839——————==

True Martial Home

I stared at the Zhuge Clan with a vacant gaze.

‘I know he’s going to say it’s impossible, so why even ask?’

I promised myself I would never use the sacrifice of my allies as a stepping stone for easy achievement. I also decided I wouldn’t ever accept human sacrifice. That’s why I held onto my beliefs tightly, even at the expense of the singularity. So, why would Zhuge Sha, who knew me better than anyone, ask such an obvious question?

Then, Zhuge Sha spoke.

“You look like you’re asking why I’m bothering, even though you already know I’m going to say it’s impossible.”

“…Mind reader?”

“No way. Just by looking at your face, it’s clear as day.”

Zhuge Sha continued his tirade.

“Yeah, this situation has always repeated itself. I want you to abandon your humanity, but you insist on clinging to it… It’s tiresome, but I have to ask every time. The efficiency differs so drastically. By the third playthrough, you’ll have accumulated enough experience to wipe out even the Demon King, yet you still cling to your morals. What kind of mess is that? If you don’t consider the efficiency, you can’t call yourself a strategist.”

“Zhuge Sha. But….”

“Right, I know. I could’ve pressured you into giving up your humanity sooner, but I didn’t push you too much. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because maybe becoming strong with the absolute highest efficiency in the shortest time isn’t the answer. That thought solidified when I saw the memory of the throne.”

“……”

“I started to think that Hyun’s way might be right.”

With a pitter-patter, Zhuge Sha walked aimlessly, his hands behind his back, seeming to organize his thoughts. A moment later, he spoke.

“Baek Woong. Then promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“No matter who I kill in this lifetime, you won’t stop me…”

“……”

“Instead, I’ll minimize human sacrifices as much as possible. And I won’t force you down the Demon Path.”

I felt a chill. It sounded like a simple release of constraints, but for some reason, the weight of those words felt heavier. I thought about it deeply and suddenly noticed Zhuge Sha’s gaze.

It was heavy.

I realized that Zhuge Sha was carrying a burden beyond what I could imagine. At this moment, with no companions to help him, he was facing the worst crisis in history—the singularity—counting solely on me, a reborn person, to assist him. No matter how crazy Zhuge Sha was as a Demon Sorcerer, I couldn’t fathom how immense that burden was. After all, he was my only ally willing to risk his life to help me.

Not being able to turn a blind eye to Zhuge Sha’s burden, I reluctantly nodded.

“…Got it.”

“Good. Then let’s move now. First, rescue Seo Mun-hye, and then seek Master Mangnyang.”

“Master Mangnyang?”

“Yeah. We need to go to him first.”

Zhuge Sha proclaimed his strategy. I memorized every word he said and immediately began to take action.

Pa-at!

I stormed the Pirate Island where Seo Mun-hye was trapped, smashing everything in sight just like before, taking down pirates and collecting treasures. I then delivered Seo Mun-hye and the prisoners to the Sword Demon but didn’t meet with him this time; instead, I pretended to wait for a conversation in the Great Hall and then escaped with a bang.

‘Sword Demon, it seems our paths are fated to part this life…’

I mumbled bitterly and then headed for the Longmen Grottoes to obtain the treasures of the Fire Spirit Techniques. I also brought along the statue of Jeon Wook, established a barrier to prevent any spirit energy from leaking, and absorbed all his Spirit Power. This time, I wouldn’t make a mistake. Then I set my sights on Mount Ye. The reason for heading to Mount Ye was that it contained the Transformation Metal Divine Blood, the key ingredient for creating the Portrait Immortal. I knew that the Divine Blood was buried deep underground, but I had a method.

Whooooosh

True Martial Seven Cuts Classic

Echo Resonance

As I trained in the Peerless Technique, the achievements of the other Seven Great Techniques rose naturally to a new level. Thanks to that, even without primarily focusing on the True Martial Seven Cuts Classic, my abilities reached the mastery stage. Initially, I used the essence of Echo Resonance just to confirm the form through resonance, but now that I had mastered it, I could pierce the earth like a drill.

Kuguuuuu!!

The overlapping waves sharpened to the tip of a drill, and after a moment, intangible waves surged simultaneously, creating holes in the ground. So precisely was the drilling done that even after creating about twenty holes in the floor and walls, the mountain didn’t budge an inch. I already knew the location from where the miners had dug, so I could easily find the vein of Divine Blood.

After digging out about three large chunks of Divine Blood, I peeped inside.

There’s still something to obtain here….

‘Hmm, time is tight.’

A little time had passed since acquiring the Divine Blood, and if I didn’t quickly process the ritual, another catastrophe would strike. But now that I was at Mount Ye, I wanted to gather as much information as I could that I hadn’t attained before, so I decided to take a risk.

I focused on leading the Echo Resonance, putting forth maximum effort. At that moment, I combined it with the techniques of the Thunder God Lineage to maximize my destructive power.

Echo Resonance

Peak State

Void Wave Thunder Blossom

Boom! Boom!

Then the blossoms of lightning spun around as they continuously pierced into the ground. Unlike the simple Echo Resonance I used before, this time it burrowed through the earth like a giant earthworm, unyielding and rapid. I began to excavate the mountain from within while continuously releasing Void Wave Thunder Blossoms. Meanwhile, I heightened my Qi Sense to check for any suspicious energy.

‘…There it is!’

In that moment, I halted the deployment of Void Wave Thunder Blossom and used the Fire Eye Golden Spirit to see through the earth. The Fire Eye Golden Spirit had limited distance in this deep mountain, so I had to get as close to the target as possible. Then I realized there was a deep ruin to the lower left.

Kugung…

I pushed open the enormous iron door of the Tomb of Wei Yongzheng and stepped inside the ruin. I had been to this place once before, so normally, I could have just blasted through it with a bang, but there was a strange barrier set up here, adding risk, so I intentionally chose to break through physically.

‘Since it’s a location imbued with his magical power…’

There was a chance that the coordinates for spatial movement of the Demon Artifact might get tangled. The iron door from earlier had been sealed with magical power.

Mumbling to myself, I ventured deeper into the ruins. Eventually, I discovered a peculiar circular structure embedded into the upper walls of the Tomb of Wei Yongzheng. I also noticed a human figure seemingly fused with that structure. I stared at it for a moment before speaking.

“Lü Buwei, I know the Demon Grimoire of the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn has a method to find the real antidote that Li Si left behind in the ancient capital of the One Dynasty.”

He flinched!

At my words, Lü Buwei, who had been in agony, suddenly opened his eyes wide in shock.

“You… Who are you…? No… If you know… Quickly shatter the treasure above! Then I’ll tell you everything I know…”

“The reason to shatter the treasure is to break the curse of immortality and die comfortably, right?”

“Y-Yes… Who are you…?”

Facing Lü Buwei, I replied.

“Sorry, but if you shatter the treasure, you’ll be completely consumed by that object and die in even greater pain. The Yongzheng has played tricks on this ruin.”

“Huff… Is that really true…?”

“That’s right.”

“…Even if that’s true… Smash it… I’ve suffered for too long…”

Lü Buwei’s head drooped as I coldly said.

“Sorry, but that won’t happen. I have some questions I need to ask you.”

“You seem to know everything about the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn… So what exactly do you want to know…”

“The context of how you ended up trapped here, and what specific conspiracy Qin Shi Huang crafted before his death.”

“…If I tell you that… you will really… kill me…?”

“Yes. It must be hard to speak due to the pain, so I’ll help you a bit.”

I approached Lü Buwei and pressed on an acupoint to alleviate his pain. Then, using his mouth, I inserted a solitary bug I borrowed from Zhuge Sha. As Lü Buwei swallowed the bug, it began to release toxic substances inside his body, alleviating his pain. Lü Buwei was taken aback.

“Ugh!! How could this happen…?”

“Sorry, but the soothing effect of the bug won’t last long. At most an hour, so you better answer my questions accurately before then.”

“I will. But who are you exactly?”

“I can’t answer that.”

“Why not?”

“This is a place where the magical power of Emperor Yongzheng reaches. Any information you provide might be intercepted by him.”

“…I understand. You seem to be a divine being after all.”

Lü Buwei took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

“The reason I’m trapped here is that the Yongzheng wanted to give me thousands of years of suffering instead of killing me.”

“Is that so? Do you know what conspiracy he crafted?”

“The soldiers embedded here at the burial mound are all actual common people. They were buried alive to be summoned as the subordinates of Emperor Yongzheng in the Trial of the Seven Luminaries. And while enjoying that scene, he started to infuse his soul into the Divine Blood of Mount Ye, waiting for that fateful day. He seemed sure that the Seven Luminaries would one day gather.”

As expected…

The information Lü Buwei held mirrored everything I’d already experienced and verified firsthand. Although it was nothing new, I pondered deeply and said.

“Lü Buwei, tell me the true power of the Demon Grimoire of the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn.”

“Hmm… If you’re going to tell me that, I would stand to lose too much. Could you at least free me from this curse and grant me a new life?”

“…What? Do you still have the will to live after coming to this point?”

I asked in disbelief as Lü Buwei nodded.

“Until just now, I had given up because there was no option, but it seems your capabilities might allow you to return me to my flesh. If you give me a new life, I will pledge my entire soul to serve you.”

“You’re quite something…”

After suffering through torture for over two thousand years, he’s suddenly willing to live again upon finding hope? Truly, he was a hero who once ruled over the continent during the Warring States period, seizing the power of a great empire.

I told Lü Buwei.

“I don’t have a method right now. Instead, I’ll ask my ally to let you free.”

“Then I’ll trust that promise.”

Lü Buwei continued.

“Every character represents a thousand gold, the eight directions are observed… A Demon Grimoire that’s not merely a Grimoire… Describes the method of becoming a true God.”

“I see. So simply put, it means a living Grimoire?”

“Exactly. It aims to artificially create a supreme-level Grimoire, concentrating magical power within it to be reborn as a divine being.”

I now clearly understood what the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn meant, a supreme Grimoire crafted with the technological prowess and demon knowledge of the ancient Qin Empire!

A being of will in itself!

I said to Lü Buwei.

“You left behind the antidote and clues with Li Si, the minister of the Qin Empire. Wasn’t it a waste for him to get the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn?”

“Li Si wasn’t a person pursuing immortality. He was a highly principled man, living solely for his ideals. Knowing that he’s so virtuous, I thought it safe to leave it in his hands.”

“But you know the exact location of the true version hidden. No need to fuss about tracking down Li Si’s descendants.”

After a while, Lü Buwei revealed to me the location of the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn hidden in the capital of the One Dynasty. After learning that, I inserted another solitary bug into Lü Buwei’s mouth.

“Since you ate one more of these, you should be able to endure the pain for about a month now.”

For an ordinary human, the residual ingredients would likely lead them to madness, but considering Lü Buwei’s immense pain, he was likely to feel a balance.

Pa-at!

Having firmly understood the location of the Lü Clan’s Spring and Autumn, I didn’t rush to find it just yet but instead headed for the village of Master Mangnyang. There, I hid the Heavenly Secret beforehand and ventured into the village, where I soon confronted Cheon Woo-jin.

As soon as I saw Cheon Woo-jin, I announced.

“I’ve come to see Master Mangnyang!”

“Your Master is not someone you can just see whenever you wish.”

Cheon Woo-jin looked very displeased. I grinned at his words and replied.

“I’ve come to present an offering!”

“…What?”

“And, along the way, I’ll also offer the wealth that has been liberated to the world.”

“…….”

Cheon Woo-jin’s expression blanked for a moment, only to soon change as if he were mentally conversing with Master Mangnyang. He remained silent for a while before saying.

“Your Master calls for you.”

The moment those words were spoken, a wave of drowsiness washed over me, and I fell asleep.

It was a familiar forest path.

I saw Master Mangnyang sitting in the middle of the road opposite me in the form of a cat. He gazed at me and said.

[You’ve come from the heart of colossal fate.]

“…Does he know even that?”

I could hardly contain my surprise.

Could it be that Master Mangnyang figured out I had just returned from the throne?

Surprised, I heard Master Mangnyang say.

[You face the fate of destruction, yet do not despair. Even when there’s no hope, you do not give up?]

“Yes! I won’t give up!”

[…….]

Master Mangnyang swayed his tail and said.

[I’ll accept the offerings of wealth and ritual. Do you have any wishes?]

“Of course.”

I shouted towards Master Mangnyang.

“Purify my memories and the accumulated Darkness that’s scarred my soul! You can do this, right?”

Long ago, in the early stages of my previous life, Master Mangnyang had removed the Darkness that clung to me. So, there was a high chance that he could purify it again! Zhuge Sha had suggested that I just fully offer both wealth and ritual to Master Mangnyang. After all, this life is not one where I could, nor needed to, do anything with the Divine Treasure, nor was obtaining the blessing of the Great Immortal necessary.

Then Master Mangnyang walked up and sniffed my feet. Then he spoke.

[In your potential state of despair, removing the Darkness would be meaningless. It won’t be long before it blooms again like a lotus.]

“Despair, you say?”

[Your expressed will might seem distant from despair, but your unconscious mind feels its confines. If there’s no hope to break through the current situation, recovery would be impossible.]

It was almost the same as what Zhuge Sha said.

Was receiving help from Master Mangnyang also out of reach?

I felt despondent, but then grit my teeth and said.

“…Then, teach me how to put the mask of the Three Sovereigns’ Fuxi back on him and restore him to his right mind!!”

[You wish for that information…?]

“Yes!”

[The offering of wealth and ritual should suffice for that info. I’ll tell you.]

A moment passed before Master Mangnyang opened his mouth.

[The one holding his mask is Nüwa, as they’re twins. You’ll probably have to get the mask from her. Once you’ve obtained Fuxi’s mask from Nüwa and offered another Seven Luminaries, I will place the mask upon him.]

As soon as those words ended, I woke up.

“……”

I was left dazed by the sudden difficulty of the task.

I have to obtain Fuxi’s mask from Nüwa?!