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“What a wild ride this is!”

After bringing Cheon Woo-jin along, I handed him an obsidian filled with memories. Cheon Woo-jin raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but after Master Mangnyang reassured him, he sighed and accepted it. Normally, he wouldn’t have budged even with the Master’s persuasion, but since he was stuck with us for two years thanks to Master Mangnyang, he accepted it reluctantly.

“This guy… How many times do you plan to use me?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes bulged in disbelief upon accepting the memories and then shot daggers at me.

“Understand this, Priest. Baek Woong might be that guy who could save humans against the gods.”

With a disgruntled tone, Cheon Woo-jin continued, “Damn it! The fate of humanity in the hands of such a guy… I can’t believe it.”

“…”

“I haven’t acknowledged you yet. But I will certainly get the work done over two years.”

Cheon Woo-jin grumbled, still seething, but he wasn’t going to throw a fit. He was well aware of his situation. I let out an inward sigh of relief and asked him, “Cheon Woo-jin, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“If one pushes the techniques of martial arts to the limit, can it reach the gods?”

This question was only suitable for Cheon Woo-jin, one of the top sorcerers in the Central Plains, who could indeed reach the extremes of techniques, making it possible to measure strength against a god.

“Hmm, that question…”

Cheon Woo-jin reclined heavily in his chair before responding, “It does.”

“It does!”

“Martial techniques are actually the power of the gods. Since they originated from the Eight Trigrams given by Fuxi, they are part of the powers of the Three Sovereigns. So, in a sense, sorcerers can also be seen as different forms of priests.”

With a fresh perspective, Cheon Woo-jin added, “There are actually cases where gods have been captured before. Great Immortals also use techniques. It’s said that in ancient times, they sealed a powerful god together.”

“Really? Who was it?”

“It’s just a rumor lingering in the Celestial Realm, so I don’t know for sure. But it’s certain that when techniques reach their peak, even a god can be pricked!”

At that moment, Master Mangnyang chimed in, “Priest, can you cast such techniques that would work on a god?”

“…”

Cheon Woo-jin fell silent, mulling it over. This seemed to be quite a serious issue for him as well. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “Thanks to Divine Fever, my power has increased significantly, so I can defend against them. But as for a technique that could deal critical damage to a god— I don’t have one. I could develop one artificially, but that would require at least several decades, if not hundreds of years, of studying the Divine Killing techniques.”

“Is that so…”

Cheon Woo-jin bluntly stated, “Let me be clear; if things escalate to the point where we have to fight the Demon King or an Apostle like last time, I’m not going to be much help. At that point, I’d be solely focused on saving my own skin.”

It sounded selfish, but it was also a realistic limitation. No matter how powerful Cheon Woo-jin was, he couldn’t guarantee victory against those sorts of beings. Master Mangnyang said, “Priest, while you stay here, I want you to teach me the techniques.”

“Understood.”

“Also, when the meeting of the three factions occurs soon, you must detect it using the clairvoyant techniques.”

“Just as I planned. That’s definitely something I can handle!”

After recruiting Cheon Woo-jin, I visited the Zhuge Clan, where Zhuge Sa had a displeased look on his face.

“Two years? That’s all you could negotiate?”

“I was trying to get more, but Master Mangnyang cut it short…”

“Damn it. Cheon Woo-jin should be working like a dog for ten years. Otherwise, how can we hope to keep the Twelve Joules and the White Lotus Sect in check?”

Zhuge Sa grumbled.

“It can’t be helped. From today, your alchemy studies are on hold. You should learn techniques from Cheon Woo-jin alongside Master Mangnyang.”

“Huh?! That’s way too sudden!”

“You’ve already built up the basics in alchemy over the past year. You’ll be able to apply some of it in your next life. The purpose was to master the techniques, and now it’s time to study martial arts.”

“Hmm…”

“You’ve never properly studied martial arts before. You’ve got to learn as much as you can while the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin stays in Jangryeong Valley for two years.”

I felt pleasantly surprised. ‘Thank goodness! I was so tired of studying alchemy!’

Stuck in my room memorizing formulas and practicing with minerals and herbs, I was feeling worn down. So the prospect of studying something new had my heart racing. However, I was a bit concerned about learning from Cheon Woo-jin since he had a tendency to show irritation at the slightest inconvenience, which usually made learning pretty painful.

And from that day on, I began learning techniques from Cheon Woo-jin. Master Mangnyang was busy preparing for an upcoming summit, so I was learning one-on-one. Cheon Woo-jin, wearing an unmistakable scowl, said, “If you’re going to learn techniques, you need to have a goal. What do you want to aim for in your training?”

“I want to one day use techniques to defeat the [Old Ruler]!”

I answered confidently, but all I got was a chilling laugh from Cheon Woo-jin. “Damn it. Quit talking nonsense and give me a realistic goal that can be achieved within a century. I’ll plan the curriculum accordingly.”

“…”

Being dismissed like that felt pretty lousy, and I’ll admit, I was a bit over the top. After thinking for a moment, I said, “I want to maximize my Spirit Power and achieve greatness in the Taeping Yao Technique.”

“That Spirit Power you got from Jeon Wook, is it really sticking around?”

“Yeah.”

“You seem to be aware of your own situation more than I thought. So what’s your current achievement level?”

“Um… I haven’t practiced much.”

I answered honestly. To be fair, I had struggled just to elevate one martial art to the Absolute Realm during that time due to my lack of talent. Let alone the fact that I’d heard my techniques were inferior compared to martial arts abilities, so I hadn’t been able to afford time on techniques. Cheon Woo-jin pondered for a moment, then said, “You’ve accumulated quite a bit of energy over your many lives. You’ve been knitting a bond with the items given by the Nine-Tailed Fox for ten years, raising your spiritual energy each time you make offerings during the Xuyou rites, plus you’ve even gained Spirit Power. Currently, your pure spiritual energy is comparable to many high-ranking sorcerers.”

“Oh wow!”

“So your basic potential for techniques is pretty high.”

Surprise, surprise—Cheon Woo-jin was actually giving me a compliment? I was inwardly elated, but then he continued, “But techniques that require complex inspiration are clearly going to be a struggle for you. Even if you train for 50 years, it’s likely you won’t be using high-level techniques. You’re just not cut out to be a sorcerer. You may be bright, but it’s the opposite of your older brother who had weak talent but a clever head.”

“…”

“That said, there have been cases of someone like you succeeding in the history of techniques. So, you’re a natural sorcerer who can only wield pure power, like a half-demon sorcerer inheriting a divine lineage. Therefore, it would be best if you carved a path with Spirit Power first and reached a level in that domain before mastering the Taeping Yao Technique.”

“Which means I can’t master the Taeping Yao Technique right now?”

I understood Cheon Woo-jin’s words and asked, “How do I carve a path with Spirit Power?”

“Spirit Power is the power of the moon, a special energy that ordinary human sorcerers have a tough time acquiring, even if they train. It also surpasses ordinary Yin and Yang attributes. So, your priority should be to continuously enhance the potential of your moon energy through steady practice.” Cheon Woo-jin pointed toward a distant cliff near Jangryeong Valley.

“From today, sit at the edge of that cliff every night and meditate to draw up your Spirit Power. But don’t just sit there all day; you’ll focus on the breathing technique I’ll teach you during the peak of the night when the yin energy is strongest.”

“Got it.”

“And during that free time, I’ll check up on your pathetic foundational techniques.”

“Do you really have to be so harsh about it?”

“Am I wrong, though?”

Speechless, I realized Cheon Woo-jin wasn’t cursing just to insult me but genuinely thought my level was poor, so I had no comeback. I gritted my teeth.

‘Damn it! What can I do about not having talent?’

Can’t I just focus, work hard, and get stronger starting right now? I grumbled as I climbed the mountain to practice the breathing technique that Cheon Woo-jin taught me. On the first day, he came up to check on my Spirit Power.

Woosh –

As the moon’s power and Spirit Power surged through my body, a blue glow surrounded me. Cheon Woo-jin, standing behind me, said, “Slowly temper your inner energy.”

Smack!

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly smacked the top of my head. I could’ve dodged it, but since I’d been practicing, I had no choice but to take the hit. Cheon Woo-jin was visibly annoyed. “I told you to temper your energy, so why are you raising your qi? Why are you using techniques?”

“Uh… The pathways for the two energies are similar…”

“If you want to master both martial arts and techniques, you need to distinguish between them correctly. Now practice the breathing technique again.”

Smack! Smack!

After enduring dozens of slaps from Cheon Woo-jin, I finally adjusted my breathing technique. He said, “This training will progress faster when the moon’s energy is strongest; a full moon is the best.”

“Should I not practice on a waning or new moon?”

“It won’t hurt. Practicing at night will still provide some effect.”

“How long until I can enhance my Spirit Power enough to master my techniques?”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed to probe my energy before saying, “If you keep this up, we’re talking about 250 years… After that, you’ll likely be able to channel your Spirit Power for use and naturally learn the Taeping Yao Technique.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s expression was dead serious.

“…”

Meditating for three times a night on that cliff for 250 years just to master Spirit Power was absurd! Lost for words in such disbelief, Cheon Woo-jin said, “You’re in a better position than most, mind you. An ordinary human with zero talent would need at least 200 years at a spiritual mountain to cultivate the Spirit Power you have now. So you’ve already cut that training time down considerably.”

“Sigh…”

“Surely, even a single meal at a divine banquet can be a jackpot. The beings practicing their crafts on the mountains must be envious of you.”

“Is there no way to shave off some time?”

I said with a sorrowful tone, “I can’t just train like this for 250 years!”

Even spending six months or a year in closed training could break a human! There are people who’ve gone insane after ten years locked away in training. And 250 years? It was sure to be a torturous eternity. The spirits might have plenty of time, but I didn’t.

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me like I was an idiot. “How should I know? You figure it out.”

“Ugh…”

Right, that was just like him. I traded glances with Cheon Woo-jin’s piercing glare and continued my practice of Spirit Power and foundational techniques for the next two weeks.

And just a bit after two weeks, Master Mangnyang called a meeting.

“The time has finally come.”

Master Mangnyang declared firmly, “Tomorrow, a summit involving the Three Powers will be held in the capital, Luoyang. The Master of the White Lotus Sect, the Vermilion Bird, and the Master of the Twelve Joules are all expected to participate.”

 

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