The World’s Greatest Martial Arts Instructor - Chapter 368

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 368. You’re an Evil Spirit

 

 

 

 

 

It was when Ha Mu-baek began operating the Absorption Technique and started absorbing Go Hu-rak’s Manhwang energy.

 

At that moment.

 

Go Hu-rak’s corpse opened both eyes and smiled.

 

Two eyes that were pitch black without any whites.

 

Not a trace of life force could be felt from them.

 

Those eyes were staring directly at Ha Mu-baek.

 

Ha Mu-baek’s eyes, meeting that gaze, trembled slightly.

 

Having traversed battlefields, roamed through Sanwol Demon Forest, and wandered through all manner of dangerous places in Gangho.

 

Though he had countless indescribable experiences.

 

Without a doubt.

 

This was Ha Mu-baek’s first time experiencing something like this.

 

Even when he saw the Decapitated Blood Demon, a jiangshi carrying its own head in Sanwol Demon Forest, he wasn’t this shocked.

 

A corpse into which he was infusing internal energy had opened its eyes.

 

And it smiled.

 

How could such a thing be possible?

 

[Are you my successor?]

 

A voice echoing in his head.

 

It was communication that surpassed Secret Sound Transmission, reaching the level of Wisdom Light Mind Speech.

 

‘How can a corpse?’

 

He had confirmed it several times, but it was definitely a corpse.

 

[Indeed. It was the right answer to let the Manhwang flow away. I don’t know how much time has passed, but for a successor to come find me and awaken me like this.]

 

The voice continued echoing in his head.

 

Ha Mu-baek’s eyes moved to Go Hu-rak’s dantian.

 

He couldn’t just stand there stupidly amazed by this surprising event.

 

He needed to figure out what was happening.

 

Still, no life force could be felt from this thing’s body.

 

Though it had opened its eyes and moved its lips.

 

Looking again, this was still a corpse.

 

Confirming with his Infinite Bright Wheel Eye.

 

Energy was still only moving within the dantian.

 

The Manhwang energy connected to his hand, flowing into Ha Mu-baek’s interior according to the Absorption Technique.

 

That was the only movement of energy.

 

The blood meridians were already dried and withered, unable to circulate internal energy.

 

In that case.

 

If Ha Mu-baek stopped the Absorption Technique and just removed his hand, it would be over.

 

However, while he was observing a bit longer, wanting to examine what kind of power Manhwang really was.

 

A powerful suction force arose from Go Hu-rak’s dantian and seized Ha Mu-baek’s hand.

 

[Keke. You must obtain all the Manhwang energy I left behind, mustn’t you? This is a crucial moment. You must not carelessly remove your hand.]

 

Go Hu-rak’s voice echoed in his head once more, as if reading Ha Mu-baek’s movements.

 

The Manhwang energy was still flowing into Ha Mu-baek like a raging torrent.

 

No matter how he looked at it, this wasn’t benevolent intent.

 

‘Was I deceived? Quite impressive. To think I’d fall for this.’

 

A mechanism designed to collapse if someone unqualified came.

 

The power of Manhwang that Go Hu-rak left behind.

 

The tattoo carved in blood that showed the method to obtain it.

 

Anyone with Manhwang power who found this place had no choice but to do as he instructed.

 

Having no choice but to trust Go Hu-rak’s dying words.

 

An exquisite design.

 

[What are you trying to do?]

 

Ha Mu-baek deployed Wisdom Light Mind Speech.

 

Its range covered Go Hu-rak’s entire corpse.

 

[Oh. Quite impressive. You were indeed worthy of finding this place. How grateful. How much time has passed?]

 

There was no answer Ha Mu-baek wanted.

 

Rather, only Go Hu-rak’s questions continued after confirming that communication was possible.

 

Ha Mu-baek frowned.

 

‘Seems like I’ve been had?’

 

How long had it been since he was deceived and found himself in such a situation?

 

It had been such perfect preliminary work.

 

Above all, the mechanism designed to collapse everything if improper internal energy was used.

 

Really did seem like a fateful encounter waiting only for a successor.

 

Meanwhile, all the Manhwang energy was sucked into Ha Mu-baek’s interior.

 

Crumble.

 

Go Hu-rak’s corpse, with all energy gone from its dantian, turned to dust and scattered.

 

As expected.

 

It had been a corpse.

 

But how could such a thing.

 

[Hmm. Good. Very good. What a fine body. Excellent.]

 

The moment a voice filled with ecstasy echoed in Ha Mu-baek’s head.

 

Ha Mu-baek could understand Go Hu-rak’s intention.

 

[My body was your goal?]

 

The absurd situation of deploying Wisdom Light Mind Speech on his own body.

 

[That’s right. Yes. As expected, such a clever successor. A very well-trained vessel. Sufficient for my use. However… to manifest Manhwang energy in such a manner. Somewhat disappointing. Of course, poison energy can certainly manifest Manhwang. But it’s such a lowly method that degrades the noble level of Manhwang. How much time has passed for things to become like this?]

 

Go Hu-rak, having properly examined the energy of Myo Gu-eung who had absorbed poison energy, spoke as if satisfied yet disappointed.

 

[How can you be alive? You were definitely dead? How?]

 

[Keke. Manhwang is energy that encompasses everything. Containing a soul within energy is entirely possible. Of course, only when one’s level reaches the extreme like myself.]

 

[Making it so only those with Manhwang energy could enter was also?]

 

[Because only those with Manhwang energy can house my soul.]

 

As expected.

 

This thing had made such arrangements from the beginning, intending to steal the body of whoever found him.

 

Everything written as if worried about All Under Heaven had been lies.

 

[This time I’ll properly prepare and eliminate that detestable Taecho once and for all. Kekeke.]

 

One thing seemed to be true.

 

The bitter enmity with Taecho.

 

[Now, don’t resist and obediently hand over your body.]

 

[Then what happens to me?]

 

[Your soul will be absorbed and extinguished by me. You’ll have the honor of becoming part of this body’s noble soul.]

 

With those words, the Manhwang energy Ha Mu-baek had absorbed writhed and rushed through his entire body’s blood meridians.

 

Part of it rushed toward his head.

 

The Manhwang energy that passed through his neck and entered his head directly.

 

Ha Mu-baek remained sitting cross-legged, contemplating his interior.

 

Even as the Manhwang energy invaded Ha Mu-baek’s entire body.

 

Ha Mu-baek was calm.

 

The Manhwang energy was moving against the poison energy that Ha Mu-baek had first pushed into Go Hu-rak’s body.

 

What Go Hu-rak confirmed as Ha Mu-baek’s dantian was actually an inner core, not a dantian.

 

[An interesting fellow indeed. Not just poison essence, but ice essence and flood dragon energy as well. These two don’t seem to be Manhwang energy. It appears you obtained Manhwang through the wrong path. That’s why despite having such an excellent body, you only possess this meager amount of Manhwang. Tsk.]

 

Ha Mu-baek’s head began to throb.

 

Manhwang energy was pounding against Ha Mu-baek’s head.

 

The sensation was strange.

 

It wasn’t striking his body, but truly felt like it was directly pounding his soul.

 

However, Go Hu-rak didn’t seem to know everything about Ha Mu-baek’s body. He only knew the parts connected to Manhwang.

 

That’s why he only sensed the ice energy and fire energy that surrounded and swirled around the poison energy connected to Manhwang.

 

He wouldn’t know about the Radiance Great Heaven Power that was like the root controlling those two energies.

 

[Still, your will is quite something.]

 

While trying to understand Go Hu-rak, his words now felt like they were echoing not in his head but within Ha Mu-baek’s consciousness.

 

Go Hu-rak’s soul had begun invading Ha Mu-baek’s soul.

 

[However, in the end your soul will be devoured by me. Don’t resist and accept it. Then it will become easier.]

 

Ha Mu-baek experienced a truly strange sensation.

 

At the same time, it was also a nauseating, terrible, and disgusting unpleasant feeling.

 

[Let me ask one thing.]

 

[Since it’s a question from someone who will soon disappear, I’ll answer properly. That is my mercy.]

 

[If you plan to steal my body, why did you create a mechanism that collapses the passage? If someone other than Ryeon carelessly collapses the passage, you would disappear forever, wouldn’t you?]

 

[Kekeke. Naive fool. This place will never collapse. It’s a mechanism infused with Manhwang energy. When foreign energy seeps in, it reacts and only shows movements as if it might collapse, but it will never actually collapse.]

 

Go Hu-rak answered as if it were ridiculous.

 

[Is that all you’re curious about?]

 

Ha Mu-baek felt his soul’s barrier weaken a bit more.

 

Go Hu-rak invaded a little deeper.

 

[What is Taecho?]

 

[….]

 

Go Hu-rak fell silent for a moment at the following question.

 

[You don’t know Taecho? Someone who obtained Manhwang?]

 

He sensed something was strange.

 

[Taecho and Manhwang are beings who have struggled since the beginning of the world. No, their struggle opened the world. You don’t know of Taecho’s existence? You don’t know about the fierce struggle that has continued for tens of thousands of years? Despite obtaining Manhwang? How much time has passed?]

 

[If the stories of the era you were active in aren’t false, roughly three thousand years?]

 

[More time has passed than I thought, but how could Taecho and Manhwang be forgotten in just that amount of time….]

 

Go Hu-rak cried out in a shocked voice, as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

Ha Mu-baek frowned.

 

[So what is Taecho?]

 

He asked again.

 

[…You truly know nothing. Since you’ll be annihilated anyway. You don’t need to know.]

 

His words changed.

 

[Your mercy is quite fickle, isn’t it?]

 

At Ha Mu-baek’s words, Go Hu-rak fell silent.

 

He sensed something strange.

 

This fellow was too calm.

 

Usually when a soul faces the crisis of disappearing, it would be terrified and fall into extreme confusion and chaos.

 

Since sudden death was right before their eyes.

 

He couldn’t be this calm and composed.

 

Looking around and having doubts should be impossible.

 

Nevertheless, Go Hu-rak moved to devour his soul.

 

However, it wasn’t easy.

 

The soul’s barrier that had been loosening became firm again.

 

The moment the conversation stopped, Ha Mu-baek focused entirely on Go Hu-rak, so his soul’s barrier became solid.

 

This was strange. How could someone with just this level of Manhwang. How.

 

But what mattered was breaking through this barrier.

 

[What is Taecho?]

 

Ha Mu-baek asked again.

 

Go Hu-rak pondered for a moment, then decided to give an answer. As long as possible.

 

During their conversation, this fellow’s soul’s wall loosened, so he intended to target that gap.

 

[…Taecho is the origin of the world, the beginning.]

 

[What about Manhwang?]

 

[The world.]

 

[What on earth does that mean? Tell me properly. At this rate, I feel too frustrated to disappear.]

 

Ha Mu-baek spoke indifferently.

 

However, he lowered his consciousness’s boundary slightly.

 

As Go Hu-rak’s soul confronted his body and tried to invade his soul, he had grasped how to defend against him.

 

Accordingly, Ha Mu-baek’s soul’s barrier loosened slightly.

 

It was natural for Go Hu-rak, who had been continuously attacking Ha Mu-baek’s soul, to sense this.

 

[Literally so. Taecho was the beginning of the world. The world originally existed solely with Taecho alone.]

 

As the story began, Ha Mu-baek again minutely lowered his consciousness’s boundary.

 

Naturally, Go Hu-rak sensed the barrier loosening minutely and continued his story.

 

[The world is not a place for existing solely alone. The world took form in rebellion against Taecho who existed solely alone. That is Manhwang.]

 

For Ha Mu-baek, this was completely unknown secret history.

 

No, a story about the world’s origin that no one in All Under Heaven would know.

 

Palhwang (Eight Desolations).

 

A term referring to the entire world.

 

Using just the character eight to refer to the entire world.

 

But Manhwang (Ten Thousand Desolations).

 

When he first heard the name Ten Thousand Desolations Soul-Stealing Underworld Poison Art, he thought it was truly arrogant.

 

When reading about Manhwang’s power and Manhwang energy from Go Hu-rak’s tattoos, it was the same.

 

But it truly referred to the entire world.

 

[The world has meaning only when it spreads widely and allows everything to exist. The world that rebelled against Taecho’s desire to be solely alone transformed into Manhwang and fought against Taecho.]

 

[I can’t believe it….]

 

[It’s a sublime story about the beginning of the world. Since you asked to know, I’m merely telling you. Not believing it is also your freedom.]

 

Nevertheless, Go Hu-rak didn’t stop his story.

 

The reason was simple.

 

As the story progressed, the barrier of the soul he was trying to absorb was loosening.

 

He had now succeeded in invading about thirty percent.

 

If he invaded fifty percent, he wouldn’t need to use mind speech so troublesomely.

 

Since they would share half of each soul.

 

Then he could directly share soul and soul’s will.

 

Come to think of it.

 

[Instead of being troublesome like this, how about you obediently hand over your soul to me? If we each occupy half of the soul equally, our memories will merge, so you’ll know everything too.]

 

[You take the memories and erase the will?]

 

[You’re a clever fellow.]

 

For a moment, Ha Mu-baek pondered.

 

Whether to give up half his soul and then absorb all of Go Hu-rak’s memories.

 

But it was a dangerous gamble.

 

Since he would also give away all his memories.

 

After that, he would have to fight while occupying equal soul territory.

 

Ha Mu-baek couldn’t know his chances of winning.

 

Since this was his first such experience.

 

[You sound like you’ve done this many times.]

 

[Kekeke. Of course. How else would I have lived five hundred years? You will become my fifth body.]

 

A thought flashed through his mind at those words.

 

Since it was said that only the body of one who learned Manhwang could be possessed.

 

[Could it be that you stole your disciple’s body?]

 

[You’re a perceptive one.]

 

Go Hu-rak chuckled with glee.

 

[You’re an evil spirit.]

 

[It’s merely to carry on the noble will of Manhwang.]

 

It was an absurd sophistry.

 

If it was to carry on a noble will, he could simply pass down his intentions to his disciple.

 

Not annihilate the disciple’s soul and steal his body.

 

Ha Mu-baek decided not to take any risks.

 

If Go Hu-rak had repeatedly annihilated disciples’ souls and stolen their bodies.

 

He would be accustomed to battles of souls occupying equal territory.

 

He couldn’t make reckless gambles in a phenomenon he was experiencing for the first time.

 

Not when the stakes were his own soul and life.

 

Moreover, if he took away all of his memories as well.

 

It would mean releasing an evil spirit far more dangerous than Myo Gu-eung into the world.

 

[So what happened to the battle between Taecho and Manhwang?]

 

Ha Mu-baek asked again.

 

And the barrier of his soul loosened a little more.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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