Among the heads of the Five Great Families, those of the Zhuge Family and Tang Family also stepped forward.
"He's offering us Bone-and-Body Rebirth, of all things, and they're still hesitating."
"Hahaha! That's only because they don't know Lord Jeok as well as we do. All the better for us. We get to go first."
"True enough. Once they see what happens to us, I'm sure they'll change their minds."
The faces of those who had volunteered were filled with absolute trust in Jeok Wigang.
"Well, we don't have much time, so let's get started."
Those who had stepped forward were eager to experience Bone-and-Body Rebirth. The others watched with anticipation, wondering whether it would truly work.
Under their collective gaze, Jeok Wigang began reciting a mantra.
In an instant, brilliant light surged around Baek Un, swirling violently before enveloping him completely.
CRRRK— CRACK—
The sound of cracking bones filled the air as Baek Un's body slowly rose off the ground.
As he floated in midair, his clothes disintegrated into nothingness, and his entire body swelled as though it were about to burst.
At the same time, black impurities began pouring from every pore, accompanied by clouds of scalding steam.
"Nnngh!"
He clenched his teeth, desperately trying to endure the pain, but the groans escaping his lips made it clear just how much he was suffering.
His swollen body began twisting, gradually contorting into a grotesque shape.
CRRRK— CRACK—
Horrifying sounds came from his distorted body.
The vortex of light grew increasingly violent until it blazed so brightly that no one could bear to look directly at it. Baek Un disappeared from sight.
Only the sickening sounds and occasional groans coming from within revealed that he was still there.
The process did not take long.
The sounds of bones shifting ceased, followed by the groans.
As the light gradually faded, Baek Un's floating body descended to the ground.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Everyone swallowed nervously as they stared at his blackened figure.
Crack— Crackle—
The black coating was nothing more than impurities expelled from his body. As it cracked and crumbled away, Baek Un emerged from beneath it.
His body, which had been covered in scars just moments earlier, was now as smooth and lustrous as a newborn baby's.
When Baek Un opened his eyes and rose to his feet, the head of the Zhuge Family hurriedly removed his outer robe to cover the naked man.
Their eyes met.
"Ah."
Those eyes were like gazing into a bottomless abyss.
He had undoubtedly changed.
"Thank you, Head of the Zhuge Family."
"Think nothing of it. How do you feel?"
At the question, Baek Un looked down at his own body in amazement.
"Light. I feel so light I could take flight at any moment. And there's strength overflowing from every part of me. To think I could possess so much energy..."
WHOOOOM—
Baek Un clenched his fist and gathered his qi. An enormous amount of energy immediately converged around him.
"Gasp!"
The onlookers stared in astonishment.
"Can Bone-and-Body Rebirth alone make someone that much stronger?"
Jeok Mugun gave a faint chuckle at their amazement before explaining.
"Bone-and-Body Rebirth transforms the body into one better suited for martial arts. It doesn't raise one's martial realm. The reason that fellow has grown so much stronger is that Wigang also awakened his latent potential. Now do you understand why I called you lucky bastards?"
Not only would they undergo Bone-and-Body Rebirth, but their latent potential would be awakened as well?
How could anyone accomplish such a thing unless they were a god?
It was unbelievable.
Yet they had witnessed it with their own eyes. There was no denying what had happened.
Meanwhile, one person stood there looking rather uncomfortable.
"I-I think I'll go... l-later..."
It was Abbess Unjeong of the Emei Sect.
She had been thoroughly flustered by the sight of Baek Un's clothes disappearing during the transformation.
Jeok Wigang smiled when he realized what was troubling her.
"Oh, I forgot the clothes would disintegrate. Don't worry. I'll make sure yours stay intact."
"Y-you can do that?"
"Of course."
"Then... please proceed."
Once Abbess Unjeong began her Bone-and-Body Rebirth, the Sect Master of the Wudang Sect quietly joined the line.
The Sect Master of Mount Hua followed him, and before long, everyone else had silently fallen into line, waiting for their turn.
The leaders of the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families were struggling to control their newfound strength after undergoing Bone-and-Body Rebirth and having their latent potential awakened.
They began training to familiarize themselves with their enhanced abilities.
Meanwhile, Jeok Wigang remained as busy as ever.
Together with Master Smith Cheon, he worked tirelessly at the Heavenly Forge, producing one weapon after another.
"No matter how many times I look at them, they're extraordinary."
The weapons that had drawn Master Smith Cheon's admiration were specially tailored to the qi of each sect leader.
As if that weren't enough, Wigang had also inscribed formations on them that amplified their wielders' energy.
And weapons for ordinary martial artists were being produced just as relentlessly.
When these specially crafted weapons were used to deploy a formation, its power would increase tenfold.
Wigang did not personally forge those weapons.
He merely inscribed formations onto the finished products.
That did not mean he could inscribe a formation onto just any weapon, however.
The weapon had to be strong enough to withstand the formation's power.
And the only place capable of producing such weapons was the Heavenly Forge. Only its craftsmen possessed the necessary skill.
The craftsmen worked day and night without rest, turning out weapons as quickly as they could.
The finished weapons were allocated first to Heavenly Martial Castle and the True Martial Sect, followed by the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families.
As for the mid-sized sects, it was still too soon.
They lacked suitable formations, and simply giving them powerful weapons would not enable them to withstand the forces of White Horse Heaven.
For now, Wigang could only hope they would make good use of the talismans he had given them.
"But couldn't some of these weapons end up in the hands of demons hiding among us?"
Wigang grinned at Master Smith Cheon's question.
"That would actually make them easier to find. I've designed the formations inscribed on these weapons to respond only to human innate true qi. In fact, I'd be delighted if one of those demons picked up a weapon and tried pouring its energy into it. We'd be able to detect them and deal them a serious blow at the same time."
"Good heavens."
Master Smith Cheon was impressed.
Wigang had thought of everything.
"Let's just hope nothing happens before we've managed to deliver all of them..."
DONG— DONG— DONG—
The dawn bells rang through Shaolin Temple.
Another peaceful day was beginning.
But in one corner of the temple, the seeds of chaos were already taking root.
As the Shaolin disciples made their way to morning training, just as they did every day, a group of figures blocked their path.
They were monks from the Discipline Hall.
The disciples exchanged puzzled looks.
"What is the meaning of this?"
The Master of the Discipline Hall smiled at their question.
"There's something I need to tell you."
"We'll be late for morning training. Could you please make it quick?"
"It's nothing complicated. From this moment on, you must choose between two options."
"Pardon? What options?"
"Will you abandon Shaolin and follow White Horse Heaven, or will you die alongside Shaolin?"
The question was so absurd that the disciples glanced around, wondering what on earth was going on.
Was this perhaps some sort of test designed to examine their devotion to the Buddha?
Some even entertained that possibility.
"Make your decision quickly."
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying. What is White Horse Heaven?"
"It is the place where we worship the great demon god."
The disciples were dumbfounded.
To stand in a temple dedicated to the Buddha and demand that its disciples worship a demon god!
"I shall take your words as a test of our Buddhist faith and answer accordingly. There is room for no one but the Buddha in our hearts."
"Is that so? Well, they all say that at first. These fellows here were no different."
At the Discipline Hall Master's words, the disciples looked behind him.
The other monks of the Discipline Hall stood there with menacing expressions.
"They also claimed to worship the Buddha at first, just as you do. But now they follow the Lord of Heaven of White Horse Heaven instead. Soon enough, you'll be following the Lord of Heaven rather than the Buddha too."
The Shaolin disciples' expressions hardened at his outrageous declaration.
This was no joke.
"Silence! How dare you utter such blasphemy before the sacred Buddha! Seize that man at once!"
The disciples immediately prepared for battle.
"Kekeke! Very well. I never expected you to come over willingly. But don't worry. My orders are to take complete control of Shaolin Temple, so I won't kill you."
The Discipline Hall Master gave a nod.
At his signal, the Discipline Hall monks charged forward, swinging their staffs.
The two groups immediately clashed.
"Elder! Please come to your senses!"
The desperate cry rang out.
The Wudang disciples had surrounded a single man, but they were at a loss for what to do.
The man confronting them was Hyeonheo, the Grand Elder of Wudang.
"Follow... that... one..."
"Who are you telling us to follow?"
"The one... and only..."
"Do you mean the Primordial Heavenly Venerable?"
"Follow... the Lord... of Heaven..."
The Lord of Heaven?
"Who is this Lord of Heaven?"
"The one... who shall rule... the world... Follow him..."
"Grand Elder! Please, come to your senses!"
"Those who... refuse... shall suffer..."
"Grand Elder!"
Their desperate pleas had no effect.
"I... won't... kill you... The Lord... of Heaven's... mercy..."
He looked as though someone else were controlling him.
His eyes were clouded, and the qi emanating from his body was anything but pure.
Seeing this, the disciples understood.
The Grand Elder was not in his right mind.
"Someone wicked must have bewitched the Grand Elder! We have to save him. Subdue him at once!"
"We can't save the Grand Elder with our strength alone! Deploy the Seven Stars Nine Palaces Sword Formation!"
"...Seven Stars... Nine Palaces Sword Formation... Come..."
The voice was low and unnatural.
It was nothing like Hyeonheo's usual clear voice.
It almost sounded as though someone else were speaking through his mouth.
"Grand Elder, forgive our disrespect. Form the formation!"
At the command of Jeong Un, Wudang's senior martial brother, the sound of swords being drawn rang out.
SHIIING—
It began as a single sound, then spread into seven distinct notes.
"Kekeke... The Seven Stars Nine Palaces Sword Formation, is it...? Do you truly believe... such a pathetic sword formation... can stop me...?"
Dark crimson energy erupted beneath Hyeonheo's feet and coiled around his body.
"Urgh!"
"S-such sinister energy!"
"The Grand Elder really has fallen victim to something evil!"
"We must save him!"
But would their desperate cries reach him?
SHIIING—
The Grand Elder drew his sword.
WHOOSH—
"Watch out!"
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Several disciples raised their swords simultaneously to defend themselves.
"Urgh!"
Although they managed to block the attack in time, an enormous impact traveled through their blades.
The mind controlling Hyeonheo might belong to someone else, but the strength wielding his sword was his own.
And that strength was formidable.
"Stay focused! We must save the Grand Elder, no matter what!"
"Yes!"
The Wudang disciples moved in perfect coordination.
As their positions shifted, the Nine Palaces began to transform.
The true purpose of the Seven Stars Nine Palaces Sword Formation was not to injure an opponent, but to subdue them.
The Grand Elder attacked his disciples relentlessly, yet every strike was stopped by the defensive barrier of the formation.
"Grand Elder! Please come to your senses!"
"Don't let those evil wretches defeat you!"
"You must fight them!"
Their voices were filled with desperation.
Jeong Un shouted.
"The Seven Stars do not raise their swords! The Seven Stars open the way! Those were the words you taught us, Grand Elder!"
At that moment, Hyeonheo's movements briefly faltered.
For an instant, the sinister energy resisting the power of the Seven Stars disappeared.
"Now! Nine Palaces! Seal!"
CRACK— CRACK— CRACK—
Seven swords plunged into the ground.
Pure white energy surged upward, wrapped around Hyeonheo's body, and completely subdued him.
The white energy continued pouring into him without cease.

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