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“So this area is supposedly blessed by the gods?”

Mangnyang continued his explanation.

“This place likely used to be the first sacred land granted by Jeon Wook to control the Great Flood, which transformed over time into a lush hill surrounding the ruins. But as time went by, the divine power this land used to hold spread out and attracted the earth’s energy, turning what was once flat land into mountains. The area we now know as Mount Huang was newly formed, burying the remnants of Xuyou deep within.”

“Yeah… that’s all good and well…”

As I tried to organize Mangnyang’s explanation in my head, I retorted, “But there’s no evidence to support that this basin or Mount Huang is sacred land.”

“I anticipated that would come up. As soon as I got in touch with my uncle, I dug through literature to find out what features sacred land might have. I even learned an appropriate spell from an ancient figure of the Bancheon Alliance.”

“An ancient figure?”

“A guy named Jeon Wook from Goryeo taught me some techniques.”

Mangnyang said that and scooped up a handful of dirt from near where the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was buried. Then, he chanted an incantation.

“Odoil-i-gwanji.” (My Way Unites All)

Whoooosh!

As the chant ended, the dirt burst into a bright green glow. The light was so intense it was blinding, yet there was no malice in it; instead, it felt like a sacred force. As I gazed at it in wonder, Mangnyang continued.

“This spell measures the divine power residing in objects, revealing their true nature or the real forms of monsters. It’s also a versatile spell, useful for things like wind manipulation and teleportation.”

“Oh, that’s handy.”

“Watch closely. If there’s zero divine power, it shows as black. But if it glows green, it indicates abundant power. The levels of divine energy we measure consists of five stages: black, yellow, red, white, and green.”

Understanding what Mangnyang was saying, I responded, “Green is the highest! So it must possess top-tier divine energy!”

“Exactly. Most ordinary sacred land soil won’t surpass red or white light.” Mangnyang scattered the dirt on the ground and continued, “But after thorough searching, it’s clear this dirt around the Black and White Lotus and the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng is ancient land with immense divine power. Such a thing only exists as sacred land from the Mythological Age, granted to kings!”

“Hmm… so what you’re saying is…” I folded my arms, trying to piece it together, “Since sacred land emerged, that divine power allowed supernatural beings like the Black and White Lotus and Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng to grow?”

“That’s right. For now, that’s the most convincing theory.” Mangnyang chuckled to himself.

“Sacred land grows on its own, becoming ‘living’ soil. Over thousands of years, it expanded into Mount Huang while still retaining the divine energies from the Mythological Age. This mountain can be called a blessed ancient land!”

“……..!!”

“It’s why there’s an environment where absurdly potent spiritual pills like the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng can thrive. What are the chances you can find a place to condense energy for a thousand years? That pond below must also be sacred land.”

“Indeed…!!” I was in awe.

Having been reincarnated more than twenty times, I felt that most of my questions about Xuyou’s ruins were finally being answered. But I still had some parts that didn’t make sense, so I asked Mangnyang.

“It’s great that we’ve figured things out, but what now? How can we use sacred land?”

“Hmm…” Mangnyang sighed for a moment before speaking.

“The uses are limitless. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Not really…”

“The simplest application is to consume sacred soil. Eating it when you’re hungry wouldn’t just satiate you; it would also enhance your divine power! But how many people came to Mount Huang to deliberately eat dirt…?”

“……”

“Besides, unless you’re in this basin or a few specific places, you won’t find fully functioning sacred energy throughout Mount Huang.”

That was indeed true. While some might eat dirt during severe droughts, it’s generally not a beneficial diet for humans. I remember gnawing on dirt and tree roots when I was starving, and it did nothing but make me feel worse.

“Next, you could boil sacred soil in water to use it as a material for alchemy or refinement. Since it’s essentially a bundle of divine energy, it could serve as a premium ingredient for creating artificial spiritual pills.”

“Ooh!”

“However, this will need considerable research. That’s more in line with my uncle’s specialty, so it would be best to ask him later.”

Feeling excited, I continued asking, “What other uses are there?”

“Farming here.”

“N-no… Farming?”

As I questioned that, Mangnyang nodded.

“This place has a history of thriving with powerful spirits like the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus. The energy from sacred soil is still remarkably present, so growing more shouldn’t be a problem.”

“You can’t be suggesting we farm spiritual pills?”

“That’s exactly it.” Mangnyang smiled broadly.

“Just like how the White Lotus Sect finds spiritual land amidst Gansu Province to mass cultivate sacred lotus. If we farm well, harvesting a large quantity of spiritual pills won’t be impossible.”

“……!!”

“If we mobilize the entire Bancheon Alliance to gather seeds and things we can sow, we might be able to produce just as many experts as the White Lotus Sect! Moreover, the offerings for the Celestial Realm will become plentiful!”

“Ohhh!!”

Amazing!

Are you telling me we can mass-produce those rare spiritual pills using this sacred soil?

Elated, I jumped for joy while Mangnyang rested his chin on his hand.

“In my opinion, this sacred soil may be the critical factor that separates the Black and White Lotus.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s clear that the sacred lotus is an artificially cultivated breed derived from the Black and White Lotus. Yet, during the early cultivation stages, they probably weren’t much different, but once it was cut off from the inexhaustible divine energy of sacred soil, it lost its essence after several generations.”

“Hmm… But sacred lotus still has the effect of boosting internal power, not much different from Black and White Lotus. That’s why the White Lotus Sect has thousands of first-class sacred lotus experts.”

In response, Mangnyang nodded.

“The essence of the profound internal power must have been retained since they’ve cultivated it in the chosen spiritual land of Gansu Province. But evidently, there seems to be a significant difference between what’s grown in sacred soil and what isn’t—mainly the ability to purify harmful curses or incantations.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s why the Black and White Lotus can heal the Young Master of the White Lotus Sect’s strange disease, but the degraded sacred lotus can’t.” Mangnyang concluded calmly.

“In that case, let’s head to Baekhwan Peak!”

“Why Baekhwan Peak?”

“There are Black and White Lotus in Baekhwansa. Although only the Black Lotus is cultivated, there’s no doubt it also has access to the sacred soil fundamental to Mount Huang. That’s the evidence that it hasn’t degraded.”

“Ah!”

Pak!

I then made my way to Baekhwansa alongside Mangnyang. Watching the monks go about their ordinary routines from afar left me feeling oddly sentimental.

“Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I arrived here.”

When I first began my reincarnation journey, I heard rumors of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and tried to eat any spiritual pill I could find, living near Mount Huang for years in attempts to become a martial arts master. It felt like an eternity ago, but it was as vivid as yesterday. Finally, I approached the pond filled with black lotuses with Mangnyang, who plucked a black lotus to inspect it.

“Hmm… To unleash the extreme effects, you must consume both black and white lotuses, but since only black lotuses are blooming here, it’s useless. No internal power boosting effect whatsoever.”

“Is the soil near here definitely sacred?”

Mangnyang scooped up some dirt by the pond and chanted the spell, producing the green glow once more.

“It is.”

“Indeed….”

“I’ll talk to the abbot.”

Mangnyang then approached the abbot of Baekhwansa and requested permission to utilize the temple’s grounds.

“Well, well… You chose a rather unfortunate time to visit after the previous abbot has passed.”

When I realized the new abbot was a remarkably young middle-aged monk, I felt bittersweet.

“So that old man has passed on…”

When I last saw him, he was already of an age where death could come at any moment due to health issues. A considerable amount of time had passed since my reincarnation, so it was likely due to old age. Knowing that I wouldn’t see him again was a bitter feeling to carry.

The abbot requested an explanation of the situation, and Mangnyang candidly explained why we needed the grounds. Of course, he was silent about the spiritual pills—just mentioning the sacred energy near the pond. He also promised substantial financial support for Baekhwansa, pulling out a few chunks of gold to present.

The abbot accepted it reluctantly, saying, “Alright. You seem to be quite wealthy; can you build a new temple nearby?”

“I’ll fully support that!”

“We’ll be moving temples shortly.”

It felt surprisingly easy to gain access to sacred land. This meant that Mangnyang’s influence and financial power were extraordinary by common standards. Still, I found it somewhat unsettling to see the monks so readily changing locations for money.

As the process wrapped up, Mangnyang said, “Let’s head back. I’m looking forward to ten years from now.”

I responded vacantly, staring down at the picturesque scene of Mount Huang, “Will I even be alive then?”

With my life seeming disposable, I had lost all confidence.

Noticing my lack of assurance, Mangnyang patted my shoulder.

“Making that possible is our mission as your advisors.” Mangnyang looked up to the sky and continued, “Baek Woong, even now… I believe there’s a reason you received the Heavenly Secret.”

I turned to Mangnyang. “What do you mean?”

“If someone else—be it me, Jin So-cheong, or even my uncle—had received the Heavenly Secret, perhaps the process of subjugating the Old Ruler would have progressed further over these 23 cycles. Don’t you think?”

“… I guess you’re right…”

It was a thought I often had.

What if it were Jin So-cheong instead of me?

What if it were Mangnyang?

What if it were Zhuge Sa?

But every time I considered those possibilities, I felt a gnawing in my mental strength that ultimately made me shut my mouth. Mangnyang continued, “However, Baek Woong, none of us want to seize the Heavenly Secret from you. Why do you think that is?”

“I’ve always been curious about that…”

“It’s because we’re not fools chasing after short-term gains.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Mangnyang smiled ruefully. “….Haha. It’s possibly because the creator behind the Heavenly Secret and its backing could be a presence beyond our imaginations.”

“……?”

“We’re no longer at a stage where betrayal can be discussed.”

It was difficult to grasp what Mangnyang was implying. He turned his head abruptly, continuing, “Baek Woong, remember this.”

Mangnyang smiled. “As long as you don’t lose your will to be king, we will dedicate ourselves to you until we draw our last breath.”

 

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