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And so, the 21st life began.

“Huaaaagh…”

It felt like smoke was spewing from my mouth. My throat was tickled by the sensation of the afterimages.

My head throbbed painfully from the lingering agony of being carbonized. But through breathing exercises to ease the pain, I managed to recover my mental strength and caught my breath. Once I calmed down somewhat, I clenched my fist.

“Alright! I’ve made it to where the Fire Spirit resides!”

I finally decided to unleash the ultimate technique I had hesitated to use until now⁠—Great Luck Overlap!

This allowed me to stack my luck and break through the obstacles all at once. In fact, I used this ridiculous stroke of luck to breach the previously blocked remains of the Fire Spirit, and I even knocked out the Guardian, Gong Gong, with a bit of finesse, arriving right at the foot of the Fire Spirit Sanctuary. I honestly hadn’t anticipated the massive buildup of energy from thousands of years that was present within, but still, it became a huge gain for me.

The reason I hadn’t utilized such a good method until now was simple. Regardless, the duration of the Great Luck Overlap was very short, and the backlash from it would undoubtedly lead to extreme misfortune and eventually death for me. No matter how great the results, it wouldn’t matter if I was dead.

Besides, I had always been somewhat hesitant about death, and until now, there had been plenty of treasures to explore or martial arts and sorcerous training to pursue, so there was no particular need to use the Great Luck Overlap. For similar reasons, the Blessing of Xiang Yu was among the best but I had refrained from accepting it intentionally.

However, my mindset slightly shifted in my 19th reincarnation. After realizing the essence and overwhelming power of the ‘God’ that had been elusive until then, as well as the presence of malevolence, I felt this wasn’t the time to pick and choose. When I truly perceived that elevating my martial arts and sorcery techniques would amount to a drop in the ocean against divine power, I concluded that I needed to gather the Seven Luminaries as quickly as possible. So, I resolved to charge headfirst to break through the Fire Spirit.

The results were very good. Now I could retrieve the Fire Spirit from the sealed place. There was only one problem.

‘That fiery energy…’

A shiver ran down my spine as I reflected on the terrifying presence I’d sensed from the Fire Spirit. It felt like the flames of the Mythological Age had been condensed into this form, and no matter how much I tried to resist by raising my internal power, all I could face was painful death. Since touching it directly would lead to certain doom, I couldn’t safely move the Fire Spirit with my Wooden Armor, not to mention that even dreaming of fighting with it was out of the question.

‘Hmm… then I just won’t touch it directly!’

I quickly reached a straightforward conclusion. Rising from my seat, I immediately started to move. This time, rather than employing the cumbersome and deadly method of Great Luck Overlap, I decided to go with the strategy of verifying my current thoughts.

First, I grabbed the Heavenly Secret and dashed toward Shandong. As I ran through Shandong, a wave of familiarity washed over me. Though it was thousands of miles from where I lived, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion at how familiar it felt.

“Ah!”

Having run here so many times, I was naturally pacing along the optimized shortest route, racing through these mountains. Since my body had unconsciously learned the path, I couldn’t avoid feeling the déjà vu.

Thump!

The death of Zhuge Sa flickered through my mind. I clenched my fist tightly.

“I suppose this path will get tedious.”

When I arrived in Shandong, I acquired the Golden Lamp. Then, using the Golden Lamp found in the Great Dragon Merchant Association’s warehouse, I aimed to instantly transport myself to the inner shrine of Uluru where the Fire Spirit resided, specifically to the secret area that opens upon defeating the Guardian.

‘Since I’ve been there once…’

Twung!

With a feeling of rebounding, a strong pressure suddenly crashed upon me.

“……?!”

In the next moment, I realized my body was drifting amidst the brilliant sky. I was soaring carelessly amidst the hundreds of towering heavens that could rival the height of the earth. Finally, following the route dictated by nature, I started to fall, looking around in bewilderment.

The sky was clear and blue. The sea was also pristine. In the distance, I could see land.

A few seagulls dashed by my side.

Plunk!

‘No way?’

To confirm my thought, I used Light Body Technique and purposefully dove into the water instead of landing on the surface.

“Puhah!”

As I pulled my head above the water, I confirmed the color of the sea.

‘Incredibly clear and transparent… this isn’t the sea of the Central Plains.’

Neither the sea of Shandong nor the southern seas were this transparent. With a splash, I kicked off from the surface and raced toward the land visible in the distance using the supernatural abilities of the aquatic spirit. After expending quite a bit of internal power, when I finally reached the coastline, I knew my prediction was spot on.

“The southern continent…”

Based on my previous explorations, this was the southern continent’s coastline. The types of trees and the shapes of nearby plants gave it away. I was using the Golden Lamp to directly breach the inner seal of the Fire Spirit when I was bounced back, allowing me to ponder this moment further.

And just like that, I quickly concluded.

“There’s a barrier preventing demon artifacts from entering the Fire Spirit’s seal.”

I had half-expected it, but it was indeed true. While the Golden Lamp was a convenient demon artifact allowing instantaneous travel to places I had visited before, it couldn’t breach locations blocked by special barriers or sorcery. Likely, the area around the sealed Fire Spirit in the Yulala Uluru region had a barrier restraining powers like the Golden Lamp, and it seemed to open during a solar eclipse.

When I tried to lock onto the coordinates inside Uluru, the barrier rejected me, naturally flinging the coordinates outside the continent.

‘This sounds plausible.’

If I didn’t use a trick like Great Luck Overlap, my only option would be to accurately pinpoint the time of a solar eclipse and charge straight through.

“……”

As I thought it over, I suddenly realized it wasn’t the case at all.

“The Four Great Spirits!”

The Spirit Beast of the Four Great Spirits had a special ability that allowed it to breach any barrier or dimension once a day! Surely, if it were the Four Great Spirits, it could break through the barrier around the Fire Spirit’s seal and allow me to enter!

“Alright, let’s perform the Seven Luminary offerings and check out the Fire Spirit!”

This time, I planned to indirectly manipulate the Fire Spirit and stuff it into my Wooden Armor!

With a somewhat uplifted heart, I began moving again, feeling like I had forgotten something but deciding to collect as many treasures as possible in the meantime. I used the Golden Lamp to head directly into the depths of the Great Thunder Valley, simultaneously practicing the Three Treasure Technique while battling the Moon Beast.

Knock!

After defeating the Moon Beast and acquiring the Wooden Armor, Twin Broadswords, and Nine Stars Main Capital, I rescued Hwang Yeon and stuffed him into my armor before heading off to annihilate the blood blade group of pirates.

“Uwaah.”

“Save me.”

Amidst the havoc, I unleashed Sword Qi, beheading the pirates while suddenly recalling, ‘I’ll remember their faces now…’

Having killed so many of the Blood Blade Group, I was able to distinguish their faces to some extent. I could even tell apart the ugly mugs of these filthy scoundrels as they bled from their faces. For a moment, I felt a twinge of pity for them, but then quickly remembered these guys were evil villains that massacre common people and have their way with women, leading me to start chopping them down again without a second thought.

Changed feelings, perhaps?

“Hmm.”

After slaughtering hundreds of pirates, when confronted by the Blood Blade Group leader who had transformed into a merfolk, I could have sliced him without hesitation in one second, yet instead observed him with slightly tired eyes. He seemed to realize the gap in strength between us, shaking with his sword.

“Hrk… who are you?”

At that moment, I found myself thinking that, even in this situation, I could find alternatives. So, I inquired of the leader of the Blood Blade Group.

“Hey, I have something I’m curious about.”

“W-What is it?”

“Didn’t you say you always offer tribute to the Sea God?”

The pirate leader’s fish-like head perked up, his bulging eyes wide.

“H-How do you know that?!”

“Dude, you look like a fish.”

“…….”

“Anyway, that city of the merfolk is under the sea close to here, right?”

The pirate leader nodded frantically.

“That’s right! Don’t you have anything else to ask? I’m useful! Please save me.”

“I’m curious—being underwater, how do you bring humans down there without them drowning?”

The scoundrel shook his head.

“No! The Sea God enjoys live sacrifices!”

“In a hurry before they drown, huh?”

“That’s not it. Th-that…”

He glanced around at the scattered corpses before approaching a relatively intact pirate body. Extending his scaly hand, he placed it on top of the head.

Whoosh.

In the next moment, a transparent bubble formed around the dead body’s neck, expanding massively along with air bubbles. The bubble, now large enough to hold just the head, stabilized, appearing soft and yielding. The head of the pirate corpse stayed dry.

“Using this ability, you can breathe underwater.”

“Whoa…!!”

I was taken aback. This guy appeared to blend with the otherworldly Sea God Clan, enabling him to use such special abilities. It was undeniably a pretty handy skill, prompting me to ask more detailed questions.

“Are there others in the Blood Blade Group who can use this ability?”

“No… you can’t use it without the Sea God’s blessing.”

“That makes sense. So how long does it last?”

“About half a moment.”

“Do the true otherworldly Sea God Clan folks pack an even stronger punch with it?”

“Of course… they can use large bubbles to protect themselves or trap enemies. They’ve even caught whales using that ability.”

“Hmm!”

This unexpected information revealed the combat style and supernatural abilities of the Sea God Clan. I thought I’d surely be able to make use of this information later.

Simultaneously, I found myself pondering.

‘Should I visit the altar dedicated to human sacrifices made to the Sea God?’

But I soon realized that would be too much of a risk. If this guy was trying to lure me into a trap, fighting underwater would be too dangerous; and if a high-level Otherworldly Race or the Sea God appeared, I’d be in deep trouble. I could force my way, but since my objective in this life isn’t to extract the Sea God, I decided to put that on the back burner.

“Alright then.”

“Are you going to let me go?”

I quietly unleashed my Sword Qi.

“You said you had something you were curious about; I never said I’d let you go.”

“Hey, you…”

Swoosh!

I swiftly executed the pirate leader, then scavenged all the treasures on the pirate island and rescued the hostages, stuffing them into my Wooden Armor. Though it felt somewhat cowardly to have done that to the leader, he was an utterly villainous scum, so I felt no qualms whatsoever.

‘If they’re the type to sacrifice, slaughter, plunder, and rape, they deserve to die.’

Passing through these multiple lives, my belief that evil people deserve to die had not changed.

I shrugged it off lightly before using the Golden Lamp to head toward the secret chamber holding the Suspicious Fishhook of the Namgung Clan. This time I hadn’t set off to find Kojiro but could visit him later to obtain the Book of Five Relationships if need be. While placing the Suspicious Fishhook in my Wooden Armor, another thought suddenly struck me.

“Wait a minute… could it be…?”

With a swift motion, I pulled out a substantial amount of explosives and bombs from my Wooden Armor and made my way toward the Namgung Clan’s Main Capital. Fortunately, the Sword King, Namgung Myeong, along with the Eight Swords of Namgung were gathered there. I scanned the surroundings but saw no other significant individuals. They were likely holding a secret meeting with the top-ranking officials.

Namgung Myeong looked at me, puzzled.

“Boy. Who are you…?”

“Goodbye, you bastards!”

With a quick remark, I flung the pre-lit bombs and explosives fiercely ahead. Since I infused my internal power into the throw, they were launched at breakneck speed. Perhaps for that reason, two out of the Eight Swords of Namgung had explosives lodged deep into their bellies.

“Ugh…”

Before their expressions turned to shock, I immediately used the Soul Removal Technique and made my escape.

Ka-boom!

The pirate explosives that were piled up in large quantities detonated in an instant, enough to contend against the regular naval forces, resulting in an explosive catastrophe at the Namgung Clan’s Main Capital. I narrowly avoided the inferno casting shadows over my back and landed on the roof of the building.

‘If I was able to narrowly avoid an explosion with the top speed of the Soul Removal Technique, then even the Eight Swords of Namgung wouldn’t stand a chance for instant death.’

Rumble.

‘This should ensure the Eight Swords of Namgung are annihilated, and Namgung Myeong is likely gravely injured.’

I felt like I had stumbled upon a method to repay the grudge without having to bother Jin So-cheong or summon the Master of Shadowless Sword for some whiny backdrop. No matter how renowned the Martial Arts Families were, how could they endure an unexpected bomb blast?

Throughout my 20-some lifetimes, who would have thought that these seemingly useless explosives and bombs could actually be useful in this way! Just this time, I got lucky. I had roughly guessed where they were gathered, and it turned out to be spot on. However, I should practice timing it better in the future, so I can accurately stick these explosives into their guts. After ambushing the headquarters of the Namgung Clan, I headed straight to rescue the women who were trapped, dispatching the guards along the way.

Finally, I rushed to the Inner Imperial Pavilion Library and swiftly stole the Nameless Ritual Book, tossing it into my Wooden Armor. Instead of trading with the Prophet first, I ventured off to find Xuyou. After obtaining everything worthy in the ruins of Xuyou, I headed to the White Lotus Sect’s Sacred Lotus Cultivation Place to pluck a few Sacred Lotus. Then I retrieved the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate from the Joint Mountain and the Crystal Stele from the depths of the Imperial Palace. Lastly, I secured the Silver Phoenix Fragment from Taekyung Village.

“Ugh… what a busy day…”

I sighed slightly as I passed through all these processes. I had gained so much throughout my past lives that managing each one had become a real task. Nonetheless, at this point, practicing to collect what I could in the shortest time possible was never too much effort. Perhaps there were strategies I could only pursue by getting all the treasures in the shortest time.

After feeling like I had gathered enough treasures, I lastly sought out Mangnyang.

Bang!

Upon receiving the Obsidian from me, Mangnyang seemed taken aback as memories were passed down. After a moment of deep thought, he finally spoke.

“Baek Woong…”

“What is it?”

“So, the plan is to breach the seal using the Four Great Spirits and then indirectly enter the Fire Spirit with the breath control of the indirect energy?”

“That’s right! The Four Great Spirits can breach the barrier!”

He spoke carefully, sounding a bit hesitant.

“I’m sorry to say this, but… hmmm…”

“……?”

“The dimension breach ability can only be used once a day… then when it’s time to come out…”

“……”

Oh, I see! I suddenly realized the flaw in my strategy. In theory, it was a good idea to draw the Fire Spirit using the indirect energy, but since doing so would mean I couldn’t escape using the Four Great Spirits. Moreover, as seen in the example of Moon Sovereign, if I inadvertently touched the Seven Luminaries with my trick, the guardian could wake up instinctively at any time. In that case, I would be trapped within the Fire Spirit’s ruins, having to engage in a life-or-death battle with the Giant Race Gong Gong, with my chances of survival being perilously slim.

Suddenly, Mangnyang burst into laughter.

“Hahaha… but Baek Woong, your plan isn’t half bad. To put it another way, if you could just get into that room, you would only need to use it once to get out later, right? That puts you at much less risk.”

“Hmm, I see.”

After a moment of silence, Mangnyang turned to me.

“Baek Woong… do you feel responsible for Zhuge Sa’s death?”

The unexpected question made me flinch.

“……”

“The reason you have been rushing through these last two reincarnations is that you are implementing a strategy in a hurry, without taking the time to think, based on Zhuge Sa’s advice to ‘think for yourself rather than relying on a strategist.’”

I let out a low murmur.

“… that could be true.”

Quietly, Mangnyang said, “Zhuge Sa’s advice rings true. You broke through the Fire Spirit’s seal decisively in your 20th life by thinking for yourself and creating the best strategy without fear. However, tactics and policies need to be flexible and change according to the time. If you stubbornly cling to one approach, it can lead to errors like now.”

With a slightly wry smile, he continued, “Though I can’t match Zhuge Sa’s skills at this point, I’ll do my utmost to support you. Let’s give it our best together.”

“……”

I stared blankly at the sky.

Had I truly been so mindful of Zhuge Sa’s advice? The very madman whose words echoed in my head, scratching my sanity like a demon? The jerk who kept preparing to smack the back of my head?

But at the same time, when I recalled Zhuge Sa’s last smile before facing the Ruler, my heart felt heavy.

Drip.

A tear fell unexpectedly.

“Ugh.”

What is this?!

I was baffled as to why I was crying and hurried to wipe it away. When Mangnyang looked at me, startled, I spoke casually, trying to act nonchalant.

“Well then, let’s go!”

 

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