**[External Ether Circulation System]**

Also known as the "External Ether Circulation Management," this system was, in essence, her own achievement. Rather than simply circulating power within the enhanced suit, it created a circuit within her body, functioning as a secondary organ.

Even the Administrator had praised her for her talent and the fruits of her labor.

Buzz—

The remaining 3% power began circulating between her body and the suit, energizing her.

3% power.

Considering that a single *Vacuum Slash* used to consume 10% power, this was an extremely small amount. It would only last for a few moves before running out. But she hadn’t been idle all this time.

Depending on how she used it, this power source was a mysterious energy that could yield vastly different results.

She was confident that she could achieve the same performance as before using only a fraction of the power.

She clenched the gauntlet of her suit tightly.

Crack—

A sharp metallic screech echoed from her fist.

Sensing her readiness, the figures around her charged. Some leapt out from the shadows and crevices of the ceiling, brandishing their swords.

Slowly assessing her surroundings, she nodded.

It seemed her eyes hadn’t deceived her. Anyone who wielded weapons and drew their swords at the slightest provocation couldn’t be considered normal.

The corner of her mouth twitched.

There was no need to go out of her way to find a reason.

Now, let’s see.

She’d experienced group combat countless times to the point of nausea. So she knew how to approach the fight effectively.

Her gaze fell on a middle-aged man.

‘The highest-ranking person here.’

He didn’t appear to be the strongest, but it was clear he held the highest position.

‘Quick and efficient.’

She wanted to finish up here as soon as possible to investigate the so-called “Holy Flame.”

For some reason, that fire was nagging at her mind.

It would also be an opportunity to learn more about this world.

“Phew.”

The chants of "Heavenly Demon’s Rebirth! Blessings to the Ten Thousand Demons!" echoed in her ears.

‘…A religion?’

Her brow furrowed.

Did gods really exist?

She doubted it. And even if they did, they wouldn’t be what these people imagined. She recalled a time when she, too, had cried out to every god she could think of.

Then she hesitated.

Not necessarily.

She could think of someone she’d willingly call a god—someone who held dominion over the entire dimensional community.

She recalled the true name he’d shared with her.

Kalstein Babylon.

Yes. If gods truly existed, she wouldn’t hesitate to choose him.

*Heavenly Demon?*

To her, it sounded laughable.

Maybe guiding this place’s religion in the “correct” direction would be an entertaining distraction.

A cynical smile appeared on her lips.

‘This time, instead of wiping them out…’

Her eyes flashed with a cold gleam.

Then, her figure moved like a streak of light. Blood spattered across the space from various angles.

“Aaagh!!”  
“Leader!”  
“How dare you!!”

Slash—

---

Bang!

"What’s going on? A retreat?"  
"How would I know what those demon cultists are thinking?"

The deputy leader of the Beggars’ Union took a swig from his gourd and sighed. An elder from the Mount Heaven Sect was fuming and unable to contain his anger.

"Are we just going to watch them leave?"  
"Hah. Are you suggesting we start a war against those who are quietly retreating?"  
"Of course, if necessary! They started this. Why should they get to end it on their terms?"  
"What about the commoners and the smaller sects? All they want is for this not to escalate into another Great War of Good and Evil."  
"That’s…."  
"And don’t forget about the Dark Alliance, watching from behind, likely celebrating."

The martial world was divided into three factions: the righteous sects, the unorthodox sects, and the Demon Sect. The Dark Alliance was a coalition of the unorthodox sects, and they’d be thrilled to see a war erupt between the righteous factions and the Demon Sect.

"So… the Demon Sect proposed a peace treaty?"  
"Well, actually…."

The deputy leader of the Beggars’ Union wore a curious expression. His bright red nose twitched slightly.

"They’re planning to come alone."  
"Who? The vice-leader? Or is one of the Six Masters of the Demonic Way coming personally?"

The elders of the Martial Alliance looked at him expectantly. The content of the letter from the Demon Sect had yet to be disclosed, stoking their curiosity.

"It seems the new leader intends to visit in person."

"The new leader?"  
"Did their leadership change in the middle of the war?"  
"The new leader, visiting personally?"  
"Amitabha."  
"They must be in turmoil over there."  
"And they’re bold, too, planning to come alone into enemy territory."

The surrounding people seemed to think this was about a "peace agreement" or even "surrender."

But Deputy Leader Geol Un-gae smacked his lips.

‘It doesn’t seem that simple….’

He couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. According to a spy within the Demon Sect, the new leader had swiftly overthrown the upper ranks to seize control.

And the tone of the Demon Sect’s official letter felt different from before. While it was technically a “notification,” it came across more like an ultimatum.

To summarize: "We’ll retreat for now, but we’ll visit soon," "The Heavenly Demon Sect will be reborn as the Galactic God Sect under the Great Sovereign," and "Anyone who commits sins or harms others will be considered our enemy."

It made no sense.

It felt more like a declaration of war than anything else. And it was uncharacteristically bold.

Besides, the Great Sovereign…

Did they mean the Emperor?

Even the Demon Sect wouldn’t be foolish enough to antagonize the throne. Or did they mean they’d submit to the Emperor as their Great Sovereign? But the tone didn’t quite fit that interpretation…

What did it mean? A metaphor? A political statement?

Rumors about the new leader were unsettling as well.

The deputy leader’s head throbbed painfully.

*The Heavenly Demon’s Rebirth….*

Meanwhile, the Martial Alliance elders were loudly debating the distribution of spoils and compensation.

---

"Alliance Leader! Is it necessary to personally visit such a young junior for this allocation?"

An elder from the now-destroyed Wudang Sect, his voice sharp with bitterness, grated on the Martial Alliance Leader’s ears.

The Martial Alliance Leader narrowed his eyes at the elder, who only focused on the division of resources.

Was this man in his right mind? Could he really say such things after witnessing the might of the Formless Sword?

If not for his political utility as the last surviving member of the Wudang Sect, or if not for their personal connection, he would have silenced him on the spot.

"We need the Formless Sword’s assistance this time, so going to him directly is the right thing to do."  
"That decision doesn’t sit well with me."

The leader wanted to snap, asking what the elder intended to do about it, but held back. He didn’t have time to worry about someone like Elder Malco.

The new leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Resolving that situation was the priority.

The Beggars’ Union, with its limitations as an intelligence network, didn’t have detailed information.

However, as the Alliance Leader, he had a personal informant with inside knowledge.

A woman claiming to be the emissary of a god who worshipped the Great Sovereign had overthrown the Demon Sect’s leadership and seized control of the Heavenly Demon Sect in an instant.

The letter stated that she intended to negotiate directly.

Given the strength typically found in the upper echelons of the Heavenly Demon Sect, her power was likely at least at the **Celestial Realm** or possibly even at the **Life-and-Death Realm**.

Would she leave peacefully after negotiations? He wasn’t sure.

Even if she did, it wouldn’t be wise to let a master of the Celestial Realm go unchecked. The risk of her becoming a future threat meant they should eliminate her if the opportunity arose.

To accomplish that…

"Formless Sword. I have something urgent to discuss."

He reached the secluded quarters where the Formless Sword resided, but there was no response.

The leader smirked, thinking of Namgung Jin.

Yes. They had the Formless Sword, didn’t they?

He had once witnessed the true power of the Formless Sword.

Could this be the pinnacle of the Absolute Realm? His sword was like that of a god, swift and inevitable. The Formless Sword was a force to be reckoned with.

And he was fortunate that the young swordsman was politically naïve and easy to handle.

Once, he had viewed the Formless Sword with suspicion, but that was in the past.

Perhaps due to his youth, the swordsman displayed a lack of political finesse. How he’d come to wield such power was secondary.

Since he had agreed to lend his strength to the Martial Alliance just once, he was effectively bound by that promise.

For now, he seemed content to stay in seclusion, likely intimidated by the Alliance Leader’s implied threats to use him as a weapon.

The terms were simply that he would lend his power to the Martial Alliance once, no more, but that suited the Alliance well enough.

If the Formless Sword tried to wield his strength too freely, they could restrict him using the terms of their agreement. As long as he wasn’t confrontational or stubborn, it would work out.

And with the new Demon Sect leader planning to visit personally…

It seemed like a perfect opportunity to pit the Formless Sword against the Demon Sect Leader.

True, slaying an emissary who came to negotiate would tarnish the Alliance’s reputation, but…

The Formless Sword could bear the infamy while the Alliance reaped the benefits. A win-win.

Of course, an outcome where both perished would be ideal.

Well… if the Formless Sword proved uncontrollable, they could discuss countermeasures then.

"Formless Sword? Are you inside?"

But just as the Alliance Leader was about to arrive—

Namgung Jin was engrossed in a conversation with someone else entirely.

(NamgungJinNotJin): Oh, Teacher!! I can’t believe you actually called for me!  
(NamgungJinNotJin): Yes, that’s right. I’m from the martial world, too!  
(NamgungJinNotJin): Ah, yes, there are many similar worlds. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have!  
(NamgungJinNotJin): Teacher, it’s an honor!

He was cheerfully responding to messages from his revered mentor, ranked third in unofficial sparring rankings.