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“I decided to share my clear-sight of Luoyang through the Corpse Dissolution Technique of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.”

The situation needed my eyes; only by witnessing it firsthand could I grasp the next steps.

“The arm of Jeogok…”

Again, I saw the arm of Jeogok from the Three Sovereigns, looming over the skies of Luoyang, clutching the heavens like it was a thunderstorm gathering above. While I couldn’t see beyond the clouds, it was clear now that something was behind it. It wasn’t just an arm summoned!

In front of that dark mass, the Eight Parts of the Divine manifested as their true forms, forming a circle to create a massive barrier around Luoyang Castle. Outside the barrier, celestial immortals were using their techniques for a siege.

So far, there had been no casualties, but it was evident that war had begun!

“Jeogok seems intent on revealing his true form now.” I thought, realizing that he had switched from indirectly summoning the goddess of gold to breaking into a full-scale assault on Luoyang. It was like declaring an all-out war, and even though the Eight Parts of the Divine combined their powers to create a barrier, there was little chance they could hold back Jeogok for long.

I carefully counted the number of Eight Parts of the Divine present. All of them were here in full force. This meant the Imperial Palace was likely empty!

After deep pondering, I transmitted my understanding of the situation and thoughts to my companions using obsidian. Zhuge Sa responded.

“Baek Woong, the Corpse Dissolution Technique of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman cannot even locate the Seven Luminaries. Even if all the Eight Parts of the Divine have left, we can’t recklessly rush into the palace. But if we wait too long, we might never get another chance.”

“I think so too. So what do we do?”

“Ideally, if Changhil would come forward to strike Jeogok, that would be the best case, but… it’s all up to luck.”

“Hmm.”

“This operation’s premise is reckless infiltration; the key is when to initiate this.” Zhuge Sa gazed at me, and I instantly understood the meaning in his eyes. It was a moment where strategies would have little effect!

I had to entrust everything to my fate and intuition.

I pondered, “Where could Toyo be…?”

With enhanced cognition, Zhuge Sa and I struggled to guess Toyo’s location. If our enemy were Zhuge Yulong, Zhuge Sa could read his mind and devise some strategy, but since the opponent was Changhil, predicting his moves was nearly impossible. The only certainty was that Changhil absolutely hid Toyo in a place that wouldn’t attract thieves.

What place could be so secure that no formidable enemy could steal Toyo?

“What if Changhil swallowed the Seven Luminaries into himself…?”

That would require slaying Changhil and splitting open his belly to retrieve what I needed—completely unrealistic considering the powers of Changhil were comparable to the Three Sovereigns.

‘…No, thankfully that’s not the case.’ I dismissed that worst-case scenario. The existence of the engraved characters on the Seven Luminaries reassured me. The First Characters! Every one of the Seven Luminaries bore seals placed by the History Emperor Changhil, which were not just engraved oracle bone characters but also the very First Characters. Despite their self-inflicted restrictions, the First Characters were indeed a weakness for Changhil, so devouring the Seven Luminaries would be a self-destructive act.

This meant that like it or not, Changhil had to treat the Seven Luminaries as otherworldly items, keeping them outside his body.

However, this doesn’t mean he would seal them away in some minor realm or dimension. Changhil, though a powerful divine entity, faced the equally powerful Three Sovereigns!

In fact, given Jeogok’s invasion, if Changhil tried to hide the Seven Luminaries with inadequate spatial spells, they would soon be snatched away by the Three Sovereigns or other divine beings. No matter how impressive a space technique might be, the Three Sovereigns could shatter anything easily.

‘He wouldn’t have given them to the Eight Parts of the Divine either…’

The Eight Parts stepped out to battle instead of defending Changhil and could be slain by the Three Sovereigns, so he wouldn’t have entrusted them with Toyo.

Finding where Changhil hid Toyo meant trying to grasp the cunning thoughts of a figure who had displayed such cleverness as a trusted advisor to emperors since ancient times. That was why I hadn’t been able to pinpoint where Toyo was and had delayed so long.

Just then, Seo Mun-hye suddenly spoke up.

“Lord Baek Woong, wouldn’t it be better to join Jeogok in attacking Changhil and completely defeat him before acquiring Toyo? Sneaking in like this provides no guarantee of getting Toyo…”

“That won’t do. If we take down Changhil, we would then have to contend with an invigorated Three Sovereigns to seize Toyo, which makes it far more difficult.”

“Ah…”

I made up my mind and spoke. “We can’t afford to wait for Changhil to appear. We’ll rush into the palace and mop the floor with the bastards while searching for Toyo!”

While a full-frontal clash with Changhil was not an option, I knew my companions could certainly minimize losses during a retreat. If Changhil turned out to be weaker than expected, we could potentially banish him from the material realm once.

With a swift spell of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, we arrived directly before the Sky Gate of the Imperial Palace. At the same time, creatures of the dark with eyes colored like a tempest emerged from every direction, exuding formidable magical power from their bodies.

Ka-ahh!!

Moments later, the creatures erupted, transforming into something else.

‘Dragon Person? Demon? No… neither of those. If anything, they could be called Noble Beings.’

If pressed, they appeared to be humans whose heads and limbs transformed into something akin to celestial beings. They were different from the Demon Race who had previously taken the forms of Dragon People or otherworldly races. A few of these transformed bastards lunged at us.

Punch!

At that moment, Gong Gong thrust his fist out, toppling the Noble Beings. It seemed he’d regained tremendous strength since I last saw him, radiating immense magical energy, and he spoke with an edge of annoyance. [That’s tough. Be careful.]

Whistle!!

His warning was no idle words! The Noble Beings dashed towards our forces with speed and strength that were no joke. They were on par with the advanced transformations of the previous Demon Race we had faced in the field. Perhaps that’s why the human companions, aside from Jin So-cheong, were visibly panicking, only focused on surviving.

To think they would be even stronger than Demon People!

What the hell?! Had Changhil empowered the original Demon People directly with his strength?

We could win. Though not with ease, our current capabilities were at their peak. But there were too many Noble Beings, and continuing to fight like this would surely tire us out.

Suddenly, Shin Gong-pyo lifted into the air and unleashed a loud laugh. [Aha! Six Soul Tide!]

Thud thud thud!

The black tide he unleashed swirled around like a living storm, catching most Noble Beings with robust physical capabilities off-guard. Yet, in the next moment, he unleashed one of the Sabre Swords.

[Draw nearer, Absolute Immortal Sword!]

Whoosh!

With a flash of thunder, the Absolute Immortal Sword erupted, pulling everything in its vicinity towards it. The Noble Beings, no matter how hard they tried to fly or bury themselves into the ground for stability, were useless, getting sucked into the swirling tide and devoured whole.

When I look back at Shin Gong-pyo wielding this crazy area-of-effect annihilation technique, the Celestial Sage said, “Baek Woong, let’s leave this to him and head into the inner chambers. Something feels off in there.”

“Agreed.”

While we could eliminate the Noble Beings faster together, there was no time for dragging this out. We quickly entered deeper into the palace, where the Emperor would once reside. Initially, this place housed the Alchemist’s wicked laboratory and the Crystal Stele, but now it felt desolate, filled with only eerie silence.

Then it happened.

Roar!

A thunderous sound echoed from deep inside. We all flinched, thinking it was an attack, but as it turned out to be just passing noise.

[… It is time… to act… Cause and Effect… you… guard…]

Yet, in that moment, I sensed the voice was different, feeling a peculiar resonance. I looked at the others, but no one else seemed aware of it. It was as if I alone was sensing something different.

‘What is this?’

I glanced at Zhuge Sa beside me and relayed what I heard, but he seemed just as confused.

Was it an auditory hallucination? Yet it felt significant…

Thud!

We kept pressing forward in silence. Just as the unsettling quiet stretched on, Gong Gong suddenly shouted, [It’s a trap!]

Whoosh!

As those words left his mouth, the world around me shook, and I quickly realized my companions had vanished from my sides. However, drawing from past experiences, particularly from the battle on Golden Crow Island, my instincts kicked in, and composure returned.

‘Subspace techniques!’

I gathered my wits, knowing that Shingongpyo, Zhuge Sa, and other veterans would be fine, but my less experienced comrades were at risk! Rapidly, I crossed the methods of Huayo and the Fire Dragon Sword and borrowed the power of the Fire Dragon Incarnate, swiftly rending the wall blocking time and space. Tracing the mark of the fire dragon restored the chaotic surroundings back to their original state, allowing me to rescue my fellows.

Jin So-cheong looked down at the ground, musing, “It seems to be… the Eight Trigrams Diagram.”

“Huh…!!”

“If we don’t remove this Eight Trigrams barrier, the subspace trap will trigger continuously.”

Indeed, the ground glimmered with the Eight Trigrams’ patterns, shining at regular intervals. Moreover, the patterns twirled around, shifting positions as if the ground itself was alive.

I shot a glance at Cheon Woo-jin, who grumbled, “I can’t break it. I know the trigrams, but I’m no master. This trap surpasses even masters; it’s going to be tough to dismantle.”

“You can’t even do it with your reincarnated powers?”

“Damn it. Unlike the Corpse Dissolution Technique, my skills aren’t all-powerful. Against structured formations like this, I’m even weaker. It’s crafted from divine power, so brute force won’t work.”

“Then there’s no choice. We have to rely on the all-powerful Corpse Dissolution Technique.”

I swiftly called upon the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. “Heavenly Mysterious Woman! Please break this Eight Trigrams formation!”

[……]

But something felt off. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman stared ahead silently, unresponsive. With the attention of the group now on her, she suddenly spoke, [So that’s what it was…]

She appeared to be looking into the depths beyond. It seemed like something was there.

“Heavenly Mysterious Woman…?”

[Baek Woong. This is where I must part ways.]

Pat!

At that instant, Toyo appeared in my palm, returned to me by the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.

“…?!”

What the hell is this?! I stared at her in confusion, and as expected, she slowly began to fade from this space, lost to the laws of cause and effect. She was completely abandoning me!

Realizing this, I shouted in anguish, “What kind of trick is this! Are you betraying us?!”

[It’s not betrayal. I’m simply being true to my essence.]

“Then what… Come back now! If you lack Toyo, I will offer you Huayo!”

As I desperately pleaded, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman smiled gently. [… You can reach the end of this path. And when you find your conclusion, we will meet again soon…]

“What do you mean?”

[The cause you’re meant to discover is still a little ahead. I hope you have what it takes to be a king…]

Wheeze!

With that, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman vanished like smoke.

I felt our connection sever completely. She’d returned Toyo and cut all ties, signifying that to receive her aid in future reincarnations, I’d have to build trust anew. The solid bonds we had forged now felt like they’d been swept away.

…
The returned Toyo in my hand felt more like a curse. I had gained significant aid from her through the Seven Luminaries, and without it, reaching this point would have been near impossible. And just when it was time to enter the central part of the palace, she suddenly departed!? That was a colossal setback!

More problematic was the fact that without her, suppressing Shin Gong-pyo would become significantly harder. Noting my displeasure, Zhuge Sa said, “No need to panic. Just press on for now.”

“… Damn it.” I bit my lip. Regaining my composure, I pulled out my Wooden Armor. “Come forth, Zhuge Bu!”

Zhuge Bu materialized with a blank expression. I directed my orders at him. “Dismantle this Eight Trigrams formation!”

“……”

Zhuge Bu stared blankly, then spoke, “Dismantling… impossible…”

Zhuge Bu continued, “This formation… is built on a concept first… layered with theory… though it seems like a formation, it’s not… merely a byproduct of divine power… something alive… the architect is… definitely no human…”

“Hmm…”

“It’s a conceptual being shaped like the Eight Trigrams…”

Then the one who crafted this wasn’t Zhuge Yulong. It was improbable for Zhuge Yulong to suddenly create such a powerful formation that could stop us without prior knowledge, considering he was already sealed by Zhuge Sa at the moment.

“Only one path remains… A path the architect wishes for… someone has prepared one path and waits on the other side…”

“Can’t we break it by force?”

“Possible… but… given it’s not a regular formation… the consequences will be dire…”

“Since this is not a simple dismantling, the collision of strength will result in colossal devastation.”

“… Hmm.”

“In a typical formation, such a phenomenon wouldn’t occur, but this one is closer to a special being.”

I sighed softly.

So, I originally intended to destroy this block at once using the resonance of the Seven Luminaries, but with this in mind, the explosion could very well obliterate not just the site of the palace but potentially the entire city of Luoyang! Should that happen, the likelihood of innocent lives being annihilated becomes quite high.

At that moment, Tang San asked, “Is there any possibility of us flying away?”

Cheon Woo-jin replied, looking fed up with the question, “Go ahead. Try it.”

“Tch, I guess it won’t work.”

After considering several options, I finally spoke. “I’ll attempt to follow the one path left by the formation.”

I trust my instincts; Changhil is not the one who built this formation. There’s something else within this palace.

I couldn’t dismiss that fact since we had no solid clues about Toyo.

And even if the Heavenly Mysterious Woman had vanished, our power remained formidable enough to withstand any straightforward danger. I looked at Zhuge Bu and commanded, “Zhuge Bu, find that path. We can all follow it!”

“It’s… possible…”

Silence enveloped us as Zhuge Bu fixed his gaze on the Eight Trigrams formation, then began chanting spells. As he walked forward in precise directions, the formation beneath him began to dim and dissolve. We followed closely behind, stepping into the now invisible pathway.

We walked for who knows how long.

After about five hundred steps, Zhuge Bu halted.

Before us lay a chamber piled high with treasures, and atop the mountain of golden coins sat a figure. He was undoubtedly the one who had summoned us here.

After studying us for a while, the figure eventually focused his gaze on me and smiled broadly. “Thank you for responding to my invitation instead of heading straight for Changhil’s throne.”

“You are…”

I exclaimed in disbelief, “The White-Haired Portrait Immortal!”

Indeed, the White-Haired Portrait Immortal, whom I’d once dubbed Yushin, awaited us in this golden chamber. The moment I spoke his name, he interlocked his fingers and remarked, “That title doesn’t quite please me. Call me… Jin.”

“… Is that your name?”

“Not particularly.” He chuckled, looking at me as if I were but a toy. The so-called ‘Jin’ continued, “Seeker of the Seven Luminaries, let’s cut to the chase. I will give you Toyo, if you’ll trade with me.”

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