Rebirth of the Heavenly Demon

First, physical conditioning.

After running about 2.5 kilometers, I felt like I was about to pass out. My legs were shaking and the world was spinning.

There’s no worse physical condition than this.

Resisting the urge to use internal energy, I forced myself to keep running. It’s only when you push through this difficult threshold that your physical strength truly develops.

Running, then walking quickly, then running again. After going another 5 kilometers like this, I finally collapsed.

“Huff, huff, huff, huff!”

I lay spread-eagle on the ground, panting. The cold sensation of the earth against my back seemed to speak to the pitiful reality of this body.

But I didn’t let myself sink into despair. Rather, I filled my rough breaths with anticipation for how this body would change.

After catching my breath, I got up and started running again.

After pushing my body to its limits like this, I returned home with a tired body.

An unexpected person was waiting in front of the house.

It was Song Hwa-rin. I could tell it was her even from a distance, making me truly feel the saying that some people shine.

She was wearing different martial arts attire than yesterday, which completely changed her atmosphere. Indeed, with a pretty face and figure, anything looks good on her.

I’m certain that if she wore formal attire that revealed her figure, rather than martial arts clothing, she could crush all the women in the world.

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t come because I wanted to. My father sent me to apologize.”

It seems she had been waiting for me after apologizing to my parents.

“I won’t misunderstand.”

She slightly furrowed her brow.

Her expression showed she was forcibly holding back the urge to say, ‘Who do you think you are to be so arrogant?’

“You were drunk that day, right? Let’s see how long that pretty face of yours lasts. You’ll get all wrinkly when you’re old. So don’t act so smug.”

Oh Byeok Ri-dan, Byeok Ri-dan. You really were pathetic, weren’t you? Anyway, it’s a day I can’t remember.

“I apologize again for that day.”

“No. You’re right. Everyone praises my looks now, but as time passes, no one will even look at me. I think that’s natural.”

She was calm and accurately aware of reality.

“The more I hear I’m pretty now, the more indescribable the sense of loss will be later. That’s why I want to make a name for myself with skill, not looks. I’d rather hear that I’m worthy for my abilities than for my face. For that, I’ll have to work hard. Yes, I’ll be honest. I brought up canceling the engagement because I don’t like you. A troublemaking brat born into a good family is distasteful. But even if you were a good person, the result would be the same. I have no intention of meeting men right now.”

She was confident. I could tell this confidence came from sincerity. She truly wanted to succeed through her own abilities.

I thought she was just a pretty-faced child, but she’s quite thoughtful.

“I understand your thoughts.”

When I indicated my willingness to back down, she seemed to find it unexpected.

“I heard rumors about you.”

“What rumors?”

“That something changed after that day.”

“That’s right. I grew up a bit after getting beaten by you.”

“I heard people don’t change easily.”

I nodded in agreement. She’s right. People really don’t change easily. I experienced it a lot in my previous life.

But at the same time, I also experienced the exact opposite many times.

“But there’s also nothing that changes as easily as people.”

It’s also people who completely change their lives with a single word or small trigger.

“Is all this perhaps… because your pride was hurt?”

“Think what you want.”

Yes, these are the emotions that go back and forth at twenty.

Meeting and breaking up over pride. Crying and laughing.

Come to think of it, my twenties in my past life were too brutal.

My youth, filled with gray and blood, not this shining blue like hers – a time when I wandered the Central Plains killing evil men with a sword for practical training.

“I won’t interfere with your life from now on.”

I threw these words as if parting and went inside.

Bang!

A moment later, I heard the sound of someone kicking the door behind me.

****

Ten days have passed since I started building my body.

During that time, there was still no news about my death. I decided not to worry about it. Even if I did, there was nothing I could change anyway.

I focused only on my own affairs.

After a day of hard training, my body started to change.

Where I used to pant after running 2.5 kilometers, now I could run 10 kilometers without much difficulty. I increased both distance and speed.

As I trained, I could confirm that Byeok Ri-dan’s innate physique wasn’t bad. That’s also why his meridians were sturdy.

If he had trained properly from a young age, he would have had a truly splendid body.

It’s as late as it can be now, but I have no choice. I need to strip away the layers of rust and dust accumulated on this body as quickly as possible.

Along with physical conditioning, I also started sword training.

Swish.

The sword swiftly cut through the air.

Even though it’s a pitiful body, I am still me.

The flashing sword light embroidering the air. Although it was faint due to lack of internal energy, the lines created by the sword touched the ultimate principles of swordsmanship.

Appearing simple yet not simple at all, making it impossible to even guess how to counter it. The path my sword travels is a path only I can travel, an absolute path that never allows imitation.

If someone who knew Byeok Ri-dan had seen, they would have been shocked by every gesture and step, but in the deep snow-covered mountains, there wasn’t even a deer with perked ears, let alone any human presence.

What I need to be careful and wary of is not that I am weak.

It’s remembering the times when I was strong.

Because I might mistakenly think I can kill an enemy I can’t kill.

I must never forget that I’m Byeok Ri-dan, not Cheon Hajin.

The swordsmanship I mastered in my previous life is the Soul-Reaping Asura Sword Arts[1].

With this sword technique, I rose to the position of the greatest under heaven. I pierced the hearts of all thirteen leaders of the Thirteen Dark Paths Alliance and cut off the head of the Blood Heavens Divine Cult’s leader.

Once, Master Man-tong[2], a renowned scholar of the martial world and symbol of wisdom, evaluated my martial arts as the best to emerge in the past hundred years. Given his strict standards in evaluating martial arts, I could rightfully take pride in my skills.

The Soul-Reaping Asura Sword Arts consists of only six forms, the Six Forms of Three Blades and Three Calamities are as follows:

First Form: Blade of the Moment[3]

Second Form: Blade of Exhausted Life[4]

Third Form: Blade of the Infinite[5]

Fourth Form: Soul-Stealing Calamity[6]

Fifth Form: Returning Wheel Calamity[7]

Sixth Form: Great Destruction Calamity[8]

I can still use the first three forms now. Of course, their power would be incomparably weaker than before.

The latter three forms require a minimum of one epoch of internal energy to use.

The fourth form, Soul-Stealing Calamity, requires one epoch, the fifth form, Returning Wheel Calamity, requires two epochs, and the final Great Destruction Calamity requires three epochs of internal energy to use.

Especially the final form, Great Destruction Calamity, not only requires massive internal energy but its execution is also tricky and difficult. Even a small mistake could result in one’s own death.

That’s why I didn’t use it often either. I only used Great Destruction Calamity once in actual combat, when killing the Demonic Cult’s leader.

Anyway, even though I can use the first three forms, I can’t use them openly. Ordinary people might not recognize it, but some renowned martial artists might recognize my swordsmanship.

It’s better to be careful until I can perfectly protect myself.

After finishing training, I stood on a hill and looked down. Although the forms came from just five years of internal energy, I felt good about displaying my unique martial arts after a long time. Moreover, the vitality of youth gave a fresh feeling that even several epochs of internal energy couldn’t provide.

“Haaaaaap!”

Letting out a shout made me feel even more refreshed.

“You fool, you had such a healthy body and you lived like trash? Perhaps heaven allowing me to enter your body wasn’t just giving me an opportunity, but giving you one too. To live a great new life.”