Chapter 92

Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Clan (92)

However, Leonard burst into a derisive laugh at those words.

‘They say a horse has four legs, but the final step to take will be a hundred times more difficult than the previous three.’

I must break through to the 10th level of the External Force Realm no matter what.

Even if I just keep mending the 〈Crack〉, or accumulate minor insights, it’s something I can certainly achieve.

However, the Transcendence Realm is different.

Even though I once surpassed the Harmony Realm in my previous life, Leonard now is a completely different person from the Sword Emperor Yan Wuhui back then. There’s no need to even mention the difference between the Transcendence Realm and the Harmony Realm; there’s a need to blaze a new trail.

The life of the Sword Emperor Yan Wuhui ultimately ended as the second-best in the world, unable to break through the limits of the Harmony Realm.

Even if I were to follow his path, it’s uncertain whether I could reach the Immortal Realm, let alone advance to a higher realm.

The reason Leonard is trying to find a new path is the same.

‘Having been given a second chance in a life that should have ended in a single stroke, and with a body and environment superior to my previous life, it would be a waste to be content with just the Immortal Realm! ’

Even in a state where I couldn’t break through the Transcendence Realm, I managed to recreate the 〈Five-Colored Sword Qi〉 under special conditions.

If I can break through the Transcendence Realm and the Half-Immortal Realm in this state, I will reach a level where no one can gauge my realm.

The Mythical Realm.

It might even be possible to step into the realm that only the progenitor Cardenas has achieved.

“…But, there’s one thing I need to overcome first.”

Leonard turned his gaze from the distant mountains and looked at the demon in his mind, which was giggling in his mental image. A monster that was almost at the Immortal Realm, mimicking the form and strength of the Heavenly Demon Duanmu Jin.

He could instinctively feel it.

To break through the Transcendence Realm with this body, he would have to properly defeat the demon of Duanmu Jin.

‘It’s been a while since I last did this.’

The energy that had been surging through his body after breaking through to the 7th level of the External Force Realm had almost completely subsided. Thanks to the near-indestructible physical strength and the 〈Five Elements True Dragon Ring〉, which was becoming more like a dragon’s heart, all the aftereffects and side effects of breaking through the realm were eliminated.

After calming his energy completely with a few rounds of minor circulation, Leonard submerged his consciousness.

Piercing through the bottom of the surface consciousness, he descended deeper.

For someone who hasn’t entered the mental image, just invading the subconscious could lead to a mental breakdown. Descending into the subconscious also means that the demon lurking there could rise.

However, this didn’t apply to Leonard.

“——Hmm.”

His consciousness materialized on an unnamed peak of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, the place where he had been defeated by Duanmu Jin.

The demon, as always, was lingering on that peak and spoke to him.

It had a look of weariness.

“Which time is this, now?”

Leonard drew the sword that had materialized at his waist and replied.

“I haven’t counted.”

“Then I’ll tell you. 89 times. It means you’ve been torn apart, exploded, and beaten to death by me 89 times.”

“Is that so.”

“…You’re insane. Looking at you, I can’t tell if I’m your demon or you’re my demon.”

The demon muttered, looking amazed.

“You’re doing things that even ascetics who practice austerities to train their body and mind don’t do. Not only do you keep the demon in your mental image, but you also fight it to the death dozens of times? There’s never been a madman like you in history.”

The proper response when one realizes a demon has formed within them is to use the ‘flame’ from the upper dantian to root it out.

However, Leonard was using the demon as a training partner.

“Considering my experience, it’s a chance to spar with a formidable opponent at the Immortal Realm level. It would be a waste to get rid of it.”

“Even though you don’t actually die, the pain will be etched into your soul. Even a soul that has reached the Harmony Realm can’t endure it infinitely.”

“I know that much.”

Leonard nodded calmly at the demon’s words and declared.

“108. If I can’t defeat you by then, I’ll be devoured by you, who has been growing from my defeats.”

“…You mean you knew all this and still did it?”

“There’s no more terrifying enemy than ignorance.”

With that, Leonard’s sword emitted a brilliant five-colored sword qi.

The demon’s face became even more stupefied.

The realm of condensing an extreme dimension into a single sword, the 〈Five-Colored Sword Qi〉.

If it’s something experienced in reality, it can be recreated in the mental image. The fundamental principle of the myriad returning to the origin, which can be considered a privilege of the Harmony Realm, is not for nothing in mental image training.

“Hey, isn’t the 〈Five-Colored Sword Qi〉 a bit unfair? You can’t use it without special conditions, right?”

“This mental image is also a special condition, isn’t it?”

The demon nodded in agreement.

“Well, that’s not a wrong statement.”

At the same time, a hundred-foot-tall Asura statue materialized, and a wave of pressure that could crush everything in the vicinity surged like a tide.

This is the realm reached after the Heavenly Demon Art surpasses its peak, the ultimate martial art of the Heavenly Demon Sect. The 〈Asura Tyrant Dance〉 is a concept that embodies the idea of a tyrant, possessing both the aspect of a war god and the aspect of a demon that destroys the righteous path.

A lesser being would be crushed just by standing before it.

Kiiiiii——

However, the pressure emitted by the hundred-foot-tall Asura statue was split into two by the five-colored sword.

Proof that the 〈Five-Colored Sword Qi〉 is not inferior to the demon.

“Hmm, so this is the real deal, huh?”

The demon raised its hand with a look of excitement.

In sync with that movement, the hundred-foot-tall Asura statue raised its six arms, initiating the opening move that symbolized the start of the battle.

In ancient Buddhism, it is said that humans have six senses, and all of them must be used to correctly identify the world. The first five senses are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body, known as the five external senses, and the last one is the mind, known as the sixth sense.

The ‘Six Senses Heaven-Slaying’ technique of the 〈Asura Tyrant Dance〉 is based on this principle.

Heavenly Demon Art (天魔神功)

Asura Tyrant Dance (阿修羅覇皇舞)

Six Senses Heaven-Slaying (六識際擅殺)

It completely blocks the opponent’s ability to evade and forces a direct confrontation, using the Asura statue to crush the opponent.

The arrogant self-respect that claims there is no power in the universe that can face the 〈Asura Tyrant Dance〉 head-on.

In response, Leonard slashed with his five-colored sword.

———————!

A shockwave accompanied by a roar that cannot be described as sound surged magnificently.

The Six Strikes and the Single Sword.

The two techniques cancel each other out, each cutting away the other’s power.

With two fists remaining after summoning the Four Divine Beasts, and the Yellow Dragon technique having been consumed, the flow was completely different. The demon and Leonard’s faces became expressionless as they realized the implications of the result.

The absolute superiority of the power dynamic had been shattered.

One-Element Five-Elements Sword Technique (一元五行劍訣)

Five-Phenomena Flow (五象流)

Green Dragon Technique (靑龍技)

A five-colored lightning bolt shot from the tip of Leonard’s sword.

Lightning based on the five elements.

The lightning sword, which contains the laws of the world, was no longer at a level that could be blocked with a single finger.

Heavenly Demon Art (天魔神功)

Asura Tyrant Dance (阿修羅覇皇舞)

The Asura statue in front of the demon struck with a palm.

Tyrant-Slaying Immortal (破皇殺仙)

It shatters the emperor and kills the immortal.

A transparent, lethal punch.

The punch, like lightning, shattered the sharpness of the ‘Green Dragon Technique,’ but the reaction caused the arm to split at the elbow, and the shape of the forearm crumbled into pieces.

The arm, which had crumbled in a few seconds, regenerated, but it was proof that the Asura statue could be destroyed.

“—I understand.”

The demon, who had always kept its arms extended, took a threatening stance.

The natural posture has no meaning against an equal.

Even though the demon mimicked the Immortal Realm expert Duanmu Jin, it recognized him as an equal. More accurately, it judged that the potential of the 〈Five-Colored Sword Qi〉 was at the Immortal Realm level.

“I will try to kill you as quickly as possible from now on. Do you think you can surpass me in the next twenty attempts?”

“Hmm.”

Leonard smiled faintly.

“I’m stronger today than yesterday, and tomorrow than today. If I’m at my best, I might be able to defeat you.”

“……Hmph!”

The demon, sneering at his bold words, began to channel its power.

The presence of the Asura statue swelled several times over.

‘Six Senses Heaven-Slaying’ and ‘Tyrant-Slaying Immortal’ are just basic techniques in the 〈Asura Tyrant Dance〉. The true ultimate techniques have not been used yet. Leonard, aware of this, held his breath and charged towards the impending death.

After 89 rounds of mental image battles.

The battle, which was far more intense than before, ended with the Asura statue’s hand blade separating Leonard’s upper and lower body and shattering the five-colored sword.

It was exactly 357 seconds.

* * *

Aquamarine enjoyed a four-day rest that wasn’t really a rest, focusing on the individual maintenance activities of the team members.

The three who had engaged in intense battles in the 〈Cyclops Lair〉 almost had to live in the training room every day, and Marian and Vivian, stimulated by their achievements, joined the training without being asked.

Leonard, who had no more insights to gain from physical training or repetitive skill practice, taught the other team members and continued to meditate on his own insights.

Francis was very busy revising the navigation schedule, which had changed drastically from his expectations, and planning for the future.

Finally, Russell, who should have been the most idle,

“I will accompany you from the next 〈Crack〉 we explore. I will follow Leonard’s instructions, so you can rest assured that it won’t interfere with the team’s training.”

His shocking declaration left everyone’s mouths agape.

Francis, who had somewhat anticipated this, showed no change in expression, but the team members, including Esther, had wide eyes.

“Eh? What do you mean, Master?”

“What do you mean? I just said what I said. I will accompany you on the exploration of the 〈Crack〉.”

He glanced at Leonard, who was unknown to anyone, and said,

“It’s annoying that only you have seen the medium of the 〈Crack〉, and the reason I boarded this ship was to investigate the environment and phenomena inside the 〈Crack〉, which cannot be experienced in the Magic Tower. It’s just that we’re starting a bit earlier than planned.”

“Hey, weren’t you here to take advantage of Leonard’s talent?”

“Doesn’t your dictionary have the word ‘incidentally’? You always make me explain things twice when a simple understanding would suffice.”

Jack Russell silenced his clueless disciple, and Francis, as if waiting for this, stood up.

Her single movement focused everyone in the meeting room.

She raised three fingers.

“I was planning to ask Russell to accompany us on the next exploration, which is the 〈Kraken Abyss〉. It’s a good thing it worked out!”

“The 〈Kraken Abyss〉… Is it the tower in the deep sea?”

Gallano’s muttering recalled the information.

—An unknown tower in the deep sea, the base of an interdimensional race that can only operate inside it. They use incomprehensible magic from another world and have cephalopod heads. They can fire powerful shockwaves and are resistant to both slashing and blunt weapons. If caught by the tentacles on their cephalopod heads, even an External Force Realm expert’s bones can be broken.

Ninian also said,

“It’s a B-level space in terms of scale and difficulty, but the danger level is A-. Is it because of the environmental conditions?”

“No. I’ll provide additional explanation on that part.”

With a nod, she and the team members focused on Francis.

Francis, looking at the paper in her hand, said,

“The information transmitted from 〈Bermuda〉 states that it can fire shockwaves, but in reality, it’s different. The waves emitted by the Kraken are not physical shockwaves but mental waves.”

Shockwaves and mental waves.

While those unfamiliar with the difference might be puzzled, the faces of those who knew hardened.

Unlike physical shockwaves, which can be defended against, mental waves have no defense method unless one possesses an artifact or means to block them. The best option is to endure with mental strength or destroy the source before the mental waves reach.

Gallano, Ninian, and Marian, who are pure martial artists, are especially vulnerable. Even Esther, who can handle mental strength with the 〈Clear Mind Technique〉, is not yet at the level to block mental attacks.

“So, the team members who can explore the 〈Kraken Abyss〉 are limited to Jack Russell, Vivian, and Leonard. If one is at the level of a Great Mage or a High Spiritist, the Kraken’s mental waves won’t affect them.”

“Wait, is the captain okay?”

It was a natural question, but Gallano shrank under the gazes of others, wondering what he was talking about.

Francis also chuckled and said,

“Do you think mental waves will affect Leonard?”

Upon further thought, Gallano had nothing to say.

What common sense could apply to a boy who reduced a Monstrous Realm creature to near-death with a single strike and single-handedly destroyed a 〈Crack Guardian〉?

Thus, the team members of the Aquamarine adventure team who would explore the second 〈Crack〉 were decided.