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Using my movement technique, I headed to the Han Clan. Sure, I could have used my powers, but that was a no-go because of the anxiety creeping in, which was a blast from my memories of the five-year training with Yeol.

“You can’t just recklessly use the Apostle’s Power…”

During my time with Yeol at the Five Demon Gate, I learned to control the energy of the sun and moon, and gain insights into the flow of time. Yeol had mentioned, while I was gathering energy, that:

“The Five Demon Gate is the secret place of the king and a door to the current world, so nobody can just waltz in. But since this place has the energy of the sun and moon stronger than anywhere else, you’ll quickly learn to handle the power of time.”

“Does that mean I can stop time?”

“Not quite. Unlike mortals, the concept of time isn’t divided into present, past, and future. It’s all a chaotic mix that we call time, so the idea of ‘stopping’ it is just off. You can’t stop it or rewind it either.”

“Um, I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this… I’ve witnessed someone with the ability to stop time.”

When I brought up the silver-haired Portrait Immortal, Yeol replied,

“That wasn’t time actually being stopped. It merely looked like that because of their special ability.”

“So they were just moving super fast?”

“Apostle, you know nothing about the essence of time. If you’re clueless, the best way to avoid disaster is to keep your mouth shut.”

Yeah, I felt like I was getting schooled. Yeol continued,

“Once you master the power of time here, you could definitely use it in the human world. But remember, excessive use needs restraint, and only for necessary purposes.”

“But didn’t you say the power of reincarnation can only be used three times?”

“Other abilities are just as limited. Every power you wield has a debt that Jeon Wook carries.”

With that, it felt like Yeol was glaring at me with his faceless dark features,

“Remember, if your use of power exceeds the limits, Jeon Wook won’t take care of you anymore. Even as an Apostle, you’re practically nothing compared to the Three Sovereigns! Practice restraint and use your powers wisely.”

“Got it.”

That memory was razor-sharp. In essence, the Apostle’s powers I used in the current world were all debt, forcing Jeon Wook to take on the law of cause and effect. It was such a powerful ability that it went against the norms of the human world, but Jeon Wook’s divine status handled the burden. But if I flashed those powers around too much, I risked making Jeon Wook mad enough to just ditch me.

So, I knew I had to save my powers once I got my memories back. Of course, short-distance teleportation or healing wouldn’t drain too much, but wasting powers when I needed them would be a disaster. Hence, I decided to recover from muscle soreness naturally, and handle simple movements with the movement technique.

When I reached the Han Clan, the atmosphere felt oddly chaotic. It wasn’t in ruins, but the number of servants was drastically reduced, and the warriors of the Fire Spirit Techniques were almost absent. Most glaringly, the usual influx of esteemed guests was nowhere to be seen.

I snuck towards the depths to avoid drawing attention and reached the small garden where Han Baek-ryeong usually stood, only to find Han Jin-seong there instead. When I made my presence known, he turned to me.

“You are…”

“Han Jin-seong. What happened to Han Baek-ryeong?”

Han Jin-seong grimaced painfully and said, “Thanks to you, we avoided a purge by the White Lotus Sect, but she’s currently under the control of Yong Bi-cheon.”

“……!!”

Yong Bi-cheon?!

Realizing things had taken a turn for the worse, I urged Han Jin-seong.

“Tell me more details.”

“The sect leader originally wanted to escort you to the main hall, but Yong Bi-cheon insisted on handling it himself. All I know is that the Fire Spirit Techniques have secretly imprisoned her somewhere.”

“……”

“Right now, there hasn’t been any orders from the main hall, so we’re stuck doing nothing…”

Han Jin-seong’s pale complexion was fueled by anger and helplessness. Seeing someone who always suppressed their emotions like him unable to hide his feelings suggested just how dire the situation was. Being imprisoned like a slave to another sect was a massive humiliation for the warriors of the Fire Spirit Techniques.

Looking him straight in the eye, I declared, “I’m going to rescue Han Baek-ryeong. I’ll confront the Fire Spirit Techniques directly.”

“Are you serious?”

Surprise flickered across Han Jin-seong’s face.

“While it’s immensely grateful of you… we’ve already lost all our assets and force to the sect leader, and the main warriors of the Fire Spirit Techniques are under control. There’s nothing you can gain doing something this dangerous for us…”

“Don’t think about that. I’m in this together with Han Baek-ryeong, and I’ll stick around till the end.”

Han Jin-seong then knelt down, utterly emotional. “Thank you! If you rescue the sect leader, I, Han Jin-seong, will dedicate everything to you.”

“Hmm, then let me ask you something…”

“Ask anything.”

“To rescue her, I need a treasure of strong symbolism. Can you provide me with something like that?”

“Follow me.”

Han Jin-seong led me to a secret chamber, where he quickly handed me the Divine Sword, Yongyeon. He was moving exactly as I expected.

‘Having Yongyeon will certainly come in handy for the Offering Ceremony.’

This legendary sword was definitely valuable as an offering. Storing the Divine Sword in my wooden armor, I said, “Now, I’m off to rescue Han Baek-ryeong…”

“Ah, please wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

“In terms of treasures, I know of another one.”

Han Jin-seong’s eyes lit up. “Break through the wall behind the fifteenth statue at the Bin Yang South Cave of the Longmen Grottoes. There are several valuable items hidden inside.”

“Huh? Longmen Grottoes?”

“It’s a secret space I stumbled upon. I hope this helps…”

Clearly, that was his hidden treasure stash. “Thank you.”

I nodded and set off for the Longmen Grottoes.

Upon arriving, I counted the arranged statues of the various Buddhas until reaching the fifteenth one. This statue of Guanyin did not look impressive and was quite small. Scanning the surrounding wall brought no signs of anything unusual.

‘Hmm, where could it be.’

WHAM!

I focused my strength into a punch and smashed the thin wall behind the statue. It crumbled easily, revealing a secret passage.

The passage appeared to have been carved inside the mountain and was quite long, leading me to discover three rooms inside.

“……!!”

Is that… platinum?!

It glistened silver, but upon closer look, one entire room was glowing with gold nuggets emitting an unbelievable sheen from what was known as platinum. It seemed to be packed to the brim like gold bars in a three-foot cube.

“Who… left all this here?”

It was a staggering amount, enough to create a massive statue. With this platinum, I’d never have to worry about money!

When I checked the next room, there lay a halberd.

‘A halberd?’

This enormous halberd had the Azure Dragon intricately carved into its handle, towering over a person and weighing a ton, making it impossible for a regular guy to wield with one hand. No, it seemed like only a powerful individual could even budge it. It’s gotta be at least twenty times heavier than normal!

Excited, I grasped it for the first time.

CLANG!

As soon as I held the halberd, a rush of fighting spirit flooded my body, and a large warrior with a red face and a long beard appeared before me like an apparition. He examined me with a nod before vanishing suddenly.

‘Did I just get recognized as the master?’

This halberd clearly seemed like it belonged to a powerful martial artist in life.

After stowing the halberd into my wooden armor, I entered the last room. Inside were five scrolls, all part of a martial arts secret manual.

“Hundred Transformation Steal.”

Flipping through the pages, I quickly understood why Han Jin-seong hadn’t brought this one out himself. “This… is a manual for thieves!”

Indeed, the manual contained numerous techniques for disguise, thievery, and light body techniques exclusive to thieves. Yet, despite its detailed content, I couldn’t hide my disappointment while reading.

‘Compared to the world-class martial skills I’ve mastered, this feels so flimsy.’

It had some combat techniques and secret skills, but they were nothing more than second-rate martial arts. Sure, if you were exceptionally talented, you could become a first-class warrior using this, but for me, it felt pointless. It was an insult to compare it to the Seven Great Techniques or the martial skills of the Four Great Families.

Of course, had I acquired this at the beginning of my rebirth, it would have been invaluable, but now it felt unnecessary to invest time in learning thief techniques.

“……”

I decided to keep the Hundred Transformation Steal, thinking it might come in handy somehow later. Glancing back at the hidden chamber, I pondered, ‘Han Jin-seong likely stumbled upon this location and used it as his secret stash.’

It seemed like the halberd or the manual had little use for him, and he probably valued the platinum the most. Regardless, I had gained immensely, so I exited the secret chamber and made my way out.

Wandering off towards the Huashan Sect, it would have been faster to head to the main hall to find Yong Bi-cheon, but there was a risk since the Old Ruler’s avatar was hanging around. So, I decided to poke around Yong Junil first.

Upon arriving at the residence of the Huashan Sect’s leader, I met the Four Great Elders who looked shocked, like night goblins, when they saw me.

“N-no.”

“Who are you?”

I glanced at them before saying, “Yong Junil. I have something to discuss, so step out.”

Even though he wasn’t in clear sight, I could feel his fierce aura coming from the inner chamber. It was a unique presence known only to Yong Junil, whom I faced in the past. As the Elders slowly drew their swords, preparing to attack the mysterious intruder, Yong Junil stepped out to meet me.

“Welcome, Avatar of the Fire Dragon.”

I stared at him and said, “I want to speak with you alone.”

“Fair enough.”

With a wave of his hand, Yong Junil dismissed the Four Great Elders. Now, alone, I smirked and said, “I thought you’d summon the Fire Spirit experts from Huashan Sect to protect yourself, but apparently, you’re going with a chill.”

“Why would I bother? If they could kill me, those underlings wouldn’t mean a thing.”

I slyly hinted at the relationship between the Huashan Sect and the Fire Spirit Techniques, and Yong Junil showed no concern, as if there was no need to hide their close ties in front of me.

“You seem to have something to say.”

“Yong Junil, I heard that Han Baek-ryeong is imprisoned by the Fire Spirit Techniques. If you release her, I will leave without a fuss.”

Yong Junil raised an eyebrow and replied, “What would you offer in return?”

“Well…”

“Just kidding.”

What? This sudden change left me dumbfounded as Yong Junil chuckled.

“Negotiating over Han Baek-ryeong in a situation like this won’t benefit me. She is currently being held captive by the Shandong Family, so go talk to them.”

“Shandong Family? Aren’t they the subordinates of the Fire Spirit Techniques?”

The Shandong Family was one of the top-ranking clans, renowned for their spear techniques and comparable in significance to the Five Great Families.

“That’s correct.”

I narrowed my eyes at Yong Junil. “What’s your game? Even if that’s true, what’s really going on in your mind?”

With a calm demeanor, Yong Junil softly replied, “I believe the White Lotus Sect has crumbled.”

“……!!”

“And the world affairs have already slipped from my grasp. I’m planning to retire from Huashan Sect soon.”

“What makes you think that?”

Yong Junil let out a lighthearted laugh and said, “I hear news from the main hall that the sect leaders, including the master, are in complete silence, while the blood-scented valley causes Chaos with the True Heaven Alliance breaking down.”

“……”

“Take this. Showing this will get you Han Baek-ryeong released quickly from the Shandong Family. Don’t stir up trouble with us for no good reason.”

Plink! Yong Junil tossed me a jade ring, and upon closer inspection, I noticed the character for “Wind” inscribed inside.

“I don’t know who you are, but let’s meet again in the next life.”

With that, Yong Junil disappeared back into his room. I wanted to subdue him to hear more, but from our earlier battle, I could tell he had transcended to the absolute realm of martial mastery. He was not someone to provoke lightly, and since he freely gave up Han Baek-ryeong’s whereabouts, there was no reason to cause a fuss.

‘Hmm, I wonder what’s going on in his head.’

Sighing inwardly, I headed toward Shandong, eventually locating the clan leader. I announced, “I demand the release of Han Baek-ryeong with the authority of this jade ring.”

The clan leader looked shocked, saying, “C-could you be acting on orders from the young master?”

“There’s no time to hesitate.”

“Understood.”

He seemed convinced I was Yong Junil’s messenger and led me into the secret inner buildings of Shandong Family. Once inside the underground prison, torchlight revealed Han Baek-ryeong bound up.

When she saw me, she remarked, “You’ve come.”

There were no visible signs of beating or disgrace. It seemed the sect leader kept his promise of protecting her. There was another reason she hadn’t been harmed.

“… The Heavenly Spirit Pill seems intact.”

BOOM!

As soon as I finished speaking, the chains binding her arms and feet shattered. The Shandong clan leader watching from behind turned pale.

“My god, those were made from special forged iron…”

There’s almost nothing in the world that could bind a being of infinite internal power like the Heavenly Spirit Pill. I mentally noted this and spoke to Han Baek-ryeong, “You could have annihilated Shandong Family if you wanted to, but why did you stay put?”

Rubbing her wrists, Han Baek-ryeong replied, “The sect leader held the Fire Spirit Techniques’ lives hostage. If I resisted, they’d have been annihilated.”

“Ah, I see. Let’s leave together.”

“Something seems different this time around. Did the sect leader say I could be freed?”

“The sect leader is dead.”

At that, Han Baek-ryeong looked bewildered yet undeniably surprised. “What do you mean…?”

“In other words…”

WHAM!

Before I could finish, a force emanated from Han Baek-ryeong’s fingers, instantly killing the Shandong clan leader behind me. He must have been a peak expert but was fallen like a fly, with his expression unchanged even as he was about to die.

“What just happened?”

“Too many ears around to hear such classified info.”

“Hmm…”

So cold but pragmatic! I realized Han Baek-ryeong still had the same personality despite being imprisoned. I began recounting the situation about the sect leader’s demise, the force responsible for it, and about the young master to her. Listening attentively, she seemed to grow pale.

“I had no idea he would be something like that…”

“Could the ‘weakness’ of the sect leader you mentioned earlier refer to the young master?”

“Exactly.”

She responded calmly, “While I can’t go into detail, I learned that if the young master dies, the sect leader also dies. But I never imagined the young master could transform into something so monstrous.”

“I discovered that too when I came.”

Contemplating for a moment, I declared, “Han Baek-ryeong, with things as they are, the White Lotus Sect’s downfall is imminent. From now on, let’s team up. Help me out.”

“You’re saying I should become your subordinate?”

“You could see it that way. If you join me, I can ensure the safety of the Fire Spirit Techniques.”

After some thought, she finally replied, “Understood.”

I swiftly exited the Shandong Family with Han Baek-ryeong beside me, handing her the Fire Spirit Techniques.

“What is this…?”

“I have a request.”

Staring intently into her eyes, I said, “Please harness your Fire Spirit and ignite this Fire Spirit Techniques.”

 

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