After confirming my location, I approached Director Kim, who was still unconscious, and shook him awake.
"Director, Director Kim!"
"Uh, umm..."
Director Kim slowly got up and looked around.
"...Deputy Manager Seo. Where are we now...?"
"...Here."
I briefly explained the situation to the Director.
After the hunchbacked old man had thrust us through the spatial rift, we found ourselves in this place.
It seemed to be a world resembling medieval China, where martial artists really exist.
"...So many things have happened, I can't even tell what's what anymore."
"Indeed."
"I wish someone would tell me this is all just a dream..."
Director Kim's face seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
"...I'm not sure if it's fortunate or not, not having any abilities or talents. I wonder if it's good that we weren't taken by those monstrous beings, or if we were just abandoned..."
"..."
I had no answer for him either.
In my past life, I was just an ignorant herb collector who knew nothing.
Even though I had survived comfortably for three days with others in this life, it was all thanks to my regression.
As a person, I'm not that remarkable.
"First, we can't stay in this alley forever. Let's go out."
"...Um, okay."
Director Kim and I went out to the bustling streets of Seokyung City.
Seokyung City's bustling area, teeming with all kinds of people, was as crowded as a modern-day shopping district.
"Umm, I can't understand what they're saying. It all sounds like Chinese, and why are people glancing at us?"
"Probably because of the clothes we're wearing."
I had burned the shirt I was originally wearing at Manager Kim's farewell meal to use as fuel, so now I only had an undershirt left.
Director Kim was conspicuously dressed in completely out-of-place hiking gear.
"...This is trouble. By the way, Deputy Manager Seo, do you happen to speak Chinese...?"
"Yes, fortunately, I've had Chinese language training. Listening to them, it sounds similar to a southern Chinese dialect. I think communication should be possible to some extent."
"Wow... That's incredibly lucky...!"
Of course, that was a lie.
The language of this world, starting from oracle bone script, was entirely different from Chinese.
Whether it's traditional, simplified, or any regional dialects of China, they won't work here.
'In my past life, I had to beg and cling to nearby beggars for two months just to learn basic communication...'
I wouldn't need to do that now.
"But since these clothes will attract attention, let's buy new ones."
"How are we going to buy clothes? I doubt our money will work here..."
I smiled wryly and replied.
"Money might not work, but wherever people live, medicine is needed."
I entered a nearby pharmacy and sold various herbs like hemostatic herbs, warming herbs, and fever-reducing herbs.
These were the most common and low-grade herbs I had gathered in Ascension Path.
Of course, these herbs, having absorbed a lot of spiritual energy and not been touched by human hands for a long time in the forest, were three to four times larger than ordinary herbs, and I received a considerable amount of money from the pharmacy.
"Haha, Deputy Manager Seo. As expected, your abilities work even here. Did you, did you receive a lot?"
"...It seems so."
Still, I frowned upon seeing the money given by the pharmacy owner.
'They've really undercut the price.'
It was because of our suspicious appearance.
The herbs were large and abundant, so we received this much, but we might not have gotten anything if they were less.
Of course, this amount was enough to buy new clothes.
I immediately went to the most shabby-looking fabric store nearby and bought two sets of worn clothes.
We changed into these plain-looking clothes and stepped outside.
'The cost of living here is immense.'
It seemed to be three to four times more expensive than in Lianshan City.
As a result, we had to spend all the money we had.
"So, what now? Deputy Manager Seo."
"Just wait a moment, Director. It seems I will need to sell more herbs."
I went to another pharmacy and again sold herbs.
This time, they didn't cut the price because of our suspicious appearance, but still significantly undercut the price.
I once again went back to the fabric store and bought slightly better clothes, then went to another pharmacy and sold herbs again.
This time, the owner of the pharmacy, seeing my clothes, bought the herbs at a proper price.
For the last time, I went back to the fabric store and this time bought a silk outfit. Dressed in the new clothes, I wandered around the bustling streets of Seokyung City and entered a considerably large pharmacy to sell the yellow bamboo roots.
"Ah, my lord. To sell such a precious elixir to our pharmacy..."
The owner of the pharmacy reverently took the yellow bamboo roots from me, who was dressed in silk.
"In my opinion, this yellow bamboo root must be at least eight hundred years old. At the very least, it should fetch ten pieces of horse-shaped silver."
"Of course! In fact, it should be worth fifteen pieces for such quality!"
"Right, it should be. Bring them quickly."
I received the owner's gratitude and left the pharmacy with fifteen pieces of horse-shaped silver.
"Heh, heh. Incredible. Deputy Manager Seo. Is this all?"
"Yes, well."
There were still a few more roots of yellow bamboo left.
Moreover, the one I sold was the smallest.
After buying a silk outfit for Director Kim, I went to the government office, gave a bribe to an official, and obtained a residence permit.
Then, after buying a small house and land on the outskirts of Seokyung City, I was left with only one piece of horse-shaped silver.
"Let's live here from today onwards. We've secured basic housing, and I'll teach you how to read and write, Director."
"Thank you, Deputy Manager Seo. No, that's not right."
He seemed a bit embarrassed as he spoke.
"Now that we're not colleagues, it doesn't seem right to call you Deputy Manager. What should I call you...?"
"...Just call me by my name."
"Thank you, Seo Eun-hyun."
We decided on the form of address and discussed our future plans.
"The reason we could gather such an amount of money so quickly is because we sold the herbs we gathered in the forest. If we run out of herbs, we'll have problems with food and shelter, so we need to find a way to make a living."
"How should we continue to make a living... How about doing business by selling herbs and buying silver?"
Certainly.
With the substantial initial funds we now have, Director Kim Young-hoon, who was a mid-level executive in a fairly large company, should be able to do business well enough to make ends meet.
'But that's not enough.'
Since I've regressed.
Shouldn't I aim a little higher?
'Director Kim Young-hoon is a martial arts genius.'
He became a powerful warrior by mastering third-rate martial arts sold on the streets in just a few months.
He gradually learned advanced martial arts to eventually become the number one in the martial arts world of Yanguo.
What if I taught him advanced martial arts from the beginning?
'I could advance the birth of the greatest swordsman by 30 years...!'
And I would benefit as much as possible from his success.
"Director, this place actually has a world of martial arts and martial skills."
"Hmm...!"
"Innocently doing business in such a place, we could end up being swept by the competition between martial sects at any time. Wouldn't it be better to learn at least some self-defense martial skills?"
"That makes sense..."
He asked me, his face lighting up with excitement.
"Ha, but martial arts are usually not taught to outsiders, right? How can we easily learn them?"
Hearing about learning martial arts, Director Kim used a term from martial arts novels and his eyes sparkled.
"I just received fifteen pieces of silver for one herb. Isn't there nothing that can't be solved with money?"
"Huhem...!"
"Of course, before that, you'll need to learn the language and characters."
"Hmm..."
For the next three months, I taught Director Kim the language and characters while living off the money from selling one more herb. He seemed to relieve his depression from being separated from his colleagues in this strange world by learning with all his might.
At the same time, I taught him a breathing technique called Cheonji (Heaven Earth) Heart Method, a third-rate internal martial art, as a health exercise.
And after three months.
"Lately, I've been feeling a tingling sensation in my lower abdomen. Even though I just sit at home, I feel bursts of energy..."
'Amazing.'
I could confirm Director Kim's incredible progress.
Cheonji Heart Method, literally a basic internal martial art, focuses not on 'accumulating' internal energy but on 'feeling' it by establishing the foundation in the Dantian.
It took Director Kim only three months to feel the Qi inside his body, which usually takes ordinary people eight months with the Cheonji Heart Method.
'He has mastered the Cheonji Heart Method.'
At the same time, I felt a bit of self-deprecation.
I took about thirteen months to feel Qi using the Cheonji Heart Method method. This means I'm considerably slower than an average person. When it's only third-rate martial arts, the difference is only four times, but as we progress to higher-level martial arts, the gap between his talent and mine will become strikingly apparent.
"...Well, since you seem to be getting the hang of the language and characters, let's look for a sect to join."
"Let's do that. Haha, are we going to learn martial arts now...!"
While I spent three months teaching Director Kim letters and language, I researched the martial arts sects of Seokyung City in Yanguo.
"Demon Slaying Sect(), Self-binding Temple (), Surpassing Bird House (), Seven Mysteries Gate(), Wolf Fang Gang (), Dark Night Association (), and Dragon Fighting Stronghold () are considered the seven major sects of Seokyung City."
I explained each of the sects to him.
Demon Slaying Sect, Self-binding Template, Surpassing Bird House, and Seven Mysteries Gate were classified as righteous sects.
Wolf Fang Gang, Dark Night Association, and Dragon Fighting Stronghold were famous unorthodox forces in Seokyung City.
The four righteous sects and three evil sects were collectively referred to as Four Stars Three Demons () in Seokyung City.
The Demon Slaying Sect mainly practiced sword and blade techniques, Self-binding Temple was a religious sect of Buddhism, Surpassing Bird House was an information organization like Hao Moon (Korean murim organization that consists of thieves, pickpockets, prostitutes, etc), and Seven Mysteries Gate had a long history and encompassed various martial arts.
Wolf Fang Gang specialized in strong and practical fighting techniques, Dark Night Association developed stealth and movement techniques through illegal activities in Seokyung City, and Dragon Fighting Stronghold primarily focused on unarmed fighting techniques.
"Director, which sect appeals to you the most?"
Regardless of the sect, Director Kim's talent would ensure his success.
Without any hesitation, Director Kim made his choice.
"Demon Slaying! Let's go with the Demon Slaying Sect. Afterall, swordsmanship for a heroic warrior, blade techniques for a man, is it not?
'Just like in his past life, he chooses the same path as his first martial art.'
A good choice indeed.
The second coming of the greatest swordsman from my previous life.
Together, Director Kim and I headed towards the Demon Slaying Sect.
The Demon Slaying Sects main branch was located in the eastern part of Seokyung City.
Inside the large compound of the sect, loud shouts of energy could be heard. At the entrance, two warriors wearing swords and blades guarded the gate.
"Halt, what brings you to our sect?"
The guard warriors cautiously inquired, noticing the silk clothes we were wearing.
"This gentleman here is my... elder brother. He has come to learn the martial arts of Demon Slaying, having heard of its reputation."
"Hmm..."
The gatekeeper's eyes turned towards Director Kim.
A middle-aged man with half-balding hair and a plump belly.
"...Um, I apologize, but at that age, it won't be easy to learn martial arts."
"Haha. Still, let us talk to the higher-ups. Even basic self-defense martial arts would be fine."
I gently smiled and replied.
Although I mentioned self-defense martial arts, within a few months, they will be pleading with Director Kim to learn advanced martial arts on their own.
The gatekeepers exchanged looks, sighed, and then opened the gate for us.
Shortly after, Director Kim and I were facing the Hall Master of the Demon Slaying Hall, named Heo Baek.
"So, you wish to learn self-defense martial arts..."
"Yes, if possible, the best self-defense martial arts..."
I handed over a prepared silk case to Heo Baek.
It contained fifteen of the twenty silver ingots I had acquired from selling all the yellow bamboo roots.
Heo Baek opened the case, checked the silver ingots, coughed, and said,
"Hm, hm... I will admit him as an outer disciple of the Demon Slaying Sect. If he wants, I can also teach a couple of our inner disciple martial arts. However, he will be treated as an outer disciple. There are no privileges for those who enter through donations. Also... we will only accept one of you as an outer disciple."
"Um..."
"Hmm..."
Director Kim, surprised by the stingy offer, started to rise. I gently pressed his shoulder, stopping him, and replied to Hall Master Heo Baek,
"Thank you for the honor, Hall Master. That will be sufficient. As an outer disciple, my elder brother here... will join."
"Hmm, then come to the Hall of External Disciples, shortly."
Heo Baek left us with a dismissive gesture and went away.
Kim Young-hoon, looking confused, said to me,
"Eun-hyun, what's the point if I'm the only one learning martial arts? If I knew it would be this expensive, we could have just gone to another sect..."
"No, it might be better for you to learn martial arts."
"No, you, being younger, would be more suitable for learning martial arts..."
"...I've always been bad at physical activities. I'll support you, Mr. Kim, with the remaining silver ingots through business. That's my job and my role. You just need to fulfill your role."
"But..."
After showing a slightly apologetic face, Kim Young-hoon decisively said,
"Alright. If you say so, I too will do my best to learn martial arts and help you. It would be lucky if this old body can even learn the basics."
"Believe in yourself."
"Thank you..."
Thus, Kim Young-hoon became an outer disciple of the Demon Slaying Sect, learning a few outer disciple and three inner disciple martial arts as a privilege for his substantial donation.
Seven months later.
The Demon Slaying Sect was in an uproar.
***
Achieving mastery in martial arts means fully embodying the true essence of those arts.
Depending on a martial artist's skill, applying the essence of martial arts in real combat earns them recognition as a formidable warrior.
Even if it's a third-rate martial art from the streets, understanding and embodying its essence can elevate one to the status of a second-rate martial artist.
Naturally, as one practices higher-level martial arts, the essence embedded in each move requires the enlightenment equivalent to several third-rate arts, making it a hallmark of first or second-rate martial arts
The Demon Slaying Sect was one of those sects with high-level martial arts, a well-established sect in the city of Seokyung.
And,
Someone had mastered their martial arts in just seven months.
Swoosh, swoosh!
Kim Young-hoon's blade sliced through the air.
Absolute Dragon Saber Technique () of the Demon Slaying Sect.
A blade technique reputed to even cut down flying dragons. It was a foundation martial art for inner disciples of the Demon Slaying Sect.
Of course, being a foundation art for inner disciples meant it was on a different level than common third-rate martial arts, equivalent to second-rate martial arts.
Despite being called 'second-rate,' these martial arts were far from weak.
As a fundamental art taught to the inner disciples of a large sect, its ferocity was formidable.
Mastering its true essence meant,
"...He's reached first-rate."
Kim Young-hoon had just managed to achieve the status of a first-rate warrior.
I was astonished, watching him perform the blade technique.
First-rate.
The significance of that title was immense.
In any field, those labeled as 'first-rate' signify the masters of that industry.
Even within the martial world, a first-rate warrior holds positions like an elder or even hall master of a large sect.
For a small to mid-sized sect, they might even be the sect leader.
'To become first-rate in just half a year.'
Many warriors train rigorously and achieve enlightenment to barely reach this level.
But Kim Young-hoon, defying all norms, had boldly reached first-rate in just half a year.
'No wonder the Demon Slaying Sect is upside down.'
Rumor had it that the sect was in chaos because an outer disciple had achieved the skill level of an elder in just seven months, leading to suspicions of him being a spy from another sect.
Eventually, due to this, Kim Young-hoon, along with another suspected spy (me), was confined to our residence.
'I don't even know martial arts, why am I suspected of being a spy?'
But, of course, it made sense.
A middle-aged man with a bulging belly comes to learn martial arts, and after being taught, he becomes a first-rate expert in just half a year.
It's understandably suspicious since it defies all logic.
"Mr. Kim, aren't you worried?"
"Ha, what do you mean?"
"If they suspect us of being spies, aren't they likely to block our meridians or destroy our Dantian? It's not uncommon in these kinds of martial arts settings."
"That is true."
Buzz!
He swung his sword one last time and wiped off his sweat.
"But somehow, I feel like I can see the next 'barrier.' If I overcome it, I believe I'll reach the next level."
"..."
He's a monster.
How long has it been since you've become a first-class warrior, and you're already feeling the next level?
'After first-class is a peak master .'
From peak master, one can be the sect leader of a major sect, or a grand elder-level strength.
In Yanguo, this level is also called the Pinnacle Realm, and just being a peak master puts one in the fearsome position of being within the top 1000 in Yanguo.
In fact, within the martial arts world, there is hardly any discussion about a level beyond the peak. Thus, its essentially the final reach a martial artist can attain through their martial arts training.
'To thinkJust mastering some high-level martial arts and in seven months, a peak master...'
My expectations were wrong.
With this momentum, the return of the world's greatest swordsman could be accelerated by not 30 years, but 50 years.
'No, 50 years might be too much, let's say 40 years.'
Such was the insane level of growth of Director Kim.
"Haha, if you're a first-class warrior, you might be treated as a spy, but once you surpass the wall into the peak, even if you're suspicious, they have to accept you. Besides, Seo Eun-hyun still has a ginseng root from what he dug up, right?"
He continued practicing his swordsmanship while talking.
Indeed, I had left a root of the yellow bamboo that I had dug up in Ascension Path .
The yellow bamboo root was prepared for when Director Kim grew enough, to increase his inner energy...
'It won't be long before I give it to him.'
By then, Director Kim's inner energy would also match that of a peak master.
"...But Director, your sword technique seems completely different from just before..."
"Haha, it's Hall Master Heo Baeks sword technique. Was it the True Demon Slaying Sword Technique? I saw it once, unfolded it, and learned it. Now, I'm trying to adapt it into my swordsmanship."
''...''
'Truly a heavenly martial talent.'
It was truly terrifying.
Come to think of it, from the beginning, Director Kim had an unusual stamina for hiking and incredibly fast footwork when playing foot volleyball.
Whenever he did something physical at work, he always came in first, which was suspicious.
'Was this talent always there? Then, maybe our qualities and abilities weren't awakened in this world but were already present from our original world? Then, my regression ability too?'
It was a conjecture.
I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts that had risen in my mind.
Soon, seven days and nights passed.
Paat!
Director Kim had become a peak master.
"The [Wall] has been overcome."
"..."
I handed Director Kim the last 900-year-old yellow bamboo root, astonished.
"You have an unexpectedly incredible talent."
"I'm surprised myself. I never knew I had such a talent for martial arts... Maybe it was for this reason that I liked martial arts since I was young."
While exchanging such trivial jokes, Director Kim chewed and swallowed the yellow bamboo root I handed him, then began internal energy cultivation in a sitting posture.
Kuuuu...
Shortly after, three flowers of qi formed above Director Kim's head and scattered into his nose and mouth.
'That's Three Flowers Gather at the Summit ()..'
Suaa...
Director Kim's eyes sparkled.
He stood up with a confident expression.
"Now, even the Hall Master is not so scary."
"..."
"By the way, when will this house arrest be lifted?"
He approached one of the elders who was supervising our house.
"Excuse me, when will this house arrest be lifted?"
"Until your suspicion of being a spy is cleared."
"Hmm... Alright then."
Three more days passed.
People from the sect came.
"Hear this! The hall master of the Demon Slaying Hall orders to sever ties with Yoon Young-hoon (Yoon because there is no Kim surname Yanguo), a spy from another sect trying to steal our martial arts, and cut the meridians of his limbs!"
"..."
Three elders from the Demon Slaying Hall surrounded Director Kim, and a second-class warrior, a law enforcer, approached me.
"Didn't I say I'm really not a spy? I'm just..."
"Shut up! Tie him up!"
"Hoo..."
What happened wasn't clear.
Just that Director Kim Young-hoon unsheathed his sword at a fast speed.
Shuk!
"Ahh... Aaaaah!"
One elder's wrist was slightly cut.
That elder won't be able to use that hand for life.
Director Kim held the sword with a gloomy face.
Unlike seven months ago, his body, now lean and filled with muscles, naturally assumed the posture of the sword stance he had practiced thousands, if not millions, of times.
'It was my first martial arts school...'
'What on earth...!'
The two startled elders rushed at him, but again, Kim's sword moved too fast for the eye to see, lightly slicing the wrists of the elders.
'Oh, oh...'
Thud!
The guardian who was approaching me also panicked. As Kim quickly approached and delivered a wrist strike, the guardian collapsed unconscious.
'Ugh, aghhhh!'
'Damn! He's a peak master! Run away!'
'Inform the Sect Leader!'
Several disciples of the Demon Slaying Sect, who had come with their elders, panicked and ran away. Kim Young-hoon, with a stern face, spoke to me.
'Eun-hyun, I'm thinking of going to the Dragon Fighting Stronghold. What do you think?'
'Dragon Fighting Stronghold, while being a faction of the unorthodox sect, isn't one known for great misdeeds. It's just a faction known for its strong martial spirit, so it doesn't seem bad.'
'Ha ha ha, good. Then, you go ahead to the Dragon Fighting Stronghold. I'll follow after dealing with the elders of the Demon Slaying Sect and... the Sect Leader.'
Kim Young-hoon and I left the house, going in opposite directions.
I hurriedly headed to the southern part of Seokyung City, where the Dragon Fighting Stronghold was located, and only reached there by evening.
'Seo Eun-hyun, why are you so late?'
'Ha ha. You are just too fast, Director.'
Kim Young-hoon had already arrived at the Dragon Fighting Stronghold faster than me.
I sighed softly as I looked at the bloodstains on his sword.
Director Kim, who used to be shocked by my violence, now carried a sword stained with blood.
Although it's for survival in this world, it is inevitable that we are changed by this world.
How nice it would be if we could return.
To our ordinary lives on Earth, not this martial world.
Suddenly, I felt the ability to return to the past was a rather useless gift.
'If I had to return... why not send me back to that time on Earth...'
It can't be helped since it's come to this.
Anyway, we have to live.
I smiled at Director Kim, his sword stained with blood.
'I'm glad you're safe, Director.
Ten years passed.
Kim Young-hoon, who had been betrayed by the Demon Slaying Sect, devoted himself to the Dragon Fighting Stronghold, and was appointed as an official elder of Dragon Fighting Stronghold.
Becoming an official elder, he collected even more advanced martial arts, and soon became a powerful warrior, surpassing even peak masters.
Now, he had earned the seat of one of the three great swordsmen of the world in just ten years.
However, in reality, he always concealed more than 40% of his abilities.
If he fully revealed his strength, he would become the unrivaled number one in the world, the foremost person in Yanguo, and I had no doubt about that.
Ignoring our age difference, I decided to address him as Hyung-nim.
He created a martial arts technique that suited me perfectly and taught it to me.
'This is the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship (). It's named for its intent of slicing even the giant mountain. If you master it, you too can become a peak master.'
Along with the sword technique, he also created Dragon Vein Qi Method (), an advanced internal energy method.
It was a first-class martial art, different from the simple third or second class ones.
The problem was...
'But Eunhyeon. You are really... a bit dull.'
My terrible martial talent.
Even though he, the greatest martial artist, personally created a technique suited for me and taught it in detail, I was still barely hanging onto third class even after a year.
'...I can't help it. Everyone has talents in different fields.'
Over the past ten years, Kim Young-hoon practiced martial arts, and I studied medicine.
I studied acupuncture points, acupuncture methods, and medical treatments in addition to the herbal medicine I had learned earlier.
Thanks to this, I was able to set up an official medical hall and act as a doctor.
Maybe it was due to the herbal knowledge I had previously learned, I was able to progress much faster in the field of medicine than in martial arts.
'By the way, aren't you going to marry?'
'Well, I have to wait for the opportunity.'
The rough atmosphere of Dragon Fighting Stronghold made marriage an undesirable option.
There were even young ladies who ran away pale-faced when they heard I worked in the medical hall of Dragon Fighting Stronghold.
'Ha ha ha, I might have to leave Dragon Fighting Stronghold for the sake of my brother's marriage.'
'Are you really leaving because of me?'
'Just joking. Rather, Dragon Fighting Stronghold feels too cramped.'
Indeed. Having achieved the title of one of the three great swordsmen of the world within ten years and possessing the hidden strength of the number one in the world, his words made sense.
'I'm thinking of leaving Dragon Fighting Stronghold to establish a new organization. What do you think?'
'A new organization?'
'Yes, the Wulin Alliance ()! A group that will unite the many factions of Yanguo and mediate the complicated political situations. What do you think? Will you join me?'
'Of course, I will. We are from the same hometown.'
'That's right, people from the same hometown... We shouldn't part ways.'
Thus, Kim Young-hoon and I, having been in this world for ten years, left Dragon Fighting Stronghold to establish the Wulin Alliance.
Kim Young-hoon left Dragon Fighting Stronghold and for two years, he traveled around Yanguo, challenging and breaking the signboards of major factions in each area.
In the third year.
He finally succeeded in taking down the signboards of all the factions.
He truly earned the title of the number one person in the world and established the Wulin Alliance with the fame of number one, uniting the factions of the martial world.
Naturally, he was the first leader of the Wulin Alliance, and I assisted him as the chief strategist.
Seven years passed after the establishment of the Wulin Alliance.
It had been twenty years since we landed in this world.
My martial arts skill had progressed from barely hanging onto third class to comfortably being at that level.
Although I had first-class inner energy due to consuming many medicinal herbs in my position as strategist, my actual skill was still just at the fringe of third class.
However, Kim Young-hoon was different.
Kuuuuu
In the dark secret room.
I stood as Kim Young-hoon's protector, waiting for him to finish his energy circulation.
That's when it happened.
Woo-woong!
A light shone, and above his head, five circles of energy gathered.
After a while, the five spheres of energy were inhaled through his nose and mouth.
The realm of Five Energies Converging to the Origin!
Tuk, Wuduk tuk tuk!
Soon after, his body began to twist significantly, and his bones and flesh started to contort.
That is...
Wuduk Duk Duk!
His body transformed into an ideal form.
A complete transformation!
Paaaat!
For a moment, there's a bright light, and then a completely different person stood before me.
All wrinkles and white hair were gone, and the bald head had grown lush hair.
The owner of that vibrant body, brimming with vitality, was completely different from the person I knew.
Hyung-nim...?
Ha, haha... Hahahaha!
Kim Young-hoon, having undergone a complete transformation, seemed to have successfully rejuvenated.
Now, he looked much younger than even me.
Truly the best! Look at you, brother! You seem to be brimming with vitality! It feels like you can do anything!
...Haha, youll probably get married before me, Hyun-nim.
That was true.
Ever since I was appointed as a chief strategist in the Wulin Alliance, I had been insanely busy, not even having the time for dating, let alone marriage.
Hey, what are you talking about? Me, get married...
But it seemed like he had no thoughts about marriage either.
I've been married on Earth, and the first three years were good, but after that, it was really... No, I better not talk about it.
Kim Young-hoon was a married man who had been a director on Earth.
It seemed he had no intention of ever marrying again, even after becoming the number one person in the world, given his past experiences with his wife.
But Hyung-nim, the world will be shocked to know you've undergone a complete transformation.
Haha, indeed. But now, it's time to gradually pass on the leadership of the Wulin Alliance to the next leader...
Theres no one who meets your standards, Hyung-nim?
To be the leader of the Wulin Alliance, one must have a certain level of martial arts, but there isnt a single person who understands the way of martial arts!
You're just too much of a genius, Hyung-nim. It's not that other people are stupid.
Still...
One year after Kim Young-hoon's complete transformation.
Hyung-nim passed on the position of the leader of the Wulin Alliance to the next generation.
I too wanted to retire with Hyung-nim, but since the second leader of the Wulin Alliance was facing difficulties in managing the alliance, I ended up being forced to continue to sit as the chief strategist.
And so, another 10 years passed.
It has been 30 years since I arrived in this world.
My age was now approaching sixty.
As for my martial arts skills, while my internal strength was abundant, my actual skill level had barely reached the very end of the third-rate."
The Wulin Alliance went through the second leader and reached the time of the third leader, and I finally managed to retire after frantically training a successor and passing the position to the second strategist.
After Kim Young-hoon retired from his position as the leader of the Wulin Alliance and travelled around Yanguo, often disappearing for months.
Because of this, he did not even attend my retirement ceremony.
I saw Kim Young-hoon's face again a year after retiring as a strategist.
I bought a manor in Seokyung City and was leisurely reading medical books there.
Trudge, trudge...
'What's this? Who's there... Ugh! Hyung-nim!'
''...''
'Why do you look like a beggar? And why didn't you come to my retirement ceremony? Were you enjoying your travels around the world so much... Hyung-nim?'
The man I saw after a long time was in a beggar's appearance, pale-faced, and had lost all his overwhelming self-confidence.
'What happened, Hyung-nim!'
Thump!
He lay down on the floor of my manor, looking up at the sky, and spoke.
'Eun-hyun, I thought I was truly blessed with the talents of martial arts.'
'But you are a genius, aren't you?'
'...Yes. I'm definitely a martial arts genius. There probably isn't a single person in Yanguo, no, among ordinary mortals, who can match my martial talents.'
Ordinary mortals? How is Hyung-nim an ordinary mortal? You are the number one in the world...'
'I encountered cultivators. Don't you remember? Thirty years ago. Those monsters who flew in the sky and kidnapped our companions.'
'...'
I fell silent.
The cultivators.
Working as the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance, I had met them a few times.
They were lurking in Yanguo's political and even royal circles, manipulating the entire country of Yanguo.
After the establishment of the Wulin Alliance to control the martial world, they wanted to get their hands on the Wulin Alliance as well.
Unwilling to oppose them, knowing that it would mean fighting the entire country of Yanguo, I agreed to join hands with them.
With their indirect support, we were able to significantly expand the power of the Wulin Alliance.
However, they demanded that martial artists should not be able to harm cultivators, and because of this decree, members of the Wulin Alliance never had the chance to confront them.
And,
After stepping down as the leader of the Wulin Alliance, Kim Young-hoon went in search of cultivators.
"Those cultivators are really hard to find. Even if I do manage to find one and try to engage them in combat, they use annoying techniques like illusions or flying to escape, preventing a proper fight.
But this time, I finally succeeded in facing them head on."
"So, did you win?"
"...I won."
"If you had said that during your time as the leader of the Wulin Alliance, I would have grabbed the back of my neck in disbelief."
Kim Young-hoon chuckled bitterly, sticking out his tongue.
"In a life-or-death struggle against a cultivator who had reached the stage of Qi Building, I barely managed to inflict a scratch on his fingertip... He said that even a mere touch on his body would count as my victory... so I guess it was a win, in a way."
"...Was this cultivator one of the ten greatest masters among the cultivators?"
"...No."
He got up and looked dejected.
"He said that the Qi Building stage is considered the second-lowest level in the cultivation world. For a martial artist, it's equivalent to a second-tier fighter."
"...What? That's unbelievable."
In both my past and present lives.
I knew that cultivators were formidable beings.
Above the martial artists, there existed these incredibly powerful cultivators.
But having seen his martial prowess for 30 years, I knew.
His martial arts truly reached the heavens!
Not just as a figure of speech. Kim Young-hoon could literally perform martial arts in the sky using levitation.
He could slice through solid iron as if it were tofu.
Yet, such a martial arts genius!
He only managed to scratch a cultivator who was at the second-lowest level in their hierarchy!
'I knew this world was like a xianxia novel.'
I knew about the genre of xianxia,
But I only knew it as a genre, not the details.
I called this world a xianxia-like world because of the existence of cultivators.
But I hadn't thought much about how strong they really were.
The monsters who kidnapped our colleagues 30 years ago, I had considered them as divine beings rather than cultivators.
"It's unbelievable that a human can be strong enough to toy with you, Hyung-nim."
"I thought so too. But, I was just a frog in the well... The cultivators we've seen lurking around in Yanguo are the lowest in the cultivation hierarchy. Those at the very bottom, ironically, meddle with the mundane world."
"..."
He sighed deeply.
"I will continue to confront these cultivators and I will create a martial art that can face them. I must...! I have the talent of a 'Heavenly Martial Artist' like no other in this world, after all!"
With that, Kim Young-hoon left, his eyes blazing with determination.
I was so shocked by his words that I didn't step outside for a while.
And from that day on, I began to investigate these cultivators with all my might.
Using my connections, I met with cultivators lurking within the Wulin Alliance, in politics, business, and even the royal family. Learning about their world and their ways.
The more I learned about cultivators, the more I realized that the extent of their realm was beyond my imagination.
Cultivators.
Unlike martial artists who focus on physical prowess and internal energy, their goal is to become immortals through cultivation.
Even the lowest cultivators were as strong as peak martial artists, meddling in various affairs.
As their cultivation level increased, they could control weather, natural disasters, and gradually become almost godlike.
Learning about these terrifying beings, I continued my martial arts training out of fear.
The dragon-like beings we saw 30 years ago.
They were not divine beings but humans who achieved such states through cultivation.
Even more unbelievable was that these beings are still struggling to ascend to higher realms, where even more terrifying beings exist.
However,
I was a witness to such unbelievable tales myself, so I couldn't simply dismiss it as a joke.
I knew my colleagues had become formidable beings, but I hadn't realized the extent.
They were becoming truly terrifying entities.
"Haha..."
The more I learned about cultivators, the more I realized how insignificant the power we had acquired was.
No matter how high our martial arts become, cultivators were monsters who could move mountains and alter landscapes.
No matter how many times I undergo regression,
I could never reach the level of a cultivator.
Cultivators require a 'spiritual root' to begin their journey, something those without it can never achieve.
'Regression might not end with this life, but I don't know.'
I just thought of it as another chance at life and lived my best.
Even if there's another life after this,
'We can never stand against cultivators...'
The more I interacted with cultivators and delved into ancient texts about them, the more powerless I felt.
Amidst the feelings of powerlessness and pressure, I continued to train in martial arts.
Swinging a sword with my aging body somehow cleared my mind a bit.
Thus, another 10 years passed.
"Sigh..."
As I performed the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship and regulated my breath, I had barely managed to reach the level of a second-tier martial artist.
Around that time, I encountered my changed brother again.
"Hyung-nim...?"
The man I met after a long time looked like a wild hermit, with long, unkempt hair and a bushy beard.
"It's been a while, Eun-hyun."
"Yes, it's been years since we last saw each other. We've only been in touch through letters... Did the information I sent about the cultivation world help you?"
"It did, somewhat."
"Were you able to develop a martial art to defeat the cultivators?"
"I've completed the martial art I had been conceptualizing."
"Wow...!"
I gasped in awe. If a martial arts genius like him said so, it meant his martial arts could definitely confront cultivators.
"Surely, your martial arts must have transcended the heavens..."
"No."
His face, however, bore an unusually somber look.
"My martial arts... can only go this far."
"What do you mean?"
"I've come to bid you farewell today."
"Hyung-nim?"
His face, once filled with pride and hope, was now completely shrouded in darkness.
"Today, I'm going to join a cultivation sect as a disciple. Probably starting from the very bottom. Haha..."
"No, what do you mean?"
"For the past 10 years, using information about cultivators, I sought them out, fought them, and developed martial arts to counter them. And then... I met a being known as a Core Formation Cultivator."
His story continued.
"After fighting him and unleashing all my insights, I managed to sever the Core Formation Cultivator's left hand. But he simply attached a talisman, and his hand regrew. Right after that, I was completely toyed with by him."
"..."
"He said that he admired my will and would accept me into his cultivation sect. After losing to him, I realized this is the limit of what martial arts can reach."
"..."
"Martial arts cannot take you any higher. Whether you practice for a hundred or a thousand years, it's all the same. So now, I've decided to become a cultivator and walk a new path."
Hearing his words, I felt my lips trembling.
There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing I could say.
Then, a rather foolish question escaped my lips.
"Isn't it impossible to become a cultivator without a spiritual root?"
"The Core Formation Cultivator said..."
To my foolish question, came a shocking reply.
"The stage of 'Five Energies Converging to the Origin' that martial artists achieve corresponds to the 'Five Elements Spiritual Root' that cultivators are born with. Precisely, when a mortal achieves the 'Five Energies Converging to the Origin' through martial arts, they awaken the spiritual root."
"Huh..."
"Qualities that cultivators are born with, mortals can only awaken through a lifetime of martial arts exploration."
He looked up at the sky with a bleak expression.
"I was a genius of martial arts, but only of martial arts."
After staring at the sky for a while, he got up.
"I must go now. To pursue a higher realm."
Having finished speaking, Young-hoon, my brother, vanished using a movement technique.
A book was left in his place.
I picked up the book he left behind with a dazed expression.
The title was Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
It was the martial art he developed while seeking out cultivators for the past decade.
As I read each page of his insights...
Frankly, to me, barely hanging on as a second-tier martial artist, it seemed like grasping at straws.
Yet, I could feel his emotions as he left this martial art, and his resolve to give up this path and become a cultivator.
The preface of the book contained his request to me.
"Junior brother Seo Eun-hyun, please pass on this martial art to future generations, making it a lifeline for them to survive in front of the natural disasters known as cultivators."
I read and reread his insights, engraving them in my mind.
Though I couldn't understand it no matter how many times I read it,
I did it to feel his last will.
"Hyung-nim... You left me behind, where are you going?"
At first, he was just my boss.
But over 40 years,
He had become my true brother.
From that day on, I continued my training even more diligently, desperately trying to understand even a bit of the knowledge he had left behind. However, my aging body gradually became weaker.
Over the years, I managed to reach the level of a second-tier martial artist, no longer just clinging to this rank by a thread. But from that point on, my body rapidly declined due to inevitable aging.
Coughing on my ornate bed, I thought, 'How ironic.'
It's been nearly 50 years since I came to this world. Similar to my past life, here I am lying in bed, dying of a similar illness. The only difference is the bed and the size of the house.
'It seems one's destiny cannot be changed.'
I'm going to die on the same day, from the same cause. As death draws near, I can feel it. This is fate.
No matter how hard a human being tries, they cannot escape their destiny. They can only comply.
Frantic struggles can make life a bit better, a bit more enjoyable. But one's innate fortune and destiny cannot be changed.
If being human means floundering between luck and destiny, then we can only gain something within that space.
Anything beyond that is unattainable.
'But was it really so?'
As I feel my life draining away, I slowly close my eyes.
I didn't want to feel the regrets of my past life. In this given time, I lived as hard as I could. But in retrospect, could I really not go beyond my destiny?
Sometimes, I wonder.
'Maybe if I had struggled a little more, pushed a little harder, I could have reached further...'
I spent a lifetime with Young-hoon Hyung-nim reaching the position of the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance. I grasped all the wealth and honor one could feel in the human world.
Now, all thats left is my impending death.
'Do I regret it?'
This life was not regrettable. In fact, it was more than fulfilling.
If there was one thing I regret...
'Its regrettable that I couldn't do anything when someone trying to leap to greater heights faced an even greater wall.'
I am utterly ordinary, except for having undergone one cycle of return. In terms of martial arts, I'm rather untalented.
An ordinary person like me, next to someone blessed with heavenly talent, couldnt witness him surpassing the heavens...
Yes.
Not seeing what lies beyond the heavens was my only...
Regret.
On a cold but not too chilly winter day, I lay in bed, wrapping up a persistent life where I did everything I could for 50 years.
That was my second return.
***
Blink. Blink.
I can breathe again.
It's not the body that was losing life force anymore.
Life force is overflowing throughout my body.
"...This is."
The familiar forest.
I knew what had happened.
I had regressed again.
"...So regression wasn't just a one-time thing."
Up until now, I had treated regression as a miraculous opportunity given to me, living faithfully.
Although I had acquired the ability to regress, I didn't know the principles behind it, nor did I know how many times it could happen.
But now I've undergone regression twice.
'Regression is not the end.'
Then there's a high probability that this won't be the end either.
'Infinite regression...?'
While I was lost in thought, Section Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon, in his usual manner, was angrily charging at me.
"Deputy Manager Seo, you bastard!"
Swoosh! Whish!
I easily dodged Jeon Myeong-hoon's attempt to hit my cheek as he rushed towards me.
"He, he dodged?"
Swish! Swoosh!
Jeon Myeong-hoon, enraged, charged at me again, but I continued to dodge his attacks easily while lost in my thoughts.
'Why... Did I regress?'
I looked blankly at Jeon Myeong-hoon, who was charging at me.
In the last life.
I had lived really hard.
Really faithfully.
I lived a satisfying life and died peacefully.
There might have been a bit of regret, but I never wanted more than that.
'Why... Did I regress?'
A body brimming with vitality.
A new opportunity I had gained.
Surely it was something good. But...
'What about [everything] I achieved over 50 years?'
Now, it's nowhere to be found.
Unrecoverable.
That's right.
By regressing, everything I had built up over 50 years was gone, vanished.
"This, this Deputy Manager Seo, you bastard! What are you doing, how dare you keep dodging!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon, in his audacious manner, yelled and charged at me.
I stepped aside easily, dodging his punch and continued to ponder.
'But... It feels familiar. What is this familiar feeling...?'
Ah, I see.
"...Right. I might have been unconsciously afraid of a day like today."
Regression.
Certainly, it was a miraculous opportunity, a second chance.
But, paradoxically, I feared losing that time period through another regression.
That familiar feeling.
It was because the fear I had was now realized in front of me.
'Even if I was given another chance, was it right to erase that time period?'
I lived my life with no shame.
But everything I lived for was erased by regression.
'That's right. Maybe... In my last life too, I was unconsciously afraid of this power. No, I'm sure I was scared of it.'
Realizing that this regression ability was not a one-time thing, my fear only grew.
Or should I say, it became certain.
'This power, it negates my entire life.'
If this regression was the end, I could go in peace.
But what if it's not?
What if my regression continues forever?
'My entire life will be negated, and those I knew will be forever trapped in the cycle of time.'
That's right.
I had found the true source of my regret. No, my fear.
It stemmed from the very power of regression itself.
Then, how should I overcome this power of regression?
'I have to eliminate the regression ability.'
This power shouldn't exist.
I set a long-term goal for this life, and for the countless lives to come.
'I'll eliminate my regression ability. Or ensure it never activates again.'
That's the long-term goal I will pursue.
"...For that, first."
I need to find out the origin of this regression ability.
'Back on Earth, none of us had any special constitution or power. All seven of us developed such abilities only after coming to this world, so it's likely they originated here.'
I used to think these powers could have existed on Earth as well, but now I'm sure they didn't.
It doesn't make sense.
If there were innate superpowers like calling rain and wind, and sensing things kilometers away, then Deputy Manager Oh and Manager Kim wouldn't have needed to work at our company.
'Then, the greatest possibility to eliminate the regression ability... might be returning to our original world!'
I further specified my goal within my long-term objective.
"First, let's aim to return home."
But how do we return home?
'First of all... my current abilities won't do.'
With my mere mortal abilities, I can't attempt anything.
"I need to grow stronger."
Being a second-tier warrior isn't enough.
'I must become a cultivator! I need to become a cultivator!'
Yes.
Become a cultivator to gain long life and power.
'I must investigate the Ascension Gate that leads to the higher realms!'
When the Ascension Gate opens, the space in this Ascension Path region becomes unstable.
Then our falling into this world might also be related to it.
Maybe through the Ascension Gate, I could return to my original world.
'Become a cultivator, then head to the Ascension Gate.'
Thus, I was able to further specify my goal.
'But to become a cultivator, one needs a Spiritual Root. Without it, a common mortal can never become a cultivator. However, I have once touched the threshold of a Spiritual Root!'
In my past life.
Young-hoon Hyung-nim had told me.
The state of Five Energies Converging to the Origin, achievable through martial arts by a mortal, corresponds to the Five Elements Spiritual Root inherent in a cultivator at birth.
Reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin, even a common mortal can awaken their Spiritual Root!
'...Right. My long-term goal is to become a cultivator, reach the Ascension Gate, find a way back home, and eliminate my regression ability.'
"Heugh... Huff... How... How can he be so fast... This bastard..."
'And for a short-term goal... to gain a Spiritual Root necessary to become a cultivator, I have to practice martial arts to reach the state of Five Energies Converging to the Origin... I guess.'
I sighed.
It's a tremendously difficult condition.
Already lacking talent in martial arts, who knows how long it will take me to reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
'Ironically, I have to rely on my regression ability to eliminate it.'
I don't feel desperate as long as I have the regression ability.
I have infinite opportunities.
'No matter how long it takes... I will definitely reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin.'
I firmly resolved, setting the direction for my future.
Finally snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at Jeon Myeong-hoon, who was gasping and sitting in front of me.
"...Section Chief Jeon, calm down. What's the use of getting angry in this situation?"
"You... You bastard. You dont even know what you did wrong..."
"Certainly, Section Chief Jeon dumped all your work on me the day before, forcing me to stay up all night before the workshop. You were also supposed to drive, werent you? Even though you knew I was sleepy, you stopped me from asking others to drive. More so, during the landslide, I did everything I could. It just happened so fast that I couldn't do anything more. Don't try to shift the blame onto me with your irrational logic and think about what to do next."
I let it all out like a waterfall and then walked past Jeon Myeong-hoon towards Young-hoon Hyung-nim.
"Hyung-nim... no, Director Kim Young-hoon. Sorry to bother you, but may I borrow your lighter?"
"Hmm, alright."
"Thanks. It looks like it'll be night soon, so I'll find a place to stay for the night. As for the others, either find the car or a way out of this forest. I'll light a fire over there, so come find me by the light when it gets dark."
"Eh... No."
After my rapid-fire speech, I headed to the cave where I had stayed last time.
Then I collected branches to make a windbreak and a door and gathered firewood for a bonfire, preparing for the night.
I also gathered fruits and herbs from nearby to cook over the fire.
Sizzling sounds filled the air.
I tore my underwear to make a pouch for collecting herbs and gathered herbs like hemostatic, pain-relieving, and paralyzing herbs around the base, preparing for the fox that might come to bite my arm tomorrow.
"Hmm, the fruits are ripe."
I took the roasted fruits from under the fire, cooled them down, peeled them, and started eating.
"Not bad."
After filling my stomach, I picked a suitable branch and held it like a sword.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
My last life.
My first regression.
The martial art perfectly suited to my body, created by Young-hoon Hyung-nim with his overflowing talent.
Whoosh, whoosh!
I held the sword and swung, practicing the first to twelfth forms of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship in sequence.
"Hmm, I've lost some touch."
In my last life, just before death, I couldn't even lift a sword properly to practice swordsmanship.
Consequently, my swordsmanship regressed to barely clinging to second-rate.
"Still, if I focus on training for about a month, I should be able to regain the feel for it..."
My internal energy should also be sufficient, considering the spiritual medicines scattered throughout Ascension Path.
How far can I grow in this life?
This time, I've decided not to participate in ridiculous ventures like the Wulin Alliance.
It consumes too much of my personal time.
I was so consumed by work that I couldn't even visit brothels, let alone meet women.
'This life, I'll focus on martial arts.'
To become a cultivator, I first need to reach Five Energies Converging to the Origin and awaken a Spiritual Root.
But with my limited talent in martial arts, reaching that state seems far off.
'My immediate goal is to maximize my martial arts ability.'
After practicing Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I started activating the Dantian of my untrained body by breathing according to the Cheonji Heart Method.
Using the breathing technique made me feel purified and cleared my mind.
'...Wait a minute.'
I suddenly recalled the martial art completed by Young-hoon Hyung-nim in my last life.
Record of Surpassing Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.
The martial art created to confront cultivators with a mortal body.
'Young-hoon Hyung-nim devoted his entire life to creating this martial art. It was a martial art created after he became a supreme master.'
What if he learned this martial art right from the beginning?
In my last life, I advanced Young-hoon Hyung-nim's birth as the strongest under the heavens by 40 years by teaching him advanced martial arts.
Then, what if he learns the martial art he spent his life contemplating right from the beginning?
I remembered the final time I saw Young-hoon Hyung-nim.
'...Although I've set a goal to learn martial arts to obtain a Spiritual Root to become a cultivator...'
Perhaps he could present another possibility to me.
Thud, thud...
Outside the cave, I heard footsteps of others who had seen the fire I lit and came to find it.
"Heh heh, Deputy Manager Seo. You're quite capable. When did you make this?"
Young-hoon Hyung-nim.
Director Kim Young-hoon was the first to enter the cave.
I approached him, returned the lighter, and asked casually.
"Director, I know some health exercises and breathing techniques... With the tension in this situation, would you mind practicing with me?"
***
"In this situation, I'm not interested in that."
"Ah, yes..."
Young-hoon Hyung-nim seemed more concerned about our current situation than my breathing and health exercises and didn't show much interest in them.
'It can't be helped. There's plenty of time...'
The next day.
I encountered the fox, and as it happened, it bit off one of my arms.
The pain was still similar, but this time, with increased mental strength and the medical knowledge accumulated in my past life, I managed to stop the bleeding and pain by pressing on the acupoints and applying chewed herbs to the wound.
We were granted the right to reside on the land by the fox.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, as in the previous life, schemed and, after learning everything from me, proposed to offer me to the fox.
Like my previous life, I made Jeon Myeong-hoon work hard, and the next day, I made him offer blood to the snake, tormenting him diligently.
On the third day.
The same people as last time came and kidnapped Section Chief Oh Hyun-seok, Deputy Manager Kang Min-hee, and Section Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon.
On the fourth day.
"I will take this lady with me."
Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol arrived and picked up Deputy Manager Oh.
"May I ask a question to Sea Dragon King?"
[Hmm, what is it?]
Seo Hweol looked at me with interest and asked.
"It seems that you are taking our Deputy Manager Oh with you... However, she is a mortal without a spiritual root and cannot live more than 100 years. How do you intend to use her?"
[Ha-ha, you are quite knowledgeable about immortal cultivation for a mortal. But no worries. I shall give her my blood, transforming her into a member of the Sea Dragon clan. Once she accepts the blood of my clan, she will awaken a suitable Spiritual Quality. Then she too can walk the path of immortality.]
"!"
Spiritual Quality!
Another term for Spiritual Root.
In other words, by accepting Sea Dragon King's blood, one could become a cultivator instantly.
"Perhaps... could you also give us a chance? She is from the same homeland as us. Maybe we too have unique abilities..."
[Ha-ha, your words have merit.]
Suddenly!
At my suggestion, Seo Hweol's eyes narrowed like those of a reptile.
[The Ascension Gate will open soon, and many high-level cultivators will pass through this Dangseonhyang region... Just a word of caution.]
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Argh! Ugh!"
I collapsed, clutching my chest.
[It's best not to express your opinions carelessly before a high-level being like me. We live for hundreds and thousands of years, seeing things you cannot imagine, knowing things you cannot understand, and gaining wisdom you cannot achieve. I am lenient, but others with a temper might find even your mere gaze offensive and crush you like insects.]
"Heugh, huff..."
[My intention to take this lady is because I believe her abilities will be enormously beneficial to my clan. You lack Spiritual Roots and unique abilities, and even if not, they won't be as helpful as hers. Besides, carrying more people through the Ascension Gate increases its difficulty, so I won't take you. Know that it's a significant burden for me.]
Having finished speaking, he walked towards the cave entrance.
Crash! Boom!
With a thunderous noise and flash of lightning, he disappeared from the entrance.
Above the sky, a blue dragon pierced through the stormy clouds and flew leisurely.
"What just happened?"
Young-hoon Hyung-nim and Manager Kim stared at the sky in dismay.
That evening, I picked some special mushrooms, roasted them over the fire, and enjoyed a last meal with Manager Kim.
Then, after she awakened her abilities, a ghastly figure arrived on a cloud, just like in my previous life.
As before, the figure decided to take Manager Kim with him.
I prostrated before the figure and asked.
"Respected Cultivator, our colleague Manager Kim is a mortal without a Spiritual Root. How can she become a disciple of a cultivator like you?"
The old man with a hunched back chuckled and replied.
[While rare in the secular world, there are spiritual medicines and artifacts that can open the Spiritual Channel () for a mortal. Even an ordinary mortal can embark on the path of immortality if they get hold of such an opportunity.]
"!"
Shocked by the revelation, I trembled.
'There's another way to become a cultivator!'
[Well... Additionally, the martial arts practiced by you mortals can indeed awaken the Five Elements Spiritual Root if refined to the extreme, but... that path takes too much time. Even if you awaken your spiritual roots through this method, the result is not always satisfactory. So, I will seek a spiritual elixir to feed my disciple. You understand, don't you? Follow me, and you will become a cultivator!]
As he spoke, he naturally turned his gaze to Manager Kim, trying to entice her. However, being unaware of what a cultivator, spiritual root, or spiritual channel meant, she just stared blankly at him.
After a brief altercation, the hunchbacked old man pointed towards us.
Wooosh!
A dark rift opened in the space behind us, and it started pulling me and Young-hoon Hyung-nim in.
I gathered herbs, while Young-hoon Hyung-nim, attempting to escape, was eventually caught by the power of the ghastly figure and thrown beyond.
As the spatial rift closed, the last thing I saw was Manager Kim reaching out to us, before I lost consciousness, just like in my previous life.
When I became conscious, I was in a dark cave.
"This place is..."
It was the same as before.
Due to the ghastly figure's random teleportation, a minor butterfly effect had dropped us somewhere completely different.
I slowly walked towards the light at the end of the cave.
"...It's a forest."
Indeed, this time, we had landed in a dense forest.
But without the peculiar feeling of Dangseonhyang, I could tell we were definitely outside of it.
"Sigh..."
I sat down and practiced the Cheonji Heart Method I had used for the past three days.
Cheonji Heart Method is a fundamental method to activate the Dantian, and feel and control Qi. It's a basic practice that most martial artists learn before starting serious martial arts training.
'I don't know where this place is.'
It could be a completely different place, not Yanguo, and it might take days or even weeks to find a populated area.
"Chew, chew, chew..."
I chewed and swallowed an eight-hundred-year-old yellow bamboo root I had dug up in Dangseonhyang.
Wooosh...
Powerful energy surged through my Dantian.
In my past life, even though I had these roots, I couldn't consume them because the only internal energy method I knew was the Cheonji Heart Method.
But now, it's different.
'I have learned many useful internal energy methods as the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance for decades.'
I practiced the internal energy method tailored for me by Young-hoon Hyung-nim in my past life, perfectly complementing the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Dragon Vein Qi Method.
A majestic energy melded with my inner energy.
Controlling the powerful energy was challenging due to its intensity.
But I had practiced the same method for over 40 years.
I recreated the pathways of the Dragon Vein Qi Method, which I had used for more than forty years, through the meridians and acupoints.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
I cleared the blocked channels, and the energy circulated through my body.
Although I had purified my body to some extent with the Cheonji Heart Method for over two days, my current body, tainted with instant food and nicotine, struggled to clear the channels.
"Sigh..."
After a moderate circulation, I broke off a suitable branch nearby and started sharpening it with a sharp rock infused with my internal energy.
As I infused the branch internal energy and executed the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, it penetrated an old tree, cutting it in half.
'This should be enough to survive in the mountains for a few days.'
In a world not infested with monsters and spirits like Dangseonhyang, my swordsmanship, barely clinging to the second level, was enough for survival.
Then, Young-hoon Hyung-nim, or rather, Director Kim Young-hoon, approached me in a panic.
"Seo, Deputy Manager Seo... What was that just now? What happened...?"
"How did you cut the tree with a wooden sword... And that strength?"
"Ah... about that."
After a moment's thought, I gave him a plausible explanation.
"It's a stroke of fate."
"Fate?"
"Yes, inside that cave... I found a mysterious book. When I picked it up, it burned, and its contents and energy merged with me. It seems to be a strange object created by a martial artist using the power of a cultivator to pass on his martial arts to his successors. Thanks to that, I have become the successor of that martial art."
"Huh, wow!"
Though it was an unbelievable tale,
He seemed to accept it, having experienced too many unbelievable things in the last four days.
'In this situation, where we've fallen into another world, faced a fox as big as a house, been attacked by flying ghastly figures, and even fallen into a dark spatial rift, what's not to believe?'
I inwardly chuckled and explained the situation to Director Kim Young-hoon.
We were randomly transported by the hunchbacked old man to an entirely different place.
Since there were no houses nearby, we had to keep moving until we found a village.
There seems to be martial arts in this world, so I'll teach you, etc...
Director Kim Young-hoon didn't look too despairing, especially after hearing, 'I'll teach you martial arts.'
I taught him the Cheonji Heart Method, basic vocabulary of this world, primary acupoints, and left the forest together.
By observing the constellations in the night sky, I deduced our location and managed to reach a nearby city.
"It's Yanguo again..."
I arrived at one of Yanguo's cities, Yonghyul City (), feeling a strange sensation.
'The ghastly figure randomly throws us around. But the randomness seems to be confined to Yanguo.'
There are many neighboring countries like Shengzi Kingdom, Byeokra Country, etc.
It didn't seem like the hunchbacked figure particularly cared about us.
'So why keep dropping us only within Yanguo?'
Is there a reason for this?
Or...
'Is it just chance?'
If this is just a coincidence,
'Fate...'
I somehow felt more inclined to believe in the word 'fate' than any specific reason.
'In my last life, I died on the exact same day and time as before my regression.'
Does that make sense?
I had lived a completely different life,
With completely different medical and nutritional standards.
Yet, I died at the exact same moment as before my regression.
'Was that my allotted lifespan?'
Maybe my fate was set to that point.
Fate.
It's a metaphysical concept, something I'd rather not think about...
But maybe, the concept of fate truly exists, driving all beings.
'For now, it's not something I can know.'
I shook my head and entered the city with Director Kim Young-hoon.
I sold the herbs at a nearby pharmacy, used the money to buy identification plaques, clothes, and a house.
'Now that I've settled the basics, it's time to set short-term goals again.'
Initially, I aimed for the Five Energies Converging to the Origin as a short-term goal.
Reaching that state is necessary to awaken the Five Elements Spiritual Root and learn cultivation methods to become a cultivator.
But...
'I might not reach that state in this life.'
In my past life.
Even though I had followed Young-hoon Hyung-nim and somewhat distorted my sense of power, reaching the peak stage was not easy.
The same was true for Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and Five Energies Converging to the Origin.
'It's challenging to cross each stage even within the peak, and...'
That was the general opinion of typical peak experts.
Moreover, I lack talent in martial arts.
Even with considerable effort, it might be difficult to reach even the first-rate expert level in this lifetime.
'So, the best course of action is...'
I watched Director Kim Young-hoon in the backyard of our new house, practicing a version of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship he had modified into a sword dance.
If practiced correctly, the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship could reach the peak level within six months, according to Young-hoon Hyung-nim in my past life.
'Raise Kim Young-hoon Hyung-nim, no, Director Kim, to the peak level as quickly as possible.'
And then learn from him.
That was the fastest way for me to reach the peak.
***