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True Martial Home (진공가향)

The Peach Blossom Paradise!

It’s the legendary utopia, a paradise where a farmer from the Peach Blossom Land suddenly stumbled into a village in the mountains, and everyone there was living comfortably and happily. It’s said that when he tried to mark his way back out of the paradise, he could never find it again.

I said to Zhuge Yulong,

“Peach Blossom Paradise, huh? Wasn’t that just a tale spun by some poet?”

“To Yuanchang, it was simply a compilation of folklore, not his creation. The tale of the Peach Blossom Paradise is based on a real event.”

“In that case, does that mean there’s a chance of stumbling upon that heavenly place in the mortal realm? Is there really a reason to break through the Celestial Realm and stand before the Primordial Sky?”

Zhuge Yulong paused for a moment before answering my question.

“Don’t you understand from the name Peach Blossom Paradise? It’s the place where peaches bloom (桃源). There’s only one such place in the Celestial Realm.”

“…The Garden of the Queen Mother of the West!”

“Sanqing was extinguished by someone, and ever since, the Queen Mother of the West has wielded the real power of the Celestial Realm. Naturally, she would have directly managed the Three Pure Ones’ Palace and the Primordial Sky. The world inside the Primordial Sky is connected to the garden of the Queen Mother.”

“Hmm!”

Connected, huh?

Why should it be that way?

Why is it that the alternate world where the Three Pure Ones sealed the powers of ancient humans is interconnected with the Queen Mother’s garden?

“What kind of scheme does the Queen Mother have?”

“I’ll end the background explanation here. I don’t have time to explain everything to you.”

As Zhuge Yulong interrupted me, he glared at me sharply.

“Choose. Do you want to enter the Primordial Sky, ready to face death with us? Or are you turning back now?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve come this far, and turning back is out of the question!”

“Alright, but don’t take those words back. A word from a man is worth a thousand gold.”

“……”

Of course, I was ready to go in and face death, but hearing those words made me lose my strength. I could feel the calculations hidden in every word he said, and when I showed my annoyance, Zhuge Yulong spoke.

“What you need to watch out for in Peach Blossom Paradise is the Blood Pillar.”

“Blood Pillar?”

“I heard there are three columns supporting the Peach Blossom Paradise. Those columns are called the Blood Pillars, and if you can destroy them, you can lift the ancient curse binding the Celestial Realm. It’s essentially the core that seals the ancient powers of humanity. The Blood Pillar always engraves the symbol of the Reverse Eight Trigrams.”

“Hmm.”

“Find and destroy the Blood Pillar!”

“That sounds easy enough. So, I can just waltz right into the Primordial Sky?”

I looked at the Primordial Sky with a worried expression. Just before, dozens of cavalry had charged in and disappeared like smoke. Zhuge Yulong then said,

“We were waiting for that very moment. We needed to confirm the information.”

“Waiting? For what?”

It was then.

Whooosh!!

Suddenly, a rift appeared in the Primordial Sky, and from that crack, a massive substance came tumbling out. I dodged the mass just in time, but with a splat, blood sprayed everywhere. I quickly avoided the blood, only to find horrifically mangled corpses of cavalry sprawled gruesomely on the ground, as if they were meatballs.

“Ugh….”

“As expected.”

“How the hell did the cavalry get wiped out in an instant?”

The cavalry weren’t weaklings. They had the strength to rival dragon people and demons, prepared by Zhuge Yulong to breach the Celestial Realm.

“If you enter through the Primordial Sky, you will appear right in the middle of the Peach Blossom Paradise. The cavalry must have moved directly there.”

“Right in the middle of the village? But why are they dead?”

“……”

Zhuge Yulong fell silent as if it wasn’t worth answering. Then I realized the answer myself.

“Are… are you saying the villagers wiped out dozens of cavalry in the blink of an eye?”

“Exactly. More specifically, the ancient beings sealed and living in this world of the Primordial Sky for thousands of years.”

Zhuge Yulong explained.

“It seems they have no hesitation when it comes to slaughtering intruders.”

“Tch! This isn’t the time to care about that. Ancient beings or not, I’m going in.”

Venturing into dangerous places had become my daily life. Having been to Dark Heaven Village and the ends of the universe, there was no reason to hesitate in this urgent situation just because I was afraid of the indigenous people of Peach Blossom Paradise. The thought that if I died, I’d died gave me courage.

“That’s the spirit.”

As I prepared to enter, Zhuge Yulong looked at me with a strange gaze and said,

“Baek Woong. When destroying the Blood Pillar, find and eliminate its source.”

“Source? What do you mean?”

“It’s in the tactical manuals. I won’t know the details until I see it myself, but I believe you can figure it out.”

“I got it, so let’s just get going!”

“Then.”

Bam!!

Moments later, as we took a step forward, I found myself in a bizarre location I had never seen before.

‘The clouds are completely surrounding us.’

As I surveyed my surroundings, I saw ancient-style buildings floating in the sky, and the very place I stood was one of them. Precisely, there were countless buildings floating around this floating ground. I didn’t understand how it was possible, but there were wooden bridges connecting the floating lands.

I looked at Zhuge Yulong.

“I don’t see any villagers.”

“They might attack at any moment. I need to move first and assault the Blood Pillar.”

Bam!

Zhuge Yulong immediately took Zhuge Bu and the White Tiger and used the technique of teleportation. However, the haste was so frantic; it looked more like a retreat than a move. Only then did I understand why Zhuge Yulong had rushed.

Swoosh

From beyond the thick clouds, a small child slowly walked toward me. This child appeared to be a boy, dressed in ancient attire. He smiled broadly as he opened his mouth.

“You came from outside. Did the Queen Mother send you?”

I could understand him. I thought he wouldn’t comprehend modern language, but surprisingly, the child could speak the language of the Great Ming Empire. I sensed that my answer to this question would be crucial. I pondered and then shook my head.

“No. I came through the entrance of the Primordial Sky.”

Let’s just be honest. I felt like it wouldn’t be right to say the Queen Mother sent me.

The child’s complexion changed drastically, and he spoke with a panicked expression.

“I- Is there truly no way to escape from here…?”

“I am Baek Woong. Are there no other villagers?”

“…….”

“Tell me your name.”

“…I am Qiongqi (窮奇).”

Crack!

Suddenly, the child’s body twisted uncontrollably and began to transform. Moments later, he morphed into a massive tiger with black wings, and I could tell he was over three meters long. Of course, I was desensitized to the sight of giant monsters, but when he roared, I flinched.

Roar!

[I, Qiongqi, ask you. What do you, Baek Woong, seek here? And do you know how to escape this place?!]

“…….”

[Speak! If not, I will tear you apart just like the demon beasts that entered not long ago.]

The power behind that roar was impressively strong.

I could immediately sense he was not just any giant demon. Compared to mere magical beasts, he was on a different level; this was definitely stronger than the beings in Aokigahara Life Sea or the Death Sea.

‘A mythical being… then he must be the legendary Four Fierce Beasts, Qiongqi!’

From his name, it was clear he was one of the four legendary beasts known from myth.

The Four Fierce Beasts referred to the Four Great Beasts: Diao Chan, Doo-all, Qiongqi, and Chaos, infamous for their savage and brutal deeds since the Mythological Era. I had only known them as legends, and now here I was, face-to-face with one of them.

Examining Qiongqi with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I could sense an overwhelming aura of power radiating from his entire being. It was a raw force that couldn’t merely be described as demonic energy; it felt as fiercely pure as primordial chaos.

It was evident that Qiongqi was also an existence on the level of the Overlay Technique, so I had to remain cautious.

‘Shit… Am I going to have to fight? Why is there such a legendary beast in Peach Blossom Paradise?!’

I might be able to win if I fought. By combining Spirit Power, sorcery, and martial arts, I could potentially take him down. However, it would consume a lot of energy, and with time being so precious, I couldn’t afford to waste it here with a beast of this caliber. I didn’t have time to tiptoe around some powerful beast when I might have a chance to hunt down something as strong as the Eight Immortals’ Yeodong-bin, fighting for my life was also not an option.

‘I need to destroy all the Blood Pillars here within half a moment! Time is running out! What do I do… how…’

I quickly brainstormed.

‘Right…!!’

I strengthened my Spirit Power and demanded Black Woong burst forth with as much power as possible. Black Woong began to exude Spirit Power in a showy manner as I wanted.

Roar!!

[Ugh…!! Are you the Apostle of the God?!]

Qiongqi staggered back at the force of my divine power. Any being, even a mythical beast from the era of legends, would have to cower before the might of a Spirit Power that reached the level of great achievement. I looked at Qiongqi with a smug expression and shouted.

“Qiongqi! No matter how you got here, I have come to free those trapped in this world. Help me!”

[What do you mean…?]

“I am an Apostle of Jeon Wook! Even this Spirit Power must give it away, right? I have come, by Jeon Wook’s will, to liberate the ancient beings.”

[O-Oh, Jeon Wook…!]

Qiongqi flinched in surprise upon hearing the name. He looked around cautiously, then slowly lowered his massive body and assumed a posture like a cat sitting down, gazing back at me.

[If that’s true, I will do my utmost to assist you, Baek Woong.]

“Time is of the essence. I need to destroy the Blood Pillar. Breaking the Blood Pillar is the key to breaking this world.”

[Blood Pillar… what is that…?]

Huh?! He doesn’t know?!

I suddenly felt a sense of urgency and hastily explained.

“Well, it’s the three columns that support this world, and it’s said they engrave the symbol of the Reverse Eight Trigrams.”

[Hmm…!! Is that what you mean?]

“Do you know something?”

Qiongqi nodded and spoke.

[Get on my back. I’ll take you straight to the Blood Pillar.]

Thud!

As I jumped onto Qiongqi’s back, he spread his wings and began to soar into the sky. The sight of a winged giant tiger darting through the air was truly fantastic. After quite a bit of flying, we reached a peak, where a massive metallic cover loomed over the sky like a giant lid.

Qiongqi pointed to a hole in the lid and said.

[Isn’t that surrounded by the Eight Trigrams….]

“That’s….”

[Though I don’t know much, that is likely the Blood Pillar….]

As I caught sight of the ‘Blood Pillar,’ I felt a rush of breathlessness.

A human!

Floating in the center of the hole was a human who merely hung there with his eyes closed. However, the ancient robes he wore clearly indicated he was a Taoist master. I could be certain it was the Blood Pillar when I noticed that the symbol of the Eight Trigrams was floating in reverse around his body.

‘Was that meant to discourage me from hesitating?’

Zhuge Yulong must have worried I would refuse to harm this innocent human known as the ‘Blood Pillar.’

But I steeled myself, drew my sword, and charged.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no time to be picky now that I’m here!”

The lives of my companions were on the line. Unless it was truly beyond human principles, there was no choice left but to act. If I needed to atone later, I would find a way.

Swoosh

My sword instantly severed the neck of the Blood Pillar. But strangely, there were no marks left behind, just the same floating figure.

“Huh?”

I struck multiple more times, but it felt like I was cutting through an illusion, as if the blade never made contact.

As I landed, Qiongqi spoke.

[Ah, I forgot to mention…. We Furious Beasts have tried countless times to attack that Blood Pillar to escape this space. However, despite thousands of assaults over thousands of years, we’ve inflicted no damage whatsoever. That is an illusion.]

“An illusion…? Could there be more of these Blood Pillars somewhere else?”

[There are two more.]

It seemed Zhuge Yulong’s information was indeed correct. There were indeed a total of 3 Blood Pillars.

However, the issue was that, despite the legendary beasts of the Four Fierce Beasts attacking it countless times over the millennia, it remained utterly unresponsive.

“Hmm… If that’s the case, it means conventional attacks, sorcery, and martial arts can’t touch the Blood Pillar…”

I pondered this as I turned to Qiongqi.

“Qiongqi, what’s that enormous metallic lid on top of the Blood Pillar?”

[We don’t know either…. We’ve attempted to fly above it, but it endlessly stretches upward, and we couldn’t see the end.]

“Ughh.”

I felt a headache coming on. Suddenly, Zhuge Yulong’s advice came to mind.

‘He said to strike the source of the Blood Pillar.’

In that case, I needed to strike that metallic lid!

As I focused my gaze on the lid, Qiongqi warned me.

[Do not! Do you think we haven’t thought of that? Though it accepts some attack, we have never been able to even scratch it with any means.]

“I’ll handle it, just be quiet for a moment.”

There’s no way Zhuge Yulong would send me off without a method. If he mentioned striking the source, there had to be a reason behind it.

I decided to use martial arts techniques to jump high into the air, landing directly in front of the Blood Pillar.

…Ugh, I truly have no clue how to proceed.

Strike the source? What does that even mean…? It probably means I have to hit the metallic lid, but it’s clear that a normal attack wouldn’t break it.

As I was racking my brain over this riddle, my eyes fell upon the face of the Blood Pillar, an ancient one.

Right. Now isn’t the time to ponder the solution to this puzzle.

Thinking my way through this challenge might be possible for Zhuge Yulong, but not for me.

In that case, I can only try everything I have.

‘Will this work…?!’

I slowly extended my hand toward the illusion of the Blood Pillar. And at that moment, a glow lit up in my eyes as I began to invoke the ultimate spell.

The incantation of 108 characters began to flow from my mouth. I concentrated on channeling my energy.

“Wake up… oh, Mask.”

Ultimate Technique

Technique of All Things

Ssshhh!

I saw the mask of the Abyss Rising emerge from behind the Blood Pillar. I murmured,

“If you are the wedge of this seal, I will pull it out.”

In the next moment, I seized the mask.

The moment I donned the mask of the Blood Pillar, I felt an overwhelming amount of knowledge and celestial arts flood into my mind. The volume was far greater than what Ji-seon Mang-nyang had possessed and was overwhelmingly profound.

“Wuuuhh!!”

Simultaneously, I began to feel a confusion of identity. My consciousness gradually submerged, and my head started to throb painfully. It was much more bearable than when I stole the Mask of the Lord of Iron Blood, but eventually, I found myself dazed.

I was melding into it.

I felt as though I was becoming the Blood Pillar, his persona layering over mine.

…….

…….

So this is it.

“I am….”

After thousands of years, I’ve awakened as the Blood Pillar.

What has happened to Mount Kunlun now?

Is Strong Baby still maintaining order inside?

I had been striving to fulfill the mission entrusted to me by the Primordial Heaven Master, but has the barrier somehow fallen?

No, that might not even matter. Seeing Qiongqi the Four Fierce Beasts down there seems like things are still stable.

“I am Nan Gu Xianong.”

A branch disciple of Fuxi, and the disciple of the Primordial Heaven Master, that is who I am, Nan Gu Xianong.

For the true sealing plan of the divine, I have been made the wedge of my own seal all this time.