794——————==

True Martial Home

The reason I wanted to take Jang Sam-bong as my master was twofold.

‘Peerless Technique.’

The legendary pinnacle that one reaches by harmoniously mastering the Six Great Techniques, excluding the Peerless Technique. Its power was proven when facing the avatar of the Old Ruler from back in the day, confirming that Jang Sam-bong could indeed be called a master of the Overlay Technique. However, no one had ever reached the end of the Six Great Techniques, with everyone merely creating derivative techniques using their exceptional basics, and no one had demonstrated the Peerless Technique directly. Therefore, I felt an intense desire to truly understand the Peerless Technique this time.

The second reason was that the Seven Great Techniques and its derived Eight Immortals Divine Art currently made up at least 30% of my martial arts. While I mainly relied on Thunder God Lineage’s swordplay and footwork in fights, the foundation of those movements contained powerful techniques like Bowing Sky Slash and Three Treasure Technique, creating a synergistic effect. As they were indispensable parts of my martial arts foundation, receiving teachings from the grand master who established these techniques would be beneficial for strengthening my base.

“Master, I have something to do right now. Could you come back to teach me later?”

[If that’s your wish, I shall comply….]

For now, I sent Jang Sam-bong back to the Celestial Realm without receiving his teachings. I then performed a ceremony to absorb the spirit power mixed with Jeon Wook’s statue. This time, I made sure to properly set up the barrier technique and absorb the spirit power without repeating the mistakes from my past life.

Swaaaah!

‘I definitely feel like I’ve reached a level….’

I could feel a powerful force swirling and condensing around my heart. The absorbed spirit power was likely forming a core within me, trying to function like a monster’s heart. From now on, whenever I absorb spirit power, it will cling to this core and grow in size, and with each increase, my strength will undoubtedly grow stronger.

Cheon Woo-jin, who had been watching from the side, spoke.

“Hey, promise me something.”

“What?”

“After you achieve mastery in spirit power, you won’t need to perform this absorption ceremony anymore. From that point on, pass the spirit power to me.”

“…….”

This guy wants to get stronger by devouring spirit power, huh?

I asked in disbelief, “Why would you still need it? You’re already the strongest sorcerer under heaven!”

“Stop talking nonsense. If I could get even a single dose of the spirit power in Jeon Wook’s statue, I could immediately equal or surpass the Great Immortal of the Celestial Realm. It would be on par with or perhaps even exceed the Divine Fever I experienced recently. Do you not realize the value in that?”

“Hmm….”

“Keep in mind that even the remnants of the spirit power you absorbed from your previous life nearly birthed the strongest half-human, half-monster. That’s a fortuitous encounter on par with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng for those in the realm of techniques and demons.”

“Got it.”

I responded, “…but that could also be useful for Miho, right? It doesn’t have to be just for you…”

“…….”

“You got stronger after experiencing Divine Fever…”

At this, Cheon Woo-jin glared at me with a gleam of delight.

“You petty crook, how can you be so selfish?! I helped you so much in your previous life, and now you can’t even spare one thing? Do you have any idea how little you’re compensating me for all the help I gave? The sealing barrier technique and the incantation were all originally needs-to-know stuff, but because you’re a reborn person, I broke the rules to pass it on! Without me, could you have even absorbed it?!”

“Um… well, um.”

“Stop being so stingy. Don’t live like that.”

When Cheon Woo-jin exclaimed in frustration, I was caught off guard. I thought it was just a light jab, but he reacted extremely sensitively. Rubbing my head, I said, “Alright, fine. Once I master it, I’ll give you some spirit power too. However, I also need to consider Miho, so I’ll think of a way.”

“Hmph, I imagine I know what you’re thinking. But if you focus on martial arts training, you won’t be able to look towards that matter for a while.”

“…I know.”

What I was thinking about was the Heart Ruins located in the Northern Plateau.

That was where I learned the legend after the Sword Demon had found the source of his wife’s lineage in my previous life, and after many twists and turns, he arrived there. Sadly, the Sword Demon died at that very spot. Remembering his death in the past gave me an uneasy feeling, but at the same time, a fierce curiosity surged within me.

‘There are five lances sealing the heart, and each of those lances belongs to Jeon Wook.’

If that’s the case, those lances undoubtedly hold spirit power.

However, I wasn’t in a position to embark on that adventure just yet. I had no clear understanding of how to open the ‘door’ to the Heart Ruins, and I would definitely face strong opposition from Jeon Wook. Since I had decided to concentrate on martial arts training, absorbing the spirit power from Jeon Wook’s statue was the best I could do for now.

After finishing the absorption, I headed to the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate of Joint Mountain to deliver it to Mangnyang. After gaining the power of the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate, Mangnyang told me, “This is sufficient. I will now concentrate on mastering techniques for a while.”

“I hope you ascend the ranks.”

“Ha ha! Who can’t rise with this kind of fortuitous encounter? It’s not too much.”

He chuckled and added, “But I need to meet Sima Yang-jeo before challenging the celestial realm.”

“Sima Yang-jeo? Ah….”

I paused, unsure of whom he was referring to, but then I recalled. In the past, Mangnyang had introduced him as a master of Qimen Dunjia on par with himself and had helped Oh Seung-eun by imprisoning her to write. Knowing that Mangnyang acknowledged him meant he was quite the noteworthy figure, I curiously asked, “Why do you want to meet him? He’s impressive, but he wouldn’t exactly help you as you hone your sorcery skills.”

“Not at all. Sima Yang-jeo is a direct descendant of the Sima Clan. Because of this, he inherited the art of war and sorcery from Sima Zhongda, the founder of Jin, a genius strategist. Hence, unlike me, he is a formation master who can deploy Qimen Dunjia even more powerfully. You could say he’s an elite sorcerer.”

“Huh!”

“Of course, he has to keep a low profile due to the ruthless emperors of the Wei and Jin dynasties after Sejo Mu-huang, leading his clan to remain hidden for generations. You know about the Eight Kings’ Rebellion, right?”

“Umm… yes.”

“Because of that, he can’t rise ranks, and due to the danger to his life, he rarely reveals his real name. When I first met him, he was using a pseudonym.”

“Why did he reveal his name to you?”

Mangnyang appeared slightly embarrassed as he spoke. “Ancient Zhuge Mu-hu and Sima Zhongda were heroes competing for the national fortune, but we, their descendants, have ended up in a tragic plight, so we became friends through that shared fate. I lacked talent in sorcery and was ridiculed by my clan, while Sima Yang-jeo’s clan drew the resentment of the central plains, meaning he couldn’t reveal his name throughout his life, creating a bond of comradery as we ate and played together…”

“…….”

I never expected that someone who seemed like a mere passing figure had such impressive abilities. Mangnyang said bitterly, “Perhaps in all my past lives, I refrained from introducing you to Sima Yang-jeo’s abilities fully out of fear that mine might seem less significant. Given you have the sage Cheon Woo-jin, I thought you wouldn’t need him in the arts.”

“It’s really not a big deal. Anyway, why do you want to meet Sima Yang-jeo?”

“In terms of sealing techniques, Sima Yang-jeo stands in the first tier. I intend to learn his sealing techniques in order to perfect my Qimen Dunjia, and I’m sure my growth rate will accelerate as a result.”

“Hm. Understood.”

“In the future, if necessary, I can also bring Sima Yang-jeo into our reborn group. He may be a bit cynical, but he’s a man of honor.”

With that, Mangnyang left to learn sealing techniques from Sima Yang-jeo. Once the situation was somewhat organized, I sought out a quiet training ground to consult with the Sword Demon. As I approached, the Sword Demon spoke while sitting with Jin So-cheong and Seo Mun-hye.

“I apologize, but even if I move like a whirlwind now, it’s insufficient for keeping an eye on the imperial palace. Additionally, there’s a future problem to be addressed, so it isn’t favorable for you and your companions, Baek Woong, to train martial arts here in the Shadowless Gate. I will refine my martial arts slightly using the memory of obsidian and then head up to Luoyang to establish new forces.”

“What should we do then?”

“I shall head to Sichuan. I have enough wealth, so I’ll purchase a secluded manor there to live in. That place is also pretty remote from the martial arts world.”

“Why Sichuan? Is there a specific reason it must be Sichuan?”

“There is indeed a reason. This is a strategy that Zhuge Sa requested me to convey to you.”

Currently, Zhuge Sa seemed to be quite busy using demons and grimoires for some purpose.

The Sword Demon slowly revealed Zhuge Sa’s strategy, and I couldn’t help but contort my face peculiarly upon hearing his words. “Is it really necessary to summon him?”

“Well, who knows. But it must hold significant meaning for Zhuge Sa. Plus, for Mangnyang… Besides, if it’s a soul of such a personage, I’m sure there’s something to gain from it.”

“That’s a point.”

“Once you enter closed-room training, you’ll hardly have time to concern yourself with worldly matters. Just consider this as wrapping up all the things you can before that.”

“Understood.”

I took a few gold bars together with Jin So-cheong and Seo Mun-hye and used Golden Lamp to head to Sichuan. We arrived at the Unfinished House in Sichuan and carefully observed the time when it was least populated. As we were spying together, Seo Mun-hye remarked.

“Baek Woong, it seems like nobody’s around during Hai Time.”

“Sounds good.”

We took advantage of the emptiness at the Unfinished House and stealthily infiltrated it. There were a few soldiers on guard here and there, but Jin So-cheong and I silently subdued them, probably before they even realized what had happened. Once we completed our preparations, I called forth the Heavenly Secret Technique.

“Come forth…!!”

Paat!

Moments later, one of the ten fingers’ flames extinguished, and a strong blue light materialized in the void. The ancient spirit, who had been wandering in relation to this place, accepted the summons of the Heavenly Secret Technique. The spirit of a scholarly man dressed in white, fluttering what seemed to be a fan made of pure white feathers, looked down at us with indifferent eyes and spoke.

[So there truly exists a holder of the Heavenly Secret Technique’s contract…]

“……?”

[Guang Chengzi, Great Being. If you try to read the future, you will only be toyed with… Ha ha.]

What does that mean?

I cautiously addressed him, just because I had summoned him.

“I apologize for summoning you like this. Are you perhaps the legendary Zhuge Mu-hu?”

[You must have summoned me knowing that already. There’s no need for confirmation.]

“Ah, yes.”

There was an unmistakable difference in atmosphere compared to the spirits I had summoned with the Heavenly Secret Technique before.

‘Each of those spirits was rather eager to provide whatever I required…’

What was with the apparent boredom in this one’s reaction?

But it was undeniable.

Right before my eyes was none other than Zhuge Liang, the most celebrated strategist in the history of the Central Plains, who assisted Shu Han’s Liu Shan in establishing the Three Kingdoms’ division, Zhuge Mu-hu!

With the powerful medium known as the Unfinished House and the shrine present, I could effortlessly summon him using the Heavenly Secret Technique, and that was the strategy laid out by Zhuge Sa.

“Cough, cough.”

Clearing my throat, I cautiously presented the Azure Dragon Halberd to him and asked, “Zhuge Mu-hu, do you remember this weapon by any chance?”

[…….]

He examined it for a moment and then said, [That cursed bearded guy’s weapon.]

“……”

[My apologies. It’s been so long; I forgot how to show courtesy for a second.]

No, I must have misheard that.

Feeling an unpleasant prickle at Zhuge Mu-hu’s words, I shook it off and replied, “T-This is not the main point. In any case…, could I possibly receive your blessing?”

[A blessing, huh… If you treat that as a wish, that would be fine?]

“I’d like to know what kind of blessing it entails first.”

[Well then, it’s three wishes.]

“Uh….”

[The blessing I can offer you comes from the Ghost Cry Mountain. I can grant you access to the sorcery I learned in my lifetime immediately without needing to train; however, it all ends up being one-time consumables. But the knowledge of the Yin Fu Classic is here as well, so if you’re someone who learns sorcery, it could be a great help. Explanation over.]

Without showing any inclination to hear my reaction, he seemed to rattle off his own agenda. I felt a bit flustered by Zhuge Mu-hu’s rapid speech and stuttered, “Why three? Even if knowing about the blessing counts as one wish, that should be two…”

[Didn’t you just ask me if I remembered the weapon? That’s also a wish.]

“…….”

[That question also counts, so now you’re down to four wishes. Four flames from your Heavenly Secret Technique have now disappeared.]

How petty!

The other heroes’ spirits weren’t so stingy with their questions!

‘T-This isn’t how I envisioned it…’

As I stood dazed by Zhuge Mu-hu’s response, which was different from the legend I’d known and his extreme frugality, Jin So-cheong said from beside me.

“Zhuge Mu-hu, unlike other spirits, you understand that the name of this contract is the Heavenly Secret Technique, and you surely grasp what Guang Chengzi’s sorcery entails. Other spirits did not have that level of comprehension.”

[……]

“That implies you are also familiar with the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate of Guang Chengzi, or perhaps you studied it in your lifetime, correct?”

What?

Jin So-cheong’s unexpected question made me look at him, and Zhuge Mu-hu gazed at Jin So-cheong curiously before responding.

[Indeed, I do know about the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate. That brings it to five wishes.]

Jin So-cheong spoke without a hint of panic. “You seem determined to consume all the spirit techniques held by Baek Woong.”

[That may be true. That’s six wishes.]

“Why are you so intent on consuming the techniques?”

[To lessen the damage caused by vacant contracts. Seven wishes.]

…What?

Did I just hear something strange?

“Do you know the truth that exists within the Heavenly Secret Technique’s arts?”

[I do know. Eight wishes.]

“Please tell me everything you discern about that truth.”

[…….]

Zhuge Mu-hu’s next words caused the atmosphere in the space to grow heavy.

[Give up.]

“What?”

He closed his eyes and murmured.

[This world is despair. Knowing changes nothing.]