전생검신 88권 18화

I half-closed my eyes, reminiscing about the sensation of greatly rotating the Soul of the Four Gods in the past.

‘Heaven’s Baihui Acupoint. Earth’s Zhongwan Acupoint. Human’s Lower Dantian.’

Just three acupoints stretching straight from the crown to the Dantian. I recalled how the Three-Refinements Heart Technique circulated through that incredibly simple pathway, dispersing the immense pressure of the Soul of the Four Gods during those moments.

‘However, while the Three-Refinements Heart Technique provided minimal stability, it wasn’t enough to transition to [Reincarnation]…’

At that time, I was overthinking things, attempting to make the fifth rotation while feverishly practicing the Three-Refinements Heart Technique and the Six Harmonies Sword Technique. That’s when I realized I had to understand the Heart Flow to become like Yeodong-bin.

‘And then I tried reading the Heart Flow, just like Yeodong-bin with the Moon-Style Defense Technique, to preemptively block the combos of the Heart Skill, but that was a total flop, and I kept getting hit…’

…

Wait, did I even properly practice the Soul of the Four Gods after that?

Thinking about it, I felt like I had wandered aimlessly without gaining anything worthwhile…

‘Ah… I should have just learned when Shim Su-ryeok was offering to teach the Soul of the Four Gods combo…’

At this rate, I was just now getting to the homework I had procrastinated on before.

A sudden cloud of dizziness swept over me, mixed with feelings of emptiness. However, I quickly shook my head and thought.

‘No! I am not the same person I was back then. Since that time, I’ve conducted many studies, and I can now properly use the Dark Night Slash, and I can read [Flow]. Without that earlier training, I would have never reached today’s level.’

So… what I needed to do now was to use the insights I had gained to elevate the Soul of the Four Gods’ reincarnation to the next level, right?

‘Hmm. The most effective insight I gained is fundamentally about reading [Flow]…’

The ability to use the Dark Night Slash ultimately stemmed from my ability to read [Flow], and the Thunder God Sword Name was no different. I began to contemplate the significance of the ability to read [Flow] within the context of the Soul of the Four Gods.

Zzz…

An immense power gathered around me as I slowly initiated the first change of the Soul of the Four Gods. The energy sucked up to the meridians was already manipulating Great Nature at will, creating earthquakes in all directions, and my body shone with radiant light due to the Qi.

‘Ugh, I can’t have momentary distractions; I need to proceed slowly and steadily…’

Fortunately, I had practiced the twenty positions in slow circulation, so it was possible to regulate the speed of releasing this great energy. But as I felt the energy gradually intensifying, a sense of vertigo took over.

‘Cough!!’

Turning the Soul of the Four Gods with all my might changed the sheer force I felt, making it feel radically different. When I exerted less power, it felt like I was just toying with a small ball in my palm, but now it felt like a boulder larger than my own body was rolling! I suddenly realized that it wasn’t surprising I kept tearing my body apart trying to deal with that level of force before.

No, now was not the time to be scared of pain. I needed to calm down and think about the insights I had gained.

I collected my composure and thought.

‘What does it mean to read [Flow]?’

The first time I consciously understood that was during the battle with Gong Sun Da-rang, who had attained divine skill. Facing the Natural Sword using Gong Sun Da-rang, I was caught off guard by attacks that had no anticipation or shape; I had no choice but to take them as I realized the opponent’s attacks didn’t depend on speed or power. When I focused on reading [Flow] as a result, I stumbled upon the existence of [Flow] in the state of no-mind.

After that, twenty years later, I faced Roland, with whom I reencountered after returning to the real world, and there I consciously learned to read [Flow] and acquired a method to freely defend against his attacks. Additionally, I could finally use a true Dark Night Slash.

[Flow] exists beyond speed and time, a [Path] that exists before all changes in the universe.

Reflecting on that epiphany with Ananda as I dealt with the Great Six Heaven World, I suddenly grasped something.

‘…Could it be?’

What is the essence of [Flow]? Is it a formula mechanically existing in this world like the laws of physics?

No, if it were just a formula, how could a dimwit like me use it through mere instinct? You’d have to employ ridiculous methods like turning on super artificial intelligence in someone like Lee Hwan-woong or Master of the Twelve Joules to leverage that kind of processing power.

But whenever I read [Flow], I could deftly evade the attacks from high-tier experts like Roland or Ajidahaka. Obviously, such skilled experts’ assaults allowed no strands of hair to err, delivering incredibly precise strikes, and by reading [Flow], I could discern anticipations even more accurately than that.

So why could I read [Flow] with such precision without relying on mechanical formulas?

I hadn’t deeply reflected on the principles of [Flow] until now, but I finally understood.

‘…Exactly… Heart Flow… I had unknowingly been reading Heart Flow all along.’

[Power] moves after [Flow].

No matter how fast and strong a force may be, it can never precede [Flow].

From the perspective of ordinary martial arts principles, this was simply a transformation in the flow. The transformation can be explained by the laws of physics as a formula to redirect the opponent’s power. However, as martial arts evolve more sophisticatedly, involving intent as well, one reaches a level that can’t be described merely by the laws of physics.

‘I can’t calculate like a machine, yet I can read attacks more accurately than anyone else. That means what flows in before the laws of physics is something else, and…’

I had already heard of that existence.

[Baek Woong, is this hair alive or dead?]

[That’s the perception of those who possess cognition. However… if one truly steps into the world of the eight consciousnesses… this hair can also become life and possess a [Mind].]

[A Mind is something that acts.]

[However, that stone over there or the wind passing by is also a [Mind], but they aren’t as complexly developed as you. They merely possess fundamental stages of Heart Small.]

That’s it.

In fact, [Flow] was the current of the [Mind]!

‘In the lower stages of martial arts, merely reading the mind of the opponent’s biological being establishes transformation, but that wasn’t the whole story…’

The technique of transformation, or listening to the techniques, was one that inherently did not apply outside of lifeforms. Transformation and listening methods focus on intuitively predicting and logically receiving power by comprehensively perceiving the movements of muscles, concentration of force, blood vessels, and gaze the moment the opponent moves.

When stylized to a high degree, these techniques feel like reading the mind, but that is an illusion. Broadly speaking, it is the deductive ability to read life forms’ characteristics, and should the opponent not be a living entity, the techniques could be rendered useless. The experience-based readings rely on presets; if the premises change, predictions cannot be made. Just look at how Mu Cheon-ryong, an expert agent of the Great Bear Empire and a peak expert, couldn’t execute transformation when facing lasers fired by a combat android.

However, I realized that the [Flow] I had mastered allowed me to foresee the energies of forces even if the opponent wasn’t a lifeform. That implied that my ability to read [Flow] wasn’t merely sensing the hints of life. That truth was something I had already gained as an insight from my battle with Yu Mang.

Yu Mang, the Giant Race and deity, possessed the refined essence of martial arts cultivated over hundreds of millions of years, launching a blade imbued with the supreme power of a concept!

My ability to nullify its potency with the Peerless Technique was not simply because the Peerless Technique was a phenomenal martial skill. It was because I had established a basis to negate that [Power] through my interpretation of the Peerless Technique.

Assuming that martial skills have a mind, and trying to differentiate those with and without minds using Yin and Yang principles!

At that time, it seemed plausible to interpret the Peerless Technique in such a manner, and upon reflection, it aligned with the teachings of Subori regarding the eight consciousnesses.

‘The interpretation I had made back then, considering the Peerless Technique itself possessed a mind… that interpretation had potential…!!’

Of course, the mind that exists in martial arts isn’t quite the same as that of regular living beings. However, according to Subori’s theory on the eight consciousnesses, the realm of martial skill has a root space called Heart Small that can harbor a mind, and when that Heart Small responds to human cognition, the martial skill can gain a mind.

Additionally, since I could sense the realm of Heart Small within the martial skills and read the origin of primordial mind, I could read the Heart Flow –

‘The martial skill itself naturally occurs before any [Force], hence… by reading the Heart Flow of martial arts, I can sense all attacks.’

Even if there are instances where martial skills manifest quicker through reflex than ordinary intent, it doesn’t matter.

Regardless of how it manifests, the [Mind] always exists before the causal chain in which the martial skills are born.

Therefore, when I can read [Flow], I can face any force or speed head-on.

Finally realizing the true nature of [Flow] within martial skills, I could now understand the genuine meaning of reaching the Divine Realm.

A state where I could transcend the laws of physics and even the [Mind] inherent in martial skills!

How could I not call this realm of a warrior a divine domain!

“……!!”

Shudder

In that moment, a tremor ran down my spine. It was from embarrassment.

‘Ah…! The Moon-Style Defense Technique… it signifies ascending to the realm of the Divine! And I didn’t even realize that!’

The Moon-Style Defense Technique.

The technique known as the Absolute Realm skill of Yeodong-bin actually had a deeper meaning; it represented transcending the realm of martial arts and piercing through the truths of the world, signifying that Yeodong-bin had already reached a state to attain the Divine Realm before mastering this technique!

‘When the Sword Master Yeodong-bin perfected the Moon-Style Defense Technique, he was already at the level where he read [Flow] like I do now… developing this perception to read the primordial Heart Flow for perfect offensive and defensive maneuvers to easily employ it in regular combat is precisely the Moon-Style Defense Technique!’

Whether in divine skill usage, evasion, attack, or defense, all levels of mastery incarnate the Moon-Style Defense Technique itself!

However, from Yeodong-bin’s perspective, he couldn’t freely unleash Divine Techniques without accumulating causal laws, so outside of combat, he had no choice but to execute these under strict frameworks of the Absolute Realm, all of which to other martial artists or divine beings appeared like secret techniques!

The claim of latecomers being merely a proficiency, not a separate technique, from Yeodong-bin was entirely true!

That’s why, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Howol, could also perform techniques comparable to the Moon-Style Defense Technique!

‘Then…’

At the point when Sword Master Yeodong-bin began to unleash the Divine Techniques, it signifies that the Moon-Style Defense Technique could show even more unimaginable power.

Having just stepped into that realm, how much mastery would Yeodong-bin have attained through a hundred years of cultivating the Divine Techniques in battle?

He must be the individual that climbed the most authentic martial staircase leading to the Divine Realm the fastest upon reaching the Absolute Realm. While other peak experts cluelessly wandered due to the potency of those techniques, Yeodong-bin had clearly navigated every path with no missteps. The only individual comparable to him would be Jang Sam-bong, the True Being.

Unaware of all this context, I previously embarrassingly thought I could read the Heart Flow of the Soul of the Four Gods to block attacks from Shim Su-ryeok. How audacious I had been back then?! I hadn’t even realized the capabilities inherent in reading [Flow] and had so foolishly challenged a nearly transcendent being from the ancient White Lotus Sect!

“…Damn…”

I blushed in embarrassment, shaking my head once more.

‘Hmm!! Regardless… at long last, I’m now qualified to polish the Moon-Style Defense Technique as a technique.’

I was practically at a point where I could now utilize the Moon-Style Defense Technique. In reality, it felt a bit ridiculous to even call it using a technique; if I continue to refine and cultivate my ability to read [Flow] in my everyday life, that would itself become the Moon-Style Defense Technique! It was merely a matter of increasing proficiency.

But was it really necessary to consciously refine the Moon-Style Defense Technique?

‘…It doesn’t seem so.’

After all, I would inevitably engage in numerous battles while living, and I’d read [Flow] countless times amidst those experiences. If my level consolidated through those experiences, that would be enough. Thus, any separate effort to refine it as a technique seemed utterly meaningless.

Rumble

“Hmm!!”

As the first transformation of the Soul of the Four Gods completed and a heavy force radiated out, I couldn’t help but smile. Although I was prepared, the dramatic surge of power in this initial change exceeded my expectations.

‘Cough…!! I feel like I’ve become dozens of times stronger… was it originally like this?’

Perhaps it was my imagination, but the power of the Soul of the Four Gods seemed much greater than the past. If I were to reach the fifth transformation at this rate, I’d surely end up fragmenting my body again like before. I realized I needed to organize my thoughts quickly before that happened and focused even more on my meditation.

‘…Now I understand what [Flow] means. So how can I apply the insights from reading [Flow] to endure the reincarnation of the Soul of the Four Gods?’

That’s where the problem lay.

I had grasped what the [Mind] of martial arts signifies, but could that realization practically be applicable in cultivating the Soul of the Four Gods?

I found myself enveloped in a kaleidoscope of thoughts, as if a fog had settled within my mind. Nothing felt focused, and amidst the chaos, the Soul of the Four Gods sluggishly shifted toward the second change.

Boom!!

“Crrrah!!”

I involuntarily let out a suppressed scream as a scorching heat coursed through my entire body, as if I had been struck by acupuncture needles simultaneously. It was as if I could feel an immense burden pressing down on me like I had Mount Tai resting on my shoulders, and from that moment on, I sensed it would become increasingly challenging to think of anything else.

‘Ugh… No…’

Beads of sweat broke out on my forehead. Without a doubt, this would lead to my body bursting apart yet again. The pressure was already approaching its limits.

Damn it! Shouldn’t something change?!

I’d gone through countless practices, yet nothing had improved during all that time?

What were those arduous hours for, then!!

I mentally screamed at myself as I chided my inadequacies desperately trying to grasp my sanity, but the strain became too great, and I had to activate the Three-Refinements Heart Technique.

Vroom!!

As quickly as it invoked the powers of the Three Talents, I felt the stability returning to my power, and while I noticed a gradual easing as the energy diffused, I realized the situation still wasn’t favorable.

‘This is strange. The acceleration on the sphere spins madly to stabilize the force, but… what principle allows the Three-Refinements Heart Technique to stabilize the power?’

I never managed to unravel this secret before. Even now, I had no real understanding of why it was happening, just winging it.

‘Even with the Three-Refinements Heart Technique’s help, this isn’t enough. In the final round, the pressure releases and changes into a thunder pillar, leading to an explosion that could destroy the world…’

Just thinking of the devastation I had experienced that once really gave me a headache. I had faced many deaths, but the moment of experiencing my brain cooking felt like a nightmare I’d like to prevent at all costs.

‘I need to uncover the mystery hidden within the Three-Refinements Heart Technique. What in the world is it…?’

What exactly is this Three-Refinements Heart Technique…? Isn’t it simply the most basic technique in the Jianghu, only working by shuttling back and forth through the three main acupoints?

I had spent years training solely in the Three-Refinements Heart Technique, wondering if it held any mysteries, only to find it was just a third-rate technique!

So why can this piece of junk dramatically diminish the power of the divine and unstoppable force that is the Soul of the Four Gods?!

…

‘Huh? Wait a second… the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique?’

I suddenly recalled the fundamental that the Soul of the Four Gods was based on the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. Then, images of the source of the Nine Chambers of Thunder flooded my mind.

‘The Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique was the ultimate martial skill developed by my comrades over 500 years during the Great Bear Empire… but not only the internal martial skill of Thunder God lineage but also the Soul Exchange Technique was an essential key to its synthesis…’

Thanks to the characteristics of the Soul Exchange Technique, it can separate the Thunder Soul and the Thunder White to accelerate the Thunder Sphere.

But… the Soul Exchange Technique inherently deals with the souls of living beings.

Thinking about it, being able to apply that to the Thunder Soul, which is presumably non-living, seemed highly abnormal!

How can the Soul Exchange Technique interact with the Thunder Soul?

‘Of course, I’ve also used the Soul Exchange Technique against the gods, so it doesn’t strictly handle living souls… but still, pulling a soul out of martial skill itself seems odd…’

As I pondered the mysteries of the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, it hit me when—

[That’s the perception of those who possess cognition. However… if one truly steps into the world of the eight consciousnesses… even this hair could become life and possess a [Mind].]

That’s right!

I recalled Subori’s theory on the eight consciousnesses.

“……!!”

Could it be…?

Are we implying that the Soul of the Four Gods possesses a [Mind]?

As I felt the resonance within my mind, I froze in awe.

‘The Three Talents…’

I subsequently muttered hollowly.

‘Representing Heaven, Earth, and Humanity…’

Three Talents.

A concept foundational to the world, recognized by even the neighborhood kids. It symbolizes Heaven, Earth, and Humanity as mentioned in the Book of Changes.

No one struggles to grasp this concept, as Heaven denotes fate, Earth represents the ground we stand on, and Humanity simply refers to humanity—a notion one naturally senses upon awakening their consciousness.

Yet the additional meaning hidden within the Three Talents that I had just realized?

‘I’ve already deeply practiced the Three Talents…’

The Three Steps of the Three Treasures Technique!

The illustrious, league-defining technique that allows perfect evasion and engagement using the Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity was refined by the geniuses of the Thunder God lineage. I too had benefitted from it during my past lifetimes through rigorous training; once I thoroughly grasped it, I often reaped the rewards throughout my subsequent lives.

I began to feel a vague inkling of why the Three-Refinements Heart Technique might subdue the power of the Soul of the Four Gods.

‘…The Three Talents are not merely Heaven, Earth, and Humanity; they are martial principles while simultaneously symbolizing cause and effect!’

The Three Steps rely on the principles of cause and effect!

I confidently declare this as I know that without the Talents of Heaven and Earth in the Three Steps, it becomes utterly useless. When the martial skill reaches the phase of Humanity, you could evade any techniques, but conversely, you must create grounds for evade during the stages of Heaven and Earth.

An exceptional martial skill acts as the determinant for [Evasion] — that is the Three Steps Technique!

I recalled a remark that Jin So-cheong had once given me.

[Anchor yourself to the axis of the Big Dipper and visualize the movements of the remaining stars in your mind. Only by doing so can you complete the Three Steps of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.]

Originally derived from the Seven Stars Shadow in Wudang’s Seven Great Techniques, one had to master its intricacies to gain control over the Three Steps Technique. Initially, I had difficulty understanding Jin So-cheong’s words, but later diligently trained under the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and after enduring hellish training under Lee Cheong-un, I had externalized the martial skill to reach a high level. Reflecting on this now, the words “linking the stars” resonate even deeper.

‘Lee Cheong-un made it clear I had to engrave the “pace of the Three Steps.” I lacked talent, merely training with fervor as instructed… but thinking it through, it was all intertwined with becoming the axis of the Big Dipper.’

Linking the stars signifies dominion.

To subordinate the entire constellation of Big Dipper under one’s feet — a martial philosophy of dominion! By forming the Three Steps into a comprehensive martial skill integrating the Seven Stars Shadow of Grand Master Jang Sam-bong as an essential sustenance, one inevitably embraces the philosophy of dominion.

Also, the reminder to engrave the pace would allow me to draw on the power of the Big Dipper ready at my feet to dominate the [Space] whenever necessary. Since the energy of stars flows around my toes, as long as I can accurately draw that energy according to my breathing, my ability to control that space would undoubtedly reach maximum limits.

That was the domain of Earth supporting that of Heaven.

As I synthesized the theories of this technique, which I only previously experienced, into cohesive logic, another idea intertwined itself through my thoughts.

‘The Three Steps I learned… don’t just represent the superficial interpretation of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity; they enhance dominion over space while emphasizing creating causes!’

The Three Steps is martial arts of cause and effect!

The reason I can assert this is because without Talents of Heaven and Earth, the Three Steps martial skill would turn utterly useless. Once the martial power evolves to Humanity, it can evade all, but conversely stated, the martial skills must first create grounds to evade during stages of Heaven and Earth.

The adroit martial skill that crafts the grounds to evade – that is the ultimate martial prowess in the Three Steps!

While piecing together these deductions, another recollection flashed in my mind.

‘The Three Steps’ essence is the unity of cause and effect!’

‘Aha!’

Once more, the thought crystallized itself; no surprise, I realized that was the essence of the Three Talents hidden within the Heart Flow!

Only after recitation of a new level could one access domains beyond the physical laws!

Thus, I began contemplating anew the mysteries of the Three-Refinements Heart Technique and its role.

‘How then does the invisible essence amplify along the principles of the Three Talents?’

I somewhat began puzzling the interpretation of the essence and its effect. How could the tremendously simplified Three-Refinements heart techniques intertwine with the universe’s secrets held in the Three Steps technique?

As I bathed in contemplation, an overwhelming agony enveloped my body.

‘Ughhh!!’

It was unbearable, like an intense stab from a blade!

So accustomed to pain that I didn’t even release sounds, yet it felt vivid. I realized this agony arose as I advanced toward the third rotation!

‘…Already reaching the third rotation? My control is diminishing…’

I immediately utilized the Three-Refinements Heart Technique to distribute the energy effectively.

Vroooom!

As anticipated, my force stabilized tremendously, and in the midst of invoking the Three-Refinements Heart Technique, a peculiar thought crossed my mind.

‘Huh? Three Talents? Three…? I’ve definitely heard something similar before…’

Before long, it dawned on me.

“…!!”

I promptly clenched my eyes tight and centered myself.

Swish swish

In an instant, I jumped into a different mental realm, finding myself landing in a pure white space.

I beheld a crimson ruby fixed in the center of this bright mental space.

“…The Divine Skill, Trimurti!”

I had inherited a divine technique capable of creating new beings, belonging solely to the divine from Brahma, the creator God, who presides over creation!

This technique, revered as the Trinity, amalgamates three different attributes of divine power to yield various effects. This was Brahma’s identity, and at the moment I showcased Trimurti, I was capable of persuading his brother deities Shiva and Vishnu!

Till now, I typically employed Trimurti by combining three powers to generate new creations, mainly because Brahma was the creator god; it seemed the most efficient application of the skill!

Whether it was the Celestial Reincarnation Jade or the combined properties of the Hidden Weapon, using Trimurti to create something was incredibly advantageous. As I pulled that thought into focus…

‘But it doesn’t stop with divine powers for Trimurti.’

When I recently returned to the real world, I could blend the power of the Dragon King with my own Qi, and the newly acquired divine power from faith! I had been dubious about it, but that fusion turned out extraordinarily effective, allowing me to summon the might of the Black Dragon Armor, which could even withstand the pressure from the destructive deity Shiva!

This signified a single reality: using Trimurti meant that mixing non-divine forces was plausible. Whether it be magical or Qi-based powers, anything within my capacities could be combined, showcasing the creator deity’s intrinsic abilities—Trimurti.

‘That versatility is perhaps why Trimurti is such a powerful divine skill…’

Zzzz…

I stretched out my hand toward the blazing red ruby within the conscious realm and quietly wished.

‘Does the principle of the Three Talents… Heaven, Earth, and Humanity also interweave?’

For a moment the ruby flickered gently. Slowly, light emanated from the ruby, and the three distinct realms surrounding it began to glimmer in red, green, and blue.

‘Red, green, and blue…!! Is that the primary colors?!’

It seemed they represented heavenly properties denoting the essence of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity within the realm of Trimurti.

Then, as I set that in motion, I poured in my wish.

Combine!

Moments later, I felt like my consciousness flicked into the world of Trimurti and sensed a stirring inner force expanding within me.

Boom!!

“…!! Awesome!”

The tempestuous energy swirling around gradually lessened, feeling the potential of destruction receding. While I was there activating the Soul of the Four Gods, the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School had long been obliterated, leaving a wasteland behind. The entire world seemed to reverberate, filled with echoes. However, as the destructive energies settled, the ground split—even the quakes ceased.

The power stabilized.

With the new principle of the Three Talents—the Trimurti now added, the fearsome force of the Soul of the Four Gods had come under control!

I soon realized the torturous pain in my abdomen disappeared, and I could now accelerate without issue.

‘It feels more stable than before. I don’t even feel it could stray off course!’

Could it be? I had pulled the divine techniques of the highest deity into play while employing the principles of the Three Talents to restrain the Soul of the Four Gods!

As I sensed the completion of the third rotation, I suddenly felt tremendous energy erupt violently into the fourth rotation.

Boom!!

Rumble

A tempest of overwhelming lightning surged within, as if my inner self was ablaze with the sea of thunder! It felt like the immeasurable essence of nature was wildly amplifying its unit, overflowing beyond what this tiny planet could process. I noticed the energy was gradually condensing into the form of the Thunder God’s Soul as my body began exuding magnetic forces.

‘Hmm!! Powerful…!!’

Even as I stabilized this new set of three talents, I felt the torment start to press upon my chest and internal organs; evidently, the strain was sky-rocketing to unprecedented levels. Perhaps it was because the potency had skyrocketed by hundreds of times within mere moments, and I sensed the latent thunderous energies deep within me becoming rampant and surging with life.

‘The thunderstorm raged across the vast solar system, boasting a power measure thousands of times greater than the Earth… I had never properly utilized this level of thunderous might—only now is the Soul of the Four Gods actively laying out its latent potential!’

The earlier explosion of my body had stemmed from an inability to withstand the potential of the thunder!

Yet, amidst this calm observation, I realized I was now in a position to challenge the “fifth” rotation.

In that instant, I took a moment of pause.

‘Can I truly proceed further?’

My understanding of the Three Talents was radically enhanced, but could I adeptly handle this overwhelming force?

In the past, it felt a jumbled mess at the thought of rupturing again!

However, I solidified my determination, driving my inner Soul of the Four Gods once more against the Nine Chambers of Thunder.

“HHHAAAaa!!”

In the end, having prepared with fierce resolve, wasn’t this the whole point of the challenge!?

Even if I were to die a hundred times over, as long as I gained wisdom, I could say I had succeeded!

Kuoooon -!!

Whiz whiz whiz whiz whiz –

Tri-color orbs brimming with distinct properties began whirling furiously around me. Casting a glance at those spheres, I thought…

‘I hadn’t focused on the rotation before, but this has to be a technique to cultivate the energy—and swiftly tap into them. Those orbs convey the essence of the Thunder God’s Soul!’

Still, I was at a loss regarding how to orchestrate those spheres. First and foremost, I should regulate the immense rotation itself before gaining a sense of command over these orbs.

‘According to Lee Kwang’s words, all those illuminations disappear in the ‘fifth rotation’…’

But why would they vanish?

Could there perhaps be some hidden secret?

As I engaged with that thought, I again shifted focus, channeling my energy as I poured my will into the Soul of the Four Gods.

Boom -!!

Suddenly, I felt three small orbs whirling about me rapidly draw in to absorb inside. This was a sensation known to me before, and so, I halted for a moment, inhaling deeply. Soon, I felt an even more potent surge of thunderous powers amplify through me.

Booom!

‘It… it feels… even stronger than before, right? Isn’t that the case?!’

I gritted my teeth, pushing against this utterly ridiculous force of thunder. With another surge of energy reaching its peak, the sensation of my body transforming into a thunderbolt enveloped me, feeling death closing in again, yet I persisted and roared once more.

“AAAAHH!”

In the vibrant state of the Thunder God’s Soul, I could see boundless spaces suffused in brimming energy. Immediately, that energy began to manifest, all-consuming its surroundings. The energies also began to wreak havoc on the landscape surrounding me, at the same time concentrating deeply on the inner force within me.

Fizzle fizzle

“…”

I clenched my fist tight.

‘Success… achieved!!’

I had reached the fifth rotation of the Soul of the Four Gods!!

‘Though I’d traversed the reincarnation of the Soul of the Four Gods, I’m still alive…!!’

I reveled in the euphoria of this new accomplishment. My body felt invigorated from the potent forces, signaling control still remained with me. Unlike the past when the force had been insurmountably destructive, causing intense bodily rupturing and demise, things had beautifully shifted this time.

Hmm… it turns out, as Lee Kwang explained, the essence of the small orbs had completely vanished. This must mean he hadn’t lied at all.

Pondering that thought, I briefly assessed how potent my inner thunderous energies had grown.

And after a brief moment, I realized my body had evolved to a remarkable state.

‘What’s this?’

While my form resembled that of a Thunder God, my left hand was blackened while my right was profoundly white. Observing my dual-handed peculiarities made the situation extraordinary, and I was curious how I could reflect on this entire form.

‘Hmm… Should I use the Fire Eye Golden Spirit?’

By employing the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I could create an external vision, allowing self-observation!

As such, I initiated the technique to view my reflection. Immediately, I realized another transformation had solidified.

‘…A ring?’

Strangely, floating above my head was a disk-shaped white ring.

What in the world was it?

I furrowed my brow, reflecting upon whether my newly acquired powers could withstand further experimentation.

‘Let’s assess how swiftly I can move…’

As those thoughts raced, I decided to think forward to move ahead.

Boom -!!

Whoosh

In a flashed moment, I realized I wasn’t in the same spot anymore.

Huh?!

Within this black cosmic space, I couldn’t decipher where I currently was, nor could I view a thing around me. Not even stars such as the sun or Earth were visible—only the abyssal dark void before me.

Zzzz—

I observed that this enormity of darkness occupied more than half of my field of vision, and I realized that this massive, dark celestial body was incomparably larger than the sun!

And suddenly, a deep gravitational pull began to radiate from that ominous mass. The unyielding force threatened to draw me in, causing me to frantically swing my right hand and release a palm wind.

Booom—

In that moment, the dark force snapping at my heels disintegrated, and my unleashed brilliance enveloped that dark mass, generating a bright counter-light. The power I emitted seemed unimaginable, as that massive celestial body emitted a flicker of luminous radiance momentarily.

Woosh…

An ominous resonance echoed through the cosmos. Dark mass began boiling over, revealing something chaotic slowly emerging. I realized that I could assess that ‘thing’ ominously threatened to be far more than I could confront, drawing from an instinctual flight response in my mind.

‘Get… back!’

Just what is that?

It felt like the edge of a forbidden line…

Yet I also sensed that simply evading it might be the best course of action.

Boom -!!

I found myself back in place, gazing upon the damaged terrains of Middle World, where the territory had been detonated. Thankfully, unlike last time when the thunderous energies reignited celestial bodies, only a continent was lost. I released a sigh of relief and reactivated my divine power to restore the land before once more descending to the earth.

Thud

I settled back atop the reconstructed Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, deep in thought.

‘Right… if I succeed in navigating this reincarnation once…’

The Thunder God’s Soul could encompass ranges surpassing the speed of light.

Perhaps it could easily traverse light-years effortlessly!

I hadn’t engaged in combat yet; however, if the intensity of the previous gust was any indicator, it surely transcended my assumptions of might.

This went far beyond the usual enhancement of the Soul of the Four Gods. I decided to call it super-enhancement!

‘So ideally, the Thunder God’s Soul is capable of facilitating such occurrences, but… is it possible for the other three attributes to undergo super-enhancement as well?’

That was still an open-ended question. It might require another resonance of immense strength equivalent to the thunderous forces stacked into it.

One core realization dawned on me in this altered state.

“…I’m not confident at all.”

Even while fully powered now, it felt like I was wrestling an untamed wild horse—the sense of catching this shift felt fleeting. Staying in this transformed state seemed extremely precarious to manage.

If I could only barely contain it by sheer luck, how could I possibly handle the “sixth” answer to the call temptingly hovering for two more full rotations?

Wham…

As I reabsorbed the energy, I stood on the training grounds of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

‘But do further advancements even exist? The principle of the Three Talents having combined to restrain the Soul of the Four Gods likely arose from a superb quilt of advanced martial concepts. Even enough to apply divine techniques into the meaning of the Three Talents—could there be further mastery achievable…?’

I settled into thought, repeating my mental reflections.

After trailing my reasoning for a while, I murmured softly.

“Ah.”

Now I finally understood!

“Either adapt an overlay or cancellation… It’s one or the other.”