Chapter 424
“This isn’t good; we’re totally lacking strength!”
I returned to the sect with the Sect Leader after riding the Four Great Spirits. The leader wasted no time in sharing his thoughts.
“We might not be able to form an alliance with the Twelve Joules. I think we need to change our strategy.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, confused.
His eyes sparkled with determination.
“We’ll team up with the Thunder God Lineage!”
“……!!”
“If they can block the Dharma Guardians, they’ll be a significant power boost.”
Wow, it really hit me that the Sect Leader could switch gears so quickly. Although he clearly knew who was friend and who was foe, he wasn’t above teaming up with anyone if the situation called for it. From the way he spoke, it seemed he had been considering this alliance with the Thunder God Lineage all along.
After a moment of thought, I said, “Alright, I’ll handle the negotiation with the Thunder God Lineage. What about the situation in Luoyang?”
“We need to leave enough room to negotiate. I’ll have Han Baek-ryeong withdraw all sect forces, including the Fire Spirit Techniques.”
“Understood.”
“But this is just the initial strategy.”
As he set the stage, I sensed his gaze subtly sliding over me like an arrow through the air.
“This alone won’t resolve our war with the Celestial Realm. Don’t you have any ideas, Baek Woong?”
“……”
I paused, deep in thought. However, when it came to battling an enormous force like the Celestial Realm, I couldn’t even imagine what kind of strategy would work.
‘The power difference is overwhelming.’
With the Fire Dragon Sword in the hands of Yeodong-bin, their strength could very well match or exceed that of the Sect Leader. And how many others like Yeodong-bin were in the Celestial Realm? Including the Great Immortal, intermediate Divine Ones like Ji-seon Mang-nyang, and lower-level immortals, they wielded a terrifying collective power. Furthermore, if the likes of the Three Sovereigns or Queen Mother of the West got involved, I honestly couldn’t think of any way to endure that.
But then again, that was to be expected. The Celestial Realm had always been beyond the reach of mere martial world forces. Since the Mythological Age, the Celestial Realm had served as the protector of humanity, possessing the authority to decide civilization’s fate, so it was foolish to even think about opposing them. However, since we couldn’t fend off the Heavenly Sovereign through the Three Sovereigns, the fight was unavoidable now.
“Umm… please give me a moment to think.”
“Take your time…”
I turned to Zhuge Sa and asked, “Zhuge Sa. Is there any solution to this mess?”
Zhuge Sa looked at me as if I had grown a second head.
“Why?”
“Why do you ask?”
“If I were you, I’d just cause chaos and move on to my next life! Why are you bothering to ask me this?”
He had a point.
“But there are still plenty of tactics we can use. The Prophet said that petitioning the Three Sovereigns was the way to go, but that’s a narrow viewpoint. We can flip the situation if we start now!”
Suddenly I got an idea and said, “What about asking the Demon King Biak Ji Sang to fight the Celestial Realm? With their power…”
“No way. That sneaky monster would never take that risk. Sure, they have the strength, but they’re in the world of despair trying to build their own Divine Temple. The last thing they want is to engage in a fight against the Celestial Realm unprovoked!”
“Hmm…”
“Baek Woong, do you really want a solution?” Zhuge Sa asked, sounding serious.
“Then let’s strike a deal.”
I raised an eyebrow, realizing what he was implying.
“You want me to give you a body in exchange for a solution?”
“That’s the idea. It’s the only way things will get resolved.”
“I told you before, I don’t trust you.”
He chuckled, clearly relishing my confusion.
“I’ve said it multiple times: I’m not asking you to trust me. At this rate, you’ll be driven into a corner, then will end up fighting back and killing yourself. Instead of that, wouldn’t it be better to pin your hopes on my plan?”
I muttered under my breath, “If you stab me in the back, it’ll hurt a hundred times more than when the Prophet does!”
“Trust me! Hehehe.”
Despite my mistrust, I found myself swayed by Zhuge Sa’s words. Watching the Heavenly Sovereign descend to obliterate the White Lotus Sect without a plan seemed far worse than giving this guy a shot.
Sighing, I sensed the shifting balance of my indecision.
“… Sect Leader. For now, I’ll go talk to the Thunder God Lineage. I’ll report back afterward.”
“Understood.”
With a swift motion, I mounted the Four Great Spirits again, eager to find out what the Thunder God Lineage was up to.
“I want to know what they’re thinking!”
Lee Cheong-un was making moves, probably trying to provoke me for a reason. Luckily, I still had enough resources left thanks to Shao Hao and the Twelve Joules; I could at least hold my ground against Lee Cheong-un.
Pa-at!
My first destination? The Wudang Sect. It was said that Jin So-cheong had defeated the Taoist Master Dokgo Woo, so I was eager to meet him first. There would be Lee Kwang and Extreme Tiger over at Zhongnan Sect, but I just wasn’t keen on seeing Lee Kwang’s face, so I chose to see Jin So-cheong instead.
Having visited the Wudang Sect before, I easily maneuvered the Four Great Spirits to the vicinity of the Master’s Pavilion. Once I dismounted, I could instantly feel a rush of qi moving rapidly around me. From my Qi Sense, it seemed to be the Wudang Sect’s disciples.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Wudang Sect experts in Daoist robes quickly surrounded me. I wasn’t familiar with their martial arts, but the energy they were giving off and their stances were anything but ordinary. Naturally, being near the Master’s Pavilion, one could expect nothing less. The middle-aged Taoist Master at the forefront glared at me and spoke.
“Who are you? I am Master Hyun-yeo of the Wudang Sect!”
So, he’s one of those elite practitioners. He must be a match for the Master Hyuncheon, safeguarding the core of the Wudang Sect’s strength. Glancing around, I replied, “I’m not suspicious. I’m looking for Jin So-cheong.”
Master Hyun-yeo’s eyebrows twitched.
“Looking for Jin So-cheong? Reveal your identity!”
“Stop with the nonsense. That’s just rude!”
“Rude, you say?”
Before he could snap at me, I interjected.
“I’m from the Thunder God Lineage! If you let me call Jin So-cheong, I’ll leave peacefully without causing trouble for the Wudang Sect.”
Whispers swept through the crowd of Wudang experts as they registered my words. Whether they knew anything about the Thunder God Lineage was unclear, but it caught them off guard nonetheless. Master Hyun-yeo’s gaze zeroed in on me.
“Which Thunder God Lineage do you belong to? A nobody like you?”
I frowned at his arrogant tone.
“If I were here to attack the Wudang Sect, would provoking me be wise?”
“Even if you’re a Half-Transition Master, I won’t back down!”
“You’re really getting on my nerves!”
I understood what kind of guy Master Hyun-yeo was. I’d dealt with the more rigid and wise Wudang masters before, but he was stuck on his position and completely unaware of the shifting circumstances around him. Though my temperament said to crush him and create a river of blood, I held my tongue and said instead, “I’ll wait right here. If you strike first, I’ll respond in kind.”
“You little punk!”
Crash!
Unable to contain his anger, Master Hyun-yeo unleashed his sword technique against me. I recognized it as one of Wudang’s praised Five Great Techniques—the Swift Sword technique. This technique was powerful and practical among their five, which meant he was quite serious about his strength.
‘How amusing!’
However, I’d encountered peak experts aplenty and had faced the likes of Divine Beings, the Absolute Realm, and the Three Sovereigns. There was no way I’d be fazed by just one technique from a Wudang Master. Lightly deflecting his attack with grace, I casually guided my energy to stroke his ribs.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, Master Hyun-yeo spewed blood and flew backward. The Wudang disciples nearby gasped in shock, yelling.
“You brat!”
“Attack him!”
I felt the sword qi swirling around, sensing their attack routes like a flash of light. Though I wasn’t watching their every movement, my instinct had developed from countless battles, allowing me to sense their level intuitively. I slipped away smoothly like a fish using my Thunder Shadow Step, and they remained oblivious until I reached a position just behind them.
“Huh…”
As they froze in surprise, I bluntly stated, “You guys attacked first. So I say this again—if you strike me again, you’ll end up like Master Hyun-yeo over there!”
Master Hyun-yeo was on the ground, bleeding from a wound inflicted just moments ago. He’d sustained some damage but not anything life-threatening; he merely struck a pressure point, causing him pain enough to leave him dazed. With my warning, the Wudang disciples began to back off, uncertainty visible on their faces.
At that moment, I heard:
[What on earth is happening at the Wudang headquarters?!]
With a whoosh, soaring through the air, came Cheongpungja, Cheongilja, and Cheonggyunja, forming a powerful barrier around me. I recognized them from my time at the Wudang Sect; they were peak experts, competing at the forefront of the martial world.
With their power radiating off, Cheongpungja, fueled with heightened internal energy, shot a piercing gaze at me.
“Being from the Thunder God Lineage isn’t enough to convince me. State your name and title!”
It seemed those three had been quietly observing the situation unfold within the Pavilion.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous…”
As I wondered how many times I’d have to repeat myself throughout my next life, my frustration skyrocketed. Trying to convince these old-timers from an opposing sect while they were hostile? That in itself drained my spirit. But I steadied my heart and replied, “I am Baek Woong, Deputy Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect, also taking the role of Dharma Guardian from the Thunder God Lineage.”
“…!!”
“Not long ago, an elder from our sect visited the Wudang Sect and was defeated by Jin So-cheong. Today, I come to discuss this matter with him.”
Whispers spread among the Wudang practitioners. After all, it was hard to believe that the young boy before them was the second-in-command of the White Lotus Sect. Cheongpungja seemed to ponder for a bit, then asked.
“Are you by any chance declaring war?”
“Hmph… War? You clearly don’t understand your place.”
I was in a mood, so I answered just to tease.
“If I were at that point, I’d erase the Nine Great Sects in a single night, leaving not even a stone unturned. I’d prefer not to waste my time on tiny creatures like you, so please, let’s avoid this and just call Jin So-cheong.”
“You… you little punk!!”
Cheongilja and Cheonggyunja bristled and raised their energy levels with my taunt. I couldn’t overlook the combination of two peak experts, so I instantly felt tension surging through my body. Just as a clash was about to erupt between us, Cheongpungja stabilized the situation and said.
“Deputy Sect Leader Baek Woong. We apologize for our emotional response. We will call Jin So-cheong right away.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Cheongilja yelled, “Master, we need to kill this punk and eliminate everyone from the White Lotus Sect!”
“Agreed!”
“Let’s eliminate this Deputy Sect Leader!”
With Cheongilja rallying the crowd, the disciples stirred up a wave of killing intent and looked eager to charge forward. I started to worry that my persuasive speech was crumbling down right before my eyes. But Cheongpungja, still calm, waved it off.
“Shut up and just summon Jin So-cheong.”
“W-what, Master?”
“It seems this is now beyond our control.”
Cheongpungja clearly grasped the situation, unlike the hot-headed Cheongilja and Cheonggyunja, who seemed dissenting but had no choice but to comply. They utilized their light-body techniques and soon brought back Jin So-cheong, who had been staying at another residence.
Upon spotting me, Jin So-cheong raised his hands in a gesture of respect.
“Deputy Sect Leader Baek Woong! It’s been a while.”
In return, I also bowed to him.
“Thunder God’s Jin So-cheong. I’ve come to clarify the White Lotus Sect’s stance today.”
“Speak.”
But as I tried to address the issue, I couldn’t shake off a slight discomfort. I had anticipated this, but coming face to face with Jin So-cheong felt a bit prickly.
‘Formless…’
I sensed the same elusive energy I felt from the Master of the White Lotus Sect! A vague aura seeped into my heart like a rush of adrenaline. It wasn’t about threatening or intimidating others; it felt more like he was scanning me from a dimensional plane that felt almost alien.
Jin So-cheong must have reached the Absolute Realm during this time. Whether it was quickly or slowly, his progress was undeniably rapid.
I got myself together and said, “This place attracts too much attention. Let’s move elsewhere.”
“Very well.”
Then, Cheongpungja interjected, “Can’t we just talk here?”
I retorted sharply, “This concerns the Thunder God Lineage. Outsiders should not intervene.”
“… Understood.”
“Jin So-cheong, get on the Four Great Spirits.”
With a whoosh, I flew into the mountains with Jin So-cheong. Halting cautiously, I urged, “Jin So-cheong, what on earth is Lee Cheong-un planning? Why is he intervening at this point to confront the White Lotus Sect?”
A sly smile crept onto Jin So-cheong’s face.
“The Grand Master wishes to meet you through this situation. And as you guessed, here you are!”
“I knew it…”
“Before guiding you, I have a personal question for you, Baek Woong.”
“What is it?”
As he leaned against a rock, Jin So-cheong said, “I’ve heard from the Four Ancestors about your peculiar background. But being from the Thunder God Lineage, and knowing its longstanding grudge against the White Lotus Sect, I find it hard to understand why you’re assisting them.”
“……”
“If only a master like you were to support the resurrection of the Thunder God Lineage…”
I looked at him in disbelief and realized something.
‘Lee Cheong-un hasn’t told Jin So-cheong about my previous life!’
Jin So-cheong definitely didn’t know I was a Reborn Person. If he were aware of the ties I had with Lee Kwang, he wouldn’t be asking such naive questions. In fact, Jin So-cheong seemed to empathize with my dilemma and understand my choice to distance myself from the Thunder God Lineage, given our previous life. Right now, it seemed Lee Cheong-un kept the secret of my previous existence intact.
Conflicted, I thought about whether I should pass my memories to Jin So-cheong using the Obsidian. But someone like Lee Cheong-un, with exceptional intuition, would probably anticipate me attempting that. In my hesitation, Zhuge Sa interrupted my thoughts.
“What are you pondering? Lee Cheong-un won’t care about whatever choice you make. Whether you choose to pass your memories or not, it’s up to you.”
“Of course, I should hand them over…”
“But remember this: even if you pass your memories on, there’s no guarantee Jin So-cheong will side with you.”
“……”
“Also, letting your secret about being a Reborn Person slip would be a terrible choice.”
I couldn’t help but flinch. Jin So-cheong had deeply invested himself into the resurgence and revenge problem of the Thunder God Lineage. Even if I did pass my memories down, it was quite possible he’d end up distinguishing between the two and sticking solely to self-interest. That was entirely different from a true companion. Moreover, just as Zhuge Sa said, revealing my secret wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
After wrestling with my thoughts, I replied to Jin So-cheong, “That’s a personal matter for me. But I have a question for you, too…”
“What is it?”
“You must have received a great deal of martial arts training from Lee Cheong-un up until now, right? Among those, surely you’ve learned the Seven Great Techniques. How far along are you in mastering them?”
Jin So-cheong smiled subtly before replying, “Not long ago, I reached the state of Quietude and received praise from the Grandmaster.”
“Quietude?”
“It is to have no thoughts in one’s mind.”
“……?”
What the heck does that mean?
I half expected him to talk about mastering some techniques or combining several of the Seven Great Techniques together. After all, when looking at the Three Treasure Technique or Zhuge Mingwang, most examples came from recreating the techniques through their interconnections. But hearing this out-of-the-blue “Quietude” response left me clueless as to what kind of state that might be.
“Well, anyway, I want to meet Lee Cheong-un.”
“Very well. The Grand Master is currently at the Zhongnan Sect.”
“With Lee Kwang and Extreme Tiger?”
“Yes. I came to the Wudang Sect alone.”
It felt like a shame that I missed out on meeting them right away, but since I was in no hurry to see Lee Kwang, I nodded and summoned the Four Great Spirits.
“Let’s go.”
