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“The Celestial Realm is quite different from what I learned from Jin So-cheong.”

According to the Sect Leader’s teachings, the process of mastering the Three Treasure Technique was entirely different from what I had learned with Jin So-cheong. Unlike her, the Sect Leader explained each principle in detail and laid out a clear training process, which was somewhat comforting.

“I can feel my skills improving.”

Jin So-cheong often set uncertain standards. It was more of a gut feeling like, “This should be enough.” As a result, the majority of the time I couldn’t grasp anything, preventing me from training in the Three Treasure Technique itself. In contrast, the Sect Leader’s method felt like teaching a child to walk, breaking it down step by step, albeit setting a lower limit for difficulty.

Thanks to that, after about three months of training, I began to have a vague understanding of what the Heaven, Earth, and People of the Three Treasure Technique was. Of course, knowing something and truly understanding it through practice are worlds apart, so I was still basically a novice. But I had successfully taken the first step. Additionally, I had doubled my training efficiency thanks to applying the Soul Exchange Technique.

Zhuge Sa said,
“It seems the Sect Leader has quite a bit of teaching experience. That’s why his teaching method differs so greatly from Jin So-cheong’s.”

“What do you mean?”

“Teaching and training someone requires both talent and experience. Jin So-cheong is a genius who understands everything on her own, making her unfamiliar with teaching others, while the Sect Leader possesses the mindset and understanding of a dullard. That’s why he can teach the necessary parts considering your perspective.”

As Zhuge Sa spoke, he chuckled.
“But at this rate, it’ll take at least ten years before you can effectively use the Three Treasure Technique in real combat. You’re incredibly slow, you dullard.”

“Damn it. Stop nagging. It’s exhausting.”

With a bit of grumbling inwardly, I assumed a cross-legged position on my bed and began practicing the Soul Exchange Technique. During the day, I focused on training the Three Treasure Technique, and at night, I practiced the Soul Exchange Technique, making this my routine for nearly two months.

This meant I got less than an hour of sleep, but my immense internal power made the lack of rest no problem at all. I could run for seven days and nights continuously using the Light Body Technique without tiring.

Zhuge Sa explained,
“It seems your basic training is complete, and you’re ready to move on to the higher stages of enhancing and resonating your internal power.”

“What for?”

“Your internal power needs to have an appealing force so that the extracted power will gravitate back toward you, right? What a foolish question!”

“…”

“Stop babbling and just do as I say. Once you finish this training, handling magic power will be easier. This technique is derived from the Daoist Master’s teachings and contains mysterious energy.”

I obediently began to practice as Zhuge Sa instructed. I felt the energy surrounding my soul and the principle of the Soul Exchange Technique, as I slowly began to grasp it. Although I understood it conceptually, I hadn’t truly felt it until now.

During training, I became curious and asked,
“Zhuge Sa, you mentioned that if the Old Ruler rises, the world would end?”

“Yeah, that’s an unavoidable future.”

“Then if we escape to the Phantom Realm or Golden Crow Island, it should be fine, right? If only the human world is destroyed…”

Upon hearing my words, Zhuge Sa chuckled.
“Hehe… You’re not trying to put on a righteous front in front of the Mangnyang, are you? You want to know if you have a way to escape if the world ends, don’t you?”

I felt a bit embarrassed but quickly retorted, “Yeah, to be honest, that’s the case. If there’s a way out, I’d like to know.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not possible. If it were, I wouldn’t have needed to make a contract with the Wall’s Spirit.”

“What do you mean? If the Underwater City rises, does it affect other realms as well?”

With a sigh, Zhuge Sa said,
“Sigh… You have no idea what dimensions are, do you?”

“With the knowledge of the Earth Immortal Mangnyang, I should know.”

“Even with the knowledge of an Earth Immortal, you can’t interpret it with your simple brain, can you? The way you’re asking shows you have no clue.”

Zhuge Sa continued grumbling.
“The Blood Realm, Phantom Realm, Asura Realm, and Hungry Ghost Realm are all intricately tied together with this world through cause and effect. They might seem independent, but those worlds can’t exist without the human realm. That’s because they were ultimately created by the will of the living.”

“I don’t understand.”

“For instance, the Phantom Realm was created after the Fengshen War on Mount Kunlun to classify and manage the enigmatic beings separately. The fundamental controlling power lies with Taishang Laojun. If the human realm perishes due to the rise of Ru Ryu, Taishang Laojun would also head toward annihilation. Thus, the Phantom Realm would cease to exist.”

“…!!”

“Other realms are the same. They may seem independent, but they’re all influenced by the rise and fall of the human realm. The world is built on the Law of Cause and Effect.”

I couldn’t help but be astonished by Zhuge Sa’s words. So, I asked back,
“Is Golden Crow Island and Mount Kunlun the same?”

“Those places are a bit special. They might exist even if the human realm perishes. But in the end, they’ll end up becoming slaves of the Old Ruler.”

“…”

“The Celestial Realm is just an intermediary and can’t prevent the great powers from breaking free.”

I pondered for a bit and then said, “So you made a contract with the Wall’s Spirit to survive, but how do you plan to evade the destruction?”

“That being can be considered a Semi-Divine Being, so I’ll be entering his service. Then I won’t have to experience the dire despair under the Magic Power of the Constellations.”

“… But isn’t that like being a slave?”

Zhuge Sa laughed maniacally.
“Hahaha… You don’t know the implications of the Constellations returning to their rightful places and the Old Ruler awakening simultaneously. Just knowing the truth has made me want to commit suicide dozens of times. That’s the true end of the world.”

“Hmm… It seems like the Celestial Realm is making some countermeasures.”

“I wouldn’t know. But who cares? I’m just trying to survive here.”

Zhuge Sa replied bluntly.
“Now, shut up and focus on your training.”

“I got it.”

I realized once again the nature of my relationship with Zhuge Sa. Since we share souls, we can read each other’s memories and share some thoughts. However, there are parts we can still hide from each other. That’s why I couldn’t fully trust Zhuge Sa yet, and I was still suspicious and a bit aloof around him.

As the night turned to morning, a disciple came in, saying,
“Dharma Guardian, the Sect Leader urgently summons you. Please head to the audience room immediately…”

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know either.”

If it’s something urgent, it probably isn’t related to training.
‘Could there be another mission for me?’

As I tilted my head in confusion and headed to the audience room, the Sect Leader was waiting behind me. After staring at me for a while, he said,
“Baek Woong. Have you figured out the effects of the Heavenly Secret?”

What’s up with the sudden mention of the Heavenly Secret? I felt a bit ruffled and nervously replied, “I’ve been too preoccupied with mastering the Three Treasure Technique to investigate it. I’m sorry.”

“Hmm… That’s understandable. But remember, that was also a mission I entrusted you with, so don’t take it lightly.”

“Understood.”

“And you need to do one more thing for me.”

“What is it?”

The Sect Leader stayed silent for a moment before speaking again. This time it wasn’t the Six Harmonies Assembly but the Secret Transmission, which meant it wouldn’t resonate throughout the area.

“Go immediately to Kaifeng City in Henan Province and monitor the slave market. Confirm whether the Wind Spirit Sect is present there and report the details back to me.”

“……!!”

I jumped in surprise.
‘What kind of order is this?’

Not knowing the Sect Leader’s intentions behind this command, I hesitated until suddenly remembering the information I had from my past life. The Sword Demon’s Shadowless Gate had reached the Henan slave market while investigating the Blood Blade Group but was overwhelmed!

The Namgung Clan had also been involved in the slave market and had sought help from the Wind Spirit Sect! Putting all this together, it was clear that the Wind Spirit Sect had a significant connection to the Henan slave market. It’s just that there were bigger incidents happening that took priority until now. Only then did I finally grasp the Sect Leader’s true intentions.

The Sect Leader already had a good idea that the Wind Spirit Sect was in cahoots with the imperial palace! And he was sending me to scout the slave market to solidify his suspicions. If the Wind Spirit Sect were traitors, it was clear he was planning to take them down.

I cautiously sent a message back to the Sect Leader,
“I’m sorry, but if the top experts of the Wind Spirit Sect are related, I might not be able to handle it alone. Also, conducting an investigation without leaving traces is impossible for just one person.”

The Sect Leader responded,
“But that’s why I’ve been training you in the Three Treasure Technique, right? I’m sure your internal power is slightly higher than before. Plus, I’ve already dispatched an expert to assist you while you work undercover.”

“Huh? Who is it?”

“You’ll find out when you get there. Just set off. The slave market opens tomorrow.”

Saying that, the Sect Leader tossed me a wooden armor.
“You’ll need this. Use it to collect evidence.”

“……”

Receiving something that originally belonged to me felt terrible, as if I was accepting charity. But perhaps I should be grateful that the Sect Leader was willing to give back a treasure in his possession. Reluctantly, I responded, “Th-thank you.”

After leaving the Sect Leader’s presence, I returned to my residence and let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh, Kaifeng…”

Kaifeng in Henan Province was a place I had never been to. I had heard it became a barbarian land temporarily during the Jin Dynasty’s invasion and had been quite desolate since various dynasties rose and fell. Of course, I knew it had now become a significant city, but beyond that, I didn’t know much about it.

Zhuge Sa spoke up,
“You’ll need money for the slave market. Check the wooden armor.”

“Huh?”

“The Sect Leader wouldn’t have been foolish enough not to provide for you.”

That made sense. I carefully opened the wooden armor to see what was inside, and I was shocked.

“Whoa!”

Gold bars and gold coins, as well as silver coins, were piled high! Not to mention dozens of thunderbolts! There were even identification documents and seals that could only be used by high-ranking officials, along with several outfits prepared for me. What was even more surprising was that three odd-looking individuals were sitting inside!

I was taken aback and pulled the three men out of the wooden armor. They were all wearing water symbols on their clothes, with straw hats and ghost masks.

“W-who are you?”

One stepped forward and said, “Baek Woong, Dharma Guardian. We are your support team.”

“Support team?”

“We are the elite of the Water God Team, so don’t hesitate to carry out your mission. We’ll assist you whenever you need force.”

“……”

The Water God Team! They were the most enigmatic group among the Four Great Families’ armed factions. Though they were formed from the martial artists of the Su Shin Sect, the Su Shin Sect lived away from the White Lotus Sect, and the Water God Team rarely revealed themselves to the world. However, the members of the White Lotus Sect didn’t dispute the fact that the Water God Team was likely the strongest force among them.

‘These guys… are ridiculously strong…’

Internally, I was astounded. Each of them had reached the realm of Return to Simplicity, and none were weaker than Lee Kwang. In fact, they might even be capable of taking him down easily. No matter how formidable the Four Great Families were, it was nearly unfathomable that they could exceed the strongest experts of the Central Plains. If I received their joint attack, I would surely have an upper hand.

Did the Su Shin Sect have dozens of monsters like these?

As I was stunned, the experts of the Water God Team urged me,
“Hurry up! The slave market will open tomorrow, so you need to prepare swiftly.”

“Prepare? You mean I have to attend the auction?”

“Otherwise, why would the Sect Leader give you gold bars and disguise clothes? You should naturally infiltrate and find out what’s going on.”

“Hmm.”

Participating in the slave market auction! This was sure to be a fresh experience for me. I made up my mind to uncover the Wind Spirit Sect’s misdeeds as I nodded in agreement.
“Got it. I’ll bring you out when needed.”

“We’ll be counting on you.”

I once again placed the three back in the wooden armor and summoned the Four Great Spirits to prepare for my trip to Kaifeng. Zhuge Sa chuckled and said,
“The slave market… Baek Woong, you’re going to have quite an interesting experience.”

“Have you ever been to a slave market?”

Zhuge Sa replied with excitement,
“Ah, of course! It’s going to be incredibly fun…”

What on earth was he talking about?

I felt an ominous sensation creeping in. Although I had only heard of slaves, I had never seen an actual auction or transaction. But still, was there a chance that there might be something horrifically gut-wrenching happening there?
‘I have no clue.’

For now, I’d have to go to find out.

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