Chapter 276: Chapter 276

Heavenly Realm

Next, I headed straight to the Great Sword Gate. I intended to deal with the Twin Gate first before approaching the Four Great Families. Less than a single incense stick’s worth of time had passed since I had shattered the Iron Blood Gate, and here I stood at the Main Gate, the memories flooding back.

‘I came to the capital to become a Gold Guard and relied on the Master of Great Sword Gate back then.’

I recalled the time when I had sparred with a disciple of the Great Sword Gate. It had been quite an amusing experience, sharing drinks with the Master. From my recollection, the Master of Great Sword Gate wasn’t a bad guy, but rather a calm-minded martial artist. Although things had gotten complicated later on and I had crossed blades with him, there was really no reason to hold a grudge against him.

But now, that was no longer relevant. I took a deep breath and calmly spoke to the gatekeeper of the Great Sword Gate.

“I am Baek Woong. I have come to apply for a sparring match at Great Sword Gate.”

The gatekeepers looked at me with incredulity. A child who appeared to be no older than a teenager was applying for a sparring match with the Master of Great Sword Gate, the supreme authority of the Twin Gate Sect. Instead of getting serious or angry, they simply chuckled to themselves.

“Hey, this isn’t a place for jokes.”

“Hmm…”

I could sense the discomfort my young age caused. While the Iron Blood Gate had taken my application seriously with their sharp demeanor, usually, this would be the expected reaction.

‘Causing a ruckus isn’t appealing to me.’

Unlike the Iron Blood Gate, I harbored no ill feelings toward the Great Sword Gate.

After a moment’s hesitation, I sprinted through the entrance of the Great Sword Gate without saying a word.

Swish swish swish

“Gah!”

The gatekeepers were taken aback to see my body vanish like a mirage, disappearing into the Great Sword Gate in an instant. With the Myeolhonbo in operation, I moved at a speed they couldn’t possibly block. I swiftly made my way through the crowd, appearing before the Master’s office.

As I opened the door and stepped inside, I found a neatly dressed middle-aged man in simple white garments, gazing at me intently. Politeness dictated that I should bow.

“Master of Great Sword Gate, I have come to apply for a sparring match.”

“Ah, it’s you.”

The Master seemed to mutter as if he had expected me, continuing, “The monster who shattered the Iron Blood Gate.”

“Monster,” huh?

I paused for a moment at the title and replied,

“You’ve already heard about the Iron Blood Gate, I see.”

“I found out about it half an incense stick ago. And from the traces and characteristics of your martial arts, I could infer that you are from the Thunder God Lineage.”

That made sense. The Master of Great Sword Gate was a close friend of Lee Kwang, who once overturned the martial world in Shaanxi, so naturally, he would be among the few martial artists aware of the characteristics of the Thunder God Lineage’s techniques.

“I bear no personal grudge. I would prefer not to see blood, so please accept my request for a friendly sparring match.”

“Before that, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Speak.”

“Are you a master who has crossed into the Transformational Stage?”

I shook my head.

“Not really. I only obtained a fortuitous opportunity.”

“I see… I’ve yet to meet anyone your age at this level. Then, what is your connection with the Thunder God Lineage?”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow your question.”

Responding innocently, I then asked,

“May I ask if the Four Great Families have received news?”

“Of course. They will all be waiting nervously for your visit.”

“……”

“Follow me.”

I instinctively sensed that the Master of Great Sword Gate was significantly stronger than the Iron Blood Gate’s Lord. During our conversation, there had been a stalemate in our spiritual energies, something that had not occurred with the Lord of Iron Blood Gate. One might say we were equally matched.

‘No wonder he’s friends with Lee Kwang.’

It meant he had the strength to be recognized as an equal by Lee Kwang. I believed this would turn out to be a proper match, and I felt a bit nervous.

Eventually, the Master stopped in an unoccupied area. It wasn’t ideal for a sparring stage, but it was spacious enough. Soon, the disciples of Great Sword Gate gathered around to watch the match.

The Master and I stood at a proper distance facing each other. I gazed at him steadily and said,

“Then, I humbly request you to take the first move.”

“Please, the honor is mine.”

The next moment, our swords clashed in the air like rays of light. Neither of us yielded in this brilliant exchange. As the energy swirled chaotically, I could measure his skill more accurately.

‘Strong!’

The prowess that had brought the elder of the Volcano Sect to his knees in under a hundred seconds was no exaggeration. I realized he was at least one level above the Lord of Iron Blood Gate and began to unleash my swordsmanship to assert my advantage.

Clash clash clash

The flamboyant movements of the Chopping Soul and Celestial Strike techniques began to toy with the distance between the Master and me. The Master seemed put off by facing the Wudang Sect’s unique techniques, but he countered adeptly and easily, unlike the Iron Blood Gate’s Lord.

His stance glided back like a reflection on a mirror. In an instant, he moved as if teleporting, splitting the heavens with a single slash.

Boom!

The intensity of that steel sword felt like an explosion! Using the force of my internal energy, I managed to endure the blow from the front, but any ordinary master would have been cleaved to pieces by such a strike. Not only that, but the Master freely changed his style between swift, phantasmal, and variable attacks.

I countered with the Chopping Soul technique while thinking,

‘His swordsmanship is incredibly profound…’

He was on a different level compared to the Lord of Iron Blood Gate.

Both the Chopping Soul and the Celestial Strike techniques possessed the ability to adjust the power of the strikes even among peak masters. Thus, I was in a good position for both offense and defense, yet the Master was covering the gap solely with his sword skills. He was indeed employing several elusive techniques, which a typical person would struggle to grasp in a lifetime, marking him as a master-level practitioner.

The overwhelming pressure of his sword qi felt like a deluge crashing down upon me, making my heart tremble.

As our sword strikes intertwined like hundreds of threads, I slashed left while he leaped up to the right to block. Amidst the numerous afterimages that flitted through the air, over a hundred exchanges took place between us.

After a moment, as we entered a brief lull in the clash, the Master spoke.

“My predictions were wrong. Your swordsmanship does not appear to be from the Thunder God Lineage.”

“What do you see it as, then?”

“… I’ve heard that a master of the Wudang Sect showcases such characteristics.”

It seemed the Master had indeed heard of the legendary Meng Longzi, who was reputed among the peak masters of the martial world. I let out a light sigh.

“I thought it would be easy, tackling the Lord of Iron Blood Gate. Yet seeing your true capabilities weighs heavily on my heart.”

“You flatter me. It is I who is honored to spar with a master such as yourself.”

“Are the heads of the Four Families as strong as you?”

At my question, the Master blinked, then replied,

“Well, personally, I don’t think so, but it’s hard to say. There must certainly exist a realm beyond realms.”

“I see.”

He might very well be aware of Han Baek-ryeong’s presence lurking in Luoyang.

Clash! Clash!

Clang clang clang!

I battled with the Master of Great Sword Gate to the best of my ability. Silver glows erupted as our energies colored the air with the hues of destruction. It was clearly a match on equal footing, and since arriving in Luoyang, this felt like the most satisfying duel I had experienced.

Several times I contemplated activating the Thunder Call, but each time I determined against it. Unlike the Lord of Iron Blood Gate, who had no particular ties to the Thunder God Lineage and could use it without hesitation, the Master of Great Sword Gate was well aware of it. Moreover, with his superior martial arts, it raised concerns about what might happen if he countered my Thunder Call.

‘Unless it’s a life-or-death struggle, it might be risky to use the Thunder Call.’

The duel stretched on for quite some time. As I surpassed eight hundred exchanges and entered the thousandth, I began to feel that an end was in sight. I was using an immense amount of internal energy, practically without fatigue, but the Master was visibly struggling as the sweat dripped down his chin.

After exchanging strikes with the Chopping Soul technique once, I said to the Master,

“Is this not enough?”

“Hah… Hah… Indeed…”

After wiping the sweat from his chin, the Master sighed and said,

“This sparring is my defeat.”

Whispers

The surrounding disciples murmured among themselves. It must have seemed odd to them that the Master, who appeared to be evenly matched, suddenly proclaimed defeat. However, considering his stamina and endurance, I had gained a decisive advantage. Certainly, the Master might have hidden techniques that could overturn his internal energy disadvantage, but there was no way he would be foolish enough to use such tricks in a friendly sparring match.

“Thank you for yielding.”

The Master gave me a cryptic look.

“What is your purpose? What do you intend to gain by overturning the Twin Gate Sect?”

“I have no particular ambitions. I am merely satisfied to have gained significant insights from my duel with you.”

Heh heh…

“Had your sword styles been unified, I shouldn’t have found a chance to match you. I sincerely wish you the best in reaching even higher levels.”

“……”

As I turned to leave, an eerie feeling crept over me.

‘The Master discerned the chaos in my swordsmanship.’

He must have recognized that although the advanced sword techniques I trained in were of high caliber, the lack of unification caused my power to be diluted. Hence, despite having learned far more techniques, I had to settle for an equal standing with the Master. It seemed I couldn’t hide my weaknesses from a transcendent master like him.

Next, I headed towards the Lee Clan. The Lee Clan was famous for producing many martial artists and soldiers who worked within the government, and naturally, their specialties lay in spear and halberd techniques.

‘Spear, huh.’

Irrelevant thoughts crossed my mind. I had resolved to complete everything within the course of a day if I could manage it.

“A complete victory against the Twin Gate Sect. Quite impressive,”

said Han Baek-ryeong, the head of the Han Clan, as he lazily puffed on his pipe. I currently found myself seated in the secret meeting room of the Han Clan, where Han Jin-seong and Han Baek-ryeong were present. Despite having fought tirelessly without sleep, I felt no fatigue thanks to my internal energy.

She regarded me with a peculiar gaze and asked,

“So? What was it like? Care to share your thoughts?”

I answered honestly,

“The Master of Great Sword Gate was the strongest, while the others were somewhat weaker.”

I had defeated the head of the Lee Clan, Lee Wook, in just over a hundred exchanges, and similarly dispatched Seo Yoon and Zhang Bong from the Seo Clan and Zhang Clan, respectively. Their skills were akin to those of the lower tier among the Twelve Principles. None of them posed a challenge worthy of my current self.

“Accurate. My thoughts are no different.”

Han Baek-ryeong picked a red fruit from a plate and continued,

“If we consider past generations, things might be different. There was once an individual who had honed the Zhang Clan’s techniques to their extremes… Regardless, at this moment, the Master of Great Sword Gate is undoubtedly the strongest in the martial world of Luoyang.”

“……”

Except for you, of course.

Once again, the staggering gap between the Dharma Protectors and the martial artists hit me hard.

“Seems like you have something to say?”

I gazed directly at her and stated,

“I think I realized I need to step up my game after fighting the Master of Great Sword Gate.”

“What do you mean?”

“I need more time to control the chaos in my sword techniques. Therefore, I plan to head out for personal training.”

Han Baek-ryeong tapped her pipe on the floor and replied,

“Then do as you wish. Anyway, it’ll take at least half a year to bring this matter up to the Head.”

That was a refreshing consent.

While I felt relieved, something else puzzled me, so I asked,

“Wait? Will it really take that long?”

“Although I’m the Dharma Protector, the Head doesn’t esteem us highly. Commands may be quickly conveyed, but personal meetings seem to be another issue.”

Han Baek-ryeong stretched her body and elucidated,

“The Head desires to maintain the autonomy of the Four Great Families while expecting our independence. He seems reluctant to meet with us personally. Thus, if I were to apply for a meeting with the Elder Council, we wouldn’t hear back for at least six months.”

“……!!”

This was unexpected information. If the Dharma Protectors had little contact with the Head, and even the Dharma Protectors struggled to meet him, then forcing a meeting could likely lead to large-scale conflicts with the peak masters of the Elder Council.

“Does this sluggish communication mean the White Lotus Sect’s operations are stalled?”

Han Baek-ryeong smirked.

“That’s only for when a threat arises that we can’t handle alone and the Head’s help is essential. Is there such a threat lurking in the Central Plains?”

“…….”

“That’s correct. The Head only cares about the minor sect leader’s petty grievances and doesn’t want to be burdened with matters in the Central Plains.”

The confidence that the Dharma Protectors could manage the entire Central Plains solely by themselves!

That might come across as arrogance, but in reality, Han Baek-ryeong commanded the Five Great Families, and Yong Bi-cheon was employing Mount Huang’s strength to secure the Nine Great Sects. Dong Go-jun had easily subdued the Evil Demonic Eight Gates to keep them under his wing. With just the power of the Dharma Protectors, conquering the Central Plains was indeed feasible.

‘I must uncover the secrets of the White Lotus Sect.’

Surely there must be some core secret to building such a formidable force. I resolved that during this lifetime, alongside performing the mourning ceremony of Mangnyang, I would unveil the secrets of the White Lotus Sect.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Please do.”

As I exited the Han Clan, I found Han Jin-seong waiting for me. He handed me a golden token beneath the willow tree and said,

“Please return within half a year, or at the longest, within a year.”

“Understood. But what is this golden token?”

“I previously mentioned that I would provide support for your faction. This token allows you to utilize any battlefield under Han Clan’s jurisdiction freely. Spend as much money as you require. With this token, you will be able to command various martial arts forces under the Han Clan, such as the Blood Wolf Brigade and the Black Star Sect.”

“……!!”

“Those forces and disciples that receive our aid are listed on this paper, so take note.”

I opened the letter and gasped. Over thirty sects were written down, including several robust mid-tier clans and sects that caught my eye. With just the forces listed here, it could be possible to establish an independent alliance within the martial world! I couldn’t help but murmur in disbelief.

“The influence of the Thunder God Lineage is this extensive?”

“The Thunder God Lineage? This is merely my direct control. In reality, it’s twice as much.”

“……”

“It’s been over a century since the Thunder God Lineage breached the Central Plains. This much is only natural.”

No one would have guessed.

Being a part of the Twin Gate Sect, yet the Han Clan stood at the apex, capable of manipulating such immense power like kneading dough! Han Jin-seong earnestly advised me,

“I don’t know where you’ll go, but don’t forget that you and I are bound together by destiny. Becoming the disciple of the Lord of the White Lotus Sect and rising to the top will be a monumental journey spanning decades.”

“I understand. I will make good use of your support.”

“Safe travels.”

Swish!

Once Han Jin-seong was out of sight, I activated the Gyeongjo technique. My first destination was none other than Taekyeong Village.

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