Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
As soon as the alliance was formed, Lee Cheong-un grinned and said,
“Then I’ll take Baek Woong with me for a bit.”
[Why?]
Lee Cheong-un looked at the Cult Leader with eyes that said he was asking a foolish question.
“You know it too, don’t you, Cult Leader? The key to this situation is in Baek Woong’s hands. I just want to share our information with him, since he can act as a bridge. Staying cooped up in the White Lotus Church won’t get you anywhere, right?”
The Cult Leader fell silent for a moment before speaking.
[Decide on a basic strategy first. How exactly are we going to oppose the Heavenly Realm?]
“Heh heh. You think I’d spill all our secrets just because we formed an alliance?”
“I’ll talk with Baek Woong at the Thunder God Style and send him back. His conclusion afterward will be the answer.”
[……]
“If you can’t accept that, then the alliance ends here…”
[Fine. But if Baek Woong gets hurt, I won’t let it slide.]
“Of course.”
Soon, Lee Cheong-un’s Six Harmonies Telepathy reached me.
[Head to the Zhongnan Sect.]
Flash!
Before long, I transported Lee Cheong-un and Jin So-cheong to the lake at the Zhongnan Sect. Unlike when we left, Lee Gwang and Gwak-ho were out waiting to greet Lee Cheong-un. Lee Gwang politely cupped his hands toward him.
“Master, You’ve come.”
“Mm.”
Seeing that, I felt a sense of novelty. Lee Gwang had always been the type to shout orders from high above, rarely showing respect to anyone. But now, he was visibly serving Lee Cheong-un with genuine sincerity, like a devoted disciple.
Lee Cheong-un looked around at those present and said,
“As of today, our Thunder God Style has allied with the White Lotus Church.”
It was a shocking statement, but surprisingly, the three Thunder God Style experts showed no particular surprise. It seemed Lee Cheong-un’s claim of having long considered allying with the White Lotus Church was true. He’d already informed his disciples of the policy, so there was no confusion. Lee Cheong-un continued,
“Gwang-ah. There’s no threat of attack from the White Lotus Church anymore, so there’s no need to guard Zhongnan Mountain any longer.”
“What should we do?”
“Wait a moment. I’ll talk with Baek Woong and then decide how to move.”
“Yes.”
I left the three of them and followed Lee Cheong-un into a cabin by the lake. Once seated in a chair inside the cabin, Lee Cheong-un gestured for me to sit as well.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes.”
As I sat, Lee Cheong-un spoke up.
“Baek Woong. Aren’t you curious how I found out about the Heavenly Emperor Plan?”
“I am.”
Securing the Beggars’ Sect’s intelligence network with the help of the Wanderer Immortal, one of the Three Great Sages of the Orthodox Faction, made sense. But no matter how capable the Beggars’ Sect was, uncovering the Heavenly Ladder Project being carried out by the Heavenly Realm was impossible. After all, most people didn’t even believe the Heavenly Realm existed beyond legends, let alone know the secrets of the mythical Heavenly Ladder. That was why even the White Lotus Cult Leader only learned of its reality and danger from me.
Yet Lee Cheong-un had already uncovered the Heavenly Emperor Plan. No human organization could achieve that. As I eyed him suspiciously, he smiled faintly and said,
“Now, before I explain that… there’s one more thing I should tell you.”
“What is it?”
“How was the Cult Leader able to master all the martial arts and secret techniques of the White Lotus Church’s Four Great Styles?”
“Uh… that’s…”
I hesitated.
It was something I’d wondered about ever since learning of the Cult Leader’s power. At first, I’d heard rumors from Mang-ryang about the Cult Leader’s divine status, but the more I learned, the clearer it became that he had mastered not just the Divine Newcomer Style but all martial lineages. It was in human achievement, but since the Cult Leader transcended common sense, I’d just been curious without probing deeply. I’d asked him several times during training, but he only ever said he’d trained diligently.
Did Lee Cheong-un know the answer?
He picked up an apple nearby, took a bite, and said,
“You probably know this already—especially you… Humans have ‘limits’ to their vessels. No matter how much effort and talent you pour in, combining experience from different fields leads to confusion inevitably. That’s why martial artists typically deepen one school’s arts to reach the pinnacle.”
“Yeah… that’s true.”
I nodded. It wasn’t just theory—it was my own experience. Through my past lives, I’d accumulated fortuitous encounters and learned many first-class sword styles, but as I did, my limited talent caused chaos in my swordsmanship. That chaos stalled my progress and nearly led to qi deviation, but Yeo Dongbin’s Heavenly Hidden Swordsmanship allowed me to manage it.
“Truthfully, mastering all the basic arts, applications, and secret techniques of the Four Great Styles like the Cult Leader is impossible for a human. Even I doubt I could gain synergy from learning the Four Great Styles beyond Thunder God Style. It’s absurdly inefficient training. Yet the Cult Leader became a master of the Divine Newcomer Style while acquiring all the Four Great Styles…”
“……”
“I hypothesized the reason lies not in the Cult Leader’s talent, but in his body.”
“His body?”
“The Primordial Soul Spirit.”
“……?”
“Hm. Beating around the bush won’t help you understand, so I’ll get to the point.”
With that preamble, Lee Cheong-un continued.
“I believe the Cult Leader’s Primordial Soul Spirit can connect to the Heavenly Spirit Elixirs.”
“Connect…? You mean contact—what does that mean?”
“Exactly as it sounds. The owner of the Primordial Soul Spirit can clearly share the knowledge and experiences of those possessing the Heavenly Spirit Elixirs.”
“……?!”
My eyes widened. It was a conclusion I’d never imagined, springing from Lee Cheong-un’s mouth. Thanks to his straightforward explanation, I understood immediately, but it was so unbelievable I stammered,
“Th-that doesn’t make any sense.”
“No. It’s the only way to explain the Cult Leader’s martial arts. He secretly learned the martial arts of Heavenly Spirit Elixir owners through the Primordial Soul Spirit.”
Lee Cheong-un spoke firmly, interlocking his fingers.
“Even then, it’s probably just fleeting inspirations, fragments of accumulated experience, subconscious glimpses… He can’t read surface thoughts or memories the owners want to hide, it seems.”
“That’s impossible. How could…”
I started to retort but paused.
‘Come to think of it…’
I’d already seen the Cult Leader struggle with the Seven Great Ultimate Arts. That proved he had better-than-average talent but was no genius. If that was his true aptitude, mastering the Four Great Styles to mastery level was absurd.
But if he’d absorbed the knowledge and experience of Heavenly Spirit Elixir owners through the Primordial Soul Spirit?
It explained all the contradictions I’d seen in the Cult Leader. As I stood there shuddering, Lee Cheong-un continued,
“When I lost to the Cult Leader, had my dantian shattered, and faced death, I couldn’t think clearly.”
He sighed.
“Gwang-ah received the Thunder God Soul Fusion secrets most deeply, so I couldn’t help suspecting him until the end. But after you revived me, I had time to think calmly and realized it was impossible.
Gwang-ah only knew the incantations, not their meaning. Even if he’d leaked the Thunder God Soul Fusion to the Cult Leader, no one could master it to the point of breaking it in such a short time. That’s when I realized who could transmit it to that level.”
“No way…”
“Yes, me. As the practitioner of Thunder God Style and the only one on earth to comprehend the Thunder God Soul Fusion, only my training experience could enable it. Realizing that led me to conclude the Cult Leader stole my martial memories and experiences.”
“Uh… but… that’s too far-fetched.”
“Heh heh. That’s exactly why the Cult Leader kept the Primordial Soul Spirit’s secret for decades or centuries.”
Lee Cheong-un smiled coldly and took another bite of the apple.
“Your memories also helped me understand the essence of the Primordial Soul Spirit and Heavenly Spirit Elixir in detail. If the Heavenly Spirit Elixir summons infinite power through a contract with gods, why did the Cult Leader seek the Primordial Soul Spirit instead? It has a few extra effects, but infinite internal energy is similar. So why scatter owners of infinite internal energy rivaling his own throughout the White Lotus Church? One Heavenly Spirit Elixir owner would suffice to protect the church. Multiple would risk rebellion and danger to him. Why create so many?”
He bombarded with questions before concluding abruptly.
“Because he could acquire the martial arts mastered by Heavenly Spirit Elixir owners. It all fits. That’s how he became a direct disciple under the Dharma Protectors, the grandmasters of the Four Great Styles, and mastered them all!”
“……!!”
“Far-fetched? Not at all. If the [Ancient Rulers] exist, such a function in the Primordial Soul Spirit is no surprise.”
“I… I see.”
I swallowed hard at Lee Cheong-un’s logical reasoning.
‘So that’s how it was.’
The Heavenly Spirit Elixirs are subordinate to the Primordial Soul Spirit!
He’d structured dominance from the start, so he could safely gift immense power to the Dharma Protectors. As top experts and masters in their lineages, they knew their school’s ultimate arts best. Mastering all Four Great Styles made sense.
I blurted out in realization to Lee Cheong-un,
“Th-then, possessing a Heavenly Spirit Elixir means being controlled by the Cult Leader’s will.”
“No. That seems impossible. My independent actions prove it. If he could read Heavenly Spirit Elixir thoughts, he’d have crushed me long ago. But until today’s alliance, he suspected me yet never sought me out. He couldn’t find me.”
“You’re right.”
Lee Cheong-un chuckled.
“I think the subordination was something the Cult Leader forcibly added via extra contract. Can’t pinpoint locations, it seems. And there are clear restrictions. Like only martial knowledge and experience…”
“Hmm…”
It clicked for me, and I said,
“But the Cult Leader can summon Dharma Protectors to his side. Why not use that? You might have met him…”
“I wondered that too…”
Lee Cheong-un pondered before saying,
“It probably only activates under specific conditions.”
“Conditions?”
“Not sure. He surely tried finding me with it. But failing, he just silently absorbed my training experiences…”
Lee Cheong-un glossed over it and continued,
“Anyway, I told you this so you’d know. You need to understand what gaining a Heavenly Spirit Elixir means.”
Indeed.
That’s why his progress was so rapid after closed-door training! He’d surely shared my training experiences in the Seven Great Ultimate Arts from somewhere during it.
“I understand fully.”
I shuddered.
As he said, contracting a Heavenly Spirit Elixir pledged your soul to the demon god and taught all my martial arts to the White Lotus Cult Leader. No big deal this life, but unknowingly? Horrifying. All my arts transmitted, rebellion impossible.
“Now, shall I explain how I uncovered the Heavenly Realm’s secrets?”
“Yes!”
Ding-a-ling.
When Lee Cheong-un rang a nearby wind chime, a clear sound echoed nearby.
“A fairly welcome face, I suppose.”
“……?”
Moments later, a man walked into the cabin. Smiling brightly, he said,
“Long time no see.”
“Gasp!”
I jumped up in shock at his face and rushed to grab his hand.
“Mang-ryang! You’ve been here?!”
That’s right.
My closest friend, past-life comrade, and strategist, Mang-ryang, was here! He looked far more refined and sharp-eyed than before—clearly from intense training. Mang-ryang smiled wryly and said,
“A lot has happened.”
“What happened…”
“After parting with you, I sensed something ominous and hurriedly left the Zhangling Valley area. To cultivate the sorcery fortune I’d gained, I entered Spirit Mountain and trained daily.”
Mang-ryang glanced at the seated Lee Cheong-un and said,
“Then suddenly, Lee Cheong-un found me and asked me to become the Thunder God Style’s strategist.”
“……?!”
I looked at Lee Cheong-un in surprise. He replied nonchalantly,
“Thanks to the obsidian memories, I knew what kind of person Mang-ryang was. I inferred likely locations from his past movements and searched.”
“……”
I felt bewildered. From Mang-ryang’s words, he’d been secretly training on Spirit Mountain, a place I’d never even visited—and Lee Cheong-un had deduced that! His mind was no joke. Mang-ryang said,
“Whew… as you said. Anyway, after that, I learned Thunder God Style martial arts alongside sorcery, and soon gained power to break through the Dragon Gate. I entered Kunlun Mountain, trained there for about sixty years by their time, then took leave to return to the human world.”
“Si-sixty years?!”
I gasped. A full cycle of sixty years of training was unbelievable. I checked if he’d reversed aging, but no signs. Mang-ryang laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! You know Kunlun’s time flow differs from the human world, right? Sixty years there equates to less than a year here. Plus, with Earth Immortal Mang-ryang’s knowledge, progress was swift, and the Nine Heavens Fairy granted me leave.”
“Ooh… am… amazing.”
I stared at Mang-ryang dazedly, then realized,
“Then, you learned of the Heavenly Emperor Plan during your Heavenly Realm visit?”
“Yes. Precisely, I planned to fulfill two hundred years like Earth Immortal Mang-ryang but learned of the Heavenly Emperor’s descent midway, so I took emergency leave. I informed Lee Cheong-un of it.”
“Isn’t that divulging heavenly secrets? Is that okay?”
Mang-ryang replied casually,
“When the Heavenly Realm plans to sweep the human world, who cares about heavenly secrets? What’s important is you gaining even one more edge in your past lives.”
“……”
Lee Cheong-un interjected from the side.
“We’ve explained our side fully, Baek Woong.”
Then he fixed me with a sharp gaze.
“After learning of the Heavenly Emperor Plan, I gathered the Thunder God Style disciples and discussed endlessly with Mang-ryang. But no answers emerged. I wanted to perform the Soul Spirit Ritual, but apparently you tried it recently and failed.”
I sighed.
“Yes. Little Bridge Golden Heaven refused.”
“As expected.”
Lee Cheong-un scratched his head.
“At this point, I think we have no choice but to rely on your past-life intuition, Baek Woong.”
“Hm…”
“Baek Woong. Thanks to your actions, we’ve formed a massive alliance: White Lotus Church, Thunder God Style, and Miyamoto Musashi. Our enemy is the Heavenly Realm itself. What do you think we should do?”
I understood his intent.
As Zhuge Shi and Mang-ryang acknowledged, I’d often gained unexpected gains by following seemingly odd intuitions at critical moments. Now, with wisdom alone insufficient, Lee Cheong-un sought answers through me.
Lee Cheong-un and Mang-ryang’s gazes fixed on me.
After a silence, I opened my mouth.
“I think…”
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