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“This is not what I signed up for!”

About half a meal’s time into the chaotic duel with the Master of the Twelve Joules, the Sword Demon came to a realization. ‘No way.’

He mentally cursed himself, recalling all the critical opportunities to deal a fatal blow to his opponent. The exchanges were both dazzling and intricate, resembling a fierce battle between true masters. Their moves were so artistic, it made Picasso blush.

But beneath the façade of equality, he sensed the gaping chasm between himself and the Master, understanding the immense gap that loomed above him. Meanwhile, Hong Gil-dong, one of the Master’s subordinates, was simply leaning against the cliff, arms crossed, watching the show like it was a free Netflix series.

In contrast, the Sword Demon felt his strength draining, energy sapping like a kid with a leaky balloon.

Ka-kang!!

When the Cosmic Fragment collided with the Sword Demon’s long sword, it suddenly lost a tooth like it was headed to the dentist. ‘So much for being legendary…’

The Sword Demon sighed internally. The sword he wielded, the “Hojang,” was pretty well-known — it might not be the best in the world, but it was a legendary one. Sure, he could manipulate the intangible with his will, but without a good blade, he was basically trying to cook a gourmet meal with a plastic fork.

He held his ground, determined not to break his blade as he retreated, maintaining his inner strength.

Pah-at!

The Master didn’t chase after him. Instead, he spoke with a hint of boredom. “Just like with Musashi. In the end, you lack the strength to break my Heavenly Unrestrained Technique.”

The Sword Demon’s eyebrows twitched. “I admit the invincible defense, but it’s not as absolute as you think.”

“Really? That’s different from Musashi then,” the Master noted smoothly.

The Sword Demon briefly hesitated, remembering how swift Musashi had been, wrapping things up before they barely got started.

“…What do you mean?”

All this time, he had been pouring every ounce of his sword qi into countering the Master, trying to pull out his technique. But every time, strikes came back with ridiculous precision, forcing him to focus on counterattacks and defense, like dodging darts at a carnival booth. Surely, after dividing attacks for over a hundred counts, there should be some clarity on what this Heavenly Unrestrained Technique truly was, right?

But he couldn’t convince himself he was stronger than Musashi. He figured Musashi would likely have a bit more luck with real combat. So why did Musashi finish quickly while he was still in this marathon?

Something felt off. What was the difference between him and Musashi? It couldn’t just be raw skill; it seemed like a difference in their training methods, something deeper.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through the Sword Demon’s mind, a hunch that came from decades of honing his technique. Memories of his father, Seo Mun-hwi, echoed in his head. “I’ve heard that somewhere in this world, there exists an ultimate realm that returns to the essence of all techniques.”

The essence of all techniques — the difference between him and Miyamoto Musashi.

His mind, trained and experienced, recognized that this hunch could be right. Baek Woong wouldn’t catch the difference even if he died and resurrected. But Seo Mun-dae-ryong could.

‘Could it be…’?

A chill ran down the Sword Demon’s spine. If that were true, then his ability to endure against the Master was pure luck. His mission from the Zhuge Clan simply led him to choose the best strategy to hold on against the Master. Actually defeating him was nothing short of a fairy tale!

The being before him was the absolute ruler of the Martial Arts World! In the realm, no one but the Master of the White Lotus Sect could possibly defeat the Master of the Twelve Joules.

This was nearly a matter of destiny!

The Sword Demon muttered quietly, “A tiny difference can make a celestial divide…”

“You’ve realized, haven’t you?”

Bboom bboom!

The Master swung the Cosmic Fragment with a cold detachment. “But I can’t let you go. It may not look flashy, but if word gets out, it could become a real headache.”

The Sword Demon stood in silence as the Master’s words pierced through him. It was as if the Master had been playing a psychological game from the start, desperate to catch him off guard.

Then, the Master smiled, his eyes glinting with malice. “Well then, shall we get this over with?”

Ta-daht!

The Master charged, moving like a flickering firework, but in that instant, the Sword Demon felt as if time stopped, insights flashing through his mind like a rapid slideshow of fights past. A storm of techniques whirled around them.

But despite the endless possibilities, none would allow him to touch the Master. Facing that void of possibilities made the Sword Demon dizzy, yet he clenched his jaw and prepared to meet the Master’s incoming strike.

Ka-boom!!

With a thunderous sound, the Master’s kick ruptured the air, sending the Sword Demon flying. Following it came a barrage of strikes raining down like a spider spinning webs with the Cosmic Fragment.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, countless beams of light shot around him, each one as deadly as it was precise.

“Ugh!!”

With a sickening sound, blood spilled from the Sword Demon’s lips as he felt the overwhelming force of the attack. Speed and accuracy were unmatched; there was simply no way to block or dodge it. He was hit with fatal strikes in a heartbeat.

Realizing he would be thrown to the ground and instantly killed, he bit his lip until he tasted metal.

“Blood Moon Technique!”

With a dynamic flick, his protective energy wrapped around him as he stood up like a Weeble wobbling upright. Yet, his insides were wrecked, bones shattered, leaving him in no condition to fight back. Looking straight at the Master while drenched in blood, he held his sword firmly.

The Master chuckled. “Strange indeed.”

As the Sword Demon fell silent, the Master continued with a hint of intrigue. “You could have evaded my strikes, yet you chose to face them head-on. What were you thinking?”

“Haha… cough, cough.”

The Sword Demon laughed as he spat blood. “Don’t get it twisted; it’s not that I couldn’t dodge — dodging and blocking won’t help anyway.”

“Well, that’s true,” the Master replied casually.

Suddenly, vibrant green energy surged around the Master, wrapping his form in a mystical glow. He twirled his arms effortlessly, as if conducting an orchestra.

“Recovery complete.”

“…!!”

“You’re not surprised?” The Master remarked, showing confidence as he regained himself.

The Sword Demon remained composed, yet inside he was anything but calm. The Master had used a sizable amount of energy moments ago, so to recover it all with just one technique was unfathomable. It seemed he didn’t even need the power of the World Tree!

Yet here he was, revitalized by the might of just one technique!

Finally, the Sword Demon understood the Zhuge Clan’s plan. “…Well, I see. To fight alongside someone like him against the Eight Parts of the Divine will only be a liability. I never grasped his full power until now…“

One who could preserve their power after shattering the World Tree!

If such a being discovered the secret of the reincarnated Baek Woong and attempted to seal him away, the danger would be catastrophic. The Sword Demon steeled himself once again, gripping his sword tightly.

“So… I’m coming!”

“Oh. Bold spirit you have there,” the Master replied with a hint of admiration. Even Hong Gil-dong, watching from the sidelines, couldn’t help but respect the Sword Demon’s resolve. Despite the evident difference in ability and outcome, here he was, fully devoted to his mission.

However —

Pah-at!

The Sword Demon suddenly turned and fled, channeling every ounce of energy into his escape as if he was a runaway balloon. It was a shocking turn of events!

“What?! What are you doing?”

For a moment, both the Master and Hong Gil-dong stared at the retreating figure in disbelief, having never anticipated such a move!

But the Master recovered quickly, snapping back to reality. “Chase after him!”

“What?” Hong Gil-dong replied, confused.

The unjust Master understood the Sword Demon’s actual intentions. “His mission wasn’t to stop me, but to relay information to his team!”

“But… it’s not safe!”

In an instant, the Master’s realization hit; he needed to act fast as the tides were changing. Behind them stood three figures, revealing themselves as parts of the Eight Parts of the Divine: Yacha, the Thief Gang, and the Body of Light were there, all set to claim their target: the Master of the Twelve Joules.

With an oily grin, Gin Nara stepped forward. “Well, well. Such an honor to meet the Master of the Twelve Joules in person.”

The Master remained silent as the tension hung thick. Gin Nara’s eyes gleamed with a predatory look, “Meeting you face to face, you’re not so tough after all, huh?”

“Why did you attack our Master?”

With a sly smile, Gin Nara replied, “Our lord desires a clean sweep of the ground.”

“… “

“Then I suppose we’re saying goodbye, human.”

Pah-at!

With a flash, the three members of the Eight Parts of the Divine unveiled their true forms. In that instant, the Master drew out both his weapons, speaking softly. “I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.”

And then, chaos erupted as the Master collided with the Eight Parts of the Divine, while Zhuge Sa staggered, coughing, collapsing to the ground.

Nevertheless, the plan had jolted into action. The Master maneuvered between breakthroughs with deft precision. He had planted listening magic alongside his weapons and placed his subordinates in hidden spots for visual intelligence. One misstep could expose it all, but Zhuge Sa had displayed impeccable discretion during their time together.

With the Sword Demon successfully escaping, the plan was still in motion. In a dim corner, Zhuge Sa rubbed his right eye, murmuring, “Heh, heh… I had some inkling of what was going on. The identities of the Trio too…”

A sly chuckle escaped his lips; the unexpected victories kept piling up. If he merely shared the intel gained with Baek Woong, it could save him decades of trouble. Though it couldn’t be said he had fully pinpointed the Master’s weaknesses, it was still substantial progress.

Of course, that was contingent on Baek Woong actually being alive. Zhuge Sa shook off the thought, choosing not to dwell on it for now. The Sword Demon and Cheon Woo-jin had both been embroiled in Baek Woong’s past, yet they had no idea what it meant. But since he was immersed in the Demon Path, he understood that he had stumbled upon one in a million opportunities.

Whether a feast or a failure, it was the comrades who were in more danger than Baek Woong.

Others were still oblivious to the fact that Baek Woong was King!

In fact, maybe they ached to understand but recoiled from the overwhelming cosmic dread or the mythic despair that gnawed at their psyche. Perhaps it was easier for ordinary humans to overlook.

As footsteps advanced cautiously, Zhuge Sa spoke up, “So you were indeed here.”

A shadowy figure, holding a torch, remained stationary as they exchanged glances. The figure finally broke the silence, “Seems our thoughts align.”

“You don’t want to admit it, do you?”

“What difference does it make? We stand in the same spot, don’t we?”

“That’s true,” Zhuge Sa said with a sly grin. “But you see, right now is the most troublesome part of my plan. I was hoping not to see your face until we were finished.”

The torchbearer nodded grimly, “Evil, you want to take the power bound to the World Tree and obtain a seed that will let you drain a thousand years of life!”

“Well, yeah.”

“It won’t happen. That power is mine!”

As the opposing figure rejected the idea with firm conviction, Zhuge Sa smirked. “Then I suppose I’ll have no choice but to eliminate a useless brother…”

This final barrier was none other than Zhuge Yulong, the Vermilion Bird of the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace, the current leader of the Zhuge Clan, and Priestly figure of the Demon Subduing Hall.

 

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