Chapter 1168
Yu Un-ryong took a deep breath.
"So in the end, that man sought to obtain this chain... Just as he stole Jeong Cheon-je's power, he has been trying to seize the Baekri Clan's strength all along."
"That would be the case."
After pondering deeply, Yu Un-ryong tilted his head slightly.
"But it's truly strange. Why was Jeong Cheon-je's corpse in the underground of the Pratyekabuddha Hall?"
Jeong Cheon-je's body had a Boundary-Prosperity Jade secretly embedded in its earlobe.
Thanks to that, it maintained a perfectly preserved form indistinguishable from his living appearance.
Unless one had mastered the Heavenly Robe Mind Art like Bu Eun-seol, no one could detect the presence of the Boundary-Prosperity Jade.
It was a flawless corpse that no one could doubt its authenticity.
"Moreover, wasn't that corpse split in half, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin even had martial techniques inscribed on it?"
At the time, the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin bore mysterious martial techniques that surpassed the current level of the martial world's knowledge.
The fake corpse was split vertically from the Hundred Meetings acupoint, leaving only the front half of the body intact.
"From the Martial Venerable's perspective, even if there had been Jeong Cheon-je's real corpse, he should have completely destroyed it, right?"
Yu Un-ryong stroked his chin and furrowed his brows.
"But... why did he leave behind such an elaborately crafted fake corpse?"
"I've been pondering that reason myself for a long time."
Bu Eun-seol murmured in a low voice.
"And only recently have I vaguely begun to find an answer."
"What is it?"
After a brief pause, he stared into the empty air and spoke.
"That corpse and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin were likely a Joint Petition."
"A Joint Petition?"
"No matter how cunning the Martial Venerable is or how outstanding his martial arts may be, simply killing Jeong Cheon-je wouldn't immediately make him the Martial Alliance Chief."
The Martial Alliance harbors hidden underworld forces beneath its surface, intertwined with vast powers including those of the Sacred Realm and the Abyssal Forces.
No matter how exceptional one's abilities, ascending to the position of Alliance Chief without their consent would be impossible.
"But Jeong Cheon-je didn't die, did he?"
"He must have prepared the Joint Petition anticipating such an event. Unexpected things can always happen."
When dealing with a master like Jeong Cheon-je, countless variables would arise.
Considering the risks involved, it would be stranger not to prepare a Joint Petition.
"So in exchange for their pledge, they inscribed martial techniques onto that corpse and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin. To ensure those who joined hands with the Martial Venerable could never back out."
Yu Un-ryong wore an expression as if beholding an entirely new landscape.
It was a perspective he had never considered until now.
"That deduction certainly holds merit."
The Martial Alliance is a conglomerate of numerous factions.
Even if the Martial Venerable wished to play the role of fake Alliance Chief for long, he couldn't simply do so.
Given that the martial techniques inscribed on the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin were said to be mysterious arts unseen in the current martial world.
It's highly probable that the Martial Venerable and certain factions created Jeong Cheon-je's fake corpse and inscribed traces of secret techniques there to keep each other in check.
"One thing is certain—the Martial Venerable remains entrenched in the Martial Alliance even while knowing his identity has been exposed."
Yu Un-ryong said.
"We must discern in advance what scheme he intends to unfold."
Why the Martial Venerable is stubbornly clinging to the Martial Alliance.
Why he killed the Pratyekabuddha Hall Master.
Why he appointed Baek Mu-seong as the next Alliance Chief.
Ultimately, his true identity must be fully exposed to expel him from the Martial Alliance.
"Otherwise, he might exploit his position as Alliance Chief to unfold yet another scheme."
As long as the Martial Venerable occupies the seat of the Alliance Chief, shaking him directly is beyond imagination.
Only by dragging him down from that position can the factions backing him turn their backs.
And only then can all his ongoing plans and schemes be thwarted.
Knock knock.
At that moment, a knocking sound came from the office door, followed by Wi Cheon-gyeong's voice.
"Lord, it's Wi Cheon-gyeong."
As soon as he entered, he spoke with a troubled expression.
"We've just received word from the Martial Alliance."
"The Martial Alliance?"
"They've decided that Baek Mu-seong, the next Alliance Chief, will ascend to the position."
In an instant, Bu Eun-seol and Yu Un-ryong exchanged glances.
To suddenly hand over the Alliance Chief's seat to Baek Mu-seong?
Does this mean the Martial Venerable has obtained everything he needed from the Martial Alliance and now intends to leave without hesitation?
"And the Martial Alliance sent another message through official channels."
Wi Cheon-gyeong spoke as if he couldn't comprehend it.
"They plan to hold an inauguration ceremony within the Martial Alliance in fifteen days and have formally invited the Martial Soul Lord."
Traditionally, when the Martial Alliance appoints a new chief, they hold a grand celebration, but the actual inauguration ceremony itself is conducted modestly.
This is to demonstrate the new chief's resolve to handle affairs impartially, free from any sect's influence.
"But why would they suddenly hold an inauguration ceremony this time?"
"Shall I convey that we won't attend?"
Wi Cheon-gyeong looked at Bu Eun-seol with a worried expression.
"The timing is far too suspicious. Given the current situation..."
"No, this works in our favor."
Bu Eun-seol's eyes grew sharp.
Since they'd officially announced their invitation to the Martial Soul Lord, they wouldn't dare attack openly.
He intended to use this opportunity to investigate the Martial Alliance's circumstances once more and uncover the secrets of the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
The Martial Venerable who returned to the Martial Alliance had a deathly pale face, his pupils burning with fury that seemed ready to erupt at any moment.
'How dare they!'
He ground his teeth until they nearly shattered. The sound of hard enamel scraping together echoed eerily.
'To have my foundations exposed because of that insufferable brat...'
That he'd become a Servant of the True Demon was a secret that absolutely couldn't be revealed until the Grand Design was fully realized.
Yet that unidentified whelp who crawled out of the Sacred Realm had ruined everything.
What kind of sinister trick had he pulled?
Now he was being pursued by members of the Baekri Clan—people who never normally showed themselves for trivial matters.
That brat had entangled him in that battle, forcing him into a life-or-death situation.
In the end, he'd barely escaped by secretly using Soul-Demon Magic Energy as a last resort.
But not only had he suffered internal injuries, he'd nearly exposed his ability to wield Soul-Demon Magic Energy to outsiders.
"I'll definitely cut off his breath."
Muttering this murderous vow, he turned toward the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.
But his feet turned to stone before he could take more than a few steps.
An ominous premonition prickled at his mind along with the chilly night wind.
'That Sacred Realm successor left the Martial Alliance long after deceiving me.'
That bastard was meticulous and cunning. The one who'd shaken the entire board and driven this Martial Venerable into a corner.
Why had he risked such tremendous danger to remain in the Pratyekabuddha Hall for so long?
What exactly had he been doing there?
'The office.'
Like lightning, one location flashed through his mind.
That bastard had headed to the third-floor office in the Pratyekabuddha Hall and confronted him there.
Meaning his true destination had been the office all along.
The Martial Venerable changed direction and immediately headed for the Pratyekabuddha Hall.
During this time, the new caretaker sent to replace the deceased Daoist Mok, who died in the Sacred Realm was handling affairs at the Forest Pavilion... so there was no chance of encountering him.
Thud.
When he arrived before Daoist Mok's office door in the Pratyekabuddha Hall, memories of that time resurfaced.
'He perfectly replicated Daoist Mok's speech, posture, gaze—even his minor habits.'
Which meant he'd observed Daoist Mok for a long time.
'But if he suspected foul play regarding Daoist Mok's death, why didn't he report it to the Sacred Realm?'
If that Sacred Realm whelp had been visiting the Martial Alliance all along while maintaining ties with Daoist Mok...
Even if he'd supposedly severed connections with the Sacred Realm, he surely would've noticed something amiss and reported it.
Yet when the Sacred Realm investigated, they found nothing particularly unusual.
They simply sent a replacement for Daoist Mok and left it at that.
'There's something here.'
Creak.
When the Martial Venerable pushed open the firmly shut office door, chilly air and faint ink fragrance greeted him.
Right after Daoist Mok's death,
he'd combed through this place so thoroughly not even a mouse could hide, yet found nothing at the time.
'I must have missed something.'
An inexplicable certainty prickled at his back.
The Martial Venerable began scrutinizing every inch of the room again.
Bookshelves, writing desks, aged scrolls—even the gaps between floorboards. His acute senses sliced through the space like blades.
Then—
'Hm?'
His gaze suddenly fixed on a celestial star chart hanging on one wall.
Previously, he'd dismissed it as merely an old, ordinary decoration.
But now it felt different.
Because just earlier,
during his clash with the Baekri Clan masters when he'd drawn upon the Martial God's power,
the residual energy of that explosive force still faintly lingered within him.
And now this chaotic energy inside him seemed connected by invisible threads,
vibrating imperceptibly toward the star chart in subtle resonance.
'Hmm.'
A strange intuition flashed through his mind.
As if entranced, the Martial Venerable approached the star chart and gathered the alien power writhing within him to his fingertips.
Zzzt.
When he touched the chart's center, a bizarre crackling sound erupted—like dry lightning striking.
The chaotic energy he had infused had elicited a response.
Krrrrumble.
With a heavy grating sound, the wall bearing the star chart split apart entirely, swinging inward to reveal—
A hidden space veiled beyond layers of dust and darkness—the Secret Vault now laid bare.
"This can't be!"
Thud.
Martial Venerable stepped into the vault, an exclamation bordering on rapture bursting from his lips.
There, within, lay the very thing he had desperately sought, wandering aimlessly for so long.
The one thing he could never trade for anything else.
The sole reason he could never leave the Martial Alliance.
"So it was here all along."
It was an iron coffin, blackened as if it had endured centuries.
Along its sides were layered engravings—delicate lines flowing in continuous, sinuous waveforms, interspersed with deep, shadowed grooves carved in bold relief.
Some sections repeated in precise geometric patterns.
Others connected in erratic strokes, as if slashed by a single reckless brush.
"This can't be..."
But his elation was short-lived.
The massive iron lid of the coffin had already been pried open—its interior hollow.
A vessel specially crafted to contain the Chain of Reincarnation now lay empty, its purpose unfulfilled.
"That bastard!"
Martial Venerable's eyes burned with fury.
The one who had infiltrated the Martial Alliance, posing as the Forest Pavilion Master.
The one who had provoked him, diverting his attention by inciting conflict with the Baekri Clan.
The very same bastard he had let slip away—
Had undoubtedly taken the Chain and vanished.
"Impossible!"
Martial Venerable roared, his reason crumbling.
"He didn't possess it originally—he took the Chain from here?!"
To safely harbor this Chain within one's flesh required three conditions:
Either one must wield the Baekri Clan's Manifestation Art Energy to resist its power.
Or possess the True Demon's Soul-Demon Magic Energy to synchronize with it.
Or, like the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade of the past, have a perfectly ordinary yet all-encompassing physique.
Without these—no matter what other power one held—
The moment one touched it, their body would crumble into ash.
So how the hell had he taken it?!
Then, like lightning, a single possibility flashed through Martial Venerable's mind.
"Unless... that bastard wasn't from the Sacred Realm after all."
Only now did he recall the one existence capable of deceiving even his senses—and accomplishing this impossible feat.
The only one who could have pulled this off.
The very same bastard who had ruined every last one of his Grand Designs.
"Bu Eun-seol!"
Martial Venerable gritted his teeth.
There had been a time when his goal was to steal Bu Eun-seol's power—
To pry open the Baekri Clan's Secret Vault and obtain the complete Manifestation Art Energy.
But once he was chosen by Martial God Heaven, things had become simpler.
He had realized that with just the Soul-Demon Magic Energy, there existed a method to merge the two opposing forces.
Thus, after becoming the Martial God Heaven Lord, he had remained in the Martial Alliance—searching for the iron coffin and Chain that Jeong Cheon-je had hidden.
Yet in the end, they had been entrusted to none other than Mok Do-in—the Forest Pavilion Master, a figure from the Sacred Realm.
"Ah... You deceived me to the very end, younger brother."
Gazing down at the massive iron coffin at his feet, he recalled fragments of an irrepressible past.
"Steal only half of the Golden Cicada True Qi. That will be enough."
Long ago, a figure from the Martial Alliance's shadowy underbelly had approached Martial Venerable.
He had delivered information that defied comprehension.
"Jeong Cheon-je... He received the Chain of Reincarnation from the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade."
Since he had already colluded with the Demonic Path, there was no need for regret—no betrayal to lament.
"Nonsense."
Martial Venerable couldn't believe it.
Jeong Cheon-je—the sworn brother who had saved his life, the man revered like heaven by all in the martial world—
Had joined hands with the Demonic Path and seized the Chain of Reincarnation, a power capable of overturning the natural order?
"Martial Venerable. Are you not a man of the Righteous Faction? Will you turn a blind eye to your leader defecting to the Demonic Path?"
No matter how narrow-minded or obsessed with martial arts he was, he was still an elder of the Righteous Faction.
Even if Jeong Cheon-je was his savior, even if he was his sworn brother—
To ally with the Demonic Path and obtain the power of the True Demon, who had ravaged the martial world for generations—
That was unforgivable.
"First, I must verify the facts."
And the facts were undeniable.
Upon investigation, it was just as they said—his sworn brother Shin Do-mu-bi had indeed conspired with the Seven Fingers Demonic Blade.
Justification.
The sweetest poison in the world was justification.
With justification, any action could be legitimized.
And so, in the end, he had swallowed that sweet poison.
"So this was the secret behind my brother's strength."
Though he had followed Shin Do-mu-bi, moved by his magnanimity and sense of chivalry, suppressing his true nature all the while—
He was, by birth, a man of narrow-minded obsession.
When he learned the truth—that Jeong Cheon-je had colluded with the Demonic Path and obtained the power of a demonic being—
That wolf-like nature of his erupted once more.
"What do you want from me?"
The Martial Venerable reached out to them again.
"Surely, your goal isn't merely to steal the Golden Cicada True Qi."
"The reason Jeong Cheon-je is invincible is the Mysterious Gate Strong Qi unleashed through the Golden Cicada True Qi."
"Even the Demonic Heavenly Emperor couldn't break through the Mysterious Gate Strong Qi."
A certain figure who had approached him spoke in a low voice:
"But what if his only sworn brother—the pillar of the martial world known as the Martial Venerable—were to suffer a fatal injury, just as he once did in the past?"
"To maintain that hypocritical facade, Jeong Cheon-je would surely share his Golden Cicada True Qi."
"And if that happens, his Mysterious Gate Strong Qi will shatter."
The shadow paused briefly before continuing in a hushed tone:
"Jeong Cheon-je, having lost half of his Golden Cicada True Qi, will no longer be able to fully contain the Chain of Reincarnation."
"He will have no choice but to transfer it into the Iron Coffin for safekeeping."
No matter how much he was the Martial Venerable—
He wasn't the kind of wolf in sheep's clothing who could brazenly stab the back of the sworn brother who had pulled him from death's doorstep.
But making him accept a portion of the Golden Cicada True Qi and forcing him to relinquish the Chain of Reincarnation? That wasn't so difficult.
Moreover, the Chain of Reincarnation was the source of the True Demon's power—the ultimate knowledge that allowed one to glimpse the realm of the divine.
If they could obtain even a single fragment of it? They could ascend beyond the heavens, claiming the title of the greatest throughout all ages.
"Very well."
In the end, his seething ambition swallowed righteousness whole.
Or perhaps, from the very beginning, there had never been any righteousness in his heart to begin with.
"But I have a condition."
The figure in the darkness listened to the Martial Venerable's demand for a long while before finally nodding.
"Then we have an agreement."
At last, the plan to weaken Jeong Cheon-je's invincibility was set into motion.
With the help of a certain figure, the Martial Venerable returned in secret to the Martial Alliance's Heaven and Earth Pavilion—where his sworn brother resided—bearing a fatal wound so severe that his breath could have ceased at any moment.
And in that state, no one would suspect a thing.
Jeong Cheon-je, ribs shattered and dantian twisted in agony, discovered the dying Martial Venerable.
Without a shred of doubt, he poured into him the Golden Cicada True Qi—his very lifeforce, hailed as the greatest restorative art in the world.
The moment that warm energy flowed into him—
The Martial Venerable unleashed an Esoteric Buddhist forbidden technique, forcibly seizing half of the Golden Cicada True Qi surging into him like a river.
Only then did Jeong Cheon-je realize that the Martial Venerable had deliberately stolen his qi.
Yet he neither blamed him nor spoke a single word, instead entering seclusion to recover his body.
With the plan successfully completed—
They used the mystical Boundary-Prosperity Jade to craft a perfect replica of Jeong Cheon-je's corpse—identical down to the last detail.
The texture of his skin, every strand of hair, even the faintest of scars—
So lifelike that even the living would be fooled.
"Now, Martial Venerable, it's time to fulfill your request."
Only after creating a flawless fake corpse—one that would make the entire world believe in Jeong Cheon-je's death—and placing it within the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin—
Did they inscribe their secret martial techniques upon it.
The Martial Venerable's demand?
It was to create a Joint Petition—a document etched with traces of their unique martial arts.
But they went even further—
Crafting the fake corpse, sealing it within the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Coffin, and only then engraving their techniques upon it.
"So you don't intend to kill my brother."
The Martial Venerable understood.
They hadn't sought to shatter the Mysterious Gate Strong Qi to kill Jeong Cheon-je—they had crafted this corpse to capture him alive.
"In any case, as long as the Joint Petition is made, you'll be satisfied, correct?"
"We are satisfied."
From then on, the plan progressed without a hitch.
Jeong Cheon-je, weakened after losing half of his Golden Cicada True Qi, vanished like mist—taken by a certain faction.
"I already knew."
The moment he became the Martial Alliance Chief, the Martial Venerable began scouring the Alliance's inner workings.
"That you would approach me."
By then, the Martial Venerable had already been acting as the Divine Calculator with the Wooden Buddha's aid.
Through his prophecies—
He had long known that forces seeking to kill Jeong Cheon-je would come for him.
He had only pretended to hesitate and struggle to avoid arousing their suspicion.
"Even before I took the Golden Cicada True Qi, the Chain was no longer in my brother's body."
But the moment he heard those words, the Martial Venerable changed his mind.
Instead of aiding Jeong Cheon-je, he would feign cooperation with them—and seize the Chain of Reincarnation for himself.
Ecstatic, he ransacked the Martial Alliance's inner sanctum.
This act severed his ties with the Wooden Buddha completely, cutting off any further cooperation—but it didn't matter.
If he could grasp the Chain of Reincarnation—
He would break free from the shackles of fate, rendering even the Wooden Buddha's prophecies meaningless.
The flow of karma would bend to his will, and the world's order would be rewoven at his fingertips.
Soon—very soon—he would become the new master of the heavens...
A living incarnation of the Heavenly Mandate.