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Dark Heaven Village – Scene 00502

That’s definitely the Young Master. Just from the name “Dokgo Seol” and his oddly polite manner of speaking, he gave off a familiar vibe. Even though his actual age was quite impressive, I recall him looking almost ageless, possibly due to the powerful techniques he mastered.

But what stood before me was an alien with an absolutely bizarre appearance, something I had never seen before in my life. Could this really be the Young Master?

As I struggled to accept this reality in my mind, the self-proclaimed ‘Sect Leader’ Dokgo Seol spoke up.

“Ah… just a moment… just a moment…”

His high-pitched voice mumbled something, and as he coughed, his neck suddenly transformed into that of a full-grown adult human.

‘Can he really shapeshift his body?’

After a moment, I heard the voice I recognized as that of the Young Master.

“You’ve come quite well. I was planning to pay you a visit soon, Baek Woong.”

“… The Sect Leader has died here. You’re claiming to be the Sect Leader?”

“He is my father…”

“……!!”

As Dokgo Seol wiggled his wrinkled fingers, he pointed to the corpse of the previous Sect Leader, and it suddenly turned to dust. It seemed to disintegrate into sand, collapsing and utterly vanishing. At a glance, it looked like a transformation technique, but it was something else entirely.

I sensed it, likely due to the Apostle’s Power within me. I realized an immense amount of ‘time’ had elapsed in an instant.

‘What is going on?’

Dokgo Seol continued, “He will now find peace. The doomed fate that existed for him has now become my burden, which is a stroke of luck, I suppose. And as I have taken his place as the leader of the White Lotus Sect, we shall converse, Baek Woong.”

A doomed fate has been placed upon him…? That phrase unsettled me.

‘So this bastard doesn’t mean to attack and instead wants to chat?’

I felt I had to extract as much information as possible in this situation. There was a chance I could die here, but at the very least, I needed to understand why this so-called ‘Sect Leader’ was doing what he was doing. I carefully chose my words and finally asked.

“What happened to the Elder Council and the experts of Su Shin Sect who were here?”

“They were sent back through the flow of time.”

Does that mean he killed them?

‘No, that’s not the important part.’

If I were to be in his position, I would have likely eliminated anyone who posed a threat to me. I couldn’t delve too deeply into that route, so I swiftly moved on to a more crucial question.

“I can sense you possess immense power. How did you come by such strength?”

“……”

His wrinkled face turned toward me. In that moment, I could see unimaginable madness engraved in his glowing eyes. My mind felt like it was teetering on the edge, ready to explode.

Utterly wicked and malevolent.

The infinite madness that had continued since the age of Mystique.

A despair descending from the constellations.

I felt a distorted illusion, as if reality was warping, leaving me immobile.

‘What… is happening!?’

Objectively, his appearance was merely comical and grotesque, but just locking gazes with him paralyzed my limbs. His sheer presence felt like a mental cage, blocking my thoughts.

“Cough.”

But I steadied myself, glaring at him, and he spoke in surprise.

“Impressive… You have excellent mental defenses. Even as an Apostle of the Three Sovereigns, can a human truly resist the gaze of the Primordial?”

“Did you just attack me?”

“No. I merely gazed at you. Just that alone drives mortals mad.”

He continued nonchalantly.

“I am now the Sect Leader and the only child of the previous Sect Leader, Dokgo Seol… I am a ‘Great Being’ summoned from a distant flow of time. While my self may soon dissolve, I wish to grant the wishes of the previous one before that happens.”

“……”

He spoke at length, but I could comprehend his words through the dark knowledge I had acquired.

‘… So, he’s the Avatar of the Old Ruler!’

I wasn’t sure of the reasoning behind it, but I was certain that the [Old Ruler] from times past had overshadowed Dokgo Seol’s body. While he might not be as strong as the original body, the Avatar of the Old Ruler was a disaster in its own right.

Memories stirred.

[This was decades ago… I had to fight against a divine being. To be precise, I shattered its physical form in battle. It was powerful, but it wasn’t my match.]

[But suddenly, that being vanished with its soul, and soon my son, the Young Master, was afflicted with a terrible cursed disease.]

[The Non-Birth Mother. The name of the great divine being my sect venerates. The Primordial Non-Birth Mother promised to send Maitreya into this world to gather her scattered children, ensuring a peaceful Millennium Kingdom would be realized in the realm of men. Are you familiar with the teachings of the White Lotus Sect?]

[In truth, I once sought advice from the most powerful sorcerer I knew to heal that disease. That sorcerer claimed he could not help me, but spoke of ‘heavenly fortune’.]

[If it were the Old Ruler’s magical power, he could curse the entire White Lotus Sect towards destruction, but thanks to the blessing of the Non-Birth Mother, he was unable to do so. Hence, I pondered, what would be the greatest offering and merit to present to the Non-Birth Mother, and I believed the Dragon Flower Tree, with its mythical prowess, would fit perfectly.]

The Sect Leader had told me before. An outsider with blue eyes had visited from the western regions, asking for assistance in acquiring the Nameless Ritual Book, but the Sect Leader had declined. It was then that the Avatar of the Old Ruler was summoned, and the Sect Leader managed to vanquish it with his own power. Shortly after that, the Young Master, Dokgo Seol, contracted the cursed disease.

And the Sect Leader sent Dongbang Mu-gyeol and his allies to the Southern Barbarians to find the Dragon Flower Tree, claiming it was meant as an offering to the Non-Birth Mother. Furthermore, I remembered there was also some hope that the Dragon Flower Tree itself could aid in healing the disease.

“……”

Then perhaps…

To confirm my theory, I glared at him and spoke.

The Sect Leader wasn’t the one who defeated the Avatar summoned by the sorcerer from the Western regions. He merely postponed it.”

“You know quite a lot.”

“He told me.”

“Is that so.”

Dokgo Seol responded in an unexpectedly calm voice.

“Indeed. While my Avatar’s physical body may have been destroyed in battle with the Sect Leader, my soul remained immortal. And because that sorcerer devoted his soul until the very end, I possessed his lineage.”

“Possessed?!”

“The sorcerer’s wish was to annihilate the Sect Leader’s clan. Thus, the Sect Leader relied upon the power of the ‘Great Father’ to suppress me.”

“What?! So you’re saying…”

I gasped in shock.

“The Sect Leader sealed you away as the Primordial Spirit?!”

“Sealed? That’s an unpleasant term. Even though I borrowed the power of the ‘Father’s’ throne, it was still merely human power. I could have broken free at any moment. But there was no reason to exert myself for the whims of just any sorcerer.”

Dokgo Seol muttered with annoyance.

“I had no interest in the affairs of this world. But recently, with the Sea Guardian’s fall, the Law of Cause and Effect was greatly disturbed. As he perished, it created an opening that I seized to emerge into the forefront.”

His gruesome face seemed to smile menacingly.

“If things go well, I may find myself in a position to hear the revelation at the ‘End of Times’ before Cthulhu.”

“Revelation?”

“I won’t speak any further. After all, even as an Apostle, you are still a lowly human.”

“… I see.”

I glared at him.

“You’re not Dokgo Seol. You’re just pretending to be him.”

“Haven’t I said so from the beginning? I am merciful enough to fulfill the human’s lingering desires.”

Exactly.

The being before me was neither Dokgo Seol nor the Sect Leader.

He was merely a pawn of the past, the Avatar of the Old Ruler, mimicking the personality of Dokgo Seol. In other words, this creature before me was definitely not human—he was a being among beings, a manifestation of the Old Ruler’s will.

‘Taking advantage of the Sea God’s fall and the weakened contract with the Primordial Spirit… this guy has resurrected and annihilated the senior members of the White Lotus Sect.’

Having grasped the situation, I sent a secret transmission to Musashi.

[Musashi. Can we escape?]

[Too late. Didn’t you notice he’s already plotted something?]

[What?]

[I’ll try to fight as best I can, but we’re all going to die here.]

Musashi’s calm secret transmission felt surreal.

At that moment, the fetus-like ‘Dokgo Seol’, the Avatar of the Old Ruler, slowly rose and said, “I cannot fathom the Three Sovereigns’ choice to select a bug-like human as an Apostle. Unlike Avatars, when an Apostle dies, their power diminishes… But I suppose it’s just because you’re so fond of humans that you would delay the End of Times by creating the Seven Luminaries?”

With that, I swiftly moved towards Musashi, intending to escape using the Golden Lamp, but it completely failed to activate. With no other options, I tried to invoke the Apostle’s Power.

“Cough!”

The Apostle’s Power also didn’t work!

Instead, the entire space felt like it was violently rumbling. He must have sensed me trying to activate the Apostle’s Power, as he laughed.

“Hehe, this is amusing, isn’t it? It seems the one who granted you power was Jeon Wook.”

“What do you find amusing?!”

“The domains we both manipulate are the same… It becomes a contest of whose essence is superior. Haha.”

With that, Miyamoto Musashi stepped forward.

Boom!

As he executed the Ground-impact Technique, the creature’s gaze turned toward Musashi. Musashi assumed the strongest posture of his Two Heavens One Style, partially opening his eyes as he stated softly, “Venda!”

But contrary to what he said, Musashi didn’t move at all.

Under normal circumstances, one wouldn’t even give a warning before an attack; so what did Musashi’s current actions mean? As I looked at Musashi with a perplexed expression, the Old Ruler’s [Avatar] spoke.

“A mortal challenging the impossible? Can you truly succeed?”

“Venda!”

“Then, please.”

Swipe!

In that instant, as he took a step toward Musashi, I witnessed time itself distorting. The dust and blood floating around appeared to freeze in space, and the only thing moving was a flow of light that once held a human shape. That shimmering flow embodied Musashi, who cut through the space with a cross-motion of his sword.

This was unlike the Heart Command Technique. The Heart Command merely heightened sensitivity and allowed one to sense fleeting moments, but Musashi had transcended that boundary and reached the flow of light.

Slash!

A gory splash erupted. The Avatar of the Old Ruler, which had appeared in a fetus shape, lost an arm and flailed about in confusion. It was evidently a fatal injury, and that wound was inflicted by the mere moment of Musashi’s attack.

‘Did he… win?!’

But to my dismay, despite the grievous injury, the Avatar chuckled gleefully as it struggled.

“Hahaha!! Did a mere human just slice through a moment in time? I wonder if this power is truly permitted to mortals. How amusing!”

Boom!

Once more, did Musashi unleash a light flash invisible to the eye, causing the Avatar’s body to shatter into countless pieces. It appeared to be a decisive victory for Musashi, and I approached him with a joyful expression.

“You did it! You’ve defeated a divine Avatar…”

“… Run.”

Musashi interrupted my words, speaking heavily. I looked at him, and he concealed his despair with a grim humor.

“That being cannot be defeated by a human…”

Swish.

In the empty void, dust and clay began swirling rapidly. The clay began to absorb the remains of the Avatar and quickly grew larger until, in an instant, the Avatar’s original form was restored. It resembled a grotesquely wrinkled child.

“……!!”

Immortal?!

The swiftly resurrected Avatar of the Old Ruler announced.

“Unlike before, when I fought the Sect Leader, this time I’m genuinely going to intervene; it’s unfortunate for you.”

As the Avatar pointed a finger toward Miyamoto Musashi, that was the end.

In an instant, the so-called greatest peerless master, Miyamoto Musashi, disintegrated into dust, disappearing without leaving a single word or even a reaction. An immense amount of time flowed, and the space where Miyamoto Musashi had stood was reduced to dust.

“Ugh, uaaaa…”

I felt as if my mind could shatter from the utterly dispiriting outcome. I could never have imagined that Miyamoto Musashi would fall in one blow.

‘I… I have to escape…’

But could I really flee?

Against such a divine being?

Uuuh.

As I floundered, I sensed the soul of Jang Sam-bong descending upon me through the terminal. Jang Sam-bong, whose presence filled my body, gazed solemnly at the front and spoke.

“Great one… Is evil and virtue merely a game to you? You may bestow mercy upon the wretched with that power…”

The Avatar of the Old Ruler grinned menacingly.

“A being caught between gods and humans. Do you speak of morality and kindness when striking ants?”

“… I suspected as much, but you truly are entities of wickedness…”

Jang Sam-bong responded, lifting his hand toward the opponent.

His posture resembled the Tai Chi of the Wudang Sect.

And he addressed me.

[Dharma Protector, I’ll hold out as the Peerless Technique. But I cannot escape defeat, so you must use your skills to flee from this place.]

[Master Jang Sam-bong, that’s impossible…]

Jang Sam-bong smiled ruefully.

[There’s no more time for discussion. Farewell.]

And with that, my vision faded to darkness, slowly being engulfed.

……

Time flowed on.

I gradually opened my eyes, realizing that while it had once been daytime, now the full moon hung high in the sky. The site that had once been the Sect Leader’s hall had vanished without a trace; the buildings had turned to sand and even the nearby mountains and rivers had completely disappeared.

I could feel it instinctively.

The White Lotus Sect had been annihilated by the battle between the two.

And I stood there, my entire body resembling a desiccated skeleton. My internal power had drained away, and even my energy was completely diminished. I had probably lost the ability to maintain Jang Sam-bong’s spirit.

Agonizing pain and a throbbing headache struck my entire body, leaving me struggling to stand. My forearm felt parched and wrinkly, as if shriveled up by something.

Before me was the Avatar of the Old Ruler, calling himself Dokgo Seol. He stared at me expressionlessly and spoke.

[I pay my respects to that immortal. That being has protected itself against me, who dwells across eternity.]

“……”

[Truly impressive skill.]

I lacked the strength to respond.

But I felt that something had unmistakably changed. Until just moments ago, he had spoken with the courtesy of a human, but now he had adopted a lofty tone, treating me with respect. It seemed he held Jang Sam-bong’s endurance in high regard.

[I shall bestow upon you an equal end…]

Swipe!

As his finger pointed towards me, my body began to scatter like sand. The sensation of my nerves disintegrating through my ears and nose was horrific.

Where his gaze and finger pointed, time itself stretched infinitely. An eternity passing a thousand years or ten thousand years seemed contained therein. Therefore, neither living beings nor mortals could escape from his grasp.

This nonsensical power must undoubtedly be the power of the [Old Ruler].

Realizing I could no longer survive, I closed my eyes.

Ah.

This is my 22nd death…

[Power manifestation.]

Click, click.

I heard a sound like something rewinding.

“……”

When I came to my senses, I stood empty in the grounds of the White Lotus Sect with Miyamoto Musashi.

“What’s happening?”

It felt like I had just had a nightmare.

But I knew that what I felt moments ago was not a nightmare.

Walking forward as I was would force me to confront reality.

“… Ugh!!!”

Trembling, I collapsed to the ground, hands and feet shaking like trembling aspen leaves. The terrifying dread of that divine being had now etched itself into my body. I sensed genuine power from the true [Old Ruler] that couldn’t be characterized by mere presence.

“Hah, hah, hah.”

Breathless, I spoke to Miyamoto Musashi.

“We… we need to go back. Otherwise, we’ll die.”

“Hmm, it seems so. I was about to warn you.”

This meant we hadn’t heard anything ominous concerning Musashi yet; we must have just jumped to the moment right after teleporting to the hall of the White Lotus Sect.

I bit my lip.

‘I just barely remembered…’

The Apostle’s Power I had trained for five years at the Five Demon Gate.

How to wield that power had surfaced into my mind.

Until now, it had been sealed due to its overwhelming might, but meeting such an incredibly potent being had paradoxically freed that memory seal.

That’s right.

I had just used that power to turn back time to before meeting the Avatar of the [Old Ruler] in order to barely save my life. This was because Jeon Wook’s power was also one that manipulated time.

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