Ch.60Chapter 60 – Towards the Transformation Realm (1)

“In the future I’ve seen, it will take at least five years.”

Azazel spoke to the other disciples about the future she had glimpsed. She didn’t mention how she would deceive and kidnap Bing-yeon.

“…How can you be so certain?”

Bi-wol glared at Azazel with distrust. If she believed her words and waited five years, her master Bing-yeon might already be dead by then.

“Because I have the ability to glimpse possible futures. That’s what I saw when I first met our brother.”

Azazel spoke calmly, folding her hands. She knew that eventually they would join forces to prevent Bing-seol-hwa from making the first move.

Though they fought now for dominance, things would change once they faced a common enemy.

“Master won’t last that long. The Severed Nine Yin isn’t as mild an illness as you imagine.”

Bi-wol shook her head, saying it was impossible. No matter how much Bing-yeon tried to extend his life, it seemed impossible for him to endure five years in his current condition.

Unlike others, she could sense people’s conditions through her qi perception, which was why she stayed by Bing-yeon’s side day and night, sharing his waking and sleeping hours.

“But I don’t think junior Azazel is lying!”

Verdandi suddenly interjected into their conversation. From her perspective, Azazel was telling the truth.

If so, that meant Bing-yeon would survive for the next five years.

“Junior, it would help if you could tell us more details about that future!”

What they needed now was cross-verification. By combining the ability to see the future with the eyes that know truth, they could determine the most likely future.

“What I see is only a ‘possible’ future. You must keep in mind that human affairs are unpredictable…”

Azazel deliberately let her words trail off in response to Verdandi. Despite her admiration for Bing-yeon, she didn’t want to speak openly about such intimate matters between a man and woman.

After all, she was a Saintess. Chosen by God, her goal was to defeat the Demon King of this world.

Even though she was born a succubus, she wanted to develop her affection for Bing-yeon through natural encounters rather than using seduction magic.

“…We are the legendary Hero and Saintess! If you tell us the future you’ve seen, we might truly be able to save our master!”

As if seeing through this, Verdandi raised her voice toward Azazel. This was about the life of the person she cared for most.

Whatever the method entailed, Verdandi was willing to risk even her life.

“Sister, do you know the meaning of ‘Absorbing Yang to Supplement Yin’?”

Azazel asked Verdandi if she understood the true meaning of the solution the Divine Doctor had suggested.

She had glimpsed the future and knew it involved physical relations between a man and woman.

Bi-wol, obviously trying to reduce competition, had not explained the meaning of the term to the other disciples.

“I don’t! I suppose it must require me to sacrifice my life!”

Verdandi forced a calm expression as she spoke. Her hand trembled, and she blinked more frequently than usual.

She had never felt so afraid of death before. Before meeting Bing-yeon, she had thought she wouldn’t mind dying alone somewhere unknown.

“…That’s not it. It means a man and woman sharing a bed, developing a deeper relationship.”

“How did you… Oh, you said you could glimpse the future.”

Azazel, being a succubus, knew all about such matters, and Bi-wol had studied various knowledge in preparation for potentially winning over Bing-yeon.

However,

“What does ‘deeper relationship’ mean?”

Unlike the others who were ready to pounce on Bing-yeon, Verdandi was different.

“It means… creating a child that resembles both of you.”

“Aren’t babies brought by storks or found under bridges?”

She had never learned these basic facts from her parents. As Bing-yeon had described, she was like a blank sheet of paper.

“Wait, you really don’t know anything?”

“You’re all misunderstanding! I clearly heard from children my age, and it came out as the truth!”

Bi-wol covered her mouth in surprise. Based on the kiss on the cheek earlier, she had thought Verdandi knew some womanly wiles.

All of Verdandi’s actions were the natural result of knowing nothing about love between men and women.

“Don’t tell me you don’t even know about kissing?”

“I know that! It’s when you press your lips together or kiss on the cheek, like I do with my mother! I know it’s something you do with someone you like!”

“No, it’s when you mix tongues…”

“? What does that even mean?”

Bi-wol shuddered seeing Verdandi’s unexpected innocence. She instinctively realized this kind of purity was another weapon that could unwittingly captivate men.

Unlike herself and Azazel with their ulterior motives, purity could be a different kind of weapon.

No wonder their master Bing-yeon seemed particularly unguarded around Verdandi. Someone at the Transcendence Realm couldn’t have missed noticing that kiss on the cheek.

“This won’t do. Let’s settle this properly today.”

Feeling threatened, Bi-wol suggested they have a duel among themselves, glaring at Verdandi and Azazel.

They had fought together before, but back then they were under Bing-yeon’s guidance and didn’t use their full power, focusing instead on mastering third-rate martial arts.

“Why is the conversation suddenly turning this way?”

“Advancement in martial arts comes through consistent practice and enlightenment…”

Looking at it now, there was too much information they were either hiding or unaware of. It was unclear who would be the first to win over their master Bing-yeon and claim the position of his wife.

“…I need to show my sisters who is most suitable to be our master’s primary wife.”

She had decided to make the first move. Instead of using underhanded methods, she thought she could secure the position of the mistress through legitimate means.

Jealousy and interference were for amateurs. Bi-wol had realized through her conversation with Azazel that a true master would become a woman no one could approach, captivating a man completely.

“…Very well. I also want to keep what I’ve seen of the future to myself.”

Azazel nodded as she looked at Bi-wol. She too wanted to make her move before Bing-seol-hwa could steal him away.

Despite knowing that according to her vision, the issue could be peacefully resolved by seducing Bing-yeon while blindfolded.

“I also want to change the future if possible.”

Azazel didn’t want to give up Bing-yeon to anyone else now.

“What future did you see that made you like this? Last time you even had a nosebleed.”

“…You don’t need to know.”

Azazel tried to predict the future by looking into Bi-wol and Verdandi’s eyes before fighting.

She had successfully used this to exploit weaknesses and defeat the Chimera at the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, so she thought her victory was already assured.

“Then I’ll fight too! If that’s the shortcut to the Transformation Realm!”

Verdandi had already summoned her Holy Armor, blocking Azazel’s future sight. The blue-tinted armor that protected its wearer from all attacks.

Seeing this, Azazel bit her lower lip tightly.

* * *

Today had been more hectic than any other day.

Because my disciples had won at the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, my sect had received the title of the Three Phoenixes all at once.

“Sigh… even if people suddenly ask to become disciples, I can’t just accept everyone who comes looking to get stronger.”

As a result, more people were seeking me out despite my weak body and reluctance to be active in order to avoid disrupting the original story.

“If I die, the only one who could lead this sect would be… probably Bi-wol.”

I sighed deeply and stretched. Recently, I’d been coughing up blood more frequently and having trouble sleeping, often waking up at dawn.

To avoid worrying my disciples, I’d been secretly enduring the pain by gritting my teeth.

The feeling of life gradually fading away felt similar to the description in Seol-hwa’s will.

– It feels like being buried alive.

– It feels like someone is shoveling damp, hard soil onto my head, one handful each day.

“The weight of death is so light…”

I muttered to myself, remembering Seol-hwa. Despite her reputation as a genius, she was emotional and cried easily.

If I could remove the Outer God residing in Seol-hwa as the Divine Doctor suggested, I would rather reunite with her than with my disciples.

I felt that would be the right thing to do.

But then.

“Master Bing-yeon! You need to come out right away…!”

I heard other disciples urgently calling me from outside. With the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament over, there shouldn’t be any major issues except for the Demon King trying to conquer the West.

“Right now, your top disciples are suddenly having a duel…!”

“What?”

Disciples practicing martial arts together or coordinating was common in the sect. I tilted my head, looking at the pale-faced disciple speaking to me.

“The training ground equipment is being destroyed! Please come quickly and stop them!”