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Dark Heaven Village was shrouded in a wild storm of shadows.

The dawn sky had been punctured by the wails of the night, transforming into a gigantic echo of light flowing through it. The eastern sky was already trembling from immense magical power, and the sorcerers were responding sensitively to its restless movements. One sorcerer from the Manha Spiritual Gate, maintaining a barrier at a massive altar, murmured in a low voice.

“That cry is truly terrifying…”

“I’ve never heard anything like it even when facing a Great Demon.”

All the sorcerers maintaining the barrier were experienced practitioners, yet they expressed fierce panic as they considered the source of the cry. After all, no matter how powerful a demon might be, there were always limits, and they had a rough idea of the boundary between humans and demons during their exorcism tasks. However, they now instinctively realized that the being descending was something absolute that disregarded any such limitations.

The leader of the Twelve Joules, Lord of Haedong Milcheon, tried to calm the agitated sorcerers.

“Calm down. We all knew that a demon lord-level existence was going to emerge.”

“But if that’s what a demon lord is like… there’s no way we could handle it with human power. It’s many times stronger than a Great Demon.”

As one of the advanced sorcerers sighed, Lord Haedong Milcheon scratched his head.

“I’ve never encountered such monsters before. But well, the Joules will manage somehow.”

“And how will you do that?”

“I guess I just need to stay here. What about you, Zhuge Sa?”

He glanced at Zhuge Sa, who was standing quietly beside him. Zhuge Sa smiled lightly.

“I agree. It’s better to stay put than to attempt a futile interception.”

“Ha ha. Isn’t there some kind of miraculous mountain or something?”

Zhuge Sa remained silent. Watching him, Lord Haedong Milcheon clicked his tongue in annoyance.

‘Tch, what on Earth is he thinking?’

Even though the leader of the Twelve Joules had deliberately attached the cunning Lord Haedong Milcheon to Zhuge Sa to read his intentions, Milcheon had yet to grasp what Zhuge Sa was planning or wanting. Zhuge Sa was skilled at hiding his thoughts and clearly issuing commands to his companions in a way that Milcheon couldn’t detect. It was only natural for Milcheon to feel uneasy about revealing his own shortcomings to the Joules.

Suddenly, Lord Haedong Milcheon looked up at the sky.

“The moon is bright…”

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Sa showed interest in that trivial observation. It was unusual because, even though dawn was nearly upon them, the moon shone brilliantly, refusing to set. But since this was a common occurrence, Lord Haedong Milcheon only intended to redirect attention, yet Zhuge Sa unexpectedly spoke up.

“That’s a problem. I’ll go out to intercept for now.”

“What? You’re just going to move on your own?”

“If you’re not helping, it’s better you stay out of this.”

Swish!

In that moment, Lord Haedong Milcheon and the five sorcerers beside him simultaneously cast binding spells and a technique to stop Zhuge Sa. The speed of their spell activation was astonishing, and each one of them was highly skilled, ensuring that Zhuge Sa would undoubtedly be subdued. However, unexpectedly, Zhuge Sa hesitated for a moment before waving his hand.

“Endura.”

Bang!

All the sorcerers who attempted to bind Zhuge Sa fell backward. The black thunder surged, and the strong rebound force nullified their spells. As Haedong Milcheon stumbled to his feet, Zhuge Sa held his Vajra directly at Milcheon’s throat, rendering him unable to move. Zhuge Sa smirked as Milcheon froze.

“You country bumpkins from the East probably aren’t familiar with the magic of the Baehwa Sect. The Landlord Doctrines’ magic comes from entirely different factions, so your defensive spells just won’t work against me.”

“Damn it. If I hadn’t received the order not to kill you, this would not have been this easy.”

Haedong Milcheon gritted his teeth. Being a practitioner of arts himself, he believed his skills were on par with Zhuge Sa’s, but the restriction of the order not to kill him had led to his defeat. Zhuge Sa coldly chuckled, charging his Vajra with power, causing Milcheon’s eyes to widen.

“W-what…? You can’t be serious…”

BAM!

In the next moment, Lord Haedong Milcheon’s head exploded. He had never imagined that right in front of the bastion of the Twelve Joules and the Sacred Altar Tree, Zhuge Sa would actually kill him. Undoubtedly, if Zhuge Sa opposed the Joules, it would be expected that he would be killed with overwhelming power. After dealing with the sorcerers nearby swiftly using black spears, Zhuge Sa murmured.

“If I wait for the Phoenix summons, it’ll be too late. Time to make a move.”

Zhuge Sa slowly disappeared into the darkness, deciding to reveal himself last.

———

Meanwhile, the awakening of the Eight Parts of the Divine wasn’t felt by them alone. The Master of the White Lotus Sect, leaning back with his arms crossed, gazed up at the gleaming dawn sky nearby in the Divine City.

[Oh God, I dare ask you to vanquish the Eight Parts of the Divine.]

The dark dragon glanced at the six beings of the Eight Parts of the Divine being summoned in the distant light and replied.

[If I devour the avatar of Chi You, it will serve as a lesson to that arrogant fool. I’ve never liked his cockiness, always claiming to be favored by the Coming Chaos!]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect was somewhat fortunate. Among the numerous rulers, he had summoned an existence with a grudge against Chi You, thus significantly relaxing the summoning conditions and actively participating in the hunt.

[Please, I beg you.]

[Hmph… do you think I can’t get rid of those brats?]

The dark wind surged as the [Old Ruler], the King of Destruction, emerged. He wasn’t widely known among sorcerers, but he had once built a grand kingdom by annihilating countless beings across 100 stars in a distant constellation and was legendary for burning a star with a single breath. His true form was as huge as ten planets combined, and he was naturally far more powerful than a sea god, but the problem was that the avatar in the material world could only wield a fraction of that power. Yet—the [Old Ruler] was still the [Old Ruler]. The avatar of Chi You was undeniably in for trouble.

While the Master of the White Lotus Sect watched the avatar of the King of Destruction proceeding from a distance, a voice came from behind.

“You truly are ruthless, Sect Leader.”

[Han Baek-ryeong.]

She raised her voice.

“Before Chi You invades, you’ve sacrificed ten innocent members of the sect as offerings to that avatar every single day. This is something that cannot be tolerated as a human being.”

It was rare for Han Baek-ryeong to openly express disgust, but even the seasoned elder felt compelled to object given the ongoing horrific human sacrifices. Sacrificing 3,000 innocent White Lotus members just for summoning the avatar of the King of Destruction alone was grotesque, and they continued to be devoured alive, with ten every day for the maintenance of the summoning. No matter how much Han Baek-ryeong sought to protect the avatar’s well-being, it was an act that was utterly hard to comprehend. Wasn’t this akin to being no different from the fanatic demon sect?

[I apologize to those who were sacrificed. And for the victims, I provided full anesthesia to minimize their pain.]

“Is that all you have to say? What would the first leader, Dharma, say if he sees you doing this?”

As Han Baek-ryeong sneered, Zhuge Jun, who stood nearby, spoke up, displeased.

[What do you aim to achieve by blaming the Sect Leader when the enemy is right in front of us?]

[Jun, hold on a second.]

[Yes.]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect stared intently at Han Baek-ryeong before speaking.

[Dharma would… likely want to say something upon seeing my actions. I’m merely following his will.]

“What do you mean?”

[Dharma Protectors, Han Baek-ryeong. I will hear all criticisms after this is over. But for now, follow my orders.]

Bloodlust flickered in the Leader’s eyes.

[Immediately, the Dharma Protectors head towards the Sacred Altar Tree. And kill the leader of the Twelve Joules.]

“…!!”

Han Baek-ryeong showed a moment of surprise and then glanced at Zhuge Jun.

“The two of us can’t handle it.”

[Don’t worry. More reinforcements will arrive.]

As three masters from the Su Shin Sect stepped forward, Han Baek-ryeong recalled what she had heard from Zhuge Sa.

[The Sect Leader possesses more experts from the Heavenly Spirit Pill than known within the Su Shin Sect. While we’ve heard of about three, there may be others. What’s certain is that among the top elders of the Su Shin Sect, there definitely exists individuals on par with the Dharma Protectors.]

When Han Baek-ryeong first heard this information, she was skeptical. But now, witnessing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t deny its reality—an infinite internal power was faintly felt, and she was practically sensing it. Biting her lip, Han Baek-ryeong thought.

‘Five Dharma Protector-level beings could definitely kill the Joules, but…’

Would it be wise to strike from behind already?

She couldn’t shake off the thought that the leader was rushing things too much. It seemed the Master of the White Lotus Sect had an unjustified belief that the avatar of the Old Ruler could surely defeat the Eight Parts of the Divine. Gradually, Han Baek-ryeong felt her resolve to side with Zhuge Sa strengthen. Nevertheless, regardless of her thoughts, she issued her authority.

“By your honor.”

Once the command was dropped, she would kill the leader of the Twelve Joules.

He was undoubtedly a detrimental existence to the White Lotus Sect.

As the Dharma Protectors of the White Lotus Sect, including Han Baek-ryeong, were mobilizing—Miyamoto Musashi, in the training grounds of the Divine City, paused.

“They’ve arrived.”

He was in the middle of training Baek Woong’s party. But in truth, only the Swordsman Seo Mun-dae-ryong was standing in front of him now. The others had dropped out of training along the way. Even Guk-ho had reached his limit four days prior, feeling the threats to his life and quitting.

But Seo Mun-dae-ryong endured until the end of the hellish training that Miyamoto Musashi suggested. Staring at the silent, rock-like figure of Seo Mun-dae-ryong, Musashi suddenly executed a strike.

Ultimate Technique
Supreme Slash!

Clang!

The single strike of absolute realm that could slash down thousands of otherworldly beings was deflected by Seo Mun-dae-ryong with ease. Watching this scene, Musashi grinned.

“So you’ve decided to stop pretending?”

“Thank you.”

Though Seo Mun-dae-ryong was soaked in sweat and bruises, his eyes shone brightly. He claimed.

“Thanks to you, I can be of more help to Baek Woong.”

“I just don’t get it…”

Miyamoto Musashi said with a tone of suspicion.

“You are a genius as well. A hero with the spirit of a strategist… There’s no way someone like you would sacrifice his life for just a single man?”

“Everyone has just one life.”

“…?”

“But there are those willing to sacrifice dozens of lives to uphold their beliefs. Since I can’t do that, I have no choice but to help with this one life.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“You’ll know soon enough.”

Miyamoto Musashi tilted his head and said.

“If you survive, then you can face me with a sword then. With your current self, you’ll be able to kill me with your best effort.”

WHOOSH!

Miyamoto Musashi’s sword form vanished.

And Seo Mun-dae-ryong clenched his fist tightly.

“I hope that can be the case.”

 

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