Na Rin was fearless.

There was nothing to be afraid of.

The saying “do or die” often gave Na Rin’s actions strength.

While ordinary people would fear death, it was no big deal to Na Rin.

Because if she chose “Yes” on the pop-up message asking “Do you want to live again?” that appeared in her final moments, she could start over from the beginning.

So this was unfamiliar.

The fact that she was scared.

‘I don’t want to die.’

Na Rin was crouching behind a stalagmite, hiding her body, just as Hwa Ryeon had done earlier.

The reason was that she pathetically couldn’t find a way to extinguish the Samādhi Flames she had ignited herself.

Regret suddenly washed over her. If she had known this would happen, she should have diligently read the Taoist scriptures or the Tao Te Ching.

‘How could I have known that I would open the Mysterious Gate, the realm of immortals.’

Na Rin’s knowledge about the Mysterious Gate stopped at the level of “I heard there’s something called the Mysterious Gate on the head.”

That’s because how many Taoist priests in the Hwa San Sect, which values practical training, would seriously study how to truly become an immortal?

They would have studied how to shatter the heads of evil cultists far more earnestly than how to open the Mysterious Gate on their own heads.

But it was too late for regrets now.

‘It was the first time.’

The first time entering an evil cult, the first time meeting her father and even sleeping in the same room.

It was also the first time she underwent rebirth, and even that was a child’s rebirth, so there were still tasks to resolve.

With her head drooping, Na Rin’s lips twisted and contorted.

Why was it so hard to give up?

It’s not like it’s the first time.

“It would be nice if someone saves me.”

Feeling suddenly miserable at the words she muttered without thinking, she curled up her small body even more.

It was always like this.

Whenever she was at her weakest, in a predicament, desperately needing someone.

At those times, Na Rin was always alone.

So she became stronger and tougher, but sometimes… it was sad too.

No matter how many times she experienced it, the sadness that couldn’t be gotten used to reddened Na Rin’s eyes at that moment.

“Ju Na Rin!”

At the voice heard from afar, Na Rin’s head shot up.

In that instant, something other than bright pink was reflected in Na Rin’s wide-open eyes.

Breaking through the rising pillar of flames, a white-haired man exuding a hydrangea-like purple aura on a rainy summer day appeared.

“You were here.”

Dokgo Cheon tightly embraced Na Rin, who was crouching, and recited.

What did he say?

Na Rin’s eyes closed and transparent tears fell drop by drop.

She couldn’t even think that he might find it strange.

“Elder brotherrr…!”

The fact that he finally found me.

That it was you.

That you were the blood relative I barely met after going through ten lifetimes.

All of that was so overwhelming.

“It’s alright. It’s okay now.”

Dokgo Cheon patted and stroked Na Rin’s back for a long time.

Having finally found stability, Na Rin sobbed and diligently explained the circumstances.

“The, the monster was like… carrying it! I kept slashing it! But, it kept multiplying, wahhh! I tried to burn it but the fire wouldn’t go out…!”

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

Fortunately, despite Na Rin omitting a few things due to being overwhelmed with emotion and the urgency of the situation, Dokgo Cheon perfectly understood.

“So you’re saying those flames are the Samādhi Flames you ignited.”

“It’s unbelievable, right…”

“I believe you.”

Dokgo Cheon replied without difficulty.

Rather, it would be strange if it weren’t Na Rin’s Samādhi Flames. No flames in the world would have such a distinct and deep pink color.

‘You believe me?’

Na Rin’s eyes widened and blinked.

The story she just told wasn’t ordinary at all.

Not only did a huge monster with a fluid form appear in the low-level warrior exam, but a child’s Samādhi Flames were growing to the point of engulfing an entire mountain, yet he readily believed it.

Na Rin reflexively asked.

“Hic. Is, is this a common occurrence?”

“What do you mean?”

“Something like this… Samādhi Flames not going out.”

“Hmm.”

Dokgo Cheon naturally recalled the historical records documenting the anecdotes of past cult leaders.

‘There was definitely a passage about how the flames ignited by the previous Cheonma illuminated brightly for three days and three nights, replacing the sun and moon.’

Then he calmly nodded and said.

“It happens quite often.”

“I see.”

Na Rin sighed in relief and wiped her tears.

If it was common in the evil cult, there must be a solution.

Although calling it common for an event significant enough to be recorded in historical records might not be appropriate, Na Rin had no way of knowing these details.

“Then how do I put out the fire?”

“Hmm.”

Dokgo Cheon closed his mouth and fell into thought for a moment.

‘The fuel for this immense Samādhi Flames must be the energy of nature.’

That’s what opening the Mysterious Gate means.

Unlike ordinary warriors who use their own internal energy cultivated through self-discipline, once the Mysterious Gate is open, one directly receives and uses the energy of the heavens.

Therefore, after the Mysterious Gate opens, the amount of internal energy is not very important.

It’s like dropping a jar called dantian into the ocean, the energy of nature will constantly fill it.

‘The problem is that the infinite energy of nature is being used to fuel the Samādhi Flames through Na Rin.’

As Dokgo Cheon was thinking that, something caught his eye.

“What is that?”

“Ah, this?”

What Na Rin held up was a sword far longer than her height, with a night pearl attached to the hilt.

“I found it.”

“…Found it?”

When Dokgo Cheon’s expression seemed somewhat unconvinced, Na Rin came to her senses and shouted.

“I didn’t steal it! I was going to bury it back under the Evil Seal Stele after only killing the monsters!”

“Did you just say Evil Seal Stele?”

Seeing Dokgo Cheon’s unexpectedly intense reaction, Na Rin felt like she had done something wrong and carefully nodded.

“That’s what… it said…”

“Let me see it.”

“No!”

Na Rin hugged the sword tightly and quickly added, as if not to be misunderstood.

“This sword is a demon sword. It will hurt anyone who holds it besides me!”

“It will hurt them?”

“The sword will become as hot as heated iron and cause burns.”

Na Rin told the story of Hwa Ryeon, who had been severely injured after touching the sword earlier, earnestly persuading Dokgo Cheon.

“I’m not saying this because I don’t want to give you the sword, it’s really…”

“That is not a demon sword.”

Na Rin’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“It’s a divine sword.”

What does that mean?

As Na Rin showed an expression of complete lack of understanding, Dokgo Cheon’s hand suddenly reached out in front of Na Rin and grasped the hilt. He thought it would be better to show rather than explain with his lacking eloquence.

“Ahhh!”

The one who screamed was Na Rin.

The sword held in Dokgo Cheon’s hand was calm, as if it had met its true owner.

“Huh…? Huh?”

No, why is it docile? Na Rin, who had unintentionally become a liar, rambled in confusion, unable to hide her bewilderment.

“No, just now it definitely…!”

“I know.”

Dokgo Cheon placed the transparent blade on his other palm and calmly examined the sword’s appearance.

‘It’s just as it has been passed down.’

The white night pearl said to have been plucked from the stars.

The hilt wrapped in the hide of the wisest animal in the celestial realm.

The blade made of a divine metal more transparent than glass and harder than diamond.

‘The Sword King was right.’

Dokgo Cheon was certain.

At this moment today, the evil cult had reclaimed the divine sword.

The legendary sword that Ahura Mazda, the god of light and wisdom, bestowed upon the first Cheonma according to mythology.

The Asura Sword.

“Is that sword something extraordinary?”

To Na Rin’s question filled with pure curiosity and a bit of ulterior motive, Dokgo Cheon remained silent for a moment and then gently smiled.

What was the point of telling a young new cult member who knew nothing of the teachings how extraordinary the Asura Sword was?

“Yes. You have accomplished a great feat.”

“Hehe. I see.”

Relieved by those words, Na Rin smiled brightly.

Dokgo Cheon, who was smiling back with a pleased expression, suddenly stiffened.

‘Wait.’

Isn’t it strange?

‘Wasn’t it said that only the bloodline of Cheonma could touch the Asura Sword?’

Dokgo Cheon’s gaze looking at Na Rin became complex.

Come to think of it, the Physician King seemed to have said something about Na Rin’s constitution…

“So how do we put out the fire?”

“Ah.”

Dokgo Cheon, who had been lost in thought, looked at reality again.

Right. Extinguishing the fire was the top priority now.

“Ordinary methods won’t work.”

“Why?”

“Since the fire was ignited with the intention of burning the monsters to nothing, it won’t go out until that goal is achieved.”

It won’t go out until the goal is achieved.

‘Does that mean it will go out on its own after the monsters are completely burned?’

Na Rin asked with a puzzled look.

“Then should we just leave it alone?”

“It will probably burn down the entire Shimandaesan and still not stop.”

Dokgo Cheon looked down at Na Rin and continued with a solemn expression.

“Because evil can never be fundamentally eliminated.”

Evil?

Na Rin tilted her head at the sudden appearance of the word “evil.”

Noticing the gesture requesting further explanation, Dokgo Cheon kindly spoke again.

“Vanquishing evil is the eternal struggle between light and shadow. Evil must exist so that humans can constantly be wary of arrogance, fear temptation, and temper their souls. Something that must always exist somewhere. This is the essence of evil.”

Hmm. I definitely received additional explanation, but I’m even more confused.

‘But it sounds like something I’ve heard before.’

Na Rin pressed her index fingers to her temples, groaning, and rummaged through her mind. Before long, she was able to find the information she was looking for.

‘Right! The stele!’

The inscription on the Evil Seal Stele that she had read in fragments, thinking she had found a clue, seemed to roughly match what Dokgo Cheon was saying. What was written on it?

“O practitioner.”

No, the next part.

“Never cease the war against the wicked mind. Do not win easily. Do not cut off the demon’s breath. But never lose. Do not settle. Do not tire.”

Yes, here it is.

The content of the inscription advising not to cut off the demon’s breath.

Dokgo Cheon’s words that the very essence of evil is something that must exist.

The conclusion derived from combining those two was clear.

“Could it be… that the monsters were given from the beginning to be impossible to eliminate…?”

“You understood.”

Dokgo Cheon’s answer confirmed it.

The reason why the Samādhi Flames wouldn’t go out.

Na Rin had ignited the Samādhi Flames with the intention of burning the monsters to nothing. But this was an eternally unachievable goal. Moreover, with the Mysterious Gate open, the fuel was infinite.

So there was no way for it to go out even if it wanted to.

‘A fire that never goes out?’

It gave her goosebumps.

Isn’t it no different from the karmic fires of hell?

If the fire spreads like this, spreads more, spreads even more but keeps burning, what will happen after that? If the Shimandaesan burns, the Shingang burns, the Central Plains burn, but the fire still doesn’t go out?

‘The world will end.’

Na Rin’s face turned pale.

“What, what should we do…! If it’s common, there must be a way!”

“Yes, there is.”

Dokgo Cheon stroked Na Rin’s head as if to reassure her and said.

“If we seal the monsters, the fire will naturally go out.”

“Seal…”

Now that she thought about it, just from names like Sealing Demons Cave and Evil Seal Stele, it was a development that could be sufficiently inferred. Demons are sealed, not eliminated.

“Don’t worry.”

Dokgo Cheon slowly walked into the center of the flames, holding the Asura Sword.

“When the Heavenly Demon reigns, the spreading evil shall submit.”