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We went straight to the Sang Gwan clan. I moved directly to the basement of the Sang Gwan clan, glancing at Zhuge Sa as I got off the statue, and he smirked and said, “Well, since you’ve trained in the Soul Exchange Technique, it won’t be easy for your soul to scatter. Half a moment should be more than enough, so don’t worry.”

“Stop messing around.”

I looked at Zhuge Sa with concern. As he said, my accomplishment in the Soul Exchange Technique had improved quite a bit due to my diligent training, and I was on the verge of being able to completely transfer Zhuge Sa to the Portrait Immortal. But still, I couldn’t help but worry because Zhuge Sa was so unpredictable.

“You take care of yourself.”

Zhuge Sa said, eyeing the twisting seal at the front of the basement.

“So this is the reason.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“I couldn’t tell when only sharing your vision, but now that I’m here, I can feel it for sure. It’s permeated with magical power and it’s trying to protect itself. I can feel the sacred relic you gave, strengthening the seal…”

As he mumbled, Zhuge Sa suddenly turned his gaze toward the empty space across from him and said, “You’ve been playing dumb since last time, huh, Sang Gwan-hyuk?”

Swish!

In the next moment, the voice of Sang Gwan-hyuk emerged softly from the corner. Since I sensed his aura, both Miho and I were on guard too. Sang Gwan-hyuk spat out in a low voice.

“Zhuge Yulong?”

“Hehe. Sorry, but no.”

Zhuge Sa sneered and turned his gaze back to me, saying, “Baek Woong, use the Palace Examination Technique to observe this seal properly. Then you’ll know where the treasures that make up the seal are located.”

“Hmm.”

As I was about to activate the National Seal, Sang Gwan-hyuk gasped and shouted, “That Palace Examination Technique… that’s the National Seal! No… no way!”

“What do you mean no? Do you even know what’s happening right now?”

Zhuge Sa stepped forward and growled, “The Heavenly Sovereign is descending, and in 49 days, everyone dies. Even now, you’re just worrying about yourself—what a remarkable guy.”

“Ugh…”

Sang Gwan-hyuk, who had been whispering, said, “Baek Woong, Deputy Sect Leader! Please, wait a moment. I’ll explain everything…”

I thought about stopping the activation of the technique, but Zhuge Sa interrupted with a sharp breath, “Keep going! There’s no need to worry about such fools.”

That made sense.

I agreed with Zhuge Sa and activated the technique. With Miho and Zhuge Sa using their powers to keep Sang Gwan-hyuk in check, I didn’t have to worry about being ambushed. Soon, everything around me started to feel delicate, and I realized something was hidden in the seal before me, taking the form of a sword.

Without realizing it, I reached out toward the transparent sword. Its essence didn’t exist in reality, but it was definitely present within the spiraling mechanism. The technique allowed me to sense its essence and enabled contact as well.

Woosh!

However, while I succeeded in grabbing the handle of the transparent sword, I felt an immense pain.

“……!!”

Hot!

It felt like my skin was curling and my blood vessels were burning. The fiery dragon seemed to surge into my bloodline, crushing my heart with such pressure it stole my breath away. Just as I was stunned by the sudden shock and pain, I gathered myself thanks to the resilience I had built up while living as a martial artist.

Crunch!

I gritted my teeth and forcefully pulled the sword out from the seal. As I completely withdrew my hand, the sword was solidly gripped in my hand. It seemed I had forcibly extracted it using the power of the technique from within the mechanical seal.

But as I held it, it felt like my body was burning from the inside, and I couldn’t hold on any longer, so I reluctantly let the sword go.

Clang!

“Hah! Hah! Hah…!!”

As I gasped for breath, Zhuge Sa glanced at the sword that had fallen to the ground. Then he looked over at Miho, seemed to think for a moment, and said.

“What a hassle. It’s impossible to retrieve it from here.”

Then Sang Gwan-hyuk, who had been restrained, cautiously said, “Uh, if you realize this, just put it back. The sacred relic maintains the seal, but without that sword, it won’t last long.”

“Who says so? You’re not even the owner of that sword, are you?”

“What…?”

“Alright, just put it back in.”

With that, Zhuge Sa grinned and pointed at the sword that lay at his feet.

“If you really are the owner of this sword, come and take it. And then you can put it back in the seal. If you truly are the owner of the sword, it should be an easy task for you, right?”

“……”

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up.”

But despite Zhuge Sa’s words, Sang Gwan-hyuk hesitated, making it clear he couldn’t move. It wasn’t that he feared Miho or Zhuge Sa would attack him; rather, he had a look of hesitation because he simply could not accept Zhuge Sa’s proposal. Miho tilted her head in confusion.

“What’s the problem? With a sword like this…”

Just as Miho bent down to grab the sword, Zhuge Sa yelled, “Step back, Nine-Tailed Fox! If you touch that divine sword, you’ll be instantly obliterated.”

“……!!”

Miho startled and stepped back. So surprised was she that her transformation magic slightly faltered, revealing three white tails behind her. Miho composed herself, but after realizing something, she started glancing between Sang Gwan-hyuk and Zhuge Sa.

“I see… if I can’t touch it, you two can’t either!”

“……?”

What was going on right now?

Baffled, I just stood there watching, and Sang Gwan-hyuk sighed and said, “What are we supposed to do? You’ve pulled it out but can’t manage what comes next… Why do you act all high and mighty when you’re also entangled in the Demon Path?”

“At least we have the will to deal with what’s occurred. I’m not the type to just shrug off the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people~”

“Ugh…”

“Hehe. The question now is how to transport this.”

I could no longer hold back and asked Zhuge Sa, “Zhuge Sa, what is the situation here?”

“Hmm… simply put, none of us here can use that sword, and even touching it is a struggle. The only one with a chance of moving it is you, Baek Woong.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it’s a divine sword. As a treasure of the heavens, it has its own will, and especially, the flame spirit that controls it possesses the power to dispel evil. Even though it has been weakened from being sealed for hundreds of years, if this is its current state, you can imagine what it was like at its peak…”

Zhuge Sa stared at the sword as if in admiration. I immediately understood what he meant and retorted, “But you’re an evil Demon Sorcerer, and Sang Gwan-hyuk is also of the Demon Path. And Miho is a demon belonging to the darkness, so of course, you can’t touch it.”

“Exactly.”

“Wait… Why can’t I handle it?”

Zhuge Sa replied as if surprised by my question, “Haven’t you been in contact with the Old Ruler and dealt with knowledge from the otherworld? Even if you yourself are not evil, the heavenly spirit might see you as a candidate for evil.”

“……”

“Well, since you haven’t fully fallen, it seems you might still be able to touch it while feeling pain.”

Zhuge Sa spoke casually, as if it didn’t concern him. But I had no time to care about his taunting, because in that moment, I realized what was keeping the power of the seal in the Sang Gwan clan basement.

The source of that power was this flame spirit hidden within the divine sword relic.

And such a relic could only exist in one place in the entire world.

“The Fire Dragon Sword!!”

As I gasped, Miho asked, “Baek Woong, are you okay? The energy of the Fire Dragon must have penetrated your body.”

“Ah… wait a sec.”

I quickly spun the Lesser Circulation to check the state of my body. Indeed, the burning energy I had felt earlier seemed to have spread to my very marrow, creating a flow of flame energy within me. I used Hua’s 108 Needles to calm the spirit’s energy and took a breath.

‘I only grabbed it for a moment, and it’s already this strong.’

At this rate, I could hardly think about fighting with the Fire Dragon Sword. Even with my immense internal power, I couldn’t subdue the flow of flames within me, meaning that any ordinary martial artist would be incinerated the moment they touched the Fire Dragon Sword. No, just getting near it might burn them alive!

“I’m fine.”

What a horrifyingly powerful relic. As I was internally shocked by the strength of the Fire Dragon Sword, Sang Gwan-hyuk said, “Stop regretting. The Fire Dragon Sword must be maintained to keep this seal. Otherwise, a great disaster will befall all of Luoyang.”

“Well, that’s your view; we differ a bit.”

Zhuge Sa snickered and continued, “In the first place, you’ve used the Fire Dragon Sword to maintain a seal that isn’t even yours. What are you trying to accomplish? Originally, the Fire Dragon Sword should have been sealed in Mount Ye, waiting for the Dharma Protector, and Yeodong-bin would’ve performed his duties as a guardian normally. The next protector should have been passed down through the ages.”

“Hmm…”

“But thanks to you guys dragging the Fire Dragon Sword to Luoyang, Yeodong-bin has hardly been able to defend humans against the otherworldly races. So all he’s done for a thousand years is stick his thumb in his mouth and barely managed to return to his senses.”

“……”

Calling him a bum is a bit harsh.

But everything Zhuge Sa said clearly explained why the Fire Dragon Sword was in Luoyang, the secret behind it, and the cause and effect. ‘So that’s why it isn’t in Mount Ye.’

The Fire Dragon Sword must have originally been sealed in a deep cave of Mount Ye, positioned at the dragon’s throat, but an ancestor of the Sang Gwan clan, wanting the powerful relic, must have gone looking for it and brought it to Luoyang. And, it must have been used as a material in rituals to strengthen the seal.

When I looked at Sang Gwan-hyuk with bewilderment, he explained as if trying to justify himself, “It was all for the sake of the world. If we hadn’t maintained the seal back then, the world would have been drenched in blood, and demons would have roamed freely by day, slaughtering humans indiscriminately. It’s not like the Fire Dragon Sword has been used for anything wrong.”

“Hehe. Is that so?”

With narrowed eyes, Zhuge Sa spoke to me, “Hey Baek Woong. To be sure, why don’t you call Yeodong-bin out and summon him? He would know best and could clarify the truth of this matter.”

“Huh…!!”

Sang Gwan-hyuk seemed so shocked that he widened his eyes and shouted at me, “Y-You were Yeodong-bin’s Dharma Protector?”

“Well… something like that.”

I scratched my head and replied, then countered, “I guess doing what Zhuge Sa said is the best course of action.”

As I focused my consciousness to summon Yeodong-bin, Sang Gwan-hyuk slumped down with a defeated expression, muttering.

“Karma… it’s karma…”

Pwiyah!

Moments later, Yeodong-bin entered my body. As soon as he was drawn in, he seemed to grasp the situation, staring blankly at the Fire Dragon Sword lying on the ground. Then he walked right up to it and picked it up.

Flare!

The Fire Dragon Sword flared up for a moment, almost burning my hand. However, the flames soon subsided, producing a clear sound as if welcoming its master.

Geeing—

Holding the Fire Dragon Sword, Yeodong-bin had been silently staring at the sword’s essence when he finally spoke.

[What should I do? Everything has created a tangled web of calamity and causes that I cannot handle…]

At that, Zhuge Sa teased Yeodong-bin, saying, “Sword Saint, how about you just destroy that seal? With your power, you should be able to handle the demon beasts pouring out of it!”

[If you joke, I will cut you down.]

Pwiyah!

In that instant, Zhuge Sa collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. He looked precisely like someone whose soul had been knocked out, but judging by the fact that his spirit hadn’t returned to me, he wasn’t dead, just passed out. Just a single aura from Yeodong-bin had completely subdued Zhuge Sa’s spirit, putting him in a dazed state.

‘What the heck.’

Zhuge Sa was the leader of heretical sects and an outstanding Demon Sorcerer, so his mental strength was incomparable to that of ordinary humans. To think that such a being could be put into a daze with just one aura from Yeodong-bin! I couldn’t help but instinctively feel that Yeodong-bin’s power was on an entirely different level than before.

Yeodong-bin walked directly up to Sang Gwan-hyuk and said, [This seal must have been created to block Wu Zetian’s divine position, human.]

Sing Gwan-hyuk, terrified, lowered his head, too frightened to meet Yeodong-bin’s gaze. “At that time, it was an unavoidable choice.”

[And from then on, everything became twisted… Was it really necessary for Sang Gwan-wna to make such a choice?]

Sighing, Yeodong-bin spoke. After a moment, he raised the Fire Dragon Sword into a sword-drawing stance, aiming it straight at the seal. Then he shouted, [Break!]

Flame!

In that moment, a spark shot out from the Fire Dragon Sword, piercing through the mechanically complex seal and onward, even shattering the darkness. Darkness spread out like tentacles but, with Yeodong-bin unleashing thousands of sword qi, a deafening explosion rang out.

Kwakang!

A moment later, the darkness completely faded away, just as the seal had. As Sang Gwan-hyuk stared blankly at the disassembled seal, Yeodong-bin said, [Thanks to the power of other relics, I could completely tidy up. Now, there will be no opening of the gate leading to Dark Heaven Village.]

At this, Sang Gwan-hyuk jumped in surprise, “You really sealed it completely?”

[Indeed.]

Upon hearing this, Sang Gwan-hyuk burst into tears of joy.

“Ahh…!! Thank you! Great Sword Saint!”

[……]

However, Yeodong-bin didn’t seem particularly joyful about this. Then he turned to Miho, who had been watching the entire event blankly.

[The situation is bad. You need to return to the Celestial Realm immediately.]

Miho, possibly annoyed, retorted with a pout, “Who do you think you are to order me around? Is that a command from the Queen Mother?”

[Indeed. She wishes it.]

“……!!”

Startled, Miho froze as Yeodong-bin said emotionlessly.

[If it becomes impossible to remedy the situation, there will be no holding back—that will be the end. Before it gets to that point, go to the Celestial Realm.]

“But… The way back to the Celestial Realm has been closed off.”

[I have left a backdoor open.]

“Ah…!!”

With a look of sudden realization, Miho used her transformation technique to vanish. As I watched Miho disappear from Yeodong-bin’s interior, I felt both relieved and bewildered. To think she would leave so easily after offering to help me!

However, seeming to have no time to worry about Miho, Yeodong-bin turned to me and said, [Dharma Protector… discovering the Fire Dragon Sword and sealing the rift to Dark Heaven Village is a significant achievement. However, the Celestial Realm greatly fears the power and possibility of the Master of the White Lotus Sect and intends to eradicate it surely this time, so it won’t be easy to stop their plan to issue the Heavenly Decree in 49 days.]

What?!

[You’ve managed to eliminate the threat of Luoyang! It’s rather unfair for the Celestial Realm to meddle when you’ve already tackled that!]

As I questioned this in my heart, Yeodong-bin explained further.

[This seal was merely an additional threat. The true threat is separate… the Master of the White Lotus Sect taking over Luoyang is something the Celestial Realm cannot ignore.]

[What do you mean by true threat?]

[Because of the heavenly principle, I cannot disclose it.]

So saying, Yeodong-bin sighed, […Dharma Protector. Decide now. Will you get rid of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, or will you explore other options?]

I sensed something odd about Yeodong-bin’s proposal.

He had never been the type to offer me choices so willingly. Reflecting on my experience with the otherworldly races when I went berserk, I figured he would have seized control of my body to confront the despicable Master of the White Lotus Sect. Yet, strangely, Yeodong-bin seemed to be leaving the decision entirely up to me.

[Yeodong-bin, what are you thinking? I thought you were the Protector and the Great Immortal who would unconditionally eliminate enemies of the Celestial Realm.]

[Did it seem that way?]

He responded with a bitter tone, [It might be a futile struggle… However, the issuing of the Heavenly Decree is an extreme act, and I can’t fully support it. Thus, I wish to leave this decision to you. Should the Master of the White Lotus Sect truly be a monstrous evil that must be eradicated, then you, having observed it directly, should make that judgment.]

[……]

Realizing that Yeodong-bin’s suggestion carried a hint of free will surprised me. After all, he had only ever fought as the strength of the Celestial Realm, and I assumed he would automatically choose to eliminate the sect leader. Yet unexpectedly, he was skeptical about the Heavenly Decree plan. I sensed that Yeodong-bin was being sincere, making my doubts grow stronger.

Erasing the sect leader. If I could accomplish that, I might indeed be able to cancel the Celestial Realm’s plan to issue a decree. After all, the Celestial Realm was aiming to issue the Heavenly Decree because it considered the Master of the White Lotus Sect a threat. It was likely that this decision could halt their scheme.

But was that really something I could do? After all, the sect’s Heavenly Technique, True Martial Home, was indeed a plan meant to save humanity, and the sect leader wasn’t entirely a trash human to be deemed utterly evil. Hearing Zhuge Sa’s words of not dividing good and evil made me more conflicted.

After pondering for a long while, I finally opened my mouth.

[I…]

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