The Choice of a Lifetime
Having finished reading and committing every detail to memory, Han Yujin set out to find the next manual.
The memory of seeing it nearby was still fresh, so locating it was not difficult. It was a special cultivation art known as the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol.
This particular technique had many applications, but the purpose he had in mind was to harmonize and assimilate a vessel with his soul and body for use in the External Core Method. Without undergoing that process, the External Core Method would inevitably carry severe side effects. The stronger the vessel, the more pronounced those repercussions would be.
He focused intently and read through the contents of the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol. Only after gaining sufficient understanding did he return to the section where the other cultivation manuals were stored.
Time to make a choice.
He lightly reviewed the six supreme-grade cultivation arts he had set aside earlier. This time, he was checking their compatibility with the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol.
The Hongryeon Jinhwa Gong, which maximized the destructive power of flames while allowing him to incinerate an opponent’s divine sense and soul through eye contact, and at the same time strengthen and protect his own divine sense and soul.
The Jaso Sinroe Gyeong, which could generate an extremely special form of lightning among all thunderbolts, easily dismantling all kinds of spells, displaying overwhelming power against demonic and ghostly entities, and even shattering most restrictions through sheer force.
The Unryong Soyo Gong, which allowed him to command wind and clouds to move with unmatched speed and flexibility. While balanced in both offense and defense, its exceptional mobility let him evade most dangers from the outset.
The Taechung Hyeonsu Chiwon Gong, which excelled in both attack and defense while exerting tremendous healing power on body and soul. Its remarkable restorative ability triggered a rejuvenation phenomenon that made the body grow young again, extending lifespan by at least three hundred years.
The Gyeonggeum Huto Jinwi Gong, which had no particular shortcomings in offense but displayed especially terrifying defensive capabilities. As long as his feet remained on the ground, he would neither be pushed back nor grow tired easily.
And finally, the Taeguk Hoe-won Gong, which carried no elemental attributes and instead generated a special energy called Origin Power. It could permanently strengthen body and soul, albeit slightly, and allowed him to comprehend a unique divine ability known as the Origin Power Great Hand.
They want me to pick just one?
Even after looking again, he felt an immediate onset of decision paralysis that nearly drove him insane.
In the cultivation world, offensive and defensive methods targeting divine sense were nearly as precious and useful as the Tongcheon Ryeongbo. Simply using the Hongryeon Jinhwa would be enough to make most enemies he encountered tremble in terror.
The utility of the Jaso Sinroe Gyeong in breaking spells, along with its overwhelming strength against demons and ghosts, needed no explanation. The fact that its spell-breaking range even included restrictions made it especially attractive.
The Unryong Soyo Gong, which granted the greatest speed among all the arts, was similarly compelling. Hadn’t there been a cool line in some movie? Even if the solidity of every martial art under heaven could be broken, speed alone could never be broken.
The Taechung Hyeonsu, which offered no particular weaknesses while providing incredible healing that even extended lifespan, could only be met with pure admiration.
The Gyeonggeum Huto Jinwi Gong gave off a somewhat slow and stubborn, turtle-like impression, but if the manual’s description was accurate, it approached near-immortality. It could not be dismissed.
Even the Taeguk Hoe-won Gong, which felt the most ordinary, was exceptionally outstanding. Its body and soul strengthening effects would remain even if he switched cultivation methods later, and it granted him a divine ability.
However.
After carefully examining them all, Han Yujin closed his eyes and eliminated three options.
The Hongryeon Jinhwa Gong, Taechung Hyeonsu Chiwon Gong, and Gyeonggeum Huto Jinwi Gong.
All three cause special changes to the body or soul.
During the Dharma Soul stage, he needed to use the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol to assimilate his body and soul with the vessel for the External Core Method. Any variables arising in the middle of that process would be unacceptable.
As for the Taeguk Hoe-won Gong, it had no special attributes, and after examining the characteristics of the Origin Power described in the manual, he judged it would be fine. It was, after all, a fundamentally pure power.
In other words.
He had to choose among the Jaso Sinroe Gyeong, Unryong Soyo Gong, and Taeguk Hoe-won Gong.
What a dilemma. What a terrible dilemma.
Considering that he would likely clash frequently with the Eternal Goddess Cult and its ghost-related members, the Jaso Sinroe Gyeong was tempting. Its ability to break spells and restrictions was, of course, incredibly attractive.
However, the speed granted by the Unryong Soyo Gong was perfectly suited for someone like him who needed to avoid danger in the real world as much as possible. It wasn’t particularly weak in combat either.
The Taeguk Hoe-won Gong appealed to him because it could strengthen body and soul without any special attributes or worrying variables. It would be like raising the fundamental quality of his cultivation itself. The divine ability called the Origin Power Great Hand was naturally another attractive point.
As a brief aside, divine abilities could be thought of as supernatural powers that were used far more instinctively than spells. The awakening abilities of Earth’s hunters were the perfect example.
Han Yujin agonized over the decision again and again. This choice could influence the next several decades—or perhaps even several centuries—of his life.
Then, suddenly.
“Ah.”
A thought occurred to him, and he pulled several books from his storage device. Had his intelligence not been enhanced by reaching the Dharma Soul stage, he might have continued forgetting it entirely.
What he found and picked up was a general book containing various miscellaneous theories about the Ohaeng Sect. He had previously obtained information about the Ohaeng Sword and the Spirit Liquid Wine Bottle from this very text.
It should be around here…
His hand, which had been flipping through the pages rapidly, suddenly stopped. As Han Yujin read the contents, his expression grew subtly complicated.
After pondering for a moment, he left the book and the other cultivation manuals where they were and began searching every corner of the library pavilion. He wanted to confirm whether the information he had just read was true.
If it is true, then at least I won’t have to worry about making a choice.
It would be extremely difficult to succeed, but if he made good use of his own awakening ability, who knew what might be possible.
This is it.
Finally locating a thin manual, his eyes sparkled as he read through its contents.
The origin of the Ohaeng Sect’s founding lay in the Five Elements True Spirit Great Stone, a Tongcheon Ryeongbo located on the highest floor of the Yeon-gi Pavilion. And that great stone was a strange object that was neither for attack nor defense.
It was a treasure that contained a single Dao Scripture, though who had created it remained unknown.
The name of that scripture was the Taiyi Five Elements Dao Scripture. The five elemental cultivation arts he had examined earlier had all been derived and separated from this very scripture. In its original form, it had been impossible for just anyone to cultivate.
Therefore, if he could overcome the difficulty of the Taiyi Five Elements Dao Scripture.
There would be no reason at all to choose only one of the five arts.
Thanks to the enhanced intelligence that came with reaching the Dharma Soul stage, he reaped the benefits fully. He was able to clearly grasp a vast amount of information in a short time. Had he still possessed his old ordinary intellect, he would have needed to visit three more times.
In any case, he was able to use the escape spell in a state of complete satisfaction and returned to the waiting area.
Mu-yong was still asleep, exactly as she had been when they departed. After observing her for a moment, he turned his attention to the spoils.
As expected, it was exactly as he had suspected.
The items he could comfortably choose from were things like medicine bottles (excluding their contents), books, and jade slips.
Even though he had firmly resolved not to hold back on the bracelet artifact, it had still been quite expensive. Fortunately, the rope-type artifact was cheaper than anticipated, which eased his mind a little.
The flag suspected to be a Tongcheon Ryeongbo was something he didn’t even dare consider. The same went for the metal orb he had temporarily named the Mountain Sea Pearl.
The only peculiar thing was that there were two different ways to restore those two items to their original state.
One was to restore them to their peak-condition state, while the other was to restore them to their complete initial state with only their performance intact.
Both must be growth-type treasures.
Grotto-heaven treasures could expand their internal space and increase spiritual energy density by investing various resources. It was common knowledge that soul-commanding treasures grew stronger the more souls they captured.
When I obtain them later, I should get them in their initial state.
That way he could save a great deal of Karma. Of course, if the situation was urgent at the time, that might change.
The next moment.
He opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. At the same time, Mu-yong, who had been beside him, woke up with a slightly dazed expression.
She looked as if she had no idea what had happened, yawning widely. For some reason, it felt a little irritating. Hadn’t he just spent over two weeks suffering in a place struck by the calamity of the Word Law?
“Mm.”
Perhaps because of that, the sight of the place where he had awakened felt very unfamiliar. He had used his ability immediately without even properly exploring this spacious and comfortable safe house.
“Don’t you find the appearance of this world interesting?”
Jjik-!
What came through the Tongmyeong Eosu-gyeol was a feeling that the spiritual energy density was too low and displeasing.
“Get used to it. It’s not that this place is lacking. It’s that the other place was simply excessive.”
He comforted Mu-yong while slowly looking around the house. It really was a top-tier apartment; there was no comparison to the studio he used to live in.
Before I awakened, living in a place like this was my lifelong goal.
Just as he was feeling a touch of sentimentality, he finished his tour of the house and used the Fish-Catching Art to pull his smartphone into his hand. Here are a few ways to phrase this sentence to maintain the professional, mission-focused tone typical of high-stakes web novels:Option 1: Smooth & Direct (Recommended)"His plan for today was to complete the S-class verification, along with the necessary work of organizing and disseminating knowledge.
He needed to accumulate Karma quickly. Only then could he decide whether or not to obtain the Dragon Heart, and only with the Dragon Heart could he train in the Samgyeong Johwa-gyeol and similar arts.
I’ll be staying in reality for a while.
Of course, that didn’t mean he would stop using his awakening ability entirely. It simply meant he wouldn’t stay as long as he had in the Primordial Forest.
There were still many places where he could utilize his awakening ability while conserving Karma.
There’s still the Cheonwonseong lecture left… I need to begin searching for the Dragon Heart… I should look for ways to quickly learn cultivation techniques and arts… It might be good to test whether there are any worlds with an SF feel…
Busy, so busy, modern society.
A famous phrase that suddenly came to mind made him chuckle involuntarily.
Naturally, the feeling wasn’t bad at all. These weren’t tasks forced upon him by someone else. They were incredibly precious opportunities that would allow him to grow noticeably with every problem he solved.
Still, maybe I should focus on reality for a few days.
In truth, that had been his original intention. Had the ambush not made him feel the need to reinforce his strength, he wouldn’t have visited the Ohaeng Sect ruins so quickly.
While sending a message to the assigned supervisor, he prepared to head out.
The place he arrived at via public transportation was the same Ability Verification Training Center as before. From the entrance, both Administrator Oh Tae-min and his assigned supervisor, Kang Min-ah, were already waiting to greet him.
“We’ve heard all the news. You must have been very startled.”
The administrator began with those words and expressed his sincere regret while checking on Han Yujin’s well-being. His attitude showed considerable remorse for not being able to go to the scene himself.
Han Yujin repeatedly told him it was fine and suggested they begin the verification quickly. While it was certainly a regrettable incident, it wasn’t something the administrator needed to apologize for.
The place they reached was a special ability training room prepared exclusively for A-rank and higher hunters. It was slightly smaller than the training room he had first visited, but the equipment and items inside were far more extraordinary.
“The full firepower test will be conducted outdoors tomorrow. Today we’ll be verifying things like telekinesis here.”
Han Yujin nodded in understanding at the information he had already received via messenger.
Even though it was an S-class verification, there were only three people present including himself. It looked rather shabby, but there was a reason for it.
Since I was attacked, it’s better to hide some of my power.
The reason he had revealed his A-rank ability without hiding it before was because he needed to show at least that much strength to qualify for the knowledge dissemination project.
There was no need to additionally reveal that he was S-rank now. A-rank qualification alone would be more than enough for the knowledge dissemination. It might even cause the other side to let their guard down.
“Since the topic has come up, shall we start by checking your telekinesis?”
The administrator stood in front of one of the computer devices and began operating it diligently. In the meantime, following the assigned supervisor’s guidance, Han Yujin stood in front of a particular piece of equipment.
Soon, objects of various shapes appeared before his eyes, with targets visible beyond them. The format was not much different from the telekinesis test he had experienced before.
“You may begin whenever you are ready.”
The clear anticipation in the administrator’s tone was unmistakable. Although the assigned supervisor didn’t show it outwardly, she also seemed to be greatly looking forward to the moment Han Yujin would be confirmed as an S-rank hunter.
…Is that only natural?
Having grown accustomed to the balance of the cultivation world, it seemed he had become somewhat numb to the weight an S-rank hunter carried in this reality.
After briefly observing the telekinesis test objects and the distant targets, Han Yujin asked.
“They’re definitely going to break. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine,” the administrator answered immediately.
He wasn’t answering carelessly like before. Even while clearly expecting them to be destroyed, he had judged that measuring S-rank power through that very destruction was more important.
“Don’t hold back. Feel free to turn them all into scrap metal.”
For some reason, those words felt like a slight provocation. Han Yujin found himself smiling faintly without realizing it.
And then he activated the Fish-Catching Art.
The Fish-Catching Art—a basic spell used by cultivators to manipulate objects from a distance.
But it wasn’t classified as basic because its performance was low. It was considered a basic spell because its incantation was simple despite being extremely useful.
Kiiiiiiiii—!!
In an instant.
A hollow, box-shaped metal object floated into the air and began to crumple violently as if caught in the grasp of an invisible giant’s hand.
It was then mercilessly torn into a total of twelve pieces, each one hurtling toward a different target at a speed akin to bullets.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang—!!
A thunderous roar that shook the entire ability training room erupted in overlapping waves.
The sight of all the targets shattering and flying apart was more intense than any scene from a movie.