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Bang!

I immediately made my way to the main hall of the White Lotus Sect. After a bit of chitchat among the elders, about a meal’s worth of time passed before they took me to the Sect Leader.

He wasn’t standing on any podium or anything; he was just quietly lost in thought in the garden. There were no Dharma Guardians around. As I stared intently at his figure, the elders slowly stepped back.

It took a while before the Sect Leader finally spoke up.

[Baek Woong. What brings you here?]

I knew the real match was about to begin. No matter how high and mighty the Sect Leader seemed, he wouldn’t see my unexpected choices coming, and his reactions were just as much a mystery. But I felt the urge to take a chance in this life, so I didn’t run; I had come here instead.

I opened my mouth.

“Leader, I can’t accept the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

[Is that a sign of humility?]

The Sect Leader tilted his head and replied.

[If it’s better for you to hone the Three Treasure Technique and accept the Heavenly Spirit Pill later, then by all means. I also think it might be too soon for you now.]

As expected, the Leader had no idea what my current condition was. I was keeping the power of the Moon Sovereign hidden. Just like when I freed the Water Spirit before, the Seven Luminaries Technique allowed me to conceal my strength at will. As long as I could use it only when needed, even the Leader wouldn’t realize I had become the master of the Seven Luminaries.

‘Or maybe… he’s figured it out but just isn’t saying anything.’

Regardless, the water had already spilled. I had no choice but to move forward.

I replied.

“No, even if I mastered the Three Treasure Technique and reached a higher level, I wouldn’t accept the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

[Why is that?]

“……”

[Baek Woong, you know the Heavenly Spirit Pill is an infinite well of internal energy. So you have been coveting that power since the very beginning of your initiation into our sect. Why give it up now?]

Surprisingly, I sensed no real emotion in the Leader’s probing. He didn’t show any anger or embarrassment, not even a subtle change in tone. It felt less like he was inhuman and more like he was some sort of natural being.

“I’ve come to realize that the Heavenly Spirit Pill represents divine power.”

[……]

“And knowing that it’s not a normal kind of power, the side effects are just as severe. How could I possibly accept the Heavenly Spirit Pill?”

As I spoke, I felt a prick in my throat, recognizing that I could very well lose my head at any moment in the capital. I couldn’t help but feel tense. The Sect Leader wasn’t a man who indulged in senseless slaughter, but his whims could change in an instant. As I gulped, the Leader suddenly blew on a dandelion he had in his hand.

The seeds scattered into the sky. After watching that brief sight, the Leader said.

[Then why did you come here?]

“What do you mean…”

[You must know by now that I can take your life whenever I please? With the Four Great Spirits as convenient transportation, you could simply leave the White Lotus Sect. Why come back here?]

I answered simply.

“Because you possess the ability to summon the Dharma Guardians nearby.”

Back in my past life, just before fighting with the Moon Sovereign, I had personally witnessed the Leader summon the Dharma Guardians to his side. With that ability, as someone currently appointed as a Dharma Guardian, I was practically in the Leader’s palm.

[You figured that much out, have you?]

He didn’t deny it and seemed to respond calmly. His nonchalance was unsettling, but I continued.

“Leader, if I say I want to leave the White Lotus Sect, would you allow it?”

[That would be impossible.]

“Why not?”

[Right now, you are one of our most crucial forces. Without you, I don’t think we can win the war against the Twelve Joules. I cannot allow you to leave the sect until we’ve defeated the Twelve Joules.]

His calm response made it clear I was facing a significant wall. I had already caught on to all his traps, but his response was like, “So what?” That was a reaction only possible because he was an Absolute Being. I instinctively sensed that my words might be casually brushed aside, and I clenched my teeth.

It was time to make my move.

I steeled myself and asked, “May I ask one thing? Why do you push humans into the living hell?”

[……]

“Those who hold the Heavenly Spirit Pill suffer torment at the hands of the worst evil gods for eternity after death. Do you have no sense of guilt while using them?”

The Sect Leader seemed to hesitate for a moment, then spoke slowly.

[Baek Woong, do you know what happens when a person dies?]

What a strange question.

But I had to be cautious in this situation, so I shook my head.

“I don’t know.”

[Death is not salvation. A human’s soul is merely a puppet for the Old Ruler.]

Then the Leader continued.

[After all… it won’t matter how it goes. Since the world’s structure is set by the Old Ruler’s will, everything will eventually lead to destruction and unhappiness. The Founder, Dharma, knew this from the beginning and tirelessly sought ways to liberate all beings… Thus, he created the Dharma Technique.]

“……”

[Baek Woong. You may think that the Non-Birth Mother we revere in the White Lotus Sect is a fictitious existence, but it is real. The method chosen by Dharma was to borrow the power of the Non-Birth Mother to achieve True Martial Home, leading all beings to salvation. I am merely trying to fulfill that will.]

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”

[It’s the same story…]

All of a sudden, the dandelion seeds the Leader had been holding twisted back together again. It was as if the scattered seeds had reversed time. When I stared at the White Lotus Leader in surprise, he spoke.

[If we succeed in achieving True Martial Home, everything will be salvaged. When that time comes, the worst price of the Primordial Spirit and the Heavenly Spirit Pill will also be nullified. Because at that moment, all worlds will cycle and the Old Ruler will disappear.]

“……!!”

What… what is this?!

In that instant, I almost forgot to set my plan into motion, so captivated was I by the Leader’s words. Because what he had just mentioned—the ultimate goal of the White Lotus Sect to achieve True Martial Home—was astonishingly significant.

To make the Old Ruler vanish!

Even the Zhuge Clan, quietly observing within me, seemed startled, stumbling over words.

[I-I never thought… but is that genuinely your plan?]

[Zhuge Sa. Do you know something?]

[Damn it!]

Zhuge Sa scowled, seemingly dissatisfied, then fell silent. Meanwhile, the Leader continued speaking.

[This isn’t a fabricated story.]

“To achieve True Martial Home, I have to gather all the teachings from the Non-Birth Mother?”

[Yes. However, there’s no way to know where they’re scattered from mere human effort. So I seek divine power. A god should know where they are.]

“……”

[Baek Woong. I might seem strange to you right now. However, I believe my method is the only best way.]

At that moment, I felt a strange overlap between the figure of the White Lotus Leader Dokgo Uncheon and that of Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong.

Why did I see these two completely unalike figures merging in my mind?

[Stop doubting and follow me.]

There was a sense of desperation in the Leader’s persuasion. I could feel my heart trembling intensely. Knowing all this and still being here, it was inevitable that the White Lotus members who regularly witnessed the Leader would treat him like a god.

But I collected my thoughts and replied to the Leader, “That cannot be.”

[So you wish to become my enemy?]

“No. It simply means our relationship is changing.”

I could feel the Leader’s piercing gaze as he regarded me silently. At the same time, I summoned the Moon Sovereign, drawing power up from within.

Chiri Ling!

With a clear sound, the Moon Sovereign’s presence formed beside me. As the Moon Sovereign’s power surged, I felt an overwhelming force flooding through me—infinitely greater than before. The Leader seemed taken aback by the enhancement of my powers.

[This power is…]

“Leader, I’ve become the master of the Moon Sovereign. And I’ve acquired a few more abilities.”

I floated the Three Divine Tools of Dongyoung around me while calling up the powers of the Demon Beast Bracelet and the National Seal once more. As my spirit energy amplified geometrically, I felt for a moment that I was reaching an unprecedented realm. My essence remained unchanged, but the power I could wield now dwarfed even that of the Dharma Guardians.

Perhaps realizing that, the Leader raised his energy to counter me.

Kugugugueng…

The immense forces clashed and balanced each other out in an instant. I felt an overwhelming pressure, as if I were being pushed back. A cold wave of fear washed over me; I could feel the enormity of the Leader’s true power.

‘This is insane…’

How had he amassed so much strength?! Just the Moon Sovereign alone surpassed what a normal human would accumulate in a lifetime—adding the power of the National Seal and the Bracelet on top, I was in a state that would easily let me handle a Dharma Guardian. Yet the Leader not only surpassed my power effortlessly, but it seemed he held an overwhelming advantage of over 80 percent.

Hovering in the void, the Leader mocked me. The energy swirling around him had already left the power of a Dharma Guardian behind them. Each wave carried the devastating might to sweep away hundreds at once.

[It seems you won’t be able to defeat me.]

“Y-yeah, I suppose so.”

I laughed uneasily, sweat rolling down my back.

“But… if I put every ounce of my strength into fighting… even you won’t come out unscathed.”

[What’s your basis for that?]

“I can unleash the Eight Gates of Life and Death using the Great Destruction technique.”

[……!!]

For the first time, the Leader seemed taken aback. Although my forced smile strained against the Leader’s weight and tension, I kept at it.

“Of course, using that kind of force with my current power would mean I’d be out of it in a second… but could you withstand that blow? “

The Leader pondered my question deeply. Then he answered succinctly.

[That would be impossible.]

Great Destruction!

It was the ultimate secret technique of Hua’s 108 Needles, handed down only to the clan leader and direct descendants, and it was the worst technique of the Hua Clan. It was a last resort strategy used to save those around you when a physician found no hope for his life, resorting to self-sacrifice by unleashing the Eight Gates of Life and Death.

However, its effect was higher than any other martial art in existence, and even in my peak level of Wuwei, I had once ripped the Wind Spirit’s Dharma Guardian, Yong Bi Cheon, apart using it. Now, I had exponentially grown stronger and the combined power of the Moon Sovereign and the treasures ensured that using the Great Destruction technique would unleash a terrifying force in an instant.

It was a suicidal act; moreover, that much power would likely not be sustainable for even a second. Nonetheless, that strike contained a potential that even the Leader was said to be unable to withstand.

I gritted my teeth and glared at the Leader.

“I cannot follow a Leader who toys with people and leads them into endless suffering. But it’s true that I have to form a temporary alliance with you seeing how we are right now. So, I propose an alliance here today.”

[An alliance?]

I nodded.

“I’ll stand by your side until you’ve brought the Twelve Joules down. Until then, I will dedicate my entire strength to assisting you. But after that, do not interfere with what I do for my own beliefs, and please set me free from the White Lotus Sect.”

[……]

After a moment of silence, the Leader replied.

[Must you be so resolute in opposing me? I don’t think I’ve treated you poorly.]

I said firmly.

“This is to protect my soul. I am aware of the truth regarding the Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

[Even if you don’t forcibly take it?]

“If I hadn’t taken this stance, would you have listened to me? Under the guise of sect benefits, you’d have insisted on grafting the Heavenly Spirit Pill onto me regardless.”

[I see… so that was it…]

With a sigh, the Leader said.

[Very well. I accept this alliance. I swear by my name that I won’t harm you until we defeat the Twelve Joules. I will not force you to take the Heavenly Spirit Pill either.]

“Thank you.”

Whoosh!

The Leader blew the dandelion seeds from his mouth again. After observing that scene for a moment, he mentioned.

[Baek Woong, I like you. You seem unfazed by your own death; the advice and protests you give are always refreshing. I had hoped you would understand my greater purpose…]

“……”

[I hope your thoughts change moving forward.]

With that, the Leader’s energy quietly disappeared. He apparently didn’t want to engage in any further conversation with me today. Normally, he would relentlessly try to extract all information at hand, so this behavior was uncharacteristic of him.

‘I’ve passed a significant hurdle.’

The reason he accepted my proposal, despite holding overwhelming power, was that he couldn’t afford to expend energy battling me while a top-tier enemy like the Twelve Joules existed. While the odds of me winning against the Leader outright were almost hopeless, if I resolved to sacrifice myself, I might land a hit and injure him with the Great Destruction technique. I had successfully forced a semblance of parity in our relationship through power.

 

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