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“Should I just take a nap?”

Another life has kicked off in Dark Heaven Village, and I’m lying under the barn roof, staring blankly at the ceiling like a lost soul. I mean, my internal power is at its peak, so sleep is the last thing I need, but here I am, contemplating it. After all, I just came off a wild ride through a chaos zone filled with divine beings, and let’s just say my mental fatigue is through the roof.

Not that taking a little break will shake the world up or anything, right? I’m feeling this overwhelming urge to just lie back and snooze away without a care in the world.

But I shook my head and stood up. “Let’s get stuff done before I kick back.” If I wanted to take a break, I could do that all day long. But I need to secure the Divine Secret and the Golden Lamp for my traveling needs first; then I can chill easy. With a slight sigh to gather my resolve, I sprinted off to snag the Divine Secret.

After scoring the Divine Secret, I thought about dashing off to get the Golden Lamp in Shandong but suddenly hit the brakes.

Maybe it’s better to conserve some energy?

‘Just in case…’

I remembered the advanced technique, Earth Travel, which Mangnyang had shared with me fifty years ahead in time. It’s a high-level skill that normally wouldn’t suit my level, but thanks to his detailed guidance, I could use it, albeit imperfectly. Of course, I could never wield it like Cheon Woo-jin or the upper-tier sorcerers; it has its fair share of limitations.

So, I began channeling my focus, going through the hand seals and incantations. After about an hour of pure concentration, I cautiously took a step.

Each time I moved, the scenery around me morphed like magic. It felt like I was bending space itself, yet my body was still moving normally. I kept using Earth Travel for a considerable time, only stopping once my energy was nearly tapped out.

“Phew.”

So, did I cover a good 150 li? My energy and stamina felt pretty intact, after all. Even though I have immense internal power to back me up, sprinting all the way to Shandong isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Gotta keep this technique efficient.

‘And hey, I might as well boost my technique proficiency while I’m at it.’

Using it in a somewhat roundabout way made the casting time longer, with more restrictions and shorter distances than usual. I need to hit that middle-tier sorcery level if I want to use Earth Travel more smoothly.

I pressed on towards Shandong, albeit at a slower pace than just running directly; still, consistency counts, right? I repeatedly practiced, made some stops, and after a grueling day, the majestic Shandong finally came into view.

Once inside, I snagged the Golden Lamp and quickly hopped over to Dongyoung for a handful of obsidian, then made my way back to the Central Plains. Afterward, I dove underground at Great Thunder Valley and battled the Moon Beast, putting that sucker down.

“Definitely feeling stronger, huh?”

It took significantly less time to take down the Moon Beast, and I noticed my movements became smoother with way fewer gaps or wasted energy. The result of all that crazy training with Cheon Woo-jin is finally paying off! I hastily stashed my sword, wooden armor, and twin swords, stepping back into the outside world.

I looked over the prisoners, including General Hwang Yeon, and examined those transformed by the Divine Blessing. Those whose bodies had fully turned black were still in the middle of the change, and I knew exactly what needed to be done with them.

‘… Perfect for a human sacrifice.’

I stifled an involuntary chuckle.

Zhuge Sa had advised me that those who transformed before receiving the Divine Blessing would be vital resources and offerings. So, if I’m not going to take them in as subordinates, I might as well toss them to the Old Ruler or the Three Sovereigns.

“…”

Still, even with them right in front of me, the thought of offing them didn’t sit right. They’re still alive, after all. Killing them just because I don’t have a way to reverse their condition seems like a pretty shady move, so I shook my head and tossed them back into the Golden Lamp.

If it’s not an emergency, I won’t be using them as offerings.

Next stop—Blood Blade Group’s lair, where I kicked off another massacre. Not sure how many of these butcher jobs I’ve done, but the thrill of taking down villains is still quite exhilarating. But I do feel like I’ve started to lose my edge a bit.

Snick! Snick!

With my sword skills, I took out five heads at once, but my expression didn’t even flinch.

‘Ugh…’

Yeah, no denying it. No matter how wicked they are, slicing up the same guy multiple times can get old fast. It’s a grim thought, but hey, that’s my reality, right? I scratched my head and eyed the shivering pirates in front of me.

“So… wanna off yourselves?”

“Wha… what did you say?!”

“No need for harakiri. How about just cutting an artery? You’d bleed out without too much pain!”

The pirates screamed back at me.

“Shut your trap!! Kill him already!!”

Fools, they have no clue about the skill gap and fall for my provocations like moths to a flame. I picked up my sword and got back to slicing them apart. If they had any smarts at all, they’d be pondering their mortality instead of charging at me.

Bam!

After slaying them, I freed Seo Mun-hye and her crew, leaving the rest of the cleanup to her. Unlike before, I’d handed over quite a bit of the work to her, so once the butchery was over, she looked pretty wiped out. I used my internal power to help her recover.

“Thank you, Young Hero.”

Seo Mun-hye gave me a respectful bow, but I was giving her a puzzled look.

“…”

Up until now, she hasn’t had much significance in our squad, so I approached the assault on Blood Blade Group with just the mindset of rescuing the Sword Demon’s daughter. But now, after witnessing her potential to become the Bishop of Nine Lotus firsthand, I realized she’s hiding some serious mythical secrets. I can’t afford to treat her like just another support character anymore.

So naturally, I should give her some obsidian, but…

‘Is that really the smart move? Can I really drag her into this brutal journey without her falling apart?’

After experiencing the possession of the Bishop in my 23rd life, she knew the sins she had wrought and what she needed to atone for, thus embracing the path of Asura. But right now, she’s just a sheltered girl from the Shadowless Sect, and it’s hard to say whether she can grasp the grim truths of the obsidian world.

I found myself torn. Not because I was dismissive, but rather because I saw her sincerity, and I didn’t want to break her spirit. Ultimately, I couldn’t hand over the obsidian just yet and clenched my fists tight.

“… No.”

First, I need to have a proper chat with the Sword Demon.

Once the Blood Blade Group was down and the loot collected, I made my way toward Xuyou’s ruins. After cleaning out the ruins, I picked a few Sacred Lotus blossoms from the White Lotus Sect’s cultivation grounds and stuffed them into my wooden armor. Next, I obtained the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate and finally snagged the Silver Phoenix Fragment from Taekyung Village.

‘I’ll grab the Book of Five Relationships later.’

No rush to deal with Sasaki Kojiro anytime soon. I had no pressing need for the Book of Five Relationships, so I figured I’d take a mental break from that.

While I hesitated to visit Mangnyang or Zhuge Sa, I decided to head over to the Sword Demon instead. Regardless of how favorable the opinions in the books were, it’s only right to discuss with the person involved first.

After explaining everything to the Sword Demon, I handed him the obsidian for memory transfer and got a huge reaction from him.

“……!!”

He looked genuinely shocked, almost incredulous—eyes wide and staring off into space, while Seo Mun-hye nervously prodded him.

“… Father?”

“……”

His face transformed into a deep frown. “Hyea, go outside for a moment.”

“Understood.”

Once Seo Mun-hye disappeared from sight, the Sword Demon turned to me. “Baek Woong… you’ve been through a lot. And thank you for taking care of my daughter until the very end last life.”

“……”

I didn’t have any words of humility or thanks to offer. After all, that 23rd life had been nothing but a brutal rollercoaster ride, with challenges that mere words couldn’t encapsulate. So, I just stayed silent while the Sword Demon nodded like he understood and continued his tale.

“Thank you for coming directly to me instead of going through Mangnyang or Zhuge Sa. I assume you understand my position as a father.”

“If you’d rather not say, I won’t pry.”

“No, you should absolutely know. You’re the reincarnated one, and the one who will uncover the truth and bring about the downfall of the deities!”

The Sword Demon exhaled a heavy sigh and took a big swig of his steaming tea. The tea was hot, but it seemed to soothe the burning frustrations inside him. After a moment of calming himself, he began to speak again.

“Hyea’s mother, my wife Seo Mi-ryeong, was an exceptionally beautiful and virtuous woman. Although she was not a martial artist, she had been with me since childhood, and during my youth, I realized we had feelings for each other. So, we affirmed our love and got married.”

“I see.”

“But she was born frail. Despite consuming countless medicinal herbs and spiritual pills to build her strength, she never improved… eventually, she left this world.”

“……”

“Even with my internal energy from the Shadowless Sect, nothing changed.”

Some people are just born weak, and no amount of medicines or internal energy can save them. For someone like her to be healed, she’d need something extraordinary like Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, which is nearly impossible to find. Even the renowned Shadowless Sect couldn’t pull it off.

He continued, “Because of that, I resolved to raise Hyea to be strong. Normally, a family of martial artists wouldn’t pass down their ultimate techniques to a daughter; they’d look for a powerful son-in-law to sustain the family line. But I didn’t go that route. I trained Hyea rigorously, ensuring she could become the next heir of the Shadowless Sect. I barely indulged her and didn’t care about her coming of age.”

I nodded, “So, she reached the peak level of an expert at such a young age.”

In all my adventures, I’ve seen countless amazing figures, but someone her age hitting peak expert status is a rare gem in the Central Plains martial world. Seo Mun-hye stands as one of the best among the countless fighters.

“I knew she wasn’t quite where I wanted her to be, but it was enough to inherit the Shadowless Sect. Then, out of the blue… Hyea went missing. I was practically on fire with worry before you showed up.”

I understood the Sword Demon’s feelings of love and obsession for his daughter. Just imagine how intense a father’s desire would be to see his only daughter grow strong in such a brutal martial world. As I listened to him, my heart grew heavy.

“But now that I know your memories, I have questions…”

“Questions?”

“As I said, my wife Seo Mi-ryeong wasn’t from a martial family. While the daughter of a high-ranking official from Henan Province, she had no peculiar lineage that stood out. Why is it that my daughter has ties to such an outrageous figure as Chi You?”

“Hmm.”

Looks like I’ve hit a wall here.

After deep contemplation, I suggested, “Could there be a connection between the Shadowless Sect’s techniques or its founder and Chi You?”

“I don’t see how that could be…” He added, “If you wish, I can provide you with our sect’s historical texts and manuals immediately. But I assure you, the founder of the Shadowless Sect was just a righteous recluse, worried about the safety of the martial world. He had no ties to mythical beings.”

“Is that so?”

If the sworn highest authority, the Sword Demon, says that, then there’s no need to dig any deeper. The origins of the Shadowless Sect are likely unrelated to Chi You.

‘But then, what gives?’

Why is it that white strands appeared on Seo Mun-hye, and why is she developing that terrifying physical capability linked to Chi You?

I kept mulling it over, but no answer emerged, so I sighed.

“Hmm… But if I don’t get answers to this, she will remain in danger going forward.”

“I know.”

The Sword Demon looked intensely at me and spoke, “Baek Woong, grant me some time. I will investigate the lineage of the Seo family with the full resources of the Shadowless Sect. I’ll uncover everything that happened in the generations before.”

“Understood.”

I withdrew and went straight to Mangnyang. Once I passed my memories over to him, he was left astounded.

“Twenty-fourth life… How have you lived so many lives?”

“More importantly, Mangnyang, I’m off to persuade Zhuge Sa. Mind tagging along?”

“Sure thing.”

With a sound effect of a whoosh, I headed to Jangryeong Valley with Mangnyang. When we arrived, Zhuge Sa appeared, looking skeptical at the sight of me with Mangnyang. But I laid out my case and got the obsidian from him.

Once he received the obsidian and felt the memory, he looked at me with curiosity.

“So what now?”

“For now, I’ll wait for the Sword Demon to finish investigating the Seo family. I need to learn a bit more about Seo Mun-hye’s identity.”

“And then?”

I answered without missing a beat, “We make our move on Dark Heaven Village.”

 

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