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“Miho has actually appeared here!”

Miho, declaring herself the master of the Moon Sovereign, hurled foxfire at the Emperor. It seemed like a mere flick of her hand, but instantly, silvery flashes surged like waves, striking the Emperor before he could even react.

Whoosh!

Without a loud explosion, the area left by the silver flash was cleanly cleared. Even the earth seemed sliced away like a dry cut. Not only the Emperor but also the alchemist guarding him vanished without a trace.

“What kind of technique is that?”

Before I could ponder further, Miho growled in frustration.

[You dodged! But you won’t escape forever!]

It appeared Miho was gathering her energy to hunt down the Emperor again. Just as I was about to speak to Miho, the White Lotus Sect Master’s voice echoed in my mind.

[Capture the Emperor. We’ll talk afterward.]

[What do you mean? What about the Emperor’s proposal?]

[The situation has changed. Just do as I say.]

Just a moment ago, the White Lotus Sect Master seemed deep in thought about the Emperor’s proposal. But now he was intent on capturing the Emperor. It was hard to believe the situation had truly changed. If the White Lotus Sect Master’s strength was anything to go by, he could’ve captured the Emperor anytime; so why was he asking me for help?

‘Damn it. I can’t figure out his intentions.’

What was clear was that Miho’s emergence had shifted something within him. Perhaps this could be an opportunity for me, so I resolved to act calmly. After all, I also needed to capture the Emperor, so I decided to follow the White Lotus Sect Master’s orders.

[Understood.]

Miho suddenly opened her eyes wide.

[There you are!]

Swish!

Miho’s body suddenly disappeared. It seemed she used the power of the Moon Sovereign to ascertain the location of the Emperor, who had moved through the alchemist’s magic.

‘Ugh. How do I follow?’

I felt troubled. While I could use teleportation, unlike sorcerers, I couldn’t just shift my body to an unknown location or detect enemies hiding behind barriers. At that moment, Miho and the Emperor had completely vanished from my sight.

‘If I had known this would happen, I should’ve trained more in sorcery…’

I felt stuck, unable to move. My mind struggled to keep up with the abrupt changes in the situation. Then, the White Lotus Sect Master turned to the Dharma Guardians and commanded.

[Yongbi-cheon. Guard Baek Woong.]

“Roger!”

[And Dokgo Jun, tidy up the outside situation and return. Your role is the most important.]

“Roger!”

[Hmph. This is cumbersome.]

The White Lotus Sect Master extended his palm and completely smashed the Great Dragon Hall to bits.

Krakow!

Normally, when a building crumbles, debris and structure would fall, but the White Lotus Sect Master’s power was so overwhelming that it felt like the Great Dragon Hall rose into the air entirely. As the debris vanished into nothingness, a clean void emerged.

‘Is this really human martial arts?’

I was awestruck. I could also manage to destroy the Great Dragon Hall, but the power the Sect Master displayed far exceeded my maximum output.

[Move.]

“Yes.”

At the command, the Dharma Guardians swiftly took action.

Han Baek-ryeong followed behind the White Lotus Sect Master into the air using her martial arts, while Dokgo Jun exited the Great Dragon Hall. Meanwhile, Yongbi-cheon, donning a black tiger mask, approached me.

“I’ll guard as ordered by the Sect Master.”

“……”

I, along with Lee Kwang, glared intensely at Yongbi-cheon. Wasn’t he the sworn enemy of the Thunder God Lineage? Then Yongbi-cheon chuckled.

“Hehe. I figured I’d have to settle this with you guys one day. But not today. We have a common enemy, so let’s hold off for now.”

“Just don’t get in our way. You can follow the Sect Master.”

“That won’t do. It’s the Sect Master’s order to guard you.”

Yongbi-cheon said this with a smug grin.

“Why don’t you just step outside and join your comrades? This place is dangerous.”

“Dangerous? What nonsense… The Eight Trigrams Formation was destroyed entirely. This is now just bare ground.”

“You’re all talk.”

Yongbi-cheon grumbled, but I wasn’t wrong.

Even with the Vermilion Bird dead, the Eight Trigrams Formation hadn’t dissipated. But now, after the Sect Master unleashed that horrendous palm strike, the Eight Trigrams had been uprooted entirely in one blow. Given that I knew the Eight Trigrams was a protective barrier of treasure level, I couldn’t help but be floored. The Sect Master’s martial prowess was beyond human comprehension.

Then Lee Kwang, who had been standing with a pale face, spoke.

“You’re right. To chase the Emperor, we need assistance from Cheon Woo-jin or Zhuge Sa.”

“Hmm. True.”

“Let’s head out.”

“Understood.”

I had been too flustered by the sudden appearance of Miho to think straight, but Lee Kwang provided the cool-headed judgment I needed. Just as I was agreeing and about to move, a sudden noise interrupted.

Kiiying…

“Huh?!”

To my shock, the Eight Trigrams Formation had started to restore itself before I could take a few steps! We were still in the realm of living, so danger hadn’t yet approached, but according to my knowledge of sorcery, the symbols of the Eight Trigrams inscribed all around confirmed that the formation had been activated again.

‘This can’t be happening?’

The Eight Trigrams was acting strangely!

Normally, formations are released according to proper methods or when the user dies or dispels them. But the Eight Trigrams seemed to unfold independently as if it was unaffected by the death of the Vermilion Bird, enduring for a while, and now had revived. Such a thing wouldn’t even make sense in Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s knowledge of sorcery.

Yongbi-cheon seemed to sense something odd and said, “Hey. What’s going on? The atmosphere has changed.”

“This place is dangerous. We need to get out.”

“Sure. Just listen to me.”

“Cut the nonsense and put your hands on my back.”

“……”

Crack!

In the next moment, I used teleportation and exited with the two of them outside the Great Dragon Hall. Upon emerging, the Sword Demon, Dokgo Seong, and friends were waiting there. The Sword Demon looked at us in astonishment.

“What happened?”

“As you can see, the master of the Moon Sovereign blasted the Great Dragon Hall away, and the Emperor and Alchemist have escaped.”

I briefly explained what had transpired inside.

“What about the Vermilion Bird?”

“Lee Kwang killed it.”

All eyes turned toward Lee Kwang. However, it seemed he was too exhausted from maximizing the Thunderclap to even acknowledge their stares. Cheon Woo-jin, who had been listening, said with disbelief, “Dead? Then why has the Eight Trigrams formation reappeared?”

“I don’t know. But the Vermilion Bird clearly exploded upon Lee Kwang’s Absolute Slash.”

“What a strange occurrence.”

Cheon Woo-jin grumbled, and Zhuge Sa interjected.

“I have an inkling about what’s going on. But first, I want to confirm one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Is it true… that the Vermilion Bird was the former Lord of Inner Imperial Pavilion?”

Zhuge Sa seemed hesitant with his question. I answered firmly, “Absolutely. He referred to himself as Zhuge Yulong, the leader of the Zhuge Clan.”

“……”

Zhuge Sa wore a troubled expression, possibly because I confirmed that the Vermilion Bird was in fact the Old Sage of Mount Tai, his older brother. It seemed Zhuge Sa hadn’t simply come here out of curiosity; he might have wanted to verify this fact.

After a brief silence, Zhuge Sa spoke up.

“The reason the Eight Trigrams has reactivated is simple. Zhuge Yulong has resurrected.”

“What? That makes no sense!”

“It does make sense. It’s the same principle as a Portrait Immortal.”

Zhuge Sa continued, “My brother, Zhuge Yulong, is a master of the Eight Trigrams. Using the Eight Trigrams, it’s trivial for him to establish a foundation in a human body and inject energy into it. The only issue was a lack of stability and continuity.”

“What are you talking about?”

He frowned.

“This idiotic fool… Zhuge Yulong has multiple complete bodies prepared, just like a Portrait Immortal. When something unfortunate happens, he can freely transfer his soul into one of those bodies. Originally, he couldn’t do this on his own, but it seems the alchemist is quite the sorcerer.”

“……!!”

The moment I grasped Zhuge Sa’s words, chills ran down my spine. I stuttered, “Are you… implying that he has created multiple clones?”

Zhuge Sa nodded.

“The one who originally produced the Portrait Immortal within the Imperial Palace was probably my brother. The Portrait Immortal was likely created as an offering for the Old Ruler, but he also prepared spare bodies just in case.”

“So where is Zhuge Yulong now…?”

“Who knows? Using one of his spare bodies, he probably resurrected somewhere in a secret location.”

Zhuge Sa cast a glance at the Eight Trigrams formation. “And this Eight Trigrams must have reactivated the moment he opened his eyes.”

“……”

“Heh, my brother is too cautious. Even after receiving immortality from the offering ceremony, he still tests the waters.”

My whole body trembled with shock. The idea of having a magic that allowed for resurrection at will using spare bodies was beyond anything one could consider acceptable in the realm of common knowledge. I wasn’t alone in my astonishment; most martial artists present were also staring dumbfoundedly at Zhuge Sa’s explanation.

Cheon Woo-jin spoke. “And every one of those actions must have irked the Celestial Realm. That’s why the master of the Moon Sovereign has descended.”

“Cheon Woo-jin, do you know where Miho and the Emperor are?”

Cheon Woo-jin nodded. “I was tracking them ever since I heard you speak. I have a rough outline of their whereabouts now.”

“Let’s go!”

I shouted, and Cheon Woo-jin shot a quick glance at me and replied, “What do you plan to do when we get there? With the White Lotus Sect Master, the Emperor, and the master of the Moon Sovereign causing a ruckus in a Chaotic Zone, do you think you can survive?”

I hesitated before answering. “As I am now, I can fight with the strength of Xuyou.”

This wasn’t baseless confidence. The Xuyou of the current situation had endowed me with immense spirit power that I couldn’t even comprehend before. Not only was I able to wield martial prowess, but I could also use other abilities.

“Think carefully. If you can preserve your power like this, you could create an unmatched faction in Jianghu.”

Cheon Woo-jin subtly pointed behind me. Without realizing it, I followed his gesture with my gaze, and there stood all the companions I had gathered until now. Along with the Sword Demon, Dokgo Seong, Jin So-cheong, Zhuge Sa, and Lee Kwang, the experts of Shadowless Gate were present. Considering their influence and martial prowess, it would indeed make for an enormous strength.

Yongbi-cheon crossed his arms and commented, “I’m not too keen on the idea of establishing a faction, but I think this guy’s right. What’s your aim by rushing to the battlefield where the Sect Master is fighting? Wouldn’t it just complicate things?”

“……”

Then the Sword Demon spoke. “Baek Woong, just go. Just go!”

All eyes fixed on the Sword Demon. While Yongbi-cheon shot him a somewhat murderous glance, the Sword Demon seemed unfazed and continued, “If you were an ordinary human, I would have agreed with Cheon Woo-jin’s advice. However, your case is different. Having as many experiences as possible is advantageous for you.”

“Hmm…”

“Don’t hesitate. Leave the aftermath to us.”

“Thank you.”

Dokgo Seong next to me chimed in, “Yeah, don’t worry! What’s the worst that could happen?”

These were the people who already knew that I was a Reborn Person. Since we shared memories, they understood my situation well. I felt grateful and lowered my head.

“Thank you.”

Then Yongbi-cheon, who had been eavesdropping, spoke with a cold voice. “What a joke. Do you really think you can dismiss my intentions?”

Grrr…

The internal power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill Yongbi-cheon held surged dangerously. With boundless internal energy plus immense capacity, it naturally instilled fear in the surrounding martial artists. Should Yongbi-cheon unleash his fury here, there would certainly be massive damage.

With a glare, I shot back, “Just follow me. You can guard me on the way, right?”

“Hahaha… Do you think it would be that easy to knock you out?”

“Try me if you can.”

Swish!

I brandished the Water Element Divine Sword and faced Yongbi-cheon. As I indicated my willingness to confront him, he wore a look of disbelief before his expression turned ferocious.

“Are you really challenging a Dharma Guardian, believing in some paltry martial arts? Are you craving death?!”

“Of course, I’m not just relying on martial arts.”

“Ah, you seem to have faith in the Sect Master’s orders, but I can inflict enough pain on you without killing you.”

I couldn’t help but be cheeky. “Then why don’t you stop talking and just show me?”

“What…?!”

Wham!

I unleashed the Thunder God Sword Dance and lunged at Yongbi-cheon.

“You crazy fool!”

Yongbi-cheon summoned an enormous Protection Energy while simultaneously conjuring dozens of Wind Bullets in the air. In the blink of an eye, his power, befitting a Dharma Guardian, had surpassed human limits. Normally, this strength could capture even the Seven Luminaries’ Guardians, but I pressed on, undeterred.

Smash!

In an instant, his Wind Bullets were obliterated by the dozens of silver blades propelled from the Water Element Divine Sword. My body surged ahead, and swiftly, I struck Yongbi-cheon’s massive Protection Energy with my sword, cutting through it, and then made a follow-up move, slicing the side of his shoulder.

“……!!”

As I cleaved through his vital point with my third slash, he hastily used Wind Master’s artifact to escape while attempting to ambush me as an illusion. But I didn’t bother dodging that; I stayed focused on wielding the power of the Divine Sword. The moment the illusion of Yongbi-cheon created by the Wind Master faded into nothing, his pupils widened in shock.

Swish!

“Want to try again?”

“Ugh… ugh.”

Yongbi-cheon was wide-eyed. While he managed to activate the Peerless Light Body Technique to escape my attack range, his Protection Energy and Wind Bullets proved ineffective at standing in my way. If he ascended into the air and bombarded me with Wind Bullets, that would certainly prove troublesome, but at least in a formal martial contest, I wasn’t backing down. His hands trembled, and he muttered,

“What an unfathomable new arrival. I can’t believe something like you exists…”

“Think about it clearly. Isn’t it better for me to support the Sect Master with this Water Element Divine Sword?”

“Hmm, fine.”

Yongbi-cheon seemed to reluctantly nod in agreement.

As our discussion wrapped up, Cheon Woo-jin waved his hand, chanting an incantation.

“Ha!”

Wham!

A moment later, Yongbi-cheon, Cheon Woo-jin, and I found ourselves in an unknown location. From the look of the terrain, it appeared to be a canyon, thick with thickets here and there. But when I caught a glimpse of a radiant light flashing over the canyon, I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.

Had Miho truly become the master of the Moon Sovereign? With brilliant beams of the Three Divine Tools surrounding her, she stood with closed eyes, concentrating as she waved her hands.

Wiiing!

The silvery moonlight Miho emitted gracefully streaked through the air. When it reached a huge worm the size of dozens, it exploded, causing the creature to writhe and collapse.

Kaboom!

Miho was utilizing the power of the Moon Sovereign to unleash moonlight against a staggering number of Demon Beasts likely summoned by the Alchemist. The creatures were attacking in waves, swarming from both earth and sky.

Roar!

Kaboom!

The Emperor and the Alchemist floated in mid-air, gazing down at the chaos like they were watching a show, laughing heartily as they watched Miho struggle.

[Hahaha, fox! I’ll capture you and make you my concubine.]

Miho couldn’t even reply to that, expending all her strength in battle. The army of nasty Demon Beasts summoned by the Alchemist was so massive that even the master of the Seven Luminaries was in no position to conserve her strength and fight effectively.

‘Where’s the Sect Master?’

I hurriedly scanned for the Sect Master’s location, but he was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he had already arrived and was assessing the situation. Knowing how scheming he was, I cursed him internally while tightening my grip on the Water Element Divine Sword.

“Let’s go.”

It was time to save Miho!

 

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