0052 : Demon Subduing Hall
My eighth life has begun.
In truth, the end of my previous life came too abruptly for me to feel any significant emotion about it. The only lingering sensation was the pain from my self-inflicted death, which lingered throughout my body like muscle soreness, making me groan as I lay down for a while.
Last time, I was so overwhelmed by mental shock, surprise, and despair that I didn’t fully realize it, but the method of suicide by severing one’s heart pulse was not one that offered any comfort. In terms of dying pain, it was only slightly less agonizing than decapitation. It was a choice that most people would hesitate to undertake.
“Ugh… Damn it.”
Still grumbling, I got up. The advantage of the self-sacrifice technique was that I could choose my death, which alleviated some of the subsequent mental shock. I felt a need to research a faster, more comfortable way to die without pain.
‘Anyway, let’s summarize. At the bottom of the pond where the Black and White Lotus blooms, there probably lies a relic that is the Secret Treasure of the Seven Stars. The spirit energy emanating from that glowing sword is quite extraordinary. However, to obtain it, I must defeat the guardian, the Giant Spider.’
Quickly assessing the situation in my mind, I was left with the question of how to proceed.
How exactly could I obtain that treasure?
I believed I could not avoid a battle with the guardian. It might be possible to swiftly dash across the narrow bridge to grab the sword before the guardian made its move, but that carried too great a risk. Given the spider’s reaction speed, there was a high possibility I could be overpowered and die futilely. At the very least, it would be impossible to compete purely on speed unless my lightness skill was more than twice as fast as it was now.
‘Doubling my speed from here…? I might be able to if I pushed the Thunder Spirit to its limits, but hmm.’
I let out a low hum.
My lightness skill wasn’t particularly slow. In fact, I could confidently say I was among the top tier even among martial artists in the world. For instance, members of the Golden Guard struggled to react when I used the Thunder Shadow Step to attack, indicating that any skilled practitioners below the elite level would likely be slower than me. Moreover, the enhancement of my physical abilities through internal energy was significant enough to maintain a decent speed even against peak-level masters.
Thus, any increase in my speed would require a substantial breakthrough in my current martial arts mastery, at least by one or two levels. It goes without saying that battling the Giant Spider to seize the treasure would demand this. After contemplating thoroughly, I reached a single conclusion.
I needed to become stronger!
The straightforward and simple goal I had set last time resonated more profoundly within me now. I stepped out of the barn and took up the Mabo Posture to alleviate the pain and cultivate my internal energy. This stance was quite demanding, yet I believed focusing on it would help me quickly forget the suffering.
“……”
I felt it was necessary to delve more delicately into the nuances of martial learning rather than train mindlessly at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. Until now, I had been too preoccupied with merely mastering what Samjeol Lee-gwang or Jin So-cheong taught me to take a breath. But now, things were different. I had years of experience studying under them and had accumulated decent practical experience using the Thunder Shadow system.
‘Now is the time to actively inquire about the rising martial principles that I do not understand.’
Studying alongside geniuses had imparted an important realization: they did not mock or compare the dull or average talents with petty disdain. Such small-mindedness was the domain of those lacking confidence in their abilities. They only had to take a stride forward to glimpse the next level, not needing to look back.
To increase my own strength, I needed to prompt them to look back and explain, so I could gain as much knowledge as possible. The most essential factors in this pursuit would be effort and diligence.
Training at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School!
And becoming stronger to obtain the treasure at the Seven Stars ruins!
“Let’s go!”
Deciding this would be my goal in this life, I departed from the barn after a brief meditation. After obtaining the Heavenly Secret without much hassle, my journey towards Huangshan began.
It took about the same amount of time to reach Huangshan as it did last time. Having a rough idea of the path the Huangshan Sect elder had taken previously, I managed to arrive at the place where the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was located without much hiding this time.
I sat in the cave of Seolwon, gazing at the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and the Black and White Lotus, lost in thought.
‘Isn’t it time to eat?’
Indeed, it felt as if all the fine meridians in my body were almost completely opened. I didn’t even need to perform the circulation technique of my internal energy; just breathing was enough to keep clearing paths. The energy pathways within me had transformed into a writhing dragon vein, alive and vibrant.
If I consume this, I would truly believe that there wouldn’t be anyone in the world with more internal energy than me. Who else could there be that has eaten the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng six times?
To put it simply, it felt like my originally small capacity had been expanded multiple times, and now it was slowly filling up from the bottom. However, the width had grown to such an extent that the surface of this enormous vessel was only gradually rising. Even if I were to absorb more energy from the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and the Black and White Lotus at this point, the effects would inevitably diminish.
‘Hmm. What should I do… How should I proceed…’
Sitting and pondering, I ultimately decided to eat it anyway. If I were to sell this to the outside world, I could amass wealth and power in an instant, but that was not my goal in this life. If it wasn’t meant to be shared with others, then it was far more advantageous for me to consume it, even if the profit was minimal.
Paaah!
As I finished the energy gathering, I felt something shatter within me with a loud crack. However, it was not a negative sensation; rather, it felt like the energy from the elixir that had been an obstacle until now was surging through my body with force. I trembled as I sensed my internal energy accelerating dramatically.
‘Wow…!! It feels like a storm is raging inside me.’
However, this alone did not mean I had truly grown stronger. It felt more like a precursor to transitioning to the ‘next level.’ Satisfied with my gains, I stood up, my eyes landing on the pond where the Black and White Lotus bloomed.
Inside there lies the relic of the Seven Stars.
“… Just in case, should I go take another look?”
This time, I planned to stay in the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School for decades. Since I didn’t know when I might come out again, it wouldn’t hurt to take one more look, and it could be considered a necessary step. Resolutely, I steeled myself and submerged in the pond once more.
Splash!
I turned the orb again to open the door and entered the ruins through the underwater passage. I set foot in the chamber with the altar, taking extra care to search the vicinity of the altar this time, wondering if I had missed anything before.
“… Ah! What’s this!”
I discovered a box that had been hidden far behind a pillar. Last time, I hadn’t noticed it because my attention was focused on the altar, but it had been tucked away in a remote location. The box was a wooden box whose material I couldn’t quite identify, but it seemed harder and heavier than stone for a wooden box.
I pondered how to open the wooden box, but soon decided to take a short dagger and slice it open.
Swish!
The sealed wooden box was cut through in one stroke. My dagger, imbued with my internal energy, was like a master sword and even contained a subtle sword aura, making this possible. I cautiously lifted the lid of the wooden box.
Paaah!
“Wow…!!”
I let out a mix of a low hum and a gasp.
Gold bars!
Although I didn’t possess expert identification skills, the sheer pureness and brilliant luster left me no doubt. I had seen silver bars from the village chief’s house before, but the typical value of gold bars was twenty times that of silver bars. Even if I sold just one of the ten or so gold bars within this wooden box, I would instantly become a wealthy man!
I felt both pleased and amazed by this unexpected income. I had only come back to the ruins just in case, and yet I had stumbled upon such a fortune! It felt like a stroke of luck that I had obtained through my meticulousness.
‘Wait, could it be?’
I picked up two or three gold bars and stood up.
Then, I went to the altar and poured my blood onto it.
Krrr…
The stone wall opened up.
Once again, a door leading to the Divine Sword appeared in the distance. The narrow bridge faintly came into view through the darkness. I considered how long it would take to run to the end of the bridge, but I quickly concluded that it would be too dangerous to make a round trip before the Guardian appeared.
“…”
Instead, I walked steadily towards the stone wall and held up the gold bars in front of the narrow bridge. I then threw them down into the abyss below with all my might.
Ka-kaaang!
[Groaaaaar!!!]
Suddenly, a sound resembling the wailing of a hellish demon reverberated from within the abyss, accompanied by the sound of something thudding rapidly as it climbed upwards. It seemed the Guardian, the Giant Spider, was furious from being hit by the gold bars I had thrown with my internal energy.
I tossed aside the torch I had in my other hand and shouted,
“Here, take this too!”
Whoosh!
I saw the torch ignite a faint shape below. The Guardian seemed to thrash around wildly, clearly confused, and I could feel the chamber vibrating strongly. Fortunately, the torch must have found its way into the creature’s eyes.
‘Did it slow down? If so…’
Thinking this was my chance, I quickly activated the Thunder Spirit and dashed across the narrow bridge. My movement technique temporarily accelerated.
Swish!
I swiftly grabbed the primitive form of the Divine Sword, scanning for any signs beneath, before beginning to leap back to my original position. Just as I had jumped about ten times, a massive shadow suddenly surged up from below.
Kwah-bang!!
“…!!”
Only one of its legs had risen, yet that alone was enough to severely damage the narrow bridge. Pieces of wood fell away, and I was propelled into the air. I bit down, thinking this was a moment between life and death, and struggled to fall towards the exit with whatever little momentum I had.
Kaang!
“Gah!”
I quickly slashed at the tangle of threads that shot up from beneath me using my dagger. Unlike last time, the rebound effect didn’t work out in my favor, causing me to drift slightly sideways. I managed to rotate my body in the air like a cat and briefly stuck my feet to the ceiling when, in that moment, I made eye contact with the madly scurrying Guardian Giant Spider below.
It had dozens of eyes, and one of the gold bars was embedded in the creature’s eye while the torch was set ablaze right above it. It seemed the gold bar I had thrown with my internal energy had struck it directly, and luckily, the torch had landed in a position that aggravated its pain. Seeing the creature ascend with a frenzied aura sent chills down my spine.
What a massive spider!
I hadn’t realized it before, but this creature truly was a behemoth. I realized how absurd it was to think I could deal damage against something that seemed impervious to assaults, even against siege weaponry; attempting a straight confrontation felt utterly foolish.
‘Ugh… I cannot be caught and eaten!’
Even if I were to die, I wanted to die on my own terms! This intense thought surged through my body, compelling my internal energy to move rapidly. In a moment, lightning flashed through my legs and muscles as I propelled myself towards the exit.
Kwah-bang!
Krrr…
As I jumped out of the exit, the enormous body of the spider surged up, creating a cloud of dust. Realizing I had narrowly escaped with my life, I immediately fled without looking back. Sure enough, from beyond the stone wall, the spider unleashed a torrent of thread as strong as steel, each projectile possessing enough force to crush a human’s body.
Ka-kwalang!
Kwah-bang!
“Ahhh…!”
As I struck at the threads with my dagger, I felt my body abruptly flip in midair. Although I had managed to block and parry effectively, the force carried by the threads was so strong that I was violently thrown back. If this was beyond what I could handle with my internal energy, it was certain that ordinary martial artists would find it impossible to defend against such an attack.
Crash!
After spinning three times in the air, I tumbled and desperately scrambled up the stairs. After climbing for a while, I could no longer hear the sounds of collapse or pursuit from below. However, I kept running and finally emerged back at the exit of the submerged passage.
Splash!
As I pulled my drenched body out of the pond, I gasped for breath.
“Haah! Hah! Haah…”
In that moment, I realized how reckless I had been.
‘Phew… I was lucky.’
I had only tested whether I could injure the Guardian by throwing gold bars, and somehow it had succeeded. However, it was simply by chance that the gold bar had struck the spider’s vital eye, and the additional torch had exacerbated the injury. Given the odds, I would fail nine times out of ten if I had to attempt it again. If the gold bar had struck anywhere else, it would not have affected the creature at all.
I also realized that it would be impossible to quickly escape with only the gold bars and avoid a confrontation with the Guardian. The Giant Spider was much more agile and powerful than I had anticipated. Even with the time I had bought thanks to the lucky hit with the gold bar and torch, I had nearly been caught. Evading a fight was utterly impossible.
I lay down in the snowy expanse outside the pond and laughed heartily.
“Still, I obtained the Divine Sword!! Hahaha.”
Looking at the sword in my left hand brought a smile to my face.
The primitive form of the Divine Sword!
This must be one of the Secret Treasures of the Seven Stars.
In this life, I had the chance to thoroughly train in martial arts while also learning the origins and value of this Divine Sword.
‘Unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of retrieving the box of gold bars, but it’s no big deal.’
It was clear that even the value of the gold bars could not compare to that of the Divine Sword. As Master Mangnyang had said, the Secret Treasures of the Seven Stars undoubtedly dated back to the Bronze Age.
Deciding to experiment, I infused the Divine Sword with my qi.
Whooom…
“… Characters?”
Suddenly, unfamiliar symbols emerged on the surface of the Divine Sword. Unlike the texts on the stone tablet or the altar, these were not completely incomprehensible glyphs. After a while of staring, I could discern what kind of characters they were.
“It’s a form of Oracle Bone Script. An ancient script.”
During my studies of the Ten Thousand Character Text and the Secret of the Qi Manipulation, I had learned much about archaic and dead languages that are no longer in use. Among them were basic Oracle Bone Scripts thought to have been used only during the Bronze Age; I realized these symbols bore some resemblance to that script even though the form was slightly different.
It was highly likely that this Divine Sword had been crafted by an ancient person thousands of years ago. Fortunately, interpreting the Oracle Bone Script from the Bronze Age was not as impossible as deciphering incomprehensible glyphs. I believed that with a bit more knowledge, I would be able to succeed.
‘Hmm… Should I interpret the inscriptions on the Divine Sword before heading to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School?’
After pondering, I made my decision.
“Let’s go see Master Mangnyang.”
With Master Mangnyang, I would not only be able to determine whether this was a Secret Treasure of the Seven Stars, but he could also assist me in interpreting the Oracle Bone Script.
