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I dropped Miho off at Dongyoung. As I piled up gold bars in her room, she stared at them eagerly and said,

“Baek Woong, you take care of this. I’ll mine a lot of obsidian for you.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Then, a thought struck me, and I asked,

“The Yin-Yang Masters and the assassins from the Shogunate will probably be a pain in the neck…

“Don’t worry. They haven’t bothered us so far because it’s been too much of a hassle.”

Miho picked up a chunk of gold with her hand and continued,

“With about five of these, I could hire the whole Kouga clan. If they become my guards, I won’t have to fear assassins or even Yin-Yang stuff anymore.”

“Kouga? Aren’t they ninjas?”

“Together with Igaru, they are the greatest ninja force. They say many are born with supernatural abilities.”

If Miho is that confident, it must be true.

After dropping her off, I headed straight back to Jangryeong Valley. Sure, I had plenty of things to do, but right now, I needed to focus on training instead of starting new projects. Upon returning, Zhuge Sa spoke,

“You need to take a master who has reached the Absolute Realm to reach that level yourself. So, let’s resurrect Lee Cheong-un this time. It’s not like we can choose Baek Woong or Miyamoto Musashi as tutors.”

Feeling anxious, I said,

“Is that okay? The power of the black scarf can only be used once…”

Zhuge Sa scolded me,

“Having too much can create too many distractions. Right now, you have so many options you’re losing your judgment. If it doesn’t work out, you can always commit suicide, so don’t worry too much and just utilize what you have.”

“……”

“Didn’t you just say training was the priority? In this life, it’s already predetermined that you won’t see an end. So don’t worry about anything else.”

Suicide as a backup plan? Zhuge Sa really doesn’t treat my life with much care. But the idea wasn’t entirely wrong, and because it was Zhuge Sa saying it, I couldn’t refute it.

Crack!

I activated the Golden Lamp technique and made my way to Mount Tai’s village. Then, using the black scarf, I entered the jungle of Dark Heaven Village and met him.

[Welcome… A special guest has arrived in the land of dreamlike illusions…]

“Ah.”

[Speak… I shall grant you the right to reverse life into death… and death into life, with the power of reversal bestowed upon me… No one can escape this power…]

Having encountered this being numerous times already, complicated emotions swelled within me. He was undoubtedly an incredibly nasty god capable of instilling the will of divine killing in me, but at the same time, one of my most potent aides.

‘Tch. It can’t be helped…’

For now, I want to pay back the debts of my 19th previous life, but this wasn’t the time for that. Right now, I had to utilize this guy as much as I could. Before asking him to resurrect Lee Cheong-un, I decided to ask a few things I had been curious about.

“Oh great one, may I ask you a question?”

[Go ahead…]

Upon reflection, this being before me was among the most significant deities in the world. Asking directly could shorten the process greatly.

“I’ve heard the [Old Rulers] are counting down the years until the end will arrive in about 500 years. They say they are waiting for a revelation; why do they wish for it so desperately?”

[……]

Gurgle!

The eyes popping out all over the jungle ruler’s grotesque body blinked as they made eerie sounds. He spoke in a strange voice.

[Human, why do you care about that…?]

“Of course, I must be curious. The [Old Rulers] possess vast powers that transcend all things; it’s hard to imagine them holding onto some desire. I want to know why they long for that revelation.”

[Hehehe… To think you would dig that deep into the secrets of the gods… you are truly intriguing…]

Thud!

The jungle ruler suddenly fluttered his wings and rose slightly. I was taken aback because I’d only seen such a reaction once, right at the end of my previous death. He inched closer and said,

[How intriguing… Hehe.]

Every time he spoke, I felt overwhelming magical power and authority, making it difficult to respond.

“It’s common knowledge that the end is approaching, isn’t it? Is that really something for you to marvel at?”

[I have two reasons for my curiosity…]

The being stopped in mid-air and fixed its gaze upon me.

[First, unlike ordinary human beings, you have been able to converse with me for this long so naturally… even with the blessing of the black scarf…]

“……”

[Second, while many are aware of the coming end, very few realize that a revelation will follow after it. The chains of destiny related to the Three Sovereigns or the great secrets… the [Old Rulers] or even their apostles… it’s something mortals cannot know… and even if they did, most would have no clue how intensely the [Old Rulers] desire it…]

After a moment’s thought, he said,

[I like you, mortal… I shall reveal to you the meaning of that revelation…]

His tone seemed generous, but I didn’t have the luxury of paying attention to that.

Finding out what the [revelation] is truly important!

It could potentially overturn my previous life!

Having gained access to this high-level intel, I stared intently at the jungle ruler.

“Please tell me.”

[A long time ago… perhaps right after the birth of this universe… the Void Record was etched at the center of time… the first Void Record awakened with its own will and sublimated into an Outer God, becoming the wisest being in this universe…]

The wisest being. An Outer God.

As I processed that information, the jungle ruler continued,

[That being knew the time and place when the greatest being in this world would return… because it is the Void Record itself… Therefore, it has been informing the [Old Rulers] for hundreds of millions of years, and we all awaited that return…]

“Awaiting…?”

[Then, at some point, it vanished. That’s why we could not know the precise moment… So we had no choice but to keep waiting here on this planet…]

“……”

As I listened to the jungle ruler, I had an epiphany and spoke up.

“So the [revelation] is an event announcing the time when the Absolute Being returns?”

[That’s one way to look at it…]

I wanted to ask more, but the jungle ruler continued,

[Mortal… beyond this point, discover it for yourself…]

“… I understand. Please resurrect Lee Cheong-un.”

[Good…]

Crack!

I was thrown back into the outside world alongside white light. Without delay, I headed to Lee Cheong-un’s grave.

Upon reaching the grave, I shouted the Lion’s Roar towards wherever Lee Cheong-un might be,

[Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God lineage, Lee Cheong-un!! The disciple of the Thunder God lineage, Baek Woong, seeks to meet you.]

The response to the Lion’s Roar was immediate. Just like blue mist coalescing in the air, Lee Cheong-un suddenly appeared from thin air. Even now, with my elevated martial arts level, I couldn’t fathom what mind control techniques he was employing, and I swallowed hard.

Lee Cheong-un looked at me with curiosity and said,

“What is this? Did you bring me back to life, Baek Woong?”

To show I meant no harm, I raised my martial authority and replied,

“That’s right.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Is there any reason to doubt your own existence? You exist because the Dharma Guardian thinks you do, right?”

When I asked, Lee Cheong-un chuckled bitterly and said,

“You certainly are of the Thunder God lineage.”

“As a disciple of the Thunder God lineage, may I now express my purpose?”

For some reason, upon hearing the term “disciple,” Lee Cheong-un’s defenses seemed to slightly lower.

“Go ahead.”

Swoosh!

I presented Lee Cheong-un with a piece of obsidian and said,

“This is a black stone for transferring memories. If you accept this, you’ll understand how I resurrected you.”

“Seems suspicious.”

“If you think it’s suspicious, feel free to knock me out and torture me. I might not make it easy for you, though.”

Then, Lee Cheong-un answered with a grin,

“Do you think I would view a person like that as a scoundrel? Such things are beneath the dignity of a Thunder God lineage disciple.”

“……”

“It seems I need to hear you out for progress to be made. Hand me that stone.”

“Here you go.”

Whoosh!

Some time later, the memories were transmitted to Lee Cheong-un. He initially bore a look of astonishment before turning to me and saying,

“No way…? I was part of such a grand adventure? Living and dying over and over…?”

“You once fought alongside me. The Eight Immortals Divine Art, evolved from the Seven Great Techniques, is your achievement.”

“Hmm… Even if you say that, it doesn’t feel real.”

Lee Cheong-un said, sounding somewhat jaded.

“In any case, thanks for bringing me back. I’ll do my utmost to help you strengthen your martial arts.”

“Thank you.”

“And now, I wish to test your skills right here. Is that alright?”

I nodded my head, showing signs of nervousness.

“Please, go ahead.”

Zap!

In the next instant, Lee Cheong-un utilized the Thunder Spirit and placed his index finger right at my throat. I couldn’t even draw my sword halfway out. I trembled at the insane speed of the Thunder Spirit.

Extreme Speed!

I felt the astounding speed of the Thunder Spirit during my training sessions, but to witness it in action was mind-boggling. At this level of difference, if I were to face off with Lee Cheong-un in a life-and-death duel, I wouldn’t even make it to three breaths. No joke, just that split second before, I would have had my throat pierced by his finger and died instantly.

But Lee Cheong-un looked amazed, saying,

“Indeed… your skills have improved significantly since the past. A swordsman capable of drawing a sword against the Thunder Spirit is a rare find even in the entire Central Plains. Typically, they’d perish without a chance to react. But just now, didn’t you at least counter with a strong Qi?”

“… Thank you for the compliment.”

“However, that’s precisely the tough part.”

Lee Cheong-un continued, looking uneasy.

“It seems you’ve reached the brink of peak expert. But making that final leap into the Absolute Realm is considered the greatest barrier in martial philosophy. Even geniuses who have practiced martial arts all their lives since infancy can’t surpass that wall, and more than 90% fall short.”

“……”

“To push an average talent like you into the Absolute Realm… I don’t have that kind of confidence…”

Lee Cheong-un genuinely looked troubled, not trying to tease me. After some contemplation, he said,

“Well, let’s go back to Jangryeong Valley and discuss it. This isn’t something I can tackle alone.”

Crack!

I returned to Jangryeong Valley with Lee Cheong-un. I called upon all the martial artist companions who were training and introduced them to him. Jin So-cheong and Geuk-ho looked on with admirational gazes, while the Sword Demon regarded Lee Cheong-un with awe. After the introductions, Lee Cheong-un spoke to everyone.

“As you all know, our goal is to elevate Baek Woong to the Absolute Realm. However, I believe it’s impossible through normal training methods, even if it takes a hundred years.”

The Sword Demon, listening from the side, furrowed his brows.

“Aren’t you being too pessimistic?”

“The reality is this. Reaching the Absolute Realm is on a completely different level than progressing from Peak to Peak Expert. I’ve faced death multiple times just trying to reach the Absolute Realm…”

Lee Cheong-un sighed and continued,

“Thus, I wish to hear another perspective.”

“Who do you mean?”

“There’s a senior who has also reached the Absolute Realm, and he is much stronger than I am.”

Whoosh!

Finally, I called forth Yeodong-bin, facing Lee Cheong-un in the training area. I addressed Yeodong-bin.

“Yeodong-bin! I will sacrifice ten years of my lifespan if you will duel with Lee Cheong-un and discuss martial principles with him, guiding me on the path to the Absolute Realm! Plus, could you offer some instruction as my martial arts master…”

[……]

Yeodong-bin appeared to be taken aback momentarily.

“Yeodong-bin?”

Then, the vision of Yeodong-bin, sword in hand, gravely spoke.

[Dharma Protector, what you just said sounds to me like this… I’ll give you a sword, but go fight against 100 monsters and stand against a hundred thousand soldiers, then come back and seal the matter.]

“……”

So, what I had just proposed was that unreasonable, huh?

Yeodong-bin quickly wiped away the look of disbelief and said,

[If I were to agree, even as the Dharma Protector, I’d need at least 70 years of your lifespan.]

“Seventy years?”

That seemed way too long, didn’t it?

No matter how much I’d been nonchalantly talking about preferring to die when bored, my goal in this life was training. Wasting 70 years of my lifespan meant that regardless of how long a master could live, surviving for over a hundred years would be extremely difficult. I might even kick the bucket in under 20 years. I had to protest, as I realized this was quite different compared to back when I met Jang Sam-bong.

“The overlay techniques Jang Sam-bong teaches don’t come with heavy fees when forming bonds with humans, right? Isn’t this a bit tight-fisted?”

[What Jang Sam-bong does is none of my concern. He lacks great ambition, so he spends his energy and spiritual power to shoulder the karma, but I cannot afford to do that.]

“Why not?”

[Because I have work that requires gathering power in the Celestial Realm.]

“……?”

This was the first time I was hearing something like this. While I was still bewildered, Lee Cheong-un, standing opposite me, nonchalantly said,

“Then Yeodong-bin, I’ll sacrifice about 20 years of my own lifespan on Baek Woong’s behalf. Surely that can cover this duel.”

[…Understood.]

After the negotiation, Yeodong-bin faced off against Lee Cheong-un.

“Please, one move, Sword Saint.”

[And I look forward to it as well.]

Finally, the clash between the overlay techniques and the ultimate guardian of the Thunder God lineage was about to unfold.

 

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