전생검신 Volume 80, Chapter 19

In a life-and-death moment, the spirits of the Four Great Spirit Deities suddenly lend me a hand!

Why are these guys, who haven’t moved a muscle for hundreds of years, suddenly acting?

Caught off guard, I pondered in my mental world.

‘What’s with the sudden help in my training?’

Then, Agni replied in a somewhat gruff tone.

[Are you complaining about getting help?]

‘No, it’s just so out of the blue…’

At the same time, Varuna’s voice resonated in my ear.

[Our spirits have been compensated richly. We are simply paying it back with results.]

‘Compensation…? What kind of compensation are we talking about?’

[We cannot mention details due to our agreement with the one who compensated us.]

‘……’

[If you want to find out, you’ll have to work hard yourself in the future.]

It seemed that figuring out why they were helping me right now was going to be impossibly convoluted. I quickly got a grip on reality and declared,

‘Alright then! If you’re gonna help, help me all the way!’

Since we’re at it, I might as well plow through the training for the Sun and Moon Spirit like a bull charging at a matador! That’s probably what my benefactors intended!

Kugugugu!!

[Just flapping your mouth…….]

[Hoohoo.]

At that moment, the rings of Agni and Varuna began to shine even brighter, and I could feel the power of the Sun and Moon Spirit being gradually pushed back. The Four Great Spirits were getting serious about helping me. I realized the gnawing discomfort caused by the Sun and Moon Spirit was practically nonexistent, and with newfound confidence, I gripped the Sun and Moon Spirit fiercely.

Chijijijik!!

‘Gah!!’

However, just as I tried to regain control of the Sun and Moon Spirit, a burning pain surged through my hand, grasping the Sun Spirit, while the frozen sensation from the Moon Spirit made it hard to breathe. Even with Agni and Varuna’s help, I realized how serious this was, snapping me into focus.

‘There’s no way I can break through without my internal power and will…….’

How could the powers of the Sun Spirit and Moon Spirit be this strong?

It felt like I was trying to reach for the center of a star—an impossible task.

There was definitely a wall here that couldn’t be overcome with just repetitive training!

Just then, Varuna, who was aiding me in controlling my energy, spoke softly.

[Reborn one, the vessel of the sun and the vessel of the moon are on a whole different level than the commonplace essence you’ve been handling. Do you know that your current challenge is even more foolish than cracking an egg on a rock?]

‘I knew it was tough, but… do you know something about the Sun and Moon Spirit?’

Varuna was one of the Four Great Spirits governing ‘water’ in the universe. I wondered if he had insights about the Sun and Moon Spirit that humans didn’t. When I asked expectantly, Varuna responded.

[This vast universe is inherently filled with darkness. Though the Giant of Order initiated creation, it could not transform essence from chaos into order. Thus, while light wriggled in the dark, the action of covering principle with principle continued for eons, gradually leading to a division between light and darkness in this world, just like oil and water.]

“……”

[The realm of essence is a secondary phenomenon that emerges while boundaries are being drawn… however, reaching directly into the balance and confrontation of light and darkness represents an engagement with realms beyond our anticipation… It means influencing the order of the universe with your own will.]

Whoa, that’s pretty deep…

I felt my head throb again but tried to respond with what I understood.

‘So… the Sun and Moon Spirit is an immensely powerful force, and it’s different from the other Evil Spirits, right?’

Agni answered this time.

[It’s not just about the level of power; the Sun and Moon Spirit is a force attempting to break the boundaries of the universe… Unlike the existing vessels blessed by our spirits, it receives no help at all.]

‘Ugh… so this pain I’m feeling right now….’

[Is the pain a problem? You were originally supposed to explode with the original sin of reaching for a domain you cannot handle. The only reason you can hold on this much is that we are shouldering the power of the moon for you.]

‘…….’

[Reborn one, are you boldly challenging the laws of the universe?]

I paused, momentarily rendered speechless by Agni’s question.

‘Hell no!! Why should I have to make such a resolution!!’

I thought the training for the Sun and Moon Spirit was just mind-numbingly difficult, but never considered it could be about the laws or order of the universe!

While I stupidly stood there, my worldview expanding by the minute, Varuna added.

[If you have no resolve, backing off is also an option. If you persist and fail… our powers will decrease permanently.]

‘Huh? Decrease?!’

[Indeed. Helping you here is not merely a blessing; we are drawing from our own essence due to our agreement. Should you fail, our powers might be absorbed by the balance of the Moon Spirit.]

‘…….’

[Ultimately, in future reincarnations, the power of the Four Great Spirits available to you will diminish.]

For real…?

This training is more intense than I realized.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but mull over everything.

‘Dying once might sting, but I can bear it… But if I fail and the power of the Four Great Spirits decreases… that’s way too painful!’

The Four Great Spirits are irreplaceable when dealing with the top-tier divine entities that I can’t handle with my current strength. Estimating the potential loss from their power diminishing is virtually impossible. If my strategists were here, they’d probably tell me not to do something crazy.

But……

I grit my teeth and shouted.

“Let’s do it!!”

[Are you serious?]

“Did you think I was scared? I’m going all the way!”

[Hehe… crazy man.]

Kuwaaaah

Again, the rings of Agni and Varuna began to radiate light. As the pulse of the Sun and Moon Spirit intensified, I realized that holding out was becoming increasingly difficult; this would likely be my last attempt at control.

I understood that I was embracing a mad challenge, but something in my gut told me…

‘This… this is a bridge I must cross, even though it’s dangerous!’

The mysterious being who spoke to me earlier compensated the spirits of the Four Great Spirits on my behalf—this was a chance I couldn’t miss! I had a strong instinct that the next time that being could offer compensation wouldn’t come around again. So, even though this wasn’t my choice to challenge, the opportunity was undeniable.

If I kept pursuing nothing but safety, I would remain stuck in a monotonous cycle, wallowing in tedium and despair. I had grown weary of the drudgery over the last stretch; failing through a challenge didn’t scare me. The thought that I could reclaim the power of the Four Great Spirits, even after dying a thousand times, didn’t sound too bad.

“Uaaaaaah……!!”

Chijijijik!!

I unleashed my shout while channeling my energy with the pulse of the Sun and Moon Spirit, slowly pushing Agni and Varuna’s rings toward the Sun Spirit and the Moon Spirit. The key was whether I could unleash my Peerless Technique while their powers temporarily suppressed the strength of the Sun and Moon Spirit, allowing me to perform effectively. While doing so, I had to achieve success perfectly to increase those slim odds, but I was determined to follow through.

I don’t want to stop here.

I refuse to remain stagnant!

Pak!

In the moment Agni and Varuna’s rings collided with the differing energies of the Sun and Moon Spirit, a cracking sound rang out. When the unwavering pulse of the Sun and Moon Spirit momentarily ceased, I swiftly activated my Peerless Technique to simultaneously manage both energies.

Stop

But at that moment, I recalled the mysterious being’s earlier words.

[You are one-armed, yet how can you grasp both with one hand?]

[Forget the notion of proficiency. If your hand is one, you can only grasp one.]

That line suddenly hit me hard in the head.

No matter how I looked at it, those words seemed to hold the answer to my current dilemma.

‘A one-armed person can’t grasp two with one hand…?’

But this training wasn’t conducted physically; rather, it involved creating an abstract grasp, a mental embodiment with intent in my mental world, seizing the Sun and Moon Spirit as a fictional vessel. My actual body stayed still, cross-legged, not causing any movement. In this imaginary mental realm, whether my arm was cursed or not wouldn’t make a difference.

So why did that being make me aware of my one-armed status?

‘C-Could it be?’

In that moment, I felt chills run down my spine. Unintentionally, I glanced at the cursed arm and saw my mind’s arm, which appeared perfectly normal.

Tsutsutsutsu –

I quickly focused my consciousness with greater intensity. And in the next moment, I realized this arm was tainted with darkness and curse.

Kwoooh!!

‘……!!’

What the hell?!

Does this mean my arm was cursed even in the mental world?! No matter how powerful the curse, it shouldn’t extend beyond the reality of my mind! Moreover, to think it had concealed its sinister aura from my senses while pretending to be fine! I couldn’t help but feel astounded.

Thump!

Then I felt a presence leaking from that cursed arm—someone’s heart. It radiated a grim curse.

[…… Fail……..]

[Not knowing who you are…….. was a mistake………]

[…… Even I can’t bring yourself to downfall in the universe, but………. Your every act will hold you back……!!]

I clenched my jaw, realizing the identity of this presence.

“……!!”

Hong Gyun Do-in!!

This was unmistakably the heart of Hong Gyun Do-in, who had lost his mask and died!!

He had filled the curse with his own heart and vanished!

‘Damn it… Raising the merchant’s level to Grade 3 while the demon paths reset to zero didn’t allow me to recover my arm… but to be held back like this!’

If I had known that while rising to a higher grade, the existing demon paths would be deleted, I wouldn’t have invested in them this way. But I didn’t know, so there was no helping it; I had operated under the assumption that I would die and gather treasures again one day. But I never expected to confront such a situation in the Sun and Moon Spirit!

Still, regretting it was pointless. I decided to be grateful that the mysterious being indicated my one-armed status.

‘The cursed arm is filled with Hong Gyun Do-in’s heart, making it worthless even in this mental world! Then… I can’t control both the Sun and Moon Spirit at once. I’ll have to manage them one at a time.’

The issue was, if I didn’t control the Sun and Moon Spirit simultaneously, the surging power from the other side would obliterate me. How to deal with this didn’t come to mind, but suddenly memories from the past surfaced.

‘Right….’

Memories of a companion who faced worse hardships and never gave up.

In the memories of the comrades from the Great Bear Empire shown by Cheon Woo-jin, I could find clues.

For a moment, I concentrated my mind and envisioned just one thing.

Tai Chi (太極).

In the form of yin and yang, this concept crafted the principles of the universe into something comprehensible to humans.

Humans had manipulated this Tai Chi in every conceivable way, and one of those was the Supreme Master Jang Sam-bong’s Peerless Technique. This revelation that the Peerless Technique would effectively manage the Sun and Moon Spirit was an obvious conclusion. However, being one-armed, I couldn’t utilize dual-hand techniques, so I had to explore alternative methods.

‘But I don’t need to find that method in other martial arts. The answer still lies in Tai Chi.’

I was aware of this because I had practiced the Peerless Technique more than anyone else beneath Jang Sam-bong. It was because I witnessed similar scenarios in previous battles against comrades of the Great Bear Empire.

In a desperate battle against a devastating foe—

There had been a being who didn’t falter despite losing both arms.

[If I can practice the righteous heavens in this life.]

Though he wasn’t a comrade I had a deep bond with, he was a true hero who could die for righteousness.

[I, Wei Zhi-hun, shall die without shame to the world!]

Absolute Realm

Tai Chi Sword of Enlightenment

The righteous heaven’s boundless duty

That was the only solution.

I hadn’t obtained the Tai Chi Sword of Enlightenment of Wei Zhi-hun’s Absolute Realm, but I understood how he wielded that weapon to withstand Arjuna’s assaults, the God of Battle. He formed a mind blade from his will, undeterred by the knowledge that he had no arms and simultaneously shaped his Absolute Realm into an Intent Heavenly Pillar.

‘That’s an idea I’d never think of…….’

The key was the balance achieved through the mind blade!

The equilibrium of yin and yang couldn’t merely emerge from internal energy techniques, expressing the energy inside the body as yin and yang. It required transcendent mental strength to incinerate all of one’s Intent Heavenly Pillars—enabling everything in this world to be seen through the lens of yin and yang!

Could I truly reach the level of the Righteous Heavenly Tai Chi like Wei Zhi-hun?

‘This isn’t the time to harbor doubts… I must make it happen, no matter what!’

I resolved to think of my arms as being entirely non-existent. I concentrated all my emotions solely on Tai Chi, flexing my mental strength to seize both the Sun and Moon Spirits.

Chijijijik

The pain clawed at my nerves like a hot metal plate burlap over my hand, while the frigid agony from a frozen body slammed my brain. Even though the pain only briefly intensified, I felt the warm liquid of blood exploding from my nose. It was a brutal pain beyond what I could endure through regular torture—I bit down hard on my teeth, and moments later, I could feel some crack and break.

Cracking

‘Ah… that hurts…’

But I had to endure. I had to ignore all the signals of pain my body was sending and convert it all into the Tai Chi movement of interpretation. It was as I focused on the Righteous Heavenly Tai Chi that I realized how immense Wei Zhi-hun’s willpower was. How on earth did he withstand this pain?

But I would go on.

It wasn’t just because the hopes of my companions rested on my shoulders.

It wasn’t solely because I had to save this world.

I had no grand motive like that.

“I….”

Clenching my fists in determination, I shouted with wide-open eyes.

“I’m going to obliterate this world!!!”

If I planned to annihilate everything in this world, my willpower must stand strong enough to destroy the fabric of everything!

I longed to see this entire world, toyed with by gods, topple and smash into pieces at least once…!!

Kugung…….

At that moment, just as my willpower reached its limit, I could feel the Tai Chi spin. And just like when Wei Zhi-hun had awakened it, the rotating Tai Chi swept up the Moon Spirit in an instant and absorbed it into my one arm.

‘The cursed arm?’

Simultaneously, the wave tremored.

I could feel the thoughts of Hong Gyun Do-in, which had been seeping out of the cursed arm until now, thrusted away by the power of the Moon Spirit. As the curse’s echo faded away, the pulsing wave resonated like a dying breath from Hong Gyun Do-in.

At the moment the Moon Spirit’s power reached its peak, my entire being was absorbed into Tai Chi, which felt like I was melting into the essence of the yin of Tai Chi. The spirit of me melted swiftly, creating the horrific sensation of being an entirely melted candle.

‘Hoooorrr…’

The balance of yin and yang was entirely off.

If this kept up, I would surely disappear!

While my mind dazedly spun in a whirl, I noted how the spirit of Gu-gung Pa-cheon-ryeo inside me flickered with brilliance. Simultaneously, a formidable energy imbued with Jupiter’s thunder surged through me, preventing my complete absorption into the Moon Spirit. I quickly ran through thoughts in those brief moments of respite.

‘I’ve succeeded in grasping one with one hand… next, I need to absorb the Sun Spirit… but I don’t have nearly enough power left to absorb the Sun Spirit…’

Having poured all my strength into defeating the Moon Spirit, I had none left for the Sun Spirit. It was truly like trying to crack a boulder with an egg. Yet, if I were to give up now, it would definitely spell my end.

As I wrestled with my thoughts, an unexpected idea dawned on me.

‘Yin and yang… can also be interpreted as souls and spirits… if that’s the case…’

Could it even work?

No one had likely tried this before… would it even fly?

‘Ah, whatever!’

In that moment, I found myself engaging in an unbelievable attempt.

Soul Exchange Technique (移魂大法)

Spirit Extraction!!

‘Using the Moon Spirit as a pivot to draw in the Sun Spirit as the target to absorb!!’

Zshwwaaah

“I did it!!”

Suddenly, the Sun Spirit was pulled toward the Moon Spirit, and as it was drawn in, my semi-consciousness was restored. No surprise there, as the Sun Spirit, upon sudden contact with the Moon Spirit, began to cancel out the powers of the Moon Spirit, gradually restoring the balance of yin and yang!

I was left in disbelief as I adjusted the balance.

‘Wha… What in the world… so I can apply the Soul Exchange Technique here, too?!’

It seemed that, similar to the Intent Heavenly Pillar, if one could interpret everything with the concept of souls and spirits, it could be applied anywhere!

My mind felt at ease.

The pressure across my body began lifting.

The power of the Sun and Moon Spirit began to stabilize.

While I gradually regulated my breathing in an effort to stabilize my physical condition, I heard the voices of Agni and Varuna echoing in my ears.

[I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off.]

[From the moment we decided to help a human, I never anticipated such circumstances arising…….]

A moment later, Agni spoke as if truly astonished.

[As long as the Sun and Moon Spirit is preserved… you shall wield the might of a new era of chaos.]

The voices of the two spirits faded, and I realized everything around me had grown calm.

As if a mouse had died in the silence.

No… it felt as though time and space were entirely under my control, as if I had gained omniscience.

I wondered if this sensation was what divine beings experienced, a divine awakening? But for some reason, it didn’t feel like that; it was different from the feeling of when I sensed the gaze of the Three Sovereigns before.

What level had I just crossed into?

Chiriling –

A minuscule, delicate line appeared in front of me. A thin thread spilling with a rainbow of colors seemed to dance invitingly, and I reflexively reached out to touch that thread, filled with the energy of the Sun and Moon Spirit.

Whoooosh…

The space before me ripped as if it were a wet piece of paper. Beyond the torn space lay a vibrant, unknown realm, and I realized I could manipulate the fabric of space and time with my mind effortlessly. In the instant I tore further into space and stepped in boldly.

Thud……

Upon stepping into this new space, it was a rather strange sight.

A bleak, gray canyon.

The fog was dense, making it hard to see ahead.

Bookshelves and texts drifted through, ripped apart, and within the eerie darkness sweeping past this canyon, I received the shock of familiarity upon spotting a face among it all.

The owner of that face seemed to be pondering something in front of a gigantic door before turning around, likely sensing my presence.

“Hmm?”

I stared at him blankly.

Moments later, he appeared genuinely astonished, opening his mouth in disbelief.

“I thought you’d be in the Training World; how on earth did you come to the end of this [dream], Baek Woong?”

It was Nailatop.