Chapter 192 : Crisis of the Bright Cult

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Blade Emperor’s eyes widened.

Although ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the Cult Leader had been called someone even the Three Dukes of the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens could not ignore, it still wasn’t supposed to be to this extent.

To ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the stunned Blade Emperor, the Cult Leader spoke.

“Nothing ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍to be surprised about. It’s just the price of weaklings having the arrogance to think they’d win before even fighting.”

At ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍those words, the Blade Emperor realized his mistake.

That ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was right. Even if you separated them, both he and the Dark War Emperor were inferior to the Cult Leader.

Yet because the two of them had joined forces, they had been overly certain.

They had thought of the Cult Leader like a mouse before a cat.

But they had failed to realize that such a result only came when they pushed him with everything they had.

Though the outcome was bitter, it wasn’t something they could give up on now.

The Blade Emperor stopped his bleeding, slowly calmed the turbulence within, and stepped forward.

“I won’t die easily. At the very least, I’ll take one of your arms with me.”

He had resolved himself to die.

He would not avoid danger.

Considering the abilities of the Blade Emperor who had made such a resolve, as he said, he possessed more than enough skill to sever at least one of the Cult Leader’s arms before dying.

If he had truly made up his mind like that, even the Cult Leader wouldn’t be able to stop it.

However—

“Looks like you’ve finally come to your senses. Too bad. That’s impossible too.”

“What?”

“Oh! Junior Brother, you’re here?”

Instead of answering, the Cult Leader looked behind him and greeted someone.

At that moment, the Blade Emperor’s heart dropped.

There was only one person in the world the Cult Leader would call Junior Brother.

Startled, the Blade Emperor reflexively turned around—

—but all he saw was an empty plain.

Realizing he had been tricked, he didn’t even have time to turn his head back before he withdrew his body.

But the Cult Leader’s sword, which had already closed the distance with the unparalleled lightness technique, One-Flash Form, pierced into the Blade Emperor’s abdomen.

“Ghk!”

As his feet stopped with a hoarse groan, the Cult Leader’s left blade immediately severed his neck.

Thud.

Looking at the Blade Emperor’s head that had been cut off so futilely, the Cult Leader muttered.

“So this actually works.”

This, too, was something he had learned from the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

In the past, during a spar, the Vice Cult Leader had used a similar trick to bring a blade to his neck.

Back then, the Cult Leader had insisted that if it had been real combat, he wouldn’t have fallen for such petty tricks.

But the result…

“Damn it, I bet ten nyang on that.”

There was an odd hint of laughter in the Cult Leader’s grumbling.

Just after finishing off even the Blade Emperor, the blood-soaked Blood Sword Unit Commander and members of the Blood Sword Unit returned.

Beside them was even the Iron Demon, who, unlike his usual self, was completely drenched in blood.

“You’re back?”

At the Cult Leader’s indifferent tone, both the Blood Sword Unit and the Iron Demon stared in shock.

After all, the Cult Leader had single-handedly cut down two Manifestation Realm masters—top-tier ones at that.

Seeing their stunned expressions, the Cult Leader shrugged.

“Compared to sparring with the Vice Cult Leader, this was nothing. It was too easy.”

At his boastful words, people laughed.

Among them, the Iron Demon asked,

“Then should we go crush those ones now?”

The Iron Demon looked toward a woman standing atop a distant pine tree, along with several martial artists who seemed to be accompanying her.

The Cult Leader shook his head.

“Leave them.”

“They seem to be part of the same group, so why…?”

“No matter that they tried to kill me, I have no intention of raising my blade against a former lover.”

“A, a lover?!”

At the unexpected words, the flustered Iron Demon received a sly smile from the Cult Leader.

“I’m a man too. It’s not like I left home and joined some weirdly named group for no reason.”

“Then… you were seduced by that woman—”

“What seduced? Back then and now, if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have done anything.”

In other words, he had gone along with it knowingly.

And that meant he had liked that woman enough to be deceived even while aware.

“Then why…?”

Why did you break up?

Understanding the question, the Cult Leader answered.

“Because she wasn’t the most important thing to me, and I wasn’t the most important thing to her.”

The reason the Cult Leader, who had wandered after leaving the Bright Cult, returned—

—was when the current Vice Cult Leader, still young at the time, was on the brink of death from a severe illness. The moment he heard that news, the Cult Leader returned.

So for the Cult Leader, the most important person had been the Vice Cult Leader.

Then for that woman—

‘The Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens!’

Given the Cult Leader’s nature, he must have asked her to return together, and the woman on that pine tree must have refused.

Realizing that, the Iron Demon looked at the Cult Leader with distant eyes.

The Cult Leader clicked his tongue at him.

“I don’t want that kind of look from a bastard like you who’s never even had a real romance!”

At the remark, the Iron Demon immediately twisted his expression and pouted.

Watching the two, the Blood Sword Unit Commander burst into laughter.

As he laughed, the Poison Demon, Demon Flower, and the Red Blade Unit accompanied by the Twenty-Seven Ghosts returned after finishing clearing the battlefield.

Though there were gaps here and there, most had survived.

Even so, the Cult Leader’s eyes darkened.

“Han will give me an earful.”

At those words, all the survivors’ expressions darkened.

Their situation wasn’t much different from his.

They had won, yet they became gloomy.

Watching them strangely, a subordinate approached the Behind the Curtain and reported something.

A smile formed on her lips as she heard it.

“You’ll regret the moment you rejoiced in victory here. Let’s go.”

At her command, her group immediately departed.

The Cult Leader quietly stared at the pine tree she had left behind.

Right after the Cult Leader departed for Cheonghajin, the Bright Cult was raised to its highest state of alert.

It was because all of the sect’s strongest masters were absent.

Though the Profound Demon, Ghost Demon, Nine Yang Demon, and Death-Scorching Demon Lord remained, the absence of a leader always brought unease.

At that moment, there were those approaching the Bright Cult.

They were all monks from Tibet, clad in red kasaya robes and holding prayer wheels.

At their very front stood him—

—the Eightfold Confusion Monk, who had lost an arm.

That was right. The invasion of the Central Plains by the Potala Palace, ruler of Tibet, had begun once more.

And it was under the command of the Eightfold Confusion Monk.

Dozens of monks with extraordinary presences led the front, followed by fifty thousand Tibetan monks including those of the Potala Palace, rushing forward at a terrifying speed.

At the same time danger approached the Bright Cult—

—another group of Tibetan monks entered the Cheonghae Region.

Their attire, including their kasaya robes, was the same as those rushing toward the Bright Cult, but their condition was different.

All around thirty of them looked battered.

As if they had gone through a fierce battle.

The place they arrived at was neither a Bright Cult branch nor one of the Eighteen Demonic Sects—

—it was the Kunlun Sect.

“Who did you say has come?”

The Kunlun Sect Master’s voice was filled with confusion as he asked the disciple who brought the news.

It was only natural.

The identity of the visitors was completely unexpected.

The disciple answered,

“They are monks from the Heavenly Dragon Temple. One who called himself Venerable Miru seemed to be their leader.”

From the Central Plains’ perspective, Tibetan monks were potential enemies.

Whenever the Potala Palace invaded, the martial monks of scattered Tibetan temples had joined them.

Of course, the Heavenly Dragon Temple was a bit different.

Both in the past and recently, they had opposed the aggressiveness of the Potala Palace.

Because of that, they maintained a modest connection with Shaolin of the Central Plains.

Thus, they could not simply turn them away coldly.

“Escort them to the reception hall. I will go there as well.”

“Yes, Sect Master.”

As the disciple ran off, the Sect Master, Shin Jijinren, prepared himself.

Arriving at the reception hall, Shin Jijinren was met with the battered Tibetan monks.

Seeing their state, his expression showed slight shock.

Venerable Miru brought his palms together.

“Amitabha. I am grateful that you have received us like this.”

“Immeasurable Life Buddha. Welcome to Kunlun, but what has happened? Your appearances…”

“War has broken out in Tibet.”

“War…?”

“Yes. The Potala Palace has once again raised the banner of conquering the Martial World of the Central Plains.”

At those words, Shin Jijinren shot to his feet.

“I-is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then your condition…?”

“In both the past and now, the Heavenly Dragon Temple did not agree with the actions of the Potala Palace. In the end, a battle broke out, and only we barely managed to escape…”

A groan leaked from between the clenched lips of the Heavenly Dragon Temple monks.

Seeing them, Shin Jijinren felt dizzy.

In the past, the attacks of the Potala Palace had been focused on the Orthodox Faction.

Cunningly, they had avoided the powerful Bright Cult and struck directly into the Central Plains.

Each time, only after the Orthodox Faction had been devastated did the Bright Cult appear and lend its strength.

Though they barely repelled the Potala Palace with that help, it took a long time for the Orthodox Faction to recover each time.

During that period, they had to endure a world dominated by the Demonic Path.

Remembering those wounds, Shin Jijinren tensed.

“Are they coming directly to the Central Plains again?”

Of the Potala Palace’s invasions, two had come through Cheonghae rather than Sichuan.

Naturally, Kunlun had suffered the first blow.

That was why he asked.

Venerable Miru answered,

“No. This time, their first target is the Bright Cult.”

At that answer, Shin Jijinren felt both relief and shock.

The Potala Palace had never targeted the Bright Cult first.

The Bright Cult was powerful enough to contend with the entire Orthodox Faction.

They had always avoided exhausting their strength against them first.

Instead, they would strike the Orthodox Faction, subdue them, and then unite the Orthodox sects under their influence to confront the Bright Cult.

They judged it easier to win over the Orthodox Faction using their identity as a Buddhist sect and the Orthodox Faction’s hatred for the Bright Cult.

But now—

“That is true?”

“Yes. It is true.”

“Then shouldn’t you have delivered this information to the Bright Cult instead of us?”

“The Potala Palace was faster than us. The time we lost escaping was not small…”

In other words, the Tibetan assault force had already advanced toward the Bright Cult faster than these escaping monks.

“I understand. Thank you for delivering this news. We will prepare a place for you to rest, so please recover. I will immediately inform the Martial Alliance and prepare—”

Before Shin Jijinren could move, Venerable Miru urgently stopped him.

“If you gather the Martial Alliance and act, it will be too late. You must go now.”

“Go? Where do you mean?”

“To the Bright Cult, of course. If the Bright Cult has become the shield of the Central Plains, shouldn’t we support them?”

At those words, Shin Jijinren stood there, unable to respond.

Venerable Miru watched him with anxious eyes.