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00421 Celestial Realm ————————————————————————=

Thunder God Lineage?

I felt puzzled. The one currently controlling the Thunder God Lineage must be Lee Cheong-un, who was resurrected by the power of reversal. If that’s the case, then the ones involved now are likely Lee Kwang or Jin So-cheong. But I chose to remain calm and refrained from saying this out loud.

“Please tell me what happened.”

Dokgo Jun spoke with apparent difficulty.

[We easily subdued the Huashan Sect, Hengshan Sect, and Tianchang Sect. Especially since the Hengshan Sect just recently reported that their leader went missing, it was all the easier to break their spirit. However, the Gao Fang Master has gone missing along with his officials. The real problem lies with the Wudang Sect.]

“Wudang Sect?”

[We sent our elder, Dokgo Woo, to subdue the Wudang Sect, but he was defeated by Jin So-cheong of the Thunder God Lineage. I just received the news not long ago, so I was reporting before re-organizing our forces to head back to the Wudang Sect.]

“……”

Dokgo Woo was defeated by Jin So-cheong!

That fact meant a lot. It indicated that even after a relatively short time since my rebirth, Jin So-cheong had grown strong enough to take down the owner of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Dokgo Woo, being virtually at the Dharma Guardian level, meant that Jin So-cheong’s martial arts prowess must have spiked manifold.

‘To defeat the Heavenly Spirit Pill owner without actually being one… It means there’s a significant gap in martial arts levels.’

Using infinite internal energy to overwhelm the battlefield is fundamental to the strategy of the Heavenly Spirit Pill. However, in the realm surpassing Peak Experts, someone like Jin So-cheong could potentially possess divine skills capable of nullifying infinite internal energy in an instant. Jin So-cheong must have reached that level of absolute mastery.

As I measured Jin So-cheong’s strength in my thoughts, I turned my head toward Han Baek-ryeong.

“And what about you?”

Han Baek-ryeong paused for a moment before responding. It seemed she had adjusted to the rank difference and adopted a more respectful tone.

“Lee Kwang and the Extreme Tiger got involved. Lee Kwang is a disciple of the previous Thunder God Lineage sect master, and the Extreme Tiger is a disciple of the Thunder God Lineage.”

Of course, I already knew this fact, and no one in the world would understand it better than me. But while I had anticipated Lee Kwang, I hadn’t expected to see the Extreme Tiger’s name, which made my eyebrows twitch a bit. With a sense of cautious curiosity, I asked,

“Were they perhaps blocked in their attempt to subdue the Huashan Sect?”

“No. The Huashan Sect leader Yong Junil and the four elders vanished early on. Lee Kwang and the Extreme Tiger appeared at the Zhongnan Sect and attacked the Fire Spirit Lineage elders, but they were surprisingly strong, forcing us to withdraw for now. The Sect Leader’s order for non-lethal engagement also played a significant role…”

“At Zhongnan Sect…”

It was something I could easily deduce. Given the powers of the Fire Spirit Lineage and Dharma Guardians, it would have been easy to subdue the other three sects. However, the Huashan Sect had vanished, leaving us blocked in the Zhongnan Sect.

‘Zhongnan Sect leader Yeon Jeong-hong is a close friend of Lee Kwang. It seems Lee Kwang intervened to assist Yeon Jeong-hong.’

As I organized my thoughts, I quickly realized why.

‘Lee Cheong-un must have gone ahead!’

Reading the memories I handed him last, Lee Cheong-un must have sensed that the White Lotus Sect was moving to subdue the Nine Great Sects. This was feasible because he also had information about the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai. He probably decided to rescue the closest and most important factions in the Nine Great Sects after taking control of Luoyang.

However, I couldn’t quite read Lee Cheong-un’s intentions.

As the new sect master of the Thunder God Lineage, he must have passed on his martial arts skills to Jin So-cheong, Lee Kwang, and the Extreme Tiger. And now that he had finally ventured out of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School to face the White Lotus Sect, it felt strangely unsettling. I decided, with a hint of hope, to inquire with the two Dharma Guardians.

“So what’s the damage on our side?”

I heard the responses from the two.

[Dokgo Woo lost an arm, and two elders sustained minor injuries.]

“I assumed both sides must have suffered significant damage, so we retreated first.”

“……”

That made sense. As for the Fire Spirit Lineage, since Han Baek-ryeong and Lee Kwang were already acquainted, they would’ve tried to avoid extreme conflict. But for the Su Shin side, being confronted by Jin So-cheong, whom they had no previous acquaintance with, was unlikely to end well. Given Jin So-cheong’s nature, it would be normal for him to eliminate any potential strong adversaries like the Su Shin elders. However, despite being ahead in martial arts, he chose to let the matter rest after only cutting off Dokgo Woo’s arm.

‘The Thunder God Lineage doesn’t genuinely wish to become enemies with the White Lotus Sect. Could it be…’

An intuition swept over me, and I got up from my seat. I told the Dharma Guardians,

“I’ll look into this matter myself. Let’s postpone the subjugation of the Nine Great Sects for now.”

[Until when?]

“I will give you further instructions.”

[Understood.]

As the Dharma Guardians stepped back, I reached out to the Zhuge Clan.

[Zhuge Clan, do you think my suspicion is correct?]

[Hehe. It seems that following me around has sharpened your thinking a bit. It’s not an incorrect deduction.]

Zhuge Sa chuckled and continued.

[Lee Cheong-un wants to speak with you. Following his bait will be your choice. Well, his mind is not something to take lightly, so given the current situation, you might have no option but to entertain him.]

This seemed to be the case. Since I had no way to predict when I’d revisit the Thunder God Lineage, it was likely that his actions were intended to grab my attention by interfering with the White Lotus Sect.

[Is Lee Cheong-un trying to kill me?]

[Hehe. That could be possible, but… if I were Lee Cheong-un, I wouldn’t take such a reckless step.]

[Why?]

[I don’t believe Lee Cheong-un has yet accumulated the strength to kill you. It’d be too reckless for him to attempt to kill you, seeing as you could play a crucial role as a last resort in critical situations.]

[Do you have any idea what kind of negotiation he is aiming for?]

[……]

[Zhuge Clan?]

When I called out to Zhuge Sa, he replied.

[You should be cautious about this meeting.]

[Hmm…]

[Lee Cheong-un is certainly not a simple opponent. The only reason you’ve held off from acting recklessly is due to your perceived advantage, but I assure you he has a few hundred cunning tricks up his sleeve. While he might not aim to kill you, he’s bound to employ any means to control you as he sees fit.]

Zhuge Sa’s words were very reasonable. Until now, he had operated me as a double agent to observe the sect leader’s movements, but as the Caelestial Sovereign’s plan was rapidly approaching, it was clear he might try to lay hands on me to adapt to the flashing circumstances.

But if so, it presented a very tricky predicament. Heading straight to meet him in a one-on-one would likely result in getting subdued in a second due to the Thunder Spirit. Though using the Moon Sovereign to amplify my potential might yield some resistance, I had no guarantees of escaping against the Thunder Spirit.

Yet bringing in the Guardian Post wouldn’t help either, as no one beneath the Sect Leader could withstand Lee Cheong-un. Given how Dokgo Woo had been utterly overwhelmed in the past, I already knew the level of Lee Cheong-un’s prowess was off the charts.

Ultimately, I felt that the best approach would be to bring the Sect Leader along to subdue Lee Cheong-un. After all, the Sect Leader would have a fighting chance against him. However, doing this would entirely limit the other possibilities that Lee Cheong-un held, as well as potentially render it impossible to suppress the Sect Leader’s wild rampages later if Lee Cheong-un were subdued.

I was equally certain that Lee Cheong-un had already considered the possibility of me bringing along the Sect Leader, so this preemptive action on his part was troubling. It felt as though Lee Cheong-un was determined to meet me, even if it meant taking risks.

“……”

He was truly an incredibly pesky opponent. I was starting to doubt whether resurrecting Lee Cheong-un was a mistake in this lifetime. Given his caliber, it made sense why even the peak Sect Leader had once tread cautiously against the Thunder God Lineage. As I pondered, Zhuge Sa spoke up.

[Think carefully. The timing of your visit to meet Lee Cheong-un is your choice. But that’s undoubtedly a crucial decision. Lee Cheong-un’s Thunder God Lineage could yield you immense benefits or cause significant losses. If you’re not careful, you might well end up squandering most of the 49 days.]

“Ugh…”

This was really tough. Honestly, it would have been easier just to fight with my life on the line than to deal with such complexities. I grumbled in my room for a while before finally reaching a conclusion.

“Damn it! If I might die anyway, then I should gather as much information as possible before I go! I’m going to meet the Prophet!”

[Huh?!]

Zhuge Sa was momentarily taken aback. I didn’t hesitate and immediately summoned the Four Great Spirits and headed for the Great Temple where the Prophet was.

[What brings you here… another deal, perhaps.]

As the Prophet materialized, I spoke with conviction.

“Prophet! Do you know that the Heavenly Altar is about to cast down the Heavenly Ladder through the human world?”

[Of course… That’s why I’m also evacuating my clan…]

“Evacuating?”

The Prophet responded as if my question was quite naive.

[Once that begins, the Celestial plan will unfold centuries ahead… My kin, residing on the ground under the name Zhuyong Tribe, could suffer… Naturally, as their king, I would be responsible for getting them to safety…]

“Damn it… I’m trying to stop that Celestial Plan.”

[Stop it…? How?]

I replied confidently.

“I came to ask how I might do that. How about this as a deal?”

With a swift motion, I pulled out the Sacred Relic. Upon seeing the relic, the Prophet appeared genuinely surprised.

[Oh… That’s… a fragment of the Ten Commandments tablet, is it not?]

“The Ten Commandments tablet?”

He seemed to realize the name of the Sacred Relic. The Prophet continued.

[That relic contains the very essence of the stars. Once all the fragments gather to restore its form, it becomes an artifact of incredible power. To any religion or being worshipping the Old Ruler, it is a treasure beyond measure… I’d be willing to fulfill quite a few requests for that.]

“Hmm.”

The Sacred Relic I obtained from the Arasa Empire seemed to carry far more value than I had expected. I looked down at the Sacred Relic, the Tablet, with newfound appreciation and handed it to him, saying,

“Anyway, I wish to learn how to stop the Celestial Plan in exchange for this. Is that acceptable?”

[……]

The Prophet appeared to ponder deeply. After a moment, he spoke.

[I need to understand the context a bit better… The memories of the Obsidian.]

“Oh.”

I fetched the Obsidian and stored the sequence of events thus far before presenting it to the Prophet. After he read the memories for an extended period, he finally spoke.

[As I mentioned before, a plan raised by the Three Sovereigns in the Celestial Realm cannot be simply annulled… The Three Sovereigns may review it for 49 days, but that’s merely a formality… It’s uncertain whether they even exist in the Celestial Realm right now… At this rate, no matter what merit one might achieve, it cannot be stopped… But if there is one way, then.]

“What’s that?”

The Prophet’s subsequent disclosure left me utterly speechless.

[You would need to ascend to the Celestial Realm directly and confront the Three Sovereigns to explain why the Heavenly Ladder is unjust and persuade them to abandon it… After all, they make the final decision…]

“……”

[This is the only way…]

I was flabbergasted, replying,

“Are you serious?! If I went up to the Celestial Realm now— or rather, I don’t even know how to get up there— I’d end up dead! I’ve already made a mockery of the Southern Flower Immortal, so I’m on their hit list!”

[That’s up to you to figure out…]

“And based on what Cheon Woo-jin said, there might be a chance to stop it if I petition it publicly in the Celestial Realm…”

The Prophet then let out a disdainful snort.

[Hehe… A petition in the Celestial Realm? You clearly don’t understand the situation at all.]

“What do you mean?”

[The plan to cast down the Heavenly Ladder is akin to an adventure for the Celestial Realm as well. They have plans in place for the end times in 500 years, but they don’t even know what kind of ripples will ensue from casting down the Celestial Sovereign. Therefore, even the Celestial Realm must approach this matter with caution… The fact that they have decided to cast down the Celestial Sovereign amidst all that suggests there’s a deeper undercurrent within the Celestial Realm…]

“……!!”

[Just as you indicated to me previously… There seems to be something suspicious about the Primordial Void Ruler and Queen Mother of the West… If they wish to annihilate the human world… What does your little petition to the Heavenly Altar even mean…? Those beings have undoubtedly reached the apex of the Celestial Realm, aside from the Three Sovereigns.]

That made sense.

The Prophet’s logical and coherent statement hit me like a freight train.

‘Now that I think about it, Ji-seon Mang-nyang had also displayed much caution regarding the undercurrents within the Celestial Realm.’

As a disciple of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, he had attempted to uncover the forces plotting within the Celestial Realm but ultimately failed. The enemy’s power was overwhelmingly strong, hence why he had transmitted his knowledge to me before perishing. If the plan to cast down the Celestial Sovereign was hastened due to that undercurrent, then any attempts at a public petition as Cheon Woo-jin suggested would be utterly useless.

Thinking more cautiously, I suggested,

“What if we performed the Offering Ceremony at the Heavenly Altar to summon the Three Sovereigns and plead our case?”

It felt much more realistic, but the Prophet chuckled as if it were absurd.

[You really think the Offering Ceremony is something one can just do on a whim? It requires order, rights, qualifications, and timing… You may have thought it would be easy since you received the help of the Illusory God Cheon Woo-jin, but to put it another way, without his help, it cannot be carried out at all… And Cheon Woo-jin is currently in an extreme state of focus, restoring the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai…]

“……”

[If you want to propose to the Three Sovereigns through the Offering Ceremony, you’d have to wait at least a month to try…]

I sensed that something was fundamentally wrong with the sequence of events.

‘If I’d known this, I should have come to consult the Prophet first.’

Then I could have initiated the Offering Ceremony and conserved as much time as possible. However, Cheon Woo-jin was now entirely cut off and was pouring all his energy and focus into restoring the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai. Without his assistance, I would likely be left twiddling my thumbs for nearly a month.

Then the Prophet tentatively said,

[But… if you were to hand over both the bracelet and Sacred Relic to me… I would be willing to assist with the Offering Ceremony in your stead.]

“Really?!”

[Yes… I’d also like to see the Three Sovereigns after quite a while…]

An unexpected proposal!

I hurriedly turned to Zhuge Sa.

[Zhuge Sa! What do you think?]

Zhuge Sa appeared flabbergasted.

[Hey. What’s your reasoning here?]

[Huh?]

[You’ve been so restless and now suddenly you think of going to the Prophet? It doesn’t feel like there’s any concrete basis behind that at all.]

Oh? Listening to Zhuge Sa, that did make me feel that way.

I scratched my head and answered,

[Well, it just felt like the right move…]

[Be more specific.]

[Since I’m likely to die anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to gather some information before that.]

[……]

Zhuge Sa, who had been silent in disbelief, suddenly burst into laughter.

[Hahaha! If you think about it in terms of dying, that makes sense! Truly a Reborn Person.]

[Is it really that weird?]

After a brief hesitation, Zhuge Sa stopped laughing and said,

[Go for it. There’s nothing to lose.]

[Alright!]

Finally, I took off the bracelet I had been wearing and handed it over to the Prophet, along with the Sacred Relic. The Prophet, seemingly delighted, let out a ripple of energy before grinning widely and saying,

[Oh, my customer…]

“Eh?”

The Prophet hastily retracted his statement.

[I must have said something silly out of gratitude. Now, let’s go.]

“……”

I felt like I’d just heard something odd, but decided not to dwell on it.

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