"Hoo... Hoo..."
Ragged breaths spilled from his mouth.
Breaking the power of the artifact, which could be called a tool beyond human means, had consumed a great deal of strength.
'Unification of vital energy with Thunder Sword Heavenshroud...'
Even the Thunder Sword Heavenshroud technique drained a massive amount of qi.
Combining it with inner energy and innate vital qi caused such a surge of power that the physical exhaustion was incomparable to any ordinary technique.
"Ughhhh..."
"Ahh..."
"My legs... my legs...!"
Groans of pain echoed from every direction.
The destructive force of the Thunder Sword Heavenshroud – True Thunderstorm Sword that tore through the tent had turned the imperial forces into a wasteland.
The fan-shaped explosion of lightning storm had scorched everything in its path, leaving behind blood-stained earth and a hellish scene.
At a glance, it looked like hundreds were dead or wounded.
'...'
It was the first time.
The first time he had killed so many with his own hands.
He had faced countless enemies before, but had never slaughtered them like ants underfoot.
Now he understood why his master had warned him never to use Thunder Sword Heavenshroud and Thunder Wall Heavenshroud recklessly.
Even if it was to destroy the Immortal Barrier, there was a bitter taste in his mouth.
— Feeling guilty?
No.
This had to be done at least once.
Only overwhelming power could suppress them; anything less, and they would rise again.
If he had hesitated even a little, they wouldn't be staring at him now, frozen in fear.
As he stepped forward, something soft squished beneath his foot.
Looking down, fragments of organs were strewn across the ground.
They appeared to be the remains of the emperor's double.
— When you unleashed the True Thunderstorm Sword, his body swelled up, then suddenly burst like that.
Really?
It must have been from the pressure.
The power repelled by the Immortal Barrier and the force he unleashed couldn't possibly be withstood by an ordinary human body.
A pitiful end for a mere stand-in.
Lifting his head, he walked forward.
"You're unharmed, I see."
The one who stood out the most was Chosa of the Bow Demon Sect.
His body was covered in wounds, but he had barely escaped the aftermath of the technique.
Leaning on his large bow like a cane, he managed to stay upright.
As Jin approached, Chosa's entire body trembled.
"Y-You... you monster...!"
There was no need to respond to that.
His interest lay elsewhere.
Reaching out, he drew a jade token—the Immortal Barrier Seal—from the ground through the air with Qi Manipulation.
— Fwoosh!
It must have slipped from the emperor's grasp during the lightning storm.
Touching it confirmed it was genuine.
Thus, one of the stolen artifacts from the Zagyung Sect had been recovered.
Having accomplished everything here, it was time to leave.
The emperor should still be alive, right?
— He's up ahead to the right.
Following Sodam Sword's words, he looked over to see the emperor staggering, holding a broken sword.
In front of him stood a charred and mutilated corpse, likely that of Myowol the Bright Moon Sage.
The less-damaged ground behind the body suggested he had protected the emperor to the end.
— Even as a martial artist, he had loyalty. That's surprising.
Indeed, Jin had thought all those under the emperor's regime had submitted to his policy of eradicating martial artists. But to see someone lay down their life for him showed true devotion.
Jin met the emperor's trembling gaze, his broken sword in hand.
The emperor, too, looked at him as if he were a monster.
— Tough man to kill.
Clearly, he wasn't fated to die today.
To survive a Thunder Sword Heavenshroud: True Thunderstorm Sword empowered by the union of vital energies from such a close range...
— To stand before the man who killed my former master and not finish him here... It's maddening, Yunhui.
Jin felt the same.
But if he killed the emperor now, history would change.
There would be no Biyue Phantom Sect, and he would never meet Namcheon.
— Ahh...
Namcheon Steel Sword groaned in frustration.
Still, letting the emperor live unchecked would be dangerous.
Jin turned and approached him.
With every step, the emperor's cold sweat increased.
He had likely never felt fear like this before.
As both emperor and a martial master rivaling the Twelve Supreme Sects, such humiliation was unknown to him.
'Namcheon.'
Even before the words fully left his mouth, the Namcheon Sword flew from his hand.
It shot toward the emperor's chest at incredible speed.
Panicking, the emperor attempted to block it with the broken blade.
But—
— Crack!
Jin had already moved behind him, grabbing his head.
"You wretch!!"
More than fear, his pride was wounded.
Touched by another, the emperor lashed out in fury.
'Thunder Sword Heavenshroud.'
— Crack-crack-crack-BOOM!
"Gahhhhhhh!!"
Blue lightning surged from Jin's hand and engulfed the emperor.
Screaming and convulsing, the emperor foamed at the mouth.
The searing lightning left a burning stench in the air.
His pupils trembled.
This first brush with death had surely shaken him to the core.
— Sssssss...
When Jin stopped the technique, the emperor finally fell silent.
"Ughhh..."
The tip of Namcheon Sword now rested at his throat.
One small push would pierce his neck.
The emperor, terrified, stared at the blade.
Jin said:
"Your Majesty. Abandon your vain dreams of immortality."
"Ughhhhh..."
"Return, and be the father of your people. If you attempt to destroy the martial world again... I won't stop at this."
The killing intent in his voice made the emperor's back shudder.
That warning should be enough.
'Namcheon.'
— Understood.
The sword backed away from the emperor's throat.
Then it floated next to Jin, blade up, ready for him to mount.
Jin let go of the emperor's head and stepped onto the sword.
Before taking off, he issued one final warning:
"I now withdraw. But never forget—so long as you breathe, I will be watching. Do not show yourself to me again unless you wish to lose your only life."
— Whoosh!
With that, the Namcheon Sword soared into the sky.
---
"Is this real?"
"He's flying on a sword!"
"S-Sword flight!"
The sight of Jin Yunhui flying away on a sword left the imperial soldiers in awe.
To see the legendary sword flight with their own eyes was enough to leave them speechless.
But none dared speak aloud.
They had just witnessed their emperor suffer humiliation beyond description.
His lightning-burned skin, tattered robes...
All imperial dignity had been shattered.
"Silence!"
"Bow your heads! Who dares gaze upon the dragon's face?"
At the generals' shout, the soldiers quickly looked away and prostrated themselves.
No one could bear to see the emperor's disgrace.
Then, from the emperor's lips, came a howl mixed with grief and madness.
"Kaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
His voice, infused with energy, caused the weak to cover their ears.
Some soldiers even collapsed.
Tears of blood streamed from his reddened, bloodshot eyes.
The shame and fear—emotions he had never known—were unbearable.
After a while, the emperor finally spoke.
"Special Army, hear me."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Around the destroyed tent, three thousand imperial guards clad in elite armor responded.
"Kill all soldiers not part of the Special Army."
'!!!'
Even the Special Army hesitated, stunned by the order.
Who could have expected such a command?
Though humiliated, the emperor's word was absolute.
Eventually, they drew their weapons and charged at the regular troops.
"Y-Your Majesty!!"
"Please spare us!!"
"Aaaaagh!"
Chaos erupted once more in the imperial ranks.
Though trained, regular soldiers were no match for martial elite troops.
The emperor's bloodshot eyes gleamed with malice.
'No one can know about this.'
He could not allow word of this disgrace to spread.
Even if the imperial soldiers had done no wrong.
As the massacre continued, a general called out:
"Y-Your Majesty! Look at this!"
Curious, the emperor turned and was shocked.
A severed ankle was regenerating—muscle and veins regrowing as if forming anew.
This wasn't just healing—it was true regeneration.
Approaching the man, the emperor looked down and muttered:
"Left Minister..."
It was Left Minister, a royal official always clad in black cloth.
He had been caught in the lightning storm too; even the blindfold covering his eyes had been torn.
Yet unlike everyone else, except for his tattered robes, he was completely unharmed.
The emperor's lips curled into a wicked smile.
"I didn't need to look far after all."
***
About 4 ri away from the imperial army.
In the forest there, something strange was happening.
The mist blanketing the forest began to swirl and rise up into the sky.
It rose like a dragon ascending, the mist thinning as if it would disperse at any moment.
-Goooooo
Inside the misty forest.
That place was none other than DoHwaseon, the paradise of the Taoist sages.
Peach blossoms, lakes as beautiful as the eyes of celestial maidens—DoHwaseon was once filled with divine splendor. But now, as if the sky itself had been struck, cracks spread in every direction within it.
"Suppress them!"
"You can't stop us!"
Taoists who would usually be immersed in cultivation were now divided into factions, clashing with one another.
This was no mere sparring.
They held weapons in hand and were threatening each other's lives.
How had DoHwaseon, the paradise of the sages, come to such ruin?
-Kwarurururur!
A tremendous roar echoed from somewhere.
The eyes of the Taoists locked in battle turned toward the sound.
From the source of the roar, crimson heat surged upward like a volcanic eruption.
-Jjjeojeojeojeok!
The soaring heat tore wider and deeper cracks in the sky above DoHwaseon.
It seemed the sky would collapse at any moment.
"Master!"
The Taoists shouted, looking toward the source.
That place was the heart of DoHwaseon, where the Thirty-Six Celestial Scripture Formation was located.
The reason the eight great masters had not appeared amidst this chaos was because they were all there.
"You bastards! Is this how you betray your masters?!"
"It's for the greater good. We are not betraying them!"
"Nonsense!"
"Because of a tyrant, the worldly Taoists and commoners are in danger, and yet you think it's right to just sit here in seclusion and cultivate?!"
"If you're so eager to meddle in worldly affairs, then leave DoHwaseon!"
"Selfish fools who know nothing of righteousness!"
Their argument escalated, and before long, they resumed their battle with weapons.
The sounds of the fighting echoed all the way to the central cavern where the Thirty-Six Celestial Scripture Formation was located.
A pale-faced young man with long hair glanced toward the entrance of the cavern and spoke.
"Do you hear them? So many of my fellow disciples are standing with me."
"Ja Gyeongjeong, you wretch!"
The young man was Ja Gyeongjeong, the disciple of the Sword Sage who had betrayed DoHwaseon.
The one who rebuked him was a Taoist with a flute tucked at his waist.
Though furious, the Taoist could not move his hands, for they were focused on a glowing orb in the center of the cavern—like a miniature sun.
Though described as small, the orb was over ten jang (tens of meters) in size.
This miniature sun-like orb was swelling, as if ready to burst at any moment, its heat rising dangerously.
"Stay focused, Han Saje."
"Urgh!"
The orb was emanating a massive energy.
If they even slightly lost control, it would erupt instantly.
Seven Taoists, including the True Man Jeongyang, were pouring out all their energy to prevent it from exploding.
So much energy was being drained that their hair turned white and wrinkles deepened.
They were aging rapidly before their own eyes.
Even the Sword Sage was not immune.
His once-gray hair turned nearly white.
Ja Gyeongjeong approached him and spoke.
"Master, please give up. Would you render meaningless the sacrifice of Sa-mae for the greater good?"
The Sword Sage, exhausted, asked:
"...How did you change so much? Didn't you say yourself that you loved Yangseon?"
Ja Gyeongjeong replied bitterly:
"I love her. More than anyone."
The Sword Sage's expression twisted in anger.
"Then you're the one who put the law sphere in her body and made it explode?!"
A shocking truth.
Just an hour ago, Yeo Yangseon had still been alive.
That was until her body was blown apart by the law sphere as she willingly chose self-destruction.
The Sword Sage could never forgive him.
Despite his master's wrath, Ja Gyeongjeong remained unmoved.
"You masters have the power to protect the people. So why risk your lives only to guard this place while countless people are dying out there?"
"You bastard..."
"DoHwaseon must be destroyed. That way, the vow you masters made to Won Yeongshin will become nothing but ash."
"You're trying to cause a disaster."
"It's not a disaster. I'm trying to free you."
"What you're doing will only bring harm to the world!"
A Taoist with a gourd bottle strapped to his waist roared in fury.
Ja Gyeongjeong scoffed and said:
"You're selfish. Is it right to prioritize your own cultivation while turning your back on the suffering of the world?"
"Ja Gyeongjeong, your words are pure sophistry."
A veiled female Taoist with a lotus flower by her ear rebuked him.
Ja Gyeongjeong shook his head.
"Is the Way something just for yourself? Isn't the true Way about creating a world where everyone can live in peace—by killing the tyrant and abolishing corrupt power?"
A Taoist clutching a broken Yin-Yang board under his arm shouted back:
"That's exactly what makes it sophistry!"
"Sophistry?"
"If someone steps up and uses even stronger power to enforce your so-called peace, wouldn't that also be oppression?"
Even though the logic was sound, Ja Gyeongjeong didn't falter.
He raised his voice in rebuttal:
"If tyrants, villains, and dark sects have power, then yes. But not our masters. If all the Taoists here join forces, we can create a just world. Don't you see that's the truth?"
"Truth, you say. Ha."
"The tyrant Emperor Geumsangje and the imperial army are on their way here. They'll arrive soon."
The Sword Sage frowned.
"What are you planning?"
"Emperor Geumsangje dreams of immortality. If he enters this place and takes the Dragon-Tiger Elixir created by True Man Jeongyang, he'll achieve it."
'!!!'
Everyone was shaken by Ja Gyeongjeong's words.
If the tyrant truly attained immortality, it would be catastrophic.
Even time itself would be powerless to correct such injustice.
Ja Gyeongjeong smiled slyly and said:
"The time to choose is now. Will you let the tyrant realize his dream by clinging to this pathetic DoHwaseon, or will you abandon this place and join me in stopping him and his army?"
The eight Taoists' faces darkened.
None of them had imagined Ja Gyeongjeong could orchestrate something so massive.
Stealing the law spheres and fleeing was only the beginning.
A female Taoist with only one shoe let out a sigh.
"Gyeongjeong... Gyeongjeong... you're truly bringing ruin to DoHwaseon and the world."
"If I must bear all the blame, so be it. I've always been ready to give my life for the greater good."
At his words, the Sword Sage murmured in despair:
"I misjudged you... This is all my fault."
"How could this be your fault, Master? They say one may know the depth of a thousand fathoms of water, but not the depth of a single human heart."
As they spoke, Ja Gyeongjeong clicked his tongue.
Then he reached out his hand.
The flute tucked at the Taoist's waist was sucked into his hand.
The Taoist cried out in alarm:
"Stop!"
"You've managed to hold off three law sphere explosions so far... but can you stop one more?"
"Ja Gyeongjeong, you bastard!"
"Stop right now!"
"Don't do it!"
The Taoists all shouted at once to stop him.
But Ja Gyeongjeong had never intended to stop.
He smiled and said:
"All is for the greater good. No one can stop my Way."
With that, he hurled the flute at the blazing orb like a rising sun.
-Whip!
"Nooooooooo!"
The eight Taoists' faces turned ashen.
If they took even one hand off now, they couldn't stop the explosion.
Then—at that very moment.
-Whip-whip-whip!
The flute, spinning through the air toward the orb, suddenly halted mid-air.
Ja Gyeongjeong frowned.
'Impossible...'
The eight masters couldn't spare the strength to stop it.
Then who could have?
"Hmph!"
It didn't matter.
No one outside the eight masters could stop him.
Ja Gyeongjeong reached toward the hovering flute, trying to seize it with immense energy.
But—
-Whip-whip-whip-whip!
The flute spun even faster and refused to move.
'What is this…?'
Then, it suddenly shot off in another direction.
Toward the entrance of the central cavern.
-Tak!
With a soft friction sound, someone caught the flute.
'!?'
The once-dark faces of the eight Taoists brightened.
Ja Gyeongjeong's face twisted in horror as he turned his head.
There stood Jin Unhwi, holding the flute and walking into the cavern.