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I started frantically diving into the grimoire of the Thunder Spirit Sect. Clutching the suspicious fishhook tightly, I relayed my understanding and what I read to Mangnyang, who then interpreted the contents of the grimoire into human language. The book contained over one hundred and fifty chapters, and reading and transcribing it all took an entire night.

Once the translation was complete, Mangnyang gathered the papers and went to bind the book. A little while later, Mangnyang returned with the completed volume and wrote down the title. I unconsciously read it aloud.

“The Book of Cangjie.”

“As the name suggests, it has well-documented information about Cangjie. Baek Woong, if you happen to die, you must pass on this knowledge, so make sure to memorize it.”

Reading while harnessing the Thunder Spirit Classic seemed a good idea. I nodded and asked, “I’m curious, who exactly wrote this book?”

I released my question into the air.

“Not just this grimoire. The Classic of Mountains and Seas also has an unknown author, but it contains records of mythical beings and the Three Sovereigns. It’s fascinating to think who in ancient times could have provided humanity with such valuable information.”

“Hmm… that’s a reasonable question. May I share my thoughts?”

As I nodded, Mangnyang continued, “Consider the order in which the Seven Luminaries were granted to the humans.”

“The order the Seven Luminaries were granted?”

“According to the oracle bone script of Xuyou, it’s said that humans made offerings to the ‘turtle’ and performed ritual sacrifices before Jeon Wook granted the Seven Luminaries. However, the Seven Luminaries is, as we know, evidence of a truce established due to treaties between the Three Sovereigns and the Old Ruler. Furthermore, the creator was the divine being known as the Three Sovereigns themselves. This indicates that what humans forcefully received by offering sacrifices were things pre-created by the gods.”

“Hmm…”

“In the Mythological Age, although we don’t know well, there may have been priest or shaman ranks connecting gods and humans. Those individuals were on humanity’s side and, upon hearing that the Three Sovereigns crafted the Seven Luminaries, likely aimed to claim that for humanity to enhance their powers.”

“That makes sense.”

According to that reasoning, it meant that the Three Sovereigns did not intend to grant the Seven Luminaries to human forces from the beginning. They likely handed it over at the request of the priestly powers acting as the agents of the gods. Considering the distribution of the disparate Seven Luminaries scattered across various parts of the world and not gathered in the Ancient Middle Kingdom makes this quite reasonable.

Mangnyang spoke with satisfaction, “In any case, this is a remarkable achievement. Here, all the magical techniques, appearances, personalities, and strengths possessed by Cangjie’s Eight Great Deities are fully recorded. Moreover, to think that it also documents the techniques Cangjie wielded during the Mythological Age…”

Indeed.

Through interpreting the grimoire of the Thunder Spirit Sect, we learned of the characteristics held by Cangjie’s Eight Great Deities. The magical techniques each possessed, as well as their unique abilities, were detailed thoroughly. Furthermore, one of the spells performed by Cangjie in the Mythological Age was documented within this grimoire, making it an unexpected gain.

Regrettably, the weaknesses of Cangjie or details regarding the First Character were not recorded, but I was fortunate enough to acquire that information through other means.

In awe, I questioned, “So, the techniques of the Ultimate One… what sort of connection does Cangjie have with Buddhism?”

The techniques dubbed the Ultimate One are quite unique. This technique was given to the leader of Cangjie’s human followers, and its effect involved forming a fist imprint that absorbs surrounding magical forces. Up to this point, it doesn’t seem too unusual until you realize that this technique can convert the absorbed magical forces into weapons to wield. Although not at the Great Immortal Level, it’s certainly a powerful ability.

However, it was the term ‘One Who Has Arrived’ that caught my attention. While it has a different name in some contexts, Mangnyang translated it as ‘One Who Has Arrived’ while looking for similar terms.

Yet there were truly no other words to translate into. The descriptions of the transcendent being’s glory or form, the knowledge of the fist imprint, strongly resemble what we know of the Great One.

This is, timeline-wise, downright absurd. If we consider that Cangjie’s activities occurred during the initial phases of the Mythological Age, then the figure of the One Who Has Arrived wouldn’t align with the timelines. The period was so ancient that Buddhism likely didn’t even exist yet. Still, the title refers to the Eight Great Deities, which makes one wonder if Cangjie has some close ties to Buddhism.

Mangnyang spoke with a serious expression, “There’s likely a big connection between the fact that this grimoire was transmitted to the Thunder Spirit Sect.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Thunder Spirit Sect, as known in the Central Plains, is a notorious and cruel leader of the Western Martial World, but religiously, they are the head of the Western Esoteric Sect and possess a more orthodox lineage than the Shaolin Temple in the Central Plains. If the Thunder Spirit Sect has passed down a grimoire containing the weaknesses of Cangjie, it implies that the origin of the Thunder Spirit Sect lies firmly within Cangjie’s influence.”

“… Could it be…?”

“For now, that’s merely speculation. But it’s quite possible that Cangjie is a being far more formidable than we think.”

As Mangnyang muttered this, he continued, “At least we can consider ourselves fortunate. The Eight Great Deity Kinna is not endowed with strength like the Celestial Beings, Dragons, or Asuras. He’s a deity adept in cunning stratagems, making it easier to capture him due to lack of strength.”

“Even so, it would still be difficult to battle against any formidable immortal…”

“It can’t be helped. Given the current situation, nothing will come easy.”

“Hoo…”

I sighed.

The disparity in strength among the Eight Great Deities was obvious. Kinna’s pure force would rank among the weakest, while the strongest among the Eight Greats could be either the Celestial being, Dragon, or Asura. According to the grimoire’s records, each of these three could destroy an entire kingdom in Tianzhu in one day, making them incredibly formidable opponents.

We shared what we learned about Cangjie and the Eight Great Deities with Cheon Woo-jin and the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon appeared to be fully recovered and was listening cautiously to the previous narrative. Then, he spoke in a slightly dejected voice.

“Baek Woong. Am I of any help in this situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re right, then the adversaries we are about to face are at least Great Immortal Level monsters. Yet here I am barely able to deal with the Master of the White Lotus, let alone the Dharma Guardian…”

“……”

“With my current strength, even facing the Master of the White Lotus would be overly challenging.”

I could understand why the Sword Demon was feeling down. The daunting realization that the enemy’s level had risen sharply while he still remained at humanity’s level depressed him.

I inwardly sighed, ‘I should’ve given the Sword Demon time to train…’

If so, he could have built sufficient pure strength, but I felt like I had robbed him of that opportunity with the dual sword training. Even so, considering the timeline, it was too urgent to take time for the Sword Demon to continue training. Only nine days remained until the Zhuge Sect could be sealed beneath the Land and Earth Diagram, and the Heavenly Sovereign would descend in forty-eight days. Any complex acts like the inheritance of martial arts would undoubtedly be impossible within that timeframe.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin, listening on the side, gruffly stated, “Hey.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll give up the massive obsidian I was supposed to receive. Give it to someone else.”

“……!!”

Cheon Woo-jin continued with his arms crossed.

“Right now, we’re too weak to fight against the Demon King or the Apostle of the God. At least two of my level are needed to be of any use.”

“Understood.”

I nodded and looked at the Sword Demon.

“Then, Sword Demon, prepare to accept the Seven Great Techniques and knowledge…”

But the Sword Demon shook his head. “No. There’s no time for that.”

“What?”

“From past experiences, I need years of hard training with the obsidian’s memories to knock on the door of the Absolute Realm. Even with that status, I couldn’t withstand a joint assault from Tu-Seon and Yeodong-bin.”

“……”

“Baek Woong. There’s only one answer.”

The Sword Demon stared deeply into my eyes.

“Seek out Jin So-cheong. Persuade him to join us and train him to become an Absolute Expert in the remaining time. For now, that’s our best bet.”

“Jin So-cheong…”

“With his talent, he can be expected to help us. In this situation where your strength is lacking, he’d be a valuable ally in subduing that villain known as Kinna.”

That sounded right. If I could transmit my now-mature martial arts memories, honed under the teachings of the supreme master Jang Sam-bong, to Jin So-cheong, he would soon reach the threshold of the Absolute Realm. Perhaps due to his genius, he might even aim for higher realms. Yet I hesitated to answer the Sword Demon’s suggestion readily.

‘This… would break the Sword Demon’s pride!’

Giving up the extraordinary opportunity laid before him and passing it onto another is never an easy choice. Additionally, acknowledging that Jin So-cheong’s talent surpasses his own would undoubtedly crush his pride as a member of the Heretical Sect. I could well imagine what feelings the Sword Demon harbored while saying this.

As I failed to respond, Cheon Woo-jin interjected with a smirk. “Are you going to dawdle? Don’t you see doing so is just foolish? What you need to do is not to hesitantly show pity, but rather to show us victory.”

“Tch, what a way to put it…”

I snapped back to reality and grumbled. Nodding, I said, “Understood.”

The Sword Demon smiled faintly, “And I think we should further expand the scope of our plans.”

“Expand the scope?”

“We’ve mostly avoided gathering those we couldn’t for fear of upsetting the balance of power. Let’s use the pretense of fighting against the Demon King to draw them all in. The Master of the Twelve Joules, the Master of the White Lotus, the Thunder God Lineage, and even your wife.”

My wife!

Realizing the mischievous undertone in those words, I felt my face redden. Clearing my throat, I stammered, “Uh, I don’t want to involve Miho.”

“Why not? She possesses skills that exceed most peak experts. With her innate talent in the arts of enchantment and spellcraft, she would certainly be of great help.”

“Well…”

As I was pondering, Mangnyang spoke to the Sword Demon, “Sword Demon, Baek Woong has already faced death many times alongside Miho. While ordinary humans would consider it a blessing to die with a loved one, for a Reborn Person like Baek Woong, it’s nothing but a nightmare. Please take that into consideration.”

“Hmm!”

“……”

I fell silent.

‘I don’t want to see Miho die again.’

I had died seeking revenge for Miho’s death. I had even chosen death alongside her at times. She had risked her life for me against Miyamoto Musashi.

All those outcomes were horrifyingly manifest, and just the thought of them clenched my fists in anguish. As much as I had feelings for Miho, I did not want to meet her death ever again. I had hastily set aside the emotional upheaval of death, but looking back, those memories felt like nothing but nightmares.

This feeling was different from what I held for Mangnyang and the other companions. Having participated in my past life for so long, they understood my feelings well. However, Cheon Woo-jin scoffed at me.

“Ha ha! What nonsense is that?”

“What?!”

“So you want to witness the deaths of Mangnyang and the Sword Demon instead? What’s the difference?”

It felt like I had been pierced too deeply.

“… That’s…”

“If you truly care for Miho, shouldn’t you treat her just like any other companion? From what I see, you’re still obsessively clinging to the forms of human life and only seeing contradictions.”

“Clinging to human life?”

“You still think you can live a normal life like other humans by marrying someone and raising children? That’s why you instinctively try to overprotect Miho.”

“Ugh… that’s a stretch!”

As I shouted, Mangnyang waved his hands in a hurry. “Alright, enough of that. The Priest has also over-interpreted things, so let’s all reflect a bit.”

“Tch.”

With a sulky look, Cheon Woo-jin turned away, and Mangnyang grasped my shoulder. “Still, the Priest’s words aren’t entirely wrong. If you truly want to enjoy a human life and end this burden of your previous life quickly, accepting Miho as a fellow comrade would be wise. We now possess power enough to negotiate even with the Celestial Realm, meaning there’s no reason to hesitate.”

“Understood.”

“Moreover, there’s undeniable benefit in involving Miho.”

I could understand Mangnyang’s point. ‘I will go with Miho.’

If my companions felt this strongly, then I could no longer hesitate. In my future lives, I will definitely involve Miho. If the Celestial Realm becomes a hindrance, I’ll fight against them if necessary to protect her.

“Then I will make my move.”

Pa-at!

I first headed to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School where Jin So-cheong was located. From a distance, I watched Jin So-cheong, now teaching others as a Grandmaster.

‘… I can’t tell if he’s purposely stalling his growth.’

Jin So-cheong currently didn’t seem particularly powerful. Perhaps it was just my perspective, but I felt like I could easily take him down. I was tempted to wait for the night when people would be scarce, but the time was running out, so I sent a secret transmission to Jin So-cheong from outside.

[Jin So-cheong! If you want to know about your parents’ secret, come to the pine forest near Hangu Pass immediately without telling anyone.]

After sending that message, I waited in the pine forest near Hangu Pass. This was a place I had visited when saving Namgung Hwan. After about half a moment, Jin So-cheong arrived with his spear in hand.

Facing me, he asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Baek Woong.”

I pointed my fire spirit at him and said, “Let’s spar. The loser must grant one request from the winner.”

Ku-woo!!

I drew upon my internal power vigorously. My power peaked, unleashing an immense coercive force, causing Jin So-cheong to stumble back, surprised. Then Jin So-cheong said, “…!! How can your internal power be like that?”

“Think about it as you wish. Will you accept?”

“Why this strange request?”

“I’m after your talent.”

“I need to know if it’s true that you know something about my parents.”

I smirked and said, “Your parents are someone named Jin Cheon-hwi. If you can defeat me, I’ll tell you all the details.”

“……!!”

“Everything that Master Lee Kwang failed to inform you about.”

Jin So-cheong flinched, but his expression quickly calmed, and he aimed his spear at me. “Alright. You must keep your word.”

“Of course.”

Pa-bawat!

Finally, Jin So-cheong and my sword forms clashed. I raised my overwhelming internal power and lightly struck the side of Jin So-cheong, who staggered back, unable to regain his footing. Following that, I nimbly evaded his attacks with my techniques and countered with precision.

Kuung!

“Ugh!”

With a hollow sound, Jin So-cheong was sent flying back three paces before landing safely. I lowered my weapon, asking, “What’s wrong? It’s barely been twenty seconds.”

“You… you’re a master of the Thunder God Lineage?”

“That’s right.”

I swung my sword sideways and added, “Our levels are drastically different. Do you still want to keep going?”

“We have to try, don’t we?”

Jin So-cheong’s abilities were not weak compared to his peers in the martial world by any means. He was likely at a rather mature level among peak experts, ranking him high above the leaders of the Twin Gate Sect. However, compared to my immense power drawn from countless fortuitous encounters over twenty reincarnations, he was still lacking. Still, I felt intrigued by Jin So-cheong’s willingness to challenge me.

‘Would I have ever recklessly closed in on an unknown formidable opponent?’

No, I wouldn’t have. I would’ve thought of running away first. A loss means facing severe consequences. Given the current gap in our strength, I could raise my guard, but factoring in all my power, I could easily defeat Jin So-cheong within thirty seconds. Amidst this, I found pleasure in meeting his earnest determination and continued clashing my blade.

“Ha!”

“Come at me!”

Clang!

Clang!

The powerful forces collided repeatedly, creating bursts of light.

‘It’s easy to evade…’

Strangely, as the battle surpassed fifty seconds and approached sixty, I still felt like I was playfully tackling Jin So-cheong. There seemed to be no chance for him to defeat me. Oddly enough, I sensed that the dynamics of our sparring were gradually shifting for the better.

“Hmm…”

At last, as Jin So-cheong equalized the Ranna Chul and extended his spear, I realized something significant. Up until now, there had been many openings in Jin So-cheong’s attacks, allowing me ample room to strike. But now, the internal rotation and external rotation he displayed were almost devoid of openings. Though I could evade using the Three Treasure Technique, I was unable to counter.

‘Could it be…?’

A bizarre notion crossed my mind, but since it seemed illogical, I put it aside and remained focused on the duel. Unconsciously, I forgot about our bet and, after a long while, began unleashing my techniques in unison with Jin So-cheong.

Papa-Pa-pat!

Woosh!

The sound of wind began to pick up. I noticed that Jin So-cheong had completely entered a transcendental state, flowing freely in his movements. As the tips of his spear grew sharper, I felt as though a steel storm were about to collide with me.

On the one hundredth second!

I finally failed to evade one of Jin So-cheong’s strikes, grazing my arm and causing a little blood to rise. However, it was no matter of concern. What truly astonished me, though, was…

‘What? He was able to land that amidst the Three Treasure Technique’s usual defense?’

It dawned upon me that my Three Treasure Technique wasn’t universally invincible. Though it appeared unbreakable, there were calculations to its intervals. Within those breaths, a narrow window existed. But that gap was something even opponents of equal caliber couldn’t easily pinpoint. Yet just now, Jin So-cheong precisely exploited that very opening.

Was it a coincidence?

Crash!

As Jin So-cheong’s attacks grew more aggressive, I finally unlocked all constraints around my power, preparing to unleash my ultimate technique and bounce Jin So-cheong away. Otherwise, I risked danger myself.

“Aah!”

Jin So-cheong was sent soaring and, unable to correct his fall, collapsed unconscious. I realized he had been in a state of semi-consciousness since the eightieth second, indiscriminately waving his spear.

Staring down at Jin So-cheong with wide eyes, I muttered, “… What a monster…”

Indeed.

Jin So-cheong had evolved mid-battle and broken through to a new level!

I wondered—when he awoke, would he be twice as strong as before? I had never heard of someone’s martial prowess rapidly blossoming in combat, leaving me completely awestruck.

 

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