828——————==

True Martial Home

So, this is what it looks like when the mask slips!

I had a feeling that once I took the combined strike from the Master of the Twelve Joules and Yun Sa, I’d either be dead or captured before long. So, I figured I might as well prepare for death.

Sure enough, my body suddenly started floating and I was tossed into this strange white space. Almost immediately, a huge, transparent hand, feeling like it was straight out of a horror film, wrapped itself around me.

In the chaos of relentless attacks, I sensed danger creeping in but decided to stick to my training.

[Right. The opponent might use contracts to block your methods of suicide. I mean, it could happen. I feel dumb even thinking you’d fall for that, but you do have your moments of stupidity.]

Zhuge Sa’s words floated back to me from when I was training how to end it all.

[Then, just let someone else’s sword do the job.]

[What do you mean?]

[Techniques with ‘no actions allowed’ come with the condition of measuring ‘will.’ In other words, it first detects your ‘will to die’ and then blocks all actions that stem from it. So, if you just lack the will or direction to end it, you can pull it off.]

[Does that even make sense? How do you act if you have no will?]

[Listen. It’s a totally feasible method of suicide.]

Grinding my teeth, I clutched my sword tightly.

‘The 17th method of Zhuge Sa-style suicide…’

Soul Exchange Technique!

Automatic manipulation technique!

Wiying!

In that moment, my consciousness plunged deep into the abyss of unconsciousness as if I’d been cast into an endless ocean, and I floundered in the whirlpool of information within my mind. Conscious control was usually managed by my brain, but without a filter, it poured in on me, driving me mad with discomfort. Still, I waited calmly for the Soul Exchange Technique to activate.

Crack!!

And then, it felt like my body had fully adapted to the commands of the Soul Exchange Technique as my vision started to blur but connect. I awaited the moment when all my senses would snap back and, a moment later, I felt ‘Baek Woong’s body’ start to move on its own.

‘Alright, this is good!’

The white space around me and the transparent hand were cleaved away with a strike followed by ‘Baek Woong’s body’ swiftly moving its fingers to execute a quick-form Great Destruction—without even a drop of blood.

As the holes of Great Destruction opened one after the other, my body charged straight towards Yun Sa.

Deng!

With a sound piercing through the air, my sword blitzed at incredible speed towards Yun Sa’s neck, and he didn’t even have time to react before it was too late. After all, I could claim to be the fastest sword in the Central Plains—no one but the peak experts could even hope to block or dodge me at this range.

As Yun Sa’s neck flew away with a thud, I felt a talisman shoot into my back and stick there.

It was none other than Ha Eun-cheon, the leader of the Twelve Joules who had suddenly appeared behind me, clasping his fingers together and chanting a spell.

“Seal.”

Sssss—

In the blink of an eye, my body was tightly bound by thousands of paper talismans, making it nearly impossible to breathe. It was undoubtedly an elite sealing technique crafted by the Master of the Twelve Joules. And unlocking this level of sealing was beyond my current martial arts prowess.

I watched the scene unfold with the vision connected from the edge of my unconsciousness, thinking.

‘I’ve burned through the Evil God’s commands, and my options are nearly gone…. Even if I had borrowed strength, Ha Eun-cheon can still call on the Wood Element….’

The options available to me just moments ago were limited to fighting or fleeing because suicide was off the table after that contract. Either way, I could only end up captured and sealed by the Master of the Twelve Joules.

But—Soul Exchange Technique isn’t something to scoff at.

In fact, the true value of the Soul Exchange Technique starts right now.

I willed my ‘body’ to listen.

[Baek, move the lateral nucleus.]

I heard the sound of my inner connections snapping. Realizing I could indeed control my brain gave me a surge of confidence as I gave another command.

[Destroy all shells in the brain. Cut off all connections in associations and meetings.]

Would this be enough for a quick death? I thought a moment longer before giving Baek one last command.

[Stop the activities of the brainstem, cerebellum, and frontal lobe. Prohibit commands to all organs, including the heart.]

No response came. It couldn’t respond, to begin with.

Silence.

But soon, I felt my body transition at high speed into a state of death, almost slumping into a sleep. I realized I was on the verge of nailing the suicide technique and couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Just wait, Joules.’

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

“……!!”

Suddenly, I felt my consciousness waking up as if I were shot from a cannon, and the sealing magic that had enfolded my body had unraveled. As I rose from the tangle of paper talismans, Joules looked at me with astonishment.

“…Impressive. I can’t believe you could find a loophole in the contract like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“No need to play dumb. I’m just genuinely impressed.”

The Master of the Twelve Joules kept his gaze fixed on me.

“Did you sink your consciousness into the artificial soul to control your body? Then, while I wasn’t looking, you feigned combat, got wrapped up in the sealing technique, and had the artificial soul destroy your own body silently….”

“……”

“Your Soul Exchange Technique really is remarkable. And you’ve also got quite the clever tricks.”

Did he catch on?

‘Is it more beneficial to have a bout now…?’

I tightened my grip on the sword. I thought I had a good chance, but failed due to him stepping in.

That’s right.

This was Zhuge Sa’s suicide technique: the automated Soul Exchange Technique!

No matter how powerful the magic or techniques, they assume that ‘soul’ and ‘body’ are aligned. So if the mind loses control over the body and sinks into unconsciousness, it can’t be interpreted as ‘will.’ However, as a technique created by the Demon King, the Soul Exchange Technique could target this blind spot, allowing the caster to descend to the boundaries of unconsciousness without losing control and to manipulate the body from within the mind.

The earlier tests involving Miho or the Sword Demon passing through the Fengshen War probably utilized the Soul Exchange Technique. Once someone descends to the boundaries of unconsciousness, virtually all mental technique or sealing technique loses its effect. It’s only possible if you’re not an unparalleled sorcerer like Cheon Woo-jin who rules the realm of dreams; in other words, Cheon Woo-jin is the natural enemy of the heretical Soul Exchange Technique sorcerers.

Souls that employ the Soul Exchange Technique can cover their own body with an artificial soul and give simple commands for automatic execution. Artificial souls have no consciousness or will, but once a command is set, it executes faithfully.

So, despite knowing that the Master of the Twelve Joules would be suspicious, I might as well operate with the illusion of being in control while simply giving a command to recoil against nearby enemies—I had acquired an insane amount of martial arts over time.

And once I was bound by the sealing method, I immediately issued commands from the depths of unconsciousness to destroy the brain!

Once the brain of a living being is destroyed, they cannot be revived no matter the effort.

‘But that punk sensed something was off and used his recovery ability to save me in that moment….’

Honestly, I thought I could pull off a suicide without even a genius like him realizing, but that was a blow to my pride.

I glared at the Master of the Twelve Joules and said.

“Why didn’t you just re-seal me?”

Now that we were done sizing each other up, no need to be polite. When I growled, Joules replied.

“Because it would be pointless…. I can’t predict how deeply you can hide your consciousness with the Soul Exchange Technique, nor can I take a chance with you possibly wielding the Transference of Souls.”

“…….”

“Impressive. Why isn’t such a thing as the Soul Exchange Technique passed down in my era?”

Joules lamented. I could somewhat read his thoughts.

‘He’s wary of the Transference of Souls!’

Transference of Souls!

It was the ultimate technique of the Soul Exchange Technique sorcerer, allowing you to instantly move your soul into a body where the Soul Exchange Technique was cast after death. Naturally, it’s normal for human sorcerers to die when summoning divine beings of the Zhu Rong tier, but this was also the reason Zhuge Sa could survive intact. If you could switch bodies even after your body dies, sealing a Soul Exchange Technique sorcerer becomes virtually impossible.

Of course, I still lacked the skill to employ Transference of Souls. While my mastery of the Soul Exchange Technique had improved a lot over time, I still wasn’t at the peak. If I managed to cast Transference of Souls, I would be able to, but my success rate would be nowhere near Zhuge Sa’s. Yet, from the perspective of the Master of the Twelve Joules, that slim chance was still enough to warrant caution.

I said to the Master of the Twelve Joules.

“Time to stop being stubborn.”

“What do you mean by stubborn?”

“I’m not planning to oppress or bother you just because I reincarnate infinitely. Sure, I have some pent-up feelings, but if you become my companion, I’ll treat you like one. Does the world really need to be torn apart by humans when the gods are destroying it?”

“…….”

I cried out in exasperation.

“Master of the Twelve Joules! Just spill everything you know! Even if it’s not right now, someday it’ll help save the future! What’s the point of holding onto your Rebirth Ability so tightly?”

“I have a sufficient reason.”

“What reason?”

The Master of the Twelve Joules looked at me blankly, then said.

“The world you’re trying to save isn’t mine.”

“What….”

“Yeah. I know it’s foolish. It might just be my own delusion. But….”

Clank!

The Master of the Twelve Joules let the Cosmic Fragment dangle. As I noticed the fighting spirit radiating from him, my teeth clenched. It felt like he was genuinely ready to fight.

“I don’t care about this era. If it means saving the hundred billion lives of the future, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Damn…!!”

“Just like you, Baek Woong.”

His eyes gleamed with cold determination.

“I will never give up.”

There’s no escaping battle!

Resolutely, I met the Master of the Twelve Joules with my first basic technique. I launched my sword, enveloped in the eerie energy of quick-form Great Destruction, at him, but suddenly, he drew a silver sword in his left hand and swung it.

Clang!

Realizing what kind of sword he’d wielded, I ground my teeth.

“Moon Sovereign’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword!”

The ultimate sword of Dongyoung and one of the Three Divine Tools of the Moon Sovereign!

No doubt about it, he’d secured the Moon Sovereign.

“So, this isn’t a situation for suicide? Heh heh.”

“Right. Let’s test our martial arts.”

“Fine. You pull out Xuyou too. Only then would it be a fair match.”

“Got it!”

I took a step back, sheathed the steel sword I’d been using, and pulled out Xuyou from the wooden armor. Xuyou was still in its unactivated state, but judging by the overwhelming light radiating from the Master’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword, it was clear that it had already been activated. If I faced the activated Seven Luminaries with my steel sword, I’d be at a total disadvantage, so it seemed that Ha Eun-cheon had cut me some slack. Even though it wasn’t activated, it was only right to face the Seven Luminaries with another Seven Luminaries.

As I stood, ready to exploit a gap in Ha Eun-cheon’s defenses, the Master of the Twelve Joules spoke.

“Hey, Baek Woong. Do you know what popped into my mind first when I saw the memories of your obsidian?”

“What was it?”

Wiying!

The next moment, torrents of silver energy flowed vigorously from the Master of the Twelve Joules. Power emanated from the Cosmic Fragment in his right hand, as the Three Divine Tools of the Moon Sovereign whirled around him, resonating. He was engulfed in a cascade of light, grinning like a cat who just caught a mouse.

“It’s a waste for you to possess the Seven Luminaries when you don’t even know the real usage of it.”

Bam!!

“……”

I stumbled and collapsed, staring down at the gaping hole in my chest.

Just a single strike.

But I hadn’t grasped a single clue about the Master of the Twelve Joules’ attack. The power and speed were simply beyond comprehension. Even the fleeting sensation of an expert was completely lost on me, transcending any limits.

Could this be….

The time when he single-handedly took down three of the Eight Parts of the Divine….

And as the Master of the Twelve Joules stood before me, rattling the Cosmic Fragment, he said.

“I win this round.”

“…….”

“Get up.”

Woong!

The energy of the Moon Sovereign swirled around my chest, instantly healing the grievous injury. As I staggered and regained my footing, the Master of the Twelve Joules pointed the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword toward my brow, saying.

“Let’s continue until you realize your lack of capacity.”