---

“I’ve arrived at Dark Heaven Village!”

I moved towards the White Lotus Sect with Lee Cheong-un, Mangnyang, and Jin So-cheong. We didn’t just pop up inside; we thought it’d be safer to enter through the gate instead of making a grand entrance within the place.

“We come from the Bancheon Alliance,” I informed the White Lotus gatekeeper and the members, who asked us to wait for a bit while they went inside to check.

Moments later, we began exploring the Main Hall of the White Lotus Sect, thankful to find everything seemed quite stable and nothing was out of the ordinary.

‘Looks like order is still maintained around here,’ I thought to myself.

The buildings were intact, and the sect members appeared calm and collected, not a hint of fear in their mannerisms. This meant that the internal disturbance from the Young Sect Leader hadn’t stirred the sleeping “Old Ruler” lurking within.

Finally, as we were guided into the Hall of the Sect Leader, I saw the Master of the White Lotus Sect waiting there with the Three Great Dharma Protectors.

The Master was seated on his throne and spoke, “What brings you here?”

“Let’s cut to the chase, Sect Leader,” I stepped forward, tossing the Black and White Lotus to him. The Master, using Void Object Manipulation, caught it and stared at it intently.

I continued, “This Lotus is called Black and White Lotus. It can heal the Young Sect Leader’s strange disease, so I hope you’ll find it useful.”

He was silent for a moment.

Suddenly, the sorcerer, Cheon Woo-jin, blurted, “What are you saying? What’s going on here?”

“I mean it literally. It should work just fine,” I reassured him.

It wasn’t just Cheon Woo-jin who was startled. Han Baek-ryeong, hiding behind her fox mask, was equally taken aback, not to mention Dokgo Jun with his Golden Dragon mask. From their perspective, it was outright incomprehensible that someone from the Bancheon Alliance had brought a cure for the Young Sect Leader’s ailment.

A tense atmosphere began forming in the room. The Three Great Dharma Protectors were clearly ready to use force if necessary. In response, the Sword Demon, Jin So-cheong, and Lee Cheong-un stepped forward to neutralize the tension, and the silence was shattered.

The Master of the White Lotus Sect, holding the Black and White Lotus, said, “I can’t believe this. If you discovered that the Young Sect Leader was sick through your Bancheon’s intel, how can we trust this is a cure?”

“Because I know the cause of the disease,” I stated calmly.

“What?”

“Sect Leader, you received a visit from a Western Demon Sorcerer in the past, didn’t you? You turned down his offer, and in turn, you were cursed. That curse has now attached itself to your bloodline’s Young Sect Leader. Although you managed to suppress that curse, you couldn’t prevent the disease from manifesting,” I elaborated.

He paused, considering my words.

“The reason for the disease is that the curse implanted the ‘Old Ruler’s’ fragment within. The overwhelming power of this fragment is what’s causing the ailment. If it continues, the Young Sect Leader could become a vessel for the ‘Old Ruler.’ Thus, you need a powerful spiritual pill to hold back this fragment and cure her, but sadly, the Sacred Lotus cultivated in your sect has lost its effectiveness.”

Pointing at the Black and White Lotus, I continued, “However, this Lotus is the original form of the Sacred Lotus, containing the full power of the Three Sovereigns Jeon Wook. By consuming this, I believe the Young Sect Leader will experience significant healing.”

The Sect Leader spent a moment in thought before he finally spoke, “Oh…”

He seemed speechless for a while, then looked at me through his mask and said, “Baek Woong… who exactly are you? How do you know my secrets… and all about the darkness surrounding the ‘Old Ruler’? Your solution comes as if you’ve been hunting for years…”

“As I mentioned, I’m the ghost behind the Bancheon Alliance. Being a ghost means I can pull off a lot of things,” I replied confidently.

“So, what do you want in return for this? If this is truly a solution to the disease, you must have something grand in mind,” he grilled.

There was a brief but tense silence because this was a pivotal moment. Considering who he was, I realized that my demands would likely be met.

I spoke up, “I don’t care to wrangle over trivial benefits with the White Lotus Sect. You know better than anyone that the situation isn’t fit for that. All I request is for you to consume the Black and White Lotus, ensuring that the path for the ‘Old Ruler’ remains blocked, and that the White Lotus Sect won’t stand against us in the future.”

The Sect Leader appeared surprised, “Is that all?”

“Sect Leader, don’t you realize we’re at the brink of humanity’s demise?” I looked up at the sky.

“This isn’t the time for us to fight amongst ourselves. Instead, we must unite whatever remains of humanity to survive!”

“…!!”

The Sect Leader seemed taken aback and slightly hunched over. Cheon Woo-jin, standing next to him, crossed his arms and added, “But what if the Black and White Lotus is fake, and you’re trying to poison the Young Sect Leader?”

“If that were the case, we wouldn’t have shown up with everyone, would we? We’d just have sent a messenger. Plus, what would we gain from poisoning just one person in this chaos?”

After a short silence, the Master of the White Lotus Sect finally got off his throne, looking a bit worn out. “I’ll confirm if the disease can truly be healed and then decide our next steps.”

We all headed towards the location where the Young Sect Leader was being treated. As I entered the building known as the Heavenly Law Hall, I saw her lying there, surrounded by a mystical Sacred Purple Bamboo. Half of her body had transformed into an otherworldly form, and she appeared to be unconscious.

Then, I noticed something was different about the Heavenly Law Hall compared to before. Thousands of Vajra were arranged in concentric circles around where the Young Sect Leader lay, each radiating a magical structure. Mangnyang, who was with us, remarked in awe, “Incredible. Are you reinforcing the Yin energy by weaving a barrier with the power of the King of Hell…?”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect glanced back at us and said, “The Leader of the Bancheon Alliance is quite proficient in sorcery. Have you grasped the essence of this formation in one glance?”

“You’re no less than amazing. You’ve built up enough sorcerous knowledge to do this alongside world-class martial skills? Especially the notoriously intricate techniques of ancient schools…”

Although he didn’t say much more, it appeared he added this barrier to ward off the worsening of the disease, a consequence of the heavenly energies being twisted together. The Master then administered the Black and White Lotus to the Young Sect Leader, and moments later, she began to move slightly.

As the twisted limbs that had formed began to slowly disappear, she regained her human form. After a short while, she woke up, staring wide-eyed as the Master asked, trembling, “Are you alright?”

“Father! My body…!!” she exclaimed joyfully, realizing she had regained her body.

Watching that sight, I let out a sigh of relief, ‘Phew, thank goodness…’

This was a gamble. After all, there was plenty of possibility for the “Evil God” to intervene in the mess we were currently in, which could undermine the purifying capabilities of the Black and White Lotus.

But apparently, as Zhuge Sa mentioned, that wasn’t the case. I recalled Zhuge Sa’s advice.

“The one who possessed the Young Sect Leader would not choose to interfere in this game.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Under normal circumstances, perhaps not. But if the ‘Evil God’ were to gain a complete cause and effect, he might just end up being smacked around by his own spawn. Just as you saw, he doesn’t discriminate when he attacks!”

“That’s true.”

“Aim for some petty gains, and you’re sure to find yourself on the receiving end of a beatdown from the Evil God. So he’s gotta be cautious about coming down to Earth.”

Indeed, once the Black and White Lotus annihilated the fragment, it signified the ‘Old Ruler’ had no intention of meddling in the current world matters. Even so, erasing one path for him was significant.

Once the Young Sect Leader fully recovered, the Sect Leader suddenly bowed his head deeply at me.

“Dokgo Uncheon. You’ve truly saved my life.”

“S-Sect Leader!” Cheon Woo-jin seemed utterly confused. And it looked like every Dharma Protector felt the same. Even though he was indebted to me, seeing the revered Master of the White Lotus bow to an ordinary member of the Bancheon Alliance was shocking.

However, the Master continued without a care, “The White Lotus Sect will henceforth become an unyielding ally of the Bancheon Alliance. In my name, Dokgo Uncheon, I swear this. Furthermore, I will provide you with full support in your endeavors.”

“……!!”

This was unprecedented. The Master had never made such a declaration of goodwill before. Despite being a shrewd character with a hundred snakes hidden within, this statement clearly indicated his complete trust in me.

I smiled, “Oh, you’re too kind…”

But just then, an elder from the council rushed in, bowing to the Master.

“Sect Leader! We have intruders!”

“What’s going on?”

“Three beggars barged in, insisting they wanted to meet you immediately…”

“Did the council not intervene?”

The unexpected response came, “Uh, it seems they’re winning this fight.”

“…….”

“Prepare for a swift response…”

For a moment, tension filled the hall. The council was a group of peak experts, equivalent to the Master’s private guard. If they grouped up, even the Dharma Protectors should be cautious. Yet, how could three beggars fend them off?

Crash!

“Ugh!”

At that moment, a horrific scream echoed as the First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder were tossed in like ragdolls. They looked dazed as if they’d just taken a hard hit, especially the Third Elder, who was foaming at the mouth!

“What’s with the blocking, you ruffians…” one Elder muttered weakly.

“Hrk, you!”

The master of Half-Transition, the First Elder, flipped over to retaliate, but suddenly a young warrior swung a baton at him.

Bam!

“Ugh… what the… this scoundrel!”

Rather bewildered, the First Elder seemed astonished that he was pitted against someone his equal. Unable to hold his ground, he was sent flying. I couldn’t help but feel flabbergasted.

‘What? He’s stronger than the council’s First Elder?!’

No way! If someone from the council had a turn of skill like that, it would be off the charts. Having taken down the First Elder meant he was impressively strong. As members of the White Lotus Sect sprawled to the ground, the mysterious figure turned his gaze towards the Master of the Sect.

“Well, well. It’s been a while, Uncheon. And I see Cheong-un is here too.”

Both the Master and Lee Cheong-un simultaneously turned their focus on the mysterious individual. He wore a peculiar outfit, with two figures standing beside him. Only I, who had met him before, recognized him.

The Master eyed the stranger and asked, “What brings you here, roaming the world as if it were your backyard?”

The stranger chuckled, “Ah, true enough.”

“I’m not here to see you, Uncheon. Just catching up with Cheong-un since I hadn’t seen him in a while…”

“So why make a scene here? Geol-seon?”

It dawned on me that standing there was none other than Geol-seon, one of the Three Great Masters!

He was one of the legends in the orthodox sect, renowned throughout the martial world. Like the Old Sage of Mount Tai or the Master of Zen, he rarely made public appearances but had a reputation that was through the roof for his prowess and a fiery sense of justice. I had seen him with Lee Cheong-un before, and the bond was evident.

But, wait… how did Geol-seon get this strong?!

Despite the familiarity with the Master, Geol-seon had breezed through the hall, tossing aside elite members of the White Lotus Sect like they were nothing. And he’d done it without a hint of struggle.

As I stared at him incredulously, our eyes met.

Geol-seon flashed a mischievous smile that sent a shiver down my spine. “Ah, it’s all because of that friend.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been waiting for a long time, and that friend of mine just opened up a splendid opportunity. It’s only natural for us to want to hear the organizer’s thoughts in a chaotic scene like this.”

Geol-seon seemed to push forward, stating, “We want to speak with Baek Woong. Everyone else can take a hike.”

Lee Cheong-un, bewildered, responded, “Us? Who are ‘we’ exactly?”

Geol-seon only smiled mysteriously, providing no answer. Lee Cheong-un sighed, “Geol-seon, you’re way too reckless. Do you really think you can beat everyone here with just you and your two disciples?”

“Those aren’t my disciples. They are merely part of my power,” he said with a sly grin.

Suddenly, an astonishing scene unfolded. The two figures beside him transformed into mist and began merging with Geol-seon!

As I stood in shock, he raised his hand.

“The ‘we’ is right here.”

From behind Geol-seon, a horde of unidentified beings began to materialize.

There were a total of seven, Geol-seon included, all taking human form yet possessing immeasurable strength. Measuring their powers became a challenging task.

The Master of the White Lotus Sect seemed to recognize the growing tension, “What are you?”

Geol-seon smiled, “Uncheon, there’s no way you could know us, but let me introduce ourselves.”

“We are manifestations of Chang Qie, known as the Eight Parts of the Divine. I am but one of them, the Gandharva.”

 

---