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Shadows flickered in Dark Heaven Village as the Dharma Guardian’s clone wobbled towards me, wearing a Black Tiger mask. Its steps were so strange that I couldn’t compare it to any technique I had ever seen.

‘The clone disappears after just one solid hit.’

It didn’t have to be a strong blow—it just needed to graze me. After all, a clone made of Qi is incredibly unstable. So, if I could just land a touch on the Dharma Guardian’s clone, I’d win.

But suddenly, the clone halted. Its voice turned stiff as it spoke.

“Is that Thunder God lineage I sense? Thunder Spirit Eight Forms, huh?”

“You know about the Thunder God lineage?”

“Ha ha, how can you not? The Wind Spirit Sect and Thunder God lineage have been rivals for eons, so of course we know each other’s techniques.”

His words were truth; even the simplest posture could give away extensive knowledge. Plus, considering he was the leader of the Wind Spirit Sect, he probably understood my Thunder God lineage better than I thought.

SWISH!

The clone raised its left hand, where a swirling Wind Bullet had already formed. I could feel the potential energy from the wind, and even I couldn’t grasp how formidable it truly was. The air warped around the Wind Bullet so much that it was visible to the naked eye. The Dharma Guardian smirked coldly.

“A newbie from the Thunder God lineage, huh? Let’s see what you’ve got.”

POW!

As he flicked his fingers, a series of terrifyingly fast Evil Bullets shot towards me. I quickly maneuvered my spear, managing to deflect four out of five strikes. One grazed my waist, just close enough to sting.

Just as I composed myself to counter, the Dharma Guardian’s clone suddenly surged forward like a ghost and threw a punch.

BOOM!!

“Ugh!”

I boosted my internal power to take the hit, but it slammed so heavily that it penetrated to my bones. Its strength was only 20% yet left me momentarily breathless. I could feel the immense gap between my power and that of the Dharma Guardian.

All the air left my lungs as my feet dragged against the ground, and I was pushed back like I had been struck by a wall.

‘Damn it. Way too strong…!!’

All I had to do was brush against it. Just a brush, and I could eliminate the clone of the Wind Spirit Sect’s Dharma Guardian. So I thought I could scatter my attack with a thrust. The storm of my spear whirled through the air, but the moment the Dharma Guardian’s clone came close…

Swoosh!

“Ugh…”

The clone employed a miraculous secret technique. It danced around my spear easily, flowing like the wind with finesse beyond what I could currently comprehend. As I watched it move gracefully, the clone withdrew with a whistle.

Then it chuckled.

“What are you surprised about? Is this your first time seeing the Wind Spirit Step?”

My face flushed red.

He teased, grabbing the Wind Spirit Sect’s pose again.

“Kid, watch carefully.”

WHOOSH!

A buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees, erupted around the Dharma Guardian’s clone. I tensed up in preparation as it stated, “This is the secret technique—Wind Demon Elimination.”

SWISH SWISH SWISH –

“……!!”

In that moment, the Dharma Guardian’s clone multiplied as if replicating, strolling straight towards me. For every step it took, yet another clone emerged. Surrounding me in a perfect circle, I couldn’t even muster the thought of an attack. Each clone seemed real, cloaked in genuine Qi, making it impossible to distinguish the real one.

‘Is such a martial art even possible?!’

After almost twenty clones filled the area surrounding me, they all began to strike in unison. I swung my spear, trying to defend with bare hands, but the clones just wouldn’t disappear. They grew even stronger, overwhelming me with a direct attack. I was forced to retreat using Thunder Shadow Step’s Heavenly Gathering Kill.

BOOM!

I started casting Absolute Slash with the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear. The energy at the tip intensified, and Thunder Spirit Technique pressed against the clones, forcing out more than half of them. One of the remaining clones was laughing maniacally.

“Ha ha! It’s the Heavenly Thunder Infinite Spear! Quite the learner, huh?”

“Shut it!”

Grinding my teeth, I focused all my power into the spear. My mind honed in on the basics from Ran, Na, and Chul, crystallizing my understanding. As my concentration peaked, the technique became sharper and faster, transforming the spear into a storm of death within a radius of two paces. Every clone caught in the path vanished like dust.

BLAM!

“Ugh…!!”

A sudden assault from a clone caught me off guard, leaving me to inhale sharply. One appeared like a midnight spirit, striking my face. I managed to absorb it with my defense technique, but my head spun from the impact. Just a bit more force, and my neck might’ve snapped.

At the same time, the clones around me shouted in unison.

[ Wind Demon Elimination: Extreme Blood Wind Divine Art! ]

“Cough.”

They came flooding in like a torrential rain with hand strikes, kicks, and various martial arts techniques from every direction.

[ Shadow Fist! ]

“Ugh.”

I blocked one attack, but another kick nailed my abdomen instead. I swung my spear, but there was nothing there anymore.

[ Azure River! ]

“Ugh.”

As I swung the spear again, a knee strike shot upward from below.

BLAM!

[ Clutching Strike! ]

As I staggered back, an elbow strike slammed into my back simultaneously.

THWACK!

[ Precious Sacrifice! ]

Bending down, I was smashed by a surprisingly well-timed strike to my chin.

The clones recited their martial names as they beat me down in turn. They leapt out like goblins, grabbing and attempting to break my limbs. The madness was that each one possessed the skill of a master, and as soon as they entered my range, I was utterly trapped.

If I hadn’t drastically boosted my defense with my internal power, I would’ve already been beaten to death.

[ Deflect! ]

SLAM!

The impact from a palm strike hit me from below, sending me crashing. For a moment, I lost consciousness.

“Aaaaaah!”

I screamed, completely overwhelmed by the onslaught of blows. Even with my massive internal power, I could see stars flashing before my eyes. I finally realized why I was being pummeled.

‘Damn it… I can’t distinguish between the clones and the real one! And they can change positions at will, avoiding my attacks…’

It was the pinnacle of clone techniques that I had never seen before! Lee Kwang could cast clones, but he could never approach such precision, quantity, and nuance. I had been getting pounded for a while when I unleashed a significant surge of energy using the release technique.

BOOM!

[ ROAR! ]

With that, I unleashed the Lion’s Roar. A flash erupted from my body, tearing through the clones. With a moment of peace, I now faced the Dharma Guardian’s clone, which was leaning back against a tree, arms crossed, watching me with a smirk.

Seeing my battered self, the Dharma Guardian remarked with interest, “Looks like you’re ready for a Thunder God license. And that vast internal power is quite intriguing. Ha ha ha…”

I glared back at the Dharma Guardian, gritting my teeth. I had suspected the Dharma Guardian was on another tier altogether. No wonder Miho was too scared to fight and just wanted to run.

Even with only 20% of his actual strength, the difference in skill was astronomical, leaving me unable to land a blow. Prolonged soft strikes only made it more agonizing.

“Ugh… Why?”

“What do you mean?”

The Dharma Guardian tilted his head in confusion, and I growled.

“Why chase us down all the way here to Goryeo? I want nothing to do with the White Lotus Sect.”

“Ha ha… well, you have a point.”

However, the Dharma Guardian’s clone seemed to weaken slightly. It must be that even it could only maintain the clones for so long. But if he felt any concern about his dwindling strength, he didn’t show it.

“The Sacred Lotus you found is a pure original form. To achieve the great work, we need it.”

“Original form?”

“Yes. So just come along willingly, and I won’t kill you.”

“In this world, there are far worse things than dying.”

“Ha ha ha… Well, so be it. But why all this bravado now?”

The Dharma Guardian’s clone readied to strike again, and I sighed deeply.

“Huu. It seems I’ve overestimated myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was too cocky, trying to hold back in this situation.”

“What…?”

I didn’t respond but steadied my breath. Lightning sparked from my eyes.

Thunder Roar!

In an instant, my body surged forward, carving lines into the air as I slashed the clone with incredible speed. It was a pace the clone’s strength couldn’t react to. The Dharma Guardian’s clone stared in disbelief at the wounds appearing on its body before turning to face me, trembling.

“You… you couldn’t possibly know the Decisive Enlightenment…?”

“Shut up and disappear.”

BOOM!

With that, the Dharma Guardian’s clone vanished. I took a breath, calming the bruises with the Five Animals Play from Huatuo.

“Damn… so freakishly strong. Not a moment’s reprieve to observe.”

Realizing that the clone I faced had only 20% of its actual strength, I aimed to extract as much information about its techniques as possible. Defeating the clone would leave the main body unharmed, so I wanted at least some clues. However, getting pummeled by the Wind Demon Elimination had left me in dire straits, and I had no choice but to quickly use Thunder Roar, one of my strongest techniques, to finish it off.

‘Things are about to get serious.’

Understanding that I revealed my use of the Decisive Enlightenment Thunder Roar, the Dharma Guardian noticed and scoffed. According to Lee Kwang, the Thunder Roar was a uniquely specialized technique known only to a select few in the Thunder God lineage scattered across the Central Plains. The fact I could use it meant the Dharma Guardian would harbor an enormous grudge against it, beyond mere expectation.

CRASH!!

As expected, a colossal crash echoed from the outer barrier, followed by waves of destructive Qi pouring forth like a hammer smashing through. The attack radiated with rage, indicating the Dharma Guardian was truly furious.

However, with the clone gone, it meant he could only utilize 80% of his strength now. While clones are highly convenient, they’re not often used in actual fights because losing the Qi used for them is a significant drain. The energy lost to maintain the clones cannot be replenished quickly.

WHOOSH – !!

Moments later, as the ceremony at the Star-Observing Altar concluded, the barrier strengthened even further. I leaned against a tree, finally catching a breath. Miho descended from the altar and said, “Well done. You managed to protect our lives just in time.”

Still leaning on the tree, exhausted, I muttered, “What happens if that monster with 80% of its strength gets in here?”

Miho smiled brightly. “Don’t worry. This barrier we set up can perfectly block clones. It’s a battleground created by three Grand Sorcerers, so at least we’ll hold out for a day.”

“The barrier lasts a whole day?”

“Yeah. But we’ll need to come up with a plan.”

With that, Miho cast a glance at Great Monk Seo San. “Hey, do you have any good ideas? After all, you’ve seen how powerful the Dharma Guardian is; how are we going to deal with that beast?”

“Hmm. Indeed, the Dharma Guardian is a superhuman. If he attacks, none of us could last beyond 50 seconds.”

Great Monk Seo San had grown serious as he mentioned the Dharma Guardian’s power, having witnessed it firsthand during the ceremony. He pondered for a moment before continuing, “We’ll need to head to the ruins beneath the altar.”

“The ruins?”

“Follow me.”

We trailed after Great Monk Seo San towards a cluster of ancient stones hidden behind the Star-Observing Altar. The massive stone mounds looked as if they had been built ages ago, scattered around the area. As we pass through the grassy patches, Great Monk Seo San suddenly halted.

“Yo!”

CREAK!

As he shouted, the ground split before him, revealing a vast staircase leading subterranean. All of us, including Miho, stood dumbfounded. Who would’ve thought there was something like this hidden in the mountain? Miho, narrowing her eyes, turned towards Great Monk Seo San.

“You’ve been hiding this from us. No, the entire Mount Muni is the ruins.”

The height of the hill loomed at about 150 paces—Mount Muni. Within it lay an enormous, secret space alongside ancient ruins.

“I’m sorry. But this secret is too crucial to reveal carelessly.”

Miho chuckled. “So you wanted to stay alive, huh? You ought to thank the Dharma Guardian.”

“Follow me.”

“Hmph!”

With resolute steps, the four of us descended slowly into the depths. The light was no issue as Yu Jeong summoned flames, while Miho illuminated the path with a goblin flame. Leading the way, Great Monk Seo San said, “Just so you know, Bin Seung also cannot ascertain whether the Seven Luminaries are present here. All I know is this place is an ancient ruin. And there’s evidence of some evil madness.”

“Madness?”

“This ruin was built long before the Star-Observing Altar. It seems that, over time, the altar was built atop it by sheer coincidence—the architecture of this ruin differs vastly from what we know.”

“Quit chatting and hurry up! That monster could break the barrier at any moment!”

With each step, I was engulfed by an eerie sense of déjà vu. Even though I had never been here before, it felt like I had visited this place ages ago. After quite some time walking down the stairs, I realized why.

“……!!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

I calmed my startled heart. Looking again at the staircase and the surrounding carvings, they were eerily similar to the ruins of the Water Spirit I had seen before! The differences in location and humidity had obscured this realization, but it was unmistakably designed by the same hands that made the Water Spirit ruins.

My thoughts turned into solid conclusions. Moments later, we reached a gigantic chamber, filled with ancient-style rooms of far larger proportions than the Water Spirit’s. Yet, the carvings and jars scattered around were all strikingly alike.

Great Monk Seo San climbed onto a platform at the altar, sighing heavily. “This is the end of the ruins. As you can see, there seems to be nothing remarkable found. No books or valuable artifacts have emerged. The only thing might be that stele.”

In front of the altar stood a stele.

Carved upon it were bizarre words.

“Hmm.”

Instantly, I felt something strikingly clearer than when I had stood before the Water Spirit ruins. It felt as though a colossal hand was forcefully rummaging through my brain, consuming something human within me.

After a moment of dizziness, I inspected the stele.

‘It can be read.’

Much to my surprise, whereas I’d barely interpreted a handful of words from the previous ruins, this time I was able to read beyond two lines. I carefully observed and realized one crucial fact.

[ In front lies… a guardian… the one who possesses it… must sprinkle blood upon the altar… to enter the chamber of offerings… the guardian… hails from the moon… present in the underworld… washed clean with water… the sun… the storm… the moon is born… a great… vow… the ties of blood… the great pact…. ]

It seemed that the act of sprinkling blood upon the altar was indeed significant.

And there existed a ‘chamber of offerings’, suggesting it held a trial to obtain the Seven Luminaries.

Simultaneously, I pondered the matter over.

Would I be able to survive this trial?

While I could easily pass through the Water Spirit’s trials now, that was only because I had learned the spider’s emergence methods, strength, and attack patterns by dying multiple times. Facing the guardian with zero information would undoubtedly spike my chances of dying.

The silver lining was that Miho and several Grand Sorcerers were present in this place. I composed myself and called my companions.

“Listen for a moment.”

I explained how I could interpret the stele’s message: that sprinkling blood on the altar would summon the guardian, likely the one guarding the Seven Luminaries. By the end of my explanation, they were all stunned.

THUD!

Especially Great Monk Seo San, who sat on the floor in shock.

“This… this ruin has supposedly existed since the time of Gojoseon, and countless great men and scholars have researched it since. Yet, no one could interpret the bizarre text. But you mean to say that you did?”

“I’m not sure, but yes.”

“Umm. The guardian you speak of—how powerful is it?”

“The guardian I faced was weak enough for me to eliminate. However, I can’t gauge how strong the ones from elsewhere may be. What’s certain is that even a Peak Expert wouldn’t last 50 seconds before getting devoured.”

As I recounted my encounter, Miho gazed beyond the altar, asserting, “You’re right. There’s a peculiar demonic energy beyond that wall. Surely, some form of demon must exist.”

“Hmm. But if that demon is indeed the guardian of the Seven Luminaries, what exactly would we acquire after defeating it?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Bin Seung also received commands from the Master of Twelve Joules, so I know a fair bit about the Seven Luminaries. The Sea Guardian is here in Goryeo, and the other Seven Luminaries, the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword, is located in Dongyoung. But what exactly could these Seven Luminaries be doing here?”

“……”

That was indeed peculiar. Could it be that there was an undiscovered Seven Luminaries beneath the Star-Observing Altar? But it was hard to understand why no one had noticed this in the thousand years since.

Miho seemed particularly interested. She thought long and hard, and after a while, her expression shifted as if she had made a discovery.

“Baek Woong, tell me everything you deciphered from the stele. There might be a clue hidden within.”

I then shared with her everything I could understand from the stele. After listening intently, Miho seemed to understand something.

“Ah, I see. What’s in this place is the true Moon Sovereign.”

“What does that even mean?”

Miho smirked, “Do you know the Three Divine Characters from Dongyoung’s creation myth?”

“Not really.”

“They refer to Amaterasu, Susanoo, and Tsukuyomi. What’s described on the stele certainly connects to the birth of the Three Divine Characters.”

“……!!”

Miho started laughing uncontrollably.

“Ah ha ha! It puzzled me; why were the Celestial Beings of Goryeo so similar to Dongyoung’s Three Divine Characters? In the end, they were indeed the same entity that existed long ago, and their legends were passed down across ages, leaving only the Seven Luminaries as the central divine items.”

“That means…”

“The Moon Sovereign, the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword, was not originally from Dongyoung. In fact, it was right here all along, wielding influence over Dongyoung without anyone realizing.”

“Wasn’t it said to have disappeared during the Genpei War?”

“None of it was ever in Dongyoung. The Eight Trigrams and Eight Foot Jade were only whimsically attached to the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword to create the illusion of a Celestial Being. Otherwise, how could the maiden have stayed beside the Heavenly Emperor for years without discovering a trace of the Seven Luminaries?”

Miho’s theory was outrageous but held up well given our current situation. Above all, only Miho, having enchanted the Emperor, could get so close to the secret of Dongyoung’s myth.

She continued, “Also, considering that the guardian is described as [hailing from the Moon], it suggests that the guardian was likely a creation of the ancient being Izanagi no Mikoto, once revered as a primal god. That explains everything!”

Miho gleefully bounced on her heels. After all, she was finally inching closer to her dream of obtaining the Seven Luminaries and returning to the Celestial Realm. However, I couldn’t share her exuberance and cautiously addressed Miho.

“M-Miho.”

“What?”

After gulping down my nerves, I stated, “I don’t know a thing about the Three Divine Characters or Izanagi, but if you’re saying that spilling blood on the altar would summon the ancient being Izanagi as a guardian, then our lives would be in danger?”

“……”

The room fell into silence.

I felt ridiculous, my lips trembling.

‘So this ancient ruin is far larger than the Water Element Divine Sword temple!’

The scale and power of the guardian to be summoned could not be compared to that of a mere Giant Spider. How should I even estimate the strength of the ancient being once revered as the [Old Entity]?

Now it dawned on me that I needed to make a decision.

Should I find a way to release the seal of the Moon Sovereign Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword and combat the guardian, or should I look for an alternative method to escape?

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