The Day of the Final Battle
The day of the decisive clash had arrived.
Outside the imperial walls, waiting time stretched on.
I opened a single book and began to read it thoroughly.
“Huh, but why did you ask for it?”
Kim Young-hoon watched me reading and asked with obvious confusion.
The book I held had no title.
Of course, because it was one Kim Young-hoon had written.
The **Wol Su Gung Mu Rok**, created by the number-one expert under heaven—Kim Young-hoon—to help the ones who look up at the heavens escape.
Then, in the next cycle, Kim Young-hoon inherited that **Wol Su Gung Mu Rok** and evolved it into the **Jo Su Wol Mu Rok**.
And Kim Young-hoon, who had received the **Jo Su Wol Mu Rok**, explored every possible path it could be applied to and recorded all its profound insights in the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeong**.
Finally, Kim Young-hoon, after mastering the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeong**, integrated and simplified the six volumes into the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol**.
The book I was reading right now was the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol** that, in this life, Kim Young-hoon had inherited after mastering it, then evolved once more through endless battles with those who look up at the heavens.
While the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeong** and **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol** had discussed the method and comprehension for moving beyond the **Ogijowon** realm, this book—evolved by the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol**—described what it was like to see the ultimate regret of the realm beyond **Ogijowon**.
Of course.
“I can’t understand a single word.”
The reason I couldn’t grasp it was because this martial skill system had evolved the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol** yet again. Kim Young-hoon clicked his tongue at my pained expression.
“You don’t need to force understanding. This isn’t a completed martial skill.”
“It’s not completed?”
“Hmm, martial skills aren’t meant to be inherited forever. Even if I become the greatest under heaven in history, I will die and fade someday. But the martial skills I leave behind will prove that I existed. Therefore, completion of a martial skill means inheritance.”
He glanced at the book in my hand and clicked his tongue again.
“But the minimum entry condition for that martial skill is **Ogijowon**. Just as a first-class peak martial artist cannot understand the world of **Samhwachwijeong**, and an early **Samhwachwijeong** martial artist cannot understand the world of **Ogijowon**… anyone below **Ogijowon** cannot comprehend this system. So it can’t be passed down properly, hence it is incomplete.”
“Hmm, in short, it has been completed, but the entry condition is too extreme, so it remains incomplete?”
“Exactly. We need to relax the **Ogijowon** requirement so that even those who have reached **Samhwachwijeong** can understand it….”
I listened and grinned widely.
“Why bother with that? I think you should just give this martial skill to any martial artist who reaches **Ogijowon**. It seems unnecessary to relax it for someone with Kim Hyung-geup’s talent.”
“Hahaha, Eun-hyun-ah. My talent is unbelievable. It was impossible even in the thousand years before me or the thousand years after me. I swear, my talent is at a level that’s almost wrong…”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
Every single life, I’ve seen him evolve the martial skill and accelerate toward the next realm faster and faster. That talent is truly beyond comprehension.
One.
“Don’t worry, Kim Hyung. I will pass this martial skill on to you in the next life.”
This martial skill would be inherited without needing relaxation.
Because I would make sure of it.
“…By the way, how about we decide on a name for this martial skill?”
“Hmm, name, eh.”
After a moment of thought, he grinned.
“Looking up at the heavens and eventually surpassing the framework of martial skills. That is the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol**. Its creator spent his entire life only looking up at the heavens and ended up like that. He never could have surpassed them.
But I discovered the possibility of surpassing them by evolving the **Jo Su Wol Mu Gyeol** even further…! With my current realm, I won’t be pushed back even in a direct clash with late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators! Peak Core Formation cultivators would leave meaningful wounds if ambushed….”
He wrote characters in mid-air.
Strong energy flowed from his fingertips and painted the empty space cleanly.
“Surpassing the one who looks up at the heavens and surpassing the framework of martial skills! The record of reaching it!”
**Wol Su Wol Mu Rok**.
That was the name of the newly evolved martial skill.
“Wol Su Wol Mu Rok…”
It felt almost like combining the two previous names.
Somehow, looking at that name brought memories of Hyung-nim from the first and second cycles.
The unfinished business they had left behind was slowly being completed.
I smiled gently and tucked the fully read **Wol Su Wol Mu Rok** into my robe.
Since I had successfully memorized the **Gyeol**, I could pass it on again.
Even if I die today.
“Let’s go, Kim Hyung.”
“Yeah, time’s ticking.”
Today, the imperial ancestor of Yeon Kingdom would change.
* * *
Fwaaah!
Above Seogyeong-seong, bright blue and red lights flashed.
That meant the alliance between the Jin clan and Makri clan was completely over.
“Now it’s just a matter of entering.”
Boom!
East, west, south, and north gates of Seogyeong-seong.
Blue light erupted from all four directions.
At the same time, red light burst from the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast.
The lights of the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Jin clan and Makri clan intertwined above the capital, spreading the influence of their **Beopsul** across the entire city.
Kugugugugug—
The barrier made by the two sects’ cultivators enveloped the city.
At the same time, all ordinary pedestrians who had been walking through Seogyeong-seong began to stagger and collapse.
Peak first-class martial artists and below all lost consciousness and lay sprawled on the roads. Only those in the later stages of peak first-class could barely hold their weapons and resist the barrier’s effect.
Even they would collapse and fall unconscious if they lost focus even for a moment.
Only those who had entered the realm of intent could maintain awareness inside the city now.
Even they would lose consciousness again the moment their concentration vanished, because they could not stay in the realm of intent constantly.
“This is terrifying.”
The terror of the cultivators wasn’t just their individual strength.
They could deploy formations and mysterious techniques!
Eight Foundation Establishment cultivators had created a **Beopjin** that could instantly control an entire city.
And that was only because they deliberately limited themselves to eight to check each other. In reality, even four Foundation Establishment cultivators could deploy it.
“Even if they can’t resist those below peak intent, no matter how many criminals gather, they can’t defeat cultivators.”
That was why they treated us like bugs.
The reason we kept shouting, and they ignored us completely.
“But still…”
There was basic human morality.
The morality that a human is born as a human and can claim to be human.
I clenched my teeth, remembering the atrocities of the Makri clan.
“I will stop you if I can.”
Tat!
The moment the barrier formed, I activated my divine technique toward the imperial palace.
At the same time, my disciples and Kim Young-hoon’s followers, who had been hiding in various places, raised their weapons and charged out.
More than a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators in red robes from the Jin clan flew in on flight techniques beyond the barrier.
Wooong!
Inside the barrier, in the center of the inner city near the imperial palace, a thick blue barrier covered the palace.
It looked incredibly thick at first glance.
Inside it, cultivators from the Makri clan in blue robes were strengthening the formation with **Beopgyeol** and preparing to unleash **Beopsul**.
It looked incredibly sturdy.
But Kim Young-hoon rose into the sky.
Paang, paang!
He stepped in mid-air and thrust his hand out.
“All of you, prepare to enter!”
His voice seemed to cover the entire city.
Kim Young-hoon, floating in mid-air, extended his **Jangsim** quietly.
A round **Hwan** flowed from his palm.
“That’s…”
I remembered the realm he had achieved.
The **Ganghwan** rising above his hand emitted bright light.
The realm he had opened again in this life.
The profound meaning of the **Wol Su Wol Mu Rok**!
The light split into three rays.
Three **Ganghwan**!
But the three **Ganghwan** spun around Kim Young-hoon again, splitting into three more.
Nine **Ganghwan**!
Nine **Ganghwan** lined up behind his back.
Immediately after, one **Ganghwan** appeared in front of him, and four more on each side.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
Nine lights fell onto the formation covering the imperial palace.
Nine wind holes pierced the blue barrier.
“Enter!!”
Chwarak!
When the Jin clan cultivators threw out talismans, they flew into the wind holes and sealed the barrier’s restoration.
The Makri cultivators looked shocked that a single strike from Kim Young-hoon had created so many holes.
Taat!
I unfolded the **San Gun Wol Ak Bi** and dashed up the outer wall of the imperial palace, diving into the hole Kim Young-hoon had opened.
“The criminal is inside! Stop…”
Danmakdo, Sanbaram!
Puk!
My stab infused with strong energy pierced straight through the mouth of a Makri cultivator who was shouting “Stop” and created a wind hole in his meridians.
**Danak Sword Art**, Nine Styles.
“San Su Hwa.”
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
My sword filled with **Gang** danced in all directions.
It looked like it was just randomly scattered diagonally, but every stroke followed the perfect rhythm!
Each perfectly timed strike shattered the defensive **Beopsul** of the Foundation Establishment cultivators below peak and ripped their bodies apart.
A hole on one side of the outer wall.
Blood mist erupted instantly where I stood.
“Kheuk, a true top martial artist! Bring out the undead and prepare **Beopsul** from the rear!”
Kieek, kieeeek!
Black undead swarmed toward me, scattering corpse poison.
This style, **Ip San**.
Fourteen styles, **Gi San Sim Cheon**.
**Yeon Gye Gi**.
**Gi San Ip Ro**!
Buwoong!
Switching to lower body, I opened my meridians wide and widened the range of my strong energy as I cleaved straight through.
Shwa kwa kwang!
In one strike, the legs of the undead rushing from all directions were severed and they collapsed.
“Sim San, Deung Maek.”
I unfolded the **San Gun Wol Ak Bi**, slipped into the cultivator who had been chanting in the rear, and slammed him down.
Kwa deuk!
My sword gang pierced straight through the defensive **Beopsul**, splitting the cultivator’s body diagonally.
“Eh, eh eh… this, this criminal…!”
Other panicked cultivators cast some **Beopgyeol**.
Chwaaak!
Pi uung!
Kuuu—
Water balls, wind blades, and yin rings flew toward me from different directions.
“Yoo Gok.”
I used the profound meaning of the **Jo Su Wol Mu Rok** along with the **Yoo Gok** and twisted the intent I felt from the inside of the **Beopsul**, changing the direction of their power.
Rotating once as normal, I neutralized all three **Beopsul**.
The **Beopsul** didn’t even graze my robe.
“Wha, what…”
“Gwae Am.”
Bung, bung, bung!
Kwa gak gak gak!
I spun in place and fired a circular **Gang** at the panicked cultivators.
Without even giving them time to cast their next **Beopsul**, they were crushed by their own defensive techniques and ripped apart by my **Gang**.
Pieces of flesh flew in all directions, filling the air with blood stench.
The cultivators’ attention was completely focused on me because of my huge commotion.
“Stop that martial artist first!”
“Deploy all the undead!”
“Drive them out!”
Hundreds of undead charged forward, spreading corpse poison everywhere.
And others began to enter through the hole behind me.
Paba ba bat!
My 314 disciples lined up behind me, each holding a weapon.
“Organize. I’ll enter first inside.”
After saying it briefly, I headed toward the outer wall.
My disciples, led by Man-ho, nodded shortly and clashed with the undead horde.
Taat!
I leaped down from the outer wall.
Cool wind blew upward.
And—
Paaang!
A projectile shot toward me as a sound of breaking air exploded.
“I could dodge it, but catching it in mid-air would be a little disadvantageous for me.”
Quick judgment.
And in that instant, I swung my sword against the outer wall.
Kwa gak!
I spewed **Sword Thread**, drove the sword into the outer wall, leaped onto the embedded sword as support, and jumped again from there.
Then I poured internal energy into my legs, spun, and thrust the projectile up.
Kaaang!
The counterattack in perfect rhythm sent the projectile flying back, and I quickly drew my sword from the outer wall and landed by using **Cheon Geun Chwi** to drop to the ground.
The people who had thrown the projectile at me, along with peak martial artists from the surroundings, began to swarm in.
“Whoa, it’s been a while.”
“Shut up, you bastard! We’ve never seen someone like you!”
The faces from the shadow guard era.
The commanders and deputy commanders of the outer city defense force, the admirals and vice-admirals of the Golden Army, the total soldiers and left-and-right chiefs of the Yeonwei.
Faces I had seen here and there.
Of course, since the shadow guard had to hide in shadows, their relationship with each other was plain like chicken and duck.
But.
“Killing them is a little bothersome.”
They were just following orders.
They had only been taught and performed loyalty.
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill them.”
The cultivators couldn’t control their strength because of their defensive **Beopsul**, so it was harder not to kill them.
These guys were much easier.
Peeing!
**Tu Gwae Am Gi**, Straight Strike!
A flying dagger pierced the shoulder of the outer city defense commander.
Since it was coated with poison, he would be paralyzed soon.
I took out the antidote from my robe, placed it in my mouth, and scattered the poison powder in all directions from my pocket.
**Tu Gwae Am Gi**, Illusion Fog Snake!
Several daggers accurately grazed the bodies of the deputy commander and the Yeonwei chief beyond the poison powder.
I quickly coated my sword tip with poison, then used the **Sim San** style to dive into the Golden Army admiral and Yeonwei chief’s robes, lightly slicing their skin.
The rest were the Golden Army vice-admirals.
**Tu Gwae Am Gi**, Double Kill Snake.
Shuk, shuk!
Two daggers flew in different trajectories at them, and I grabbed the **Gi Su Sik** again in that moment.
**Danmakdo, Sanbaram**!
Peeing!
The extreme-speed stab pierced the vice-admirals who blocked the daggers, and the poison on the sword tip was injected. The vice-admirals collapsed right there.
“They’re not all instant-death poison. You can decode them at the imperial palace later. Since the imperial physicians are a little better than me, they’ll figure out the mixture themselves.”
I grimaced and looked back at the peak martial artists writhing on the ground, then scanned the surrounding building layout.
“The emperor’s emergency shelter is the **Yong Am Jeon**. Officially, that’s where it is.”
But I, the deputy commander of the shadow guard who had protected the emperor up close, knew.
“Actually, the shelter is the **Gyun Gyeong Gak**. The location of **Gyun Gyeong Gak** was beyond the manor in the northwest of the imperial palace…”
During the shadow guard era, I didn’t know why we had to protect a cultivator emperor.
I didn’t know why such a shelter existed.
Since the criminals’ rebellion or army couldn’t even be matched, why was such a shelter necessary?
But now I understood.
“It’s a place prepared in case another sect alliance tries to steal the imperial ancestor.”
Kieeeek!
The undead horde, much larger than what I had seen from above the outer wall, let out a roar and charged.
There were hundreds of them at least.
No cultivators seemed to be controlling them; they were probably released just to tie down the intruders’ feet.
Hoo—!
How many humans had been sacrificed to create those undead?
I gritted my teeth and gripped my sword.
“It’s about time….”
Tadat!
In the moment I thought that, my disciples leaped down from below the outer wall.
“Casualties?”
“None.”
“Thank you. Did you organize them all?”
“We only organized the undead. The remaining Makri cultivators are fighting with the martial artists Kim Hyung-nim brought and the cultivators from the Jin clan.”
“Good. From now on, everyone follow me. We’re entering the place where the emperor is.”
“Understood!”
At my words, the disciples shouted with excitement.
“First, we’ll break through the undead horde. They’re just tied down anyway, so we don’t need to kill them all. Everyone, wedge formation!”
Leading, my disciples lined up in a triangular shape behind me.
“Break through!”
“Yes!!!!!”
When one reaches peak intent, each individual becomes a power equivalent to a single cavalry soldier because of their internal energy.
The numbers are few, but their power and speed are not inferior at all.
I ran ahead so my disciples could follow and infused strong energy into my sword.
**Danak Sword Art**, Four Styles.
“Yoo Ring!”
Just as I had practiced during training, I shouted the style name and my disciples each took the appropriate stance and connected to form a formation.
Normally, formations unified weapons, but for peak intent cultivators who could read intent, that was no flaw.
Instead, each one filled their own weaknesses and broke through!
Kwa kwa kwang!
It was originally a concise piercing style, but combined with breakthrough power it exploded like a collision, blowing up the undead right in front of me.
**Gi San Sim Cheon**!
I opened my meridians wide again and pulled up my strong energy even more.
Kugugugugug!
I cut through the undead in front like they were nothing and charged forward.
My disciples on the left and right also infused their weapons with energy, scattered the undead, and broke through.
Peak martial artists from the dark undead horde opened paths.
“It’s over!”
As I tore through the wave of undead, I saw the wall dividing the imperial palace area ahead.
**Danak Sword Art**, **Neung Gok Ji Byeon**!
I spewed **Sword Qi**, shattered the wall together with the surrounding terrain, and stood at the front to pass straight through.
The disciples on the left and right briefly changed from wedge formation to close formation and an “I” shape.
My disciples followed one after another like tails through the hole I had created.
As I passed through the wall, the **Gu Hwa Won**, the imperial garden, came into view.
“There’s a formation ahead.”
Of course, the formation wasn’t that strong.
Moreover, I knew every part of its life force.
“All of you, follow exactly behind me!”
I recalled the life-force doors of the formations spread across the Gu Hwa Won and stepped through them one by one, dismantling the formation as I went.
My disciples followed exactly behind me. Undead that entered the Gu Hwa Won on their own could only roam the outside because the formation’s flow didn’t let them inside.
The end of the Gu Hwa Won.
Another wall appeared.
The undead had already been cleared, so I quickly shattered the wall and instead unfolded the **San Gun Wol Ak Bi** to leap onto the wall, landing beyond it.
A small pavilion without anyone stood quietly above a small lake.
My disciples were pushed in from behind.
“…Master, there’s no one here….”
I said nothing and pulled up my strong energy, shooting it toward the pavilion.
Kwa a a ang!
At the same time, my strong energy collided with the transparent wall around the pavilion and vanished.
“This is it! Gye-hwa, fire the signal rocket!”
Before I finished speaking, a clicking sound came from behind and a signal rocket shot into the sky.
Peeing— peobung!
A rainbow explosion bloomed in the sky.
At the same time, several Jin clan cultivators in red robes flew in on flight techniques.
“The emperor is here!”
“Well done! We’ll deactivate the formation!”
The Jin clan Foundation Establishment cultivators each took positions at the five sides of the pavilion on their flight techniques and cast **Beopgyeol**.
Boom!
A blinding white light erupted, the invisible wall shattered, and on the formerly empty pavilion, the emperor and the imperial guard appeared.
On the pavilion, dozens of Makri cultivators in blue robes were waiting.
Makri-jeong’s face twisted like a demon.
“You bastards! How did you find it?! **Gyun Gyeong Gak** is only known to the imperial guard and shadow guard!”
Puaang!
When Makri-jeong roared, one of the Jin clan cultivators who had deactivated the formation fired another signal rocket.
This time, a white smoke cloud.
It was the signal that the emperor had been found.
At the same time.
Paba ba bat!
Hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators who had been pushing the Makri cultivators from the outer wall flew back toward us.
The Jin clan cultivators who had flown to the lake near the pavilion quickly took positions in each direction.
At the same time, lights burst out and they formed a formation.
“Heat!”
Hwa rurururu!
A ten-zhang-sized fire ball appeared in mid-air.
“Go!”
At the same time, the fire balls made from the Jin clan formation dropped toward the pavilion.
Kukugugugug—
Besides the illusion formation that had hidden them, dozens of other barrier formations overlapped, revealing a blue sphere-shaped barrier surrounding the pavilion.
Chiiiii—
But the water of the lake around the pavilion evaporated completely in the fire balls made by the Jin clan cultivators.
The area was instantly wrapped in steam.
Beyond the steam, blue wind blades and dark yin energy flew toward the Jin clan cultivators floating in the sky.
The Makri cultivators on the inside of the barrier started standing beyond it.
One Jin clan cultivator cast **Beopgyeol** and shouted at me.
“Hey, criminal! We’ll handle the cultivators! You break through the criminal guards! The barrier is already severely damaged from the last attack, so your sword net should be able to break it!”
“I understand!”
I answered the Jin clan cultivator, then leaped into the dried-up lake and headed toward the pavilion.
And just as I approached the pavilion—
Paaang!
An extreme projectile shot out from the shadow under the pavilion.
Kaaang!
I deflected the projectile and grinned while looking at my opponent.
“Hey, shadow guard deputy commander. **Do Ho Geuk**, Kwak Il-guk. Long time no see.”