Chapter 265
“`html
Wooooo!
I zoomed over to the pirates’ den with the entire Shadowless Gate, using the Golden Eagle technique. Without hesitation, I freed the Shadowless Gate from their chains in the base.
The experts from Shadowless Gate poured out like a wave, looking a bit bewildered. But soon, the Sword Demon took charge and commanded them, “Capture the officers and kill all the lowly ones.”
“Yes, Lord!”
“Don’t let a single one escape.”
Crash!
Before long, about a dozen Shadowless experts scattered all around the pirate island. While it felt like a small number given there were hundreds of pirates, each one was an elite or peak expert from the heretical sect.
The Sword Demon glanced at me and said, “Baek, the Dharma Guardian, you go save Hyea.”
“Understood.”
It didn’t take long for us to raid the pirates’ underground prison, wipe out the guards, and break the Golden Seal technique that had bound Seo Mun-hye. Just as I helped her out of the underground prison—
“Ahhh!!”
“Aahh!!”
As expected, horrifying screams erupted from various corners of the pirate island. The Shadowless experts were slaughtering pirates with alarming ease. With even one of them, wiping out the pirates would be a breeze, so having the entire force here just made it obvious.
Once the killing spree concluded, three leaders of the Blood Blade group and the officers were tied up and kneeling within half a moment. Some of those officers had been rebellious, ending up with missing limbs.
Fear was etched on their faces. The Shadowless experts had already set up poles to display the severed heads, creating an atmosphere of terror. Perhaps because they were from a heretical sect, the Shadowless experts looked unfazed by the gruesome sight.
Sitting there, gazing blankly at them, the Sword Demon spoke up.
“Are those the leaders?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Just spare us!”
The Blood Blade leaders were trembling. The Sword Demon deliberately avoided removing their hoods but rested his chin in thought.
“Tell me all about the ones who handed Hyea over to you.”
“T-That would be the Golden Eagle Guards.”
The Sword Demon seemed to have expected that much. He followed up with calm questions.
“Where was the deal held?”
“In the Jianggu area of Henan.”
“Right next door to the Shadowless Gate. Did you know that Hyea is the Young Master of the sect?”
“We had no idea! We swore we didn’t know! We only took her because the Golden Eagle Guards asked us to keep her for a year! They instructed us not to touch her!”
….
The Sword Demon made a peculiar face and then sent me a secret transmission.
[In your memory, Hyea is guarding the Virgin Earth Goddess, right? Is that memory reliable?]
[Yes, I distinctly remember that when I sensed her vital energy with the Golden Seal technique.]
[Please observe her state once more.]
I sent energy into Seo Mun-hye’s body and observed the flow of her meridians according to my medical knowledge. Confirming my suspicions, I replied with confidence.
[That’s right. The Young Master is certainly the Virgin Earth Goddess. There are no signs of abuse.]
[Hmm… ]
As I answered, I tilted my head in confusion.
Was it such an important matter that the pirates hadn’t touched Seo Mun-hye? Of course, as a father with a daughter, that would be a given, but what the Sword Demon was concerned about seemed to lean toward something else.
Eventually, he asked, “When is the next deal with the Golden Eagle Guards?”
“Huh? Well… there are no scheduled deals for the next three months…”
“Set up the next deal as soon as possible. If you cooperate, I might spare you.”
“Yes! I’ll do that!!”
Spare us?
Something felt off about the Sword Demon’s approach, but matters moved along swiftly. According to my memories, the Sword Demon obtained all the gold and silver treasures, as well as gunpowder and explosives, including the Yodo Muramasa, in one fell swoop. Then, he had the leaders of the Blood Blade group contact the Golden Eagle Guards while rescuing the remaining pirate officers and prisoners, returning to Shadowless Gate.
Once back at Shadowless Gate, the Sword Demon spoke.
“I’ll handle the pirates and liberating the prisoners. You hurry and meet Mangnyang.”
Surprised by his unexpected words, I questioned, “Is that okay?”
“You can’t just end with tearing those Blood Blade guys apart. From now on, I’ll focus on tracking their origins and uncovering the true masterminds behind everything. But since that doesn’t need your strength, you should take care of your own business.”
The Sword Demon continued, “I believe this life of yours will be a significant opportunity for great achievement. So find Mangnyang and have a deep discussion with him about the Water Element Divine Sword.”
“Understood.”
Indeed, if the Sword Demon handled the pirate matters, it would ease my burden significantly. Furthermore, seeing him consider my situation revealed that he accepted the memories of our previous lives as truth.
I hurriedly used the Golden Eagle technique and headed to Jinrang Valley. Upon entering, I found Mangnyang fast asleep, and I quietly tiptoed in to wake him up.
“Wake up!”
He waved his hand dismissively.
“Ah… let me sleep… “
“Come on now.”
I sighed and poked him in the side.
“Eek?!”
Mangnyang jolted awake and hopped up in surprise. Upon realizing the unfamiliar guest, he panicked.
“W-Who are you?!”
I calmly explained, “You probably won’t believe this, but I’m the buddy you’ve gone on countless adventures with. My name is Baek Woong.”
“You crazy guy! Get out now!”
Mangnyang looked terrified and bewildered. I patiently waited for him to regain his composure before sitting calmly on the floor.
“I need your help.”
“What for?”
I presented the Water Element Divine Sword, and Mangnyang’s eyes sparkled. Even amidst the chaos, it seemed he recognized the significance of the sword. Without hesitation, I handed the Water Element Divine Sword to him.
“This is the Water Element Divine Sword. I almost died because of it last time.”
“Is this it? What do you mean you almost died?”
“It would take too long to explain… first, please take this obsidian.”
Swish!
“That’s massive.”
As I handed him the enormous obsidian, Mangnyang looked puzzled but ready to accept it. I had chosen the largest piece from the obsidian mine for this moment. Seizing the opportunity, I cast the obsidian’s technique on Mangnyang.
Flash!
“…!!”
Mangnyang’s expression was a mixture of confusion and chaos, caught in a flood of memories. It wasn’t until about half a moment later that his complexion returned to normal, and I patiently sat waiting until he regained composure.
After a moment, Mangnyang sighed and said, “Phew. Oh dear… I was already swept up in a tremendous flow.”
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Don’t mention it. Since I reviewed my memories, it turns out everything was my own choice. But it’s also true that I’m hesitant.”
After a moment of contemplation, he made his decision and spoke.
“…Alright. Let’s travel together in this life. It sounds fun.”
“Thank you.”
Upon hearing that, I let out a sigh of relief. It felt surreal, as if I’d just gained an army. I had worried that Mangnyang might give up under the weight of our previous life’s burdens, but instead, he had readily agreed to join me.
“There’s no time to waste, so we need to head quickly to offer the Water Element Divine Sword. But first, let’s chat a bit.”
Mangnyang knitted his fingers thoughtfully and said cautiously.
“The life of [Mangnyang], who jumped into Mount Kunlun and became a disciple of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, was conveyed to me through this obsidian. The techniques and experiences I acquired back then were immediately gained by me. However, this doesn’t mean I’ve become an expert technique master like [Mangnyang].”
“What do you mean? You didn’t gain knowledge and experience in techniques?”
“Knowledge and power belong to different realms.”
Mangnyang answered firmly and continued.
“The Mangnyang who became a disciple of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman rapidly built up his powers in the heavenly realm, receiving tremendous support and teachings, along with unique training one can only receive in that realm. He even absorbed the spirit energy of divine beasts. Considering all that, I can firmly assert that no amount of practice in the human realm over two hundred years would ever grant someone that level of power.”
Two hundred years!
That suggested that acquiring Ji-seon Mangnyang’s power required over two centuries of arduous training. Mangnyang spoke with an air of exasperation.
“Unlike heretical sect techniques or doll arts, Ji-seon Mangnyang’s arts are based on genuine Eight Trigrams teachings. Therefore, while I have knowledge and experience, catching up to that level will be a long and tough journey.”
“Hmm… So, there lies the problem.”
It seemed clear that simply receiving memories wouldn’t make someone as strong as Ji-seon Mangnyang. His strength was surely among the top contenders of the formidable opponents I’d encountered thus far. Maybe he even matched the level of the Dharma Guardian.
“Well, that’s just a basic issue. There’s a much bigger problem.”
“What problem?”
Mangnyang crossed his arms and said.
“Your goals have expanded from raiding the Imperial Palace to targeting the heavenly realm. So what kind of blessings do you intend to seek after offering the Water Element Divine Sword?”
“…”
“Also, after the second liberation of the Water Element Divine Sword, you’ll become more strongly involved in the human realm based on the laws of cause and effect. In the sixteenth life, that manifested as Ji-seon Mangnyang, but in this life, we won’t know how it will play out as a variable.”
After contemplating his words, I finally spoke.
“I intend to receive the blessings of Xiang Yu.”
His eyes widened in surprise at my answer.
“Xiang Yu! Why did you think of that?”
“Xiang Yu’s power is the deterrent force. If they realize I possess that, no one would dare to interfere from the heavenly realm.”
“It’s a solid strategy…”
As Mangnyang considered, he said, “I feel like there might be another method.”
“Another method?”
“Xiang Yu’s underlying power will ultimately activate only after your death. That’s not a proper blessing. Relying on that isn’t acceptable.”
“Then what should I do?”
“I have an excellent method; you just need to trust me.”
Mangnyang’s face bore a mischievous grin.
‘Impressive.’
I couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed by Mangnyang’s mental strength. Even though the memories of my sixteen lives were no light burden, he quickly adapted to reality and found humor in it. Suddenly, a pang of guilt struck me and I spoke to Mangnyang.
“… I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for now?”
“If I didn’t intervene in your life, you might have become an immortal…”
But Mangnyang chuckled lightly.
“That’s just one possibility. My previous life was one where I despaired about my lack of magical talent and threw myself into Kunlun. That was just a fortunate coincidence. Even that wasn’t independent of your second liberation of the Water Element Divine Sword; I could have died without ever becoming an immortal.”
“Is that so?”
“Everything in this world is connected. And at the center of this connection is you, so I don’t see following you as a loss.”
Then we used the Golden Eagle technique and headed straight to the village where the Master Mangnyang was. After stashing away the Heavenly Secret, we visited the village, and just like before, Cheon Woo-jin came out.
Before Cheon Woo-jin could utter a word in his usual grumpy tone, Mangnyang blurted out, “Master! We have something crucial to discuss! Please clear the way! Quickly!”
“Huh?”
“It’s about offering the Water Element Divine Sword. A disciple is going to die… Please!”
Cheon Woo-jin looked flustered.
“Why is the older brother suddenly acting like this? Don’t you know how busy the Master is?”
“I understand, but you really need to move aside.”
Just as Mangnyang rudely stepped forward—
Bang!
Suddenly, the fog that had overtaken the surroundings vanished, revealing an ordinary village scene. Clearly, Cheon Woo-jin’s illusion had broken; I was amazed, wondering if Mangnyang had broken his spell. But no, Cheon Woo-jin turned in shock.
“Wait, Master?! What is this…?”
Then he abruptly turned his head back to Mangnyang.
“To boss the Master around! I never imagined the older brother would do something like this…”
Mangnyang replied bluntly, “The Master likes me. There’s no time, so I’ll apologize later.”
This meant Mangnyang had successfully coerced Master Mangnyang. As Cheon Woo-jin stood frozen, Mangnyang made his way towards the shrine without hesitation. Upon placing the Water Element Divine Sword on the shrine, he began chanting incantations.
“Whenever someone does not encounter the order of the five elements, or if the nine luminaries lose their law or the harshness of punishment encounters them or any divine killing occurs, and in moving or using them… If they cannot follow harmony in everything, greatly… heaven will be displeased, and earth will reprimand, leading to a loss of life or the soul being at risk…”
Blue spirit energy surged around Mangnyang’s body.
Meanwhile, Cheon Woo-jin, who had followed us, was astonished to see Mangnyang chanting the incantation.
“Older brother!! What are you doing? You plan to invoke the Primordial Void Ruler without the power of the altar or formation?”
I asked Cheon Woo-jin, “What’s the problem with that?”
“Naturally! The Primordial Void Ruler commands luck and is among the highest deities in Taoism! Its power is immense, so if you don’t control it with proper altar and formations, you can’t possibly summon it. It’s not the same as the random deities and spirits floating around.”
With a worried expression, Cheon Woo-jin looked at Mangnyang.
“At this rate, you might meet your doom from a backlash.”
“…!!”
Suddenly, I realized how serious this situation was. Now that I thought about it, even the revered illusion master, Cheon Woo-jin, meticulously prepared formations and altars whenever he offered the Water Element Divine Sword. As Cheon Woo-jin said, chanting without essential elements was a risk of the highest order.
Rumble!
A moment later, dark clouds gathered in the sky. Then, a bright golden light poured out from the Water Element Divine Sword placed on the altar. Oracle Bone Scripts vividly materialized, and soon the Water Element Divine Sword rose up into the sky. After a brief moment, it created a giant pillar of light right in the middle of the heavens.
Rumble!
Raining down—!!
A deluge of rain began falling to the ground below. Cheon Woo-jin was there, dumbfounded as he murmured, “No way… Did he really invoke the Primordial Void Ruler with just the incantation? That can’t possibly be true…”
“It’s certainly possible, Priest.”
Mangnyang, having finished the ritual, walked over to us with a smile.
“With adequate knowledge and experience, it’s entirely attainable.”
It seemed Mangnyang had achieved this using the knowledge and experiences of Ji-seon Mangnyang.
“……”
Regardless of everything, the current Mangnyang had undoubtedly accomplished exceptional mastery beyond his original self. This made sense, as becoming a celestial being meant being a being beyond the Great Immortal.
“By the way, can you assist with the spirit summoning? I think I might struggle due to insufficient power…”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head, saying, “You seem to be an extraordinary being. For now, I’ll lend you my support.”
“Thank you.”
“`
