885——————==

True Martial Home

The Queen Mother of the West had transformed into that fierce beast form again. With wild hair bristling, she emanated a menacing aura, resembling a monster with a leopard’s tail. Half-human, half-beast, her terrifying appearance could send chills down anyone’s spine at just a glance.

‘She’s already roared towards the west three times.’

The battle between the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Queen Mother of the West had dragged on for quite a while. The celestial palace that once belonged to the Queen Mother was nowhere to be found, reduced to utter ruins. Opposite her, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman was countering with the Corpse Dissolution Technique, surrounded by dozens of white barriers floating in the air like spheres.

Kraaa—

As the Queen Mother roared once more, a dark portal suddenly opened in mid-air, and a meteor shot out from within, hurtling toward the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. If it collided with the ground, it would certainly wreak havoc, but with a simple flick of her hand, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman effortlessly obliterated the massive meteor.

[Now’s the time!! Keep her in check.]

With a commanding shout, Jang Gwa-ro, part of the Eight Immortals, called out, leading the floating Immortals to attack the Queen Mother. They utilized their various techniques to bind or assault her, and the Queen Mother stumbled, her movements slowing down under the relentless onslaught.

Then, Yeodong-bin sprang to the forefront, swinging his sword with all his might, pouring his life’s strength into that single strike.

Heart Intent Six Harmonies

Formless Sword

Gguk-gung

The power of the Formless Sword grazed the Queen Mother’s throat, but she merely shook her head, as if only mildly irritated, and retreated without a scream or a drop of blood.

It was a mere skirmish, yet the moment I witnessed it, a shiver cascaded down my spine.

‘C-Crazy!! Even after being hit by the Formless Sword of Yeodong-bin, she acts as if it was just a toothpick poking her…!!’

It was frightening.

Even the Sea God seemed shaken after a hit from the Formless Sword, so how could she have such a lackluster reaction? The Formless Sword was a lethal technique capable of dispatching formidable opponents, be they marauding demons or apostles. The mere thought of her shrugging it off was unfathomable.

Furthermore, with the Heavenly Mysterious Woman currently assisting with the Corpse Dissolution Technique and the Eight Immortals collaborating, the sword’s power should have been exponentially amplified. It was utterly preposterous.

Is that the true power of Nüwa’s avatar and hypostasis, the Queen Mother of the West?!

‘So this is the power of the true [Old Ruler]…’

The Queen Mother had previously towered arrogantly over other [Old Rulers], never once bowing to them. This was possible precisely because Nüwa, her true self, was a being of unmatched caliber compared to typical [Old Rulers].

At that moment, the Queen Mother gazed upon our party, laughing darkly.

[Hoo-hoo… here come the pups again, thinking they can eliminate me… Hmm…?]

Her ferocious gaze suddenly landed on the Nine-Tailed Fox, Miho. Then, as if bewitched, she fell silent, staring intently at Miho. The golden light emanating from Miho, transformed into a massive fox, met her gaze, enveloping the battlefield in an eerie silence.

A moment later, the Queen Mother erupted in fury.

[How dare you…!! You audaciously mythologized part of me… my precious fragment of soul on your whim…!! What fool dared to tamper with my might?!]

Kooohhh

As the Queen Mother roared, the Immortals hesitated and stepped back, even the Heavenly Mysterious Woman seemed to shrink back. It was unmistakably evident who the strongest being in this place was. Then Miho narrowed her eyes at the Queen Mother and said,

[I am me and not a piece of you. Perhaps that was true in the past, but it is no longer.]

[That’s not the case. Just because an arm is severed doesn’t mean it ceases to be your arm? You and I were originally one, and your soul belongs to me.]

[So ultimately, what were you trying to achieve? Were you hoping to use me as a backup soul when you grew weaker over time?]

[……]

[I refuse you. You are not the master of my fate.]

At that, the Queen Mother slowly pulled a hairpin from her disheveled hair. Crushing it with her fingers, she declared,

[Well then, it works out nicely. I’ll just fatten you up before devouring you.]

Revealing her true nature, huh?

[Try if you can.]

Malice flickered in Miho’s eyes, and we assumed battle stances to challenge the Queen Mother. Even with just our current forces, we were immensely powerful, yet the Queen Mother was a true monster; there was no guarantee we could defeat her even together, causing palpable tension.

‘The Queen Mother is a special hypostasis capable of drawing all the power of Nüwa. In other words…’

While she may not be entirely equal to Nüwa herself, she could still elevate her power to at least 80%. It was akin to facing the true form of an [Old Ruler]. I had rarely encountered such a formidable opponent, but as I recalled the trials of the Seven Luminaries, a quiet resolve filled my mind.

Right—didn’t those monsters I faced back then at least measure up to something like the Queen Mother?

We had somehow managed to push on back then, so surely we could do the same this time.

That was when it happened.

[Hahaha. The Queen Mother of the world doesn’t seem to grasp what’s going on here.]

From the far heavens, giant beings began to appear one by one. There were six in total, and I recognized all of them. The Queen Mother seemed to as well, for as she laid eyes on those hovering figures, she said,

[The Eight Parts of the Divine. You must really be craving death. You should have kept hiding instead of doing this!]

At that moment, the hypostasis of the Eight Parts of the Divine, Gin Nara, chuckled.

[Hahaha!! I suspected there’d be another hypostasis of the Three Sovereigns somewhere in the Celestial Realm, which is why I didn’t dare to disturb it for a long time. But now I’ve heard it’s been obliterated; do you really think you can handle me alone?]

[… Where did you hear that information?]

[Why would I have any reason to tell you?]

Ssssss

As Gin Nara answered leisurely, the main bodies of the Eight Parts of the Divine began to surround the Queen Mother. Gin Nara approached the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and said,

[Didn’t they say the enemy’s enemy is an ally? Shall we join hands for a moment?]

[……]

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman fell silent before responding.

[If you harm the Celestial Realm in the future, I will exclude you as well.]

[You must do that…]

In an instant, the six members of the Eight Parts of the Divine had surrounded the Queen Mother, while facing her were the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and the Eight Immortals, and as we circled them, we prepared for a complete assault. At this point, I felt a growing belief that even the Queen Mother could be overthrown.

‘Oh, but where’s Asura?’

The Eight Parts of the Divine had gathered, yet Asura seemed to be missing. Just as I pondered this, the Queen Mother suddenly called out to us with a gleam in her eye.

[Beforе we fight, I have a question.]

She gazed intently at us.

[Who was it that involved Pangu, the pillar of order in this world’s Law of Cause and Effect? I know one of you must have!]

It seemed she had already guessed that we had involved Pangu, just like Nüwa would. Oddly enough, the first to react to the Queen Mother’s words was none other than Gin Nara, who stiffened and said,

[Queen Mother, what do you mean? What do you mean Pangu got involved?]

The Queen Mother laughed derisively as she looked at Gin Nara.

[You clueless pups. In the end, you’re just being swept away as well. Can’t you see? Keep your mouths shut if you don’t know anything!]

[……!!]

[Again, I ask: who is the one who brought Pangu into this?! If you refuse to answer, you won’t die easily!]

Thinking back, there was absolutely no reason for us to answer the Queen Mother’s question. There was nothing to gain from responding. However, the sheer power and authority in her voice compelled one to feel as though they had to respond. Just as everyone seemed hesitant, a voice rang out.

“It was me.”

[Who are you?]

“I am Mangnyang.”

Mangnyang stepped forward without a hint of fear, his expression calm even standing before the Queen Mother, radiating her overwhelming power.

‘How can he be so composed?’

Even I, who had attained significant strength, found it daunting to stand against the Queen Mother’s raging might. Yet Mangnyang appeared unaffected, as if he were simply out for a stroll.

With a firm tone, he continued.

“I am the one who intertwined him into the fabric of this world.”

The Queen Mother’s piercing gaze bore into Mangnyang. Then she replied,

[Oh, I see… it makes sense now. You have the right to speak with me.]

“I am honored.”

[Why did you involve Pangu?]

“This world is one where chaos overwhelms order. Is it a mistake to attempt balancing the world by restoring the source of order? You should rejoice, for your own origin is also Pangu.”

The Queen Mother laughed.

[Hoo-hoo… Do you think Pangu, the pillar of order, is an absolute force opposing chaos? He is but the birth of the universe, the prologue, merely phenomena. He embodies neither good nor evil. Order is not goodness nor agreement.]

“You are quite knowledgeable. I am equally aware of that. Order and chaos are the greatest attributes of the world and cannot be reduced to the petty morality of mere mortals.”

[Knowing this, why did you act?]

“Should I just sit back and watch the end unfold? For the true balance of this world and to delay the end, I chose this means.”

[……]

“Feel free to hate me.”

In that moment, I understood why Mangnyang had stepped forward on my behalf.

He possessed the ability to engage logically with the Queen Mother, and even if things went awry, he was willing to take on her fury in my stead. Reading his intent, gratitude surged within me.

‘Mangnyang… thank you…!!’

The Queen Mother fell silent for a moment at Mangnyang’s retort, then finally spoke.

[However, there are things that only I, once a fragment of Pangu, know that you mere mortals do not.]

A jolt ran through me.

“What do you mean…?”

Mangnyang couldn’t hide his surprise at her unexpected words. He sensed that her statement wasn’t mere boasting or a lie. The Queen Mother savored his reaction and continued.

[Nüwa and I lay dormant within Pangu long before time began. We could sense the singularity inherent in all great beings. Pangu created the world while simultaneously dying within, an attempt to evade his own singularity by retreating into phenomena…]

“What are you saying?”

[Do you understand what that singularity is…? If you can answer that, I may truly cooperate with you.]

“……”

As Mangnyang fell silent, the Queen Mother seemed disappointed.

[… I see you didn’t comprehend. I expected the one who appeared to be clever to grasp it, but perhaps that was too much to hope for.]

“……”

The Queen Mother snickered and mocked,

[You can only see what’s beneath your feet. You, small beings, cannot comprehend the will of the great order! Here, the farce of your dullness will come to an end!!]

Kuuuuhhh!!

In that instant, the Queen Mother opened her mouth, and a brilliant light suddenly erupted from it, piercing through the skies. It wasn’t directed at us, so no one tried to evade it, but in that moment, the Eight Parts of the Divine rushed toward the Queen Mother in unison.

Kraaaaaaaang

The overwhelming might infused in the Eight Parts of the Divine’s attacks aimed to tear the Queen Mother apart, but initially, she appeared somewhat pained before summoning a translucent protective barrier around her. This barrier gradually grew stronger, and once more, the Queen Mother unleashed a sound that humans could not comprehend—divine sound!

At the moment that roar reverberated, one of the Eight Parts of the Divine, Mahuraga, let out a shredded scream.

[Kraaaaack!!]

[Mahuraga!]

[S-Save me…]

Splat

Mahuraga’s body exploded in a horrific fashion, resulting in his immediate obliteration. The Queen Mother, witnessing this, grinned with delight and wagged her tail.

[Ahahahahaha!]

In an instant, one of the Eight Parts of the Divine fell to her hand!

In fact, it seemed that even the resurrection ability bestowed upon the Eight Parts of the Divine did not apply, as the remaining members looked visibly startled.

‘What the heck?!’

As I stared in shock at this scene, Mangnyang retreated, gritting his teeth.

“The True Sound of the Queen Mother.”

At his words, I began to think this battle might spiral into the worst-case scenario.

“An attack that could slay even a Demon King with a single blow could very well be a sound wave… Be careful.”