Chapter 167
Once again, the Night Cat Celestial Spirit spoke.
"The Celestial Realm's Heavenly Demons intend to bestow a new opportunity."
Jaseong's brow twitched.
"... A new opportunity?"
"That's right. Since their previous trials all ended in failure, it seems this time they're preparing something far more certain. They plan to grant the Demonic Cult's descendants an opportunity in the form of the 'Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir.'"
"Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir? What is that?"
The Night Cat Celestial Spirit groomed her whiskers with a front paw as she explained.
"It's a forbidden elixir that forces one's martial arts realm to rise. If you take it, your pure cultivation will instantly reach the supreme peak, and after opening the Immortal Gate, you will attain the complete Transformation Realm."
Jaseong's eyes flashed.
Transformation Realm.
The domain of gods, surpassing human limits.
With mastery of the perfect Transformation Realm, he could stand on equal footing with, or even surpass, the Murim Alliance Leader, Namgung Cheon-rui.
It was the surest way to gain the power needed for revenge.
"But..."
The Night Cat Celestial Spirit's yellow eyes shone coldly.
"If you fail to seize it and the Demonic Cult obtains it, they will become even stronger. A new Heavenly Demon could be born."
"......!"
"In that case, your revenge will drift even further out of reach, and the martial world will once again be bathed in blood."
... Could it be that another Great Heavenly Demon War might break out?
"Where will the Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir descend?"
Jaseong asked.
The Night Cat Celestial Spirit glanced to the western sky.
"In the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range of Xinjiang Province."
... So, that's the Demonic Cult's main stronghold.
It was a place that could never be reached easily.
However, Jaseong nodded silently.
'If you want to catch a tiger cub, you have to go into the tiger's den. This time, I have to enter the heart of the Demonic Cult.'
* * *
After his conversation with the Night Cat Celestial Spirit,
Jaseong hastily prepared to depart for the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range in Xinjiang Province.
This journey was going to be a more perilous and crucial one than ever before.
The Demonic Cult's main stronghold, the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range.
To reach it, they would have to cross the western edge of the Central Plains, braving barren deserts and rugged mountains.
So, Jaseong chose only the elite to accompany him.
Lee Rin, the Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Gu Janghu, a peak expert from Killing Valley.
Han Soweol, a peak expert and protector of the North Sea Ice Palace's Little Palace Lord; Gal Seo-ryeong, the Right Protector of the Hao Sect and a supreme peak expert.
And even Mansul, the spirit beast sent down by the Celestial Realm.
"Kkiruruk!"
All of them were outstanding martial experts, each capable of facing a hundred.
To infiltrate the Demonic Cult's heartland, seize the opportunity, and behead his enemies—he could not ask for a better company.
Inside the Evil Path Association Leader's office,
Jaseong spread a massive map across the table.
"This is the route. We'll set out from Zhongjing, travel through Guizhou to Sichuan Province, then cross Gansu Province towards Xinjiang."
Jaseong's finger traced the map far to the west, pointing to the end of their journey.
There, in red, was a treacherous region—the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range.
Gal Seo-ryeong closely examined the map and spoke up.
"It's a long road, Sect Leader. But fortunately, Hao Sect branches stretch like a spiderweb across each region. We can expect constant supplies and support with information along the way."
Her tone was supremely respectful.
Since Jaseong rose as the new Hao Sect Leader and even seized control of the Evil Path Association, she and all Hao Sect hall lords regarded Jaseong as their true lord.
Jaseong nodded as he folded up the map.
"We'll also inspect each branch along the way—to consolidate the Hao Sect's power and keep a close watch on the Demonic Cult's movements."
The next dawn, five martial experts mounted their horses and left the Evil Path Association's fortress.
Jaseong led at the front, followed by Lee Rin, Gu Janghu, Gal Seo-ryeong, and Han Soweol.
Clatter! Clatter!
Black steeds pounded the rugged mountain paths.
The sound of hoofbeats shattered the silence of the morning, reverberating through the canyon.
Jaseong gazed at the distant western mountain range, falling deep in thought.
'Xinjiang Province... the edge of the Central Plains, the realm of fiends.'
To martial artists of the Central Plains, it was as good as forbidden land.
But for Jaseong, it was a place he had no choice but to go.
There awaited the 'Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir' that could bring him to the Transformation Realm.
And most of all, the Demonic Cult—the mortal enemy who murdered his sister-in-law and the unborn child.
'... I vowed—
to become a master able to shake the world,
to rip the arms and legs from those fiends who killed my eldest brother and sister-in-law,
to toss their bodies into a pigsty for all to see.
Be it orthodox or demonic, I would annihilate them all...
That time is nearly upon me.'
Revenge and power.
He was being offered a chance to seize both at once.
Jaseong gripped the reins tighter.
Five days later,
the party crossed the treacherous mountains and arrived in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province.
Known as the "Land of Heaven's Abundance,"
Chengdu's reputation proved well deserved—it was a prosperous, lively place.
Bustling streets were filled with merchants hawking silk and tea, and every inn overflowed with laughter.
The spicy scent of Sichuan spices filled the air.
"First, let's fill our stomachs."
Jaseong led his group to the largest inn in the capital—Sichuan Tower.
"Welcome, guests! Thank you for visiting Sichuan Tower!"
The errand boy greeted them cheerfully, towel slung over his shoulder.
Jaseong secured their rooms, then brought the party down to the first-floor restaurant.
Since they were in Sichuan, they couldn't pass up authentic Sichuan cuisine.
"Bring us your most renowned dish."
"Certainly! I'll prepare a spicy hotpot for you!"
Soon, a massive pot was set down in the center of the table.
Inside, chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns swirled in a bright red, bubbling broth.
A sharp, strong aroma stung their noses.
"Wow... the color is incredible."
Lee Rin peered wide-eyed into the pot.
Accustomed to the clear, mild fare of the North Sea, the sight of this hellishly red stew was a shock to her.
"So this is Sichuan's famous delicacy?"
With eager curiosity, she dipped a thin slice of lamb into the broth,
then cautiously tasted it.
"Hm, the aroma is nice..."
But in the next instant—
"Ugh...!"
Lee Rin's face instantly blushed as red as a ripe apple.
Her mouth felt as if it were on fire.
"S-spicy! It's way too spicy!"
Tears welled up in Lee Rin's eyes.
She fanned her mouth frantically, unable to handle it.
Jaseong stifled a laugh and quickly handed her a glass of water.
"Here. Drink this."
"T-thank you... ngh, haah..."
Lee Rin gulped down the water.
Only after emptying a whole glass could she breathe easy.
Wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, she looked resentfully at Jaseong.
"Great hero, this doesn't burn your mouth? How can you eat it without so much as flinching?"
Jaseong calmly chewed and swallowed the broth-drenched meat.
"Not really. It's quite edible."
This level of spiciness meant nothing to Jaseong.
Having grown up in the lowest reaches of the Red Light District, he once survived on rotten food or slop.
At the time, he couldn't even care about taste—he simply had to eat anything to fill his belly.
Compared to that, this hotpot was a true feast.
"I guess your stomach really is made of steel, great hero..."
Lee Rin clicked her tongue in disbelief.
Watching nearby, Gu Janghu and Han Soweol also marveled at Jaseong's ironclad gut.
After the meal, Jaseong visited the Hao Sect's Sichuan branch.
It was hidden in the basement of a shabby teahouse on the outskirts of Chengdu.
On the surface, it looked like a normal teahouse, but below ground was a vast den of intelligence.
Dozens of spies hurried to and fro, collecting and sorting information from all across Sichuan.
"We pay our respects to the Sect Leader!"
The branch leader of Sichuan, leader Shin, immediately bowed to the floor on seeing Jaseong.
Behind him, all the branch's martial members saluted with cupped fists and bowed deeply.
Their eyes brimmed with reverence for the new sect leader.
After all, Jaseong had made even the greatest unorthodox experts of the martial world kneel in turn, and had risen to lead the Evil Path Association.
He had dramatically elevated the Hao Sect's status; their respect was only natural.
"Please, this way, Sect Leader. I have already prepared the materials for my report."
Jaseong followed Leader Shin into the office.
Gal Seo-ryeong, Gu Janghu, Lee Rin, and Han Soweol followed him inside.
Jaseong naturally took the head seat.
He fixed Leader Shin with a cool gaze; Leader Shin quickly unrolled the scrolls he had ready.
"Sect Leader, the Murim Alliance is moving with great swiftness and secrecy."
"In what way, specifically?"
"We've learned that Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui is receiving something from the Sichuan Tang Clan. We suspect, based on the clues, that it's their secret poisons."
Jaseong's eyebrow twitched.
'So he really is preparing for war.'
"And... there are signs that he's trying to forcibly unify the orthodox factions."
"Unify? How, exactly? After the Soul-Bewildering Powder incident, the orthodox groups' mistrust should be at its peak."
"Alliance Leader Namgung Cheon-rui is personally visiting the Beggar's Union, Mount Hua, and Shaolin, attempting to persuade their top leaders."
"Persuade them?"
Jaseong let out a sardonic snort.
"The fallout from the Soul-Bewildering Powder incident still lingers in the hearts of the orthodox sects. That bitterness won't vanish with a few words."
"You're right. But if Namgung Cheon-rui succeeds in uniting the Nine Sects-One Union again, it's possible we'll see a repeat of the old War of Orthodox and Unorthodox."
War of Orthodox and Unorthodox.
At those words, tension flashed across everyone's face.
"Keep watching. Track every move of the Murim Alliance—especially any contact between Namgung Cheon-rui and the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"I understand, Sect Leader. We won't even let a single mouse slip through."
Jaseong encouraged the branch members with another look around the base, then returned to the inn.
His mind was full of tangled thoughts.
With a decisive battle with the Demonic Cult approaching, the maneuverings of the orthodox sects were anything but ordinary.
'I need to hurry.'
* * *
Half a month after their departure,
the party left Sichuan Province and crossed into Gansu Province.
The landscape changed suddenly.
The once-green mountains and fertile fields disappeared, giving way to ochre highlands and endless deeply carved canyons.
The wind grew cold, the air dry, making every breath scratchy in the throat.
The sky seemed higher, bluer than before.
"It feels like we're entering a whole different world now."
Lee Rin glanced around from her horse, mumbling with a face full of both curiosity and tension.
Gal Seo-ryeong nodded, explaining,
"Gansu sits at the border between the Central Plains and the western lands. From here on, power holds more sway than civilized law. Not just the landscape, but people's tempers will get rougher too."
Jaseong nodded silently at her words.
But the moment she finished, something unexpected happened.
"... Stop."
Jaseong, leading at the front, suddenly slackened his reins.
"What's wrong?"
Lee Rin looked around nervously.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.
Endless ochre earth, wind-carved canyons, a barren road with not a soul in sight.
Even she, a peak expert, sensed nothing amiss.
But Jaseong's eyes grew ice-cold.
'... An ambush.'
Jaseong activated his Samadhi Eyes.
Sss—
Along with the wind, he caught subtle distortions in the currents of air.
And then he saw it.
Atop the canyon,
in shadows along the cliffs, multiple strands of murderous crimson intent were tangled together like threads.