The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2
chapter-398

Seong Jihan recalled what Ashoka had said before upon seeing his stiffened face.

“The Taiji Sword is Dongbang Sak’s supreme technique, but… you don’t necessarily have to follow his path all the way to the Taiji sword.”

“Dongbang Sak had to pursue immortality, so he had to intentionally exclude the void from the Taiji sword.”

“But if you don’t intend to live forever, it’s natural for the void to be included in the Taiji sword.”

“If you complete the Void Taiji Sword, you have to give up immortality. The World Tree inside you will also crack and eventually collapse.”

When Seong Jihan relayed this to Ashoka, he fell silent.

“If you’re not going to live forever, use the void. Did I really say that?”

“Yes.”

“…My future self was trying to sacrifice you. If you complete the taiji sword, will only the World Tree really disappear?”

Ashoka continued with a serious expression.

“Even the World Tree inside will shatter due to the Taiji sword. Naturally, your original body won’t be able to endure it either.”

“I’ve also thought about trying to use the void… that power, but I knew I would die if I used it, so I haven’t attempted it yet. My life may not be precious, but if I die, the Blood Tribe will run rampant again.”

Dongbang Sak, who had been watching Seong Jihan’s Taiji with interest, also explained why he hadn’t used the void.

In the end, their point was that the Void Taiji Sword wouldn’t precisely strike only the World Tree.

The void would devour Seong Jihan’s body as well, and the more he used the sword,

He would eventually collapse along with it…

Isn’t that what they mean?

“But I’m still fine so far.”

“How could that be… Do you have no abnormalities in your body at all?”

“Oh, it’s rather good when the void disappears.”

“The void disappears…?”

“Yes. It’s an ability that’s too troublesome if it grows too much. If I put it in there, it disappears.”

“…Is that so?”

At Seong Jihan’s words, Ashoka fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile,

“Hmm. So you… will continue cultivating this?”

“I have to.”

“It’s not a matter of immortality, but you might die at any moment if you keep using it.”

“I’ll think about that when the time comes.”

“Ha, you’re truly a fellow without a plan…”

Dongbang Sak shook his head at that answer,

But Seong Jihan had his own thoughts.

‘I still don’t think this will harm me at all.’

Perhaps because the sword’s completion level was still low.

There were no cases where the Taiji sword directly threatened Seong Jihan.

Rather, it was a useful means to eliminate the overflowing void.

Of course, he didn’t know what would happen if the Taiji Sword developed further and its effects became more powerful.

‘Let’s think about it when we reach that stage.’

Seong Jihan decided to continue training the Taiji Sword.

“For now, I’ll try using it.”

“Hahaha…! Is that so? You don’t seem to have any intention of giving up. Then, may I give you some advice?”

“Sure. Please guide me.”

“Then, let’s take a look first. Inside the Taiji…”

As Seong Jihan unhesitatingly said he would learn, Dongbang Sak approached him with sparkling eyes.

During the Kang Sang era, he had only conceptualized the Taiji Sword,

But now, after 600 more years of cultivation, his understanding of the sword had increased, so he was giving Seong Jihan more efficient guidance.

‘…’

As Ashoka watched Seong Jihan and Dongbang Sak with a complex expression,

[Please… release the seal…]

In front of the red World Tree, text endlessly appeared urging the release of the seal.

* * *

The effect of Dongbang Sak’s one-point lesson was tremendous.

[Void decreases by 5.]

As the void decreased, the Taiji sword revealed itself inside the Taiji.

What Seong Jihan had successfully materialized in front of Ashoka was merely the sword’s hilt,

Swoosh…

But what appeared inside the Taiji this time was the size of a small dagger.

Seeing this, Dongbang Sak nodded his head in satisfaction.

“…This much means it has gained a decent form.”

The Taiji Sword, which had evolved from a hilt to a dagger, was a pitiful size compared to the sword of light Dongbang Sak had drawn out before.

But he still showed satisfaction upon seeing it.

Although the form was lacking,

The destructive power contained within it held the soul-destroying force that Dongbang Sak had pursued for a long time.

‘When he directly sticks to me and tutors, it works right away.’

It was said that the reason the Martial God originally wanted to abandon Earth and create a new species was because of Dongbang Sak.

He truly possessed transcendent talent in martial arts.

‘But if he can complete it this quickly, couldn’t Dongbang Sak have just completed the taiji sword with the void?’

Seong Jihan thought that while looking at Dongbang Sak, who had helped him create a dagger even without the star buff.

“But it’s really peculiar that your body doesn’t collapse. If I had drawn out this sword, I would have perished immediately.”

Instead, Dongbang Sak was looking at Seong Jihan with curiosity.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. That’s why I couldn’t even attempt to create a taiji sword with this power. Hmm… I can’t even guess how it’s possible.”

“Well, I have various powers, but fundamentally, I’m an ordinary human.”

“Ha. If you were an ordinary human, humanity would have already defeated all the Blood Tribe on their own.”

Dongbang Sak, who snorted at Seong Jihan’s words, pointed his finger at the red World Tree.

“Then, since you’ve completed the sword, how about experimenting on that fellow?”

“You mean the World Tree?”

“That’s right. This world is a sealed world of the past, right? The future is already set anyway, so let me vent my grudge here. I want to see that monstrosity shatter a bit.”

Seong Jihan nodded at those words.

Since the tutor had perfectly provided 1:1 lessons, he should fulfill his wish.

Thud. Thud.

As Seong Jihan approached the red World Tree with the Void Dagger,

[No, Master! Please release the seal quickly!]

The roots of the World Tree rose from the ground, breaking on their own to form text.

“Alright. I’ll release the seal too. But let me strike it once to see if it works.”

[Master!!]

“But why am I your master? When did we meet?”

[Don’t you possess the Crimson Divinity and Eternity?]

“Who’s your master? Gilgamesh?”

[No. Could it be that you don’t know…]

Gilgamesh isn’t the master?

‘Then the code he taught me is a dud, isn’t it?’

Thinking that, Seong Jihan raised the dagger.

Then,

Swoosh…

Mist spread from the red World Tree, and the ghost heads of giants appeared, but,

[This… this power…]

[Aaaargh…!]

They were helplessly sucked into the dagger Seong Jihan was holding and disappeared.

“Oh… Those annoying ghosts completely vanish.”

“Indeed, they’re being annihilated.”

“The power most suitable for a Taiji sword was the void after all.”

And as they stood behind, Dongbang Sak and Ashoka judged that the Blood Tribe had definitely been annihilated.

Meanwhile, seeing this, the red World Tree created text even faster than before.

[Master! Please spare me! Didn’t I give you the World Tree’s fruit earlier…!]

“Ah. That? I’m grateful for that. But you should have given me more.”

[I, I’ll give you more!]

Thud thud thud thud!

As soon as Seong Jihan’s words ended, apples rapidly grew from the tree.

They fell in front of him in a shower.

Just a moment ago, it had clearly said,

‘It takes 1 year for the World Tree’s fruit to be produced. This time will be shortened if the seal is released.’

It said it would take 1 year to create them again.

It was a lie after all.

‘I don’t have time to eat, but I should collect them for now.’

The duration of the Taiji Sword wasn’t very long.

If he ate the fruits, the Taiji Sword might disappear.

After sweeping hundreds of apples dropped by the World Tree into his inventory, Seong Jihan said,

“Thanks.”

[Hey! I gave them to you!!]

“That’s why I’m thanking you.”

He raised the sword and stabbed it into the tree trunk.

Then,

Swish…

The tree instantly turned purple.

Cracks immediately formed on the tree’s bark.

Pop…!

The World Tree, the end of the tree.

It began to split from the leaves.

[Stop. Stop. Stop. Please, Master. This is wrong. Please release the seal…!]

“Wow, you’re persistent too.”

How many times is it going to mention releasing the seal?

Seong Jihan, ignoring the World Tree’s struggle, thrust the sword in deeply.

Sizzle…

Then, following the leaves, the branches disappeared.

The lush appearance of the red World Tree rapidly shrank.

“That monstrosity isn’t regenerating…”

“The Taiji Sword is clearly effective. However,”

Ashoka, who had been closely observing the tree’s disappearance, continued,

“If we destroy the World Tree like this, the seal on this world may not be released.”

“You said Dongbang Sak’s memories in the real world will return if the seal is released… Can’t it be released by destroying it?”

“I can’t be certain about that. You seem to know something about releasing the seal… Will you try experimenting?”

“That code might be wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Tap. Tap.

Ashoka smiled and caressed the golden wheel behind his back.

“If we turn back time, it’ll be fine.”

“You mean save and load first?”

“Save, load?”

“There’s such a thing.”

The golden wheel that turns back time.

No matter how you look at it, that seems the most unfair.

‘Well then, shall I use that cheat item?’

Seong Jihan pulled out the dagger stuck in the tree and wrote the code Gilgamesh had taught him next to it.

[It’s time to behead the snake.]

And as soon as that phrase was written,

Flash! Flash!

The red World Tree flickered with a red light.

[Gilgamesh. You thought they lent you authority… but the authority has already been completely transferred to me.]

Inside, the Martial God’s voice was heard.

[Disappear. My foolish customer.]

We wrote the code to behead the snake,

But the one being beheaded is us…

Then, a message appeared.

[You have written a fake code.]

[The sealed world will be deleted.]

Along with the message that the world would be deleted,

Dozens, hundreds of destruction codes began to be written on the tree.

The destruction codes quickly spread throughout.

As the world was covered in red characters of annihilation, Seong Jihan frowned.

‘…That bastard Gilgamesh. He’s useless. Really.’

It was strange from the moment the World Tree said Gilgamesh wasn’t the master.

Is this the result after all?

Seong Jihan looked at Ashoka and signaled.

“I’ll go back to a moment ago.”

“Please do.”

Rumble…

As the golden wheel turned in reverse,

Time went back to the point before Seong Jihan wrote the code.

And at the same time,

Crack. Crack…

The golden wheel cracked and shattered.

“Was that a one-time use?”

“Originally, it’s not, but the flow we went against this time was too immense.”

Indeed.

If we had made a mistake, the whole world would have been covered in destruction codes.

Overturning that wouldn’t have been an easy task.

“I see… There’s no next save and load chance. Then I’ll just destroy it.”

[Master!!]

Poof!

Seong Jihan ignored the World Tree’s text and thrust the sword deeper.

[Master…]

The red World Tree displayed one last character and disappeared.

And the world darkened, and a message appeared.

[The inner formation of the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams collapses, releasing the Six Unions, Five Elements, and Four Symbols.]

[‘Fragment of the Sealed World Tree-2’ is destroyed.]

[You obtain the lingering energy from the destroyed World Tree fragment.]

[The stat ‘Eternity’ increases by 10.]

[The stat ‘Red’ increases by 10.]

‘This was the pillar of the seal after all.’

The inner formation collapses as the World Tree is destroyed.

’10 each is a hefty increase.’

If he ate the apples he collected earlier, what he gained from coming here today would be considerable.

As Seong Jihan was calculating his gains here,

Ding…

[The proficiency of the Taiji Sword has increased, and the ‘Gift – Mark of the Taiji Sword’ disappears.]

An unexpected message appeared.