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0240 ———————————————-

Celestial Realm

I tilted my head at Ha Eun-cheon’s question, Master of the Twelve Joules.

“I’m not sure.”

I had heard about the constellations before. That alchemist mentioned the blessing of the constellation, and I also learned from Miho that Xiang Yu was born under the influence of the twelve constellations. Furthermore, Cheon Woo-jin said that when the Overlord Star of Xiang Yu moved, the constellations trembled.

However, I had never received a clear explanation about what those constellations actually were. In response to my answer, Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon, replied,

“Well, you seem to know a little. Care to share?”

“I know that the magical power of special constellations like the 36 Heavenly Constellations and the 72 Earthly Kills can cause disasters or give rise to incredibly powerful humans…” I recounted the knowledge I had gathered vaguely from Miho. He said,

“But you don’t really grasp what that means, do you?”

“No.”

“Hmm, then let me explain, so listen up.”

He continued speaking as if dealing with an enthusiastic but clueless student.

“You mentioned the 36 Heavenly Constellations and the 72 Earthly Kills, right? But you do know that when you look at the sky, there are actually way more than just 108 stars? On a clear night, you can see thousands upon thousands of stars in the night sky. So, why are we limited to just 108 in the constellations?”

I had never thought about that. After a moment’s thought, I replied,

“Maybe only those 108 stars possess magical powers?”

“Exactly. If you open the star maps, you’ll see tens of thousands of stars, but only those 108 have powerful magical energy focused on them. Since ancient times, humans have ascribed special meanings to those stars, regardless of East or West.”

Master of the Twelve Joules paused for a moment, picked up a piece of meat from the table, and said,

“So why? Why those specific 108 stars?”

“……”

“Most sorcerers stop thinking right here. They are way more conservative than martial artists, so they don’t think critically about the inherited knowledge or pursue its origins. They just assume that ancient great sorcerers figured it all out for them, you know? The truth is, most people struggle just to learn sorcery with even a decent talent, so they don’t have time for such thoughts.”

Master of the Twelve Joules seemed to mumble to himself as he stuffed the meat into his mask.

“But, in all honesty, the fundamental reason is quite simple.”

“What is it?”

“Constellations, known as constellations, are the territories of the Old Ruler.”

“……!!”

What does that mean?

I was taken aback when the Old Ruler unexpectedly came up; none of Miho, Cheon Woo-jin, or Mangnyang had ever given me such an explanation. I pondered whether Master of the Twelve Joules was trying to deceive me, but I couldn’t wrap my head around it. And as I failed to conceal my surprise, Master of the Twelve Joules folded his arms.

“Hm… I guess I need to tell you something more essential.”

Master of the Twelve Joules, seemingly amused, chuckled and said,

“So, what exactly is a star?”

“A star, you mean?”

“Yeah, a star. That shiny thing you always see in the night sky. What do you think it is?”

“A star… is a star.”

“Why does that star twinkle? Why does it shine? Have you ever thought that it’s because it’s incredibly hot and bright, even more so than the sun we can see?”

“……”

“If you consider the distances in the universe as nearly incalculable, then logically, the light that pierces through the darkness to reach our eyes must be from an immensely large and bright celestial body.”

This was confusing.

Are stars somehow larger than the sun?

Does that even make sense?

But what Master of the Twelve Joules was saying kind of made sense. Since I had never actually encountered the universe, I had no grounds to agree or disagree. My shallow knowledge of sorcery and astronomy certainly didn’t help either.

After sorting through the chaos in my mind, I spoke,

“If what you say is true, then it creates a contradiction.”

“What contradiction?”

“If celestial bodies that emit such intense heat and light existed, their temperature and heat must be something humans can hardly imagine. There’s no flame on earth that even comes close.”

“Probably right. You’ve got a surprisingly good head on your shoulders.”

“If it’s the territory of the Old Ruler, doesn’t that not make sense? How could life exist in such a hot hell?”

I thought I had successfully countered Master of the Twelve Joules, and I felt a sense of pride. He seemed like he wouldn’t have anything to say in response. But contrary to my expectations, Master of the Twelve Joules burst into laughter and replied,

“Haha, the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“That the Old Ruler conquered that hell and traveled through vast time and space to reach our world. They transcended the limits of living beings, which is why they are called gods, and the starry region is their territory.”

“……”

I could only stare dumbfounded, unable to follow the conversation.

They conquered the terrifying hellscape of the sun?

Master of the Twelve Joules then grumbled, chewing on some lamb skewers,

“The reason they are called rulers is that they once dominated something. And that something might not be our world but another.”

“That’s absurd.”

I glared at him.

“Are you mocking me, Master of the Twelve Joules? Can you definitively say that everything you said is true in the name of your true name?”

“You’re pretty heated.”

Master of the Twelve Joules grumbled. It was understandable; what I mentioned about the “true name” was a sort of sorcerous curse and a promise in itself. If he were to lie while invoking it, it could backfire on him, causing him to lose power or be cursed.

Eventually, he said,

“I can promise that. I swear on my true name that everything I said about the constellations is true.”

“……”

With every word he spoke, I felt a sense of sorcerous command resonate. Master of the Twelve Joules was certifying that his explanation about the constellations was all true. The most unbelievable story being the most accurate made me feel confused.

‘The constellations are the territory of the Old Ruler…’

I had never thought such a thing before. As I let out a sigh of confusion, Master of the Twelve Joules continued,

“Well, it’s not like there are only immensely hot stars. There are also many planets orbiting them, and there might be environments we can hardly fathom. Regardless, the Old Ruler is a being that ruled as a god in that harsh otherworldly realm.”

While muttering to himself, Master of the Twelve Joules again shoved a chicken leg into his mask and continued,

“For that reason, even the gods of the Celestial Realm have no authority over the constellations and can’t touch them. They belong to the Old Ruler, after all.”

“That makes sense.”

“When a human born under the energy of a constellation comes into being on earth, it’s just that sorcerers get prompted to be vigilant about it. That’s their way of suggesting to worldly beings to handle a ticking time bomb they can’t deal with.”

“……”

Suddenly, I thought of the Dread Overlord, Xiang Yu.

‘Didn’t he say that Xiang Yu was born under the influence of the twelve constellations?’

Because of that, his powers were extraordinary. He even defeated the Demon King Daji with just his bare hands, and the sorcery of the Portrait Immortal didn’t work on him. While I felt immense gratitude toward Xiang Yu, his enemies certainly wouldn’t feel the same.

‘Is it possible that, despite his past misdeeds, Xiang Yu was given the position of the Great Immortal in the Celestial Realm for such reasons?’

If the power of the constellations, that is, the power of the Old Ruler, was so densely packed within his soul, it would have been difficult to handle him in the Celestial Realm. Perhaps keeping him confined to one corner of the Celestial Realm while giving him the title of a Great Immortal could have been the best option?

As I kept pondering this, Master of the Twelve Joules spoke,

“The reason I explained the constellations is not just out of whim. The Seven Luminaries are the divine treasures born of the contract between the Old Ruler and the Three Sovereigns. The power of the Seven Luminaries also borrows from the constellations, so I wanted to see if you knew that.”

“To be honest, I had no idea until you mentioned it.”

“I figured as much, hehe.”

Master of the Twelve Joules seemed to be smirking behind his mask. Then he said,

“Well, enough small talk. Shall we get into the main topic?”

“Sure.”

Suddenly, he spoke in a solemn tone,

“Baek Woong, master of the Seven Luminaries, will you fight alongside us against the evil god?”

It was an unexpected proposal.

“Evil god?”

“Um… don’t you know what that is?”

I shook my head and answered,

“No, I have a general idea. It’s a being like the Sea God, an Old Ruler that protects against the evil gods from beneath the waters until their astrological movement?”

“Wow, you know quite a bit.”

Master of the Twelve Joules seemed impressed. This was understandable since he was repeating what the Great Immortal, Yeodong-bin, had explained to me directly. Moreover, the evil god had their own followers and descendants, and I had even seen the ancient city guarded by the evil god through the Heavenly Spiritual sight of the Golden Eagle.

He said,

“Yes, exactly. I want you, the master of the Seven Luminaries, to fight alongside our clan against the evil god. I summoned you today specifically to extend this invitation.”

“……”

I paused for a moment.

‘The evil god…’

I had thought I would spend this life quietly in the protection of Master of the Twelve Joules, focusing on training my martial arts. But I never expected him to ask me to fight against the Old Ruler referred to as the evil god.

I pondered for a moment and then asked,

“Given that the evil god is also an Old Ruler, how strong is it?”

“……”

“Is it stronger than the Imperial Palace?”

Master of the Twelve Joules replied,

“It’s embarrassing to compare. The magic of the Imperial Palace is like a mere minnows compared to the evil god. Of course, the one sealed behind it is a different story.”

“… Isn’t it impossible to fight against something like that?”

“That’s a fair point.”

Master of the Twelve Joules grumbled.

Right.

I was currently struggling helplessly even against the Imperial Palace, and how was I supposed to oppose the Old Ruler, the evil god, who seemed to be on a whole other level? Master of the Twelve Joules’ offer was absurdly unrealistic, verging on ridiculous. Especially since I had firsthand experience of how incredibly powerful the Demon King Daji was, who was merely a servant and not even the Old Ruler itself.

Master of the Twelve Joules then said,

“But you already owe me a debt.”

“……”

“Your base, the Shadowless Gate, originally shouldn’t have been accepted under the Twelve Joules faction. It’s the top heretical sect in the Central Plains, and you guys fled precisely due to a power struggle between the White Lotus Sect and the Imperial Palace, right? It’s normally unexpected to bring the Shadowless Gate, which bears a grudge against the White Lotus Sect, under the Twelve Joules.”

I glared at him as I replied,

“Are you threatening me regarding the Shadowless Gate? I never begged you for that matter.”

“Haha, this isn’t a threat. And as the master of the Seven Luminaries, I can’t be doing something as petty as threatening you.”

Master of the Twelve Joules simply laughed, showing no signs of agitation. While I couldn’t read his thoughts, I could tell he was cleverly calculating how to pressure me. He was someone adept in psychology and coercion.

‘Damn it…’

Biting my lip, I listened as Master of the Twelve Joules continued,

“Just know this: it’s probably fair to say that you, Baek Woong, are the first in history to liberate the Seven Luminaries with your own strength. You’ve already achieved great feats worthy of being called a hero. I’m humbly asking for your cooperation.”

“If I refuse your offer, are you thinking of driving out the Shadowless Gate?”

When I asked him directly, Master of the Twelve Joules chuckled.

“I won’t be driving them out if you refuse. I know just how terrifying fighting the Old Ruler can be. But if you plan to continue living in Goryeo, you’ll eventually have to fight against the otherworldly beings.”

“What do you mean?”

He locked his fingers together and slightly leaned forward.

“The land of Goryeo and Liaodong is barely held together by the power of the Sea God and Sacred Altar Tree. That’s because it lies within the territory of both the evil god and the Sea God. If it weren’t for the Sea God, this place would have long turned into a devil’s den where monsters rampage.”

For a moment, Master of the Twelve Joules took a breath and said,

“Don’t you wonder why the clan has nurtured martial artists and sorcerers for thousands of years? Why do you think the Twelve Joules possess so many powerful individuals? It’s just to fend off the playful attacks of the Old Ruler’s minions and to manage the aftermath.”

“……”

“During your time within the Twelve Joules, you’ll encounter the otherworldly beings far more often than you think. Even now, innocent victims continue to emerge. At this rate, a few hundred years from now, even the power of the Seven Luminaries will struggle to hold out.”

Listening to his words, I replied almost apathetically,

“If the power of the evil god increases to the point where it’s difficult to withstand, wouldn’t it render my help in the fight against the evil god meaningless?”

“No, it’s not like that. Whether there’s one, or two Seven Luminaries makes an enormous difference.”

Master of the Twelve Joules fixed his gaze on me. I felt like light was radiating from the depths of his mask.

“If you assist me, we could potentially bring the Sea God down to a state of near-death within twenty years.”

“……!!”

What?

Is he really suggesting we could defeat the Old Ruler?

I clenched my fist in surprise.

“I don’t have grand ambitions. If I can simply take down the Sea God in my generation, I would gladly offer my life for that.”

I could feel the sincerity in Master of the Twelve Joules’ words.

Then he made a shocking statement.

“If we succeed in that, if you help me, I might just hand the Twelve Joules over to you.”

“……”

Could he be serious?

Whether he was serious or not didn’t matter anymore. The moment I heard that from Master of the Twelve Joules, I had already been ensnared in an inescapable quagmire. I thought for a moment and managed to respond,

“Please give me some time to think.”

“Of course. Since you’re already with the Twelve Joules… or should I say the Thirteen Joules now? As you’ve joined, think of it as your home and feel free to consider it.”

As he finished speaking, he said,

“Rest comfortably today. I hope to hear a positive response next time.”

“……”

I left the table feeling like my head was going to explode. There was probably more I wanted to ask Master of the Twelve Joules, but the shocking revelations I’d just learned were too overwhelming.

The Sea God must fall!

Master of the Twelve Joules wanted me to help in that endeavor.

—————————= Author’s Note —————————=

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