Chapter 567
“So, the immortal Dalma was killed by an Old Ruler?”
I was led to believe that Dalma simply exploded due to the overwhelming power of the Demon Grimoire. This was a surprise.
I stared at the Prophet and said, “Could you be more specific?”
“Dalma was originally a high monk from Tianzhu… During the era of the Six Dynasties, he came to the Central Plains and met the Emperor Yang, So Yeon, establishing Shaolin Temple and spreading the Dharma… But then he disappeared… That was because as his cultivation deepened, he realized the truth lurking behind this world and went mad.”
“Mad?”
“Everything left behind is despair… even death is hell… this world barely maintained by pitiful divine mercy… Such truths are not easily accepted…”
“……”
I fell silent. Sure, my mental strength could withstand facing such despair, but most would either fall into madness or choose suicide. The Prophet continued.
“He sought the greatest power in the world… collected the teachings to complete the grimoire… held a ceremony, but the moment the Ultimate Book was completed, all great beings in heaven and earth were astonished by its presence.”
“What? Just an ordinary grimoire was created?”
“It was not an ordinary grimoire. It proclaimed the true end… it was a living ‘something.’”
“It was alive…”
“Yes… This grimoire came from ‘beyond.’ It was something that couldn’t even be called a grimoire…”
The Prophet’s tentacles fluttered slightly.
“No matter how great a divine being is, a call from ‘beyond’ is bound to be terrifying… If it weren’t for that, everything could have perished before even receiving a revelation…”
“Hmm.”
“So at that time, the Three Sovereigns temporarily withdrew their protection of the Central Plains… All divine beings united to kill Dalma… However, he didn’t die easily… He embraced the curse of 5.67 billion years… and spread the teachings throughout the world.”
“……?”
I gaped in astonishment. “5.67 billion? Are you messing with me…?”
“Remember that all gods were horrified and furious… The curse unleashed upon Dalma at that time could easily destroy the continent a hundred times over… Yet, the chaos power he possessed at that time was such that it didn’t extinguish even under that curse… With his last strength, the teachings were shattered.”
“……”
It was such an unbelievable story that I felt my mind slipping. I also realized how absolutely powerful the existence of the Old Ruler was. Overwhelmed by the scale of the story, I quietly listened as the Prophet stepped aside and continued.
“The teachings are divided into 6 fragments… But if the one who obtains them is an Old Ruler… he will risk his life to protect that fragment… because he desires to prevent the annihilation of all things… Even if I were to obtain them, I would stake the fate of my clan to protect the teachings…”
“So, what do you want to say? Are you sure the fragment is currently with the Old Ruler?”
“Yes… That is probably certain… There are circumstances that at that time, all subordinate races and the serving races went wild, tearing apart the land… At least 1 or 2 fragments are likely in the hands of the Old Ruler…”
The Prophet added, “It seems that the Master of the White Lotus Sect desires a fragment of the teachings, but it can only be a delusional dream…”
“I see… So.”
I remembered what the Sovereign Jeon Wook said when he was summoned to the Heavenly Altar.
“That guy would stop at nothing to find the teachings of the Non-Birth Mother. After all, it’s a grimoire that human power, or even the power of the Three Sovereigns, can’t complete! I will show that arrogant human the power of the Celestial Realm.”
At that time, I didn’t believe that the Master had betrayed me and brushed off what he said. However, Jeon Wook had explicitly stated that it was ‘impossible to complete even with the power of the Three Sovereigns.’
‘Even if they are the Three Sovereigns, snatching the fragmented teachings from the Old Ruler won’t be an easy feat.’
No matter how powerful the Three Sovereigns were, it was tough to raid a fragment of destruction that no one knows who holds. That’s why the expression ‘impossible’ was used. Of course, it wouldn’t be off-limits if all the Three Sovereigns combined their powers, but that doesn’t seem necessary. Why risk that great danger to obtain a fragment that leads to destruction?
As I pondered, I spoke, “Is there a possibility that obtaining a fragment would make one incredibly powerful?”
“… That might be the case. There is certainly terrifying chaotic power latent within… But before acquiring them, everything is just conjecture.”
Lee Cheong-un’s hypothesis seemed right. Each fragment held great power, so if one could locate and acquire them, they could gain chaotic power. I clenched my fist.
‘Alright… I got this!’
I at least knew where one of the fragments was. If I were to obtain that fragment while repeating my reincarnation, my rate of becoming stronger would surely accelerate! With anticipation, I asked again, “Earlier, you said the Old Ruler attacked the moment the teachings were completed. Could they notice if I obtained each fragment and attack?”
“No… As far as I know, that shouldn’t be possible… They wouldn’t catch on until it’s completed… They would just think the chaotic power is a bit stronger…”
“No idea… Unlike the Seven Luminaries, I have heard nothing about that…”
In the end, the teachings had to be found entirely on my own. I thought that was enough and said, “Got it. Now finally, tell me how to use the weapon in the Tower of Muwang.”
“That would be good… Here, take this. It’s the method to use the weapon.”
Swish!
I caught the small crystal orb the Prophet tossed to me. Just like before, a flood of information about the weapon, its specifications, how to wield it, and its power rushed into my mind. I stumbled from the overwhelming amount of information as the Prophet spoke.
“With your civilization, it would normally take at least 800 years to even imitate this… You could call this overflowing mastery.”
“But it’s just a one-time rental.”
As I grumbled, the Prophet replied, “Well… Is this where our transaction ends? I don’t mind if you want to continue.”
“……”
Should I end the transaction here?
“One moment.”
I couldn’t make a decision alone, so I secretly communicated with Zhuge Sa via the Suspicious Fishhook. Hearing the situation, Zhuge Sa said, “There’s nothing more significant to gain at the moment. Just return for now.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll end it here.”
I informed the Prophet that the transaction was over. As I prepared to use the Golden Lamp, the Prophet spoke up, “One thing… Can I offer a piece of advice for free?”
I paused.
I looked at the Prophet, intrigued by his words. The Prophet rolled his eyes before speaking slowly.
“Searching… Receiving as a gift… Fighting to seize… But there are not just three methods. There is a fourth path…”
“……? What are you talking about?”
As I questioned back, the Prophet chuckled.
“Hahaha… I also don’t want to extend this too long…”
I had no clue what he meant.
I ignored the Prophet and moved to the main base at Jangryeong Valley.
Crack!
Upon returning to Jangryeong Valley and meeting Zhuge Sa, Zhuge Sa received knowledge of the Alchemy Ritual and the weapon from me via Obsidian. After peering into that information for a while, Zhuge Sa said, “It’s no joke that studying the Alchemy Ritual would take 100 years.”
“How could it not?”
“It’s impossible with just my power. My specialty is not alchemy, and the difficulty is immense. I’ll have to gather the forces of Western sorcerers and alchemists from all over.”
“Ugh… I’ve been duped again…”
“Not really. Just having received this is beneficial. With just this Alchemy Ritual, civilization itself could progress several steps. The derivative knowledge alone is worth a million golden coins. And for you, as a Reborn Person, 100 years isn’t that long.”
“Hmm.”
“If you could make Memory Transfer Metal, you’d shorten your journey exponentially.”
Zhuge Sa adamantly stated, “And save the weapon from the Tower of Muwang until the very end.”
“Understood.”
Suddenly, outside, Mangnyang dashed in using the teleportation technique. The teleportation technique is usually not used so effortlessly, so it seemed Mangnyang’s sorcery level was quite high. With a slightly troubled expression, Mangnyang said, “Big trouble, uncle.”
“Hyun Ah, what happened?”
Both Zhuge Sa and I stiffened at what followed.
“The 450,000 troops of the Ming Empire have surrounded the Mount Ye area.”
“……!!”
“Troops from Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and even the Central Army have surrounded Mount Ye to completely block off the area! Elite Iron troops and special troops are estimated to be about 70,000 among them.”
Zhuge Sa pondered while stroking his chin. “That means you’ve ignored the lord’s orders and essentially taken every troop available. Even the security forces too?”
“That’s the report.”
“It seems the information leaked to the Imperial Palace beforehand. The ambush has already failed.”
“……”
I bit my lips tightly.
To respond so swiftly to the Imperial Palace! It was not an exaggeration by Zhuge Sa to declare a failure; it was already a reality. Attacking those who are already aware of the situation is not an ambush but a frontal assault, which significantly lowers the chances of success.
Zhuge Sa stared intently at Mangnyang and said, “If that were the case, you wouldn’t personally come here. You could’ve just informed me using paper birds.”
“Yes. Just a moment ago, because of that, a Lion from the Twelve Joules and the Master of the White Lotus Sect came and spoke.”
“No way…”
“They’re saying they’ll lead a frontal assault.”
“These lunatics again.”
Zhuge Sa spat out in disgust, but I had to agree with him emotionally.
450,000 troops!
70,000 elite special troops!
If those forces were mobilized, both Goryeo and Dongyoung would undoubtedly be obliterated in one fell swoop. It was a shield that represented the vast bulk of current forces of the Ming Empire! Of course, it might not catch the eyes of the White Lotus Sect or the Twelve Joules, but nonetheless, it evoked the impression of a cataclysmic force!
However, it seemed that Zhuge Sa noticed something other than the sheer number of troops, as he chewed his lips incessantly.
“For such a large force to arrive just in time, corresponding orders must have reached the mid-level commanders at least five nights prior to their arrival. So before the Bancheon Alliance came to threaten them, the information must have leaked. Damn those little shits… Such careless leaking of secrets.”
I understood Zhuge Sa’s words and asked, “Are you saying the White Lotus Sect or the Twelve Joules leaked the information?”
“It signifies that the power of the Vermilion Bird is more formidable than expected. It must have penetrated their information network independent of the Golden Eagle Guard or Dongyoung. The Twelve Joules and the White Lotus Sect got played.”
“……”
I let out a low sound. Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong was not an absolute expert like the Master of the Twelve Joules or the Leader of the White Lotus Sect, but given his innate strategy, he topped the world and even possessed the qualities of an immortal, making him incredibly tough to deal with. At least, in terms of strategy and espionage, the Imperial Palace was lagging behind.
Zhuge Sa shook his head.
“The intention to break through means that the Dharma Guardian from the White Lotus Sect intends to utilize infinite internal power to smash us through. Is he really thinking of doing something so insane?”
Mangnyang dejectedly responded, “That’s how I see it. The White Lotus Sect has no reason not to.”
“Even if they can break through, that disregards the unwritten rules. The power of the Dharma Guardian comes from the Demon Path, not from humanity. The moment they upend a great army with it… the world will lose the order humanity has built over thousands of years, plunging into chaos.”
“But there’s no way to halt the White Lotus Sect’s actions right now.”
“That’s true…”
At the next moment, the two spoke in unison.
“We still have to stop it.”
“We must still stop it.”
I looked at both sages from the Zhuge Clan with a puzzled expression. Then I asked, “I agree that we need to stop it, but I don’t fully understand why we should risk sacrifice to do so.”
“Hehe, Baek Woong, sometimes you can be chillingly rational.”
Mangnyang bitterly smiled and said, “The reason we must stop the White Lotus Sect from killing the troops of the Ming Empire is that it is highly likely that this act itself is a trap set by the Vermilion Bird.”
“What?”
“The Vermilion Bird certainly knows the firepower of the Dharma Guardian from the White Lotus Sect. Given the intelligence to discover our attack information in the blink of an eye, it’s reasonable to deduce that they have a full grasp of the White Lotus Sect’s capabilities. And they surely know that even gathering hundreds of thousands of troops would only be like a matchstick bouquet in front of the Dharma Guardian’s infinite internal power.”
As I realized the implications of Mangnyang’s words, I said, “A scapegoat!”
Mangnyang nodded. “Zhuge Yulong would have laid down a curse formation on that day of the massacre, ensuring that the large-scale slaughter itself would serve as a human sacrifice to Dark Heaven. Therefore, the beginning of the massacre by the White Lotus Sect could actually aid in the Vermilion Bird’s plan.”
“Hmm…!!”
“The moment tens of thousands are slaughtered, the aggrieved souls will be dragged into the altar and offered up to the gods.”
That sounds quite plausible! It’s a quintessential magical strategy.
I said in a low voice, “But… even so, we can’t just let them carry out the ceremony quietly inside Mount Ye.”
“Indeed. If left alone, the Ultimate Portrait Immortal would be completed, completely upending the current balance of power and granting the Imperial Palace enormous strength.”
“It’s a deadlock…”
I was in a situation where no action seemed correct.
Then Zhuge Sa spoke up. “There is a method.”
