Chapter 248
Chapter 248
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 248
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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A few days after my spar with Lee Gwang ended, the Sword Demon said to me,
"There’s something we need to address first."
He spoke to me in a secret meeting he had summoned me to.
"Baek Woong. What are your plans for dealing with the Imperial Palace going forward?"
"......"
It was a question I’d been mulling over but had been avoiding because it made me uncomfortable. I let out a groan before answering.
"To be honest... unless something drastic happens, I plan to just watch and wait. I have no intention of fighting the Imperial Palace right now."
"And the reason?"
"There are two."
I met the Sword Demon’s eyes squarely as I spoke.
"First, it’s already too late. The Imperial Palace has already mass-produced special soldiers like demonkin, dragonkin, and transcendent prodigies using the power of their alchemists. Without the help of the Great Luo Immortal, there’s no way I could handle them with my current strength."
"Hmm. And the other?"
"If I challenge the Imperial Palace now, when my power doesn’t reach that far, it’ll put you, Sect Leader, and the Shadowless Sect in danger."
I laid out my true feelings.
The reason I’d thrown myself at the Imperial Palace with everything I had right after reincarnating in my past lives was because there had been a chance of victory early on. But now, after nearly a decade and a half since my latest reincarnation, the Imperial Palace’s forces had grown overwhelmingly powerful, eliminating any such chance. On top of that, it would bring great harm to the Sword Demon, who had just entered the Twelve Laws, and the Shadowless Sect, so I couldn’t even consider it.
The Sword Demon seemed lost in thought for a long while after hearing my answer. Then he spoke.
"Let’s think about this more coldly and rationally. So, what do you think it would take for you to win?"
"Right now, I think the only way is to utterly crush the Imperial Palace in the early stages of a reincarnation."
"No, no, that’s not what I mean. You’re missing the core of the problem."
"Pardon?"
The Sword Demon gazed at me calmly before continuing.
"Even if you grew strong enough to smash the Imperial Palace to pieces in the early stages of a reincarnation, would that truly stop the schemes of the Black Demon Hall, the shadowy force pulling its strings? And even if you swept away the human forces, the apostle of the ancient god, Dalgi, and the ancient gods themselves would still remain."
"Uh... you’re right..."
"I suspect you’ve failed so far because you’ve been fixated solely on the ‘Imperial Palace.’ That’s probably due to the heavy influence of your old comrade, Mangnyang."
What was the Sword Demon trying to say?
As I stared at him blankly, he continued.
"I’m saying the greatest enemy isn’t the Imperial Palace. Don’t you get it?"
"If not the Imperial Palace, then who?"
The Sword Demon crossed his arms and stated firmly.
"The gods!"
"......!!"
"Ultimately, your victory condition is to defeat the ancient monstrosities known as the ‘Old Dominators.’"
I blinked in shock at his words.
The Old Dominators!
Some resided in the Dark Heaven Fragrance, rulers of constellations that far surpassed human understanding! Even the Heavenly Realm dared not infringe on their prestige and deliberately turned a blind eye. They were beings who wielded truly divine authority.
Unable to hide my fluster, I said,
"H-How could I possibly eliminate those existences? Even the Great Luo Immortal couldn’t do that."
"Didn’t you say it yourself? That living an endless life, enduring someone’s tyranny infinitely, is something you despise."
"......"
"The Imperial Palace is merely a pawn of the Old Dominators. So, rather than obsessing over the pawns, the right approach is to strike the ringleaders first."
The Sword Demon’s words were spot on. In truth, I’d had similar thoughts myself at times. It wasn’t as if I didn’t know the Old Dominators were the root of all evil. But there was a strange conviction in his words now that I couldn’t just brush off.
The Sword Demon continued.
"You’ve half-given up on opposing the Imperial Palace in this life, but you don’t need to go that far. Because right now, what matters isn’t your personal martial prowess."
"You’re saying there’s a way to oppose them?"
"Indeed. Plenty of ways."
He pointed at me with his index finger as he went on.
"Even if you train diligently from now on, it would take at least fifteen years to surpass Lee Gwang. And even if you did, there are at least five experts in the world who would see Lee Gwang as a mere pup. From the start, there were limits to what you could achieve through martial arts alone."
"Hmm..."
"But you have the Seven Desires. And the Mysterious Armor and Peerless Blade as well. Those are your greatest advantages—things even owners of peerless supreme arts surpassing you can’t counter."
"You mean I should make use of my tools?"
"Of course. Your strength isn’t in martial arts. It’s in your endless mental fortitude and will, and the effective use of your powerful artifacts."
After giving that advice, the Sword Demon took a breath and said,
"From today, let’s find a way to grow Dark Night. It seems that’s the only path for you to defeat the Old Dominators."
I agreed with him.
To challenge the Imperial Palace by building up human martial prowess would take centuries. There was no guarantee my mental strength would hold out that long. All I could realistically do in the meantime was grow the Seven Desires’ Dark Night and harness its power.
After pondering deeply, I spoke. Since the Sword Demon had gone this far, I felt it was okay to reveal Dark Night’s secret.
"To grow the Seven Desires’ Dark Night, I need to kill something with it."
"Hm... intriguing. An artifact that grows through slaughter, you say?"
"Yes."
"Then how about testing it by killing a few in the Central Plains? I know some demonic fiends among the unorthodox paths."
"......"
Looking at the Sword Demon speak so casually, I thought once again that his character and temperament were separate matters. The title of Unorthodox Overlord wasn’t given lightly. I replied to him.
"That’s a good idea, but don’t we have two pressing matters right now?"
"The Dragon King Valley and the Zhuge Clan affair."
"Yes."
"If we prioritize, receiving guidance from Dokgo Seong in Dragon King Valley comes first. But I laid some bait to hook Lee Gwang, so I’d like to wait and see for a bit. Once you enter Dragon King Valley, you’ll be in closed-door training and won’t come out."
"Pardon? Bait?"
The Sword Demon grinned.
"At the end of that spar, when we parted, I told Lee Gwang: if he wants to know Dokgo Seong’s whereabouts, find the Thunderclap Three Venerables first."
"......"
"From my perspective as a third party, Lee Gwang is rushing too much. The proper course would be to first find the Thunderclap Three Venerables and establish an alliance with them. Instead, he impatiently went straight to the Zhongnan Sect for a short decisive battle with the Wind God Style. That will just stir up the Wind God Style greatly and provoke the entire White Lotus Cult."
I took a sip of tea and responded.
"Why do you think Lee Gwang chose that path?"
"Probably to plunge the martial world into chaos. To spark a massive clash between the White Lotus Cult and the righteous sects, drag the Imperial Palace into it, and profit from the ensuing quagmire."
"Ugh!"
"It’s not without chances of success. But in my view, Lee Gwang’s actions are a gamble. We don’t want him dying before you’ve grown strong enough, so it’s best to keep the Thunder God Style alive as long as possible."
I understood the Sword Demon’s thinking.
"You expect Lee Gwang won’t act recklessly while searching for the Thunderclap Three Venerables."
"Exactly. He has to find Dokgo Seong no matter what."
The Sword Demon seemed to be painting on a grand canvas. And only overlords like him, who had commanded vast forces before, could do such a thing. Realizing his capabilities anew, I looked at him, and he continued.
"...Here’s the plan. First, kill a few demonic fiends with Dark Night, then revive the Zhuge Clan. Dragon King Valley training comes after."
"Do we really have to revive them?"
"Heh. Isn’t this something hard for you to try in future lives? Mangnyang would freak out and try to stop you if he knew."
There was a playful tone in the Sword Demon’s words, like a friend sharing a naughty prank.
"Doesn’t Wall Ji-sang find it awkward?"
"If that woman is upholding the Zhuge Clan’s legacy as a matter of principle, she’d have no reason to refuse their revival. It’s different from clashing with her."
I wasn’t thrilled, but if the Sword Demon was so set on it, trying it once seemed worthwhile. With no other choice, I nodded.
"Yes, I’ll do it."
"Good. Then let’s go hunt down a demonic fiend right now."
Flash!
The Sword Demon and I soon used the Peerless Blade to head somewhere in the Central Plains. As per his orders, we arrived in Anhui Citadel, and the Sword Demon entered the citadel’s interior. Once inside, we moved deeper while stealthily avoiding people’s eyes, just like at the Zhongnan Sect.
Eventually, we reached a hidden inner chamber fit for the Anhui Citadel Lord himself. I felt uneasy sneaking this deep into the citadel uninvited. For a commoner, just being discovered here would be a crime punishable by the extermination of three generations.
[Is there really a demonic fiend in a place like this?]
[Yes. That bastard is definitely here.]
Swoosh.
The Sword Demon pressed even deeper. Upon reaching a space lined with stone walls, he subtly infused it with internal energy. The stone wall slid open naturally, revealing another passage.
‘A secret passage!’
This secret passage, responsive to qi, was clearly man-made, not natural. The Sword Demon opened it and shot inside like an arrow. I followed him into the passage.
A living space came into view. It had provisions and daily necessities for about three or four people. In one corner, two or three figures seemed to be sleeping, their bodies twitching.
The Sword Demon scanned the area and sent me a transmission.
[The bastard’s hiding. Don’t move rashly.]
[Hiding? I don’t sense any presence at all...]
[His invisibility art is on another level. Move carelessly, and you’ll take severe injuries at minimum. Stay alert in all directions.]
I had no choice but to heighten my senses, wary of the hidden presence. As the Sword Demon said, one wrong step could mean death.
The Sword Demon glared around the chamber for a moment before bellowing.
"There you are!"
Scree!
Two streams of thought-controlled flying swords struck some point in the empty air. At the same time, a bizarre energy appeared to block them, and the recoil sent that dark figure stumbling back. Flipping in midair and drawing a shortsword, the hidden assassin shouted furiously.
"What is the meaning of this, Sword Demon!!"
He seemed to know the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon smirked and replied,
"What do you think?"
"Ugh... What do you lack that drives you to betray us? You’ve already joined the Twelve Laws and secured your path to survival! Why try to kill me!!"
The Sword Demon answered his anguished cry nonchalantly.
"That’s why you need to die. Only when the Eight Demonic Sects are completely wiped out can our Shadowless Sect make a fresh start. Besides, I’ve never liked you."
"Don’t make me laugh. I won’t die easily!!"
"Hahaha. Is that so?"
Narrowing his eyes, the Sword Demon said,
"Black Demon. This is your grave today."
Indeed.
The black assassin hiding in the deepest recesses of Anhui Citadel was none other than the Black Demon—one of the Eight Great Demons of the demonic path, the Central Plains’ top assassin and broker. It seemed the Sword Demon had learned of the Black Demon’s hideout after allying with him, and now came to eliminate him.
Flash-flash-flash!
The Sword Demon unleashed his Thought Severing Technique, raining down thought-controlled flying swords relentlessly. Any ordinary peak expert would be subdued instantly by a single move. But the Black Demon, as one of the Eight Great Demons, was a super-peak expert and god of assassins. Calmly defending against the flying swords, he attempted to vanish into invisibility again.
"Not so fast!"
The Sword Demon’s finger slashed horizontally. The flying swords surged forward at unprecedented speed, shattering the Black Demon’s defenses in an instant and severely slashing his leg.
Thud.
His leg wasn’t severed, but the tendons were cut, it seemed. The Sword Demon had deliberately crippled his mobility. Suppressing a super-peak expert this easily—the Sword Demon’s current prowess was beyond imagination.
Gritting his teeth and moving with his upper body alone, the Black Demon prompted an admiring remark from the Sword Demon.
"Not even screaming as you move? You live up to your name, Black Demon."
Thump.
"Kuhk."
But the Sword Demon had already silently subdued him with the Thought Severing Technique. I glanced inside; the sleeping assassins had been taken down in one move as well. It was truly divine might.
In despair, the Black Demon said,
"Urk... At least kill me cleanly."
"If you share what you know, I might."
"Fine. What do you want to know?"
"Everything!"
Over the next half hour, the Sword Demon extracted information from the Black Demon: the locations of Black Night Sect’s secret techniques and manuals, his stashed wealth, assassination routes, methods and places for raising young assassins, and juicy secrets of various clients. Some were completely unexpected, leaving me stunned.
The Sword Demon said in disbelief,
"Is that true?"
"Yes."
"The Mount Tai Old Man...?"
"What I just told you is the top-secret intel I knew. Please, spare me for that."
"Hmm."
The Sword Demon shook his head.
"Any proof?"
"If I kept separate proof for things like this, I wouldn’t have survived the Imperial Palace this long."
"True enough. I’ll verify it later."
With that, the Sword Demon nodded to me.
"End him cleanly."
"Yes."
Slash!
Without hesitation, I swung Dark Night and severed the Black Demon’s neck. The swift stroke likely spared him much pain. The Sword Demon then dragged over the subdued assassins and made them kneel.
Examining their faces one by one, he said,
"No Assassin Leader. He must have set him up independently."
"Independently?"
"He probably thought that even if he died, as long as the Assassin Leader survived, the Black Night Sect’s lineage would continue."
I tilted my head.
"But he spilled all the major secrets..."
No need for torture to confirm—the secrets rang true.
"The Black Demon kept the minimum loyalty to his sect first, then pursued his own gain. Better a clean death than torture."
"So that’s why you didn’t ask about the Assassin Leader’s whereabouts..."
"Because that was his ultimate reverse scale. The moment you probed it, he’d clam up and die for sure."
It had been a trade: the Assassin Leader’s life for all other secrets.
Slash!
I swung Dark Night again, beheading the assassins. Watching impassively, the Sword Demon said,
"That’s about four. Any reaction from Dark Night?"
"No. Nothing."
Truly nothing. I’d expected resonance with blood or movement from Itakoqua, but it was completely inert. I even doubted the Prophet’s advice.
"Hmm... Four isn’t enough to register. Fitting for a divine treasure like Dark Night."
Muttering that, the Sword Demon said,
"We’ll need more opportunities to kill."