and space. He applied a deadly attack that cuts through that which does not exist. I suspect that Miyamoto Musashi has long reached the Absolute Realm.]

“……”

Even after hearing the reason, I was still stumped. How could this be?

‘It really wasn’t an exaggeration.’

What Lee Cheong-un articulated about bending the laws of the world wasn’t an embellishment at all. Beyond handling intent, he started to shake the world with his will! At this point, it was more magical than sorcery, and weirder than any form of magic!

The Sect Leader remarked, [Baek Woong, your contributions this time are significant.]

I panicked and waved my hands.

“You did it all yourself!”

That was the truth. All I did was watch as the Sect Leader smacked down the Great Immortal and negotiated with Musashi. I felt embarrassed to claim any credit.

[If you hadn’t informed me of the Southern Flower’s intentions, I would have let Luoyang fall. They would have summoned the Ornate Technique using the treasures.]

“That would have indeed been the case.”

[Fighting against the Ornate Technique means facing semi-divine beings who’ve transcended the Absolute Realm for hundreds or thousands of years. That could’ve spelled disaster.]