Truly.

A man who exceeded expectations.

He rose slowly from his seat.

It seemed it was still not the time.

Another opportunity would come.

Silently, he took paper and a brush from the dusk pouch at his side and scribbled something down.

“Seol… helper… thanks… an expression of gratitude… hmm, should I give this, or that….”

Undying Future Buddha had laid out several plans.

One was to use Yucheong to bestow a favor.

Another was to bestow a favor using a hidden realm that would soon appear near Cheonsu.

And yet another was to mobilize other sects to bestow a favor.

Among them, the second.

He intended to give Seol Unhwi a single hidden realm.

The hidden realm Undying Future Buddha had identified would surely be of great help to Seol Unhwi.

He finished writing the letter he had paused over.

“…With this… the debt and grievance for treating me… shall be considered… settled… so I believe….”

Speaking aloud as he wrote, unable to abandon the old habit of voicing his words, Undying Future Buddha set the letter down, pulled out the broken portion of the monk’s staff he had been carrying on his back, and drove it into the ground together with the letter.

“Hehehe….”

Laughing like that, Undying Future Buddha kicked off from the spot.

It was impossible to believe he was an injured man.

Becoming lightning itself, he vanished completely from the place in the blink of an eye.

Silence rushed in.

About one quarter-hour later, a middle-aged man with a bewildered expression entered the area.

It was Chief Seong.

“Are you perhaps still here….”

Looking around as he spoke, Chief Seong did not sense any presence, yet he did not let his guard down.

A No-Extremes Incarnation expert.

A monster of an entirely different order, and Chief Seong, who was at Divine Manifestation, reading his presence?

Unless it was deliberately revealed, even a miracle would not make that possible.

“Th-then… if the young master… before the meal… perhaps go to a nearby restaurant and eat….”

His words trailed off.

In Chief Seong’s field of vision lay the broken monk’s staff.

And the letter pinned to it.

“So he’s gone.”

Chief Seong silently picked up the letter, then left the annex.

***

The next morning. Unhwi was sitting in the annex, reading the letter Undying Future Buddha had left behind.

The letter contained the location of the hidden realm and details of the rewards that could be obtained there.

His thoughts deepened.

By Unhwi’s memory, this hidden realm had definitely appeared before.

As he continued to look at it, his memories resurfaced.

A hidden realm where several spirit medicines had appeared, and where numerous extremely troublesome traps had been placed throughout the process.

It was surprisingly ordinary for a gift from a cunning old monk, yet Unhwi had not firmly decided to enter it just yet.

Just as he set the letter down—

“Young master, the Flame King is looking for you.”

“Where is he?”

“He is at the Plum Blossom Pavilion in the rear garden.”

Within the Heavenly Alliance, major and minor matters were discussed in the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Next to the Heavenly Dragon Hall was also the Alliance Lord’s residence, but recently, due to the fierce battle between Unhwi and Mae Wuidong, both the Heavenly Dragon Hall and that residence had been destroyed.

The Plum Blossom Pavilion was located in front of the Alliance Lord’s temporary residence, and it was also Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s favorite place.

Even if the Heavenly Dragon Hall were rebuilt, there was a high likelihood that the major affairs of the Heavenly Alliance would be conducted at the Plum Blossom Pavilion.

Unhwi nodded and moved his feet.

A quiet pavilion located deep within the Heavenly Alliance main compound.

As he drew closer, he felt a familiar aura.

It was Hwa Munyeom’s aura, but it was slightly different from usual. It was growing deeper, as if sinking continuously into a tranquil pond.

Hwa Munyeom sat alone inside the Plum Blossom Pavilion, alternately placing black and white stones on a single go board.

“Alliance Lord.”

At Unhwi’s voice, Hwa Munyeom raised his head. Deep concern was reflected in his eyes.

“You’ve come. Sit.”

When Unhwi sat opposite him, Hwa Munyeom gestured toward the go board.

“As I was looking at this board, a thought suddenly occurred to me.”

“What kind of thought?”

“That the stones on this board resemble the forces of the martial world. They restrain one another, use one another, sometimes cooperate, and sometimes betray.”

Picking up a black stone, Hwa Munyeom continued.

“But you see, each of these stones has its own meaning. Yet when viewed as a whole, they are ultimately drawing one large picture.”

“That is true.”

“I want to know what that large picture is right now. Where all of this is heading.”

Unhwi looked down at the go board.

It was truly a complex setup. Black and white were entangled with each other, making the outcome difficult to judge.

For over half a month, Unhwi had been doing many things. Among them, the most important was his match with Hwa Munyeom. For fifteen days, they had played go without a single day of rest.

The state of this board was almost identical to the game they had played last night.

“It does not seem you are simply reviewing the game. What is it that you are most curious about right now, Alliance Lord?”

“I am curious about what this position I am standing in truly is.”

His voice carried sincerity.

“The position of Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance?”

“That, and… my position as a martial artist. I am at the realm of Divine Manifestation. But is that ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) enough? Where is the place I must truly reach?”

Unhwi quietly listened to Hwa Munyeom’s words.

“My desire to rebuild the Millennium Demon Cult was the expression of a dream to impose true order upon the world, yet now I have become the Alliance Lord of the Heavenly Alliance. Would it not be more correct to greatly expand this Heavenly Alliance and let it embrace order instead?”

Hwa Munyeom raised his head and looked at Unhwi.

“I am confused. Truly confused.”

Looking down at him, Unhwi sat facing him and picked up a white stone.

“With what kind of heart have you cultivated martial arts until now, Alliance Lord?”

“To realize my dream, but when I think back to the period after my seclusion… it was ultimately revenge.”

Just as Unhwi had told Dong Murin to use revenge as his driving force, Hwa Munyeom had also driven himself by that same force of revenge.

In his previous life, Unhwi had known nothing about the existence called Flame King Hwa Munyeom.

Going further, he had not known much about Shin Jueon either.

The reason was clear.

By that time, Shin Jueon was already dead.

Judging from how events unfolded, there was a high probability that Hwa Munyeom and Shin Jueon had perished together.

The rebuilding of the Millennium Demon Cult was sincere, and so was his revenge against Shin Jueon. That was Flame King Hwa Munyeom.

“Revenge against Shin Jueon, revenge against the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace. That was the root of the martial path I carried even while in seclusion.”

“Then how is it now?”

“Now, the revenge is over. Shin Jueon is dead, and the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace is being run by Yuseong’s youngest son. Though much is lacking, that is something I can fill. And yet, strangely, I feel empty.”

Hwa Munyeom continued while gazing at the stones on the board.

“Like after one side completely wins a game of go, and you no longer know what you should do next.”

“The emptiness after revenge.”

“Yes. I have reached the realm of Divine Manifestation, but I cannot see what comes next… the wall of Celestial Being feels unbearably high.”

As Unhwi placed the white stone on the board, he spoke.

“What you are feeling right now is natural.”

“Natural?”

“When a powerful motivation like revenge disappears, a martial artist must find a new direction. Without it, growth can no longer continue.”

Hwa Munyeom nodded and said,

“So, are you telling me to stop spouting nonsense and focus on rebuilding the Millennium Demon Cult?”

“No. I said something similar before, but to say it again, do not stake everything on rebuilding the Millennium Demon Cult.”

“…Hm?”

“I understand that your reason for rebuilding the Millennium Demon Cult is the establishment of order. Vice Alliance Lord Seo Hyo’s sincerity and your sincerity point in different directions.”

“Then are you saying I should not rebuild the Millennium Demon Cult?”

“That is not it. I am telling you to clarify what lies beneath it, and the deeper meaning behind it.”

Unhwi looked straight at Hwa Munyeom and said,

“What is it that you wish to protect right now, Alliance Lord?”

“Protect?”

“Revenge is destruction. It is breaking and tearing things down. But to become a true strong person, destruction alone is not enough. You must protect something.”

A different light began to flicker in Hwa Munyeom’s eyes.

“Something I want to protect….”

“Is it the Heavenly Alliance? Or your convictions as a martial artist? Or something else?”

Hwa Munyeom remained silent for a long time.

The wind blew, shaking the leaves of the plum trees, and shadows danced across the pavilion.

Only now did he seem to understand the true meaning of what Unhwi was saying.

“So this is only the beginning.”

“Yes.”

“I must protect my convictions, devote myself for those convictions, and make decisions for those convictions.”

“That is correct. The true realm of martial arts is not decided by sheer magnitude.”

Unhwi pointed at the go board.

“Look at this game. What decides victory is not the number of stones. It is where they are placed, and when they are placed.”

“Then that means….”

“The realm of Celestial Being is not simply about gaining stronger power. It is about understanding how one’s martial arts harmonize with the world.”

Hwa Munyeom’s eyes gradually began to shine.

“Harmonize with the world…?”

“As you just said, the resolve to carry your convictions through to the end. That is the first step to harmonizing with the world.”

Picking up a black stone, Unhwi continued,

“Revenge is an emotion for oneself alone. But protection is an emotion for some target. That difference is the difference between Divine Manifestation and Celestial Being.”

“For some target….”

“Yes. There must be something you wish to protect and carry through, in one way or another. The one who maximizes that is the one who ascends. You know this well, do you not? The weight of a blade wielded only for oneself, and a blade wielded for others, or for someone else, can never be the same.”

Hwa Munyeom looked again at the stones on the board. This time, they looked different. Each stone seemed to be fulfilling its role in its proper place.

“Then have I been walking the wrong path until now?”

“It was not wrong. It was merely the first stage.”

Unhwi pointed to one corner of the board.

“Look at the stones in this corner. Without them, the balance of the entire board would have collapsed. Your revenge is the same. Because it existed, the current peace is possible.”

“So everything I have done…”

“…was all preparation for the next stage.”

Hwa Munyeom let out a deep breath. It felt as though a long-standing knot had finally loosened from his face.

“Then what should I do now?”

“Do nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“The rebuilding of the Millennium Demon Cult should be made to occur naturally in the process of carrying your convictions through. If it becomes a blind reason, you will only lose yourself.”

“Hm….”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep