Chapter 178
Some time later.
"The Association Leader has returned!"
The gatekeeper's shout echoed throughout Black Union City.
As the heavy city gates opened and Jaseong's group rode in, the Evil Path Association warriors lined up in formation on both sides.
The twelve Hall Lords of the Hao Sect also came out to greet them.
However, the moment they saw Jaseong, shock spread across their faces.
'He's changed again...?'
The energy emanating from Jaseong's body was on an entirely different level than before.
His presence was overwhelming, as if a great mountain were moving—or as if the heavens themselves were walking forward.
Among the twelve Hall Lords, the Seven Star Hall Lord, Wi Jiguang, cautiously asked Gal Seo-ryeong,
"Right Protector. Just what happened to the Sect Leader in the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range?"
Gal Seo-ryeong replied with a faint smile,
"The Sect Leader has obtained an opportunity and reached the Transformation Realm."
"Trans... Transformation Realm?!"
Everyone was astounded.
It was a legendary realm, the domain of divinity that surpassed the limits of humanity.
A shiver went through them at the fact that Jaseong had reached it.
"Congratulations!"
The twelve Hall Lords bowed in unison.
The Evil Path Association warriors immediately followed, all bowing deeply.
The entirety of Black Union City was prostrate before Jaseong.
Jaseong dismounted with a calm expression.
"Was there any trouble in the Evil Path Association while I was away?"
"All has been peaceful. We have only been monitoring the movements of the orthodox factions."
"That's good. Then I have some matters to attend to for now—come see me again later."
"Matters...?"
Leaving the cheering warriors behind, Jaseong headed directly into the depths of Black Union City, to a secret underground training chamber.
Wuuuuuunng.
Residual spiritual ki from the Heaven-Transforming Creation Elixir was swirling in his dantian.
Fragments of the ki, not yet fully digested, were scattered throughout his meridians.
He needed to collect and fully assimilate them into his own.
'I must gather and merge all of these.'
Entering the training chamber, Jaseong began operating the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula.
The scattered spiritual ki gradually converged into his dantian.
Like rivers flowing into the sea, a great flow of energy formed.
One shijin, two shijin....
As time went on, the radiance emanating from Jaseong's body grew ever stronger.
At last, all the spiritual ki perfectly fused in his dantian.
KWA-AAAAH!
A golden blaze burst from Jaseong's body.
The entire training chamber was soaked in that brilliant light.
The underground darkness became bright as broad daylight.
Jaseong slowly opened his eyes.
Gold radiance spilled from his gaze.
They were the divine eyes able to see through the truths of the world.
'The speed of condensing energy with the Heaven Evading Celestial Formula is now much faster than before... With this level of internal strength, it should surpass even three sixty-year cycles.'
Jaseong stood and drew his sword.
He swung the Wicked Flame Sword through the air, demonstrating his martial arts once more.
Shuaaak!
Where the sword passed, golden afterimages lingered.
It was sharp enough to seem as if it cut through space itself.
Jaseong moved with footwork.
His steps were so light and subtle that it was unclear whether he touched the ground.
It was as if he walked on air.
This was the ultimate state of the Shadowless Body Technique: the realm of Heaven and Earth as One.
'Now that my realm has risen, the Heaven Evading Way swordsmanship and footwork have become this refined and profound...'
But the most astonishing change was something else.
Jaseong sheathed his sword and closed his eyes.
He activated the Samadhi Eyes—
KWAANG!
His consciousness expanded.
He could see everything outside the training chamber.
The footsteps of a warrior passing through the corridor; the leaves trembling in the wind aboveground; even a distant sentry yawning atop the city walls.
It all vividly felt as if he were truly there.
And that wasn't all.
"My Samadhi Eyes... They've begun to perceive the flow of time itself."
For a fleeting instant, he could now foresee the future.
He saw where a falling leaf would land, the next step of a guard outside the chamber, the direction the wind would blow.
All of it was drawn before his very eyes.
This was no mere prediction.
He was witnessing a future that was already set.
'If an enemy attacks me... I'll already see their movement before it comes. Rather than dodging, I simply won't be standing in harm's way to begin with.'
Jaseong's eyes flashed.
A chill ran through his entire body.
"... With this power, there is not a soul in the world who can harm me."
Jaseong curved his lips in a sharp, wicked smile.
He was itching to test this power and cut down his enemies as soon as possible.
Only then would he also be able to fulfill his new Heaven's Mandate: 'Eradicate the Giants of Evil.'
* * *
Later that night.
Just as Jaseong was finishing his training, the door of the underground chamber burst open.
"Association Leader!"
Among the twelve Hall Lords, Moonstar Hall Leader Zhang Baekwoon and secretary Hyang-I rushed in.
Their faces were tense.
Even Hyang-I, usually calm, was out of breath.
Jaseong opened his eyes.
"What's happened?"
Hyang-I caught her breath and spoke.
"Association Leader! Shocking news has spread throughout the jianghu!"
"?"
"The Beggar's Union Leader, Meng Hojul, and Shaolin's Abbot, hyun Gong, have both been murdered in succession!"
Jaseong's eyes grew razor-sharp.
"What?"
The leader of the Beggar's Union and Shaolin's abbot.
Both were the giants of the orthodox martial world, the true center of the Nine Sects-One Union.
For both to be killed at once was no ordinary matter.
Moonstar Hall Leader hurriedly reported,
"The Murim Alliance is blaming this as the work of the unorthodox faction, and is now rallying the orthodox sects. They have issued mobilization orders under the banner of 'Eradicate the Unorthodox'! Already, countless orthodox warriors are gathering under the Alliance banner."
Jaseong rose slowly.
His face had turned cold and expressionless.
"Hyang-I, did any of the experts of the Evil Path Association attack the orthodox sects while I was at the Ten-Thousand-Mountain Range?"
Hyang-I shook her head firmly.
"Not at all, Sect Leader. All twelve Hall Lords remained guarding Black Union City, and the only warriors sent out were spies gathering information. None of the unorthodox's other sects moved without your orders, either."
Jaseong walked to the window and looked up at the night sky.
Dark clouds veiled the moon.
"Right.... We didn't do it, and the Demonic Cult wouldn't either. They're too busy dealing with their own internal chaos."
"Then who killed the Beggar's Union Leader and the Shaolin Abbot?"
Jaseong turned around.
His gaze grew icy.
"Murim Alliance Leader, Namgung Cheon-rui. He's pulled a trick."
"What?!"
Hyang-I and the Moonstar Hall Leader gasped in unison.
Jaseong closed his eyes.
Memories from the past flooded back.
At the Joint Orthodox Conference.
There, Jaseong had declared he was the disciple of the Eternal Divine Physician and gained the trust of the smaller orthodox sects.
And at that conference, both the Beggar's Union Leader and the Shaolin Abbot announced that they had been considering withdrawing from the Murim Alliance.
"The leaders of Shaolin and the Beggar's Union uncovered the evil deeds of the Sichuan Tang Clan and Namgung Cheon-rui, who spread poison throughout the alleys of the Central Plains and made innocents sick; so they were contemplating leaving the Alliance. To Namgung Cheon-rui, they were a thorn in his side."
Hyang-I drew a sharp breath.
"So you're saying the Murim Alliance Leader eliminated them?"
"Yes. Namgung Cheon-rui killed them, then set up puppets loyal to himself as the new heads. He would already have had candidates prepared."
"... So both the new Beggar's Union Leader and Shaolin Abbot are now Namgung Cheon-rui's lackeys."
Jaseong nodded.
"Namgung Cheon-rui's intent is obvious. Remove those who can check his power, shift the blame for their deaths onto the unorthodox, and use this to spark a Second War of Orthodox and Unorthodox. Under the pretext of war, he'll unite the orthodox under his banner and secure his authority."
Events unfolded as Jaseong predicted.
A few days later, secretary Hyang-I again reported urgently.
"Sect Leader, the orthodox sects are gathering one after another under the Murim Alliance."
Moonstar Hall Leader also reported in a tense tone.
"The jianghu is seething with martial artists advocating the 'Eradication of the Unorthodox.' Their momentum seems to pierce the very heavens."
"As expected, the orthodox have finally drawn their blades."
"Even the Murong Clan and Zhongnan have dramatically reconciled."
At this, Gu Janghu, who had been listening quietly, raised an eyebrow.
"After the Seven-Star Cloud Blade incident, those two clans were at each other's throats, and now they've joined hands?"
"They claim, 'To repel the common enemy—the unorthodox—we'll put aside our grievances for now.' Not just that; the Nine Sects-One Union and the Five Great Clans have all joined the Alliance as well."
Lee Rin let out a cold sneer.
"So all the orthodox hypocrites are gathering. It'll be a grand chorus of sanctimonious fools."
Hyang-I reported again.
"However... some sects are harboring doubts."
"Which sects?"
"The Beggar's Union and Shaolin, whose heads died so suddenly. The branch leaders of the Beggar's Union resent the abrupt promotion of the new head. There are some who openly question the former leadership's deaths. It's the same at Shaolin—some of the veteran monks refuse to acknowledge the new abbot."
A glint sparkled in Jaseong's eyes.
He saw an opening.
No matter how perfectly Namgung Cheon-rui set the stage, he couldn't bury the truth completely.
'That's the gap I need to exploit.'
Jaseong murmured to himself and made a swift decision.
"Convene the leaders of the Evil Path Association immediately."
* * *
Two days later.
The grand conference chamber, Black Union City.
Around a massive round table, the heads of the darkness in the jianghu gathered in one place.
Not only the twelve Hall Lords of the Hao Sect, but also the heads and sect masters of the Four Great Clans and Seven Sects, all those who had once crossed swords with Jaseong at the Dark Path Duel Banquet and Thousand Martial Pavilion battle, were present.
Clan Head of the Twin Dragon Clan, Myriad-Hand Fist Emperor.
Sect leader of the Black Star Sect, Heavenly Black Sword Venerable.
Valley Lord of Poison Valley, King of Ten Thousand Poisons.
Clan Head of the White Bone Clan, White Bone Spirit Monarch.
Along with them, the absolute leaders representing other unorthodox sects such as Blood King Sect and Thousand Kill Gate responded to Jaseong's summons and gathered here.
"......."
The atmosphere in the meeting hall was heavy.
The concentrated force of eleven supreme experts tangled together, creating a pressure so thick that an ordinary person would find it hard to breathe.
Myriad-Hand Fist Emperor crossed his massive arms and spoke, his gaze a mixture of curiosity and expectation.
"Hmmm, so it's the new Evil Path Association Leader's first test."
"......."
"So, young leader, the Murim Alliance is gathering forces under 'Eradicate the Unorthodox.' How will you handle this?"
All eyes turned to Jaseong at the head of the table.
Their gazes were sharp, some trying to see if he could truly handle such a massive crisis, others testing whether he was anything more than a youth strong only in martial arts.
Jaseong did not evade their stares.
He spoke slowly.
"If the orthodox factions wish to fight, there's no reason to avoid it. We simply fight."
"What...?"
The air in the chamber abruptly stirred at Jaseong's brief reply.
The Second War of Orthodox and Unorthodox.
This meant the revival of that terrible war which had dyed the jianghu with blood decades before.
Yet, surprisingly, after hearing Jaseong's answer, the unorthodox leaders' expressions brightened.
BANG!
Heavenly Black Sword Venerable, the master of the Black Star Sect, laughed heartily and struck the table with the hilt of his sword.
"Kehahaha! As expected of the one who bested me to become Association Leader! Yes, there's no reason to retreat!"
King of Ten Thousand Poisons from Poison Valley chimed in with a sinister voice.
"Agreed. The orthodox are the ones who picked this fight; there's no reason for us not to answer. We've been waiting for just this opportunity to sprinkle poison upon their hypocritical faces...."
White Bone Spirit Monarch caressed his thin sword and quietly spoke.
"Leader, summon the unorthodox. My blade has longed to taste orthodox blood anew. I do miss the sound of flesh and bone being separated."
The unorthodox chiefs were, at their core, bellicose beings.
They had kept their heads down while under the scrutiny of the Murim Alliance, but with a powerful central figure in Jaseong, their repressed fighting spirits exploded.
Observing their reactions, Jaseong nodded quietly.
'At last, the time has come for me to use the forces I've gathered.'