Stepping Outside
The Sun and Moon Dual Polar Divine Art, the ultimate martial art designed to replace the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
The Holy Fire Spirit Refiner, which could refine the power of the Holy Fire into spirit elixirs.
And the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber, a treasured blade whose true power had yet to be fully revealed.
The Three Great Sacred Treasures of the Sun and Moon Sect, which had previously existed only in legends, now lay in the center of the Grand Sun and Moon Hall.
“Is it truly fact that the Young Sect Leader retrieved all of those treasures?”
“Did the Sect Leader himself not witness it?”
“To be frank, I believed the Three Great Sacred Treasures were mere myths. I had no idea they actually existed.”
“Likewise for me.”
The Sect Leader of the Sun and Moon Sect, the Left and Right Bright Messengers, and the Palace Masters of the Five Demonic Palaces—comprising the entirety of the Eight Devils—had gathered to admire the Three Great Sacred Treasures.
Even the notorious arch-demons of the Murim could not help but click their tongues in awe at the mystical energy radiating from these rare, ancient relics, the likes of which they had never seen in their lifetimes.
Admittedly, until moments ago, some among them had harbored doubts about whether the items before them were genuine.
However...
“These are undoubtedly the Three Great Sacred Treasures of legend. Astonishingly...”
As Palace Master No Hwa-jin of the Myeongsin Palace—the division responsible for researching and transmitting martial arts—announced the results of his examination, even those lingering doubts vanished.
“At present, the sacred treasures appear to possess the exact powers described in our historical records.”
The Three Great Sacred Treasures were precisely as the legends and the sect's chronicles had recorded.
None of the Eight Devils could suppress the swell of emotion and anticipation rising in their chests.
For they all recalled the prophecy: when the Three Great Sacred Treasures returned to the world, the Sun and Moon Sect would unleash its true, absolute power upon the Murim.
After the initial clamor subsided, the Eight Devils turned their gazes to gauge the reaction of Sect Leader Baek Mumyeong.
They were intensely curious to know what thoughts occupied the mind of the Heavenly Demon at this monumental moment, when the treasures that had slept for three hundred years were finally unearthed.
“Indeed. The Young Sect Leader has truly accomplished it.”
Sect Leader Baek muttered to himself, the corners of his lips curled high in a rare, wide smile.
Though it was a little-known fact,
Baek Mumyeong had researched the Three Great Sacred Treasures long before he ever ascended to the throne of the Sect Leader, utterly captivated by their legendary power.
He had simply never dared to seek them out, knowing all too well the horrific fates that befell those who tried.
After personally witnessing the younger brother of the previous Sect Leader—who had served as the Left Guardian—lose his mind and become a crippled shell of a man after attempting the trial in the deepest depths of the Spirit Star Cave, Baek Mumyeong had effectively abandoned all hope.
Yet, the Young Sect Leader had achieved the impossible.
“Sect Leader! We offer our humblest congratulations on securing the Three Great Sacred Treasures!”
Sensing that the Sect Leader’s mood was exceptionally high, the Left Guardian quickly rose to his feet to offer his congratulations.
Then, he posed the question that someone eventually had to ask.
“Regarding the ownership of the sacred treasures... how do you intend to proceed?”
Snapped out of his reverie by the question, the Sect Leader looked at the Left Guardian.
“Ownership?”
“Indeed, Sect Leader.”
While it was the Young Sect Leader who had retrieved the Three Great Sacred Treasures, that did not automatically mean he could claim sole ownership of them.
The treasures had been left behind by the founder and ancestors, meaning they technically belonged to the sect as a whole.
The Left Guardian and the other demons believed these relics should be designated as public assets of the sect, managed directly by the Sect Leader.
Above all, they felt it was highly inappropriate for the young and inexperienced Young Sect Leader to monopolize such immense power.
“What a pointless question.”
However, the Sect Leader’s thoughts were entirely different.
“The Three Great Sacred Treasures belong entirely to the Young Sect Leader.”
When the Sect Leader declared this without a shred of hesitation, confusion flickered across the Left Guardian's face.
The Sect Leader added solemnly,
“Of course, granting him the Sun and Moon Dual Polar Divine Art or the Holy Fire Spirit Refiner right this instant would be of little use. I shall personally safeguard the divine art and hand it over once the Young Sect Leader achieves grand completion of the Mystic Demon Scripture. As for the Holy Fire Spirit Refiner, it will be dispatched to the Holy Fire Altar on Gwangmyeong Peak today, so that the resulting Holy Fire Spirit Elixirs may be administered to the Young Sect Leader upon their completion.”
It wasn't that the Sect Leader didn't feel a twinge of desire for the treasures' power.
But there was a line one simply did not cross.
How could he even dream of laying hands on items his own son had retrieved through his own strength and merit?
Furthermore, the legends and historical records made it clear that the First Sect Leader intended for the treasures to belong to 'the one who is worthy.'
Who else could possibly claim that worthiness other than the Young Sect Leader, who had braved the trials and claimed them himself?
The Sect Leader’s absolute declaration was intended to crush any lingering greed or alternative ideas that anyone in this room—or any member of the sect—might harbor.
“In that case, what of the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber...?”
The eyes of the assembled demons shifted toward the saber, its pitch-black blade reflecting the ambient light with an eerie, brilliant luster.
The Sect Leader spoke.
“Having observed the Young Sect Leader's martial arts, I have long held a certain opinion. A saber suits him far better than a sword...”
Everyone who had ever witnessed the Young Sect Leader's training nodded in agreement.
A saber was single-edged and generally heavier than a double-edged sword.
Compared to a sword, which balanced offense and defense, a saber was a weapon designed almost entirely for devastating offense.
Given the Young Sect Leader's martial style, a relentless, overwhelming assault suited him far better than reacting to an opponent's forms.
A saber, which could fully channel his vast, profound internal energy, would be highly effective in maximizing his destructive power.
“Then...”
“As of this moment, the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber shall be entrusted to the Young Sect Leader.”
No one dared to utter a single word of objection to the Sect Leader's decree.
‘I really didn't expect him to just hand it over to me right away.’
I turned the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber over in my hands, examining it from every angle.
The sleek, gently curved blade; the edge that gleamed with an elegant, antique luster rather than a sinister glare; the hilt that fit perfectly in my palm; the flawless balance.
Just holding the saber brought a satisfied smile to my face that I couldn't seem to wipe off.
It was a strange sensation.
I had always thought that while cultivating internal energy was fun, I didn't care much about martial arts or getting stronger for its own sake.
Yet, simply holding this weapon made me feel exponentially more powerful, filling me with a sudden surge of confidence that I could take on anything.
“Hieek...!”
Just then, a passing cultist gasped in terror and stumbled backward.
His face was pale and stricken with absolute dread, as if he had just laid eyes on a ghost...
‘What's his deal? Is he sick? Ah...!’
Only then did I realize how I must look to everyone else right now.
A terrifying young tyrant, turning a razor-sharp, legendary demonic blade over in his hands while wearing a dazed, creepy grin!
I probably looked like a bloodthirsty maniac about to go on a wild, murderous rampage at any second.
There were already enough bizarre rumors circulating about how the Young Sect Leader's Heavenly Killer Star drove him to wander the streets at night in a mad frenzy, looking for people to slaughter.
‘I should stop. I can't let people get the wrong idea... Wait.’
Actually, is that really a bad thing?
Thinking about it from another perspective, there was absolutely no reason to fix it.
After all, it perfectly aligned with the fearsome, cruel, and tyrannical reputation a Young Sect Leader was supposed to maintain.
“Heh... Hahaha!”
Instead of stopping, I let out a dark chuckle and raised the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber high into the air.
“Y-Young Sect Leader...”
“Aaaah! S-Spare me!”
At that, the surrounding cultists turned completely pale and bolted as if their lives depended on it.
I watched them flee and smiled with deep satisfaction.
‘Wow, there's actually no one around for once.’
I sheathed the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber and buckled it to my waist.
After confirming the coast was entirely clear, I sprawled out star-eagled on a plush cushion, thoroughly enjoying my precious, solitary quiet time.
I got to maintain my fearsome authority, and I got to recharge my social battery...
I used to think that living as the Young Sect Leader of a demonic cult would be an impossible task for an extreme introvert like me.
But honestly? I think I might actually be cut out for this.
Late at night, darkness blanketed the surroundings.
As I stepped out of my quarters dressed in black martial robes with my saber secured at my waist, Yeongho Bin, who had been guarding the door, quickly approached me.
“My Lord. Are you heading out?”
“Yes.”
“Are you certain you do not require my accompaniment?”
Yeongho Bin asked cautiously, his face etched with concern.
“I told you, it is fine. Besides, if anyone comes looking for me while I am away, I need you here to make up a suitable excuse.”
“That is true, but...”
I could understand his worry.
As the Young Sect Leader, slipping out of the headquarters without the Sect Leader's explicit permission was something I had rarely, if ever, done.
And to do so completely alone, without a single guard.
‘It's not like I'm going out because I want to, you know.’
Truth be told, I had absolutely no desire to leave my perfectly cozy room.
But I had no choice.
‘I can't help it since I can no longer feel Myeongjon's blessing in the Hall of No-Mind.’
As my Dark Demonic Inward Heart Method neared completion, cultivating in a place touched by Myeongjon's blessing—a sacred sanctuary of the Ming Sect—had become an absolute necessity.
In any ordinary location, no matter how hard I trained my internal energy, my progress ground to a complete halt.
Because of this, I had spent the last few months constantly cultivating the Dark Demonic Inward Heart Method in the Hall of No-Mind.
Even if it wasn't a full-blown secluded meditation, I could easily get the Sect Leader's permission to spend half a day there to cultivate.
However, a few days ago, Myeongjon's blessing completely vanished from the Hall of No-Mind.
I already knew this from Myeongjon himself... His blessing was channeled from the Holy Fire on Gwangmyeong Peak to the various sanctuaries of the Ming Sect, but each sanctuary had a limit to how much energy it could hold.
Once the resource of Myeongjon's blessing was depleted in one sanctuary, I had to find another sacred site while the previous one slowly recharged.
‘Luckily, there's another sanctuary near the sect headquarters.’
I had searched through the Sun and Moon Sect's archives to locate the other sanctuaries.
Aside from the Holy Fire on Gwangmyeong Peak, the closest sanctuary was an abandoned shrine of the ancient Ming Sect located just outside the sect's outer walls.
It was situated far from any civilization, a desolate place where no human foot had trod in years.
Though sneaking over the sect's walls late at night was a bit stressful, I had no other choice.
What could possibly go wrong anyway?
I had grown remarkably strong over the past few years, and I even had the Heavenly Slayer Demonic Saber strapped to my waist.
“Please return safely, My Lord.”
Leaving Yeongho Bin behind to handle any unexpected situations in my absence, I quietly slipped away from my quarters.
I knew the layout of the Red Moon Palace—the residence of the Sect Leader's family—well enough to navigate it with my eyes closed, and I had the guards' patrol routes memorized like the back of my hand. Sneaking out was child's play.
Furthermore, my martial arts training had made my footsteps incredibly light, and I was now fully capable of moving without releasing a single trace of my presence.
Even the towering walls of the Sun and Moon Sect posed no obstacle.
Gathering internal energy at the tips of my toes, I leaped lightly a few times, and before I knew it, I was perched atop the high wall.
Looking down at the mountain path winding outside the headquarters, a wave of novel emotion washed over me.
Though I had studied the maps to familiarize myself with the terrain, this was my very first time stepping outside the headquarters alone.
Actually, scratch that—it wasn't just about being alone. This was the first time I had ever left the sect headquarters since reincarnating as Baek Yeon.
‘Whew... why am I so nervous over something like this?’
While introverts generally prefer staying indoors, it's not that we hate going outside altogether.
We just highly dislike going out and interacting with people.
Which was exactly why, as I walked down the pitch-black mountain path toward the Ming Sect shrine, I prayed fervently in my heart.
‘O Myeongjon, please... let me not run into anyone.’
To be honest, this was a prayer I had constantly made in my previous life as well.
The only difference was that the recipient of my prayer was now Myeongjon.
When going to eat at the student cafeteria or a restaurant near campus, when heading to the department office to retrieve something I forgot, when waiting for the bus home at the bus stop...
Without a shred of exaggeration, I had always prayed, "Please let me not run into anyone."
But more often than not, those prayers went unanswered.
On the days I desperately wanted to avoid human contact, I would inevitably run into a whole crowd of awkward acquaintances.
But tonight, of all nights!
I desired absolute solitude with every fiber of my being.
‘O Myeongjon, Buddha, Primordial Heavenly Lord! Please, grant the desperate prayer of this introvert.’
Alas, when did the universe ever conspire to make things go my way?
‘Damn it. Of course.’
Arriving in front of the Ming Sect shrine, I couldn't hide my bitter disappointment.
At the place I had been assured was completely abandoned, there were, to my absolute horror, uninvited guests who had arrived before me.
‘Who on earth are these people, and what are they doing here in the middle of the night...’
And it wasn't just one or two. There were seven of them.
‘Are they throwing a freaking party?!’
Staring at the boisterous scene of people gathered around a roaring bonfire, passing around cups of alcohol and laughing loudly, a single thought crossed my mind.
Whether in my past life or this one, the world is truly a cruel place for an introvert.