전생검신 88권 15화

Shim Su-ryeok glanced at me with a puzzled look, as if trying to decipher my words.

“What do you mean, feeling possessed by something?”

“……”

I hesitated for a moment and then replied, looking straight at him.

“That ink-black eye… there’s an aura to it that’s hard to put into words. Is that power coming from Chi You’s heart?”

This wasn’t just a hunch. From the moment Shim Su-ryeok manifested that ink-black eye, he started exuding a strange energy that was indescribable. Earlier, it felt merely uncomfortable, but now it was a sense of suspicion that was completely unreachable.

“You mean this eye…?”

Shim Su-ryeok touched under his dark eye as he responded.

“It’s a phenomenon that came from mastering the White Lotus Spirit. It pops out whenever my emotions get heated.”

“…Having a dark eye and a wild temperament is a characteristic of Demon Arts, isn’t it?”

“Heh, I don’t know why my eyes turn black, but does that mean I’m also going to get called a Demon Art user just because I’m preparing to smack around that arrogant Lee Kwang?”

“Hmm… that doesn’t seem quite right.”

Well, if he’s a Grand Master of the Four Great Families, that makes sense…

But there was definitely something uneasy about it, so I said to Shim Su-ryeok.

“I can’t absorb this power in its current state. Tell me exactly what the White Lotus Spirit is.”

“No problem.”

Calmly, Shim Su-ryeok suddenly faced me with his palm out. Then, as if provocatively, he said,

“Why don’t we have a cultivation duel?”

“……”

I fell silent and quietly placed my palm against his.

“Let’s do it.”

Originally, my internal power was something I had accumulated over multiple rebirths supplemented with spiritual pills and fortuitous encounters, so it was nothing short of enormous. It was beyond what could be measured in the human world, and anything that could compare to me would have to be at least a Dharma Guardian level or higher. However, since Shim Su-ryeok’s internal power had rapidly increased as well, I was curious about how it would play out if we faced off now.

Wooooo

For a moment, colossal energy began to condense in the palms of both me and Shim Su-ryeok. Just as our energies were about to collide, Shim Su-ryeok leisurely interjected.

“If it gets too tough, feel free to use your Divine Power.”

“Hah… Aren’t you a bit too confident?”

“You’ll know when you try.”

I couldn’t help but smirk internally. Just because I reached a Realm of the Divine Domain and didn’t heavily rely on my internal power, saying he could take me on with only his own…

Even the Master of the White Lotus Sect with the Primordial Spirit would find it incredibly tough to overpower me in a short duel!

Oooooo –

Koooom!!

At that moment, Shim Su-ryeok and I clashed head-on. I poured nearly all the internal power I could muster into a single strike aimed to hit his nose. Any usual expert would be obliterated just from meeting my momentum, but given Shim Su-ryeok’s current state, I thought he’d survive even if he sustained injuries, so I unleashed it without holding back.

“……?!”

Duung……

But the next moment, I flinched in surprise. At the moment when my pure internal power hit Shim Su-ryeok, I felt like my energy just evaporated without a trace.

‘Is he absorbing my internal power?’

I wondered if it was some kind of Absorption Technique. But soon I realized that was not the case as I fueled more energy into my palm.

‘No?!’

It wasn’t absorbing.

The absolute power gathering in Shim Su-ryeok’s palm was so immense that it didn’t even budge!

The sheer disparity in the size of that power made me feel utterly insignificant!

It was like standing next to a tiny pebble the size of my palm before a massive boulder that was a One Palm in size.

But my current internal power was also legendary enough in the human world; just what kind of scale was Shim Su-ryeok’s White Lotus Spirit wielding right now?!

“Well then, let’s see if I can push you back.”

A moment later, a dark light flickered in Shim Su-ryeok’s gaze, and his palm began to move forward slowly.

Ku-gugugug

Crack!!

“G-gah!!”

In that moment, I felt an overwhelming pressure as if my whole body was being torn apart. The gap in strength I had just sensed was real. With such an overwhelming difference in rank, it was a mere push but I couldn’t withstand it with just my internal power.

‘What, what the hell…’

There was no way to describe it. Was this the kind of power needed to suppress the Soul of the Evil God?

Yet, why did I still feel a sense of emptiness beneath this pure strength?

“Huff!!”

Still, it was manageable for now!

‘Let’s spread the power using the Internal Energy Cultivation Techniques and channel it into the earth…!!’

It seemed that, as I employed my cultivation techniques, it was bearable!

Ku-gugug

I struggled to hold on, but Shim Su-ryeok’s gaze was fixed on me, seemingly impressed.

“You’re definitely a lot stronger than Lee Kwang. He burst and died in an instant during our first internal power duel.”

“……That’s obvious. With this much strength, it wouldn’t be hard to believe it could destroy a continent…”

“Oho, you can respond? You really are a reborn person. Shall I hit a bit harder then…?”

“What?!”

This wasn’t even at maximum power?!

In that instant of shock, Shim Su-ryeok’s internal power suddenly surged with several times the strength it had before. As I felt this unbelievable force, my vision faded to black, and the word “God” popped into my mind.

‘This… this level of power… would it take someone like Yu Mang to stand a chance against it…?’

Power reminiscent of a being of upper existence capable of bending the universe!

Gooook!!

Pop

I suddenly saw blood bursting from the veins in my arm. It was an effect caused by the immense gap in strength that I could no longer handle with any technique.

‘Damn! He did say that… this can’t be helped.’

As I continued to sense Shim Su-ryeok’s escalating power, I felt increasingly lost, and soon, I had no choice but to call upon a force other than my internal power.

Divine Power!!

Tsaaak

Light surged from every part of my body as I manifested my Divine Power. This was simply imagining it enveloping my body as reminded by Fuxi, but even this primitive application was enough to unleash my Divine Power. Once this cheating power started helping me, the scales tipped in my favor.

Koooom!!

“Ugh.”

Shim Su-ryeok let out a grunt. Suddenly, the difference in power flipped, turning him from a 2 to an 8 on the level scale. As he staggered, I couldn’t help but smirk.

“I only used it because you told me to. But your Divine Power seems a bit unfair, don’t blame me.”

This power truly felt like cheating. It easily surpassed the limits that a mortal could wield, making me realize how impossible a God is to resist. Even right now, I’m just sampling its strength rather than using it fully yet it instantly allows me to tilt the scales in my favor.

“Phew… How could I possibly blame you? Of course, I was just curious to see how far the power of the White Lotus Spirit could stretch, which is why I asked you to do this.”

“What? You don’t mean…?”

Shim Su-ryeok’s eyes gleamed brightly.

“From now on, I will use my all-out strength…!!”

Eh?! You can’t be serious…

Are you really planning to beat my Divine Power?!

Ku-gugugug!!

“Uoooohhhh……!!”

The next moment, his eyes turned even darker, and the energy emanating from his palm intensified again. As that strength rapidly caught up to my enhanced Divine Power, I raised my energy level to meet it. While I easily maintained my advantage, I found myself thinking.

‘This seems like a futile effort. I haven’t even used a tenth of my Divine Power yet…’

Honestly, once I gained this kind of strength, I totally understood why the Three Sovereigns treated humans like bugs. The difference between what humans could wield was just too enormous; there was never really any competition to begin with. I believed that even if Shim Su-ryeok wielded “internal power,” it would inevitably have limitations, which allowed me to keep my composure.

Crack! Crack!

“……”

Uh… something feels off here…

Why is he still keeping up with me?

Just as I began to feel a creeping unease, I suddenly sensed Shim Su-ryeok’s power pushing against my palm. Realizing that he had temporarily surpassed my strength, I hurriedly boosted my Divine Power once more, but I was nearing my limit, which made me panic.

‘What the hell?! You mean to tell me that the power I used at the start was just a taste of what Shim Su-ryeok could do?!’

Thud! Thud!

“Gah!!”

Finally, as I summoned more than 80% of my strength, it seemed Shim Su-ryeok matched my intensity, opening his eyes wide as he unleashed all his energy into his palm. Never did I imagine a duel would escalate this far, causing my panic to rise when Shim Su-ryeok suddenly shouted.

“Craaaw!!”

Boom!!

With a colossal roar, a massive shockwave erupted in the arena.

Kuwakaka!

The shockwave spread instantly beyond the horizon and caused a cataclysm. It felt as though the continent’s crust jolted, and it probably circled the planet in a single sweep. Although I was standing firm, Shim Su-ryeok was knocked three steps back.

“Cough! Cough! Hahhhh….”

“……”

Shim Su-ryeok coughed for a while before getting up, saying,

“Indeed… no matter how much the White Lotus Spirit is utilized, it can’t quite match up against an entity like yourself.”

“……I can’t believe it. Just moments ago, it felt like I was on the verge of surpassing my limits. But midway, it seemed you restrained your own power; why was that?”

What just happened had been phenomenal. At that split second when Shim Su-ryeok unleashed that explosive force, he nearly exceeded the potential of my Divine Power. If things had kept going, it wouldn’t have been him but me lying on the ground. But he had suddenly withdrawn his strength, allowing the contest to end in my favor.

Shim Su-ryeok then said with a bitter expression,

“I tried to reach my limits in order to trump you, but I became frightened that I would be consumed by something else… like that infinite something lurking in the abyss beyond.”

“……”

“However… now you understand.”

“What do you mean I understand?”

Shim Su-ryeok looked straight at me and said,

“Even with the White Lotus Spirit, I’m limited to this extent. If I had given myself enough time, I could’ve potentially matched you. Just imagine how much stronger you would become if you mastered the White Lotus Spirit as a reborn person.”

“……!!”

“This is, literally, [infinite power]! My soul and body can only withstand the limit I just showed you; should a greater existence acquire the White Lotus Spirit, they’d gain unimaginable strength…!! Don’t you find infinite power enticing?”

“Hmm…!!”

Honestly speaking, that was an enticing offer!

My mind was racing, wondering what results would come if I could amplify my power like Shim Su-ryeok could!

As I was deep in thought, Shim Su-ryeok said,

“The choice is yours. I’ve shown you enough of the White Lotus Spirit’s potential.”

“Hmmm…”

At that moment, Heuk Woong, who had been watching our duel, suddenly spoke up.

[Shim Su-ryeok, there’s one thing you haven’t mentioned.]

“What do you mean?”

[The power of the White Lotus Spirit has been proven. However, you never explained its principles at all.]

Ah!!

I was suddenly jolted by Heuk Woong’s remark. Shim Su-ryeok, with his snake-like charm, had brushed over that crucial point; he hadn’t properly explained the principle behind the power! Then Shim Su-ryeok fell silent for a moment before grinning and replied,

“The principle is just as previously stated. The Soul of the Evil God’s [reversal] itself serves as a vessel. I’m merely forcing each axis to stop their rotation using infinite power.”

“……Hmm.”

I let out a silent murmur before opening my mouth.

“Now that I think about it, it’s strange. If the rotation of the Soul of the Evil God is forcibly halted, then wouldn’t their unique abilities all be rendered unusable?”

Indeed, that made no sense, when you think it through.

The fundamental principle behind the Soul of the Evil God was to amplify power by moving among its four attributes, but if you stop the flow as Shim Su-ryeok said, you couldn’t utilize each individual property! Shim Su-ryeok countered,

“What difference does it make if you can’t use the Soul of the Evil God’s unique traits? Even so, just pure power alone would increase exponentially.”

“Uh… true, but…”

“In simpler terms… the Soul of the Evil God is fundamentally akin to borrowing the powers of the Four Great Spirit Deities. However, since the force embedded in Chi You’s heart is vastly superior, it merely switches the object of borrowing from the Four Great Deities to Chi You.”

“……”

Hmm… that’s…

It passes the logic for growing strength but… is that really martial arts?

Just then, I realized that Heuk Woong had pinpointed it well.

‘Shim Su-ryeok perceives the Soul of the Evil God as merely an expression of power rather than martial arts.’

There was nothing wrong with Heuk Woong’s assertion that treating it that way was essentially akin to forbidden practices. However, considering that Shim Su-ryeok was well aware of the Soul of the Evil God’s nuances and had refined its techniques meticulously, why would he come to such a conclusion?

I cautiously asked,

“Shim Su-ryeok… then what is the White Lotus Spirit exactly a [vessel] for? I know there are many possibilities outside the realm of the Soul of the Evil God, like the Earth Spirit or the Sun and Moon Spirit… but I can’t grasp the nature of the vessel you draw power from.”

“The White Lotus Spirit is the vessel of [nothingness].”

“Nothingness?”

“Correct… a vessel of null attributes that cannot be approached by any of the properties… Ultimately, that leads to the conclusion that it can surpass the Sun and Moon Spirit you demonstrated.”

Continuing on, Shim Su-ryeok elaborated,

“With infinite power at hand, why would you need any attributes? In order to vanquish the mighty beings throughout the entire universe, does that even matter?”

“……”

“Everything in this world is made up of strength. The ultimate power seeks the nothingness of the White Lotus Spirit… that is the pinnacle of the martial arts of the White Lotus Sect!”

Seeing Shim Su-ryeok expressing his beliefs passionately, I found myself deep in thought.

After a while, I spoke up.

“Shim Su-ryeok. That doesn’t seem to be the path I wish to pursue.”

“Why is that?”

“Only by relying on Chi You’s power can one never surpass Chi You.”

“……”

Shim Su-ryeok looked bewildered, as if caught off guard by my statement.

He seemed utterly astonished.

“No way, you can’t actually think that the pure martial arts of the White Lotus Sect could surpass even Chi You?”

His expression was filled with palpable bewilderment.

He evidently didn’t expect me to think that.

But I sincerely believed that, so I continued quietly.

“Surely, the White Lotus Sect should be able to reach that level, shouldn’t it?”

I affirmatively stated that if I had to be reincarnated tens of thousands of times, I would knock down Nyarlathotep and anything else in my way. But Chi You had failed to defeat Nyarlathotep.

Thus, I couldn’t solely depend on Chi You’s force.

At minimum, the White Lotus Sect I aspired to needed to surpass Chi You.

Hearing my reply, Shim Su-ryeok stared at me, stunned for a moment, before eventually accepting it with a hint of resignation as he muttered.

“…I see. Then let me tell you one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“From obtaining the White Lotus Spirit, I’ve come to realize one particular truth.”

“What truth is that?”

“I was resurrected when you, Ha Eun-cheon, struck me with the Reincarnation Cannon for no particular reason during the Takrok Era. You have no clue what that reason was, and I didn’t either.”

“……!!”

I flinched at Shim Su-ryeok’s words.

“Don’t tell me….”

“Just as you suspect. I recently realized why I was resurrected back then. Chi You’s power awakened me.”

Really?!

But I had no idea what the reason could possibly be… and yet he claimed to have figured it out?!

“What’s the reason? Tell me!”

As I prodded, Shim Su-ryeok looked at me with a strangely deep and dark gaze.

“After receiving the Reincarnation Cannon from Ha Eun-cheon, my memories resurfaced. I then found myself in an unknown place where I made a [contract].”