1287——————==

Soul of the Evil God

You want to test my Immortal Sword skills?

I couldn’t help but feel tense at Yeodong-bin’s words. Usually, such moments lead to a life-or-death duel, and I’ve died at his hands before. Of course, dying fighting the legendary Yeodong-bin is an honor in a way, but still, it was all too sudden and caught me off guard.

‘I can’t just clash swords right away.’

This situation isn’t resolved yet. Actually, I have no clue how things are unfolding. I know from experience that if I only go along with my opponent’s wishes, I’ll end up getting myself into trouble without even realizing it.

So, I calmly responded.

“Yeodong-bin! What’s the reason behind wanting to test my Immortal Sword skills? Are you afraid I’ll bring a sword into the Celestial Realm and you want to nip it in the bud?”

At my words, Yeodong-bin gazed at me with a serious look in his eyes and finally replied.

“If that were the case, it wouldn’t just be us two here.”

“Hmm.”

Seeing Lee Cheol-goei next to me, who showed no objection, I figured he agreed with Yeodong-bin’s words.

“……”

Those words carried a lot of weight.

‘At least it means they came prepared to gauge my strength.’

If I’m just a boy yet to mature, playing the role of a village chief, it’s certainly enough to be looked down upon by the Great Immortal. But both Lee Cheol-goei and Yeodong-bin made it clear they weren’t underestimating me, which was reaffirmed by his previous comment. Maybe they consider me a target that would require a massive military force to subdue.

‘Damn it.’

Normally, I’d be delighted to receive such treatment from the Eight Immortals. They are some of the most renowned figures in the Central Plains and legendary among the Daoists. But I couldn’t shake the thought that it wasn’t a good thing they weren’t looking down on me.

In fact, when I meet these otherworldly beings, I prefer it when they glance over me from a position of power, allowing me to scheme and exploit their blind spots. But if they’re not underestimating me, that means I’m going to have to fight those who are fully prepared. I shudder to think how hard that would be. Who knows, I might have to face the Eight Immortals in the near future!

“Before we duel with swords, let me say something…”

As I wore a troubled expression, Yeodong-bin slowly lowered the tip of his sword and spoke.

“Whatever you want to do on this earth, because of the Immortal Sword technique, a bond of causality has already formed between you and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. Don’t you have the courage to come and resolve it?”

I countered his words.

“Going to the Celestial Realm is not the issue. However, it wouldn’t be easy, considering you might all gang up on me once I get there.”

At that, Lee Cheol-goei bluntly criticized me.

“You’re a strange one. The Celestial Realm stands for justice, so if you’re not someone looking for selfish gains, they won’t be out to kill a mere mortal like you.”

“No, that’s not how it works!”

I couldn’t help but raise my voice in frustration.

“The Celestial Realm is rotten to the core! Didn’t you feel that when no one helped against the Dragon of the Apocalypse? Especially you, Yeodong-bin…!!”

Yeodong-bin’s eyebrows twitched at my outcry.

“What do you mean?”

“When the Dragon of the Apocalypse was set to devour the world, not a single soul from the Celestial Realm came to help! I even had to seek out Master Mangnyang for assistance! How can I go trust the Celestial Realm when I know the higher-ups are completely rotten?”

“…….”

“…….”

Yeodong-bin didn’t lose his composure, but he closed his eyes tightly, while Lee Cheol-goei looked increasingly puzzled.

“How do you know that… How could you know the secrets from a thousand years ago?”

Oh no.

I realized I’d slipped up due to a moment of intense emotion. But I quickly regained my composure and stated calmly.

“I have a connection with Master Mangnyang. So, you’d do well not to try and manipulate me.”

“Master….”

Lee Cheol-goei seemed to be at a loss for words. Apparently, he didn’t know about my dealings with Master Mangnyang before coming here.

After a moment, Yeodong-bin slowly opened his mouth.

“Nothing changes.”

“What?”

“Draw your Immortal Sword. Today, I’ll only be looking at your sword skills.”

I was utterly exasperated by Yeodong-bin’s stubbornness and looked at him in disbelief. It was as if he hadn’t paid any attention to my words and was just set on doing his own thing! He was acting like a wall that wouldn’t budge, and I could sense I was dealing with a boneheaded martial artist who wouldn’t listen!

But if I just showed my sword at his request, who knows how I’d end up?

“Damn it. Why are you so fixated on my sword? Are you giving advice as a fellow sword martial artist and senior?”

“It’s not that grand.”

Yeodong-bin continued in the same composed stance, without a hint of disorder in his words.

“I just want to see your potential.”

“……”

“Will you truly not draw your sword?”

From his calm words, I could sense a pure intent that lacked any ulterior motives.

‘Ah! I’ve been overthinking this….’

Yeodong-bin isn’t someone who plays complex schemes.

He’s just suggesting we test our Immortal Sword skills.

Having gotten used to doing all the scheming on my own, I might’ve started to overthink the smallest things. Yeodong-bin just wants to test his Immortal Sword skills, and I misinterpreted that.

I suddenly felt embarrassed. In my past life, I used to beg for anyone to teach me the Immortal Sword techniques. Has martial arts become secondary in this life? While training hard in Soeul Village, I thought I was pursuing martial arts, but maybe it had evolved to be a mere means to an end?

‘Ugh, I hate this kind of inner turmoil… Wasn’t this life about escaping my sorrows?’

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Right. I have no strategist, so what good is it to try and anticipate the schemes of the Celestial Realm or the Heavenly Mysterious Woman? No matter what, Yeodong-bin is still Yeodong-bin.’

Even if I can’t trust the Celestial Realm, I can trust Yeodong-bin’s intentions.

So, it’s best I just straightforwardly engage in a clean duel with my sword!

“Alright, Yeodong-bin. Let’s duel with swords.”

Woosh!

I summoned my Immortal Sword. Upon seeing my sword, colored in half black and half white, Lee Cheol-goei looked puzzled.

“Huh? Can a sword really be that color?”

“……”

On the other hand, Yeodong-bin seemed to sense something, and his expression grew somewhat serious. Then he said,

“I’ll make the first move.”

“Go ahead.”

Whoosh!

The sword arc from Yeodong-bin was flying towards me in a simple, direct manner. When I say “felt,” that’s an understatement; a simple straight cut became so fast it almost defied belief, even for a peak expert like me. I perceived the overwhelming speed of that cut thanks to the experience I gathered in battles against high-level experts before.

It became so simple it could hardly be dubbed as a technique.

In fact, it felt similar to my Infinite Slash.

‘Surprisingly, I’ve faced attacks like this before. Fast (快) is a common pursuit among all high-level experts…’

From experience, this type of attack is impossible to completely dodge or block. However, once you read it, just a simple move suffices to deal with it. Ever since my days learning from Lee Cheong-un, the system of peak experts unfolded before me.

Crash!!

The blade of my sword met his with a tremendous clash that sparked a bright flame. And that moment, memories from the past flooded my mind.

Today was a duel of Immortal Sword against Immortal Sword, and my own sword trembled yet showed no signs of breaking. I vividly remembered the deadly battle from my twenty-fifth life against Yeodong-bin and the humiliation I suffered at the time.

‘Back then, my steel sword broke, and his blade brushed against my neck.’

At that time, I couldn’t realize the gap in skill, but now it became clear. I had given him a fatal opening by failing to see through his speed, allowing him to just barely graze me with his blade, leading to my sword being shattered.

It seemed trivial, but it was a massive difference in skill, and it made me acutely aware of just how inexperienced I was back then. He had every ability to end my life in an instant but had chosen to grant me mercy by merely grazing my neck.

But today, I had managed to withstand it; I was no longer vulnerable to Yeodong-bin’s lightning-quick strikes. This indicated that a solid martial arts foundation had taken root within me, enduring against him this time.

Swish swish swish!

As I sensed the essence of his will, it materialized from the formless into movement that manifested as techniques. While this was something impossible to achieve in reality, a realm shared by those with the intent established could attempt that—creating opportunities for high martial arts battles through strategy, much like reading moves in Go.

‘Earth’s Resolve (地決), huh?’

Among the six principles, this is the most neutral, with the best reflexes against an opponent’s moves. While it’s not as powerful by itself, it acts as a passage to other forms of techniques. I inferred that Yeodong-bin must have opted for that as he chose to let me attack first.

He made the first move, so he’s offering me a chance to counterattack, right?

‘Sounds plausible…’

I remained calm, selecting a counter-move against his Resolve and, without deliberation, unleashed my technique. If I stopped to think, it would be too late, as high experts generally pre-establish their strategies and respond in the moment using their intent.

Infinite Slash

It wasn’t hard to understand why my Infinite Slash was unleashed. Obviously, it was my way of avenging the humiliation of having my sword broken in my twenty-fifth life by using one of my most powerful techniques. And the thunderous sword capable of even cutting down the Master of the White Lotus Sect surged forth between Yeodong-bin and me.

Crackle!!

Boom boom boom!

First, lightning flashed across the Heaven and Earth Sea, and just a moment later, thunder echoed. I expanded the Infinite Slash as far as I could, feeling no resistance from the sword and realizing that Yeodong-bin hadn’t been touched at all.

‘Did he evade? No… he didn’t…’

It felt contradictory. But in the next instant, I realized that Yeodong-bin’s form had split into multiple figures.

A Clone Technique?

‘No! Wait! It’s just my perception!’

There wasn’t even a trace of qi like you’d expect from a Clone Technique or a Shadow Clone. In the highest realms of concentration, my intent began predicting his future movements, instantly creating an illusion! Yeodong-bin’s movements, or rather his footwork, were so exquisitely seamless, they confused the realm of absolute concentration.

Is Yeodong-bin moving to one of the four cardinal directions?

I panicked at this utterly bizarre phenomenon, just then a whisper in the back of my mind echoed.

[Let’s end it with our next exchange.]

I could feel Yeodong-bin slowly moving.

Caught in that fleeting moment, I pondered whether to use my Peerless Technique. I felt utterly helpless, realizing I had no way to defend against Yeodong-bin’s moves, so using my Infinite Slash would raise further suspicions in both Yeodong-bin and the Celestial Realm.

‘I have more than just the Infinite Slash!’

Was it a sudden surge of determination? I discarded the thought of using my Infinite Slash and immediately switched my technique to the Nine Chambers of Thunder! The lightning energy flooded into my Immortal Sword like nothing before, causing the air around me to ripple under the sheer force of the thunder, and my body began to glow with golden lightning.

Zing! Zing!

I could feel the Thunder Spirit spinning rapidly. At the same time, I launched the Nine Chambers of Thunder straight down Yeodong-bin’s expected sword path.

Nine Chambers of Thunder

One White (一白)

Heavenly Contraction Sword (天縮劍)

The space between Yeodong-bin and me was rapidly closing in. As soon as the effect of the Heavenly Contraction Sword manifested, I immediately activated the other two techniques based on the principle of Nine Chambers of Thunder.

Two Black (二黑)

Reverse Celestial Wheel (易天寶輪)

Three Green (三碧)

Ruyi Radiance (如意照靈)

With a whoosh –

The sword Qi from my Immortal Sword took the form of a celestial phenomenon that began turning around me as dictated by the principles of Reverse Celestial Wheel techniques. I engaged my spinning body, filled with dozens of Reverse Celestial Wheels, in a full-frontal charge toward Yeodong-bin.

‘Combining Ruyi Radiance and Reverse Celestial Wheel allows for automatic responses to enemy attacks!’

Four Green (四綠)

Thunderclap (雷鳴)

Five Yellow (五黃)

Three Treasure Technique (三步絶技)!!

The Body Slam was launched with an urgency that required no further explanation. Using the entirety of my physical latent energy, I crashed into Yeodong-bin using a defensive stance, hoping to gain the upper hand. Just a brush against him would seal the deal!

Boom!

However – when I reached just a step away from him, I felt something was off.

‘Why?’

Where did Yeodong-bin go?

It was baffling. I was closing the distance while using the Heavenly Contraction Sword, ready to clash in the next instant, only to find him missing an inch in front of me. There were no signs of teleportation, which left me flabbergasted. I never even considered this scenario.

Clash!!

“……!!”

The sound of impact jolted my mind back to reality, standing where I had been moments ago, witnessing Yeodong-bin swinging his sword. It appeared he might’ve already struck something, and the moment I sensed that, panic struck me at the thought of my limbs being severed!

Yet nothing was wrong. My body remained intact—it was merely a switch of places for Yeodong-bin and me!

“…….”

Zing!

Yeodong-bin’s Immortal Sword buzzed like a swarm of bees. It was as if an impact had resonated, transmitting vibrations! Yeodong-bin returned my gaze steadily and spoke.

“Are you not using your sword properly, or can’t you?”

“Ugh.”

It felt like he had hit the nail on the head. I gasped slightly, stunned by his words, but I quickly collected myself and replied coolly.

“Are you saying that if I wielded my sword rightly, you would’ve cut me down?”

“……?”

Yeodong-bin tilted his head as if he couldn’t grasp my meaning and then replied.

“Why don’t you grasp your flow while casting such an impressive technique?”

“What?”

“There was no upper hand on either side. I read your moves, yet I couldn’t break through your defenses.”

Yeodong-bin stated, falling into silence afterward. I had nothing to say in return, so I simply stared blankly at him until Yeodong-bin spoke again.

“Answer my question. Why do you wield your Immortal Sword like an ornament?”

“……”

“Your sword just now lacked any causality whatsoever.”

I couldn’t help but flinch at the truth of that statement. Realizing what he had seen opened my eyes to the nature of my prowess.

‘… I can’t establish the ‘edge’ of my sword, can I?’

I remembered when Yeodong-bin had previously taught me; he emphasized the importance of establishing the edge of the sword. Of course, the sword I wield now does utilize physical force adequately, but a true Immortal Sword should have the ability to cut down intangible concepts, like the myriad expressions of the technique. So, even after seeking every bit of guidance available about swordsmanship in my future life, I could never quite achieve that fundamental understanding.

With a bitter expression, I admitted.

“I labored through endless rounds of practice to grasp the essence, but I gained nothing. It’s my inadequacy, I’m not trying to mislead you.”

“You know proper training methods.”

“……”

“You attempted to use the Ultimate Technique to exchange blows again, but it’s no longer necessary, is it?”

With a flick, Yeodong-bin suddenly dismissed his sword. Seeing him do that, I followed his lead, deactivating my own sword as well. Yeodong-bin’s serious gaze bore into me as he said.

“Your mind is shaken in your Mind, Qi, and Body harmony. Thankfully, no accidents occurred during our duel, but if you are wandering, you must know why.”

“Are you saying my mind is shaken?”

“Indeed. When you executed the move without thought, the course was too easy to read, reinforcing the idea of a weak mind. As a result, your technique’s potency diminished.”

“……!!”

“Ordinarily, under different circumstances, you might’ve struggled to block that strike, but even a wandering blade shouldn’t be so easy to bypass, not for a martial artist of your caliber.”

So, he was saying the Infinite Slash’s effectiveness was compromised in our recent battle?!

But the shocking thing was, I could indeed accept that concept.

‘Asura did mention something similar.’

I recalled Asura’s words about the weaknesses of the Infinite Slash.

[Exactly. Baek Woong, your ultimate move, the Infinite Slash, does have its flaws.]

[To put it bluntly, it’s merely a strong sword qi.]

[While it’s stronger than other random techniques, its finesse is considerably lacking. Most importantly, since it’s executed without thought, your Infinite Slash’s effectiveness keeps changing. Since its power fluctuates, the path becomes simpler, making it easy to nullify it simply by evading the direct attack.]

He had told me that while the Infinite Slash can be powerful, its nature means it will have limits. In essence, since it relies on a state of formless intent, if my mind is too sluggishly focused, it gets easy for my enemy to see through it.

So, it made perfect sense to me that if I wasn’t entirely focused on battle and had doubts, the Infinite Slash would struggle to maintain its potency against another peak expert. It was a reasonable explanation.

What genuinely troubled me, though, was pondering why my mind—even now—was in a state of distraction?

‘I felt focused earlier, giving it my all for this fight!!’

After reincarnating, this was the most focused I had ever been. And yet, to hear Yeodong-bin claim I couldn’t fully concentrate on him was shocking. So, I protested to Yeodong-bin.

“That can’t be true! I was at my utmost focus!”

“……”

Yeodong-bin regarded me intensely and then replied.

“Your skills have already reached the peak level. Even without using my Ultimate Technique, I wouldn’t dare face you.”

I was taken aback by his unexpected praise. So, my skills had improved enough for him to say that? But a moment later, Yeodong-bin’s tone shifted slightly, laced with intent.

“Yet, for a peerless master, your sword carries needless extraneousness. If we were to engage in a life-and-death battle again…”

Crack!!

Suddenly, Yeodong-bin clenched his fist tightly, and his gaze sparkled with intensity.

“You won’t perish at my hands; you’ll perish through your failure to control your own mind.”

I could feel it.

Yeodong-bin wasn’t angry at me; instead, he was sternly advising me to master my own heart. This guidance was something only someone of his stature could offer. If he had any malice towards me, he wouldn’t waste his breath giving me advice about my mind.

I’m not foolish enough to miss such wisdom, so after a deep sigh, I expressed my gratitude to Yeodong-bin.

“Hmm! Thank you for your guidance.”

At that moment, Lee Cheol-goei—the one observing the entire exchange—looked flabbergasted as he stared at Yeodong-bin.

“Yeodong-bin!! That guy is already under surveillance! There are discussions about sending divine generals to capture him at the meeting of the Great Immortals! Why are you offering him martial teachings?”

Yeodong-bin replied without changing expression.

“That’s just an external circumstance; it’s not a direct order we received. We came here under the command of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and have no reason to concern ourselves with other situations.”

“Are you pretending not to know? Someone of your caliber ought to be well aware that [that person] is keeping an eye on him.”

“I care not.”

“……”

Lee Cheol-goei looked at Yeodong-bin, his expression a mix of complexity, and then abruptly turned away.

“Don’t entertain strange thoughts. I will be returning first.”

Whoosh!

Lee Cheol-goei’s form vanished in an instant.

Rustle, rustle—

Soon, the rain began to pour down. Atop the isolated peak where Yeodong-bin and I had been sparring, raindrops began to drench us as we faced each other through the cascade. The sudden weather change seemed to stem from the storm I unleashed through the Nine Chambers of Thunder.

Even amidst the downpour, Yeodong-bin stood dry without a single drop landing on him. His formless sword energy warded off every drop. The natural essence of his presence altered reality itself! Very few beings in Jianghu could manage such a feat, achievable only by peak experts like Yeodong-bin. Looking at me, he spoke.

“It seems you have something that you wish to convey.”

“They want to capture me in the Celestial Realm, so how on earth could I possibly go there? It feels like the day of my funeral awaits me there.”

I muttered with a hint of sarcasm as Yeodong-bin replied.

“I would ask that you come.”

“……?!”

The legendary Yeodong-bin is asking me for a favor?!

With widened eyes, I watched as he slowly turned away, disappearing beyond the curtain of rain. His last words echoed in my ears.

“Right, then.”

After a brief moment, the rain subsided.

I stood there, letting raindrops soak my thoughts, then took a long while to dry myself with my Qi. Finally, I turned to my left rear and said.

“Miho. It’s all over now; you can come out.”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Miho appeared, doing a somersault as she leapt from her hiding spot. She had been secretly observing the conversation between the Eight Immortals during her training and looked at me with a hint of fear.

“Are you planning to fight the Celestial Realm, now that you’ve faced the Eight Immortals?”

“Me? Go against the Celestial Realm? Are you kidding?”

“Then you must not be going to the Celestial Realm.”

“That, I’m not sure about.”

“What?! If you do, a trap awaits for you without a doubt.”

Miho gasped at my response, but I gazed up at the sky in silence.

Whether I went to the Celestial Realm or not wasn’t the main concern right now. What stirred my heart was something else entirely.

“……”

My heart.

While I seemed calm enough, it felt like there was a subtle realm only a master as skilled as Yeodong-bin could sense. I couldn’t detect it when up against weaker foes, but high-level masters sensed that with a dulled heart came a dulled sword.

From when I said I was taking a break, I had been behaving busily, but had all this noise started numbing my martial heart?

What is it I truly desire?

‘When even a single obsidian ally was by my side, I rarely had to ponder the nature of my heart.’

Without anyone nearby, naturally, I end up focusing on my own feelings.

Lost in thought, I looked to Miho.

“I need to train in the cave on this mountain for a few days. Also, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What kind of favor?”

“Well…”

I voiced my request to Miho, then entered the cave on the mountainside, locking myself into a meditation posture, practicing over and over. Without food or sleep, I plunged myself into deep reflection about ‘myself’ alone.

Yet the more I thought, the more elusive a resolution felt.

Could it have been three days since?

Someone’s voice suddenly echoed from the entrance of the cave.

“Classic training methods, eh? Or does this translate to you being overwhelmed with worry?”

“…….”

He plopped down opposite me.

“Hmm. Sorry I couldn’t give you a heads-up about Shiva’s movements beforehand. But it’s hard to predict when a god manipulates an avatar like that and moves as they please.”

“Forget about that.”

“You look pretty troubled, so did something else come up? I instructed the fox to keep an eye on you and send word as soon as I returned.”

I nodded faintly.

“I have a question.”

“What is it?”

I mumbled subtly.

“Please don’t mock me for this.”

He looked at me, seemingly baffled, and replied.

“I won’t mock you; at least not if it’s about martial arts.”

“…….”

I posed the question I had been mulling over for the last three days, one that had eluded me until now.

“Asura, can a martial artist wield intent without a heart?”