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“So I told the Zhuge Clan about the story I heard from the Sword Demon.”

Then Zhuge Sa replied, “What’s really important isn’t that, but getting Jin So-cheong to become the White Lotus Sect’s disciple, right? Investigating the Grave of the God seems quite challenging to me.”

“Hmm, is that so…?”

“Let’s hear what you’re thinking.”

After some serious contemplation, I said to Zhuge Sa, “How about we boost Jin So-cheong’s abilities using obsidian, and then take her to the White Lotus Sect?”

“That’s just the end result. What I need is a method to infiltrate naturally without raising the White Lotus Sect’s suspicions.”

“Hmm…”

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect has pure martial arts talent, so it could work, but he’s also a cunning overlord discussing the world’s hegemony. A clumsy attempt could mean losing Jin So-cheong entirely.”

Zhuge Sa’s words struck deep. Sure, the Master seemed overly generous, but I couldn’t really say I was playing him like a fiddle. As I pondered Zhuge Sa’s comments, he crossed his arms and added, “What’s crucial is to devise a reliable way to rescue Jin So-cheong if things go sideways, and then create a justification for her to join as a disciple.”

“Is there a method?”

“First, we must give her the suspicious fishhook. And then…”

Zhuge Sa laid out his elaborate plan, which definitely sounded much more plausible than my simplistic idea of just dropping her off at the sect.

I decided to transmit detailed knowledge to Jin So-cheong using the Silver Phoenix to accelerate her growth. The Silver Phoenix was a far superior information carrier than plain obsidian, so no need to mine a gigantic obsidian boulder. Moments later, Jin So-cheong, after receiving a wealth of experience at once, wobbled slightly but quickly declared with confidence, “I feel ready to progress to the next level.”

If Jin So-cheong says that, she is bound to get stronger. I also sent memories to Extreme Tiger. After getting them all sorted, I made sure they both consumed Sacred Lotus and Black and White Lotus to enhance their internal power.

After that series of steps, I brought the Silver Phoenix back to the Sword Demon. I similarly reinforced him using the Silver Phoenix and spiritual pills. Though I had hoarded a good stash of pills, I’d consumed quite a bit already, and now the Sacred Lotus and Black and White Lotus supplies were showing signs of depletion.

‘I can only hope Mangnyang cultivates spiritual pills using the earth’s veins…’ I thought to myself while addressing the Sword Demon, “I’d like to go investigate Liaodong soon, if I may ask you for something first…”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s Zhuge Sa’s plan. We need to elevate Jin So-cheong’s presence in the martial arts world to infiltrate her into the White Lotus Sect seamlessly.”

I explained Zhuge Sa’s plot to him. The Sword Demon stroked his chin thoughtfully and replied, “Ah, I see… then I’ll need to partner with Bright Dragon.”

“Huh?”

“I’m quite knowledgeable about the martial world. Zhuge Sa must be aware of this too, so no need to worry.”

The Sword Demon seemed intent on deepening Zhuge Sa’s strategy. Well, given he’s the instigator of the martial arts world’s heretical sects and has built a formidable force, he wouldn’t fail.

He then asked me, “By the way, did you properly seal the Fire Dragon Sword that I pulled out from Luoyang?”

“Um, that’s… Using Spirit Power and the National Seal, Yeodong-bin temporarily sealed it.”

Although I hadn’t used artifacts like sacred relics or the Nine Stars Main Capital for this, using Spirit Power and the National Seal seemed to keep it secured. After all, Spirit Power is potent enough to rival Divine Power. The Sword Demon spoke seriously, “We should think of a foolproof way to secure the seal at Luoyang. Zhuge Sa probably hasn’t paid much mind to it, so he likely hasn’t mentioned it to you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“For Zhuge Sa, the possibility of the seal breaking and Luoyang becoming a Hell’s Map isn’t something he cares much about. That means you need to pay attention to it.”

“……!!”

“Wouldn’t it actually be fine if it breaks? Since your goal this lifetime is to reach Dark Heaven Village, if that ancient passage opens up, Luoyang can turn into a Hell’s Map, but you can slip right into Dark Heaven Village.”

“That’s absurd…”

I hesitated before refuting it. It seemed too plausible to deny. If the seal on Dark Heaven Village in Luoyang opens, countless monsters and otherworldly beings could pour in and wipe Luoyang off the map in a day. Millions of humans would face massacre. But that’s not Zhuge Sa’s concern. If my goal is to enter Dark Heaven Village, I’d maneuver things to ensure that passage opens up safely. After all, entering an already open passage is far safer than taking on greater risks!

‘Right… the routes to Dark Heaven Village aren’t just three, there’s actually four.’

The method through the Dream World.

The approach of directly crossing dimensions.

The response to the Fish Lamp’s summoning.

I had been planning to explore those three options step by step, but in reality, there was already an open passage on the earthly plane! The safe passage into Dark Heaven Village, opening up at the cost of annihilating Luoyang’s populace! Zhuge Sa must have desired that passage and chosen to say nothing of my blunder, waiting for it to open!

“……”

While I felt a chill run down my spine, the Sword Demon interjected, “Talking to Zhuge Sa right now would have you criticized about your inefficient pursuit of morality. Is there really a need for that? If you truly believe in righteousness and valor, I suggest you go to the Arasa Empire and safely seal their sacred artifact. You can discuss it with Zhuge Sa afterwards.”

“Understood.”

“If you think you’re patching things up, the unsealing likely concerns moments of urgency. Move swiftly.”

I nodded and set off immediately using the Fish Lamp.

Crash!

I arrived at the Arasa Empire and headed to the spot where the rebel forces against the Emperor were gathered. There, I found Belov, the Archbishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church and an exceptional monk. I approached Belov and bluntly stated, “Belov! I am Baek Woong from the east. I want the Sacred Icon you possess.”

“……?”

Belov gaped at me, no doubt perplexed, as he and the soldiers in the western knights surrounded me with incredulous looks. He exclaimed in disbelief, “A boy from the Great Empire… I know you’re extraordinary, but what sort of nonsense is this? Are you the king’s assassin?”

Well, asking for a sacred relic outright wouldn’t score me any friendly points. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and replied, “You’re probably planning to resurrect the dragon’s remains from Romania to deal with Ivan IV, right?”

Whispers filled the air.

While the common soldiers seemed unfazed by my words, Belov and the higher-ranking knights looked taken aback. Suddenly, three knights next to him attacked me with a trident, a great sword, and a spear.

Clang!

I easily deflected their attacks with a single motion. The knights staggered backward, landing on their backsides, as the soldiers surrounding us drew their weapons for a showdown.

Belov shouted, “Stop!!”

At that, the soldiers halted, caught in mid-motion. Belov spoke in a heavy tone, “How remarkable. How did you know our secret information?”

“That’s not important. But if I were a king’s assassin, I wouldn’t come to your camp spilling details.”

“What do you want?”

“I possess the spell to resurrect that dragon. If I can successfully do so, you must give me the sacred relic.”

Belov narrowed his sharp gaze at me, remaining skeptical, “I absolutely cannot trust that.”

“Feel free not to believe me.”

I replied nonchalantly. Belov pondered briefly before nodding.

“Follow me.”

I trailed behind him and the knights to the site where the dragon’s remains lay. As expected, a massive dragon, frozen solid in ice, came into view, just like I’d seen before with Miho.

It was a gargantuan and powerful form. One could feel its terrifying strength radiating! The gigantic wings seemed capable of soaring freely through the sky, and it bore the head and strong limbs of a furious reptile.

I recalled what Miho had mentioned before.

[Unlike the eastern dragons, this one clearly exudes a malevolent aura. Its power, who knows, but it must bring calamity. Do we really need to awaken it?]

[The dragons I’ve seen from the Celestial Realm are powerful beings with immense divine abilities, all righteous existences that cherish order. They wouldn’t even have to be sealed in such a manner.]

[Although this dragon is a cousin of eastern dragons, it’s definitely not friendly to humans. Plus, I doubt Belov, as a monk, could control it. It is indeed a strong existence.]

Miho concluded that this dragon was sealed due to its evil and cruel nature. So, we once stealthily escaped without striving to awaken it. However, I thought this time, I would use the act of resurrecting the dragon to acquire a sacred relic from Belov.

‘This should work.’

Humming with determination, I concentrated my spirit, channeling internal power in one hand and Spirit Power in the other. I approached the thick ice and gathered my energy.

“Haah…”

Rumble…

As Spirit Power and my enormous internal power began to seep into the ice, it suddenly resonated deeply. Spirit Power is pure ‘strength’, meaning it can influence barriers without needing to recite incantations or spells. As I felt the immense seal twisting under my might, excitement surged through me, prompting me to push harder.

Rumble!!

The vibrations intensified. Belov looked astounded as a pillar of energy erupted from my body.

“Wh-what is this!? This immense prana…!! Attempting to break an ancient seal with just internal prana? How can an eastern practitioner be this powerful?”

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, they referred to Qi as prana. However, it seemed his sharp eye only perceived my overwhelming internal power, without seeing through the true nature of Spirit Power. Well, if one can discern the powers of the Three Sovereigns, not recognizing a mythical creature wouldn’t seem too surprising.

‘The shell is cracking.’

Crash, crack!

It was still far from breaking, but I had a feeling that if I kept pushing harder, the seal on the dragon would finally shatter. Just as I was getting pumped up and ready to unleash more power, two very distinct voices suddenly echoed in my head simultaneously.

[Stop! Do not unleash calamity upon the world!]

[Huh… huh… are you trying to free me?]

Definitely two voices with very different intentions. It seems like the barrier was already damaged to the degree where both [the one who sealed it] and [the dragon] were trying to communicate with me. I decided to ignore both their entreaties and continued breaking the seal.

[Stop! If you release this presence, no one in this era can seal it again. This being could be a powerful apostle of the Evil God.]

[… I sense a strong Evil God’s power… huh… huh… are we of the same kin?]

My head was bombarded with even stronger noise.

[What do you need? Whatever it is, I, the king’s sorcerer, master of the holy sword, seeker of the holy grail, will grant it in exchange for what you desire! Stop the seal’s breaking.]

Treasures?

For a moment, I hesitated, halting my seal-breaking process as the dragon’s voice reached me.

[Continue… if you free me… I shall skewer your enemies upon bloodied stakes.]

“……”

Here I was, caught in a tug-of-war between the one who sealed it and the trapped dragon, both begging me.

‘What should I do?’

If I comply with one side’s plea, I forfeit the opportunity to gain something from the other.

Which one should I choose?

 

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