The current era of the martial world. It has long since turned into a battleground where only the strong survive. With the fall of the Ming Dynasty, once thought eternal, it was inevitable.

Major upheavals were endless. Reclusive masters who once lived in isolation began to vie for power, and martial arts and secret techniques never before heard of made their names known across the land. Naturally, many sought to read the tides of this great turmoil just to survive.

"...Such has always been the way of history. Whenever a nation is thrown into chaos, countless unheard-of figures emerge, overturning the Central Plains with skills whose origins no one can trace,"

spoke a middle-aged man draped in elegant silk robes of blue. He lay lazily on a low hillside, accompanied by two figures whose appearances were mismatched, their attire neither uniform nor truly fitting the role of disciples.

He was none other than the Branch Lord of Hao Mun's Deungbonghyeon division. Nicknamed Jinjeong Bosal—though the name carried a tinge of mockery. It referred to how he'd lived so meekly under the watchful eyes of the Orthodox Sect's Shaolin Temple that he had become as docile as a perfumed monk.

However, due to recent events, he had become an important figure overnight. Commands and questions poured down from Hao Mun's main sect, now relocated to Namjikrye.

"Of course, with one of the Three Sovereigns of the Martial World serving as the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps leading the Northern Campaign, who knows how the martial world and the Central Plains will change? Among the four great figures, he alone seeks to uphold the world's order."

Of the two who listened silently, the Hao Mun disciple in tavern boy’s clothing asked,

"If three out of the four oppose him, isn't it only a matter of time before the Central Plains falls into chaos? Even now, everything feels overturned, with Daesun Alliance and talking trees... and every sword-wielding fool is rushing to Namjikrye...."

Jinjeong Bosal smiled slyly.

"Do you know why the world started calling them the Three Sovereigns of the Martial World?"

"Isn't it because they're the strongest beings across the vastness of the Central Plains? The God of War and the Commander of the Divine Sword Corps were already Martial Gods, yet their accomplishments keep growing into incomprehensible mysteries, and Lee Teum-je of Nangseong not only stands among the Five Heavenly Swords but commands overwhelming figures under him...."

"It is because they cannot mix,"

Jinjeong Bosal said, glancing sharply around him.

"The Heavenly Tree stands solitary. The God of War follows precisely in the footsteps of the Divine Sword Corps Commander’s campaigns in the North. Lee Teum-je seeks to make the now-empty lands his own kingdom. And to the eyes of the Divine Sword Corps Commander, all these moves seem no more than tyrannical behavior that must be crushed."

At that moment, a withered, empty thicket rustled like a ghost’s beckoning hand. Jinjeong Bosal immediately fell silent. Only when the spring breeze blew through quietly did he exhale slowly. This was a time when one had to be cautious of the spies from the Heavenly Tree’s noble clans and the Divine Sword Corps' Myungryudae.

"...In any case, the fate of our main sect depends entirely on how these relationships unfold. We must align ourselves very carefully. Right here, starting now."

"Right now? Align ourselves?"

The Hao Mun disciple in tavern boy’s clothes asked again.

"Isn't our Sect Leader already serving the God of War as his lord? Why talk about aligning?"

"Of course, we are loyal disciples of Hao Mun. We must follow the Sect Leader’s will to the letter. However... it is entirely up to us to ensure the survival of Hao Mun's Deungbonghyeon division, isn’t it? Did the Sect Leader ever reward us just for sneaking into the perilous grounds of Shaolin? Am I wrong?"

Contrary to Jinjeong Bosal’s words, the grounds of Shaolin weren’t all that dangerous. There were many martial visitors to begin with, so Hao Mun disciples didn’t particularly stand out, and regardless of the skills involved, monks were polite, and temple visitors were usually humble.

It was all simply Jinjeong Bosal’s greed.

"Merchant Great Heaven Union has made its move. Even the wealthy clans and merchant guilds, smelling grain from their storehouses, are flocking en masse to Songshan. It’s clear they plan to bet their fortunes on whichever side gains the upper hand. After all, the Three Sovereigns won't remain three forever."

That was the current situation. The mouths of gossipers never ceased, and countless carrier pigeons filled the clear spring sky with their wings.

Among all the regions, one place stood as the foremost topic of conversation. Central Peak, Mount Song.

The mountain where countless gossipers and noble clans still endlessly debated whether the Divine Sword Corps Commander had 'cut the gate' or not.

The Hao Mun disciples were camped at one of the seventy-two peaks, one offering a barely tolerable view. From their position, they could faintly see the distant gate of Shaolin if they strained their eyes. Naturally, it wasn’t a favorable location.

"It’s about time."

Jinjeong Bosal muttered. Somehow his face looked anxious. The Hao Mun disciple in tavern boy’s clothes, looking even more worried, asked,

"Branch Lord, may I ask... what exactly are we waiting for? You know this place is about to become hell on earth."

"Ah! There they come."

Turning his head, the Hao Mun disciple gasped. Even the other Hao Mun disciple, a dark-skinned youth who had quietly been tending his sword all this time, flinched for the first time.

Ssspak.

The sound of footsteps echoed among them.

It was caused by the withered grass bending low, only to spring back upright. A slender figure's shadow stretched across the Hao Mun disciples, as did the sharp, blade-like shadow of her ear.

A noble of the Heavenly Tree.

"Hao Mun, I presume."

The Hao Mun disciples lowered their eyelids in unison. It was a way of indicating, as information brokers, that they would not even glance at the other’s appearance.

"Y-Yes, that's correct! We've requested this meeting for matters unrelated to the God of War! Of course, our main sect knows nothing of this!"

Jinjeong Bosal’s words were hardly convincing to most martial artists, but the Hao Mun disciple in tavern boy’s clothes seemed to realize something, his eyes widening slightly. Before them stood a being who could discern truth and lies with transcendent clarity.

"Hand it over."

"H-here...!"

Jinjeong Bosal offered up a scroll, and before it could even fully unfurl in his hand, it disappeared. A Golden Threaded Hand from the Heavenly Tree's noble lineage.

But Jinjeong Bosal already knew what he had written inside.

1. Is the rumor true that the Gate has disappeared?

2. Is it true that the Divine Sword Corps Commander personally cut it down?

3. What is the reason behind the Divine Sword Corps Commander's retreat?

4. Besides the known forces, are there other secret powers following the Divine Sword Corps Commander?

5. What is the current status of the Daesun Alliance, which has established a base in Luoyang?

And beyond that.

Jinjeong Bosal had already reached a judgment: Shaolin had long since destroyed the Heavenly Tree's roots in Songshan, the Heavenly Tree's information network in Henan was now pitifully weak, and coexistence between Shaolin and the Heavenly Tree was no longer possible.

Yet he showed no hint of this outwardly. For those under the Three Sovereigns were death itself to anyone.

Jinjeong Bosal asked cautiously,

"Is His Majesty the Emperor of Heaven presently meditating before the Great War...?"

"The highest name you are allowed to utter is Yongji Sword Duke. He is the new Divine Sword Corps Commander. Spread this far and wide."

"Divine Sword Corps Commander... Y-Yes!"

"I shall return."

Thus spoke the noble of the Heavenly Tree after reading the scroll right there. Where she had stood, only swirling dust remained, as if she had never been there at all. A fleeting, ghostlike step, just as when she first arrived.

Jinjeong Bosal, shivering to the bone, muttered softly,

"Amitabha...."

After taking several deep breaths, the Hao Mun disciple in tavern boy’s clothing asked,

"...Will we be alright?"

"There were no definitive statements in the scroll. Only estimations, speculations. Even that alone is valuable information to outsiders. If they have any sense, they won't tear open the hen's belly just to find more."

"Are we even worth a hen to the Three Sovereigns?"

"At least for now, yes."

Half a day later, another figure arrived.

Though not a noble of the Heavenly Tree, he moved with ghostly swiftness, and his slender frame exuded an overwhelming, unknowable strength.

'Jeong Ga Donggong...!'

A warrior of the Divine Sword Corps' Myungryudae.

He had such an ordinary appearance that even if they met him again in a street market, they wouldn’t recognize him. His level of concealment was so refined that unless one were the Branch Leader of Haomun, it was nearly impossible to gauge his martial prowess.

Jinjeong Bosal was inwardly appalled. This was just a regular member?

And this wasn’t even one of the combat-focused squads...

Though the presence of this man was slightly more muted than the woman who had just arrived, he was still undoubtedly capable of massacring the Haomun disciples with a single strike. Despite the dull-colored robes typical of Myungryudae, he was undoubtedly a Blue Rank.

“A moment ago, a member of the Heavenly Tree’s Noble Blood passed through here. If I may dare to speculate... it seemed to be Bukmyeong Gwonhu. Her movement technique far exceeded even your level. Her exhale alone felt like it could’ve killed us.”

Jinjeong Bosal shamelessly recited the facts.

There was a short silence. The expert from Myungryudae gazed at him quietly, then spoke.

“When is the assault scheduled?”

“The forces have gathered. Based on our estimates... it could be this very evening.”

Jinjeong Bosal grinned slyly as he added,

“As scouts, we can't compete with your tracking, but when it comes to sniffing out grain in Deungbonghyeon, we’ve got unmatched noses.”

“I know.”

“Noble Blood or not, they still need to eat. Their rations are likely running low. Whether it’s because this is a standoff between the Three Sovereigns, or for some other reason, they’re not rushing. They’re gathering strength to strike decisively. Probably because the 108 Arhats have been unleashed from the Gate and may try to defend the Sword Corps Leader.”

“Thank you.”

“What for? It’s all just to curry favor. From Hokwang to Hanam, it’s practically next door, isn’t it?”

The expert from Myungryudae fell into momentary thought, and Jinjeong Bosal asked slyly,

“Is the Sword Corps Leader in good health?”

“You're crossing the line. You'll be well compensated for the information, but don’t try to pry.”

“Hm, I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

By now, the massive news had long since rocked the Central Plains. Rumor had it that the Sword Corps Leader, Seomye, had been excommunicated by the Celestial Emperor of Ipwang Fortress. The Heavenly Tree’s Noble Blood were the ones spreading it, and with that came countless other rumors.

Was it merely an excommunication as a disciple? Or had he lost his title as Sword Corps Leader? Those promoting the latter were mostly factions tied to the Heavenly Tree.

But Jinjeong Bosal leaned toward the former. After all, the elite Sword Corps warriors gathering at Mount Song were clearly wary of the Heavenly Tree.

“As you know, the Daesun Jeongmaeng halted their advance the moment Dragonwill Blade Lord stepped onto Mount Song... but it seems they haven’t requested much resupply from Luoyang either. They don’t plan to drag this out. Whether they mean to reap the spoils, or take a side—it won’t be long before something erupts that sweeps through all of the Central Plains.”

Then, the young dark-skinned swordsman of Haomun pointed toward the ridge below.

“Like that?”

“Yes, Sunil, the Demonic Hunter... like—hm?”

Krrrrrumble—

The distant view of the Mount Song Shaolin Temple gate rapidly zoomed in Jinjeong Bosal’s vision. It was, of course, a secret Haomun visual technique—but that wasn’t what mattered.

What mattered was the figure approaching the temple gates at that very moment.

Backlit by sunlight, the figure appeared only as °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a dark silhouette. They were still at least seven peaks away.

Yet even at that distance, Jinjeong Bosal felt a pressure as though something had placed its hand on his shoulder. The bare trees of early spring seemed to regain their green hue in that presence. Without even drawing his sword, his sword energy alone could be counted among the greatest in the world.

The Natural Sword.

First among the Four Great Guardians of the Heavenly Tree.

Madness... that’s Dragonwill Blade Lord? How fierce is his spirit?!

What hung at his waist was the Sword of Incarnation.

Despite rumors that it would appear dull gray in low light, it shone pure white. And the legendary silhouette—graceful, beautiful, feared for centuries in the martial world—was unmistakable.

Jinjeong Bosal muttered without thinking,

“So the Lord of Ipwang Fortress appointed him anew... Is he going to smash the legitimacy of Yeonhwa Nata first? Does he really intend to take the world?”

It was something he could say only because the Myungryudae expert had vanished. He immediately turned to the two Haomun disciples and gave quick orders.

“You, head to Mount Taesil and release the carrier pigeons. Sunil, go to Mount Sosil and pretend to be a commoner. Blend in with the spectators. Wait for my secret signal. Even though the God of War has vanished, don’t be surprised if he suddenly erupts from the ground beneath Shaolin. If needed, lead the Deungbonghyeon commoners back down.”

Even as he spoke, his eyes stayed fixed on Shaolin.

It was justified. His gaze was glued like glue.

Two figures were following behind Dragonwill Blade Lord. One was a bare-handed woman whose long arms bent the space around her as she walked—just as long as her legs, and just as surreal.

“Beside her... that’s the Sect Leader of Cheongseong!”

The Twin Wall Sword Lord—Cheongsu Jin-in.

When she drew her blade, the sea of white clouds above split apart. As if the sea of clouds had birthed a sword, pulling its energy downward. She, too, had reached the realm of the Natural Sword.

The Lord was right!

The closer one stood to the Heavenly Tree, the more Heavenly Blood one had, the harder it became to resist “Unification.” Cheongsu Jin-in would be no exception.

The Sect Leader of an orthodox school...

Had become a servant of the Heavenly Tree.

“This too must be reported as urgent. The Sword Corps can barely contend with the Daesun Jeongmaeng...”

For reasons unknown, the former Sword Corps Leader had shut himself inside Shaolin. With such a fixed stronghold, they would inevitably become the first target in a three-way war.

And now, the ones facing them were world-shattering warriors: Dragonwill Blade Lord in the state of Unification, Bukmyeong Gwonhu, and Cheongsu Jin-in. Their combined power could rival three generations of Sword Corps Leaders. Especially since Dragonwill Blade Lord’s divine might was still unknown.

—Sunil, run. If we curious folks from Deungbonghyeon don’t move fast, we might leave not even corpses behind. I told you not to come.

“Is the Celestial Emperor of Ipwang Fortress really trying to act like an emperor? Waiting until after everything’s subdued to appear...?”

Suddenly, there was a faint tremor from beneath the ground, but it was so slight that he ignored it. Surely the Celestial Emperor and the God of War hadn’t begun a death match in the bowels of the earth.

If this keeps up, that Myungryudae bastard I met earlier... better he dies a guest in Shaolin. The Sword Corps can’t endure a pincer assault from the Heavenly Tree and Daesun.

I backed the wrong faction.

The Seventeenth Generals weren’t even all assembled yet. And the ones who first occupied the Shaolin gate were beyond bizarre. Each and every one was a madman with no known allegiances.

Then it happened.

KRRRRRRUUUMBLE—!

Thunderous rumbling soared over the mountains and up into the sky. The already-split sea of clouds now scattered like mist. It was a truly enormous display. It looked as though Cheongsu Jin-in’s sword energy had transported an entire space with it.

“What kind of monstrous heresy...?”

Jinjeong Bosal began to speak but then flinched.

A limping man in a conical hat was leaning against Cheongsu Jin-in’s sword—his own blade pressed atop hers. It looked laughable at first glance, and yet there was something bone-chilling about the scene.

Dragonwill Blade Lord’s Sixfold Resonance resounded.

[Those not of the Sword Corps, step back.]

A perfectly flat voice. The voice of one who neither underestimates nor overestimates. An absolute being.

He didn’t even wait for a reply.

Dragonwill Blade Lord walked past the so-called Heretical First Sword.

And then, suddenly, he was trapped within a prison of blackness. Black flames formed a chaotic mandala, spinning wildly—centered precisely around Dragonwill Blade Lord.

It was unmistakably the Black Flame unique to the Ming Sect. But Jinjeong Bosal turned his gaze abruptly—because a huge shadow had fallen over the figure believed to be Bukmyeong Gwonhu.

A fist—so massive it was hard to believe—smashed down on the crown of her head.

KRAAAAAAAASH!!!

The sound that signaled the start of the Great War was colossal. Like a fearsome earthquake flattening entire peaks, the sheer force swept the valley.

Jinjeong Bosal’s expression turned unreadable.

In the fight of the Ipwang Fortress Sword Corps...

The Sword Corps was nowhere to be found.