Chapter 453
“Indestructible like a diamond!”
I had heard that term thrown around often. It referred to the absolute level of self-defense in martial arts, a legendary status within the martial world. Some people praised powerful external martial skills as ‘indestructible,’ but the term held a far deeper meaning.
True indestructibility meant being able to withstand the attacks of the strongest techniques without leaving a scratch, like the Invincible Sword, and could counter even mental control techniques. If that were possible, it was an unspoken agreement among the martial world’s peak experts that one deserved to be called an ‘indestructible deity.’
This strange consensus existed primarily because there had been hardly any such experts appearing in the martial world. Many masters dismissed it as mere illusion created by a reverence for extreme abilities.
In other words, a realm of fantasy!
Shaking my head in disbelief, I spoke to the Sword Demon.
“Indestructible? Just because I became one of the Three Sovereigns, I get this power…?”
“Not having shown your talent in showcasing skills is the best evidence,” the Sword Demon retorted, nodding slightly as he glanced over at the Master of the Shadowless Sword.
“Master, what do you think? I genuinely believe Baek Woong embodies indestructibility. Do you agree?”
The Master of the Shadowless Sword nodded gravely.
“… I admit it.”
“……!!”
“The last attack contained lethal force due to my inexperience. A regular human receiving that blow would have had their body split apart instantly. Yet, Baek Woong only suffered that trivial wound. There’s no doubt he is truly indestructible!”
Hearing the Master’s words, I felt I couldn’t doubt it any longer. With these two acknowledging it, no one could offer a different interpretation. If it were possible, only those like the White Lotus Sect Leader or the Twelve Joules, or even Miyamoto Musashi, could transcend human limits.
A moment later, I ran my trembling fingers over the wound on my arm. To my astonishment, the cut had completely healed without leaving a trace!
“Whoah.”
“That’s terrifying. And you even have regeneration…”
The Sword Demon stared at me with genuine astonishment. And rightly so, the Master of the Shadowless Sword’s mental control technique had been refined over a hundred years by a peak expert. Even with the strongest internal power focusing on self-defense, getting hit by that usually meant injury or death. For me to recover so quickly after such a blow was utterly incomprehensible.
Next to us, observing this with a smirk, Zhuge Sha spoke up.
“Hey, Baek Woong.”
“What?”
With a swift motion, Zhuge Sha drew his long sword, and I was startled.
“Let me stab your belly just once.”
“Are you insane?!”
I exclaimed in shock, but Zhuge Sha calmly replied.
“Why not? If you really are indestructible, shouldn’t I test to what extent? We need to know your durability and minimize the chance of death, don’t we? Just two or three times…”
“What nonsense! Stop!”
I felt utterly flabbergasted, to the point of forgetting how well Zhuge Sha and I usually worked together. A normal martial artist might feel awestruck or deeply moved after witnessing true indestructibility. Yet this crazy demon sorcerer wanted to stab me to test the limits of my newfound abilities. Though I hadn’t fully realized it until now, he truly was a straight-up lunatic.
The Sword Demon also gazed at Zhuge Sha with disbelief before turning his attention back to me.
“Baek Woong, Zhuge Sha isn’t entirely wrong. But it doesn’t have to be an extreme route of stabbing with a blade. Self-inflicted wounds to see what you can endure might not be a bad idea.”
“Hmm…”
“Let’s conduct a simple test.”
With the Sword Demon persuading me, I began to regain my composure. After momentarily pondering, I lifted my own sword and dragged the blade gently across my forearm.
‘If I draw the sword on my body without channeling self-defense energy…’
Drip!
As the first test began, blood indeed flowed. However, despite pushing down with a fair amount of force, the blade barely penetrated even half an inch. It felt as if my body had transformed into something both taut and flexible. Not even muscle seemed to be harmed, sending shivers through me.
‘So if I channel some energy into the sword…’
Once again, the blood flowed but the same sensation persisted. After powering the sword with considerable internal strength and striking my arm, the cut ran deeper. Yet, even then, it didn’t exceed a certain depth, and I felt no injury severe enough to cripple me. I realized I could easily perform first aid and still be combat-ready.
Silently completing the experiment, I sighed.
“Whew… What an incredible ability.”
“Indeed. I never expected to witness true indestructibility in my lifetime…”
The awe reflected in the eyes of the Sword Demon and the Master of the Shadowless Sword alike was profound. After all, in gaining the indestructible deity status, it was safe to say my combat prowess had risen significantly.
Even if my comprehension of martial arts or power hadn’t notably increased, merely being capable of blocking mental control techniques with minor scratches was astonishing. It meant I could never truly lose against an opponent of similar skill. Furthermore, in a mutual downfall situation, I would absolutely have the upper hand. Moreover, with death’s risk substantially lowered, one couldn’t deny how hard it was to find such a beneficial blessing.
At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin, who had been watching with an incredulous expression, spoke up.
“Martial artists sure interpret things however suits them.”
All eyes turned towards Cheon Woo-jin, who sat on a rock and bluntly remarked.
“May I ask, who among you has actually seen a true indestructible being?”
At least, I haven’t.
“Heh heh.”
Zhuge Sha merely smirked and shook his head, indicating no one had. As I subtly glanced towards the Sword Demon and the Master of the Shadowless Sword, they coughed awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed.
“Hmm… I’ve heard rumors that the Shaolin’s Master of Zen reached such a state.”
“I’ve seen the Master of the Golden Bell, but no one truly worthy of being called indestructible…”
Cheon Woo-jin chuckled lightly as if he expected this.
“See? The ability you all see in Baek Woong seems to resemble what’s popularly known as indestructible. It’s just a way of fitting him into that category. No one knows whether the abilities granted by Jeon Wook are indeed indestructible.”
“Indestructible? You mean Baek Woong’s ability isn’t actually indestructible?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s just quite possible that it’s a different ability that appears indestructible.”
“Hmm.”
Cheon Woo-jin’s argument sounded reasonable. Jeon Wook himself hadn’t explicitly told me that the ability granted was indestructible, had he? Zhuge Sha interjected.
“Let’s not get sidetracked. You’ll soon find out what abilities you’ve gained as a vessel. For now, should we start our preparations?”
“Agreed.”
We promptly disbanded. The Sword Demon and the Master of the Shadowless Sword needed to return to their rightful places as martial artists. I had no further excuse to keep Cheon Woo-jin with me, and when I suggested he join me to see the Seven Luminaries, he firmly rejected.
“Nope.”
“Didn’t you say you found the Seven Luminaries intriguing?”
“While I’m curious, it’s about safety limits. You’re clearly about to go challenge that Fire Spirit Guardian, so why should I throw my life away in dangerous battles? Are you asking me to fight for free?”
“…”
“Stop trying to work me like a free hand-in.”
With that, Cheon Woo-jin dashed away using a teleportation technique. His words weren’t entirely unfounded, and I felt a bit unsettled. Currently, Cheon Woo-jin seemed to be among the most capable allies I could recruit, yet dealing with him wasn’t so easy.
Zhuge Sha spoke next.
“Let’s hurry. It’s best to set things up in advance.”
“Preparation?”
“We need to set up eyes and ears, right?”
I quickly comprehended what Zhuge Sha meant. Soon, having arrived at the fortress of Mount Tai, we approached the commanders who were unconscious due to Mi-hu’s magical arts, and began to cast the Soul Exchange Technique on them. With the Soul Exchange Technique successfully executed, I could observe their sights and sounds or control their actions when I wished. This was also a practical experience in using the Soul Exchange Technique.
I returned to Jangryeong Valley alongside Zhuge Sha. As I pondered thoughtfully, I decided to ask him.
“Zhuge Sha. Is there a problem if we bring the Fire Spirit right now?”
Now that the barrier of the Fire Spirit had disappeared, retrieving it was almost as simple as taking candy from a baby. I just needed to use the Golden Lamp technique for a round trip. However, considering the last time I carelessly acted and got burned by the Fire Spirit, I was asking Zhuge Sha for his opinion.
“Heh. I figured you’d ask that.”
Zhuge Sha continued while stepping on a lever, peeling the hide from a magical beast.
“Just hold on for now. We need to prepare ourselves to seize a more definite opportunity.”
“What do you mean?”
“Baek Woong, don’t you remember? There’s another treasure hidden beside the Fire Spirit’s seal…”
“Ah!”
Suddenly, I realized and shouted.
“Dragon Flower Tree!”
Dragon Flower Tree! That was one of the pieces of information I had obtained in the past.
[The Lord did ask to find the Dragon Flower Tree. After that day, I gained the authority to freely access the White Lotus Sect, and even though it was awkward, I was able to converse with the Dharma Protectors. I traveled the world seeking the Dragon Flower Tree’s existence.]
[The Dragon Flower Tree mentioned by the Lord refers to the ancient species containing the divine power for Maitreya to descend. It is also a place where the divine being known as Buddha can manifest.]
[It’s said that the Dragon Flower Tree waits beside the Fire Spirit, warming its seeds with the Fire Spirit’s energy for eons. So, if I can locate the place where the Fire Spirit’s treasure is hidden, I should be able to acquire the Dragon Flower Tree as well.]
This was the information disclosed by Dongbang Mu-gyeol, one of the Five Great Physicians! It revolved around the Dragon Flower Tree hidden beside the Fire Spirit’s treasure.
‘Hmm, Dragon Flower Tree…’
Since I had been struggling to acquire the Fire Spirit due to its high difficulty, I hadn’t thought of the Dragon Flower Tree until now. While trying to sort out the information regarding the Dragon Flower Tree in my head, I asked Zhuge Sha.
“Zhuge Sha. In the Peach Garden of the Fire Spirit I visited, I only saw peach trees. Are you saying the Dragon Flower Tree is buried somewhere in the nearby land?”
“That seems likely.”
Zhuge Sha pressed the lever again to cut the hide.
“That’s why I said to wait. I could retrieve the Fire Spirit right now, but that would not get me the Dragon Flower Tree. Furthermore, if Jeon Wook brought out the Fire Spirit, he would immediately restore the barrier, and I’d lose any chance of obtaining the Dragon Flower Tree.”
“Got it…”
Because of this unexpected point, I couldn’t help but let out a murmur. By acquiring the Fire Spirit, I had to also seize the Dragon Flower Tree for the maximum benefit. Zhuge Sha paused his skinning and stood up from the device as he spoke.
“I’m not sure what kind of powers the Dragon Flower Tree might hold, but the White Lotus Sect Leader surely had reasons for searching for it to cure the Young Master’s strange disease. He must have had some vague knowledge about the Seven Luminaries but chose to seek the Dragon Flower Tree instead, so we should pay attention to that.”
Suddenly, something clicked in my mind, and I said, “Are you suggesting the Dragon Flower Tree could have healing abilities like the Black and White Lotus?”
“Most likely. The White Lotus Sect Leader is quite knowledgeable, so he must have read about the Dragon Flower Tree in some ancient text and decided to seek it out. He sent Dongbang Mu-gyeol to find its location, not its abilities.”
Zhuge Sha crossed his arms, nodding confidently.
“This means the one who knows the most about the Dragon Flower Tree’s capabilities is the White Lotus Sect Leader. If he knows its abilities, he’ll certainly know what to do to harvest it.”
“Hmm…”
“Doesn’t the task ahead seem pretty clear?”
I nodded in agreement with Zhuge Sha’s remarks.
“We need to figure out as much information regarding the Dragon Flower Tree from the Lord as possible.”
“We must first find out what the Dragon Flower Tree is. Only then can we devise a method for locating it in a short time frame. Simply uprooting the land around the Fire Spirit’s domain with Earth Tunneling won’t be sufficient.”
To find out more about the Dragon Flower Tree, I needed to negotiate with the Lord. Despite my surprise at this unexpected premise, I pondered.
‘I never imagined I’d get entangled with the Lord like this…’
I didn’t dislike the Lord, but I couldn’t casually ally with or join his faction. The teachings regarding the Non-Birth Mother and the path of True Martial Home were too treacherous and perilous, likely leaving me dealing with the Celestial Realm or the Old Ruler. At the very least, I shouldn’t train with him unless I possessed the skills to control him after acquiring the Seven Luminaries. The risk of ending up with the same conclusion as my 19th life was high.
Zhuge Sha grinned.
“But remember, just giving him something won’t be enough to gain useful information, considering your treasures are limited at this point. You’ve already sacrificed quite a bit to the Offering Ceremony to get this far!”
“Ugh…”
That hit close to home. I originally had a lot of treasures but had handed out plenty to the Great Immortal, the Offering Ceremony, and Cheon Woo-jin, leaving me with much less than expected now. Other than what was critically necessary, I couldn’t claim I had all that much left. Plus, the White Lotus Sect Leader was a cunning, fox-like character, and there was a genuine risk he’d take everything I had.
“What should I do?”
After a while of contemplation and failing to come up with a good plan, I asked Zhuge Sha for advice. He then suggested,
“Though I made that remark, connecting with the Lord might still be too risky. Instead, let’s find someone else who knows about the Dragon Flower Tree. There shouldn’t be too many options.”
“…?”
Zhuge Sha’s eyes sharpened.
“Let’s negotiate with the Zhuyong Tribe in the Southern Kingdom.”
