Chapter 358
Chapter 358
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 358
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Jegal Sa hesitated for a moment before smiling slyly and speaking.
"I am Jegal Sa, the master of Jangryeong Valley, and this place is Jangryeong Valley. And who might you be?"
[ Jangryeong Valley? Never heard of it.]
"Well, it's a backwater village, so it's no surprise you wouldn't know..."
Baek Lian Cult Leader stared silently at the muttering Jegal Sa before speaking.
[ If you dared to target my life, you must have been prepared for the consequences.]
Jegal Sa hurriedly waved his hands.
"No, that's not it. Allow me to explain what happened. Please, just hold off for a moment..."
Boom!
"......!!"
Before Jegal Sa could finish, a sudden explosion rang out, and his left arm flew off. It seemed the Baek Lian Cult Leader had unleashed a palm strike through the air, but it happened so fast that no one could tell exactly what had occurred.
Even as flesh and blood sprayed everywhere, Jegal Sa forcibly suppressed his pain. With a pale face, he said,
"You seem quite angry. But will you kill me without even knowing the truth?"
At those words, the Baek Lian Cult Leader spoke in surprise.
[ You have some backbone. You're no ordinary man.]
It appeared he had severed the arm in a fit of rage to crush Jegal Sa's spirit. But seeing Jegal Sa remain composed, the cult leader seemed to calm his emotions as well.
"Heh heh. That's what I should be saying... You've brought an incredible figure here."
Jegal Sa glared at me. I chuckled at his gaze, knowing he wanted to provoke me.
'What are you going to do now, Jegal Sa? Either way, you're dead.'
The Baek Lian Cult Leader was not the type to let someone who targeted his life live. Especially not a suspicious character like Jegal Sa. He was only sparing him temporarily out of curiosity about what he had to say; once the story ended, he would kill without hesitation. I had seen just how cold and ruthless the cult leader was during the battle at the imperial palace.
Jegal Sa spoke.
"I am Jegal Sa, the current leader of the Heretical Cult. I had just subdued that man called Baek Woong to control him, but he used a mutual destruction technique that ended up troubling you."
[ Heretical Cult? Is it the Degenerate Cult?]
"Yes, that's right."
[ ...So you're that man's plaything.]
Plaything?
I had no idea what the Baek Lian Cult Leader meant. But at his words, Jegal Sa flinched and spoke with even darker eyes.
"You know quite a lot, don't you? Could it be that you are the Baek Lian Cult Leader?"
[ Why do you think that?]
"That Baek Woong is a martial arts master who could temporarily repel the Golden Feather Fifty Celestial Army. There are only a limited number of people in the vast martial world who could subdue him in a single exchange, and you seem far too powerful to be merely a guardian lion."
The Baek Lian Cult Leader thought for a moment before replying.
[ That's not the only reason. You've probably heard about me from him.]
"I won't deny it."
[ What did he say about me?]
"That he is an existence one must never make an enemy of."
Stagger.
As he spoke, Jegal Sa swayed. The pain from his severed arm and the massive blood loss were finally taking their toll. Inevitably so, given that an ordinary person would already be on the verge of death from such an injury, yet he was still holding on. The Baek Lian Cult Leader watched him silently before speaking.
[ I have no interest in the Heretical Cult's affairs. However, since you've dragged me into this, you must bear the responsibility.]
"Heh... heh heh. I'm a dead man anyway, so dying at the hands of the Baek Lian Cult Leader is an honor."
[ State your terms for a deal. If there's a condition worth sparing your life, I might consider it.]
I was startled. Those words meant the Baek Lian Cult Leader was considering letting Jegal Sa live! I hurriedly interjected.
"Cult Leader! Just kill us both. This guy is dangerous—he uses the Soul Transfer Great Law to control people."
The cult leader turned to me and said,
[ Killing the likes of you can wait. If you speak out of turn again, I'll rip off your limbs and drag you back to the main cult.]
"......"
[ Answer me, Jegal Sa.]
Jegal Sa finished thinking and replied.
"I've had no regrets about dying from the start. But this Baek Woong is so intriguing that it feels like a waste to die like this."
[ Intriguing? What makes him intriguing?]
"That... cough!"
Unable to withstand the blood loss, Jegal Sa collapsed to his knees. It was only natural; a normal person would be gasping their last breaths by now. Then, something astonishing happened as the Baek Lian Cult Leader subtly extended his hand.
Sss...
Jegal Sa's severed arm floated back, emanating light. In moments, it slowly reattached in midair, returning to its original state without delay. Even the bleeding had stopped, leaving only faint traces as it healed perfectly.
"......!!"
Jegal Sa stared at his arm in shock before saying,
"Your martial arts have reached the realm of the divine."
[ I have no patience for idle talk. Answer me quickly.]
"Baek Woong retained his sanity despite being under my Soul Transfer Great Law, and the soul transfer itself failed. The Soul Transfer Great Law pulls the soul by manipulating the corporeal soul—if you are indeed the Baek Lian Cult Leader, you know how much this defies reason."
[ ...Is that true?]
"If you doubt it, just kill me. It's the truth."
The Baek Lian Cult Leader turned his gaze to me and walked over step by step. He stared into my face for a long while before speaking.
[ If Jegal Sa speaks the truth, it means your soul and spirit are formed differently from those of living beings. And as far as I know, such existences only exist among the异族.]
異族?!
I was so bewildered that I forgot my fear of imminent death and shouted,
"You're insane... I am human!"
[ We'll see about that.]
Muttering thus, the Baek Lian Cult Leader suddenly grabbed my head. His rough palm felt different from that of an ordinary human. He said,
[ It just so happens I have business with the Thunder God Clan. Swear loyalty to the White Lotus Cult, and I'll spare your life.]
"No need. Just kill me."
[ What an absurd fellow. When you should be begging for your life, you're pleading to be killed?]
With my head still gripped, I shot back,
"Under the Soul Transfer Great Law, living isn't truly living. And why would you spare someone you know could be controlled by Jegal Sa like this? If I were you, I'd finish it cleanly with one strike."
[ Ho... You've got guts.]
His piercing gaze seemed to shoot out from behind the mask.
[ Aren't you afraid of death?]
"I am, but..."
[ No. Your eyes show no fear at all. You're just annoyed.]
The Baek Lian Cult Leader suddenly seemed amused.
[ What an entertaining guy...]
Whoosh.
He tossed me toward Jegal Sa and said,
[ Jegal Sa. Remove the Soul Transfer Great Law on him. I can check if the corporeal soul is under control, so no tricks.]
"Will you spare me if I do?"
[ Do it quickly.]
"Understood."
Hummm.
Jegal Sa performed the ritual to return the corporeal soul, just as before. But I was wary, having just seen him pretend to release it earlier only to betray us. He might claim to release it while keeping me under control.
"It's done."
The Baek Lian Cult Leader examined me and said,
[ Perfect. Then die, Jegal Sa.]
Boom!!
In the next instant, Jegal Sa exploded into chunks of flesh, torn apart. As I stared in shock, the cult leader stood calmly before the cloud of blood mist and said,
[ To think you believed you could deceive me and get away with it. Did you think I wouldn't notice the single thread of ethereal connection you left linking the corporeal soul?]
With a trembling voice, I asked the cult leader,
"C-Cult Leader... Can you see souls and spirits?"
[ Indeed. Especially after hearing the principles of the Soul Transfer Great Law, I could predict your trick.]
"......"
[ Killing the sorcerer cleanly removes the Soul Transfer Great Law. Two birds with one stone, isn't it?]
Realizing what had just happened sent chills down my spine. Jegal Sa had faked the full release of the Soul Transfer Great Law, just like with Mangnyang earlier, leaving a thin ethereal thread that could reconnect it anytime. The cult leader had spotted that subtle line and executed him for the deception.
But that meant the cult leader could see not only physical forms but also the ethereal realm—the fundamental essence of souls and spirits—with his naked eyes. This was a higher realm than even sorcerers activating spirit sight; it transcended humanity. Likely an additional attainment gained through his primal spirit.
' Just how far do this monster's limits extend...?!'
The cult leader said quietly,
[ Baek Woong. You'll have to tell me everything you know.]
I swallowed hard and said resolutely,
"I'm sorry. I'll just die."
Pffft!
In the next moment, I shattered all my heart meridians. I felt the immense energy accumulated in my body gushing out, and fresh blood sprayed from my seven orifices. This was the most efficient suicide method I knew—painful, but it avoided greater torment.
The cult leader watched me silently and said,
[ A madman with no plan. But I like it.]
Swish.
He extended his hand to my pulse gate and suddenly poured in an enormous amount of qi. The volume was greater than my total internal energy, filling my eight extraordinary meridians to the bursting point, causing excruciating pain as if they would shatter.
"Aaaargh!!"
The agony felt like my limbs were being flayed by dozens of layers of razor blades, and I couldn't hold back my scream. Even as I thrashed in pain, the cult leader's immense qi forcibly restored my vitality, and soon I felt my body recovering.
' C-Crazy!'
Shattering all heart meridians is an expression meaning even a divine immortal couldn't save you. Normally, it would be impossible to survive having destroyed the vessel that contains and protects your qi. Yet the cult leader had essentially dumped the shattered vessel into an ocean, nullifying the damage entirely. How could I not be shocked!
Woooom—
After about fifteen minutes, my ruptured heart meridians reconnected, and my blood flow normalized. The immense pain had left me dazed, my vision blurring. Using his ability to pull objects through the air, the cult leader lifted me into the void and said,
[ You said Jangryeong Valley? I'll stay there for a while.]
"Ugh... Nngh..."
[ I'll let this incident slide as a joke. But if you try to kill yourself again, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth and make you die in agony.]
With those words, I passed out.
"......"
My throat felt parched.
When I awoke, I was lying on some bed, with the sunset outside the window. As I looked around, one of Jangryeong Valley's maids approached me. She looked at me fearfully and said,
"The valley master said to come see him immediately upon waking. Follow me."
"Valley master? Don't tell me the one who brought me here became the valley master?"
The maid nodded at my question.
"Yes."
"How long has it been since I arrived?"
"Ten days have passed."
Ten days!
A short time if short, long if long. Clutching my head, I forced myself up and said,
"There should have been a book and a wooden box in my possession. Where are they?"
"The valley master took them."
"Ugh... Damn it...!!"
My vision darkened. As I feared, the Baek Lian Cult Leader had taken the Heavenly Dark Secret Book and the wooden box!
' What do I do? Should I kill myself now?'
I could still commit suicide now. Or summon the Spirit Beast Four Buddhas and escape. Or even abandon everything and start over from the beginning. I didn't want to endure days of torment after losing everything to the Baek Lian Cult Leader.
But if I didn't uncover what happened, even reincarnation would leave me at a loss. Gritting my teeth, I resolved to extract information from the cult leader, even if it meant enduring body-tearing pain.
"Got it. Lead the way."
And there was one big reason I couldn't kill myself now.
"Yes..."
I hurriedly dressed and walked with the maid through Jangryeong Valley's long manor building. Midway, I saw a bizarre sight.
"Who are those people?"
Martial artists knelt before the building, bowing their heads. Astonishingly, by their auras, they were all considerable experts, some quite skilled. The maid glanced at them and said,
"They are martial artists who surrendered to the valley master. And they are prostrating themselves in atonement, begging for leniency for their sects."
"D-Does that mean the Jangryeong Valley Master has stepped into the martial world?"
"Yes."
I realized the Baek Lian Cult Leader had crushed the local martial forces on a whim. No one could have resisted.
Soon, I arrived before the Jangryeong Valley Master, and as expected, the Baek Lian Cult Leader sat in the master's chair. He lounged languidly, looking bored, and said,
[ The wooden box... the non-vulgar ones... a spirit flower resembling the cult's sacred lotus... and even a demonic path token. Quite the intriguing treasures, Baek Woong.]
I gritted my teeth.
"Those items are yours now. Congratulations. What will you do next?"
Emboldened, I questioned him, and the cult leader replied in a tone that seemed amused.
[ Looking at the people in the wooden box, you seem to be quite the righteous hero.]
The prisoners rescued from Pirate Island and the women abused in the Nangong family had been left with the Shadowless Gate before. So he must be referring to the prisoners from the Great Thunder Prison whose fates I hadn't decided. Among them was General Hwang Yeon, the most important figure.
"What did you do with them?"
[ They are weaknesses of the imperial palace, so I took them under my wing. General Hwang Yeon will operate under my sponsorship from now on.]
"......"
[ You've piqued my interest. Will you tell me how you obtained those treasures?]
I answered curtly.
"What difference would it make if I told you?"
[ Heh heh... True. Seeing how you, unafraid of death, came all this way on purpose, you must want something from me. How about this?]
I couldn't help but flinch at his following words.
[ I'll grant you a Heavenly Spirit Pill and appoint you as a guardian lion. And if you pledge loyalty to the cult, I'll even consider naming you my successor.]
An outrageous proposal!
After a moment's thought, I said,
"I'll pass on guardian lion."
[ Why?]
"For some reason, I feel like you'd order me to gather the Thunder God Clan. I learned it by chance, but I refuse to get further entangled with them."
The cult leader stroked his chin, amused, and said,
[ Truly entertaining. Did you read my mind? You don't look that clever..."
"......"
[ Fine. I'll accept you as a guardian lion but assign that mission to someone else. Will you accept then?]
"I accept."
It was the best option for now.
I never expected the Baek Lian Cult Leader to take all my treasures, but securing the Heavenly Spirit Pill made it worthwhile. With that, I'd ultimately come out ahead.
But his next words weighed heavily on my heart.
[ The world under heaven will be the cult's anyway. Rest easy.]
Indeed.
With all my treasures taken by the cult leader, that was inevitable. Each one held tremendous power. And the biggest problem was something else.
' What should I do?'
Without the Heavenly Dark Secret Book, I couldn't reincarnate.
Thus, reclaiming the Heavenly Dark Secret Book from the cult leader!
That had become my absolute imperative.