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I arrived at Zhongnan Sect with Jin So-cheong. The place I reached was a lake, a favorite retreat of Yeon Jeong-hong, the leader of the Zhongnan Sect. It was also the site of a fierce sparring match I once had with Lee Kwang.

Crack!

As Jin So-cheong and I strolled near the lake, out of nowhere, Lee Cheong-un appeared before me like a lightning strike using Thunder Spirit. His speed was terrifying, too fast to see.

He greeted me, “Welcome, Baek Woong!”

“Lee Cheong-un, what’s going on? Why did you stop the White Lotus Sect…?”

When I protested, he chuckled softly.

“You probably guessed, but I wanted to see you again. Reports from Luoyang are troubling, and I heard that they plan to draw down the Heavenly Ladder from the Celestial Realm.”

“……?”

Did he know all that?

I questioned him cautiously, “How did you find out about that?”

“I have gathered basic intelligence about the Jianghu through Geol-seon, and I learned more about the Celestial Realm through my personal techniques. The White Lotus Sect is in quite a predicament now that the Celestial Realm has interfered.”

I was shocked. “Geol-seon? Are you talking about the previous base’s ark?”

“Yes. He’s a friend of mine.”

“……!!”

Geol-seon! He was one of the Three Great Masters of the Orthodox Sect, and the teacher of the current base’s elder, Gu Ik-hwan. Like the Old Sage of Mount Tai or Master of Zen, he rarely revealed himself, but his reputation in the martial arts world was sky-high. Known for his fierce heroism, his martial arts were also incredibly powerful.

But that Geol-seon was a friend of Lee Cheong-un? Given their ages, it made sense, but it was still quite surprising to me. Lee Cheong-un continued, “I bet you want to know why you’re here.”

I collected my thoughts and told him, “If the Celestial Sovereign descends, it will bring calamity not only to the White Lotus Sect but to the entire world. And with only about forty days left, I hope you and the Thunder God experts can help.”

“As expected.”

Lee Cheong-un mumbled, gazing up at the sky. “The sect leader has always been like this. Hiding a thousand schemes in his heart, making practical choices regardless of friend or foe. And now, asking the Thunder God lineage for help…”

“……”

“Baek Woong. Let me tell you this: I didn’t just stop the White Lotus Sect from the Nine Great Sects to summon you.”

“Huh?”

“I also wanted to propose a practice to the White Lotus Sect.”

What a shocking statement! ‘Wh-what?’

I couldn’t help but doubt whether Lee Cheong-un was making this up. I just stared at him blankly because the White Lotus Sect was our enemy that had driven the Thunder God to ruin! Why would they want to extend a hand first?

Lee Cheong-un grinned bitterly. “I’m not a fool. No matter how deep the Thunder God’s grudge is, it’s meaningless if the world is destroyed. And besides, I realized that even that grudge isn’t really all that important…”

“……?”

He looked at me intently and said, “Baek Woong, may I ask a favor?”

“Speak freely.”

“I want you to arrange a meeting with the sect leader.”

Suddenly, everything felt like it was moving way too fast. I was confused about how we got here, and my head spun with his words. After a moment, I steadied myself and said, “Please explain the reason.”

Lee Cheong-un smirked and replied, “I want to see how much the sect leader has mastered the Seven Great Techniques.”

“And what do you plan to do with that information?”

“It means determining qualifications. If the sect leader is underqualified, we’ll decline an alliance.”

“……”

I was so astonished that my mouth fell open. Can you believe it? The greatness of the White Lotus Sect leader being scrutinized for qualifications!

Where on earth does this outrageous confidence come from? Lee Cheong-un was undoubtedly the most audacious person I had ever encountered in the martial arts world. Of course, I knew he surpassed the Dharma Guardian and was an absolute being, having fought the White Lotus Sect leader decades ago. But as someone who directly witnessed the power of the sect leader defeating the Great Immortal, I simply couldn’t comprehend his confidence.

‘This… Is this really… the Thunder God, going against the sect leader?’

I had no choice but to respond to Lee Cheong-un’s request.

“… Ah, got it.”

“That’s enough with just Jin So-cheong following.”

Whoosh!

Eventually, I arrived at the place where the sect leader was, carrying Jin So-cheong and Lee Cheong-un. The sect leader, who was meditating in the void, sensed an unusual presence from our sudden visit. As I felt his piercing gaze, Lee Cheong-un stepped off the Four Great Spirits.

“It’s been a while, sect leader.”

[ ……]

The sect leader was silent for a moment, seemingly taken aback, before speaking slowly.

[ … I see… I had my suspicions about the resurrection of the Thunder God, but it seemed too absurd to believe… Is this the truth?…]

“Heh heh heh.”

[ Long time no see, Lee Cheong-un.]

The sect leader’s sword form slowly descended to the ground. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

[ I was under the impression that when the Heavenly Spirit Pill was broken, your entire bloodline became irretrievable… How did you recover? And have you been alive all this time?]

Lee Cheong-un smirked and responded, “You know this best, don’t you? The severed link has been reconnected.”

[ ……]

“It’s truly puzzling, just like it has always been.”

The sect leader fell silent, but I could sense a hint of embarrassment in that silence. I realized that Lee Cheong-un’s recent comment had hit close to home for him. I was racking my brains to decipher Lee Cheong-un’s words when the conversation resumed.

[ So, are you here to fight me?]

“No. I’m not foolish enough to challenge you directly. That would be ridiculous.”

Lee Cheong-un pointed his index finger at the sect leader and said, “I came to check if you’ve learned well enough. Since you’ve been studying the basics, shouldn’t I verify your progress as a teacher?”

Learned well? Teacher?

What a jumbled mess of words. I was intrigued but didn’t dare interrupt the escalating tension between the two. The sect leader seemed to catch on to Lee Cheong-un’s intentions and pondered.

[ So, you’re saying you’ll decide on an alliance based on what I’ve learned?]

“You’re as sharp as ever.”

The sect leader growled, seemingly irritated. [ You’re being arrogant… Fifty years ago, you lost to me, Lee Cheong-un. You’ve been dead ever since, and now you dare to speak as if you’ve surpassed me.]

“Ha ha ha!!”

Lee Cheong-un burst into laughter and said, “You know what I’ve thought about every single day since being revived? Why I lost that day. And I found the answer.”

[ What?]

Lee Cheong-un’s revelation shocked me. “There were no traitors in the Thunder God; you were my disciple. Therefore, it was impossible for me to win. You observed me closely, sharpening yourself against my weaknesses, while I knew nothing about you. Wasn’t it you who called me on that day after thorough preparations?”

[ ……]

“But that was a temporary fix. Now I understand what you’re pursuing, and I know what the Primordial Spirit is, so I have nothing to fear.”

Lee Cheong-un took a step forward. The atmosphere chilled, and a palpable tension filled the air as he stared down the sect leader. The changes in nature were stark, as the Cloud Sea began to stir, distorting the space between them.

As I observed their standoff, I still couldn’t comprehend what had just transpired in their dialogue. ‘ Lee Cheong-un a master? The sect leader his disciple? Was the sect leader a Thunder God too?’

But that couldn’t be right. The relation of master and disciple was impossible between two sworn enemies. It was clear that Lee Cheong-un alluded to a hidden truth, and the sect leader was rendered speechless as that truth dawned upon him.

Zhuge Sa snickered internally. [ Haha… I understand now. The Primordial Spirit… such an outrageous ability.]

[ What do you mean?]

[ If you promise to relinquish your body, I’ll teach you.]

[ Damn. Get lost.]

[ Hehe.]

Zhuge Sa didn’t seem to be joking. What kind of relationship could those two possibly have?

“I’m leaving, sect leader.”

[ Mhm.]

After a moment, Lee Cheong-un slowly drew his spear. To my knowledge, this was the first time he was using a spear.

Swish…

Lee Cheong-un’s spear was eerily silent.

If one were simply still, it wouldn’t be all that special. The essence of martial arts lies in concentration and maintaining posture. Yet, what I was witnessing was a perfect blend of stillness and motion.

The ambiance quieted.

For a moment, leaves drifted down in what felt like an endless silence. The briefest of moments felt as if an entire day passed for us all gathered there.

The stillness was broken by the sect leader’s pale hand.

In that instant, it spun and revealed thousands of illusions to me. When speed reaches its peak, the resulting afterimages surpass visibility and seem to carve one’s intent upon their opponent’s soul.

The sect leader’s Heart of Heaven’s Abundance was now active. It was likely on par with his battle against Yeodong-bin.

Thousands of hands descended gently, their movement infinitely soft and slow, yet the moment one made contact with skin, a pressure like steel was felt, enveloped by a stifling tenderness.

It was simply unbelievable for this phenomenon to be conceived by mere human thought, as the Thousand Hands wielded a weighty realism. The reality before me seemed to twist under the sheer volume of their touch.

At that moment, Lee Cheong-un transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting forcefully forward.

Thunder Spirit!

The form looked clumsy, unable to cut or pierce anything, but it effortlessly dispelled the pressure of the Thousand Hands, allowing the intermediate beings to break free from the illusion of his will.

It was the form of impermanence acquiring the shape of non-action.

Paradoxical, but that’s the only way to describe it.

Clang!

The scattering of the Thousand Hands with the Heavenly Sea shattered time and space itself. The Thunder God’s spear slashed through the very fabric of the universe.

The White Lotus Sect leader held one hand over his heart, adopting a bowing position. Lee Cheong-un’s spear, halted just hair’s length away from the sect leader’s hand, suspended time itself as the world around them felt suspended in air.

At my level, I couldn’t grasp what exchanges had just occurred. Yet, it appeared that the sect leader had sensed something important from their exchange, muttering softly.

[ … The will of martial arts is indeed ruthless. It can’t pause until it reaches its destination. That’s the curse left by the Martial God on me…]

“……”

[ But… could it be that you, Lee Cheong-un, could reach it without the madness of martial intent… Is this the gap in talent?]

The sect leader’s words bore a weight of deep emotion. The exchange earlier had appeared fairly even, yet it seemingly left the sect leader with a lingering sense of defeat. Lee Cheong-un withdrew his spear, and in that moment, the weapon disintegrated into dust and vanished.

Swish…

“If I truly fought, I would have won, so you’re just talking big.”

Lee Cheong-un said casually, “Alliance established. Let’s defeat whoever’s in the Celestial Realm and settle things afterwards.”

[ Agreed.]

Unbelievably, an alliance between the White Lotus Sect and Thunder God was being formed right here.

‘Incredible.’

I felt a thrill realizing how far we had come in this life compared to the past.

How many more times would I have the chance to witness the fierce clashes of these ultimate beings?

If I could harness this inspiration and continue to train, then maybe, just maybe, I’d reach their level one day.

Just then, Lee Cheong-un spoke, “A certain someone hiding there might have something to say too.”

Swish!

As soon as Lee Cheong-un finished his sentence, Miyamoto Musashi appeared out of nowhere, having seemingly cut through the fabric of space itself to conceal himself.

‘Did the sect leader not notice?’

But given that the sect leader showed no reaction, it seemed that wasn’t the case. He likely sensed Musashi’s presence but pretended to meditate while waiting. Just as these two ultimate beings were timing their conversation, I arrived with Lee Cheong-un.

Miyamoto Musashi said, “White Lotus Sect leader. The Twelve Joules rejected the alliance.”

The sect leader responded with disappointment, [ Is that so…?]

“Instead, I have been dispatched temporarily.”

Musashi’s words were open to interpretation, leading the sect leader to ask, [ Are you going to fight alongside us against the Celestial Realm?]

Musashi nodded. “I want to see what it’s like to challenge an immortal.”

[ Good. Welcome.]

The response of the Twelve Joules was finalized at that moment. While the Twelve Joules themselves weren’t forming an alliance with the White Lotus Sect, the special agent Miyamoto Musashi was joining us as an ally.

‘Amazing.’

I trembled at the thought of our allied force.

Three practitioners at the absolute peak!

This was undoubtedly the formation of the most powerful coalition in the history of the martial arts world.

 

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