전생검신 88권 13화

…… What is this guy blabbering about?

Hearing Subori’s words left me utterly speechless.

“So, you’re saying that even inanimate objects have feelings and will… is that what you’re saying?”

“Exactly.”

“Then you’re telling me that hair, rocks, and even the wind have feelings… is that it?”

“Why are you elaborating on the same point? Seems like you’ve understood it well enough already.”

I shook my head vigorously.

“No, I don’t get it. How does that even make sense? You’re not just having a philosophical debate here—you’re genuinely claiming that inanimate things have feelings, and that’s just nonsense! Who on earth would believe that?”

That’s completely different from a metaphorical expression saying that inanimate things have feelings. According to Subori, if this holds true as a law applicable to this world, it would mean that everything has a mind, essentially flipping common sense upside down.

Then Subori said,

“Regardless of whether you believe it or not, didn’t I say that the eight consciousnesses prove it?”

“Wait… So you mean to say that these clothes I’m wearing, or this sword, or everything else has feelings, which means I’d have to treat them as individuals?”

“No, you’ve misunderstood that too. Just because something has feelings doesn’t mean it must be treated like an individual.”

“What do you mean?”

“Feelings are just actions. It’s not like you’d understand all the intricate theories related to the mind, so to put it simply, that ‘will’ we lump together as ‘mind’ is actually quite complex. Some have a well-developed will, while others possess barely perceptible traces of will. All these heart laws materialize into a higher understanding stage, and that’s what the eight consciousnesses are about.”

I let out a grunt.

“…You said it’s not complicated, but this is pretty complicated.”

“Hmm. I should probably explain it in simpler terms.”

Mumbling to himself, Subori placed his index finger on my chest and continued.

“In the realm of eight consciousnesses, you take the form of ‘Baek Woong’—a highly developed ‘mind.’ Your physical form is merely analyzed through the perception of others; in reality, you’re a being with no real substance. Here, there’s no real Baek Woong—only a giant ‘mind’ standing.”

“…?!”

“On the other hand, that rock over there or the wind that brushes past also has a ‘mind,’ but they don’t have a will as complex as yours. They’re just beings with a rudimentary level of feeling.”

I couldn’t help but shout in bewilderment.

“Is this some kind of gibberish?! I’m alive and breathing, and all of this has substance! Why do you say a perfectly fine person has no substance and is just a ‘mind’?!”

“Do you really think that? You, a perfectly established entity that can’t be denied by anyone?”

“Of course!”

“If someone from the Great Bear Empire wrote an epic about your life, calling the protagonist Baek Woong, the readers would each imagine Baek Woong in their own way, picturing his personality. Some will believe that the Baek Woong in their imagination is the ‘real’ one, and it won’t matter to them what the actual Baek Woong is like. If the self completes the world, then no real existence exists any longer. Everything is merely a ‘mind.’”

“……”

“They recognized Baek Woong with their ‘mind.’ Does it matter whether the Baek Woong here is real or not?”

“That’s absurd. If I’m not real, then this whole conversation wouldn’t even exist.”

“No, it wouldn’t. Just like the stories of Gautama Buddha and the ten disciples often vary greatly from historical accounts… whether or not something exists doesn’t prevent it from being a story. In fact, there are countless stories that are entirely fictional from the start. Substance requires cognition, but cognition doesn’t necessarily require substance… haven’t you experienced numerous examples of this in your rebirths?”

“……”

“In short, there is no unchanging, everlasting entity in this world. Everything is empty, a mind, a cognition, and a part of perception.”

M-mind-blowing words…

I snapped back into reality and said,

“Sounds plausible, but just because I claim that everything is meaningless doesn’t mean that what I see and feel will disappear! Sure, it makes sense theoretically, but if I refuse to acknowledge the existence of substance, then there would be no reason to live!”

“That’s merely an illusion we possess because we are trapped in the ‘cycle.’”

“An illusion?”

Subori nodded and continued.

“In this ‘Great Cycle’ we’re trapped in, we mistake everything for substance. However, from the perspective of those watching from outside the cycle, our substance is akin to a fleeting dream. In essence, we only grasp the possibility of existence by recognizing each other; we mistakenly believe that substance is something absolute beyond perception…”

“No… I can’t accept all of that as an illusion…”

“Do you wish to deny my words? Should I provide a simpler example to help you understand it better…?”

He let out a soft grunt before speaking again.

“The highly advanced AI you encountered… suppose those androids also had feelings. Yet, at their core, they were merely artificial aggregates of various inorganic compounds, molded into the form of humans to think like them. They’re nothing more than beings that ‘act’ as if they’re human.”

“……!!!”

“Much like the ‘Mask’ tribe. The only difference is that they aren’t biological. They think but lack true feelings… doesn’t that sound familiar?”

Muttering softly, Subori continued.

“However, humans, including yourself, perceive those ‘almost human’ beings as human. And that perception bestowed feelings upon them. In other words, even non-living things can be endowed with ‘mind’ through the action of perception.”

“Cognition… creates ‘mind’?”

“More accurately, it elevates the consciousness that possessed ‘mind’ to a higher level by generating a cause-and-effect relationship of the perceived.”

“……”

Could such a ludicrous worldview even exist…?

Just as I was getting flustered by this fresh perspective, Subori smiled gently.

“The ability of the eight consciousnesses can awaken the latent ‘mind’ present in all existence using the emotion of pain.”

“Pain? Is there really reason to inflict pain?”

“Do you think I just mentioned that life is pain for no reason? Gautama Buddha once said that the birth of the universe originated from someone’s suffering. The most direct emotion that awakens existence is, in fact, pain.”

“Hmm.”

“Well then, that should suffice for the explanation on eight consciousnesses. Do you have any more questions?”

Subori’s explanation seemed pretty complicated, but I could understand it to some extent given my prior studies.

“So, essentially any inanimate object could potentially have a ‘mind,’ and the ability is to awaken that mind through pain…”

I couldn’t deny this belief, as Subori and the ten disciples of Buddha demonstrated that ability firsthand.

Ananda could have utilized this principle to cause pain to machines’ bodies as well.

“Hmm?”

The instinct of a reborn person was whispering something to me…

As I pondered, I said, “Subori. But doesn’t this ability have a flaw?”

“Hmm? Well, it’s not exactly a combat-oriented ability… what flaw are you speaking of?”

Tentatively mentioning my rogue thought sparked by my rebirth instinct, I continued.

“It probably wouldn’t work on beings that inherently lack a ‘mind.’”

“……”

In response to my words, Subori stared blankly at me before bursting into a loud laugh.

“Ha ha… Hahaha! What are you talking about? A being without a ‘mind’… I can’t believe you’ve been listening to my explanation and grasping it like that.”

“……”

“Even inanimate objects or the great nature that seem to lack a ‘mind’ can have their wills awakened through the eight consciousnesses. It’s even possible for a star! What do you think it means to say that the origin of ‘mind’ doesn’t exist at all?”

“What do you mean?”

“A being that has never been recognized by anyone and has no causal relationship with anyone in the entire universe. Such a being is truly ‘nothing’ and ‘void.’ However, even the gods above and below cannot exist in such a manner… Could such a thing exist in this world? Or can we even call that ‘existence’?”

“Hmm.”

Is that so…? Did I misunderstand something?

I felt a sharp warning ringing in my head just now…

Ruffling my hair, I said, “…Well, whatever the case, that’s not the important part. I think I’ve grasped the general idea of what the eight consciousnesses can do.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Now for the really important question… When I go to battle again, can I defeat that Ananda guy?”

“……”

Upon my question, Subori stared at me wide-eyed. After a while of pondering, he finally spoke.

“I have a sense of both Ananda’s and your capabilities to some extent… but honestly, right now, I don’t think you could defeat Ananda.”

“Is that so?”

“The true fear of Ananda is that the Great Six Heaven World isn’t the pinnacle of his power. He definitely possesses something beyond that.”

“Do you have any specific reason for that belief?”

At my retort, Subori sighed.

“A being that has achieved ‘fusion’ is unprecedented. For convenience’s sake, they say he has power a million times greater, but when Ananda murdered Mara Papiyas, you could feel he wasn’t even using all of his power. It was as easy as squashing a bug.”

“Hmm.”

“I find it hard to put my feelings into words. You’ve seen countless powerful beings—haven’t you ever encountered a being like what I just described?”

I thought deeply and replied.

“I have.”

…There is one being, aside from the clairvoyants I’ve met in the future, that evokes endless power and dread.

If Ananda is comparable to that being, it might be too soon for me to fight him now.

Subori then said, “The advice I can give is this: train in any power other than divine power. Ananda possesses absolute strength over beings using divine power, so no matter how much you enhance your divine power, you won’t be able to defeat him.”

“Got it. Thanks for the solid advice.”

Subori’s words made sense. Against a being like Ananda, who could completely obliterate divine powers, relying solely on divine power wasn’t a viable approach.

‘Even if I bring my main body back to that era, it might not necessarily work on Ananda!’

That means I should perhaps contemplate a different strategy moving forward.

While deep in thought, I abruptly stood up.

“I’ve remembered what I must do. I’ll take my leave now.”

Skrrrt!

Leaving that spot, I headed straight for a deserted area. Carefully extracting the book from my pocket, I proclaimed,

Heavenly Secret!

Swish!

I opened the book and swiftly entered the world within.

Swssss!

When I regained my senses, I found myself standing atop the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School’s training ground. I felt a natural transition into the training ground and thought,

‘Now I don’t have the device for the Heavenly Secret. Originally, the Cheon Woo-jin served as the device, but it’s gone and Mephisto has vanished too… So now, entering the book directly leads me straight to the Training World.’

Contemplating like this, I slowly walked into the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

‘Now, while learning the Power Field Style from Yu Mang is essential…’

First, I need to meet Lee Kwang and Shim Su-ryeok in this training world.

I wanted to converse with them about martial arts once more. This time I had much more to discuss, and more importantly, having an edge from this slightly elevated state would help when learning the Power Field Style.

Just as I was about to step further inside the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I heard a voice,

“Long time no see. What’s brought you here this time?”

I turned my gaze toward the owner of that voice. There stood a man at the entrance of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, leaning on a spear, eyeing me with an unimpressed look. Had he undergone a rebirth? His body appeared remarkably youthful, a stark contrast to what I once knew.

At that moment, I sensed no energy escaping from him, basically making him feel as if he were non-existent. I couldn’t help but be startled by his overwhelming aura.

‘…He’s… gotten… stronger!’

I couldn’t pinpoint the specific realm he had reached. At first glance, it looked like he had achieved the state of Return to Simplicity, but the sensations I felt as I tapped into the Divine Realm hinted that it was far beyond that.

There’s no question about it.

Lee Kwang seems to have grown far stronger than the level I once knew.

I stared at him for a moment before finally speaking up.

“Lee Kwang. How have you been?”

The figure who appeared before me was none other than Lee Kwang, who had been diligently training in this world. He gazed at me with a cold glint in his eyes before silently approaching me.

Step. Step.

Then he just walked past me without a word and entered the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, closing the door behind him.

BANG!

“……”

What’s up with this guy?

Is he on some kind of weird path?

When I was baffled, I suddenly heard the voice of the Six Harmonies Assembly echoing from within.

[I currently have no interest in sparring with you, so please speak from where you are.]

What the hell?!

You mean, by standing here and talking, you thought I might challenge you to a spar!? You arrogant punk!

‘…But he’s not wrong!’

How did he know?

I had intended to ask him for a spar, but keeping my simmering frustration in check, I called out to Lee Kwang.

“Lee Kwang!! Would a martial artist abandon martial arts? Let’s have a sparring match!”

Since I had been honing my martial arts consistently in this Training World, it might be a good idea to battle Lee Kwang to gain more experience, which could yield a clue in my fight against Ananda!

Lee Kwang’s annoyed voice rang out again.

[I’m very troubled at the moment. If that’s the case, I’ll show you a few moves.]

Swish!

The instant those words ended, one of the spears in the sparring arena flew into the air as if it were alive and floated across from me in the sky.

‘Is this… Qi Manipulation?’

It was clear that, showcasing this alone, he could be labeled as a legendary expert in Central Plains Martial World, but given the number of top-tier masters I’d seen, I didn’t find it impressive. So, feeling a bit confident, I smirked.

“How cheeky of you to challenge your master without even showing your face, relying on Qi Manipulation. I’ll soon make your face as pale as a ghost!”

After a moment of silence, Lee Kwang replied unexpectedly.

[Is this what you call Qi Manipulation? Quite disappointing.]

“Huh?”

[Your judgment is below par for a high level of martial arts. Then let’s see how well you can defend yourself.]

Thwack!!

Clang!

In the next moment, I narrowly managed to deflect Lee Kwang’s spear that had been directed towards me by reading the [Flow], but no matter how I perceived it, Lee Kwang’s aura was still far mightier, leaving me overwhelmed. Furthermore, the force emanating from the spear’s tip was incredibly strong, causing the sword I had raised to tremble.

Ugh…?!

W-What’s happening?

I can somehow deflect it using the Divine Realm’s [Flow], but I just can’t understand the nature of the martial art contained in this spear!

‘But… This definitely isn’t Qi Manipulation.’

What kind of martial art could this be?

Lee Kwang’s cold voice resonated once more.

[Tianhua (Heavenly Flower).]

Before I could even grasp the meaning behind that term, Lee Kwang’s movement struck like lightning.

[Soul of the Evil God]

[Heavenly Flower]

[Thunder Cloud Palm]

Crash!!

Thud.

“……!!”

I barely managed to block Lee Kwang’s attack by reading the [Flow], but due to the pressure I felt from his strikes, I was sent flying and crashed down with an awful sound.

Clang!

The very attack that just rushed towards me was surely Lee Kwang’s signature move, the Thunder Cloud Palm. Nonetheless, the power it carried was on a whole new level compared to what I had seen before. I managed to dispel some of that force, but I still couldn’t grasp the full weight of it and ended up losing my weapon.

While I could fight against Lee Kwang’s techniques, I found myself utterly unable to decipher him!

‘W-What is happening?’

I can feel it.

Lee Kwang’s martial prowess is unmatched among the powerful beings I met in the world I visited, excluding the Asura!

It’s only been a mere few decades since I last saw him, and he’s grown this much?!

I stood there in shock, and Lee Kwang spoke.

[I am currently raising my techniques to a higher stage. Don’t interrupt my closed-room training.]

From that, I realized something important.

The current Lee Kwang had pioneered a new realm within the Soul of the Evil God.

“`

 

---