Chapter 4: Why Did You End Up Like That?

The godly technique, the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

Great Sky—.

It signifies heaven, but it holds another meaning as well. Great Sky also represents the most fundamental concept of qi. It embodies the most basic concept of all mana.

Everything that exists in this world contains mana. Martial artists create and utilize the concept of qi in their dantian, while mages harness the concept of mana around their hearts to wield it. However, the Demon King I encountered in my previous life wielded Death Energy, and some from the outer Murim harness the power of the elements themselves. Following that logic, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that mana also has an origin?

That thought crossed my mind almost serendipitously.

A flash of inspiration struck me like lightning, leading to the creation of a Godly Technique—Great Sky—the origin of all qi.

'In truth, it began with grandeur and significance, but the gains were minimal.'

It was essentially a series of coincidences. A sequence of miracles made me aware of its existence. Yet, at that time, my level was too low to fully grasp it.

In the Murim, there were scarcely five martial artists who could match me, but even that level proved inadequate. One reason was the multitude of martial artists from across the lands who, in my third life, were resolute in their pursuit to capture me.

Thus, I eventually uncovered the Great Sky and bestowed upon it its name.

Dancing Divine Mantra.

The name I later added was straightforward. This godly technique is a movement technique, a divine technique that can be mastered even in motion.

Had I been part of the Ming Cult, there would have been no necessity to develop it as a movement technique. But upon entering the martial world, I immediately became a public enemy of Murim, leaving no time to train in martial arts. That's why I transformed this martial art into a movement technique.

Even while fleeing, I could autonomously gather qi.

Compared to other godly techniques, the amount of energy drawn was relatively small, but it was sufficient. After all, I couldn't rest comfortably while attempting to evade multiple traps set by the orthodox sect.

No matter how exceptional I was, handling ten opponents with one hand was beyond me. As a result, my recovery time was shortened, and gradually, my body began to weaken. Death seemed to approach me coldly, and my mind was in turmoil, making it difficult to escape from the countless warriors they had mobilized.

Then, an idea suddenly struck me.

Given the circumstances, why not create a godly technique that allows me to recover my qi even while on the move? And so, the warrior, Han Seojin, created a godly technique that enabled him to survive.

Martial arts known as godly techniques evolve at an incredible pace. To put it dramatically, the Northern Darkness Godly Technique, known for its efficient qi gathering, can amass a lifetime's worth of martial arts prowess in just one year.

'Of course, there are several drawbacks.'

The qi becomes impure. The internal energy collected in such a manner is challenging to control, akin to managing a handful of loose threads.

Such drawbacks are present.

However, the unparalleled advantage of being able to gather qi also exists.

The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra stands in stark contrast to the Northern Darkness Godly Technique. Even after gathering qi for an entire year, one might only accumulate ten years worth of internal qi—the purest qi.

Since qi gathers close to the Great Sky, it offers the advantage of seamlessly transitioning to other godly techniques without complications. Even when switching to a different godly technique, the benefits of the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra remain intact.

Regardless of the martial arts I practice, whether I'm sleeping, moving, or even fighting, I absorb the energy around me.

Yet, the advantages of the technique extend even further.

The physical body is the foundation of everything. The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra makes the body as solid as a diamond. Starting from the fatal weak points and skin that cannot be trained, to the sinews, bones, and muscles, when the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra is engraved on the body, it strengthens everything on its own. While doing so, it continuously gathers qi. Therefore, calling this a godly technique is not an exaggeration.

With this one martial art, you can complete the most basic foundation and sculpt your body as if having learned the Shaolin Yijin Jing, one of Shaolin's seventy-two arts.

The only downside is that I am the only one who can learn it.

'Let's start with the basics first.'

Basics. They're also the most important thing for a martial artist. I close my eyes, and the moment I decide to master the godly technique, I start to feel all the mana around me.

"I am the noble being who will trample over ten thousand demons and stand above the highest heavens."

Reciting the formula, I begin to perceive mana and start breathing.

Most prodigies spend years just to feel this. One might become a genius representing the era if it takes half a year. But my heightened senses feel the energy around me instantly.

The martial arts I acquired in my third life—.

I started activating the godly technique.

Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

'It even completed the vessel in an instant.'

The vessel that houses the divine.

I close my eyes and tune my body. And the more I concentrate, the more I experience my body becoming one with the qi. It feels as if my body has been thrown into a sea of mana.

'…What's happening?'

I was surprised in the purest sense.

Because this body was accepting magic too well.

And the magic was completely following my will.

As someone who had reached high realms multiple times, my control over mana was exceptional, but originally, it wasn't to this extent.

Then perhaps, this must be a special privilege I've gained in this world.

It's akin to breathing near the very essence of mana.

…Let's breathe a bit more. I realized it wasn't just a metaphor that I was submerged in a sea of mana; it was reality.

The sea.

A vast sea of mana was flowing beneath the ground.

'Is there a Spirit Vein?'

Spirit Vein.

It refers to a place where a massive path of mana flows through. But this was too massive to be merely massive. It was clearly unusual.

'How could they lose with something like this?'

How incompetent were the martial arts realm and the magic realm, exactly?

A corner of my heart recalled the Empire and Ming Cult, but if those two forces had been around, the martial world and the magic world wouldn't have fallen to such depths.

'There's no way those two forces came here.'

Clearing my thoughts, I focused on laying the foundation for the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra.

Hoo.

With a single breath, a massive amount of mana rushes into my body. I compress and purify it. Great Sky—I have to create mana closest to it. A massive mana that swirls around.

'Let's concentrate.'

Feeling such an amount of mana is rare, but not unheard of. experienced it once by drinking those mass-produced elixirs.

'To think that reciting the formula on top of the Spirit Vein gathers this much mana?'

Could this be the perfect training spot?

My mana control is excellent, but not to this extent.

I purify and compress the mana. If the process is repeated dozens of times, the amount of mana produced would be difficult to even create a vessel for.

To make a vessel with 'that.'

But right now, it was different. If it was originally a speck of mana. Now, there was mana the size of a thumbnail, ten times larger than that, gathered inside.

'Maybe I can be greedy this time?'

I tuned my body.

Qi flows through the meridians.

Qi, nearing the Great Sky, burns away the waste lying dormant in every corner of my body.

Those too large are pushed out. These are the wastes commonly produced during the body's purification process.

Thus, the qi nearing the Great Sky circulated through my entire meridian system. And—It centers near my dantian, the place is where the vessel is crafted, at its end.

'I originally planned to make only this vessel.'

However, my thoughts have changed due to the mana overflowing around me. Perhaps, this is a talent possessed by this body.

Mana does not 'scatter.' It's likely a talent this body has.

'It's good.'

"Hoo."

I exhale deeply.

"My karma begins with breaking the rules created by those who reached the dusk. I'm the fallen one who desired to destroy everything they created."

I recite the incantation. Soon, the incantation materializes the image of a warrior who sought to shatter the heavens in his third life—To eliminate all those who declare themselves as the sole arbiters of justice, becoming the ultimate evil. The warrior's image is vividly brought to life through the incantation.

'From the nape to the belly button, to the base and top of my foot, the qi circulates.'

I persevere and I refine the gathered qi, removing impurities. The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra accepts only mana of the highest purity, and with it, a vast vessel is forged. A space is forged in my dantian. This is the process of adapting my Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra to this body and crafting a vessel for it.

Clunk.

Ripples form inside my mind. As if a single droplet was cast into a tranquil lake, causing it to scatter. From that point, the mana entwined within my blood vessels purges impurities within my body and expels them. That's why I had to strip, since I currently have only one set of clothes.

"Hoo."

I harmonize with my surroundings.

The body absorbs mana.

Time passes in this manner.

Ssshhh.

Slowly, I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror. My skin has become glossy, and my bleached hair has started to shine. From my right eye, I could see a flickering blue mana.

'It worked.'

Visualization of mana. This phenomenon involves seeing mana in a visual form once it becomes standardized.

A phenomenon typically demonstrated by mages or warriors above a certain level!

Yet, I could contentedly smile, having laid the foundation for heavenly eyes even more so.

Crack.

I turned on the shower and stretched.

Swoosh─Warm water flowed, washing over my body, and the grime clinging to my skin was washed away.

'In fact, it's not really a big deal.'

Visualization of mana was a phenomenon that appeared regardless of the realm, as long as one's control over magical power was comparable.

For a swordsman, reaching the realm of sword qi was necessary, and for a mage, creating the 5th circle was sufficient.

"Sigh...."

I let out a sigh, my expression content.

At least the foundation has been laid.

And the talent I've gained in this life seems better than I thought.

'I still don't know what ability it is.'

I grasped the magical power that should have dispersed. Closing my eyes, I contemplated myself.

The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra places the divine within a vessel, allowing for precise control of my body at any time. Yet, the divine is still not present. Even if it's called divine, it's nothing special. Just like how spirits create their inner elixirs, I am the one who makes it.

'The Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra is great and all, but it consumes too many calories.'

Munch munch.

I chewed on a chocolate bar.

Burning the body's calories to create the most ideal physique.

The Heavenly Martial Body is influenced by the qi of nature, making it suitable for martial arts, but it cannot create a body as perfect as the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra, known as the ultimate martial art.

'So that's why the Great Sky Dancing Divine Mantra was created.'

I put chocolate in my mouth. Cookies, bread, even milk, I put it all in my mouth.

Still, my stomach wasn't satisfied.

'It doesn't seem to be enough.'

Perhaps I should have also bought ramen. Regretfully, I smacked my lips and opened the cap of the elixir of life from one side of the bag.

Chik.

The sound of opening a can, utterly refreshing.

Gulp gulp gulp gulp.

While gulping down the cool cola, I pondered the schedule ahead.

"First, until I run out of money, let's focus on getting stronger here."

Thinking about what comes next can wait, no problem.