168 - Gathering, Meeting (10) - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

The meeting, filled with endless incidents and accidents, was nearing its end. The persistent negotiations had finally concluded, and the personnel designated to block the Qinghai region had already departed. No grand inauguration ceremony was held. The veterans from the previous generation quietly sharpened their swords, merely glaring at the enemies threatening the Central Plains once again. Right after the last meeting ended: "Ink Dragon!" King Moyong Gyeol approached Mok Riwon. Mok Riwon, puzzled but respectful, greeted him with a traditional gesture. "Greetings to the King." "Skip the formalities. There's something I want to ask you." "What is it?" Moyong Gyeol grinned, a somewhat unsettling smile. "Arrange a martial match with that brat from Gyeol." Such a sudden request. Mok Riwon was momentarily stunned, pondering his response. Fortunately, assistance arrived promptly. "What are you doing over there?" Ma Il-seok approached, clicking his tongue in disapproval. Mok Riwon's face brightened, and so did Moyong Gyeol's. "Oh! Beggar!" "I won't fight." "Come on, just once? Everyone else has been avoiding me." "I'm no different." Moyong Gyeol had made the same request to other experts. Mok Riwon remained silent, while Ma Il-seok, pulling Mok Riwon's arm, distanced themselves from Moyong Gyeol and advised: "Remember, those who abandon proper weapons for fistfights are not in their right minds." Suddenly, Yi Oon's face flashed through Mok Riwon's mind. "Well, it seems even Gyeolwang can be wrong." To Mok Riwon, Yi Oon appeared perfectly normal. "Mad dog." Won Myung commented. Yi Oon couldn't deny it. After a week of training with Won Myung, unable to land a single hit, Yi Oon became increasingly unrestrained. "I apologize." "No need for apologies. Obsessions cling tighter the more you try to shake them off." Won Myung simply smiled, deepening Yi Oon's sense of shame. "Yi Oon." "Yes, Chief." "Don't try to shake it off." Yi Oon bowed even lower. The lesson from Won Myung for nearly a week was to not attempt to rid oneself of obsessions. Yi Oon still couldn't grasp its meaning. "Are you saying I should accept it?" "Yes, let it flow." "How is that different from shaking it off?" "It's completely different." Won Myung didn't elaborate further, just stood there emitting chi, signaling another round. "Come at me again." Yi Oon's expression hardened. What could he do? His only option was to thrust his fists once more. This happened around the time the Qinghai incident was concluding. Wi Gwang-cheon finally escaped Qinghai, bringing along the 7 Elders and the waiting demons to stand before the main hall of the Cheonma Shin Church. "We've returned." The grandeur of Shimman Daesan was beyond the words of the Central Plains. This was what one of the 7 Elders told Wi Gwang-cheon when he first joined the church. "How does it feel to return to Shimman Daesan?" Well, it still felt distant. To Wi Gwang-cheon, Shimman Daesan was as remote as ever. It wasn't about the scenery or majesty; it was the aura of a certain man that made him feel this distance. "Has he finished his seclusion?" Wi Gwang-cheon's expression darkened slightly. He had no way to express the rising emotions—complicated and profound feelings. "Enter." "Yes." As the 7 Elders bowed, the grand doors opened. "Cheonma's dominion! Eternal bliss to all demons!" The voices of the disciples, all prostrating, welcomed Wi Gwang-cheon. He passed through them indifferently. "First, cleanse yourself. After treating the wounds and meditating, you'll meet the Church Leader." "Yes." After 15 years, Wi Gwang-cheon returned to his chambers. It was desolate, as expected, given his lack of interest in collecting objects or treasures. However, the preservation of what little there was indicated diligent upkeep. "I greet the Lesser Church Leader." Two young maids approached, bowing. "Where are Cheong and Hong?" "Preparing your garments." "Call them." He didn't trust these strangers with his body. In the land of the strong, it was doubtful there were none who harbored resentment towards him, a defeated returnee. Wi Gwang-cheon needed to be aware of them and their potential schemes. "Understood." The maids left, and Wi Gwang-cheon closed his eyes. "My mind is clearing." The drug's effects seemed fully dissipated.He planned to replenish his demonic energy through meditation and expel fatigue to regain his former strength. "Nothing has changed." Despite losing his star, he remained the Lesser Church Leader, still a transcendent demon, still powerful. In this religion, only one man could challenge him. "Once I retrieve the star..." He would undoubtedly surpass that man. Wi Gwang-cheon clenched his fist. At that moment, Cheong and Hong entered the room. "I greet the Lesser Church Leader." "Prepare for my cleansing." "Your command." Wi Gwang-cheon began his preparations for the audience. Three hours passed, and the sunset was visible through the window. Wi Gwang-cheon donned his black ceremonial robe for the first time in many years. "Let's go." With that, Yeon Rigeon, waiting at the door, stepped aside to clear the path. The walk to the grand hall was just long enough for Wi Gwang-cheon to gather his thoughts. "How are the Six Doors?" "They welcome the Lesser Church Leader's return." "Their true intentions?" "The Sword Fire Door is grinding its teeth over O Gangak's death." "Fools. And the others?" "Silent for now." "Good. What about the Elders?" "The 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Elders seem suspicious." "Typical of them." Wi Gwang-cheon had a rough plan in mind. He entered the grand hall, where the curtain veiling the throne was lifted as he approached. Without looking up, he prostrated himself, feeling the oppression of seven transcendent demonic energies. He brushed them off and advanced, soon feeling the aura of dozens of near-transcendent beings clinging like leeches. He ignored them as inconsequential. Reaching twenty steps from the throne, the figure behind the veil became visible. Wi Gwang-cheon didn't need to look up to know who it was. "Cheonma's dominion! Eternal bliss to all demons!" And added: "I greet the Church Leader!!!" Silence followed. Wi Gwang-cheon felt as if he was treading on thin ice. "I sense nothing." Someone was there, yet no demonic energy was detectable. If it were a mere mortal, one would feel their insignificance, but the absence of any aura only confirmed one possibility. "He's transcended." To master demonic arts and surpass transcendence was unheard of, except for Lee Baek, the 3rd Cheonma, known to possess Cheonsalsung. The figure before him had achieved this feat on his own. "Raise your head." The voice was soft yet carried an undertone of emptiness. Wi Gwang-cheon slowly lifted his gaze. There he was, the Church Leader of Cheonma Shin Church, the 11th Cheonma Lee Seon, much younger than in Wi Gwang-cheon's memories. "Hwan Gol Tal Tae!" The mythical state of reshaping one's physique into a perfect form. The man sitting casually on the throne, with long, lustrous hair and an androgynous appearance, radiated an aura akin to facing a demon king. There was no doubt left. "I congratulate you on reaching the realm of Talma!" "So empty." Lee Seon spoke. "Everything has become pointless. Nothing holds value anymore." Including the distinction of realms, he implied, prompting Wi Gwang-cheon to bow again. "I shall prepare for ascending." Wi Gwang-cheon startled. Ascending meant leaving this world, becoming a Maseon in Lee Seon's case. "There's one thing left to do." "I am at your command." "I'm going to the Central Plains." Wi Gwang-cheon clenched his fists. Was he offering assistance? That fleeting hope was shattered by Lee Seon's next words. "There's only one in the Central Plains. One thing of value." Wi Gwang-cheon looked up sharply. Lee Seon, with a distant gaze, was not looking at him but beyond. What could Wi Gwang-cheon say? Caught in a storm of emotions, he realized: "You won't ask about anything." Not about Duan Cheon-hwa's betrayal, the theft of Cheonsalsung, or the events in the Central Plains. Lee Seon showed no curiosity. "Am I no longer of value to you?" Feeling humiliated, angry, resentful, yet those emotions quickly faded. This was not the time for outbursts. Wi Gwang-cheon clenched his hands to stop the shaking and hid his crumbling expression. "Understood." For now, he remained loyal. Days after the grand council, Hyun Gong welcomed the returning head of Mudang, Jang Mun-in. "Greetings, Head." "Ah, Gong. Anything new while I was away?" "Peaceful as always in Mudang." Jang Mun-in smiled warmly. "I owe much to the Heavenly Lord for having a disciple like you." "You flatter me. How did the meeting go?" Hyun Gong inquired, prompting Jang Mun-in to laugh and share the details. Hyun Gong listened intently, harboring a joy he dared not reveal. "The real battle is about to begin." He thought, armed with information on the new developments from the Cheonma Shin Church. "The Church Leader is moving." The Central Plains would be thrown into chaos. For Hyun Gong, this meant a chance to return, to abandon the guise of a Taoist and reclaim his identity as a demonic practitioner. "Our Mudang will head south of Qinghai. You'll join us. Let's give it our all." Hyun Gong suppressed the urge to shout with joy, bowing deeply. "I will serve with all my might." Unbeknownst to the others, his thoughts lingered on their fate.