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“I started working on relocating the Shadowless Gate to Goryeo with the help of the Jeong Clan from that day.”

After stuffing all the treasures of the Shadowless Gate into a golden casket, I packed all the martial artists into it as well. With the Golden Lamp technique, most of the Shadowless Gate arrived in Goryeo in an instant. Together with the Sword Demon, I first bought the land and buildings that would become the foundation of the Shadowless Gate.

Once the basic groundwork was done, the Sword Demon said, “There’s a place we have to go, just the two of us.”

“Sure.”

Crash!

On the next day, I went back to the Central Plains with the Sword Demon. Upon arriving near the Shadowless Gate, he led me somewhere and eventually into a somewhat hidden cave in the mountains. The cave had a surprisingly artificial feel to it, and at the very back sat a strange dark box.

“What’s that?”

“That’s the true essence of the Shadowless Gate. It contains not just the core martial technique, the Shadowless Soul-Removing Sword Technique, but also all the secret techniques, historical investigation records, hidden tales, journals, sorcery… everything!”

“…!!”

“I hid it just in case before going to the Twelve Joules.”

Just in case meant in case the Sword Demon ended up dying unexpectedly. If he were to die, he could have sent Seo Mun-hye, the Young Master of the Past, to retrieve this golden box and keep the Shadowless Gate’s legacy alive. I realized again how meticulous the Sword Demon really was.

As the Sword Demon lifted the black box, he continued, “I’ve got something important to discuss here.”

“Okay.”

It had only been two days since I was recognized as a member of the Thirteen Regulations after negotiating with them. Up till then, I hadn’t had the mental bandwidth to discuss future matters. It seemed the Sword Demon wanted to share something significant while we were alone in the cave.

“As I mentioned before, the Twelve Joules said to me, ‘If we accept the Shadowless Gate into the Twelve Joules, we won’t discriminate against it. Please send the ruler of the Seven Luminaries to the Sacred Altar.’”

“……”

“They probably figured you had the Seven Luminaries the moment they saw you. Otherwise, they couldn’t have pushed their agenda so straightforwardly in that meeting.”

“That makes sense.”

The Twelve Joules pretended to consider both sides of the opinion but ultimately made their decision their way. Although the pros and cons were relatively balanced, even if everyone had been against it, the Twelve Joules would have still accepted the Shadowless Gate. That’s because the issue of the Seven Luminaries was far more significant to them than the Shadowless Gate itself.

‘The Twelve Joules had tremendous authority.’

The Sword Demon chuckled bitterly.

“After rolling this around in my head, it looks like your Divine Treasure solved everything in the end.”

“No way! If we hadn’t prepared properly, we wouldn’t have achieved this result.”

“That’s true.”

The Sword Demon sat down on the cave floor, his voice tinged with fatigue.

“The issue is that if they send you to the Sacred Altar, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“……”

“It’s a dilemma.”

He was right.

If the Twelve Joules wielded their power and tried to snatch the Water Spirit from me, I had no way to resist. But if I didn’t go to the Sacred Altar, the Twelve Joules would impose sanctions on the Shadowless Gate. Either way, I would end up at a loss.

I declared firmly, “I will go to the Sacred Altar.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

The Sword Demon scowled.

“That place is a dead end. Even as a Dharma Guardian, you won’t come back alive from there, all alone. There’s no way I would send you to certain death.”

I stared at the Sword Demon, challenging his apprehension.

“I’m not afraid of death.”

I’ve died plenty of times already. Adding another death in this life wasn’t anything special. Watching the Sword Demon turn pale, he suddenly lunged and slapped me hard across the face.

Boom!

Lost in the moment, I staggered back to the cave floor as he seethed, “Damn it, are you saying that in front of me? What on earth is wrong with your head?”

“But… if I don’t go…”

The Sword Demon clenched his fist.

“Don’t make me laugh. If the Twelve Joules oppress us, I’ll survive even if it means licking the soles of the White Lotus Sect again. I didn’t bring you here to convince you of that.”

“……”

I felt my cheek swelling, realizing the pain creeping up on me thanks to the Sword Demon’s slap. But more painful than that was the ache I felt in my heart.

‘It hurts.’

Who was worrying about me like this?

Aside from Mangnyang and Miho, nobody else. Rather than feeling ashamed or embarrassed, intense emotions welled up inside me. It was gratitude I sincerely felt for the Sword Demon standing in front of me. I forced myself to clear my throat, standing up from where I fell.

I declared, “Even if it means death, I must go.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not my time to die.”

“……”

Hearing my answer, the Sword Demon looked perplexed. Such a clever mind couldn’t anticipate my reply. When he stumbled for words, I continued.

“As you know, I’ve died a staggering thirteen times. And with each death, I learned something.”

“Learned? What do you mean?”

“Whenever I made choices that were near certain death, I often survived.”

“Heh…”

The Sword Demon looked incredulous, but I was being deadly serious.

Indeed, this was my law of death.

Perhaps the Sword Demon sensed my sincerity, as he furrowed his brow with a hint of skepticism.

“Are you joking?”

“I’m serious.”

“Are you sure?”

“I truly mean it.”

The Sword Demon stood deep in thought. After a moment, he seemed to have undergone a shift in perspective and spoke differently.

“Then why do you think this happens?”

I nodded, answering his question.

“While I never predicted my time of death, at the crossroads of life and death, when I made necessary choices, I often found ways to survive through paths that seemed perilous.”

“I think this happens because paths that look like certain death may actually open up boundless opportunities for survival.”

“Hmm…”

The Sword Demon’s interest was piqued.

“That’s a truly unique perspective. I’ve spent decades in the Jianghu, overcoming countless life and death situations. But I’ve never chosen to blindly rely on luck like you do. I always calculated my decisions meticulously.”

“That’s why you’re called a peerless strategist in the martial world.”

“If you genuinely believe that and if there’s truth to it…”

He seemed to genuinely ponder my words. Though it sounded absurd at first, he began to recognize my instinct as a valid judgment. After some contemplation, he spoke again.

“You’re starting to understand your fate.”

“What?”

What did that even mean?

As I stood there baffled, the Sword Demon added, “It was during your tenth life when you spoke to Jeong Cheol-wook.”

“Ah.”

That conversation had indeed left a profound impression on me. The Sword Demon had seized that memory in an instant.

“You said that no matter which choice you made, if misfortune or good fortune struck arbitrarily, it was merely fate. But because you made the ‘right choice,’ ‘correct results’ emerged—that’s the essence of fate, where great necessity prevails over trivial instances through human will.”

“……”

“Do you understand what I mean? Because you’ve not made any major misjudgments, you’ve not been tripped up by minor accidents. That’s what fate can be understood as.”

I remembered it clearly.

During that time, everything had been smooth despite the absence of the Primordial Void Ruler’s great fortune, yet I had wondered why it all turned out so well. Jeong Cheol-wook had cited examples of fate and said that I had been living according to my destiny. While I was mulling over the Sword Demon’s words, he elaborated further.

“And it signifies that you’re starting to instinctively understand how to avoid grave misjudgments.”

“What do you mean?”

The Sword Demon crossed his arms, pondering hard.

“You’ve died fifteen times, you’ve surpassed tens of life-and-death situations, facing colossal choices that most people could only dream of in a lifetime. You’ve even raised rebellions several times. In terms of life, you’ve amassed experiences that I can’t even fathom.”

“I believe during that accumulation of experience, you’ve come to grasp the very ‘sense’ of how to evade bad choices and wrong judgments.”

“……!!”

I had never thought of such a thing!

As I stood there in shock, the Sword Demon continued, “While luck is somewhat unavoidable, you’ve begun to feel your fate, and as a result, you’ll find yourself less likely to die easily. You’ve trained yourself to acquire an ability that only a handful of geniuses or skilled rulers have.”

“Hah… but that sounds a bit far-fetched…”

As I stammered, I felt flustered. But the Sword Demon smiled as though he were amused.

“If I hadn’t witnessed your memories through the obsidian, I couldn’t have made such claims. However, look closely at the reasons for your recent deaths.”

“Um…”

“Before your tenth life, you mostly died without gaining anything. Most of those deaths were silly. But after that, even if you faced fatal situations beyond your control, you never died without some meaning. At the very least, you were able to derive something from it!”

“That does make sense.”

“Though you may not consciously realize it, you’ve instinctively come to this understanding. When surrounded by traps of death, you’ve figured out how to avoid death while minimizing losses!”

“……”

I gaped in astonishment.

‘Do I truly possess such remarkable abilities?’

If what the Sword Demon said was true, I had obtained astonishing skills through sheer experience. Who could possibly perceive the line between fate and destiny? But it wasn’t all great; death still remained painful and terrifying. This wasn’t something to laugh about frivolously.

“In that case, I will trust you. Regardless of life or death, go ahead and proceed.”

“Wait, you seem to trust me a bit too much…”

Suddenly shifting gears caught me off guard. I was amazed by the Sword Demon’s adaptability.

“If you feel that way, you probably will not die. While it’s hard to explain theoretically, you must have sensed that the Twelve Joules would not kill you. Furthermore, you felt an immense opportunity was before you that you’d miss unless you had this meeting…”

An immense opportunity.

As I pondered the meaning of his words, the Sword Demon placed his hand on my shoulder.

“I trust you. Should you meet a dangerous end, I’ll take revenge with all my might, so don’t worry.”

“……!!”

He said he’d take revenge!

Even if I was a nuisance to the Sword Demon, I felt as if my burdens lightened. At the same time, I felt a burning desire not to die at the Sacred Altar. It wasn’t just about feeling indebted to the Sword Demon; it symbolized something deeper, implying I relied on him beyond that.

“Understood!”

Whoosh!

I utilized my Golden Lamp technique and returned to the Shadowless Gate with the Sword Demon. For the next three months, I assisted him in establishing the Shadowless Gate in Goryeo.

With numerous Peak Experts among the Shadowless Gate members, they quickly found work as Guardian Warriors for Goryeo’s nobles, exploring ways to expand their power. Moreover, since the existing Twelve Joules accepted the Shadowless Gate as part of the new Eastern laws, disputes with other factions remained minimal. Joining the Twelve Joules was tantamount to rising as a powerful sect dominating Goryeo.

‘I need to start preparing to go to the Sacred Altar soon.’

It was time to muster my resolve. As I started checking my martial arts to get ready for the Sacred Altar, Seo Mun-hye approached. She looked around anxiously before coming to me.

“White Dharma Protector, I have something to tell you.”

“Young Master, what is it?”

“Do you know that Gang Jeon-gil has been on friendly terms with the physician Hwa Seong-myeong from the Jeong Clan recently?”

I widened my eyes and replied, “I didn’t know.”

This was the first I heard of it, but I quickly realized it made sense.

‘Well, they are both among the Five Great Physicians, right? While they may bicker, they probably secretly recognize each other’s medical skills. It’s only natural they’d exchange knowledge with each other now that they’re close in Gaegyeong.’

While I thought about this, Seo Mun-hye added, “And after finding out something, Gang Jeon-gil has summoned you. I’ve come to deliver the message.”

“Um… where should I go?”

“You should head to the Medical Hall where Hwa Seong-myeong is.”

“Thank you.”

Thud!

As I got up from my seat, Seo Mun-hye suddenly grabbed the hem of my clothes. Looking at her, she asked, “Are you leaving somewhere?”

“No, not at all.”

She had a knack for picking up hints. I attempted to sound casual in my response, but she stared at me like she could sense something was up. A moment later, she said, “Thanks to you, the Shadowless Gate is thriving. You truly are an amazing person.”

“It’s nothing. All of this is the result of the Sect Leader’s talent.”

“You don’t need to be so humble. Everyone in the Shadowless Gate recognizes you as the Sect Leader’s successor.”

……

Seo Mun-hye gazed intently at me. Staring into the beautiful countenance of the woman renowned as one of the most captivating beauties in the Central Plains and a flower of the heretical sect, I felt a luminescent aura radiating off her. After a long moment of eye contact, Seo Mun-hye finally spoke.

“White Dharma Protector, please protect me and my father.”

“Understood.”

“Then…”

Seo Mun-hye stepped back. Though her words seemed slightly different from before, it didn’t feel significant enough to dwell on. I scratched the back of my head and headed toward the Medical Hall where Gang Jeon-gil was waiting.

Upon entering the Medical Hall, I discovered two of the Five Great Physicians were already there waiting. They sat facing each other, deeply engaged in discussion, looking quite intense. When they sensed my presence, they turned to me.

“Oh!”

“You’re here.”

“What brings the two of you to find me?”

“Come over here.”

As I approached, Gang Jeon-gil lifted a box from the floor. My eyes widened upon seeing it.

“Is that from before…?”

“Indeed, it contains a specimen of a tentacle taken from Tuma’s body.”

As Gang Jeon-gil spoke, he suddenly opened the box’s lid. Contrary to my expectation that a wriggling tentacle would ooze out, dense, dark energy surged out of the box instead.

I stepped closer to examine it, and inside, I found a small snake-like creature.

‘No… it’s not a snake. It has limbs and a head…’

Eventually, I realized what that tiny, finger-length being was and blurted out, “A dragon?”

“Indeed, it’s a dragon.”

Upon a closer look, it was indeed a diminutive dragon. Dark energy billowed from its entire body, swirling up, almost resembling a small, dark flame. Confused, I stared at them.

“Wait, the tentacle was supposed to regenerate infinitely, right?”

“Absolutely. However, after leaving it in a completely sealed environment, about fifteen days ago, it suddenly started writhing and screaming. Startled, when I opened it, I found this little dragon was merely resting due to exhaustion.”

“……”

What on earth was going on?

‘Did that tentacle turn into a dragon?’

As I was caught in confusion, Hwa Seong-myeong, who was nearby, spoke up.

“I’ve been researching all medical knowledge and texts together with that tentacle. I’ve scoured every reference related to it over the last fifteen days. However, I could find no answers regarding this dragon.”

“Hmm…”

“The most credible hypothesis so far is that this dragon is the fully grown form of the tentacle.”

“That doesn’t make sense. The tentacle continually sought to regenerate Tuma’s body, yet it suddenly matured the moment it was separated…”

“Exactly. It’s truly perplexing. That’s what made us call you.”

“Me?”

Hwa Seong-myeong and Gang Jeon-gil stared at me intently.

“You need to infuse it with your Qi.”

“It might be in a dormant state due to lack of energy. And with your outstanding internal power, you might awaken it from slumber…”

“What if I fed it instead?”

“We’ve tried feeding it every kind of food, but it didn’t respond at all. The only option left is to infuse it with your intangible energy.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Whoosh!

A little later, I gathered my energy and focused it in my hands. Then, I channeled everything into the tiny black dragon all at once. The sheer force of my internal power shook the building and trembled the ground. Soon, when the transfer of energy concluded.

Rumble…

The black dragon began to swell. From the size of my two fingers, it quickly grew to the size of a human forearm, clearly revealing its dragon form. It seemed as if it was devouring Qi that surrounded it, rapidly growing without pause.

“Ohhh…!!”

We gaped in awe as we watched. Gang Jeon-gil exclaimed in amazement, “Living beings that grow by consuming Qi! Is there such a creature?! “

“We’ve learned something new about dragons!”

“Don’t jump to conclusions! There’s no evidence to prove that is a dragon!”

While the two remarkable physicians quibbled, the black dragon continued to grow. It finally stopped growing when it reached the size of a massive bull and slowly opened its eyes, stretching its wings as if it were recognizing its surroundings.

Hiss!

The black dragon let out a peculiar noise, seemingly gazing at me directly, its eyes suggesting a flicker of intelligence.

Then something astonishing happened.

[ Thank… you… ]

The dragon spoke!

It was clearly otherworldly language, but it rang crystal clear in my mind, interpreted perfectly. Though it was a brief phrase, it was distinctly articulated in a way that felt different from all past experiences. I stood there, dumbfounded, as a dark, gaping hole formed in front of the dragon’s presence.

Whoosh!

The black dragon vanished through that hole out of nowhere. As I reached out towards the exit as if to seek answers, the golden eagle casket resting within my pocket responded suddenly.

Buzz!

It gleamed with a brilliant golden light. In a panic, I pulled the golden eagle casket from my pocket, only for it to abruptly speak directly to my mind.

[ Do you wish to go to Dark Heaven Village…? ]

No!

I rejected the golden eagle’s proposal instantly. Upon doing so, the dark hole disappeared before my eyes, as did the golden glow from the casket. Left in the silence that followed was only the astonished expressions of the physicians staring in disbelief.

“W-What on earth…”

“What just happened?”

“……”

However, I felt like I understood how things had turned out.

‘The black dragon was a creature dwelling in Dark Heaven Village. But due to the alchemist’s sorcery, it lost its form and was transformed into a primitive tentacle, forcibly grafted onto a human.’

After separating from the human body and regaining its form by consuming Qi, it had opened a portal leading back to its homeland, Dark Heaven Village. It seemed that the golden eagle casket sensed the portal to another dimension forming.

‘Then…’

It dawned on me that this hinted at a far more horrifying truth.

‘The alchemist must be capable of summoning demon beasts freely from Dark Heaven Village!’

Dragon Transformation must be a sorcery utilizing dragons, and Demon Transformation likely followed a similar principle. Though I didn’t know what kind of magic the alchemist wielded, their capabilities were undoubtedly remarkable. Even if their combat ability was low, they possessed a wealth of knowledge and magic that trumped that.

In my heart, I had no choice but to deepen my resolve.

‘I need to ask the Twelve Joules about this next.’

This wasn’t merely about surviving from the Twelve Joules.

Beyond that, I needed to extract as much information as possible from them.

Only then could I gain the upper hand in future battles against the Imperial Palace using my Water Element Divine Sword.

 

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