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“I never thought he could lose…”

In that instant when Xiang Yu’s immense power collided with the Moon Sovereign, I felt a volcanic heat surging through his body. His aura was so overwhelming that it felt like it was burning him up from the inside out. Watching like an observer in the back of my mind, I realized that Xiang Yu was tapping into something otherworldly, despite being utterly drained in both spirit and energy.

BOOM!

Half the mountain range split apart under Xiang Yu’s force. A giant scar was branded into the earth, and the Moon Sovereign, previously untouchable, was turned into a bloody mess, screaming as he writhed in agony.

[I’m the one blessed by ‘that being’! I won’t lose to a so-called ‘Destined One’!!]

His words sounded almost like a spell, each syllable wrapping his body in an eerie glow, hinting that he might attempt the dark sorcery technique the sword master mentioned earlier.

“Die!”

But Xiang Yu paid him no mind and struck down again with ferocity.

CRACK!

The heavens rumbled, and the ground shook. Hundreds of sorcery defense barriers surrounding the Moon Sovereign disappeared in an instant under Xiang Yu’s brutal kick. As his body was sent flying, he screamed.

[No… this is the Blessing of the Sky…]

With that last scream, the Moon Sovereign stopped moving.

Meanwhile, I, who shared Xiang Yu’s body, felt the instinct of a raging warrior coursing through me. The Moon Sovereign’s essence was fleeing, unable to maintain his physical form.

[The Blessing of the Master of the Borderlands… How absurd!!]

The Moon Sovereign seemed to possess immense magical powers, yet against Xiang Yu, he looked utterly powerless. It seemed that the Blessing of the Sky upon me was imposing some sort of restriction on him.

With a chilling smile, Xiang Yu reached out his hand. “You can’t escape.”

As his fist closed around the empty air ahead, a powerful dark energy burst forth, seeping black smoke. Xiang Yu’s grip on the Moon Sovereign’s escape was impossible to comprehend.

[What kind of coincidence is this? Can someone like you have the power from a divine being? Is it possible to have the Blessing of the Sky as well?]

It sounded almost like a lament. Despite being an absolute demon lord, the Moon Sovereign couldn’t fathom Xiang Yu’s power. Hearing this, Xiang Yu calmly replied with a low voice.

“Die.”

[Ha ha ha… I won’t forget this… Xiang Yu…]

With a swift strike, Xiang Yu’s merciless fist shattered the Moon Sovereign’s spirit, scattering it to the winds as his cold expression lingered for a moment. Hovering in the air, Xiang Yu remained still for a while before descending to the ground.

Xiang Yu pulled out the summoning device I had in my possession without a word.

WHOOSH!

With the summoning device in hand, he effortlessly transported himself to the Imperial Palace. I was puzzled not just by his ability to use it, but also by his sudden arrival at the palace. As he walked forward, he muttered as if talking to himself.

“Time for some cleanup.”

Was he talking to me? I tried to pry a response from my subconscious, but he remained silent, simply moving ahead. When Xiang Yu suddenly showed up in the palace, the Golden Eagle Guards nearby drew their swords, shouting:

“Stop!”

“He looks suspicious! Kill him!!”

Simultaneously, dozens of elite Golden Eagle Guards and Heavenly Tigers lunged at him, and from afar, experts from the Duke of Guanzhong’s group appeared as well. But Xiang Yu didn’t even draw his sword, simply kicking the ground.

BOOM!!

ANNIHILATION!

Before anyone could scream, blood and mist filled the air. With just one ground-impact technique, all living beings within a fifty-pace radius exploded into gory pieces. Despite the violent bloodstorm, Xiang Yu walked on, unfazed and clean as a whistle.

Soon, two of the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace confronted him: the White Tiger from the Golden Eagle Guard and the Black Tortoise, Duke Hwan-ya. They stared at Xiang Yu, fear etched on their pale faces.

“Monstrous creature!”

“Let me show you the power granted by the gods of the otherworldly races!”

SWISH!

“Demon Transformation!”

Both transformed swiftly, but this time, they weren’t the mindless beasts I had seen before. They had a mix of human and monster traits, retaining their reason. Sprinting at terrifying speeds, they charged towards Xiang Yu.

WHAM!

“RAAHH!”

Their power and speed were astounding! The transformations were almost reminiscent of Jin So-cheong’s Thunderclap technique in terms of agility. They were far beyond what is humanly achievable in martial arts.

‘Could it be that once the transformation is fully completed, they gain such terrifying strength?’

I recalled the past life experience when the leader grew stronger with time. They would remain in their incomplete state until the ritual was complete, becoming half-human half-demon horrors once done. The warning from Mangnyang about not leaving the Imperial Palace was undoubtedly true.

However – it was futile.

As the two elite guards tackled him, Xiang Yu’s fists shattered their necks without a moment’s hesitation. Despite their extraordinary speed and strength, they were merely children in front of him. As the headless bodies crashed into the wall, he casually wiped off the blood from his hands and continued walking.

With every step he took, he discovered three Portrait Immortals standing there, seemingly newly crafted since we stole their representations. They stood expressionless before him.

The white-haired youth among them waved his hand.

“Die!”

In the next instant, all three Immortals were dead on the spot.

“Ahh…”

He decapitated two and smashed the third’s solar plexus with a knife-hand strike. As the Portrait Immortal spat blood, Xiang Yu coldly remarked, “Your abilities won’t work on me.”

“It… seems so… you monster…”

As the Immortal’s head dropped forward, Xiang Yu pulled out his hand and resumed walking. Despite the Immortal having used [abilities], it appeared they were completely ignored by him.

Step… Step…

Reading Xiang Yu’s emotions from within, an eerie chill ran through me. He had killed countless beings without any guilt or hesitation, treating them like mere bugs in his path. No matter if they were villains or heroes, they would have met the same fate under his hand.

Martial masters or high-level sorcerers couldn’t fathom such a twisted mentality. It felt like all human emotions tethered to existence were stripped away, leaving behind only a sense of monstrous coldness.

Eventually, Xiang Yu reached the Imperial Throne Room where the Emperor sat, gazing at him with feeble eyes.

“I never thought the Moon Sovereign could lose…”

Xiang Yu seemed to recognize the Emperor as he raised an eyebrow and said, “End it yourself.”

SWOOSH!

A dagger flew from Xiang Yu’s hand, embedding itself near the Emperor’s ear. Slowly, the Emperor drew it out, speaking.

“Thank you for your consideration. But before I die, may I know your name?”

Xiang Yu chillingly replied, “Xiang Jiong.”

At those words, the Emperor trembled, his body shaking uncontrollably before he chuckled weakly.

“As expected, it’s an honor.”

With that, the Emperor plunged the dagger into his neck, blood gushing out, yet he remained seated on the throne, unmoving. As his blood-soaked body slumped, Xiang Yu pulled the dagger from him.

“…”

Having obliterated the Imperial Palace in an instant, Xiang Yu took out the summoning device once more.

WHOOSH!

This time, he used it to travel to Muni Mountain on Ganghwa Island, where the seal of the Moon Sovereign lay. Without hesitation, he strode inside the seal and retrieved the Moon Sovereign.

BUMBLE BUMBLE…

As expected, a great tremor rang out, and the guardian of the Moon Sovereign began to stir. Soon enough, the monstrous guardian would reveal itself. While I was anxious about Xiang Yu’s intentions, he spoke to me again.

“Feeling relieved?”

What on earth does he mean?

“Whether I offer blood to the altar or not, disturbing the Moon Sovereign will awaken its guardian.”

So you came all the way here to tell me that?

“Correct.”

After saying that, Xiang Yu moved to the mountain region nearby. Soon, a blinding light erupted, and the guardian of the Moon Sovereign was summoned, howling like a gigantic ancient being.

ROOOAR!

Xiang Yu gazed at the guardian and charged.

BOOM!

It was just a body slam, but the guardian staggered, its side torn open, unable to maintain balance. Just then, the guardian unleashed hundreds of light beams in retaliation.

WHAM!

Amidst the cataclysm, Xiang Yu didn’t dodge, swinging his fist to counterattack. The beams crashed back towards the guardian, leading to its self-destruction.

The explosions that had almost claimed the Dharma Guardian’s life filled the space with devastation. Yet, Xiang Yu soared above it all, seemingly unharmed, before heading somewhere else. He noticed something fall to the ground where the Izanagi no Mikoto disappeared.

Xiang Yu picked it up and, recognizing it as some sort of obsidian gem, looked around muttering.

“This is interesting.”

What’s so interesting about it?

But Xiang Yu offered no explanation, using the summoning device to jump locations again. This time, he landed in a place filled with curious rock formations, looking stark and eerie, as if it belonged to an abandoned mountain range.

As he walked up the mountain, he stated, “This will be the last.”

What’s the last about?

“My blessing will adjust your fate, allowing you to walk the path of dominance effortlessly. And if you die, it will fulfill one of your desires.”

……!!

Could it be that the Thunder God Lineage’s success came from Xiang Yu’s blessings all along? I also learned he wouldn’t possess me until he died. As I scrambled to process this, Xiang Yu continued.

“I didn’t expect to fight the Moon Sovereign, but it was somewhat entertaining. So as a gift, I’ll teach you one last thing.”

No… what could he possibly teach me? I was already dead, what good would it do?

“You don’t seem to bear the Mark of Forgetfulness. You have a high chance of being reincarnated.”

The Mark of Forgetfulness? What on earth is that?

“Every destined soul bears a mark that signifies forgetfulness in the cycle of reincarnation. However, there are rare exceptions where this mark vanishes or never existed. Such individuals are reincarnated retaining their memories.”

Having explained that, Xiang Yu added, “We’re almost there.”

Upon reaching the mountaintop, the air was sparse and ancient. This stillness was cloaked in darkness, yet beams of light flowed through, exuding a serene spirit akin to a divine temple.

Standing in place, Xiang Yu declared, “This is the space between Heaven and Earth, where the passage is sealed.”

This is the place where the Three Sovereigns closed the gates of heaven?

“Exactly.”

Step… Step…

“I don’t know why, but this place is treated as a top-secret spot among the Immortals. Regular humans can’t wander in, and even sorcerers caught by the Immortals would face gruesome fates.”

Why would the Immortals act so extreme?

“The Immortals are just spiritual entities. To me, they’re no different from the otherworldly races.”

As he poured scorn on the Celestial Realm, Xiang Yu casually sat on a nearby rock and eventually lay back.

“Then, farewell.”

At that moment, I saw Xiang Yu’s essence leaving my body, ascending into the cloud above between Heaven and Earth. It seemed he came here to return effortlessly to the Celestial Realm. Meanwhile, I felt my body gradually losing strength with a heaviness creeping in.

I just wanted to take a nap. Xiang Yu had likely granted me this opportunity to sleep peacefully.

So I chuckled softly, ‘Should I be thanking him for this?’

Ah, I’m so sleepy.

As consciousness faded, I drifted off, marking my 14th death.

 

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