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“Magic that controls the Primordial Void?!”

I couldn’t help but be shocked by the unexpected story. What that tricolor cat was saying could shatter everything I believed I knew.

“What?! That exists?!”

“……”

Surprisingly, the Necronomicon didn’t immediately respond to my incredulity; instead, it fixed me with a gaze as if measuring me up, then smirked with mischief.

“Hehe, does it exist or not?”

Stop teasing me! If you brought it up, then it must exist!

As I burst out in anger, the Necronomicon shrugged and slyly replied.

“Whether such magic exists or not aside, your reaction shows that your understanding of magic is quite shallow. You don’t even really know what magic is.”

What? How is that even possible?

“So, here’s a question for you. Why do you think magic that controls the Primordial Void shouldn’t exist?”

……

I pondered over that statement and eventually answered.

“It’s because magic draws its power from the God of Chaos. What the God of Chaos can bestow is chaos itself. Meanwhile, martial arts can tap into the power of the Primordial Void when they reach the extreme, so they’re opposites, aren’t they?”

“Generally, that’s correct. But tell me, have you never had doubts about that?”

Doubts about what?

“Why is there no divine status that controls the Primordial Void?”

……?

Uh…? I never thought of that…

I was taken aback by the question thrown at me by the Necronomicon. Honestly, I had never tackled that topic thoroughly throughout my reincarnation. That unexpected question had me sweating profusely from confusion.

Isn’t it because that’s the law of the universe?

“Who established that law of the universe?”

……

“And do you know exactly what the Primordial Void is? Can you say you understand it? And do you also know why it has properties that oppose chaos?”

……

I felt each of the Necronomicon’s questions stabbing at my core. None of them were things I could answer, because although I could discuss my experiences with the Primordial Void superficially, that only addressed the ‘phenomena’ caused by it—not its essence.

In fact, perhaps no one had ever clearly explained to me what the Primordial Void really was.

Even the martial artists who used the energy of the Primordial Void didn’t truly know the source of that power, because in other scenarios, it was that energy that appeared when the universe was about to perish.

After a long period of deep thought, I finally sighed.

……I don’t know. I didn’t know anything about the Primordial Void.

“Right. It’s lucky you’ve realized that now. Recognizing that you ‘don’t know’ is also a crucial step in gaining knowledge.”

The Necronomicon, arms crossed and looking somewhat proud, continued speaking.

“I don’t know the complete answer to the question I just asked you, but I understand it to some extent. The essence of the Primordial Void and chaos—and even their fate…”

I instinctively felt that the Necronomicon’s words weren’t just bluster or lies. Strangely enough, the intuition of a reborn person told me that this guy was speaking the truth.

If you know, just tell me. Why keep making it so frustrating?

“You haven’t unlocked my seal yet. I have restrictions that prevent me from passing on my knowledge to those unqualified.”

Ugh…….

So I’ll need to train and break the seal before he spills the beans on the truth?

“Well, it seems like it’ll take you quite a long time to fully break my seal, so for now, I’ll give you a general clue. Since you were summoned to train at a basic level like this, a bit of transmission should be fine.”

A clue?

After nodding, the Necronomicon began its lecture.

“When Qi is decomposed, it brings you closer to the Primordial Void, you know.”

I know that.

“Then Qi wraps around the Primordial Void, right? Why do you think it’s wrapped?”

……?

Wrapped?

I had never thought about it that way, so I just stood there blinking like an owl, totally confused about what it meant.

After a long while of thinking, I stammered.

Uh… is it because there’s a reason for the Primordial Void not to come out into the world…?

“Exactly. You could say you’ve caught a clue.”

But why can’t it come out?

“Well… you’ll have to find that out yourself. However, there’s something important here.”

At that moment, the Necronomicon’s clever glint shined.

“If Qi wraps around the Primordial Void… then does Qi itself hold no value?”

Is there separate value?

“Yeah. It might even be greater than intent.”

……!

Wait, what?! There’s value in that?

As I rushed to say something, the Necronomicon cut me off.

“That’s enough for the clue. The rest you can figure out for yourself.”

Geez! You stingy little brat!

“Hehe, no need to be anxious. Anyway, you have plenty of time to train.”

While grinning, the Necronomicon continued.

“Now, back to the main subject… While I still can’t explain it to you, it doesn’t contradict the law that the Thunder God Sword Dance can serve as a basic condition for mastering the No-name Stage, which is at a higher realm for Suin. Though the Shaman Dance is magic, it also embodies martial arts… just keep that in mind.”

So you’re saying I should just shut up and memorize it? But it doesn’t quite make sense to me…

“You’re a persistent one. Just remember that the essence of magic being evil doesn’t mean it encompasses fundamental wickedness. Magic is merely a form of will.”

……?

I don’t quite get it, but… if I’m told to memorize it, I should probably do it… It sounds like it has some kernel of truth to it.

As I began to focus hard on memorizing, the Necronomicon spoke again.

“Now, I will impart to you the higher realm for Suin, the No-name Stage. Get into position.”

What position?

“The Thunder God Sword Dance.”

……

Wait, is that really the conclusion?

I said in a daze.

So you’re saying I need to unfold the Thunder God Sword Dance instead of using the No-name Stage for enlightenment? Why?

“If you don’t understand what it means to become ‘one’ with the craft, practicing the No-name Stage will be pointless. You need to reflect on what kind of martial art the Thunder God Sword Dance is.”

Hmm… So that means I have to give it my all?

“Reflect on what you used to connect through the Thunder God Sword Dance. And remember what you’ve sacrificed as well!”

…… Alright.

Regardless, martial arts were my strength. There’s no way I’d refuse to try if they say to give it my all!

Feeling this way, I assumed the posture for the Thunder God Sword Dance. But suddenly, I felt the emptiness and asked.

I don’t have a sword, though. Can I just create one with my divine power?

“That’s fine.”

Alright then.

So I created a Spirit Sword with my divine power and held it in my hand. Then I began to unfold the Thunder God Sword Dance.

Swish!

Having performed the Thunder God Sword Dance thousands of times, doing it here in this unknown space felt exceptionally refreshing. The thought that I was unfolding it sincerely during the training of magic made me even more immersed than before.

Right. Whether I live or die, I’m ultimately fated to wield a sword.

And while I was elaborately practicing the basic techniques in a state of spirit, I suddenly felt my intent surge strongly as I reached peak concentration.

I become the blade.

I am refined.

I am a single sword.

A bizarre sense of oneness, as if I were synchronizing with the Thunder Sword itself. I realized at this moment that I was more immersed in the Thunder God Sword Dance than I had ever been in my life. Because previously, I had never felt this level of unity that made me truly feel like the blade.

Right at that moment.

“No-name Stage!”

With the Necronomicon’s shout, I felt a mysterious wave radiate from my entire body.

Whoooosh!

……!

It felt like a massive ripple in water was erasing my very existence! An overwhelming sense of annihilation swept through me with a far more potent spirit poison than any No-name Stage I had ever experienced, while simultaneously bringing a new ‘enlightenment’ to me who was unfolding the Thunder God Sword Dance.

In other words, it was a situation where extreme medicine and extreme poison were simultaneously sweeping through my soul!

I realized that although the Necronomicon hadn’t mentioned it beforehand, this moment was indeed the watershed for attaining enlightenment.

That’s right.

During this casting of the Thunder God Sword Dance, the No-name Stage would grant me immense enlightenment but also bestow great spirit poison—meaning if I didn’t expel the poison from my soul while realizing the higher stage of Suin amidst the dance, I would probably be obliterated!

Expel…?

Is that really the right word to use?

But amid all this enlightenment flooding in, I recognized I had misunderstood something. To be precise, it was the fleeting intuition that one would typically gain after years of relentless training that was now pouring into me. Having gained this inspiration thanks to the No-name Stage, I realized what had gone wrong and extended my Thunder Sword forward.

Swish!

If this were real combat, it could only be described as a killing thrust! I truly felt the clarity of that simple thrust.

Every single technique constitutes enlightenment.

If innumerable solutions [解] build up to the point where I can’t manage the spirit poison, then merely expelling that poison is not the answer. In fact, there’s a chance I could die first while trying to expel it.

To minimize the accumulated malus of enlightenment while surviving, absorbing that enlightenment would be a much more fitting approach.

And to absorb that enlightenment, ordinary methods wouldn’t suffice.

The answer lies within the training process I have undergone so far.

Absorbing the solutions and making them my own.

It’s akin to Shuhari, and I suddenly realized what I needed to do.

Aaaah!

In the next moment, I rapidly unfolded every technique of the Thunder God Sword Dance in one breath. And in the midst of that flow, having completed one cycle, I then started an unusual attempt.

Specifically, I completely mixed up the order of the Thunder God Sword Dance’s techniques and re-performed it!

It was a deviation not allowed within normal martial arts, but I realized that even doing so, the martial arts flowed perfectly without any awkwardness. Typically, whenever linking each technique, new movements and interpretations are required, but I was already moving and linking naturally before even thinking about it.

This isn’t just reading the [flow].

It’s the Myo-eki!

I could vividly feel that I had stepped into the realm of the Thunder God lineage martial arts mentioned by Lee Cheong-un in the past. The time of introspection and training I had gone through, with all my struggles, was now bearing fruit. I can’t express it fully, but the fact that this irregular re-performability was now possible indicated how deeply I understood the Thunder God Sword Dance.

Zap!

Before I knew it, I was rapidly performing the re-perform from over fifteen cycles, and as I did, all thoughts fled from my mind and I solidified my sense of becoming a single Thunder Sword.

That’s right. Why would I need to think while re-performing?

If I am the sword, then the hilt remains as it is, and only the movements of the blade vary!

I had completely scrambled the original format of the Thunder God Sword Dance to the point where almost nothing of its form remained. Even other masters of the Thunder God lineage would find it hard to recognize that I was performing the Thunder God Sword Dance at all. The variations were not just about changing the order; the techniques themselves began to shake off their hidden potential!

And then, in that one moment—I let out a flash of Thunder Energy flowing into the blade, naturally releasing it.

Zap!

The moment the lightning split the air, it felt like the space of heaven and earth was splitting in two, creaking as it fell apart.

No, it wouldn’t be an illusion.

My intent reached a peak in that instant, creating a possibility that such things could actually happen in this space.

Could this be Infinite Slash?

…….

No… it’s different from Infinite Slash. Although it’s a strike that eliminates distractions, in the end, I managed to control my intent while making the flow almost unbearable. There was an inscrutable difference and I had no clue how it would function in real combat. What could this final change be?

As I felt this lingering sensation and cracked my eyes open, the Necronomicon spoke.

“You must have grasped the No-name Stage. Congratulations.”

……

“Can you explain what the No-name Stage is?”

I stared directly at the Necronomicon and slowly replied.

Form of the formless. That should be the No-name Stage.

At my response, the Necronomicon appeared somewhat shocked, gazing at me with intrigued eyes.

“Oh! Even though you fully met all the foundational requirements for the No-name Stage, have you already grasped its essence? Certainly, there’s no description beyond ‘form of the formless’.”

…….

“But the ability to articulate your insights into enlightenment to others is also a requirement for becoming a Grand Master. So let’s hear a more detailed breakdown.”

I’m not great with words, so it’s hard for me to explain it in detail, but…

I began to dissipate the Spirit Sword I created.

I had always thought that while dancing the Thunder God Sword Dance, a pathway would form connecting my body with the divine… Thanks to that mysterious power, I’ve received help in the past… But I don’t really know how that pathway opens. It’s a different dimension of power from refining Qi…

“And?”

So, just like when honing Suin, I tried to crush the form of the Thunder God Sword Dance and leave no trace behind. If what you said is true, then when the form of the dance collapses, wouldn’t the divine power summoned also collapse? But my Thunder God Sword Dance didn’t break, and the reason it didn’t break is that I forgot the form.

The Necronomicon had an expression that seemed to convey satisfaction.

“Hehe, very well understood. Yes… what is originally important in Shaman Dance is the form… but the realm that transcends that form is the No-name Stage! If one has attained the proficiency of the Shaman Dance at the formless level… then even if a Suin were to perform it in a simplified manner, sufficient power could still be called upon!”

…….

“Because… whether you are aware of it or not, you have the ability to invoke the enlightenment in every movement!”

I see……

In the Necronomicon’s words, I once again grasped the significance of the realm I had attained.

Attaining the No-name Stage means to literally destroy the format of the specific type of enlightenment within the Suin’s form. If I have already attained enlightenment, that means I can infuse it into any movement, regardless of the clarity of that movement—this is precisely the realm of the No-name Stage!

The realm of the Suin that shatters all forms; could this not be called the form of the formless?

Moreover, the advantage of the No-name Stage lies in the fact that its potential is higher than simply omitting the elements of Suin present at a higher level!

While it might be good to skip the Suin if you just want to quickly develop techniques, the No-name Stage could summon sufficient power comparable to the Shaman Dance from any movement made. The potential for power summoned could be on a whole different dimension.

With a sudden wicked grin, the Necronomicon spoke.

“Hehe, you’re quite quick… With this, you have gained insight into the Suin stage, so I’ll inform you that you have unlocked the second stage of my seal. Thus, my transmission of training comes to an end.”

What, already?

“Yes… it’s truly remarkable.”

The Necronomicon’s cleverness sparkled.

“Perhaps you could reach the formless realm while still maintaining your human form.”

 

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