Survival Guide for the Reincarnated

Chapter 457

The Great Desert.An endless sea of sand.

A land blazing like fire during the day and freezing like ice at night.

To the people of the Central Plains, the Great Desert was a land of death.

There was no water.

No roads.

Not even direction.

When sandstorms came, the terrain itself changed overnight.

No matter how great a martial artist was, once they lost their way in the Great Desert, they died.

It was that kind of place.

Unhwi’s group reached the border of the Great Desert three days after departing.

There were quite a few traveling with them.

The Red Demon.

And ten elite martial artists from Red Spirit Court.

Chief Seong spoke.

“From here onward begins the Great Desert.”

The sight spread endlessly before them.

Sand dunes stretching without end.

Wind blew.

Sand scattered through the air.

The Red Demon narrowed his eyes.

“...How long until Soul-Killing Gate?”

“Three days.”

“Three days...”

Not an easy journey.

Three days in the Great Desert were harsher than ten days in the Central Plains.

Unhwi spoke.

“I will guide us.”

At those words, the Red Demon turned with wide eyes.

“...You will guide us personally, Blood Heaven Arbiter?”

“I know this path well.”

His tone was calm.

The Red Demon did not ask why.

Or how.

He could not ask after seeing those eyes.

Unhwi dismounted.

“We leave the horses here and switch to camels.”

“Camels...”

“Ordinary horses cannot survive even a single day in the Great Desert.”

The Red Demon nodded.

He already knew that.

Afterward, Unhwi silently waited in place.

Just as the Red Demon was about to ask what they were waiting for—

Something appeared beyond the sand dunes.

People.

No—

A group of people.

Around twenty of them.

They led camels.

Sun-darkened skin.

Cloth wrapped around their heads.

Nomads of the Great Desert.

The man at the front approached.

The moment he saw Unhwi, he dropped to one knee.

“We greet Black Sand.”

His voice was low.

But filled with reverence.

The Red Demon’s eyes widened.

...Black Sand?

A nomad of the Great Desert had called Unhwi Black Sand.

What was Black Sand?

Quite literally, black sand.

Rare.

Nearly nonexistent within the Great Desert.

And exceedingly precious.

It was the title given to an outsider personally acknowledged by Eun Unsaeng, master of Soul-Killing Gate and ruler of the Great Desert.

A person welcomed anywhere.

No—

A person who had to be welcomed.

Unhwi silently nodded.

The nomad spoke again.

“Our master has been waiting.”

“I understand. Lead the way.”

“Yes.”

The nomad rose and gestured behind him.

The camels approached.

The Red Demon quietly asked Chief Seong,

“...They know the Blood Heaven Arbiter?”

Chief Seong chuckled softly.

“I told you to speak comfortably, yet you keep using formalities.”

The Red Demon scratched his head awkwardly. Despite his imposing appearance, there was something unexpectedly rough and unguarded about him.

Chief Seong continued in a gentle voice.

“Well, there’s no way they wouldn’t know him.”

“How...?”

“You’re a little behind on the news.”

“...Hm?”

“The Great Desert joined hands with Heaven’s Will Alliance, didn’t it?”

“...Then at that time...?”

“Actually, before that.”

“...”

“The connection between the Soul-Killing Gate Master and the Blood Heaven Arbiter began back at Snow Palace. It simply continued into Heaven’s Will Alliance afterward.”

The Red Demon swallowed hard.

“And now it seems it will continue into the Blood Heaven Sect as well.”

Chief Seong said nothing more.

The Red Demon asked nothing further.

It only made Unhwi seem even more extraordinary.

Then Chief Seong asked him,

“May I ask you something?”

The Red Demon turned his head.

“Once Soul-Killing Gate joined hands with Heaven’s Will Alliance, they effectively became competitors of the Murim Alliance. Didn’t Red Spirit Court ever consider approaching them?”

It was a reasonable question.

The three great powers of the Central Plains were the Murim Alliance, the Sichuan Alliance, and Heaven’s Will Alliance.

The Sichuan Alliance had no connection whatsoever to the Great Desert and was far farther away than the other two organizations.

But the Murim Alliance and Heaven’s Will Alliance were different.

More importantly, friction had recently arisen between Red Spirit Court and the Murim Alliance.

Under such circumstances, approaching Soul-Killing Gate, which was allied with Heaven’s Will Alliance, would have made sense.

The distance was not even particularly far.

Only three days away.

At Chief Seong’s question, the Red Demon let out a sigh.

“It’s not that we never tri—cough. It’s not that we never tried. But surely you understand the relationship between the Blood Heaven Sect and Soul-Killing Gate.”

It could be summarized in a single line.

Uncomfortable neighbors.

The history of the Blood Heaven Sect was ancient.

And the history of Soul-Killing Gate was equally ancient.

No—

The history of the Great Desert itself was ancient.

The Blood Heaven Sect had not earned the title of greatest organization in the Central Plains for nothing.

That title was stained with blood.

And among that blood was the blood of the Great Desert.

To put it bluntly, there were even those who said the two sides refused to associate with one another entirely.

Of course, the difference in strength could not be ignored.

But neither could the emotions and pride deeply rooted within the Great Desert.

The Red Demon knew this.

That was why he had never approached the Great Desert.

Or rather—

Could not.

But if Unhwi stood at the front, the story changed completely.

Chief Seong smiled faintly.

“It’ll go well. Don’t worry.”

The Red Demon forced a smile.

If that truly happened—

Nothing could be better.

***

Three days later.

Soul-Killing Gate.

A massive fortress erected in the center of the Great Desert.

Towering ocher walls rose high into the sky.

Flags fluttered atop the battlements.

Flags bearing skulls and swords.

The symbol of Soul-Killing Gate.

Troops stood assembled before the gates.

Around two hundred of them.

Fully armed.

Holding spears and blades.

The Red Demon tensed.

No matter how he looked at it, this was not a welcoming party.

Hadn’t they supposedly been on good terms with Unhwi?

Then what was this formation?

At this scale, it looked more like preparation for war.

From the Red Demon’s perspective, there were already over fifty martial artists at the Four States of Heaven and Earth.

And among them, at least three or four masters of the Five Realms of Martial Divinity.

Then Unhwi climbed down from his camel and slowly walked forward.

He stopped before the troops.

No introduction was necessary.

All two hundred soldiers dropped to one knee simultaneously.

“Black Sand has arrived!! Open the gates!”

A thunderous shout rang out.

The fortress gates opened.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

Heavy sounds echoed outward.

The Red Demon stared blankly.

...What is this?

Someone emerged from within the gates.

A man.

Tall.

At least a head taller than Unhwi.

Broad shoulders.

Sun-darkened skin.

Tattoos across his face.

Sharp eyes.

But he was smiling.

“Heh heh heh... You little bastard. We haven’t even gone that long without seeing each other, and now you return carrying such a tremendous title.”

At the man’s words, Unhwi smiled as well.

“It has been a long time, Senior Eun.”

Eun Unsaeng.

Master of Soul-Killing Gate.

Ruler of the Great Desert.

A master of the Harmony realm.

The strongest martial artist of the Great Desert.

Yet just as Unhwi was about to continue speaking, his eyes narrowed slightly.

This...

“It seems you achieved something great while I was away.”

Eun Unsaeng only smiled silently.

Unhwi offered a fist salute.

“Congratulations. You have reached the Supreme Void Realm.”

“Heh heh heh. I knew you’d notice immediately.”

Eun Unsaeng of the Harmony realm had stepped into the Supreme Void Realm.

A realm acknowledged throughout the martial world as belonging to true supreme masters.

The Red Demon’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

...Supreme... Void...?

The king of the Great Desert.

The master of Soul-Killing Gate.

Had reached the Supreme Void Realm?

This news had not even spread through the martial world yet.

Good heavens.

This elevated not only Soul-Killing Gate’s value, but Heaven’s Will Alliance’s as well.

Eun Unsaeng placed a hand on Unhwi’s shoulder.

“What more can I say? It’s all thanks to you.”

“What could I possibly have done? You reached that realm through your own efforts, Senior Eun.”

“Heh heh. That too is true, but don’t pretend you did nothing. You filled in what Soul-Killing Gate lacked. Without that, I never would have ascended.”

“If you insist on putting it that way, then I suppose I can admit a small part of the credit.”

Eun Unsaeng burst into hearty laughter.

Unhwi laughed as well.

Then Eun Unsaeng’s gaze swept across the Red Demon and the Red Spirit Court martial artists behind him.

“But judging from appearances, this seems to be official business.”

“It is, Senior Eun.”

Eun Unsaeng nodded and suddenly roared,

“Tonight is a feast! All of you may rest freely for today alone!”

“Yes!!”

Resting in a place as dangerous as the Great Desert was absurd.

But today, Unhwi was here.

So for today alone, they could rest.

There was no one in the martial world reckless enough to touch him.

And from time to time, people needed to be allowed to relax like this. Otherwise dissatisfaction would build within the ranks.

“Come inside first.”

“Yes.”

Eun Unsaeng led the way.

Unhwi followed behind him.

Chief Seong approached the still-dazed Red Demon.

“Let’s go.”

“...What exactly is the relationship between those two?”

Chief Seong gave a small laugh.

“In the past, our lord helped Master Eun quite a bit.”

“Helped him?”

“Hmm... How should I explain it? You could say he granted him a favor equal to saving his life.”

“His life...?”

“Yes. Twice, in fact.”

That was not wrong.

Unhwi had revealed the original form of the Soul-Extinguishing Heavenly Divine Art, the long-cherished wish of Soul-Killing Gate.

For an organization that valued tradition as deeply as Soul-Killing Gate did, that held value greater than life itself.

On top of that, he had connected the barren Great Desert to Heaven’s Will Alliance.

He had saved the life of Soul-Killing Gate.

And the life of the Great Desert.

Interpretation varied, but saying he had saved them twice was not inaccurate in the slightest.

The Red Demon silently closed his mouth.

“Come along. And steel your nerves.”

“...Understood.”

Chief Seong walked ahead.

The Red Demon followed.

***

Inside Soul-Killing Gate.

The grand hall.

The hall was enormous, with a high ceiling.

Animal pelts hung from the pillars.

Carpets covered the floor.

The customs of the Great Desert.

Eun Unsaeng sat at the seat of honor.

Unhwi sat beside him.

The Red Demon sat farther below.

Chief Seong, Ju Soa, and Namgung Wonyang sat with him.

Liquor was served.

Meat followed.

Rare foods of the Great Desert.

Eun Unsaeng lifted his cup.

“You little bastard. Let me offer you a drink.”

Unhwi accepted the cup.

“Thank you, Senior Eun.”

The two emptied their cups.

Eun Unsaeng set his down.

“So then, what business brings you here? Bringing even people of the Blood Heaven Sect.”

Direct and straightforward.

Like a man of the Great Desert.

Unhwi did not speak in circles either.

“I want to open a trade route.”

“Hoh... I suspected it, but a trade route?”

“Yes. One connecting Red Spirit Court and Soul-Killing Gate.”

Eun Unsaeng’s eyes gleamed.

“Not the Blood Heaven Sect?”

“Yes. Red Spirit Court.”

The distinction might seem minor, but justification existed for a reason.

“...A clever bastard like you obviously knows the relationship between the Great Desert and the Blood Heaven Sect... and Red Spirit Court... well, their relationship with us isn’t particularly warm either...”

Trailing off, Eun Unsaeng lifted his cup and looked at the Red Demon.

“Red Demon Yang Jeoksaeng?”

Yang Jeoksaeng was the Red Demon’s true name.

The Red Demon rose and offered a fist salute.

“My greetings are late. I am Yang Jeoksaeng, the Red Demon of Red Spirit Court.”

“I know who you are.”

Eun Unsaeng personally poured liquor into the Red Demon’s empty cup.

The Red Demon hurriedly sat back down and raised the cup with both hands.

“If you had come alone, I would have thrown you out. But this brat—my benefactor and someone like a younger brother—came with you. Ah, though can I still call you a younger brother?”

Unhwi laughed quietly.

“Yes. I do not mind.”

Eun Unsaeng smiled faintly as well and looked back toward the Red Demon.

“Whatever the case, I’ll connect it for you. The trade route.”

The Red Demon’s expression brightened immediately.