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00418 Celestial Realm ————————————————————————=

One Instant.

It’s an indescribable contradiction!

Click

Click

In that moment, I realized there were two figures entering a strange space. It was the realm of Heart Command Technique, where only true experts could enter—a world of stillness where time and space seemed to freeze, and the emotions of both myself and my opponent were clearer than my own. Their rising ultimate technique intertwined, indicating that they too had stepped into this domain with ease.

The sound of a machine clicking filled the air. And through Yeodong-bin’s gaze, I could share and feel what was happening in that moment as if peering into it with an extraordinary martial sensitivity.

Woahhhh!

The Master of the White Lotus Sect had already activated the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance, summoning thousands of Mandalas around himself, with pure white seals soaring from each one, devouring space as they ascended. But the speed was so fast that it was virtually impossible to perceive without borrowing the senses of the great immortal and Yeodong-bin, it was of extreme moment.

However, I was not taken aback by the Master’s speed. Having directly experienced Thunder Spirit Technique, which might actually be faster, and having felt his terrifying attack speed multiple times, what truly astonished me was the sheer extrasensory perception of Yeodong-bin himself.

[Are you coming?]

The next moment, Yeodong-bin’s sword unfurled a precise barrier as if it were the most natural thing to do, overwhelming the range of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

It was unbelievable—Yeodong-bin actually succeeded in taking the initiative against the Master who activated Heart of Heaven’s Abundance!

‘Th-this… this is the battle style of overlaying techniques…’

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique

Void Piercing

In the shared space with Yeodong-bin, his technique name flowed into my unconscious. Yeodong-bin’s combat sense surpassed any realm a living being could attain. No, rather than simply a combat sense, it was more like an arts meant to annihilate the enemy in a contest of extremes.

If we were to divide the speed of a moment into divisions such as fen (分), li (厘), hao (毫), si (絲), hu (忽), wei (微), xian (纖), and Sha (沙), there are even smaller unit divisions of Jin (塵), ai (埃), miao (渺), and mo (漠). However, witnessing the duel between Miyamoto Musashi and the Master made me understand that analyzing divisions at absolute realms is meaningless. In the end, how could any chaos lead to any change within the realm of intent by shaking the celestial pillar of intent, as human senses cannot fathom?

Yet, having glimpsed the absolute state, I could instinctively discern something now.

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, Void Piercing captures the moment regardless of how deeply the opponent digs into temporal realms, transcending senses to prevent absolute ambushes! No matter how much an expert trains, it is something that could never be imitated by human senses. The thought that I could ever elevate extrasensory perception to an absolute state had not crossed my mind, sending shivers down my spine.

‘Surely the Miyamoto Musashi of the absolute realm too…’

Could Dongyoung, the mightiest warrior in history, possess the same extrasensory sensitivity as Yeodong-bin in battle? My mind was racing with conjecture, but I had no clear answers. What was certain was that I was experiencing the duel of current absolute realm experts through Yeodong-bin.

Fwapwawbat

Countless seals launched through Heart of Heaven’s Abundance attacked thousands of times in an instant, yet Yeodong-bin repelled every single onslaught. How he repelled them was beyond any understanding of human swordsmanship or basic techniques. It was as though he was already aware of hundreds of thousands of trajectories, moving seamlessly in a realm without shadows. I couldn’t grasp the principle of the Master’s energy exploding and vanishing without a trace.

In this instant.

Yeodong-bin took a step. Countless gleams transformed like photons, wrapping around his foot, visible to the naked eye. A silvery light exuded spirit energy, and Yeodong-bin’s body felt as though it were morphing into a sword.

[Is it the Heart Sword?]

His eyes glowed fiercely, and he uttered an audacious statement.

[Sabahā]

At that moment, the Master’s Heart of Heaven’s Abundance began to exert its true power. Thousands of Mandalas floating in the air started spinning, gradually staining the surroundings with darkness.

It felt as if the Master was truly aiming to end it in just three seconds, harnessing all potential of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. I had thought it was merely a matter of launching a rapid series of energy attacks, but Yeodong-bin’s extrasensory perception and countless life-or-death duel experiences yelled out that it was absolutely not that simple.

Yeodong-bin, the Sword Master, already knew. From his countless battles in the past, facing off against experts like the Master was not new to him. The potential of overlaying techniques, with its lightning-fast reflexes born from unconsciousness, reflected his accurate combat experiences and immediately generated the best strategy.

Boom!

Single Blow Tech.

There’s simply no other way to describe the situation at this moment. Sword Master Yeodong-bin dashed forward at a speed akin to light, obliterating the very mountain itself from its roots near the garden.

A huge shockwave and deafening roar filled the world. Gigantic rocks weighing millions of pounds and storms of sand soared up as gravity was inverted. Everything in the direction the Master had aimed at was turned into utter ruin, leaving mere humans as insignificant dots amidst a natural collapse that transpired.

Darkness enveloped the land.

The massive stones that had formed the cliffs of Manjangan Cliff floated toward the Master’s right palm. Lightly, he seemed to push the stone away, but in that moment, the boulder veered sharply downwards in a violent descent.

A formless sword materialized in the air. A transparent force, appearing to resemble a polearm in some sense, poured down in hundreds of tendrils, showcasing its presence. Furthermore, an immense hand born from Heart of Heaven’s Abundance approached silently, bringing a terrifying scene closer to me.

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique

Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram

Heavenly Decision

For the first time in my memory, the final sword form, Heavenly Sword Form, had revealed itself among the six forms of the celestial winds and rains. Sword Master Yeodong-bin’s formidable combat experience concluded that this was the best response.

The earth sank! The Master’s energy instantly created an unfathomable abyss over an enormous range, yet amidst that surreal spectacle, Yeodong-bin’s body pierced straight through the force like a divine sword.

KABAAM

With dozens of explosions, Yeodong-bin soared high into the sky, rending through clouds and etching scars upon the air. This was an even deeper wound than the reverse scale shown by Lee Kwang earlier, causing the feeling of my entire vision dimming in that instant.

Puff

Simultaneously, the palm extended forward from the Master was slashed deeply, blood gushing out. It felt just like being struck by Musashi, but the situation was slightly different this time. The Master had not utilized Heart of Heaven’s Abundance then, while now Yeodong-bin countered without suffering any injuries. Clearly, Yeodong-bin’s Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram had overmatched the Master’s Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

[Ugh.]

Swipe

The Master, not even bothering to wrap his hand, concentrated his energy and instantaneously healed the gash so deep that the bone was visible. That remarkable regeneration was definitely not something humanly possible. However, considering the essence of the Primordial Spirit, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. Yet, the Master’s surprise from feeling pressured was evident.

[Had there been even one mistake in your deliberations, you would have lost. How could you take such a risk?]

With my martial arts level, I wouldn’t have comprehended the Master’s words. However, as I intertwined my thoughts with Yeodong-bin’s battle experience, I intuitively understood the meaning.

[Master of the White Lotus Sect, without taking risks, you cannot win. Truly a rare powerhouse. I had no choice but to make the best response.]

Indeed. It wasn’t that the Master had faltered, leading to a disadvantage in their duel against Yeodong-bin’s Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram. In that moment of insight through Yeodong-bin’s experience, Heart of Heaven’s Abundance had been on par with Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram.

Yeodong-bin had merely gambled everything on the less-than-thirty percent success rate, attempting a critical strike that precisely pierced the weakness of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. It seemed like Yeodong-bin was certain to win, yet in truth, it was a perilous gamble that had tipped the scales. If there had been the slightest mistake, Yeodong-bin—no, my own body—would have been crushed and splattered.

Yet still, greatness is greatness. Yeodong-bin had honed a perception sharper than a needle through thousands of life-or-death duels, allowing him to boldly press forward. He was a seasoned veteran who fought thousands of times against great demons, otherworldly races, and dragon kings while traversing the Central Plains a millennium ago. Yeodong-bin had even clashed several times against the peerless masters in the early days of the White Lotus Sect over a thousand years ago.

This was an enormous experience that an ordinary human could die ten times and still not achieve; it was the edge that only an overlay technique of the countermeasure can offer! The more the Master fought against Yeodong-bin, the more he might fall behind in their encounters at the absolute realm due to his lack of experience.

The Master began to admire.

[Truly, you are both an overlay technique user and the mightiest among the Eight Immortals! Then show me your cunning strategy.]

Wheee

[Flowing Transcendence.]

A streak of radiant light burst forth from the Master’s body, emanating eighteen radiant rings, each shining brightly. The rings stretched out, trailing long tails across the heavens, seemingly multiplying infinitely as they expanded into new rings. These rings appeared bizarre, unfamiliar in their forms, and just grazing one would surely result in catastrophe.

The trajectory of these rings could never be perceived by ordinary human faculties. Even someone proficient in the Four Talents Sect’s memorization techniques would unlikely grasp even half of Flowing Transcendence’s trajectory. However, unlike earlier with Heart of Heaven’s Abundance, it lacked a forceful push, carefully edging its way into their ultimate moments, likely seeking to discern Yeodong-bin’s skills during the final exchange of three seconds. Surrounding Yeodong-bin, it appeared the Master wouldn’t attack immediately.

Knowing this, Yeodong-bin let his Fire Dragon Sword hang and said,

[Your obsession with form has led you into contradiction.]

Thus, the Master wore an expression of confusion.

[What do you mean?]

[The boundless power you’ve gained interferes with your understanding.]

[……]

[No matter how much you acquire physical prowess through constant refinement, you cannot glimpse the principles of Tai Chi.]

As the Master fell silent, Yeodong-bin made a bold declaration.

[Can’t you let go and then fill the void?]

The Master seemed deep in thought, floating in the air for quite some time. Then, with a bitter smile, he replied.

[…I wish I could have met you earlier.]

[Had it been Jang Sam-bong, he might have easily imparted such realizations to you.]

The Sword Master Yeodong-bin’s eyes flared with intensity.

[Then I shall show you the seat of overlay techniques!]

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique

Unity of Fire Dragon!

Bright Light flowed through the Fire Dragon Sword clutched tightly in Yeodong-bin’s right hand. As the spirit of the Fire Dragon Sword resonated with Yeodong-bin’s intent, it awakened, bestowing upon him fearsome power! It was a colossal power wriggling just like when the Seven Luminaries were unleashed.

Then, the changes of Yin and Yang materialized within the sword style. Visually inexplicable, there were surely metaphysical changes swirling unsettlingly around Yeodong-bin’s technique as he dashed toward the radiant rings dominating the space.

Darkness and light intertwined like spirals, converging into a single point. This point connected back to both his arms, creating yet another beam of light while his sword seemed to vibrate, as if embracing its true self.

Yeodong-bin became the sword.

Moreover, karma flowed into the sword path.

It morphed into nothing short of a transcendent form, comparable to the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance the Master had channeled, slicing through the radiant rings without a trace of waste. In the frozen moment of time, the sequence of layers accumulated like leaves, eventually sweeping through the world as colossal strokes of infinity tore space apart.

The Swordmaster’s Realm

Whoosh

When the three seconds of exchange finally ended, the arena was enveloped in silence. By now, both the Master and Yeodong-bin had lowered themselves to the ground, quietly gazing at one another. The Master’s radiant rings had completely vanished, leaving no trace behind, while the flames of Fire Jade flickered in the air as if the Fire Dragon had descended to purify the world.

Suddenly, the Master spoke.

[It’s hard to believe there exists a stronger entity within the Celestial Realm.]

Yeodong-bin responded calmly.

[This Fire Dragon Sword is my master and the very essence of the Fire Spirit itself. I have sworn long ago to protect humanity with this power; it is not solely my strength. My goal has not merely been to become the strongest, but to uphold my beliefs.]

[Hmm…]

[Master of the Sect, don’t get so caught up in grand visions that you overlook the essentials.]

At that, the Master bowed his head and clenched his fists.

[Thank you for your profound teaching!]

Swoosh…

At last, Yeodong-bin’s intense energy dissipated, and I felt drained, collapsing right where I stood. And then I coughed up blood.

“Cough!!”

My internal energy was nearly all expended. Even if it was merely three seconds of sharing, I could distinctly feel the exhaustion of my rare internal power. I felt like I had vicariously experienced the overwhelming magnitude when masters in the absolute realm genuinely exchanged their skills.

‘So, it turns out, Yeodong-bin was genuinely worried about me…!!’

Blood bubbled up in my throat, showing no signs of stopping. The metallic stench flooded my nostrils.

“Cough, cough…”

At this rate, I might die. I could feel that some of my meridians had torn due to extreme exhaustion. As I spit out blood two or three more times, the Master said,

[Baek Woong, eat this.]

Whoosh

The Master rummaged through his wooden armor and pulled out a Black and White Lotus, tossing it to me. It seemed he had been saving it since he hadn’t consumed much.

“Cough! I… I’ll eat it well…”

I quickly grabbed it and began munching on it. Though its internal power-boosting effect would be minimal, it would surely accelerate my recovery of internal power and stamina.

“Ugh! Water…”

While I was choking, the Master calmly said,

[Will you also take Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng?]

“Cough, my throat is dry, just a moment…”

Whoosh

Once again, the Master tossed something at me. It was Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, and after devouring the Black and White Lotus, I immediately munched on the ginseng as well. Each time I consumed a spiritual pill, a sensation of vitality surged within me as if blood were being renewed. This was the first time I had hastily downed spiritual pills in such a manner.

[Hurry, recover your strength.]

The Master mumbled as he gazed skyward.

[I had initially planned to ally with the Twelve Joules and confront the Celestial Realm, but I’ve changed my mind. We must obstruct the Heavenly Sovereign at all costs, so your role, Baek Woong, is critical.]