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“I’ve found the soul of the inventor who supposedly created a printing press from among the deceased souls.”

Using the Heavenly Secret Technique and the Soul Exchange Technique, I sifted through the ethereal chaos until the soul finally presented itself before me, albeit in a rather bizarre condition.

[ Crack… Aaaah… ]

Its spirit seemed to be torn apart.

‘Is this what they call luck?’

If it had been swallowed by the Old Ruler, I might never have found it. But thanks to its half-devoured spirit, at least some remnants were left behind. However, it was clear that more than half of its entire spirit had been eaten, rendering it unable to maintain normality.

As I pondered what to do, I decided to inject it with Spirit Power, just like I did with Gongsun Byeok.

Whoosh –

After a moment, the soul steadied itself, and the missing parts returned as if restored. It seemed my Spirit Power had also brought back its sanity, and it appeared whole once again. Yet, it trembled in sheer panic as it paced back and forth anxiously.

[ Aaaah… Aaaah!! Save me!! ]

“Save you? What are you on about? You’re already dead.”

[ Dead? Me… Aaaah! Craaaaaah! ]

It suddenly recalled the moment it was devoured by the Old Ruler and lost its mind again. I used my Spirit Power once more to stabilize it, but I found myself hesitating. Each time I infused it with power, I drained my own energy, causing me to waste precious time instead of mastering my own Spirit techniques. After a while, it finally managed to regain its composure and spoke.

[ Thank you… I was eaten by that beast… What a horrifying experience. ]

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help. But those monsters are gods, and there’s nothing to be done.”

[ No. But are you really the magician I’ve heard so much about? You seem to have some mystical powers, though you appear to be from the East. ]

“I hail from the Eastern Famous Empire, and are you truly the inventor of the duplex printing press?”

[ Hmm… So, that’s why you sought me out. Yes, I am Richard Ho, the one who invented it. ]

“What on earth brings you to this New Continent, then? You don’t strike me as a soldier.”

[ I was employed by the Holy Roman Empire on a mission to establish new territories here. I was recognized for my inventions and skills, thinking they would be beneficial. But… ]

Richard Ho fell silent.

After all, who would expect to be suddenly devoured by the Old Ruler upon arriving in a new continent? He probably had no idea what the Old Ruler even was. I looked at him with sympathetic eyes and said,

“I need the knowledge you have about the duplex printing press. Tell me where the blueprints are located or teach me how to create it.”

[ That’s… not difficult, but I have a question. ]

“What is it?”

[ What will happen to me? Do I go to the Lord’s side, or to heaven or hell after dying? What will become of me… ]

“You’ll likely go to the Underworld. Honestly, I don’t know what happens after death.”

It seems I truly had no idea. I’ve died plenty of times, but the details of what happens afterward seems to elude me. Richard Ho sighed and said,

[ Fine. I’ll tell you everything I know. As a craftsman and inventor, I can’t let my knowledge die with me. ]

After a moment, he revealed the location of the blueprints and the printing device, teaching me the principles behind the duplex printing press, how to read the blueprints, and related printing techniques. It was all quite complex and challenging, and I struggled to grasp it all. After about a half-moment of listening, my head started hurting, and I said,

“Damn it. If I stay here too long, the Old Ruler might come back… I need to leave now.”

[ That beast is coming back? Please, either take me with you or send me quickly to the Underworld. I don’t want to be eaten again! ]

Richard Ho’s soul went into a fit of panic.

“Did you get ambushed as soon as you arrived at the coast? Didn’t you encounter any indigenous people?”

[ Yes. There were some savages living there, but they built a huge empire, so the commander decided against fighting and stationed at the coast. ]

“Huh? An empire?”

I cocked my head in confusion.

‘What in the world?’

I knew this New Continent was vast, but an empire? Under normal circumstances, I would have thought anything was possible, but having just witnessed the Old Rulers roaming like wild animals made it all seem unbelievable. Humans cannot possibly create a civilization in such a land! Yet, since the dead Richard Ho had no reason to lie to me, I paused and said,

“Tell me where these supposed indigenous people are. If I use the Soul Exchange Technique to pull your spirit there, you won’t get eaten again.”

[ Please. ]

Booom!

I followed Richard Ho’s guidance and searched the commander’s corpse, eventually finding a map and compass. With those in hand, I headed toward the location of the indigenous empire. As I went on, I utilized the Soul Exchange Technique to draw him along, allowing his spirit to be pulled by the energy’s force.

‘This is some solid training in the Soul Exchange Technique.’

Once I felt enough of his spirit had been attracted, I dropped him in a suitable remote area and said,

“Well, this is where we part ways.”

Continuously using the Soul Exchange Technique carries a lot of physical and mental exhaustion. No matter what, I couldn’t drag his soul for hundreds of miles.

[ Ah… Oh, God… Please send me to heaven. ]

Richard Ho seemed to be kneeling at the cliff’s edge, praying as a ghost. Seeing him like that made me feel a bit ridiculous.

‘Isn’t it the Old Ruler they should be praying to? Who is this fool calling on for help?’

What on earth does he think he’ll achieve by praying? And what even is heaven in this context?

I looked at him with pity and continued on, as I was curious about how the indigenous people survived in this New Continent.

After how long had it been? I passed through the dense green forest and crossed challenging terrains a few times until I finally spotted signs of human habitation. I observed what appeared to be indigenous people, partially clothed yet managing to coordinate into a civilization. As I watched from afar, I noticed roads were being constructed, and they seemed to know how to ride horses.

‘If I follow the road further, I might find a large city.’

Incredible. Even in a place overrun by the Old Rulers, the number of humans here appeared to be at least in the thousands. Yet, these humans didn’t seem to have any extraordinary strength, so how on earth were they surviving?

I decided to continue along the road. After a good while, I discovered a massive city nestled in a grand basin, unlike anything I had seen before. Curiosity drove me to approach, but I suddenly felt a chilling sensation and looked up at the sky.

“……”

Something was up there.

‘Damn…’

And a moment later, I realized what it was—the Old Ruler. I couldn’t help but curse under my breath. Just seeing those massive tentacles swaying among the clouds made my skin crawl.

Something that held tremendous power and malice floating in mid-air was undoubtedly that entity. I might not know its exact name, but witnessing its mere hint sent chills down my spine.

‘What the hell is happening?’

This place was completely incomprehensible. It was my first time witnessing such a high density of Old Rulers in one area, lingering right next to human cities. And how can these people manage to live in such fear?

I recalled that the city had a sharply pointed formation like a tower and decided to retreat, making my way back to the Central Plains.

Boom!

I presented the acquired duplex printing press to Zhuge Sa and sent all the knowledge I had absorbed from Richard Ho via the Sacred Phoenix. Zhuge Sa accepted the knowledge, visibly intrigued as he remarked,

“This will do. If we start the project now, we could evolve the printing technology in the Central Plains within a month.”

It seemed he understood even the parts I’d struggled to grasp in Richard Ho’s explanations. Cautiously, I called out to him.

“Zhuge Sa.”

“What?”

“What on earth are those Old Rulers in the New Continent? And how can the so-called barbaric empire thrive with them on the loose?”

Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Why are you making this so complicated? They’re just like the ancient Three Sovereigns.”

“What?”

At his hypothesis, my face went stiff.

“They probably perform human sacrifices regularly for the Old Ruler. During those times, instead of sacrificing humans, the Old Rulers bestow prosperity, ensuring their survival and well-being.”

“……!!”

He wore a chilling smile.

“Do you think the Western explorers who were sent here just happened to be wiped out? The barbaric empire saw the exploration team as a threat and performed a human sacrifice ceremony, pleading for the Old Ruler to eliminate the invaders from the West.” It’s not coincidence; it’s inevitability.”

“That’s absurd…”

I looked at Zhuge Sa, bewildered.

“The Old Rulers were cruel and merciless beings who viewed humans as mere insects! How is such a coexistence even possible?”

You’ve just seen it in person, haven’t you? That gigantic imperial city you observed harboring a sharp pinnacle possibly houses a human sacrifice altar at its peak. They’ve been surviving this way for hundreds… no, thousands of years.”

“……”

“And it seems you’ve forgotten that, as a reincarnated being, the Old Rulers are not the kind of existence humans can oppose. You can either serve them or go mad from the knowledge of their existence. The Old Rulers are rather generous to those they consider their servants, so it seems the barbaric empire is far more rational than you.”

Seemingly unfazed, Zhuge Sa continued.

“The only difference between the Central Plains and the New Continent is if the Rulers are hidden behind the scenes of history or openly in the forefront. Oh, and whether the intermediary Celestial Realm exists or not.”

“That’s terrifying. I can’t venture into the New Continent anymore.”

“Do you think it’s only the New Continent?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Black Continent you’ve yet to explore or the South Pole, North Pole, or even Tianzhu—there’s a high probability the Old Rulers have reached those places as well. If you let your guard down, you might suddenly encounter one of them and end up as their meal.”

“I get it.”

As I responded to Zhuge Sa, I reflected on how incredibly difficult my situation had become. The Central Plains was the only relatively habitable place while the other continents and oceans were crawling with Old Rulers waiting for the apocalypse and revelation—such a hellish reality where my fate after death wasn’t even guaranteed!

After just three days, Zhuge Sa took the duplex printing press from me and successfully created an identical version in a blink. He seemed dissatisfied as he examined the reproduced copy and immediately began to modify it. After ten days, he constructed a machine capable of automatic printing more rapidly and reliably. Curious, I gazed at his process, asking,

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’ll create quality iron using the Crystal Stele and make some paper through alchemy. It’ll be a bit of a hassle to make sure it doesn’t draw Zhuge Yulong’s attention.”

About three months passed, perhaps more?

Not long later, it seemed Zhuge Sa had succeeded in advancing the printing technology. Specifically, he had proliferated the printing devices to such an extent that they began changing the very nature of the industry. Moreover, steam-powered machinery began to surface everywhere, making it clear Zhuge Sa was hell-bent on changing the course of the Famous Empire’s civilization.

When Zhuge Sa returned to Jangryeong Valley, I expressed my anxieties with a shaky voice.

“If you make such a huge commotion, Zhuge Yulong might suspect something.”

“What’s the problem? When the time comes, I’ll just knock him out. Aren’t you confident?”

Zhuge Sa retorted bluntly.

“There are infinitely many ways to deal with powers like the Imperial Palace. If you don’t mind using underhanded tactics, you’ll have more than enough.” They’d been suppressing waiting for weaknesses to attack those that had continued to nibble away at them—a little fear now?”

“……”

“Now that I’ve received the novel from Oh Seung-eun, I’m ready to mobilize Mangnyang’s forces to quickly promote it. That will wrap up this plan.”

Zhuge Sa concluded, gesturing with his chin.

“The Sword Demon said he has something to discuss. I’ll manage things here, so go find him.”

I followed Zhuge Sa’s words and approached the Sword Demon.

He began, “I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

After some thought, I replied, “Let’s start with the bad news.”

“Good choice. The bad news is… I failed to locate the Grave of the God. I continuously sent experts from the Shadowless Gate to Liaodong for a search, but nothing turned up—not even similar literature or records…”

I nodded, somewhat anticipating such an outcome.

‘In that case, I’ll just have to ask the Twelve Joules for assistance.’

The Sword Demon examined my expression before continuing, “The good news is that my plans with Bright Dragon went swimmingly.”

“I knew you were up to something, but what exactly was it?”

“Hehe. Haven’t you noticed Jin So-cheong hasn’t left her spot for days?”

I nodded, aware that the Sword Demon had sent Jin So-cheong to the Shadowless Gate for some reason.

“Right…”

“Jin So-cheong, come here.”

As the door opened, Jin So-cheong walked into the Shadowless Gate looking unremarkable as ever, yet at the Sword Demon’s following words, I was left utterly shocked.

“She defeated all the Eight Demons of the Demon Path in her matches yesterday and also bested the Leader of the Nine Great Sects in a sparring match, earning the title of the world’s best spear!”

“What?!”

“You’ve been holed up in Jangryeong Valley, so you probably wouldn’t know.”

“What the…?”

Jin So-cheong added, “Baek Woong, the top officials of the righteous factions in the Central Plains gathered together to expedite my reputation. The leader of the Nine Great Sects admitted defeat without so much as a spar against me, and the Eight Demons of the Demon Path did the same. I didn’t even battle half of the sect leaders!”

“How did you manage to persuade them?”

“They wanted to use me as a probe to infiltrate the White Lotus Sect to uncover its secrets while pretending to serve them. They wish to overcome the White Lotus Sect.”

“Ah…”

“Right now, I’m acknowledged as the most ambitious man aiming for the title of the strongest in Jianghu—targeting the so-called Qilin of Jianghu.”

“Isn’t that a tactic to enter the White Lotus Sect as a disciple?”

“Exactly.”

Jin So-cheong continued, “In five days, I’ll head to the White Lotus Sect, surrounded by my followers, and ask the Master of the White Lotus Sect for matches—only to be defeated and become his disciple out of respect for his powers.”

For the first time, it dawned on me what the entire plan entailed. Jin So-cheong, the successor of the Thunder God Lineage, was finally baring her teeth in Jianghu, but she would ultimately have to lose to the mysterious Master of the White Lotus Sect! It was inevitable that she would develop admiration for the divine techniques of the Master of the White Lotus Sect!

The Master would likely refuse to discard her since he was already aware that she was the successor of the Thunder God Lineage, prompting him to learn about the ultimate technique from her.

“Is that possible? What if the Master of the White Lotus Sect resents you and kills you with the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance?”

“I consider that my fate,” She replied with a grin.

“That’s why I’ve worked hard up to this point to avoid drawing suspicion as much as possible.”

“……”

I felt a wave of emotions wash over me. Jin So-cheong had fully tossed aside her duties and vengeance in this life, resolving solely to fight according to my path of reincarnation. Her sincerity had reached the point where I felt it unnecessary to still harbor doubts about her.

The Sword Demon added, “Still, just to be safe, observe the duel between Jin So-cheong and the Master of the White Lotus Sect incognito. You might gain something useful from that match.”

And so, five days later, the promised duel between Jin So-cheong and the Master of the White Lotus Sect began at the main compound of the White Lotus Sect, establishing the determination of the world’s best.

 

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