764——————==

Dark Heaven Village

The moment the trial began to echo, we instinctively called upon the power of the Seven Luminaries to resonate.

Seven Luminary Resonance!!

A bright rainbow burst forth, scattering light around. Then Jin made a bitter face and vanished somewhere with his teleportation ability.

Swoosh

As we achieved resonance, Zhuge Sa approached me and said, “That guy definitely tried to use Time Stop but failed.”

“…It seems that when we resonate, his abilities don’t work.”

“Considering he’s not trying to finish us off in a long battle, it’s clear that the Celestial Sage has significantly weakened him. There’s also a time limit to this Seven Luminary Resonance.”

That’s right.

If we think about how the resonance puts a burden on our strength, it would have been better for Jin to just use Time Stop while wearing us out, wiping us out easily. But the fact that he didn’t means he couldn’t withstand the counterattack from the Seven Luminaries, nor could he wield his once-mighty powers indefinitely.

‘He’s no longer something to fear. Maybe resisting with just the Three Luminaries would be easy….’

If we face him head-on, we stand a good chance.

I glanced at the cluster of white light near the horizon and asked, “Is that the trial?”

“Probably. Normally, those with the Seven Luminaries would just need to cooperate, but now we have to be cautious of Jin sneaking up on us from behind.”

Zhuge Sa suddenly smiled bitterly. “There’s now a reason not to recklessly seal my elder brother too early.”

As I pondered, I replied, “…Then should we not rush into the trial and hold back for now?”

“That seems best for now. And we need to bring Zhuge Bu out now.”

“Understood.”

Rustle

“Set up the Eight Trigram Formation, Zhuge Bu.”

I took Zhuge Bu from my mouthguard and instructed him to set up the Eight Trigram Formation. I infused the power of the Seven Luminaries into Zhuge Bu to make the formation even stronger and faster. This was to prevent us from being ambushed again before we could prepare, having learned from experience that we were utterly unprepared against anything other than the Eight Trigrams.

Whoooom

The Eight Trigram Formation gradually activated, and the trigrams rose around us. About twenty trigrams densely surrounded us, and I could feel the power of Jin So-cheong’s released Earth Star firmly supporting the formation.

“If Jin attacks, he’ll likely get caught in the Eight Trigram Formation and create an opening. Let’s catch him once.”

It was about half a moment later.

Kuuoooooh—

Suddenly, a crimson light burst from a different horizon. That red light resembled living flames, and soon it began swelling up from a different direction than the initial white light.

“……?”

What’s going on?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Zhuge Sa issued a command.

“Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Gong-pyo. Use your spirit bodies or clairvoyance to scout that area. Cheon Woo-jin, head towards the white light; Cheon Gong-pyo, head towards the red.”

Hearing Zhuge Sa’s command, the two sorcerers simultaneously cast their techniques and sent them towards both light clusters. Because they were in a state of Seven Luminaries release, their magical powers had skyrocketed, and they appeared filled with confidence.

Swish

The next moment, Cheon Woo-jin staggered for a moment. It seemed he felt a headache as he groaned and said, “Darn. This is tricky….”

“I agree.”

Cheon Gong-pyo responded. She shot an annoyed look at Zhuge Sa, saying, “It seems our guess was right. There’s a spirit of fiery flame at the center of that light.”

“Didn’t the teachings of the Grand Celestial Sage’s magic get revealed by that spirit?”

“What are you asking for? You must know that’s not an ordinary spirit.”

What’s he talking about?

Moments later, Zhuge Sa spoke, “Baek Woong, this trial likely has an overall time limit. I’d guess about three moments, give or take.”

“A time limit?”

“The initial light was white. The second was red. Doesn’t anything spring to mind?”

“…….”

I thought hard before suddenly realizing. “Seven Luminaries?!”

“Exactly.”

Zhuge Sa nodded and continued, “One spirit of the Seven Luminaries will be summoned for each direction. Given that they come one at half a moment apart, it means we must deal with each one in less than half a moment. If three moments pass, all the spirits will be summoned.”

“……!!”

So that’s how it works!

Zhuge Sa sounded incredibly convincing. No, almost definitely accurate under the current circumstances.

“And judging from the reactions of the sorcerers we just scouted, it seems we can’t afford to worry about Jin’s interference. The spirits of the Seven Luminaries will surely be very powerful. Without using the release, even attempting to challenge them will be impossible.”

“The order should be Moon-Sun-Mars-Mercury-Jupiter-Venus-Saturn.”

“That sounds correct.”

I asked Zhuge Sa back, “If we let the Moon spirit just show up without capturing it, wouldn’t the trial fail immediately? What happens if we just watch?”

“Pay attention. Considering the directions and angles, this is structured like the Six Directions. This isn’t the territory of the Seven Luminaries; it’s the realm of the Six Luminaries. Six directions, you see. Therefore, there won’t be seven spirits summoned in the outskirts.”

“Ah…!! That makes sense.”

“There’s only one spot left aside from the six directions: the center. Thus, the last trial spirit, the Sun spirit, will be summoned right in the center. For now, the Moon spirit will just be waiting in the outskirts for challengers, but once the Sun shows up….”

“We can’t avoid a fight.”

“Not only that, but if the time limit runs out, the summoned spirits of the Six Luminaries might start launching a joint attack on the challengers. Or we might simply be considered to have failed the trial the instant the time limit hits, and we’d all die.”

“…That’s really the worst-case scenario.”

“If we keep holding our ground in the center, the trial is guaranteed to fail. We have to do something to capture the spirits of the Seven Luminaries. It’s clear this trial requires us to capture all the spirits within the time limit.”

“…….”

Was the headache that Cheon Woo-jin mentioned referring to this?

Faced with spirits that could perhaps easily defeat the five of us together, while being cautious of Jin sneaking up from behind was basically an impossible task. A dilemma had sprung up where even if we wanted to challenge the trial, we couldn’t properly do so.

Damn, what should we do?

I spoke to Zhuge Bu. “Zhuge Bu. Is there any way to move the Eight Trigrams?”

“…With human capability… that’s impossible…. Essentially, the formation is meant to remain static, and the more powerful the barrier, the harder it is to move away from the installation point….”

“Tch.”

Then Cheon Woo-jin suggested, “Maybe if we combine the powers of the Seven Luminaries, it could be possible. Let’s trade ownership of a Luminary. Jin So-cheong, give the Earth Star to Zhuge Bu.”

Jin So-cheong silently handed the Earth Star over to Zhuge Bu. Then they both waited to see if Zhuge Bu could move the Eight Trigram Formation using the power of the released Earth Star.

Boom

It is possible, but Zhuge Bu could only walk as he became the center axis of the Eight Trigrams. At this speed, it would take all day to reach the horizon beyond the trial’s light. I wanted to pull out one of my Seven Luminaries and give it to Zhuge Bu when Zhuge Sa stopped me.

“Stop. If you have two released Luminaries, it might break the brainwashing from the Soul Exchange technique I’ve cast on him. That’s a divine treasure of that level of power.”

Zhuge Sa immediately snatched back the Earth Star and tossed it back to Jin So-cheong.

“What should we do then?”

“For now, let’s wait and see. There’s still a chance.”

“A chance?”

“Jin will probably show up at least once to negotiate with us. He has to pass the trial himself and won’t have any intention of capturing all the spirits of the Six Luminaries alone. That moment will be our turning point.”

“…Got it.”

While I believed Zhuge Sa, thinking about the time limit somehow felt frustrating. Around half a moment later, just as I was getting restless, a commotion abruptly erupted.

Shuaaa—

Chaos suddenly swirled in the air, and Jin appeared. He looked at our group as if feigning laughter and said, “Cowards. Am I that terrifying? You do know this trial has a time limit, right?”

“Sticking your head out recklessly will only get you killed and lead to a failed trial; that’s much more foolish.”

I glared at him and said, “Even if I must die, I won’t let you profit from this!”

“What?”

“If we’re going down, we’ll go down together. I can guarantee you’ll lose out more than we will.”

I truly meant what I said. Even if we failed this trial of the Six Luminaries right here and my team was wiped out, I have rebirth abilities, and we could try again. Also, for Qin Shi Huang to appear, there’s a special condition required, ensuring that I can mess with him during the next reincarnation.

‘And I won’t let that scum who’s been messing with me go unscathed….’

I silently ignited a quiet rage within me. Even if it meant using filthy tactics, I would crush that bastard. Jin Shi Huang’s gaze wavered for a moment, seemingly sensing the sincerity in my words, before he said, “…If we waste any more time, we’ll both be in danger. Let’s call a truce.”

“On what grounds do you want a truce? I have no reason to trust you at all.”

“We can make an agreement by putting our names on the line. Until we take down the spirits of the Seven Luminaries, we’ll avoid attacking each other, right?”

“…….”

“We can settle things after we defeat the Seven Luminaries.”

Jin’s suggestion was reasonable and alluring. In fact, we’d already been thinking that way. Then Zhuge Sa stepped forward and said, “No, that won’t do.”

“What’s lacking? Are you denying the trustworthiness of a promise made in our names? Don’t tell me you’re suggesting we cooperate instead?”

“That’s not it. There are ways to deceive an opponent without lying.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“You… You’ve probably heard everything you needed during the Offering Ceremony about this final trial. So it’s likely you know some additional rules we don’t know. You’ll have to share that.”

“That’s a stretch. Such things do not exist.”

“If you don’t accept this condition, we’ll die together. Do you understand? If you proceed as you like, we won’t be cooperating at all.”

“…Hmm. I can see you’re anxious about failing as well.”

“Not a chance. We’ll only follow our lord’s desires. Even if we perish in failure, we’re prepared for that.”

“…….”

Seeing the resolve in Zhuge Sa’s eyes, Jin Shi Huang seemed troubled.

After a while, he finally spoke. “Alright, let’s do that.”

A moment later, Jin Shi Huang and I promised not to attack each other until the spirits of the Seven Luminaries were defeated. Afterward, Jin Shi Huang spoke up again.

“I can only share one rule. In this space, the most powerful force isn’t spells or magic, but rather the power of fate. A person who would become the king of humanity must demonstrate a suitable qualification to win.”

“……?”

“Then I shall go and defeat the Fire Luminary.”

Bam!

Jin vanished with a flicker of spatial movement. Since I had established a promise with him, I instructed Zhuge Bu to release the Eight Trigram Formation and turned to Zhuge Sa. “What could he mean by the power of fate?”

“I don’t know yet. For now, let’s go defeat the Moon Luminary, but we should also send scouts towards the Fire Luminary. We need to gather clues from him while he fights.”

“Understood.”

We again had Cheon Woo-jin and Cheon Gong-pyo cast scouting techniques and immediately challenged the trial of the Moon Luminary. We had tacitly agreed to split up to defeat the spirits of the Six Luminaries. By doing this, we could hope to make up for the precious time wasted until now.

When we arrived at the end of the horizon and faced the cluster of white light, countless twisted mirrors floated around, and in the center hung a pure white moon-like energy that spoke as soon as it saw me.

[I am the Moon Luminary. Baek Woong, it’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time.]

“Huh?”

I was taken aback as the Moon Luminary recognized me. I blinked in disbelief and responded, “You’ve been residing inside the Seven Luminaries this whole time?”

[Indeed.]

“Whoa….”

Could it be that the spirits who had been within the Seven Luminaries this whole time could be summoned into this space? They weren’t just arbitrarily summoned spirits from another place. I asked to confirm, “Then do you spirits of the Seven Luminaries know everything that the owners have seen and heard until now?”

[Of course.]

“Powerful talismans like the National Seal or potent artifacts housed your essence, and they even communicated and acted on their own. Why have the spirits of the Seven Luminaries been staying quiet until now?”

The Moon Luminary replied to my question.

[The seal of Chi You has prevented our autonomous actions. Furthermore, we must exclude our personal feelings and test the challengers of the Seven Luminaries, which is why we didn’t step in.]

“Are you referring to the seal created by the First Character?”

[That’s right.]

“Is that seal the same as the seal of the Seven Luminaries release?”

[No, they’re different. The seals we must break to gain our freedom are separate from the seals that bind us, and they’re placed double.]

“So even if the Seven Luminaries are released, you still wouldn’t come forth….”

[Exactly. We maintain the vitality of the Seven Luminaries during normal times and are destined to be summoned as the examiners of the final trial.]

Was the seal of Chi You inscribed to bind the spirits of the Seven Luminaries?

Zhuge Sa, who was beside me, spoke up. “It makes sense. The Seven Luminaries alone are powerful enough that if you add spirits to that, it could be described as a triple release. Since they’d be far too powerful for the human world to allow, the Emperor could have ordered Chi You to seal them.”

“Hmm… Is it worth trying again next time?”

“You’d need the ability to break the seal created by the First Character. We don’t have that kind of strength right now.”

“…….”

Did one more reason to break the seal of the Seven Luminaries just come up?

It had previously been a negligible element, but now I was beginning to understand its importance. I had another question I was dying to ask. “Can you explain the trial system? It seems that each of you is summoned one at half a moment, but what happens if all the spirits of the Six Luminaries aren’t defeated before they all get summoned?”

[If we move from our designated positions, we can work together to attack the challenger. When the Sun Luminary is summoned, it will finish you.]

“I see. Even if we can’t take them all down, the Sun Luminary will be summoned, but that doesn’t mean we’ll face immediate annihilation, right?”

[Correct. But if we link forces, the outcome won’t be any different.]

“Does taking down just the Sun Luminary count as passing the trial? We don’t have to take down every one, right?”

[That’s right.]

Zhuge Sa’s deduction held a certain truth. It’s not entirely the worst-case scenario, but it’s certainly indicative of a high-level challenge.

Jin So-cheong, who was next to me, chimed in, “Baek Woong. It seems like this trial isn’t one for delaying tactics. I believe it’s purely an evaluation of skill. It’ll be impossible to deal with them all at once.”

“I share the same view.”

I agreed with Jin So-cheong’s assertion.

‘It’s not easy. While we don’t have to take down all the Luminaries, it’ll be impossible to defeat the Sun Luminary while leaving the spirits of the Six Luminaries in situ.’

I still couldn’t gauge how powerful the spirits of the Seven Luminaries were, but regardless, it seemed like the best strategy would be to handle the Six Luminaries first and then take down the Sun Luminary afterward. The more spirits left standing, the exponentially tougher the challenge loomed; even a child would know that.

It wasn’t just by chance that Jin Shi Huang came rushing first. Even with the power of the Ultimate Portrait Immortal, he didn’t have the confidence to breach this without the Seven Luminaries. This was clearly a trial determining who would be counted among the kings of humanity.

The Moon Luminary urged me, [Challenger, will you face this trial?]

“I accept the challenge.”

[Good… fight.]

Boom!

In that very moment, one of the hundreds of mirrors shot out a beam of light at me, causing Zhuge Sa to vanish without a trace. In the spot he used to occupy, the released Seven Luminaries, the Golden Crow, dropped.

Thud

“…….”

What just happened?

I understood in my mind that it was too fast to avoid or block. I couldn’t sense or see the last strike at all. But for Zhuge Sa to have been hit despite his mana tremendously boosted by the Seven Luminaries’ release and activating defensive magic meant he was caught off guard by a surprise attack.

Simultaneously, fury over Zhuge Sa’s fate caused veins to pop out on my forehead. Once again, I’d witnessed a comrade die right before my eyes.

“AAAHHHHH!!”

Crackle!

As rage surged within me, someone with enormous energy charged at me and slapped my face.

“Ugh.”

As I fell to the ground, Jin So-cheong yelled at me, having struck me with the Thunder Spirit. “Calm down! We’re just disposable pawns for the king; if you die, it’s all over!”

“……!!”

“That guy’s attack is at the speed of light, and it’s impossible to dodge or defend against—it’s a full-on multi-directional barrage. Any one of us hit first would have died instantly, and Zhuge Sa just drew the short straw! It’s a blessing that it wasn’t you, Baek Woong.”

“Right.”

“Give us instructions!”

He was absolutely right.

I quickly calmed my head. Wiping the blood from my mouth, I sprang back up and swiftly picked up the Golden Crow that Zhuge Sa had before tossing it to Jin So-cheong.

I raised the Seven Luminaries high and shouted, “Seven Luminary Resonance!!”

Boom!

In that moment, we simultaneously resonated the release of the Seven Luminaries. At the same time, the Moon Luminary’s energy beams, which had been flying at us with insane speed, began to warp in the air and instead struck the Moon Luminary. However, it seemed that it merely shook off the attack without severe injury, as it quivered lightly despite being hit by its own attack. Simultaneously, we attempted to launch shockwaves of the Seven Luminary Resonance at it, but it vanished abruptly into thin air.

“What?!”

Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin came closer and remarked, “Seven Luminary Resonance needs to be applied strategically against such powerful spirits. It seems like direct attacks aren’t feasible in this space. It must be another rule exclusively applicable here.”

“Damn it! How can a spirit be that strong?!”

“The spirits lingering in the mortal realm are weak; pure spirits like that are incredibly powerful. It’s impossible for a human to stand against them; furthermore, the spirits of the Seven Luminaries are on par with the highest-ranking spirits from eras past. We’re facing divine beings right now.”

Calmly, Cheon Woo-jin said, “This sort of challenge is fitting for the Seven Luminaries. Baek Woong, divide your attacks and defense.”

“Got it.”

I calmed the boiling emotions stirred by Zhuge Sa’s death and looked at my allies. I threw the Golden Crow toward Cheon Gong-pyo.

“Cheon Gong-pyo! Attack alongside Jin So-cheong.”

“Sounds like a plan. Good to see you’ve got some situational awareness.”

Cheon Gong-pyo was pleased to gain the Golden Crow, smiling broadly. Shortly afterward, she pulled out her Sabre Sword and unleashed a tremendous roar.

[Ship’s Blade, pierce through the enemy!]

Boom!

The giant sword fell from the sky, crashing down on the Moon Luminary with the capability of the Sabre Sword. The Moon Luminary curled back in pain after feeling the wrath of the Ship’s Blade and suddenly conjured up a massive mirror in front of it.

[Strong one, prepare to meet your own demise by your blade.]

The instant the Moon Luminary coolly declared that, the attack from the Ship’s Blade was reflected back at Cheon Gong-pyo.

“Ack….”

As if she were experiencing a form of déjà vu with Zhuge Sa’s death, Cheon Gong-pyo was left dazed and stood frozen, unable to evade. Apparently, she hadn’t imagined the circumstances of self-reflection with her own attack.

Swipe!

But at that moment, Jin So-cheong reacted swiftly, using the Thunder Spirit to pull Cheon Gong-pyo out of the trajectory of the attack, and then poured the power of the Earth Star into unleashing the Mind Control Technique.

Spears slashed through space, as if she was moving flawlessly alone in this realm, Jin So-cheong took a single step, then another, and finally pierced the third strike into the Moon Luminary.

Thud!

A massive hole was blown clean through the Moon Luminary’s body, staggering back and creating a significant gap in its defenses with the Mind Control Technique, resembling a technique I had previously used against the Apostle Daji which had evolved from that first strike.

[Ooooh…. Accept this….]

Wheeeeee

Wheeeee

Light resonated loudly from all around as if music was playing.

As the Moon Luminary suffered damage, it began to gather mirrors again, trying to unleash a wide-area attack once more, and its presence was terrifying, appearing like countless lights floating like haze. Despite the fearsome sight, I shouted again.

“Seven Luminary Resonance!!”

Boom!

Once again, the power of our resonance halted the spirit’s attack, and we stepped back momentarily to catch our breath. Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me and said, “I figured out the strategy. It seems like we’ve apprehended half of it.”

“Right! So long as we’re not on the offensive, we can use the Seven Luminary Resonance as a defensive opening.”

“For the next attack, let’s engage with a double Luminary Resonance to finish this.”

“Understood.”

Clenching my teeth, I maintained my composure before landing and began strategizing. After a brief silence, Cheon Gong-pyo preemptively launched her Sabre Sword for another opening.

“Beware of the Singularity Blade!”

Wuuuum!

Cheon Gong-pyo, sensing the return of her previous attack, pulled out the Singular Blade that bore a different signature from the Ship’s Blade. The Moon Luminary, once again glowing, forged another great mirror to reflect it back, but this time, Cheon Gong-pyo evaded automatically.

“I won’t fall for that twice!!”

Now’s the time!

Distraction on Cheon Gong-pyo’s part had drawn its attention, allowing me and Jin So-cheong to dash in different directions. As we managed to get into striking distance to unleash our techniques, the Moon Luminary suddenly manifested a labyrinth of mirrors in this space.

[Be trapped….]

Boom!

My companions were nowhere to be found, and I felt myself engulfed by a narrow maze of mirrors composed of light. However, I understood this was essentially a form of illusion, so I concentrated and resonated the powers of the Fire and Water Luminaries in my hands.

‘At this moment, utilizing the Seven Luminaries is far more crucial than raw power.’

No matter how formidable a single combat ability was, the spirits of the Seven Luminaries were no pushovers, and facing them without holding a Luminary would likely end me, as Cheon Gong-pyo had just experienced. The true reason I brought Seven Luminaries here was that only they could prevent such a catastrophe. I had a vague understanding of the strategy required for this trial.

Oh, Seven Luminaries, resonate!

Those who’ve been forged as brethren – grant me the power to kill even gods!

Whirr whirr whirr

At that moment, the Fire and Water Luminaries engendered an extraordinary resonance several times more intense than usual. I could feel this double Luminary resonance was significantly stronger than the basic pair resonance of the Seven Luminaries, and using the Three Treasures Technique, I charged forward, shattering every mirror that obstructed my way.

Crash!

It felt as if the powers of Fire and Water were guiding me forward through their extreme polarities. But I didn’t resist, allowing them to lead me, and the twin swords continued to emit light in sequence.

Swoosh

Finally breaking through the mirror maze, I soared back into the air, spotting the body of the Moon Luminary right before me. I crossed the Fire and Water Luminaries and shouted, “Resonate!!”

[You can’t!]

Boom!

At that moment, the Moon Luminary summoned the mirror from earlier, which had just reflected Cheon Gong-pyo’s Ship’s Blade. Normally, trying to resonate here would lead to self-destruction, but I remained to focus on my mission, gritting my teeth and continuing the resonance as the Fire and Water Luminaries guided me.

“Haah!”

The intertwined powers of Fire and Water flew through the air, merging into a single beam of light that pierced right through the Moon Luminary’s mirror.

Boom!!

[Kraaaack…!!]

As a result, the Moon Luminary writhed as if it were pierced by spears, bloodily revealing wide openings in its defenses, and upon revealing those gaping defects, an onslaught of attacks from Jin So-cheong and Cheon Gong-pyo followed. In particular, Cheon Gong-pyo, enraged over her previous attack being reflected, endlessly hurled one Sabre Sword at a time.

“Hahaha!! Die already!!”

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, everything visible before me was engulfed in brilliant light, as the land itself began to shatter beneath the overwhelming force. Even though the Moon Luminary continued to erect dozens of layers of barriers, each time, Jin So-cheong relentlessly drilled through them. She transitioned into a supportive role to bolster Cheon Gong-pyo’s aggressive opening.

[Uoooh…!]

Was it finally unable to take anymore?

The Moon Luminary exploded.

Bahm!

We had somehow overcome one of the trials of the Seven Luminaries. Yet, as I landed onto the ground, my joy over the victory faded with the memory of Zhuge Sa’s death.

‘Damn….’

While I felt disheartened, Jin So-cheong shouted, “Baek Woong! It’s not over yet!!”

“What?!”

Shoo shoo shoo!

Before I could even grasp her words, the place where the Moon Luminary had exploded distorted as a pure white spirit suddenly twisted before splintering into three pieces. Each of the forms yelled out in unison.

[I am the Sword of the Moon!]

[I am the Bell of the Moon!]

[I am the Mirror of the Moon!]

Zzzz!

The three shining bodies began to morph into humanoid figures. The one who called themselves the Sword of the Moon summoned a silver giant sword and took stance; the one who identified as the Bell began summoning magical symbols around them, while the one referred to as the Mirror started conjuring reflective mirrors once more.

“…….”

I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me.

What the?! Defeating it once didn’t suffice?!

They split into three?!

Cheon Woo-jin yelled, “The Moon Luminary has three forms; it’s only natural! Each of the Seven Luminaries likely has distinct traits like this, so don’t panic!”

“Tch… if we took those out, would that be the end?”

I bit my lip and prepared to face the trio. Then considering how to tackle them, I directed, “Let’s take them down one by one! We’ll start with the sword!!”

The Mirror Moon obviously appeared to have the highest defense. It’s clear the Sword would be in charge of attack power, so breaking through the comparatively weak Sword first would make the rest of our strategy easier. Cheon Gong-pyo, standing closest, unleashed the Absolute Blade toward the Sword of the Moon, which swung its silver blade.

[Moon’s Absolute Shadow!]

Could it be that’s a unique technique possible only when the Moon functions in full?

Boom!

At that moment, it felt as if all heaven had turned to shimmering jade flames. The Sword of the Moon began to lurch back, seemingly awed by the might of the Absolute Blade. Nevertheless, despite being slightly pushed back, the Sword of the Moon managed to survive the attack with the Sabre Sword’s destructive force being neutralized. I couldn’t believe how evenly matched we were.

‘Damn, these spirits are too powerful…!!’

Thanks to Cheon Gong-pyo being our companion, we could barely hold our own; but to think the power of the Sabre Sword ranked among the divine artifacts could equate to that of the Moon Luminary’s doppelganger! The trial of the Seven Luminaries and the potency of the spirits stationed within were absolutely unmanageable by any ordinary human. Perhaps the difficulty arose precisely from the fact that we were in possession of the Six Luminaries.

Just then, as Jin So-cheong aimed to close into the Sword of the Moon for a strike, the Bell of the Moon chanted a spell.

[As the Ring of the Moon, I command you to be sealed for ten thousand years!]

Snap!

In that moment, Jin So-cheong’s entire body transformed into stone, like a statue. I gasped in surprise, my stomach dropping.

“Aah!”

Thud!

Luckily, perhaps due to the Earth Star, the Eight Trigrams radiated light as it enveloped Jin So-cheong, instantly returning her to her original form. But to put it another way, even a super expert like Jin So-cheong risked instant death when bound by a technique, which meant I was now terrified.

There was no time to dawdle. As I watched in dread, I darted toward the Sword of the Moon while being wary of the Bell’s attack to ensure I wouldn’t get sealed and ran into the fray.

Indeed.

Clearly, although the strategy was revealed, this battle felt overwhelmingly high-stakes and gripping.

‘Damn! Is fighting like this really my lot in life?!’

Time to follow through with the plan!

Swallowing my inner wails, I unleashed the double Luminary Resonance to obliterate the Sword of the Moon along with Jin So-cheong. We quickly pummeled the Sword, and before long, it shattered apart.

Then we turned on the spellcasting Bell of the Moon. The Bell of the Moon joined hands with the Mirror Moon and cried out.

[Merge!]

[Merge!]

Whooom!

As the two combined, they began to employ both magical and reflective powers together. I was left in shock seeing them merge and split capriciously.

“Are they kidding?!”

You’ve got to be kidding me! I never thought the very first trial of the Moon would be so difficult!

Then the combined Moon Luminary’s deep voice resonated. [Challenger, why do you not utilize the fate granted to you? Though enough power has been provided, it would not do to blame us if you do not use it.]

“What? Fate? What do you mean by that…?”

[The Seven Luminaries’ trials are the great trials dictated by the Emperor. It would be wise for you to harness all your means and connections.]

What is she talking about?

Boom!!

Suddenly, a booming sound erupted, and we all turned our attention toward the source. The Moon Luminary, crossing its arms, said, [The Trial of the Water Luminary has been opened.]

“…….”

Following its words, a blue light manifestation arose at the far horizon. The opening of the third trial meant that more than half a moment had already passed since the Fire Luminary.

In the frenzy of battle, time had sped by rather quickly.

In that moment, a sense of dread filled my mind.

‘No….’

As I instinctively realized through several combat experiences, we wouldn’t have enough time to see this through. The fact that a third trial was unfolding without us having passed even one is insane!

‘Fate… what do you mean by that?’

I believed there was a clue hidden in what the Moon Luminary had just revealed. Looking at my gathered comrades and the powers of the Seven Luminaries, while it wasn’t perfect, it was far from weak. In fact, I seriously questioned whether I could gather this level of power anytime soon without Cheon Gong-pyo’s support.

Still, if the trial of the Seven Luminaries was this unbearable, then it surely meant there was something amiss. If the difficulty kept rising, it felt like an outright notice to humans that we shouldn’t even attempt to conquer this. Per Jin’s words, it would go against the Emperor’s intent behind this trial setup.

What did “fate” truly mean?

Suddenly, an idea struck my mind and I shouted out to the Moon Luminary, “Hold on for a moment while I devise a plan!”

[Go ahead.]

Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be permitted in a life-or-death decision, but since the Moon Luminary had taken on a supervisory role for the trial, it seemed willing to grant me time. I felt relieved, calling out to Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin! How’s it looking in the Fire area? Jin went there, right?”

“A great army is swarming towards the Spirit of the Fire like ants.”

“Wait, what? A great army?”

Nodding his head, Cheon Woo-jin, who was observing the situation there with his clairvoyance, said, “No matter how much the Flame Spirit burns and burns, the resurrecting infinite soldiers have swarmed on it like ants. The numbers are at least in the thousands, and it looks entirely like an ancient battlefield over there. Meanwhile, Jin is taking the opportunity to continue attacking the Flame Spirit.”

“…….”

Something feels off!

Jin definitely came empty-handed, so how on earth did he summon thousands of soldiers?

‘Perhaps the sudden summoning to this realm happened because of the permissions he sought during the Offering Ceremony….’

His wishes were twofold: the right to challenge the king of the Seven Luminaries and immortality. If he achieved those dreams, he wouldn’t be able to conjure his army from nowhere, as it’d likely count as the third wish itself.

In other words – that’s a summoning ability he possesses solely for this place.

In that moment, the word “fate” flickered through my mind.

“…….”

Then perhaps… let’s see if it can work.

“Show yourself to me.”

Woooom—

At this moment I had genuinely wished for it.

Suddenly, the space before me distorted, and a middle-aged man with white hair appeared. He bore the same visage as I recalled when he lived, and he looked bewildered to suddenly find himself here, but once he spotted me, he spoke.

“I can’t quite comprehend what’s happening, but I believe I’m here at your summon to provide you assistance.”

“…….”

“This must be the trial of the Seven Luminaries.”

As soon as the Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong was summoned, I realized that the act of desired summoning had synthesized because of fate, restoring him to life in his previous form.

A challenger becomes aware of his fate and, alongside his allies, dares the throne!

And though the Sword Demon had appeared, the Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules had still not been summoned. From this, I could also infer what the hidden summoning conditions entailed.

‘It’s still too soon to give up. This is only the beginning.’

This was, after all, a trial that would determine the qualifications for kingship.