935——————==

True Martial Home

Honestly, I don’t really know why, but while fighting the Divine Thief, the thought just popped into my head.

If I could steal all their martial arts, why not grab the strongest techniques and win right away?

The Peerless Technique could be said to be on par with the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram, but it’s more focused on defense and counterattacks, so it wasn’t the best choice for finishing moves. If I could reach the completion level of the Six Intent Saintly Heaven, I wouldn’t last even a second against the Divine Thief.

So, I planned to counter with the Peerless Technique if they used the Six Intent Saintly Heaven, but after over seventy seconds of holding my ground, it didn’t seem like they were going to use it at all. I wasn’t sure if I was being toyed with, but it certainly looked like they were avoiding the Six Intent Saintly Heaven. Now confident that I had the upper hand with the Peerless Technique, I realized something.

The Divine Thief can’t just copy the Six Intent Saintly Heaven!

After that, the Divine Thief fell silent for a moment, then started to chuckle dryly with a blank expression on their face.

” Heh, heh, heh…”

Then they spoke with a sort of bemused annoyance.

” It’s truly bizarre. At this stage where things are almost settled…”

” ……”

” Alright, junior. I’ll acknowledge this situation as your victory.”

Whoosh!!

” ……!!”

What?!

In that moment, the Divine Thief’s body suddenly melted away like water and reappeared a meter away. And when they showed up again, there was no sign of my sword piercing their shoulder. I thought they had used an illusion technique, but soon realized that wasn’t the case.

‘ The Immortal Sword can suppress illusions! What the heck is that…’

If it’s not an illusion, is it some kind of evil art?

But without the Fire Eye Golden Spirit active, I couldn’t figure out what their technique was. The Divine Thief extinguished the sword they had been holding and turned their gaze toward Dharma Master.

” Dharma Master, it seems I’m at a disadvantage. What should I do?”

[ ……]

” It’s pretty frustrating to lose in a battle of skills.”

Dharma remained silent and didn’t answer. The Divine Thief then spoke as if they were predicting the future.

” It’s probably not a problem for you. Having one capable horse is better than two rabbits for you, right?”

[ What do you expect me to do?]

” Well? My goal is something I told you earlier. I fully intend to collaborate with you for my goals. It seems that person feels the same way.”

[ … Your aim is exceedingly peculiar. It’s not easy for me to trust it.]

” I hear that a lot.”

A while later, Dharma glanced back and forth at me and the Divine Thief and said:

[ You all should become my allies.]

What?!

I shouted in surprise at Dharma’s words.

” Wait a minute! Are you out of your mind?!”

[ What’s the problem?]

” If I hadn’t dug into things, the Divine Thief would have been lurking by your side, ready to stab you in the back! You’re seriously thinking about not suppressing this suspicious character?!”

[ I’ll handle that myself. I need the strength of both you and the Divine Thief.]

” ……”

I never expected Dharma would say that!

‘ This arrogance is insane! No matter how godlike their power is…’

The current capabilities of the Divine Thief are unfathomable. They can copy any martial art just by seeing it once, obtaining all sorts of supernatural skills. Moreover, the technique they used to dodge my attack earlier was something completely unheard of.

I find it hard to believe I can pursue True Martial Home while having such a monster lurking behind me. With the Divine Thief’s abilities, even a rival at the Three Sovereigns level could be fatally wounded if they found an opening. Does Dharma really not know that?!

The Divine Thief, standing next to me, spoke playfully.

” Junior, I don’t get why you’re setting your sights on me like this. But I’m glad you’re not just a pushover. Just don’t get in the way of my plans.”

” Tch… What the hell is your goal? Why did you steal my body?!”

” I only countered because you were trying to trap me from the start. So am I supposed to just sit still? And this body-switching phenomenon is news to me.”

” ……”

” Well, whatever. This body ain’t half bad, excluding the fact that it’s ugly.”

The Divine Thief made a lighthearted remark, then suddenly frowned as if something was bothering them.

” … But seriously, why are you so ugly? I’ve never seen such a hideous mask before.”

” Shut up!!”

As I bickered with the Divine Thief, Dharma waved his hand.

Whooooom

At that moment, the barrier that had been placed around us dissolved, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically. It seemed that until now, Dharma had set up a protective barrier to prevent our skirmishes from affecting the surroundings. He stood up and spoke.

[ Divine Thief. I understand your goals. What can I do to help you achieve them?]

The Divine Thief grinned and replied.

” With your level of wisdom, you should have already guessed… Just share some of those possibilities with me when you make your desires known.”

[ I can’t say yet if that’s possible.]

” You really think this unprecedented case is unpredictable? But somehow, I think it is possible…]

[ Fine. I’ll accept your request. But until then, if you rashly rebel against our White Lotus Sect or launch surprise attacks, I will annihilate your very soul. If you agree, accept this chain.]

Clang!

Dharma summoned a chain the size of a human arm and threw it to the Divine Thief. They caught it casually, and in that moment, invisible chains seemed to bind the Divine Thief completely.

‘ [We made a contract!]’

If a contract was made, Dharma would gain the power to bind the Divine Thief while becoming obligated to grant their wish. It was an unbreakable bond and a genuine connection, not just mere words. And Dharma glanced at me again and said.

[ If you need the Apostle’s Hand, just give it now.]

” ……”

[ If you want to borrow the power of the Apostle, I won’t require a separate binding.]

In that instant, my right arm was engulfed in black flames, exuding immense magical power. Another Apostle’s hand was formed in the blink of an eye. Although I was thrilled to receive the power, I was bewildered and shouted at Dharma.

” W-What is this? Can the Apostle’s power be given multiple times? Also, can’t I move the power currently being held by the Divine Thief to my side?!”

[ It couldn’t be moved.]

” What…”

[ The abilities conferred by the masks you all possess are rather impressive…]

Dharma, who had been murmuring, then added,

[ Let’s stop fighting for today. And if you have something to discuss, do it alone. But I will not allow reckless skirmishes leading to bloodshed, as I hold your lives in my hands.]

” ……”

” Sure~”

The Divine Thief replied nonchalantly, then grinned at me.

” You cheeky junior. I don’t want to talk to you. See you next time.”

Whoosh!

As soon as the Divine Thief finished talking, they disappeared. I was left staring dumbfoundedly, knowing I had no way to stop them, when Dharma addressed me.

[ Baek Woong, don’t worry about him anymore. He has his own separate orders.]

” Are you really planning to handle both me and the Divine Thief? Do you really think you can control him?”

[ If a contract is in place, there’s no greater restriction.]

” ……”

Can I really keep the world’s greatest thief under such a simple binding?

Of course, normally even someone like the Divine Thief wouldn’t be able to break a contract, but for some reason, I felt an unsettling fear that they might be able to.

[ No matter how you feel about the Divine Thief, if you intend to help me achieve True Martial Home, forget about that. Focus solely on your own goals…]

” … Alright, I see. What should I do now?”

[ Do you know how I plan to achieve True Martial Home?]

” No.”

I feigned ignorance, but Dharma recited a few mantras from the secret teachings before saying:

[ No, you do know. You know I’m trying to craft the Dharma Technique…]

” ……”

[ Surely you haven’t been engaging in meaningless dialogues with my disciples.]

Ugh, I must’ve gotten lost in uncovering the Divine Thief’s identity and got caught by Dharma…!!

As I hesitated, Dharma continued.

[ Earlier you mumbled, but now you must speak clearly. In the world you lived in, was my era ‘the past’?]

” … Yeah. A millennium ago, or even further back.”

It seemed pointless to lie. As soon as I answered honestly, Dharma asked again.

[ Then did I succeed in creating the Dharma Technique?]

” ……”

[ No. If I succeeded in creating the Dharma Technique, that would lead the cosmos to absolute destruction… and history wouldn’t continue afterward. So I must have failed.]

I could only silently affirm Dharma’s statement. It was just a tiny clue, yet he seemed to deduce everything related to himself, proving how sharp his mind was. I told Dharma.

” There’s a reason I didn’t reveal everything. The truth is, even though this world resembles my old world, there are major differences.”

[ … Are you suggesting that the history is nearly the same? Are you worried that my future information would cause a massive disturbance in the law of causality?]

” Exactly.”

The reason I refrained from sharing everything with Dharma was precisely due to that.

Even if martial arts and techniques didn’t exist in this world, the rest of the history would remain unchanged. If I were to carelessly tell the Dharma of the past the ‘future’ outcomes, history could unmoor itself. There’s a possibility it could impact even our world.

[ I’d like to hear more. Share your story of living and your adventures with me.]

” Hmm…”

If only I had some obsidian, I could transmit my memories directly, but nothing was in sight. Reluctantly, I started summarizing my story, which took well over half a moment.

Dharma listened calmly to my tale from start to finish, seemingly lost in thought for a while. He then spoke.

[ Baek Woong, if that’s the case, I’ve already learned through you that I’m destined to fail in crafting the Dharma Technique for the future. So do you think I won’t attempt it?]

” … Huh?”

I was taken aback by the unexpected question. After thinking for a moment, I replied.

” Of course, you wouldn’t. Who’d attempt something when they know they’ll fail?”

[ That’s right. But I will.]

” What?!”

[ Because after hearing your words, I feel even more compelled to do it.]

What are you talking about?!

Isn’t it normal not to act if you know you’ll fail?

I was utterly confused by Dharma’s reasoning as he continued.

[ To achieve True Martial Home, I’m assigning you your first mission.]

” A mission? What kind of…”

[ You need to find beings that exist in your world but might not exist in this one. Specifically, three beings.]

Dharma’s eyes gleamed.

[ Master Mangnyang. The Prophet. And the Evil God. Your mission is to find these three. There’s still time before the True Martial Home project is activated, so find them and report back before then.]

” You want me to find them! This is nonsense…”

[ Not at all nonsense. With your current abilities, you’ll be able to do it.]

” Then what about the Divine Thief?”

[ I’ll be giving him a separate order.]

” ……”

I knew I had no choice but to comply with Dharma’s command. His orders might have seemed forceful at a glance, but they clearly outlined what I needed to do. It felt like I was receiving results that someone had thought through on my behalf.

‘ Is there… no malice?’

I still couldn’t tell.

Whoosh

As soon as the conversation ended, I dashed out of the White Lotus Sect.

‘ First, I’ll find Master Mangnyang…’

The entity closest to me would probably be Master Mangnyang. I wanted to use True Martial Home to comfortably depart from Luoyang, but with my body taken, I had lost the ability to use it. I realized I’d have to run after all.

” … Gotta find a way…”

If I had an abundance of internal power, I wouldn’t be worried, but it was clear that my current body had limits. No matter how forceful the Soul Removal Technique was, I’d end up exhausted halfway through due to a lack of internal power. As I sighed, I heard a voice.

” Junior, want to borrow this?”

Suddenly, like a door opening to another space, the Divine Thief appeared next to me. They were holding the True Martial Home in their hand. I clenched my teeth and spoke with a sharp tone.

” Are you messing with me?”

” I’m serious. Well, I won’t stop you if you want to run all the way to Central Plains.”

” ……”

Running all the way to the Central Plains is one thing, but getting to the area where the Prophet is located would require almost two thousand li again. If I had the True Martial Home, I could return to the Heavenly Stronghold and significantly shorten the distance. I couldn’t afford to reject the Divine Thief’s offer lightly.

” But there’s gotta be a rental fee.”

” What rental fee?”

” So what’s your relation with Yeodong-bin? You have to tell me how you can use the Immortal Sword Technique.”

” Hmm.”

I pondered for a moment before responding.

” Actually, I’m the one who wants to know. How can you use my Immortal Sword Technique when you’re in this body-swapped state?”

” That’s the meaning of wearing a mask. Why ask such obvious questions…”

” ……?”

” ……”

The Divine Thief shrugged, apparently baffled, but then suddenly caught on to something and grinned.

” Ah, fine, fine. It’s because I wear a mask~ No need to think too hard about it.”

” ……”

” Anyway, now tell me about Yeodong-bin. Then I’ll promptly return this demonic artifact to you.”

” That’s the deal.”

I recounted how I met Yeodong-bin, how I acquired the Six Intent Saintly Heaven, and what I had glimpsed of his past. Listening intently, the Divine Thief exclaimed with surprise.

” Hmm… So you really defeated the Dragon of the Apocalypse… Hard to believe.”

I was suddenly irritated and said,

” You’re just being irresponsible.”

” Huh?”

” With your level of power, you could have easily lent a hand when Yeodong-bin and the Eight Immortals were fighting that dragon to protect the world. Did you ignore it, knowing full well the world was heading toward destruction because of that dragon?”

” Hehehehe!!”

The Divine Thief erupted in laughter, seemingly amused by my statements. Then they replied,

” Sure, if I had been around, I could have helped Yeodong-bin a bit more. But ultimately, wasn’t it a miracle that he managed to defeat the dragon? Besides, I have zero obligations to protect this world.”

” But…”

” And if the dragon had devoured the world, the bindings on it would have been released, leading to the human world’s destruction, but the world itself wouldn’t necessarily perish. Just because humans perish doesn’t mean the world ceases to exist, right? Isn’t that a bit too anthropocentric?”

As the Divine Thief clicked their tongue, they turned around with a grin.

” I’m different from Yeodong-bin. I’ll prioritize saving myself over saving the world. And if you get in the way of my goals, Junior, I’ll take you out too.”

” Hold on…”

” Why?”

” Then why in the world would you leave clues for your junior to find you? You could get impeded that way.”

The Divine Thief chuckled.

” Because it’s entertaining!”

Whoosh!

The Divine Thief disappeared, leaving behind only the True Martial Home. I picked it up and glanced back at the spot they had occupied.

” ……”

I couldn’t quite figure it out.

That guy seems entirely different from any type of person I have met thus far.

Though he shares some similarities with the Master of the Twelve Joules in behavior and speech, he is fundamentally different. What on earth could the Divine Thief want in this world?

Anyway, since he handed me the True Martial Home, I figured I might as well use it right away.

Whoosh

I activated the True Martial Home and headed straight to the hill just north of Luoyang, where I first arrived in this world. I started exploring the neighboring terrain for the former village of Master Mangnyang and the whereabouts of Cheon Woo-jin.

‘ If my memory serves me right, it should be around here…’

Nothing.

I confirmed that the remote valley was desolate and that there was absolutely nothing below, including the village. It was clear that Master Mangnyang’s village did not exist. Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to determine the existence of Master Mangnyang, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of disheartenment.

‘ Hmm… Now I need to dash all the way to Astana and search for the Prophet’s trail…’

The distance between Luoyang and Astana was staggering. It was a distance that even a human would take a decade to travel. Naturally, heading there on foot would leave me exhausted, and since the destination of True Martial Home has reset completely, I can’t just beam there right away.

‘ Right. How about using summoning techniques with demonic arts…?’

I realized I could instantly teleport using a summoning, but immediately abandoned the idea.

‘ … No way. In my current condition, I wouldn’t survive the shockwave after teleporting! Plus, I haven’t prepared a spell to withstand the shock…’

I groaned internally, aware that using a summoning in my current weakened state would result in my demise due to a lack of capability. Up till now, I had managed to summon with some leeway because I could create a protective barrier with exceptional internal power. But that was only possible because my level of internal power was nearly impossible for an ordinary human. Ideally, a Peak Expert would die under these circumstances. Summoning now would be absolutely impossible.

If I lack internal power, can’t I just accumulate more…?

” Alright.”

I resolved to run.

‘ To Mount Huang!’

I’d simply have to find Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng there!

And I could grab the Black and White Lotus along the way!

However, when I arrived at Mount Huang after running for several days, I was left speechless.

” ……”

Nothing…

The hidden places where Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus could be found seemed completely absent.

There were no ruins, nor had there ever been anything of the sort.

I sank down in despair.

‘ Why isn’t anything here…?’

Could it be that this world is genuinely as different as that person said, just resembling mine from the outside?

Suddenly, an idea flickered through my mind.

” … Given the situation, time to verify.”

I stood up and began to move.

Yeah, it might have been the most critical thing to confirm after arriving in this world—yet I had let it slide until now.

I will head to the cave where the Heavenly Secret is located.