Together with Kim Young-hoon, I headed to Changho city and used the money looted from the bandits to create identity plaques and buy a manor.
There, I taught him literacy and martial arts.
About two months later...
Woong
'He's growing faster.'
Slightly bemused, I watched Kim Young-hoon consuming yellow bamboo roots and entering the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.
It seemed that my ascension to a peak master and earnestly imparting a first-rate martial art, Severing Vein Saber Method, had spurred such rapid growth.
'It's a bit anticlimactic.'
But it was always like this.
While some spent a lifetime reaching the Pinnacle Realm, others, with the guidance of a peak master and first-rate martial arts, leapfrogged the Pinnacle Realm and directly entered Three Flowers.
Soon, three flower-like energies were absorbed through his nose and mouth, and Kim Young-hoon half-opened his eyes.
His eyes gleamed with wisdom.
"Congratulations on reaching Three Flowers Gather at the Summit. To think you achieved it before even fully learning literacy..."
"Hmm, I find it astonishing, myself. Who knew I had such martial talent..."
I looked at Kim Young-hoon impassively.
A hint of competitive spirit arose in me.
'Up until now, after Kim Young-hoon reached Three Flowers, I never really sparred with him.'
It was always him guiding me in practice spars.
What about now?
Me, having ascended to peak master, and Kim Young-hoon, who has just reached Three Flowers.
"...Firstly, congratulations. How about... a sparring match?"
"Haha, sparring sounds good. Somehow, I feel I might win this time."
He drew his saber, igniting his competitive spirit.
I drew my sword as well.
In the manor's practice yard, two peak masters began their duel.
Ping
I launched my killing intent at Kim Young-hoon.
Dozens of blue lines attached themselves to him.
Dozens of optimal paths targeted him.
Then, Kim Young-hoon readjusted his stance.
"...!"
Dozens of blue lines disappeared.
His weaknesses vanished, rendering all my potential attacks useless.
Woong
Simultaneously, hundreds of red threadlines targeted me.
I shifted my stance to eliminate my vulnerabilities and prepared to counterattack Kim Young-hoon's moves.
As I did, the red lines extending from him receded.
How intertwined our red and blue lines must have been.
Kim Young-hoon initiated the attack.
"Severing Vein Saber, Mountain Wind."
Ping!
A piercing attack with astonishing speed!
Yet, from that pierce, hundreds more red lines branched out.
A sign of numerous follow-up moves.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Strange Stone."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
I spun in place, taking a defensive and offensive posture, blocking his thrust.
"Severing Vein Saber, Grand White!"
His thrust twisted in mid-air, slashing from my upper right to lower left.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Transcending Peaks!"
I countered his saber with a horizontal slash, then recalculated dozens of paths.
My blue lines targeted his head, waist, and legs.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Entering Mountain."
Woong!
I switched to a lower stance and aimed for his leg.
In that brief moment, dozens of blue and red lines exchanged between us.
"Severing Vein Saber, Dragon's Mound!"
Similar to Severing Mountain Swordsmanship's Flowing Ridge, but with more intricate variations, the technique descended upon me.
In that brief moment, dozens more threadlines exchanged in the air between us.
We had already exchanged dozens of moves in this imaginary realm.
'Dodge? No, dodging would keep pushing me back.'
That would lead to defeat.
It doesnt matter.
It's just a sparring match.
But...
A surge of competitiveness rose within me.
Why?
'Ah, right. In this life, this might be my only chance to beat Kim Young-hoon.'
From now on, he will grow exponentially like a fish in water or a runaway train.
Next time we spar, he'll be beyond my reach.
This time.
This time, when he's just ascended to Three Flowers, is my last chance in this life to defeat him.
Yes, let's win.
Even if it means using everything I have.
I quickly moved my hand, grabbing a hidden weapon from my sleeve.
"Infinite Fighting Hidden Weapon Technique, Direct Snake."
Pivit!
The small weapon I launched from my hand flew towards Kim Young-hoon's face.
He dodged quickly, his face showing surprise.
But that gave me an opening in his stance.
Ting!
I deflected his saber and went on the offensive.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Flowing Ridge."
Fwit!
The serpentine sword energy shot towards him.
'It's blocked.'
A red line is drawn at an angle that could deflect my sword.
At the same time, a new branch extends from that line aiming for my shoulder.
"After deflecting, counterattack."
Swish!
Simultaneously, I pull out another weapon from my sleeve.
Holding the weapon, the number of blue lines I can use doubles.
His red lines changes.
The red branch that stretched from his saber to my shoulder now shifts towards my weapon.
Only after deflecting my weapon does the red branch stretch back towards me.
"Good."
But it's still not enough.
"I have more real combat experience!"
"Dragon Vein, Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven, Cliff Edge."
I incorporate three techniques into one movement.
With Dragon Vein, I rapidly circulate my internal energy to strengthen my sword energy.
Simultaneously, I open all the meridians in my body with Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven to further strengthen the energy.
With Cliff Edge, I vary the speed of my sword to make it difficult to react.
Swish!
Sword Silk forms at the tip of my sword, materializing the internal energy.
However, despite unleashing my enhanced sword energy, Kim Young-hoon swiftly retreated using a stepping technique, avoiding a direct hit. My sword only grazed his chest, causing a small scratch.
"That's it. I've got the momentum."
Mountain Lords Martial Arts, Transcending Peaks Step.
I charge with the momentum of a Mountain Lord, approaching with Transcending Peaks Step, then using Mountain Tiger to feign multiple strikes while actually using a diversion tactic to engage in a melee.
At the same time,
Ping! Ping!
I launch the weapon in my other hand while clashing blades with him.
Though I'm pushing him back, Kim Young-hoon finds an opportunity to counterattack, extending several red lines.
Treating it as real combat, I seize every opportunity. From throwing sand from the ground, spitting hidden needles, and persisting with tricky attacks. Kim Young-hoon, gradually cornered, infuses more energy into his saber with frustration.
Woong
The momentum shifts.
"Dangerous."
Something big is coming.
"I'll show you the realm of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit!"
Woong!
The energy in his saber begins to transform.
The intangible saber energy condenses, forming tangible threads like silk, evolving once again.
"That's...!"
The energy enveloping his saber fully materializes, emitting a bright white light.
"Saber Silk!"
"Taah!"
The bright white light engulfs everything in front of me.
If I clash with it, my sword will likely be cut in two.
Any peak master would face the same fate.
But.
My Severing Mountain Swordsmanship was created by a genius of the era, who had reached the absolute of martial arts.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Echoing Valley!"
A technique that shook off even Kim Young-hoon's energy in the previous life!
If it's his energy at this early stage of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, it's possible.
Woong!
"Remove intent from the sword, make it empty, and then accept the opponent's force..."
Reversed!
Kwaang!
I receive Kim Young-hoon's energy and counter it back at him.
A loud explosion follows, and Kim Young-hoon steps back three paces.
"Heh, impressive."
Thwoong
Kim Young-hoon's saber splits in two.
Inside, I'm shocked.
"He countered my reversal with his energy in that short time?"
By my calculations, when I countered with Echoing Valley, he should have been thrown back, his saber shattered. But in that moment, he recaptured his saber energy and countered with it.
"I admit defeat. My weapon is broken, a disgrace for any warrior. You're quite skilled, aren't you?"
"Dont worry. From now on, I will never be able to beat you again."
I sheathe my sword and speak calmly.
After today's duel, I won't be able to beat Kim Young-hoon in my next life either.
He grew in real-time during the fight and will become stronger after consolidating his insights. Fighting me, he gained near-real combat experience and will soon become one of the top Three Great Warriors.
"Actually, I've prepared a congratulatory gift for you reaching the Pinnacle Realm."
"Oh, wasn't this duel the gift? Is there more?"
"Yes, here"
I entered the house and gave him six books I had prepared.
"This is"
"Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture. I bought it from an old man. The minimum requirement is Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit. I read it but couldnt understand, so I'm giving it to you."
"Oh, what a fortunate encounter. I'll read it gratefully."
The insights gained from the Record of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts were maximized by Kim Young-hoon of the previous cycle and organized into various profound realizations.
I handed him the books, not as records () but as scriptures ().
Now, with the Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture, he will become so strong that I can't even dare to face him.
After teaching him more literacy and language for about a month, I went on to earn a living by slaughtering bandit groups and unorthodox sects near Changho City and capturing wanted criminals.
Once Young-hoon had learned all the characters, he spent about four months training crazily while looking at the six volumes of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture, his expression half dazed.
Four months passed like this.
"Young-hoon Hyung, I've earned some money."
I returned home with a bounty from capturing a famous late-stage master bandit near Changho City.
But Kim Young-hoon was not at home.
'What? Did he go out?'
He had been reading the Scripture and training martial arts as if possessed, but today, he was nowhere to be found in the house.
'It seems like he has left the house entirely...'
That's when it happened.
Swoosh!
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon appeared out of thin air, like a ghost.
"What the...!"
"Haha, I tried using one of the techniques written in the Scripture, and you really couldn't find me. This book is indeed an incredible martial arts text...!"
"Young-hoon Hyung, that's..."
I asked him with a trembling voice.
This strange technique was one that Kim Young-hoon of previous cycles only managed to use after reaching the absolute of martial arts.
But now, the current Kim Young-hoon, who had not even been training for a year, was using it.
"Ah, this? It's one of the techniques written in Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture. Normally, it would be much easier to use upon reaching Five Energies Converging to the Origin, but I've been focusing solely on this technique for the past few days. Even though I'm only in the realm of Three Flowers, I somehow managed to use this technique."
"Ah... So you haven't reached the Five Energies state yet?"
"Hahaha, do you think reaching the Five Energies is a joke? Just following the insights written in the Scripture will take at least five years. By the way, this technique is really fearsome. Even you, a peak master, couldn't notice it. If I wanted, I could assassinate anyone."
I was speechless at his talent and just stared at him for a moment.
"By the way, I'm planning to go out and gain real combat experience in the martial world. Will you come with me?"
"Uh, the martial world, you say?"
After pondering for a moment, I shook my head.
"No, I'm fine, Young-hoon Hyung."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I want to stabilize my realm a bit more."
"Well, that makes sense. You're still at the early pinnacle realm and can't even use the Sword Silk () yet."
"Yes, it seems you'll have to go alone, Young-hoon Hyung."
I said so, deciding to part ways with him for a while.
The reason was just as I said.
Being at the early stage of the pinnacle realm, I needed time to stabilize my skills.
Following him and watching duels between great masters would be good, but it wasn't what I needed at the moment.
At least until I reached the mid-stage of the Pinnacle Realm, training through trial and error and repetition was the answer.
'First, I need to get used to entering the vision of a peak master all day long.'
While Kim Young-hoon went out to challenge various sects, I practiced becoming accustomed to the vision of a peak master.
My practice opponents were the unorthodox sect groups near Changho City.
They were numerous, tenacious, and most importantly, it didn't matter if they were killed, making them perfect practice targets.
'The one in front is about to shoot a poison dart.'
'There's one attacking with a spear from behind.'
'There's someone trying to entangle my ankle with a whip from the diagonal right rear.'
Numerous red lines rushed towards me.
I dodged all sorts of attacks from the approaching unorthodox sect members, annihilating them with minimal movement.
When fighting unorthodox sect martial artists, I always blindfolded myself and plugged my ears before seeking them outt.
After all, I could kill all of them in the vision of a peak master without any senses.
For about three years, I trained by capturing gangs of evil martial artists, bandits, and robbers near Changho City.
Finally, I was able to enter the world of the Pinnacle Realm all day without feeling my brain burning.
My brain had completely adapted to this world.
I even learned how to maintain the vision of a peak master all day without using internal energy.
After three years of 'practice' fighting unorthodox sect martial artists,
I finally succeeded in fully entering the world of a peak master.
At the same time, my financial situation improved significantly with the bounties collected in Changho City, and my nickname Infinite Fighting Spirit started to spread again.
There were even those who wanted to become my disciples or follow me as martial artists.
'Of course, this was nothing compared to Kim Young-hoon.'
Nearly three years.
Kim Young-hoon received the title of the Strongest Blade in Yanguo and ascended to the position of the number one person in Yanguo martial arts.
The strongest in the martial world!
It was a realm reached by someone who had only been practicing martial arts for 3-4 years.
The number of Kim Young-hoons followers and those who wanted to become his disciples was incomparably greater than mine.
'Probably by now...'
It was time for Kim Young-hoon to be hit with the Wulin Alliance leader illness.
It was always the position that came with becoming the number one person in the world.
Sure enough, Kim Young-hoon came to me again and proposed the position of deputy leader of the Wulin Alliance.
Of course, knowing the future of working like a cow, I flatly refused and made an appropriate excuse.
"Young-hoon Hyung, I'm now going to try entering the imperial court."
"What, what? The imperial court?"
"Yes. The reason I'm refusing your offer is to help you from the position of an official by joining the imperial court. Please understand."
"Ah, Younger Brother Seo. I'm truly grateful."
Of course, there was a different ulterior motive for my decision to join the imperial court.
'If I join the imperial court, I'll have more contact with the cultivator clan!'
I was the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance and the head of the intelligence organization Gwiyeonggak in my previous lives.
According to the information I had learned at that time, the imperial court was more deeply entwined with the cultivator clan than any other group in Yanguo.
There were even rumors that the Yanguo imperial family was a collateral branch of the cultivator clan.
I first applied to the Yanguo military.
The military gladly accepted my application as a famous peak master in the martial world, and I quickly gained recognition, rising to the position of a general.
From that position, I applied to the Imperial Guard and passed without any problems.
It was the result I achieved in five years after returning.
"Your mission is to secretly guard His Majesty the Emperor and protect him with your life. As a peak master, you should be able to do that much, right?"
"Yes, I will keep that in mind."
I joined the Shadow Guards and, after four months of training in stealth and listening techniques, was deployed to guard the Emperor.
There, I discovered a surprising fact.
'The Emperor... is a cultivator!'
Woong
I could see the red aura surrounding the Emperor, centered around his forehead.
'It's the cultivator's divine consciousness! The Emperor was originally a cultivator.'
This fact became even more certain after meeting several princes and princesses of the imperial family.
The majority of the members of the imperial family were cultivators with divine consciousness.
'But it seems they're not high-ranking cultivators. They're all... nowhere near that fox.'
They seemed to be, at best, cultivators of the Qi Refining level.
'I don't understand why I, a peak master, have to guard them...'
The Emperor's aura, casually revealed, was definitely not just 1st Star of Qi Refining.
With that level of skill, the Emperor might be stronger than the entire Shadow Guards combined.
'Maybe the Shadow Guard exists because he's too lazy to deal with assassins himself.'
Unfortunately, the Emperor was the person in the imperial family most at risk of assassination.
Almost every night, assassins came, and I had to fight them off every night.
'Is it good that I'm gaining real combat experience almost every day?'
Thus, I accumulated real combat experience as the Emperor's guard, spending five years as a member of the Shadow Guard.
"Are you managing well as the Wulin Alliance leader?"
In a small secret room, I was playing Go with Kim Young-hoon and asked.
As the Emperor's guard, I was officially forbidden from meeting him, the Wulin Alliance leader, so we had to meet secretly like this.
"Isn't it a headache? Haha, it would have been less painful if you had joined me."
"You're about to become younger than me, aren't you? What's the problem?"
"Haha, well..."
He smiled meaningfully in response to my question.
It was about time for him to undergo rejuvenation.
In fact, considering the timing, it was somewhat late.
"The Three Flowers are just around the corner for you. It seems your internal energy has improved remarkably. Congratulations."
"Haha... Cutting down assassins beside the Emperor, how could my skills not improve?"
The assassins coming to kill the Emperor ranged from low peak masters to those at the realm of Three Flowers.
Most of the time, the assassins were of a similar realm to mine, allowing me to freely engage in real battles with them.
"So you seem to be doing well as the Emperor's guard?"
"Don't even mention it. Every time I gauge the Emperor's skill, I feel a sense of doubt."
"Hahaha, the Emperor being a cultivator? That's really something, hardly seems worth guarding."
Over the past few years, Kim Young-hoon had become aware of the existence of cultivators and seemed eager to face them.
"By the way, Young-Hoon Hyung, what do you think of these cultivators?"
Normally, at this point, Kim Young-Hoon would have been eager to find and confront them.
However, the current Kim Young-Hoon didn't seem to show such intentions.
To my question, he drank from his cup and said,
"Huh, what to say. Of course, I'd like to fight them. But..."
"But?"
"I haven't yet fully comprehended all 6 volumes of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture. Especially the final phrases written in it..."
The final phrases written in the Scripture were the realizations that Kim Young-Hoon had gained at the end of the previous life.
"The realizations written in the scripture are such that I can't even attempt confronting them before I've fully mastered it. That's why I plan to delve into those phrases and then seek out cultivators. By then, I should be able to step down from being the Wulin Alliance leader..."
"I see..."
"By the way, your skills seem to have improved a bit?"
Kim Young-Hoon smiled and poured more liquor into his cup.
'He's infusing his internal energy into the liquor along with the alcohol.'
This man is unbelievable.
I drew my sword from my waist.
"Let's see you handle this."
Whoosh!
He threw the liquor cup.
Strangely, not a single drop of liquor spilled from the cup.
It looked like a light liquor cup, but I gathered all my internal energy and focused on the cup.
Over the past five years, having fought continuously, I successfully transitioned from the early stage to the mid-stage peak.
If the early stage of the Pinnacle Realm was about seeing one line upon entering that world,
From the mid-stage onwards, it became possible to see both red and blue lines 'simultaneously.'
Until now, I had to give up seeing the blue line in order to see the red line, and vice versa.
However, as I further entered into the Pinnacle Realm, it became possible to see both the red and blue lines at the same time.
Swish!
With the vision of a peak master I could see countless red lines extending from the cup. At the same time, the optimal paths I could take to counter it appeared as blue lines.
Through this liquor cup, Kim Young-Hoon was revealing his intent and engaging in dozens of exchanges with me.
When I tried to strike with Transcending Peaks,
The trajectory of the red lines changed vertically.
When I tried to strike upwards with Ascending Vein
The red lines' trajectory became elusive, changing erratically.
And when I tried to create chaos with Landscape Painting ,
The red lines precisely targeted the gaps in my chaos and aimed for my weaknesses.
In that instant, after a fight of exchanging blows with Kim Young-Hoon, I managed to create a single path that penetrated his defense.
"Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Flowing Ridge'!"
Zeeeng!
Although the sword tip collided with the liquor cup, a storm blew, shaking the room.
Realizing the internal energy in the cup was dissolved by Flowing Ridge, I quickly sheathed my sword and stretched out my hand to catch the falling cup.
Luckily, not a drop of liquor was spilled.
"Phew, should you be playing with food?"
"What? Besides, you've improved significantly. The realm of 'Sword Silk' is just around the corner."
'Sword Silk ()'.
Sword energy compresses akin to a silk thread, the first step where the originally formless sword energy materializes.
In his past life, Kim Young-hoon thought that, given my high understanding of sword energy, I would quickly reach the level of 'Sword Silk' once I ascended to the Pinnacle Realm. He overestimated my talent.
Even now, ten years after my return, I have yet to realize the state of 'Sword Silk.'
'Thankfully, after reaching the mid-stage of the Pinnacle Realm, I can see a glimmer of hope.'
It was fortunate that it wasn't as difficult as the transition from the late first-rate to the Pinnacle Realm.
'Well, anyway... didn't I say I was on the verge of reaching the Five Energies state?'
'Yes, you did.'
'In fact, I am at a level where I can challenge the Five Energies realm at any time. However, if someone attacks me while I'm challenging the Five Energies realm, I would be helpless, so I need to call someone trustworthy to guard me...'
'So you're asking me to guard you.'
'Haha, yes.'
I went with Kim Young-Hoon to his secluded training room.
'There's no one as trustworthy as someone from the same hometown.'
'Of course. Let's get started.'
'Alright...'
Kim Young-Hoon sat in the middle of the training room and began his deep meditation.
A change began to occur in his energy.
'Hmm?'
I entered the vision of peak masters and observed the red lines around him.
I felt like it was something I needed to do.
The red lines of peak masters usually connect their arms to their weapons.
However, the red line between Kim Young-Hoon's hand and his saber began to change.
'That is...'
Dozens of branches extended from the red line.
Simultaneously, his red line seemed to cover everything around him.
If I were to enter that space, I felt like I would be sliced by Kim Young-Hoon's attack immediately.
Any peak master, unless insane, would not dare enter that space.
'No, that's not it...!'
I noticed a familiar change and my pupils constricted.
The red line covering all around Kim Young-Hoon began to fill in the gaps.
His surroundings gradually became a red domain.
It looks like...
'The divine consciousness of the cultivators!!!'
The red domain centered around the cultivators' foreheads!
It looked just like their consciousness.
Whoosh!
Kim Young-hoons domain became clear, with not a single gap remaining.
When the form of the domain stabilized into a sphere about half a zhang (approx. 1.67m) in radius centered around his forehead,
Woong
The energy around him seemed to be sucked in, forming a certain flow within his domains.
These flows slowly merged, forming five spheres above his head.
The phenomenon that occurs when transitioning to the Five Energies Converging to the Origin!
I had never observed the transition to the Five Energies state so closely before.
In fact, during my first-rate days, it was impossible to observe such subtle flows of energy.
It was only after becoming a peak master, my ability to read others' energy dramatically improved, allowing me to observe this phenomenon.
'Ah, what a pity.'
I suddenly felt a sense of regret.
If I had reached the realm of Three Flowers, I might have been able to see much more.
'...For now, let's closely observe his current state.'
I intensely focused on the five spheres.
The flow within them.
The principle of how these five spheres revolve around each other.
The principle behind the spheres floating above Kim Young-hoons head.
Although I didn't understand everything, these fragments of realization seemed enough to give me a sense of the 'Sword Silk.'
Then, it happened.
Sssrrr
The five spheres crumbled, transforming into five-colored energy.
The five-colored energy entered Kim Young-hoon's nose and mouth, and his body began to change.
Crack, creak!
His body twisted.
Kim Young-hoon's bones and flesh changed, and the wrinkles on his skin disappeared.
Simultaneously, lush hair grew on his previously bald head.
Creak, crack!
Whoosh!
All the energy in the training room seemed to be sucked into him, and he half-opened his eyes.
"I've safely reached the Five Origins Converging to the Origin."
"...Congratulations. You've undergone rejuvenation."
He looked younger than me, in his twenties.
I had seen this scene in my past life, but this time I gained much from it.
"It's a pity for you. If you had reached Three Flowers, you could have seen much more."
"I was just thinking that. What can I do? It's my fault for having limited skills."
"But it must have been somewhat helpful, so think it over once you return."
He seemed to like his now lush hair, touching it.
Suddenly, I asked him a question.
"You must have encountered one or two cultivators, right, Young-hoon Hyung?"
"Hmm, yes."
"Right now, to my eyes... the consciousness they possess and the domain you've formed seem very similar. Do you think there's a connection?"
"Hmm..."
After pondering for a moment, he spoke.
"It seems likely. Within this domain, I think I can fight equally with those Qi Refining stage cultivators. Using the martial arts from the Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture, I might even be able to fight against higher-level cultivators. Perhaps, those who have reached the Five Energies state might share a similar field of vision with cultivators."
"I see..."
Through his answer, I could roughly imagine why those who have reached the Five Energies state in martial arts obtain the same kind of consciousness as cultivators.
'Obtaining the same consciousness as the cultivators, it might be possible to train like them...'
The world seen by the first-rate is different from the peak realm.
The world seen by the Pinnacle Realm and Three Flowers is also different.
The world seen by Three Flowers Gather at the Summit and the Five Energies Converging to the Origin is entirely different.
The reason why those who have reached the Five Energies state can train in cultivators' techniques might be because they can see areas invisible to ordinary people.
'This experience will help when I reach the Five Energies realm in the future.'
After receiving some martial arts guidance from Kim Young-hoon that day and chatting for a bit, I returned to the imperial palace.
I mulled over the situation he showed me when he ascended to the Five Energies and gathered my realizations.
A few days passed.
That day too, I was guarding the Emperor's bedroom in the darkness.
Sssrrr
Someone approached from the darkness, writhing in the distance.
It was an assassin again.
'A peak master.'
Judging by their energy, he had just reached the Pinnacle Realm.
However, I didn't let my guard down.
Although I was slightly stronger, the difference between the mid and early stages of the Pinnacle Realm was not as significant as between first-rate and peak.
Moreover, the opponent was a master of assassination, daring enough to attempt assassinating the Emperor.
Swoosh!
A red line appeared from the darkness and lunged at me, guarding the Emperor's bedroom.
Clang!
I deflected the dagger with my sword and threw a hidden weapon at the assassin's ankle.
The assassin hastily dodged my hidden weapon and stabbed at me again with his dagger.
Our exchanges intertwined.
My blue line and his red line crossed in the air.
'Strange.'
I should be focused on the fight, yet I couldn't stop thinking about the situation when Kim Young-hoon ascended to Five Energies.
At the same time, I began to ponder about sword energy.
'Sword energy indicates the beginning of achieving unification with the sword.'
'In the mid-stage of the first-rate, one manifests sword energy and begins to reach the threshold of unification with the sword.'
'In the late stage of the first-rate, one achieves complete unification with the sword and can use proper sword energy.'
Why, in a life-or-death situation, am I thinking about sword energy and the image of Kim Young-hoon ascending to Five Energies?
'As one ascends to the Pinnacle Realm and constantly sees the optimal path, as long as you follow that path, sword energy never extinguishes.'
That's why Kim Young-hoon in my past life advised me to train to maintain sword energy all day long.
'My optimal path is ultimately the limit my swordsmanship points to. Sword energy is the extreme manifestation of my swordsmanship's characteristics through unification with the sword.'
Swordsmanship is sword energy.
These were my feelings during my martial arts training.
'Wait, no, something's off.'
But suddenly, I felt something was wrong with my thinking.
The assassin stabbed at me three times in a row, and I deflected their dagger with Landscape Painting before destabilizing their balance with the Entering Mountain.
His red line stretched towards me and then split.
After stabbing, he will change his move.
I blocked his intention with my blue line and engaged in a struggle.
'If swordsmanship is sword energy, then what's the significance of a martial artist? Couldn't cultivators just create moving puppets or zombies, teach them swordsmanship, and have them use sword energy?'
Why haven't I heard about inanimate objects using sword energy in my several lifetimes?
'Sword energy is not just swordsmanship.'
Then what is sword energy?
While exchanging blows with the assassin, his red line pierced through my blue line.
His dagger aimed precisely at my forehead.
'Sword energy is...'
I remembered the scene when Kim Young-hoon entered Five Energies, a red domain forming around his forehead.
Ah, that's it.
Though sword energy is created by swordsmanship.
At its core, it's ultimately about the human.
The intent of the martial artist wielding the sword!
Simultaneously, I fully understood the true nature of the red and blue lines I had seen.
Not just the optimal path or the opponent's intention of attack.
It's the intent of martial artist unfolding their martial arts!
The direction of their intent!
Realizing this, I felt a strange sensation in my hand holding the sword.
As if veins were growing from the sword into my skin, entering my hand.
Not just a simple unification with the sword, but a stickier, more profound unification!
Instinctively, I pushed more intent into the sword, deepening the unification.
Until now, I thought sword energy was the same as swordsmanship.
But I realized that swordsmanship is completed together with the martial artist who unfolds it.
Therefore, wherever the intent of the martial artist goes, even if it deviates from the swordsmanship, it will still be swordsmanship.
Whoosh!
I swung my sword wildly at the assassin.
Before, if I deviated from the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, the power of my sword energy would significantly weaken.
But now, even when I swing my sword randomly, the power of my sword energy doesn't decrease at all.
'No, this isn't the end.'
I knew that my recent realization was not just this.
I continued to focus on sword energy.
Until recently, to evolve sword energy, I had to momentarily strengthen the energy with techniques like 'Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven.'
Its different now!
'Continue to infuse the sword energy with intent!'
In the world of the peak, I saw my sword gradually enveloped in blue light.
At some point, reaching a critical moment, my blue light enveloped sword transformed into the blue thread of the Pinnacle Realm.
In reality, I was holding a sword, but in the vision of peaks, I was holding a blue thread.
'Ah, this is...
Sword Silk!
The proof of maturity in the mid-stage of the Pinnacle Realm!
Keening
In reality, my intangible sword energy became thin like a silk thread, subtly materializing.
After about 10 years in the Pinnacle Realm.
I reached the mid peak stage and could freely use Sword Silk.
***
I looked at the Sword Silk I had awakened.
The realm of Sword Silk (), also known as Sword Aura ().
The materialization of sword aura was a realm every swordsman dreamed of.
Of course, there was the overwhelmingly superior Sword Gang (), but since Sword Gang was a realm only reachable by masters who had reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, it was half-legendary in the martial world.
The realm of sword aura, much more accessible than Sword Gang, was the object of envy for many.
Seeing my sword aura, the assassin seemed daunted, their energy diminishing.
I took advantage of this and engaged them again in combat.
Blue and red lines crossed in the air.
Our intents tested each other.
The assassin's dagger lunged at me.
Simultaneously, five red lines extended from the tip of their dagger.
It meant that there could be at least five follow-up moves derived from this attack.
However, I held Sword Silk.
In the world of peak masters, my sword had transformed, resembling a thread.
To the assassin's eyes, my sword must have appeared like a red thread.
The transformation of sword energy into Sword Silk is not just about increased power.
Swoosh!
From the tip of the sword, now a blue thread, several blue threads extended, creating paths.
There were far more than the paths I had created before.
As I slightly twisted my wrist, adjusting the tip of the sword, the position of the blue threads moved in unison.
The predetermined blue thread lines moved.
Seeing this, the assassin's eyes widened in shock.
'Last time, when I fought with Kim Young-Hoon, it was fortunate he had only recently reached Three Flowers and that too by directly skipping over the Pinnacle Realm.'
If he had fought me in the same manner, I would have been defeated instantly.
I could project far more paths, more freely.
Though they seemed to fend off my sword for a while, eventually, the paths extending from my side were far more numerous, and they began to be pushed back as tehy tried to calculate my moves.
Mountain Lord Martial Arts ().
Pressing forward with the momentum of a mountain lord.
Transcending Peaks Step ().
Starting again from the first move, continuously linking techniques,
To drain and kill the opponent.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
For a while, our sword and dagger collided.
The assassin seemed to fight to the end.
However, having become much more skilled in handling sword aura and intent, I eventually defeated them in our struggle, allowing me to land a strike.
Thud!
My leg struck the assassin's waist.
The assassin fell to the side, dropping the dagger, and their mask came off.
"Ho, a familiar face."
The assassin was one of the recently appointed female attendants of the Emperor.
Seeing the roughly 20-year-old's face, I marveled quietly.
"Such talent to be a peak master at that age. You could have reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit if you had lived longer."
"...My brother was more talented. But... because of the Emperor..."
"Oh, are you trying to appeal to emotion?"
"You are the Infinite Fighting Monster, correct? You're making a mistake. People are dying because of the Emperor's orders! He..."
Swoosh!
I didn't listen further and cut off the assassin's head.
"Sorry, but this position doesn't allow for much listening."
I felt a slight regret for having to eliminate such talent and, with the help of others, cleaned up the scene.
Despite the noise outside until a moment ago, the Emperor in the bedroom seemed not to stir.
I heard that a cultivator had installed a soundproofing spell in the Emperor's bedroom for the light-sleeping Emperor.
Thanks to that, the Shadow Guards could fight assassins without being reprimanded for the noise.
'Though, it seems the Emperor himself set up that spell, not a random cultivator.'
In fact, no one in the Shadow Guard was unaware that the Emperor was a cultivator.
In the eyes of a peak master, the consciousness of a cultivator was visible.
But everyone just silently guarded the Emperor as it was their given duty.
'However, were there always so many assassination attempts on the Emperor?'
Establishing a Shadow Guard like us was also a recent event.
I heard that the frequency of sending assassins to the Emperor had also increased recently.
As chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance and leader of an information organization in my past lives, I had never heard of such things.
After all, the imperial court had no reason to advertise the increase in assassination attempts.
'Why have there been more recent assassination attempts on the Emperor?'
Yanguo had been enjoying an unprecedented peace recently.
Of course, the poor are still poor, but at least ordinary people weren't turning into bandits or anything of that sort.
Considering the level of civilization akin to medieval China, that's quite decent.
Moreover, in the state of Yanguo, the nobles humbly bow and obey in front of the powerful royal authority of the cultivator clan, leading to a very strong centralized power.
If there was an insane organization bold enough to attempt the assassination of the Emperor...
'Could it be the martial arts factions?'
Given the poor relations between the government and certain martial arts factions, this was the only assumption I could make.
But strangely, during my past lives as the chief strategist of the Wulin Alliance and leader of an intelligence group, I never heard of such incidents.
'If not the martial arts factions, then who could be sending assassins so persistently and frequently to threaten the Emperor? Especially someone like the assassin just now, someone who knew my alias.'
Furthermore, their command of the Yanguos language was quite proficient.
From this, I could infer that they were neither assassins from the neighboring countries of Byeokra or Shengzi.
'They are people of Yanguo. People from Yanguo are sending assassins to kill the Emperor on a regular basis.'
Although I wanted to interrogate the assassins, they were to be executed immediately before they could say anything, as per the protocol.
'Well, I can slowly figure it out.'
By staying in the royal palace and gradually gaining the Emperor's trust, I would be able to gather the necessary information over time.
I hid in the darkness again, organizing my thoughts.
After guarding the Emperor for 10 years.
I constantly guarded him and earned his trust.
With that authority, I was able to learn information from various parts of the royal palace.
Of course, I couldn't learn core information, but I was able to learn a lot that could only be known from the government offices.
For example,
"In the 33rd year of Hayeon calendar, thanks to His Majesty the Emperor's grace, the number of orphans and beggars greatly decreased, eliminating the influx of bandits. Consequently, praises for His Majesty never ceased throughout Yanguo..."
Census conducted by the government offices.
The census was a matter directly related to taxation and was controlled only by the government offices. I couldn't properly access such information even with my status in past lives.
Only now that I had become part of the Emperor's Guard, I was granted the authority to view the census records.
'Not only beggars but also the number of poor peasants decreased.'
In my past lives, I never looked into the numbers of orphans, beggars, or poor peasants. However, upon seeing the census records in the royal palace, I realized something was amiss.
'How could the number of orphans, beggars, and poor peasants decrease like this?'
It wasn't simply about helping the poor and creating livelihoods for them.
Many of these people simply disappeared, just vanished.
'Did they starve to death?'
But the numbers recorded in the ledgers were far too large for mass starvation.
If such a large number had died of starvation, I would have known about it in my past lives.
'It's not starvation. They were simply [erased].'
There were no records of bandit attacks either, and during my time leading the intelligence group, I had never heard of bandit gangs specifically targeting and killing the poor.
If such cruel bandits were rampant, I would have known.
I looked into a few more pieces of information and methodically compiled them with my past live's knowledge.
'As a strategist in the Wulin Alliance, Kim Young-hoon and I eradicated the unorthodox factions throughout Yanguo and established a just world.'
'Furthermore, when I founded the intelligence organization, Gwiyeonggak, it was strangely easy to quickly defeat other dark intelligence organizations in secret battles.'
The common point in both lives was that, as life went on, it became easier to eradicate unorthodox factions.
'And towards the latter part of life, many factions, like the Hoejaeng faction (group that mass attacked MC when he challenged them to a spar), suddenly transformed from unorthodox factions to righteous ones.'
Unorthodox factions are fundamentally illegal organizations.
Like bandits and pirates.
These factions often start with beggars, orphans, and poor peasants turning to robbery out of hunger.
As bandit gangs and pirate groups gradually gather experience, power, and funds, they grow in size, sneak into cities, and start engaging in illegal activities, becoming proper unorthodox factions.
'Perhaps, the ease of eradicating unorthodox factions in my past lives was because...'
If the content of this census is accurate, the new blood that would have been part of the unorthodox factions, the poor, suddenly [disappeared], leading to reduced size of the factions and their subsequent suppression.
'If that's the case...'
Where did all these [erased] poor people go?
As I compiled the information, a foreboding feeling came over me.
'The cultivator clan.'
This case seemed to be related to the cultivator clan.
'The recent increase in assassination attempts on the Emperor and the establishment of the Shadow Guard...'
It all seemed to have some connection with the disappearance of the poor people.
A few years ago, like the assassin with the dagger I met, there were assassins who due to their lack of proper education, spilled their guts before dying.
Most of these assassins said the same thing before dying.
Do you know how many commoners have died because of the Emperor!
It was strange.
The current Emperor, while not a sage king, was decent enough to rule the country.
His reign did not worsen Yanguo nor lead to numerous deaths.
In a peaceful country like this, why would assassins say such things?
'The cultivator clan. This is... related to the cultivator clan.'
The only thing I couldn't find out, even after digging this deep, was regarding the cultivator clan.
'It seems I will have to leave the investigation beyond this point...'
To Kim Young-hoon.
The retirement ceremony of Kim Young-hoon, the first Wulin Alliance leader, was held.
He stepped down from the position of leader amidst the congratulations and regrets of many.
Many lamented his retirement, but his eyes were full of refreshment.
Naturally, as his stepping down from the position of Wulin Alliance leader meant he had fully understood the 6th volume of Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture. Especially the final realizations.
"Feeling refreshed, I see?"
I was waiting in Kim Young-hoon's room and asked him when I saw him.
"Wow. Someone sneaked in so I thought it was an assassin, but it was you. The Shadow Guard is becoming more and more like an assassin."
"Well, we're becoming more like those assassins we face. But now that you've retired from the Wulin Alliance, what will you do?"
"You know and still ask? Having fully understood the Scriptures, I will now seek out the cultivator clan to fight and gather combat experience. I will move beyond the Five Energies Converging at the Origin."
"Hmm, have you completely achieved the accomplishments written in the Scripture?"
At my question, Kim Young-hoon shook his head and spoke.
"No, not yet. Gazing Cultivation and Exceeding Martial Arts Scripture is not so much a martial art as it is a kind of martial arts system. You know, we don't call 'third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, peak' as martial arts. They are the standards and stages of martial arts.
The Scripture describes the 'next stage' after Five Energies. It tells you how to reach that 'next stage,' what kind of training is correct at Five Energies stage, and so on.
While I have 'understood' all of the Scripture, I haven't 'internalized' it to move beyond Five Energies. From now on, I plan to fight against the cultivator clan to gain combat experience and reach the beyond."
"I see."
I nodded and then told him.
"Actually, working in the royal palace recently, I've noticed something very suspicious."
I explained to him about the information and conclusions I had gathered.
"Hence, I believe the cultivator clan behind the royal palace is using the royal family and government offices to kidnap or slaughter the poor."
"Hmm"
"But since I am a member of the Shadow Guards, unless I apply for leave like this, it's difficult to leave the capital. Even if I do, I can't freely investigate the cultivator clan. Therefore, I would like you, Young-hoon Hyung, to go and gather information regarding the cultivator clan."
"That's definitely worth looking into. But even I honestly don't know where to find cultivators"
"Don't worry about that. I will provide you with the information."
Having worked in the royal palace, I had learned the locations of several places where cultivators lived, which I did not know in my past lives.
"I'll give you the information, and I'd like you, Young-hoon Hyung, to go and extract information from them."
"Alright, I'll do that. I'll go and see what they are up to"
I decided to thoroughly unravel the schemes of the cultivator clan through Kim Young-hoon.
'Recently, the number of assassins has decreased a bit.'
For nearly 10 years, assassins came almost incessantly, but recently, their frequency has been gradually decreasing.
Moreover, the skills of the assassins who came had greatly diminished from the peak level to about the first-rate.
'First-rate masters are now just practice targets for the new recruits'
Well, thinking about it, it was impossible for the assassins' side to infinitely produce peak masters.
As they kept sending them and getting killed, they would eventually run out of high-quality assassins to send.
Having worked in the Shadow Guard for 15 years, my rank has risen, and I've been promoted to deputy leader. If the leader retires due to aging, I'm set to become the next leader.
'But if we keep getting only low-grade assassins like this, our Shadow Guard becomes redundant...'
That's when I noticed something stirring in the distance.
An assassin.
'What level of mastery might this assassin have... If it's around first-rate, the new recruits should handle it...'
Thinking so, I entered the world of peak martial artists to gauge the assassin's level of skill.
"!"
A red glow filled the space, stable and circular.
The round form of the assassin's consciousness was slowly approaching.
'Cultivator! These crazy...'
These madmen, seeing the decline in peak martial artists, directly sent a cultivator to assassinate!
Suddenly, the entire secret Shadow Guard assembled in front of the Emperor's chamber, having recognized the domain of the cultivator.
"It's a cultivator, everyone get ready!"
The leader of the secret Shadow Guard raised his halberd with a tense voice.
Despite being called assassin, the cultivator's stealth techniques and perception methods were a mess by the standards of martial artists.
Clearly, they had only roughly learned these techniques.
However, I grew more tense seeing this.
'How did they infiltrate the imperial palace with such sloppy skills?'
They must be hiding something.
Noticing us, the cultivator who was approaching stopped.
"Hmm, are you all peak martial artists? Annoying. Peak masters all seem immune to stealth techniques. Is it because of that irritating vision of theirs?"
Without a second thought of hiding, the cultivator dropped his invisibility and blatantly walked out.
"With your eyes, you should recognize I'm a cultivator. If you value your lives, get lost."
No one reacted or responded to his words.
"Tsk, do you think you can take me on? Relying on numbers? You'll only meet a dog's death. One last warning: the limit of you peak martial artists is, at best, against a Qi Refining 1st Star cultivator. I am a great 2nd Star cultivator."
The air around him stirred as he pulled out a talisman.
"Just as there's a significant difference between first-rate and peak, there's a huge gap between Qi refining 1st Star and 2nd Star cultivators. If you don't leave now..."
We didn't let him talk further and quickly charged towards him.
My thrown weapon hit an invisible barrier in front of the cultivator, indicating he was casting defensive spells.
As peak martial artists attacked him, he scattered talismans into the air, which transformed into bright white flying daggers heading towards us.
"You fools. I have several talismans to support my assassination today."
When the cultivator scattered several talismans, a strong repulsion was felt.
The leader and I, excluding the others, cut through the repulsion with our energy-infused weapons and held our ground, while the rest were thrown back.
"Hmm, are you the strongest of the pack?"
Again, the cultivator took out a talisman.
Flames appeared above his hand.
'If it hits, it'll turn us to ash!'
I couldn't ignore my survival instincts and retreated, escaping the cultivator's area of influence.
I couldn't predict his attacks from within his domain, as it was impossible to read his intent due to the overlapping red color.
Conversely, if I retreat too far, I'd be at a disadvantage against a cultivator adept at long-range attacks.
'He's forcing a fight that's advantageous to him.'
The compatibility between martial artists and cultivators is extremely bad.
The fireball hit a pillar behind me but didn't spread much and was quickly extinguished, indicating the cultivator didn't want the situation to escalate.
I signaled a few of the faster members of the Shadow Guard to escape the cultivator's vicinity and call for reinforcements.
"Where do you think you're going? You can't escape."
A dark shadow burst out as the cultivator waved another glowing talisman, forming a barrier that enclosed us.
"Even sound will not escape this barrier. After I kill all of you, I'll take care of the Makli clans branch family."
The cultivator took out dozens of talismans.
'Damn it. What a shit situation.'
If it weren't for the talismans he brought, we might have been able to kill him with a combined attack from the leader and me.
But with those talismans, he was demonstrating far more power than his actual skill level.
'If only I had reached the Three Flowers stage.'
With the strength of Three Flowers, I could shatter the cultivator's defensive spells and split him in two.
But I was only at the mid-peak and hadn't yet grasped the Three Flowers.
'...But maybe.'
"Leader, I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"Create a moment for me to approach the cultivator. Just one, single moment. I'll try to inflict a fatal wound on the cultivator."
"I'll trust you."
The leader nodded and charged at the cultivator with his halberd, creating an opportunity for me.
I took poison from a bottle at my waist and applied it to my sword.
'If I can break through his defense and graze him with this sword.'
We would win.
I joined the attack on the cultivator.
The cultivator scattered talismans in the air, which turned into bright white flying daggers aimed at us.
I rushed towards the cultivator.
The white daggers targeted my forehead.
The leader's halberd spun and deflected the daggers aimed at me.
The cultivator then hurled a fire spell at me.
"Aaah!"
A recruit, a dual sword user, crossed his swords and sent energy to intercept the fire spell, altering its course.
I was now within three yards of the cultivator.
'Entering the cultivator's domain now.'
I couldn't guarantee my life inside there. I couldn't see his intent due to the red surroundings.
"Hmph."
Intense wind blew, pushing me away.
Using the initial forms of Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, I cut through the wind's weak points and entered the cultivator's area of consciousness.
I couldn't see the enemy's intent.
Then.
My last life's experience, maximizing all senses like spatial form, hearing, touch, and smell, helped me indirectly calculate the enemy's attacks.
'Left and right.'
I felt vibrations in the air on both sides.
Something was coming.
"Leader, go now!"
"Capture him!"
One of the guards tackled the spell on the right while the leader shattered the one on the left with his halberd.
And.
'Front!'
I sensed a change directly in front.
The temperature and humidity were different.
In the cultivator's domain, white ice materialized in the air, forming an arrow.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Entering Mountain.
I quickly switched to a lower stance to narrowly avoid it, then launched an attack.
But right in front of me was the cultivator's defensive spell.
As expected, even as I launched a surprise attack, the cultivator looked bored.
Absolute leisure!
'I'll wipe that languid expression off your face.'
I smirked, infusing different moves into my attack.
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, Qi Mountain, Heaven Sky.
The flow of the Sword Silk quickened and strengthened.
My entire body's energy pathways momentarily opened, further amplifying the Sword Silk.
And then.
'I'll squeeze out all the energy in my body!'
Focusing on the energy pathways, I drained all my energy into my sword.
The absurd energy of yellow bamboo roots of hundred of years infused into my sword.
The Sword Silk evolved in an instant.
Flash!
Sword Gang!
For a brief moment, less than a second, the light on my sword pierced through the cultivator's defensive spell like tofu.
Translator notes: Can this be considered a cliff hanger?
***
Cut!
Fight!
Squeezing out every bit of my willpower, I lunged at the cultivator's leg with my sword.
The cultivator, who had been relaxed until now, contorted his face in shock as my Sword Gang penetrated his defensive spells.
Then.
Shuck! Crack, crack!
The Sword Gang, created by draining all my internal energy, extinguished like a candle in the wind.
My energy was insufficient. Despite pouring decades worth of internal energy into it, lacking enlightenment, I couldn't maintain the Sword Gang for more than a second.
My sword barely nicked the cultivator's leg, cutting through his clothes and inflicting a minor wound.
Ugh...
As the Sword Gang extinguished, my sword could no longer penetrate his defensive spell.
Simultaneously, the backlash of using all my internal energy hit me, causing blood to spill from my mouth, draining my strength, and leaving me collapsed on the spot.
"Cough! Cough!"
Blood splattered with each cough.
It felt like my insides were being churned.
"You, you filthy mortal...!"
Enraged by my attack, the cultivator scattered talismans that transformed into glowing daggers, stabbing my arms and legs.
"Ugh...argh!"
I endured the pain, trying to grasp my sword, but the cultivator stomped on my hand.
"You filthy, mortal scum!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He stomped on my hand mercilessly, spreading a more powerful defensive barrier around us.
"How dare you, how dare you attempt to cut me! You, of all people! I am a noble descendant of the cultivator clan, not someone lowly mortals like you can touch! How dare you, how dare you!!"
After crushing my hand for a while, he reached into his pouch and scattered another handful of talismans.
"I planned to toy with you before killing the Makli Clan's branch family but I've changed my mind. I'll tear all of you mortals to shreds like insects!"
Flames engulfed the talismans, transforming them into fireballs, and started shooting towards the guards.
"Watch carefully, insect. You'll see all your comrades torn to death before I chew you up. You insects, no matter how much you struggle, are meaningless before cultivators!"
"Cough, cough..."
More blood gushed out of me.
My internal organs were shaken from expending all my internal energy at once, blurring my vision.
But my hearing was still clear enough to catch a few words.
Insect.
Meaningless.
'Yes, I am nothing but an insect.'
Compared to those truly talented, to the cultivators.
"But, but..."
I struggled.
With my crushed hand, I grabbed the cultivator's ankle.
"I may be an insect, but even an insect's struggle is not meaningless!!!"
"You filthy thing, let go of me!"
Fire erupted in the cultivator's hand again.
It would have incinerated me instantly, but...
'It's time.'
The fireball extinguished as time passed.
"What? Why isn't it"
Blood flowed from the cultivator's eyes, nose, and mouth.
'The poison works!'
I smirked at the bewildered cultivator, grabbed his ankle tighter, and pulled hard.
He collapsed.
"Ah, antidote..."
He reached for his pouch.
Thud!
I knocked the pouch away.
"Gurgle..."
Blood foam rose from his mouth as he tried to chant a spell.
But I wasn't going to let him.
I climbed on top of him, shoving my crushed hand into his mouth, preventing him from chanting.
"You see, your death will be just as meaningless as those you looked down upon."
After struggling for a while, the cultivator died.
His dead body wasn't much different from the insects he had looked down upon all his life.
In death, everyone is equal.
The defensive barrier collapsed.
The leader and other guards, having watched from outside, quickly came to me.
The black barrier set by the cultivator disappeared, and I lost consciousness, seeing this as my last sight.
When I opened my eyes, I was in my room. The leader was beside me, smoking a pipe.
"Ah, you're awake."
"Yes. But is it okay to smoke tobacco next to a patient?"
"What are you talking about? Tobacco is a healthy herb."
'I can't believe this,' I thought, remembering this was a medieval-like era.
"How's the situation with that cultivator?"
"You killed him yourself, Deputy-leader Seo Eun-hyun. He's dead. I've reported to His Majesty that you bravely sacrificed yourself to kill the cultivator, so don't worry."
"I've completed my mission today as well."
I nodded, checking my body's condition. My right hand was still numb, and there was some damage to my vital energy channels, but it was stable. The wounds from the cultivator's daggers had all healed.
"The Emperor ordered the Imperial physician to treat you. Be thankful for His Majesty's grace."
"The Imperial physician healed me cleanly. I wish I could learn his medical skills."
I admired the physician's skill and circulated my internal energy.
Lying in bed, my body felt a bit refreshed.
"About your right hand"
The leader looked at my hand and hesitated.
"It might still be usable, but not like before, is what the physician said. It's not fully healed, so don't strain it."
After all, it was the hand that the cultivator had crushed and chewed.
"Honestly, I didn't expect it to be fine. Just being able to use it is a blessing."
"Good. You're positive, which is great. Also, His Majesty was impressed by your bravery and decided to award you. Since a Shadow Guard can't be officially rewarded, he asked me to pass this on. I hereby present you with an award on behalf of the Emperor."
I kneeled as I received a small silk box from the squad leader.
"His Majesty decrees: 'Deputy-leader Seo Eun-hyun, for bravely protecting the sacred throne, we grant this reward to remind you of your heavy responsibility.''
Inside the silk box was a small pill with a reddish hue.
"It's said to be made from the same ingredients as the pills eaten by Qi Refining Cultivators during their transition to Qi Building. I don't understand it all, but"
I realized what the pill was.
'Leftovers from a pill.'
Working in a medical center, I knew that leftover materials from making elixirs were often used for detox or sold to fake spiritualists.
"It's said to extend life by about ten years when taken by mortals."
"Ten years?"
I was astonished.
"Just leftovers can extend life by ten years?"
The pill looked different now.
"Be forever grateful for the Emperor's grace."
After he left, I thought, 'The Imperial family sure knows welfare.'
I planned to take the pill when my life was almost over, to test its full effect.
"Always grateful for His Majesty's grace."
Ten years later.
Thirty years since my return.
The pain in my hand had become familiar.
My swordsmanship and hidden weapon skills improved, and I was close to uncovering the cultivators' secret.
'Cultivators of the Jin Clan hide in powerful formations. They gather talented mortals and train them to peak masters for assassination.'
I understood why I never heard of these peak masters in my previous lives.
'If the Jin Clan rises to power again, maybe it'll be slightly better than these filthy Makli cultivators.'
I decided to focus more on my martial arts and Kim Young-hoon's movements.
Just then.
Click!
A figure entered through the window.
"Young-hoon Hyung?"
Kim Young-hun had entered the palace at night.
"I was just reading your letter. Knowing about the cultivators' domain..."
He interrupted, "That letter was sent a month ago. But I've discovered something more critical in the past month. There are two cultivator clans in this country. The Makli and the Jin."
"The Makli Clan ousted the Jin Clan a century ago. Since then, the Jin Clan has been planning to assassinate the Emperor using peak masters trained from mortals."
"Yes, I know that."
"But do you know why the Jin Clan could produce so many peak masters? They forced the spirits of the dead family members of the assassins into the assassins, sacrificing their vitality to enhance their talents."
"The Makli Clan is worse. For 20-30 years, they've been capturing the poor to make a forbidden elixir that extends cultivators' lives using their blood and vital energy!"
Horrified, I shouted.
"Makli Clan is eating people!"
I instantly decided to join Kim Young-hoon in fighting these heinous cultivators.
That night, I left the palace with Kim Young-hoon, ready to fight against the corrupt Makli Clan.
***
Following Kim Young-hoon, I left the Imperial palace and arrived at a small manor on the outskirts of Seokyung City.
There, I found a gathering of martial artists who had followed Kim Young-hoon.
"These people are..."
I was impressed by the caliber of warriors Kim Young-hoon had assembled.
'Members of the Four Star Three Demons? There are elders from various major sects too.'
It seems he had used his connections from his days as the Wulin Alliance leader to gather elders from the seven major sects of Seokyung City's Four Star Three Demon and elders from some of the major sects in Yanguo.
All of them were peak masters, capable of using the Sword Silk, and there were over ten who had reached the level of Three Flowers Gather at the Summit.
'Without the cultivators, this force could even overthrow the Imperial family...!'
As I admired their strength, some of them glared at me, probing me with their red intents targeting my neck, forehead, and vital points.
'What is this, some kind of test?'
I responded with my intent, pointing at their vital points in kind.
In a brief moment, I exchanged blows with several major sect elders.
"Hmm, who is this person brought by the former alliance leader, the world's number one warrior? I've never seen such a master in Seokyung City."
"Ah, this man is Seo Eun-hyun, my younger brother. He was a renowned peak master in the Changho city area about twenty years ago. He recently joined us after leaving his role in the Shadow Guards."
At his words, some elders seemed displeased.
"Why bring someone from the government? Especially someone from the Imperial family?"
"Can we really trust him if he might still be loyal to the Emperor?"
"I can't trust anyone from the government!"
It seems the martial sects naturally had prejudices against government officials due to generally poor relations.
"Wait, everyone, calm down. Though he served under the Emperor, he has completely betrayed the Emperor after hearing my offer. Isn't that right, Seo?"
"That's right. If you want, I can even curse the Emperor."
I cleared my throat and let loose the frustrations I had been holding against the Emperor.
"Emperor Makli Jung, you despicable man! Treating your subordinates like dogs while you comfortably sleep in your chamber, shameless and lazy! I'll expose your family's atrocities to the world!"
Having guarded the Emperor and seen him sleep comfortably in his chamber with a soundproof barrier while assassins attacked, I had often been annoyed. I never had the mindset to be loyal to the Emperor of Yanguo. In fact, I even harbored some resentment towards the Emperor.
After my rant against the Emperor, the hostility in the eyes of the gathered peak masters seemed to soften.
"Well, if he's a spy, he wouldn't curse the Emperor so freely."
Recognizing their acceptance, I felt a sense of achievement.
Once the recognition was settled, Kim Young-hoon addressed the gathered martial artists.
"Listen. As I said before, the current Imperial family and the cultivator clan behind them, the Makli Clan, have abandoned their humanity and sucked the lifeblood of countless commoners. They are no different from cannibalistic devil path cultivator.
We've gathered enough allies. Starting today, we'll join hands with the Makli Clan's opposition, the Jin cultivator clan, and bring down the Makli Clan's strongholds."
He continued his explanation.
"The Jin Clan will support us from behind. We'll follow their lead to find the hidden domains of the Makli Clan and destroy their elixir-making furnaces where they grind commoners into pills.
I hope you, the great masters gathered here, will join us in this righteous cause."
There was no loud response, just silent nods.
"Then, let's move quickly to bring down those wicked cultivators!"
We followed Kim Young-hoon out of Seokyung City.
In a small valley northeast of the city, known as Immaekgok, we met a group of red-robed cultivators waiting for us.
'These must be the Jin Clan cultivators.'
"I see they're quite capable," commented an elderly cultivator among them.
"Have you kept your promise? I brought allies, now let's take down those vile cultivators."
"Yes, yes. The wicked Makli Clan must be eradicated from Yanguo. Now, let's open the portal to the Makli Clans domain."
As the elder formed hand seals, the valley's landscape began to distort.
"Follow us closely. We're about to breach the Makli Clan's formations."
We followed the cultivators into the twisting path, and soon, the distorted valley disappeared, leading us into a small village.
'It smells...'
Upon entering, the stench of blood and decaying bodies filled the air.
Everywhere, the smell of blood and rotting corpses permeated the air.
"Intruders! The Jins are attacking!"
Dang, dang!
A bell tolled from a watchtower in the village.
Simultaneously, cultivators in blue robes emerged from the thatched houses and began forming hand seals.
Woom!
A blue barrier enveloped the entire village, blocking our entry.
"Ha, you may have brought some martial artists, but you, Jin Clan scum, dare not enter here!"
The barrier looked robust at first glance.
The thickness of the blue light barrier was hundreds of times thicker than the flimsy defensive spell I had shattered with my energy in a previous encounter.
That's when it happened.
Step, step...
Kim Young-hoon stepped forward.
"Elder, who is this mortal? Can we really trust him?"
The sounds of chattering cultivators in red robes from the Jin Clan were heard from behind.
The elder in red robes paused for a moment before responding.
"He may be a mortal, but he's different. It may be hard to believe, but he matched me in combat without being overpowered. Moreover, his techniques sometimes surpassed my defenses..."
Woom...
Kim Young-hoon began to gather his internal energy.
Both I and the other peak masters, even those who had reached Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, widened our eyes, eager to witness Kim Young-hoon's technique.
Whoosh...
As he raised his hand, internal energy began to coalesce in the air.
The energy gradually condensed into a form of Gang Qi
The tremendous power emanating from the energy force made us, as well as the Jin Clan cultivators, flinch.
However, the transformation of Gang Qi was not the end.
'That is...!'
I watched, wide-eyed, as Kim Young-hoon continued.
The Gang Qi started to condense.
Rumble, rumble!
'That is...!'
In my past life, Kim Young-hoon had pursued this state in a frenzied chase.
Rumble, rumble!
'The realm beyond Five Energies Converging to the Origin'
The realm he had strived for until the very end was now unfolding from his hands once again.
The Gang Qi solidified, taking the form of a small sphere.
Everyone present could feel it.
Being hit by that sphere would leave few unscathed.
The strike that had burst the arm of a Core Formation cultivator in the past life!
The technique that could confront a Qi Building cultivator head-on!
The Sphere of Gang Qi, directed by Kim Young-hoon's gesture, flew towards the barrier created by the cultivators.
Boom!
Bright light flashed, and a fierce windstorm ensued.
The cultivators, each in their own way, performed spells to avoid being swept away by the storm, while we, peak masters, relied on our leg strength or cut through the wind to witness the spectacle.
It was visible.
Hundreds, no.
Thousands, tens of thousands of Gang Saber burst from the sphere, slicing through the barrier.
In the world of peak masters, tens of thousands of intents danced in unimaginable trajectories.
"Hmm..."
The red-robed elder from the Jin Clan, seemingly having unpleasant memories associated with the sphere, showed discomfort.
As the windstorm subsided and the light faded, a giant hole appeared in the center of the barrier.
"Everyone, enter!"
"Yes, Elder!"
The Jin Clan cultivators, each using their flying spells, entered through the hole Kim Young-hoon had created.
We also drew our weapons and entered through the breach in the barrier.
"Stop them! Block the Jins!"
"Wait! First, stop those martial artists!"
Swish!
The sword energy of a peak master who had reached Three Flowers instantly pierced through the defensive spell of a cultivator who had been speaking and slit his throat.
"A mortal... has broken through a cultivator's spell!"
"The Pinnacle Realm of martial artists! Retreat to the rear! Qi Refining cultivators, release the Jiangshi!"
Simultaneously, dark Jiangshi started emerging from various places in the village.
Bang!
The Jiangshi rushed towards the peak masters.
Their speed was faster than ours, and their strength far superior.
However...
'I can see it.'
The optimal trajectory of the Jiangshi's attacks was clearly visible.
'Interesting. I hadn't considered it before, but those lines represent intent. Does that mean the Jiangshi, already dead and turned into vengeful spirits, still possess intent?'
I dodged the hand of a Jiangshi rushing towards me, then, using Deep Mountain, I cut diagonally and thought.
'Is it just the intent of their controllers? No, it doesn't seem just that. But if Jiangshi have intent, why can't they use sword energy?'
While cutting through the Jiangshi, I noticed a cultivator preparing a spell.
Swoosh!
I swiftly released a hidden weapon towards the cultivator forming hand seals.
Clang!
The weapon rebounded off the cultivator's defensive spell, but, inexperienced in combat, he canceled his spell preparation at the sound.
'Judging by the size of his consciousness... about Qi Refining 1st Star.'
I cut down the Jiangshi in my way and charged towards the cultivator, unleashing my Sword Silk.
Clang!
With each strike of my sword silk, visible cracks appeared in the cultivator's defense.
'This is pathetically weak compared to the spells used by the Qi Refining 2nd Star cultivator I fought before.'
Although that cultivator had artificially inflated his abilities with talisman, his defensive spell was still his own ability.
Clang, clang!
After several strikes, the distracted cultivator's defense shattered.
"H-hiik... S-spare me. Please spare me. I only did what the clan asked me to. I didn't want to do it, I'm actually..."
"What is this?" I asked.
"Please, I'll tell you everything. This is the primary refinement."
I furrowed my brow.
"Primary refinement?"
"Yes. We extract the essence and vital energy from mortals and collect it in this formation for primary refinement into essence blood. This blood is then sent to the clan's higher-ups for further refinement in higher domains. There, they mix the essence blood, refine it again through secondary, tertiary, and quaternary processes, until finally, they create fresh blood by combining thousands of mortals' blood and energy, from which they concoct Revival pills () for the Core Formation elders.
Oh, great master, I did nothing wrong. If you wish, I'll give you all the essence blood I've refined. It's a powerful supplement, and consuming it could increase your internal energy..."
"Thank you."
I looked at him with a sneer.
"You've made it easier for me to kill you without hesitation."
"W-what?"
Thud!
Instead of using my sword, I infused my fist with energy and burst the cultivator's head.
There had been some hesitation.
Even if they were devil path cultivators, perhaps there were those who lived peacefully, cultivating in this village.
'In this village, there is no good person. There can't be!'
I cast aside all hesitation and drew my sword towards the cultivators in blue robes controlling Jiangshi.
"You all have no right to live."
Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.
Qi Mountain, Heart Heaven!
With my energy channels fully opened, I unleashed enhanced sword silk, cutting down the attacking Jiangshi in one swoop, and charged towards the blue-robed cultivators.
"Die, all of you!"
The battle ended quickly.
In the center of the village, a Qi Building cultivator from the Makli Clan was swiftly killed by the combined attack of the Jin Clan elder and Kim Young-hoon.
With the Qi Building cultivator defeated, Kim Young-hoon went around slicing through Jiangshi and other cultivators with his energy spheres.
"Ha-ha, excellent! As expected of a Makli Clan cultivator, their pockets are deep!"
"I made the right decision joining this raid!"
The Jin Clan cultivators, having finished looting the corpses of the Makli Clan cultivators, were rummaging through their belongings.
Even the Jin Clan elder was searching through the body of the Qi Building Stage cultivator.
"Those cultivators are going too far."
"How can they think of looting bodies after killing them?"
"Hmm, hmm."
In contrast, I and the other peak masters were visibly uncomfortable.
Although I had experience in plundering weapons and wealth after killing unorthodox martial artists, I had never actively searched bodies in such a manner.
"Well, it's natural for the victor to claim the spoils. You mortals might not understand, but taking the spoils is also a way to honor the defeated," spoke a Jin Clan cultivator, slightly flushed, trying to justify their actions.
But the more he spoke, the stiffer our expressions became.
"Enough. It's better to leave them be. After all, they are just dead. Wouldn't it be better to leave quickly?"
Just then, Kim Young-hoon approached us.
"Wait. We have something to do."
"What? Are you also after the spoils..."
Ignoring the cultivator's words, Kim Young-hoon spoke to us.
"In the houses of the cultivators, there are bodies of sacrificed commoners. We should at least bury them, so they don't remain exposed like that. What do you think, masters?"
"That's right."
"We forgot about them."
We entered the houses where the Makli Clan cultivators had lived, dragged out the bodies of the commoners, and one by one buried them.
"Let them be. They're just dead. Isn't it better to leave quickly?"
The Jin Clan elder, having finished looting, looked annoyed at Kim Young-hoon, who was digging the ground to bury the bodies.
However, neither Kim Young-hoon nor any of us paid attention to him, continuing to silently bury the bodies
How much time has passed?
After burying all the numerous bodies, we recited a short rite led by Kim Young-hoon and prayed they would rest in peace and not become evil spirits. We then left the village.
***