Chapter 671
I realized that Empress Wu Zetian was surprisingly cordial. Even though Cheon Gong-pyo had barged into her palace using the Time Stop Technique, she subtly suggested without losing her royal dignity. While this could very well be a double entendre or a trap, one thing was for sure: she was quite the fitting ruler.
Cheon Gong-pyo asked, “Empress Wu, where is the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram?”
Isn’t that a bit too straightforward?! In an instant, I felt like all chances of extracting information had vanished. Now the only option left was combat. Empress Wu retorted, “So you came here with that in mind.”
“Answer me.”
“You want to know where the Eight Trigrams Diagram is so you can use it?”
Cheon Gong-pyo replied, “I just want to take the pig’s neck pearl. You folks don’t even know how to use the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram properly, right?”
“……”
Only I noticed Cheon Gong-pyo looked flustered, his face betraying quite a bit of surprise. But for some reason, I understood what was happening.
‘Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong!’
Without a doubt! The actual head of the Demon Subduing Hall, Zhuge Yulong, he had the ability to loan the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram. I remember being chased all the way to the Heavenly Altar when God descended into the palace during my 17th death. At that moment, I witnessed Zhuge Yulong using the Eight Trigrams’ power to seal all the powers of the Moon Sovereign and his techniques.
I still recall his words clearly:
“As you can see, it’s the power of the Trigrams—it’s the power of the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram.”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’d love to be the master of the Seven Luminaries too, but this is just borrowed power from the Demon Subduing Hall. Let’s just say it’s power I’m renting in exchange for serving a deity.”
“The Trigrams are the source of Heaven and Earth. They are the pinnacle of the sorcery system created by Fuxi. With the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram, one can perform the Eight Trigrams Formation, sealing all magic.”
That’s it. He wasn’t the true master of the Earth Star, but as a priest associated with the Demon Subduing Hall, he could use that power against us. The power of the Earth Star Eight Trigrams had the ability to seal all techniques, even sealing the powers of the liberated Moon Sovereign.
Perhaps Zhuge Yulong offered offerings to the god and borrowed the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram as a secret move because his son Zhuge Bu was kidnapped and the situation on the ground was unstable.
‘So if the priest Zhuge Yulong lends it, the Earth Star diagram from Dark Heaven Village is transferred to the ground.’
While I was gaining new knowledge, I also realized it was becoming a hassle.
‘Crap! So, does that mean Zhuge Yulong either came down to steal the Eight Trigrams before using it or I’ve got to focus on stealing whatever he summoned?!’
On top of that, if I were to snatch the Eight Trigrams borrowed on the ground, would it even count as a victory for obtaining the Seven Luminaries? Snatching it would just mean it’s a borrowed item ready to be returned to Empress Wu’s palace.
I was deep in thought when I suddenly felt a strange sound reverberating.
Wiiiiing –
Cheon Gong-pyo seemed flustered and began to unbundle the Sabre Sword, as if he wanted to stop chatting. Once those four sword techniques were unleashed, this palace would likely turn into rubble. I hurried to stop Cheon Gong-pyo.
“Wait, wait! Don’t rush!”
“Why not? Now that I know the Earth Star isn’t here, I have no business with this place. I plan to take care of this and head back to the ground.”
I yelled back, “Just hold on! Stop all this chaos and give me control again.”
“What?”
“I guarantee you can get information from Empress Wu that you wouldn’t be able to get before. So, just give me a shot.”
When I boasted confidently, Cheon Gong-pyo suddenly went silent. She answered growlingly, “What are you relying on? Are you really that confident?”
I shrank back momentarily, sensing her killing intent was serious, but regained my bravado.
“Of course! You think I lack that much ability?”
“… I’ll be watching.”
The moment Cheon Gong-pyo’s spirit returned to the Ruyi Staff, I regained control of my body. The Time Stop spell was undone, and the otherworldly beings began to move again. I stepped forward to meet Empress Wu’s gaze, and her eyes shimmered with a strange light.
“Are you the true master of that body?”
So gods really do pick up on things quickly, huh? She seemed to grasp the situation immediately.
I bowed to Empress Wu, saying, “Empress, I am Baek Woong. It is an honor to meet the ruler of the kingdom.”
Empress Wu smirked. “Hmm… Given your potential, you shouldn’t need to bow to me, but I appreciate the courtesy.”
“Your majesty invited me to be at ease first, so how can I not be grateful?”
“You must have a reason for swapping bodies with Cheon Gong-pyo. If you have something to say, feel free.”
I nodded and continued, “The citizens of this land are indeed the subjects of the Greater Tangs you’ve taken in since becoming a deity, correct?”
She raised an eyebrow, “You know quite a bit… How do you know?”
I slowly drew the Fire Dragon Sword and pointed it forward. The spirit of the Fire Dragon appeared from the sword, radiating immense flame energy.
Whoosh!
Upon seeing this, Empress Wu seemed startled. “Could that sword belong to the Sword Master Yeodong-bin…?!”
The Fire Dragon replied, “This maiden is the Fire Dragon Incarnate. Yeodong-bin is my disciple.”
“Interesting…”
“It’s been a thousand years, hasn’t it, Your Majesty?”
They were well acquainted. While they had never faced each other in this manner, the Fire Dragon Sword was always in Yeodong-bin’s possession. Empress Wu seemed a tad uncomfortable, having been slain by the sword before; her displeasure sent shivers through the palace.
Boom…
I realized that Empress Wu’s power wasn’t to be underestimated. Regardless of being a deity, her contract was with someone of high rank, which meant she had extraordinary strength beyond just the Ruyi Staff.
‘No matter how strong Cheon Gong-pyo is, fighting her would consume a lot of energy or even result in injuries… especially here in her domain.’
Avoiding a fight was indeed the right choice.
Jumping in before her mood soured further, I said, “I am related to Sword Master Yeodong-bin and the Fire Dragon Incarnate. I’m on a journey to find the Seven Luminaries with them.”
“You’re related to Sword Master Yeodong-bin?”
Empress Wu eyed me with curiosity as I continued.
“Being a relationship, I could access Yeodong-bin’s memories. And I learned why you teamed up with the Yacha from the Eight Parts of the Divine, the background of the Otherworldly Uprising, and also the reasons for performing the Offering Ceremony. I witnessed your last conversation with Yeodong-bin.”
“… I see.”
“I also know that Sang Gwanwna was actually a Yacha who deliberately approached you to incite chaos in the Greater Tang.”
“……”
Empress Wu fell silent for a long moment, then ordered the otherworldly beings nearby, “You all should back off.”
Her aides complied immediately. As the Great Hall became enveloped in silence, Empress Wu spoke.
“Indeed, the citizens of this land were the subjects of the Greater Tang whom I brought over to Dark Heaven Village at the time of the Offering Ceremony.”
“Just as I thought.”
“When I was crowned as a new deity, I reincarnated my people in Dark Heaven Village. I also kept my promise to maintain human souls.”
“That the offerings made for the Earth Star had such value.”
“What I’m curious about is the scope of it. How many human souls have been reincarnated here?”
Empress Wu replied, “Those who lived within thirty years before and after my coronation.”
“What?”
“They all died and were reincarnated here.”
“So, does that mean you’re talking about the entire nation of China for thirty years?”
“Correct.”
“……”
If thirty years surrounding Empress Wu’s life was the case, how many souls had reincarnated in this palace?!
What an unfathomable number! Even a rough estimate would easily reach into the hundreds of thousands, if not over a million. I stood there slack-jawed before finally regaining my senses.
“I understand this palace is incredibly vast with hundreds of floors, but there’s no way it could accommodate that many souls!”
“Right. It couldn’t even take in half.”
Empress Wu took a moment to nod, then continued, “That’s why the remaining souls here are currently stranded in Purgatory.”
“Purgatory? What’s that?”
“A dimension set on the boundary between the human world and Dark Heaven Village… A place even the Underworld can’t interfere with.”
I hadn’t known such a place existed.
While I was pondering this, Empress Wu spoke. “It seems you have a lot of stories you wish to hear from me, and it must be related to your gathering of the Seven Luminaries?”
“Indeed.”
“Why are you trying to gather the Seven Luminaries?”
“To save the world from its doom.”
“I’d like to hear more.”
I told Empress Wu about my journey of gathering the Seven Luminaries and my plot against the Emperor’s Divine Temple. She listened quietly before responding, “Impressive. What human has been able to approach the end of the world so closely and create alternatives like you… You are indeed a person of true intention.”
Then she added, “However, I fear it may be a fruitless effort…”
“Why’s that?”
“Though the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen may save the world if called upon… He must wield significant power to do so. But how do you plan to explain the world’s salvation to him? Asking for it would contradict all the agreements of the Three Sovereigns and the Old Ruler.”
My eyes widened. “……!!”
“He is one among the Three Sovereigns, a being classified as the true god of gods… One that cannot be approached through human wisdom. At the very least, you can’t even imagine what kind of offering would need to be made to him for your wish to be realized…”
She was right. Now, Empress Wu was approaching this from a political perspective.
Even if the Emperor were to save the world, what colossal offering or tribute would be required for him to agree? Seeing the flaws in my vaguely laid plans hit me hard. I gritted my teeth and replied, “What if we offered all the Seven Luminaries?”
“… Is that so?”
“One last question for you, your majesty. If it’s alright?”
“Speak.”
“What’s the relationship between Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine?”
“That’s a tough question…”
Empress Wu sighed before continuing, “The Eight Parts of the Divine… they have helped me become a deity, and… this palace is protected by two Old Rulers. We have an inseparable connection. These two rulers have entered into a mutual agreement.”
“What?”
She seemed to smirk slightly.
“Originally, I intended to stall for time, but since you’re a hero of humanity, I should grant you this opportunity…”
Two?! My thoughts raced with disbelief as Empress Wu’s next words jolted me back to reality.
“A group from the Eight Parts of the Divine sent by Chi You is about to arrive here for my protection. You should probably escape before their summoning is complete.”
