915——————==

True Martial Home

I went to the village where Cheon Woo-jin resides. As I walked into the village, an enchanting mist began to spread around me, wrapping me in its embrace. The sight of the flowing fog was familiar, so I stood there with an indifferent expression, and soon Cheon Woo-jin appeared about three steps away.

Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“Is your older brother dead?”

He must have somehow figured it out through fortune-telling or inspiration, or maybe Master Mangnyang had taught him. I nodded without saying much.

“… Yeah.”

“What about the body?”

I slowly took out Mangnyang’s corpse from my wooden armor and presented it. Cheon Woo-jin waved his hand, pulling the body closer to him for examination, and soon his expression turned gloomy. He looked as if he had lost the world, and it seemed he’d never recover from this.

He then spoke with a trembling voice.

“Now just go away.”

“……”

“I said go away.”

I could feel that Cheon Woo-jin was struggling to suppress his emotions. For him, Mangnyang was not just a senior and advisor but also like a parent. It was someone whose role in his life was irreplaceable. No matter what I said, Cheon Woo-jin was bound to explode. I had a feeling that I might end up fighting him right here.

“But that doesn’t mean I can just ignore what needs to be done.”

Resolutely, I opened my mouth.

“There’s one more thing to do here.”

“What is it?”

“I want to check Jin So-cheong’s condition. You can do that, right?”

Truth be told, this was more about subtly convincing Cheon Woo-jin to fight on my behalf as Master Mangnyang’s apostle. But given my past experiences and his current emotional state, I knew it was impossible to persuade him right now. I had to calmly wait for his emotions to settle down, and my tactic to buy time was indeed to check Jin So-cheong’s condition.

After a moment of silence, Cheon Woo-jin replied.

“Follow me.”

I walked after Cheon Woo-jin. As I did, the mist cleared, revealing the scenery of an ordinary rural village. After a while, we reached the hut where Cheon Woo-jin lived, and inside, I found Jin So-cheong reading a book.

When I glanced back at Cheon Woo-jin, he casually walked into the house. I followed him inside, but Jin So-cheong showed no reaction, engrossed in his reading.

“Jin So-cheong.”

I called out to him, but he didn’t respond. As I puzzled over this, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“It’s no use. He’s here but not really here.”

“Did you send him to another dimension?”

“I locked him in his own dream. He currently believes his dream is reality. Nothing more efficient in terms of sealing exists.”

“……”

What an extraordinary technique. Unlike ordinary seals or barriers, Cheon Woo-jin’s technique was so seamless that one wouldn’t even notice it had been cast.

‘Is this the same technique that kept me trapped without a sense of time for six months before?’

Having experienced something similar at Cheon Woo-jin’s hands before, I understood it quickly. I sat at the table and handed him the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan.

“Take this. It’s what Mangnyang told me to pass to you before he died.”

Cheon Woo-jin stared at the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan blankly. Then he said,

“Do you expect me to work as an apostle for you?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t kid yourself.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s voice was low and growling.

“I know your older brother helped you in every way possible, but that wasn’t his duty as an apostle! His ultimate goal was to protect the Battle Ground of Luoyang and humanity. If he could reach that goal without helping you, he wouldn’t care about you at all.”

“……”

“If the Master doesn’t directly command me, I won’t help you!”

“I see…”

I sighed. Then I said,

“Forget that. I want to know about Jin So-cheong’s condition. By the way, I’m thirsty; bring me a cup of tea for your guest.”

“… You shameless brat!”

Cheon Woo-jin gritted his teeth, but reluctantly summoned a teacup from thin air and placed it in front of me. I stared at the steaming teacup for a moment and took a sip. It felt real and was hard to imagine as anything else, but this too might just be an illusion; after all, with Cheon Woo-jin’s mastery of illusions, I couldn’t trust any of my senses.

I put the teacup down and said,

“Mangnyang used to say we should keep a watchful eye on Jin So-cheong and Jin Cheon-hwi’s sealing. Is there something unusual about Jin So-cheong?”

“Not really. Hmph.”

Cheon Woo-jin leaned back against the wall, glancing over at Jin So-cheong sitting beside him.

“The only strange thing… well, there was one.”

“What is it?”

“Every now and then, he practices martial arts alone in a fantasy world. But during one such practice, the seal almost broke.”

“……!!”

“His intent rattled my seal. Of course, it wasn’t a strong backlash, so I managed to repress it again…”

I was astonished.

“Is that possible? I thought Jin So-cheong was completely under control and wandering in the realm of dreams…”

“I don’t know. What happens when one’s intent or martial arts reach their peak is beyond my understanding. But it’s certain that his level is higher than I expected.”

“……”

When I was sealed, I felt no discomfort for six months. But Jin So-cheong managed to shake his seal with sheer willpower? The realization struck me that it was the power of natural talent and ability, sending chills down my spine. But soon I regained my composure and said,

“Can you keep Jin So-cheong sealed? He must never come out into the outside world.”

“Even without you saying it, this was your brother’s request, and I will risk my life to uphold it. So you better just go away.”

“Wait a minute…”

“It’s time to use the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan.”

Swish!

Cheon Woo-jin glared at me and swung the Sky-Destruction Sun and Moon Fan, and the next moment, I was suddenly back where my companions were. Cheon Woo-jin had sent me back. I explained the situation to everyone and then looked at Zhuge Yulong.

“What do we do now? It wasn’t a situation where I could persuade Cheon Woo-jin.”

Trying to convince him in that moment might have meant fighting him and ending up dead. I had narrowly escaped with my life, but this meant that the strategy relying on Master Mangnyang’s blessing was now blocked. Then Zhuge Yulong said,

“It really doesn’t matter that much.”

“Are you serious?”

“Even if Cheon Woo-jin becomes Master Mangnyang’s new apostle, not much changes. In any case, with the Evil God invading the world, stopping the Evil God and saving humanity becomes the top priority. Besides, we are the only ones who have the ability and methods to fight against the Evil God right now, so it’s obvious he’ll come looking for us. He can’t defeat the Evil God by himself.”

“Hmm…”

“As we keep fighting, he’ll eventually help out of his own accord.”

“Then what should we do now?”

“We should go to the Heavenly Altar.”

Zhuge Yulong’s eyes gleamed.

“We’ve nearly gathered all the treasures and offerings we need. Our task now is to hold the Offering Ceremony through the Heavenly Altar and, in doing so, offer the Law of Cause and Effect to the Three Sovereigns while fulfilling our [wish].”

“Offering Ceremony? You mean we’ll be proceeding not as a simple Offering Ceremony, but in the form of a more complex one?”

“Of course. The Offering Ceremony was created by the Emperor, thus allowing us to negotiate with the Divine Status under much more objective conditions than a regular Offering Ceremony. Moreover, from the perspective of those receiving the offerings, they cannot easily dismiss the intentions of the requester either. There is nothing better than this.”

His words continued.

“All we need are order, rights, qualifications, and timing. And I already know the order, and timing can be matched by you manipulating the climate, Baek Woong.”

“What about rights and qualifications?”

“Do they even mean anything to you? You’re already an apostle of the Three Sovereigns; it would be meaningless to discuss rights or qualifications! It’s only a secondary issue for someone who has reached a higher requirement.”

“……”

“Also, the Heavenly Altar will be the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai.”

“Is there a reason for that?”

“Of course, because it’s a place heavily influenced by the Emperor.”

I was utterly confused by Zhuge Yulong’s words and asked,

“Wait a moment. Didn’t we arrange the Offering Ceremony in honor of the Three Sovereigns—Jeon Wook, Jeogok, and Shao Hao—against the Emperor? Then proceeding with the Offering Ceremony at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai, which is steeped in the Emperor’s energy, seems a bit…”

“That’s exactly it. It makes it even more objective.”

“……?”

As I was puzzled, Zhuge Bu, who had been listening nearby, clenched his teeth and shouted in frustration.

“Damn it! Are we just going to keep doing good things for them? Shouldn’t we highlight the fact that we can choose other options if things go south, so we can secure a better negotiating position?”

“Ah…!!”

“You’re really dull when it comes to the senses of when to strike and withdraw.”

Zhuge Bu’s irritation made Zhuge Yulong wear a bitter smile.

“We can’t help it. With an attitude towards life that differs from ordinary people, it’s unavoidable that your subtle political sense can’t be sharpened no matter how much you practice. That’s an aspect you must understand, and it’s not a matter of intelligence or talent.”

“Father.”

“Getting angry won’t change anything. Let’s proceed as planned.”

“… Understood.”

I, along with them, headed toward the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai.

Pa-at!

When we arrived at the Heavenly Altar, we placed offerings on the altar and prepared for the Offering Ceremony. I drew the sorcery pattern while thinking,

‘Now, I’ll offer the Law of Cause and Effect to the Three Sovereigns, and they will receive the Law of Cause and Effect while heading off to kill Nüwa and Fuxi… and I will ride along with them to the Outer Dimension to obtain the Four Great Spirit Deities and find a way to smooth over the singularity.’

It felt like a long journey getting to this point. A lot had happened, but finally, the complicated journey was about to come to a close. If I could significantly widen the gap that the singularity brings, I might be able to proceed with future rebirths more smoothly.

After the preparations on the altar were complete, Zhuge Yulong said to me,

“Baek Woong. Listen closely. Essentially, we will be offering to the Three Sovereigns, but if things go awry, we’ll proceed according to a different plan.”

“Got it.”

“The plan is…”

Woosh!

Shortly after, as Zhuge Yulong stood over the Heavenly Altar, he began to chant a spell, and with each incantation, dark energy surged ominously from the altar. When Zhuge Yulong signaled, I immediately released my Spirit Power, altering the climate.

Peaceful Magic!!

Kugugugug!

“Ugh… Ugh…”

As my power erupted brilliantly, the sky started to fill with dark clouds, but soon, my control slipped, and I began sweating profusely. Without Heuk Woong with me, I couldn’t perform precise manipulations, and at this rate, it felt like we’d face floods rather than control the weather.

Then, Zhuge Bu, who was next to me, reached out and shouted,

“Inhale!”

Chwaawaak!

Simultaneously, my Spirit Power, which had been filling my body, flowed into Zhuge Bu, who began drawing sorcery patterns in the sky while chanting a spell with his other hand. It formed a shape that drained my power and controlled it, and once Zhuge Bu started stabilizing the sky’s incantation, the magic began to become stable.

Cough!

Suddenly, Zhuge Bu coughed up a mouthful of blood, which startled me.

“Hey, are you okay?!”

“… I just overdid it with too much Spirit Power and strained my insides. I’m not going to die.”

“……”

“Focus, will you?”

“Okay.”

I gritted my teeth and concentrated to the best of my ability on the Peaceful Magic. After all, everyone was risking their lives because of my situation, so I had to give it my all. A moment later, Zhuge Yulong reached his hand up, and a colossal figure of the Three Sovereigns appeared in the void above.

Jeon Wook, Jeogok, Shao Hao!

Their appearances were not of their real forms, but rather typical like those of ancient kings. Last time they had descended in their true forms, but there was no need to reveal the true forms for this Offering Ceremony. Upon seeing me, Jeon Wook spoke.

[Apostle Baek Woong, are you ready to offer sufficient Law of Cause and Effect?]

I looked at Jeon Wook and nodded.

“Yes, Jeon Wook.”

[Good. Then begin the offering.]

“Before that, I would like to clarify something…”

[What is it?]

I infused my will into my words.

“This is not a regular Offering Ceremony, but an Offering Ceremony of a special kind. So… as an Apostle, I also have the right to fulfill a [wish] being the one standing on the Heavenly Altar? Right?”

[……]

“Just like Qin Shi Huang or Wu Zetian.”

Jeon Wook glanced briefly at Jeogok and Shao Hao beside him.

Then Jeogok spoke.

[It is unprecedented for an Apostle to request the rights of an Offering Ceremony. However, I shall consider it as not having been said.]

“What do you mean?”

[Your rudeness will be forgiven this time, so bring out the offerings.]

“I want to understand what you mean.”

Shao Hao chuckled and said.

[Hey, human Apostle Baek Woong! Can’t you understand? An Apostle is a mere accessory of a Divine Status, so you do not belong to the category of receiving a wish in an Offering Ceremony. We will treat you well without making you feel resentful, so just proceed with the ceremony as is.]

“……”

So that’s how it’s going to be.

‘You sneaky jerks!’

But I had already prepared for this kind of situation, so I quickly cast a glance at Zhuge Yulong before speaking.

“Alright then.”

[Just a warning: you better not do anything foolish.]

“I, Baek Woong. I offer up everything here.”

Though Jeogok threatened, I ignored him and smiled slyly.

‘Let’s see what happens.’

White flames began to erupt from my hand as a manifestation of the Fire Spirit.

This Heavenly Altar can summon any of the Three Sovereigns!

“Come forth… Yan Emperor Shennong!”