Chapter 415: War Between the North and South (5)

I couldn’t understand a word of what he said.

But I knew one thing for sure—if I obediently let myself be taken away like this, there was no good future waiting for me.

Chwarurureuk!

Both of my arms began to transform into sharp, saw-like shapes.

I could now bring them out even during the day without issue, but especially at night, my body moved as my will commanded.

Yet seeing me like this, Cheon Juchun was delighted like a child.

“Partial transformation! So you can fully control your awakened body state!”

Kwaang!

I sprang forward from my position and charged straight at Cheon Juchun.

‘Even if my body tears apart, I’ll kill him in a single strike!’

Sword qi gathered on my Sabers.

“Ohh, even sword qi?!”

Most awakened beings couldn’t adapt to their twisted internal structures and were unable to use refined techniques like sword qi.

At best, they relied on basic bodily reinforcement or crude bursts through breathing.

“This is too precious even to leave a scratch… Ah, this should do.”

Cheon Juchun spoke while watching my Saber closing in.

“A command. If I die, immediately hunt down and kill every last one of those in the Underworld King Unit.”

Kkudeuk!

At that moment—

My Saber halted at Cheon Juchun’s nape as if a lie.

Cheon Juchun pushed my Saber aside with a finger and smiled.

“It works.”

“You… you bastard….”

“What will you do? Will you come quietly, or…”

Cheon Juchun turned his gaze to my subordinate frozen in place behind him.

“Will you watch all your subordinates die before your eyes and then follow?”

“……”

I clenched my teeth so tightly that blood seeped from my lips.

Normally, I should’ve abandoned my subordinates and found a way to survive.

One must never give the enemy even the slightest gain.

That was the attitude of a proper assassin serving their master.

However…

The day when the indifferent Sabers of Cheon Jumun slaughtered my comrades surfaced in my mind.

And Cheon Jumun’s face overlapped with the faces of the Underworld King Unit members I had cared for and nurtured with all my heart over the years.

Teolsseok!

In the end, I couldn’t help but yield.

‘I’m sorry…’

With tears falling, I bowed my head.

“Kukukuk… Yes, that’s the wise choice.”

In truth, a petty group like the Underworld King Unit meant nothing to Cheon Juchun.

They were merely tools to stir the other party’s heart.

“Take her, Jeolyeong.”

“Yes, my lord…”

White Demon Ghost Jeolyeong.

He, the Vice Captain of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad, appeared once more with one of his arms missing.

Looking visibly drained, Jeolyeong pressed on my demonic blood and knocked me unconscious, then hoisted me over his remaining shoulder.

“Dao Zun is just resurrecting and regaining her strength… Gunggi is distracted by someone else, so I can only count on Chaos for now? Well, that should be enough.”

Cheon Juchun’s mad laughter echoed within the cave.

Once everyone had left and no one remained inside—

“Hmph…”

A woman’s snort was heard from somewhere, and suddenly a part of the cave silently collapsed.

“I came to tease that bedridden wench a bit and stumbled upon something interesting.”

So Soryu, clad head to toe in black, tilted her head with a troubled look.

“What should I do with this?”

Gu Chil was staring intensely at the unusually open northern front.

“What’s the matter, Gu Chil?”

“No, just…”

To my question, Gu Chil slightly shook his head.

“I just have a bad feeling all of a sudden.”

“A bad feeling?”

“Yes, didn’t those bastards from the Azure Star Sect suddenly claim that chaos would break out in our cult?”

Ordinarily, it would have been a worthless remark.

But considering the latent threats within the cult these days, it wasn’t entirely implausible.

Especially since we had lost track of the Demonic Ghost Execution Squad—it wasn’t unreasonable for Gu Chil to be anxious.

“Well, it’s not something that will happen right away. We just need to do what we must.”

“…Yes.”

I calmed Gu Chil and entered the meeting room.

Inside, the leadership of the Northern Murim Alliance was engaged in heated discussion.

“You’ve arrived, First Strategist.”

Wisdom Talent, the Administrative Officer, greeted my return.

“How is the war front?”

“Not very favorable.”

His expression darkened slightly.

“As you know, localized battles have begun across the border. Wars between the sects under the Alliance have started.”

Unless one was like the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult with few subordinate forces, or a newly established group like the Black Lotus Union, wars between massive powers usually began as territorial disputes between the sects under them.

“And most of those under the Northern Murim Alliance have suffered major defeats.”

“……”

Was it because they lacked skill?

No.

There were two reasons.

One was the existence of awakened beings, against whom even the best martial artists couldn’t stand if only a single one appeared.

And the other—the demonic beasts that had begun to run rampant across the Central Plains.

“We’re sending reinforcements consisting of those at least Peak Master Level and above, but even that has its limits.”

“The battlefield has spread too wide, and in the end, the main base of the Alliance will become too vulnerable.”

“Exactly.”

A quagmire of warfare.

That was precisely the situation the Southern Murim Alliance desired.

“At least Shaolin and Wudang have been working hard in various ways. Without them, the damage would have been far greater.”

Shaolin’s warrior monks had been dispatched in groups of five or six to the hotspots, and Wudang’s involvement was similar.

Shaolin had long been known for its righteous name, and Wudang needed to restore its former glory and reestablish its reputation.

“How will you fill the gaps they leave?”

“The main force of the Bukcheon Geom Clan will join. The Clan Head himself is said to be coming.”

“Ohh…”

The North of the Twin Heavens Clans.

Even the House of Extreme Saber would concede a step when it came to the Saber—this was the supreme power in that field.

‘If the Bukcheon Geom Clan officially joins, there is no need to worry. But…’

Their goal was to spill blood across all of the Central Plains.

The longer the war dragged on, the more we were simply being dragged along by their intentions.

‘In many ways, we need to cut off their breath in one strike…’

Perhaps reading my thoughts, Wisdom Talent sighed.

“Even if we aim for a short-term decisive battle, I wonder if they’ll play along so easily.”

“That’s true.”

Even if we were to march straight to the Southern Murim Alliance’s main base, it was obvious they would cling on desperately, even abandoning their own main base.

‘In the end, only by striking at the core of their cohesion can we end the war quickly.’

To be honest, I wanted to barge into the Southern Murim Alliance’s stronghold alone and cause havoc.

Given my current level, I could probably annihilate their headquarters just by unleashing Resonance Qi a few times.

But doing so would only be playing into the Heaven-Defying Society’s hand.

More importantly—

‘The Four Atrocities… Gunggi.’

Before I faced him again, I had to complete every possible preparation.

“What will you do now? Are you heading on another expedition?”

I shook my head at Wisdom Talent’s question.

“No. There will be no further expeditions.”

The ambush against the awakened beings using Han Mubaek’s intel had only been a move to identify the source of awakened being production.

But all we had hunted were small fry. We hadn’t even encountered beings like a Spirit or one of the Ten Heavenly Lords.

“Wisdom Talent, please continue overseeing overall command as you’ve done so far. Let the commanders on the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s side know as well.”

“And you?”

“For a while… I plan to enter isolation and reassess my martial arts.”

Now, my opponents are no longer human.

Beings who had transcended humanity, or were never human to begin with.

To confront such entities, I would even have to transcend the Transcendent Demon Realm.

Heavenly Profound Divine Art

Ten Heavenly Record Sword

Heavenly Demonic Divine Art

Heaven-Slaying Demon Sword

Blood Demon Dragon Heaven-Slaying Sword Art

Demonic Heaven Asura Divine Art

Asura Spirit

Heaven-Shaking Path of the Sacred and the Demonic, and more…

‘It’s astounding, but I really did learn a lot.’

Including other secret arts passed down from my Senior Brothers, I had mastered more than dozens of martial arts.

Each one the best of its time—or techniques that would rank among the greatest across the ages.

Compared to the seekers who thoroughly honed such ultimate techniques and arrived at their own answers, I was nothing more than a mere mongrel who had inherited their will.

Inside the secluded training chamber reserved for Ryonju, located within the old Black Lotus Union, I lightly unsheathed the Underworld Net Sword.

Kugugugung!

The aftermath alone was enough to cause a faint tremor in the surroundings.

Even so, I wasn’t particularly satisfied.

‘Strictly speaking, the Underworld Net Sword isn’t something that could be called a Transcendent Technique.’

Of course, if judged solely by its power, I was confident it wouldn’t fall behind the ultimate techniques of my Senior Brothers.

But that comparison was only valid against their younger days.

What if I compared it to Yoo Jeon or Ma Seoyeon in their prime?

‘Far too lacking.’

And though it was just an intuition, I felt that sheer power alone wouldn’t be enough to kill Gunggi.

‘In the end, I have to find my own answer.’

The answer was none other than this:

Divinity. Or a path toward transcendence.

The method of opening the gate leading to that path—one’s personal methodology—was generally referred to as an “answer.”

Fortunately, I had a shortcut that allowed me to seek that answer faster than others.

‘Heavenly Demon’s Dominance.’

Though I could replicate its appearance convincingly, I had yet to grasp the true essence of the Heavenly Demon Ancestor’s enlightenment.

I had a strong hunch that by delving deeper into the Heavenly Demon’s Dominance, I would find a clue that could pierce the Supreme Demon Realm.

It was then.

“Been well, rookie?”

Suddenly, a cheerful woman’s voice rang from the entrance of the training chamber.

I had issued strict orders not to let anyone in, but preventing that woman in particular was certainly impossible.

I rose from my seat and greeted her with a clasped-hands salute.

“It’s been a while, Elder Dao Zun.”

“Indeed.”

The last of the Three Sovereigns of the Central Plains, Dao Zun Jin Ryeong.

She appeared before me, just like that.

“I heard you beat down all the Elders and became the new Sect Leader of Wudang….”

“That’s right. If I hadn’t, Wudang would’ve already become one of the core sects of the Southern Murim Alliance.”

Indeed, if she hadn’t taken control of Wudang, the sect would never have withdrawn from the Justice Alliance.

“What brings you here?”

I could’ve understood if it were her wandering days, but now Dao Zun surely had mountains of responsibilities.

“Hmmm…”

Instead of answering, she ran her gaze up and down me.

Then, clicking her tongue slightly, she spoke.

“I got stuck with a bothersome request.”

“From whom?”

“Cheon Taejong.”

“……!”

Who did she just say?

“He said, once he ascended and enough time had passed, when you began to feel your shortcomings and tried to break through your limits, I should help you.”

“You mean the former Cult Leader…?”

“Yes. He said formidable enemies would appear, ones you’d find hard to face even then, and if I didn’t want to die with you, I’d better lend a hand quietly.”

“……”

“I received too heavy a price for it to ignore… sigh!”

She undid the Six Paths Veil draped around her shoulders.

The final of the Hwan Clan’s three great treasures, alongside the True Star Sword and the Mirror of Karma.

Hadn’t I already experienced through the other two just how powerful they could be when properly unleashed?

“Did you know? The True Star Sword, Six Paths Veil, and Mirror of Karma were originally designed to complement each other’s functions.”

“……?”

“I discovered that myself after studying the Six Paths Veil for a long time.”

Even so, I couldn’t guess what those “functions” were supposed to be.

“Well, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Fwoosh!

The six embroidered threads of the Six Paths Veil began to shine.

In that instant, the light pouring out from the Six Paths Veil engulfed the training chamber, repainting it in an entirely different color.

And at the moment I realized the scenery around us had completely changed—

“It’s been a long time, Junior Brother.”

“……?!”

Next to Dao Zun stood someone who no longer existed in this world.

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