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Han Baek-ryeong was led by Dokgo Jun of the Su Shin Sect towards a place known as the core of the World Tree. The Master of the White Lotus Sect hadn’t shared any vital secrets with her, but it was clear he had already discussed things with Dokgo Jun beforehand. This fact reignited her suspicions, yet she kept her composure and moved forward for the mission.

As they arrived at their destination, the outskirts of a gigantic Sacred Altar Tree loomed before them. Dokgo Jun commented, “As expected, no matter how hard we run, we can’t enter the Sacred Altar Tree itself…”

Indeed, until now, the members of the White Lotus Sect and their troops had all stationed outside the Divine City, yet it seemed the Sacred Altar Tree wasn’t even ten li away. However, every attempt to approach it with Magical Techniques only seemed to draw it further away. There was clearly some sort of special barrier preventing unauthorized access.

“Let’s start.”

With a swift gesture, Dokgo Jun called forth the elders of the Su Shin Sect. They formed the Three Talents Formation and began to channel all their internal power, manifesting their energy. At the same time, the surrounding atmosphere boiled and the ground began to rise.

Bang bang bang…!!

Han Baek-ryeong asked, “What are you doing right now?”

[We’re using the power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill to break through the barrier…]

“Wha… that’s reckless!”

Han Baek-ryeong exclaimed in shock. Combining infinite internal power sounded great in theory, but with over several decades of martial experience, she knew better. While the Heavenly Spirit Pill could draw extraordinary power, each person’s internal energy had different attributes. As the total amount of internal power increased, meticulous control became more difficult, making it incredibly hard to harmonize with someone else’s energy. It was obvious that someone would either become possessed or explode.

Dokgo Jun controlled his energy and replied, [We of the Su Shin Sect have been honing our cooperative techniques to manage the Heavenly Spirit Pill for a long time. It’s possible, so just watch.]

Just as she suspected, their skin began to split and flake, blood scattering. Their forms became grotesque, veins bulging as though they felt pain. Dokgo Jun let out a roar.

“Kraaaah!!”

Boom!!

In the next moment, immense energy burst forth, forming a cylindrical beam in the air that pierced through space like a whip. After a brief silence, an explosion revealed the roots of the Sacred Altar Tree, which had seemed so distant before, right before their eyes.

Thud…

Amidst the flying earth and tree trunks, Han Baek-ryeong narrowed her eyes.

‘These guys… They’re not the only ones with the Heavenly Spirit Pill… There must be at least three or four more.’

This level of strength made sense of why the Master of the White Lotus Sect ruled with an iron fist, ignoring other sects. Even if the Fire Spirit Sect or the Wind Spirit Sect tried to rebel using the Heavenly Spirit Pill, he would have felt confident enough to annihilate them overnight.

‘…I should have helped Lee Cheong-un that day. I was too cautious. That might have been my last chance…’

Han Baek-ryeong gritted her teeth in frustration. As if sensing her inner turmoil, Dokgo Jun spoke while healing his internal injuries.

[We’ll use this item given by the Sect Leader to follow the core of the World Tree.]

Dokgo Jun took out a pouch from his robe and tossed its contents into the air. A golden haze emerged, stretching into the sky, leading toward somewhere in the middle of the Sacred Altar Tree.

“What is that?”

[It’s a fairy that detects the strongest spirit energy. The place they react to is probably the core.]

“……”

She already knew the answer. Those fairy-like things weren’t made from common techniques of the Central Plains; they were likely secret magical arts known only to the Master of the White Lotus Sect. She confirmed yet again that Zhuge Sa’s intel about the Master being more of a Demon Sorcerer than a martial artist was true.

‘He’s hidden everything from me. That’s it. The Master must be dealt with.’

Han Baek-ryeong finally made up her mind and snapped her fingers. The Flame Spirit, created through Intent, moved stealthily, signaling her subordinates to execute their plan.

‘Let’s go.’

There was no longer a need to uphold loyalty.

Determined to cut ties with the White Lotus Sect, Han Baek-ryeong’s companions moved swiftly toward the suspected site of the core of the World Tree. As they climbed the towering Sacred Altar Tree, a memory of discomfort flickered. One of the elders of the Su Shin Sect remarked, [It seems someone has already gone ahead.]

[Hmmm, there are signs of movement.]

And as they ascended further, they spotted the corpses of Yama Generals. They were inadvertently following in the wake of the Extreme Tiger’s group, who had proceeded far ahead, creating a noticeable time gap.

While examining the traces of martial energy on the corpses, Dokgo Jun noted, [These are individuals of extremely high martial skill. They’d rank among the cream of the crop within the sect.]

[Could they be from the clan?]

[I can’t say. We’ll reach the middle soon, so kill all of them, but capture one alive.]

[Of course.]

Gripped by tension, Dokgo Jun was worried.

‘Our forces could be lost or injured…’

After all, those who had wiped out the Yama Generals seemed to be at the peak of the Peak Experts. No matter how they leveraged the Heavenly Spirit Pill, the presence of these experts posed a significant variable. He was apprehensive that the mission could fail. He was well aware that in chaotic real combat, even minor variables could lead to disastrous failures.

However, when they finally reached the midpoint where the core of the World Tree was supposed to be, they found it completely empty.

[Hmm… The core should be in there, but there’s no sign of life.]

Indeed.

The Extreme Tiger’s goal wasn’t the core of the World Tree, but rather the peak itself, so they had pressed onward without lingering. They had unwittingly avoided an encounter, but Dokgo Jun tilted his head before moving into the area where the core was located. Unless some mysterious martial artists interfered, he didn’t see a reason to fight—it was more urgent to fulfill his mission.

[Let’s go!]

As the two Dharma Guardians and three elders of the Su Shin Sect stepped inside…

Whoosh!

[Gahh… Ugh…]

Suddenly, the Su Shin elders and Dokgo Jun screamed in agony. Scales rippled grotesquely on their skin, and it felt as if vitality was being sapped from them. Yet, Han Baek-ryeong felt not a single thing out of the ordinary.

Confused, she asked, “What’s happening? It’s just a regular cave…”

[Ugh… Impossible… The air itself is breaking down the magic… Gahh…]

Dokgo Jun writhed in pain, clutching his heart, stepping back. Frustrated, he glared at Han Baek-ryeong and said, [We can’t approach the core with this magic eating away at us. You need to eliminate or dispel the structures or barriers surrounding it. Only then can we enter the core.]

“Hmm…”

Han Baek-ryeong felt something unusual. Surely those Su Shin folks were halfway turned into Otherworldly Beings?

‘Then does that mean the Heavenly Spirit Pill isn’t associated with magic?’

Although the Master of the White Lotus Sect had performed a demonic ritual, the ability to draw infinite internal power from another realm didn’t quite smell right. She felt discomfort because she sensed that every time she utilized infinite internal power, she was engaging with qualities incompatible with this world’s energy.

Shaking off these doubts, Han Baek-ryeong stepped further in, entering a gigantic forest of trees. The scene of massive, floating trees and structures was incredibly bizarre and novel. It wasn’t long before she realized this architecture wasn’t from Goryeo or the Central Plains.

‘What is this?’

There were buildings covered in expensive glass and many materials she had never encountered. There were even square structures lacking tiles. She thought it might be an Otherworldly structure, yet it didn’t strike her as particularly eerie.

As she slightly jumped in place, she realized she felt almost weightless, floating effortlessly. Harnessing her energy, she moved forward and spotted a golden thread leading toward a tree.

A tree within a tree.

It was a bizarre sight indeed, but Han Baek-ryeong felt irresistibly drawn closer. Originally, claiming the core wasn’t her job, yet her Heavenly Spirit Pill seemed to resonate with the immense power contained within that tree.

No—maybe it was designed to attract her right from the start.

At that moment, a massive tremor rang out, shaking the interiors violently. Han Baek-ryeong felt an intense rebuffing force push her away, and as the ground settled, she barely steadied herself before rushing out. She relayed to Dokgo Jun, “What’s going on?”

Dokgo Jun stared at a huge hole that had formed in the sky, whispering nervously, […It seems the barrier was breached by the Eight Parts of the Divine…]

“What?!”

[We don’t have time. Did you see Twelve Joules or the Three Masters inside?]

“I didn’t see those guys.”

[That’s not good. The Master had foreseen they would control everything from near the core.]

Dokgo Jun appeared quite flustered. This was the first time he found the Master’s instructions incorrect, and he was at a loss on what to do. Keeping her cool, Han Baek-ryeong said, “Can’t we contact the Master immediately?”

[Just a moment… Ugh.]

Dokgo Jun stiffened.

[Even if I try to reach out, the Master is not responding…]

“……”

[W-What should we do…]

In Dokgo Jun’s panic, Han Baek-ryeong grasped what situation they found themselves in. However, she had no intention of sharing that knowledge with Dokgo Jun, so she decided to turn the situation to her advantage as much as possible.

“Returning to the Master right now would be pointless. We should claim the core of the Sacred Altar Tree instead.”

[Claim the core?]

“Yes. That would be beneficial to the Master.”

And to me, of course.

Han Baek-ryeong mumbled inwardly. Although she had begun implementing Zhuge Sa’s plan, she also didn’t want to be manipulated by him. To steer the situation decisively in her favor, she needed a powerful hidden card, and that was none other than the core of the World Tree.

[Alright, then let’s retrieve it…]

Slice!!

In that very moment, a blade suddenly appeared from nowhere, slashing through the back of one Su Shin elder. The elder unconsciously activated his Protection Energy Technique, but it was already too late; the subsequent strike cleaved him in two.

[Kuhk.]

The moment the elder fell, the four martial experts still inside the hall simultaneously attacked the mysterious assailant. The attacker swiftly beheaded the elder closest to him and instantly vanished from sight. Witnessing a head flying from someone possessing the Heavenly Spirit Pill felt surreal.

[You bastard!!]

Dokgo Jun yelled angrily at the figure that appeared ten feet away. [Miyamoto Musashi!!]

“Huff.”

Swish…

Miyamoto Musashi donned a cold smile as he drew his famed sword, Amenohabakiiri. This blade ranks among the top three in Dongyoung history. Though a powerful weapon, it was particularly effective against beings with magical power, which was a gift he had received from Master Abe no Seimei before launching his assault on the Sea of Origin. Not surprisingly, even for Musashi at Absolute Realm’s level, it was impossible to slice through the combined Power of the Su Shin Sect in one blow, but he could easily ambush them due to the nature of their powers.

Musashi spoke softly, “I’ve been entrusted by the Twelve Joules to protect the core. Do you think you can substantiate a strike against my blade with that distracted mindset?”

He had been observing the entourage of the White Lotus Sect reaching the midpoint. However, it was impossible to take on five owners of the Heavenly Spirit Pill alone, so he called for backup, waiting for the proper moment. The instant Dokgo Jun’s focus wavered and their attention was diverted, he seized the opportunity to strike down two of them with deadly precision.

[Die!!]

“Bring it on.”

Without hesitation, Dokgo Jun charged at Musashi. With three powerful martial artists from the Heavenly Spirit Pill launching simultaneous attacks, no matter how formidable Musashi was, he couldn’t have possibly survived. Dokgo Jun thought it would either result in mutual destruction or clear victory for him.

BANG!!

[Han Baek-ryeong. Use the Twelve Martial Kings to…]

He believed with the overwhelming might of the Fire Spirit Sect, they could fairly easily crush Musashi, but his words fell silent.

[……?]

Turning back, he realized Han Baek-ryeong was nowhere to be seen. As he and the Su Shin elders gathered internal power to jointly attack Musashi, it dawned on him: Han Baek-ryeong was indeed not there.

[A… What on Earth.]

He was utterly flabbergasted. At this juncture, facing an expert of the Absolute Realm, the Dharma Guardian of the Su Shin Sect would flee? But just as that hole in his focus opened up, Musashi’s lethal sword energy swooped in to maim him, and Dokgo Jun gritted his teeth, blocking the attack with his immense Protection Energy Technique.

[In that case, we’ll finish this!]

Meanwhile, the Master of the White Lotus Sect lay collapsed, clutching his heart.

He uttered, almost in disbelief, […Have they really gotten me… But how…]

With confusion draping over him, he continued muttering, [I predicted Han Baek-ryeong might betray us… So I took every precaution, even if the Fire Spirit Sect gathered en masse, we were prepared…]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect was no fool. Although Han Baek-ryeong concealed her emotions, he didn’t need to read her mind to recognize how ripe the elements for betrayal were. That’s why he had carefully arranged his forces while keeping a close watch on the situation inside the hall. But unexpectedly, he was stabbed in the back!

This was utterly incomprehensible.

He had gathered the elite members of the Su Shin Sect and his elders, and even had owners of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Even if Han Baek-ryeong showed up herself, it wouldn’t be an easy task; how on earth did she find a way to exploit the Master’s weakness?

The Twelve Joules wouldn’t stab him from the inside. After all, given the circumstances, the Master of the White Lotus Sect would be acutely aware of intruders approaching from the Divine City. If any advanced experts among the clan had come, he would have rushed out immediately, yet none of that sense was present.

As he remained bewildered, he noticed a figure gradually walking toward him from the opposite door.

Step.

“Master of the White Lotus, rise.”

The moment he heard that voice, the Master comprehended how the situation had unfolded.

He raised his head and saw a man behind a mask.

[…So it was you who came…]

“Han Baek-ryeong opened the Furnace Spirit, allowing a direct ambush to capture the Young Master. The Flame God Team led the other members of the Su Shin Sect away.”

Thud

The Young Master’s lifeless body dropped from the man’s grasp.

“Feel free to curse me for this cowardly ambush.”

Yet the Master of the White Lotus Sect only displayed calmness and composure rather than the rage of losing a son.

[Not at all. My son was a True Martial Artist.]

“……”

[If he has died by your hand, then I’m sure he would find peace.]

Jin So-cheong was left speechless.

He had reached this point purely pursuing efficiency, entirely against his principles of justice.

It was clear he was steeled to be reviled for this treacherous ambush.

Still, standing before the supreme master of the White Lotus Sect, he held his spear tightly.

“……Teach me the ways of the greatest martial artist.”

[Very well.]

Hypocrisy or not, he simply wanted to send the Master off as a True Martial Artist.

 

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