ALL NOVEL Ch 83
Chapter 82
The Great Monk of the Public Sect.
The Living Buddha of the Shaolin Sect.
The highest elder of the righteous sect, his authority and influence are comparable to that of the leader of the martial arts world.
Moreover, everything that has happened so far was carried out under his guidance.
If there had been no trust in the highest elder of the righteous sect, even if one were the general of the Martial Arts Alliance, it would have been impossible to plan and execute this matter.
However, such an enormous figure, the Great Monk, was bowing deeply and performing a full prostration, lowering himself to become a subordinate of So Geom-shin.
Who could have predicted such a thing?
As an event unfolded that far exceeded the bounds of tactics and strategies, Jeong Chanhwi was overwhelmed by a shock so profound that it seemed to break his mind.
“Oh, no… What the hell is going on…!”
It wasn’t only Jeong Chanhwi who was in shock; the other leaders of the alliance were equally bewildered.
“Monk! What are you doing right now?”
“Why are you bowing your head to that barbarian?!”
However, the Great Monk—no, Geum Cheon—had long since abandoned any notion of a façade.
He had witnessed the Lord ascending the throne with his own eyes. Having accepted the greatest secret of the human world from the great being and acknowledging him as the master, all other values had become meaningless to him.
“You ignorant and foolish ones.”
Rising from his kneeling position, he walked out from the brilliant light of Jo Hwui and into the dark shadow where the sect leaders stood.
“Even though your eyes are open, you fail to recognize the great divinity. You are foolish. Look, that person is your savior.”
“Savior?”
“He is the true Supreme Being. All of you have been deceived by that false god, and I too, along with you, the entire world, have been deceived.”
“What… what are you saying all of a sudden…?”
Geum Cheon once again turned his gaze to Jo Hwui and lowered himself with infinite reverence.
“Can’t you truly feel it? With that pure will, he freely controls the operation of the entire universe. The source of that power is, paradoxically, a will that infinitely denies the laws and causality. You must open your ears wide and listen! The divine constellation that this great being engraved into the heavens is ‘He who denies existence.'”
“Wh… Who denies existence?”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
The light radiating from Jo Hwui intensified, becoming even brighter.
As thousands of sect leaders simultaneously recognized his divine nature, his presence became even more distinct.
General Jeong Chanhwi approached Geum Cheon with a powerless look in his eyes.
“Then, Monk, what about the *Dalma Jin-Gyeong*…?”
“How could you and I alone have been deceived by the wickedness of the false god? The *Dalma Jin-Gyeong* weakens people’s true existence, and this aids the consumption of their essence. Hurry, offer this wicked item to the Master!”
“…”
The absurd conspiracy theory that So Geom-shin had once espoused was once again echoed through Geum Cheon’s words.
At this, the confusion among the sect leaders escalated uncontrollably.
A being that devours human souls!
Such a monstrous disaster was the trickery of the ancient great demons, a legend passed down through the ages!
“Such a wicked great demon in the world!”
Since the history of the martial arts world began, mysterious legends that intrigued human curiosity had been passed down countless times.
Yet, humans had never faced such a curse as a ‘real entity.’
“That thing is no demon! Though it is merely a false god, it is the legitimate constellation inscribed upon the ‘Great Tablet!’ Do not take this lightly!”
Words like false god, constellation, and the great tablet were concepts that could never be understood without knowing the secrets of the throne.
Naturally, the sect leaders were only further confused by Geum Cheon’s words.
Then, suddenly, the sky brightened.
The scorching rays of the sun began to shine once again on the Martial Arts Alliance.
Jo Hwui withdrew the will he had cast upon the world and calmly looked at General Jeong Chanhwi.
“It seems you’ve finally understood what I was saying.”
“…”
Jeong Chanhwi, unable to even open his mouth in the face of the absurdity of what was happening, had prepared for various tactics that So Geom-shin might employ, but this was completely beyond his expectations.
If So Geom-shin and the Great Monk’s words were true, he would have personally triggered the worst disaster ever in history.
Had he really dragged the beginning of a catastrophe that could threaten the very existence of Zhongyuan civilization in the name of the Martial Arts Alliance?
“Bring the Dharma artifact.”
“Understood.”
For a moment, the great astonishment in Jo Hwui’s eyes became even more pronounced.
“Wow, I didn’t expect this. He was actually carrying it on his person?”
General Jeong Chanhwi pulled out a small disk, no bigger than the size of a palm.
It was indeed an item of high-level technology, a product from a future far beyond Jo Hwui’s expectations. He could immediately feel that it was an ultra-advanced item.
As Jo Hwui raised his hand and used the method of Hugong Seobmul (a technique for manipulating objects), the disk slowly detached from Jeong Chanhwi’s hand and began to float toward him.
Jo Hwui carefully examined the disk, then gathered his will to try and compress it with tremendous force.
“Such a cheat item shouldn’t exist in the classical age.”
However,
“What… what is this?”
Though his will was applied lightly, the force condensed into it was vast enough to crush mountains.
Yet, after a brief tremor, the disk remained unaffected, not even a scratch appeared on its surface.
How could something be so hard that it didn’t even leave a mark?
Even diamonds, the hardest known material, should crumble like dust!
In frustration, Jo Hwui formed his will into a tangible form and applied it through his iron sword, sharpening it like a blade.
This was something Jo Hwui was trying for the first time, but it was likely much stronger than ordinary gangqi (martial energy), perhaps even hundreds of times stronger.
Krrrk!
A sharpness unimaginable to most was applied, and tremendous sparks flew as the disk vibrated.
“Wow! This is insane!”
But once again, only a red light, like lava, flashed briefly before disappearing, and the disk remained perfectly intact.
Jo Hwui had assumed it didn’t break because the force was spread over a large area, but he never expected that even with his will sharply focused, he couldn’t leave a single scratch.
Could this be some kind of mystical cosmic metal?
Geum Cheon, cautiously lifting his head, looked at Jo Hwui and spoke in a grave tone.
“It is imbued with his divine power.”
“His divine power?” Jo Hwui asked.
“Indeed. There can be no object that cannot be destroyed by the Master’s power. It is something that can only be explained by divine power.”
But Jo Hwui shook his head.
“No.”
Geum Cheon, unlike Jo Hwui, was unaware of the future.
Back in the modern age when Jo Hwui had lived, various carbon composite materials created using nanotechnology had been developed. It was likely that, in an even more advanced future, synthetic materials with far superior strength and hardness than any natural substances had been created.
But this… was still beyond common sense.
Even though he hated to admit it, the power he was wielding was called divine power.
For such transcendent power to burn so sharply yet leave no mark was something Jo Hwui simply couldn’t understand.
What kind of technology had been applied here that divine power couldn’t even touch it?
It was enough to make him feel awe toward the nanotechnology of the future.
“Well then, let’s confiscate it.”
After securing the Dharma artifact in his possession, Jo Hwui glanced again at Jeong Chanhwi.
“By the way… how many Dalma Jin-Gyeong were made? There must still be some stock left, right?”
Jeong Chanhwi, after reluctantly letting everything go, answered.
“About ten thousand are still remaining.”
“Ugh, you really made a lot of them.”
As Jo Hwui looked sharply at the many sect leaders with chips embedded in their foreheads, he spoke again.
“If you all understood, then remove those chips. You don’t want to be eaten alive by the great demon’s soul, do you?”
“Yes, understood!”
“We will do so!”
Jo Hwui then glanced around and chuckled lightly.
“You bunch of cowards.”
There would surely be an incarnation of that being among the leaders and disciples of the sect.
Despite the mess he had caused, Jo Hwui knew that the divine being would never reveal himself in person. Just that fact alone made him realize how meticulous and secretive the being was.
The divine being would never have anticipated things going this way.
Then, Jo Hwui’s soft voice reached Geum Cheon.
“Interrogate the general and retrieve all the remaining Dalma Jin-Gyeong and return them.”
“Understood, Your Excellency!”
***
As the enormous incident within the Martial Arts Alliance unfolded, rumors and chaos spread throughout the northern region, causing widespread turmoil.
Returning to his office, Jo Hwui absentmindedly stared at the section of the vast map of Zhongyuan displayed on the wall, where the Martial Arts Alliance’s symbol was marked.
‘This can’t be this easy.’
The Dalma Jin-Gyeong was the culmination of a conspiracy planned over thousands of years.
Therefore, everything Jo Hwui had done in the Martial Arts Alliance could only be seen as a monumental event capable of turning the divine being’s plan into a blank slate.
However, the fact that there had been no reaction at all so far made Jo Hwui uneasy.
Taking the disk from his pocket, Jo Hwui casually fiddled with it, his expression indifferent.
‘I was sure that if I tried to retrieve this, that being would appear.’
Geum Cheon had said that this was the only Dharma artifact given to him by the divine being.
Such an extraordinary item, capable of replicating anything, couldn’t possibly be common.
‘Why? Why is he just standing by and doing nothing?’
Gwanglim (the descent).
The final grand plan of the divine being, prepared over thousands of years to consume all of humanity.
The thought that such an immense plan could be completed with something as simple as this disk, now so easily in his hands, was hard to believe.
If he were in the divine being’s position, even if he wasn’t fully prepared, he would have acted, whether it ended in success or failure.
Just then, Jeong Un entered the office without a sound and quietly observed Jo Hwui’s complicated expression.
“You always cause trouble when you make that face.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Where’s Namgung?”
Jeong Un smirked.
“He passed out drunk with Sima Gongja.”
Jo Hwui smiled bitterly.
Both Sima and Namgung had boasted loudly within the Martial Arts Alliance that their names would carry weight. But in the end, the divine being’s divine will had resolved everything, and they hadn’t done anything themselves. They were just like mere decorations behind Jo Hwui, so it was no surprise that they were now filled with the bitter taste of alcohol.
Jeong Un pulled up a chair and sat down, then curiously watched as Jo Hwui absentmindedly played with the disk.
“Is that the Dharma artifact?”
“Yeah.”
Having become an official general of the Martial Arts Alliance, Jeong Un had heard all the details of the situation. To him, the disk, an object capable of replicating anything, was an object of mystery in itself.
“Is it true that the Alliance used that Dharma artifact to print money for the continent-wide battlefield?”
“That’s what the general admitted.”
“…”
Jeong Un’s mind drifted, thinking about what might have happened if the Imperial Court had found out about this first.
Printing currency illegally was punishable by the harshest penalties under imperial law.
The Jeong family might have faced Gujok Myeolmyeon (the extermination of nine generations) because of it, and Jeong Un couldn’t help but sink into endless contemplation at the thought.
“Crazy. Everyone’s gone mad…”
Jeong Un couldn’t understand why the highly intelligent Shin Gye Jeong family, and the respected elders of that noble house, had taken such an action.
It was simple common sense that printing money indefinitely would lead to inflation and render the currency worthless.
Moreover, the silver reserves of the continent-wide battlefield weren’t infinite either.
If they kept purchasing more currency indefinitely, the authorities would inevitably notice and report it to the Imperial Court.
Naturally, within months, the terrifying investigations would be completed, and the Martial Arts Alliance would be labeled as traitors, leading to its inevitable downfall.
As Jeong Un looked puzzled, Jo Hwui smiled meaningfully.
“Isn’t it obvious? The end of extinction will come even sooner than that. By the way, how do you use this thing?”
Just as Jeong Un stood silently, with a desolate expression, a strange sound filled the room.
Beep—
Confirmation of the owner’s telekinetic wave.
Suddenly, a smooth, mechanical voice with a soft, attractive tone echoed.
Confirmation complete. The holder of the unique telekinetic wave is identified as the developer. Would you like to enter developer mode?
What… what is this nonsense now?
Telekinetic wave?
And what is developer mode?
This was so absurd that Jo Hwui felt like his thoughts had come to a halt.
‘What the heck is a telekinetic wave?’
All humans possess a unique wave associated with their spiritual power. To put it simply, it is like a fingerprint of the soul.
Jo Hwui was taken aback.
This strange disk had the ability to read his thoughts.
‘…It read my thoughts?’
The ability to detect telekinetic waves means it can read the user’s thoughts.
Jo Hwui, with a serious expression, fell deep in thought, then asked in curiosity.
‘So, you’re saying my telekinetic wave matches that of the developer who created you?’
Correct. The probability that the current user is not the developer of this program is virtually infinitesimal, close to zero.
The statement that the probability was infinitesimally small could also be interpreted as meaning zero.
In other words, it was saying that there was no deviation whatsoever, that the waves were exactly the same.
But could that possibly be true?
He had never created anything like this.
He had never even seen or touched something like this before, so how could he be the creator of this object?
Would you like to enter developer mode?
Previously, when he had seen the Dalma Jin-Gyeong, or rather the Neuralink chip, if the firewall wasn’t bypassed, there would have been massive side effects with consciousness closing off.
Without any prior information, he couldn’t just blindly enter something called developer mode, an eerie internal program.
“I’ll decline the developer mode for now. Is there a way I can just use your ability to clone objects?”
Nano cloning is the most basic function. All elements that exist in the material world can be cloned. However, substances requiring various isotopes can involve complex processes, so it may take time. Would you like to scan an original object for cloning?
The response that all elemental-based materials could be cloned left Jo Hwui speechless.
This meant that almost anything that existed on Earth could be cloned.
This also meant that even his greatest treasure, the Mannyeon Bingjeong (Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal), could be cloned infinitely.
Jo Hwui placed his Jo Ga Cheol Gyeom (曹家鐵劒, a family sword) on the table with a slightly excited expression.
“I’ll clone this.”
Scanning in progress.
A few dozen rays, similar to lasers, shot out from the disk and began scanning the sword.
Scan complete. It is determined that the required materials for cloning cannot be self-supplied. Please provide the requested materials. The requested material includes a large amount of iron (Fe)-based mineral.
“Can’t you supply it yourself?”
Simple cloning, like that of water, can be done with the elements found in the air, but this object contains an excess of a specific element, requiring additional materials.
At this point, Jo Hwui could roughly understand the capabilities of the disk without needing to verify them further.
“Forget it. I won’t proceed.”
Deactivating.
The disk, which had been glowing softly, ceased to emit light.
However, Jo Hwui still couldn’t take his eyes off the disk.
The nano cloning ability to replicate all material objects in the material world was just a “basic function.”
This suggested that there were likely even more incredible features hidden within.
What other abilities might emerge if he entered developer mode? Jo Hwui couldn’t even imagine.
While observing all this, Jegal Un suddenly raised a question.
“Why did you stop halfway through? You keep muttering to yourself, but then just leave it hanging, and I can’t make sense of anything.”
“This disk can definitely clone objects. I don’t think we need to confirm it any further.”
“Is that true?”
What immediately came to Jegal Un’s mind were treasures like Gongcheongseokyu (Sky Blue Oil) or Yamyeongju (Night Bright Pearl), priceless items.
If he could even consume a single drop of these items, they would massively enhance his martial power, or Yamyeongju alone could be worth the price of an entire city! The idea that these could be cloned infinitely was mind-boggling!
Jegal Un was in a state of near disbelief.
This was the type of creation that only an absolute god could achieve, akin to creation itself.
This small disk in front of him wasn’t just a treasure—it was beyond anything he could imagine.
How could something like this even exist in the world?
The value of this tiny disk might exceed the worth of an entire empire, or even the entire Zhongyuan civilization.
In the face of such an enormous treasure, who could possibly boast of wealth and rarity?
“You’ve really acquired something incredible.”
To steal such a treasure from the hidden leader of an enemy faction behind the grand facade of power—it was beyond comprehension.
Clearly, So Geom Shin was Jo Hwui’s close friend, but for some reason, Jegal Un felt like he was growing farther away from him with each passing moment.
“This object is beyond any standard. It shouldn’t even be used. If it can’t be destroyed, it should be stored in the safest place in the world.”
“The safest place in the world?”
Jo Hwui chuckled lightly and placed the disk back inside his coat.
“Right here, in my embrace.”
“You crazy bastard.”
Jegal Un muttered “crazy bastard” at the sudden arrogance of his friend, but truthfully, his words were not wrong at all.
Jegal Un was one of the few people who knew the true extent of Jo Hwui’s power.
Naturally, he knew better than anyone that there was no place safer than Jo Hwui’s embrace.
Now, Jo Hwui was undeniably the strongest under heaven—no, he might even be the greatest martial artist in history.
“What’s the next plan?”
At Jegal Un’s question, Jo Hwui’s expression grew serious.
“None. I really don’t know.”
“No plan?”
Jo Hwui nodded gravely.
“If you set fire to a rabbit’s hole, the rabbit should naturally come rushing out, but there’s no response. It’s strange. If such a huge treasure had been taken from them, they should have come rushing out, setting everything else aside.”
Jegal Un, though startled by Jo Hwui’s bold comparison of such an enormous figure to a rabbit, quickly came up with an alternative solution, like the strategist he was.
“Even so, we can’t just wait idly for their response. The turmoil in the Wulin League is getting serious. We should leave observing their movements to Yajeop, while we come up with our own countermeasures.”
“Countermeasures?”
“What would you do if you were the Divine Seat? If the people who could consume through the Dalma Jin-Gyeong have decreased? What would come next?”
“Hmm…”
Jegal Un’s Bonghwang Geumseon (Phoenix Golden Thread) fluttered wildly, a sign of his growing anxiety.
“When the Divine Seat doesn’t respond immediately, it’s obvious. He already confirmed through Tongcheonjonshin that his avatar cannot harm you, right?”
“You’re saying he didn’t sacrifice his avatar because it couldn’t stop me?”
“Would you, if you were him, waste your avatar when it takes a long time to develop? The avatar requires enormous effort.”
“It requires immense karma.”
The intense light in Jegal Un’s eyes became even more pronounced.
“Once the Divine Seat concluded that his avatar couldn’t deal with you, what do you think he would do next?”
Chills ran down Jo Hwui’s spine.
“Could it be…!”
“Right. He’ll do anything and everything to descend as quickly as possible. Soon, his real body will manifest in the Central Plains. His plan has just been accelerated.”
Jegal Un folded the Bonghwang Geumseon and stood stiffly, his expression darkening.
“The Jo Ga Dae Sang Hoi and the Wulin League… Those human strategies are over now. After all, this was never just a fight between humans.”
“Hmm…”
Jo Hwui was deeply shaken.
The idea of retrieving the Dalma Jin-Gyeong that the Divine Seat had spread throughout the Central Plains had always been something he believed was to prevent the annihilation of the Central Plains civilization.
But ironically, it now seemed that his actions had only hastened the descent of the Divine Seat.
Listening to Jegal Un’s words, Jo Hwui realized that with just a little more caution beforehand, all of this could have been predicted.
“That’s how things are. Once it happens, everything seems like a mistake, like it could have been avoided. If you only judge by the results, you’ll realize that there was no perfect strategy from the start.”
But could these words from Jegal Un really be a comfort to Jo Hwui?
The weight of holding the fate of the Central Plains civilization in his hands was something an ordinary person could not even imagine.
“Taking the (Sacred Treasure) and getting rid of the Dalma Jin-Gyeong… We can only guess how much damage that did to him. It might be more devastating than we expect. Don’t blame yourself too much.”
Jo Hwui, still unable to relax his serious expression, opened his mouth with difficulty.
“If the descent of the Divine Seat is accelerated… what countermeasures can we take?”
“Our countermeasures? There’s no such thing.”
Jo Hwui frowned.
“What do you mean by that?”
Jegal Un, who had been smiling faintly, pointed at Jo Hwui with the Bonghwang Geumseon.
“As your strategist, my judgment is to fully awaken So Geom Shin’s potential. Everything else is secondary and insignificant.”
In a world on the verge of annihilation, relying on one person’s ability for everything!?
“Listen. So Geom Shin, with just a slight will, you could wipe out a huge province. You’re an incredible warrior who single-handedly suppressed tens of thousands of Wulin League members and then calmly walked away with treasures. Why are you now pretending otherwise?”
“……”
“The gods’ war should be handled by the gods themselves, ‘He who denies existence.’”
Jegal Un’s judgment was something that Jo Hwui could not refute.
Though he hated to admit it, in the face of the Seated Lords’ power, whether it was the Hwa Gyeong or the Jeol Dae Gyeong, “human power” was all meaningless.
The difference in their existence was so vast that it was embarrassing to even compare.
Moreover, the power Jo Hwui had obtained by transcending the Extreme Realm might not even be effective against the true Seated Lords, who had ruled for almost eternal periods of time.
However…
“Don’t drag me into this fight alone.”
Jo Hwui’s expression turned extremely somber.
“If the Seated Lords’ efforts can flip over mountains and erase great lakes, what can mere mortals do?”
The chilling coldness in Jo Hwui’s eyes.
“If every person in the Central Plains, in the hundreds of millions, scooped up just one shovelful, mountains and forests would disappear, and even Poyang Lake could be filled.”
This was Jo Hwui’s firm belief about “humans.”
“Everyone must fight together with passion. Until then, this battle will never end easily.”
This, too, was an unsettling premonition Jo Hwui had.
Due to the briefness of human life, the effort of people held an immense cosmic value, something Jo Hwui had come to realize on his own, without anyone teaching him.
Jo Hwui extended his clenched fist toward Jegal Un.
“You and I. We must fight with all our strength. This isn’t my fight, it’s everyone’s fight.”
***
Having gained the title of Seated Lord, Jegal Un’s advice was something Jo Hwui couldn’t dismiss, even if he didn’t see much meaning in checking his achievements.
He couldn’t deny that Jegal Un’s judgment to fully awaken So Geom Shin’s potential was the best course of action.
Ultimately, Jo Hwui quickly converted a quiet room into a training chamber and entered seclusion.
Sitting in a lotus position, he fell into deep contemplation, having been in a state of complete focus for two months now.
Although he had undergone countless mental exercises in the Void’s Root, something about practicing in reality felt different.
Here, he couldn’t materialize his enlightened mind into reality as he could in the Void’s Root.
Whenever he tried to initiate a strange technique in this world, he couldn’t fully express the delicate feeling with his thoughts or body.
At first, he was perplexed by this phenomenon, but soon he realized the reason.
The answer lay in the Void’s Root.
That space was the perfect place for someone with a certain level of ability to train their existence.
Regardless of what principles were at play, a slight thought in that space would amplify its power dozens of times. Most importantly, there was no obstruction in materializing one’s thoughts.
In contrast to the Void’s Root, where concentration seemed to infinitely expand one’s thinking, in this reality, the more he concentrated, the more everything became foggy and ambiguous, like wandering in a mist.
At one point, he thought he had discovered the ultimate technique, only to feel even more foolish than when he had first attempted the Samsa Sword Method.
It was a hopeless feeling, thinking he had found the answer, only to realize he hadn’t truly understood anything.
Eventually, Jo Hwui became certain that with this method of mental training, he wouldn’t be able to achieve anything.
When he made up his mind to end his seclusion and left the training room, the first person to approach him was Namgung Jangho.
“What is it? Waiting for me as if you’ve been here forever?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to come out.”
Looking at Namgung Jangho, he looked as if he hadn’t eaten or slept for days, his face gaunt.
“If something important came up, you could have made a noise. Why wait so mindlessly?”
“Cultivation for a martial artist is the most important time. You may have been in the midst of enlightenment, so how could I disturb you recklessly?”
“Ah, you’re hopeless.”
Jo Hwui squinted his eyes as he stepped into the sunlight for the first time in a while, brushing off his clothes.
“Well, what’s going on? Speak.”
“The head of the Tang family came to see you, bringing all the prominent elders of the Tang clan with him. He’s been waiting for you since a month ago.”
“The head of the Tang family? Why?”
The Tang family, known for their closed-off traditions, rarely ventured outside for any reason, and it was unusual for the entire council of elders to come along.
For the head of the Tang family to leave the clan without a special reason was already strange.
“Heh…”
Jo Hwui, with such an innocent look, asked, “Why?” and Namgung Jangho was momentarily speechless.
Did he not realize how monumental the actions he had taken within the Martial Alliance were?
That the Sogeomshin, known throughout the martial world for his fearsome inner strength, couldn’t calculate the repercussions of his own actions was truly laughable.
Jo Hwui was an enigma.
“It’s not just them. Samasega and Hubei Peng Family are also involved, and even your father has come. The five great families are all seeking a meeting with the Jo’s Grand Council.”
“So why? What’s going on?”
“Isn’t it because of you? You, who spoke of the world’s destruction in front of tens of thousands of sect leaders! The proclamation didn’t come from an ordinary person, but from Sogeomshin, one of the Eight Immortals, so of course, they want to confirm it!”
“Oh, is that it?”
Namgung Jangho, who had been harshly rebuking Jo Hwui, let out a deep sigh after being met with Jo Hwui’s nonchalant attitude.
“Sigh… Do you think that’s all? The Abbot is also here to see you.”
“The Abbot?”
There was only one person in the world who was called the Abbot.
“Gongcheon Dae-sa has come?”
Gongcheon Dae-sa, a figure of immense renown, one of the Eight Immortals—why would he come?
Moreover, the Shaolin Temple was the pillar of the Martial Alliance.
“The greatest elder of Shaolin, Gonggong Dae-sa, not only swore allegiance to the Jo’s Grand Council, but he’s been bowing before you like a servant, and the entire Martial Alliance saw it! Isn’t Gold Heaven still considered the true leader of Shaolin?”
“Hm…”
“Is this something trivial? Of course, the Abbot wants to understand what’s going on!”
The most revered elder of Shaolin, who had long been considered the best in the world, had now bowed before Sogeomshin—an unthinkable and disastrous event for Shaolin. For them, such a thing should never happen.
Jo Hwui couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of his comrades sweating bullets for months, trying to entertain such influential figures.
“Haha! You must’ve had a tough time, huh?”
“…”
That infuriating face.
Namgung Jangho, his fists clenched tightly, was shaking in frustration, but Jo Hwui’s blunt voice interrupted his thoughts.
“So the five great families and Shaolin are here, huh? Well, this works out fine. Where are they? Let’s go meet them.”
***
The heads of the five great families and the Shaolin Abbot.
These individuals were absolute powerhouses in their respective regions, the pinnacle of martial authority, and true giants of the martial world.
Jo Hwui, calmly sitting among such monumental figures, casually explained the coming end of the world and the identity of the True Seat Lords.
“No way…”
Namgung Su, the leader of the Changcheon Sword Sect, tried to speak but was left speechless. Though he had heard bits and pieces from his son, hearing it all confirmed from Sogeomshin himself left his mind in disarray.
However, contrary to Namgung Su, Gongcheon Dae-sa couldn’t hide his growing anger, his long beard trembling with fury.
“Amitabha! You dare to insult our Shaolin?!”
Gongcheon Dae-sa, always known for his serene smile and stern prayers, was shaking with rage because Jo Hwui had blatantly denied the history and identity of Shaolin.
But Jo Hwui, as if he had expected this, stared at Gongcheon Dae-sa with a calm and collected expression.
“Of course, it must have been a shock to the monks of Shaolin to learn that Bodhidharma was such an evil figure.”
In that moment, an overwhelming surge of energy poured out of Gongcheon Dae-sa.
“Gahl (roar)!”
Rumble!
As the terrifying Lion’s Roar from Shaolin echoed through the air, even the leaders of the five great families, who were participating in the meeting, hastily covered their ears.
This was the Lion’s Roar (Saja-ho) infused with the strength of the Shaolin Abbot.
The power of this roar was so immense that the entire conference room was engulfed by shockwaves, as if a typhoon had struck.
Pshh—
As Jo Hwui lightly raised his consciousness, the energy that had been thrashing around from the Lion’s Roar suddenly condensed into a single point, and its force was completely neutralized.
Gongcheon Dae-sa, observing this in stunned silence, couldn’t hide his shock.
“That’s quite a powerful voice. You must be eating well.”
Despite witnessing the immense power of Sogeomshin, Gongcheon Dae-sa didn’t ease up and abruptly stood up from his seat.
“You have insulted the thousand-year history of our Shaolin! Shaolin will never overlook this!”
“What are you going to do about it?” Jo Hwui asked nonchalantly.
“If you continue to disregard Shaolin’s strength like this, you will definitely regret it!”
Jo Hwui waved his hand dismissively.
“Ah, it’s not disrespect. Shaolin is the most fearsome. If it weren’t for Bodhidharma, we’d all be in trouble.”
To Gongcheon Dae-sa, Jo Hwui’s words felt like a playful joke.
Now that he looked at him more closely, this Sogeomshin was nothing more than an irreverent and unruly man with no sense of propriety!
He wasn’t even fit to be a leader of a single sect, let alone the head of the World’s Sword Clan.
How dare such a person claim the title of leader of the greatest sword sect?!
Unable to stand it any longer, Namgung Su, the head of the Changcheon Sword Sect, quickly intervened.
“Why don’t we let him finish speaking? If Jo Bong-gong’s claim is true, this matter might not even be something we can discuss as an issue for Shaolin.”
Gongcheon Dae-sa glared fiercely at Namgung Su.
“Can you, as the leader, speak like that even after the Namgung Clan’s history has been trampled upon?”
“If everyone is saying that the world is going to end, what does it matter whether it’s Namgung or Shaolin?” Namgung Su replied.
“Amitabha…”
The piercing gaze of Dumoo-ho, the leader of the Dragon Sovereign Sect, now fixed on Jo Hwui.
“Bodhidharma… or rather, what level of being is Shinja (True Seat Lord)?”
Jo Hwui paused for a moment, then shook his head lightly.
“I don’t know. But he’s definitely far above Sogeomshin.”
Unlike himself, who had just recently attained his position, the True Seat Lord had spent countless years honing his existence. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that he was at a lower level than Jo Hwui.
“Then, can you truthfully describe the level you’ve attained?”
Once again, Jo Hwui thought for a moment before shaking his head.
“I’d like to explain it, but honestly, it’s impossible to describe it with my current limited understanding.”
The Changcheon Sword Sect members were perplexed.
“You can’t describe it with your understanding?”
“Yes.”
This statement carried immense significance.
In the martial world, the peak of understanding, the Natural Realm (Cheonji-gyeong), was considered the pinnacle. It was the legendary realm of the Three Immortals, the ultimate state of invincibility.
But Sogeomshin was claiming that even this Natural Realm was insufficient to explain his own martial arts.
“Could it be that Jo Bong-gong is saying he has surpassed even the Natural Realm? Can there even be a higher level than that?”
The Natural Realm, the state where one is in perfect harmony with nature, was indeed considered a divine state.
“No. I’ve never reached the Natural Realm. My state is completely different from the usual levels in the martial world.”
“How is it different?”
“Through endless training of I-nyeom (consciousness), you eventually reach a stage where the total amount of I-nyeom neither increases nor decreases. I call this the Extreme I-nyeom Realm.”
“The Extreme I-nyeom Realm?”
Jo Hwui, having only recently started organizing his martial arts after accepting Gold Heaven as a disciple, began explaining in detail.
However, to the others, the idea of measuring I-nyeom like internal energy was completely unheard of.
To them, I-nyeom was a metaphysical concept, something beyond simple calculation.
“I-nyeom as internal energy? Are you saying it can be quantified like that?”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s utter nonsense!”
Dumoo-ho, the leader of the Dragon Sovereign Sect, frowned deeply. There were countless legendary warriors in the history of the central plains, but none of them had ever experienced the extreme of I-nyeom.
To them, I-nyeom was nearly an infinite concept.
It was no wonder they found this incomprehensible.
But Jo Hwui’s next words only added to their disbelief.
“Once you surpass the Extreme I-nyeom Realm, something that can’t even be described with human language emerges—an extra-sensory perception. From this point on, I can’t explain my state with words because it’s beyond what can be conveyed.”
The Extreme I-nyeom Realm was already a mysterious domain, but something beyond that? Was such a thing possible?
Dumoo-ho once again voiced his skepticism.
“Then, how does Sogeomshin’s state compare to the Natural Realm?”
Jo Hwui grinned slightly.
“Already, from the Extreme I-nyeom Realm, the Natural Realm is surpassed.”
“What…? How can you be so certain of that?”
“I am the only martial artist who has experienced all three Immortals.”
“……”
Everything was simply absurd.
Had he really seen all three of the legendary Immortals in person?
However, among them, only Namgung Su of the Changcheon Sword Sect seemed to fully believe Jo Hwui’s claims.
“Jo Bong-gong, then, could you tell us what you are capable of at your current level?”
“Hmm…”
Jo Hwui closed his eyes and, after deep thought, slowly muttered.
“If it’s facing an army, I could fight an unlimited number of them. But if the goal is to destroy something…”
As everyone was on edge, their throats dry with anticipation.
“I could erase regions like Honam, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong from the map.”
So Geom Shin.
With just one strike, he claimed that he could destroy half of the lands south of the Yangtze River.
“….”
“….”
Everyone was left speechless, staring in shock as if they had been struck dumb.
In the history of the martial world, the most powerful martial artist ever seen was the famous Martial God.
During the final battle of the Seaway Great War, the Martial God faced off alone against seven thousand elite fighters from the Northern Sea Ice Palace and twelve thousand from the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace, using his famed Unbreakable Heaven Shattering Strike to collapse the entire gorge, demonstrating his immense power.
As the entire gorge began to collapse with an earth-shattering roar, the armies of the Northern Sea Ice Palace and Southern Barbarian Beast Palace had no time to react before most were buried under rocks.
That scene was considered the limit of what martial artists in the world could imagine as a legendary feat.
Yet now, Sogeomshin was boasting that he could erase not just a gorge, but an entire region—or even a quarter of the Zhongyuan continent—from existence.
Jo Hwui’s claim was so outlandish that even the leaders of the Five Great Families and Gongcheon Dae-sa were at a loss for words.
Moreover, what was this?
He claimed he could face an unlimited number of soldiers?
This meant that, whether the opponent was Palmuja or a third-rate warrior, as long as they were human, he could face them endlessly.
Had any martial artist in the history of the martial world ever made such an arrogant declaration?
The only person who took Jo Hwui’s words seriously was Namgung Su from the Changcheon Sword Sect.
“Heh, it’s truly hard to believe that Shinja is a greater martial artist than Jo Bong-gong,” Namgung Su remarked.
Pyeong Yul-cheon, the No Limit Sword King of the Hubei Peng Family, stared at Namgung Su with a look of disbelief.
“Are you saying that the Changcheon Sword Sect believes this guy’s words without question?”
Namgung Su twitched his eyebrows.
“He is the Bong-gong of our sect, a Palmuja, and now the head of a great power.”
As Namgung Su glared at him with a serious expression, Pyeong Yul-cheon avoided his gaze.
The reason Pyeong Yul-cheon had sent his eldest son to stay in the Jo Family was to build a closer relationship with Sogeomshin, who had just begun to gain great fame in the martial world.
Had he known his son would return crippled and in disgrace, he would never have made such a decision.
Naturally, to Pyeong Yul-cheon, Jo Hwui wasn’t the head of a powerful sect but a younger, insignificant junior he would have liked to tear apart if he could.
However, Sogeomshin had now become so powerful that he was embarrassed to even be on the same level as the Palmuja, a former peer, let alone be a part of the same faction.
This reality left Pyeong Yul-cheon with bitter regret.
Swallowing his frustration, he eventually changed his tone and spoke with respectful formality.
“Can you prove your martial prowess?”