전생검신 96권 16화

I grabbed the sword once more.

“……”

It’s confusing. The already chaotic situation has become even more chaotic. How much more confusion can one handle? I was searching for Chi You’s body and now I’ve run into Pangu and have to duel him, and to top it off, he’s one of the Martial God Council members!

Yet amidst this confusion, I suddenly noticed a flash of light passing through the iron sword I held.

It’s amazing.

The moment I saw that light, I thought about how, when I struggled as a cow dung and barely escaped from Soeul Village to become a lowly position… when I first learned something that resembled martial arts… that sword’s light felt so magnificent and extraordinary.

It’s a bit embarrassing to say this now, but I was mesmerized by that sword’s brilliance, and that made me dream of becoming an expert. I thought the fate of warriors, swinging their weapons with all their might to carve out their destinies, was splendid. Even though I knew in my head I could never become a master in my lifetime, I climbed the mountains in pursuit of this dream.

And now, I find myself in a place I once desired… no, a realm my past self couldn’t even imagine, facing Pangu, the one referred to as the Martial God Council’s outsider.

I’m already halfway to achieving my dream.

Is there any need to dwell on unnecessary thoughts? That only muddles my sword’s tip.

“Unmoved!”

I murmured softly and lowered my posture. A stance optimized for drawing the sword naturally took shape, wrapping me in a purer aura than before.

Pangu, standing before me with his sword held in a natural stance, stepped forward.

Boom!

Thunder booms! I took this as a signal, launching an unrestrained strike filled with thunder energy from the Infinite Slash. Pangu lightly deflected the sword’s tip with his willow sword, but he didn’t completely neutralize my blade’s power, hence the thunder boom.

It was only a fleeting moment, but already hundreds of techniques on how to take on Pangu raced through my mind.

Rising Sword!

With the core technique of the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique, I rotated and raised my sword high. The Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique also exists within the mysterious realms of my martial arts, so in this single technique, I thought of the Sword Realm of Thunder Dragon Sword, Shadowless Sword Technique, and Gongsun Sword Technique.

Whatever comes my way, I’m prepared to respond!

No, there’s no way I’ll come out at a disadvantage in this clash!

And as I executed the Rising Sword, Pangu also unleashed his technique.

Divine Realm!

Unfeeling and Colorless!

……?!

Wait, what is this?!

Before I could finish my upward slash, Pangu’s sword struck my blade with unmeasurable force! But I panicked, not knowing how to counter that single strike.

No matter how I think about it, all my counter-attacks would lead to loss?!

No, if I retaliate, it’ll be disastrous!

Under the intense pressure, as if my pulse was being suppressed, I decided to take Pangu’s strike head-on. However, at the moment when our blades clashed, I realized the nature of his sword’s energy had suddenly shifted to a heavy property, and instinctively unleashed my swift sword technique to extricate my sword from the sword circle.

But that wasn’t the end. The moment I pulled my sword back, Pangu’s sword unleashed an unparalleled speed surpassing even Miyamoto Musashi’s ultimate swift sword flash, and I momentarily used the Cave-Collapsing Sword to diminish the energy of that sword flash. But I couldn’t completely suppress it, forcing me to predict one target point that the opponent’s sword flash aimed for.

I read the [Flow].

In that moment, I sensed the most likely point where the sword flash would strike and naturally directed my sword towards it. Even if it wasn’t perfect, it should hold up against this attack!

But I could only recognize I was wrong in my judgement.

Swish!

“Ugh!”

Pangu’s strike hit my upper arm and hand simultaneously, sending them flying into the air. In an instant, I lost my arm and my balance wavered. Just as I prepared for a follow-up attack, nothing came.

Instead, Pangu’s emotionless voice reached me from behind.

“You really are half-baked. Looks like you’ll be wasting your time for a while longer.”

“Half-baked…? What do you mean?”

“How did you predict my attack?”

“Well… I read the [Flow].”

“Is that all it takes…?”

Flash!

Divine Realm!

Unfeeling and Colorless!

In that moment, a divine light appeared in Pangu’s eyes. Without even turning around, a strike flew toward me at a speed that surpassed light, and I lost my other arm as well, now completely armless.

“Gah!”

What just hit me?!

‘Faster than the Infinite Slash…? No, there shouldn’t be such speed…’

Even the Infinite Slash was so fast that the Master of the White Lotus Sect couldn’t react in time, yet this opponent’s sword was even quicker. But I couldn’t call that the Spirit Sword because I had no sense of the opponent’s [Mind] rising. I could only feel the passage of his sword in the physical space, but I had no way to perceive its path.

If reading the [Flow] of the Divine Realm is meaningless, how am I supposed to block that strike?

As I staggered from losing both arms, Pangu spoke.

“There are none like you among those who joined the Martial God Council. You have only grasped half of the Divine Realm, yet the Divine Realm doesn’t allow one to step in with just half a grasp. To gain entrance, everything must be fully understood.”

“……”

“The contradiction of your current state, caught between the Absolute Realm and the Divine Realm… Can you say with certainty you’re stronger than the masters of the Absolute Realm?”

I couldn’t help but be shaken by Pangu’s words. His statement was essentially denying that I was a master of the Divine Realm.

Fueled by his words, I shouted back.

“No matter what you say, I have ascended to the Divine Realm! I’ll show you the proof right now!”

There was no longer a reason to keep probing.

Thinking that, I concentrated all my energy and unleashed my own ultimate technique.

Heaven’s Escape!

Thunder God Sword Name!

Boom!

The Heart Thunder stretches out like the trunk of a tree. This attack is something I can confidently say is much faster than the Infinite Slash! Even the one who suppressed the Abyss Titan, the sword emperor Ajidahaka, couldn’t withstand the pressure of this Thunder God Sword Name, so this proves Pangu’s claim that I’m not of the Divine Realm is a lie.

Even the Three Sovereigns could only mitigate the power of my Thunder God Sword Name and couldn’t completely evade it…!

A sword that appears to be lightning yet is far faster than lightning itself!

Regardless of the level of Pangu’s Divine Realm, I will crush his arrogance with the Thunder God Sword Name!

At that moment, Pangu’s hand moved slowly, as if containing the universe’s energy and principles, reaching forward.

Divine Realm!

Colorless!

Nature of All Things!

Boom!

“……?!”

What… what is happening?

“Uh…”

I found myself frozen in disbelief at the absurd sight unfolding before me.

Empty-handed against a sharpened blade!

The Heart Thunder of the Thunder God Sword Name was now caught in Pangu’s pure white hand, unable to advance any further! Since it was the first time I’d seen something like the Heart Thunder being caught, all my thoughts halted and I even began to doubt if what I was witnessing was real.

In my shock, I exclaimed.

“Are you… using the authority of the outsider?!”

“I said I would only engage you with martial arts,” Pangu replied.

“……!”

“What’s the matter? A heart faster than lightning… Is it surprising for someone to catch the heart manifested thunder?”

Yes.

This shouldn’t be possible.

Pangu looked at me calmly and said,

“You’ve learned how to wield the [Mind] without understanding its essence. That’s why against someone in the colorless realm, you can only be treated like a child’s wrist being twisted.”

“What do you mean……?”

“Right now, your heart’s lightning is in my hand. But the essence of the heart is metaphysical, and thus it can’t be grasped… How then can I grasp your lightning?”

“……”

Wait… how is this possible? It’s like catching my [Mind].

An impossible scene has become reality, and yet I have no clue why it is.

As I struggled to wrap my mind around this, I finally spoke hesitantly.

“I don’t understand.”

“I won’t tell you the answer.”

“……”

Pangu spoke with a detached tone.

“Even if I explained, you’d only pretend to understand it with your mind without truly comprehending it. You must experience how bad of a habit you have firsthand.”

Crash!

“Arrgh!”

The next moment, as Pangu tightened his grip, the Heart Thunder shattered! Simultaneously, the Thunder God Sword Name also broke, and I could feel the remnants of that heart’s sword piercing through my very soul. It was like being impaled by hundreds of shards of glass.

This is a pain unlike any physical suffering…!

I’ve experienced my body being torn apart and burned many times, but this agony is of an entirely different nature. It feels like being submerged in hell repeatedly against my will, with my soul continuously deteriorating! If I go through this enough times, I instinctively feel my sanity will shatter.

As I trembled from the echoes of pain, Pangu spoke with a charming voice.

“Now you understand the downsides of the Divine Realm martial arts.”

“Ugh… what…?”

“The attack manifested from your very [Mind]. You shouldn’t recklessly unleash the techniques of the Divine Realm against someone who can strike your heart directly. Unlike physical martial arts, the [Mind] can shatter in an instant.”

“……!”

“You’ll suffer a level of harm far beyond that of a mere Walking Fire Entering Demon.”

I understood the meaning behind Pangu’s teachings and opened my eyes wide in realization.

‘So… that’s how it is!’

The Divine Realm’s martial arts might seem invincible with their absolute speed and hit rate, seemingly immune to blows, but against someone who can reach for the very essence of my [Mind], it acts like a double-edged sword!

Though I’ve just now learned what seems obvious, I still feel absurdly surprised.

Who in the world thinks they can touch the [Mind]!

Even a higher deity like the Three Sovereigns couldn’t pull off such a feat; how was I supposed to realize this flaw!

Struggling back to my feet, I managed to say,

“What exactly is the colorless realm? Is there a higher realm beyond the Divine Realm?”

Pangu shook his head at my question and crossed his arms.

“From the look of your mental state, you have a long way to go… Are you trying to fly when you haven’t even learned to crawl?”

I retorted, a bit taken aback.

“What more do I need to do to crawl when I’ve stepped into the Divine Realm?!”

“You need to realize why you’re crawling first, don’t you?”

“……”

“Right now, you have no right to look up at the sky.”

Swish!

Pangu uncrossed his arms and suddenly took up a boxing stance. At the same time, I felt my lost arms regenerating as I returned to my original form, and instinctively, I adopted a similar boxing stance. Ready for a brawl, Pangu asked,

“Can you throw a punch?”

“…I can throw punches like anyone else.”

“Then, can you put your [Mind] into that punch?”

I pondered Pangu’s question and sighed.

“I barely managed to put my [Mind] into the sword; how could I do that with a fist technique, which isn’t my primary martial art?”

“That’s why you can’t truly ascend to the Divine Realm.”

“Huh?”

“A person who has genuinely attained enlightenment and ascended to the Divine Realm wouldn’t respond with what you just did. Because putting [Mind] into something isn’t restricted to weapons.”

“……”

“Now, let’s see you try.”

Tydaht!

Pangu took the initiative to attack. I received Pangu’s strike while thinking,

‘For someone advocating putting the [Mind] into every punch, this is a rather conventional approach…’

He attacked with a clearly established technique and balance, quite like the experts of the mundane world. Yet, that doesn’t mean he can’t infuse his [Mind] into his punches. Realizing he’s likely using visible techniques to impart wisdom to me, I countered with my known boxing techniques.

Pabak!

Pow!

Had we been at it for over a hundred exchanges? Pangu kept attacking relentlessly until he said,

“You know a hundred or more boxing techniques. Yet, among them, only one or two have truly reached proper mastery.”

“…That’s right.”

As Pangu said, I have indeed collected a plethora of boxing techniques throughout my previous lives, definitely exceeding a hundred. But of those, only a handful have been genuinely mastered.

“Then let me ask you. Would the heart’s intent you gain from mastering hundreds of boxing techniques… be any different from the heart’s intent gained solely from the Thunder God Lineage’s Thunder God Fist?”

“……”

I felt the implications of Pangu’s words.

So, I slowly replied,

“They’re the same.”

“Why?”

“Even if the techniques are different, the [Mind] executing them is singular within myself.”

Pangu just exhibited thousands of unique techniques without a single one overlapping. In contrast, I had to use hundreds of techniques to respond accordingly, but I couldn’t get the techniques tangled up—the experience provided by my training in the world of martial arts during the Training World and my journey towards the Heavenly Realm made it clear that no matter how complex the techniques were, the [Mind] executing them remained one.

This is yet another small insight.

I concentrated to consolidate this realization.

“Alright. Now we can have a proper conversation. So do you know this?”

“What are you referring to?”

Pangu chuckled lightly, then said something that would surprise me once more.

“The [Mind] is not the final realm of martial arts.”