---

00411  천계(天界)  ————————————————————————=

Before following the sect leader, I decided to stay a bit longer in the imperial palace. It was because I had something weighing on my mind. I muttered in the empty bedroom of the inner palace, “Why couldn’t I see Miyamoto Musashi?”

I couldn’t make sense of it. Despite mobilizing all my sensing abilities, I felt nothing at the place where Miyamoto Musashi was. Until the sect leader pressured Musashi to reveal himself, that spot was just an empty void. Yet the sect leader noticed Musashi’s presence.

The difference between the sect leader and me was probably the realization about the Primordial Void. I didn’t quite understand what that meant, but I could guess that the sect leader discovered Musashi thanks to his entry into the realm of profound martial arts.

However, that superficial reason alone wasn’t enough to convince me. Just what principle allowed Miyamoto Musashi to be thoroughly invisible? Even the ninja, who boast the best stealth skills in Dongyoung, wouldn’t be able to match that level of concealment. In fact, even I could sense the presence of Hattori Hanzo, one of the best ninjas in Dongyoung, to some extent.

As I kept pondering, Zhuge Sa spoke up. [Only the sect leader can answer that. You’re quite lucky.]

“I know I should meet the sect leader, but isn’t it strange?”

[What’s strange?]

“I obtained the All-Seeing Eye through the National Seal. It’s supposed to let me see everything, so why couldn’t I see that guy?”

I exploded with frustration. I felt strangely cheated. The spirit of the National Seal had clearly said it would grant me a third eye to see everything, yet strangely, I couldn’t see Miyamoto Musashi. Then Zhuge Sa remarked as if I was being foolish.

[Hey, take out the National Seal.]

“I’ve taken it out.”

As I placed the National Seal on my palm, Zhuge Sa said dismissively.

[You’re not doing anything right now.]

“What?”

[Is it that hard to tell? The National Seal is a mobility-type treasure. Since you haven’t chanted the liberation incantation, it’s just providing you with energy normally.]

“Oh!” I exclaimed hastily, racking my brain for a moment. Then I searched for and recited the incantation to liberate the National Seal.

Wiying –

Brilliant golden light burst forth, and suddenly everything in front of me twisted and changed. The All-Seeing Eye activated, allowing me to perceive everything in the vicinity, even down to the minutiae of objects. As I realized this was the phenomenon of the All-Seeing Eye operating correctly, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

“Damn… It wasn’t automatic, but manual.”

Even so, I couldn’t accept it, so I canceled the activation of the National Seal and clenched my teeth.

“I’ve never heard of such a martial art. Are you saying the Lunar Kill Technique has such power?”

My current martial skills were ranked among the best, apart from a few in the White Lotus Sect or Twelve Joules. I even heard I qualified to be an elder from Lee Cheong-un, the former Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage. Yet, not only could I not sense Miyamoto Musashi’s aura, but I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him!

[If I were to judge solely based on objective information, it seems he has entered a realm where internal power is meaningless.]

“That would be the case.”

Having seen the one slash of Miyamoto Musashi, I understood. His abilities easily negate the power of the Dharma Guardian. He could end it all with a fatal blow before unleashing any bombardment using his infinite internal power. This could theoretically be the best method to confront a Dharma Guardian, yet no one could turn that into reality. Only the sect leader could penetrate the Dharma Guardian’s Protection Energy Technique and martial arts to land a fatal blow, and now Miyamoto Musashi was added to that list.

[I guess we should also investigate why the sect leader was aware of the Lunar Kill Technique.]

“That’s true.”

[However, if I were you, I’d seek out Lee Cheong-un first.]

“What?”

I froze at the unexpected remark. Zhuge Sa continued.

[From now on, the situation is going to become more urgent. Until now, it was enough to observe Lee Cheong-un’s movements, but you might not have many more chances to meet him. You need to extract what you can from him before it’s too late.]

I started to catch on to what Zhuge Sa was suggesting.

“You mean that since Lee Cheong-un has also entered the absolute realm, listening to him will solidify the information?”

[Exactly. And when you face the sect leader, you’ll have more questions to ask.]

“Indeed…”

Pa-at

I departed the imperial palace and headed to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School where Lee Cheong-un was. He was quietly enjoying tea in Waryong Hall when he noticed my presence and greeted me warmly.

“Welcome.”

I spoke to Lee Cheong-un.

“I have a question. Do you happen to know of a martial art called the Lunar Kill Technique?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure.”

Lee Cheong-un tilted his head. Knowing that he wouldn’t lie about something like this, I felt bittersweet. However, I needed to consult him anyway, so I soon took out the obsidian and recorded the details about the clash with the Primordial Realm and my conversation with Miyamoto Musashi.

As Lee Cheong-un accepted the obsidian and reflected on my memory, he said,

“Indeed, I see. The sect leader chose that path…”

“What path?”

Lee Cheong-un tossed me the obsidian and replied,

“Do you know that the sect leader manifests a variant form of the Primordial Spirit? It’s further along than the realm of Intent.”

“You know what that is?”

“Both the sect leader and I have long surpassed the stage of handling intention. So perhaps our extreme perspectives are similar. The only difference is in our forms.”

After pondering for a moment, he said,

“It’s likely that no one has taught or shown you a higher level than this. Because even with your current skills, among the martial world, apart from the White Lotus Sect, there is little lacking in strength. But if you truly intend to fight a divine being, you should know this.”

“Please, enlighten me.”

“To put it simply, both the sect leader and Miyamoto Musashi have reached a realm where they can shift the pillars that shake the heavens.”

Shift the pillars?

I looked at him in confusion as he continued speaking.

“Intention is the will of the human, while thought signifies implementing that will in the world. A powerful mental strength connects the human heart with heaven and earth. At that moment, one feels as if a pillar of light connects the sky with oneself. You understand this, right?”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

I had repeatedly heard the teachings of intention from the Sword Demon and had memorized them diligently. To fully comprehend them, I had nearly faced death. I couldn’t claim to not know the theory of intention. Lee Cheong-un crossed his arms.

“The next realm is to move the Heavenly Pillar of thought, thereby shaking the world itself.”

“Shaking the world? What do you mean…”

“Did you not feel anything strange while using the Mind Control Technique?”

Fuwung

Lee Cheong-un suddenly activated the Thunder Spirit Technique, evaporating all the water in the teacup he was holding. He probably disassembled the water’s components one by one at a terrifying speed. As I stared at his divine presence with astonished eyes, Lee Cheong-un continued,

“Since you also use the Mind Control Technique, you should be able to do something similar. But even so, there’s a limit. While it appears you materialize impossible divine powers, it costs a great amount of mental strength, physical strength, and internal power. The Dharma Guardian hides all of that with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, so it might not show, but the expenditure is still significant.”

I nodded along, agreeing with his words.

“That’s true.”

The Mind Control Technique had immense power, but it wasn’t something easily used multiple times. Typically, in chaotic battles, using it two or three times would settle the matter. In a clash of peak experts, the timing of revealing a secret technique becomes a critical juncture. Lee Cheong-un spoke in a rather philosophical manner.

“Then, why is the expenditure of the Mind Control Technique so high?”

“Well, it’s because you’re materializing an impossible martial principle with human strength.”

“Exactly. But what’s the basis for that?”

Basis?

When I looked at Lee Cheong-un, he interlocked his fingers.

“The reaction against the absolute martial skill that bends the laws of the world is what we call the expenditure of the Mind Control Technique. Have you ever thought about whether the basis for that expenditure is certain?”

“Hmm… I guess I just go with a rough intuition. It’s somewhat arbitrary.”

When I openly expressed my confidence as a peak expert, Lee Cheong-un smiled.

“Overcoming that premise is precisely the stage of moving the pillars of will to transcend the laws. Until now, if you’d been subtly bending the laws while watching the world, then changing those standards entirely is the prerequisite condition for reaching the absolute realm.”

“……!!”

I was taken aback by Lee Cheong-un’s words.

“Is that even possible?”

It sounded easy, but there’s no proof that such an intangible concept as ‘law’ exists. It’s merely executed impulsively with the help of tiles and intention, and suddenly, one perceives and overturns it? There was only theory; I couldn’t grasp what training or effort might be required to reach that point.

After pondering for a long time and still not understanding, I shook my head in disbelief.

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

“It’s quite challenging to lump it all together like that. However, if you deal with intentions, you must have felt that, in the microscopic world, common sense fluctuates freely.”

Lee Cheong-un continued.

“Think deeply. There are numerous Mind Control Techniques that function without any known reason or principle. Yet within that chaos, a certain law exists. That unwritten rule often receives intangible acknowledgment among the experts.”

“… That seems to be the case.”

Lee Cheong-un’s words, though seemingly disjointed, pierced through to a deeper understanding in my heart. While it sounded nonsensical when put into writing, I comprehended what that feeling entailed as someone practicing peak martial arts. Lee Cheong-un said,

“It’s difficult for me to offer specific guidance on how you might reach the absolute realm of transcending the laws. But with just this understanding, I think you can grasp why the sect leader or Miyamoto Musashi is so powerful.”

“So, is that variant form manifested by the sect leader the result of altering the laws of the world?”

“That would be correct. That person invoked chaos to draw out their potential, which resulted in becoming part of that chaos themselves. One could view that as a ‘possibility’ reached after the sect leader trained for dozens or hundreds of years.”

“What about Miyamoto Musashi’s stealth?”

“You need to ask the sect leader about that. The one who faced him directly knows best.”

Lee Cheong-un replied to that, then said,

“That’s enough explanation for now. Continuing might bewilder the path.”

“Hmm… understood.”

“Then, what do you intend to do moving forward? The heavenly realm will increasingly take decisive actions.”

“……”

I felt it was challenging to respond. Regardless of what happened, I was in a situation where I must help the sect leader until the very end, regardless of life or death. Even compromising with the heavenly realm seemed unlikely to leave me any chance of survival. Seeing my expression, Lee Cheong-un forced a smile.

“I shouldn’t have asked such unnecessary questions.”

“Then, what are your intentions, Lee Cheong-un?”

“I have prepared sufficiently. So now I can take action.”

Lee Cheong-un’s eyes shone brightly.

“You can rest assured that you won’t suffer any harm.”

It was clear he wouldn’t provide any answers about what he planned to do.

Because he was sufficiently wary of me, knowing I was a reborn person, and we maintained a careful distance while helping each other. At this point, Lee Cheong-un was my most objective ally.

After my conversation with Lee Cheong-un, I returned to the White Lotus Sect and then went to see the sect leader.

The sect leader was likely in the middle of practicing martial arts, meditating in the air. He spoke without turning around.

[You’ve come, Baek Woong.]

I respectfully bowed to him and said,

“I have one question.”

The question was nearly the same as the one I had for Lee Cheong-un. It pertained to what the absolute realm was and what Miyamoto Musashi’s martial art entailed. Upon hearing my question, the sect leader pondered for a while and then said,

[Among the ancient texts collected by the White Lotus Sect, there is one called the Nihon Shoki, which contains portions omitted from the currently circulating Kojiki in Dongyoung. I indulged in those omitted parts during my youth, which discussed the transition from myth to human history.]

“Hmm…”

[When the policies of Dongyoung were controlled by the Abe clan, and life became bearable for humans, there was a last explosion of the clan known as the “Tenshi God,” who raged and killed and devoured people. When the resentment of humans peaked, over a hundred martial arts geniuses created the ultimate art filled with their grievances, which was called the Lunar Kill Technique.]

“What?”

While listening to the sect leader, I sensed something was off.

“How could the establishment of a martial art be like that? Created due to the resentment of a god?”

[……]

“And how could there possibly be over a hundred martial arts geniuses?”

That’s absurd. Originally, martial arts developed through the process of humans handling their naturally born qi in combat arts and evolved through struggles. That it was created to fight gods seemed beyond ridiculous.

Moreover, a true genius isn’t simply called a genius without reason. Having faced true martial geniuses, I knew that well. To outsiders, talented individuals may seem the same as geniuses, but in reality, geniuses are categorized with utmost independence and clarity. How could there have been a hundred of such beings in ancient Dongyoung? Even questioning whether there are that many geniuses in the current Central Plains feels uncertain at best.

The sect leader lightly responded to my doubts.

[Yes. So I too wanted to dismiss it as an ancient tale. But when I realized that Aokigahara is real, I couldn’t do that.]

“……!!”

[That place is the seal of the ‘old ruler.’ A cursed land not protected by either the Seven Luminaries or the Twelve Joules, hence abandoned by all. Despite this, human civilization has persisted because someone continuously seals and slays the ‘old ruler.’ If such an entity exists in Dongyoung, it can only be one—the possessor of the Lunar Kill Technique.]

So that was it.

Therefore, when the Sword Saint Kamizumi Nobutsuna visited, the sect leader recommended the Lunar Kill Technique. The sect leader had deduced that the ultimate bastion guarding Dongyoung was indeed the Lunar Kill Technique, having thoroughly examined the ancient texts. And it turned out that this time, I confronted the very possessor of that martial art, Miyamoto Musashi.

I asked again,

“So how did Miyamoto Musashi conceal his presence?”

[That man cleaved the world.]

“What?”

[To be precise, he cleaved the sphere we perceive and buried his existence within time and space. He applied a fatal strike that cleaved away what does not exist. I believe Miyamoto Musashi has long reached the absolute realm.]

“……”

Hearing the reason given, I still struggled to understand what it meant, which was quite unusual.

‘So it wasn’t an exaggeration.’

Lee Cheong-un’s explanation of altering the laws of the world was no exaggeration at all. Beyond merely handling intention, it was about implementing one’s will to shake the world! At this point, phenomena beyond sorcery or magic had to be occurring.

The sect leader said,

[Deputy Sect Leader Baek Woong. Your contribution this time has been great.]

I flinched and waved my hands.

“But you did it all by yourself!”

That was the truth. I merely watched as the sect leader crushed the Great Immortal and negotiated with Musashi. I felt embarrassed saying I had contributed.

[If you hadn’t revealed the intentions of the Southern Flower Immortal, I would have let Luoyang fall. And they would have summoned the Messenger using the treasure.]

“That likely would have been the case.”

[Unlike the technique cultivators who have accumulated sorcery, the Messengers are beings who seized the throne of the Great Immortal through pure martial means. Do you understand what this means?]

“……”

Upon realizing the implications of the sect leader’s words, I genuinely understood how close I had come to a catastrophe.

[Fighting the Messengers means contending with the demigods who’ve preserved the absolute realm for hundreds or thousands of years. It would have been a significant disaster.]