811——————==

True Martial Home

“What, what are you saying! When?”

“About ten years ago.”

What the heck does that mean?

Not just me, but all my companions were stunned, staring at him when Pasun said.

“After that, Peng Zuo hired me as a mercenary under decent conditions.”

“What were those conditions?”

“No reason to share that. I should be off to collect my payment now.”

After a vague response to my question, Pasun turned his back.

“You don’t seem like the type who’d get taken down by someone like Peng Zuo. I’ll come looking for you after this is over. Hope you’ll tell me how to meet the Martial God then.”

“Wait….”

Boom!!

Pasun suddenly vanished in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t just martial arts; it was some kind of magic, so even though he looked like a martial artist, I realized he was indeed a Demon King. I relaxed a bit and let my sword droop when the Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke up beside me.

[Baek Woong, do you really know how to meet the Martial God?]

Ugh, as expected.

The Master of the White Lotus Sect was just as interested in meeting the Martial God. I realized he’d become obsessed with me from this point on and frowned. I decided to let this go for now.

“The Martial God needs someone who can open the ‘Gate.’ It seems there are about a hundred such individuals, and they appear only to those with the requisite talent.”

[I already know that. I want to know what qualifications are needed to open the ‘Gate.’]

“Well… that doesn’t seem like something to discuss right now. We can’t just sit around here forever in enemy territory, inside a Demon Path barrier.”

Cheon Woo-jin chimed in.

“Well said. If we keep stalling like this, we’ll all die from erosion by magic power. Let’s hurry and go kill Peng Zuo.”

[Hmm….]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect seemed unconvinced but eventually nodded. Then he said:

[Baek Woong, later, do tell me about that defensive technique you’ve learned….]

His greed for martial arts is impressive.

He must have recognized the power of the Peerless Technique at a glance and appreciated the value of the Seven Great Techniques mixed within. I understood I had caught the attention of a troublesome individual but didn’t show it; I decided to move forward.

Tydaht!

We arrived at the very heart of the harbor, saturated with magic. There, thousands of oozy monsters swarmed around, and slimy tentacles rooted into the ground grew like trees. Over the darkened coastline floated blood-red ships, their size far beyond that of ordinary vessels.

Miho looked at the fleet and said,

“That ship… it’s alive. It almost seems like a magic being itself.”

“Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“What are we going to do? It’s too dangerous to sneak in.”

As Miho said, the place was swarming with magical creatures, and if the ship had transformed into a being due to erosion by magic power, entering it could get us eaten alive. However, it was certain Peng Zuo was inside that ship.

‘Time to use my special ability.’

I activated the True Martial Home technique I had acquired in my previous life to scan the fleet. I soon detected something glowing orange inside the ship.

‘What is that?’

A humanoid shape and a pearl.

I realized it was none other than Peng Zuo and the Golden Crow. Thanks to the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I was able to easily locate my target. The Fire Eye Golden Spirit could quickly identify strong artifacts like the Seven Luminaries.

Feeling triumphant about my achievement from my past life, I pointed at it with my finger.

“There! Let’s take out Peng Zuo!”

“Attack!”

As my words fell, Zhuge Bu issued a command, sending the Dragon and Demon troops to attack the ship. As they charged in, the gooey magical beasts lunged at them, but since we were also magical beings, it turned into a mere power struggle, and after a few tussles, we gained the upper hand.

Swish

Suddenly, Western Demon Sorcerers appeared everywhere, employing summoning techniques and launching a barrage of attack magic. As the enemy launched their ambush, the Master of the White Lotus Sect and our allies stepped up to fight back.

Boom!!

[Kiik.]

[Gegegek.]

Suddenly, with a loud explosion, the Dragon troops were instantly torn to shreds. From inside the besieged ship, Peng Zuo rose amid a radiant white light, letting out a massive roar.

[You insignificant mortals! Did you really think you could stand against me, who has acquired the Seven Luminaries?]

Finally, the main character of this battle made his entrance. It was clear that defeating him would bring this chaos to an end, and I secretly welcomed his arrival. I glared at Peng Zuo and stated,

“Peng Zuo! You thieving runaway immortal, how dare you cause chaos in the Celestial Realm while fearing the Three Sovereigns? If you keep this up in the South Sea, they’ll surely come to kill you. Not even your identity as Jeon Wook’s descendant can save your life.”

[…What…! How do you know that….]

Peng Zuo hesitated, clearly caught off guard.

[…Oh. You seem to know quite a bit about the secrets of the myth. But that’s not something you need to worry about.]

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem to have the strength to handle the Three Sovereigns.”

As I mockingly responded, Peng Zuo’s face twisted with anger as he shouted,

[How dare a mere mortal laugh at me? The intervention of the Three Sovereigns has been promised by him!! The era of truce is over, chaos and darkness shall sweep the world in a flood.]

“Who is ‘he’?”

[Come forth, sealed one who was bound by the Western Guardian in the beginning. Morning Star!!]

Wiying!!

The moment Peng Zuo’s words ended, the Golden Crow in his hand began to emit a brilliant light. I thought it was an attack, but the light began projecting something from the air, forming a semblance of a human.

Oooooo

The light released by the Golden Crow summoned what appeared to be a winged human. One wing was white, the other black, creating a strange contrast. This figure looked extraordinarily handsome and beautiful, radiating an aura of unease. As I beheld this figure, realization dawned on me.

‘Is that the winged being the Westerners spoke of during the summoning of the Heavenly Secret Technique? Could it possibly be that guy!’

The winged human, upon summoning, opened his eyes, which glowed ominously, and shouted. His black and white wings expanded, releasing immense magic power.

[I am Venus, the one who shifts the light! Now that I have obtained such great power, the heavens shall be silent, and the stars will fall beneath my feet!!]

Pew pew pew

A barrage of light spears materialized in the sky and began pouring down onto the ground by the thousands. It was such an overwhelming force that our martial artists started to panic.

“Uwaaa!!”

“W-What is happening?!”

Even though they had seen all sorts of magical creatures and anomalies, they couldn’t help but be startled by the sheer volume of light spears raining down from the heavens. It was power beyond their understanding of the martial world.

‘Damn it! Is this a deity-level being sealed within the Golden Crow?’

It sure seemed like a powerful immortal from the West! Can Peng Zuo really summon such a being with the Golden Crow?

However, my allies and I weren’t fazed by such absurdity, having witnessed it repeatedly through our past lives.

“Don’t you dare leave this barrier!!”

Cheon Woo-jin swiftly erected a powerful barrier to fend off the light spears.

Also, Jin So-cheong, Miho, and Zhuge Bu immediately leaped in to initiate an attack against the so-called [The One Who Shifts the Light].

“Haah!!”

Jin So-cheong’s spear pierced through the narrow domain, tearing at the monster’s wing while Miho’s fox flame raged forward with Zhuge Bu’s talisman, descending like a storm. It seemed our allies had become stronger because [The One Who Shifts the Light] had no choice but to retreat.

‘They should be able to handle it with three of them.’

I exchanged a glance with the Master of the White Lotus Sect and, together with the peak martial artists, began attacking Peng Zuo. The Master of the White Lotus Sect floated in the air, commanding the Dharma Protectors who followed him.

[Destroy that being’s treasure with your efforts. It’s entirely possible.]

“Honor!”

Han Baek-ryeong, a Dharma Protector from the Fire Spirit Techniques, surged forward, swinging both swords.

Twelve Extreme Dragon Slash!!

Kwah!!

Peng Zuo took a hit from Han Baek-ryeong’s Twelve Extreme Dragon Slash, seemingly trusting in the defense of the Eight Trigrams Garment. It didn’t even look like he was trying to defend himself. As expected, the Eight Trigrams Garment absorbed that power easily, and soon Peng Zuo laughed mockingly.

[Kahahaha!! A mere martial artist thought he could challenge my treasure… huh?]

But as the Twelve Extreme Dragon Slash’s infinite internal power accumulated, Han Baek-ryeong’s gaze turned crimson with intensity. Through her fox mask, the ominous murderous intent began to rise as she activated the Fire Spirit. The last of the Twelve Slices poured forth, and the front of Peng Zuo’s Eight Trigrams Garment was dramatically torn.

Poof!!

[……W-What?!]

“Die!!”

Han Baek-ryeong crossed her swords, unleashing the Fire Spirit Techniques to amplify her destructive power.

Kwah!!

[Graaaah.]

Peng Zuo let out a gasp of terror as he plummeted, pierced by the ship. He didn’t seem gravely harmed, but the psychological shock was immense. He had underestimated the existence of martial artists, but piercing through the Eight Trigrams Garment must have been a shock indeed.

‘Can this really be happening.’

But this was due to Peng Zuo completely underestimating the capacity of the Dharma Protectors. The endless internal power wielded by the Dharma Protectors ultimately comes from the greatest [Ruler]’s throne, and Han Baek-ryeong’s Fire Spirit Techniques boasted the strongest power of the Four Great Families, amplifying all her abilities when she activated the Fire Spirit. No matter how supreme the Eight Trigrams Garment is in defense, it could be torn apart when caught off guard.

[You little…!]

“Take this combined technique!”

Following that, Dokgo Jun from the Wind Spirit Sect and Yong Bi-cheon from the Dharma Protectors each summoned their natural spirits and created whirlwinds of water and wind in the air. The two of them unleashed their overwhelming natural energy, combining their techniques and shooting the Scorching Wind towards Peng Zuo.

Kwahkwahkwah!!

The very essence of nature charged in with killing intent! It was the moment I truly realized the overwhelming firepower of the Dharma Protectors. In terms of pure martial arts, they might not reach the Absolute Realm, but in a power struggle against otherworldly beings, the Dharma Protectors were indeed formidable.

[How dare you underestimate me…. Huh?]

As Peng Zuo, bolstered by the power of the treasure, stood back up within the Scorching Wind, the Master of the White Lotus Sect emitted a fiery light from his eyes, casting a spell from the domain of the Original Spirit.

[I’m not underestimating you. I’ll do my very best to kill you.]

Thunder!!

The Master of the White Lotus Sect unleashed an infinite amount of power, raining down hundreds of palms upon Peng Zuo as if to pin him down. The relentless onslaught of sheer force was so powerful that every strike could demolish dozens of yards of land, leaving Peng Zuo unable to move and completely bombarded.

[……!!]

With an expression of grievance, Peng Zuo kept bracing himself, but it was clear he couldn’t counterattack. Just enduring such an overwhelming assault was proof enough of his formidable nature.

‘Hmm. Now, how to intervene….’

I realized that cutting into the scene with the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the three Dharma Protectors cooperating would only disrupt their rhythm. They weren’t being careless against Peng Zuo, and it was clear they intended to overwhelm him with firepower until the Eight Trigrams Garment broke.

‘I need to find Zhuge Sa.’

I decided to fulfill my original purpose. While I could easily deal with Peng Zuo if I wished, I had gone through all these troublesome procedures to align with Zhuge Sa’s scheme. Now that we had half succeeded in subduing Peng Zuo, it was time to hear Zhuge Sa’s true intent.

Wuwung

I activated the Fire Eye Golden Spirit to survey the inside of the fleet, suddenly noticing a unique Barrier Prison created on one of the outer ships. There must be something important there, so I cautiously approached and then swiftly activated my energy to leap over the ocean surface toward the outer ship.

Boom

I silently boarded the outer ship and entered. Although this ship was a magic being, I had confidence I could break free with force if needed. Inside, I came to a realization: the entire wall was covered in a sticky slime and demon beasts, creating a hellish landscape.

Chururuk

Jjok

As I ventured deeper, I reached the innermost part, where the demonic presence faded, and I encountered a chilling and robust Barrier Prison. Seeing that the prison was tightly sealed, I summoned my Spirit Power within me.

‘This barrier will be easier to break if I use the pure destructive power of Spirit Power rather than martial arts.’

Following the technique I learned from Miho, I concentrated the Spirit Power into a spear shape in the air and shot it towards the prison.

Kwah!!

The Barrier Prison seemed protected by powerful magic, but perhaps due to the immense quantity of Spirit Power I possessed, it shattered effortlessly. I was taken aback by the unexpected destructive power but quickly surveyed the surroundings.

And then I sensed something communicating directly within my mind.

[Hey. Over here. You found me, Baek Woong.]

“Zhuge Sa?!”

[That’s right.]

“Where are you!? Where are you?!”

As I shouted vigorously, ‘Zhuge Sa’ replied.

[It’s in the wall. Press the round red button over there, and you’ll be able to see me.]

Immediately, I pressed the bright red round button on the wall. With a whirring sound, the entire wall flipped over, and an item preserved within a transparent glass container began sliding out, squeaking.

And upon seeing its full appearance, my mind froze.

Thud

“…”

As I stumbled and sat on the ground, Zhuge Sa chuckled.

[Hehe, what’s wrong? I’ve slimmed down a bit, haven’t I?]

I burst out in rage.

“You crazy bastard!! You’re laughing in a situation like this?!”

[I expected this, so what of it? It’s quite a common occurrence when getting caught by a Demon Sorcerer.]

“….”

Having been through all kinds of crises, this was intolerable!

The Brain.

Inside the transparent glass container floated a brain connected by a spine.

Zhuge Sa had been separated from his body and brain by Peng Zuo’s hand.

[But this isn’t really that important.]

Shoosh

Then suddenly, a voice emerged from somewhere.

“Your body is merely a servant of the spirit. I was leisurely waiting for this moment.”

I turned my head.

“…Soul Exchange Technique?”

“Of course. Do you think I wouldn’t prepare for something like that?”

“What happened to your original body?”

“Disassembled alive and became food for tentacles.”

“…”

The question of whether it hurt was unnecessary.

By the time one reaches Zhuge Sa’s level, one can endure the madness even through excruciating pain of having one’s body torn apart.

Right now, it seemed Zhuge Sa had entered the body of a nearby ‘doll.’

Of course, it wasn’t something like a Portrait Immortal; it was just a rudimentary homunculus, so he must have been feeling quite out of place. The fact that Zhuge Sa used the Soul Exchange Technique to inhabit the doll hinted that he had been capable of escaping right from the start.

‘Zhuge Bu was right…. Zhuge Sa came here initially to investigate Peng Zuo’s background.’

Zhuge Sa sat back, interlocking his fingers.

“Baek Woong. To cut to the chase, we’re in big trouble.”

“What’s the trouble? Is Peng Zuo stronger than expected?”

Zhuge Sa shrugged.

“Who cares? Even if he doubled in strength, he wouldn’t be able to kill me. He’s just a remnant of a god and merely an immortal, a nobody in this damned world. The real issue is….”

Upon hearing Zhuge Sa’s next words, I froze rigid.

“There may be someone meddling in your reincarnation.”

 

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