전생검신 86권 13화

[Who gets to name?]

That made me think of the portrait immortal I had named in the past.

‘Yushin.’

For some reason, after receiving a name from me, that guy seemed to follow me around. Even though we hadn’t run into each other since then, just thinking about the portrait immortal named Yushin felt oddly nostalgic.

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind again.

‘… Surely one of the [Names] on this arm must be Yushin. If that’s the case…’

Could I call Yushin back again?

Yushin was a part of the last [Cycle]. Is that really possible?

Whether or not he knew what I was thinking, Zhuge Yulong’s words continued.

“We’re still only halfway through the power bestowal process we planned for this portrait immortal. Once you get stronger and your abilities reach their peak, then you can name this portrait immortal.”

[…….]

“What Zhuge Sa wants is likely something similar.”

[Understood.]

I felt like he just said something mysterious, but I figured that I’d understand that secret once I named the immortal & communication became possible. Recognizing that much, I soon realized one problem and spoke.

[…Wait a minute, didn’t we say we would offer a sacrifice to Tohyo to purify the land with his power? Sacrificing this top portrait immortal doesn’t sound right.]

“Don’t worry.”

Chwaaa—

A moment later, various vessels began to rise into the air, driven by mechanical devices. Inside those vessels were several portrait immortals, all with white hair and eyes closed as they slept. After summoning about six portrait immortals, Zhuge Yulong spoke.

“They’re not just the top products; we’ve made many backups. Using about three of them as sacrifices won’t even be a problem for expanding the territory twofold.”

[…….]

“Why the frowny face?”

[It’s just that… while I’ve sacrificed portrait immortals before… it feels off to offer beings that look human.]

In response to my words, Zhuge Yulong casually quipped as if I was talking nonsense.

“As you know, portrait immortals look like humans because the gods like sacrifices that appear human. It seems they have a taste for it; besides, it doesn’t matter if they look like pigs or cows. They have no souls anyway. If you want, I could even transform them into pig forms so you don’t feel guilty.”

I waved my hand, shutting that down.

[No thanks. Just get it done quickly without pain.]

It was foolish of me to say something like that to someone like Zhuge Yulong. Originally, he was the one who was supposed to turn the world upside down with the power of the Path of Demons, so he wouldn’t have any moral dilemmas about sacrificing portrait immortals.

“Alright. It’ll take about three days for the rituals to perform the land purification using the power of liberating Tohyo. So just wait.”

[Alright.]

“And one more thing. Don’t let anyone outside of Zhuge Sa, Saint Germain, or me know about this place and its access.”

I frowned at Zhuge Yulong’s words.

[Don’t you trust your companions too much? Who would betray us…?]

“Baek Woong, you might not feel it since you’ve crossed many dangerous paths, but right now, the world is on the brink of destruction. Nobody has a steel will like you. [The Old Ruler]’s crushing despair can lead even the best heroes to fall.”

[…….]

“Don’t tell Hyun about the details regarding the highest portrait immortal either. Only Zhuge Sa, who directly participated in its creation, can discuss that.”

Although I trusted my companions, Zhuge Yulong seemed overly pessimistic. But I accepted it as part of his personality and nodded.

[Understood. I won’t say anything to Mangnyang or Miho.]

“Good. Now let’s head out…”

After having received my assurance, Zhuge Yulong paused momentarily before leaving the secret place. I was puzzled and asked him.

[What’s wrong?]

“…Overlapping… two worlds…”

Zhuge Yulong muttered something incomprehensible before suddenly looking at me.

“Baek Woong, I heard you learned the magic of the Landlord Doctrines. Have you ever heard of Qliphoth from Zhuge Sa?”

[Qliphoth…?]

I racked my brain to remember.

Then I recalled what Hermes had once mentioned.

[The god of magic Hermes said… whoever can handle the Sephiroth can deal with the Qliphoth, or something like that… So I might’ve heard of it, but I never learned about it from Zhuge Sa.]

“That’s because Zhuge Sa purposely left that out of your training.”

Hearing Zhuge Sa’s name made me flinch.

[What do you mean? Zhuge Sa wouldn’t just refrain from teaching me that out of the blue! He even taught me the Soul Exchange Technique!]

“It’s not just about it being a forbidden technique. Zhuge Sa taught me the magic of the Landlord Doctrines after I started my research here. I quickly reached great achievement, and the only normal spell I could use was Sephiroth—while I can’t use the Qliphoth at all. Zhuge Sa told me the reason.”

Zhuge Yulong crossed his arms and continued.

“Sephiroth symbolizes the Sefirot, the Tree of Life. It is a system that calls upon power from the World Tree, and it’s sorcery. However, Qliphoth, in contrast, is the reverse Sephiroth and represents evil—it’s a forbidden sorcery.”

[So Zhuge Sa doesn’t pass it on just because it’s forbidden sorcery? He taught me the Soul Exchange Technique, so he wouldn’t do something like that…?!]

“It’s not only that. Zhuge Sa said that Qliphoth is fundamentally dangerous because it reaches out beyond the [Outside].”

[The Outside?]

Zhuge Yulong nodded.

“In fact, neither Zhuge Sa nor his master, Simon Magus, could wield the magic of Qliphoth. While the spell is recorded, there’s no way to activate it through regular Landlord Doctrines magic. The only one who can cast the Qliphoth is the god of magic himself, Hermes Trismegistus.”

[……!!]

“Zhuge Sa believes that Hermes is a being who came from beyond the outer universe, and that the method itself for traversing the outer universe is Qliphoth.”

[You’re saying you can cross into other universes using Qliphoth?]

“That’s merely Zhuge Sa’s theory… he thinks that the Qliphoth system didn’t exist originally but was a workaround made by Hermes to transition to the outer universe.”

[……]

“And one more thing… Zhuge Sa even thinks that Hermes’s hometown isn’t this universe we live in.”

What?

I was caught off guard by that unexpected statement.

[You’re telling me he’s been from the outer universe all along…?]

“I’m not certain. Zhuge Sa himself mentioned that he lacks definitive evidence and it’s just a strong intuition. However, the crucial part of this is the danger of the Qliphoth area, as it overlaps with another world of Sephiroth.”

[What do you mean by that?]

“So… the World Tree exists everywhere in the universe, parallel worlds, or outer universes alike. And since it exists everywhere, there must also be a shadow. The Qliphoth uses that property of the World Tree to exploit the overlapping dual worlds.”

[……]

“Hmm… you look like you don’t get it at all.”

[Indeed… What on earth are you rambling about?]

Are you trying to show off your smarts?!

When I replied bluntly, Zhuge Yulong coldly retorted.

“What the portrait immortal just said about those two overlapping worlds being infinitely intertwined…? I felt that symbolizes the Qliphoth.”

[Uh… so you’re saying… the beings within the portrait immortal came from the outer universe?]

“It’s not that simple. Maybe only beings like Hermes can freely traverse the outer universe, who might know some other ‘secret of the world.’”

[……]

“Your expression isn’t looking good.”

[Honestly… what nonsense are you saying…?]

“It’s not my fault if you can’t keep up. If you don’t understand, just try to memorize it as it is.”

[……]

“Someday, you might figure out something with this ‘overlapping pair of worlds’ as a clue.”

[What on earth could I realize from that… seriously.]

In that moment, I realized something.

Even though he’d become my ally, Zhuge Yulong was a real pain in the neck.

He was someone who’d take advantage of his intelligence to mess with me.

Bang!

After that, I left with Zhuge Yulong and returned to the Inner City. I quietly waited for my companions, and soon after, other allies began to return, one after another, from Constantinople to Nanjing. Mangnyang heard vaguely how things progressed and said.

“All that’s left is to wait for the territory to double in three days.”

[What should I do in the meantime?]

“Why not repair that crumpled body first? To show dignity as the Sect Master of Nanjing later on, you must appear presentable.”

I glanced down at my body at Mangnyang’s suggestion. Just as he said, right now, my body had been pierced through the arm in the fight against Roland, my hands had scars, and various pressures had caused my body to look crumpled. I looked absolutely miserable, so I had no choice but to respond.

[Is there a skilled technician like Ibn Sina from Luoyang in Nanjing too?]

“No need to find such a technician. Just call Gum Cheon-jae.”

Bang!!

As Gum Cheon-jae was called in and used the power of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, a bright light enveloped me, and I immediately returned to my original state. Not only that, the limbs were also back to pristine condition. Gum Cheon-jae, looking extremely annoyed, said,

“I’m not a repairman…”

[But treating with power is quite convenient, I’ll use it regularly.]

“Ugh, just leave me be and let me breathe.”

[Want a kick in the shins?]

“…!! No, no thanks.”

Gum Cheon-jae looked pale and hurriedly vanished. I let out a sigh upon seeing his pitiful appearance.

[Hah. Why did the Heavenly Mysterious Woman give her powers to such a useless guy?]

“I don’t know the reason. But the Heavenly Mysterious Woman wouldn’t have done it without thought.”

[Alright. Anyway, my body’s repaired. What should I do next?]

“Nothing in particular… let’s wait for three days.”

[That sounds good.]

I rolled around while waiting for the three days to pass. While training was nice, playing around like this was also fun, so time flew by quickly. Plus, since I had a mechanical body, I didn’t need sleep from the beginning, making roaming around the large Inner City quite enjoyable.

And three days passed. As noon arrived that day, an enormous spirit energy emitted from liberating Tohyo appeared in the skies above the Inner City.

Bammm—!!

Tohyo’s spirit energy began to spread out over an incredible range. The flowing spirit energy enveloped the land, and I instructed the scout teams and experts organized in the city to start reconnoitering the outer walls. Soon after confirming that the expansive territory had indeed been purified, I projected a live broadcast across all of Nanjing.

[Look, people of Nanjing.]

I showcased dozens of views of the purified land, seen through the broadcasting magic of the Great Immortals. The area, once filled with the blood-red desert, was regaining its vibrant greens, with healthy trees and streams visible. Moreover, the demon beasts that had emerged everywhere couldn’t withstand Tohyo’s spirit energy and either fled or perished and turned into corpses.

The people gathered in the plaza murmured to each other.

“Oooh…”

“Is this real?”

“The land has recovered?”

I spoke to them slowly.

[I have fulfilled my promise to enlarge your territory twofold. From now on, I will build new walls in this expanded land so you can live safely.]

Silence reigned in the plaza for a moment. Then suddenly, cheers erupted.

“We’re free to live again!!”

“Long live the Sect Leader!!”

Gooo—

‘This spirit energy is on a whole new level compared to before…’

The power that had flowed in before felt like a gentle breeze, but this one was so dense it formed a massive cloud. That cloud slowly but surely approached and began to absorb through my features.

Clash…!!

[……!!]

It felt like lightning struck within me.

That was how substantial the amount of divine power flowing in was.

It was at least more than ten times the amount I had absorbed at first!

At the same time, this was nothing close to the meager amount of divine power I had previously; with this amount, I felt like I could definitely do something. Of course, it was still a tiny fraction of my original divine power, but still, thinking about the power that divine power held, this was a significant gain for me.

Looking from the side as I absorbed the power, Mangnyang grinned.

“Wonderful. I observed the situation of the citizens in the city with my spell, and gauging by this, at least over 20% of this city now views you as a deity.”

[20%? After achieving such a major feat, is that all?]

“People still don’t fully comprehend that the territory has widened. Once they start living in it and realize your accomplishments, it will approach nearly 40%.”

[…… It’s tougher than I thought to gain faith from the people.]

If it had been in the past when I showed the miracle of drastically expanding the land using liberating Tohyo, ordinary humans would have believed in me as a god immediately. Yet, I was shocked to discover that gaining even half their faith was hard.

“Just achieving this much is impressive. The people of Nanjing frequently encounter sorcerers and immortals, so they’re used to manifestations of superhuman power. They view gods not as absolute beings but rather as strong lords, making it difficult for them to possess true faith. Gaining their faith is quite an accomplishment.”

[Hmm… ]

“This time I’ve laid a foundation, so it will gradually become easier from now on.”

[However, just calculating, even if I gain the faith of every citizen in this city, it feels like recovering my original power is still a long way off. I need more faith.]

“So now we need to conquer other small cities.”

Chwaak—

Mangnyang opened the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line and said.

“I will send envoys to all cities in the Central Plains, announcing the emergence of the new Sect Leader of Heavenly Genius and your achievements, asking them to submit. Responses will arrive within a month.”

I was taken aback at Mangnyang’s words.

[You mean asking for their submission? What if they refuse? Should we suppress them by force?]

“If necessary…”

[With the calamity going down, it’s hard enough to survive. Fighting amongst humans feels… ]

“Hehe. With overwhelming power, you can avoid bloodshed.”

Mangnyang smiled broadly and continued.

“We can suppress each small city without needing your strength and enter bloodlessly. Don’t worry.”

[You say we can avoid bloodshed? But you mentioned that the lords of each city are all strong figures.]

Mangnyang had told me previously that the lords protecting humans in this calamity were all at least Peak Experts or above. They had to be because they were fighting against demons and magical beasts. Moreover, the hidden immortals scattered across the Central Plains were grouped like vigilante forces, making them formidable.

Then Miho spoke bluntly.

“Regardless of how strong the other lords may be, none can surpass the Great Immortal. With just me and Mangnyang’s powers, we can easily suppress them in the blink of an eye.”

[Ah.]

“Should we use the powers of the Sword Demon or Zhuge Yulong or Zhuge Bu, it won’t take long either.”

[That makes sense.]

Suddenly, Miho continued, as if recalling something.

“There’s just one place I worry we may find difficult to conquer…”

[Where would that be?]

“Jiangdong City. We should approach there most cautiously.”

I was genuinely taken aback. Miho’s nature has always been boastful and reckless; she wouldn’t hesitate to strike anyone she thought weaker. For her to suggest we proceed with caution was something I never expected! After some thought, I asked.

[So there’s someone formidable in Jiangdong City. What’s going on there?]

Miho’s next statement made me gasp.

“Xiang Yu.”

[……?!]

“He’s the current lord of Jiangdong City. He’s also accompanied by an impressive divine general, and his strategist is none other than Tai Gong-wang.”

[Huh, Xiang Yu and Tai Gong-wang?]

What in the world is happening here?

With Xiang Yu, a giant among beings, considered second to none in the celestial realm, combined with Tai Gong-wang—the ancient immortal and water protector of the Divine Sealing Blood and master of Ta Shin-pyeon… Their alliance was shocking enough as it was, and this mash-up looked truly formidable. Mangnyang filled in for Miho’s speech.

“Moreover, Tai Gong-wang has rekindled the Yangshan-society, known for awakening abilities of chaos previously among the 108 souls. Those 108 beings make it even tougher, and Tai Gong-wang may also have recruited ancient immortals who once existed in the Sealing Blood,”

[……]

“Without a doubt, they are a third force following the Nanjing City and Luoyang City. That’s why we must act carefully when dealing with them, unlike other minor cities.”

I couldn’t help but feel baffled.

[Why on earth are they separated? It’s tough enough just surviving this calamity. Additionally, to think Xiang Yu and Tai Gong-wang would team up, isn’t that just peculiar?]

“… I don’t know the details. But it seems Xiang Yu and Tai Gong-wang made their plans before the collapse of the celestial realm, as they took their forces to establish independence during the celestial collapse.”

[Hmm… Xiang Yu and Tai Gong-wang… ]

What a headache. Of course, if I brought all my forces from Nanjing, I wouldn’t lose, but that would still likely lead to significant damage on both sides. Just like with the situation surrounding Nanjing City, the reason for not being able to touch Jiangdong City was becoming clear. They were genuinely a third force.

‘There’s definitely a backstory to it.’

Xiang Yu had a strong sense of self, but Tai Gong-wang, originally one of the top celestials of the celestial realm, surely had reasons for siding with him.

I pondered for a bit before finally speaking.

[Alright. Proceed as planned.]

“Oh, and one more thing…”

[What else do you have?]

Mangnyang hesitated for a moment before finally saying.

“Since this morning, there has suddenly been a massive surge in dragon vein activities worldwide. A gigantic presence appears to have emerged.”

[Gigantic presence? An enemy?]

“I can’t be sure, but according to the great immortals sent as scouts, they say this presence will soon reach the vicinity of the castle…”

Just as Mangnyang finished speaking —

Boom!

An enormous quake shook the south wall of the castle, echoing with a resounding crash. Glancing down from above, I was taken aback by the unexpected sight.

[… What’s that?!]

Ooooh.

This being was genuinely massive. Its sheer size spanning several leagues was painful to comprehend, and it stretched from the horizon to the edge of sight. I could barely even see its head; its true dimensions were nothing short of mythical.

‘A snake…?’

I instinctively thought of that bizarre large creature as a snake. It was too big to confirm at a glance, but the scales on both sides certainly hinted it was one. Nonetheless, I had never seen a beast so enormous in the Aokigahara Life Sea. It was astonishing in every sense. Regardless of how nonsensical the outside world was, beings like that were incredibly rare.

Among the dark figures atop the snake, the one deferentially standing in the front boomed, making a lion’s roar that reached me.

[Lord of Nanjing!! Sect Leader of the Heavenly Genius!! Do you hear me?]

There were at least several thousand beings in that dark mass. They stood in formation, exuding a sense of elite troops trained to perfection.

Zzzzzt!!

A beam of light with an ominous glow—and the figure in pitch-black armor wielding an iron sword—repeatedly reverberated, blasting out the lion’s roar.

[I am Naresuen, the king of Ayutthaya, and the chief law protector of Brahmanism! I have come to find you as the envoy of the great Sect Leader Parvati!!]

[……!!]

Upon hearing his proclamation, I was suddenly put in the loop.

‘… The Black Prince Naresuen!!’

Without a doubt, he was the overlord of the southern region of Central Plains, a powerful lord in the South. While not commonly discussed in the Central Plains, he was someone who had accelerated the development of science and technology greatly quickly through trade with the West, thus couldn’t be overlooked. Yet, he had never directly intersected with my journey, and now he had shown up here unexpectedly.

Mangnyang seemed familiar with the Black Prince Naresuen and muttered while looking at him through the magical eye.

“Originally, the Black Prince Naresuen was a Peak Expert capable of wielding powerful abilities, but it appears he has become stronger still. Besides, I’m curious about the four unknown beings accompanying him.”

[Who are they?]

Indeed, right next to the Black Prince Naresuen was his wife, Sawaswati, riding a white horse, and behind them loomed four mysterious figures. Even from a distance, the pressure emanating from these four was undeniably intense and imposing.

Mangnyang seemed to recall something and commented.

“Thinking of his claim of being the envoy of the Sect Leader Parvati, those individuals must be the Four Heavenly Kings of Brahmanism.”

[Four Heavenly Kings?]

“Similar to the Dharma Guardians of Brahmanism. However, it’s strange that their levels are leagues above what was recorded in the old Great Bear Empire databases… It’s likely they’re entirely different beings from the Four Heavenly Kings defeated by the Great Bear Empire.”

[……]

I fell silent before finally speaking.

[Let’s meet them for now. Let’s head out.]

Gooooooooo…

After a while, I walked out with my party towards the entrance. I couldn’t let their army of several thousand into the castle, especially given that I had just expanded the territory, as instilling further fear in the citizens would weaken their faith.

Once we reached outside the castle and stood atop the creature’s back, the Black Prince Naresuen politely bowed his head and said.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Baek Woong, Sect Leader of Heavenly Genius.”

Seeing Naresuen, I couldn’t help but internally gasp.

‘He’s grown immensely, far beyond the Naresuen of my memory.’

The former Naresuen was just a powerful human king with high martial skills. In terms of martial prowess, there were countless peaking figures in the Central Plains who could rival him.

But this Naresuen appeared to hold tremendous magical power and had accomplished feats far exceeding his earlier martial achievements, as though his prowess had transcended human constraints. Just judging by combat prowess alone, he seemed capable of fighting against the Absolute Realm.

‘And that weapon emitting the glow… something’s off.’

It looked like the Black Prince must have received immense backing from Brahmanism. If divine beings were granting him favors and enhancing his powers, it wouldn’t be surprising he’d become this strong.

‘Still, it’s a relief he doesn’t seem hostile.’

From his polite demeanor, he probably wasn’t here to cause trouble.

I responded, matching his courtesy.

[It’s an honor to meet the renowned Black Prince Naresuen. The one next to you is your wife?]

When I casually asked, Naresuen calmly replied.

“She is my empress, Sawaswati.”

[So you’ve finally settled down.]

“Um…?”

[It’s nothing.]

I secretly chuckled as I resumed speaking.

[So what brings you to Nanjing, accompanied by this enormous beast and army? Are you planning for war, perhaps?]

“Not at all. We’ve come to deliver the proposal from Sect Leader Parvati to you. The soldiers are accompanying us as we’ll be hunting monsters near our homeland on our way back.”

[Hmm, I see… So what exactly does the southern Brahmanism want from the Central Plains?]

Baring his finger downward, Naresuen indicated beneath us. When I turned my gaze, Naresuen continued.

“This being is the legendary demon god Leviathan. Serving Brahmanism, this Leviathan can wrap around the world multiple times with its body. We hope to utilize Leviathan’s form as a bridge that connects all cities across the world.”

[……!!]

A confident smile graced Naresuen’s face.

“In exchange for allowing unrestricted use of this bridge, we wish for the Heavenly Genius Sect to ally with our Brahmanism in a blood alliance!!”