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“So, you’re telling me I need to obtain the Primordial Spirit to reach the divine level?”

That’s what Zhuge Sa concluded after I shared my thoughts on the Primordial Void and Chaos.

“Is that really the best way?”

“Yes, but hold off on trying to obtain it for now.”

“Why?”

“I wonder if the restrictions of the Primordial Spirit matter to you, but first, it’s a [contract]. You need to know the exact terms and details from the Demon Sorcerer, Master of the White Lotus Sect himself.”

“Got it.”

Honestly, whether it was the Primordial Spirit or the Heavenly Spirit Pill, I wasn’t planning to jump into anything annoying just yet. I was busy enough solidifying my current power and training direction.

Zhuge Sa continued, “Lee Cheong-un is looking for you. Go see him.”

I passed along the information I got from Master Mangnyang. Lee Cheong-un let out a huge sigh.

“Wow! The Sect Leader was on such a high level all along?”

“The issue is, how strong is the current Sect Leader really?” I trailed off.

Lee Cheong-un gave a wry smile. “Haha, sorry! My martial arts achievements have been passed down to the Sect Leader, so he’s probably the strongest in your past life.”

“That’s not really a good thing, is it?”

I had no choice but to fumble my words. I was fine using the peerless master, Lee Cheong-un, to boost my level, but the issue was that it also made the Master of the White Lotus Sect stronger, creating a contradiction. I honestly had no clue if we could even stop the White Lotus Sect with our strength alone.

Lee Cheong-un said, “Hmm, if your theory about the Primordial Void is correct… It feels like I might also be stepping into that realm.”

“What?”

“When I unleash the Thunder Spirit to its maximum efficiency, I feel something while crossing a momentary barrier. A tiny something gets mixed into the lightning. I thought it was my inexperience until now…”

Lee Cheong-un, appearing deep in thought, continued, “It’s perfect timing. Baek Woong, let’s go see Jin So-cheong.”

“Wasn’t he in closed-door training?”

“He’s the best one to discuss these matters with right now. You can gain something from being there.”

So, I followed Lee Cheong-un to a modest mountain about ten liri away from Jangryeong Valley. Apparently, Jin So-cheong was dwelling alone in the mountains, as part of his closed-door training. When we arrived at the entrance of the mountain, he was already waiting for us as if he had been anticipating our visit.

“Grand Master! And Baek Woong… you’ve come.”

“Jin So-cheong. How is your training going?”

“Just revisiting what I have learned.”

Seeing that Jin So-cheong’s Qi was not as strong as before made me feel suspicious.

‘Hmm? Why does he look weaker than me?’

Jin So-cheong felt much weaker than when I first met him. His internal and external Qi seemed so faint that he was practically similar to an ordinary person. It was like he had reached a state closer to emptiness rather than the Return to Simplicity.

We sat down in Jin So-cheong’s makeshift hut designed for closed-door training. Once Lee Cheong-un shared the information I had regarding Chaos and the Primordial Void with Jin So-cheong, he listened attentively in silence. After finishing the explanation, Lee Cheong-un calmly addressed Jin So-cheong.

“When I pull up the Thunder Spirit and reach the moment when the Thunder Soul’s full speed is unleashed, I feel something beyond a momentary wall. A very subtle something gets mixed in with the lightning. Don’t you think of it as the Primordial Void, Jin So-cheong?”

“……”

Jin So-cheong stared at the teacup for a long time, deep in thought before finally replying.

“It’s insufficient. I probably haven’t reached it in the purest sense.”

“Is that so?”

“However, I don’t think the Grand Master’s words are wrong. It just seems that the acceleration isn’t enough.”

“Hehe. That’s an interesting viewpoint.”

Lee Cheong-un burst into laughter.

Not catching their conversation, I turned to Jin So-cheong with a question. “What do you mean by acceleration? Please explain.”

“In the realm of earth and heaven, the level of obtaining the Thunder Spirit is the Thunder Spirit. Since the essence of nature is chaos, the Thunder Spirit is likely to reach chaos too. But with the speed of Thunder Spirit we know, it might not completely distort the form and reach its limits.”

“Hmm…”

I was momentarily bewildered by Jin So-cheong’s words, but I caught his meaning.

“So if the Thunder Spirit goes faster, it could achieve the fusion realm through Thunder God martial arts?”

“That’s the speculation.”

“……”

Staring hard at Jin So-cheong, I got an inkling and asked him, “Wait, Jin So-cheong. You didn’t… reach the Absolute Realm, did you?”

Jin So-cheong nodded his head. “Not long ago.”

“……!!”

As expected! Lee Cheong-un coming all the way to ask Jin So-cheong for insight had another purpose. Naturally, it was because Jin So-cheong, being in the Absolute Realm, could exchange insights with him at an equal level. Realizing my prediction was spot on, I glanced at Lee Cheong-un.

“Isn’t it supposed to be quite challenging to go from peak expert to Absolute Realm?”

Lee Cheong-un smiled wryly. “It’s actually been a while since Jin So-cheong reached the Absolute Realm. Even before his training, he was already at that level. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it before.”

“Why did you keep that from me…?”

“Because of your delusions of grandeur.”

Lee Cheong-un took a sip of tea and continued.

“Honestly, even I, who’s called the greatest genius in the Thunder God lineage over a thousand years, find Jin So-cheong’s talent unfathomable. I genuinely think he surpasses me. Seeing him effortlessly break the wall to the Absolute Realm made me hesitate to tell you. No matter how much of his martial arts insights you gained…

“……”

“Even geniuses have a sense of failure… Sharing Jin So-cheong’s achievements with you might only amplify your feelings of emptiness and deprivation, right? I planned to keep it a secret until you fully grasped the Miyeo’s realm.”

“I see…”

“But the fusion of Chaos and the Primordial Void is too significant an insight. Since you’re a reborn person, it can’t be done without sharing directly, so I had no choice but to bring you here.”

I understood Lee Cheong-un’s consideration. I had exploded with feelings of inferiority due to Jin So-cheong’s formidable talent more than once. As comforting as it was to think that even Jin So-cheong couldn’t easily break through the Absolute Realm, that assurance was now rendered pointless.

Jin So-cheong waved his hand. “That’s too much praise. It’s better to focus on what’s in front of us right now.”

“You’re right. So do you have a way to accelerate the Thunder Spirit?”

“Right now, I think there are too few clues. The Thunder Spirit, which has developed over generations, can’t be improved overnight. It’ll take at least a few years.”

Jin So-cheong, speaking decisively, continued, “As of now, we only know the concept of fusion. Without the experiences of someone who handled chaos themselves, we can’t advance.”

Lee Cheong-un let out a low hum. “Are you saying we need the Sect Leader’s help?”

“Yes. I think masters in the Absolute Realm should gather for discussion too.”

“Hahaha!”

Lee Cheong-un laughed heartily, genuinely enjoying himself. “Masters of the Absolute Realm are something you’d be lucky to see once every century in the martial arts world… And here we are with so many at this moment. Discussing amongst the Absolute Realm that can actually occur!”

He looked at me and continued, “Baek Woong. Make sure to negotiate with the Master of the White Lotus Sect as soon as you can. You must gain the enlightenment of Chaos from him!”

“Are you serious?”

I stared at Lee Cheong-un in disbelief. I never expected him to bring up such a thing first.

“Isn’t it inappropriate for me to negotiate with them given your rivalry with the Thunder God lineage?”

Lee Cheong-un replied sarcastically. “Anyway, my rivalry is nothing compared to your terrifying fate of battling the wicked Divine Being in your reincarnated life. Besides, I originally lost to the Sect Leader, so I actually don’t even have the right to seek revenge.”

“That’s…”

“The ideology of the Thunder God lineage is self-strengthening over dominance. I can be said to have lost some status as a master of the Thunder God lineage by failing to uphold that ideology.”

“……”

“So, don’t consider my loss and death. The important thing is that you belong to our Thunder God lineage and could fulfill our desires at any time. I’m grateful for that alone. I support all your decisions as a master of the Thunder God lineage.”

“… Understood.”

I was touched by Lee Cheong-un’s generosity. Naturally, Lee Cheong-un would have the greatest resentment toward the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who intended to purify and kill him and plunge the Thunder God lineage into ruin. But he decided to set aside all that to act solely for me, the reborn person. Logically, it’s the right thing to do, but it’s far from easy to genuinely change one’s heart.

I began calculating the possibilities calmly in my mind. ‘Negotiating with the Sect Leader…’ Sure, it was feasible. If I approached the White Lotus Sect favorably and forged a close alliance with them, I might even get lucky and become a disciple under the Sect Leader. Or, I could risk giving him the Obsidian to make him my ally.

In either case, thanks to Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang’s efforts, I found myself in a favorable position with plenty of choices.

Fusion of Chaos and the Primordial Void! What kind of power would that bring me?

Lee Cheong-un interjected. “Baek Woong. But before you make that negotiation, you need to train further. You still have many shortcomings in martial arts…”

“Right. I’ll focus on the Miyeo’s realm a bit more…”

“No, that’s sufficient now. You need more time to hone it, but you’ve already made significant improvements. So from now on, I will teach you the Fist Technique.”

“Fist Technique!”

“Among Sword, Fist, and Spear, your understanding of Fist Technique is the weakest.”

“I see.”

I felt my martial arts level maturing a step further. If Lee Cheong-un said that my mastery of the Miyeo’s realm was enough, it meant my application of Thunder God martial arts had greatly improved. While I felt pleased with that, Lee Cheong-un stood up and said, “From now on, let’s gather the masters of Thunder God lineage’s Fist Techniques scattered across the world.”

“Understood.”

“Before that, now that we’ve met Jin So-cheong, let’s have a sparring session.”

“Sparring?”

“Of course! It’s a win-win considering we came all this way.”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled softly. “Just to let you know, the Absolute Realm Jin So-cheong has achieved isn’t the same as the Thunder Spirit. He’s explored a different field, so you’ll gain a great experience by facing him.”

“Are… are you serious?”

“Absolutely. I can’t say he’s superior, but he has carved out a new realm.”

As I looked at Jin So-cheong in astonishment, he calmly stated, “It’s nothing special. The Grand Master praises me, but I’m still just at the threshold of the Absolute Realm. I cannot definitively name this level yet.”

Lee Cheong-un had a peculiar smile on his face. “Hehe! ‘For now’, that may be true. But soon, you’ll surpass me, won’t you?”

Jin So-cheong didn’t reply. That was far closer to a silent affirmation.

“……”

I felt no jealousy or despair. Honestly, that ship had already sailed. Instead, I was overwhelmed with awe.

‘Incredible.’

A pure admiration filled my heart. A slight sense of gratitude lingered too.

‘How lucky am I to live in the same era as such a genius?’

In this bright era where geniuses and masters emerged like stars, and myth and civilization intersected, wasn’t it my fortune to be living in such a time? Even in a vast world, I doubted I would ever encounter another genius like Jin So-cheong, which rather calmed my heart.

As I walked towards Jin So-cheong for the sparring match, the words of Mangnyang echoed in my mind.

[Don’t hold back on insights and teachings! And it’s better to increase companions as much as possible. This policy should be maintained in future lives as well.]

[If your goal was just personal fame, you wouldn’t need the Obsidian. However, given your current situation, you might fight against a Divine Being and collect the Law of Cause and Effect. In that case, don’t hesitate to extend something to your companions.]

[If someone betrays you, that will instead work to your advantage. You simply don’t have to keep them as companions.]

[We are currently absolutely lacking in power. Until we gather that power, don’t hesitate to use all methods.]

Mangnyang was right. If I had been stingy with insights and teachings, I wouldn’t have been able to accelerate Jin So-cheong’s growth and wouldn’t have gained this opportunity to spar with such a high-level master. I knew firsthand that even practicing for years in a mountain wouldn’t secure me even a penny’s worth of growth. Having died during my first life while trying to become a master on my own opened my eyes to that reality.

‘I need to leverage the talents of others.’

Being talentless, I couldn’t create talents from nothing. I tried to grow with Zhongli Quan’s blessings, but it was futile. Therefore, while utilizing others’ talents and helping them grow, I had to indirectly grow myself. It was frustrating to not be the strongest myself, but this was the way for an ordinary person to resist their fate.

What I needed now was not inferiority.

I had to use humility as my weapon and move forward.

Because one day, the reborn me would win. For that purpose, I could endure any immediate grievances or feelings of inferiority.

Growth requires communication!

I steadied my stance in the Thunder God sword technique and declared the start of our sparring with Jin So-cheong.

“I’ll attack first.”

“Bring it on.”

Those who refuse to interact with others can never grow.

 

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