The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering Draws Near
One year later, time flowed swiftly. Not long after Namgung Yeong stepped down from the Alliance Leader position, the Murim Alliance began its reorganization centered around Moyong Gwang. The main agenda was to excise the rot. They boldly cast aside the lingering ghosts of the past that had quietly been eroding the Murim Alliance, and began appointing capable individuals from both major and minor sects in large numbers.
Many people rose in opposition, but Moyong Gwang remained steadfast. He posted notices naming those who protested, mobilized the Beggars' Union to investigate their backgrounds, and then swayed public opinion to diminish the standing of the sects to which those power-hungry individuals belonged. As a result, Moyong Gwang earned the reputation among the common people as the finest Murim Alliance Leader, and his influence grew steadily. The moment the Murim Alliance shifted from Namgung Yeong's system to Moyong Gwang's, everything began to fall into place so smoothly that it could be described as a small sailboat catching a favorable wind. The mere disappearance of Namgung Yeong alone had transformed the Murim Alliance beyond recognition.
Consequently, the martial artists of the jianghu unanimously began to disparage the Namgung Clan. Their patriarch, Namgung Yeong, was portrayed as a greedy old man incapable of properly managing the Alliance. His son, Namgung Ak, had committed vile acts against the Baekri Clan. The only remaining child in the Namgung Clan, Namgung Juyeong, was also judged to have a less than admirable temperament. Thus, rumors about the Namgung Clan showed no signs of improving. As for Hwibong, he had already left the Namgung Clan long ago. Namgung Suryeon had likewise abandoned her family and settled in the Hubei Alliance. At this point, even absurd rumors began circulating that some strange aura was emanating from the Namgung Clan.
Of course, Moyong Gwang maintained equality and managed affairs so that such rumors would not spread. His guiding principle was incorruptible integrity. Even if it meant suffering personal losses, he strove to create a pure, equal, and blameless martial world. Thanks to his efforts, the people of the jianghu regained their vitality. The fear stemming from the Baekri Clan's revelation about the Heavenly Demon Cult's resurgence gradually faded as well. This was because deep in their hearts, people held the belief that Murim Alliance Leader Moyong Gwang would stop them.
Yet until this moment, no one had known what bloody winds would soon sweep through the Murim Alliance.
As the large-scale reorganization and shifts in the martial world's political landscape unfolded, the seasons changed rapidly. Roughly a year passed, and the day of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering drew near.
“Haaah!”
A young man who no longer looked like a child let out a shout as he stomped forward and charged. His height already matched that of any ordinary youth. His body, forged through relentless training, was so solid it could be called living steel. Every inch of him was sculpted muscle that seemed capable of inflicting pain with the slightest brush.
Baekri Hyeong, now twelve years old and more accurately called a young man, was training in the Four Guardian Deities Sword. A thunderous roar erupted with each step he took, the White Tiger's presence manifesting its overwhelming pressure. Having already reached the stage where he could infuse the energies of the Five Elements into the Four Guardian Deities Qi, Baekri Hyeong sensed that the wills of the Four Sacred Beasts residing in his middle dantian were growing even stronger.
The Azure Dragon wished to roam the world freely. The White Tiger, whenever summoned, wanted to unleash its aura in every direction as though it were the protagonist. The Vermilion Bird remained unchanged from before, still demanding that he look only at her—so much so that she now seemed like nothing more than an obsessive woman. The difference was that her self-assertion had become far too pronounced compared to the past, making Baekri Hyeong reluctant to use the Vermilion Bird Killing Sword.
Next came the Black Tortoise. The Black Tortoise remained as silent as ever, sunk to the bottom, yet whenever it moved, Baekri Hyeong's entire body ached. Originally, the stage at which one could infuse the Five Elements into the Four Guardian Deities Qi began at the Hwajing realm. Though he had gained the ability after encountering the Yellow Dragon's eyes, his body still could not properly wield that power. With the Black Tortoise's will also growing stronger, using the Black Tortoise Breaking Sword had become difficult for Baekri Hyeong. Of course, when the time came to use it, he would manage just fine.
“About a week left now.”
The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering—one of the Murim Alliance's, no, the jianghu's greatest events. Promising young talents would gather at the heart of the Murim Alliance to test their strength against one another, and the one deemed the greatest among the current generation's rising stars would be granted the title of Divine Dragon. It was an event for which the young talents were willing to stake their lives just to participate. And Baekri Hyeong intended to join this Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Naturally, he planned to claim the Divine Dragon's seat as well. Honestly, failing to take the Divine Dragon's position would not be so bad either. It would simply mean there existed a rising star stronger than himself—one who could become a powerful asset in the fight against the Heavenly Demon Cult.
‘The Heavenly Demon Cult's movements have changed from my previous life. But after attacking the Baekri Clan, they vanished without a trace. Is this a coincidence?’
He had heard that Sapaecheon was also sharpening its blades and pouring all its efforts into rooting out spies. In particular, around twenty of the seventy-two Green Forest strongholds had been exposed as Heavenly Demon Cult spies, and three of the eighteen Yangtze River strongholds had been caught in the investigative net. As a result, both the Green Forest and the Yangtze River strongholds were in an uproar. Even though they had never concerned themselves much with one another, none had expected demonic practitioners to have infiltrated their ranks. When Sapaecheon flew into a rage, they began suspecting one another in order to prove their own innocence, devoting themselves to flushing out spies. That, at least, was a positive outcome.
“I should start moving soon.”
Baekri Hyeong gathered his energy and entered a state of breathing regulation. Sweating through training and then circulating his qi was the best way to maximize the results of his practice. Since he would soon be packing his belongings to enter the Murim Alliance anyway, he decided to rest a little even now.
After some time had passed—
“My, you're working hard.”
“I'm still lacking compared to you, Sister. Weren't the past year basically your time?”
“Hahaha, to think I'd receive flattery from my little brother—life really does bring all sorts of things.”
“Don't change the subject. To me, you're plenty monstrous yourself, Sister.”
The Baekri Hyang who had once frozen an arm while learning the Ice Flower Qi Art was nowhere to be seen. In her place stood a mad swordswoman who now wielded both cold and heat simultaneously. The reason she could handle both the Baekri Flame Emperor Art and the Ice Flower Qi Art at the same time was because Jinryeong, the head of the Wudang Sect, had broken tradition and taught her the secret manual of the Yin-Yang Heart Art. The Yin-Yang Heart Art was a Wudang divine technique that allowed one to use two different heart methods simultaneously. It had been an absolute rule that it must never leave Wudang, but Jinryeong shattered that tradition because of the Heavenly Demon Cult's resurgence.
‘She said she was fated to kill the Heavenly Demon. With the Cult appearing at the same time, she must have been quite desperate on her end as well.’
Whatever the full story, thanks to this, Baekri Hyang had achieved an enormous rise in her realm. Though she had only just reached the age of twenty, she had already arrived at the peak of the Transcendent Peak Realm. With a clear catalyst, she could ascend to the Hwajing realm. At this level, Baekri Hyang was certainly monstrous enough herself.
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is really going to be explosive. I heard the prestigious clans and major sects are sharpening their swords and bringing their disciples.”
“I've already defeated a Hwajing realm warrior. Don't worry.”
“I don't know... Father told me that this time, even a descendant of the Heavenly Venerable is participating.”
“..!”
“Perhaps that will be the only opponent in this generation you'll need to be wary of?”
Baekri Hyeong's eyes widened at Baekri Hyang's words. Come to think of it, in his previous life, no descendant of the Heavenly Venerable had participated in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Yet in this life, a descendant of the Heavenly Venerable whom he had never heard of nor seen before was appearing?
‘Just what in the world is going on?’
He had believed that knowing the future would allow him to prevent the great catastrophe. But now, even the future he knew was twisting in this manner. Still, if it was a descendant of the Heavenly Venerable, their martial prowess alone would be reliable...
“Is this a good omen?”
“Hm?”
“The Heavenly Venerable... I mean, the Shandong Ak Clan has lived quietly without ever setting foot in the martial world since the Heavenly Venerable went into seclusion. But the fact that they're participating in the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering this time means...”
“You're interpreting it as the reappearance of a Heavenly Venerable-level martial artist?”
“Yes.”
Baekri Hyeong knew just how monstrous the Heavenly Venerable had been. Even the Heavenly Demon at his peak had been a master of similar realm to the Heavenly Venerable. It explained why, in the past, the Heavenly Demon Cult had been utterly crushed and forced to flee by the force led by the Heavenly Venerable.
“This Dragon-Phoenix Gathering... seems like it will be quite entertaining.”
He did not know what would happen. However, he predicted it would be far more fierce than the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering of his previous life. The martial prowess of those participating would have risen dramatically compared to before.
At the same time, in Sapaecheon—
“Sapaecheon Young Lord Cheon Hwangyeol and his subordinate Hegemony Unit are commencing the infiltration operation into the Murim Alliance.”
Cheon Hwangyeol, who had already reached the Hwajing realm, steeled his resolve and began the operation to infiltrate the Murim Alliance.