838——————==

True Martial Home

“What do you mean, don’t give the obsidian to my companions?!”

I blinked in disbelief at Zhuge Sa. Did I mishear him?

“Why…?”

The obsidian’s technique was phenomenal; it didn’t just transmit memories but also let you share a degree of martial or magical accomplishments. Plus, since it could convey the fate itself, it was a great way to easily expand your circle of companions.

So, passing on memories through obsidian had become a given for me, and now I was being told I had to give that up?

I looked at Zhuge Sa with suspicion, and he glanced inside before responding.

“Let’s discuss this inside. It’s going to take a bit.”

I followed Zhuge Sa into the room, and as he poured tea, he sat down across from me and began.

“Simply put, let’s say you go find Hyun and share your memories through the obsidian like before. What memories will you fill it with?”

“I’d try to pack in everything I could.”

Zhuge Sa suddenly sported a sharp expression.

“Then do it right now.”

“What?”

“Go ahead. Show me what the obsidian does.”

“……?”

Feeling dubious, I utilized my teleportation technique to head to Dongyoung. After gathering about 50 jin of obsidian, I took a chunk, wrote its technique onto it, and stored my memory.

Once I returned with another teleportation, Zhuge Sa instructed.

“Place the obsidian on the table.”

“Done.”

“Now, use the Fire Eye Golden Spirit Technique to observe the obsidian closely.”

Suuuu

I focused on the obsidian as directed, and soon its physical form was replaced by a stream of spirit energy that looked like vapor rising from it. I noted the color of the vapor was a deep, dark hue.

“Hmm….”

After recounting what I saw, Zhuge Sa nodded and remarked.

“That dark energy is magical power and evil qi.”

“Evil qi?”

“It changes to the extent of your memories containing secrets from the dark world. In other words, the density of that evil qi is directly correlated with madness.”

“…….”

“You know too much… especially the info from your 26th life is dangerous. How much concentration of evil qi do you think that obsidian holds?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Then let’s test it.”

“How?”

Thud.

Just then, a loud thud echoed from outside. Zhuge Sa smirked at the sound.

“See over there?”

“…….”

I stepped outside with him. Just as I thought, Jo Hee-tae was sprawled at the entrance of Jangryeong Valley. Though his eyes were open, it seemed he was flailing helplessly, unable to move properly.

Zhuge Sa pulled out a little bell from his sleeve, jingled it, and moments later, it looked like Jo Hee-tae regained his senses.

“…Hah… Hah….”

“I calmed down your possession with the Insect Suppression Bell, restoring your five senses for a moment, Jo Hee-tae.”

“Ma… Master Zhuge Sa, please… please spare my life.”

Thud! Thud!

With tears streaming down his face, he bashed his head against the stone floor, wailing in despair, as if he realized he’d never escape Zhuge Sa’s grip.

“So why is the peak expert of the Hengshan Sect so weak? You claimed you’d become the sworn brother of the legendary Eight-Armed Sword Immortal Jo Jin-ung and could never betray the Hengshan Sect. You barged into Jangryeong Valley with such bravado and killed my followers.”

“…….”

“Well, your righteous blood brothers became mere fodder for my formation technique.”

Jo Hee-tae flinched, but soon, he began to stutter.

“Please… please get this possession out of me…”

“To be honest, I couldn’t care less about you. I was initially thinking of using you and the interlopers for fun at the Nine Great Sects, but I can’t bring myself to care at all anymore. Should I just let you suffer and peel your skin off yourself?”

“Ugh… please….”

“Honestly, I wasn’t interested in you at all; starting with you is just a means to eliminate other heretics planted within the Nine Great Sects. You were the first to target threats to maintain your status there. You filthy scum.”

Zhuge Sa muttered in disdain, then suddenly grabbed the obsidian I had created earlier and continued.

“If you take this, I’ll release you from the Soul Exchange Technique and binding contract.”

“Re… really?”

“I swear on the honor of the heretic sect leader; I won’t lie. Whether you stay whole is up to you.”

“Alright! Hurry and give it to me!”

Jo Hee-tae looked desperate. It seemed he thought even the sinister obsidian was less fearful than this Soul Exchange and the loneliness. Zhuge Sa glanced at me, and I understood his look meant to prepare for another memory transmission.

At last, as the obsidian landed on Jo Hee-tae’s palm, I activated the memory transmission technique.

Fwoosh!

As Jo Hee-tae received the memories, he swayed as if drunken, disbelief dancing in his eyes.

“A Reborn Person?! This can’t…!! I can’t believe there’s a person who has repeated life dozens of times….”

“Yep, he’s a Reborn Person. Any other impressions?”

“Wa… wait a moment….”

Jo Hee-tae stumbled, desperately trying to compile his thoughts. After a while, he was mumbling, staring blankly.

“Reborn Person…, Three Sovereigns…, Otherworldly Race…, Tentacles…, Future…, Eight Parts of the Divine…, Afterlife…, Dark Heaven Village…, Destruction…, Evil God…, the End of the World…, Jo… apocalypse….”

“…….”

“Whoa, whoa… what is this….”

Suddenly, Jo Hee-tae clutched my collar tightly. He screamed like he was coughing up blood, trembling.

“What are you?! What the hell are you!! How can you see something like this and remain so… so calm about it!!”

“……?!”

“Stop… stop looking into my head… just stop… urgh!”

Jo Hee-tae suddenly let out a scream as if his breath had been cut off. He toppled over, writhing like a shrimp as he scratched his own face madly. The scene was grotesque, and he rolled around on the floor, repeating the same phrases.

“Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, just stop…”

“Hey, are you okay?”

I rushed closer to Jo Hee-tae, trying to calm his spirit with my internal power. But even though his body was stable, Jo Hee-tae’s eyes rolled back as if he were insane, intermittently seizing and babbling.

“Ahh… uugh… eat me!! Tear my head off!! Aahhh!! Those eyes… they’re watching me!!”

Moments later, he dropped his arms and went limp.

No more struggles. In the silence, I held Jo Hee-tae’s pulse, trying to revive him, but it seemed his spirit had perished, as he no longer reacted to life. I could force treatment to keep him alive with medicine and surgery, but he was essentially a vegetable.

“…….”

“Do you understand now?”

“What just happened…?”

In shock, I stared down at Jo Hee-tae’s corpse when Zhuge Sa spoke up.

“That obsidian, which contained all your unfiltered memories, is close to being a weapon imbued with murderous intent. Memories of the throne, truths of the Three Sovereigns, the Afterlife, the ever-looming end of the world; all combined they carry weights far too heavy for an ordinary human to bear. Not to mention the vivid memories you carry—those that engulf the human brain. In that process, the dark energy contained within the obsidian would utterly shatter a person’s psyche.”

“……!!”

“Is it because the memory of the throne is too high-dimensional? If you’re unlucky, the gaze of the Old Ruler could also be shared in those memories. The Ruler transcends time and space; even perceiving such a being could result in connection with it…. The memory of the apocalypse shows extraordinary destructive power.”

I gritted my teeth against Zhuge Sa’s words.

“But, up until the early part of my 25th life… no, even into the 26th life, nothing like this happened! Mangnyang and the others were fine!”

“So?”

“It’s because of the throne memory! If I just edit and remove that memory before passing it on, there shouldn’t be a problem receiving other companions!”

As I protested, Zhuge Sa nodded thoughtfully.

“I see. Then let’s try it your way this time.”

“What?”

“Create obsidian with the memories of the end phase of your 26th life removed. We’ll observe if different results occur.”

“Jo Hee-tae is dead. I can’t experiment anymore….”

Thud.

Thud.

Before I finished my sentence, someone staggered out from the depths of Jangryeong Valley’s building. The figure resembled a total soulless human, appearing to be a man in his fifties, a martial artist of Jianghu.

Zhuge Sa looked at him and said, “Just to ease your conscience, let me tell you. That guy is the peak expert of the Heretical Sect, the Madness Demon Ouyang Huang, who has killed hundreds around Yangju and assaulted innocent women. No need to worry about your conscience.”

“Isn’t that a lie? …Why did you capture him? To punish a bad guy?”

“Hardly. I just needed a strong martial artist for human experimentation. He had no sect to run back to, making him perfect.”

“I see. But how did you catch a peak expert?”

As I asked, Zhuge Sa chuckled softly.

“Do I have to catch a martial artist using martial power? If I had my wits about me, even the Master of the White Lotus Sect wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“…Got it.”

I realized I had asked a silly question. Though Zhuge Sa’s martial skills were not that high, he was a master of the Soul Exchange Technique and magic, unmatched in both wisdom and strategy. The fact that he could kill the Master of the White Lotus Sect had already been proven. For someone like him, capturing even a peak expert wouldn’t be a chore.

‘Hmm. The memories of the throne… I’ll just edit out the unpleasant ones.’

I did as Zhuge Sa instructed and only removed the unpleasant memories from my 26th life. Then, I handed the completed obsidian to Ouyang Huang, who was in a soulless state. Zhuge Sa was keeping him somewhat subdued using the Soul Exchange Technique and soon released that control.

Ouyang Huang regained his senses and stumbled, staring at Zhuge Sa with a fearful expression.

“Ma… Master Zhuge Sa, what do you plan to do with me? Please… just this once, don’t do anything violent! I’d lick your feet if I had to…”

What kind of trouble had he gotten into?

Even a peak expert of the Heretical Sect seemed unable to contemplate attacking or fleeing from Zhuge Sa.

Zhuge Sa grinned at Ouyang Huang and said, “I’m going to transmit memories through the obsidian. If you’re fine afterward, I’ll let you go back to Jianghu. I won’t remove the Soul Exchange or bindings.”

“Oooh! Please do it now!”

I nodded and transmitted the memories.

Woosh!

The moment Ouyang Huang received the memories, a look of confusion crossed his face. He shook his head and looked at me, astonished.

“A Reborn Person!! Amazing….”

“Ouyang Huang, are you feeling dizzy or distressed?”

“Of course not! Heh… the memories of the Seven Great Techniques and powerful martial arts—what luck!”

Ouyang Huang even laughed derisively, seemingly pleased. It looked like he successfully received the essence of the Seven Great Techniques and the Peerless Technique thanks to my unfiltered transmission of memories. I watched him with worry, but he merely chuckled and said, “Hahaha. Make me one of your past life companions too. I’ll obey you without fail. I’ll work my hardest under the Reborn Person’s guidance…”

In that instant, his expression changed, and he began to retch.

“Ugh, ugggh!”

Cough, cough.

It looked like he was throwing up everything he had just eaten. I stared at him, puzzled as he muttered with a confused look.

“Ugh… wah… no! The meaning of my life… no, I’m living as I want… No way…”

“…….”

“All of this is… meaningless?! My life… happiness… existence… if I’m just going to suffer after death, then what am I… Am I a bug?!”

Ouyang Huang sank to the ground, his eyes vacant. In an instant, he looked like he had aged ten years, his vigor sapped, and his mental strength seemed depleted. Though better off than Jo Hee-tae earlier, he still appeared incapacitated.

Zhuge Sa turned to Ouyang Huang and spoke.

“Release the Soul Exchange Technique and your affliction.”

“…….”

“Do as you please; whether you become a past life companion or return to Jianghu is up to you.”

Thud.

As Zhuge Sa lifted the bindings, Ouyang Huang slowly rose to his feet. He then glanced at me and Zhuge Sa with empty eyes before suddenly raising a hand and forming it into a knife.

“I’d rather die!!”

Bam!

Thud…

Ouyang Huang, with his hand knife charged with internal power, pierced his temple. He died instantly, and unlike earlier, there was no chance to revive him as a vegetable.

What?! Why did he just die?!

As I stood stunned, Zhuge Sa remarked, “Do you get it now, Baek Woong? He’s also escaped this world.”

“What on earth…? I removed all the bad memories.”

As I stammered in shock, Zhuge Sa sighed.

“Memories don’t just exist in isolation. According to your memories, physical-biological connections are formed through future techniques like synapses, intertwined deeply with the laws of causality. In simpler terms, the memories you experienced regarding the throne and the apocalypse have been wholly contaminated by the chaos of causality.”

“……!!”

“Even if you edit them, the evil qi tied to the obsidian won’t simply vanish. It may weaken, but that alone is enough to drive an average person to choose suicide instantly.”

“Then how are you still fine?”

I glanced at Zhuge Sa, who smiled thinly.

“I’ve long had no attachments to this world and have felt this world’s despair for over a decade, so the despair and darkness you’ve passed on don’t faze me now. But others among humanity are different.”

“…….”

“If Hyun’s mental strength holds up, he may endure. But I can outright declare that the roots of corruption will sprout within him and consume him. And a corrupted Hyun won’t be the same as he was before. The same applies to Jin So-cheong and the other companions. The only exception might be the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, but he’d likely find it unpleasant and eliminate you on the spot.”

“Hmm.”

“Admit it. Right now, the path of using the obsidian to create companions is closed off.”

“Damn it… What should I do?”

I felt frustrated. My progress was already stagnant, and now a restriction against handing the obsidian to anyone but Zhuge Sa had come about! I couldn’t move forward any way I tried!

Then Zhuge Sa continued.

“I instead want to ask you, is there still a need to create companions with the obsidian?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re not at a point where we should be leveling up our companions to obliterate the Three Sovereigns or search for the Seven Luminaries. You need to ponder over how to prevent the ultimate despair you witnessed at the end of the world and the apocalypse itself. No matter how talented your companions are, they’re mostly unnecessary right now.”

As he spoke, Zhuge Sa pressed his finger against my forehead.

“Baek Woong. As your strategist, I advise you. You have two tasks for this life.”

“What?”

“One is to attain the Absolute Realm. Only by reaching the Absolute Realm can anything progress. That method has already been presented through the Ten Unions method in previous lives. Either way, you should spare no effort to achieve the Absolute Realm.”

“…Hmm. And the second task?”

“Finding Taihao Fuxi.”

I was jolted by those words.

“Taihao Fuxi, one of the Three Sovereigns? Why do you want to….”

Taihao Fuxi!!

That being was a legendary figure among the Three Sovereigns and simultaneously the teacher of the founders of the Celestial Realm, Taishang Laojun and Primordial Heaven Master. Moreover, he was the one who instilled the system of “magic” to prevent the corruption induced by magic.

“Currently, Fuxi is under assault by the forces of darkness, with his [Mask] stripped away. Somewhere in the universe, he’s returned to his true form as a Great Dragon and lost his sanity. You’re aware of that, right?”

“Yeah. I have died at the hands of Fuxi.”

“Curious why you must find Fuxi?”

“Why do I need to find him?”

When I countered, Zhuge Sa asked.

“Does the 24th death ring a bell?”

“…Yeah.”

Even after gathering the Seven Luminaries, I met a pitiful end as Earth burned in flames.

That death was unforgettable.

As I retorted awkwardly, Zhuge Sa continued.

“Remember the words of the Yan Emperor Shennong.”

“Hmm?”

“He said neither the apocalypse nor the revelation can be stopped nor postponed. It may have been possible when all the Three Sovereigns were intact, but without Fuxi, it wouldn’t even be attempted.”

“Ah….”

He had said that. As I sifted through my memories, Zhuge Sa added.

“In other words…, if Fuxi exists and all Three Sovereigns are gathered, there might be a method to stop or postpone the apocalypse and revelation.”

“……!!”

“Baek Woong. Your mental strength and memories are closely entwined with the source of chaos. I believe you’re being influenced by the Heavenly Secret. The directionality of your memories toward the apocalypse is manipulating the grand scale. Thus, to eradicate the deeply rooted evil qi within your mental memory, there’s only one way.”

Zhuge Sa clenched his fist.

“It’s to seek hope. If you can find Fuxi, make him wear the mask again and discover a way to postpone or halt the apocalypse, hope might take root in your memories and drastically transform the essence of the obsidian.”

“C… can that be possible?”

“It can happen within this life. The assets you’ve accumulated as a Reborn Person are substantial, and if you play your cards right, it’s entirely feasible.”

Saying this, Zhuge Sa’s eyes gleamed.

“I’ll manage the other companions using the power of heresy. During emergencies, I’ll ensure they can be of aid to you.”

“Thank you.”

“In return, you’ll have to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

In an instant, his next words left me frozen.

“Discard all your morals for this life. If you do, I’ll make sure you grow tenfold stronger than ever before.”