0777 ———————————————-

Dark Heaven Village

I heard about Zhuge Bu’s tactics. Given how things have turned out, I figured it would be wise to trust Zhuge Bu’s strategy for this life. Soon, I was to hear the explanation about the opening of royal power from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.

[The method to unleash royal power is simple. First, grasp the cyclical structure of this world and recognize the law of cause and effect. In this space, you must be convinced that you possess divine authority and then connect with those who have loyalty to you.]

“Hmm….”

I tilted my head, not quite getting it.

Is that really all?

Of course, I had never been certain that I possessed divine authority until now. But it didn’t require any special spells, seals, or offerings—just a matter of will. So why did it still feel odd that I had never been able to use it at all?

Then Zhuge Bu spoke to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.

“You didn’t explain how to recognize the law of cause and effect.”

[The law of cause and effect is very much a concept linked to metaphysics, and the way to recognize it can vary for each being. But I shall teach you the method, so let me share some tips.]

Zhooosh—

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman extended her hand forward and spoke.

[Time and space are fundamentally independent. However, time can be trained based on perception, even influencing the reality of space. The moment civilizational beings acknowledged the laws of the lunar month and the solar calendar, the time and perception within their bodies adjusted to fit, which is one such example, and even mortals’ understanding of space and law has changed. In the real world, this variability is extreme in this space.]

“…?”

[At the moment you wish to recognize it, the law of cause and effect will take shape as you envision it. You can remove the cause and leave only the effect.]

What on earth does that mean?

As I stood there dumbfounded, unable to grasp the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s explanation, Zhuge Bu piped up.

“Is the mind included in that?”

[It would become one of the strengthening elements.]

“So, can the king use it for his own gain, entirely apart from his subjects?”

[It’s possible, but it’s nearly impossible to cultivate loyalty within oneself.]

“Got it. That must be why Emperor Qin was able to achieve it.”

Zhuge Bu seemed to glean some understanding and glanced my way.

“Baek Woong. Revive Mangnyang.”

“What? If I revive him now, he’ll die again due to the pressure from the sun!”

Even if I entered the body of the Celestial Dragon through the guide, the pressure wouldn’t ease. It had never vanished; those present were just barely holding up under immense strength. Even with a decent grasp of martial arts, summoning a mere mortal like Mangnyang would only leave him speechless and terrified to death.

In response to my comment, Zhuge Bu said, “Just apply what you’ve just heard. In this space, Baek Woong, you are a god, and you must think that Mangnyang is unaffected by the pressure present here. Don’t let this thought flit away; cement it firmly in your mind as a solid belief.”

“Hmm… I see.”

It was a complex command, but it seemed crucial to ‘believe.’ Immediately after summoning Mangnyang with the rights of the king, I concentrated as Zhuge Bu instructed.

SPLAT!

However, just like before, Mangnyang’s complexion turned pale from the overwhelming pressure right after being summoned.

‘Huh? This isn’t working?’

As I panicked, Zhuge Bu snapped.

“Concentration isn’t the same. Don’t deceive yourself and ponder rationality or principles. You need no reason for your belief; just believe in that fact.”

“…….”

“As long as you’re the king, Mangnyang is whole in this space. There’s no reason for it. Don’t doubt this fact.”

It was vague, but gradually I began to intuit what Zhuge Bu meant through my martial arts experience.

Transcending life and death through martial arts training!

Having felt the dissolution of the self and non-self several times, I could easily recognize the sensation close to baseless certainty.

‘It’s different from concentration. That’s why it can’t be used unconsciously…’

A few moments later, once I internalized my conviction, Mangnyang’s complexion steadily returned to normal. He looked bewildered, still adjusting to the absence of pressure before discovering Zhuge Bu and showing surprise.

Zhuge Bu spoke while gazing at Mangnyang.

“We’ve governed the guides to enter the Celestial Dragon’s body, and the opening of royal power manipulates the law of cause and effect to perform miracles. I revived you to practice the royal power residing in Baek Woong.”

“…I see.”

Mangnyang seemed to quickly grasp the situation. I promptly handed over the obsidian to him, and he managed to grasp the overall situation. After contemplating, he said, “You didn’t revive me just for practicing the royal power, did you? Given that we can’t resolve this situation straightforwardly, I’m guessing you want to concentrate on the blessing.”

“Heh… you’ve seen through my plan.”

“A brilliant strategy. The only one you have, and if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t think of any other way either. But will it succeed?”

“What if it doesn’t? After all, that’s your only value now.”

“That’s tragic.”

Mangnyang replied bitterly before turning to Zhuge Bu.

“Brother, do you firmly believe that the cycle we’re living in is continuous? The reason I, and Zhuge Sa, consistently harbor doubts about new comrades and speak of loyalty to Baek Woong is always for this reason. Regardless of our current intentions, the will of future generations may differ.”

“I get what you’re saying. Depending on whether it’s continuous or broken, it becomes crucial whether they can become our past-life comrades. It’s natural for you to be concerned by doubting me as a strategist with loyalty.”

Zhuge Bu responded calmly and continued, “However, I no longer think that continuity in the cycle is a good thing. Frankly, what you call ‘great ideals’ feels like an illusion to me, and I don’t really relate to it, but that doesn’t matter. I’ll simply choose the reality before me. No piece in this world is stronger than that of a past life.”

“I hate to hear that from you.”

“Heh, you must have known I’d be this way since childhood, right? And you know what I mean when I say ‘it doesn’t matter.’ It’s probably that you guys are imposing the role of savior on Baek Woong.”

“…….”

Mangnyang fell silent and merely sighed. I may not comprehend exactly what they were talking about, but I could sense Mangnyang’s visible discomfort toward Zhuge Bu. It felt more like a sense of unease than just simple revulsion.

Zhuge Bu turned to me.

“Baek Woong, now create infinite divine power.”

“With royal power?”

“Yes.”

Can I even do that?

I attempted to perceive the accumulated divine power within me while believing that it overflowed infinitely. Once the thought emerged, focusing my belief made it feel like I could accomplish something.

‘Whoa!’

However, after a brief moment, I felt dizzy and staggered.

“Ugh….”

No good.

Although I could expand the magnitude of my power to some extent, the moment I thought beyond that, an overwhelming fatigue enveloped me, and I collapsed, gasping. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman observed my struggle.

[Divine power is a transformation of the chaotic attributes originally borne by Jeon Wook, and as such, the essence of it is part of chaos, so imagining infinite divine power means embracing infinite chaos. Even if you wield royalty, such a thing won’t be permitted.]

“Is it because it’s divine power?”

[Even ancient rulers or foreign gods can’t possess infinite chaos. Only one being in this universe can do that….]

“Hmm.”

[Moreover, since just now, you lacked a being worthy of loyalty, focusing only on your own strengthening, your royal power’s constraints may have intensified.]

It’s powerful, but there’s a catch.

I understood the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s point and replied, “The reason royal power can easily trigger miracles is that kings and their subjects share the constraints.”

[Exactly. It’s because of the interaction.]

Now, I could grasp how to wield royal power and how it operated. While sorting out what I had just learned in my mind, Zhuge Bu spoke again.

“Heavenly Mysterious Woman, then it would be possible to seal the Seven Luminaries of the Celestial Dragon with royal power, wouldn’t it?”

[Of course, that’s possible.]

“So we needed to use royal power from the start to tackle this trial.”

[Yes. However, the royal power granted to you is finite. Once the total amount of cause and effect the king holds is exhausted, you can no longer perform miracles.]

So it was about using royal power strategically while strengthening allies when necessary to challenge the spirits of the Seven Luminaries—that’s what the trial was about. Because we hadn’t known the existence of royal power as a prerequisite from the beginning, we must have faced extreme difficulty.

Once the explanation of royal power concluded, Celestial Sage oddly displayed a sorrowful expression. I looked at him in confusion, and he shook his head.

“…No. It just reminds me of my old subordinates and friends.”

“…”

“I can’t summon them here.”

There seemed to be some backstory there.

Zhuge Bu chimed in, “Now, show me all the Seven Luminaries you possess. It’s about time to get started.”

“Is that really the only method?”

Cheon Gong-pyo interjected. All eyes turned to her as she seemed agitated, trembling visibly.

“…You want me to sacrifice everything to the past-lifers? In the end, isn’t it just me taking the loss?”

“She’s not wrong. Honestly, I wonder whether the life I have after this cycle and that future self can still be called ‘me.'”

Zhuge Bu subtly agreed with Cheon Gong-pyo’s words and continued, “But, even if it’s just a mental victory, have you considered what happens if you don’t possess the abilities of a past-lifer? I doubt it’s particularly appealing to watch an overwhelming future of despair unfold. In a normal situation, we’d be dying helplessly without any promise of the future.”

“…….”

“If I were you, I’d rather ask a past-lifer for help. If, in the future, you accept them as your ally, wouldn’t a few requests be reasonable? In that regard, Tang San’s smarter than you think.”

“Huh….”

I was slightly taken aback by Zhuge Bu’s unexpected comment. What on earth is this guy talking about?

Then Cheon Gong-pyo spoke with a somewhat resigned expression.

“Well then, fine. Past-lifer Baek Woong, please fulfill my request.”

“Ah, I didn’t say I’d agree….”

I wanted to argue, but then I fell silent. It dawned on me that Cheon Gong-pyo was once the Lord of the Divine Realm, comparable to Taishang Laojun or Primordial Heaven Master. To hear such a being suppress their pride to ask for help held significant weight. Refusing her now would create substantial obstacles in gathering other allies in the future.

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“The three great arts of the divine realm are the Corpse Dissolution Technique, the Spirit Summoning Technique, and lastly, Taiji Diagram.”

Cheon Gong-pyo seemed to hold back something but continued speaking.

“The one who defined these three great arts was my master, the later-day Taishang Laojun and Primordial Heaven Master. If they wanted me to counter the ancient rulers, these three arts are all they’d point towards. I used to think the Spirit Summoning Technique was the best, but knowing the reality of the Corpse Dissolution Technique has me convinced there’s a big secret behind the last art, the Taiji Diagram.”

“Hmm….”

“Now that I think about it, I was captured by the combined forces of Taishang Laojun and Primordial Heaven Master at the end of the Divine Realm war. They collaborated to subdue me, and even while using the Spirit Summoning Technique, I couldn’t handle the Taiji Diagram.”

“……!!”

“Furthermore, all techniques of the Corpse Dissolution didn’t work against me either.”

I was taken aback. I knew that Cheon Gong-pyo’s Spirit Summoning Technique had the capacity to tear apart low-tier ancient rulers. Plus, this was a fact that sharply contrasted what I believed, compelling me to ask for clarification.

“I’ve heard of the Taiji Diagram; it’s supposed to be some artifact, right?”

“No, it’s not an artifact but a technique.”

Cheon Gong-pyo declared with certainty and then glanced at the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman might know something about the Taiji Diagram.”

[I, too, don’t know what the Taiji Diagram is. Moreover, I’ve never heard of Taishang Laojun deploying it against anyone other than you.]

“Regardless, Baek Woong, what I want from you is to find the technique of the Taiji Diagram and bring it to me. With that technique in hand, I’ll become several times stronger.”

“…I’ll see.”

“If you bring back the Taiji Diagram, I promise to teach you the Spirit Summoning Technique.”

I found myself agreeing without thinking.

The three great arts of the divine realm, Taiji Diagram of Taishang Laojun!

According to the memory of Ji-seon Mang-nyang, the Taiji Diagram was remembered as a powerful artifact, but it seemed it was actually a technique. However, both the Lord of the Divine Realm and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman appeared to not grasp its true nature.

‘Perhaps I should consider reviving Taishang Laojun in the future…’

Having finished my thoughts, I gathered all the Seven Luminaries in one place. Then Zhuge Bu began muttering some incantation toward the liberated Seven Luminaries and glanced at Mangnyang.

“Are you ready?”

“Of course.”

“You handle the method. If it’s you, I can’t outright refuse. If you do refuse, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“…There’s no need to stain my hands.”

What in the world does that mean?

I looked at the two brothers in bewilderment, and soon enough, Mangnyang approached the liberated Seven Luminaries and spoke up.

“O great being! I, Mangnyang, humbly request. I offer all these liberated Seven Luminaries, surrendering all these souls and costs….”

Mangnyang knelt down, joining his hands as if pleading for a wish.

At his next words, I widened my eyes.

“I ask that you grant Baek Woong your great blessing!!”

Boom!!

In that moment, the interior of the Celestial Dragon resounded dramatically. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman appeared flustered.

[Even if the barrier of interference is removed, to think ‘that’ could shake the Celestial Dragon!]

A moment later, a heavy voice reverberated through the hall.

“Not enough.”

As that voice echoed, Zhuge Bu shot a glance at Celestial Sage and Cheon Gong-pyo. They seemed to have realized something from Zhuge Bu’s gaze. Slowly, they moved towards where Mangnyang stood.

Don’t tell me….

“I, too, must offer something.”

But as I saw Zhuge Bu walking beside Mangnyang, I understood my premonition had come true. Zhuge Bu’s words cut through my mind.

“What now? Summon Zhuge Sa or Seo Mun-hye too. Quickly. Summon anyone you can.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I can’t tell if you’re pretending to misunderstand or genuinely don’t get it.”

Zhuge Bu’s eyes sharpened.

“They say the offerings for the blessing of the sky need to be ample.”