Chapter 352
“Tai Gong-mang, the legendary strategist!”
He was also known as the Strong Baby, a Taoist who once defeated Emperor Yin, and a prominent prime minister during the Silver Age. Tai Gong-mang was like a shooting star in the revolution of the Yin Dynasty—a figure that could not be omitted in any official or unofficial history of China. He stood out among historical heroes, even more famous than a mere emperor.
Tai Gong-mang declared, “Never has there been this many Great Immortals!”
After a brief pause, he continued, “I wish to grant you a blessing, but… I wish to offer you a choice fitting for such extraordinary beings.”
“What kind of choice?”
“You may accept my blessing or have the chance to receive someone else’s blessing again. What will it be?”
“……”
What the heck does that mean? I was momentarily stumped, but Mangnyang quickly caught on and replied.
“If the Great Immortal’s energy is stacked twice, a human soul can’t handle it, right? Isn’t it a dilemma if we can’t choose again?”
“Indeed. That’s why I’m here to prevent the destruction caused by such stacking with my power. What’s your decision?”
“So if I choose again, it will only have the effect of once?”
“That’s correct. Just one effect.”
Mangnyang nodded.
“I get it. We hesitated due to the energy stacking, so you thought it reasonable to offer us the right to choose again.”
Tai Gong-mang agreed.
“That’s the idea. So… what will you do?”
“I need to discuss this briefly, please hold on.”
“Don’t take too long. This sorcerer’s strength is running low. The original energy will soon be depleted.”
Indeed, Cheon Woo-jin’s condition was visibly deteriorating. Mangnyang turned to me and asked,
“Baek Woong, what will you do?”
“So you’re saying I can receive the blessings I passed over?”
“That’s correct. However, I can’t say for certain what will happen. Trust your instincts and choose.”
I pondered.
‘Re-selecting, huh?’
There were four candidates I found useful:
The fortune of the Primordial Void Ruler, the lifespan of the Queen Mother of the West, the swordplay of Yeodong-bin, and the martial arts of Yuan Yuanzi!
Among them, the Queen Mother of the West’s lifespan was honestly the least useful. And since I already acquired what I could from Yeodong-bin, it felt pointless. As for Jang Sam-bong’s martial arts, I hadn’t fully grasped the Seven Great Techniques yet.
It seemed wise to take the fortune from the Primordial Void Ruler. Any normal person would think so.
But then I turned to Tai Gong-mang and declared,
“I will choose to receive the blessing of Tai Gong-mang!”
Tai Gong-mang responded with surprise, “Are you serious? You choose my blessing over others?”
“Isn’t that a bad blessing?”
“Mine will grant you the summoning ability of the Spirit Beast, the Four Great Spirits.”
“……”
A spirit beast?
‘That’s kinda vague…’
The spirit beast was a divine creature in the Celestial Realm that only high-level immortals could ride. It was said to possess various mysterious abilities—a being commensurate in status with the immortals themselves. According to Ji-seon Mang-nyang, there were very few immortals who possessed a spirit beast even within the Celestial Realm.
While it was a good blessing, I wasn’t sure how beneficial summoning the Spirit Beast would be for me. Wouldn’t it be better to re-select another Great Immortal’s blessing? I hesitated for a moment, but I could already visualize Cheon Woo-jin’s nosebleed scenario.
Whoosh!
“Gah!”
“The energy of the sorcerer is being consumed!”
Tai Gong-mang’s calm tone sent chills down my spine. Since Cheon Woo-jin was on the verge of death, I urgently stated,
“I understand! Please grant me the summoning of the Spirit Beast!”
“Very well.”
Poof!
A moment later, I saw the Great Immortal departing from Cheon Woo-jin’s body in a radiant light. Cheon Woo-jin staggered a bit before collapsing forward. I quickly rushed to support him, but his face was as pale as death.
He was gasping, drenched in sweat and in pain, muttering to Mangnyang,
“Older Brother… I’ve caught divine fever… please take me home…”
“Understood.”
Mangnyang didn’t even take a moment to chat before hoisting Cheon Woo-jin and darting off. I followed him as he took Cheon Woo-jin home and started preparing a light porridge. I suggested giving him a Spiritual Pill, but Mangnyang said the potent energy would act like poison in his current condition.
“The sorcerer has taken in too much divine energy and caught divine fever.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“I can’t say for sure. But if the sorcerer survives, he will show tremendous progress. Divine fever is when too much energy flows excessively in the body.”
I infused my energy into Cheon Woo-jin’s back, applying my medical skills to nurse him. About half a moment later, Cheon Woo-jin started to calm down and drift into sleep. Mangnyang sat on a nearby chair and commented,
“Poor guy.”
“Who? Cheon Woo-jin?”
“Yes. He lost his parents at a young age and was led by his master to only learn sorcery all his life. He’s essentially a genius born in a sterile environment. Sure, he can be harsh and difficult, but he also has a pure and kind side. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have helped us like this.”
“……”
“Just think of it that way.”
Mangnyang gently stroked his hair. Despite the overwhelming talent in sorcery, Mangnyang seemed to care for him not just as a master but as an older brother.
As we stepped out of Cheon Woo-jin’s house, Mangnyang said,
“I think I need to take care of the sorcerer for a few days. Please wait.”
While I wanted to summon the Spirit Beast and experiment a bit, the situation felt far too serious for that. It seemed like a task I would have to tackle on my own. Frustration bubbled within me, and I shouted,
“Master Mangnyang! You’re just going to watch your disciple suffer like that?”
“That’s the way of the master. What can I do? Non-intervention isn’t all bad.”
“……”
My irritation boiled over as I glared at the shrine. I stomped up to it and screamed,
“You damned Black Cat! Are you not going to come out while your disciple is dying?”
And just like that—
“Gah…”
A wave of sleepiness washed over me.
I tried summoning all my mental techniques, both the Thunder Spirit Classic and the Thunder God Lineage, but there was no resisting it. I staggered, trying to hold on, but soon succumbed to the sleep of exhaustion.
……
I realized again that I had entered a dream of Master Mangnyang. As I struggled to rise, his voice resonated.
“Hello.”
One black cat walked along a path. The moment I saw the avatar of Master Mangnyang, I became furious.
“You jerk!”
“Wrong.”
“What?!
“I’m a cat, not a dog.”
“……”
I was dumbfounded, staring at Mangnyang as he jumped onto the roof.
“Just kidding, and don’t worry, Woo-jin is fine.”
“Fine? He just had a nosebleed and fainted!”
“That’s not a sign of weakness. It’s the result of excessive divine energy. If a sorcerer at his level is dying from that, even a cat would laugh.”
Tai Gong-mang declared confidently. I retorted sharply.
“Even a dog would laugh!”
“No, even a cat would laugh.”
“What stubbornness is this?”
As I yelled out of disbelief, Master Mangnyang flicked his tail.
“That’s not important; I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t you reselect the blessing?”
I blinked in surprise, looking at him. It was rare for this damned black cat to ask me such a question directly. As I contemplated, I replied.
“Seems like a waste.”
“Waste of what?”
“Re-selecting could lead to better efficiency, but I don’t know what Tai Gong-mang’s blessing is. That’s all there is to it.”
“So you were curious about what Tai Gong-mang’s blessing would be?”
“Yeah.”
Now that I was nearing my twentieth round, what mattered more was the diversity for the greater picture rather than immediate efficiency. I thought it would be wiser to try Tai Gong-mang’s blessing first and then consider it for potential new combinations afterwards.
After hearing my words, Master Mangnyang said,
“That’s not the way humans think.”
“What?!”
I exclaimed in disbelief. “What kind of nonsense is that? What’s strange about what I said?”
“Typically, a human would choose fortune or lifespan or martial arts. Your choice is something a Great Immortal might consider for fun.”
His cat-like eyes stared into me, devoid of any emotion.
“Do you know why I asked? There are now many beings in the Celestial Realm interested in your choice. Even Yeodong-bin, who is linked to you, is too fed up to stay and has sought refuge with the Heavenly Spirit.”
“……”
“No immortal expected you would make such a choice. Everyone thought you would pick the fortune of the Primordial Void Ruler. Thus, you are currently the most intriguing being in the Celestial Realm.”
I was shocked, my mouth agape. ‘Is my choice that bizarre?’
As I froze, Master Mangnyang continued speaking.
“The Spirit Beast is quite useful, so make sure to use it well. Until then.”
“Wait a minute!”
“Why do you call?”
I cautiously looked at Master Mangnyang and asked,
“How can I obtain the blessing of Great Creation?”
That formidable blessing that instantly dispelled all the defensive barriers cast by Daji on Xiang Yu!
I needed to find out how to acquire that blessing because I had no clue how many enemies I might face in the future. It would be wise to save the opportunity to use the Evil God’s curse for later.
“……”
Master Mangnyang swiftly landed on the ground. He leaned against the fence and began licking his paws.
“What will you gain from it?”
“Just tell me how.”
“Offer an offering. That’s the basics.”
I recalled that when Mangnyang had previously asked Master Mangnyang for the blessing of Great Creation, he had offered a Crystal Stele and the Portrait Immortal. But that time, the cost was insufficient just to hear the secrets of the world, while the blessing itself was a result of Master Mangnyang’s whims. The Great Creation blessing seemed to require a significant offering.
I hesitated before asking, “How substantial is the offering needed?”
“Well… think of the cost you imagine. I’ll judge it from there.”
“Got it.”
I first envisioned the Crystal Stele. To my amazement, as I thought of it, the illusion of the Crystal Stele appeared nearby, manifesting almost as if it were real. It seemed to be possible only in this dream realm.
As Master Mangnyang placed his paw on the Crystal Stele and gazed at it, he remarked, “Not enough.”
I then added five Black and White Lotuses.
“Still not enough.”
I thought he was being picky and added a box full of Gold Bars, and also the Nine Stars Main Capital.
“Far from enough.”
“……”
Hearing that, I was incredulous and shouted, “You crazy black cat! You give out blessings for free to Shaolin Temple sages and yet ask for this ridiculous price from me?!”
When I yelled in frustration, Master Mangnyang replied nonchalantly. His answer was beyond my comprehension.
“It’s a blessing for humanity.”
