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“There’s news that an unexpected enemy is hiding in Mount Tai!”

Upon hearing this, I was left scratching my head. “Hmm… Going out to fight seems risky, but leaving it alone feels even worse…”

Even if the other four Heavenly Altars are intact, just one being occupied could give us a massive headache. The Heavenly Altar essentially serves as a bridge between heaven and earth, and if manipulated right, could be a vital spot for spying on information from the Celestial Realm. If a creature took over the Heavenly Altar during the descent of the Heavenly Sovereign, it could introduce variables that might harm us.

But the opponent is definitely a powerful sorcerer capable of setting traps that even Cheon Woo-jin’s heavenly eyes can’t perceive. There’s no way I’d walk straight into a trap laid out by such a formidable foe. Whether we have a large or small force, we’d be facing total annihilation if we’re not careful. Sorcerers who’ve fortified their stronghold with traps can unleash tremendous power.

Then again, outright obliterating the Heavenly Altar from afar is also not an option. If the Heavenly Altar is destroyed, it would break the boundary created by Jeon Wook, which would result in the immediate descent of the Celestial Realm. That alone would invite disaster.

As if reading my thoughts, Mangnyang chimed in, “The best-case scenario right now is for King Mi-hu to strike Mount Tai again.”

“And how exactly do you expect that to happen?”

Mangnyang continued, “If the monstrous entity occupies the Heavenly Altar and we submit a formal petition to the Celestial Realm, maybe something can be done…?”

Before Mangnyang could finish, Cheon Woo-jin interjected, “That won’t work, big brother. You know why.”

“It’s frustrating…”

“The Celestial Realm already perceives us as being on the side of the Three Sovereigns. Unlike before, they won’t easily take our words to heart.”

Cheon Woo-jin was right. Up to now, because of the special status of Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin as disciples of the Master Mangnyang, the Celestial Realm had been more lenient with their opinions, but now they considered the Three Sovereigns a potential threat. With both Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin siding with me, the Celestial Realm is unlikely to listen to us.

Zhuge Sa said, “At this point, it’s safe to say there’s no weak opponent left that we can deal with using strategy. They’re all formidable adversaries. The best option is to be aware of the risks and conserve our strength. For now, let Cheon Woo-jin keep an eye on the one in Mount Tai, using his heavenly vision.”

“As expected.”

“I want to scout the White Lotus Sect’s movements this time, so let’s make use of the remaining portrait immortals.”

Crash!

Zhuge Sa made the remaining three portrait immortals into a single unit and sent them to the Xinjiang area. Of course, due to the risks involved, they weren’t sent directly to the White Lotus Sect but started gathering information from the outskirts. Thanks to the guidance given to the portrait immortals, this was possible.

The results were unexpected information that arrived.

[According to the rumors floating in the Xinjiang Martial World, a new Master of the White Lotus Sect has been appointed, and they’re planning to change the sect’s name.]

I was taken aback and immediately asked through the suspicious fishhook, [Is that true? The White Lotus Sect hasn’t perished?]

[Yes. The villages trading with the White Lotus Sect are fine, and the Xinjiang Sovereign hasn’t shown any unusual movements. The people of Xinjiang think something must have happened with the White Lotus Sect, but they’re not particularly concerned.]

[… Did you find out anything about the new Master?]

[I’m not sure. However, unlike the previous Master, they are said to show themselves without a mask and appear to be a young man.]

A young man. That immediately brought to mind the Young Master.

‘Looks like the Young Master has taken on the form of Doko-sul.’

He must have transformed from the wrinkled and dreadful visage I saw before into a human form. I suppressed the tumultuous emotions and continued questioning.

[You mentioned changing the sect’s name? What’s the new name?]

When the response came, I was stunned.

[It’s the Nine Lotus Sect.]

[…!!]

What in the world? Why is the Nine Lotus Sect popping up here?

This was completely out of the blue, but since the portrait immortals are just obedient puppets, they had no reason to distort the information. I shook my head and commanded the suspicious fishhook.

[Understood. Keep searching for more.]

[Yes, sir.]

Calming my surprised heart, I informed my companions about the information just received from the portrait immortal. Zhuge Sa frowned upon hearing it.

“The Nine Lotus Sect… that’s a nasty scent.”

“Zhuge Sa, what’s going on?”

“It appears that the Avatar of the [Old Ruler] wants to become the Bishop of the Nine Lotus Sect instead of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.”

“But why the Nine Lotus Sect of all places…”

I’m completely lost. Why is the name of a sect that will eventually be formed by the Apostle of Evil Mentioned in connection with the [Old Ruler]? There must be massive significance since it’s a name intentionally chosen by the [Old Ruler]. As the room fell silent, Jin So-cheong slowly spoke.

“I think we might be misunderstanding something about the [Old Ruler].”

All eyes turned to Jin So-cheong. Until now, he had been primarily a listener in meetings, and after such events, he’d focus intently on training his martial arts, so his presence was minimal. It was odd for Jin So-cheong to speak up first.

I asked Jin So-cheong, “What do you mean by misunderstanding?”

“Earlier, when the Young Master embodied in the White Lotus Sect mentioned regarding the Evil God as a competitor, didn’t it seem to us that there’s a fierce rivalry between them?”

“That’s right. It was clear that they regarded the Evil God as an enemy. So, it’s strange to think that the being would go and rename itself after the Nine Lotus Sect…”

Jin So-cheong crossed his arms.

“But… what if it’s a relationship of goodwill competition?”

“……”

“What if until a single goal is achieved, they’re in a cooperative relationship? What if they think of the White Lotus Sect as a stepping-stone for the Evil God’s advancement, and thus decided to rename it to the Nine Lotus Sect?”

I was taken aback by Jin So-cheong’s suggestion. “Is… is that even possible? Collaborating with those monsters… why would you think that?”

“I don’t have logic behind it; it’s just my gut feeling. I felt that way when I glimpsed the potential future with Baek Woong.”

Listening to the conversation, Cheon Woo-jin flatly stated, “Goodwill competition with the [Old Ruler]… what a combination that doesn’t fit with this world.”

I couldn’t say I liked Cheon Woo-jin, but I had to agree with his statement. The absolute, unparalleled evil that is the [Old Ruler] engaging in ‘goodwill competition’? Each one of the [Old Rulers] is an absolute transcendent being that is unmatched in this world; why would they choose to take part in something like that?

But surprisingly, among us, Zhuge Sa had a serious expression, a frown on his face. He stroked his chin, pondering for a while before uttering.

“That might be true.”

“Zhuge Sa.”

“For now, let’s focus on gathering more information.”

Over the next five days, we continued to gather intelligence through the portrait immortals. And we eventually learned more detailed information.

The masters of the Wind Spirit Sect are the ones roaming the outer edge the most.

The Su Shin Sect is nowhere to be seen.

They are currently madly collecting books from across the continent.

Three pieces of information were relayed. I tilted my head in confusion.

“They are selling off the White Lotus Sect’s wealth in gold and silver and weapons just to collect books? What’s going on?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa, deep in thought, finally spoke. “I suspect they are searching for a grimoire.”

“A grimoire?”

“It can only be that if they are purchasing books like mad. Some grimoires can often be mixed in with ordinary texts without anyone noticing.”

“But why would someone like them, a divine being, need a grimoire?”

“I can’t understand that either. A being of such caliber wouldn’t need a grimoire; they’d likely write one for fun. Since they are the supreme ruler of magic, it’s just a toy to them…”

Mangnyang cut in. “Uncle, what if the grimoire records the Ending?”

“That’s impossible.”

Zhuge Sa flatly denied and continued, “The Ending refers to the destruction that occurs over five hundred years when the constellations find their rightful places. My Nameless Ritual Book does not record the Ending. Although it warns about phenomena that happen before the Ending, it contains no process or result. Because it’s a secret known only to the gods.”

“So you’re saying if it’s not recorded in the Nameless Ritual Book, it can’t possibly be in an ordinary grimoire?”

“Exactly. Even if there are superior grimoires beyond the nameless one, they couldn’t possibly be found among random texts in the Central Plains. Such grimoires contain terrifying magical powers, and the moment they’ve found their master, they would have morphed into gigantic disasters.”

The Sword Demon, overhearing, remarked, “I may not know much about it, but it sounds like it’s not a good idea for the White Lotus Sect to be making such a massive book purchase. If that creature finds what it’s looking for, the reckoning could come much sooner.”

“That seems likely.”

“Then I’ll use the forces of the Martial World to slow the flow of books. At least until the Heavenly Sovereign descends.”

All eyes turned to the Sword Demon. He confidently declared, “The Eight Demons of the Demon Path are not heavily tied into the trade routes of the Central Plains. Unlike the True Heaven Alliance, which suffered greatly when the Blood Million Valley raged, the Eight Demons remained largely unscathed. If I, as the leader of the Eight Demons, block the trade routes, I can prevent merchants from heading to Xinjiang.”

In other words, he proposed to use the power of the underground sects to suppress the merchants. It certainly seemed efficient, but I couldn’t help but worry.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It will be. If the head of the Su Shin or the Su Shin Team comes looking for me, I’d be dead meat…”

The Sword Demon chuckled. “But isn’t it an honor to use my life to thwart the god’s plans?”

“……”

“Well, if I can hold them off for a month until the Heavenly Sovereign descends, that should suffice.”

Seeing a companion willingly putting themselves at risk made my chest tighten. The Sword Demon had gained little from training his dual swords this lifetime but is still willing to act for my sake. Then Zhuge Sa, who was nearby, added, “We shouldn’t operate solely on willpower. If we’re doing this, we should devise a solid plan.”

“Understood, Zhuge Sa.”

“I have one question.” Zhuge Sa looked thoughtfully at the Sword Demon and Jin So-cheong, then spoke. “If you two teamed up, do you think you could capture the Dharma Guardian?”

“Hmm…”

“It might be a bit tricky.”

The reactions of the two differed slightly. It seemed Zhuge Sa had noticed something from their responses.

“Then in that case, it’s best for Baek Woong to decide when we start this plan. Once he gives the go-ahead, you two can go out and disrupt the White Lotus Sect’s plans.”

“Why?”

“I need you to train with the two of them over the next few days to gauge their levels. Once you compare your strengths with mine, you’ll know what I mean.”

“Got it.”

I decided to follow Zhuge Sa’s instructions. Up until now, I had given them personal time after teaching them the Seven Great Techniques and allowing for sporadic sparring when Jang Sam-bong descended. However, I had refrained from too much sparring for fear it might become counterproductive.

‘Zhuge Sa’s words imply I should have Jang Sam-bong descend so they can assess their true levels.’

Both of them seemed to have realized that as they prepared themselves, sending killing intent my way. The moment I summoned Jang Sam-bong, the spar would begin. I was curious about how strong they had become and asked them, “How much stronger have you gotten?”

“Hehe, let’s just say what you passed down was a once-in-a-lifetime fortuitous encounter in martial history.”

“Same here. You won’t be disappointed.”

Now I was eager to see in action. I nodded and shouted, [Jang Sam-bong, come forth!]

Bang!

The moment Jang Sam-bong possessed me, it was “Haap!”

“Catch this!”

Both their mind control techniques fired at me simultaneously, and I could feel overwhelming lethal intent. It felt as though they were twice as fast as before, a stark contrast from our last match.

Bang!

[Hoh…]

Jang Sam-bong used the Tai Chi mask to manifest sixty-four Tai Chi symbols in the air, channeling his power, but Jin So-cheong pierced through the Tai Chi with his thrusting technique, launching rapid attacks against my side. Jang Sam-bong fluidly moved the Tai Chi to protect himself, but in the next moment, Jin So-cheong dodged his attack range using Lee Hyeong-hwan’s movements.

It didn’t stop there. Seizing on a fleeting moment of vulnerability, the Sword Demon’s Invincible Sword lunged forward. It had truly reached the depth of a perfect sword technique, as its brilliant essence scattered, continuously slicing through Jang Sam-bong’s Tai Chi mask.

Crack!

Jang Sam-bong slowly began to unleash the Peak of the Heavenly Cloud Sect, showcasing the “Nine Palace Heavenly Net Tenth Segment.” The more layers he shed, the more powerful he became, and even reaching the Fifth Segment of the Tenth would render him unstoppable in the Martial World. In the past, both of them would always panic and evade when confronted with the Nine Palace Heavenly Net.

Bowing Sky Slash!

Suddenly, the Sword Demon demonstrated his Bowing Sky Slash, which effortlessly redirected the momentum of the Nine Palace Heavenly Net without disrupting its flow. I couldn’t boast of achieving such perfection in the Bowing Sky Slash myself.

Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear!

Jin So-cheong anchored himself to the ground and unleashed the basic technique of the “Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear.” In that moment, his spear exploded with thunder energy, resonating mightily. The resounding spear scattered the essence of the Tenth Segment, shielding Jin So-cheong while simultaneously creating a gap in Jang Sam-bong’s defense.

BANG!

The clash of astral energy produced an explosive sound, sending shockwaves crashing into the ground. The entire training ground was on the verge of destruction, the canyon threatening to collapse, but Jang Sam-bong held his ground with his ultimate technique. He floated in mid-air, astonished.

[Excellent…]

He gazed down at the two of them and proclaimed, [To have crafted a combination attack in such a short time and to have evolved it to unlock its true potential… with the essences of the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique and Thunder God Lineage intertwining, combined with the Seven Great Techniques and the Eight Immortals Divine Art, this truly is the world’s best combination attack.]

Before long, the Sword Demon wore a bitter smile. “Not a single expert in the Jianghu would even glimpse the intricacies of a combination attack at first glance… now that’s called a summation.”

[Truly, you are gifted with the blessing of martial prowess. If I had warriors like you in my time, I would have found it hard to hold the title of the Greatest in the World…]

It was the highest praise that the Thunder God could bestow.

He continued, [But you’re still far from it. I shall endeavor to show you the ways beyond Heaven.]

Crash!

That day’s spar developed into an affair that exceeded half an hour. Everyone was utterly exhausted, yet there was still a blaze of fighting spirit in their eyes. As Jang Sam-bong intensified his aggression, he pressed even harder, while they persevered potently with their defensive techniques. Jang Sam-bong, clearly satisfied, mused, [I hope you soon forget this basic technique…]

Bang!

As Jang Sam-bong released possession, I collapsed in exhaustion. I was left gasping for air as I’d exhausted all my internal power thanks to Jang Sam-bong’s overwhelming usage of both strength and energy. Regardless, the depletion he suffered translated into my responsibility.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I asked, “When exactly did you cultivate the combination attack? You didn’t have it last time…”

“Oh, it wasn’t a big deal. While discussing the Seven Great Techniques and the Eight Immortals Divine Art with Jin So-cheong, I found common ground in our understanding of martial arts. I didn’t let that intuitive moment slip by, so naturally a decent combination attack formed. Thus, countless breakthroughs followed.”

“……”

What he said nonchalantly was truly phenomenal. Typically, one would struggle just to master the basic techniques, but within less than a month, they had transitioned into a practical stage, sharing insights and developing a new realm. They were both incredible martial arts geniuses.

Finally, I understood what Zhuge Sa had meant.

“…Let’s take a break today and move out tomorrow.”

Zhuge Sa caught on to the fact that if these two combined their strengths, they could already take down even a Dharma Guardian. He also recognized their humility was merely a product of their ambitions.

If things continued like this, unless King Mi-hu came personally, they were unlikely to meet their end. Even in peril, they could endure until our allies arrived to save them.

The following day, we recalled the portrait immortals stationed in Xinjiang, while Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon paired up to disrupt the plans of the Nine Lotus Sect. Claiming to be the Shadowless Alliance’s leader, the Sword Demon swiftly mobilized the intelligence network and summoned the leaders of the Eight Demons of the Demon Path, instructing them to block the caravan heading to Xinjiang.

I observed the gathering of the Eight Demons through Cheon Woo-jin’s heavenly vision.

Black Horse grumbled among the members of the Eight Demons.

“Damn it… I’m still struggling to recover the losses from Bloody Valley, and now they want to pull off something so pointless? No matter how much you’re a shadowless champion…”

BANG!

“Agh!”

Black Horse was sent crashing into a wall after a single hit from the Sword Demon’s ultimate technique. No matter how extraordinary of an expert Black Horse was, he couldn’t withstand even one stroke of the Invincible Sword. He spat blood and fainted.

“……”

Seeing this, the leaders of the Eight Demons stood silent, their eyes widened in realization.

The Sword Demon chuckled, “If you want to keep your heads attached to your bodies, watch what you say. I could wipe you all out and absorb your forces without losing any sleep.”

Nearby, the Earth Demon trembled, stuttering, “W-Wait, Sword Demon. Just how strong have you become?”

“That can’t be…”

“One strike took down Black Horse…?”

“T-The Greatest Demon.”

“……”

The one who trembled was not just the Lord of the Heavenly Gate, the Earth Demon, but even the Poison Demon, Madness Demon, Shadow Demon, and Blood Demon were all trembling. They were unsettled as beings who were supposed to be powerful experts, realizing the hefty gap between them and the Sword Demon. It was clear they instinctively understood that he could wipe them out effortlessly even if they teamed up against him.

Only one, the Fighting Demon, remained with his arms crossed, deeply focused as he glared at the Sword Demon. Though he seemed fearful, his thoughts appeared to be deeper than just that. The Sword Demon’s eyes glistened as he looked at the Fighting Demon.

“What’s this? Do you have something to say?”

“Shadowless Champion.”

He spoke in a quivering voice, “Would you like to meet my master? It would surely aid your plans…”

 

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