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00394 천계(天界) ————————————————————————=

After that, everything went surprisingly smoothly. The powerful ministers agreed to make the new emperor the regent, and the Qingliupai was included in that. The world outside said that the emperor had died suddenly due to illness, and for a while, Luoyang was in turmoil. However, since the upper echelons had already sorted things out, it took just three days for the political situation to settle.

Then, the sect leader ordered Han Baek-ryeong to seriously absorb the Twin Gate Sect. This marked the beginning of a complete conquest of the martial world, centered around the martial forces in Luoyang. I was tasked with helping Han Baek-ryeong.

“What…?”

At the meeting where the clan leaders of the Twin Gate Sect gathered, Han Baek-ryeong called for a discussion and the first topic she brought up was [Subordination to the White Lotus Sect]. Naturally, the other leaders of the Twin Gate Sect, apart from Han Baek-ryeong, were left in shock.

Han Baek-ryeong calmly said, “Did you not hear? From today onwards, the Twin Gate Sect will fall under the White Lotus Sect.”

“What… what…?”

The clan leaders were all equally bewildered. Surprisingly composed among the crowd was the Master of Great Sword Gate, who sighed while seated at the table.

“Hoo… Clan Leader. I once heard an unbelievable rumor.”

“What sort of rumor?”

“It was said that the clan leader of the Han Clan is actually a Dharma Protector of the White Lotus Sect.”

Murmurs filled the room. The Lord of Iron Blood Gate spoke with a trembling voice, “No way…”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Han Baek-ryeong, but she simply stared at the Master of Great Sword Gate with an enigmatic look, neither confirming nor denying it. The Master of Great Sword Gate spoke to her with a firm gaze, “Could the change in the emperor be related to the White Lotus Sect?”

Only then did Han Baek-ryeong open her mouth, “You don’t seem to understand what it means that I called this meeting.”

“……”

“You have no right to negotiate or bargain with me. This is a notification, and you must make a decision right now.”

Kugugugu…!!

“Ugh…”

“Kuhuhuk!!”

The terrifying infinite internal power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill gradually pressed down on the sect leaders with formless qi. The clan leaders were all pale, barely holding on, while the Lord of Iron Blood Gate looked slightly better. Although the Master of Great Sword Gate seemed to be in a relatively normal state, his serious expression showed he was not at ease. Considering that all the sect leaders of the Twin Gate Sect present were peak masters, the pressure exerted by Han Baek-ryeong was utterly absurd.

A red aura began to ripple around Han Baek-ryeong’s body. As she summoned her Spirit of Flame, a mirage of flame swirled about, and the expressions of the sect leaders approached the brink of fainting. The Lord of Iron Blood Gate exclaimed in horror, “Is… is this… a human?!”

“She may look human, but she wields the powers of a god,” I muttered inwardly.

Seeing the clan leaders shrink back in fear from her display of formless qi, Han Baek-ryeong finally stopped her suppression. With a cold expression, she asked, “I won’t ask you twice. Will you pledge your loyalty to the White Lotus Sect?”

Then, the Master of Great Sword Gate, with a painful expression, replied, “If we surrender, you might steal our sacred techniques, how can we accept this recklessly?”

“Hmph!” Han Baek-ryeong scoffed. “I have no interest in your martial arts. You may think you’re the best in the Jianghu, but in reality, your skills don’t even compare to a mere cadre of my sect.”

“I can’t believe that!”

“Then let’s see.”

Han Baek-ryeong gave me a sidelong glance. “Baek Woong. Defeat that man within one hundred beats.”

Why is it suddenly directed at me? I frowned, but I understood this was Han Baek-ryeong’s strategy to completely uproot the clan leaders of the Twin Gate Sect. However, I found no grounds to refuse, so I inevitably stepped forward.

The Master of Great Sword Gate appeared aghast to be facing me unexpectedly. He then frowned with a furious expression and said, “Though you may be a Dharma Protector, how dare you underestimate me?!”

Han Baek-ryeong laughed at him. “Enough talk, let’s spar. If Baek Woong fails to knock you down in one hundred beats, I will consider today’s offer void.”

“Ugh!! You must keep that promise.”

In an instant, the stage was set. At a distance of about five strides apart, I faced off against the Master of Great Sword Gate. His eyes shone brightly as if intending to defeat me in a single blow, revealing a fierceness I had never seen before from him.

‘Come to think of it, this is only my second time fighting the Master of Great Sword Gate…’

After I had almost destroyed the Iron Blood Gate, I immediately had a spar with the Master of Great Sword Gate because Han Baek-ryeong requested it while stepping on the Twin Gate Sect. At that time, I had defeated all the clan leaders of the Twin Gate Sect, coming across the Master of Great Sword Gate during the match.

Back then, I had matched sword techniques with him evenly, but as time passed, my advantage in inner power had led to a decisive victory. Considering that my martial arts had significantly improved since then, I felt confident that the current Master of Great Sword Gate wouldn’t be my match. Yet, he was still a peak master, and I couldn’t afford to underestimate him.

Swish—

Clang!

The first clash was a powerful sword strike. The Master of Great Sword Gate swung his sword with the might of the Direct Blade Yellow Dragon, aiming to cleave my body apart. In response, I met his intensity head-on with my own strength. After a flash of light glinted between our blades, the Master of Great Sword Gate was sent flipping backward.

Upon landing, he appeared puzzled and said, “No… this inner power is…?”

If I had unleashed my full strength in that last attack, his sword would have shattered, and he would have fallen to the ground. The disparity in our inner strength was so vast that I had no reason to lose a fair contest. However, I intentionally held back, not wanting to witness his humiliation within only a second. The Master of Great Sword Gate, too, seemed to have recognized that I had gone easy on him.

‘I just don’t want to show off my strength.’

With our past connection from sharing liquor and knowing he was not a bad person, I sighed and said to the Master of Great Sword Gate, “Fighting is not the essence of swordsmanship. Let’s compete with our techniques.”

If I merely pushed forward with my inner power, victory was a given for me. But this was an opportunity for me to hone my skills, so I intended to win using only techniques matched to the Master of Great Sword Gate’s level.

“Um… sounds good.”

Woosh—

The Master of Great Sword Gate seemed to collect himself and focused entirely on entering the Unity of Body and Sword. The ability to concentrate and become one with his sword in an instant indicated that he was among the foremost sword masters in the Jianghu. Shortly after, his eyes glimmered, and he surged forth like an explosive blade.

I felt the unique transformation techniques of the Master of Great Sword Gate elongating like threads. The sword shadow unfurled entirely before my eyes, creating a fascinating sensation.

‘What is this?’

Is this a technique that delicately extends the qi?

Not wanting to take any chances, I decided to deflect the Master of Great Sword Gate’s attack with the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword. In that split second, the sword strength whirled and writhed within a three-strike space, while our scintillating sword lights clashed with no time to breathe.

After gauging the intensity of the exchange for about twenty seconds, I suddenly realized,

‘This thread… indicates the trajectory of the sword path!’

The sword shadows flowing out like threads were not meant to be attacks or techniques; rather, they allowed me to vaguely predict the direction the Master of Great Sword Gate would attack next. Consequently, I instinctively coordinated my defense and evasion while occasional striking at the openings.

Slash—

“Ugh.”

After about seventy seconds, the Master of Great Sword Gate displayed a significant opening, and I seized that moment to slice through his forearm. The wound was not grave, but he appeared shocked as he realized his sword curtain had been pierced not by power, but by technique.

“…”

Dazed, the Master of Great Sword Gate bowed his head and conceded, “I did not recognize the master of Half-Transition. I admit my defeat.”

He had not sustained a lethal injury, but continuing to fight despite the outcome being clear was the act of a lesser combatant. Trusting his instincts as a master, he anticipated he would lose before a hundred beats and accepted defeat ahead of time.

“Thank you for your efforts.”

I felt we had managed to wrap up the duel well. The expressions of the Twin Gate Sect’s leaders present had turned ghostly pale, to the point of disbelief.

“Is… Is that even possible?”

“How can such a peak master exist…”

They couldn’t help but be astonished. Objectively, the Master of Great Sword Gate was the strongest in the Twin Gate Sect, aside from Han Baek-ryeong, and his swordsmanship was practically top-tier in the Jianghu. The issue was that this peak master had been defeated by a child in a basic swordsmanship duel within seventy seconds.

After this, everything proceeded smoothly. The clan leaders of the Twin Gate Sect pledged their loyalty to Han Baek-ryeong and declared their submission to the White Lotus Sect, deciding to join it. Since the Twin Gate Sect capitulated to the White Lotus Sect, Luoyang, as well as the martial factions in Shaanxi and Guanzhong, had all come under the control of the White Lotus Sect.

‘Moreover, Han Baek-ryeong was already the master of the Five Great Families… The Heretical Sects and Su Shin Sect had also surrendered. The only remaining factions were the Nine Great Sects from the True Heaven Alliance.’

There was no point in discussing it. The Nine Great Sects could easily be eliminated by the powers under the Fire Spirit Techniques without needing the Dharma Protectors to intervene. Even without sending out the Fire Spirit Techniques’ main force, using the Five Great Families as a buffer in a war of attrition was quite feasible.

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Heh heh heh… The unification of the martial world is at hand.”

“Indeed.”

If the Nine Great Sects had any sense, they wouldn’t attempt to confront the White Lotus Sect head-on. Even if they tried, there was no way to oppose the White Lotus Sect that had already subdued the imperial palace. I felt an absurd sensation as the unification of the martial world I had only read about in novels drew near.

The Supreme Being of the Martial World!

Could it be true that the White Lotus Sect leader would achieve what no one else had accomplished in thousands of years of martial history?

‘Well… if it’s the White Lotus Sect leader, they certainly have the qualifications…’

Who among humans could possibly rival a being possessed of power comparable to that of the Great Immortal? If there were such an existence, at this point, it would only be the master of the Eastern Martial World, the Master of the Twelve Joules. It was only natural that the sect leader would want to confront the Master of the Twelve Joules after conquering the Central Plains.

While I was lost in thought, Han Baek-ryeong called for me.

“Baek Woong. One last thing before we return to the sect.”

“What is it?”

“Sangwan Hyuk wants to ask you something.”

“……”

“Why do you look at me like that?”

As I gazed at Han Baek-ryeong, I secretly used the Six Harmonies Assembly to ask,

[What are you thinking? I considered the reverse scale last time, but I still don’t quite get your intentions.]

[You don’t need to know my intentions.]

[Are you planning to betray the sect leader like Yongbi-cheon? I just can’t understand what the sect leader is thinking…]

Upon hearing this, Han Baek-ryeong gave a cold smile.

[Stop talking nonsense.]

[But…]

[Just know it isn’t for the same reason as Yongbi-cheon.]

[What?]

Whoosh—

Han Baek-ryeong seemed to want to stop talking with me and vanished into flames. My power had reached a level that could not be carelessly restrained even as a Dharma Protector, so I didn’t dare try to confront her rashly. Moreover, right now, I was an important piece in Han Baek-ryeong’s game.

Zhuge Sa expressed his irritation.

[What a bothersome woman. If it were someone else, I’d assassinate them and use the Heavenly Secret Technique to uncover the truth, but I can’t do that since she belongs to the Heavenly Spirit Pill.]

[Assassination…]

[That’s what I’m implying. As long as you possess the Heavenly Secret Technique, it’s possible.]

I was taken aback by Zhuge Sa’s line of thought. He meant to kill her first and then summon her spirit to find out the answers, which was remarkably ruthless!

Eventually, I reached the Shangguan Clan. Sitting in his study, Sage Sangwan Hyuk greeted me warmly.

“You’ve come.”

“……”

Sangwan Hyuk.

He was indeed a suspicious character.

A demon sorcerer dealing with spirits, he was very capable in martial arts. Yet, he was also an undercover agent placed by the sect leader in Luoyang. The most suspicious part was his true intentions, which seemed to hint at seeking to use the White Lotus Sect for his own gain.

‘If I hadn’t dug up information from my past life, I wouldn’t have been able to uncover anything about him…’

As I mused to myself, Sangwan Hyuk took a sip of tea and then spoke.

“I hear you possess a spirit beast of the celestial realm. It seems that the abilities of this spirit beast allow it to roam freely anywhere in the world; is that true?”

“That is correct.”

“Then I have just one request.”

I retorted brusquely.

“I see no reason to fulfill your request. While you are of the sect leader’s direct command, I am also a Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Lineage. If you are to hear my orders, it would be one thing, but why should I heed yours?”

Sangwan Hyuk grinned.

“Very well. Then how about we consider this a transaction rather than a request?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you agree to fulfill my request, I will teach you how to release the Twelve Joules.”

“……?!”

What is he talking about?!

Why is he suddenly bringing up the Twelve Joules? Facing him with intense distrust, Sangwan Hyuk continued.

“I heard from the sect leader that you actually possess demon artifacts and treasures, some of which include the Water Element. Moreover, you were aware that the Water Element is one of the Twelve Joules. In that case, you must know well the power of the Twelve Joules.”

I glared at him, “Did the sect leader really share such information with you?”

That sounded unbelievable. While I knew that Ming Physician Sangwan Hyuk was the Heavenly Spirit Pill and a demon sorcerer, I never imagined the sect leader would confide such a secret. In fact, the sect leader had appeared to keep my stories vague even to the Dharma Protectors, indicating just how deeply the sect leader trusted Sangwan Hyuk.

“Furthermore, the sect leader mentioned specifically that Baek Woong still has ambitions regarding the Twelve Joules…”

“……”

“The sect leader has taken control of the imperial palace, so a huge war is bound to break out soon. At that time, the Twelve Joules will surely gather together. Don’t you think my proposal now is rather good? Because the Twelve Joules will hold no meaning if not released.”

Sangwan Hyuk proposed this to me.

While I was in a position to dismiss Sangwan Hyuk’s proposal,

‘Knowing everything already.’

I understood there are two methods for releasing the Twelve Joules and what results would follow from each. I was even more knowledgeable about the secrets related to the Twelve Joules than Sangwan Hyuk could ever be. However, Sangwan Hyuk would have no way of knowing this, so I could respond as I liked.

Zhuge Sa advised me,

[Accept it.]

[Accepting such a suspicious proposal?]

[There’s nothing wrong with that. It would be exceedingly troublesome and difficult to deal with if such a demon sorcerer were to hide his intentions and lurk around. It’s better to uncover as much as possible when he reveals his aims for future use.]

[Hmm, understood.]

With no other choice, I sighed in resignation and said, “Hoo… If the sect leader knows everything, then it can’t be helped. Very well, let’s make a deal.”

“That’s a good thought.”

Sangwan Hyuk broke into a wide grin.

“Ah, by the way, I’ve already informed the sect leader, so don’t worry about being late in returning.”

I replied curtly, “When will you provide the information?”

“You’ll receive it after you fulfill my request.”

“That depends.”

“Alright.”

Finally, Sangwan Hyuk continued,

“Whatever becomes of this, I need a very powerful treasure. If you can bring me a strong treasure, I will share everything I know about releasing the Twelve Joules and the Offering Ceremony.”

“A treasure…?”

The mention of the Offering Ceremony indicated that Sangwan Hyuk likely knew most of the secrets regarding the release of the Twelve Joules. However, I tilted my head, unable to understand why he wanted the treasure, prompting Sangwan Hyuk to laugh.

“Heh heh… Then, I shall count on you.”