Chapter 36: The Second
“Hey, Master Jang?”
Son Ji-pyeong called out to Jang Woo-hyun in surprise.
The usually calm man, who had been quietly absorbed in a book, suddenly moved like a fierce beast and snatched the martial arts manual from his hands.
The sudden transformation was so stark, it was hard to believe he was the same person.
“Ah, Vice Hall Master. Apologies. This was something I had been looking for.”
“If it’s something you were looking for, then I’m glad you found it. But it was filled with symbols and characters that looked nothing like writing—can you actually read it?”
“No. Not exactly. Have you heard of the Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor?”
“I’ve heard the name before. Ah, so this was something left behind by the Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor?”
“Yes. I happened to acquire another manual from the Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor and have been following the traces to find the rest.”
“If you’ve been following the traces…”
“The one that the Hall Master tried to win at the auction was also a manual from the Heaven-Dominating Divine Armor.”
“Ah… I see. Understood. If I find any more, I’ll bring them to you. Then I’ll be going.”
Perhaps reminded of his father, Son Ji-pyeong left with a hardened expression. After seeing him off, Jang Woo-hyun returned to the Martial Arts Repository and took a seat again.
“Phew.”
He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and looked at the trace left behind by Kim Min-soo.
[듀뻔쮀 꺼]
The second one.
Once again, it was written in a way that only a Korean person would understand.
It was much thinner than the ‘first one’.
Taking another deep breath, he turned the first page, and the story began.
—I don’t know how many volumes I’ll leave behind, so I’m calling this one the second. So don’t worry too much about it being ‘the second’ after the first.
“Hah.”
It started with something unnecessary, which slightly deflated the anticipation.
—I don’t know if you’ve seen the first one, but what I talked about previously was about the realm beyond Absolute Realm, and those who had reached the very end of that realm.
As the intriguing topic appeared, Jang Woo-hyun swallowed nervously.
A realm beyond what was considered the end. A stage above the overwhelming presence of Cheol Geuk-jin’s level. His hand clenched involuntarily.
—The exact nature of the realm beyond Absolute Realm is unknown...
“Ah, this bastard…”
He felt a surge of irritation but forced himself to focus and continue reading.
—...But one thing is certain. The next stage transcends humanity.
“What?”
Jang Woo-hyun was taken aback by the sudden revelation. He hadn’t expected something like ‘transcending humanity.’
—It doesn’t mean becoming a monster or anything. It just means becoming something other than human. Whether that’s the legendary dragon, an immortal ascending to the heavens, or a spirit—maybe even something else entirely—it’s about transforming into a non-human existence.
—The ones I met lingered on the boundary between Absolute Realm and the stage beyond. Even so, they were already halfway beyond being human.
—As if they had trained in some demonic or forbidden martial art. Whether for better or worse, they were no longer ordinary. Their limbs regenerated with ease, their bodies grew nearly ten feet longer, and one of them even had a half-severed neck reattach itself.
“……”
Whether it was true or not, according to Kim Min-soo’s records, they were closer to monsters than humans.
—Those who reached the end of Absolute Realm had already left the martial world behind and were living in seclusion. They weren’t some dark shadow manipulating events from behind, but rather people who had withdrawn from worldly matters entirely.
—There were a few martial artists who knew their true identities. Some called them Heaven Beyond Heaven, and others referred to them as immortals who had shed their humanity.
Below that line, names were written. Unlike the earlier scribbles, these were written clearly, perhaps to ensure accuracy.
—Remember the four names below
‘True Demon Palace. Inner Kunlun. Valley of Blood. Forest of Hermits.’
“True Demon Palace. Inner Kunlun. Valley of Blood. Forest of Hermits.”
Jang Woo-hyun read aloud the names of the four groups where those who reached the end of the Absolute Realm resided.
Heaven Beyond Heaven.
The place where those who transcended humanity—whom some called immortals—existed.
That was the destination he now needed to aim for. To go beyond the Absolute Realm to the next stage.
—I met someone from Forest of Hermits. I heard it’s the place where the most free-spirited individuals gather. I never got to meet anyone from the other three. Even Forest of Hermits was a chance encounter. From them, I heard something—once you transcend the Absolute Realm, you can no longer remain in this world.
“Huh.”
An unbelievable claim brought out a dry chuckle.
—To be exact, even the ones I met didn’t fully understand. After all, they were still in this world.
—Some said they would ascend to the world of immortals, others claimed it would be the end, and they would enter the underworld. But everyone agreed—it would be another world. Maybe it's the land of monsters that a certain monster once spoke about.
—Remember, after Absolute Realm, you shed your humanity and go somewhere else—though no one knows where.
—I’ll keep moving forward. It might be the only way I can return to the world I came from.
So, my friend. I don’t know what will happen, but until next time.
The shocking revelations left Jang Woo-hyun stunned and unable to collect his thoughts.
The stage beyond Absolute Realm where one ceased to be human. And another world, different from this one.
That part was easier to accept.
After all, Jang Woo-hyun himself came from another world. But what did it mean to cease being human? What exactly did one become?
‘Do you become a soul and pass into another world?’
Was it about reincarnation or possession? Or was it, as some guessed, ascending and becoming an immortal?
In a world where martial arts existed, the idea of becoming an immortal seemed more plausible than becoming a spirit or ghost. But if that were the case, there should’ve been records. And so far, he had never heard anything about ascending or immortality.
‘Well, I don’t know much in the first place.’
He was still a newborn in the martial world. There was no way he would’ve come across such content. Thankfully, he had a friend who could help him with these mysteries.
He grabbed the second record and tidied up before heading out to meet Hwang An.
After loosely locking the door and making his way to the inn prepared by the Silver Trading Company, Hwang An came running toward him from the opposite side, as if they had been thinking of each other at the same time.
“Actually—”
“Brother Jang! Sword Yaksha is here!”
“Hm?”
It seemed there was another reason he had rushed over.
Because of the unexpected visitor, Jang Woo-hyun didn’t get the chance to ask what he had been curious about and instead followed him to the place where the Sword Yaksha from the Asura Sword Sect was waiting.
There, just in case, Jin Ha-un was already on guard against the Sword Yaksha.
Having grown alongside Jang Woo-hyun, Jin Ha-un had now reached the peak of Master Level, and could easily handle someone like the Sword Yaksha.
“It’s an honor to meet you. From the Asura Sword Se—”
“Get to the point.”
There was no desire to exchange pleasantries with someone who was meant to be an enemy.
“Ahem. I’ve come on behalf of someone to make a proposal.”
“A proposal? What kind?”
“If we win in a duel, we take your head. If you win, we’ll bring Soh Mun-ju here to apologize.”
“What? These bastards lost their minds? Apologize? What the hell are you babbling about?!”
Hwang An shouted in fury, and Jin Ha-un also drew his sword.
But Jang Woo-hyun didn’t react much.
“Who’s here? It’s not the Sect Leader of the Asura Sword Sect, is it? One of the Three Sword Kings? Or did both of the others come as well?”
When he asked if the other two had come as well, the Sword Yaksha let out a smirk. From his perspective, Jang Woo-hyun wasn’t worthy of that much attention.
“Others have come. Ones more than capable of handling you.”
“So who exactly? If you’re not going to tell me, just leave your head behind and go.”
As Jang Woo-hyun drew his sword, the Sword Yaksha flinched and waved his hand in alarm, speaking quickly.
“It’s Hwi Jeon! The one who once made a name for himself in Guangxi!”
“Hwi Jeon?”
Jang Woo-hyun looked at Hwang An with a puzzled expression, as if to ask who that was.
“One Fist that Destroys Evil? That person was part of the Asura Sword Sect?”
“Who’s that?”
“He’s from the Ho Family Manor in Guangxi. If I recall, the Ho Family Manor was exterminated by the Asura Sword Sect, but maybe they were absorbed instead? Back then, I heard he was a top-tier expert hovering between Master Level and Super Master Level. By now, he may have become a full-fledged Super Master Level expert.”
“And the other one?”
At the mention that the opponent was a Super Master Level master, Jang Woo-hyun looked satisfied and asked again.
“That person, I cannot name here. You’ll have to meet them yourself.”
“Ho… what was it again?”
“One-Fist of Annihilation Hwi Jeon.”
Hwang An answered from the side.
“Right, Hwi Jeon. Is the other one as strong as him?”
“Of course. If not stronger, certainly not weaker.”
“Brother Jang, there’s no need to go along with this. They tried to overwhelm us with numbers, and now they’re pretending to want a fair match. There’s no reason to play along. Let’s deal with them our way. First, let’s get rid of that Sword Yaksha over there.”
“Hyung-nim, what should I do? Shall I cut him down?”
Jin Ha-un, who still hadn’t sheathed his sword, asked.
Jang Woo-hyun stared at the Sword Yaksha for a moment, then made up his mind. The answer was obvious from the beginning.
A duel with a Super Master Level expert—that was exactly what Jang Woo-hyun had been wishing for.
Now that he knew there was a stage beyond Absolute Realm, his goals had been elevated. He wanted to experience as much as possible through fights with powerful masters, so a battle like this was more than welcome.
“Alright, let’s go. Lead the way.”
“Brother Jang! It might be a trap. There’s no reason to fall for their tricks!”
Hwang An called out, worried, but Jang Woo-hyun didn’t pay it much mind.
So what if it was a trap?
If it was, he’d just smash the trap to pieces.
What if the Asura Sword Sect Leader was waiting there? That was fine too. Even in his current state, it didn’t matter if the Sect Leader was present.
He was no longer looking at the heads of the Ten Demonic Paths. Jang Woo-hyun’s sights were now set on the Eight Lords, and soon, he would aim even higher.
The stage beyond Absolute Realm.
There was no need to waste time on the Asura Sword Sect now.
He needed to move forward.
“Don’t worry.”
He said briefly, then gestured with his chin to the Sword Yaksha. A signal to lead the way.
The Sword Yaksha, momentarily taken aback by how readily he agreed, wore a slightly confused expression before turning around and walking ahead.
Seeing the resolve in Jang Woo-hyun’s short response, Hwang An sighed, and Jin Ha-un sheathed his sword with a grin. It felt like something fun was about to happen again.
The Sword Yaksha left the Silver Trading Company and used light footwork to lead Jang Woo-hyun to a low mountain some distance away.
Upon ascending the not-so-tall hill, a wide basin appeared, and several martial artists were already waiting there.
The most eye-catching among them was a handsome man in his twenties, dressed in ornate clothing.
He had a handsome face, but something about him felt… off to Jang Woo-hyun.
“Haha, I didn’t think you’d really come. You must be quite confident in your skills. Ah, I should introduce myself first.”
The handsome man in fancy clothes gracefully cupped his fists and introduced himself.
“Tang Ga-ryang.”
“Tang Ga-ryang? From the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
Hwang An’s eyes widened as he asked, and Tang Ga-ryang nodded with a smile.
“No way… That old monster’s still alive!?”
“To call someone an old monster right to their face—what a rude young man you are.”
Tang Ga-ryang erased his smile and lightly waved his hand.
“What kind of bullshit trick—”
In that instant, Jang Woo-hyun unsheathed *Byeon* and slashed in front of Hwang An. Something invisible was cut and fell to the ground.
Looking down, Hwang An saw several thin silver threads, as fine as strands of hair, scattered on the ground.
No sound or Qi had been felt—but Tang Ga-ryang had just aimed for Hwang An’s neck. Seeing that unusual weapon fall to the ground removed any doubt. The infamous elder of the Tang Clan was truly alive.
“The Jade-Faced Spider Lord…”
Instead of his name, Hwang An uttered his title.