958——————==

Soul of the Evil God

[I’ll give it my all!]

Boom!

As the Master of the White Lotus Sect declared this, he joined his hands together, and suddenly it felt like a giant mandala enveloped everything, freezing time. My perception of the world slowed down drastically, and I felt my body stiffening up with coldness.

‘This is…’

Moment of Enlightenment

The Master seemed determined to take the lead from the start as he summoned the Moment of Enlightenment. This technique forced the opponent into an extremely limited time domain, possessing the ability to dominate time and space. Once caught, it was nearly impossible to break free using normal methods.

Even against a weaker opponent, just casting the Moment of Enlightenment could lead to an instant defeat. Being caught in this state, just a brush from the Master would mean death. No matter how skilled you are, reflexively shielding yourself would be impossible once caught in the Moment of Enlightenment.

‘But…’

In that instant, I instead found my eyes lighting up. This was because, in my previous life, I had trained alongside Jang Sam-bong to stand against the Master’s Moment of Enlightenment, and I recalled what he had told me back then.

[For instance, that Dongyoung with the Absolute Realm Mastery. His specialty was the Fast Sword, and in terms of speed and sword power, he surpassed even the Master of the White Lotus. If he were to attempt the Moment of Enlightenment against that guy and failed, the Master would lose his head within a second. That guy could shatter the grip of the Moment of Enlightenment with his Spirit Sword, right? But the Master can only choose to deploy it under favorable conditions, so I wouldn’t consider that a weakness…]

And Jang Sam-bong had also shared his countermeasures with me. The one I could use, being a clumsy person who hadn’t reached the peak like Musashi.

[It’s… Tai Chi!]

Thus, I trained.

From that day on, for four years, I diligently practiced Tai Chi.

Each day, I performed the form of Tai Chi a thousand times.

The result?

Whoooosh!

Having reached the Absolute Realm, I was able to temporarily push back the influence of the Moment of Enlightenment with the Intent Heavenly Pillar. Seizing this opportunity, my arms stretched out as I unleashed the Peerless Technique. Just like the Moment of Enlightenment, the Peerless Technique was designed to react within a moment, regardless of the practitioner’s reflexes, and theoretically, there would be little to no advantage for the Master against it. As I executed the Peerless Technique, I felt the area dominated by the Moment of Enlightenment being absorbed by [Attack].

Swoosh!

The darkness transformed into radiant energy. And as the power spun within me, when the meaningless rotation started to halt, I realized that the influence of the Moment of Enlightenment was vanishing from around me.

Boom!

[…!!]

As I repelled the realm of the Moment of Enlightenment using the Peerless Technique, the Master flinched. While he didn’t physically recoil, it seemed he was somewhat shocked that his Moment of Enlightenment had been negated in an instant. The Master spoke in a slightly bewildered voice.

[W-What on earth is that technique?]

“Peerless Technique!!”

I responded calmly.

“It is the answer offered by Jang Sam-bong, the strongest warrior in the righteous sect’s history, to the Martial God.”

[……]

“Of course, I doubt the Moment of Enlightenment is your answer.”

Provokingly, as I spoke, the Master slowly nodded his head.

[Indeed. You truly are no lightweight.]

Kugugugugu

The Master began to pull out his primordial spirit’s internal power in earnest. Since his initial attempt to contain me with the Moment of Enlightenment had failed, it seemed this was his way of suggesting a proper contest of strength. I faced the Master’s mask head-on, slowly drawing up my sword. I wanted to see if the Immortal Sword could sever his primordial spirit.

Whooosh

‘……?’

What the?

I couldn’t help but flinch at that moment. Because the summoned Immortal Sword was radiating an inky black light.

‘So it wasn’t merely a side effect of my body changing that made the sword black?!’

While I was a bit flustered by this unexpected situation, the Master took that fleeting moment to make his move.

Kaboom!!

With a heavy destructive sound, the spot where I stood was charred and blasted away. The Master’s immense force created a pit that seemed bottomless just from a single strike. I barely managed to dodge, just outside the range, and immediately the Master launched another attack.

Su Shin Sect

Ultimate Technique

Water Dragon Attack!

The Master’s hands moved with incredible speed, to the point where I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of his hand motions; it simply appeared as a flash of light. And I found myself in a situation where five hundred palm strikes were coming in from all directions, with nowhere to evade.

“……!!”

What kind of ridiculous ultimate technique…

Should I block it head-on? I could do it with the Peerless Technique, but…

‘No! I can’t overuse the Peerless Technique!’

I couldn’t expect a miracle like when I fought Tezcatlipoca to happen again. The maximum number of successful uses would be only three or four, and realistically, even using it once carried a significant risk of failure. The Peerless Technique, requiring ultimate focus and harmony of mind and body, should only be used to seal off my opponent’s ultimate moves.

Instead, I gripped the inky Immortal Sword at an angle. Then, checking each strike of force coming at me and its momentum, I set up my Intent Heavenly Pillar.

Sword Thunder

Ninety-Nine Harmonious Returns

Eight-Direction Thunder Slash!

Clash!!

My Immortal Sword created a splitting shadow, scattering fine sword qi throughout heaven and earth. And the fine particles that scattered like white powder soon transformed into beams of light, slashing through the hundreds of Water Dragon attacks.

Tsa-tak!

As the Eight-Direction Thunder Slash sliced through the Water Dragon attack, a shallow wound appeared on the Master’s palm. His mask twitched for a moment, and he brought one hand to his chest, forming a Zen seal.

‘Why is he forming a seal?’

Is he about to cast sorcery?

However, contrary to my assumption, as soon as the Master completed the Zen seal, a massive mandala started to materialize in the air. Realizing the mandala had appeared from an unexpected direction, I turned to catch a glimpse, and in that moment, a gigantic Fire Dragon bore down on me.

Fire Spirit Techniques

Ultimate Technique

Dragon King’s Slash!

Crackling!

The Fire Dragon’s jaws came down on me with an appetite to chew me whole. Even though it was merely an illusion born from intent, the intense flames were so powerful that they scorched the very ground I stood on.

‘This technique is…!!’

The Dragon King’s Slash, known for its blade, was a sword technique traditionally used by the Fire Spirit practitioner, Han Baek-ryeong, and was considered one of the strongest attacks among the Four Great Families. Of course, if it were the real Han Baek-ryeong executing it, I’d have no trouble fending it off, but what the Master wielded, having the Primordial Spirit, was a different story.

Whoosh!!

Thock!

I managed to deflect the fiery blade, sending it up towards the sky, but I felt a slight burn on my left shoulder. Regardless, having achieved a successful defense, I gazed at the Master, remarking,

“As a member of the Su Shin Sect, it seems you have no intention of hiding the fact that you can use the ultimate technique of the Four Great Families.”

[You already know about the Moment of Enlightenment, don’t you? I cannot discern how much information you’ve managed to unearth from our sect, but for a master of your caliber, hiding my minor capabilities from you would be pointless.]

“……”

Being able to utilize the ultimate technique of the Four Great Families isn’t just a minor capability…

[Ah, the probing phase is over. Now, show me the true power you still have hidden!]

Kugugugugu

Along with that, a halo erupted behind the Master, and thousands of mandalas materialized. I finally realized he was beginning to use the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

‘Hmm!’

Heart of Heaven’s Abundance!

In practical terms, that was practically the definition of a peerless martial artist in this current martial world. The Thunder God practitioner, Lee Cheong-un, once wielded the Thunder Spirit but ultimately lost to the Master due to the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance, and since then, the Master had never been defeated in battles where he employed it against any human. Even Yeodong-bin faced considerable hardships trying to exploit the slightest gap in his defenses because the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance was capable of perfect integration of offense and defense.

‘Jang Sam-bong didn’t teach me how to surpass the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance…’

Of course, if I could successfully execute the Peerless Technique, there would be no way I would lose, even against the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. However, it wouldn’t guarantee a win either; while the Master’s Heart of Heaven’s Abundance had no restrictions, the Peerless Technique was bound by the requirement of harmonizing mind and body. I thought I could sever the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance with my Sword Thunder, but the risk was high.

If… the offensive power of my Sword Thunder, charged with the Intent Heavenly Pillar, fails to exceed the defensive strength of the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance?

In that moment, I would be turned to ash within a second for failing in the attack.

Stay calm.

I still don’t know a lot about the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

If there’s an unexpected power within it, it could spell disaster.

I decided it was too risky to attack hastily and resolved to keep my distance, waiting for him to strike first.

Swoosh!

With the mandala active, the Master stood with his arms crossed, simply staring at me. Just maintaining that state must have consumed an outrageous amount of energy, proving he was indeed overflowing with internal power. As we sat in silence, glaring at each other, I noticed the Master’s finger slowly start to move.

Swoop!

I realized that he was releasing his finger from the Zen seal and forming another spirit seal.

‘Yeo Won In!’

Alongside that, light suddenly seeped out from beneath my feet. It emanated slowly as if signaling for me to dodge, yet I found myself unable to move. I couldn’t fathom how many moves ahead the Master was planning. Perhaps dodging was part of his scheme!

Boom!

I poured my intent into the Immortal Sword and slammed it down from above. Just as five beams of light shot towards my heart, I evaded using the Three Treasure Technique. As I took three steps back with the Three Treasure Technique, another colossal force barreled down upon me, and finally, I used the Soul Removal Technique to leap back considerably.

Boom!!

The series of movements looked complex, yet they all unfolded in a blink of an eye. As I flew backward, I suddenly gained insight into something.

‘Of course! It’s the spirit seal!’

The Master’s hand movements carry clear meaning!

I couldn’t grasp the principle, but if he changed his hand movements to form a spirit seal, could it be that he could use a different martial technique with the Primordial Spirit at that moment? The real issue was whether it could be classified as a martial technique. Regardless, the key point was that I had found a clue to attack the Master.

This fight would serve as a foundation for my future journey. Believing it would become a battle of wits from now on, I steadied my posture and created space once again. From a single glance, I couldn’t decipher all the possibilities hidden in the Master’s spirit seal; thus, it would benefit me to prolong the fight while searching for its patterns.

Swoop!

The Master changed his spirit seal once again. I felt a bit bewildered, not being sure what this latest one could be.

‘Huh… what is that…’

The Zen and Yeo Won seals were quite well-known, so identifying them was easy for me as an experienced person, but this one was something I had never seen before. While struggling to remember its form, the Master unexpectedly summoned a mandala from some offbeat direction, launching an ambush.

Boom!

Boom!!

I concentrated on evading using the Three Treasure Technique and the Soul Removal Technique. Although I could defend with the Peerless Technique, doing so would consume too much energy, so I was better off using the divine technique for endurance. As I focused on evasion, I sensed that even the Master was having trouble landing a hit. At some point, his attacks began to lag behind.

About a hundred seconds went by? Then, suddenly, I noticed the Master casting the Zen seal again.

‘Here it comes!’

That should be the attack from earlier!

If I’m aware of what’s coming, retaliating is a piece of cake!

As I was about to rush out according to the pattern of the Zen seal, suddenly—

Thud!

A powerful wave of force struck from both sides, pushing me back like a wall!

“Ah!”

Boom!

Caught completely off guard, I had no time to evade with the Three Treasure Technique and was forced to channel energy into my Immortal Sword to deflect it. I quickly realized that this attack bore no relation to the moment he cast the Zen seal.

‘Ugh… I see!’

The spirit seal had no particular significance. It was just to trick me into thinking it had meaning as he tried to drag me into a psychological warfare!

Boom, boom, boom!

Just as I came to this realization, the Master bombarded me with mandalas from the void. As thousands of light beams poured down incessantly, I attempted to evade using the Soul Removal Technique, but the earlier openings made it hard to find an opportunity.

In this single moment of crisis.

It was a result of the Master meticulously plotting his strategy from the beginning, and I had fallen right into his trap.

I realized I was on course to getting taken out if this continued.

“……!!”

No, that’s not it!

I didn’t expect the Master to resort to cunning tricks, but that’s a thought for another time. Such crises are simply part of battles with masters. What’s important is how I overcome these obstacles when faced with them!

‘I’ve defended. Now, let’s attack!’

I have to break through the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. In that moment, I abandoned any thoughts of using the Peerless Technique to escape this crisis and began concentrating the Intent Heavenly Pillar into my Immortal Sword. And with half-closed eyes, I started to transform my intent into Thunder Energy.

Crackle!

The principle of Sword Thunder originally involved gathering the Thunder Energy amassed by a Thunder God practitioner for a lifetime and enhancing it with intent to create the Thunder Sword, capable of severing anything. Sword Thunder usually held substantial offensive power, but I hadn’t perceived it before; now that I had risen to the Absolute Realm, the power of Sword Thunder would undoubtedly be even greater.

Using my unique Intent Heavenly Pillar to distort the laws of the world.

This sword is no ordinary blade.

[The Lightning that Cuts the Infinite!]

In that moment – I swung the sword.

Absolute Sword Thunder!

Infinite Slash!

A single beam of thunder sliced through the stillness of time, smashing through the mandala. Once or twice, it easily pierced through, but when the barriers of the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance piled up, the blade began to lose momentum. However, the cutting edge of the sword was gradually transforming into pure thunder and ultimately morphed into a howling lightning that could sever heaven and earth.

It felt as if the lightning engulfed the mandala completely.

[Ugh….!!]

Boom!

The Master was sent flying, and as I watched him soar through the air, I coughed up blood. Energy drained from me, leaving me kneeling on one knee.

“Cough!!”

Cursed be this… In his final moments, the Master had activated the Moment of Enlightenment while layering the mandalas. Therefore, I couldn’t slice through the final five layers… Am I still insufficient?! Moreover, I made physical contact with him at the last second, breaking my protective energy… resulting in internal injury…

As I quickly assessed my current situation, I saw the Master levitating in the air, rotating gracefully. He summoned yet another mandala, but this time did not attack; instead, he merely stared at me from a distance.

What’s he doing? Not attacking?

The Master slowly opened his mouth.

[Incredible… You didn’t merely refine one skill to the Absolute Realm… I thought the Peerless Technique was indeed your true Absolute skill, but you can even manifest the Sword Thunder of the Thunder God with the Intent Heavenly Pillar.]

“……”

[…You’re still growing. Heh, heh… I can hardly comprehend this practically. While it should be impossible for someone of your talent to pull this off, I wonder what kind of hellish deeds you’ve committed… ]

Muttering about this, the Master asked,

[Baek Woong. Do you wish to engage me in a thousand-day duel?]

I shook my head immediately in response to his words.

“I have no intention.”

I could do that, but there’s simply no reason to. I already have an overflowing list of things to do; I don’t want to sweat excessively right from the start of my next life.

[Is that so?]

“I told you right from the beginning, I wasn’t here to fight.”

[For someone who said that, you certainly fought diligently…]

“Only the Queen Mother could avoid fighting while someone is trying to kill her. Damn it.”

As I grumbled, the Master seemed to smile through his mask.

[Then let’s call it a tie for today…]

“Sounds good.”

Swish!

The Master’s mandala began to fade away slowly, and I too dismissed my Immortal Sword.

“Phew.”

I expected this, but that was really exhausting…

At that moment, I felt it in my bones.

The fact that I had entered the top ranks of the martial world.