전생검신 89권 09화

I soon tried to manipulate Seth’s magical power according to the operation method of the Soul of the Evil God. However, I realized something was off right from the first step.

“Wait? The fundamental internal energy technique of the Soul of the Evil God is Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique… What I need to operate this Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique is to make Thunder Energy flow in my body…?”

Why can’t I move the Thunder Energy through Seth?

I attempted to create Thunder Energy to make it move through Seth, but it was a complete no-go. The Thunder Energy simply flowed into my energy channels as usual, operating as Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. It was as if Seth completely disregarded the energy of Thunder from the get-go, showing no interest at all. No, to be more accurate, it felt like I couldn’t even approach it.

At this rate, I couldn’t even perform the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique itself, which left me deep in thought.

“I don’t know the reason. Why isn’t the Thunder Energy entering Seth?”

There were no issues when cultivating Three-Refinements Heart Technique or Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique, so why couldn’t I train Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique in Seth’s way?

I began to ponder deeply. After ten days and nights of various training and meditation, I realized what was wrong based on my experience from over hundreds of years of energy cultivation.

“Ah, I see. Other internal energy techniques absorb the ambient Qi directly, but Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique processes it first into the form of Thunder Energy before accepting it.”

The conclusion came from trying virtually all other internal energy techniques!

The Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique itself was a bizarre training method chosen to make Thunder Energy circulate within the body, based on the Heavenly Thunder Divine Art and Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven. In fact, even the original founder of the technique, Cho Mu-rin, had simply practiced Heavenly Thunder Divine Art and Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven normally; the subsequent Thunder God lineage practitioners derived the Thunder Energy training method. Thus, Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique can be said to be an unusual internal technique hard to trace in the history of the Martial Arts World.

Yet somehow, Seth was fine with accept the ambient Qi but seemed to have zero reaction when it came to the second approach of absorbing Thunder Energy to make the body respond. It was clear that all other internal energy methods, aside from the Wudang Sect’s and what I knew about Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, could be operated through Seth without issue.

“Then why can’t the method of processing Thunder Energy work… That’s the real problem.”

I couldn’t help but consider the differences between the energy channels of Qi and Seth. Although both were pathways for energy, the former was natural to living beings, while Seth was artificially implanted roots from the World Tree by Cheon Woo-jin. I mulled over this difference for days before suddenly realizing something.

“Normally, when operating internal energy techniques through Seth, the pathways for Qi should not overlap at all. But what if… Thunder Energy were to enter my body…?”

Wouldn’t that overlap the pathways?

Perhaps Seth was blocking Thunder Energy to prevent the mixing of Qi and magical power?

Somehow, this seemed the most plausible explanation. So I expanded my thoughts from there.

“Right. I can cultivate magical power through Seth just like internal energy techniques to accumulate vitality, but in reality, Seth is only processing magical power, and has little connection to Qi. So, preventing the mixing of Qi and magical power must be a preemptive measure.”

But what did “bad things” truly mean?

“Come to think of it, I’ve never tried mixing Qi and magical power even once.”

A sudden curiosity bubbled up within me. I had only utilized energy techniques and had never considered trying them alongside magical power. Furthermore, the thought of mixing pure sources of power had never crossed my mind, so I resolved to satisfy my curiosity.

Woooo!

I pulled internal energy into one hand to create a tangible mass of Qi. Then, in the other hand, I gathered magical power through Seth to create a mass of magical energy.

“…”

For a moment, I focused on the energies swirling in both hands, then tried to merge them as if performing a prayer.

Bright flash!

Boom!

“Ahhh!!”

Help me!

Thud!

I stumbled on the floor, drenched in blood, realizing that an enormous explosion had just detonated right in front of me, leaving me mortally wounded. My arms were gone, and my upper and lower body were close to being shredded into mere meat chunks, but at least my brain and heart seemed to be intact, saving me from death. I caught sight of what looked like a whitish pillar in the sky; hints of what looked like a mushroom cloud lingered.

“Damn it…!!”

Feeling my body in tatters, I knew instinctively that if I didn’t act fast, I would be dead in moments, so I hastily activated my divine power to recover.

Whoosh

“Haah, haah…”

I gasped for air, dumbfounded by the absurdity of the situation.

“I—I swear… I had maximized my Protection Energy Technique for this…”

I had just thought such a thing could happen, so I pulled all my vast internal energy up to the maximum, activating my Protection Energy Technique to the fullest. Yet somehow, even with that, it seemed the defensive capability was insufficient against whatever just hit me. And just like that, I was left torn apart!

It felt absolutely ridiculous! With my finely honed internal energy, I anticipated I could withstand even the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s attack, and I actually believed I could protect my body against explosions right in front of me! Yet here I was, severely injured!

After regaining my composure, I looked around, realizing the terrain had changed drastically to the point of becoming a wasteland stretching beyond the horizon. I understood that roughly an eighty li radius had been obliterated. Everything within that area, from terrain to demon beasts, had been completely annihilated, giving me a rough idea of how immense the explosion had been.

“…Just the destructive power alone rivals a nuclear bomb from the Great Bear Empire era… or maybe even more.”

Yes! This destructive force could only be likened to a nuclear bomb! The same fear that had once engulfed Cheon Woo-jin when he confronted the ancient legendary being, Gin Nara, stemmed from Gin trying to self-destruct by hiding a nuclear bomb! Comparing the power of that nuclear bomb back then to what had just transpired, I shook my head.

“No way. This is even more powerful. The explosion didn’t just produce physical destruction, it tore through my energy curtain instantly.”

The properties of that explosion, with the Chaos of Qi and magical power mixing, felt like something that could penetrate my Qi defense. In such a view, it might even be capable of penetrating magical defenses too. Though I couldn’t bear the thought of experiencing my body shredded apart once again, I didn’t dare directly test it.

“Merging Qi and magical power seems extremely dangerous. Is it because of the explosive energy…?”

It was possible that Seth, as a root of the World Tree, instinctively sensed this property and rejected it. Now that I grasped the situation, I began to think deeply.

“But wait a second? There are plenty of times where martial artists using Qi battle sorcerers using magical power, yet those times don’t lead to explosions like this? Why only this time?”

During my past lives, I had countless encounters like defeating the Demon King alongside my companions, and during those moments, Qi and magical power clashing never caused catastrophic explosions like this. I puzzled over this contradiction, when suddenly a realization hit me.

“If the energies collide with an adversarial flow from the start, they won’t explode, but if two entities possessing the same powers try to fuse them, that’s a different story?”

With this hypothesis, it made sense. However, I soon encountered yet another question.

“But even so, isn’t the standard vague? How can I distinguish if the powers are clashing or trying to fuse? What exactly is the basis for that…?”

Despite continuing to ponder, I couldn’t easily unravel this enigma. Just then, I unearthed a deeply fundamental question in my mind.

What on earth is Qi?

“…”

It was an absolute presupposition that I had never doubted or contemplated before. The existence of Qi had always seemed so self-evident since before my first life that I had rarely given it serious thought.

“But… that’s odd.”

The magical power flowing through Seth had a clear identity as a force summoned from the World Tree, Sephiroth.

But what is Qi?

I realized that I couldn’t definitively define what Qi was despite having reached this level of cultivation.

“What on earth is Qi that it’s widely spread throughout the universe?”

In fact, it seemed that none I had encountered truly understood what Qi was. Martial Artists merely treated it as a means to enhance martial arts through internal energy techniques while higher beings and divine entities dismissed it as trifling power. Even the practitioners within martial society knew how to cultivate Qi but couldn’t speak bluntly about its essence.

It couldn’t be helped! It was akin to air itself—accessible with every breath and embedded in the entirety of existence—so why should anyone wonder about the true identity of Qi? In reality, it was more unusual to feel that way.

But I had to grapple with the question of what Qi truly was for the first time. By encountering various separate supernatural abilities such as magical power and psychic abilities, I found myself viewing Qi more objectively.

“It seems ordinary that Qi permeates all beings, yet it isn’t.”

Because unlike magical power, sorcery, or supernatural abilities, Qi could be accessed without needing to borrow the power of specific entities or using special methods to acquire it. However, Qi, while weaker compared to other supernatural capabilities, spread throughout the universe and was something even extraterrestrial beings practiced. It was even naturally present among transcendent beings!

The World Tree, with its boundless magical power, couldn’t disseminate magical power universally, yet what exactly was Qi that it could extend throughout the cosmos?

That was where I began questioning. Though the expression of infinite magical power may have grounded some reality, the notion of “infinite Qi” felt unnatural, given its vastness! Just how much did I truly know about Qi?

“Even alien races… even divine beings possess Qi… it’s not just a power governed by dantian and bloodlines, but something that exists everywhere?”

I began to consider whether Qi could be equated to life force itself.

“That’s not it.”

However, I quickly realized that was not the case. Even masters of Qi cultivation don’t necessarily possess tremendous life force corresponding to it. Rather, Qi seemed to act as a medium that attracted life force. This would explain why, when operated through Seth in the form of internal energy techniques, it could give rise to vitality.

Additionally, Qi differed from intent. Intent stemmed from the directionality of the mind and will, and it was common to possess great Qi without having any intent. At first, I merely understood this as intent being a superior capacity, but upon reflection, separating Qi and intent held significant meaning.

So what is the essence of Qi?

What is it that allows it to spread everywhere, irrespective of magical power, intent, scientific principles, or supernatural abilities?

In fact, I had always felt Qi, even when I ventured into outer dimensions, and now my curiosity about its true essence was blossoming.

Suddenly, a phrase I heard from the Master of the White Lotus Sect flashed in my mind.

[Primordial Void refers to Qi. “Primordial Dimension is Qi”; the scattered form of Qi is precisely the Primordial Void.]

…!!

Primordial Dimension Is Qi!

For some reason, I instinctively felt that phrase was exceptionally crucial. I sensed that to explain Qi, it was essential to include the concept of the Primordial Void. From there, I began to rummage through my memories and recalled another statement I had heard a while back.

[The Law of Cause and Effect means that where there is a cause, there will be an effect. A state where causes are linked by strings. That’s called Fate, where everything lives and dies within its ties.]

[The Primordial Void exists as Qi ordinarily, but upon decomposition, it reverts back to being ‘The Strings of Cause and Effect.’]

This was something I had asked Master Mangnyang about when I inquired how to merge Chaos and the Primordial Void!

At the time, I had found it so convoluted it was hard to follow, but perhaps now, being at the Realm of the Divine Domain, I could grasp it a little clearer.

“Primordial Void is the embodiment of Qi. It’s also a string of Cause and Effect, so what if Qi is actually…?”

I felt I was on the cusp of a breakthrough, yet comprehension still eluded me, leaving me to rummage through my memory again when another statement from Master Mangnyang echoed back to me.

[First, you must feel the Chaos you possess and be able to move freely. Second, break down Qi to the level of the Source Element, transforming it into the Primordial Void and moving it freely. Finally, you must possess the mental strength capable of withstanding the monumental void during the merging phase.]

[Chaos has the property of breaking down Qi. If overwhelming Chaos is condensed, Qi will dissipate, leaving only the smallest essence—the Primordial Void.]

Much more concretely detailed methods for merging Chaos and the Primordial Void!

I began thinking projectively about what I could do with each of these conditions.

“…The first condition refers to my divine power, right? For now, I can freely manipulate divine power, so I’ve passed the first condition.”

I then contemplated the second condition.

“Break Qi down to the level of the Source Element and create the Primordial Void… this might… be possible.”

Lastly, I pondered the third condition.

“To withstand the massive void during the merging, I need powerful mental strength… hmmm…”

Was the recent explosion caused by the merging of Qi and magical power the void?

The instant the thought crossed my mind, I dismissed it.

“No, Qi hasn’t decomposed into the Primordial Void nor was the magical power pure Chaos either. It was simply a catastrophic explosion!”

Therefore, what I might try right now could likely be the second condition.

“So by condensing overwhelming Chaos, Qi will dissipate and the Primordial Void will emerge.”

This seemed feasible under the current circumstances!

Because the Chaos itself was my divine strength, and I had tremendous divine power comparable to a higher god!

Wooo!

Unintentionally, I escalated all my divine power and concentrated it at a single point above my palm, trying to condense it. With each accumulation of my divine essence, all my nerves focused on that pinpoint with the overwhelming sensation that my divine power was collapsing in on itself.

Crack—!

As my divine power became heavily compressed, I felt each energy channel within me sizzling, but I held on and kept condensing it.

“Just a little more…!!”

I was determined to obtain the Primordial Void. I wanted to reach the highest realm that could be accessed through the Primordial Void!

And I would rescue my other companions through the Primordial Void!

I clenched my teeth and continued to condense my divine power, when suddenly, my chest jolted and I felt pure white light flooding from my body.

It was as if my heart and will opened a [path] somewhere!

Whooosh!

“What’s this light…?”

I stared blankly at the residual glow streaming from my body when the vast amount of condensed divine power began acting strangely.

Zoom!

Suddenly, the formless Chaos thrashed about like it was alive and began morphing into all sorts of geometric forms! It resembled a lively entity teeming with vitality, leaving me flabbergasted.

“…?!”

I—Is the divine power alive?! What the heck?!

Flustered, I tried to suppress the divine power with even stronger willpower. In doing so, the thrashing Chaos shrank back, but in a split second, it burst forth, extending long tentacle-like appendages to attack me.

“AHHHH!!”

Hold on!

Yet, it stopped right before making contact, hovering mere inches away from me, then began shifting into all manner of incomprehensible forms while pulsating in light. I was stunned, caught completely off-guard by this unexpected phenomenon, when suddenly, the very space around us severely tore open, causing a dark haze to envelop the area.

Thud!

In that moment, I realized something within me had been violently ripped away in one big chunk. Simultaneously, in the small space cloaked in darkness, I sensed a distinct feeling of “an end.”

“…!!”

It could only be described as an “end.” It was the very end of everything existing just beyond that dark space! Instinctively, I felt the urge to reach out my hand toward that place, only to catch a glimpse of familiarity.

Chaos!

An endless world of fog!

As I took in that scene, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me, diluting my focus. Moments later, that dark hole sealed shut.

“Gr—ugh… what was that?”

Just moments ago, I aimed to compress divine power, the embodiment of Chaos, to gain the Primordial Void, and now I was utterly clueless about what had just occurred. Disoriented, I attempted to check the amount of divine power I had remaining, and that’s when I grasped the disaster that had just unfolded.

“Hah!!! It’s—decreased?!”

The absolute amount of divine power had shrunk! While it may not seem significant compared to the total, it was at least roughly the amount I needed to earn the statue of Jeon Wook about ten times, and now that amount had entirely vanished!

Having never experienced losing divine power after securing it, I felt my mind blanking out. It seemed likely that had I not felt dizzy just then, I would have lost far more divine power.

If I had reached toward that darkness… perhaps all my divine power would have been stripped away. The feeling of my power being torn out in bulk was nothing short of nightmarish.

“Just then… that… Chaos… the fog… could it be…?”

Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind. The only place I knew where the Chaos spread like fog was…

“[Throne of Chaos]…!!”

Could it be that… due to the dual dissipation of Chaos and Primordial Void, the ‘strings’ materialized and that those ‘strings’ could lead to the Law of Cause and Effect…?

Could the strings of Cause and Effect guide me to ‘that place’?

“That’s absurd. If my thoughts are on point, then I may just have gained another [path]!”

Just moments ago, I could have witnessed fragments of the throne with my own eyes. Perhaps I might get the chance to meet the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the [Guardians] shrouded in chaos again—whom I was longing to reunite with.

But the price to pay would be colossal.

Surely, the moment I set foot there, I would lose most of the divine power accumulated over my past lives! No, I could risk losing it all!

“……”

The words of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who had become a guardian of the throne, echoed in my mind.

“I too was powerless in my lifetime, but once I transformed into a being of the mixed Chaos, I became capable of wielding similar forces.”

According to the Master of the White Lotus Sect, within the throne’s realm, divine power becomes utterly irrelevant. Thus, even in exchange for losing all my divine powers to enter, it might not carry significant meaning. After all, only beings that can use the mixed Chaos properly could exhibit true power there.

If so, perhaps I could step into the throne at any time, but I felt strongly it was not yet my moment.

“I haven’t dealt with my enemies properly in this life yet. Even if I throw away all my divine power to step into the throne, there’s no guarantee I can overcome the true foes waiting beyond!”

This wasn’t the time to squander my powers. Divine power was exceedingly hard to gain; once given up, it would likely take me yet another dozens of reincarnations to re-obtain it.

Much more than this, I was preoccupied with the root cause of what had just unfolded.

Generally, it was believed that merging Chaos and the Primordial Void should spawn the ‘strings’ leading to the throne—was there any other possibility?

Lost in thought, it suddenly dawned on me what might have been the problem.

“…I had thought of rescuing other companions.”

Just moments earlier, while condensing Chaos, I had specifically thought about wanting to reach the Primordial Void to save other companions.

Could it be the ‘strings’ of Cause and Effect related to my will opened the path to [the throne]?

However, the divine power sacrificed as a cost was brimming with immense backlash against being consumed by the Chaos?

“……”

Sure enough—my willpower!

To maneuver the strings of the Primordial Void, the utmost necessity is self-will, or [heart]!

I felt this could serve as a remarkable clue. I had finally perceived practical usage for the nebulous theoretical aspects surrounding the [Primordial Void].

“Wait. But what was the massive vacuum mentioned in the third condition? The absolute mental strength…”

Aha!

Dizziness!

Even with my recently perfected mental strength from countless training sessions, I had struggled utterly against that overwhelming dizziness making my focus scatter. That had to have been a direct byproduct of the extraordinary occurrence—namely, the dual despairs of Chaos and the Primordial Void. I realized I had figured out what the vacuum meant.

“To withstand that tidal wave of power, a mental strength akin to that of a god has to exist! Just how much of a mental strength is necessary…?”

I couldn’t shake off the feeling that this third condition might pose the highest hurdle. Even with my mental strength cultivated through a hundred thousand strikes, I had barely been able to maintain my composure just then. Yet, if I were to measure my mental strength in the realm of humanity, I would consider it top-tier; still, imagining how I could further amplify it was a daunting task.

“Should I increase the Intent Heavenly Pillar? No… that’s impossible… How can I achieve this level of mental growth?”

Am I aiming for a level where I could become a god simply through intent…?

Is something like that even achievable?

As I organized my thoughts around the achievements I had gained through training, I suddenly realized something.

“Oh no. How did I end up going down this rabbit hole? Just wanted to train Seth with Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique and ended up all the way here…”

Of course, this wasn’t bad either, but I had completely strayed from my goal of training Seth to quickly accumulate vitality, leaving me feeling quite embarrassed. Rubbing my head, I waved my hand to reconstruct the destroyed terrain around me using my divine power.

Whoosh

Just as I reformed the landscape, another thought popped into my mind.

“Hmm? What would happen if I fed divine power itself to Seth?”

Until now, I had only used magical power to transform into vitality, but what if the primary resource—divine power—was supplied instead?

Intrigued, I infused Seth’s flares with divine energy.

But this time, nothing happened at all. It was as if he hadn’t consumed anything!

Watching as Seth showed not a hint of movement, it dawned on me.

“… I see. Since Seth is the root of the World Tree, it likely mirrors the preferences of the World Tree. The World Tree favors vitality, but divine power might not be its thing.”

Given that in the realm of Sephiroth, the World Tree disintegrated all divine power, it seemed the World Tree had a significant aversion to divine power. That being the case, even if I delivered divine power to Seth, the World Tree would surely maintain a level of indifference, wouldn’t it?

What a peculiar thing. The World Tree, the embodiment of infinite magic, shunned the very essence of Chaos—divine power!

Perhaps divine power itself carries secrets of its own.

As my thoughts deepened, I gave my head a vigorous shake.

“Alright. No more distractions… So the conclusion is… the reason I can’t inject Thunder Energy into Seth is that the mixing of Qi and magical power causes explosions. Now, how do I resolve this?”

…

…

Well… I think I understand why I kept straying from my focus while practicing…

It’s because whenever I come across difficult problems, my thoughts drift away…!!

“Damn it!! I have no clue.”

In the end, I accepted reality. I was undergoing an unprecedented training experience, and with theories improperly aligned, how could I find a solution? The very act of training Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique through Seth was wholly unprecedented for any being. If someone were truly a genius capable of grasping all this overnight, they likely wouldn’t even exist here in the first place.

I’d come back to operate Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique through Seth after I figure things out!

“I’m off…!!”

Hoooom!

Moments later, I began stacking vitality through Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique once more. My eyes gleamed as I gritted my teeth.

“Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique… Greater Circulation 100 times!!”

If my mind’s not cooperating, then it’s time to brute force it!

Huwaaaa!

Gulp

Huwwwaaa!

Gulp

Wait—was that over 100 times now?

Fine, just a little more will do!

….

This is starting to get annoying!

But if I can’t, I’ll keep going until I can!

…

With the ongoing repeated training through Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique, I continued to consume and feel the growth of vitality every time, and after roughly 250 cycles of Greater Circulation, I finally began to sense a response in my body.

Flash!

I came to my senses and realized I had arrived in the world of Sephiroth. Soon, I felt a massive root erupting from beneath me, gradually lifting my body upwards.

Rumble

As I reached helplessly toward the light circle beneath me, I began transitioning into a radiant space, just like before.

[Welcome, practitioner, to the second Sephiroth, Yesod.]

“…”

I raised my eyes to examine the test tube before me. Then I mumbled to myself:

“It’s not Seraphim…”

Ah, indeed! Before my very eyes stood not the Seraphim of fiery snakes but another being altogether. It was an entity composed of a cool water hue and mysterious silver light, possessing numerous wings; it felt more alien than an actual human being. Rather, it could almost be considered a monster, yet it radiated no malevolence but rather an aura of ancient elegance.

The being spoke.

[I am Archangel Gabriel, one of the rulers of the Seven Heavens of Sephiroth.]

“Gabriel…?”

[Will you undergo the trial of Yesod?]

“…”

Feeling utterly fatigued, I plopped down to the ground and sighed:

“I know it’s Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique, but you really think I could go through a hundred rounds of Greater Circulation… can I just take a little break…?”

Regardless of having infinite stamina, performing Greater Circulation in energy techniques drained significant mental strength. Unlike stamina, mental strength depleted first, so executing hundreds of consecutive rounds was overwhelming in a different sense. What’s more, Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique was more complex than the Three-Refinements Heart Technique, requiring traversing through dozens of acupoints, thus making it all the more exhausting. I was in a state of utter annihilation, resembling a frazzled vegetable in front of Gabriel, seeking rest.

In response, Gabriel said:

[Do as you wish. But I, Gabriel, have something I wish to ask you.]

“What is it?”

[Do you truly bear the name Saitan?]

“…Yes.”

It seems the cherubic Seraphim has spread rumors all over this angelic realm.

[Are you planning to resurrect Saitan in the future?]

“And why do you ask this?”

As I lay sprawled, I retorted, and Gabriel replied:

[Do not resurrect Saitan. If you vow that you won’t here and now, as a condition, I will elevate you to the fifth realm of Sephiroth at once.]

“`

 

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