전생검신 93권 17화

Thinking I couldn’t use divine power gave me a bit of a headache.

‘…The Dragon of the Apocalypse isn’t that tough of an opponent, but… it’s too massive!’

According to Yeodong-bin, who I heard from directly, the size of the Dragon of the Apocalypse could easily cover the entire Central Plains continent. It might just be a myth, but it was hard to doubt, especially when a normally serious Yeodong-bin was talking about it as a joke.

So, facing that thing without divine power was going to be quite the hassle. Even if a blow from an expert in the Absolute Realm could chop mountains, it wouldn’t even compare to the destructive power required for a land-sized beast. Sure, humans could handle monsters the size of hundreds of men, but anything thousands of times bigger felt more like a cosmic joke.

How on earth was I supposed to cut down something that huge?

I glanced back at the Fire Dragon Sword strapped to my back. Even if I tried to channel a sword energy over a hundred spans long—it would only feel like a toothpick’s worth of damage to the Dragon of the Apocalypse. Stretching the sword energy would just end up breaking like a twig against its ridiculous durability.

…By the way, why couldn’t I draw my Fire Dragon Sword?

“Hm!”

Just to check, I grabbed the hilt of the Fire Dragon Sword and pulled harder. Yet again, it wouldn’t budge, and I couldn’t help but grumble.

“Fire Dragon Incarnate! Why aren’t you lending me your strength? Let’s hear the reason!”

……

But I received no reply. Even though the Fire Dragon Incarnate surely resided within the sword, the lack of a reaction told me everything.

‘Great. It seems like it’s on guard and refusing to respond to me.’

With Yeodong-bin suddenly going insane and having a Heart Demon possess him, it made complete sense for the Fire Dragon Incarnate to be cautious. Plus, with my power being essentially an unknown factor, revealing myself recklessly would just turn into a backfire, especially since some evil beings could curse you just by chatting.

It was probably considering retaliation if I showed any weakness.

‘Anyway, it looks impossible to get help from the Fire Dragon Incarnate or the sword right now. Hm…’

So does that mean I’ve got to take down the Dragon with just my bare hands since I can’t use divine power or my sword?

“…That’s just ridiculous.”

I shook my head. If I were at full power, maybe. But in my current state, that wasn’t a casual opponent at all. Especially not one with a body that was larger than the continent itself.

I felt the need to seriously ponder what I should do next.

‘If I had time and freedom, I’d gather treasures and skills throughout the continent based on what I know. But today is the day to confront the dragon, and I barely have any time left…’

In that case, I might as well check how much power I can use right now.

I thought as I gathered Qi throughout my body, slowly manipulating my internal power.

Goooh

As I lightly operated the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique, I felt an overwhelming surge of powerful internal energy coursing through me.

‘Is this the level of internal power that Yeodong-bin had in his prime? Quite impressive.’

I was taken aback. Yeodong-bin couldn’t be much past forty, yet his internal power was comparable to that of Grand Master Myung-ho from my past era. That meant his power had reached a level unmatched in human martial arts, only rivaled by those using underhanded methods like the Dharma Guardians.

Moreover, Yeodong-bin’s Eight Extraordinary Vessels were fully open down to the finest channels, not even a speck of residue remaining. The purity of his internal power was unparalleled. I could believe it if they told me he had hidden away in a mountain for a hundred years, subsisting on mountain dew and moss while training.

To boot, divine energy was even flowing from the meridians connecting his arms and legs, leaving me puzzled.

‘What the heck? Just what kind of training did he do to end up like this?’

I’d experienced numerous styles of internal cultivation, but I’d never seen anything like it!

Curious, I pushed powerful internal energy into where Yeodong-bin’s limbs connected. In an instant, I felt the flow of internal energy speeding up dramatically in that area.

Zhoooosh!

“…Whoa!”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, realizing how his internal energy was formed.

“Goodness… he’s managed to use a portion of his Middle Dantian actively! I can’t believe someone actually did this!”

The Middle Dantian!

I recalled what I had heard about the Middle Dantian.

[As the Lower Dantian’s capability rises, it reaches the realm of the Middle Dantian, which doesn’t exist in a specific part of the body like the ordinary Dantian.]

[The Middle Dantian is said to reside in the heart, but it isn’t what you think. When the Lower Dantian’s ability reaches an incredible level, it undergoes a process of integration where all power converges in the heart. So, essentially, the ultimate domain of martial artists can be said to practically be the Middle Dantian.]

As Mangnyang said, the Middle Dantian was an evolved concept of the Lower Dantian.

The ones truly utilizing the concept of the Middle Dantian in practice were none other than the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Guardians—they received infinite internal power and developed their Lower Dantian to the extreme to maximize the amount of internal power they could use at once. Creating Dantians and going through a process of transformation to build bodies that can handle infinite internal power could be considered training in the Middle Dantian in some sense!

That’s why the Heavenly Spirit Pill cleverly intersected with the notion of the Middle Dantian.

However, Yeodong-bin, who had infused me with strength before, rationally stated before.

[That’s not martial arts, but divine power.]

[The Heavenly Spirit Pill itself isn’t a stage permitted to humans. So, consider that all those who have embraced the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the Original Spirit are apostles of the gods.]

I could only now understand why Yeodong-bin had been so firm about that back then.

‘Yeodong-bin had already mastered the realm of Lower Dantian cultivation during his human days and learned the internal power technique that creates the Middle Dantian in various areas! Because he was practicing the Middle Dantian himself, he realized that the Heavenly Spirit Pill theory advocated by the Master was not actually a normal theory!’

And uniquely, Yeodong-bin’s Middle Dantian existed not in the heart but at the joints where his limbs connect to his torso. Having learned how to extract power from the Middle Dantian while practicing the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, I could realize this was a Middle Dantian, but something still felt off.

‘Normally, it was believed that the Middle Dantian was created in the heart, which lined up with what I felt. Once the Lower Dantian had reached a peak of cultivation, the heart would grow in height to expand the spirit. I too developed my Thunder Spirit there… so why does Yeodong-bin’s Middle Dantian feel different?’

Why was it formed at the connection points of the four limbs?

Ka-pow!

With a hunch, I grabbed a nearby twig and began swiftly practicing the techniques of the Thunder God lineage. As the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique and the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique intertwined quickly, I realized something during the performance and shivered.

“It’s… it’s fast!”

Absurdly fast!

In fact, this speed was naturally two to three times faster than when I solely executed basic techniques! Plus, while performing, it felt like the flow of time slowed down for a moment, so its tangible sensation was even superior. I could perfectly merge precision with it.

Having felt the level of Grand Master Myung-ho’s internal power before, I could intuitively grasp just how outrageously fast Yeodong-bin’s basic techniques were. If I faced someone with similar internal power, I would undoubtedly overwhelm them.

As I perceived the reason why it was possible, I was astonished.

“Wow! The speed of internal energy increases exponentially when passing through the Middle Dantian! This is insane!”

Yeodong-bin surely understood that building the Middle Dantian around the heart was the conventional approach.

Yet, he utilized the property of the Middle Dantian maximizing the power of the Lower Dantian, effectively enhancing the speed of the internal energy used in his limbs! This way, every movement in his swordplay became enormously efficient.

‘Of course, this would be stronger and faster compared to forming the Middle Dantian in the heart! While growing the spirit to reach the Higher Dantian’s realm would slow the speed slightly…’

The problem was that outside of Yeodong-bin, no one in the martial world had ever thought of this ingenious method!

‘…A genius…!’

I couldn’t help but shudder at Yeodong-bin’s genius when I understood there were two reasons only he could utilize this Middle Dantian technique.

First – No one else had been able to escalate to the Absolute Realm in such a short period while boiling their pure blood in genuine life-and-death battles. This wasn’t just because Yeodong-bin was brilliant; the Fire Dragon Incarnate had aided him all along!

Second – While other individuals might have reached the level to train their Middle Dantian, they became trapped in the fixation of [the Middle Dantian is in the heart], unable to break free. Yeodong-bin was a master who could break the boundaries of martial arts knowledge, a prodigy among prodigies.

Besides, forming the Middle Dantian somewhere other than the heart would require its unique innovative operating method, akin to creating a completely new martial art from scratch. Yeodong-bin had produced that entirely alone without learning from anyone.

Considering everything, Yeodong-bin in his human form was already a supreme martial artist from even my time in the Ming Dynasty. He was incredibly close to completing the Absolute Realm and could utilize the Middle Dantian like this to facilitate ultra-fast combat, meaning he could likely easily slice through the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Just imagining how much stronger he would become once he became the Fire Dragon Incarnate and practiced the Overlay Technique was truly mind-blowing. If you were asked to name the strongest fighter in the history of the Central Plains martial world, he would undoubtedly be in the top five.

Just as I reached that conclusion, something snapped me back to reality, and I muttered.

“But I can’t maintain this for long.”

To engage in extreme-speed combat using Yeodong-bin’s method required a ridiculous level of combat sense and inspiration. I had just felt this while performing the sword techniques, but the speed of internal energy was so high that it was practically slowing down the execution of the techniques themselves, making the melding with the sword shadow extraordinarily challenging.

While the Thunder Spirit might outperform in raw speed alone, Yeodong-bin’s swordplay involved a lot of derived techniques moving alongside ‘will’ itself. Its complexity and difficulty were on another level entirely. The notoriously tough Thunder God lineage’s ultimate technique felt almost like child’s play in comparison to the difficulty of Yeodong-bin’s Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.

‘Way too fast…’

Despite being immensely skilled in the Thunder Spirit, I would find it impossible to demonstrate the precision of swordplay against an opponent while freely unleashing techniques; not even the current me could match up to Yeodong-bin. This was a sword only a true genius could wield perfectly.

At that moment, Jin So-cheong came to mind. I felt like she had something similar…

I shook my head and fell back into thought.

‘Hmm… the direction I pursue in martial arts is different from Yeodong-bin’s. Trying to forcibly harness Yeodong-bin’s strengths feels like wearing clothes that don’t fit.’

In essence, Yeodong-bin’s internal power and energy were like garments tailored perfectly for him as a Sword Saint. Since I had taken entirely different paths and practices, mirroring him would only yield poorer results.

Was there any way to merge my strengths with Yeodong-bin’s?

That was the only way to have a chance against the Dragon…

As I continued to ponder, I slowly began to summon strength throughout my body.

“Looks like we’ve got to try.”

It’s unexpected that Yeodong-bin had an impressive ultimate move during his human days, but I had been cultivating my own capabilities for over a hundred years.

If I had developed a martial technique capable of taking down the Dragon, it had to be one specific move.

I glared fiercely while gathering energy and roared.

“Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique…!”

Zing!

In that moment, an incredible surge of lightning energy flooded my body. The core principles of the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique and the Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven rushed through my mind in a flash, and I brainstormed how to capture the nuances of the Nine Chambers without already having the foundational techniques of the Thunder God lineage.

To train the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, you first needed to thoroughly master both the Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique and the Eight Wilds Shock of Heaven to a considerable level, along with dedicating time to cultivating the Thunder energy.

Yet, I realized through extensive experience in internal cultivation that the solution was much simpler than that.

‘Just… leverage what I already have!’

Fortunately, Yeodong-bin’s current form was fully capable of utilizing the perfected Lower Dantian cultivation! I closely observed the flow of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels nearby with the existing Middle Dantian and used it to manipulate the minuscule Thunder energy, making it cycle like a loop around my joint areas.

Crack!

‘Ow!’

Yikes! My thigh felt like it had been grabbed by a red-hot pair of tongs!

As expected, Thunder energy was harmful to the human body, and as it coursed through me, an insane amount of pain surged. But based on my internal cultivation experience, I figured that whining now would just release my energy, so I gritted my teeth and held on. When I checked how much the Thunder energy had expanded after passing through, what had once been the size of a grain of rice had become the size of a fingernail, causing me to break out in a cold sweat but, inwardly, I smirked.

‘Here we go…!’

The Middle Dantian’s effects were not only to increase the speed of internal energy but also to enhance the might of intangible energies like Thunder!

Since the Middle Dantian was the ‘next stage’ beyond the completion of the Lower Dantian, anything like Thunder energy moving through it underwent rapid amplification!

‘While the limitations might not be as grand as proper cultivation of the Nine Chambers, this might actually be much faster in terms of increasing the size of the Thunder energy!’

If I passed through the Middle Dantian established in all limbs like a loop, my Thunder energy would surely grow massive!

I thought as I persisted through the pain, growing the Thunder energy.

Bzzzz!

Crackle!

“Alright… this should work…!”

I was satisfied to see my Thunder energy had grown to a decent size—though not reaching that of the Nine Chambers of Thunder—it was certainly substantial. It had reached a level comparable to several months’ worth of proper training.

It was no exaggeration to state that the might of the Nine Chambers was proportionate to the Thunder energy; if I didn’t grow that first, I wouldn’t accomplish anything. Now that I felt confident in my power with the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, for the first time, I unleashed Yeodong-bin’s sword technique to exude the energy of the Nine Chambers.

“Infinite Slash!”

Ka-boom!

In the next moment, the energy of the Nine Chambers manifested into a crescent-shaped sword aura flying forward, which explosively expanded into the size of hundreds of spans.

Boom…

Seeing a chunk of the neighboring mountain get chopped away, I muttered.

“…Seems a bit lacking in power.”

Though I had just sliced a mountain in two, it didn’t match the level of destructive power I expected. I had focused all my strength earlier, but if I could only split a mountain, then taking on a creature the size of the continent like the Dragon of the Apocalypse was entirely out of reach. I felt a nagging disappointment regarding the power of the Nine Chambers of Thunder.

‘Because Yeodong-bin’s innate nature of internal power was purely unblemished, it didn’t shift seamlessly to the properties of thunder… does this mean I’m trying to fit myself into garments that aren’t meant for me?’

If I had been someone who started by incorporating thunder energy into martial techniques, the power would undoubtedly be far stronger than before.

As this thought clouded my mind, I furrowed my brows.

‘It’d take months to years… If I put in that time, it’s feasible for Yeodong-bin’s form to wield devastating power through the Nine Chambers, but… I need to finish this today. What now?’

In this predicament, there was, of course, a way to grow even stronger. I could utilize the Nine Chambers’ power to invoke the Soul of the Four Gods.

‘If I maximized the Soul of the Four Gods and then used the Thunder God Sword Name… that might just work…’

However, the Soul of the Four Gods was a technique that required the foundational strength of the Nine Chambers to show its might. Without the proper vessel and formidable Thunder energy, there were limits to how amplifying the powers could go. While I might temporarily grow stronger in an amplified state, would those gains be enough to cut down the dragon?

No, a Demon King wouldn’t even bother with such concerns.

The fact that it was larger than the continent posed enough of a problem!

I also recalled that Yeodong-bin withstood the same situation with the technique of divine power, which meant there couldn’t be too much of a difference between our realms, but when faced with the sheer size of that dragon, he too had felt despair; this meant the lack of ‘absolute power’ could not be taken lightly.

I instinctively realized that the mission Al Karda had given me was trickier than expected. It wasn’t completely impossible, but it definitely required a lot of contemplation and strategizing!

‘So, that’s what they meant when they said they gave me a mission suitable for my abilities?’

To successfully fulfill this mission, it was crucial to merge Yeodong-bin’s martial techniques with my own.

‘Hmm… Above all, I can’t find the dragon’s weak point without first figuring out a gap… Yeodong-bin mentioned that the dragon could shoot some bizarre laser beams capable of wiping out even the Dragon King in one shot; dodging those and landing a solid hit seems… tricky…’

I strained to recall more details regarding the battle with the dragon that Yeodong-bin had recounted.

Suddenly, an idea struck me.

“…Huh?”

Wait a minute…

‘Could that work?

’Oh, it absolutely could!’

The next moment, I almost punched the air in excitement but held back, swiftly charging forward instead.

Zwoom!

Using the Soul Removal Technique, I dashed and soon reached a location where the other Eight Immortals were gathered. There seemed to be nothing there, yet in the sky, aside from Yeodong-bin, I spotted the Seven Immortals floating ominously due to the power of their treasures. Realizing I could only hover with Qi in this divine state, I quickly leaped and ascended toward the Eight Immortals.

Boom!

As I soared into the sky, Jang Gwa-ro looked at me with a bizarre expression.

“…Yeodong-bin. What the heck are you doing up there without using the Fire Dragon Sword or the Sword Flying Technique?”

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

I floated in the air, summoning thunderous energy, and cheerfully shouted.

“I’m just getting tired of riding around on my sword! I want to feel the fresh air of the sky all over!”

“…”

“This fresh air!”

The Eight Immortal Lee Cheol-goei rubbed his temple while muttering.

“You’ve completely lost it…”

“Well, call it what you want! So when’s that dragon showing up?”

“It’s already reached beyond the atmosphere. Do you see that dark dot over there?”

I squinted and followed Lee Cheol-goei’s finger. There, indeed, was a tiny insignificant black dot much smaller than the moon; but from it, I could sense an eerie killing intent.

‘Hmm!’

I couldn’t see too well, but was that the Dragon of the Apocalypse?

The problem was that the dot was gradually growing larger. Once it fully descended, the ground would surely face annihilation.

Boom!

Just then, I suddenly saw a massive barrier rising to enclose the world below.

Imposing pillars paired with formidable divine beings seemed to be exerting considerable power from all directions.

An Immortal, Han Sang-ja, watching from above, spoke up.

“The Sea of Death Dragon has emerged. It has set a barrier to protect the Central Plains…”

“Whew. The Great Immortal gave up his ascension and sacrificed his treasures…”

Jongri Quan, who had been wearing a wry smile, suddenly turned to me.

“I have no one left to trust but you, Yeodong-bin. I implore you, take care of this world.”

Zing!

I watched as the forms of the Eight Immortals gradually began to fade into illusions. In that moment, fragments of Yeodong-bin’s memories flooded back to me.

‘Right… originally, the Sea of Death Dragon wasn’t summoned by Yeodong-bin. The Immortals summoned those beings in exchange for their ascension and treasures…’

In that case, what was about to happen?

I quickly spotted a single beam of light descending from the Dragon of the Apocalypse in the sky.

‘Oh ho!’

That attack had previously shattered the barrier and severely injured the Dragon King, Guangg Wang, with one blow!

The laser released by the Dragon of the Apocalypse harbored tremendous strength capable of decimating even the Dragon King.

But, sensing the attack, I charged straight into the beam without hesitation.

Thunder God Sword Name!

In that instant, the light that burst forth from me cleaved the laser in half, resulting in a cataclysmic explosion in the sky.

Boom!

[No!]

Sensing my surge of energy, Jongri Quan, who was already half ethereal, looked shocked.

He clearly hadn’t anticipated I would be able to block that beam.

Gazing at Jongri Quan, I couldn’t help but grin.

“Jongri, I’m sorry, but I’m not just going to recklessly try to take down that monster by myself!”

[What…?! Then how do you plan to stop it?]

“It’s about time!”

With those words, I mumbled while cutting through the beams of light with my Thunder God Sword Name.

Clash!

Clash!

As I batted away the beams, the form of the Dragon grew larger, now appearing much larger than the moon itself, and its massive maw visibly loomed as it swiftly approached.

Considering its size, it was evident it was easily two or three times larger than the continent.

‘When will it arrive…?’

Then at last, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, four monstrous beings made their appearance.

“Yeodong-bin!”

The figures approaching in the sky were unfamiliar to me. However, in the memories of ‘Yeodong-bin,’ they must have felt like old friends, leading me to smile and greet them warmly.

“Isn’t that the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Dharma Guardians?”

At my words, the current Master of the White Lotus Sect, Lee Gun-ak, nodded affirmatively.

“The Eight Immortals have swiftly sent us here.”

“…”

“When you spoke of the dragon… I thought you, like the rest, were mad. Only our sect’s priestess, the Divine Maiden, took it seriously. The rest dismissed it as nonsense. But now that I see it, an overwhelming terror grips me…”

I interrupted Lee Gun-ak’s rant.

“Alright, enough. Let’s bring out the Four Great Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect.”

“…? Yeodong-bin, what…?”

“I’ve undergone a bit of a personality change lately. It’s not the time for chatter; let’s keep moving!”

Lee Gun-ak looked puzzled but soon nodded, signaling the Dharma Guardians to unanimously retrieve and equip the Four Great Artifacts.

“Understood!”

Zing!

Lightning surged from Lee Gun-ak as the energy of the five elements erupted from the other Dharma Guardians. Observing this scene, I thought to myself.

‘Hmm. Sure enough… they’re just using their raw power.’

Not exactly the most strategic approach!

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, everyone, come over here and place your hands on me.”

“…? Yeodong-bin, what are you trying to do?”

“Enough with the questions.”

“Are you really Yeodong-bin? You’re not a fake, are you?”

I replied bluntly.

“If I weren’t Yeodong-bin, what on earth would I be doing here? Got nothing else to do?”

“…Uh…”

“Come on now… just trust me for once!”

“Alright, I understand.”

Finally surrendering to my insistence, Lee Gun-ak appeared confused yet motivated the Dharma Guardians to approach and place their hands atop mine. With our hands joined, I widened my eyes and released energy from my body.

“Wraaaah!”

Soul of the Four Gods!

In that moment, the power of the Nine Chambers of Thunder filled me entirely. The rotation of rebirth ensued, an elegant spiral initiated, during which I exclaimed to them.

“Combine all of your artifact’s powers and transfer them to me! Quickly!”

“…!”

“Ugh!”

Lee Gun-ak and the Dharma Guardians transferred the energy they summoned from their artifacts without delay. Receiving it through my palms, I felt the rotation gain momentum.

‘Good!’

While I’d briefly tested it earlier, without Yeodong-bin’s internal power, I would struggle to rotate even once, let alone a few cycles! The reason I could freely spin the Soul of the Four Gods was due to the mighty and bounded Thunder energy given to me by Shim Su-ryeok, and although Yeodong-bin’s internal power was healthy, it simply would not suffice to generate a proper Soul of the Four Gods.

If I couldn’t activate the Soul of the Four Gods, unleashing my Thunder God Sword Name against a gigantic monster was utterly impossible.

However… what if I could receive the divine energy imbued within their treasures?

Having no vessel and recklessly burning out my spirit, if I transferred the powers of the Four Great Artifacts to myself directly…

KABOOM!

In that instant, a colossal wave of energy surged within me, and I seized the moment to attempt rapid transformation of the Soul of the Four Gods. Starting with the Water Spirit, flowing into the Fire Spirit, moving on to the Wind Spirit, and ultimately achieving the Thunder Spirit—achieving this brought forth an eruption of white light from my eyes.

‘One cycle… success!’

Upon successfully executing a revolution of the Soul of the Four Gods, I redistributed the same amount of power I had received back to the Dharma Guardians and Lee Gun-ak. This was possible because the [vessel] of the Soul of the Four Gods was not a recent phenomenon but was physically held by them.

KRA-KRA-KRA!

“Gah…!”

“Whoa?!”

“What just happened?!”

They gasped in shock as the energy coursing through their bodies filled them.

“You guys fought in the previous battle without a vessel a thousand years ago, didn’t you?”

I wiped away sweat from my brow and grinned.

“The Four Great Artifacts, the vessels of the divine, will change everything!”

Yes.

What I initially envisioned was to share the power of the Soul of the Four Gods with the current owners of the Four Great Artifacts!

If done right, we could manage to complete this mission using only the power of the Four Great Artifacts!