---

“So, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were actually cannibals?”

“Well, it’s a shocking thought, but really, it’s just a warning sign. Don’t think too deeply about it,” Mangnyang said.

“Got it,” I replied, letting out a sigh of relief.

Sure, it was a chilling truth of history, but it didn’t help with unsealing the soul of the Water Element Divine Sword right now. Sure, it might relate later, but we’re not there yet. Mangnyang explaining this to me in the absence of Miho probably means it wasn’t that crucial.

And even if the Three Sovereigns dined on humans, that was way back in the day, right? It didn’t concern my immediate business. What mattered now was gaining enough power to contend against Daji.

Mangnyang continued, “Baek Woong. In this situation, we have no choice but to use brute force.”

“No way…”

“We’ll head back to the Great Prairie’s lake, just trust your senses and head north. Keep going until we hit the icy land.”

“Ugh, I guess that’s all we can do.”

I couldn’t go rummaging through the countless old texts in the archives, looking for some elusive technique that might show up… pun intended. From what I could tell, there had to be tens of thousands of those books. Plus, Mangnyang was busy keeping the Imperial Palace forces in check while raising his own skill level, so he couldn’t afford to waste time.

Being an ice-and-fire resisting martial artist, I could convert my immense internal power into physical strength. As long as I bundled up in cozy furs, the chance of freezing to death was practically non-existent the way I was sprinting!

‘I need to see that Arctic continent myself, no matter what!’

As I steeled my resolve, Mangnyang asked, “Can you use the Light Body Technique?”

I nodded, “Of course.”

I wasn’t able to originally. But during my time learning from the Thunder God lineage in my 14th life, mastering Light Body Techniques like the Grass Skimming Technique became essential. Advanced techniques required innate talent, but with my foundational control in Qi perfected and an understanding of various World-Class Martial Skills, I had no issues.

Just then, Miho returned. Upon hearing we were planning to push through the Arctic directly from the northeast land, her expression soured.

“I knew it would come to this; you’re really going with that brute force plan.”

“Miho, just turn into a necklace and follow me.”

“Sure, but are you really okay with this? It’s nothing compared to the difficulties you’ve faced crossing the Central Plains.”

“It’s not my first rodeo in hardship.”

Getting killed without achieving anything was scarier.

I swallowed that thought before Mangnyang spoke up again, “Baek Woong, don’t dwell on the fact that you can’t yet reach the mythic beings.”

Another sigh escaped me. “After nearly a hundred years of cultivation, how can I not worry when I’m nowhere near their level?”

“But you’ll have another hundred years to grow your power.”

“……”

Staring blankly at Mangnyang, I observed his crossed arms as he continued, “Since you brought back the Water Element Divine Sword and the opportunity for internal training, I’ve been frantically honing my martial and sorcery skills. My goal has expanded as I realized I would eventually have to battle against Daji, the Demon King of the Divine Age. To increase my odds of survival, I’ve been putting in the effort.”

“……!!”

Only then did I understand Mangnyang’s remarkable growth rate in this life. Up until now, he had focused on advancing the Bancheon Alliance and executing strategies, with individual power being somewhat unimportant. However, given the overwhelming difference in strength, Mangnyang realized just how deadly a loss could be for the Bancheon Alliance or his comrades at any moment. Hence, his frantic training.

Mangnyang smiled broadly. “What truly matters is your heart.”

“My heart?”

“Yes, Baek Woong, the world will shift according to what you hold in your heart. So, never forget righteousness and heroism.”

His words were sincere. I understood now just how hard Mangnyang had worked in this life, and I needed to heed his advice. Nodding, I said, “Don’t worry. I’ll pull it off.”

In a flash, Miho and I arrived at Ovs’s Lake, as Mangnyang noted that, latitude-wise, Ovs could be closer to the Arctic compared to Moscow or Astana. So, we would just have to dash north from here.

“So, you’re not planning to get involved with that foreigner, Belov, or Ivan IV anymore?” Miho asked.

“Nah, that can wait for later. Anyway, we’re not rushing since we don’t have the unsealed Dragon’s Heart Technique on hand.”

“Smart thinking.”

“Speaking of which, Miho, I’ve been wondering…”

“What?”

Knowing I would need to run for a long stretch without catching my breath, I settled on a rock near the lake. Looking at Miho, I opened my mouth, “If the Three Sovereigns were evil gods who performed human sacrifices, then what exactly is the Celestial Realm?”

“……”

Miho looked taken aback. “W-Why are you curious about that? It’s not like it’s connected to our trip to the Arctic.”

“It’s strange. The Celestial Realm must’ve existed back when the Three Sovereigns ruled, right? So did they just stand by and watch those sacrifices happen?”

Records indicate that top Celestial beings, including Guang Chengzi, were on friendly terms with Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen noted in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. So, this implies that the Celestial Realm knew about the human sacrifices the Three Sovereigns were performing.

Miho responded to my question, “I don’t really know myself. But the immortals and divine beasts I saw in the Celestial Realm were all just and sought order. They weren’t like the evil beings residing in Dark Heaven Village.”

“Hmm…”

“My patron, the Queen Mother of the West, was the same. She was known for being generous whenever humans prayed at her shrine or made offerings. The Great Immortals were all good beings who took a liking to humans.”

“I see.”

Miho wouldn’t lie to me about such matters. Rather, it felt more credible hearing it from Miho, who’d been cast out from the Celestial Realm. The Great Immortals and divine beasts were truly benevolent beings, standing in stark contrast to the evil gods.

‘So, does this mean the Celestial Realm just watched the tyranny of the Three Sovereigns?’

But then I had another nagging thought. The Investiture of the Gods!

As noted by Yeodong-bin, a Thunder God and Overlay Technique user, the novel depicting the transition from the Silver Age to the Yin Dynasty was false. The Yin Dynasty was known for frequent human sacrifices, and the Zhou Dynasty put an end to such practices.

So… what really happened during the transition from the Yin to Zhou dynasties?

“It’s so frustrating.”

“What is?”

“I wish I could go back to the past.”

I mumbled, then turned to Miho, “Miho, do you happen to know any treasures or techniques that could take us back to the past?”

Miho made a sulky face. “Why are you asking me this of all people?”

“Ah… Sorry.”

Miho was a Great Demon with a gloomy past of being banished from the Celestial Realm. It seemed my question cut too deep. Apologizing for my inconsiderate words, Miho suddenly burst out laughing and pinched my cheek.

“Hahaha, just kidding. From what I’ve seen, such convenient miracles don’t exist.”

“Why not? I heard there’s magic that can bring back the dead.”

“Hmph… I don’t know the details, but time manipulation magic is generally impossible. Even the Great Immortals have no dominion over time. So, snap out of your daydream and focus on the task at hand.”

“Tch, can’t even express myself.”

“You’re just a beginner sorcerer; who are you to talk?”

Miho looked at me with a mix of ridicule. She was right. Though I’d managed to build a foundation in basic magic and sorcery after keeping the relic she gave me for a long time, my techniques were pitifully lacking as a beginner sorcerer. I must’ve seemed completely out of my depth to her, a superior sorceress.

Suddenly, I remembered something and turned to Miho, “Oh right, Miho.”

“What now? Ask me all at once.”

“I need to learn sorcery. Can you be my master?”

“Didn’t I already teach you the Fire Technique?”

“You know a bunch of other techniques too, right?”

With a sigh, Miho replied, “Huh… Despite all that studying, you don’t even know how human and demon sorcery differs?”

“Not really. No one explained it to me.”

“To put it simply, human sorcery is acquired (postnatal), whereas demon sorcery is innate (prenatal). Demons can learn other techniques, but their innate powers can be wielded strongly without any training. Because their existence is born from Yin, they gain strength directly from the world’s darkness.

In contrast, most humans aren’t born with innate sorcery skills and must learn them. That’s why human sorcery often lags behind demon sorcery, making battles more about tricks than brute strength.”

“That makes sense…”

“For humans, it’s wise to find a human sorcerer as a master.”

In an instance, an idea struck me. ‘Wait, I could go this route too?’

Seems like a brilliant notion.

I beamed inwardly at the thought. Miho’s conversation had led me to a valuable clue, so I hugged her tightly.

“Thanks, Miho!”

“Ugh… You get it or not?”

As I hugged her, rubbing my cheek against hers, she made a disgusted face. With a gentle push, she was trying to free herself, but instead, it made me happier and I planted a kiss on her cheek, leaving her blushing bright red.

“Ugh, stop it! Just get to work.”

With a shout, Miho transformed back into a necklace and hung around my neck, signaling it was time to stop with the nonsense and head north. I couldn’t help but relish the memory of her softness against my cheek.

As I was starting to sprint with immense speed, Miho bluntly conveyed a thought.

[What’s got you grinning like that?]

“Hehe.”

Not entirely sure why, but hugging Miho made me feel uplifting inside, filled with something profound. The fatigue and irritations from the past few days just evaporated.

After about a day of running, we arrived at the snowy wasteland, completely lost among the white. As we left the prairie, stepping into solid permafrost, an intense cold and freezing winds crashed against us relentlessly. Snowstorms reduced visibility to near zero.

Whooooosh!!

The biting wind howled furiously. Any average human would freeze to death within moments, even dressed in furs. But as a One with Ice and Fire, I had tremendous internal power, so climbing the rugged mountain was a breeze.

Taking large strides, I began scaling the Manjangan Cliff laterally. In a place completely devoid of human trace, this was the quickest way to navigate. By going sideways, I could see a path leading to the summit much faster.

After about an hour of climbing, I felt absurdly surprised. ‘Wha… why is it so high?’

With my skill enabling me to scale even a tall peak in about half a moment, this mountain was enormously steep and treacherous, testing my mettle to barely catch a glimpse of the peak. It was at the level where even seasoned climbers would think twice about attempting.

Finally reaching the top revealed a breathtaking panorama—places I had just passed and my future destination. I set my sights on a massive mountain across the way and took off again.

Whoosh! Zippity zap!

Not even a moment’s rest, I rushed through the howling winds, snowstorm, and blizzard. This place was the most challenging of my life. I felt my clothes starting to freeze, so I focused on circulating my Qi to shake off the snow. And I ran on relentlessly, keeping my mouth shut against the frigid air.

‘This is insane. There’s not a single spot to pause.’

Minutes passed, at least four periods seemed to go by.

I felt like I had already run hundreds of miles, yet the vast snowy wasteland lay before me devoid of any human footprint. Realizing this was the true northern continent sent shivers through me. It was sprawling yet utterly unsuitable for human life.

Whew—

Suddenly, I halted in the center of the snowfields, the cold winds howling. Although I wasn’t exhausted yet, darkness was encroaching rapidly. Snowballs rolled sporadically around, and camping here seemed impossible.

‘Hmm… should I just use the Golden Lamp Technique to turn back here?’

So far, there hadn’t been any real trouble, but I felt a mental toll from the harsh environment. After a lengthy deliberation, I shook my head.

Nope, let’s keep pushing forward.

Whoosh!

And I took off again. Sprinting relentlessly, a little out of breath but brushing it off, focusing my efforts on the Water Element Divine Sword again without using Thunderclap. I could go faster by using Thunderclap, but balancing my internal power for the harsh winter was tricky. The Soul Removal Technique offered great gains from minimal power.

Boom!

I dodged yet another avalanche, landing on solid ground. Spotting a cave, I ducked inside to rest.

“Phew…”

The natural cave in the cliff wasn’t very deep, just enough for one person to lie down. I stretched out on the cave floor and murmured to Miho, “Should we head back to Jinrang Valley?”

[Do you know where this is?]

“Not really.”

[Then just keep going until you find a living terrain or something unique.]

Realizing I was getting weak-willed, I felt ashamed. The toughness of nature had me rattled. Nevertheless, I gathered my resolve, gazing at the pristine, white scenery outside.

After resting in the cave for about an hour, my internal energy fully recharged, I set off once more.

Whoosh!

Racing onward. Just trusting the direction north, leaping over mountains, rivers, and cliffs, blind to the obstacles ahead. There couldn’t possibly be anyone else doing it this way.

Continuing to sprint through the day, I started feeling my internal energy drain dangerously low, while chills crept through me. Just when I thought I might lose consciousness, I pulled out the Golden Lamp.

Boom!

Returning to Jinrang Valley, Mangnyang found me in a disheveled state. Just then, Miho, now back in human form, heated my chilled body with her fox flames. After resting for half a day, as I awoke, Mangnyang worriedly asked, “Are you really alright?”

Waving my head, I assured him, “I’m fine… I think just a few more days and we should be good.”

I felt as though I had dashed at least a thousand miles. No, I was sure I had gone way beyond that. No matter how vast the continent was, after running so much, it seemed impossible not to see the end of the line at this point.

I headed back towards the precarious cliff where Miho and I had arrived using the Golden Lamp. At the mountain’s fierce cliff, I took off once more using my Light Body Technique.

“Woooh!!”

I felt a surge of motivation. Whatever happens, I was running!

Lost in a trance, I dove into a rhythm of endless running. Fearing my Qi might break, I kept to the Soul Removal Technique for speed while avoiding massive avalanches that could shake the world itself.

After running day and night for about three whole days—

“……”

What the heck is going on… Standing on the icy surface, staring out at the empty wastes, it all felt strange. Day and night exist together, but somehow it felt like night never came. Even though my body’s senses indicated enough time for night to have passed, it simply didn’t happen. As I pondered, Miho popped back from her necklace form and said, “Night isn’t coming.”

“What’s going on?”

This place was devoid of storms or wind.

It was eerily calm.

Miho gazed out at the desolate icy landscape and said, “Could it mean we’ve reached our destination?”

 

---