전생검신 82권 2화

I was totally caught off guard by Cheon Woo-jin’s words.

“…… What did you say?”

“Just escape from the Palace of Martial Gods through the Realm of the Sun. Is that too hard to understand?”

Cheon Woo-jin said it so casually, yet I struggled to wrap my head around the sudden shift in situation. After a moment of thought, I replied.

“Are you telling me to just run away without a final showdown?”

“I can’t believe I have to repeat myself. Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

“You can’t just give up like that! If I win the last showdown, I can meet the Martial God!”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin took a puff from his e-cigarette. He stared at the smoke for a moment before speaking.

“Asura already told you. The opponent you’ll face in the final showdown will be an ultra-expert that even Asura finds tough to handle. Even if Asura helps you and it turns into a 2v1, you can’t guarantee a victory.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s not just about the winning odds; with your current strength, you’re attempting a reckless challenge akin to throwing an egg against a rock. But tell me, are you in a position to make such a reckless challenge?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

“Don’t kid yourself. You didn’t make it here by leading the charge. How many times have you been tossed around ever since you entered the Outer Realm? You didn’t arrive at the Palace of Martial Gods by your strength alone, and now you want to rely on Asura’s help to push through the final trial?”

“……!!”

“Let’s be frank; right now, you’re in a situation where you’re at the mercy of the Outer God, surviving only thanks to its meager kindness, stumbling into the Palace of Martial Gods by chance. If I were a Martial God, I wouldn’t want to meet someone like you, swayed by the situation. Am I wrong?”

“That… that’s….”

Cheon Woo-jin quipped with his trademark sharp voice.

“You’re not in a position to meet the Martial God; you’ve got to focus on your own messy situation. Am I wrong?”

I felt stunned, as if I had been hit on the head by his words.

‘Being swayed by the situation… that’s absolutely true!!’

No counterargument came to mind. Even Brahma would have been dumbfounded by my predicament. My current state was a tangle beyond recognition of any normal reincarnation trajectory.

As I stood frozen, Cheon Woo-jin lowered his hand which had been holding his e-cigarette and spoke.

“Asura respects your will to challenge as a martial artist, so it seems it will assist you in your final attempt. However, I firmly believe that the best course of action right now is to escape this space. What you choose is up to you.”

“……”

I looked at Asura. Its eyes were calm, confirming that Cheon Woo-jin was right. Asura seemed to acknowledge the logic in Cheon Woo-jin’s words while still being grounded in the strong will of a martial artist to allow me to pursue my challenge.

Asura smiled and said, “Do as you wish.”

After pondering for a long while, I finally spoke.

“I’m going to escape.”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me, surprised.

“You? Usually, you’d go all out for your last challenge regardless of the consequences. I thought you’d be unlikely to accept my offer.”

“… Yeah, normally I would have. But I believe you’re right, for two reasons.”

“Two reasons?”

“First, this isn’t a challenge that I can win with just my intact abilities… second, there’s just too much I need to sort out right now. Honestly, your words hit home.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s argument was solid. If I wanted to challenge the Palace of Martial Gods, my skills were too insufficient. Even if I somehow surpassed the final third battle thanks to Asura’s help, it wouldn’t be something to boast about as a martial artist.

‘Facing the Martial God while being pushed around by an Outer God isn’t the right way to go.’

I wanted to face the god of martial arts using only my abilities, without resorting to any underhanded strategies.

This wasn’t merely the intuition of a reborn person; it was my own determination.

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin looked as if he found something amusing.

“Did Gong Sun Da-rang really cut through your confusion? You’ve made a different choice than usual… Alright, let’s move forward with the escape.”

I turned my gaze toward the passage leading to the Realm of the Sun.

“Do I just need to enter this passage?”

“Yeah. But before that…”

With a swift gesture, Cheon Woo-jin transformed the surrounding scenery into a dim, dark cave.

“First, escaping the Palace of Martial Gods is our priority.”

“……!!”

I realized this was the very cave I’d wandered through when I initially entered the inner sanctum. Just moments ago, I had encountered Brahma and found my way to the Palace of Martial Gods. Suddenly returning to the outside cave, I exclaimed.

“Isn’t it more dangerous here? Brahma said that the flow of time and space could be erratic here, making it easy to get lost forever…”

“Trust me, it’s not any more dangerous than the Palace we just left. I can control the flow of time and space here, but the Palace… let’s just say, if we’d stayed there longer, we could have ended up strung along to the third trial out of nowhere.”

“Uh…!!”

“It wouldn’t be safer to reach the Realm of the Sun from here than endure direct interference from a Martial God.”

So that’s how it was.

Just as I was nodding along, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“Now, going to the Realm of the Sun… I’d like to say it’ll be easy, but first, I have something to impart to you.”

I was taken aback by that statement and looked at him.

“You’ll teach me? What?”

Cheon Woo-jin replied bluntly.

“Did you think I had nothing to teach you? While I may not be much in martial prowess, I’ve reached levels beyond that of a Grand Master in magic.”

“True, I know you’re skilled in magic. But I have divine powers now…”

With divine powers, do I even need human realm magic anymore?

As those thoughts crossed my mind, Cheon Woo-jin smirked.

“Ha. That’s precisely why I want to teach you.”

“What?”

“Right now, your mindset is like that of an Old Ruler. However, if you think you can resolve everything with divine power, you’ll never be able to unravel the deeper layers of the world. You’ll find it hard to grasp what a Dream truly is.”

“A Dream?”

“…. Sit down over there for now.”

I obediently sat down on the cave floor, and Asura joined me. Cheon Woo-jin, sitting opposite, assumed a meditative pose and opened his mouth.

“Baek Woong. Your belief that divine power can replace all forms of magic is fundamentally flawed. Not only can it not replace, but it also usually stands above all else. This is largely because magic is, at its core, a blessing given by Fuxi as a mythological fire, allowing humans to survive against divine beings. As great as Fuxi might be, it’s an undeniable fact that magic, being merely a creation of Fuxi, can’t compare to the powers of higher divine beings that can pierce through the universe.”

“……”

“However, among all the magical systems, my master’s pathway is uniquely exempt from this rule. Because it can handle the concept of Dreams.”

I focused intently on his words, having never heard this before, and asked.

“You say it surpasses the limits of magic because it handles Dreams? Please explain precisely.”

“First off, I want to hear your definition of a Dream, Baek Woong.”

I racked my brain for memories of the Land and Earth Diagram and finally replied.

“Um… honestly, I’m not sure. Dreams are virtual worlds indistinguishable from reality, and the things that exist in those worlds aren’t much different from those in our reality, right? The beings in a dream can recognize that they are in a dream, maybe?”

“Exactly, that’s the crux of it.”

“Huh?”

“The beings in a dream also recognize that they are a part of that dream. That’s the core of the Dream concept. You’ve finally reached the prerequisite to have a discussion with someone experienced in this, like me.”

As he spoke, Cheon Woo-jin aligned his fingers together.

“Now, Baek Woong, where do you think the world of Dreams exists in this vast Great Universe?”

“What… isn’t it similar to the parallel worlds or dimensions discussed in science?”

Cheon Woo-jin shook his head.

“No. Dreams are different. Lower dimensions like parallel worlds or alternative dimensions are governed by the physical laws of the main universe and can sometimes derive spaces through divine powers. However, the world of Dreams can only be manifested when consciousness exists and, even when employing divine power, one faces significant restrictions on controlling the laws. It’s essentially a distinct place.”

“Divine power faces restrictions?”

I had no idea about that!

When I expressed surprise at this new information, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

“Correct. In the world of Dreams, most divine powers function normally, so they might seem unrestrained, but even considerable divine power can’t destroy the realm of Dreams. It’s completely different from how a lower dimension can shatter like a twig when divine authority is wielded.”

“Uh-huh!”

“When I became an apostle of Master Mangnyang, I utilized that very characteristic to trap Jeogok in the Dream world.”

So that was the case…

While I struggled to understand his explanation, Cheon Woo-jin asked, “Now, why do you think the world of Dreams possesses such traits?”

“Uh… I have no clue.”

“It’s because the origin that shapes the world of Dreams is the Outer God, the Void Record. In other words, because it’s a space guaranteed by the Outer God, no divine being can haphazardly ruin the realm of Dreams.”

“……!!”

The Void Record!

Hearing that name made me slightly flinch, sensing Cheon Woo-jin’s knowing expression.

“The reason powerful gods are cautious around my master is that they have no clue what sort of being can wield the powers of a realm managed directly by an Outer God. And I have been learning how to materialize ‘Dream’ as a form of magic all along from that master.”

“Uh-huh…”

“The important thing is recognition. As everyone knows, the first priority to escape a Dream is for the being within it to realize that they are part of the Dream. That realization starts with the master recognizing the boundary.”

“Boundary? Isn’t that the alias of your master, Mangnyang?”

Cheon Woo-jin nodded.

“Correct. The title ‘Master of the Borderlands’ is, in fact, the highest honor one can bestow upon someone who handles Dreams. Do you know why?”

“I’m not really sure…”

“Because the boundary signifies the dividing line between Reality and Dreams. Furthermore, the boundary is also symbolic of the dream harvester’s ability. Master can freely expand and contract that boundary. This means that… your master can cover the entire reality we exist in, or even the entire universe, with a ‘Dream’ whenever they want.”

“……?!”

“What?!”

I sensed my head spinning upon realizing that Master Mangnyang possessed such capabilities.

“You’re saying she could dominate or destroy the universe at any given moment? Just how monstrous is she?!”

While I was still in shock, Cheon Woo-jin put his hands together, blocking his nose and mouth, and stared into my eyes intently.

“Honestly, this is something I couldn’t disclose because it’s a secret as a disciple of Master Mangnyang. However, with the Outer God, the Black Goat involved, it’s no longer the time to be picky about such things. Even though I owe a mental debt to a reborn person, this information is something that absolutely needs to be known.”

“…… I don’t really care about that. What’s the main point you want to make?”

I was utterly confused and pressed further.

“You said you’d convey something to me. What exactly is it?”

“Right, time for the main topic.”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed to hesitate before finally saying,

“From the perspective of someone who handles Dreams, your current situation is akin to a continuous dream. The transitions between worlds appear messy and chaotic, but it’s simply that the framework is repeating. Awakening from this continuous maze of dreams isn’t hard at all.”

“What? You mean everything I’m experiencing right now is a dream?”

“The key is recognition. Pay attention to what I’m about to do.”

Cheon Woo-jin snapped his fingers.

Snap

At that moment, the space between me and Cheon Woo-jin suddenly expanded tremendously, and he became a mere dot beyond the horizon while simultaneously, I felt myself being pushed endlessly into an unknown space.

“Ahhh!!”

I flailed my limbs in panic, and at that moment, I heard the snap of Cheon Woo-jin’s fingers again.

Snap

Suddenly, I was back in the cave, Cheon Woo-jin still sitting in front of me. I was drenched in cold sweat.

“Uh, how did you do that?”

“I created a boundary. But the key isn’t how I did it; it’s that you’ve had countless experiences like this, haven’t you?”

“…… Sure, I have.”

“When a divine being pulls another being into the desired time and space, they create a boundary without the other’s knowledge and push them inside. It’s a simple technique that works regardless of a deity’s rank. The difficulty is simply about how easy or hard it is to escape. This universe holds plenty of segmented boundaries, so pushing someone in is not challenging.”

“Ohh….”

“Gods position their existence across various phases of time and space to prevent such occurrences, which is why they possess the property of disregarding time and space. It’s a security measure against being forcibly caught in traps set by others.”

“Uh-huh.”

With what Cheon Woo-jin said next, I was quite taken aback.

“From now on, I’ll teach you how to recognize the boundary. Knowing this, you’ll no longer fall easily into the traps of divine beings.”

“……!!”

“Currently, your power to resist external coercion is too weak compared to your divine power. If you don’t have this down, your chances of dying will skyrocket. Knowing this technique will make facing opponents like Hang-a from the past much easier.”

I quickly interjected,

“Wait, just a second!”

“Why?”

“Isn’t recognizing the boundary and its method one of Mangnyang’s biggest secrets? Can you really share that with me?”

Even I, who sometimes lacked sense, understood. From everything Cheon Woo-jin explained up until now, the concepts of “boundary” and “recognition” were the greatest secrets and techniques shared only between Master Mangnyang and his disciples! His willingness to teach me without the master’s permission was equivalent to giving me a profound secret.

Cheon Woo-jin regarded me with a steady gaze before replying,

“I wasn’t actually planning on teaching you. However, you unexpectedly encountered a certain being from the past of the Great Cycle.”

“A certain being?”

“The Phoenix…”

“……!!”

“If that Phoenix is indeed what I think it is, you must prepare a countermeasure. I’m not giving you this knowledge willingly, so just shut up and learn.”

Feeling a bit reprimanded by Cheon Woo-jin’s slightly irritated tone, I found myself speechless.

“…… Thank you.”

“Alright, let’s begin. First, assume a meditative pose.”

Cheon Woo-jin instructed me to sit cross-legged, and as I obeyed, he continued.

“Recognizing the boundary to escape a dream involves two main methods. The first is through the cracks of the dream, like the way you discerned logical inconsistencies in the Land and Earth Diagram to identify the dream’s administrator. The second is realizing the dream without seeking cracks and instead reaching the boundary on your own.”

“So you’re going to teach me the second method?”

“Yeah. For starters, gather as much divine power as you can.”

“Haap……!!”

Rumble

Moments later, my whole body began to radiate divine power in the form of actual energy. Cheon Woo-jin, who sat across from me, flinched in astonishment.

“What the hell… I had no idea it was this intense just from memory alone? You’re insane… a complete monster…”

“What do I need to do now?”

“Unlike me or Jin So-cheong, who reached the boundary through extensive training, you lack both talent and technique, so you’ll have to forcefully recognize it by pouring your energy in. Listen closely and follow my instructions.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s words flowed slowly.

“Reduce that massive force to the smallest possible size. Shape it into the form of a ‘thread’.”

“A thread?”

“Yes. If you can’t make a thread, then compress it as much as you can.”

“Ugh……”

I followed Cheon Woo-jin’s instructions and continued compressing my energy. It was as grueling as chipping away at solid rock with a dull chisel, and gradually, I felt my stamina and energy deplete alongside my mental strength. Had I done anything so laborious recently?

After struggling for a brief moment, finally, when the size of my energy was reduced as much as it could be, I gasped out an exhausted breath.

“I… can’t go any further.”

“Hmmm. A size no larger than a fist… guess that’s reasonable for a beginner… but anyway, concentrate that tiny bit of energy in the Upper Dantian.”

Zzzzz

As I concentrated my energy in the Upper Dantian, Cheon Woo-jin approached me, placing a finger on my forehead.

“Focus. Keep this feeling in mind for next time.”

Boom……!!

At that moment, the entire Upper Dantian felt like it was exploding. It was a sensation of my body and mind erupting, but it wasn’t pain; rather, it was a euphoric release that felt like quenching a thirst for knowledge. While I was lost in that sensation, I suddenly perceived numerous lines and surfaces intersecting within my mind, and those intersections morphed into a giant sphere.

Rumble

Seeing those floating spheres made me grasp something.

‘So that’s what it was…’

The spheres existing within the boundary where the Phoenix dwelled were of this nature!

Shushush

The moment my consciousness returned to the present, Cheon Woo-jin sighed, declared, “Phew, the lesson’s done.”

“Wait a sec. I feel like I could understand it better with just one more go…”

“Mental idiot. You just gathered all your divine power into your Upper Dantian and made it explode. You’re in a state of temporary energy depletion, so you should take some time to rest.”

“Ugh.”

Following Cheon Woo-jin’s advice, I felt my whole body drained of energy and, with no choice, had to slump down for a bit. Once I had somewhat recovered, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“Now, let’s move to the Realm of the Sun. If anything tries to pull you back during our moving, apply the method from just now to break free.”

I realized while raising an eyebrow at his words.

“Is there really something trying to interfere? Enemies, you mean?”

Cheon Woo-jin nodded.

“The first divine seat where Fuxi was born. That place resides in the deepest part of the universe… So those monsters you accidentally summoned last time are probably swarming around here.”

“……!!”

“Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of obstacles might be waiting for you, so I taught you that technique. During our move, dimensional surfaces might forcibly summon monsters or divine beings to you.”

“I see…”

“Escaping isn’t an easy choice at all.”

Shush

Hearing Cheon Woo-jin’s steps toward the Realm of the Sun, I sensed that things won’t unfold easily.

“Keep in mind that you are presently in a spirit state and left your body behind, meaning you can’t exert your full strength.”