Absorbing and comprehending information about every space I traversed was not an ordinary task. It was dizzying, especially when combined with the practice of maintaining constant sword energy.
Now, this task included perceiving auditory information from every moment I passed through. It wasn't just about perceiving auditory information from noisy streets.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound of clothes brushing against each other.
Thud, thud.
The sound of footsteps.
Huff, huff, huff.
The sound of breathing.
I had to consciously perceive all these sounds continuously.
'Dizzying.'
Doing all this simultaneously, I felt not just a headache but dizziness to the point of near-collapse. I wondered if I could even engage in martial duels in this state.
'Especially now, when there are hardly any sects left to duel with.'
For about 30 years, I traveled all over Yanguo, challenging almost every small and medium sects to duels.
Occasionally, I even visited major sects for duelse.
As a result, there was hardly a place in Yanguo I hadn't been to.
I now resorted to battling bandits and water bandits rampaging through Yanguo, capturing them.
The problem was these evil men never fought fairly, especially when chased down. The most desperate ones even resorted to throwing explosive pellets they somehow acquired.
In this dizzy state, I had to fight such men.
'Can I even preserve my life?'
Sigh.
I sighed and firmly gripped my sword.
After all, this was the path I chose.
Even if I die, I will walk this path.
I looked at the six books piled up in front of me.
"You survived again this time."
"Yes, this time as well."
15 years had passed.
45 years since my return.
In the meantime, I met Kim Young-hoon three more times and received three more sets of insights, making a total of six volumes of insights from Kim Young-hoon.
During this time, I mastered processing not only visual and auditory information but also touch, taste, and smell continuously and adeptly.
Now, when I met a martial artist of late first-rate, my understanding of the five senses, sword energy, and immense practical experience allowed me to start with a 70% chance of winning against martial artists of the same level.
Of course, this was without considering the power of my martial arts. Including that, my winning probability reached 99%.
If it was a real fight allowing the use of toxins and hidden weapons, I could guarantee victory against any late first-rate martial artist.
Moreover, with the ability to process information using the five senses and my understanding of constantly using sword energy,
I could now face a peak master for about 10 to 20 exchanges.
Of course, it was difficult to continue beyond that.
That was the end.
I still...
hadn't...
become...
a peak...
master.
Still!!!
Still!!!
"My existence has spread among the Core Formation cultivators. It seems I'm wanted. Two Core Formation cultivators laid a trap and waited for me.
I barely escaped. Still, I managed to inflict a small wound on the cheek of one of them."
"You've gained even more insights."
"What insights. Despite all this, I still can't properly confront Core formation cultivators. Assuming I don't run away, I can't even last a hundred exchanges against them. It's impossible to inflict any meaningful damage."
He gazed at the sky with a sense of futility and mused.
"Honestly, I sometimes wonder whether the extreme of Five Energies Converging to the Origin I've reached... is the [end] for martial artists. Perhaps the martial artist who created Record of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts had similar thoughts. No matter how hard we try, it's impossible to defeat cultivators with martial arts."
I quietly looked at Kim Young-hoon.
Despite writing six books full of astonishing insights, he held a small teacup, his face etched with a hollow smile.
Clearly, he possessed talent given by the heavens.
And I, talent abandoned by the heavens.
Clearly, he and I were in starkly opposite situations.
Yet, somehow, I saw my reflection in Kim Young-hoon.
Myself, who could not grasp even a hint of the Pinnacle Realm despite numerous lifetimes of effort.
His situation, where no possibility of defeating cultivators appeared despite repeated lifetimes.
Clearly, a genius given by the heavens and a dullard abandoned by the heavens.
Why then, did we seem so similar?
"By the way, I still don't understand why I haven't reached the Pinnacle Realm. It's frustrating for me too."
Kim Young-hoon looked at me with a slightly bitter expression.
"Why can't you reach that realm despite mimicking the world of peak masters, including sword energy... I can't grasp what's missing."
He let out a hollow laugh and stood up.
"Let's have a sparring session after a long time."
"That sounds like good news."
Kim Young-hoon and I left the guesthouse and headed towards a nearby forest.
Upon reaching a suitable clearing, I unsheathed my sword without a word.
The sword energy, which I had been maintaining continuously for seven days and nights, flickered on my sword.
"Your understanding of sword energy is considerable. You'd quickly reach the stage of Sword Silk once you attain the Pinnacle Realm," Kim Young-hoon observed, noticing the aura of my sword.
I smiled bitterly.
The hypothesis after reaching the Pinnacle Realm was meaningless.
It was already the 45th year since my return.
I only had about five years of life left, and the likelihood of becoming a peak master within that time was slim.
A realm that I couldn't reach despite dedicating my entire life.
Would any special enlightenment come within these five years?
"Then, let's begin."
I took up a fighting stance, my expression intense.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Sixteenth move.
Mountain Tiger.
Swoosh!
Six sword energies from the upper left to the lower right.
Six from the upper right to the lower left.
A total of twelve sword energies converged towards Kim Young-hoon's heart.
Ting!
Kim Young-hoon didn't even draw his saber. He simply flicked his finger, and my technique dissipated instantly.
However, I didn't panic and immediately launched another move.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Twelfth Move.
Nine Lights Emerging Peak.
A more evolved sword technique that sent nine sword energies his way.
"You've significantly reduced your vulnerabilities."
Swoosh!
Kim Young-hoon quickly deployed his movement technique, dodging all my sword energies and quietly commended me.
I didn't respond but quickly took another fighting stance.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Seventeenth Move.
Mountain and Valley Transformation.
Boom, bang, bang!
I sent sword energies in all directions, absorbing them into the earth with the principle of infiltration and then detonating them after a delay, a decisive move of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Boom, bang!
The surrounding terrain transformed under my will.
Sword energies emerging from the ground surged towards Kim Young-hoon.
Whoosh!
But when he swiped his finger horizontally, the sword energies I launched lost their power and scattered into the air.
"Severing Vein Saber Method, Eighth Move, Mountain Scream."
Whoosh!
He extended his finger towards me again.
Boom!
The saber energy emanating from his finger overturned the ground as it surged towards me.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Eighteenth Move.
Echoing Valley.
Whoosh!
I infused sword energy into my sword, and simultaneously, I withdrew all force from it.
Though it sounded absurd, Echoing Valley required just that.
I filled my sword with energy while maintaining its form, removing all intent and miscellaneous forces, leaving only a hollow form of energy.
"Haah!"
With all my concentration, I maintained the emptiness in my sword and faced the incoming saber energy.
Grr!
Immense pressure traveled up my arm, but simultaneously, the saber energy that surged towards me was absorbed into my sword.
I emptied my intent from the sword and filled it with the opponent's intent.
Then, with a swift turn, I exerted all my strength to fling the energy in another direction.
Boom!
The Mountain Scream Kim Young-hoon launched destroyed several trees and shattered a huge rock.
"Heugh, heugh!"
I sweat profusely and trembling. Echoing Valley was originally a counterattack technique that absorbed the opponent's energy and intent, returning it back to them. However, I could only manage to deflect the attack.
'Still far off.'
Gritting my teeth, I took up my stance again and charged.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Nineteenth Move.
Mountain Echoes, Valley Responds.
Whoosh!
My sword vibrated, and my sword energy morphed into waves, spreading in all directions before suddenly converging towards Kim Young-hoon.
An inescapable decisive technique!
But he just smiled, lifting his hand, and saber energy burst from his fingertips.
Whoosh, bang, bang, bang!
Spinning and dancing, he flicked his hand each time, deflecting the converging sword energies.
Whoosh, thump, thump, thump!
He deflected countless sword energies and then extended his finger towards me again.
"Severing Vein Saber Method, Ninth Move, Dragon's Mound."
Rumble!
The fearsome saber energy, twisting like a dragon, flew towards me.
'Can I withstand it?'
No, even trying to deflect it with my sword would tear me apart due to the intricate changes in his technique.
'I need to take a risk.'
I confront it head-on.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Twentieth Move.
Nine Mountains, Eight Seas.
I spun in place with my sword, once, twice, thrice, then again.
With each spin, the speed and power of my sword grew exponentially.
After nine spins, the power within my sword had become terrifyingly immense.
With every bit of my being, I slashed at the oncoming saber energy in all directions.
Boom!
A massive explosion sounded, and I witnessed my sword shatter.
Flung backward by the shockwave, I crashed into a large tree, spitting blood and kneeling.
My defeat was evident.
"Damn it... What seems to be the problem?"
"Hmm..."
Kim Young-hoon sighed softly.
"I don't know. You... I can't fathom why you're still in this realm. You should have become a peak master long ago."
"What do you mean?"
I asked, catching my breath.
It was absurd.
I had never even come close to enlightenment, let alone reach the Pinnacle Realm.
"Intriguing. Why is this happening? Hmm..."
After pondering, Kim Young-hoon looked at me thoughtfully and suggested,
"Perhaps you lack a catalyst."
"A catalyst?"
"Yes, a catalyst. Like desperation or a driving force. Something that would push your talent beyond its limits with extreme concentration..."
"What kind of catalyst are you talking about!"
I cut him off, yelling furiously with veins bulging in my eyes.
"I've wielded a sword for over 50 years! My entire life! I've longed to transcend to the next realm! You're telling me I need to be more desperate? How much more!"
I screamed as if in agony, disregarding the pain in my entire body.
"I've struggled my whole life to break free from being first-rate! What am I lacking? What more do I need to do? I've unblocked all my meridians.I even sleep with my hand on my sword, flowing sword energy!
I've reached a point where I even collect and process information in my dreams! But why! Why!!! Why won't the heavens show me the next realm!
Why!!!"
I thrashed about, screaming at the sky.
I knew it was undignified for someone nearly seventy.
But.
Having pursued the sword and yearned for the Pinnacle Realm all my life, yet never even grasping what that realm might be.
How could I not be in anguish?
"Why... just why..."
Sobbing, I looked up at the sky.
Kim Young-hoon watched me with a heavy heart, then flicked his finger towards the tree I had crashed into.
Splat!
Immediately, a significant volume of martial arts techniques filled the tree.
"I've created martial arts to supplement your weaknesses during our spar. It's hardly a consolation, but I hope you'll master them and find some peace."
After speaking, Kim Young-hoon disappeared like a phantom again.
I gazed at the sky for a while before turning my attention to the martial art techniques he left.
There were two: Mountain Lord Martial Arts and Transcending Peaks Step.
In just a short sparring session, he had effortlessly created two martial arts.
I marveled at his incredible talent for martial arts and slowly studied the two techniques.
Mountain Lord Martial Arts was a body technique.
It dealt with pressuring the enemy with the presence of a Mountain Lord, creating movements like a tiger.
Transcending Peaks Step was a footwork technique.
Uniquely, it allowed one to take any step and assume the stance of the first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Transcending Peaks. Given the nature of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, any subsequent move could follow, allowing for endless combinations.
'Using Mountain Lord Martial Arts and Transcending Peaks Step together.'
It would be possible to pressure the enemy with the presence of a Mountain Lord and relentlessly attack with Transcending Peaks Step.
A technique to dry up and kill the opponent.
'These two perfectly complement the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.'
As so, they were also relatively easy to learn.
I suddenly reflected on my martial prowess.
"Now... Against a first-rate martial artist, I can guarantee a 100% win rate without resorting to tricks."
I had completely surpassed the first-rate level.
Yet, I still hadn't reached the Pinnacle Realm.
Somewhere between first-rate and the pinnacle.
That was my current level of skill.
How long must I remain in this realm?
"Catalyst..."
I mulled over Kim Young-hoon's words.
What am I lacking?
I couldn't figure it out.
Time flowed on like a river.
Once again.
50 years have passed since my return.
My days were numbered.
I had surpassed the first-rate level but was still not at the Pinnacle Realm.
I was tired of wielding the sword.
In my past life, I swung my sword until my dying breath.
But in this life, despite being more skilled than before, swinging the sword felt burdensome.
I guessed the reason.
'There's no meaning to it, that's why.'
For 50 years, I wielded the sword.
Yet, I never became a peak master.
What's the point of swinging the sword when death is near?
It would all be the same anyway.
"Is he... dead?"
That day, I swung my sword and looked up at the sky.
Kim Young-hoon hadn't appeared for almost five years.
The last time we met, he was being pursued by Core Formation cultivators. Perhaps he was caught and killed by one or two of them.
"This must be our fate, his and mine."
When was my death due?
Perhaps in a few days, my vital energy would be exhausted, and I would die.
Even now, swinging the sword was an act of willpower.
"To overcome."
Whoosh!
"The limits."
Whoosh!
"As a human."
Whoosh!
"There's only so far... you can go."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
I sighed and gazed aimlessly at the sky.
"With my talent, struggling all this time was my limit. And his talent too had its limits."
Yes.
Starting from the next life, I should try a different approach.
Knowing that I couldn't become a peak in a lifetime, I might as well beg cultivators for some elixir to attain spiritual quality.
That would be the best I could do.
"Even if mortals struggle, they can't escape the destiny set by the heavens..."
"Cough!"
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon appeared beside me like a phantom.
Coughing up blood.
"Cough, cough... What nonsense are you spouting, Seo Eun-hyun?"
"No, it's not that..."
"Cough... Gagging..."
Despite coughing up blood, he was laughing.
Both his arms were severed, and one eye was missing, scarred by a cut.
"Damn it, what happened? You're in bad shape."
I was startled by his sudden appearance and hurried to check his pulse and fetch medical tools.
Then, something grabbed my nape.
"Eh?"
What is this?
Weren't his arms severed?
Something invisible was holding my nape.
And Kim Young-hoon, despite coughing up blood, was laughing hysterically.
"Look! The price for blowing off one of the Core Formation cultivator's arms!!! I, I have inflicted significant damage on a Core Formation cultivator!"
"What...?"
"I, I have seen the realm beyond the Five Energies Converging to the Origin with my own two eyes!"
He continued speaking while spewing blood.
"I reached it by risking my life, burning my life! Look, Eun-hyun, I traveled hundreds of miles to show you. I decided to entrust my last words to you!"
Whoosh!
Above Kim Young-hoon's head, a concentration of saber energy formed.
I wasn't particularly surprised.
Projecting internal energy into the air was a feat he'd shown several times after reaching the Pinnacle Realm.
Gradually, the sword energy began to shine and change.
It was Gang Qi.
'This is something he's done even in the Five Energies realm.'
But then, the Gang Qi began to change again.
"This is..."
The Gang Qi started compressing into a sphere.
It was a change I'd never seen before in my several lifetimes following Kim Young-hoon.
Like the day he first entered the Five Energies realm.
Five small spheres hovered above his head.
The Gang Qi morphed into a small spherical shape.
"With this, I could blow off a Core Formation cultivator's arm. Before, I could only fight Qi Building cultivators using ambushes or surprise attacks, but with this, I can face them head-on in a battle of strength! Look, Eun-hyun! This is the result of surpassing the martial arts of the martial world I've pursued my whole life!"
Whoosh!
Kim Young-hoon launched the spherical mass of Gang Qi towards the back of my house.
Boom!
An enormous explosion sounded, and the house I had built with all the money I had gathered over 50 years was destroyed in a second.
"My... house..."
For a moment, I felt a mix of numbness and rage, but I managed to suppress it and examined the power of the martial art he displayed.
'The three-story building exploded completely. There's hardly any debris left. Luckily, there were no servants around, otherwise, it could have killed hundreds in one blow.'
Most importantly.
The hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of saber marks in the 'remaining' debris.
That Gang Qi Sphere contained tens of thousands of saber energies.
'The power is unimaginable. It's stronger than any martial art Kim Young-hoon has shown since reaching the Five Energies realm.'
His claim about being able to confront cultivators in a head-on battle of strength seemed plausible.
Moreover, his martial arts, which began with Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, were primarily designed for ambush and escape, so ambushing a Core Formation cultivator with this could have easily blown off an arm.
"I... came... to show you... Eun-hyun..."
He whispered faintly, reciting some martial formulas.
"Remember... these formulas... They are... the essence of my realizations, compressed... Please, pass on my martial arts... to future generations..."
"Don't speak. I'll treat you."
I applied pressure points to stop his bleeding and was about to take him to a nearby doctor.
Whoosh!
A middle-aged man in blue robes appeared in the sky above my house.
"I've found you. Extreme Monster. So, you've been hiding here. Listen, mortal! This man has committed grave crimes against the celestial clan of cultivators. Leave him and go!"
"You've come to punish him?"
"Yes. Don't tell me you're an associate of this Extreme Monster? Planning to protect him? Useless..."
Thud!
Before the man could finish speaking, I hoisted Kim Young-hoon on my back and dashed towards a nearby mountain range.
"Tsk, he seems to be an associate of the Extreme Monster. Didn't he hear from the Extreme Monster about us cultivators?"
The middle-aged man's voice seemed to echo everywhere.
"Ha, well. Let's enjoy this last bit of entertainment. Run, if you can."
Swoosh!
From the direction where the middle-aged man was, light burst, and several black masses fell to the ground.
Thud, thud, thud!
The masses that fell to the ground rose up and started chasing after me.
'Are those... corpses?'
Moving corpses.
Jiangshi (Chinese Zombies).
Aaah!
Grrr!
Waaargh!
The Jiangshi chased after me.
Unlike old me, these dead things didn't tire and kept charging.
"By the way, Extreme Monster, is that a nickname given by the cultivators? Unique."
"..."
I kept talking to keep the barely conscious Kim Young-hoon awake while fleeing.
"Two 'monsters' being chased by Jiangshi in their old age, what a peculiar sight."
"Damn it, I knew this would happen when you started picking fights with those cultivators."
"But if you were going to do that, you should have won outright. Why just blow off an arm? What's the point?"
Aaaah!
A Jiangshi that had gotten close extended its claws at me.
"Damn it, corpses are immune to poison."
Thwack!
I threw a hidden weapon, hitting the Jiangshi's ankle joint precisely.
The Jiangshi stumbled and fell, and I took the opportunity to flee even farther.
"Damn it. Shouldn't you be carrying me and running, given you've reverted to a younger body? I'm out of breath. Why are your arms cut off anyway?"
Aaaaah!
The Jiangshi relentlessly pursued me.
I gritted my teeth and kept running.
Morning passed, noon passed, and night fell.
How many times had the sun risen and set?
"Huff, huff..."
I ended up cornered in a dead-end.
A large cliff behind me blocked the way, and Jiangshi surrounded me in front.
"Amazing. A mere mortal withstanding my Jiangshi for three days and nights."
"Huff... Huff..."
I looked up at the middle-aged man floating in the sky, gasping for breath.
"Now you have nowhere to run, and there's no need. The Extreme Monster is already dead, isn't he? Mortal."
"Huff... Huff..."
Sweat poured down like rain.
My legs trembled.
But with the last of my willpower from 50 years of training, I spoke to the cultivator.
"I know...Any first-rate doctor can recognize a corpse. That Kim Young-hoon, this madman, died of excessive bleeding... I know that."
"Then why did you run? Mortal, I'm only interested in the Extreme Monster's head. Your insignificant life means nothing to me. You should have just left the body and fled."
"Ha, ha ha... Ha ha ha."
I laughed crazily and slowly laid down Kim Young-hoon's body.
"This man... was my martial arts master. Is it right to hand over my master's body to an outsider, even if you are a cultivator?"
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Dragon Vein Qi Method.
Mountain Lord Martial Arts and Transcending Peaks Step.
And everything else that helped me reach this level.
It was all thanks to Kim Young-hoon's teachings.
He was a fellow countryman and also my martial arts master.
If you want my masters head, youll have to take mine first!
Hmm, how dare you speak so boldly to a practitioner of the Dao. Youve got some nerve. It seems like your vital energy is depleting, and you dont have much time left. Are you being brave because youre about to die?
My shout seemed to irk the middle-aged man in blue robes.
These mortals, ignorant of what it means to be a Daoist cultivator. It seems they dont understand what we are capable of. Are you not afraid of death? Or do you not value your life? In that case, Ill show you. Cultivators of the Dao have the power to inflict suffering worse than death
The man in blue robes began muttering some incantation, extending his hand towards me.
I hastily dodged, anticipating an attack, but his spell targeted not me, but something else.
What is this?
The cultivators spell had settled into Kim Young-hoons corpse, and the dead man began to rise again.
The surrounding Jiangshi, each detached an arm and threw it towards the reanimating corpse of Kim Young-hoon.
The arms of the Jiangshi attached to the shoulders of Kim Young-hoons corpse.
A Jiangshi?
The cultivator had turned Kim Young-hoon into a Jiangshi with his spell
You wretched mortal, how dare you scream in the presence of a Daoist cultivator. Now pay the price. Go on, Extreme Monster, kill this disciple of yours with your own hands.
Grrr Ahhh
The corpse of Kim Young-hoon staggered and then lunged at me. I quickly drew my sword to block his strike and retreated.
This vile cultivator!
To dishonor the spirit of the deceased in such a way!
I gritted my teeth, blocking each attack from the transformed Jiangshi.
Fortunately, he cant use his martial arts from his lifetime.
He was only pushing me with the strength and speed of a Jiangshi.
Naturally, the strength infused by the cultivator seemed formidable, imposing a tremendous burden on my aged body with its sheer power and speed.
Damn it, damn it!
With each strike of my sword, my eyes reddened in rage.
Every slash I made at Kim Young-hoons body felt like a tremendous insult.
Im sorry.
But I steeled my heart and took my fighting stance.
If this is how it is.
Let's end it quickly.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship,
Twenty-First Move.
Heavenly Lake!
Old memories rushed in.
Why is the twenty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship called Heavenly Lake? All other stances have names related to valleys, peaks, or mountains, but why this one?
Early in this life.
I had asked Kim Young-hoon, wondering if he knew since the revised Severing Mountain Swordsmanship included this stance by his previous cycle's self.
Hmm, Heavenly Lake? It reminds me of Baekdu Mountain's Heavenly Lake.
Baekdu Mountain?
Haha, yes. Does this world also have a Heavenly Lake like Baekdu Mountain? Or maybe someone from Korea like us named this move.
Hahaha I guess so.
Heavenly Lake ().
A vast lake reflecting the sky.
A vast pool located at the highest mountain peak.
The spirit of that terrain naturally emanated from me.
Imagery of Heavenly Lake, along with the countless memories of being taught martial arts by Kim Young-hoon, came to mind.
The essence of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship flowed through my memory.
The Heavenly Lake holds the myriad forms of the heavens, yet it itself never changes.
In essence, the symbolized heaven represents the object I contend with.
The lake that contains it signifies my single strike.
Crash!
Sword energy swept over Kim Young-hoon's entire body, and my sword was sheathed back into its scabbard.
In an instant, his movements froze.
The twenty-first move of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Heavenly Lake, is a technique that momentarily suppresses the opponent's movements by drawing in all the 'power' flowing through their meridians into my sword energy, trapping it within my sword.
A skill that could only be executed by someone who is both a first-rate doctor and an expert in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
A martial art exclusively tailored for me, an extraordinary move that no one but I could perform.
Rumble!
Within the sheathed sword, the briefly stolen power surged.
Left alone, it would eventually dissipate, but I chose to preserve this energy and resumed the stance for the next move.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Twenty-second Move."
Excluding the twenty-third and twenty-fourth moves, which are more conceptual and theoretical.
The true secret technique () of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
'If the corpse is intact, it could be used by the cultivator as a zombie.'
Therefore, I have to leave no corpse behind.
'Rest in peace.'
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
The secret technique.
"Severing Mountain."
The content of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's secret technique was not grandiose.
True to its purpose of cutting through mountains, it was simply about making brute sword cuts.
Starting from the first move, Transcending Peaks, all the way to the twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake, pouring all the moves at once on the opponent!
That was the secret technique of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Severing Mountain.
The first move, Transcending Peaks.
With the unsheathing of the sword, I rode the flow of power stolen from Kim Young-hoon's body, cutting him horizontally.
The second move, Entering Mountain.
Quickly switching to a lower stance to strike his legs.
The third move, Ascending Vein.
Cutting upward while holding the sword from the lower stance.
The fourth move, Flowing Ridge.
Sending winding sword energy to stab.
The fifth move, Bouldered Cliff.
Rotating and delivering several slashing strikes.
The sixth move, Strange Stone.
Changing the grip and adding a deceptive move.
The seventh move, Deep Mountain.
Returning into a defensive posture and cutting diagonally upward.
The eighth move, Secluded Valley.
Twisting and nullifying the opponent's force aimed at me.
The ninth move, Landscape Painting.
Delivering diagonal sword energy strikes from left and right, totaling six slashes.
The tenth move, Dragon Vein.
Drawing up energy to make a large cut.
The eleventh move, Cliff Edge.
Cutting again from below upward.
The twelfth move, Nine Lights Emerging Peak.
Sending nine streams of sword energy beyond.
By this point, Kim Young-hoon's body was completely tattered.
'To completely obliterate it.'
So that the cultivator could not revive any part and desecrate the spirit!
Even in its tattered state, it writhed and attacked me again.
Tremendous power and speed!
'I must avoid it!'
No, what's the point of avoiding?
My life is already at its end.
A life already destined for death.
At this moment, to ensure that my master's legacy is no longer insulted, burn everything!
"Arrgh!"
The thirteenth move, Joy of Mountains and Peaks.
Striking down five slashes and then another five.
Ten slashes in total, enveloping him from all directions.
Kyaaah!
The Jaingshi's hand broke through the barrage of slashes, attacking me.
I'm going to die.
'I can't die yet.'
More, just a bit more!
Draw more energy!
My brain processed and input information faster.
The surrounding space, sound, smell, the humidity and temperature, the taste of blood on my tongue.
It felt like my brain would explode.
'Let it burst.'
More and more!
Until my brain burns completely!
The fourteenth move, Qi Mountain Heart Heaven.
The Dragon Vein Qi Method surged, and my momentum grew immense.
Simultaneously, sword energy condensed, taking the form of Sword Silk!
In this situation, a direct strike was inevitable.
And then.
Crackle
My brain, under the pressure of impending death, burst through something.
Ah
Is this my imagination?
Red.
And blue.
All the colors of the world vanished, leaving only these two.
Red.
And blue.
Ah
Is this...
A red line extended from Kim Young-hoon's fingertips to my head.
Instinctively, I sensed it was [the next attack].
Whoosh!
I avoided the attack with minimal movement and raised my sword.
A blue line stretched from my sword to his ribs.
Instinctively, I sensed it was [the optimal path for me].
Entranced, I followed the blue line with my sword.
Slash!
My sword cut through his upper body.
Somehow, Kim Young-hoon's face seemed to be smiling faintly.
Seeing that faint smile,
I repeated a thought I had before.
A genius bestowed by heaven.
And a dunce abandoned by heaven.
Poles apart, yet we seemed alike.
The reason was.
Because in the fate given by the heavens, we both struggled desperately.
Here, there are neither geniuses nor dunces.
Only those who spent their lives resisting fate and those who will die doing the same.
Yes.
As long as we live in the fate given by the heavens, talent is irrelevant. We are similar humans.
Is this how you're ending it?
On his corpse, it seemed Kim Young-hoon's face from his living days was reflected.
'Of course not.'
As if bewitched, I continued to unleash my sword.
The fifteenth move, Layered Mountains.
Thousands of sword energies thinly split, becoming a storm that enveloped his entire body.
A defensive move originally used to nullify the opponent's energy evolved into a lethal strike, optimized for the situation.
The sixteenth move, Mountain Tiger.
The claws and fangs of the tiger living in the Layered Mountains concentrated at a single point, tearing through his body.
The seventeenth move, Mountain and Valley Transformation.
Sword energy sent to the ground changed the terrain, shaking his foundation.
The eighteenth move, Echoing Valley.
Emptying my intent in the sword energy to counter and strike back.
The nineteenth move, Mountains Echoes, Valleys Respond.
Sword energy transformed into a wave, delivering a strike that he couldn't avoid, shredding his body.
The twentieth move, Nine Mountains, Eight Seas.
Rotating several times on the spot and delivering cuts in all directions, tearing apart his form,
The twenty-first move, Heavenly Lake.
Swinging the sword again, gathering all the waves, flows, and power I had unleashed into the sword.
Rumble!
The power of all the waves, flows, and power from the twenty moves of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship were gathered.
This vast energy was suppressed inside the sheathed sword.
I unsheathed my sword again, just like at the beginning.
Concentrating all this power into a single slashing strike.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
"My twenty-second move."
The secret technique.
"Severing Mountain!"
The essence of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship in a single strike!
Releasing this final strike, I saw the the passing of my life before my eyes.
Ah, yes.
This is the end.
Flash!
With my strike, Kim Young-hoon's body completely shattered, scattering in all directions.
Now, even if a cultivator comes, his body cannot be further desecrated.
Thus, I ascended to the new realm I had longed for.
And concluded this tenacious life.
That was my fourth return
***
Ah.
I opened my eyes.
A familiar feeling.
"Another regression, it seems."
I recalled the last moments of my past life.
Resisting until the very end...
"Finally, I have ascended."
Yes, I'm fully conscious now.
In that last moment, I certainly...
"I reached the peak!"
Overwhelmed with excitement, I looked up at the sky, oblivious to my surroundings, and shouted.
"Finally! At last!!!"
I had reached the long-coveted peak!!!
Buzz!
A familiar sound echoes.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, a face I haven't seen in a while, is there.
But I didn't even glance in his direction, just closed my eyes again.
Swoosh!
Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand cuts through the air towards me.
Feeling his movement, I awakened 'that sensation' I had reached just before dying.
'I can see it!'
Even with my eyes closed, it's vivid.
A red trajectory was aimed at my cheek.
With my eyes still shut, I dodged Jeon Myeong-hoon's slap with the optimum movement.
"This guy dodged it?"
Whoosh, whoosh!
Jeon Myeong-hoon swung his hand several more times, but I, still with closed eyes, dodged every one of his strikes with minimal movement.
'I can see it. Jeon Myeong-hoon's next move. The direction of his hand. It's cearly visible.'
In the past, I could dodge someone like Jeon Myeong-hoon without even looking, but that was all based on decades of martial arts training and 'predicting' where he'll strike.
But now, it's different.
The red threadlines reveal his path.
Whether my eyes are open or closed, these threadlines are vividly present.
This is not 'prediction,' but more like 'premonition.'
'Is this the [vision] of a peak master?'
I finally understood why a first-raate master, even when outnumbering the enemy, could never defeat a peak master.
'It's visible. The direction and trajectory of attacks by inferior first-rate warriors are clearly visible. How could they win if their attacks can't even touch a peak master?'
To confront a peak master, a first-rate warrior would need to attack with dozens of people in a swarm strategy.
'Setting aside the direction and trajectory of the attack.'
I set my determination and faced Jeon Myeong-hoon, who was rushing towards me.
At the same time, the red lines indicating his trajectory disappeared, and my vision was filled with blue lines.
Face, shoulders, chest, arms, flanks, stomach, lower abdomen, pelvis, legs, knees, feet.
Blue lines densely targeted dozens of spots.
Instinctively, I knew.
These blue lines indicate the opponent's vulnerabilities and the optimal path for my attack.
The gap in combat skills between me and Jeon Myeong-hoon must be so vast that so many vulnerabilities are exposed.
'So that's it. The red and blue back then.'
"Ah, a master of Three Flowers. The first I've seen in this city besides myself."
"Three Flowers aren't common. Most live their lives only in red and blue. I, too, haven't met a master like you in a long time."
A conversation between Kim Young-hoon and Pal Jik-tae, supreme elder of the Qia River sect, during my second regression.
Pal Jik-tae indeed mentioned 'red and blue' back then.
At the time, I didn't understand a word, but now I do.
'He was talking about this 'vision' that peak masters see.'
The red line to read the opponent's attack.
The blue line for the optimal attack.
This dual-colored world, where one can exchange gaps, was the world of peak masters, the 'red and blue' world he mentioned.
When I reached this conclusion.
Drip
'What?'
I suddenly felt a nosebleed.
At the same time, I felt 'pain.'
It hurts!
As if my brain is burning!
'Damn, does using this [vision] overload the brain?'
I quickly sealed the acupoints of Jeon Myeong-hoon, who was rushing at me, quickly deactivated [vision], and put him to sleep with sleep-inducing herbs.
There was pain the moment I activated [vision], but I ignored it.
However, as the usage time extended, the pain intensified, eventually feeling like my brain was burning.
'The time I used [vision] in the scuffle with Jeon Myeong-hoon was mere moments, and yet the pain is this intense...'
What's the problem?
After pondering for a while, I calmed my still-confused colleagues, took them to a cave, lit a fire, cooked fruits and grilled mushrooms, and put them to sleep.
After the sun set and all my colleagues were asleep, I sat outside the cave and organized my thoughts.
"Let's sort out what 'Pinnacle Realm' is all about."
The Pinnacle Realm essentially overloads the brain to visualize and read the opponent's path of combat.
Even for a blind person, if they can read the opponent's path, two colors vividly appear in their mind, as if experiencing it.
It's more than visualization; it's like my brain arbitrarily colors the paths I foresee in blue and red.
"Using this vision, I can read every movement of my opponent and target their vulnerabilities with the optimal path."
This is why, in my past life, Kim Young-hoon's constant application of maximized senses to me seemed like an 'imitation of the Pinnacle Realm.'
I indirectly calculated the opponent's path by maximizing the senses.
But due to my lack of talent, I only awakened to this Pinnacle Realm at the very end, despite having imitated it.
"Amazing."
Once again, I looked at the world through the vision of the Pinnacle Realm.
Watching the leaves fall at night, I envisioned the blue lines.
Hundreds, thousands of blue threads appeared, directed at the leaves.
I grabbed a nearby branch and swung it towards the leaves.
The branch was blunt, not even shaped like a sword.
Even the leaves, fresh and fluttering in the night breeze, were not easy targets.
Yet, the moment I struck the leaves with the branch, following the optimal path the blue lines showed, they were sliced.
Crack!
The leaves were cut cleanly in half by the blunt branch, not imbued with any internal energy.
On the first day of my regression in my previous life, I had briefly reached this state.
I was unconscious then, but now my consciousness is clear.
I stood up, holding the branch, and danced with it as if it were a sword.
As I danced amidst the fluttering leaves, they all were cut by the branch.
Swish, swish!
Countless sword strokes pierced the leaves.
Thousands of optimal paths extended before my eyes.
I closed my eyes, imagining the fluttering leaves as first-rate masters.
With no internal energy and only a slightly thick branch in hand, could I defeat so many first-rate masters?
"I can win!"
First-rate masters, each armed with their weapons, charged at me.
Spears, swords, hidden weapons, maces, polearms, fists, lances, broadswords, and countless other weapons assaulted me.
But I wasn't afraid.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Continuously dancing with my sword, I dodged the first-rate masters' weapons and linked the optimal sword paths.
With my single sword stroke, their techniques were dismantled, their balance destroyed, and all were defeated.
"Haa..."
When I opened my eyes, there were numerous split leaves around me.
Drip...
Despite the nosebleed and the burning sensation in my brain from using the vision, I felt exhilarated.
"I am now a peak master!"
I stopped the nosebleed with a medicinal herb, then wandered around digging up centuries-old yellow bamboo roots.
"Perhaps the inability to maintain the vision for long is due to the lack of internal energy."
A certain level of internal energy is necessary to endure and extend the duration of the vision.
After digging up the roots, I chewed and swallowed them right there, leaving only a few for Kim Young-hoon.
Now that I had ascended to a peak master, there was no need to sell them.
"Yellow bamboo roots... I'll leave just a couple for Kim Young-hoon and consume the rest."
There were about ten roots around my vicinity in Ascension Path, and probably more if I expanded my search, but it wasn't necessary.
I consumed eight yellow bamboo roots, excluding the two for Kim Young-hoon.
Gurgling...
Guided by the Dragon Vein Qi Method, the immense spiritual power of the yellow bamboo roots surged through my meridians.
Whew...
An immense reserve of internal energy accumulated in an instant.
I had more internal energy now than in my previous life, where I had practiced for 50 years.
"Shall I try again?"
Aided massive internal energy, I activated the peak master's vision again.
I practiced with the vision for about an hour with no significant issues.
The burning discomfort started after about a meal's time.
"That's my limit, about an hour and a half."
No matter how much internal power I had, it only delayed the onset of pain; it didn't eliminate it.
"The only way is to repeatedly train using the peak master's vision."
To reduce the burning pain and gradually acclimate my brain to the vision.
"Endless training is the answer."
I might not be a genius, but this is the best way for someone not born with talent.
This life's goal is to first overcome the burning pain when using the peak master's vision and ultimately...
"Three Flowers Gather at the Summit...!"
To reach the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, also known as the pinnacle of pinnacle.
"I won't aim for the Five Energies Converging to the Origin realm in this life. The Three Flowers Gather at the Summit is already challenging enough."
The realm of Three Flowers was somewhat graspable.
As the supreme elder of Qia River Sect said, "The third."
Red symbolizes the enemy's intent; blue, my intent.
Besides these, there is a 'third' color, the line that separates the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit from the rest of the Pinnacle Realm.
The third.
"Though I can't quite grasp what it is."
The leap from first-rate to peak felt insurmountable, but reaching the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit from the peak seems slightly easier.
Smiling, I looked at Kim Young-hoon, sleeping in the cave.
"Surely, I'll be able to learn much more from him now."
Having reached the peak, the level of teaching I could receive from Kim Young-hoon would be incomparable to when I was just a first-rate master.
Moreover, I possessed the six volumes of insights and the final formula left by the previous Kim Young-hoon.
This life's Kim Young-hoon will certainly surpass the one from before!
"I, too, in this life, will achieve the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and get closer to being a true cultivator!"
With that resolution, I peacefully watched the rising morning sun in front of the cave.
***
The morning dawned.
As in previous regressions, the three-tailed fox as large as a house, the supposed ruler of this forest, came to visit us.
I bowed simply to the fox and offered my arm, proposing as tribute..
During this, a curiosity struck me.
'Would I see red lines on the fox?'
As the fox drooled over my arm, I activated the vision of a peak master
I then witnessed a terrifying sight.
Red everywhere!
The whole world around me was covered in red!
Huh, gasp...!
If humans had shown me trajectories in the shape of lines, the fox was different. From the center of its forehead, a crimson light engulfed everything around.
It wasn't just lines.
It was more than a surface; it was a three-dimensional form, with the red light devouring the surrounding space.
'I can't win.'
Acknowledging the fox's red light, its 'domain', I could only extend my arm in awe.
Crunch, crunch!
Even as the fox chewed off my arm, I could only groan in astonishment, observing its domain.
'What is this? How can space be filled with red light like this?'
I couldn't understand.
What kind of creature was this?
And then, a few days later, the arrival of cultivators made me wear an astonished expression again.
'Red!'
The three monsters who came to retrieve Jeon Myeong-hoon, Oh Hyun-seok, and Kang Min-hee were similar to the fox, with red light emanating from them, engulfing the space around.
That's when I understood the difference between cultivators and martial artists.
'In martial arts, at best, their paths and intents form lines. But with cultivators, for some reason, their intents take over the entire space.'
I imagined fighting those cultivators in a space dominated by their red light.
'I can't win...'
I understood why even the lowest cultivators were on par with a peak master.
Even without actual combat experience, if they can dominate space with their intents like that, it's impossible for a peak master to read a cultivator's intentions.
Conversely, within their dominated space, a cultivator would know everything like the back of their hand.
It was a complete mismatch in terms of compatibility.
The next day, after they took my colleagues, I seized the opportunity to ask Sea Dragon King Seo Hweol, who came for Deputy Manager Oh Hye-seo.
"I have a question for Lord Sea Dragon King."
[Hmm, what is it?]
After briefly explaining what I saw, I asked about the cultivators' red territory.
Seo Hweol laughed and explained to me.
[Cultivators all possess something called 'divine consciousness (). Ordinary mortals consciousness doesn't extend beyond their brain, but cultivators can extend it to cover the surrounding space, allowing them to know anything they wish. I, as a spiritual creature, have the same ability. Is this answer sufficient?]
"Thank you."
Since our conversation was in the language of Yanguo, Kim Young-hoon and others seemed to not understand.
Shortly after Seo Hweol left, a hunchbacked grotesque figure appeared to take Manager Kim away, pushing me and Kim Young-hoon into a spatial rift.
I lost consciousness again.
Splash!
"!"
Gurgling, bubbling!
I suddenly found myself engulfed in a current, snapped to my senses, and struggled.
'What's this, this is...'
It was underwater.
Gulp, gulp!
Regaining my senses, I swam towards the light above.
Having learned to swim decently in my past life while hunting water bandits, I had no problem swimming.
"Puff, damn it. Last time it was a tree, now it's underwater. What variety."
It was likely Yanguo again, but the problem was I was randomly dropped somewhere in Yanguo.
Looking around, it was a large lake.
'Wait, where's Kim Young-hoon?'
While scanning the surroundings, I suddenly looked down into the lake.
I saw Kim Young-hoon with bubbles escaping his mouth, sinking below.
'Damn, he'll die if I leave him!'
I quickly swam down, lifted Kim Young-hoon, and swam back to the surface.
On the shore, I laid Kim Young-hoon down and used acupressure to force the water out of his lungs and stomach.
Sploosh!
Kim Young-hoon spat out water from his mouth and nose and seemed to regain consciousness after a while.
"Huh, gasp! Where is this!"
"We're completely somewhere else."
After briefly explaining the situation to him, we surveyed our surroundings.
"Hmm, judging by the location, this must be Chicken Head Lake ()," I mused.
The lake was named so because, from above, it resembled the head of a chicken.
After four lifetimes, there was no place in Yanguo I didnt know.
Nearby should be Changho City.
"Uh, ugh... What do we do? If we've fallen completely somewhere else... Are there any people around?"
"It seems so. Look, there's a building over there."
"Oh, really?"
I pointed to a waterborne building erected at the corner of Chicken Head Lake.
"I can swim, so I'll go to that building and borrow some clothes, money, and food."
"Wait, will they understand you?"
"Actually, Ive learned Chinese, and it seems to work well enough. I'll teach you later."
After making an excuse, I swam towards the building.
If my memory serves me right, this building was...
'The den of Chicken Waterway Fort ().'
A place I had raided in my past life.
The head of Chicken Waterway Fort was a late first-rate master, and the vice leader was mid first-rate. The other four major bandits seemed to be barely first-rate.
The rest were insignificant, mostly between third and second-rate.
Still, I had to previously use poison due to their numbers.
Splash, splash!
A few second-rate water bandits, keeping watch at the den, shouted upon seeing me.
"Hey! Who are you, man!"
"Haha, whos this crazy guy? Swimming to Chicken Waterway Fort?
"Hahaha, is he trying to join the Fort or what?"
"Looks like a newbie!"
Hahaha
I ignored their remarks and slowly approached the building.
Then, one of the bandits started to lower his trousers.
"Hahaha, hey newbie. If you want to enter the main house, you have to undergo hazing!"
Drip, drip
A yellow stream accompanied by a foul smell came towards me.
Droplets of the yellow liquid splashed on my head.
The guy aimed directly at my head, trying to hit me with it.
Splat, splat.
Calmly taking the hit, I climbed up Chicken Waterway Fort.
But...
Thump, thump!
"How dare you come up here! Wont you go back down?"
"Man, hurry up and take the holy water baptism from the brother! Hahaha!"
The low-ranked bandits pushed me with wooden sticks, trying to push me back into the water.
I ignored their attacks and eventually made it up to the Fort.
"Damn it, I told you not to come up..."
A bandit with a wooden stick charged at me.
Whack!
"Krr... Aaargh!"
I kicked his ankle at an invisible speed, knocking him down.
"Hmm, decent enough."
I picked up the wooden stick he dropped, weighed it in my hand, and held onto it.
"First, you. How many have you killed in Chicken Waterway Fort?"
"You, you damn bastard. I've killed more than fifty with my own hands..."
Thwack!
I didn't wait for his full response and swung the stick, beheading him.
"Next, you guys. How many have you killed so far?"
"What, what the hell is he doing!"
Swoosh, swoosh!
The remaining bandits drew their swords without hesitation and charged at me.
"Seeing no hesitation in your stabs, you must have killed a lot."
Swoosh, swoosh!
I swung the stick again, cleanly slicing the charging bandits and dropping them into the water.
"Ugh, ugh... Wait a minute..."
The last one left was the bandit who had urinated on me.
"I'm a newbie in Chicken Waterway Fort! I havent killed anyone yet..."
"The others called you brother."
"Please, spare..."
Whoosh!
Swoosh!
I cleanly cut him from his lower parts to his head.
Splat!
After washing off the dirty urine with the blood of the bandits, I entered deeper into Fort.
Bandits were wildly smoking cigarettes and drugs, drinking, and playing with women.
The women, mostly captured, were tied up and bruised.
"Haha, what's that?"
A bandit noticed me covered in blood and rubbed his eyes.
"What, whats this?"
"What kind of guy is this?"
"Hey, grab your weapons. Looks like we have a guest."
Though drunk, they were used to killing people and naturally took positions with their weapons.
"Theres no need to ask about those inside."
Woosh
I infused the wooden stick with sword energy.
"Die, all of you."
"What are you doing? Welcome the guest!"
"Yaaahhhh!"
"Hehehehe!"
From the front, above, and both sides, the water bandits each holding a weapon, rushed towards me.
I entered the vision of a peak master.
Red lines were prevalent all around.
Those lines were the trajectories of attacks aimed at me.
'So this is what it feels to be at the peak.'
It felt somewhat ludicrous.
Knowing in advance that none of them could touch me.
I closed my eyes.
For facing such people, sight was unnecessary.
With my eyes closed, not listening to any sound, not paying attention to touch.
Focusing only on the red lines, I raised the stick in my hand.
"First move, Transcending Peaks."
Swoosh!
Bending my waist, I dodged the weapons of the first three, then swung my sword horizontally, bisecting them.
"Second move, Entering Mountain."
Switching to a lower stance, I cut off the legs of five bandits charging from around.
"Third move, Ascending Vein."
In the lower stance, I adjusted my grip on the sword and swung upwards.
Then, using the Transcending Peaks Step, I leaped into the middle of the bandits and swung my sword again.
Transcending Peaks, Entering Mountain, Ascending Vein
Continuously using these three basic techniques, I avoided the red lines and extended my sword energy in the direction the blue lines indicated, cutting them all down.
"Transcending Peaks, Entering Mountain, Ascending Vein."
"Ascending Vein, Entering Mountain, Ascending Vein"
"Transcending Peaks, Ascending Vein, Entering Mountain.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
With minimal movement, I cut down all the bandits.
When no more red lines aimed at me were visible, I opened my eyes to find a sea of blood around me.
"Urgh...argh...arghh..."
Looking to one side, the leader of Chicken Waterway Fort was writhing, trying to crawl out.
'From my memory, he was a late first-rate master.'
Among those I had recklessly cut down, he was one of them.
"Hey."
I approached the nearly dead leader and spoke to him.
"I, I, peak, peak master...! Spare, spare me..."
"Hey, I have one question for you. How long have I been fighting in this place?"
"A-about one moment..."
"Alright. Thanks. Die."
"Wa, wait. The money, where I hid it..."
Swoosh!
I didn't wait for his answer and beheaded him.
"I already knew where you hid your private funds from my last visit."
Leaving the leader's head, I freed the tied women and went to the prison, releasing those who seemed to be captives.
"Th, thank you, great hero!"
"Thank you for avenging us against those damn water bandits!"
I nodded to the captives and women thanking me and went to the leader's room to take out two of the most decent-looking sets of clothes.
Then, I broke the wall of the leader's room and took out a small wooden chest containing his hidden funds.
When I opened the chest, there were three silver ingots inside.
"He was a thrifty bandit."
I changed out of my bloodstained clothes into the leader's clothes and boarded a rowboat attached to the Fort.
"Gr-great hero. If you could tell me your name or title, I will surely repay you."
"Hmm, name or title..."
When one of the freed captives asked, I pondered, scratching my head.
'I haven't regressed for long, so I didn't spend much time yet...'
After a moment of thought, I brought up the title I used in my past life.
"My title is Infinite Fighting Monster. That's all you need to know."
"Th, thank you, great hero! I will surely repay you someday..."
"I understand~ I'm off then, so make sure you all get out safely."
To avoid any further hassle, I rowed the boat back to the lakeshore.
Kim Young-hoon was waiting for me there.
"Oh, you changed your clothes?"
"Yes, the owner was kind enough to give them to me. I told him our situation, and he even lent us money. Such a simple and kind person, it's refreshing to see such countryside generosity."
"Hahaha, we should thank the owner. I couldnt see the house well from afar, but what kind of place was it?"
"Hmm... As far as I heard, it's like a... something made by local fishermen. A place made for easier fishing, something like that."
"Is that so? That's quite interesting..."
I half-listened to Kim Young-hoon, and together we headed towards the nearby Changho city.
'In my past life, it took about a day to raid Chicken Waterway Fort and annihilate them.'
That too involved pre-poisoning them and setting fire to Chicken Waterway Fort to kill as many possible with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Even with all that, it took a day to annihilate them.
But now, fighting in the Pinnacle Realm, I wiped them all out in just a moment.
'All that with just a wooden stick.'
That was the difference between peak and first-rate.
'In my previous life, as a first-rate warrior, I obtained things suitable for first-rate. Now as a peak master, I can obtain things befitting a peak master.'
It hadn't been long since I regressed.
But this life seems more promising than any previous one.
***