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Setting off towards the secret place within Shenyang City, I realized that the Twelve Joules thought he could handle things on his own and sent the Three Masters away. Soon, I found myself in a villa-like building having a private chat with him.

Sitting across from him at the table, I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. The Twelve Joules poured me a drink and said, “Have a drink.”

I replied stiffly, “A warrior doesn’t just eat what’s offered by someone who isn’t an ally.”

“But this is expensive liquor!” he exclaimed, filling his own glass while muttering nonsensical remarks. As the liquid swirled in his glass, he asked, “Hey, Baek Woong. You seemed surprised when you saw the Self-Controlled Moon Blade earlier. Do you know what it is?”

In a moment of my emotions slipping, I thought, How could he tell? I felt bitter realizing that over time, I had grown accustomed to hiding my feelings, yet he saw right through me. It felt as if everyone I met, including the Master of the White Lotus and Yong Junil, could read my inner thoughts.

But perhaps it wasn’t my lack of skill; maybe they were just experienced old foxes. I steadied my heart and replied, “I know about Demon Artifacts and the Seven Luminaries. And I also know that you won the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament to reclaim the Self-Controlled Moon Blade.”

“Oh!” I chose not to hide any longer. The Twelve Joules seated before me was a formidable expert who could easily toy with me like Zhuge Sa. It was better to draw his interest with minor information and conceal the more significant details. He rested his chin on his hand and replied, “You’re quite an unusual character. You have two souls, command the Spirit Beasts of the Celestial Realm, and seem well-informed about the Seven Luminaries, Demon Artifacts, and Otherworldly Races.”

“…”

“And yet you’re a Dharma Guardian for the Thunder God?” His eyes were brimming with curiosity. I couldn’t hide my discomfort and said, “If that’s the case, could we exchange information one by one?”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you the one who called for information?” I pressed on. “Wouldn’t it be better for us to get to the point?”

“Alright… go ahead and tell me.” There was no one else around. The Master of the White Lotus, Wind Spirit’s Yong Bi Cheon, and Yong Junil all vanished back to their base the moment the treaty concluded, and the Three Masters had returned to the Divine City. Only the Twelve Joules and I remained. I stared at him and finally asked, “Why isn’t the Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God able to help against demons?”

The Twelve Joules looked surprised, responding, “Why are you curious about that?”

“It’s hard not to be curious. There are hardly any warriors stronger than a Dharma Guardian on this earth; I need to understand what the blocking issue is.”

“Hmph… if I tell you that, what information are you going to give me?”

“I’ll tell you what you were curious about earlier.”

The Twelve Joules pondered for a moment before agreeing. “Interesting transaction. I accept.”

“Thank you.” I recounted the circumstances of how I obtained the Water Element Divine Sword by chance up on Huangshan. After three twists and turns, I ended up meeting the Sect Leader and losing all those treasures. I added that my companion Mangnyang helped me decipher the Oracle Bone Script to learn that the Water Spirit was one of the Seven Luminaries.

He didn’t inquire about the liberation of the Seven Luminaries, nor did I bring it up. After a brief silence, he exclaimed, “It’s true! Did you share this story with the Master of the White Lotus as well?”

Not exactly, but it was a tricky question to answer, so I said vaguely, “Yes.”

“Then it’s my turn to share.” Sitting back down, the Twelve Joules began, “What I aim to take down is the Old Ruler, the Sea God. What do you believe the Sea God’s abilities are?”

“I don’t know.” Rumors buzzed around, but I had never faced the Sea God myself. Hearing that from the Twelve Joules was a first.

“He possesses the ability to control the minions of darkness and can cast out the apostles or followers under the Old Ruler’s command. Despite being one of the Old Rulers, he has dominion over the Great Ocean and wields immense power. It’s because of this ability that even the descendants of the Evil Gods find it hard to meddle with the Sea God.”

That was a brand new revelation to me. I contemplated his words and responded, “So the Dharma Guardian who possesses the Heavenly Spirit Pill can’t take on the Sea God because he’s part of the deity’s entourage?”

“Exactly. If a Dharma Guardian tries to fight the Sea God, they’ll be plunged into an unexplainable terror, causing them to flee or go mad. It’s a unique power of the Sea God that you can’t escape.”

“…”

“It’s not just the Sea God either. Most of the Old Rulers have some form of mentally intimidating techniques or magic to purge inferior beings.”

Somehow it all clicked for me. While the Heavenly Spirit Pill showcased overwhelming power, it would be detrimental when one faced divine beings. After listening to the Twelve Joules, a thought struck me.

Wait a second, does that mean I won’t be able to fight the Sea God after obtaining the Heavenly Spirit Pill?

Gaining infinite internal power is fantastic, but becoming unable to battle the Old Ruler would be a disaster!

It was the first time I realized such a restriction, leaving me flabbergasted. After all, my ultimate goal was to defeat the Old Ruler; the path being blocked was not an option. Another question lingered in my thoughts. How did Yong Bi Cheon manage to defeat the Moon Sovereign Izanagi no Mikoto? There was a time when he clearly subjugated the Sovereign, so it struck me that a Dharma Guardian should be on par with such beings. Perhaps there’s a hidden secret behind that incident?

Sensing my silence, the Twelve Joules resumed speaking, “I strategized and pulled out the Self-Controlled Moon Blade to make significant sacrifices. Before he discovers how to use it, I plan to enhance my power with the Water Element Divine Sword. By the next time we meet, I’ll be twice as strong.”

That sent chills down my spine. His strength was already nearly equal to that of the Master of the White Lotus; if he gets stronger, how powerful would he become? It was a terrifying prospect that I could hardly fathom. Yet, I suppressed that feeling and replied, “What do you mean?”

“Well? It might be some helpful advice for you.” The Twelve Joules replied playfully, still wearing his emotionless mask, making it impossible to read his expressions. The unnatural feeling sent shivers down my spine. Awkwardly left speechless, he added with a cheeky grin, “Looks to me like your goal is to collect the Seven Luminaries, right?”

Touché. I veered my response, “If I could, it would be great.”

“Hahaha.”

“Twelve Joules, may I ask you something too?” I ventured carefully.

“Go ahead.”

I asked cautiously, “What do you plan to do after defeating the Sea God?”

It was a valid question. Unlike someone who didn’t know him well, I was aware that he had already collected three of the Seven Luminaries. Originally the owner of the Wood Element, he had also acquired the Water Element from this exchange, and the Moon Element was in Mount Muni. Collecting the Moon, Water, and Wood would undoubtedly grant the Twelve Joules tremendous power soon.

If he gained that much power, wouldn’t he be able to topple the Sea God? If that happens, what would the Twelve Joules plan to do next?

Upon my inquiry, he smirked, “Hmm… What’s my purpose, you ask? That’s just the beginning.”

“Beginning?”

“My goal is far too distant and perilous, almost dreamlike. But then again, a beginning is half the battle, so I guess I should be happy.” There was something lacking in his explanation. I fired another question.

“So…”

“Hold on.” The Twelve Joules cut me off.

“It seems I’m the only one talking; maybe you should share your thoughts too. Do you intend to continue as a Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God?”

“…”

“No, right? You’re going to reclaim the treasures?”

His probing remarks left me at a loss for words. Of course, I had to retrieve the treasures, including the Divine Lamp and Wooden Armor, but there was no way I could openly express that intent to the Twelve Joules. I begrudgingly responded, “Unless the Sect Leader betrays me, I plan to stay put.”

It might come off as cowardly, but it was the best course for now. Even if a rebellion ensued, I needed a certain amount of power to back it up, and there was no way to gain that kind of power in a short time. For now, I had to be cautious of the Master of the White Lotus and maintain a low profile.

Then the Twelve Joules teased me, “What if the Sect Leader thinks the same? You may never reclaim the treasures then.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“Hahaha. Indeed.” The Twelve Joules chuckled, finding something amusing.

“Alright, continue with the question you had earlier.”

“What exactly will change if you defeat the Sea God?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even the Sea God is just one of the Old Rulers. If you take him down, what will really change?”

His expression turned serious as he examined me with intensity, this time without the curiosity, but rather a piercing analytical stare that froze me in place. My heart raced, yet I sensed no anger from him, only an alien feeling. After a long moment, the Twelve Joules tore his gaze away, stating, “You… know more than I expected.”

“…”

“Right, indeed. You know about the end of the world. Perhaps our goals align after all…” With that, the Twelve Joules stood up.

“This has been enjoyable. Make good use of the Water Element Divine Sword, Baek Woong.”

“Take care.”

Before I knew it, he vanished without a trace, seemingly using some kind of teleportation spell. What a lucky break. If the Twelve Joules had harbored malicious intent, this place could’ve been my grave or torture chamber. It seemed that some deal exchanged silently between the Twelve Joules and the Master of the White Lotus had somehow shielded me.

For a long while, I gazed at the spot where he had just been, sighed, and murmured, “… I think it’s time to talk, Zhuge Sa.”

My thoughts drifted to Zhuge Sa.

The moment of reckoning had arrived.

[Let’s skip the formalities and get to the point.] Zhuge Sa snapped irritably in my mind.

[I attempted to transfer my soul to you using the Soul Exchange Technique, but for some reason, I failed to seize control over your spirit. So now, I’m just cohabiting with you.]

I replied coldly, “That’s not the point. Did you seriously see all my memories?”

Zhuge Sa burst into gleeful laughter. [Heh heh heh… What a funny situation! I had no idea you were a reincarnated person who has looped 18 times and that we had crossed paths multiple times. It was never dull reading through those memories.]

“Damn it!” I couldn’t help but get frustrated.

So Zhuge Sa had been killed by the Master of the White Lotus, yet managed to sacrifice his body and transfer his soul to me using the Soul Exchange Technique! Originally, he was supposed to take over my body, but he had failed, which led to him cohabiting with me. Due to this situation, he had also shared my memories.

In a gloomy tone, Zhuge Sa continued, [I’m the one who should be angry. I never believed I’d end up coexisting with someone like you.]

With a low growl, I challenged, “So what are you going to do about it? The control of this body is mine, so I’ll do everything I can to expel you.”

[Heh heh… Do you really think you can?] he chuckled darkly.

[Only I know how to properly use the Soul Exchange Technique. You might share memories with Hyun through the Obsidian, but just know this situation is unprecedented in the history of heretical sects. Normally, the Soul Exchange Technique can only be successful or fail; it’s impossible for souls to coexist like this.]

“How can you know until you try?” I retorted, my frustration boiling over.

[By the way, I’m genuinely curious about one thing.] As he continued, I stood frozen.

[Why the hell are you still alive?]

 

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