After finishing the meal, I lay down on the bed in one of the borrowed rooms and quietly sorted out my thoughts.
The Diancang Sect was in a state that couldn't even deal with the unorthodox martial artists causing trouble in the front yard—practically sealed off from the world.
Worse, the cause was a severe internal conflict that had split the sect nearly in half.
No matter how excellent the Diancang Sect's martial arts were, and no matter how solid its foundations aside from that, this couldn't be dismissed as a brief slump.
This was the classic path to a sect's downfall. It hadn't happened yet, but within a year at the shortest, or three years at the longest, the Heavenly Killing Star would appear.
The Diancang Sect's Clan Extermination before my regression was only natural—if anything, it was inevitable.
Still, what bothered me wasn't the reason a sect that had once held its own collapsed overnight.
"So you knew."
The Diancang Sect was already aware of the Heavenly Killing Star's existence.
Currently, they must be divided into those who opposed accepting the Heavenly Killing Star and those who favored it, locked in conflict.
"No, perhaps they only just realized it now."
If they had discovered a Heavenly Killing Star somewhere and brought them in, most would have opposed it.
The history of the martial world had proven time and again that such a being was far too dangerous to embrace based on talent alone.
More likely, one of their existing disciples had shown signs of a Heavenly Killing Star awakening.
I had looked into the Heavenly Killing Star quite thoroughly, and having heard things at the Shaolin Temple before, I knew a fair amount about it.
According to everything known so far, unlike other constitutions, a Heavenly Killing Star shows no significant difference from ordinary people at birth.
Before awakening, they are merely a child with decent talent, with nothing particularly remarkable about them.
But as they grow older, they might occasionally leak terrifying killing intent, display violent tendencies, or take pleasure in seeing blood.
From the outside, their personality begins to twist. …And in proportion to that, their talent gradually begins to bloom as well.
Looking at the records of several famous Heavenly Killing Stars, there are cases where an ordinary thug who knew no martial arts at all swung an axe a few times, then awakened martial arts on his own and reached the Peak Realm.
There are also cases where a Third-Rate martial artist, born into a Third-Rate martial family and trained in Third-Rate martial arts, rose to Transcendent Peak within a few years and brought about a Blood Calamity.
People who were previously ordinary suddenly show growth at an absurdly fast pace.
Those who knew no martial arts at all frequently invent their own martial arts, so it could truly be called an incomprehensible talent.
It's no wonder people say his talent alone is on par with the Heavenly Martial Body.
However, the more his talent blossoms, the thicker the Heavenly Killing Star's killing intent grows.
And so, the moment he fully awakens as the Heavenly Killing Star, he becomes a Slaughter Ghost consumed by murderous intent, driven to kill everyone in sight.
In other words, before awakening its true nature, the Heavenly Killing Star is harmless, but after awakening, it grows at an uncontrollable pace, spilling blood wherever it goes.
This is also the biggest reason why it's so difficult to discover a Heavenly Killing Star in advance.
But then, couldn't an unawakened Heavenly Killing Star just live quietly and die quietly?
I wasn't the only one to think this—over the long years, countless martial artists studied when and under what circumstances a Heavenly Killing Star awakens.
Well, the results weren't exactly promising.
There is no reason behind the awakening of a Heavenly Killing Star. Of course, emotional fluctuations—especially negative emotions like anger or despair—can serve as a trigger, but
just like the disciple of the previous Heavenly Killing Star, Great Master Gakjeong, there are quite a few cases where someone suddenly leaks killing intent without anything having happened at all.
If someone from the Diancang Sect had awakened as a Heavenly Killing Star, and it was enough to cause internal strife, then it was highly likely they were a promising disciple in normal times.
For such a person to suddenly turn out to be a Heavenly Killing Star—once people learned that they had to be killed on the spot or sent to an appropriate place, such as the Murim Alliance's underground Prison, it would be hard to accept.
"Solving it itself is simple enough."
Regardless, it was an unwritten rule of the martial world that a Heavenly Killing Star be dealt with immediately upon discovery.
And I had both the justification and the martial force to enforce it.
To put it bluntly, even if I stormed into the Diancang Sect and started swinging my blade, there was no one who could stop me.
Well, the problem is that my reason for seeking out the Heavenly Killing Star wasn't simply to eliminate the danger in advance.
It was to prevent the Diancang Sect's extermination and, through this incident, raise my standing within the Orthodox Sects of the martial world.
The Heavenly Killing Star itself would end up destroying the Diancang Sect along with itself even if left alone, so there was no need to worry much about that.
But suppose I were to force my way in and cut down the Heavenly Killing Star. The Diancang Sect might avoid extermination, but would they then join the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance that I lead?
There was the matter of pride stemming from having rummaged through another sect's affairs at will, and the half-emotional issue of being unable to bring myself to kill the Heavenly Killing Star.
They wouldn't go so far as to openly oppose me, but they certainly wouldn't hold me in high regard. They would keep their distance, citing one reason or another.
If it came to that, I would fail to fulfill even half of the purpose for which I had come here.
"If only I hadn't known about it, things would have been simpler."
If that had been the case, everyone would have been shocked and heartbroken, but it wouldn't have escalated into conflict.
Once an outsider had discovered it, hiding it was no longer an option.
So what was I to do?
The Heavenly Killing Star had to be dealt with somehow—killed or imprisoned. But if I relied only on my own strength, opposition was inevitable.
"Haa…"
This wasn't something I could resolve right away. I'd have to visit the Diancang Sect directly tomorrow, confirm the situation with my own eyes, and then decide on a course of action.
If things went smoothly, that would be fortunate… but if not, there was nothing I could do.
I would have no choice but to give up on some of my goals.
The next morning. After confirming that everyone had finished their simple preparations, I spoke.
"Well then, let's be off."
"Young hero. I know this is coming a bit late, but… even if things don't go well, don't be too disappointed. There are more than enough outstanding swordsmen in the Central Plains who would want to cross blades with you as you are now."
"What are you suddenly talking about, Senior Seomun Hwa-rin?"
"You heard the situation at the Diancang Sect yesterday, didn't you? I was thinking about this and that before I fell asleep, and it occurred to me that they might not even let us through the door."
She reached out her small hand, hesitated, then subtly rose onto her tiptoes and patted my shoulder.
It seemed she, too, had been mulling things over last night.
She must have been hesitant to bring it up because I seemed too eager. Even setting aside the complicated issues, I was genuinely curious about the Diancang Sect's sword.
It had originally been an archery technique, transformed into a sword art, and it was still considered an advanced martial art.
What's more, it was a rare thrust-focused sword art, so how could I not be curious?
Well, what Seomun Hwa-rin had seen in me wasn't just pure anticipation for that sword.
Having lived my entire life harboring killing intent, it was only natural that the existence of the Heavenly Killing Star weighed on my mind.
On top of that, there was the concern that I had to resolve the matter of the Heavenly Killing Star, one way or another.
To Seomun Hwa-rin, who knew nothing of these circumstances, I must have seemed like someone who was desperately looking forward to the Diancang Sect's sword, only to worry that I might not even get to see it.
I let out a soft chuckle and lightly covered the back of her hand, which rested on my shoulder, with my own palm, then nodded.
"Don't worry. Let's talk first, and if it doesn't work out… well, it won't be a great loss."
"If that's how you see it, then I'm relieved."
I gave a small bow to Seomun Hwa-rin, whose tone had softened, to express my gratitude, then turned and headed toward the Diancang Sect.
"Hm? You there?"
I kept holding the hand Seomun Hwa-rin had placed on my shoulder… no, I pressed it firmly so she couldn't pull it away.
"Would you mind letting go of my hand…?"
Seomun Hwa-rin was being dragged along, her hand still fixed on my shoulder, her steps coming in short, hurried little hops. Naturally, she was still on her tiptoes.
Since she was a Harmony Realm martial artist, walking on her tiptoes didn't threaten her balance in the slightest, but the problem was her short legs.
Seomun Hwa-rin, whose feet couldn't even touch the ground, was unable to use her Lightness Skill and could only move her legs with effort. Then, as if she had noticed something, she suddenly lifted her head.
"Hah! Surely you weren't aiming for this?!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"If that's how you're going to play it, then I have my own plans."
With that, Seomun Hwa-rin's eyes turned serious, and she bent her knees to leap high into the air.
Both feet suspended in midair. But even so, once she came down, she'd be back on her tiptoes again—so why was she doing this? Just as I wondered that…
Thump.
"What the—"
Seomun Hwa-rin began walking across the empty air as if it were flat ground.
I never expected she'd use Air Stepping for a reason like this.
As I stared speechlessly, dumbfounded, she must have taken my silence for admiration.
"Ahem."
Seomun Hwa-rin shrugged her shoulders. The way she did it, as if showing off whether I could do the same, stung my pride a little.
I was a Harmony Realm martial artist now, but I still wasn't fully accustomed to my current level.
I could draw out Sword Force with relative skill, but Protective Qi took a long time to prepare, and the drain on my Intent and internal energy was so great that I could only maintain it for a short while.
Air Stepping was in a similar situation. I was practicing moving light objects with Void Grasp, but I was still far from being able to support my own body with it.
So I even considered using Lightness Skill to keep Air Stepping from being maintained any longer, but…
"Young hero Cheon. Sister Hwa-rin is quite a bit older than you, so you shouldn't tease her too much."
"I, I am perfectly fine."
"And don't you think you've been holding hands for a bit too long?"
"…"
"Of course, I'm not saying anything about it. It's just that there's another hand free here, and it's cold out, so my hand is getting a bit chilly."
Tang So-wol wiggled her hand playfully. Seeing her like that, Seomun Hwa-rin glanced at her, then quietly let go.
Then she sidled up next to Seol Ri-hyang and sent a Voice Transmission.
Of course, I already knew what I had to do even without her saying anything.
Clutch.
As I took Tang So-wol's hand, she finally smiled in satisfaction, while Seomun Hwa-rin let out a sigh of relief.
Only Seol Ri-hyang was shaking her head as if she had witnessed something pathetic.
And so, in a rather amicable atmosphere, we arrived at the Diancang Sect.
The gate was large—not quite on par with the prestigious families belonging to the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects and One Gang that we had visited so far, but too grand to be considered an ordinary sect.
However, there was not a single gatekeeper standing before it.
For a sect of this size, and with the Diancang Sect's reputation, dozens of visitors would normally come knocking every single day.
These are the ones who guide such visitors, or sometimes drive them away—the gatekeepers, and thus the face of the sect.
"…Shall we knock on the door first, then?"
Just as Seol Ri-hyang tilted her head and reached for the door knocker—
A thick, unrefined killing intent burst out from within.
It was felt for only a brief moment, and then, as if blocked by something, it vanished without a trace…
But there was no mistaking it—it was the killing intent of the Heavenly Killing Star.
Not knowing exactly what it was, but sensing that something was amiss, the group's expressions hardened.
I nodded toward them and spoke.
"It seems we don't have time to wait for a leisurely invitation."
Everything hinged on how we got in and how we found the Heavenly Killing Star.
I never expected it to be resolved this way.
I vaulted over the Diancang Sect's wall, unleashing my Lightness Skill to its absolute limit.