904——————==

True Martial Home

Zhuge Sa’s words meant one thing.

[Grave of the God].

It was about breaking into that ancient ruin.

I recalled my conversation with the Sword Demon.

[I’ll need to investigate further, but I’ve only found one document stating that her very distant ancestor was a famous figure.]

[My great grandfather, Seo Pil, traveled to Liaodong and returned saying, “My distant ancestor became famous throughout the world, so why am I in such a state?” When family members were astonished and questioned him, he said that the God’s Grave discovered by our ancestor was well-known in Liaodong, and suggested moving there. The villagers found this absurd and laughed at Seo Pil.]

The Sword Demon had once traced the records of the Seo family to understand the bloodline of his daughter, Seo Mun-hye. He found out that an ancestor named Seo Pil discovered something called the God’s Grave in Liaodong and investigated the area.

However, he couldn’t find any clues at all—thus, the Sword Demon participated in a plan devised by Zhuge Sa to weaken the three major forces in conflict, and unexpectedly succeeded in locating that site in Liaoning. Berus’ help was crucial; without him, they wouldn’t have known.

It’s just that back then, the Sword Demon was being hunted by the demonized Miyamoto Musashi, so he couldn’t investigate calmly and instead had to strategize with him. So, they still didn’t know much about the God’s Grave. The two facts we do know about it are that it appears under specific conditions and that five spears make up its seal.

Zhuge Yulong responded to Zhuge Sa’s comments.

“Indeed. If we break into the God’s Grave, it will be almost like resurrecting Chi You. You probably suspect that inside that grave lies the heart of Chi You sealed away.”

“……”

“The heart is one of the most vital parts of the body. If it’s unleashed, the other seals will weaken in a chain reaction.”

“…You’re joking.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled slightly.

“We know the location of the God’s Grave and how to enter. But the real problem isn’t entering. We have no idea who protects that ruin, right?”

“It’s Jeon Wook.”

“Right. We are currently under Jeon Wook’s protection, and we must breach the Life Sea. But if we deliberately break into the God’s Grave and excavate that ruin, Jeon Wook will obviously be furious. There’s no reason for us to do that.”

Zhuge Sa had a point.

‘Jeon Wook absolutely hates it when someone enters the [Grave of the God].’

Seo Mun-hye temporarily entered the God’s Grave, but Jeon Wook unveiled his presence and threatened her. Normally, when it’s the Three Sovereigns, they send their avatars, apostles, or followers, but if he reveals his own presence, it’s an indication that the seal of the [Grave of the God] is not trivial. It’s a seal so critical that Jeon Wook himself needs to manage it.

In fact, Jeon Wook was so proactive about this that when the negotiations with Seo Mun-hye were ongoing, he tried to descend using her body. If we touch this seal, we would surely be annihilated by Jeon Wook.

It’s truly close to impossible!

That’s why, in the next life, we also refrained from recklessly confronting or approaching the [Grave of the God] and instead handled other matters first. As our gazes turned to Zhuge Yulong, he continued calmly.

“So, when do you plan to pass through the [Grave of the God]? Will it be possible next time? After all, the fact remains that Jeon Wook guards that seal regardless of when we go. At this rate, we will never be able to lift that seal.”

“That will be something we’ll figure out later. I don’t see the reason to poke a hornet’s nest.”

“The greatest opportunity to break the seal is right now.”

Zhuge Yulong’s eyes flashed.

“The Celestial Realm has fallen, and the Primordial Void’s seal has also been lifted. The release of the humans from the constellation has thrown the law of cause and effect into chaos, and the sealed powers of humans are slowly being released. Moreover, the Three Sovereigns are in turmoil due to clashes among themselves, leaving them no time for anything else. Where else could such an opportunity present itself?”

“……”

“I assure you, this situation will not come again. We’ve brought the law of cause and effect from Jeong Hyang to this point, and we cannot afford to lose this opportunity. Even if Jeon Wook intervenes, there’s a way to smooth over the backlash.”

“Umm.”

I was intrigued by Zhuge Yulong’s words.

“How do you plan to smooth over Jeon Wook’s backlash?”

“Very simply.”

Zhuge Yulong slowly explained his ‘method.’ Upon hearing it, I thought it made sense and my eyes widened.

‘…Maybe, it could work!’

There’s potential!

However, both Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang seemed unimpressed, as if they already anticipated Zhuge Yulong’s scheme. And Mangnyang spoke.

“We’re not unaware of that method. If it works out well, then it’s the best plan. However, right now, [passing through the Life Sea] is the most absolute proposition, and if we incur Jeon Wook’s wrath, there would be no turning back.”

“You know the probability of incurring Jeon Wook’s wrath isn’t that high, right?”

“It isn’t low either. Even if Jeon Wook doesn’t immediately take action against us, it’s only natural we will be seen as traitors in his eyes, and he’ll plot against us before we even get to the Life Sea.”

Zhuge Sa chimed in.

“I also agree with Hyun’s statement.”

“You often enjoy such dangerous tactics, don’t you, Sa?”

“Well, it depends on the situation. Simply doing reckless things without considering the risks isn’t what a strategist would do, is it? Baek Woong wouldn’t do that either. Furthermore, I feel there’s no reason to take this risk this time.”

Zhuge Sa’s gaze grew darker and more ominous.

“Who’s to say you won’t stab your brother in the back again?”

“…I see.”

Zhuge Yulong closed his eyes briefly. Then he spoke to me.

“Baek Woong. The choice is yours. What will you do?”

“……”

I thought for a moment. Both sides’ plans had their merits. And since they were all top strategists in the world, I wouldn’t regret either choice. This made my decision even more crucial.

After a short while, I spoke.

“I can’t answer right now.”

“Are you planning to gather information directly from him before making a decision?”

“Yes.”

“That sounds good. But consider my plan as well…”

After organizing the situation, we entrusted Zhuge Sa with guiding the ancient people and descended to the ground. Just before we reached the ground, the Celestial Sage spoke to me.

“Hey, Baek Woong.”

“Yes.”

“Yeodong-bin has something to say to you, so follow me.”

“……?”

Why Yeodong-bin?

I was puzzled, but I turned around at the door of the Celestial Realm and rode on the Celestial Sage’s divine beast. When I dismounted, I found Yeodong-bin waiting on a low-open space at the top of a cliff. Upon seeing me, Yeodong-bin spoke.

“Yeonja. You’ve arrived.”

“Yeodong-bin, why did you call me?”

“I have something significant to discuss that can’t just be said casually.”

“……?”

What’s the difference between casually talking and just talking?

I tilted my head, but Yeodong-bin continued.

“Before she vanished, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens told me to properly teach you the Immortal Sword Technique.”

“……!!”

“I know you’re busy, but please spare some time.”

Immortal Sword Technique!

That was originally a technique of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, and the only one who inherited it was Yeodong-bin. Moreover, Yeodong-bin had developed it into his own form. Yeodong-bin whispered to me.

“Tell me what the Immortal Sword Technique is like.”

“It’s a technique that can condense all the causes and effects of the caster into the Immortal Sword. Additionally, the Great Immortal can use it to store power separately in their Immortal Sword and can surpass their limits by accumulating causes and effects.”

Also, using the Immortal Sword Technique, one could indeed sever a connection to the Celestial Realm, even if their opponent was a Great Immortal. I didn’t feel the need to mention that.

As I completed my explanation, Yeodong-bin calmly opened his mouth.

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens told me that you can already use the Immortal Sword Technique. Is that true?”

“…….”

I silently nodded.

“I won’t ask how you acquired it. Only, show me your Immortal Sword Technique.”

“Understood.”

Now that I think about it, this is my first proper training in the Immortal Sword Technique from Yeodong-bin, isn’t it? Until now, he had only handed down the technique without properly teaching me how to train it. I had a flurry of thoughts, but I shook them off and summoned a fragment of the Immortal Sword onto my palm.

Whoosh

As I focused a bit more, the sword fragment lengthened and took the shape of a transparent shining sword. When I gripped that shining sword and assumed the stance, Yeodong-bin said.

“Yeonja. Your Immortal Sword Technique is powerful, but the accumulation of causes and effects is almost nonexistent.”

“…Is that really so?!”

“You’ve managed to generate the sword like a martial artist’s sword qi, but that’s a pointless operation. Right now, your Immortal Sword is not much different from an iron sword filled with strong qi.”

“……”

That’s impossible!

I felt dazed at his unexpected words. I’d gone through immense efforts to acquire the Immortal Sword Technique, only to find it almost useless? While I hadn’t utilized it much so far, it was still shocking news. After gathering my thoughts a moment later, I spoke.

“Why can’t I use it like sword qi?”

“There are various ways to utilize the Immortal Sword Technique, but the greatest advantage is the accumulation of [causes and effects]. So have you ever thought about how to accumulate causes into the Immortal Sword?”

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens said that if I fought using the Immortal Sword Technique, my combat experience would naturally accumulate. So, I didn’t think deeply about it.”

“…That makes sense.”

Yeodong-bin seemed to ponder for a moment.

Then he said.

“That’s not incorrect. Merely summoning the Immortal Sword to take to battle will also accumulate causes, yet it’s too lengthy of a process.”

“It takes a long time?”

“Yes. If you were merely a celestial being seeking the path, that wouldn’t matter. However, you are embroiled in a great war and must act as a pivotal force. It would take ages to grow the Immortal Sword Technique through natural accumulation of causes.”

When I heard Yeodong-bin’s words, I felt momentarily dazed. Then I understood the implication of his words.

“…You mean there’s a way to grow the Immortal Sword Technique faster!!”

Yeodong-bin didn’t answer.

Instead, he looked at me with a cold gaze, devoid of any extra emotions like killing intent or coldness. There was no hostility, merely a stark emptiness. This was the first time I had seen such eyes from Yeodong-bin, making me flinch.

Yeodong-bin spoke.

“Yeonja. I’ll ask you.”

“Yes.”

“Do you seek the ultimate in martial arts?”

“……”

It seemed like a simple question, yet it was hard to answer. As a child, I would have certainly answered yes, but after experiencing countless hardships, I realized the path of martial arts is treacherous. I’ve invested vast amounts of time and effort into martial arts, but even now, I cannot claim to have reached complete mastery, which hindered my answer.

How pathetic.

After spending over a hundred years dedicated to martial arts, why is it still hard to answer such a simple question? Even a thousand years from now, it might still be the same.

Yet, I decided in my heart and spoke.

“I am pursuing it.”

“Why?”

I replied firmly.

“Because I love martial arts.”

“……”

Yeodong-bin’s expression changed oddly. It was as if he was taken aback by my unexpected response.

Eventually, he said.

“Aren’t you pursuing power instead?”

“Yes. I do not pursue martial arts solely for the sake of power.”

“Is it because the potential of martial arts is too weak compared to the strength of gods or demonic paths?”

“It’s a bit different from that.”

“How is it different?”

I slowly answered.

“I might have pursued martial arts for power at first. But as I progressed, I realized that such ‘power’ has no morality, and why I wield power became ever more important. Through numerous hardships, I came to regard martial arts as my emotional support.”

“Support, huh.”

I spoke with conviction.

“Regardless of how it began, I love martial arts. I only work hard because I love it. I believe no ideology or philosophy is necessary for that.”

“Are you saying that at the core of your being, the belief in martial arts sustains your life?”

“Perhaps.”

My original dream was to become a master of the martial world. Of course, there was an illusion of wealth and honor, but separately, I had a longing for the martial artists who soared through the skies and fought magnificently. After obtaining rebirth abilities and officially entering martial arts, I went through all sorts of hardships, yet through that series of processes, I felt both pain and accomplishment.

Now, while martial arts may be insufficient to contend against divine beings, that doesn’t mean I can change my attitude toward martial arts easily. If I could, I would have sacrificed myself long ago to become a sorcerer or a demon king instead.

I already knew that absolute realms do not resonate with gods.

Even if I exceeded absolute realms, it might not connect either.

Martial arts itself might be meaningless in achieving victory in rebirth.

But what does that matter?

No matter what, the time and passion I’ve dedicated to martial arts cannot vanish. If I had only pursued power, I would have abandoned my integrity long ago to quickly amass strength through demonic paths. However, I detested the idea of my life being subject to mere power; I understood that martial arts allowed me to live as my true self.

I love martial arts.

I train because I love it.

Even if heaven forsakes me and my talent is trash, that fact does not change. Even if I’m ridiculed for being a dullard or if martial arts rejects me, it remains the same.

I can say this.

It may be unreasonable and foolish – but for the sake of doing what I love, no further reason is needed!

Because that is my life!

After my answer, Yeodong-bin remained silent for a while.

Silence.

The silence was broken by Yeodong-bin’s words.

“Draw your sword, Baek Woong.”

Yeodong-bin pointed his sword at me as he continued.

“The Martial God smiles upon you for the first time.”