전생검신 Volume 92, Chapter 15

Zhuge Sa was really preparing for the Transformation of Life and Death!

“I never expected that…!”

It was possible. Zhuge Sa had already displayed significant power since he found his human form after being a half-human, half-demon, not to mention that he could draw power from the contract with Jeon Wook. Plus, Zhuge Sa was the Grand Master who had perfected the Soul Exchange Technique to an unprecedented level in history. If he focused on just the Transformation of Life and Death, even someone like the “Old Ruler” wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Ugh… But the success rate is too low!”

Attempting it and succeeding at it are worlds apart! It was impressive to even attempt to sneak into the “Old Ruler’s” mind to try the Transformation of Life and Death, but to actually succeed against a monster like “The One Who Turns the Stars” using sheer mental will? No way that could be called a high success rate.

And then Zhuge Sa’s words echoed in my mind.

[Now is the time, Baek Woong… Draw out the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique as much as you can!]

[What?!]

[You and I are connected through the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique! The more power you draw out, the more enhanced my Soul Exchange Technique will be.]

[…!]

I couldn’t help but be astonished that Zhuge Sa had thought this far. Challenging a monster’s mental realm was already madness, but to consider using the connection between my Soul Exchange Technique and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique?

[…Cough! Just to let you know since we don’t have time, when the power amplifies, use it to strengthen the Meat Shield and then take down the Locust Albi Leo!]

Whoosh

Just like that, the thoughts in my head abruptly cut off like Zhuge Sa’s last words.

I realized he was losing composure, and the reason was simple. There was no way to win, let alone hold out, against someone like “The One Who Turns the Stars” in that mental world. If left unchecked, Zhuge Sa would undoubtedly be defeated by him.

“…I can’t let that happen!”

I had to lend Zhuge Sa my strength!

Whooooosh

In the next moment, I raised the Soul of the Four Gods to its peak level and cast it. A tremendous energy gathered around me and rapidly amplified, and I quickly recalled the essence of the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique in my mind.

“To maximize the power, I shouldn’t cast the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique first. I need to spread out the Soul of the Four Gods first and then use the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique to trigger its peak performance!”

Strengthening each of the Souls of the Four Gods!

During this enhancement process, as the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique rotated naturally, it would amplify power, bringing both internal and external energies to their optimal state. I had come to realize through long training that the Soul of the Four Gods and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique were interdependent, like the outer wheel and inner wheel of a machine.

Rumble rumble…!

A moment later, the two wheels began to mesh as the Soul of the Four Gods and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique unfolded together. And with the image of internal and external assistance, a massive rotation began to flow within me.

The Soul of the Four Gods was about reincarnation.

While recalling the truth I had ingrained over centuries of training, I rapidly transformed the Soul of the Four Gods.

Whoosh

I could feel the acceleration. The acceleration generated during the transformation of the Soul of the Four Gods intensified and propelled further change.

“The stronger this acceleration gets, the more power amplifies… And when I exceed the fourth transformation to reach the fifth…”

Zing zing zing

“I will gain tremendous power akin to the ‘Divine Vessel’ itself!”

It felt like the small spheres, now moving at insane speeds, were gradually being absorbed into my body. I sensed that the moment to make my choice had arrived.

“…I can attempt transformations like Thunder and Earth. I have only tried the changes of Thunder and Earth at the fifth process. The other transformations are still unknown… What ‘vessel’ should I choose to be most suitable in this situation?”

The moment that question arose in my head, I remembered Zhuge Sa’s last piece of advice.

[Take down the Locust Albi Leo!]

….

Yeah… Even though I have never attempted it before… the required elemental transformation is decided!

Just as I was about to amplify the power of the Soul of the Four Gods at that last fifth transformation.

Boom boom boom…!

[AAARGH.]

[AH!]

The Demon General Betelgeuse and Albi Leo unleashed their magical projectiles without hesitation! I succeeded in blocking the attack, but blood and flesh splattered everywhere as the apostles were torn to shreds! I noticed the number of remaining apostles was almost gone and panicked.

“…The Elders of the White Lotus Sect have been completely wiped out! Only the Master of the White Lotus Sect, the three Dharma Protectors, Asura, Miyamoto Musashi… leaving just six of us!”

Slice

And even amidst all this chaos, I felt my divine power suddenly surge as the Elders of the White Lotus Sect perished. The fact that the Yi Seong-gye had been destroyed but Zhuge Sa’s magic circle was still in effect implied that Zhuge Sa had meticulously prepared, anticipating the Yi Seong-gye’s destruction from the start.

Cheon Woo-jin roared with a magical voice.

[AAARGH! Even if I die, I will block the next attack!]

He cried out in determination as the situation grew dire. Even the remaining apostles were covered in blood and had exhausted all their strength, trembling in weakness. It meant that even though they were King-level warriors, they were on the verge of death due to the ferocity of the demonic attacks.

“Not a second time…!”

With gritted teeth, I pulled the Soul of the Four Gods and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique to their utmost limit.

Super Enhancement

The Fire Spirit!

Though I had never unleashed it before, it was essentially my strongest Fire Spirit technique available now!

Whoosh…!

At that moment, my entire body transformed into a blazing white flame. Simultaneously, whether it was because of the influence of my super-enhanced Fire Spirit or not, the distant figure of “The One Who Turns the Stars,” who had been suffering, shrieked in agony.

[AGH… This mortal! How dare you!]

Zhuge Sa’s cold laughter reached me once more.

[It’s because the deity I serve is quite competent.]

Success!

With the Soul of the Four Gods and the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique meshed, the primary technique of the Nine Chambers of Thunder, the Soul Exchange Technique, would also benefit from the super-enhancement! And while the Soul Exchange Technique amplified, it was clear that Zhuge Sa’s attempt at the Transformation of Life and Death had gained significant odds of success within the monster’s mental realm.

“Zhuge Sa’s plan… is just beginning!”

Zhuge Sa’s schemes were never just about achieving a single accomplishment. His strategy always aimed for a multiple gain through one maneuver, and merely getting me to create the super-enhanced Soul of the Four Gods was only the beginning of his plan.

I immediately harnessed the power of the super-enhanced Fire Spirit, wishing,

“May the power of the Fire Spirit be shared with my apostles!”

Whoosh!

The next instant, the remaining six apostles glowed with the same white flame as me. The apostles looked bewildered at this sudden change.

[No… !]

[What is this?]

So it’s a success!

“The Soul of the Four Gods was originally designed for the ‘Divine Vessel.’ It’s optimized to contain divine power… So sharing the Soul of the Four Gods with my apostles who act on my bestowed power is undoubtedly simple!”

Among the six, Han Baek-ryeong was the first to notice the power of the Fire Spirit being shared.

“This energy is unfamiliar, yet it feels like the energy of the Fire Spirit… Could it be the Fire Spirit? If so, this must be the energy of Empty Flame.”

As expected, being the Grand Master of the Fire Spirit techniques, she caught on quickly.

I nodded from behind and spoke to them.

[We can’t just sit here. I’ll handle Betelgeuse, so you all launch a counterattack against that Albi Leo!]

[Understood!]

Whoosh

As soon as I issued the counterattack order, the six apostles charged towards Albi Leo without hesitation. They didn’t even need to be told a specific operation; it was clear they each instinctively felt our situation—there was no room for error. If we failed this counterattack, we’d all face certain death!

[Who do you think I am?]

And just as Betelgeuse prepared to unleash his magic on my apostles rushing towards Albi Leo, I wrapped myself in white flames and moved towards Betelgeuse.

Swish

[No?!]

Betelgeuse seemed startled as I suddenly appeared right in front of him, just like how Aldebaran had fallen before. Though he had layers upon layers of dimensional barriers, he had no choice but to face the unexpected appearance in front of him.

“You don’t know, do you?”

This is the unique characteristic of the Fire Spirit technique—Empty Flame!

I recalled a conversation I had with Shim Su-ryeok in the past.

[I don’t know how, but if you use Empty Flame, you can temporarily delete space and time and move, right?]

[It’s similar to the Flame Spirit of the future. If you leave a ‘mark’ like this, you can utilize Empty Flame to move without consuming space and time. It’s like saying the order between you and me has been disrupted.]

[In this world, whether I’m here or there doesn’t matter as long as ‘I’ exist. There’s a sticky line that keeps the existence fixed here, but the heat of Empty Flame temporarily burns that line’s enchantments away, allowing movement. It feels like a brief disruption of the set order.]

The power of Empty Flame disrupting the order could illustrate extreme teleportation in a way incomparable to the techniques of the Thunder Spirit. The process of dismantling the enchantment of the line between Betelgeuse and me! Normally, no matter how potent the Fire Spirit was, it would not easily penetrate something as immense as the dimensional walls of the “Old Ruler.” But now it was a super-enhanced Fire Spirit, so its power had reached absurd levels.

Zing

In a brief moment, white flames compressed in my hand, creating a perfectly clear strike without any waste. No, it appeared similar to a strike, but it was actually a blow compressed from all the abilities of my super-enhanced Fire Spirit.

“Just like before, I’ll imbue this strike with my divine power!”

That should be enough to deal a fatal blow to Betelgeuse!

I reached out my hand to strike at Betelgeuse’s solar plexus.

But just as my attack was about to land…

“Huh…?”

All I did was utilize the powers carried within the Empty Flame to land a critical hit on Betelgeuse. I hadn’t used any techniques whatsoever, just the fastest strike from my perspective. Yet, at that very moment of executing the technique, I felt an strange sensation as countless combinations intertwined in my mind, coming together as one.

The mechanics of power.

Hwan Woo-ryeong’s technique, Thunder Spirit Seal, the High Tower’s Divine Palm, and the Mind Splitting Reversal…

“What is this?”

Different techniques from various schools were entangling in my mind, some of which belonged to the Four Great Families’ martial arts. The commonality was that all of it belonged to a legitimate martial art.

The impressions swirled in my head like butterflies, observing [me] as I carried out Hwan Woo-ryeong’s technique, the Thunder Spirit Seal, High Tower’s Divine Palm, and Mind Splitting Reversal. Each technique unfolded with its own speed without overlapping, and I dazedly watched from beginning to end.

…

Not overlapping…?

That moment came. I unconsciously channeled the [flow] that arose in my mind down to my fingertips, and through some unfathomable instinct, it cascaded in layers. Then the combined flow erupted from the very tips of my fingers.

Flash!

[AHHHHH!]

A small hole now formed in Betelgeuse’s body where my fist had struck, causing it to stagger and scream. Though the wound was relatively small compared to his massive form, Betelgeuse couldn’t maintain his composure, thrashing in response.

[You think you can take me down with such a minor injury?! The fight has only just begun!]

However, I couldn’t quite grasp his words, lost in the ecstasy of the moment.

“What is this sensation?”

It felt like four techniques were bursting forth without overlapping, combining in the final moment!

I trembled with exhilaration as I tasted a peculiar state, which couldn’t easily be explained by my existing theories of martial arts.

‘Is it something you can only feel in the ultimate state of concentration? I can’t do this again…’

The power didn’t seem overwhelmingly strong, but I had an instinct that if I internalized this sensation, I would be able to employ an entirely different martial art than what I currently wielded.

As I slowly returned to reality, something even stranger happened.

[Ugh… Ugh… Haah!]

Betelgeuse, who had seemed unfazed by my seemingly weak strike, staggered and started to writhe in pain, as if something was suddenly very wrong. I sensed that he had suffered considerable damage from my last attack and immediately pulled out Agni without hesitation.

“Die!”

Boom!

The evil bullet powered by the strength of my super-enhanced Fire Spirit pierced through Betelgeuse’s already wounded chest again, and this time he seemed to sustain a potentially fatal injury as his whole form swelled like a blob of crimson flesh.

[AAAAH!]

Crash!

“Grrrgh!”

I felt as if my entire body was about to shatter upon receiving a blow from that colossal, half-melted mass of flesh that exploded from the now almost entirely disintegrated Betelgeuse. But since his attack was a divine power, there was no way for me to evade or block it through any ordinary means.

“What a drag. Just as the super-enhanced Fire Spirit state is ending…”

Crash boom bang!

As Betelgeuse rampaged wildly, hurling debris to all sides, I hastily sought to shield myself with Varuna’s barrier. I realized the critical state we were in.

“That guy… has gone berserk! He’s become a monster, indiscriminately unleashing his powers without distinguishing friend from foe!”

Simple as it was, the situation felt immensely more complicated! Ordinarily, I could chip away at him calmly from a distance using the four great spirit techniques, but now I had barely any divine power left, and if I left this rampaging state unchecked, the other apostles were likely to be wiped out as well. Then again, with all my focus on self-preservation, I couldn’t spare the divine barrier for everyone.

“Damn it. I can’t hold on much longer! I have to avoid…!”

Whoosh

I blocked Betelgeuse’s attacks just enough before I swiftly teleported away using my divine power. As I covered some distance, Betelgeuse, in his mindless rage, seemed to flail around, unable to locate me for a moment.

“But soon enough, he’ll rampage again and start attacking indiscriminately… What can I do about this?”

If Betelgeuse sparked another rampage, we could all be wiped out!

At that moment…

[URAAAAH!]

It seemed like the battle had fully escalated, as the Master of the White Lotus Sect and Asura were charging with their powers directed at the locust-like demon, Albi Leo. And it appeared that Albi Leo had taken quite a beating since he now bore many wounds, thanks to the white flames enveloping the Master of the White Lotus.

Crack BOOM!

The Master of the White Lotus, in her state of Heart of Heaven’s Abundance, unleashed a devastating strike that successfully shattered one of Albi Leo’s legs! Ordinarily, it would do no damage due to the divine powers, but the current Master of the White Lotus still held on to the power that I had gifted her through the Fire Spirit!

“Even so…!”

The Empty Flame could penetrate the properties created by divine power in an instant!

Although simplistic physical strength might lose out to the Thunder Spirit, the very ability to penetrate was a quality of the Fire Spirit, the essence of Empty Flame. During combat against higher-ranking divine beings, this characteristic elevated its threat to a level reminiscent of how ants can pose a risk with their venomous bites.

[Absolute Nirvana!]

[Divine Kill Slash!]

Once the Master of the White Lotus broke Albi Leo’s leg, perhaps his weakness was exposed, as Asura and Miyamoto Musashi leaped into action, bombarding him with powerful blows, while the Dharma Protectors joined forces. When the six apostles attacked simultaneously, Albi Leo was evidently feeling the pressure, staggering away from the furious blows.

“You bug-like creatures pack quite a punch… Well then, here’s my response!”

With a snarl laced with toxins, Albi Leo unleashed a massive wave of divine power.

Divine Might!

The Great Cry of the Yellow Worm!

SHWNNNNG…!

[AAAAAAHHHH.]

[Ugh!]

In the next moment, the sound that emitted from Albi Leo’s wings colliding with his body struck the venue, evidently injuring all the apostles. Among the weaker of them, the Dharma Guardian Dokgo Jun and Wind Spirit’s Guardian Cheon Woo-jin fell in the line of duty.

Dealing with the sound waves produced by the “Old Ruler” as he unleashed his power, that very noise contained the potential to instantly slay anything!

Splutter…

[Ugh!]

The Master of the White Lotus, Asura, and Miyamoto Musashi all staggered while bleeding profusely from severe wounds. Witnessing the situation, I felt a sense of urgency.

“Damn it…! Truly a high-ranking divine being! After one counterattack, all those enhanced apostles…!”

What I needed to do was deal a blow to either Betelgeuse or Albi Leo, at least one must go down. I still had some power left to take on either of them. But with Betelgeuse rampaging and Albi Leo appearing to still be in fighting form, I had to determine which of the two to target.

Just then…

Han Baek-ryeong, who had previously not engaged, leaped towards Albi Leo.

“Icy Dragon King Slash!”

Shing…!

Crash!

[AAAAAH?!]

Albi Leo’s massive, mantis-like eyes exploded under the flame sword, a feat no one had expected to see, stunning all the remaining apostles.

[No way.]

[That cannot be!]

Han Baek-ryeong was not in human form. She appeared cloaked in white flames—seeing that I realized she had copied my super-enhanced Fire Spirit form was a revelation that made perfect sense.

“Han Baek-ryeong had been researching the Fire Spirit from the outset, and her inner flame was immense! Unlike other apostles, she was able to directly channel the power of the super-enhanced Fire Spirit!”

Fizzle fizzle…

But as the final blow landed, her form began to disintegrate in the very flames. I was momentarily shocked.

“…Han Baek-ryeong’s soul… is gone from here!”

As someone highly skilled in the Soul Exchange Technique, I realized what was happening. Han Baek-ryeong’s current state was akin to being nothing but a shell! However, if she had contracted me as an apostle, her soul should return to me, yet there were no indications of that happening. If this persisted, the divine power I’d given her would not return either.

What was happening!!

Shortly thereafter, the smoke of white flames enveloping Han Baek-ryeong revealed her, seemingly mumbling as she looked up at the sky.

“Heat light… There exists such a realm?”

Whoosh

That was the conclusion of Han Baek-ryeong’s journey. Having sacrificed everything without even leaving behind her soul, she paid the price for that blow.

“Could it be…?”

It seemed like her earlier statement about attaining enlightenment as a human was indeed true?

She’d sought enlightenment on this expedition, and had she truly succeeded!?

I snapped back to reality and used the Trimurti to merge the three masks together.

The mask of [Deception], the mask of [Explosive Light], and the mask of [Conspiracy]!

“I won’t let this be!”

With the three masks merged, I lunged at the severely injured Albi Leo. Ordinarily, I might have hesitated to attack a fully healthy “Old Ruler,” but with Han Baek-ryeong momentarily incapacitating him from her self-sacrifice, I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

I interpreted Albi Leo’s magical power to strip away his defenses entirely and unleashed my full power from the mask of Explosive Light to strike at his ruptured eyes once again. Whether it was because I had previously smashed that portion, Albi Leo shrieked horrifically at the renewed attack against his already devastated area.

[AAAHHH!]

BANG!

I continued striking with all my divine power until Albi Leo lay sprawled, his divine flesh met with its demise. I staggered back, nearly collapsing, and stopped to think.

“Damn it… It’s unreal. With a weakness like that, it’s still this hard to kill him… If luck wasn’t on my side, I definitely wouldn’t have succeeded…”

Having surpassed my limits, the strain on my body was immense—but here I couldn’t give up! With trembling hands, I summoned Vayu, blowing the horn.

“Spirit of the Four Gods, Vayu! Send Betelgeuse to the afterlife!”

Whoosh!

In his mindless state, Betelgeuse couldn’t resist Vayu’s powers, disappearing into the future and vanishing from time and space. I sighed deeply, witnessing it from afar.

“Phew.”

I now understood why Zhuge Sa had insisted on taking down Albi Leo first—by dealing with Albi Leo, who could nullify Vayu’s abilities, it became simpler to deal with the other foe from that point.

“Is it all over for the demons…?”

Fatigued and feeling dizzy, I turned to my apostles.

“Are you all okay?”

[We’re fine. If Han Baek-ryeong hadn’t landed that last hit, we’d have probably been obliterated, but it seems we managed somehow.]

“I’m relieved to hear that…”

[What’s going on?]

“Well…”

Just as I started to explain the situation, Zhuge Sa’s words reverberated in my mind.

[Baek Woong. What are you waiting for?]

[Zhuge Sa!]

[I’ve taken down two demons, and one is sent off into the future, and I’m holding back “The One Who Turns the Stars.” Take this chance to move on to the next gate quickly!]

[…!]

[Right now, the magical power blocking the gate is gone, so you could get through easily. Hurry!]

I couldn’t hide my shock at Zhuge Sa’s words.

[Zhuge Sa! So you’re staying here alone?]

[And why is that?]

[What… why? I can’t just leave you to die!]

[Most of the expedition party is already dead. So why should I receive special treatment? I’m only a pawn in this.]

[….]

[Go! Otherwise, you’ll have to face “The One Who Turns the Stars.” No matter what, I can’t win a mental duel against such a divine being.]

“…I… let you die once before. I can’t repeat the same mistake.”

[….]

I’m such a fool.

I knew I should follow Zhuge Sa’s advice, but my stubbornness wouldn’t allow me to throw away my concern for him.

Then there was silence before Zhuge Sa spoke again.

[Truly foolish… ]

“Damn it. I know. Still, I have a way, just wait.”

[I wonder what solution you think you have.]

“What?”

Zhuge Sa succinctly articulated what I was about to try. At those words, I froze in disbelief.

“…”

[From your reaction, you seem to have guessed what it is.]

“Indeed…”

How did he know?

…No, it makes sense—Zhuge Sa would definitely have considered everything I could conceive.

Zhuge Sa sighed, resigned.

[I didn’t perform the incantation from the start due to the risk of weakening the power. However, if you arrived at this conclusion yourself, I suppose it’s a different story.]

I quickly nodded and spoke passionately.

“Y-Yeah! I’ve succeeded before!”

[Then hurry!]

“Got it!”

I raced towards “The One Who Turns the Stars.” Immediately, I cast the technique.

Technique of All Things!

Whoosh

At that instant, I realized I was observing my own body from a distance. Simultaneously, I could hear the shocked voice of ‘my body’ as black energy clouded its vision.

“This… this can’t be happening!”

And I heard a familiar voice from Zhuge Sa echo in my mental realm.

[This may not be the best option.]

[What do you mean?]

I shot back defiantly with the voice reminiscent of the “Old Ruler’s” boiling fervor.

[You’ve taken my body that was bestowed by my Lord! What an outrageous act!]

That’s right.

Through the Technique of All Things, I had commandeered “The One Who Turns the Stars’” body!

Normally, such a thing would be impossible. However, past experiences near the Mirror of Clarity in the Underworld held water in this scenario. Because Zhuge Sa was in a state of confusion, the body-swap action with the Technique of All Things was practically guaranteed to succeed.

“`

 

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