Chapter 416: War Between the North and South (6)
At first, I thought she was personally instructing me.
Even if our realms were the same, her absolute mastery was clearly ahead of mine.
However, I never expected that the previous Cult Leader who had ascended would reappear like this.
"Of course, to me, it feels like just yesterday, but not for you, I suppose."
"You implanted a fragment of your thought into the Six Paths Veil."
"Indeed, you saw it well."
Though it might sound absurd, both the First and Second Heavenly Demons had also left remnants of themselves on the earthly plane for ages.
By that standard, it made sense that Cheon Taejong could do the same.
'It’s similar to the Mirror of Karma.'
Since the Six Paths Veil is treated as equivalent to the Mirror of Karma, it's no surprise it has similar functions.
Cheon Taejong glanced around and let out a faint chuckle.
"Hmm, not as much time has passed as I thought. Seems like the arrangements I had prepared weren’t utilized either."
"......"
"I'm sure we both have mountains of questions to ask, but let me begin with the most important one."
Cheon Taejong looked at me with a serious expression.
"A son, or a daughter?"
"...What?"
The tension I had tightly wound almost came undone.
"Why do you look so dumbfounded? With the nuisance gone, you must have rutted like a monkey in heat."
I smiled and clenched my fist tightly.
Then, I seriously measured the difference between myself and Cheon Taejong.
‘If we fight head-on, I’ll still lose.’
I still couldn’t gauge the depth of his strength.
Whether I’d be killed in a second or last ten, I couldn’t be sure.
"Then come at me."
"...What?"
I repeated his words dumbly.
"I’ll answer you after seeing your current strength, Little Brother."
"..."
"Don’t worry about dying. It may feel like the space has been overlaid, but this place isn’t real."
I glanced at Dao Zun.
She nodded.
"It’s true. The Six Paths Veil is a sacred relic originally created to assist in mental cultivation."
Then there’s no reason to hesitate.
I immediately raised the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword and suspended it in midair.
Upon seeing my sword, Cheon Taejong's eyes sparkled slightly.
"I see, the sword of our First Disciple Founder... Were we of the same lineage? Only now do I realize it. I’ve been truly foolish."
"Here I come."
I focused solely on the current form without caring about what Cheon Taejong had said.
True Underworld Net Sword
"I’ve seen it before."
He lightly opened his hand.
I had certainly been blocked with one hand in the past.
Even if it's Gunggi, it shouldn’t escape unscathed facing the Underworld Net Sword.
Again, I was reminded of how absurd a monster the previous Cult Leader truly was.
And then—
Crack-clack!
"Oh?"
Just as the Underworld Net Sword was about to strike Cheon Taejong’s palm—
The twin spirals flowing along the sword’s body began to reverse their spin.
‘Heavenly Demon Seal. Breaking that reverse field by ordinary means is impossible.’
That wasn’t merely condensed qi.
It seemed light and simple, but it was the essence of martial enlightenment embodied by the man called Cheon Taejong!
Schlick!
Overload surged through my whole body, and blood began to trickle from the corner of my mouth.
That’s how absurdly difficult it was to control the reversing Underworld Net Sword.
But in the end, I succeeded in reversing the spin of the Underworld Net Sword.
Crash-rumble!
As it collided with the Heavenly Demon Seal’s massive reverse field, a tiny crack formed.
But that was all.
Clang-clang!
The Underworld Net Sword ultimately failed to pierce through the Cult Leader’s Heavenly Demon Seal and was flung away.
"Hah! Hah!"
In the end, I lost grip of the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword.
‘That was all I had, and it’s still not enough?’
But then—
"Ho-oh?!"
"Impressive."
Dao Zun and the Cult Leader looked at me with surprised expressions.
‘Why are they so shocked?’
Whether the crack was big or small, in the end, I failed to pierce it all the same….
"You've improved a lot, Little Brother."
Cheon Taejong, unusually, praised me.
Dao Zun also added a word.
"The Heavenly Demon Seal is that Cult Leader bastard’s absolute art. Since it was created with absolute defense in mind, even the slightest crack is intolerable."
There was admiration in her eyes.
"As far as I know, not a single person has ever managed to cause even a crack until now…."
Is it really to that extent?
Even for a transcendent technique like the Underworld Net Sword, triggering a reverse spin isn’t easy.
No, more than just difficult—it’s something you risk your life to do.
It was like trying to grab and reverse-spin a massive steel pillar spinning violently with bare hands.
"But that’s not all of your strength, Little Brother. You’re still hiding something."
So damn sharp.
"Bring that out too. I suspect it's a technique handed down from the previous generation."
"If you wish."
This time, I vowed to land a solid blow and slowly gathered my energy.
There was no need to rush.
Since this wasn't an actual battle, I could afford ample preparation.
Rumble!
Beyond a simple amplification of energy, the Sword Intent extended to the limit, distorting the laws of the world.
"The Six Paths Veil is screaming."
Cheon Taejong observed me with an intrigued expression.
I imbued all of my strength, drawn to the limit, into the blade of the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword.
And I swung.
Heavenly Demon’s Dominance
Just like how Cheon Yujeong once did to me—
I too poured everything I had in the form of a slash toward Cheon Taejong.
"W-what kind of madness is this?!"
Realizing the potential of Heavenly Demon’s Dominance, Dao Zun screamed for the first time, her face pale.
The space of the Six Paths Veil began to tear apart and collapse like fabric.
Seeing that, Cheon Taejong let out a faint laugh.
"This won't be easy to block."
In a fleeting moment—
I saw an illusion of multiple arms sprouting from Cheon Taejong.
The number of arms was exactly six.
‘Asu…ra?’
The moment the statue of Asura in the ruins where the Ten Heavenly Record Immortal Sword had been sealed came to mind—
Rip!
The Heavenly Demon’s Dominance, unleashed with full force, vanished.
"...!!!"
And that wasn’t all.
The ceiling of the Six Paths Veil cracked, and the dark clouds that were about to pour through were neatly erased and sealed.
A miraculous sight, as if time had reversed!
While I stood dazed, staring at Cheon Taejong, he clapped and spoke.
"This is truly something. Little Brother, was this the technique of the First Founder?"
"…Yes."
I answered obediently.
"It feels like a will to correct past regrets and set things right."
Flinch!
"What… what do you mean by that?"
"Just as I said."
Cheon Taejong added an explanation.
"Inside you lies a fragment of the Founder. That’s why you can use his absolute arts, which others normally cannot."
"That… that’s true, but…"
"But even so, unless your inner states resonate, you cannot fully draw out its power. Just like a Daoist cannot summon the mindset of the Blood Cult."
Are he and I… similar in spirit?
"Perhaps the Founder… is your failed self."
"That sounds like quite a stretch."
"Well, what of it. It's just a feeling."
Cheon Taejong casually dusted off his hands and asked me,
"Is it the Four Atrocities?"
"…How did you know?"
"Because there is no one in the Murim right now who could handle you. Including this old hag here."
"Want to die? Don’t forget it’s me maintaining the Six Paths Veil."
At Dao Zun’s threat, glaring with axe-like eyes, Cheon Taejong cleared his throat softly.
Unlike in the past, he was no longer the absolute dominant force.
"If the current Little Brother seeks greater power, it would likely be when entangled with something beyond human."
Cheon Taejong understood my situation precisely.
"Since the resurrection of Heavenly Evil is still a ways off, I suspected it must be one of the Four Atrocities, their direct subordinates."
"...Correct."
I acknowledged it honestly.
The Four Atrocities, Gunggi.
Someday, I would have to stake my life in a battle against that bastard’s true body.
"If it were the original you, simply honing the Founder's ultimate arts would have sufficed, no?"
"That’s a rather mischievous statement. I could grow strong quickly, but ultimately, the limit is clear."
Even if one polished the techniques of the Heavenly Demon Founder to their limit, transcending the realm of the Transcendent Demon Realm, one could never surpass the wall of the Supreme Demon Realm.
"Hoohoo, you understand well."
Cheon Taejong nodded with a satisfied face.
"Very well. I don’t know how much time remains, but I’ll assist you as much as I can in that time."
"Thank you, Father-in-law."
He no longer reacted to the term 'Father-in-law'.
He merely stepped in close to my face and asked this:
"So, is it a son or a daughter?"
"That… not yet…"
"……Not yet, you say?"
Cheon Taejong’s benevolent face began to contort rapidly.
‘What the hell, why?!’
That expression on his face—it was almost identical to the one he showed when I asked, ‘What would happen if I crossed the line with Yura?’
He hated me sticking to Yura so much, and yet why is he making that face now?
***
Just as the conflict between North and South was beginning in earnest—
After a long silence, the strategist of the Northern Murim Alliance, Jegal Eun, returned.
"I'm fine now."
Having secluded herself for months upon hearing of the Jegal Clan’s annihilation, her condition upon return was still far from well.
Click.
She removed the Black Sky Master Mask she had constantly worn.
Some of the executives, who had never seen Jegal Eun’s face until now, were surprised at her unexpectedly youthful appearance.
But more than that, the eerie aura enveloping her entire body made their skin crawl.
Darkness shadowed under her eyes, and her cheeks had sunken, likely from not eating properly.
Though originally of a slim build, she now looked as if only skin remained over bone, and Baek Sang-ah’s heart ached at the sight.
"It's not your fault, Sister. So please, don't wear such an expression."
Baek Sang-ah and So Cheon had killed several martial artists of the Jegal Clan who had blocked their way.
Even if the situation had been urgent, it was a cruel deed to inflict upon Jegal Eun.
However, understanding the circumstances, she did not blame Baek Sang-ah.
She only cursed her own powerlessness.
"Allow me to greet you all once again."
Jegal Eun, having removed the Black Sky Master Mask, bowed her head toward the executives of the Northern Murim Alliance.
"I am Jegal Eun of the Jegal Clan, the last surviving member, Mun Ryeon."
"……!"
All but a few, who already knew the truth or had come close to it, were shocked and turned their attention to Jegal Eun.
"I heard that the Southern Murim Alliance has placed the blame for the Jegal Clan’s annihilation on our alliance. But I, Jegal Eun, will prove that their words are nothing but slander."
One day, the Jegal Clan was utterly annihilated.
Not only the main house but also nearby branch families and collateral relatives were massacred overnight.
In such a situation, no one expected a direct descendant to have survived.
"Third Strategist."
"Yes, Chief Strategist."
"Distribute proclamations across all border regions in my name."
She had no intention of refuting the false charges with empty logic.
"The truth is—the one who assassinated the Alliance Leader and annihilated the Jegal Clan was none other than the Southern Murim Alliance."
"……!"
"Qingcheng! Jongnam! Jeomchang! Gongson! They plotted out of envy for the young new Alliance Leader and blamed it all on our alliance—those vile acts will never be forgiven!"
"Of course! Leave it to me!"
Just as Wisdom Talent was thumping his chest and exclaiming—
"Add one more thing."
A voice came from the top seat—the Alliance Leader.
Click.
This time, the Alliance Leader removed the Black Sky Master Mask.
"We are no longer the Black Lotus Union… There’s no reason to wear this mask anymore."
Eyes as deep as pitch black.
A youthful face by comparison, yet cold and bearing a demonic charm.
Admired as a goddess by many lower-ranking martial artists, she opened her lips.
"As the Northern Murim Alliance Leader and daughter of the Namcheon Baek Clan, the Heaven-Slaying Sword Empress Baek Sang-ah declares the Namcheon Baek Clan’s allegiance to the Northern Murim Alliance."
Snap!
Everyone’s jaws dropped wide open.