933——————==

True Martial Home

I was completely lost in the current situation.

‘Why?!’

When the Divine Thief ambushed me, I instinctively felt it was hopeless to dodge or block his technique. It all happened in an instant, so at that moment, I was as good as hit. Thus, after thinking it through, I decided the best course was to steal his mask.

So, here I was, caught in a situation where the Divine Thief and I had both stolen each other’s masks… Does that mean our bodies would switch?

First off, it seemed obvious I was in Howol’s body. I could feel all over myself, checking whether this was all just an illusion, and then I attempted to channel my internal power.

Whoa

‘Hmm… I do feel some internal power, but…’

Wasn’t it just the basic level of a cultivator? It felt like someone who had trained for just a few years, not at all a master level. The meridians were almost closed, the flow of mysterious energy was weak, and the overall quantity was incredibly low. It seemed all my internal energy had built up due to physical training rather than actual cultivation, and my Dantian wasn’t even developed.

“……”

Naturally, my Spirit Power and Fire Eye Golden Spirit were gone. The Power of the Constellation had completely disappeared as well. Just in case, I checked for the mark of the Apostle I received from Dalma, but that was gone too. My spirit energy, divine power, and magical power had vanished.

No way, have I lost all my powers?!

I sat there, dumbfounded. While I was in shock, Princess Ayuta came over and patted my back to comfort me.

“Older Brother. Cheer up…”

“… I don’t get it. Why did Baek Woong lock us up? There should only be one Divine Thief, so why imprison everyone?”

At my question, Seong Jin, the prince of the fallen small nation sitting next to me, answered.

” The Divine Thief must have brainwashed all of us before locking us up.”

” Did Dalma believe that?”

Seong Jin looked at me as if sensing something strange but soon nodded.

” Yes. He seemed to trust that person named Baek Woong… Hoo.”

“……”

Rather than diving into a shock from losing all my powers, I tried to regain my composure about the current situation. The only thought that popped into my mind was one thing.

‘Heavenly Secret.’

In that case, I had lost the Heavenly Secret to the Divine Thief. If the Divine Thief was aware of the Heavenly Secret I usually kept close, it could mean I might lose my Rebirth Ability to him. I was a bit worried about that, but quickly shifted my thoughts.

‘ If he could just take it by mere ownership, then I would’ve lost it dozens of times by now. It’s not the time to fret over that… what’s truly weird is…’

I felt an unsettling sense of discomfort.

‘ How could the Divine Thief land an unavoidable blow on me using this pitiful body?’

I really couldn’t wrap my head around it.

Howol’s body was originally a general and a martial artist, so it was well-trained and muscular. However, since he had never truly practiced internal power, he could be considered weak from a martial artist’s perspective. I couldn’t even properly make use of the mysterious energy. Logically, using such a body would greatly diminish your strength even if you possessed peak-level martial skills.

I blankly stared at the prison wall for a moment before slowly positioning myself into the basic stance for Thunder God Lineage’s fist techniques. After calming my breath, I quickly delivered a palm strike against the wall.

Boom!!

“……!!”

“Huff! Older Brother…”

Rumble…

The technique of Thunder Spirit Seal, one of the strongest in Thunder God Lineage, erupted forth, leaving a palm print extending four feet into the stone wall. A gigantic palm, more than ten times larger, was imprinted uniformly on the wall, and not even a grain of rock dust fell. This level of technique would be recognized as peak skill in the Jianghu, yet I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at the trace of the technique.

‘ As I suspected… By using intent, even a minuscule amount of internal power can amplify your strength. But there’s a limit.’

Using the body of Howol, who was barely a martial artist, I could tell this level of Thunder Spirit Seal demonstrated the power of intent. However, as seen in the Dharma Guardian’s strength, regardless of how skilled you are with intent, you’re always heavily bound by your foundational internal power. If I still had my original internal power, I could have easily blown a huge castle off with just the Thunder Spirit Seal, but my strength was severely limited. No matter how much a master of martial arts I was or how I tried to exert my intent, this was all I could achieve.

However, the strike the Divine Thief landed on me earlier had a terrifying power behind it that I would have struggled to fend off even at my full strength. How was that even possible? I thought I could calmly withstand an all-out attack from a Dharma Guardian, yet that strike from the Divine Thief far surpassed any level of capability.

I turned my head and thought coldly.

‘ Given that I’ve lost my body and also the Heavenly Secret, suicide is the answer.’

By ending it all, I could prepare for a new chance in my next life. Should I foolishly give the Divine Thief some time and, worst case, he understands how to use the Heavenly Secret and robs me of my Rebirth Ability, it would all be over. In a normal situation, it would be best to end my life beforehand.

‘ No. There’s still too little information to commit suicide!’

If I die here, I’d at least have the information that the Divine Thief is disguised as Howol, but it would take me nowhere in the end. If my only goal was to pursue efficiency by sacrificing myself, I wouldn’t have even ended up in this situation. At the very least, I ought to understand what the Divine Thief’s intentions were before dying to avoid being resentful.

Slowly, I came to realize what I needed to do.

Goong

I sat cross-legged and started to spin my internal energy cultivation technique.

Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique

The advanced technique that is both the beginning and end of Thunder God Lineage! The energy of lightning swirled, circulating around my Dantian while drawing in a strong suction, gathering my internal power. Compared to countless peak internal power techniques in the Jianghu, it was undoubtedly superior and accommodated for the martial arts unique to Thunder God Lineage.

‘ Normally, you’d need to devote at least three years to cultivating the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique to have usable internal power… But…’

The mind draws the energy!

Intent can surpass the laws of the world!

Thanks to the realm of intent I realized after reaching peak level, I could transcend the limitations of regular internal energy cultivation. I focused my mind and gathered a pure intent, shortly afterward greatly attracting the Qi from the atmosphere.

Shu shu shu

Normally, internal energy cultivation involves drawing in Qi from the air through your skin and meridians and carefully refining it at the Dantian, but I bypassed that process altogether and forcefully dragged a mass of Qi surrounding me straight into my Baihui point at the top of my head.

Boom!!

With violent pain, it felt as though every deep vein in my body was swelling up. Normally, internal power is cultivated over an extended period, meaning you pull in energy to strengthen your meridians and then draw in even more Qi through the enhanced pathways, akin to building muscle. Therefore, jamming a massive chunk of energy into my Baihui without any training would have ordinarily spelled instant death. There’s a reason why internal power cultivation has developed over the eras of martial history.

‘ Gulp!’

But I gritted my teeth and endured the blood pooling in my mouth, holding my cheeks puffed. It felt like my body was about to explode, yet I forced myself to stabilize it with my intent, enhancing my durability. This was an external method I could only perform thanks to being a master of intent.

At the same time, like a torrent, vast amounts of Qi poured into my Baihui point, and I dispersed that energy throughout my entire body.

The pain felt like thousands of insects crawling around inside, tearing me apart! I endured it while quickly converting the energy into Thunder Power using my Thunder God Lineage’s cultivation technique, refining the internal power a second time. The refined internal power rapidly spread, expanding my meridians and transforming my body to better suit the internal energy cultivation.

When my first process ended, I took two or three breaths before once again pulling in large amounts of Qi from the atmosphere. This time, the mass of energy I gathered was much larger than before, and gritting my teeth, plunged it down onto my Baihui again.

Boom!!

“Cough!!”

I ultimately couldn’t hold back the blood streaming down from my mouth. Blood also flowed from my eyes, something wasn’t right. It seemed I had damaged my Dantian, receiving severe internal injuries, but I didn’t care and proceeded to refine that energy throughout my body again. Suddenly, my internal power surged tremendously, which I then used to heal my internal wounds.

A reckless, reckless method!

This approach was achievable in theory, but there was never a need for it in practice. At a minimum, you would need to be proficient enough in using intent to the edge of peak level to be capable of such an act. By the time one reached such a high level, they would already have ample internal power accumulated from long periods of training—enabling an established foundation. Thus, there was a complete reversal of the normal order. Nevertheless, I needed power right now, so I brutally employed a rapid cultivation method.

Boom!

Boom!

How many times had I pulled in Qi and spread it through my body like this?

Finally, I could tell my internal power had curled up significantly, my Dantian expanding and my meridians halfway opened. Following the principle of Heart, Qi, Blood, and Essence, I was drawing great power from within and without. As I wiped the blood from my mouth, I thought.

‘ Alright. So with this, I’ve effectively acquired around fifteen years’ worth of cultivation…’

In barely half a moment, I gained peak-level internal power.

And with this level of internal power backing me, I could now do a lot more. Slowly, I reached out to grasp the iron bars and easily bent them like they were made of noodles.

Creak

“Huff…”

“Older Brother?!”

The other four disciples were startled. In a world where martial power hadn’t properly developed, it was impossible for a human to bend iron bars barehanded like that. I quickly glanced back at them, saying.

“I’ve got a question for you.”

“……”

“Would you willingly give your lives to save the world?”

At my question, they fell silent. Then, Hye Ga, sitting at the innermost part, put his hands together with one arm and answered.

“Of course.”

“Then what if it’s to destroy the world?”

“That too, of course.”

“Are we all on the same page?”

Hearing this, Hye Ga and the other four disciples answered with determined expressions.

“Of course!”

They must have already realized I was not Howol anymore.

“……”

I sensed their expressions were genuine.

Just as Dalma said, they could lay down their lives for the greater good and clearly desired the destruction of this world. Well, it’s only natural for those who have seen the tragic truth of the world by Dalma’s side.

‘Damn it. I don’t know…’

Is it foolish to try and save everyone? If they want to die so badly, do I really need to save them? Isn’t this just selfishness on my part?

Feeling confused, I shook my head and walked out of the prison.

As I headed toward the spot where I had been ambushed by the Divine Thief earlier, I found him seated alongside Dalma, both seemingly deep in discussion. I walked up behind the Divine Thief, hesitating for a moment.

Stop

As I stood behind the Divine Thief, he turned without looking back and spoke in ‘Baek Woong’s’ voice.

“Unexpected. I thought a broke man would run from the White Lotus Sect, but here you are, not budging.”

“Don’t assume things will go your way.”

“Ha ha ha…”

The Divine Thief chuckled heartily as he settled comfortably, kneeling to speak to Dalma.

“What do you think, Master Dalma? Between this brat and me, who would you prefer to work with?”

[……]

Dalma remained silent, sitting quietly. He appeared deep in thought with his hood pulled low before finally speaking.

[ Are you both sharing memories at this time?]

In response to Dalma’s question, the Divine Thief replied without turning his head.

“Ah, no. I originally intended to steal his memories, but somehow it turned into just a body swap. I’m experiencing this for the first time too. Meanwhile, I’ve inexplicably gained his strength, and he’s left with nothing.”

The Divine Thief was right. In that moment, he and I had essentially exchanged the means of stealing. So, it created a situation where the [Mask Steal] ended up resulting in a body swap phenomenon.

I clenched my teeth and said.

” Divine Thief! How could the world’s best thief ambush me like this…”

The Divine Thief scratched his head, as if puzzled by my words.

“What are you talking about, junior? Isn’t a thief’s bread and butter hitting from behind? I feel I executed it as a thief would…”

“……”

“Why are you acting so bold after getting hit like a fool?”

While the Divine Thief’s words depressed me, I snapped back.

“Don’t think you’ve won just yet.”

“Oh? Well, seeing the power amassed in this body, I would say you could boast a bit.”

The Divine Thief, chuckling previously, stood and turned to face me.

He wore ‘Baek Woong’s’ face, grinning with delight.

“Alright, how about we make a bet?”

“What kind of bet?”

“Seeing that you didn’t run away and came straight here, you must have a final trump card in mind or hope to negotiate with me… Well, since this is the case, I want to strip you of everything.”

“……”

I felt like my innermost thoughts had been exposed.

Once Dalma and the Divine Thief joined forces, running away would be futile; I thought I’d better gather what information I could about the Divine Thief and then die—if I got to that point, I planned to perish afterward. It seemed I was caught revealing my hidden motives.

“Shall we give it another shot?”

“What do you mean?”

The Divine Thief grinned wickedly.

“Mask Steal.”

“……”

“Same conditions. Let’s see who’s faster.”

“Same conditions? That’s a load of bull! You’re currently wearing my body!”

“That’s strange. Then why did we end in a draw when I had this body earlier?”

Ugh.

I had no response, but I had to accept it in my heart.

The Divine Thief surpassed me in skill!

Given my almost non-existent internal power and this pathetic body, it meant the Divine Thief’s skill exceeded mine during the ambush, even though it was intended to be sneakier.

‘Huh? Wait a minute…’

Something felt off.

Why hasn’t the Divine Thief built his internal power or practiced?

Having internal power would definitely be advantageous to survive in this world, and he’d certainly be much stronger… Why?

I felt something was off, but the Divine Thief stepped forward to me and said.

“You don’t have any choice. A thief doesn’t ask for permission when he steals.”

Slap!

In that moment, the Divine Thief lunged at me once again, and I perceived his attack coming in an instant. Just like before, his hand reached out towards me, moving with the same speed as before.

… Huh?

Same speed?

It was crazy fast, but if it wasn’t faster than before…

‘… Is that it?’

I had a hunch and, in that instant, gave my all to initiate [Steal]. Just like before, even without chanting the command, I saw the mask appear behind him. Something also felt like it was emerging from behind me; it seemed when users of [Mask Steal] faced each other, such phenomena would occur.

‘Alright! I matched the speed too!’

Thanks to desperately pushing my internal power to its peak level just moments before! I wildly reached out to snatch the mask.

“Mm!”

I briefly saw a hint of bewilderment on the Divine Thief’s face.

Crunch

In that moment, I was hit by the Divine Thief’s kick as he pulled back, knocking me to the ground. I managed to defend myself with intent and internal power moments before, but sheer strength broke my ribs, and I coughed up blood.

“Ugh!!”

“Well, well… It’s just as I thought. That pesky junior came here.”

“……”

“Guess I need to take my time to cook you properly if I want to steal everything.”

The Divine Thief appeared somewhat disappointed. I realized why he had refused the exchange of techniques before and opted to kick me instead.

‘ I see.’

The speed of my hand and the Divine Thief’s hand were equal.

That was separate from the power and abilities of our bodies.

This meant the Divine Thief could enact his skill at the maximum speed while the true speed still had its limit. I executed [Steal] in the same way as the Divine Thief taught me, and like my current body, my speed matched his.

It became crystal clear why this was happening. I had indeed reached a similar realm in [Stealing]. And it looked like the Divine Thief had not anticipated that.

“Heh heh.”

I felt a burst of delight rise in me.

Does that mean I’ve truly reached the realm of the Divine Thief?

Is this what they call ‘The pupil exceeding the master!’

The Divine Thief, despite lacking internal power, seemed able to reach a unique high level of speed, yet it implied that I could accomplish something similar. It was limited to [Steal], but nonetheless, we were equals.

Upon hearing my laughter, the Divine Thief’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Ah, this is a little hurtful to my pride as the world’s best thief…”

I couldn’t shake off a feeling of dread from that one sentence.

That single remark hinted that a massive struggle lay ahead of me.