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“Oh no, here we go again…”

I had this nagging feeling we were veering off course, but hey, with the name Shenglong thrown around, I couldn’t just brush off Fire Dragon Incarnate’s request.

“Why does Shenglong want to communicate?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Then why must we go to the Five Great Mountains?”

“They ordered us to.”

Well, it was clear that Fire Dragon Incarnate was just a messenger, with Shenglong calling all the shots here. My head started throbbing, but I nodded in acceptance.

“Alright, I’ll follow the Incarnate’s orders.”

I had no choice. This was an opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Divine Temple, especially those concerning Shenglong, the Emperor’s right hand and on par with the Three Sovereigns. I promised myself I’d learn something, no matter the cost.

Zhuge Sa chimed in,

“This is unexpected. Has this ever happened before?”

“Seems like it.”

“Looks like the powers we regained from the Celestial Realm might be stronger than we thought. When we met Yeodong-bin a thousand years ago, he was already pretty drained.”

Mangnyang, who had been listening quietly, spoke up,

“Baek Woong, did you ask Fire Dragon Incarnate which powers of the Dragon King have been restored?”

“I did, but he just said he’s still recovering.”

“Hmm… I’ll go with my disciple. Just in case you need backup.”

“Which place among the Five Great Mountains should we head to?”

Without hesitation, Mangnyang replied,

“Of course, Songshan.”

“Because the Shaolin Temple is on our side?”

“Exactly. Let’s also ask Master of Zen for help. The comrades are training there too, so we might as well get Jin So-cheong or the Sword Demon on board.”

BOOM!

We rushed towards the Shaolin Temple. I wanted to ask for help from Master of Zen before ascending the Heavenly Altar of Songshan, but something felt off.

“Let’s hide.”

My expert instincts kicked in—there was definitely a different vibe in the air. The oppressive atmosphere felt like it was charged with the presence of highly skilled martial artists. I quickly realized we had to be careful not to give away our position. As Cheon Woo-jin activated his Stealth Technique, we became nearly invisible, scanning our surroundings.

As I gazed over the mountain region where the Shaolin buildings stood, I accidentally muttered under my breath,

“Wind Spirit Sect…”

I sharpened my vision, quickly spotting the hidden experts from the Shaolin Temple all around. They were the elite combat unit of the White Lotus Sect, known as the Wind Spirit Sect, and each one of them was a Peak Expert in the Jianghu—people I had clashed with multiple times, recognizing quite a few faces. Plus, I spotted their leader and several Elder-level experts from the Wind Spirit Sect.

The Elders seemed to be watching the monks kneeling around the Great Hero Hall. The monks appeared to be the elite fighters of the temple, and Master of Zen’s presence wasn’t visible.

Seeing this situation, I muttered,

“Looks like the Shaolin Temple has been pressured into submission by the Wind Spirit Sect. The lack of battle signs suggests they surrendered without a fight.”

“Really?!”

Mangnyang gasped.

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect has made his move! He seized the Shaolin Temple overnight, and we didn’t hear a peep about it from the Bancheon Alliance. That’s impressive!”

“But the Shaolin Temple has been blocked off…”

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect doesn’t care about that. To him, the reputations in the Jianghu mean nothing. Not destroying the temple might even be seen as mercy.”

“You’re right.”

Thinking it over, I commented,

“It seems the Master of the White Lotus Sect believes the Shaolin Temple is still connected to us.”

“Most likely. Our priority now should be rescuing Master of Zen before he gets tortured. He knows a lot about us, and time is of the essence before he spills any secrets.”

That was definitely true.

Considering I trusted Master of Zen and shared the Obsidian with him, he not only knew I was a Reborn Person but also had a good understanding of my objectives and secrets. If his intel got into the hands of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, we would be in deep trouble.

“Ugh… I should have just brought Master and the Bright Dragon back to the base.”

“They refused to come on their own, so what could you do?”

At that moment, Mangnyang asked,

“Baek Woong, what’s wrong?”

I hesitated before responding,

“With the Wind Spirit Sect Elders all here, and a powerful faction like the Shaolin Temple submitting quietly… it means that Yongbicheon is around. Master of Zen knows the difference between his abilities and the Dharma Guardian’s, so he must’ve surrendered to avoid casualties.”

“That makes sense.”

“I’m not confident that I can save Master of Zen and the Shaolin Temple without casualties against Yongbicheon’s power. Even a single fight could result in many monks being killed.”

“That’s a valid concern, Baek Woong.”

After pondering for a moment, Mangnyang proposed,

“It might be tough for just the three of us. Let’s stick to the original plan and bring more comrades.”

“Understood.”

“But first, let’s retrieve important reinforcements from the base.”

“I’ll be back quickly.”

After getting the ‘reinforcements’, we headed toward the mysterious ancient facility nearby. Originally, it required Master of Zen’s presence to unlock, but thanks to him manipulating the devices, we were easily able to move the rocks and enter.

“Baek Woong, what’s going on?”

Inside, Jin So-cheong, the Sword Demon, Extreme Tiger, and Tang San were all diligently honing their martial arts. This space accelerated the accumulation of energy much faster than outside, making it perfect for rapid power growth. I explained the situation grimly, and their expressions turned serious.

The Sword Demon spoke,

“We can’t avoid casualties against Yongbicheon. We have more than enough power to take him down, but if he uses his infinite internal power to resist, it’ll cause catastrophic devastation. There’s no way to prevent Shaolin’s monks from dying, especially with the Wind Spirit Sect’s forces around.”

“But…”

“If we confront him head-on, we can’t prevent the destruction of the Shaolin Temple.”

The Sword Demon’s tone was resolute. I looked at Jin So-cheong, who also shook her head in agreement.

“Even if we combine our strength, we can’t quickly assassinate Yongbicheon. A fight with the Dharma Guardian will eventually turn into a battle of strength. Without a higher realization in the Absolute Realm…”

We could take down the Wind Spirit Sect members, but casualties were inevitable.

“Ugh…”

Even with Master Cheon Woo-jin’s help, it would still be tough. Even if he was an Avatar, there were limits to the help he could provide.

Just then, Extreme Tiger, enjoying some dried meat, piped up,

“Why not leave it to Tang San?”

All eyes turned to Extreme Tiger. He pointed at Tang San beside him.

“This kid has skills you can’t just ignore now. With some clever moves, he could achieve our goal easily.”

“What do you mean, Extreme Tiger?”

“Just ask him directly if he can.”

I turned to Tang San and questioned,

“Tang San, do you have a plan?”

Tang San grinned wickedly,

“Hehe, I think it’ll be very easy…”

“What?”

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

Before long, we all made our way near the Shaolin Temple. Then, Tang San unwrapped the poison he had prepared and sent it flying on the wind. Cheon Woo-jin used his wind magic to whip up a powerful whirlwind, dispersing the poison powder more rapidly.

Whoosh, whoosh!

After about a mealtime had passed, the barely visible fine poison powder was finally taking effect on the vigilant Wind Spirit Sect members.

“Cough… hack!”

“Gurgle!”

One by one, the experts began to collapse. As the Wind Spirit Sect members fell to the ground, the Elders sensed danger and began to yell loudly.

“Poison!”

“Protect yourself with internal energy and control your breathing!”

Most of the conscious experts quickly seated themselves to circulate their Internal Energy Cultivation Techniques. The Peak Experts possess resistance to poison, being able to push it away with their inner powers. However, many of them soon fell flat, blood spurting from their mouths.

“Cough…”

“The poison is too strong…”

“Elder! Get out!”

“Ugh.”

The Wind Spirit Sect Elders appeared to be fine with their immense internal powers, but the same could not be said for the others. With the Wind Spirit Sect members rendered incapable of fighting, the Elders abruptly began to withdraw.

Given the power they held, it was a pathetic end to a faction that could wipe out an entire sect overnight.

With a swish, we arrived late to the site of destruction the poison had wrought, administering antidotes to the fallen. As there was no time to feed them antidotes one by one, we let them absorb the powder through their skin. Slowly, the fallen monks and Wind Spirit Sect members began to regain consciousness, and Jin So-cheong and Extreme Tiger restrained them.

Next, I tossed all the Wind Spirit members and monks into the Wooden Armor.

‘At least that’s one worry off our shoulders.’

Now, an environment was set for me to freely fight Yongbicheon.

But I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded as I commented,

“What kind of poison did you use? Even Peak Experts can’t endure it…”

Tang San grinned again,

“It’s one of the Ten Deadly Poisons from the Tang family’s legacy—Zanghunsi (藏魂死). Just a handful can poison a hundred people, and even a Peak Expert can bleed to death after enduring it for a while.”

“How did you even learn to make Zanghunsi…?”

“I tortured a direct descendant of the Tang clan once to get the recipe and memorized it.”

“What about the antidote?”

“Oh, that didn’t exist originally, but I managed to figure it out by researching myself.”

“…”

“I figured I’d have some way to help you, my life-saving benefactor, in the future, so I prepared both the poison and antidote in advance.”

Creating poisons requires advanced mathematical and engineering calculations, plus it takes a long time to master, so an exceptional intellect is essential. The fact that a kid barely in his teens could grasp poison-making and develop an antidote made me realize Tang San was indeed a genius.

Thanks to Tang San’s poison, we resolved a troublesome matter and moved forward. When we entered the Great Hero Hall where Yongbicheon resided, there he was, along with several Elders from the Wind Spirit Sect.

‘Master of Zen is… dead.’

I gritted my teeth. When I used the Palace Examination Technique earlier, it showed Master of Zen was still alive during his torture, but now he was gone, and it was most likely at Yongbicheon’s hands.

Yongbicheon looked at me and my comrades with strange eyes as he spoke,

“Perfect timing. I barely learned anything from this guy, yet the very parties have come knocking.”

“Yongbicheon, have you lost your mind? Attacking the sealed Shaolin Temple to annihilate it? What kind of insane reasoning is this?”

I shouted, and Yongbicheon replied,

“Hehehe. You’re all just puppies to me. I could take you all on by myself.”

I knew Yongbicheon’s confidence wasn’t baseless. If the Dharma Guardian really engaged in battle, the entire Songshan could be obliterated. But I scoffed as I replied,

“Killing Master of Zen was a mistake. You’re still just a muscle-bound idiot!”

“Shut up!!”

Yongbicheon roared, conjuring an enormous wind bullet that lunged towards me with tremendous force and speed. Normally, it would have been incredibly pressuring. However, I immediately drew the Fire Dragon Sword and sliced through the wind bullet in one strike.

Swoosh!

“……!!”

Yongbicheon looked shocked. The elemental energy dissipated from the cut without a trace because I had precisely targeted the energy core, incorporating the principles from the Thunder God’s techniques.

Looking down at him, I chuckled,

“A nobody like you is a piece of cake for me. But…”

Slowly, Jin So-cheong, the Sword Demon, and Extreme Tiger stepped forward. Zhuge Bu, whom I had brought from the base, also took up an offensive stance, and Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin readied their techniques by my side.

“What the hell?! Where did all these experts come from?”

Yongbicheon sweated, sensing our potent aura, and began to back away nervously. I glared at him, stating,

“I have no time, so let’s wrap this up quickly.”

“Wait, just a minute…”

“Shut it! You’re not important anymore.”

This was not worth my time.

Together with my comrades, we charged in for a combined attack.

BOOM!

The battle against Yongbicheon came to a swift end around thirty seconds later. Yongbicheon raised his infinite internal power to unleash a colossal attack, trying to hold on, but we overwhelmed him with our overpowering teamwork. His level of martial enlightenment clearly wasn’t very high, so when Jinsocheong closed in and hit him with Ranna Chul, blood spurted from his upper body, and he collapsed.

Thud!

“Kraaa!”

As soon as we brought Yongbicheon down, Extreme Tiger shot him a glare filled with hatred and thrust his spear through him.

Thrust!

The spear pierced right through his skull and severed his neck and torso cleanly. Extreme Tiger let out a powerful Lion’s Roar.

“Master!! I avenged you!!”

After swiftly dispatching Yongbicheon, I called upon the soul of the deceased Master of Zen with the Heavenly Secret Technique. His spirit appeared in a poor state, clearly having endured intense torture during his life.

[I’m sorry… Baek Woong, follower… You should have fled to your base as you suggested, but… I feared for the innocents under our temple’s care… I thought concentrating their attention on me would prevent the slaughter of the monks…]

“Hmm…”

[But don’t worry… Although Yongbicheon tortured me, he revealed almost nothing… He continuously questioned me about the Heavenly Altar, so I had no choice to speak about that…]

“The Heavenly Altar?”

[… The Master of the White Lotus Sect seems to have some ulterior motive involving the Heavenly Altar…]

The Master of Zen sighed as if exhausted and continued,

[Follower. I ask of you… Yongbicheon is likely in a similar predicament to what I faced. Please, either save him or put him to rest without suffering…]

“Understood.”

[I hope you can offer even greater help in your next life…]

At that moment, the spirit of the Master of Zen vanished. I immediately meant to rush to the Wind Spirit Sect’s location, but at that moment, Mangnyang said,

“Baek Woong. Don’t rush. First, use the Palace Examination Technique to check Yongbicheon’s life status.”

“Got it.”

I used the Palace Examination Technique to investigate Yongbicheon’s location and status. The National Seal’s spirit indicated he was alive and currently trapped in an unknown secret room, undergoing torture.

Hearing this, Mangnyang remarked,

“It seems clear that the White Lotus Sect attacked the Wudang Sect, unlike what happened to Master of Zen. However, unlike him, Yongbicheon appears to have successfully slipped away. That place must resemble a hideout for the Wudang Sect.”

“Hmm. Then I should save him right now.”

BOOM!

I rushed over and rescued Yongbicheon. Upon seeing the dead Master of Zen, he sighed in despair.

“Self-inflicted consequences… So who can I blame… Hah.”

“You weren’t captured by the White Lotus Sect, were you?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just that I’m really worried about our disciples…”

“I’ll help you out later.”

“…Please do.”

I relocated Yongbicheon to a safe base before returning to Songshan. We tidied up the aftermath at the Shaolin Temple and steeled ourselves as we headed towards the Heavenly Altar.

Whooooosh!

Upon reaching the top of the Heavenly Altar, the Fire Dragon Sword suddenly emitted a Divine Light. Breaking free from my grasp, it levitated in mid-air and unleashed a torrent of flames upward, resembling a fiery column connecting heaven and earth.

Wooosh!

“Whoa, trapped…”

While my comrades quickly dodged the flames, I found myself caught in the blaze. Strangely enough, the fire wasn’t hot and didn’t harm me, and I soon realized I was standing in a pure, white void, utterly empty.

‘Where am I…’

I wasn’t alone in this bizarre space.

Fire Dragon Incarnate stood there in ancient robes, face-to-face with a colossal dragon that radiated a sacred wind and majestic grace. The dragon’s gigantic wings were stunning.

Fire Dragon Incarnate addressed the dragon,

[My true self. Why did you call me? Do you intend to retrieve me?]

No answer came.

The dragon merely gazed intently at Fire Dragon Incarnate. Moments later, Fire Dragon Incarnate’s form completely vanished from this realm.

“What?!”

I was startled and rushed toward the dragon with my sword drawn, but it felt like an infinite distance separated us—I couldn’t reach him. While I flailed in the void, the dragon stared at me with mysterious eyes.

Then, its intentions reached me.

[Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens. Long time no see…]

Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens?

Whoosh!

As I was caught off guard, a blue blade suddenly sprang from my heart. This wasn’t an actual sword, but my latent Immortal Sword that I had held inside me all this time. As the sword drew more than half from my chest, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman emerged gracefully from its tip.

Could it be… she appeared in this realm through my Immortal Sword?

While I struggled to hide my astonishment, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman turned to the dragon and spoke,

[Shenglong. Do you intend to take Fire Dragon Incarnate to the Divine Temple?]

Shenglong!

So, the divine dragon here really was Shenglong.

The being called Shenglong replied slowly,

[There’s no need for that… Until the end, I’ll let this child act on their own.]

[But why did you send her to the Celestial Realm in the first place?]

[Because the Emperor wished it…]

[……]

[Don’t dare to speculate on the will of that person. We only need one Chi You.]

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman sighed at Shenglong’s words.

[A great evil is afoot. You don’t care if the Celestial Realm falls?]

[Evil is part of the world’s essence. We have no right to measure good and evil.]

[But Shenglong, you once were the Spirit King of Beasts. You have no lingering attachments to this world?]

[Enough.]

As Shenglong emitted a powerful aura, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman shrank back, her complexion paling. As merely an expression of his power, the fact that one of the greatest Divine Immortals like her trembled was telling—Shenglong truly was on par with the Three Sovereigns.

Shenglong gazed at her with piercing eyes and stated,

[Heavenly Mysterious Woman, I didn’t come here to listen to you whine. I don’t have time to deal with the Three Sovereigns, so you can leave now.]

[But…!!]

[Leave.]

SWISH!

In the blink of an eye, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s form vanished. It seemed Shenglong possessed an overwhelming authority in this realm, capable of sending anyone away at will. His attention then turned to me as he spoke.

[Thank you for restoring my Avatar, Mortal.]

I felt no overwhelming destructive chaos exuding from him like that of the Three Sovereigns. Rather, it was a different energy that he inherently possessed. I found myself feeling strangely familiar and replied,

“Shenglong, why did you call for Fire Dragon Incarnate until now?”

[Because I admired her.]

“Huh?”

[Despite having reasons to doubt her own essence, she holds onto her beliefs steadily. Being able to watch over her is one of my few joys. Now that she’s regained her strength to uphold her beliefs, I feel proud.]

That was some emotion I couldn’t quite grasp.

I tilted my head, and Shenglong continued,

[Mortal… you harbor an echo of familiar chaos. However, this energy is not granted to humans born of chaos… Yet still, you are human. A truly unique specimen.]

“……”

[You possess a talent that appeals to the myriad demons.]

Yeah, I really didn’t need that kind of talent!

I almost shouted but restrained myself in front of Shenglong.

I addressed him firmly,

“Shenglong, please make a pact with me. Or at least let me enter the Divine Temple!”

[I refuse. You do not possess that right.]

“Then, can you at least tell me what the Divine Temple is like?”

[I refuse.]

“If you would accept offerings…”

[I have no need for material offerings from the Material World. Everyone residing in the Divine Temple thinks the same. I refuse all dealings with mortals.]

“……”

[The Emperor provides everything. I see no reason to take anything from you against his will.]

How could he outright reject any offer!? What kind of madness was this? The fact that every entity in the Divine Temple was forbidden from conducting trade felt like absolute absurdity!

‘No, this is a bit too closed-off!’

As I stood there dazed, Shenglong spoke,

[Jeon Wook and Zhuge Sa are trying to intrude on this space…]

With that statement, a massive hand with wings and thousands of ghosts flickered into view. That enormous hand likely represented Zhuge Sa’s power, and the ghosts were probably the emissaries from the realm of demons. In shock, I exclaimed,

“Why is the Three Sovereigns trying to come in here?”

[They desperately long to enter the Divine Temple… Even if it means capturing me, an attendant of the Emperor, to carve a path… They want to remove their masks.]

“Masks?”

[Ultimately, it’s just a desire to act recklessly… What makes them worthy to claim themselves as the rulers of this realm?]

Puffing in annoyance, Shenglong suddenly roared,

[Leave!]

BOOM!

As his roar resonated, Zhuge Sa’s hand disintegrated into a mist of blood, soaring into the sky, while the demon emissaries from the realm were torn to pieces in an instant. I realized the impossibility of finishing that power—it was truly staggering.

‘So… strong!’

He could easily sweep away the hand of the Three Sovereigns trying to meddle with my affairs!

After clearing the surroundings, Shenglong sighed as if weary.

[It’s been a long time since I descended into the worldly realm, and there are too many annoyances, so I shall take my leave.]

It truly seemed that Shenglong came down just to check on Fire Dragon Incarnate, and it didn’t appear like he had come to see me.

“Wait, just a moment.”

I was consumed by an obsession to gain something from this.

‘This isn’t a common opportunity!!’

Gaining the chance to restore the Fire Dragon Sword in the Celestial Realm for several months is not something that happens every day!

Getting the collaboration of the Celestial Sage is hard enough!

Since I wouldn’t frequently see Shenglong, I felt compelled to uncover something now. I turned my mind frantically before shouting at Shenglong,

“If I collect the remaining six Seven Luminaries, can I truly possess the Sun in the Divine Temple?!”

I wanted to confirm the authenticity of this information!

Hesitation.

Shenglong paused as he was about to leave, then answered briefly to my inquiry.

[That is correct.]

“If I gather the six Seven Luminaries… will it open the gate to the Divine Temple?”

[No. That is a separate issue.]

“What do you mean by separate?”

[It would be wise to find another way to access the Divine Temple.]

As he spoke, Shenglong stretched his wings.

[Mortals striving for foolish ambitions to collect the Seven Luminaries should cease… As long as the Three Sovereigns linger in this land, you will never achieve it.]

Swoosh!

The instant those words left his lips, I was thrust back to reality, reverting to the earlier state before the fiery column burst forth.

It felt as if not even a blink had passed since that moment.

As I stood there in a daze, I clenched my fist.

‘… Who cares if it’s foolish.’

Regardless of what anyone says, I’m determined to get it done!

“Everyone. Raise your hands if you’re ready!”

With resolve, I turned and shouted at my comrades nearby,

“We’re heading straight to Dark Heaven Village!”

 

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