전생검신 Volume 81, Chapter 3

So, I already knew just how strong Dharma is.

‘The power of Dharma I encountered in the outer universe was on par with the Three Sovereigns.’

Back then, I went with the help of the Giant God Suin, who was so reluctant to fight Dharma that he advised me to avoid conflict. Considering that Suin essentially embodies the power of Shennong from the Three Sovereigns, it’s safe to assume Dharma’s abilities are definitely top-tier godlike level. I have no way to accurately gauge the powers of such top-level beings, so my estimates are just that—estimates. However, there was one other reason I was afraid to fight Dharma.

The Rebirth Sword God!

How many times did he reincarnate to gather such tremendous power? I have no idea about the count of reincarnations for Dharma from the outer universe, but it must be far beyond mine.

‘Damn it! What’s the point of thinking negatively?’

Fear of your enemy doesn’t make a victory more likely.

Let’s focus on winning right here and now!

I shook off the negative thoughts in my head, gripping my sword tightly as my fighting spirit flared up. Maybe it was the confidence from just defeating Nailatop, but I was overflowing with self-assurance and determination.

“Dharma, don’t underestimate me! I’ve fought you before!”

It was a little jab meant to surprise him, but Dharma’s response was unexpected.

[…… Ah, that scene from the echoes…… you managed to strike my shoulder with a spear.]

“……!!”

Uh? He knows about the battle in the outer universe?

Could it be that he possesses memories of it?

‘I thought it was just bravado before, but it’s real!’

As I was taken aback, Dharma remained in a prayer-like posture, his eyes shimmering.

[ How interesting… Then I’ll use the same spell as back then, so give it your best shot this time.]

Whoosh!

Dharma suddenly soared high into the sky, and an overwhelming dark energy began to swirl around him. I realized that the intensity of the gathering dark power felt just like before. No surprise, moments later, the dark incantation resonating from Dharma sent a pang of déjà vu through me.

[ O twisted light of the final moment, O horrid king dwelling in the passage! I—the contractor—shout under the mark of 666, may this command illuminate the world’s fingerprints.]

Wait, isn’t that the exact same spell?

Is this a challenge to decipher the situation again?

‘Gah! But my skills have grown beyond compare since then!’

I attacked Dharma using my Thunder God Lineage Spear Technique!

If you’re provoking me, then I’ll gladly fight back!!

Crackle

Generating a spear with divine power and infusing it with the spirit of the Thunder God, it created a spear that felt like a massive bolt of lightning condensed into one. Though it was my first time forming such a weapon, I guessed that it would have nearly the same power as the spear I formed with malevolent spirit power back then. Considering that the Dharma before me might be stronger, I decided to pump in more divine power to make it absolutely certain.

Boom!!

As I packed the divine power tightly, the Thunder God Soul reacted along the way, violently unleashing a thunder strike outward. Normally, overstuffing ‘containers’ leads to them bursting, but the Thunder God Soul significantly enhanced the durability of the spear. Once I felt I had infused enough strength, I glowed with divine light and hurled the spear.

Thunder-splitting Strike!

Boom—!!

In the moment that followed, the spear, empowered with the might of the Thunder God, shot out following the essence of my Heart Command Spear Technique. I hadn’t thrown a spear this strongly in recent memory, and I wasn’t sure how powerful it was, but one thing was for certain: this single attack could annihilate any considerable warrior on the ground in one blow!

Boom!!

Boom…….

Amid thunderous explosions, mushroom clouds and vast blossoms of light filled my view. After a while, smoke enveloped the sky, and beyond it, Dharma’s figure slowly emerged.

Thud… thud…

Dharma did not appear unscathed. Though he still held the prayer pose, he was covered in fresh blood, and the defensive barrier of magic surrounding him had likely been shattered—his magical flow was all out of whack. Moreover, a chunk of his shoulder was visibly ripped away, indicating that he didn’t completely block my attack. The sight of blood trickling down his cloak made it clear he had sustained serious injuries.

‘Gah!’

But I quickly noticed something was off. Dharma’s gaze still shone sharply, and his prayer position hadn’t faltered. No matter how serious the external wounds, if you can maintain your focus and stance, that’s practically a win in combat!

Even as he was bloodied, I heard the incantation spill from Dharma’s lips.

[ O King of the Rain, summoned.]

Swish!!

At that moment, a creature that resembled a lizard of pure darkness emerged next to Dharma. The creature, small like a nature spirit, didn’t seem particularly impressive at first glance. But I was stunned when the lizard suddenly unleashed a [Shout].

[ By the contractor’s request, I hereby declare that this is my domain!!]

Whoosh

A dark rain began to pour down on the previously clear White Lotus Hill. Each raindrop, dark like muck, cloaked the world in darkness in a flash. Bewildered, I stood confused, but the Rebirth Sword God next to me hurriedly warned.

“Baek Woong! Don’t stay in the rain for too long! Defend with Kabbalah!”

“Got it!”

Following the Rebirth Sword God’s advice, I quickly summoned Seth and activated the divine power of the Sephiroth within me. The wooden vines of Seth began to wrap around my body, and I included the Rebirth Sword God within the range of the invisible divine power.

‘I don’t know why we can’t just defend with divine power, but there has to be a reason!’

The Rebirth Sword God had shown a far deeper understanding of the battles of top-tier warriors than I, managing to move around a thousand iterations of me. If he could grasp the mysterious spells and tactics Dharma was using, he must understand this situation perfectly.

Crackle!

“Gah!”

Suddenly, I flinched from a sharp pain, as if tiny needles were piercing my entire body! It felt like acid was melting my skin! Reacting to my shock, the Rebirth Sword God spoke.

“The king of the Rain, O Old Ruler, is a powerful force! Dharma summoned the Old Ruler to perform area-based attacks, ignoring your defenses while simultaneously creating a beneficial field for himself.”

Ignoring defenses!

That most likely meant an attack that could pierce through ordinary spells like tissue paper and bypass regular divine barriers. But what truly shocked me was something else.

“……What? That tiny lizard is a god?”

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I stared at the lizard on Dharma’s shoulder. No matter how I looked at it, it lacked the grandeur or magic of a godlike Old Ruler. Was that little creature really the Old Ruler wielding such power? My surprise only deepened when the Rebirth Sword God noted.

“I don’t have specific data, but the King of the Rain is also a renowned high-tier deity. Summoning such a being without exhausting magic reserves is a fighting style specific to the Rebirth Sword God Dharma. Just like your Evil Spirit!”

“……!!”

“The last time you interfered with the lizard’s summoning was indeed wise. But now that it’s been summoned, you’ll need to keep it in mind during the fight.”

When the time came, I felt the Kabbalah’s barrier weakening as the dark rain probed through. Just to check, I tried throwing up an additional divine barrier, but the outcome was as I expected.

Crash!

Seeing the divine barrier shatter like a glass window made me realize I had my hands tied more than I thought.

‘Damn it!! Is that why I have to defend with Kabbalah? No divine force from another world can penetrate it…’

As we entered a standoff, Dharma—floating in the distance—spoke.

[ Baek Woong, you possess remarkable potential, but it seems you lack experience in combat against divine beings. As a mortal, you’ve likely faced off against many gods, but limited experience in equally matched combat is a decisive flaw.]

“Why are you acting like you know everything!”

[ Just like that AI stated, this is my unique battle style. An approach that springs from reaching the extreme of magic.]

After a quick retort, Dharma’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

[ Behold the realm of Infinite Demons! It begins now.]

Crackling!

What unspeakable things unfolded drove my imagination wild.

[ Ooooooh….]

The lizard perched on Dharma’s shoulder was suddenly ensnared by tentacles that sprang from his body, beginning the process of absorption! Moments later, the lizard, the Old Ruler of the Rain, was entirely absorbed, and Dharma’s cloak erupted, revealing a bizarre black armored form protruding from his shoulders.

‘He absorbed the Old Ruler?!’

Boom!!

But that was not all. As soon as his shoulders strengthened, the flow of magical energy bursting from him intensified severalfold.

Stagger

“Gah!”

The pressure from the magical energy overwhelmed me, causing me to stagger; I hadn’t anticipated it would increase beyond the already powerful output of the Old Ruler! Beside me, the Rebirth Sword God turned pale and remarked.

“If he can preemptively summon a deity for an area spell and then absorb the deity itself, the spell’s effects won’t disappear, plus there’s no magic drain… Moreover, merging with the deity and temporarily amplifying all injuries and curses? How much did he maximize his aptitude for magic?”

“Damn, I don’t know the details, but what’s the weakness of that thing? If he merged with the Old Ruler, can it be separated?”

“Not possible!”

“What?”

The Rebirth Sword God’s next words delivered a crushing blow.

“After scanning, Dharma’s body already absorbed 13 instances of the Old Ruler. In addition to that, his shoulders became invulnerable during this combat.”

“……?!”

What, what the hell does that even mean? Dharma absorbed so many Old Rulers?

Could it be the source of that immense magical power?!

“Just take a look.”

The Rebirth Sword God declared, grasping my hand tightly, suddenly sharing his vision with me.

Whirring—

Moments later, the data analyzed from Dharma’s body materialized vividly before my eyes. And as I peered into the depths of Dharma’s body, I couldn’t help but gasp in bewilderment.

Grrr……!!

Grrr!

Dharma’s body contained countless Magic Cores threaded throughout, with these cores surrounded by streams of demon-like mass. It barely maintained human form, but you could never call it human. Oddly, these masses of flesh flowed, and occasionally dark eyes glimmered from within, sending chills down my spine.

13 Magic Cores pulsed with malignant power, like an unfathomable ocean. The eyes surrounding them appeared to form a physical manifestation of cosmic terror. I had rarely seen an existence so thoroughly fused with the magical essence.

“Ah… ah…”

As I stared in shock at Dharma, he calmly replied.

[ So you finally caught on.]

“Crazy bastard!! Have you completely abandoned your humanity?!”

To think a Rebirth Sword God would gorge on so many Old Rulers to enhance himself!

Those Magic Cores must each belong to the Old Rulers he consumed!

‘I was mistaken! This guy was a monster from day one!’

I thought Dharma merely achieved mastery of the magic realm, but my assumptions were completely off. He was a being striving to absorb the magic of the entire universe, aiming to reach the same realm as them. By that means, he chose predation, and the Dharma before me was practically a fusion of 13 Old Rulers in human form!

This was magic born of a demonic god far more sinister and powerful than anything I encountered in the South Pole’s Dharma techniques!

Dharma continued.

[ It’s a common method among most demon sorcerers. I’ve simply repeated it infinitely, leveraging the advantages of being a reincarnator while minimizing side effects. It was an unavoidable choice to acquire numerous supernatural powers.]

“Crazy f*cker……!!”

[ The Infinite Demon merging has only just begun, challenger.]

With that, Dharma again adopted a prayer posture and sat cross-legged in mid-air, whispering softly.

[ When the Five Stars arise, you shall perish.]

“……!!”

I immediately understood the meaning behind Dharma’s warning.

The Five Stars.

This concept symbolizes the shape and principle of magical energy reaching its peak. As it can be said that the Taiji symbolizes Yin and Yang in magic, the Five Stars represent pure chaos. Further development to the Six Stars draws in the powers of Tetragrammaton, inching closer to the absolute being, yet Dharma seems to have no intention of reaching that degree.

‘Just now, he summoned the Old Ruler and absorbed it… that means… the four limbs and the head, those five body parts symbolize the Five Stars!’

If that’s the case, summoning the Old Ruler just absorbed would mean that he had achieved the first of the Five Stars. If he were to do the same with his other shoulder, both legs, and finally one over his head, then Dharma’s magical power would peak beyond measure.

‘If the Five Stars unite, there’s no way I could win. I have to seek an end to this right now.’

My divine energy was formidable, but even it’s vastly overshadowed by Dharma’s current magical and divine power. Moreover, if he reaches peak magical enhancement through the summon, and the five Old Rulers then inflict their curses and abilities, the aftermath is clear as day.

I quietly muttered a thought to Dharma.

“Dharma. Have you ever used that method to defeat Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?”

[…….]

“Why can’t you answer?”

[ I cannot disclose details from my past that might affect your journey of reincarnation. That’s a limitation of this trial tower.]

“Is that so…”

Vroooom!!

An even stronger surge of magical energy swirled around Dharma.

[ But from the perspective of a reincarnator… I doubt that you could defeat him unless you can execute a Reverse Root Water Mirror.]

Dharma’s words revealed that he had indirectly answered my question.

It was the intuition of a reincarnator.

‘He did—’

Dharma must have maxed the Five Stars’ merger and defeated Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen in a one-on-one encounter. While that’s an astonishing feat, he’s essentially saying he wouldn’t even dare to attempt the Reverse Root Water Mirror unless he had sufficient power to face them head-on.

‘Still, I can take him down.’

It’s certain that my opponent is formidable, but I can’t afford to panic.

If I could defeat Nailatop, there’s no reason I can’t take down the Dharma Rebirth!

Feeling my pride bubbling up instead, I turned to the Rebirth Sword God beside me.

“Rebirth Sword God, we can’t drag this out! Can you lend me a hand?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Here’s the plan…”

I shared my strategy with the Rebirth Sword God. After hearing me, he glanced at the empty void before replying.

“I can’t provide a strategy beyond that. You’ve already mastered the essence of this battle.”

“Haha.”

Being acknowledged by the advanced AI meant I had chosen the best path under the circumstances. I felt elevated from the praise of such a strong intellect.

“But then, considering Dharma’s capacity, it won’t be as easy as you think. You understand what I’m getting at, right?”

“I do. But there’s no other option.”

“……”

Clank!

The Rebirth Sword God pulled out a golden pocket watch—Secret Piece—from his small hand, flicked it open.

“I’ll dive in at the signal.”

“Okay…”

An incomprehensible tension filled the air. It was only natural, considering this was the first time two reincarnators would truly clash. Thinking about the ultimate trial of the Heavenly Secret Tower and what barriers it would present sparked excitement rather than fear within me.

‘Whether I defeat the reincarnated Dharma or not… I wonder if there’ll indeed be an end to this seemingly eternal journey?’

If so, no matter how challenging it is, I vow to reach the end and take on whatever waits there.

‘Now!’

After a brief moment of silence, I felt a subtle disturbance. It was a gap whose presence even a master at the Absolute Realm couldn’t easily sense, much less an elite divine being like Dharma. The instant I sensed that disturbance, I unleashed my Thunder God Soul and dashed forward, synchronizing the moment the Rebirth Sword God activated the Secret Piece.

Crash

Clang clang clink!!

In an instant, my Thunder God Soul closed in on Dharma, but instead of performing a rapid onslaught, I spread my arms wide to assume a defensive posture.

‘A direct attack from the power of lightning likely won’t work. Thus, it’s time to counterattack their counterattack!’

Based on experience, divine beings are practically immune to sheer speed ambush strikes. Thus, I attempted to feign a direct offensive to catch him off-guard and sway him into deciding as I plotted my next move.

Anything would do.

If he comes at me, I’ll neutralize it with a peerless technique!

In that brief moment, I noticed Dharma’s third eye gleaming with brilliant light.

‘What’s that third eye?’

Unlike the one held by the King of Hell, it emitted a more otherworldly, sinister energy. I had never seen it with Dharma from the outer universe, but surely it was one of his original abilities. The instant the three eyes blinked, I suddenly felt my body splitting into three.

“Uh”

“Uh”

“Uh”

What is happening? Did I just get forced into a clone technique?!

No, it felt more like each of these separate entities were all me…but how?

For a moment, I was confused, but I realized that my movements were seamlessly synchronized. Strangely, I was executing the technique for my peerless ability without obstruction. Then it dawned on me that this wasn’t a clone technique; it was something entirely different.

‘……The movements are broken but… connected through cause and effect… that means…’

Clang

Before I could finish my thoughts, Dharma’s third eye locked onto my three separate bodies, giving each a fearsome stare. Then, I abruptly relinquished my technique to be tossed backward into the distance.

Whoosh

As I flew back, I felt my two copies being drawn off somewhere far away.

Boom!!

‘What the hell is happening…’

I noticed as I was hurled backward that any fighting spirit I had completely dissipated. Words couldn’t express it, but it felt like I had forgotten the very reason to act. As I found myself lost in thought, the Rebirth Sword God urged me.

“Baek Woong!! Don’t force yourself to bring back your will, just stop. Clear your thoughts.”

I followed the Rebirth Sword God’s direction.

Whoooom

At that moment, it felt as if the emptiness and void I sensed just moments ago had vanished in an instant. Still dazed, I muttered.

“What just happened…?”

“That’s the power of the Old Ruler. It can selectively throw out your will based on timing, banishing it into the abyss of eternity.”

“……?!”

“It spatializes the present, past, and future; if one holds a will to attack in bits, that parallel possibility will be completely negated. I don’t know which Old Ruler’s power that is, but with that third eye in play, you can’t attack normally.”

“What, what kind of ability is that… I just wanted to counterattack with my peerless technique; is that also part of my will to attack?”

“If you were trying to harm Dharma with your counterattack, then that would indeed fall under the will of attack.”

“……”

“That’s an innate ability tied to the essence of the Old Ruler, meaning the resistance of the ‘Small Cycle’ doesn’t apply. It’s a special ability that even the physical form of the Old Ruler could likely use only a few times.”

After hearing the Rebirth Sword God’s explanation, I stood aghast. No matter how powerful divine abilities might be, I’d never imagined they could possess such manipulative power! To think something could outright nullify my unique technique like that!

The Rebirth Sword God continued,

“Analysis indicates that Dharma automatically responds to threats, selecting appropriate abilities from the 13 Magic Cores. If we had time, perhaps we might analyze each one of those 13 abilities to figure out a counter plan, but….”

Buzz buzz

At that moment, Dharma took advantage of our moment of inattention to summon another Old Ruler near his right leg. Though I couldn’t catch all the words he muttered, he still remained seated in prayer, mumbling some ominous chants, while thunderous magical energy surged around him.

“We won’t be able to grasp everything before Dharma hits the display.”

“Damn.”

As those words hit me, I felt a sense of doom.

‘If what they say stands, then without any will to attack, I can’t accomplish anything—is that right?’

Even if I were to analyze that third eye’s abilities, the instant I figured it out, Dharma could procure another from the 12 remaining powers, resulting in a nightmare scenario. Fighting Dharma meant contending with the supernatural powers of 13 Old Rulers simultaneously. No level of wisdom would suffice to break them.

Is there no answer?!

As I rummaged through, suddenly a lightbulb went off in my head, and I set my sights forward.

“Agni!! Lend me your power!!”

Clank!!

In an instant, the Four Great Spirit Deities’ Agni materialized, directly coming into my grasp. The Rebirth Sword God appeared surprised.

“Already?!”

“There’s no other way!!”

Yep.

When push comes to shove, this is the only answer left: the Four Great Spirit Deities.

‘Earlier, I could’ve counterattacked with my peerless technique while reinforcing my Evil Spirit, but that may not work. First, I need to weaken his defenses with the Four Great Spirit Deities….’

In instances where the enemy has a bothersome method like Dharma, the best approach is to suppress them with overwhelming strength to disrupt their scheme. Rushing in with my Evil Spirit would result in getting tied up by trapped intention, so it would be better to utilize the higher status of the Four Great Spirit Deities’ powers to overpower him outright.

‘That’s my plan—with everything I have!!’

I concentrated fire with Agni and aimed ahead. And then I let it loose.

Boom!!

Ziiiing……!!

[……!!]

“Just as I expected!!”

With a surge of dark flame, I watched as Dharma, who once remained in prayer, lost his stability, and his left arm engulfed in shadows blazed fiercely. Additionally, the third eye on his forehead began to seep dark red tears, indicating that the ability embedded within it had taken a hit too.

It unfolded as I had anticipated.

Complex and powerful computational manipulation abilities, when struck with an attack of a superior power, negates its prerequisites!

The lofty standing of the Four Great Spirit Deities means that intentions and wills are irrelevant; I could directly attack. Regardless of how powerful the original entity of the Old Ruler was, they wouldn’t exceed the essence wielded by the Four Great Spirit Deities that govern the four elemental powers in the universe.

Grrr!

Dharma’s body trembled intensely while writhing within dark fury. In that moment, I sensed that Dharma was at his most vulnerable and quickly began calculating how best to inflict grievous harm.

‘I’ve unleashed every power from Agni! So then using the Vajra should be the strongest form of divine energy attack…’

That moment, memories of being killed by Indra resurfaced. Would that aberrant guy truly lend me a hand in my dire time of need?

‘Damn it!! That little shit!!’

There’s no way. Didn’t he hit me over the head with a Vajra during my fight with Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?

Even with golden opportunities knocking, the fact that I couldn’t utilize my most potent weapon was maddening. But I brushed aside that disappointment and found my alternative.

I couldn’t use an unfinished Six Heaven Unity Spear.

Don’t count on the Thunder God to bail me out.

I can’t gain leverage with some piddly technique or spell.

The Infinite Slash is indeed strong, but its limits are clear.

The bolstered effects of my Evil Spirit leave something to be desired.

‘Then only one option remains.’

Whoosh

Thus, I summoned the Immortal Sword. Assuming the optimal posture for swordsmanship, I gazed steadily upon Dharma.

Void……

‘Have I truly comprehended it…’

Perhaps I’m just lost in the depths of my understanding instead of having realized anything.

But at the very least, if I utilize the sensations I’ve obtained, then even this half-finished workaround will manifest in a more skilled fashion.

Dharma seemed to notice my gaze and exclaimed, visibly rattled.

[ No way!! ]

Has Dharma figured out what I plan to unleash? His hurried readiness was clearly unlike his previous, laid-back demeanor. However, I pressed ahead, unperturbed by Dharma’s reaction, layering awareness of the sword upon the blade itself. Then, as the speed of rotation accelerated and the darkness kindred to that of the missing light enveloped the blade, I finally recognized that the sword had become one devoid of any intention.

With a sense of void, I slowly extended a single stroke of the sword.

Dark Night Slash

In all honesty, I struck from an impossible distance. However, I swung as if the strike would undoubtedly connect, while it should have been impossible for the unenhanced Dark Night Slash to reach such a range. Given it’s difficult to swing even with all my internal power fused into a powerful sword strike, it was entirely logical. Still, I acted as if it were a foregone conclusion, and as I reached the point where the attack’s purpose faded from my thoughts.

Void.

In the empty space of the heart.

I faintly sensed how far that distance was, and upon realizing it, I understood what the Reverse Root Water Mirror had disclosed to me.

‘Heart in the Void… is it… the very essence of the night?’

While nowhere near complete comprehension, I realized the intended destination of the Dark Night Slash in that instant.

It was akin to being suddenly passed coordinates I hadn’t previously acknowledged!

I can’t put it into words, but I felt a rush of joy.

Even now, I was thrashing about amid the dense cloud sea, yet it lit the path ahead.

Was that realization so impactful?

I forgot my purpose to defeat Dharma, and I mindlessly swung the Dark Night Slash. It was the cleanest hit I’d ever performed—an excommunication of killing intent and adversarial feelings. Frankly, I felt indifferent to whether or not I actually took Dharma down.

Swish!!

With the heart’s distance converting into nothingness, I struck out with an absolute blow capable of severing all connections.

I swung the Dark Night Slash, detached from ego.

How long had it been since I lost myself to execute a single technique this way?

Boom—!!

Chaos erupted into vivid light at the chaotic cloud that exploded forth. The looming layers of shadow enveloping Dharma were sliced away all at once, leaving even his true form in tatters. As fresh droplets of blood spouted from him, it was as if sharp blades had kissed his skin, spilling crimson tears only after being bisected.

KAaoooh

Kaaaah!!

Dharma’s body swirled with chaos, and the area transformed into a world drenched in pure darkness.

‘That was a hit.’

Without a doubt, the Dark Night Slash had been the best strike I could deliver.

Those struck by the Dark Night Slash have no means to recover from it with regenerative abilities, or so Asura had warned me before, affording me confidence that I’d seized the advantage.

[…….]

To anyone observing, Dharma had certainly sustained grievous wounds, yet in that moment, he pressed his bloodied hand against himself and uttered the unbelievable line.

[ Varuna. Lend me your strength.]

What?

Whoooosh

Dharma’s once-mangled body—on the verge of exploding from the 13 Magic Cores—was suddenly enveloped by a calming, absolute cosmic essence. That essence enveloped his wounds, swiftly restoring stability to Dharma’s form.

Zrrzrz—.

“……?”

Is he serious right now?

Stunned, I remained motionless as the Rebirth Sword God shouted from afar.

“Baek Woong! If we’ve gained any advantage, we must retreat!”

With the Rebirth Sword God’s words echoing, my mind sharpened.

“If not, then we’ll have no choice but to continue retaliating with the same powers!”

“……!!”

…… Oh right!!

Thinking it through, I realize it’s absurd not to realize this sooner!!

‘I was so fixed on just Dharma from the outer universe; I momentarily made a mishap!’

In that moment, my gaze locked with Dharma’s. Our fiery eyes met, and it felt like we could read each other’s thoughts in that brief instant. Simultaneously, we both launched our hands forward and shouted in unison.

“Vajra!”

[ Vajra!]

Boom!!

In an insane rush, Dharma and I clashed high into the air. I quickly spotted Dharma conducting the Intent Heavenly Pillar techniques with grace, which only solidified my resolution.

‘The Absolute Realm!’

I’d suspect as much. There’s no way a reincarnator of Dharma’s caliber wouldn’t have mastered combat techniques. If he has practiced for thousands of years, then not achieving the Absolute Realm would be absurd!

‘Damn it! The Dharma I fought in the outer universe feels like a different entity entirely……’

Though the primary direction was still the path of magic, the Dharma before me had likely obtained every possible semblance of power he could acquire. The more we fought, the more I sensed this fact ringing true.

With the surrounding landscape tearing apart from our fierce clash, the weapons of both Dharma and I clashed, discharging vibrant bolts of lightning. My discerning eyes fixed intensely upon my weapon.

‘Please… don’t hit me from behind…’

For just a split moment, I sensed the Vajra mockingly crackling with lightning; perhaps it was just my imagination?

Crackle

The distance between Dharma and me closed to nearly an arm’s length. We bore down on one another, and I could see the monster within him while noting that his eyes still contained the semblance of humanity.

Dharma spoke quietly.

[ Even if my magic body is formidable, if I face the power of a Martial God, there’s no recovery. I never expected you to ascend that path so soon. The path I could not take… ]

“……”

[ I stalled using Varuna as a temporary measure, yet you have already inflicted significant damage upon me. Impressive.]

“Why the compliments all of a sudden…”

I shot back brusquely, glaring at him.

“Since we’ve both unveiled our Four Great Spirit Deities’ Vajra, we have no choice but to settle this now.”

Exactly.

Just like me, Dharma wields the Four Great Spirit Deities with finesse.

“`

 

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