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“The Soul of the Four Gods?”

I first went to the Shadowless Gate to share my memories with the Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye. Adding allies was the priority, after all. Their responses to the memories I retrieved from the obsidian were quite different.

Seo Mun-hye only showed a slight surprise. As expected, being an offspring of the Giant Race, she felt no burden. Conversely, the Sword Demon seemed overwhelmed, his eyes clouding as he struggled to process the massive amount of knowledge.

“So, splinters of memory still linger, huh…”

After a moment, the Sword Demon seemed to regain his composure. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said, “… Baek Woong. This is hard to believe.”

“I hear that a lot, actually.”

“Huh, I guess that makes sense.”

A humorless smile cracked on his face. A moment later, he spoke again.

“Congratulations on becoming a Peak Expert. Your efforts have finally borne fruit.”

“Thanks. But I still have a long way to go.”

“A long way? You’ve already reached a level comparable to the Master of the White Lotus Sect, making you nearly invincible in this world.”

“I can’t settle for this.”

My voice slowed down as I continued, “To defeat the God of Chaos, I need to harness the powers of the Heavenly Thunder God’s martial arts. Even if I manage to do that, it’s uncertain whether my sword can touch the enemy’s.”

“……”

The Sword Demon had a look of disbelief for a moment before letting out a sound of contemplation.

“Hmm… I can’t even imagine such a thing. It far exceeds any common sense I ever knew…”

Finally, the Sword Demon spoke up. “Now that we have shared memories, it seems we must confront the forces of the Imperial Palace and Zhuge Yulong. What about Jin So-cheong?”

“I discussed it with Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa… For now, we decided to leave him be without provoking him.”

“Why? Transmitting your martial arts memory to him would undoubtedly lead to extraordinary growth.”

“…I think so too. But…”

I trailed off, recalling Mangnyang’s words before coming here.

[This life is under less scrutiny from the Coming Chaos than the last one, but there’s still no need to let your guard down. Let’s take our time before trying to recruit Jin So-cheong.]

[Why? By the way, I never mentioned why I sealed Jin So-cheong and Jin Cheon-hwi in the last life. Could it be that they are incarnations of the Coming Chaos?]

Mangnyang hesitated before responding.

[…Neither of them is a traitor or evil. They can’t be incarnations, either. I think it’s a slightly different concept. However, as seen in the case of the Divine Thief, having them close while approaching significant secrets carries immense risk.]

[……]

[You will gain significant advantages in this life. You might even strike right at the heart of the matter in one go. But until things become clearer, you need to be cautious about recruiting him.]

For now, I had decided to keep my distance from Jin So-cheong.

“……”

When I fell silent, the Sword Demon spoke. “Alright. If you don’t want to discuss it, let’s drop the topic. But has Zhuge Sa or the Master of the White Lotus given you any specific orders?”

“They did. Soon, there will be a gathering of the Heretical Sect’s Eight Demons, and I need you to subdue them all by force during that meeting.”

“By myself?”

“Yes. Use your power to dominate them and become the true leader of the Heretical Sect.”

“Hehehe… I suppose that’s the quickest way to unify the White Lotus Sect under minimal effort. However, while I could handle two or three leaders of the Eight Demons, anything beyond that would be pushing my luck. Those guys are also Peak Experts, and among the better ones at that.”

“……”

“Even with your martial arts memory, it’s unlikely you’ll attain that level of combat effectiveness in two to three months.”

With a bitter smile, the Sword Demon seemed to reconsider, and I nodded in agreement.

“I have a plan. Don’t worry.”

I shared my ‘plan’ with the Sword Demon before stepping outside to talk with Seo Mun-hye.

“Looks like I dragged you in again this time.”

“Not at all, Benefactor. It’s an honor to be involved.”

“…Searching for the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma Technique is akin to embarking on a journey to destroy the universe. I can’t really call it a normal rescue. But will you follow me to the end?”

“Of course. Since life and death are tied to the Old Ruler, what reason do I have to fear destruction in this life?”

“Thank you.”

I sighed and continued, “Soon, when I resurrect Baek Woong and can control the Spirit Power properly, I’ll have plenty of work for you.”

“I look forward to it.”

Whoosh!

After wrapping up our conversation, I headed to Abe no Seimei. Guided by the Yin-Yang Master clan, when I finally met him and handed over the obsidian, he looked as if he realized everything instantly. He fell silent before saying, “I see. You’re referring to the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma Technique?”

“We plan to unify the Central Plains Martial World. In the meantime, use all your resources to gather information about the Dharma Technique.”

“Got it. But…”

“What?”

The silver-haired pretty boy looked me in the eye. “Will you take my Amaterasu in this life too?”

Hmm.

Thinking back, in my last life, I had received a part of Amaterasu after merging with Abe no Seimei, the Ancient God. That power had helped me convert my Spirit Power far earlier than planned. If I were to get Amaterasu again through Seimei’s sacrifice this life, my Spirit Power would ramp up significantly.

But I shook my head.

“No. What I need this life is information. If you, the head of our allies, the Yin-Yang Master clan, lose your power, getting that information becomes difficult. I hope you’ll use your strength to seek out that intel.”

“Fine.”

“And if you bring Miho, protect her. Don’t let her fall into the hands of the Queen Mother of the West.”

“Understood.”

Whoosh!

Next, I headed to Miho. Upon reaching the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace, I handed over the obsidian to her, and she looked utterly shocked as she received it.

“……!!”

I told the stunned Miho, “You’ve figured it out from the memories, right? What we need to do this life is to seek the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma Technique to avoid the Law of Cause and Effect singularity.”

“…Are you saying I’m a Reborn Person?”

“Correct. We’ve encountered each other several times…”

She blinked in disbelief before finally saying, “Now that things have come to this… Do I really have the power you need, Baek Woong?”

She didn’t seem to doubt the truth of the obsidian memory. It was overwhelming enough that she accepted its legitimacy. I nodded at her words.

“Miho. Here’s what I want to say.”

“……?”

I opened my mouth with a serious expression.

“In the lives ahead, I will fight the Queen Mother of the West, but I want to save both her and you at the same time.”

“That’s ridiculous!! She’s the origin of the Maiden, how could you possibly save both? Do you really think you and your companions are in a position to bargain with the Queen Mother?”

Miho looked shocked, almost having a fit, but I calmly replied, “I’ll find a way. The Queen Mother, or Nüwa, isn’t just going to let this world crumble either. Plus, she’s highly suspicious of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. If I can find some common ground with her… someday, something can be accomplished.”

“……”

“I won’t give up.”

Miho froze, astonished. Then, she let out a bittersweet laugh.

“Ah, haha… Baek Woong, you’ve really grown up… both in power and spirit…”

“It’s not just me. It’s possible because you’ve all kept helping me.”

As I said that, I reached out my hand. “Become my companion, Miho.”

Miho gazed at my hand for a moment before gripping it firmly. “Alright. I’ll trust you, Baek Woong.”

After bringing Miho on board, I moved her from the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace to Abe no Seimei’s residence. Leaving her in the palace could risk her being kidnapped by the Celestial Realm’s immortals later on. Also, I took the opportunity to ask Seimei to teach Miho a little more about Yin-Yang arts.

With that preparation taken care of, I headed to the Imperial Palace.

Whoosh!

I guessed Zhuge Bu would be in the Inner Imperial Pavilion. As I entered, I felt the barrier ripple and close around me.

‘As expected, they’ve set up a defensive barrier through martial arts.’

When I stole the Nameless Ritual Book before, I had done so openly, half-expecting them to follow me, but Zhuge Bu didn’t act. This likely meant there had been some change of heart, or they were expecting me to return. Most likely, this barrier was a trap, preventing any escape once someone entered from the outside.

As I ascended to the highest floor of the Inner Imperial Pavilion, I found Zhuge Bu waiting for me, glaring.

“So you’ve come again… Where’s the Nameless Ritual Book?”

“So you expected me to return, huh?”

“That’s irrelevant!”

Suddenly, Zhuge Bu’s Array Technique unfurled, enclosing me. As I stared at the talismans floating around, he gritted his teeth and declared, “You only have this one chance to beg for your life. If you don’t surrender, I’ll kill you and summon your soul to forcibly interrogate you!”

“I’d bet Zhuge Yulong advised you on this.”

“……”

Zhuge Bu flinched, and I narrowed my eyes, bored. “This routine is becoming tiresome. Enough of the theatrics, lead me to Zhuge Yulong. Unless he’s already here?”

“Arrogant fool!! Die!!”

Kiing!

The next moment, the Array Technique activated, and everything around me shone bright white. A shuddering spell capable of making any creature within a radius of a hundred disappear! I’d previously gone through serious training to contend with Zhuge Bu.

‘If I can defeat Zhuge Bu in one go, maybe Zhuge Yulong will pay attention to me?’

But I stepped forward, unfazed.

Soul Removal Technique!

Thud!

With a burst of speed, I zipped out from the Array Technique’s confines. The talismans meant to extract souls brushed by me but couldn’t restrict my movement.

At the same time, I swiftly scanned my surroundings with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit I obtained from the Celestial Sage, detecting the hidden Zhuge Bu who was concealed by stealth and barriers. Before he even reacted, I slipped behind him.

“Gotcha.”

Zhuge Bu threw up his Protection Energy Technique to counter my slash, but I neatly sidestepped a couple of his techniques and struck an acupoint with the hilt of my sword, knocking him out cold.

“Cough.”

Plop.

Though Zhuge Bu was also a Peak Expert, finding an opening using the martial arts forms alongside my Soul Removal Technique made it easy to overpower him. He had neglected martial training and relied heavily on spells, rendering him unprepared for a real fight.

As I toppled Zhuge Bu, I spoke loudly to the surroundings, “I know you’re hiding. Come out, Zhuge Yulong.”

Rustle!

As my words finished, Zhuge Yulong revealed his Sword Form from a distance, glaring at me with sharp eyes that screamed caution. Being of a much higher skill level than Zhuge Bu, he had sensed my faint aura with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit but couldn’t pinpoint my exact position.

I said to Zhuge Yulong, “I’m curious how you expected me to show up again.”

“You hesitated in front of the National Seal’s barrier and left a trace behind. If you still coveted the National Seal, it makes sense you wouldn’t attack directly but instead seek information from the one who knows about it.”

“Hmm… I see.”

I realized my mistake. As he said, I had planned to gather all the treasures in the palace at once, but had hesitated before the National Seal. Why? Because without Baek Woong, making a bold move risking the massive Spirit Power could lead to catastrophic consequences. And it seemed Zhuge Yulong had interpreted my hesitation well.

Zhuge Yulong asked, “Who are you? How do you know the secrets and location of the Imperial Palace’s treasures?”

I decided to use the persuasion techniques Zhuge Sa had taught me on Zhuge Yulong.

“Zhuge Yulong. If the prophecies Jun told you were false, would you still be acting as the God’s Priest?”

“……!!”

“If your wife’s death was merely a twist of fate played by the gods…”

“What?”

Zhuge Yulong looked unfathomably shaken, as if my words had shattered his original calm. After all, I had exposed a deeply guarded secret of his that no one else knew.

“I know all about the plans you and Jun concocted while alive. I learned it as an ally of your brother, Zhuge Sa.”

“Who are you?!”

“I’m Baek Woong.”

“Which martial arts organization are you affiliated with?”

“I’m the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s Deputy. But that’s merely a facade.”

As I spoke, I slowly presented the obsidian before Zhuge Yulong.

“I’ll transfer my memories to you. Accept this, and you’ll learn everything.”

“……”

Zhuge Yulong hesitated. Just when he seemed to have decided to approach and accept the obsidian…

“Stop! Don’t heed his proposal!”

A woman’s voice rang out. As I turned to face the voice, a stunning lady wielding a massive scythe stood atop the Palace roof. Given her familiar appearance, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

“……!!”

What is she doing here…?!

It quickly became clear.

“It was wise to ask me to catch this suspicious man. He indeed appears to be someone beyond human capabilities, Priest.”

“……”

Zhuge Yulong had called in reinforcements just in case.

What a thorough strategist he is.

“Stay back. I’ll handle this one. I can listen to your stories afterward, can’t I?”

“…Alright. I’ll leave it to you.”

After much hesitation, Zhuge Yulong seemed to give in, slowly stepping back. Although tempted by my offer, he ultimately decided to heed the words of his ally. After all, this ally wasn’t human, but a form of transcendent being.

‘Crap.’

I clenched my lips and summoned my sword.

I never expected to be facing such a crisis right from the early stages of this life. And against such a formidable opponent, no less…

Whoosh –

The lady swung her scythe horizontally against the radiant moonlight, her eyes burning with magical energy as a tremendous force began to boil within her.

“Shall we see who’s stronger…?”

The Eight Parts of the Divine’s Yacha was glaring with murderous intent at me.

 

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