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“What? Are you scared?”

I raised an eyebrow at Lee Kwang’s words.

Before I could add anything, Lee Kwang interjected.

“Are you worried I might stab you in the back?”

“……”

“Well, your reaction says it all. Isn’t it sad that you can’t even trust your own disciple?”

His words left me speechless; I had no real rebuttal, and they weren’t entirely unfounded either. Feeling a bit defeated, I forced out a response.

“As your master, I know my disciple better than anyone. Who wouldn’t be cautious knowing you might betray me at any chance?”

“I’ve heard that you’ve become strong enough to go up against heavenly gods. A mere finger can take me out now, right?”

“……”

“And yet here I am, making you tremble. Pathetic, really.”

Lee Kwang’s mockery scraped at my insides. Somehow, despite his casual tone, there was something infuriatingly annoying in his words. Not wanting to continue this verbal sparring with him, I cleared my throat nervously.

“Ahem. Just because you’ve gotten stronger doesn’t mean betrayal wouldn’t be debilitating! Cut the philosophical garbage and say what you want!”

“You want me to speak straight? I wonder if you’ll stay calm when I do.”

“I won’t lose my cool, trust me.”

“Great! Then I’ll be blunt about what I want!”

Lee Kwang leaned back and crossed his arms comfortably.

“Put me in as one of the ten original shareholders!”

My face twisted at his expected request.

“I already told you no.”

“I don’t get why. Isn’t it clear?”

“What don’t you understand?”

“If the Demon King’s Thief Gang and the suspicious Subori can be trusted enough to be shareholders, why can’t you trust your pure-hearted disciple who’s been with you since Soeul Village?”

“……”

“Even those primitive folks I met in Takrok Village – how do you know you share any real bond or trust with them? That guy Yeolsan might be grateful for saving his kin, but the others barely know you! They’re just there because you’re the strong master, nothing more. Am I wrong?”

“Uh… well…”

I tried to refute Lee Kwang’s claims but felt my head emptying out for a moment.

And strangely enough, it hit me that he was right.

‘… It’s true that there are plenty of shady characters among the shareholders…’

Objectively, putting aside my personal dislike and distrust toward Lee Kwang, I had to admit there weren’t that many trustworthy folks. While I could vouch for the Thief Gang’s loyalty, I doubted if the others would go above and beyond to help me in a crisis.

Actually, that seemed only natural. Since I arrived in this past world, I hadn’t built any real trust with them; my time was mostly spent causing friction with divine beings.

I thought long and hard before speaking up.

“You’ve got a point there. But the current conditions need to be met, and going out to find ten trustworthy people now would be impractical. So, it is what it is. Plus… comparing you to Shim Su-ryeok, it’s obvious I’d pick Shim as he’s stronger!”

As soon as I said that, Lee Kwang’s face morphed into an interesting expression.

“You clearly don’t know how strong Shim Su-ryeok is. You’re judging just because you don’t understand this training world.”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback by what came next from Lee Kwang.

“At this point, me and Shim Su-ryeok are basically equals. Sure, I might be slightly behind at about 5% in winning odds, but put our lives on the line and the difference shrinks to nothing!”

“Wha… What?! What are you even saying?”

Confused, I turned to Shim Su-ryeok, who simply nodded.

“Yeah, it’s true. Five years ago, I was on top, but recently, Lee Kwang has surged forward so much that the difference is negligible. I think he was being modest earlier.”

“Really?”

“Baek Woong, you’ve been out of touch with this training world for decades. It’s not a short time.”

Shim Su-ryeok downed the cold herbal tea on the table and added,

“Lee Kwang was a genius from the start. For him to grow immensely under proper tutelage in the teachings of the Four Great Families and the Soul of the Evil God… that’s incredible.”

“……”

I couldn’t help but feel somewhat dumbfounded by Shim Su-ryeok’s comments.

‘… Are you saying that Lee Kwang could actually be stronger than me in pure martial skills right now?’

I couldn’t deny it. Even though I’ve practiced in this world for over a century, I had floundered mid-journey and never finished. Meanwhile, Lee Kwang has been diligently improving under the teachings of the Four Great Families and the Soul of the Evil God, possibly reaching levels I could only dream of.

Why? Because he’s a genius. I mean, he was directly chosen by Lee Cheong-un from the Thunder God lineage, which solidified his status among scores of talented young martial artists back then. With that, I found it hard to question Shim Su-ryeok’s claims.

Before I could formulate a response, Lee Kwang leaned slightly forward, now speaking in a serious tone.

“If you’re really that terrified I’ll betray you, I’ll let you borrow my share. That should ease your worries, right?”

“Borrow? What do you mean?”

“It’s about dividing ownership of assets into ten shares, with me owning one. The problem is that it’s mine! Therefore, I’ll lend it to you interest-free, and you’ll have to agree for me to reclaim it. That way, I won’t have a chance to betray you!”

“Uhh…”

What is this even? I was in disbelief for some time, processing what he said. Just as I was trying to get a grip, Lee Hwan-woong chimed in.

“In simple terms, without holding shares, you can’t use those shares for any negative actions. So basically, he’s suggesting you take over his share.”

“…Oh!! I get it now! But is that even okay?”

“No one said shareholders can’t do that. Honestly, the fact that he thought of such a loophole without knowing much about the financial system is impressive…”

Just then, Lee Hwan-woong glanced at Shim Su-ryeok.

“Lee Kwang wants to leave this training world, while Shim seems less inclined to do that. But of course, practical training has to be your goal.”

“Ultimate realm?”

Confused, I turned to Shim Su-ryeok, who was smirking quietly.

“Indeed. After focusing on the Soul of the Evil God for ages, I discovered a certain illusionary realm.”

“What is it?”

“You mentioned using the Sun and Moon Spirit, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, hearing that made me want to try employing the Sun and Moon Spirit too. But soon realized it’s a territory only accessible to the chosen. You can’t just reach it through effort. So I searched for a workaround that’s still incredibly hard, yet attainable through training.”

My curiosity piqued at Shim Su-ryeok’s words.

“What’s that about?”

“I temporarily named it White Lotus Spirit.”

“White Lotus Spirit?”

“It’s simple! It represents the state that fulfills the desires of all members of the White Lotus Sect…”

Shim Su-ryeok continued calmly.

“The Sun and Moon Spirit is the realm of the ‘chosen’. Neither the vessel of the sun nor that of the moon can be obtained through normal training, and combining that power within the realm of martial arts is impossible. No matter how you look at it, you’re the only one who managed that!”

“But rather than directly grasping the massive universal laws, it’s possible to approach them indirectly from the realm of primal elements. That’s possible through the principle of harmony.”

“Harmony?”

“Exactly! Since you’ve reached the peak of Tai Chi, you must understand that everything in the universe is made up of yin and yang. There’s a pure ‘flow’ that connects yin and yang, forming a circle… that’s what I refer to as harmony.”

I sat and mulled over the depth of Shim Su-ryeok’s words. Then, I suddenly realized something.

“You mean… making the rotation of the Soul of the Evil God itself the vessel? That’s what harmony is?”

“Exactly! You seem to have grasped it quickly after practicing with me for so long.”

“But… is that even possible?”

I was baffled and continued.

“That rotation is hard to utilize, let alone overcome the backlash. How can you make that a ‘vessel’?”

Having died numerous times due to the backlash, it seemed ludicrous. I could understand using that rotation as power, but could it truly be managed by human strength?

Shim Su-ryeok paused in thought and then chuckled softly.

“Once you can handle harmony, the backlash disappears entirely. Instead, you can utilize that backlash to amplify the Soul of the Evil God efficiently, and finally reach into the vessels of other primal elements that you have not yet mastered. At that point, the Soul of the Evil God would be the ultimate martial art, deserving to be called the White Lotus Spirit.”

“……!!”

“Of course, even I haven’t reached that realm yet. But still, I’ve encountered a clue, and there’s no way I can stop training now. If I slack off, I might lose the chance forever.”

Listening to Shim Su-ryeok, a sudden idea hit me.

“You’re saying you want to train to achieve the White Lotus Spirit and hence aren’t keen to leave the outside world. So you’re recommending Lee Kwang instead.”

“Exactly.”

Shim Su-ryeok looked me straight in the eye and said,

“I’m asking you to do this: take Lee Kwang with you. I no longer want my training to be disturbed.”

“……”

I felt a mix of emotions from Shim Su-ryeok, making me taken aback.

‘What an incredible person…’

To think, despite being summoned due to a side effect of practicing divine power and how drastically the era and space changed, Shim Su-ryeok focused solely on his martial practices. Even with the risk of never leaving the training world again, he was undeterred and consumed by the pursuit of his highest realm, disregarding everything else.

Is this what true martial artists are like?

At the same time, I began to question my own actions.

‘Damn it… While Shim Su-ryeok is charging forth with determination towards his own path… I’m caught up in situations and can’t get anything done!’

This wouldn’t do.

Even if I couldn’t dive headfirst into training right now, I needed to wrap up everything I could do as fast as I could!

Thanks to Shim Su-ryeok, I resolved to shake off my indecisive attitude.

So, I gave a slight bow and stated, “Got it. I’ll accept Lee Kwang as one of the ten shareholders.”

“Thank you.”

Shim Su-ryeok smiled and added, “I’ve taught Lee Kwang the basics of the White Lotus Spirit, so if you have questions, do ask him.”

To this, Lee Kwang grumbled, “That theoretical training won’t be of any use anyways. All the burdens fall on me.”

“Caught you! But hey, now you’re one of the ten shareholders, so you should be satisfied.”

“Tch, he’s smooth with words…”

Complaining, Lee Kwang stood up.

“Well then, let’s go, Master.”

With a puff, I brought Lee Kwang out of the training world. Shortly after, I had Lee Kwang sign on as a shareholder, then summoned Daegwi to finalize the contract where I would manage Lee Kwang’s shares. Once everything was done, Lee Hwan-woong addressed me.

“Baek Woong, let’s head out to find our first investor.”

“You mean we’re going to search for ancient rulers or ancient gods all over the world? Who are we aiming for?”

“Of course…”

Before Lee Hwan-woong could finish, I flinched in shock.

“…that being? Why should the first investor be that being?”

“There’s plenty of reasons. Most importantly, that being knows a thing or two about Pangu.”

“……”

“Given your current standing, meeting them shouldn’t be an issue. So let’s wrap this up quickly. But of course, before engaging in discussion, we need a strategic plan…”

“A strategy?”

“We need to gather the information we desire; that relies heavily on your abilities.”

With that, we quickly utilized divine power to head south to the continent. Upon arriving, I made my way to a dormant volcano and began chanting spells.

“Am Luchuta Hullta… Ra Munda Otsira…”

To meet the being Lee Hwan-woong spoke of, I had to chant the barbaric mantra six times before performing a dance of respect before the great god.

Just thinking about that silly dance made my head hurt, but soon, I noticed gray mists erupting from the crater of the dormant volcano.

‘Hmm?’

Before long, a gray humanoid shape known as the [Spirit of Death] approached me, speaking in a language imbued with spiritual power.

[Mighty god in human form, why do you follow the foolish rituals of lesser beings to appear before a god?]

“……?”

[Your mana from the rituals resonates through nature, causing it to wail. Do not provoke the land further and state your purpose promptly.]

Completely confused, I stared blankly at the situation. Sensing my bewilderment, Lee Hwan-woong chimed in.

“Baek Woong, since you’ve become a higher deity, such tedious rituals aren’t necessary; you can just speak!”

“…Alright.”

Is that how hierarchy works?

With a puff, we were moved to some unknown space by the Spirit of Death. Surrounded by lush forests and greenery, soon after, a giant tree belched out a silk snake transforming into the appearance of a young girl with pure white hair and eyes.

The manifestation of the Rainbow Snake spoke up,

“You look incredibly youthful, yet possess immense power. It’s quite astonishing to see someone like you. Which galaxy do you hail from?”

“……”

So now I’m just treated like some divine being?!

After a brief hesitation, I spoke, “I am Baek Woong. Today, I come to propose something to you, [Rainbow Snake].”

“What’s your proposal?”

“I’m aware of the secret technique to ensure that all must participate in [Revelations] and access the Void Record. In return, I want you to invest in our corporation!”

“……?”

[The manifestation of the Rainbow Snake] donned a quizzical expression for a moment, but shortly after, her eyes glinted with intrigue.

“Interesting. You’ve set up an ‘investment corporation’ backed by the Void Record? It’s fascinating that you’d create such a system for these petty mortals.”

Did she really just read my entire company structure with a glance? Is that her divine ability?!

While I stood there in awe, the [Rainbow Snake] added,

“Your conditions are enticing, but I can’t just decide to invest without knowing whether your claims are accurate.”

Alright, this is where it all begins.

“If you invest in our company…”

I then shouted out the predetermined line from our strategy with Lee Hwan-woong.

“You will receive divine power in return!!”

 

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