Chapter 365
I used the Four Great Spirits to return straight to the White Lotus Sect. I considered dropping by to see Mangnyang on the way, but decided against it.
Why? Because the Master of the White Lotus Sect is definitely keeping a close eye on my every move, even if he doesn’t say a word. Given that he’s already squashed the martial forces around Jangryeong Valley, there’s a good chance his spies are lurking near Jinrang Valley. Just stopping by for a moment might raise suspicions about Mangnyang, and the last thing I want is for my buddy to get on the Master’s bad side. Besides, with my precious Golden Lamp and Wooden Armor stolen, if something happens to Mangnyang, I’d be in a world of hurt.
Just then, Zhuge Sa smirked and said, “You’re really playing it safe, huh? If you’d done that every time, you’d have cut your chances of dying in half by now.”
“Shut it…”
I stepped off the Four Great Spirits and grumpily headed toward the Hall of the Sect Leader. The Third Elder, who was at the entrance, looked at me and said, “So you really can teleport. I didn’t think you’d make it to Liaoning so fast.”
“……”
“Don’t be too guarded. As long as you’re of value to the Sect Leader, the Elder Council will support you. We’ll be eating from the same bowl soon, so if you keep frowning, it’s just you who’ll be tired.”
With a grin, the Third Elder added, “The Sect Leader has been wanting to see you. Follow me.”
“Got it.”
I followed him to the Hall of the Sect Leader. As soon as the leader saw me, he said, “Do you know why I’m so wary of the Master of the Twelve Joules?”
I pondered for a moment before responding, “I assumed it’s because of the strength of the Twelve Joules’ forces.”
“Sure, the Twelve Joules are strong. Excluding our White Lotus Sect, they’re the best among other forces. If they combined all their powers, they’d be twice as strong as the Nine Great Sects in the Central Plains. But my fear of the Master of the Twelve Joules isn’t just because of their power. That’s something the Dharma Guardians could handle.”
“Then…”
“It’s the Master of the Twelve Joules himself and the Three Masters, as well as the fact that he’s part of the Manha Spiritual Gate. That’s what really makes things complicated.”
This was puzzling. What difference did that make?
After thinking it over more, I said, “I know the Master of the Twelve Joules is impressive, but can he really compare to your martial arts, Sect Leader?”
“Indeed, he is very strong.”
“……!!”
The Master of the White Lotus Sect declared this with certainty!
I was taken aback. I understood the Master of the Twelve Joules was a formidable presence from my past life, but given the overwhelming martial prowess I’d seen from the Sect Leader not long ago, I had subconsciously ranked the Master of the Twelve Joules lower. I thought, no matter how powerful he was for a human, he couldn’t possibly withstand the Sect Leader’s Primordial Spirit abilities, like the Essence of Soul Extinguishing Step.
But now the Sect Leader was acting as if he viewed him as an equal, and there seemed to be a solid reason for it. When I looked at the Sect Leader, he said, “I fear the Manha Spiritual Gate because I read in ancient texts that they are direct descendants of gods. The Three Masters, Yun Sa, Yu, and Feng Baek, are nearly transcendent beings. But what’s even more terrifying is that the Master of the Twelve Joules is an absolute being, emerging like a goblin from the Manha Spiritual Gate.”
“Are you saying the Master of the Twelve Joules isn’t human?”
“I don’t know. But there’s no such thing as a human who can summon a phoenix. At that point, he has transcended humanity.”
“……”
I suddenly recalled my previous encounter with the Master of the Twelve Joules when he introduced himself.
“How should I respond… As the 23rd River God, responsible for overseeing the Phoenix of the Haedong Gate, or as the Dangun, practicing Hongik Ingan while governing the Sacred Altar Tree of the Three Great Masters, or as the master of the Wood Element, Haein among the Seven Luminaries, curious about the other seven Luminaries? Any of those works.”
At the time, I just thought he had different titles. But hearing the Sect Leader now, it felt like there was great significance to being the River God overseeing the Phoenix of the Manha Spiritual Gate and the Dangun.
“Hmm… So the secret to the Master of the Twelve Joules’ power isn’t just the Wood Element of Haein? Could it mean his strength as Dangun is even greater?”
Could there be a power even more formidable than the master of the Seven Luminaries?
I still couldn’t tell. The Master of the Twelve Joules rambled about a lot of things, yet had never explicitly mentioned the truly essential stuff. He only tossed out a few objective clues while keeping the important secrets hidden. He was truly a cunning one.
I asked Zhuge Sa internally, “You must have read my memories of the Master of the Twelve Joules, right? What do you think of him?”
“……”
“Zhuge Sa?”
After a moment of silence, Zhuge Sa replied, “I don’t know. He’s a total wild card.”
“Is that so?”
“Do you even know what ‘wild card’ means when you say that? Tsk…”
Zhuge Sa suddenly treated me like a fool. I was about to snap back, but he continued.
“Under normal circumstances, there can’t be a human force strong enough to threaten the Master of the White Lotus Sect. I know that better than anyone as someone who faced him directly. The Sect Leader could possibly be considered the strongest superhuman in the Eastern historical context, on the level of someone with Overlay Technique powers. Even if you stack all the forces of the White Lotus Sect and the martial forces of the Central Plains, they won’t be able to beat him.”
“Why’s that?”
“Yet despite that, in this era, a being like the Master of the Twelve Joules exists alongside the Sect Leader. The probability of such a being emerging in the long history is incredibly low, so isn’t it odd that they both happen to be alive at the same time?”
“……”
That was true. I hadn’t considered this angle since the Master of the Twelve Joules had wormed his way into my life so effortlessly, but it was indeed strange. Are there really two peak experts coexisting? While I mulled over this, Zhuge Sa chimed in.
“Hyun must’ve suspected something similar, which is probably why he drew the Twelve Joules into the mix, keeping the White Lotus Sect in check while trying to uncover their secrets. Anyway, you might want to delve into the Master of the Twelve Joules soon.”
“The White Lotus Sect comes first.”
“Whatever, just pay attention to what’s right in front of you. The Sect Leader is getting suspicious.”
Oh no! I snapped back to attention to find an awkwardly long silence between the Master and me, with his gaze boring into me. I hurriedly said to him, “I-I’m sorry! I got lost in thought…”
“You think too much. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
“I’ll be cautious.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
The Sect Leader dismissed my worries and continued. “Last time, you expressed disinterest in the mission of the Thunder God Lineage. I found merit in your words, so I decided to prepare a different reward this time.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I’d love to gift you the Heavenly Spirit Pill right away, but the Su Shin Sect is currently busy with a promotion ceremony. So I can’t give it to you just yet. You’ll have to wait at least one to three years.”
“Hmm.”
I breathed a sigh. I had heard about the downsides of the Heavenly Spirit Pill while preparing to face the Sea God, so I thought it was actually a good thing. But what exactly is this promotion ceremony? It seemed like the Su Shin Sect had considerable influence regarding acquiring the Heavenly Spirit Pill.
Then the Sect Leader continued, “So I think it’s appropriate that I train you properly as your master.”
“Train?”
The Sect Leader’s tone took on a grave edge. “There have already been discussions internally. All three Dharmic Guardians who evaluated your skills unanimously said you’re inadequate.”
“……”
“They said it’s hard to accept you as a master in the Thunder God Lineage.”
This was a shock!
Are you kidding me? If what they said is correct, that means everyone present at Jangryeong Valley thought I fell short of expectations?! Considering that Yong Bi-cheon and Han Baek-ryeong had been pretty positive about my martial arts, I couldn’t understand it. I felt a bit insulted, which made Zhuge Sa chuckle.
“Haha, you loser. Sure, for ordinary martial artists in the Central Plains, your skills might be impressive. But in Thunder God Lineage—a top contender among the Four Great Families with a history of a thousand years—it’s only natural they’d find you lacking to be considered any kind of competitive master there. Just subtract the Heavenly Spirit Pill, and your abilities don’t even match Yong Bi-cheon’s.”
“Ugh…”
That hit a nerve. It was true that my skills now barely surpassed Lee Kwang’s—but to the Dharma Guardians, that might mean nothing. Lee Kwang might be a top-tier peak expert by Central Plains standards, but for the strongest force, the White Lotus Sect, guys like him aren’t rare birds. Just counting the Elder Council, there are bound to be at least five or more guys who could easily outdo him. Plus, considering how harsh the benchmarks that the Thunderbolt Three Saints applied to Lee Kwang were, I couldn’t say I was surprised.
As I stood there silent, the Sect Leader spoke again. “I’ll personally guide you through the study and interpretation of the Three Treasure Technique, including the Seven Great Techniques. You should see substantial results in about three years.”
“What?!”
“Not interested?”
I swallowed hard. “Of course, it sounds like a good opportunity…”
In martial arts, no one surpasses the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Having the highest martial master directly teaching me would be an incredible fortuitous encounter. However, this also meant I’d have to share every detail of the Seven Great Techniques with him. Sharing even the nuances of the Techniques would mean I’d be giving him all of Jang Sam-bong’s insights.
Edit out any practitioners strong enough to overshadow me, and living in dread—what if he becomes unstoppable after learning that? Wouldn’t I lose the ability to reclaim my treasures from him forever?
But I quickly gathered my thoughts and bowed my head. “I’m deeply grateful for the great grace! Please guide me!”
Since the Master of the White Lotus Sect was an insurmountable mountain at this point, I should just let it be until I find a way to match his power. I might as well give up on reclaiming my treasures in this life.
The Sect Leader, looking pleased, said, “It’s been a while since I taught someone, so I might be a bit rusty. Just do your best to follow along.”
“Yes, of course.”
If I get to learn the Three Treasure Technique from the Sect Leader, I might be strong enough to actually use it after this life, or maybe in ten years! My heart raced with that thought. Just as I began to feel optimistic, the Sect Leader said, “You’ll need some time to acclimate to our school’s atmosphere. I’ll call for you again in three days, so take this Divine Token.”
Whoosh!
A golden token flew toward me. I respectfully caught it, noticing the characters for Thunder God inscribed on it. Upon touching it, it seemed to be pure gold. As I stared at the token, the Sect Leader said, “This is the golden token proving your identity as a Dharma Guardian. Henceforth, other martial artists under the White Lotus Sect will heed your command.”
“Honor!”
“Now leave.”
I stepped out of the Hall of the Sect Leader. Following behind me was the Third Elder, who remarked, “Baek Woong. Now that you’ve received the golden token, I’ll treat you as a formal Dharma Guardian from now on.”
His tone had shifted to a more respectful one. When I glanced back at him, he was chuckling to himself.
“Of course, you need to hold your own to truly gain respect as a Dharma Guardian…”
“What do you mean by that?”
He turned his head with a smirk. “Right now, you’re the only one in the Thunder God Lineage. Plus, your skills don’t even measure up to a master level, so if you flaunt the Dharma Guardian’s authority too boldly, you’ll just end up being a laughingstock.”
“……!!”
“Don’t take it the wrong way. This is just advice.”
As he mumbled this, he continued, “Among the older powers in the Wind Spirit Sect and Fire Spirit Techniques, there are some remarkable figures. They could give even the top-level masters of the Elder Council a run for their money. So be careful not to lose face by recklessly showing off.”
“…Understood.”
I could accept that his advice was well-founded. Being connected to the Elder Council, the Third Elder had the clearest objective perspective on the situation within the White Lotus Sect, and was just offering guidance to the new Dharma Guardian. Although, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally.
“With my martial arts, there shouldn’t be that many who could match me in the Central Plains… But in the White Lotus Sect, it’s this tough?”
But anyway, I had officially joined the White Lotus Sect. Depending on how I navigate this, I could gain a lot in this life. As my resolve fortified, I arrived at my quarters, only to be greeted by a stunning beauty in her twenties, dressed in servant attire, entering my room.
“Dharma Guardian.”
“Who are you?”
“The bathwater is all prepared, and I’ve come to attend to you.”
“……”
I turned beet red. The implication of bathing service typically meant something more intimate. It was common jargon used by the upper class and wealthy when entertaining guests. I wondered if I might be misunderstanding things, so I asked her, “I can bathe on my own. If that means something else, I’ll have to decline.”
“It was meant in that context…”
“……”
She replied with firmness, her expression unwavering. “I’ll guide you to where the bathwater is.”
“No need. Who ordered this?”
“The Sect Leader instructed me to serve the Dharma Guardian.”
“Ugh…”
I frowned. At this point, the only one who could command me to attend would be the Master of the White Lotus Sect. He probably thought of me as a fully mature half-transition master and was just being too considerate. I had to stifle a laugh, thinking, “Why would he make such a gesture when my exterior still resembles that of a child?”
Regardless, this was not a favorable kind of support. Just to be sure, I asked her, “Do other Dharma Guardians receive this kind of treatment as well?”
“Honestly, it’s my first time being given such orders too…”
“Well then. I’ll inform the Sect Leader, so don’t worry about it, and please leave.”
“Understood. May you rest well.”
After she left the room, Zhuge Sa chuckled.
“What’s with you? Are you feeling a little too innocent?”
“Damn it. I only want Miho.”
“Haha, the reincarnated one is a pure-hearted fool, how amusing.”
“Just shut up…”
Then Zhuge Sa suddenly changed his tone to something more serious. “Hey. You better find some excuse to get yourself to Xinjiang by the beginning of the New Year.”
“What?”
“It was supposed to be my job, but I lost my body. So now it’s on you.”
I was dumbfounded. “What nonsense is this?”
“The location is in the Qingzhang Plateau of Tubo, which is part of Xinjiang. You must go there.”
“But why should I go there? That’s right on the road to Western Region.”
This was absurd. The place where Zhuge Sa was mentioning was somewhere I had never been. Xinjiang’s Tubo area was clearly off the beaten path and heading into a long, treacherous desert. Only a fool would think about venturing there.
To my question, Zhuge Sa replied, “Because the Tao King, Byeokji Sang, is waiting for you there.”
“Tao King Byeokji Sang?”
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “What reason could that possibly give me? I don’t know what meeting you set up with him, but I have no reason to do your favor…”
“You’d best go. If you don’t, he’ll come to kill you.”
I stood there, dazed, and then laughed again. “You’re joking! Even if Byeokji Sang is strong, he’s just a peak expert from Sichuan at best. What’s…”
Zhuge Sa said solemnly, “That’s just a front. It’s far from his true self.”
“What do you mean by ‘true self’? You’re telling me I can’t beat Byeokji Sang?”
“Yeah. If it comes down to a fight, you’d be dead in a second.”
“……”
What the hell is going on? As I stood frozen in disbelief, Zhuge Sa added, sounding equally troubled, “I never thought things would get this tangled, but I guess I need to tell you now.”
“What is it?”
“Byeokji Sang is not human. Do you know why I forced my life span to extend instead of dying?”
“If he’s not human, then what…”
It suddenly hit me.
I stopped speaking, a shocking realization dawning on me. Zhuge Sa chuckled darkly, “Because I made a deal with the Demon King.”
