Reincarnation Sword God

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**810——————==**

True Martial Home

“Of course that’s a load of nonsense!”

It wasn’t the atmosphere to say that. I had unwittingly touched upon the aspect most likely to provoke Pasun, bringing up the Martial God. If it turned out to be false, he would truly rampage without looking back. I managed to keep my composure and looked at him as I spoke.

“I know someone who has already met the Martial God.”

“I know that someone exists. So?”

“I can find out how to meet the Martial God through him. If you want, I can introduce you.”

“…Hehe!”

Pasun smirked, a chilling light gleaming in his eyes.

“Do you think I’ve never met that kind of person?”

Pasun continued, his sword drooping in his grip.

“Even in the Heavenly Pillar Martial World, peerless masters and experts with supreme understanding emerged from time to time…. I have lived for thousands of years and met them, including those who encountered the Martial God and gained a ‘path.’”

“Really now.”

“But they all told me I was ‘unqualified’…, denying all my efforts…”

“……”

I understood what Pasun meant. I had heard something similar in my previous life.

“You killed them.”

“Yeah. Those who had to die, died. I spared a few, but the ones who looked down on me, I killed them all! I tore apart the saint and law king of Hinduism!”

Murderous intent gleamed dimly in Pasun’s eyes. Then, he suddenly shouted at me.

“Human! Speak plainly. Do you really know how to meet the Martial God? Do you know how I, Pasun, the Asura, can meet that damn fool who dares look down on me from the heavens!!”

“….!!”

I could sense a whirlwind of immense irritation, jealousy, and longing in Pasun’s emotions. I realized his desire to meet the Martial God wasn’t a simple yearning, and it seemed impossible to cajole him like a child.

‘Maybe Pasun wants to kill the Martial God…’

Nevertheless, the opponent was an absolute being who had been seeking martial arts for thousands of years—a demon king!

I began to feel overwhelmed by the task of persuading him, but I regained my calm and said, “I know how to do it. But I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard you’re a member of the Eight Parts of the Divine under Changhil. You mentioned you came here as a mercenary; did Changhil decide to lend his power to Pengzhu?”

“……”

Pasun’s expression turned strange.

He seemed to contemplate for a moment before responding. “There’s no reason to tell you that…. But.”

“But?”

“If you tell me how to meet the Martial God, I might share the full story with you.”

Alright, I’ve hooked him!

In my position, having him show a willingness to negotiate was a success in itself. Since he attached conditions, it was unlikely he would rashly attack me and ruin the deal. I kept my composure and replied calmly.

“Let’s talk different matters. If we compare the benefits you gain from working for Pengzhu with what I gain from knowing how to meet the Martial God, it’s hard to declare one side as better. Isn’t it?”

“You dare try to negotiate with me?”

“There might be a compelling reason for you to help Pengzhu. If not, you’re just a hunting dog fighting desperately for someone else, right? We bear no grudges against each other, so a compromise should be possible. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Hmmm….”

Pasun looked momentarily taken aback. He thought carefully with a cautious expression, and I struck while the iron was hot.

“Do you know the realm of the Divine Realm? I know two or three people who have glimpsed that level, and I possess crucial clues! If you think this sounds like nonsense, do as you please.”

“The Divine Realm…? Hmm, really…? Others have mentioned it, too.”

“Absolutely.”

I nodded. It was a bit of bravado, but Pasun’s expression brightened. Then he said, “Fine, I’ll back down in this fight. But you must teach me how to meet the Martial God!”

“Of course.”

I couldn’t help but smile triumphantly. I had successfully persuaded even the Eight Parts of the Divine to withdraw!

“But before that… step forward.”

“……?”

Huh?

When Pasun beckoned to me, I blinked dumbly. He aimed his sword at me and said, “Your three-inch tongue has reached a remarkable level, but I despise those who are all talk. If you do not prove your worth as a martial artist, I cannot trust your words.”

“Come on. Let’s have a match.”

In an instant, all eyes turned to me.

What’s happening?

It seemed like things were going to resolve well, then suddenly it turned into a fight?

‘Is this an acknowledgment battle?’

I was incredulous but quickly forced a chuckle and said to Jin So-cheong, “Jin So-cheong, don’t interfere even if I die.”

“…Understood.”

“Same goes for everyone else.”

My companions looked at me with worried expressions. Yet their eyes held various complex thoughts, not merely concern.

‘If I die, what will become of the world?’

The companions who accepted the obsidian had a vague understanding of this, so they could not simply view my death as just one companion’s demise. My death was not merely a matter of sadness.

Feeling the heavy burden I inadvertently placed upon them, I steadied my resolve and stepped forward. I might break my promise to Zhuge Sa; however, there was no choice. I could not escape the Asura’s proposal in this situation. If I didn’t clash my true strength, Asura would never be convinced.

‘Yeah, just what I wanted.’

I never expected my ten battles with a strong opponent would unfold like this.

Step by step

I walked ten strides forward and halted. Slowly placing my hand on my waist, Pasun’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“I thought you were a martial arts practitioner; it seems you’re specialized in swordsmanship.”

“How could you tell at a glance?”

“I have acquired many absolute landscapes, so I can recognize someone’s proficiency immediately. You’re quite something.”

Though his words seemed like a compliment, I could sense he looked down on me, knowing I was not on his level. I smiled bitterly and replied, “Why are you so eager to fight? With the power you’ve gained as a member of Changhil, you have an overwhelmingly tremendous strength that no one can rival unless they are one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

“Do you need a special reason for wanting to fight? I simply want to train in martial arts and become the strongest martial artist in the world. It’s also enjoyable to fight.”

“So it’s not power you crave, but martial arts?”

“Correct.”

Sssss

Pasun conjured a palpable darkness, forming a dark sphere above his hand. It radiated a formidable chaos, enough to wipe out an entire city with just its launch. Indeed, even Asura of the Eight Parts of the Divine bore absolute power just from this chaotic force.

Yet, with a dissatisfied look, Pasun gazed at the sphere, clenched his fist, and obliterated it, declaring, “This chaotic power feels unreal. The more I use it, the more I only learn that there’s always someone stronger than myself…. If I can destroy a nation with this power, then a [Master] can destroy the world. It’s utterly nihilistic. Isn’t it boring?”

“If so, your loyalty to Changhil is meaningless. Knowing he pursues chaotic power, why did you choose to become one of his subordinates? It’s contradictory, isn’t it?”

In that instant, Pasun wore an incredibly sorrowful expression. After a moment, he seemed to grimace and said, “Let’s see your skills.”

Is this the start?

Pasun raised the sword he had previously lowered and swung down.

Absolute Realm

Thousand-Handed Guanyin

“……!!”

Starting with a secret technique?!

No exaggeration, hands created solely by intent sprouted from behind Pasun like a halo, and a thousand swords surrounded me, ready to tear me apart. The swiftness and transformation were leaps and bounds beyond any swordplay known to the Jianghu, surpassing the limits of human reflexes. It felt as though I was trapped within a prison of light.

‘He’s powerful…!!’

Had this been before my extreme training in this life, surviving even one encounter with this Thousand-Handed Guanyin while utilizing the Three Treasure Technique and the Bowing Sky Slash would likely have cost me a limb. After all, to oppose the absolute realm’s martial arts, even exceptional techniques had their limits.

It can be read.

Even if I captured heaven and earth with the Three Treasure Technique, the thousand hands possessed by Thousand-Handed Guanyin could easily catch up. The opponent could establish a Heavenly Pillar of intent and distort laws greatly, but the Three Treasure Technique would inevitably clash with the limits of the phenomenal world. A ‘true’ Three Treasure Technique capable of confronting the absolute realm could easily handle Thousand-Handed Guanyin, but as I was now, that was impossible.

‘But there’s a way to counter it even without reaching the absolute realm…’

I had trained hard for the past decade to discover that. I kept my confidence and composure as I slowly stretched both hands forward. Then, adopting the Horse Stance, I thrust my energy forward once again. I remembered how Jang Sam-bong had once instructed me on how to combat the absolute realm.

[All absolute realms enact ‘theoretically invincible’ practices. Left as is, all absolute realms are assuredly the ultimate martial art. Therefore, when fighting an absolute realm expert, one should start by disrupting their martial art’s integrity.]

[Integrity, you say?]

[Yes. You must destroy the balance the opponent has established through Heavenly Pillar intent.]

Creating a contradiction (矛盾) requires foresight.

Koooo!!

I cut through the already established points of the opponent’s attack. I had diligently learned to read the flow of attacks from Jang Sam-bong, and the basics I had learned from the Thunder God Lineage’s Lee Cheong-un enabled me to pick it up relatively quickly.

In that moment, Pasun adjusted his Thousand-Handed Guanyin to compensate for the gaps opened by my pressure, but I swiftly unfolded the Tai Chi movements without wasting a breath.

Peerless Technique!

‘This is all I’ve got!’

A minuscule boundary at the very limit. That pressure, symbolized by the Seven Great Techniques, surged up to my throat. Though a desire to tear apart heaven and earth with my pressure arose, doing so would simply destroy my body. I exerted all my effort to harmonize my immense force, drawing forth Yin energy to suppress my pressure, deeply immersing myself in my internal world of visualization.

Yin and Yang converge.

The force neutralizes to become nothing (無).

But nothing exists yet does not exist. (無無明亦無無明盡)

‘Please…!!’

I knew that if I made even the slightest misstep, I would fail at the Peerless Technique, and my body would burst before Pasun’s attack. It was an incredibly dangerous attempt, but on the contrary, this very danger helped me maintain complete focus. The fact that the Peerless Technique posed a greater threat than the blade in front of me allowed me to fully immerse myself in this internal battle.

Wiying

It felt as though my vision was being pulled in. Simultaneously, I could see the integrity of Pasun’s Thousand-Handed Guanyin distorting, realizing that my Peerless Technique had nullified all of his power. The realm of Yin and Yang had enveloped the world.

Boom!

“……!!”

The thousand hands of Thousand-Handed Guanyin vanished in an instant, revealing Pasun caught off guard. The Peerless Technique had smashed Thousand-Handed Guanyin! I wanted to counterattack him, but I felt my energy draining away at that moment. Power and internal force had been all poured into the Peerless Technique.

‘Damn it! I still don’t have the strength to move after unleashing the Peerless Technique….’

Only upon reaching the absolute realm can one gain the freedom to counterattack. Until then, defense was all I could rely on.

“Hoho!!”

Pasun wore a surprised expression, but then he attacked me again with yet another absolute realm martial art.

Fulgurshatter Sword

This time, a devastatingly powerful strike charged toward me. The force of the Fulgurshatter Sword could challenge even the Master of the White Lotus Sect at full power; if it was stronger than before, it certainly wasn’t a weak attack. Yet I clenched my teeth and prepared to unveil the Three Treasure Technique.

‘This time I have to endure without the Peerless Technique.’

Boom

The Peerless Technique is an invincible defense, but it requires exerting all one’s power, so it cannot be deployed often. This had always frustrated me, yet Jang Sam-bong had explained.

[An expert in the absolute realm is both a Grand Master and a peerless master in martial arts; thus, merely clashing even for a second with the Peerless Technique would reveal its essence. And they will likely bombard you with continuous attacks to induce the flaws in the user of the Peerless Technique.]

[Doesn’t that increase the likelihood of failure for the user? I can’t afford to be entirely defensive!]

[Yanja. But that’s not a weakness. Being defensive means that, alternatively, you can focus solely on defending.]

At first, I did not understand what he meant. But after learning the Peerless Technique and entering in-depth training, I finally grasped its significance.

Tydaht

The harmony of Heaven, Earth, and People swirled around my feet as the Three Treasure Technique naturally began to distort the space. The Three Treasure Technique, based on the Cave-Collapsing Sword, possessed the power of spatial distortion. As the power of the Fulgurshatter Sword surged to an astonishing thirty feet, transforming into a blade of darkness, I moved like a willow, adapting to the speed of the falling radiant blade.

Swoosh

Like oil flowing on water, I dodged each flicker of vivid light from the Fulgurshatter Sword with barely a margin and perfectly executed the Three Treasure Technique to evade. Moments later, as I stepped back once more, Pasun twisted the blade’s point, attempting a deadly thrust, but this time, I drew my sword like lightning, deflected it with the Sword Thunder.

Clang!

The entire process flowed smoothly, making it feel as though Pasun and I were dancing together. The Master of the White Lotus Sect, watching from the side, marveled.

[You’ve read the flow.]

Right!

Those who mastered the Peerless Technique had grasped the flow. Recognizing the gaps in the opponent’s martial arts allows one to neutralize damage and reach the ultimate goal of self-defense! Naturally, all the martial arts belonging to the Peerless Technique would be enhanced.

Flying Heaven Spirit Pearl

This time, countless powerful jewels rose around Pasun’s body and launched toward me, but given that I had managed to take a breath, I could once again employ the Peerless Technique. I claimed the space I could evade and flowed the spirit jade from the Flying Heaven Spirit Pearl, unfurling my Peerless Technique.

Kaching!

‘Ugh.’

I felt pain in my ribs. No matter what, every single attack from my opponent came from the absolute realm, and over time, the accumulation of damage was becoming apparent on my body. I was enduring it through sheer willpower, but with this pain, I had no clue how I would react if the Peerless Technique were to falter. It felt like walking on a tightrope, yet paradoxically, I became even more focused.

Transmute it.

Draining it into the earth.

Fight with a full commitment to my defense!

‘I can still do more!’

And then, after about thirty seconds had passed.

Boom

Pasun, as if venting his frustration, threw a chunk of energy at me and stepped back. After I cleaved the energy chunk with the Sword Thunder and let the remaining force flow through the Peerless Technique, he wore a strange expression and said, “You’re… truly a mysterious one. You’ve acquired such a variety of martial arts, yet you’re still not in the absolute realm, and yet it feels like you’ve collected all the techniques to counter it!”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Maybe…. I’ve lived for thousands of years in the martial arts world, yet I’ve never encountered someone like you. Normally, possessing talent and effort to learn this many martial arts would have ensured reaching the absolute realm, but that’s not the case.”

“……”

He chuckled incredulously.

“Even if you lack talent, you wouldn’t have reached this point otherwise and wouldn’t have learned several peerless martial skills…. Keke, your very existence is a contradiction.”

In an instant, I felt my internal strength being seen through by Pasun.

Swoosh

When I fell silent, Pasun sheathed his sword, saying, “To withstand my strike head-on for thirty seconds without injury, I acknowledge your skill. As a martial artist, out of respect, I won’t intervene in this matter.”

Finally, a sigh of relief!

I breathed a sigh of relief internally and said, “Wait… you still haven’t answered my earlier question.”

“What question?”

“Is it true you’re helping Pengzhu at the behest of your lord Changhil?”

“How you know about my lord Changhil and my identity, I don’t know….”

Pasun continued, his expression souring.

“Lord Changhil has disappeared suddenly. The Eight Parts of the Divine, including myself, are wandering the world searching for him.”

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