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“`html

“So, like, we heard the story of Kamizumi Nobutsuna and Tsukahara Boku Ten, the two great swordsmen from Dongyoung.”

They thought it was essential to fight a powerful enemy while reaching the pinnacle of martial arts, so they decided to visit Aokigahara Life Sea.

Nobutsuna turned to Dokgo Seong.

“Aokigahara Life Sea is made up of four regions.”

I translated Nobutsuna’s words for Dokgo Seong.

“What does that mean?”

“It was written in a journal left by someone you call Cheongwol. He happened to meet the one who manages the Life Sea and learned about its regions at that time.”

Nobutsuna stepped outside the building and pointed toward the dense forest.

“We are currently in the first section, the Living Sea. If you go about ten li further, you’ll enter the second section, the Dead Sea. Beyond the Dead Sea is the third section, the Entering Sea, and past that is the Ultimate Death Sea… that’s where the final zone of the Life Sea is.”

After listening to him closely, Dokgo Seong remarked, “Life and death, entering and passing away?”

“Exactly. That’s a term from Buddhism that refers to transcending life and death, and we’ve attached it to the Life Sea.”

“Sounds grand.”

Dokgo Seong continued bluntly, “But what’s the deal with the monsters and spirits running around here?”

“Well… what exists here aren’t your everyday monsters. They are all at the Great Demon level.”

“So that’s why you’re scared?”

“Absolutely.”

Suddenly, Tsukahara Boku Ten, standing beside them, sighed. “Nobutsuna and I practiced martial arts for three whole years and perfected our combined techniques, yet crossing from the Living Sea to the Dead Sea was a pipe dream. Just stepping twenty strides outside this building unveils Hell’s Map.”

“…!!”

“We’ve nearly died countless times.”

I couldn’t help but be shocked. Even though Dongyoung is known for martial arts, the strength of Kamizumi Nobutsuna and Tsukahara Boku Ten was undoubtedly that of Peak Experts. They were on par with the leaders of the Nine Great Sects; if they were struggling with common monsters, it must mean those guys weren’t exactly pushovers.

Still, they couldn’t even get beyond the entrance of the Living Sea, huh?

Once Dokgo Seong heard that, he immediately asked, “So this so-called manager told Cheongwol about all this, right? Why did he spill the beans?”

“The details weren’t clearly written,” Nobutsuna replied.

“Then who is this manager?”

“The journal describes him as the head of the Yin-Yang Masters.”

“Yin-Yang Masters?”

“It’s what we in Dongyoung call sorcerers.”

“Hmm… Any chance we could meet this manager?”

Nobutsuna let out a bitter chuckle. “We’ve tried to find a way, but according to the journal, meeting him was nearly a miracle. We’d probably have no luck with traditional methods.”

“Got it.”

Dokgo Seong continued dryly, “I’d like to see this journal you mentioned. Is it written in the Central Plains language?”

“Yes. We studied the Central Plains language and translated it.”

I accepted the journal Tsukahara Boku Ten handed over. And soon, Dokgo Seong began reading the book, which was written in the Central Plains language, calmly. After reading for about half a moment, he suddenly stood up and exclaimed, “Cheongwol went in there decades ago. Who knows if he’s even alive?”

“At least he seems to have gone beyond the Dead Sea. We didn’t even catch a glimpse of him in the Living Sea.”

“I see… I need some time to think. Please wait for me.”

Dokgo Seong said that and strode off toward a nearby thicket. As I watched him go, Nobutsuna observed, “Baek Woong, you seem to be quite the exceptional talent.”

“I’ve heard the names of you two renowned figures before,” I responded with a compliment but quickly asked, “I heard you criticized Miyamoto Musashi. Is it true that he’s just an exceptionally talented slacker?”

“Looks like Munyeoshi couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

“I have to know! Please tell me.”

Nobutsuna glanced at Tsukahara Boku Ten, and after he nodded, he spoke. “Do you know about the battle of Ganryūjima?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s one of the most famous duels in Dongyoung. Miyamoto Musashi defeated Sasaki Kojiro in that battle, thus being recognized as a peerless swordsman comparable to us.”

As Nobutsuna spoke, his tone turned somewhat melancholic. “Boku Ten and I were overjoyed. For a swordsman, a worthy rival is akin to a master. So when Musashi’s fame reached its peak, we went to check his skills ourselves.”

That made sense. They were martial arts enthusiasts seeking to enhance their skills by battling monsters since there were no rivals in Dongyoung. Such a mindset was certainly understandable.

“How was he?”

“He possessed skills that undoubtedly surpassed that of a Peak Expert. However, compared to his fame, his actual level was disappointingly low. Either one of us could defeat him within two hundred seconds.”

“……”

Nobutsuna’s words rang true. Observing their martial prowess firsthand gave me no doubt it was probably that considerable a gap. A swordsman of their caliber wouldn’t exaggerate or boast about such matters. I hesitated a moment and asked, “I understand Miyamoto Musashi is still young. He’s in the process of growing; isn’t that a bit too big of an expectation to place on him?”

“Ha-ha… true. That could be it. We might have had excessive expectations.”

Nobutsuna forced a bitter laugh, but then Tsukahara Boku Ten interjected, “Baek Woong. The reason we evaluate him like this is important, so listen carefully.”

“Stop it, buddy. What good does saying that do?”

“By residing in this building, we are indebted to the Thunder God lineage in a way. So we have an obligation to provide honest information.”

“Tsk… if you put it that way…”

Nobutsuna stepped back, and Boku Ten smiled a wry smile. “He was no longer in a developmental stage; he had fully matured. He got stuck learning an incomplete martial art, defined his own limits, and stopped there.”

“Are you talking about Miyamoto Musashi?”

“Yes. He probably picked up the secret manual of peerless martial skills somewhere and was able to learn it due to his innate talent, but ultimately hit the limit of that talent. On top of that, he was overly confident due to his fame, which makes it no wonder we didn’t place our hopes on him.”

“Hmm…”

Nobutsuna spoke. “But that’s a ‘fake.’ I’ve seen the real Musashi who had the fame that was passed down.”

“Really?”

“He too used the Two Heavens One Style, but his level was different. He was an extraordinary genius. Though it was so fleeting a moment that I can’t be sure…”

Boku Ten interjected sarcastically. “What do you mean you can’t be sure about such a fleeting moment?”

“But I can’t explain the contradiction without it, can I?”

At that moment, a thought flashed in my mind. ‘Book of Five Relationships?’

When the Sword Demon killed Miyamoto Musashi in my past life, the legacy left behind was indeed the Book of Five Relationships. I recalled what people had said regarding it.

[What’s this? It looks like a strategy book, but isn’t it like a secret martial arts manual? Seems like you didn’t read it carefully. There are subtle hints of breathing techniques and swordplay scattered throughout it.]

[Whoever wrote this is really an exceptional master!]

[This isn’t martial arts from the Central Plains, but it’s definitely incredible martial arts. However, I doubt even you or I could learn this.]

[The martial techniques written in this Book of Five Relationships are of the Two Sword style. But not the regular technique; rather it’s the Reverse Sword Technique.]

[Only those with extreme talent in the field of techniques could even enter the upper echelon. In the whole world, perhaps only two or three can learn this.]

[This is a martial book that permits challenges only to genius talents. The author is probably a unique genius unrivaled in all of history, which would account for its harshness.]

“……”

My mind went blank. I felt everything click into place all at once, like beads strung together. I clenched my fist and muttered, “So that’s how it was…”

“Huh? Did you figure something out?”

“Nope.”

I stammered, but inside I was overjoyed. Collecting information across lifetimes had uncovered yet another hidden truth. The Miyamoto Musashi known to the world is a fake!

More accurately, the one carrying the Book of Five Relationships around and running a tiny sword school is the imposter. The real Miyamoto Musashi exists separately, and while he may be using that name, what’s certain is that [the author of the Book of Five Relationships] exists independently!

Exactly. The genuine [Strongest Warrior of Dongyoung] is the unparalleled genius who devised the peerless techniques wielding the Reverse Sword Technique!

Although unknown to the world, such an extraordinary master clearly exists.

‘The fake Miyamoto Musashi probably obtained the Book of Five Relationships somewhere. Relying on his decent talent, he managed to learn the Reverse Sword Technique. That alone would have allowed him to break over the threshold of Peak Expert and gain a celebrated reputation within Dongyoung. However, he lacked the talent to aim for further heights…’

This made my task straightforward.

By any means or methods, I must track down the author of the Book of Five Relationships!

That person would undoubtedly be an incredible peerless expert, meaning gaining their assistance or learning their martial arts would be exceptionally beneficial for me.

As I pondered this, Dokgo Seong returned.

He looked at us and suddenly said, “I have a question.”

“Please, ask away.”

Nobutsuna and Boku Ten had been addressing Dokgo Seong with respect from the start. Due to his superior skill and status, they expressed that respect through their language. Dokgo Seong, with sharp eyes, gazed beyond the Life Sea and asked, “The journal mentioned that the Ultimate Death Sea is where the Lunar Kill Technique resides. Why do you think the Lunar Kill Technique would be there?”

“Hmm…”

The two pondered for a moment. Then Nobutsuna spoke up. “From what I’ve heard from the Master of the White Lotus Sect, the Lunar Kill Technique can only be grasped by the blind. It’s the ultimate swift blade technique. They’ve described this martial art as [the most dangerous martial art in the world]. Since it can prove to be a calamity just by its existence, it’s likely been sealed away by someone.”

“……”

Eventually, Dokgo Seong remarked, “Looks like we need to start by grasping just how dangerous this Living Sea is before anything else.”

“Just be extra cautious. It’s practically hell here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Finally, we all stepped out of the building to explore Aokigahara Life Sea. As we moved farther from the building, the Yin Energy and Demon Ki grew denser, and after passing more than fifty steps, we began to sense an overwhelming presence of evil energies strong enough to be hard to feel in the human world.

Crackle…

We witnessed a bizarre plant, easily over ten times larger than us, growing its tiny branches at an astonishing rate. It writhed like a living creature, sprouting tentacles from its petals. It was a sight so shocking that any ordinary person might have their mental strength completely collapse just from witnessing it.

“What on earth is that?”

“That’s called Hell Flower. It devours everything it can, including humans and animals, and its body is flexible but tough.”

“Hmm.”

Skreee-

Moments later, sharp Qi erupted from Dokgo Seong’s hand, slicing through the stem of the Hell Flower in mere seconds.

In an instant, the flower crumpled apart, releasing a horrendous noise as it did.

Crack!!!

Dokgo Seong frowned at the sight. “Definitely a monster. Is this all that exists here?”

“Yes. They’re all ridiculously sturdy and strong. Eventually, some will even refuse to be harmed without powerful Qi!”

“That’s insane. A mere monster is this strong?”

“This is just the appetizer. The Guardian of the Living Sea is truly terrifying.”

As we chatted, the four of us moved as if taking a leisurely stroll while wielding our swords, crossing the deadly Life Sea. Although Dokgo Seong seemed frightened by the monsters, in reality, his strength was so extraordinary that he was taking them out in a single stroke each.

After passing through roughly fifty more steps, a colossal sound suddenly boomed.

It… Ooh… OOOO…

We heard something roaring from the ground. Sensing its immense presence and size, we stepped back for a moment. Then, the very ground of the Life Sea seemed to tremble as something emerged from beneath.

GROOAAAAARRR…

Its length seemed to measure several hundreds of feet, more massive than any monster we had defeated so far, and the monster’s sheer size was terrifying enough to shift the landscape itself. With a white body, it was leaking mucus everywhere, resembling a giant earthworm.

GROOOOAAAAARRR—!!

A monster of outrageous strength!

No even legendary beasts hiding beneath Great Thunder Valley could compare to this brute in size and might.

As I swallowed hard and stared at it, Nobutsuna, next to me, tensed up and said, “That’s it! That’s the guardian of the Living Sea, and we have to defeat it to cross into the Dead Sea.”

“Is it strong?”

“Baek Woong, how do you plan on taking that thing down?”

When Nobutsuna questioned me back, I had no answer. How could one take down a creature as big as a small mountain?

It wasn’t my first time facing such a giant monster, but back then, it was usually when the Sword Master Yeodong-bin would show up to handle things for me. And now, due to issues with the Celestial Realm and the Divine Flower, that wasn’t an option.

In other words, I must defeat this giant earthworm with only the four of us here.

Dokgo Seong said, “Don’t get scared. I don’t care if it’s a Great Demon or a monster; we just have to catch it.”

“Easy to say…”

I quickly swung my sword, launching a Sword Strength attack toward it. I could see a mark cut across the massive body, but it was still just a scratch to that enormous creature.

Dokgo Seong observed and commented, “Not good. Can’t we just ignore it and head to the Dead Sea?”

“As you can see, it’s blocking the cave behind it, so that’s not possible.”

“I guess it’s unavoidable.”

Dokgo Seong’s eyes gleamed with intensity. “Let’s take it out!”

That moment…

Cling!

As Dokgo Seong yelled, thunder erupted from his body, and his sword radiated a dazzling white light. For the briefest moment—almost imperceptibly—his sword cut through the monster’s head like a hot knife through butter.

Dokgo Seong’s white sword lightning had an astonishing range. It seemed he had only struck two or three times, yet suddenly the massive body resembling a mountain cracked apart flawlessly. I could hardly estimate how many sections it had severed in one attack!

Finally, the earthworm writhed and spewed out a massive corrosive liquid.

BOOOOM!!!

With the explosive sound, a tremendous amount of corrosive slime scattered through the air. We all dodged the acidic goo or used our Protection Energy Techniques to shield ourselves.

Eventually, standing over the defeated monster’s corpse, Dokgo Seong remarked, “It wasn’t extremely strong, but it had to have some devastating point-destroying power to get killed. Now I understand why you guys were struggling.”

“No way… you actually took that down?”

Shock registered on Nobutsuna and Boku Ten’s faces.

Despite being extraordinary swordsmen, it must have been unfathomable for them to think they could defeat a creature the size of several hundred feet. While I stared at the fallen earthworm, I prodded its corpse with my sword.

Grrrrr…

“Hmm…”

At that moment, I realized the Qi spread across the earthworm’s body was absorbed into my sword. While it didn’t resonate like when I carved out the heart of the Portrait Immortal, there was a clear feeling that it was accumulating power for the user.

‘This won’t be easy.’

But instinctively, I realized something.

What resides deep within Aokigahara Life Sea isn’t just the likes of a Great Demon.

It’s pure magic itself.

Perhaps if we delve too deep—we might encounter unimaginable foes beyond our wildest nightmares.

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