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Dark Heaven Village

It might be a hasty conclusion. If the Primordial Void Ruler really is the malicious demon who attacked Fuxi and annihilated the Three Pure Ones—essentially the entity holding all the dark strings of this world—talking to him directly might just dig my grave this lifetime.

Theoretically, the best tactic would be to quietly grow my power and hit him back when he’s unaware of my existence. That’s why I’ve been warned not to recklessly borrow the power of the Primordial Void Ruler until now.

But that’s not the case anymore.

This lifetime… I’m closer than ever to completely acquiring the Seven Luminaries.

There are still many unresolved secrets, but that’s a matter for later. Since the moment I learned of the existence and strength of the Seven Luminaries, I’ve focused solely on gathering them, not just because having them symbolizes immense power, but also because uncovering the secrets that arise from collecting them is incredibly crucial. Without that knowledge, I’d be utterly stumped.

How many more chances will I have to gather the Five Luminaries and take on the Six Needs again like this?

The odds of needing tremendous strength and luck are sky-high, possibly taking centuries. Even if my capabilities and combat power develop dozens of times from now, there could be instances when I won’t get near access to the Seven Luminaries like this time. No matter how strong I become, this world is full of realms beyond heaven, and things won’t go as I wish.

Then again, I don’t have the leisure to sharp my blade against the ultimate dark forces. If I go that far, there’s a possibility my consciousness could break down due to my memory limitations. Time does not always bring good things. If I were to become a madman solely pursuing martial skills, it might be a different story; but I’m not that kind of person.

If I can obtain the Fire Spirit, the path to the Sun will open, and if I can overcome the Sun’s obstacles, achieving my goal will be straightforward. It might be more beneficial to deal with the dark forces and engineer the situation to tilt in my favor than to worry about losing everything while hesitating.

“I mustn’t lose sight of my goal.”

Defeating every enemy around me isn’t my purpose.

Becoming invincible isn’t possible. That’s realistically out of the question.

Then, the best course of action for me is to decisively reach the conclusion of this reincarnation story. Once I achieve that goal, I’ll think about what to do next.

Cheon Woo-jin spoke beside me.

“It all sounds good, but what are you planning to say when you call him? If he’s the dark force, what could we possibly say? Ask him not to plot conspiracies?”

“He could very well ignore my words,” I replied, looking at the wood element spirit in my hand. “He certainly would have in normal circumstances, but things are different now.”

“We have five out of the seven Luminaries. Both the Celestial Realm and that guy would know this fact. And if we can determine the fate of the world based on how we act, he can’t afford to treat us lightly any longer.”

“Are you thinking of negotiating using the Seven Luminaries?”

“Exactly.”

Just then, the Celestial Sage, who had been listening, let out a thoughtful hum.

“That public elder has been looking unhappy for a while. Do you have something on your mind?”

[Of course… Why do we have to cross such a dangerous bridge?]

He growled.

[If it’s true that we hold five of the Seven Luminaries, giving us maximum leverage… other forces will be anxious even if we just sit around. With the cards we have, we can lead the situation comfortably. Why go to the trouble of taking action?]

I calmly replied to his words. “Until now, we’ve always struck first while hidden in the shadows against other forces. Since we were not known, we effectively attacked with even a relatively modest power. But now, we’ve directly faced Chi You and Jeogok, and just the fact that the liberated Seven Luminaries are gathered here should be known by the Celestial Realm.”

[…]

“Once you’re exposed, you’re no longer frightening. We’re in a position to face attacks from others now. And if Chi You or the Celestial Realm starts stitching a scheme, we might be unexplainably caught flat-footed.”

[That’s true, but what does meeting the Primordial Void Ruler have to do with it?]

“We need to reshape the board as we wish. Being exposed can’t be a weakness anymore.”

I prepared the consciousness for Cheon Woo-jin. While he gathered flags and other items to set up the formal summoning ceremony, I turned to gather the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, the Celestial Sage, Gong Gong, and Shin Gong-pyo and asked,

“Right now, the liberated ones among the Five Luminaries are the Moon, Water, and Wood Elements. The Fire Spirit is with me, while the Golden Crow is with the Celestial Sage.”

[I see.]

“So I’d like to ask, how can we forcibly liberate the Seven Luminaries? I want to know the exact method.”

I figured it wasn’t just about simply squeezing it out with brute force. If you could freely shatter the seals of the Seven Luminaries just by pouring in sheer strength, there would be no need to seal them in the first place. Looking back at when Gong Gong liberated the Seven Luminaries, there seemed to be some approach to it.

While sitting and listening, Gong Gong spoke up.

[Rather than a method… Our Giant Race can use divine energy as naturally as breathing, so we could likely resonate our divine energy with the inscriptions sealed in the Seven Luminaries. After all, those seals were ultimately crafted from divine energy, and our Giants share a close relation with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors…]

“A close relationship, you say? What does that mean?”

[Though we Giants look somewhat similar to you humans, essentially, we’re super races akin to the Old Rulers. We were originally beings venturing dimensions, boasting powerful civilizations. Conversely, you humans can be considered low-quality versions created in the image of Giants. That’s why you humans and Giants look alike.]

“…”

[The Yan Emperor Shennong was one of the Three Sovereigns, and he once stated that the Emperor wasn’t distant from him. Our divine energy is relatively familiar with that of the Three Sovereigns.]

“I see.”

It seemed that the original ‘Old Race’ that first created humans modeled their appearance after powerful Giants. Also, Gong Gong’s ability to artificially liberate the Seven Luminaries could be seen as a special ability unique to the Giant Race rather than just sheer power.

The Celestial Sage spoke up.

“It’s unfortunate, but I don’t particularly know how to liberate the Luminaries.”

“So you were only obstructing who gathers the Luminaries, huh?”

“Is that how you see it? Anyway, although I don’t know, there’s a chance that the Three Sovereigns and their kin have their ways of liberating them.”

Finally, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens said, [Using the Corpse Dissolution Technique is possible.]

“…”

[Baek Woong, it seems like you have something to say.]

“I’ve been thinking about this all along, but what exactly is the Corpse Dissolution Technique? It seems just one technique can handle everything—healing, movement, offense, sealing, barriers, and defense… it’s way too powerful. Can I learn it too?”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens answered my question.

[This technique will be tough for even a genius to learn. Among the countless Great Immortals I have taught, none have truly grasped the Corpse Dissolution Technique. Because it’s more my unique ability rather than just a technique.]

“An ability, you say?”

[Exactly. The Corpse Dissolution Technique doesn’t rely on the power of Fuxi like all the other techniques in this world. Its lineage is entirely different and designed to activate precisely according to my whims. That’s why, as powerful as it is, it’s difficult to impart to others.]

“…”

That was unexpected.

‘Wait a moment. So does that mean the Corpse Dissolution Technique isn’t even classified as a technique?’

The definition of a technique is a magical system bestowed upon humans by Fuxi at the origin of the world. According to Master Hyuncheon’s words, the transmission of these techniques was likened to fire. Therefore, no matter how new a technique might be created, the force to activate it must come from Fuxi.

This created a considerable difference.

If what she said is true, even if Fuxi were to perish and all earthly sorcerers lost their powers, anyone possessing the Corpse Dissolution Technique wouldn’t lose theirs. Because they’re not relying on Fuxi’s power. In a fundamental sense, the Corpse Dissolution Technique could be considered a type of supernatural ability and shouldn’t be called a technique at all.

However, even so, the direct disciples of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, who were practically qualified as my direct disciples, could apparently imitate some of the Corpse Dissolution Technique, and Mangnyang, whom I had met during my previous life, was able to use the Corpse Dissolution Technique to transfer his knowledge and experiences. It could be viewed as a strange system where you could somewhat mimic it, varying with talent rather than being entirely supernatural.

Thump!

That moment, one of my long-buried memories began to rapidly resurface.

Wuuuuuung…

‘This… this is…’

The Seal of the Supreme King!

The Seal of the Supreme King that I received from the Prophet was vibrating. Even before I activated the Seal, the peculiar phenomenon occurring perplexed me, but soon realized that it was a supportive function latent within the Seal of the Supreme King.

Memory enhancement and comprehension boost!

The Prophet tribe, an extraordinary cognitive race traversing the universe, required intelligence far beyond that of humans, hence their brain capabilities and memory developed to extremes, as did mental abilities. The blessing of the Seal of the Supreme King, directly given by the king of such a race, would provide a significant supportive effect on the mind.

Simultaneously, I felt as if the knowledge of the Earth Immortal Mangnyang that had been covered in my memory was gradually melting and unlocking. It felt like high-dimensional technique knowledge that would have been utterly incomprehensible with my current skill or intellect was dissolving within me. Although I couldn’t bring over the full 200 years of training experience that Mangnyang possessed, it seemed I had absorbed about 30% of it.

I can feel it.

Now I should be able to train in techniques!

‘Unbelievable…’

At last, I could understand what kind of being Mangnyang, the Earth Immortal that faced me in my 16th life, truly was. Officially a lower-tier being known as the Earth Immortal, following the Great Immortal level and the mid-level Immortal, Mangnyang had actually understood over 90% of the Corpse Dissolution Technique by receiving teachings directly from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. Therefore, when he confronted me during the Imperial Palace raid, he possessed combat power at the Great Immortal level!

In my 16th reincarnation, Zhuge Sa obtained the powerful magical treasure, the Golden Box, yielding him tremendous might as a demon sorcerer. Yet, it continually bewildered me why he seemed to be easily won over by Mangnyang, an Earth Immortal. I now realized that the techniques he used, like the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line or the Cloud Step, were all based on the Corpse Dissolution Technique rather than being ordinary techniques. Contrary to his nominal rank, at that time, Mangnyang could be regarded as a direct disciple of the ultimate divine Being, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.

‘How did Mangnyang, with such a lack of ordinary techniques, manage to attain incredible mastery over the Corpse Dissolution Technique?’

During that time, Mangnyang’s memories indicated that even the Heavenly Mysterious Woman expressed amazement at his unprecedented achievements in Celestial history. According to what the Heavenly Mysterious Woman explained, even the technique genius Cheon Woo-jin wouldn’t be able to master the Corpse Dissolution Technique properly, so how could he do it?

It sparked a bit of doubt, but nonetheless I figured that’s why Mangnyang desperately clung to the Celestial recruitment path in every reincarnation. The genius Mangnyang instantly realized his extraordinary affinity for the Corpse Dissolution Technique when reading my memories with the obsidian and instinctively knew that the only way to achieve greatness was by becoming a direct disciple of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.

I inwardly sighed as I thought.

‘Mangnyang! I will make it so that from the next life onward, no matter what I must do, I will ensure you become a disciple of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.’

I had previously let Mangnyang do as he pleased, but not anymore. I could see a clear possibility, so henceforth, ensuring Mangnyang’s enlistment would become my mission. A Mangnyang skilled in the Corpse Dissolution Technique would definitely become a formidable asset.

While storing the martial arts knowledge I gained thanks to the Seal of the Supreme King in my mind, I asked Shin Gong-pyo.

“Shin Gong-pyo. How did you liberate the Water Spirit?”

[I…]

“Do you really need to use that spiritual language? Let’s hear your voice a bit.”

“… I interpreted the formation of the Luminaries with my chaos talent in an instant.”

“I see. So it’s a talent thing.”

Hearing Shin Gong-pyo’s words, I internally sighed.

‘Damn it. The divine beings have various ways to do things, but as an ordinary human, I have no means to liberate the Seven Luminaries at will…’

It seemed at first glance that having such formidable beings on our side would provide many ways to liberate the Luminaries, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Gong Gong was intrinsically a high-level Giant closely linked to the Three Sovereigns, while mastering the Corpse Dissolution Technique was a stretch. Shin Gong-pyo, on the other hand, was extraordinary among ancient humanity, having inherited immense chaos talent. They were mythic beings by nature.

For ordinary humans to liberate the Seven Luminaries, there was only the option of general liberation or gaining approval from the Three Sovereigns. The Celestial Sage, being an apprentice of the great master of healing MU Su-bo-ri, could freely use the 72 Techniques yet did not possess the technique to liberate the Seven Luminaries, underscoring its difficulty.

Regardless of how I looked at it, I had to figure out the Offering Ceremony from the next life onward.

“Then it’s certainly possible to liberate the Seven Luminaries. Both the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Gong Gong can manage it in some way; thus, the challenge we face now is merely to acquire the Earth Spirit.”

“Are you really planning to call the Primordial Void Ruler?”

“Yes.”

“If that guy shows up and tries to pull any stunts, I’ll stop him, so do your best.”

Feeling the Celestial Sage’s encouragement uplift my spirits, I awaited as Cheon Woo-jin completed the summoning circle, and I offered an offering of food.

Wuuuuu…

The altar roared as the Primordial Void Ruler began to manifest within Cheon Woo-jin.

Eventually, the Primordial Void Ruler slowly opened his eyes from inside Cheon Woo-jin and spoke.

[I am the Primordial Void Ruler. What do you want with me?]

Normally, I would be tired of the simplicity of that question by now, having heard it dozens of times while offering mana. But this time, sensing the hidden essence within the Primordial Void Ruler, I felt a slight chill run down my spine.

After a moment, I opened my mouth.

“I want you to mobilize all the forces of the Celestial Realm right now and attack Chi You.”

[… What?]

“Either kill all the Eight Parts of the Divine or at the very least, Chi You must be extinguished back to Dark Heaven Village.”

The Primordial Void Ruler looked at me as if he’d heard something absurd.

[Don’t speak nonsense. I have neither the authority nor, even if I did, this offering wouldn’t be enough to bear that cause and effect.]

“One more thing.”

I continued without acknowledging what he said.

“Please eliminate the magical power binding Zhuge Sa’s soul and restore him.”

[What the… you can’t be serious!]

“One more.”

[Hey, listen to me.]

“Tell the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother of the West to stop meddling.”

[…]

“And one more.”

The Primordial Void Ruler displayed an expression of despair.

I grinned and said, “You, cease interfering in this world and disappear from the Celestial Realm. If you refuse to grant my demands, I will liberate all the Seven Luminaries I possess and show you what happens when Nüwa goes berserk.”

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