779 ——————————–

Dark Heaven Village

A point of fate.

It was a warning received from Master Mangnyang in my 18th past life.

[ The Law of Cause and Effect has shifted dramatically, resulting in a singularity. I came to warn you about it.]

[ Within that cause and effect lies the existence of a singularity. And the cause affecting you has created this singularity.]

[ To put it simply, it’s a moment that bursts when touched. This is something that neither the Old Ruler nor anyone else can avoid. Not even the Creator of the Universe. If we were to express it in human terms, let’s just call this singularity ‘destiny.’]

[ I’ll just say one thing. Everything that is called a singularity belongs to the domain of the Law of Cause and Effect. You can think of it as a dot on a round circle.]

[ Even through eternity, there exists a reason, which results in the consequences. You might think that this destiny is sudden, but when you face it, you’ll undeniably and painfully realize it more clearly than anyone in this world.]

[ You will have to pay the price for the cause.]

[ The fortunate part is that this will come a long time in the future. So hang in there until then.]

I have not forgotten that day.

I can’t just brush aside a warning delivered by Master Mangnyang himself through a dream about the Law of Cause and Effect shaking. According to his explanation, I would someday face a nightmare-like destiny, the singularity that even the Old Ruler would want to avoid, though it is far in the future, it was something I couldn’t escape.

Maybe that’s why the strategists seemed oddly eager to end my previous life quickly. It wasn’t merely about memory capacity or the wear on my personality, but rather because the approaching singularity of fate might lead to misfortune. It would only make sense to hasten the end before trouble arrived.

However, I resolved to utilize that singularity of fate instead. Since it was going to happen eventually, I thought I could save my current companions by placing limitations on myself with a sword. Unsurprisingly, it seemed that the singularity of fate directly influenced the Law of Cause and Effect, as Master Mangnyang appeared to accept it willingly.

” ……”

What could the misfortune of the singularity be?

Whether it pertains to a specific character, event, or luck, I have no idea. I can’t even comprehend what type of misfortune would make Master Mangnyang warn me. Perhaps as he said, I would eventually end up regretting it.

But for now, at least, I do not regret it.

Because this is my royal way.

No matter how voluntary it may be, I can never commit human sacrifice.

I will walk the path of keeping my beliefs, even at the cost of my own future!

Boom!

When I returned from my dream to reality, I noticed the people around me watching me. I slowly glanced at them and said.

“I have received the Blessing of the Sky.”

At that moment, Mangnyang turned his head sharply to me. He looked at me, clearly shocked, then stood up and said.

“… What did you sacrifice in exchange?”

“I sacrificed the singularity of fate.”

“Ugh!!”

Mangnyang made a sorrowful expression. Not just him, Zhuge Sa looked momentarily dumbfounded, and even Zhuge Bu’s previously expressionless face quickly twitched in surprise. Then Zhuge Bu spat out.

“Seriously, what a mess. Can’t you just accept whatever is given? You really are the worst kind of lord who only chooses the most tragic paths.”

“I agree. Hehe.”

Even Zhuge Sa seemed to agree with Zhuge Bu’s words.

“There were so many things to accomplish in my next life, but my first action has now been predetermined.”

” ……”

From their reactions, I realized how significant a price I had paid, but once I made my choice, I decided not to regret it. When my expression remained firm, Zhuge Sa spoke.

“Still, it’s a huge relief. At least you’re a fool with beliefs.”

“What happens to a fool without beliefs?”

“I have no time to reply to such a ridiculous question.”

Zhuge Sa sharply retorted and continued.

“If you’ve obtained the Blessing of the Sky, then you’ve done all that you can do. Baek Woong, you must send us back in the name of the king. No one else matters.”

“Send us back? Is that even possible?”

“This place maximizes the fluctuations of cognition and cause, so it should be feasible.”

I looked around once, and they all wore complex expressions. It might be a little absurd to think that I, the only one relying solely on the blessing, would be fighting solo at this late stage. As I turned my gaze back to Zhuge Sa, he said.

“Weren’t you initially willing to endure the singularity’s enhancement to save those present here? What’s so hard to grasp when just standing around will lead to death?”

“Is disappearing here not considered dying?”

“You just need to win and call us back. Why ponder whether to die standing still? When we come back, it’ll feel like we just fainted and woke up.”

“Alright.”

“You don’t even need to leave Zhuge Bu because of the Great Destruction. The Blessing of the Sky is an ability that makes such power irrelevant.”

“Hmm.”

I eagerly wished for them to vanish with the king’s power.

Swoosh!

Soon, I sensed a messenger seeking consent from each of them as I realized they had choices to make. A king can retreat his subjects, but there must be their consent for that. Moments later, my companions slowly began to vanish one by one.

Whoosh!

Everyone left, except for Celestial Sage and Cheon Gong-pyo. I was surprised to see they hadn’t accepted it, but Celestial Sage said.

“Even when I die, I want to see how my power holds against the Primordial Dragon Emperor. I want to know if my power has any effect at all.”

“You might die tragically.”

“I’m prepared for that.”

He seemed genuinely cheerful, as if he had resolved himself like the strongest overlay.

As I turned my gaze to Cheon Gong-pyo, she appeared somewhat lost in thought compared to before. Then she spoke.

“… I have one last technique I wish to test.”

“What technique is it?”

” ……”

She didn’t reply. Given that it would be difficult to pry out what she didn’t want to say, I turned my attention to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.

“Heavenly Mysterious Woman! All preparations have been completed. Please continue the trials.”

[Understood.]

Heavenly Mysterious Woman gave a somewhat melancholic smile for some reason.

[I hope you are able to draw out the true heart of the Emperor… ]

Boom!

In the next moment, the three of us were transported outside the Constellation Dragon. Unlike inside Kai’s eyes, the world was enveloped in a warm orange hue. Looking up into the sky from within the tumultuous Sea of Chaos, an immense presence was felt.

Twilight Dragon.

The power of the sun filled the entire sky, and this massive entity, which made the Constellation of the Seven Luminaries its core, was gazing down at us as if observing.

And that would indeed be Shenglong merged with the power of Heavenly Mysterious Woman manifesting itself in this world.

Crash!

” ……”

What a massive being.

It wasn’t larger than the essence of Fuxi I had seen in outer space before, but it bore an absurd pressure and presence of its own. It instilled an overwhelming sense of cosmic dread, suggesting that in the presence of such a being, humanity was far less than mere dust. At the same time, the weight of its presence was tenfold compared to the first appearance of the Sun’s Guardian.

Zooming in…

‘ That Constellation of the Seven Luminaries… it grants infinite power.’

Looking from below made it very clear. The power of the Seven Luminaries filled the universe with an overwhelming force that couldn’t even be measured in earthly terms. Even with my Great Destruction amplified to its peak, it felt insignificant next to that power. I regretted not destroying at least half of the core of the Seven Luminaries before going into the trials.

I could hear the Constellation Dragon conveying its will to us.

[ Reckless challengers, we pay our respects to your courage and perseverance.]

” ……”

[ You have amassed this much strength as mortals in the cruel land ruled by the primordial nightmare… ]

Shenglong murmured with awe before declaring.

[ I shall become your final dream.]

Roar!

Shenglong momentarily writhed as it began to move. Then the Constellation of the Seven Luminaries trembled as a spherical object seemed to form in its mouth. Realizing instantly what that was, I thought.

‘ The Wish-Granting Pearl!’

A powerful treasure and source of techniques possessed by entities called dragons! Since Shenglong was a dragon by combining with Heavenly Mysterious Woman, he seemed intent on conjuring the Wish-Granting Pearl to fight. Of course, if we let that fully manifest, we’d have to face the breath of a dragon with all the powers of the Seven Luminaries concentrated in it, so we needed to stop that Wish-Granting Pearl.

Tydat!!

The first to charge in was Celestial Sage. He seemed determined to give it a shot even without the Seven Luminaries at his side, using the greatest clone technique of his life, charging forward with the intent of burning his very soul. His Fire Eye Golden Spirit blazed forth as he concentrated the Monster King’s energy into one punch.

Boom!!

However, Celestial Sage’s clone assault was blocked by an invisible wall hanging in the air. He fell back, perhaps due to a lack of power, with one arm charred black. The words of Shenglong then echoed throughout the hall.

[ Gather the Six Extremes and the Five Constants.]

I didn’t even have the time to think about its meaning.

Crackle!

That was the end for Celestial Sage. I thought I saw a flash of lightning sparking around him, and in an instant, he ceased to exist.

” ……!!”

No matter how much of a disadvantage we were at, to obliterate Celestial Sage in a single utterance?! None of the spirits from the Seven Luminaries possessed such power! While I was shuddering at the overwhelming might of that ability, Cheon Gong-pyo began to intone a spell.

[ Reclaim!]

Swish!

At that moment, Cheon Gong-pyo’s sword form vanished, while one of Shenglong’s eyes glimmered with a dark light.

‘ That guy, has he just regained control over the cosmic integrity?’

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Cheon Gong-pyo began to pull out all the treasures she had, launching a brilliant light. While she gnawed at the skin of her palm, Cheon Gong-pyo exclaimed madly.

[ Hahaha!! If your eyes burst, not even you, Shenglong, can handle it!]

Boom!

The next moment, an incredible explosion occurred, and together with the cosmic integrity, Cheon Gong-pyo perished. It seemed she had accumulated all her techniques and powers into a self-destruction alongside the cosmic integrity! It looked like she calculated that destroying the eyes would inflict significant harm on Shenglong.

Thud…

The shockwave of destruction briefly rocked Shenglong’s body.

Did it succeed?

I turned to see if Cheon Gong-pyo’s last self-destruct attack had worked, but Shenglong’s displeased voice soon echoed in the hall.

[ Challengers, you bring shame upon me. All that is mere trickery!]

Swish, swish, swish…

[ I do not normally recover in this way, but how audacious of you. I shall recover at the same rate as your tricks.]

A moment later, I witnessed Shenglong’s destroyed eye sockets regenerating as if time were reversing. Soon, Shenglong not only returned to full form but so did the cosmic integrity and Nahoo as well. Even the Golden Crow that Cheon Gong-pyo had smashed in advance was restored!

” ……!!”

What on earth is that?!

Regardless of immense power, can you really restore the planets?!

‘ I can’t win.’

I instinctively knew that even with our Six Needs, we couldn’t win against an opponent like this. I had already known, but actually witnessing that power shook me with shock and terror. It dawned on me that even if I summoned an existence of the caliber of the Old Ruler as a final struggle, it would be ineffective against this first true opponent.

The entire solar system of the Seven Luminaries, starting with the Sun, was like the enemy itself.

” ……”

I stared at the Fire Dragon Sword in my hand. The only things left to me were the Fire Dragon Sword and this body, but even with the Blessing of the Sky, could I gain the upper hand against such a being? No, winning was out of the question; could I withstand even a single attack? The difference in power felt as vivid as that between an ant and an elephant, and I slowly began to sense the presence of death.

At that moment, the Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke to me.

[ You cannot possibly win like this. Depending on how you use the Blessing of the Sky, this fight will change dramatically.]

” Do you know how to use it?”

[ It rests entirely on your determination. It is an unknown realm even for a maiden.]

Although it was a vague answer, I knew it was not time to whine. This was a time for action, be it life or death. I took a deep breath and leaped towards Shenglong.

” Hyahhh!!”

Absolutely impossible.

Even if I gathered all my internal power and charged in with the momentum of the Unity of Body and Sword along with the Fire Dragon Sword, the chance of success was slim to none. But in this situation, I had nothing else to do but charge in.

‘ What am I doing…’

Is this how I die?

I had the thought that I would vanish without a trace like Celestial Sage and meet my 24th death. As I passed through that brief moment feeling like an eternity lingering in my perception…

Whoosh.

” Huh?”

I suddenly realized I had plunged my sword into the Golden Crow without knowing how I got there. I didn’t even know when I’d arrived, but somehow I had stuck the Fire Dragon Sword right into its surface. It was at that moment I pulled the Fire Dragon Sword out.

Boom!!

Then the Golden Crow exploded instantly.

I was thrown back by the explosion, yet to my surprise, my body showed no signs of a single wound. No way. In such close proximity to a stellar explosion, I should have been reduced to a gory mess, right?

‘ What’s happening?’

Something felt amiss.

I hadn’t even meant to attack the Golden Crow, yet somehow I had, and why it exploded from just that slash eluded me, as did my unscathed survival in the explosion. As absurd situations unfolded in succession…

Swish, swish, swish…

I suddenly felt an immense number of branches extending before me, seemingly infinite in number. Those branches, made of light, appeared to stretch to the very ends of the universe, and just being able to see them was bewildering.

‘ Could this be…?’

As I pondered this in my mind, the Wish-Granting Pearl of Shenglong was completed. As soon as it was finished, Shenglong turned its gaze toward me and unleashed its breath.

Roar!

There was no way to block or evade the breath that seemed capable of annihilating the world. I had no way to escape death with my power. Yet at that moment, one of the white-hot branches connected to my Fire Dragon Sword, shining with golden light, extending straight to the ends of the universe.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, which had resided within my sword, exerted its divine power, facing the breath of Shenglong head-on. The Fire Dragon Incarnate seemed to easily withstand the breath, then returned to my Fire Dragon Sword as the breath ceased.

I couldn’t believe it and shouted.

” No way!!”

No matter how much the Fire Dragon Incarnate was a manifestation of Shenglong, this couldn’t be happening. Considering the immense power difference, even with the same type of divine power, it shouldn’t be able to counter the breath of the Seven Luminaries. It was a scenario more unlikely than smashing a rock with an egg, a billion times over.

The impossible was unfolding right before my eyes.

Then the Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke to me.

[ The Blessing of the Sky is activating. But this is such a potent blessing that I can’t tell how long it will last, so use each action wisely, my maiden.]

” What exactly is the Blessing of the Sky?”

[ The blessing adapts to your convenience, but from what I see, it’s about reversing probabilities.]

” ……?”

[ This ability might just be a part of the Blessing of the Sky… but when combined with the power of a king, there lies a chance of victory.]

As the Fire Dragon Incarnate continued, my eyes widened.

[ If we consider the complete probability as 100, when the probability converges towards zero, it flips that probability to manifest reality. Thus, the more unlikely your actions are, the greater the chance for them to succeed perfectly.]