EPISODE 26

If someone were utterly drained, they would likely see only emptiness. I had experienced it firsthand. But now, instead of seeing emptiness, I was hearing nonsense.

"Martial God?" I asked, baffled.

—That's right, Messenger.

Martial God... God... I wasn't clueless about what this meant. The reverse triangle symbol Carzakh had discovered on the map indicated that somewhere in this cave was the Altar of a Forgotten God.

Don't tell me the battle awakened that forgotten god?!

—Are you surprised? Messenger, this Martial God doesn't deceive. This glorious offer isn't just empty talk. Now, hurry to the altar where I am.

The nonstop chattering was unbearable. Maybe it was because I had overexerted myself for the first time in ages, but my head was pounding. I didn't care whether it was the Martial God or the Literature God. For now, I just wanted him to be quiet.

—Hmm. It looks like you aren't happy about this relationship. I see. Are you not my messenger, then?

I don't know. I just want to sleep—

—Then I will have to find another believer. It seems like another martial artist is on their way here.

I forced my eyes to open at the words. "What?"

A martial artist was coming here? It couldn't be Carzakh or Arjan; they were likely still frozen by the Sapphire Snake's chill.

—Someone is moving fast from the other side of the cave. Hmm. I can feel the blessing of the gods.

A god's blessing. That being said, it didn't mean that the descendant of a Great family was coming now.

As I had mentioned before, the forgotten gods were entities whose sense of morality—good or evil—was ambiguous. Their blessings didn't align solely with the seventy-two gods of virtue but also encompassed the disaster gods' curses.

In other words, Hadenaihar's followers were on their way here. If they became this forgotten god's believer, the worst-case scenario could result in the rise of another demon king.

Ugh.

I gritted my teeth and stood up. "Where should I go?"

***

The place I was heading to housed the Sapphire Snake's eggs. It was the site revealed during my fierce battle with her.

As I moved forward, I stepped on an old eggshell that emitted a foul odor.

Emerging from the darkness, I encountered a series of forks in the path.

—It is on the right.

—Here, on the left.

—Go straight.

The self-proclaimed Martial God's guidance was easy to follow.

How many forks had I passed?

Eventually, I reached an enormous space, vast enough to hold dozens of buildings. The ceiling soared high, tall enough for the Sapphire Snake to rise in a straight line without hindrance.

In the distance, in the heart of this massive chamber, stood a structure—a tower, flipped upside down. It was the ruins of a forgotten god, its design a symbol of defiance against the heavens.

The tower had been battered by storms over time, leaving it shabby and damaged. Yet, I couldn't help but be momentarily overwhelmed by its presence. It had more of an old-world charm than an ugly appearance.

—Messenger, come here.

At the Martial God's command, I quickened my steps. Ahead, in front of the inverted tower, was a simple altar.

"This wasn't built upside down," I pointed out.

—Naturally. How could anyone make an offering if the altar was inverted?

"An offering..." I muttered, sighing. "Martial God, I'm not well-versed in the ways of the forgotten gods. What specific benefits would I gain if I became your first believer?"

—Haah. Is faith something to be measured by gain or loss? Becoming my follower is a glorious privilege in itself.

"A god's standards don't align easily with human ones," I replied. "But is it so wrong for a mortal being to seek worldly rewards?"

The Martial God sighed.

—You aren't wrong. Yes, a god and a human do see the world differently.

After a pause, the Martial God spoke triumphantly.

—I understand. If you become my believer, I will pass on the strongest martial art I have mastered!

"I don't really need that," I replied, declining immediately.

The Martial God seemed bewildered by my immediate response.

—You don't need it? Why?

"I already have a martial art that I am learning," I replied.

—That isn't a problem. You seem young, so learning a new martial art shouldn't be an issue.

"I don't intend to learn a new martial art for the time being," I insisted.

—Why?

"Because the martial art I am learning is the best," I boasted.

The Martial God seemed momentarily at a loss for words.

—Messenger, you are still inexperienced as a martial artist, so you may not understand, but never claim something is the strongest when walking the path of martial arts.

"You just said it."

—I am the Martial God. Isn't it strange if a being like the god of martial arts can't say that the martial art he created is the strongest?

This was a fair point.

—It is frustrating. You don't realize how lucky you are.

For some reason, this reaction was more human than I expected. Despite that, I could sense a transcendent devotion and maturity in his words. Perhaps he truly was the Martial God.

Upon thinking that, I wanted to ask the Martial God a few questions.

"Martial God, my master once told me that there are no highs or lows in the martial arts beneath heaven. What matters most is the user's skill and how well their aptitude aligns with the martial art."

—It isn't wrong.

"Do you agree with my master? Then why did you call your martial art the strongest?"

It wasn't a being I could address as "you" or "your," but I couldn't think of a proper way to refer to a god.

The Martial God spoke, a smile audible in his voice.

—You are remarkably precocious for your age. I've caught a glimpse of your martial arts education. Regardless of your realm, it is rare to achieve this at your age.

I remained silent.

—Let me answer your question. First of all, if you are a martial artist who has reached a certain level, you will inevitably have a different perspective on what "the strongest" means.

I blinked slightly. It had been a long time since I couldn't understand something.

—For some, being the strongest simply means being invincible. For others, it means being undefeated. To some, mere survival defines the strongest. Perspectives vary based on life experiences.

I understood after hearing this. While invincibility and being undefeated seemed similar, the difference was clear. It's one thing to have no opponent at all and another to fight and win.

As for not caring about winning or considering survival until the end as a victory, that sounded more like a competition between animals than humans.

—The reason my martial art is the strongest is simple. If everyone trains under the same conditions and for the same amount of time, the person who learns my martial arts has the highest chance of becoming the strongest.

"Is that proven?"

—Yes, a long time ago. It was proven countless times in an age you've forgotten.

A brief sadness lingered in the Martial God's voice.

—By the way, I am curious. The one who taught you martial arts seemed quite an expert. What did he say about your martial art?

"He said no martial art under heaven—past or future—could surpass it."

This statement, however, referred more to the Supreme Art of All Time than the White Sun Eclipse. The ideology was ultimately Bai Luguang's, so the claim wasn't misplaced.

—An unparalleled martial art... What an arrogant person. But it seems like he deserves it.

I remained silent.

—Judging from your impression, this is probably what your master thought, "Even if I only half-learn swordsmanship, I am the strongest."

I shivered for a moment. They had never met, yet the Martial God seemed to understand my master's disposition clearly.

—How interesting. I know someone similar.

I didn't reply.

—In any case, since he holds this belief, it's natural for him to consider his martial arts or techniques the strongest. In other words, the phrase "there are no highs or lows in martial arts" is interpreted as, "All martial arts under heaven have no highs or lows—except for what I created."

"Yes."

I had never seen someone grasp my master's personality so quickly. The Martial God had never met or seen him in person; he had only heard a few things from me.

"I understand what you are saying," I said politely.

Regardless of the truth, I felt this existence deserved politeness. However, this didn't mean that all my questions had been answered.

"However, Martial God, according to your words, the martial art that you want to teach me isn't the strongest. It's just what you believe, right?"

The Martial God laughed. Fortunately, he didn't seem offended.

The Martial God pondered for a moment.

—Then let's do this. Show me the martial art you have learned, and I'll tell you how to improve it.

I remained silent.

—I don't mean to insult your master, so relax your expression.

What was wrong with my expression? I instinctively wanted to touch my face but held back, fearing it would look even worse.

—All you have to do is listen and accept it if you feel it makes sense. How about it?

"Okay."

I never expected to hear such an arrogant suggestion in my life.

Oh my god, he wanted to correct the martial art of the First Under Heaven, Bai Luguang?

If not for what had happened earlier, I would've scoffed. But now, I was curious. Perhaps this Martial God was on the same level as my master, at the peak of martial arts.

I immediately assumed a stance. "Let's begin."

***

I performed the White Sun Eclipse from the beginning, moving as if executing a sword dance. There was no need to rush, so I took it slow. This way, the Martial God could clearly see the essence and truth of this martial art.

As I moved, Carzakh's suggestion suddenly came to mind. He had asked me to become his disciple.

Carzakh deserved respect. He was strong, affectionate, knew when to be strict, and was persistent. His social reputation wasn't lacking, nor was he without teaching ability. In short, Carzakh was a brilliant teacher with humanity.

My previous life would likely have turned out differently if he had stayed at the main house.

Still, I declined his offer—more than once. Strangely, I didn't want to call him Master, Teacher, or Instructor. In fact, I didn't want to call anyone by such titles.

The White Sun Eclipse was the martial art I had developed with my master. To me, it was a memory. Each move, from the first to the tenth, was still vivid. I remembered the origins of each technique, the process we underwent, and how they came into being.

I had learned a lot, not just about martial arts. I discovered what was wrong with me as a person, what needed to be corrected, the direction my life should take, and the life I wanted to live. I realized that even someone like me had strengths.

Bai Luguang's role wasn't limited to that of a teacher.

Silence filled the space.

The demonstration of the White Sun Eclipse ended. I gasped, my gaze fixed on the altar. Perhaps it was my poor physical condition, but simply demonstrating the moves left me burning with heat.

Damnit, it will be hard to lift even a finger when I wake up. I swallowed my sigh, thinking, The White Fire transformation's recoil will hit me like a boomerang.

The Martial God, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke again.

—Messenger, what is the name of the martial art you have learned?

"White Sun Eclipse."

—Um.

The Martial God paused for a moment before adopting a firm tone.

—Messenger, I won't say much. Stop learning the White Sun Eclipse.