NOVEL NEXT Chapter 788
788 ——————————–
True Martial Home (眞空家鄕)
Master Hyuncheon looked bewildered as I handed him the obsidian, then asked, “What is this?”
“It’s a gem that transmits my memories to others.”
“…So you’re a sorcerer, huh? Hehe…”
With a sigh, Master Hyuncheon continued, “I can’t carelessly accept such a tool. Reveal your true identity.”
“I am called Baek Woong.”
“I’d like to know which martial arts sect you represent…”
“I hold the rank of master in the Thunder God Lineage and am acknowledged by the Grand Master.”
At my words, Master Hyuncheon raised an eyebrow. “The Thunder God Lineage… I seem to have heard of it. Isn’t it a sect branch of the White Lotus Sect?”
So he knows about it, huh? I nodded slowly.
“It is one of the Four Great Families of the White Lotus Sect.”
“Hehe… The White Lotus Sect often attempts to exchange with the righteous sects, so I’ve heard of their various branches… but I heard the Thunder God Lineage was expelled in the past. Is that true?”
“Yes, it is.”
I realized that continuing this conversation was a waste of time. Anyway, if I transmitted my memories, there was no need for elaborate explanations. I said to Master Hyuncheon, “Though I belong to the Thunder God Lineage, I have also learned martial arts from other sects, such as…”
Swoosh!!
I jumped into the nearby training ground, picked up a wooden sword, and skillfully performed the Tai Chi Yau Ji Willow Sword technique, immediately following it with the Seven Stars Shadow technique. I utilized the variations of the Three Treasure Technique to create large clones, which then executed the initial forms of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique and the Shadowless Soul Stealing Sword Technique, concluding with a Bowing Sky Slash that rippled through the air.
Woosh…
“…!!”
It only took about twenty seconds to showcase everything, yet Master Hyuncheon stared wide-eyed, focusing all his attention on my every movement. As I lowered the sword and paused, I snarked, “It’s just like the Seven Great Techniques of the Wudang Sect, you know.”
“Th-this… this can’t be… The Tai Chi Yau Ji Willow Sword… the Seven Stars Shadow… that, that must be….”
It seemed Master Hyuncheon was indeed familiar with the Seven Great Techniques. Then, with a troubled expression, he spoke, “You’re… a former student of the Grand Master Jang Sam-bong? Or the Master of the Bright Dragon?”
To him, the Bright Dragon was the very essence of the ancestral figures. He was related to the current heads of the Wudang Sect and even above them were figures like the Grand Master and Elder. Such prestigious entity was revered as a master. I felt odd realizing that I was confirming the Bright Dragon’s status in the martial world in such a place, but I shook my head and replied, “Master Hyuncheon. I’m nothing of the sort. You can’t judge me by the martial world’s hierarchy; that kind of ranking won’t help you understand me.”
“W-what do you mean?”
I calmly continued, “Whether it’s Jang Sam-bong, the Bright Dragon, Shaolin Master, or the Master of the White Lotus Sect… none in the martial world have the right to judge me. This isn’t about my talents or skills; it’s about the fact that I exist outside the confines of the martial world.”
“I find that rather incomprehensible. I’ve neither seen nor heard of such a thing.”
“Please accept this gem of memories. You’ll understand what I’m talking about.”
“How can I accept such a suspicious item…”
“Ha! I swear on my name that if the obsidian does harm, I’ll willingly take my own life.”
As I spoke with a serious gaze, Master Hyuncheon seemed to think deeply. Then he asked, “You’re not here to harm our temple?”
“No, I’ve accidentally caused a demon chaos and sought the esteemed Master’s help.”
“…Your eyes are sincere. I will trust you this once.”
Woosh!!
Eventually, Master Hyuncheon accepted the obsidian, and my past life memories flowed into him without filter for 24 cycles. He trembled as if shocked by the enormous amount of memory, and after a moment, stopped shaking and looked at me with a confused gaze.
“I… I never thought a reborn person could truly exist. And we weren’t strangers after all…”
I reiterated my desire for martial authorization, “I apologize for intruding this way. I didn’t mean to trouble you, but the Yin Spirit Power has leaked, and a child inside a woman’s body is turning into a half-human, half-demon.”
“……”
“You understand my circumstances. Please, help me.”
“Wait a moment. I need to gather my thoughts.”
Following Master Hyuncheon’s instructions, I waited quietly.
He seemed to contemplate for a long time, then sighed, “Baek Woong… you’ve had truly remarkable adventures during your 24 lives. But yet there lies a long path ahead; what a perilous world this is…”
“I feel the same way,” I muttered, embittered.
Who would think that after gathering all the Seven Luminaries and passing through the trials of the One Luminary, I would face death…
Master Hyuncheon said, “However, your willingness to reflect on your mistakes and make amends despite your great undertaking is admirable. I will do my utmost to assist you.”
“Thank you!”
“Hehe… such wonders exist in this world… Incredible…”
He still seemed unable to believe it, shaking his head in disbelief. The vastness of my past memories was overwhelming his grasp on reality, and he struggled to adapt. After some time, Master Hyuncheon collected himself to speak.
“I’ll prepare the tools for the spell, and once you’re ready, we can head to the location.”
“I will wait.”
Boom!!
As soon as Master Hyuncheon finished preparing, we immediately headed to the residence of Jo Young-chun in the town. It had just turned morning, and the servants were busy grooming themselves. Standing before Jo Young-chun’s house with Master Hyuncheon, I asked, “Master Hyuncheon, how should we resolve this?”
“Leave it to me for now. I’ll explain things patiently to you as we proceed.”
Step by step…
Master Hyuncheon walked into Jo Young-chun’s home and approached him, announcing, “Greetings, I am the Master Hyuncheon of the Wudang Sect…”
“…? A Taoist of the Wudang Sect? But why are you in my house out of the blue…?”
Jo Young-chun, startled by Master Hyuncheon’s presence, wore an expression of confusion. Then Master Hyuncheon continued, “Last night, I sensed an evil demon’s energy in your wife’s womb, which is why I’ve come in haste.”
“What?!”
“The child will be born, killing the mother and causing disasters all around. I’m here to stop that disaster.”
“Crazy!! Hey, throw these guys out!!”
Jo Young-chun’s face turned beet red, and he roared. The servants rushed toward us, and I scrambled in disbelief, sending a secret message to Master Hyuncheon.
[What are you doing? You can’t just say it so directly!]
[In such matters, deceiving the target will lead to worse outcomes. I have no choice but to speak honestly.]
Thud thud thud…
“Ugh!”
Before I could step in, Master Hyuncheon easily dispatched over a dozen burly men with Tai Chi and Qi Techniques. As Jo Young-chun turned pale, Master Hyuncheon conjured and proclaimed.
“I mean no harm to you, your wife, or your unborn child. Thankfully, I arrived quickly; if we can drive this evil out, the child can be born without incident.”
“B-but… how can I trust you?!”
“I apologize, but such matters are out of my control… If the child is born as he is, not just the mother but the entire village will face annihilation.”
“……”
“This is a sign proving my rank before the Taejeong Temple. Please accept it.”
Whoosh…
When Master Hyuncheon tossed the proof, Jo Young-chun caught it reflexively.
“If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility for my life. And with that proof, you can claim all the compensation from the Wudang Sect.”
“Are you serious that a disaster is threatening my wife?”
“Indeed.”
“Then there’s no choice…”
We followed Jo Young-chun into a small room set up for his heavily pregnant wife. Master Hyuncheon explained the entire situation to her.
“We need your cooperation. Only the mother and we two can be in this enclosed room, and no one must enter. If someone opens the door midway, the demon will escape.”
“I understand.”
We entered the small room prepared by Jo Young-chun, along with the mother. I gently pressed against her pulse and put her to sleep, then turned to Master Hyuncheon.
“What should we do now?”
“……”
Master Hyuncheon fell silent before speaking, “First, I’ll cast the spell of the Heavenly Force of True Martial to chase away the evil energy within her. If that doesn’t work, Baek Woong, you will have to step in.”
Woo…
Master Hyuncheon began to lay out the spellcasting tools and recited the incantation. As the incantation progressed past the half-moon mark, I felt invigorated. I had seen too many sorcerers either skip the incantation or rely solely on willpower for such powerful spells. Of course, figures like Cheon Gong-pyo and the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin are among the finest sorcerers in history, so comparisons shouldn’t be made.
Thrum…
Kaboom!!
Soon, the spell seemed to take effect as a blue energy rose like threads from the pregnant woman’s belly. Moreover, Master Hyuncheon, who was maintaining the spell, had a flushed face, with veins popping all over his body.
“Oooo…!!!”
It appeared as if he was pouring out all of his essence. After successfully pulling out about two feet of energy, he became exhausted, and the blue energy slipped back into her womb.
“Gah! Gah! Gah… cough…”
Master Hyuncheon coughed, appearing overcome with fatigue. Mixed in the cough was blood, indicating he had damaged his own life energy.
“A-are you okay?!”
“…Hehe… You are far too powerful… This is… from the Mythological Age…”
He sighed heavily and then said to me, “Now you must step in, Baek Woong. No, this was meant to be your task from the beginning…”
“What do you mean?”
Master Hyuncheon muttered gloomily, “The spell of Heavenly Force of True Martial is the strongest exorcism incantation I can muster. But since it has failed, you’re left with no choice but to use your own Yin Spirit Power to draw it out and absorb it into your body.”
“H-how do I do that?”
“The Yin Spirit Power is like handling demon energy, and you learned how to handle it from the demon Miho…. Also, as I’ve revealed the outline of the Yin Spirit Power through my spell, it should be possible to reabsorb it if you try hard enough right now.”
“Okay! I’ll give it a shot.”
Nodding affirmatively, I concentrated on amplifying my Yin Spirit Power while grasping the woman’s hand.
‘I can feel it.’
Sure enough, it seemed Master Hyuncheon’s efforts had borne fruit; I could clearly feel fragments of Yin Spirit Power that I hadn’t sensed before. I realized these fragments were hardly even 10% of what I possessed, and as I began to draw them in, they absorbed into my body astonishingly easily.
Swoosh!!
‘Is this it…?’
It felt too easy to be the end. As I indicated to Master Hyuncheon that it was done, he appeared momentarily shocked.
“……”
Then Master Hyunheon wiped the blood from his mouth and stood up.
“Explain everything to Jo Young-chun, and then we can leave…”
We informed Jo Young-chun and his wife that everything was resolved before exiting the house.
“Oh! Thank you! Please, accept this!”
“No, it’s not necessary…”
Jo Young-chun insisted on giving us his gold bar, but we declined his offer and headed toward the nearby mountain region. After walking for a while, Master Hyuncheon spoke, “Baek Woong…”
I knew he had something he wanted to say while continuing to walk. I nodded.
“Speak, Master Hyuncheon.”
“Honestly…, if I had just taught you the incantation of Heavenly Force of True Martial and its techniques, it would have sufficed. But I insisted on getting involved and came along with you…”
“……”
“Yet it seems… I am completely powerless…”
Master Hyuncheon appeared quite dejected. Seeing him, a comrade I had fought alongside and owed a debt to, troubled brought discomfort to my heart. I told Master Hyuncheon, “No, it wouldn’t have been resolved without you.”
“Baek Woong… do you understand what the spell of Heavenly Force of True Martial is?”
“I don’t know it well.”
“I was entrusted to Wudang from infancy and have spent my life learning its martial arts and arcane arts. I possess talent in sorcery, and having trained under the Taoist sorcerers of Wudang, I believe I would rank among the top three in exorcism ability on Wudang Mountain.”
“I see.”
“The Wudang Sect is the greatest Taoist sect under heaven… Many masters from the main sect surpass my martial arts, but being able to do both has always been my pride…”
I couldn’t quite grasp what Master Hyuncheon wanted to convey. But as he spoke, my expression began to harden.
“The spell of Heavenly Force of True Martial is an incantation that harnesses the strength of the True Martial Emperor for exorcism—a martial art among the most powerful exorcisms from Wudang. Yet I’ve spent decades honing it. However, it fell short against even the weakest remnants of your Yin Spirit Power. I’ve performed exorcisms dozens of times in my life, but this situation is unprecedented.”
“……!!”
“That is the power of the gods… merely a remnant of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. It means no exorcist in the human world can compare. If I feel such pressure, ordinary exorcists would find it impossible to tackle. If left unchecked, the strongest half-human, half-demon would have been born. Unless your companion, the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, were to come…”
Was that what that earlier scene was about?
‘What Master Hyuncheon told Jo Young-chun wasn’t just a threat, but the full truth…’
What Zhuge Sa had dismissed was indeed an earth-shattering event. As I pondered deeply, Master Hyuncheon continued speaking.
“However, you, Baek Woong, have successfully absorbed divine power to regain your energy. This signifies your potential has already surpassed that of mortals…”
Master Hyuncheon sighed heavily.
“Having sought out justice my whole life, it’s too late for me to become your comrade… Hehe…”
“……”
I could apprehend Master Hyuncheon’s sorrow. He realized that the gap in power between me and him had grown too vast and that it was impossible for him to catch up. Even in the realm of martial arts and sorcery, he wanted to help me, but it was all resolved by the single thread of Yin Spirit Power.
Master Hyuncheon said, “Moreover, as I recalled your memories, I find myself with no will to live…”
“Pardon?”
“I can’t contain this sense of powerlessness…”
What on earth is this?
I looked into Master Hyuncheon’s eyes and immediately perceived that they were hollow, deprived of strength. It was evident that he had lost all drive for life, which left me greatly alarmed. Why would someone who just seemed fine suddenly become this way?
Stumbling, I quickly caught Master Hyuncheon before he fell. Thankfully, it seemed he hadn’t cut his own veins, but he resembled a straw puppet. I was baffled and asked, “What about my memories makes you lose your will to live?”
“…Hehe.”
He leaned weakly against a nearby willow tree and replied. “Those around you were mostly geniuses and heroes, with companions possessing strong will… Hence, were you unaware that your memories already signify the End?”
“What do you mean?”
Master Hyuncheon’s white beard trembled.
“Baek Woong, you, as a reborn person, have unearthed the forbidden secrets hidden throughout heaven and earth… The implication is utter cosmic despair.”
At Master Hyuncheon’s next words, I stiffened in shock.
“The cycle of this world is shattered; the dead enter the belly of the gods, the former Earth Mother goddess, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, has become a servant of the emperor, and the false creator goddess Nüwa instills the Queen Mother of the West to dominate the celestial realm. Humans are mere playthings for monsters, while all the evil deities of the universe converge to herald ruin, and in hundreds of years, complete despair and revelation await us…”
“……”
“Hehe… I regret not being insane myself. How could I have been so carelessly practiced, only to suffer more…”
Guilt washed over me at Master Hyuncheon’s following melancholy laugh.
“Is there no hope left?”