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“Heavenly Spirit Pill, huh!”

“Ugh, damn it!”

Under normal circumstances, I should be bouncing off the walls with joy, but I wasn’t thrilled at all. Why? Because I had already heard from the Prophet about the heavenly spirit pill being connected to a terrifying slave contract with a Demon.

Even if I reincarnated, I had no clue how the restrictions of the Heavenly Spirit Pill would hinder me. I could end up unable to reincarnate and become a god’s slave, suffering endlessly for eternity.

But showing my disgust here would raise too much suspicion. I summoned every ounce of patience to hide my emotional turmoil and pretended to think before answering.

“Sect Leader, I’d like to master the Three Treasure Technique before obtaining the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

The Sect Leader, seemingly surprised, replied, “Why? Those two things aren’t related.”

“I have my reasons.”

What on earth should I say? I was scrambling for words, and my head was spinning. Even if Zhuge Sa were here, he probably couldn’t come up with an answer in this moment. Desperately racking my brain, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“The Heavenly Spirit Pill has boundless internal power. You could use your strength however you like. But if you get used to it, doesn’t the unit of power output change? Wouldn’t it be tough to practice precise martial arts techniques? Getting the Heavenly Spirit Pill before mastering the Three Treasure Technique would be a bit…”

Wait a minute! Now that I think about it, that actually makes sense!

While I was still flabbergasted by my own words, the Sect Leader fell deep into thought. After a pause, he said, “That’s a fair point. I hadn’t considered that side effect.”

“Uh…”

“Very well. I’ll postpone the teaching of the Heavenly Spirit Pill until you’ve mastered the Three Treasure Technique. Until then, focus on your training.”

“Yes, sure!”

I couldn’t believe I just got through that. I turned to Zhuge Sa and asked, “Hey, you didn’t, like, manipulate my mind, did you?”

Zhuge Sa replied gruffly, “What are you talking about? You did all that yourself, why drag me into this?”

“So what I just said…”

“Considering how long you’ve been reincarnating and accumulating experience, it only makes sense you’d have some sort of intuition buzzing in your brain. Being in a pinch boosts your logical capacity.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled as he explained.

“But unless you fundamentally change, you won’t be able to pull off that kind of wit when it matters.”

“Would’ve been nice if it wasn’t full of side comments.”

I grumbled. If only this guy would be straightforward with his speech!

The Sect Leader continued while I was bowing down.

“Anyway, we don’t really need your power, so it doesn’t matter. If any conflict arises with the Imperial Palace, focus on your survival first.”

Instead of feeling insulted, I felt something odd about that. I lifted my head and asked, “Excuse me, Sect Leader. I believe there are probably no martial arts masters stronger than me at the Imperial Palace right now. Isn’t it an exaggeration to say a confrontation with the Imperial Palace would be so horrifying?”

“I’m not scared of the Golden Eagle Guard or Duke of Guanzhong. The current Four Great Experts don’t even merit a mention. Our martial prowess certainly overwhelms them.”

Responding in a low voice, the Sect Leader looked up at the sky and said, “However, that guy will almost certainly draw upon his power as a Priest. The issue is, I can’t predict how strong that power will be. If he employs sorcery and forbidden law, it’ll become a tricky fight.”

“That guy? Who are you talking about?”

I pretended to be clueless. The Sect Leader replied, “The true mastermind of the Imperial Palace! At least not Zhuge Bu.”

“Hmm…!!”

“It definitely won’t be easy.”

At those words, I let out a sound of discomfort. It wasn’t because I felt the terrifying might of the Imperial Palace; after all, I already knew it was strong. What shocked me was that the Sect Leader seemed to have a broader perspective on the grand scheme than I expected.

‘Could it be the Sect Leader also knows about the Demons and Dragon People being raised by the Imperial Palace?’

That seemed highly likely.

In the beginning, I thought the Sect Leader would just achieve transcendent martial arts and live in seclusion within the White Lotus Sect, but it turns out I was completely mistaken. The Sect Leader already knew what kind of powers the Imperial Palace possessed, what backing they had, what the “Old Ruler” was, and about the dark balance existing in the underbelly of this world. Furthermore, he must have anticipated that he would compete for dominance with the Imperial Palace in the future and was strategizing ahead of time.

Zhuge Sa spoke up, “You can also view the Sect Leader as a Demon Sorcerer. The ability to interpret grimoires and establish independent contracts is a level not easily found even in the Western Regions. Well… in other words, he’s in a precarious position where he might go insane and perish at any moment.”

“I see… So the time he gave you the Xuyou in exchange for that Self-Controlled Moon Blade was…”

“Exactly. He realized the Self-Controlled Moon Blade was a Demon Artifact, and it harbored tremendous hidden power. Depending on how it’s wielded, it could measure up to the Seven Luminaries.”

[……]

“The Master of the Twelve Joules has acquired two Seven Luminaries, but you could argue that the Sect Leader is currently on par with that.”

Zhuge Sa’s words gave me plenty to ponder. It wasn’t for nothing that the Heavenly Realm entrusted me with the task of balancing the world. It means even in the Heavenly Realm, they couldn’t meddle carelessly in the affairs of the Master of the Twelve Joules and the Sect Leader, because their capabilities had reached an unimaginable level.

“By the way, I wonder what abilities the Self-Controlled Moon Blade has?”

“Well… I’ve heard rumors of similar Demon Artifacts, but I can’t be sure. But it couldn’t possibly be that artifact. It was sealed away ages ago and wouldn’t be found in the human realm.”

“Why are you so sure of that?”

“Because that artifact can summon the dangerous power of an Outer God.”

“So if the Sect Leader has that artifact?”

“It would all depend on how he chooses to use it. What’s certain is that your chances of dying a tragic death would skyrocket.”

[……]

This guy really knows how to hit the nail on the head…

As I fell silent, the Sect Leader spoke up again.

“Alright… then I’ll have the remaining Seven Luminaries participate in the research of the Seven Great Techniques.”

I perked up. “Are you serious?”

“Of course, you won’t need to voice your opinions during the research. Just gather whatever knowledge you can.”

So I got to participate in the research of the Seven Great Techniques, which was joined by Dharma Protectors of the same rank. The research was ongoing in a specially arranged training zone for the Sect Leader, where Dokgo Jun, Han Baek-ryeong, and Dokgo Seong were already waiting for me. As soon as Dokgo Seong spotted me, he seemed surprised.

“What are you doing here…”

“It just happened that way.” I chuckled awkwardly. Dokgo Seong patted my shoulder after a moment.

“Great. You’re an outstanding expert, so I believe you’ll be a huge help in this research.”

“I hope so.”

Dokgo Jun and Han Baek-ryeong seemed to show little interest in me. Once the introductions were over, the Sect Leader instructed us, “Then let’s resume the research.”

The research gathering felt mostly the same as before. I had previously experienced similar gatherings with the prodigies of the Thunder God Lineage where they lived and trained together, so I managed to blend in without too much hassle. Though I still felt the sting of a lack of talent, it didn’t hit me as hard this time.

‘Not bad.’

However, about half a day into the research of the Seven Great Techniques, during a break, Han Baek-ryeong used Six Harmonies Assembly to speak to me from a distance.

“Seems like fortune’s smiling at us. Have you given any thought to that earlier proposal?”

Typically, when someone uses Six Harmonies Assembly, you’d expect a booming sound echoing from all directions, but the method Han Baek-ryeong was using was one-way, sent in an instant. It was clearly an enhanced technique that showed he was being cautious of his surroundings.

It was apparent that Han Baek-ryeong was aware of the Sect Leader and the absolute expert Dokgo Jun being around. And considering the possibility that the Sect Leader could eavesdrop, he had deliberately altered Six Harmonies Assembly to contact me secretly. While legendary techniques like the Legendary Heart Imprint do exist, there was no one in the White Lotus Sect capable of using such a skill.

‘So this is why you came to talk to me.’

I pretended to take a sip of water while countering with Six Harmonies Assembly as well.

“Thinking or whatever… you just mentioned you could tell me about the Sect Leader’s weakness.”

“In exchange for revealing the Sect Leader’s weakness, you must be ready to kill him in the event he goes berserk.”

[……]

What the heck does that mean?

On the surface, it seemed reasonable, but I never would have guessed Han Baek-ryeong would request the assassination of the Sect Leader. Could it be that he, like Cheon Woo-jin, harbors strong murderous intent toward the Sect Leader?

But this might be a trap. I carefully contemplated before responding.

“What do you plan to do if I tell the Sect Leader about what you said?”

“Do as you please. It doesn’t really matter…”

“What?”

Han Baek-ryeong responded with a remarkably nonchalant expression.

“Don’t you remember how the Sect Leader dealt with Cheon Woo-jin? Whether quickly or slowly, the Sect Leader is going to eliminate the Fire Spirit Techniques. And once the Fire Spirit Techniques are gone, your fate will be sealed soon enough. Didn’t you realize that your current relationship with the maiden is as precarious as ‘when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold’?”

In short, it was a gamble where I was in danger regardless. I didn’t expect Han Baek-ryeong to make such an aggressive proposal, which threw me off a bit. He was so forthright, I found myself confused about how to handle this situation.

Then Zhuge Sa advised, “Just accept it for now.”

“Is that alright?”

“In my view, Han Baek-ryeong’s proposal isn’t a test scheme. Also, he isn’t wrong. If the Sect Leader aims for domination, you might unexpectedly drop dead before you have a chance to grow.”

“What?”

“The pace at which the Sect Leader has been absorbing the research of the Seven Great Techniques is faster than expected. If you simply brush off this suggestion, you’ll miss your opportunity.”

“Sigh… It looks like I have no other choice.”

Reluctantly, I replied to Han Baek-ryeong’s proposal.

“Fine. I’ll go along with what you say. If you tell me the weakness, I’ll prepare to take down the Sect Leader whenever necessary.”

“Hmph… I don’t expect anything of you. The maiden’s wish is to stop his rampage. If it’s you, the new disciple the Sect Leader is nurturing, there might be a sliver of hope.”

The undertone was subtly different. Before I could comprehend the difference, Han Baek-ryeong continued.

“The Sect Leader has a reverse scale. It exists just below his heart.”

“…!!”

He has a reverse scale?!

A reverse scale is typically a term used to refer to a dragon’s weakness, but in this context, it likely referred to a massive vulnerability, like the Gentry’s taboo. It probably doesn’t differ much from that.

Thus, this was utterly unexpected information! Yet, I simultaneously found myself in a situation where I couldn’t help but be suspicious. How could I trust Han Baek-ryeong’s spontaneous revelation of the Sect Leader’s weakness? I had just learned that the reverse scale even existed!

“How do you know this…”

“Not just the Sect Leader, most of the powerful figures among the Su Shin Sect possess a reverse scale. Over the years, the maiden has exhausted every means at her disposal to uncover the Sect Leader’s reverse scale and its location.”

“That’s hard to believe.”

“You’ll need to make your own judgment. The maiden has determined that a catastrophe is imminent, so you should prepare your mind quickly.”

[……]

With that, Han Baek-ryeong ended the communication and returned to focus entirely on the research of martial arts, avoiding eye contact with me so that no one would suspect him. Meanwhile, my heart raced as I processed the massive intel I had just received.

The Sect Leader’s worst weakness, the reverse scale!

Could that really be true?

But there’s no point in dwelling on it now. Han Baek-ryeong seemed disinterested in sharing any more information with me. It was just another precautionary measure against the Sect Leader, as he no longer appeared to be willing to exchange intel. Zhuge Sa announced, “Don’t dwell on it. You must take Han Baek-ryeong’s words seriously.”

“What’s the basis for that?”

“It indicates that if they possess such crucial information, they typically weigh everything carefully and extract an enormous price from you. However, Han Baek-ryeong simply shared the information without demands. It signifies that things are desperate enough that he doesn’t have the luxury to negotiate with you. This means they only wish to share words in hopes of a mutual benefit.”

“But…”

I shook my head.

“Is the situation really that urgent? While the conflict with the Imperial Palace seems dire, I have a hard time imagining that the Sect Leader could actually lose.”

As it stands, that logic was sound. Thanks to me, the Sect Leader had amassed tremendous power, but the Imperial Palace didn’t have any particularly strong reasons to enhance themselves. The Sect Leader could crush beings like a Dragon Person with a mere fist, so I couldn’t picture him losing.

“……”

“Zhuge Sa?”

“What’s certain is that you should take Han Baek-ryeong’s words to heart. Now that you know about the reverse scale, if you find yourself fighting the Sect Leader, act decisively without a moment’s hesitation.”

“I get it.”

I nodded in agreement. Even if my power doesn’t even reach the feet of the Sect Leader, I had learned through countless reincarnations that the affairs of this world can spiral out of control in ways I can’t predict. Knowing about the reverse scale would surely give me an opportunity to use it advantageously.

And throughout the remaining Seven Luminaries, I trained furiously alongside the Dharma Protectors. Indeed, Dokgo Seong was an exceptional talent, leading in the research of the Seven Great Techniques, while Dokgo Jun and Han Baek-ryeong appeared to support him. The Sect Leader was frequently in deep thought as he conducted the research alongside them.

When the day of the decisive battle arrived, the Sect Leader declared, “Let’s go. To Moku-Mun Temple.”

The day had come for the Imperial Palace and the White Lotus Sect to settle the score.

 

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