1091——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I knew that Asura could use nearly all the martial arts techniques I had at my disposal. Last time, I confirmed that he could perform the Thunder Sword Technique with incredible skill, meaning he had already reached the level of a master in the Thunder God Lineage.

‘And that means he can also use Infinite Slash.’

As Asura said, Infinite Slash was the strongest single strike that manifests unconsciously as a result of my over a hundred years of Hell Training. If he could use both the Thunder God Sword Dance and the Thunder Sword, it was obvious that Asura could easily utilize Infinite Slash.

When Asura spoke to me during our last sparring session in the Churned Brain World, he wasn’t boasting at all, and it led me to ponder deeply.

If we clashed like this, it was clear that Infinite Slash would collide with Infinite Slash as our skills piled up!

From my long combat experience, I could sense what would happen. Who would win in such a situation was completely uncertain, and I even wondered if both of us might die.

Infinite Slash is akin to the ultimate Thunder Sword.

And the Thunder Sword splits everything in this world apart.

What happens when the strongest lightnings that can cut through anything collide with each other?

From my experience training under Dokgo Seong, when Thunder Swords clash, the outcome is typically decided by the concentration of intent cultivated in each fighter’s Qi. However, that was only in situations where practitioners of the Thunder Sword were below the Absolute Realm. I had no idea what would happen if both were ultra-masters capable of using the Intent Heavenly Pillar, because the manifestation of Infinite Slash through the Intent Heavenly Pillar was on a different dimension than the lower-level Intent Technique.

A clash between Thunder Swords that can cut everything—that’s a pure contradiction!

While it may not create the same severe twist as a real contradiction, logic does not hold up properly here.

And the only logical way to resolve this contradiction is simple.

Both must cut each other.

The Thunder Swords must cut into one another, resulting in mutual destruction.

“……”

Gulp.

After casually sharing the first three seconds with Asura, I stepped back and swallowed hard. I was tense the moment I grasped that situation. Because neither of us could possibly avoid being cut if Infinite Slashes clashed!

‘There’s no way both don’t die… they’ll pierce each other to death.’

It didn’t matter if Asura had trained hundreds more techniques than I had. The Thunder Sword was undoubtedly my strongest attack, and Infinite Slash reached its peak. When Infinite Slash collided, there was no guarantee I could even dodge the Three Treasure Technique. That’s because it would unleash an explosive strike from my Natural Body, utilizing all my lifetime’s worth of Intent, capable of piercing even the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance.

The concepts of dodging or evading simply didn’t exist!

If Asura tried to strategically counter my attack like last time, I would also respond accordingly, but if we kept extending the moves, it inevitably led to a clash of Infinite Sashes.

Having reached the pinnacle of martial arts, I could read all of this.

Hearing me swallow, Asura chuckled softly.

“Are you worried about us both dying in mutual destruction from Infinite Slash clashing?”

“……!!”

What! How did he read my mind?

“You wear that expression like you’re asking how I read your mind. Such a simpleton.”

“Is it telepathy?”

“No way. But I can think of the same things you are. I’ve trained the Thunder Sword for decades waiting for the day of our encounter, so why wouldn’t I have considered this? I’ve thought of it more than a hundred times.”

“……”

That made sense…

While I was still absorbing this realization, Asura continued.

“But I believe that even if Infinite Slash collides, it won’t necessarily lead to mutual destruction. I can prove that it isn’t so.”

“What! Are you really willing to face me with Infinite Slash? That seems…”

No matter how I thought about it, it could only end up in mutual destruction!

I know that unequivocally now!

“If things go wrong, won’t we just die?”

Swish

Asura took the stance of the Thunder God Sword Dance. His sharp gaze shone as he spoke.

“Last time, I strategically broke down the weaknesses of Infinite Slash. But today, as I said before, I will face you with Infinite Slash!”

“Damn!! Are you crazy! If I die, the loss will be too great!”

We were about to engage in a spar, but if we have to use our ultimate techniques, the loss would be catastrophic!

I hadn’t even salvaged half of what I could from the future world!

When I protested, Asura grunted dismissively.

“Loss? You’ve turned into a coward who’s way too fixated on self-preservation.”

“What! What are you…”

Asura glared at me.

“You don’t think about risking your life in a place like this… Logically, it makes sense. But then when will you ever risk your life? Are you just going to live like a cockroach, barely surviving until the end, only to die while witnessing what happened at the end? That’s a valid strategy for someone who’s been reborn, but…”

Boom

Asura suddenly slashed his sword horizontally through the air. The air chilled as if the very space was being cut. His gaze turned grim.

“Martial arts can’t reach their limits if you cling to preserving your life. You should have heard about doing Life-and-Death Decisions from Yeodong-bin ten times already.”

Life-and-Death Decision!

Just hearing that word made me flinch due to the immense agony I’d undergone.

“W-wait! That was a method for reaching the Absolute Realm! I’ve reached the Absolute Realm. There’s no need for me to do it ten more times…”

“Then why are you here? With the martial arts you already possess, you could be considered among the top three masters right after being reborn. Why then do you keep your head down and pursue this realization of nothingness?”

“……”

“You’re lacking. Desperately lacking in power. That’s why you want to open the Divine Realm, a legendary realm. However, you don’t have the talent required to open that realm… Even geniuses can’t open the Divine Realm, and they all vanish in the history of martial arts after several thousand years.”

Suddenly, Asura shouted.

“Baek Woong, just shut your mouth and die fighting!! Whether you die while fighting is just an inevitable factor! You must prove your sincerity towards martial arts through your death!”

“T-that’s nonsense…”

“Right. It’s hard to juggle the duties of someone reborn. It’s probably a significant contradiction! If you make a mistake, not just once but maybe ten times, you could die.”

Asura clenched his fist.

“But you must succeed even in that risky balancing act! You must obtain humanity, martial arts, and the pursuit of truth… that is the path you have chosen! Haven’t you felt that the strategists are aligning with your path?”

“……!!”

“That’s the shortcut to meeting the Martial God!”

I felt as if I’d been struck by Asura’s words.

‘Do I have to die?’

It was true that I prioritized self-preservation. There was too much at stake if I died now.

But what if this train of thought leads me to not fight when I should?

Eventually, wouldn’t I drift further away from being a martial artist, making it increasingly difficult to reach the Martial God?

“……”

Dying now would mean losing out on the Hidden Piece, missing the world’s end and revelations, never meeting Jin So-cheong, and rendering the 500 years of desperate preparations by my allies meaningless. To die in a fight like this would literally be to die like a dog. There was no need to risk my life against Asura.

But—

‘To hell with it!’

I tightly gripped my sword and took the same stance as Asura’s Thunder God Sword Dance.

How did I reach the Absolute Realm only to be called a preservationist now?

At that moment, we faced each other like reflections in a mirror, standing three paces apart.

Asura smiled.

“That’s the spirit.”

“…If I die, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“Hehehe. Am I also the one who gets to kill a reborn person?”

With a voice full of cheerfulness, I couldn’t help but chuckle. At this point, it seemed embarrassing to even feel fear.

Here we go.

Infinite Slash.

Asura’s and my eyes met in the void. For a moment, we fiercely locked gazes, when suddenly, the Thunder Sword instinctively shot out, faster than the speed of thought. It’s because the intent exceeded the creature’s reflex impulses, entering the Absolute Realm state.

Intent Heavenly Pillar collides.

What we both regard as [the strongest] extends into the best single strike right on the boundary of the unconscious.

Just before the collision—

The trajectories of our Thunder Swords were entirely different. The principles were the same Infinite Slash, but the Blade Techniques were dramatically different. Asura’s was an artistic curve without a single flaw, while mine was a bit crude and shot out in a straight line.

This was because, as Asura said, Infinite Slash is the best single strike that comes from the accumulated martial arts experience, manifesting from the unconscious. Since martial arts and life reflect the individual, even if we use the same Infinite Slash, the form will be entirely different depending on the practitioner.

Zing!

In the first clash, I could feel the blade of my Infinite Slash piercing through his blade. That moment when the thunderbolts struck each other isn’t something living beings can perceive, but now that I’m wielding the Intent Heaven’s Pillar, that instant distinctly tickled my skin.

Swords cutting each other—it’s nearly impossible in a duel, yet here it was happening. And the contradiction of swords that cut into one another was unfolding right before my eyes. At this rate, my Infinite Slash and Asura’s would hit each other simultaneously, and both practitioners would be severely wounded, resulting in mutual destruction. I felt dizzy just from how predictable it all was.

‘Crap… Maybe this is too much!!’

In some ways, this was witnessing a phenomenon caused by two individuals who’ve reached the peak of the Thunder God Sword engaging in a duel. I let out a hollow laugh, thinking of how Asura’s blade would pierce through my body.

But—

Thunk!!

“……!!”

With a brief dull sound, my body was hurled backward. I quickly steadied myself, maintaining my balance, but at the same moment, Asura pursued and aimed a deadly slash at my exposed neck, floating horizontally in the air. Realizing Asura’s Thunder Sword was intact and still held its edge made my eyes widen.

What just happened?!

Three-Step Technique

I tried to calmly maneuver while keeping the heavens’ defenses, attempting to evade Asura’s Thunder Sword, but at that very moment, his left foot was millimeters from mine. And just as I intended to shift my footwork to dodge, he practically stomped down on it first.

‘Ah! This breakthrough…’

If I can use the same Three-Step Technique, I could restrict my opponent’s movement like this!

But the timing needed for this maneuver had to be exquisite, so it was an adventure that would be impossible with average sensory abilities. I could tell that Asura’s combat experience was astonishing.

As my three-step sequence was interrupted, I immediately spun in the air and attempted the Bowing Sky Slash to create distance. Then I prepared to read Asura’s next moves. However, I noticed Asura had already executed the Bowing Sky Slash before me, and I understood that I was continuously being outmaneuvered in the sequence.

‘Damn. I’m going to keep losing vital beats…’

In that case, I’d better solidify my defense and look for an opportunity to counterattack. I used my hands to cast the Seven Star Thunderbolt Technique with one hand while invoking the Heavenly Five Divine Decisions with the other. As the ten streams of Qi surged towards Asura’s acupoint at overwhelming speed, he suddenly cast an unexpected technique.

Reverse Celestial Wheel!

Bang!

As Asura extended a palm towards the sky, a spinning wheel of energy appeared before him. Knowing that the Reverse Celestial Wheel wasn’t a defensive technique, I felt rattled.

‘Isn’t that an offensive technique?!’

Then, Asura drew the energy disc to his chest with an odd gesture that seemed to split the space above and below. At the same time, the Seven Star Thunderbolt Technique and Heavenly Five Divine Decisions I’d unleashed began surging into the Reverse Celestial Wheel!

Shhhhew

In an instant, the lit-up energy encircled the two techniques. The Reverse Celestial Wheel writhed and transformed into a faintly glowing Tai Chi. While I was shocked by this unexpected development, Asura layered the Tai Chi upon his sword and simultaneously launched a strike towards me.

Boom!!

I met it with my Thunder Sword, but at that moment, the energy of the Tai Chi manifested the Intent Heavenly Pillar and began altering reality.

Five Elements Transformation Wheel

Gold gives rise to Water

Crrrunch…

“I seeee….”

Suddenly, the energy infused within Asura’s blade felt enormously heavy. A dampness spread around us thick enough to obscure my vision, and I realized what was happening now.

Thunk.

After a round of blade clashes, I distanced myself from Asura and asked.

“What just happened?!”

Asura answered my question.

“I let the Infinite Slash flow into Infinite Slash. Simple, right?”

“……!! No way! You let it flow…”

“Why wouldn’t that make sense? I used Infinite Slash. We could simplify it to say that we faced each other with true swords. I merely let the flow of your killing intent spill over. Infinite Slash can cut our bodies, but if we release the force before being cut completely, then we can escape unscathed.”

Asura continued indifferently.

“Besides, the Reverse Celestial Wheel originally belongs to the Eight Immortals Divine Art, crafted by the Thunder God lineage’s Lee Cheong-un. It was naturally created with the Lotus Sect’s leader in mind. Therefore, the Reverse Celestial Wheel can counterbalance the Five Elements Manipulation ability of the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. You must have learned the essence of the Reverse Celestial Wheel when learning the hidden technique from Lee Cheong-un, right?”

“Yeah. I learned it. But… I’ve never heard that you could treat a Thunder Sword like Gold to neutralize its force via the property of Water!”

I had no choice but to be flabbergasted. The ability to absorb the Seven Star Thunderbolt Technique and Heavenly Five Divine Decisions just now didn’t exist in the version of the Reverse Celestial Wheel I understood. To think it could even nullify the Thunder Sword!

Then Asura grinned slyly.

“My hands evolved the Eight Immortals Divine Art. Got it?”

“…What?”

“The Eight Immortals Divine Art, crafted from the Seven Great Techniques, is admittedly a brilliant martial art but mostly relies on Lee Cheong-un’s genius. There’s really only you as the successor, and you haven’t had the time to develop it properly in your subsequent lives. Although geniuses learned the Eight Immortals Divine Art rapidly, did they have the time to research it while overwhelmed just reaching the Absolute Realm?”

“That stands to reason.”

“But I, having time to spare until the end, diligently practiced the Eight Immortals Divine Art to discover its hidden properties and strengthen it further.”

“……!!”

“Even Lee Cheong-un, who created the Reverse Celestial Wheel, wouldn’t be able to wield it like I do, because I’ve incorporated countless hours of training into it, transforming it into something practically distinct! That’s why I can nullify the Thunder Sword.”

“That’s… crazy…”

The Eight Immortals Divine Art evolved in Asura’s hands?

This was a situation I did not foresee at all. I was nearly in a daze but regained my composure.

“…But the idea of letting Infinite Slash flow just doesn’t add up. That’s still a Thunder Sword that pierces through the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance directly. Even though it’s the same Infinite Slash, how is that possible?”

“Even after seeing it firsthand, you still refuse to believe? Do you need me to explain everything in painstaking detail? Didn’t you say martial arts aren’t just verbal?”

“……”

I could only shut my mouth at a loss for words. Asura shook his head repeatedly.

“I’d struggle to put it into words too. But it just works! Once you reach my level, you might figure it out.”

The moment Asura said that, I realized with urgency.

‘Ah…’

The current Asura was on a different level.

He had become a being vastly separate from the Demon King Asura, who pushed with intense destructive power using the Intent Techniques of the Absolute Realm and the overwhelming magical force. Instead, he’d stepped into a realm that far exceeded the ordinary Absolute Realm, rendering me a child in comparison to him right now.

Recognizing this, I said to Asura in a trembling voice.

“Asura… Did you, by any chance, obtain the Divine Skill?”

When I asked, Asura chuckled lightly.

“Hey, Baek Woong. Would you buy it if I said I lost because I used the Divine Skill?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“The Divine Skill is nothing special. I just polished what I had. I frantically made up for the time I wasted while being a Demon King.”

Asura, who spoke as if mourning something, sheathed his sword.

Clink

“Baek Woong. Don’t blame everything on skill level. You know martial arts can’t be judged by such a convenient standard, right? It’s not like a game where you level up.”

“……”

Game? Level up?

When I tilted my head at this unfamiliar term, Asura suddenly realized.

“Oh, you haven’t been here long, have you? Anyway, stuff like that exists.”

“What? So you’ve been checking out modern civilization while you just seem to train?”

“Of course! The world’s changing so fast, it’s quite enjoyable… Anyway!”

Asura cleared his throat and continued.

“You need time to refine the numerous techniques you’ve already comprehended. I’ll help with that, just like when Lee Cheong-un taught you the hidden technique.”

“You really want to become my martial arts instructor…”

“I wouldn’t say nonsense after coming this far. Heh.”

I realized Asura was sincere. I nodded.

“I’ll rely on you.”

Having reached the Absolute Realm, I instantly felt my unfounded pride and arrogance deflating. Perhaps Asura had coaxed our sparring on purpose to shatter any of my psychological arrogance.

I’ll have to give it my all.

Now that I know I can grow further beyond the Absolute Realm, all I can do is work hard!

“Well, since the Churned Brainer agreed to keep things under control while you’re absent, you should stay here and train for about six months.”

“Six months? Can’t I keep training endlessly?”

“If you have no shot at succeeding, I’ll wash my hands of it.”

“…That won’t happen.”

I absolutely won’t give up!

As I steeled my resolve, Asura said.

“Oh, but before we start training, I’ve got something to say.”

“What is it?”

My eyes widened at his following statement.

“I can’t and won’t teach you the Nirvana of the Absolute. Absolutely will not.”

“…….”

“Other than that, I’ll share everything I know.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

I shouted in disbelief.

“Why can’t you teach me! That’s your ultimate technique.”

“Can’t teach it.”

“Why not! Is it because my talent is insufficient to learn it…?”

“No, not really. That’s part of it, though.”

Asura nodded with his arms crossed.

“If you learn that, you’ll definitely become the world’s strongest in one-on-one combat. If you could combine it with the Nine Chambers of Thunder Techniques, you’d undoubtedly achieve that. But in the end, you’d spend thousands of years going in circles, which is why I refuse to lead you down the wrong path from the start.”