전생검신 82권 1화

As I gathered my resolve and prepared myself, I sensed the formlessness of the Asura and let out a soft murmur.

‘…I feel nothing.’

Can Qi and intent really disappear to this extent?

Even the previously faint Intent Heavenly Pillar seemed to vanish, making it look like a completely ordinary human who had never learned martial arts. However, knowing that the Asura was a supreme expert who had reached the extreme, it was hard to believe they could hide their martial prowess so thoroughly. I could suppress my internal power and momentum to appear ordinary, but reaching the level of an Asura was an absolute impossibility. The habits and muscle tension, the sharpness typically found in someone trained in martial arts, all vanished, making it hard to believe.

What level must one reach to achieve such formlessness…?

Just as I was astonished by this, the Asura spoke.

“Transcendent Entry into the Sacred—this refers to an ordinary person attaining enlightenment and ascending to the realm of a sage, a phenomenon where one grows through realizations gained in battle.”

“…”

“I was once a battle-crazy fiend; I fought with all kinds of experts across the world, believing that through extreme battles, crossing between life and death, I’d earn enlightenment, and the Martial God would accept me into the Divine Realm…”

The Asura paused, then continued.

“However, Transcendent Entry into the Sacred is merely the result of accumulated effort. Sudden enlightenment may seem like fleeting insight, but without the necessary talent and training to achieve it, that insight will never come. In other words, for those without the qualifications, even the most accidental enlightenment won’t come knocking.”

Swish.

The Asura’s sword technique turned towards me. There was no killing intent in the blade, but for some reason, the moment I faced it, I felt an overwhelming pressure that made me hold my breath. This also indicated that the formless momentum possessed by the Asura was already weighing down on me, and this formless pressure didn’t manifest through absolute intent. It was literally a formless pressure that I could not comprehend with my current level.

“Baek Woong, are you really resolved? Do you have the qualifications to attain enlightenment?”

In that moment, I felt a surge of emotion and shouted.

“Asura…!! You’re wrong!”

“What do you mean I’m wrong?”

“Then… what is Jin So-cheong!?”

“…”

I clenched my teeth and shouted out, feeling a wave of frustration.

“That girl is fighting at the very pinnacle of the Zheng Tian realm and gaining enlightenment every time she fights!! I know you’re right, but how do you explain her ability to shatter all common sense of martial arts with just her talent!!”

Now, that’s the real problem.

No matter how focused I tried to be on the Asura’s words and discipline my mind, the existence of Jin So-cheong lodged in my brain and wouldn’t leave. Of course, after countless battles, I realized there is no such thing as sudden enlightenment, yet the very existence of Jin So-cheong negated all of that. With an absolute talent that no amount of effort could reach!!

Then the Asura looked at me with calm eyes and spoke.

“It’s simple. Jin So-cheong is a genius who was permitted to reach a celestial realm from the beginning, while you and I are just ordinary talents. In comparison to Jin So-cheong, anyone will seem the same.”

“…!!”

“But this isn’t necessarily a hopeless story. Have you never thought something was odd?”

“What do you mean by odd?”

“That Jin So-cheong, who has attained a level that could even slay gods, didn’t rely on the Divine Skill. And strangely, he was powerful enough to smash a god with just his intent. No matter how much of a genius he is, how could Jin So-cheong achieve that?”

“…”

In that moment, something clicked for me. I looked at the Asura.

“Could it be, Asura, do you know the secret behind Jin So-cheong’s strength?”

“Maybe.”

“Tell me!”

“First, fight against me. If I think you’re qualified, I’ll let you know immediately.”

Swoosh.

The Asura’s eyes turned darker. I recognized that this was a sign he was preparing to unleash the Dark Night Slash, and I decided to focus all my mental energy to respond without delay.

Swoosh…!

An invisible pressure swirled around the three-meter distance between the Asura and me. The intense pressure he had just emanated seemed to pull back, unable to easily suppress me now that I was going all out. Yet, even if the pressure was lessened, I felt a chilling sensation that his sword could slice right through my skin.

‘Unbelievable. A mere sword intent can feel this strong.’

I truly had no idea why. I was aware that after reaching the Absolute Realm, the Divine Skill awaited, yet I was also recognized as having reached the initiation of the Divine Realm. Still, to think that my skill level differed so much from Hong Sun Da-rang or the Asura… what was causing such disparity?

But there was no time for confusion. In an instant, I sensed a massive change in the Asura’s blade and realized the clash was imminent.

‘Yin Wheel turns.’

If the Dark Night Slash were to collide, the rotating Yin Wheel would clash!

If the opponent spins, I’ll have to spin as well!

I quickly unleashed the Dark Night Slash using my Immortal Sword, and at the next moment, I faced the Asura’s Dark Night Slash as it erupted, countering with borrowed basics of the swift sword technique.

Swish!

However, I soon realized that the Asura’s strike had pierced through my blade path and was now heading for my heart.

“…?!”

Wait… it didn’t even graze me?!

I had set up a perfectly defensive blade path—why?!

What’s more, the Asura’s Dark Night Slash wasn’t even as fast as the Thunder Spirit!

‘Damn it!’

I realized I had two choices. I could attempt to stab him no matter what, going for a mutual annihilation, or I could use all my power to evade the Asura’s attack and move to the next phase. Utilizing the Three Treasure Technique, the latter seemed feasible.

Swish!

However, I chose to engage the Dark Night Slash and went for mutual destruction. With a vicious clang, I aimed for the Asura’s neck, convinced we’d both be done for.

‘Let’s see what you can do.’

No matter how I looked at the current situation, it seemed impossible to turn this around. If winning was one thing, but dying in a clash meant anyone here would be out of the question. I was curious to see how the Asura would handle my mutual destruction.

Then, it happened.

Thud!

I felt my heart get pierced while my sword hung just short of the Asura’s neck. It was all too clear that I had lost, leaving me with my eyes wide open in disbelief.

“…Cough…!!”

Thud.

As I slumped down, the Asura shook the blood off his sword and said, “You’ve grown quite a bit since the last time. Back in round 28, you couldn’t even get close to my neck before fleeing in fear… You have the qualifications to understand now.”

I gasped for breath, “Huh… cough… T-thanks for the compliment, but… why…?”

“You’re wondering why only my strike hit during that simultaneous exchange?”

“…”

As I struggled and nodded, fighting back the blood in my throat, the Asura looked down at me and said, “What you just faced was the Return to One Slash. Had I also used a normal Dark Night Slash, it would have resulted in mutual destruction, but because I unleashed a flawless Dark Night Slash, the Return to One Slash, I had to win against you.”

“…A guaranteed win…? I don’t get it. What’s the Return to One Slash?…”

“Just watch.”

Swoosh.

The Asura tilted his sword and gripped the lower sword intention. It didn’t seem like much at first, but in an instant, I could see the same Yin Wheel from earlier swirling around his sword once more. And as the brilliance of the blade grew stronger, when it reached its peak, suddenly, I could no longer see the Asura’s sword technique.

Kaboom!

“…!!”

“Is it dazzling?”

“How is this happening…?”

“People below a certain level, or those who are simply ordinary, won’t even realize it’s blinding. If you felt dazzled, it’s because you’re an expert in the Absolute Realm who can perceive changes in formlessness… That change shot up to its peak in an instant, leading you to feel this illusion of dazzling light.”

“…”

“Hmm, it seems I’m about to die with my heart punctured. You’d better treat that quickly.”

“Got it…”

I hastily recreated my heart to heal myself. Yet, after repeatedly undergoing the same treatment, not to mention having suffered crucial strikes to my body’s vital areas, I felt my condition deteriorate from what it once was. Compared to my peak state, I barely felt like I was at 70% of my strength now.

As I coughed up more blood, the Asura continued, “That moment of peak change is the essence of the Return to One Slash.”

“Peak change…?”

The Asura nodded.

“When the Dark Night Slash is perfectly unleashed, I can control the flow from the realm of Primordial Void. I move that flow, increasing the rotational speed of the Yin Wheel significantly. When that condensed rotation reaches its peak, it feels dazzling like you just experienced. Once I can wield that change at will, it becomes the Return to One Slash.”

“…Why is the dazzling part so important?”

“Alright, Baek Woong, check this out.”

Swoosh.

The Asura lightly moved his sword from left to right, drawing a circle in the air. As I stared blankly, the Asura said, “This is a circle, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“It started from one place and returned back to where it began. Therefore, you can say the start and end of a circle are the same. But….”

This time, the Asura moved his sword from right to left, drawing the opposite direction of the same circle. Then he chuckled.

“What do you think? Isn’t it splendid?”

“…?”

“Even in reverse, it remains a circle.”

I found myself blankly grappling with the Asura’s explanation.

“What…what are you saying? What does it matter?”

The Asura confidently elaborated, “What I mean is, while the result of a ‘circle’ is predetermined, the process of drawing it can vary. And if you were headed in the opposite direction from the start, at that stage, it might look like you were going backward, but once the circle is complete, it’s still the same circle, right?”

“…?”

“Hmm, it seems you haven’t fully grasped the Dark Night Slash yet…”

The Asura frowned thoughtfully for a moment before snapping his fingers, clearly struck by a good idea.

“To put it simply, when reaching the peak, the Yin Wheel transforms into the True Wheel! That’s how it’s best summarized.”

“The Yin Wheel turns into the True Wheel?”

“Exactly. When you reach this stage, the Return to One Slash, which was initially imperfect compared to Divine Skill, finally possesses power that can genuinely rival… or even surpass it entirely. Hahaha.”

“…”

I was lost.

The Asura seemed overly pleased with himself, while I sat there muddled, unable to understand his explanation.

‘Damn… I feel bad for the Asura…’

Why was I lacking this much talent?

As I grew embarrassed with myself, the Asura chimed in.

“Didn’t understand? That’s fine too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for. I never expected you to get it right away.”

With a light chuckle, the Asura readjusted his grip on his sword.

“In fact, this principle might also connect with how Jin So-cheong could slap a god down just with the power of the Absolute Realm.”

“…!! Really?”

“Yeah. It’s a complicated subject that I can’t summarize in just a couple sentences, but if you achieve the Return to One Slash someday, you’ll realize the reason without me needing to explain.”

“Hmm.”

I thought it was impressive that the Asura was teaching me the Return to One Slash.

‘Even if I can’t achieve it right away, I believe that with this experience, I might gain it someday in a future reincarnation.’

I couldn’t recall ever having a teacher who understood my nature as a reborn person this well and offered guidance.

Knowing how valuable this experience from the Asura was, I felt nothing but gratitude.

With a sigh, I said, “Alright. Then let’s take a little break before tackling the next gate. I’m feeling a bit rough after taking so many near-fatal injuries…”

“No. There’s no time to rest.”

“What?”

“I’ve taught you the Return to One Slash, and now the next master is going to teach you something.”

Swoosh!

As soon as those words left his mouth, another faint outline of a ghostly figure began to emerge. I flinched, recognizing that outline very well.

“Y-you…?”

The apparition glanced at me and muttered, [There’s no need to use the power of creation to form my body.]

Boom!

Moments later, the phantom appeared in its previous form.

“This place is also part of the [dream], so I can create my body using the power of the Void Record.”

“…”

I couldn’t believe it and called out, “C-Cheon Woo-jin?”

The 28th version of Cheon Woo-jin appeared before me, dressed in a white robe and puffing on an electronic cigarette.

Cheon Woo-jin exhaled smoke and, with a cynical tone, said, “Why are you so surprised? Of course, I’m still around.”

I glanced back and forth between the Asura and Cheon Woo-jin, gaining confidence as I declared, “…Great!! With you both here, whoever the strongest of the last Palace of Martial Gods may be, we can win!!”

Even the Heavenly Demon, who wielded the might of an Emperor in some ways, had been delayed by these two.

No matter who emerged in the end, as long as I fought with them, I would never lose!

However, Cheon Woo-jin regarded me with a bemused look and said, “You madman. What do you mean by fight?”

“Huh?”

“I’m not fighting. I’m not a martial artist, so I wouldn’t be much help at the Palace of Martial Gods.”

“…?!”

What the hell?!

Then why are you here?

As I panicked, Cheon Woo-jin tucked his vape into the pocket of his robe and said, “But thinking about your current state, I might have something to offer, though it’s not in the martial field.”

“What is it?”

“You got the permission from Fuxi to access the Realm of the Sun, right?”

At Cheon Woo-jin’s words, I realized the situation was unexpectedly unfolding.

“I’ll open that for you right now using the power of the Void Record.”

“What?”

“Just agree to it. You know the truth; you can’t access it without me or a few others.”

“Got it.”

Woosh!!

As Cheon Woo-jin spread his arms, generating energy into the void, a vibrant space gradually form around us, revealing another universe with a colossal sun floating inside.

“Is this the Realm of the Sun?”

“Exactly. You can call it the cradle and divine seat that existed since the Primordial Age.”

“But why this sudden opening?”

I tilted my head, totally confused as Cheon Woo-jin raised an eyebrow, as if questioning what I was asking while puffing on his vape again.

Then, taking a draw, he created a puff of smoke and said, “I’m providing a way to escape the Palace of Martial Gods without engaging in the three skirmishes where the odds don’t favor you. Your initial goal was to escape this place, right?”