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“Are you really asking me to back down?”

Yeodong-bin was glaring at the Sword Demon and then shot a glance our way before fixing his gaze on me. He said, “Yunja, can’t you yield here?”

I didn’t know how to respond. What was I fighting for? Wasn’t it to protect the Water Element Divine Sword from these otherworldly folks? But if I passed it to them in this life, couldn’t I just start over again in the next? The idea of confronting immortals like this was unsettling.

But the Sword Demon’s words weighed heavily on my mind. No matter how nicely you phrase it, robbery is still robbery. I had learned from my past life that simply handing over the Water Element Divine Sword because the Celestial Realm demanded it wouldn’t end well. That realization hit me hard.

After gathering my thoughts, I declared, “I am going to gather the Seven Luminaries and defeat the Old Ruler.”

“That’s quite the lofty dream you’ve got there,” Yeodong-bin sighed.

“And an impossible one, at that. The Seven Luminaries must never be freed.”

“Why not?” I clenched my teeth.

“Don’t forget, the Celestial Realm knows that the Old Ruler is the root cause. If we gather the Seven Luminaries, aren’t we giving ourselves a fighting chance? Why are you obstructing my path?”

“That’s a valid point,” Yeodong-bin admitted, surveying the group. “But tell me, who can take responsibility for such outcomes?”

“What do you mean?”

“The Three Sovereigns created the Seven Luminaries, but only Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen knows what will happen when they all come together. If releasing the Seven Luminaries brings about humanity’s doom… who will be accountable for that?”

“……”

“Humanity’s downfall is still about five hundred years away. It’d be unwise for the Seven Luminaries to be freed now.”

I was taken aback by this revelation. So, humanity’s destruction was predetermined? Hearing that from a Great Immortal held a lot of weight, and even the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong couldn’t hide their shock. I really didn’t think Zhuge Sa was serious when he mentioned humanity’s doom.

After a moment of clarity, I asked, “I still don’t get it. If everything’s going to end in five hundred years, why is the Celestial realm trying so hard to stop it?”

“I can’t speak for them. But I can tell you they have plans for a minimal amount of peace. That is the essence of their strategy and the best choice for all beings,” Yeodong-bin replied firmly, gradually raising his sword.

“I’ll say it again. Let go of your vain ambitions. There’s a limit to what humans can achieve.”

That was when it happened.

Mangnyang next to me suddenly made a peculiar hand sign and stated, “Seals (封) it.”

Bang!

In that moment, I felt myself become stiff and unable to speak. With that as a cue, Yeodong-bin, the Sword Demon, and Dokgo Seong all sprang into action. The greatest peak experts were about to go all out.

SWISH—

Yeodong-bin’s Invincible Sword clashed with the Sword Demon’s Invincible Sword, producing a strange ringing sound, and just then, Dokgo Seong’s Thunder Sword flew in to strike at Yeodong-bin. Yeodong-bin deftly dodged it and instantly conjured three clones to create a triangle formation.

I watched, frozen, as their battle unfolded before me when I heard Mangnyang’s voice.

[Sorry, but I have to seal your movements and incantations first using the Niu Bu Method. The command you have is too dangerous.]

He beat me to it!

I realized Mangnyang’s early intervention was a sore point. I’d been shocked by Yeodong-bin’s sudden appearance, but I could’ve easily countered by casting my command. Mangnyang, knowing my life story from the Obsidian, had anticipated my every move.

While using the Niu Bu Method, Mangnyang stood there immobilized, staring at me. I strained to muster my internal power to break the gold seal, but not even a twitch could be felt. As veins bulged on my forehead, I heard Mangnyang’s voice.

[It’s useless. The Niu Bu Method has reached the level of Immortal Techniques. Unless your internal power is infinite, you’ll be blocked.]

[Damn it! Do you even have to go this far?]

I shouted in despair.

[You must’ve seen the Obsidian! I’m doing my best here!]

[I know. At least I know that memory is real.]

Mangnyang paused before replying, [But regardless, I have too much to protect now. And after seeing that memory, I’ve genuinely wanted to help ease your troubles.]

[What do you mean?]

Mangnyang’s expression turned serious. [If you just give up the Water Element Divine Sword, you could easily grasp a happy life. You already have a good master, gained a base at the Shadowless Gate, and have a partner lined up. The Imperial Palace has fallen. As a part of Goryeo’s Thirteen Regulations, you could lead a normal and joyful life from now on.]

[……!!]

[Don’t you get it? I understood your suffering, and wanted you to be at ease. If I truly wanted to be cruel, I could’ve sealed you with a single strike earlier. Realize you’re being spared here.]

Mangnyang’s words weren’t just bravado or jokes. His technique was at the level of earthbound immortals, standing worlds apart from ordinary sorcerers. He might even be stronger than Zhuge Bu. I was forced to rethink everything.

A happy life.

Was that truly within reach?

If I just let go of the Water Element Divine Sword, it could be mine!

Suddenly, the despair from the beginning of my 16th rebirth washed over me again. If it hadn’t been for Mangnyang’s words back then, I would’ve given up everything and succumbed to despair. Yet, his single phrase had helped pull me through to this point, showing me a reason to live. And now, the friend who’d given me hope was telling me to give up.

“……”

A happy life.

I repeated that phrase in my mind. Just then, Mangnyang continued, “With the Imperial Palace fallen, the otherworldly folk will rampage in the Western regions. However, there are guardians there as well, so they’ll handle their side. You no longer need to walk on the path of suffering.”

THUNDEROUS BOOM!!

Suddenly, a colossal thunderclap echoed from the sky. Looking up, I saw an intense battle unfolding that was beyond description.

Heavenly Escape Sword Technique.

Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram.

Cloud Decision! In an instant, thousands of ghostly swords emerged around Yeodong-bin. A torrent of light swords rained down like a dense storm, unleashing waves of lightning and flame. The power surged forward, and with an eruption, Yeodong-bin unleashed a technique used to annihilate demon beasts.

Your boy had never seen such a majestic display before; my heart sank at the sight.

‘For heaven’s sake…!!’

How could such mastery exist? I had never appreciated the intensity of Yeodong-bin’s Heavenly Escape Sword Technique and Six Intent Saintly Heaven Diagram. Each ghostly sword pulsed with spiritual intent, surpassing anything that a human could muster. If that technique erupted, I wouldn’t stand a chance!

As the cloud of swords dispersed, they turned their attack towards the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong. The two looked utterly spent; they had barely survived a hundred moves against Yeodong-bin and appeared like soggy leaves. The Sword Demon summoned a mighty shout.

“Hah!!”

Simultaneously, as the cloud of swords dispersed, the energy of the Sword Demon skyrocketed. An incredible technique I had never before witnessed emerged, resembling the tai chi symbol. The Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword danced in harmony with the Sword Demon’s spirit, compacting distance and space at will, disrupting the overwhelming intensity of the cloud.

Seizing the opportunity, Dokgo Seong shot forth with the Unity of Body and Sword technique to strike at Yeodong-bin. However, under the overwhelming speed of the Sword Demon’s attack, Yeodong-bin’s clone was pierced, while Yeodong-bin himself summoned dozens of enormous swords simultaneously.

BOOM!

“Grahhh!!”

Dokgo Seong screamed as he fell. Though he narrowly escaped serious injury, his face was one of utter defeat. His cleverly devised attack had won him absolutely nothing—this was a chilling realization for someone well aware of Dokgo Seong’s martial prowess.

‘For crying out loud… Even if Cheon Woo-jin or Han Baek-ryeong were here, they couldn’t pull that off!’

For someone to easily dominate a two-on-one against Dokgo Seong and the Sword Demon… only now was I able to grasp the sheer strength of Yeodong-bin. Previously, everyone he faced had been untouchable giants in my view, but now that my own fighting capabilities had risen, I could make an objective comparison. Yeodong-bin surpassed even the Dharma Guardian with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, a being that humanity’s martial arts simply couldn’t compete with.

Mangnyang, who had been observing, signaled me.

[Yeodong-bin is an incredibly powerful combatant even among the Celestial Realm, a master who could survive a fight with the Monkey King. It’s only natural that a peak expert be pitted against him. Perhaps only someone like the Master of the White Lotus Sect could hope to get a foothold against him. Or is the Master genuinely a monster? Since he has already transcended into the realm of immortals.]

[Ugh]

[If things continue like this, both the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong are guaranteed to die.]

I could see it too; the Great Immortal and combat master Yeodong-bin seemed to unleash techniques and super-techniques freely as if there were no limit to their internal energy or spirit. That the Sword Demon was managing to hold on at all was impressive given the circumstances.

[How did Yeodong-bin come down to the human realm? With the law of cause and effect, that shouldn’t be possible.]

[The second liberation of your Water Element Divine Sword gave the Celestial Realm a significant justification for intervening. Yeodong-bin’s descent is essentially a deterrent force against your outburst.]

[……]

[Now, give up. If it were me, I could stop Yeodong-bin.]

I felt my situation tightening around me. It seemed like the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong were on the brink of death. While the Sword Demon held up better, he still couldn’t compete with Yeodong-bin. And Dokgo Seong was already nearing his limit.

I finally closed my eyes tight, ready to send a signal.

[I’ll give up the Water Element Divine Sword…]

Then—

KIIIIIIIIING!!

The Water Element Divine Sword started to glow. I felt something massive inside it attempting to communicate with me.

[So you’re seriously going to submit to such weaklings? How boring. I’ll make this more interesting for you.]

GRRRRROOOW!

“Ah.”

As I sensed Mangnyang’s Niu Bu Method breaking, I also felt my body returning to its freedom. But just as I began to adjust, a massive force enveloped me, making me shudder. This presence was unimaginably colossal, pressing down on my very soul.

“Ugh…!!”

Mangnyang was aghast. “This… this can’t be… the Old Ruler is descending?!”

At that moment, a vision appeared before my eyes. It was the huge Skeleton Giant that I had encountered when liberating the Water Element Divine Sword. This being was Itaka, a member of the Old Ruler and a pact-keeper with the Water Element Divine Sword. As I trembled in agony, Itaka’s spirit addressed me.

[You have not perished? What are you?]

Itaka appeared genuinely perplexed. When I failed to respond, he continued.

[It’s of no consequence. I’ll clear anything that obstructs your path. That is the will of I, Itaka.]

As my consciousness began to warp into the depths within, I saw myself holding the Water Element Divine Sword as if it were someone else.

[Be gone!!]

[I] was now moving with Itaka’s commands, unleashing the essence of my command.

[Grahhh…]

In an instant, Yeodong-bin’s figure, who had been clashing with the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong, vanished without a trace. It appeared that Itaka could freely utilize magic from my memories.

Bang!

Then Itaka utilized the Golden Eagle and vanished into the ether.

It felt as though the world had sunk into a valley! I knew exactly where this place was—the site where Emperor Jeon Wook split heaven and earth, the same Celestial Realm where Xiang Yu had once brought me. Standing there with [my] body in the celestial wasteland, Itaka grinned wickedly, raising the Water Element Divine Sword toward the sky.

[Shatter!]

BAAAAAANG!

Simultaneously, the very fabric of the Celestial Realm split apart, creating a rift in the void. Beyond that rift lay a fantastical otherworld, resembling what people referred to as the Land of Immortals. Without hesitation, Itaka stepped into that world.

WHOOOOSH!

As Itaka entered, I sensed something flying toward me from all directions. Each one resembled an immortal, a taoist, or even a celestial maiden. This place was truly the Celestial Realm, and they were its immortals.

The immortals seemed to recognize my essence rather than just my appearance, all wearing terrified looks. Leading the group was a strong-looking immortal, exuding the presence of a Great Immortal.

[Old Ruler! How dare you invade the Celestial Realm! Are you breaking the pact with the Three Sovereigns?]

In response, Itaka smirked and answered, [You insects don’t even understand the nature of our contract with the Emperor.]

[W-What?]

[Just perish.]

Heavenly Ice!

At that moment, Itaka merely waved the Water Element Divine Sword toward the sky.

But as he did, the power of the sword froze time and space outright, gradually encasing the entirety of the Celestial Realm in ice. Anything touched by that blinding white light froze solid.

[Grahhh!]

[Flee!!]

The immortals screamed, trying to escape the Heavenly Ice, but there was no evading or blocking that power. The Old Ruler’s might annihilated everything, freezing spirits and gods alike! In a moment, hundreds of immortals and Great Immortals were obliterated or frozen solid.

THUNDER!

[Old Ruler, die!]

[Perish!!]

Then, more powerful immortals emerged around Itaka, surrounding him. Among them were beings known as combat masters as well as divine beasts. With their simultaneous assault, Itaka summoned a defensive barrier.

BOOM!

CRASH!

If this had been on the ground, the sheer magnitude of their attacks could have leveled several fortresses, yet Itaka’s defensive barrier merely faded a bit, showing no signs of collapsing.

“You pests!”

Yet even Itaka had his limits. He looked annoyed before casting Heavenly Ice once more.

[Stop it…!!]

WHOOOSH—

As the Heavenly Ice unfolded, the powerful beings of the Celestial Realm retaliated with a barrier, trying to block the attack. But they were clearly overmatched, with some beings outright vanishing before our eyes.

A powerful voice reverberated, [The prophesied moment of destruction has not yet come!]

[I’ll make you regret your arrogance, Itaka!!]

ZSH!

Simultaneously, new beings appeared, some of them powerful deities I recognized—Primordial Void Ruler, Queen Mother of the West, Southern Flower Immortal, among others. These powerful divine entities, revered by those on earth, had now descended to eliminate Itaka.

Discovering the Primordial Void Ruler, Itaka halted for a moment.

Then, in a deadpan voice, he said, [You seem to take this too lightly.]

Despite the Primordial Void Ruler’s silence, a silence filled with meaning, the fight resumed with ferocity.

The battle didn’t conclude until three days and nights later.

In the end, I lost.

Facing death, I noticed that Itaka had dispelled his spirit and disappeared somewhere, while I—consumed by his presence—slowly regained my consciousness. Blood-soaked and in a daze, I found myself kneeling in the heart of the Celestial Realm, unable to comprehend how everything had spiraled to this point.

The surroundings had been sealed using the Eight Trigrams formation—a sort of prison.

The Great Immortals, unable to reach a hasty decision regarding my fate, seized the Water Element Divine Sword, effectively imprisoning me.

Standing before me as a guard was Mangnyang. Upon returning to the Celestial Realm, he gazed at me with pity and said, “Baek Woong. It’s now impossible for you to escape using the Golden Eagle. The Celestial Realm is a place where demon artifacts cannot utilize their teleportation.”

“……”

Then, stepping closer, he whispered, “… The Imperial Palace is not what’s important. From now on, change your goal.”

“What do you mean?”

WHIR—

“……!!”

In that moment, I felt an influx of knowledge and experience from Mangnyang through our connected hands. Shocked, I met his gaze, quickly realizing it was a unique technique similar to Obsidian’s—a method for transferring one’s memories to another. After a moment, Mangnyang gasped and said, “Hah… Hah… I genuinely managed to use the Corpse Dissolution Technique I received from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… what a relief…”

As I stared at him in disbelief, Mangnyang’s face shifted to one of sorrow. “I’m… not the Mangnyang you knew… but I’ve lived a life of my own… And after this mission, I planned to undertake the secret mission given to me by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… but my guilt wouldn’t let me do that…”

“What do you mean…”

“If this continues, you’ll die without dying… forever sealed away… So before that happens…”

Mangnyang coughed up blood, and with his last ounce of strength, he urged, “… There’s darkness in the deepest part of the Celestial Realm… Be sure to uncover it…”

With that, Mangnyang’s life slipped away. I understood his meaning perfectly.

Mangnyang chose to transfer his memories and experiences to me, betting on the future me who could resurrect after dying, knowing I would reincarnate!

‘Perhaps he was afraid he couldn’t unveil that darkness on his own.’

As I glimpsed into Mangnyang’s memories, I realized that the darkness must be incredibly potent—so powerful that even a divine being like him would have hesitated to probe into it.

And Mangnyang had mentioned guilt.

The memories I inherited through Obsidian hadn’t changed Mangnyang’s current values but had certainly influenced him.

Staring blankly at Mangnyang’s lifeless body, I felt a complex cocktail of emotions stirring within me. It wasn’t just that this was the first time Mangnyang had become an enemy; it was the recognition that he could become one that was incredibly unsettling. Hence, I couldn’t afford to fall into irrational grief or self-pity like before.

So what do I do now?

How can I achieve my goals?

What is the best path forward?

“……”

Deep down, I knew what I had to do. With a deep sigh, I acknowledged my fate.

“I have no choice.”

CRACK!

I severed my own life thread. A considerable pain surged through me as I felt the life drain from my body. Compared to previous times, this suicide felt almost trivial, but at least now it felt somewhat like a choice.

That was my 16th death.

 

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