Chapter 354: Reunited Fate

“Fellow Daoist Jin, it has been a long time.”

Just by the voice alone, I could immediately tell who it was.

Baek Myo-hwa, the patriarch of the Golden Rune Fox Clan.

It was good to meet her again after a long time since we parted at the Dark Heaven Academy.

“It has been a long time. Have you been well?”

Showing her face by slightly lowering her mask, she wore a bitter smile.

“To be honest, it would be difficult to say I have been well. I went through quite a troublesome situation.”

“A troublesome situation?”

“I almost died. As soon as I left the Dark Heaven Province and crossed over to another region, mysterious attackers assaulted me.”

“Without any reason?”

“Sigh, it seems they coveted the treasure I possess.”

Suddenly, the fact that she possessed a treasure presumed to be a heaven-defying treasure came to mind.

‘It was a bead that absorbs spiritual veins.’

By all appearances, she seemed to be pursued by a subordinate force of the Great Ascension stage.

‘Should I join forces with Baek Myo-hwa and bait them…’

Just as I was contemplating because it seemed like a not-so-bad method,

She, who had been smiling bitterly, said in a much brighter tone,

“Fortunately, however, the situation has improved recently. The Time Gate helped me.”

“The Time Gate…?”

It was a familiar name.

I narrowed my brows as the memory hovered just out of reach.

While groping my memories amidst that tickling sensation,

‘Ah!’

At a certain moment, it flashed in my mind.

There was definitely a sect called the Time Gate in the human race as well. I had even received an offer to join.

‘When was it? Was it when I was in the Heavenly Feast Prefecture City?’

When it had not been long since I ascended to the upper realm.

At the time when I had just crossed over into the human territory while being chased by the Asura race.

I had participated in a succession ceremony to obtain a Void Refinement spiritual object.

At the time, the Castellan of the city where the succession ceremony was held, the Heavenly Feast Prefecture City, belonged to the Time Gate.

‘To think there is a Time Gate in the Xuanhuang Realm as well… Is it a coincidence?’

It was a strange thing, but it was not entirely impossible.

Since this world was originally so vast, there were occasionally cases where forces with absolutely no connection shared the same name.

In particular, since “time” was a word meaning time or years, it was frequently used in various places.

Was the name of the secret technique obtained from the Dark Heaven Academy, the formation that controls the flow of time, not also the Time Flows Like a River Formation?

It was not nonsensical.

Just as I roughly accepted it like that, Baek Myo-hwa spoke in a much lower voice.

“Actually, the Sect Master of the Time Gate is here at this venue.”

“Hmm?”

“They said they absolutely have something to tell Fellow Daoist Jin, so would you like to meet them?”

“Let us do so.”

Since I happened to be curious about the Time Gate, I agreed immediately.

Soon after, a girl whose bare feet were fully exposed since she did not wear shoes approached with a bright smile.

‘…A human?’

Short bobbed hair falling to her neckline, round ears, black pupils in pure white sclera, and clean skin entirely devoid of scales or horns.

No matter how I looked at it, she was human. She did not possess a single characteristic of a foreign race.

Could the Time Gate be a sect that had ties with the human race?

“I am called Seo Do-yeon.”

“I am Jin So-myeong. But…”

I continued speaking while looking at her, who was smiling brightly like an innocent girl.

“This might be a slightly rude question, but by any chance, are you human?”

Inquiring about a cultivator’s secrets was a very impolite action, but I was so curious that I could not hold it in.

That was why I asked, but the answer was peculiar.

“Well. That might be so, or it might not be.”

“…”

“During the infinitely continuing samsara, would there not be at least one time when I was human?”

What on earth was she talking about all of a sudden? Just as I was thinking with narrowed brows,

–No one knows the race of the Sect Master of the Time Gate, but at the very least, they are probably not human.

Baek Myo-hwa’s voice transmission followed.

–The Sect Master’s hobby is mimicking other races. That appearance is a transformation spell cast after hearing the rumors of Fellow Daoist Jin recently. They said they became interested in the human race.

I felt completely drained because it was an absurdly hollow reason, and Seo Do-yeon, who had been smiling meaningfully, glared at Baek Myo-hwa and coughed dryly.

“Anyway, the reason I wanted to meet Fellow Daoist Jin is to give you a warning.”

“A warning. Please speak. I am listening.”

“I do not know if you are aware, but the Heavenly Law Palace has targeted Fellow Daoist Jin.”

“Oh, that is indeed wonderful.”

“…Excuse me?”

A bizarre silence flowed for a moment.

Seo Do-yeon, who tilted her head ever so slightly, stared at Baek Myo-hwa, appearing like someone trying to confirm if she had heard correctly.

“It is nothing, so please continue speaking.”

“…Uh, that is to say. It seems the Heavenly Law Palace has judged that Fellow Daoist Jin possesses a heaven-defying treasure.”

“That I possess a heaven-defying treasure?”

I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, then froze.

It was because the numerous opportunities I had obtained so far suddenly flashed in my mind.

‘I cannot say I have absolutely no heaven-defying treasures…’

From the Supreme Great Ability, the Secret Realm of the Mind, the Myriad Flows Restoration, to the Western Heaven Divine Ability obtained recently.

When looked at closely, all of them were heaven-defying treasures.

Even with just one of those, there was a possibility of rising to the Great Ascension stage.

“Upon our investigation, it seems it was the Sacred Scale Alliance that spread the rumor that Fellow Daoist Jin possesses a heaven-defying treasure.”

“Haha.”

The Sacred Scale Alliance spread the rumor? That was indeed a funny story.

How should I repay them for this…

Although I was contemplating, I first greeted the Sect Master of the Time Gate.

“Thank you for delivering good… No, important news.”

“…Do not mention it. If you ever need help, please visit the Time Gate. Someone with outstanding skills like Fellow Daoist Jin is welcome at any time.”

“Yes.”

Seo Do-yeon, who left after telling me the method to contact the Time Gate, tilted her head on her way out as if she felt something was strange.

“Fellow Daoist Jin. I shall take my leave as well. Let us meet again if fate allows.”

“Yes. Go safely.”

Baek Myo-hwa, who wore a faint smile, withdrew her barrier and left the exchange meeting venue altogether.

‘The Time Gate…’

What kind of force were they to stretch out a hand to him, who had become the target of the Heavenly Law Palace?

I knew most of the forces that had made a name for themselves in the Xuanhuang Realm, but the Time Gate was not among them.

‘A group with such considerable information-gathering power, yet its name is barely known. Strange.’

At that moment, while I was making various guesses while chewing over what the Sect Master of the Time Gate had said,

Another guest. A young man wearing a blue robe arrived.

“Cultivator Jin. Could you spare some of your time for a moment?”

A thick belt fastened around his waist and his long hair neatly rolled up and secured with a hero’s bandana was impressive.

Except for the red horns growing on both sides of his forehead and his long, pointed ears, he was almost identical to a human.

For reference, this guy was the one who had sent a uniquely piercing gaze when I first revealed my appearance in the exchange venue.

And although it was a bit much to say such a thing based solely on a first impression…

‘He looks like a gently raised young master.’

His upright posture and tidy clothes with not a speck of dust on them exuded such a feeling.

It was as if he was a prodigy born in a good family who had received the highest-grade education since childhood.

Of course, that might not be the case. It was merely a judgment based on outward appearance, after all.

And…

There was one more thing I came to realize.

‘He is strong.’

The statement that he looked like a young master did not mean he appeared weak.

Out of all the enemies I had fought so far, he was the most overwhelmingly strong.

Should I call it absolute perfection? Possessing a sturdy foundation, it was difficult to find any openings.

Since what was currently at the venue was only a part of my consciousness, my senses were not completely intact, but I could still grasp the general feeling.

From his highly compressed aura, it brought to mind a magnificent citadel that a superb architect had diligently piled up.

“And who might you be?”

“I am Yoo Cheon of the Heavenly Law Palace.”

“Nice to meet you. However, this seems to be our first meeting, so how did you know my name?”

“Hmm. I will not particularly hide it. Actually, after hearing about what Cultivator Jin did in the Sacred Scale Alliance, I conducted a bit of investigation.”

“An investigation… My, my. How should I react to those words?”

As I stared blankly at the opponent who confidently declared that he had investigated my background, Yoo Cheon, who let out a smirk, said,

“It was a necessary procedure, so please understand.”

“Haha. What was it a necessary procedure for?”

“Since useless talk is not my preference, I will ask bluntly. Do you have any intention of joining the Heavenly Law Palace?”

“Join the Heavenly Law Palace?”

As I froze at the unexpected proposal, Yoo Cheon said,

“Of course, it is not for free. It is first necessary to prove your skills through a test.”

“Proving?”

“To enter our Heavenly Law Palace, one must be skilled in battle.”

“So you are saying you want to test my skills.”

I could roughly guess what kind of test it would be.

They must want to have a fight.

Leaving the word “test” aside for a moment, I first contemplated whether to enter the Heavenly Law Palace or not.

‘Should I enter the Heavenly Law Palace and then investigate the Great Ascension stage from within?’

What kind of advantages and disadvantages would there be if I entered the Heavenly Law Palace, which was presumed to be a subordinate force of the Great Ascension stage…

After contemplating, I asked back.

“Why should I enter the Heavenly Law Palace while even going through a test? What can I obtain?”

Yoo Cheon, who raised one eyebrow, said with a peculiar expression,

“Usually, people ask what the test is, but Cultivator Jin asks what you can obtain first.”

“…”

“To give you an answer for now, I would say you can obtain whatever you need. As long as you properly handle the occasionally assigned missions, everything necessary for cultivation will be provided.”

Missions.

There was something that could be known from that word alone. It meant there was an organization superior to the Heavenly Law Palace.

While contemplating how to react to obtain more information, I shook my head.

“If it is merely that much, I shall decline. I do not particularly wish to give up the life of a free rogue cultivator. I can resolve cultivation resources on my own.”

“You can also obtain divine arts and supreme techniques that are on a completely different level from the miscellaneous cultivation methods floating around in the market.”

“Cultivation methods… That is not bad.”

Although I acted nonchalantly as if I were uninterested, it was not that I did not covet them at all.

If the divine arts and supreme techniques Yoo Cheon spoke of were cultivation methods touched by the hands of the Great Ascension stage,

How outstanding would they become once registered in the Proficiency System?

Although I wanted to at least take a look at what kind of cultivation methods they were, I did not particularly show it.

“Is that all?”

Was it because I acted as if I were not very pleased?

Yoo Cheon, who was silent for a moment, set up a barrier to block gazes, then opened his mouth.

“There are various other benefits… but they are all trivial. Rather than such things, if you join the Heavenly Law Palace, you can escape the restrictions of lifespan.”

“…Eternal life? Are you joking right now?”

“No. I will teach you a method to enjoy eternal life without even raising your realm.”

For words blurted out so casually, it was extremely important information.

Could one really escape the restrictions of lifespan upon entering the Heavenly Law Palace?

“Honestly, it is hard to believe. What kind of method is it?”

“I am sorry, but I cannot tell you before you enter the Heavenly Law Palace.”

After remaining silent for quite a long time, I groaned.

“It is difficult to decide readily. Please give me time to contemplate.”

***

The old man, Gok Man, who was lying on the bare floor and looking up at the sky, glanced over.

He asked while looking at Yoo Cheon, who returned after finishing his conversation with Jin So-myeong.

“How did he seem up close?”

“Are you speaking of Jin So-myeong?”

“Yes.”

Yoo Cheon, who was thinking deeply with folded arms, let out a smirk.

“He is more decent than I expected, but he is below me.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes. He was at a level similar to when I was at the early Unity stage. If Jin So-myeong enters the Heavenly Law Palace and learns the cultivation methods of the elders, he might become a decent sparring partner then.”

Gok Man, who was silent, nodded his head.

Actually, his thoughts were slightly different… but he did not particularly enlighten him.

No matter what the situation became, Yoo Cheon, who had obtained the opportunities of the Heavenly Law Palace, would not be defeated.