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“Whoa, things are heating up!”

As Lee Dong-bin moved, the power of the National Seal surged through my entire being, causing a wave of excitement.

A shining sword shot forth with Lee Dong-bin’s intent, slicing through the moment like a hot knife through butter, its majesty showcasing the prowess of the Overlay Technique.

At that moment, Sang Gwanwna of the Eight Parts of the Divine swung her sickle, but it felt like her movements were dancing around Dong-bin’s strike rather than countering it.

It was as if she was tossing her movements into the empty air, disregarding the trajectory of the attack altogether.

Bang!

But despite Sang’s awkward effort, Dong-bin’s sword was met with something strong, creating a booming vibration.

I watched, pondering, ‘Is that a defensive technique?’

The potential in Dong-bin’s strike was enough to take down even the Master of the White Lotus Sect with ease. It was destructive power that could wound even a high-level expert. Yet, Sang Gwanwna somehow managed to deflect it like a pro.

If that was a martial arts technique, she was at an impressive level.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin gathered the Suin and shouted, “Emergency Signal!”

Crack!

Sang Gwanwna’s transparent barrier shatters, and she looked genuinely surprised as she stepped back. But Lee Dong-bin wasn’t about to give her a break; he charged forward at lightning speed, unleashing a sword qi that flowed like clouds from the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagrams.

Boom!!

With a thunderous sound, it looked like Sang Gwanwna was about to be torn apart. Yet, instead of falling apart, she transformed into a tattered piece of fabric, shifting dimensions before materializing in a slightly different location.

Cheon Woo-jin, witnessing the bizarre scene, let out a groan.

“The Demon King’s Domain! I can’t believe that ancient technique is still around…”

Having effortlessly shrugged off the attack, Sang Gwanwna turned to Lee Dong-bin.

“Lee Dong-bin, do you truly wish to fight me?”

[Aren’t you the one wanting to fight?]

“I might just be able to let you use the Fire Dragon Sword.”

Huh?

Oddly enough, she didn’t seem that eager to battle. Just a moment ago, she acted like she would ambush if the Fire Dragon Sword wasn’t handed over. But Lee Dong-bin showed no signs of backing down and aimed his sword at her.

[Put it away!]

Shwing – !!

With an explosion of light, it felt like Lee Dong-bin’s colossal strike was cleaving the heavens and earth in twain. Naturally, Sang Gwanwna was in the path of that attack, but she dodged it using the Demon King’s technique again.

Bang!

To my surprise, the space that Lee Dong-bin struck began to warp, and something dark and oozy plopped onto the ground, groaning hideously. It was definitely a demon, and there were so many that they were piling up on the ground.

Lee Dong-bin muttered, “Trying to deceive humans and set traps again, huh? Just like back then.”

At this, Sang Gwanwna laughed.

“Things have certainly changed since a thousand years ago. You fell for this trick back then, didn’t you?”

[Don’t mock me.]

“Hehe.”

She responded like an old friend, which left me utterly baffled.

‘What on earth is the deal between Lee Dong-bin and Sang Gwanwna?’

Lee Dong-bin was the Sword Saint who saved the human realm a thousand years ago, and Sang Gwanwna was a Yacha part of the Eight Parts of the Divine. I couldn’t find a single commonality between them. What kind of connection did they share?

As I mulled over this confusion, Lee Dong-bin drew his sword once more and unleashed it like a divine blade.

Bang!

When Lee Dong-bin swung his sword, it transformed into hundreds, then thousands of shimmering strikes, enveloping Sang Gwanwna in a wave of sword energy with no place left to dodge. She attempted a counter but Cheon Woo-jin quickly intervened, sensing her intentions.

Moreover, each time Sang Gwanwna swung her sickle, it produced a luminous sound that released soundwaves, yet Lee Dong-bin continued to parry her attacks, creating a sight to behold.

So dazzling!

However, while watching this exhilarating battle, I suddenly realized one shocking fact.

‘Wait… Is Sang Gwanwna still hiding her strength while being jointly attacked by two opponents?!’

Lee Dong-bin wasn’t hiding his full power; as a divine being, I could tell he was channeling the strength of the National Seal into his Devil Sword, running on full blast. It seemed he was using the peak techniques from the Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagrams without a care for his stamina.

Yet, Sang Gwanwna was effortlessly receiving all these attacks with her sickle and techniques, dragging the battle into a long war of attrition. I could feel that she was holding back her true potential, and it sent shivers down my spine.

The more worrisome part was that even with Sang Gwanwna managing an impressive defense, I still couldn’t grasp her true abilities or skills. Her movements seemed lacking for a master of martial arts, and I couldn’t decipher the flow of her techniques at all.

Boom!

Lee Dong-bin shot dozens of sword strikes at her, but Sang Gwanwna spun her sickle skillfully to fend them off. Seeming to think more attacks would be futile, Lee Dong-bin paused and spoke up.

[I don’t get what you want. Do you want to play around with me?]

“Not particularly. I just wanted to see your capabilities without the Fire Dragon Incarnate.”

Sang Gwanwna continued calmly, “As expected, your skills have improved drastically since that time, but you still lack the potential you held back then when you defeated the dragon.”

[…]

“If you fought that dragon again now, you would lose.”

What was she talking about?

But strangely enough, Lee Dong-bin seemed to accept this without argument.

[Yes. You were probing my abilities.]”

“Hehe, this is amusing.”

With a smile, Sang Gwanwna extended her hand towards Lee Dong-bin. “Hand over that cursed sword. I’ll completely seal it, and I won’t interfere with your business moving forward.”

[How can I trust that?]

“I swear it as a member of the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

[… Fine.]

This was shocking! Without a moment’s hesitation, Lee Dong-bin tossed the cursed sword to her! Taking the sword, Sang Gwanwna quickly turned away and made a swift exit with Cheon Woo-jin.

Swish…

Once we reached the outskirts of Luoyang, Lee Dong-bin finally faced me. I was taken aback.

“Lee Dong-bin, no matter what, she’s part of the Eight Parts of the Divine, you can’t just trust her…”

The spirit of Lee Dong-bin appearing before me replied, [I trust her word given her honor.]

“No, that’s…”

Before I could finish, Cheon Woo-jin interjected. “Stop. He’s right.”

“What?”

“For a high-level existence like the Eight Parts of the Divine, a sworn vow is a massive constraint. Having sworn upon their title, it’s nearly impossible for them to break that promise.”

“……”

So that’s how it was.

Lee Dong-bin then said to me, [Yun-ja, do you still intend to clash with that witch?]

“Not particularly. This was just an accident.”

[Unless your power increases at least twofold from where it is now, it’s best not to even dream about it. That witch has caused many calamities throughout the history of the Central Plains.]

“Hmm.”

After a moment of contemplation, I posed a query to Lee Dong-bin. “What exactly is your connection with Sang Gwanwna?”

[…]

“Please, share it with me. She is a member of the Eight Parts of the Divine and the manifestation of Chi You, so knowing about her will help me prepare for any future calamities that may arise.”

As I earnestly appealed, Lee Dong-bin seemed torn for a brief moment, then sighed and replied, [Yun-ja, can you tell me something first?]

“What is it?”

[Can you explain how it is that there exists a bond strong enough for the Divine to connect between us… and where that connection began? Also, why does the Immortal Sword firmly reside within you?]

“……!!”

[If you choose to not share, then I can do nothing but accept it as a matter of loyalty.]

I was left bewildered.

Of course, the reason was that in my past life, I had been acquainted with Lee Dong-bin, and our connection had continued since then. The celestial secret’s rebirth ability allows the bond of fate to carry over to the next life. But revealing that would mean I had to disclose that I was a reincarnation, which seemed very risky.

Would that be wise?

While Lee Dong-bin was undeniably an honorable person, he currently held ties to the celestial realm, and anything he saw or heard could be information for Queen Mother of the West. A person with that level of power could easily manipulate the Golden Crow’s Ten Thousand Soldiers from the celestial realm. Considering that Queen Mother of the West was Nüwa, she would undoubtedly want to either capture, seal, or steal my rebirth abilities from me if she learned about them.

But – simultaneously, I saw it as a situation where I had no other choice. The reason Lee Dong-bin asked about the basis of our bond was that the past he wished to share was as precious to him as my rebirth ability. A past that cannot be disclosed to someone with whom secrets cannot be shared! If I didn’t explain the reason to him, the chance of Lee Dong-bin sharing the tales of Sang Gwanwna and the events from a thousand years ago would be nil.

As I was deeply troubled, Cheon Woo-jin chimed in, posing a question to Lee Dong-bin. “Sword Saint, do you think Sang Gwanwna is evil?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze seemed to be buying me time to think. While I felt a sense of gratitude towards him for this, Lee Dong-bin finally replied slowly.

[I can’t definitively say she is evil.]

“Why?”

[Although she has committed countless evil deeds, she has performed just as many good deeds. Furthermore, all her actions were significantly influenced by the will of higher beings, which is a divine intent. It’s not something a Great Immortal like myself can judge. ]

“Good deeds…? Was that as grand as the destruction of Balhae?”

To this question from Cheon Woo-jin, Lee Dong-bin replied, [She saved countless lives during the great chaos before the Sui Dynasty was established in the Central Plains. She wandered as a saint, rescuing powerless commoners from slaughter by the Northern Wei, Eastern Jin, Western Wei, Song, and Qi… I confirmed this fact during my lifetime; she cannot be simply categorized as good or evil.]

She has done such good deeds?

Cheon Woo-jin seemed incredulous and asked, “Why does she not discern between good and evil?”

[I do not know why. However, it is certain that she possessed unimaginable strength and showed a keen interest in meddling during the chaos of the Mantang era from my lifetime.]

After pondering for a moment, I turned to Lee Dong-bin and asked, “Lee Dong-bin, then I also want to know one more thing. If you answer this, I will reveal all my secrets without a filter!”

[What do you wish to know?]

“From what I gather, it seems the Sword Saint is gathering power in preparation for some future events. Why are you conserving your strength and accumulating the law of cause and effect?”

This was the most pressing question on my mind. All this time, Lee Dong-bin had declined opportunities to showcase his miraculous powers typical of a Great Immortal, consistently refusing to expend his strength. This was proof he was saving up to prepare for something.

Lee Dong-bin hesitated at my inquiry—then spoke up.

[I cannot tell you why I am saving my strength and the law of cause and effect.]

At that moment, I felt a heavy sense of loss. Clearly, it wasn’t the time for us to share information fully. However, as Lee Dong-bin added more context, I began to calm down.

[But the reason I can’t share is that this is part of a grand scheme. I cannot reveal secrets of my own volition.]

“A grand scheme?”

[A plan for a slim chance of hope.]

Speaking calmly, Lee Dong-bin continued, [Yun-ja, you appear to distrust the celestial realm itself. I can understand that feeling.]

“I’m sorry.”

With his sword raised upright, he formed the hand seal of the Daoist’s Suin. [But this too is fate. Since I sensed your heart in wanting to uphold justice, I will apprise you of the past.]

“Are you serious?”

I didn’t expect him to actually divulge information, but Lee Dong-bin seemed to make up his mind significantly.

After a brief moment, he placed his hand on my forehead and said, [Look. This is a memory from a thousand years ago…]

 

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