NOVEL NEXT Chapter 706
Chapter 7: The Grave of the God
Dark Heaven Village,
Ultimate Technique,
Ninety-Nine Rational Returns.
The martial art chosen by the Sword Demon for self-defense was the Eight Immortal Divine Art, specifically the Ninety-Nine Rational Returns, derived from the Seven Great Techniques. This technique was created by Lee Cheong-un, who had contemplated both the soft ability to subdue the hard and the hard capability to break the soft from Wudang’s teachings. It could neutralize all forces.
‘Focus on flowing your strength.’
In his past life, he had successfully used Ninety-Nine Rational Returns against Baek Woong wielding the Seven Luminaries, managing to release overwhelming power. He had also countered Miyamoto Musashi using both the drawing technique and Ninety-Nine Rational Returns simultaneously to read and block the opponent’s martial disposition, which was the best response in this situation.
Crash!!
“……!!”
But in the next moment, the Sword Demon felt his body being flung away by the enemy’s single strike, slamming his back into the ground.
Too strong.
I can’t flow my strength!
The absurd amount of power exerted was as if it would overturn the world, rendering any effort to read the trajectory useless, even though he succeeded in the flow. No, he realized quickly that while he flowed his strength, there was such a significant power gap that it rendered his efforts meaningless.
In that instant, the Sword Demon recognized that both his spine was broken, and his limbs were crushed. He had already suffered cracks in his bones due to the attack from the Master of the Twelve Joules, but had recovered through Qi manipulation. This time, however, such injuries wouldn’t heal so easily—it was a blow that would normally leave an ordinary person a vegetable for life.
“Cough…!!”
He spewed blood like an arrow as he rolled on the floor. Thankfully, he wasn’t completely crushed by the overwhelming sword force like a fly drowned in blood, managing to escape the full brunt of its influence. The Sword Demon, despite having his bones shattered, grit his teeth and wielded his internal power.
Shadowless Gate,
Secret Technique,
Life and Death Knowing the Mandate of Heaven!
Wiying.
All the internal power within the Sword Demon’s body spun rapidly, seeping between his bones. As he filled the shattered gaps with Qi, he quickly healed the ruptured blood vessels. It took just a moment for the Sword Demon to regain enough stamina to re-initiate combat.
Medically speaking, it was an impossible feat, but by temporarily recovering his Eight Extraordinary Vessels, he revitalized his minimal vitality and energy—this was the secret technique of Life and Death Knowing the Mandate of Heaven. This had also been the reason he managed to escape with significant injuries after encountering the Master of the Twelve Joules without losing speed.
Moreover, now that he had assimilated the Divine Arts of the Wudang Sect, his internal recovery and defense capabilities had greatly improved, allowing him to temporarily restore his body through Life and Death Knowing the Mandate of Heaven. However, it drained a massive amount of internal power, meaning it could only be used to return to battle, with no other restorative effects.
But for now, that was enough.
The Sword Demon had endured for a second and secured more time. He couldn’t dare to think about charging at the opponent, instead utilizing his reflexes to leap upward. He needed to draw the enemy’s attention away from below to save his daughter.
Kugugugugu.
[Self….]
Boom!
Suddenly, ‘Miyamoto Musashi’—gathering the power of darkness—appeared right in front of the Sword Demon as if teleporting. The Sword Demon, prepared for the moment with the Heart Command Technique, manifested all possible postures, yet the opponent merely swung his overwhelming sword without the need for anything else.
Swish!
The Sword Demon staggered, collapsing to the ground. He could not avoid the long slash that connected from his left shoulder to his right waist. Thinking he would die instantly, he was surprisingly still alive.
“……?”
He soon understood why. The opponent could have split him in two in an instant but deliberately struck shallow! Looking up, he saw Musashi’s monstrous face wearing a sinister grin.
Toying with me.
The Sword Demon felt no anger. Such a powerful opponent was almost nonexistent among mortals. The opponent was undoubtedly on par with the pinnacle of the Overlay Technique, an entity rarely seen in this world. Instead, he clenched his teeth and stood up again.
‘I must endure.’
If he was just playing with him, he could be grateful. Even if he was toyed with like a bug, buying any time was sufficient.
Creeeak!
Musashi looked at the Sword Demon’s eyes, appearing displeased, and emitted a chilling sound. It was as if his body itself was a myriad of entities, with screams flowing from its seams. The creature, impossible to call human, continued to vocalize until a voice, presumably belonging to Musashi, escaped.
[Do you not understand you cannot win?]
“……”
[Why do your eyes still gleam?]
The Sword Demon had no energy for a response. Instead, he took his stance for Ninety-Nine Rational Returns, preparing to transfer the opponent’s strength once more.
[Next, I shall tear off your left arm. Then your right… followed by your left leg, right leg… and lastly, your heart, while you live!]
With that gruesome proclamation, Musashi slowly lifted his sword.
A desperate fight with no hope of victory.
The Sword Demon sensed he would be toyed with like a bug and killed, yet he remained undeterred.
Because—Baek Woong was here.
[Self….]
Just as Musashi’s dreadful magic sword was about to strike,
Pak!
The Sword Demon suddenly realized he was standing unscathed at the entrance of [Grave of the God]. Beside him stood Berus and Seo Mun-hye, while before him loomed the twisted visage of [Grave of the God], resembling a chaotic abyss.
“……?!”
What on earth just happened?
He touched his body but found he was not in tatters. The injuries sustained from the Master of the Twelve Joules hadn’t fully healed, but it wasn’t a major issue. He was completely fine.
“Th-this is….”
In confusion, the Sword Demon glanced at Berus standing next to him. Berus met his gaze coolly, showing no sign of distress as he spoke.
“You have two opportunities left.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I have turned the [Small Wheel].”
Upon hearing that answer, the Sword Demon began to understand the situation.
‘Time Reversal!’
After being beheaded, Berus had activated the [Small Wheel] to turn back time! However, the Sword Demon knew from Baek Woong’s knowledge that such ability could be wielded only by the [Old Ruler] or a powerful divine entity, or those specially designated Apostles. Berus’s level of power was beyond what a human sorcerer could wield.
Indeed, the most powerful sorcerer of the Jesuits! Berus spoke slowly.
“There are only two choices: Evade or confront. But I explored and found that the assailant is possessed by an entity comparable to the [Old Ruler], thus, even if we try to escape, it will continue to pursue us relentlessly.”
“Is that true? Possessed, you say….”
“We have no choice but to confront it. However, I cannot handle the assailant myself.”
“What do you mean, you can’t do anything? You just showcased an incredible time-reversal ability!”
Berus smirked at the Sword Demon’s words.
“This is closer to a curse than my ability. I have many restrictions that prevent me from wielding my original power, meaning you alone are the answer.”
“The answer? What do you mean?”
“This curse only allows for minimal rewinding of the past in a problem-resolvable context. But I cannot vanquish the entity, so that means the answer lies with you.”
“……”
“I’m not sure, but think it over. There is potential within you.”
Though it sounded complicated, the Sword Demon easily grasped the meaning.
‘Does it mean I was brought back to this moment because I can defeat Musashi?’
But that made no sense. Just moments ago, he had realized the overwhelming disparity in power, having his bones shattered. Before even considering skill, the gap in sheer strength made it futile. The current Musashi had become a monster on par with or greater than the embodiment of the Eight Parts of the Divine.
While the Sword Demon was taken aback, Berus sighed.
“Hm, it will soon attack. There’s no choice now.”
Pak!
Berus waved his hand, creating a fish made of light in mid-air. The fish swiftly absorbed into the bodies of the Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye before vanishing, as Berus instructed the Sword Demon.
“This time, I will buy time against that entity. Sword Demon, you should descend to the lowest level of the ruins to look for any artifacts or clues that can stand against the assailant.”
“Wait! When you say two chances….”
“Fail this time, and that will be the last opportunity.”
Swish!
The bodies of the Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye began to envelop in light, disappearing. Just before the Sword Demon fully teleported, he caught sight of the monstrous Musashi attacking Berus.
Unlike before, Berus didn’t helplessly lose his head but instead reached out, blocking the attack.
Kaang!
Unfurling an unidentifiable curtain of darkness, Berus murmured with a voice tinged with despair.
“I am the Chosen One. It’s unfortunate, but with your power, you cannot fully kill me…”
Pak!
The Sword Demon realized he was somewhere in the middle of the [Grave of the God] ruins. It was the last place he had visited before time reversed, clearly something orchestrated by Berus.
Immediately, he turned to Seo Mun-hye and shouted.
“Hyea! We need to reach the very bottom of the ruins. Let’s go quickly!”
“Yes, Father!”
Tydaht!
Utilizing all their Light Body Techniques, they swiftly descended into the depths of the ruins. Berus’s endurance against Musashi was uncertain, so they had to explore the ruins as quickly as possible to find something to counter him.
A short while later, the Sword Demon arrived at the bottom tier of the abyss, where darkness twisted. He spotted five enormous spears embedded like wedges into something, wrapping around what seemed to be a huge heart.
“What’s that?”
“It looks like a heart.”
Just as Seo Mun-hye said so, the five gigantic spears were stabbing into a thrumming, colossal heart. Its size was enormous, spanning almost ten sheets of paper, and the spears impaling it were massive as well. The Sword Demon thought momentarily.
Then it was crucial whose heart that was.
And why this tomb was built mattered too.
Testing whether he could pull out one of the spears, the Sword Demon rushed forward, exerting force.
Crack!
In that moment, a lightning-like heavy impact seized his whole body. Following that, an overpowering force surged up his arms, making him feel his very being freeze.
He desperately attempted to draw up his internal power to resist, but could only avoid instant death—there was nothing he could do. Dropping to the ground and writhing, Seo Mun-hye quickly placed a hand on his back to support him with Qi manipulation.
“Father!”
Ssssss!
That was the moment. The tremendous force that seemed impossible to control suddenly flowed into Seo Mun-hye, granting stability to the Sword Demon in an instant. He felt a great relief as the mysterious Yin energy settled within his body.
He looked at Seo Mun-hye.
“Hyea, are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Hmm….”
The immense Yin energy transmitted from the spear earlier had certainly reached Seo Mun-hye. Yet she seemed unaffected, even stronger somehow. The Sword Demon thought there might be a causal relationship in this situation but had no time for that now.
He said,
“It seems you’re the only one capable of pulling out those spears. Hyea, give it a try.”
“Is it okay?”
“Of course. If we don’t, we’ll all die at Musashi’s hands.”
“Yes!”
With a determined expression, Seo Mun-hye dashed towards the spear sealing the heart and began to pull it out. Unlike the Sword Demon, she felt no resistance and quickly extracted the massive spear, managing to pull out two in an instant.
The problem arose with the third spear. As Seo Mun-hye grasped the third spear, she suddenly staggered and collapsed to the ground.
“Ugh….”
A powerful ringing filled her head. The sound carried immense strength as if it were shouting at her.
[Do you dare!! Divine Ones, meddling with my seal to save your kin? Stay there; I shall soon come to capture you. However, if you withdraw from pulling those spears, I may have mercy!]
“……”
The opponent was a god, undoubtedly a tremendously powerful entity.
They were filled with fury yet displayed signs of surprise; otherwise, they would not speak of mercy deliberately.
“Father… The one who made this seal is threatening us.”
Seo Mun-hye looked distressed, glancing at the Sword Demon for guidance, who nodded vigorously.
“It matters not whether we die this way or that. Do it.”
“Yes!”
Pak!
Seo Mun-hye began to pull out all the spears without hesitation. Suddenly, a scream echoed.
[You filthy creatures!! Are you truly willing to do this? Do you even understand what you’re unsealing? Do you comprehend the calamities that will arise once it is set free!]
There was no reason for hesitation any longer.
Seo Mun-hye pulled out the final fifth spear, and at that moment, a thunderous heartbeat reverberated.
In that instant.
Everything was enveloped in light.
“……”
The Sword Demon realized once more he was standing at the entrance of the [Grave of the God] with time reversed, alongside Berus. It must have been Berus initiating the time reversal.
Berus looked at the Sword Demon and said,
“What on earth have you done?”
“What do you mean? I went down and pulled the sealing spears.”
“…Ha.”
“I want to know what just happened.”
“I died, and so did Musashi.”
“……”
Suddenly hearing Berus and Musashi were both dead made no sense.
As the Sword Demon looked at him, Berus added,
“Even after dying, I can observe the surroundings in a spiritual state. After the light that burst forth from this [Grave of the God] engulfed the surrounding plains, I heard something wailing, and then… the entire world became silent. Everything vanished.”
“What do you mean?”
“…To put it simply.”
Berus gazed at the abyssal depths of the [Grave of the God] with a grave expression.
“Something just obliterated this world.”