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암천향

Kuwoo…

We arrived at the barrier of the Fire Spirit seal in front of Dark Heaven Village in the southern continent. Cheon Woo-jin glanced at the barrier and said.

“If we try to break through the Fire Spirit’s barrier with our power, it will immediately alert the Celestial Realm. You’re aware of that, right?”

“Of course.”

How could I possibly forget that my life had been at stake before?

In my 21st life, I had attempted to break the Fire Spirit’s barrier with the power of the Red Bow. At that time, the Red Bow was capable of breaking the barrier, but unexpectedly, Celestial Sage Mi-hu King appeared and intercepted me. I was persuaded by his words, and instead of breaking the barrier, I was killed by Mi-hu King himself. He must have been urgently dispatched by Queen Mother of the West, concerned that the barrier would be broken.

As the painful memory resurfaced, I subtly glanced at Mi-hu King, but he appeared completely unaware. Well, he couldn’t possibly know. Mi-hu King added to Cheon Woo-jin’s words.

“There’s really no way to break the Fire Spirit’s barrier without alerting the Celestial Realm. What are you planning to do about it?”

I calmly responded.

“According to my companion’s strategy, Chi You and Jeogok must have a dialogue or meeting. And when beings of Three Sovereigns level meet, the Law of Cause and Effect stirs dramatically, and the attention of the Celestial Realm will be focused there. If we use the natural disasters that arise then to break the Fire Spirit’s barrier, they won’t notice it. Even if they do notice, they won’t know who took it. Anyway, it’s thousands of li away.”

“Doesn’t that sound a bit improvised? What’s the basis for that strategy?”

“That’s… Master Mangnyang. It was information he provided.”

Mangnyang had told me that he had sought advice from his master, Master Mangnyang, through the Mirror of Clarity. The strategy was devised based on the information given by Master Mangnyang.

“What?”

Mi-hu King was taken aback. Knowing that poorly hiding information from him would only raise suspicion, I slowly continued my story.

“Master Mangnyang knows what happens when beings of divine status, equal to the Three Sovereigns, meet.”

“Are you saying your companion is in a position to seek advice from Master Mangnyang?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Mangnyang, huh… then I can trust that.”

Mi-hu King, who had been pondering deeply, said,

“Alright! Since we’re deciding to trust this, let’s see it through. So, when will the natural disaster happen?”

“They said it would be within one hour at the longest.”

“I’ll wait.”

We stood there, maintaining the spell of clairvoyance. How much time passed? About half an hour later, a massive arm with thousands of wings descended suddenly in the sky above Luoyang.

Koouuu

‘Jeogok…!!’

That arm form must be the Avatar of Jeogok, one of the Three Sovereigns, right?

As if to welcome that arm, all the Eight Parts of the Divine transformed into their true forms and floated in the air. I could distinctly tell there was no killing intent or malice flowing between them, so they had no intention of fighting. Shortly after, a dense dark cloud spread at an incredible speed, engulfing all of Luoyang in darkness.

Swaaa

Rain.

It was raining. Though the precipitation wasn’t very heavy, the energy within the raindrops was chilling, making pedestrians wandering the streets of Luoyang feel a sense of foreboding as they started to retreat into their homes one by one. Perhaps, those raindrops themselves were imbued with magic that silenced any noise around them?

Kuoo

And while the rain dulled the sound, Jeogok’s arm slowly transformed into the figure of an ancient king, blue wings erupting into flames behind him.

Cheon Woo-jin, who was maintaining the clairvoyance, said,

“If we continue any further, they’ll definitely notice. It’s time to cut off the clairvoyance.”

“What? Jeogok and Chi You are about to have a conversation; this is essential—”

“Do you have any idea how high their divine status is? Unless you’re using clairvoyance yourself, it’s guaranteed they’ll immediately place a curse on the one observing them. Eavesdropping is out of the question.”

“……”

“This situation is different from the past. Compared to before, they will be much more sensitive to eavesdropping now.”

Is this the difference between an all-out war and a secret meeting?

Pa-at

Cheon Woo-jin withdrew the clairvoyant spell and said,

“A natural disaster has occurred, so let’s break the Fire Spirit’s seal.”

“Understood.”

Moments later, Gu Cheon-hyun, Cheon Woo-jin, and Mi-hu King began to channel their power together. First, Gu Cheon-hyun placed her hands on the barrier and began to shatter its components with the Corpse Dissolution Technique. Following this, Cheon Woo-jin and Mi-hu King helped to accelerate the process.

It was the fastest and easiest method to break it, made possible only because each of them was a mighty being.

Pashush…

A barrier that typically required immense strength, effort, and time to breach was shattered astonishingly easily this time. Our ranks were filled with exceptionally powerful allies, making it something inconceivable in a normal rebirth.

‘And thanks to the chaos caused by the Three Sovereigns battling in Luoyang…’

Normally, attempting to break through like this would raise much stronger backlash, but due to the plan, we got a lot of assistance. It would be a method difficult to use next time.

The moment the barrier vanished, we hastily moved inside. We initially needed to seek out the hidden position of the dimension door, but Gu Cheon-hyun’s Corpse Dissolution Technique easily found the location and guided us in. As we entered the passage, I recognized a familiar spiral staircase. After walking down the staircase toward the Abyss for a long time, a bright red altar appeared before us.

As soon as blood was spilled onto the altar, the giant, Gong Gong, towering over us appeared. I knew him very well, so I confronted him without surprise. Gong Gong looked at us holding his giant sword with one hand.

[Those who have arrived, wrapping the destiny of chaos and coming to the seal of the Seven Luminaries… I shall test whether you are worthy of obtaining the Fire Spirit’s Gan Jiang.]

“You are Gong Gong, the descendant of Yan Emperor, and an elder, correct?”

[Indeed…]

I crossed my arms, looking at Gong Gong.

“Gong Gong, let’s not cause unnecessary conflict. We’re not here to fight.”

[What…?]

“I know the chaotic flames enveloping you are from Zhu Rong. And that fire seems to have weakened considerably now. Right now, it seems you’re more concerned about the future than fighting against us as the Guardian of the Seven Luminaries.”

[……]

“Aren’t you supposed to release the seal of the Yan Emperor?”

Kuoo…

Gong Gong dropped the tip of his giant sword to the ground. He looked genuinely taken aback as he gazed at me and asked,

[Who… are you? You’re all powerful beings… And how do you know all these secrets…]

“Gu Cheon-hyun.”

Pa-at

At that moment, Gu Cheon-hyun manifested before Gong Gong. Upon recognizing her, Gong Gong exclaimed,

[Gu Cheon-hyun!! You’ve come here in person… Does this mean the Celestial Realm is going to lift my seal? If the flames of Zhu Rong have weakened…!!]

Gong Gong, filled with high expectations, shouted, but Gu Cheon-hyun replied softly.

[That’s not the case, Gong Gong. I’m here independent of the Celestial Realm’s intent.]

[What? Then why have you come?]

[Soon, the Three Sovereigns will run rampant, and Chi You’s chaos will disturb the Law of Cause and Effect in the human world. I am moving with like-minded individuals to stop this, and I would like your assistance.]

[… I’m not sure what’s happening. However, even if I want to help, I currently lack the power due to Zhu Rong’s curse, making it impossible for me to provide assistance.]

Hearing that, I said,

“Gong Gong, do you know why the curse of Zhu Rong inscribed on your body has weakened?”

[Hmm… probably because Zhu Rong has weakened.]

“Five years ago, Zhu Rong descended to the material world once as his main body. And while fighting against the Eight Parts of the Divine, he must have suffered considerable damage, leading to his current weakened state.”

He flinched.

Gong Gong looked even more startled upon hearing that.

[No… what? Zhu Rong lost to the Eight Parts of the Divine? That can’t be… Who could inflict damage on Zhu Rong’s main body in the material world? That’s impossible.]

It seemed Gong Gong had some understanding of Zhu Rong’s power as a fellow giant race. He also likely knew that Zhu Rong could target the weaknesses of the Eight Parts of the Divine. After confirming that, I continued,

“I don’t know who he lost to. But it’s a fact that Zhu Rong has weakened, and now it would be easy to unravel his curse. Our power should suffice.”

[Hmm… what do you want?]

“We can’t allow the Three Sovereigns to stand idly by as the end of humanity approaches. So we want to form a force that can suppress them and delay or avert humanity’s end. Furthermore, we aim to gain assistance from the Emperor.”

[……!!]

“If you promise to grant us the Fire Spirit and all the treasures within, then I will help you break the curse and lift the Yan Emperor’s seal. But I absolutely won’t tolerate betrayal.”

[Let me think for a moment.]

“Understood.”

Gong Gong stood silently for a while. After about half a moment, he suddenly nodded and said,

[Alright. I accept the proposal.]

“Can you stake your name and existence on that?”

[Of course. I’m resolute.]

“Then… please remain right there.”

I initially prepared to use the Palace Examination Technique, but given the current state of losing the National Seal, I could not. Instead, relying on the ability of the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I could see the essence of the curse. So I activated the Fire Eye Golden Spirit and, just as before, used the Thunder God Sword Dance to cut through Gong Gong’s curse.

Chua-aah

It was true that the curse had weakened considerably; while I had to slice multiple times last time, this time I could see Gong Gong’s power returning noticeably with just one cut. Simultaneously, I began to consume the chaotic flames using the power of the Fire Dragon Incarnate, enhancing my own strength.

Quarrr

[Haha… finally, this damn curse is broken…!!]

Gong Gong’s form rapidly grew, transforming into a giant of Yin-Yang possessing the body of a dark deity. His power surged more than ten times instantaneously, and I felt it was on a different level from when he was a Guardian. However, even Gong Gong, now immensely stronger, didn’t seem to match Gu Cheon-hyun, allowing me to roughly compare the strengths of the mighty beings. Of course, one must consider that Gong Gong’s power had not fully recovered yet.

Gong Gong said,

[I will keep my promise. Follow me.]

Then the door to the inner sanctum opened, revealing the Dragon Flower Tree and the Fire Spirit. I used the Fire Dragon Sword to absorb the essence of the Fire Spirit, and soon the Fire Dragon Sword regained not only its powers from its prime but began to radiate an even greater brilliance.

Oooo

Had it been a long time since the Fire Dragon Sword was so greatly enhanced? For some reason, I felt as though the current Fire Dragon Sword surpassed even the Seven Luminaries. Moreover, likely due to the sudden surge of power, the Fire Dragon Incarnate also seemed to be experiencing an overwhelming sense of exhilaration in silence.

Sreee

Upon drawing out the Fire Spirit, I felt the power of the Fire Spirit surge within me. I sighed in relief.

“Phew.”

With this, we had obtained the Fire Spirit, Water Spirit, and Golden Crow—three in total on our side.

It was impossible to retrieve the Lost Moon and Wood Element from the Master of the Twelve Joules right away, so now the only one left was the Earth Spirit. Once we gathered the Earth Spirit, it would mean we had more than half of the Seven Luminaries.

Moreover, gathering three of the Seven Luminaries now held significant meaning.

Seven Luminary Resonance!

The immense power waves generated by resonating the Seven Luminaries increased exponentially with each luminary added. Previously, we had only been able to resonate two, but what would happen if we managed to resonate three?

After putting the seed of the Dragon Flower Tree into the Wooden Armor, I said,

“Gong Gong, is it really impossible to defeat Zhu Rong with the power of the Eight Parts of the Divine?”

[Huh?]

“Why is that? Is there a reason you should have such confidence? Each of the Eight Parts of the Divine is a Demon King-level being.”

At my question, Gong Gong snickered.

[Hehe… even the Eight Parts of the Divine are originally mortals. And their weakness is the First Character. Before the being who knows how to wield that character, the Eight Parts of the Divine are nothing but bugs.]

It seemed Gong Gong, being an ancient being, was familiar with the First Character.

After confirming that, I asked Gong Gong again,

“Gong Gong, can you use the power of the First Character? Or at least know of it?”

[Unfortunately, I only know of its existence. I don’t know how to use it. My lord, Yan Emperor, was one of the Three Sovereigns, but he never took an interest in such trivial matters. However, it seems Zhu Rong crawled under the Three Sovereigns’ Jeon Wook and learned it from him. I’ve seen him use it during the final moments of the Grand Hall.]

“I see. Then, do you know anyone else who might have knowledge of it?”

[… Guang Chengzi would know.]

“What?”

I widened my eyes in surprise at the unexpected name.

[Why are you so surprised? Guang Chengzi was the closest aide to the Emperor; he wouldn’t be unaware.]

“Well… that’s…”

He was a suspect I hadn’t anticipated. Until now, I thought it would be known only to the Three Sovereigns or their close associates. I never considered that Guang Chengzi, a member of the Garden of Wonderland, might be involved. I glanced at Gu Cheon-hyun, who said,

[You suspect me.]

“No, that’s not it. But it would have been nice to be told that Guang Chengzi is suspicious…”

[Guang Chengzi’s residence is in the Divine Temple.]

“The Divine Temple?”

[And he descends to the Celestial Realm only when he needs to; I haven’t spoken to him since ancient times. He is a being of many secrets.]

“……”

Something feels off.

I had the distinct impression that I was missing something crucial.

But I shook my head and tried to gather my thoughts.

“Either way, from now on, we’re comrades, so I look forward to working with you, Gong Gong.”

[When will you lift my lord’s seal?]

“Now, we have three Luminaries, but you must be well aware it’s insufficient to lift the Yan Emperor’s seal. After all, it’s a barrier crafted by Nüwa herself; we will need to weaken her at the very least to have a chance, right?”

[……]

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gong Gong stared at me in shock and finally regained his composure to say,

[Amazing… Are you truly human? How do you know all these mythical secrets so effortlessly? I can’t fathom the depth of your knowledge.]

“……”

I internally chuckled bitterly, murmuring,

Maybe if I reincarnated about 24 times, I could.

[The thought of betraying you is slowly disappearing…]

“Enough with the jokes. Anyway, for now, we can’t release the Yan Emperor. We must unite to weaken the Three Sovereigns and the Celestial Realm. Only after gathering all Seven Luminaries can we consider it.”

[Got it. So what will you do now?]

I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin, who said,

“The dark clouds over Luoyang haven’t cleared. The meeting is still ongoing.”

“This is troublesome… This is as far as the plan goes.”

Yes, Mangnyang had only calculated up to this point.

After acquiring the Fire Spirit, he hadn’t thought about the numerous variables that would arise from Chi You and Jeogok’s discussions. In other words, he could only prepare for the worst-case scenario without being able to predict the next steps, making it like a chess game where I had no lines to play and leaving me bewildered.

Just then, Mi-hu King spoke.

“Why not seek out Master Mangnyang?”

“What?”

As all eyes turned toward Mi-hu King, he casually said,

“The game has already begun. Moreover, he is nearly the only substitute who cares for humans; he might be able to provide us further assistance.”

“… That’s true.”

“We can’t barg into their meeting and cause a fuss, nor can we take the Divine Temple of the south by storm. In that case, it’s reasonable to gain his advice in the meantime.”

I nodded in agreement and said,

“I’ll go see Master Mangnyang.”

He hadn’t wanted to meet me last time, but maybe that cat could offer some help.

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