전생검신 91권 15화

“…….”

I seem to remember showing the Heavenly Secret to Changhil at some point.

‘Back then, Changhil got absorbed by the Heavenly Secret and just went poof…’

Wait, should I even call it “poof”? I thought it was a done deal, but during this lifetime, while crossing the Great Cycle through the outer universe, I ran into him again. For some reason, he passed on his powers to me and then just vanished again.

‘Why…?’

Back then, I had no idea that Changhil was inside the Heavenly Secret, and I still can’t figure out why he, my sworn enemy, would hand over his powers. Honestly, I’m still in the dark about it. I have no clue about the circumstances or cause-and-effect surrounding Changhil’s absorption by the Heavenly Secret.

Sure, I can admit that absorbing Changhil in that moment saved me from a catastrophic scenario. If he had stuck around, he would have kept getting stronger each time we crossed the [Cycle] together, and not long after, I’d have found myself as his slave.

And that’s why I’m so suspicious.

What’s the meaning behind my choice to show Changhil the Heavenly Secret…?

“Hmm….”

After pondering for a while, I finally spoke to Changhil.

“Here, take this.”

Kaboom!!

Without any further ado, I focused my gaze and shot out a laser. I didn’t have a name for it, but this power I received from Shao Hao Jin Tian allowed me to shoot lasers from my eyes, and it was surprisingly strong for something so straightforward. I don’t use it often, but I figured it was a good way to gauge Changhil’s strength easily.

Phew…

As the smoke cleared and the thunderous sound faded, there stood Changhil, arm outstretched. He spoke in a rather bewildered tone.

[…… The power of Shao Hao Jin Tian? And it’s this strong? What’s going on?]

“……”

[I’ve been following your soul, comprehending all your journeys, but I never got anything like this!!]

Bang!!

Just a moment later, Changhil’s arm, which seemed to block my eye attack with a solid defense barrier, erupted with a horrifying sound. His arm was left as a mangled mess, limbs shredded, and I could see blue blood dripping from his arm like that of some otherworldly creature.

Slurp…

But then, Changhil’s shattered arm suddenly spewed out some bizarre tentacles and regenerating back to normal. I frowned at the sight.

‘Against the current Changhil… I could probably put up a decent fight. My attacks are getting through. But when it comes to the overall picture, I still feel like I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.’

My numerous experiences in divine confrontations were revealing what kind of opponent Changhil was. The fact that my divine powers could affect him meant we wouldn’t be in a hopeless situation, but deep down, I sensed that his divine energy far surpassed mine. If I had to express it, he seemed to be a few steps ahead in all aspects of power.

It had to be that way.

‘That Changhil was already the one who had fought against two of the Three Sovereigns in this history… The moment he opened the Golden Box, the bodies of the Three Sovereigns vanished and were forcibly recalled.’

The Golden Box was a relic gifted to Changhil by the [Coming Chaos]!

Even though he was using that powerful artifact, using the artifact relies on the user’s skill, and right now, Changhil’s power would likely be above every existence among the Three Sovereigns besides the Emperor. So it would make sense to say that he was far stronger than me, who still couldn’t ensure victory in a one-on-one fight against each of the Three Sovereigns.

Of course, if I used every skill and stratagem I had, I might manage to win. My skills weren’t fully realized yet, and luck would play a big part in it too. However, if I were to challenge Changhil, it felt certain that even pulling every possible trick out, my odds wouldn’t exceed 30%.

‘Damn… Is this what it means to face someone who has transcended the [Great Cycle]?’

I felt like I was facing a being that I couldn’t dominate with brute force for the first time during my past life. And it made me realize just how lucky I had been during the 24th round. Showing the Heavenly Secret to Changhil and sending him packing was truly an immense stroke of luck.

Black divine light was seeping from Changhil’s eyes.

[…… Hmph… Tell me how you acquired that power… Now!!]

Watching Changhil like this, I found myself pondering whether or not I should engage in a little brawl. Thinking it through, I finally spoke.

“Changhil! You want to know how I got this power, don’t you?”

[Spit it out.]

“If you want to know… how about we have a duel like proper merchants?”

[What?]

At Changhil’s confused reaction, I clasped my hands together and summoned the Trimurti.

Kachung!!

As the Trimurti finished manifesting in my hands, I flicked a coin towards Changhil.

[……?]

Hitting the coin, Changhil stared at it closely, his expression quickly shifting to alarm.

Then he shouted in amazement.

[This… This is… commercial authority!! You made this out of commercial authority?!]

“Correct.”

[How?! That’s… That’s…!]

I smirked, enjoying his confusion.

“It’s the power you created. Your own power!”

[……!!]

“Curious why I have the powers of Shao Hao Jin Tian and commercial authority? You want to know by beating me up, huh? But it’s obvious that simply brawling isn’t going to get us anywhere and would just be a nuisance for both of us.”

Sure, Changhil, who had crossed realms, was far stronger than me now, but mainly, the Changhil right in front of me was a clone he had unwittingly created from our shared soul. It wouldn’t be easy for us to just kill each other. Regardless of the situation, he and I were currently sharing a body, making it difficult for him to take my life outright.

[Are you suggesting we compete as merchants using our commercial authority?]

When Changhil caught on to my words, I nodded.

“Yeah. To ensure fairness in this wager, how about we put our souls on the line with Outer God Al Karda?”

[…… What? Outer God?]

I deliberately provoked the startled Changhil.

“If you lose this wager, I’ll reveal all my secrets to you and hand my soul over for free. But if you lose, you’ll have to give me all your souls in return.”

[…….]

“If you’re scared, just say so. It wouldn’t make for a proper human king trying to become a Heavenly Demon to back down now.”

Silently pondering, Changhil seemed deep in thought. Eventually, he smirked and said,

[Making me imagine terrible scenarios on purpose… I like this concept. It’s not like you could call for Outer God’s help. If the wager is rational, I’ll accept your proposal.]

“…….”

What in the world…? What does he mean?

‘What kind of “imagination” is he talking about?’

Being puzzled by Changhil’s nonsense, I shook my head and simply explained the wager.

“It’s simple. We’ll each use our commercial powers to trade the most valuable item in the world. The location for our trading will be confined to Luoyang. And the wager must be completed within half a moment.”

[Oh. That means… ]

“The one capable of trading the most valuable item will be the greatest merchant. Isn’t it the simplest way to measure who of us has better commercial authority?”

[Hmm.]

Changhil thought for a moment, then said,

[The notion of ‘most valuable’ is subjective. How are we supposed to determine a victor based on such a vague standard?]

“Do you take me for a fool?”

I replied bluntly, and channeled my energy to execute the challenge.

Bam!!

A massive tortoise-shaped spirit appeared between Changhil and me. The tortoise spirit was oddly translucent, emanating a divine aura, and Changhil was taken aback at the sight.

[Great Tortoise!]

“Looks like you recognize it since it’s your own power.”

[…….]

“As you can see, the Great Tortoise is the fairest being capable of evaluating the values of commercial authority. It’s the essence and core of commercial authority, don’t you think? The judgment can be left to it.”

After staring at the Great Tortoise for a while, Changhil’s eyes flared up with a fighting spirit.

[Good…!! I’ll accept this wager. I’ll make you regret daring to challenge me with my own powers!]

Kugugugu

I faced off against Changhil, but an unsettling feeling lingered in the back of my mind.

‘Damn it. It feels like a piece of my brain is being continuously scrutinized…’

This was probably the gaze of Changhil’s soul, which was observing mine. He had likely stolen my memories and thoughts, piecing together my past life as the reincarnated me.

‘I didn’t feel this before, but I do now… Maybe it’s because I achieved a higher level of divine powers.’

One who possesses divine powers naturally elevates their spiritual level and gains resistance against all sorts of powers. Now that I wielded formidable divine powers, I could sense Changhil’s probing presence and could start to defend against it. I felt it was disadvantageous to have my thoughts read and sought to block Changhil’s gaze watching my soul.

Sshh…

Imagining a dark film being draped over my one side of consciousness, I found Changhil’s gaze suddenly vanishing.

‘Indeed!’

With that, I didn’t have to worry about him stealing a peek at my hand!

As I celebrated my little victory, Changhil’s expression soured.

[Suddenly gaining such powerful divine strength is totally beyond my understanding… How could a mere brat who was flailing around with the Seven Luminaries manage that?]

“Shut it and focus on the wager, alright? You want to go first, or should I?”

I shot back bluntly, as Changhil chuckled and replied.

[I’ll go first.]

“Suit yourself.”

Ssshhh…

Changhil slowly stepped forward, palms together as if summoning some invisible sphere in the space before him, he boldly declared,

[Foolish kid…!! This is a power I created. You could never use it better than I can!]

“You won’t know until you try.”

[I’ll show you that you’re mistaken!]

Commercial Authority

Level Four

Great Merchant!!

Kwarrrr!!

As if dyed with red blood, threads of water formed a sphere between his hands, swirling and shining. Changhil, staring at that spinning whirlpool at an incredible speed, began chanting some sort of incantation.

[I, History Emperor Changhil, decree that… Under the great contract… since that fateful day when humanity pledged allegiance to the Emperor… I summon a fragment of the Great Being which I have kept within my soul!]

Up to that point, I was just watching with a wry smile. Dark entities summoning spells was quite a common thing in this world.

But then, Changhil’s next words sent shockwaves through me.

[Come forth… Xuanyuan Sword!]

“What the?!”

Why is that coming out now?!

Kwachichiching!!

Moments later, something immense with incredible power jolted out of Changhil’s soul, rippling the whirlpool with lightning as it began to take shape. This bizarre transformation made the liquid appear to solidify, all the while morphing into a sword, but “sword” hardly described it given how utterly it strayed from the form of typical weapons.

‘It’s shaped like a sword, but… doesn’t it look way too much like….’

Like a bone…?

I stared blankly at the bizarre scene before me, and Changhil confidently raised his Xuanyuan Sword and pointed it at the Great Tortoise.

[Great Tortoise! Evaluate the value of this Xuanyuan Sword based on human heads!]

[Please wait a moment… … ]

With a whispering sound, after a brief calculation, the Great Tortoise spoke in a monotone voice.

[99,999,999,999 heads.]

[Kaha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!]

In that moment when the judgment was delivered, Changhil erupted with mad laughter. He was so ecstatic he couldn’t stop himself from roaring with joy.

[Finally got to pull this out after all this time… Baek Woong, you’ve freed my long-held ambitions!! Truly Xuanyuan Sword, the greatest treasure under heaven!!]

“…….”

[No matter how well you use your commercial authority… can you produce a more precious treasure than this? There isn’t a single piece of treasure I couldn’t bring forth, except Xuanyuan Sword, which I’m much too attached to!]

I looked at him and replied,

“……You were too attached to pull out the Xuanyuan Sword? Why’s that?”

[Kuhuh. Well, what’s the use of sharing this now that I’ll definitely win?]

Changhil continued in a relaxed tone, evidently unfazed by the notion of losing.

[This was never my own. The Emperor gifted me the bones of Chi You!]

“……!!”

[After the Emperor defeated Chi You, he took a bone from his remains and forged this sword to commemorate the great victory! He bestowed the Xuanyuan Sword upon me to equip me for potential future clashes against the other Three Sovereigns.]

Chi… Chi You’s bones…?

That was what the Xuanyuan Sword was…?

‘So it’s not that the Emperor used the Xuanyuan Sword in their battle against Chi You, but instead, after defeating Chi You, the Emperor created the Xuanyuan Sword using a spine from Chi You’s corpse…?!’

The Divine Thief called the Xuanyuan Sword’s legend a joke, but could it be that it all originated from that joke?!

I was staring dumbfounded when something clicked in my mind, and I shot back with another question.

“Then… if it’s the bones of Chi You, why haven’t you used it all this time?”

[Because I grafted it straight into my soul, the moment I draw it out once, I can’t put it back!]

Changhil replied, sounding a little regretful as he fiddled with the Xuanyuan Sword.

[That’s why I had thought of pulling it out repeatedly to increase the level of my commercial authority. But because the Xuanyuan Sword’s value was far greater, I only cherished it my whole life… Thanks to you, I’ve had my wish fulfilled!]

“…….”

I was still in shock and continued my inquiries.

“Then… what about the story of how the Three Sovereigns can’t use the Xuanyuan Sword…?”

[That’s obvious. This sword is embedded with the powers of Chi You from when he was alive! Any of the Three Sovereigns who have enmity with Chi You will be severely harmed if they try to wield the Xuanyuan Sword. However, I, who have no grudge against Chi You, can have it without any issues.]

“Can you wield it, then…?”

[I can’t. I can only hold it, the power of Chi You is beyond my control as well.]

“……So, does that mean… having the Xuanyuan Sword allows you to trade with the gods directly…?”

[Naturally, it symbolizes my authority under the Emperor. Even though it’s a deliberately spread rumor, it’s not entirely incorrect that pulling out the Xuanyuan Sword would allow for negotiations with deities.]

“…….”

Thinking about everything made my head spin.

Even though I was dazzled, all of a sudden, I felt clarity about everything in my mind.

‘So that’s why.’

That was the reason why all the deities in the Celestial Realm were clueless about the Xuanyuan Sword.

Of course, because Changhil got it directly from the Emperor, it was firmly hidden.

The reason they couldn’t find the Xuanyuan Sword even when searching with the National Seal was simple.

Because Changhil was keeping it in his soul, how could a divinity-level entity compete with the National Seal’s search?

And as I considered that, I recalled my earlier conversation with the Prophet about the Xuanyuan Sword.

[Xuanyuan Sword…? What’s that?]

[…… Goodness… Are they fools…?]

[Oh right, right… Xuanyuan Sword… right…?]

[I genuinely don’t know… the Xuanyuan Sword is a mystery to me… I’ll stake my name and existence on it… I don’t know where it is… ]

Of course, the Prophet wouldn’t know where the Xuanyuan Sword was.

After all, they were already around for the 24th round, having been absorbed by the Heavenly Secret long ago.

Changhil, who dwelled within the Heavenly Secret, could only confidently assert “I don’t know,” because he had the Xuanyuan Sword embedded in his soul!

But still, the Prophet likely had some knowledge of the Xuanyuan Sword and simply displayed a bemused reaction because of it.

What could Changhil, who covertly received the Chi You’s spine from the Emperor, possibly know?

‘Ugh… this is so frustrating!! How on earth am I supposed to find the Xuanyuan Sword now?!’

When I thought about all the countless hours I spent searching for the Xuanyuan Sword, I felt utterly bemused. Suddenly, a surge of anger bubbled up inside me.

“……Is it my turn now? You jerk!”

[Hehe. Are you angry? But even if you’re mad, can you offer something better than the Xuanyuan Sword?]

“Bring it on!!”

[Kakakakak. A lowly being with less divine power than me is going to offer a better deal than…?]

I cut him off and calmly spoke to the Great Tortoise.

“Great Tortoise.”

[Yes.]

“Loan me 12 billion Demon Kings.”

Changhil measures using the unit of human heads, but I preferred to use the unit of Demon Kings. After all, the value of heads and Demon Kings was treated equally, so it didn’t matter.

[Understood.]

Schluuurk!!

A moment later, the Great Tortoise summoned 12 billion Demon Kings, creating a pile of coins representing a multitude of causes and effects.

I stared at the 12 billion and suddenly said,

“Create a Merchant Association with that.”

Bam!!

Immediately, a gigantic building for the Merchant Association sprang up before my eyes, and I turned to the Great Tortoise.

“Now I’ll sell this Merchant Association back. For how much?”

[Thanks to the perks of a Fourth-Level Divine Spirit, your stats will be boosted by 30%. That’s 156 billion Demon Kings.]

As expected.

This was exactly the trick Lee Hwan-woong had told me last time about how to pull out Demon Kings quickly.

“Sell it.”

[Thank you for using our service!]

Schluuurk!!

[……]

After the Merchant Association vanished, I stood amid a downpour of money while observing Changhil, who looked utterly dumbfounded.

“I won!”