Chapter 998: The Divine Tree and the Master.

I brought the fallen Elder-nim into the Hwasan Sect. As soon as I crossed the barrier, the first thing I saw was Turtle, his face all scrunched up.

He looked at me and spoke with an angry face.

“You damn bastards-! I just fixed this barrier the other day, and I distinctly told you to use it delicately–!!”

Turtle, who was about to unleash his full fury, shut his mouth upon seeing Elder Shin, whom I was carrying on my back.

“Elder-nim…… Elder-nim…… Elder Shin… Elder Shin has fallen…”

The words came out jumbled. They weren’t even complete sentences.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. My breath hitched. It wasn’t physical exhaustion, but confusion, I figured.

“……”

Seeing me like that, Turtle narrowed his eyes. He then casually pulled out his staff. Again, I had no idea where he pulled it from.

Woong-!!

With a light swing of the staff, Elder Shin’s body, which I was carrying, floated into the air and headed towards Turtle.

“Tsk…”

Turtle clicked his tongue briefly upon confirming the unconscious Elder Shin.

“Sect Leader… Why do you keep being so stubborn…”

The softly spoken words brushed past my ears.

“Elder-nim… Why did Elder Shin suddenly…”

“I’ll take the Sect Leader. You, don’t follow.”

“Yes…? But-!”

“Your presence will only cause more trouble. If you don’t want to worsen the condition of the old man you’re so worried about, then stay out of the way for now.”

“……”

Hearing that, my eyes widened.

Does ‘more trouble’ mean I’m somehow involved?

‘What is it? Elder Shin didn’t take any of my attacks.’

The domain caused by Jeokcheon shouldn’t have caused any actual damage.

I didn’t launch any other attacks while expressing my ultimate technique.

If anything, I was the one who suffered. The wounds from Elder Shin’s Mind Sword haven’t even healed yet.

Why did Elder Shin collapse? I looked at Turtle, unable to comprehend.

“At the very least, it would be best if you didn’t come near the Sacred Tree until noon.”

“……”

“Answer me.”

“Understood…”

Turtle snorted briefly at my resigned words and moved his staff again.

Then, the two figures blurred and soon vanished without a trace.

I was left alone like that.

I stood frozen like stone, unable to move.

My head bowed towards the ground.

The blood that had dripped from Elder Shin, whom I had been carrying until just moments ago, had soaked into the ground.

It was an awkward color to call human blood.

A deep crimson bloodstain.

Looking at it, I bit my lip.

Something.

Something felt very, very wrong.

---

Time passed, and it was well past noon.

Since it was already daytime, my body had returned to its original state.

My body returned to normal, and I used Gui-jeong to wrap it around me like bandages.

Perhaps the aftereffects of Elder Shin’s Mind Sword were deep, as regeneration hadn’t finished even though my body had become that of a Wol-ya Tribe member.

Thus, I moved while bound by Gui-jeong, which served as bandages.

The place I headed to was the giant Sacred Tree created by the Hwasan Sect.

It was a plum tree soaring so high it almost filled the sky.

The plum petals that fell from it rained down like snow on the Hwasan Sect and the prefecture below.

The area around the Sacred Tree was completely covered in petals, creating a light pink field.

I walked, stepping on the petals.

After walking for a short while, the giant Sacred Tree grew closer.

Just as I was about to speed up to head directly beneath the Sacred Tree.

Thump-!

“……?”

Something hit my forehead. I scrunched up my face and reached out.

I felt something transparent in front of me.

What is this? As I tried to ponder the question.

“That’s far enough.”

A voice reached my ears. It was Turtle’s voice.

“…Elder-nim?”

“Don’t come any closer. That’s as far as you go.”

“What do you mean by that?”

I waited all the way until past noon.

I even waited longer just in case, and now you’re telling me not to approach?

“What about Elder Shin? Is Elder Shin alright?”

I asked about his condition, but Turtle didn’t reply.

“Elder-nim…!”

“……”

Even when I called him again, there was silence. I scowled at his lack of response.

And then.

Hwarururuk—!!!

I put strength into my heart and contained flames.

Even though I’m no longer a Wol-ya Tribe member, my cultivation level has increased.

Chi-iik-!!

A circle of flames formed behind my back and began to spin.

If they won’t let me pass, I’ll break through and go.

Opening my Mind’s Eye, I could see the barrier blocking my path more clearly.

I know it’s a spell. If I wanted to, I should try to break it down right here.

But I didn’t feel like doing that right now.

More accurately, I couldn’t even think about it.

“If you don’t open it, I’ll break it.”

I’ll push forward, even if I have to crush it.

Just as I was about to unleash my fist, now tinged with green, with that thought.

“It’s because of you.”

U-tuk-!

Turtle’s words made me freeze.

“I’ve managed to somewhat tidy up the twisted mess, but the Sect Leader hasn’t regained consciousness. I expect they’ll be in this state for a while. It’s only natural…”

Turtle paused for a moment as he spoke, then continued.

“Their soul itself must be twisted. How long can a fake body possibly hold up?”

“…What do you mean? Twisted soul?”

What was that supposed to mean? I couldn’t understand. I hadn’t even properly fought, my body wasn’t injured, so how could my soul be twisted?

As I asked, Turtle spoke to me.

“The Sect Leader’s body is nothing more than something created. I believe you are aware of that as well.”

“……”

As he said, I was aware. It was obvious. Elder Shin was someone who had already died and disappeared.

The fact that he was moving around here with a body didn’t make sense.

I knew something had happened to Elder Shin.

At that moment.

“The Sect Leader’s body is a reward obtained by becoming the Master’s apostle.”

Turtle said that, and hearing it made my eyes widen.

“Apostle… An apostle?”

The Master’s apostle.

Could it be that…?

“Mother, no. Are you saying Elder Shin is the Master of the Ten Thousand Realms’ apostle?”

Is he her apostle, the current Master of the Ten Thousand Realms?

If he gained a body because of that, I thought it might be possible.

“That’s different. The Fox Demon doesn’t have separate apostles.”

Turtle denied my words. Then what? An apostle of the Master, but not Mother…?

“Ah…?”

A thought struck me, and my eyes widened.

I remembered. There were unusually two Masters here.

“…Mujeogaeng.”

If Mother manages the heavens and earth of the Ten Thousand Realms.

It was said that the depths of the earth there were ruled by Mujeogaeng.

So.

“Are you saying Elder Shin is Mujeogaeng’s apostle?”

Did Shin Elder obtain a body as Mujeogaeng’s apostle?

“Yes.”

Turtle affirmed that with his words.

“The Sect Leader received a body as Mujeogaeng’s apostle and placed their soul there.”

That was the secret behind Shin Elder being able to move with a body in the Ten Thousand Realms.

I don’t know how Mujeogaeng created such a body, but that’s not important right now.

“But you said the soul is twisted. What does that mean?”

Elder Shin’s problem was that his soul was twisted, not that his body was broken.

“It means exactly that. The soul contained within the body has encountered a problem.”

“…So why did that-.”

“That’s the nature of things. It’s fundamentally impossible for a designated soul and body to exist separately.”

“What’s that supposed to mean… Huh?”

I stopped mid-sentence, my mouth closing. A soul and body existing separately. That phrase struck a chord somewhere.

“I’ve heard about it. You’re the same. It means your body was where the Sect Leader’s soul was originally supposed to go.”

“……”

It was something I heard from Noecheon Ilgeom in the Central Plains.

Originally, Elder Shin should have reincarnated in the time I lived, but that didn’t happen.

If he had reincarnated.

‘It should have been my body.’

He should have been born within my current body.

However, for some reason, Elder Shin was sealed within the Plum Blossom Stone.

Time passed, and he met me.

Which means.

“…Is Elder Shin’s current condition my fault?”

“Another soul has entered the body that should have contained his. What do you think happens to a soul that can’t find its way?”

Water that has lost its container.

Then.

“It simply spills onto the floor and evaporates.”

“…!”

“It’s barely holding on within the created body, but it’s bound to crack over time. And then you appeared and started resonating. Of course, the body couldn’t withstand it.”

“Resonance, you mean…”

“It’s the soul trying to head towards you on its own. The closer you are, the more it happens. And the more the Sect Leader uses their power, the more it happens.”

Because my body was the one it should have been in, it meant Elder Shin’s soul was trying to return to me.

Then.

“Why doesn’t it just come…”

Since the body is fake anyway, and the soul is trying to return, why not just let it come?

Like before. Why not just let it be contained within my body?

I say that, but.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Turtle reacted as if agitated by my words.

“Regardless of how you existed in the past, your current soul is different from then. You’ve overcome the current wall and become much stronger. Even if the weakened soul of the Sect Leader were to leave their body and head towards you, do you think you could withstand it?”

“…You say I can’t withstand it?”

“The Sect Leader’s soul carried a great karma, and you weren’t as strong, so perhaps you could have endured it originally. But you are different now.”

My cultivation level rose, my body changed.

Moreover, I reached transcendence. My soul’s vessel became much stronger.

If Elder Shin were to enter my body again.

‘…Does that mean I’ll perish?’

I might perish because I can’t withstand coexistence. No, that’s what he said.

Elder Shin disappears.

The shade and support that allowed me to endure until now would disappear.

Hearing that.

I froze blankly, unable to react at all.

It was the same as when I personally took my father’s life with my own hands.

It was as if.

My world had stopped.