Chapter 414
“Let’s head to the Shaolin Temple on Songshan with Cheon Woo-jin,” I thought, and right away, I felt something was different about this place compared to the other Heavenly Altars.
The pure and grand spiritual energy flowed without a single disturbance!
Human emotions honed along the vast Dragon Vein, bringing spiritual stability to the Shaolin Temple. It was nothing like the Imperial Palace, tainted by the Evil God, or the White Lotus Sect, which had been accumulating sinister energy. Just standing there and breathing in the fresh air washed away the evil vibes, leaving me in awe of the remarkable purity.
‘I never felt this before…’
Zhuge Sa explained, “Your spiritual energy has greatly amplified, allowing you to sense the purity of the Spirit Energy. The Shaolin Temple is one of the most renowned spiritual sites in the Central Plains, so it’s only natural you feel it.”
Cheon Woo-jin and I stood near the Heavenly Altar of Songshan, observing the altar, when he touched the stele and remarked, “Well kept. Not a single ancient technique has been damaged.”
“What do you mean damaged?”
“You didn’t know? Unlike here, the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai has its techniques distorted and damaged. Probably because the Vermilion Bird wanted to spy on the Celestial Realm through the altar.”
After pondering Cheon Woo-jin’s words, I replied, “Wait a minute. You’re also an extraordinary practitioner that’s on par with Zhuge Yulong… no, you’re much stronger than him. So couldn’t you distort the Heavenly Altar’s stele to eavesdrop on the Celestial Realm?”
“It’s true that I’m stronger than Zhuge Yulong, but I can’t possibly compare to his skill in the Eight Trigrams. The way he manipulated the altar is an incredibly precise and difficult method of the Eight Trigrams that takes more than a day to master.”
As Cheon Woo-jin finished speaking, he continued, “The Master of Zen will be arriving soon. Get ready.”
I opened my Qi Sense but couldn’t detect the presence of the Master of Zen nearby. It seemed Cheon Woo-jin had a much wider sensing range, allowing him to intuitively guess where the Master was based on his aura. It was a moment of realization about the Master’s great ability.
Swoosh!
Eventually, the Master of Zen burst into the grove, accompanied by three eminent monks from the Ming sect. Spotting us, he seemed surprised and exclaimed, “Amitabha… Divine Beings have come!”
Stepping forward, I bowed to Grand Master Myung-ho and said, “Grand Master, I am Baek Woong, the Deputy Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect.”
“……!!”
I could feel the shock from the three eminent monks standing next to the Master. Especially the monk named Myungjeong, whom I had seen before, looked so rattled he nearly lost his composure. Unable to contain himself, he cried out, “No way… the Evil God has invaded this far!”
“Let’s get rid of him!”
“I’ll call for the disciples…”
As the eminent monks were panicking, the Master of Zen shouted sternly, “Be quiet!”
Rumbling!
For a moment, I thought an earthquake had hit. The Master’s immense internal power shook the ground. Realizing that his internal power wasn’t falling short compared to mine, I was once again impressed. The fortuitous encounter I had with my internal power accumulated dozens of times, and it was comparable! The true mastery of Shaolin was indeed powerful.
After calming his disciples, he spoke quietly, “What brings you to the Heavenly Altar? And it seems you were waiting for us.”
“That’s right. We came to see you, not the Heavenly Altar.”
“What business does a White Lotus Sect member have with me?”
I pointed to Cheon Woo-jin standing next to me and said, “This is the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, the direct disciple of Master Mangnyang.”
“Hmm!”
“We come on the orders of Master Mangnyang. It’s an urgent and critical matter, so please pardon us and listen.”
“……”
The Master was deep in thought for a moment. Finally, he said, “Myeongjeong, Myeongwoo, Myeongjin! Return and wait for me.”
“But Master…”
“Don’t worry. They haven’t come here to fight. If they had, we would’ve already been dead by now.”
“… Understood.”
As soon as the three monks vanished from the hall, Cheon Woo-jin said to the Master, “I apologize for not having the time to receive a vision from you. However, the matter is too serious; we had to use our spirit beasts to hasten matters.”
“Hmm… I can believe you’re a disciple of the Master. What a fearsome power you have…” the Master marveled and then asked, “What in the world has happened?”
Cheon Woo-jin responded, his voice slightly heavy, “The worst possible scenario has unfolded. Recently, the White Lotus Sect seized Luoyang, amplifying the risk of the binding of the Divine Being being lifted. The Celestial Realm hastily sent Southern Flower Immortal to command an assault on the White Lotus Sect. However, the leader of the White Lotus Sect even managed to repel the Great Immortal, and as a result, the Celestial Three Purities ordered the reinstallation of the Heavenly Ladder.”
Cheon Woo-jin went on to explain the situation more thoroughly. It was more persuasive coming from him, who had proclaimed to be the Deputy Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect.
“……!!”
The Master froze in place, as if petrified. It seemed that even a monk of extreme prowess would be taken aback by such news, as he struggled to speak for a while. Then, he exhaled heavily, relaxing his shoulders, and lamented, “Oh my… how could this happen? I didn’t think I’d see something like this since the Mythological Age…”
As he mumbled absentmindedly, he turned his gaze towards me. “You said you are the Deputy Leader of the White Lotus Sect; what is your purpose in being here?”
I cleared my throat and replied, “I am the Master of the Moon Sovereign and have been entrusted by the Celestial Realm to restrain the leader of the White Lotus Sect and the Master of the Twelve Joules. However, the situation has grown dire, and I can no longer manage it from my end. I must humbly seek your assistance.”
“The Master of the Seven Luminaries!”
“Make it easy to believe.”
Whirr!
I summoned the power of the Moon Sovereign. The three Divine Tools floated around me, glowing, which led the Master to murmur, “Today, a guest has come to resolve a grudge.”
“……?”
“I have heard a little bit about you, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in person.”
“Can you help me?”
“Hmm…” the Master seemed to take a moment to sort his emotions. Then, he looked at Cheon Woo-jin and continued, “When did this start?”
“It was decided in the Celestial Realm’s meeting yesterday.”
“Then in 49 days, everything will come to a head. What help can you offer?”
What? I couldn’t hold back any longer and asked the Master, “Do you know what the Heavenly Ladder is? And what’s with the 49 days?”
“……”
The Master glanced at Cheon Woo-jin. He sighed and said, “This guy doesn’t even know what the Heavenly Sovereign is. But he has strong righteous feelings and is trustworthy, so the Master entrusted a great task to him. We just don’t have time to explain it to him right now.”
“I see. Then I will explain it to you, Baek Woong.”
The Master slowly detailed, “The Heavenly Altar is the place where Jeon Wook severed the connection between Heaven and Earth.”
“I am aware of that. And I know now that the Heavenly Altar has lost its function and is effectively useless.”
“To be precise, this Heavenly Altar is a device left behind for the Celestial Realm to directly intervene in the mortal realm in case of an emergency.”
What?!
Surprised by the unexpected revelation, I stared at the Master, and he continued, “Before Jeon Wook severed the ties between Heaven and Earth, humans, demons, and divine beings all lived together on this land. The Three Sovereigns also resided with them. However, after Jeon Wook cut the ties, most divine beings, including the Three Sovereigns, ascended to the Celestial Realm, leaving only humans and the demonic and otherworldly races behind.”
“Hmm…”
“The Heavenly Altar serves as the stepping stone for the Heavenly Ladder. When the ladder is lowered from the Celestial Realm, it allows divine beings who have ascended to descend directly to Earth. The severed connection will re-establish itself, erasing the distinction between the celestial and the mortal realms.”
I tilted my head at his words. “Even now, the Southern Flower Immortal or powerful divine beings can exert their influence in the mortal realm as they please, right? What’s the big deal about it?”
Then the Master sighed and explained, “It’s the Law of Cause and Effect.”
“……?”
“Even if the Southern Flower Immortal unleashes powerful arts to wreak havoc in the human realm, it’s only possible because the Jade Emperor accepted the consequences of those actions. No matter how powerful the Great Immortal is, he cannot ignore the Law of Cause and Effect; if he recklessly uses his power, he’ll face blowback and perish. That’s why despite many powerful divine beings throughout history, humans in the Central Plains have been able to live peacefully.”
As he gazed up at the heavens, he continued, “However, if the Heavenly Altar is reconnected, the constraints of the Law of Cause and Effect will become meaningless in the Celestial Realm. All divine beings will be able to come down to Earth freely, and their techniques will be virtually unrestricted.”
“What…!!”
I was taken aback. If what he said was true, it meant the powerful Great Immortals in the Celestial Realm could rampage to their heart’s content on Earth! I realized this would lead to unprecedented trouble.
Even if the Sect Leader had repelled the combined efforts of the Southern Flower Immortal and the two other Great Immortals, it had only happened because he had to pull out a trump card! What’s more, those Great Immortals were not even the fight-specialized Immortals! If just two Immortals wielding dedicated treasures gang up, the leader of the White Lotus Sect would definitely be killed without any effort.
In the mortal realm, there weren’t even any suitable opponents for the leader of the White Lotus Sect. The best I could manage were the likes of the Master of the Twelve Joules or Miyamoto Musashi, but would they even respond to any alliance proposal? The arrival of the Celestial beings was imminent, and the urgency was overwhelming.
“So what does the 49-day deadline mean?”
“It’s the evaluation period that lasts for 49 days, held over seven days of deliberation. The Absolute Being, the Three Sovereigns, will review the proposal for the installation of the Heavenly Ladder, and this period will last for a total of 49 days. Once the evaluation concludes, the Heavenly Ladder will be connected immediately.”
The Three Purities refer to the supreme deities of Taoism: Primordial Heaven Master, Spirit Treasure Heaven Master, and Taishang Laojun. It seemed the Three Sovereigns were indeed held in higher regard than the Three Purities in the Celestial Realm. I found myself nodding in contemplation.
“Hmm… there’s always a chance the Three Sovereigns might reject the plan for reinstallation.”
“No one knows. But throughout history, the Three Sovereigns have never rejected the opinions of the Three Purities.”
“……”
So the 49-day deadline was genuinely a final ultimatum then. I focused my gaze on the Heavenly Altar and declared, “Then all we have to do is destroy this Heavenly Altar that will connect the Heavenly Ladder!”
Cheon Woo-jin chimed in with a smirk, “If you destroy it, the Celestial Realm would actually be grateful. They wouldn’t have to wait 49 days!”
“What?”
Cheon Woo-jin continued, “The Heavenly Altar serves as both a safeguard for the Celestial Realm and a wedge. Thanks to its existence, the divine beings of the Celestial Realm don’t recklessly try to connect Heaven and Earth. In other words, it effectively separates Heaven from Earth. If you destroy it, the heavens will immediately merge with the Earth.”
“……!!”
At that moment, I remembered the moment of my death in my 17th rebirth. Back then, I had fled to the Heavenly Altar with Miho, my legs torn by the ruler of the Demon Subduing Hall, only to be pursued by the Vermilion Bird trying to kill us. I remember trying to ignite a disaster with Miho and the Seven Luminaries.
I still recall the words the Vermilion Bird screamed out as a warning to me.
[Do you know what will happen if you do that? Do you even understand the meaning of the boundary between the Celestial Realm and Earth disappearing?!]
[The true Three Sovereigns will rise again! And they will obliterate everything without care for any delays! Their essence is not different from the Old Ruler! That will be a fate a hundred times more dreadful than whatever the Demon Subduing Hall could create, so don’t do something insane!]
And disregarding the Vermilion Bird’s warnings, I detonated the Heavenly Altar. The flamboyant light engulfed me, leading to my obliteration, during which I witnessed the Sovereigns rising from chaos, donning ritual objects.
So what that meant was that after my death, when the Three Sovereigns stood up, the Celestial Realm directly descended upon this world, causing the worlds to overlap. As my realization solidified, Cheon Woo-jin continued, “Destroying the Heavenly Altar would be the worst choice. Instead, we must protect the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai from external forces for the next 49 days. Because even if we fail to hinder the reinstallation of the Heavenly Ladder after 49 days, the presence of the Heavenly Ladder will ensure the divine beings of the Celestial Realm will show some restraint…”
“Hmm…”
I sighed quietly. ‘This isn’t just about gathering information about the Celestial Realm?!’ The leader of the White Lotus Sect might not be aware of the current situation, but ultimately, sending me to investigate the Heavenly Altar had been the right move. Waiting idly would have surely meant disaster for the White Lotus Sect after 49 days.
But I suddenly pondered and asked, “Wait! Does that mean we have no options right now? Should we just sit back and observe for 49 days?”
“Of course not. If that were the case, why would I have followed you, Baek Woong?” Cheon Woo-jin responded curtly and continued, “What we can do now is present our appeal to the Celestial Realm.”
“An appeal?”
“We can request that we can resolve the matters of the mortal realm without the need for the Heavenly Ladder installation, persuading the Celestial Realm through the Heavenly Altar. That’s the only way we have at the moment.”
“Hmm!” I looked at the Heavenly Altar with newfound clarity.
That’s right! The Heavenly Altar functioned not only as a ladder connecting the Celestial Realm to Earth but also as a communication channel for sending intentions from the mortal realm to the heavens. It must have been the reason the Vermilion Bird could spy on the celestial realm through it.
After considering briefly, I turned to the Master. “Master of Zen, you know how to appeal to the Celestial Realm.”
“Indeed, Baek Woong has learned this method through the teachings passed down through the Shaolin Temple for generations.”
Hearing the Master’s response filled me with a flicker of hope. I thought that perhaps we could navigate this crisis somehow. However, a moment later, the Master sighed with a heavy voice and said, “However… considering that even Master Mangnyang could not sway the opinions of the Three Purities in the Celestial Realm, the chances are extremely slim… Even he, one of the greatest beings in the Celestial Realm, could not overcome the majority opinion…”
“……”
“From now on, we must thoroughly search for ways to persuade the Celestial Realm.”
The Master clasped his hands together at me. “Baek Woong, please follow me for a moment.”
“Understood.”
“Cheon Woo-jin, you please restore the spiritual energy of the Heavenly Altar. I’m counting on you.”
Cheon Woo-jin answered nonchalantly, “That’s why I came.”
Whoosh!
The Master and I left Cheon Woo-jin and headed somewhere. After climbing for a while, we arrived in front of a desolate temple. The Master then said to me, “Inside, someone has been desperately searching for you.”
“……?”
“This is also fate. It’s your destined encounter.”
What was the Master babbling about now? But given the urgency imposed by the Heavenly Altar, there must be a reason for bringing me here. I hesitated a moment before stepping into the temple.
Inside the dark temple, candles flickered, and I saw a woman in a white cloak praying before the altar. She was a beauty, her curvy figure quite visible even from behind. Somehow, her appearance felt familiar, causing me to tilt my head as I took a step closer.
She bowed before the statue once more, joined her hands in prayer, and turned to face me, saying, “So we meet like this, Baek Woong.”
Clank!
Upon seeing her face, my heart felt like it dropped.
And unable to contain my emotions, I shouted, “Miho…!!”
