965——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I followed Green Moon. He sprinted ahead, using Light Body Technique to dart through the air and suddenly communicated with me via Secret Transmission.

[Can you promise not to fight when we first meet that person?]

[Why?]

[Neither side will benefit… at least I will succumb to your dominance, so please show that person some minimal respect.]

His tone was peculiar.

‘It seems Green Moon isn’t just bowing down to that guy due to sheer strength.’

There was definitely some complex situation at play. A martial artist from the Thunder God Lineage discussing sincere respect like this was quite rare.

I really wanted to press Green Moon for answers but held back, realizing that would ruin any chance of earning his trust in the future. It must be quite a strain on him, being an elder of the Thunder God Lineage, to submit to me.

[Alright.]

[Thank you.]

Now that there was a hierarchical relationship, I decided to change how I addressed Green Moon. He seemed okay with it.

Tydaht

After adjusting my pace to match Green Moon’s, we traveled a good distance of about an hour at Light Body Technique speed. As we crossed a region, Green Moon led me into an oddly desolate mountain. I noticed small mounds of stones piled up here and there, like someone had laid out a trail.

Then I realized what this mountain truly was.

‘Formation Technique!’

Each of those stone piles served as components of a formation. Of course, breaking a few wouldn’t dissolve the formation; they were just markers. I also knew that a place laid out in such a way was usually a powerful sorcerer’s base, making me hesitate for a moment.

What if this is a trap?

But I shook my head inwardly. Even if Green Moon had ill intentions, I didn’t think he could take down a master of the Absolute Realm with just that formation. And if Green Moon betrays me, then that’s that.

‘Traitors are never forgiven.’

Like those from the Namgung Clan or the pirates, I would have my revenge, even if it took reincarnation.

Over and over.

Until I felt like it.

Woo woo woo

As I ventured deeper, a bright white mist drifted through the serene silence like it came straight out of a mysterious valley. Strangely enough, it wasn’t cold at all; instead, there was this endless stillness. Even the grass and trees seemed vibrant, despite the gloomy terrain.

I didn’t sense any Demon Ki. Green Moon stopped and then said,

“Stay here.”

“Hmm.”

There’s a small cave. I extended my Qi Sense toward it while simultaneously executing the Fire Eye Golden Spirit technique. But it was like something thick was blocking my view—I couldn’t see anything.

‘Powerful sorcery barrier…’

If it could block the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, then even mighty demons would find it tricky to penetrate. While I was measuring the opponent’s abilities, I suddenly felt a tremor.

Shiver!

Green Moon’s body shook, and his eyes glazed over. He turned toward me, but his gaze had turned pitch black.

“… You possess very powerful power… Who are you?”

Did he get possessed?

Green Moon is a strong martial artist and sorcerer, so it’s shocking how easily he could be possessed. I stared into his eyes and replied,

“I am Baek Woong, destined to be the master of the Thunder God Lineage. I’ve come here to confront Green Moon and seize control of the Ghostly Spirit Sect.”

“… Oh…”

“I heard Green Moon is not the head of the Ghostly Spirit Sect; there’s someone else, right? Is that you?”

The opponent slowly nodded.

“… Yes… I am the leader…”

“Then let me know your name and title.”

“……”

The guy hesitated then finally said.

“… Oh… It turns out someone more than expected has come… Surely you didn’t bring the Thunder God Lineage’s four great spirit deities Vajra with you…”

Wow, did he just read Green Moon’s memory? The one from our prior meeting…

Unexpected. Usually, possession just means temporarily taking over a body; reading someone’s memories is a different technique entirely, nearly impossible to do at once. But this guy managed to read memories while being possessed, showing remarkable prowess.

With his eyes darkened, he stared right at me.

“… Also the martial arts of the Absolute Realm… And perhaps that ‘power’ comes from Fire Eye Golden Spirit… a teleportation demon artifact… You’re quite the enigmatic character…”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I clearly asked for your name and title.”

“Well… Heh… Sorry… It’s just been quite a while since I’ve seen a peculiar being like you… I got a little lost in thought…”

Chuckling wickedly, the form that had taken on Green Moon’s face spoke.

“Let me reintroduce myself… I am the leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect… I have many names… but right now, I have no name to share…”

“……”

Are you kidding me?!

Frustrated, I summoned my Immortal Sword and said,

“Oh, is it? You don’t want to talk? Fine then.”

“Hmm… You’re quite hasty…”

As if to threaten him, I pointed my sword’s tip at him.

“From the looks of it, you’re quite familiar with sorcery. What is it that you want while acting in the shadows with Green Moon and the Black Moon Group? And if you’re the head of the Ghostly Spirit Sect, why didn’t you step in when the Thunder God Lineage was ousted?”

“……”

The leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect remained silent before he spoke.

“What we desire is… just one thing… and that is…”

“What is that?”

“… You’ll find out later…”

But he wouldn’t finish his thought. Instead, he veered off to something irrelevant.

“… And when the Thunder God Lineage was ousted… I did my part for them… I helped the successors of the Thunder God Lineage escape with my sorcery and buried the pursuers from the Wind Spirit Sect and Su Shin Sect… There’s no reason to say more…”

“I can accept that. But why didn’t you help Lee Cheong-un instead of him? If you did, he wouldn’t have been so easily killed by the Sect Leader.”

I could feel this guy had great skill. Ability to instantly possess the body of a Thunderbolt Three Saint and detect my capabilities at a glance is something rare. If someone like him had helped Lee Cheong-un, the Thunder God Lineage wouldn’t have fallen so quickly.

Then he replied,

“… I happen to like the current Master of the White Lotus Sect…”

“What?”

What are you talking about?

Just as I was baffled, the head of the Ghostly Spirit Sect continued.

“… I was observing what Master Dokgo Uncheon intended to do and why he formed the Primordial Spirit and Heavenly Spirit Pill… I understood it all in an instant… Dokgo Uncheon is the one carrying forward the original will of the first sect leader… seeking to achieve True Martial Home…”

“……”

“So, even though it differs slightly from my desire for the Ghostly Spirit Sect… I’ve been cheering for him in my heart… The Master of the White Lotus Sect is the one who embodies the intent of the very first ancestor… Even if he’s a bit duller than Lee Cheong-un… he suits the role of the Master of the White Lotus Sect perfectly…”

After hearing his words, I couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief,

“If that’s true, you were originally with the Thunder God Lineage, and in secret, you helped them while believing Dokgo Uncheon suited the role of the Master of the White Lotus Sect more… So, you just stood by while Lee Cheong-un got killed?”

“That’s… not all my fault… Lee Cheong-un was simply weaker than the Sect Leader…”

“You want to play the strong hold the respect argument? But you’re part of the Thunder God Lineage, so not helping Lee Cheong-un ultimately means you betrayed him.”

As I glared at him sharply, he stared back, silent for a moment before responding.

“You keep talking about how you’re from the Thunder God Lineage… but the Ghostly Spirit Sect isn’t actually a part of it…”

“What?”

“The Ghostly Spirit Sect didn’t originate from the Thunder God Lineage… I created it myself, and coincidentally, the majority of our members were from the Thunder God Lineage…”

“……!!”

“Heh heh… Your face has twisted… Are you itching to show off your strength?”

I yelled out in anger.

“You hit the nail on the head!”

Kaboom!

Fed up with his nonsense, I charged straight into the cave and struck with the Thunder Sword. Green Moon was merely possessed, so severing him would be like cutting down a puppet. Destroying the cave where the main body was would surely be much more impactful.

As I did so, the mountain crumbled entirely.

Cling cling cling!

Amidst the bright clear light, a figure sat in meditation and began emerging from within. Their appearance was hard to make out—hair disheveled, barely revealing eyes and mouth.

As the being floated in the air, they chanted using the Six Harmonies Assembly.

[If you wish to become the master of the Thunder God Lineage, feel free. Whether you take Green Moon or not is up to you. You have earned that right.]

“……”

[However, do not interfere with my endeavors… For now, I shall take my leave.]

“Wait!”

Swish!!

In the next moment, the leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect used a teleportation-like sorcery and vanished. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass, so I established Intent Heavenly Pillar in that split second, scanning the area with half-open eyes while swinging my Immortal Sword.

Swish!

The sword grazed the dimensions. I sensed that my strike bounced back before I could fully grasp the essence of the dimension. I thought to myself,

‘Could this be what Musashi referred to as [the cross-section of time and space]?’

To truly master this would likely take centuries of training…

Crunch!

[Hmm…]

The leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect reappeared in the air again. His left arm was bleeding, staining his clothes, and he stared at the wound in a daze before covering it with one hand, causing the bleeding to cease instantly.

‘Healing technique?’

While pondering the opponent’s abilities, the leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect spoke.

[Impressive. That with the strength of a Thunder Sword could break your sorcery… Only a handful of the previous masters have been able to do such a feat.]

“Then why do you insist on running away? Don’t you want to team up with me?”

[Of course not… While I acknowledge you might be stronger than me, I don’t see you as someone who would fulfill my ideals.]

“What do you mean?”

[No matter how you found Vajra, I cannot trust you. There’s no guarantee you aren’t part of the Evil God’s minions.]

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

He attempted to vanish again. Instinctively, I realized he was using a higher-level technique and panicked. Even with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I couldn’t decipher the context of his sorcery, confirming he was no ordinary sorcerer.

‘This is quite the predicament! This approach won’t cut it…’

I realized I couldn’t convince him merely through intimidation. At the same time, I had to admit my method was rough.

‘I must have wanted to flaunt my strength after reaching the Absolute Realm…!!’

There’s a straightforward path available, yet my arrogance had blinded me. I steeled myself and shouted,

“Wait! I have something to show you!”

[You mean you want to show me Vajra again…? Sorry, but such things hold little meaning to me…]

“No, what I want to show you is something different.”

My eyes glinted as I made the utmost effort to cast a technique.

Soul Removal Technique

Extreme Completion

Heavenly Destruction Step!!

BAM!

As soon as I executed Heavenly Destruction Step, I found myself behind him. He remained still for a moment then trembled, speaking in a quaking voice.

[Soul Removal Technique… and it’s at the Extreme Completion level…??]

With my gaze fixed on the back of his head, I said,

“Exactly. Master of the Subtle has passed it down to me!”

[……!!]

Hearing the name Master of the Subtle seemed to shock him significantly.

After a brief moment, he said,

[Tell me your story… How could you inherit the legacy of Master of the Subtle?]

“I won’t do it for free. You have to share your secrets first.”

I growled at him, and he contemplated for a moment before responding.

[Alright. If that’s the case, let me reveal my name first. How about we open up to each other afterward?]

Sounds good.

Noticing that he was starting to open up, I sighed.

“Oh, come on. What’s so special about a name that you’d treat it like gold…”

The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

The existence of a leader of the Ghostly Spirit Sect was one thing, but how much effort did it take to meet this recluse? If not for the advice of Master of the Subtle regarding the Soul Removal Technique, I might not even have gotten to hear this guy’s name.

However, upon finally hearing his name, my body stiffened.

[My name is Seong Jin…]

One of the five disciples of Dharma.

A prince of a fallen minor kingdom, and the name of the one who had journeyed alongside me all the way to True Martial Home suddenly echoed in my thoughts.