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“There are a total of 33 treasure towers, each one a treasure in itself. It won’t be easy to break through by normal means.”

“Do you have a method?”

Gui Qian Xian Nu gazed into the distance with a strangely sad look in her eyes.

“It’s unbelievable to think that the Great Immortals of the Celestial Realm are fighting amongst themselves…”

Suddenly, silken waves fluttered from Gui Qian Xian Nu’s entire body, releasing a clear silver glow as she began crafting countless mysterious runes in the air, preparing for something serious.

Corpse Dissolution Technique!

[May that power return to nothingness.]

As she chanted, the thirty-three treasure towers began to crack and crumble, some even igniting. The owner of the towers hastily gathered them up, realizing someone was waiting beyond the barrier.

“Cough, cough…”

Inside the barrier stood a Lantern Taoist, who was bleeding from the mouth due to significant internal injuries while holding a treasure that glimmered with a golden light and made soft chime sounds. In his other hand, he clutched his special treasure, yet he seemed weak.

“Wow, Gui Qian Xian Nu’s Corpse Dissolution Technique is incredible. I never thought you’d break my barrier with a single spell… Even with most of your power lost, you’re still this strong?”

“Lantern Taoist, step aside. The Queen Mother of the West is the one responsible for the slaughter; she must be punished!”

“That’s impossible.”

The Lantern Taoist sighed.

“I sensed something was off not long ago, but what can be done now? If the Queen Mother shows her true power, innocent lesser immortals will be massacred, and the Celestial Realm itself will be destroyed.”

“Then we must fix it starting now! I won’t ask for your help, just move aside.”

“Fine. Confronting your Corpse Dissolution Technique was just going to lead to my miserable end anyway…”

The Lantern Taoist slumped down, closing his eyes as he said, “Gui Qian Xian Nu! Escape before the Queen Mother howls three times to the west…”

What was he talking about?

“I know.”

But Gui Qian Xian Nu casually brushed past, making me mutter in irritation as I walked by the Lantern Taoist:

“He could just help out instead of being all prideful…”

Suddenly, the Fire Dragon Incarnate chimed in, “It’s not pride, Baek Woong.”

“Huh?”

“The Lantern Taoist thinks that whether he helps or not, we’ll still lose to the Queen Mother. And if we do lose, he’s just trying to save the innocent lesser immortals from her wrath. He’s a righteous Great Immortal.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Just helping us out would be way better!”

“He might think it’s meaningless to join, given how strong the Queen Mother is.”

“……”

The Lantern Taoist is just as powerful as the legendary Great Immortals of Kunlun. If even he has given up on confronting the Queen Mother, just how strong is she? As I pondered this, a massive ball of fire floated ahead.

Whoosh!

The Fire Dragon Incarnate eyed the ball intently.

“That’s the Celestial Barrier of the Sky Weaver.”

Sky Weaver was said to be unmatched when it came to barrier techniques. The Flaming breath from the Fire Dragon was supposed to burn intruders endlessly, making it impossible for mere mortals to breach that barrier.

Holding the Fire Spirit high, she declared, “I’ll break through this! You all conserve your energy!”

Cracks echoed as she raised her weapon, getting into position. Moments later, she synchronized with the Fire Spirit, drawing upon fiery energy before unleashing a mighty yell.

[Fire Spirit! I, Shenglong’s avatar, command you to unleash your true power!]

With a shattering sound, the Divine Flame transformed, swirling around the Fire Dragon Incarnate. She charged forward, swinging the Fire Spirit widely as she shouted, [Celestial Fire!]

As the Celestial Fire burst forth, the Fire Dragon Incarnate transformed into a streak of flame, soaring ahead. When the Celestial Fire collided with the barrier, a fierce explosion reverberated, shaking the very heavens.

Boom!

But no matter how powerful the barrier was, it couldn’t withstand the might of Shenglong’s avatar. Soon the flames consumed the barrier entirely, and the fiery enclosure started to dissipate.

In the midst of this, the Sky Weaver lay unconscious, having fainted from the impact of the barrier breaking.

As the Fire Dragon Incarnate returned to her original form, she gazed down coldly at the fallen Sky Weaver.

“Much weaker than the Lantern Taoist. Well, he was one of the lesser Immortals of Kunlun, after all…”

“Are you going to kill him?”

“That’s pointless; let’s just move on. He’s no help anyway.”

But just as she was about to pass him by, Yeodong-bin shouted, “Wait!”

Everyone turned to look at Yeodong-bin, who had a stern and scared face.

“It’s a trap! I’ll follow soon, no need to worry, Master!”

“What do you mean?”

“That guy has marked me as his opponent…”

With that, Yeodong-bin began sinking into the darkness, as though being swallowed by something. I was taken aback when he transformed into a sword and appeared on my right arm, and suddenly, shadows began to loom over me as well.

Whoosh!

I struggled against the dark force, trying to escape, but it was relentless. In a moment of panic, Yeodong-bin urged me, [Ren Zhao, I need you to wield the sword wisely for this fight; it might be tough if I engage directly.]

[What’s happening?!]

[This isn’t an attack technique; it’s a space transfer spell. The one who killed Gui Qian Xian Nu’s disciples is challenging me to a duel.]

Bang!

Suddenly, I found myself in a bizarre space filled with thousands of talismans. There was no ground, just the void itself. Fortunately, I could utilize Heavenly Sovereign and maintain my position.

Then, from amongst the talismans, a figure slowly emerged.

It resembled a bizarre creature, wrapped in symbols of Yin and Yang like glue. It possessed arms and legs that looked pieced together from various beings, with white wings floating behind it, and a face obscured by a dark mask.

The most peculiar thing was the red and blue jade swirling around it, dancing in a spiral.

Whatever it was, it was not human.

‘Did that thing bring Yeodong-bin and me to this space?’

As I focused on it, it spoke in a chilling voice, [Sword Saint Yeodong-bin, the renowned number one among the Eight Immortals… Hehe, I wanted to face you one-on-one for fifty years but was disappointed when you suddenly disappeared.]

“Who are you?”

[You must have guessed my identity by now, right? Are you afraid to show your true form because of that sword?]

“I asked who you are!”

[Well then, I shall consider your acceptance of the duel on behalf of Sword Saint Yeodong-bin.]

A murderous aura enveloped me. If I didn’t surpass peak levels, I would’ve been frozen stiff from just that presence. Sensing the opponent was immensely strong, I sharpened my instincts even more as the creature continued, [I am You Tian Jun, one of the Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow! I shall kill you and trample on the pride of Kunlun’s Celestial Realm.]

“……!!”

Ten Heavenly Generals of Golden Crow?!

That’s a term referring to the strongest figures from the Golden Crow Island, known for housing countless Monster Sages. I had encountered the Ten Heavenly Generals twice before—once summoned by Daji and another time during my fight with Son Tian-Jun.

Based on previous experiences, each of the Ten Heavenly Generals could rival the Eight Immortals, and facing them head-on was impossible for me back then.

‘Yeodong-bin! Why are you dumping this match on me?’

Moreover, You Tian Jun is reputed to be one of the strongest among them, specializing in the arts of Yin and Yang. If I were to fight against such a formidable opponent, defeat was inevitable.

Feeling despondent, I asked, “You Tian Jun! Why did you assassinate Gui Qian Xian Nu’s disciples under the Queen Mother’s command? Aren’t you and the Celestial Realm supposed to be opposing forces?”

[Hehe… why should I tell you that?]

I couldn’t hold back my frustration and yelled, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you!”

[…What?]

You Tian Jun looked baffled, but I wasn’t kidding. He could wipe me out with a single command of the Evil Spirit. He simply chose not to. Judging my words as bluster, he burst into mocking laughter.

[Haha… I like your attitude. If you manage to defeat me in this duel, I might tell you.]

“You better keep that promise.”

At this point, there was nothing else to do but trust in Yeodong-bin’s sword and fight to exit this space.

Bang!

As the fight began, I charged at You Tian Jun and plunged forward. Having the sword meant I could use everything Yeodong-bin had learned in combat, so my chances weren’t low. With a fierce thrust fueled by overwhelming energy, You Tian Jun quickly summoned a barrier from the talismans to fend me off.

Clank!

[Haha, think you can break through after overlapping the spaces like this?]

He guffawed when he saw I couldn’t penetrate his defenses, making me frown.

‘If it were Yeodong-bin, he would’ve broken that barrier just now…’

No matter how much I channeled Yeodong-bin’s combat experience and skills with the sword, I was still limited. Ultimately, I was weaker than if Yeodong-bin himself were fighting. Most critically, I was nowhere near the Absolute Realm, meaning I couldn’t utilize his martial prowess fully; this was a serious drawback.

Swish, Swish!

Suddenly, thousands of talismans poured down like light from the heavens, but I used the Moon-Style Defense Technique to dodge and deflect them. This only served to irritate You Tian Jun.

[You’re quite the dodger!]

‘Could it be over there?’

As I dodged, I noticed a gap appeared, so I began to go for You Tian Jun’s neck. But as soon as I thought I hit it, his figure turned out to be an illusion, and I was quickly overwhelmed by a flood of talismans again.

Bang!

Then, at that moment, I felt that I could see the actual location of You Tian Jun, so I thrust out in that direction. I had no clue why, but it seemed to be the conclusion formed by countless transcendent combat experiences from Yeodong-bin.

Thump!

[Kwak! This kid…]

Surprised, You Tian Jun staggered back, blood oozing from his neck. He then looked at me with a sinister glare, yelling, [In that case, you will feel my curse!!]

“What?!”

[Even if it costs me all the cultivation from thousands of years, I refuse to lose.]

A curse?!

Before I could even react, a dark crimson energy erupted from You Tian Jun’s mouth and shot towards me. Since it was a curse, I couldn’t dodge it with Yeodong-bin’s Divine Technique, and soon my body was enveloped in dark energy.

Crackle!

I felt hot throughout my entire body, starting to falter. But as I writhed in pain, You Tian Jun seemed unable to move anymore either, his body reduced and trembling in place.

Just as I was losing consciousness, I suddenly heard Yeodong-bin’s voice.

[Well done, Ren Zhao! Now gather your mind and focus on the Heavenly Escape Sword Form.]

[Yeodong-bin… what’s happening?]

[I suspected that the one behind the assassination of Gui Qian Xian Nu’s disciples was You Tian Jun. For some reason, he has an inflated ego and has likely expected a challenge from me for a long time. However, if I were to fight him barehanded, I would face mutual destruction, so I had to seek your help.]

[What are you saying?!]

[Each of the Ten Heavenly Generals is at a level I could defeat if I gave it my all, but they are ancient Monster Sages with the ability to imbue their own life force into a curse. Anyone cursed would surely perish, even Great Immortals like myself.]

[……!!]

[Not to mention, I’m not accustomed to spell-casting; it would have been impossible for me to dispel it. So I had to rely on the sword technique.]

I was shocked to learn that the Ten Heavenly Generals possessed such a capability.

Yeodong-bin shouted, [Focus on chanting the Heavenly Escape Sword Form to absorb this curse! We shall combine our mental strength to overcome it.]

[Yes!]

As I envisioned the Heavenly Escape Sword Form in my mind, I pulled the power of the sword strongly, and the Essence of Faith began purifying the cursed energy throughout my body, unraveling it while reinforcing my Eight Extraordinary Vessels with my thoughts.

‘This is incredible…’

I felt as though the Heavenly Escape Sword Form was rapidly absorbing the curse, awakening internal power that hadn’t been summoned till now, drastically amplifying my strength. Now, my power level was several times higher compared to the likes of Shin Seung or Deung Gwak. For a short duration, I felt nearly equal in ability to a Dharma Guardian.

Simultaneously, the extraordinary nature of the sword felt as though it deepened my understanding of the Thunder God Lineage’s sword techniques. This must have been the result of connecting with Yeodong-bin’s vast combat experience.

‘Ugh… but it still feels like something is missing…’

I took a step forward, yet reaching the Absolute Realm still felt out of reach.

Indeed. There was something essential missing; though I had satisfied everything else, I still couldn’t enter—

Whoosh!

When I regained my senses, Yeodong-bin was channeling immense strength into the sword, sending a signal for a decisive strike. Watching from across, You Tian Jun looked panicked.

“No way! How can you survive after enduring my curse?”

“You Tian Jun. If you keep your promise, you could leave this place alive.”

[Cough…]

You Tian Jun seemed to shrink in despair, looking weak after spewing out the powerful curse. He appeared utterly incapable of fighting anymore. Resigned, he spoke, “The reason we Ten Heavenly Generals cooperated with the Queen Mother… is Daji.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“The Queen Mother promised to release Daji from her chains. That’s all there is to it.”

I had seen those massive chains and the powerful barrier that bound Daji. It appeared the Queen Mother had hired the Ten Heavenly Generals of the Golden Crow under the condition that they would eliminate Gui Qian Xian Nu’s disciples who obstructed her will.

You Tian Jun continued, “Hmph… I will take my leave for now… Today, I’ll concede this loss.”

But then, suddenly—

Thud!

[Kyaaa!]

Yeodong-bin’s sword shot into the air, piercing straight through You Tian Jun’s forehead. It was such an unexpected and rapid attack that he had no time to block or avoid it. Letting out a final scream, You Tian Jun faded away, and Yeodong-bin returned to my hand.

“Was that ‘I concede’ even a real statement? A Ten Heavenly General’s formation doesn’t break unless the one who initiated it dies.”

“……”

“We have to eliminate all of the Ten Heavenly Generals, Ren Zhao.”

In that moment, I realized I was the only one bound by the promise made with You Tian Jun.

Perhaps Yeodong-bin was subtly ruthless too.

 

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