Four Spirits’ Soul

After Lee Kwang passed out, I didn’t head straight to the village but made my way to the cave where I meditated. I figured Mangnyang would handle the miscellaneous tasks I needed to do in the village, and something way more important had come up.

Enlightenment!

It wasn’t the full realization of martial arts, but the fact that a glimmer of ‘feeling’ came to me in a situation where there were no clues at all was certainly uplifting. In reality, once I reached the Absolute Realm, the only remaining tasks were to enhance my skills in Infinite Slash or other forms of technique, and being in a state where I had no clear sense of the realm beyond the Absolute Realm—it was boring to just practice martial arts without knowing if or when I’d reach the next step.

But now, something felt different.

I hadn’t become stronger from just this realization, yet it did feel like a staircase had appeared in the empty void!

‘But this feeling… I have a hunch it won’t last long before it disappears.’

This was the instinct of someone who had spent years training in martial arts. I felt that if I didn’t somehow cling desperately to this trivial enlightenment, it would vanish like a mirage. I had no solid evidence, but this feeling loomed larger than mere reasoning in my life.

Woooh…

I sat in the cave, restoring my spent strength and energy from training a hundred thousand times. Before I knew it, I had begun to work through the Thunder God Sword Dance, spinning through my thoughts until I was wholly recharged.

‘Well, it looks like my achievement in Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique isn’t that high yet…’

Lee Seol-pyo had once marveled at my genius talent for the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. However, that was because my comrades had spent 500 years refining the Thunder God Fist to match the ‘Baek Woong’ standard, and honestly, my training time for the Nine Chambers of Thunder wasn’t that long either, ending up just shy of 500 years in the future.

‘I really need to pour everything into practicing Nine Chambers of Thunder and achieving greater perfection. I feel like something’s missing right now…’

I clenched my teeth.

‘When will I reach the Nine Chambers?’

According to what Lee Seol-pyo had told me about achieving the Nine Chambers, once you reach the extreme, you can supposedly unleash the Nine Chambers itself. This Nine Chambers existed only in theory, as not a single individual from the creators of Nine Chambers of Thunder, or even any descendants, had actually reached it.

First and foremost, the necessary internal power required to reach this Nine Chambers would exponentially increase, and no solution for the bodily imbalance created once all of the Thunder Spirits reached saturation was available.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

It took a full two moments of meditation for me to completely recover my stamina. If I had rushed through the recovery, I could have achieved it even faster, but the act of meditating in this position boosted my focus, so I didn’t push it.

“Ah…”

And in the course of those two moments of thought, I realized something.

“I haven’t reached a peak in anything yet.”

I had been subconsciously avoiding this deadly flaw that I had known all along!

My Seven Great Techniques were still in progress. While I’d raised the level of the other six great techniques somewhat after picking up Peerless Technique, the potential of Zhang Sanbong’s tricks was boundless, making it hard to consider any of them fully mastered. If I had genuinely mastered any technique to perfection, I should have been able to freely use Combined Techniques like Zhang Sanbong, but that was still a distant goal. Techniques like Nine Palace Heavenly Net Tenth Segment or the Mysterious Sky Nine Dragon Wave would mean I had reached the peak.

And did I thoroughly master Peerless Technique? Definitely not. I’d achieved a level of consistent usage after reaching Great Achievement, but hadn’t obtained the realm of capability as Zhang Sanbong had.

As for the Eight Immortals Divine Art? Let’s not even get started. I’d roughly trained it with help from grandmaster-level experts one by one, but the training period was shorter than the Seven Great Techniques, and my lack of talent meant I couldn’t say I’d opened up its potential. I could use the essence of the Soul Extinguishing Step through the Divine Intent’s Heavenly Pillar from the Absolute Realm, but its true capability would make me over twice as strong, giving me a strong feeling that I wasn’t even at Great Achievement.

Wudang Sect techniques weren’t even in the running, and what about the Thunder God lineage techniques?

With the completion of the Thunder God Sword’s unique technique, I’d attained a realm beyond Great Achievement and was closest to the peak. But even so, 500 years later, the master conduct of the ‘Thunder God Sword Dance’ could unleash the thunder’s essence, a power that could even endanger Zhang Sanbong, who could execute Peerless Technique in a moment of pure thought.

I couldn’t say I had completely mastered the unique technique yet, so I didn’t feel I could declare I had perfectly reached that pinnacle. Perhaps if I had remained in that world for another 500 years, I could have learned that secret from Dokgo Seong, but I didn’t have the time.

As for the Thunder God Spear Arts and Fist Techniques? They weren’t even on par with sword techniques, so I had no words to share. I enjoyed using my Thunder Spirit Seal and Thunder God Fist, but given my potential, they seemed powerful mainly thanks to my Thunder God lineage abilities, while my capabilities were at best that of a license holder for Thunder God lineage.

And I didn’t exactly have a talent for Fist Techniques, nor had I dug deep into them, so that was to be expected.

On the divine arts front, there was still plenty of promise. I had grasped the essence of the ‘Soul Removal’ through mastering the Heaven Shattering Step given to me by the Grandmaster, making it possible to claim that there was almost no one faster than me in this world with divine arts. However, the Heaven Shattering Step required a tremendous concentration where one would lose themselves completely and channel all their energy in a single dash, making it difficult to claim it was always at its peak.

Plus, I still felt I didn’t quite know how to apply the Heaven Shattering Step purely to combat. I definitely needed to practice divine arts more thoroughly.

As for the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique, I really had nothing to boast about. I learned it, but my specialty lay in the Thunder God lineage swordplay. While I was undoubtedly at a higher level than an ordinary ten-year practitioner of Shadowless Gate, it felt embarrassing to even discuss peak mastery.

What remained were the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique and the divine skill of the Divine Thief. However, I had only reached the initial five stages of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique before, so it was just a way to untangle my martial incongruities without ever obtaining its true essence. At most, I was on the level of mimicking the Six Intent Holy Heaven Diagram.

And the divine skills of the Divine Thief fit my aptitude quite well, so despite the brief training period, my achievement level was surprisingly high but…

‘As for the Technique of All Things… I might be a genius, but…. No, both the Ten Thousand Constellations Lord and the Divine Thief’s skills suit me perfectly…. sigh… damn it….’

My expression immediately crumpled.

Honestly, I often felt uneasy about my proficiency with the Technique of All Things. Especially after hearing it said during the end of my 28th life that the results I obtained using the Technique of All Things weren’t considered ‘martial arts,’ it left me feeling even more unsettled.

It really felt strange.

I lacked talent in showing off my true martial arts abilities, so I always craved skill, yet recognizing that I had a talent for the theft-type skills made it feel less than pleasant to admit it myself.

‘The Divine Thief and the Technique of All Things don’t represent the ideal martial artist I want to be!’

On another note, the Immortal Sword Technique was still elusive in its identity, so there was no way to discuss reaching the peak, and the Dark Night Slash was the same.

Truly, I hadn’t achieved a peak in anything!

“……”

Thud

“Is this what enlightenment feels like…?”

It hit me.

I realized what that enlightenment I had just obtained truly was.

I suddenly recognized the essence of the inner demon that had been tormenting my heart all this time.

It was the extreme contradiction of having no talent but possessing dozens of top-notch martial arts that I was expected to master endlessly!

Honestly, I had felt this contradiction for a long time, but after rising to the Absolute Realm with the Divine Intent Heavenly Pillar, I had been able to evade facing it; the overwhelming power of the Absolute Realm allowed me to offset most of my shortcomings. Afterward, I had wielded its power, enjoying the overwhelming face-off capabilities of Infinite Slash while seldom reflecting seriously on this flaw.

But now I had to confront the reality.

Even if I reached the Absolute Realm, it was still an escape from reality.

The fact that I still lacked talent while being burdened with the task of mastering dozens of peerless martial arts—I realized that unless I figured this out, I wouldn’t be able to move forward.

Be it in ten years or a hundred, I could end up stuck wandering aimlessly, pondering over what the Dark Night Slash was, or what the Immortal Sword Technique entailed.

This frustration manifested itself for my inner demon to become aware!

“So, what martial art will I train in right now?”

I blurted out my frustrating thoughts to myself. This wasn’t just a thought to myself, but simultaneously a challenge for my inner demon.

“What martial arts will I dedicate my life to master with undying conviction for the next few hundred years, Baek Woong!”

The moment I scolded myself, I felt the strength drain from my entire being.

And then I let it go.

I already knew the answer.

‘Nothing…’

It wasn’t that I had nothing, but rather it felt like it was the same as having nothing due to the overwhelming tasks ahead.

Recognizing this contradiction in reality left me almost gasping for air.

Nine Chambers of Thunder, Immortal Sword Technique, Dark Night Slash, Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, Seven Great Techniques, Peerless Technique, Eight Immortals Divine Art, Thunder Shadow Sword Technique, Heaven Shattering Step, and so on…

All of these had achievements that I needed to attain, yet I couldn’t muster confidence to even focus on one. My top priority naturally was the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, but even though the progress was smooth now, I could easily get sidetracked by other martial arts once I hit a wall later. The Immortal Sword Technique and Dark Night Slash could hold no promises, and the same went for all the peerless martial arts.

Enlightenment truly meant the belief that this martial arts world existed.

This also meant, just as Lee Dong-bin said, that a talentless martial artist only had the belief that dedicated their life to breaking through the walls holding them back! I had felt this so acutely!

Moreover, the peril of failing each and every path meant that I would unavoidably die, and in that death lie the countless wasted hours due to a lack of talent, and I wished to avoid such excruciating experiences and suffering. Hence, I had grown complacent in the current conditions of the Absolute Realm.

Truly, how often must I slam against the ‘walls’ without hesitation to reach where I want to go?

To reach the peaks I desired with my limited talent… I might need to perish countless times over millions of years.

Would my willpower allow this to happen?

‘By now… my stamina and energy wouldn’t even make the effort of training the Ranna Chul a big deal. I can’t be pushed to the edge. Hence…’

Realizing how trivial even extreme training felt, I could see my stamina automatically recovering even while resting. Of course, I could still face the Three Sovereigns or the Eight Parts of the Divine without reasoning, but that wouldn’t hold any real significance, would it? Ultimately, when facing them, martial arts would be eclipsed by divine power in reality.

I had come to an understanding.

No, I had realized.

I had been turning my back on this difficult reality….

“Ah…. damn… ha….”

No one told me to reach the peak of all the peerless martial arts.

However, I never jokingly reincarnated. I believed that I would hold the ultimate True Vacuum Energy that could erase anything and, in the meantime, realized that I must see the limits of martial arts to win against a divine being. I had already come to understand that overwhelming peak was utterly impossible in my current state.

Because a tree with shallow roots can never grow to be a giant!

‘The higher I ascend, I will need even more overwhelming experience and training points to reach even higher peaks!!’

I unconsciously shut my eyes tightly.

‘If I can’t digest even half of what I already possess, I can’t go higher!!’

I feel like I now understand why I kept circling around like, ‘If I can’t train Immortal Sword Technique then it’s Nine Chambers of Thunder, if that doesn’t work it’s Dark Night Slash, and then the Seven Great Techniques…’ When I hit one wall, I had to break through it with infinite training and an unwavering belief towards life and death. Yet each one of those walls demanded thousands of years of training and dozens of deaths. Each of them would surely rank among the top of the martial world and required talents of a peerless level.

Under such circumstances, as the world faced the threat of destruction, the [Old Rulers] came in with a challenge, while allies needed protecting and information gathered—it was only natural that I felt utterly bogged down.

I had been unconsciously turning away from this fact until now.

Knowing all too well that among the emperors, the Three Sovereigns, or the [Old Rulers], that this dream was utterly unattainable during a fierce battle.

With clenched fists, I trembled violently.

Given the absolute lack of talent I faced, it was inevitable. But now, the foundational requirements had certainly shifted. Having gained the Divine Intent Heavenly Pillar of the Absolute Realm, it was now the time to solidify every martial art I had acquired based on this overwhelming ability.

Whether it took decades or centuries, now was the time for training that involved knuckle-biting struggle and horrendously tedious fatigue to ground me.

‘Maybe that’s why I turned my back on it all during this time….’

I sorted my thoughts while consolidating yet another insight.

‘Belief builds martial arts. This was something I’d heard once before.’

After another moment of meditation, I decided to head down to the village. The moment I arrived, I called Mangnyang, Asura, and Saint Germain for a meeting.

“Mangnyang, when do you expect to trigger that plan for the Eight Parts of the Divine’s total destruction you mentioned before?”

As I asked in a serious tone, Mangnyang seemed to sense something off and twitched his brows.

“Hmm. The rumors have been laid, and in a few days, Princess Hyosung will meet Seongseo Castle Lord… So, it might be another month or two.”

“That’s fine. Just confirming that is enough.”

Then I turned to Saint Germain and said, “Saint Germain, I want to request something from you.”

“What is it?”

I calmly expressed what I had contemplated in the cave. “A demon artifact that allows time to flow slowly inside this void space—where only a year passes outside but ten years can be spent inside.”

“Huh…?”

Saint Germain blinked, then responded. “I could create it, but you’d need to share its intended use to provide a proper answer.”

“Training.”

“Training? Could it be… You mean to train martial arts using Qi and intent within the confines of that demon artifact?”

“Is that not possible?”

“……”

Saint Germain’s expression began to clarify, realizing something while shaking his head furiously. “You already know, but demon artifacts aren’t omnipotent and have their own durability limits, of course. Even a powerful demon artifact would break if it’s persistently drained by a mighty Demon King or peerless expert, eventually leading to its destruction. Even sealed demon artifacts have a clear limit, and how could one create a training demon artifact?”

“Hmm.”

“I thought you were crafting something for torturing captured enemies. Weapons must not be used on someone who has been incapacitated, right? A demon artifact of that sort cannot be created by human hands. If someone of your caliber trained inside such a demon artifact, it would definitely shatter.”

“Human hands…?”

Something struck my mind, and I asked, “Saint Germain, then could we use fragments of the Crystal Stele?”

“Hmm! You’re indeed circling back to that…”

Saint Germain hummed thoughtfully, then slowly nodded. “It might be possible, but bring as many fragments as you can gather.”

“Got it.”

I needed to execute Mangnyang’s plan well.

Then, Asura, who had been quietly observing our conversation, opened his mouth, filled with curiosity.

“Baek Woong! What’s on your mind? Suddenly talking about a training demon artifact.”

“Asura, I’ve realized something.”

“What did you realize?”

“I can’t afford to settle into this Absolute Realm state. I need to tackle the walls in front of me one by one, risking everything I’ve got.”

“……”

I clenched my fists.

“This is my chance. I’m determined to overcome this inner demon!”

“Your inner demon…?”

“Even if I can’t conquer it, I’ll at least create a foundation.”

Asura, with his arms crossed, seemed to understand and nodded.

“That’s impressive. I was wondering when you’d figure out the contradiction but couldn’t believe you realized your inner demon’s root cause yourself. Was training with Lee Kwang really that effective?”

“……”

“I think I know what you’re aiming to do. If you want to risk your life breaking past the walls, I’ll be there to back you up, Baek Woong.”

“Hmm, about that…”

I cautiously continued, “I’m planning to go meet Yeodong-bin in the Celestial Realm right now; can you accompany me?”

“……”

“Is that… not acceptable?”

Asura seemed taken aback by my sudden request. Then he chuckled, bursting into laughter.

“Hahaha! You want to die together? If things go south and we’re surrounded by countless immortals in the Celestial Realm, you’d want me to fight with you?”

Normally, I’d be flustered by Asura’s reaction and apologetic. But I had sorted my thoughts with numerous contemplations in the cave, so I responded calmly without a change of expression.

“To catch a tiger, you have to go into the tiger’s den. The best way for me to gain enlightenment right now is to meet Yeodong-bin.”

“That’s true. Whether it’s Nine Chambers of Thunder or Dark Night Slash or Immortal Sword Technique… it’s highly likely that the crux lies in meeting Yeodong-bin.”

“Furthermore, I decided not to delay this any further, as it might complicate matters due to the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

Asura seemed to understand my reasoning and continued, “So you’re worried about dying in the operation to send the Eight Parts of the Divine to outer space?”

“…Yeah. There’s a risk of both of us dying, but if we’re going to do it, it makes more sense to obtain enlightenment first, right?”

“Indeed! You’re spot on!”

Asura cheered and stepped forward.

“And we should also take care of the Great Flood’s matter before long. If you’re thinking that way, I’ll gladly accompany you right away.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

“Hey, it’s something I’ve been itching to try out. There’ll surely be a laugh to be had, taking down immortal beings of the Celestial Realm and dying gloriously on the battlefield!”

“…Haha.”

I could only give a hollow laugh.

No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t manage to think like Asura.

Was it because I had already experienced it when the [Old Rulers] invaded my body through Xuyou? I’d slaughtered those immortals carelessly, but it certainly wasn’t enjoyable, and whether I got rid of the Spirit or not, I felt too overwhelmed to persist in my thoughts of death. I was not in a mindset like Asura, embracing the very concept of battle and death.

I turned to Mangnyang.

“That’s set then. Mangnyang, I want to leverage your master’s power to ascend to the Celestial Realm smoothly.”

“……”

Mangnyang, who had been listening to our conversation, looked serious. “You mean to say that you wish to call forth the open door to the Celestial Realm by treating my master Cheon Woo-jin to a sacrificial ceremony?”

I shook my head. “I’ve heard of that method, but I’drather avoid giving too many bribes to your master. I plan to use the ‘back door’ instead, but it requires some preparation.”

“The back door? What do you mean by that?”

“There exists a pathway connecting the Celestial Realm, and in ancient times, there was one in the north. But that was destroyed by Jeon Wook, and other pathways are buried as well. Among those, I know the location of a back door, and I plan to cross into the Celestial Realm through there.”

“Hmm?! That’s…!”

“So here’s the plan…”

I shared the maneuver I had mulled over during my time in the cave with Mangnyang. Rather than a strategy, it was merely a method I had employed once in my past life, but Mangnyang seemed genuinely astonished as he listened.

“Incredible… It’s as if you’ve traveled to the Celestial Realm dozens of times! How do you know such methods?”

“Haha.”

“Well… if you’ve readied yourself to that extent, I will assist you. But…”

He conjured a piece of paper through magical means and swiftly scribbled something down. Mangnyang folded the paper delicately, transforming it into a paper bird that he sent soaring into the sky, and it promptly vanished like a living creature.

After performing this series of techniques, Mangnyang opened his mouth.

“I will help you, but don’t die in the Celestial Realm.”

“I’ll try not to die, but I can’t guarantee that.”

“If you die, how will you uphold your end of the bargain?”

“Ah, right…”

“Huff…”

Mangnyang sighed, then stated, “You seem to have good luck, so I trust you can manage somehow. I have sent a messenger to my master; go see him right away.”

“Thanks.”

Thud!

I promptly went to visit Mangnyang’s temple along with Asura to meet Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Woo-jin seemed to receive the paper bird summoned by Mangnyang and was holding wrinkled paper in one hand, looking incredibly displeased. He bluntly remarked, “You know, do I look like some servant who will grant your every request? What is this nonsense… How far do you wish to exploit your older brother?”

He genuinely looked miffed.

With a smirk, I replied, “Cheon Woo-jin, what if we made a deal instead?”

“What kind of deal?”

“If we achieve a certain goal after entering the Celestial Realm and return, I’ll teach you the genuine usage of the Land and Earth Diagram later.”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin’s mood soured further as he responded, “You conceited brat! Who do you think you are to even mention the genuine usage of the Land and Earth Diagram? Do you want to experience it yourself?”

“Then shall we wager?”

“A wager?”

“If there is indeed a genuine use, then you’ll have to work under me for the rest of your life, and if not, I’ll find the National Seal and Palace Examination Technique for you. I’ll stake my name on the location of the National Seal!”

“……!!”

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin flinched slightly. I could tell he felt anxious as I pressed him too hard. In the end, out of pride, he nodded.

“Alright! This promise cannot be withdrawn. You better uphold your side.”

“Understood.”

Knowing that Cheon Woo-jin had a greedy eye for the National Seal and Palace Examination Technique made me feel pleased that my provocation worked better than expected.

Shortly thereafter, Cheon Woo-jin prepared the altar in the village and placed the red jade from the slave market alongside various gorgeous treasures atop it. Twin Broadswords and other items were included, naturally. Then he began reciting incantations slowly.

Woooo….

And thus, the summoning ceremony for the Great Immortal, which had not been held in this life, was underway. Having seen this scene countless times before, I felt no thrill, but Asura beside me watched on in fascination.

Bang!!

When the Great Immortal revealed himself, he appeared puzzled and asked, “Huh? Aren’t you me? It’s the first time someone calls me up instead of some other famous immortal out of nowhere.”

Though summoned with a physical body, I found it strange. I smiled at the Great Immortal. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Celestial Sage.”

Celestial Sage briefly eyed the sacrificial offerings on the altar, grunting slightly. “I don’t mind bribes, but this isn’t exactly to my taste… Do you want to get to the point?”

Huh? Was his reaction a bit different from before?

Still, I thought it could be plausible, so with a chuckle, I replied, “I anticipated that.”

“Huh?”

Boom!

I swiftly opened the wooden armor and took out superb liquors and snacks obtained from the slave market. The moment Celestial Sage laid eyes on it, his jaw dropped in shock while Cheon Woo-jin’s face twisted in disgust.

Grabbing the neck of a liquor bottle, I shouted out a catchphrase I had learned from 500 years in the future. “Let’s celebrate! Drink up!”

Celestial Sage stared blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Seems like this kid can drink!”

Moments later, we joyfully began drinking. I stood forth, ready to sing a tune as I thought, ‘Let’s do this!’

The plan to use the back door to the Celestial Realm was about to unfold!