전생검신 87권 18화

I couldn’t quite grasp the principle behind my opponent’s Absolute Realm technique. But one thing was certain: their skill level rivaled that of that Asura, and if I tried to force my way in blindly, I could end up in some unexpected trouble.

‘Well then, a probing attack is in order, but…’

At this point, after pulling out the Infinite Slash, can I even call it a probing attack? Excluding the Dark Night Slash, there was hardly any single martial art stronger than the Infinite Slash. But that didn’t mean I could use the Six Heaven Unity Spear, which I had only imagined but not properly trained in. What a dilemma!

Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t making full use of what I had.

‘… No, wait. I’m not in a tin can state right now! Then, of course, there are martial arts that I should use!!’

In the next moment, I infused my whole body with Qi, quickly changing my state.

Whoosh!

Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique!

Soul of the Water Spirit!

Swoosh!

As I wielded the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, changes began with the Soul of the Four Gods. My body swiftly transformed into the form of water, and with the changes of the Water Spirit, I plunged into my opponent.

‘The Water Spirit can withstand even the Thunder God’s Blitz!’

If I don’t know my opponent’s techniques, I’ll enter in the state of the highest defense!

If I can observe my opponent’s technique without being in danger, this is the best strategy!

[This is fun!]

As I had completely transformed into water, the sword saint Ajidahaka suddenly crossed his sword and formed a cross. Then he unleashed his sword energy with a flick, performing the Peerless Art.

The Sword Emperor and his Immortal External Techniques!

Third Hundred Seventy-Sixth Style!

Cross Barrier!

Boom!!

With my Water Spirit body, I charged in for a Body Slam, but Ajidahaka’s Cross Barrier didn’t budge an inch and firmly blocked my attack like an iron wall. I found myself a bit shocked at that sight.

‘Hmm… The attacking power of the Water Spirit is on the weaker side, but I poured all my internal power into this, so the physical force should be considerable?!’

That Cross Barrier technique is unlike any ordinary sword barrier I’ve seen!

It’s on a whole different level compared to the general martial artists’ sword barriers!

Wait, he didn’t even counter, just blocked?

‘While the defense is unparalleled, if he defends against the less aggressive Water Spirit, then I’m out of options… But it’s almost as if he anticipated the nature of my Water Spirit…’

Feeling that Ajidahaka’s counter was no ordinary thing, I slightly pulled back and used the strength of the Water Spirit to form a small water sphere on my palm. Then, I infused it with flames and flicked it with my finger, launching it.

Transformative Basic Technique!

Fire-Water Circular Line!

During my diligent training in the Training World, I came up with this slightly grand-name attack, Fire-Water Circular Line! Honestly, the name is exaggerated, but the principle is simple: I draw out the flame energy from the Water Spirit state, gather it in a spherical form, and shoot the energy. Even so, the power turned out to be decent enough, so I decided to use it to see Ajidahaka’s technique.

Bang!

When the Fire-Water Circular Line collided with the Cross Barrier, a heavy impact sound echoed. Unlike just drawing strength from the Water Spirit, since two energies crossed, the destructive power was significantly higher. However, the Cross Barrier still didn’t show any signs of damage, and instead, Ajidahaka came rushing at me as if he spotted a weakness.

Smack!

‘Here he comes!’

ZZZZZ

The Sword Emperor and his Immortal External Techniques!

Ninth Hundred Fifteenth Style!

Rainbow Scale Sword!

Ajidahaka withdrew the Cross Barrier and infused the energy flowing through it into his sword, wrapping it in a colorful energy. Seeing such a color that I hadn’t encountered before, I instinctively understood that this was a technique of a different dimension.

‘Of course, that’s way stronger than any regular sword energy. Still, the defense of the Water Spirit exceeds that!’

I intended to take a hit from the opponent’s counterattack with the Water Spirit and gobble it right up, so I faced him without putting up a defense. Ajidahaka, perhaps caught off guard by my unexpected move, halted his charge and immediately began spinning, launching another technique.

The Sword Emperor and his Immortal External Techniques!

Eleventh Style!

Turning Wheel Blade Technique!

Buzzing!!

Like a swarm of bees, Ajidahaka spun around at a tremendous speed with one leg fixed on the ground. Simultaneously, a tremendous sword energy gushed from his blade, unleashing countless blade winds in all directions. I was startled; I had never seen such intense turning wheel techniques before.

“……!!”

Different!

It was on a level unlike anything the mortal experts used!

‘Are dozens of blade winds rotating without overlapping?! How is such precision possible?!’

Each skill was honed to perfection as if it had been practiced for decades, leaving not a single gap, and the power was incomparably greater than an ordinary martial art’s Absolute Slash. It was the moment the Turning Wheel Blade Technique first made contact with my Water Spirit-body.

Swoosh!

‘It’s splitting apart?!’

Incredibly, the dozens of blade winds delicately scattered my form, preventing me from maintaining my body! I realized that the swirling motion of the Turning Wheel Blade Technique was stronger than the force sustaining my Water Spirit. Even as my Water Spirit was being torn apart, I felt no pain, my consciousness clear, but with more than 40% of my body already ripped away, I had no choice but to panic.

‘… Just like when I faced the Thunder Spirit, I can’t locate and destroy the core of the Water Spirit itself. Yet, if this continues, I’ll be immobilized without being able to counter while he techs away!’

In a way, it could be a loss for Ajidahaka. Even if I am rendered powerless, the core of my Water Spirit remains intact, conserving my stamina and internal power, while he expends significant mental energy to unleash such techniques. However, I sensed that a master like Ajidahaka wouldn’t miss this chance to overwhelm me in any way.

He would definitely find a way to immobilize me before pulling something.

Realizing it would be foolish to just sit and take it, I hurriedly jumped out of the range of the Turning Wheel Blade Technique and instead gathered water power from the air to create several Water Spears, hurling them at Ajidahaka.

Splash…

‘Hmm…’

Of course, they seemed utterly ineffective and were helplessly whisked away by the spinning blade winds. I felt a growing unease. Then, unexpectedly, Ajidahaka halted the Turning Wheel Blade Technique and hurled a razor-sharp intent in my direction. Instinctively, upon sensing that deadly intent, I brandished my hands like lightning to deflect it.

Bang!!

Huh?!

I could tell my head was pierced by an energy coming from the opposite direction of the intent. Thankfully, since I was in the Water Spirit state, I avoided instant death, but it seemed the severe energy had significantly weakened the cohesion of my Water Spirit. Clutching my head, I staggered as Ajidahaka stopped spinning and said.

[To not die from the Backstab, your body is impressive.]

Tsutsu!

I released the Water Spirit and frowned.

“… It was just a setup with intent while my Invincible Sword was used to ambush from the opposite direction, right? Is that really worthy of a named technique?”

[To kill, it must be a deadly technique. If you weren’t in that watery state, you would have been dead.]

“… I was just overly cautious since I knew I wouldn’t die. It made me let my guard down.”

I seized my sword, gathering my energy.

“But fighting like this feels off. The probing has ended, so here, take this too.”

Crack!!

Thunder God Sword Dance!!

I quickly initiated the Thunder Spirit change from the Soul of the Four Gods, filling my body with Thunder energy and charging forward. This fastest Thunder Spirit, though slightly different from what Lee Cheong-un used, was comparable in speed. And sure enough, Ajidahaka couldn’t react fast enough to the Thunder Spirit and took several hits.

[……!!]

Boom!!

‘Got it! Feeling good!’

I unleashed dozens of basic techniques with the Thunder Spirit and struck Ajidahaka ten times, feeling a surge of triumph. While it didn’t feel like it completely sliced through him, even grazing him was a significant advantage!

However, as I soared up into the air to attack Ajidahaka again while harnessing the Thunder Spirit, I suddenly felt something strange and froze.

‘Yikes, could it be?!’

My gut feeling was spot on. I noticed the numerous strikes I had delivered to Ajidahaka with the Thunder Spirit hadn’t even fully recovered. Moreover, since the number of attacks was almost equal to those I just landed, I was stunned and flabbergasted.

‘Did I… just get countered by how many times I attacked with the Thunder Spirit?!’

How is that even possible?!

While the Absolute Realm might allow for minimal defense against the speed of the Thunder Spirit, it’s so swift that normal defenses or evasions would still be impossible. That means no matter how great a master, if they charge in with the Thunder Spirit, they would inevitably get hit. Even the Master of the White Lotus Sect would find it extremely hard to defend against it, let alone figuring out the Thunder Spirit’s weaknesses in advance.

Yet, this guy, meeting the Thunder Spirit for the first time, was countering me like this!

I had never even considered it possible!

As I fell into chaos, I could see Ajidahaka holding his ground, maintaining his energy perfectly while gearing up for a stance. Though he wasn’t facing me directly, I could feel an unseen, formless gaze and intent locking onto me. I knew deep down that Ajidahaka would surely reflect my next Thunder Spirit strike perfectly.

“……”

From our first exchange where he countered the Infinite Slash and his Absolute Realm hiding some peculiar abilities, I wondered if Ajidahaka has some distinct power I still hadn’t sensed. But despite that, I couldn’t pin down the nature of his abilities yet. Hovering in the air with the Thunder Spirit, I suddenly transformed to the Fire Spirit and unleashed a palm strike.

‘I really don’t want to fight according to your expectations!’

Void Flame Cannon!

Boom!!

The supreme technique of the Fire Spirit that annihilates anything! If he got hit by the Void Flame Cannon, he’d never survive even with a counter!

Suddenly, in that moment, I noticed Ajidahaka was behind me. I had no clue how he slipped by my senses, but somehow, he had succeeded in positioning himself right behind me.

‘What the heck?! Speed?! Teleportation?! I don’t know which it is, but…’

For now, I’ve got to counter!

In that instant, I unfurled the Thunder God Sword Dance to counter Ajidahaka’s slash.

The Sword Emperor and his Immortal External Techniques!

Ninth Style!

Sword Light Envelopment!

Numerous intent-infused sword energies sprang forth! It was simply a pure intent, shining brighter than any flying sword techniques. Thus, it was a highly energy-draining technique. In an instant, the sword energies emitted dazzling brilliance and transformed into sword light, cleaving the heavens into countless shards.

Boom!!

The clash between Sword Light Envelopment and my Thunder God Sword Dance erupted dynamically, releasing loud bursts of radiance in the skies. My Thunder God Sword Dance was sufficient to withstand the Sword Light Envelopment, but as I swung my blade against hundreds of sword lights, I couldn’t make heads or tails of their trajectories. They were so erratic, it felt like each one was psychological warfare. In that chaos, I realized the nature of Ajidahaka’s Sword Light Envelopment.

‘This… isn’t how this technique typically operates. This is insane…’

What originally was ordinary swordplay was now elevated into an art form with formless Qi! With just Sword Light Envelopment, Ajidahaka had effortlessly transcended the level of a grand master. While I was caught up in swinging at the Sword Light Envelopment, I suddenly noticed Ajidahaka yelling as I leaped high in the air.

[You’ve got way too many skills!!]

What?

Zoom!

At that moment, Ajidahaka threw his sword, and I launched my Invincible Sword against it. Upon contact, I felt a tremor through Ajidahaka’s intent.

“……!!”

Bang!

With that strike, we both paused the tumultuous clash, landing back down in the arena which was nearly a ruin, and the protective barrier had been torn apart a bit, too. From afar, a voice called out.

[Please pause the duel! There could be casualties, and we shall halt the match for 5 minutes.]

It was the voice of Emperor Lemuria I of the Lemuria Empire. Thinking the Emperor directly intervening meant we couldn’t ignore it, I lowered my weapon and locked eyes with Ajidahaka.

I was the first to break the silence.

“Ajidahaka. What did you mean by that remark?”

[You’re still unaware of the many skills you have. I’ve caught on from just a few exchanges that you’re practically a treasure trove of techniques. It’s likely that 90% of your exceptional skills remain unused.]

“… You’re right.”

[However, it’s clear that you lack the capacity to wield these numerous techniques into a singular strength. You possess too many, leading to an inability to digest them all, hence creating vulnerabilities as you strive for power.]

“…!!”

Ajidahaka’s words ignited frustration in me as I clenched my fist. Surely, calculating my total strength, I should surpass Ajidahaka, yet his words made it hard to argue back.

‘Damn it… That guy has confidence in his words.’

That’s right.

The reason I couldn’t contest Ajidahaka’s words was that he indeed had a higher version of me. The way he freely handled countless powerful techniques—each unique while creating a masterful cohesion—ensured that perhaps his raw power was inferior, yet he was still on par with me in battle.

As I paused to think, I asked Ajidahaka.

“How in the world did you master so many techniques? Could it be that you’ve truly reached the highest level in all 999 techniques… a master level?”

[Indeed.]

“No way. No matter how much of a cosmic being you are with decades of time, that’s still not enough!”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice. It was only natural, as trying to master 999 exceptional techniques to a master’s level felt exponentially impossible.

To fully complete one martial art typically requires not just years but lifetimes; without insight, it may take thousands of years to master just one. Further, the risk of achieving partial mastery increases with such knowledge, risking falling prey to path deviation.

Yet Ajidahaka was defying logic and accomplishing the unthinkable.

Is he truly a genius surpassing Jin So-cheong?

Then, Ajidahaka quietly spoke.

[Baek Woong. Why do you fail to properly utilize the knowledge you have?]

“… What?”

I caught the sharp glint in Ajidahaka’s eyes.

[Have you ever seriously contemplated what “a singular strength” means? Until you do, you can’t claim to understand the Absolute Realm fully.]

“……!!”

[Mark my words. If you continue to fight this way, you will never draw forth the Divine Skill from me. Never.]

“W-What are you…!!”

What is he talking about? What kind of insidious words is he uttering to me?

Yet I couldn’t dismiss his words, steeped with a sense of mysterious energy.

‘Ugh… I can’t keep getting angry! No matter how much of an enemy he is, I need to seriously consider what he’s saying to understand my growth.’

I realized from the countless foolish experiences that getting angry would only lead to foolishness and quickly calmed my emotions. Then I pondered.

‘A single strength…? Right. I have far too many techniques. Each one is powerful, but I lack the ability to pull them forth in a stable, effective manner! That’s why I fixated on the Infinite Slash, but… it’s become clear that what Asura said about the Infinite Slash being ineffective against master-level opponents holds true.’

As those thoughts crossed my mind, I suddenly remembered the words from earlier.

[Baek Woong. I’ve figured out how you can advance to the next stage.]

[But I won’t tell you. You need to realize it on your own.]

[When you travel back to the past, make sure to fight Ajidahaka.]

[But not now. You would gain nothing by battling him as you are.]

[You’ll know when you fight. Conversely, fighting now will be detrimental to you.]

Asura’s words before he took me to the past of the Great Cycle.

I discerned something significant from Asura’s advice.

‘He mentioned that fighting the future Ajidahaka would be a loss… but on the other hand, fighting the past Ajidahaka is a must… Why would that be?’

The future Ajidahaka doesn’t seem to be much different from the present. I had witnessed him fighting as a Mercenary King, and he bore no apparent severe wounds or curses. So, what really distinguishes the future from the past?

‘Ajidahaka doesn’t seem to be different… So what’s the difference… Oh!!’

Moments later, I grasped what he was hinting at.

Asura’s message to me became clear.

‘So… that’s how it is?’

I had been blinded by conventional thinking!

Boom – !!

Moments later, the great bell signaling the resumption of the match echoed throughout the arena.

After a long pause, I finally spoke to Ajidahaka.

“Ajidahaka, the 5 minutes are up.”

[Is that so? Will you make the first move?]

“No. You attack first.”

I extended my sword straight toward Ajidahaka, measuring the distance. After measuring it accurately in my mind, I focused every ounce of my consciousness sharply.

Once that process finished, I sheathed my sword, embracing the Natural Body.

“I won’t be using any internal power for this duel.”

Even if the time axis changed, Ajidahaka remained the same.

The only thing that was changing was me.