0078 ———————————————-
Demon Subduing Hall
My tenth life has begun.
I sat dazed, leaning against the stable wall.
In the end, it seemed like I had been unable to defend against the monster’s tentacle attack, resulting in my head bursting, but surprisingly, there was no pain. Unlike the brutal nature of my death, I simply expired without a chance to feel any suffering. Of course, there was a stiffness in my neck and a stinging in my eyes, but one could say I died without pain.
What I was pondering right now was, “Why did I act that way?”
Why on earth did I do such a thing?
After being scolded by Mangnyang and Han Jin-seong, why did I foolishly engage in battle with a horde of demon creatures? Am I truly an irredeemable fool? After all that I had accomplished, why did I make such a fatal mistake now?
After some time, I understood the reason.
“I wanted to die…”
That’s right.
I wanted to escape because life was so tormenting.
Although I had been training desperately to master the secret techniques I longed for, the past few years spent under Lee Kwang’s judgement had been excruciating. Lee Kwang treated me as a traitor for betraying his expectations, and just getting through each day was a struggle. I had been enduring with the singular thought that I had to become stronger, but perhaps I had reached my limit.
Then, upon encountering Mangnyang, as I felled the monsters, I regained confidence in my strength and foolishly judged that I wanted to show Mangnyang my power.
Looking back, it was a foolish decision; the psychological pressure I had felt led me to make a poor choice. Deep within me lay the mindset of “It’s okay to die.”
Now that I had died and begun my tenth reincarnation, an overwhelming sense of regret rushed over me.
If I had listened to Mangnyang and fled, I could have learned more detailed information from him about what had transpired. I might have uncovered the secrets hidden within the Phoenix sculpture, or discovered new clues from the time I spent with Mangnyang!
I had squandered too many opportunities because I couldn’t restrain my momentary impulsivity.
Despite receiving countless pieces of advice from many people until now, I felt a deep sense of shame for being so foolish.
For two hours, I sat motionless, watching the dawn. Normally, I would be eagerly rushing to obtain the Dark Heaven Secret and feed on Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, but my intense self-reproach left my mind blank.
“……”
Daybreak arrived. Still leaning against the stable wall, I watched the sunrise. As I gazed into the sunlight with bleary eyes, I pondered,
“What should I do now?”
The plan to acquire the Dark Heaven Secret, go to Huangshan to consume the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, and then retrieve Moonglow from the ruins was fixed in my mind. I would need to move quickly after retrieving Moonglow, but I could manage that.
But what about afterwards?
I’ve already grasped most of the techniques of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts, including the Thunder Call breathing method. Although I couldn’t use them at the mastery level, it was true that I had learned high-level skills. If I were to return to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts for training, a tremendous sense of discomfort would arise.
“If Lee Kwang finds out I know the Thunder Call breathing… he will undoubtedly try to kill me.”
Even if I could hide my level, that would still pose a problem. I had endured Lee Kwang’s murderous disdain for several years, and I even felt a deep desire to die. I didn’t want to return to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts in my current emotional state. I would surely end up exhausted.
I shook my head and muttered,
“I don’t know. I don’t understand anything at all.”
In the midst of this misfortune, I was fortunate to have many “clues” to uncover.
The existence of the organization known as the Demon Subduing Hall behind the Golden Eagle Guard, how the Demon Subduing Hall obtained the Seven Stars, and what the “new beings from another world” summoned by the Demon Subduing Hall were. While contemplating various issues, I came to a conclusion.
“This time, regardless of what happens, I will live as long as possible. I will act cautiously and trust Mangnyang without question.”
I deliberately spoke out to set my internal policy. I felt that without doing so, my mind would struggle to hold on. With renewed resolve, I stood up. This time, I was determined to last at least twenty years.
“And I won’t return to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts.”
At least this lifetime, I didn’t want to go back. Perhaps if I desperately needed strength, I might reconsider, but for now, I didn’t even want to see Lee Kwang’s face. With my reckless decision made, I exited the stable and started running.
After obtaining the Dark Heaven Secret, I headed straight for Huangshan. I compared my speed with that of my previous visit and found that mastering Sky Piercing and occasionally using Thunder Call made me significantly faster. As a result, I reduced my travel time to Huangshan by two days compared to before.
Screech!
I stopped on a rock atop a mountain, looking down at Huangshan. The thought that I had done this nearly ten times left me feeling somewhat jaded. Nevertheless, I forced my mind to focus and prepared to head into Huangshan’s scenic beauty.
Upon entering the scenic beauty of Huangshan, I consumed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and the White and Black Lotus once again. This time, I didn’t feel the sensation of the meridians being pierced; instead, I just felt a warm accumulation of Qi beneath my Dantian. It seemed that almost all the meridians in my body had been penetrated, allowing Qi to enter a phase of accumulation. With no noticeable progress, I felt a sense of emptiness.
‘From now on, consuming the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng might not yield much improvement.’
Thinking this, I felt despondent. Until now, I had lived for the enjoyment of consuming the ginseng, but if it no longer held any significant benefit, what was I supposed to live for? Grumbling inwardly, I plunged into the pool below.
Splash!
I entered beneath the ruins of the Shiyou and stood again in front of the altar.
First, I moved the gold ingots from the necklace outside before returning to my spot to ponder.
‘Why can I read this text?’
Until now, I had never thought about it despite making every effort to obtain the Shiyou Divine Sword, Moonglow. This text clearly appeared to be written in a language from another world—like the odd language of monsters—so how was I able to read the script of the Shiyou Ruins? If I hadn’t been able to read, I wouldn’t have thought of spilling blood at the altar and would have been stuck in circles for eternity.
The ability to read a script I had never learned was indeed a strange phenomenon.
Clunk… Clunk…
As I contemplated this, I once again spilled blood on the altar, causing the stone door to open. This time I prepared with a spear instead of a sword. Having imagined this moment dozens of times, I planned to break through the spider guardian in a different manner this time.
“Here we go…”
With my Thunder Spirit Technique focused on the spear, I quietly stood at the entrance of the single-plank bridge, waiting. A moment later, with a booming sound, something black emerged. The colossal guardian spider, leaping from the ceiling, spotted me and rolled its crimson eyes.
Screech—!!
I gritted my teeth. Strangely enough, that guardian didn’t seem all that terrifying. Just days earlier, I had been surrounded by hundreds of demon creatures from another realm, battling frantically. I brandished my spear, a fierce glint in my gaze.
Swoosh!
One of the basic techniques of spear fighting, the “Swoosh,” was unleashed. As the spider’s front leg charged fiercely toward me, it became entangled in the rotating spear tip and was torn away with a sizzling sound. The spider’s front leg, remarkably sturdy and nearly as hard as solid steel, was deflected in a single move using the Swoosh technique infused with the Thunder Spirit.
Simultaneously, without worrying about my attack range, I effortlessly swept aside the strands of web launched by the guardian using the “Na” technique, stepping forward half a pace as I engaged the opponent.
“Charge!”
Boom!
With a thrust of the “Chop” technique, I pierced one of the guardian spider’s thick legs in one stroke. The rotation of the spear magnified rapidly, successfully severing one of the spider’s eight large legs.
Screech—!!!
The air was filled with a cacophony of overlapping screams from the spider. I grinned as I confirmed that I had delivered an effective blow to the spider for the first time.
“Hah… So that’s what you really look like?”
Suddenly, a red bubble formed in the eye region of the guardian spider, and from between those bubbles, a giant face resembling that of a human emerged. This face clearly bore a sinister aura.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The spider seemed genuinely enraged; it didn’t even consider spinning a web but began releasing thousands of strands of white silk from its entire body. This was the very technique that had made me feel utterly helpless during my first encounter with the guardian spider. I hadn’t believed I could penetrate that deluge of silk to defeat the massive spider.
But I was different now. There was no reason to give the spider time to unleash its silk. I instantly activated my ultimate move.
Thunder Call!
The world slowed down. The Thunder Spirit surged through my body, making my nerves feel electric. In the suffused black and white world, without hesitation, I leapt forward and hurled my spear. It was the only throwing spear technique found within the Thunder God lineage.
Thwack!
The spear, arcing slightly, pierced straight through the spider’s head. In that moment, with more than half of the spear embedded, I drew closer, reaching for my sword.
Lightning coursed along the spear handle. I poured all my essence into the downward strike of my sword. It was both the path of the All-Victorious Sword Technique and a strike infused with the power of the ultimate thunder. All the energy I had built up concentrated at a single point and split the spider’s head in two once again.
Boom!
It didn’t end with just one strike. In the midst of the thunderous pulse, I evaded the spider’s bodily fluids that surged upwards and struck the spider deeper with a forceful thrust. The thunder surged through, breaking the internal resistance and wreaking havoc within the spider’s body. Not stopping there, I withdrew the sword and slashed once more.
This was the All-Victorious Sword Technique, the Swastika Slash.
As I muttered to myself, I kept my Thunder Call breathing steady while stepping on the spider’s body and leaping to the other side. Normally, I would have to worry about the spider’s retaliatory strike, but I had already delivered several devastating blows in that split moment, shattering its life force. With blood slowly gushing out, there was nothing to fear.
I grabbed Moonglow and turned back to unleash a massive Thunderling with a sword wave. Normally, such a feat would be impossible for martial artists, but with five Thunderlings of one foot in size flying continuously, the guardian spider’s body was lifted off the ground. I approached it once more and delivered another cut, performing a somersault and landing at the entrance.
This was the culmination of a single breath of Thunder Call. The moment I dashed out of the entrance, a thunderous sound erupted from behind as the spider’s purple bodily fluids violently sprayed everywhere.
“Such a tough creature!”
The spider’s vitality was astonishing, roaring and shaking the entire ruins despite taking so many hits. Frowning, I drew a dagger from my robe and threw it.
Wham!
The dagger struck the spider’s massive body once again. During my training at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, I had mastered the ability to fully utilize my internal energy, allowing me to imbue tremendous force into the small dagger. I sensed the spider’s frantic thrashing gradually ceasing and quietly exited the Shiyou Ruins.
Emerging from the pond, I gathered three roots of the White and Black Lotus and packed them into my backpack. As I hefted the pack, I murmured, “Next time, I should also take the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”
Although I had eaten it like candy this time, I felt no particular need to consume more. Now, I wanted to try using it for something other than just eating.
I immediately began sprinting towards Jinrang Valley. With my mastery of the Thunder Spirit Technique and the Azure Dragon Martial Hall’s skills, my speed was even faster. I dashed across the plains like a whirlwind, the sound of the wind echoing behind me. There was no way I could be slow, regardless of the treacherous terrain or cliffs I leaped over.
Of course, I also made sure to stop by Taegyeong Village to retrieve the hidden Phoenix sculpture from the library.
Tat tat tat…
Arriving at Jinrang Valley, I went up to meet Mangnyang during the day. Mangnyang was quietly enjoying the Spring Blossom Collection when he was startled to see me suddenly appear.
“Ah… who are you?”
I gave a wry smile. “Just a fool who didn’t heed your words and ended up dead.”
“…?”
Having run at such speed, this time I found myself with extra time. With at least a day’s leeway, I sat across from Mangnyang and calmly explained everything that had happened up to that point. Initially, he looked at me as if I were insane, but as I continued, his expression changed to one of growing interest, and eventually, he began listening seriously.
“… So, you didn’t listen to my words and ended up dying, which is how you began your tenth reincarnation.”
“Hmm… Was it Baek Woong? How about taking a shot at writing a novel? With your storytelling skills, you’ll soon be the best storyteller in Luoyang.”
“You don’t seem to believe me.”
“Would you believe a stranger suddenly appearing and telling you such tales? I’m willing to hear you out since you seem like a master who has somehow traversed worlds, but honestly, it sounds absurd.”
“This might change your perspective a bit.”
I pulled out Moonglow, the Phoenix sculpture, and the roots of the White and Black Lotus one by one. He gazed at the golden script on Moonglow, his face reflecting sheer disbelief. With such concrete evidence, he had no choice but to believe my words. He trembled as he lifted Moonglow.
“What… What is this? Are you saying all of this is true?”
“Indeed. And as I recall, you seem to have been fighting against a group called the Demon Subduing Hall while forming the Anti-Heaven Alliance, but the Demon Subduing Hall managed to obtain the Seven Stars, causing a flood of demon creatures to be summoned from other realms, putting you at the brink of death.”
“The Anti-Heaven Alliance… ha ha.”
Mangnyang chuckled in disbelief. “That’s a group I used to scrawl about in my youth.”
“Proof that you created the group.”
“Well… Regardless, I can believe that. Really, I’ve had my fair share of bizarre experiences.”
After a moment of contemplation, Mangnyang spoke again. “But tell me, what do you plan to do next?”
“For now, I intend to go with you to Cheon U-jin to prevent the calamity of Moonglow.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I’m asking how you plan to defeat the Demon Subduing Hall.”
“…?”
With a frustrated expression, Mangnyang rested his chin on the table. Then, he made a point that I hadn’t even considered.
“The driving force behind the Demon Subduing Hall’s control of the Golden Eagle Guard and their schemes lies within the No Name Ritual Text, does it not? And the No Name Ritual Text was used to summon beings from other realms for interpretation. So even if you fortuitously manage to thwart their plot this time, in your next reincarnation, won’t you have to battle the Demon Subduing Hall and those beings from the other realms again?”
“…”
“The conclusion is this: it’s not just about defeating the Golden Eagle Guard; the crucial matter is how we drive out the so-called [beings from other realms] that the Demon Subduing Hall summoned in place of shamans from this world.”
Ah, I see!
I had been feeling a sense of futility lately, struggling in a purposeless fight since starting this reincarnation. However, listening to Mangnyang made it clear that my true enemy was the [beings from other realms]. Just like that strange shaman from before, unless I drove these entities out of this world, victory in this struggle would be impossible.
Mangnyang continued, “But there’s no guarantee that showing that Heavenly Secret Codex to them will work again. More importantly, we have no idea what these beings from other realms are, do we?”
“What should we do?”
“First, let’s focus on preventing the calamity of Moonglow, and then we’ll think of a plan. I don’t have any immediate solutions either, so I’ll consider this while traveling with you to Luoyang.”
I mounted my horse alongside Mangnyang and headed towards Luoyang. Upon reaching the village where Cheon U-jin lived, I found myself persuading him again, just like last time. I also witnessed Mangnyang and Cheon U-jin performing the ritual for Moonglow’s calamity.
However, a problem arose here.
As Cheon U-jin recited the incantation and conducted the ceremony, his face suddenly stiffened. He then glared at me sharply and spoke.
“Hmm… it seems a spirit is descending.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems Tai Xu Tian Zun has something to say to you directly. Then…”
Flash!
Suddenly, Cheon U-jin’s body began to glow. His face turned bright red, and a brilliant light radiated from his eyes. It was clearly the power often referred to as spiritual energy. I felt a twinge of tension as it was evident that something otherworldly was taking control of Cheon U-jin’s body.
[The ritual has been well received. Humans.]
An authoritative voice, unlike anything from this world, flowed from Cheon U-jin’s lips.
[Yet, it is strange. I intend to bestow blessings upon you and those who preside over the ritual, but I already sense traces of my power within you. Are you related to the bloodline of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?]
Stiff with disbelief at the unexpected turn of events, I watched as Mangnyang, who was beside me, quickly interjected while maintaining his stance.
“That is not the case, Tai Xu Tian Zun! We swear it is our first time conducting this ritual.”
[That is indeed true. I possess the authority to discern if you are lying. Yet, I clearly sense… remnants of my power…]
Tai Xu Tian Zun, appearing somewhat perplexed, continued.
[If that is the case, I will change who bestows power upon you.]
“Is that permissible?”
[Of course. Yet, as that being governs a different realm, the rewards you receive may differ somewhat.]
Listening to this, I asked Tai Xu Tian Zun, “Is it not possible to simply receive blessings from Tai Xu Tian Zun?”
[Silence. This is somehow unsettling.]
“Yes…”
Sssss…
[Come forth, Queen Mother of the West.]
Flash!
Multicolored clouds swirled, and suddenly, the form of a beautiful woman appeared as an illusion upon Cheon U-jin’s body. This time, it seemed that the Queen Mother of the West had possessed Cheon U-jin.
At that moment, the Queen Mother of the West, who had possessed Cheon U-jin, glanced over at me. ‘She’ carefully scrutinized me before saying.
[I shall bestow the Pan Tao upon you.]
That was the end of her statement.
Once the ritual concluded, when Cheon U-jin regained his senses, we checked what we had acquired. I saw Cheon U-jin and Mangnyang exuberantly celebrating their blessings from the ritual as if they were intoxicated with joy.
‘What’s this?’
However, I had no idea what I had received. So, I asked Cheon U-jin, “What does it mean that the Queen Mother of the West has given us the Pan Tao?”
“Congratulations.”
Cheon U-jin was smiling cheerfully, unlike his usual aggressive demeanor. Then he spoke.
“You have now received the blessing of longevity. That is the Queen Mother of the West’s gift.”
“Longevity…?”
“At the very least, you will live a healthy life until 100 years old, and you might easily live to be 200. You may feel slight aging at 300, but if you practice spiritual cultivation, you could aim for the level of a half-immortal thereafter. Receiving such a great blessing, the Queen Mother of the West truly is an incredible deity!”
“……”
I was left speechless.
‘What kind of blessing is that!!’
If I die, I will just return to start again, so why on earth would I be given the blessing of longevity!!
I wanted to argue, feeling wronged, but I found myself at a loss for words and gave up.
“Damn it…”
At this point, I thought I had no choice but to live long and diligently, just as I had resolved in the beginning.
—————————= Author’s Note =————————=
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