전생검신 80권 1화

Shim Su-ryeok was sent flying by the force thrown by Ho-wol and thought,

‘Should I rush to my master?!’

At a glance, the enemy’s power looked extraordinary. He believed that even if the entire Martial World came after his master, they would win, yet this crew from the clan seemed inherently dangerous. He didn’t think his master would lose, but it was hard not to worry about enemies with sharp fangs that could inflict wounds.

However, being a seasoned martial artist who once reached the pinnacle of the martial world, Shim Su-ryeok quickly calmed his judgment.

‘Interfering would only be a hindrance to my master! If he faces peril, he will use ‘that power’ he often mentioned, and having me nearby would complicate his use of it.’

With that conclusion, while he was free-falling down like a bottomless abyss created by the pressure from Ho-wol’s double energy, he muttered.

“Ho-wol. I intended to become your disciple and grow my strength before challenging again, but I might not get to fulfill that thought.”

Shim Su-ryeok sensed it.

Today, this place would be more dangerous than any spot he encountered throughout his adventures in Jianghu.

Ta-da-dat

Having fallen from hundreds of sheets, Shim Su-ryeok landed soundlessly like a feather, thanks to his light body technique. Upon landing, he discovered three others waiting for him. Shim Su-ryeok was puzzled.

“Why aren’t we moving forward?”

“There’s a reason, you idiot.”

“Damn it.”

Huang Ha Shenlong said this scornfully, and as Shim Su-ryeok shot a glare at him, the Heavenly Demon Lady, Im So-young, explained the situation.

“We don’t know where the target is. We were waiting for you to discuss our next steps together.”

“Hmm, that makes sense. We’ve come down, but without a clear target to smash…”

At that moment, the Dosheng Gang Yu-chan, who was dropping his sword, spoke up.

“Don’t you feel some kind of vibration? Like the heartbeat…”

“……”

At Gang Yu-chan’s words, the other three focused with their absolute realm senses. Shortly after, they felt a subtle vibration resonating from the ground, and they all gasped.

“I see! Is that what the master mentioned?”

“Gang Yu-chan, how did you catch this subtle energy?”

“I think it’s because my senses heightened extremly during the previous fight. I smashed those iron clogs the most.”

Gang Yu-chan, who said that, smiled bitterly.

“Our absolute realm can only sense this energy after coming down to such a place, but the master seems to have sensed it from the ground.”

“Ha, everyone knows that’s why we became disciples. Hehe.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

Ta-da-dat

They all combined their strength and headed deeper underground. On their way, there were countless machines, traps, and defensive facilities, but they managed to break through each time using techniques employing their absolute realm intents. While they pierced through about twenty layers of solid defenses, Shim Su-ryeok thought inwardly,

‘If just one or two had come instead of all four, we might have died here. What kind of insane traps are there?’

Hellish traps where four absolute realm experts needed to collaborate to survive! Normal protection energy techniques wouldn’t work against these, as space itself could distort or an entirely new poison mist erupted. Though, thanks to Im So-young from the Demon Sect, dealing with poison and having agility surpassing humans, they just barely managed to break through.

Kugugugu…

Finally, when they reached the innermost part, they discovered a small door leading somewhere. Im So-young, who examined the door from different angles, said,

“This is a mechanism leading down somewhere. A person gets inside and rides it down.”

“What? In such a narrow, steel box? It honestly sounds like a trap…”

“It’s probably not a trap. If it were a trap, it wouldn’t be hidden so clearly in a corner.”

“… I’ll trust you, the best poisons master of the Demon Sect and expert in mechanisms.”

To that, Im So-young smiled bitterly.

“That Demon Sect was destroyed by Ho-wol, the master of the White Lotus Sect. And I think I’ve mentioned several times that we are merely the upcoming faction of the Baehwa Sect.”

“Oh, I see. You helped destroy the Demon Sect from within in disgust at their human sacrifices.”

“Enough with the chit-chat; let’s go. We don’t have time.”

Kugukung…

Riding the mechanism deeper underground, they arrived at a place with hot lava bubbling in front of them. Seeing the lava, Shim Su-ryeok was flabbergasted.

“What is that? Isn’t it obviously a trap?”

“… No. I can sense life on the other side.”

“Seriously… Do we have to go through the lava?”

“……”

Not just Shim Su-ryeok, but the other three were also stunned. They never expected such a place far exceeding human logic.

At that moment,

“You guys don’t need to.”

A bright, clear voice echoed to them. The four turned to the voice’s source, and shortly after, something like blue powder began to gather in the empty space, until a human figure appeared.

Pa-at

‘Is that sorcery?’

Shim Su-ryeok thought inwardly.

The figure that appeared was a man with an abundance of worldly greed, appearing to be between youth and middle age. However, from the slightly gray hair, it was questionable whether his appearance mirrored his real age. Shim Su-ryeok wondered if he had undergone a half-transition. Moreover, he wore an entirely white, clean set of clothes that was unique for this time.

‘What’s with those eyes?’

Additionally, he had something like glass beads over his eyes, and Shim Su-ryeok couldn’t figure out what they were for.

Anyhow, no one here recognized the newly appeared figure, sending a tense atmosphere lingering, and Dosheng Gang Yu-chan stepped forward to question the newcomer.

“Who are you? Why do we not need to go through the lava?”

The stranger smiled brightly and replied,

“I am Huang Wu, the head of this Chi You Research Institute. It’s a pleasure to meet the esteemed masters of the White Lotus Sect, ha ha ha.”

“……”

Gang Yu-chan was baffled. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall. The same went for Huang Ha Shenlong and Shim Su-ryeok, but only Im So-young seemed to recognize it, her face turning pale as she exclaimed,

“… Your Master’s disciple!! Are you one of the disciples of Damo?!”

Upon that, Huang Wu showed an astonishing expression.

“Oh my, did Ho-wol talk about me? But, Im So-young, you are indeed the hidden legitimate heiress of the Baehwa Sect; you seem to know quite a bit.”

“……!!”

“Anyway, it’s irrelevant. I don’t want to be interrupted in this grand plan of mine by mere martial artists like you.”

Huang Wu waved his hand forward and said,

“Why do you think you don’t need to go through the lava? It’s simple: you’ll all die here…”

Just as it seemed Huang Wu was about to attack first, that wasn’t the case.

They were far too seasoned of Jianghu people to just wait for the enemy before them to strike.

Huang Ha Shinlong’s Eighteen Punches of the Huang River.

Absolute Slash.

Huang River Dra…

With a swift burst of power, the two dragons that once dominated the Water Realm of Jianghu simultaneously unleashed their most powerful absolute slashes!

Before the overwhelming might of the world-class martial skill pierced into Huang Wu, his entire being exploded into a mess.

Kuwakakwang!

As flesh fell to the ground like a pile, Huang Ha Shenlong landed and shouted,

“Damn it! I didn’t come this far just to hear you flap your gums!”

Dosheng Gang Yu-chan laughed heartily.

“Ha ha. That’s the truth.”

Sword Saint Absolute Skill.

Five Thousand Cuts.

Pii pii ping –

Thud.

In the next moment, thousands of incisions were drawn in the air, followed by a resounding clash that scattered various iron pieces. Detecting the murderous intent hiding in invisibility to attack, he severed it all at once. Dosheng Gang Yu-chan concluded by saying,

“It’s best to dispatch someone using such sorcery quickly.”

The four of them knew they lived in an ancient Jianghu, where martial artists and sorcerers weren’t distinguished and all competed for strength. Thus, they all understood the efficiency of striking first against sorcerers.

However, only Im So-young, gazing at Huang Wu’s scattered remains, showed a fearful expression.

“… It’s not finished yet. He isn’t dead.”

“Could he be using the revival sorcery I’ve heard of?”

“No. It’s not exactly revival sorcery; it’s a rough method manipulating souls and flesh merely to keep from getting sent into the underworld. Even that requires the strongest sorcery only the master of the Baehwa Sect can perform, and now that he’s reduced to mere flesh, it’s impossible to revive him…”

As Im So-young glanced at somewhere, she added,

“Something feels off. His soul is heading to some strange place. But that person doesn’t seem like a sorcerer; he looks like a master of another discipline.”

“……”

Hearing that, Shim Su-ryeok pondered before saying,

“Regardless of whether that’s true or not, does it matter now? If he appears again, we’ll just have to kill him again.”

“True.”

“Is there a way to cross the lava? That Huang Wu may not be a sorcerer, but you are…”

While they could endure the lava for a bit with protection energy techniques, using them drained a massive amount of internal power and couldn’t be maintained long. Even for absolute realm masters, crossing lava was a perilous task.

Thus, all three were relying on Im So-young. She was renowned as the top sorceress of the Demon Sect in the past.

“Of course.”

Im So-young chanted an incantation, then attached an amulet to each of their backs.

“This is a fire resistance amulet. With this, you can withstand the lava’s heat. However, its effect lasts only half a round.”

“So, we have to find a target and smash it within half a round?”

“Let’s go.”

Toowung!

They made their way across the lava using the amulet’s power as they dashed over the unending expanse of lava. After quite some time, just when the amulet’s effect was near expiration, they could finally spot the [target].

Ta-da!

“Phew, that was close.”

“What the heck is that?”

Thud.

Thud.

There loomed a massive and mysterious figure locked inside a glass wall. It pulsated strangely as they neared, arousing intense sensations, almost as if alive. Shim Su-ryeok found himself unable to refrain from exclaiming,

“A heart… It’s a heart. But how can it be so huge?”

How large must a creature be to possess such a vast heart?

This fundamental question struck him, but it soon dawned on them simultaneously.

That was undoubtedly the ‘target.’

As that thought crossed his mind, Shim Su-ryeok signaled to the three beside him. They all nodded, and shortly after, they summoned their true internal power to heat the martial arts extensively.

They had to smash it!

“AAAH!”

Then, the four absolute masters lunged together, pouring their ultimate techniques into the gigantic heart!

Boom!

“Cough!!”

“Ugh?!”

“Ah!”

“Ugh!!”

But the outcome was disastrous. A transparent, intangible wall appeared right in front of the glass wall guarding the heart and absorbed their attack. Momentarily stripped of their power, they lost balance and were flung back.

Thud.

As Shim Su-ryeok landed hard on the ground, he realized in that split second.

‘This… This feeling…’

It felt just like when striking the Demon Sorcery Pillar, absorbing his energy!!

While the four lay toppled, mechanical sounds echoed throughout the venue.

[Ha ha ha… The absolute realm really is something. Who would’ve thought an entangling shield could withstand this much… Huh? I’ve just burned through the energy gathered over hundreds of years at the institute?]

Wiying.

Before the four collapsed, a pale figure resembling Huang Wu appeared. It was unmistakably a mere illusion since no one needed to explain this wasn’t the real Huang Wu, causing the four to stagger back up, glaring at him. Huang Wu pretended to dust off his white robe and said,

[Ha Eun-cheon will scold you later. Well, if the heart breaks, he’ll also face trouble, so I wonder if he can dare say a word to me? Hehe.]

Seeing Huang Wu chuckling, Im So-young gritted her teeth and said,

“You’re deceiving us. You’ll say we can break through the shield again, but you’ve prepared for that, right?”

[Oh! It seems you’re the smartest of the four. I wanted to enjoy watching a bunch of Jianghu fools foolishly charge at me…]

“……”

[As long as I’m here, nobody can touch the heart. If there’s no one around, perhaps it’s possible, but I’ve activated the entangling shield, and even the Old Ruler couldn’t break through the heart.]

With that, all four simultaneously foresaw failure. Yet, Im So-young refused to back down, pressing for information.

“What exactly is that heart? What are you planning?”

[What’s there to explain? I already told you, it’s the Chi You’s heart.]

Huang Wu’s apparition stroked the glass wall containing the heart with an affectionate touch.

[It’s the heart of the only being that could purely overpower Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen in an era when humanity had no history. You couldn’t possibly fathom the immense value this holds.]

“……”

[Well, I must take my leave without resentment… My dear disciples of the Old Ruler.]

Bam!

Suddenly, a bright flash erupted. After the flash, Shim Su-ryeok realized that Huang Ha Shenlong beside him had vanished without a trace, leaving nothing but dark ash.

“……!!”

What on earth just happened?!

Shim Su-ryeok, unable to hide his shock at the swift assassination of an absolute realm master, heard Huang Wu’s voice.

[Your absolute realm can evade or block attacks at the speed of light a few times, right? So wouldn’t it be better to eliminate you with a single blow that’s ‘faster than light’?]

“Damn it!!”

[That’s called over-science.]

“Go to hell!!”

Shim Su-ryeok couldn’t suppress his rage and charged towards Huang Wu’s illusion, but true to its nature, it simply flitted through the air.

Bam!

Next, Dosheng Gang Yu-chan vanished. Huang Wu’s illusion reappeared, seemingly directing Yu-chan’s disappearance with his finger, showing intrigue.

[Heh, did that friend truly aim to take down light? But what can he do when I said it was faster?]

“……!!”

Shim Su-ryeok was at a loss. Just then, Im So-young rushed behind him, and out of nowhere, she pierced her hand straight through his heart.

“Cough!!”

[Ha ha ha, are they going to kill each other?]

Huang Wu laughed, but amid Shim Su-ryeok’s screams, he heard Im So-young’s voice.

[Listen carefully. You must live. I’ll pretend to betray you, and I will even perish, but at least you must survive!]

What was she saying?

[I’ll attempt to perform a soul snatch at the cost of my life… My chances of success are pretty slim due to a low mastery of the technique… But you absolutely must live!!]

Thud.

It was the moment Shim Su-ryeok collapsed right there. As his consciousness drifted away, he felt something rapidly separating from his soul.

*

“… Huh?”

In a pool of blood, Shim Su-ryeok opened his eyes. Slowly, he rose from his place, blinking, but he found himself surrounded by blood and death.

No matter how he looked around, it was nothing but corpses. Numerous steel weapons lay smashed and broken around, and limbs were terrifyingly scattered everywhere. This brutal massacre scene was something even Shim Su-ryeok, who had traveled through Jianghu for long, had never seen.

Where is this?

“Ugh.”

Shim Su-ryeok forced himself to stand. He realized that while his body bore serious wounds, he was not dead yet. His abdomen had a hole, and his limbs were torn, but somehow he wasn’t dead. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend why he suddenly received such injuries.

As he staggered through the pile of corpses,

“Mas… Master…”

Shim Su-ryeok spotted his master, Ho-wol, sitting among the dead. Ho-wol also looked battered, covered in blood from serious wounds.

Next to him lay the corpse of Ha Eun-cheon, who had been pierced through the heart; Shim Su-ryeok inferred that his master had killed Ha Eun-cheon.

Hearing his call, Ho-wol turned his faint gaze to Shim Su-ryeok.

“…You… have switched souls.”

“Master… I’m Shim Su-ryeok.”

“Right… I know… Im So-young must have used the Soul Exchange Technique to save you. Temporarily, your soul must have been forced into this body after the original departed.”

“……”

“Truly a genius, Im So-young… If she had been born in a different era, she would have become the supreme martial artist as a heretical sect member… But how unfortunate she died…”

Indeed, Master Ho-wol seemed to know everything.

Realizing his situation instantly filled Shim Su-ryeok with both emotion and a harsh realization, causing him to bite his lips tightly.

“Master… We have perished. That Huang Wu, your disciple, took us all out with an attack faster than light.”

“… Is that so…?”

Hearing a sorrowful tone from Ho-wol, Shim Su-ryeok suddenly understood something and widened his eyes.

“D-Do you mean you knew he would be here? That Huang Wu would be present?”

“… Yes… I suspected as much…”

“……”

As Shim Su-ryeok stood there in a daze, Ho-wol closed his eyes and said,

“Ayuta, now!”

Bam!

“…?!”

Shim Su-ryeok realized he was in an entirely different place. Before him stood Ho-wol, still heavily injured, but now his wounds were obscured by a lotus flower, visibly healing.

Shim Su-ryeok, surrounded by this hazy place filled with lotus flowers, stared in confusion.

“Where is this?”

At that moment, a melodious voice resounded through the venue.

“Master. So Huang Wu was indeed a traitor.”

Under a great bodhi tree, a mysterious woman with closed eyes was present. Upon seeing her, Ho-wol said,

“Ayuta. Will I survive?”

“……”

The woman, named Ayuta, sighed.

“It will be difficult.”

Only then did Shim Su-ryeok realize who had appeared before him.

The Divine Maiden, Princess Ayuta.

As another disciple of Damo like Huang Wu, she was among the top sorceresses in the White Lotus Sect, and now she had come to save them.

Ho-wol, seemingly desperate, replied to Ayuta’s words,

“Is there truly no way? I can’t die here.”

“… How could I say that I couldn’t?”

The Divine Maiden, Ayuta, lowered her head and spoke.

“I alone know what kind of torment you’d face in the afterlife. I don’t want to let that happen to you. But…”

“……”

“What’s even more fatal than the physical wounds received while fighting them is the power you’ve expended to overcome them. You are aware of this, right?”

“Ugh!”

“Master!!”

In the next moment, from Ho-wol’s shoulders, wild and irregularly growing dark scales sprouted forcefully. Those scales seemed to rip at Ho-wol’s bones and flesh like brambles, and his distressing pain was evident as he stumbled. Shim Su-ryeok couldn’t help but be horrified by such a gruesome scene.

Breathless, Ho-wol gasped:

“Ugh, ugh… The single move Ha Eun-cheon retaliated with as he died… it’s… breaking the balance within me…”

“That guy seemed unaware of what power you had obtained. Yet, it seems he fought many beings of divine nature.”

“Indeed…”

“That was undoubtedly an Evil Qi meant to slay divine beings. You forcibly extracted it, but not even with that weapon could you endure the immense power of the Divine Dragon.”

“……”

So what emerged from Ho-wol’s body now, covered in those grotesque scales, was the outburst of the Divine Dragon’s power?

Shim Su-ryeok rapidly understood the situation and shouted at Princess Ayuta,

“Divine Maiden!! Why bring us here if Master cannot recover? Are we wasting our breath on meaningless talk?!!”

“……”

“If not, save him!! He cannot just go back like this!!”

Then, Princess Ayuta, eyes still closed, stated,

“There is a way to save him. However… the odds are tragically low.”

“What is it? I’ll use my life to assist! Whatever it takes!!”

“You have to expend not just your life but also that of your comrades, and mine as well…”

“What?!”

The Divine Maiden, Ayuta, slowly opened her eyes. The moment she did, Shim Su-ryeok felt the world tremble significantly.

“I will intervene in the [Small Cycle] by consuming the remainder of my life.”

Sasararak

The next moment, beneath the bodhi tree, the lotus flowers danced wildly. Princess Ayuta elevated into the air radiantly, while something monumental was unfolding in her presence.

As the lotus flowers swirled, Shim Su-ryeok realized the other three companions, previously lost to Huang Wu, were now standing beside him.

“…!! You guys, are you back?!”

In response, Huang Ha Shenlong glared at him as if asking what nonsense he was spouting.

“What nonsense? Weren’t you the one who urged us to seek Princess Ayuta’s salvation saying it’d be dangerous to enter Chi You’s heart? That’s exactly what just happened.”

“……?!”

What was going on?

However, at the same time, Shim Su-ryeok recognized an unfamiliar memory flooding into his mind at a rapid pace.

Pahat

“Ugh?!”

It was real. He somehow had those memories. Instead of being obliterated by Huang Wu, he had actively led the group away from charging into Chi You’s heart and sought aid from the Divine Maiden. Yet, how could something that never happened be etched into his memory?

As he unconsciously gazed at Princess Ayuta, she had once again closed her eyes. Slowly, she spoke.

“That’s how I transformed the [Small Cycle]. Having witnessed it firsthand and as the subject of the cycle, your memories didn’t vanish; rather, they were transmitted from another world.”

“……!!”

This is impossible!!

Shim Su-ryeok widened his eyes in astonishment at Ayuta’s powerful abilities.

‘Isn’t this divine power?’

Princess Ayuta, who was revered as a divine maiden, alongside her respect as Ho-wol’s counterpart in the White Lotus Sect, had never truly been confronted by them. She was an enigma, and Master Ho-wol deliberately didn’t introduce her to others. Sure, she was labeled as a great sorceress, but who knew she wielded such monumental power?!

Thud!

Yet, Ho-wol still bore grotesque scales sprouting from his shoulders. Seeing the nearly unconscious Ho-wol, Shim Su-ryeok anxiously addressed Ayuta.

“Why hasn’t Master recovered?”

“Even if all variables are changed, Ho-wol would inevitably exert his powers. And if the process of turning the [Small Cycle] is not conducted in such a way, stricter limits are placed on its operation…”

“……”

“I’ll place your master’s survival into your willpower.”

Hearing Ayuta’s words, the four disciples felt immense tension.

“From now on, you must each take on Ho-wol’s Divine Dragon power and calm it down. However, in exchange, you will suffer eternally and painfully without ever perishing.”